US09301435B2

A display apparatus is provided including a liquid crystal module which displays an image, at least one circuit board which controls the liquid crystal module, and a case which accommodates the liquid crystal module and the at least one circuit board therewithin, wherein the case is sealed such that gas cannot be transmitted therethrough.
US09301434B2

Provided is a power conversion apparatus that includes a power semiconductor module, a smoothing capacitor module, an alternating-current bus bar, a control circuit unit to control the power semiconductor element, and a flow channel formation body to form a flow channel through which a cooling medium flows. The power semiconductor module has a first heat dissipation portion and a second heat dissipation portion facing the first heat dissipation portion. A flow channel formation body external portion of the flow channel formation body has a first surface wall that faces the first heat dissipation portion with the flow channel therebetween, a second surface wall that faces the second heat dissipation portion with the flow channel therebetween, and a sidewall to connect the first surface wall and the second surface wall. The sidewall has an opening to insert the power semiconductor module into the flow channel.
US09301416B2

An energy consumption device includes a housing that supports a first and second terminal. An energy consuming module, which may include a light emitting diode array, is supported by the housing and is thermally coupled to a thermal bridge that extends below a lower surface of the housing. A cover can be positioned so as to secure the energy consuming module between the cover and the housing. A plurality of magnets can be configured to secure the energy consumption device to a rail that supports powered contacts so that the first and second terminals engage the powered contacts and the thermal bridge is pressed against the rail.
US09301412B2

A security apparatus includes a mount and a sensor body with a socket recessed into the sensor body at a first angle from a functionality plane. The mount includes a stem and a base adapted to be affixed to a wall. The stem extends from the base at a second angle from horizontal. The functionality plane is set at an angle from horizontal equal to the first angle plus the second angle if the stem is inserted into the socket with the first side of the stem in close proximity to the first wall of the socket, and the functionality plane of the sensor body is set at an angle from horizontal equal to the first angle minus the second angle if the stem is inserted into the socket with the first side of the stem in close proximity to the second wall of the socket.
US09301411B2

A display device includes a display module, a sandwich honeycomb panel coupled to a rear of the display module, the sandwich honeycomb panel including a front thin plate located at the display module side, a rear thin plate opposing the front thin plate, and a honeycomb structure disposed between the front thin plate and the rear thin plate, the honeycomb structure including a plurality of hexagonal unit cells. A fastener including a fastener body, the fastener being inserted into the sandwich honeycomb panel such that a surface of the fastener is exposed from a rear of the sandwich honeycomb panel.
US09301401B2

A fabricated substrate has at least one plurality of posts. The plurality is fabricated such that the two posts are located at a predetermined distance from one another. The substrate is exposed to a fluid matrix containing functionalized carbon nanotubes. The functionalized carbon nanotubes preferentially adhere to the plurality of posts rather than the remainder of the substrate. A connection between posts of the at least one plurality of posts is induced by adhering one end of the functionalized nanotube to one post and a second end of the functionalized carbon nanotube to a second post.
US09301397B2

Metalized web substrate is wet etched in a reaction vessel by contacting with oxidizing and metal complexing agent to remove metal from unpatterned region. Following etching, substrate is rinsed, and rinse is at least partly recycled. Concentrations of oxidizing and metal complexing agents in the etchant bath are maintained by delivering replenishment feeds of each. Concentration of metal in the etchant bath is maintained by discharging some of the etchant bath. Replenishment rates of oxidizing and metal complexing agents and etchant removal rate are determined based at least in part on rate that metal etched from the substrate enters the etchant bath.
US09301388B2

The invention relates to a printed circuit board (10), with conductor tracks (11, 11a), which are arranged at least on a surface of the printed circuit board (10) and serve for the electrical contacting of components, and with at least one testing zone (12), which is formed by a portion of the conductor track (11) and serves for the electrical contacting of a testing element (20), in particular a testing head, wherein the surface of the printed circuit board (10) is provided with a protective layer (14), which is formed in the testing zone (12) such that it is interrupted in the region of a contact zone (15), and wherein the contact zone (15) is provided with a layer (18), which establishes an electrical contacting of the testing element (20) with the layer (18). According to the invention, it is provided that the contact zone (15) is arranged at least partially at a lateral distance from the edges of the conductor track (11) in the region of the testing zone (12).
US09301387B2

A PCB according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of unit PCBs arrayed on the PCB, and a sawing line formed among the plurality of unit PCBs. The sawing line disposed among the dummy unit PCBs is formed with a conductive pad including a first layer formed with a PSR (Photo Solder Resistor) and a second layer on which the PSR is removed to open the conductive pad. Burr generation on the unit PCBs during a sawing process is prevented and a dummy area can be reduced.
US09301376B2

A strobe lighting unit including a detecting circuit can reliably detect degradations of a xenon light source, which can flash as a light source for devices having a shooting with camera such as a smart phone, etc. The strobe lighting unit can include at least one xenon discharge tube as the xenon light source and at least one lighting circuit to flash the xenon discharge tube. The strobe lighting unit can also include at least one light-detecting circuit to detect degradations of the xenon discharge tube without a photo detector by monitoring an anode electrode of the xenon discharge tube at a flash thereof, and can be configured to output the monitoring result into the devices. Thus, the strobe lighting unit can result in an increase in the possible range of the devices, and can be employed for various devices including a thin mobile phone, a thin smart phone, etc.
US09301375B2

A multi-strike ballast to ignite an electrodeless lamp is disclosed, and includes an inverter circuit, a protection circuit, and a controller. The inverter circuit, upon activation, sends an ignition pulse to the lamp. The inverter circuit shuts down upon receiving a deactivation signal, and activates upon receiving an activation signal, triggering another ignition pulse. The protection circuit senses a change in a voltage associated with the lamp. The sensed changed may indicate that the lamp has not yet ignited or that the lamp is broken. The controller receives the sensed change in voltage and, in response, sends a deactivation signal to the inverter circuit. The controller waits a predetermined time and then sends an activation signal to the inverter circuit. The controller repeats until a change in voltage associated with the lamp is not sensed, or until a predefined number of repeats occur, providing multiple ignition pulses to the lamp.
US09301372B2

There is herein described a light output control method for a controlling a lighting device by a motion of an object near an environment, the lighting device comprising a video sensor and a light-emitting unit, the light output control method comprising steps of emitting an infrared light onto at least a part of the object and at least a part of the environment, collecting the infrared light reflected by at least the part of the object and at least the part the environment as a two-dimensional depth data sequence of the video sensor, computing the motion of the object by utilizing the two-dimensional depth data sequence, and controlling the light-emitting unit to change an attribute of the output light if the motion of the object complies with a predetermined condition.
US09301366B2

An apparatus for driving light-emitting diodes includes first and second light-emitting diode auxiliary drive parts for controlling the lighting of first and second light-emitting diode parts depending on the currents flowing through the first and second light-emitting diode parts, respectively detected by first and second resistors. Each of the first light-emitting diode auxiliary drive part and the second light-emitting diode auxiliary drive part includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor.
US09301364B2

The disclosure regards to drivers and driving methods for a LED string consisting of LEDs. The LED string and a current switch are coupled in series between a power line and a ground line. The power line is powered to regulate a signal representing a current passing through the LED string. An enable signal capable of switching the current switch is provided. Whether a predetermined event occurs is detected. When the predetermined event occurs, the enable signal is clamped to have a predetermined logic value, the current switch thereby being kept either open or short.
US09301353B2

A light emitting diode driving apparatus may include: a light emitting diode emitting light by receiving rectified power; a driver driving the light emitting diode based on a voltage level of the rectified power; and a controller limiting an operation of the driver based on a voltage applied to the driver and a hysteresis reference value.
US09301351B2

The present invention relates to a driving circuit and a driving method for LED. The driving circuit for LED comprises an inductor used for producing an output current, a power switch coupled to the inductor and used for controlling the inductor to transmit the output current to a plurality of LEDs and drive the plurality of LEDs, an adjusting circuit receiving a PWM signal related to the output current, and a driving unit producing an adjusting impedance value according to the PWM signal. The driving unit generates a switching signal according to the adjusting impedance value. The switching signal switches the power switch and enables the inductor to produce the output current. The driving unit adjusts the frequency of the switching signal according to the adjusting impedance value.
US09301348B2

An LED driver comprising a power converter for powering an LED unit and a control unit for controlling the power converter is provided. The power converter comprising an input terminal for receiving a rectified AC supply voltage, and an output terminal for supplying a current to the LED unit, and the control unit comprising —an input for receiving a supply signal representative of the supply voltage and —an output for providing a control signal to the power converter The control unit is further arranged to: —determine the control signal for controlling the power converter based on the supply signal, and —control the power converter to supply the current to the LED unit based on the control signal, the current being amplitude modulated in synchronism or in phase with the rectified AC supply voltage.
US09301347B2

A programmable driver for driving a solid state lighting device includes a processing circuit, a voltage feedback loop and a power stage. The processing circuit is configured to determine a voltage reference signal based on a nominal current setting and a predetermined power limit. The voltage feedback loop is configured to receive the voltage reference signal and to determine a difference between a reference voltage indicated by the voltage reference signal and a drive voltage of the solid state lighting device. The power stage is configured to limit maximum output voltage for driving the solid state lighting device based at least in part on the determined difference between the reference voltage and the drive voltage of the solid state lighting device provided by the voltage feedback loop.
US09301345B2

A method for heating a plurality of articles according to a prescribed heating profile is provided. The method includes heating a first test article in a small-scale microwave heating system and, based on the value of one or more parameters determined during this small-scale heating, determining a prescribed heating profile for the test article. Suitable parameters can include for example, net power discharged, sequential microwave distribution, average temperature and flow rate of the fluid in the heating chamber, and residence time. The heating profile can then be used to control a commercial-scale microwave heating system used to heat a plurality of similar articles.
US09301338B2

Wireless communications devices are provided including a housing; a first antenna positioned in the housing, the first antenna being associated with a first receiver; and a second antenna positioned in the housing, the second antenna being associated with a second receiver, the second receiver being different from the first receiver. One of the first receiver and the second receiver is configured to support at least two radio access technologies by co-banding frequencies associated with the at least two radio access technologies. Related systems and antenna systems are also provided.
US09301331B2

A mobile radio communication device is described configured to operate in a first communication state and in a second communication state. The mobile radio communication device includes: a transmitter configured to transmit data to a mobile radio communication network when the mobile radio communication device is in a first communication state in which the mobile radio communication device is in a connection with a cell of the mobile radio communication network; a memory configured to store information based on the transmitted data; a cell determination circuit configured to determine a cell of a mobile radio communication network as a connection candidate based on the stored information; and a connection request circuit configured to request connection with the determined cell when the mobile radio communication device is in a second communication state in which the mobile radio communication device seeks a connection with a cell of a mobile radio communication network.
US09301330B2

A method for mobile radio communication between a communication partner device and a mobile communication device includes conducting a communication, at least temporarily, via at least two different mobile radio connections in two different mobile radio networks; evaluating the reception quality of receive signals of each mobile radio connection in the mobile communication device; selecting the mobile radio connection with the best reception quality for the mobile radio communication, at least in a receiving direction; deriving different audio signals from the receive signals of the different mobile radio connections; and feeding the derived different audio signals to a delay circuit, which aligns transit time differences and/or the amplitude differences of the derived different audio signals with respect to one another.
US09301324B2

The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for use in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a method of performing random access procedure for network access and an apparatus therefore, in which the method comprises: receiving a first downlink signal including first information at time t1, the first information indicating a first time duration T1; receiving a second downlink signal including second information at a time t1+b within T1, the second information indicating a second time duration T2; and performing the random access procedure for network access, wherein if T2 is larger than b, the random access procedure is allowed after T2−b has passed from t1+b, wherein if T2 is equal to or less than b, the random access procedure is allowed after t1+b.
US09301319B2

In one aspect, a method of communicating via a wireless medium by a wireless communications apparatus within a network is provided. The method includes detecting an operating characteristic associated with a load of the network. The method further includes determining a process for adjusting a size of a contention window in response to a successful transmission of a frame based on the detected operating characteristic, the contention window being provided for determining a deferral period for deferring access to the wireless medium. The method further includes transmitting information indicating the process to one or more wireless devices operating within the network.
US09301302B2

The disclosure relates to a method in a mobile communication network for configuring the network for downlink multicarrier data transmission from a network node to a mobile terminal. The method includes the step (210) of receiving a mobile terminal capability signalling in a network node. In a subsequent step (220) at least two carriers are assigned to the mobile terminal in a downlink multicarrier assignment based on information received in the mobile terminal capability signalling. The method also includes a further step of allocating (230), in each radio block period, one or more of the assigned carriers for communication with the mobile terminal.The disclosure also relates to a mobile terminal configured to receive downlink multicarrier data transmission, and a network node configured for downlink multicarrier data transmission.
US09301301B2

A Network entity of a communication network and a network node are disclosed. The network entity includes a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured for receiving network status information and providing a refarming control signal to a network node on the basis of the network status information. The refarming control signal is related to a reuse of a frequency resource of a first communication technology by a second communication technology. For evaluation of frequency refarming, a concept of a figure of merit is disclosed which allows for an easy employment of a frequency refarming policy.
US09301298B2

A communication device comprising a transmission unit and a reception unit. The transmission unit is configured to transmit, to a first communication device, first information indicating a first set of subcarriers comprising of a plurality of subcarriers, and to a second communication device, second information indicating a second set of subcarriers comprising of a plurality of subcarriers. The reception unit is configured to receive a first Discrete Fourier Transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) signal from the first communication device using the first information and a second Discrete Fourier Transform-spread-OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) signal from the second communication device using the second information. Also, in the communication device, a portion of the second set of subcarriers can overlap with at least a portion of the first set of subcarriers in a time frame of a plurality of time frames.
US09301297B2

A communication processor that is compatible with a plurality of communication protocols while limiting increases in circuit scale is provided. The communication processor includes a computational processing circuit resource having a plurality of programmable function units (FUs). An operation mode determination unit determines an operation mode indicating a communication protocol application state. A permitted processing time determination unit determines a permitted processing time in accordance with the determined operation mode. In accordance with the permitted processing time, a resource allocation unit divides the plurality of FUs and allocates computational resources for each communication protocol indicated by the operation mode. A region controller controls the allocated computation resources. The computational processing circuit resource outputs data from after the computational processing at the timing when the computation processing ends.
US09301296B2

An arrangement is disclosed where in a multi-carrier communication system, the modulation scheme, coding attributes, training pilots, and signal power may be adjusted to adapt to channel conditions in order to maximize the overall system capacity and spectral efficiency without wasting radio resources or compromising error probability performance, etc.
US09301288B2

A method and an apparatus for transmitting feedback of a mobile station (MS) in a wireless communication system supporting a multi-carrier operation are provided. The method includes transmitting feedback information to a base station, and in this case, the feedback information is transmitted through a MAC control message and the feedback information includes carrier information of an activation carrier related to the MAC control message.
US09301284B2

A method and apparatus for radio resource control (RRC) messaging. A method in a wireless communication system includes receiving, at a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) an RRC change command including a plurality of commands from a Node B and receiving, at the Node B, an RRC change response from the WTRU, wherein the RRC change command includes a command for performing a measurement gap configuration procedure and a command for performing a measurement gap activation procedure.
US09301281B2

A method for communication in a wireless telecommunications network is provided. The method comprises coordinating, by a wireless device, with a first network node to identify a first radio resource configuration comprising a first set of radio resources which is used by the wireless device to communicate with the first network node. The first set of radio resources comprises at least one of radio resources in which the wireless device transmits to the first network node, or radio resources in which the wireless device receives from the first network node.
US09301256B2

A network device receives battery status signals for multiple mobile devices and receives a notification of an incoming call from a calling device to a particular mobile device. The network device determines if a battery status, from the battery status signals, is available for the particular mobile device and provides, to the calling device, a challenge to solicit a categorization of the incoming call as important or not important when a battery status is available for the particular mobile device. The network device receives, from the calling device, a response to the challenge, wherein the response includes the categorization of the incoming call. The network device connects the incoming call from the calling device to the particular mobile device when the categorization of the incoming call is important.
US09301246B2

A sensor network includes: a network coordinator that broadcasts a first beacon frame; a sensor device that receives a frame from the network coordinator or transmits a frame to the network coordinator; and at least one repeater that relays the frame of the network coordinator to the sensor device or relays the frame of the sensor device to the network coordinator and that broadcasts a second beacon frame that is synchronized with the first beacon frame, wherein the sensor device is synchronized with the second beacon frame to transmit/receive the frame, the cyclic-superframe includes a plurality of slotted-superframes corresponding to the first beacon frame and the second beacon frame, and the network coordinator, the sensor device, and the repeater operate in a periodically repeated cyclic-superframe structure.
US09301240B1

In systems and methods of determining the availability of a radio access technology, a first message is received from a wireless device in communication with an access node using a first radio access technology, wherein the first message comprises a request of the availability of a second radio access technology at the access node. Based on the first message, an identifier of the wireless device and an identifier of the first access node are determined. Based on the access node identifier, it is identified whether the second radio access technology is available at the access node, and a second message is sent to the wireless device instructing the wireless device to scan for the second radio access technology when it is available.
US09301232B2

A management apparatus for managing a plurality of controllers in a communication system, in which communication apparatuses belonging to a network are grouped into a plurality of groups, the plurality of controllers respectively corresponding to the plurality of groups are arranged, and each controller controls communication apparatuses of a corresponding group, is provided. The management apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine failure states of the plurality of controllers, a selection unit configured to select, based on load values indicating load states of the plurality of controllers, at least one handover controller to which control of communication apparatuses of a group corresponding to a controller in the failure state will be handed over, and a notification unit configured to notify that the control of the communication apparatuses of the group corresponding to the controller in the failure state will be handed over to the handover destination controller.
US09301230B2

A method and device for initiation a mobile originating service-based inter-system handover. At least two radio access networks (RANs) of different types, i.e. RAN of a first type and a RAN of a second type. A dual-mode mobile terminal communicates with the communication system via the RAN of the first type. The initiation of the inter-system handover is included in a transmission including a bearer capability (BC) field. The BC field indicates that a requested service is only operable with the RAN of the second type. In particular, at least one BC field is set to a parameter value, which serves as indication for the receiving network and its processing entities, respectively, which receiving network indicated to carry out the inter-system handover initiated by the mobile terminal.
US09301222B2

A method for transmitting information of a user equipment (UE) by a mobility management entity (MME) is discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes generating, by the MME, a request message including an indication of whether the UE is a closed subscriber group (CSG) member; and transmitting, by the MME, the request message to a cell. The request message is one of a UE context change request message and a handover request message. The UE context change request message is an S1 AP UE Context Modification Request message. The UE context change request message is transmitted when the UE is connected to the cell, the cell is operating in a hybrid access mode, and when the MME detects that a CSG membership of the UE to the cell has expired.
US09301221B2

The present invention relates to a method and device for reselecting a cell by a user equipment in a wireless communication system. Particularly, a method for reselecting a cell by a user equipment comprises the steps of: setting a preferred frequency for cell reselection; forming at least one candidate cell except for a specific cell; and reselecting another cell in the frequency of the specific cell among the at least one candidate cell when the frequency of the specific cell is the same as the preferred frequency.
US09301215B2

A method is described which provides a synchronized HO of a mobile device. The method includes receiving a HO command. A determination is made of whether the HO command includes an indication of UL resource allocations. A C-RNTI is waited for in DL signaling if the HO command does not include the indication of UL resource allocations. If the HO command includes the indication of UL resource allocations, transmitting occurs based on the UL resource allocations. The method may be performed as a result of execution of computer program instructions stored in a computer readable memory medium. An apparatus is also described.
US09301213B1

Network monitoring devices and network monitoring techniques are disclosed and use inferential statistical approaches to determine one or more Key Performance Indicators, particularly for Circuit Switched FallBack (CSFB) scenarios. For example, the network monitoring node monitors a plurality of ciphered or clear text messages for a network interface in a communication network, determines a Mobile Terminating (MT) count for MT calls and a Mobile Originating (MO) count for User Equipment (UE) from at least one message of the plurality of messages and defines an inferred MT ratio based on the MT count and the MO count for a total number of messages. The network monitoring device further applies the inferred MT ratio to a CSFB idle mode count for UE and/or a CSFB active mode count for UE to yield an estimated total number of CSFB idle mode successes and an estimated total number of CSFB active mode successes, respectively.
US09301212B2

The present invention relates to a solution for handling handover of connections for a user equipment from a packet switch network to a circuit switched network. This is provided as a method implemented in a node and system. The method is provided in a telecommunications network connecting user equipment, i.e. UE, communicating wirelessly with the network. The method comprising steps of detecting that handover is required from a packet switched, i.e. PS, based network to a circuit switched, i.e. CS, based network, initiating in a source mobility management node a single radio voice call continuity, i.e. SVRCC, initiating a PC to CS handover for non-voice components with information about voice related parameters and a PS to CS handover indicator, executing hand over, sending an update request to a serving gateway, i.e. SGW, from a target mobility management node with non-voice related parameters and the PS to CS handover indicator, forwarding the update request from the SGW to a packet data network gateway, i.e. PGW, receiving the update request in the PGW, detecting the PS to CS handover indicator, and handling in the PGW the PS to CS handover indicator.
US09301205B2

Systems and methods are described for providing application and content awareness for self-optimizing networks. A computerized method includes receiving at a mobile gateway a session request from a mobile device, establishing a session between the mobile device and the mobile gateway, receiving a request from the mobile device at the mobile gateway to access a remote resource, establishing a connection between the mobile device and the remote resource via the mobile gateway, detecting application and content information of a service data flow of the connection, and sending the application and content information of the service data flow to a network server for network optimization.
US09301201B2

The present invention provides a communication network comprising a host network, a plurality of base stations, at least a mobile host capable of establishing links to the base stations, and a hierarchy-network of plural routers which are improved in transferring performances for ensuring continuous operations with a reduced load without packet loss.
US09301194B2

An eNB1-1 transmits an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message to UE2-1 to UE2-3, in which SRS parameters and an application timing parameter are set, the SRS parameters differ for each of the UE2-1 to the UE2-3 and the application timing parameter is common in the UE2-1 to the UE2-3. The UE2-1 to the UE2-3 receive the RRC Connection Reconfiguration message and recognize the SRS parameters and the application timing parameter set in the message. Furthermore, when an application timing of the SRS parameter arrives, the UE2-1 to the UE2-3 apply the SRS parameter to the SRS and transmit the SRS.
US09301193B2

A system includes: a packet processing function and a packet modification function. The packet processing function receives a packet generated by a sending application function and destined for a receiving application function. The packet includes first identifier information, and the packet processing function adds second identifier information thereto. The packet modification function: receives the packet; alters it in a way that prevents use of the first identifier information by a 3GPP conforming service data flow detection process to map the packet to a first service data flow for the sending application function; and provides the packet to a packet routing function with the second identifier information positioned in the packet to enable the packet routing function to use the second identifier information in the 3GPP conforming service data flow detection process to map the packet to the first service data flow and to a bearer for transporting the packet.
US09301192B2

A method an apparatus for sending data to a User Equipment via a Radio Access Network node using the Transmission Control Protocol. A TCP node that sends TCP User Plane data to the UE receives a message originating from the RAN node. The message includes a congestion avoidance inhibitor relating to the UE. If the TCP node subsequently detects packet loss is detected between the TCP node and the UE, and the congestion avoidance inhibitor is present, then the TCP node will inhibit a congestion avoidance mechanism. This ensures that congestion avoidance mechanisms, which reduce transmission rate, are not initiated for temporary RAN events such as handover when there is no congestion in the network.
US09301185B1

A mobile communication device comprises a radio, a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application analyzes an error code received via the radio and searches an error code to executable mapping table based on the error code. When the error code is associated with an entry in the error code to error handler executable mapping table, the application invokes an error handler executable identified by the entry.
US09301181B2

An interference measurement method of a terminal is provided for facilitating downlink transmission in the mobile communication system based on Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in which multiple antennas controlled by a base station are distributed within the service area of the base station. The interference measurement method includes receiving channel measurement information and interference measurement information from a base station, receiving channel state information reference signals, calculating, when the received channel state information reference signal is for channel measurement, a received signal energy based on the channel measurement information and, when the received channel state information reference signal is for interference measurement, an interference based on the interference measurement information, generating channel quality information based on the received signal energy and the interference, and transmitting the channel quality information to the base station.
US09301178B2

A data extraction method includes: obtaining a log in which control messages for a plurality of calls are mixed; and executing, by a processor, in parallel a plurality of extraction processes each extracting a control message for a different call to be extracted from the log. The plurality of extraction processes each includes: a first process that includes: determining whether a candidate message that satisfies a certain condition based on the call among the control messages is a paging message; and storing order information for specifying an order of the call among the plurality of calls, when determined that the candidate message is a paging message; and a second process that includes: determining, after the first process on the plurality of extraction processes has been completed, whether the candidate message determined to be the paging message is the control message of the call, based on the order information.
US09301170B2

According to one aspect, the disclosed subject matter describes herein a system that includes a mobile robotic platform for navigating within a coverage area associated with an access point belonging to a communications network under test, wherein the mobile robotic platform includes a client device emulation module configured to emulate multiple client devices that are wirelessly connected to the access point and to send emulated test traffic data to the access point from each of the emulated client devices via a wireless connection. The mobile robotic platform also includes a real client device that includes a client application configured to communicate simulated test traffic data to the access point via an established wireless connection and a performance metrics module configured to determine wireless communication performance metrics associated with the wireless connection between the access point and at least one of the real client device or the emulated client devices.
US09301166B2

Because it is not possible to sufficiently reduce the number base stations that start uselessly in spite of being in a low traffic state, it is not possible to lower interference between adjacent cells and power consumption sufficiently. A base station starts transmission of a control signal with predetermined power when communication between another base station and a mobile station is started and a first predetermined condition is satisfied.
US09301162B2

A method, a base station and a system for managing resources belong to the field of communication technologies. In an embodiment of the present invention, the base station decodes the uplink data or the acknowledgement information sent by the user equipment according to the format of the periodic indication information comprised in the uplink data or the acknowledgement information, determines that the uplink data or the acknowledgement information sent by the user equipment comprises the periodic indication information when the decoding is successful, and then validates the periodic resources corresponding to the periodic indication information comprised in the uplink data or the acknowledgement information. The technical solution of the present invention overcomes the problem in the prior art that data is erroneously retransmitted since the base station and the user equipment asynchronously validate the periodic resources corresponding to the periodic indication information, thereby reducing interruption time delay.
US09301155B2

A system for managing access point functionally and configuration includes a server that is coupled to a computer network and configured to communicate with an access point via the computer network. The access point is configured to couple a mobile device to the computer network by providing a wireless link between the mobile device and the access point. The access point is further configured to produce a status point regarding the access point and the server is configured to receive the status report from the access point following a trigger event at the access point. In other examples, the server is further configured to transmit a response message and/or a configuration file to the access point in response to the status report that is received at the server. Other features and systems are also disclosed.
US09301153B2

The radio relay apparatus 1 stores MAC addresses of the radio terminals 2a and 2b and IP addresses assigned to the radio terminals 2a and 2b by the DHCP server 5 on the IP network 4 in the memory unit of the radio relay apparatus 1. The radio relay apparatus 1 monitors the information of MAC addresses and IP addresses of the source radio terminal and the destination radio terminal included in the packet routed through its own apparatus, and based on the address information stored in the memory unit, when it determines that the radio terminals 2a and 2b communicate each other via its own apparatus, transitions from the first communication mode over the IP network 4 to the second communication mode not over the IP network 4.
US09301150B2

Systems and methods for determining primary channel availability are disclosed. One aspect is a method in a wireless communications system including a first primary channel having first and second frequency spectrum bandwidths. The second frequency spectrum bandwidth includes the first frequency spectrum bandwidth. The method includes determining whether a first preamble has been detected on the second primary channel during a first threshold period of time, determining whether a second preamble has been detected on the first primary channel during a second threshold period of time, determining whether a guard interval has been detected on the second primary channel during a third threshold period of time, determining whether the second primary channel is idle based at least in part on detection of the first preamble, the second preamble and the guard interval, and transmitting a wireless message based at least in part on whether the second primary channel is idle.
US09301148B2

The method for redundancy of a wireless communication network according to the embodiment of the present invention includes: partitioning the same frequency band of a first base station transceiver subsystem and a second base station transceiver subsystem, which form redundant cell coverage, into a plurality of resource blocks; partitioning each of the partitioned resource blocks into a first frequency partition (FP) and a second frequency partition which are configured to have the same structure as each other; and transmitting and receiving, by the first base station transceiver subsystem, data using a first resource block allocated to the first frequency partition and by the second base station transceiver subsystem, data using a second resource block allocated to the second frequency partition.
US09301139B2

A system and method for multifactor authentication and login using a smart wrist watch with at least one NFC (Near Field Communication) technology tag, with a computing device such as mobile, pda, tablets, laptop, desktop, or any similar system comprising user Authentication NFC login support and multifactor login support system or website wherein at least one NFC tag id arrayed in Smart Wrist watch is used for said device system or said website already registered at the time of sign up or setting user name and password is treated as second authentication factor.
US09301138B2

A wireless communication apparatus includes an optical wireless receiving unit receiving a pseudo random number; an authentication code generator generating an authentication code based on the pseudo random number received by the optical wireless receiving unit; and a wireless communication unit determining whether authentication using the authentication code with a given wireless communication apparatus is successful, and performing wireless communications with the given wireless communication apparatus when determining that the authentication using the authentication code with a given wireless communication apparatus is successful.
US09301137B2

A system and method for monitoring wireless network access, and use of a detected wireless network connection are described. A client component (e.g., software component), or client, can be downloaded to a computing device, which leverages off of the computing device's ability to locate and establish a network connection. The client component listens for network connection activity, and determines whether the device has established a network connection with a network known to the client. If the client determines that a network connection has been established to a known network, the client uses the network connection to log the user onto the network.
US09301127B2

A device may communicate with a peer-to-peer (P2P) network prior to associating with that network. The communications prior to association may include information about whether the P2P network is persistent or non-persistent. The information may include a persistent group intent field that identifies whether a device would prefer to join a persistent P2P network and allows a P2P network to advertise whether it is persistent.
US09301124B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for connectivity. In one aspect there is provided a method, which may include detecting, at a first device including an audio detector and a transceiver, an audio command; recording, at the first device, a first timestamp representative of when the audio command was detected; sending, by the first device via the transceiver, one or more packets to discover one or more other devices; detecting, by the first device, at least one response to the sent one or more packets, the at least one response including a second timestamp representative of when the audio command was detected by a second device and a second transceiver; and triggering, by the first device, an action based on a comparison of the first time stamp and the second time stamp.
US09301119B2

A method and apparatus for a device to provide emergency information is provided herein. During operation, an emergency responder will send out a wireless request for ICE information. Any device in the area will wirelessly respond to the request by providing ICE information, as long as a predetermined criterion is met. Because ICE information can be requested, and obtained wirelessly, a first responder does not need physical access to the device storing the ICE information. Thus, ICE information can be obtained from a device even when the device is not immediately accessible to the first responder.
US09301107B2

A communication device provides a message composition interface. In the message composition interface, the communication device presents a maximum allowable remaining number of characters allowable for further entry in the message only when a character count of the number of character inputs received in the message is greater than or equal to a warning count value. The warning count value is less than a maximum allowable number of characters of the message.
US09301096B2

Methods, devices, and systems are described for determining whether a mobile device is in a stopped state based at least in part on round trip time (RTT) measurements between the device and at least one access point. The stopped state determination may be based on RTT measurements alone, or on RTT measurements in combination with other positioning and movement measurements. Further, filtering such as particle and Kalman filtering may be used to improve determination of whether the device is in a stopped state.
US09301095B2

A method of increasing accuracy of location determination of mobile devices within a location-based subgroup starts with server receiving location data and proximity information from each of the mobile devices. Location data received from first mobile device includes first mobile device's fixed location. Proximity information received from first mobile device includes an identification of mobile devices within a proximity sensitivity radius of first mobile device's location. Server forms subgroup of mobile devices based on proximity information from each of the mobile devices. Subgroup may include first mobile device and mobile devices that have provided proximity information that identifies first mobile device are being within the proximity sensitivity radiuses of the mobile devices, respectively. Server may then refine the fixed location of the first mobile device, which includes identifying an intersection of the proximity sensor sensitivity of each of the mobile devices that are in subgroup. Other embodiments are described.
US09301091B2

The mediation server comprises: a component configured to obtain an identifier of a first terminal seeking to obtain a location for a second terminal; a component configured to obtain a location for the second terminal and for validating that location; a component configured to obtain an authorization sent by said second terminal to communicate said location of the second terminal to the first terminal; and a component configured to communicate said location of the second terminal to the first terminal.
US09301090B2

A light device includes a light source that irradiates light to the outside; a positional information transmission part that transmits positional information of the light device to a wireless terminal; a terminal information reception part that receives identification information of the wireless terminal and the positional information from the wireless terminal that has received the positional information; a terminal information transmission part that transmits the identification information and the positional information to a management server that manages a position of the wireless terminal; and a voltage conversion part that converts a voltage of power supplied from an external power source and supplies the power to the positional information transmission part, the terminal information reception part and the terminal information transmission part.
US09301089B2

An exemplary method includes: receiving at each of at least three antenna elements of a positioning device a wireless signal having modulated thereon an identifier relating to a transmitting device; obtaining complex signal parameters of a signal received at each of the at least three antenna elements; determining a measure of a strength of the received wireless signal; comparing the measure to a threshold associated with the identifier; if the measure exceeds the threshold, processing the complex signal parameters to determine a bearing of the transmitting device from the positioning device; and if the measure does not exceed the threshold, discarding the complex signal parameters without processing them to determine a bearing. An exemplary apparatus and computer readable medium configured to perform the method are also disclosed.
US09301078B2

A piconet communications system (e.g. Bluetooth®) is used to distribute information to mobile user devices 1 which advertise (10) that they require the information available. In a reversal of the conventional information provision protocols, the information provider 2 scans for user devices receptive to such data (21), and transmit the required data (27), only to such devices that require it. The information provider 2 also has provision to ensure that it transmits the information to each user device only once (step 26). By having the information provider performing the scanning, and only transmitting data to user devices that have indicated they will accept it, and have not already received it, the power consumption of the mobile devices is minimized as they do not need to perform any scanning or information-filtering operations, these being performed by the fixed information provider terminal.
US09301074B2

A display unit includes: a display section having a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in a straight line; a driving section supplying a display driving signal for controlling the luminance of each of the light-emitting devices; and a display control section connected to the driving section for supplying the driving section with either a first display control signal for controlling the luminance of the light-emitting devices to display a preset display pattern according to an operation control signal from a controller or a second display control signal for controlling the luminance of the light-emitting devices in synchronism with the level of an audio signal, wherein the first display control signal is generated based on a wave function.
US09301063B2

A hearing instrument includes a housing and an exchangeable receiver. The hearing instrument further includes an opening in the housing for receiving the exchangeable receiver therein, and a coupler for actuating/de-actuating a physical coupling between the housing and the exchangeable receiver and for enabling the housing to hold the receiver.
US09301061B2

A method and apparatus for recording and measuring in-situ skull vibration includes a receiving means, a transducer mounted into or unto the receiving means and capable of transducing mechanical vibration within the dental bone conduction pathway into electrical signals, and extra-oral recordation hardware and software capable of receiving and processing the electrical signals from the transducer.
US09301046B1

A control circuit coupled to a differential audio output stage may, responsive to a transition in a power supply voltage generated by a power supply, modify at least one of: (i) a first bandwidth associated with the power supply; (ii) a second bandwidth associated with a common-mode voltage generator for generating a desired output common-mode voltage based on the power supply voltage; and (iii) a third bandwidth associated with a common-mode feedback loop of the audio-output stage for setting an actual common-mode voltage at each of the pair of differential output terminals based on the desired output common-mode voltage; such that the second bandwidth is greater than or substantially equal to the first bandwidth during the transition and the third bandwidth is greater than or substantially equal to the second bandwidth during the transition.
US09301043B2

A sealed speaker system includes an enclosure and a transducer diaphragm mounted within the enclosure, where an increase in air pressure within the enclosure results in an outward movement of the diaphragm toward an exterior of the enclosure, and a decrease in air pressure within the enclosure results in an inward movement of the diaphragm toward an interior of the enclosure. A pressure vent is provided in the enclosure and allows a gradual transfer of air between the enclosure interior and the enclosure exterior to substantially maintain a pressure equilibrium between the enclosure interior and the enclosure exterior.
US09301028B2

The present invention discloses a method and a system for implementing alternative routes in optical transmission network of WSON. By using the method and the system the following alternative routes implementing process is realized: computing the alternative routes of each subsegment independently based on a constraining condition distributed by a managing plane, and combining the computed alternative routes of each subsegment to form complete alternative routes. The present method and system for implementing alternative routes is capable of obtaining more alternative routes than those of prior art, and takes full advantage of network resource topology.
US09301020B2

A content delivery system and method that receives a request for a content stream that includes splice points. The method receives a playlist that includes an ordered list of media segment files that represent the content stream, and splice point tags, where generation of the media segment files aligns segment boundaries with the splice points in the content stream, and where each splice point tag is in a location in the playlist that corresponds to the position of one of the splice points in the content stream. The method identifies an insertion position in the playlist based on the location of the splice point tags, selects an advertisement segment, inserts the advertisement segment at the insertion position to create a modified playlist, removes the splice point tags from the modified playlist, and sends the modified playlist to the video display device.
US09301018B2

A method and system for centrally producing user-specific user interfaces for controlling and selecting interactive media applications are provided. The system has, at each user end, an input unit used to input control signals for controlling and selecting the interactive media applications, and an output unit used to display an appropriate user-specific user interface. Following registration of the input and output units, the control signals are transmitted via a communication network to a central user interface server in the system. The user interface server initiates a user interface production unit which takes the control signals as a basis for generating user-specific elements for the user interface. A mixing component in the system adds non-user-specific elements provided by a database in the system. The user-specific user interface produced is then forwarded from a central streaming server in the system to the output unit and is displayed by the latter.
US09301016B2

In particular embodiments a social networking system may receive from an external system outside the social-networking system, a request comprising a user identifier associated with a user of the social-networking system, query a social graph for stories generated by one or more connections of the user on the social-networking system, and transmit the stories to the external system. Similarly the social networking system may receive, from an external system outside of the social networking system, a request comprising a user identifier associated with a user of the social networking system, a content identifier, and a action performed by the user on the content identifier, generate a story for the received request, and publish the story to one or more connections of the user on the social networking system.
US09301008B2

A broadcasting receiving apparatus and a method for providing broadcasting signal relation information are provided. The broadcasting receiving apparatus, which accesses a server through a network, includes a broadcasting signal receiver which receives a broadcasting signal; a channel identifier which identifies a change of a channel of the broadcasting signal, generates a fingerprint corresponding to the broadcasting signal of the changed channel, and receives identification information of the changed channel from a matching server based on the generated fingerprint; and a relevant information provider which receives conditional information that indicates a condition for receiving relevant information of the broadcasting signal if the channel is changed, receives the relevant information based on the conditional information and displays the received relevant information.
US09301003B2

An intelligent television, methods for displaying content, and methods for user interaction between the intelligent television and the user are provided. In general, a user is provided with a side menu allowing for navigation, selection, additional content, display, and search options that enable one or more functions associated with the intelligent television. The presentation of options is based on input received by the intelligent television. As a user provides input to the intelligent television via a remote control or other input device. The intelligent television is configured to interpret the input and provide interactive functionality in the form of content presented to the display of the intelligent television without obstructing the user from viewing content displayed on the screen of the intelligent television.
US09300993B2

A method and system for providing a content notification for a set-top box is disclosed. An embodiment is disclosed that receives security information at a web portal and the security information has identification information for a user assigned to a set-top box, services a request to create a content notification preference for the set-top box at the web portal in response to successful entry of security information, determines media content received by the set-top box and the media content selected for display, determines the content notification preference associated with the set-top box, the content notification preference has a content notification rule to monitor media content received by the set-top box, and sends a content notification to a recipient based on the content notification preference.
US09300987B1

A stream server system includes logic to provide an output stream to a machine data network; logic to specify to a stream splicer, without modifying the output stream, a playlist file as a file to provide ad content, the playlist file including identifications of multiple digital content files each comprising a separate advertisement; and logic to stream the multiple content files individually to a stream splicer as a Single Program Transport Stream and to identify the content from the multiple content files to the stream splicer as a single content segment.
US09300978B2

A system and method for improving the coding efficiency of motion vector information in video coding. According to various embodiments, a list of motion vector predictor candidates is arranged according to predefined rules. Each motion vector also has a reference index associated with it. One of the motion vector candidates is then selected as a predictor based on predefined rules, or the selection is explicitly signaled in the bitstream. The reference index associated with the selected motion vector is used as a reference index for the current block. The reference index is predicted along with the motion vector. Such embodiments can improve the compression efficiency of modern video codecs.
US09300976B2

In video encoding it is common to encode the image data to remove redundancies in the information to be transmitted. While the pixel data is usually arranged in pixel blocks, the blocks can be arranged in one or more groups of N×M blocks called tiles. The tiles avoid the need to send header information on a tile-by-tile or block-by-block basis, and simplifies parallel processing of the tiles. Bits from respective tiles may then be reformatted to recreate bits according to a raster-scan direction. This enables the decoder to receive the bits in a regular raster-scan format, but also have the ability to decode the tiles once the bits are reformatted. By partitioning an image into tiles of size N×M, it is possible to further exploit the intra-frame correspondence of images in a vertical direction as well as horizontal direction since the tiles need not destroy as many dependencies between blocks in a tile as if the blocks where organized in slices or slice groups.
US09300973B2

A method for decoding an image, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: deciding a prediction mode that corresponds to a chroma component block; deciding a transform skip mode of the chroma component block from a plurality of transform skip mode candidates, according to the prediction mode that corresponds to the chroma component block; and reverse-transforming the chroma component block on the basis of the transform skip mode that is decided.
US09300970B2

Encoding and decoding a motion vector using a motion vector of a current block of a current picture, which indicates a region corresponding to the current block in a first reference picture and one of generating a motion vector predictor from a motion vector of the adjacent block having a motion vector referring to the first reference picture among adjacent blocks encoded before the current block and a motion vector of an adjacent block referring to a second reference picture other than the first reference picture.
US09300965B2

An encoder calculates an indication to a previous reference picture having temporal identity of zero. The encoder creates a first set of indicators to the previous reference picture, to all reference pictures in a first reference picture set of the previous reference picture, and to all pictures following the previous reference picture in decoding order and precede the current picture in decoding order. The encoder sets a flag for picture order count cycle, when a long term reference picture (LTRP) has least significant bits (LSBs) of a picture order count, for which more than one picture in the first set share same value of the LSBs of picture order count as the LTRP. The decoder obtains LSB of a picture order count for a LTRP in a reference picture set of the current picture. The decoder concludes non-compliant bitstream based on indications provided by the flag.
US09300961B2

A motion vector calculation method which attains a higher compression rate, includes: a selection step of selecting one of at least one reference motion vector of a reference block; and a calculation step of calculating a motion vector of a current block to be processed, using the one reference motion vector selected in the selection step, and in the selection step, when the reference block has two reference motion vectors, one of the two reference motion vectors is selected based on whether the reference block is located before or after the current block in display time order, and when the reference block has only one reference motion vector, the one reference motion vector is selected.
US09300957B2

Provided is a video encoding method and an apparatus for performing the same, and a video decoding method and an apparatus for performing the same. The video encoding method for encoding symbols having a hierarchical structure includes: encoding a picture of a video based on data units having a hierarchical structure; determining symbols of the encoded picture based on the data units having the hierarchical structure; determining an encoding method of the symbols based on characteristics of symbols, which are determined based on the data units having the hierarchical structure; and encoding and outputting the symbols according to the determined encoding method.
US09300956B2

A method and apparatus are provided for redundant video coding. The apparatus includes an encoder for encoding a redundant coded picture corresponding to a source picture by selecting individual blocks in the source picture for inclusion into the redundant coded picture.
US09300954B2

At an end portion of a telescopic boom of a crane, a stereo camera which measures a distance from the end portion to an object is provided, and an image-processing controller which obtains three-dimensional position information of the object based on the crane as reference from measurement data to the object by the stereo camera is provided, and three-dimensional position information of an object in a surrounding area centering on the crane by the moving the telescopic boom is obtained.
US09300946B2

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for of digital imaging. Multiple cameras comprising lenses and digital images sensors are used to capture multiple images of the same subject, and process the multiple images using difference information (e.g., an image disparity map, an image depth map, etc.). The processing commences by receiving a plurality of image pixels from at least one first image sensor, wherein the first image sensor captures a first image of a first color, receives a stereo image of the first color, and also receives other images of other colors. Having the stereo imagery, then constructing a disparity map and an associated depth map by searching for pixel correspondences between the first image and the stereo image. Using the constructed disparity map, captured images are converted into converted images, which are then combined with the first image, resulting in a fused multi-channel color image.
US09300929B2

An illumination device includes a substrate including a fluorescent layer, and capable of rotating around a predetermined rotary shaft, a light source adapted to emit an excitation light adapted to excite the fluorescent layer, and a control device adapted to control emission of the light source so that, when the substrate is rotating, a first area of the fluorescent layer is irradiated with the excitation light in one round, and at least a part of the first area is not irradiated with the excitation light in another round.
US09300928B2

A light output apparatus includes a plurality of light source sections (first light source section and second light source section) each of which outputs light along a predetermined flat surface to form a light layer along the predetermined flat surface, a frame to which the plurality of light source sections are attached, a single heat dissipation member connected to the plurality of light source sections in a heat conductive manner. The configuration allows an increase in heat dissipation area of the heat dissipation member as compared with a case where each of the light source sections is separately provided with a heat dissipation member.
US09300927B2

There is provided a fingerprint (340) for a video stream (110) comprising a sequence of scenes (200a, 200b, 200c), wherein the fingerprint (340) includes information indicative of durations of the scenes (200a, 200b, 200c). The information indicative of the durations of the scenes (200a, 200b, 200c) is included in the fingerprint (340) in an order in which the scenes (200a, 200b, 200c) are included in the video stream (110). Moreover, each duration is optionally defined as a count of a number of video frames (260, 270) therein. The method is capable of generating a fingerprint which is susceptible to more simply and more efficiently synchronizing first and second data signals together.
US09300925B1

A method or system for multi-user access of a facility including multiple controlled locations is disclosed. In one step, an image of a person is obtained from a data store. An image capture device is correlated to a controlled location. An image is received for the controlled location. One or more sub-images of the image are determined. At least one of the sub-images is compared with the image of the person. Information is retrieved for the person and a control rule is retrieved for the controlled location. The system determines whether the person is allowed to access the controlled location. Depending on the determination, the system then sends a signal indicating access availability to the controlled location for the person.
US09300924B2

A handheld device in an audio and video system including a system for receiving and processing video and/or audio signals, a system for displaying a virtual image to a user, and a system for producing sounds audible to a user. The handheld device also incorporates a shroud to block ambient light when the handheld unit is engaged with the user's face. As a result, the user may hear sounds produced from the received audio signals. Further the user may see the virtual images produced from the received video signals when the handheld device is engaged with the users face.
US09300921B2

Systems and methods for the remote verification and monitoring of conditions surrounding an alarm signal are disclosed. In an aspect, a security system can comprise a security gateway located at a premises, wherein the security gateway is operable to detect an alarm condition and to receive video of at least a portion of the premises relating to the alarm condition, a first network coupled to the security gateway, and a second network coupled to the security gateway. The security gateway can be configured to cause transfer of alarm information comprising at least a portion of the received video and a first notification of the alarm condition in substantially real time through only the first network. The security gateway can be further configured to cause transfer of a second notification of the alarm condition through the second network substantially simultaneously with causing transfer of the alarm information through the first network.
US09300919B2

Methods and apparatus for content, media and data delivery and access between devices of a premises and one or more portable media devices. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a media bridge between a portable media device (PMD) and a user's home network and/or home devices (e.g., set-top boxes, DVRs, etc.)). The apparatus is adapted to convert content stored on a PMD to a format capable of being rendered on a home device which may then store or playback the content. Control of the presentation is also provided by the bridging apparatus. The apparatus may also be adapted to transfer content from the home device to the PMD for storage or playback. In another embodiment, the apparatus may function within a home network having a trusted domain to provide content between a plurality devices on the network (and in the domain) and the PMD.
US09300918B2

Provided is a service access control system using an embedded browser agent. The service access control system includes: a server providing an Internet protocol service; and a browser agent including device information and service information and controlling the access of a device to the server. When the service access control system is used, device dependence can be minimized in an embedded browser-based IPTV service, and the IPTV service can be freely used by utilizing only a browser.
US09300912B2

Whiteboard contents are captured through a combination of hardware and software components such as a webcam and a capture application executed in a PC or a video conference system components. The captured content can be stored, used in an online meeting, processed, made available or transmitted to participants and others.
US09300910B2

Novel tools and techniques are provided for enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution. In response to a first video calling device receiving a video call from a caller at a second video calling device, the first video calling device, which is associated with a user or callee, might determine whether the user is available to answer the video call. If not, one of the first or second video calling devices might prompt the caller to leave a videomail message, and might record and upload the videomail message to a server over a network for post-processing and/or storage. A notification may be sent to the user regarding the videomail message. The user may be provided with options to view the videomail message and/or to respond to the videomail message. In some cases, the first and second video calling devices might be of different make or model.
US09300906B2

A method and apparatus for performing pull frame interpolation are provided. Pull frame interpolation may include identifying a plurality of input video frames, generating a plurality of motion vectors indicating motion from a first frame of the plurality of input video frames to a second frame of the plurality of input video frames, identifying an interpolation point between the first frame and the second frame, generating a plurality of candidate interpolation motion vectors indicating motion from the first frame to the interpolation point and from the second frame to the interpolation point based on the plurality of motion vectors, selecting an interpolation motion vector from the plurality of candidate interpolation motion vectors based on a metric, and generating an interpolated frame at the interpolation point based on the selected interpolation motion vector.
US09300903B2

A recording medium has a main-view stream, a sub-view stream, and an extended stream recorded thereon. The main-view stream contains a main-view video stream constituting main views of stereoscopic video images, and is divided into a plurality of main-view extents arranged on the recording medium. The sub-view stream contains a sub-view video stream constituting sub-views of the stereoscopic video images, and is divided into a plurality of sub-view extents arranged on the recording medium. The extended stream contains extended data to be used in combination with the main-view stream, and is divided into a plurality of extended extents arranged on the recording medium. Between an adjacent pair of the plurality of extended extents, at least two each of the plurality of the main-view extents and the plurality of the sub-view extents are placed in a continuous, interleaved arrangement.
US09300888B2

A method for calibrating an image capture device, comprises the steps of: applying lighting levels onto the image capture device; capturing luma values for the applied lighting levels; calculating luma gains for lens coordinates as a function of the applied lighting levels and the captured luma values, wherein each of the lens coordinates having multiple ones of the calculated luma gains; and storing the calculated luma gains to calibrate the image capture device.
US09300887B2

An image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion unit, a signal generation unit, and a feedback unit. The photoelectric conversion unit is formed above a substrate and detects incident light to generate photo-charges based on a drive voltage. The signal generation unit is formed on the substrate and generates an analog signal based on the photo-charges. The feedback unit generates the drive voltage based on an amount of the photo-charges generated from the photoelectric conversion unit. The image sensor may perform a wide dynamic range (WDR) function.
US09300881B2

An image processing apparatus that is capable of using frame information associated with image data effectively for an image that is formed by trimming the image shown by the image data. The image processing apparatus processes image data with which frame information about a partial area in an image is associated. A trimming unit cuts out a selection area as a trimming image from an image represented by the image data. A determination unit determines whether frame information updated according to the area cut out by the trimming unit is added to the trimming image or not based on a determination of whether a specific frame effective area in the area shown by the frame information is included in the trimming image or not.
US09300876B2

A content editing application may receive preview image data from a sensor. The preview image data may be displayed within an interface of the content editing application. The content editing application may request that the sensor capture a final image and the final image may be displayed within the interface of the content editing application.
US09300872B2

A hybrid stabilizer isolates a payload from vibrations across six degrees of freedom using an underdamped passive stabilizer in series with an active stabilizer that is mounted to the foundation, thereby improving isolation. In a first aspect, the passive stabilizer is one or more underdamped springs that reduce high frequency vibrations and in some embodiments the passive stabilizer is tuned to a resonant frequency at most half the control loop frequency of the active stabilizer. The active stabilizer is a six-axis motion platform that reduces or eliminates low frequency vibrations, particularly around the resonant frequency of the passive stabilizer. In a second aspect, the hybrid stabilizer isolates one or more cameras and is mounted to a vehicle, reducing motion blur and improving camera tracking, thereby enhancing the quality of images captured by the cameras.
US09300870B2

The imaging apparatus has a single shooting mode and a continuous shooting mode, and includes: an imaging element configured to generate image data; a mechanical shutter configured to control exposure of the imaging element; a charge block including a driving mechanism configured to drive the mechanical shutter and a motor configured to provide a driving force for the driving mechanism, and a control section configured to control the charge block. The control section performs a charging operation for charging the driving mechanism by causing the motor to rotate in a capturing operation, performs the charging operation in a first time period in a case where the imaging apparatus is in the continuous shooting mode, and performs the charging operation in a second time period which is longer than the first time period in a case where the imaging apparatus is in the single shooting mode.
US09300868B2

An image processing device includes a pixel array including multiple unit pixels each configured to generate multiple color signals in response to incident light, and a data processing unit configured to generate output image data by processing the color signals in parallel in a first operating mode, and further configured to generate two image signals for each unit pixel based on the color signals and to generate the output image data by processing the two image signals in parallel in a second operating mode.
US09300867B2

An imaging apparatus is arranged to perform a focus detection in each of focus detection areas set on an image pickup plane; select first area and second areas from among the focus detection areas on the basis of the focus detection result; pick up an optical image which is formed at each of a first focus position at which the selected first area is in focus and a second focus position at which the selected second area is in focus and generate image data; determine an area to be processed on the basis of the image data; execute a predetermined processing to the image data on the basis of a determination result. The second area is selected based on the number of focus detection areas satisfying a predetermined condition from among the focus detection areas each having a depth difference from the first area in a predetermined range.
US09300866B2

A method for image processing involves collecting image data of a scene as electromagnetic radiation and processing the image data to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the image data. The image processing involves dividing a raw image that contains the image data into lines and columns, to create a raster image, superimposing a central raster filter element of a raster filter having an odd number of lines and an odd number of columns onto a raster image element, determining the brightness values of each of the raster image elements covered by the raster filter, wherein except for the central raster filter element, every other raster filter element has an individual light-reducing property, and adding up the brightness values to produce a total brightness value, and assigning this total brightness value to the raster image element covered by the central raster filter element. These image processing steps are repeated for all remaining raster image elements to produce a result image having the same resolution as the raw image from the total brightness values of the raster image elements.
US09300864B2

A system for determining the orientation of at least one first wheel of a vehicle and provided with: at least one first target integrally coupled to the first wheel, an image-capturing device that acquires a first two-dimensional image of the first target and a processing device, operatively connected to the image-capturing device and processing the first two-dimensional image. The first target has a three-dimensional shape suitable for defining geometric quantities arranged according to a known three-dimensional arrangement; the processing device processes the first two-dimensional image to identify the projections of the geometric quantities and determine a spatial arrangement of the first target with respect to a reference system based on the geometrical characteristics of the projections, to determine the orientation characteristics of the first wheel.
US09300857B2

An approach for sharpening an image, a raw digitized image is provided. One or more processors receive a raw digitized image. One or more processors identify a first set of one or more focus points of the raw digitized image that are in focus, wherein the first set of one or more focus points are associated with a first area of the raw digitized image. One or more processors may cause a depth map, including the raw digitized image and a mask, to be displayed. One or more processors apply sharpening of a first sharpening strength to the first set of one or more focus points of the raw digitized image that are in focus.
US09300849B2

The present invention relates to a camera module, the module including: a PCB; an image sensor mounted on the PCB and formed with an image pickup device; a base mounted on the PCB and including a plated portion formed at a lower center with an opening mounted with an IR filter; a lower spring plate formed with a conductive material; a spacer arranged on an upper surface of the lower spring plate and forming a staircase structure by a rib wrapping a periphery of the lower spring plate to supportively apply a pressure to the lower spring plate; a lens actuator including a bobbin, and a yoke; an upper spring plate coupled to an upper surface of the lens actuator; and a cover attached to an upper surface of the upper spring plate.
US09300846B2

In certain low-light or other poor image capture conditions, the camera capture settings may create noise fitting a known profile, including certain specific color ranges and signal frequencies, in the captured image. A pre-processor may identify frequency bands and DC offsets that may indicate noise in an image captured with known settings. Then the areas of the image containing the identified frequencies and offsets may be analyzed spatially and temporally to confirm that the identified regions are noise and not part of the scene and an appropriate filter defined.
US09300845B2

An information communication method includes: setting an exposure time of an image sensor so that, in an image obtained by capturing a subject by the image sensor, a bright line corresponding to an exposure line included in the image sensor appears according to a change in luminance of the subject; capturing the subject that changes in luminance by the image sensor with the set exposure time, to obtain the image including the bright line; and obtaining information by demodulating data specified by a pattern of the bright line included in the obtained image.
US09300838B2

When an address is inputted through input means for inputting an address of a receiving end, an image transmission apparatus carries out an authentication process that determines whether or not the inputting person is a right authorized person. When it is determined that the corresponding operation is right through the authentication process, the image transmission apparatus transmits image data to the address of the receiving end thus inputted.
US09300836B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a transfer unit, a reflectance sensor, a time-series data acquiring unit, and a transfer-unit rotation-time calculating unit. The time-series data acquiring unit is configured to acquire time-series data with respect to the image carrier background-portion reflectance, measured by the reflectance sensor, as reference data over a time period twice longer than a time period that by design the image carrier requires for one cycle, and as advance/delay data over a time period twice longer than a time period longer or shorter in multiples of a predetermined time interval than the by-design time period. The transfer-unit rotation-time calculating unit is configured to calculate a one-cycle-time calculation value that is the time actually required for one cycle of the image carrier, based on the reference data and the advance/delay data acquired by the time-series data acquiring unit.
US09300835B2

A method and apparatus for receiving an image associated with an interactive service on at least one social media server, the image belonging to a group of images. The image is stored and accessing of the image by a user is detected. In response, a request with an identification of the image is sent to a back-end server to access the interactive service. Interaction messages are exchanged with the interactive service so that the interactive service associated with the image is made available to users by accessing the image.
US09300814B2

Techniques for managing content downloads to a computing device. The techniques include an agent on the computing device determining for each network of a plurality of networks available to the computing device, costs of downloading content and an exemption list. The exemption list includes content downloads that are exempted from costs charged by a particular network. The agent determines possible content downloads for the computing device. The agent also assesses potential costs associated with the possible content downloads based upon the costs and exemption lists determined for the plurality of networks. Based upon the assessment, the agent selects one of the networks for downloading at least part of the possible content downloads.
US09300809B1

A method and apparatus are disclosed of transmitting live event notification information to a user device. One example method may include retrieving event user preference information from an event user database based on prestored user preferences. The method may also include transmitting an initial event notification message to an end user communication device based on the event user preference information to notify the end user of an upcoming event and receiving a response message from the end user communication device indicating a current availability of the end user. The user device may receive notification information via more than one communication channel and respond in a number of different ways.
US09300807B2

A method, system and computer program product for identifying which participant joined or exited a conference call. A participant to a conference call is able to select a personalized tone from a list of predetermined tones or to upload a personalized tone to a designated site, where the personalized tone is to be played upon the participant joining and/or exiting the conferencing call. In this manner, the other participants of the conference call would know which participant joined or exited the conference call.
US09300805B2

In a call forwarding system, a management apparatus of the call forwarding system determines service terminals capable of near field wireless communication within a reception range of near field wireless communication, generates a terminal list, and receives a call event message reporting the receipt of a call from a reference terminal. The management apparatus may transmit a call report message including the terminal list to the reference terminal and the service terminals. The management apparatus may forward the call initially received by the reference terminal to a terminal which transmitted a receipt request message by transmitting a call forwarding request message to the reference terminal. The management apparatus may transmit, to the reference terminal and the service terminals, a receipt report message reporting the call was forwarded. According to a change receipt message or upon non-receipt by an intended terminal, the call may be reforwarded to another terminal.
US09300804B2

Calls placed to a call recipient bypass the terminating messaging system, creating an enhanced message in the call originator's messaging system and delivering the enhanced message using alternate routing information. A caller creates enhanced messages for a call recipient even when the call recipient's messaging system does not support such functionality. The caller also embeds stored content and/or use links in the enhanced messages to allow the message to be modified and/or deleted before it is accessed by the call recipient.
US09300799B2

Presented are a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for aiding emergency response. The method includes receiving, by a processor, a plurality of data corresponding to a geographic location from a plurality of data sources. The method further includes aggregating, by the processor, the plurality of data. The method still further includes determining, by the processor, a first profile and a second profile based on the aggregated plurality of data. The method can conclude with transmitting, by the processor, the first profile to a plurality of user equipments and the second profile to at least one user equipment, wherein the at least one user equipment is different from the plurality of user equipments.
US09300795B2

A method and system for indicating voice input state for a call on a communications device being used by a user to communicate with a party during the call. A processor unit identifies the state of voice input for the call. In response to the state of the voice input state being a mute state, the processor unit identifies a first setting for the mute state. The first setting for the mute state specifies: (i) first conditions which must be satisfied during the call in order for the voice input state to be the mute state and (ii) a first type of audio to be played on the communications device during the call while the voice input state is the mute state, wherein the first conditions comprise a first type of the call and an identity of a first party to whom the user is communicating with during the call.
US09300788B2

An apparatus which accepts a connection of an external telephone and connects to a telephone line includes a first controller configured to control line impedance via the telephone line, a detecting unit configured to detect a ringing signal received from the telephone line, a determining unit configured to determine whether the external telephone captures a telephone line, and a second controller configured to invalidate the control over line impedance by the first controller in a case where the apparatus is a standby state and validate the suppression of the control over ringer impedance by the first controller in a case where the detecting unit detects the ringing signal and the determining unit determines that the external telephone does not capture a telephone line.
US09300782B2

A communication structure for both personal communication services and broadly disseminated communication services is described. The communication structure includes a communication unit having telecommunication capability enabling a user of the communication structure to communicate to a remote individual. The communication structure also including multiple displays capable of displaying text, image, video data and further including non-digital advertising surfaces for displaying static images and a speaker system for broadcasting messages. The multiple displays and non-digital advertising surfaces allowing for communication with individuals within visual range of the communication structure. The multiple displays having synchronization capability, allowing for coordination of the text, image and video data displayed. The communication structure being connectable to other communication structures and the multiple displays of the multiple communication structures also having synchronization capability. The multiple displays, non-digital advertising surfaces and speaker system providing a communication platform for widespread dissemination of advertisements and other messages.
US09300771B2

A potential of a gate of a driving transistor is fixed, and the driving transistor is operated in a saturation region, so that a current is supplied thereto anytime. A current control transistor operating in a linear region is disposed serially with the driving transistor, and a video signal for transmitting a signal of emission or non-emission of the pixel is input to a gate of the current control transistor via a switching transistor.
US09300756B2

A method includes gathering a plurality of instances of online activity associated with a user, analyzing the plurality of instances of online activity to determine a characteristic that is likely to correspond to a profile attribute of the user and generating a profile enrichment suggestion for the user based on the determined characteristic.
US09300750B2

Information is collected regarding an event in a computer system that includes a group of client application caches that each temporarily store information associated with one of a group of client applications. A set of rules is stored at one or more of the group of client application caches. Each rule triggers the event in another one of the group of client application caches in response to receipt of a message from a client application associated with the respective client application cache. Another message directed to another specified client application cache is generated for each rule that matches a first received message at a first client application cache. The generated message directs the other specified client application cache to collect and cache specified information from a server associated with the other specified client application cache.
US09300744B2

Methods and apparatuses for providing reminders are disclosed. In one example, reminders are shared across devices. In one example methods and apparatuses are provided which identify when a subscribing device of a plurality of subscribing devices is at or in proximity to a reminder location, and outputting the reminder message at the subscribing device.
US09300742B2

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to buffering portions of a digital content item in different orders for different users. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of providing a buffer ordering for a digital content item. The method includes tracking content access information for each user of a plurality of users, the content access information for each user comprising information regarding how content portions of each of one or more digital content items were accessed by the user. The method further comprises providing a different buffer ordering for a first user of a selected digital content item than for a second user based upon the content access information.
US09300737B1

Systems and methods for providing data replication and/or synchronization across multiple processor-based devices. Data objects (e.g., image files, video files, audio files) may exist in a plurality of forms (e.g., original, preview, thumbnail). The systems and methods utilize object device links (ODLs) and needs/has flags which are replicated to multiple processor-based devices to provide partial or full object replication between multiple processor-based devices. Some implementations provide complete replica backups of objects. Some implementations provide temporary protection of original forms of objects, for example, when a user is traveling. Some implementations provide for relaying and shuttling of objects across multiple devices via one or more networks and/or via peer-to-peer wired or wireless communications also allowing for offsite and remote location backup of objects. Some implementations provide support for container and individual object replication policies with inheritance. Some implementations can provide load balancing storage of objects. Some implementations can provide for efficient space management of objects on storage-constrained devices.
US09300719B2

Systems and methods for a mobile device to use physical storage of another device for caching are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device is able to receive over a cellular or IP network a response or content to be cached and wirelessly access the physical storage of the other device via a wireless network to cache the response or content for the mobile device.
US09300718B2

System and method to provide keyword-based notification and content, the method including: monitoring a communication interface, the communication interface configured to transport a communication between an agent and a customer; recognizing, by use of a processor, a candidate keyword in the communication; retrieving, from a non-volatile data storage, an information related to the keyword; and presenting to one of the agent and the customer the information related to the keyword.
US09300708B2

A method, a base station, an application server and a mobile device for transmitting and receiving media content are disclosed. A transceiver 302 may receive a unicast transmission specification and a broadcast transmission specification for the media content. A processor 304 may determine if a broadcast transmission for the media content is available. The processor 304 may initiate a unicast reception mode to receive the media content based on the unicast transmission specification if the current broadcast transmission is not available. A memory 308 may store the broadcast transmission specification for later reception of the media content in a broadcast reception mode if the current broadcast transmission is not available.
US09300697B2

A connection request including a connection model key and a partner system attribute of the partner system requesting a connection is received at an application server from a partner system. Using a predefined connection model, as determination is made as to whether the received connection model key and the received partner system attribute respectively match a configured connection model key and a configured authorized partner system attribute within the predefined connection model. In response to determining that the received connection model key and the received partner system attribute match the respective configured connection model key and the configured authorized partner system attribute within the predefined connection model, a connection is created that includes a first unique connection name derived from the received partner system attribute.
US09300686B2

According to one embodiment, in response to receiving a plurality of uniform resource locator (URL) links for malicious determination, any known URL links are removed from the URL links based on a list of known link signatures. For each of remaining URL links that are unknown, a link analysis is performed on the URL link based on link heuristics to determine whether the URL link is suspicious. For each of the suspicious URL links, a dynamic analysis is performed on a resource of the suspicious URL link. It is classified whether the suspicious URL link is a malicious link based on a behavior of the resource during the dynamic analysis.
US09300665B2

Methods and systems are provided for performing and verifying transactions involving authentication with a secure credential, such as a smart card, in an untrusted or semi-trusted environment. An application module, operating in an untrusted or semi-trusted environment can be denied access to sensitive data. The application module can determine a preliminary command to be sent to the credential and transmit the preliminary command to a broker module. The broker module, operating in a trusted environment, can supply sensitive data and transmit the command to the credential. Subsequently, the broker module can extract sensitive data from a response before it is transmitted to the application module. A verification server can audit the transaction to verify that it was carried out properly.
US09300660B1

Providing authorization and authentication in a cloud for a user of a storage array includes: receiving, by a cloud-based security module from a client-side array services module, user credentials; authenticating, by the cloud-based security module, the user credentials; identifying, by the cloud-based security module, authorized access privileges defining one or more storage array services accessible by the user; generating, by the cloud-based security module, a token representing the authentication of the user credentials and the authorized access privileges; and providing, by the cloud-based security module to the client-side array services module, the token.
US09300647B2

Embodiments described herein relate to a software application that is configured to operate as an add-on software component to audio-playback software on a playback device of a media playback system. One embodiment may involve displaying, on a user interface of a controller of a media playback system, a zone identifier that identifies a zone of the media playback system, where the zone comprises a playback device that has audio-playback software installed thereon; and displaying, on the user interface of the controller, an application identifier in association with the zone identifier, where the application identifier indicates that a software application installed on the playback device is configured to operate as an add-on software component to the audio-playback software.
US09300646B1

Location information of a client device associated with a credential is determined to be tracked. The credential has been granted to a user of the client device by a credential granting authority to indicate a status of the user with the credential. Known location data that indicates known locations is maintained. The credential data is associated with each of the known locations, and geographic data for each of the known locations. A location of the client device associated with the credential and a particular time associated with the location is determined. A subset of the known location data that defines one or more locations that are known for the credential is accessed from the known location data. The location of the client device associated with the credential is compared with geographic data included in the accessed subset of the known location data.
US09300637B1

A method and system for anonymizing data to be transmitted to a destination computing device is disclosed. Data to be transmitted is received from a user computer. The data includes one or more characters. The data is replaced with a token representative of the data. The token is transmitted to the destination computing device over a network.
US09300632B2

Methods and systems for selectively blocking, allowing and/or reformatting IPv6 headers by traversing devices are provided. According to one embodiment, a traversing device receives an Internet Protocol (IP) version 6 (IPv6) packet or packet fragment. One or more security checks are applied to extension headers of the IPv6 packet or packet fragment. If a security check of the one or more security checks is determined to be violated, then one or more appropriate countermeasures are identified and performed.
US09300631B2

An information processing system includes an information processing apparatus, a first apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus with a firewall interposed therebetween, and a second apparatus connected to the information processing apparatus with the firewall interposed therebetween and is connected to the first apparatus within the firewall. The information processing apparatus includes a first receiving unit receiving a communication from the first apparatus and a first transmitting unit that transmits an instruction to request the second apparatus to transmit information to the first apparatus. The first apparatus includes a second receiving unit receiving a communication from the first transmitting unit and a second transmitting unit that transmits an instruction to the second apparatus. The second apparatus includes a third receiving unit receiving a communication from the second transmitting unit and a third transmitting unit that transmits information to the information processing apparatus.
US09300629B1

Techniques for password constraint enforcement used in external site authentication are disclosed. In some embodiments, password constraint enforcement used in external site authentication includes monitoring encrypted network communications between a client and an external site (e.g., a remote server), in which the encrypted network communications are encrypted using a first protocol (e.g., Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, HTTPS protocol, or another protocol for encrypted network communications); and determining if the client sends a request to create user credentials for an external site authentication. In some embodiments, password constraint enforcement used in external site authentication further includes performing password constraint enforcement used in the external site authentication.
US09300628B2

The present invention relates to a session handling entity and an application server (AS) in a communication system, the session handling entity (S-CSCF) is obtaining, from a register entity, a correlation identity for a registering private user identity of a user, transmitting the correlation identity as part of a registration procedure to the application server, and the application server initiates, based on a received session request associated with the user, at least one session request towards corresponding number of devices of the user wherein the application server is configured to check the correlation identity to ensure that not more than one session request is initiated for each device of the user.
US09300624B2

According to one general aspect, a method may include maintaining a primary registry of registry entries. Each registry entry may include a description and a network address of a network service. The method may also include periodically determining the validity a registry entry, wherein the registry entry is included in the primary registry. The method may further include, if the registry entry is not valid, moving the registry entry to a deleted items registry of registry entries. The method may also include periodically determining the validity a registry entry that is included in the deleted items registry; and, if that registry entry is valid, moving that registry entry back to the primary registry.
US09300615B2

Methods and devices for generating an action item based on an email message are described. In one embodiment, a processor-implemented method is described. The method includes: receiving an email message via a communication subsystem; determining that the received email message includes a follow up flag that indicates that an action is required regarding the email message; and in response to determining that the received email message includes a follow up flag that indicates that an action is required regarding the email message, creating an action item based on the received email message.
US09300610B2

A system and a method are disclosed for selecting a file stored on a cloud server. A connection is established to a cloud server. A list of files stored on the cloud server is received. The list provided for display in a graphical user interface of an electronic messaging application. A user selection of a file from the list of files is received and the selected file is transferred from the cloud server in response to receiving the selection of the file. The transferred file is then attached to an electronic message.
US09300609B1

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for shared folder backed integrated workspaces. In some implementations, a content management system can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates communications and content management into a single user interface. The user interface can include mechanisms that allow a user to provide input to generate a new workspace. The user interface can provide a mechanism to allow a user to view conversations related to the workspace and/or content items associated with the workspace. The user interface can present representations of content items associated with the workspace and allow the user to provide input to generate, view, edit, and share content items associated with the workspace.
US09300607B1

A set of recipients of an electronic message are identified. The recipients may be part of a first list. Each recipient of the first list may have had their name or other identifier (e.g., email address) entered by a user into one of various designation sections of a messaging interface. A second list is also entered into one of the various designation sections of the messaging interface. The first and second lists may be mathematically evaluated using a set operator to generate a third list. The third list may be referred to as a replacement set of recipients. Saving this third set as a new list may occur by saving an expression of a name/identifier of the first list, name/identifier of the second list, and the set operator. The saved third set may be selected for future message conveyances.
US09300602B2

Systems and methods for communicating in a wireless communication system are described. Various processes for detecting and correcting communication errors described. In aspect a method in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes transmitting a first packet from a sending device to a receiving device. The method further includes listening for an acknowledgement during a first time period. The method further includes transmitting a second packet to the receiving device after a second time period, when an acknowledgement is not received during the first time period. The second packet includes one or more error-correction codes operable to recover the first packet.
US09300598B2

In one example embodiment, a system and method is illustrated that includes processes a first data packet using a first operating system, the first data packet received from a first network. A second operation is shown that processes a second data packet using a second operating system, the second data packet received from a second network. Further, an additional operation is shown that determines a route associated with the first data packet and the second data packet, the route including at least one of a logical route or physical route. Moreover, an operation is shown that parses the first data packet into at least one first logical segment, and parsing the second data packet into at least one second logical segment. An operation is shown that transmits the first logical segment and the second logical segment as at least one data packet across the WAN.
US09300592B2

Virtual switches are established in a host system of a computing environment. Each virtual switch of the virtual switches includes a respective virtual switch port grouped within a shared port group of virtual switch ports. The virtual switch ports of the shared port group are in communication with a common physical network adapter of the host system. The virtual switch ports of the shared port group share a single physical port of the physical network adapter as part of a common physical link aggregation group (LAG).
US09300588B2

When congestion in an eNB is detected, effective utilization of resources is achieved by adjusting not only a data flow rate in an EPS-RAB but also a band of a core network bearer corresponding with the EPS-RAB. A mobile communication method according to an embodiment includes a step A of causing an eNB to notify an MME of a cause of congestion and identifier information of the EPS-RAB involved in the congestion, when the eNB detects the congestion.
US09300583B2

A router in an embodiment associates a corresponding digital code of a set of digital codes to a respective portion of a network address of set of network addresses used in routing information. The routing information is stored in a memory with each digital code substituted for the respective portion of the network address. Memory reduction is obtained as a result. In an embodiment implemented in the context of IPv6 having a prefix and a host identifier for each network address, the portion of a network address corresponds to the prefix. The routing information is stored in the form of a prefix table and topology information. The prefix table stores a mapping of each digital code to a corresponding prefix. The topology information indicates a manner in which each host system and router are connected to each other. Packets are forwarded by examining such routing information.
US09300582B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a packet at an edge device in a first network site in communication with a second network site through a transport network, the packet comprising a destination address for a host at the second network site, verifying at the edge device a connection with the host, and inserting the destination address in a forwarding information base at the edge device upon verifying the connection with the host. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.
US09300577B2

Requests to a server farm are managed in an application intelligent manner based on server health and client information. A request management (RM) module is configured to make smart routing decisions, based on routing rules that relate the nature of requests to a dynamic topology of a server infrastructure. The RM may use its knowledge of server applications, servers, and clients to deny potentially harmful requests from entering the service, route good requests to the suitable machines, and maintain a history of the decisions and consequences automatic and/or manual optimization.
US09300570B2

Systems and methods for controlling Quality-of-Service (“QoS”) in a Virtual Private Network (“VPN”) in a transport network providing a plurality of QoS bearers. The methods involve: establishing, between two VPN endpoints, a plurality of VPN tunnels through the transport network, including at least a default VPN tunnel associated with a first QoS bearer and an alternate VPN tunnel associated with a second QoS bearer; receiving and analyzing a data block; applying a VPN policy to assign the data block to either default VPN tunnel or alternate VPN tunnel; and encapsulating the data block in a transport data block including at least one indicator. The indicator specifies whether the transport data block is to be communicated by the transport network using the first QoS bearer or second QoS bearer.
US09300568B2

A method is implemented by a network device to determine loop free alternatives (LFA) for each next hop in a default route to border nodes of a level 1 intermediate system-intermediate system (IS-IS) area of the network device. The method selects a next next-hop for the default route and looks up a corresponding border node for the selected next-hop in a local routing information base (RIB). A next next-hop of the corresponding border node is selected. A check is made whether the selected next-hop of the corresponding border node is the same as selected next-hop of default route. Then an LFA of the selected next-hop of the corresponding border node is assigned as LFA of the selected next-hop of the default route.
US09300563B2

In one embodiment, a plurality of links between a network node and another network node are configured as a link bundle. The network node establishes one or more standby bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD) sessions. Each standby BFD session is associated with one or more links of the link bundle. The network node establishes an active BFD session. The active BFD session is associated with one or more links of the link bundle. In response to non-receipt of returned BFD messages for the active BFD session, one or more new active BFD sessions are selected from the one or more standby BFD sessions. In response to non-receipt of returned BFD messages for the one or more new active BFD sessions, it is determined that the link bundle has failed.
US09300553B2

A method for scaling a cloud infrastructure, comprises receiving at least one of resource-level metrics and application-level metrics, estimating parameters of at least one application based on the received metrics, automatically and dynamically determining directives for scaling application deployment based on the estimated parameters, and providing the directives to a cloud service provider to execute the scaling.
US09300545B2

Systems and methods for generating a flow visualization of network traffic. A scoring function is used to prioritize which traffic paths are displayed in the visualization.
US09300542B2

A system and method are provided for converting individual technical metrics into a single relevant metric understood and accepted by both technical and non-technical components of a business venture. An example system and/or method includes measuring current technical utilizations and capacities, translating those into a supportable users metric, forecasting future utilization levels, translating those into future network component and/or hardware requirements, and expanding/scaling technical capacity based on those values and the predetermined capacity levels of additional components and/or hardware.
US09300529B2

A first switch device operating in a master mode, a second switch device operating in a backup mode, and third switch devices operating in a member mode in an initial state are provided. The first switch device operating in the master mode transmits a first control signal at every predetermined period to the second switch device operating in the backup mode. The second switch device operating in the backup mode makes a transition to the master mode when it does not receive for a predetermined period the first control signal from the first switch device operating in the master mode, and transmits an initializing signal to the third switch devices operating in the member mode. When having received the initializing signal, each of the third switch devices operating in the member mode constructs a management communication channel with the second switch device operating in the master mode.
US09300526B2

A telecommunications network, comprising plural nodes connected by plural spans and arranged to form a mesh network. There is at least one pre-configured cycle of spare capacity established in the mesh network, the pre-configured cycle including plural nodes of the mesh network. The plural nodes of the pre-configured cycle are configured to protect a set of plural mutually disjoint working paths end to end.
US09300511B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for improving a transmission throughput of communications based on IEEE 802.11af physical (PHY) layer in television white space (TVWS) spectrum. In one aspect, a transmission preamble with a Legacy Signal (L-SIG) field is constructed, wherein the L-SIG field comprises a code indicating duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of a packet following the preamble. The transmissions can be performed using 5 MHz bandwidth of the TVWS spectrum.
US09300493B2

Methods and apparatus to present presence information are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request from a first user for presence information associated with a second user, analyzing information from a monitoring sensor associated with the second user to determine that the second user is available for communication with the first user using a first communication method and is unavailable for communication with the first user using a second communication method, and sending a message to the first user indicating that the second user is available for communication using the first communication method and is unavailable for communication using the second communication method.
US09300478B2

Techniques are disclosed for evenly distributing certificate status validity messages across multiple response servers. A certificate authority (CA) may partition subsets of online certificate status protocol (OCSP) responses to each be handled by OCSP response servers. The partitions are based on serial numbers of the underlying digital certificates of the OCSP responses. For example, to determine which OCSP response server is assigned to distribute a particular OCSP response, a modulo operation may be performed between the last octet value of the underlying certificate serial number and the total number of available OCSP response servers of the CA. The result yields a partition number that may be used to identify the corresponding OCSP response server.
US09300467B2

A framework, device and method are disclosed for providing broadcast communication security over Ethernet within an automation system, wherein a security plug provides secure working of the automation system. The security plug can be implemented using ASIC/FPGA technology to provide compatibility with existing systems and an intuitive plug-and-play model. An exemplary system can address jitter-sensitivity by providing a real-time architecture, with minimal transmission latencies. The security plug can have separate security and communication modules that make provisions for protocol independent working of the security plug, within these networks. The method can include bootstrapping, secret key establishment and secure communication, for providing real-time guarantees.
US09300459B2

The present specification proposes a technique for controlling a deactivation timer of a cell. Specifically, the present specification proposes a method for controlling a deactivation timer of a cell in a mobile communication system. The method comprises the steps of: configuring a primary cell and at least one secondary cell on user equipment (UE); receiving, from the UE, an indicator related to a deactivation timer for one secondary cell from among one or more secondary cells; and disabling, on the UE, the deactivation timer of one secondary cell on the basis of the indicator.
US09300455B2

A method of transmitting a sounding reference signal includes generating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) carrying uplink control information on a subframe, the subframe comprising a plurality of SC-FDMA (single carrier-frequency division multiple access) symbols, wherein the uplink control information is punctured on one SC-FDMA symbol in the subframe, and transmitting simultaneously the uplink control information on the PUCCH and a sounding reference signal on the punctured SC-FDMA symbol. The uplink control information and the sounding reference signal can be simultaneously transmitted without affecting a single carrier characteristic.
US09300451B2

Methods and apparatus of a base station or a User Equipment (UE) in communication with each other are provided. The UE is configured by the base station for operation with an adapted Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration. A process enabling transmission of a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) from the UE to the base station and a process for the base station to determine parameters for a DL transmission to the UE are provided.
US09300449B2

The present disclosure relates to embodiments of a node entity and method for scheduling user data packets on a common channel of a base station node. The common channel being shared by a number of mobile telecommunications operators, OPi, i=1, 2, 3, . . . . The scheduling of the user data packets is performed in consecutive Transmission Time Intervals, TTIs, and in dependence of which operator OPi serving different user packets. During a TTI, the data packets are transmitted according to scheduling determined in the adjacent previous TTI. During the TTI, a scheduler controller calculates and determines the prioritized OPi for the next TTI, said calculation being performed by calculation based on the share of TTIs with competition per operator within a sliding window and a list keeping information based on a predetermined number of previous, consecutive TTIs within the sliding window.
US09300440B2

A combination of repeaters and relays is used to improve the data throughput for user equipment (“UE”) near the cell edge in a LTE network. Amplify-and-forward repeaters and decode-and-forward relays enhance the down-link and up-link, respectively. Relay assistance on the up-link occurs when the evolved Node B (“eNB”) requests a retransmission (HARQ) from the UE at which point the UE and relay transmit simultaneously in a cooperative fashion. The quality of the up-link signal received by the eNB is improved due to a favorable channel through the relay. An analysis shows that relay assistance improves the throughput for a cell-edge user when the average delay per data transport block is allowed to increase.
US09300430B2

Systems (100) and methods (700) for increasing a predictability of Telematic Operations (“TOs”) of a Teleoperation System (“TS”). The methods involve: measuring an inherent latency of a Communications Link (“CL”) of TS which varies unpredictably over at least a first window of time; analyzing the inherent latency, which was previously measured, to determine a first reference value useful for increasing the predictability of the TOs; using the first reference value to select an amount of controlled latency to be added to CL (120) at each of a plurality of time points (502-518); and adding the amount of controlled latency to CL at each of the plurality of time points so as to increase the predictability of the TOs. In some scenarios, the amount of controlled latency added at a first time point is different than the amount of controlled latency added at a second time point.
US09300428B2

A network component comprising a control plane controller configured to implement a method comprising transmitting routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) information to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the RWA information is transmitted using an interior gateway protocol (IGP). Included is a method comprising communicating a message comprising RWA information to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the message comprises an indication whether the RWA information is static or dynamic. Also included is an apparatus comprising a control plane controller configured to communicate data to at least one adjacent control plane controller, wherein the data comprises RWA information, and wherein the data comprises an indicator that indicates whether the RWA information is associated with a node, a link, or both.
US09300426B2

A transmission apparatus includes: an amplifier controller configured to determine a target value for an average optical input power of a transmitting amplifier in a transmitting-side apparatus, based on an index based on a quality of transmission from an output of the transmitting amplifier to an output of a receiving amplifier in a receiving-side apparatus; and a pre-emphasis controller configured to determine amounts of adjustment of transmission optical powers for respective wavelengths, based on the target value and per-wavelength reception optical powers at the output of the receiving amplifier.
US09300425B2

A method, a system, and an optical transceiver board for use in a Passive Optical Network (PON), comprising a line terminal (LT) card comprising a plurality of transmitters and one receiver, a Dense Wave Division Multiplex (DWDM) combiner, wherein the LT card is communicably coupled to the DWDM combiner, and a broadband wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) communicably coupled to the DWDM combiner.
US09300420B2

A receiver architecture for carrier aggregation is disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device, a circuit module, etc.) includes a plurality of low noise amplifiers (LNAs), a plurality of switches, and at least one downconverter. The LNAs receive and amplify at least one input radio frequency (RF) signal and provide at least one amplified RF signal. The switches are coupled to the outputs of the plurality of LNAs. The at least one downconverter is coupled to the plurality of switches, downconverts the at least one amplified RF signal, and provides at least one downconverted signal. The switches reduce the number of downconverters needed to support reception of transmissions on multiple sets of carriers via multiple receive antennas. The LNAs and the switches may be implemented on at least one front-end module or a back-end module. The downconverter(s) are implemented on the back-end module.
US09300411B1

An adaptive signal detector to detect a signal in a spectrum space includes a software defined receiver for calculating a cumulative decision statistic for determining the presence of the signal in the spectrum space. The cumulative decision statistic is determined by a sequential energy detector that includes a block energy detector that has a block termination rule, a block sampling instant and a block decision phase. A truncated sequential energy detector has a truncated sequential termination rule and a truncated sequential decision phase. The block energy detector and truncated sequential energy detector are interoperated to provide the cumulative decision statistic in which the block energy sampling instants provide samples that are independent and identically distributed. The cumulative decision statistic determines the presence of the signal in the spectrum space based upon a non-Bayesian dynamic mathematical modeled relationship of the cumulative decision statistic.
US09300408B2

Antenna array calibration systems and related methods include or utilize a plurality of signal splitter/combiner networks. Each of the signal splitter/combiner networks has a calibration signal sampling point in electrical communication with a signal input point, and signal output points. Each calibration signal sampling point may be capacitively coupled to a respective calibration source input of a calibration network. The signal splitter/combiner networks may be formed as phase-shifting networks.
US09300398B2

Enhancements in optical beam propagation performance can be realized through the utilization of ultra-short pulse laser (USPL) sources for laser transmit platforms, which are can be used throughout the telecommunication network infrastructure fabric. One or more of the described and illustrated features of USPL free space-optical (USPL-FSO) laser communications can be used in improving optical propagation through the atmosphere, for example by mitigating optical attenuation and scintillation effects, thereby enhancing effective system availability as well as link budget considerations, as evidenced through experimental studies and theoretical calculations between USPL and fog related atmospheric events.
US09300392B2

Embodiments provide systems, devices, and methods for determining acquisition guard times and acquisition control parameters or distance metrics for terminals in a satellite communication network using triangulation and single terminal ranging. A terminal or multiple terminals from the network may be selected as ranging terminals; the terminals may include normal user terminals used for determining a satellite position or a satellite distance. Ranging terminals may first enter a network and synchronize to TDMA frame timing by adjusting the acquisition control parameters. An adjusted acquisition control parameter may also be called a transmit timing control parameter. A satellite position or a distance difference between a real-time and a nominal satellite position may be estimated from timing control parameters. Information about the satellite position and/or the distance difference in satellite position may then be used to reduce acquisition guard times for other terminals using various techniques to compute acquisition control parameters.
US09300391B2

An approach provides a satellite air interface to efficiently support communication with a terrestrial network. One or more packets associated with a data communication session are received from a terrestrial network configured to provide cellular communications. A frame representing the packet for transmission is generated over a satellite link to a user terminal. Signaling information for the transmission of the packet over the terrestrial network is modified or eliminated for transmission over the satellite link.
US09300386B2

Methods and apparatuses for wearing position derived device operation are disclosed. In one example, methods and apparatuses are described herein using capacitive sensors to determine device antenna selection or user interface selection.
US09300384B2

A method of transmitting subsequent sub-packets in a wireless communication system using a hybrid automatic request (HARQ) technique is disclosed. The method includes receiving feedback information from at least one receiving end, transmitting a transmit packet via at least one overhead channel, wherein the transmit packet includes information on carrier and antenna combination selected for subsequent transmission, and transmitting at least one sub-packet according to the selected carrier and antenna combination.
US09300379B2

An objective problem of the invention is to provide a mechanism for improving the performance of a radio access network. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the object is achieved by a method in a first node for adapting a multi-antenna transmission to a second node over an effective channel. The first node and the second node are comprised in a wireless communication system. The method comprises the steps of obtaining at least one symbol stream and determining a precoding matrix having a block diagonal structure. The method comprises the further steps of precoding the at least one symbol stream with the determined precoding matrix, and transmitting the at least one precoded symbol stream over the effective channel to the second node.
US09300375B2

The present description relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, discloses a method and a device for efficient feedback in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method for transmitting channel status information on a downlink transmission through an uplink, in the wireless communication system, comprises the following steps: transmitting a rank indicator (RI) in a first subframe; transmitting a first precoding matrix index (PMI) in a second subframe; and transmitting a second PMI and channel quality information (CQI) in a third subframe, wherein the precoding matrix to be applied to the transmission of the downlink can be determined by a combination of the first and second PMIs.
US09300370B2

An uplink signaling method is described where the UE transmits an indication of its ability to maintain relative transmit phase continuity with respect to a plurality of transmit chains thereof in place of being required to actually maintain the phase difference between its transmitters. The signaling method utilizes straightforward signaling with very little overhead, because the indication may be provided by setting the value of a bit in an uplink transmission. In response, a base station adopts an uplink transmission format for communications by the UE based, at least in part, upon the received indication.
US09300368B2

Information may be communicated between two or more wireless devices via adaptive or steered antennas or antenna systems and 60 GHz signals. The adaptive or steered antennas or antenna systems may be initialized based upon location information determined from a beacon signal and/or a reference system. The beacon signal may be swept through an angle and may be utilized along with reference system information to determine the direction and/or distance between the two or more wireless devices. Spatial relationships between the two or more wireless devices may vary. The two or more wireless devices may communicate and coordinate communications between them via alternate lower frequency signals.
US09300358B2

In a method and a device for identifying crosstalk from a disturbing telecommunication line to a victim telecommunication line of a communication network, the identifying depends on quiet line noise measurement data related to the victim telecommunication line. In order to provide such a method and associated device that allows for detecting abnormally high crosstalk caused by high bit rate telecommunication lines running in parallel to a section of the victim telecommunication line, the method includes estimating a coupling length depending on the quiet line noise measurement data; and detecting depending on the coupling length and a physical length of the victim telecommunication line that the crosstalk is caused by the disturbing telecommunication line extending in parallel to a section of the victim telecommunication line.
US09300355B2

A radio network uses two sequences to identify a receiver of a message. The receiver is identified with a network sequence and a recipient sequence both included in the message, wherein the network sequence is a group identifier, such as a network identifier, and has better autocorrelation properties than the recipient sequence.
US09300349B2

An EHF communication system including an EHF communication chip. The EHF communication chip may include an EHF communication circuit having at least one controllable parameter-based module having a testable and controllable operating parameter The EHF communication chip may further include a test and trim circuit coupled to the EHF communication circuit, where the test and trim circuit includes a logic circuit having one or more memory elements, where the logic circuit is coupled to the controllable parameter-based module.
US09300348B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a compact small form-factor pluggable (CSFP) module including: a CSFP connector; a dual Ethernet receptacle; a first Ethernet transceiver connected between the CSFP connector and the dual Ethernet connector; a second Ethernet transceiver connected between the CSFP connector and the dual Ethernet connector; a processor connected to the CSFP connector, the first Ethernet transceiver, and the second Ethernet transceiver, wherein the processor receives control messages from the CSFP connector and wherein the processor transmits control messages to the first and second Ethernet transceivers.
US09300340B2

A communication terminal compatible with multiple smart cards includes a socket for inserting a standard smart card and a chassis for making the socket fitting at least one of small and ultra-small types of smart cards. The small smart card and the ultra small smart card insert into the socket through the chassis. The present communication terminal proposes a mobile terminal compatible with 3FF and/or 4FF card because of the arrangement of the correspondent chassis in the case that it only arranges 2FF card socket.
US09300339B2

A wireless handle for a battery tester, comprising a wireless signal transmitting/receiving means capable of exchanging information with a battery tester through wireless communication; an information input means; an information output means; and a signal processing and control means, wherein the wireless signal transmitting/receiving means, the information input means, and the information output means are coupled with the signal processing and control means. The wireless handle enables an operator to control some functions of the battery tester and/or monitor detected information remotely during the process of testing, which can increase efficiency of the testing and avoid any disturbance of the testing circuits caused by the information input means and the information output means.
US09300336B2

A direct conversion receiver device may receive I and Q signals. The direct conversion receiver device may include a blind IQ balance circuit configured to balance the I and Q signals without a pilot signal, and a mixer coupled to the blind IQ balance circuit and configured to generate I and Q baseband signals using an operational frequency, the operational frequency being based upon bandwidth and modulation of the I and Q signals. The blind IQ balance circuit may include a first stage configured to generate an intermediate amplitude balanced Q signal based upon the I and Q signals, and a second stage coupled to the first stage and configured to generate phased balanced I and Q signals based upon the intermediate amplitude balanced Q signal and the I signal.
US09300334B2

An anti-interference method and device for a wireless communication system. The method includes: receiving a RF signal; analyzing the RF signal to obtain the power variation characteristic of the RF signal; and determining a gain control method according to the power variation characteristic of the RF signal. The anti-interference methods and devices according to the embodiments of the present invention can ensure the communication quality of the wireless communication system in a case that there is strong burst interference.
US09300333B2

Methods for performing predistortion calibration on wireless communications circuitry are provided. The wireless communications circuitry may be adjusted using a digital gain setting and a radio gain index setting. A particular channel in a given band exhibiting the maximum dynamic range may be selected for measurement. Predistortion coefficient values may be computed based on measured results in the select channel. A power list may be obtained for the selected channel based on a maximum peak power level. A reference power list may then be obtained based on the minimum dynamic range in the given band. The predistortion coefficients associated with the selected channel may be translated from its power list to the reference power list. Predistortion coefficients for the remaining channels in the given band may similarly be computed by interpolating/extrapolating based on the values in their respective power lists and the reference power list.
US09300329B2

Decoding associated with a second error correction code and a first error correction code is performed. Ns first and second-corrected segments of data, first sets of parity information, and second sets of parity information are intersegment interleaved to obtain intersegment interleaved data, where the Ns segments of data, the Ns first sets of parity information, and the Ns second sets of parity information have had decoding associated with the first and the second error correction code performed on them (Ns is the number of segments interleaved together). Decoding associated with a third error correction code is performed on the intersegment interleaved data and interleaved parity information to obtain at least third-corrected interleaved data. The third-corrected interleaved data is de-interleaved.
US09300312B2

An analog-digital converter with successive approximation includes a capacitor array for being loaded by applying a given input signal potential and for providing a sampling potential, wherein capacitors of the capacitor array are serially coupled with switches. A decision latch is included for evaluating the sampling potential in a number of consecutive decision steps. The analog-digital converter also includes a logic unit for selectively changing the sampling potential by selectively switching switches associated to the capacitors of the capacitor array for each decision step based on an evaluation result of a previous decision step, wherein the switches are respectively coupled with a calibration switch.
US09300307B2

A frequency synthesizer directly generates phase modulated radio-frequency (RF) signals. The frequency synthesizer includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) producing a synthesized frequency signal having a frequency controlled based on a signal received at an input of the VCO. A digitally adjustable frequency divider produces a reduced frequency signal from the synthesized frequency signal. A phase digital-to-analog converter (DAC) produces a delayed version of a timing signal (e.g., the reduced frequency signal, or a reference clock signal) that is delayed according to a digital control signal. A phase detector (PD) produces a phase control signal from the reduced frequency signal and/or the delayed timing signal. A digital signal converter controls the digitally adjustable frequency divider and the phase DAC so as to cause a phase or frequency of the synthesized frequency signal output by the VCO to track a desired phase or frequency trajectory encoded in a digital signal.
US09300299B1

A CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) inverter includes a PMOS (p-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistor configured to receive a first input signal via a first input terminal and output a first output signal via a first output terminal, an NMOS (n-channel metal oxide semiconductor) transistor configured to receive a second input signal via a second input terminal and output a second output signal via a second output terminal, and a resistor configured to provide an isolation between the first output signal and the second output signal. In an embodiment, the first input signal is of a fast high-to-low transition but a slow low-to-high transition, and the second input signal is of a fast low-to-high transition but a slow high-to-low transition. A comparative method is also provided.
US09300289B2

A switch device includes: a first touch sensor portion to which one end of a first wiring portion is connected; a second touch sensor portion to which one end of a second wiring portion is connected; and a touch wiring portion having one end of which is connected only to the second wiring portion and the other end of which is open; the touch wiring portion being arranged such that when one capacitance is produced between the touch surface and the first wiring portion by a touch operation, the other capacitance is produced between the touch surface and the touch wiring portion by the touch operation; and the touch operation is disabled when detecting the one capacitance and the other capacitance. A finger touches a portion other than a touch sensor portion (wiring portion), and the touch is disabled, and thereby, a high reliability is achieved.
US09300261B2

A system for driving a plurality of loads each connected to respective signal terminals and to a shared common load terminal. Multiple conventional signal amplifiers each provide a content signal at one of the signal terminals. The signal amplifiers each have a primary-power upper terminal, to receive a first voltage (V1) from a first power supply, and a primary-power lower terminal, to receive a second voltage (V2) from the first power supply. A bias amplifier biases the common load terminal, and has a secondary-power upper terminal to receive a third voltage (V3) from a second power supply and a secondary-power lower terminal to receive a fourth voltage (V4) from the second power supply, wherein V2≦V4
US09300260B2

This disclosure relates generally to radio frequency (RF) amplification devices and methods of operating the same. In one embodiment, an RF amplification device includes an RF amplification circuit and a stabilizing transformer network. The RF amplification circuit defines an RF signal path and is configured to amplify an RF signal propagating in the RF signal path. The stabilizing transformer network is operably associated with the RF signal path defined by the RF amplification circuit. Furthermore, the stabilizing transformer network is configured to reduce parasitic coupling along the RF signal path of the RF amplification circuit as the RF signal propagates in the RF signal path. In this manner, the stabilizing transformer network allows for inexpensive components to be used to reduce parasitic coupling while allowing for smaller distances along the RF signal path.
US09300253B2

An amplifier includes a first transformer configured to output first differential signals, a first differential amplifier coupled to the first transformer, a second transformer coupled to the first differential amplifier, a second differential amplifier coupled to the second transformer, a third transformer configured to transform second differential signals output from the second differential amplifier to a single-ended output signal, and a first bias circuit configured to supply a first bias voltage to a first secondary coil of the first transformer, wherein the first bias circuit sets the first bias voltage to a voltage greater than or equal to a first voltage based on the input signal in a first operating area where power of the output signal is greater than or equal to a first power so that power-gain characteristics of the output signal become closer to characteristics where gain of the output signal becomes constant.
US09300251B2

A frequency conversion device, which may include a radiofrequency (RF) mixer device, includes a substrate and a ferromagnetic film disposed over a surface of the substrate. An insulator is disposed over the ferromagnetic film and at least one microstrip antenna is disposed over the insulator. The ferromagnetic film provides a non-linear response to the frequency conversion device. The frequency conversion device may be used for signal mixing and amplification. The frequency conversion device may also be used in data encryption applications.
US09300242B2

An electronic overload relay includes a microcontroller having an internal random-access memory (RAM) in which a motor thermal model is stored. The microcontroller is coupled to a power supply having a bulk storage capacitor. In response to a trip or stop condition of a protected motor, the thermal model is maintained in the RAM with no timing or decrementing. When the motor restarts, the microcontroller calculates a change in capacitor voltage to estimate the motor stop duration. The thermal model is decremented based on the estimated duration.
US09300235B2

A motor driver includes at least two terminals suitable for being coupled to a motor controller and to receive a motor command signal and transmit a motor status signal when the motor driver is controlling a motor. A serial data communication circuit may be configured to send and receive serial data over the at least two terminals when the at least two terminals are idle.
US09300230B2

An enclosure to enclose the vertical electromagnetic repulsive elevation and manipulation of electromagnets is presented. The enclosure is capable of elevating the electromagnet to various heights and additionally horizontally repelling the elevated electromagnet from one elevated position to the next. The heights of the elevated electromagnet may vary depending on the voltage of the base electromagnets, the polarities of the electromagnets and the desired height of the elevated electromagnet.
US09300227B2

A technique decouples a MEMS device from sources of strain by forming a MEMS structure with suspended electrodes that are mechanically anchored in a manner that reduces or eliminates transfer of strain from the substrate into the structure, or transfers strain to electrodes and body so that a transducer is strain-tolerant. The technique includes using an electrically insulating material embedded in a conductive structural material for mechanical coupling and electrical isolation.
US09300209B2

A half-bridge of a bidirectional converter is divided into a first and a second conduction path connected in parallel. In each of the conduction paths a switching element and a freewheeling diode are connected in series, and the center points of the conduction paths are connected via a second inductor. The second inductor is connected in series with a first inductor which is connected to the center point of the second conduction path. The half-bridge has two operating modes. In each of the two operating modes the switching element in one of the two conduction paths is clocked at a high frequency to cause a flow of energy in one of two directions between a pair of high voltage-side connections and a pair of low voltage-side connections to the half-bridge. The two switching elements are of different types, the switching element in the first conduction path causing higher switching losses.
US09300199B2

A control circuit of a power supply is provided. The power supply includes a current-sense circuit, a voltage-sense circuit, an output voltage regulation circuit, and a current regulation circuit. The current-sense circuit generates a current-sense signal in response to an output current of the power supply. The voltage-sense circuit generates a voltage-sense signal in response to an output voltage of the power supply. The output voltage regulation circuit is coupled to regulate the output voltage of the power supply according to a voltage reference signal and the voltage-sense signal. The output current regulation circuit is coupled to regulate the output current of the power supply according to a current reference signal and the current-sense signal. The output voltage of said power supply is programmable.
US09300195B2

A handle for a small electric handheld appliance in which the handle comprises a motor assembly disposed in the handle. The motor assembly comprises a generally L-shaped magnetic yoke formed from two substantially perpendicular surfaces, such that the two substantially perpendicular surfaces define a concave receiving portion. The motor assembly also comprises an iron core and a coil winding disposed substantially in the concave receiving portion, such that the iron core and the coil winding are free from contact with one of the two substantially perpendicular surfaces when the motor is at rest.
US09300188B2

The invention relates to an electric damper (10) for damping the relative motion between a first and a second mass, comprising a generator (26) that can be driven by the mass motion. The invention is characterized in that, in addition to the field generating means (18) present in the generator (26), an additional field winding (24) is provided for producing a secondary magnetic field, the additional field winding (24) being arranged in such a way that the primary and secondary magnetic fields have oppositely oriented field lines.
US09300185B2

In one embodiment, a flywheel power generating facility includes a flywheel power generator including a flywheel for storing rotational energy, and configured to convert the rotational energy into electric power to supply the electric power to a test facility. The generating facility further includes a driving motor configured to rotate the flywheel, and a power supply device configured to supply electric power to the driving motor. The generating facility further includes a detector configured to output a signal related to the rotation of the flywheel, and a controller configured to control operation of the driving motor, based on the outputted signal. The controller controls the operation of the driving motor so that the driving motor provides accelerating torque to the flywheel while the supply of the electric power to the test facility is stopped and while the electric power is supplied to the test facility.
US09300175B2

A rotor includes: a rotor core fixed to a rotating shaft so as to be rotatable together with the rotating shaft; and a plurality of permanent magnets embedded and fixed in the rotor core. Each permanent magnet is formed of a pair of magnet pieces having a pair of magnetic pole-facing portions radially extending and magnetized so that poles of the same polarity face each other in a circumferential direction. The pair of the magnetic pole-facing portions is formed so that the length of each magnetic pole-facing portion in a magnetization direction is greater in a radially outer portion than in a radially inner portion.
US09300173B2

Stator of an electrical machine includes a stator lamination stack, having coil forms fastened thereto which each include an electrical coil. The coil forms are each pressed onto a tooth of the stator lamination stack. For the fastening of the coil forms to the teeth of the stator lamination stack, at least one fastening element is provided at the two end faces of the stator lamination stack, which fastening element includes a fastening arrangement which cooperate in a form-locking manner and/or force-locking with coil forms.
US09300172B2

A technique for securing a group of stator packs that are part of a stator core to construction bolts associated with a generator frame. The technique includes using a single wedge set to secure the group of stator packs to each construction bolt. Each wedge set includes a solid filler piece positioned within a groove on one side of a notch in the stator pack and a construction bolt filler piece having a convex shape portion configured to the shape of the construction bolt that accepts the construction bolt. A wedge member is forced between the filler pieces to secure the group of stator packs to the construction bolt.
US09300169B1

A solar power assembly is provided. The assembly includes means for nonplanar generation of solar power, wherein the solar power comprises sunlight converted into electrical energy; means for transmission of the solar power to a means for storage of electrical energy in a vehicle; and means for attachment of the means for nonplanar generation of solar power to a sunlight-exposed surface the vehicle. The assembly is capable of capturing sunlight from multiple angles and producing solar power for the vehicle's use.
US09300167B2

A circulating charging/discharging device for an electric vehicle has a battery assembly, a switch, a controller, a power generator motor, a power generator and a wheel motor. The battery assembly has a charging module and a discharging module connected in parallel. The battery assembly has output terminals connected to the switch. The controller turns on/off the switch and controls operations of the electric vehicle. The power generator motor and the wheel motor connect to the battery assembly through the switch for receiving power from the battery assembly. The wheel motor drives the wheel of the vehicle to let the vehicle move. When the vehicle is started, the battery assembly transmits power to the power generator motor through the switch so that the power generator motor drives the power generator for generating power used for charging the battery assembly. Therefore, the battery assembly is charged when the vehicle is moving.
US09300158B2

A method and apparatus for determining whether to enable a functionality of a battery powered device upon connection to a battery is embodied by providing at least one voltage threshold in a memory of the battery that corresponds to a usable operating range limit of the battery and that is accessible by the battery powered device. Upon connection to the battery, the battery powered device acquires the voltage threshold or thresholds from the battery and programs itself with the threshold or thresholds. The battery powered device then compares a voltage of the battery to the threshold or threshold to determine whether the enable the functionality.
US09300157B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus including monitoring unit and a charging control unit. The monitoring unit is configured to monitor at least one data acquisition source of a device operated by a rechargeable battery and to estimate a context of the device based on data acquired from the at least one data acquisition source. The charging control unit is configured to dynamically adjust charging voltage and charging current applied to the rechargeable battery based on the estimated context of the device acquired from the monitoring unit. The battery includes at least one battery cell.
US09300141B2

Methods and systems provided for creating a scalable building block for a virtual power plant, where individual buildings can incorporate on-site renewable energy assets and energy storage and optimize the acquisition, storage and consumption of energy in accordance with a value hierarchy. Each building block can be aggregated into a virtual power plant, in which centralized control of load shifting in selected buildings, based on predictive factors or price signals, can provide bulk power for ancillary services or peak demand situations. Aggregation can occur at multiple levels, including developments consisting of both individual and common renewable energy and storage assets. The methods used to optimize the system can also be applied to “right size” the amount of renewable energy and storage capacity at each site to maximize return on the capital investment.
US09300136B2

An activation control apparatus includes a voltage fluctuation obtainer to obtain voltage fluctuation amplitude of an external power source at a given voltage, the voltage fluctuation caused when activating an apparatus using the external power source; a voltage fluctuation detector to detect the voltage fluctuation of the external power source at the given voltage; an activation controller to determine whether the voltage fluctuation amplitude obtained by the voltage fluctuation obtainer at the given voltage of the external power source, detected by the voltage fluctuation detector, is within a preset allowable voltage fluctuation range, and to control activation of the apparatus using the external power source based on a result of the voltage fluctuation determination made by the activation controller.
US09300133B2

Various techniques are employed alone or in combination, to reduce the levelized cost of energy imposed by a power plant system. Solar energy concentrators in the form of inflated reflectors, focus light onto photovoltaic receivers. Multiple concentrators are grouped into a series-connected cluster that shares control circuitry and support structure. Individual concentrators are maintained at their maximum power point via balance controllers that control the flow of current that shunts this series connection. DC current from clusters is transmitted moderate distances to a centralized inverter. The inductance of transmission lines is maximized using an air-spaced twisted pair, enhancing the performance of boost-type three phase inverters. Cluster outputs are separate from individual inverters in massively interleaved arrays co-located at a central location. Step-up transformers convert inverter voltages to grid voltages, and small transformers provide isolation and voltage step-up only on receiver-to-receiver imbalance currents, typically <20% of the total current.
US09300128B2

A system and method include a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) supplying electricity to an appliance. The GFCI supplies direct current (DC) to an appliance upon connection to the GFCI, and the appliance automatically communicates data to the GFCI prior to startup of the appliance in response to receiving the DC, wherein the data describes maximum out of phase conditions expected during appliance startup, and the GFCI acknowledges receipt of the data. The appliance sends a status message to the GFCI indicating the appliance is ready for alternating current (AC) in response to the startup of the appliance, and the GFCI switches from supplying the low voltage direct current to supplying AC to the appliance in response to the GFCI receiving the status message. The method further comprises preventing the GFCI from tripping in response to out of phase conditions less than the maximum out of phase conditions.
US09300125B2

An improved overload relay includes a number of current transformers that draw power from a circuit it protects to power itself. The current transformers charge a capacitor which powers a processor and which can energize a solenoid to initiate the interruption of the circuit. The overload relay further includes a capacitor analysis circuit which detects an operational parameter of the capacitor and enables a processor to determine when the energy storage capability of the capacitor has dropped to a predetermined threshold. In the event of such a determination, the overload relay can perform any of a number of actions.
US09300120B1

A childproof safety outlet is configured to install onto an existing electrical outlet. The electrical outlet cover includes at least one cover plate that is provided on an inner surface, and able to slide longitudinally in order to either expose or hide the electrical outlet. The electrical outlet cover includes armatures that attach to the cover plate in order to move the cover plate longitudinally. The armatures are each attached to a servomotor that is in wired communication with a control member. The servo motors, armatures, control member, and the cover plate are all located on the inner surface of the electrical outlet cover, and are not accessible when installed against the existing electrical outlet.
US09300114B2

Provided is a laser device comprising a substrate, an active layer, and a current confinement layer. The current confinement layer includes an oxide layer that is formed extending from a edge of the current confinement layer in a parallel plane parallel to a surface of the substrate, toward a center of the current confinement layer along the parallel plane, and that does not have an inflection point between the edge and a tip portion formed closer to the center or has a plurality of inflection points formed between the edge and the tip portion.
US09300113B2

A laser device includes a plurality of lasers that includes a first laser and a second laser. The laser device further includes a drive circuit configured to apply a pulsed current to the first laser at a first phase. The drive circuit is further configured to apply the pulsed current to the second laser at a second phase. The first phase and the second phase are different. A total voltage provided to the plurality of lasers during a period between the first and second phases is substantially smaller than a sum of individual voltages provided to the plurality of lasers, respectively, during a pulse period of the pulsed current.
US09300111B2

A semiconductor light emitting device includes a conductive substrate, a light emitting laminate including a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a first conductivity type semiconductor layer stacked on the conductive substrate, a first electrode layer electrically connected to the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second electrode layer between the conductive substrate and the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, the second electrode layer being electrically connected to the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a passivation layer between the active layer and the second electrode layer, the passivation layer covering at least a lateral surface of the active layer of the light emitting laminate.
US09300110B2

Techniques are presented herein to set power levels for multiple Raman pump wavelengths in a distributed Raman amplification configuration. A first receive power measurement is obtained at a second node with a controlled optical source at a first node turned on and with a plurality of Raman pump lasers at different wavelengths at the second node turned off. A second receive power measurement is obtained at the second node with the controlled optical source at the first node turned on and the plurality of Raman pump lasers turned on to respective reference power levels to inject optical Raman pump power at a corresponding plurality of wavelengths into the optical fiber span. Based on a target Raman gain and a target Raman gain tilt, respective ratios of a total power are obtained, each ratio to be used for a corresponding one of the plurality of Raman pump lasers.
US09300102B2

Crimping presses that include a frame with a first crimping tool, and a press carriage with a second crimping tool. A bias applicator applies prebiasing initial force acting at least codirectionally to crimping force reaction that is separatory to the first and second crimping tools. The prebiasing initial force acts prior to crimping engagement of the crimping tools. The bias applicator is situated between holders.
US09300101B2

Improved electric cable swivel assemblies and related fabrication methods are provided. More particularly, the present disclosure provides improved electric cable swivel assemblies configured to reduce entanglement of swimming pool cleaner power cables, and related cable swivel fabrication methods. In exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides for a electric cable swivel assembly including a swivel body/housing that is configured and dimensioned to mount with respect to a first cable and a second cable. The swivel body/housing is configured to provide a continuous electrical contact between the first and second cables, wherein the first and second cables are generally axially rotatable relative to each other. Methods of overmolding and/or otherwise fabricating the swivel are disclosed herein.
US09300100B2

An SRC includes a stator; a rotator rotatably attached to the stator; and a stack-type cable accommodated in an annular accommodation space defined by the stator and the rotator. The stack-type cable includes a transmission path FC including a pair of transmission path conductors and laminate sheets covering the pair of transmission path conductors and also includes a dummy FC that is provided on a front surface of the transmission path FC and is formed of laminate sheets not including a flat rectangular conductor, the transmission path FC and the dummy FC being stacked on each other; the stack-type cable further includes a grease that causes the transmission path FC and the dummy FC stacked on each other to adhere to each other; and a width-direction interval between the pair of transmission path conductors is set to smaller than, or equivalent to, a conductor width of each transmission path conductor.
US09300095B2

An electrical connector for mating with a mating connector having a metal elastic sheet. The electrical connector includes an insulating body, a middle shielding sheet and a metal casing. The insulating body includes a base, a tongue extending forward from the base, and an upper row and a lower row of terminals. Each upper and lower row terminals has a contact portion exposed from upper and lower surfaces of the tongue respectively. The middle shielding sheet is disposed in the tongue and located between the upper row and lower row of terminals. The middle shielding sheet includes a groove exposed from a side of the tongue, for being buckled by the metal elastic sheet to stop forward displacement of the metal elastic sheet. The metal casing wraps a periphery of the insulation body to form a mating cavity, for the mating connector to be entered therein.
US09300094B2

A coaxial cable connector for connecting to a coaxial cable, the connector including a body having a longitudinal axis, a front end, an opposed rear end, and an interior. The connector also includes an inner post extending through the body and a coupling nut carried on the inner post. A pawl is carried in the interior of the body for engaging with a cable applied to the interior and preventing removal of the cable after being so applied to the interior. The pawl moves out of and into interference with the cable in response to the application of the cable into the interior of the retraction of the cable off the inner post, respectively.
US09300093B2

It is aimed to provide a ground connection fitting capable of enhancing the reliability of connection of a ground wire to ground sections and a ground connection device using the same. A first ground connection fitting (1) connects a ground wire (E1) to a first bolt (B1) and a second bolt (B2), which a plurality of ground sections provided on a wall surface of a vehicle. The first ground connection fitting (1) includes a wire connecting portion formed by a wire-side terminal portion (4) to be mounted on an end of the ground wire (E1), and a ground-side terminal portion (5) formed with a first bolt connection hole (6) connectable to the first bolt (B1) and a second bolt connection hole (7) connectable to the second bolt (B2).
US09300083B2

A stackable connector interface with magnetic retention for electronic devices and accessories can allow power and data to be transferred between one or more stacked connectors. Each interconnected stackable connector may include one or more magnetic elements, which magnetic elements may have poles arranged to facilitate mating with other stackable connectors. The magnetic elements may also provide a magnetic retention force that holds mated connectors in contact with each other. The connectors can also include connection detection circuitry for determining whether the connectors are mated with other connectors, thereby allowing the connectors to prevent live contacts from being exposed at an unmated surface of the connectors. In addition to connection detection circuitry, routing circuitry may also be included to determine how signals should be transferred between the interconnected stackable connectors and/or corresponding devices.
US09300082B2

A plug (1) for electrical equipment comprising a housing and a plurality of projections (2, 4, 5) extending from the housing, wherein first and second projections are larger than a third projection, and the projections are arranged so as to facilitate disengagement of the plug from the socket.
US09300078B2

A waterproof adapter can provide a liquid-tight seal between a waterproof housing for a mobile electronic device and an accessory connector extending from an accessory device, such as a jack plug extending from a pair of headphones. The waterproof adapter can be an integral part of the accessory connector or can be installed on the accessory connector using, for example, a threaded or bayonet-style connection. In one example, the waterproof adapter can include an exterior gasket channel circumscribing an exterior surface of its body, an exterior gasket disposed at least partially within the exterior gasket channel, thereby permitting the waterproof adapter to provide a liquid-tight seal between a connector aperture in the waterproof housing and the accessory connector. When the accessory device is disconnected from the mobile electronic device, a port-sealing bung can be inserted into the connector aperture of the waterproof housing and can provide a liquid-tight seal therewith.
US09300073B2

An electrical connector used for electrically connecting a first electronic element and a second electronic element opposite to each other, includes an insulating body and multiple conducting terminals. The insulating body has multiple receiving spaces, and the conducting terminals are correspondingly accommodated in the receiving spaces. At least one fixing piece is connected to one of the conducting terminals through at least one insulation piece, and the fixing piece fixes the conducting terminal to the corresponding receiving space.
US09300067B2

A connector has a receiving portion which is receivable a connection member inserted rearward in a front-rear direction. The connection member has a plate-like or sheet-like shape and has terminals and a ground pattern. The connector comprises a plurality of contacts, a holding member and a conductive member. The contacts have contact points, respectively. The contact points are to be in contact with the terminals, respectively. The holding member holds the contacts. The conductive member is attached to the holding member. The conductive member has a shield connection portion which is to be in contact with the ground pattern. The shield connection portion is positioned frontward of the contact points of the contacts in the front-rear direction and is positioned outward of the contact points in a width direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction.
US09300065B2

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a base portion, a mating port extending along a front-to-rear direction and a pair of guiding posts disposed at two opposite sides of the base portion, the mating port defining a front face perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction, the guiding post extending beyond the front face and defining upper and lower faces opposite in a vertical direction and an outer connecting face connecting the upper and lower faces. A plurality of conductive terminals are retained in the insulative housing and arrange in a longitudinal direction, and a shield shell enclosing the insulative housing. Each guiding slot defines a first guiding slot selectively disposed on at least one face of the upper and lower faces and the connecting face, and the first guiding slot is U-shaped and forwardly runs through a free end of the guiding post in the front-to-rear direction.
US09300062B2

Attachment devices and methods for use with light emitting devices are provided. In one aspect, the light emitting device can include a submount and a light emission area disposed over the submount. The device can further include at least one attachment member provided on the submount. The attachment member can engage an electrical component thereby providing a gas-tight, solder free connection between the attachment member and electrical component.
US09300051B2

A communication device includes a ground element and an antenna element. The antenna element is disposed on a dielectric substrate which is adjacent to an edge of the ground element. The antenna element includes a radiating element, a shorting element and a feeding element. The radiating element has a first open end, a second open end and a shorting point. The radiating element is divided into a first element and a second element by the shorting point. The first element includes the first open end, and the second element includes the second open end. One end of the shorting element is coupled to the shorting point through a first inductive element, and another end is electrically connected to the ground element. The feeding element and the first element are spaced by a coupling gap, and the feeding element is coupled to a signal source through a matching circuit.
US09300049B2

An antenna and a portable device having the same are provided. The antenna provided in a portable device includes: a radiator unit housed at one surface of the portable device; and a resonant frequency compensation unit housed at another surface of the portable device facing the one surface and adjusting a resonant frequency of the radiator unit changed by an environment change to a preset resonant frequency. Examples of the environment change include a device color change, and a battery size change.
US09300048B2

A bi-directional antenna includes a plurality of unit cells stacked in two perpendicular planes (Y-X and Z-X planes) to form cube shaped unit cells whereby inductive loops are placed on four faces corresponding to the Y-X and Z-X planes. Each unit cell includes a magnetic permeability enhanced metamaterial. The resulting antenna has the ability to couple magnetic fields oriented in both the X and Y directions with increased permeabilities and can be used to realize a variety of different antenna architectures that do not have their magnetic field confined in a single direction.
US09300046B2

A multi-layer, multi-turn structure for an inductor having a plurality of conductor layers separated by layers of insulator is described. The inductor further comprises a connector electrically connected between the conductor layers. The structure of the inductor may comprise a cavity therewithin. The structure of the inductor constructed such that electrical resistance is reduced therewithin, thus increasing the efficiency of the inductor. The inductor is particularly useful at operating within the radio frequency range and greater.
US09300041B2

A multimode broadband antenna module and a wireless terminal are provided. The multimode broadband antenna module includes a printed circuit board and an antenna body, where the antenna body includes a first radiator and a second radiator that are electrically connected to the printed circuit board, where the first radiator includes a connection portion, a low frequency portion, and a high frequency portion, the second radiator includes a grounding portion, a low frequency portion, and a high frequency portion, and a first predetermined distance exists between the low frequency portion of the first radiator and the low frequency portion of the second radiator, and a second predetermined distance exists between the high frequency portion of the first radiator and the high frequency portion of the second radiator, so as to form a coupling capacitance effect between the first radiator and the second radiator.
US09300033B2

A wireless communication device comprising a housing comprising a plurality of edges and configured to serve as an external surface for the wireless communication device, and an antenna adjacent to at least a first edge of the housing, wherein the antenna comprises at least a conductive strip and at least one slot and wherein the antenna is configured to receive and transmit wireless signals, wherein the first edge of the housing is one of an edge of the housing nearest an ear piece and an edge of the housing that is opposite the edge of the housing nearest the ear piece, and wherein the conductive strip and the slot are adjacent to at least the first edge of the housing.
US09300031B2

A glass antenna provided on or in window glass of a vehicle, includes: an antenna conductor including: a first antenna element which is connected to a feed portion and formed into a loop-like shape extending in a first direction; a second antenna element which is formed into an L-like shape by a first partial element which is connected to the first antenna element and extends in the first direction and a second partial element which is connected to the first partial element and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction at right angles; a third antenna element which is connected to the first antenna element and extends in the second direction on a side where the second partial element extends with respect to the first partial element; and a fourth antenna element which divides the loop of the first antenna element into two loops.
US09300029B2

A filter is provided and includes potting material formed into a body defining a through-hole. The body includes first and second opposing faces and a sidewall extending between the first and second opposing faces. The sidewall is formed to define first and second openings at opposite ends of the through-hole, first angles at an interface between the sidewall and the first face and second angles, which complement the first angles, at an interface between the sidewall and the second face.
US09300022B2

A planar balun comprises a balun input, a first balun output, a second balun output,two primary coupled lines with a first cross-sectional area disposed on an inhomogeneous medium, and two secondary coupled lines with a second cross-sectional area, the second coupled lines disposed on an inhomogeneous medium. Each of the primary coupled lines are coupled to one of the secondary coupled lines with a predetermined uniform surface space therebetween. The first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area are unequal, thereby producing pairs of asymmetric coupled lines.
US09300005B2

The present invention relates to a cable-type secondary battery having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending longitudinally, comprising: a core for supplying lithium ions; an inner electrode, comprising a spiral electrode formed by spirally twisting two or more wire-type inner current collectors coated with an inner electrode active material on the surface thereof; a separation layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; and an outer electrode surrounding the outer surface of the separation layer, and comprising an outer electrode active material layer and an outer current collector. The core for supplying lithium ions is disposed in the inner electrode, from which the electrolyte of the core for supplying lithium ions can be easily penetrated into an electrode active material, thereby facilitating the supply and exchange of lithium ions.
US09300002B2

A three-dimensional electrode architecture for a supercapacitor and/or battery characterized by high power density and high energy density includes at least one negative electrode and at least one positive disposed in an interpenetrating manner. Also disclosed are corresponding or associated three-dimensional supercapacitors or batteries as well as methods for making the same.
US09299976B2

A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap plate sealing the case and having an inversion plate; and an insulation plate having a short-circuit hole generally corresponding to the inversion plate and an air opening spaced from the short-circuit hole and fluidly connected to a top surface of the cap plate; a terminal plate coupled to a top surface of the insulation plate and electrically connected to the electrode assembly; and a terminal assembly including a sealing member coupled to a bottom surface of the insulation plate and formed to encompass the short-circuit hole and the air opening.
US09299970B2

A jelly-roll type battery unit, a winding method thereof and a lithium secondary battery comprising the battery unit include a first electrode plate having a first electrode current collector with a first electrode tab and a first electrode active material layer coated on at least one surface of the first electrode current collector, a second electrode plate having a second electrode current collector with a second electrode tab and a second electrode active material layer coated on at least one surface of the second electrode current collector, and a separator that is interposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, wherein the electrode tab is incorporated into the electrode current collector in an area of either the first or the second electrode plate where the corresponding electrode active material layer is not coated. Since an electrode tab is formed by cutting a portion of an electrode current collector and folding upward, deformation of a jelly-roll type battery unit is prevented.
US09299969B2

A secondary battery including an electrode assembly; a case containing the electrode assembly; a cap plate sealing an opening of the case; a terminal plate electrically connected to the electrode assembly; an electrode terminal electrically connected to the terminal plate; and an insulation layer between the cap plate and the terminal plate and electrically insulating the cap plate and the terminal plate from each other, and the terminal plate includes a first metal layer connected to the electrode terminal, and a second metal layer on the first metal layer, the second metal layer being between the first metal layer and the insulation layer.
US09299959B2

An ink jet device includes: an ink jet head including a nozzle through which ink droplet is ejected by applying voltage to piezoelectric element; and an ejection control unit controlling ink droplet ejection amount by varying voltage, voltage waveform of the voltage includes: preliminary vibration wave form part for preliminary drive operation of pushing ink toward outer edge of the nozzle to the extent that the droplet is not ejected; and main vibration waveform part for main drive operation of ejecting the droplet through the nozzle after the preliminary drive operation, the ejection control unit performs the preliminary and main drive operations according to the preliminary vibration waveform part and the main vibration waveform part, respectively, and proportion of displacement amount X of the voltage for the preliminary drive operation to displacement amount Y of the voltage for the main drive operation is set to 20%≦X/Y≦40%.
US09299950B2

An organic light emitting display apparatus includes a lower substrate and an upper substrate. The lower substrate includes a light emitting device having an organic emission layer between first and second electrodes, and an auxiliary electrode under and electrically connected to the second electrode. The upper substrate includes an embossing member contacting the second electrode. The embossing member is coupled to the upper substrate to face the lower substrate and applies a pressure to establish an electrical connection between the auxiliary electrode and the second electrode.
US09299942B2

Provided is a light-emitting element with a small degree of luminance degradation with accumulation of driving time (a long-lifetime light-emitting element). Provided is a light-emitting element in which a light-emitting layer with an electron-transport property is formed with a plurality of layers containing different host materials. Further, the LUMO level of a host material on an anode side is higher than the LUMO level of a host material on a cathode side. With such a structure, it is possible to provide a long-lifetime light-emitting element with little degradation in luminance with accumulation of driving time.
US09299938B2

A white light emitting device having an anode and a cathode and therebetween an organic electroluminescent layer which emits white light on the provision of a current between the anode and the cathode, said organic electroluminescent layer including a plurality of electroluminescent zones in laterally separated arrangement, the first of said electroluminescent zones including a first polymer and the second of said electroluminescent zones including a second polymer, wherein the first polymer includes a fluorescent blue light emitting species and the second polymer includes a fluorescent green light emitting species, said first and/or second zones further including a phosphorescent red light emitting species, such that together with the blue emitting species results in the emission of white light, said first and second polymers being physically incompatible so that separation of the zones pertains.
US09299937B2

The present specification provides a photoactive layer including an electron accepting material and an electron donating material, an organic photovoltaic cell including the same, and a method of manufacturing the organic photovoltaic cell, which includes treating the electron accepting material and the electron donating material by a non-solvent.
US09299935B2

The present disclosure provides a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound and an organic electronic device comprising the same.
US09299933B2

The present invention relates to a polymer comprising a repeating unit containing a specific partial structure and a repeating unit containing a crosslinking group, a composition for an organic electroluminescent element comprising the polymer, and an organic electroluminescent element comprising an organic layer formed using the composition for an organic electroluminescent element by a wet film formation method.
US09299929B2

A phase change memory cell comprising a first chalcogenide compound on a first electrode, a first nitrogenated carbon material directly on the first chalcogenide compound, a second chalcogenide compound directly on the first nitrogenated carbon material, and a second nitrogenated carbon material directly on the second chalcogenide compound and directly on a second electrode. Other phase change memory cells are described. A method of forming a phase change memory cell and a phase change memory device are also described.
US09299922B1

The continuous-level memristor emulator is a circuit that uses off-the-shelf components to emulate a memristor. The circuit uses two current-feedback operational-amplifiers (CFOAs) and uses an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA)-based circuit in place of a diode resistive network to provide a continuous level of memristance instead of two binary states. The OTA is forced to work in its nonlinear region by the voltage VDC applied to its positive input terminal. Thus, the transfer function of the OTA-based circuit will be a nonlinear function. Experimental testing shows that the continuous-level memristor emulator is operational as a memristor, and the emulator may be used, e.g., in place of a memristor in a multivibrator circuit.
US09299921B2

A magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) bit cell includes a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) connected to a first data line. The MRAM bit cell further includes a second MTJ connected to a second data line. The MRAM bit cell further includes a pass gate assembly connected to the first MTJ and the second MTJ, wherein the pass gate assembly comprises a plurality of transistors, and each transistor of the plurality of transistors is configured to selectively connect the first MTJ and the second MTJ to a driving line.
US09299920B2

Provided is a magnetic memory device with a magnetic tunnel junction on a substrate. The magnetic tunnel junction may include a first magnetic structure and a second magnetic structure spaced apart from each other with a tunnel barrier interposed therebetween. When viewed in a cross-sectional view, a width of the tunnel barrier may be larger at an upper level thereof than at a lower level thereof.
US09299918B2

A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a first to third ferromagnetic layers, and a first nonmagnetic layer, the first and second ferromagnetic layers each having an axis of easy magnetization in a direction perpendicular to a film plane, the third ferromagnetic layer including a plurality of ferromagnetic oscillators generating rotating magnetic fields of different oscillation frequencies from one another. Spin-polarized electrons are injected into the first ferromagnetic layer and induce precession movements in the plurality of ferromagnetic oscillators of the third ferromagnetic layer by flowing a current between the first and third ferromagnetic layers, the rotating magnetic fields are generated by the precession movements and are applied to the first ferromagnetic layer, and at least one of the rotating magnetic fields assists a magnetization switching in the first ferromagnetic layer.
US09299916B2

There is disclosed a memory element including a memory layer that maintains information through the magnetization state of a magnetic material, a magnetization-fixed layer with a magnetization that is a reference of information stored in the memory layer, and an intermediate layer that is formed of a non-magnetic material and is provided between the memory layer and the magnetization-fixed layer. The storing of the information is performed by inverting the magnetization of the memory layer by using a spin torque magnetization inversion occurring according to a current flowing in the lamination direction of a layered structure having the memory layer, the intermediate layer, and the magnetization-fixed layer, the memory layer includes an alloy region containing at least one of Fe and Co, and a magnitude of an effective diamagnetic field which the memory layer receives during magnetization inversion thereof is smaller than the saturated magnetization amount of the memory layer.
US09299915B2

Methods and apparatus to provide an integrated circuit package having a conductive leadframe, a non-conductive die paddle mechanically coupled to the leadframe, and a die disposed on the die paddle and electrically connected to the leadframe. With this arrangement, eddy currents are reduced near the magnetic field transducer to reduce interference with magnetic fields.
US09299911B2

A piezoelectric thin-film multilayer body includes a substrate, an adhesive layer on the substrate, a lower electrode layer on the adhesive layer, and a lead-free piezoelectric thin-film layer on the lower electrode layer. The lead-free piezoelectric thin-film layer is composed of lithium potassium sodium niobate (composition formula (NaxKyLiz)NbO3, 0
US09299910B1

Micromechanical resonators having stub anchors are described. The micromechanical resonators may be suspended, being connected to a substrate or support by one or more anchors. The anchor(s) may include one or more stubs which can impact the acoustic impedance of the anchor(s). The stub(s) may have various shapes and sizes. In some instances, multiple resonators may be coupled together by a connector having one or more stubs.
US09299898B2

In some embodiments, a composition includes: a conversion material and a bisphenol-A polycarbonate; wherein a molded article of the bisphenol-A polycarbonate has a transmission level of greater than or equal to 90.0% at a thickness of 2.5 mm as measured by ASTM D1003-00; and wherein the molded article comprises an increase in the yellow index of less than 2 during 2,000 hours of heat aging at 130° C.; and wherein the conversion material comprises a yellow conversion material, a green conversion material, a red conversion material, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
US09299896B2

A curable composition is provided. A cured product showing excellent light extraction efficiency, crack resistance, hardness, thermal shock resistance and adhesive strength after a curing, as well as showing excellent processability and workability is provided. Also, surface stickiness may be prevented in the cured product without causing turbidity etc.
US09299895B1

A light emitting diode is provided. The light emitting diode comprises a lead frame, a resin base, an emitting chip and a glue. The lead frame has a plurality of electrode portions thereon. The resin base is provided on the lead frame, the resin base having an outer wall thereon and around an edge to form an opening, and the opening exposing the electrode portions; and an inner wall extending from the outer wall, and the inner side of the inner wall has a slope to decrease the inner diameter of the opening gradually. The emitting chip is attached on the top surface(s) of one or two the electrode portion(s). The glue is filled into a space between the emitting chip and the inner wall to expose the top surface of the emitting chip. Therefore, the illumination of the light emitting diode can be enhanced.
US09299884B2

Provided are a light emitting device and a light emitting device package including the same. The light emitting device comprises a first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer comprising a plurality of quantum well layers and a plurality of barrier layers, which are alternately laminated on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the active layer. The plurality of barrier layers comprise a plurality of first barrier layers comprising an n-type dopant, and the conductive type dopant doped into the plurality of first barrier layers have different doping concentrations for each layer.
US09299881B2

A light emitting device comprises a first layer of an n-type semiconductor material, a second layer of a p-type semiconductor material, and an active layer between the first layer and the second layer. A light coupling layer is disposed adjacent to one of the first layer and the second layer. In some cases, the light coupling layer is formed by roughening a buffer layer of the light emitting device. The light emitting device includes an electrode in electrical communication with one of the first layer and the second layer through a portion of the light coupling layer.
US09299879B2

The present invention provides a simplifying method for a peeling process as well as peeling and transcribing to a large-size substrate uniformly. A feature of the present invention is to peel a first adhesive and to cure a second adhesive at the same time in a peeling process, thereby to simplify a manufacturing process. In addition, the present invention is to devise the timing of transcribing a peel-off layer in which up to an electrode of a semiconductor are formed to a predetermined substrate. In particular, a feature is that peeling is performed by using a pressure difference in the case that peeling is performed with a state in which plural semiconductor elements are formed on a large-size substrate.
US09299865B2

A SPAD-type photodiode has a semiconductor substrate with a light-receiving surface. A lattice formed of interlaced strips made of a first material covers the light receiving surface. The lattice includes lattice openings with lateral walls covered by a spacer made of a second material. Then first and second materials have different optical indices, and further each optical index is less than or equal to the substrate optical index. A pitch of the lattice is of the order of a magnitude of an operating wavelength of the photodiode. The first and second materials are transparent at that operating wavelength. The lattice is made of a conductive material electrically coupled to an electrical connection node (for example, a bias voltage node).
US09299861B2

In an embodiment, a photovoltaic system includes multiple photovoltaic modules and a module-to-module bus. Each photovoltaic module defines a first end and a second end opposite the first end. Each photovoltaic module includes multiple photovoltaic cells and multiple converters. Energy generated by each photovoltaic cell has multiple paths through the photovoltaic cells to the second end. The converters are electrically coupled to the photovoltaic cells at the second end such that energy generated by each photovoltaic cell is receivable at any of the converters. The module-to-module bus is electrically coupled to each of the photovoltaic modules. The module-to-module bus has an output. Energy generated by each photovoltaic module is receivable at the output independent of any other of the photovoltaic modules.
US09299856B2

Fluorine is located in selective portions of a gate oxide to adjust characteristics of the gate oxide. In some embodiments, the fluorine promotes oxidation which increases the thickness of the selective portion of the gate oxide. In some embodiments, the fluorine lowers the dielectric constant of the oxide at the selective portion. In some examples, having fluorine at selective portions of a select gate oxide of a non volatile memory may reduce program disturb of the memory.
US09299842B2

Provided are a fin transistor including a plurality of fins and a semiconductor integrated circuit including a plurality of fin transistors. A width of at least one fin of the plurality of fins is different from widths of the other fins, and each width of the plurality of fins is individually determined based on the electrical characteristics of the fin transistor.
US09299841B2

Semiconductor devices with reduced substrate defects and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming at least one gate structure over a plurality of fin structures. The method further includes removing dielectric material adjacent to the at least one gate structure using a maskless process, thereby exposing an underlying epitaxial layer formed adjacent to the at least one gate structure. The method further includes depositing metal material on the exposed underlying epitaxial layer to form contact metal in electrical contact with source and drain regions, adjacent to the at least one gate structure. The method further includes forming active areas and device isolation after the formation of the contact metal, including the at least one gate structure. The active areas and the contact metal are self-aligned with each other in a direction parallel to the at least one gate structure.
US09299832B2

An integrated circuit and method having an extended drain MOS transistor with a buried drift region, a drain diffused link, a channel diffused link, and an isolation link which electrically isolated the source, where the isolation diffused link is formed by implanting through segmented areas to dilute the doping to less than two-thirds the doping in the drain diffused link.
US09299831B2

A field effect transistor and a semiconductor device are provided which enable a drain breakdown voltage in an off state and a drain breakdown voltage in an on state to be improved respectively. There are provided therein a field oxide film disposed on an N-type drift region positioned between a channel region of a silicon substrate and an N-type drain, an N-type drift layer disposed beneath the drift region of the silicon substrate and the drain, and an embedded layer higher in P-type impurity concentration than the silicon substrate. The embedded layer is disposed beneath the drift layer except for below at least a portion of the drain in the silicon substrate.
US09299824B2

A FET disclosed herein comprises a substrate, a first semiconductor layer disposed over the substrate, a second semiconductor layer disposed over the first semiconductor layer, wherein an interface between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer has a two-dimensional electron gas. The E-mode FET further comprises a p+ III-V semiconductor layer disposed over the second semiconductor layer and a depolarization layer disposed between the second semiconductor layer and the p+ III-V semiconductor layer.
US09299820B2

A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer, a plurality of gate trenches formed in the semiconductor layer, a gate electrode filled via a gate insulating film in the plurality of gate trenches, an n+-type emitter region, a p-type base region, and an n−-type drift region disposed, lateral to each gate trench, in order in a depth direction of the gate trench from a front surface side of the semiconductor layer, a p+-type collector region disposed on a back surface side of the semiconductor layer with respect to the n−-type drift region, an emitter trench formed between the plurality of gate trenches adjacent to each other, and a buried electrode filled via an insulating film in the emitter trench, and electrically connected with the n+-type emitter region, and the emitter trench is disposed at an interval of 2 μm or less via an n−-type drift region with the gate trench.
US09299818B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a trench gate type IGBT achieving both retention of withstand voltage and lowering of ON-state voltage and to provide a method for manufacturing the trench gate type IGBT. The IGBT according to the present invention is an SJ-RC-IGBT which includes a drift layer having super junction structure, and includes an IGBT area and an FWD area on the rear surface. In the IGBT according to the present invention, a first drift layer has an impurity concentration of 1×1015 atms/cm3 or higher and lower than 2×1016 atms/cm3, and a thickness of 10 μm or larger and smaller than 50 μm; and that a buffer layer has an impurity concentration of 1×1015 atms/cm3 or higher and lower than 2×1016 atms/cm3, and a thickness of 2 μm or larger and smaller than 15 μm.
US09299811B2

Semiconductor devices may include first and second fins that protrude from a substrate, extend in a first direction, and are separated from each other in the first direction. Semiconductor devices may also include a field insulating layer that is disposed between the first and second fins to extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, an etch-stop layer pattern that is formed on the field insulating layer and a dummy gate structure that is formed on the etch-stop layer pattern.
US09299806B2

An integrated circuit and a method of forming is provided. The method includes forming a first well in a substrate, the first well having a first conductivity type, and forming a first source/drain region in the first well, the first source/drain region having a second conductivity type. A resistance protection ring is formed on the substrate.
US09299803B2

Provided is a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a substrate having n-type doped source/drain features; depositing a flowable dielectric material layer over the substrate; and performing a wet annealing process to the flowable dielectric material layer. The wet annealing process includes a first portion performed at a temperature below 600 degrees Celsius (° C.) and a second portion performed at temperatures above 850° C. wherein the second portion is performed for a shorter duration than the first portion. In embodiments, the second portion has a spike temperature ramp profile with a peak temperature ranging from about 900° C. to about 1,050° C. and a spike duration ranging from about 0.7 seconds to about 10 seconds. The wet annealing process satisfies thermal budget for converting the flowable dielectric material layer to a dense oxide layer while maintaining tensile strain in an n-channel between the doped source/drain features.
US09299795B2

A gate structure in a semiconductor device includes: a gate stack formed on a substrate with three sections, a bottom portion, a top portion, and a sacrificial cap layer over the top portion; gate spacers, source and drain regions, a nitride encapsulation over top and sidewalls of the gate stack after removal of the sacrificial cap layer, an organic planarizing layer over the nitride encapsulation, planarizing the encapsulation, and silicidation performed over the source and drain regions and the bottom portion after removal of the nitride encapsulation, the organic planarizing layer, and the top portion of the gate stack.
US09299782B2

A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of n type pillar regions and an n− type epitaxial layer disposed on a first surface of an n+ type silicon carbide substrate; a p type epitaxial layer and an n+ region disposed on the plurality of n type pillar regions and the n− type epitaxial layer; a trench penetrating the n+ region and the p type epitaxial layer and disposed on the plurality of n type pillar regions and the n− type epitaxial layer; a gate insulating film disposed within the trench; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating film; an oxide film disposed on the gate electrode; a source electrode disposed on the p type epitaxial layer, the n+ region, and the oxide film; and a drain electrode disposed on a second surface of the n+ type silicon carbide substrate, wherein each corner portion of the trench is in contact with a corresponding n type pillar region.
US09299777B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises forming a nanowire on an insulator layer at a surface of a substrate; forming a dummy gate over a portion of the nanowire and a portion of the insulator layer; forming recesses in the insulator layer on opposing sides of the dummy gate; forming spacers on opposing sides of the dummy gate; forming source regions and drain regions in the recesses in the insulator layer on opposing sides of the dummy gate; depositing an interlayer dielectric on the source regions and the drain regions; removing the dummy gate to form a trench; removing the insulator layer under the nanowire such that a width of the trench underneath the nanowire is equal to or less than a distance between the spacers; and forming a replacement gate in the trench.
US09299773B2

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region, a dielectric structure and a gate electrode layer. The first semiconductor region has a first type conductivity. The second semiconductor region has a second type conductivity opposite to the first type conductivity. The first semiconductor region is adjoined to the second semiconductor region. The dielectric structure is on the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. The gate electrode layer is on the dielectric structure.
US09299769B2

Semiconductor-on-oxide structures and related methods of forming such structures are disclosed. In one case, a method includes: forming a first dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a first conductive layer over the first dielectric layer, the first conductive layer including one of a metal or a silicide; forming a second dielectric layer over the first conductive layer; bonding a donor wafer to the second dielectric layer, the donor wafer including a donor dielectric and a semiconductor layer; cleaving the donor wafer to remove a portion of the donor semiconductor layer; forming at least one semiconductor isolation region from an unremoved portion of the donor semiconductor layer; and forming a contact to the first conductive layer through donor dielectric and the second dielectric layer.
US09299768B2

A semiconductor device includes a channel having a first linear surface and a first non-linear surface. The first non-linear surface defines a first external angle of about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees and a second external angle of about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric region covering the channel between a source region and a drain region. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode covering the dielectric region between the source region and the drain region.
US09299766B2

Method of forming a deep trench capacitor are provided. The method may include forming a deep trench in a substrate; enlarging a width of a lower portion of the deep trench to be wider than a width of the rest of the deep trench; epitaxially forming a compressive stress layer in the lower portion of the deep trench; forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) stack within the lower portion of the deep trench; and filling a remaining portion of the deep trench with a semiconductor. Alternatively to forming the compressive stress layer or in addition thereto, a silicide may be formed by co-deposition of a refractory metal and silicon.
US09299765B2

Embodiments include a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor having: a first electrode; a second electrode disposed proximate the first electrode; an insulator layer between the first and second electrodes; and a reactive layer positioned proximate the insulator layer and configured to allow altering of the reactive layer to change a capacitive value of the MIM capacitor, the reactive layer including a reactive conductor.
US09299759B2

Provided is an organic light-emitting display device that includes: a substrate; a first wiring that extends in a first direction on the substrate and comprises first and second portions with an opening therebetween; a second wiring that overlaps with the opening and extends in a second direction that crosses the first direction; an insulating film that covers the first wiring and the second wiring and comprises a first contact hole that exposes the first portion of the first wiring and a second contact hole that exposes the second portion; and a bridge electrode that is formed on the insulating film, is electrically connected to the first and second portions through the first and second contact holes, and comprises a transparent conductive oxide and a metal.
US09299758B2

Disclosed is a dual display device having a vertical structure, in which a reflective display device and a self-emissive display device are formed on one substrate in a vertical structure so as to enable a reflective display or a self-emissive display according to a situation and provide a high resolution display. The dual display device having a vertical structure includes: a thin film transistor formed on a substrate; a white light emitting device formed on the thin film transistor: a reflection adjusting layer formed on the white light emitting device; and a color converting layer formed on the reflection adjusting layer.
US09299756B2

A pixel includes a driving transistor to control an amount of drain-to-source current flowing from a first electrode to a second electrode based on a voltage applied to a first gate electrode. The current is used to control light emitted from an organic light emitting diode. The pixel also includes a first transistor coupled between the first gate electrode and second electrode of the driving transistor. The first gate electrode is under an active layer of the driving transistor, and the first gate electrode overlaps the active layer of the driving transistor.
US09299754B2

An organic light emitting display includes a substrate, a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate, an overcoat layer having a first thru-hole formed therethrough to expose a portion of the thin film transistor and inclined at an angle with respect to the substrate, an upper passivation layer disposed on the overcoat layer and having a second thru-hole formed threrethrough to expose the portion of the thin film transistor, a first electrode connected to the thin film transistor through the second thru-hole, a light emitting layer disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the light emitting layer.
US09299750B2

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device having a built-in touch panel is discussed in which pad parts of a touch panel array are connected on a gate in panel (GIP) circuit unit formed on a lower substrate with an OLED array formed thereon. When an upper substrate is adhered to the lower substrate, occurrence of cracks in routing lines of the touch panel array is prevented. The OLED display device includes a lower substrate provided thereon with an organic light emitting diode array including a thin film transistor and an OLED and a GIP circuit unit, an upper substrate adhered to the lower substrate by an adhesive layer to face each other and provided thereon with a touch panel array including first and second sensor electrodes, and routing lines formed on the GIP circuit unit to be connected to the first and second sensor electrodes.
US09299743B2

A light-emitting apparatus according to the present invention includes: an elongated substrate; a plurality of LEDs arranged in a straight line on the substrate in a longitudinal direction of the substrate; and a sealing member that includes an optical wavelength converter and seals the LEDs, wherein the sealing member is formed in a straight line in a direction of arrangement of the LEDs and seals the LEDs collectively.
US09299739B2

In a photoelectric conversion apparatus that adds signals of a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements included in photoelectric conversion units, each of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type that collects signal carriers. The first semiconductor regions included in photoelectric conversion elements that are included in each of the photoelectric conversion units and that are arranged adjacent to each other sandwich a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type. A height of a potential barrier for the signal carriers generated in a certain region of the second semiconductor region is smaller than a height of a potential barrier for the signal carriers generated in a third semiconductor region between each of the first semiconductor regions and an overflow drain region of the first conductivity type.
US09299737B2

An image pickup device includes a sensor substrate. The sensor substrate includes: plural photoelectric conversion elements and driving elements for the plural photoelectric conversion elements which are formed on a substrate; wirings electrically connected to the driving elements; and a shield electrode disposed in a region between the plural photoelectric conversion elements and the wirings in a layer different from that of the wirings.
US09299730B2

A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate includes: a substrate; a first insulation layer on the substrate; a capacitor including a lower electrode on the first insulation layer, and an upper electrode arranged to overlap with the whole lower electrode and having an opening, and the upper electrode is insulated from the lower electrode by a second insulation layer; an inter-layer insulation film covering the capacitor; a node contact hole in the inter-layer insulation film and the second insulation layer, and within the opening; and a connection node on the inter-layer insulation film and electrically coupling the lower electrode and at least one TFT to each other through the node contact hole.
US09299727B2

An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof as well as a display panel are provided. The manufacturing method comprises: forming a pattern including a scanning line (32) and a spacer base (33) on a same layer of a substrate (31); forming a gate insulating layer (34); forming a pattern including an active layer (35), a data line, a source electrode and a drain electrode; forming a passivation layer (36); sequentially etching the passivation layer (36) and the gate insulating layer (34) through a dry etching method to form a via hole (38) exposing the spacer base (33), and inducing materials generated from an etching process in a reaction cavity to deposit on a surface of the spacer base (33) through an electric field formed by the spacer base (33) exposed in the via hole (38) and etching gas adopted in the etching process, to form a spacer (39).
US09299721B2

A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming, above a substrate, first and second semiconductor regions laterally adjacent one another and each including a first semiconductor material. The first semiconductor region may have a greater vertical thickness than the second semiconductor region and define a sidewall with the second semiconductor region. The method may further include forming a spacer above the second semiconductor region and adjacent the sidewall, and forming a third semiconductor region above the second semiconductor region and adjacent the spacer, with the second semiconductor region including a second semiconductor material different than the first semiconductor material. The method may also include removing the spacer and portions of the first semiconductor material beneath the spacer, forming a first set of fins from the first semiconductor region, and forming a second set of fins from the second and third semiconductor regions.
US09299717B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of first conductive layers stacked on top of one another, a plurality of first slits passing through the first conductive layers, and a plurality of second slits passing through the first conductive layers and crossing end portions of the first slits to form cross-shaped edges.
US09299714B2

A semiconductor device includes a channel layer protruding from a substrate and having protrusions extending from a sidewall thereof. Floating gates surrounding the channel layer are provided between the protrusions. Control gates surrounding the floating gates are stacked along the channel layer. Interlayer insulating layers are interposed between the control gates stacked along the channel layer. A level difference exists between a lateral surface of each of the floating gates, and a lateral surface of each of the protrusions.
US09299712B2

A semiconductor device and method of making a semiconductor device are disclosed. A semiconductor body, a floating gate poly and a source/drain region are provided. A metal interconnect region with a control gate node is provided that capacitively couples to the floating gate poly.
US09299711B2

A fin Field Effect Transistor (finFET) can include a source region and a drain region of the finFET. A gate of the finFET can cross over a fin of the finFET between the source and drain regions. First and second silicide layers can be on the source and drain regions respectively. The first and second silicide layers can include respective first and second surfaces that face the gate crossing over the fin, where the first and second surfaces are different sizes.
US09299709B2

Disclosed herein is a device that includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first insulating layer over a surface of the semiconductor substrate; first and second contact plugs each including side and upper surfaces, the side surfaces of the first and second contact plugs being surrounded by the first insulating film, the upper surfaces of the first and second contact plugs being substantially on the same plane with an upper surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer over the first insulating layer; a first conductive layer including a bottom portion on the first contact plug and a side portion surrounded by the second insulating layer; a third insulating layer over the first conductive layer; and a second conductive layer on the second contact plug, apart of a side surface of the second conductive layer being surrounded by both the second and third insulating layers.
US09299707B2

Provided are three-dimensional semiconductor devices and methods of operating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor devices may include active patterns arranged on a substrate to have a multi-layered and multi-column structure and drain patterns connected to respective columns of the active patterns. The methods may include a layer-selection step connecting a selected one of layers of the active patterns selectively to the drain patterns. For example, the layer-selection step may be performed in such a way that widths of depletion regions to be formed in end-portions of the active patterns are differently controlled depending on to a height from the substrate.
US09299699B2

A varactor includes at least one semiconductor fin, a first gate, and a second gate physically disconnected from the first gate. The first gate and the second gate form a first FinFET and a second FinFET, respectively, with the at least one semiconductor fin. The source and drain regions of the first FinFET and the second FinFET are interconnected to form the varactor.
US09299694B2

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device that includes a transistor including a substrate, a source, a drain, and a gate, and a fuse stacked over the transistor. The fuse includes an anode contact coupled to the drain of the transistor, a cathode contact, and a resistor coupled to the cathode contact and the anode contact via a first Schottky diode and a second Schottky diode, respectively. A method of fabricating such semiconductor devices is also provided.
US09299689B2

Semiconductor chip stacks are provided. The semiconductor chip stack includes a semiconductor chip stack including a plurality of first semiconductor chips vertically stacked on a top surface of the interposer, a second semiconductor chip stacked on a bottom surface of the interposer opposite to the semiconductor chip stack, and an external electrode attached to a top surface of the second semiconductor chip opposite to the interposer. Electronic systems including the semiconductor chip stack and related methods are also provided.
US09299688B2

Packaged semiconductor devices and methods of packaging semiconductor devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of packaging a semiconductor device includes forming a mask coating over a carrier, coupling an integrated circuit die over the mask coating, and disposing a molding compound around the integrated circuit die. The method includes forming an interconnect structure over the integrated circuit die and the molding compound.
US09299687B2

Light emitting assemblies comprise a plurality of Light Emitting Diode (LED) dies arranged and attached to common substrate to form an LED array having a desired optimum packing density. The LED dies are wired to one another and are attached to landing pads on the substrate for receiving power from an external electrical source via an interconnect device. The assembly comprises a lens structure, wherein each LED die comprises an optical lens disposed thereover that is configured to promote optimal light transmission. Each optical lens has a diameter that is between about 1.5 to 3 times the size of a respective LED die, and is shaped in the form of a hemisphere. Fillet segments are integral with and interposed between the adjacent optical lenses, and provide sufficient space between adjacent optical lenses so that the diameters of adjacent optical lenses do not intersect with one another.
US09299686B1

A method and structures are provided for implementing individual integrated circuit chip attach in a three dimensional (3D) stack. A plurality of hollow copper pillars is formed, and the hollow copper pillars are coated with lead free solder using vapor deposition.
US09299682B2

Methods of packaging semiconductor devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a packaging method for semiconductor devices includes providing a workpiece including a plurality of first dies, and coupling a plurality of second dies to the plurality of first dies. The plurality of second dies and the plurality of first dies are partially packaged and separated. Top surfaces of the second dies are coupled to a carrier, and the partially packaged plurality of second dies and plurality of first dies are fully packaged. The carrier is removed, and the fully packaged plurality of second dies and plurality of first dies are separated.
US09299678B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor package including: a semiconductor chip; a resin portion formed to cover the semiconductor chip; a wiring structure formed on the resin portion and electrically connected to the semiconductor chip; and a warpage preventing member provided above the resin portion to have a thermal expansion coefficient closer to that of the semiconductor chip than to that of the wiring structure.
US09299677B2

A embodiment package includes a three dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) with first input/output pads on a first side and second input/output pads on a second side, a first fan out structure electrically coupled to the first input/output pads on the first side of the three dimensional integrated circuit, and a second fan out structure electrically coupled to the second input/output pads on the second side of the three dimensional integrated circuit.
US09299673B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor chip comprising a plurality of contact pads, which are arranged in an edge area on a surface of the semiconductor chip. In a semiconductor area of the semiconductor chip, every contact pad of the plurality of contact pads has an associated pad cell provided, which includes at least one of a driver or a receiver and is configured to drive output signals or receive input signals on its associated contact pad, if the driver or receiver is connected to the contact pad. Additionally, for a contact pad which is used as a supply contact pad, the driver or receiver of the associated pad cell is not connected to the contact pad or any other contact pad for driving output signals or receiving input signals on the same.
US09299666B2

A first semiconductor package which is located on an upper side includes a first printed wiring board and an encapsulation resin for encapsulating a first semiconductor chip. A second semiconductor package which is located on a lower side includes a second printed wiring board. The first printed wiring board includes first lands and a first solder resist having first openings for exposing the first lands. The second printed wiring board includes second lands opposed to the first lands, respectively, and a second solder resist having second openings for exposing the second lands and opposed to the first openings, respectively. The first lands and the second lands are solder joined to each other through the first openings and the second openings, respectively. The opening area of the first opening is set to be smaller than the opening area of the second opening. This improves joint reliability.
US09299665B2

A structure fabrication method. An integrated circuit that includes N chip electric pads is bonded to a top side of an interposing shield that includes N electric conductors. N is at least 2. The interposing shield includes a shield material that includes a first semiconductor material. A bottom side of the interposing shield is polished, which exposes the N electric conductors to a surrounding ambient. The bonding includes bonding the integrated circuit to the top side of the interposing shield such that the N chip electric pads are in electrical contact and direct physical contact with corresponding electrical pads of the N electric conductors. The shield material covers the N electric conductors in a manner that the N electric conductors are not exposed to the surrounding ambient. The polishing removes a sufficient amount of the shield material to expose the N electric conductors to the surrounding ambient.
US09299662B2

An exemplary display device includes a transparent substrate and a semiconductor device bonded to the transparent substrate. The transparent substrate includes a first alignment mark. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a second alignment mark positioned on the substrate. The second alignment mark includes a first pattern structure positioned on the substrate and a second pattern structure positioned on the first pattern structure. The first pattern structure includes a plurality of first non-transparent marks. The second pattern structure includes a second pattern surrounded by the first non-transparent marks. The second pattern is an alignable shape that corresponds to a shape of the first alignment mark on the transparent substrate.
US09299661B2

An integrated circuit package includes a first dielectric layer comprising a dielectric film having a first side and a second side. The package also includes a die having an active surface affixed to a contact location of the first side of the dielectric film. A die stud is affixed to the active surface of the die and extends through the dielectric film to an interconnect location of the second side of the dielectric film.
US09299655B2

An integrated circuit, including at least two integrated circuit portions mutually spaced on a single electrically insulating die and at least one coupling region on the die to provide capacitive coupling between the otherwise mutually isolated integrated circuit portions, the integrated circuit portions being formed by a plurality of layers on the single die, the layers including metal and dielectric layers and at least one semiconductor layer; wherein at least one of the dielectric layers extends from the integrated circuit portions across the coupling region and at least a corresponding one of the metal layers and/or at least one semiconductor layer extends from each of the integrated circuit portions and partially across the coupling region to form capacitors therein and thereby provide the capacitive coupling between the integrated circuit portions.
US09299653B2

This electronic component is provided with an inorganic substrate, a conductor film formed on a surface of the substrate, and bonding wires bonded to a part of said conductor film, and wire bonding sections are formed on at least a part of the electronic component. The part of the conductor film at least forming the aforementioned wire bonding sections contains an Ag-based metal formed of Ag or an alloy having Ag as the main constituent and a metal oxide which coats said Ag-based metal and which has, as a constituent element, any of the elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Y, Ca, Mg, and Zn. The coating quantity of the metal oxide is a quantity corresponding to 0.02 to 0.1 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the aforementioned Ag-based metal.
US09299651B2

A method of making a semiconductor assembly is characterized by the step of attaching a chip-on-interposer subassembly on a base carrier with the chip inserted into a through opening of the base carrier and the interposer laterally extending beyond the through opening. The base carrier provides a platform for the chip-on-interposer subassembly attachment, whereas the interposer provides primary fan-out routing for the chip. In the method, a buildup circuitry is electrically coupled to the interposer and an optional cover sheet or additional buildup circuitry can be provided on the chip.
US09299650B1

An integrated circuit packaging system and method of manufacture thereof including: a base substrate; an integrated circuit die on the base substrate; vertical interconnects attached to the base substrate around the integrated circuit die; and a single metal layer interposer mounted on the vertical interconnects, the single metal layer interposer including: a routing pattern having interposer contacts and traces, and a dielectric layer on the interposer contacts and traces, a top surface of the interposer contacts coplanar with a top surface of the dielectric layer.
US09299648B2

A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a package substrate having a component side and a system side; depositing a solder resist layer on the component side of the package substrate; patterning groups of access openings and a die mount opening in the solder resist layer; attaching an integrated circuit die in the die mount opening; forming conductive contacts in the access openings; and attaching system interconnects to the system side of the package substrate including controlling a coplanarity of the system interconnects by the solder resist layer.
US09299646B1

A semiconductor device includes a die having first contact pads and a second contact pad. Signal leads, each having embedded portion and an exposed portion, are electrically connected to respective ones of the first contact pads. A power bar extends in an area between the signal lead embedded portions and the die and has a first side opposing the signal leads and a second side opposing the die. The power bar is electrically connected to the second contact pad. An electrically grounded ground bar extends at least partially in the area. The ground bar has a first portion between the signal lead embedded portions and the first side of the power bar, and a second portion between the second side of the power bar and the die.
US09299623B2

An apparatus for performing run-to-run control and sampling optimization in a semiconductor manufacturing process includes at least one control module. The control module is operative: to determine a process output and corresponding metrology error associated with an actual metrology for a current processing run in the semiconductor manufacturing process; to determine a predicted process output and corresponding prediction error associated with a virtual metrology for the current processing run; and to control at least one parameter corresponding to a subsequent processing run as a function of the metrology error and the prediction error.
US09299618B1

A non-planar semiconductor structure containing semiconductor fins that are isolated from an underlying bulk silicon substrate by an epitaxial semiconductor stack is provided. The epitaxial semiconductor material stack that provides the isolation includes, from bottom to top, a semiconductor punch through stop containing at least one dopant of a conductivity type which differs from the conductivity type of the particular device region that the semiconductor fin is formed in, and a semiconductor diffusion barrier layer containing no n- or p-type dopant.
US09299616B1

Integrated circuits employing replacement metal gate technologies with separate workfunction material layers and raised source/drain structures and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, a method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a first workfunction material layer over an ILD layer, along the sidewall spacer structures, and over the high-k material layer. The method further includes forming a masking layer over the first workfunction material layer, performing a tilted ion implant wherein ions are implanted at the masking layer over the ILD layer and along the sidewall spacer structures, selectively etching the masking layer and the first workfunction material from over the ILD layer and from along the sidewall spacer structures, and forming a second workfunction material layer over the ILD layer, along the sidewall spacer structures, and over the first workfunction material layer.
US09299609B2

Provided is an apparatus that includes a substrate; a first hard-mask pattern that includes a number of first features disposed over a top surface of the substrate; and a second hard-mask pattern disposed over the first hard-mask layer. The second hard-mask pattern includes a number of second features overlapping one or more of the first features.
US09299603B2

The present disclosure provides a method for forming a semiconductor device. The method includes forming first conductive layer structures in a first dielectric layer on a substrate; forming a patterned photoresist layer having portions that are each disposed over a respective one of the first conductive layer structures; forming an energy removable film (ERF) on the sidewalls of each of the portions; forming a second dielectric layer over the ERFs, the portions of the patterned photoresist layer, and the first dielectric layer; removing the portions to leave behind a plurality of openings; filling a conductive material in the openings, the conductive material defining second conductive layer structures; forming a ceiling layer over the second conductive layer structures, the ERFs, and the second dielectric layer; and applying energy to the ERFs to partially remove the ERFs on the sidewalls of the portions thereby forming air gaps.
US09299594B2

The embodiments described provide apparatus and methods for bonding wafers to carriers with the surface contours of plates facing the substrates or carriers are modified either by re-shaping, by using height adjusters, by adding shim(s), or by zoned temperature control. The modified surface contours of such plates compensate the effects that may cause the non-planarity of bonded substrates.
US09299589B1

A packaged IC having laser vias and methods for making the same. The packaged IC includes a die having bond pads thereon, wire bonds contacting the bond pads, and a substrate configured to electrically connect the wire bonds and external package connectors. The substrate includes mechanical vias through the substrate layers and laser vias in an uppermost substrate layer. Each laser via is closer to the die than the mechanical vias that do not overlap or are not covered by the die. The method includes routing traces on uppermost and lowermost layers, the traces electrically connecting a wire bonds and external package connectors, forming mechanical vias through all layers of the substrate, forming laser vias in the uppermost substrate layer, and electrically connecting each wire bond to one trace on the uppermost substrate layer.
US09299577B2

Methods for eliminating early exposure of a conductive layer in a dual damascene structure and for etching a dielectric barrier layer in the dual damascene structure are provided. In one embodiment, a method for etching a dielectric barrier layer disposed on a substrate includes patterning a substrate having a dielectric bulk insulating layer disposed on a dielectric barrier layer using a hardmask layer disposed on the dielectric bulk insulating layer as an etching mask, exposing a portion of the dielectric barrier layer after removing the dielectric bulk insulating layer uncovered by the dielectric bulk insulating layer, removing the hardmask layer from the substrate, and subsequently etching the dielectric barrier layer exposed by the dielectric bulk insulating layer.
US09299570B2

A method for selectively removing silicon nitride is described. In particular, the method includes providing a substrate having a surface with silicon nitride exposed on at least one portion of the surface and SiGex (x is greater than or equal to zero) exposed on at least another portion of the surface, and dispensing an oxidizing agent onto the surface of the substrate to oxidize the exposed SiGex. Thereafter, the method includes dispensing a silicon nitride etching agent as a liquid stream onto the surface of the substrate to remove at least a portion of the silicon nitride.
US09299563B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a strained semiconductor structure. The method comprises providing a strain relaxed buffer layer, forming a sacrificial layer on the strain relaxed buffer layer, forming a shallow trench isolation structure through the sacrificial layer, removing at least a portion of an oxide layer on the sacrificial layer, etching through the sacrificial layer such that a portion of the strain relaxed buffer layer is exposed, forming the strained semiconductor structure on the exposed portion of the strain relaxed buffer layer.
US09299558B2

A method of depositing a film that includes heterogeneously seasoning a processing chamber is provided. After a processing chamber is cleaned, a heterogeneous seasoning deposition is performed to stabilize the deposition rate drift before a substrate may be positioned therein. A film, such as a SiOx film, may then be deposited on the substrate. The substrate may then be removed from the processing chamber and replaced with a second substrate. A film may then be deposited on the second substrate. The substrate positioning, deposition, and substrate removal cycle may be repeated until the cleaning cycle is complete. The processing chamber may be cleaned a second time, and another series of substrates may be similarly processed.
US09299555B1

An ultrapure mineralizer is formed by vaporization, condensation, and delivery of a condensable mineralizer composition. The mineralizer has an oxygen content below 100 parts per million. The ultrapure mineralizer is useful as a raw material for ammonothermal growth of bulk group III metal nitride crystals.
US09299554B2

A Lucent Waveguide Electromagnetic Wave Plasma Light Source has a fabrication (1) of quartz with an inner closed void enclosure (2) is formed of 8 mm OD, 4 mm ID drawn tube. It is sealed at its inner and outer ends (3,4). Microwave excitable plasma material is sealed inside the enclosure. Its outer end (4) protrudes through an end plate (5) by approximately 10.5 mm and the overall length of the enclosure is approximately 20.5 mm. The tube (71) from which the void is formed is continued backwards from the inner end of the void enclosure as an antenna sheath (72). The 2 mm thick end plate (5) is circular and has the enclosure (2) sealed in a central bore in it.
US09299552B2

A sputter neutral particle mass spectrometry apparatus includes a sample table holding a sample which is a mass spectrometry target, and comprising a temperature control mechanism for the sample, an ion beam irradiation device which irradiates an ion beam on the sample to generate neutral particles, a laser irradiation device which irradiates the neutral particles with a laser to obtain photoexcited ions, a mass spectrometer which draws in the drawn out photoexcited ions and performs mass analysis, a driving system mirror which is provided retractably on a laser light path between the laser irradiation device and the sample table, and reflects the laser when positioned within the laser light path, and, a profiler which is arranged in a reflective direction of the driving system mirror and detects a feature of the laser.
US09299546B2

The invention provides a method for acquiring a mass spectrum with a Fourier transform mass spectrometer, wherein analyte ions and additional reporter ions oscillate at mass specific frequencies in a measuring cell of the frequency mass spectrometer and interact by Coulomb forces; the image current signal induced by the reporter ion is measured; and mass signals of the analyte ions are determined from a sideband signal of the reporter ions in the frequency domain or from the instantaneous frequency of the reporter ions in the time domain.
US09299536B2

In one embodiment an apparatus to provide electrons to a substrate includes a plurality of helicon plasma sources arranged in a helicon source array, wherein each helicon plasma source comprises a helical antenna configured to generate a wave vector parallel to a first axis; and a magnet configured to generate a magnetic field vector parallel to the first axis, wherein each helicon plasma source is further configured to generate a respective magnetic field vector that is opposite that of a magnetic field vector of an adjacent helicon plasma source.
US09299534B2

A defining aperture plate having at least two differently sized apertures is used in conjunction with at least two charge collectors. Because of the difference in aperture width, the two charge collectors receive different amounts of ions, where the amount is proportional to the associated aperture width. By monitoring the ratio of the charge collected by the first charge collector to the charge collected by the second collector, the amount of erosion can be monitored and optionally compensated for.
US09299528B2

A method for manufacturing a printed circuit board is disclosed, which comprises the following steps. A basic board having an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite to the upper surface is provided. A plurality of the electronic components temporarily disposed on the basic board is provided. At least one locating pin temporarily disposed on a place of the basic board is provided, in which the electronic components are not temporarily disposed on the place. Surface mount technology is used simultaneously to joint at least one locating pin and the electronic components on the basic board.
US09299517B2

An operation key assembly facilitates operation of a plurality of keys disposed in a mutually adjacent manner and facilitates operation by simultaneously operating the keys. The operation multi-direction key assembly includes a plurality of direction keys disposed in a mutually adjacent manner. In the operation key assembly, the plurality of keys can be singly operated or the mutually adjacent keys can be simultaneously operated. On an upper surface of an operation portion of the key, protrusions are formed in at least one part of a portion facing the adjacent key. By touching one key with the fingertip on the protrusion, the key can be singly operated on the basis of the touch of the finger. By simultaneously operating two mutually adjacent keys by simultaneously touching the protrusions of the two keys, the two mutually adjacent keys can be simultaneously operated on the basis of the touch of the finger.
US09299507B2

A mechanical-puffer-type arc-extinguishing chamber includes a fixed main contact, a movable main contact that moves on an opening-and-closing axis in a connectable and disconnectable manner to and from the fixed main contact, and a mechanical puffer chamber that is provided in the movable main contact and blows compressed insulation gas to an arc. A thermal-puffer-type arc-extinguishing chamber includes a fixed contact, a movable contact that moves on the opening-and-closing axis in a connectable and disconnectable manner to and from the fixed contact, and a thermal puffer chamber in which compressed insulation gas is blown to the arc. The mechanical-puffer-type arc-extinguishing chamber and the thermal-puffer-type arc-extinguishing chamber are arranged in series on the opening-and-closing axis, and two breaking portions are electrically connected in series.
US09299505B2

In one embodiment of the invention, a method of forming an energy storage device is described in which a porous structure of an electrically conductive substrate is measured in-situ while being electrochemically etched in an electrochemical etching bath until a predetermined value is obtained, at which point the electrically conductive substrate may be removed from the electrochemical etching bath. In another embodiment, a method of forming an energy storage device is described in which an electrically conductive porous structure is measured to determine the energy storage capacity of the electrically conductive porous structure. The energy storage capacity of the electrically conductive porous structure is then reduced until a predetermined energy storage capacity value is obtained.
US09299500B2

An energy storage module 11 comprises a case 21, a plurality of stacking plates 41, a heat-transferring metal plate 51 and a heat-releasing fin 61. An exposure outlet 23 is provided on the side 21 of the case 22 containing a plurality of energy storage cells 31. The stacking plate 41 having an aperture 42 is located between the plurality of energy storage cells 31 and is latched to another stacking plate 41 to position said plate. The heat-transferring metal plate 51 having a flat plate portion 52 and a bent portion 53 is provided in face-to-face contact with the main face 33 of each cell of the energy storage cells 31. The heat-releasing fin 61 projects from the exposure outlet 23 to the outside of the case 21 and is thermally face-to-face bonded to the bent portion 53 of the heat-transferring metal plate 51 by the insulation sheet 65.
US09299498B2

A multi-layer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) device includes a ceramic chip having electrically conductive layers embedded within the chip that form one or more capacitors connected by one or more vias to one or more upwardly facing wire-bondable pads on the top side of the device. One embodiment includes electrically conductive layers that form at least two stacked capacitors connected by vias to multiple upwardly facing wire-bondable pads on the top side, whereby the MLCC device has a reduced footprint while avoiding solder fillets. The wire-bondable pads may lie in a common plane or be pyramidally stepped. Metallization on the PCB-facing bottom side and at least one of the ends of the ceramic chip of another embodiment forms a downwardly facing capacitor terminal.
US09299497B2

There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a ceramic body; an active layer including a plurality of first and second internal electrodes formed to be alternately exposed to both end surfaces of the ceramic body, disposed vertically on upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic body and forming capacitance; an upper cover layer formed upwardly of the active layer; a lower cover layer formed downwardly of the active layer and having a thickness greater than that of the upper cover layer; and first and second external electrodes covering both end surfaces of the ceramic body, wherein the active layer includes a first block in which a first region I and a second region II formed, and a second block in which a third region III, and a fourth region IV formed.
US09299493B2

A ballast circuit is disclosed for inductively providing power to a load. The ballast circuit includes an oscillator, a driver, a switching circuit, a resonant tank circuit and a current sensing circuit. The current sensing circuit provides a current feedback signal to the oscillator that is representative of the current in the resonant tank circuit. The current feedback signal drives the frequency of the ballast circuit causing the ballast circuit to seek resonance. The ballast circuit preferably includes a current limit circuit that is inductively coupled to the resonant tank circuit. The current limit circuit disables the ballast circuit when the current in the ballast circuit exceeds a predetermined threshold or falls outside a predetermined range.
US09299478B2

A carbon nanotube composite film includes a treated patterned carbon nanotube film and a polymer film having the treated patterned carbon nanotube film located therein. The treated patterned carbon nanotube film includes carbon nanotube linear units spaced from each other and carbon nanotube groups spaced from each other and combined with the carbon nanotube linear units. A method for making the carbon nanotube composite film is also disclosed.
US09299474B2

There is provided an oxide for semiconductor layers of thin-film transistors, which oxide can provide thin-film transistors with excellent switching characteristics and by which oxide favorable characteristics can stably be obtained even after the formation of passivation layers. The oxide to be used for semiconductor layers of thin-film transistors according to the present invention includes Zn, Sn, and Si.
US09299468B2

Methods for setting up, maintaining and operating a radiopharmaceutical infusion system, that includes a radioisotope generator, are facilitated by a computer of the system. The computer includes pre-programmed instructions and a computer interface, for interaction with a user of the system, for example, in order to track contained volumes of eluant and/or eluate, and/or to track time from completion of an elution performed by the system, and/or to calculate one or more system and/or injection parameters for quality control, and/or to perform purges of the system, and/or to facilitate diagnostic imaging.
US09299467B2

Methods for setting up, maintaining and operating a radiopharmaceutical infusion system, that includes a radioisotope generator, are facilitated by a computer of the system. The computer includes pre-programmed instructions and a computer interface, for interaction with a user of the system, for example, in order to track contained volumes of eluant and/or eluate, and/or to track time from completion of an elution performed by the system, and/or to calculate one or more system and/or injection parameters for quality control, and/or to perform purges of the system, and/or to facilitate diagnostic imaging.
US09299465B1

Apparatus for electron beam treatment of three-dimensional parts that includes cavities in a shielded rotating drum that preferably includes additional rotation mechanism for rotating parts within cavities in said drum. Radiation associated with the electron beam emitter is substantially shielded by the combination of the drum and the additional radiation shielding. The rotating drum is preferably made of at least four sections axially stacked, and its shielding properties are enhanced by including lead filled holes drilled in the sections.
US09299459B2

Multiple measurements are made with one memory sense operation having a first word line sensing voltage on a memory cell. The multiple measurements include a first measurement, of whether the memory cell stores either: (a) data corresponding to a first set of one or more threshold voltage ranges below the first word line sensing voltage of the one memory sense operation, or (b) data corresponding to a second set of one or more threshold voltage ranges above the first word line sensing voltage of the one memory sense operation. The multiple measurements include a second measurement, of error correction data of the memory cell indicating relative position within a particular threshold voltage range of a stored threshold voltage in the memory cell.
US09299458B1

A method for testing a circuit comprising a memory element, a voltage comparator and a supply selector, the circuit is configured to be connected to two power supplies, the voltage comparator is configured to provide an output indicative of a voltage difference between the two power supplies above a predetermined threshold, the supply selector is configured to select a power supply to feed power to the memory element in response to the output from the voltage comparator. The method comprises connecting the two power supplies to the circuit, wherein said connecting comprises causing the two power supplies to drive power to the memory element and to another element of the circuit, wherein the voltage different between the two power supplies is above the predetermined threshold. The method further comprises that in response to said connecting, the supply selector of the circuit is invoked and disconnects one power supply from the memory element; whereby stress testing the circuit, the stress testing tests the memory element without a voltage difference condition, the stress testing tests the another element with the voltage difference condition.
US09299456B2

Embodiments relate to matrix and compression-based error detection. An aspect includes summing, by each of a first plurality of summing modules of a first compressor, a respective row of a matrix, the matrix comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of output bits of a circuit under test wherein each output bit of the circuit under test comprises an element of the matrix, and is a member of a row of a column that is orthogonal to the row. Another aspect includes summing, by each of a second plurality of summing modules of a second compressor, a respective column of output bits of the matrix. Yet another aspect includes determining a presence of an error in the circuit under test based at least one of an output of the first compressor and an output of the second compressor.
US09299449B2

Methods of operating a memory include selectively discharging a data line through a memory cell selected for sensing, discharging a sense node to the data line while a voltage level of the sense node is greater than a voltage level of the data line, and inhibiting discharging of the data line to the sense node while the voltage level of the data line is greater than the voltage level of the sense node. Sense circuits include a path between an input node and a sense node facilitating current flow from the sense node to the input node when a voltage level of the sense node is greater than a voltage level of the input node and inhibiting current flow from the input node to the sense node when the voltage level of the sense node is less than the voltage level of the input node.
US09299445B2

A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device may include applying a first voltage greater than a ground voltage to a selected word line during a first time period; applying a second voltage to an unselected word line during a second time period that is later than the first time period; and applying a third voltage greater than the first voltage and the second voltage to the selected word line during the second time period. The second time period includes a third time period during which a voltage level of the unselected word line increases to the second voltage from a fourth voltage that is less than the second voltage, and during which a voltage level of the selected word line increases to the third voltage from the first voltage.
US09299443B1

Techniques are provided for more accurately programming memory cells by reducing program noise caused by charge loss in a programming pass in which the number of verify tests varies in different program loops. In an nth program loop, at least one programming characteristic is modified based on the number (N) of data states which were subject to verify tests in the n-1st program loop. For example, a reduced step size or pulse duration, or an elevated bit line voltage (Vbl) can be used. The reduction in the step size or pulse duration, or the increase in Vbl, is proportional to N. The modification of the at least one programming characteristic results in a slowdown of the programming of the memory cells so that program noise is reduced.
US09299440B2

Methods of changing a centerline voltage of a data signal are described, along with apparatuses to change the centerline voltage. In one such method, portions of a termination circuit coupled to an output pin are selectively activated to change an impedance of the termination circuit to change the centerline voltage of the data signal driven to the output pin. One such apparatus includes pull-up impedances and pull-down impedances that can be activated to change the centerline voltage of the data signal. Additional embodiments are also described.
US09299437B2

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having memory cells and access lines coupled to the memory cells. In one such apparatus, the access lines include a first access line and a second access line. The first access line can be adjacent to the second access line. The memory cells include a memory cell associated with the second access line. A module can be configured to apply a voltage to the first access line during an operation of accessing the memory cell associated with the second access line, and to place the second access line in a floating state during at least a portion of a time interval within the operation. Other embodiments including additional apparatus and methods are described.
US09299426B2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a cell array including a plurality of first lines, a plurality of second lines intersecting the plurality of first lines, and a plurality of memory cells arranged in matrix and connected at intersections of the first and second lines between both lines, each memory cell containing a serial circuit of an electrically erasable programmable variable resistive element of which resistance is nonvolatilely stored as data and a non-ohmic element; and a plurality of access circuits operative to simultaneously access the memory cells physically separated from each other in the cell array.
US09299414B1

A self-refresh device, adopted in a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, includes a first word-line selecting module, which is enabled according to a first main-word-line signal, and a self-refresh controller. The first word-line selecting module includes a first selecting device, which selects a first word line according to a first word-line driving signal, and a second selecting device, which selects a second word line according to a second word-line driving signal. The self-refresh controller generates the first word-line driving signal, the second word-line driving signal, and the first main word-line signal to select one of the memory cells corresponding to the selected one of the first word line and the second word line for self-refreshing. When the first word line switches to the second word line, the self-refresh controller maintains the first main word-line signal at the same logic level.
US09299409B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage device includes a cell array including resistance change elements formed above a semiconductor substrate; first cell transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate and provided in association with the resistance change elements; first gate electrodes included in the first cell transistor and extending in a first direction; a first bit lines electrically connected to the resistance change elements respectively and extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second bit lines electrically connected to one end of a current path of the first cell transistors respectively and extending in the second direction; and first active areas in which the first cell transistors are formed, and which extend in a direction crossing the first direction at a first angle.
US09299399B2

The semiconductor device includes a pre-signal generator and a data output portion. The pre-signal generator generates a pre-input control signal and a pre-output control signal. The pre-signal generator also generates a pre-latch pulse signal by detecting when the pre-input control signal and the pre-output control signal are generated. The data output portion receives an input control signal, a latch pulse signal, and a first output control signal. The data output portion receives an input clock signal in response to the input control signal and the latch pulse signal to generate a shift clock signal, and the data output portion also shifts the first output control signal in response to the shift clock signal to generate a second output control signal.
US09299393B2

An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to propose a memory device in which a period in which data is held is ensured and memory capacity per unit area can be increased. In the memory device of one embodiment of the present invention, bit lines are divided into groups, and word lines are also divided into groups. The word lines assigned to one group are connected to the memory cell connected to the bit lines assigned to the one group. Further, the driving of each group of bit lines is controlled by a dedicated bit line driver circuit of a plurality of bit line driver circuits. In addition, cell arrays are formed on a driver circuit including the above plurality of bit line driver circuits and a word line driver circuit. The driver circuit and the cell arrays overlap each other.
US09299389B2

A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium are disclosed for interpretation of free-form timelines into compositing instructions. An array comprising a plurality of items is generated. Each of the plurality of items comprises one or more instructions representing one or more operations occurring at a point in time in a video sequence. For each one of a plurality of patterns, the array is scanned to determine if one or more groups of items in the array match the pattern. For each group of items matching one of the plurality of patterns, the matching group of items is replaced in the array with a merged item. Each merged item comprises an ordered sequence of the one or more instructions in the corresponding matching group of items. A frame of the video sequence is composited dependent on the array comprising the one or more merged items.
US09299388B2

The present invention provides a video playback apparatus, and more particularly, an apparatus, a method and a playback program for promptly and accurately playing back a video image. The apparatus comprises a means for receiving a video playback request from a predetermined video playback position; and a means for playing back the video forwardly or backwardly from a position separated from the predetermined video playback position by a predetermined time up to the predetermined video playback position at a predetermined speed upon receiving the request for playing back the video.
US09299386B2

Systems and methods are provided for using a hidden audio signal. In one exemplary embodiment, the method includes registering, at a central database, one or more of an identifier and a destination resource associated with the identifier, and encoding the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource in a hidden audio signal. The method further includes transmitting the hidden audio signal, including the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource, in connection with an acoustic signal, and receiving the acoustic signal at a user device. In addition, the method includes decoding the encoded one or more of the identifier and the destination resource at the user device; and requesting, from the central database, information associated with the one or more of the identifier and the destination resource. Further, the method includes receiving, at the user device, the requested information.
US09299385B2

A method and computer program product are provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. If it is determined if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted then a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data is shredded. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.
US09299384B1

A disk drive having a hub comprising a top surface and a non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface, a disk clamp comprising a wall portion and a non-circular opening formed through the clamp, the opening configured to receive the non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the hub; and at least one disk supported by the hub, wherein the non-circular protrusion extending upward from the top surface of the hub is inserted into the opening formed in the clamp, and wherein an outer annular portion of the clamp engages the disk to provide clamping force.
US09299382B2

A method of manufacturing a glass substrate for a magnetic disk includes a polishing step of polishing a main surface of a glass substrate by sandwiching the glass substrate between a pair of surface plates each having a polishing pad on its surface and by supplying a polishing liquid containing polishing abrasive particles between the glass substrate and the polishing pads. In the polishing step, the polishing liquid and each polishing pad are adjusted so that the friction coefficient falls in a range of 0.02 to 0.05.
US09299380B2

Provided herein is a method including oxidizing tops of features of a patterned magnetic layer to form oxidized tops of the features; removing an excess of an applied first protective material down to at least the oxidized tops of the features to form a planarized layer; and applying a second protective material over the planarized layer.
US09299377B2

A storage medium including a servo layer, a data recording layer, a heat sink layer, and a diamond-like carbon layer with a lubricant covering. The servo layer is configured to store servo information on the storage medium. The servo information is used to position a read/write head over the storage medium during a read/write operation performed by the read/write head on the storage medium. The data recording layer is configured to store data on the storage medium during the read/write operation performed by the read/write head on the storage medium. The heat sink layer is disposed between the servo layer and the data recording layer. The diamond-like carbon layer with the lubricant covering is disposed above the data recording layer.
US09299371B1

A disk drive slider is disclosed comprising a first read element for generating a first read signal, and a first sense amplifier comprising a first input terminal coupled to the first read element, a first output terminal coupled to a first output line, and a first supply terminal coupled to a supply line. The first sense amplifier is for amplifying the first read signal to generate a first amplified read signal, the first output line is for transmitting the first amplified read signal to a preamp, and the supply line is for coupling to the preamp in order to supply power to the first sense amplifier and supply a first bias to the first read element.
US09299370B1

A system, according to one embodiment, includes a magnetic head having sensor structures disposed laterally along a cross-track direction, each sensor structure having a free layer, a soft bias layer positioned laterally to each sensor structure, an antiparallel coupling layer above each soft bias layer, a magnetic layer above each antiparallel coupling layer, wherein magnetic moments of the soft bias layer and the magnetic layer are antiparallel coupled, and a stabilizing layer above each magnetic layer for stabilizing a magnetic orientation of the magnetic layer. Moreover, opposing faces of the magnetic layers are positioned apart by a distance that causes each magnetic layer to form a magnetic circuit with the associated free layer and the associated soft bias layer.
US09299363B2

A time warp contour calculator for use in an audio signal decoder receives an encoded warp ratio information, derives a sequence of warp ratio values from the encoded warp ratio information, and obtains warp contour node values starting from a time warp contour start value. Ratios between the time warp contour node values and the time warp contour starting value are determined by the warp ratio values. The time warp contour calculator computes a time warp contour node value of a given time warp contour node, on the basis of a product-formation having a ratio between the time warp contour node values of the intermediate time warp contour node and the time warp contour starting value and a ratio between the time warp contour node values of the given time warp contour node and of the intermediate time warp contour node as factors.
US09299362B2

An audio signal processing device 100 includes a period detecting unit 102 for detecting the fundamental period of an input audio signal 101; a square wave generating unit 106 for generating, according to the fundamental period the period detecting unit 102 detects, a square wave 107 whose period is an integer multiple of the fundamental period; an amplitude correction coefficient generating unit 103 for calculating an amplitude correction coefficient 109 approximately equal and proportional to the intensity of the input audio signal 101; a first multiplier 108 for generating an amplitude-corrected square wave 110 by multiplying the square wave 107 by the amplitude correction coefficient 109; and an adder 104 for adding the amplitude-corrected square wave 110 to the input audio signal 101.
US09299353B2

A method and apparatus to encode audio with spatial information in a manner that does not depend on the exhibition setup, and to decode and play out optimally for any given exhibition setup, maximizing the sweet-spot area, and including setups with loudspeakers at different heights, and headphones. The part of the audio that requires very precise localization is encoded into a set of mono tracks with associated directional parameters, whereas the remaining audio is encoded into a set of Ambisonics tracks of a chosen order and mixture. Upon specification of a given exhibition system, the exhibition-independent format is decoded adapting to the specified system, by using different decoding methods for each assigned group.
US09299346B1

A speech recognition platform configured to receive an audio signal that includes speech from a user and perform automatic speech recognition (ASR) on the audio signal to identify ASR results. The platform may identify: (i) a domain of a voice command within the speech based on the ASR results and based on context information associated with the speech or the user, and (ii) an intent of the voice command. In response to identifying the intent, the platform may perform a corresponding action, such as streaming audio to the device, setting a reminder for the user, purchasing an item on behalf of the user, making a reservation for the user or launching an application for the user. The speech recognition platform, in combination with the device, may therefore facilitate efficient interactions between the user and a voice-controlled device.
US09299336B2

A method of determining a focused output signal of a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor being operable to output a sensor output signal responsive to a measured quantity, the focused output signal being indicative of a calculated quantity at a focus point; the method comprising: receiving a respective measured sensor output signal from each of the sensors; computing the focused output signal by performing a focusing calculation with respect to the measured sensor signals; wherein the method further comprises determining a subset of mesh points of a set of predetermined mesh points, each mesh point having at least one pre-computed filter parameter associated with it; and wherein computing the focused output signal comprises performing an interpolation with respect to the subset of mesh points so as to obtain an interpolated focused output signal.
US09299320B1

Techniques for providing visual feedback on a display of an electronic device by sequentially and/or independently controlling the illumination of the lighting output by the display. In some implementations, the techniques may be employed following an interaction with the device having one or more light source controllers instructing one or more light sources, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), in a lighting apparatus, such as for a display which renders content on the device. For instance, a lightguide of the lighting apparatus may sequentially receive light from the one or more light sources as directed by the one or more light source controllers and may direct the light to provide illumination for a display. In some cases, the display may be a reflective display that is front-lit by the lighting apparatus. In other cases, the display may be a backlit display that is backlit by the lighting apparatus.
US09299317B2

In a method to generate a tone-mapped image from a high-dynamic range image (HDR), an input HDR image is converted into a logarithmic domain and a global tone-mapping operator generates a high-resolution gray scale ratio image from the input HDR image. Based at least in part on the high-resolution gray scale ratio image, at least two different gray scale ratio images are generated and are merged together to generate a local multiscale gray scale ratio image that represents a weighted combination of the at least two different gray scale ratio images, each being of a different spatial resolution level. An output tone-mapped image is generated based on the high-resolution gray scale image and the local multiscale gray scale ratio image.
US09299297B2

The present invention resides in an image display apparatus for displaying an image on the basis of image data; the image display apparatus comprising light emitting unit having a plurality of light sources for performing light emission that can be independently controlled respectively; setting unit which sets light emission control blocks for controlling one light source or the plurality of light sources with a common brightness; brightness determining unit which determines the light emission brightness of each of the light emission control blocks on the basis of the image data; and control unit which controls the light emission of the light emitting unit for each of the light emission control blocks in accordance with the light emission brightness determined by the determining unit; wherein the setting unit sets a size of the light emission control block of the light emitting unit depending on an amount of motion of the image.
US09299287B2

A self-luminous display device includes: pixel circuits; and a drive circuit, wherein each of the pixel circuits includes a light-emitting diode, a drive transistor connected to a drive current channel of the light-emitting diode, and a holding capacitor coupled to a control node of the drive transistor, the drive circuit applies a light emission enabling bias to the light-emitting diode after correcting the drive transistor and writing a data voltage to the control node, provides, during a light emission enabled period in which the light emission enabling bias is applied, a light emission interruption period adapted to change the light emission enabling bias to a non-light emission bias with the data voltage held by the holding capacitor, and performs a light emission disabling process, adapted to reverse-bias the light-emitting diode to stop the light emission, for a constant period after the light emission enabled period.
US09299281B2

A display device and manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a substrate including a display area and a peripheral area surrounding the display area, wherein the display area includes a plurality of pixels configured to display images and a plurality of inspection pads formed in the peripheral area and configured to transmit a plurality of inspection signals to the pixels. Each of the inspection pads includes a poly resistor formed over the substrate, at least one insulating layer formed over the poly resistor, first and second conductive wires formed over the insulating layer and respectively connected to opposing ends of the poly resistor, and a protective layer formed over the insulating layer and substantially overlapping the poly resistor.
US09299276B1

A mobile motionable sign apparatus for supporting and moving a sign relative to the base apparatus. The mobile motionable sign apparatus includes a base assembly including a base member with wheels mounted thereto; a motive support assembly removably coupled to the base member and including a pivot member; and a sign support assembly movably coupled to the pivot member and including a motor support member coupled and movable relative to the pivot member and further including a motor mounted to the motor support member and also including sign support members connectable to the motor support member.
US09299274B2

Various embodiments of methods and systems for designing and constructing displays from multiple light emitting elements are disclosed. Display elements having different light emitting and self-organizing characteristics may be used during display assembly.
US09299268B2

Generating an emotional representation of received data content is provided. Data content corresponding to a user is received. In responsive to determining that the user requested an emotional representation of a predicted emotional reaction by the user to the received data content, the emotional representation of the received data content is generated based on the predicted emotional reaction by the user to the received data content.
US09299266B2

A system for educational assessment without testing is provided that includes one or more client systems that are connected to a network allowing students or school officials to communicate with an education framework that performs and manages educational assessment. The one or more client systems issue a message to the education framework requesting a task to be performed. The educational assessment is administered independent of one or more educators so as to avoid interruption of instruction time. A server system receives the message and the education framework proceeds to process the contents of the message. The education framework includes a plurality of programming modules being executed on the server system that provides to educators specific information used for the educational assessment based on the contents of the message. The programming modules assist in calculating and determining one or more parameters for the educational assessment of the students as well as providing specific reports to educators as to the progress of the students.
US09299263B2

The present disclosure provides a method that includes displaying a first graphic figure for a period of time to a person; receiving a second graphic figure by a touch screen of a first electronic device, wherein the second graphic figure is drawn on the touch screen by the person based on the first graphic figure after the first graphic figure disappears; comparing the first and second graphic figures to determine a difference between the first and second graphic figures; and showing a result associated with the difference by the first electronic device.
US09299259B2

Systems and methods for detecting a vehicle. One system includes a controller. The controller is configured to receive images from a camera mounted on a first vehicle, identify a surface of a second vehicle located around the first vehicle based on the images, and generate a three-dimensional model associated with the second vehicle. The model includes a first plane and a second plane approximately perpendicular to the first plane. The first plane of the model is associated with the identified surface of the second vehicle. The controller is further configured to track a position of the second vehicle using the three-dimensional model after the identified surface falls at least partially outside of a field-of-view of the at least one camera.
US09299250B1

A method of processing requests to establish wireless communication sessions in a mobile vehicle communications system. The method comprises receiving a request to establish a communication session between a telematics unit of a vehicle and a remote facility, wherein the request takes the form of one or more electrical signals. The method further comprises determining whether less than a predetermined number of requests to establish a communication session between the telematics unit and remote facility have been received from the sender of the request within a predetermined period of time. When it is determined that less than the predetermined number of requests have been received from the sender within the predetermined period of time, the method still further comprises establishing a communication session between the telematics unit and the remote facility. A system for performing or utilizing the above-described methodology is also provided.
US09299249B2

A remotely controllable electronic device comprises an infrared receiver, a control unit and a toggle detector. The infrared receiver is for wirelessly receiving a plurality of control signals. The control unit is coupled to the infrared receiver and generates a plurality of function signals. Each function signal is corresponding to one of the control signals received by the infrared receiver. The toggle detector is coupled to the control unit and receives electricity from a power source through a switching element. The toggle detector determines the power status of the electricity coming from the switching element in a predetermined period and generates a learning mode signal to the control unit when the switching element is switched a plurality of times during the predetermined period. The remotely controllable electronic device could be control by the control signals of any infrared remote control.
US09299248B2

There is disclosed a muscle interface device for use with controllable connected devices. In an embodiment, the muscle interface device comprises a sensor worn on the forearm of a user, and the sensor is adapted to recognize a plurality of gestures made by a user to interact with a controllable connected device. The muscle interface device utilizes a plurality of sensors, including one or more of capacitive EMG sensors and an IMU sensor, to detect gestures made by a user. Other types of sensors including MMG sensors may also be used. The detected user gestures from the sensors are processed into a control signal for allowing the user to interact with content displayed on the controllable connected device.
US09299246B2

An aspect of the present disclosure facilitates reporting results of processing of continuous event streams. In one embodiment, a matching condition indicating a pattern of interest as a part of an alert definition in relation to a set of continuous event streams is received, with the occurrences of said pattern of interest being desirable to be reported as corresponding alert instances. Also, a suppression condition associated with the pattern of interest is received, with the suppression condition indicating the specific occurrences of the pattern of interest that are not to be reported as corresponding alert instances. Accordingly, a sequence of occurrences of the pattern of interest is determined in the set of continuous event streams. For each occurrence in the sequence of occurrences, an alert instance corresponding to the occurrence is generated only if the suppression condition is not satisfied for the occurrence.
US09299244B2

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts to the current operating environment of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method comprising providing a plurality of alert devices in an electronic device, determining an operating environment of the electronic device using a sensor of the electronic device, and actuating at least one of the plurality of alert devices that corresponds to the determined operating environment.
US09299243B2

A system is provided that includes a security system that protects a secured area, a wireless portable device that arms and disarms the security system through a wireless interface, the wireless portable device having a camera, a microphone and a global positioning system (GPS), and a processor of the wireless portable device that detects disarming of the security system by a user under duress through the wireless portable device and captures information of an environment of the wireless portable device from the GPS and one or more of the camera and microphone and sends the captured information to a central monitoring station of the security system through the wireless interface.
US09299238B1

Systems and related methods are provided for measuring a ketone in the fluid of a patient or other user. The systems include a portable measurement device for analyzing a plurality of fluid samples and for generating a corresponding plurality of ketone measurement results. The systems also include an electronic or communications device, for example, such as a cell phone or smartphone, configured to communicate with the measurement device. The system further includes a software application. The systems and related methods according to one aspect provide reminders, preferably interactive reminders that facilitate user compliance with a weight management or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) monitoring or prevention program. The systems and related methods according to another aspect incorporate ketone tags and/or trigger points to improve accuracy of results and to advance user compliance.
US09299235B2

There is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program causing a processor to execute a procedure. The processor is provided in a portable electronic apparatus. The procedure includes detecting acceleration in the gravitational acceleration direction of the portable electronic apparatus, determining whether or not the acceleration in the gravitational acceleration direction is a threshold value or less, the threshold value being stored in a determination threshold value table, and raising an alarm for prediction of stumbling of a user when the acceleration in the gravitational acceleration direction is the threshold value or less.
US09299229B2

Techniques for detecting one or more events are provided. The techniques include identifying one or more segments in a video sequence as one or more candidates for one or more events by a temporal ordering of the one or more candidates, and analyzing one or more motion patterns of the one or more candidates to detect the one or more events.
US09299220B2

Various embodiments of the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein provide a primary game and a free activation bonus sequence, wherein the gaming system enables the player to select one or more of a plurality of different volatility options for use in the free activation bonus sequence. Each option is associated with a different number of free activations and a different pool of symbols or different symbol functionality. The gaming system provides this variation in the pool of symbols or symbol functionality in various embodiments by enabling the player to replace one or more symbols of a pool or set of symbols of the primary game (i.e., the primary set of symbols) with the symbol associated with a player selected option. The symbols of this modified set of symbols (i.e., the secondary set of symbols) are used in the free activation bonus sequence).
US09299212B2

A medication dispensing device has: a medication preparation unit provided with a storage section that can store and discharge one package at a time of a solid medication supplied by a medication supply unit; and a counting unit that can count the solid medication discharged from the storage section. The counting unit is provided with: a monitoring platform on which the solid medication discharged from the storage section rests; an vibration unit that can vibrate the monitoring platform horizontally; an imaging unit that can image the solid medication on the monitoring platform that has been vibrated; and an image recognition unit that can count the solid medication on the basis of the image obtained by the imaging unit.
US09299196B2

Methods and systems for using ink-jet technology for high speed printing are provided. Print growth between pixels in an image is significantly reduced or eliminated by adjusting the printing of the pixels based on the status of the following pixel to be printed, i.e., whether the following pixel is either black or white. If a black pixel, formed by a plurality of columns of dots, is being followed by a white pixel, the column of dots closest to the white pixel will not be printed, and the column of dots in the black pixel next to the column of dots closest to the white pixel are staggered such that the pixel appears filled despite the absence of the column of dots closest to the white pixel and will still be properly read as a black pixel by a scanner reading the image.
US09299187B2

Non-opaque primitives (e.g. translucent or punch-through primitives) often include some fragments which do not need to be treated as non-opaque fragments. For example, some fragments of a translucent primitive may be entirely opaque or entirely transparent. However, typically, the opacity states (e.g. alpha states) of the fragments are not known until texturing has been applied because it is the texture that includes the opacity information (e.g. the alpha values). However, as described herein, an opacity test is performed up front (e.g. before texturing is applied to fragments of a non-opaque primitive) to see if the processing of the fragments can be simplified. For example, if fragments are fully transparent then they may be discarded. As another example, if fragments are fully opaque then they may be handled as if they have an opaque object type such that the subsequent processing of the fragments is simplified.
US09299183B2

System and methods for user interface elements for use within a 3D scene. The 3D scene may be presented by at least one display, which includes displaying at least one stereoscopic image of the 3D scene by the display(s). The 3D scene may be presented according to a first viewpoint. One or more user interface elements may be used. The 3D scene may be updated in response to the use of the user interface elements.
US09299172B2

The invention relates to an image generation apparatus for generating an image of an object. An image providing unit (11, 16) provides a first image of the object and a second image of the object, wherein the first image has a smaller noise level than the second image. A display window providing unit (12) provides a display window being indicative of the range of image values shown on a display (14), and a combining unit (13) generates a combination image by combining the first image and the second image depending on the window width of the provided display window. This allows considering the influence of the display window on the noise appearance. Thus, by taking into account the first image and the second image having different noise levels and the provided display window, a combined image can be generated, which has an improved noise appearance.
US09299170B1

Information is presented on a map that resembles a city map, with related information grouped into distinct “neighborhoods.” Such a display scheme takes advantage of spatial cognition in order to provide an organizational and presentational scheme by which users can more easily remember where to look for and find the right information. Metadata, notifications, and/or other auxiliary information can be presented alongside or superimposed upon the data itself.
US09299166B2

Described herein are methods and devices that employ parallel compression of image data using a lossless compressor and a quantization compressor. As described, the lossless compressor generates a variable length compressed bit stream and the quantization compressor generates a fixed length compressed bit stream. The fixed length bit stream is always equal in size to a size requirement of an output memory block. The variable length bit stream may be stored in the output memory block unless it exceeds the memory requirement in size, in which case the fixed length bit stream may be stored to the output memory block.
US09299158B2

Generating an analysis of a motion is disclosed. A first computing device receives image data that includes a set of user images. Each user image in the set corresponds to a stage of a plurality of consecutive stages of the motion and depicts a user at the corresponding stage. For each stage of the plurality of consecutive stages, a plurality of motion point locations in the corresponding user image is determined. Based on the plurality of motion point locations and reference motion data associated with a reference motion, a user motion report is generated.
US09299156B2

A system, method, software arrangement and computer-accessible medium for performing electronic cleansing of CT colonography images are provided. In this system, method, software arrangement and computer-accessible medium, the digital bowel cleansing can be performed to remove tagged bowel contents from the images. The digital bowel cleansing can apply a local shape analysis throughout the images and use a shape-based speed function to detect the folds and polyps structures while removing the tagged bowel contents region. The system, method, software arrangement and computer-accessible medium can enable a medical examiner to perform an accurate virtual colonoscopy on a patient, without the need for thorough patient preparation.
US09299151B2

A depth calculation device for calculating depth information on an object from captured first image and second image with different blur, the depth calculation device comprising: an extraction unit configured to extract a first frequency component and a second frequency component from each of the first image and the second image, the first frequency component being a component of a first frequency band, the second frequency component being a component of a second frequency band, the second frequency band being lower than the first frequency band; and a depth calculation unit configured to calculate the depth information from the frequency components extracted by the extraction unit.
US09299144B2

A method for facilitating comparison of image data from a given medical imaging protocol with archive image data, includes obtaining subject image data from a scan of a subject using the medical imaging protocol, obtaining archive image data differing from the subject image data in a given variable, determining a modifier usable to reduce the difference between the archive and subject image data, using the modifier to modify one of the subject image data and the archive image data to reduce the difference, and comparing the modified archive or subject image data with the subject or archive image data.
US09299142B2

A perfusion imaging data processor (122) includes an agent peak characteristic-time determiner (206) configured to determine two or more agent peak characteristic-times respectively for two or more circulatory sub-systems represented in a same sub-set of voxels of a set of time-series data of perfusion imaging data, an agent peak argument determiner (210) configured to determine an agent peak argument for each of the two or more agent peak characteristic-times, an agent peak argument relation determiner (212) configured to determine a relationship between the agent peak arguments of the two or more agent peak characteristic-times, and a perfusion map generator (214) configured to generate, based on the determined relationship and the perfusion imaging data, at least one perfusion map, wherein the at least one perfusion map includes volumetric image data visually presenting at least one of a relationship or a difference between the two or more circulatory sub-systems.
US09299138B2

Technologies for generating a patient-specific surgical plan from medical image data include receiving an orthopaedic surgical plan request from a computing device of a healthcare facility via a network, receiving a medical image of bony anatomy of a patient, and receiving constraint data corresponding to an orthopaedic surgical procedure to be performed upon the bony anatomy of the patient. Such technologies may further include determining whether the orthopaedic surgical procedure to be performed upon the bony anatomy of the patient is a difficult orthopaedic surgical procedure, generating a first surgical plan for the orthopaedic surgical procedure to be performed in response to determining that the orthopaedic procedure to be performed is not a difficult orthopaedic surgical procedure, and generating a second surgical plan for the orthopaedic surgical procedure to be performed in response to determining that the orthopaedic procedure to be performed is a difficult orthopaedic surgical procedure.
US09299134B2

Provided is an optical tomographic imaging apparatus including: a unit for creating a measuring beam and a reference beam from beam of a light source, and generating interference light by combining a return beam resulting from the measuring beam and the reference beam; a unit for detecting the interference light to generate a detection signal; a unit for forming an image of the object based on the detection signal; a unit for designating a specific area in the image; a unit for setting a calculation index and a determination reference range used for determining image quality of the specific area; and a unit for applying calculation processing to a luminance value of the specific area based on the calculation index, determining whether a calculated value obtained as a result of the calculation processing is within the determination reference range, and outputting a detection result.
US09299127B2

A method of splitting of elliptical images performed by a processor is provided. The method includes: receiving an image whose pixels span a range along each of two orthogonal axes; segmenting the image into indexed sub-images; storing the sub-images as texture maps; responding to a request for a value of a texture element having S1, T1 and H coordinates by returning the value of the texture element of the sub-image indexed by H whose X and Y coordinates are S1 and T1.
US09299126B2

An image processing apparatus and method including an encoder circuitry for generating encoded data blocks from input data blocks of an image, and write circuitry for storing the encoded data blocks to memory for subsequent access by decoding circuitry. For each input data block, identifier generation circuitry generates an identifier value that is dependent on the input data block. A lookup storage stores predetermined information relating to at least one encoded data block and stored within the lookup storage in association with the identifier value for the corresponding input data block. For a current input data block, a check is performed to determine whether a match exists between the identifier value generated for the current input data block and an identifier value stored in the lookup storage. In a match, the predetermined information is used by the write circuitry when performing the required write operation.
US09299125B2

Embodiments are described for a method for using anti-aliasing hardware to generate a higher resolution image at the processing of a lower resolution image with anti-aliasing. A graphics image comprising allocating a buffer used in a multisample anti-aliasing process, wherein the allocated buffer has a dimension comprising a reduction in at least one of the width or height of an original dimension of an original buffer provided by the anti-aliasing hardware; rendering sampled image data to the allocated buffer at a sampling rate proportional to the reduction; and expanding the allocated buffer back to the dimension of the original buffer.
US09299122B2

A block processing pipeline in which blocks are input to and processed according to row groups so that adjacent blocks on a row are not concurrently at adjacent stages of the pipeline. A stage of the pipeline may process a current block according to neighbor pixels from one or more neighbor blocks. Since adjacent blocks are not concurrently at adjacent stages, the left neighbor of the current block is at least two stages downstream from the stage. Thus, processed pixels from the left neighbor can be passed back to the stage for use in processing the current block without the need to wait for the left neighbor to complete processing at a next stage of the pipeline. In addition, the neighbor blocks may include blocks from the row above the current block. Information from these neighbor blocks may be passed to the stage from an upstream stage of the pipeline.
US09299114B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to messaging and provide a method, system and computer program product for business object integration with messaging. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for messaging integration of a business object can be provided. The method can include embedding a business object in message text in a messaging session provided by a messenger, and applying an action to the business object from within the messaging session of the instant messenger. The method further can include indexing the messaging session with keywords in the message text and tags for the business object.
US09299113B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for populating an information interface based upon social media data. For example, users may post, share, and/or discuss various information through social media sources. Accordingly, social media data may be obtained from such social media sources. The social media data may be grouped into sets of social media data based upon temporal information. Within the sets of social media data, social media entries may be clustered into topic clusters (e.g., a royal wedding topic cluster, a plane crash topic cluster, etc.). Event summaries may be generated for respective topic clusters. The event summaries may be used to populate timeslots of an information interface, such as a calendar or timeline, to create annotated timeslots. In this way, the information interface may provide users with an interactive view of events over a time period, such as a year-in-review, based upon social media data.
US09299112B2

Program on a server computer generates a list having at least a string of plain text defined based on rules, wherein the rules also define a news feed of an electronic media source. The program code subscribes to the news feed. The program code computes a number of times the string of plain text is identified within the news feed, and a score for the string of plain text. Based on the score, the program code generates an electronic notification that alerts of an anticipated change in computer hardware capacity requirements for a build, support, and maintenance of a networked computer system. The program code estimates the requirements. Based on the score, the program code generates a request to adjust allocation of the computer hardware within the networked computer system to satisfy the requirements estimated. The program code sends the request generated to a client computer for viewing.
US09299107B2

Techniques for managing the charging and/or discharging of an energy storage device are disclosed. The techniques include obtaining clearing price data points spanning a plurality of dates and for each date: generating a distribution of the clearing price data points corresponding to the date; determining a lower quantile price point of the distribution based on a capacity of the device and a charge rate of the device; and determining an upper quantile price point of the distribution based on the capacity and a discharge rate of the device. The techniques include selecting a first set of the lower quantile price points from the lower quantiles and a second set of the upper quantile price points from the upper quantiles. The techniques include determining a buy bid based on the first set and a sell bid based on the second set and selectively transmitting the buy bid and/or the sell bid.
US09299100B2

Methods for making gift recommendations are disclosed. The interests of an intended recipient are identified as are the interests associated with a particular product. Products corresponding to the recipient's interests are identified and then ranked according to giftability. Giftability indicates the appropriateness of a product for giving as a gift. Products may also be ranked according to appropriateness for a category or occasion. Giftability may be specified or inferred from one or more of gift-wrapping requests, gifting references in comments or reviews, and sales surges during holidays. A Naïve-Bayes-type method may be used to infer the giftability of products for which such data is not available.
US09299092B1

In an embodiment, a digital data specification of a compound advertisement comprising a plurality of ad units is received at an advertisement delivery server computer, where the digital data specification of the compound advertisement specifies one or more sequential dependencies between one or more ad units of the plurality of ad units and a bid value for each ad unit of the plurality of ad units. Based at least in part on a particular sequential dependency of the first ad unit upon a second ad unit of the same compound advertisement and a bid value associated with the first ad unit, a first ad unit of the compound advertisement is selected for display at a separate user computing device using the advertisement delivery server computer. The first ad unit is caused to display at the particular user computing device.
US09299090B1

A method for rendering advertisements on touchscreen devices having small screens is provided. Components of the existing GUI (i.e., controls) are used for rendering advertisement (or other) data. Existing mobile device GUI elements have visible surfaces filled with a background color (or pattern). These surfaces are “painted” by an advertisement data similar to a wall painted by graffiti. The advertisement data can be static or it can be generated on-the-fly. The GUI controls can be used independent of each other. Thus, the advertising data can be selectively displayed only on some of the controls without distracting the user from the main tasks.
US09299083B2

An electronic method for generating group data indicative of the collective response of at least a subset of respondents to at least one portion of a time-varying stimulus the method comprising: receiving responses to the time-varying stimulus from respective ones of a plurality of respondent devices, each response including data indicative of a response of a respondent associated with the respective respondent device to the time-varying stimulus; filtering the responses to generate a filtered response data set that excludes responses outside of a timing tolerance relative to a portion of the time-varying stimulus to which the group data is intended to relate; and processing at least a subset of the filtered response data set to generate the group data.
US09299080B2

In various embodiments, the number of virtual universe avatars within a predetermined proximity from a designated first object in a virtual universe is determined. A condition that affects a load on a server computer supporting the designated first object in the virtual universe is determined. A second object is dynamically spawned within the virtual universe in response to determining that the number of virtual universe avatars within the predetermined proximity from the designated first object is greater than a first predetermined threshold and that the determined condition on the server computer is greater than a second predetermined threshold. The second object is associated with transmissions of information within the virtual universe.
US09299077B2

A method and apparatus enabling the distribution of hyper-relevant advertising to consumers who have confirmed interests in specific content, products, and services is described. Users define “who they are” and “what they want” in a spontaneous, guided, voluntary disclosure of rich, candid, personal information conceived to attract individuals who seek or share common relationships, experiences, objectives, skills, knowledge, acquaintances, interests, needs, or desires for mutual gain. The information is converted into encrypted user codes; these codes are used to generate precisely controlled electronic encounters, the creation and delivery of highly personalized hyper-relevant advertising, and the gathering of amounts of research data through the ad hoc interaction of unique mobile devices.
US09299075B2

Methods and systems for activating a software application while provisioning a web service to operate with the software application are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a product activation procedure is performed during a workflow to provision a web service to operate with a software application. By activating the software application during the web service provisioning workflow, an end-user can establish ownership of a proper license for the software application without having to input any license information, such as a serial number or product key, associated with the end-user's license.
US09299069B2

Apparatus for electronically notifying an individual of an incomplete transaction associated with a received correspondence item is provided. The apparatus may include a receiver for receiving a single paper correspondence item associated with a first correspondence. The apparatus may include a processor for deriving a digital image from the paper correspondence item. The processor may be configured to determine, based on the derived digital image, whether the correspondence item is a paper check. In response to the determination of the correspondence item as a paper check, the processor may be further configured to use a real-time notification channel to notify the individual of receipt of the paper check. The notification may be based, at least in part, on the identification of the individual. The processor may be further configured to use the real-time notification channel to present at least one option for identification of an account to which the check should be applied.
US09299066B2

A method and apparatus for managing messages is disclosed. A data processing system identifies a presence of a person in a meeting at a location using calendar information. The data processing system also identifies a computing device in the location having a connection to a network. The data processing system then sends a notification to the computing device identified in the location, responsive to the data processing system identifying a message for the person when the person is meeting in the location.
US09299060B2

An example implementation includes processing message-related information of a first user for a cluster of related users and determining interaction levels for the cluster of related users. The interaction levels describe a level of interaction between the first user and the related users of the cluster. The users of the cluster are ranked based on the interaction levels and a group suggestion is generated suggesting a group be created on a social networking service based on the ranking of the cluster of related users. The group suggestion is sent to the first user for presentation and a response is received from the first user including user input provided in response to the group suggestion being sent. A group of users is created on the social networking service based on the response.
US09299054B2

The present invention relates to a radio frequency identification (RFID) device and method for book tagging, using which a RFID tag which is designed to attach to a book is first being scanned and detected in view of optimizing the RFID tag's signal strength and its effective reading rate as well so as to determine a position on the book for the RFID tag to attach thereat while allowing the detection to the RFID tag to be prevented from being adversely affected by metals or magnetic materials that are situated ambient to the book.
US09299049B2

The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products for providing contract-based process integration. One computer-implemented method includes selecting a process integration (PI) scenario definition and a desired party with which to establish communication using an interface, determining at least one semantic contract associated with the selected PI scenario definition, querying the desired party to determine familiarity with the selected PI scenario definition and the semantic contract, analyzing known contract definitions with contract usages for each determined semantic contract to generate first party analysis results, computing an intersection between the first party analysis results and corresponding received analysis results received from the desired party, determining an agreed upon set of processing types with the second party by performing an intersection with contract usage processing types exchanged with the desired party, and generating a technical specification for a message signature based upon the agreed upon set of processing types.
US09299042B2

Embodiments of a system and method for predicting a future state of a set of data are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a set of data in a first domain is obtained. The set of data in the first domain may be represented as a network graph. The set of data in the first domain is mapped into a set of data in a second domain. A plurality of prediction models are applied to the set of data in the second domain to produce a plurality of predicted sets of data. The predicted sets of data are combined to generate a combined predicted set of data having a best match. The combined predicted sets of data having the best match are reverse mapped to the first domain.
US09299039B1

A method and system for assisting a user to generate a task list based on a task description is presented. The task description can be provided as user input or detected based on information about the user. The generated task list includes a series of actions (subtasks) which as a whole complete a task specified in the task description and relevant information. During the task list being generated, some actions are automatically executed without user intervention, or remembered for future execution.
US09299037B2

Customer management for an establishment involves operating a server that hosts system software and interacts with various computing devices over internet and wireless network gateway connections. The server communicates with devices at the establishment and customer computing devices in real-time, providing system performance updates, text messaging communications to the customer regarding table availability and marketing information and synchronizing the information communicated within the system. A computer user interface at the establishment communicates with the server and allows an establishment host to capture and transmit customer information to the server and make of the server processing requests that can include sending text message alert notifications to a customer mobile device informing of an available table and providing marketing messages. A secondary device, operated by a waiter of the establishment, communicates with the computing devices of the system and can receive communications, such as customer attention requests, from the customer mobile device.
US09299036B2

An example embodiment includes a life pattern detection system. The life pattern detection system includes a sensor, a data acquisition device, and a first processor. The sensor is configured to monitor actions of a user. The data acquisition device is configured to harvest signals from the sensor and produce sensor data. The first processor is configured to receive the sensor data and background data, and to execute a life pattern application including a first series of analytical steps that determines a predictable set of actions from the sensor data and the background data.
US09299035B2

A method for refining a process model includes mining a process model from a set of execution traces; determining whether the process model is too dense or too sparse; learning a predictive model from the execution traces to predict an outcome; modifying the predictive model; and mining a refined process model from updated traces based on attributes present in the modified predictive model. Modifying the predictive model includes making the predictive model more specific if it is determined that the process model is too dense; and making the predictive model more general if it is determined that the process model is too sparse.
US09299031B2

Access is obtained to a plurality of information technology services problem tickets. At least a first subset of the tickets include free text tickets with server names embedded in unstructured text fields. The server names are extracted from the first subset of the tickets via a statistical machine learning technique. Using the extracted server names, those of the first subset of the tickets from which the server names have been extracted are linked to corresponding server entries in a configuration information database to facilitate resolution of problems associated with the first subset of the tickets from which the server names have been extracted; and/or at least one of the extracted server names is identified as missing from a list of known server names.
US09299029B1

Techniques and systems are provided for predictive modeling based on interactions with a network device. For example, a method may include receiving interaction data corresponding to a set of interactions associated with a function performed by a network device. Contextual data corresponding to a set of contexts can be received from a different source. The interaction and contextual data can be analyzed to identify a correlation between a context and an interaction. A prediction can be generated using the identified correlation. Interaction data corresponding to a new set of interactions and contextual data corresponding to a new set of contexts including the correlated context can be received. The prediction can be tested to determine whether the network device performed the function when the correlated context occurred. Contextual data corresponding to a present set of contexts including the correlated context can be received, and an automation request message can be transmitted.
US09299026B2

This disclosure relates generally to a tool, system, and method for searching input data. The system may include a pattern input module, configured to receive regular expression patterns of symbols. An interpreter module may be configured to access individual ones of the symbols of the input data and upon accessing each symbol and compare a thread against the symbol. For each pattern, the thread corresponding to the pattern is compared against the symbol prior to the at least one thread being compared against a subsequent symbol of the input data. An output module may be configured to output an indication of ones of the patterns determined to be contained within the input data based on the comparison of the corresponding at least one thread to the symbols of the input data.
US09299022B2

Apparatus and methods for an extensible robotic device with artificial intelligence and receptive to training controls. In one implementation, a modular robotic system that allows a user to fully select the architecture and capability set of their robotic device is disclosed. The user may add/remove modules as their respective functions are required/obviated. In addition, the artificial intelligence is based on a neuronal network (e.g., spiking neural network), and a behavioral control structure that allows a user to train a robotic device in manner conceptually similar to the mode in which one goes about training a domesticated animal such as a dog or cat (e.g., a positive/negative feedback training paradigm) is used. The trainable behavior control structure is based on the artificial neural network, which simulates the neural/synaptic activity of the brain of a living organism.
US09299020B2

A financial transaction card includes a card substrate formed as a material sheet having first and second substantially planar card faces bounded by a peripheral edge. A machine-readable financial information storage device is on or within the material sheet. The storage device stores card specific data in digital machine readable form. Human readable symbolic information is viewable on the first and second card faces. At least one item of the symbolic information is formed as a cutout pattern of one or more light-transmitting apertures extending completely through the material sheet.
US09299019B2

A method for improving a data collection process is provided. The method comprises: (A) providing at least one Data Generation device, whereas each Data Generation device is configured to obtain a set of data; (B) attaching an ID tag to at least one Data Generation device; whereas each ID tag includes an externally readable code; and (C) employing a Data Collection device having an ID tag reader configured to identify at least one Data Generation device by reading the externally readable code corresponding to its ID tag; whereas the Data Collection device is located within the pre-determined range from the Data Generation device; and whereas the Data Generation device is configured to transmit a set of data to the Data Collection device.
US09299015B2

This disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a template processing program for executing an editing accepting step, a template producing step, a text main body data acquisition step, and a template transmission step. In the template producing step, a template including at least one the print object is produced. In the search target setting step, a setting whether or not the print object included in the template is set to a key word search target is accepted. In the text main body data acquisition step, text main body data extracted from the print object to be set to the key word search target and expresses text contents of the print object, is acquired. In the template transmission step, the template is transmitted to a template server and stored therein.
US09299013B1

Visual task feedback for workstations in a materials handling facility may be implemented. Image data of a workstation surface may be obtained from image sensors. The image data may be evaluated with regard to the performance of an item-handling task at the workstation. The evaluation of the image data may identify items located on the workstation surface, determine a current state of the item-handling task, or recognize an agent gesture at the workstation. Based, at least in part on the evaluation, one or more visual task cues may be selected to project onto the workstation surface. The projection of the selected visual task cues onto the workstation surface may then be directed.
US09299006B2

An authentication device includes: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: acquire a plurality of images with regard to a certain living body, extract first biometric information from each of the plurality of images, perform an alignment between the plurality of images, based on the first biometric information, calculate a coefficient based on feature of the certain living body, the feature being identified by a result of the alignment, and generate a normalized image by normalizing at least one image from among the plurality of images based on the coefficient.
US09299003B2

Provided is an image processing apparatus including a characteristic information acquisition unit that acquires characteristic information indicating a characteristic relating to at least any one of distribution of a specific brightness region and a size of a dark and flat region in a luminance image, an enhancement degree information generation unit that generates enhancement degree information indicating a degree of enhancement of a specific component that affects image quality of the luminance image, based on the characteristic information, and a luminance reproduction image generation unit that generates a luminance reproduction image obtained by reproducing the specific component of the luminance image so as to be enhanced to a degree of enhancement indicated by the enhancement degree information.
US09298984B2

An object detection apparatus comprises a detection unit configured to calculate a detection likelihood from each of the plurality of frame images obtained by an image obtaining unit, and to detect a target object from each of the frame images based on the detection likelihood; and a tracking unit configured to calculate a tracking likelihood of the target object from each of the plurality of frame images, and to track the target object over the plurality of frame images based on the tracking likelihood, wherein the detection unit detects the target object from the frame images obtained by the image obtaining unit based on the tracking likelihood of the target object that is calculated by the tracking unit from the frame images, and the detection likelihood of the target object that is calculated by the detection unit from the frame images.
US09298977B2

An information processing device includes a recognition unit which recognizes a facial expression of a user taken on a captured image, and a control unit which controls equipment to permit the user to use the equipment when the facial expression recognized by the recognition unit is a specific facial expression.
US09298959B2

A method of capturing an image on a surface of an object by line sensor(s), wherein consecutive line images are taken from a plurality of surfaces or surface portions having a different inclination to a given reference plane with a predetermined frequency during a relative movement of the object with regard to the line sensors(s) and a two-dimensional first image of the surfaces or surface portions is formed from these line images, includes resampling the two-dimensional first image so as to reduce the surface resolution of an image or of images of one or more surfaces or surface portions with regard to a direction oblique to the direction of the lines corresponding to consecutive line images taken by a line sensor in such a way that differences in the surface resolution of images of surfaces or surface portions with different inclination to the reference plane are reduced or eliminated.
US09298957B2

A method of operating a workstation includes capturing multiple monitoring images each being captured with the imaging sensor while the illumination light source is energized during one of multiple short exposure-time-periods, and detecting a checkup-condition that includes analyzing the multiple monitoring images to determine the presence of any adverse feature on workstation's window. Each of the multiple short exposure-time-periods is shorter than four times of a threshold exposure-time-period but no shorter than 25% of the threshold exposure-time-period. The threshold exposure-time-period is a minimal exposure-time-period needed for the imaging sensor to capture recognizable patterns of a barcode that is in directing contacting with the window while the illumination light source is energized.
US09298955B2

A proximity check ensures that a card is physically close to the reader device in order to inhibit relay attacks. The proximity check makes relay attacks more difficult because an additional channel must be intercepted and/or spoofed or relayed. This solution can be used for any kind of short-range communication, including Near Field Communications (NFC).
US09298951B2

A data processing and storage apparatus has a hardware security module and a data storage medium storing encrypted data objects and a hierarchical data maintenance structure of encrypted partition tables and hash-nodes forming a rooted tree, where a given partition table comprises a first reference to a given encrypted data object and a first cryptographic key for decryption thereof, where a given hash-node comprises a second reference to a partition tables or hash-node and a second cryptographic key being suitable for decryption thereof, and where the root node is decipherable using a master cryptographic key stored in the hardware security module, the given data object being assigned to the root node via the first and second references of the given partition table and the given hash-nodes forming a set of successive nodes in the rooted tree.
US09298949B2

The invention provides a method for programming a chip for a mobile end device, wherein, in a preparatory step, a serial number is programmed into the chip and thereafter, in a programming step, the serial number is verified and a programming of at least one further datum into the chip is only carried out if the serial number has been successfully verified. The serial number is verified here by means of a security module (HSM), while employing a secret information item stored in the security module (HSM) and different from the serial number.
US09298945B2

Systems, methods, computer-readable storage mediums including computer-readable instructions and/or circuitry for control of transmission to a target device with communicating with one or more sensors in an ad-hoc sensor network may implement operations including, but not limited to: wirelessly transmitting one or more sensor operation activation signals to one or more sensors according to one or more transmission authorization parameters; and powering one or more sensing operations of a sensor via the one or more sensor operation activation signals.
US09298943B2

A system and method are disclosed for controlling metadata associated with content on an electronic device that includes displaying interface screens for user entry of metadata control instructions, accepting user instructions, modifying metadata of applicable content, and associating the modified metadata with the applicable content. The system can export and/or store the applicable content along with modified metadata. The system can automatically modify metadata according to one or more profiles. Relevant profiles can be determined based on the export mechanism, destination or type of content. The system can add watermarks to indicate metadata modification. The system can display metadata for user modification. The content can include photos, videos or other content. The system can display metadata and geolocation indicators for each content item that indicate whether that item has associated metadata and geolocation information. The user can selectively modify meradata of selected content.
US09298942B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for storing and retrieving encrypted data. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a server computer separate from a user device, a first encrypted resource encrypted by use of a public encryption key, wherein the public encryption key is paired with a private encryption key according to an asymmetric encryption key scheme; retrieving, by the server computer, a second encrypted resource encrypted by use of the public key; augmenting, by the server computer, the first encrypted resource with the second encrypted resource to form an encrypted data tuple; encrypting, by the server computer, the encrypted data tuple; and storing, by the server computer, the encrypted data tuple as the second encrypted resource.
US09298937B2

The present invention provides a method and system for securing sensitive data from unauthorized access or use. The method and system of the present invention is useful in a wide variety of settings, including commercial settings generally available to the public which may be extremely large or small with respect to the number of users. The method and system of the present invention is also useful in a more private setting, such as with a corporation or governmental agency, as well as between corporation, governmental agencies or any other entity.
US09298931B2

In one example of digital media privacy protection, a computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to execute operations including capturing at least one image file, obfuscating at least all facial images included in the captured image file, comparing all facial images included in the captured image file against a locally stored privacy policy, unobfuscating those of the facial images included in the captured image file for which the comparison against the locally stored privacy policy results in a positive match, and rendering the captured image file.
US09298929B2

System and methods are disclosed for governing digital rights management systems and other applications through the use of supervisory governance applications and keying mechanisms. Governance is provided by enabling the supervisory applications to revoke access keys and/or to block certain file system calls, thus preventing governed applications from accessing protected electronic content.
US09298927B2

A virtual asset creation template associated with a class of virtual assets is identified and analyzed to identify any vulnerabilities in the virtual asset creation template. If one or more vulnerabilities are identified in the virtual asset creation template, an appropriate remedy for each identified vulnerability identified in the virtual asset creation template is applied. If no vulnerability is identified in the virtual asset creation template, or once each vulnerability identified in the virtual asset creation template is remedied, each virtual asset of the virtual asset class generated using the virtual asset creation template is assigned an initial status of verified virtual asset.
US09298922B2

A method, system, and program product for remotely attesting to a state of computing system is provided. Specifically, the present invention allows a remote system to establish trust in the properties of the computer system. The properties to be trusted are expanded from the usual system software layers and related configuration files to novel types of data such as static data specific to the computer system, dynamic data determined at system startup, or dynamic data created as the computer system runs applications.
US09298918B2

An embodiment or embodiments of an electronic device can comprise an input interface and a hardware component coupled to the input interface. The input interface can be operable to receive a plurality of taint indicators corresponding to at least one of a plurality of taints indicative of potential security risk which are injected from at least one of a plurality of resources. The hardware component can be operable to track the plurality of taints.
US09298916B2

A system and method for using file system events to trigger a security scan. A file system watches all writable directory paths for defined file system events on files in the watched paths. Upon occurrence of a watched event, the file is scanned using known security methods. A data structure stores events and can be used to update and track events. Cookies can be used to correlate MOVE events. A timer can be used to avoid repetitive scanning after discrete WRITE events.
US09298912B2

Recording, analyzing and categorizing of user interface input via touchpad, touch screens or any device that can synthesize gestures from touch and pressure into input events. Such as, but not limited to, smart phones, touch pads and tablets. Humans may generate the input. The analysis of data may include statistical profiling of individual users as well as groups of users, the profiles can be stored in, but not limited to data containers such as files, secure storage, smart cards, databases, off device, in the cloud etc. A profile may be built from user/users behavior categorized into quantified types of behavior and/or gestures. The profile might be stored anonymized. The analysis may take place in real time or as post processing. Profiles can be compared against each other by all the types of quantified behaviors or by a select few.
US09298910B2

A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes receiving in an external handler an event notification associated with an event in a virtual partition. A thread in the process in the virtual partition that caused the event can be parked. Other threads and processes may be allowed to resume while a security handler evaluates the event for potential threats. A helper agent within the virtual partition may be instructed to execute a task, such as collecting and assembling event context within the virtual partition, and results based on the task can be returned to the external handler. A policy action can be taken based on the results returned by the helper agent, which may include, for example, instructing the helper agent to terminate the process that caused the event.
US09298907B2

A method for authorizing an electronic device includes: detecting, with a capacitive touch sensor, a first set of interaction data from an interaction between the electronic device and a capacitively interactive hardware tool; computing a first set of parametric descriptors from the first set of interaction data; transmitting the first set of parametric descriptors to a remote database system; generating, on the remote database system, a first set of identity data from a comparison of the first set of parametric descriptors with a known set of parametric descriptors; and authorizing, in response to the first set of identity data, the electronic device to perform the action.
US09298904B2

The invention relates to a method for enabling the user of at least one mobile terminal to access a plurality of services, said method consisting of: creating (E1) a user account containing user identification data; installing (E2) a software application for accessing the plurality of services on said mobile terminal; creating (E5) an image containing at least one software application identifier on the mobile terminal using the software application; decoding (E6) the data contained in the image using a secure entity for managing the software application; and authorizing (E8) or not authorizing (E9) the access of the user to the plurality of services based on the decoded data.
US09298903B2

Provided are techniques for transmitting a lightweight domain access protocol (LDAP) request from an user interface application (UIA) to a LDAP server, receiving, at the UIA, a LTPA token in response to the transmitting of the LDAP request; transmitting, from the UIA, to a command line interface associated with an application, the LTPA token in conjunction with a command to be executed by the application; verifying by the application the LTPA token; and in response to the verifying, executing, by the application the command. The techniques also include transmitting, from the application, to a second command line interface associated with a second application, the LTPA token in conjunction with a second command to be executed by the second application; verifying by the second application the LTPA token; and in response to the verifying by the second application, executing, by the second application the second command.
US09298901B1

A tool for credential validation using multiple computing devices. The tool selects at least one challenge question. The tool selects one or more user owned devices, wherein selecting the one or more user owned devices includes querying a database for each user owned device associated with a user account. The tool selects at least one device order, based, at least in part, on a level of security desired in credential validation. The tool presents the at least one challenge question to the one or more user owned devices, wherein the at least one challenge question includes the at least one device order for returning at least one response. The tools determines whether the at least one response received from the one or more user owned devices is a correct response relative to the at least one challenge question and the at least one device order.
US09298900B2

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for behavioral fingerprinting via inferred personal relation. For certain example embodiments, at least one indication of personal relation for at least one authorized user may be inferred via at least one user-device interaction, and the at least one indication of personal relation may be incorporated into at least one behavioral fingerprint that is associated with the at least one authorized user, with the at least one behavioral fingerprint including one or more indicators of utilization of one or more user devices by the at least one authorized user.
US09298888B2

A weight management system can be implemented which assists a user in losing a target amount of weight before the conclusion of a weight loss program. Such a system can assign the user to a behavioral segment, and may further assign the user to an attitudinal segment as well. The weight management system can provide recommendations for the user's diet and exercise based on health information provided by the user and the segment or segments to which the user is assigned. These recommendations can be updated during the course of the weight loss program based on the user's continued progress or lack of the same.