US09375553B2
An interventional guidewire assembly with improved guidewire control includes a guidewire and a housing having a first opening that accommodates the guidewire and a second opening. The assembly further includes an actuator that passes through the second opening that is actuated by a finger in a direction substantially perpendicular to an axis of the guidewire. The assembly further includes a clamp operably coupled to the actuator that compresses the guidewire to couple the guidewire to the housing when pressure is applied to the actuator. The assembly further includes a return spring that supplies pressure to remove the clamp from the guidewire.
US09375551B2
A neonatal intravascular device having an extension tube to relief stress between a catheter adapter and a luer adapter of the catheter assembly.
US09375542B2
This disclosure describes systems and methods for determining patient fatigue during ventilation of a patient. The disclosure describes novel notification and/or management of patient fatigue during ventilation. Further, the disclosure describes system and methods for preventing diaphragm fatigue or weakness.
US09375530B2
Disclosed are devices for urine voiding postponement, and methods for treating conditions such as central diabetes insipidus, enuresis, nocturia, urinary frequency or incontinence. The devices deliver a desmopressin flux through the skin of a patient in a low dose amount just necessary to achieve a desired anti-diuretic effect without undesirable side effects such as hyponatremia. The devices are designed to permit a state of normal urinary production to return quickly after the desmopressin flux is terminated.
US09375527B2
An automatic locking system for a medical treatment device helps to ensure that an assistant is present during treatment of a patient. Among the features disclosed biometric authentication to verify that a trained assistant is present, a presence detector to ensure the assistant is continuously present during treatment, and warning and recovery processes that allow intermittent lapses in the continuous presence of the assistant.
US09375515B2
The present invention is directed to immobilized biologically active entities that retain significant biological activity following mechanical manipulation of a substrate material to which the entities are immobilized.
US09375514B2
The invention relates to methods for producing three-dimensional multicellular tissue and organ culture systems using multicellular mammalian cell aggregates, these systems themselves and their use for various medical purposes, in particular implantations.
US09375511B2
A bone graft material is provided comprising granules of synthetic bone material, at least some of which have a solid coating comprising a blood-clotting agent. A device for delivering bone-replacement material to a an area to be treated is also provided, the device comprising: a chamber for containing bone-replacement material, wherein the chamber is pre-loaded and/or pre-coated on an interior surface thereof with a blood-clotting agent; means for introducing bone-replacement material into the chamber to contact the blood-clotting agent; and a means for delivering the bone-substitute material from the chamber to the area to be treated.
US09375509B2
The present invention relates to an isocyanate functional prepolymer that can be achieved through a) a reaction of an H functional starter compound having at least one Zerewitinoff active H atom with an alkylene oxide and a comonomer to a preliminary stage bearing hydroxyl groups, wherein said comonomer is selected from the group comprising lactides, glycolides, cyclical dicarboxylic acid anhydrides as well as combinations thereof and wherein said comonomer is integrated through statistical copolymerization into the polymer chain(s) of the preliminary stage bearing hydroxyl groups, and b) a reaction of the preliminary stage bearing hydroxyl groups from step a) with a polyfunctional isocyanate to an isocyanate functional prepolymer. The invention additionally relates to a process for producing this isocyanate functional prepolymer, a tissue adhesive system containing such an isocyanate functional prepolymer and a dispensing system having at least two chambers and this type of tissue adhesive system.
US09375508B2
An absorber and an absorbent article which have excellent leak proof property during use and water disintegratability after disposal. The water disintegratable absorber includes a water disintegratable absorber layer and a water insoluble resin layer. The amount of water absorption of the water disintegratable absorber layer is 300 g/m2 or more and tear strength in the plan view direction of the water insoluble resin layer is 0.15 N/40 mm or less in a first direction as well as a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.
US09375507B2
The present invention relates to a particulate superabsorbent polymer composition comprising a polymer comprising a neutralized aluminum salt solution applied to the surface of a particulate superabsorbent polymer; wherein an aqueous solution of the neutralized aluminum salt has a pH value from about 5.5 to about 8 and the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a mean particle size distribution of from 300 to 400 μm, an original Free Swell Gel Bed Permeability (FSGBP) of about 20×10−8 cm2 to about 200×10−8 cm2; and subsequent to subjecting the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition to the Processing Test, the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition has a permeability stability index of from about 0.60 to about 0.99 and having particles having a particle diameter of larger than 600 μm in an amount of less than about 15 wt % of the particulate superabsorbent polymer composition and as specified by standard sieve classification.
US09375506B2
There is provided an absorbent article with excellent absorption performance. The absorbent article 1 of the invention comprises two or more absorbers 4, 5 that absorb body fluids of a user and are stacked in the thickness direction, a liquid-permeable sheet 2 covering one side of the two or more absorbers, through which body fluid of a user permeates, and a liquid-impermeable sheet 3 covering the other side of the two or more absorbers, through which body fluid of the user does not permeate, wherein the absorber 5 on the liquid-impermeable sheet 3 side of the two or more absorbers 4, 5 contains non-wood pulp and SAP, and the settling velocity of the non-wood pulp in water is between 2 seconds and 5 seconds.
US09375503B2
Provided is an air conditioner for an automobile capable of having uniform perfume performance in a width direction of the automobile by discharging air mixed with a perfume component supplied from a perfume generating unit through a discharging part.
US09375500B2
A sterilization, sanitization and/or decontamination device 1 comprising at least a humidifier unit, an ozone generator unit 60, at least one discharge outlet 16 and a controller for controlling the humidifier and ozone generator units, the at least one discharge outlet 16 comprising at least two at least partially converging plates 72, 74 between which substances are discharged.
US09375493B2
The invention provides a family of agents that target bacterial infection, which can be used as imaging agents or therapeutic agents. The agents can be used to image sites of bacterial infection as well as other physiological processes in a subject.
US09375490B2
Compositions including at least one Omega-3 fatty acid ester and at least one surface active agent are provided; wherein the compositions form micelles when in contact with an aqueous medium. Also provided is a method of administering to a subject such a composition, wherein the at least one Omega-3 fatty acid ester forms micelles when in contact with an aqueous medium, and the bioavailability of the at least one Omega-3 fatty acid ester is substantially independent of a food effect. The compositions are useful for treating cardiovascular conditions or disorders in a subject and for reducing side effects associated with the ingestion of Omega-3 fatty acid esters. Further provided are also various dosage forms for administering the compositions and use of the compositions in functional foods. Provided herein are also kits with instructions on how to administer the compositions.
US09375488B2
The invention provides conjugates that consist of a drug moiety agent and a cell binding agent that target human fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). These conjugates have therapeutic use as they are designed and tailored to target a specific cell population and deliver a powerful cytotoxin inside the cell. The conjugate of the present invention has significant advantages over other conjugates known in the art by providing a targeted tumor therapy as well as bystander activity to neighboring cells in an important oncology receptor that is only moderately expressed.
US09375486B2
The invention relates to (among other things) oligomer-containing benzamide-based compounds. A compound of the invention exhibits one or more advantages over corresponding compounds lacking the oligomer.
US09375480B2
The present invention pertains to a composition containing an immunogenic cell preparation of killed Leptospira bacteria in a citric acid solution. It also pertains to a vaccine to protect an animal against an infection with Leptospira bacteria, wherein the vaccine comprises this composition, and to the use of citric acid to stabilize an immunogenic preparation of killed Leptospira bacteria in a liquid carrier, by dissolving the citric acid in the carrier.
US09375473B2
The invention relates to methods of preventing or inhibiting the onset and/or treating autoimmune demyelinating neuropathy and other autoimmune or inflammatory diseases involving macrophage infiltration.
US09375472B2
The present invention relates to a use of at least one glycosylated tetrafunctional amphiphilic block copolymer, as immune adjuvant.
US09375458B2
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for treating neoplasias in an animal or human comprised of a carrier and therapeutically effective amounts of at least one chemotherapeutic agent along with the biotherapeutic endogenous pentapeptide Met-enkephalin, referred to as opioid growth factor. Also provided are methods of treating neoplasias in an animal or human in need of such treatment, comprising the administration to the animal or human therapeutically effective amounts of a pharmaceutical composition comprised of a carrier and therapeutically effective amounts of at least one neoplasia-treating agent, such as a chemotherapeutic agent or radiation, along with opioid growth factor.
US09375455B2
The present invention relates to the treatment of withdrawal and craving symptoms as an aid in smoking cessation by administration of one or more dosages of a medication containing Passiflora incarnata.
US09375453B2
New krill oil compositions are disclosed as having high amounts of phospholipids, astaxanthin esters and/or omega-3 contents. The krill oils are obtained from krill meal using supercritical fluid extraction in a two stage process. Stage 1 removes the neutral lipid by extracting with neat supercritical CO2 or CO2 plus approximately 5% of a co-solvent. Stage 2 extracts the actual krill oils by using supercritical CO2 in combination with approximately 20% ethanol. The krill oil materials obatined are compared with commercially available krill oil and found to be more bioeffective in a number of areas such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant effects, improving insulin resistances and improving blood lipid profile.
US09375450B2
A method of stimulating elastin and/or collagen production in the tissues of the vagina, comprising the steps of providing a composition including at least one of a water soluble zinc salt such as zinc sulfate and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPAR β/δ) agonist, and administering the composition to the tissue of the vagina. Compositions for stimulating 5 elastin and/or collagen production in the tissues of the vagina are also disclosed.
US09375445B2
A prodrug comprising a heparin and a drug is provided. The prodrug can be used to form a coating on a medical device. The prodrug can also be used with a polymeric material to form a coating on a medical device. The polymeric material can be a hydrophobic polymer, a hydrophilic polymer, a non-fouling polymer, or combinations thereof. The medical device can be implanted in a human being for the treatment of a disease such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, restenosis, hemorrhage, vascular dissection or perforation, vascular aneurysm, vulnerable plaque, chronic total occlusion, claudication, anastomotic proliferation for vein and artificial grafts, bile duct obstruction, ureter obstruction, tumor obstruction, or combinations thereof.
US09375441B2
A method of treating an adult patient in need of bowel evacuation via the administration of one or more doses of a bowel evacuant consisting of a total of from about 180 g to about 220 g of lactulose in a dosing regimen suitable to achieve bowel evacuation prior to a diagnostic, therapeutic or surgical procedure is disclosed.
US09375433B2
The present specification discloses compositions comprising at least one therapeutic compound capable of modulating androgen production and methods and uses for treating a disorder associated with androgen production using such compositions and/or compounds.
US09375430B2
Disclosed are compounds, compositions and methods for treating metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. Such compounds are represented by formula (I) as follows: wherein Y and Z are defined herein.
US09375418B2
The present invention describes methods of treating dementia comprising administering an effective daily dose of N-[2-(6-fluoro-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-3-(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropoxy)benzylamine to improve or augment the effect of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.
US09375412B2
The field involves compositions useful for pain relief, including diclofenac solution and gel formulations, in particular methods of use thereof, articles of manufacture and kits that provide novel preclinical, clinical and other information to users.
US09375403B2
The present invention provides improved formulations of 6-mercaptopurine that exhibit better bioavailability and faster dissolution than previous formulations.
US09375402B2
The invention is directed to formulations of bioactive compounds of limited water solubility, inhibitors of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) of the 2,4-diaminopyridine class, adapted for oral administration to patients. The formulations are self-emulsifying in the gastrointestinal tract of the patients, providing enhanced absorption and bioavailability of the bioactive compounds as dispersions or emulsions in an oil base. For example, esters of PEG-ylated glycerol can be used as the oil, in conjunction with surfactants such as lecithin and TEPG succinate and solubilizers such as PEG 400 to provide useful oral formulations for administration to patients having a malcondition wherein inhibition of FAK is medically indicated, such as cancer or arthritis.
US09375397B2
Composition comprising gas filled microcapsules and a bioactive agent, useful for an ultrasound-mediated delivery of said bioactive agent. The microcapsules comprise a relatively stiff shell of polymeric or lipid material and have in particular a resistance to a mechanical index of at least 0.15, while the bioactive agent is substantially unbound to the shell of the microcapsules. The composition of the invention is particularly suitable for effectively delivering a genetic material into a cell, upon exposure of the composition to a level of acoustic pressure capable of destroying a portion of the microcapsules and releasing the gas contained therein.
US09375394B2
An anhydrous composition comprising a base and a metal organic framework formed from a recyclable porous material with the material adsorbed into the metal organic framework, wherein the recyclable porous material has a structure that breaks down when contacted with water to release the material.
US09375391B2
Disclosed is a method for moisturizing skin comprising topically applying to skin in need of moisturization a composition comprising a glyceryl di-salicylate compound having the following structure: wherein the composition further includes a glyceryl mono-salicylate compound, and wherein the composition moisturizes skin.
US09375384B2
A medication compliance package includes an outer carrier of card defining a rear panel into which the pockets of a blister sheet are attached and covered by a foil layer. A front panel folds over the rear panel to cover its front face and the pockets. The front panel has a slot shaped opening along the mutual side edge with the rear panel to allow fingers of the hand of the user to extend through the opening, with the front and rear panels in the open position, from the rear face of the front panel to reach around the mutual side edge to the rear face of the rear panel. This simplifies the act of popping the medications out of the blister since the fingers engage the rear of the rear panel and the thumb can be used to apply pressure to the pockets.
US09375373B2
A liftable hospital bed, comprising a bedplate base (1) and a bed leg rod (2), the upper end of the bed leg rod (2) being connected to a second roller device (7) which can slide in a track (8) on the bedplate base (1); a turning mechanism is also provided to change the included angle between the bed leg rod (2) and the bedplate base (1) in order to lift or lower the bedplate base (1), the turning mechanism including a connecting rod, which is hinged at the upper end thereof to the bedplate base (1), and a pushing mechanism (5) for pushing and turning the connecting rod (4); the lower end of the connecting rod (4) is fixedly bonded to a first connecting plate (6) which has a first sliding slot (61) and a second sliding slot (62) crossed with each other; a first pin shaft (91) and a second pin shaft (92) on the bed leg rod (2) are slidably provided in the first sliding slot (61) and the second sliding slot (62). During lifting, the ground-touching end of the bed leg rod (2) can be maintained unmoved, so as to prevent the movement of the patient's body.
US09375359B2
A pants-type wearing article that provides effective buttocks covering having a front panel, a rear panel and a crotch panel connected to the front panel and the rear panel so as to cover a crotch region of the article wearer. The rear panel is formed with a rear waist covering portion having a dimension in the longitudinal direction substantially the same as a dimension of the front panel and a buttocks covering portion contiguously extending downward from the rear waist covering portion and adapted to cover at least partially the wearer's buttocks. The buttocks covering portion has buttock elastics extending in the transverse direction. The buttocks covering portion and the crotch panel are joined to each other in a zone defined between the gasket cuffs opposite to each other in the transverse direction and not joined to each other at portions in which the gasket cuffs are disposed.
US09375349B2
There is provided a system, apparatus and methods for developing laser systems that can create precise predetermined shot patterns for providing areas of varying softness in the lens of an eye. These areas of varying softness may have shapes that correspond to instruments used to remove material from the lens of the eye. There is further provided a multiplicity of spheres pattern, which may provide for bubble formation which in turn lubricates the lens material for removal after sectioning.
US09375339B2
An ankle stabilizing device having a lace-tongue attachment includes a body member, a plurality of eyelets extending along the front edges of the body member, and a centering lace. The centering lace is secured to the ankle stabilizing device between the pair of eyelets at the toe-end of the device such that the central portion of the centering lace is precluded from passing through either of the toe-end pair of eyelets.
US09375337B1
A delivery device can include a number of different features including, one or more of, but not limited to, the following. Shuttle and trigger retraction of an outer sheath. Arcuate movement of a trigger. An interlock device to prevent actuation of the trigger. An interlock device that can adjust the position of the outer sheath and the inner shaft. A retraction override switch and lock.
US09375333B1
Systems, devices, and methods for detaching an implantable device from a delivery system are disclosed herein. One aspect of the present technology, for example, is directed toward a system that includes an elongated shaft having a first coupling element with a first opening, an implantable device having a second coupling element with a second opening, and an elongated member configured to extend through the shaft. The system can have a retained state in which the elongated member is positioned through the first opening and the second opening, and a released state in which the elongated member is removed from the second opening and the first coupling element is configured to move proximally apart from the second coupling element with an axial displacement not greater than an outer diameter of the first coupling element at a location along the length of the first coupling element proximate the first opening.
US09375330B2
Methods for making the medical devices consist of either providing or forming a scaffold, then depositing a metallic or pseudometallic film cover onto the scaffold in such a manner as to form an integral, substantially monolithic junction between the deposited cover material and the scaffold.
US09375322B2
A prosthesis for a vertebral column has an upper part (10) for attachment to an upper vertebrae, a lower part (12) for attachment to a lower vertebrae and a middle part (11) located between the upper and the lower parts, wherein the upper part has a lower surface portion with a first radius of curvature, the middle part has an upper surface portion with a second radius of curvature and a lower surface with a third radius of curvature and the lower part has an upper surface with a fourth radius of curvature. The centre of the radius of curvature for at least two surfaces is offset rearwardly with respect to a central vertical axis (13) through the upper and lower vertebrae and/or the upper and lower parts. Also defined is device for linking bones, in the form of a band with attachment portions having a number of filaments that provide zones conducive to cellular growth as well as a method of modelling a prosthesis and a process for analysing performance of a prosthesis.
US09375308B2
The present disclosure describes treatment of the vasculature of a patient with an expandable implant. The implant is constrained to a reduced delivery diameter for delivery within the vasculature by at least one sleeve. The implant can be constrained to other diameters, such as an intermediate diameter. The sleeves can be expanded, allowing for expansion of the diameter of the expandable implant, by disengaging a coupling member from the sleeve or sleeves from outside of the body of the patient. The expandable implant can comprise a steering line or lines which facilitate bending and steering of the expandable implant through the vasculature of a patient.
US09375305B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing a structure modeled on a biological tissue. The invention also relates to a structure which can be produced using the method according to the invention. According to an embodiment of the invention, a precursor of a biopolymer is locally irradiated with electromagnetic radiation in a targeted manner, wherein the irradiation, in particular the selection of the areas to be irradiated, is effected according to data which describe a structural construction at least components of the extracellular matrix of the biological tissue. In this case, the electromagnetic radiation is such that two-photon or multi-photon absorption takes place in the irradiated areas of the precursor and results in the precursor being polymerized to form the biopolymer in the irradiated areas, with the result being that the precursor is at least partially solidified there.
US09375303B1
Methods of ordering and manufacturing orthopedic components eliminate the need to stockpile and inventory large volumes of implants and instruments. In one exemplary embodiment, the surgeon begins by acquiring anatomical data from a patient. The anatomical data may then be loaded into a data comparison program. The data comparison program performs a best-fit analysis by comparing the patient's anatomical data to a number of predesigned, tested, and validated virtual implant models that are stored in a database. Once an implant has been identified by the data comparison program for the individual patient, the surgeon may place an order electronically with the manufacturer via the internet. In one exemplary embodiment, when placing the order, the surgeon will specify the type of implant, the surgery date, specific patient information, shipping information, and the preferred surgical technique that the surgeon anticipates using.
US09375294B2
A method for producing an implant including the following steps is provided: —providing a core element having a first material; —providing a negative mold of the implant; —inserting the core element and at least one anchoring element made of a second material into the negative mold, wherein the second material is thermoplastic, —closing the negative mold and applying an elevated deformation temperature, wherein at the deformation temperature the second material is plastically deformable, viscous, or liquid and the first material is solid, —cooling the negative mold together with the core element and the anchoring element, and—removing the resulting implant from the core element and the anchoring element from the negative mold.
US09375292B2
A device for dispensing a dental material comprises first compartment and the second compartment formed between interconnected sheet-like layers. The compartments encapsulate a first flowable component and a second flowable component of the dental material. The device has a first seal and a second seal for sealing the first compartment and the second compartment in the device. Each seal is adapted to automatically open in consequence of forcing a component of the dental material toward the seal. The capacity of the first compartment and the second compartment relative to each other is dimensioned such that squeezing out the first component from the first compartment by compressing the first compartment causes the first seal and the second seal to open. The device preferably allows easy and quick activation for use of the stored components.
US09375277B2
A microwave energy delivery and measurement system, including a microwave generator and a microwave energy delivery device, for performing medical procedures, and a remote power coupler system for measuring one or more parameters of the microwave energy signal including a remote RF sensor housed in the microwave energy delivery device and a power coupler processer coupled with the processing unit of the microwave energy delivery device.
US09375267B2
A surgical instrument is provided and includes a housing having a shaft. An end effector assembly operatively connects to the shaft and has a pair of first and second jaw members. A jaw insert is operably associated with the first and second jaw members. The jaw insert includes one or more cam slots defined therein configured to receive a cam pin that upon movement thereof rotates the first and second jaw members from an open position to a clamping position and an opening defined therein configured to securely house a pivot pin that provides a point of pivot for the first and second jaw members. The jaw insert is manufactured from an insulative medium to dielectrically isolate the first and second jaw members.
US09375258B2
A forceps includes a housing defining a window and having an outer shaft extending therefrom. An end effector assembly disposed at a distal end of the outer shaft includes first and second jaw members including distal portions and proximal portions and movable between spaced-apart and approximated positions. An inner shaft is slidably disposed within the outer shaft such that, when the jaw members are disposed in the spaced-apart position, the inner shaft is disposed in a distal position. When the jaw members are moved to the approximated position, the proximal portions urge the inner shaft to a proximal position. An indicator member coupled to the inner shaft includes first and second indicators. The first indicator is visible through the window when the inner shaft is disposed in the distal position. The second indicator is visible through the window when the inner shaft is disposed in the proximal position.
US09375255B2
An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a reusable handle assembly and a removable and disposable transmission assembly. The handle assembly includes a trigger, a housing having a distal aperture formed in a distal end of the housing, a button disposed on a top surface of the housing, and a biasing member in communication with the button. The transmission assembly includes a proximal shaft, a rotator knob having a coupling feature, a distal shaft assembly extending distally from the proximal shaft, and an end effector at the distal end of the distal shaft assembly. The biasing member of the handle assembly is adjustably coupled to the coupling feature of the transmission assembly. Another version includes a movable yoke configured to engage an inner tube of the transmission assembly. Yet another version includes a waveguide of the transmission assembly non-threadably coupled to a transducer via a biasing force.
US09375250B2
An electrosurgical system includes an electrosurgical instrument coupled to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical system may include a first sensor and a second sensor, which are configured to detect redundant tissue properties and output a signal corresponding thereto. The electrosurgical system has a signal processing circuit for receiving and modifying the output signal from the second sensor. The electrosurgical generator may include a controller for receiving an output signal from the first sensor and a processed signal from the signal processing circuit. The controller compares the two signals received and shuts down the system based on the comparison of the first sensor and a processed signal.
US09375244B2
An electrosurgical system includes a generator that generates electrosurgical energy for treating tissue. The generator includes one or more active output terminals which supply energy to tissue and are operatively connected to one or more supply lines. The generator also includes one or more return output terminals which return energy from the tissue and are operatively connected to at least one return line. The system also includes an electrosurgical instrument operatively connected to the one or more supply lines and one or more return electrodes operatively connected to the one or more return lines. The system further includes an electrosurgical cable including one or more supply lines and one or more return lines, which are wound in a double helix fashion such that the electrical field along the cable is mitigated along the length thereof.
US09375242B2
The present disclosure relates to an osteosynthesis device comprising, on the one hand, a plate (12), which can be adjusted along a bone element (10), and at least one pin (26), and, on the other hand, a locking bushing (30) for rigidly connecting said plate (12) and said at least one pin (26). Said locking bushing (30) has a screwable part (32) and a drive part (34) separated from each other by a breakable zone (38), said screwable part having axial slits (44) that form notches (50). Said breakable zone (38) is intended to be broken in order to free said screwable zone (32) from said drive part (34). Said axial slits (44) extend into said breakable zone (38) so as to be able to fragment said screwable part (32) into independent notches (50) when said breakable zone (38) is broken, in order to be able to adjust the relative position of said notches (50) around said at least one pin (26).
US09375237B2
A system for stabilizing a superior vertebra relative to an inferior vertebra includes a plate having a first surface for mating with the superior and inferior vertebra and a second surface opposite the first surface. The plate has a first hole configured for overlying the superior vertebra and a second hole configured for overlying the inferior vertebra. An alignment instrument has a leading portion and a trailing portion. The leading portion has a securing mechanism configured for removable attachment to a fastening mechanism of the plate. The alignment instrument also includes an alignment prong extending past the first surface of the plate when the plate is attached to the fastening mechanism. The alignment prong provides tactile information to the trailing portion of the alignment instrument for use in positioning the plate with respect to the superior and inferior vertebra.
US09375236B2
In one embodiment of the present invention a system for connecting a fastener element (e.g., a pedicle screw) relative to a rod for the purposes of vertebral fixation is provided. The system may permit multi-axial movement between the fastener element and the rod. Further, the system may permit the angular relationship between the fastener element and the rod to be held in a desired orientation. For the purposes of describing and claiming the present invention, the term “rod” is intended to refer to any elongated structure. Such an elongated structure may be solid or hollow and may have any desired cross-section (e.g., circular, oval, square, rectangular). Further, for the purposes of describing and claiming the present invention, the term “interference fit” is intended to refer to physical contact between two or more components.
US09375230B2
An ultrasonic surgical instrument is provided. The ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a housing having an elongated shaft extending therefrom. The shaft defines a longitudinal axis therethrough and has at least one jaw member disposed at a distal end thereof. The jaw member(s) is movable between open and clamping configurations. A probe extends through the shaft and operably couples to the housing. The probe includes a cutting blade at a distal end thereof adjacent the jaw member(s) to treat tissue of interest. The jaw member(s) and cutting blade are configured such that heat damage to tissue adjacent tissue of interest that has been treated by the cutting blade is reduced and/or eliminated.
US09375222B2
Disclosed herein are methods, compositions and tools for repairing articular surfaces repair materials and for repairing an articular surface. The articular surface repairs are customizable or highly selectable by patient and geared toward providing optimal fit and function. The surgical tools are designed to be customizable or highly selectable by patient to increase the speed, accuracy and simplicity of performing total or partial arthroplasty.
US09375221B2
An orthopaedic surgical instrument comprising an orthopaedic cutting block includes a metallic bearing insert configured to support a bone cutting tool and a body molded to the bearing insert. The bearing insert includes a plurality of chemically etched holes, and the body is molded to the bearing insert such that each of the plurality of chemically etched holes is at least partially filled by a portion of the body. The body of the orthopaedic cutting block may include a bone-facing surface adapted to contact a portion of a patient's bone, and the bearing insert may be positioned to allow a surgeon to perform a cut on the patient's bone using the bearing insert for support. A method of manufacturing an orthopaedic surgical instrument is also disclosed.
US09375217B2
A method and related medical devices include delivering a catheter into a lumen of a subject. The catheter can include a generally tubular member having a lumen, a proximal region, and a distal region, and an inflatable member carried by a portion of the generally tubular member. The method can also include curving the portion of the generally tubular member that carries the inflatable member within the lumen of the subject, and disposing a material (e.g., an embolic material or a contrast agent) into the lumen of the generally tubular member.
US09375216B2
An apparatus for performing a vascular treatment includes an intraluminal member that is controllingly moved during the vascular treatment. The intraluminal member of the vascular treatment device can be connected to a motor. The rotation direction of the intraluminal member can be reversed to reduce the incidence and duration of vein entanglement during a vascular ablation procedure. Reversal of direction could occur automatically, or in response to a sensor such as a load sensor provided as part of the motorized drive system.
US09375204B2
A structurally integrated biopsy system includes a movable base having wheels to facilitate movement of the structurally integrated biopsy system. On the movable based there is mounted a tissue removal system, an ultrasound imaging system, and a controller. The tissue removal system includes a probe connector configured to connect to a tissue removal probe. The ultrasound imaging system is configured to generate an ultrasound image of a body region of a patient, and has an image display system having an image display screen to display ultrasound images taken by the ultrasound imaging system. The controller is configured to be in communication with each of the tissue removal system and the ultrasound imaging system to both provide control information for the ultrasound imaging system and provide control information for the tissue removal system in the structurally integrated biopsy system.
US09375201B2
A medical imaging device that uses electromagnetic or acoustic information to generate a patient image is remotely maintained. A set of operational characteristics for the device is maintained by a maintenance system disposed remotely from the device. Data from sensors disposed local to the device are received over a network at the maintenance system. A set of parameter measures is derived from the received data and analyzed in comparison with the set of operational characteristics to identify a predicted malfunction of a component of the device. The maintenance system is thus able to initiate a repair of the medical imaging device by generating an alert in response to identification of the predicted malfunction.
US09375187B2
A patient table mounts to a patient imaging apparatus support base. When attached to first and second support ends of an imaging apparatus, the patient table has a generally planar patient support adapted for spanning the imaging apparatus field of view (FOV), and is analogous to a beam spanning the FOV. The beam-like patient support has sufficient rigidity for supporting and imaging a patient placed thereupon without any additional external support columns affixed to the imaging room floor, as was utilized in previously existing imaging apparatus. Elimination of external patient table supports reduces imaging apparatus installation complexity and costs, frees up floor space, and facilitates easier patient transfer to the imaging apparatus.
US09375185B2
The present disclosure includes a portable physiological monitor including a first local display and configured to communicate with a second physiological monitor including a second display.
US09375183B2
A method for monitoring degradation a physiological sensor connected to a patient monitor is disclosed. A patient monitor, a patient monitor system, a physiological sensor, and a computer program product are also disclosed. In order to get an early warning of an imminent breakage or wear out of a physiological sensor and to increase the life time of the sensor without compromising patient safety, history data is collected for at least one sensor feature parameter into a predetermined memory location, wherein the collected history data is indicative of past characteristics of the sensor. The history data is retrieved from the predetermined memory location when the physiological sensor is connected to a patient monitor and a degradation measure indicative of the degree of degradation of the physiological sensor is determined for the physiological sensor based on the history data.
US09375171B2
A probabilistic digital signal processor for medical function is described. Initial probability distribution functions are input to a dynamic state-space model, which operates on state and/or model probability distribution functions to generate a prior probability distribution function, which is input to a probabilistic updater. The probabilistic updater integrates sensor data with the prior to generate a posterior probability distribution function passed to a probabilistic sampler, which estimates one or more parameters using the posterior, which is output or re-sampled in an iterative algorithm. For example, the probabilistic processor operates using a physical model on data from a medical meter, where the medical meter uses a first physical parameter, such as blood oxygen saturation levels from a pulse oximeter, to generate a second physical parameter not output by the medical meter, such as a heart stroke volume, a cardiac output flow rate, and/or a blood pressure.
US09375169B2
An analyte and detecting apparatus has a housing and a disposable positionable in the housing. A penetrating member driver is positioned in the housing. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the disposable. Each a penetrating member is configured to be coupled to the penetrating member driver. A plurality of sampling chambers are provided with each one including an analyte sensor. A cam disk indexing and drive mechanism is included.
US09375167B2
Medical devices and methods for determining the size of blood vessels are disclosed. In one implementation, a blood vessel sizing device is configured for placement on an area of skin of a patient. The device includes a plurality of radiopaque concentric-circle elements. In one implementation, a blood vessel sizing method includes placing a marker having a plurality of concentric-circle elements on the skin of a patient, imaging a blood vessel of the patient and the device, and comparing the imaged blood vessel to the imaged circles to determine the blood vessel size, the concentric-circle elements allowing a determination of size without errors of parallax.
US09375159B2
The invention relates to indicator dilution measurements of a central volume (V1) with a first site of injection (S1) upstream of the central volume (V1) a second site of detection (S2) of the diluted indicator downstream of the central volume (V1), wherein a first additional volume (V2) is defined between the first site (S1) and the central volume (V1) and a first additional branch (B2) is defined between the first site (S1) and the central volume (V1) and wherein a second additional volume (V3) is defined between the central volume (V1) and the second site (S2) and a second additional branch (B3) is defined between the central volume (V1) and the second site (S2) wherein a result of central volumetric parameters are corrected for the first and second additional volumes (V2, V3) and/or for the first and second additional branches (B2, B3).
US09375157B2
An angiographic examination method for the representation of flow properties of vessels of an object under examination is presented. To determine blood-flow parameters in 3-D with high temporal resolution, at least one 4-D DSA sequence is acquired for the generation of measurement-based 4-D DSA data sets. A model-based method determines time-dependent volume data sets, which, in terms of time, lie between the time-dependent volume data sets of the measurement-based 4-D DSA method.
US09375136B2
An optical lens comprising a lens body that transmits light in an optical path there through, wherein the lens body consists of an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and a medium there between, further wherein one of the anterior surface and the posterior surface has a single curvature and the other of the anterior surface and the posterior surface has at least two optical zones each having a different curvature. An optical system, comprising a multi-photon endoscope having a distal end, and the optical lens disposed in the distal end. A method for obtaining an image of an object comprising providing the multi-photon endoscope, propagating light from the endoscope scanner one optical zone of the lens to focus the light at a focus location, and propagating light from the scanner through a different optical zones of the lens to focus the light at a different focus location.
US09375135B2
An insertion device includes a UD knob having an outer peripheral side notched in a concave recess with such a curvature and a size as to come in close contact with a base part of a thumb, and an RL knob placed on the UD knob with the same center of rotation, and is configured such that the thumb extends beyond the UD knob, the base part of the thumb is put in contact with a deepest part of the recess of the UD knob, and the RL knob is operably present within a movable range of the thumb beyond the UD knob. The RL knob is configured to be driven by a motor, and thereby the RL knob is rotated by a fingertip to bend a bend portion.
US09375130B2
A spray control assembly for a dishwashing appliance is provided. Using concentric flow paths, the spray control assembly allows selection of e.g., the rotational direction for at least one spray arm assembly. The selection of flow through e.g., multiple different spray assemblies is also provided. The spray control assembly incorporates a diverter having multiple port selections.
US09375128B2
A dishwasher includes a tub at least partially defining a treating chamber for receiving utensils for treatment according to the automatic cycle of operation, a rotatable spray arm provided within the treating chamber and defining an interior through which liquid may pass, and hydraulic driving nozzles to rotate the rotatable spray arm in both a a first direction and a second direction, opposite the first direction.
US09375126B2
A dishwashing system for cleaning soiled kitchenware, dishware and utensils is provided. The dishwashing system uses a combination of compressed air and blasting media to thoroughly remove grease and loose as well as hardened food particles from soiled surfaces, without hand tool scrubbing, manual rinsing, or use of soap, detergent, surfactants or other chemicals, whether in pre-soaking or cleaning. This heavy-duty dishwashing system accomplishes this thorough cleaning using no or a minuscule quantity of water. The overall energy requirements are low compared to existing systems due to elimination of water, reduction of the heating load and possible use of the heat of incineration. The dishwashing system may include a system for reclaiming used blasting media by separation from food residues. The dishwashing system is most appropriate for locations where freshwater is unavailable or costly, such as arid zones and aboard ships, and where disposal of gray water is impermissible.
US09375124B2
A scrub deck assembly (59) comprises a scrub deck frame (76) and a pivot arm (70) having a first end (72) and a second end (74). The pivot arm is rotatably coupled to the scrub deck frame at the first end, and a scrub brush (56A) is operably coupled to the pivot arm at the second end. The scrub deck assembly further comprises a retraction mechanism (80) configured to allow movement of the pivot arm, relative to the scrub deck frame, about the first end. A release mechanism (92) is operably coupled to the retraction mechanism, and is configured to disengage the operation of the retraction mechanism.
US09375123B2
One aspect of the present Invention provides a pull-behind floor finish applicator which includes a wheeled cart constructed and arranged to receive a source of floor finish. The wheeled cart includes a selectively moveable floor finish spreader coupled to the cart with a biasing member.
US09375116B2
A roll of wiping paper is obtained by winding a sheet of multi-ply absorbent paper around a core. The sheet includes at least a first and a second ply of absorbent paper, each with a grammage of between 15 and 30 g/m2 and at least one of the plies incorporating a wet strength additive. The thickness of the sheet Ep being between 0.02 and 0.07 cm, the diameter of the core being less than 3.5 cm, the diameter of the roll being between 4.5 cm and 11 cm for a volume V of absorbent paper per unit length of the roll, and the absorbency A of the sheet in cm3 of water per gram of paper being greater than 6 cm3/g. The ratio E=A/(Ep*V) of the roll is greater than or equal to 3.2.
US09375115B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a method is disclosed including providing a first opening in a sidewall of a bathtub, the sidewall including a top wall, an inner wall, and a outer wall, where the first opening extends along a length of the sidewall and has a depth extending generally downward from the top wall of the sidewall. The method further includes providing an overlay, the overlay including a body configured to receive at least a portion of the bathtub, wherein the body defines a channel and a second opening and positioning the overlay such that the overlay substantially covers the top wall of the sidewall and the sidewall is positioned within the channel defined by the body of the overlay, where the first opening is aligned with the second opening. The overlay can include at least one assistance feature. The assistance feature may include, for example, a seat, a grab bar, or a handrail.
US09375114B2
A hot beverage maker is provided with a removable pump for cleaning a brewing needle. The pump fits into a brewing chamber which normally receives a pod of an infusible beverage material. A pod receptacle and a lid pivotally connected to the housing form the brewing chamber, After a brewing cycle or when cleaning of the brewing needle is desired, an interior chamber of the pump is filled with cleaning fluid and the pump inserted into the pod receptacle. When the lid is closed, the brewing needle is inserted into the interior chamber. The lid is closed and released repeatedly to operate the pump. This creates a pumping action of the cleaning fluid through the brewing needle to dislodge a buildup of minerals or residual deposits. The used cleaning fluid and dislodged deposits are discarded after the cleaning operation is completed.
US09375113B2
An arrangement for a coffee machine includes a filter holder adapted to receive a filter to be filled with ground coffee. The filter holder includes an outlet below which a container to be filled with coffee may be positioned. A bracket is arranged on the coffee machine. The bracket and coffee holder are constructed so that the filter holder is removably attached to the bracket. A locking mechanism is attached to the bracket to lock the filter holder in a locked position when the container to be filled with coffee is arranged below the outlet.
US09375099B2
Equipment for displaying information carriers, especially for advertising purposes, has a chamber accommodating an information carrying device and constructed to make it possible to look into the internal space of the chamber. The chamber is provided with at least one transparent plate transverse to the direction of viewing. The information carrying device is on this plate. At least a part of the chamber wall has strips parallel to a strip in contact with the transparent plate. The information carrying device is formed by at least two objects situated on opposite sides of the transparent plate.
US09375091B1
A portable adjustable headrest that is releasably secured to the seatback of a casual seating. The headrest generally includes a headrest support bar, and a pair of rosettes that attach to a pair of vertical arms of the headrest support bar for vertical adjustment. First and second clamp bars having telescoping extensions for receipt in channels defined in each of the rosettes. Each clamp bar further includes a hook member opposite the telescoping extension, that define a slot for receipt of the chair's seatback frame. The clamp bars can each be selectively positioned in order to horizontally adjust the width of the headrest such that the clamp bars, as a whole is extensible and retractable to suit the needs of both wider designed chairs and more narrowly designed chairs. A cushioned member having a pocket sized for receiving an upper portion of the support bar, and further including an exterior surface and interior foam layer.
US09375087B1
A bracket includes a base, at least one mounting member, and a mounting device. The base includes an end plate through which the mounting member extends. The mounting device includes an engaging member and an elastic member. The engaging member includes a supported portion, an engaging projection, and an arm portion connected therebetween. The supported portion is pressed against the base. The arm portion extends through the end plate such that an engaging distance exists between the engaging projection and the end plate. The elastic member applies an elastic force to the engaging member to keep the engaging projection at a predetermined position where, because of the engaging distance, the engaging projection blocks or is engaged with an intended object.
US09375077B2
In an apparatus (1a) for the production of brushes or bristled-wares (9) having bristle bundles (3) melted at a fastening-side end, a reception sleeve (2) made from silica glass, crystal glass, glass ceramic and/or an alloy thereof for the positive, at least regional reception of a bristle bundle (3), on the one hand, and of a functional part (4) arranged, in the bristle longitudinal direction, behind its fastening-side end, on the other hand, are provided. Action elements (6) for acting upon the free ends of the bristle bundle (3) and of the functional part (4) and for acting with force upon the bristle bundle (3) and/or the functional part (4) in the bristle longitudinal direction, a heating device (7), arranged outside the reception sleeve (2), for heating the mutually confronting ends of the bristle bundle (3) and of the functional part (4) and for melting on the bristle bundle (3) and a cooling device (8), arranged outside the reception sleeve (2), for cooling the previously melted-on bristle bundle (3) are provided (FIG. 3).
US09375076B2
In respect of the problem of indicating a broom head (1) which can be produced such that its individual parts are easy to store, wherein the individual parts are fixed to one another following production of the broom head, said broom head (1) comprising a basic body (2) with a plate (3), from which project first cleaning elements (4) for directing towards a surface which is to be cleaned, wherein the plate (3) also has second cleaning elements (5), which assist the cleaning performance of the first cleaning elements (4), projecting from it, is characterized in that the second cleaning elements (5) are arranged on a module (6) which can be introduced, as a separate individual part, into an aperture (9) of the plate (3) such that the second cleaning elements (5) engage through the plate (3).
US09375065B2
Sleeves and cases for protecting medical devices against contamination, and methods for cleaning and disinfecting medical devices are provided. The various embodiments enable a single medical device to be used by more than one patient successively while reducing the risk of disease transmission from patient to patient.
US09375063B2
In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, systems and methods for providing collapsible luggage are presented. Such exemplary collapsible luggage can have two states: (i) a fully extended state in which said luggage is used by a user to hold, for example, clothing and objects, and (ii) a compressed or folded state in which the luggage has a minimum volume and can be easily and conveniently stored, especially where space is a premium. Various novel technologies are used to obtain maximal compression in the compressed state, provide rigidity and structural support in the fully extended state, and to allow for convenient transformation between the two states. One of such technologies is a self-locking hinge mechanism requiring no direct contact from a user, which also provides audible feedback to the user.
US09375057B2
A button assembly includes a back member, a socket or a stud secured with an eyelet or a rivet to the back member and a shell crimped onto the back member. Indicia may be disposed on the exterior surface of the shell. The button assemblies, each with a unique image, can be used to form a puzzle or provide a method of personal expression or a method of communication.
US09375052B2
A shoe having a sole connected with an upper shoe part that has two adjacent arranged tensioning sections in its instep region which are separated by a gap. A lacing system is arranged so the shoe can be laced at the foot of the wearer by pulling the tensioning sections against another. The lacing system has a central closure that tensions a first tensioning element. A tension transmitting element has first and second tensioning parts. The first tensioning element engages into the first tensioning part and pulls the same, during lacing of the first tensioning element, toward the instep region. A second tensioning element has two ends fixed at the sole. The second tensioning element engages into the second tensioning part and pulls the same, during lacing of the first tensioning element, toward the sole. The first and second tensioning parts are connected together via a tensioning element.
US09375050B2
An insole with individual elastic components has an elastic pad with a ventilative layer adhered to the top surface and a supporting block disposed at the heel region on the bottom surface. The elastic pad has first hollow elastic pillars in the foot-thenar region and second hollow elastic pillars in the foot-arch region, with both pillars extending from the bottom surface and having openings toward the top surface. The elastic pad is formed as a single body. The height of the first hollow elastic pillars and the second hollow elastic pillars is greater than the height of the supporting block so that ventilation and cushioning effects are provided to improve air circulation inside the shoe when the insole is pressed.
US09375048B2
The present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear. The article of footwear having an upper for receiving a foot and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure may include at least one support member. In addition, the sole structure may include a tensile member associated with the at least one support member and a tensioning device configured to selectively alter one or more properties of the at least one support member, by tightening and loosening the tensile member.
US09375035B1
A male bottom garment with a compartment for supporting and enhancing the appearance of male genitals, the genitals being the scrotum and the penis. The compartment is disposed near the front crotch region of the male bottom garment. The compartment is a formed by two, partially overlapping support straps attached to the garment at least at the strap tip and strap base edge. The base of each support strap is wider than its upper tips so as to support the male genitals.
US09375031B2
Method for making a fruit juice and a container for said juice having the steps of:—procuring a fruit (9) having an outer rind (91) and containing pulp (92) inside it, said rind (91) externally delimiting an imaginary internal space (94) containing said pulp (92);—making a first hole (93) through the rind (91);—inserting a tool (30) through the first hole (93) into said imaginary space (94);—moving said tool (30) relative to the pulp (92) within the imaginary space (94) transforming the pulp (92) at least partly into juice, said juice being positioned within the imaginary space (94) delimited by the rind (91), said rind (91) acting as a container for the juice;—extracting said tool (30), the juice being substantially inside the rind (91) during the step of extracting the tool (30).
US09375030B2
Method of stabilizing drinks which is characterized in that A) the drink is admixed with limonene or limonene-containing formulations and B) subsequently dialkyl dicarbonate, in particular dimethyl dicarbonate, is added to the drink.
US09375028B2
The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for delivering nutrients to subjects requiring small-volume nutritional support, such as preterm infants. The compositions may comprise an emulsion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA). The nutritional compositions are useful, for example, in correcting nutritional deficiencies by increasing a subject's intake of nutrients, such as ω-3 or ω-6 long-chain polyunsaturated acids. The nutritional compositions are suitable for enteral delivery as a nutritional supplement or for oral delivery as a human milk or infant formula fortifier.
US09375027B2
Fruit juices, purees, and other food products are provided for the healthy-product market. A part of the available sugars in the fruit products is converted to non digestible polymers, thereby lowering the energetic content and simultaneously increasing the nutritional value by forming prebiotic components in the product stables in juices. Further provided is a method of manufacturing juices and purees, enabling to preserve all components but sugars naturally occurring in the fruit.
US09375026B2
A nutrient composition for biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants or microorganisms includes at least one monometallic or mixed-metallic phosphate of the (M1 M2 M3 . . . Mx)3(PO4)2.aH2O type where 0≦a≦9, where (M1, M2, M3 . . . Mx) represent the one metal of the monometallic phosphate or the two or more metals of the mixed-metallic phosphate and are selected from Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and B, with the proviso that at least one of the metals in the phosphate is selected from Mn, Fe, Co and Ni.
US09375019B2
The invention pertains to a method and system for harvesting saddle meat parts from a carcass part of slaughtered poultry, wherein the carcass part initially comprises two legs parts and a saddle, wherein the carcass part further comprises two saddle meat parts. The method comprises the following steps:•—separating the leg parts from the saddle meat parts and the saddle, leaving the saddle meat parts connected to the saddle,•—arranging the saddle in a saddle meat harvester (100),•—making the saddle meat parts come to extend from the carcass part, while the saddle meat parts remain connected to the saddle,•—positioning the tissue connection between the left saddle meat part and the saddle in alignment with a left cutter (140) and positioning the tissue connection between the right saddle meat part and the saddle in alignment with a right cutter,•—moving the saddle with the saddle meat parts towards the left cutter and right cutter, and during this moving, providing a resistance force to the saddle meat parts such that the tissue connections between the saddle meat parts and the saddle become taut,•—separating the saddle meat parts from the saddle, said separation being initiated while the tissue connections between the saddle meat parts and the saddle are taut,•—collecting the separated saddle meat parts.
US09375014B2
A method of treating a citrus plant is provided to reduce the incidence of one or more insect-vectored bacterial infections such as citrus greening. The method comprises the step of applying a treatment composition one or more times to the plant, wherein the treatment composition comprises an effective amount of aluminum tris(O-ethyl phosphonate).
US09375008B2
The present invention relates to pyrazole compounds of formulae I or II and the salts and N-oxides thereof, wherein A is a pyrazole radical of formulae A1, A2 or A3, wherein # denotes the binding site: R1, W, V, U, T, R41, R42, R43, R51, R52, R53, R61, R62, R63, X1, X2 are as defined herein. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling invertebrate pests, to a method for protecting plant propagation material and/or the plants which grow therefrom, to plant propagation material, comprising at least one compound according to the present invention, to a method for treating or protecting an animal from infestation or infection by parasites and to an agricultural composition containing at least one compound according to the present invention.
US09375002B2
What is described are compounds of the general formula (I) and agrochemically acceptable salts thereof and their use in the field of crop protection.
US09374993B2
A mouse trap having a guillotine killing mechanism is provided. The trap includes a housing with a door, a guillotine positioned to extend at least partly into an interior of said housing, a trigger mechanism including a lever and catch to hold the guillotine in a raised position to set the trap, and a spring for biasing the guillotine to a lowered killing position when the trigger mechanism is activated to release the guillotine from the raised position.
US09374992B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for rotating a boom assembly relative to an agricultural vehicle. The system is arranged with a fixed transom and rotating transom wherein the rotating transom has a pivot point positioned below both fixed and rotating transoms. The system is provided with a plurality of rotors and tracks to allow the pivot point to be positioned lower than that of prior art systems to allow the boom assembly to more accurately track the contours of row crops in undulating landscapes.
US09374990B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for damaging a flying pest comprising: a housing connected to a continuous perforated side wall to a laser contacting surface; a laser beam generator and a laser rotating mechanism attached to the housing and positioned to transmit a laser beam generally radially downward toward the laser contacting surface in a 360 degree pattern on the laser contacting surface, wherein the laser beam contacts and damages a flying pest; a control mechanism in communication with the laser beam generator to control the generation of the laser beam and in communication with the laser rotating mechanism to control one or more parameters relating to the pattern; and a power supply in electrical communication with the control mechanism, the laser rotating mechanism, and the laser beam generator.
US09374988B2
A device for timed release of a bait. The device comprises an enclosure with a release portion of the enclosure being movable between a closed position for enclosing the bait therein and an open position for exposing the bait. An actuating mechanism is connected to the enclosure for moving the release portion of the enclosure from the closed position to the open position. A timing mechanism is connected to at least one of the enclosure and the actuating mechanism. The timing mechanism triggers the movement of the release portion of the enclosure from the closed position to the open position after elapse of a predetermined time interval.
US09374985B2
A method of manufacturing multiple light emitting diode lighting assemblies each having a different initial light output is provided. A first heat sink is manufactured and a first platform assembly with a plurality of light emitting diodes is formed with an automated device. The automated device selects a first predetermined lumen output. A second heat sink is then manufactured using the same manufacturing process, and a second platform assembly with a plurality of light emitting diodes is formed with the automated device. During this time, the automated device selects a second predetermined lumen output based on information inputted into the automated device.
US09374980B1
A cattle feeder comprising two end walls and two side walls that are configured to slide laterally inward and outward in relation to the two end walls. The two side walls comprise a plurality of support members that create a distance between the side walls and feed within the feeder. Two horizontal push bars are connected to the support members on the inside of the feeder and are configured to push feed inward as the two side walls slide inward.
US09374974B2
A system includes a milking box and a robotic attacher. The milking box has a stall to accommodate a dairy livestock. The robotic attacher extends under the dairy livestock and comprises a nozzle. The robotic attacher is operable to rotate such that, during a first operation, the nozzle is positioned generally on the bottom of the robotic attacher, and during a second operation, the nozzle is positioned generally on the top of the robotic attacher.
US09374966B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1TJD and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1TJD with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1TJD through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1TJD or a locus conversion of PH1TJD with another maize variety.
US09374964B1
A novel maize variety designated X08F049 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X08F049 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X08F049 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X08F049, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X08F049. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X08F049.
US09374950B2
An apparatus and system for monitoring plant leaves to determine plant water needs and an automated variable-rate irrigation management system which can implement precision irrigation by taking into account specific plant water status is presented. Single or networked sensor platforms have a suite of sensors including a leaf temperature sensor for measuring leaf temperatures over time; an air temperature sensor; a relative humidity sensor for measuring relative humidity surrounding a leaf; a wind speed sensor for measuring wind speed surrounding a leaf; and an ambient light sensor for measuring solar radiation on the leaf. One platform has diffuser dome, leaf retainer and wind barrier structures. The sensor platform may have a computer processor and programming for obtaining and recording sensor measurements and determining plant water status in response to sensor measurements. The system may have a central control computer and communications link for communications with the platforms.
US09374937B2
In an embodiment, a hand digging shovel includes a handle and a shovel. The hand digging shovel is configured for use in gardens and the like and is intended to permit both low-fatigue working with minimized excavation and also use in tight spaces. These problems are solved by a slightly V-shaped arrangement of handle and shovel relative to one another, wherein said handle and shovel are connected together by means of an arm.
US09380733B2
A cooling device includes a power module incorporating chips that generate heat and having chip arrangement in which a first chip having the largest amount of heat generation and second chips having the second largest amount of heat generation are not adjacent to each other and the first chip is adjacent to any two of third chips having the smallest amount of heat generation, a heat sink, to a base surface of which the power module is closely attached, and flat first and second anisotropic high heat conductors having a thermal conductivity higher than a main body disposed on the surface of the heat sink. The first and second anisotropic high heat conductors are separated into two and disposed under the first chip and under the second chips.
US09380732B2
To provide a display device capable of offering improved radiation performance of radiating heat generated from a driver IC arranged to drive a display panel. The display device (1) includes a display panel (10) arranged to display an image, a driver IC (17) electrically connected to the display panel via a connecting member (18) and arranged to drive the display panel, and a housing member that defines a case of the display device, wherein the housing member includes a first housing member (11) made from metal and attached to the display panel from a front side of the panel, and a second housing member (22) made from metal and attached to the display panel from a back side of the panel, and wherein the driver IC is held sandwiched between the first housing member and the second housing member.
US09380730B2
An electronic device includes a chassis base and a chassis cover which define an electronic enclosure. The chassis base includes a slant angle venting plate extending at an angle from a chassis base sidewall of the chassis base. The slant angle venting plate has a slant angle vent plate pattern formed therein. Further, the chassis cover includes a chassis cover venting pattern covering the slant angle vent plate pattern. As the slant angle venting plate is slanted, the available surface area in which to form the slant angle vent plate pattern is maximized thus maximizing air flow through the electronic enclosure.
US09380729B2
A system for performing computing operations includes a rack, one or more shelves coupled to the rack, and two or more computing modules. Each computing module may include a chassis, one or more circuit board assemblies in a primarily vertical orientation, and one or more hard disk drives in a primarily vertical orientation. The circuit board assemblies and the hard disk drives are coupled to the chassis of the computing module.
US09380725B2
The invention refers to a housing of electronic apparatus mountable on a wall of an electric panel or cabinet. To ease the assembly operation on a bored wall panel, the housing comprises two parts, (i) a front portion and (ii) a hollow main body, which are separated and configured to be able to connect to one another being, when connected, on opposite sides of the panel or cabinet.
US09380723B2
An apparatus and system for housing a device include a housing that is configured such that a device may be fitted within the housing and thereby be protected, such as from shocks and/or liquid. The housing may include top and bottom members that may be removably coupled together so as to form the housing. Each top and bottom member optionally includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter is defined by proximal and distal ends as well as opposing sides. The top and bottom members may include respective clasping mechanisms that extend along the perimeter of the top and bottom members. The clasping mechanisms are configured for coupling the top and bottom members with one another thereby sealing the housing, for instance, in a shock-proof and/or water tight seal.
US09380713B2
The invention relates to a variable speed drive (1) intended to control an electrical load, said variable speed drive (1) being constructed to be inserted along a main axis (X) through an opening (200) produced in a frame (2). The variable speed drive has the particular feature of comprising an undercut (40) produced on its rear part and having a sufficient depth to allow its fixing plinth (111) to pass through said opening (200). The invention also relates to a system comprising the variable speed drive and a seal-tight architecture. The seal-tight architecture comprises said frame through which the opening (200) intended to accommodate the variable speed drive (1) is produced.
US09380709B2
A method includes patterning a layer over a substrate with a first metal pattern; using a cut mask in a first position relative to the substrate to perform a first cut patterning for removing material from a first region within the first pattern; and using the same cut mask to perform a second cut patterning while in a second position relative to the same layer over the substrate, for removing material from a second region in a second metal pattern of the same layer over the substrate.
US09380703B2
An electronics system includes a main circuit board; main circuitry located on the main circuit board; a carrier board located on top of the main circuit board; an integrated circuit (IC) located on the carrier board, wherein the IC is electrically connected to the main circuitry on the main circuit board; and a layer of adhesive located between the carrier board and the main circuit board.
US09380693B2
A plasma confinement tube for use in an induction plasma torch is disclosed. The plasma confinement tube defines a geometrical axis and an outer surface. The plasma confinement tube includes a capacitive shield comprising a film of conductive material applied to the outer surface of the plasma confinement tube and segmented into axial strips. The axial strips are interconnected at one end. Axial grooves are machined in the outer surface of the plasma confinement tube, and interposed between the axial strips. The conductive film may have a thickness smaller than a skin-depth calculated for a frequency of operation of the induction plasma torch and an electrical conductivity of the conductive material of the film.
US09380683B2
A lamp dimmer system for dimming multiple lamps in a room having unswitched receptacles, and switched receptacles under control of a single wall switch. A user control module connected to an unswitched receptacle transmits momentary wireless brightness command signals in response to user-actuation of a brightness control. Each lamp in the room includes a lamp control module connected to both the unswitched and switched receptacles and to the lamp. The lamp control modules include a receiver which receives the brightness command signals and a control circuit which generates a steady state brightness control signal in response to the momentary command signals. A dimmer circuit responsive to the brightness control signal, and connected between the unswitched receptacle and the lamp, controls the power supplied to the lamp according to the level of the brightness control signal. An AC detector circuit within the lamp control module and connected to the switched receptacle conditions the dimmer circuit to full brightness upon the wall switch being switched on, and to minimum brightness upon the wall switch being switched off, thereby enabling normal operation of lamps by the wall switch.
US09380680B2
A microcontroller based multifunctional electronic switch using a detection circuit design to convert external motion signals into message carrying sensing signals readable to the microcontroller. Based on the time length of sensing signals and the format of the sensing signals received in a preset instant period of time the microcontroller through the operation of its software program codes written in the OTPROM is able to recognize the working modes chosen by the external signal generating user and thereby selecting the appropriate loops of subroutine for execution. The system and method of the present invention may simultaneously be applicable to detection circuit design using infrared ray sensor, electrostatic induction sensor, conduction based touch sensor or push button sensor for performing multifunction such as controlling the on/off switch performance, the diming or speed control and the delay timer management within the capacity of a single lighting device or an electrical appliance.
US09380678B2
An auxiliary power supply circuit of a two wire dimmer, comprising: an auxiliary source capacitor (20) and a cutoff switch (30) constituting a series branch, a chopper switch (10) parallel-connected to the series branch, and a control device (40) connected to the chopper switch (10) and to the cutoff switch (30). The control device (40) measures an auxiliary source voltage and receives a chopper voltage control signal (Vg), and outputs signals (V1 and V2), on the basis of the result of a comparison between the auxiliary source voltage and a preset voltage and of the state of the chopper voltage control signal (Vg), to control the on and off of the chopper switch (10) and of the cutoff switch (30) for controlling the charging of the auxiliary source capacitor (20). The auxiliary power supply circuit has low losses, high efficiency, and is not limited by minimum chopper angle, and has low electromagnetic interference.
US09380676B2
The present disclosure is directed to an alternating current (AC) to AC converter circuit for independently adjusting a current and voltage to adjust a light output of a light operating on AC power. In one embodiment, the AC to AC converter circuit includes a microprocessor, a first switch coupled to the microprocessor, a power factor controller (PFC) module coupled to the first switch, wherein the first switch is controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with a desired power output, one or more boost switches coupled to the PFC module, wherein the one or more boost switches are controlled by the PFC module as a function of an operation of the first switch and one or more load switches coupled to the one or more boost switches, wherein the one or more load switches are controlled by the microprocessor in accordance with the desired power output.
US09380671B1
A method of dimming an LED luminaire and a dimmable LED luminaire includes two pluralities of LEDs. The first plurality emits electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency to react with a remote phosphor and provide a phosphor illumination. The second plurality of LEDs are phosphor LEDs that emit phosphor electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency to react with the remote phosphor and provide double-phosphor illumination. The phosphors and LEDs are configured to produce specific color points when the LEDs are at full power and at full dim. When the luminaire receives a dimming signal, the first plurality of LEDs dim the phosphor illumination over a majority of the luminaire's illumination range, but the second plurality of LEDs continue to receive constant current and provide undimmed double-phosphor illumination over the majority of the luminaire's illumination range.
US09380667B2
An illumination device includes a main light source block having a plurality of main light sources and a plurality of current limiters, and an auxiliary light source block having an auxiliary light source and a constant-current unit. A series circuit of the auxiliary light source and the constant-current unit is electrically connected in parallel with the main light source block, between first and second output terminals of a rectifier. A smoothing capacitor is electrically connected in parallel with a specific main light source among the plurality of main light sources. The specific main light source and a corresponding current limiter are electrically connected in parallel with the series circuit of the auxiliary light source and the constant-current unit.
US09380655B2
A single-stage AC-DC power converter for powering a load at a substantially constant current, and related methods and systems. The AC-DC power converter includes a high power factor correction (PFC) circuit configured in a flyback topology and operating in transition mode. The flyback PFC circuit outputs a direct current (DC) voltage and a DC current. The PFC circuit further includes a flyback transformer and a switch circuit that selectably toggles the substantially constant output current provided to the load between a first and a second, preset constant current. The secondary windings of the flyback transformer are split into two sections, and the switch circuit toggles the two sections of the secondary windings between a series and a parallel configuration to provide the first and second, preset constant currents. The switch circuit includes a switch and three, fast Schottky diodes.
US09380653B1
A driver assembly for solid state lighting that includes at least one LED which includes a base element having an upper surface, a lower surface, an outer peripheral edge extending about a periphery thereof and a perimeter region defined adjacent to the outer peripheral edge. A plurality of operative components are secured to the base element and are collectively operative at least 40 watts in order control current flow to the LED. The plurality of operative components include primary heat generating components and heat sensitive components, with the primary heat generating components disposed on the perimeter region of the base element and the heat sensitive component disposed in spaced relation from the peripheral region at which the primary heat generating components are disposed. The primary heat generating components are disposed in a vertical orientation wherein a vertical surface that extends away from the base element has a greater surface area than a horizontal surface that confronts the base element. Further provided is a heat sink which has a pair of vertical elements formed of a thermally conductive material, the vertical elements extending upward along part of the outer peripheral edge of the base element in confronting, heat receiving relation to the vertical surfaces of the primary heat generating components.
US09380652B2
The lighting device has at least one LED chip that is potted by means of a potting compound, which potting compound has a light-transmissive, castable and curable matrix material comprising scattering volumes as filler material, wherein the scattering volumes are distributed inhomogeneously over a thickness of the potting compound and these scattering volumes have a lower density than the matrix material in its castable state. A method is used for producing a lighting device, which comprises at least one LED chip, by means of at least the following steps: potting the at least one LED chip by means of a potting compound containing scattering volumes, wherein the scattering volumes have a lower density than a matrix material of the potting compound in this state; curing the potting compound so that an inhomogeneous distribution of the scattering volumes is obtained owing to floating of the scattering volumes in the matrix material.
US09380649B2
The present invention relates to a jacket heater having a heating element built therein, the jacket heater containing: the heating element having a watt density of 0.15 W/cm2 or more, a metal foil disposed adjacently to the heating element, and a surrounding body which surrounds the heating element and the metal foil.
US09380648B2
A heating system for an aircraft or spacecraft with a control device which includes at least one power line data transmission transceiver and one sensor controller, and at least one remote component which has a sensor element and a heating element, the at least one power line data transmission transceiver being connected to the at least one remote component via a connecting cable, the control device being designed to supply the at least one heating element with power via the connecting cable and the sensor controller being designed to exchange first control signals with the sensor element via the connecting cable.
US09380647B2
A heating control unit, including a controller housing is provided. The heating control unit includes a microcontroller arranged within the controller housing, with the microcontroller being configured to generate a control signal for a heater and to output the control signal via a control line to the heater. The heating control unit also includes a temperature sensor arranged within the controller housing and coupled to the microcontroller. An active sensor surface of the temperature sensor forms at least part of an outer surface of the controller housing.
US09380642B2
A device and method are provided for concurrently using a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs) to support a wireless-enabled communications session. A set of data is processed at a client node to identify a subset of priority data. The set of data and the subset of priority data are respectively provided to a first and second protocol stack, which correspond to a first and second RAT. The first and second protocol stacks are then used to control the transmission of a first and second set of transmitted data, which in turn respectively comprise the set of data and the subset of priority data. The first and second sets of transmitted data are received by an access node, which uses corresponding first and second protocol stacks to control their reception. The first and second sets of transmitted data are then processed to generate a set of received data.
US09380638B2
A system includes multiple nodes, where each node includes one or more 802.11 wireless radios. The nodes are arranged in a hierarchical tree structure in which one or more nodes residing in one level of the tree structure are configured to communicate with one or more nodes residing in another level of the tree structure to propagate information in the tree structure. At least a first of the nodes is configured to operate its associated radio(s) in an 802.11 access point mode and in an 802.11 station mode. The first node is configured to relay data to and from one or more nodes in a lower level of the tree structure using the 802.11 access point mode. The first node is further configured to transmit data to and receive data from one or more nodes in a higher level of the tree structure using the 802.11 station mode.
US09380637B2
The present invention discloses a relay communication system supporting multiple hops comprising a first node, at least one second node and a core network, wherein the first node provides a wireless access connection to the at least one second node, and provides, as a gateway or a proxy, communication between the at least one second node and the core network. The present invention further discloses an access method of a relay communication system supporting multiple hops comprising: a second node residing in a first node and setting up an air interface connection with the first node; the second node setting up a connection with a core network through the first node; the first node forwarding, as a gateway, data between the second node and the core network, while acting as a core network gateway which serves the second node; and while acting as the core network gateway, setting up a connection with the second node under control of a Mobility Management Entity (MME) and allocating addresses; and the first node applying for creating channels and applying for addresses to a network element of the core network which serves the first node. In the present invention, data transmission rate is relatively rapid, and transmission modes are relatively flexible.
US09380632B2
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.
US09380630B2
A device creates a list of permanent evolved packet system (EPS) mobility management (EMM) failure events associated with the device, where the list includes information associated with one or more permanent EMM failure events encountered by the device. The device stores the list of permanent EMM failure events, provides an attach request message to an access network, and receives, from the access network, a reject message as a response to the attach request message. The device performs a power cycle based on receiving the reject message, and erases, based on the power cycle, a forbidden public land mobile network (PLMN) list and a forbidden tracking area list maintained by the device. The device repopulates the forbidden PLMN list and the forbidden tracking area list with information included in the list of permanent EMM failure events.
US09380626B2
A communication apparatus comprising: a first communication unit; a second communication unit that is different from the first communication unit; and a control unit configured to control processing in which the first and second communication units are used, wherein the control unit performs control such that information regarding an application needed for processing performed using the second communication unit is sent to a first apparatus using the first communication unit, a signal based on the information regarding the application is received from the first apparatus or a second apparatus connected with the first apparatus using the second communication unit and the application is launched in accordance with the signal, and processing performed using the second communication unit is executed using the launched application.
US09380625B2
In various aspects of this disclosure, a communication terminal device may be provided. The communication terminal device may include a cellular wide area radio communication technology circuit. The cellular wide area radio communication technology circuit may be configured to provide a communication according to a cellular wide area radio communication technology. The communication terminal device may further include a circuit. The circuit may be configured to provide a direct communication terminal device to communication terminal device communication bypassing a radio access network according to information received via the radio access network. The communication terminal device may further include a message generator. The message generator may be configured to generate a message to transmit to a base station. The message may include at least one message field specifying information about at least one capability to provide the direct communication terminal device to communication terminal device communication of the communication terminal device. The message may be generated for a network communication protocol.
US09380618B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a base station, a user equipment, and a communications method. The base station includes: a correspondence maintaining module, configured to maintain a correspondence between a service bearer of a UE accessing the base station and a first target data base station; and a service bearer processing module, configured to control the first target data base station and the UE to complete processing of a service bearer procedure of the UE, where the first target data base station is a base station that exchanges user plane data with the UE after completing the processing of the service bearer procedure of the UE. The technical solutions of the present invention implement separation of an air interface signaling plane and a user plane and solve an access problem of the UE.
US09380615B2
A first device may transmit a message, such as a connection request, to a second device, and the message may include a friendly name associated with the first device. A connection may be established between the first and second devices based on the message, and first data may be transmitted via the connection. The first device may generate a modified message by modifying the friendly name based on second data, and the first device may forward the modified message to a third device. The third device may evaluate the modified message to identify and extract the second data.
US09380613B2
Embodiments relate generally to electrical and electronic hardware, computer software, wired and wireless network communications, and portable and wearable media devices. Media devices may include a plurality of RF transceivers and an audio system. The RF transceivers and/or audio system may be used to wirelessly communicate between media devices and allow configuration and other data to be wirelessly transmitted from one media device to another media device. A user device may be used to Bluetooth® (BT) pair with a media device and to install a configuration on the media device. Other media devices may be configured using the configuration without breaking the BT pairing and without the other media device having to BT pair with the user device. Each media device may include at least one antenna and may include an antenna that is de-tunable.
US09380607B2
Systems and methods of pre-allocating identifiers to wireless devices for use in requesting resources over a random access channel are described. A wireless communication system includes a random access channel over which wireless devices can anonymously send requests for resources. The base stations receiving and processing the anonymous requests reduces the probability of random access channel collisions and conserves the resources needed to support the anonymous requests by pre-allocating one or more identifiers to select wireless devices. The wireless devices having the pre-allocated codes can transmit a particular code over the random access channel as a request for resources that uniquely identifies the requester.
US09380606B2
An example method provides a method of determining access times and channels for a wireless communication device. One embodiment includes selecting, at a wireless communication device, one of a plurality of time intervals in a periodically repeating access cycle for transmission of an access signal based on an identification number identifying the wireless communication device, negotiating a preamble assignment for the selected one of the plurality of time intervals, and transmitting the access signal over an access channel in the selected one of the plurality of time intervals using a preamble corresponding to the preamble assignment.
US09380602B2
A method and an apparatus for accessing a channel in a wireless LAN. A method for a station (STA) accessing a channel may comprise: a step of the STA receiving an access distribution element through a passive scanning frame; the STA selecting an access random variable based on the access distribution element; a step of the STA determining a minimum value of a passive scanning-specific competition window based on the access random variable; and the STA accessing the channel based on a back off time that is determined based on the passive scanning-specific competition window.
US09380601B2
An apparatus and method for managing a Random Access CHannel (RACH) in a mobile communication system are provided. A method performed by the UE includes determining, when a signal indicative of a resolution of contention in a RACH procedure is received from a network before a contention resolution timer expires, that the RACH procedure has been successfully completed; receiving, from the network, after the successful completion of the RACH procedure, a UE information transmit request; and transmitting, to the network, in response to receipt of the UE information transmit request, a message including contention information of the completed RACH procedure.
US09380598B2
A system and a method minimize power consumption, signalling overhead, and processing load in blind scheduling in a mobile communication system. A User Equipment (UE) detects a type of an uplink (UL) grant while it is periodically allocated the UL grant. If there is no data to transmit using the UL grant, the UE determines whether to transmit a padding Medium Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) to an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (eNB) using the UL grant according to the type of the UL grant.
US09380585B2
A method and apparatus for selecting a bandwidth option for a cell in a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains, for the cell, network traffic data for a geographical area, and a physical characteristic of an antenna in the geographical area, determines busy time data traffic from the network traffic data, determines, for the cell, a cell range from the physical characteristic of the antenna, selects a bandwidth option from a plurality of bandwidth options, and determines an average throughput in accordance with the bandwidth option that is selected and the cell range.
US09380577B2
The present invention relates to communication between collaborative nodes configured to collaboratively communicate in a radio network. A corresponding method comprises: sending, by each active node of the set of collaborative nodes, an RTS message for the same transmission slot; sending, by one of the active nodes, referred to as coordinator node, a CTS message to acknowledge reservation of said transmission slot on behalf of all the active nodes, upon receiving the RTSs; wherein the transmission slot is divided, based on the sent RTSs, into sub-slots for respective active nodes to transmit data packets. The invention provides an improved use of the reserved transmission slot, and a reduced waste of reserved time.
US09380573B2
A method of transmitting data packets over a plurality of dynamically allocated resource blocks in at least one or a combination of a time, code or frequency domain on a shared channel of a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of selecting a number of resource block candidates for potential transmission of data packets destined for a receiver and transmitting the data packet to the receiver using at least one allocated resource block from the selected resource block candidates. The invention also relates to a corresponding method of decoding data packets, a transmitter, receiver and communication system.
US09380567B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for designing, generating, and monitoring the search space for control information for a node, such as a relay node (RN). This control information may comprise a Relay Physical Downlink Control Channel (R-PDCCH). The search space design may use contiguous, but physically distributed transmission resource units (e.g., physical resource blocks (PRBs)) to increase frequency diversity or frequency selectivity. For certain aspects, pairs of transmission resource units spanning two adjacent slots may have the same virtual resource block (VRB) index.
US09380562B1
Systems, methods and computer program products for providing notifications to physical devices when they are disconnected from corresponding virtual devices. In one embodiment, a system includes a host server executing a virtual device, and a notification server. A notification manager on the virtual device receives notifications and forwards them to the notification server when the physical device is not connected to the virtual device. The notification server stores the notifications and also stores a set of filters. The notification server identifies user, group and location information from a token of the physical device, retrieves notifications for the user and selects filters based on the information from the token. The notification server applies the filters to the notifications to produce sanitized notification information, and forwards this sanitized notification information to the physical device.
US09380559B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting multicast data to M2M devices, to a method for transmitting a reliable MAC control message, and to devices for supporting the methods. The method for receiving multicast data by an idle-mode M2M device in a wireless access system comprises the following steps: receiving a paging group identifier information message, including a multicast traffic indication (MTI) field indicating whether a paging message is transmitted; monitoring a paging frame for receiving the paging message in a paging listening period in an idle mode; if the paging message is not received in the paging frame, transmitting a ranging request message including an M2M operation code and an M2M group identifier; and receiving a ranging response message, including an M2M response code and a multicast transmission start time (MTST) field.
US09380556B2
A method of determining whether or not a subscriber is located within the vicinity of a Home Zone defined by a geographical coordinate set. The method comprises receiving from a mobile positioning system a shape specifying a location of the subscriber taking into account a degree of uncertainty, and scaling the received shape to account for an extent of the Home Zone vicinity. It is then determined whether or not the Home Zone lies within the scaled shape.
US09380552B2
A method and device for detaching a user equipment (UE) are disclosed in the present invention. The UE is registered with a mobility management entity (MME) in a packet switched (PS) network and a mobile switching center (MSC) in a circuit switched (CS) network. When the UE needs to detach from the PS network, the MSC receives a Detach Request with a Detach Type indicating the detaching from the PS network only; after receiving the Detach Request, the MSC deletes the context of the PS core network entity and clears the connection between the MSC and the MME. An MME for performing UE detachment is also disclosed in the present invention. The present invention helps reduce the time delay during the subsequent handover and quickly provide users with communications services, so as to improve user's experience and meet the carriers' requirements.
US09380551B2
Disclosed is a method for performing a detach procedure in a terminal. The method includes the steps of: receiving a detach request message from an entity within a network; if the type in the detach request message indicates “re-attach required”, stopping a first timer if the first timer is running; stopping a second timer if the second timer is running, and transmitting a detach accept message to the entity within the network.
US09380549B2
A system, apparatus, and method for providing proximity services (ProSe) registration, proximity request, proximity alert, proximity request cancellation, and deregistration handling between a wireless device and a ProSe function of a cellular core network using session initiation protocol. A wireless device and a ProSe function of a cellular core network may exchange SIP signaling messages to register and de-register the wireless device for cellular network assisted proximity services. The wireless device and the ProSe function may further (while the wireless device is registered) exchange SIP signaling messages to request proximity alerts, provide proximity alerts, and request cancellation of proximity alert requests.
US09380533B2
The present invention relates to a method and to an apparatus for supporting carrier aggregation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for enabling user equipment to receive a signal from a base station in a wireless communication system which supports carrier aggregation, wherein said the method comprises the steps of: setting a first component carrier to a paused state; receiving state change information for the first component carrier via the second component carrier during the paused state of the first component carrier; and monitoring a control channel via the first component carrier if the state change information indicates a predetermined value. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for the method.
US09380532B2
Disclosed are a user equipment and a method and a system using an extended paging period to page. In the method, the MME/SGSN negotiates with a UE to obtain a first extended paging period; the MME/SGSN sends the first extended paging period and paging indication information which indicates to use the first extended paging period to page to a radio access network; the radio access network sends the first extended paging period in the system information and uses the first extended paging period to send a paging message; the UE selects a second extended paging period according to an extended paging period needed by the UE itself and the first extended paging period, and monitors the paging message according to the second extended paging period. The embodiment of the present application enables a UE in an idle mode to achieve an energy-saving effect by using the extended paging period.
US09380528B2
A base station 10 is provided with a battery 12 and is capable of being driven by power supplied from the battery 12, comprises: a network communication unit 132 configured to transmit remaining power amount information indicating a remaining power amount of the battery 12 to another base station; and a communication control unit 171 configured to control the transmission of the remaining power amount information to the other base station in accordance with the remaining power amount of the battery.
US09380525B2
Access terminals are adapted to facilitate optimized tune-away operations in multi-subscription wireless communication devices. According to one example, an access terminal can communicate on a first subscription. After a period of time, the access terminal can tune away from the first subscription to a second subscription to perform a communication activity corresponding to the second subscription. After tuning back to the first subscription, the access terminal may transmit uplink data while ignoring any absolute grant received after tuning back to the first subscription, and/or transmit a scheduling information message in response to tuning back to the first subscription from the second subscription. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also included.
US09380509B2
A base station includes an acquiring unit, a deciding unit, and a control unit. The acquiring unit acquires measurement information related to wireless communication quality of a mobile station. The deciding unit decides, by using the measurement information acquired by the acquiring unit and information that is used to control priority of a handover destination cell indicated by a control station, a cell to which the mobile station is handed over. The control unit hands over the mobile station to the cell decided by the deciding unit.
US09380502B2
A method implemented by a MS for controlling handover of the MS from a source cell of a source RAN operating in PS domain to a target cell of a target RAN operating in PS domain where the target RAN supports MOCN. The method includes receiving SI transmitted by a node of the source RAN. The SI includes a selected PLMN, LAC of the target cell, and RAC of the target cell. The MS executes handover to the target RAN. A target RAI is determined using the selected PLMN, LAC of the target cell, and RAC of the target cell from the SI transmitted by the node of the source RAN. The target RAI is compared to a registered RAI of the MS. The MS determines whether a RAU is needed in the target RAN based on the comparison of the target RAI to the registered RAI.
US09380496B2
A method, for example, is described in the present application. Such a method can include detecting or establishing a circuit-switched call. The method can also include establishing a voice-over-internet-protocol standby call in parallel to the circuit-switched call. The method can additionally include activating the voice-over-internet-protocol standby call to become an active voice-over-internet protocol call when a handover situation is detected. The method can further include releasing resources of the circuit-switched call when the voice-over-internet-protocol standby call becomes the active voice-over-internet protocol call.
US09380486B2
An intelligent system and an algorithm at a packet network to reduce the amount of signaling in the radio access network and core network is defined. The system collects all the necessary information from the signaling exchange between the radio access network and the core network and takes the subscription characteristics and policy information into consideration to choose the optimal way of reducing the amount of signaling including selecting the optimal bearers for certain types of communications and paging selected area instead of the whole area for each device. The bearer selection algorithm takes several things as input to choose the optimal bearer to perform the task.
US09380485B2
A multi-carrier communication system such as an OFDM or DMT system has nodes which are allowed to dynamically change their receive and transmit symbol rates, and the number of carriers within their signals. Changing of the symbol rate is done by changing the clocking frequency of the nodes' iFFT and FFT processors, as well as their serializers and deserializers. The nodes have several ways of dynamically changing the number of earners used. The selection of symbol rate and number of earners can be optimized for a given channel based on explicit channel measurements, a priori knowledge of the channel, or past experience. Provision is made for accommodating legacy nodes that may have constraints in symbol rate or the number of carriers they can support. The receiver can determine the correct symbol rate and number of earners through a priori knowledge, a first exchange of packets in a base mode that all nodes can understand, or an indication in the header of the data packet which is transmitted in a base mode of operation that all nodes can understand.
US09380478B2
An updating method for a trigger message counter, a machine type communication server and a terminal are provided. The updating method for the trigger message counter includes: a machine type communication (MTC) server setting a trigger message counter locally, setting an upper limit and a lower limit of the trigger message counter and initializing a value of the trigger message counter; the MTC server sending trigger message to a terminal through a machine type communication-interworking function (MTC-IWF); and the MTC server receiving confirmation message returned by the terminal, and updating the value of the trigger message counter according to the confirmation message. With the above-mentioned updating method, the machine type communication server and the terminal, the server or the terminal is enabled to set and update the trigger message counter correctly, thus preventing the terminal or the server from detecting, responding to or canceling the trigger message wrongly.
US09380468B2
In one embodiment a method of identifying interference in a wireless network is disclosed. The wireless network comprises a first base station and a second base station. The method comprises detecting an increase in an error rate in a wireless connection between the first base station and a first wireless device; comparing a reference signal power received by the first wireless device from the first base station with a threshold value; and determining that the increase in error rate is due to interference from a wireless connection between the second base station and a second wireless device if the reference signal power is greater than the threshold.
US09380467B2
A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically receiving one or more communication network relay related transmissions at least in part associated with one or more first portions of mobile operating system operated intermediate electronic communication device functionality related at least in part to communication network relay functionality of a mobile operating system operated intermediate electronic communication device as one or more standby communication network relays upon activation thereof for use by one or more origination electronic communication devices to communicate at least in part with one or more destination electronic communication devices, the mobile operating system operated intermediate electronic communication device functionality including second portions related at least in part to mobile electronic communication device functionality. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.
US09380462B1
In systems and methods of detecting a wireless device utilizing unauthorized tethering, it is determined that a number of wireless devices in active communication with the access node meets a connections criteria, and that an access node loading meets a loading criteria. Packets received at the access node from the wireless devices are inspected to identify at least one short-lived data flow and a source wireless device of the at least one short-lived data flow. It is determined for the source wireless device a number of short-lived data flows during an observation time period, and the source wireless device is identified as performing unauthorized tethering when the number of short-lived data flows during the first time period meets a data flow threshold.
US09380459B2
Provided is a method for managing a security key for communication authentication with a Mobile Station (MS) in a communication system. The method includes acquiring a first authentication key by performing an authentication procedure for the communication authentication in a cloud cell having member Base Stations (BSs) that include a master BS and at least one slave BS for providing a service to the MS; and communicating with at least one member BS using a first encryption key that is generated using the first authentication key.
US09380458B2
The present invention relates to a method in a wireless communication system for determining whether an active eavesdropper is interfering in transmissions on a radio channel from a transmitter to a receiver, the method comprising the steps of: estimating, by said transmitter, a first effective channel gain of said radio channel at said receiver; estimating, by said receiver, a second effective channel gain of said radio channel at said receiver; and determining whether an active eavesdropper is interfering in the transmissions by comparing said first and second effective channel gains. Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method in a receiver, a receiver device, a computer program, and a computer program product thereof.
US09380454B2
Configuring a mobile wireless communication device using a carrier service configuration profile selected from a set of stored carrier service configuration profiles. Carrier service configuration profiles are selected based on one or more combinations of identifier values stored in the mobile wireless communication device. Carrier service configuration profiles are priority ranked based on a specificity of the one or more combinations of identifier values.
US09380448B2
A system for accessing subscriber identity cards each via a dedicated interface is provided. The system includes a first subscriber identity card, a second subscriber identity card and a Baseband chip. The Baseband chip includes a first subscriber identity module (SIM) interface coupled to the first subscriber identity card, a second SIM interface coupled to the second subscriber identity card and a processor coupled to the first and second SIM interfaces. The processor accesses the first subscriber identity card via the first SIM interface and the second subscriber identity card via the second SIM interface.
US09380443B2
Systems, methods, software, and data structures that provide dynamic lighting are described herein. The light sources, or other position-dependent devices may be paired to a device controller using near field communications (NFC) or other extremely short range radio technology, to share both pairing information and position information in a unified process.
US09380435B2
The disclosure relates to providing supplementary services by interworking a packet network and a circuit network and sharing resources used to provide supplementary services therebetween.
US09380430B2
Approaches for managing machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless devices are disclosed. M2M devices may be managed using broadcast messages wirelessly transmitted from a server. M2M wireless devices may be configured to utilize service classes in order to implement network access policy control. Features include per-message or per-group security; randomized delays for acknowledgements and/or network access, optionally per group or network access rule; sequence numbers and/or retransmissions for QoS; pre-defined pathname shortcuts; network access rules based on time, congestion and network events; estimates of congestion at various nodes; spreading and/or maximum wait times; default or universal service classes; application data streams mapped to service classes; and offline triggering.
US09380429B1
A disclosed computer-implemented method for assessing levels of personal risk may include (1) collecting, from a computing system, initial information that describes a user at an initial period of time, (2) determining, based on the initial information, an expected state of the user, (3) receiving, from the computing system, additional information that describes the user at a subsequent period of time after the initial period of time, (4) calculating a risk score by comparing the additional information with the expected state to determine a degree of divergence from the expected state, and (5) performing a safety action based on the risk score. The expected state and/or the additional information may each specify a medical state and/or a location. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09380410B2
An audio commenting and publishing system including a storage database, media content and a computing device all coupled together via a network. The computing device comprises a processor and an application executed by the processor configured to input audio data that a user wishes to associate with the media content from an audio recording mechanism or a memory device. The application is then able to store the audio data on the storage database and use the network address of the audio data along with the network address of the media content to publish the audio data and the media content such that a view is able to hear and access them concurrently at a network-accessible location.
US09380409B2
A positioning terminal (10) including a positioning function transmits location identifying information (IL) received from a positioning infrastructure (30), and transmits destination designating information for designating a destination of location-related information generated by an information generating unit (120) to an information providing server (100). With this arrangement, a user can receive the location-related information through a display terminal (20) not including a positioning function, without advance registration of a mapping table associating the positioning terminal (10) with the display terminal (20) in the information providing server (100). In this manner, the usability of an information providing system that provides location-related information related to locations is improved.
US09380403B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for provisioning location specific content information to a mobile device are disclosed. In one example, a method includes detecting the presence of a mobile device at a designated area and receiving a location identifier associated with the designated area and a mobile device user identifier associated with the mobile device at a backend server. The method further includes utilizing the location identifier to obtain local flavor content data, wherein the local flavor content data provides customized information specific to the designated area, providing the local flavor content data to the mobile device using the mobile device user identifier, and applying the local flavor content data to a generic application in the mobile device to generate a local flavor application that is customized for use at the designated area.
US09380397B2
A method for identifying a gunshot occurrence. According to one embodiment, microphone data and inertial motion data are acquired with a hand-held device. Based on an acoustic criterion, a determination is made as to whether a gunshot has been produced. Based on a correlation criterion applied to the inertial motion data, a determination is made as to whether the gunshot was produced from fire produced by a first person having physical possession of the hand-held device or by a second person spaced away from the first person.
US09380395B2
Sound processor housings, sound processors and systems including sound processors are disclosed.
US09380392B2
A microphone has a MEMS acoustic transducer having a frame-shaped support, and a membrane including a diaphragm as a movable electrode, covering an opening in the support, an integrated circuit that amplifies the output from the MEMS acoustic transducer, and a housing that houses the MEMS acoustic transducer and the integrated circuit. The housing includes a sound port bearing partition with a sound port formed therein. The MEMS acoustic transducer is secured in the housing with the membrane thereof facing the inner surface of the sound port bearing partition to form a closed space inward of the sound port bearing partition of the housing between the membrane and the sound port bearing partition. The closed space communicates with the outside via the sound port.
US09380386B2
A device and method relates to reducing distortion of signal. The device includes a first filter unit for generating a correction band signal, a signal level detection unit for detecting a signal level of the correction band signal, a first lookup table unit for determining a control signal, a second lookup table unit for determining a correction amount, a correction band extraction signal generation unit for generating a correction band extraction signal, a correction signal generation unit for generating a correction signal, a first edge detection unit for generating an overtone signal from the correction band extraction signal, a filter unit for suppressing high-frequency range and low-frequency range signal levels of the overtone signal, a first amplification unit for amplifying the overtone signal, a second filter unit for generating a complement signal from the overtone signal, and an output signal generation unit for generating an output signal.
US09380385B1
Systems and methods for enhancing the low frequency response of a loudspeaker for relatively low input level audio signals and protect the loudspeaker for relatively high input level audio signals make use of a crossover network configured so separate an audio input signal into at least two frequency bands including a low frequency band; and a signal compressor responsive to the energy level of the low frequency portion of an input audio signal in the low frequency band and configured to provide amplification gain on the low frequency portion of the input signal when the energy level of the low frequency portion of the input signal is relatively low. One or more peak limiters may be positioned before the summer(s), in the circuit, but after the low band compressor. The EQ unit(s) may be positioned before all processing to the L and R inputs.
US09380384B2
Electronic circuitry is described. The electronic circuitry includes a first microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structure that exhibits a first frequency response in a voice frequency range and that captures a first signal. The electronic circuitry also includes a second MEMS structure coupled to the first MEMS structure. The second MEMS structure exhibits a second frequency response in an ultrasound frequency range and captures a second signal. A combination of the first frequency response and the second frequency response achieves a target frequency response in a combined frequency range.
US09380382B2
A system and method for controlling noise produced by an air handling system, for example, is provided. The system includes a source microphone to collect sound measurements from the air handling system and a processor to define a cancellation signal that at least partially cancels out the sound measurements. The system also includes a speaker to generate the cancellation signal. The sound measurements are at least partially canceled out within a region of cancellation. Accordingly, the system further includes a response microphone to collect response sound measurements at the region of cancellation. The processor tunes the cancellation signal based on the response sound measurements.
US09380369B2
A microphone includes elements to protect against overpressure, such as from sudden physical shock. A cavity between ambient atmosphere and the microphone diaphragm includes a movable seal, which blocks overpressure from reaching the diaphragm when closed, and allows ordinary pressure to reach the diaphragm when open. The cavity can also have an entrance from ambient atmosphere offset from an exit to the diaphragm, and can include a valve which vents overpressure, or balloons in response to overpressure, so that overpressure does not directly reach the diaphragm. The seal or valve can be kept open or kept closed, and moved between states in response to whether the microphone should be in use or protected.
US09380366B2
A sound output mechanism of a mobile device capable of outputting visual and sound signals, for example, a smart phone, tablet PC, MP4 (including MP3) has an image output unit and a sound processing unit. The image output unit of the mobile device is arranged on the entire surface of a main body and the sound processing unit for outputting vibration power and sound is firmly secured at the inside thereof without increasing the volume or the area thereof.
US09380361B2
A wavelength selective switch and a wavelength selection method are provided. The wavelength selective switch comprises an input port, through which a light beam, including a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths, is incident; a wavelength separation apparatus, including a Blue Phase Liquid Crystal (BPLC) device and configured to separate at least one optical signal from the light beam through the BPLC device; and at least one output port, configured to output the at least one optical signal separated by the wavelength separation apparatus respectively. With the wavelength selective switch and the wavelength selection method, a polarization-independent phase modulation can be realized without a depolarization device disposed in an optical path, which thereby simplifies an optical path, reduces an insertion loss, and lowers costs of the wavelength selective switch and even the entire optical communication system.
US09380354B2
According to the present invention, a method for processing a broadcast signal in a transmitting system that transmits an emergency alert message through a mobile broadcast network comprises the steps of: RS-CRC encoding of mobile service data containing an emergency alert message so as to generate an RS frame that belongs to an ensemble; dividing the RS frame into a plurality of RS frame portions; mapping the plurality of RS frame portions to data groups and inserting one FIC segment, TPC data, and a plurality of base data streams into each data group; trellis-encoding the data of the data groups; and transmitting a broadcast signal comprising the trellis-encoded data. At least one of either a FIC segment header contained in the FIC segment or the TPC data includes wake-up indication information for compulsorily placing a broadcast receiver into an active mode depending on the level of seriousness of the emergency alert message.
US09380353B1
Methods, systems, and media for generating an advertisement from a video stream are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, the method comprises: receiving, from a first user device, advertisement parameters associated with an advertisement campaign for placing an advertisement based on the advertisement parameters, wherein the advertisement parameters include one or more keywords; associating the advertisement parameters with an identifier of the first user device; receiving, from the first user device, a live video stream; receiving, from a second user device, a request to present an advertisement; identifying the live video stream based at least in part on the one or more keywords; generating the advertisement using the live video stream and the advertisement parameters; and causing the advertisement to be presented on the second user device as the advertisement.
US09380349B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device, including a controller to: transmit a client program having a graphical user interface to a media device operating in an interactive television network, wherein the client program presents a symbolic overlay that superimposes onto media content received by the media device and enables the media device to associate commentary with the media content received at the media device; and conduct searches for one of consumer products or consumer services associated with the media content based on the commentary regarding the media content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09380339B2
An example method includes determining if first media monitoring data provided by a first meter in a first location identifies a same media as second media monitoring data provided by a second meter in a second location. When the first and second media monitoring data identify the same media, the example includes determining whether spillover occurred based on a time difference between a first timestamp associated with the first media monitoring data and a second timestamp associated with the second media monitoring data. Based on an occurrence of the spillover, the first media monitoring data is stored as credited media monitoring data for the first location indicative of a media exposure to an audience at the first location, and the second media monitoring data is not stored as credited media monitoring data for the second location when the first timestamp is earlier than the second timestamp.
US09380337B2
Command packets for a personal video recorder that provides for a transport stream (TS) that contains data and also includes a transport packet (TP)/TS formatted command packets. The TP/TS formatted command packet may be communicated between any number of devices, including multiple chips, multiple boards, and multiple processors. A decoder is able to decode the TP/TS formatted command packet and to perform the appropriate operation on data portions of the TS. When a TS is provided to a device not having the capability to perform the proper decoding of the TP/TS formatted command packet, that particular packet may be deemed as being unidentified (or unknown) adaptation field data. Alternatively, the packet may be identified as being corrupted data and/or irrelevant data.
US09380335B2
An apparatus, method and data structure for generating at least one table in a broadcast environment, are provided. The apparatus includes a generator to generate an event information table (EIT) and an extended text table (ETT). The ETT has program guide information for an n-hour span and has a transmission interval. The ETT has a transmission interval and program description information according to the EIT. The transmission interval of the EIT is shorter than the transmission interval of the ETT.
US09380334B2
An intelligent television can provide various interfaces for navigating processes associated with providing content. The user interfaces include unique visual representations and organizations that allow the user to utilize the intelligent television more easily and more effectively. Particularly, the user interfaces pertain to the display of media content, electronic programming guide information, television content, and other content. Further, the user interfaces provide unique process of transitioning between the content.
US09380330B2
A display apparatus and a server which implements an interactive system are disclosed. The server includes a communicator which receives text information corresponding to a user voice collected at the display apparatus from the display apparatus, and a controller which extracts an utterance component from the text information and controls so that a query to search contents is generated using the extracted utterance component and transmitted to an external server which categorizes metadata of the content under each item and stores the same, in which the controller generates the query by adding a preset item to a criteria to search a content, when a number of criteria to categorize the content under an item corresponding to the extracted utterance component is less than a preset number.
US09380314B2
A video decoder receives data representing an encoded image frame partitioned into one or more partitions. The video decoder stores the motion vector associated with each partition. For partitions of size (k*S), k being an integer, and S being the smallest allowed size for a partition, the video decoder stores (k) separate entries of a same value as the value of the motion vector of the corresponding partition. When performing motion compensation to reconstruct the encoded macro-block, such a manner of storing enables the video decoder to retrieve pixel values of best-match partitions associated with each of the corresponding ones of the one or more partitions without having to process partition information specifying the type of the partitions.
US09380302B2
Techniques for signaling of sample adaptive offset (SAO) information that may reduce the coding rate for signaling such information in the compressed bit stream are provided. More specifically, techniques are provided that allow SAO information common to two or more of the color components to be signaled using one or more syntax elements (flags or indicators) representative of the common information. These techniques reduce the need to signal SAO information separately for each color component.
US09380301B2
A coding device and a decoding device are configured to include an estimated prediction mode deciding section (122a) including: a reference block selecting section (1223a) for selecting a reference block for use in estimating an intra-prediction mode for a subject block; an estimating number deciding section (1222a) for deciding an estimating number of estimated values to be estimated for the intra-prediction mode; and an estimated prediction mode deriving section (1221a) for estimating, based on a reference block, the estimating number of estimated values of the prediction mode.
US09380297B1
The technology disclosed relates to scoring user experience of video frames displayed on a mobile or other video display device. In particular, it relates to capture alignment and test stimulus isolation techniques that compensate for artifacts in the capture mechanism. The technology disclosed includes methods and systems for analyzing both downlink and uplink quality for mobile or other video display device cameras capturing and transmitting video frames including teleconference video display. Particular aspects of the technology disclosed are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
US09380290B2
A stereoscopic video reproduction device creates and records a stereoscopic video file having, as attached information of the stereoscopic video in advance, information required at the time of adjusting a parallax amount of the stereoscopic video such that binocular fusion is possible regardless of a screen size of a stereoscopic display. The parallax amount of each feature point is calculated and at least the maximum parallax amount on a distant view side is acquired. Further, the largest GOP maximum parallax amount is acquired and the GOP maximum display size is acquired in which binocular fusion is possible at the time of displaying the stereoscopic image by the right and left viewpoint images on the stereoscopic display based on this GOP maximum parallax amount. Together with the stereoscopic video, the acquired GOP maximum display size and GOP maximum parallax amount are recorded in a 3D video file as attached information.
US09380287B2
The invention relates to a head mounted system (10) comprising a binocular eye tracking system (14a, 14b) comprising at least a first camera (14a) arranged for acquiring a user's left eye (16a) and at least a second camera (14b) arranged for acquiring a user's right eye (16b), a head mounted display (10) comprising a first displaying means (18a) for presenting an image to a user's left eye (16a), a second displaying means (18b) for presenting an image to a user's right eye (16b), a processing unit (24, 24a, 24b) designed to process images from the eye tracking system (14a, 14b) and calculate at least a 3D position of the left (16a) and the right eye (16b) and an orientation vector of the left (16a) and the right eye (16b) and to compute and render a stream of digital images to be projected onto the user's left and right eye (16a, 16b) by means of the head mounted display, wherein the processing unit (24, 24a, 24b) is further designed to consider the 3D position of the left and the right eye (16a, 16b) and the orientation of the left and the right eye (16a, 16b) when computing and rendering the stream of digital images. The invention further relates to a method to compute and render a stream of digital images using a head mounted display.
US09380283B2
An apparatus and method which display a three dimensional (3D) video signal, the apparatus comprising: a receiver which receives a video signal; a video signal processor which processes the received video signal; a display unit which displays thereon the processed video signal; and a controller which, in response to the received video signal being a 3D video signal, controls the video signal processor to convert the received 3D video signal into a two dimensional (2D) video signal, and displays the 2D video signal on the display unit.
US09380281B2
An image processing apparatus replays moving image data and includes a control unit configured to carry out control that replays the moving image data; and a generating unit configured to generate images in the case of different depths of field based on the moving image data depending on a replay speed of the moving image data.
US09380265B2
Embodiments of the invention detail systems, computer program products, and methods for providing a call indicator tool. In an exemplary embodiment the system presents, on the display of a video conference apparatus, a call indicator widget linked with a video conference communication session. The call indicator widget may include (i) at least one selectable feature and (ii) at least one label for presenting information to the customer via the call indicator widget. Through user input the system may receive an indication that the customer selected the at least one feature, and in response to receiving the indication, alter the display to present information related to the selectable feature.
US09380261B2
In one embodiment, multiple cameras are logically associated in a guest registry with a mobile device. One of the cameras may be internal to the mobile device, and one of the cameras may be external to the mobile device. A network device accesses the guest registry in response to a request from the mobile device. The request may be a request for a conference call, or the request may be a request for service. A conference call is initiated in response to the request. The network device receives video data from the multiple cameras associated with the mobile device and establishes a multiple party conference call including the multiple cameras and an external device.
US09380254B2
A display includes: a display main unit including a display panel; and a back-face covering member including a back-face section and a side-face section, the back-face section being made of a metal plate and disposed on a rear-face side of the display panel to face the display panel, and the side-face section being made of a resin and provided between an end section of the back-face section and an end section of the display main unit.
US09380253B2
Systems and methods for selecting, combining and duplexing signals in a communications network. Several configurations of diplexers and channel selectors are disclosed which use filters, combiners and splitters to select and combine which the signals to be either received or transmitted.
US09380252B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for reducing the amount of data associated with user events. The systems and methods are particularly applicable to cable TV, satellite TV, and other networks where user event data (e.g., clickstream) must be sent from customer premises equipment (CPE) to centralized servers and the data transmission channel is narrow. In various exemplary embodiments, CPE such as television set-top boxes may reduce requirements for data storage and network bandwidth by replacing portions of channel-number/timestamp streams with abbreviated codes representing common meta-events such as “channel surfing events” and “previous channel events.” The original channel-number/timestamp streams can be reconstituted on centralized servers. Other common sequences of events, including those involving activation of other buttons on remote controls (i.e., buttons not related to changing channels), keyboard keys, mouse pointing device controls, and the like may constitute meta-events and be similarly replaced by abbreviated codes.
US09380250B2
A controlling device is automatically configured to issue a communication directly to a first controllable appliance to control a functional operation of the first controllable appliance in the event that the first controllable appliance is determined to be unresponsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link or to issue a communication to a second controllable appliance to control the functional operation of the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link in the event that first controllable appliance is determined to be responsive to a command communication transmitted to the first controllable appliance via a digital communications link.
US09380245B1
In an image sensor containing an array of pixels, a pixel signal corresponding to the state of a photosensitive element is read-out of each pixel and compared with a threshold. If the pixel signal exceeds the first threshold, the state of the photosensitive element is reset and an analog-count voltage that corresponds to the pixel is incremented.
US09380243B2
The image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a non-red-green-blue (RGB) Bayer pattern, an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an analog pixel signal output from each of the pixels into a digital pixel signal, and an RGB converter configured to convert the digital pixel signal into an RGB Bayer signal. Accordingly, the image sensor is compatible with a universal image signal processor (ISP), which receives and processes RGB Bayer signals, without an additional compatible device or module.
US09380239B2
An imaging system includes a plurality of pixel circuits each having a photodiode, a biasing circuit and a charge-to-voltage converter. The photodiode is configured to generate charges in response to light or radiation. The biasing circuit is configured to provide a constant bias voltage across the photodiode so as to drain the charges generated by the photodiode. The charge-to-voltage converter is configured to accumulate the charges drained by the biasing circuit and convert the accumulated charges into a corresponding output voltage.
US09380233B2
An image sensor includes a pixel array including at least one active pixel and at least one line-optical black (L-OB) pixel arranged in a matrix including first to nth rows and first to mth columns, the pixel array configured to output a pixel signal and a dark-level offset signal in units of columns during a read-out operation in one of the first to nth rows; a row driver configured to output a selection control signal to the first to nth rows; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) block configured to digitize the pixel signal and the dark-level offset signal. In the pixel array, a dark-level offset signal is simultaneously output from an L-OB pixel in another row during the read-out operation in one of the first to nth rows. Here, ‘n’ and ‘m’ each denote an integer that is equal to or greater than ‘2’.
US09380230B2
In an aspect of the invention, plural pixels constituting a color image pickup device include a first pair of RB pixels and a second pair of RB pixels both constituted by a red pixel R having a red color filter and a blue pixel B having a blue color filter in a horizontal direction A and vertical direction B, the red pixel and the blue pixel being adjacent to each other. A position of the red pixel R and a position of the blue pixel B are opposite to each other between the first pair of RB pixels and the second pair of RB pixels. Pixel data of the blue pixel B of the first pair of RB pixels is compared with pixel data of the blue pixel of the second pair of RB pixels to detect whether or not anomalous oblique incident light is incident on the color image pickup device.
US09380219B2
A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a windshield of a vehicle and having a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle. A processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. An angular filter is disposed at or near the windshield forward of the camera. The angular filter includes a substantially transparent film that limits reflection of light through an angular range that generally corresponds to the stray light that reflects off of the vehicle dashboard and would otherwise impinge a lens aperture of the camera.
US09380217B2
A camera system includes a lighting device and an imaging apparatus. The lighting device includes a movable unit including a flash unit, a detection unit to detect information indicating the position of the movable unit, and a transmission unit to transmit position information based on information detected by the detection unit to the imaging apparatus. The imaging apparatus includes a calculation unit to calculate amount of light emission of the flash unit, a correction unit to perform correction of the amount of the light emission calculated by the calculation unit, and a reception unit to receive the position information from the lighting device. According to the position information received by the reception unit, the correction unit switches whether to perform correction of the amount of the light emission calculated by the calculation unit.
US09380214B2
An image photographing apparatus and method are provided. The image photographing method includes inputting images having different view points for a subject; displaying a first image among the images; in response to an input of a user command, changing the first image to a second image having a view point which is different from that of the first image, and displaying the second image; and in response to an input of a photographing command, acquiring the second image.
US09380211B2
A method and system for image stabilization is disclosed. The image stabilization system includes a first pair of light sensors placed along an axis relative to a first axis, each light sensor is configured to provide a signal indicative of intensity of light received by the light sensor. The image stabilization system further includes a first directional light filter configured to selectively permit passage of incident light to the first pair of light sensors based on an angle of the incident light with reference to the first axis. An image stabilization circuit is configured to receive a pair of signals from the first pair of light sensors and generates a first signal indicative of a change in the angle of incidence of the incident light with reference to the first axis.
US09380204B2
An imaging element 5 includes an imaging pixel 51 and phase difference detecting pixels 51R and 51L. When there is an instruction to start capturing a moving image, a defocus amount calculating unit 19 determines a shift amount of two output signal groups at the time of performing a correlation operation in accordance with information of an F value, a focal distance, and a focal position. The defocus amount calculating unit 19 shifts two output signal groups by a unit amount within a range of a determined shift amount to perform a correlation operation and calculates a defocus amount from the result. Thereafter, when the distance to a major subject varies, the defocus amount calculating unit changes the shift amount which has been already set to a larger value.
US09380203B2
A focusing device includes an imaging element, an imaging lens, a focus evaluation value detecting section, a control section. The imaging lens includes focus lens groups including first and second focus lens groups, and the imaging element to enable focus adjustment. The focus evaluation value detecting section detects a focus evaluation value based on an image signal acquired by the imaging element. The control section moves focus lens groups based on the focus evaluation value, effects a wobbling operation of the first focus lens group to focus on the subject, and moves the second focus lens group while effecting the wobbling operation of the first lens group for one period alone, so that image surface positions of the focus lens groups are moved by predetermined amounts.
US09380201B2
When a first instruction operation is performed by a user, a controller changes a zoom position in a wide-angle direction. When a second instruction operation is performed by the user, the controller changes the zoom position, which has been changed in the wide-angle direction, in a telephoto direction. In association with the change in the zoom position in the telephoto direction, the controller causes the image capture unit to perform automatic image capture.
US09380183B2
An image sensing device includes N red light sensing units, N green light sensing units, N blue light sensing units and a control circuit. The control circuit accumulates an exposure capacity Qi generated by the ith red light sensing unit, green light sensing unit, and blue light sensing unit in an exposure time Ti and an exposure capacity Qi+1 generated by the (i+1)th red light sensing unit, green light sensing unit, and blue light sensing unit in next exposure time Ti+1 until an exposure capacity QN generated in the TNth exposure time is accumulated, wherein i is an integer ranging from 1 to N. The exposure capacities Qi to QN are sequentially stored in a register and outputted from the control circuit, so that the image of each scan line can be sequentially transferred to an analog signal with the sum of the exposure capacities Qi to QN.
US09380180B2
An electronic apparatus including: a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display a screen based on screen information, obtained via a network, for executing a function of the electronic apparatus, wherein the display control unit stores, in a storing unit, identification information of a program corresponding to the screen information according to execution of the function of the electronic apparatus based on definition of the screen information.
US09380176B2
A facsimile apparatus includes a user interface operative to facilitate communications between the apparatus and at least one user application in operative communication with the apparatus, a network interface operative to facilitate communications between the apparatus and an analog communications network and an IP communications network. The apparatus further includes a controller connected to the user interface and network interface. The controller is operative in a first mode to communicate with the analog communications network using a first facsimile protocol and being operative in at least a second mode to communicate with the IP communications network using the first facsimile protocol and a voice band data protocol.
US09380173B2
An information processing apparatus includes: an image data acquisition section configured to acquire image data; an output target image specifying section configured to specify, from the image data, an output target image to be output; an image size calculating section configured to calculate an image size of the output target image based on a magnitude of a region where the output target image exists in the acquired image data; an actual size acquisition section configured to acquire, from the acquired image data, actual size information indicating an actual size of the output target image; a ratio calculating section configured to calculate a ratio of the calculated image size to the actual size indicated by the actual size information; an image processing section configured to enlarge or reduce the output target image according to the calculated ratio; and an output section configured to output the enlarged or reduced output target image.
US09380167B2
A data transmission cap represents a maximum amount of data that can be transmitted to and/or from a communication device during a subscriber billing cycle without incurring a penalty under a subscriber rate plan. To limit data transmission to and/or from the communication device as the data transmission cap is approached, a graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed. The GUI includes one or more GUI controls for selecting a data transmission limiting tactic from a plurality of distinct data transmission limiting tactics and for specifying a data transmission threshold at which the selected tactic is to take effect, the threshold being below the operative cap. Upon user interaction with the GUI control(s), user input indicating the selected data transmission tactic and specified data transmission threshold is received. The communication device or another electronic device in communication therewith is configured to effect the selected data transmission limiting tactic when the specified data transmission threshold is reached.
US09380161B2
A computer-implemented system and method for user-controlled processing of audio signals is provided. An audio signal including a reference segment and a segment preceding the reference segment is obtained. A value q is received from a user. Audio buffers in the preceding segment are defined, each having a width of N samples and a starting point a unique number of samples away from the preceding segment's start, based on a division of N by q. One or more of the buffers are transformed into discrete Fourier transform (DFT) buffers. A signature of the signal is generated using at least a portion of the reference segment and at least one of the DFT buffers. A new audio signal is received and a DFT for the audio signal is generated. The new audio signal is determined to match the audio signal based on a comparison of the DFT to the signature.
US09380154B2
Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include systems and methods for determining a reachability score of a phone number. A method includes receiving personally identifiable information associated with the subject; querying one or more public or private databases with the personally identifiable information; receiving, in response to the querying, phone number information related to the personally identifiable information; extracting, from the phone number information, one or more phone numbers associated with the subject; determining, with one or more computer processors, based at least in part on the one or more phone numbers, a phone type corresponding to the respective one or more phone numbers; determining, with the one or more computer processors, a reachability score for at least one of the one or more phone numbers, wherein the reachability score is based, at least in part, on the phone type; and outputting an indication of the reachability score.
US09380151B2
A communication device, including a receiver specification section which specifies a receiving communication device; a control section which transmits, to the receiving communication device specified by the receiver specification section, call request information used for outputting a call request notification and deleting the call request notification after a predetermined time period; a time period setting section which sets a time period during when the call request notification is output by the receiving communication device; a message setting section which sets a call request message; and a cancel instruction section which inputs a cancel instruction of the call request notification.
US09380140B2
An electronic apparatus that may reduce sound leakage from a housing and the like vibrated by a vibrator and echo caused by the sound leakage is provided. An electronic apparatus includes a panel, a panel retainer for supporting the panel, and an element for vibrating the panel and thereby generating a vibration sound to be delivered via a human body, wherein a region of the panel near a disposing position of the element is thinner in a normal direction of the panel than a remaining region of the panel.
US09380139B2
An improved keypad and speaker assembly is provided. The assembly (100) comprises a speaker grille formed of torturous porting (220), and a keyboard (108) comprising audio slots (120) which are offset beneath the tortuous porting (220). The speaker (104) is aligned beneath the keyboard (108). The tortuous porting (220) and audio slots (120) provide an unobstructed air passage/path between the speaker and ambient while protecting against water intrusion.
US09380137B2
An electronic device includes: a case including a wall portion including an opening, and a pair of longitudinal grooves, wherein each of the longitudinal grooves includes a first groove portion that is disposed with the opening between the first groove portions; a second groove portion that is contiguous to the first groove portion through an inclined groove wall; a lid that moves along the longitudinal grooves, and that is brought closer to the wall portion by the inclined groove wall under an action of moving the lid to the first groove portion; a resilient member that is provided at the lid, and that is compressed by the wall portion and the lid by the action of moving the lid closer to the wall portion; and a connection member that is connected to an electronic component inside the case, and that is exposed from the opening when the opening is opened.
US09380134B2
A method, network device and system for remote direct memory access (RDMA) over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) packet sequence acceleration are disclosed. The network device comprises one or more components for communicating with a host system. A network communication protocol, such as RoCE, is implemented by a combination of the one or more components and the host system.
US09380114B1
A technique manages peer messaging across multiple SPs of a data storage array. The technique involves using a token, by a first SP of the data storage array, to identify particular data stored at a source storage location on the data storage array. The technique further involves starting, by the first SP, multiple WUT operations which use the token in response to multiple WUT requests, each WUT operation moving the particular data from the source storage location to a respective destination storage location. The technique further involves providing, by the first SP, a single “touch” message in response to starting the multiple WUT operations by the first SP, the single “touch” message informing a set of other SPs of the data storage array that the token which identifies the particular data has been touched.
US09380109B2
A method, device and system for resource synchronization control are provided in accordance with the present disclosure. The disclosure relates to a field of information synchronization control. The method for resource synchronization control includes: inquiring, by a first terminal, from a server whether an address of the first terminal in a first terminal list is in a cleared state, the first terminal list has recorded an address of the first terminal; acquiring, by the first terminal, a resource file from a second terminal, if the address of the first terminal is in the cleared state; and notifying, by the first terminal, the server to cancel the cleared state of the address of the first terminal in the first terminal list, after acquiring the resource file.
US09380102B2
A device may obtain, from a remote device on a network, information regarding loads and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) devices on which the loads are installed. In addition, the device may access a database storing load compatibility information, identify problematic loads based on the obtained information and the load compatibility information, determine fixes for one or more of the problematic loads, and apply the fixes to the one or more of the problematic loads over the network.
US09380095B2
A method for playing a streaming media file, which can improve transmission and playing efficiency of a streaming media file. The method includes: playing, by a first apparatus, a streaming media file from a streaming media server; and when the first apparatus receives a handover instruction, sending, by the first apparatus, a playing command to a second apparatus, and sending at least a part of data of the downloaded streaming media file to the second apparatus, where the at least part of the data includes data not played by the first apparatus, where the playing command is used to instruct the second apparatus to play a part of or all of the at least part of the data sent by the first apparatus. The present invention further provides a corresponding apparatus.
US09380089B2
The system and method for streaming media to a viewer and managing the media comprises an enhanced service routing processor (ESRP), a real time switch management system (RTSMS), a name routing processor (NRP), and a managed media switch (MMS). The RTSMS has a reservation system. The ESRP receives media from an owner, manages the media according to media rules and order rules defined by the owner, and distributes the media to one or more switches, such as the MMS, according to the media rules and the order rules. The RTSMS is configured to receive the media rules and to receive a viewer's media request via the reservation server. The reservation system of the RTSMS processes the media request according to the media rules and builds a reservation for the requested media. The RTSMS generates the reservation to the viewer and to the NRP. The NRP receives the reservation data from the viewer and from the RTSMS. The NRP processes the reservation data and locates an MMS that can stream the media to the viewer. The NRP transmits the IP address of the MMS to the viewer and transmits the reservation data to the MMS. The viewer initiates a session or connection with the MMS using the reservation number. If the reservation data from the viewer matches the reservation data from the NRP, the MMS streams the media to the viewer.
US09380085B2
Disclosed herein are a server and method for providing collaboration service, and a sociality management server. The server includes a service provision unit and a space construction unit. The service provision unit sets up collaboration service corresponding to the results of combining functions of at least two collaboration terminals based on sociality values corresponding to the at least two collaboration terminals. The space construction unit constructs a service provision device space via which the collaboration service is to be provided. The service provision unit provides the collaboration service to the at least two collaboration terminals via the service provision device space.
US09380082B1
Remote multi-party and/or event-driven visitation for residents of controlled-environment facilities
Remote multi-party and/or event-driven visitation for controlled-environment facilities. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving a request to initiate a remote group visitation session between a resident of a controlled-environment facility and two or more non-residents of the controlled-environment facility. The method may also include enabling the remote group visitation session, wherein during the session the resident is allowed to communicate with the two or more non-residents.
US09380079B2
A multicast system is contemplated. The multicast system may be configured to facilitate changing between multicast steams by caching one multicast stream while tuned to another multicast stream in anticipation of tuning to the cached multicast stream. Attributes associated with available multicast streams may be communicated to assist accessing devices in deciding which one or more of the available multicast streams to cache.
US09380076B1
An access management system includes an access management server and one or more fulfillment servers associated with endpoint computers of a production computer system. The fulfillment server includes connectors operative to translate change requests into transactions with the endpoint computer systems to modify access-control records. Fulfillment polling communications are used in which the fulfillment server sends request messages requesting retrieval of active change requests from a database at the access management server, and the access management server sends response messages containing active change requests retrieved from the database. The change requests from the response messages are provided to the connectors to cause the connectors to translate the change requests into corresponding transactions and to perform the transactions with the endpoint computer systems to make modifications to the access-control records of the endpoint computer systems.
US09380072B2
A method for containing a threat in network environment using dynamic firewall policies is provided. In one example embodiment, the method can include detecting a threat originating from a first node having a source address in a network, applying a local firewall policy to block connections with the source address, and broadcasting an alert to a second node in the network. In more particular embodiments, an alert may be sent to a network administrator identifying the source address and providing remedial information. In yet other particular embodiments, the method may also include applying a remote firewall policy to the first node blocking outgoing connections from the first node.
US09380066B2
Technologies are provided in embodiments to detect malware. The embodiments are configured to receive an entropy rate of a potentially affected system. The embodiments are further configured to compare the entropy rate to an average entropy rate, and to determine a probability that the potentially affected system is infected with malware. The probability is based, at least in part, on a result of the comparison. More specific embodiments can include the received entropy rate being generated, at a least in part, by a genetic program. Additional embodiments can include a configuration to provide the potentially affected system with a specified time-span associated with the genetic program. The specified time-span indicates an amount of time to observe context information on the potentially affected system. In at least some embodiments, the result of the comparison includes an indicator of whether the entropy rate correlates to an infected system or a healthy system.
US09380065B2
Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can acquire historical data including a plurality of features associated with known legitimate activities and with known illegitimate activities. A machine learning technique can be applied to the historical data to gain information about the plurality of features associated with the known legitimate activities and with the known illegitimate activities. A decision tree can be generated based on at least a portion of the information about the plurality of features. A node in the decision tree that satisfies specified precision criteria can be identified. A rule can be created based on the node. One or more illegitimate activities can be identified based on the rule.
US09380063B2
A container that manages access to protected resources using rules to intelligently manage them includes an environment having a set of software and configurations that are to be managed. A rule engine, which executes the rules, may be called reactively when software accesses protected resources. The engine uses a combination of embedded and configurable rules. It may be desirable to assign and manage rules per process, per resource (e.g. file, registry, etc.), and per user. Access rules may be altitude-specific access rules.
US09380058B1
A system and method of anonymous authentication is described. In operation, the authenticator receives a request to access a resource from one of the user devices of an associated set of user devices, wherein each of the user devices is registered to at least one user requesting access to the resource registered to at least two users. The authenticator generates and transmits an authentication challenge in response to the request to a subset of the user devices. A user device subsequently generates and transmits a response to the authentication challenge to the authenticator. The authenticator determines whether the responses received from the one or more user devices constitutes a valid response and grants any one or more of the user devices of the associated set of user devices access to the resource if the responses received from the user devices constitutes a valid response to the authentication challenge.
US09380057B2
Certain implementations include systems and methods for combined one-time-passcode (OTP) and knowledge-based-authentication (KBA) identity authentication. A method is provided that includes receiving a set of identity information associated with a subject; querying one or more databases; receiving personally identifiable information; producing at least one knowledge based authentication (KBA) identity proofing question having a personally identifiable correct answer; generating a unique correct one-time pass (OTP) code for the personally identifiable correct answer; generating one or more incorrect answers with corresponding incorrect codes; outputting, the at least one KBA identity proofing question; outputting the personally identifiable correct answer with the unique correct OTP code, and the one or more incorrect answers with corresponding incorrect codes; receiving a response code; comparing the response code and the unique correct OTP code; and responsive to a match between the response code and the unique correct OTP code, outputting a first indication of authentication.
US09380054B2
Systems and methods for application signing are disclosed. In some implementations, an application package identifier and a password may be received at an application signing server. Upon authenticating the application package identifier and the password, a fingerprint identifying the developer is received. Upon receipt of the fingerprint, the application signing server generates a secure key for the application based on the fingerprint, where the secure key is provided to the developer for inclusion within the application. Upon determining that the application package identifier and the secure key included in a request from an operating system of a mobile device matches an authorized application package identifier and an authorized secure key stored at the application signing server, the application signing server provides the requested list of the one or more APIs to the operating system to grant the application access to the APIs in the list.
US09380047B2
A server system may be configured to receive a request for a connection from a client application. The server system may also be configured to determine if the client application is permitted to connect with the server. The connection with the client application may be prohibited if the server determines that the client application is not permitted to connect with the server. A secure connection with the client application may be permitted if the server determines that the client application is permitted to connect with the server. The secure connection may be established with the security protocol settings specified by a process on the server or shared security protocol settings specified by on a server system-wide basis.
US09380046B2
It is determined whether a user who has logged in in communication using a selfsigned certificate stored by default is an administrator or a general user. If it is determined that the user is an administrator, an install page for a CA-signed certificate which is more reliable than the selfsigned certificate is returned to the user. Alternatively, if it is determined that the user is a general user, an error page is returned to the user.
US09380044B2
A gateway apparatus supports differentiated secure communications among heterogeneous electronic devices. A communication port communicates via communication networks of different types with two or more associated devices having diverse secure communication capabilities. The gateway logic selectively authenticates the associated devices for group membership into a Secure Communication Group (SCG), and selectively communicates Secure Communication Group Keys (SCGKs) to the devices having the diverse secure communication capabilities for selectively generating session keys locally by the associated devices for mutual secure communication in accordance with the group membership of the associated devices in the SCG.
US09380041B2
Systems and methods are provided for responding to a communication received from an individual. An identification score may be obtained for the communication that indicates the likelihood that a claimed identity of the individual is the actual identity of the individual. A verification score for the communication may also be obtained that indicates the likelihood a purported source of the communication is the actual source of the communication. An authentication score for the communication may additionally be obtained that indicates the likelihood the individual has been authenticated. An overall score for the communication may be generated and based on the identification score, verification score, and authentication score. A response to the communication may thus be determined based on the overall score. The response may be a grant or denial of access to one or more services requested by the individual through the communication.
US09380033B2
A method of enforcing security settings in a cryptographic system, including: receiving, by the cryptographic system, a first input message associated with a first security setting of a plurality of security settings; performing, by the cryptographic system, a keyed cryptographic operation mapping the first input message into a first output message, wherein the keyed cryptographic operation produces a correct output message when the cryptographic system is authorized for the first security setting, wherein each of the plurality of security settings has an associated set of input messages wherein the sets of input messages do not overlap.
US09380030B2
The system and method monitor a secure Web Real Time Communication (WebRTC) session between browsers. To do so, a WebRTC application receives a first WebRTC offer with a fingerprint of a first browser to establish a secure communication session. The WebRTC application sends session information and the fingerprint of the first browser to a media relay. The WebRTC application receives a fingerprint of a media relay. A second WebRTC offer with a fingerprint of the media relay is sent to a second browser. An answer to the second WebRTC offer is received. Session information and the fingerprint of the second browser are sent to the media relay so the media relay can decrypt the secure communication session. The first WebRTC offer is answered. A secure communication session is established via the media relay using the fingerprints. The media relay, based on the fingerprints, can monitor the secure communication session.
US09380026B2
Generally, this disclosure describes a method and system for authenticating to a network via a device-specific one-time password. A method in an embodiment may include generating a first one-time password (OTP) based at least in part on a plurality of client device attributes; and providing the first OTP to an authenticator associated with a private network during a first session, wherein the authenticator is configured to authenticate the client device to at least one of the private network and protected content included in the private network for a second session following the first session based on the provided first OTP.
US09380025B2
An example method is provided and, in an example embodiment, includes receiving a data packet at an ingress switch function, the data packet associated with a data packet flow; obtaining access control information associated with a destination of the data packet flow from a centralized service engine; and performing access filtering on the data packet flow at the ingress switch function using the access control information.
US09380024B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for generating verification data that may be used for validation of a wireless transmit-receive unit (WTRU). The verification data may be generated using a tree structure having protected registers, represented as root nodes, and component measurements, represented as leaf nodes. The verification data may be used to validate the WTRU. The validation may be performed using split-validation, which is a form of validation described that distributes validation tasks between two or more network entities. Subtree certification is also described, wherein a subtree of the tree structure may be certified by a third party.
US09380022B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a high performance content delivery system in which versions of content are cached for servicing web site requests containing the same uniform resource locator (URL). When a page is cached, certain metadata is also stored along with the page. That metadata includes a description of what extra attributes, if any, must be consulted to determine what version of content to serve in response to a request. When a request is fielded, a cache reader consults this metadata at a primary cache address, then extracts the values of attributes, if any are specified, and uses them in conjunction with the URL to search for an appropriate response at a secondary cache address. These attributes may include HTTP request headers, cookies, query string, and session variables. If no entry exists at the secondary address, the request is forwarded to a page generator at the back-end.
US09379997B1
A computer-implemented system and method for managing service requests are disclosed. The system includes a service provider, having a number of server devices, that provides a service response in response to a client service request. The service response includes a service instance ID associated with a server and a connection lease. A communication processing component routes a first client service request to one of the servers. Subsequent client service requests and responses are transmitted directly between the client device and the server device associated with service instance ID included in the first service response for the duration of the connection lease.
US09379992B2
A method and a system embodying the method for virtualization of a quality of service, comprising associating a packet received at an interface with an aura via an aura identifier; determining configuration parameters for the aura; determining a pool for the aura; determining the state of the pool resources, the resources comprising a level of buffers available in the pool and a level of buffers allocated to the aura; and determining a quality of service for the packet in accordance with the determined state of the pool and the configuration parameters for the aura, is disclosed.
US09379991B2
A method in a communication node for handling a packet to a destination node in a communications network, and associated nodes. The communication node associates the packet with a remaining value, with the remaining value being a packet value reduced by a threshold value of an outgoing link from the communication node towards the destination node. The threshold value corresponds to a congestion level of the outgoing link. The communication node further handles the packet based on the remaining value, the handling including determining whether to drop or to transmit the packet along the outgoing link based on the remaining value.
US09379985B2
The present invention relates to a method of reducing traffic in various network structures. The method of reducing the traffic includes: receiving a first frame copy by means of a next node; receiving a second frame copy by means of the next node; and discarding one received later among the first frame copy and the second frame copy by means of the next node.
US09379981B1
Exemplary embodiments allocate network traffic among multiple paths in a network, which may include one or more preferred paths (e.g. shortest paths) and one or more alternative paths (e.g., non-shortest paths). In one embodiment, network traffic in form of flows may be allocated to the preferred paths until the allocation of additional network traffic would exceed a predetermined data rate. Additional flows may then be sent over the alternative paths, which may be longer than the preferred path. The paths to which each flow is assigned may be dynamically updated, and in some embodiments the path assignment for a particular flow may time out after a predetermined time. Accordingly, the flow traffic of each path may be balanced based on real-time traffic information.
US09379974B2
To achieve efficient data transfer between a first network and a second network, and, in particular, to reduce processing load pertaining to address conversion, a transfer control device in the first network acquires an address of a transfer target device in the second network, and assigns the acquired address to a transfer device in the first network. When data transmitted through the first network is to be transferred to the transfer target device via the transfer device, there is no need to perform address conversion as the transfer device and the transfer target device are assigned the same address.
US09379972B2
A dual-mode router for conveying process communication packets across a plurality of distinct wireless process communication networks is provided. The router includes wireless communication circuitry and a controller coupled to the wireless communication circuitry. The wireless communication circuitry is configured to interact with signals from each of the plurality of distinct wireless process communication networks. The controller is configured to adapt process communication packets from a first distinct wireless process communication network for transmission over a second distinct wireless process communication network. Methods for configuring the distinct wireless process communication networks and relaying process packets over the distinct wireless process communication networks are also provided.
US09379970B2
A network component comprising a receiver configured to receive an advertisement for a content name for content associated with a list of secured router identifiers (SRIDs) that indicates a plurality of content routers authorized for routing and caching the content, a processor configured to determine whether to flood the advertisement to a plurality of neighboring nodes if a locally assigned SRID is included in the list of SRIDs received in the advertisement or to drop the advertisement otherwise, a transmitter configured to flood the advertisement on a plurality of ports coupled to the neighboring nodes, and a storage configured to cache received content if the received content is associated with the locally assigned SRID.
US09379969B2
Aspects of a method and system for energy-efficiency-based packet classification are provided. In this regard, a network link for communicating a packet may be selected based, at least in part, on an amount of energy required to communicate the packet over the network link, and based, at least in part, on an energy efficiency class to which the packet is assigned. The energy efficiency class may be determined based on one or more fields of the packet, wherein the fields may comprise one or more of an Ethertype field, a type of service header of an IP datagram, and a field pre-pended or appended to a payload of the packet. In this regard, during or subsequent to generation of the packet, the packet may be marked such that a network path traversed by the generated packet may be determined based on the energy required to communicate the packet over the network path.
US09379968B2
Stateful failover redundancy support is provided for network address translation (NAT). A master NAT device is backed-up with at least one back-up NAT device. Existing sessions are synchronized between the two NAT devices, such as via a dedicated link between them. In the event of a failover where the master NAT device is unable to perform its NAT functions, ownership of Internet protocol (IP) addresses is transferred from the master NAT device to the back-up NAT device. The back-up NAT device, which is now owner of the IP addresses, assumes the NAT functionality associated with these IP addresses and continues the existing sessions, as well as processing new sessions.
US09379957B1
A device may determine a session life cycle associated with a communication session. The session life cycle may indicate a time period associated with expiration of the communication session. The device may compare the session life cycle and a threshold value, and may determine that the session life cycle satisfies the threshold value based on comparing the session life cycle and the threshold value. The device may initialize multiple ager rings based on determining that the session life cycle satisfies the threshold value. The multiple ager rings may be used to monitor the expiration of the communication session. The device may monitor the expiration of the communication session using the multiple ager rings.
US09379952B2
A method comprising dereferencing, in a web browser, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) comprising a web resource and a reflex tag, creating a request message comprising a request for the web resource and a reflex request corresponding to the reflex tag, wherein the reflex request is a request for address and port information from a web server comprising the web resource, encapsulating the request message in a transport message comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) address and a port of the web browser, transmitting the transport message to the web server, receiving a response message from the web server, wherein the response message comprises a second IP address and a second port number of the browser as seen by the web server, and determining a characteristic of at least one Network Address Translation (NAT) device coupled between the web browser and the web server based on the second IP address and second port number.
US09379948B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for maintaining quality of experience (QoE) for a client device on a network. In use, access points that are available to a client device are determined, based on a policy. Additionally, a current QoE provided to the client device by one of the access points utilized by the client device to access the network is determined. This QoE could be valued as a score computed by a function called QoE Metric taking QoS parameters as inputs. An expected QoE associated with each of the other access points is then determined. Further, the access point utilized by the client device to access the network is conditionally switched to one of the other access points, based on the current QoE and the expected QoEs. Additionally, any potential QoE downgrades on the current access point is detected using QoE Degradation Patterns that could be matched with current QoS measures and can encourage the client device to determine more accurately the current QoE.
US09379946B2
Architecture that facilitates the virtual specification of a connection between physical endpoints. A network can be defined as an abstract connectivity model expressed in terms of the connectivity intent, rather than any specific technology. The connectivity model is translated into configuration settings, policies, firewall rules, etc., to implement the connectivity intent based on available physical networks and devices capabilities. The connectivity model defines the connectivity semantics of the network and controls the communication between the physical nodes in the physical network. The resultant virtual network may be a virtual overlay that is independent of the physical layer. Alternatively, the virtual overlay can also include elements and abstracts of the physical network(s). Moreover, automatic network security rules (e.g., Internet Protocol security-IPSec) can be derived from the connectivity model of the network.
US09379939B2
A device detects DNS timeouts indicative of a connectivity problem, determines, after detection of the DNS timeouts, whether a reboot timer has expired prior to troubleshooting the connectivity problem, and reboots the device and collect error logs when the reboot timer has expired. The device determines whether the rebooting of the device has corrected the connectivity problem, and provides a request to perform a reset of the device when the rebooting of the device fails to correct the connectivity problem. The device receives, based on the request, an instruction to perform the reset of the device, resets the device based on the instruction, and determines whether the resetting of the device has corrected the connectivity problem. The device sends the error logs to the log server when either the rebooting of the resetting of the device corrects the connectivity problem.
US09379937B2
A resource management solution for use in a data-processing infrastructure comprising a server data-processing entity and a set of target data-processing entities that is operable for downloading a set of management policies, executing a verification action indicated in each one of the corresponding management policies for verifying a compliance of the target data-processing entity with the management policy, executing a target-side remediation action indicated in each violated one of the corresponding target-side management policies which the target data-processing entity is not compliant with, for remedying the non-compliance of the target data-processing entity with the violated target-side management policy, sending an indication of a remediation request for each violated server-side management policies, which each target data-processing entity is not compliant with, and executing a corresponding server-side remediation action in response to each remediation request for remedying the non-compliance of the corresponding target data-processing entity with the corresponding violated server-side management policy.
US09379931B2
An example method is provided in one example embodiment and may include receiving a packet for a subscriber at a gateway, wherein the gateway includes a local policy anchor for interfacing with one or more policy servers and one or more classifiers for interfacing with one or more service chains, each service chain including one or more services accessible by the gateway; determining a service chain to receive the subscriber's packet; appending the subscriber's packet with a header, wherein the header includes, at least in part, identification information for the subscriber and an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the local policy anchor; and injecting the packet including the header into the service chain determined for the subscriber.
US09379930B2
A transmitter device with I/Q mismatch compensation and a method thereof are provided. The transmitter device includes a transmitter circuit, a loop-back circuit and a baseband circuit. The transmitter circuit is configured to convert a baseband signal into an RF signal based on a specific gain configuration of a plurality of gain configurations. The loop-back circuit is configured to retrieve the RF signal from the transmitter circuit. The baseband circuit is configured to compensate the baseband signal by specific transmitter I/Q mismatch corresponding to the specific gain configuration, wherein a plurality of transmitter IQ mismatches are determined for the plurality of gain configurations by the retrieved RF signal, and the specific transmitter I/Q mismatch among the plurality of transmitter IQ mismatches is determined by the retrieved RF signal, which is converted in response to the specific gain configuration, from the loop-back circuit.
US09379926B2
A device for generating Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) modes for radio communications. The device is designed to receive one or more input digital signals, each of which has a respective sampling period which is a respective multiple of a given sampling period, and occupies a frequency bandwidth which is a respective fraction of a given available frequency bandwidth. The device is operable to apply, to each input digital signal, a respective space modulation associated with a respective OAM mode having a respective topological charge to generate a corresponding digital signal carrying the respective OAM mode. The device is configured to apply, to each input digital signal, the respective space modulation by interpolating said input digital signal and phase-modulating the interpolated input digital signal so as to generate a corresponding phase-modulated digital signal carrying the respective OAM mode, having the given sampling period, and occupying the given available frequency bandwidth.
US09379919B2
A transmission circuit including four transmission component sets for Ethernet is provided. Each transmission component set is coupled between an Ethernet connector and an Ethernet chip and has a protection component set. For each transmission component set, a first capacitor is coupled between first and second transmission lines (TLs), and coupled to the Ethernet connector via the first TL and to the Ethernet chip via the second TL; a second capacitor is coupled between third and fourth TLs, and coupled to the Ethernet connector via the third TL and to the Ethernet chip via the fourth TL; first and second inductors are cascaded and coupled between the first and third TLs; a third inductor is coupled between the second and fourth TLs; and a contact between the first and second inductors is coupled to a ground via a fifth TL.
US09379918B1
Enhanced digital broad cast signals are transmitted on a digital radio broadcast signal by allocating spectral resources of the digital radio broadcast signal to simultaneously serve existing receivers (which can decode default content but not new content from the enhanced digital broadcast signal) and new receivers (which can decode default content and can decode new digital content from the enhanced digital broadcast signal) by modulating a first plurality of reference subcarriers with a first signal constellation, and modulating a second plurality of reference subcarriers with a second modified signal constellation such that a receiver processes the digital radio broadcast signal to produce a first coherent reference signal estimate for the first plurality of reference subcarriers to extract the default content for playback and to produce a second coherent reference signal estimate for the second plurality of reference subcarriers to disregard the new content.
US09379916B2
Wireless communication devices, comprising: a first transceiver in wireless communication with a terrestrial base station, wherein the station is in wireless communication with wireless communication devices; and a second wireless LAN transceiver in wireless communication with computing devices located within a coverage area of the second transceiver, the second transceiver being coupled to the first transceiver wherein: the first transceiver receives a first signal from the station, the first signal intended for a first computing device of the computing devices, the second wireless LAN transceiver determines signal characteristics of the first computing device, and the second transceiver transmits the first signal to the first computing device based on the determined signal characteristics of the first computing device; and the second transceiver receives a second signal from the first computing device, the second signal intended for the station, and the first transceiver transmits the second signal to the station.
US09379914B2
A method and system are adapted to provide telephony services to aggregate endpoints on an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. The method includes assigning one or multiple PUIDs for surrogate registration purposes during the provisioning of the aggregate endpoint, performing reliable surrogate registration on behalf of the aggregate endpoint, allowing multiple SBCs to perform surrogate registrations independently for the same aggregate endpoint to achieve reliability, and providing reliable connection from an IMS core to the aggregate endpoints via multiple S/BCs. The system includes one or more Session Border Controllers (S/BC), at least one set of Call/Session Control Functions (CSCF), and an HSS operatively coupled together.
US09379907B2
An intelligent electronic device (IED) for monitoring/measuring parameters of electrical services to a plurality of loads and receiving/transmitting information over communication networks is disclosed. The electrical services may be connected to the same or different AC services. The IED may be configured as a terminal or a server of an Intranet, LAN, WAN, or the Internet. In one application, these techniques are implemented in IEDs such as digital electrical power and energy meters.
US09379904B2
Power Line Communications (PLC) device for enhanced carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols are described. The PLC device includes a modem, an AC interface and a PLC engine. The engine is configured for transmitting PLC packets over a plurality of electrical wires using a particular channel. Transmitting a normal priority packet may include attempting to access a communications channel to transmit a frame after a backoff time proportional to a randomly generated number within a contention window (CW), the CW having an initial value carried over from a previous transmission of a different frame. Additionally or alternatively, some of techniques described herein may facilitate the spreading of the time over which devices attempt to transmit packets, thereby reducing the probability of collisions using, for example, Additive Decrease Multiplicative Increase (ADMI) mechanisms.
US09379898B2
It is an object of the presently disclosed subject matter to provide billing and usage data to downstream applications. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for acquiring billing and usage data in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment. The method includes copying at least one of a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS) and providing the at least one copied message to an application for one of billing verification, fraud detection, revenue assurance, and data analysis. The types of acquired data may be copied separately or in combination, and the copied data may be examined, compared, or otherwise utilized separately or in combination.
US09379895B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for a distributed security that provides authentication and authorization management. The system can include a source processor that is used to identify the source associated with a request for authentication or authorization. The source processor can maintain the initial source associated with the request through the use of an association token. The associate token can be transmitted with each subsequent request that includes authentication or authorization data. The source processor can use the associate token to verify that the source associated with the initial request is the same as the source associated with subsequent authentication and authorization requests.
US09379894B1
An apparatus comprises a first processing device comprising near field communication (NFC) interface circuitry, a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The first processing device is configured to establish an NFC connection with an NFC tag using the NFC interface circuitry, receive a shared secret established between the NFC tag and an authentication server in an authentication protocol, and present a cryptographic value derived from the shared secret to a second processing device. The cryptographic value is utilizable by the second processing device for authenticating to the authentication server.
US09379893B2
A device including a receiver to receive a media stream including media content for a plurality of services, the content packed into packets each having a header and payload including a part of the content of one of the services, a mapping table(s) directly or indirectly mapping, the services to packet-IDs such that each service is mapped to one packet-ID, thereby enabling the packets including the content of a service to be identified via the packet-ID identifying that service, encrypted packet-IDs such that each packet includes its encrypted packet-ID in its header, and a packet filter to derive the packet-ID of that service from the mapping table(s), calculate the encrypted packet-ID from the derived packet-ID, and filter, from the media stream, the packets with the header including the calculated encrypted packet-ID yielding the packets including the part of the content of that service. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US09379883B1
A communication system receives an inputs signal and generates a converted output signal. A control signal selectively activates one or more source cells among an array of cells. The selected source cells generate a first charge package and a second charge package at a cell output terminal for the array of cells to generate the converted output signal. The first charge package and the second charge package are generated during the same clock cycle.
US09379874B2
The disclosure is related to multiplexing an uplink channel and an uplink reference signal transmitted on uplink, and controlling an uplink power, in user equipment in the case of carrier aggregation.
US09379866B2
The disclosure provides a method for transmitting Cognitive Pilot Channel (CPC) information, a radio access method and system based on CPC information, wherein the method for transmitting CPC information includes: dividing a CPC into a primary CPC for transmitting primary CPC information and a secondary CPC for transmitting secondary CPC information; loading the primary CPC information periodically into fixed physical resources, and sending the primary CPC information to a user equipment; after a base station receives a preset triggering event, loading the secondary CPC information into variable physical resources, and sending the secondary CPC information to the user equipment. In the disclosure, the base station loads the primary CPC information into fixed physical resources of an RAT according to an RAT coverage condition, reducing the amount of information required to be delivered by fixed physical resources, decreasing occupation of fixed physical resources, speeding up radio access of the user equipment; and after receiving a triggering event, the base station loads the secondary CPC information into variable physical resources and sends the secondary CPC information to the user equipment, thus implementing optimization of a user network and radio resources.
US09379864B2
A technique for generating a reference signal for use in a communication system in which for reference signal generation multiple base sequences are defined is presented. A method implementation of the technique comprises generating a first reference signal sequence from a first base sequence and a second reference signal sequence from a second base sequence. A reference signal is generated that comprises the first reference signal sequence and the second reference signal sequence. The first reference signal sequence occupies a first spectral fragment of the reference signal, and the second reference signal sequence occupies a second spectral fragment of the reference signal. The second spectral fragment and the first spectral fragment do not overlap.
US09379863B2
Methods and systems for communicating in a wireless network may distinguish different types of packet structures by modifying the phase of a modulation constellation, such as a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) constellation, in a signal field. Receiving devices may identify the type of packet structure associated with a transmission or whether the signal field is present by the phase of the modulation constellation used for mapping for the signal field. In one embodiment, the phase of the modulation constellation may be determined by examining the energy of the I and Q components after Fast Fourier Transform. Various specific embodiments and variations are also disclosed.
US09379841B2
Technologies related to mobile device prevention of contactless card attacks are generally described. In some examples, a mobile computing device may monitor for electromagnetic signals at frequencies used for short range communications with contactless cards. Detection of such electromagnetic signals by the mobile computing device may indicate an attack attempt on a proximal contactless card. In response to detection of such electromagnetic signals, the mobile computing device may automatically generate a disruption signal effective to disrupt communications between contactless card readers and any proximal contactless cards, to thereby foil the attack before sensitive contactless card data is stolen.
US09379833B2
A transmitter is connected to a master device, and wirelessly transmits a timing packet, which is transmitted from the master device, to a receiver. The transmitter includes: an input unit for receiving an input of a timing packet from the master device; a delay compensation unit for obtaining a packet length of the timing packet and a modulation system used for radio transmission, calculating a device-specific delay value and a first propagation delay value based on the modulation system and the packet length, and calculating a delay compensation value based on the device-specific delay value and the first propagation delay value; a filter unit for adding the delay compensation value to a specific field of the timing packet; and an output unit for outputting the timing packet to the receiver.
US09379830B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media can facilitate digitizing a broadcast transmission and transporting the digitized broadcast transmission along with one or more digitized narrowcast transmissions to a subscriber. In embodiments, a digitized broadcast transmission and one or more digitized narrowcast transmissions can be separately demodulated and the transmissions can be combined at one or more receiving nodes. In embodiments, a digitized broadcast transmission can be combined with one or more digitized narrowcast transmissions. Lossless compression and de-compression techniques can be used to optimally transport digitized broadcast and narrowcast signals.
US09379813B2
A test apparatus and method for testing passive optical networks is provided. The test apparatus includes an optical circuit having an optical coupler for splitting off a portion of optical traffic. During testing of a passive optical network, the optical circuit is coupled into an optical path of the passive optical network. A bit stream corresponding to an activating procedure is captured and analyzed to extract identification information of the module that sent the bit stream.
US09379812B2
In one embodiment, a media access controller includes first and second optical line terminals with a receiver for adjacent first and second wavelength ranges, respectively, and an optical network unit with a transmitter having a transmitter wavelength which drifts between the first and the second wavelength range. The media access controller is configured to assign the optical network unit to the first and the second optical line terminals, such that an optical burst transmitted by the optical network unit is received by the first optical line terminal and the second optical line terminal. The media access controller is configured to determine first and second qualities of the optical burst received by the first and second optical line terminals, respectively, and to determine an estimate of the transmitter wavelength based on the first quality and the second quality.
US09379805B2
An apparatus, system, and method for determining the presence of a mobile device located in a predetermined detection zone within a vehicle are disclosed. A detection module receives a communication signal, determines that the communication signal was transmitted by a mobile device located within a predetermined detection zone within a vehicle, and a control module transmits a control signal to the mobile device located within the predetermined detection zone. The system further includes a monitoring logic to monitor a functional system of the vehicle activating the transmission of the control signal by the control module when the monitored functional system is activated and the detection module determines that the communication signal was transmitted by the mobile device located within the predetermined detection zone.
US09379804B2
Devices and methods related to relay nodes are provided. The relay node includes a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity providing a first HARQ functionality. The relay node further includes a second HARQ entity providing a second HARQ functionality.
US09379803B2
An antenna switching apparatus of an embodiment can perform wireless communication with another wireless communication apparatus. The antenna switching apparatus includes: an antenna unit which switches a polarized wave and a beam direction in the wireless communication and which radiates the polarized wave to the other wireless communication apparatus in the beam direction; a communication controller which acquires a communication characteristic corresponding to the polarized wave and the beam direction from the other wireless communication apparatus; an antenna detector which determines an antenna of the other wireless communication apparatus based on the acquired communication characteristic corresponding to the polarized wave and the beam direction; and an antenna switcher which switches the polarized wave and the beam direction in the wireless communication with the other wireless communication apparatus depending on the determined antenna of the other wireless communication apparatus.
US09379800B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for channel state information feedback. The method comprises: estimating channel state information from the mobile terminal to a serving cell and neighboring cells according to channel state information reference signals (CSI-Reference Signal) received from a plurality of coordinating cells; calculating a precoding matrix based on the estimated channel state information of the serving cell; calculating precoded channel state information respectively for the serving cell of the mobile terminal and neighboring cells in the coordinating cells according to the obtained precoding matrix; and feeding the precoded channel state information back to the serving cell of the mobile terminal. The above technical scheme can implement flexible and efficient channel status information feedback with low overhead, and enable multi-cell coordinated transmission to perform flexible and efficient precoding processing based on the feedback.
US09379786B2
A near field communication (NFC) terminal includes a first signal generator configured to generate a first received signal using a radio frequency (RF) signal received through an antenna, and generate a reduced first received signal by reducing a size of the first received signal when the size of the first received signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined RF value. The NFC terminal further includes a second signal generator configured to generate a second received signal using the RF signal. The NFC terminal further includes an operation unit configured to generate an operation signal by performing an operation on the reduced first received signal and the second received signal, and transmit the operation signal to a demodulator.
US09379780B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power while avoiding interference with wireless communication devices. In one aspect a wireless power transmitter apparatus is provided. The wireless power transmitter apparatus includes a transmit circuit configured to wirelessly transmit power at a transmit frequency to a first receiver device. The wireless power transmitter apparatus further includes a controller circuit configured to reduce a level of emission of the transmit circuit at a determined frequency during a period of time based on information about an information signal transmitted to a second receiver device substantially at the determined frequency to be received within the period of time.
US09379779B2
The present invention concerns an first electronic device and a method of operating the first electronic device, which comprises receiving an identifier of a second electronic device from the second electronic device via a communication link formed by a first communication carrier; determining whether the second electronic device is a pre-registered based on the received identifier of the second electronic device; and when the second electronic device is not pre-registered according to a result of the determination, displaying a user interface for selecting a second communication carrier that is to be formed with the second electronic device.
US09379775B2
A communication system includes a router transceiver unit and a bandwidth module. The router transceiver unit includes a network adapter module and a signal modulator module. The network adapter module is configured to receive high bandwidth network data from one or more data sources disposed on board a vehicle. The signal modulator module is configured for electrical connection to a wired connection, and to convert the high bandwidth network data into modulated network data in a form suitable for transmission over the wired connection. The bandwidth module is configured to allocate different portions of a data communication bandwidth of the wired connection to the modulated network data. The allocation is based on categories representing at least one of the one or more data sources or contents of the high bandwidth network data.
US09379765B2
A data processor selects a set of BOC correlations in accordance with a BOC correlation function for the sampling period if the primary amplitude exceeds or equals the secondary amplitude for the sampling period. The data processor selects a set of QBOC correlations in accordance with a QBOC correlation function for the sampling period if the secondary amplitude exceeds the primary amplitude for the sampling period. The data processor uses either the BOC correlation function or the QBOC correlation function, whichever with greater amplitude, at each sampling period to provide an aggregate correlation function that supports unambiguous code acquisition of the received signal.
US09379760B2
A bidirectional radio frequency communication unit includes: a transmit modem; a receive modem; an RF transceiver circuit; a coupling waveguide arrangement; and an antenna. The RF transceiver circuit transmits and receives at RF frequencies greater than or equal to 50 GHz. At least a majority of the RF transceiver circuit is provided on a single multilayer PCB. The coupling waveguide arrangement is provided in the form of respective transmit and receive waveguides provided within a diplexer that has a common antenna coupling port and is in the form of a block. The multilayer PCB and the diplexer form a laminated structure; and transition interfaces between the RF transceiver circuit and the waveguide include one or more buried layer probe elements in a buried layer of the multilayer PCB.
US09379748B2
The invention discloses a wideband receiver and a base station in a communication network. The wideband receiver comprises an Intermediate Frequency (IF) frequency control module, a frequency synthesizer, a mixer and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The IF frequency control module comprises an interference detector adapted to detect interference condition on at least one frequency band, and an IF frequency selector adapted to select an IF frequency based on the detected interference condition from the interference detector. The IF frequency is selected to avoid high interference mixed product of the mixer occurring in used channel. The frequency synthesizer generates an oscillator signal of the selected IF frequency, the mixer down converts a RF signal to an IF signal using the oscillator signal of the selected IF frequency, and the ADC converts the IF signal to baseband data.
US09379735B1
Saturation refers to the process of limiting the value of a signal to the maximum or minimum value that can be represented by a given fixed bit width representation of the signal. In fixed bit width implementations of signal processing algorithms, saturation of a signal is an important operation when the output value of a processing step exceeds the number of bits available to represent it. Saturation may be required after each elementary signal processing step. Many signal processing algorithms are often implemented in hardware. Therefore, it is important to have an efficient method that utilizes least amount of hardware to implement the saturation operation. A method and apparatus are disclosed that implement saturation function using reduced hardware requirements and reduced power consumption.
US09379734B2
A method and arrangement for setting an effective resolution of an output signal in an incremental delta-sigma analog-to-digital conversion by an incremental delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter, includes feeding a difference between an input signal and a reference voltage signal formed in a feedback branch to a first integrator. Safeguarding the stability of multi-stage incremental delta-sigma analog-to-digital converters for large input signal ranges and not requiring direct damping of the input signal, such that a direct SNR impairment with regard to the ADC-inherent noise sources can be avoided, is achieved by a virtual reference voltage in the feedback branch of the incremental delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter. The reference voltage signal is adapted to a changing input signal range by a settable reference capacitance and a clock cycle number dependent thereon is set.
US09379732B2
Requirements placed on the first integrator of a filter in a continuous-time delta-feedback modulator may be reduced by using circuitry to reduce the speed of a signal provided to the first integrator of the modulator. The reduction in speed applied to the signal received at the first integrator may then be compensated with circuitry elsewhere in the modulator, such that the net effect of the slow down and speed up of signals does not affect the output of the modulator. The sigma-delta modulator may be implemented in converters, such as an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
US09379731B1
A device and method for analog to digital conversion is disclosed. The device can have a first amplifier operable to receive an input voltage and output a first control signal. The device can also have a first voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operably coupled to the first amplifier and configured to output a first signal based on the first control signal, the first signal having a sensor frequency. The device can also have a first switched-capacitor resistor operably coupled to the first VCO and to the first amplifier, the first switched-capacitor resistor configured to receive and be controlled by the sensor frequency. The device can also have a sensor counter operably coupled to the first VCO and configured produce a sensor count based on the sensor frequency. The device can also have a register configured provide a digital output proportional to the input voltage based on the sensor count.
US09379718B2
An all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) is provided. The ADPLL comprises a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit is configured to monitor a first signal and set a voltage of a second signal to a voltage within a first voltage range when a code of fine-tuning is equal to a first specified value. The first circuit is configured to set a voltage of a third signal to a voltage within a second voltage range when the code of fine-tuning is equal to a second specified value. The second circuit is configured to increase a code of coarse-tuning when the voltage of the second signal is within the first voltage range, and decrease the code of coarse-tuning when the voltage of the third signal is within the second voltage range. The ADPLL provides a target frequency despite changes in at least one of process, voltage or temperature.
US09379712B2
High speed precessionally switched magnetic logic devices and architectures are described. In a first example, a magnetic logic device includes an input electrode having a first nanomagnet and an output electrode having a second nanomagnet. The spins of the second nanomagnet are non-collinear with the spins of the first nanomagnet. A channel region and corresponding ground electrode are disposed between the input and output electrodes. In a second example, a magnetic logic device includes an input electrode having an in-plane nanomagnet and an output electrode having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) magnet. A channel region and corresponding ground electrode are disposed between the input and output electrodes.
US09379704B2
A touch panel including a substrate, a plurality of first electrode lines, and a plurality of second electrode lines is provided. The first electrode lines are arranged on the substrate in parallel and extended along a first axial direction. Each first electrode line includes multiple first electrode pads and multiple first bridge portions serially connecting the first electrode pads. Each first electrode pad includes a first central portion and two first side portions connected to the first central portion. The second electrode lines are arranged on the substrate in parallel and extended along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction. Each second electrode line includes multiple second electrode pads alternatively disposed with the first electrode lines and multiple second bridge portions serially connecting the second electrode pads. Each second electrode pad includes a second central portion and two second side portions connected to the second central portion.
US09379702B2
A sample and hold switch circuit includes a clock generation sub-circuit, a gate voltage bootstrap unit, a sampling Field Effect Transistor, a holding capacitor and a substrate selection sub-circuit which is connected with a signal input terminal, a signal output terminal and a substrate of the sampling Field Effect Transistor and arranged for selecting the signal input terminal or the signal output terminal to connect with the substrate of the sampling Field Effect Transistor according to the voltages of the analog signal inputted and the analog signal outputted. The sample and hold switch circuit reduces nonlinearity of the sampling Field Effect Transistor caused by its gate-source voltage changing with input signal, and eliminates bulk effect of the sampling Field Effect Transistor, thereby improving linearity of the sampling Field Effect Transistor, and extending dynamic range of the sample and hold switch circuit.
US09379698B2
Embodiments include an apparatus, system, and method related to a switching circuit. In some embodiments, the switching circuit may include first switch including an n-channel field effect transistor (FET) in the signal path. The switching circuit may further include a second switch in shunt to the first switch. The second switch may include a discharge transistor to provide a discharge path for a body of a switch transistor. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09379696B2
A high voltage bootstrap gate driving apparatus is provided. The gate driving apparatus includes a high-end transistor, a low-end transistor, a buffer, a boost capacitor, and a high voltage depletion transistor. The high-end transistor receives a first power voltage. The buffer provides a high-end driving signal to the high-end transistor according to a bias voltage. The boost capacitor is serial coupled between a base voltage and a bias voltage. A first end of the depletion transistor is coupled to a second power voltage, a second end of the depletion transistor is coupled to the bias voltage, and a control end of the depletion transistor receives the reference ground voltage.
US09379695B2
A circuit for operating a half-bridge is provided. The circuit may include a first multiplier circuit. The first multiplier circuit may be configured to multiply a first signal by a first factor to provide a turn-on signal. The turn-on signal may be configured to turn a first switch of the half-bridge on. The first multiplier circuit may be further configured to multiply the first signal by a second factor to provide a turn-off signal. The turn-off signal may be configured to turn a second switch of the half-bridge off. The first factor and the second factor may be chosen so that the second switch is turned off before the first switch is turned on.
US09379693B2
A self bias buffer circuit includes a buffer and bias controller. The buffer provides a self bias voltage based on a reference voltage and to be driven based on the self bias voltage. The buffer also generates an output signal based on a comparison of an input signal and the reference voltage. The bias controller adjusts the self bias voltage based on the reference voltage.
US09379692B2
A comparator is disclosed. The comparator has a power input terminal used to input electricity, a first and a second to-be-compared voltage input terminal used to receive the first and second to-be-compared voltage, an offset voltage adjusting circuit used to adjust an offset voltage, a comparative circuit used to compare the first to-be-compared voltage and a third to-be-compared voltage which is a sum of the second to-be-compared voltage and the offset voltage and to generate a comparative result, and a comparative result output terminal used to output the comparative result.
US09379685B2
A built-in-circuit substrate includes a substrate body, an electrical circuit including inner electrodes provided inside the substrate body and to which an RF signal is input, outer electrodes which are provided on the substrate body so as to be connected to the electrical circuit and which each include an underlying metal layer and a nickel layer covering at least a portion of the underlying metal layer, and a permanent magnet which is arranged on the substrate body. Thus, noise caused by intermodulation distortion generated in the nickel layers of the outer electrodes is prevented.
US09379664B2
A memristor-based oscillator can be fully implemented without any reactance element.
US09379663B1
In one example, an oscillator circuit includes: a master oscillator comprising a master LC tank coupled to a master active circuit, the master LC tank including a primary winding of a transformer and a capacitance; a slave oscillator comprising a slave LC tank coupled to a slave active circuit, the slave LC tank including a secondary winding of the transformer and a capacitance; and a first pair of coupling transistors and a second pair of coupling transistors each coupling the master oscillator to the slave oscillator. Gates of the first pair of coupling transistors are coupled to the master oscillator through a switch. Gates of the second pair of coupling transistors are coupled to the master oscillator through respective ninety-degree phase shifters and the switch.
US09379635B2
A detection circuit for converting a control signal while maintaining electrical isolation between a first ground and a second ground. The detection circuit includes a first input configured to receive the control signal; a gate signal input configured to receive a gate signal; a transformer; an isolator; a rectifier; and an output electrically connected to the rectifier, the output configured to output the converted control signal. The transformer is configured to receive the control signal from the first input, transform the control signal into a transformed control signal, and output the transformed control signal. The isolator is configured to receive the gate signal from the gate signal input, and control the transformer in response to the gate signal. The rectifier is configured to receive the transformed control signal from the transformer, and convert the transformed control signal to a converted control signal.
US09379621B1
A mixed signal integrated circuit, such as a typical microcontroller or digital signal controller (DSC), provides digital slope compensation for implementing peak current control in switched mode power supply (SMPS) systems. Simple and fast software calculations using digital values already measured require a single multiply and accumulate instruction (MAC) to determine the slope compensated peak current reference signal, ICMP, that will be compared with the inductor/switch current to control power switch. Doing all calculations in digital form using a software program also allows easy configurability for many different applications, setting slope values by writing to a register(s) in a memory map, and to allow SMPS applications to be dynamically adaptable or configurable on the fly. The entire slope compensation function and PWM control may be self-contained within the microcontroller or DSC and without the need of external components.
US09379618B2
An energy efficient apparatus includes a switching device, a frequency dependent reactive device, and a control element is provided. The switching device is coupled to a source of electrical power and includes a pair of transistors and is adapted to receive a control signal and to produce an alternating current power signal. The frequency of the alternating current power signal is responsive to the control signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is electrically coupled to the pair of transistors for receiving the alternating current power signal and producing an output power signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is chosen to achieve a desired voltage of the output power signal relative to the frequency of the alternating current power signal. The control element senses an actual voltage of the direct current power signal and modifies the control signal delivered to achieve the desired voltage of the direct current power signal.
US09379616B2
A control circuit with deep burst mode for power converter according to the present invention comprises a load detection circuit and a PWM circuit. The load detection circuit generates a switching control signal in response to a feedback signal. The feedback signal is correlated to a load condition of the power converter. The PWM circuit generates a switching signal to regulate an output of the power converter in response to the switching control signal and the feedback signal. The control circuit performs a deep burst mode to switch the switching signal only one time during each deep burst period when the load condition of the power converter is a very light-load. Therefore, switching loss is reduced so that the power consumption of the power converter is also reduced.
US09379607B2
A control module of constant on-time mode for a voltage converting device, includes a comparing unit, for generating a comparing signal according to an enhanced feedback voltage and a comparing voltage; a feedback voltage generating unit, for generating the enhanced feedback voltage according to a voltage difference between a first reference voltage and a feedback voltage corresponding to an output voltage of the voltage converting device; a comparing voltage generating unit, for generating the comparing voltage according to a second reference voltage and a control signal; and a adjusting unit, for acquiring an average voltage of the enhanced feedback voltage and adjusting the first reference voltage according to a voltage difference between the average voltage and the second reference voltage.
US09379602B2
Systems, power modules (108), and methods (200) for using in controlling a converter (110) coupled between a power generator (104) and an electric grid (102) are provided. One of the power modules (108) includes the converter (110) configured to supply an output from the power generator (104) to the electric grid (102), and a controller (112) coupled to the converter (110). The controller (112) includes a phase-lock-loop (PLL) module (123) and at least one regulator (128, 130). The at least one regulator (128, 130) is configured to at least partially control the converter (110) as a function of at least one parameter. The controller (112) is configured to disable the converter (110) in response to a grid fault event, to maintain coupling between the power generator (104) and the converter (110) during the grid fault event, to determine whether the PLL module (123) is locked onto a voltage associated with the electric grid, to adjust the at least one parameter after the grid fault event, and to re-enable the converter to supply the output from the power generator (104) to the electric grid (102).
US09379600B2
Disclosed herein is a device that includes a bias line to which a bias current flows, a switch circuit controlling an amount of the bias current based on a control signal, a control line to which the control signal is supplied, and a cancellation circuit substantially cancelling a potential fluctuation of the bias line caused by changing the control signal, the potential fluctuation propagating via a parasitic capacitance between the control line and the bias line.
US09379594B2
It is an object to decrease an amount of a cooling medium which stays in a housing of an electric motor and is not discharged to the outside when cooling the electric motor by the cooling medium. For this reason, an electric motor includes a first discharge port which is provided in a first flange of a housing so that the cooling medium passes therethrough, a second discharge port which is provided in the first flange so that the cooling medium in the housing passing a bearing passes therethrough, and a discharge passageway which discharges the cooling medium passing the first discharge port and the second discharge port to the outside of the housing.
US09379584B2
A low inertia permanent magnet motor includes a stator and rotor. The rotor includes a generally tubular and hollow rotor body coupled to the shaft of the motor by one or more spokes and/or webs. The permanent magnets of the rotor are coupled to the rotor body. In some embodiments, the low inertia permanent magnet motor may be used to power a drawworks. In some embodiments, the drawworks may be controlled by an active heave compensation controller.
US09379582B2
A motor includes a shaft, a rotor, and a stator. The rotor includes first and second rotor cores, and a field magnet. Second claw magnetic pole portions of second rotor core are arranged between first claw magnetic pole portions of the first rotor core. The field magnet causes the first claw magnetic pole portions to function as first magnetic poles, and the second claw magnetic pole portions to function as second magnetic poles. Radially inner surfaces of the teeth of a stator core face radially outer surfaces of the first and second claw magnetic poles. Either radially outer surfaces of the first and second claw magnetic pole portions or radially inner surfaces of the teeth each have a cross-sectional shape in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction that is not concentric to a circle of which center is an axis of the rotation shaft.
US09379575B2
A method of charging a battery in a charging system having a power convertor that coverts AC electrical power to DC electrical power includes operating the power convertor at a first frequency during a first charging phase of the charging system; ending the first charging phase upon determining that a predetermined criterion is satisfied; and subsequent to ending the first charging phase, operating the power convertor at a second frequency during a second charging phase of the charging system, wherein the first frequency is different than the second frequency.
US09379572B2
A power transmitting device includes: a power transmitting unit being able to contactlessly transmit electric power to a power receiving unit of a power receiving device; and a guide unit changing a guide position of the power receiving device at power reception of the power receiving device on the basis of a type of the power receiving unit. The guide unit may when the types of the power receiving and transmitting units are the same, set a position of the power receiving unit, at which center positions of the power receiving and transmitting units coincide with each other, for the guide position, and, when the types of the power receiving and transmitting units are different, set a position of the power receiving unit, at which the center positions of the power receiving and transmitting units deviate from each other, for the guide position.
US09379571B2
An electrical charging system configured to charge a battery includes a power transmitter, an energy coupling arrangement, an electrical signal shaping device including a controller, and an alignment means. The arrangement includes a first inductive coil disposed external to the vehicle and a second inductive coil attached with the vehicle. The alignment means communicates with the vehicle to ensure repeatable vehicle positioning so that the second inductive coil is positioned relative to the first inductive coil so that the second inductive coil receives the energy produced by the power transmitter wirelessly transmitted from the first inductive coil. The energy received by the second inductive coil is electrically shaped by the electrical signal shaping device and further transmitted through the electrical signal shaping device as controlled by the controller to charge the battery. Methods for transmitting energy through the electrical charging system to charge the battery are also presented.
US09379567B2
Smart key fob with an integrated rechargeable battery and a replaceable battery. Transfer of charge from the replaceable battery to the rechargeable battery is configured to occur only during a period of time when the key fob remains motionless to reduce RF interference with polling operation of the key fob's transceiver to determine presence of the mother-vehicle nearby. Optionally, the poling operation of the transceiver is reduced or ceased during periods of motionlessness of the key fob.
US09379558B2
A apparatus includes an AC adapter input, a main battery charger coupled to the input to charge a main battery, system logic to execute code stored on storage devices, and an expansion battery connector coupled to the input to provide sufficient current to enable charging of an expansion battery at a rate higher than a maximum charge rate of the main battery charger.
US09379556B2
A harvesting and measurement device is operable in at least a normal operation mode, a demand measurement mode, and a fault measurement mode. In the normal operation mode, the device is able to harvest energy from an associated power line and monitor current and voltage conditions through a lower power circuit. In the demand measurement mode, harvesting elements of the circuit are disabled so as not to interfere with accuracy of demand current measurements. In the fault measurement mode, one or more Hall sensors are activated such that high currents can be accurately measured.
US09379552B2
An electric power generation system is provided, including a generator having a plurality of stages engaged by a prime mover; and a plurality of branches for connecting the stages to an electrical load, each of the branches having a switch for connecting or disconnecting the branch to the stages. Power from a prime mover, such as a turbine, is sent by a controller to one or more of the branches as appropriate to handle the power level generated.
US09379550B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for transmitting and distributing electricity in which a transmission tower is adapted to include a natural power device for converting wind or solar energy into electricity. The natural power device is electrically connected as a source to at least one or more transmission lines connected to the transmission tower, in order to supply the converted electricity to a distribution grid. A wind turbine and/or a solar panel may be implemented as the natural power device.
US09379543B2
A system for energy harvesting comprises a first interface for receiving energy from at least one renewable energy source (ERS); a second interface coupled to at least one load circuit; a third interface coupled to an least one primary energy storage (PES); a DC-to-DC converter connected to one of a single inductor and a single capacitor; a switching circuitry connected to the first, second, and third interfaces and the DC-to-DC converter; a control unit connected to the DC-to-DC converter and the switching circuitry, the control unit controls the system to operate in an operation mode including any one of: provide energy from the ERS to the at least one load via the DC-to-DC converter, charge the least one PES from the at least one ERS via the DC-to-DC converter, and provide energy from the at least one PES to the at least one load circuit via the DC-to-DC converter.
US09379525B2
A method for manufacturing a laser diode device includes providing a substrate having a surface region and forming epitaxial material overlying the surface region, the epitaxial material comprising an n-type cladding region, an active region comprising at least one active layer overlying the n-type cladding region, and a p-type cladding region overlying the active layer region. The epitaxial material is patterned to form a plurality of dice, each of the dice corresponding to at least one laser device, characterized by a first pitch between a pair of dice, the first pitch being less than a design width. Each of the plurality of dice are transferred to a carrier wafer such that each pair of dice is configured with a second pitch between each pair of dice, the second pitch being larger than the first pitch.
US09379524B2
The characteristics of a semiconductor laser are improved. In a semiconductor laser having an n type cladding layer, an active layer, and a p type cladding layer, a current block layer is provided. For example, the current block layer is arranged partially between the p type cladding layer and the active layer, and in the overlapping region of the p type cladding layer and the active layer. Thus, in a current narrowing region of the overlapping region of the p type cladding layer and the active layer, the current block layer is arranged, thereby to suppress the current injected into a part of the active layer. This results in the formation of a saturable absorbing region, which causes a difference in intensity of the optical output of the semiconductor laser. This can implement self-pulsation.
US09379520B2
In order to provide a wavelength tunable surface emitting laser capable of improving a wavelength tuning efficiency, provided is a surface emitting laser, including: a first reflector; a semiconductor cavity including an active layer; and a second reflector, the first reflector, the semiconductor cavity, and the second reflector being formed in the stated order, a gap portion being formed between the first reflector and a semiconductor layer, a cavity length being tunable, in which the surface emitting laser has a high reflectivity structure formed between the gap portion and the semiconductor cavity, and an expression of “(λ/2)×m+λ/8
US09379509B2
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (10), a number of contacts (11) retained in the insulative housing, and a metal shell (12) covering the insulative housing. Each contact includes a first contacting portion (111) for connecting with a mating plug connector and a second contacting portion (112) for connecting to a board-mounted adapter. The metal shell includes a top wall (121), a bottom wall (122), and a pair of sidewalls (123) connecting between the top wall and the bottom wall for cooperatively defining a receiving space (124). Each sidewall forms a flexible portion (120) for engaging a panel slot (2131). The flexible portion is stamped from the sidewall and the metal shell defines an aperture (125) for communicating with the panel slot. An extraction tool (6) is inserted into the receiving space to deform the flexible portion to detach away from the panel slot.
US09379507B2
The present subject matter provides feedthrough or interconnect systems for components of an implantable medical device and methods for their manufacture. A feedthrough system includes a wire or nailhead having a protruded tip. The wire or nailhead extends from an aperture in an encasement of a first component and is connected to a terminal conductor adapted to electrically connect to circuitry within the encasement. A ribbon wire has a distal end adapted to electrically connect to a second component and a proximal end having a pattern adapted to fit to the protruded tip of the wire or nailhead to provide for subsequent attachment of the ribbon wire to the nailhead.
US09379497B2
A USB SSIC thin card device and a data transfer method thereof are provided. A first universal serial bus (USB) physical layer circuit is controlled by a USB device control unit to transmit data through a pair of first differential signal pins and a pair of a second differential signal pins, wherein the first USB physical layer circuit is used to transmit data complied with a USB 3.0 SSIC transmission specification.
US09379496B2
A connector (10) includes a capacitor (30) with a capacitor main body (31) extending in a front-back direction and two lead wires (32) extending forward from the front end of the capacitor main body (31). Busbars (50, 60) are arranged before the capacitor (30) and have two electronic component connecting portions (55, 65) to be connected to the lead wires (32). The connector (10) also has a housing with a forwardly open insertion opening (21) into which the capacitor (30) and the busbars (50, 60) are insertable so that the busbars (50, 60) are held. An electronic component holding portion (43) is provided in the housing and includes resiliently deflectable pieces (44) that are configured to clamp the capacitor main body (31) in a deflected state.
US09379478B2
An electrical connector including a housing made of rigid electrically insulating material and having an outer portion and an inner portion designed to receive an electrical terminal, a shielding made of electrically conductive material surrounding the inner portion including a rear extension, a sealing system including an outer seal, and an inner seal provided between the inner portion and the shielding. A method for assembling such an electrical connector is also presented.
US09379472B2
Cavities (13A) in which first terminal fittings (30A) are accommodated are at one side of shorting terminal accommodating chambers (17) arranged between cavities (13) in a height direction. Second cavities (13B) in which second terminal fittings (30B) are at the other side in the height direction. An escaping portion (23) is formed on a partition wall (22) between the shorting terminal accommodating chamber (17) and the second cavities (13B) in which the second terminal fittings (30B) are accommodated and allows resilient contact pieces (41) deformed by a short releasing portion (84) to escape. A front holder (70) is mounted on the front surface of a housing (10) and includes insulating portions (75) for insulating between the resilient contact pieces (41) and the second terminal fittings (30B) by being located at the side of the second cavities (13B) at the other side of the escaping portions (23) in the height direction.
US09379460B2
A terminal-provided wire (10) includes a wire (11) formed by covering a core (12) with an insulation coating (13), a terminal (20) to be connected to the core (12) exposed at an end of the wire (10), and a shrinkable tube (28) for sealing a wire connecting portion (25) formed by connecting the exposed core (11) and the terminal (20). An inclined surface (12A) for making a thickness of the core (12) smaller toward the tip of the core (12) is formed by welding on a part of the exposed core (12) before the wire connecting portion (25).
US09379459B2
An electrical connector comprises a first single-piece contact bracket, a second single-piece contact bracket and a flat, flexible, electrically conductive strip. The first contact bracket and the second contact bracket are secured to the strip with spacing.
US09379451B2
A broadband dual polarization antenna comprises a first metal reflective plane, for reflecting radio signals, to enhance the gain of the broadband dual polarization antenna; a first radiation portion, disposed on the first metal reflective plane with a first gap to the first metal reflective plane; a second radiation portion, disposed on the first radiation portion with a second gap to the first radiation portion; and a supporting element, for supporting and isolating the first metal reflective plane, the first radiation portion and the second radiation portion.
US09379448B2
An active artificial magnetic conductor includes a ground plane and an array of unit cells coupled to the ground plane. Each unit cell includes a low impedance shunt coupled to the ground plane and an impedance element coupled to the low impedance shunt. A plurality of non Foster circuits are coupled in two different directions between impedance elements of adjacent neighboring unit cells in the array of unit cells.
US09379446B1
Methods and apparatus for a dual polarization super-element radiator assembly. In one embodiment, an assembly comprises a first waveguide, a series of slot couplers formed in the first waveguide, first and second conductive strips, a second waveguide adjacent to the first waveguide, a series of notches formed in a conductive material extending along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the second waveguide, the notches having respective throats, a series of slots located proximate the notch throats, and a third conductive strip disposed over and aligned with the notches, wherein the slot couplers and the notches provide a dual polarization super-element radiator.
US09379442B2
The invention relates to an inductive antenna, comprising: a first planar conductive winding (42) on a first surface of a substrate, said first winding being cut off at regular intervals so as to form a series of pairs of first conductors (522, 524; 542, 546; 562, 564); and a second planar conductive winding (44) on a second surface of the substrate, said second winding being provided opposite the first winding and cut off in a direction vertically perpendicular to that of the cutoffs of the first winding so as to form a series of pairs of second conductors (526, 528; 546, 548; 66, 568). Each pair of first conductors defines a resonant subassembly with the pair of second conductors opposite thereto, wherein each of the two first conductors of a single subassembly are electrically connected to another first conductor of another subassembly or to a terminal (41, 43) of the antenna, the second conductors of adjacent pairs are not electrically connected to each other, and one end (5224, 244, 5424, 5444, 5624, 5644) of each first conductor is either electrically connected (523, 543, 563, 525, 545, 565) to one end (5284, 5264, 5484, 5464, 5684, 5664) of a second conductor of the subassembly in question or is not connected thereto, in which case the second conductors of the subassembly in question are electrically connected to one another.
US09379438B1
A system, device, and method for a broad-band array antenna are presented. More particularly, the application relates to a broad-band fragmented aperture phased array antenna for the Ka, K, and/or Ku frequency bands. In various exemplary embodiments, the antenna system may support dynamic polarization degradation correction. In one exemplary embodiment a method and system for a broad-band fragmented aperture phased array antenna for the Ka, K, and/or Ku frequency band is presented. In one exemplary embodiment, the fragmented aperture design functions in one or more of the Ku-band, K-band, and/or Ka-band. In another exemplary embodiment, the antenna system may include full electronic polarization agility. In one exemplary embodiment, the antenna system may further comprise a printed circuit board radiating element. The printed circuit board radiating element may be configured to function as an antenna. In one exemplary embodiment, the antenna system may support operation over multiple frequency bands.
US09379433B2
An antenna includes a first radiating element, a second radiating element, a common ground plane between the first radiating element and the second radiating element, and a wavetrap structure coupled to the ground plane and configured to reduce correlation between the first and second radiating elements at first and second RF frequencies.
US09379429B2
An antenna assembly includes a first antenna, a second antenna, and at least one connecting member. The first antenna includes a radiator and at least one connecting portion connected to the radiator, and the radiator is a part of a housing of a wireless communication device. The at least one connecting member is connected to the at least one connecting portion to fix the first antenna to the wireless communication device to feed current to the first antenna and the second antenna.
US09379425B2
A signal splitter for creating at least two symmetrical equal-power signals from an input signal for use in an amplifier device includes at least one input terminal pair and at least two output terminal pairs. A primary conductor structure supplied from the at least one input terminal pair is provided for induction of a current flow in at least two secondary conductor structures each connected to an output terminal pair of the at least two output terminal pairs and the at least two secondary conductor structures. A center of a conductor length of each of the at least two secondary conductor structures is connected to ground, and the primary conductor structure and the at least two secondary conductor structures are realized as conductor tracks applied to a printed circuit board.
US09379421B2
The present invention relates to sodium oxygen cells comprising (A) at least one anode comprising sodium, (B) at least one gas diffusion electrode comprising at least one porous support, and (C) a liquid electrolyte comprising at least one aprotic glycol diether with a molecular weight Mn of not more than 350 g/mol. The present invention further relates to the use of the invention sodium oxygen cells and to a process for preparing sodium supperoxide of formula NaO2.
US09379415B2
The present invention provides an entire solid lithium secondary battery comprising: a cathode; an anode; and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the cathode and the anode. The solid electrolyte layer is formed of a Li(1-x)TaO3 crystal (where 0.12≦x≦0.46) having a trigonal ilmenite crystal structure. This entire solid lithium secondary battery has a good charge-discharge property.
US09379412B2
An ionic compound is represented by formula (1): AM(OY1)(OY2)(OY3)(OY4). A is a group 1 element. M is a group 13 element. Y1 is one selected from an oligoalkylene ether group, an oligoalkylene thioether group, and an oligoalkylene amino group and includes an electron donating group on carbon that is located in one of α-γ positions with respect to oxygen atom adjacent to M. Y2, Y3, and Y4 are the same each other or different from each other or cross-linked to each other. Y2, Y3, and Y4 are each any one of an alkyl group, an alkyl group with a fluorinated terminal, an aryl group, and one selected from the group consisting of an oligoalkylene ether group, an oligoalkylene thioether group, and an oligoalkylene amino group and including an electron donating group on carbon that is located in one of α-γ positions with respect to oxygen atom adjacent to M.
US09379408B2
A fuel cell system is provided which includes a compression retention enclosure with upper and lower compression shells and side sheet components coupled by interlocking hem joints. Methods for manufacturing compression retention enclosures with hem joints such that the enclosure remains sealed upon operational swelling of the fuel stack are also provided. A compression shell may be formed from a light weight composite structure having a polymeric layer interposed between steel skins, and an extension of the top steel skin may form a hemmed edge or may form a side sheet having a hemmed edge. Side sheet panels may be coupled to the end plates by interlocking two opposing hemmed edges to form the hem joint, or by sliding an opposing C-linking element between two hemmed edges held under compression force in an interlocking position.
US09379407B2
In a fuel cell stack constituting a fuel cell module, electrolyte/electrode assemblies and separators are alternately laminated. An electrolyte/electrode assembly is arranged on one end of the fuel cell stack in the lamination direction, while a separator is arranged on the other end of the fuel cell stack in the lamination direction. A terminal separator is arranged adjacent to the electrolyte/electrode assembly, while a load relaxation member is arranged adjacent to the separator. The terminal separator controls the supply of a fuel gas to a fuel gas channel, and the load relaxation member is configured of a laminate of a plurality of flat metal plates.
US09379401B2
A fuel cell system has a fuel cell for generating electricity by reacting a fuel gas with an oxidant gas and an exhaust flow passage for exhausting the fuel exhaust gas exhausted from a fuel electrode 16 of the fuel cell to the outside. The fuel cell system is equipped with a movable filter device disposed in the exhaust flow passage, so that by activating the movable filter device, water and foreign particles adhering to the filter are quickly scattered by rotational centrifugal force and vibration, thereby preventing the exhaust flow passage from being blocked by the clogging by water freeze and foreign particles and also reducing startup time.
US09379396B2
A method for shutting down a fuel cell system including operating a fuel cell stack. the method includes providing an increased cathode air flow so as to dry fuel cell membranes in the stack until a first desired level of high frequency resistance is achieved, rehydrating the cell membranes of the stack until a second desired level of high frequency resistance is achieved, and operating the stack with a decreased cathode input relative humidity until a third desired level of high frequency resistance is achieved.
US09379395B2
A metal-air battery is disclosed, including a cathode temperature controller that identifies a power-boosted operating temperature at which a projected power boost exceeds a projected battery lifetime penalty and a temperature regulator that adjusts the cathode temperature to the power-boosted operating temperature using power generated by the metal-air battery when the metal-air battery is in a discharge state.
US09379383B2
A method of preparing a lithium battery according to an embodiment of the present invention may include preparing a mixture including lithium phosphorus sulfide and metal sulfide, preparing an electrode composite by applying a physical pressure to the mixture, wherein the electrode composite includes lithium phosphorus sulfide, lithium metal sulfide, and amorphous sulfide, preparing an electrode active layer by using the electrode composite, forming an electrode current collector on one side of the electrode active layer, and forming an electrolyte layer on another side of the electrode active layer.
US09379379B2
A cathode material for a lithium ion secondary battery is a composite grain including an oxide and a carbon material. The oxide includes, as constituent elements, Li, Si and at least one of Fe and Mn. According to a measurement by an X-ray diffraction method using Cu-Kα as an X-ray source, a diffraction peak exists within a range of 2θ=33±2° and a half width of the diffraction peak is 0.55° or more. A size of the grain is 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less.
US09379363B2
A cylindrical battery, including: a battery case having a cylindrical shape; an electrode group disposed in the battery case, the electrode group comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator, the electrode group having a pair of flat outer side surfaces opposed to each other; and a spacer disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the battery case and each of the flat outer side surfaces of the electrode group.
US09379359B2
The present disclosure relates to an organic electroluminescence element including: a substrate having a light transmissive property; a light diffusion layer; a light transmissive electrode; a light reflective electrode; and a light emitting layer. With regard to the first light emitting layer being the first closest light emitting layer to the light reflective electrode, the relation defined by following expression (2) is satisfied, [ FORMULA 1 ] ϕ ( λ m ) × λ m 4 π + l + 0.1 2 λ m ≤ n m ( λ m ) × d m ≤ ϕ ( λ m ) × λ m 4 π + l + 0.5 2 λ m ( 2 ) wherein, λm represents the weighted average emission wavelength, Ø(λm) represents the phase shift, nm(λm) represents the average refractive index of a medium filling a space between the light reflective electrode and the first light emitting layer, and dm represents the distance from the light reflective electrode to the first light emitting layer. m is equal to 1.1 is an integer equal to or more than 0.
US09379357B2
The present application discloses an OLED with an improved structure, comprising a reflective anode layer, a transparent cathode layer, an organic light-emitting layer sandwiched between the anode layer and the cathode layer, and a side reflective layer surrounding the organic light-emitting layer and forming a light exiting area together with the anode layer, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting layer is reflected by both of the anode layer and the side reflective layer, and then leaves from the light exiting area. According to the present disclosure, the lateral light is reflected by the side reflective layer arranged around the organic light-emitting layer, such that the luminescent efficiency of the OLED with said improved structure can be significantly increased.
US09379353B2
A display panel has a display region including a first substrate, a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, a frit layer, a first reflective layer, and a second reflective layer. The frit layer surrounding the display region is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The frit layer includes a first edge adjacent to the display region and a second edge adjacent to the peripheral region. The first reflective layer surrounds the first edge, in which an orthogonal projection direction of the first edge of the frit layer partially overlaps with the first reflective layer. The second reflective layer surrounds the second edge, in which an orthogonal projection direction of the second edge of the frit layer partially overlaps with the second reflective layer, and the first reflective layer and the second reflective layer are disposed opposite to each other on the first substrate.
US09379352B2
An OLED encapsulating structure and a manufacturing method thereof, and a light-emitting device are disclosed. The OLED encapsulating structure comprises: a base substrate, an OLED, barrier layers, and optical modulation layers; the OLED is formed on the base substrate; the barrier layers and the optical modulation layers are alternately and periodically formed on the OLED. The OLED encapsulating structure can reduce viewing-angle dependence of an OLED caused by a micro-cavity effect.
US09379343B2
According to example embodiments, a transmissive electrode may include a light transmission layer. The light transmission layer may include a metal and a metal oxide that is included in a smaller amount than the metal. According to example embodiments, an organic photoelectric device, as well as an image sensor, may include the transmissive electrode.
US09379333B2
A fluorene-based compound represented by Formula 1 below and an organic light-emitting device (OLED) including the fluorene-based compound. wherein R1 to R3, R10 to R17 and a, b, c, d, e, and f are defined as in the specification.
US09379326B2
The present invention refers to a method for selectively structuring of a polymer matrix comprising AgNW (silver nano wires) or CNTs (carbon nano tubes) or comprising mixtures of AgNW and CNTs on a flexible plastic substructure or solid glass sheet. The method also includes a suitable etching composition, which allows to proceed the method in a mass production.
US09379311B1
An apparatus for peripherally encapsulating a plurality of piezoelectric elements includes a first fixture with a fixture base and a plurality of protrusions extending from the fixture base. Each protrusion includes a distal support surface that is approximately the same size as an exposed portion of a first side of each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements. The apparatus includes first and second alignment combs, each including a plurality of tines that are spaced to position each of the plurality of piezoelectric elements there between. The tines of the second alignment comb are oriented approximately orthogonally relative to the tines of the first alignment comb.
US09379305B2
Disclosed herein is a piezoelectric vibration module including a vibration plate that is surrounded by an upper case and a lower case, and includes a stopper capable of preventing direct collision between a piezoelectric element and an internal constituent member, for example, a lower case while vibrating linearly therein.
US09379301B2
A plurality of first cup-shaped members and a plurality of second cup-shaped members are placed alternately in repetition to form a pipe having an inner through-hole. At this point, neither the first cup-shaped members nor the second cup-shaped members are sintered yet. Then, the resultant pipe is sintered to obtain a pipe-shaped thermal power generation device. While the pipe is sintered, a pressure is applied to the pipe along a longitudinal direction of the pipe in a direction in which the pipe is compressed.
US09379299B2
An apparatus includes a wafer with a number of openings therein. For each opening, an LED device is coupled to a conductive carrier and the wafer in a manner so that each of the coupled LED device and a portion of the conductive carrier at least partially fill the opening. A method of fabricating an LED device includes forming a number of openings in a wafer. The method also includes coupling light-emitting diode (LED) devices to conductive carriers. The LED devices with conductive carriers at least partially fill each of the openings.
US09379277B2
A fabrication method for a solar cell assembly is disclosed. Solar cell sheets, which are connected to each other with connecting sheets, are placed into an injection mold having casting molds. The solar cell sheets are respectively situated in the casting molds. An injection molding material is injected into the casting molds under a heating condition such that the solar cell sheets are encapsulated in the injection molding material. The injection molding material can include ethylene-vinyl acetate or polysilicone and polyvinyl butyral. The encapsulated solar cell sheets are taken out of the injection mold. A substrate and a back sheet respectively are attached to two sides of the encapsulated solar cell sheets.
US09379275B2
A method for reducing dark current in image sensors comprises providing a backside illuminated image sensor wafer, depositing a first passivation layer on a backside of the backside illuminated image sensor wafer, depositing a plasma enhanced passivation layer on the first passivation layer and depositing a second passivation layer on the plasma enhanced passivation layer.
US09379270B2
Bifacial crystalline solar cells and associated solar panel systems are provided. The cells include a p-type crystalline silicon layer and a barrier layer. The panels include at least two rows of cells. The cells in each row are connected to one another in series. The rows are connected in parallel. A reflector is used to reflect light towards the underside of the panel. A long axis of the reflector is arranged to be parallel to the rows of cells.
US09379268B2
Disclosed is a solar cell module that has a wiring member including a resin film, and a wiring disposed on the resin film and electrically connected to a solar cell. The wiring member includes a first portion disposed in that the wiring faces the solar cell, the first portion bonded to the solar cell, a second portion disposed in that the wiring faces an opposite side from the solar cell, and a bent portion connecting the first portion and the second portion to each other. A distance between a first protective member and a second protective member in a region where the wiring member is provided in an area located between the solar cell and the second protective member is longer than a distance between the first protective member and the second protective member in a region where the wiring member is not provided in the area.
US09379267B2
A solar cell module including two or more adjacent solar cells (1a, 1b), a connection member (2) for electrically connecting the solar cells (1a, 1b) to each other, and a solder layer (5) disposed between the solar cells (1) and the connection member (2), wherein first and second opening holes (4a, 4b) are formed at a connection portion of the connection member (2) corresponding to the first and the second solar cells (1a, 1b), the first and the second opening holes (4a, 4b) are configured that solder is deposited into them, and first and second protruding parts (3a, 3b) are formed at a part of the outer periphery of each of the first and second opening holes (4a, 4b) of the connection member (2). By the present invention, it is possible to ensure sufficient thickness of the solder joining layer and to improve reliability for long-term use.
US09379266B2
Disclosed are a solar cell module and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell module according to the embodiment includes first solar cells including a first P-type semiconductor layer, a first buffer layer, and a first N-type semiconductor layer sequentially disposed on a support substrate; second solar cells including a second N-type semiconductor layer, a second buffer layer, and a second N-type semiconductor layer sequentially disposed on the support substrate; and a connecting electrode connecting the first solar cells to the second solar cells.
US09379265B2
An integrated circuit (IC) comprises a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) cells formed over a passivation layer of a target integrated circuit (TIC), wherein at least one PV cell of the plurality of PV cells is usable as a light sensing device; an interface to an energy storage unit; the TIC comprising at least: a control unit; and a switching circuit, the switching circuit coupled to the plurality of PV cells, the energy storage, and the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to control at least the switching circuit to configure a connection scheme, wherein the connection scheme devises at least one first PV cell of the plurality of PV cells to connect to the energy storage and at least one second PV cell to connect to the control unit for light detection.
US09379260B2
Provided is a solar cell including a first electrode, a first semiconductor layer on the first electrode, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a second electrode on the second semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer may include a nano wire that may be formed along a grain boundary of a top surface thereof to have a mesh-shaped structure.
US09379255B2
A non-volatile memory cell having a split gate, wherein the floating gate and the coupling/control gate have complimentary non-planar shapes. The shape may be a step shape. An array of such cells and a method of manufacturing the cells are also disclosed.
US09379253B1
The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a symmetric tunnel field effect transistor and methods of manufacture. The structure includes a gate structure including a source region and a drain region both of which comprise a doped VO2 region.
US09379246B2
Three-dimensional (3D) non-volatile memory arrays having a vertically-oriented thin film transistor (TFT) select device and method of fabricating such a memory are described. The vertically-oriented TFT may be used as a vertical bit line selection device to couple a global bit line to a vertical bit line. A select device pillar includes a body and upper and lower source/drain regions. At least one gate is separated horizontally from the select device pillar by a gate dielectric. Beneath each gate, a single gap fill dielectric layer extends vertically from a lower surface of the gate, at least partially separating the gate from the underlying global bit line. Between horizontally adjacent pillars, this same dielectric layer extends from its same lower level beneath the gates vertically to a level of the upper source/drain region.
US09379245B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a first protective layer, and a second protective layer. The gate electrode is disposed on a substrate. The metal oxide semiconductor layer is disposed on a gate insulating layer and electrically connects the source electrode and the drain electrode. The first protective layer disposed on the metal oxide semiconductor layer has a first oxygen vacancy concentration. The second protective layer disposed on the first protective layer has a second oxygen vacancy concentration. A boundary area located between the first and second protective layers has a third oxygen vacancy concentration. The third oxygen vacancy concentration is respectively greater than the first oxygen vacancy concentration and the second oxygen vacancy concentration.
US09379237B1
A LDMOS includes a gate structure disposed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, a source region having a first conductivity type, a drain region having the first conductivity type, an isolation region surrounding the source/drain regions, a doped region having a second conductivity type, and a base region having the second conductivity type formed in the doped region. The source/drain regions are respectively disposed on two sides of the gate structure. The doped region surrounds the isolation region, and the bottom of the doped region is deeper than the bottom of the isolation region. The base region is disposed at the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09379231B2
A transistor includes a source finger electrode having a source finger electrode beginning and a source finger electrode end. The transistor also includes a drain finger electrode with a curved drain finger electrode end having an increased radius of curvature. The resulting decreased electric field at the curved drain finger electrode end allows for an increased breakdown voltage and a more robust and reliable transistor.
US09379227B2
A high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) device includes a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate, wherein a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) layer is formed in the semiconductor layers; an etch-stop layer formed on the plurality of semiconductor layers; a p-type semiconductor layer pattern formed on the etch-stop layer; and a gate electrode formed on the p-type semiconductor layer pattern.
US09379225B2
A semiconductor device in which an IGBT region and a diode region are formed on one semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The IGBT region includes: a body layer of a first conductivity type that is formed on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a body contact layer of the first conductivity type that is partially formed on a front surface of the body layer and has a higher impurity concentration of the first conductivity type than the body layer; an emitter layer of a second conductivity type that is partially formed on the front surface of the body layer; a drift layer; a collector layer; and a gate electrode. In the semiconductor device, a part of the body contact layer placed at a long distance from the diode region is made larger than a part of the body contact layer placed at a short distance from the diode region.
US09379221B1
A method of fabricating a replacement metal gate in a transistor device, a fin field effect transistor (finFET), and method of fabricating a finFET device with the replacement metal gate are described. The method of fabricating the replacement metal gate includes forming a dummy gate structure over a substrate, the dummy gate structure being surrounded by an insulating layer, and removing the dummy gate structure so as to expose a trench within the insulating layer. The method also includes conformally depositing a dielectric material layer and a work function metal layer over a the insulating layer and in the trench and removing the dielectric material layer and the work function metal layer from a tip surface of the insulating layer, recessing the work function metal layer below a top of the trench, and selectively forming a gate metal only on exposed surfaces of the work function metal layer.
US09379209B2
A replacement gate structure that includes a conductive metal gate electrode is formed in a gate cavity, wherein the gate cavity is formed in a dielectric material formed above an active region of a semiconductor device. An upper surface of the conductive metal gate electrode and an upper surface of the dielectric material are planarized during a common planarization process, and a protective conductive cap is selectively formed on and in direct physical contact with the planarized upper surface of the conductive metal gate electrode. A contact structure is formed in a dielectric insulating layer formed above the replacement gate structure, the contact structure directly contacting the protective conductive cap.
US09379206B2
A semiconductor device fabrication method is provided in which recesses are formed at source/drain positions in the substrate, removable sidewalls are formed on side walls of the recess, and the recesses then are etched to form Sigma shaped recesses. Selective epitaxial growth of substantially un-doped SiGe in the Sigma shaped recesses is performed, and the Sigma shaped recesses close to the surface of the substrate can be protected from epitaxial growth by the removable sidewalls. Epitaxial growth of SiGe doped with a P-type impurity can be performed in the Sigma shaped recesses after removing the sidewalls.
US09379202B2
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to interposers for packaging integrated circuits. The interposers include capacitive devices for reducing signal noise and leakage between adjacent integrated circuits coupled to the interposers. The capacitive devices are formed from doped semiconductor layers. In one embodiment, an interposer includes a substrate having doped regions of opposing conductivities. First and second oxide layers are disposed over the doped regions. A first interconnect disposed in the second oxide layer is electrically coupled to a doped region of a first conductivity, and a second interconnect disposed in the second oxide is electrically coupled to a doped region of a second conductivity. Additional capacitive devices utilizing doped semiconductor layers are also disclosed.
US09379201B2
A method includes thinning a back-side of a substrate to expose a portion of a first via that is formed in the substrate. The method also includes forming a first diode at the back-side of the substrate. The first diode is coupled to the first via.
US09379200B2
A semiconductor device according to the present embodiment includes a semiconductor substrate. A first insulating film is provided on the semiconductor substrate. A charge trap layer is provided on the first insulating film and the charge trap layer includes a silicide layer made of a metal silicide. A second insulating film is provided on the charge trap layer. A control gate electrode is provided on the second insulating film.
US09379183B2
A structure, such as an integrated circuit device, is described that includes a line of material with critical dimensions which vary within a distribution substantially less than that of a mask element, such as a patterned resist element, used in etching the line. Techniques are described for processing a line of crystalline phase material which has already been etched using the mask element, in a manner which straightens an etched sidewall surface of the line. The straightened sidewall surface does not carry the sidewall surface variations introduced by photolithographic processes, or other patterning processes, involved in forming the mask element and etching the line.
US09379180B2
A super junction for semiconductor device includes a silicon substrate with a first conductive type epitaxial layer, a plurality of highly-doped second conductive type columns formed in the first conductive type epitaxial layer, and a plurality of lightly-doped (first conductive type or second conductive type) side walls formed on outer surfaces of the highly-doped second conductive type. The semiconductor device is super-junction MOSFET, super junction MOSFET, super junction Schottky rectifier, super junction IGBT, thyristor or super junction diode.
US09379176B2
An integrated circuit containing a well resistor has STI field oxide and resistor dummy active areas in the well resistor. STI trenches are etched and filled with trench fill dielectric material. The trench fill dielectric material is removed from over the active areas by a CMP process, leaving STI field oxide in the STI trenches. Subsequently, dopants are implanted into a substrate in the well resistor area to form the well resistor. An integrated circuit containing a polysilicon resistor has STI field oxide and resistor dummy active areas in an area for the polysilicon resistor. A layer of polysilicon is formed and planarized by a CMP process. A polysilicon etch mask is formed over the CMP-planarized polysilicon layer to define the polysilicon resistor. A polysilicon etch process removes polysilicon in areas exposed by the polysilicon etch mask, leaving the polysilicon resistor.
US09379171B2
Disclosed herein is a display device including, a pixel array portion, a drive portion; and a power source wiring; the pixel array portion, at least a part of the drive portion configured to drive the pixel array portion and the power source wiring form a panel, the pixel array portion includes scanning lines disposed in rows, signal lines disposed in columns, and pixels disposed in matrix in portions where the scanning lines and the signal lines cross each other, respectively, and the drive portion includes a scanner portion configured to drive the pixels in a line-sequential manner through the scanning lines, and a signal portion configured to supply a video signal to each of the signal lines in correspondence to the line-sequential drive, so that an image is displayed on the pixel array portion.
US09379165B2
A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment described below comprises: first lines arranged in a first direction perpendicular to a main surface of a substrate and extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; second lines arranged in the second direction, extending in the first direction, and intersecting the first lines; memory cells disposed at intersections of the first lines and the second lines; and an interlayer insulating film provided between the second lines. The interlayer insulating film has an air gap extending continuously in the first direction so as to intersect at least some of the first lines aligned along the first direction. The interlayer insulating film also includes an insulating film positioned above the air gap and having a curved surface that protrudes toward a direction of the substrate.
US09379160B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate in which a charge transfer section configured to transfer a charge generated in a photoelectric conversion section is formed. The semiconductor substrate includes a surface that is formed in a convex shape in an area in which the charge transfer section is formed.
US09379156B2
Techniques for per-channel image intensity correction includes linear interpolation of each channel of spectral data to generate corrected spectral data.
US09379151B1
An image sensor device is provided, and includes pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes a light sensing element, a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor is coupled to the light sensing element. The second transistor is coupled to the light sensing element and the first transistor. The first transistor includes a first gate structure having a first width, and the second transistor includes a second gate structure having a second width, in which a distance between the first gate structure and the second gate structure is substantially greater than the first width and the second width.
US09379150B2
The present invention improves the performance of an image sensor. In a planar view, fluorine is introduced into a part overlapping with a channel region in a gate electrode GE1 of an amplification transistor and is not introduced into the interior of a semiconductor substrate 1S. Concretely as shown in FIG. 20, a resist film FR1 is patterned in the manner of opening the part planarly overlapping with the channel region in the gate electrode GE1. Then fluorine is injected into the interior of the gate electrode GE1 exposed from an opening OP1 by an ion implantation method using the resist film FR1 in which the opening OP1 is formed as a mask.
US09379149B2
Imaging sensors, imaging apparatuses, and methods of driving an image sensor are provided. An image sensor can include a semiconductor substrate with a photoelectric conversion element and a charge-conversion element. The sensor can further include a capacitance switch. A charge accumulation element is located adjacent the photoelectric conversion element. At least a portion of the charge accumulation element overlaps a charge accumulation region of the photoelectric conversion element. The charge accumulation element is selectively connected to the charge-voltage conversion element by the capacitance switch.
US09379147B2
The present invention discloses a thin-film transistor array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof. The method includes steps of using a first multi-tone adjustment mask to form a gate electrode and a common electrode after depositing a first transparent conductive layer and a first metallic layer on a substrate; depositing a gate-insulating layer and a semiconductor layer and then using a first mask to retain a part of the semiconductor layer that is on a top of the gate electrode; depositing a second transparent conductive layer and a second metallic layer, and using a second multi-tone adjustment mask to form a source electrode, a drain electrode and a pixel electrode.
US09379145B2
A display apparatus includes a first substrate to be exposed to external light; a second substrate opposing the first substrate; a gate line arranged over the first substrate such that the gate line is located between the first and second substrates; and an anti-reflective layer. The anti-reflective layer is arranged between the first substrate and the gate line. The anti-reflective layer includes an organic layer and an inorganic layer, and the organic layer includes a light absorber configured to absorb light. The inorganic layer overlaps with the organic layer and has a refractive index smaller than that of the gate line.
US09379141B2
An object is to manufacture and provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor with stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region serves as an oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment for reducing impurities such as moisture (heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed after an oxide insulating film serving as a protective film is formed in contact with an oxide semiconductor layer. Then, the impurities such as moisture, which exist not only in a source electrode layer, in a drain electrode layer, in a gate insulating layer, and in the oxide semiconductor layer but also at interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and upper and lower films which are in contact with the oxide semiconductor layer, are reduced.
US09379138B2
A solid-state imaging device increases the SN ratio of a signal even when external light intensity is low. The solid-state imaging device includes a sensor circuit that includes a light-receiving element, a first transistor that controls connection between a first wiring and a node in which the amount of accumulated charge is determined by the amount of exposure to the light-receiving element, a second transistor whose on or off state is selected in accordance with the potential of the node, and a third transistor that controls connection between a second wiring and a third wiring together with the second transistor; a central processing unit that selects a first driving method or a second driving method in accordance with external light intensity; and a controller that controls a potential supplied to the gate of the first transistor in accordance with the first driving method or the second driving method.
US09379136B2
When a transistor having bottom gate bottom contact structure is manufactured, for example, a conductive layer constituting a source and a drain has a three-layer structure and two-step etching is performed. In the first etching process, an etching method in which the etching rates for at least the second film and the third film are high is employed, and the first etching process is performed until at least the first film is exposed. In the second etching process, an etching method in which the etching rate for the first film is higher than that in the first etching process and the etching rate for a “layer provided below and in contact with the first film” is lower than that in the first etching process is employed. The side wall of the second film is slightly etched when a resist mask is removed after the second etching process.
US09379135B2
A semiconductor device includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a buried oxide (BOX) layer, and a plurality of semiconductor fins formed on the BOX layer. The plurality of semiconductor fins include at least one pair of fins defining a BOX region therebetween. Gate lines are formed on the SOI substrate and extend across the plurality of semiconductor fins. Each gate line initially includes a dummy gate and a hardmask. A high dielectric (high-k) layer is formed on the hardmask and the BOX regions. At least one spacer is formed on each gate line such that the high-k layer is disposed between the spacer and the hardmask. A replacement gate process replaces the hardmask and the dummy gate with a metal gate. The high-k layer is ultimately removed from the gate line, while the high-k layer remains on the BOX region.
US09379129B1
A 3D array of memory cells with one or more blocks is described. The blocks include a plurality of layers. The layers in the plurality include semiconductor strips which extend from a semiconductor pad. The layers are disposed so that the semiconductor strips in the plurality of layers form a plurality of stacks of semiconductor strips and a stack of semiconductor pads. Also, a plurality of select gate structures are disposed over stacks of semiconductor strips in the plurality of stacks between the semiconductor pad and memory cells on the semiconductor strips. In addition, different ones of the plurality of select gate structures couple the semiconductor strips in different ones of the stacks of semiconductor strips to the semiconductor pads in the plurality of layers. Further, an assist gate structure is disposed over the plurality of stacks between the select gate structures and the stack of semiconductor pads.
US09379122B2
A memory device includes an array of floating gate memory cells. Adjacent memory cells are separated by a plurality of air gaps that electrically decouple respective active regions of adjacent memory cells from one another. Additionally, the air gaps electrically decouple an active region of a memory cell from a floating gate of an adjacent memory cell.
US09379121B1
A non-volatile memory cell includes a substrate of a first conductivity type, having a first region of a second conductivity type, a second region of the second conductivity type spaced apart from the first region, forming a channel region therebetween. A floating gate is disposed over and insulated from a first portion of the channel region which is adjacent the first region. A select gate is disposed over a second portion of the channel region adjacent to the second region, the select gate being formed of a metal material and being insulated from the second portion of the channel region by a layer of silicon dioxide and a layer of high K insulating material. A control gate is disposed over and insulated from the floating gate. An erase gate is disposed over and insulated from the first region, and disposed laterally adjacent to and insulated from the floating gate.
US09379117B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes etching semiconductor substrate to form bulb-type trenches that define a plurality of active regions in the semiconductor substrate; forming a supporter in each of the bulb-type trenches; dividing each active region, of the plurality of active regions, into a pair of body lines by forming a trench through each active region; and forming a bit line in each body line of the pair of body lines.
US09379116B1
A method including forming a buffer layer between a top pad layer and a bottom pad layer all above a deep trench capacitor embedded in a substrate, forming a fin pattern, defined by one or more sidewall spacers, above the top pad layer using a sidewall image transfer technique, transferring the fin pattern into the top pad layer stopping of the buffer layer, and forming a fin in direct contact with a strap by transferring the fin pattern into the buffer layer, into the bottom pad layer, and into the substrate and an inner electrode of the deep trench capacitor, the fin is formed from a portion of the substrate and the strap is formed from a portion of the inner electrode of the deep trench capacitor.
US09379115B2
In a semiconductor device and a method of making the same, the semiconductor device comprises a substrate including a first region and a second region. At least one first gate structure is on the substrate in the first region, the at least one first gate structure including a first gate insulating layer and a first gate electrode layer on the first gate insulating layer. At least one isolating structure is in the substrate in the second region, a top surface of the isolating structure being lower in height than a top surface of the substrate. At least one resistor pattern is on the at least one isolating structure.
US09379114B2
Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device may include storage node pads disposed adjacent to each other between word lines but spaced apart from each other by an isolation pattern. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a bridge problem from being caused by a mask misalignment. This enables to improve reliability of the semiconductor device.
US09379100B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprises I/O cells arranged around a core region. Each of the I/O cells comprises a level shifter circuit, an I/O logic circuit, and an I/O buffer circuit. An I/O logic region in which the I/O logic circuit is arranged and an I/O buffer region in which the I/O buffer circuit is arranged overlap with a region in which a pad for the I/O cell is arranged. The I/O logic region and the I/O buffer region are arranged side by side in a direction parallel to a side of the core region.
US09379093B2
Methods and apparatus for packaging a backside illuminated (BSI) image sensor or a sensor device with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) are disclosed. According to an embodiment, a sensor device may be bonded together face-to-face with an ASIC without using a carrier wafer, where corresponding bond pads of the sensor are aligned with bond pads of the ASIC and bonded together, in a one-to-one fashion. A column of pixels of the sensor may share a bond bad connected by a shared inter-metal line. The bond pads may be of different sizes and configured in different rows to be disjoint from each other. Additional dummy pads may be added to increase the bonding between the sensor and the ASIC.
US09379089B2
Disclosed is a core module, comprising: a package substrate, having a plurality of pads; a first component, connected to the pads of the package substrate corresponding to the first component with a plurality of first joint parts; a second component, connected to the pads of the package substrate corresponding to the first component with a plurality of second joint parts; and a third component, connected to the pads of the package substrate corresponding to the third component with a plurality of third joint parts, wherein the first component is positioned above the second component relative to the lower package substrate, and the first component, the second component and the third component are all electrically connected via the package substrate, and a main molding material is molding the first component, the second component and the third component.
US09379086B2
A semiconductor device includes a common wire that sequentially connects three or more pads; bonding portions at which a side surface of the wire is bonded to the pads; and looping portions looped from the bonding portions onto the other pads adjacent to the pads, the bonding portions and the looping portions are formed alternately. When the pads are recessed from the surface of semiconductor chips, the common wire is crushed to a thickness greater than the recess depth of the pads to be made into a flat shape. Thus, on the semiconductor device, wire connection is performed with a smaller bonding count while reducing damage to the semiconductor chips, and at the same time bonding is performed efficiently to the electrodes recessed from the surface of the semiconductor chips.
US09379082B2
A pressure application technique is provided that enables two objects to be pressurized (e.g., objects to be bonded) to be positioned with greater accuracy before having pressure applied thereto. The objects to be pressurized are moved relative to each other in a Z direction such that the objects are brought into contact with each other (step S13). Then, a horizontal positional shift ΔD between the objects to be pressurized is measured in the contact state of the objects to be pressurized (step S14). Thereafter, positioning of the objects to be pressurized is again performed by moving the objects to be pressurized relative to each other in the horizontal direction, as a result of which the positional shift ΔD is corrected (step S17).
US09379075B2
A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices is provided. In the method, a conductive pad and a metal protrusion pattern are formed in a metallization layer. A passivation layer is conformally deposited over the metallization, and a protection layer is conformally deposited over the passivation layer. Further, a post-passivation interconnect structure (PPI) is conformally formed on the protection layer, and the PPI structure includes a landing pad region, a protrusion pattern over at least a portion of the landing pad region and a connection line electrically connected to the conductive pad. A solder bump is then placed on the landing pad region in contact with the protrusion pattern of PPI structure. A to semiconductor device with bum stop structure is also provided.
US09379071B2
Embodiments of a packaged semiconductor device with no leads are disclosed. One embodiment includes a semiconductor chip and a no leads package structure defining a boundary and having a bottom surface and includes three or more pads exposed at the bottom surface of the package structure. Each of the pads is located in a single inline row.
US09379057B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide increased distance between vias and neighboring metal lines in a back end of line (BEOL) structure. A copper alloy seed layer is deposited in trenches that are formed in a dielectric layer. The trenches are then filled with copper. An anneal is then performed to create a self-forming barrier using a seed layer constituent, such as manganese, as the manganese is drawn to the dielectric layer during the anneal. The self-forming barrier is disposed on a shoulder region of the dielectric layer, increasing the effective distance between the via and its neighboring metal lines.
US09379056B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, comprising: a) forming metal interconnect liners on a substrate; b) forming a mask layer to cover the metal interconnect liners and forming openings, which expose the metal interconnect liners, on the mask layer; c) etching and disconnecting the metal interconnect liners via the openings, thereby insulating and isolating the metal interconnect liners. The present invention further provides a semiconductor structure, which comprises a substrate and metal interconnect liners, wherein ends of the metal interconnect liners are disconnected by insulating walls formed within the substrate. The structure and the method provided by the present invention are favorable for shortening distance between ends of adjacent metal interconnect liners, saving device area and suppressing short circuits happening to metal interconnect liners.
US09379044B2
A package substrate including a dielectric layer, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a bonding pad is provided. The dielectric layer has a top surface and a bottom surface. The first conductive layer is embedded into the dielectric layer, and a first surface of the first conductive layer is exposed from the top surface and has the same plane with the top surface. The second conductive layer is embedded into the dielectric layer and contacts the first conductive layer, and a second surface of the second conductive layer is exposed from the bottom surface and has the same plane with the bottom surface. The bonding pad is partially or completely embedded into the first conductive layer and the dielectric layer, so that the periphery of the bonding pad is confined within a cavity by the sidewalls of both the first conductive layer and the dielectric layer.
US09379041B2
Packages and methods of forming packages are disclosed. In an example, a structure comprises a die comprising an electrical pad on an active side, and an encapsulant laterally around the die and extending directly over the active side of the die. A conductive pattern is over the encapsulant, and the conductive pattern comprises a via in an opening through the encapsulant to the electrical pad. The via contacts the electrical pad. In some embodiments, a dielectric layer is over the encapsulant, and the conductive pattern is over the dielectric layer. In other embodiments, the encapsulant is a dielectric-encapsulant, and the conductive pattern adjoins the dielectric-encapsulant. In some embodiments, the encapsulant may be a photo-patternable material, a molding compound, or an Ajinomoto Build-up Film. The structure may further comprise additional dielectric layers and conductive patterns.
US09379036B2
A package includes a first die and a second die underlying the first die and in a same first die stack as the first die. The second die includes a first portion overlapped by the first die, and a second portion not overlapped by the first die. A first Thermal Interface Material (TIM) is over and contacting a top surface of the first die. A heat dissipating lid has a first bottom surface contacting the first TIM. A second TIM is over and contacting the second portion of the second die. A heat dissipating ring is over and contacting the second TIM.
US09379029B2
An inspection apparatus for inspecting output signal of a semiconductor device is provided with a monitor device configured to sense a signal on the monitor line and a plurality of inspection circuits connected to the monitor line. Each inspection circuit is provided with a semiconductor device support allowing a semiconductor device to be set thereon and including a signal terminal to which a signal is input from the set semiconductor device, a first resistor connected between the signal terminal and the monitor line, a selector terminal, and a first diode connected between the signal terminal and the selector terminal so that a cathode of the first diode is connected to a selector terminal side.
US09379027B2
A method of forming a logic cell utilizing a TS gate cross-couple construct and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming active fins and dummy fins on a substrate, the dummy fins adjacent to each other and between the active fins; forming STI regions between and next to the active and dummy fins; forming gate structures in parallel across the active and dummy fins; forming a gate cut region by cutting the gate structures between the dummy fins; forming a TS layer between the gate structures, the TS layer crossing the gate cut region; and forming a contact connecting a gate structure and the TS layer on a first side of the gate cut region and forming a contact connecting a gate structure and the TS layer on a second side of the gate cut region, the TS layer and contacts cross coupling the gate structures.
US09379014B1
A static random-access memory (SRAM) array includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The metal layer includes multiple first source lines spanning multiple columns of cells. The multiple first source lines include a first source line and a second source line. The second metal layer includes multiple second source lines spanning multiple rows of cells. The SRAM array further includes a set of vias coupled to the multiple first source lines and to the multiple second source lines. A first via of the set of vias is coupled to the first source line and multiple vias of the set of vias are coupled to the second source line. Two vias of the multiple vias that are closest to the first via are each substantially the same distance from the first via.
US09379013B1
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a method for fabricating a self-aligned contact under a bitline in a damascene structure for a memory device comprising forming a dummy pattern, forming dielectric sidewalls using a first dielectric film around the dummy pattern, forming a second dielectric film around the dielectric sidewalls, removing the dummy pattern forming a plurality of trenches, depositing active cell material in each of the plurality of trenches, forming a third dielectric film atop the active cell material; and creating a self-aligned contact hole using etch selectivity between the dielectric sidewalls and the second dielectric film.
US09379008B2
Structures and methods of forming the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a structure can comprise a region having first and second oppositely facing surfaces. A barrier region can overlie the region. An alloy region can overlie the barrier region. The alloy region can include a first metal and one or more elements selected from the group consisting of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), indium (Id), boron (B), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), or cadmium (Cd).
US09379000B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing a nanocarbon film using a hybrid substrate with which a nanocarbon film free from defects can be produced at low cost. This method is characterized in forming an ion implantation region by implanting ion into a single crystal silicon carbide substrate from a surface thereof and after bonding together the surface of the silicon carbide substrate implanted with ion and a surface of a base substrate, releasing the silicon carbide substrate at the ion implanted region to produce a hybrid substrate in which a thin film that includes the single crystal silicon carbide is transferred onto the base substrate, and then heating the hybrid substrate to sublime silicon atoms from the thin film that includes the single crystal silicon carbide so as to obtain the nanocarbon film.
US09378997B2
A substrate holding mechanism includes a substrate holding claw for holding the substrate. The substrate holding claw includes a slant face for sliding the substrate thereon. Height of the slant face is increased from the inside of a space for holding the substrate toward the outside of the space. A crossing angle formed by a direction in which a machining mark is formed on the slant face and a direction in which the substrate is slid is not less than 0 degree and not more than 45 degrees at least in a partial region of the slant face.
US09378981B2
With a TFT using an oxide semiconductor film, there is such an issue that oxygen deficit is generated in a surface region of the oxide semiconductor film after performing plasma etching of a source/drain electrode, thereby increasing the off-current. Provided is a TFT which includes: a gate electrode on an insulating substrate; a gate insulating film on the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film containing indium on the gate insulating film; and a source/drain electrode on the oxide semiconductor film. Further, the peak position derived from an indium 3d orbital in the XPS spectrum of a surface layer in a part of the oxide semiconductor film where the source/drain electrode is not superimposed is shifted towards a high energy side than the peak position derived from the indium 3d orbital in the XPS spectrum of an oxide semiconductor region existing in a lower part of the surface layer.
US09378968B2
A method for planarizing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes steps hereinafter. A substrate is provided with a first dielectric layer covering at least one electrode structure formed thereon. A chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process is performed on the first dielectric layer until the at least one electrode structure is exposed. A second dielectric layer is deposited covering the at least one electrode structure and the first dielectric layer. An etching-back process is performed on the second dielectric layer until the at least one electrode structure is exposed.
US09378967B2
A method of making a stacked microelectronic package by forming a microelectronic assembly by stacking a first subassembly including a plurality of microelectronic elements onto a second subassembly including a plurality of microelectronic elements, at least some of the plurality of microelectronic elements of said first subassembly and said second subassembly having traces that extend to respective edges of the microelectronic elements, then forming notches in the microelectronic assembly so as to expose the traces of at least some of the plurality of microelectronic elements, then forming leads at the side walls of the notches, the leads being in electrical communication with at least some of the traces and dicing the assembly into packages. Additional embodiments include methods for creating stacked packages using substrates and having additional traces that extend to both the top and bottom of the package.
US09378965B2
In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a III-Nitride transistor on a III-Nitride semiconductor body is disclosed. The method comprises etching dielectric trenches in a field dielectric overlying gate, source, and drain regions of the III-Nitride semiconductor body, and thereafter forming a gate dielectric over the gate, source and drain regions. The method further comprises forming a blanket diffusion barrier over the gate dielectric layer, and then removing respective portions of the blanket diffusion barrier from the source and drain regions. Thereafter, gate dielectric is removed from the source and drain regions to substantially expose the source and drain regions. Then, ohmic contacts are formed by depositing contact metal in the source and drain regions. The method results in highly conductive source/drain contacts that are particularly suitable for power transistors, for example, III-Nitride transistors, such as GaN transistors. In another embodiment, a structure for highly conductive source/drain contacts is disclosed.
US09378964B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: alternately performing (i) a first step of alternately supplying a first raw material containing a first metal element and a halogen element and a second raw material containing a second metal element and carbon to a substrate by a first predetermined number of times, and (ii) a second step of supplying a nitridation raw material to the substrate, by a second predetermined number of times, wherein alternating the first and second steps forms a metal carbonitride film containing the first metal element having a predetermined thickness on the substrate.
US09378963B2
Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method to form a source/drain SAC for a transistor. The method comprises forming a pair of gate structures within a first dielectric material on a surface of a substrate, which are isolated from the first dielectric material by an etch stop material. A cap material is formed over the pair of gate structures and the first dielectric material. A pattern of mask material is formed by implanting regions of the cap material with dopants. The implanted regions of the cap material are then removed by a selective etch, which forms the pattern of mask material over each gate structure. The pattern of mask material is configured to shield each gate structure during a subsequent etch step to prevent shorting of the gate structure to the SAC.
US09378961B2
A method including providing a substrate having a first region, a second region, and a third region defined thereupon. A first interfacial layer is formed over the first region, the second region, and the third region. The first interfacial layer is etched to remove a portion of the first interfacial layer from the first region and a portion of the first interfacial layer from the second region. Etching of the first interfacial layer defines a gate stack within the third region. After the etching of the first interfacial layer, a second interfacial layer is formed over at least a portion of the second region. The second interfacial layer is etched to define a gate stack within the second region. After the etching of the second interfacial layer, a third interfacial layer is formed on the substrate over at least a portion of the first region to define a gate stack within the first region.
US09378955B2
A bonded wafer structure having a handle wafer, a device wafer, and an interface region with an abrupt transition between the conductivity profile of the device wafer and the handle wafer is used for making semiconductor devices. The improved doping profile of the bonded wafer structure is well suited for use in the manufacture of integrated circuits. The bonded wafer structure is especially suited for making radiation-hardened integrated circuits.
US09378938B2
An ion source is disclosed comprising one or more nebulizers and one or more mesh or grid targets. The one or more nebulizers are arranged and adapted to emit, in use, a stream predominantly of droplets which are caused to impact upon the one or more mesh or grid targets and to ionize the droplets to form a plurality of ions.
US09378933B2
An apparatus for generating a flow of reactive gas for decontaminating a material, surface or area, which comprises a first electrode member comprising a first conductive sheet and a first plurality of conductive pins protruding from a surface of the first conductive sheet and a second electrode member comprising a second conductive sheet and a second plurality of conductive pins protruding from a surface of the second conductive sheet. The second electrode member is arranged in spaced relationship with the first electrode member to define a reactor channel between the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet The first plurality of conductive pins protrude within the reactor channel towards the second conductive sheet and the second plurality of conductive pins protrude within the reactor channel towards the first conductive sheet so as to form air gaps between the first plurality of conductive pins and the second plurality of conductive pins. An air blower generates a flow of air through the reactor channel. An electric pulse generator repetitively generates voltage pulses between the first and second electrode members so as to produce glow discharges in the air gaps between the conductive pins of the first plurality and the conductive pins of the second plurality, the voltage pulses being generated at a pulse repetition frequency greater than about 1 kHz and voltage pulse duration less than about 100 ns, the glow discharges being adapted to transform part of the flow of air into reactive gas. An output section delivers the reactive gas from the reactor channel to a sample or region to be decontaminated.
US09378932B2
The present invention relates to a process for preventing substrate damages in an installation for surface treatment by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and a surface treatment DBD installation for carrying out such process. It comprises:—detecting the amplitude of the voltage at the terminals of the electrodes and the amplitude of the current circulating between said electrodes;—defining the maximum number of alternations of voltage at the terminals of the electrodes in the presence of a hot electric arc (n max) in order not to exceed 50 Joules as dissipated energy in said substrate;—when a hot electric arc appears between said electrodes, modifying with inverse feedback the voltage at the terminals of said electrodes before the defined maximum number of alternations of voltage at the terminals of the electrodes is reached.
US09378931B2
A pulse plasma apparatus includes a process chamber, source RF generator configured to supply first and second level RF pulse power having first and second duty cycles to an upper electrode of the process chamber, a reflected power indicator configured to indicate reflection RF power, a first matching network, and a controller. The first matching network is configured to match an impedance of the process chamber with an impedance of the source RF generator as a first or second matching capacitance value, respectively when the first level RF pulse power or second level RF pulse power is supplied, respectively. The controller is configured to calculate a third matching capacitance value based on the first and second matching capacitance values and a ratio of the first and second duty cycles, provide the third matching capacitance values to the first matching network, and control the source RF generator and first matching network.
US09378924B2
A charged particle beam treatment apparatus includes: a cyclotron configured to accelerate charged particles while turning the charged particles along a predetermined orbital plane; an irradiation portion configured to irradiate an irradiation object with a charged particle beam while scanning the charged particle beam emitted from the cyclotron; a measurement portion configured to measure a dose of the charged particle beam emitted from the cyclotron; and a control portion. The cyclotron has a pair of chopper electrodes which can switch ON/OFF of the charged particle beam from the cyclotron by changing an orbit of the charged particles that pass through the orbit, and a power source configured to apply a voltage to the pair of chopper electrodes. The control portion controls a size of a voltage in at least any one of the pair of chopper electrodes based on the dose measured by the measurement portion.
US09378918B2
A method of manufacturing a fuse module includes forming a fuse clip member from a single, substantially planar piece of electrically conductive material to include a pressure plate, and assembling the pressure plate with a box lug and a securing member, wherein operating the securing member causes the box lug to move relative to the pressure plate.
US09378917B2
A terminal-integrated fuse (2) includes two planar members (10), (10) serving as terminals for mounting on a substrate. The two planar members (10), (10) are spaced on a same horizontal plane. A fuse body (4) is located on a horizontal plane at a level different from the level of the said horizontal plane and between the planar members (10), (10). The fuse body (4) is formed integral with the planar members (10), (10). A casing (14) has side walls (18), (20) and end walls (22), (24) disposed around an opening. The fuse body (4) is positioned in the casing (14), and the two planar members (10, (10) are in contact with the end walls (22), (24), respectively. An arc suppressing material portion (26) is provided in the casing (14) in such a manner the fuse body (4) is embedded therein.
US09378915B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a knob element and a slide element of an adjusting apparatus, to an adjusting apparatus, and to a method for adjusting a position of a thermal tripping shaft as well as to a thermal magnetic trip unit and an electrical switch for interrupting a current flow of an electric current in an electrical circuit in the event of the occurrence of a tripping event, having the adjusting apparatus, which has a rotatably mounted knob element and a tangentially movably mounted slide element. In at least one embodiment, the knob element and the slide element are operatively connected in such a way that the rotary movement of the knob element becomes a tangential movement of the slide element.
US09378907B2
A liquid micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component includes a board, a channel frame, a flexible channel side, a liquid droplet, and one or more conductive elements. The channel frame is within the board and mates with the flexible channel side to form a channel within the board. The liquid droplet is contained within the channel. When a pressure is applied to the flexible side, the shape of the liquid droplet is changed with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby changing an operational characteristic of the liquid MEMS component.
US09378900B2
A process for fabricating an electrochemical supercapacitor is disclosed herein. The process comprises depositing a carbon nanotube layer onto a first substrate; depositing a layer of metal oxide material onto the substrate forming a first electrode; depositing an electrolytic material onto the electrode; and joining the electrode to a first face of a solid electrolyte membrane such that the electrolytic material is disposed between the electrode and the electrolytic membrane. The carbon nanotubes, the metal oxide and the electrolytic material comprise distinct layers. An electrochemical supercapacitor fabricated by the above-referenced process is also disclosed.
US09378895B2
A winding-type solid electrolytic capacitor package structure includes a winding capacitor unit, a package body and a conductive unit. The winding capacitor has a winding body enclosed by the package body, a positive conductive lead pin having a cutting surface, and a negative conductive lead pin having a grinding surface. The conductive unit includes a positive conductive terminal electrically connected to the positive conductive lead pin and a negative conductive terminal electrically connected to the negative conductive lead pin. The positive conductive terminal has a first embedded portion enclosed by the package body and a first exposed portion exposed outside the package body. The negative conductive terminal has a second embedded portion enclosed by the package body and a second exposed portion exposed outside the package body. The first and the second exposed portions are extended along the outer surface of the package body.
US09378892B2
A ceramic multilayer capacitor includes a first capacitor unit, which comprises a first material, and a second capacitor units, which comprises a second material. The first and the second capacitor unit are electrically connected in parallel. At low applied voltages, the first material has a high dielectric value and, at high applied voltages the second material has a high dielectric value.
US09378880B2
Methods are disclosed for synthesizing nanocomposite materials including ferromagnetic nanoparticles with polymer shells formed by controlled surface polymerization. The polymer shells prevent the nanoparticles from forming agglomerates and preserve the size dispersion of the nanoparticles. The nanocomposite particles can be further networked in suitable polymer hosts to tune mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of the final composite polymer system. An exemplary method includes forming a polymer shell on a nanoparticle surface by adding molecules of at least one monomer and optionally of at least one tethering agent to the nanoparticles, and then exposing to electromagnetic radiation at a wavelength selected to induce bonding between the nanoparticle and the molecules, to form a polymer shell bonded to the particle and optionally to a polymer host matrix. The nanocomposite materials can be used in various magneto-optic applications.
US09378875B2
The present invention related to ferromagnetic nano-metal powders and more particularly, to ferromagnetic nano-metal powders for increasing packing density by decreasing the porosity between micro-sized soft magnetic metal powders. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the ferromagnetic nano-metal powder allows high packing density and high magnetic property at a high frequency to fill the pores inevitably generated during the manufacturing process of an inductor using the soft magnetic metal powders.
US09378869B2
A superconductive wire material substrate which is formed such that a surface roughness Ra of one surface is 10 nm or less, and a surface roughness Ra of an other surface is larger than the surface roughness Ra of the one surface, and is 8 nm or more and less than 15 nm, between the surface roughnesses Ra of both surfaces of the superconductive wire material substrate.
US09378861B2
A method of fabricating copper nanoparticles includes heating a copper salt solution that includes a copper salt, an N,N′-dialkylethylenediamine, and a C6-C18 alkylamine in an organic solvent to a temperature between about 30° C. to about 50° C.; heating a reducing agent solution that includes a reducing agent, an N,N′-dialkylethylenediamine, and a C6-C18 alkylamine in an organic solvent to a temperature between about 30° C. to about 50° C.; and adding the heated copper salt solution to the heated reducing agent solution, thereby producing copper nanoparticles. A composition includes copper nanoparticles, a C6-C18 alkylamine and an N,N′-dialkylethylenediamine ligand. Such copper nanoparticles in this composition have a fusion temperature between about 100° C. to about 200° C. A surfactant system for the stabilizing copper nanoparticles includes an N,N′-dialkylethylenediamine and a C6-C18 alkylamine.
US09378859B2
A polymer film, polymer gel, and polymer foam each contain an electrically conductive polymer and an ionic liquid and are each useful as a component of an electronic device.
US09378857B2
Apparatus for generating ultraviolet light and methods of operating an ultraviolet light source. The apparatus may include a microwave chamber (16) enclosing an interior space, a light source (10) with a lamp head (28) coupled to the microwave chamber (16), an ultraviolet (UV) transmissive member (88) positioned above the lamp face (32) and below the interior space to define a plenum (116) therebetween, and an exhaust system (100) coupled in fluid communication with the plenum. The lamp head (28) has a lamp face (32) through which ultraviolet light (34) and cooling air (30) are emitted. The UV transmissive member (88) is configured to transmit the ultraviolet light (34) into the interior space and to divert the cooling air (30) from the interior space. The exhaust system (100) configured to exhaust the cooling air (30) from the plenum (116).
US09378852B2
A spacer grid includes intersecting straps defining cells with springs and dimples arranged to hold fuel rods passing through the cells. The direction of the springs switches at a switch point in the spacer grid that is not at the center of the spacer grid. The intersecting straps may include a first set of mutually parallel straps including a first transition strap and a second set of mutually parallel straps including a second transition strap, with the second set intersecting the first set. The springs of the first set of mutually parallel straps face away from the first transition strap, and the springs of the second set of mutually parallel straps face away from the second transition strap. The outer straps in some embodiments include dimples but not springs.
US09378846B2
A non-mounted storage test device based on FPGA includes a processor unit for performing enumeration and configuration for device, creating a scenario for test and performing test; a device driver unit for managing storage device; a data engine unit for generating pattern data for test and performing test; a system memory interface unit for receiving data for test and storing test result; a monitoring unit for monitoring packet; a DMA driver/address translation unit for performing DMA operation and transmitting Memory Read Request to Root Complex; a message input/output unit for transmitting to the data engine unit and the device driver unit; a switch unit for constituting DUT unit; a storage-in DUT unit as device under test which is storage for direct interface to PCIe including HBA; and a memory unit for storing data for test and record generated between tasks.
US09378843B1
Methods and apparatuses are described for performing adaptive analog-to-digital conversion and time-to-delay conversion by using signal prediction to adjust reference voltages of adjustable comparators.
US09378832B1
Techniques for reversing damage caused by program-erase cycles in charge-trapping memory to improve long term data retention. A recovery process improves the data retention of a block of memory cells by programming the memory cells to a relatively high threshold voltage and enforcing a time period of several minutes or hours in which the memory cells are inactive and remain at the relatively high Vth levels. Damage such as traps in the memory cells is essentially healed or annealed out during this inactive period. All of the memory cells can be healed at the same time and by relatively equal amounts. At the conclusion of the recovery process, the block is returned to a pool of available blocks. In one approach, an amount of recovery is measured and the period of inactivity is continued for an amount of time which is based on the amount of recovery.
US09378830B2
Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory array. In accordance with some embodiments, data are written to a set of solid-state non-volatile memory cells so that each memory cell in the set is written to an associated initial programmed state. Drift in the programmed state of a selected memory cell in the set is detected, and the selected memory cell is partially reprogrammed to return the selected memory cell to the associated initial programmed state.
US09378829B2
A non-volatile memory device comprising a memory cell array including memory cells distributed among a plurality of sectors; a controller operable to program, read, and erase memory cells in said memory array, said controller further operable to generate and store EPLI values for programming a number of EPLI bits in one of said plurality of sectors with said stored EPLI values; and a comparator to compare said stored EPLI values with EPLI values programmed in said EPLI bits.
US09378828B2
A driving method of a nonvolatile memory device includes receiving a program command and an address. The method includes changing a number of adjacent zones of a plurality of zones formed of unselected word lines according to a location of a selected word line corresponding to the received address. The method further includes applying different zone voltages to the number of adjacent zones and remaining zones. The nonvolatile memory device includes a plurality of strings formed to penetrate word lines stacked on a substrate in a plate shape.
US09378823B2
A memory cell is programmed to at least a first threshold voltage to indicate a particular data value. After waiting for a relaxation time, the memory cell is programmed to at least a second threshold voltage to indicate the particular data value. The second threshold voltage is greater than the first threshold voltage.
US09378821B1
Apparatuses and methods of pulse shaping a pulse signal for programming and erasing a Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS) memory cell are described. In one method a pulse shape of a pulse signal is controlled to include four or more phases for programming or erasing a SONOS memory cell. A write cycle is performed to program or erase the SONOS memory with the pulse signal with the four or more phases.
US09378819B2
An electronic device including a semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory includes a cell array divided into at least two regions each of which includes a plurality of memory cells each including a transistor and a resistance variable element; a write driver circuit configured to supply write current to a memory cell selected among memory cells in the cell array; and a back bias voltage supply unit configured to supply back bias voltages with different levels to the regions in the cell array.
US09378816B2
An erase verifying method includes applying a first voltage to a plurality of word lines connected to a memory cell block, and applying a second voltage less than the first voltage to a plurality of bit lines connected to the memory cell block. The method includes sensing bit line currents flowing through the plurality of bit lines, and comparing the sensed bit line currents with a reference current. The method also includes determining that the memory cell block has been sufficiently erased by a first erase operation if each of the sensed bit line currents is less than the reference current.
US09378814B2
Methods for precharging bit lines using closed-loop feedback are described. In one embodiment, a sense amplifier may include a bit line precharge circuit for setting a bit line to a read voltage prior to sensing a memory cell connected to the bit line. The bit line precharge circuit may include a first transistor in a source-follower configuration with a first gate and a first source node electrically coupled to the bit line. By applying local feedback from the first source node to the first gate, the bit line settling time may be reduced. In some cases, a first voltage applied to the first gate may be determined based on a first current drawn from the first bit line. Thus, the first voltage applied to the first gate may vary over time depending on the conductivity of a selected memory cell connected to the bit line.
US09378809B1
A method for data storage includes setting a plurality of memory cells to hold respective target analog values, by applying to the memory cells a sequence of iterations, each iteration includes attempting to set the target analog values and then verifying whether the target analog values have been reached in accordance with a verification condition. After applying a predefined number of the iterations, the verification condition is relaxed and a condition of whether the target analog values have been reached in accordance with the relaxed verification condition is verified.
US09378804B2
The problem was that the high-impedance state of the difference between signals DQS and DQSB cannot be prevented from being brought in. With this invention, a first comparator circuit outputs a signal DQSIN representing the difference between DQS and DQSB after the coupling of input terminals to a terminal potential and from before the start timing of a preamble of the two signals. A second comparator circuit compares the level of DQS or DQSB with a reference voltage Vref and outputs a signal ODT_DET representing the result of the comparison. A gate circuit masks the signal DQSIN with a signal EW in a masking state. A control circuit identifies the start timing of the preamble based on ODT_DET, and sets the signal EW to the masking state before the start of the preamble and to an unmasking state from the start timing of the preamble.
