US09320182B2
A power semiconductor module, and an arrangement using the module. The module has a basic parallelepipedal shape with opposed pairs of main, longitudinal and narrow sides, a cooling device which is capable of carrying a flow of a cooling fluid, having a power electronics switch and a housing. The cooling device has a cooling volume with at least one cooling face and four connection devices which are arranged in pairs on the main sides. In addition, the connection devices carry the cooling fluid and are designed as a flow inflow and a flow outflow and as a return inflow and a return outflow, respectively. The power electronics switch has load input connection devices and load output connection devices which are arranged on one or both longitudinal sides and a control connection device which is arranged on a narrow side of the module.
US09320180B2
The present invention provides an apparatus (100) and method for cooling and recovering heat energy from power cables and/or transformers. The apparatus (100) comprises a first conduit (102) in thermal contact with at least one electrical power cable (104) and/or at least one transformer, a heat transfer device (106) coupled to the first conduit (102), fluid circulating means (112) and a heating circuit (114) coupled to the heat transfer device (106) for interfacing with an external heating system (126), such as those typically installed in domestic or commercial premises (128). When in use, the circulating means (112) is operable to circulate a fluid through the first conduit (102) to thereby enable the heat transfer device (106) to recover at least a portion of the heat energy of the cable (104) and/or transformer from the heated fluid for subsequent reuse by an external heating system (126) via the heating circuit (114). The apparatus and method are found to be particularly suited for the recovery and reuse of wasted heat from subterranean high-tension power cables and above surface substation transformers, while cooling the equipment to improve operational performance and lifetime.
US09320172B2
A thermal management system includes a distributor plate secured to and parallel to a circuit board. The circuit board has a module secured thereto and the distributor plate defines an area on an inner surface thereof secured to or otherwise in thermal contact with the module. Heat pipes embedded in the distributor plate include a portion over the module and a portion over the circuit board outward from the module. A portion of the heat pipes outward from the module may be substantially perpendicular to a direction of airflow between the circuit board and distributor plate. The module may be located closer to one edge of the circuit board and the heat pipes may according extend from adjacent that edge to an opposite edge of the circuit board. An inward facing surface may include fins extending toward the circuit board and the fins may be contoured to the circuit board.
US09320170B2
A communication module-cooling structure includes a main body section to be cooled by a cooling mechanism, and a heat sink including a cooling receiving section including partition walls and slit-shaped receiving spaces defined by the partition walls. The receiving spaces of the cooling receiving section receive communication modules, and each of the communication modules includes a substrate mounted with a communication circuit component thereon and first and second sidewalls which sandwich the substrate therebetween in a thickness direction of the substrate. At least one of the first and second sidewalls of each of the communication modules is in surface contact with an inner surface of each of the receiving spaces.
US09320148B2
A printed wiring board includes a core substrate having a penetrating hole extending through the core substrate, an electronic component accommodated in the penetrating hole of the core substrate, a filler resin filling clearance between the component and the core substrate, a first resin insulation layer formed on the component and a first surface of the core substrate, and a second resin insulation layer formed on the component and a second surface of the core substrate on the opposite side of the first surface of the core substrate. The filler resin has elastic modulus which is set to be lower than 0.2 Gpa and thermal expansion coefficient which is set to be higher than 100 ppm and lower than 200 ppm, and the core substrate has elastic modulus which is set to be higher than 30 Gpa, and thermal expansion coefficient which is set to be lower than 10 ppm.
US09320132B2
Provided are a ground device and a portable terminal having the same. The ground device for connecting an inner metallic material with an outer metallic material includes a ground piece electrically connected with the inner metallic material and a connection terminal portion which is bent to extend as one piece from the ground piece and is connected with the outer metallic material. A portable terminal includes an inner metallic material provided in an inner side of a main body of the portable terminal, an outer metallic material provided in a battery cover provided in an outer side of the main body, and a ground device for connecting the inner metallic material with the outer metallic material, and the ground device includes a ground piece mounted in the main body to be connected with the inner metallic material and a connection terminal portion which is multi-step bent as one piece from the ground piece to be connected with the outer metallic material.
US09320127B2
Systems and methods for tuning a parameter associated with plasma impedance are described. One of the methods includes receiving information to determine a variable. The information is measured at a transmission line and is measured when the parameter has a first value. The transmission line is used to provide power to a plasma chamber. The method further includes determining whether the variable is at a local minima and providing the first value to tune the impedance matching circuit upon determining that the variable is at the local minima. The method includes changing the first value to a second value of the parameter upon determining that the variable is not at the local minima and determining whether the variable is at a local minima when the parameter has the second value.
US09320121B2
Apparatus and control systems for LED lighting, and methods for configuring the control systems are provided. An LED lighting apparatus includes: a primary LED lighting device containing a WiFi module and a Zigbee module; and at least one secondary LED lighting device containing a Zigbee module. An LED lighting control system includes an LED lighting apparatus, a WiFi router, and a smart terminal. A Zigbee network is formed by Zigbee modules included in the primary/secondary LED lighting devices. The WiFi module of the primary LED lighting device is connected to internet via the WiFi router. The smart terminal is configured to directly control lighting of the at least one secondary LED lighting device via the primary LED lighting device.
US09320119B2
What is proposed is: an operating device for operating in particular a light-emitting means (12), having: —supply terminals (16, 17) for connecting the operating device to a supply voltage provided by a supply source (20), —output terminals (10) for controlling the light-emitting means (12), —an interface (21) for connection to a bus (2), and—a transmission path which is coupled to the interface (21), wherein the transmission path is designed to connect the received supply voltage to the bus (2) selectively.
US09320115B2
The present invention generally provides a power control unit adapted to provide adjustable levels of a controlled output power signal, such as but not limited to a pulse width modulated signal or a serial binary signal. One embodiment of a power control unit according to the present invention comprises a housing holding internal electronic components. This housing further comprises input and output wiring extending out of the housing and internally connected to the electronic components. The electronic components further comprise circuitry capable of providing at least 2 levels of the controlled output power signal. The present invention also includes lighting systems incorporating a power control unit according to the invention.
US09320113B2
A method of self-calibrating a lighting device, comprising: —monitoring a calibration area, which encompasses at least a part of an area being illuminable by the lighting device; and—calibrating the light output settings of the lighting device. The monitoring operation includes repeating: —detecting any relevant change, out of a set of relevant changes comprising at least a light intensity change, in the calibration area during a monitoring time, while keeping the light output of the lighting device constant; and—determining an amount of change within the monitoring time; until the amount of change is below a limit value. Thereby the lighting device does not perform the calibration until it has detected a period of no or small changes.
US09320110B2
A lighting device includes a voltage conversion circuit having at least a switching element connected to a positive potential side of the output terminals of the DC power source unit, and a drive unit which outputs a drive signal to the switching element. The drive unit has a first impedance element with a first impedance which is determined based on a power consumed by the drive unit before a predetermined time has elapsed after a control power source is supplied. A control capacitor for use in generating the drive signal is charged when the switching element is turned off during an on/off operation of the switching element. The lighting device further includes a second impedance element with a second impedance having a resistance component, which is arranged in a path in which the control capacitor can be charged in DC when the switching element does not perform the on/off operation.
US09320105B2
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system for selecting a color show generated by LED landscape, pool, and/or spa lights. The system can include an overlay indicating the color shows available to select from. A selector adjacent to the overlay can be positioned to select one of the color shows. The system includes a microcontroller in communication with the selector and a triac circuit in communication with the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the LED landscape, pool, and/or spa lights using the triac circuit in response to the position of the selector.
US09320100B2
The present invention relates to a lighting apparatus which stably performs dimming control on a lamp implemented with light emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like. The lighting apparatus may improve power efficiency by driving power supplied to a lamp in a current regulation method, perform constant current control such that the lamp maintains constant brightness, perform dimming control for controlling the brightness of the lamp, commonly supply the power provided to the lamp to peripheral circuit modules, and perform constant voltage control such that a driving voltage supplied as power is maintained at a predetermined level or more.
US09320096B2
A light emitting diode system includes a first light emitting diode apparatus and a second light emitting diode apparatus. The first light emitting diode apparatus includes an alternating-current-to-direct-current and light-controlling unit, a plurality of first light emitting diode modules and a first connector. The second light emitting diode apparatus includes a second connector, a signal-converting unit and a plurality of second light emitting diode modules. The first light emitting diode apparatus outputs a drive direct current power and a light-controlling signal to the signal-converting unit through the first connector and the second connector. Therefore, the signal-converting unit is configured to control colors and intensities of the second light emitting diode modules.
US09320094B2
Electronic circuits provide an error signal to control a regulated output voltage signal generated by a controllable DC-DC converter for driving one or more series connected strings of light emitting diodes.
US09320091B2
An example controller includes a measurement block and a drive block. The measurement block determines an amount of time that a dimmer circuit, that is coupled to an input of a power supply, disconnects an ac input voltage. The drive block generates a drive signal to control switching of a switch included in the power supply. The drive block operates a closed loop dimming control when the amount of time is less than or equal to a threshold and operates an open loop dimming control when the amount of time is greater than the threshold. The closed loop dimming control includes setting one or more operating conditions of the drive signal in response to a feedback signal that is representative of an output quantity of the power supply. The open loop dimming control includes holding the one or more operating conditions of the drive signal to a value.
US09320089B2
An optoelectronic semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor layer sequence having an active layer provided for generating radiation. The semiconductor chip can be operated in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode. The semiconductor layer sequence emits radiation in the first operating mode, while the semiconductor layer sequence emits no radiation in the second operating mode. The semiconductor layer sequence is operated in the forward direction in the first operating mode and in the reverse direction in the second operating mode. A display including a number of semiconductor chips of this type and a use as a motor vehicle headlight are furthermore specified.
US09320087B2
In a conductive fabric that includes conductive yarn and non-conductive yarn, a fabric end edge in a region that includes an end portion of at least a portion of the conductive yarn is provided in a position recessed farther to an inside of a fabric surface than a fabric end edge in another region. The end portion of the at least a portion of the conductive yarn is provided to the inside of the fabric surface.
US09320080B2
A master-slave distributed communications network includes a master node, a plurality of slave nodes. Each slave node is configured to store an address of the next node for a message to be routed on an uplink to the master node, and when sending a data packet to the master node it appends the pre-stored address and forwards the data packet to the next node thus lengthening the data packet, as the data packet is progressed from the slave nodes to the master node. For a downlink message, the master node using a pre-stored routing table includes in the data packet the addresses of all the slave nodes on the selected route. As the data packet is progressed from slave node to slave node, the address of each slave node which has forwarded the data packet is deleted thus shortening the overall length of the data packet.
US09320074B2
Configurations are described for maintaining a continuity and quality of wireless signal connection between a mobile device and systems accessible through the internet. In particular, configurations are disclosed to address the challenge of a mobile device that moves through a physical environment wherein the best wireless connectivity performance is achieved by switching between available connection sources and constantly evaluating a primary connection with other available connections that may be switched in to become a new primary connection. The mobile device may be self-propelled or carried by some other mobilizing means.
US09320073B2
A random access procedure control method and apparatus is provided for controlling a random access procedure efficiently in a mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation. The method for controlling random access procedure of a terminal in a wireless communication system having a primary cell and at least one secondary cell includes initiating a random access procedure in the primary cell and the at least one secondary cells, detecting a random access failure of a terminal performing the random access procedure, determining whether the random access failure is detected in the primary cell or the at least one secondary cell, and determining whether to continue the random access procedure according to a result of the determining of whether the random access failure is detected.
US09320070B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a user equipment pairing processing method, a network side device, and a user equipment. The method includes: acquiring, by a network side device, pairing request information of a beneficial user equipment and a candidate support user equipment that are to be paired; and implementing, by the network side device, pairing of the beneficial user equipment and the candidate support user equipment according to the pairing request information, and sending a pairing success message to the beneficial user equipment and the candidate support user equipment. In the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention, user pairing in cooperative communication is implemented.
US09320065B2
The present invention provides systems, methods and apparatus that pre-plan the payload connections of multiple dockees with a stationary docking environment in a docking process in accordance with a connection negotiation process which balances the needs and capabilities for all parties participating in the docking process. In accordance with one disclosed aspect, a connection negotiation system establishes one or more communication paths between one or more pairs of end points located in devices in a communication system.
US09320061B2
Disclosed are a broadband digital trunking service implementation method and a trunking scheduling management center. The trunking scheduling management center receives a trunking call establishment request, and sends a network side a trunking bearer establishment request carrying call information and a transmission bearer address according to the trunking call establishment request.
US09320059B2
This description suggests a technique of controlling the timing advance group (TAG) of a cell. In particular, this description suggests a method of managing the TAG in a communication system. The method may include receiving a control signal indicating a cell by user equipment (UE); putting the cell in a first TAG by the UE in response to the control signal, wherein the first TAG includes only at least one secondary cell of which the uplink timing is not decided; performing a random access procedure on the cell in the first TAG by the UE; and putting the cell in a second TAG from the first TAG by the UE.
US09320056B2
When an “always-on” method is applied, a situation of a shortage in resources for transmitting a SR is avoided while avoiding a delay in transmission of an uplink data signal or a drop in use efficiency of resources. A mobile station (UE) of the invention includes a transmission unit (23) configured, when resources for a collision-type SR to be shared with a different mobile station (UE) are set up, to transmit a collision-type SR including an identifier of the mobile station (UE) by using the resources for a collision-type SR. When no resources for an uplink data signal are allocated for the collision-type SR, the transmission unit (23) is configured to retransmit the collision-type SR by using the resources for a collision-type SR.
US09320054B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of scheduling communications with a group of wireless communication devices. For example, a wireless communication unit may transmit at least one scheduling frame including an indication of a downlink period allocated for simultaneous transmission from the wireless communication unit to at least one group of a plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group during the downlink period. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09320048B2
Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes determining a primary access category for a transmission opportunity (TXOP) to transmit data to a primary wireless communication device, the primary access category being an access category included in a group of access categories that are associated with different transmission priorities, respectively; retrieving one or more primary data units belonging to the primary access category to transmit to the primary wireless communication device during the TXOP; determining a secondary access category for the TXOP, the secondary access category being an access category included in the group of access categories, the secondary access category having a transmission priority different from the primary access category; retrieving one or more secondary data units belonging to the secondary access category to transmit to a secondary wireless communication device during the TXOP; and transmitting spatially steered streams during the TXOP, the steered streams embodying the one or more primary data units and the one or more secondary data units.
US09320043B2
Disclosed is a method for controlling interference in a heterogeneous network environment. The method for controlling the inter-cell interference of a base station according to one aspect of the present invention comprises the following steps: transmitting, to a terminal, information relating to subframes in which a portion of a resource is to be punctured; transmitting, to the terminal, a relevant subframe in which a portion of a resource is punctured on the basis of the information relating to said subframes. A method for controlling the inter-cell interference of a base station according to another aspect of the present invention comprises the following steps: setting a resource for transmitting system information; and transmitting system information using only said resource for transmitting system information, or preferentially using said resource for transmitting system information when transmitting system information using a subframe designated as an almost blank subframe (ABS). Accordingly, inter-cell interference problems may be alleviated even in the event pieces of important system information, such as CRS, should be transmitted using an ABS.
US09320042B2
The present invention is directed to achievement of a data transmission control to cause base stations to cooperate with one another, taking into account efficient use of radio resources. A wireless communication system, which is an aspect of the present invention, includes: a first base station; a second base station connected via a wired network; and a wireless communication terminal that conducts at least one of single data transmission in which a single base station transmits data and cooperative data transmission in which a plurality of base stations cooperate to transmit data. The base stations notify the wireless communication terminal of a condition indicating a case where the cooperative data transmission can be performed. If the communication quality of the propagation path meets the condition, the wireless communication terminal transmits, to the base stations, information that is required for the cooperative data transmission.
US09320041B2
Various embodiments of a scheme of dynamic activation and release of carrier aggregation in an LTE-Advanced system are provided. When transmission need of an LTE-Advanced user is large and the user is within coverage of at least one secondary component carrier, carrier aggregation is activated while a certain amount of resource of each component carrier is preserved to support carrier aggregation. This avoids unnecessary activation and waste due to signaling cost. When the primary component carrier of an LTE-Advanced user has sufficient resource to satisfy transmission need of the user or when the user is not within coverage of at least one secondary component carrier, carrier aggregation is released. This minimizes complex measurement and cost of controlling signals due to multi-carrier scheduling.
US09320037B2
An apparatus and method for supporting Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communications in a broadband wireless communication system are provided. A frame used by the terminal in P2P communications includes a plurality of P2P contention channels overlapping with a region for cellular communications and at least one P2P dedicated channel allocated by a base station only for the P2P communications. The method includes establishing a P2P connection with a correspondent terminal through the at least one P2P dedicated channel, and exchanging P2P communication data with the correspondent terminal through at least one of the plurality of P2P contention channels.
US09320030B2
A method and apparatus for performing effective feedback in a wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas. A method for transmitting CSI of downlink transmission via uplink in a wireless communication system includes transmitting a joint-coded rank indicator (RI) and a first wideband (WB) precoding matrix indicator (PMI) at a first subframe, and transmitting a wideband channel quality indicator (WB CQI) and a second WB PMI at a second subframe. A user equipment (UE) preferred precoding matrix is indicated by a combination of the first PMI and the second PMI. If the RI is Rank-1 or Rank-2, the first PMI indicates one of subsets each having 8 indexes from among 16 indexes of the first PMI of a precoding codebook.
US09320027B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for allocating an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system that supports carrier aggregation. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system that supports carrier aggregation of M (M≧1) uplink component carriers comprises: a step of receiving setup information on a primary uplink component carrier, from among said M uplink component carriers, via which one or more pieces of uplink control information are to be transmitted; a step of multiplexing said one or more pieces of uplink control information; and a step of transmitting the multiplexed uplink control information through the primary uplink component carrier.
US09320019B2
A WiFi device, which utilizes full spectrum capture, captures signals over a wide spectrum including one or more WiFi frequency bands and extracts one or more WiFi channels from the captured signals. The AP analyzes the extracted WiFi channels and aggregates a plurality of blocks of WiFi channels to create one or more aggregated WiFi channels based on the analysis. The WiFi frequency bands comprise 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi frequency bands. The AP determines one or more characteristics of the extracted WiFi channels based on the analysis. The determined characteristics comprise noise, interference, fading and blocker information. The AP generates a channel map comprising at least the extracted one or more WiFi channels based on the determined characteristics. The AP dynamically and/or adaptively senses the extracted one or more WiFi channels and updates the determined characteristics of the extracted WiFi channels.
US09320012B2
In order to know a communication state similar to an actual usage state of a user over a wide area, provided is an information processing apparatus that sends and receives information to and from a communication terminal via a network. The information processing apparatus includes a log information acquiring section that acquires, from the communication terminal, one or more pieces of log information in which position information identifying each of one or more positions and information relating to a communication environment of the communication terminal at each of the one or more positions are associated with each other; and a statistical information generating section that generates statistical information relating to the communication environment at a position, based on the one or more pieces of log information.
US09320010B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of estimating a location of a mobile device. For example, an apparatus may include a controller to control a mobile device to transmit a first message to a wireless communication station (STA) and to receive a first acknowledgement (ACK) message from the STA in response to the first message, when the mobile device is at a first location, wherein the controller to control the mobile device to transmit a second message to the STA and to receive a second ACK message from the STA in response to the second message, when the mobile device is at a second location, wherein the controller is to determine a distance difference between a first distance and a second distance based on a first round trip time and a second round trip time, the first distance being between the first location and the STA, the second distance being between the second location and the STA, wherein the first round trip time includes a round trip time of the first message and first ACK, and the second round trip time includes a round trip time of the second message and second ACK.
US09320004B2
A communication apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect received powers of a plurality of radio signals received during a first predetermined time period from another apparatus, and a transmission unit configured to transmit by proxy identification information of the another apparatus using a detection result by the detection unit as at least one condition.
US09319998B2
An information processing apparatus and a communication apparatus for accurately recognizing, at the base station, the current receiving quality of the mobile terminals for improving the throughput of the base station. A mobile terminal determines its own receiving quality based on the signal received from the base station for generating the receiving quality message indicating the receiving quality and generates the power control information requesting the transmission power of the base station. The receiving quality message is transmitted at a frame rate and power control information is transmitted at the slot rate to the base station. Based on both the receiving quality message and power control information, the base station estimates the current receiving quality of the mobile terminal and adaptive modulation and coding is performed based on the estimated value.
US09319988B1
A method and corresponding system to help manage user equipment device (UE) transmission power, specifically in a scenario where the UE was being served by a base station on a first carrier frequency and the UE is then going to communicate with a base station (whether the same or another base station) instead on a second, different carrier frequency. As disclosed, a UE may determine, based on communication by the UE on the first carrier frequency, a baseline initial transmit power for the UE to use for an initial transmission from the UE to a cellular base station on the second carrier frequency. Responsive to the second carrier frequency being different than the first carrier frequency, the UE may adjust the baseline initial transmit power to establish an adjusted initial transmit power. The UE may then engage in the initial transmission using the adjusted baseline initial transmit power.
US09319987B2
An apparatus for use in a mobile device includes a switch unit configured to switch a common connection of a transmitter and a first receiver from a first antenna to a second antenna and a connection of a respective second receiver from the second antenna to the first antenna; and a processing system configured to detect a switch condition that the transmitter needs to transmit via the second antenna, obtain power-related reception parameters of said first and said second receivers, cause the switch unit to switch the common connection of the transmitter and the first receiver so that the transmitter transmits via the second antenna, and adjust the power of the transmitter in dependence on the power-related reception parameters.
US09319986B2
A method of controlling a mobile information terminal that includes a device for identifying a position of the mobile information terminal based on a received signal includes activating, by a processor, the device based on a reception status of the received signal before deactivating the device, and an index related to movement of the mobile information terminal after deactivating the device.
US09319985B2
A method for reducing power consumption by a wireless communication device is disclosed. The method can include the wireless communication device performing a first measurement of an alternative cell during a first measurement gap; sending a first measurement report generated based on the first measurement to the serving cell; storing the first measurement report; determining a mobility state of the wireless communication device; comparing the mobility state to a mobility threshold criterion; resending the first measurement report to the serving network as a report for a second measurement gap in an instance in which the mobility state satisfies the mobility criterion; and performing a second measurement of the alternative cell during the second measurement gap and sending a second measurement report generated based on the second measurement to the serving cell in an instance in which the mobility state does not satisfy the mobility threshold criterion.
US09319981B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include an apparatus, method and/or system of controlling a wireless docking device. For example, a wireless docking interface may include an indicator to indicate at least a wireless docking disconnected state of a wireless docking device, a ready to connect state, and a wireless docking connected state; a control button; and a controller to trigger a wireless docking operation based on a change in a button state of the control button, the wireless docking operation including an operation selected from the group consisting of pairing the wireless docking device with a mobile device, disconnecting the mobile device from the docking device, and triggering the mobile device to switch between first and second power states.
US09319978B2
A method in a network node 150 for assisting a wireless terminal 145 to select an access node for a communication in a wireless communication network 100.The wireless communication network comprises a cellular network access node 130 and a wireless local network access node 140.The network node 150 establishes a state of a wireless local network unit 210 in the wireless terminal, obtains information of a radio condition and/or a load condition of the respective wireless local network access node and cellular network access node, and then determines which access node to use out of the wireless local network access node and the cellular network access node for the communication, based on the established state of the wireless local network unit and the obtained radio condition and/or load condition of the respective wireless local network access node and cellular network access node.
US09319973B2
In one embodiment, a scheme is disclosed for supporting wireless access network service request capability in a user equipment (UE) device that is operable in wide area cellular network (WACN) bands as well as in wireless access network bands (e.g., GAN bands and/or UMA bands). The UE device includes capability for gaining Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity with a wireless access network node (e.g., a GAN controller (GANC) or UMA network controller (UNC)). Thereafter, the UE device is operable to initiate a registration request message towards the wireless access network node, wherein the registration request message includes at least one information element pertaining to wireless access network services required by the UE device.
US09319961B2
A small, portable wireless router combined with a wideband, wearable antenna supports a local wireless network created on the move for exchanging information between multiple personnel spread over a useful geographic area. Multiple information sources of different types, such as cameras and GPS, can use the network to send information feeds to mobile users with interface devices such as smartphones that can deliver multiple feeds at the same time to the user. Devices connected to other networks, such as information processing devices at fixed operating bases, can deliver information feeds to the network.
US09319951B2
Example disclosed mobile station methods comprise performing a first access check based on a first equivalent public land mobile network (EPLMN) list and a first registered public land mobile network (RPLMN) identifier to determine whether a mobile station is allowed to access a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell, performing a second access check based on a second EPLMN list and a second RPLMN identifier, and conditioning reporting of the CSG cell based on the first and second checks. Example disclosed network methods comprise receiving a message from a packet switched domain network node indicating whether a mobile station is allowed to access a CSG cell, and if the message indicates that the mobile station is not allowed to access the CSG cell, informing a circuit switched domain network node that a DTM handover failure has occurred.
US09319930B2
A wireless multimedia point-to-multipoint network using different radio access technologies (RATs) is disclosed. Paired cellular spectrum may be used by the RATs. Controlling signaling and traffic may be sent using different RATs. Channel setup information may be provided by different RATs.
US09319927B2
A communication control apparatus includes a communication quality determining unit, a rank value calculating unit, and a download control unit. The communication quality determining unit acquires wireless communication qualities of a plurality of mobile stations. The rank value calculating unit calculates a reference value to determine mobile stations to be data download destinations by using the wireless communication qualities acquired by the acquiring unit, compares the reference values of the respective mobile stations at a first time point, and determines mobile stations to be the data download destinations in order from a mobile station whose reference value is the highest based on results of the comparison. The download control unit downloads data to the mobile stations determined as the data download destinations by the rank value calculating unit.
US09319919B2
The present invention relates to a method by which a terminal measures interference in a wireless communication system in which a macro cell and a small-scale cell coexist. The interference measurement method can include a step in which a terminal receives setting information for interference measurement (IM). Here, the setting information for the IM includes at least two settings, each setting is defined in a resource element (RE) unit, the first of the two settings is for measuring interference from other neighboring cells besides the macro and small-scale cells, and the second is for measuring interference from the macro cell. The interference measurement method may further include: measuring interference by using setting information for the IM; and feeding back channel quality obtained by using the measured interference value.
US09319917B2
In a wireless communication terminal in a wireless communication system for performing a control not to transmit signals, or to transmit signals with a reduction in a transmission power by a part of radio resources for a downlink signal in a cell provided by a base station, the terminal receives control information in generating a report related to a measurement result of the cell provided by the base station, monitors a state of a radio link with an own cell, and performs measurement on reception of the downlink signal. If an instruction for restricting the measurement to a part of the radio resources is included in the control information from the base station after the radio link failure occurs, the terminal generates and transmits a radio link failure report including the measurement result in the radio resources as instructed when the radio link failure occurs.
US09319916B2
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for measuring a power level in at least a portion of a plurality of resource blocks occurring in a radio frequency spectrum, wherein the measuring occurs for a plurality of time cycles to generate a plurality of power level measurements, calculating a baseline power level according to at least a portion of the plurality of power levels, determining a threshold from the baseline power level, and monitoring at least a portion of the plurality of resource blocks for signal interference according to the threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09319915B2
The present invention provides a method and system of providing minimization drive test (MDT) measurement information to a base station in a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, a method includes indicating availability of MDT measurement information logged by user equipment to a base station in a wireless network environment. The method further includes receiving an information request message to transfer the MDT measurement information in response to the indication. The method includes transmitting an information response message including at least a portion of the MDT measurement information to the base station, where the information response message indicates whether any portion of MDT measurement information is leftover with the user equipment. The method then includes repeating the above steps of receiving and transmitting till the entire MDT measurement information is transferred to the base station.
US09319911B2
Various embodiments provide adaptive monitoring of a wireless communication network. In one embodiment, a first set of network data generated for a wireless communication network is analyzed. The first set of network data is a set of historical network data for the wireless communication network. A baseline for at least one operating characteristic associated with the wireless communication network is determined based on the analyzing. A second set of network data generated for the wireless communication network is received. The second set of call detail records that has been received is utilized to determine if the at least one operating characteristic corresponds to the baseline. A set of monitoring operations performed by a network management system with respect to the wireless communication network is dynamically adjusted based on the at least one operating characteristic failing to correspond to the baseline.
US09319909B2
A user equipment (UE) configured for radio link monitoring is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE monitors a radio link quality for a secondary cell (SCell). The UE also determines whether a physical layer problem is detected based on the radio link quality. If a physical layer problem is detected, the UE stops a time alignment timer (TAT) of the SCell or sets the time alignment timer (TAT) of the SCell as expired.
US09319893B2
Providing for noise estimation in wireless communication, and particularly for access request signals transmitted by a user equipment (UE), is described herein. By way of example, a wireless signal receiver can employ unused signal dimensions of a wireless network for noise estimation. In addition, the unused signal dimensions can be selected for time-frequency resources that are associated with a particular wireless channel, in order to obtain a noise estimate for that channel. By employing unused signal dimensions, a noise measurement is likely to include no other signal transmissions, and provide an accurate estimate of noise on that channel. According to various aspects of the subject disclosure, one or more Chu sequences employed for signal transmissions, root sequences thereof, or one or more cyclic shifts of a root sequence can be employed for the unused signal dimension.
US09319890B2
Attachment data collected by a set of femto access points (FAPs) is utilized to localize, predict, and/or weight potential wireless communication traffic within and between areas. Moreover, the attachment data can be indicative of user equipment (UE) density/traffic within coverage areas of respective femtocells. The attachment data can be consolidated and analyzed to identify location and motion of a UE “swarm”. Moreover an automatic cell planning (ACP) component can be employed to utilize the attachment data for determining an optimal macro site and optimal antenna setting(s) that facilitate steering/tuning the macro antenna beam to focus upon the swarm area. In addition, the ACP component can facilitate reconfiguration of the macro antenna beam as reported swarm concentrations shift between the FAPs.
US09319888B2
A technique for enabling utilization of a one-way link in wireless communication systems of the type using whitespaces is disclosed. A wireless communication system is arranged to include a transmitting station which transmits data by wireless communication and receiving stations which receive data as sent thereto, for performing wireless communication by using a whitespace. The receiving station detects data receivability at a specific frequency and sends communication quality information which is a detection result thereof to the transmitting station. The transmitting station holds this communication quality information. Then, upon startup of data reception by wireless communication, the receiving station sends to the transmitting station a packet indicating required quality which is a condition for the data reception. The transmitting station selects, by reference to the communication quality information, a frequency satisfying this required quality and allocates it to the receiving station as a frequency used for data transmission.
US09319887B2
Methods and apparatus for reduction of interference between a plurality of wireless interfaces. In one exemplary embodiment, a device having a first (e.g., Wi-Fi) interface and a second (e.g., Bluetooth) interface monitors interference between its interfaces. A reduction in transmit power of the Wi-Fi module causes a disproportionately larger reduction in undesirable interference experienced at the Bluetooth antennas. For example, when the Bluetooth interface detects interference levels above acceptable thresholds, the Wi-Fi interface adjusts operation of one or more of its transmit chains based on various conditions such as duty cycle, Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), etc. Various embodiments of the present invention provide simultaneous operation of WLAN and PAN interfaces, without requiring time division coexistence, by reducing power on a subset of interfering antennas.
US09319880B2
A reference picture buffer may supply an asymmetric macroblock to a video encoder to improve the bandwidth between the encoder and buffer. The macroblock width may be sized to match the minimum burst width of the buffer. The size of the macroblock may be kept unchanged by reducing the macroblock height.
US09319876B2
Anonymizing location information of a mobile device by an anonymization provider. The anonymization provider receives, from the mobile device, location information identifying the location of the mobile device and anonymity requirements. The anonymization provider determines whether the received location information satisfies the received anonymity requirements. Based on the received location information satisfying the received anonymity requirements, the anonymization provider generates an obfuscated location for the mobile device and sends the obfuscated location to the mobile device. Based on the received location information not satisfying the received anonymity requirements, the anonymization provider sends a request for new anonymity requirements to the mobile device.
US09319864B2
A method when roaming by a mobile communication device including a SIM card identifying itself using an IMSI roams between a home network and one or several visited networks, which networks are interconnected by a PSTN. The method a) stores on the SIM card a first IMSI associated with a first collaborating network; b) initiates a location update procedure using the first IMSI; c) triggered by the location update procedure and based on the first IMSI, causes an STP (Signal Transfer Point) of the first collaborating network to send a location update message to an ITP (Internet Transfer Point); and d) causes the first ITP to forward the message to an STP of the home network via a wide area network and not using the PSTN.
US09319850B2
A method and system of managing group calls is disclosed. The method of comprises receiving call control signaling associated with a group of user communication entities; identifying a user communication entity of the group of user communication entities; determining a first association between the user communication entity, the first group call and at least one of a first delivery method and a second delivery method; in response to determining the first association: determining that the user communication entity is participating in a second group call; determining whether a first priority associated with the first group call and the user communication entity is higher than a second priority associated with the second group call and the user communication entity; and based on a determination that the first priority is higher, conveying to the user communication entity via the first delivery method a call control message associated with the first group call.
US09319849B2
A content output system includes a plurality of mobile terminals that store content data, and a content display apparatus that is communicatively connected to the plurality of mobile terminals, obtains the content data from the mobile terminals, and displays the content data on a display. The content display apparatus displays the content data on the display in association with the mobile terminals that store the content data.
US09319843B2
A database may be searched for prior meetings matching the proposed meeting. Each prior meeting may include attendees of each prior meeting and travel time of each attendee to the each prior meeting. Upon identifying one or more matched prior meetings, a notification for an attendee of the proposed meeting based on travel times of the attendee to the one or more matched prior meetings may be generated.
US09319837B2
The invention relates to a method for automatically creating a geofence (1), comprising the following steps: detecting a starting position; transferring the starting position to a digital map; automatically creating an area object on the digital map, wherein the area object comprises the starting position; detecting movement data of at least one moveable object in the region of the area object; and automatically reducing the area object to form the geofence (1), on the basis of the movement data.
US09319836B2
A method for providing a network service of a cellular communication network covering a geographical area for a plurality of mobile terminals, the method comprising: defining a grid covering at least a part of the geographical area with grid fields, framed by grid lines and spaced by a grid spacing; providing grid information comprising reference point information and information on said grid spacing, generating crossing information in response to one of the plurality of mobile terminals crossing one grid line, based on said grid information and on position information of the at least one mobile terminal, and keeping grid field information for at least one grid field comprising identification information of the one mobile terminal when inside the one grid field based on said crossing information.
US09319835B2
Systems and techniques for securely managed location-and-tracking service (LTS) access are described herein. A trusted execution environment (TEE) may establish a connection to an LTS. The TEE may provide verification to the LTS that the connection origination from the TEE. The TEE may request an LTS location for the mobile device from the LTS using the connection. The TEE may provide the LTS location to applications of the mobile device.
US09319830B2
An audio playback apparatus includes an integrated circuit in which an FM reception circuit and a near field wireless communication circuit are integrated and packaged into one chip, a switch unit configured to switch between output of an audio signal supplied from the FM reception circuit and output of an audio signal supplied from the near field wireless communication circuit, and a connection terminal configured to output an audio signal selected using the switch unit and supply an FM broadcast signal received through a cable of an earphone connected to the connection terminal to the FM reception circuit. An associated method performed by the audio playback apparatus cooperates with the mobile terminal apparatus and associated method to provide a functional system.
US09319824B2
The present invention provides a system, wireless communication device, method and computer program product for combining one or more compatible services with a current service. A user of a wireless communication device is subscribed with a registered service provider. A user sends a request for identifying the one or more compatible services with the current service to the registered service provider. The registered service provider identifies and sends a list of the identified compatible services to the wireless communication device. The user then selects at least one compatible service from the list of the identified compatible services. Thereafter, the registered service provider sends the software required for combining the selected compatible services with the current service. The user creates a combined service by combining the selected compatible services with the current service using the software on the wireless communication device.
US09319822B2
An over-the-air update method for continuous delta of an Android handheld device is provided, having advantages of transmitting a plurality of update packages, rebooting once to complete all updates after the update packages are executed, and meeting the update power failure recovery requirement. A command document is continuously processed from the interrupt row according to update information and processing progress after rebooting in cases of abnormal power failure in the update process. In addition, an update power failure recovery method for an Android handheld device is provided. Rebooting is only required once no matter how many update packages are installed. Obstacle to release of a plurality of packages does not exist. The plurality of update packages are provided with update power failure protection. Processing is convenient and realization is reliable.
US09319817B2
The present invention provides a tip-plate assembly for arrangement at a proximal end portion of a hearing device to be worn at least partially within an ear canal such that said proximal end portion faces towards an ear drum. Said tip-plate assembly comprises a tip-plate (9) having a seating aperture (10), a receiver module (5) having a sound output port (6) at a front end (11), and a suspension element (12). Said suspension element (12) at least partly envelopes said receiver module (5) at said front end (11) and said receiver module (5) is mounted in said seating aperture (10) by means of said suspension element (12). Said tip-plate assembly may further comprise a microphone module (15). Moreover, a hearing device comprising such a tip-plate assembly is given, and a method of manufacturing a hearing device comprising such a tip-plate assembly is proposed.
US09319812B2
A method of assessing hearing characteristics of a subject is provided. The method includes determining a hearing capability of the subject based on responses of the subject to a series of sounds presented to the subject. Each sound corresponds to a presence, absence or irrelevance of a predetermined plurality of features. The method further includes assigning the subject to one of a predetermined plurality of classes based upon the responses of the subject, each of the plurality of classes being derived from hearing tests performed on a plurality of other subjects.
US09319801B2
In a hearing aid system, which comprises at least one hearing aid device, incorrect adaptation of the signal processing unit of the hearing aid device to the receiver used is intended to be avoided. To this end, automatic identification of the type of receiver used is proposed, as well as automatic adaptation of the signal processing in the hearing aid device by the hearing aid system. Incorrect manual adaptation is thereby prevented.
US09319800B2
An electro-acoustic transducer includes a conductive substrate provided with at least one cell and at least one electrode, and a pad substrate disposed corresponding to the conductive substrate and provided with at least one pad corresponding to the electrode, in which at least one of the electrode and the pad includes an electric pattern for electric connection and at least one dummy pattern that is provided around the electric pattern to be separated the electric pattern.
US09319793B2
A system and method for supplying power to a headset, and for transmitting multiple signals generated in the headset to a terminal using frequency division multiplexing. An audio signal and a carrier signal are generated in the terminal and summed together to form a composite uplink signal. The composite uplink signal is provided to a headset over a first physical channel. At the headset, the audio and carrier signals are separated, and the carrier signal is used to generate power in the headset. Signals generated by a plurality of acoustic sensors in the headset are combined using frequency division multiplexing to generate a composite downlink signal, which is transmitted to the terminal over a second physical channel. One or more carrier signals used to generate the composite downlink signal are provided by either a carrier source in the headset, or by recovering the carrier signal from the composite uplink signal.
US09319782B1
Audio of electronic audio devices may be synchronized by a signal synchronization component that receives one or more signals corresponding to elements of the audio output by the electronic audio devices. The signal synchronization component may perform calculations to align signals corresponding to the output audio of the electronic audio devices and then determine a delay for the output audio transmitted from the electronic audio devices with respect to each other. Additionally, the signal synchronization component may operate in conjunction with audio sources of the electronic audio devices to modify the timing for transmitting output audio by one or more of the electronic audio devices based, at least in part, on the delay. In this way, the output audio transmitted by the electronic audio devices may be synchronized.
US09319773B2
A headphone comprising: at least one speaker housing comprising at least a first surface with a first opening and a second surface with second opening; at least one resonator designed to cover at least a portion of the second opening of the second surface; at least one speaker, at least a portion of the speaker disposed within the speaker housing proximate to the first opening of the first surface of the speaker housing.
US09319772B2
A multi-floor type MEMS microphone includes a housing formed by a stack of circuit boards and provided with a first cavity, a second cavity in vertical communication with the first cavity, and a sound hole in communication with the second cavity. The second cavity has a vertical cross-sectional area smaller than that of the first cavity. A MEMS transducer is disposed in the second cavity and electrically conducted with the housing, and an ASIC chip is disposed in the first cavity and electrically conducted with the housing. By this design, the volume of the back chamber of a vibrating diaphragm of the MEMS transducer can be increased in a limited space of the housing, and thus the sensitivity of the microphone can be improved.
US09319768B2
A system for detecting a jack configuration comprising a first plurality of switches configured to couple a first headphone jack position to ground. A second plurality of switches configured to couple a second headphone jack position to ground. A microphone bias circuit for applying a microphone bias signal to the second headphone jack position when the first headphone jack position is coupled to ground, and for applying the microphone bias signal to the first headphone jack position when the second headphone jack position is coupled to ground.
US09319760B2
A portable electronic device that provides audio sound output from multiple internal speakers to a common output audio opening in a housing of the portable electronic device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the multiple internal speakers are provided in close proximity to one another, such as adjacent to one another, and serve to produce audio sound pertaining to different audio channels. The sound (i.e., pressure waves) produced by each of the internal speakers is directed into a respective acoustic chamber and output via the output audio opening in the housing. Accordingly, the acoustic chambers for the multiple internal speakers can each direct their audio sound output to the same output audio opening in the housing. The respective acoustic chambers can be formed adjacent to one another with a structural barrier serving to separate the distinct acoustic chambers.
US09319757B2
An apparatus includes a wavelength-selective optical switch able to route light between a first optical port and a plurality of second optical ports. The wavelength-selective optical switch includes a bank of optical wavelength-converters. Each wavelength converter of the bank is able to selectively optically couple an optical data stream on a wavelength-channel between the first optical port and individual ones of the second optical ports.
US09319755B2
A system and method for are provided for common distribution and rendering of communications capability for emergency alert services. A zone headend device, for a local zone, receives a local emergency alert service (EAS) message that is intended for a particular geographic locality. The zone headend device processes the local EAS message for delivery over a television conditional access system and sends the local EAS message to a regional headend device for a region of multiple zones including the local zone. The regional headend device receives the local EAS message and another local EAS message from another zone headend device. The regional headend device processes the local EAS message and the other local EAS message for in-band delivery with regional programming for broadcast quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and over-the-top streaming.
US09319754B2
A method and apparatus for coordinated splicing of multiple streams is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method and apparatus for controlling flow of a plurality of streams of a first data stream is disclosed. Further, a method and an apparatus for selecting splice opportunity points for a plurality of streams of the first data stream is disclosed.
US09319746B2
A method, apparatus, and system to provide the ability for a user to make audio and/or audio-video phone calls simultaneously while watching (co-viewing) provider video content in remote locations. A control system is provided to set up call, direct provider video content, and provide for the phone calls and video content to be delivered and then synchronized. The phone calls may be routed by the control system to PSTN destinations or Internet based destinations and calls made or received may be bridged to other Internet based sources. The provider video content may be provided directly from its source or routed through NAT traversal or through the control system.
US09319743B2
A digital service signal apparatus is disclosed. The digital service signal apparatus includes a receiving module receiving signaling information having channel information for an application from the digital service signal, a generating module generating a request using the channel information, a sending module sending the generated request, a downloading module downloading the application, an executing module configured to execute the API related to the application and a registering module configured to register the specific key set according to the mode number.
US09319736B2
An apparatus and method for editing transport stream (TS) program information, and a TS recording device using the same, the apparatus including: a demultiplexer that demultiplexes a TS in order to separate the TS into a video stream, an audio stream, and a program information section; a controller that generates new program information using user data obtained from the video stream separated from the TS by the demultiplexer; and a section modifier that modifies the program information section using the new program information generated by the controller. Using the apparatus and method for editing TS program information, the user data can still be used even when the user data is included in a video frame and a recorded program is reproduced at high speed. Thus, controlling the viewing of a program by rating is possible.
US09319735B2
An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. In addition, the program schedule system of the present invention utilizes category-specific user interfaces providing access to multiple services including television programs, received data feeds, home shopping services, and video games as well as the stored program schedule information.
US09319730B2
There is provided a method of delivering a video stream, the method executable at a network transmission device. The method comprises: identifying a stream sent to a plurality of subscribers; locating a promotional segment in the identified stream; transmitting a first replaced promotional segment to a first subscriber, the first replaced promotional segment having been selected based on a subscriber attribute associated with the first subscriber, the first replaced promotional segment replacing the promotional segment; transmitting a second replaced promotional segment to a second subscriber the second replaced promotional segment having been selected based on a subscriber attribute associated with the second subscriber, the second replaced promotional segment replacing the promotional segment; and resuming transmitting of the identified stream to the first subscriber and the second subscriber following transmission of the respective first and second replaced promotional segments. Execution of the method allows targeted advertising by selecting individual promotional segments to reach specific subscribers by selective insertion in a broadcast stream.
US09319724B2
An exemplary method includes a media program distribution service system 1) receiving data representative of a plurality of scene tags specifying one or more media program scenes tagged by a plurality of end users of a media program distribution service, 2) aggregating the plurality of scene tags, 3) determining, based on a favorite scenes determination heuristic and the aggregate scene tags, a set of one or more favorite scenes that are most popular among the plurality of end users of the media program distribution service, and 4) providing, based on the determined set of one or more favorite scenes, a favorite scene based feature of the media program distribution service. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
US09319715B2
Provided is an intra prediction decoding apparatus that restores quantized residual coefficients, intra prediction information and size information on a prediction unit from a received bit stream, restores an intra prediction mode of the current prediction unit on the basis of the intra prediction information and the size information on the current prediction unit, generates unavailable reference pixels of the prediction unit, and adaptively filters the reference pixels on the basis of the intra prediction mode. Also, the apparatus generates a prediction block by adaptively filtering reference pixels corresponding to the intra prediction mode. Then, the apparatus generates a restoration image using the prediction block and a restored residual block. Accordingly, a prediction block close to an original image can be restored, and an image compression ratio can be improved.
US09319713B2
A video decoding method and apparatus and a video encoding method and apparatus based on a scanning order of hierarchical data units are provided. The decoding method includes: receiving and parsing a bitstream of an encoded video; extracting from the bitstream information about a size of a maximum coding unit for decoding a picture of the encoded video, and encoding information about a coded depth and an encoding mode for coding units of the picture, wherein the size of the maximum coding unit is a maximum size of a coding unit which is a data unit for decoding the picture; and determining a hierarchical structure of the maximum coding unit and the coding units into which the picture is divided according to depths, and decoding the picture based on the coding units, by using the information about the size of the maximum coding unit and the encoding information about the coded depth and the encoded mode.
US09319711B2
A method determines a plurality of interpolation filters for use in interpolating sub-pel values for a temporal prediction process of video content. The plurality of interpolation filters are designed based on sub-pel offsets for two reference blocks. The method determines a first sub-pel offset for a first reference block for the unit of video content and determines a second sub-pel offset for a second reference block for a unit of video content. A set of interpolation filters is determined to interpolate a set of sub-pel pixel values for use in the temporal prediction process for the unit of video content. The set of interpolation filters is designed for the first sub-pel offset and the second sub-pel offset and is used to interpolate a first sub-pel pixel value for the first reference block and a second sub-pel value for the second reference block.
US09319710B2
Video encoding and its corresponding decoding are disclosed. The video encoding incorporates: a predictor for predicting a pixel value of each pixel in a current block of the video to generate a predicted pixel value; a subtractor for calculating a difference between an original pixel value of the pixel in the current block and the predicted pixel value of the pixel in the current block to generate a residual signal; a transformer for transforming the residual signal into frequency coefficients; a quantizer for quantizing the transformed frequency coefficients; and an encoder for encoding the quantized frequency coefficients by using one of different variable length coding tables.
US09319708B2
The embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for improved motion estimation using a graphics processing unit. One such embodiment includes a method for determining a motion vector describing motion relative to a reference block, which comprises determining which of a plurality of prediction blocks is a good match with the reference block, according to a match criteria. The method further comprises performing a local area exhaustive search, in an area centered around the good match prediction block, to produce a best match with the reference block. The best match has integral pixel resolution. The method further comprises modeling the degree of match between the best match and the reference block as a quadratic surface and analytically determining a minima of the quadratic surface, corresponding to a best matching block with fractional resolution. The method further comprises computing a fractional motion vector based on the best matching block with fractional resolution.
US09319706B2
A video decoding method including: extracting, from a bitstream of an encoded video, at least one of information indicating independent parsing of a data unit and information indicating independent decoding of a data unit; extracting encoded video data and information about a coded depth and an encoding mode according to maximum coding units by parsing the bitstream based on the information indicating independent parsing of the data unit; and decoding at least one coding unit according to a coded depth of each maximum coding unit of the encoded video data, based on the information indicating independent decoding in the data unit and the information about the coded depth and the encoding mode according to maximum coding units.
US09319704B2
A video decoding method including: extracting, from a bitstream of an encoded video, at least one of information indicating independent parsing of a data unit and information indicating independent decoding of a data unit; extracting encoded video data and information about a coded depth and an encoding mode according to maximum coding units by parsing the bitstream based on the information indicating independent parsing of the data unit; and decoding at least one coding unit according to a coded depth of each maximum coding unit of the encoded video data, based on the information indicating independent decoding in the data unit and the information about the coded depth and the encoding mode according to maximum coding units.
US09319696B2
Embodiments for changing bit rates in streaming media are provided. As portions of a streaming media file are downloaded for playback, the size of the portion is compared with an expected size determined prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data. The portion of the media file may be padded such that the size of the portion matches the size specified prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data.
US09319695B2
A moving image output device includes a moving image acquisition unit to acquire moving image data which represents a moving image as a collection of a plurality of images, a image generation unit to generate each piece of image data which represents each image of the moving image by processing the moving image data acquired by the moving image acquisition unit, an image output unit to sequentially output each piece of image data generated by the image generation unit according to a set time interval, and an interval setting unit to set to the image output unit a first time interval, and temporarily setting to the image output unit a second time interval which is longer than the first time interval as for image data for which the image generation by the image generation unit fails to occur in time with the sequential image output with the first time interval.
US09319691B2
An image coding device includes a first block encoder and a second block encoder. The first block encoder compresses input pixel values including first and second input pixel values in a block. The first input pixel value is located at a first position of the block, and the second input pixel value is located at a second position of the block. The second block encoder compresses the input pixel values by the unit block. The first and second block encoders compare the input pixel values based on different methods of compression. The first block encoder outputs the first input pixel value as a first compressed pixel value, and compresses the second input pixel value to a second compressed pixel value.
US09319678B2
In one embodiment, a method receives a frame type storage medium including frame type decisions made by a first encoding process to encode a video at a first bitrate to generate a first encoded video. While performing a second encoding process to encode the video at a second bitrate to generate a second encoded video, the method performs: retrieving information from the storage medium regarding a frame type decision made during the first encoding process; inserting a keyframe in the second encoded video based on the retrieved information from the storage medium, wherein the inserted keyframe in the second encoded video is aligned with a corresponding keyframe in the first encoded video; and continuing to retrieve information from the storage medium and inserting keyframes in the second encoded video. Keyframes in the first encoded video are aligned with keyframes in the second encoded video.
US09319674B2
Disclosed are a 3D image display device and a driving method thereof. The 3D image display device includes a panel, a barrier panel, an image collector, and a timing controller. The panel includes a plurality of left-eye pixels and right-eye pixels. The barrier panel is disposed at a front surface of the panel, and includes a light transmitting area and a light blocking area. The image collector collects images of an object. The timing controller sets and stores a view map with the images in a view map correction mode and, in a 3D viewing mode, determines which of a plurality of viewing zones for a 3D image the object is located in and generates a barrier control signal for driving the barrier panel according to the determined result.
US09319671B2
Provided is a video quality assessment system for digital TV. The video quality assessment system includes a video quality test signal insertion device which inserts a test signal for testing video quality into a predetermined area of a transient effect area (TEA) of each frame of a source video and a video quality measurement device which detects the test signal from a predetermined area of the video signal recovered after reception and outputs the test signal. Preferably, an insertion position of the test signal is one line or two or more lines of the TEA area which are located in a lower end portion of the video, and the test signal is configured with multi-bursts including a large number of frequencies which are in a range of DC to ½ of a sampling frequency.
US09319669B2
An image processing device includes a processor; and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute, acquiring an image that includes a marker that includes a plurality of first color regions and a plurality of second color regions, of which a color is different from a color of the first color regions, the plurality of first color regions being opposed to each other and the plurality of second color regions being opposed to each other; extracting the first color regions or the second color regions from the image; reducing the first color regions or the second color regions until a first degree of similarity between a shape of the first color regions or the second color regions, the first color regions or the second color regions being extracted, and a predetermined elliptical shape satisfies a predetermined first threshold value.
US09319666B1
A device is configured to receive an image including a calibration pattern and apply a filter to the image based on a first coordinate plane. The device is configured to determine a first set of response peaks associated with the calibration pattern based on applying the filter, the first set of response peaks being associated with a set of control points and a set of boundary points. The device is configured to determine a second set of response peaks associated with the calibration pattern based on a second coordinate plane and a third coordinate plane, the second set of response peaks being associated with the boundary points. The device is configured to determine the control points based on determining the first set of response peaks and the second set of response peaks, and provide information that identifies the control points.
US09319665B2
An involuntary action adjusted by the accommodation of the crystalline lens of the eye provides the data to the embedded algorithm to get the new image. Instead of the user performing a voluntary action to control the embedded algorithm, an involuntary action by the user is used to control the embedded algorithm allowing the user to automatically adjust the Plane of Depth (POD) for a Light Field Photograph (LFP) image or an eyeglass image. The adjustment of eyeglass image is used by an accommodation system to control the mechanical system of lenses in an eyeglass to automatically focus the glasses over a range of PODs. In addition, a voluntary far/near button can be used manually to adjust the POD for both the LFP image and the eyeglass adjustment. The variation of the crystalline thickness to adjust the focus of nearby and distant objects is called accommodation.
US09319641B2
A method is provided that includes receiving from a camera, video depicting a scene having a center bounded by first and second horizontal edges. The scene also includes an identified object of interest (OI) having a region around the identified OI and a motion vector representing a location, and an amount and at least a horizontal direction of movement. The method also includes calculating from the location of the identified OI, a distance of the identified OI from either or both of the horizontal edges of the scene, and in which the first horizontal edge is in the horizontal direction of movement and the second horizontal edge is opposite the horizontal direction of movement. And the method includes causing an increase or decrease in speed of the camera in the horizontal direction of movement based on location of the identified OI relative to the first/second horizontal edges.
US09319639B1
A rear-view mirror and modular monitor system and method includes an interior mirror that embeds a modular monitor behind see-through mirror glass. In some embodiments, the system includes multiple cameras, some in the vehicle, bus and/or truck, as well as some cameras outside the vehicle, bus and/or truck, advantageously providing the driver an opportunity to view what is happening, for example, in the back rows of the bus and/or cabin, while also using the mirror to look at objects in the bus and/or cabin that are visible using the mirror. The rear-view mirror and modular monitor system is configured to be easily assembled and/or disassembled when necessary for maintenance and/or to replace parts.
US09319631B2
An external input apparatus connected with a communication terminal delivering conference data including voice or video to another set of equipment connected via a network is disclosed. The external input apparatus includes a first display part for displaying an image; an operation reception part for receiving a user's operation; an image obtaining part for obtaining image data of the image; an image data transmission part for transmitting the image data to the other set of equipment by using the communication terminal; a transition information storage part for registering, according to display control information reported by the communication terminal, a transition condition of a share menu which is used for receiving a sharing control operation for the image data; and a menu control part for displaying, by using the first display part, the share menu determined according to the display control information obtained from the communication terminal and the transition condition.
US09319630B2
A method and a device are provided for processing a video transmitted over a communication network. The video processing may include timing playback of an image frame of the video so as to maintain a continuous playback of the video regardless of network delays and other adverse factors. An ith image frame of the video may be fetched for processing from a buffer queue. A sampling interval of the ith image frame may be calculated. Further, a waiting time and a regulated waiting time of the ith image frame may be calculated. A playing interval of the ith image frame may be determined based on the regulated waiting time. If the time elapsed since start of playback of an (i−1)th image frame of the video is not shorter than the playing interval of the ith image frame, the ith image frame may be played at the current time point.
US09319625B2
A communication terminal including an interface that receives an input requesting a reservation to record content; a control unit that acquires image data corresponding to a user of the communication terminal; a recording reservation unit that generates recording reservation information based on the input and the image data; and a communication unit that transmits the recording reservation information to a server, and receives, from the server, content based on the recording reservation information.
US09319623B2
An information processing apparatus stores sets of image data associated with sets of user identification information. When receiving a set of the user identification information and a set of apparatus identification information identifying one of image display apparatuses, the information processing apparatus stores information of a stored set of image data associated with the received set of user information in a manner of associating the stored set of image data with the received set of apparatus identification information, and, in response to receiving a request from the image display apparatus identified by the set of apparatus identification information, transmits the set of image data associated with the set of apparatus identification information to the image display apparatus.
US09319619B1
Provided is a method and system for displaying video from a plurality of video streams on a display. It includes an input interface for receiving video data from a plurality of video streams and transferring the video data to a frame controller in communication with a television display. The frame controller causes the video data from each of the plurality of different video streams to be displayed in a separate frame on the television display, and each frame occupying an area of the television display separate from an area occupied by any other frame. A system for displaying video from a plurality of video stream using the correct aspect ratio and resolution is also provided.
US09319611B2
An image sensor can include pixels that are grouped into subsets of pixels, with each subset including three or more pixels. A method for asymmetrical high dynamic range imaging can include capturing an image of a subject scene using a single integration time for all of the pixels. In a subset of pixels, charge in N pixels is read out and summed together. N represents a number that is between two and one less than a total number of pixels in the subset. Un-summed charge is read out from one pixel in the subset. The un-summed charge and the summed charge are combined when producing a high dynamic range image.
US09319610B2
The present disclosure relates to an image pickup device, a control method, and an image pickup apparatus, which can implement more various data outputs.An image pickup apparatus of the present disclosure includes a pixel array in which incident light of an object is photoelectrically converted by a photoelectric conversion element at each of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, a selection unit that selects the number of A/D converters that output a pixel signal of each pixel in the pixel array, and a control unit that controls the selection unit and causes the selection unit to select the number of the A/D converters according to a request. The present disclosure can be applied to an image pickup device, a control method, and an image pickup apparatus.
US09319596B2
A small light-emitting device is provided. A light-emitting device which is less likely to produce a shadow is provided. A structure including a switching circuit for supplying a pulsed constant current and a light-emitting panel supplied with the pulsed constant current has been conceived.
US09319594B2
An imaging device of the present invention comprises an additive combination for subjecting image data to additive combination, a gain application section for applying minus gain image data that has been subjected to additive combination by the additive combination section, an additive combination section for, at the time of imaging in the imaging section, respectively subjecting a plurality of image data, that have been acquired by divided exposure at the divided exposure time, to additive combination to create combined image data, and a gain application section for applying the minus gain to the combined image data to create taken image data.
US09319580B2
A method for shooting a multi-focused image in an electronic device includes selecting a plurality of focus targets in a preview mode, calculating camera lens moving distances of the focus targets, and shooting an image of each focus target from a single fixed angle by reference to the camera lens moving distances of the focus targets. Thus, a user does not have to move the focus several times from the fixed angle.
US09319577B2
An exchangeable lens includes: a mount unit at which a camera body is detachably engaged; a plurality of drive target members, conditions of which change as a drive force is applied thereto; an initialization unit that executes initialization processing for each of the plurality of drive target members; an initialization status transmission unit that transmits initialization statuses, each indicating a status of the initialization processing executed for one of the drive target members, to the camera body via a first transmission path over predetermined first cycles; and a drive condition transmission unit that transmits a drive condition of at least one drive target member among the plurality of drive target members to the camera body via a second transmission path different from the first transmission path over predetermined second cycles different from the predetermined first cycles.
US09319574B2
A camera lens assembly is provided. The camera lens includes a movable Auto Focusing (AF) unit configured to move back and forth in a direction of an optical axis of an image sensor, and a movable Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) unit installed on the movable AF unit and configured to move back and forth in the direction of the optical axis together with the movable AF unit. The movable OIS unit floats in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis on the movable AF unit. The camera lens assembly simplifies the construction while implementing both the auto focus function and the optical image stabilization function. As a result, the camera lens assembly is advantageous for miniaturization and may improve reliability.
US09319570B2
An apparatus for a video camera facilitates the use of the camera by an operator. A shoulder mount may comprise one or more pads that may be movably attached to a mounting or reinforcing plate and coupled to a mechanism that facilitates the rotation, translation and/or tilting of the pads. One or more releases may be positioned to permit an operator to actuate the mechanisms and to unlock and reposition the pads with respect to the camera body. A tripod configuration may be defined in which all pads are fully confined within the volume of a recess of the camera body, thereby permitting attachment of a tripod or other mechanical mount.
US09319558B2
A data processing apparatus is constructed by an input device for inputting an instruction for causing a job processor to perform a job, an analyzing unit for analyzing the instruction inputted by the input device, a discriminating unit for discriminating a processing ability of the job processor which performs the job based on the instruction inputted by the input device, and a controller for controlling a supply of the instruction inputted by the input device to the job processor in accordance with a result of the analysis by the analyzing unit and a result of the discrimination by the discriminating unit. The job processor performs a job to transmit input data to another apparatus, and the input device inputs an instruction including a designation of destinations to transmit data by the job processor.
US09319553B2
An image-forming apparatus includes a light-irradiation unit configured to move a spot of laser light on a surface of a photosensitive member at a non-constant scanning velocity in a main scanning direction to form a latent image on the photosensitive member, an image data correcting unit configured to correct a length in the main scanning direction of image data by inserting one or more image data pieces into the image data, the number of the image data pieces increasing as the scanning velocity increases, and/or extracting one or more image data pieces from the image data, the number of the image data pieces increasing as the scanning velocity decreases, and a brightness correcting unit configured to correct a brightness of the laser light so that an emission brightness increases as the scanning velocity increases and/or the emission brightness decreases as the scanning velocity decreases.
US09319544B2
An image reading apparatus, including a main unit including a placement plane and an image reader, a document cover swingably supported by the main unit via a hinge to move between a closed position and an open position, and a conveyer unit to convey a document sheet, is provided. The hinge includes an in-main-unit joint section attached to an end of the main unit, an on-cover joint section attached to an end of the document cover, and an urging member arranged in between the in-main-unit joint section and the on-cover joint section. A coupling device to couple the end of the document cover and the end of the main unit together and to restrict the end of the document cover and the end of the main unit from being separated from each other is disposed in an intermediate position between the document cover and the conveyer unit.
US09319538B2
A first image forming apparatus detects a malfunction generated in a functional unit thereof and determines a functional mode that cannot be executed. The first image forming apparatus transmits the functional mode that cannot be executed to a management apparatus. When obtaining the functional mode that cannot be executed, the management apparatus updates a functional mode table. The management apparatus increases a priority of the first image forming apparatus for a functional mode that the first image forming apparatus can execute. Along with this, the management apparatus decreases a priority of a second image forming apparatus that normally operates for the functional mode that the first image forming apparatus can execute. When receiving a job, the management apparatus refers to the updated functional mode table to allocate the job to one of the image forming apparatuses.
US09319537B2
A power supply unit includes a plurality of the interface ports and a plurality of power delivery units, each coupled to one of the interface ports and configured to extract power from data signals communicated over the interface ports by remote devices. A sharing circuit is coupled to each of the power delivery units for generating a power supply voltage from the power extracted from the data signals. A controller is configured to generate a communication line power loss estimate for each of the interface ports and configure the power delivery units to balance amounts of power supplied by each of the remote devices based on the communication line power loss estimates.
US09319529B2
A telephony equipment migration arrangement is provided. The telephony equipment migration arrangement includes legacy telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays, at least one transport cable, with one or more connectors, to provide external carrier connectivity, replacement telephony equipment located in one or more equipment bays remote from the legacy telephony equipment, and at least one remote coupling cable, with one or more connectors, connected to the replacement telephony equipment. The connector(s) of the remote coupling cable are mounted in a location having a predetermined locational relationship with the equipment bay in which the legacy telephony equipment is located, and the transport cable is communicatively coupled to the remote coupling cable.
US09319527B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for providing estimated wait times to consumers waiting to communicate with a customer service representative. The system accesses information about the consumer, analyzes that information, and based on that analysis places the consumer into a segment. The system then provides to the consumer an estimated wait time to communicate with a customer service representative based on the segment assigned to the consumer. Access to information about the consumer can be actively granted by the consumer, or passively acquired by a system configured to utilize publically available information.
US09319521B1
A computing device includes a memory; and a processing circuit coupled to the memory and configured to receive call data regarding a plurality of telephone calls placed to the computing device, each of the plurality of telephone calls being placed by a caller; prioritize each caller based on the call data and prioritization data stored in the memory, the prioritization data providing an indication of a relationship between each caller and a receiver associated with the computing device and including at least one of electronic contact data, electronic calendar data, and social media data; determine a future time for each caller to speak with the receiver based on the prioritization of each caller; and transmit a message to each caller providing an indication of the future time.
US09319517B2
A system and method for providing content or information over a communication network having communication service providers. The system includes a call handler having a call landing module configured to receive an incoming call from a calling device, wherein the incoming call is generated by dialing a predetermined service number on the calling device. Further, the call handler includes a call action module configured to capture a Calling Line Identity (CLI) of the calling device and capture the predetermined service number, and is configured to perform an action on the incoming call. Also, the system includes a look up module and a forwarding module configured to scan a database having information or content corresponding to a plurality of service numbers, retrieve information or content corresponding to the predetermined service number from the database, and forward the information or content to the calling device.
US09319515B2
Communication systems and methods are described that include call notification with rich caller identification. Components of the communication systems are configured to receive a call for a user via an enterprise voice channel. A call request is automatically generated in response to event data of the received call. The call request includes caller data from enterprise databases or directories. The caller data provides identifying information of the caller to the user via the call request. The call request can include response options by which the user can participate in the call. The call request is routed to a target device of the user via a data channel of the host enterprise. The target device provides the user with multiple action or response options via the call request. The response options include for example accepting the call, delaying the call, forwarding the call, ignoring the call, and ignoring the caller.
US09319511B2
Systems and methods of managing and diagnosing enterprise telephonic devices are disclosed. A provisioning request can be received from an enterprise telephonic device. The provisioning request can include a domain name system lookup request. An enterprise network address of a device management server can be provided to the enterprise telephonic device. A voice data link can be established with the enterprise telephonic device so as to permit the enterprise telephonic device to communicate over a data network with endpoint telephonic devices. The device management server can periodically receive heartbeat data from the enterprise telephonic device. The heartbeat can be indicative of a status of at least one functionality of the enterprise telephonic device. The enterprise telephonic device can provide diagnostic logs when requested by the device management server. In addition, the enterprise telephonic device can be configured to periodically request software updates.
US09319503B2
A method of dialing a phoneword using a mobile communication device that has full keyboard, which maps numbers to letters differently than on standard telephone keypads. The method detects the prefix of the phoneword and proceeds to display a message on the mobile communication device to indicate that a pre-determined key needs to be pressed before entering letters of the phoneword. The method can also display for selection, candidate phonewords that correspond to a partial entry of the phoneword.
US09319501B2
Accessories for mobile devices. Embodiments include an external protective case and/or holster for mobile electronic devices, wherein the external protective case/holster incorporates a battery pack, a payment processing device, television signal receiver, and/or a modular multi-input/output device.
US09319493B2
A communication method in an information processing system including a group of first information processing apparatuses that transmit data and a group of second information processing apparatuses that receive the data is disclosed. The communication method includes storing data subject to being transmitted to one of the second information processing apparatuses in a data storage by associating the data with identifier information of the second information processing apparatus, and performing transmission processing to transmit the stored data to the second information processing apparatus in response to reception of a first token generated by the second information processing apparatus serving as a generating source of the first token, the first tokens indicating a transmission right to transmit the data to the second information processing apparatus and being transferred between the group of the first information processing apparatuses and between the group of the second information processing apparatuses.
US09319486B2
A method of predicting interest levels associated with publication and content item combinations is described. Additionally, a server computing device for predicting interest levels associated with publication and content item combinations is described. Further, a computer-readable storage device having processor-executable instructions embodied thereon is described. The processor-executable instructions are for predicting interest levels associated with publication and content item combinations.
US09319476B2
A transparent proxy device includes an ingress, an egress, and an application proxy. The ingress and the egress operate up to a layer four communication layer. The transparent proxy device is configured to establish spliced connections in relation to end devices. The spliced connections include layer four connections between the ingress and the application proxy and the application proxy and the egress. The transparent proxy device is configured to maintain an end-to-end connection in relation to the end devices even when the application proxy fails.
US09319459B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving session information at a traffic interceptor in communication with a plurality of service devices, the session information transmitted from one of the service devices and identifying flows associated with a session and the service device associated with the session, storing the session information at the traffic interceptor, and transmitting traffic received at the traffic interceptor to the service device selected based on the session information. An apparatus is also disclosed.
US09319458B2
In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a first data streamed from a first server computer at a first site; collecting a first throughput data for the first site based, at least in part, on a first throughput of the first data streamed from the first server computer; receiving a second data streamed from a second server computer at a second site; collecting a second throughput data for the second site based, at least in part, on a second throughput of the second data streamed from the second server computer; switching from the second server computer at the second site, to a third server computer at the first site, based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first throughput data and the second throughput data; wherein the method is performed by one or more special-purpose computing devices.
US09319445B2
An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes a display, one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors. The one or more programs include instructions for detecting a display change associated with media content item represented on a display, transmitting a request (e.g., to a server) for at least a portion of the media content item, receiving the requested portion of the media content item, storing the received portion of the media content item in a local cache, receiving a user input indicative of the selection of the media content item, and presenting the received portion of the media content item in response to receiving the user input indicative of the selection of the media content item.
US09319442B2
A method is provided for use in connection with a communication session between two or more participants. The communication session may be an online/web-based meeting, voice call, video call, instant messaging session, etc. Interactions between two or more participants of the communication session are monitored in order to identify an additional participant for the communication session based on a topical context of the interactions. A request is sent to the additional participant to join the communication session. Before the request is sent to the additional participant, the participants in the existing communication session may be notified with a prompt inquiring as to whether the additional participant should be contacted to join the existing communication session.
US09319441B2
Methods, computing devices, and computer readable storage media for testing network connections are disclosed. A first processor of a plurality of processors may define a new TCP connection to be opened. The first processor may apply a hash function to determine a second processor of the plurality of processors to open the new TCP connection. The first processor may provide data defining the new TCP connection to the second processor. The second processor may open the new TCP connection in accordance with the data provided by the first processor.
US09319439B2
A method for reducing a call establishment time in real-time communication between at least two devices. The method includes: receiving, at a first internal server of a system, a first communication from a caller, wherein the first communication is a push request that comprises an attempt to initiate a connection with a callee; and sending a push notification via the first internal server to the callee, wherein the first internal server has at least two interfaces, wherein each interface of the at least two interfaces comprises a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port, wherein the sending includes: embedding, by the first internal server and inside the push notification, an external UDP (IP, port) pair, of the at least two interfaces, to which the callee is able to connect.
US09319426B2
An information handling system includes a processor and a management controller separate from the processor. The management controller is operable to store an anti-virus program and a malicious marker detection program in a memory of the management controller, and to execute the malicious marker detection program. The malicious marker detection program operates to detect a state of a device of the information handling system, determine that the information handling system is under attack from a malicious program in response to detecting the state of the device, and send an alert to a management system coupled to the information handling system, the alert indicating that the information handling system is under attack from the malicious program.
US09319415B2
Reference architecture pattern role data representing reference architecture pattern roles to be associated with entities taking part in the development, and/or deployment, and/or operation of an application is generated. Reference architecture pattern tier data representing reference architecture pattern tiers used to create, and/or deploy, and/or operate an application using the reference architecture pattern is generated. For each reference architecture pattern role at least one access and/or operational permission is associated with each reference architecture pattern tier. At least one entity is assigned one of the reference architecture pattern roles and for each reference architecture pattern tier, the at least one entity is automatically provided the at least one access and/or operational permission associated with the reference architecture pattern role assigned to the entity.
US09319413B2
A method for establishing a resource access authorization in M2M communication is provided. When an entity including a terminal, a gateway and an end user as client in a first M2M service provider domain attempts to access resource located in terminal or gateway in second M2M service provider domain, the method includes receiving client credential allocated from M2M Authentication Server (MAS1) in first M2M service provider domain by performing client registration to Network Service Capabilities Layer (NSCL1) in first M2M service provider domain by client, requesting an authorization to access resource to resource owner through NSCL (NSCL2) in second M2M service provider domain based on information about Universal Resource Identifier (URI) of resource by client, verifying client through MAS1 by the resource owner, authorizing client to access the resource by the resource owner, and issuing access token to the client by MAS (MAS2) in second M2M service provider domain.
US09319408B2
This is directed to providing access to content stored on a local cloud. In particular, a device can direct a librarian service overseeing the operation of a local cloud to provide another device with access to content stored on the local cloud. The librarian service can generate credentials for the other device, and provide the credentials to the other device. Using the credentials, the other device can connect directly to the local cloud and access the content. In addition, the local cloud can validate the credentials of the other before providing access to the content. The credentials can include, for example, a key to install or load on the device. The librarian may not require, however, the user to create credentials or register with the librarian before being permitted to access the content on the local cloud.
US09319405B2
This invention describes a system and methods for media content subscription service distribution; typical services include cable television, premium content channels, pay-per-view, XM radio, and online mp3 services. Subscribers use portable electronic devices to store digital certificates certifying the subscriber's privileges and an assigned public key. The devices can communicate with specially enabled televisions, radios, computers, or other media presentation apparatuses. These, in turn, can communicate with central databases owned by the provider, for verification purposes. Methods of the invention describe media content subscription service privilege issuing and use. The invention additionally describes methods for protecting media content transmitted to users with a variety of encryption schemes. The invention also comprises methods for subscribed users to bestow a subset of their privileges to a number of secondary users, with appropriate permission from the media content subscription service provider.
US09319402B2
This is directed to a digital handshake for establishing a secure communications path between two electronic devices. Each device can capture an image of the other device using a camera (e.g., a front facing camera or a back facing camera) and extract, from the captured image, a key or seed associated with the other device. For example, each device can display a seed to be identified from an image taken by the other device. Using the extracted keys or seeds, each device can generate, using a same process, an identical digital handshake key. The digital handshake key can then be used to define a secure communications path between the two devices and share information securely. In some embodiments, a digital handshake key can be shared among several devices to create a multi-device secure communications path. Once a communications path has been established, the devices in the path can be identified and authenticated from the digital handshake key to receive access to secured goods, services or information.
US09319398B2
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a central identification management computer system that includes at least: a computer programmed with software instructions that at least include: code to receive a user registration request from a user who desires to establish a user identification profile; code to independently verify profile information of the user; code to register the user identification profile with the central identification management computer system; code to receive an identification request; code to generate a timed unique alpha-numeric identifier where the at least one first timed unique alpha-numeric identifier is associated with the user identification profile stored in the database of the central identification management system; code to transmit the timed unique alpha-numeric identifier in response to identification request; and code to record, in a permanent identification usage log, the timed unique alpha-numeric identifier, and a timestamp related to the identification request.
US09319394B2
A computer-implemented system and method for pool-based identity authentication for service access without use of stored credentials is disclosed. The method in an example embodiment includes providing provisioning information for storage in a provisioning repository; receiving a service request from a service consumer, the service request including requestor identifying information; generating an authentication request to send to an authentication authority, the authentication request including requestor identifying information; receiving validation of an authenticated service request from the authentication authority; and providing the requested service to the service consumer.
US09319391B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for providing account information for a telephone number. All users are authenticated to ensure they may access the account information. Once authenticated, the user provides one or more telephone numbers that they would like to retrieve account information for. The system searches for the telephone number and if found, checks to ensure that the telecommunications provider services the phone number. When the telecommunications provider is the provider for the phone number, the record is retrieved and sent to the user.
US09319389B2
A controller is provided with a controller key and a first controller identification information unique to the controller. The controller generates a controller unique key unique to a respective controller based on the controller key and the first controller identification information, and a second controller identification information based on the first controller identification information. A decryptor decrypts the encrypted medium device key using the controller unique key to obtain a medium device key. An authentication/key exchange process unit performs authentication/key exchange process with the host device through an interface unit using the medium device key, the medium device key certificate and the second controller identification information to establish a secure channel.
US09319384B2
Systems and methods for filtering unsafe content at a network security appliance are provided. According to one embodiment, a network security appliance captures network traffic and extracts a media file from the network traffic. The network security appliance then determines the presence of a hidden data item embedded in the media file in a machine-readable form. When such a hidden data item is identified, the network security appliance performs one or more actions on the media file based on a predefined security policy.
US09319382B2
Certain embodiments described herein provide a computer system, a log collection device, and methods for protecting a plurality of guarded networks from internet threats. The computer system includes at least one processor in operative communication with a plurality of log collection circuits via the internet and in operative communication with a plurality of intelligence sources via the internet. The log collection circuit includes at least one processor in operative communication with a computer system via the internet and in operative communication with at least one firewall of the guarded network. The at least one processor of the computer system is operative to receive traffic information from each log collection circuit of the plurality of log collection circuits, to receive intelligence data from the plurality of intelligence sources, to generate reputation information regarding one or more addresses of the plurality of addresses, and to transmit the reputation information to each log collection circuit of the plurality of log collection circuits.
US09319381B1
A method for supplementing a content policy is provided. The method may include receiving a request to access network content associated with a network content, with the network content including additional network content associated with one or more linked network contents. The method may confirm that the network content is associated with the content policy. The content policy may include a list of pre-approved network contents. Based on the confirmation, the method may selectively provide access to the network content and apply the content policy to the additional network content associated with the one or more linked network contents. A policy enforcement module may determine whether or not the additional network content should be included in the network content, and, based on the determination, selectively allow inclusion of the additional network content within the network content.
US09319378B2
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems and computer readable media for using a Diameter routing agent (DRA) to obtain mappings between mobile subscriber identification information and dynamically assigned Internet protocol (IP) addresses and for making the mappings accessible to applications. One exemplary method includes, at a DRA, receiving a Diameter message containing a dynamically assigned IP address and mobile subscriber identification information. The method further includes routing the received Diameter signaling message. The method further includes copying, by the DRA, the IP address and the mobile subscriber identifier from the message. The method further includes making a mapping between the dynamically assigned IP address and the subscriber identification information accessible to applications.
US09319376B2
Information processing apparatuses, control methods and storage mediums are provided, which may transmit or attempt to transmit data to a target device by using network information, modify a MAC address in the network information to a MAC address of a device having same device identification information as the target device when a communication with the target device is not established, and, when the MAC address is modified, transmit the data to the device having the same device identification information as the target device. In one or more embodiments, a network port monitor may transmit an inquiry notification by way of broadcast when data is not transmitted to the target device. When a response to the inquiry notification is received from a device having same device identification information as the target device, the device having the same device identification information is set as a new connection or transmission destination.
US09319370B2
A web-based system allows for publishing a website with features and access configured on a user-by-user basis by the website owner to present personal data as well as social network feeds in a single interface. The website owner can update and manage his/her social media from the same page, as well as organize private data if desired. The system includes a messaging function, in accordance with which users can drop a message into the message service of a site owner, and it gets delivered to the site owner in exactly the manner specified by the site owner.
US09319363B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving a write request from a publisher comprising a channel name wherein the channel identified by the channel name comprises an ordered plurality of messages stored in buffers, each buffer having a predetermined time-to-live and being assigned to a respective node, identifying a first node and a first buffer stored on the first node based on the channel name of the request that has available storage for storing messages and wherein the first buffer has a time-to-live that has not expired, and sending a write grant to the publisher wherein the grant comprises identification of the first node and the first buffer, and wherein the publisher is configured to send messages to the first node for storage in the first buffer based on the grant until the first buffer is full or its time-to-live has expired.
US09319361B2
An approach for unfiltering a filtered electronic communication is provided. In one aspect, a computer system receives filtered electronic communication, wherein the filtered electronic communication is a status message. Moreover, the computer system determines a requestor of the filtered electronic communication. The computer system also detects an attempt made to communicate with the requestor. Furthermore, the computer system unfilters, in response to the attempt, the filtered electronic communication.
US09319360B2
Systems and methods for prefetching relevant information for responsive mobile email applications are describe. In some embodiments, the server performs operations for prefetching data for an application operating on a client device. The server receives from a client device a request for a list of conversations. In response to the request, the server fetches conversation headers associated with the request list of conversations and fetches up to a predetermined number of messages, within conversations in the list of conversations, which are determined to be most relevant to a user of the client device in accordance with predefined criteria, and then transmits the fetched headers and the fetched messages to the client device. Other embodiments are also described.
US09319359B1
A real-time messaging platform and method are disclosed which can be used to promote content in the messaging platform. In one embodiment, the promotion system is disclosed which performs initial candidate selection so as to narrow down the set of candidate promotions before applying more expensive processing. The candidate selection takes advantage of the connection graph information associated with accounts in the messaging platform to identify targeted accounts. In another embodiment, the promotion system uses a prediction model to predict a user's engagement with the promotion and utilizes the prediction to assist in ranking the candidate promotions. Promotions can be assigned metrics based, for example, on a weighted combination of user engagement rates, decayed with time to reflect an intuition that recent interactions by one or more users with the promotion will have a greater impact than older interactions with the promotion.
US09319356B2
A graphical user interface on a display device of a computer enables communications using a computer service. The graphical user interface includes a list of potential message recipients selected by a user as significant to the user. The graphical user interface also includes a mobile device identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients and a user account identifier associated with one or more of the listed potential message recipients. At least one of the listed potential recipients includes a mobile device identifier as the only available conduit for data delivery to the potential message recipient using the computer service.
US09319348B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving one or more parallel data streams having a first data rate, multiplexing by round-robin selection the parallel data streams into a single serial data stream, modifying the serial data stream by passing it through a self-synchronous scrambler, and transmitting to a receiver across a transmission line the modified serial data stream at a second data rate that is approximately equal to ten times the first data rate.
US09319324B2
A method for placing services at network devices is disclosed. A network contains a plurality of network devices and the network offers a set of services to subscribers. Each subscriber of the network utilizes a subset of the set of service, where an order of the services is not predefined. The method starts with ordering the services from the most utilized service to the least utilized, and selects services from the most utilized to the least utilized. For each service, a network device is selected so that placing the service adds a least sum of additional delay based on services already placed in the network, and a path for each subscriber utilizing the service is updated to include the service, where the path is an ordered chain of services, and where the service is inserted in the path to result in minimum addition to delay to the subscriber.
US09319319B2
A communication network traffic control element is disclosed which is arranged to receive traffic, such as voice and data, as a plurality of discrete traffic packets at an input and communicate the traffic as a serial traffic stream to an output. The traffic control element can include a receiver which is arranged to receive the traffic packets, and a processor which is arranged to communicate the serial traffic stream to the output. The processor can include a buffer to vary a traffic output rate from the processor independently of an input rate of traffic flow to the receiver.
US09319318B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for performing PCRF-based IP CAN session information pass-through are disclosed. According to one method, a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) receives Internet protocol connectivity access network (IP CAN) session information from an access network-aware gateway. The PCRF forwards at least a portion of the IP CAN session information to a deep packet inspection (DPI) node.
US09319304B2
The disclosure relates to a method of routing for an Autonomous System AS in a communication system, in which the AS comprises a plurality of network devices including a first network device and a second network device. The first network device distributes routing information to a forwarding table by calculating a first route from the first network device to the second network device. The first network device receives information of a destination network device of the communication system from the second network device, and forms a second route from the second network device to the destination network device to be stored in the forwarding table using the received information of the destination network device. When the first route fails, the first network device calculates a third route from the first network device to the second network device and updates the routing information in the forwarding table according to the third route.
US09319300B2
Systems and Methods for determining endpoint configurations for endpoints of a virtual private network (VPN) and deploying the configurations to the endpoints. Parameters required for building the configurations are accepted from a user, the configurations enabling the endpoints to process a mixture of time sensitive and non-time sensitive data, and the parameters comprising: endpoint IP addressing scheme information, network design information, and templates used to define profiles of the endpoints. The configurations for the parameters are generated, wherein the parameters comprise endpoint authentication information, and the configurations are set based on endpoint hardware-specific information with no further input required from the user. Each endpoint is queried to verify that the endpoint hardware-specific information is consistent with the configurations for the endpoint. The configurations are deployed to the endpoints of the VPN.
US09319293B2
Techniques for network packet flow analysis and control are described herein. One example method may include obtaining network topology information corresponding to a plurality of nodes of an access network, receiving communication monitoring messages from two or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the communication monitoring messages include communication information corresponding to a plurality of communication layers, and determining information loss statistics associated with the plurality of nodes based on the communication monitoring messages and the network topology information.
US09319284B2
A delay in a configuration changing operation of a computer system including a manual procedure and an automatic procedure is detected.Based on actions of a setup tool or a configuration tool operated on IT resources, an event which occurs corresponding to the start and the end of a manual procedure is detected and the actual time of the manual procedure is calculated from the detection time points. Next, a delay rate is calculated from a scheduled time and the actual time of the manual procedure, and an end time point of an incomplete operation procedure is estimated from an estimated time required for the manual procedure with the calculated delay rate taken into account and from a time required for the automatic procedure to determine whether the scheduled operation will be finished within a period.
US09319283B2
Exemplary embodiments provide systems and methods for connecting services, including web services, using intermediate data exchange objects to create composition services. Data exchange objects may be service independent objects that represent the inputs and/or outputs of various services. The systems and methods may employ data exchange objects to determine whether two services are composable and to implement and execute composite services according to the data exchange objects.
US09319281B2
Requested processing time of each batch job is complied with. A resource-correction control server calculating an amount of a resource required for setup of a batch application includes an intermediate-process-unit-data acquiring unit that compiles data of completed batch processes as a single data set at a predetermined time point, a resource-correction determining unit that, using the intermediate process unit, determines a process progress rate that is a progress rate of a process at the current time point and whether the process progress rate has reached a required progress rate that is a progress rate required to terminate the batch process within the requested processing time, and an allocation-resource calculating unit that, as a result of the determination, if the required progress rate has not been reached, calculates the amount of the resource required for recovery of the delay based on a delay-recovery-object progress rate and resource information.
US09319280B2
A method for calculating the effect of an action on a network includes creating a mapping of a plurality of devices of a networked computing environment. In one embodiment, the mapping describes a relationship between a primary device and at least one device of the plurality of devices. In another embodiment, the method includes determining a plurality of potential actions to be performed on the primary device. In a further embodiment, the method includes calculating an effect of a potential action of the plurality of potential actions on the plurality of devices in response to simulating performing the potential action on the primary device. In yet another embodiment, the method includes performing an optimization action in response to calculating the effect of the potential action. In certain embodiments, the optimization action maximizes availability of the networked computing environment.
US09319278B2
Apparatus, methods, and machine-readable articles of manufacture facilitate configuration of a networked messaging system. In some embodiments, nodes of the system are automatically interrogated to obtain current configuration information of each of the nodes, and a configuration file with the nodes' current configuration information is generated and stored in a format that is readily editable. Exemplary formats include spreadsheet, comma separated variables, and other text formats. An administrator is allowed to access and edit the configuration file, resulting in an updated configuration file with updated configuration information. Editing may include adding and removing servers, creating and removing digital networking mailboxes or links on the nodes, and other configuration changes. After the file is edited and the administrator or another authorized person issues a command to configure the system, messages are automatically sent to the nodes to configure the system in accordance with the updated configuration information.
US09319273B2
According to an example, a unified policy management system may include a session manager module to establish sessions with policy enforcement points. A notification manager module may receive an event trigger notification from a policy enforcement point via an interface session. A coordination engine may determine whether an event identified from the event trigger notification is to cause a change in policy enforced by another policy enforcement point and facilitate the change via another interface session.
US09319260B2
An OFDM receiver receives OFDM symbols in the frequency domain and comb filters and then punctures the OFDM symbols to leave symbols with actual pilot information and with null values at the data symbols. The receiver provides the punctured OFDM symbols to an OFDM symbol queue. A virtual pilot interpolator is coupled to the punctured OFDM symbol storage to generate virtual pilot information introduced to OFDM symbols. The interpolator may be a two dimensional Wiener filter. The receiver also includes a time domain channel estimator that processes a first OFDM symbol including virtual pilot information to generate a channel impulse response for the first OFDM symbol. A frequency equalizer equalizes the OFDM symbol in response to the channel impulse response for the first OFDM symbol.
US09319255B2
A transmitter includes: a modulation circuit for modulating a baseband signal into a multi-bit digital signal containing a radio frequency band component; a plurality of switch mode amplifiers each provided corresponding to a respective bit of the multi-bit digital signal supplied from the modulation circuit; and a signal-synthesizing circuit. The signal-synthesizing circuit connects a band-restricting unit that restricts the band of the output signals of the plurality of switch mode amplifiers and a voltage-current conversion unit that converts output signals of the switch mode amplifiers from voltage into current to perform signal synthesizing.
US09319252B2
The present invention relates to precoding and feedback channel information in wireless communication system.
US09319243B2
A first processing session is entered with a POP client. A set of messages from a message repository is identified as available for access by the POP client. When the POP client causes a message to be deleted from the message repository (either by explicit or implicit actions), the message is removed from the set of messages available for access by the POP client but maintained for access by another POP client or by another messaging program. The messages available may be limited by a session size and they may be ordered newest to oldest. In some instances messages are part of conversations and the number of conversation from which the message may be drawn is limited.
US09319242B2
A method includes receiving a request for establishing a communication pathway end-to-end over a network. The communication pathway includes a radio communication channel and a packet communication channel. The request identifies a plurality of traffic flows to be carried by the communication pathway and quality-of-service attributes associated with the traffic flows. At least one traffic flow is associated with at least one quality-of-service attribute determining the quality-of-service requirement for the at least one traffic flow. A quality-of-service is negotiated, based on the quality-of-service attribute, and the negotiated quality-of-service is reported.
US09319239B2
A system matches frame counter values between a timing master and one or more slave devices in a synchronous network. To detect synchronization losses, a timing master counts transmitted frames of a continuous data stream. When a synchronization loss occurs, the timing master transmits a message to the slave devices that includes a synchronization frame counter value. The message synchronizes the frame counter value of the timing master to the frame counter value of the slave devices.
US09319234B2
A device for controlling a host apparatus through a wireless link with a personal controller. The device includes a wireless communications module for communicating with a personal controller via a peer-to-peer communications standard. The device connects to the host apparatus via a plug and receptacle interface which includes power and signal pins.
US09319227B2
Devices described herein are configured to receive a post to a collaboration space shared by a group of users and provide the post to the group of users through a user interface associated with the collaboration space. In some embodiments, the group of users is a social network or social network group. The devices are further configured to automatically create a content item associated with an application of a device of at least one user of the group of users based on the post, the content item accessible through a user interface of the application.
US09319218B2
In a multi-wire channel that includes at least three wires, each unique wire pair of the multi-wire channel has approximately the same signal propagation time. In this way, jitter can be mitigated in the multi-wire channel for signaling where, for a given data transfer, a differential signal is transmitting on a particular pair of the wires and every other wire is floating. In some implementations, matching of the signal propagation times involves providing additional delay for at least one of the wires. The additional delay is provided using passive signal delay techniques and/or active signal delay techniques.
US09319208B2
Radio frequency (RF) duplexing devices and methods of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an RF duplexing device includes a transmission port, a receive port, a first duplexer, and a second duplexer. The first duplexer is coupled to the transmission port and the receive port, and is configured to provide a first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. The second duplexer is also coupled to the transmission port and the receive port. However, the second duplexer is configured to provide a second phase shift that is differential to the first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. By providing the second phase shift so that the second phase shift is differential to the first phase shift, the RF duplexing device can provide isolation through cancellation without needing to introduce significant insertion losses.
US09319207B2
A system and method for establishing windows that govern the exchange of acknowledgements in a full-duplex communication. The window is established for two nodes which transmit asymmetric frame sizes in full-duplex mode. The window is related to the size of the asymmetric frames. Frames are exchanged in full-duplex between the two nodes, and the window size is defined as enabling the nodes to send data until the number of unacknowledged frames at the nodes is less than or equal to the window size, at which point acknowledgments are exchanged simultaneously. In sending the acknowledgment, both nodes can send acknowledgments simultaneously in full-duplex in the same frequency bin.
US09319205B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus in which a base station transmits a signal to a relay in a wireless communication system. A method in which a terminal receives a downlink signal in a wireless communication system that supports carrier aggregation comprises: a step of receiving, on a first carrier, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) having no carrier indication information; and a step of receiving a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) using the scheduling information carried on the PDCCH, wherein the PDSCH is received on the first carrier in the event the PDCCH is a non-semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) PDCCH, and the PDSCH is received on a second carrier different from the first carrier in the event the PDCCH is an SPS PDCCH.
US09319200B2
An embodiment of a system for operating a communications controller for a group of user equipments engaged in a direct mobile communication (“DMC”) link in a wireless communications system is provided. The communications controller is configured to allocate a set of subframes to the group of UEs for the DMC link, signal the set of allocated subframes to the group of UEs, and signal a length of a sliding window to the group of UEs. In an embodiment, ACK/NACK feedback for communications over the DMC link is aggregated according to the length of the sliding window, and the ACK/NACK feedback for the communications over the DMC link is determined independently from ACK/NACK feedback for cellular transmission between the communication controller and the group of UEs. In an embodiment, the length of the sliding window is a number of subframes.
US09319199B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method, a base station, and a user equipment. The communication method includes: sending a PDCCH to a user equipment in one subframe, where the PDCCH is used to schedule transmission of PDSCHs of at least two subframes of the user equipment, the PDCCH carries first indicator information, and the first indicator information indicates a channel resource for transmitting uplink ACK/NACK information that is corresponding to the PDSCHs; determining a transmission subframe carrying the uplink ACK/NACK information that is corresponding to the PDSCHs, and receiving the uplink ACK/NACK information on the channel resource in the transmission subframe. In the embodiments of the present invention, when a PDCCH schedules multiple PDSCHs, an ACK/NACK resource indicator field is used to indicate a channel resource of ACK/NACK feedback that is corresponding to the scheduled PDSCHs, thereby improving scheduling flexibility.
US09319183B2
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate conveying decoding statuses in a wireless communication environment. A UE can transmit a plurality of codewords as part of an uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission to a base station. The base station can receive and attempt to decode the plurality of codewords. Further, decoding statuses for the plurality of codewords can be determined. Moreover, the decoding statuses for the plurality of codewords can be signaled to the UE. For example, the decoding statuses for the plurality of codewords can be conveyed via a single PHICH. According to another example, multiple PHICHs can convey the decoding statuses. Pursuant to a further example, the decoding statuses can be conveyed at least in part via a PDCCH.
US09319176B2
A method for encoding control information by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, includes obtaining a plurality of Channel Quality Information (CQIs) for a plurality of downlink carriers, at least one RI (Rank Indicator) and at least one ACK/NACK (Acknowledgement/Negative-ACK); concatenating the plurality of CQIs; encoding the concatenated plurality of CQIs, the at least one RI and the at least one ACK/NACK, separately; and transmitting the encoded plurality of CQIs, the encoded at least one RI and the encoded at least one ACK/NACK on only one uplink carrier.
US09319173B2
Link adaptation is supported in a multi-user MIMO environment. In some aspects, a frame including a transmission parameter request (e.g., a null data packet announcement (NDPA) including a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) request (MRQ)) specifies multiple destinations. In some aspects, a decision to transmit a frame specifying multiple destinations is based on whether all of destinations support providing feedback to such a frame. In some aspects, transmission parameter feedback (e.g., MCS feedback (MFB)) including channel estimate information is provided in a case where MFB of type MU is requested.
US09319172B2
A method for air to ground communication interference mitigation within an aircraft equipped with a multi-beam array antenna includes adjusting a modulation symbol interleaving and/or forward error correction of an aircraft receiver interface in response to detected interference from an interferer. The method further includes reducing a data rate of the aircraft receiver interface when the adjusting of the modulation symbol interleaving and/or forward error correction does not mitigate the detected interference. Another method for interference mitigation may include performing antenna beam-steering away from a geographic (GEO) arc during an aircraft turn. This method further includes reducing an aircraft transmitter transmit power when a signal quality of a forward link is within a predetermined range of a signal quality threshold.
US09319170B2
An all-optical modulator includes a directional coupling unit that multiplexes, on a carrier light beam, a signal light beam of a modulation signal that a carrier signal at a characteristic frequency is modulated with an information signal. The all-optical modulator includes a nonlinear medium that cross-phase-modulates the carrier light beam with the multiplexed signal light beam, and frequency-multiplexes the information signal in the signal light beam on the carrier light beam to generate an optical frequency division multiplexed signal. The all-optical modulator includes a monitoring control unit that controls a polarization control unit that controls a polarization state of the signal light beam in a direction in which an intensity of a modulation component takes a maximum value, based on the intensity of the modulation component involved in a modulation signal at a desired characteristic frequency of the optical frequency division multiplexed signal.
US09319168B2
A transmitting apparatus includes a group processing unit configured to divide plurally data of one block, control processing units configured to perform predetermined control processing for each of the divided data, a combination processing unit configured to combine the data subjected to the control processing into one signal, a transmission processing unit configured to apply predetermined transmission processing to the combined signal to convert the signal into a transmission signal, and a control-signal generating unit configured to retain a predetermined number of control value candidates, one set of which includes M control values used in the control processing carried out by the control processing units, and select, as a selected candidate, one of the control value candidates based on power information of the transmission signal, and generate M control signals corresponding to the selected candidate and input the control signals to the control processing units.
US09319160B2
The invention relates to a method and a first device for updating at least one data element in a data carousel, in which an updating element is added to the data carousel for at least one group of at least one data element, wherein the updating element indicates either the time of update of at least one of the data elements of the group, or a time interval for checking an update of at least one of the data elements of the group. The invention also comprises a method and a second device for checking an update of a data element in a data carousel, wherein the checking of at least one of the data elements is performed on the basis of an updating element that is added in the data carousel for at least one group of data elements. Finally, the invention comprises a data flow that has an updating element in the data carousel for at least one group of data elements.
US09319154B2
Methods for testing multiple data packet signal transceiver devices under test (DUTs) with a shared tester. The DUTs transmit their data packet signals until predetermined numbers of data packets have been transmitted or predetermined time intervals expire, following which, each DUT awaits a synchronization request to begin transmitting data packets to the tester. Alternatively, the tester determines when its receiver is available for receiving data packets, following which, synchronization requests are sent to respective DUTs to initiate their transmissions of data packets to the tester. Further alternatively, power levels among data packets initially transmitted from the DUTs are monitored to determine when they are indicative of them having settled. As each DUT data packet signal power settles, a status signal indicating the settled nature of each DUT is provided to the tester which then begins receiving the respective DUT data packet signals, as they settle in power, for analysis.
US09319146B2
A photodiode converts an optical signal output from a laser diode to a current signal, and a current-to-voltage conversion circuit converts the current signal to a voltage signal. A comparison amplifier compares the voltage signal with a reference voltage to control the current flowing from a variable current source and increases or decreases a bias current for driving the laser diode. The current-to-voltage conversion circuit comprises a resistor and a variable current source that are connected in parallel. Therefore, it is possible to change the bias current without changing the resistance value of the resistor and to avoid limiting the dynamic range of the optical signal that is output. In addition, since the resistance value of the resistor does not change, the loop gain does not change, thereby stabilizing the control operation.
US09319140B2
A method comprising receiving a coaxial network unit (CNU) registration request from a CNU via a coaxial portion of a network, wherein the registration request is addressed to an optical line terminal (OLT), and forwarding the CNU registration request to the OLT via an optical portion of the network. Included is an OLT comprising a processor configured to receive a registration request including a logical node identifier (LNID) assigned to a coaxial line terminal (CLT) in a payload of the registration request, wherein the CLT intermediates between the OLT via an optical portion of a unified optical-coaxial network and a CNU via an electrical network portion of the unified optical-coaxial network, assign a logical link identifier (LLID) to the CNU, and send the LLID to the CNU via the CLT.
US09319133B2
Methods and systems are described for determining and providing instructions for manual adjustment of a tilt angle of a radio frequency/free space optical transceiver system. Specifically, these instructions are provided for adjusting a tilt angle of a transceiver system using a tilt adjustment so that the transceiver system is approximately at a center of a range of motion of a gimbal assembly. A user interface in communication with a computing system of the local transceiver system provides instructions so that the above-described adjustments are implemented accurately and precisely. This tilt adjustment improves the reliability of the communication network because the gimbal assembly is able adjust the position of the transceiver system during relative movement between the transceivers system, thus maintaining the link despite the relative movement.
US09319130B2
The technology disclosed provides the ability for a subframe to be configured as a “flexible” subframe. As a result, at least three different types of subframes in a TDD system may be configured: a downlink (“DL”) subframe, an uplink (“UL”) subframe, and a “flexible” subframe. While the DL and UL subframes are preconfigured for each frame instance, the flexible subframes are dynamically allocated to be an uplink subframe in one instance of a frame and a downlink subframe in another instance of the frame.
US09319126B2
A wireless relay device and a method of processing data using the same are provided. The wireless relay device includes a voice input/output (I/O) unit, a voice processing unit, an information protection processing unit, a Wi-Fi unit, and a radio transmission and reception unit. The voice I/O unit receives or outputs a user voice signal. The voice processing unit performs voice processing on the user voice signal. The information protection processing unit encrypts or decrypts voice data using an information protection algorithm. The Wi-Fi unit sends the encrypted voice data to a portable device of a user located within a set range, or receives encrypted voice data from a portable device of a user located within the set range. The radio transmission and reception unit relays wireless communication to a portable device of a user located outside the set range.
US09319117B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a codeword feedback method and a receiver, which relate to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: determining a precoding type used for downlink signal transmission, or receiving codebook indication signaling transmitted by a transmitter; selecting a codebook according to the precoding type, or selecting a codebook according to the codebook indication signaling; and selecting a codeword according to the codebook, and feeding back the codeword to the transmitter. The present invention can provide a new feedback mechanism for channel state information and a non-linear precoding codebook when needing to use both linear precoding and non-linear precoding, so that a communication system can select an appropriate precoding codebook to feed back state information according to different needs, thereby improving the performance of the communication system.
US09319116B2
An apparatus and method for feeding back channel state information is disclosed. The method is for providing channel state information for a wireless communications channel provided between a first network node having at least one transmission antenna and a second network node having at least one reception antenna. The method comprises the steps of: determining characteristics of each tap resolvable in the time domain of at least one sub-channel within said channel from signals received by said at least one reception antenna over said channel from said at least one transmission antenna; arranging said characteristics into at least one vector; quantizing said at least one vector by selecting one of a plurality of codebook vectors at a first level of a hierarchical codebook of vectors; and providing, to said first network node, an indication of an index to said one of a plurality of codebook vectors.
US09319114B2
Coding techniques for a (e.g., OFDM) communication system capable of transmitting data on a number of “transmission channels” at different information bit rates based on the channels' achieved SNR. A base code is used in combination with common or variable puncturing to achieve different coding rates required by the transmission channels. The data (i.e., information bits) for a data transmission is encoded with the base code, and the coded bits for each channel (or group of channels with the similar transmission capabilities) are punctured to achieve the required coding rate. The coded bits may be interleaved (e.g., to combat fading and remove correlation between coded bits in each modulation symbol) prior to puncturing. The unpunctured coded bits are grouped into non-binary symbols and mapped to modulation symbols (e.g., using Gray mapping). The modulation symbol may be “pre-conditioned” and prior to transmission.
US09319112B2
A cellular multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) system has a base station. The base station has a plurality of antennas. To control a signal transmission in the MIMO system, the base station monitors at least one indicator which indicates whether a spatial resolution of the plurality of antennas allows signals received from at least two terminals to be distinguished. The base station selectively activates a multiple access transmission and reception for the at least two terminals as a function of the at least one indicator. The multiple access transmission and reception causes the at least two terminals to share a common channel.
US09319111B2
The disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses that allow for channelization code allocation adapted for uplink MIMO transmissions. A method for use in a user equipment of a telecommunication system comprises spreading data symbols of a plurality of streams to be transmitted from the user equipment as MIMO transmissions. The step of spreading the data symbols comprises allocating, for each stream, at least one channelization code (62) to be applied for spreading the data symbols of the stream. The plurality of streams are allocated channelization codes (62) from a predefined code tree (61) of applicable channelization codes such that any channelization code (62) is allocated to more than one stream only if there is no applicable channelization code left in the code tree (61) which currently is not allocated for any stream. The channelization code allocation scheme makes it possible to avoid inter-stream interference in many scenarios of uplink MIMO transmissions.
US09319110B2
A hinge is provided for mechanically and electrically coupling a machine and a display wirelessly. The hinge includes a machine portion having a first transceiver for wirelessly sending a signal concerning an operation or status of the machine and a display portion having a second transceiver for wirelessly receiving the operating signal. The hinge machine portion and the hinge display portion are mechanically connected so as to: (i) swivel with respect to each other; or (ii) tilt with respect to each other.
US09319109B2
A connectivity monitor/controller. A wireless connection is established between a mobile device and a docking station that also communicates with external device(s) each configured to selectably communicate with the mobile device via a connectivity through the docking station or through a direct connection with the mobile device. The docking station receives a connectivity assignment specifying external device(s) and a respective connectivity between the mobile device and the specified external device. Each specified connectivity is established based on the connectivity assignment. A display indicating a connectivity configuration including an indication of each specified external device and an indication of each external device's respective connectivity is generated, where the indication of the respective connectivity indicates either a connectivity through the docking station or a direct connectivity, or both.
US09319106B2
An embodiment provides a method, including: initiating communication between a first communication device with a first near field communication device and a second communication device with a second near field communication device, wherein said second near field communication device is in a stopped state comprising; receiving a request from said first communication device at said second communication device; after receiving the request, shifting said second near field communication device to an operational state; receiving other information from said first near field communication device at said second near field communication device; ending communication between said first near field communication and said second near field communication device; and shifting said second near field communication device to a stopped state. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09319101B2
A system and method for non-intrusive fault detection of a ground fault in a communication channel is provided. A bias voltage may be established on a first portion of the communication channel and a second portion of the communication channel. A first voltage may be detected across a first resistor electrically connected to the first and second portions of the communication channel. Data indicative of whether the ground fault exists in the first or second portions of the communication channel may be provided based on the detecting.
US09319096B1
Implementations generally relate to ultrasonic communication between devices. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a data signal, where the data signal is transmitted and received in an indoor environment. The method further includes demodulating the data signal based on direct sequence spread spectrum.
US09319095B2
A method of operating a transmitter (FIGS. 3A and 5A) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a sequence of data bits (DATA), wherein each data bit has a respective sequence number. A first data bit of the sequence is spread (508) with a first spreading code (504) determined by the sequence number (502) of the first data bit. A second data bit of the sequence is spread (508) with an inverse of the first spreading code (506) determined by the sequence number (502) of the second data bit. The first and second data bits are modulated (510) and transmitted (516) to a remote receiver.
US09319094B2
A wireless transceiver includes a transmit path configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) transmit signal for transmission via an antenna, the transmit path generating a feedforward signal having at least one adjustable phase. A receive path is configured to receive an RF receive signal via the antenna. A circulator-based duplexer includes a circulator configured to couple the transmit signal from the transmit path to the antenna and to couple the receive signal from the antenna to the receive path. A controller is configured to process feedback from the receive path and to control the at least one adjustable phase to cancel portions of the transmit signal on the receive path.
US09319092B2
In a high frequency module, mounting lands for reception signal output side ports of SAW duplexers, respectively, on a top surface of a multilayer body are arranged so as to be superposed on reception side external connection lands on a bottom surface of the multilayer body along the layer direction and the mounting lands are directly connected to the reception side external connection lands via holes. Transmission side external connection lands are located on the bottom surface of the multilayer body. The transmission side external connection lands are connected to mounting lands for transmission signal input side ports on the top surface of the multilayer body via certain inner layer electrodes that do not come close to the via holes of the reception system and the via holes.
US09319091B2
A semiconductor device is configured to perform a transmission process and a reception process using a radio wave, includes a transmission unit configured to perform the transmission process, and includes a modulator having a first inductor of a spiral shape, and a reception unit configured to perform the reception process, which includes a local oscillator having a second inductor. The second inductor includes a first portion extending in a first direction, a second portion extending in a second direction and a third portion extending in a third direction. The second direction and the third direction intersect with the first direction. The first portion, second portion and third portion include a same conductor layer. The second portion has an end which is not connected with the first portion. The third portion has another end which is not connected with the first portion, and the end of the second portion and said another end of the third portion are located apart in a plan view.
US09319076B2
A modulation method includes sampling the first input signal by using the first local oscillation signal and the second local oscillation signal to generate the first sampled signal, sampling the second input signal by using the third local oscillation signal and the fourth local oscillation signal to generate the second sampled signal, sampling the second input signal by using the first local oscillation signal and the second local oscillation signal to generate the third sampled signal, sampling the first input signal by using the third local oscillation signal and the fourth local oscillation signal to generate the fourth sampled signal, adding the first sampled signal and the second sampled signal to produce the first modulation signal, adding the third sampled signal and the fourth sampled signal to generate the second modulation signal, and adding the first modulation signal and the second modulation signal to generate an output signal.
US09319056B2
A quantum interference device includes a gas cell into which metal atoms are sealed, a heater that heats the gas cell, a heat transmission portion that is located between the gas cell and the heater, is connected to the gas cell, and transmits heat generated from the heater to the gas cell, and a heat dissipation portion that is connected to the gas cell so as to be spaced apart from the heat transmission portion, and dissipates heat of the gas cell.
US09319051B2
Digital phase-locked loop (PLL) with dynamic hybrid (mixed analog/digital signal) delta-sigma (ΔΣ) phase/frequency detector (ΔΣ PFD). A hybrid 2nd-order ΔΣ PFD may be implemented based on a continuous-time 1st-order ΔΣ analog-to-digital converter (ADC) enhanced to 2nd-order via closed loop frequency detection. Fine resolution encoding of the ΔΣ PFD output facilitates true multi-bit phase/frequency error digitization with drastically reduced ΔΣ quantization noise. The implementation of low complexity ΔΣ PFD is assisted via digital requantization and adaptive noise cancellation. The PLL includes independent frequency-locking and phase-locking operational modes and all-digital control of a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO).
US09319049B2
An input receives a generated frequency having a first frequency component and a second frequency component. A filter block includes filter coefficients describing a relationship between the second frequency component and an environmental characteristic. The filter block predicts the first frequency component based on the environmental characteristic, and updates the filter coefficients based on an offset between the predicted first frequency component and a received frequency corresponding to the first frequency component.
US09319048B2
Aspects of the disclosure provide a circuit including a logic circuit. The logic circuit is configured to operate without inputs from a first clock signal. The logic circuit is further configured to frequency-divide the first clock signal to generate a second clock signal based on a logic combination of a first pattern provided by a first circuitry driven by the first clock signal, and a second pattern provided by a second circuitry driven by the first clock signal.
US09319047B2
Memristor-based nano-crossbar computing is a revolutionary computing paradigm that does away with the traditional Von Neumann architectural separation of memory and computation units. The computation of Boolean formulas using memristor circuits has been a subject of several recent investigations. Crossbar computing, in general, has also been a topic of active interest, but sneak paths have posed a hurdle in the design of pervasive general-purpose crossbar computing paradigms. Various embodiments are disclosed which demonstrate that sneak paths in nano-crossbar computing can be exploited to design a Boolean-formula evaluation strategy. Such nano-crossbar designs are also an effective approach for synthesizing high performance customized arithmetic and logic circuits.
US09319045B1
A circuit for reducing gate leakage current in a switchable power domain of a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) integrated circuit chip includes a first transistor having a drain electrode coupled to a first terminal of a power switch having a second terminal coupled to a first reference voltage, the first transistor having a gate electrode, a body electrode, and a source electrode. The source electrode and body electrodes are coupled to a second reference voltage. The first transistor has a relatively high first gate leakage current that flows from its gate electrode to its body electrode if the power switch is open and a voltage of the gate electrode of the first transistor representing a first logic level exceeds a voltage of the body electrode by more than a first predetermined amount. A first circuit produces a relatively low voltage on the gate electrode of the first transistor representing a second logic level to substantially reduce the first gate leakage current when reduced power consumption of the chip is needed.
US09319039B2
In some embodiments, a differential amplifier with duty cycle correction is provided.
US09319026B2
A high-frequency module includes a multilayer body including stacked dielectric and a pair of ground electrodes spaced apart from each other; a common terminal arranged in the multilayer body to receive and transmit communication signals; and a duplexer that is mounted on a surface of the multilayer body and that separates communication signals input and output via the common terminal. The duplexer includes a first SAW filter mounted on the surface of the multilayer body and grounded by the ground electrode and a second SAW filter mounted on the surface of the multilayer body so as to be spaced apart from the first SAW filter and is grounded by the ground electrode. Thus, degradation of isolation characteristics of the transmission and reception terminals of a splitter is prevented.
US09319020B2
A semiconductor resonator has a substrate with a thickness extending between a first end and a second end and a pn-junction along the thickness of the substrate forming a free charge carrier depletion region. In another embodiment, a semiconductor resonator has a substrate with a crystal lattice doped at degenerate levels such that the flow of free charge carriers can be minimized. A method of compensating a temperature coefficient of a semiconductor resonator by creating a pn-junction based free charge carrier depletion region within a thickness of a substrate of the resonator is also disclosed.
US09319018B2
Non-linear distortions, called glitches, occur in radio receivers when automatic gain control (AGC) is employed for regulating the dynamic range of the received signal. It is proposed to determine (S1) the occurrence of a glitch caused by operation of the AGC mechanism, and estimate (S2) a representation of how energy of a signal transient associated with the glitch is transferred by digital filter(s) in the receiver. The radio signal is then detected (S3) at least partly based on the estimated representation. In this way, the adverse effects of the glitch can be mitigated and detection of the desired signal can be significantly improved. This also means that the link performance will be significantly improved.
US09319015B2
There is provided an audio processing apparatus. An obtaining unit obtains an audio signal. A first audio level controller gives a first gain to the audio signal obtained by the obtaining unit. A second audio level controller gives a second gain to the audio signal output from the first audio level controller. A time constant in processing for increasing the first gain of the first audio level controller is larger than a time constant in processing for increasing the second gain of the second audio level controller.
US09319011B2
A Class-D amplifier includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital filter, a digital pulse width modulation (PWM) unit, a pre-driver unit, and an output driver. The ADC is configured to receive an input signal and one or more feedback signals, and to generate a first digital signal. The digital filter, the digital PWM unit, and the pre-driver unit are configured to generate control signals based on the first digital signal. The output driver is configured to generate an output signal based on the control signals. A first feedback path is defined as from a first output node of the output driver to a first input node of the ADC; and a second feedback path is defined as from a second output node of the output driver to a second input node of the ADC. The first and second feedback paths are free from a low-pass filtering device.
US09319007B2
The present disclosure provides a three-dimensional (3-D) transformer-based (TF-based) power amplifier architecture, including a power splitting plane having at least one input transformer-based circuit; and a power combining plane having at least one output transformer-based circuit. The power splitting plane includes at least one input transmission line, at least one input transformer and an input terminal. Moreover, the power combining plane includes at least one output transmission line, at least one output transformer, at least one power amplifier-cell (PA-cell) and an output terminal. The power combining plane is vertically stacked, attached and electrically connected to the power splitting plane. Consequently, as compared with the existing 2-D power amplifiers, the 3-D transformer-based power amplifier architecture of the present disclosure is capable of achieving a symmetric and compact power distribution layout. Accordingly, the present disclosure further provides an integrated circuit layout for the 3-D TF-based power amplifier architecture.
US09319006B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a directional coupler includes a coupler circuit and at least one amplifier coupled between a coupler circuit isolated port and a directional coupler isolated port and/or between a coupler circuit coupled port and a directional coupler coupled port. In various embodiments, the directional coupler is disposed over and/or in a substrate.
US09319002B2
The purpose of the invention is to reduce Cartesian loop transmission delay for compensating the distortion occurring in a high-frequency power amplifier and make the distortion compensation converge quickly, thereby increasing the efficiency. A transmission device has: a high-frequency power amplifier; a pre-distortion compensation circuit for independently generating the coefficients of the distortion compensation signal for each order of the odd and even symmetric distortions of the high-frequency power amplifier; a means for varying the power supply voltage of the high-frequency power amplifier with an orthogonal modulation OFDM input signal; a digital frequency converter; a high-frequency band ADC; and a high-frequency band DAC. In the transmission device, an error distortion compensation signal is created from the output of the high-frequency power amplifier and the orthogonal modulation OFDM input signal, and a delay device is inserted at the previous stage of a distortion compensation circuit, said delay device having a delay equivalent to a time constant for varying the power supply voltage of the high-frequency power amplifier with the orthogonal modulation OFDM input signal.
US09318998B1
An integrated circuit device includes a multi-port piezoelectric-on-semiconductor microelectromechanical resonator, which is configured to support independent and concurrent piezoelectric transduction of multiple resonance modes. The resonator includes a semiconductor resonator body (e.g., Si body) suspended opposite an underlying recess in a substrate. Opposite ends of the semiconductor resonator body are anchored to the substrate. The resonator body may be formed so that a plan layout view of a portion of the semiconductor resonator body is dumbbell-shaped to thereby support acoustic energy trapping of multiple high-Q resonance modes.
US09318997B2
A resonator has a main resonator body and a secondary resonator structure. The resonator body has a desired mode of vibration of the resonator alone, and a parasitic mode of vibration, wherein the parasitic mode comprises vibration of the resonator body and the secondary resonator structure as a composite body. In this way, unwanted vibrational modes are quenched by the second suspended body.
US09318990B2
Redundant winding connections for multiphase electric machines are disclosed. According to one aspect, a multiphase machine having redundant winding connections includes: a first set of N coils operating as a first winding group, wherein each coil in the first winding group operates at a different phase from the other coils in the first winding group and wherein N is an integer greater than three; a second set of N coils separate from the first set and operating as a second winding group, wherein each coil in the second winding group operates at a different phase from the other coils in the second winding group and wherein the failure of one of the coils in the first winding group does not affect the function of the second winding group.
US09318988B2
A system and associated method for reactive power generation for a wind turbine generator includes receiving a higher-than-generator level voltage command signal. A reactive current is determined for the wind turbine generator in response to the voltage command signal and is transmitted to a controller of the wind turbine generator for generating a real and reactive power based on the reactive current command. A trim value may be generated and applied to the voltage command signal.
US09318984B2
A linear motor device includes a linear motor and a control unit configured to apply a load to a pressurizing object by causing a movable part of the linear motor to move. After causing the movable part to move toward the pressurizing object at a predetermined first speed based on position control, the control unit controls the movable part to move by performing deceleration to a second speed which is slower than the first speed and at which the pressure applied to the pressurizing object is less than or equal to a predetermined pressure when the movable part starts to apply the pressure to the pressurizing object, and the control unit causes the movable part to move until the current flowing through the linear motor is greater than or equal to a predetermined current limit value.
US09318982B2
According to a control apparatus for an AC motor, a switching section selects a two-phase control current value as a current fixing value, when a first current detection value of a first phase of the AC motor and a second current detection value of a second phase of the AC motor are normal. The switching section selects an one-phase control current value, which is calculated based on a normal phase current detection value, which is a value of the normal phase and is one of the first and the second current detection values, as the current fixing value, when it is determined that the current supplied to the AC motor has been stabilized after an abnormality is detected in part of the first and second detection values.
US09318980B2
A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating body including a piezoelectric device; a driving circuit that supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric device; a phase difference detecting circuit that detects a phase difference between the driving signal and a detection signal detected based on vibration of the vibrating body; and a frequency controller that controls the frequency and power of the driving signal, wherein the frequency controller sets the power to an upper limit voltage value when the frequency is changed so that the phase difference falls within a predetermined range and sets the voltage to a lower limit voltage value smaller than the upper limit voltage value when the phase difference is outside the predetermined range.
US09318978B2
Embodiments of the present invention describe a voltage converter and a method for operating the voltage converter. In one embodiment the voltage converter includes a primary path configured to generate a pulse modulated voltage or current from an input direct current (DC) voltage, a transformer arrangement with m≧1 primary windings and n≧2 secondary windings inductively coupled together, the m primary windings being connected to the primary path, and a secondary path configured to output a pulsed direct current (DC) voltage or current, wherein the secondary path includes n capacitors connected in series and n secondary controllable semiconductor switches, and each of the n secondary windings is connected via at least one of the secondary controllable semiconductor switches to at least one of the capacitors.
US09318975B2
A power system includes a power semiconductor devices; a control circuit outputting first firing signals each being for a corresponding power semiconductor device, and outputting first activation response signals each being associated with a corresponding power semiconductor device. A first interface circuit cooperates with the control circuit to input a first serial signal and output the first firing signals, and to input the first activation response signals and output a second serial signal. A second interface circuit cooperates with a controller to input the second serial signal, to output to the controller second activation response signals corresponding to the first activation response signals, to input from the controller second firing signals corresponding to the first firing signals, and to output the first serial signal. The controller controls the power semiconductor devices with the second firing signals, and monitors the power semiconductor devices with the second activation response signals.
US09318973B2
A driving device includes a driving circuit and a control circuit. The driving circuit has an input terminal and an output terminal and applies a driving voltage to a switching element through the output terminal. The control circuit outputs two types of control signals to the input terminal of the driving circuit. The driving circuit has a circuit group including multiple unit circuits which are turned ON by the same control signal. Each unit circuit includes one voltage source, one switch controlled to be turned ON and OFF by the control signals, and one resistor connected in series to the switch between the voltage source and the output terminal. Each voltage source outputs a different voltage, and each resistor has a different resistance. One end of each switch of all the unit circuits is connected to the output terminal.
US09318966B2
A method of controlling a switching converter and a related controller suitable for the switching converter allow to implement a burst-mode functioning without generating acoustic noise and with a relevantly reduced ripple of the regulated DC voltage or current provided in output to a supplied load. The method includes sensing the difference between the error signal and the burst-stop threshold at the beginning of a burst period. If the error signal has surpassed (either upwards or downwards) the burst-stop threshold, the method sets the switching stage in a high impedance state at a new active edge of a clock signal, keeps the switching stage in the high impedance state for an integer number of cycles of the clock signal, and re-enables the switching stage to switch the energy tank circuit up to the end of the burst period. The integer number is determined based on the difference between the error signal and the burst-stop threshold.
US09318963B2
A primary-only power supply enables transmission of a signal or message from the secondary side of an isolated power supply to the primary side. To enable robust detection of the message without interfering with primary side sensing for output regulation, a configurable impedance current path is configured between the primary winding and ground. The primary side controller controls the configurable impedance current path to have a relatively low impedance during the normal mode and a relatively high impedance during the messaging mode.
US09318962B2
A switching mode power supply (SMPS) includes a transformer having a primary winding for coupling to an input power source, a secondary winding for providing an output voltage of the SMPS, and an auxiliary winding. The SMPS also has a power transistor coupled to the primary winding and a primary side control circuit coupled to the auxiliary winding and the power transistor. The primary side control circuit is configured to regulate the output of the SMPS by controlling the power switch in response to a feedback voltage signal that is representative of an output of the SMPS. The SMPs also has a secondary-side control circuit coupled to the secondary winding and being configured to cause the output voltage of the SMPS to discharge when the output voltage of the SMPS is higher than a first reference voltage.
US09318960B2
Disclosed herein are high efficiency, low loss AC-DC power supply circuits, and associated control methods. In one embodiment, an AC-DC power supply circuit can include: (i) a rectifier configured to rectify an AC power supply to generate a DC input voltage; (ii) a first stage voltage converter configured to convert the DC input voltage to a first output voltage, and to convert a first control signal to a feedback signal that represents the first output voltage; and (iii) a second stage voltage converter configured to convert the first output voltage to a constant DC output signal, where the first control signal represents a duty cycle of the second stage voltage converter.
US09318957B2
A method is disclosed to operate a voltage conversion circuit such as a buck regulator circuit that has a plurality of switches coupled to a voltage source; a slab inductor having a length, a width and a thickness, where the slab inductor is coupled between the plurality of switches and a load and carries a load current during operation of the plurality of switches; and a means to reduce or cancel the detrimental effect of other wires on same chip, such as a power grid, potentially conducting return current and thereby degrading the functionality of this slab inductor. In one embodiment the wires can be moved further away from the slab inductor and in another embodiment magnetic materials can be used to shield the slab inductor from at least one such interfering conductor.
US09318955B2
A power supply apparatus supplies a power supply signal to a device's power supply terminal via a power supply line. An A/D converter receives, via a feedback line, an analog measurement value corresponding to the power supply signal supplied to the device's power supply line, and converts the analog measurement value into a digital measurement value. A digital calculation unit generates a control value by digital calculation such that the digital measurement value from the A/D converter matches a predetermined reference value. A D/A converter digital/analog converts the control value so as to supply the analog power supply signal to the device's power supply terminal via the power supply line. A feedback ratio calculation unit calculates the ratio between the control value and the digital measurement value. The digital calculation unit is configured to change its calculation content based on the ratio calculated by the feedback ratio calculation unit.
US09318952B2
Series switches for power delivery. A regulator operated as a current source is arranged in parallel with a switched capacitor divider. A switched capacitor divider is configured in series with a plurality of linear regulators with each regulating one of a plurality of voltage outputs from the switched capacitor divider. In another embodiment, a series switch bridge has a first pair of switches connected in series with a second pair of switches across a voltage input, each switch within a pair of switches is switched in-phase with the other while the first pair of switches is switched out of phase with the second pair of switches. A balancing capacitor is coupled across one switch in both the first and second pair to be in parallel when either of the pair of switches is closed to reduce a charge imbalance between the switches.
US09318945B2
A resonant-mode power supply, comprising an assembly of switches connected in a bridge or a half-bridge configuration, a series resonant circuit connected in the bridge or half bridge diagonal, a part of which is formed by a multi-winding inductor by means of which a load is connected, and a controller configured to stabilize output voltages or currents by controlling the switching frequency of the assembly of switches. The series resonant circuit comprises an energy recirculation circuit (ERC1) for limiting the resonant circuit quality factor, connected through the diode rectifier (DR2) to the supply voltage node and a current monitoring circuit (CMC) configured to monitor the recirculation circuit current (Ilim) and, by means of the controller (C), to change the switching frequency of the assembly of switches (K1, K2, K3, K4) in order to reduce power supplied to the resonant circuit upon exceeding the threshold value by the current (Ilim) in the energy recirculation circuit (ERC1).
US09318933B2
A structure reliably secures a stepping motor to a circuit board. The stepping motor has an axially protruding boss portion accommodating a shaft in the inside, which boss portion is provided to be snapped into a circuit board, axially protruding current conducting terminal pins that are made so as to be soldered to the circuit board, and securing pins not functioning as electrodes, which securing pins are made so as to be soldered to the circuit board and are arranged in a position whereby they sandwich the boss portion between themselves and the current conducting terminal pins.
US09318929B2
An electric machine has a stator which carries a polyphase coil winding, wherein coil ends are connected in a predetermined manner to a plurality of electric connection conductors. The electric machine comprises a power connection unit having a plurality of terminal conductors which are constructed separate from the connection conductors and which by a first end portion are bondingly connected or connectable to the connection conductors and by a second end portion are connected or connectable to the electrical energy source. The power connection unit is constructed as a plastic composite element, in which the terminal conductors are embedded at least over a portion of their length in a plastic shell so as to be spaced apart from one another, and wherein first end portions of the terminal conductors project out of the plastic shell.
US09318920B2
A method for maximizing the benefits of Fault Circuit Indicators on an electrical feeder has two steps. In the first step a data set for the feeder is obtained based on historical data. In the second step, the number of FCIs and their location is calculated based on the data set obtained in the first step. The number of FCIs and their location is determined utilizing a simulation algorithm that ensures each FCI is used efficiently and provides actionable information to the utility's crew.
US09318896B2
Fault-tolerant power control in a computer system is described. In an example, a power controller to control power applied to an enclosure having a plurality of computing devices includes: first and second alternating current (AC) primary power meters respectively measuring first and second input power feeds to the enclosure; a first alternative power meter to measuring power supplied by the first input power feed; a second alternative power meter to measure power supplied by the second input power feed; a first controller coupled to the first primary power meter and the second alternative power meter; and a second controller coupled to the second primary power meter and the first alternative power meter; wherein the first controller is coupled to the second controller.
US09318895B2
A load control system has a plurality of drivers provided correspondingly to a plurality of load driving elements in order to control driving of the respective load driving elements for driving loads. Each of the plurality of drivers includes a control unit that controls the load driving element directly associated with a subject driver. The respective drivers are electrically connected to one another so that a mutual control communication state, in which the control unit of the subject driver can transmit to the control units of all or a portion of target drivers of other drivers excluding the subject driver a command signal for controlling the driving of a load driving element directly associated with the all or the portion of target drivers, is created in the load control system.
US09318892B2
A surge arrester includes at least one resistor element and a cage in which the at least one resistor element is disposed. The cage includes an upper holder, a lower holder and at least three insulating rods, which are each held at one respective rod end thereof by the upper holder and at the other respective rod end thereof by the lower holder. The upper holder and the lower holder are configured in such a way that they each enable at least two different positions for at least one of the insulating rods, relative to the two holders, and the at least one insulating rod can be positioned differently relative to the two holders.
US09318890B2
Disclosed is a tunable capacitor which includes: a variable capacitor unit placed between a first terminal and a second terminal; and an ESD protection circuit which is inserted either between the first terminal and a ground terminal or between the second terminal and the ground terminal, or is inserted both between the first terminal and a ground terminal and between the second terminal and the ground terminal.
US09318880B1
A spark plug includes a terminal metal fitting held inside a cylindrical insulator, and a resistor disposed inside the insulator so as to be located between the terminal metal fitting and a center electrode held inside the insulator. The terminal metal fitting includes an engaging portion engaged into the inner peripheral surface of the insulator and a small-diameter portion extending from the engaging portion. The small-diameter portion is formed with ribs extending in an axial direction of the small-diameter portion and projecting outward from the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter portion. A conductive sealing member is located at least at part on a distal end side of a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the terminal metal fitting and the inner peripheral surface of the insulator.
US09318879B2
A spark plug has a firing pad attached to a center electrode or a ground electrode by way of a fused portion. In one or more embodiments, the firing pad is composed of a precious metal material. The fused portion can be formed in such a way that a material composition thereof at a sparking surface of the firing pad has a greater percentage of the precious metal material than a material of the underlying electrode to which the firing pad is attached.
US09318875B1
A method and device for emitting electromagnetic radiation at high power using a gallium containing substrates such as GaN, AN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, is provided.
US09318870B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for generating a sub-208 nm laser. A laser apparatus includes one or more seed radiation sources for generating a first radiation beam having a first fundamental wavelength on a first optical path and a second radiation beam having a second fundamental wavelength on a second optical path, a first amplifier for amplifying the first radiation beam, a second amplifier for amplifying the second radiation beam, and a wavelength conversion module comprising a plurality of crystals for frequency multiplying and mixing the amplified first and second radiation beams to produce an output beam at a fifth harmonic that is less than about 208 nm.
US09318866B2
A plasmonic laser device has resonant nanocavities filled with a gain medium containing an organic dye. The resonant plasmon frequencies of the nanocavities are tuned to align with both the absorption and emission spectra of the dye. Variables in the system include the nature of the dye and the wavelength of its absorption and emission, the wavelength of the pumping radiation, and the resonance frequencies of the nanocavities. In addition the pumping frequency of the dye is selected to be close to the absorption maximum.
US09318863B2
A laser pulse shaper device includes shaper unit including first dispersive element for spatially separating spectral components of laser pulses, second dispersive element for parallelizing and deflecting spectral components into Fourier plane of dispersive elements, and mirror for back-reflecting of laser pulses via dispersive elements, and light modulator in Fourier plane of dispersive elements, which is capable of modulating spectral components of laser pulses, wherein beam path of shaper unit includes forward beam path from first dispersive element via second dispersive element to mirror and return beam path from mirror via second dispersive element to first dispersive element, and focusing device is arranged at input side of forward beam path before first dispersive element for focusing spatially separated spectral components of laser pulses to Fourier plane of dispersive elements. Furthermore, a method for stretching or compressing laser pulses is described.
US09318858B2
A receptacle connector comprises a receptacle shell, a receptacle contact array A and a receptacle contact array B, a plurality of contact portions of the receptacle contact array A and a plurality of contact portions of the receptacle contact array B facing in opposite directions to each other, when a plug connector having a first fitting section is fitted to the receptacle connector, at least the plurality of contact portions of the receptacle contact array B are connected to the plug connector having the first fitting section, and when the plug connector having a second fitting section is fitted to the receptacle connector, the plurality of contact portions of the receptacle contact array A are connected to the plug connector having the second fitting section.
US09318854B2
The present invention is a detecting structure of receptacle connector, which comprises a receptacle connector having an insulating base, multiple signal terminals and a shielding housing; at least two contact elastic clips provided respectively on both sides of the shielding housing; and at least two detecting terminals provided respectively on both sides of the insulating base, and each of the detecting terminals contacts with each of the contact elastic clips movably. Thereby, a plug connector and the receptacle connector may butt mutually for appropriate displacement between each of the contact elastic clips and each of the detecting terminals in order to perform the detection by truncating contact signals or generating contact signals to achieve the effects of simple structure, easy operation and effective detection.
US09318850B2
In an embodiment, a connector such as an edge connector includes a connector housing, a first set of pins configured within the housing and having first ends to couple to corresponding signal lines of a first circuit board and second ends to couple to corresponding signal lines of a mating connector of a second circuit board, and a conductive material adapted to the housing to reduce interference caused by one or more sources of interference. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09318848B2
A communications connector includes a printed circuit board having a first internal conductive layer and first and second external conductive layers that are stacked with dielectric layers therebetween. The printed circuit board has input terminals, output terminals and signal current carrying conductive paths which electrically connect respective ones of the input and output terminals. The signal current carrying conductive paths are arranged in pairs to form differential transmission lines. The first signal current carrying conductive path includes a first segment that is on the first internal conductive layer which is routed in a vertically stacked arrangement with a second segment of the second signal current carrying conductive path, the first and second signal current carrying conductive paths being part of the same differential transmission line.
US09318838B2
A connector is provided that includes a female terminal with sacrificial portion. The terminal is configured to minimize arcing between a mating male terminal and an intended contact portion of the female terminal. The female terminal is configured such that arcs between the male terminal and the female terminal occur such that the sacrificial portion of the female terminal experiences any arcing while the intended contact portion remains suitable for reliably engaging the male terminal.
US09318834B2
A power plug device includes a casing, a first prong, a second prong, and a linkage mechanism. The first and second prongs are pivotally arranged in a receiving recess of the casing. The linkage mechanism includes a linkage member, a first link, and a second link. A first end of the first link and a first end of the second link are respectively connected to the first and second prongs. A second end of the first link and a second end of the second link are both disposed in a guiding groove of the linkage member. When the first prong rotates, the second end of the first link can move in the guiding groove to drive the second end of the second link through the linkage member to move inversely in the guiding groove, such that the second prong rotates inversely with respect to the first prong.
US09318833B2
A housing used for an electric connector, includes a terminal space into which an electric terminal is to be inserted, and a lance for preventing the electric terminal from being slipped out of the terminal space. The lance includes a flexible portion, and a protrusion extending from the flexible portion and engaging with the electric terminal. The lance defines an escape space in which the flexible portion can be bent in a direction in which the protrusion and the electric terminal are disengaged with each other. The flexible portion has a passage along which a jig can move and which extends in a direction in which the jig is inserted into the lance, and the jig is used for disengaging the protrusion and the electric terminal from each other.
US09318823B2
The invention relates to an electrical connector assembly comprising a first connector and a second connector. The first connector comprises a first insulating body and first terminals. The first insulating body comprises an inserting wall. The first terminal comprises a U-shaped segment fixed to the inserting wall and a first soldering foot. Two outer surfaces of the U-shaped segment respectively comprise a coupling part. The second connector comprises a second insulating body and second terminals. The second insulating body comprises a receiving trough, separating plates, and separating troughs. The receiving trough matches the inserting wall. The separating plate comprises a first chamfer and a second chamfer. The second terminal comprises a pair of elastic arms, a main arm, and a second soldering foot. The pair of elastic arms is fixed in the receiving trough and matches the U-shaped segment. The main arm is disposed in the separating trough.
US09318817B2
A device for mechanical and electrical connection of line wires in a cable to line connectors in an electrical assembly for a motor vehicle, wherein each line wire of the cable is connected to one line connector of the electrical assembly in such a manner that a form-locking unit, comprising a contact stud and a contact socket, is mechanically attached to the respective line connector via the contact stud, and furthermore, the respective line wire is mechanically attached to the contact stud of the form-locking unit, specifically providing an electrical contact between the line wire, the contact socket, and the line connector.
US09318811B1
Methods and designs for ultra-wide band(UWB) array antennas with superior performance and attributes
A array of fixably interconnected planar elements equally spaced and orthogonally oriented, that is ultra wide band with a low operating frequency, exhibits steerability in both azimuth and elevation and is capable of dual polarization. The configuration of the array, having a 1:2 ratio of elements to feed lines, allows the implementation of two oppositely driven 50 ohm coaxial feed lines to feed into a single 94 ohm element without the need for custom components or impedance transformers.
US09318808B1
Configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors are disclosed, as are aircraft comprising configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors and methods to use configurable passive electromagnetic reflectors. In one embodiment a system comprises a reflector comprising a surface having a plurality of addressable patches switchable between a reflective state and a non-reflective state, and a controller coupled to the reflector to provide signals to switch the plurality of addressable patches between the non-reflective state and the reflective state to configure the reflector to selectively reflect incident electromagnetic radiation toward a remote target. Other embodiments may be described.
US09318799B2
Measures for fading-based control of an antenna radiation pattern. Such measures may comprise reception of at least one radio wave signal via an antenna unit, detection of fading conditions in relation to the received at least one radio wave signal, and control of an antenna radiation pattern of the antenna unit, at least in terms of antenna lobe width, on the basis of the detected fading conditions.
US09318797B2
An electronic device includes a main body, a metal cover, an antenna and a magnetic flux inducer unit. The metal cover is disposed at the main body and the main body includes a nonmetal covered portion. The antenna is disposed in the main body. The magnetic flux inducer unit is disposed in the main body and located between the nonmetal covered portion and the antenna. The permeability of the magnetic flux inducer unit is greater than 1.
US09318793B2
A display cover layer may be mounted in an electronic device housing using housing structures such as corner brackets. A slot antenna may be formed from a corner bracket opening, metal traces on a hollow plastic support structure, or other conductive structures. The slot antenna may have a main portion with opposing ends. An antenna feed may be located at one of the ends. The slot antenna may have a slot with one or more bends. The bends may provide the slot antenna with a C-shaped outline. A side branch slot may extend from the main portion of the slot at a location between the two bends. The presence of the side branch slot may enhance antenna bandwidth. A hollow enclosure may serve as an antenna support structure and as a speaker box enclosing a speaker driver. The antenna feed may be positioned so as to overlap the speaker driver.
US09318791B2
A chassis component of an information handling system may include a chassis main lid component constructed of carbon fiber composite material that supports a lid chassis antenna housing that includes an internal antenna cavity defined therein to create an antenna window for the system. The carbon fiber composite material may be attached to the chassis antenna housing by an interlocking rib that provides sufficient joint strength to allow for a substantially larger and extended chassis antenna housing with larger antenna window that may be spaced further away from the carbon fiber composite material of the chassis main lid component than would otherwise be possible for the same form factor size so as to minimize or substantially eliminate shielding or blocking of wireless signals by the carbon fiber composite material lid component that would result in reduced system wireless performance.
US09318786B2
A high-frequency signal line includes an element assembly including a plurality of insulator layers, a linear signal line provided in or on the element assembly, a first ground conductor provided in or on the element assembly and extending along the signal line, and a plurality of floating conductors provided in or on the element assembly on a first side in a direction of lamination relative to the signal line and the first ground conductor, so as to be arranged along the signal line in an orientation crossing the signal line when viewed in a plan view in the direction of lamination. The floating conductors are opposite to the signal line and the first ground conductor with at least one of the insulator layers positioned therebetween, the floating conductors being connected to neither the signal line nor the first ground conductor. A capacitance is created between the first ground conductor and each of the floating conductors, and has a greater value than a capacitance created between the signal line and the floating conductor.
US09318784B2
In certain aspects of the invention, an isolator is configured by a reception circuit, a transmission circuit, and a transformer. In some aspects, the transmission circuit is disposed in an anterior surface of a semiconductor substrate. The transformer is disposed in a posterior surface of the semiconductor substrate and transmits in an electrically isolated state to the reception circuit, a signal input from the transmission circuit. The transformer is configured by a primary coil and a secondary coil. The primary coil can be configured by a metal film embedded in an oxide film inside a coil trench. The secondary coil can be disposed inside an insulating film covering the primary coil so as to oppose the primary coil and is insulated from the primary coil by the insulating film.
US09318775B2
An electrolyte for a magnesium battery includes a magnesium salt having the formula MgBxHy where x=11-12 and y=11-12. The electrolyte also includes a solvent, the magnesium salt being dissolved in the solvent. Various solvents including aprotic solvents and molten salts such as ionic liquids may be utilized.
US09318766B2
The present invention relates to a technique for manufacturing a unit cell for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) which can improve the output of the unit cell of the solid oxide fuel cell, without occurring cost due to an additional process. The unit cell of the solid oxide fuel cell, comprises: a fuel electrode support body; a fuel electrode reaction layer; an electrolyte; and an air electrode, wherein the fuel electrode support body is made from an NiO and YSZ mixed material, the fuel electrode reaction layer is made from a CeScSZ and NiO mixed material, the electrolyte is made from a CeCsSZ material, and wherein the air electrode is made from an LSM and CeScSZ mixed material.
US09318764B2
Disclosed is a proton conducting polymer membrane formed by laminating a plurality of solid electrolyte membranes. This proton conducting polymer membrane is one prepared by laminating at least one layer of a solid electrolyte membrane formed by using a resin having a bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)methide group in the chemical structure. This solid electrolyte membrane has a superior proton conductivity without transmitting the fuel (methanol or hydrogen).
US09318760B2
In a method of operating a fuel cell, a voltage difference between voltages of a first unit cell and a second unit cell is detected. Whether the voltage difference is out of a predetermined range is determined. If the voltage difference is determined to be out of the predetermined range, humidity of a first reactant gas before being supplied to a first reactant gas passage is adjusted or humidity of a second reactant gas before being supplied to a second reactant gas passage is adjusted. The first reactant gas passage is provided in a first separator. The first reactant gas is to be supplied to one of first electrodes through the first reactant gas passage. The second reactant gas is to be supplied to another of the first electrodes through the second reactant gas passage.
US09318757B2
A fuel supply unit (10) for a fuel cell system which is in particular suitable for use in an aircraft comprises a fuel tank (12) and a feed line (14), which connects the fuel tank (12) to an inlet (16) of a fuel cell (18). A tank isolation valve (28) is disposed in the feed line (14). A removal line (46) connects an outlet (20) of the fuel cell (18) to an unpressurised region of the aircraft and/or the outer atmosphere. The fuel supply unit (10) also comprises a sensor (44) for detecting an electrical voltage in the fuel cell (18) and an electronic control unit (45) which is adapted to receive signals output from the sensor (44) and which is adapted to detect a fault caused by an unintentional opening or a failure of the tank isolation valve (28) based on the sensor signals, when in a quiescent operational state of the fuel cell system electrical energy is generated by the fuel cell (18).
US09318756B2
A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells for generating electricity by electrochemical reactions of a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, a reformer for reforming a mixed gas of a raw fuel and water vapor, an evaporator for supplying water vapor to the reformer, a heat exchanger for raising the temperature of the oxygen-containing gas by heat exchange with a combustion gas, an exhaust gas combustor for producing the combustion gas, and a start-up combustor for producing the combustion gas. The exhaust gas combustor is provided integrally in the heat exchanger. The start-up combustor is provided adjacent to one end of the heat exchanger.
US09318753B2
A fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly with a frame at a peripheral portion, and a separator disposed on both sides of the frame and the membrane electrode assembly. A protrusion and a counterpart groove where a tip of the protrusion is inserted are respectively formed on portions of the frame and the separator facing each other, and the tip of the protrusion is immersed in an adhesive that is injected in the groove such that the groove and the protrusion are joined to each other. A room is formed between the frame and the separator on the groove at least at a side of the protrusion closer to the membrane electrode assembly.
US09318752B2
An apparatus for insulating a plurality of exposed live parts of a fuel cell stack, includes a plurality of protectors. Each of the plurality of protectors is made of an insulating material and configured to insulate a corresponding one of the plurality of exposed live parts to which a corresponding one of current collector terminals disposed in an end plate of the fuel cell stack and a corresponding one of connections of a busbar are connected.
US09318750B2
A manufacturer of gas cells performs an arrangement process of arranging solid substances at positions corresponding to holes each of which is provided on each of a plurality of cells. Then, the manufacturer of the gas cells performs an accommodation process of accommodating gas in inner spaces of the cells through an air flow path connected to the holes. Further, the manufacturer of the gas cells performs a sealing process of sealing the spaces by melting the solid substances to close the holes corresponding to the solid substances.
US09318749B2
A catalyst carrier production process includes a step (a) of mixing a transition metal compound (1), a nitrogen-containing organic compound (2), and a solvent to provide a catalyst carrier precursor solution; a step (b) of removing the solvent from the catalyst carrier precursor solution; and a step (c) of the thermally treating a solid residue obtained in the step (b) at a temperature of 500 to 1100° C. to provide a catalyst carrier; wherein the transition metal compound (1) is partly or wholly a compound including a transition metal element (M1) selected from the group 4 and 5 elements of the periodic table as a transition metal element; and at least one of the transition metal compound (1) and the nitrogen-containing organic compound (2) includes an oxygen atom.
US09318748B2
A bipolar lithium-ion electrochemical battery having increased capacity.
US09318745B2
To provide a conductive agent for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and the like, in which oxidative decomposition reaction of an electrolyte is sufficiently suppressed during charging and discharging under high-temperature, high-voltage conditions and thus the cycle characteristics under these conditions are improved.A conductive agent main body composed of carbon and a compound attached to a surface of the conductive agent main body are contained. The average particle size of primary particles or secondary particles of the conductive agent main body is larger than the average particle size of the compound and the compound contains at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of aluminum, zirconium, magnesium, and a rare earth element.
US09318735B2
To provide a terminal-attached plate, which is capable of providing a connector fitting portion at only one end portion of a battery module, and is capable of preventing the battery module from being made thick, and to provide a plate assembly, and a battery module. A battery module includes a single-cell stack and a plate assembly including stacked plates turned back alternately and connected to an end of the stack, each plate including a joining portion, a plate supporting portion, a terminal including a connecting portion connected to a tab of the battery and a contact portion connected to a connector, and a hood member protecting the contact portion, wherein the hood member is disposed at a position offset to an end portion side of the plate from a center in a longitudinal direction of the plate.
US09318733B2
Disclosed herein is an electrode assembly mounted in a battery case of a secondary battery. The electrode assembly is configured to have a structure in which a cathode and an anode are stacked in a state in which a separator plate is disposed between the cathode and the anode. The electrode assembly includes an even number of unit cells, each of the unit cells having a structure in which the uppermost electrode plate and the lowermost electrode plate have the same polarity. The electrode assembly has a stair-like structure.
US09318731B2
A battery pack includes a first battery module, the first battery module including unit batteries, a first plate, and a second plate, and a second battery module, the second battery module including unit batteries, a first plate, and a second plate. The first battery module may be stacked on the second battery module, the second plate of the first battery module may be between the first battery module and the second battery module, and the second plate of the first battery module may support the unit batteries of the first battery module and contact the first plate of the second battery module.
US09318728B2
A manufacturing method for an organic light-emitting element includes: a first step of forming a first electrode, and forming an organic layer including a light-emitting layer; a second step of forming a second electrode, and thereby forming an element structure including the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode; and a third step of performing an aging process by applying electric power between the first electrode and the second electrode in the element structure. a duration of the application of electric power in the third step is determined as the time elapsed before a time point at which a rate of decrease in a luminance of the light-emitting layer is substantially equal to a rate of decrease in a luminance of the element structure.
US09318725B2
A microcavity organic light emitting diode (OLED) device is disclosed having a narrow-band phosphorescent emitter.
US09318717B1
An apparatus with a programmable response includes a semi-conductor device with a junction formed thereon, the junction having a built-in potential, a quantum well element proximate to the junction that provides an energy well within a depletion region of the junction. The energy well comprises one or more donor energy states that support electron trapping, and/or one or more acceptor energy states that support hole trapping; thereby modulating the built-in potential of the junction. The semi-conductor device may be a diode, a bipolar diode, a transistor, or the like. A corresponding method is also disclosed herein.
US09318710B2
Boron-nitrogen polyaromatic compounds having a fused aromatic ring system are provided, where the compounds include a [1,2]azaborino[1,2-a][1,2]azaborine which is optionally fused to one or more aromatic rings or fused aromatic rings; wherein the fused aromatic ring system is substituted by one or more substituents, R, that are not fused to the aromatic ring system, selected from deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof; and wherein any two adjacent substituents, R, are optionally joined to form one or more non-aromatic rings. Devices, such as organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) that comprise light emitting materials are also provided.
US09318700B2
In a method of manufacturing a phase change memory device, an insulating interlayer having a through opening is formed on a substrate, at least one conformal phase change material layer pattern is formed along the sides of the opening, and a plug-like phase change material pattern having a composition different from that of each conformal phase change material layer pattern is formed on the at least one conformal phase change material layer pattern as occupying a remaining portion of the opening. Energy is applied to the phase change material layer patterns to form a mixed phase change material layer pattern including elements from the conformal and plug-like phase change material layer patterns.
US09318696B2
Systems and methods for forming precise and self-aligned top metal contact for a Magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) device include forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) in a common interlayer metal dielectric (IMD) layer with a logic element. A low dielectric constant (K) etch stop layer is selectively retained over an exposed top surface of the MTJ. Etching is selectively performed through a top IMD layer formed over the low K etch stop layer and the common IMD layer, based on a first chemistry which prevents etching through the low K etch stop layer. By switching chemistry to a second chemistry which precisely etches through the low K etch stop layer, an opening is created for forming a self-aligned top contact to the exposed top surface of the MTJ.
US09318695B2
Magnetic memory devices having a uniform perpendicular nonmagnetic rich antisotropy enhanced pattern
Provided are magnetic memory devices, electronic systems and memory cards including the same, methods of manufacturing the same, and methods of controlling a magnetization direction of a magnetic pattern. In a magnetic memory device, atomic-magnetic moments non-parallel to one surface of a free pattern increase in the free pattern. Therefore, critical current density of the magnetic memory device may be reduced, such that power consumption of the magnetic memory device is reduced or minimized and/or the magnetic memory device is improved or optimized for a higher degree of integration.
US09318694B2
Methods of forming a memory device structure are described. Those methods may include forming a non-conductive spacer material on a top electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction structure, and then forming a highly selective material on the non-conductive spacer material of the magnetic tunnel junction prior to etching a bottom electrode of the magnetic tunnel junction.
US09318693B2
A method for a non-volatile, ferroelectric random access memory (F-RAM) device that includes a ferroelectric capacitor aligned with a preexisting structure is described. In one embodiment, the method includes forming an opening in an insulating layer over a contact in a planar surface of a substrate to expose at least a portion of the contact. Next a self-aligned contact (SAC) is formed electrically coupling to the contact, the SAC medially located in the opening and proximal to a sidewall thereof. A ferroelectric spacer is then formed in the opening medially of the SAC, and a top electrode spacer formed in the opening over the insulating cap and medially of the ferroelectric spacer.
US09318691B2
An end effector assembly for use with an electrosurgical instrument is provided. The end effector assembly has a pair of opposing jaw members. One or more of the jaw members includes a support base, an electrical jaw lead, and a sealing plate coupled to the electrical jaw lead. The sealing plate has a stainless steel layer and one or more piezoelectric sensors. The jaw member also includes an insulative plate disposed between the support base and the sealing plate.
US09318690B2
A piezoelectric element is provided. The piezoelectric element includes a piezoelectric layer made of a perovskite compound containing sodium, potassium, lithium, niobium and tantalum and bismuth manganate. The piezoelectric element may also include electrodes for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer may contain 0.25 to 1 mol % of bismuth manganate relative to the perovskite ceramics.
US09318688B2
A piezoelectric vibration element capable of reducing occurrence of unnecessary vibration, and a piezoelectric vibration device and a portable terminal using the same are disclosed. The piezoelectric vibration element includes a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of piezoelectric layers being stacked along a first direction, the piezoelectric vibration element having two surfaces that face each other to be at intervals in the first direction, and vibrating in bending mode in the first direction with an amplitude varying along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction according to input of an electric signal, one of the two surfaces having such a shape that a central portion thereof in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction protrudes as compared with opposite end portions thereof in the third direction.
US09318685B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a superconductive element to be used as a wire-in-channel superconductor in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications, which superconductive element contains a superconductive wire and a copper component having a longitudinal groove and the superconductive wire being positioned in the groove. In order to produce the wire-in-channel superconductive element by a mechanical contact between the superconductive wire and a wall of the groove in the copper component, at least one contact surface is coated with a lead free solder material before having the mechanical contact. In order to enhance the thermal and electrical conduction and to create a bond between the said components the soldering material is fused in annealing process step.
US09318684B2
Provided is a semiconductor ceramic element constructed by using a semiconductor ceramic that generates metal-insulator transition at a temperature of actual use and has a sufficient strength to enable easy handling. The semiconductor ceramic element has an element main body having a semiconductor ceramic made of a perovskite-type or pyrochlore-type oxide containing a rare earth element, nickel, and titanium, in which a part of the nickel is present as metal nickel; and a pair of electrodes formed to interpose the element main body therebetween. This semiconductor ceramic element shows a sharp resistance change within a temperature range of actual use, and can be used advantageously as a temperature sensor.
US09318683B2
A thermoelectric module includes an inner circumferential surface, an axis and an outer circumferential surface. A plurality of semiconductor elements is disposed with thermoelectric material in the direction of the axis and between the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface and are electrically interconnected in an alternating manner. At least one part of the semiconductor elements has at least one inner frame part or an outer frame part. At least some of the inner frame parts form an interrupted inner circumferential surface or outer frame parts form an interrupted outer circumferential surface.
US09318679B2
An optical device includes a metal substrate wherein at least one vertical insulation layer is formed from the upper to the lower surface; a metal plated layer formed on the upper surface of the metal substrate except for the vertical insulation layer; and an optical device chip bonded to one portion of the metal plated layer. One electrode of the optical device chip is electrically connected to a bonded surface of the metal plated layer, and the other electrode of the optical device chip is wire bonded to the other portion of metal plated layer. The optical device chip and a peripheral region thereof is shielded with a sealant, and at least one groove is formed on a partial surface of the metal plated layer so that a portion of the sealant is directly bonded to the metal substrate.
US09318672B2
A lighting assembly and a lamp for a motor vehicle are described. A leadframe 14 out of a metal sheet material comprises a first part 14c and a second part 14b not directly electrically connected. An LED element 16 is fixed to the leadframe 14. A first contact part 24a is connected to the first leadframe part 14c and a second contact part 24b is connected to the second leadframe part 14b. The LED element 16 is disposed to emit light when operated. In order to achieve a desired directed emission of light in a simple way, the leadframe 14 comprises a light direction section 20a,20b including a reflective surface 30a,30b arrange to reflect the light emitted from the LED element 16.
US09318670B2
A photoluminescence material paste comprises: a first inorganic photoluminescence material having a first density, a second inorganic photoluminescence material having a second density and a light transmissive non-curable silicone fluid that is not curable by itself. The first density of the first inorganic photoluminescence material is different from the second density of the second inorganic photoluminescence material. The first and second inorganic photoluminescence materials are substantially homogenously distributed within the light transmissive non-curable silicone fluid to form the photoluminescence material paste. A weight loading of the first and second photoluminescence materials in the photoluminescence material paste is in a range of about 60% to about 95%.
US09318665B2
A light emitting device includes a flexible substrate, at least one light emitting element, a sealing resin and an adhesion layer. The flexible substrate includes a flexible base member and a plurality of wiring portions disposed on one surface of the base member. The light emitting element is arranged on a first surface of the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the wiring portions. The sealing resin seals the light emitting element. The adhesion layer is arranged on a second surface of the flexible substrate different from the first surface of the flexible substrate. The adhesion layer has a small thickness portion corresponding at least to a region on the first surface where the at least one light emitting element is arranged. The small thickness portion of the adhesion layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of regions of the adhesion layer other than the portion.
US09318664B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting element includes: a support substrate; a bonding layer provided on the support substrate; an LED layer provided on the bonding layer; and a buffer layer softer than the bonding layer. The buffer layer is placed in one of between the support substrate and the bonding layer and between the bonding layer and the LED layer.
US09318662B2
Disclosed herein is a light emitting device exhibiting improved current spreading. The disclosed light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type semiconductor layer, and an active layer disposed between the first conductivity type and second conductivity type semiconductor layers, a first electrode disposed on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a second electrode disposed on the second conductivity type semiconductor layer. The light emitting structure includes a mesa etching region where the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, active layer, and first conductivity type semiconductor layer are partially etched, thereby exposing a portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer. The first electrode is disposed on the exposed portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer. A first electrode layer is disposed between the second conductivity type semiconductor layer and the second electrode. A second electrode layer is disposed between portions of the first electrode layer spaced from each other at opposite sides of the mesa etching region.
US09318654B2
An object is to provide a light-emitting display device in which a pixel including a thin film transistor using an oxide semiconductor has a high aperture ratio. The light-emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels each including a thin film transistor and a light-emitting element. The pixel is electrically connected to a first wiring functioning as a scan line. The thin film transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer over the first wiring with a gate insulating film therebetween. The oxide semiconductor layer is extended beyond the edge of a region where the first wiring is provided. The light-emitting element and the oxide semiconductor layer overlap with each other.
US09318652B1
Semiconductor structures involving multiple quantum wells provide increased efficiency of UV and visible light emitting diodes (LEDs) and other emitter devices, particularly at high driving current. LEDs made with the new designs have reduced efficiency droop under high current injection and increased overall external quantum efficiency. The active region of the devices includes separation layers configured between the well layers, the one or more separation regions being configured to have a first mode to act as one or more barrier regions separating a plurality of carriers in a quantum confined mode in each of the quantum wells being provided on each side of the one or more separation layers and a second mode to cause spreading of the plurality of carriers across each of the quantum wells to increase an overlap integral of all of the plurality of carriers. The devices and methods of the invention provide improved efficiency for solid state lighting, including high efficiency ultraviolet LEDs.
US09318648B2
An illumination device with a semiconductor light emission solution has a wavelength up conversion feature and is suited for plant cultivation in a greenhouse environment. The best mode is considered to be a light device with at least one blue LED (101) with wavelength up conversion binary alloy quantum dots (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) made by colloidal methods that are arranged to produce an emission spectrum similar to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectrum with the blue LEDs. The methods and arrangements allow more precise spectral tuning of the emission spectrum for lights used in plant cultivation. Therefore unexpected improvements in the photomorphogenetic control of plant growth, and further improvements in plant (310, 311) production are realized. The device is especially advantageous for greenhouses that already have legacy LED systems. These LED systems can often just be upgraded by adding the quantum dot array to arrive at the lighting solution.
US09318645B2
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting element includes a second light-emitting layer, a third barrier layer, and a first light-emitting layer from a side close to a p-type nitride semiconductor layer. The first light-emitting layer includes a plurality of first quantum well layers and a first barrier layer provided between the plurality of first quantum well layers. The second light-emitting layer includes a plurality of second quantum well layers and a second barrier layer provided between the plurality of second quantum well layers. The second quantum well layers include a multiple quantum well light-emitting layer thicker than the first quantum well layers.
US09318635B2
An automatic solar tracking adjustment/control apparatus of solar generation system includes a support assembly, a two-dimensionally movable pivotal rotational assembly disposed on the support assembly, a solar generation module disposed on the support assembly via the pivotal rotational assembly and at least one drive assembly disposed between the support assembly and the solar generation module. The drive assembly drives the solar generation module to tilt in different directions and angles according to reference parameters in a control unit. A detection/correction module is disposed on the solar generation module for detecting actual parameters of the solar generation module. The control unit compares the actual parameters with the reference parameters to modify the output of the drive assembly so as to adjust the tilting direction and inclination angle of the solar generation module.
US09318634B2
Vinylidene fluoride resin composition, resin film, back sheet for solar cells, and solar cell module
Provided is a vinylidene fluoride resin composition resistant to yellowing in the test for evaluation of durability of moist heat resistance, even when it is laminated directly on an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)-based sealing material, and a resin film, a back sheet for solar cells and a solar cell module comprising the same. A vinylidene fluoride resin composition at least comprising a vinylidene fluoride resin having a peak value ratio of head-to-tail bond to head-to-head bond (head-to-tail bond/head-to-head bond), as determined by 1H-NMR, of 11.5 or less and a mass-average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.30×105 or more, and an antioxidant is processed into a vinylidene fluoride resin film having a thickness of 10 to 200 μm. The vinylidene fluoride resin film and an electric insulating resin film such as polyethylene terephthalate-based film are laminated, to give a back sheet for solar cells.
US09318632B2
Manipulation of the passivation ligands of colloidal quantum dots and use in QD electronics. A multi-step electrostatic process is described which creates bare QDs, followed by the formation of QD superlattice via electric and thermal stimulus. Colloidal QDs with original long ligands (i.e. oleic acid) are atomized, and loaded into a special designed tank to be washed, followed by another atomization step before entering the doping station. The final step is the deposition of bare QDs onto substrate and growth of QD superlattice. The method permits the formation of various photonic devices, such as single junction and tandem solar cells based on bare QD superlattice, photodetectors, and LEDs. The devices include a piezoelectric substrate with an electrode, and at least one layer of bare quantum dots comprising group IV-VI elements on the electrode, where the bare quantum dots have been stripped of outer-layer ligands.
US09318631B2
A method for manufacturing a photodiode including the steps of providing a substrate, solution depositing a quantum nanomaterial layer onto the substrate, the quantum nanomaterial layer including a number of quantum nanomaterials having a ligand coating, and applying a thin-film oxide layer over the quantum nanomaterial layer.
US09318616B2
Organic light emitting diode display having thin film transistor substrate using oxide semiconductor
Provided is a thin film transistor having an oxide semiconductor material for an organic light emitting diode display and a method for manufacturing the same. The organic light emitting diode display includes a gate electrode formed on a substrate; a gate insulating layer formed on the gate electrode; a semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating layer to overlap with the gate electrode, and including a channel area and source and drain areas which extend from the channel area to both outsides, respectively and are conductorized; an etch stopper formed on the channel area and exposing the source area and the drain area; a source electrode contacting portions of the exposed source electrode; and a drain electrode contacting portions of the exposed drain electrode.
US09318612B2
An array substrate includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer and source and drain electrodes, wherein a first insulating layer of an inorganic insulating material is disposed between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer, and wherein a second insulating layer of an inorganic insulating material is disposed between the oxide semiconductor layer and the source and drain electrodes; a passivation layer on the thin film transistor; a first electrode on the passivation layer in the pixel region; and a first hydrogen absorbing layer on at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the first insulating layer, top and bottom surfaces of the second insulating layer and top and bottom surfaces of the passivation layer, the first hydrogen absorbing layer including plurality of particles spaced apart from each other and including one of nickel, palladium and platinum.
US09318600B2
This silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a substrate with a principal surface; a silicon carbide layer which is arranged on a side of the principal surface of the substrate and which includes a first impurity region of a first conductivity type; a trench which is arranged in the silicon carbide layer and which has a bottom located in the first impurity region; a trench bottom impurity layer which is arranged in the trench to contact with at least a portion of the bottom of the trench and which is a silicon carbide epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type; a gate insulating film which covers a side surface of the trench and the trench bottom impurity layer; and a gate electrode which is arranged over at least a portion of the gate insulating film that is located inside the trench.
US09318594B2
A semiconductor structure includes a Group III-nitride semiconductor layer, a protective layer on the semiconductor layer, a distribution of implanted dopants within the semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact extending through the protective layer to the semiconductor layer.
US09318593B2
A method of fabricating a III-N device includes forming a III-N channel layer on a substrate, a III-N barrier layer on the channel layer, an insulator layer on the barrier layer, and a trench in a first portion of the device. Forming the trench comprises removing the insulator layer and a part of the barrier layer in the first portion of the device, such that a remaining portion of the barrier layer in the first portion of the device has a thickness away from a top surface of the channel layer, the thickness being within a predetermined thickness range, annealing the III-N device in a gas ambient including oxygen at an elevated temperature to oxidize the remaining portion of the barrier layer in the first portion of the device, and removing the oxidized remaining portion of the barrier layer in the first portion of the device.
US09318591B2
This application relates to graphene based heterostructures and transistor devices comprising graphene. The hetero-structures comprise i) a first graphene layer; ii) a spacer layer and iii) a third graphene. The transistors comprise (i) an electrode, the electrode comprising a graphene layer, and (ii) an insulating barrier layer.
US09318589B2
There is provided an insulated gate bipolar transistor including: a first semiconductor area of a first conductivity type; a second semiconductor area of a second conductivity type formed on one surface of the first semiconductor area; third semiconductor areas of the first conductivity type continuously formed in a length direction on one surface of the second semiconductor area; a plurality of trenches formed between the third semiconductor areas, extending to an inside of the second semiconductor area, and being continuous in the length direction; a fourth semiconductor area of the second conductivity type formed on one surface of the third semiconductor areas, insulation layers formed inside the trenches; gate electrodes buried inside the insulation layers; and a barrier layer formed in at least one of locations corresponding to the third semiconductor areas inside the second semiconductor area.
US09318588B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type having first and second faces, and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type disposed above the first face of the first semiconductor layer. The device further includes control electrodes facing the first and second semiconductor layers via insulating layers, and extending to a first direction parallel to the first face of the first semiconductor layer, and third semiconductor layers of the first conductivity type and fourth semiconductor layers of the second conductivity type alternately disposed along the first direction above the second semiconductor layer. The device further includes fifth semiconductor layers of the first conductivity type disposed below the second semiconductor layer or disposed at positions surrounded by the second semiconductor layer, the fifth semiconductor layers being arranged separately from one another along the first direction.
US09318584B2
Device structures and design structures for a bipolar junction transistor. The device structure includes a collector region in a substrate, a plurality of isolation structures extending into the substrate and comprised of an electrical insulator, and an isolation region in the substrate. The isolation structures have a length and are arranged with a pitch transverse to the length such that each adjacent pair of the isolation structures is separated by a respective section of the substrate. The isolation region is laterally separated from at least one of the isolation structures by a first portion of the collector region. The isolation region laterally separates a second portion of the collector region from the first portion of the collector region. The device structure further includes an intrinsic base on the second portion of the collector region and an emitter on the intrinsic base. The emitter has a length transversely oriented relative to the length of the isolation structures.
US09318570B2
Provided is a semiconductor device, including a substrate including a device isolation layer and an active region isolated by the device isolation layer; a trench in the active region; a gate electrode filling at least a portion of the trench; a recess in the substrate at one side of the gate electrode, the recess overlapping a portion of the device isolation layer and the active region; and a lower contact plug filling the recess.
US09318569B2
Unit cells including a substrate having an active region, a first charge trap pattern disposed on the substrate to intersect the active region, a second charge trap pattern disposed on the substrate to intersect the active region and spaced apart from the first charge trap pattern, a first junction region disposed in the active region between the first and second charge trap patterns, a second junction region disposed in the active region adjacent to one side of the first charge trap pattern opposite to the second charge trap pattern, and a third junction region disposed in the active region adjacent to one side of the second charge trap pattern opposite to the first charge trap pattern.
US09318567B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes the following steps. First, a semiconductor substrate is provided, which includes at least a fin structure and at least a gate semiconductor layer disposed thereon. The gate semiconductor layer covers a portion of the fin structure. Then a sacrificial layer is deposited to cover the fin structure entirely. Subsequently, a top surface of the fin structure is exposed from the sacrificial layer through an etching process. A material layer is then deposited, which covers the gate semiconductor layer, the fin structure and the sacrificial layer conformally. Finally, the material layer is etched until the top surface of the fin structure is exposed and a first spacer is concurrently formed on side surfaces of the gate semiconductor layer.
US09318559B2
A semiconductor substrate includes a sapphire substrate including a c-plane main surface and a groove in a surface thereof, the groove including side surfaces and a bottom surface, and a Group III nitride semiconductor layer formed on the sapphire substrate. The side surfaces of the groove are an a-plane of sapphire. An axis of the Group III nitride semiconductor layer, perpendicular to one of the side surface of the groove, is a c-axis of Group III nitride semiconductor. A plane of the Group III nitride semiconductor, parallel to the main surface of the sapphire substrate, is an a-plane of Group III nitride semiconductor.
US09318534B2
Provided is a solid-state image pickup device that makes it possible to enhance image quality, and a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic apparatus. A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel section that includes a plurality of pixels, the pixels each including one or more organic photoelectric conversion sections, wherein the pixel section includes an effective pixel region and an optical black region, and the organic photoelectric conversion sections of the optical black region include a light-shielding film and a buffer film on a light-incidence side.
US09318532B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises: a memory cell array comprising first wiring lines, second wiring lines extending crossing the first wiring lines, and memory cells at intersections of the first and second wiring lines, the memory cells being stacked perpendicularly to a substrate, each memory cell comprising a variable resistance element; a first select transistor layer comprising a first select transistor operative to select one of the first wiring lines; a second select transistor layer comprising a second select transistor operative to select one of the second wiring lines; and a peripheral circuit layer on the substrate, the peripheral circuit layer comprising a peripheral circuit that controls a voltage applied to one of the memory cells. The first select transistor layer is provided below the memory cell array perpendicularly to the substrate. The second select transistor layer is provided above the memory cell array perpendicularly to the substrate.
US09318531B1
Selector elements that can be suitable for nonvolatile memory device applications are disclosed. The selector element can have low leakage currents at low voltages to reduce sneak current paths for non selected devices, and higher leakage currents at higher voltages to minimize voltage drops during device switching. The selector element can be based on multilayer film stacks (e.g. metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) stacks). The semiconductor layer of the selector element can include a silicon carbide/silicon nitride nanolaminate stack. The semiconductor layer of the selector element can include a silicon carbon nitride/silicon nitride nanolaminate stack. Conductive materials of the MSM may include tungsten, titanium nitride, carbon, or a combination thereof.
US09318530B2
Disclosed are a light emitting diode array on a wafer level and a method of forming the same. The light emitting diode array includes a growth substrate; a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting diodes has a first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer; and a plurality of upper electrodes arranged on the plurality of light emitting diodes and formed of an identical material, wherein each of the plurality of upper electrodes is electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer of a respective one of the light emitting diodes. At least one of the upper electrodes is electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer of an adjacent one of the light emitting diodes, and another of the upper electrodes is insulated from the second semiconductor layer of an adjacent one of the light emitting diodes. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a light emitting diode array that can be driven under at a high voltage and simplify a forming process thereof.
US09318527B2
A method for producing at least one photosensitive infrared detector by assembling a first electronic component including plural photodiodes sensitive to infrared radiation and a second electronic component including at least one electronic circuit for reading the plurality of photodiodes, an infrared detector, and an assembly for producing such a detector, the method including: production, on each one of the first and second components, of a connection face formed at least partially by a silicon oxide (SiO2)-based layer; bonding the first component and the second component by the connection faces thereof, thus performing the direct bonding of the two components. The method can simplify hybridization of heterogeneous components for producing an infrared detector.
US09318520B2
According to one embodiment, a solid-state image sensing device manufacturing method includes forming a photoelectric converting element, a diffusion layer included in a floating diffusion, and a read transistor, in a photoelectric converting element formation region of a semiconductor substrate, a floating diffusion formation region, and a read transistor formation region located between the photoelectric converting element formation region and the floating diffusion formation region, respectively, and forming a semiconductor layer including a impurity on the diffusion layer on the semiconductor substrate.
US09318515B2
A method of forming a conductive pattern includes forming a trench on a substrate, and providing a conductive ink to the trench while an electric field is generated between the substrate and a nozzle which ejects the conductive ink.
US09318509B2
The present invention discloses an array substrate comprising: a first substrate on which a thin film transistor and a data line are formed; and a shield metal layer comprising a first shield metal zone positioned at a location corresponding to a channel of the thin film transistor and a second shield metal zone positioned at a location corresponding to the data line. The present invention also discloses a display panel and a method for manufacturing the array substrate. The shield metal layer formed at the location on the array substrate corresponding to the data line, there is no any black matrix region between a color filter units along a direction corresponding to the data line. The display panel comprising the array substrate has increased aperture ratio of pixel, and difficulty of manufacturing the display panel is decreased.
US09318506B2
An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device which includes a transistor including an oxide semiconductor with high field-effect mobility, a small variation in threshold voltage, and high reliability. The semiconductor device includes a transistor which includes an insulating substrate from which oxygen is released by heat treatment and an oxide semiconductor film over the insulating substrate. A channel is formed in the oxide semiconductor film. The insulating substrate from which oxygen is released by heat treatment can be manufactured by implanting oxygen ions into at least a region of an insulating substrate on the side provided with the oxide semiconductor film.
US09318502B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array and a peripheral circuit. The peripheral circuit is connected to the memory cell array through conductive lines and includes transistors. Each of the transistors is formed on the substrate and includes first and second regions and a gate electrode. In at least one of the transistors, the first region is connected to at least one of the conductive lines through first contact plugs extending in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and second contact plugs extending in the direction perpendicular to the substrate. A contact area of each of the first contact plugs is different from a contact area of each of the second contact plugs.
US09318493B2
Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays may have digit lines under vertically-oriented transistors, with the digit lines interconnecting transistors along columns of the array. Each individual transistor may be directly over only a single digit line, with the single digit line being entirely composed of one or more metal-containing materials. The digit lines can be over a deck, and electrically insulative regions can be directly between the digit lines and the deck. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory arrays. A plurality of linear segments of silicon-containing material may be formed to extend upwardly from a base of the silicon-containing material. The base may be etched to form silicon-containing footings under the linear segments, and the footings may be converted into metal silicide. The linear segments may be patterned into a plurality of vertically-oriented transistor pedestals that extend upwardly from the metal silicide footings.
US09318489B2
A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a multilayer lattice matched structure having an unstrained layer, a first strained layer, and a second strained layer formed between the unstrained and the first strained layer. A first opening in the multilayer structure is etched and a second strained fill material having a same material as the second strained layer is deposited. A second opening in the multilayer structure is etched and an unstrained fill material having a same material as the unstrained layer is deposited. A first strained fill material having a same material as the first strained layer is then deposited between the unstrained fill and the second strained fill. A second strained fin is formed from the deposited second strained fill material, a first strained fin is formed from the deposited first strained fill material, and an unstrained fin is formed from the deposited unstrained fill material.
US09318481B1
In one aspect, a silicon-controller rectifier (SCR) includes a first N+ region; a first P+ region; a second N+ region; a second P+ region; and a P+/Intrinsic/N+ (PIN) diode disposed between the first P+ region and the second N+ region. The PIN diode includes a third N+ region, a third P+ region and an intrinsic material disposed between the third N+ region and the third P+ region. An anode terminal of the SCR connects to the first N+ region and the first P+ region and a cathode terminal of the SCR connects to the second N+ region and the second P+ region. A first distance between the third N+ region and the third P+ region controls the trigger voltage of the SCR and a second distance corresponding to a length of each of the third P+ region and the third N+ region controls the holding voltage of the SCR.
US09318480B2
A device comprises a high voltage N well and a high voltage P well over an N+ buried layer, a high voltage P-type implanted region in the high voltage N well, a first N+ region over the high voltage P-type implanted region and a P+ region and a second N+ region over the high voltage P well.
US09318466B2
A methodology for a thin, flexible substrate having integrated passive circuit elements, and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments may include integrating one or more passive circuit components on a first or second surface of a substrate, and interconnecting one or more integrated circuit (IC) dies on a second surface of the interposer to the one or more passive circuit components with one or more metal-filled vias between the first and second surfaces, the first and second surfaces being opposite surfaces of the substrate.
US09318438B2
A method for selectively removing material from a substrate without damage to copper filling a via and extending at least partially through the substrate. The method comprises oxidizing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate and at least one copper feature and removing a portion of the substrate using an etchant comprising SF6 without forming copper sulfide on the at least one copper feature. Additional methods are also disclosed, as well as semiconductor structures produced from such methods.
US09318434B2
A plurality of unit MISFET elements connected in parallel with each other to make up a power MISFET are formed in an LDMOSFET forming region on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate. A control circuit that controls a gate voltage of the power MISFET is formed in a driver circuit region on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. A wiring structure having a plurality of wiring layers made of the same metal material is formed on the semiconductor substrate. The gate electrodes of the plurality of unit MISFET elements formed in the LDMOSFET forming region are electrically connected to each other via gate wirings formed in all of the plurality of wiring layers made of the same metal material.
US09318430B2
A method of forming circuitry components includes forming a stack of horizontally extending and vertically overlapping features. The stack has a primary portion and an end portion. At least some of the features extend farther in the horizontal direction in the end portion moving deeper into the stack in the end portion. Operative structures are formed vertically through the features in the primary portion and dummy structures are formed vertically through the features in the end portion. Horizontally elongated openings are formed through the features to form horizontally elongated and vertically overlapping lines from material of the features. The lines individually extend from the primary portion into the end portion, and individually laterally about sides of vertically extending portions of both the operative structures and the dummy structures. Sacrificial material that is elevationally between the lines is at least partially removed in the primary and end portions laterally between the horizontally elongated openings. Other aspects and implementations are disclosed.
US09318422B2
A flat no-lead package includes an encapsulating material, and a die pad, a chip, a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads disposed in the encapsulating material. The encapsulating material has a package bottom surface. The die pad has a plurality of die pad extensions extending from the edges thereof. The chip is mounted on the die pad. The first contact pads are disposed near the edges of the encapsulating material and electrically coupled to the chip. The second contact pads are located between the die pad and the first contact pads and electrically coupled to the chip. Each of the second contact pads have a second contact pad extension corresponding to one of the die pad extensions respectively. The bottom surfaces of the first contact pads, the second contact pads and the second contact pad extensions are exposed on the package bottom surface.
US09318420B2
A stack package including a first semiconductor chip and second semiconductor chip, the first semiconductor chip including first data I/O pads for transmitting data I/O signals, a first flag pad for receiving a flag signal, and a first buffer for controlling a switching operation between the first data I/O pads and an internal circuit of the first semiconductor chip. The second semiconductor chip includes second data I/O pads for transmitting the data I/O signals, a second flag pad for receiving the flag signal, and a second buffer for controlling a switching operation between the second data I/O pads and an internal circuit of the second semiconductor chip. The first data I/O pads are electrically connected to respective ones of the second data I/O pads through first wires, and the first flag pad is electrically connected to the second flag pad through a second wire. Related methods are also provided.
US09318419B2
Conductive line structures, and methods of forming the same, include first and second pattern structures, insulation layer patterns and an insulating interlayer. The first pattern structure includes a conductive line pattern and a hard mask stacked, and extends in a first direction. The second pattern structure includes a second conductive line pattern and another hard mask stacked, and at least a portion of the pattern structure extends in the first direction. The insulation layer patterns contact end portions of the pattern structures. The first pattern structure and an insulation layer pattern form a closed curve shape in plan view, and the second pattern structure and another insulation layer pattern form another closed curve shape in plan view. The insulating interlayer covers upper portions of the pattern structures and the insulation layer patterns, an air gap between the pattern structures, and another air gap between the insulation layer patterns.
US09318416B2
Some embodiments include a semiconductor device which includes a first conductive layer formed on the semiconductor substrate and a first contact plug connected to the first conductive layer. The first conductive layer includes a plurality of loops of conductive material over the semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of loops comprises a first opening and a second opening, a first portion and a second portion sandwiching the first opening, a third portion and a fourth portion sandwiching the second opening, a first tab portion connected to the first portion and the third portion and having a first length in a first direction and a first width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second tab portion connected to the second portion and the fourth portion and having a second length in the first direction and a second width in the second direction.
US09318413B2
The present disclosure generally provides for an integrated circuit (IC) structure with a TSV, and methods of manufacturing the IC structure and the TSV. An IC structure according to embodiments of the present invention may include a through-semiconductor via (TSV) embedded within a substrate, the TSV having an axial end; and a metal cap contacting the axial end of the TSV, wherein the metal cap has a greater electrical resistivity than the TSV.
US09318404B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die. An encapsulant is disposed around the semiconductor die to form a peripheral area. An interconnect structure is formed over a first surface of the semiconductor die and encapsulant. A plurality of vias is formed partially through the peripheral area of the encapsulant and offset from the semiconductor die. A portion of the encapsulant is disposed over a second surface of the semiconductor die opposite the first surface. The plurality of vias comprises a depth greater than a thickness of the portion of the encapsulant. A first portion of the plurality of vias is formed in a row offset from a side of the semiconductor die. A second portion of the plurality of vias is formed as an array of vias offset from a corner of the semiconductor die. A repair material disposed within the plurality of vias.
US09318403B2
An integrated circuit packaging system including: connecting a first integrated circuit device and a package substrate; attaching a support bump to the package substrate; providing a second integrated circuit device having an inner encapsulation; applying a magnetic film on the inner encapsulation of the second integrated circuit device; and mounting the second integrated circuit device over the first integrated circuit device with the magnetic film on the first integrated circuit device and the support bump.
US09318399B2
Semiconductor wafers employing a fixed coordinate metrology scheme and methods for fabricating integrated circuits using the same are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a semiconductor wafer employing a fixed-coordinate metrology scheme includes an external scribe region in the form of a first rectangular ring, the first rectangular ring defining a first interior space inward from the external scribe region and an interior scribe region in the form of a second rectangular ring, disposed within the first interior space and immediately adjacent to the external scribe region at all points along its exterior perimeter, the second rectangular ring defining a second interior space inward from the interior scribe region, the second interior space being wholly within the first interior space. The semiconductor wafer further includes a technology-specific tile region disposed within the second interior space and immediately adjacent to the interior scribe region and an electrical testable scribe line measurement (ETSLM) region disposed within the second interior space and immediately adjacent to both the technology-specific tile region and the interior scribe region. Still further, the semiconductor wafer includes a free floorplan area disposed within the second interior space and immediately adjacent to both the ETSLM region and the interior scribe region.
US09318394B2
A stack of vertically-connected, horizontally-oriented integrated circuits (ICs) may have electrical connections from the front side of one IC to the back side of another IC. Electrical signals may be transferred from the back side of one IC to the front side of the same IC by means of through substrate vias (TSVs), which may include through silicon vias. Electronic apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to test and/or replace defective TSVs. Additional apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed.
US09318393B2
A semiconductor device can detect a defective or faulty part caused by copper (Cu) ions migrated from a through silicon via (TSV), resulting in improvement of device characteristics and reliability. The semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined by a device isolation region; a through silicon via (TSV) formed to pass through the semiconductor substrate; and a test unit formed in the vicinity of the TSV so as to determine the presence or absence of metal pollution caused by the TSV.
US09318388B2
One method disclosed includes performing a selective etching process through a gate cavity to selectively remove a portion of a first semiconductor material relative to a second layer of a second semiconductor material and a substrate so as to thereby define a space between the second semiconducting material and the substrate, filling substantially all of the space with an insulating material so as to thereby define a substantially self-aligned channel isolation region positioned under at least what will become the channel region of the FinFET device.
US09318385B2
Methods and apparatus for forming a semiconductor device are provided which may include any number of features. One feature is a method of forming an interconnect structure that results in the interconnect structure having a co-planar or flat top surface. Another feature is a method of forming an interconnect structure that results in the interconnect structure having a surface that is angled upwards greater than zero with respect to a top surface of the substrate. The interconnect structure can comprise a damascene structure, such as a single or dual damascene structure, or alternatively, can comprise a silicon-through via (TSV) structure.
US09318382B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device formed by the method. The method includes form a stack conductive structure by stacking a first conductive pattern and an insulation pattern over a substrate; forming a sacrificial pattern over sidewalls of the stack conductive structure; forming a second conductive pattern having a recessed surface lower than a top surface of the stack conductive structure; forming a sacrificial spacer to expose sidewalls of the insulation pattern by removing an upper portion of the sacrificial pattern; reducing a width of the exposed portion of the insulation patters; forming a capping spacer to cap the sidewalls of the insulation pattern having the reduced width over the sacrificial spacer; and forming an air gap between the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern by converting the sacrificial spacer to volatile byproducts.
US09318378B2
A method and structure for slots in wide lines to reduce stress. An example embodiment method and structure for is an interconnect structure comprising: interconnect comprising a wide line. The wide line has a first slot. The first slot is spaced a first distance from a via plug so that the first slot relieves stress on the wide line and the via plug. The via plug can contact the wide line from above or below. Another example embodiment is a dual damascene interconnect structure comprising: an dual damascene shaped interconnect comprising a via plug, a first slot and a wide line. The wide line has the first slot. The first slot is spaced a first distance from the via plug so that the first slot relieves stress on the wide line and the via plug.
US09318374B2
Probability of malfunction of a semiconductor storage device is reduced. A shielding layer is provided between a memory cell array (e.g., a memory cell array including a transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor material) and a peripheral circuit (e.g., a peripheral circuit including a transistor formed using a semiconductor substrate), which are stacked. With this structure, the memory cell array and the peripheral circuit can be shielded from radiation noise generated between the memory cell array and the peripheral circuit. Thus, probability of malfunction of the semiconductor storage device can be reduced.
US09318373B2
A semiconductor device (400) for improved charge dissipation protection includes a substrate (426), a layer of semiconductive or conductive material (406), one or more thin film devices (408) and a charge passage device (414). The thin film devices (408) are connected to the semiconductive or conductive layer (406) and the charge passage device (414) is coupled to the thin film devices (408) and to the substrate (426) and provides a connection from the thin film devices (408) to the substrate (426) to dissipate charge from the semiconductive/conductive layer (406) to the substrate (426).
US09318371B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an active region and a trench isolation. The active region is formed in the semiconductor substrate. The trench isolation is disposed adjacent to the active region. The trench isolation includes a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion is located on the lower portion. The upper portion has a width gradually decreased from a junction between the upper portion and the lower portion toward a top of the trench isolation. In a method for fabricating the semiconductor device, at first, the semiconductor substrate is etched to form a trench in the semiconductor substrate. Then, an insulator fills the trench to form the trench isolation. Thereafter, the gate structure is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Then, the semiconductor substrate is etched to form a recess adjacent to the trench isolation. Thereafter, at least one doped epitaxial layer grows in the recess.
US09318369B2
A semiconductor device including a plurality of active patterns, a plurality of first isolation layer patterns and a plurality of second isolation layer patterns may be provided. In particular, the active patterns may be arranged both in a first direction and in a second direction, and may protrude from a substrate and have a length in the first direction. The first isolation layer patterns may fill a first space, the first space provided between the active patterns and arranged in the first direction, and support two opposing sidewalls of neighboring active patterns. The second isolation layer patterns may fill a second space between the active patterns and the first isolation layer patterns. Accordingly, the active patterns of the semiconductor device may not collapse or incline because the first isolation layer patterns support the active patterns.
US09318368B2
In a method for manufacturing a dual shallow trench isolation structure, a substrate is provided, and a mask layer is formed on the substrate. The mask layer is patterned by using a photomask to form at least one first hole and at least one second hole in the mask layer, in which a depth of the at least one first hole is different from a depth of the at least one second hole. The mask layer and the substrate are etched to form at least one first trench having a first depth and at least one second trench having a second depth, in which the first depth is different from the second depth. The remaining mask layer is removed. A first isolation layer and A second isolation layer are respectively formed in the at least one first trench and the at least one second trench.
US09318366B2
A method includes forming an isolation structure partially buried in a substrate. A portion of the isolation structure protrudes from an upper surface of the substrate. The isolation structure is partially removed, thereby forming a modified isolation structure. An upper surface of the modified isolation structure is lower than the upper surface of the substrate. A gate dielectric structure is formed to be partially on the substrate and partially on the upper surface of the modified isolation structure.
US09318362B2
A die bonder comprises a movable bond collet for holding an electronic device, and a platform which comprises a cleaning surface for cleaning the bond collet when the bond collet contacts the cleaning surface. The die bonder also comprises a cleaning agent supply, wherein the cleaning agent supply is operative to provide a cleaning agent to the cleaning surface to facilitate the cleaning of the bond collet.
US09318361B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a collet cleaning method and a die bonder using the same in which a collet can be cleaned without adding a new unit, and foreign substances with 5 high adhesive power can be reliably removed without scattering the foreign substances. A die bonder includes a pickup device, a bonding head unit having a collet that absorbs dies from a wafer at the timing of lifting of the pickup device, and a control unit that controls the pickup device 10 and the bonding head unit. The collet is moved to a position of a dicing tape at which no dies of the wafer held by a wafer ring exist to be brought into contact with the adhesive surface of the dicing tape, so that foreign substances attached to the tip end of the collet are removed.
US09318354B2
A semiconductor package is disclosed, which includes: a substrate having a plurality of switching pads, a plurality of first conductive pads and a plurality of circuits formed between the switching pads and the first conductive pads; an insulating layer covering the circuits; a conductive layer formed on the insulating layer and extending to the switching pads and the first conductive pads; and a semiconductor element disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the switching pads through a plurality of bonding wires. By electrically connecting the switching pads and the first conductive pads through the conductive layer, the invention dispenses with the conventional short bonding wires so as to prevent the conventional problem of short circuits caused by contact of the short bonding wires with other bonding wires.
US09318343B2
Techniques herein include methods to increase etching selectivity among materials. Techniques herein include a cyclical process of etching and oxidation of a silicon nitride (SiN) spacer and silicon (such as polycrystalline silicon). This technique can increase selectivity to the silicon so that silicon is less likely to be etched or damaged while silicon nitride is etched from sidewalls. Techniques and chemistries as disclosed herein can be more selective to silicon oxide and silicon as compared to silicon nitride. An oxidizing step creates an oxide protection film on silicon surfaces that is comparatively thicker to any oxide film formed on nitride surfaces. As such, techniques here enable better removal of silicon nitride and silicon nitride spacer materials.
US09318336B2
A high dielectric constant (high-k) gate dielectric for a field effect transistor (FET) and a high-k tunnel dielectric for a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) device are simultaneously formed on a semiconductor substrate. A stack of at least one conductive material layer, a control gate dielectric layer, and a disposable material layer is subsequently deposited and lithographically patterned. A planarization dielectric layer is deposited and patterned, and disposable material portions are removed. A remaining portion of the control gate dielectric layer is preserved in the NVRAM device region, but is removed in the FET region. A conductive material is deposited in gate cavities to provide a control gate for the NVRAM device and a gate portion for the FET. Alternately, the control gate dielectric layer may replaced with a high-k control gate dielectric in the NVRAM device region.
US09318331B2
A method of forming a doped region in a III-nitride substrate includes providing the III-nitride substrate and forming a masking layer having a predetermined pattern and coupled to a portion of the III-nitride substrate. The III-nitride substrate is characterized by a first conductivity type and the predetermined pattern defines exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate. The method also includes heating the III-nitride substrate to a predetermined temperature and placing a dual-precursor gas adjacent the exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate. The dual-precursor gas includes a nitrogen source and a dopant source. The method further includes maintaining the predetermined temperature for a predetermined time period, forming p-type III-nitride regions adjacent the exposed regions of the III-nitride substrate, and removing the masking layer.
US09318323B2
Semiconductor devices with graphene nanoribbons and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming at least one layer of Si material on a substrate. The method further includes forming at least one layer of carbon based material adjacent to the at least one layer of Si. The method further includes patterning at least one of the at least one layer of Si material and the at least one layer of carbon based material. The method further includes forming graphene on the patterned carbon based material.
US09318322B2
System and method for controlling the channel thickness and preventing variations due to formation of small features. An embodiment comprises a fin raised above the substrate and a capping layer is formed over the fin. The channel carriers are repelled from the heavily doped fin and confined within the capping layer. This forms a thin-channel that allows greater electrostatic control of the gate.
US09318315B2
The present disclosure provides integrated circuit elements and MIM/MIS capacitors having high capacitance and methods of forming according integrated circuit elements and integrated MIM/MIS capacitors and methods of controlling an integrated circuit element and an integrated MIM/MIS capacitor. In various aspects, a substrate is provided and a dielectric layer or insulating layer is formed over the substrate. Furthermore, an electrode layer is disposed over the dielectric layer or insulating layer. Herein, the dielectric layer or insulating layer is in an antiferroelectric phase. In various illustrative embodiments, the integrated circuit element may implement a MOSFET structure or a capacitor structure.
US09318313B2
A semiconductor structure includes at least a semiconductor body, a delimiting structure delimiting a cup-shaped recess in the body and a conductive region in the recess. The conductive region is made of a low-melting-temperature material, having a melting temperature lower than that of the materials forming the delimiting structure.
US09318308B2
An ion source for a mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising a lens and mirror arrangement which focuses a laser beam onto the upper surface of a target substrate. The lens has an effective focal length ≦300 mm. The laser beam is directed onto the target substrate at an angle θ with respect to the perpendicular to the target substrate, wherein θ≦3°. One or more ion guides receive ions released from the target substrate and onwardly transmit the ions along an ion path which substantially bypasses the lens and mirror.
US09318307B2
Provided is a zinc oxide sputtering target, which can effectively suppress the occurrence of break or crack in the target during sputtering to enable production of a zinc oxide transparent conductive film with high productivity. The zinc oxide sputtering target is composed of a zinc oxide sintered body comprising zinc oxide crystal grains, wherein the zinc oxide sputtering target has a sputter surface having a (100) crystal orientation degree of 50% or more.
US09318306B2
In some embodiments, apparatus are provided that provide for flexible processing in both high productivity combinatorial (HPC) and full wafer modes. The apparatus allow for interchangeable functionality that includes deposition with different sizes of targets, plasma treatment, ion beam treatment, and in-situ metrology. The functional modules are designed so that the modules may be interchanged with minimal effort and reduced system downtime.
US09318305B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a micro-plasma with biocompatibility. The produced micro-plasma is a low temperature, adjustable micro-plasma with low energy consumption. The method provides a device comprising a first gas storage unit, a second gas storage unit, a unit for producing the micro-plasma, and a power supply unit.
US09318304B2
Methods and apparatus for frequency tuning in process chambers using dual level pulsed power are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for frequency tuning may include providing a first pulsed power at a first frequency while the first frequency is adjusted to a second frequency, wherein the first frequency is a last known tuned frequency at the first pulsed power, storing the second frequency as the last known tuned frequency at the first pulsed power, providing a second pulsed power at a third frequency while the third frequency is adjusted to a fourth frequency, wherein the first pulsed power and the second pulsed power are different and non-zero, and wherein the third frequency is a last known tuned frequency at the second pulsed power, and storing the fourth frequency as the last known tuned frequency at the second pulsed power.
US09318298B2
An ion generator is provided with: an arc chamber that is at least partially made up of a material containing carbon; a thermal electron emitter that emits thermal electrons into the arc chamber; and a gas introducer that introduces a source gas and a compound gas into the arc chamber. The source gas to be introduced into the arc chamber contains a halide gas, and the compound gas to be introduced into the arc chamber contains a compound having carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms.
US09318289B2
A switching electrical power contactor having a bi-blade type switch, has ferrous plates attached to the blades to increase the current carrying capacity and reduce the resistance of the switch. The contactor is incorporated on the outside of a mains meter enclosure or in a wall box for a mains meter, within the space defined by the sprung jaws of the meter socket.
US09318286B2
A point level float switch is provided. The point level float switch includes a switch, a removable shaft, and a float. The removable shaft includes a first magnet aligned with the switch. The float is arranged to enclose at least a portion of the removable shaft. The float includes a second magnet of a polarity opposite to the first magnet and arranged parallel to the first magnet in the removable shaft.
US09318285B2
A switchgear including a plurality of switch units having a fixed electrode and a movable electrode; and an operating device configured to operate the movable electrode of each of the switch units, wherein the operating device is configured of one motive part and two follower parts that intermittently operate with each other, and part of each of the follower parts touches the motive part, thereby in a condition that moving force is not transmitted from the motive part to the follower part, a state of the follower part is fixed, and in a condition that the motive part shifts from an initial position to a final position, a state of one of the follower parts is allowed to transit, and a state of the other of the follower parts is changed with a delay from such state transit, thereby the switch units are driven while a time delay is produced.
US09318282B2
A keyboard is provided with a base member, moving members provided on the base member and unit parts. Each of the unit parts includes a contact which is electrically connected when depressed and an elastic member. The moving members include a first moving member which engages with one unit part, and a second moving member which engages with plural unit parts. The second moving member has a structure where the second moving member pushes the elastic member of one unit part and avoids pushing the elastic member of the other unit part.
US09318274B2
Techniques described herein generally relate to the fabrication of ultra-capacitor. In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, methods for fabricating an ultra-capacitor are described that may include preparing a substrate surface of a silicon wafer. The methods may further include etching one or more nano-structures on the substrate surface of the silicon wafer with a galvanic displacement process, and constructing electrodes for the ultra-capacitor from the silicon wafer with the one or more nano-structures.
US09318270B2
An perovskite solar cell including a substrate; a first electrode provided on the substrate; an electron transport layer, including an electron transporting compound, provided on the first electrode; a perovskite compound layer, including a perovskite compound, provided on the electron transport layer; a hole transport layer, including a hole transport compound, provided on the perovskite compound layer; and a second electrode provided on the hole transport layer. The perovskite compound can be expressed by the general formula XαYβMγ, where X is a halogen atom, Y is an alkylamine compound, M includes a mixture of lead and antimony, and a ratio of α:β:γ is 3:1:1.
US09318269B2
The invention relates to a packaging structure of an energy storage device. At least one unit cell of capacitor is stacked and packaged into the energy storage device. The unit cell is a sandwich structure comprising a solid-state polymer electrolyte between two modified carbonaceous electrodes. An assembly of at least one unit cell of capacitor can be packaged by metallic cases to form a coin cell type or screw type of the packaging structure, packaged with a plastic case by compression molding or injection molding, or packaged by a plastic bag or an aluminum-foil bag and sealed by heat sealing or vacuum heat sealing. Manufacture processes for traditional capacitor modules, such as drilling, welding, screwing, and making scaffolds, are not required. Although the packaging process is simpler and less expensive, the packaged energy storage device can perform better than traditional capacitor modules.
US09318267B2
A method for drying an electrode pair is disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes preparing a positive electrode by applying a positive electrode material to a current collector; preparing a negative electrode by applying a negative electrode material to a current collector; preparing one set of an electrode pair made up of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode which are laminated in this order or preparing sets of electrode pairs, the sets being laminated, a separator being provided between the respective sets, each of the electrode pairs being made up of a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode which are laminated in this order; accommodating the electrode pair(s) in a container; and drying the container in which the electrode pair(s) has been accommodated by use of the freeze-drying method.
US09318262B2
A film capacitor includes a capacitor element and first and second external electrodes. The capacitor element includes a dielectric film, a first and a second electrode films facing each other across the dielectric film. The first electrode film includes electrode segments arranged in a matrix form, first fuses connecting the electrode segments adjacent to each other in a first direction, and second fuses connecting the electrode segments adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second fuses are arranged dispersedly in columns constituted by the electrode segments disposed in the second direction.
US09318256B2
The present invention relates to a circuit protection device and a method of manufacturing the same. The circuit protection device includes a common mode noise filter having a plurality of sheets, each of the sheets being formed to optionally include a coil pattern, an internal electrode, a hole filled with a conductive material, and a hole filled with a magnetic material; and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a plurality of sheets, each of the sheets being formed to optionally include an internal electrode and a hole filled with an ESD protection material.
US09318252B2
A magnetic core and a magnetic component using the same are disclosed. The magnetic core has a first magnetic material and a non-uniform filling section in connection; also, the magnetic core has a magnetic flux direction, for which the non-uniform filling section perpendicular to the magnetic flux direction contains at least two kinds of magnetic material. Comparing to a conventional uniform-filling magnetic core, the non-uniform filling section within the magnetic component of the magnetic core can provide higher initial inductance and better DC-bias characteristics; this improved magnetic component can provide higher inductance in specific mandatory loads, or less efficiency loss in a condition of the same inductance provided.
US09318242B2
In a thermally insulated double pipe, a structure is provided in which an inner pipe may be prevented from being appreciably offset relative to an outer pipe due to thermal contraction. The structure includes an inner pipe 101, within which a superconducting cable is mounted, an outer pipe 103 within which the inner pipe is housed, with the inner and outer pipes constituting a thermally insulated double pipe, and an inner pipe support member 104 supporting the inner pipe. The inner pipe support member 104 is secured to the inner and outer pipes.
US09318234B2
Disclosed herein are an insulating film and a producing method of the insulating film which can address problems caused by dents by providing a reinforcing layer having the weight ratio of the silica of 60 to 80 wt % on one surface of the insulating film.
US09318224B2
An operating method is for operating a memory controller which controls a non-volatile memory device. The non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The operating method includes erasing the plurality of memory cells, reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state, and programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information.
US09318223B2
A system including a read module, a delay buffer, and a least mean square module. The read module is configured to read charge levels of memory cells of a nonvolatile memory and to generate read signals based on the charge levels of the memory cells of the nonvolatile memory. The delay buffer is configured to delay the read signals and to generate delayed read signals. The least mean square module is configured to generate mean values of the charge levels used to program the memory cells based on (i) differences between the read signals and the delayed read signals and (ii) a scaling factor. The scaling factor is based on variations in the charge levels due to cycling of the memory cells of the nonvolatile memory.
US09318208B1
A method for operating a small-area EEPROM array is disclosed. The small-area EEPROM array comprises bit lines, word lines, common source lines, and sub-memory arrays. The bit lines are divided into bit line groups. The word lines include a first word line. The common source lines include a first common source line. Each sub-memory array includes a first, second, third and fourth memory cells, which are connected with two bit line groups, a word line and a common source line. The first and second memory cells are symmetric. The third and fourth memory cells are symmetric. The group of the first and second memory cells and the group of the third and fourth memory cells are respectively positioned at two sides of the first common source line. The method operates all operation memory cells and uses special biases to program or erase memory cells massively in a single operation.
US09318196B1
In a non-volatile semiconductor memory device capable of programming SRAM data in an SRAM into a non-volatile memory unit while implementing a high-speed operation in the SRAM, a voltage required to program the SRAM data into the non-volatile memory unit can be lowered. Thus, the SRAM can be operated at high speed with a low power supply voltage because the thickness of a gate insulating film of each of a first access transistor, a second access transistor, a first load transistor, a second load transistor, a first drive transistor, and a second drive transistor constituting the SRAM connected to the non-volatile memory unit can be set to 4 [nm] or less. Therefore, the SRAM data in the SRAM can be programmed into the non-volatile memory unit while a high-speed operation in the SRAM can be implemented.
US09318194B1
A method is provided for reading a memory cell of a nonvolatile memory system. The method includes generating a hard bit and N soft bits for the memory cell in a total time corresponding to a single read latency period and N+1 data transfer times.
US09318192B2
Technologies are generally described herein for managing heat within a phase change memory (PCM) structure utilizing electrocaloric effect materials. Some example PCM structures may include an electrocaloric effect material layer thermally coupled to an array of PCM cells. The electrocaloric effect material layer may be segmented so that activation of each segment is coordinated with a subset of the PCM cells within the array. While excess heat emanates from a PCM cell during memory operations, a corresponding electrocaloric effect material segment may be activated to decrease the thermal resistance of the electrocaloric effect material, which transfers the excess heat away from the neighboring PCM cells.
US09318191B2
A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device comprises applying at least one test program pulse to selected memory cells located in a scan read area, performing a scan read operation on the selected memory cells following application of the at least one test program pulse to detect at least one one-shot upper cell, calculating an offset voltage corresponding to a scan read region at which the scan read operation is performed, setting a program start bias using the offset voltage, and executing at least one program loop using the program start bias.
US09318190B1
An electronic device is disclosed that includes n memory cells, a replica memory array, and a sensing unit. Each of the n memory cells stores bit data, in which n is a positive integer. The replica memory array includes a first reference memory cell having a high logic state, a second reference memory cell having a low logic state, n−1 first pseudo reference memory cells having the low logic state, and n−1 second pseudo reference memory cells having the high logic state. The first reference memory cell and the n−1 first pseudo reference memory cells generate a first signal, and the second reference memory cell and the n−1 second pseudo reference memory cells generate a second signal. The sensing unit determines a logic state of the bit data of one of the n memory cells according to the first signal and the second signal.
US09318184B2
A signal receiver includes a current source providing a current having a current value, a pair of active input devices, and a pair of resistors. Each active input device includes a control node, a first conduction node, and a second conduction node. One of the control nodes receives an input signal. The first conduction nodes are connected to each other and receive the current. One of the second conduction nodes serves as an output node. The active input devices output an output signal to a core circuit according to the current and the input signal. Each resistor has a resistance value. A target voltage value is determined according to the resistance value and the current value, such that a voltage swing of the output signal is limited within the target voltage value, and an operating voltage of the core circuit is substantially equal to the target voltage value.
US09318167B2
According to an embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a plurality of cores, a shared resource that can be shared by the plurality of cores, and local registers that store configuration information peculiar to the respective cores. The shared resource is provided independently from the plurality of cores. The local registers are provided to the respective cores. This makes it possible to provide an information processing apparatus that can suppress increase in hardware resources even when the number of cores composing a multi-core system increases.
US09318161B2
In accordance with at least one embodiment, an onboard analog-to-digital converter (ADC) on a system-on-a-chip (SOC) is utilized to determine whether a charge pump output for a non-volatile memory (NVM) is correct or not. The SOC is directed to wait until the output is within an expected range before moving to the next step in a start-up procedure. If the maximum allowed start-up time is exceeded, an error signal is sent to the SOC such that the application can react to it.
US09318159B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including a multi-level wiring structure that includes a lower-level wiring, an upper-level wiring and an interlayer insulating film between the lower-level and upper-level wirings. The device further includes a plurality of bit lines for a plurality of memory cells, and each of the bit lines includes a first portion that is formed as the lower-level wiring and a second portion that is electrically connected in series to the first portion and formed as the upper-level wiring.
US09318158B2
A memory cell includes a first bi-directional resistive element having a cathode coupled to a first power rail and an anode coupled to an internal node, a second bi-directional resistive element having a cathode coupled to the internal node and an anode coupled to a second power rail, and a first transistor having a control electrode coupled to the internal node, a first current electrode coupled to a first bitline, and a second current electrode coupled to a third power rail.
US09318156B2
In one implementation, flash memory chips are provided with an operating power supply voltage to substantially match a power supply voltage expected at an edge connector of a dual inline memory module. The one or more of the flash memory chips and a memory support application integrated circuit (ASIC) may be mounted together into a multi-chip package for integrated circuits. The one or more flash memory chips and the memory support ASIC may be electrically coupled together by routing one or more conductors between each in the multi-chip package. The multi-chip package may be mounted onto a printed circuit board (PCB) of a flash memory DIMM to reduce the number of packages mounted thereto and reduce the height of the flash memory DIMM. The number of printed circuit board layers may also be reduced, such as by integrating address functions into the memory support ASIC.
US09318154B2
Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with protecting data during cold excursions are provided. A method for preventing unreliable data operations at cold temperatures may include determining whether a first temperature of a solid state drive (SSD) is below a threshold temperature. The method may also include initiating an artificial read/write operation if the first temperature is below the threshold temperature.
US09318148B2
In one embodiment, a tape drive system includes a soft detector having logic configured to execute a first forward loop of a detection algorithm on a first block of signal samples during a first time interval, execute a first reverse loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a second time interval, execute a second reverse loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a fifth time interval, and execute a second forward loop of the detection algorithm on the first block of signal samples during a fourth time interval using second soft information. Other tape drive systems and computer program products for decoding data are presented in more embodiments.
US09318141B2
A recording medium includes a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate; a protective layer formed on the magnetic recording layer and having a total thickness that is equal to or greater than 1 nm but equal to or less than 2 nm. The protective layer is composed of a silicon oxide layer formed on the magnetic recording layer and having a thickness of 0.3 nm or more; a silicon layer formed on the silicon oxide layer and having a thickness of 0.2 nm or more; and an amorphous carbon layer formed on the silicon layer and having a thickness of 0.2 nm or more, and having a hydrogen content equal to or greater than 25.6 at % but equal to or less than 43.3 at %. Thus, magnetic spacing between the magnetic recording layer and a magnetic head advantageously may be reduced while maintaining the thermal insulation characteristics.
US09318138B2
A controller, according to one embodiment, has at least some hardware components, and is configured to determine an offset between adjacent arrays of transducers in a direction perpendicular to an intended direction of media travel when a magnetic head having the arrays is positioned at a first position, cause the magnetic head to tilt to a second position, and delay write operations performed by at least some of the transducers in a first of the arrays such that data written by the transducers in the first array is readable by a second array of read transducers aligned in the direction orthogonal to the intended direction of media travel without implementing readback delays corresponding to the write delays.
US09318137B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk. The head is positioned at a first radial location over the disk and at least part of a codeword on the disk is read to generate first signal samples. A first quality metric is generated for the first signal samples. The head is positioned at a second radial location over the disk different from the first radial location and at least part of the codeword is read to generate second signal samples. A second quality metric is generated for the second signal samples. A first subset of the first signal samples is combined with a second subset of the second signal samples based on the first and second quality metrics to generate a combined set of signal samples. An attempt is made to decode the codeword based on the combined set of signal samples.
US09318135B2
An method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element easily and surely forms polymer coatings on peripheral end faces of the piezoelectric element without deteriorating a yield of the piezoelectric element. The method includes steps of cutting a piezoelectric element out from a base piezoelectric material plate so that peripheral end faces are formed to define a peripheral shape of the piezoelectric element, and forming polymer coatings on at least objective areas of the peripheral end faces of the piezoelectric element by vapor deposition polymerization, respectively.
US09318124B2
There is provided a sound signal processing device, in which an observation signal analysis unit receives multi-channels of sound-signals acquired by a sound-signal input unit and estimates a sound direction and a sound segment of a target sound to be extracted and a sound source extraction unit receives the sound direction and the sound segment of the target sound and extracts a sound-signal of the target sound. By applying short-time Fourier transform to the incoming multi-channel sound-signals this device generates an observation signal in the time-frequency domain and detects the sound direction and the sound segment of the target sound. Further, based on the sound direction and the sound segment of the target sound, this device generates a reference signal corresponding to a time envelope indicating changes of the target's sound volume in the time direction, and extracts the signal of the target sound, utilizing the reference signal.
US09318107B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for hotword detection on multiple devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving, by a first computing device, audio data that corresponds to an utterance. The actions further include determining a first value corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes a hotword. The actions further include receiving a second value corresponding to a likelihood that the utterance includes the hotword, the second value being determined by a second computing device. The actions further include comparing the first value and the second value. The actions further include based on comparing the first value to the second value, initiating speech recognition processing on the audio data.
US09318099B2
A three-dimensional mechanical ultrasound probe includes a base; a transducer for emitting an ultrasonic signal; a driven wheel with a hole, the driven wheel being connected to the transducer, the transducer being swung by the driven wheel; a motor fixed on the base; and a transmission system connected to the motor and a first rope, the transmission system being driven by the motor, the first rope being driven by the transmission system, wherein the first rope is connected to the transmission system and a rope adjusting dowel; and wherein the adjusting dowel is pivotably inserted into the hole of the driven wheel.
US09318096B2
An audio processing device may estimate noise effects at a particular location based on noise measurement data corresponding to one or more noise sources. The audio processing device may modify one or more output audio content transmitted by the audio processing device to that particular location such that the modification may cancel the estimated noise effects at the particular location, at time when the output audio streams are received at that location. The noise effects estimation may also be based on audio reception measurement data at the particular location. The noise measurement data and/or the audio reception measurement data may be generated by audio capturing devices placed at or near noise sources, and/or at or near the particular location, respectively. The noise measurement data and/or the audio reception measurement data may be communicated to the audio processing device using wired and/or wireless connections.
US09318094B2
A personal audio device, such as a wireless telephone, includes an adaptive noise canceling (ANC) circuit that adaptively generates an anti-noise signal from a reference microphone signal that measures the ambient audio and an error microphone signal that measures the output of an output transducer plus any ambient audio at that location and injects the anti-noise signal at the transducer output to cause cancellation of ambient audio sounds. A processing circuit uses the reference and error microphone to generate the anti-noise signal, which can be generated by an adaptive filter operating at a multiple of the ANC coefficient update rate. Downlink audio can be combined with the high data rate anti-noise signal by interpolation. High-pass filters in the control paths reduce DC offset in the ANC circuits, and ANC coefficient adaptation can be halted when downlink audio is not detected.
US09318092B2
A noise estimation control system may limit increases of a stored background noise estimate in response to a detected noise feedback situation. The system receives an input audio signal detected within a space, and a reference audio signal that is transmitted by a speaker as an aural signal into the space. A signal processor processes the input audio signal and the reference audio signal to determine a coherence value based on an amount of the aural signal that is included in the input audio signal. The signal processor also calculates an amount to adjust the stored background noise estimate based on the coherence value and a determined background noise level of the input audio signal.
US09318090B2
An adaptive noise canceling (ANC) circuit adaptively generates an anti-noise signal from a reference microphone signal that is injected into the speaker or other transducer output to cause cancellation of ambient audio sounds. An error microphone proximate the speaker provides an error signal. A secondary path estimating adaptive filter estimates the electro-acoustical path from the noise canceling circuit through the transducer so that source audio can be removed from the error signal. Tones in the source audio, such as remote ringtones, present in downlink audio during initiation of a telephone call, are detected by a tone detector using accumulated tone persistence and non-silence hangover counting, and adaptation of the secondary path estimating adaptive filter is halted to prevent adapting to the tones. Adaptation of the adaptive filters is then sequenced so any disruption of the secondary path adaptive filter response is removed before allowing the anti-noise generating filter to adapt.
US09318089B2
A sound amplifying case for an electronic device includes a shell that receives and secures the electronic device on a front side of the shell. The shell has a sound channel formed therein which receives sound from the electronic device at an inlet sound port on the shell front side, amplifies the redirected sound, and directs the amplified sound to an outlet sound port on a back side of the shell. The case includes a folding cover attached at one end to the shell back side and extends around one edge of the shell to a free end. With the case in an open configuration, the cover folds between the attached end and the free end forming an acoustic chamber between the cover and the rear side of the shell. The chamber receives the amplified sound from the outlet sound port and further amplifies/redirects it out of the acoustic chamber.
US09318079B2
In a mobile terminal apparatus, a display unit displays a diagnostic image read from an image storage device. The image storage device stores plural image groups, each of which includes plural diagnostic images. Movement of the display unit is detected. Assuming that the display unit is moved in a mode of transverse movement while a first diagnostic image included in a first image group is displayed on the display unit, then changeover is carried out to display a second diagnostic image being included in the first image group and different from the first diagnostic image. Assuming that the display unit is moved in a mode of a single shake different from the mode of transverse movement while the first diagnostic image is displayed on the display unit, then changeover is carried out to display a third diagnostic image being included in an image group different from the first image group.
US09318072B2
An operation method of a display driver includes generating a count value by counting a period of a synchronization signal related to a synchronization packet received from a host, receiving a mode change command from the host, the mode change command indicating a change from a video mode transmitting first image data to a display by bypassing a frame memory to a command mode transmitting second image data to the display through the frame memory, and generating an internal synchronization signal having a period substantially equal to the period of the synchronization signal by using the count value based on the mode change command after a last pulse of the synchronization signal is generated. A time interval between the last pulse and a first pulse of the internal synchronization signal is equal to the period of the synchronization signal.
US09318071B2
A display device includes pixels and includes a gate driver for providing gate signals to the pixels. The display device further includes a level shifter element for providing a boosted clock signal to the gate driver. The display device further includes a controller. The level shifter element includes a first level shifter for providing one of a first gate-on voltage and a gate-off voltage as a first clock signal in response to a gate pulse signal received from the controller. The level shifter element further includes a second level shifter for providing one of a second gate-on voltage and the first clock signal as the boosted clock signal in response to a first control signal received from the controller. The second gate-on voltage is higher than the first gate-on voltage. The gate driver may provide the gate signals in response to the boosted clock signal.
US09318069B2
The disclosure describes procedures for dynamically employing a variable refresh rate at an LCD display of a consumer electronic device, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, or a music player device. In some configurations, the consumer electronic device can include a host system portion, having one or more processors and a display system portion, having a timing controller, a buffer circuit, a display driver, and a display panel. The display system can receive image data and image control data from a GPU of the host system, evaluate the received image control data to determine a reduced refresh rate (RRR) for employing at the display panel, and then transition to the RRR, whenever practicable, to conserve power. In some scenarios, the transition to the RRR can be a transition from a LRR of 50 hertz or above to a RRR of 40 hertz or below.
US09318055B2
A stage circuit including a plurality of stages connected to each other, where each of the stages includes: an output unit configured to output a voltage of a first power source or a signal of a third input terminal to an output terminal, based on a voltage applied to a first node or a second node; a first driver configured to control a voltage at a third node, based on signals of a first input terminal, a second input terminal and the third input terminal; a second driver configured to control the voltage at the first node, based on the signal of the second input terminal and the voltage at the third node; and a first transistor connected between the second node and the third node and maintained in a turn-on state.
US09318051B2
A display device includes a pixel, a data line, a scan line, a data driver, and a scan driver. The pixel is configured to display an image. The data line is configured to transmit data voltages to the pixel. The scan line is configured to transmit a scan signal to the pixel. The data driver is configured to: float the data line during a first period of a frame, apply, after the first period, a first data voltage to the data line during a second period of the frame, and apply, after the second period, a voltage waveform to the data line that varies the applied voltage from the first data voltage to a target voltage during a third period of the frame. The scan driver is configured to selectively apply the scan signal to the scan line.
US09318047B2
An organic light emitting display unit structure including a first pixel, a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel, a first scan line electrically connected to the first pixel, a second scan line electrically connected to the second pixel, a data line, a power line, a sustaining signal line, a common reset signal line and a common light emitting signal line is provided. The power line and the sustaining signal line are respectively electrically connected to both of the first pixel and the second pixel. The data line intersects with the first scan line and the second scan line and is electrically connected to the first pixel and the second pixel. The common reset signal line and the common light emitting signal line are substantially disposed inside the first pixel and the second pixel respectively and are electrically connected to the first pixel and the second pixel.
US09318032B2
Systems and methods facilitating training in clinical procedures via mixed reality simulations are disclosed. Such a system can comprise a physical model and a virtual model of an anatomic region associated with the procedure, wherein the virtual model associates tissue types with locations in the physical model. The system can include a tracking component that tracks locations of at least one clinical instrument relative to the models, and an anatomic feedback component that can produce perceptible changes in the physical model based on the interaction between the instrument and virtual model. A clinical device interface can detect outputs of clinical devices like electrical signals, pressure or flow, wherein feedback to the physical model depends on the tracked position of a clinical device and output from the same or different clinical device. Another component can generate feedback effects to the clinical device. Aspects can simulate anesthesiology procedures like local nerve blockade.
US09318030B2
A personal training system and method includes generating a personalized exercise regimen for a user, based on user-related data entered into a computerized system. The user moves from booth to booth within an exercise facility to perform different exercises corresponding to the computer-generated exercise regimen for that user. The personalized exercise regimen for the user may be automatically adjusted according to the user's performance results input into the computerized system.
US09318017B2
A wireless control system for use in a vehicle and for use with a remote electronic system is provided. The wireless control system includes a transceiver for mounting in the vehicle. The transceiver is configured to communicate according to a Bluetooth communications standard. The transceiver is further configured to provide a control signal to the remote electronic system. The transceiver is also trainable to provide a carrier frequency and control information for the control signal.
US09318010B2
A system is disclosed in which an electronic device of a user emits an identifiable alert as a result of a trigger indicating loss or theft, or probability or risk of loss or theft. Alerts may be acoustic, either audible or inaudible and may be disguised. Alerts may also be short range radio signals. Other, local electronic devices of users may detect the alert and react by transmitting their location and the information in the alert to a monitoring center. The monitoring center may respond by sending a silence code or identification information to the device detecting the alert.
US09318007B2
A signal emitting retail device is provided. The signal emitting retail device includes a sensor and an emitter. The emitter is configured to emit a signal when the sensor senses removal of merchandise from a merchandise display structure. The sensor is also configured to sense potential theft conditions. The emitter is configured to emit a signal indicative of potential theft conditions when such conditions are sensed by the sensor.
US09317996B2
A system and method for user interaction includes a network, a server connected to the network, a supervisor device receiving information from a global positioning system and connected to the network, a user device receiving information from the global positioning system and connected to the network. The supervisor, having the supervisor device, defines a set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones in which the user device is tracked, and saves the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones to a supervisor account on the server. The user downloads a user application, sets-up a user account, and downloads the set of virtual geographic zones and sub-zones. As the user, having the user device, moves through the virtual geographic zones and sub-zones the location of the user device is determined and a set of supervisor-defined actions are executed on the user device based on the location of the user device.
US09317995B2
A transaction card facilitates typical consumer transactions as well as transactions related to lottery offerings and can incorporate a reader terminal to associate lottery tickets with the transaction instrument. New gaming opportunities tied to the instrument are also facilitated, including a personalized guaranteed prize structure, a personalized and/or localized jackpot and an opportunity for winning additional prizes when making purchases using the instrument. The system according to one embodiment of the present invention provides at least a lottery data processing system for communicating a first funding amount to be applied to a multi-purpose transaction card based on winnings from a lottery offering, and a reader terminal for reading at least a portion of the transaction card, reading indicia on one or more gaming tickets, and associating the one or more gaming tickets with the transaction card. In one embodiment of the present invention, a custodian not associated with the winner or cardholder can derive non-transaction related earnings on the winnings without providing a fee to the cardholder.
US09317994B2
A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.
US09317992B2
A gaming machine includes a controller for controlling operation of the machine, a primary display is provided on which a game to be played is displayed. A secondary display is also provided on which a scorecard, indicating prizes to be paid upon a winning game being achieved, is displayed. The game and the scorecard are controlled by the controller and the scorecard is a dynamic scorecard with the relationship between combinations of symbols constituting a winning game and the prizes awarded by the scorecard for that particular game changing from game to game.
US09317991B2
Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for a bingo game including at least one initial ball call and an option for a player to receive at least one additional ball call. In one example, the at least one additional ball call includes one or more of: (i) a ball call locked until a player accepts an option to unlock the locked ball call, and (ii) a ball call provided by another member of a social network (e.g., a friend of the player).
US09317987B2
A safe including a safe controller coupled to a data transfer port is provided. The safe controller is configured to selectively enable device data to pass through the data transfer port when a valid code is received by the safe controller. A system for controlling data communications with an internal device in a safe is also provided. The system includes an external computing device configured to execute a series of instructions, and a safe. The safe includes a data transfer port coupled to the external computing device and the internal device. The safe also includes a safe controller coupled to the data transfer port, wherein the safe controller is configured to selectively enable communication between the external computing device and the internal device when a valid code is received by the safe controller.
US09317979B2
A harvester has a stool width sensor that senses stool width of a crop stool. A position sensor senses a position of the harvester, and a map generator generates a map based on the sensed stool width and the sensed position.
US09317960B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for rendering paths by first generating a stencil buffer indicating pixels of the path that should be covered and then covering the path. The paths may be filled or stroked without tessellating the paths. Path rendering may be accelerated when a graphics processing unit or other processor that is configured to perform operations to generate the stencil buffer and cover the path to fill or stroke the path. When the paths are rendered in a top-to-bottom (front-to-back) order, an opacity stencil may be generated and used to avoid determining path coverage and shading for pixels that are opaque.
US09317951B2
This specification relates to computer animations, and more particularly to computer animations of biological and chemical pathways in which information defining the molecular assets, interactions and sequence of events involved in the pathway is combined with graphical information to generate a three-dimensional animation of the pathway.
US09317948B2
A primitive listing and sorting arrangement for a tile-based graphics rendering system in which primitive lists can be prepared for at least two different sets of sub-regions of the render target area. Two or more alternative solutions for listing the primitive for rendering using the sub-regions of at least two of the at least two different sets of sub-regions of the render target area that primitive lists can be prepared for are determined (S62). A cost function is then used to assess the cost of listing the primitive for each determined alternative primitive listing solution (S63) and the primitive listing arrangement to use is then selected based on the cost assessment (S64). Embodiments use an adaptive cost function that can be modified in use based on analysis of the costs for the primitive listing process actually being experienced in use.
US09317946B2
A measuring device has a storage unit, a processing unit and a display device for displaying a digitised and stored first partial signal and at least one digitised and stored second partial signal. In this context, the first partial signal and the second partial signal are partial signals of different bands of the multiband signal. The processing unit is embodied to display in a first window in the display device a first signal derived from the first partial signal and a first analysis line, and to display in a second window in the display device a second signal derived from the second partial signal and a first analysis line corresponding in time to the first analysis line of the first window.
US09317945B2
A method in a computer system in a vessel for generating a presentation of a region-of-interest in an original chart image for display on a display screen, the computer system displaying a representation of the vessel moving along a course in the original chart image, the region-of-interest being located along the course proximate to the representation of the vessel, the method comprising: establishing a lens for the region-of-interest, the lens having a magnified focal region for the region-of-interest at least partially surrounded by a shoulder region having a diminishing magnification, the focal region having a size, a shape, and an orientation with respect to the course; receiving one or more signals to adjust at least one of the size, shape, and orientation of the focal region; and, applying the lens to the original chart image to produce the presentation.
US09317943B2
A system that generates interactive intersection areas receives a graphic diagram that includes a plurality of intersecting shapes and intersection areas. The system then creates or receives a definition for each of the shapes and determines a number of possible intersection areas for the diagram. The system defines a clipping path for each possible intersection area and defines a mask for each possible intersection area. The system then draws each intersection area using the defined clipping paths and masks.
US09317938B2
A bidirectional texture function image as a bidirectional reflectance distribution function for each pixel of a target object is input. An average bidirectional reflectance distribution function within at least a partial region of the bidirectional texture function image data, a power of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function of each pixel of the bidirectional texture function image data, and a peak position of each pixel of the bidirectional texture function image data are stored in a storage apparatus as information indicating the bidirectional reflectance distribution function for each pixel.
US09317931B2
A waveform monitor for generating a modified image from an original image includes a brightness measuring system to generate brightness values that are then converted to f-stop equivalents. A selector is used to create a range of f-stop values and a modifier changes the original image for selected pixels that fall within the range of f-stop values. The original image may be modified by replacing or blending certain pixels with colorized pixels, i.e., by falsely coloring the original image. Methods of modifying images in this manner are also described.
US09317922B2
A system and method for recognition of images may include the use of alignment markers. The image recognized may be a pattern from an array, a character, a number, a shape, and/or irregular shapes. The pattern may be formed by elements in an array such as an identification marking and/or a sensor array. More particularly, the system and method relate to discriminating between images by accounting for the orientation of the image. The size and/or location of alignment markers may provide information about the orientation of an image. Information about the orientation of an image may reduce false recognitions. The system and method of image recognition may be used with identification markings, biosensors, micro-fluidic arrays, and/or optical character recognition systems.
US09317918B2
An apparatus for medical diagnostic imaging assistance includes memory that stores first feature information representing the feature of a lesion mask or non-lesion mask, a sampling unit that acquires a plurality of samples by making sampling form the memory based on the first feature information, a machine-learning unit that generates a first discrimination condition corresponding to each of samples by carrying out a machine-learning step on the multiple samples, and a statistical processing unit that generates a second discrimination condition by carrying out a statistical processing step under the first discrimination condition, in which a detection function determines whether a lesion candidate mask is an actual lesion by referring to second feature information representing the feature of a lesion candidate mask under a second discrimination condition.
US09317916B1
A method, system and computer program for confirming proper medication amount for a medication injection apparatus. The computer program causes a computer to perform the steps of providing one or more instructions on a display of a computing device instructing placement of an injectable medication apparatus including an indication of an amount of medication to be injected by the injectable medication apparatus, imaging by an image capture one or more images of the injectable medication apparatus including the indication of the amount of medication, and comparing by a processor of the computing device through recognition of the indication of the amount of medication, the indicated amount to a predetermined amount. One or more additional instructions may be provided on the display of the computing device to change the indication of the amount of medication if it is determined that the recognized indicated amount does not match the predetermined amount.
US09317915B2
A tomogram of a body is provided. Projection-image data obtained by a radiation-based projection method is used for providing the tomogram. Initial voxel data are first specified for a plurality of voxels of the body. Synthetic projection-image data are generated based upon a projection rule modeling a course of the projection method. Projection-error data is determined by comparing the synthetic projection-image data with the real projection-image data. The projection-error data are imaged on the basis of a back-projection rule dependent on the projection rule so that voxel-error data are produced. Correction data is generated from the voxel-error data by a gradient-based optimizing algorithm, wherein corrected voxel data are generated using the correction data.
US09317907B2
The present invention concerns a method for correcting a digital image stored by a client device by geometric adjustment of this image onto a reference image stored by a server device connected to the client device by a communication network. The method is characterized in that it includes the following steps: obtaining, by the server device, at least one area of interest of the reference image, sending, to each client device, each area of interest, obtaining, by the client device, part of the image delimited by each received area of interest, said image part being either a part of the image to be corrected or a part of an image resulting from the image to be corrected, sending, to the server device, each image part thus obtained, determining, by the server device, parameters of the correction to apply to the image to be corrected, said parameters being determined by geometric adjustment of said received at least one image part onto the reference image, sending, to the client device, the parameters thus determined, and applying, by the client device, the correction of the image to be corrected, said correction using firstly the received parameters and secondly a ground elevation model corresponding to this image to be corrected.
US09317905B2
An image processing device, which uses a dictionary which stores data of two or over sets which associate a blurred patch of a blurred image generated by blurring a predetermined image with a restoration patch of the predetermined image. The device includes a processor that processes instructions to generate a tentative restored image from the restoration patch selected based on values indicating similarities between plural input patches generated by dividing an inputted input image and the blurred patch. The processor also processes the instructions to generate a tentative patch by dividing the tentative restored image. The processor further processes the instructions to generate a restored image from the restoration patch selected based on a sum of the value indicating the similarity between the input patch and the blurred patch and a value indicating the similarity between the tentative patch and the restoration patch.
US09317904B2
Provided is an image processing device that can bring about the sufficient resemblance between an original image and a restored image obtained corresponding to a low resolution input image. The image processing device includes a means that uses a dictionary for storing data associating deteriorated patches which are from a deteriorated image formed by deteriorating a prescribed image, and restoration patches which are from the prescribed image, and calculates, as a degree-of-similarity between plural input patches generated by dividing an input image and the deteriorated patches, a weighted degree-of-similarity between weighted deteriorated patches and weighted input patches, in which forms of the deteriorated patches and the input patches are reconfigured using a patch weight which is continuous weighting; a means that selects, on the basis of the weighted degree-of-similarity, a restoration patch for each input patch; and a means that combines the restoration patches to generate a restored image.
US09317901B2
An input image is divided into images composed of luminance signals of a plurality of bands that make up the Laplacian pyramid, noise suppression is applied to each divided image, and then the divided images are composited by addition. The input image is also divided into images composed of color signals of a plurality of bands that make up the Gaussian pyramid, noise suppression is applied to each divided image, and the divided images are composited at an image-based ratio. By thus compositing the luminance signals and color signals, excellent noise suppression can be realized while alleviating deterioration in the image quality during the compositing.
US09317900B2
A three-dimensional image processing device for visually applying a special effect by subjecting raw data that has been acquired by imaging to image processing, and creating image data capable of being viewed stereoscopically. The device comprises a tone conversion section for tone converting the raw data in accordance with the special effect, a three-dimensional image data processing section for carrying out at least one of clipping image data that has been tone converted by the tone conversion section as image data to be viewed stereoscopically, or carrying out geometric processing, to create three-dimensional image data, and a special effect image processing section for subjecting the three-dimensional image data to special image processing to apply a special effect that is analogous to an image that has been formed optically or formed by photographic film or by development and printing processing, and creating a three-dimensional special-effect image.
US09317897B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit, a pixel drive unit, and a signal processing unit. The pixel array unit includes first pixels and second pixels, the first pixels corresponding to respective color components of a plurality of color components, the second pixels having luminance components as main components, the first pixels and the second pixels being arranged regularly in a matrix. The pixel drive unit is configured to drive the pixels arranged in the pixel array unit. The signal processing unit is configured to execute predetermined weighted addition processing and calculate a pixel value of an output image by using only pixel information acquired from the first pixels.
US09317895B1
In an apparatus for digital image processing, a mapper is coupled to receive destination pixel information in terms of a source pixel space, and to provide a 2-dimensional filter kernel with source pixels for the destination pixel information. An oversampled filter includes predetermined coefficients. A filter coefficient module is configured to select phase coefficients from the predetermined coefficients stored in the oversampled filter based on proximity to the source pixels in the filter kernel, and coupled to provide a filter coefficient for each of the source pixels in the filter kernel. A convolution module is coupled to receive the source pixels and the filter coefficients, and to provide a convolution result. The convolution module is configured to apply the filter coefficients to the source pixels in a convolution to provide the convolution result. A normalization module is configured to normalize either the convolution result or the filter coefficients.
US09317894B2
A method (30) for image registration of sections, in particular for image registration of histological sections, is described. The method comprises reading in (32) of a data set for at least two sections, wherein each of the data sets comprises m images of each section in m resolution levels (11, 12, 13), wherein each image of the resolution levels 1 to m−1 is divided into at least two cells, wherein each image has a different image resolution, wherein the image with the highest image resolution is associated with the resolution level 1 and the image with the lowest image resolution is associated with the resolution level m; registering (33) of the two mth images of the two sections on the resolution level m and determining of a global transformation for the resolution level m; aligning (34) of the two images of the resolution level m−1 using the global transformation of the resolution level m; and registering (35) of a subgroup of cells from all cells of the two images of the resolution level m−1.
US09317885B2
A system for moving money between accounts of traders by a central counterparty to facilitate payments, i.e. the movement of funds, there between is disclosed which provides a flexible mechanism which supports simpler accounting, new types of derivatives contracts as well new types fees. The disclosed futures contract, referred to as a “payer” contract, comprises a “no-uncertainty” futures contract, i.e. the initial value and settlement value parameters are defined, that leverages the mechanisms of the clearing system to, for example, accommodate related payments. Accordingly, a 1-to-many relationship between contracts and prices is provided whereby each price component may be assigned its own payer contract. The function of the payer contract may be to guarantee the movement of money from related positions. In one embodiment, payer contracts are dynamically created whenever a payment is needed.
US09317883B2
Provided are computer implemented methods and systems for venture capital raising for startup via award and reality TV show. An exemplary method comprises receiving information associated with startup projects. The information is provided to audience for online fund raising via an online resource. The information includes a target amount for online fund raising. One or more contributions associated with the startup projects are received from the audience. Based on the contributions, eligible startup projects are determined. The eligible startup projects are advertised on a television show on a country level. Assessment of the eligible startup projects is received from venture capitalists and private investors. Based on the assessment, country winning startup projects are selected. The country winning startup projects are advertised and assessed on an international television show on an international level. Based on international assessment, a world winning startup project is selected and awarded a prize amount.
US09317878B2
Information about a product advertised on a web page is presented separately, but concurrently, with the content of the web page, to avoid having to navigate away from the web page. The information may be automatically presented in a banner that is displayed adjacent the content of the web page. Controls on the banner initiate the display of further information, and/or enable purchase of the product, while maintaining the web page content in view on the browser. Alternatively, the display of the product information may be triggered by user selection of a link associated with that product. The information about the product may appear in an overlay sheet displayed in front of the original web page. The user can interact with controls on the sheet to initiate purchase or download of the product, or can dismiss the overlay sheet to continue viewing the content of the web page.
US09317877B2
Techniques and equipment are described for enabling an application developer to provide mobile device users, using the developer's application, an option to purchase digital content items within the application and have the cost of the purchased content billed directly to their respective mobile communications service accounts. The mobile service account for a user or user's mobile device is maintained by a wireless carrier or operator of the mobile communication network to which the user subscribes for mobile communication services. The charges and other transaction details related to the content purchased by a mobile device user via the mobile application on the user's device appear in a billing or account statement periodically provided to the user by the carrier or operator of the mobile communication network.
US09317874B2
A queuing method and system. The method includes retrieving by a computer processor of a stationary computing system or a computing device, queue data placing an individual onto an initial queue list for receiving a service and ID data identifying the individual. The computer processor presents a status of the individual with respect to the queue list. The computer processor receives a request associated with the service and in response presents options for the individual. The computer processor receives a selection for an option and generates a modified queue list.
US09317873B2
Systems and methods for automatically verifying an identifier of a content provider are provided. A first identifier, a content item, and a uniform resource locator are received from a content provider. The domain of the uniform resource locator is determined. A plurality of second resources under the domain are accessed and stored in memory. From the plurality of second resources, a plurality of second identifiers are detected. A map of domain and a plurality of second identifiers is created. Using the map, the first identifier is compared to each of the plurality of second identifiers. If there is a match, the first identifier is approved to be used with the content item. The first identifier may be displayed on a user device with the content item.
US09317867B2
Situational location dependent information is transmitted from a server data processing system to a receiving data processing system. A candidate delivery event associated with a current positional attribute of the receiving data processing system is recognized and a situational location of the remote data processing system is determined. The candidate delivery event may be a location and/or direction change, device state change, or movement exceeding a movement tolerance. A set of delivery content from a deliverable content database is transmitted from the server data processing system to the receiving data processing system according to the situational location of the receiving data processing system, and according to delivery constraints.
US09317860B2
Embodiments of the invention provide for using video analysis, such as augmented reality or the like to assist a group of users to utilize mobile devices for creating a collective network environment of users that identifies objects in which one or more users in a group of users may be interested, and notifies the one or more users of information associated with the object. A collective network comprises a group of users that each have a mobile device that contains or is otherwise operatively coupled to a data capture device. For example, the mobile device may be a mobile phone that is capable of taking video with a camera device. A user in the collective network may capture video on his mobile device, and an application can identify the object in the video and provide interested users in the collective network with information about the object.
US09317859B2
A system to recommend a keyword includes a verifying unit to determine whether a keyword is a direct click keyword by referring to a click log and to determine whether the keyword is an indirect click keyword by referring to a third universal resource locator (URL) selected using the direct click keyword, wherein the direct click keyword is a keyword used to select a first URL on a computing device and the indirect click keyword is a keyword used to select a second URL on the computing device; and a keyword recommending unit to recommend the determined indirect click keyword. A method for recommending a keyword includes determining whether a keyword is a direct click keyword by referring to a click log; determining whether the keyword is an indirect click keyword by referring to a third URL selected using the direct click keyword; and recommending the determined indirect click keyword.
US09317855B2
Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.
US09317841B2
A method and system for facilitating online payments are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a payment agreement is established at a payment service provider that defines terms of a payment relationship between a merchant and a user. The establishing of the payment agreement includes linking the payment agreement with a payment account of the merchant or user stored at the payment service provider. After establishing the payment agreement, a payment request associated with a transaction is received, whereby the payment request includes a unique identifier to identify the payment agreement stored at the payment service provider. Based on a verification that the payment request complies with terms of the payment agreement, the payment request is processed.
US09317836B2
A method, system, and/or computer program product monitors a response to a notification of a change to a business process. Criteria for delivery of a notification of a change to a business process are configured. In response to the criteria being met, the notification of the change to the business process is transmitted to a receiving device. The receiving device is monitored for a response to the notification of the change to the business process. In response to detecting no response to the notification of the change to the business process from the receiving device within a predefined amount of time, a corrective instruction is issued to a monitoring device.
US09317833B2
Role search apparatus for grouping nodes according to relationships with other nodes, the apparatus including: an input for receiving an arrangement of nodes, the arrangement including at least two partitions of the nodes and with predetermined relationships between nodes across the partitions, and a pattern recognition unit associated with the input, for using pattern recognition on the nodes and the relationships to find relationship patterns amongst the nodes, thereby to form at least one group from nodes of a first of the partitions, wherein the nodes being formed into the group share relationships with same ones of a predetermined number of nodes in a second partition.
US09317827B2
A farm work management system includes a communication apparatus for transmitting location information of a worker carrying out a farm work and a farm work management apparatus for managing a progress of the farm work based on the location information transmitted from the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes a notifying unit for notifying the farm work management apparatus to the effect that the farm work is started or the farm work is finished in a case where an operation unit receives the predetermined operation. The farm work management apparatus includes a work location identifying unit for identifying the work location based on the location information transmitted from the communication apparatus, a calculating unit for calculating an estimated work time from read information, and a transmitting unit for transmitting to the communication apparatus the information about the read work content and the estimated work time having been calculated.
US09317823B2
A method of embedding RF equipment in a reusable material handing apparatus for the purposes of managing the apparatus with the device is described. In one embodiment, the RF equipment includes a low cost RFID tag, label, placard or like, which is incorporated into the apparatus. Each RFID device responds to a management radio frequency signal with a unique reply to wirelessly identify the individual apparatus. RFID tags, labels, placards and the like typically comprise a first substrate layer to support the components of the RFID device and a second laminate layer to cover the RFID device and provide a printable surface for a serial number, trade name, bar code, manufacture date, country of origin and the like. The methods involve embedding RFID devices into the apparatus during the original manufacture or assembly and disassembly of the apparatus.
US09317809B1
Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) analysis on a dataset is performed on an MPP relational database by distributing subsets of said dataset to a plurality of segments of the MPP database, and performing LDA analysis in parallel on the respective subsets on the plurality of segments using Gibbs sampling. An object library on each segment provides executable objects of user defined functions that can be called by an SQL query when the query requires functionality provided by an object.
US09317800B2
A non-contact IC label includes a magnetic sheet, an IC chip arranged on the magnetic sheet, a first antenna portion including a first connection portion connected to the IC chip and arranged on the magnetic sheet to extend in a first direction from the first connection portion, and a second antenna portion including a second connection portion connected to the IC chip and arranged on the magnetic sheet to extend in a second direction from the second connection portion, wherein each of the first direction and the second direction is along one side of the magnetic sheet, the first direction and the second direction differ from each other, and each of a length of the first antenna portion in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and a length of the second antenna portion in a direction perpendicular to the second direction ranges from 2 mm to 15 mm.
US09317799B1
RFID tags are assembled through affixing an antenna to an integrated circuit (IC) by forming one or more capacitors coupling the antenna and the IC with the dielectric material of the capacitor(s) including a non-conductive covering layer of the IC, a non-conductive covering layer of the antenna such as an oxide layer, and/or an additionally formed dielectric layer. Top and bottom plates of the capacitor(s) are formed by the antenna traces and one or more patches on a top surface of the IC.
US09317795B2
An RFID sensing system and method. An array of sensing elements is disposed on a surface of a mat, wherein each sensing element includes an RFID microchip, an antenna operatively coupled to the microchip, and a pressure-sensitive material disposed on at least the antenna. An RFID reader is provided for interrogating the array of sensing elements. An antenna operatively coupled to the reader communicates with each sensing element disposed on the mat. Each sensing element in the array, in response to an interrogation signal, transmits a signal to the reader via the coupled antenna when a subject placed on the mat compresses the section of pressure-sensitive material for the sensing element.
US09317793B2
A product has applied visible product information. In order to be able to undertake updates of the product information of such a product in a relatively simple manner, the product is equipped with an electronic monitor or screen for displaying the product information. A method for applying visible product information to a product is also provided.
US09317792B2
A method for reading and using partial data from a portable data carrier includes reading data from a portable data carrier, determining if any data is missing, and if any data is missing, restructuring the data for use, such as for running an audio decoder and expander. A method for writing data to a portable data carrier having limited capacity includes receiving a data file and optimizing at least one encoding parameter to fit at least a portion of the data file into the portable data carrier.
US09317789B2
A printer, copier, or multi-function printing device (MFP) operates in a reduced power mode in which a controller identifies a path of motion of an object external to the printer with reference to signals from a proximity sensor housed in the printer. The controller connects one or more components to electric power to transition to an elevated power operating mode if the identified path corresponds to a path history that is stored in a memory of paths of object paths that have occurred prior to operation of the printer, copier or MFP. The activation of the components reduces a delay that an operator perceives as the printer, copier or MFP transitions from the reduced power operating mode to the elevated power operating mode thus significantly reducing power consumption during operation.
US09317785B1
The present invention is a system and method for performing ethnicity classification based on the facial images of people, using multi-category decomposition architecture of classifiers, which include a set of predefined auxiliary classifiers that are specialized to auxiliary features of the facial images. In the multi-category decomposition architecture, which is a hybrid multi-classifier architecture specialized to ethnicity classification, the task of learning the concept of ethnicity against significant within-class variations, is handled by decomposing the set of facial images into auxiliary demographics classes; the ethnicity classification is performed by an array of classifiers where each classifier, called an auxiliary class machine, is specialized to the given auxiliary class. The facial image data is annotated to assign the age and gender labels as well as the ethnicity labels. Each auxiliary class machine is trained to output both the given auxiliary class membership likelihood and the ethnicity likelihoods. Faces are detected from the input image, individually tracked, and fed to all the auxiliary class machines to compute the desired auxiliary class membership and ethnicity likelihood outputs. The outputs from all the auxiliary class machines are combined in a manner to make a final decision on the ethnicity of the given face.
US09317783B2
A method and system for clustering images, comprising detecting faces in respective images to generate face data, generating a first cluster of images using the face data, the first cluster comprising images with a common face and representing a corresponding person, generating a second cluster of images using clothes data representing a set of clothing signatures, the second cluster comprising images with a common set of clothes, and using the first and second clusters to link an image of the person to the clusters in order to generate a third cluster for the person.
US09317777B2
A system includes a computing device that includes a memory configured to store instructions. The system also includes a processor to execute the instructions to perform operations that include receiving data representing features of a first font and data representing features of a second font. The first font and the second font are capable of representing one or more glyphs. Operations also include receiving survey-based data representing the similarity between the first and second fonts, and, training a machine learning system using the features of the first font, the features of the second font and the survey-based data that represents the similarity between the first and second fonts.
