US09398288B2

Technologies and implementations for capturing images from IR signals are generally disclosed.
US09398275B2

A discharge lamp driving device includes: a discharge lamp driving unit that supplies a driving current for driving a discharge lamp to the discharge lamp; and a control unit that controls the discharge lamp driving unit. The control unit controls the discharge lamp driving unit such that the driving current having driving periods is supplied to the discharge lamp, the driving period including: a mixing period which alternately has an AC period in which an alternating current is supplied to the discharge lamp and a first DC period in which a direct current is supplied to the discharge lamp and a second DC period which is provided immediately after the mixing period and in which a direct current having a polarity which is opposite to that of the direct current in the first DC period is supplied to the discharge lamp.
US09398272B2

An imaging device includes an image sensor and an array of wafer lenses. The image sensor has rows and columns of pixels partitioned into an array of sensor subsections. The array of wafer lenses is disposed over the image sensor. Each of the wafer lenses in the array of wafer lenses is optically positioned to focus image light onto a corresponding sensor subsection in the array of sensor subsections. Each sensor subsection includes unlit pixels that do not receive the image light focused from the wafer lenses and each sensor subsection also includes lit pixels that receive image the image light focused by the wafer lenses. A rectangular subset of the lit pixels from each sensor subsection are arranged to capture images.
US09398269B2

There is provided a medical support system in which a plurality of photography apparatuses and a portable-type viewer apparatus including a display unit are communicably connected to a server. The portable-type viewer apparatus includes: a selection unit that selects one of the plurality of photography apparatuses; and a photographer ID input unit that inputs a photographer ID that is an ID of a photographer photographing a subject using the selected photography apparatus. The selected photography apparatus further includes a transmission unit that transmits image data of the subject photographed by the selected photography apparatus to the server, and the server includes a recording unit that records the photographer ID and the transmitted image data in association with each other in a case where the photographer ID is input.
US09398268B2

A method and system for cooperative diversity visual cognition in a wireless sensor network is disclosed. The method and system are capable of solving distributed visual cognition tasks (for example, online simultaneous reconstruction of 3D models of a large area) by using multiple video streams and exploiting cooperative diversity video sensing information while ensuring an optimal tradeoff between energy consumption and video quality of images received from said multiple video streams.
US09398267B2

A system and method of setting configurations for individual encoders and cameras in closed circuit television (CCTV) systems, for example surveillance and security systems comprising a plurality of cameras. One aspect of the disclosed invention is a system for configuring/reconfiguring the settings of remote units in an Internet Protocol (IP) based CCTV system. The system may include a configuration device and a plurality of remotely located units dispersed in a region of interest. The plurality of remotely located units may include one or more groups, each group including units of the same type. Each remote unit in the system may include logic and software for operating its components, as well as communication components allowing transfer of information over a network to and from the configuration device and the other remote units in the system.
US09398265B2

A network of controllers for controlling and monitoring associated assay testing systems coupled to a remote monitoring unit for monitoring and controlling the controllers and/or the assay testing systems is disclosed. Each controller transmits a display image representing the status of the respective assay testing system. The remote monitoring unit automatically detects if the number of display images from the controllers is greater than a threshold number of displayable, static thumbnail images and, when the threshold is exceeded, displays thumbnail images dynamically in a scrolling or streaming motion. The thumbnail images, whether static or dynamic, are updated in real-time or pseudo-real-time to reflect updated status of the assay testing systems.
US09398253B2

The disclosure relates to video telephony and, more particularly, to techniques for detecting a video pause in a video telephony application. In one example of the disclosure, a method for video telephony comprises detecting, at a receiving device, that video data packets associated with a video telephony call have stopped arriving from a sending device, and determining that the sending device has paused a video portion of the video telephony call based on information contained in video control packets.
US09398250B2

The present disclosure relates to a multi-site, multi-location, three dimensional video conferencing system that incorporates at least one conferencing apparatus that is operatively coupled with a server (say in the cloud), wherein the conferencing apparatus enables user's own smartphones and/or tablets to be inserted/detected therein to enable conferencing to take place.
US09398248B2

Embodiments that relate to defining series for digital video recording are disclosed. One embodiment provides a method including receiving selection of a set of one or more video content series for which to automatically schedule recording updates, wherein each video content series is of a series type selected from a plurality of series types and each series type utilizes a corresponding update module selected from a plurality of update modules. The method further comprises receiving a trigger configured to trigger an updating of one or more series types, and for each video content series to be updated based upon the trigger received, obtaining a list of candidate video items for potential scheduling by executing the corresponding update module.
US09398239B2

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix, the pixels including a charge holding section configured to hold a signal charge transferred from a photoelectric conversion section, and to include a capacitor section having a first capacitance value and an additional capacitor section for increasing the first capacitance value to be a second capacitance value; and to part of a reset transistor configured to reset a charge held by the charge holding section, a test-voltage power source configured to apply a test voltage having a voltage different from a drive voltage of the reset transistor.
US09398237B2

An image sensor includes a pixel circuit that includes a light sensing element and a charge storage node formed in a substrate, an output element having a control electrode formed in an electrode layer above the substrate, the output element generating an output signal corresponding to charge generated by the light sensing element and held by the charge storage node, and a local metal interconnect that electrically connects the charge storage node to the control electrode. Control wirings that control operations of the pixel circuit are formed in wiring layers that are located above the electrode layer. The metal interconnect is formed in a layer that is located above the electrode layer and below a lowest one of the wiring layers such that a given one of the control wirings overlaps the metal interconnect so as to form a parallel plate capacitor in a region of overlap.
US09398231B2

A surveillance camera terminal includes an imaging means that outputs a frame image, an imaging visual field control means that changes the imaging visual field of the imaging means in a surveillance area, an object extracting means that extracts an object being imaged by processing the frame image taken by the imaging means, a tracking means that detects a position of the object in the surveillance area based on a position of the object extracted by the object extracting means on the frame image and the imaging visual field of the imaging means, an imaging visual field storage means that stores an imaging visual field, and detection means that detects whether or not the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to a position near a handover area for handover of the object to another surveillance camera terminal.
US09398224B2

A method and device for detecting an object in a substrate is disclosed. The device has a sensor unit having a sensor element and at least one further sensor element, a control and evaluation unit, and a display unit. The method for detecting an object in a substrate includes simultaneous reception of a receive signal and at least one further receive signal and simultaneous calculation of a depth cross-sectional image from the receive signal and at least one further depth cross-sectional image from the at least one further receive signal by the control and evaluation unit.
US09398223B2

According to one embodiment of the present invention a method for capturing images on a screen is disclosed. The method includes directing light from a surface of a spatial light modular to an image field using a projection system; capturing light from the image field using the projection system, the projection system directing at least a portion of the captured light to the spatial light modulator; and directing at least a portion of the received captured light to an image capture system using the spatial light modulator.
US09398218B2

To reduce the difference among a plurality of images acquired due to an object shake or hand shake. An image capturing apparatus 10 includes an imaging optical system 11 and an image sensor 14 that acquires an image of light coming from the imaging optical system 11. The imaging optical system 11 has an aperture stop 12 including a first aperture and a second aperture. The image sensor 11 has first pixels and second pixels. The central axis of the first aperture and the central axis of the second aperture are aligned with each other. The first aperture has a first optical filter that codes light passing therethrough with a first code. The first pixels receive first coded light coded with the first code. The second pixels do not receive the first coded light and receive light other than the first coded light.
US09398212B2

An image processing method applied to an image capturing device includes the following steps. Firstly, a number of shooting parameters, provided by an image capturing module of the image capturing device, are obtained. Next, a number of super resolution parameters are obtained according to the shooting parameters. Then, a captured image is obtained through the image capturing module. After that, a super resolution operation is executed on the captured image based on the super resolution parameters.
US09398210B2

Arrangements are detailed to aid a user in positioning a camera-equipped device (e.g., a smartphone) at a particular viewing position relative to an object being imaged. Other embodiments discern the device's viewing position, and then undertake image or other processing that is dependent on such viewpoint. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09398198B2

Steam turbine engine cross over pipe or other pipe internal inspection is performed with a selectively steerable pipe inspection crawler apparatus with a chassis having a longitudinal axis, with front and rear Mechanum wheels capable of independently-selected forward or rearward driven rotational direction, for selectively steering the apparatus within the pipe interior under control of a human-machine interface (HMI). The crawler apparatus has at least one inspection camera having a field of view, for capturing images of a pipe interior that is also under control of the HMI. Embodiments of the crawler apparatus include a selectively orientable inspection camera and/or a deployable bore scope that is selectively deployed and retracted from a descending section of the cross over pipe.
US09398196B2

A method for processing event timing images includes: capturing sequential digital two-dimensional images of a scene using an area scan image sensor; and processing the sequential digital two-dimensional images to generate a time delay integration image of an object moving in the scene.
US09398190B2

In one aspect, the present disclosure related to a method for configuring one or more imaging sensors of an imaging device to capture digital images for digital pulse recognition demodulation. In some embodiments, the method includes initializing one or more imaging sensors of the imaging device, determining a subset of the one or more imaging sensors to configure, setting a configuration for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset by defining a region of interest as a metering area for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset and automatically adjusting a setting for each of the one or more imaging sensors of the subset, and adjusting input parameters of a demodulation function based on a device profile of the imaging device. In some embodiments, the adjusted setting is locked to prevent further adjustment of the adjusted setting.
US09398187B2

An image scanning apparatus having a feeding unit that feeds a document; a first scanning unit, which scans one face of the document fed, and which scans a document set on a document platen; a second scanning unit that scans the other face of the document fed; an instructing unit that, during a scanning operation being performed by a preceding-document scanning unit, which is one of the first scanning unit and the second scanning unit, instructs an other of the first scanning unit and the second scanning unit to scan a document not being scanned by the preceding-document scanning unit; and an executing unit that executes a scanning operation by a following-document scanning unit that is the other of the first scanning unit and the second scanning unit when the instructing unit instructs the other of the first scanning unit and the second scanning unit to start the scanning operation.
US09398178B2

A compact and lightweight display device having an image pickup function and a two-way communication system which can shoot an image of a user as an object and display an image at the same time without degrading image quality by disposing a semi-transmitting mirror or the like which blocks an image on the display screen (display plane). The display device having the image pickup function includes a display panel capable of transmitting visible light at least and arranging display elements which can be controlled by voltage or current, and an image pickup device disposed around the display panel. The image pickup device is input with data of an image of a user or the like by a reflector, or equipped with a fiberscope bundling optical fibers.
US09398173B2

Disclosed is a method of processing image signals from a first and a second image sensor, both of a document scanner unit, where the first image sensor provides a first image, and the second image sensor provides a second image. The first and the second image are two-dimensional images wherein said first and second image are recorded at respective areas of a scanned medium, where a portion of the respective areas is recorded also by the other of the respective image sensors. Thereby image data from overlapping and non-overlapping areas are present in the first and the second image. The method comprises: correlating the first image with the second image, creating a correlation image and processing the correlation image to determine a displacement between the first and the second image. Consequently, a versatile calibration method is provided that can determine a displacement between the first and the second image in two dimensions.
US09398169B2

Disclosed is system comprising: a server platform operative to communicate with a wireless communication network; and data storage coupled to the server platform to store a plurality of business rules, wherein the server platform is operative to: generate a first provision instruction to provision a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) with a first rule set associated with a first set of business rules for wireless usage incurred by a mobile terminal operating in the wireless communication network; generate a first billing instruction based on the first set of business rules and a first data type determined by a packet gateway that inspects packet data communicated to or from the mobile terminal.
US09398167B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for providing disaster relief event call flagging. The system, method, and computer program product are configured to create a disaster relief event associated with a plurality of customer accounts maintained by an entity, wherein the disaster relief event comprises one or more parameters that identify locations associated with the disaster relief event; create a temporary dialer file for use in contacting the plurality of customers in reference to the accounts, wherein the dialer file is based at least partially on the one or more parameters of the disaster relief event, and automatically suspend contact to one or more customers based at least partially in response to the telephone numbers of the one or more customer being excluded from the temporary dialer file.
US09398163B2

Internet protocol (IP) based calls from a first terminal in an IP based communications system are routed to a second terminal in another communications system. In response to a call setup request at a common communications core that is common to both the IP based communications system and the other communications system, a query is transmitted to a private telephone number mapping database that contains routing information for terminals in both the IP based communications system and the other communications system requesting routing information for the second terminal. Routing information for the call setup request is received from the private telephone number mapping database for routing the call.
US09398161B2

The present invention sets forth a network-centric service distribution architecture that integrates a wireless access system in the residence, SOHO, business or public environment through the use of a local broadband network, such as a Residential-Business Broadband Network (RBN), to the service provider's broadband transport network and to a service provider's broadband packet network. The system includes Media Terminal Adapter is coupled via the RBN to the access port(s) and via the service provider's broadband transport network to the service provider's broadband packet network. The access port is coupled to the Media Terminal Adapter via either a RBN (e.g., a Local Area Network—LAN) or simply via a traditional POTS line interface. The access port receives and sends wireless signals to a plurality of RBN devices, allowing the user to control theses devices remotely from the residence, business, SOHO or public environments. The integration of an RBN to a service provider's broadband packet network allows a subscriber to communicate at home and at the office with one communication device anytime anywhere.
US09398156B2

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for managing customer service agent workload in a customer service environment. In some implementations, one or more servers receive a communication associated with a customer case item. The one or more servers determine one or more case attributes associated with the customer case item and identify a first customer service agent having one or more agent attributes that match the one or more case attributes of the customer case item. The one or more servers assign the customer case item to the first customer service agent and provide first data of the customer case item to a first display device associated with the first customer service agent, the first display device configured to display a user interface including a first component indicating the first data of the customer case item.
US09398152B2

The present invention provides various contact center embodiments for interacting with customers using instant messaging. In one embodiment, the contact center is configured to receive instant message notifications from a customer when the customer is available for contact by instant messaging. In another embodiment, the contact center is configured to route sessionless instant messages only to a selected agent for a specified period of time. In another embodiment, the contact center is configured to provide to customers presence information for administered instant message addresses before the customers contact the contact center. In another embodiment, the contact center is configured to perform an outbound instant messaging campaign or alert with customers.
US09398139B2

An onboard apparatus uses two modes to transfer audio data from a mobile phone. A first mode transfers and outputs audio data stored in the mobile phone. The first mode communicates control data according to a control data transfer protocol and transfers and outputs audio data according to an audio data transfer protocol. The second mode permits the mobile phone to successively buffer audio data stored in a server on a communication network and to concurrently transfer and output the buffered data. The second mode replaces the control data transfer protocol with a specific data communication protocol. The second mode communicates control data according to the specific data communication protocol and transfers and outputs audio data according to the audio data transfer protocol. The second mode can communicate any commands and data using the specific data communication protocol regardless of commands specified in the control data transfer protocol.
US09398138B2

A selection support apparatus acquires a plurality of types of characteristic data representing a swing characteristic of a testing golfer based on a test shot result of a golf club. The apparatus calculates each of recommended values for the testing golfer in association with a plurality of types of characteristic values that characterize a component of a golf club based on the plurality of types of characteristic data. The apparatus selects, based on the recommended values and component information representing a correspondence between components and the plurality of types of characteristic values, a recommended component from components listed in the component information.
US09398121B1

Techniques are disclosed for determining a virtual networking framework for computing nodes to use where they are part of a plurality of computing nodes that have heterogeneous virtual networking framework capabilities. Each node may report its capabilities to a mapping server, which serves as a centrally-managed selector of policy capabilities for the two computing nodes to use in communications with each other. The mapping server selects virtual networking framework capabilities for the two computing nodes to use in communicating with each other, instructs the nodes of these selected capabilities, and the two nodes then communicate according to these selected capabilities.
US09398115B2

A method and system for providing unified location and presence information of and intercommunication among a plurality of networked users is disclosed, where the users may be real world people or virtual world personae. Generally, after receiving data representative of both a first and second user's presence or location in the real or a virtual world over a communications network, the users are permitted to view each other's presence in a virtual network. The users are identified by endpoint addresses, and may intercommunicate using various types of media via the communications network.
US09398113B2

Methods and systems for providing user information from a wireless access terminal (W-AT) to a remote apparatus without revealing a primary identity of the user of the W-AT include generating an alternate user identifier for the W-AT, and providing the alternate user identifier and first information related to targeted-content-message information and/or user profile information to the remote apparatus.
US09398110B2

An approach is provided for providing standard information processing pipelines. A standard pipeline generation platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more information sources to cause an extraction of one or more least meaningful data components. The standard pipeline generation platform also causes a transformation of the one or more least meaningful data components into one or more isomorphic representations. The standard pipeline generation platform further causes a compilation of one or more data repositories comprising the one or more isomorphic representations, wherein the one or more data repositories are available for processing by one or more services, one or more applications, or combination thereof. The standard pipeline generation platform also causes a loading of the one or more data repositories, the one or more isomorphic representations, or a combination thereof into the one or more information sources following the processing.
US09398103B2

A method and apparatus for enhancing device performance through transport flow control is provided. The method may include determining that a level of user interest is indicated in at least one application of one or more applications, and modifying a transport flow associated with at least one of the one or more applications.
US09398097B2

A method for servicing a field device of process automation technology. The data exchanged between the field device and a servicing program is by means of at least one protocol, which has basic commands, via which basic functions of the field device can be invoked. Each field device which is compatible with the protocol has these basic functions available to it, and wherein only basic commands of the protocol are used to transfer data between the servicing program and the field device.
US09398096B2

A system and method relate to accessing an in-vehicle communication network, including a media interface having a microprocessor. The media interface may be connected to a vehicle media system. Further, a media device may be connected to the media interface, and the media device may access the in-vehicle communication network via the media interface.
US09398092B1

A method, system, article of manufacture, and apparatus for restoring workload backups in a clustered environment is discussed. In some embodiments, each node in the environment may be sequentially restored based on a request received from a remote client. Additionally or alternatively, the process may be controlled from an external server.
US09398089B2

A system and method that enables two or more hosts so that they can share a resource, such as a display. Client allocates a portion of the resource to each of the eligible hosts. This allocated size is negotiable among host(s) and the client. Client may request the hosts to scale down/up resource utilization based on the allocated portion of the resource being shared. This helps keep the client implementation simple. In this case, client maintains the allocation vector for each host. This allocation vector is used to keep track of the resource sharing. While this is a preferred approach, it is possible that “intelligent” client may actually modify resource utilization for a given host based on the negotiated allocation.
US09398088B2

A method and apparatus for use in a network storage control peer (NSCP) supporting peer to peer (P2P) operation are disclosed. The method includes receiving a content map request message and transmitting a content map response message including an indication that a CDN-stored content piece is available from the NSCP; and, receiving a content fetch request message for the content piece and transmitting a response message including a redirection command and the CDN URI for the content piece.
US09398085B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for initiating a peer-to-peer communication session. According to certain embodiments, at least one peer device is identified. A first request is sent to the at least one peer device for an inventory of service capabilities of the at least one peer device. The requested inventory of service capabilities of the at least one peer device is received from the at least one peer device. A second request is sent to the at least one peer device to initiate a communication session with the at least one peer device using at least one service from the requested inventory of service capabilities.
US09398083B2

It is presented a method for invoking an application service in response to a tag reading by a mobile terminal. The method comprises the steps of: receiving an input message, the input message comprising tag data being associated with a tag read by the mobile terminal using local communication, the input message further comprising a recipient identifier linked to the mobile terminal; determining, using a plurality of parameters associated with the tag reading, a plurality of matching application servers, wherein conditions of a tag reading subscription for each of the matching application servers matches the plurality of parameters; and sending an invocation message to each of the matching application servers to invoke a respective application service of each of the matching application servers, the invocation message comprising the recipient identifier enabling each of the application services to send content to the user equipment and the tag data.
US09398069B2

A method for serving enterprise commerce between a stateless microkernel architecture HTTP server program executed on a server device and an HTTP client program executed on a client computing device is disclosed. The method includes receiving an HTTP request including a plurality of client attributes and a plurality of resource operations from an HTTP client program, reading the plurality of client attributes from the HTTP request, and splitting the HTTP request into a plurality of individual resource operations at a splitter/combiner agent. For each individual resource operation, the method includes determining a destination URL and content type from a content type header of the HTTP request, comparing the client attributes to stored client attribute profiles, retrieving matching existing resource representations, sending the retrieved existing resource representation to the splitter/combiner agent, combining retrieved resource representations into a combined resource representation, and sending the combine resource representation to the HTTP client program.
US09398068B2

A computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for performing create, read, update, or delete operations on a plurality of resources in a client-server environment. In an embodiment, the computer implemented method includes the steps of identifying individual resources requiring operations to be performed, assigning local references for any resources to which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) has not been provided by the server, generating metadata describing the local references and operations to be performed, wrapping each individual resource with the metadata to provide a plurality of wrapped resources arranging the wrapped resources into a single payload, and transmitting the single payload to the server.
US09398067B2

A technique is disclosed that enables telecommunications endpoints to conveniently share the addressing information—that is, the Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI)—of documents that are available on the World Wide Web. In particular, a server is used to provide a bookmark service. The server acts as a repository of tag-URI pairs, in which each tag functions as a shorthand label for the corresponding URI. In the disclosed technique, a first user creates the tag for the intended URI by assigning a keyword to represent the URI as part of a bookmark tag-URI pair that the server stores. The created tag is presumably shorter than the URI that it represents, making the tag more convenient to use. A second user is then able to retrieve and use the URI by specifying the tag to the bookmark server. In essence, the technique of the illustrative embodiment enables the sharing of Web documents by sharing the bookmarks to those documents.
US09398063B2

Technology disclosed herein includes a method for loading a carrier specific OS onto a computing device depending on what network the computing device is connected to. The computing device detects an identity of a network to which a computing device is connected or is to be connected during a network identification process executed on the computing device. The network can be identified, e.g., by examining a subscriber identification module (SIM) card electronically connected to the computing device. The device then sends a request including the identity of the network to a remote registration service. In turn the device receives an instruction from the remote registration service identifying a distribution of an operating system (OS) specific for the network. After retrieving the OS distribution, the device loads the distribution of the operating system on the computing device.
US09398062B2

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a device that is to transmit signals using a control channel. The device may be, for example, a user equipment or low-powered radio access node. Before transmitting the signal, the transmitting device may modify symbols associated with the signal. For example, the transmitting device may generate a scrambling sequence and modulate the symbols associated with the signal with the scrambling sequence. In another example, the transmitting device may apply a shifting pattern or hopping pattern to the sequence indices associated with sequences for symbols to be included in the signal. The applied pattern may change one or more sequence indices associated with one or more symbol indices associated with the signal. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09398060B2

A system and method for remote monitoring through a voice over Internet Protocol phone. An indicator configured to activate a video interface of the VoIP phone is received. A determination is made whether the indicator authorizes the video interface. The video interface of the VoIP phone is activated in response to determining the indicator authorizes the video interface. Video communications are sent and received between the VoIP phone utilized by a receiving party and a communications device utilized by a calling party. An action is performed in response to recognizing a response from the receiving party.
US09398054B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a network entity of an IMS network, in which a registered user is being served by an assigned Serving-Call Session Control Function, S-CSCF. The network entity includes a memory storing data that includes an identity of at least one better-matching S-CSCF in the IMS network having capabilities better suited for serving the registered user than the assigned S-CSCF. The network entity is configured to obtain an indication of the availability of the better-matching S-CSCF, and when the better-matching S-CSCF entity is available to initiate a transfer so that the registered user is served by the better-matching S-CSCF. The network entity may be the assigned S-CSCF, or may be an I-CSCF. Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of transferring a registered user to a better-matching S-CSCF.
US09398053B2

The subject disclosure is directed towards technology by which data transmission sizes are reduced when uploading files over a network. By processing hash values corresponding to a plurality of data blocks of a file to potentially be uploaded to a server, the server identifies any already known data block or blocks of the file. The server performs a server-local copy operation that writes the known data block into a server-local copy of the file. If applicable, the server returns hash values corresponding to unknown data blocks to a client, by which the client responds by uploading copies of the unknown data blocks. Accordingly, the client and the server maintain the server-local copy of the file by transferring only unknown data blocks.
US09398047B2

A method of determining a probability that a received email comprises a phishing attempt may comprise analyzing a link therein to determine whether the link comprises a phishing attempt. This determination may comprise comparing features of the link with records stored in a remote database to determine whether the link comprises a phishing attempt. It may be determined that the link comprises a phishing attempt if there is a match. If the compared features do not match the records stored in the remote database, a multi-dimensional input vector may be built from features of the link, which input vector may then be input into a phishing probability engine. The probability that the link comprises a phishing attempt may be computed by the phishing probability engine. Thereafter, the received email may be acted upon according to the computed probability that the link comprises a phishing attempt.
US09398042B1

The disclosed computer-implemented method for capturing input from users to prevent data loss may include (1) intercepting, as part of a data-loss-prevention application, user input intended for a data-processing application that would, if received by the data-processing application, cause the data-processing application to perform an operation on data that may violate a data-loss-prevention policy, (2) upon intercepting the user input, causing the data-processing application to perform an alternative operation on the data that makes the data accessible to the data-loss-prevention application, (3) scanning, while the data-processing application is prevented from performing the operation, the data for compliance with the data-loss-prevention policy, (4) determining, based on a result of the scanning, that the data complies with the data-loss-prevention policy, and (5) causing, in response to determining that the data complies with the data-loss-prevention policy, the data-processing application to perform the operation. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09398041B2

A computer identifies each web method, of a web service, declared in a web services description language (WSDL) file. The computer adds a node within a directed graph for each web method identified. The computer identifies pairs of web methods declared in the WSDL file in which a match exists between an output parameter of one of the web methods and an input parameter of another one of the web methods. The computer adds an edge within the directed graph for each of the pairs of web methods identified. The computer generates one or more sequences of web methods based on nodes connected by edges within the directed graph, wherein each of the one or more sequences includes at least one of the pairs of web methods identified. The computer tests each of the one or more sequences of web methods to identify stored vulnerabilities in the web service.
US09398023B2

Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communications system are disclosed. A server within the wireless communications system determines whether the size of an encoded message is too large for a wireless communications device. If the message is too large, the server removes part of the message and sends an abbreviated message to the wireless device, together with additional information relating to processing of the encoded message, such as, for example, hash context values, that assist the wireless communications device in verifying the abbreviated message.
US09398021B2

A method provides an file aging service. In view of the above, it may be possible to inhibit copyrighted literary works from being redistributed and reshared, increase security of contents to be kept confidential, and clean up junk data.
US09398015B2

The present invention relates to modifying rights to a security domain for a smartcard, and more specifically, to a server for managing modification of rights to a security domain, a smartcard for modifying the rights to the security domain, a terminal which is loaded with the smartcard, and to a method for modifying the rights.
US09398012B2

A user device transmits a login request. A provider server, receives a random number from and transmits other information to an authentication server. The provider server transmits the random number to the device. The random number is transferred to a second user device, which transmits it to the authentication server. The authentication server transmits provider authentication policy requirements and further transmits the other information to the second device. The second device transmits user validation information to the authentication server. The authentication server determines that the transmitted validation information corresponds to the service provider authentication policy requirements, compares the validation information with stored validation information for the user to authenticate the user. The second device transmits a message, including the random number and the other information, signed with a user credential to the authentication server. The authentication server transmits notice of authentication and the signed message to the provider server.
US09398006B2

The present disclosure provides a smart space access method, a system, a controller, and a smart space interface server. The smart space access method includes: determining, by a controller that the controller enters a smart space in a smart space list; receiving a main mobile code corresponding to the smart space; and loading and executing the main mobile code, displaying a main service interface, generating a smart space request according to a service number of a selected application, sending the smart space request to the interface server, executing a result mobile code sent by the interface server, and displaying a processing result of the selected application. According to the present disclosure, access to different smart applications in different smart spaces can be implemented in a uniform manner by using a single controller without preinstalling a control program of a smart space, thereby providing a good expansibility.
US09398001B1

A client-server computing system includes a computer cluster for hosting certain resources, applications, programs, processes, files, and/or data that are published to users who are accessing the computer cluster remotely. The computer cluster includes a network of one or more host computers, a gateway server, a gateway service database, and a user database. A single sign-on (SSO) method of the disclosure includes performing a computer cluster authentication process in which a user enters his/her credentials followed by a resource authentication process in which there is no need for the user to reenter his/her credentials, having entered them already in the computer cluster authentication process.
US09397996B2

Establishing trust according to historical usage of selected hardware involves providing a usage history for a selected client device; and extending trust to a selected user based on the user's usage history of the client device. The usage history is embodied as signed statements issued by a third party or an authentication server. The issued statement is stored either on the client device, or on an authentication server. The usage history is updated every time a user is authenticated from the selected client device. By combining the usage history with conventional user authentication, an enhanced trust level is readily established. The enhanced, hardware-based trust provided by logging on from a trusted client may eliminate the necessity of requiring secondary authentication for e-commerce and financial services transactions, and may also be used to facilitate password recovery and conflict resolution in the case of stolen passwords.
US09397995B2

An information processing apparatus includes a memory and a processor that is connected to the memory. The processor executes a process including: determining, when startup of an application is instructed, whether the application needs user authentication; executing, when it is determined that the user authentication is needed, the user authentication by starting up an authentication application that is different from the application; and executing, when the result of the user authentication indicates that the user authentication is successful, the application that is instructed to start up.
US09397994B2

A packet forwarding device includes: an evaluation unit configured to judge whether or not authentication information is stored in a header, the authentication information being for authenticating communication quality control information stored in the header of a packet transmitted via a network, and evaluate whether or not the authentication information is proper, the evaluation being made when the authentication information is stored in the header; and a forwarding unit that configured to control a communication quality using the communication quality control information, and forward the packet toward a transmission destination, the control being made when the authentication information is evaluated by the evaluation unit to be proper.
US09397991B2

Digital content distribution systems and methods are provided for distributing for digital data files, such as digital audio and video data files. In accordance with one implementation, a token-based authentication system is provided that does not require knowledge of the individual user requesting the download of digital content data or real-time access to user account information. Instead, the token-based authentication system embeds the authentication information, or token, in the download request information itself. In this way, the download or content server authenticates the download request using the token contained in the download request information and therefore does not require any additional information to carry out this authentication, such as access to user account information.
US09397986B2

Provided is a server connectable to a client for input of a string and that has an automaton defining a subsequent state for transition for each state and each character. This server has a key chain generating unit for generating a key chain for each combination of index, character and state expressing the position of each character in a string, the key chain having encrypted keys for the next index corresponding to the subsequent state of transition from the current state in accordance with the character on the basis of the key corresponding to the current state, and a providing unit for communicating with a client and providing to the client a key chain corresponding to each inputted key among a set of key chains for each index in a state concealing the inputted characters from the client.
US09397970B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to deep tagging of media content and provide a method, system and computer program product for coordinating deep tagging of media content with chat postings. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for coordinating deep tagging of media content with chat postings can be provided. The method can include monitoring a group chat of participants co-browsing media content, identifying a token in the group chat appearing a threshold number of times within a temporal window, and creating a deep tag in the media content in association with a portion of the media content played back concurrently with the temporal window.
US09397966B2

A message machine may provide a message service that allows creation of a chat group in which multiple users are members. A member of the chat group may send a message to the chat group, which causes the message machine to send the message to each of the other members who are online in the message service. If one of the other members is offline in the message service, but is online in another message service, the message machine may relay the message to this member via the other message service, in which an online member of the chat group is socially connected to the offline member by the other message service. The message machine may access credentials of the online member, use these credentials to impersonate the online member, and send the message to the offline member through the other message service.
US09397940B2

An example method is provided and includes receiving a packet associated with a flow, determining a tunnel identifier for the flow, and determining a flow identifier for the flow. The method includes associating the flow identifier and the tunnel identifier to an Internet protocol (IP) address to generate a binding to be used for a network address and port translation (NAPT). In other embodiments, a routing decision is executed based on the binding between the identifiers and the IP address. The flow identifier can be a context identifier (CID), and the tunnel identifier can be a softwire tunnel ID. In yet other embodiments, the packet can be tagged as part of an encapsulation operation, which includes providing information about a network location at which the network address and port translation is to be executed.
US09397934B2

A method for packet forwarding through a communication link of a distributed link aggregation group (LAG) in a mesh network using a path tag is described herein. A packet is received on a non-mesh port of a first network device of the mesh network. A Media Access Controller (MAC) destination address of the packet that is associated with a plurality of network devices in the mesh is determined. Each network device of the plurality of network devices includes a link grouped in the distributed LAG. A destination mesh device from the plurality of network devices is selected. A plurality of available paths between the first network device and the destination mesh device are determined. A path of the plurality of available paths is selected. A tag associated with the selected path is inserted into the packet, and the packet is forwarded along the selected path.
US09397928B2

The invention relates to a system, apparatus and method for the distribution of digital data signals, which are received at a receiving means, to be sent to a plurality of locations downstream therefrom, in an efficient manner. The received data is received in a first format such as an RF format with a plurality of different components and is then changed in format, in one embodiment to an optical format. The data path is also split to allow a plurality of data paths to be defined which allow the data to be transmitted along the plurality of data paths to each of the downstream locations.
US09397926B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide the ability to allow a peer or remote device to influence aggregate member selection in an aggregate group of members for a data flow. In embodiments, local-side weights and remote-side weights may be assigned to each member in an aggregate group of members. Using these weights, a global value for each member in the aggregate group may be calculated. Given these global values, a member from the aggregate group of members may be selected for egress of the new flow based upon the global values.
US09397923B2

A mobile communication terminal test device includes: test signal transmitting means (40) for transmitting, to a mobile communication terminal (50), a test signal including a plurality of radio resource regions (1 to 8) each of which is surrounded by one or more sub-frames and one or more resource blocks; and response signal receiving means (14) for receiving a response signal to the test signal from the mobile communication terminal. The test signal transmitting means transmits, to the mobile communication terminal, the test signal which includes one radio resource region for each predetermined time interval (T) and in which the position of the radio resource region in the frequency axis direction varies for each predetermined time interval.
US09397918B2

Presented herein are techniques for detection and characterization of buffer occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. The packets are stored in a buffer of the network device as they are processed by the network device. An occupancy level of the buffer is sampled at a sampling rate. Occupancy levels of the buffer over time are determined from the sampling, and traffic flow through the network device is characterized based on the occupancy levels.
US09397910B2

A managed device is searched in a computer network and program files and an installed package are discovered on the managed device. A rule is applied to package properties of the installed package to create a normalized representation of the installed package.
US09397908B2

A method, an apparatus, and a system for acquiring quality of service (QoS) control information. A policy control and charging rules function entity (PCRF) determines, according to a random algorithm, a time point in a time period from a receiving time of a request message sent by a policy and charging enforcement function entity PCEF for acquiring QoS control information to an update time of the QoS control information, as a time for the PCEF to reacquire QoS control information from the PCRF; and the PCEF reacquires QoS control information from the PCRF according to the time for reacquiring QoS control information from the PCRF that is carried in a response message returned by the PCRF, thereby avoiding execution of a QoS update by multiple PCEFs at a same time point, avoiding update message congestion, and improving an update speed of the QoS.
US09397903B2

A method of determining an operational attribute of a server executed on a first execution platform and providing a service, the method comprising: performing a measurement indicative of an operational attribute of the server, wherein the measurement is performed by a platform observer system executed on said first execution platform; communicating a result of said measurement to an external observer system; wherein the communicating comprises protecting secrecy of the communicated result; verifying, by the external observer system, that the received measurement result is indicative of a measurement performed on said server.
US09397900B2

Embodiments including methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for calculating frame parameters for the purpose of measuring performance in a network based on the calculated frame parameters are disclosed. By automatically or manually provisioning at least two network elements in a star or other network topology to transmit and receive service frames (e.g., Loss Measurement Messages or Loss Measurement Responses), the embodiments enable network elements to share network resources, such as frame counters, thereby decreasing the number of frame counters needed to perform frame parameter measurements and increasing scalability for a given counter resource supported by a low cost network processor units.
US09397894B2

A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for quality of experience for media transmissions. In an implementation, a method may include determining a first quality of experience metric associated with a media stream at a first network node. The first quality of experience metric may be transmitted with the media stream. The method may also include determining a second quality of experience metric associated with the media stream at a second network node. An updated quality of experience metric may be transmitted with the media stream. The updated quality of experience metric may be based upon, at least in part, the first quality of experience metric and the second quality of experience metric.
US09397880B1

A network monitoring device includes a flow processing element, disposed to receive flow information relating to network flows, and to generate a set of virtual packets, each representing a portion of a network flow. The virtual packets are maintained in a time-sequential order, and read by elements of the network monitoring device to generate information relating to network traffic, such as symptoms affecting the communication network, problems affecting the communication network, and otherwise. The network monitoring device randomly samples virtual packets, with at least one of two effects: (1) flow information from traffic reporting devices that are themselves sampling a differing rates can be equalized, with the effect of standardizing information from all of them; (2) the network monitoring device itself can restrict its attention to a fraction of all virtual packets, with the effect of keeping up with a relatively large number of virtual packets.
US09397875B2

A wireless device receives messages comprising parameters of carriers and carrier groups. Downlink transmissions on a first carrier and at least one second carrier are substantially time aligned with each other. The wireless device receives time alignment commands comprising a time adjustment value and an index identifying a carrier group. Uplink transmissions on a first carrier group and a second carrier group employ different synchronization signals on different carriers as timing reference and are adjusted in response to different time alignment commands.
US09397873B2

One or more first padding bits are added to information bits to be included in a data portion of a data unit such that the information bits, after being encoded, fill one or more OFDM symbols up to a boundary within a last OFDM symbol. The information bits and the first padding bits are encoded to generate coded bits. After encoding, coded bits corresponding to the last OFDM symbol are padded, or constellation points generated based on the coded bits corresponding to the last OFDM symbol are padded, such that the padded coded bits or the padded constellation points occupy a remaining portion of the last OFDM symbol after the boundary. The last OFDM symbol of the data portion is generated to include the coded information bits corresponding to the last OFDM symbol, the first padding bits and second padding bits or padding constellation points added after encoding.
US09397872B2

A method of characterizing a channel between a transmitter and a receiver (e.g., in a high-speed link) is presented. The method comprises: determining an overall intersymbol interference (ISI) probability density function (PDF) from eye monitor data obtained for a current equalizer setting, extracting a channel ISI PDF for the current equalizer setting from the overall ISI PDF, and generating an overall ISI PDF for a different equalizer setting by using the channel ISI PDF for the current equalizer setting and an impulse response at the different equalizer setting. Based on this characterization, an optimal equalizer setting may be selected among a plurality of equalizer settings on the basis of the channel ISI PDF and the equalizer response functions.
US09397871B2

Devices, systems and methods are provided where a request may be transmitted based on a first encoding scheme, and a response to the request may be transmitted based on a second encoding scheme different from the first encoding scheme. The second encoding scheme may comprise an edge-based pulse width modulation encoding scheme.
US09397864B2

Adaptive channel estimation technique selection for coordinated multipoint (CoMP) cellular communication in a wireless user equipment (UE) device. A channel estimation technique according to which to perform channel estimation may be determined, from at least two possible channel estimation techniques, for each respective cell of a plurality of cells. Channel estimation may be performed on each respective cell of the plurality of cells according to the determined channel estimation technique for the respective cell. Multipoint channel state information may be generated based on the channel estimates for the plurality of cells. The multipoint channel state information may be transmitted to a first cell in a wireless manner. The multipoint channel state information may be used to select a CoMP joint transmission cluster for the UE.
US09397853B2

The present invention relates to a system (100) for broadcasting targeted information for a home network (RD) to which at least one electronic device (4) including a processing means is connected, said broadcasting system including: at least one detector agent (1) for detecting a predefined event (Eid), said at least one detector agent (1) being arranged on the at least one electronic device (4); at least one selector agent (2) for selecting an action (Aid) to be performed, the at least one selector agent (2) being arranged on the at least one electronic device (4); and at least one broadcasting agent (3) for broadcasting targeted information content (Cid) for an end user (5), the at least one broadcasting agent (3) being arranged on the at least one electronic device (4). The detector (1), selector (2) and broadcasting (3) agents perform tasks in separate execution contexts on a processing means of the at least one electronic device (4) connected to the home network (RD).
US09397852B2

An exemplary method includes a user interface subsystem communicatively coupled to a home monitor and control subsystem providing a graphical user interface view for display on a display screen, the graphical user interface view including a graphical representation of a floor plan of a home associated with the home monitor and control subsystem and a graphic representing an element of the home monitor and control subsystem, wherein the graphic is positioned relative to the graphical representation of the floor plan in the graphical user interface view to visually indicate a location of the element at the home.
US09397839B2

A non-hierarchical infrastructure for managing twin-security keys of physical persons or of elements includes a public key and a private key with a public key certificate. The structure does not include any certification authority distinct from the physical persons or elements, but does include at least one registering authority and its electronic notary server. There is provided at least one registering authority and its electronic notary server for a circle of trust. The registering authority includes local registering agencies. The local registering agency establishes, after face-to-face verification of the identity of the physical person or of the identification of the element, a public key certificate, and a “public key ownership certificate”, which does not contain the public key of the person or of the element but the print thereof, and which is transmitted in a secure manner to the associated electronic notary server for storing in a secure manner.
US09397826B2

Provided are a security device and a method for operating same. The security device may conceal an encryption key used for an encryption algorithm in an encryption module in correspondence to security attacks such as reading information on where the encryption key is stored in a memory by disassembling an IC chip, or extracting said information through microprobing. The encryption key may be included as a physical encryption key module in an encryption module, and a certain storage medium for storing the encryption key may be included in the encryption module. Accordingly, the encryption key is not transmitted via a bus in a security device for encryption.
US09397824B1

A device and method for providing clock data recovery (CDR) in a receiver is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a Phase Amplitude Modulation (PAM) signal; on startup, using a non-return-to-zero (NRZ)-based phase frequency detector (PFD) to acquire signal frequency from the received PAM signal; and responsive to a determination, switching to a PAM phase detector (PD) for steady state operation.
US09397822B1

Various embodiments provide systems and methods for performing clock recovery on a received signal using a split loop architecture. A split loop timing recovery apparatus is provided comprising a first path configured for performing frequency offset tracking on a signal by adjusting a receiver clock frequency to match a remote transmitter frequency associated with the signal and a second path configured for tracking random jitter on the signal.
US09397816B2

Within a wireless network, feedback information from user equipment (UE) to a control node (eNodeB) is necessary to support various functions. A UE receives an allocation from the eNodeB comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a channel quality indicator (CQI) and a schedule comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a rank indicator (RI), wherein the CQI comprises RI and other CQI fields. The UE then transmits an RI without transmitting the other CQI fields in a transmission instance allocated for both RI and other CQI fields.
US09397811B2

A method of transmitting data in a wireless communication, by a first Base Station (BS) is provided. The method includes receiving control information including information related to transmission of a Reference Signal (RS) of at least one second BS from the at least one second BS adjacent to the first BS and transmitting data by using a preset method based on the control information when an RS transmission mode of the at least one second BS is different from an RS transmission mode of the first BS.
US09397804B2

An idle mode load balancing capability enables balancing of idle mode wireless devices across wireless carriers in order to ensure that the possibility of congestion on any given wireless carrier is reduced or even minimized when idle mode wireless devices become active. The idle mode load balancing may be performed for wireless carriers by determining relative numbers of idle mode wireless devices on the wireless carriers and performing idle mode load balancing for the wireless carriers based on the relative numbers of idle mode wireless devices on the wireless carriers. The relative number of idle mode wireless devices on a wireless carrier may be determined based on a change in load on the wireless carrier during the observation period, which may be determined based on an observed change in load on the wireless carrier and a load correction associated with session terminations on the wireless carrier.
US09397803B2

A scheduling apparatus and a scheduling method, wherein the amount of signaling for frequency resource allocation information can be reduced while maintaining system throughput performance. In a base station apparatus (100), a scheduling section (113) allocates frequency resources to frequency allocation target terminals based on set frequency allocation units, and a frequency allocation parameter setting section (112) adjusts the set frequency allocation units set in the scheduling section (113) based on cluster numbers. Due to this, in each cluster number, frequency resources can be allocated based on the most suitable frequency allocation units with respect to the signaling bit number. As a result, the amount of signaling for frequency resource allocation information can be reduced. Further, system throughput can be maintained by making the cluster number, which is a parameter having little effect on system throughput, a setting parameter for frequency allocation units.
US09397797B2

A method and apparatus for controlling a sleep mode operation of a Mobile Station (MS) in a communication system, in which the sleep mode operates according to a sleep cycle including a listening window corresponding to an awake mode and a sleep window corresponding to a sleep state. The method includes starting a preset timer if there is a transmission of data between the MS and a Base Station (BS) during the listening window, restarting the timer upon receiving at least one of UpLink (UL) data, DownLink (DL) data and MAP Information Element (IE) indicating resource allocation from the BS during the listening window, maintaining the listening window until the timer expires, and transitioning to the sleep window if the timer expires.
US09397796B2

Methods and apparatus of a base station or a User Equipment (UE) in communication with each other are provided. The UE is configured by the base station for operation with an adapted Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration. A process enabling transmission of Channel State Information (CSI) from the UE for communication in two different sets of DL Transmission Time Intervals (TTIs) is provided.
US09397795B2

A simultaneous transmit and receive technology is described. A downlink transmission and an uplink receive beam are formed at a base station (BS) having a beam pattern with predetermined nulls. The predetermined nulls are formed over predetermined elevation angles to reduce interference with a proximate BS. Transmission and reception occur simultaneously using the beam pattern from the BS.
US09397791B2

According to one embodiment, a method for retransmitting a protocol data unit (PDU) in a mobile communication system includes: segmenting a first PDU to form one or more second PDUs if the first PDU does not fit within a PDU size indicated by a lower layer; and transmitting the one or more second PDUs to a receiving side. Segmenting the first PDU includes: mapping only a data field of the first PDU to a data field of the one or more second PDUs; and setting a header of each of the one or more second PDUs. The header of each of the one or more second PDUs includes a field indicating a sequence number of the first PDU.
US09397784B2

The present invention relates to a split signal processing system comprising: multiple antennas for receiving transmitted signals carrying an information-bearing symbol; multiple signal processing modules associated with the respective antennas and being configured to generate respective bit log-likelihood ratio (LLR) sequences, each corresponding to the information-bearing symbol; and a LLR combiner for combining the bit LLR sequences received from the multiple signal processing modules.
US09397779B2

A first wireless device communicates data to a second wireless device. The first wireless device employs at least one of a first interleaving scheme and a first sub-carrier mapping scheme to produce a first data packet from a first plurality of data bits, and transmits the first data packet to the second wireless device. When the first data packet is not received correctly by the second wireless device, then the first wireless device employs at least one of a second interleaving scheme and a second sub-carrier mapping scheme to create a second data packet from the first plurality of data bits, and transmits the second data packet to the second wireless device.
US09397778B2

A tunable optical network unit (ONU) for a multi-wavelength passive optical network (MW PON) system and an operation method thereof are provided. The tunable ONU includes a cyclic tunable filter configured to have cyclic wavelength transmission properties that allow all wavelength channels of both a downstream signal and an upstream signal and to vary a wavelength to pass therethrough; a wavelength splitter configured to split an upstream signal wavelength band and a downstream signal wavelength band; a photodetector element configured to detect a downstream signal that is transmitted through the wavelength splitter, passing through the cyclic tunable filter which is aligned to a specific downstream signal wavelength channel; and a tunable transmitter configured to output to the wavelength transmitter an upstream signal of a wavelength channel that is determined based on an aligned downstream signal wavelength channel of the cyclic tunable filter.
US09397775B2

In methods of operating a relay station in a multi-hop wireless relay network, the relay station in communication with a superordinate station and a subordinate station, a downlink transmission to/from the superordinate station is transmitted/received at a first frequency. An uplink transmission to/from the subordinate station is transmitted/received at a second frequency. Communications between the relay station and the superordinate station may be scheduled using frames, each frame including a downlink portion at the first frequency, and an uplink portion at the second frequency. The downlink portion includes first and second downlink subframes for communication between the superordinate station and first and second pluralities of stations, respectively. The uplink portion includes first and second uplink subframes for communication between the superordinate station and the first and second pluralities of stations, respectively. The downlink transmission occurs in the first downlink subframe, and the uplink transmission occurs in the first uplink subframe.
US09397768B2

The present invention relates to a method for operating a secondary station comprising means for communicating with a primary station, the method comprising receiving from the primary station an interference status report, said interference status report comprising an spatial indication being representative of a spatial characteristic of the interference, measuring channel characteristics on reference symbols, and interpreting the measured channel characteristics with help of the interference status report.
US09397754B2

A linecard includes at least one pluggable device, a linecard processor, and a centralized host processor. The linecard also includes an interface that supports a pluggable device. A pluggable device is electrically coupled to the interface and is controlled by the centralized host processor. A flash memory stores data for the pluggable device. The pluggable device can include at least one of an optical amplifier and a ROADM pluggable device.
US09397753B2

Pluggable transceiver modules with additional functions and circuitry contained within the module. In a first embodiment, additional circuitry is added to determine bit error rates at the point of the module itself. This allows a much better diagnostic evaluation of location of problem. In an alternate embodiment, various logic is placed in the module. In a first alternate embodiment encryption/decryption units are placed in the converter module so that encryption and decryption operations on the serial bitstream do not need to be performed in a switch. Existing switches can be used but the interconnecting links can still be encrypted. A second alternate embodiment includes compression/decompression units placed in the module to allow effective higher throughput on the selected links.
US09397750B2

A communications cable is disclosed. The cable includes a first circuit configured to receive electrical data signals from a data source via an input connector, and convert the electrical data signals into optical signals for transmission by way of one or more optical fibers. The cable includes a second circuit configured to convert the optical signals received via the one or more optical fibers back to electrical data signals for providing to a data sink via an output connector. The cable includes a third circuit for applying pre- and post-signal conditioning to bi-directional control data for transmission to and received from the data sink via wires. The cable includes a fourth circuit for applying pre-and post-signal conditioning to bi-directional control data for transmission to and received from the data source via wires. The pre- and post-signal conditioning compensate for capacitance and/or resistance effects on the signals introduced by the wires.
US09397748B2

A method for detecting an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). A wavelength label loading end (11) loads a wavelength label signal in an optical signal, and sends a loading modulation depth of the wavelength label signal to an OSNR detection end (12) through a wavelength label channel or an optical monitoring channel. The OSNR detection end (12) obtains a loading modulation depth of a wavelength label signal loaded in each wavelength optical signal, parses the wavelength label signal to obtain a current modulation depth of the wavelength label signal, and obtains an OSNR value of each wavelength optical signal according to the loading modulation depth and the current modulation depth of the wavelength label signal. A system and device for detecting an OSNR applicable to OSNR tests of present optical signals with high rates of 40 G, 100 G, etc., and in particular to OSNR tests of polarization multiplexing optical signals.
US09397730B2

A system includes a base station (BS) and a user equipment (UE). The BS is capable of communicating with the UE via a serving cell and a coordinated cell. The BS includes a frequency exchange module coupled with a first baseband processing unit and a second baseband processing unit. The first baseband processing unit is designated for supporting baseband processing related to the coordinated cell, and the second baseband processing unit is designated for supporting baseband processing related to the serving cell. The frequency exchange module is configured to forward a first frequency domain signal to the second baseband processing unit according to a first predetermined coordination configuration relating to the serving cell of the UE and the coordinated cell of the UE. The second baseband processing unit is configured to perform a joint processing of the first frequency domain signal and a second frequency domain signal.
US09397728B2

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for utilizing close proximity wireless communication (CPWC) technology for a secure out-of-band (OOB) transfer of communication information between two or more devices at close range. The communication information may be used to establish a secure communication channel over a greater distance than possible using CPWC technologies. A host device may include a processing unit in communication with a communication module and a CPWC module. An edge device may include a processing unit in communication with a communication module and a CPWC tag. The CPWC tag may receive communication information from the CPWC module of the host device. In other embodiments, the edge device may receive communication information from an intermediary transfer device. The edge device may then use the communication information to facilitate secure communication via the communication module of the edge device and the communication module of the host device.
US09397726B2

Systems and methods for communication between near field communication devices within a target communication region using near field magnetic induction is disclosed. One method comprises generating a near field detectable signal at an active node having a power level sufficient to enable communication with a plurality of near field communication nodes located within the target communication region. Information is modulated onto the near field detectable signal using at least one of the near field communication nodes. The modulated information is detected at the active node. The information is then relayed on the near field detectable signal from the active node to at least one of the plurality of near field communication nodes within the target communication region.
US09397721B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for reducing filter insertion loss while maintaining out-of-band attenuation. In some embodiments, a system can be configured for processing of radio-frequency (RF) signals. The system can include a plurality of signal paths configured to accommodate multiple frequency bands, with each of the multiple bands having a passband. The system can further include a filter circuit disposed along each of the signal paths. At least one of the filter circuits can be segmented into two or more segments that substantially cover the passband corresponding to the filter circuit. The segmented filter circuit can be configured to provide a desired attenuation of out-of-band interferers and a desired insertion loss level. In some embodiments, the signal paths can include receive (Rx) paths.
US09397717B2

An electronic device gripping system allows a user to securely and comfortably hold a portable electronic device using one or more fingers. The system includes a base member having a first surface, a second surface, and a perimeter edge coupled to and extending between the first surface and the second surface. A finger securement member is coupled to the first surface of the base member and receives a finger of a user therein. A connector is coupled to the base member and couples the base member to a cell phone.
US09397716B2

Disclosed is a pen-like input device for a portable terminal which can provide the function of a wireless headset. The input device includes a housing configured with at least first and second spaced apart microphone holes formed therein. A transmitting/receiving (T/R) module is disposed inside the housing and coupled to the microphone element and a speaker. The T/R module transmits/receives communication signals to and from the portable terminal. A sound transferring part is provided within the housing to transfer sounds to a microphone element via a plurality of air pathways connected to the first and second microphone holes.
US09397714B1

The present invention presents a RF receiver circuit including an inductor-coupling single-ended input differential-output LNA, a mixer circuit, and a differential trans-impedance amplifier. The inductor-coupling single-ended input differential-output LNA includes a single-ended input, a balance-to-unbalance transformer, and an inductor-less differential LNA. The balance-to-unbalance transformer is used to transform the radio frequency signals into a plurality of differential-output first differential signals and includes a first inductor and a second inductor. The inductor-less differential LNA is used to transform the first differential signals into a plurality of differential-output second differential signals, wherein the input impedance of the inductor-coupling single-ended input differential-output LNA is inversely proportional to the square of the coil ratio of the first and second inductor, and the product of the reciprocal of the coil ratio and the input impedance matches the external input impedance of the inductor-coupling single-ended input differential-output LNA.
US09397710B2

A power amplifier module includes a first signal input terminal to which a first radio frequency signal of a first frequency band is input; a second signal input terminal to which a second radio frequency signal of a second frequency band is input; first, second, and third power amplifiers; and a bias control circuit. The first signal input terminal and an input terminal of the first power amplifier are electrically connected to each other, the second signal input terminal and an input terminal of the second power amplifier are electrically connected to each other, output terminals of the first and second power amplifiers and an input terminal of the third power amplifier are electrically connected to each other, and the bias control circuit controls supplying a bias current to one of the first and second power amplifiers depending on a selected frequency band.
US09397709B2

A light device includes a light emitting module in which a plurality of light sources are provided; caps that are provided at two ends of the light emitting module and are to be mounted in a lighting fixture; and a positional information transmission part that is provided between an outermost one of the plurality of light sources of the light emitting module and the corresponding cap and transmits predetermined positional information.
US09397707B2

A method of transmitting data in a wireless local area network is provided. The method includes the steps of: generating a data unit including a MAC (Medium Access Control) header and MSDU (MAC Service Data Unit), generating an encoded data unit by encoding the data unit, generating one or more spatial blocks by dividing the encoded data unit, dividing each of the one or more spatial block into a first block and a second block, generating a first interleaved block and a second interleaved block by interleaving the first block and the second block respectively, generating a first mapped sequence by mapping the first interleaved block into signal constellation, generating a second mapped sequence by mapping the second interleaved block into signal constellation, generating the transmission signal by performing IDFT (Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform) to the first mapped sequence and the second mapped sequence; and transmitting the transmission signal.
US09397706B1

A method for non-uniform multiple dimensional decoding, the method may include receiving or generating a multiple dimensional encoded data unit; and decoding by a processor the multiple dimensional encoded data unit to provide a decoded data unit; wherein the multiple dimensional encoded data unit comprises multiple component codes associated with multiple dimensions; wherein the multiple dimensions comprise a plurality of non-uniform dimensions; wherein at least two component codes of each non-uniform dimension differ from each other by encoding rate; wherein the decoding is responsive to encoding rates of component codes of the plurality of non-uniform dimensions.
US09397705B2

A decoder for A LDPC code and A BCH code and decoding method thereof are provided. The decoder decodes the encoded data based on the LDPC code and decodes the encoded data based on the BCH code simultaneously. Then the decoder outputs decoded data after the decoding procedure has been finished. Additionally, in the decoding procedure for decoding the encoded data based on the BCH code, the decoded result which the encoded data is decoded based on the LDPC code is utilized, so as to increase the processing speed for decoding the encoded data, and enhance the overall decoding performance.
US09397704B2

Approaches for satellite data transmissions are provided, which accommodate for periodic signal blockages without packet loss. A data stream is segmented into packets for wireless transmission, wherein the transmission is subject to a periodic blockage, wherein the periodic blockage comprises two blockages occurring within a time period, and each blockage is of a respective duration and recurs at regular intervals based on the time period. A forward error correction outer code is applied to the packets for recovery of data erasures due to the periodic blockage, wherein the application of the outer code comprises applying an error correction code to each of the packets to generate a respective codeblock. Each codeblock is interleaved to prevent erasure of consecutive parity bits within the codeblock. The encoded and interleaved codeblocks are transmitted over a wireless channel, wherein a number of data erasures occur within each codeblock due to the periodic blockage.
US09397697B2

A communication apparatus includes a serializer configured to convert parallel data into serial data and output the serial data; and a deserializer configured to convert the serial data output from the serializer into parallel data and output the parallel data. The serializer is configured to add first data used for detecting unique data in the parallel data before the unique data, add second data used for detecting the unique data after the unique data, and add third data whose length is variable to each of the first data and the second data.
US09397693B1

An asynchronous analog-to-digital converter (AADC) and a method of using the AADC are shown. The AADC includes a digital-to analog-converter (DAC), a continuous-time comparator that provides an output including a digital value of the DAC and a time value, and a first and a second continuous-time summer, each connected to receive an analog differential input on a first input, to receive a differential output of the DAC on a second input, and to provide a difference between the analog input and the output of the DAC to the continuous-time comparator and to an error estimator. The continuous-time comparator provides the output responsive to the difference between the analog input and the output of the DAC being zero.
US09397690B2

An apparatus for sensing current of a vehicle battery employs an extended counting analog-to-digital conversion process (212) to a chopped and amplified voltage appearing across a low ohmic shunt resistor (203) placed between the negative pole of the vehicle's battery and the chassis ground of the vehicle. Gain adjustment control of a programmable gain amplifier (209) by matching the gain to the dynamic range of the ADC (212) permits a high dynamic signal sensing.
US09397688B2

A digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) circuit has a resistor ladder circuit controlled by high order bits and a resistor string circuit controlled by low order bits. The resistor ladder circuit includes a stem resistor and a branch resistor. The stem resistor has a stem resistance, and the branch resistor has a branch resistance that is substantially equal to two times of the stem resistance. The resistor string circuit includes a string current source, a string resistor, and a bridge resistor. The string current source is configured to generate a string current that is based on a ratio of a reference voltage divided by a predetermined resistance. The string resistor has a string resistance that corresponds to the predetermined resistance, and it is configured to selectively receive the string current based on a selection signal decoded from the low order bits.
US09397687B2

In one implementation, a digital analog converter (DAC) is monotonic because the output moves only in the direction of the input and segmented because a more significant portion of the DAC is separated from a less significant portion. The DAC receives an input binary word that includes multiple most significant bits and multiple least significant bits. The DAC decodes the input binary word to an intermediate signal that includes a bit width equal to or greater than a bit width of the binary word. The intermediate signal sets output switches and current source switches. The DAC provides an analog output signal that represents the input binary word.
US09397686B2

A low input voltage low impedance termination stage for current inputs may include an output stage for an electrical circuit, the output stage including input cascode transistors and stacked output transistors. A source-follower feedback path for the input cascode transistors may include a feedback transistor with its gate terminal coupled to a drain terminal of a first of the input cascode transistors, a drain of the feedback transistor coupled to a supply voltage, and a source terminal of the feedback transistor coupled to a current source. A current source may be coupled to the drain of the first of the input cascode transistors. The supply voltage may be coupled to the stacked output transistors via a load resistor. The input cascode transistors, the feedback transistor, and the stacked output transistors may include complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors.
US09397685B1

Described examples include low power analog front end circuits for sensing repeating signal waveforms, including a first sampling circuit to sample an input signal, an analog detector circuit to provide a detector output signal representing a feature of the input signal, a second sampling circuit to sample the detector output signal, and a control circuit to control a sample rate or other analog front end operating parameter at least partially according to the sampled detector output signal, and to selectively enable and disable the analog detector circuit at least partially according to a model representing an expected repeating waveform of the input signal.
US09397681B2

An analog/digital converter system includes a multiplexer, which includes multiple channels having at least one switch, and an analog/digital converter, the analog input of which is connected to the output portal of the multiplexer. Also described is a method for checking a multiplexer for an analog/digital converter. At least one other switch for testing the multiplexer is provided in at least one channel, this other switch connecting the input portal and/or the output portal of the corresponding channel and/or the corresponding channel to a predefined voltage potential.
US09397678B2

Methods and systems are provided for controlling operations of digital-to-analog converters (DACs), particularly ones comprising multiple DAC elements. In particular, a plurality of DAC elements in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) may be controlled during digital-to-analog conversions, with the controlling comprising use of a switching arrangement that comprises one or more switching elements configured for controlling switching of each of the plurality of DAC elements. The controlling may comprise forcing one or more of the plurality of DAC elements in the DAC to not switch during the digital-to-analog conversions. Further, the remaining DAC elements may be scrambled. The controlling of the plurality of DAC elements in the DAC may be based on analysis of an input to the DAC that is being converted. The analysis may comprise determining when the input is backed off from full-scale. A switching sequence may be applied, via each of the one or more switching elements.
US09397675B1

Embodiments include a hybrid frequency synthesizer comprising a direct digital synthesizer configured to generate a digital output signal having a frequency determined by an input signal received from an externally-generated signal source. The hybrid frequency synthesizer further includes a delta sigma modulator configured to generate a delta-sigma modulated signal based on the digital output signal, the delta sigma modulator being coupled to the direct digital synthesizer. The hybrid frequency synthesizer also includes a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert the delta-sigma modulated signal into an analog output signal, the digital-to-analog converter being coupled to the delta-sigma modulator. Moreover, the hybrid frequency synthesizer includes a bandpass filter configured to remove interference frequencies from the analog output signal, the bandpass filter being coupled to the digital-to-analog converter; and a phase locked loop coupled to the band pass filter and driven by a reference signal received therefrom.
US09397674B2

A clock and data recovery device includes a phase detector, a quantizer, and a loop filter. The phase detector produces a phase error samples at an output representing a phase difference between a phase-adjusted clock and an input data signal. The quantizer, coupled to the output of the phase detector and responsive to high threshold and low threshold values, produces a tri-valued quantized phase error samples at an output. The loop filter filters either the quantized phase error samples or the phase error samples to control the phase-controlled clock. A frequency detector, determining the frequency of jitter present in the input data signal, addresses a look-up table to provide the jitter-frequency dependent high and low threshold values and to control which phase error samples is processed by the loop filter. The frequency detector determines the jitter frequency by taking the ratio of peak values of low pass-filtered phase error samples.
US09397661B2

An ODT circuit capable of generating an OCD/ODT code and/or a reference voltage adaptively adjusted according to a system environment is disclosed. The ODT circuit comprises a system environment detector, an OCD/ODT replica circuit, an OCD/ODT code generator and an OCD/ODT unit. The system environment detector detects a supply voltage to generate a voltage code, detects an operating temperature to generate a temperature code, and detects an operating frequency to generate a frequency code. The OCD/ODT code generator generates a pull-up code and a pull-down code currently optimized for a semiconductor memory device based on a pull-up reference voltage, a pull-down reference voltage, the voltage code, the temperature code and the frequency code.
US09397656B2

A circuit and method for controlling charge injection in a circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the circuit and method are employed in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) Radio Frequency (RF) switch. In one embodiment, an SOI RF switch comprises a plurality of switching transistors coupled in series, referred to as “stacked” transistors, and implemented as a monolithic integrated circuit on an SOI substrate. Charge injection control elements are coupled to receive injected charge from resistively-isolated nodes located between the switching transistors, and to convey the injected charge to at least one node that is not resistively-isolated. In one embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise resistors. In another embodiment, the charge injection control elements comprise transistors. A method for controlling charge injection in a switch circuit is disclosed whereby injected charge is generated at resistively-isolated nodes between series coupled switching transistors, and the injected charge is conveyed to at least one node of the switch circuit that is not resistively-isolated.
US09397652B2

A circuitry is suggested, in particular a power switch, comprising a first electronic switch with an isolated gate; a second electronic switch with an isolated gate; a measuring device for determining a charge at the isolated gate of the first electronic switch and at the isolated gate of the second electronic switch; an energy supply for providing charge to the isolated gate of the first electronic switch and to the isolated gate of the second electronic switch based on the charge determined by the measuring device; a logic unit for activating either the first electronic switch, both or none of the electronic switches.
US09397648B1

A first charge module includes a first resistor and a first capacitor. A second charge module includes a second resistor and a second capacitor. A voltage comparison module includes a comparator connected to compare voltages present on the first and second capacitors. The comparator is connected to output a signal having a first state when the voltage on the first capacitor is less than the voltage on the second capacitor, and output a signal having a second state opposite of the first state when the voltage on the first capacitor is greater than the voltage on the second capacitor. A control module is configured to receive a PWM signal as an input signal and generate control signals based on the received PWM signal for controlling charging and discharging of the first and second capacitors. The output of the comparator is a decoded version of the PWM signal.
US09397641B2

Described is a latch which comprises: a first AND-OR-invert (AOI) logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply node. Described is a flip-flop which comprises: a first latch including: a first AOI logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply, the first latch having an output node; and a second latch having an input node coupled to the output node of the first latch, the second latch having an output node to provide an output of the flip-flop.
US09397625B1

A device has at least two current mode logarithmic amplifiers having currents as their inputs, and multiplexing logic electrically connected to outputs of the current mode logarithmic amplifiers to select one of the current mode amplifiers to produce an output signal.
US09397619B2

A predistorter gives an input signal inputted to a power amplifier distortion corresponding to a compensation coefficient. A band limiter limits components in a second frequency band other than a first frequency band of a feedback signal fed back from the power amplifier, and distorts components in the first frequency band according to the limited components in the second frequency band. A learner updates the compensation coefficient on the basis of the distorted feedback signal.
US09397618B2

A power amplification module includes a first transistor which amplifies and outputs a radio frequency signal input to its base; a current source which outputs a control current; a second transistor connected to an output of the current source, a first current from the control current input to its collector, a control voltage generation circuit connected to the output and which generates a control voltage according to a second current from the control current; a first FET, the drain being supplied with a supply voltage, the source being connected to the base of the first transistor, and the gate being supplied with the control voltage; and a second FET, the drain being supplied with the supply voltage, the source being connected to the base of the second transistor, and the gate being supplied with the control voltage.
US09397615B2

A power amplifier is provided that generates timing signals which respectively turn on or off switches for respectively opening or closing current paths for current sources and which have same duty ratio and different phases and that adjusts current values for the current sources based on phase differences among the timing signals.
US09397612B2

A system and method for automated shutdown, disconnect, or power reduction of solar panels. A system of solar panels includes one or more master management units (MMUs) and one or more local management units (LMUs). The MMUs are in communication with the LMUs with the MMUs and LMUs “handshaking” when the system is in operation. The MMUs are connected to one or more controllers which in turn are connected to emergency detection sensors. Upon a sensor detection of an emergency, the associated MMU is notified which in turn instructs associated LMUs to take appropriate action. In the event that communication with the MMUs has been cut off, the LMUs take the initiative to shutdown, disconnect, or reduce the output of associated string(s) of solar panels.
US09397604B2

A system and method for preventing damage to a controller of an electric motor in a vehicle from back electromotive force, the vehicle having a battery, includes monitoring, in a circuit path, a voltage and a rotational speed generated by back-driving the motor. If power is supplied to the controller by the battery, the method includes comparing the voltage to an upper voltage threshold, comparing the rotational speed to an upper rotational speed threshold, and, if the voltage exceeds the upper voltage threshold or the rotational speed exceeds the upper rotational speed threshold, clamping the circuit path to the battery to charge the battery with the voltage. The method is performed by an electronic controller that may detect the voltage and rotational speed via controller ports, sensor transmissions, and the like.
US09397603B2

An electric motor including a first conductive winding, a second conductive winding, a rotor, and a controller is disclosed. When energized by an AC source, the first conductive winding generates a first magnetic field. The second conductive winding, which is configured to be selectively energized by the AC source via one or more switches, is arranged so as to generate a second magnetic field superimposed with the first magnetic field when so energized. The rotor magnetically interacts with the first magnetic field, or the superimposed first magnetic field and second magnetic field, such that a torque is applied on the rotor. The controller is configured to: (i) obtain a measurement of a voltage of the AC source; (ii) make a determination, based on the measurement, whether to energize the second conductive winding; and (iii) energize the second conductive winding in accordance with the determination.
US09397602B2

A rotary electric machine control apparatus includes: a phase estimator configured to estimate a first estimated phase value based on a rotary electric machine current; a correction value storage configured to store correction information representing a plurality of second estimated phase values and a plurality of correction values; a first phase corrector configured to acquire, based on a second estimated phase value corresponding to the first estimated phase value, from the correction information, a correction value associated with the second estimated phase value, and configured to correct the second estimated phase values based on the correction value; a position controller configured to calculate a speed command based on a position command and the corrected second estimated phase value; and a speed controller configured to calculate a torque command value and a q-axis current command value based on the speed command and the corrected second estimated phase value.
US09397587B2

Multi-actuator system. The system includes at least two nano positioners having different ranges and bandwidths located in cascaded serial form to contact and move an object. A control system employs data-based control design to combine the at least two nano positioners so as to apportion actuation responsibilities among the at least two nano positioners so as to compensate for their coupled dynamics while moving the object. It is preferred to provide a separate controller for controlling separately each of the at least two nano positioners. Parameters of the separate controllers may be determined by minimizing output error.
US09397586B2

A driving device having a vibration element, a friction member, and a pressing member for applying pressure in a direction in which the vibration element and the friction member make contact with each other, causing the vibration element and the friction member to make a relative movement by vibration generated in the vibration element. The device includes a connection member configured to transmit a driving force caused by the relative movement to a holding member of another member, wherein the holding member makes a movement caused by the transmitted driving force, and a guide member configured to guide the holding member in a moving direction when the vibration element and the friction member make the relative movement. The connection member connects the holding member to the vibration element or the friction member so as not to apply a reaction force caused by the pressing member to the holding member.
US09397585B2

Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide shock impact mitigation for MEMS structures. A MEMS structure may include one or more actuators. An actuator may include a first frame having a spine, where the spine includes a body and a tip. The actuator may include a second frame connected to the first frame and including a shock stop, where the shock stop includes a surface in proximity to the spine tip. An actuator may include a shock cushion spring fixed relative to the spine tip and situated substantially between the spine tip and the shock stop surface, where the shock cushion spring is adapted to protect the spine tip from contact with the shock stop surface.
US09397575B2

In a switching power supply device, a voltage of a counter electromotive force induced in a drive winding as a high side switching element is turned off is output to a ZT terminal of a switching control IC, and thus an OUT terminal of the switching control IC is brought to a high level, and thus a low side switching element is turned on. A constant current circuit charges a capacitor with a constant current through a voltage at the OUT terminal. A comparator in the switching control IC inverts the voltage at the OUT terminal to a low level upon a voltage at an IS terminal exceeding a voltage at an FB terminal. Thus, an on time of the low side switching element is controlled in accordance with a voltage output to the FB terminal, and an output voltage Vo is turned into a constant voltage.
US09397573B2

An integrated control circuit of a switch is described, which is adapted to open or close a current path; said integrated circuit includes a comparator to compare a first signal with a second signal representative of the current flowing through said current path. The comparator outputs a third variable signal between a low logic level and a high logic level according to whether said second signal is lower than said first signal or vice versa; the integrated circuit has a driver to generate a signal to drive said switch in response to the third signal, and is configured to detect a spike on the leading edge of said second signal and to blank said third signal for a first blanking time period which depends on a turn-on delay of said switch and a second blanking period which depends on the duration of said spike on the leading edge of said second signal.
US09397570B2

A circuit for controlling a switching regulator is provided. The circuit includes a first input to receive a feedback signal from the switching regulator proportional to an output voltage of the switching regulator, a second input to receive a voltage reference signal, an output to be coupled to an input of the switching regulator, an error amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the first input to receive the feedback signal, a second input terminal coupled to the second input to receive the voltage reference signal, and an output terminal coupled to the output, and a compensation network coupled between the second input and the output. The compensation network includes a series combination of a first capacitance and a first resistance coupled between the second input and a node, a second resistance coupled between the node and the output, and a second capacitance coupled to the node.
US09397567B2

A method and apparatus for augmenting an external voltage regulator with a shunt integrated voltage regulator is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes a load circuit coupled to a supply voltage node. The supply voltage node is electrically coupled to receive a supply voltage from an external voltage regulator. The IC also includes a shunt integrated voltage regulator coupled to the supply voltage node and implemented on the same IC die as the load circuit. If the supply voltage falls below a specified value (e.g., to increased current demand), the integrated voltage regulator may begin supplying current to the load. This may cause the supply voltage to return to within its specified range of the specified value, while allowing the external voltage regulator sufficient time to respond to the increased current demand. Thus, voltage droops on the supply voltage node may be minimized.
US09397563B2

A driver circuit includes normally-on first and second transistors, a first control circuit for controlling the first transistor in response to a first control signal, a second control circuit for controlling the second transistor in response to a second control signal, a capacitor connected between first and second power supply nodes of the first control circuit, a power supply connected between third and fourth power supply nodes of the second control circuit, a switch element connected between first and fourth power supply nodes, and a third control circuit for turning the switch element on when an output voltage becomes about 0V.
US09397557B2

A charge pump at least includes a current source, a first switch, a second switch, a level-shift circuit, and a capacitor. The first switch is coupled between the current source and an internal node. The capacitor is coupled between the internal node and the level-shift circuit. The second switch is coupled between the internal node and an output node. The first switch performs a closing-and-opening operation and the level-shift circuit performs a level-shift operation while the second switch is kept open and the internal node is isolated from the output node. The operating range of the charge pump is effectively widened by using the proposed design.
US09397556B2

A power supply apparatus includes a rectification circuit, a power factor correction circuit, an auxiliary boost circuit and a direct current to direct current conversion circuit. The auxiliary boost circuit includes an input contact, an output contact, a voltage detection unit, a control unit, a boost unit and a boost bypass unit. When a voltage value of a power factor correction power is not greater than a predetermined voltage value, the control unit is configured to turn off the boost bypass unit and turn on the boost unit, so that the boost unit boosts the power factor correction power and then the power factor correction power is sent to the direct current to direct current conversion circuit through the boost unit and the output contact.
US09397553B2

A switching mode power supply (SMPS) usable with an image forming apparatus receives an alternating current (AC) power from an external electric power supply source and outputs a direct current (DC) power. When a supply state of an electric power to the image forming apparatus is turned off, electric charges charged in a capacitor of the SMPS are discharged.
US09397548B2

DC-DC converter systems are disclosed. DC-DC converter systems may include an input, an output, a resonant switched-capacitor DC-DC converter, and a second DC-DC converter. The resonant switched-capacitor DC-DC converter may include a first input side and a first output side. The second DC-DC converter may include a second input side and a second output side. The first input side may be connected to the input, the second input side may be connected to an input voltage, and the first and second output sides may be connected in series to the output. In some examples, the second DC-DC converter may be a buck-boost DC-DC converter.
US09397545B2

An electric damper for a motor vehicle for damping a relative movement between two components includes an electric generator for generating an induction voltage, the generator being drivable by the relative movement and having a rotor and a stator. The rotor includes a rotor shaft that is rotationally coupled to at least one rotor disk. A field-generating ring is provided in which elements that can be magnetized in segments are connected to the field-generating means such that the magnetizable elements are polarized alternately over the periphery of the ring. At least one coil ring with coil windings is provided which are arranged in segments, the coil ring and the field-generating ring being concentrically arranged.
US09397544B2

Provided, in parallel to an electromagnetic pump in a power supply system, is an electromagnetic pump compensation power supply mechanism (10) that will perform a power-factor improving function as a synchronous machine during normal operation of a plant. The electromagnetic pump compensation power supply mechanism (10) is provided with an exciter stator permanent magnetic apparatus (45) that can switch an exciter between a non-excited state and an excited state. The exciter stator permanent magnet apparatus (45) comprises exciter stator permanent magnets (15a), springs (16) that apply force to the exciter stator permanent magnets (15a) towards positions facing an exciter rotor winding (15b), and electromagnetic solenoids (20) that make the exciter stator permanent magnets (15a) move to positions not facing the exciter rotor winding (15b) in resistance to the force applied by the springs (16).
US09397543B2

An electromagnetic machine, comprising: a first stator winding having a first number of pole pairs; a second stator winding having a second number of pole pairs which is different to the first number of pole pairs; and, a modulator having a plurality of pole pieces arranged relative to the first and second stator windings so as to modulate the electromagnetic fields produced by the first and second stator windings, thereby matching harmonic spectra of the first and second stator windings.
US09397537B2

A cooling assembly for the stator of an electric machine provided with coils including heads is described herein. The cooling assembly includes a generally cylindrical cooling body provided with opposite longitudinal ends and at least one head-cooling element mounted to one of the longitudinal end of the body; the head-cooling element being so configured as to enclose heads of the coils and to receive heat conducting material therein.
US09397533B2

In a reduction-transmission mechanism, an input member is arranged at such a position that a size obtained by adding a fitting clearance formed between a ball bearing and an outer periphery of an eccentric portion, a fitting clearance formed between the ball bearing and an inner periphery of the input member, which defines a center hole, and a radial internal clearance of the ball bearing is smaller than a size obtained by adding a fitting clearance formed between an outer periphery of each of a plurality of output members and a corresponding one of needle roller bearings, a fitting clearance formed between each of the needle roller bearings and an inner periphery of the input member, which defines a corresponding one of a plurality of pin insertion holes, and a radial internal clearance of each of the needle roller bearings.
US09397526B2

A synchronous electric motor having a structure for reducing cogging torque generated by the positioning error of a permanent magnet. Protrusions are alternately arranged in regions A and B in the circumferential direction of an iron core. Therefore, with respect to neighboring magnets positioned on both sides of the first protrusion, in region B, where the protrusion does not exit, ends of the neighboring magnets are attracted to each other by magnetic force. On the other hand, with respect to the neighboring magnets positioned on both sides of the second protrusion, in region A, where the protrusion does not exit, ends of the neighboring magnets are attracted to each other by magnetic force resulting in being inclined in opposing directions, and thus the generated cogging torque is significantly reduced.
US09397525B2

An electric motor includes a stator and a rotor installed in the stator. The stator has a laminated stator core and at least two stator windings wound on the stator core. The stator core has at least two stator poles facing the rotor and at least two yokes connecting adjacent stator poles. T stator core is constituted by at least two separate members joined together. The at least two stator poles are only arranged at a single one of the at least two separate members.
US09397523B2

A system for transferring electric energy to a vehicle such as a track bound vehicle or road automobile. The system includes an electric conductor arrangement which produces an alternating electromagnetic field, transfers electromagnetic energy to the vehicle and includes a plurality of segments. Each segment extends along the vehicle path of travel and includes one line for each phase of alternating current carried by the segment. The system includes a current supply for conducting electric energy to the segments which are electrically connected in parallel. At least one segment is coupled to the current supply via a constant current source. Each constant current source includes one or more inductances and one or more capacitances, the inductances and capacitances being adapted to each other and the input side of the constant current source so that a constant current is output to the output side.
US09397518B1

A method is provided for operating a mobile device in an environment with a wireless energy transmitter, where the mobile device includes a drive system and a wireless energy receiver. The mobile device moves along a path using the drive system. Energy is wirelessly received from the energy transmitter using the energy receiver as the mobile device moves and/or is parked along at least a portion of the path.
US09397516B2

An apparatus and methods for ultra-fast charging one or more batteries, including, for example, lithium ion batteries. A charging current is determined by optimization of a model based on functions of a set of internal state variables associated with a battery, and a set of model parameters or nonparametric data characterizing the battery. Instantaneous internal state variables are determined, and an optimized charging current is applied to the battery subject to a set of battery-specific constraints. Internal state variables are updated recursively based on behavior of the battery under charge as well as the behavior, stored in a database, or acquired via a network, of cognate batteries.
US09397515B2

A load management system provides an interface between a power input and several switched power outputs and un-switched power outputs. A controller groups the switched power outputs into one or more load groups based on a switched current limit determined for the system and the measured currents of the electrical loads. The load groups are defined so that the sum of electrical load currents in each load group does not exceed the switched current limit. The controller also activates one or more switches to apply electrical power to the load groups according to a power sequence. A method for distributing electrical power to electrical loads using load groups is also provided.
US09397514B2

Various systems, processes, and techniques may be used for converting alternating current power to direct current power for an electro-chemical reactor. In certain implementations, a system and a process may include the ability to receive an alternating current power signal, convert the alternating current signal to a direct current signal, and distribute the direct current signal to at least two power conversion modules coupled to a mounting structure. Each power conversion module may be able to convert a portion of the direct current signal to a high-frequency alternating current signal, adjust the voltage of the high-frequency alternating current signal, convert the voltage-adjusted high-frequency alternating current signal to a direct current power signal, and filter the direct current power signal. The system and the process may include the ability to combine the direct current power signals from the modules into an output direct current power signal for an electro-chemical reactor.
US09397512B2

The present invention provides a charging device for wireless hand controller and the charging system thereof, which comprises a charging device body, wherein, on the charging device body is provided with a charging chamber used to locate a device to be charged, on the bottom of the charging chamber is provided with at least two probes used to connect to electrodes of the device to be charged and at least one pop-up structure used to pop-up and eject the device to be charged when taking it out, and on each of two opposing side walls of the charging chamber is provided with at least one snap structure used to lock and fix the device to be charged. The arrangements of the pop-up structures and the snap structure make the placement or removal of the hand controller easier and more convenient.
US09397511B2

Disclosed herein is a safety device mounted in a battery pack including one or more battery modules, each of which includes a plurality of unit modules electrically connected to each other, to interrupt a flow of electric current in the battery pack in an abnormal state of the battery pack, the safety device including a safety device case provided with a connection terminal connected to a main cable of the battery pack and a circuit breaker unit mounted into the safety device case from an outside of the battery pack in an insertion fashion such that the circuit breaker unit is electrically connected to the connection terminal in a state in which the circuit breaker unit is mounted in the safety device case and the circuit breaker unit is electrically disconnected from the connection terminal in a state in which the circuit breaker unit is separated from the safety device case.
US09397502B2

A system and method for proportioned power distribution in arrays of power converters are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method includes distributing a node-specific transfer function to each node of a plurality of nodes via a communication bus. Each node includes a power converter, and nodes of the plurality of nodes are electrically connected in series. Each node-specific transfer function enables each node to contribute a positive impedance to a total impedance of the plurality of nodes. The computer-implemented method further includes coordinating a setting of a parameter of each node-specific transfer function to regulate a common bus current across the plurality of nodes, and assigning to each node an electrical characteristic based on a parameter of each node-specific transfer function.
US09397500B2

In accordance with the present disclosure there is methods of extending an expected lifetime of an inverter comprising a non-volatile (NV) memory and a high endurance memory by obtaining one or more measurements of the inverter and storing the one or more measurements to a high endurance memory of the inverter. Once stored, it is determined if a server-copy trigger condition is met and if it is at least a portion of the high endurance memory is stored to NV memory of the inverter.
US09397496B2

Provided is a forced discharge circuit of a battery charger for an electric vehicle, which is capable of forcibly discharging a high voltage in accordance with the electric safety code for electric vehicles when the function of the battery charger is stopped. A forced discharge circuit of a battery charger for an electric vehicle, which discharges a high voltage applied to the battery charger that converters commercial power to charge a vehicle battery, includes: a micro control unit (MCU) configured to generate a control signal according to a charge state of the battery charger; a discharge resistor connected in parallel to the battery charger; and a relay connected in series to the discharge resistor and configured to operate in an on or off state according to the control signal of the MCU.
US09397488B2

A method for stripping a cable, the cable having a conductor encompassed by an insulation and extending in a longitudinal direction, includes cutting into the insulation with stripping blades, after which the insulation is removed by sliding the stripping blades in the longitudinal direction. During the removal procedure, the longitudinal position of the stripping blades is detected if it has been determined by a detection device that at least one of the stripping blades has come in contact with the conductor. Based on the longitudinal position of one or more contacts with the conductor, a classification of the cable as adequately or poorly stripped is carried out.
US09397485B2

An electrical distribution center, such as those used in a motor vehicle to provide and manage electrical power from a battery to electrical modules such as headlights, taillights, wiper motors, etc. is presented herein. The electrical distribution center includes a housing containing electrical switching devices, such as relays to control the flow of electrical power. The housing also contains fuses to protect various circuits connected to the electrical distribution center. The fuses are arranged on the exterior walls of the housing and are accessible for service and replacement without requiring a cover to be removed to access an internal cavity containing the relays. There are no fuses within the internal cavity of the electrical distribution center. The electrical distribution center is connected to a number of wiring harnesses via electrical connectors terminating the wiring harnesses and interconnecting the electrical distribution center to the power supply and electrical modules.
US09397480B2

Embodiments relate to a semiconductor laser having a multilayer structure including a ridge and two material removal areas adjacent to the ridge on either side, the multilayer structure being arranged on a substrate and a layer expansion plane being defined by a surface of the substrate, the ridge having at least one active region and at least the active region being spatially limited by passages between the ridge and the material removal areas in one dimension of the layer expansion plane, the active region having a layer structure for forming an interband cascade laser.
US09397477B2

An external-cavity tunable laser with a flexible wavelength grid tuning function comprises a resonant cavity, collimating lenses, an optical isolator, and an output optical fiber. The resonant cavity comprises a semiconductor gain chip, a beam expander collimating lens, a combined liquid crystal tunable filter assembly, and a reflecting mirror. A current injected to the semiconductor gain chip is converted to broadband spontaneously radiating photons through electrical-to-optical conversion, and the photons are spread along a waveguide toward two sides. A part of photons with special frequencies go back and forth multiple times in the resonant cavity to form a laser after a threshold condition is met. The laser is collimated by the collimating lens, passes through the optical isolator, is coupled by the collimating lens, and enters the output optical fiber.
US09397476B2

The present invention relates to a laser sensor for self-mixing interferometry. The laser sensor comprises at least one semiconductor laser light source emitting laser radiation and at least one photodetector (6) monitoring the laser radiation of the laser light source. The laser light source is a VECSEL having a gain medium (3) arranged in a layer structure (15) on a front side of a first end mirror (4), said first end mirror (4) forming an external cavity with an external second end mirror (5). The proposed laser sensor provides an increased detection range and can be manufactured in a low-cost production process.
US09397475B2

Light with a short pulse width is emitted using a simple structure. A light source 101, a differentiation circuit 102, and a switch 103 are connected in series. When the switch 103 is switched on, inrush current flows in a capacitor 102b forming the differentiation circuit 102, and accordingly the light source 101 is supplied with electric current and thereby emits light. When the capacitor 102b is charged, electric current flows in a resistor 102a, and voltage drops at the resistor 102a. Then, the voltage applied to the light source 101 is decreased, whereby the light source 101 stops emitting light. The values of the resistor 102a and the capacitor 102b are adjusted so that the above phenomenon occurs.
US09397472B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor laser device includes the steps of: preparing the semiconductor laser bar body including a top surface, an undersurface, two mutually opposing facets, and two mutually opposing side faces, performing a coating step to form a coating film on the facet, and performing a division step after the coating step. The division step performs scribing on and divides the semiconductor laser bar body. A groove is formed on the facet by denting the facet, or is formed in the coating film by exposing a part of the facet, and the groove extends from the top surface to the undersurface. A width of the groove is 20 μm. Scribing is performed on the top surface or the undersurface so that a scribed track or an extended line of the scribed track meets the groove.
US09397464B2

A modal instability of a fiber amplifier may be reduced by coupling, e.g. splicing, a length of passive multimode optical fiber to an active multimode optical fiber of the fiber amplifier. Upon launching light into the passive optical fiber, some higher order transversal modes may be excited in the passive optical fiber. The higher-order modes may interfere with the fundamental mode in the passive multimode optical fiber. However, the intermodal interference of the launched modes does not cause thermal gradients in the passive optical fiber. Upon propagation in the passive multimode optical fiber, the excited optical modes may lose mutual coherence, causing a reduction of contrast of the intermodal interference pattern along the doped core of the active optical fiber, effectively reducing modal instability in the active optical fiber.
US09397460B2

An electronic device includes a first member, a second member electrically and rotatably coupled to the first member, a cable connecting mechanism, and a cable. The cable connecting mechanism includes a housing defining a holding chamber, a pivot assembly, and two elastic members. The pivot assembly includes a first conductive portion received in the holding chamber, and a second conductive portion received in the holding chamber and insulated from the first conductive portion. A first elastic member extends through the housing to resist and electrically couple the first conductive portion. A second elastic member extends through the housing to resist and electrically couple the second conductive portion. The cable extends into the housing to be electrically coupled to the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion.
US09397458B2

A connector assembly is provided that has optical communications capabilities and high data rate electrical communications capabilities and that is backwards compatible with one or more USB standards. A socket of the connector assembly has high data rate electrical connections and USB electrical connections such that it is capable of supporting high data rate signaling protocols for high data rate devices as well as USB signaling protocols. A plug of the connector assembly has high data rate electrical connections, USB electrical connections, and an optical-to-electrical (OE)/electrical-to-optical (EO) conversion module. The socket can be mated with the plug of the invention and with USB plugs that are compliant with existing USB plugs. Thus, both the socket and the plug have backwards compatibility with one or more existing USB standards.
US09397457B1

A busway center tap 102 for a meter center 100, comprises an open-shaped bus 112 located in a housing 101, including three phased open-shaped bus bars 112A-C connected to respective feeder bus bars 104A-C, the open-shaped bus forming an opening 115 through which a cross bus 120 may be accessed. A circuit interrupter 116 is preferably mounted in the housing and compactly positioned in the opening formed by the open-shaped bus. The circuit interrupter includes three phased line side connectors 114A-C connected to respective open-shaped bus bars and three phased load side connectors 118A-C coupled to respective cross bus bars. Positioning the circuit interrupter in the opening formed by the open-shaped bus, achieves a compact, planar layout occupying minimal space with minimal complexity, enabling reduction in overall size of the busway center tap. The open-shaped bus bars may alternately be directly connected through the opening, to the cross bus bars.
US09397454B2

The present relates to a connector kit for interconnecting a first and a second apparatus, said first apparatus having a first female connector jack, and said second apparatus having a second female connector jack, and to a method of electrically connecting a first apparatus to a second apparatus.
US09397453B2

A connector including: multiple coaxial terminals each of which is formed into a shape of L, and has a connecting part attached to a coaxial cable and a terminal part bent with respect to the connecting part; a housing including a housing body having storage parts storing the coaxial terminals arrayed side by side and a cover closing the respective storage parts of the housing body; and a radio wave absorbing member disposed between the coaxial terminals stored in the respective storage parts and the cover and extending over the coaxial terminals, wherein the radio wave absorbing member is disposed so as to face at least a bent part in which the terminal part is bent with respect to the connecting part of each of the coaxial terminals, and provided in contact with or in proximity to each of the coaxial terminals.
US09397445B1

An electrical connector system is provided that includes a plug connector, a connector position assurance (CPA) device, and a header connector. The plug connector includes a housing and a deflectable primary latch that extends from the housing. The housing includes a lug protruding therefrom. The CPA device is mounted to the plug connector and is configured to translate relative to the plug connector. The CPA device includes a deflectable retention latch having a head at a distal end thereof. The header connector has a latching surface that engages the primary latch of the plug connector. When the plug connector mates to the header connector, a tab of the header connector deflects the retention latch of the CPA device to allow the CPA device to be translated in a locking direction beyond the lug to a locked position. The head of the retention latch blocks deflection of the primary latch.
US09397436B2

An electrical connecting device for a machine includes a fitting element (2) to be fitted in an aperture (1a) of a wall element (1), at least one connecting element (3) which has a first end (3a) with a first connection unit (3b) for an electric cable which is situated outside the wall element (1), a second end (3c) with a second connecting element (3d) for an electric cable which is situated within the internal space, and an intermediate portion (3e) to be fitted in an aperture (2c) which runs through the fitting element (2); a sealing (5) makes a tight connection between the connecting element (3) and the fitting element (2) in the aperture (2c). The fitting element (2) is made integrally from a first material. The connecting element (3) is made integrally from a second material. The connecting element (3) and the fitting element (2) are provided with mutually cooperating surfaces (2c1, 2c2, 3e1, 3e2) which define a predetermined fitting position for the connecting element (3) in the aperture (2c).
US09397435B2

A connector assembly includes a housing, a metal shell, plural terminals, a cable, an inner member, and an outer boot. The inner member comprises a dispensing groove and at least one receiving groove, and a bonding material is received in the dispensing groove and in one or more of the at least one receiving groove. A method of manufacturing a connector assembly comprises the steps of: providing a housing; soldering a cable to the housing; enclosing a metal shell to cover the housing; molding an inner member on cable to comprise a dispensing groove and at least one receiving groove behind the dispensing groove; setting an outer boot along a front-to-back direction onto the metal shell; and depositing a bonding material in the dispensing groove and pushing the outer boot forwardly across the dispensing groove and the at least one receiving groove until covering the whole inner member.
US09397434B2

A first housing of a first connector being fitted to a second housing of a second connector includes first and second rotation check lock portions. A third housing of the first connector includes rotation rail portions with first and second rotation prevention walls. The first rotation prevention wall allows rotation of the first rotation check lock portion beyond the first rotation prevention wall in one rotational direction, and does not allow the rotation beyond the first rotation prevention wall in the other rotational direction to blocks the rotation at a rotational position of 180 degrees or more. The second rotation prevention wall does not allow rotation of the second rotation check lock portion beyond the second rotation prevention wall in the one rotational direction to block the rotation at a rotational position of 180 degrees, and allows the rotation beyond the second rotation prevention wall in the other rotational direction.
US09397432B2

A connector is provided to sufficiently absorb the displacements of a plurality of connection objects with respect to a substrate even when the plurality of connection objects are connected. Two movable housings are formed by separate members that can move relative to each other, thereby absorbing the displacements of two mating connectors connected to the respective movable housings by each of the respective movable housings. This can sufficiently absorb the displacements of the mating connectors relative to a substrate.
US09397429B2

An interlock pin includes a pin portion and a body portion. The pin portion includes a plurality of electrical input/output pins. The body portion accommodates at least a portion of the pin portion. In the interlock pin, the pins of the pin portion extend from the body portion along a first direction and, a furthest point from one end of the body portion is further along the first direction than a physical contact point between the body portion and the pin portion.
US09397414B2

A hole mounting device of a panel for a vehicle, may include a vehicle body panel provided with a plurality of holes, and a base disposed inside the vehicle body panel, wherein a first portion of the base is coupled to a first hole of the plurality of holes of the vehicle body panel, and a second portion of the base is fastened with a second hole of the plurality of holes of the vehicle body panel with a bolt, wherein an upper surface of the first portion in the base is provided with a protrusion and wherein the base includes a fastening part and the fastening part is provided with a circular welding protrusion.
US09397413B2

An electric meter socket assembly includes a neutral-ground support and a neutral-ground terminal. The neutral-ground support includes a support body having a mounting surface and a support connector at the mounting surface of the body. The neutral-ground terminal includes a terminal body having a rear, an opening for receiving a neutral conductor, and a terminal connector at the rear of the terminal body configured to mate with the support connector such that the neutral-ground terminal is attachable to the neutral-ground support without use of a separate fastener.
US09397405B2

An antenna device includes a ground element configured to be grounded, a first antenna to be connected to a radio communication module, and a second antenna configured to be parasitic on the first antenna, the second antenna receiving no power feed.
US09397400B2

A multiple input loop antenna comprising one or more half-loop antennas disposed above a ground plane wherein the plane of each half loop is perpendicular to the ground plane such that the multiple input loop antenna is a three-dimensional structure and electromagnetic waves are radiated from points within the volume occupied by the antenna rather than from a two-dimensional surface. For this reason, the multiple input loop antenna can radiate levels of peak power without inducing excessive air breakdown which are relatively high compared with peak power levels of conventional antennas having comparable transverse dimensions. Also described is an array antenna comprised of an array of multiple input loop antennas.
US09397397B2

A phased-array antenna that includes a photonic beamformer is disclosed. In some embodiments, a front stage of electrical-domain processing applies a 16-to-1 signal-combination ratio, a single stage of photonic beamforming applies a 4-to-1 signal-combination ratio, and a passive, electrical-domain, signal combiner applies a 32-to-1 signal-combination ratio.
US09397396B2

The present invention provides a radio system and a method for relaying packetized radio signals. The radio system comprises at least one transmit path, a base band calibration signal generator for generating a base band calibration signal, a digital predistortion unit, a calibration unit and a feedback path. The feedback path is commonly used by the digital predistortion unit and the calibration unit for feeding back a feedback signal. The feedback signal is adapted to update at least one of phase and amplitude changes and the digital predistortion. The present invention further relates to a method for relaying packetized radio signals. The method is capable of updating the digital predistortion as well as adapted for an updating of the phase and amplitude changes. The updating of the digital predistortion and the updating of the phase and amplitude changes is implemented using the feedback signal. The present invention further relates to a computer program product for the manufacture of the radio system. The present invention further relates to a computer program product for the execution of the method.
US09397391B2

An antenna is fabricated using an M-type hexaferrite, such as a tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) substituted M-type strontium hexaferrite (Sn/Zn-substituted SrM: SrFe12−2xZnxSnxO19), thereby enabling antenna miniaturization, broad bandwidth, and high gain. In one embodiment, an antenna system has a substrate and a chip antenna formed on the substrate. The system also has a conductive radiator contacting the chip antenna, and the chip antenna comprises an M-type strontium hexaferrite for which Fe cations are substituted with tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn) to achieve soft magnetic properties for the antenna. Thus, the coercivity and permeability are lower and higher, respectively, than those of pure SrM. Such fabricated hexaferrite chip antennas have broadband characteristics and show good radiation performance at various frequencies, including in the GHz frequency range.
US09397388B2

The subject disclosure may include, for example, an antenna structure including an antenna having a first antenna port to transmit electromagnetic signals and a second antenna port to receive electromagnetic signals, where the antenna is coupled to a housing assembly of a communication device to transmit energy between the housing assembly and the first antenna port and second antenna port, and where first resonant modes of the housing assembly for the first antenna port or second resonant modes of the housing assembly for the second antenna port increases decoupling between the first antenna port and the second antenna port. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09397387B1

An electronic device may have a metal housing. The metal housing may have an upper housing in which a component such as a display is mounted and a lower housing in which a component such as a keyboard is mounted. Hinges may be used to mount the upper housing to the lower housing for rotation about a rotational axis. A slot-shaped opening may separate the upper and lower housing. A flexible printed circuit with ground traces may bisect the slot-shaped opening to form first and second slots. Cavity antennas may be aligned with the slots. Each cavity antenna may include a hollow carrier with a pair of speakers. The speakers may have ports that emit sound through aligned openings in the lower housing. Conductive gaskets surrounding the ports may acoustically seal the speaker ports while shorting the cavity antenna to the lower housing.
US09397381B2

This electromagnetic coupling structure includes a laminated body that is laminated with an inner dielectric layer interposed between inner conductive layers, one pair of outer dielectric layers facing each other with the laminated body interposed therebetween, and one pair of outer conductive layers facing each other with the one pair of outer dielectric layers interposed therebetween. The one pair of outer conductive layers include wiring portions and conductive patch portions disposed at front ends of the wiring portions, and the conductive patch portions have portions longer than the wiring portions in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the wiring portions. In the laminated body, a hole passing through the inner dielectric layer and the inner conductive layers is arranged, and the one pair of outer conductive layers are electromagnetically coupled through a metal film formed inside the hole.
US09397364B2

An electric storage device includes: an electrode assembly in which electrodes are wound such that paired curved portions and a straight portion connecting the paired curved portions are formed; a case which houses the electrode assembly, the case comprising a convex part protruding toward the straight portion of the electrode assembly to support the straight portion; and a support portion which supports the curved portion toward an inside of the electrode assembly.
US09397355B2

In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The molten carbonate fuel cells can be integrated with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process in various manners, including providing synthesis gas for use in producing hydrocarbonaceous carbons. Additionally, integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process can facilitate further processing of vent streams or secondary product streams generated during the synthesis process.
US09397344B2

The present disclosure provides a cable-type secondary battery, comprising: an inner electrode; a separation layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; and a sheet-form outer electrode spirally wound to surround the separation layer or the inner electrode.
US09397336B2

A battery active material includes a crystal phase that is represented by a formula Y2−xScxTi2O5S2 (where 0
US09397325B2

A safety vent including: a vent 3 that allows gas generated inside a laminate type battery 2 to release to the outside, a gas permeated membrane 4 through which the gas permeates, and a housing case 5 that internally houses the vent 3 and the gas permeated membrane 4, and that is attached to a gas spout out port 24 formed in a laminated exterior casing 21 of the laminate type battery 2.
US09397323B2

Disclosed is a cylindrical secondary battery that can improve pressing force of a gasket pressing a cap up and a safety vent. The cylindrical secondary battery prevents leakage of electrolyte by improving pressing force of the gasket by including a cap up whose terminal portion is formed thicker than the peripheral portion. By using the cap up of the above structure, a curled portion is formed at the edge of the cap up or safety vent so as to surround the end of the safety vent or cap up. Thus, internal resistance can be reduced when the vibration or external impact is applied to the battery, and assembling error can be prevented.
US09397320B2

A case for a battery cell includes a heat radiation unit, a terminal unit, and an insulating frame interlocked with the heat radiation unit and the terminal unit to form the case. The heat radiation unit and the terminal unit are integrated by the insulating frame so that it is possible to prevent the heat radiation unit or the terminal unit from being separated from the case.
US09397319B2

A display device and a method of manufacturing the display device. The display device includes: a first substrate including a display region at which pixels are located; a second substrate on the first substrate while covering the display region; a sealant between the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounding the display region; and at least one protruding pattern located at an outer side of the sealant with respect to a center of the first substrate or the second substrate, on at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate.
US09397309B2

An OLED having an organic layer formed of a dopant and a host, where the organic layer is disposed between an anode and a cathode is disclosed. The dopant's concentration level in the organic layer, along a direction perpendicular to the first and second planar surfaces of the organic layer, defines a novel concentration gradient that enhances the OLED's efficiency.
US09397304B2

The invention relates to a transparent substrate for an organic light-emitting device comprising an electrode-bearing carrier, said electrode consisting in a multilayer comprising at least, in order starting from the substrate, a first dielectric layer (D1), a first conduction metal layer (M1), a second dielectric layer (D2), a second conduction metal layer (M2), and a third dielectric layer (D3), the conduction metal layers (M) in the electrode (11) being two in number, and the third dielectric layer (D3) not comprising an indium-oxide-based layer. It is characterised in that the geometric thickness of the second dielectric layer (D2) is at least 65 nm and the geometric thickness of the first conduction metal layer (M1) is at least 8.5 nm.
US09397301B2

The present invention provides a sulfone group-containing compound, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device using the sulfone group-containing compound, and a method of fabricating the OLED device. The sulfone group-containing compound has formula as wherein the bridging unit R is capable of connecting to three or more than three fluorene sulfur oxide units; and the unit R1, R2 and R3 respectively connected to the fluorene sulfur oxide units are selected from alkyl chains, aromatic groups or heterocyclic groups. According to the present invention, the sulfone group-containing compound connects to three or more than three fluorene sulfur oxide units with a bridging unit to form a novel star-shaped molecular structure. The sulfone groups-containing compound combines electron affinity and transport properties of the fluorene sulfur oxide units and spatial characteristics of the star-shaped molecular structure, so that efficiency and lifetime of an OLED device using the same can be enhanced.
US09397297B2

An optical patterning mask, including a base substrate, a reflective layer disposed on the base substrate, the reflective layer including a first opening, a shadow pattern disposed on the base substrate and in the first opening, a thermal insulation layer disposed on the base substrate and covering the reflective layer and the shadow pattern, an absorption layer disposed on the thermal insulation layer, a bank layer disposed on the absorption layer, the bank layer including a second opening overlapping the first opening, a thermal conduction prevention pattern disposed on the absorption layer and overlapping the shadow pattern, and a transfer layer disposed on the absorption layer, the bank layer, and the thermal conduction prevention pattern.
US09397296B2

A method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display apparatus is presented. The method includes providing a device substrate on which a first electrode and a pixel definition layer covering a portion of the first electrode are formed, forming a master substrate on which a transfer mask is patterned to mirror positions of the pixel definition layer, coupling the transfer mask to the pixel definition layer, forming an organic material layer on the exposed portion of the first electrode using the transfer mask as a protection layer, and removing the transfer mask. The transfer mask may replace a deposition metal mask.
US09397288B2

A storage element includes a layer structure, which includes a storage layer including magnetization perpendicular to the film surface, in which the magnetization direction is changed corresponding to information; a magnetization fixing layer including magnetization perpendicular to the film surface that becomes a reference for information stored on the storage layer; a tunnel barrier layer made from an oxide provided between the storage layer and the magnetization fixing layer; and a spin barrier layer made from an oxide provided contacting the surface of the opposite side of the storage layer to the surface contacting the tunnel barrier layer. A low resistance region is formed in a portion of the spin barrier layer formed with a predetermined set film thickness value and information storage on the storage layer is performed by changing the magnetization direction of the storage layer by current flowing in the stacking direction of the layer structure.
US09397286B2

Magnetic memory cells include a magnetic tunnel junction and a first electrode, which is electrically coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction by a first conductive structure. This conductive structure includes a blocking layer and a seed layer, which extends between the blocking layer and the magnetic tunnel junction. The blocking layer is formed as an amorphous metal compound. In some of the embodiments, the blocking layer is a thermally treated layer and an amorphous state of the blocking layer is maintained during and post thermal treatment.
US09397284B2

The present invention relates to a piezoelectric circuit, a piezoelectric driving circuit driving the piezoelectric circuit, and a method for driving the piezoelectric circuit. The piezoelectric circuit includes a sub-piezoelectric circuit and an external inductor coupled in parallel with the sub-piezoelectric circuit. The external inductor discharges the sub-piezoelectric circuit when a polarity of a piezoelectric voltage, that is, a both-end voltage of the piezoelectric circuit is inverted. The piezoelectric driving circuit includes first and third switches connected to a first node of the piezoelectric circuit and second and fourth switches connected to a second node of the piezoelectric circuit.
US09397281B2

A carrier for carrying a semiconductor layer having a growth surface and at least one nano-patterned structure on the growth surface is provided. The at least one nano-patterned structure on the growth surface of the carrier has a plurality of mesas, a recess is formed between two adjacent mesas, in which a depth of the recess ranges from 10 nm to 500 nm, and a dimension of the mesa ranges from 10 nm to 800 nm.
US09397269B2

Provided are a light emitting diode (LED) in which a conductive barrier layer surrounding a reflective metal layer is defined by a protective insulating layer, and a method of manufacturing the same. A reflection pattern including a reflective metal layer and a conductive barrier layer is formed on an emission structure in which a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer are formed. The conductive barrier layer prevents diffusion of a reflective metal layer and extends to a protective insulating layer recessed under a photoresist pattern having an overhang structure during a forming process. Accordingly, a phenomenon where the conductive barrier layer is in contact with sidewalls of the photoresist pattern having an over-hang structure and the reflective metal layer forms points is prevented. Thus, LED modules having various shapes may be manufactured.
US09397259B2

A light emitting device includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting cells disposed on the substrate to be spaced apart from each other, and a connection wire electrically connecting adjacent ones of the light emitting cells. One of the adjacent light emitting cells includes a plurality of first segments, and the other of the adjacent light emitting cells includes a plurality of second segments respectively facing the first segments. A separation distance is provided between first and second segments facing each other, where each of which has an end contacting the connection wire is greater than a separation distance between first and second segments facing each other, and each of which has an end that does not contact the connection wire.
US09397249B2

Apparatuses capable of and techniques for detecting long wavelength radiation are provided.
US09397244B2

A photodiodes array includes a useful layer made of CdxHg1-xTe; first doped zones each forming a PN junction with a second doped zone surrounding the first doped zones. The array includes regions located between two PN junctions, with a cadmium concentration gradient decreasing from the upper face to the lower face of the useful layer. A method of making such a photodiodes array includes producing, on the upper face of the useful layer, of a structured layer with at least one through opening, and with a cadmium concentration higher than the cadmium concentration in the useful layer; annealing the useful layer covered by the structured layer, with diffusion of cadmium atoms of the structured layer, from the structured layer to the useful layer; producing at least two PN junctions in the useful layer.
US09397236B2

A semiconductor device is made by providing a semiconductor die having an optically active area, providing a leadframe or pre-molded laminated substrate having a plurality of contact pads and a light transmitting material disposed between the contact pads, attaching the semiconductor die to the leadframe so that the optically active area is aligned with the light transmitting material to provide a light transmission path to the optically active area, and disposing an underfill material between the semiconductor die and leadframe. The light transmitting material includes an elevated area to prevent the underfill material from blocking the light transmission path. The elevated area includes a dam surrounding the light transmission path, an adhesive ring, or the light transmission path itself can be the elevated area. An adhesive ring can be disposed on the dam. A filler material can be disposed between the light transmitting material and contact pads.
US09397235B2

A string combiner is provided for coupling multiple strings of series-connected photovoltaic (PV) panels in a PV array to downstream equipment, each string including positive and negative conductors. The combiner includes a combiner box containing a busbar connected to the protection devices for receiving and combining the currents from the multiple strings of PV panels, output terminals for connection to the downstream equipment, and a disconnect device within the combiner box and including a multi-pole switch connected to the busbar for disconnecting the downstream equipment from the multiple strings. A plurality of connectors are provided for connecting selected poles of the multi-pole switch to each other or to selected ones of the output terminals in either a grounded or an ungrounded configuration.
US09397234B2

A pumping capacitor is provided. The pumping capacitor includes a substrate, a P-type gate layer on the substrate, and a gate dielectric layer between the substrate and the P-type gate layer. The substrate includes an N-type well region and an N-type doping region in the N-type well region.
US09397232B2

There is provided a nitride semiconductor epitaxial substrate having a group III nitride semiconductor layer with C-plane as a surface, grown on a substrate via a buffer layer of the group III nitride semiconductor containing Al, wherein the buffer layer has an inversion domain on the surface.
US09397226B2

An approach to forming a semiconductor structure for a vertical field effect transistor with a controlled gate overlap. The approach includes forming on a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, a fifth semiconductor layer, and a first dielectric layer. The etched first dielectric layer and a first drain contact are surrounded by a first spacer. The first drain contact is composed of the fifth semiconductor layer. A second drain contact composed of the fourth semiconductor layer, a channel composed of the third semiconductor layer, and a second source contact composed of the second semiconductor layer are formed. Additionally, first source contact composed of the first semiconductor is formed and a gate electrode is formed on a portion of the first source contact layer surrounding a portion of the first pillar and the second pillar.
US09397224B2

A transistor in a display device is expected to have higher withstand voltage, and it is an object to improve the reliability of a transistor which is driven by high voltage or large current. A semiconductor device includes a transistor in which buffer layers are provided between a semiconductor layer forming a channel formation region and source and drain electrode layers. The buffer layers are provided between the semiconductor layer forming a channel formation region and the source and drain electrode layers in order to particularly relieve an electric field in the vicinity of a drain edge and improve the withstand voltage of the transistor.
US09397217B2

The invention relates to a contact structure of a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises an insulation region over a substrate; a gate electrode layer over the insulation region comprising a gate middle line; a first contact structure over the insulation region adjacent to the gate electrode layer comprising a first middle line, wherein the first middle line and the gate middle line has a first distance; and a second contact structure over the insulation region on a side of the gate electrode layer opposite to the first contact structure comprising a second middle line, wherein the second middle line and the gate middle line has a second distance greater than the first distance.
US09397216B2

Semiconductor devices including a stressor in a recess and methods of forming the semiconductor devices are provided. The methods may include forming a fast etching region comprising phosphorous in an active region and forming a first trench in the active region by recessing the fast etching region. The methods may also include forming a second trench in the active region by enlarging the first trench using a directional etch process and forming a stressor in the second trench. The second trench may include a notched portion of the active region.
US09397193B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having an active island, a gate buried in a predetermined portion of the active island, a source and a drain formed at both sides of the gate, and a current blocking layer formed in the active island corresponding to a lower portion of the drain. When current flows in from the drain, the current blocking layer is configured to discharge the current into the inside of the semiconductor substrate through a lower portion of the source.
US09397192B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate having an active island, a gate buried in a predetermined portion of the active island, a source and a drain formed at both sides of the gate, and a current blocking layer formed in the active island corresponding to a lower portion of the drain. When current flows in from the drain, the current blocking layer is configured to discharge the current into the inside of the semiconductor substrate through a lower portion of the source.
US09397188B2

A group III-N nanowire is disposed on a substrate. A longitudinal length of the nanowire is defined into a channel region of a first group III-N material, a source region electrically coupled with a first end of the channel region, and a drain region electrically coupled with a second end of the channel region. A second group III-N material on the first group III-N material serves as a charge inducing layer, and/or barrier layer on surfaces of nanowire. A gate insulator and/or gate conductor coaxially wraps completely around the nanowire within the channel region. Drain and source contacts may similarly coaxially wrap completely around the drain and source regions.
US09397187B2

Some embodiments include methods of forming diodes in which a first electrode is formed to have a pedestal extending upwardly from a base. At least one layer is deposited along an undulating topography that extends across the pedestal and base, and a second electrode is formed over the least one layer. The first electrode, at least one layer, and second electrode together form a structure that conducts current between the first and second electrodes when voltage of one polarity is applied to the structure, and that inhibits current flow between the first and second electrodes when voltage having a polarity opposite to said one polarity is applied to the structure. Some embodiments include diodes having a first electrode that contains two or more projections extending upwardly from a base, having at least one layer over the first electrode, and having a second electrode over the at least one layer.
US09397183B2

A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a first gate layer and a first dielectric layer thereon, and a shallow trench isolation (STI) in the substrate and surrounding the first gate layer and the first dielectric layer; removing the first dielectric layer; forming a first spacer on the sidewall of the STI above the first gate layer; and using the first spacer as mask to remove part of the first gate layer and part of the substrate for forming a first opening while defining a first gate structure and a second gate structure.
US09397174B2

A structure that provides a diffusion barrier between two doped regions. The structure includes a diffusion barrier including a semiconductor layer comprising a first doped region and a second doped region; and a diffusion barrier separating the first doped region and the second doped region, wherein the diffusion barrier comprises a doped portion and a notch above the doped portion.
US09397172B2

Provided is a semiconductor epitaxial wafer with reduced metal contamination achieved by higher gettering capability. The semiconductor epitaxial wafer includes a silicon wafer including COPs; a modifying layer formed from a certain element in the silicon wafer, in a surface portion of the silicon wafer; and an epitaxial layer on the modifying layer, wherein the full width half maximum of a concentration profile of the certain element in the depth direction of the modifying layer is 100 nm or less.
US09397167B2

A nitride semiconductor wafer includes a silicon substrate, a stacked multilayer unit, a silicon-containing unit, and an upper layer unit. The silicon substrate has a major surface. The stacked multilayer unit is provided on the major surface. The stacked multilayer unit includes N number of buffer layers. The buffer layers include an i-th buffer layer, and an (i+1)-th buffer layer provided on the i-th buffer layer. The i-th buffer layer has an i-th lattice length Wi in a first direction parallel to the major surface. The (i+1)-th buffer layer has an (i+1)-th lattice length W(i+1) in the first direction. A relation that (W(i+1)−Wi)/Wi≦0.008 is satisfied for all the buffer layers. The silicon-containing unit is provided on the stacked multilayer unit. The upper layer unit is provided on the silicon-containing unit.
US09397161B1

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device may include receiving a gated substrate comprising a substrate with a channel layer and a gate structure formed thereon, over-etching the channel layer to expose an extension region below the gate structure, epitaxially growing a halo layer on the exposed extension region using a first in-situ dopant and epitaxially growing a source or drain on the halo layer using a second in-situ dopant, wherein the first in-situ dopant and the second in-situ dopant are of opposite doping polarity. Using an opposite doping polarity may provide an energy band barrier for the semiconductor device and reduce leakage current. A corresponding apparatus is also disclosed herein.
US09397159B2

The disclosure relates to a semiconductor device. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises a substrate; a nanowire structure protruding from the substrate comprising a channel region between a source region and a drain region; a pair of silicide regions extending into opposite sides of the source region, wherein each of the pair of silicide regions comprising a vertical portion adjacent to the source region and a horizontal portion adjacent to the substrate; and a metal gate surrounding a portion the channel region.
US09397150B2

A top-emission type light emitting display device and a corresponding manufacturing method are described. A device substrate has display area and non-display areas. In the display area are formed: a thin film transistor including an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; and an organic light emitting element including an anode, an organic light emitting layer, and a cathode. In the non-display area a second voltage supply wire is formed on, and overlaps with, a first voltage supply wire. An anti-burning layer is disposed between the first voltage and the second voltage supply wires. The anti-burning layer is an insulation layer with the same thickness as a space sufficient to suppress burning of the wires in the overlapping region between the first voltage supply wire and the second voltage supply wire, thus improving reliability and manufacturing yield of the device.
US09397148B2

Provided is an organic electroluminescence display device. The organic electroluminescence display device includes a bank that is provided so as to surround a central portion of a pixel electrode, an organic electroluminescence layer that is provided on the pixel electrode, a common electrode that is formed so as to extend from the organic electroluminescence layer to the bank, a color filter layer that overlaps the organic electro luminescence layer, a black matrix layer that overlaps the bank, a spacer that is provided on the black matrix layer, and a wiring that is provided on the black matrix layer so as to be placed on the spacer. The black matrix layer is disposed on the bank through the spacer. A convex portion is formed by the wiring being placed on the spacer, and the convex portion is electrically connected to the common electrode above the bank.
US09397147B2

A self-light emitting display unit capable of improving manufacturing yield is provided. Sizes of color pixel circuits corresponding to pixels for R, G, and B are respectively set unevenly within a pixel circuit according to a magnitude ratio of drive currents which allow color self-light emitting elements in the pixel to emit with a same light emission luminance. Thereby, the pattern densities of color pixel circuits respectively corresponding to the pixels for R, G, and B become even to each other, and the pattern defect rate as the whole pixel circuit is decreased.
US09397142B2

A semiconductor device includes a pillar-shaped resistance-changing layer on a contact and a reset gate insulating film that surrounds the pillar-shaped resistance-changing layer. A reset gate surrounds the reset gate insulating film, and the reset gate is electrically insulated from the pillar-shaped resistance-changing layer.
US09397140B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of films including a conductive film layer above a semiconductor substrate; patterning the stack of films by dry etching; and cleaning including generation of plasma in an ambient including BCl3 and controlling a bias power to a nonbiased state.
US09397134B1

Methods and devices configured to provide selective heat transfer of a temperature-sensitive circuit are provided. In an example, a device comprises a thinned base substrate including an integrated circuit (e.g., back side illuminated (BSI) image sensor comprising a detector array area and a peripheral circuitry area). The device also comprises a supporting substrate comprising one or more thermoelectric structures. The supporting substrate may be coupled to the base substrate such that the one or more thermoelectric structures are aligned with the detector array area, and the thermoelectric structures may be configured to transfer heat away from the detector array area, while a reduced cross-section of a thinned base substrate may be configured to substantially reduce lateral heat flow across the base substrate and enable selective heat transfer.
US09397126B2

To eliminate electric discharge when an element formation layer including a semiconductor element is peeled from a substrate used for manufacturing the semiconductor element, a substrate over which an element formation layer and a peeling layer are formed and a film are made to go through a gap between pressurization rollers. The film is attached to the element formation layer between the pressurization rollers, bent along a curved surface of the pressurization roller on a side of the pressurization rollers, and collected. Peeling is generated between the element formation layer and the peeling layer and the element formation layer is transferred to the film. Liquid is sequentially supplied by a nozzle to a gap between the element formation layer and the peeling layer, which is generated by peeling, so that electric charge generated on surfaces of the element formation layer and the peeling layer is diffused by the liquid.
US09397124B2

An organic light-emitting diode display may have an array of pixels. Each pixel may have an organic light-emitting diode and thin-film transistor circuitry that controls current flow through the organic light-emitting diode. The thin-film transistor circuitry may include silicon thin-film transistors and semiconducting-oxide thin-film transistors. Double gate transistor structures may be formed in the transistors of the thin-film transistor circuitry. A double gate transistor may have a semiconductor layer sandwiched between first and second dielectric layers. The first dielectric layer may be interposed between an upper gate and the semiconductor layer and the second dielectric layer may be interposed between a lower gate and the semiconductor layer. Capacitor structures may be formed from the layers of metal used in forming the upper and lower gates and other conductive structures.
US09397120B2

An array substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of gate lines extending in a first direction on the substrate, a plurality of data lines including first and second data line pairs separated by cutting portions and a plurality of active patterns electrically connected to the first and second data line pairs. The data lines extend in a second direction crossing the first direction. The active patterns overlap the cutting portion and overlap a first gate line.
US09397118B2

An ambipolar electronic device is disclosed. The device may include a field-effect transistor (FET), which may have a handle substrate layer, two contacts and an inorganic crystalline layer between the handle substrate layer and the contacts. The inorganic crystalline layer may have a doped channel region between the contacts. The FET may also have a dielectric layer between the contacts, attached to the inorganic crystalline layer, and a gate layer, attached to the dielectric layer. The FET may conduct current, in response to a first gate voltage applied to the gate layer, using electrons as a majority carrier, along the length of the channel region between the contacts. The FET may also conduct current, in response to a second gate voltage applied to the gate layer, using holes as a majority carrier, along the length of the channel region between the contacts.
US09397115B1

A stack is formed over a substrate, which comprises an alternating plurality of first material layers including a first material and second material layers including a second material. A patterned hard mask is formed, which includes multiple laterally spaced apart strips. A trimming material layer is formed over the hard mask layer. At least one cycle of process steps is subsequent performed, which include etching the first material employing the second material and the trimming material layer as an etch mask, trimming the trimming material layer to expose a strip of the hard mask layer, etching the second material and the exposed strip of the hard mask layer employing the trimming material layer as an etch mask, and trimming the trimming material layer to expose an edge of a next strip of the hard mask layer. Stepped surfaces suitable for formation of contact via array can thus be formed.
US09397114B2

Methods of fabricating three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices including forming a plate stack structure with insulating layers and sacrificial layers stacked alternatingly on a substrate, forming first and second trenches separating the plate stack structure into a plurality of mold structures, the first trench being between the second trenches, forming first vertical insulating separators in the first and second trenches, forming semiconductor patterns penetrating the mold structure and being spaced apart from the first and second trenches, removing the first vertical insulating separator from the second trench to expose the sacrificial layers, removing the sacrificial layers exposed by the second trench to form recess regions partially exposing the semiconductor patterns and the first vertical insulating separator, and forming conductive patterns in the recess regions.
US09397109B1

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate; a stacked body provided on the substrate and including a first stacked portion, a second stacked portion and an intermediate layer, the first stacked portion and the second stacked portion including a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of insulating layers, the intermediate layer provided between the first stacked portion and the second stacked portion; a column including a semiconductor film and a charge storage film; and an insulating part provided in the stacked body. The column has a first enlarged portion. The insulating part has a second enlarged portion surrounded by the intermediate layer, the second enlarged portion has a larger width than a width of the portion of the insulating part in the first stacked portion and the second stacked portion.
US09397105B2

Methods, devices, and systems associated with charge storage structures in semiconductor devices are described herein. In one or more embodiments, a method of forming nanodots includes forming at least a portion of a charge storage structure over a material by reacting a single-source precursor and a reactant, where the single-source precursor includes a metal and a semiconductor.
US09397099B1

A semiconductor device having a plurality of fins including at least one first fin and at least one second fin formed on a semiconductor substrate is provided. Each of the first fin and second fin has a first portion and a second portion. A gate electrode structure overlies the first portion of the plurality of fins. The gate electrode structure includes a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric layer between the gate electrode and the plurality of fins. A first electrode overlies the second portion of the plurality of fins and the first electrode is in electrical contact with the second portion of the plurality of fins. The gate electrode structure is in direct physical contact with the first portion of the first fin and the gate electrode structure is spaced apart from the first portion of the second fin.
US09397098B2

A semiconductor device includes semiconductor fins on semiconductor strips on a substrate. The semiconductor fins are parallel to each other. A gate stack is over the semiconductor fins, and a drain epitaxy semiconductor region is disposed laterally from a side of the gate stack and on the semiconductor strips. A first dielectric layer is over the substrate, and the first dielectric layer has a first metal layer. A second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer, and the second dielectric layer has a second metal layer. Vias extend from the second metal layer and through the first dielectric layer, and the vias are electrically coupled to the drain epitaxy semiconductor region.
US09397094B2

A semiconductor structure having a first source/drain semiconductor structure connected to a vertical channel such that the source/drain semiconductor structure has a vertical side that is substantially planar with a vertical side of the first vertical channel, the vertical channel being perpendicular relative to a layer of substrate to which the source/drain semiconductor structure is attached.
US09397090B1

A semiconductor device includes first metal-on-semiconductor (MOS), second MOS, and bipolar junction (BJ) structures formed in a substrate. The first MOS structure includes first drain, first channel, and first source regions arranged along a first direction. The first MOS structure further includes a drain electrode formed over and conductively coupled to the first drain region, and a body region formed below and conductively coupled to the channel region. The second MOS structure includes second drain, second channel, and second source regions arranged along a second direction different from the first direction. The BJ structure includes emitter, base, and collector regions. The first source region and the second drain region share a first common semiconductor region in the substrate. The drain electrode and the base region share a second common semiconductor region in the substrate. The body region and the collector region share a third common semiconductor region in the substrate.
US09397089B2

There are disclosed herein various implementations of a group III-V high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) having a selectably floating substrate. Such a group III-V HEMT is situated over a substrate, and includes a transistor configured to selectably couple the substrate to ground and to selectably decouple the substrate from ground. The transistor is configured to ground the substrate when the group III-V HEMT is in an off-state and to cause the substrate to float when the group III-V HEMT is in an on-state.
US09397086B2

Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for passive devices that may be used as electrostatic discharge protection devices in fin-type field-effect transistor integrated circuit technologies. A portion of a device layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate is patterned to form a device region. A well of a first conductivity type is formed in the epitaxial layer and the device region. A doped region of a second conductivity type is formed in the well and defines a junction with a portion of the well. The epitaxial layer includes an exterior sidewall spaced from an exterior sidewall of the device region. Another portion of the device layer may be patterned to form fins for fin-type field-effect transistors.
US09397085B2

An integrated circuit and method with a bidirectional ESD transistor. A base diffusion separates an emitter diffusion and a collector diffusion. Silicide is blocked from the base diffusion, the emitter-base junction, the collector-base junction, and from equal portions of the emitter diffusion and the collector diffusions.
US09397082B2

First and second semiconductor die are mounted to first and second die pads of a lead frame disposed in a lead frame sheet. With a plurality of wire bonds, each post of a plurality of posts of the lead frame is connected to the first and second semiconductor die. Each post extends inward from opposite sides of the lead frame between the first and second die pads and is connected with a respective one of a plurality of leads of the lead frame. The first and second semiconductor die, the plurality of posts of the lead frame, and the plurality of wire bonds are encapsulated in a package. The lead frame sheet is sheared to define each lead of the plurality of leads. The plurality of posts includes first and second sets of posts extending inward from first and second opposite sides of the lead frame.
US09397080B2

A method of packaging semiconductor dies may include: coupling a first die to a first substrate; forming a plurality of first portions of a plurality of metal pillars on a surface of the first substrate; forming a second portion of the plurality of metal pillars over each of the plurality of first portions of the plurality of metal pillars; forming a protection layer over sidewalls of each of the plurality of first portions and second portions of the plurality of metal pillars; coupling a second die to a second substrate; and coupling the plurality of metal pillars to the second substrate.
US09397079B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to integrated circuit (IC) package assemblies with three-dimensional (3D) integration of multiple dies, as well as corresponding fabrication methods and systems incorporating such 3D IC package assemblies. A bumpless build-up layer (BBUL) package substrate may be formed on a first die, such as a microprocessor die. Laser radiation may be used to form an opening in a die backside film to expose TSV pads on the back side of the first die. A second die, such as a memory die stack, may be coupled to the first die by die interconnects formed between corresponding TSVs of the first and second dies. Underfill material may be applied to fill some or all of any remaining gap between the first and second dies, and/or an encapsulant may be applied over the second die and/or package substrate. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09397078B1

Semiconductor device assemblies with underfill containment cavities are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device assembly can include a first semiconductor die having a base region formed from a substrate material, a recessed surface along the base region, a peripheral region formed from the substrate material and projecting from the base region, and a sidewall surface along the peripheral region and defining a cavity with the sidewall surface in the peripheral region. The semiconductor device assembly further includes a thermal transfer structure attached to the peripheral region of the first die adjacent the cavity, and an underfill material at least partially filling the cavity and including a fillet between the peripheral region and the stack of second semiconductor dies.
US09397076B2

A semiconductor apparatus with an optoelectronic device and a further device is disclosed. Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor apparatus with an optoelectronic device and a further device, wherein the optoelectronic device and the further device are interconnected to one another in parallel when the semiconductor apparatus is in operation, wherein the optoelectronic device is connected to a first contact and a second contact, the first contact and the second contact being configured to externally contact the semiconductor apparatus, and wherein the further device is connected with at least one further contact of the semiconductor apparatus.
US09397063B2

A method of making an assembly includes the steps of applying metallic nanoparticles to exposed surfaces of conductive elements of either of or both of a first component and a second component, juxtaposing the conductive elements of the first component with the conductive elements of the second component with the metallic nanoparticles disposed therebetween, and elevating a temperature at least at interfaces of the juxtaposed conductive elements to a joining temperature at which the metallic nanoparticles cause metallurgical joints to form between the juxtaposed conductive elements. The conductive elements of either of or both of the first component and the second component can include substantially rigid posts having top surfaces projecting a height above the surface of the respective component and edge surfaces extending at substantial angles away from the top surfaces thereof.
US09397057B2

According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises an insulative resin, an interconnect, a plurality of semiconductor elements, a first conductive unit, a first connector, and a first metal layer. The insulative resin includes a first region and a second region. At least a portion of the interconnect is arranged with at least a portion of the first region in a first direction. The first conductive unit pierces the second region in the first direction. At least a portion of the first connector is arranged with at least a portion of the first conductive unit in the first direction. At least a portion of the first connector is arranged with at least a portion of the interconnect in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The first metal layer is provided between the first conductive unit and the first connector. The first metal layer contacts the insulative resin.
US09397051B2

To reduce warpage in at least one area of a wafer, a stress/warpage management layer (810) is formed to over-balance and change the direction of the existing warpage. For example, if the middle of the area was bulging up relative to the area's boundary, the middle of the area may become bulging downward, or vice versa. Then the stress/warpage management layer is processed to reduce the over-balancing. For example, the stress/management layer can be debonded from the wafer at selected locations, or recesses can be formed in the layer, or phase changes can be induced in the layer. In other embodiments, this layer is tantalum-aluminum that may or may not over-balance the warpage; this layer is believed to reduce warpage due to crystal-phase-dependent stresses which dynamically adjust to temperature changes so as to reduce the warpage (possibly keeping the wafer flat through thermal cycling). Other features are also provided.
US09397045B2

A structure and a formation method of a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a first conductive feature over the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a first dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the first conductive feature. The semiconductor device further includes a second conductive feature over the first conductive feature, and the second conductive feature extends into the first conductive feature. In addition, the semiconductor device includes a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and surrounding the second conductive feature.
US09397038B1

In a microelectronic component having conductive vias (114) passing through a substrate (104) and protruding above the substrate, conductive features (120E.A, 120E.B) are provided above the substrate that wrap around the conductive vias' protrusions (114′) to form capacitors, electromagnetic shields, and possibly other elements. Other features and embodiments are also provided.
US09397035B2

The disclosure describes a metal-wire-based method for making an integrated ingot, which basically comprises a dielectric matrix and a patterned array of metal wires, and may further comprise other additive elements at desired locations. After sawing the integrated ingot into slices, a plurality of substrates containing through substrate metal pillars and other additive elements at desired locations are produced in a batch way. The metal-wire-based method comprises the key steps: forming a patterned array of metal wires, precisely integrating other additive elements at desired locations when needed, forming a solid dielectric material in the empty space among and around metal wires and other additive elements. Furthermore, a guidance metal wire method is described for precisely integrating other additive elements at desired locations in a patterned array of metal wires.
US09397029B1

A power semiconductor package device and a method of preparation the device are disclosed. The package device includes a die paddle, a first pin, a second pin, and a semiconductor chip attached to the die paddle. A first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode of the semiconductor chip are connected to the first pin, the second pin and the die paddle respectively. A plastic package body covers the semiconductor chip, the die paddle, the first pin and the second pin. The first pin and the second pin are located near two adjacent corners of the plastic package body. The bottom surface and two side surfaces of each of the first pin and the second pin are exposed from the plastic package body. Locking mechanisms are constructed to prevent the first pin and the second pin from falling off the power semiconductor package device during a manufacturing cutting process. Portions of the first pin, portions of the second pin, and portions of the plastic package body can be cut off. Therefore, the size of the power semiconductor package device is reduced.
US09397028B2

In one embodiment, methods for making semiconductor devices are disclosed.
US09397015B2

A semiconductor device has an insulating substrate, a semiconductor element which is mounted on the insulating substrate, a hollow casing which surrounds a peripheral edge of the insulating substrate to contain the semiconductor element therein, and a sealing material which is charged into the casing to seal the inside of the casing. The casing has protrusion portions each of which partially protrudes from an upper surface of the casing. Thus, it is possible to provide a semiconductor device in which poor external appearance or lowering of adhesion to a cover can be prevented even when a sealing material is injected up to the vicinity of an upper surface of a casing.
US09397009B2

A process is disclosed of forming metal replacement gates for NMOS and PMOS transistors with oxygen in the PMOS metal gates and metal atom enrichment in the NMOS gates such that the PMOS gates have effective work functions above 4.85 eV and the NMOS gates have effective work functions below 4.25 eV. Metal work function layers in both the NMOS and PMOS gates are oxidized to increase their effective work functions to the desired PMOS range. An oxygen diffusion blocking layer is formed over the PMOS gate and an oxygen getter is formed over the NMOS gates. A getter anneal extracts the oxygen from the NMOS work function layers and adds metal atom enrichment to the NMOS work function layers, reducing their effective work functions to the desired NMOS range. Processes and materials for the metal work function layers, the oxidation process and oxygen gettering are disclosed.
US09397002B1

A technique relates to punchthrough stop (PTS) doping in bulk fin field effect transistors. Fins are formed on a substrate, and each pair of the fins has a fin pitch. Each of the fins has an undoped fin channel and a punchthrough stop doping region underneath the undoped fin channel. A narrow shallow trench isolation trench is formed between the fin pitch of the fins. A wide shallow trench isolation trench is formed at an outside edge of the fins. A doped layer fills the narrow shallow trench isolation trench and the wide shallow trench isolation trench. A vertical thickness of the doped layer in the narrow shallow trench isolation trench is greater than a vertical thickness of the wide shallow trench isolation trench.
US09397001B2

An electronic component manufacturing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes providing a support substrate, forming a release layer including a metal or a metal oxide on a first surface of the support substrate, forming a resin substrate on the release layer, forming a functional element on the resin substrate, and separating the resin substrate from the support substrate by applying laser light to the support substrate through a second surface of the support substrate. The laser light that reaches an interface between the resin substrate and the release layer after being transmitted through the support substrate and the release layer has an energy density lower than a threshold for the resin substrate to be processed by the laser light.
US09396993B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for forming a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a first aluminum pad layer on a metal layer, forming an adhesion layer on the first aluminum pad layer, etching the adhesion layer so as to form a patterned adhesion layer, and forming a second aluminum pad layer on the first aluminum pad layer and the patterned adhesion layer.
US09396992B2

A barrier seed tool is configured to clean trenches in a first chamber, line the trenches with a diffusion barrier layer, and form a copper seed layer over the diffusion barrier layer in a second chamber. The clean chamber is configured to reduce overhangs in the copper seed layer by producing a plasma comprising positively and negatively charged ions including halogen ions, filtering the plasma to selectively exclude positively charged ions, and bombarding with the filtered plasma. The tool and related method can be used to reduce overhangs and improve subsequent gap fill while avoiding excessive damage to the dielectric matrix.
US09396988B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes sequentially forming an interlayer insulating layer and a hard mask pattern including a first opening on a substrate including a lower pattern, forming a trench exposing the lower pattern in the interlayer insulating layer using the hard mask pattern, forming a liner layer including a first part formed along sidewalls and a bottom surface of the trench and a second part formed along a top surface of the hard mask pattern, forming a sacrificial pattern exposing the second part of the liner layer in the trench, removing the second part of the liner layer and the hard mask pattern using the sacrificial pattern, and after the removing of the hard mask pattern, removing the sacrificial pattern to expose the first part of the liner layer.
US09396987B2

The invention relates to a method for fabricating a substrate, comprising the steps of providing a donor substrate with at least one free surface, performing an ion implantation at a predetermined depth of the donor substrate to form an in-depth predetermined splitting area inside the donor substrate, and is characterized in providing a layer of an adhesive, in particular an adhesive paste, over the at least one free surface of the donor substrate. The invention further relates to a semiconductor structure comprising a semiconductor layer, and a layer of a ceramic-based and/or a graphite-based and/or a metal-based adhesive provided on one main side of the semiconductor layer.
US09396982B2

A semiconductor package and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The package element has a first insulating layer, and a plurality of holes are disposed on the first surface of the first insulating layer. Besides, a plurality of package traces are embedded in the insulating layer and connected to the other end of the holes. The holes function as a positioning setting for connecting the solder balls to the package traces, such that the signal of the semiconductor chip is connected to the package trace via conductor of the chip, and further transmitted externally via solder ball. The elastic modulus of the material of the first insulating layer is preferably larger than 1.0 GPa.
US09396980B2

The present invention provides an anti-electrostatic cassette, which mainly comprises at least an electrostatic discharge (ESD) device connected electrically to the carrying frames, which are disposed in the substrate cassette and carry the substrates, and to the handles, which are disposed on the outer sides of the substrate cassette, for forming the conductive path. By means of the contact between the equipment and the two handles of the substrate cassette, the residual static charges on the substrates are conducted to the ground for reducing the residual static charges on the substrates. Consequently, the ESD phenomena in the substrates due to friction can be avoided and hence preventing the damages in the substrates caused by static charges.
US09396977B2

A method, device, and apparatus is provided for detecting moisture and/or electrically conductive remains on a wafer after the wafer is removed from a drying chamber of a processing tool that includes wet clean processing. Embodiments include fixing a wafer to an endeffector between a processing chamber and a FOUP, moving the wafer from the processing chamber toward the FOUP, detecting moisture and/or electrically conductive remains on the wafer, and delivering the wafer to the FOUP, if no moisture and/or electrically conductive remains are detected, or delivering the wafer to a buffer station, if moisture and/or electrically conductive remains are detected.
US09396965B2

In one embodiment, a method for etching a metal layer on a substrate may include providing a hydrogen-containing gas and an impurity gas to a plasma chamber; generating a plasma from the hydrogen-containing gas and the impurity gas in the plasma chamber, the plasma comprising hydrogen-containing ions; providing gaseous species from the plasma chamber to the substrate, wherein the providing the gaseous species comprises directing an ion beam comprising the hydrogen-containing ions formed from the plasma through an extraction aperture of an extraction plate disposed between the substrate and the plasma.
US09396964B2

A plasma processing apparatus includes: a process chamber which accommodates a substrate to be processed; a lower electrode disposed in the process chamber; an upper electrode including an electrode plate that is detachable and discharges a process gas inside the form of shower into the process chamber; a gas supply unit including a central pipe and a edge pipe for supplying the process gas to the upper electrode; a first high frequency power source which applies high frequency power for plasma generation to the lower electrode; pressure indicators which detect pressures inside gas supply pipes; and a controller which measures a degree of consumption of the electrode plate based on the pressures detected by the pressure indicators and calculates a variation in process rate resulting due to the consumption of the electrode plate to adjust process conditions to resolve the variation in process rate.
US09396962B2

An etching method can etch a region formed of silicon oxide. The etching method includes an exposing process (process (a)) of exposing a target object including the region formed of the silicon oxide to plasma of a processing gas containing a fluorocarbon gas, etching the region, and forming a deposit containing fluorocarbon on the region; and an etching process (process (b)) of etching the region with a radical of the fluorocarbon contained in the deposit. Further, in the method, the process (a) and the process (b) are alternately repeated.
US09396955B2

A plasma tuning rod system is provided with one or more microwave cavities configured to couple electromagnetic (EM) energy in a desired EM wave mode to a plasma by generating resonant microwave energy in one or more plasma tuning rods within and/or adjacent to the plasma. One or more microwave cavity assemblies can be coupled to a process chamber, and can comprise one or more tuning spaces/cavities. Each tuning space/cavity can have one or more plasma tuning rods coupled thereto. The plasma tuning rods can be configured to couple the EM energy from the resonant cavities to the process space within the process chamber and thereby create uniform plasma within the process space.
US09396951B2

Oxide growth of a gate dielectric layer that occurs between processes used in the fabrication of a gate dielectric structure can be reduced. The reduction in oxide growth can be achieved by maintaining the gate dielectric layer in an ambient effective to mitigate oxide growth of the gate dielectric layer between at least two sequential process steps used in the fabrication the gate dielectric structure. Maintaining the gate dielectric layer in an ambient effective to mitigate oxide growth also improves the uniformity of nitrogen implanted in the gate dielectric.
US09396940B2

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a TFT and methods for manufacture thereof. Specifically, the embodiments herein relate to methods for forming a semiconductor layer at a low temperature for use in a TFT. The semiconductor layer may be formed by depositing a nitride or oxynitride layer, such as zinc nitride or oxynitride, and then converting the nitride layer into an oxynitride layer with a different oxygen content. The oxynitride layer is formed by exposing the deposited nitride layer to a wet atmosphere at a temperature between about 85 degrees Celsius and about 150 degrees Celsius. The exposure temperature is lower than the typical deposition temperature used for forming the oxynitride layer directly or annealing, which may be performed at temperatures of about 400 degrees Celsius.
US09396932B2

Certain electronic applications, such as OLED display back panels, require small islands of high-quality semiconductor material distributed over a large area. This area can exceed the areas of crystalline semiconductor wafers that can be fabricated using the traditional boule-based techniques. This specification provides a method of fabricating a crystalline island of an island material, the method comprising depositing particles of the island material abutting a substrate, heating the substrate and the particles of the island material to melt and fuse the particles to form a molten globule, and cooling the substrate and the molten globule to crystallize the molten globule, thereby securing the crystalline island of the island material to the substrate. The method can also be used to fabricate arrays of crystalline islands, distributed over a large area, potentially exceeding the areas of crystalline semiconductor wafers that can be fabricated using boule-based techniques.
US09396924B2

An electrodeless, microwave lamp has a magnetron as a microwave source and an excitable material lucent crucible in whose excitable material a plasma is established. For coupling microwaves from the magnetron into the crucible, an air wave guide coupling circuit is provided, with an output of the magnetron as an input at one quarter lambda from one end and an output at one quarter from the other end as an input to a connection to the crucible.
US09396919B2

A method of operating a gas-filled collision cell in a mass spectrometer is provided. The collision cell has a longitudinal axis. Ions are caused to enter the collision cell. A trapping field is generated within the collision cell so as to trap the ions within a trapping volume of the collision cell, the trapping volume being defined by the trapping field and extending along the longitudinal axis. Trapped ions are processed in the collision cell and a DC potential gradient is provided, using an electrode arrangement, resulting in a non-zero electric field at all points along the axial length of the trapping volume so as to cause processed ions to exit the collision cell. The electric field along the axial length of the trapping volume has a standard deviation that is no greater than its mean value.
US09396918B2

A sample plate in use with a MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight) mass spectrometer. The sample plate is usable for the mass spectrometry of a polymeric material on the order of several hundreds of Da and a method of manufacturing the same sample plate. The sample plate including a target plate, an organic matrix formed on one surface of the target plate, and a Parylene thin film formed on the target plate on which the organic matrix is formed, the Parylene thin film entirely covering the organic matrix.
US09396915B2

Automated installation processing of a mass spectrometer is described. Software is executed providing a user interface for controlling the installation process. Manual setup operations in connection with physical installation of the mass spectrometer are performed. Instrument level testing of the mass spectrometer is performed. The instrument level testing includes automating execution of a first test sequence in response to a first user interface selection. The first test sequence includes one or more performance tests whereby mass spectral data characterizing observed performance of the mass spectrometer is compared to predetermined performance criteria. System level testing of functionality of the mass spectrometer in combination with one or more other components is performed upon successful completion of said instrument level testing. The system level testing includes automating execution of a second test sequence in response to a second user interface selection. System level testing is performed after successful completion of instrument level testing.
US09396910B2

A heat transfer plate useful in a showerhead electrode assembly of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. The heat transfer plate includes independently controllable gas volumes which may be pressurized to locally control thermal conductance between a heater member and a cooling member such that uniform temperatures may be established on a plasma exposed surface of the showerhead electrode assembly.
US09396909B2

A gas dispersion apparatus for use with a process chamber, comprising: a quartz body having a top, a ring coupled to a bottom surface of the top and a bottom plate having dispersion holes coupled to the ring opposite the top; a plurality of quartz plates disposed between the top and the bottom plate, wherein the plurality of plates are positioned above one another and spaced apart to form a plenum above each of the plurality of plates and the bottom plate; a plurality of quartz tubes to couple the plenums to the plurality of dispersion holes, each of the plurality of quartz tubes having a first end disposed within one of the plenums and having a second end coupled to one of the dispersion holes; and a plurality of conduits disposed through the top, wherein each of the plurality of conduits is coupled to one of the plenums.
US09396903B1

An apparatus to control an ion beam for treating a substrate. The apparatus may include a fixed electrode configured to conduct the ion beam through a fixed electrode aperture and to apply a fixed electrode potential to the ion beam, a ground electrode assembly disposed downstream of the fixed electrode. The ground electrode assembly may include a base and a ground electrode disposed adjacent the fixed electrode and configured to conduct the ion beam through a ground electrode aperture, the ground electrode being reversibly movable along a first axis with respect to the fixed electrode between a first position and a second position, wherein a beam current of the ion beam at the substrate varies when the ground electrode moves between the first position and second position.
US09396891B2

A switchgear has an interrupter unit that includes an arc gap. A first and a second switching contact piece are movable relative to one another. A switching-gas duct originates in the arc gap and connects the arc gap to the surroundings of the interrupter unit. A hollow vessel arrangement delimits at least some sections of the switching-gas duct and is connected to one of the contact pieces. The hollow vessel arrangement includes an external outlet opening for the switching-gas duct.
US09396890B2

A barrier member is for an arc chute assembly of an electrical switching apparatus. The arc chute assembly comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite and spaced apart from said first sidewall. The barrier member comprises a body portion structured to be disposed between said first sidewall and said second sidewall, said body portion comprising a first support portion, a second support portion, and a cover portion connecting said first support portion to said second support portion; a first containment portion extending from said first support portion, said first containment portion being structured to be disposed proximate said first sidewall; and a second containment portion extending from said second support portion toward said first containment portion, said second containment portion being structured to be disposed proximate said second sidewall, wherein said second containment portion is spaced from said first containment portion.
US09396889B1

A secondary disconnect assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus. The secondary disconnect assembly includes a terminal block assembly comprising a mounting member including a number of protrusions, and a cradle assembly coupled to the mounting member and being movable among a plurality of positions with respect to the mounting member. The cradle assembly includes a cradle housing and an inner cradle movably disposed with the cradle housing. The protrusions align and guide the inner cradle with respect to the mounting member. When the inner cradle is disposed in a first predetermined one of the positions, the number of protrusions engage and lock the inner cradle to restrict movement of the inner cradle with respect to the mounting member. When the inner cradle is moved toward a second predetermined one of the positions, the number of protrusions release the inner cradle to move independently with respect to the mounting member.
US09396883B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards Faradaic energy storage device structures and associated techniques and configurations. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an apparatus comprising a substrate having a plurality of holes disposed in a surface of the substrate, the plurality of holes being configured in an array of multiple rows and an active material for Faradaic energy storage disposed in the plurality of holes to substantially fill the plurality of holes. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09396881B2

Disclosed is (1) an anode body for capacitors, which is composed of a sintered body containing tungsten dioxide in amount of 80 mass % or more and preferably silicon element in amount of 3.4 mass % or less, (2) a powder as a raw material of the sintered body containing a mixture of tungsten dioxide and silicon element powder in an amount of 80 mass % or more and 3.4 mass % or less, respectively, and which may optionally contain metal tungsten powder, (3) a method for producing an anode body for capacitors, and (4) an electrolytic capacitor which uses the anode body as one electrode and has a dielectric body interposed between the electrode and a counter electrode.
US09396874B2

A method of manufacturing a coil substrate, includes forming a plurality of structures, each of the structures including a first insulating layer and a metal layer formed on the first insulating layer; forming a stacked structure by stacking the structures while connecting the metal layers of the adjacent structures in series; and shaping the stacked structure such that the metal layers of the structures are shaped at the same time to be in shapes of wirings, each becomes a part of a spiral-shaped coil, to form the spiral-shaped coil in which the wirings of the adjacent structures are connected in series.
US09396867B2

Described herein are configurations for an integrated resonator-shield structure for wireless power transfer. In embodiments a conductor shield is used to shield the resonator from perturbing objects. In embodiments the conductor shield is used for a current return path for the conductors of the resonator. The resonator shield can be divided into separate conductor segments to tailor the current distributions in the conductor shield.
US09396865B1

An auxiliary winding circuit board includes one or more auxiliary conductive windings. The auxiliary winding circuit board is positioned at an axial end of a bobbin, and a core leg extends through an opening in the auxiliary winding circuit board. A main conductive winding is positioned on the bobbin. The auxiliary winding disposed on the auxiliary printed circuit board has enhanced voltage-isolation from the main winding positioned on the bobbin, allowing both a high-voltage main winding and a low-voltage auxiliary winding to be located on one magnetic component. The magnetic component is configured for mounting on a printed circuit board for an electronic device such as a power supply. A modular magnetic component apparatus includes a bobbin with main winding assembly and multiple auxiliary winding circuit boards that may be interchangeably mounted between the bobbin and core for desired applications.
US09396863B2

A transformer, according to one possible embodiment, includes: a bobbin part formed by stacking a plurality of bobbins including external connection terminals; and coils respectively wound around the plurality of bobbins. At least one bobbin of the plurality of bobbins includes withdrawing grooves formed in a space between the external connection terminals, the respective coil wound around the at least one bobbin being withdrawn outside the bobbin via the withdrawing grooves and coupled to the external connection terminal.
US09396862B2

A secondary transformer unit for mounting on a vehicle having an electric drive includes at least one secondary core, and at least one secondary coil that is arranged on the secondary core. At least one outer skin is provided to envelope the secondary core and contains reinforcing fibers. The outer skin is configured to retain inside the at least one outer skin fragments produced when the at least one secondary core breaks.
US09396855B2

A method includes the steps of: bringing a refrigerator's distal end into contact with a contact of a heat transfer member to thermally connect the refrigerator via the heat transfer member to a superconducting coil to cool the superconducting coil to cryogenic temperature; after the step of bringing the refrigerator's distal end into contact with the contact of the heat transfer member, bringing the refrigerator's distal end out of contact with the contact of the heat transfer member; and after the step of bringing the refrigerator's distal end out of contact with the contact of the heat transfer member, injecting liquid helium into a helium tank.
US09396850B2

A grain oriented electrical steel sheet (1) suppresses the content of Cr in the grain oriented electrical steel sheet to 0.1 mass % or less; (2) sets the coating weight of a forsterite coating, in terms of basis weight of oxygen therein, to at least 3.0 g/m2 and thickness of an anchor portion as a lower portion of forsterite coating to 1.5 μm or less; and (3) controls setting the magnitude of deflection of a test specimen having length: 280 mm to at least 10mm when the forsterite coating is provided on only one surface thereof and at least 20 mm when forsterite coating and the tension coating are provided on the surface.
US09396845B2

A coaxial electric wire with an inner conductor, an inner insulating layer covering a periphery of the inner conductor, an outer conductor covering a periphery of the inner insulating layer, and an outer insulating layer covering a periphery of the outer conductor, where the inner insulating layer is made of a first insulating tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and an insulation performance, the outer insulating layer is made of a second insulating tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and an insulation performance, the outer conductor is made of a conductive tube having an elongated cylindrical shape and conductivity, the coaxial electric wire is manufactured by inserting the inner conductor into the first insulating tube, inserting the first insulating tube into the conductive tube, and inserting the conductive tube into the second insulating tube.
US09396841B2

A noise suppression cable includes a plurality of twisted pair wires, an inclusion that includes an insulating material and a magnetic powder and separates the plurality of twisted pair wires, and a sheath that includes an insulating material and covers a periphery of the plurality of twisted pair wires and the inclusion.
US09396837B2

An electrical conduction device is provided having an electrically conductive conduction element and an electrically insulating sheathing surrounding said conduction element at least in regions. An overhang corona shielding in the form of a coating composed of a material having a resistivity that increases towards an end of the sheathing is arranged on the sheathing at an outer side. An overhang corona shielding arrangement and a method for producing an overhang corona shielding are also provided.
US09396830B2

There is provided a zinc oxide sintered compact with a zirconium content of 10 to 1000 ppm, and a sputtering target containing the zinc oxide sintered compact. There is also provided a zinc oxide thin-film having a zirconium content of 10 to 2000 ppm and a resistivity of 10 Ω·cm or greater.
US09396826B2

An isotope production target may include an outer diameter wall and an inner diameter wall. An isotope source may be located between the inner diameter wall and the outer diameter wall, and the isotope source may comprise fissile material interspersed with one or more voided regions. A central region may be located within the inner diameter wall, and the central region may be configured to house a neutron thermalization volume.
US09396821B2

A safety system for a nuclear plant includes a plurality of catalytic recombiner elements each triggering a recombination reaction with oxygen when hydrogen is entrained in an onflowing gas flow, so that reliable elimination of the hydrogen from the gas mixture is ensured with an especially high degree of operational safety even based on comparatively extreme conditions or scenarios of the aforementioned type. The recombiner elements and/or the flow paths each connecting two recombiner elements on the gas side are configured in such a way that a pressure pulse triggered in the gas medium by an ignition during the recombination reaction in a first recombiner element triggers a gas displacement process having a flow rate of at least 5 m/s in the onflow region of a second, adjacent recombiner element. A nuclear plant with a safety system is also provided.
US09396820B2

The underwater electricity production module according to the invention includes means in the form of an elongated cylindrical box (12) in which means are integrated forming an electricity production unit including means forming a nuclear boiler (30), associated with electricity production means (37) connected to an external electricity distribution station (7) by electrical cables (6), is characterized in that the nuclear boiler-forming means (30) include a secondary circuit (36) associated with the electricity production means (37) and a secondary backup circuit (60) in parallel on that secondary circuit and including at least one secondary passive heat exchanger (61) placed outside the underwater module (12) in the marine environment.
US09396808B2

Techniques are provided for programming select gate transistors in connection with the programming of a set of memory cells. In response to a program command to program memory cells, the select gate transistors are read to determine whether their Vth is below an acceptable range, in which case the select gate transistors are programmed before the memory cells. Or, a decision can be made to program the select gate transistors based on a count of program-erase cycles, whether a specified time period has elapsed and/or a temperature history of the non-volatile storage device.
US09396802B2

An erase system and method of a nonvolatile memory device includes supplying an erase voltage to a plurality of memory cells of a nonvolatile memory, performing a read operation with a read voltage to word lines of the plurality of memory cells, and performing an erase verification operation with an erase verification voltage to at least one of the word lines of the plurality of memory cells, the erase verification voltage lower than the read voltage.
US09396798B2

An enhanced Flash chip and a method for packaging chip, wherein the enhanced Flash chip comprising: a FLASH and a RPMC, packaged integrally; the FLASH and the RPMC each comprising: a first internal IO pin and a second internal IO pin; the FLASH and the RPMC being further provided with a jumper window, one end of which is mutually connected to the first internal IO pin of the FLASH or the RPMC and the other end of which is mutually connected to the first internal IO pin of the RPMC or the FLASH; the second internal IO pin of the FLASH and the second internal IO pin of the RPMC being mutually connected. The enhanced Flash chip provided in the present application may effectively reduce design complexity and chip manufacturing cost, avoid the crossing of the metal lead wires in the chip package, and increase the yield of chip packages.
US09396796B2

A nonvolatile memory device includes an array of nonvolatile memory cells and a plurality of page buffers configured to receive a plurality of pages of data read from the same page in the array using different read voltage conditions. A control circuit is provided, which is electrically coupled to the plurality of page buffers. The control circuit is configured to perform a test operation by driving the plurality of page buffers with control signals that cause generation within the nonvolatile memory device of a string of XOR data bits, which are derived from a comparison of at least two of the multiple pages of data read from the same page of nonvolatile memory cells using the different read voltage conditions. An input/output device is provided, which is configured to output test data derived from the string of XOR data bits to another device located external to the nonvolatile memory device.
US09396794B1

Systems and methods relate to a matchline receiver of a content-addressable memory (CAM). A matchline of the CAM, which provides a hit/miss indication for a search operation of a data word is provided to the matchline receiver. The matchline receiver comprises a retention circuit to provide a hit/miss output, wherein the retention circuit retains, at the hit/miss output, the hit/miss indication provided by the matchline during a first clock phase of a clock, even if the hit/miss indication provided by the matchline is modified by a write operation or an invalidation operation during the first clock phase.
US09396793B2

A phase change memory (PCM), a writing method thereof and a reading method thereof are provided. The PCM has a plurality of memory cells. The writing method comprises the following steps. At least one stress pulse is applied for aging at least one of the memory cells. A starting pulse is applied to all of the memory cells of the PCM for decreasing a resistance of each memory cell. A detection pulse is applied to all of the memory cells of the PCM for detecting the resistance of each memory cell. A set pulse is applied to the aged memory cells. A reset pulse is applied to the non-aged memory cells.
US09396792B2

An apparatus having a circuit and an interface to a nonvolatile memory is disclosed. The circuit is configured to (i) perform one or more attempts of a soft-decision decode of data stored in the nonvolatile memory, where soft-decision decode uses a plurality of log likelihood ratio values stored in a table, (ii) generate one or more adjusted log likelihood ratio values by adding a constant value to one or more of the log likelihood ratio values in response to a failure to decode the data using the log likelihood ratio values and (iii) re-decode the data using the adjusted log likelihood ratio values.
US09396788B1

An information processing apparatus includes a memory that is volatile, a memory controller connected to the memory in an information exchangeable manner, and a clock enable (CKE) controller. The CKE controller controls a CKE signal in response to a request for a proxy in self-refresh control, the CKE signal being transmitted from the memory controller to the memory and being controlled to be kept low until cancellation of the proxy is requested. At a time of shifting to a power-saving mode, the memory controller stores information held by a central processing unit (CPU) in the memory and causes the memory to shift to a self-refresh mode. At a time of recovery from the power-saving mode, the memory controller requests the CKE controller for the cancellation of the proxy in the self-refresh control and thereafter cancels the self-refresh mode of the memory.
US09396787B2

Memory operations using system thermal sensor data. An embodiment of a memory device includes a memory stack including one or more coupled memory elements, and a logic chip coupled with the memory stack, the logic chip including a memory controller and one or more thermal sensors, where the one or more thermal sensors include a first thermal sensor located in a first area of the logic chip. The memory controller obtains thermal values of the one or more thermal sensors, where the logic element is to estimate thermal conditions for the memory stack using the thermal values, the determination of the estimated thermal conditions for the memory stack being based at least in part on a location of the first thermal sensor in the first area of the logic element. A refresh rate for one or more portions of the memory stack is modified based at least in part on the estimated thermal conditions for the memory stack.
US09396774B1

A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a CAS latency setting circuit configured to change an initially-set CAS latency value in response to control signal pulses which are sequentially applied, during a test mode without changing settings of a mode register set during each test.
US09396771B2

A memory device has a burst length “b”, performs “k” core accesses per command, and receives a command, where “b” is an integer of at least 2 and “k” is an integer of at least 2 and at most “b”. The memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of bank groups, a plurality of bank group control units respectively corresponding to the plurality of bank groups, each of the bank group control units configured to generate a multiplexer control signal for selecting part of data read from a corresponding bank group, and a multiplexer configured to sequentially output data read from the plurality of bank groups according to the multiplexer control signal output from the plurality of bank group control units. Data items included in output data of the multiplexer have a same time space.
US09396769B1

A memory device includes a memory array and a logic unit communicatively coupled to the memory array. The memory array includes a plurality of pages for storing array data and a plurality of extra arrays respectively corresponding to the plurality of pages for storing extra data. The logic unit is configured to receive a read instruction, and perform a read operation in a first access mode or in a second access mode. In the first access mode, the logic unit sequentially reads out the array data stored in the plurality of pages. In the second access mode, the logic unit sequentially reads out the array data stored in the plurality of pages and the extra data stored in the plurality of extra arrays.
US09396766B2

A semiconductor memory device may include a plurality of memory chips stacked upon one another, and electrically coupled to one another through a plurality of first TSVs. The semiconductor memory device may include a plurality of second memory chips stacked separately from the first memory chips, and the plurality of second memory chips electrically coupled to one another through a plurality of second TSVs. The semiconductor memory device may include a plurality of external connection electrodes coupled to both to the first memory chips and the second memory chips. Wherein one of the first and second memory chips may be accessed in response to chip select signals inputted through the external connection electrodes.
US09396763B2

Methods and systems for generation of an index and Table-of-Contents (ToC) for videos based on user given labels or a combination of user input and automated indexing techniques are provided. According to one embodiment, an annotation tool and a video player are presented to individual subscribers/users of a video discovery and consumption service. Tags proposed by the subscribers to be associated with various portions of the video content are received, processed and integrated within a global ToC for the video. The service can assist subscribers that intend to tag a certain portion of video by automatically proposing suitable tags and portion boundaries. Subscribers can vote on the suitability of tags constituting the ToC. Responsive to a request to view video content, a customized ToC is presented to a subscriber which include labels selected from the global ToC in accordance with default tag selection/filtering criteria or filtering criteria specified by subscriber.
US09396760B2

An electronic device can play back media items using a random playback mode. To ensure that related media items are played back in a proper order (e.g., live music is played back in concert order), the electronic device can define metadata or other data coupling related media items in a predefined or preset sequence. For example, related media items can include metadata tags identifying the previous and next media items to play back in the sequence. As another example, the electronic device can store a listing of media items of a sequence and the order in which to play them back. When the electronic device reaches a media item that is part of a preset sequence during random playback, the electronic device can identify at least the subsequent media items in the sequence, and insert the subsequent media items in the playback queue.
US09396758B2

A method for multimedia content generation includes receiving a textual input, and automatically retrieving from one or more media databases a plurality of media items that are relevant to the textual input. User input, which selects one or more of the automatically-retrieved media items and correlates one or more of the selected media items in time with the textual input, is received. A video clip, which includes an audio narration of the textual input and the selected media items scheduled in accordance with the user input, is constructed automatically.
US09396749B2

An apparatus includes a write pole proximate a media-facing surface of a recording head. A near-field transducer is adjacent to the write pole. A waveguide has a core layer extending from an energy source to the media-facing surface. The core layer includes a region of reduced downtrack thickness proximate the near-field transducer. The region of reduced downtrack thickness is defined by a notch facing away from the near-field transducer. A material of the notch has a different index of refraction than an index of refraction of the core layer.
US09396747B2

An interleave circuit includes a metal base, an insulating layer, a first conductor member having first branch conductors, a second conductor member having second branch conductors, and a jumper conductor, which is a part of the metal base. The jumper conductor includes a branch-side metal portion, a pad-side metal portion, and a bridge portion. The bridge portion is formed between the branch-side metal portion and the pad-side metal portion. The branch-side metal portion electrically conducts to connecting terminals of the first branch conductors via branch-side connecting members. The pad-side metal portion electrically conducts to an electrode pad via a pad-side connecting member. The bridge portion includes a crossover portion which crosses over a third conductor member.
US09396742B1

A magnetic read transducer including a magnetoresistive sensor is described, as well as a fabrication method thereof. The magnetoresistive sensor includes a cap layer overlaying a free layer. The cap layer is situated with a first thickness to absorb boron from the free layer. The magnetoresistive sensor is annealed, and boron is diffused from the free layer and absorbed by the cap layer, improving the magnetic performance of the free layer. The cap layer thickness is then reduced to a second thickness, thereby reducing the shield-to-shield (SS) stack spacing of the magnetoresistive sensor and allowing for increased areal recording density.
US09396732B2

Provided are methods, systems, and apparatus for hierarchical decorrelation of multichannel audio. A hierarchical decorrelation algorithm is designed to adapt to possibly changing characteristics of an input signal, and also preserves the energy of the original signal. The algorithm is invertible in that the original signal can be retrieved if needed. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm decomposes the decorrelation process into multiple low-complexity steps. The contribution of these steps is generally in a decreasing order, and thus the complexity of the algorithm can be scaled.
US09396726B2

The technology of the present application provides apparatuses and methods that may be used to generate the smallest language model for a continuous speech recognition engine that covers a given speaker's speech patterns. The apparatuses and methods start with a generic language model that is an approximation to the given speaker's speech patterns. The given speaker generates corrected transcripts that allows for the generation of a user specific language model. Once the user specific language model is sufficiently robust, the continuous speech recognition system may replace the generic language model with the user specific language model.
US09396712B1

Disclosed herein is a multi-layer drumhead with non-concentric inner layer. The drumhead in one form comprising: a flesh hoop; an inner layer of material affixed to the flesh hoop; an outer layer of material affixed to the inner layer adjacent the flesh hoop and not affixed to the inner layer; a plurality of surfaces defining cutouts in the inner layer. In one example the cutouts form a lateral dampening strip across the inner layer. The device in one example further comprising dampening materials removably positioned between the outer layer and the lateral dampening strip.
US09396710B2

A fipple for a bladed edge or labium lip resonated musical wind instrument, such as a tin whistle, Irish whistle or recorder, is constructed with a windway, blade and mouth. The two-piece tip and body fipple facilitates precise and accurate machined geometries. These geometries include but are not limited to chamfered windway openings and curved labium lips for extra sympathetic harmonics or “tone color”. The two-piece design also facilitates the use of two different materials, the tip may be constructed from a material that is comfortable and safe to hold in a human mouth and the body or blade material may be constructed from a metallic material to maximize volume and wind efficiency.
US09396707B1

A device is disclosed for positioning an acoustic accessory inside a stringed musical instrument. The stringed musical instrument includes a body having a soundboard, a back, sides, and an internal cavity, the soundboard having a sound hole surrounded by an edge area. The device includes an arm which connects to the edge area, and which also connects to the acoustic accessory. The arm is movable so that the acoustic accessory can be positioned to a desired location inside the internal cavity. The acoustic accessory and its position change the sound produced by the stringed musical instrument.
US09396706B2

The present invention relates to a memory, a memory addressing method, and a display device. The memory stores first image data and second image data of a line unit stored in a line buffer unit. The memory includes at least a first DDR3 memory and a second DDR3 memory, reads the first image data of the line unit, divides the read first image data of the line unit, and writes the divided data to a corresponding block among a plurality of blocks of each of the first DDR3 memory and the second DDR3 memory. Also, the memory reads second image data of the line unit, divides the read second image data of the line unit, and writes the divided data to another corresponding block among the plurality of blocks of each of the first DDR3 memory and the second DDR3 memory.
US09396703B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of thin film transistors of a single channel formed on an insulating substrate, and a buffer circuit including an outputting stage; a first inputting stage; a second inputting stage; a seventh thin film transistor; and an eighth thin film transistor.
US09396681B2

A pixel circuit including an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a first transistor, a first capacitor, a second transistor, a second capacitor and a third transistor is disclosed. In one aspect, the first transistor controls the amount of current flowing from a first power source to a second power source via the OLED, corresponding to a voltage at a first node. The first capacitor has a first terminal connected to a data line. The second transistor is connected between a second terminal of the first capacitor and a second node. The second capacitor is connected between the second node and the first node. The third transistor is connected between a fixed voltage source and the second terminal of the first capacitor, and has a turn-on period non-overlapping with that of the second transistor.
US09396674B2

Three-dimensional affinity displays for removably attaching onto an exterior side surface of a vehicle are presented herein. The affinity display may include an outer shell that helps shield a base surface from wind drag and weather elements while driving, helping to ensure that the affinity display remains attached to the exterior side surface of the vehicle. The affinity display may include aerodynamic features, such as a dome shape, and a drain hole to prevent water from building up within the affinity display. The affinity display may also include a detachable strap to assist with stability, and a recess in the base surface for attaching the strap to the affinity display.
US09396673B2

A solar powered flagpole including a stationary base and a rotatably attached pole carrying a banner or flag illuminated by a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) lights in the pole powered by an annular array of photocells carried by the rotatable pole so the photocells are powered by sun power regardless of the rotational position of the banner and pole.
US09396661B2

A platoon travel system organizes and performs a platoon travel of plural vehicles along a preset travel route. The system has a grouping unit that divides the plural vehicles into a top group and a tail end group based on projection area information of the vehicles, and groups vehicles with a projection area in a first range to the top group and vehicles with a projection area in a second range to the tail end group, which is less than the first range. A final position determination unit determines a position of each of the plural vehicles in the vehicle groups based on the depart point information, positions the top group vehicles in an ascending order of depart point distances, and positions the tail end group vehicles in a descending order of depart point distances, thereby preventing deterioration of whole platoon energy consumption.
US09396655B2

A motor vehicle may be equipped with apparatus permitting the reception of transportation-related alerts. The alerts received may be in accordance with factors, such as device-specific and/or location-specific factors. Alerts may, for example, be held or formatted, e.g., for audio presentation, depending on various factors, including, but not limited to location and/or speed.
US09396645B2

A personal emergency response system implemented as a conference bridge on a remote computing network. Upon receiving an alert from an individual in need of aid, a conference including audio and/or video connection is established. A predetermined list of parties is coupled to the conference, including friends, caregivers, medical professionals, emergency responders and others as stored in a configuration database specific to the individual via a web interface. The database record may also contain vital information about the individual, in additional to demographic data, location information, history and other factual information. Medical telemetry may be obtained in real-time and disseminated among the conference participants. Other parties may be dynamically joined to the conference as needed upon a conference participant utilizing DTMF codes or other means to request the others to join.
US09396644B2

A method for a device to determine that it has been lost is provided. The method comprises the device determining its current location, the device comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations, and the device determining that it has been lost when its current location is a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located or is not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located.
US09396640B2

In example embodiments, a system and method for tracking a child using RFID is provided. A first reader detects a signal from the trackable device. First positional data of the trackable device is determined from the signal. The first positional data indicates a first direction of the trackable device relative to the first reader. Second positional data is received from a second reader. The second positional data indicates a second direction of the trackable device relative to the second reader. A location of the trackable device is calculated using the first positional data and the second positional data. The location is presented on the first reader.
US09396634B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for alarm sensors in security systems. A powerline-to-Ethernet adapter interfaces with an alarm sensor and converts alternating current electrical power into direct current electrical power. Wires in a cable convey the direct current electrical power to the alarm sensor, and other wires in the cable convey Ethernet signals to the alarm sensor. The alarm sensor is electrically powered by the direct current electrical power and the Ethernet signals are received at an Ethernet interface.
US09396630B2

A system is provided that encodes one or more dynamic haptic effects. The system defines a dynamic haptic effect as including a plurality of key frames, where each key frame includes an interpolant value and a corresponding haptic effect. An interpolant value is a value that specifies where an interpolation occurs. The system generates a haptic effect file, and stores the dynamic haptic effect within the haptic effect file.
US09396629B1

Electronic devices and methods for creating various haptic effects. In one example, an electronic device may include a first haptic module for creating a first haptic effect, the first haptic module having a first weight member that selectively moves in a substantially vertical orientation relative to the first haptic module; a second haptic module for creating a second haptic effect, the second haptic module having a second weight member that selectively moves in a substantially horizontal orientation relative to the second haptic module; and a processor for controlling the first and second haptic modules. In one example, the processor selectively activates either the first haptic module or the second haptic module based on one or more events or conditions, such as the current orientation or position of the electronic device.
US09396613B2

A gaming system has a gaming machine. The gaming machine transmits a signal to a remote device indicating a winning round.
US09396609B2

A method of gaming comprises providing a jackpot game in addition to a main game, the jackpot game being displayed independently of the main game. Play of the jackpot game affects at least one of the awarding of a jackpot prize and value of a jackpot prize pool from which the jackpot prize is awarded.
US09396599B1

An electronic device associated with a lock device obtains a number of users detected within a premises, and detects a trigger event related to a lock device and premises. When the trigger event is detected, a target state of the lock device is determined based on: (1) the number of users within the premises, (2) user security profiles indicating a desired target state of the lock device when a respective user is within the premises, (3) locations of detected users; (4) user states of detected users indicating whether the respective user is asleep or active; and/or (5) a current premises mode, including an armed state and a disarmed state. A current state of the lock device is determined, and if the current state and the target state of the lock device are not the same, instructions are provided to the lock device based on the target state.
US09396595B1

The present invention is directed to a system and method for authorizing entry into a country using an inflight immigration card in conjunction with a remote card reader connected to a computer, wherein the card reader is configured for reading the inflight immigration card for accessing a user interface for processing inflight or at-sea while the traveler is en-route, the traveler's customs information and pre-determining the traveler's authorized entry status prior to the traveler's arrival at the port of entry, such that the holder of the inflight immigration card and his/her luggage are pre-approved and cleared prior to landing.
US09396590B2

An image processing apparatus and method for zooming in on a partial area in a three-dimensional (3D) image selects a zoom mode from among a two-dimensional (2D) zoom mode, a 3D zoom mode, and an intermediate dimensional zoom mode between the 2D zoom mode and the 3D zoom mode. The image processing apparatus may include a mode selecting unit to select a zoom mode to be applied to a zoom area in a color image and a depth image among the 2D zoom mode, the 3D zoom mode, and the intermediate dimensional zoom mode between the 2D zoom mode and the 3D zoom mode, and a scaling unit to scale the zoom area using a zoom factor indicating magnification or minification of the zoom area and the selected zoom mode.
US09396589B2

Interference-based augmented reality hosting platforms are presented. Hosting platforms can include networking nodes capable of analyzing a digital representation of scene to derive interference among elements of the scene. The hosting platform utilizes the interference to adjust the presence of augmented reality objects within an augmented reality experience. Elements of a scene can constructively interfere, enhancing presence of augmented reality objects; or destructively interfere, suppressing presence of augmented reality objects.
US09396575B2

Disclosed are embodiments for defining animation of content. One exemplary embodiment calls for receiving an indication of a location for an animation pin on a timeline associated with a content editing environment configured for editing content. The embodiment involves recording a state of the content in response to receiving the indication of the location for the animation pin, the recorded state of the content associated with a first time and comprising a value associated with a property. Additionally, the embodiment involves receiving a user input indicating an edited state of the content at a second time different from the first time, the second state associated with the location of the animation pin on the timeline and defining an animation based at least in part on the recorded state and the edited state of the content.
US09396574B2

Techniques are proposed for animating a plurality of objects in a computer graphics environment. A crowd choreography system receives a first beat description defining potential motions for the plurality of objects, where the first beat description includes a first motion characteristic. The crowd choreography system selects a first object from the plurality of objects and selects a first value for the first motion characteristic based on the first beat description. The crowd choreography system creates a first motion path for the first object based on the first value and animates the first object based on the first motion path.
US09396569B2

There is disclosed a method for seamlessly replacing areas in a digital image with corresponding data from temporally close digital images depicting substantially the same scene. The method uses localized image registration error minimization over a fixed preliminary boundary. A least cost closed path which constitutes a boundary for the area to be replaced is calculated using dynamic programming. The replacement area is blended such that image data information from one image is seamlessly replaced with image data information from another image.
US09396556B2

A system, a method and computer-readable media for encoding image data into a compressed bitstream. A mode selection component is configured to select a mode of operation for use in encoding image data. A spatial mode encoder is utilized when the mode selection component selects a spatial mode of operation. The spatial mode encoder is configured to encode the image data into packets by organizing the image data in accordance with a spatial partitioning. A frequency mode encoder is utilized when the mode selection component selects a frequency mode of operation. The frequency mode encoder is configured to encode the image data into packets by organizing the image data in accordance with a frequency ordering.
US09396552B1

A system, method, and computer program product compare images of a physical activity or object. Pixel data from first and second registered color images defined in an N-dimensional color model are concatenated to form an image in a 2N-dimensional color model. Principal component analysis is performed on the composite image and those components representing a change rather than a correlation are identified. In the composite image, coordinates for each pixel are determined along the principal components representing change, and a normalized pixel change value is computed. Pixels in the composite image may be segmented according to their respective normalized pixel change values, where segments do not cross pre-defined geospatial parcel boundaries. Parcel change probabilities are calculated as a function of segment change probabilities, themselves functions of the normalized pixel change values. Finally, parcels are ranked by their change probabilities and highlighted in a graphical user interface.
US09396551B2

Disclosed is a camera apparatus capable of tracking a target object based on motion of a camera sensed by a motion sensor and a method for tracking an object in the camera apparatus are provided. The method includes obtaining, by a electronic device including a first sensor and a second sensor, one or more images corresponding to at least one object using the first sensor, by displaying the one or more images via a display operatively coupled with the electronic device, obtaining motion data corresponding to movement of at least part of the electronic device identified in relation with obtaining the one or more images, tracking, from a corresponding displayed image of the one or more images, a position corresponding to the at least one object based at least in part on the motion data, and presenting, via the display, at least one portion of information with respect to the position corresponding to the at least one object.
US09396549B2

An apparatus for extracting a candidate image frame includes a generating unit configured to generate at least one lesion value that represents a characteristic of a lesion included in each of a plurality of 2-dimensional image frames that form a 3-dimensional image, and an extracting unit configured to extract, from the image frames, at least one candidate image frame usable for correcting a boundary of the lesion based on the at least one lesion value.
US09396546B2

Disclosed are various embodiments labeling objects using multi-scale partitioning, rare class expansion, and/or spatial context techniques. An input image may be partitioned using different scale values to produce a different set of superpixels for each of the different scale values. Potential object labels for superpixels in each different set of superpixels of the input image may be assessed by comparing descriptors of the superpixels in each different set of superpixels of the input image with descriptors of reference superpixels in labeled reference images. An object label may then be assigned for a pixel of the input image based at least in part on the assessing of the potential object labels.
US09396545B2

A method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture provide object descriptors for objects in point cloud data for an urban environment by segmenting the point cloud data. Point cloud data for an urban environment is obtained using a ground-based laser scanner. Terrain points are filtered out from the point cloud data using ground filtering. The point cloud data is then segmented into two or more blocks. Objects that lie on neighboring adjacent blocks are combined. Object descriptors for the combined objects are then provided (e.g., to the user or a program used by the user).
US09396543B2

An information processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit to acquire captured image of a watching target person and a target object as a reference for a behavior, the captured image containing depth information indicating depths per pixel, a foreground area extracting unit to extract a foreground area on the basis of a difference between a foreground image and the captured image, the foreground image being set to contain a depth of the foreground and a behavior presuming unit to presume the behavior about the target object by determining whether a positional relationship between the foreground area and the target object area satisfies a predetermined condition or not on the basis of referring to the depths of the pixels in the foreground area based on the depth information, the condition being set on the assumption that the extracted foreground area is related to the behavior.
US09396542B2

A method is provided for estimating parameters of an imaging device with respect to an image of a scene said method comprising the steps of locating a target coordinate system in a scene, using an imaging device to capture an image of the scene, and processing the image using the target coordination system as a reference to estimate the parameters of the imaging device with respect to the image, wherein the target coordinate system comprises at least one planer target and wherein the at least one planar target contains a set of identifiable features with known relative positions.
US09396540B1

Identifying anchors for fields using optical character recognition data is described. A collection of characters is identified. The collection of characters includes a first set of characters at a first position relative to a first field in a first document and a second set of characters at a second position relative to the first field in the first document. The first set of characters is associated with a first word, and the second set of characters is associated with a second word. An anchor is created based on the collection of characters, wherein the anchor is at a third relative position to the first field in the first document. A second field is identified in a second document by identifying the anchor in the second document.
US09396529B2

An example image processor provides a distortion-corrected image including a masking area having improved appearance. The image processor includes: a masking area retaining section that retains a masking area set for an image having distortion; a masking execution section that performs masking processing for the image having distortion using the masking area retained in the masking area retaining section; a distortion correction section that corrects the image having distortion that is subjected to the masking processing using a correction parameter for correcting distortion of the image having distortion; and a masking area shaping section that shapes the masking area of the corrected image into a predetermined shape.
US09396528B2

Techniques for atmospheric compensation in satellite imagery that include converting an image including an array of radiance values to an array of surface reflectance values. The conversion is performed in an automated fashion by identifying one or more portions of the image for which the surface reflectance can be estimated and determining the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) by iteratively comparing the radiance value captured by the image sensor to a calculated radiance value (based on the known surface reflectance, historical values for other atmospheric parameters, and the AOD) and adjusting the AOD until the calculated radiance value is substantially the same as the captured radiance value.
US09396527B2

In image data having a first number of gradations, an image processing device calculates the number of pixels having luminance within a region, for each region obtained by dividing the range of luminance in the image data into a plurality of regions. The image processing device selects a region from the plurality of regions based on the number of pixels having luminance within the region. The image processing device sets the luminance of the pixels having luminance within the selected region to be within a second number of gradations that is less than the first number of gradations, and sets the luminance of pixels having luminance within a region that has not been selected to a minimum value or a maximum value.
US09396498B1

A computer-implemented method may include facilitating registration for a service capable of determining whether strangers who come in contact with one another share one or more characteristics in common. The computer-implemented method may also include obtaining, as part of the registration for the service, permission for the service to access at least a portion of one or more social-networking accounts associated with each of the strangers. The computer-implemented method may further include determining, subsequent to the registration for the service, that the strangers registered for the service have come in contact with one another and then providing the service to the strangers in response to this determination. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09396491B2

Disclosed herein are methods for providing a buy option to search results in a generalized search engine. That one location for a search field can be a website, an application, a search bar in a web browser, etc. Rather than navigating to a website to perform a search in the context of that website, a user can instead navigate to or open a generalized search field. Via the generalized search field, the system can analyze the input from the user and the resulting context. A buy button can be included a search result to the user input in the input search field. Payment for an item can be processing using a payment account registered with the system with delivery coordinated with a separate merchant via an application programming interface.
US09396486B2

The methods and systems described herein may involve determining at least one lifeotype of at least one individual, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and delivering content to at least one individual based on the analysis. The methods and systems described herein may involve providing a game, determining at least one lifeotype of at least one player of the game, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and affecting the game play based on the analysis. The methods and systems described herein may involve providing an interactive space, determining at least one lifeotype of at least one individual in the space, analyzing the at least one lifeotype, and modifying at least one attribute of the space based on the analysis.
US09396484B2

A system for injecting business content dynamically based on the context of the user. A media content analysis tool may be used to analyze existing media to identify features and insert tags based on the content and/or time. A media content orchestrator may be used to author scriplets containing product advice for the media stream to insert and associate scriplets to tags in the media stream. The media player, equipped with a codec for the new media format, performs functions such as browsing product information, places orders, or the like.
US09396480B2

A device receives, from a client device, a first request associated with target audience criteria and a time constraint. Based on the target audience criteria, the device sends, to an information device, a network state request. In response to the network state request, the device receives, from the information device, a network state response including user data associated with user devices. Based on the network state response, the device determines a predicted network state, including predicted user data associated with the user devices, associated with the time constraint. Based on the predicted network state and the target audience criteria, the device determines a predicted quantity of user devices associated with both the target audience criteria and the time constraint. The device sends, to the client device, a first response based on the determination of the predicted quantity of user devices.
US09396475B2

A system and associated methodology are disclosed for targeting tags in a broadcast network. The tags may be associated with an ad or programming. In one implementation, the tags to be delivered at a user equipment device are selected at the user equipment device, for example, based on location or other user classification parameters. In this manner, different user equipment devices that are on the same bandwidth segment in the same network subdivision can receive different tags.
US09396473B2

New functions for a contact center system include: testing user's comprehension of informational messages with a quiz; capturing insight of superior users having a KPI score above a threshold by having those users submit information on why they perform so well; dynamically ordering solutions to issues by re-ranking the solutions periodically based on recency and frequency; integrating information for use by a contact center representative while online with a customer and information for use when not online; storing content items in a telecommunications industry taxonomy; directing user feedback on a content item to the proper owner/manager of that content; communicating solution information using a solutions taxonomy; displaying a dual information system having a CRM application as well as reference material that is context-appropriate; enforcing completion of a group of templates when creating a content item to be published; ensuring a group of templates for a content item are complete before publishing them; and searching within a contact center system portal using a continuum of search functions.
US09396470B2

A wireless device is enabled to receive a financial account card that is inserted into a card slot of the wireless device. The wireless device reads card data from the financial account card when it is inserted into the slot and programs an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag or a memory included in the wireless device. The wireless device may then be used to provide payment by transmitting the card data via radio frequency to a nearby RFID reader using the RFID tag. The financial account card may also be ejected from the wireless device and swiped by a magnetic card reader.
US09396468B2

Chip card for an electronic transaction including a display, a keypad, a network interface, a processing unit, a microcontroller and a memory area for signature information and/or key information, characterised by a means which enables the chip card to connect to a host system via the network interface so as to appear to the host system as an integrated card reader with inserted chip card, whereby the transaction data relating to the chip card are received by the host system via the network interface for presentation on the display so that the transaction data can be confirmed by key input on the keypad, provided with the signature, and then sent to the PC.
US09396460B2

Specifying the policies with which (portion of) an email communication is to be stored as a record, within the content of the email communication. In an embodiment, an attachment file specifies such policies in the form of XML tags. As a result, a user may merely need to attach a file specifying the desired policies, and send the email communication. In one implementation, the user specifies a pre-specified email address as a recipient to cause the email communication to be saved as a record.
US09396459B2

Techniques to account for storage consumption and capacity allocation across heterogeneous storage objects are disclosed. A capacity accountability system can ascertain a set of heterogeneous storage objects provisioned for a storage consumer, where the heterogeneous storage objects is categorized by storage object hierarchy levels. The capacity accountability system can then identify an association between the storage consumer and a storage object hierarchy level and account for storage object consumption and storage capacity allocation of the storage consumer by normalizing storage consumption data and capacity allocation data at the storage object hierarchy level across the heterogeneous storage objects.
US09396458B2

A computer-implemented method for controlling content distribution includes forwarding information associated with a user to a device operated by the user, the information being configured for use in selecting content from any of multiple content providers for a content distribution to the user. The method includes receiving, in response to the information, an edit of the information forwarded from the device. The edit identifies a first content provider and including a first modification of the content distribution regarding the first content provider. The method includes storing the edit in association with the information such that the first modification is taken into account in the content distribution. The method can be implemented using a computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium.
US09396455B2

The present invention provides a system, method, and software program for enabling a user to view and interact with a visual map in an external application. According to one embodiment of the invention, a visual mapping application creates a file with (i) visual map data and (ii) software code capable of being executed by an external application to display the visual map and provide select visual mapping application in the external application. In one embodiment, such functionality includes the ability to expand and collapse map topics, scroll the map, zoom in and out, follow hypertext links in the map, find content in the map, and print the map. The created file can be thought of as a “visual map player” in that an external application can “play” the created file, resulting in a live map in the external application.
US09396452B2

A system and method for marking electronic devices for processing. A determination is made whether one or more electronic devices include customer personal information during at least receiving the one or more electronic devices. An electronic device is marked as quarantined in response to determining CPI is included on the electronic device. The electronic device is separated from an inventory of electronic devices in response to marking the electronic device.
US09396445B2

A control system usable in a print shop where print jobs are processed with at least one print shop related resource is provided. The at least one print shop related resource is operated over multiple discrete time intervals such that production related data is generated for each one of the multiple discrete time intervals. The production related data generated during each one of the multiple discrete intervals is collected and stored in memory. The control system includes a controller and a program. The program operates with the controller to calculate at least one performance measure value from the stored production related data, and to determine, with the at least one calculated performance measure value, whether any further collection of production related data is required.
US09396442B2

An embodiment according to the present invention addresses reusability and alignment of content across channels in a multi-channel virtual assistant, by allowing users to define content on one channel and then have the content fully or partially translated for the other channels using a mix of pre-defined static rules, dynamic rules or machine learning. Content translation is provided based on communications channels, and content translation is performed from one to many formats, optionally in real time. Performing content translation using machine learning provides an advantage that as users work, content translation becomes more precise and covers more elements.
US09396435B2

A method and system for identification of a deviation from a periodic behavior pattern in a sequence of multimedia content segments are provided. The system comprises receiving the sequence of multimedia content segments; generating at least one signature for each multimedia content segment of the sequence of multimedia content segments; comparing at least two signatures generated for at least two consecutive multimedia content segments to detect a periodic behavior pattern; upon detecting the periodic behavior pattern, comparing at least one signature generated for at least a subsequently received multimedia content segment to at least one signature representing the detected multimedia content segment to identify a deviation from the periodic behavior pattern; and upon identifying the deviation from the periodic behavior pattern, generating a notification with respect to the at least one deviation.
US09396433B2

Techniques, systems, and articles of manufacture for determining related data points from multi-modal inputs. A method includes collecting multiple items of multi-modal data comprising at least one dimension from multiple data sources, wherein said at least one dimension comprises a geographic dimension, a temporal dimension and/or an event-related dimension, determining a window of relevance for each of the multiple items of multi-modal data with respect to the at least one dimension, and identifying two or more of the multiple items of multi-modal data as related, by determining an overlap of the window of relevance corresponding to each of the two or more items of multi-modal data with respect to the at least one dimension.
US09396427B2

A removable tray integrated smart card and a mobile terminal adopting the same are provided. The smart card includes: a case configured to be removable into/from a smart card insertion slot of a mobile terminal; and a secure element provided in the case, wherein the case is removable into/from the smart card insertion slot without being placed on a tray. Accordingly, the smart card such as a USIM-card can be inserted into the mobile terminal without using the tray. In addition, since the size of the smart card increases as the smart card is unified with the tray, many high performance antennas and wireless modules can be inserted into the smart card and thus wireless communication performance of the smart card can be enhanced.
US09396419B2

A data-processing apparatus modifies a part of a plurality of measurement values defined in a specified color space to acquire modified measurement values; and generates color conversion data by using the modified measurement values. A dark range is defined by lightness of a maximum chroma measurement value and includes a first color range and a second color range. The first color range includes at least a part of an outer layer corresponding to a target color range. The second color range is at least a part of a portion inside the first color range in the dark color range. The data-processing apparatus performs the modification to meet the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) lightness of each measurement value within the first color range is not increased; and (b) lightness of each measurement value within the second color range is increased.
US09396415B2

A method for representing an input image includes the steps of applying a trained neural network on the input image, selecting a plurality of feature maps, determining a location of each of the plurality of feature maps in an image space of the input image, defining a plurality of interest points of the input image, and employing the plurality of interest points for representing the input image for performing a visual task. The plurality of feature maps are selected of an output of at least one selected layer of the trained neural network according to values attributed to the plurality of feature maps by the trained neural network. The plurality of interest points of the input image are defined based on the locations corresponding to the plurality of feature maps.
US09396413B2

Methods, systems and apparatus for choosing image labels. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data specifying a first image, receiving text labels for the first image, receiving search results in response to a web search performed using at least some of the text labels as queries, ranking the text labels, at least in part, based on a number of resources referenced by the received search results, wherein at least some of the resources each include an image matching the first image, and selecting an image label for the image from the ranked text labels, the image label being selected based on the ranking.
US09396411B2

An automated, computerized method is provided for processing an image. The method includes the steps of providing an image file depicting an image, in a computer memory, identifying a dominant region of single reflectance in the image and segregating the image into intrinsic images as a function of the dominant region of single reflectance.
US09396402B2

A system and method for authenticating the identity of a subject from a plurality of subjects. The system utilizes a scanner and processor for mapping locations of blood vessels and running a comparison between images to identify the subject based on the type and location of the subject's blood vessels.
US09396394B1

Systems, devices, methods, computer-readable media, techniques, and methodologies are disclosed for generating a template iris pattern using multiple image frames containing image data corresponding to detected light at different wavelengths along the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum including light in the infrared, near-infrared, and/or visible light bands.
US09396388B2

Computer program products include program code readable/executable by one or more processors, and configured to cause the processor(s) to: receive an image of a part or all of a document selected from a group consisting of: a gift card, an invoice, a bill, a receipt, a sales order, an insurance claim, a medical insurance document, and a benefits document; perform optical character recognition (OCR) on the image; extract at least a partial address of a sender of the document; compare the at least partial address of the sender to a plurality of addresses in a first database; and identify one or more of: textual information specific to the sender; and data formatting specific to the sender. The code configured to cause the processor to receive the image, perform the OCR, extract and compare the (at least partial) address, and identify sender-specific information is preferably a processor of a mobile device.
US09396386B2

An information processing method, system and an electronic device are provided according to the embodiments of the disclosure, and applied to an electronic device having at least a first panel, with a first surface of the first panel being provided with a display unit and at least one image acquisition apparatus, where the at least one image acquisition apparatus is positioned below the display unit in the case that the first panel stands on a plane. After an image for a to-be-recognized object and the plane is acquired by the image acquisition apparatus, whether the object contacts the plane is determined based on the acquired image, and information about position change on the object is detected in the case that it is determined that the object contacts the plane.
US09396381B2

A method for an optical fingerprint recognition, the method includes scanning a fingerprint image using a multiple scan which allows alternating a first scan condition and a second scan condition different from each other; determining whether an input fingerprint is a dry fingerprint depending on a darkness level of a fingerprint image derived from the first scan condition; and performing a fingerprint recognition using a fingerprint image derived from the first scan condition or a fingerprint image derived from the second scan condition in accordance with the determination result as to the dry fingerprint.
US09396378B2

Techniques for communicating particular information from a user to a touch screen device by way of a touch event is provided. Sensors that are operatively coupled to a sensing device sense an input from the user which conveys particular information. This input is then converted by the sensing device into another signal called the sensing device signal which is then transmitted from the sensing device to the user's skin. Then a second set of sensors that are operatively coupled to a touch device receive a user-touch signal that is transmitted from the user's body. The user-touch signal is based, at least in part on the sensing device signal. The touch device then decodes the user-touch signal to determine the location of the touch event on the touch device and sensing device signal embedded in the user-touch signal to extract the particular information related to the user.
US09396368B1

A NFC object reader's NFC antenna system configured to dynamically change an element of the NFC antenna system to maintain the NFC antenna system's antenna default resonant frequency. The NFC antenna system can be configured to include a tuning subsystem, integrated with sensors to trigger tuning of NFC antenna system's antenna.
US09396367B2

A system and method are disclosed for synchronizing two RFID readers. The system includes a modulation detector to detect a modulated signal produced by a first of the two reader and produces a synchronization signal. The second of the two readers initiates transmission of a signal in response to the synchronization signal.
US09396365B2

Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with providing a user-accessible card slot are provided. A removable card carrier a configured to mechanically interface an information handling system may include a body and a cover. The body may be adapted to hold a card. The cover may be movably coupled to the body such that exterior surfaces of the cover and the information handling system are substantially flush with each other when card carrier is disposed in the information handling system.
US09396364B2

There is provided a communication device and method for contactless short range communication between a device and a terminal. An exemplary communication device comprises a communication component for contactless short range communication with a terminal. The exemplary device also comprises a slave element adapted to execute at least one application for executing transactions between the communication component and the terminal, wherein the slave element is coupled to the communication component via a first interface and wherein the slave element can be coupled to a secure master element via a second interface, the master element being adapted to control the slave element before a transaction is executed using the application.
US09396363B2

A portable data reader and methods of operation for reading encoded data, such as optical code labels and RFID tags, from an object. The data reader includes a housing adapted for handheld operation and a touch screen display supported on the housing. The data reader further includes one or more reading engines each associated with a set of decoding instructions for configuring the reading engines to read data from the object. The reading engines are each associated with a unique control gesture that may be applied to the touch screen display to configure the data reader with a particular reading engine. The portable data reader includes a processing subsystem communicatively coupled to the touch screen and the reading engines and operable to detect whether a control gesture has been applied to the touch screen display or rocker keys and then to configure the data reader with the selected reading engine.
US09396357B2

A cryptographic system for reproducibly establishing a reliable data string, such as a cryptographic key, from a noisy physically unclonable function (PUF, 110) is provided. The system comprises a hard decision decoder (150) to decode a first multiple of error correctable data words to obtain a second multiple of corrected and decoded data words and a reliability information extractor (180) to determine reliability information, e.g. soft decision information, that is indicative of a reliability of corrected and decoded data words. The system further comprises a soft decision decoder (160) configured to use the reliability information to decode at least one further correctable data word. Error correcting a PUF using reliability information decreases the false rejection rate.
US09396352B2

Systems and methods for protecting a data item include, upon initiation of transfer of the data item from a server to a client device, determining a sensitivity score and a current protection level of the data item. A policy is applied to determine an appropriate protection for the data item based upon the sensitivity score and the current protection level. A protected data item is provided to the client device by applying the appropriate protection to the data item.
US09396351B2

To prevent conflicts of interest, an information management system is used to make sure two or more groups are kept apart so that information does not circulate freely between these groups. The system has policies to implement an “ethical wall” to separate users or groups of users. The user or groups of user may be organized in any arbitrary way, and may be in the same organization or different organizations. The two groups (or two or more users) will not be able to access information belonging to the other, and users in one group may not be able to pass information to the other group. The system may manage access to documents, e-mail, files, and other forms of information.
US09396349B1

A method for sharing data from within a secure network perimeter includes providing a sharing folder associated with a first user for transferring data therefrom to destinations outside the secure perimeter. Data stored within the sharing folder is stored in a secured fashion. Semi-trusted applications are provided an ability to retrieve the secured data in a unsecured fashion for sharing of same. The semi-trusted applications are other than able to retrieve and share secured data from at least a folder other than the sharing folder in unsecured form.
US09396346B2

A method is provided for use on an electronic device having a display, a communication component, a memory, and a processor coupled to the display, the communication component, and the memory. The memory stores data in a first sandbox and data in a second sandbox, the first sandbox being a secure sandbox and having a shadow data component, the shadow data component storing a subset of the data stored in the first sandbox. The method comprises, in response to a request, providing the data stored in the first sandbox when the first sandbox is in an unlocked mode and providing the data stored in the shadow data component when the first sandbox is in a locked mode.
US09396344B1

Systems and methods for creating a database of geofences and registering geofences, with each geofence in the database being associated with an IP address, preferably an IPV6 address. Each geofence is defined using at least one geographic designator, preferably real property boundaries. Entitlements can be associated with geofences relating to permissive and prohibitive activities within the geofences.
US09396335B2

A method comprises signing boot code with a public/private cryptographic key pair, and writing to storage the boot code, the public cryptographic key, and the signed boot code.
US09396334B1

Disclosed are method and system for detecting harmful files executed by a virtual stack machine. An example method includes: identifying data from a file executed on the virtual stack machine, the data including parameters of a file section of the file and/or parameters of a function of the file; searching in a database for at least one cluster of safe files that contains at least one of: a value of the parameters of the file section exceeding a first threshold, and a value of the parameters of the function exceeding a second threshold; creating a cluster of data of the file based on the identified cluster of safe files; calculating a checksum of the created cluster of data of the file; and determining that the file is a harmful file if the computed checksum matches a checksum in a database of checksums of harmful files.
US09396332B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for risk assessment. Historical authentication data and/or compromised user account data may be evaluated to identify a set of authentication context properties associated with user authentication sessions and/or a set of malicious account context properties associated with compromised user accounts (e.g., properties indicative of whether a user recently visited a malicious site, created a fake social network profile, logged in from unknown locations, etc.). The set of authentication context properties and/or the set of malicious account context properties may be annotated to create an annotated context property training set that may be used to train a risk assessment machine learning model to generate a risk assessment model. The risk assessment model may be used to evaluate user context properties of a user account event to generate a risk analysis metric indicative of a likelihood the user account event is malicious or safe.
US09396325B2

A keystore is installed on a mobile app where the keystore is created and provisioned on a server, such as an app wrapping server, under the control of an enterprise. A generic (non-provisioned) wrapped app is installed on a device. The app prompts the user to enter a passphrase. When the user does this, an app keystore is created. It has a user section and a table of contents. The keystore files are hashed, creating “first” keystore hash values. The first keystore hash values are stored in the TOC. The TOC is then hashed, creating a TOC hash value. The passphrase entered by the user is then combined with the TOC hash value. This creates a “first” master passphrase for the keystore. The keystore is then transmitted to the device where it is installed in the generic (non-provisioned) wrapped app.
US09396323B2

A method and system for determining unauthorized account access is provided. The method includes receiving a username of a user and a passcode for access to a secure account or device belonging to a user. The passcode is determined to be incorrect. Unauthorized access attempts with respect to the secure account or the device are determined based on based on the incorrect passcode and in response, a quality factor associated with the incorrect passcode with respect to the secure account or device is determined. The quality factor is compared to a threshold value. Security functions associated with the secure account or device with respect to the incorrect passcode and the results of the comparison are performed based on the quality factor and the unauthorized access attempts.
US09396311B2

In one embodiment, a method comprises: collecting software information from one or more network devices; and analyzing the software information to ensure software license compliance for the one or more network devices.
US09396307B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for interruption workflow management in a clinical enterprise. Certain embodiments provide an interruption workflow management system for a clinical enterprise. The system includes a worklist including a plurality of patient indicators representing patients for which tasks are to be performed by a user. The system also includes a patient panel displaying patient information associated with a patient indicator selected from the worklist. The system further includes a patient indicator shelf holding one or more patient indicators from at least one of the worklist and the patient panel for later retrieval in response to user input. The patient indicator shelf facilitates restoration of a patient indicator from the patient indicator shelf to display in the patient panel in response to user input.
US09396299B2

Reticle marks are arranged at a plurality of places in a kerf region of a reticle, the area of a polygon with apexes at arrangement positions of the reticle marks is calculated, and the arrangement positions of the reticle marks are decided based on results of calculation of the area of the polygon.
US09396282B2

The present invention provides a system, method, and software application for enabling a user to view data from an external data source in a visual map, wherein the external data source has a web services interface. Visual mapping software on a computer provides a visual mapping interface in which a user can create, edit, and/or view a visual map. Within the visual mapping interface, the visual mapping software provides the user with an option to obtain data from one or more data sources associated with a web service. In response to the user selecting a data source associated with a web service, the visual mapping software builds a web service request for the web service associated with the selected data source. The visual mapping application makes a call to the applicable web service with the web service request. The visual mapping application subsequently receives data from the web service and transforms the data into a format that can be used to generate visual map data. The visual mapping software then displays the data in a visual map.
US09396279B1

A system and computer-implemented method for collaborative markup of digital media such as an Internet website are disclosed. In one embodiment, multiple users can collaboratively and create, view, markup, and revise the contents and layout of a retrieved website or webpage in real-time prior to publication or production release.
US09396278B2

A method includes selecting a database on a system and selecting a style format on the system. The database contains data information for the web application, and the style format is applied to the web application. The method also includes selecting a validation rule for the web application, selecting a business rule for the web application, dynamically rendering the web application from a database to a web browser, and dynamically editing the web application. The web application incorporates the selected database and the selected style format instantaneously upon dynamic rendering.
US09396277B2

Primary data for an application is stored at a remotely located first server such as cloud storage. A user of the application may wish to modify or add to the primary data to create supplemental data for which storage is not supported in the first server. Configurations herein include a way to store the supplemental data (e.g., edits, additions, etc.) on a second server at a second storage service provider (e.g. a corporate intranet). Different instances of the application executing on different computer devices by that same user can retrieve the primary data from the first storage service provider as well as retrieve the supplemental data from the second storage service provider.
US09396266B2

A method (200) for searching the Internet (14n). The method (200) including the steps of: in response to a user search query, identifying at least one search origin (12n) comprising an Internet resource (12n) deemed of relevance; retrieving and reviewing the contents of the search origin (12n) to identify the presence of one or more search avenues (12n) stemming from the search origin (12n), identifiable search avenues comprising: sites (12n) which are ascertained by the search origin contents (12n); submission fields presented by the search origin (12n); and/or, dynamically generated content (12n) retrieved from the search origin, and, perusing identified search avenues (12n) to identify search results to be returned in response to the user search query.
US09396265B2

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for obtaining dynamic information. In the method, a first client of a first user obtains a relationship chain of the first user, wherein the relationship chain of the first user comprises at least one second user; determines an active degree of the at least one second user in a preset first time period, determines a time interval reference value of requesting dynamic information according to the active degree, determines an information updating degree of the at least one second user in a preset second time interval, determining a time interval adjustment value of requesting the dynamic information based on the information updating degree; determines a time interval value according to the time interval reference value and the time interval adjustment value of requesting the dynamic information, and requests the dynamic information of the at least one second user according to the time interval value of requesting the dynamic information. Thus, a balance between a real-time performance and an amount of service requests is performed, costs are saved and it is ensured to obtain the dynamic information in real time.
US09396241B2

User interface controls that facilitate the specification/modification of data hierarchies. In one set of embodiments, a first UI control component can be provided that comprises an ordered group of drop-down menus. Each drop-down menu in the ordered group can be populated with a selectable list of attributes from a data set and can be associated with a level in a data hierarchy. By selecting values using the various drop-down menus, a user can interactively specify a data hierarchy for the data set. The data set can then be visualized according to the specified hierarchy. In further embodiments, a second UI control component can be provided in addition to the first UI control component. The second UI control component can allow a user to interactively enable or disable certain drop-down menus in the ordered group, thereby acting as a “depth filter” for controlling the depth of the data hierarchy.
US09396232B1

The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A RULE-INTEGRATED VIRTUAL PUNCH CLOCK (hereinafter “RIVPC”) implement efficient and scalable monitoring, regulation, and allocation of computational processing, data, labor, and/or the like resources within an enterprise. The RIVPC may facilitate tracking employee time, such as time worked, time per activity, break time, vacation time, and/or the like, by providing an electronic time clock interface at an employee terminal device. The RIVPC may further be configured to track, implement and/or enforce one or more labor rules, regulations, laws, company policies, wage schedules, and/or the like based on one or more rulesets embedded in and/or interacting with the virtual clock components of the RIVPC. The embedded rules may be selected and/or enforced selectively based on user characteristics, including one or more descriptive business grammar strings associated with a user.
US09396226B2

A tree-based trylock technique for reducing contention on a root trylock includes attempting to acquire a trylock at each node of a tree-based hierarchical node structure while following a traversal path that begins at a leaf node, passes through one or more of internal nodes, and ends at a root node having the root trylock. The trylock acquisition operation succeeds if each trylock on the traversal path is acquired, and fails if any trylock on the traversal path cannot be acquired. A trylock housekeeping operation releases all non-root trylocks visited by the trylock acquisition operation, such that if the trylock acquisition operation succeeds, only the root trylock will be remain acquired at the end of the operation, and if the trylock acquisition operation fails, none of the trylocks will be remain acquired at the end of the operation.
US09396225B2

A method and system for addressing a unique device from an address book, the method having the steps of: receiving a message having a root token and a secondary token; checking whether the root token exists within the address book, if no, creating a record in the address book with the root and secondary token; and if yes, checking whether the secondary token exists within the address book, if yes, providing a representation of the unique device; and if no, storing the secondary token against the root token in the address book.
US09396215B2

A search device (101) obtains a specified length to be specified in a search query based on a position of an object having such a position set in accordance with the intent of a user. A detector (102) detects respective positions of multiple objects changing the respective positions in accordance with the intent of the user in a real space. A calculator (103) calculates a specified length on the basis of the intent of the user based on the detected positions of the multiple objects. A searcher (104) searches for product records having a product size satisfying a search condition based on the calculated specified length from a product database managing product records each containing at least a product size and a product image. A display (105) displays on a screen the product image of the searched product record.
US09396213B2

A method for providing keywords and a video apparatus applying the method are provided. The method for providing keywords includes separating metadata from content, extracting keywords in the content from the metadata, and generating a keyword list using the keywords and images related to the keywords. It is thus possible to display the keywords together with the images related to the keywords, so a user may register desired keywords more conveniently without needing to manually individually input keywords.
US09396198B2

A computer system, comprising: a file server; a metadata server; and a business server, the metadata server being coupled to a storage apparatus for providing a save area for storing at least one file that is removed from the file server, the metadata server storing a metadata repository for managing metadata of a file and the files stored in the save area, the metadata server being configured to: store a file as a saved file in the save area, in a case of detecting that the file stored in the file server is to be removed; and store information indicating a location of the file in the file server and information indicating the location of the saved file in the save area in association with each other in the metadata repository.
US09396173B2

A system and method for the automatic generation of a website. The website is created upon a user request, where the user provides identification information that is used to search an information database. The information will provide a reference to a code that relates to a template that is used to specify the layout, style and content of the website that is to be generated, and the website is then generated in accordance with the structure of the template, based on content contained in the information database. The user may engage the system and method by means of e-mail or a dedicated website or other such suitable means.
US09396167B2

Page layout of content items from a variety of sources is performed. A content processing system queues content items, such as user-generated blogs, tweets, social networking status updates and other postings, received from a variety of sources. Each content item comprises one or more assets from one or more asset types. The asset types include text, images, and video. A page builder retrieves items from the queue and determines the item's size constraints. A template is selected from a template database to use as a layout for the items on a page; each template has a number of slots into which content can be placed. A layout module lays out the items into the slots of the selected template based on the respective size and aspect ratio constraints of the items, in order to build a page to serve a client device.
US09396161B2

An adaptable integrated circuit is disclosed having a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements coupled to an interconnection network. The interconnection network changes interconnections between the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements in response to configuration information. A first group of computational elements is allocated to form a first version of a functional unit to perform a first function by changing interconnections in the interconnection network between the first group of heterogeneous computational elements. A second group of computational elements is allocated to form a second version of a functional unit to perform the first function by changing interconnections in the interconnection network between the second group of heterogeneous computational elements. One or more of the first or second group of heterogeneous computational elements are reallocated to perform a second function by changing the interconnections between the one or more of the first or second group of heterogeneous computational elements.
US09396145B1

A single integrated circuit comprises one or more functional modules; a bus port; a bus in communication with the one or more functional modules and the bus port; and a bus tracer disposed within the integrated circuit and configured to capture activity on the bus. A method for a single integrated circuit comprising a bus comprises capturing, in a bus tracer disposed within the single integrated circuit, activity on the bus; and providing, through a bus port of the single integrated circuit, the activity captured by the bus tracer.
US09396144B2

A data reception circuit removes reliance on stacked transistors providing analog logic processing. A first trigger element outputs an up signal in response to receiving an indication of receipt of a data signal by a receiving device without consideration of an output signal from the receiving device. A second trigger element outputs a down signal in response to receiving an indication of receipt of a data signal by a receiving device without consideration of an output signal from the receiving device. Switches control provision of signals to a received signal line for the receiving device in response to the outputs of the trigger elements. A blocking feedback circuit provides a blocking signal for the receiving device to effect blocking the receiving device from sending data to the sending device when the receiving device is receiving data from the sending device.
US09396134B2

Architecture that utilizes logical combinations (e.g., of Boolean logic) of authorizations as a logical authorization expression that is computed through a proofing process to a single proof value which equates to authorizing access to an intended entity. The authorizations are accumulated and processed incrementally according to an evaluation order defined in the authorization expression. The logical combinations can include Boolean operations that evaluate to a proof value associated with a sum of products expression (e.g., combinations of AND, OR, etc.). The incremental evaluations output corresponding hash values as statistically unique identifiers used in a secure hash algorithm that when evaluated in order allow execution of a specific command to access the entity. The architecture, employed in a trust module, uses minimal internal trust module state, and can be employed as part of a device system that handles trust processing to obtain authorization to access the intended entity.
US09396132B2

Provided is a storage control device including a first read processing unit configured to read data having any one value of a first value or a second value based on a first threshold value in a memory cell, the data being read as first read data, a first write processing unit configured to rewrite the memory cell to the first value when write data is the first value and the first read data is the second value, a second read processing unit configured to read second read data based on a second threshold value different from the first threshold value in the memory cell, and a second write processing unit configured to rewrite the memory cell to the second value when the write data is the second value and the second read data is the first value.
US09396126B2

A system and machine-implemented method for clearing an application cache. A request for a manifest file is received from an electronic device, the manifest file indicating a current version of application resources for loading web content offline. A determination is made if the request includes a first instruction for clearing an application cache on the electronic device, the application cache comprising a stored version of application resources for loading web content offline. In a case where the request includes the first instruction, a second instruction is transmitted to the electronic device, the second instruction for instructing the electronic device to clear the application cache.
US09396100B2

In an approach for testing software, a computer receives a series of two or more revisions to a set of software code. The computer identifies modifications between the series of two or more revisions. The computer categorizes the series of two or more revisions into one or more categories of revisions based on the identified modifications. The computer tests at least one of the series of two or more revisions from at least one of the one or more categories of revisions.
US09396096B2

The present disclosure provides an Android automated cross-application testing device and method. The device comprises a primary application testing unit, a trigger monitoring unit, a secondary application testing control unit, a secondary application testing unit, a secondary application test result recording unit, a library file storage unit, a primary application test checking unit, a test result processing unit, and a test result output unit. The method comprises monitoring the starting of a secondary application in the primary application testing process; testing the secondary application and collecting and processing the test result of the secondary application; and continuing the test of the primary application. If the test of the secondary application is successful, the above steps are repeated until the test of the primary application is completed. The method further comprises terminating the test of the primary application if the test of the secondary application times out or fails.
US09396094B2

Described are a system and method for performing an automated quality assessment on a software program under test. A test automation system executes a test on a software program Data related to the test is automatically collected. The data includes first information determined by the test automation system in response to executing the test. The data further includes second information related to the test and received from a source other than the test automation system. The first information is analyzed. A quality assessment of the software program is generated from the analyzed first information and from the second information.
US09396089B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for logging encoded diagnostic information from a sequence of processing operations, the processing operations generated by an activity in a computing environment. Diagnostic information is tracked by activity, across process boundaries where the processes can be in computationally isolated, or “sandboxed”. Within each process, diagnostic information for an activity is stored in an activity-specific buffer registered with a kernel in the computing environment. For each activity in the computing system, the kernel keeps a list of all processes that have performed, or are performing, a processing task of the activity. The kernel also keeps a reference to the activity-specific log buffers for the activity for each process associated with the activity. If a processing operation for an activity fails, all activity-specific logs from all processes that are associated with the activity can be collected. A report can be generated from the collected logs for the activity.
US09396087B2

A performance data collection unit collects the performance data of managed CPUs from a performance measurement unit. A grouping unit compares the collected performance data with each other, forms groups of CPUs whose performance data is approximate to each other, and selects a representative CPU of each group. A performance data transmission unit transmits the collected performance data to a performance data management apparatus that accumulates and manages the performance data. In this connection, the performance data of the representative CPUs of the groups is transmitted at specified transmission intervals, and the performance data of the other CPUs of the groups is transmitted at transmission intervals that are longer than the specified transmission intervals.
US09396083B2

A mechanism is provided for identifying an inter-relationship between a first process and the second process of a computer system. A correlation is detected between the first process and the second process based on a timing of the first process and the second process accessing a system resource of the computer system. An inter-relationship is then identified between the first process and the second process based on the detected correlation between the first process and the second process.
US09396082B2

A particular method includes initiating, at an analyzer, execution of a software component at a first computing device. The first computing device includes hardware components and sensors. The sensors are external to the hardware components. A first hardware component of the hardware components is coupled to a second hardware component of the hardware components. A first sensor of the sensors is configured to monitor communications between the first hardware component and the second hardware component. The method also includes receiving monitoring data, from the first sensor, regarding a communication between the first hardware component and the second hardware component. The method further includes analyzing first effects of executing the software component on the first computing device based at least partially on the monitoring data.
US09396081B1

Techniques and mechanisms for performing dequeue operations for agents of a test bench environment. In an embodiment, a first group of agents are each allocated a respective ripe reservation and a second set of agents are each allocated a respective unripe reservation. Over time, queue management logic allocates respective reservations to agents and variously changes one or more such reservations from unripe to ripe. In another embodiment, an order of servicing agents allocated unripe reservations is based on relative priorities of the unripe reservations with respect to one another. An order of servicing agents allocated ripe reservations is on a first come, first served basis.
US09396080B2

A method for analyzing a read error event is provided comprising reading a page of data stored in memory, determining a read error event for the page of data, and identifying a scope of the read error event in the memory. In another embodiment, a method for performing a preliminary read error recovery is provided comprising reading a first data unit from memory and identifying a bit error rate for a first data unit with a correction engine, determining that the bit error rate is above a threshold, accessing a data structure including entries identifying data units and read error event information associated with the data units, identifying a second data unit in an entry that matches the first data unit, and performing a preliminary read error recovery process on the first data unit using the information in the entry to reduce the bit error rate below the threshold.
US09396079B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array including a normal region for storing a plurality of data, an error information region for storing a plurality of error information data corresponding to the plurality of normal data, respectively, and a redundancy region for replacing the normal region, an error detection unit suitable for detecting an error on the plurality of data in response to the plurality of error information data, and storing an error location information, which indicates a storage region of a data having an error in the normal and redundancy regions, based on an error detection result, and a repair operation unit suitable for replacing the storage region, which is indicated by the error location information, by the redundancy region during a repair operation period.
US09396076B2

A Version Control System (VCS) and methods having high availability, and combining the advantages of a centralized VCS while overcoming the limitations of centralized VCSs in a cluster environment. The system and method copes with failures of components in a cluster environment gracefully to guarantee uptime. The VCS and methods support high availability in a centralized VCS utilizing a plurality of repositories having a suitable architecture. In particular embodiments the architecture utilizes one or more of: Active-Passive repository replication; Active-Passive repository replication with automatic recovery; Active-Active repository replication; and hybrid model (Active-Active and Passive repository replication).
US09396068B2

Method and apparatus for redundant array of independent disks (RAID) recovery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a RAID controller schedules requests to rebuild failed drives based on the wear state of secondary drives and input/output (I/O) activity. The controller may be configured to assign higher scheduling priority to rebuild requests only when necessary, so as to reduce the time needed for the rebuild and to avoid affecting performance of the RAID system. In particular, the controller may give higher priority to rebuild requests if secondary drive failure is likely. In addition, the controller may determine when write-intensive periods occur, and assign lower priority to rebuild requests during such periods.
US09396067B1

Disclosed herein is an enhanced volume manager (VM) for a storage system that accelerates input/output (I/O) performance for random write operations to a striped disk array using parity. More specifically, various implementations are directed to accelerating “random writes” (writes comprising less than a complete stripe of data) by consolidating several random writes together to create a “sequential write” (a full-stripe write) to eliminate one or more read operations and/or increase the volume of new/updated data stored for each write operation. Several such implementations comprise functionality in the VM (volume manager) for identifying random write I/O requests, queuing them locally in a journal, and then periodically flushing the journal to the disk array as a sequential write request.
US09396057B2

An approach is provided for collecting data for diagnosing a failure of a computer hardware device. After an indication of the failure of the computer hardware device that results in a full system crash is received, an address translation table of a central processing unit of the computer hardware device is collected. A format of call stack frames of an operating system (OS) image of the computer hardware device is retrieved. A type of the OS image is identified as being a hypervisor program image. Based on the collected address translation table, the retrieved format of the plurality of call stack frames, and the type of the OS image being a hypervisor program image, the call stack frames are retrieved and output to a computer file.
US09396055B2

An electronic device includes a plurality of buffers and a log recording portion. In the plurality of buffers, a plurality of kinds of logs are to be recorded. The log recording portion records each log in a buffer, among the plurality of buffers, that is assigned in accordance with a recording interval of the log.
US09396040B2

An approach is provided for providing multi-level distributed computations. A distributed computation manager receives at least one request to migrate at least one computation closure within a computational architecture, the computational architecture comprising a plurality of architectural levels including, at least in part, a device level, an infrastructure level, and a cloud computing level. The distributed computation manager also determines to select at least one of the architectural levels based, at least in part, on a determination of whether the network infrastructure level can support the at least one computation closure. The distributed computation manager further determines to migrate the at least one computation closure to the selected at least one of the architectural levels.
US09396032B2

Methods and apparatuses may prioritize the processing of high priority and low priority contexts submitted to a processing unit through separate high priority and low priority context submission ports. According to one embodiment, submission of a context to the low priority port causes contexts in progress to be preempted, whereas submission of a context to the high priority port causes contexts in progress to be paused.
US09396026B2

A processing control method whereby a management server: assigns work to and executes said work on a computer; sets the processing start time and the processing end time for the aforementioned work as task execution information; sets a first physical resource amount, which is the amount of the physical resources of the aforementioned computer needed for execution of the aforementioned processing; acquires a second physical resource amount, which is the amount of the physical resources of the aforementioned computer that are being used; updates the processing start time for the aforementioned work to a time that is close to the current time when the aforementioned computer has the physical resources of the sum of the aforementioned first physical resource amount and the aforementioned second physical resources; and instructs the aforementioned computer to begin the aforementioned processing when the current time reaches the aforementioned processing start time.
US09396025B2

A method, system, and computer program product for automated data center platform consolidation. The method commences defining a set of source platforms (e.g., servers, database machines, network infrastructure components, etc.) where the source platforms are associated with time-variant demand models (e.g., computing demand during the working/daytime periods, demand at night, etc.). The demand models can be measured or estimated, and can be in any units of time (e.g., days, hours, etc.). Then a set of target platforms is defined where a member of the set of target platforms has a respective target platform profile comprising an initial time-variant availability model to compare with the time-variant demand models of the source platforms. Time-variant constraints (e.g., not more than 80% utilization during working/daytime periods, etc.) are observed while mapping members of the set of source platforms to the members of the set of target platforms until a consolidation stopping condition is reached.
US09396015B2

A processing device executing a registration service receives information identifying a first device, a second device and an application running on the first device. The processing device determines a registration technique that is supported by both the application and the second device and sends a message indicating the registration technique to at least one of the first device or the second device, wherein the application is to perform an operation associated with the first registration technique to bind the second device to the user account.
US09396009B2

Machines, systems and methods for managing resources allocated in a virtualized computing network are provided. The method comprises monitoring resource usage by a first host, wherein the first host, in addition to the first host's dedicated resources, has access to a first set of sharable resources, and wherein the second host, in addition to the second host's dedicated resources, has access to a second set of sharable resources; determining whether the second host has excess resource capacity in the second host's dedicated and sharable resources, in response to determining that resource usage of the first host in the first host's dedicated and sharable resources has exceeded a resource usage threshold; and reallocating one or more resources in the second set of sharable resources from the second host to the first host, in response to determining that the second host has excess resource capacity.
US09396004B1

An embodiment of a system and method of managing a configuration of a virtual machine. An embodiment may include analyzing a configuration of a first computing system to identify a native configuration related to a first virtual machine and analyzing a second computing system to determine whether or not the native configuration should be used to configure the second computing system. If the native configuration should be used to configure the second virtual machine then an embodiment may include using the native configuration information to establish a second virtual machine on the second computing system, and if the native configuration should not be used to configure the second virtual machine then using the native configuration information to create intermediate configuration information and using the intermediate configuration information to establish a second virtual machine on the second computing system.
US09395993B2

Execution-Aware Memory protection technologies are described. A processor includes an instruction fetch unit to fetch instructions of applications executing in a multitasking environment and an execution unit to execute the instructions. A memory protection unit (MPU) enforces memory access control of the applications by defining an instruction region (I-space) and a data region (D-space and linking the I-space to the D-space. When the MPU determining whether an instruction address is within the I-space and whether a data address of a data access operation is within the D-space. The MPU issues a memory protection fault for the data access operation when either the instruction address is not within the I-space or the data address is not within the D-space.
US09395992B2

There is provided a method and system for replacing an instruction with another instruction. A match register stores an opcode that identifies an instruction to be replaced. A swap register stores an instruction that replaces the identified instruction. A multiplexer chooses the instruction stored in the swap register over the identified instruction if predecode bits of the identified instruction are set.
US09395991B2

A method and load and store buffer for issuing a load instruction to a data cache. The method includes determining whether there are any unresolved store instructions in the store buffer that are older than the load instruction. If there is at least one unresolved store instruction in the store buffer older than the load instruction, it is determined whether the oldest unresolved store instruction in the store buffer is within a speculation window for the load instruction. If the oldest unresolved store instruction is within the speculation window for the load instruction, the load instruction is speculatively issued to the data cache. Otherwise, the load instruction is stalled until any unresolved store instructions outside the speculation window are resolved. The speculation window is a short window that defines a number of instructions or store instructions that immediately precede the load instruction.
US09395983B2

For use in a data processing system comprising a processor configured to execute a first set of instructions corresponding to a first thread and a second set of instructions corresponding to a second thread, a method is provided. The method comprises in response to execution of a debug related instruction by the first thread while executing the first set of instructions, generating a debug event for processing by the second thread, wherein processing the debug event comprises causing a halting operation related to the processor.
US09395982B1

Computer-implemented methods for pushing or popping an element on to of off of an N-way linked list in a computer memory may include one or more atomic memory operations on a handle of the N-way linked list. One embodiment for pushing a first element on to an N-way linked list may include setting a next sequential element pointer of the first element to point to an unknown location marker. Another embodiment for popping a first element off of an N-way linked may include marking a sub-list tail handle with a designation indicating that the particular sub-list is involved in a pop process. In yet another embodiment, a method for popping a first element off of an N-way linked list may include storing in a sub-list tail handle a pointer to a pseudo element. The handle may fit within a single line of cache memory.
US09395976B2

An invented information processing apparatus includes a firmware renewal unit for renewing the firmware stored in the electronic device to be new firmware, a version retrieval unit for retrieving firmware version information indicating a version of the new firmware, a renewal information retrieval unit for detecting the version of the software compatible with the new firmware using the software version information, a version confirmation unit for selecting software of a newly required version, and an installation unit for installing the software of the newly required version.
US09395975B2

A method and system for generating a ROM patch are provided. In one embodiment, a computing device obtains an original assembly code and a modified assembly code which is a modified version of the original assembly code, the original assembly code being used for an executable code which is stored in a ROM of a device. The computing device compares the original assembly code and the modified assembly code to identify difference(s) in the modified assembly code with respect to the original assembly code. The computing device then compiles the difference(s) (sometimes, after adjusting the differences) and generates a ROM patch by converting the compiled difference(s) into a replacement executable code for some of the executable code stored in the ROM of the device. In another embodiment, a method and system for using a ROM patch are disclosed.
US09395974B1

A method of operating a data center includes providing a first operating environment in a first portion of the data center and providing a second operating environment in a second portion of the data center. The first operating environment meets a first set of infrastructure specifications. The second operating environment meets a second set of infrastructure specifications. At least some of the infrastructure specifications of the second set of infrastructure specifications are less stringent than corresponding infrastructure specifications of the first set of one or more infrastructure specification.
US09395973B2

An information processing apparatus 10 specifies a second virtual machine that provides a service on which a first virtual machine depends. The information processing apparatus 10 sets a pointer between the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine by referring to application information associated with, for each application, a parameter type, of another virtual machine, that is used to create a disk image of a virtual machine associated with an application and that is attached when a resource is allocated to the other virtual machine. The information processing apparatus 10 deploys the first virtual machine and the second virtual machine by creating, in accordance with the pointer, a disk image of the second virtual machine or the first virtual machine from a parameter that is set when a resource of the first virtual machine or the second virtual machine.
US09395971B2

An install request including a hierarchy of a complex computer environment is received, wherein the hierarchy comprises a first component needed on the first computer and one or more other components needed in the complex computer environment. One or more other computers on which to install the one or mother components is determined. Responsive to determining the one or more other computer on which to install the one or more other components, installation of the one or more other components on the one or mother other computers is initiated.
US09395967B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for workload deployment density management for a multi-stage architecture implemented within a multi-tenant computing environment. The method includes receiving different requests from different tenants of a multi-tenant computing environment to deploy respectively different application instances of respectively different computer programs into different nodes of the host computing system. The method also includes determining from each request an associated stage of a software lifecycle for a corresponding one of the application instances. Finally, the method includes deploying each of the application instances into a particular one of the nodes depending upon an associated stage of each of the application instances so that each of the nodes hosts different application instances for different tenants of a common stage of the software lifecycle.
US09395962B2

A technology for executing an external operation from a software-pipelined loop is provided. Code performance efficiency can be improved by overlapping the execution of the external operations of the loop and the iterations of the loop.
US09395961B1

Embodiments relate to fingerprint-based code version selection. An aspect includes based on a call to a method being issued by calling software that is currently executing on a processor of a computer system, determining a fingerprint comprising a representation of a sequence of behavior that occurs in the processor while the calling software is executing. Another aspect includes, based on determining that the match for the fingerprint is located in the entry in the fingerprint table, executing the associated code version of the method. Another aspect includes, based on determining that no match for the fingerprint is located in any entry in the fingerprint table: determining a new code version of the method by a compiler of the computer system; storing the fingerprint with an identifier of the new code version in a new entry in the fingerprint table; and executing the new code version.
US09395956B2

Methods and apparatus for descriptively representing an application programming interface and data of a networked software application, and a descriptive domain specific language are presented. Additionally, methods and apparatus for mashup creation, including a repository of networking or Web applications that may be reused and combined, are presented. Networked software applications and mashups are provided with mostly declarative common structure and design, facilitating sharing and reuse of mashup and mashup parts. For example, a method for representing a first application programming interface of a first networked software application includes forming a declarative representation of the first application programming interface, and forming a declarative representation of first data. The first networked software application comprises the first application programming interface and the first data.
US09395948B2

An information acquiring unit acquires from a server the same type of information to be shown correspondingly in vehicle-mounted apparatuses with respect to one content, and information display units cause their displays to show the information to be shown correspondingly in the apparatuses from the same type of information acquired by the information acquiring unit. An operation for a content acquisition request by one of the plurality of vehicle-mounted apparatuses may only be required for showing the same type of information in synchronization on displays of the vehicle-mounted apparatuses, without separate operations for a content acquisition request in the vehicle-mounted apparatuses.
US09395945B2

A multi-display device is adapted to be dockable or otherwise associatable with an additional device. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the multi-display device is dockable with a smartpad. The exemplary smartpad can include a screen, a touch sensitive display, a configurable area, a gesture capture region(s) and a camera. The smartpad can also include a port adapted to receive the device. The exemplary smartpad is able to cooperate with the device such that information displayable on the device is also displayable on the smartpad. Furthermore, any one or more of the functions on the device are extendable to the smartpad, with the smartpad capable of acting as an input/output interface or extension of the smartpad. Therefore, for example, information from one or more of the displays on the multi-screen device is displayable on the smartpad.
US09395938B2

A storage control device includes a storage unit and a processor. The storage unit is configured to store therein a first score calculated for a first storage device. The processor is configured to add, upon detecting an event occurred in the first storage device, points corresponding to the event to the first score. The processor is configured to determine upon the addition, based on the first score and a second score, whether a sign of failure of the first storage device is detected. The second score is calculated for a first redundant unit of storage devices including the first storage device.
US09395921B2

A storage device includes a buffer memory and a flash memory, which can be connected with the host computer communicably. A method for writing data into the storage device includes: receiving a first write command from the host, the first write command including the data to be written, the address for the flash memory and the address or the buffer memory; based on the address for the buffer memory, writing the data to be written to the buffer memory; based on the address for the flash memory, writing the data to be written to the flash memory.
US09395920B2

Computerized methods, systems, and computer-storage media for throttling requests from virtual machines (VMs) to a hard-disk drive (HDD) are provided. When a request for disk I/O is received from a VM, a disk-drive model that simulates performance characteristics of the HDD is accessed. During access, the disk-drive model's estimation of HDD parameters and the disk-drive model's estimation of a current state of a disk head of the HDD are gathered. A projected execution time to carry out the request is computed as a function of the estimated HDD parameters and the estimated current state of the disk head. Also, an actual execution time to carry out the request is measured upon allowing the request to pass to the HDD. Using a comparison of the projected execution time and the actual execution time, the traffic of the requests from the VMs is throttled.
US09395916B2

The present invention relates to a technical field of touch input and discloses method and device for controlling a mobile apparatus having a touch screen including: generating a virtual keyboard which is larger than a virtual keyboard displaying area in the touch screen; and moving the virtual keyboard in response to a sliding of a touch point, where at least one direction component of a moving direction of the virtual keyboard is opposite to a direction component of a sliding direction of the touch point. With the technical solution of present application, the input experience for the user can be improved.
US09395915B2

In an operating method for a display device in a vehicle, the display device includes a touch-sensitive surface. A first output is displayed in an area of the display device. A first movement and a second movement by an operator relative to the touch-sensitive surface are detected simultaneously. The area is divided automatically along a first direction into a first subarea and a second subarea, if the first movement and the second movement proceed substantially in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and away from each other. The first output is displayed in the first subarea and a second output is displayed in the second subarea.
US09395911B2

According to one example embodiment there is disclosed a system having a touch sensitive component responsive to a pen-based input includes a memory or storage device storing a symbol library defining at least one symbol representative of at least one logograph, pictograph or ideogram, the symbol library information specifying a topology structure defining sub-regions that symbol elements can appear in the at least one logograph, pictograph or ideogram, and a processor operatively connected to the touch sensitive component and the memory or storage device and operative to execute program instructions to interpret hand drawn indicia to identify at least one symbol based on recognizing at least one symbol element and its respective position in a sub-region.
US09395908B2

An information processing apparatus includes an operation unit; and a control unit performing a process in response to an operation executed through the operation unit. Different gesture operations are able to be assigned to an operation corresponding to copy of information and an operation corresponding to cut of information, respectively. The control unit selects a portion designated by a user in information displayed on a display unit, and then copies the selected portion when the user executes the gesture operation corresponding to the copy through the operation unit, whereas the control unit cuts the selected portion when the user executes the gesture operation corresponding to the cut through the operation unit.
US09395900B2

A mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal may include a touch screen configured to display a specific page a plurality of pages including at least one icon and a controller configured to move a specific icon displayed on the specific page to a page corresponding to a specific indicator a plurality of indicators when a predetermined user manipulation for selecting the specific indicator is detected, the plurality of pages having indicators corresponding the pages respectively.
US09395892B1

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for shared folder backed integrated workspaces. In some implementations, a content management system can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates communications and content management into a single user interface. The user interface can include mechanisms that allow a user to provide input to generate a new workspace. The user interface can provide a mechanism to allow a user to view conversations related to the workspace and/or content items associated with the workspace. The user interface can present representations of content items associated with the workspace and allow the user to provide input to generate, view, edit, and share content items associated with the workspace.
US09395890B2

A first implementation of a software system is accessed and forms in the software system are selected. Controls on each selected form are interacted with in order to discover the behavior of the computer system. A representation of the behavior is stored for human observation or output to another system (such as a behavior verification system).
US09395889B1

In an embodiment, a plurality of graphical elements of a graphical model may be displayed on a display device. An indication of a graphical operation involving a first graphical element of the plurality of graphical elements may be received. The graphical operation when performed may establish a relationship between the first graphical element and one or more other graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements that are compatible with the graphical operation. Two or more graphical elements of the plurality of graphical elements that are compatible with the graphical operation and one or more characteristics associated with the first graphical element may be identified. A visual indication may be provided on the display device. The visual indication may indicate that the identified plurality of graphical elements is compatible with the graphical operation.
US09395883B1

Systems and methods to provide social analytics information are disclosed. An exemplary system may include a database and a server coupled to the database. The server may include a business analytics module configured to receive data related to a business and generate, based on the received data, a set of business analytics information, and store the business analytics information in the database. The server further may include an interactive display module configured to generate an interactive object based on the business analytics information, provide controlled access to the interactive object to a first user of a predefined group of users, and provide a display of the interactive object to a second user of the predefined group of users. The interactive display module may be further configured to update, responsive to an input from the first user, the interactive object so as to generate an updated interactive object, and provide, responsive to the updating, a display of the updated interactive object to the second user.
US09395881B2

Systems and methods are provided for navigating display sequence maps. A system outputs, to a display device, content views in response to receiving requests for content views via a user interface. At least one of the content views may include a link that enables navigation to another one of the content views. Each of the content views may be a revision to content of another one of the content views. The system outputs, to the display device, a hierarchical representation of a sequence in which the content views were displayed in response to receiving a request for the hierarchical representation via the user interface. The hierarchical representation includes visual representations corresponding to the content views. The system outputs, to the display device, a selected one of the content views in response to a selection of the one of the visual representations corresponding to the content views from the hierarchical representation.
US09395861B2

A touch panel including upper and lower electrode substrates including upper and lower conductive layers, respectively; first and second electrodes respectively provided at bath ends of the upper conductive layer in a first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the first direction; third and fourth electrodes respectively provided at both ends of the lower conductive layer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction for causing an electric potential distribution in the second direction; a flexible substrate provided to be connected to the lower electrode substrate or the upper electrode substrate; a first resistor portion electrically connected to either of the first or second electrode and formed at the upper electrode substrate or the flexible substrate; and a second resistor portion connected to either of the third or fourth electrode and formed at the lower electrode substrate or the flexible substrate.
US09395856B2

A touch panel controller (3) capable of accurately detecting a change in capacitance includes: a driving section (4) which drives capacitors (C1 through CM) in parallel in accordance with N M-dimensional vectors; and an estimating section (5) which obtains linear sums of the capacitors (C1 through CM) in accordance with the driving in parallel and estimates values of the capacitors (C1 through CM) based on an inner product operation carried out with respect to (i) the linear sums of the capacitors (C1 through CM) and (ii) the N M-dimensional vectors, the driving section (4) driving the capacitors (C1 through CM) in parallel in a first order of the N M-dimensional vectors, the estimating section (5) estimating a first estimated value of the capacitors (C1 through CM) in accordance with the driving in parallel in the first order, the driving section (4) driving the capacitors (C1 through CM) in parallel in a second order of the N M-dimensional vectors, the estimating section (5) estimating a second estimated value of the capacitors (C1 through CM) in accordance with the driving in parallel in the second order, and the touch panel controller (3) further including an averaging section (17) estimating the values of the capacitors (C1 through CM) by averaging the first estimated value and the second estimated value.
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