US09439328B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a modular fluid-handling system may comprise a fluid-handling unit and an exhaust duct coupled to and in fluid communication with the fluid-handling unit. The fluid-handling unit may be configured to exhaust air from an exhaust source in a substantially horizontal direction. The exhaust duct may be configured to redirect air flowing in the substantially horizontal direction from the exhaust source in a substantially vertical direction.
US09439327B1
Systems and methods are provided for cooling electronic equipment in a data center. Ambient air is vertically circulated from a workspace across a plurality of rack-mounted electronic devices. The electronic devices are located in a plurality of trays such that each tray has a major plane that is substantially parallel to a side plane of the rack. The circulated air is cooled with a heat exchanger that is connected to a vertical end of the rack via a sealed interface. Multiple racks can be arrayed in a distributed cooling arrangement, which increases reliability and scalability of the data center.
US09439324B2
The passage from a cooling medium inlet to a cooling medium outlet of a cooler includes: an upstream cooling portion and a downstream cooling portion for cooling heat generating bodies; an upstream distribution portion located on the cooling medium inlet side; a downstream distribution portion located on the cooling medium outlet side; a connecting portion for connecting the upstream cooling portion and the downstream cooling portion; and a partition portion for partitioning the upstream cooling portion and the downstream cooling portion, and the upstream distribution portion and the downstream distribution portion. The passage is connected so that the cooling medium flows in order of the upstream distribution portion, the upstream cooling portion, the connecting portion, the downstream cooling portion, and the downstream distribution portion.
US09439317B2
A wiring module (1) includes a wiring harness (10) including a plurality of wires (11) and connectors (12) fixed to ends of the respective wires (11) and fittable into fitting portions (91) of a stacked device (90). A positioning member (20) is fixed to the wiring harness (10) and capable of being positioned at a predetermined position with respect to the stacked device (90). The positioning member (20) includes connector fixing portions (21) arranged at the same intervals as the fitting portions (91) of the stacked device (90). The connector fixing portion (21) positions each connector (12) of the wiring harness (10) fixedly at a position facing the corresponding fitting portion (91) when the positioning member (20) is positioned at the predetermined position with respect to the stacked device (90).
US09439314B2
An apparatus and system for housing a device include a housing that is configured such that a device may be fitted within the housing and thereby be protected, such as from shocks and/or liquid. The housing may include top and bottom members that may be removably coupled together so as to form the housing. Each top and bottom member optionally includes front and back surfaces surrounded by a perimeter. The perimeter may be defined by proximal and distal ends as well as opposing sides. The top and bottom members may include respective clasping mechanisms that extend along the perimeter of the top and bottom members. The clasping mechanisms are configured for coupling the top and bottom members with one another thereby sealing the housing, for instance, in a shock-proof and/or water tight seal.
US09439308B2
An electronic device with a concealed coupling member includes a first shell, a second shell, and at least one locking mechanism. The first shell includes a sidewall with a first through hole. Each locking mechanism includes a chassis, a screw, a first coupling portion, and a second coupling portion. The first coupling portion defines a second through hole, the second coupling portion defines a third through hole. The first through hole can communicate with the second through hole and the third through hole. The screw passes through the third through hole and the second through hole to couple the first shell to the second shell.
US09439303B2
A power supply path structure is provided for a flexible circuit board and includes a first flexible circuit board that includes at least one first connection pad and a first opposite connection pad and a first power supply path connected between the first connection pad and the first opposite connection pad and a second flexible circuit board that includes at least one second connection pad and a second opposite connection pad and a second power supply path connected between the second connection pad and the second opposite connection pad, and the first flexible circuit board is stacked, in a vertical direction, on the second flexible circuit board in such a way that the first power supply path and the second power supply path form a parallel-connected power supply path that serves as a power path or a grounding path for the first flexible circuit board.
US09439300B2
An electronic component is provided with two or more component terminals. A mount board is provided with two or more board terminals. The board terminal is provided with an inclined portion on a surface of the board terminal, the inclined portion being the wider as closer to a base end side toward a peripheral edge. A position of the component terminal is offset in relation to a position of the corresponding board terminal. A position of the other component terminal is offset in the opposite side to the direction of the offset in relation to a position of the corresponding board terminal. The component terminal makes contact with the inclined portion of the board terminal to bond the component terminal and the board terminal.
US09439298B2
An electrical connector for electrically connecting a first electronic element to a second electronic element includes an insulating body and multiple conductors. The insulating body has multiple accommodating holes. Each conductor is accommodated in a corresponding accommodating hole. Each conductor has an elastic insulator and low melting point liquid metal wrapping a surface of the elastic insulator, such that a continuous conducting path is formed by the liquid metal between the first electronic element and the second electronic element.
US09439297B2
A method of encapsulating a panel of electronic components such as power converters reduces wasted printed circuit board area. The panel, which may include a plurality of components, may be cut into one or more individual pieces after encapsulation with the mold forming part of the finished product, e.g. providing heat sink fins or a surface mount solderable surface. Interconnection features provided along boundaries of individual circuits are exposed during the singulation process providing electrical connections to the components without wasting valuable PCB surface area. The molds may include various internal features such as registration features accurately locating the circuit board within the mold cavity, interlocking contours for structural integrity of the singulated module, contours to match component shapes and sizes enhancing heat removal from internal components and reducing the required volume of encapsulant, clearance channels providing safety agency spacing and setbacks for the interconnects. Wide cuts may be made in the molds after encapsulation reducing thermal stresses and reducing the thickness of material to be cut during subsequent singulation. External mold features can include various fin configurations for heat sinks, flat surfaces for surface mounting or soldering, etc. Blank mold panels may be machined to provide some or all of the above features in an on-demand manufacturing system. Connection adapters may be provided to use the modules in vertical or horizontal mounting positions in connector, through-hole, surface-mount solder variations. The interconnects may be plated to provide a connectorized module that may be inserted into a mating connector.
US09439294B2
Reaction products of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, polyepoxide compounds and polyhalogen compounds may be used as levelers in metal electroplating baths, such as copper electroplating baths, to provide good throwing power. Such reaction products may plate metal with good surface properties and good physical reliability.
US09439291B2
The invention relates to a photosensitive element comprising a support film and a photosensitive layer derived from a photosensitive resin composition formed on the support film, wherein the support film haze is 0.01-1.5%, the total number of particles with diameters of 5 μm and larger and aggregates with diameters of 5 μm or larger in the support film is no greater than 5/mm2, the photosensitive layer contains a binder polymer, a photopolymerizable compound with an ethylenically unsaturated bond and a photopolymerization initiator, and the thickness T of the photosensitive layer and the absorbance A of the photosensitive layer at 365 nm satisfies the relationship represented by inequality (I): 0.001≦A/T≦0.020 (I).
US09439290B1
A carrier board structure includes at least one upper magnetic coil, at least one lower magnetic coil, a flexible board, a dielectric layer, at least one connection pad and at least one gold finger. The flexible board has a middle region having a middle hole, and two side regions thinner than the middle region. A groove used as a fold line is provided on the lower surface of each side region bordering on the middle region. The upper and lower magnetic coils are configured in the flexible board and separated by the dielectric layer. The gold fingers are provided on the two side regions and connected to the upper magnetic coils. The upper and lower magnetic coils are around the middle hole and connected by the connection pads. The fold lines help the two side regions to fold without damage to the upper and lower magnetic coils.
US09439287B2
A structure for wireless communication having a plurality of conductor layers, an insulator layer separating each of the conductor layers, and at least one connector connecting two of the conductor layers wherein an electrical resistance is reduced when an electrical signal is induced in the resonator at a predetermined frequency.
US09439281B2
A printed circuit board includes a base, a number of conductive pads, a dielectric layer, an activated metal layer, a first metal seed layer, a second metal seed layer, and a plurality of metal bumps. The conductive pads are formed on the base. The dielectric layer is formed on a surface of the conductive pads and portions of the base are exposed from the conductive pads. The dielectric layer includes blind vias corresponding to the conductive pads, and a laser-activated catalyst. The activated metal layer is obtained by laser irradiation at the wall of the blind via. The activated metal layer is in contact with the dielectric layer. The second metal seed layer is formed on the activated metal layer and the conductive pads. Each metal bump is formed on the second metal seed layer, and each metal bump protrudes from the dielectric layer.
US09439279B2
A ceramic circuit board includes a ceramic substrate, and a first metal plate bonded to a front surface of the ceramic substrate. A size of the front surface of the ceramic substrate is smaller than a size of a surface, i.e., a first facing surface, on a side of the first metal plate that faces the ceramic substrate.
US09439275B2
A system for generating extreme ultraviolet light may include a chamber, a target supply device configured to supply a target material into the chamber, a laser apparatus configured to output a laser beam to irradiate the target material, a wavefront adjuster configured to adjust a wavefront of the laser beam, an imaging optical system configured to focus the laser beam reflected by the target material, an image detector configured to capture an image of the laser beam focused by the imaging optical system, and a controller configured to control the wavefront adjuster based on the captured image.
US09439267B2
To improve the safety of a photoacoustic apparatus by preventing illumination light from being freely emitted. A photoacoustic apparatus includes a position sensor that measures the orientation and/or position of an illumination-light emission end and a control unit that controls light emission from a light source depending on the output of the position sensor.
US09439259B2
A current drive circuit capable of reducing the influence of temperature variation or individual deviation is provided. An output transistor is a PNP bipolar transistor, and has an emitter connected to a cathode of an LED string. A current control resistor is disposed between a collector of the output transistor and a ground terminal. An output terminal of an error amplifier is connected to a base of the output transistor, a first input terminal of the error amplifier is connected to a connection point of the output transistor and the current control resistor, and a reference voltage is applied to a second input terminal of the error amplifier. The error amplifier enables a sink current sunk from the output terminal to flow to the current control resistor.
US09439257B2
This invention is suitable for directly driving from an alternating current (AC) line voltage source an array of LED lamps with a minimal amount of ancillary circuitry. Most of the required circuitry is situated within an integrated circuit, which includes a full wave rectifier, transient protection, a current control transistor, a feedback control loop, and overheating protection. The integrated circuit powers a transistor circuit structured as a constant current source to energize individual groupings of LEDs, as well as larger configurations of LEDs. The invention is useful for various lighting arrangements such as luminaires, bollards, strip lights, task lights, lighting tubes, and other types of applications that use a multitude of LEDs powered directly by AC line voltage without the requirement of a direct current power supply. This invention may further be used with an external phase switching dimmer apparatus.
US09439255B2
A light source driving circuit for powering a first light source and a second light source by a DC voltage includes a first control circuitry and a second control circuitry. If the DC voltage is within a first range, then the first control circuitry controls a first switch and the second control circuitry controls a second switch to turn on the first light source and to regulate a current flowing through the first light source. If the DC voltage is within a second range, then the first control circuitry controls a third switch and the second control circuitry controls a fourth switch to turn on the first light source and the second light source and to regulate a current flowing through the first light source and the second light source.
US09439251B2
An offset voltage eliminating circuit structure for a protection mechanism of a dimmer is described. The circuit includes a constant current source, a subtractor and a hysteresis comparator. The constant current source is used for outputting a stable current, the output of the constant current source is connected with a dimming signal input through a current-limiting resistor, and the dimming signal input is connected with an output of an external traditional dimmer.
US09439247B2
A method and system automatically determines when an electrode add event occurs in an electric arc furnace having a plurality of electrode columns, each carried by an electrode positioning system. Data is received correlating to the harmonic distortion of the electrical current output to the plurality of electrode columns. Data is also received correlating to control pressures in the electrode positioning systems. Steady state control pressure data is captured when the harmonic distortion data indicates a steady state condition. An electrode add event is thereafter determined when a pressure spike is identified in the steady state control pressure data.
US09439246B2
A modular RF power system allows multiple power supplies to combine their RF output power as a single system and deliver it to a common resonant circuit. For flexibility and commonality, each power supply is designed to be separately powered by AC line voltage (aka AC Mains). The AC voltage supplied to each power supply may differ due to differing AC distribution line length, line impedance, wire gauge, or different supply generation locations.
US09439244B2
A new heating cable is described. The heating cable is comprising between seven and two hundred metallic monofilaments of a first type which are acting as electrical conductors to generate heat. The metallic monofilaments of a first type are having a diameter ranging from 30 μm to 100 μm. The metallic monofilaments of a first type are having a substantially round cross section. The metallic monofilaments of a first type are comprising a steel layer with a chromium content of less than 10% by weight. The heating cable is having an electrical resistance ranging between 0.1 Ω/m and 20.0 Ω/m when measured at 20° C.
US09439242B2
A system for routing signals in a Distributed Antenna System includes a plurality of Digital Access Units (DAUs) and a plurality of Digital Remote Units (DRUs). The plurality of DAUs are coupled and operable to route signals between the plurality of DAUs. The plurality of DRUs are coupled to the plurality of DAUs and operable to transport signals between DRUs and DAUs. The system also includes a plurality of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and a plurality of Base Transceiver Station sector RF connections coupled to the plurality of DAUs and operable to route signals between the plurality of DAUs and the plurality of Base Transceiver Stations sector RF port connections. The system further includes one or more delay compensation merge units operable to delay signals transmitted from or received by each of the plurality of DRUs.
US09439240B1
A system for emulating a mobile communication device comprising a first mobile communication device comprising a processor; a memory; an application stored in the memory that is operable to emulate an identity of a second mobile communication device; a transceiver configured to communicatively couple to the second mobile communication device and further configured to present the identity of the second mobile communication device to a wireless communication network; a temporary memory configured to store the identity of the second mobile communication device while the first mobile communication device is communicatively coupled to the second mobile communication device; a long-range antenna; and a short-range antenna.
US09439239B2
A transmission playback device for selectively storing discrete transmission data is configured for use with a telecommunications accessory device. The playback device includes a memory assembly having a pair of identical storage buffers. A first storage buffer has memory designated for continuously recording transmission data, and a second storage buffer has memory designated for selectively storing a discrete message from the transmission data. A controller exchanges the designations of each storage buffer upon a request by a user such that the second storage buffer becomes designated for continuously recording transmission data and the first storage buffer becomes designated for selectively storing a discrete message from the transmission data.
US09439228B2
A method relating to the management of at least one dynamic virtual connection between a mobile terminal and a communication network is disclosed. In one aspect, one or more dynamic virtual connections are arranged between the mobile terminal and a gateway, each having at least one connection parameter. The method including detecting the connection of the terminal to another base station, connected to a subsequent gateway to which the terminal was not previously connected. It includes the creation, via a subsequent quality of service manager connected to the subsequent gateway, of dynamic virtual connections between the mobile terminal and the subsequent gateway, the number of dynamic virtual connections created being equal to the number of preceding dynamic virtual connections and the connection parameters of the dynamic virtual connections created being identical to the connection parameters of the preceding dynamic virtual connections.
US09439226B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising a user interface receiver configured to receive at least one indication of user activity, at least one processing core configured to initiate packet-based connectivity over a radio communications interface responsive to the at least one indication of user activity, wherein the at least one indication of user activity comprises at least one indication relating to operating a web browser, the at least one indication not indicating a user request to fetch a resource for display on the browser.
US09439220B2
A contactless system is described in which multiple execution environments may be coupled to a near field communication (NFC) controller, wherein each execution environment is configured to communicate with remote readers via the NFC controller using an assigned one of a plurality of communication protocols. During a polling session from a proximate reader, responding to a request command using a requested communication protocol and activating one of the plurality of execution environments assigned to the requested communication protocol to use the NFC controller. An arbitration is performed in response to each polling session such that a same combination of communication protocol and execution environment is not activated for adjacent polling sessions.
US09439216B2
A method for preventing a first network node from missing a transmission from an second network node. The method includes, when a ten millisecond periodicity is used for Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframes, setting a time between an uplink grant from the second network node to the first network node and an acknowledgement/negative-acknowledgement message (ACK/NACK) from the second network node to the first network node equal to ten milliseconds. The method further includes, when a forty millisecond periodicity is used for MBSFN subframes, the second network node sending the first network node an asynchronous grant for an uplink retransmission when a data packet is missed, and when the first network node receives the grant for the uplink retransmission, the first network node retransmitting the missed data packet.
US09439215B2
Provided are a method and a device for setting an operating channel in a white space band. A method of setting an operating channel in a white space band by a device includes: receiving, by the device, a White Space Map including information on an available TV channel and an offset value in the available TV channel, and setting, by the device, the operating channel based upon the information of the available TV channel and the offset value from the available TV channel, wherein the offset value indicates a shifted amount of a center frequency of the operating channel from the center frequency of the available TV channel.
US09439214B2
Systems and method are provided that allow a mobile device to communicate over multiple access technologies at the same time, including a cellular access technology, such as LTE, and via an untrusted WLAN access. The untrusted access is initiated via internet key exchange. The mobile device uses the same IP address over both access technologies.
US09439212B2
Techniques for dynamically assigning acknowledgement (ACK) resource to a user equipment (UE) are described. For dynamic scheduling, a scheduling message may be used to send scheduling information for a single transmission of data. For semi-persistent scheduling, a scheduling message may be used to send a semi-persistent assignment for multiple transmissions of data. In an aspect, at least one field of a scheduling message, which is normally used to carry scheduling information for dynamic scheduling, may be re-used to carry an ACK resource assignment for semi-persistent scheduling. In one design, a UE may receive a scheduling message carrying a semi-persistent assignment and may obtain an assignment of ACK resource from the at least one field of the scheduling message. The UE may receive a transmission of data sent in accordance with the semi-persistent assignment, determine ACK information for the transmission of data, and send the ACK information with the ACK resource.
US09439211B2
An invention relates to methods for transmitting a buffer status report (BSR) in a mobile communication system, more particularly to the definition of rules for triggering, generating and transmitting BSRs. The invention also relates to a data transmission method utilizing new rules to decide data of which radio bearers is transmitted within a given transmission time interval. Moreover, the invention relates to scheduling method for radio resources that is taking into account additional scheduling-relevant information from the buffer status reporting and/or data transmission method. To avoid unnecessary grants from the network and to suggest an advanced handling of data transmissions the invention suggests a buffer status reporting and data transmission schemes that take into account the scheduling mode of data of radio bearers pending for transmission to decide whether to report on it in a buffer status report, respectively, whether to multiplex the data to a transport block for transmission.
US09439208B2
In embodiments, a user equipment (UE) may transmit, to an evolved Node B (eNB), a background indicator that the UE is in a background mode running one or more background applications and no active applications. The eNB may receive background indicators from a plurality of UEs, and may bundle the background-mode UEs into one scheduling request (SR) allocation block. The individual UEs may be assigned different resource elements within the block on which to transmit an SR indicator (e.g., if the UE has data to send to the eNB). The eNB may lengthen the period between SR allocations for the background-mode UEs compared with active-mode UEs. In some embodiments, the UE may exclusively use the assigned SR allocation instead of a random access channel to notify the eNB that the UE has data to send.
US09439205B1
Method and devices for optimizing wireless network connections in transportation vehicles are provided. An onboard computing device in a transportation vehicle identifies blackout area with severe wireless signal interference caused by nearby wireless access points in the blackout area. The wireless interference can be remedied by dynamically switching wireless channel for the in-vehicle wireless connection between the onboard computing device and a mobile device in the vehicle. The wireless interference can also be remedied by pre-caching the data needed for a content presentation during a time period when the vehicle travels within the blackout area.
US09439193B2
A network device may determine a sequence. The sequence may identify an order in which particular unlicensed bands, of a plurality of unlicensed bands in an unlicensed spectrum, are to be assigned for the transmission of data flows. The network device may provide information identifying the sequence via a licensed band to a user device to cause the user device to transmit or receive the data flows via the particular unlicensed bands identified in the sequence in the order in which the particular unlicensed bands are to be assigned; and transmit or receive, to or from the user device, the data flows via the particular unlicensed and the licensed bands.
US09439192B2
A wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) receives a downlink transmission from a Node-B and decodes the downlink transmission. If the decoding is not successful, the WTRU sends a pre-defined burst signifying a negative acknowledgement (NACK) to the Node-B via a contention-based shared feedback channel. The pre-defined burst may be sent only once without requiring an acknowledgement. The Node-B calibrates a downlink transmit power so that the downlink transmission is transmitted to the WTRUs with a high likelihood. The Node-B may send a downlink transmission including multiple data streams processed using different modulation and coding schemes so that a WTRU having a high signal quality decodes all data streams while a WTRU having a low signal quality decodes less than all data streams. The Node-B sends a channel quality indicator (CQI) threshold so that each WTRU determines a data stream to report feedback based on the CQI threshold and a measured CQI.
US09439184B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wireless communications. The method generally includes allocating resources of a backhaul link between a donor base station and a relay base station to the relay station for communicating with the donor base station and transmitting a control channel indicating the allocated resources to the relay base station, wherein the control channel is transmitted on a subset of physical resource blocks (PRBs) of subframes assigned for downlink communications on the backhaul link.
US09439175B2
A mobile communications device to communicate data to/from a mobile communications network, and to communicate an indication of a relative type of data packets for communication via a communications bearer for supporting a communications session of the mobile communications device, the indication used to configure the communications bearer, and to communicate the data packets via the communications bearer to the infrastructure equipment via the base stations in accordance with the indication, the communication of the data packets being controlled by the mobile communications network in accordance with the communicated indication. By providing the indication, such as an indication that the data packets are of low priority or are generated or being received by a machine type communication application, the mobile communications network can control the communication of the data packets from the communications bearer differently to data packets communicated via other communications bearer having a higher priority.
US09439171B2
A base station of a mobile communication network supports continuity of a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service, MBMS, for a terminal. The base station receives, from the terminal, an information element informing the base station of a combination of bands, which the terminal supports for carrier aggregation. The terminal supports MBMS reception on any carrier configurable as a serving cell for the terminal according to the information element. The base station derives, from the received information element, MBMS reception capabilities of the terminal. The base station determines a number of carriers, which are configurable by the base station as serving cell of the terminal, such that the terminal is enabled to receive at least one MBMS.
US09439169B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes querying by a first communications network a database maintained by a second communications network for location data comprising a path typically taken by a mobile device; using the location data to identify network elements of the first communications network located proximate the path; and sending a page request for the mobile device only to the identified network elements. The method may further include mapping a first identifier for the mobile device to the second identifier for the mobile device; and using the second identifier to perform the querying. In certain embodiments, the mapping is initiated responsive to a call received for the mobile device.
US09439154B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a power control method, a user equipment, and a base station. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the following: a user equipment UE receives a transmitter power control TPC command sent by a base station, where the TPC command is used to indicate a power adjustment value of one carrier; and if the UE does not send a physical uplink control channel PUCCH in a previous uplink subframe of a current uplink subframe of the one carrier, performing, by the UE, according to a PUCCH transmit power used when the UE sends a latest PUCCH from among multiple carriers and the power adjustment value, TPC accumulation to obtain an updated PUCCH transmit power of the one carrier, where the multiple carriers include the one carrier.
US09439152B2
A user equipment in wireless communication system is provided. The user equipment includes an antenna unit including a plurality of antennas, a control unit for grouping the plurality of antennas into a predetermined number of antenna groups and controlling separately transmission power of each of the predetermined number of antenna groups, and a transmitting unit, connected to the control unit, for transmitting at least one of data and control information to a base station via at least one of the predetermined number of antenna groups.
US09439149B2
A method of power saving in a wireless local area network, and a wireless apparatus therefore are discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes acquiring a transmission opportunity (TXOP), receiving a signal field, the signal field including a group identifier, a number indicator and a power saving indicator, the group identifier indicating a group of recipients, the number indicator indicating a number of spatial streams, the power saving indicator indicating that the transmitting device allows the wireless device to enter a doze state. The method according to the embodiment further includes entering the doze state until the end of the TXOP if the power saving indicator indicates an allowance of entering the doze state during the TXOP, the wireless device is a member of the group of recipients, and the number of spatial streams to be received by the wireless device is equal to zero.
US09439139B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling transition of an operation state of a cell in a wireless communication system. The cell includes a transceiver configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a terminal and another cell. The cell also includes a controller configured to transition an operation state of the cell from an active state to a dormant state, transmit a discovery signal, determine whether a cell activation signal is received from a node that controls the cell, and transition the operation state of the cell from the dormant state to the active state when the cell activation signal is received.
US09439135B2
Provided are a method of monitoring a control channel in a multiple antenna system, in which a plurality of layers are defined, and a wireless device using same. The wireless device monitors the control channel in a search layer that is selected from the plurality of layers.
US09439131B2
A rogue access point in a wireless local-area network can be disabled by an authorized access point wirelessly transmitting a layer-2 broadcast packet. If a rogue access point receives this broadcast packet, it will forward a copy to the switch to which it is connected. The switch then determines whether the port on which the copy of the broadcast packet is received is associated an authorized access point port. If the switch determines the port is not an authorized access point port, the switch shuts down the port.
US09439130B2
A method and computer programs for controlling relay in a group communication, including transmitting, by an originating mobile computing device (OUE) to a set of recipient mobile computing devices (RUE1, . . . RUEn) members of a communication group, a message; receiving the message by at least some of the recipient mobile computing devices that individually send an acknowledge message to the rest of the mobile computing device members of the group; receiving, by one of the recipient mobile computing devices (RUEi) which has not received the message from the originating mobile computing device but has received at least two acknowledge messages from potential relaying mobile computing devices, three different parameters from each of the potential relaying mobile computing devices; and applying, by the recipient mobile computing device, an algorithm accounting for the three parameters to select which relaying mobile computing devices relays the communications initiated by the originating mobile computing device.
US09439119B2
A method of performing hand-over in a personal basic service set (PBSS) including a plurality of stations and one coordinator is provided. An association request frame comprising PCP capability information, and requesting to associate to the PBSS, is received from each of the stations. The PCP capability information comprises information regarding at least one of whether each of the stations supports a power source capability of continuous power supply, whether each of the stations supports a channel time allocation function, and whether each of the stations supports a network clustering function. An association response frame, indicating whether the association request received from each of the stations is approved, is transmitted to each of the stations, and a priority to be a coordinator of the stations is determined based on the PCP capability information. Hand-over is performed with one of the stations according to the determined priority.
US09439117B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for handover to cell supporting multiple frequency bands are provided. One method comprises indicating, by a UE, supported bands to a serving eNB, and indicating to the serving eNB that the UE can be handed over to any band overlapping with the supported bands. The method may also include receiving the EARFCN of a target eNB from the serving eNB, and connecting to the target eNB regardless of whether the EARFCN corresponds to any band indicated by the target eNB as being supported and/or regardless of whether the EARFCN is equal to an EARFCN indicated as being used by the target eNB. The indicating may further include indicating to the serving eNB that the UE will not autonomously terminate connection with a target cell if the target eNB does not transmit in any of the indicated supported bands.
US09439111B2
A method, device and system for a cell handover in a telecommunication system supporting carrier aggregation. The method may include: a Base Station (BS) determines that whether carrier components corresponding to one or more cells to be accessed are in the same frequency band, wherein the one or more cells to be accessed belong to a target BS, and are selected by a terminal which needs to perform the cell handover and is served by the BS; if yes, the BS encapsulates configuration information of all the cells in the one or more cells to be accessed in a handover command for initiating cell handover; otherwise, the BS encapsulates configuration information of one or more cells in the one or more cells to be accessed in the handover command, and sends the handover command to the target BS.
US09439110B2
Various examples provide a method and a system for spectrum handover in cognitive radio (CR) systems. According to the method, after detecting a user of an authorized system appears at a current working frequency, the base station generates a spectrum handover command and sends the spectrum handover command via a channel identified by the CR DWNDI to instruct the UEs in the cell to perform spectrum handover according to the spectrum handover command.
US09439107B2
An example method for handover in a wireless telecommunication network environment is provided and includes receiving a handover request from a first Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) nodeB (eNB) for an application executing at a user equipment (UE) in a long term evolution (LTE) wireless network environment, the handover request being sent by the first eNB to a second eNB, determining, at the second eNB, whether substantially all mandatory bearers required by the application can be accepted at the second eNB, and responding by the second eNB to the first eNB with a handover preparation failure message when substantially all mandatory bearers required by the application cannot be accepted at the second eNB. In specific embodiments, the handover request includes a list of substantially all mandatory bearers required by the application.
US09439101B2
Presented are methods and arrangements for adapting the load in a cell based on information on upcoming events related to a backhaul link. The upcoming events related to the backhaul link may be delayed in order to give enough time for an RBS to complete activities related to the load adaptation. Thus, UEs may be handed over to neighboring cells proactively, before the cell becomes overloaded due to events related to the backhaul link.
US09439096B2
Methods and apparatus for sending and receiving mobile station (MS) specific channel state indication reference symbols (CSI-RS) is provided. A common CSI-RS is sent from a base station (BS) and is received by an MS. First feedback is sent to the BS from the MS based on the common CSI-RS. A configuration of an MS-specific CSI-RS is sent from the BS and received by the MS. An MS specific CSI-RS is sent from the BS and is received by the MS. Second feedback is sent to the BS from the MS based on the MS specific CSI-RS.
US09439092B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting cell site component faults are provided. An unmanned aerial vehicle may be utilized to collect heat signature information about remotely located cell towers. The heat signature information is analyzed to detect any anomalies at the remote cell site that may indicate an antenna, radio, or cable connector are malfunctioning or need repair, for example. When an anomaly is detected, an indication of the anomaly and information to identify one or more components that correspond to the anomaly are communicated.
US09439091B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for detecting ongoing transmissions and assessing channel state, based on midpacket detection. One example method generally includes receiving signals on a primary channel; detecting, based on the received signals, occurrence or non-occurrence of a first ongoing packet transmission on a primary channel; and generating at least one of a busy signal or an idle signal based on the detection. In this manner, collisions may be avoided.
US09439084B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for operation of an evolved node B to provide multiple coverage enhancement levels. Various embodiments may include an operational mode configured to provide a first coverage enhancement level associated with user equipments (UEs) that have established communication with the eNB. These embodiments may also include a discovery mode configured to operate at a second coverage enhancement level to discover UEs configured for a higher coverage enhancement level. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09439081B1
Untapped capacity and opportunities for immediate performance improvement can be brought to light in wireless networks through the use of new predictive analytics tools and processes. By knowing the specific breaking points in the network well in advance, network adjustments can be planned and implemented in time to preserve a good customer experience. To successfully manage rapidly rising traffic, network operators can adopt a performance-based approach to capacity planning and optimization. Predictive analytics tools and processes may allow a user to view current network conditions for one or more cells in a network. The tools and processes may also allow the user to view predicted network conditions on a chosen future date for one or more cells in the network.
US09439080B2
The present invention provides a method, apparatus and a computer program product for feedback design of hierarchical coordinated multipoint transmission. The present invention includes obtaining, at a user equipment, a list including a predetermined number of cells, identifying, at the user equipment, a cooperation set of cells including the cell serving the user equipment, determining, at the user equipment, for each cell included in the list whether the cell belongs to the identified cooperation set of the user equipment, and if the cell belongs to the cooperation set of the user equipment, reporting a first predetermined set of parameters, and if the cell does not belong to the cooperation set of the user equipment, reporting a second predetermined set of parameters.
US09439074B2
Apparatus, methods, and programs for protecting data on a wireless device may include a wireless device having a computer platform with a processing engine operable, based upon configurable parameters, to log data access attempt on the wireless device and transmit the log to a remote device. Furthermore, the wireless device may be configured to execute locally and remotely generated control commands on the wireless device, the commands operable to modify an operation of the wireless device. The embodiment may also include an apparatus operable to receive the transmitted log, analyze the received log and transmit a control command to the wireless device. The apparatus may further generate a data access report and make the report available to an authorized user.
US09439073B2
Disclosed is a technique for reporting the IP address of a UE using a response message to a device trigger. A control message receiving unit receives, from a network, a control message generated based on a trigger request message transmitted from the predetermined communication device for requesting the transmission of the control message to a communication terminal. A determining unit determines whether to perform communication with the predetermined communication device using an IP packet. A connection management unit acquires an IP address allocated to an IP connection used in communication with the predetermined communication device when determining to perform the communication using the IP packet at the time of receiving the control message at the control message receiving unit. A response message transmitting unit transmits a response message to the control message to the network, where the response message includes the IP address acquired by the connection management unit.
US09439069B2
A SIM provider apparatus is disclosed that is configured to generate a first service provider key (SPK) based on master attributes at the SIM provider apparatus. The master attributes, including a master key, are shared by both the SIM provider apparatus and a SIM container. The SIM provider apparatus is further configured to verify a second SPK, received from the SIM container and generated based on the master attributes in the SIM container, is the same as the first SPK. The SIM provider apparatus then stores the first SPK in response to the first SPK being the same as the second SPK.
US09439068B2
A peripheral device for establishing a network connection with a gateway is disclosed, and includes a request module and a configuration logic. The request module sends a request for identification and receives an authenticator responsive to sending the request for identification. The authenticator includes data indicative of predefined settings of the gateway. The configuration logic is in data communication with a plurality of configurations stored within a memory of the peripheral device. In response to receiving the predefined settings from the request module, the configuration logic selects a specific configuration from the plurality of configurations, where the specific configuration defines a set of attributes that correspond to the predefined settings of the gateway. The configuration logic also activates the specific configuration once the specific configuration has been selected. The configuration logic also establishes a network connection with the gateway based on a wireless communication protocol.
US09439056B2
Methods and systems may provide for conducting an authentication of an external card associated with a borrower of a device, and tracking a usage of the device by the borrower if the authentication of the external card is successful. In addition, the usage may be reported to a billing service. The usage may be billed according to a fee based policy so that payment for the usage may be obtained from the borrower of the device rather than the owner of the device.
US09439055B2
A mobile electronic device and method is disclosed. The mobile electronic device includes a detection module, a first memory a second memory and a clock control module. The detection module is configured to detect a user input to make an emergency call. The first memory stores one or more first clock rates. The clock control module configured to perform select one of the one or more first clock rates as a selected first clock rate such that an odd-multiple of the one of the first clock rates is different from a carrier frequency of a positioning signal that is received from a global positioning system. The control module is further configured to perform set a clock rate of the second memory to the selected rate in response to a detection of the user input.
US09439049B2
A flexible, extensible, and dynamically configurable message service gateway that offers inter alia a façade through which a Content Provider (CP), among others, may invoke services to simply and easily complete among other things opt-in and opt-out activities in connection with a CP campaign or initiative. Among other things such a façade may hide various of the complexities, technical aspects, etc. of different communication paradigms including for example Short Message Service, Multimedia Message Service, Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem, Wireless Application Protocol, Electronic Mail, Instant Messaging, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, etc. Such a façade may be offered by a centrally-located, full-featured Messaging Inter-Carrier Vendor.
US09439041B2
In a system facilitating the calibration of a map-point grid for an indoor location determination, the grid includes several map points, each having a radio frequency (RF) data fingerprint being associated therewith. At least one of: (i) RF signal data from several RF sources, (ii) a user specified location indication, and (ii) tracking data from a sensor, the tracking data indicating a user's movement relative to a base map point, are received. The map-point grid is updated based on, at least in part, at least one of (i) adjusted RF data, the received RF data being adjusted using systematic analysis thereof, (ii) the tracking data, and (iii) the location indication. A user's location may be determined based on the fingerprints associated with the map-point grid, and sensor data.
US09439034B2
Methods and systems are described for communicating messages using a home automation system. An example computer-implemented method for communicating based on geo location information using an automation and security system includes determining a geo location of a person relative to a property being monitored by the automation and security system, and automatically delivering a message to the person based on the geo location.
US09439029B2
Systems and methods for continuous measurement of an analyte in a host are provided. The system generally includes a continuous analyte sensor configured to continuously measure a concentration of analyte in a host and a sensor electronics module physically connected to the continuous analyte sensor during sensor use, wherein the sensor electronics module is further configured to directly wirelessly communicate sensor information to one or more display devices. Establishment of communication between devices can involve using a unique identifier associated with the sensor electronics module to authenticate communication. Times tracked at the sensor electronics module and the display module can be at different resolutions, and the different resolutions can be translated to facilitate communication. In addition, the frequency of establishing communication channels between the sensor electronics module and the display devices can vary depending upon whether reference calibration information is being updated.
US09439025B1
A mobile communications device. The device comprises a memory, a processor; and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, receives a software payload from a provider, parses the software payload into nodes, accesses the first set of files according to a first set of nodes, changes at least one value within the first set of files, accesses the second set of files according to a second set of nodes, and reconfigures the second set of files, without altering the first set of files.
US09439024B2
A chip card for use in a terminal device assigned to a communications network, having at least one data field containing variable parameter data. To modify parameter data stored on the chip card, the chip card has an application, which is implemented on the chip card, in addition to the at least one data field containing variable parameter data, that the application is designed for generating and/or providing variable parameter data, and that an interface is provided between the application and the at least one data field containing variable parameter data. In addition, a terminal device having such a chip card is described, the terminal device additionally having an input application for generating parameter data for the chip card and for providing the generated parameter data in the application for generating and/or providing variable parameter data.
US09439007B2
A hearing instrument uses an MID (Molded Interconnect Device) to replace a complexly folded and expensive flexible PCB (Printed Circuit Board) inside hearing aids and enables the use of complex MID frames in hearing instruments. An additional routing building block is provided for the very complex routing around active electronic components, e.g. chips or ASICs and small passive electronic components. It includes a small, preferably rigid mini PCB provided for the complex routing. A large Flex-PCB is therefore replaced by a combination of an MID circuit frame and a mini PCB. The mini PCB enables complex routing of conducting paths and thus helps to increase integration while the MID circuit frame provides for a mechanical structure that enables and alleviates placing and connecting components such as microphones or receivers at respective mounting positions, e.g. at openings of a hearing aid housing.
US09438999B2
Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion. The acoustic transducer may be a hybrid acoustic transducer.
US09438998B2
Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion.
US09438990B2
Provided is an electronic device that generates, by vibrating a vibration body, vibration sound by the vibration. The electronic device executes a side tone function by using sound collected by a microphone 7 during the vibration of the vibration body. When an open/close detector 100 detects a closed state, the electronic device also stops the side tone, improving usability of the electronic device.
US09438988B2
Headsets presented herein may include at least one earpiece having an adjustable bone conduction element and an ear bud. The location of the bone conduction element may be repositioned by sliding a slidably-coupled section to which the bone conduction element is attached. The ear bud may be disengaged without disturbing the positioning of the bone conduction element. Additionally, the earpiece may be attached to a base member via a pivoting element that is coupled to wire that retracts into the base member. The base member can be controlled by a cell phone and charge by plugging into a solar harness.
US09438983B2
The present invention provides a signal processing circuit and a signal processing method applied to a headset. In the present invention, the signal processing circuit adjusts gain and phase of a left channel signal and a right channel signal to generate a first adjust signal, and a recorded sound from a microphone is added by the first adjust signal to cancel a coupled signal. In addition, the signal processing circuit adjusts gain and phase of the right channel signal to generate a second adjust signal, and the right channel signal is added by the second adjust signal to cancel a coupled signal; and the signal processing circuit adjusts gain and phase of the left channel signal to generate a third adjust signal, and the left channel signal is added by the third adjust signal to cancel a coupled signal.
US09438980B2
A headphone ear cup for mounting on a surface of a speaker unit of a headphone includes an annular cushion having a sound hole at a center thereof, and a composite cover having a ventilative layer and an air-tight layer. The composite cover wraps around the annular cushion and defines an inner-side portion, an outer-side portion and an ear-abutting portion. The ventilative and air-tight layers are respectively formed by the outer-side portion and a composite of the inner-side and ear-abutting portions or by a composite of the outer-side and ear-abutting portions and the inner-side portion. Therefore, the ventilative layer and the annular cushion form a good heat dissipation path to have excellent air-permeable property, and air-tight layer provides an improved acoustic field effect.
US09438977B2
The present invention is provided with an outlet mechanism with additional function, which comprises a fixation base, a hand shower and an additional module. The fixation base is assembled to a shower arm with an inlet, an outlet and a waterway connecting the inlet and the outlet, the inlet is connected to the shower arm. The hand shower is connected to the outlet of the fixation base by a flexible pipe and is detachably fixedly connected to the fixation base. The additional module detachably attached to the fixation base. The present invention has advantages: with the additional function, for example it can play music or give off perfume, the structure is simple with fewer components, the configuration is reasonable, and the structure is compact.
US09438974B2
A speaker assembly has a speaker housing and one or more clamping subassemblies, with each subassembly including a drive dog, a clamping dog with a dogleg, a compression spring, and a dog screw, and with each subassembly capable of transitioning between four positions. In a parked position, the entire clamping subassembly is housed in the speaker housing with the compression spring in a compressed state between drive dog and the clamping dog. By rotating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a ready-to-release position where the dogleg of the clamping dog extends out of the speaker housing. By pushing the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a released position, where the compression spring forces the clamping dog away from the drive dog. By further rotating the dog screw, the clamping subassembly is transitioned to a clamped position, where the compression spring returned to the compressed state.
US09438965B2
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to identify media delivery are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a first log from a media provider, the first log comprising first source address information, first destination address information, first source port information, first destination port information, and media identification information; receiving a second log from a first receiver, the second log comprising second source address information, second destination address information, second source port information, and second destination port information; comparing information in the first log to information in the second log to attempt to identify a matching entry between the media provider and the receiver; and when a matching entry is identified, storing the media identification information from the first log in association with the receiver.
US09438964B2
An apparatus for communicating content is disclosed. A system and method also perform the functions of the apparatus. The apparatus includes a capturing module that captures a live video of an image and an environment surrounding the image. The image has an embedded cryptographic representation of a code and the code corresponds to a unit of content. The apparatus includes a decoding module that decodes the embedded cryptographic representation of the code, a content retrieval module that retrieves the unit of content corresponding to the code from a storage location, and a display module that displays the unit of content on the live video of the image or the image environment.
US09438954B2
A television system that provides an on screen display menu system that allows a user to select from available input source using a graphical user interface. The television system also automatically adapts to the type on input signal selected for display. The television system and on screen display menu also support interaction between the television system and attached devices to unify the control of such devices including attached personal computers through the remote control of the television system.
US09438952B2
A method for storing a television program in a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and modifying the marketing in the television program to the user's location. The software embodiment of the present invention is a Rules Engine located in the DVR. The DVR records the television programming and the Rules Engine sends a program ID and a user ID to the service provider. A service provider program (SPP) receives the program ID and user ID and determines the user's location from the user ID. The SPP acquires local marketing content specific to the user's location based on the user ID and the marketing ID. The SPP sends the local marketing content back to the Rules Engine. The Rules Engine then modifies the marketing in the recorded television programming with the local marketing content and displays the television programming upon user request.
US09438944B1
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a snipe-overlay video effect (DVE). An example method involves (i) selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, the first log-entry corresponding to a snipe-overlay DVE, to a snipe video, and to a start time; (ii) selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, the second log-entry corresponding to a video component (VC) and the start time; (iii) causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; (iv) making a determination that a threshold time-period has passed since the start time; and (v) responsive to making the determination (a) causing the snipe video to be sent to the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the snipe-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying the snipe video on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.
US09438942B2
A routing device is coupled to a storage device to function as a digital video recorder (DVR) to store digital content. The routing device may include a client function to receive and store the digital content, and a server function to provide the stored digital content to a user device. Digital content directed to the client function may be recorded by the storage device, while other digital content may be passed by server function to the user device. The digital content may be received by the routing device in an encoded and/or encrypted format, and the digital content may be recorded by the storage device in the encoded and/or encrypted format.
US09438940B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to identify media using hash keys. An example method involves when a first metered hash key does not match a first reference hash key, generating, with a processor, an error level using a bitwise comparison of the first metered hash key and a second reference hash key corresponding to a second metered hash key. When the error level satisfies a threshold, the example method involves obtaining, with a processor, media reference data stored in association with the second reference hash key, and storing, with a processor, the media reference data in association with the first metered hash key.
US09438929B2
An encoding and decoding method and apparatus are disclosed. whereby, According to the disclosed method, in response to a current frame including a current block being a P frame, a motion vector and an intra-mode-to-inter mode ratio of a frame encoded and decoded previously to the current frame are analyzed in order to determine a temporal search range and a spatial search range of a reference frame.
US09438922B2
A video encoding method and apparatus and video decoding method and apparatus generate a restored image having a minimum error with respect to an original image based on offset merge information indicating whether offset parameters of a current block and at least one neighboring block from among blocks of video are identical.
US09438914B2
An encoding apparatus includes an encoding unit that encodes an image to be encoded; a generating unit that generates a local decoded image from the encoded image; a difference calculation unit that calculates difference values between pixels included in the local decoded image and pixels included in the image to be encoded; and a modifying unit that determines pixels from the local decoded image based on the difference values, and modifies the determined pixels.
US09438911B2
A video processing system includes a data buffer and a storage controller. The data buffer is shared between a plurality of in-loop filters, wherein not all of the in-loop filters comply with a same video standard. The storage controller controls data access of the data buffer, wherein for each in-loop filter granted to access the data buffer, the data buffer stores a partial data of a picture processed by the in-loop filter. Another video processing system includes a storage device and a storage controller. The storage controller adaptively determines a size of a storage space according to a tile partition setting of a picture to be processed by an in-loop filter, and controls the storage device to allocate the storage space to serve as a data buffer for storing data of the in-loop filter.
US09438896B2
A video eyewear device in which parallel side-by-side video signals are driven as analog signals to the left and right displays, with timing controlled by a common sampling clock. A left display sampling clock burst occurs during an active video period and the right display burst occurs during the same portion of the active video period.
US09438886B2
A method of using two parallax scanning lenses to capture left and right points of view for stereoscopic three-dimensional display. The method includes establishing first and second parallax scanning points of view and overlapping fields of view of a subject volume including a region of interest. The method includes reading at least one scene parameter associated with the field of view of the subject volume. The method includes determining stereoscopic and parallax scanning setting based on a value(s) derived from at least one scene parameter. The method also includes computer generating and storing virtual parallax scanning stereoscopic imagery.
US09438876B2
Trick mode play for controlling video content playback can be realized using a semantic based criterion in order to achieve a more uniform playback experience for the viewer, when that viewer wishes to observe the video content presented according to a selected semantic. In one embodiment of the method, semantics associated with shorter time intervals in the video content are replayed in trick mode play proportionally slower than semantics associated with longer time intervals, wherein the proportionally is determined, at least in part, to the time interval associated with each semantic. In various embodiments, semantics can include scenes, audio, metadata, tags, and the like. The semantics based trick mode play approach allows for a more uniform viewing experience, on a time duration basis, from one semantic to the next.
US09438868B2
An imaging device may include a primary imaging sensor and a secondary imaging sensor. The secondary imaging sensor may monitor a scene being imaged by the imaging device for trigger criteria such as sudden movement, changes in the intensity of ambient light, and the presence of a particular object or person. Upon detection of relevant trigger criteria, the imaging device may activate the primary imaging sensor and capture one or more images of the scene with the primary imaging sensor. Operational parameters of the primary imaging sensor including framerate and exposure settings may be based on data from the secondary imaging sensor. The secondary imaging sensor may have a lower power consumption than the primary imaging sensor such that monitoring the scene with the secondary imaging sensor and only activating the primary imaging sensor upon detection of the relevant trigger criteria enables an efficient and adaptive imaging system.
US09438862B2
The invention relates to a surveillance camera having a network interface and a storage means for video data storage within the camera. In this context, it is provided that the storage means is designed for storing video data to be stored in at least one other camera accessible via the interface and/or for storing video data received from at least one other camera via the network interface.
US09438858B1
Techniques are disclosed for sharing image data in a collaborative environment. In a network based server situated in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network, a request may be received for a session ID from an image capture requesting device via a networked connection. The network based server may return a session ID to the image capture requesting device. The network based server may then receive image data indicative of a whiteboard and including marked corners. The image data may further comprise metadata including the session ID. The network based server may then process the received image, the processing including a rasterization process and a vectorization process. The network based server may then create a snapshot comprising the received image data, the rasterized image data, the vectorized image data, and the metadata. The network based server may then receive an access request for a snapshot associated with a session ID from a media consumption requesting device via a networked connection and provide access to the snapshot to the media consumption requesting device.
US09438851B2
Disclosed are a display apparatus and a method for preventing divulgence of image data thereof which may prevent image information including image data photographed by a camera of the display apparatus from being divulged by hacking, etc. The display apparatus includes a camera which captures an image; a display which displays the image thereon based on image data captured by the camera; a communicator which communicates with an outside of the apparatus through an Internet; and a controller which transmits image information including the image data captured by the camera, in the form of a transmission packet including the image data and a detection mark or indicator capable of detecting or indicating that the image data is to be transmitted to the outside, when the image information is to be transmitted to the outside through the communicator.
US09438842B2
A reproduction control apparatus that enables a user to perform fast forward and fast rewind of a moving image by an intuitive operation, and provides good operability. The reproduction apparatus controls reproduction of a moving image including a plurality of frames. A controller detects selection of an area including an object by a user's touch operation during reproduction of the moving image. The size of an object is detected for each of the plurality of frames. The controller searches for a frame including the object, which corresponds in size to the size of the selected area, and the frame found by the search is reproduced and displayed.
US09438833B2
Provided is a solid-state imaging device including an imaging area where a plurality of unit pixels are disposed to capture a color image, wherein each of the unit pixels includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions; a plurality of transfer gates, each of which is disposed in each of the photoelectric conversion portions to transfer signal charges from the photoelectric conversion portion; and a floating diffusion to which the signal charges are transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions by the plurality of the transfer gates, wherein the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions receive light of the same color to generate the signal charges, and wherein the signal charges transferred from the plurality of the photoelectric conversion portions to the floating diffusion are added to be output as an electrical signal.
US09438832B2
A first region that includes a target pixel and extends in a first direction, and multiple regions and that are obtained by shifting the first region by a predetermined amount in direction perpendicular to the first direction are set. A first correction value is obtained using multiple pixel values selected in the regions based on correlation values indicating a degree of correlation with the target pixel. The value of the target pixel is corrected using a correction value obtained from the first correction value and the pixel value selected in the first region, with a weight based on the sizes of the correlation value corresponding to the first correction value and the correlation value corresponding to the pixel value selected in the first region.
US09438828B2
Provided is a photoelectric conversion apparatus including: a pixel array having pixels arranged in matrix; a pixel output line provided according to each column of the pixel array and transmitting a pixel signal output from a pixel of each column of the pixel array; a column signal processing unit provided according to each column of the pixel array and into which the pixel signal is input from the pixel output line, in which the column signal processing unit has a plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units configured to add up or average the plurality of pixel signals based on the pixels of different columns of the pixel array; and a plurality of adding up or averaging modes with different numbers of columns subjected to adding up or averaging can be selected by selectively using one or a plurality of the plurality of horizontal adding up or averaging units.
US09438821B1
A method for processing digital video to have grain corresponding to a motion picture film, the method having the steps of: receiving a plurality of different grain assets corresponding to different film exposure levels; receiving a digital video image; separating the digital video image into a plurality of luminance delineated matte images; adding a different grain asset to each of the plurality of luminance delineated matte images to create a plurality of asset plates; and combining the plurality of asset plates to form a final digital video image.
US09438820B1
System and methods are provided for processing composite video signals. The system includes: a clock synthesizer configured to generate a line lock clock signal; an interpolation unit configured to generate source data associated with a source composite video signal, the source composite video signal being related to a source clock signal; a buffer unit configured to store the source data based at least in part on the source clock signal and provide destination data based at least in part on the line lock clock signal; a signal processing unit configured to process the destination data to extract a synchronization component and determine a phase error between the synchronization component and the line lock clock signal. The clock synthesizer is further configured to adjust the line lock clock signal based at least in part on the phase error.
US09438815B2
There is provided a control device including a setting unit configured to set a first control value used for performing exposure control of a first pixel group and a second control value used for performing exposure control of a second pixel group, the first pixel group and the second pixel group being disposed in a single imaging surface. The setting unit sets the first control value and the second control value to different values before a predetermined photometric process is executed.
US09438799B2
A method is described to greatly improve the efficiency of and reduce the complexity of image compression when using single-sensor color imagers for video acquisition. The method in addition allows for this new image compression type to be compatible with existing video processing tools, improving the workflow for film and television production.
US09438779B2
A wide-angle camera and fabrication method thereof includes a sensor with a plurality of pixel sub-arrays and an array of optical elements on a first side of a substrate. Each of the optical elements is capable of forming an image from a field of view onto a different one of the pixel sub-arrays. The wide-angle camera also includes an array of achromatic doublet prisms on a second side of the substrate, where each of the achromatic doublet prisms is aligned to provide a viewing angle with a different one of the optical elements. The sensor captures a wide-angle field of view while having a compact format.
US09438778B2
An image pickup device including an imaging lens, an image sensor, and a multiple aperture optical element is provided. The multiple aperture optical element is disposed on a light path between the imaging lens and the image sensor, and includes aperture elements arranged in an array. A ratio of an image side f-number of the imaging lens to an object side f-number of the imaging lens is within a range of 0.25 to 2. A light field image pickup lens is also provided.
US09438772B2
A method and apparatus for obtaining 2D silhouettes from one or more 3D objects, which uses an image acquisition unit having a telecentric lens system that is able to fully scan an object in one dimension.
US09438762B2
An image sensor IC includes: light receiving elements disposed linearly adjacent to each other on a surface of a quadrilateral semiconductor substrate having opposite parallel sides, and disposed oblique to at least one set of opposite sides from a predetermined position on one side thereof to be opposed in the semiconductor substrate to a predetermined position on the other side thereof; and interpolation elements provided at one end portion or both end portions of the one set of opposite sides on a side of a region in which an angle formed by the linearly disposed light receiving elements and the set of opposite sides is obtuse, the interpolation elements having an oblique angle to the linearly disposed light receiving elements and receiving light on an outer side of the linearly disposed light receiving elements.
US09438754B2
Information is collected by acquiring imaging data of a plurality of objects using an imaging tool; creating a three-dimensional representation of the plurality of objects based on the imaging data; and extracting RFID data stored in an RFID tag using an RFID reader. The RFID tag has a reference to a three-dimensional model. The three-dimensional model is created before acquiring the imaging data of the plurality of objects. And the three-dimensional model is a representation of at least one object of the plurality of objects.
US09438751B2
An image forming apparatus includes a case, a medium cassette that is detachably installed to the case selectively loading types of mediums, a sensor that detects first and second states of the medium cassette, the first status being determined when the medium cassette installed in the case moves in a detaching direction, and the second state being determined when the medium cassette moves in an installing direction, an output part that outputs medium setting promotion information for setting medium type information, and a control part that controls an image forming process based on a detection result by the sensor and the medium type information. When the second state is detected before a predetermined time passes from a detection of the first state by the sensor, the control part performs the image forming process by omitting an output of the medium setting promotion information, and when the second state is detected after the predetermined time has passed from the detection of the first state, the control part performs the image forming process after outputting the medium setting promotion information.
US09438750B2
An image reading device includes a transport path along which a medium having an image recorded thereon is transported; a light source member that radiates light onto the medium passing a predetermined read position in the transport path; a reading member that receives light from the read position and reads the image on the medium; a detecting member that is disposed in the transport path and that detects the medium; and a notifying member that notifies a user that the medium is jammed based on a detection result of the detecting member. The light source member is turned on when the medium is jammed based on the detection result of the detecting member.
US09438743B1
A personal safety glove including a glove having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an adjustable cuff. A camera, a speaker, an activation control, a charging port, an emergency control, and an indicator light are disposed on the glove. A rechargeable battery, a GPS tracking chip, and a microprocessor are disposed within the glove. The emergency control has a first position, an alternate second position, and an alternate third position. The emergency control is configured to activate the speaker to sound an alarm when the emergency control is in the first position. The emergency control is configured to activate the camera when the emergency control is in the second position. The emergency control is configured to activate the GPS tracking chip when the emergency control is in the third position.
US09438729B2
A device may receive an indication to test a call flow associated with an interactive voice response (IVR) system. The device may identify an input associated with the call flow, and may identify a first response associated with the call flow. The first response may be determined based on providing the input to the IVR system on a previous call. The device may initiate a test call with the IVR system. The test call may be initiated after the previous call, and may cause the input to be provided to the IVR system and a second response to be received from the IVR system. The device may identify the second response, and may compare first audio information, associated with the first response, and second audio information associated with the second response. The device may determine a test result based on the comparison, and may provide the test result.
US09438720B2
Exchanging information via a designated application includes establishing a voice communication link with a client device, sending a launch command associated with a designated application to the client device via the voice communication link, wherein the launch command is configured to cause the designated application to be launched at the client device; and exchanging information with the client device using the designated application, wherein the designated application is configured to receive input information and the input information is received from the client device.
US09438716B2
Methods and apparatuses for activity indication are disclosed. In one example, an activity indicator apparatus includes a housing, a visual indicator visible on a housing surface, and a power source. The apparatus includes a wireless communications interface configured to receive a signal indicating an activity of a user device, and an activity indication application configured to indicate the activity at the visual indicator.
US09438710B2
Polymer materials that are color-matched with non-polymer materials are disclosed. Methods involve incorporating the same type of dyes used to colorize the non-polymer materials within the polymer materials. In some embodiments, a solvent casting process is used, which involves dissolving a polymer material and a dye with a solvent or a combination of solvents forming a dye-polymer mixture. In some embodiments, the dye-polymer mixture is dispensed onto a carrier and the solvent is removed forming a dyed polymer layer that can be applied onto a part as a color veneer. In some embodiments, the dye-polymer mixture is dispensed into mold and the solvent is removed forming a dyed polymer structure that can be used as a stand-alone structure or as part of a larger structure.
US09438708B2
A cellular phone includes a first display; a second display; and a CPU which executes a first processing and a second processing according to an input with respect to a display detected by the panel sensors, and displays screens based on the first processing and the second processing on the display, respectively. The CPU executes a control for distinguishing the display displaying the screen in an active state from the display displaying the screen in an inactive state with respect to at least one of the display.
US09438703B2
Embodiments of the apparatus for forming a hash input from packet contents relate to a programmable flexible solution to form hash inputs, allowing for hardware changes and for adding support for newer protocols as and when they are defined in the future. A packet is split into individual layers. Each layer is given a unique layer type number that helps identify what that layer is. Based on the layer type, each layer is expanded to a generic format. Each layer has a set of hash commands that is generic to that layer. Fields of each hash command are fieldOffset, fieldLen, hashMask, and hashMaskMSB. These hash commands allow information in the packet to be extracted in a programmable manner. The fields extracted from each protocol layer of the packet are concatenated to form a hash layer. A bit vector indicates which hash layers are used to form the hash input.
US09438698B2
Embodiments include a method of disseminating information regarding at least one electrical device using a registration server. The at least one electrical device has unique identification information, an internal IP address, and an external IP address, wherein the external IP address is an IP address of a first gateway device for a first local network. The method can include: receiving in the registration server a first request to register the at least one electrical device, the first request to register includes the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the at least one electrical device; storing in the registration server the unique identification information, the internal IP address, and the external IP address of the at least one electrical device using the registration server; receiving in the registration server from a first client computer a first request for information regarding the at least one electrical device, the first request includes the external IP address of the first client computer and the unique identification information of the at least one electrical device; providing to the first client computer the external IP address of the at least one electrical device if the external IP address of the first client computer is different from the external IP address of the at least one electrical device; and providing to the first client computer the internal IP address of the at least one electrical device if the external IP address of the first client computer is identical to the external IP address of the at least one electrical device. The registration server is not part of the first local network. In some examples, the at least one electrical device and the first gateway device are part of the first local network. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09438696B2
Described is a data communication protocol, in which a client and server negotiate in a manner that does not require the client to retry negotiation when servers are not capable of the client-desired protocol. In one example implementation, the desired protocol is SMB 2.0 or greater. The protocol describes a create command with possibly additional context data attached for built-in extensibility, and a compound command comprising a plurality of related commands or unrelated commands. A multi-channel command requests data transfer on a separate data channel, a signed capability verification may be used to ensure that a secure connection is established, and the protocol provides the ability to transfer extended error data from the server in response to a request.
US09438691B1
Embodiments are directed to users viewing and referring cards of content to other users. A user may refer a card by endorsing the card. By friending other users, users form a social network. Thus, a user may refer a card to friends, friends of friends, and other users. Cards may include one or more card tallies that are specific to a particular user. Card tallies may refer to the number of friends, of the particular user, that have endorsed the card, the number of friends of friends that have endorsed the card, and other users that have endorsed the card. By viewing the card tallies, the particular user may determine a utility of the card based on the number of the user's friends that have endorsed the card, the number of friends of friends that have endorsed the card, and the number of other users that have endorsed the card.
US09438688B1
A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining a first server and a second server within a server cluster. The first server includes a first cache system and the first and second servers are coupled to a data array that includes a LUN. The LUN is reserved for exclusive access by the first server, thus generating a first server reservation. Data associated with the LUN is cached within the first cache system of the first server. A loss of the first server reservation is sensed. In response to a loss of the first server reservation, the first cache system of the first server is purged.
US09438687B2
To employ presence information in conjunction with a notebook application, presence information is determined for one or more users associated with a notebook application. The presence information may be obtained from a variety of sources, such as a communication application, a social or professional network, and a presence module of the notebook application. Once determined, the presence information is presented to the users through a user interface in conjunction with a location within the notebook application or through a separate user interface. The notebook application may further track the presence information for the users interacting with the notebook application. The users may then be enabled to interact with the user interface to use the presented presence information in conjunction with content maintained by the notebook application.
US09438677B2
Multiple packets are received that were transmitted by multiple mobile electronic device sensors located in a predefined area. The packets each include data detected by the sensors of multiple mobile electronic devices. At least a portion of the collected data is stored including multiple unique device identifiers that belong to multiple mobile electronic devices. Responsive to determining that at least two of the unique device identifiers are sequential, a set of values based on the at least two unique devices identifiers are associated as belonging to a same one of the mobile electronic devices.
US09438676B2
In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a plurality of source data records from one or more source computers, wherein one or more first source data records are associated with a first source transaction and one or more second source data records are associated with a second source transaction; generating a first derived transaction comprising one or more first derived records based on the plurality of source data records; generating a first transaction mapping between the first derived transaction and the first source transaction; generating a second transaction mapping between the first derived transaction and the second source transaction; determining that the first derived transaction has ended, and in response, committing first derived transaction including the one or more first derived records to a persistent storage; receiving a first ending punctuation associated with the first source transaction, and in response, committing the first source transaction including the one or more first source data records associated with the first source transaction to the persistent storage; after committing the first derived transaction, determining that the second source transaction failed, and in response: determining that the first derived transaction should be regenerated based on the second transaction mapping, and in response, regenerating the first derived transaction.
US09438670B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method for data replication in a networking system comprising multiple computing nodes. The method comprises maintaining a data set on at least two computing nodes of the system. The method further comprises receiving a data update request for the data set, wherein the data update request includes a data update for the data set. The data set on the at least two computing nodes is updated based on the data update request received.
US09438662B2
A secure remote assistance session between computers that are behind firewalls and/or NAT devices is provided by an arrangement that uses a terminal services (“TS”) gateway to enable utilization of a remote desktop protocol (“RDP”) connection by a terminal services client in a reverse direction to that used in a conventional terminal services session. The connection is made via a regular TS gateway protocol mechanism by which the TS client behind a firewall establishes a connection to the remote server that is typically behind a firewall that protects a corporate network. The server then functions as the terminal services client to tunnel RDP data through the established TS gateway connection through the NAT firewall to a client. Thus, the server and client reverse roles after the TS gateway connection is made to thereby enable remote viewing of the graphical user interface that is displayed by the client in support of the remote assistance session.
US09438650B2
In a digital social relationship network, a social network server computer stores a digital social network representation corresponding to a graph having nodes representing individuals or groups and links representing actual social relationships between the individuals or groups. The server computer obtains relationship-dependent information corresponding to a plurality of links of the graph, and embeds the relationship-dependent information in the digital social network representation stored in the social network server computer. The server computer interactively presents to a user of a client computer connected to the social network server computer a social network of the individuals or groups and the social relationships between the individuals or groups. The social network server computer receives input from the user of the client computer selecting at least one of the social relationships between individuals or groups other than the user, and presents to the user of the client computer a social relationship profile comprising the relationship-dependent information corresponding to the social relationship selected by the user of the client computer. The server computer facilitates exchange of digital value to the user of the client computer, or a group to which the user of the client computer belongs, based on the relationship-dependent information embedded in the digital social network representation stored in the social network server computer.
US09438639B2
A network system includes a first device for performing specific processing; a second device for causing the first device to perform the specific processing; and a server for supporting the second device in having access to the first device. The first device includes a first session establishing portion which has access to the server and to establish a first session between the first device and the server. The second device includes an address information transmission portion which sends address information indicating an address of the second device to the server, and a transfer portion which transfers the address information through the first session to the first device. The first device further includes a second session establishing portion which has access to the second device based on the address information and to establish a second session between the first device and the second device.
US09438630B2
A server responds to a DHCP request for an IP address by setting a subnet in accordance with whether the client's MAC address is recognized as previously having been authenticated or otherwise associated with a policy. If the client has not been authenticated, the server provides a captive portal to enforce authentication. A routing device positioned in the network between clients and the server controls access to network resources by routing communications from clients in accordance with subnet addressing, where each subnet is associated with a policy.
US09438624B2
Technologies are directed to a detector to identify a side channel attack between virtual machines. According to some examples, an inter-processor interrupt (IPI) rate of a first virtual machine (VM), a time stamp counter (TSC) rate of a second VM, and a cache miss ratio (CMR) of a third VM may be monitored. A side channel attack may then be detected based on the IPI rate, the TSC rate, and the CMR.
US09438614B2
A distributed multi-agent system and method is implemented and employed across at least one intranet for purposes of real time collection, monitoring, aggregation, analysis and modeling of system and network operations, communications, internal and external accesses, code execution functions, network and network resource conditions as well as other assessable criteria within the implemented environment. Analytical models are constructed and dynamically updated from the data sources so as to be able to rapidly identify and characterize conditions within the environment (such as behaviors, events, and functions) that are typically characteristic with that of a normal state and those that are of an abnormal or potentially suspicious state. The model is further able to implement statistical flagging functions, provide analytical interfaces to system administrators and estimate likely conditions that characterize the state of the system and the potential threat. The model may further recommend (or alternatively implement autonomously or semi-autonomously) optimal remedial repair and recovery strategies as well as the most appropriate countermeasures to isolate or neutralize the threat and its effects.
US09438613B1
According to one embodiment, a threat detection platform is integrated with at least one virtual machine that automatically performs a dynamic analysis of a received document object and monitors the processing during the dynamic analysis. The dynamic analysis includes a detection of embedded objects and may automatically process the embedded objects, while maintaining a context of the embedding, within the virtual machine processing the document object. The virtual machine may monitor the processing of both the document object and the embedded object. The results of the processing may be analyzed to determine whether the document object includes malware and/or a threat level of the document object.
US09438612B1
Methods and systems for determining consecutive matches are provided. According to one embodiment, a class definition and a data stream are received by a network security device. The data stream is partitioned into multiple data blocks each containing N data segments. Each data block is processed in parallel to compute: (i) a value (F) indicating whether every data segment value meets the class definition; (ii) a value (L) indicating a number of consecutive data segment values meeting the class definition starting from the left; (iii) a value (M) indicating a maximum number of consecutive data segment values meeting the class definition; and (iv) a value (R) indicating a number of consecutive data segment values meeting the class definition starting from the right. Corresponding values for each data block are then aggregated to determine a maximum number of consecutive data segment values meeting the class definition for the entire data stream.
US09438607B2
An information processing apparatus obtains a plurality of messages transmitted between a client and a server, each message including at least one of a plurality of parameters and a value of the parameter. The information processing apparatus detects a parameter having different values set in different messages among the obtained plurality of messages, from among the plurality of parameters. According to the detection result, the information processing apparatus determines a rewrite parameter whose value is rewritten when using the plurality of messages for verification of a server, among the plurality of parameters.
US09438604B1
A determination is made that an authentication mechanism is unable to complete an attempt to authenticate, in association with a user attempting to access an application, user credentials. The user credentials include a user identifier and an additional authentication factor. An access allowance rate for the authentication mechanism is identified. The access allowance rate is based on a plurality of prior completed authentication attempts associated with the user identifier. A determination is made that the access allowance rate satisfies a set of criteria. In response to the determination that the authentication mechanism is unable to complete the authentication attempt and further in response to the determination that the access allowance rate satisfies the set of criteria, the user is allowed access to the application.
US09438599B1
A deployment approval system receives, from a deployment tool, a deployment request for performing a deployment to a particular resource. The deployment approval system can identify at least one rule for approving or rejecting the deployment request based on one or more criteria. The deployment approval system can determine whether the deployment request satisfies the one or more criteria in the at least one rule to approve or reject the request. If the deployment request is approved, the deployment approval system sends an approval to the deployment tool to perform the deployment. The deployment tool can then perform the deployment and, once the deployment is complete, the deployment approval system can receive a confirmation of the deployment. The deployment approval system can then store data describing the deployment in an audit repository.
US09438597B1
A validating device receives, from a client device associated with a user, a representation for a first credential associated with the user. The validating device validates the representation for the first credential associated with the user based on data derived from the representation for the first credential associated with the user and identification data associated with the validating device. The validating device obtains a first set of data associated with the user and a second set of data associated with the user. The second set of data is different from the first set of data. The first set of data is obtained based on verifying the identification data associated with the validating device. Obtaining the second set of data is independent of verifying the identification data associated with the validating device.
US09438580B2
An unregistered requestor requests access to confidential information of an individual stored at a computer. In one embodiment, the requestor is authenticated by the computer using at least two authentication tests. When the requestor is authenticated, the computer determines access permission for the requestor based on information provided from the requestor, and provides, to the requestor, access to the confidential information of the individual based on the access permission. In another embodiment, the computer presents a series of challenges to the requestor, and if any of the challenges is passed, access is granted.
US09438574B2
An authentication service to authenticate access requests over a Fiber Channel (FC) network is provided. An authentication request is generated by a client and is sent over the FC network to a server. The request can be a native FC message, such as a CT message. For example, authentication software can generate the native FC message. In another example, authentication software can send a UDP or TCP authentication request, and an application program interface (API) can translate the request into a native FC message, such as a CT message, and send the message over the FC network. In another example, the authentication request can be sent as an encapsulated IP over FC message. For example, an authentication client can communicate using UDP or TCP messages, and an HBA can encapsulate the messages as IP over FC and send the encapsulated messages over the FC network.
US09438558B2
Some implementations can include a method including reserving a range of multicast addresses for handling link-local multicasts and generating a multicast group within the range for each VLAN. The method can also include subscribing at an access point to a corresponding multicast group for a VLAN when a client associates with the access point, and tunneling link local multicast traffic from the client to a WSP component via an access tunnel. The method can further include forwarding the link local multicast traffic from the WSP component to subscribing access points.
US09438553B2
Systems and methods for implementing a subscription-based social media or fan club platform are provided. A content creator generates live content on a mobile device and sends requests to a server for initializing a live stream from the mobile device. The server sends requests to encoding service providers. The encoded live content is send to a content storage server. Subscribers of the social media or fan club platform can access the live content on their mobile devices from the content storage server.
US09438548B2
A messaging system that organizes and presents messages to users of the messaging system. The messaging system includes a mailbox module that receives messages and generates conversation threads from the messages. Messages received from different electronic message channels may be aggregated into a common conversation thread. The conversation threads are also organized in a message interface and then presented to a user of the messaging system. The messaging system may include a social networking system that stores social information about users, which can be used to organize the conversation threads. Other features include a multi mode message interface, and a method for adding contextual information to messages.
US09438547B2
System and methods for the implementation and/or enforcement of an email policy for an organization's email system are presented. A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy may be implemented on top of the email system. In one embodiment, the DLP policy may comprise modules and/or processing that tests emails for such sensitive data within emails. If an email comprises such sensitive data, then the DLP policy directives may specify processing to be applied as part of each stage of mail processing, from authoring to mail processing on the server and delivery. A single policy may be authored and managed that will apply the policy directives uniformly across all aspects of the message lifecycle. Each of the message policy enforcement systems may evaluate the single policy definition and apply the policy directives in a manner consistent with the contextual evaluation of the policy.
US09438544B2
The present invention relates to a processing method for a mobile device to display an email, a server, and a mobile device. The method for processing an email includes: after receiving an email downloading request from a client, checking, by a server, a processing capability of the client, where the processing capability is reported to the server by the client when the client is connected to the server, and where the processing capability includes a supported coding/decoding manner and character set; in the case that the client does not have a capability for processing an email that is requested to be downloaded, converting, by the server and according to the processing capability of the client, a body of the email into a format that is processable for the client; and sending, by the server, a converted email to the client, so that the client displays an attachment.
US09438541B2
The invention concerns a method for sending information about users assigned to work on tasks, wherein data sets comprising information about users and tasks the users are assigned to are stored in particular on a first server (101), wherein a request for information about a user is received, in particular via a receiver (API) of said first server (101), wherein said request comprises information about a predetermined task, wherein a test is performed, in particular by a processor (111) of said first server (101) to determine a data set comprising information about a user assigned to said predetermined task, wherein a reply is sent, in particular by a sender (API) of said first server (101), depending on the result of said test, wherein said reply comprises information about said user.
US09438537B2
An electronic device communicates according to a network protocol that defines data packets, for example EtherCAT. The device has a processor for performing input control on incoming data packets and performing output control on outgoing data packets, and a shared FIFO buffer comprising a multiuser memory. An input unit receives input data, detects the start of a respective data packet, subdivides the data packet into consecutive segments, one segment having a predetermined number of data bytes, and transfers the segment to the FIFO buffer before the next segment has been completely received. The processor accesses, in the input control, the multiuser memory for processing the segment, and, in the output control, initiates outputting the output packet before the corresponding input data packet has been completely received. An output unit transfers the segment from the FIFO buffer, and transmits the segment to the communication medium.
US09438529B1
A computing resource of a provider network is scheduled to undergo a process. During execution of the process, data associated with the process is monitored. An expected profile of the monitored data during execution of the process is determined. The expected profile is determined based on the type of the computing resource. Based on a comparison between the monitored data and the expected profile, a determination is made as to progress of the process.
US09438528B2
A method and an apparatus for adaptively coping with a network environment are provided. The method and apparatus includes a packet descriptor for forwarding of Media Transport (MMT) packets in a network process of a switch or a router for processing MMT packets forwarding content expressed in a structure of an MMT standard. The method of managing a queue in a broadcasting system includes receiving a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) MMT packet, obtaining a header of the MMT packet, and queuing the MMT packet according to a type value of a bitrate included in the header of the MMT packet.
US09438521B2
The present invention relates to resource management in a telecommunication system. In particular the invention relates to detection and estimation of transport network load and optimization of transport network resources. According to the method and arrangement of the invention a serving node engaged in admission control identifies a transport network interface from which transport load measurements are required for the admission control, and a target radio network node related to the identified transport network interface. The serving radio network node configure the target radio network node to perform and report measurements on the transport network interface.
US09438511B2
Provided is a method of identifying a Label-switched Path (LSP) associated with a Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) service in a network. An MPLS service is identified in a network and logical neighbors of the MPLS service are determined. For each logical neighbor of the MPLS service, an LSP label is identified. Based on the LSP label, a unique out segment of the LSP associated with the Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) service is identified.
US09438508B1
In general, techniques are described for dynamically scheduling and establishing paths in a multi-layer, multi-topology network to provide dynamic network resource allocation and support packet flow steering along paths prescribed at any layer or combination of layers of the network. In one example, a multi-topology path computation element (PCE) accepts requests from client applications for dedicated paths. The PCE receives topology information from network devices and attempts to identify paths through a layer or combination of layers of the network that can be established at the requested time in view of the specifications requested for the dedicated paths and the anticipated bandwidth/capacity available in the network. The PCE schedules the identified paths through the one or more layers of the network to carry traffic for the requested paths. At the scheduled times, the PCE programs path forwarding information into network nodes to establish the scheduled paths.
US09438506B2
Methods and apparatus for providing identity and access management-based access control for connections between entities in virtual (overlay) network environments. At the encapsulation layer of the overlay network, an out-of-band connection creation process may be leveraged to enforce access control and thus allow or deny overlay network connections between sources and targets according to policies. For example, resources may be given identities, identified resources may assume roles, and policies may be defined for the roles that include permissions regarding establishing connections to other resources. When a given resource (the source) attempts to establish a connection to another resource (the target), role(s) may be determined, policies for the role(s) may be identified, and permission(s) checked to determine if a connection from the source to the target over the overlay network is to be allowed or denied.
US09438501B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for multi-scale network traffic generation. In one embodiment of the invention, a network traffic generation method can be provided. The method can include defining multiple, different scales in an n-state MMPP model to accommodate a full characteristic response of a modeled traffic scenario. The method further can include establishing a transition window for each of the scales and determining a state through the transition window for selected ones of the scales. Finally, the method can include computing an inter-packet time according to the determined state for each of the selected ones of the scales and generating and transmitting packets for the selected ones of the scales utilizing a correspondingly computed inter-packet time.
US09438500B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for effectively managing a network of computing devices by collecting and processing performance metric information from a plurality of devices in the network. In one embodiment, a computing device performance monitor may be configured to collect a plurality of performance metric information for one or more monitored computing devices and may assign integrity scores to the plurality of performance metrics. The performance monitor may be configured to determine performance values for the one or more monitored computing devices, and use the performance values to determine an appropriate response or corrective measure.
US09438499B2
A method of constructing an approximate spatial representation of electronic devices in a neighborhood of devices is described. The method may include collecting data from electronic devices within a range, wherein the data comprises one or more of a unique identifier for an electronic device, endpoints of original electronic devices, and level of indirection of a discovered endpoint and building a data collection representing a neighborhood of electronic devices from the collected data. The collected data may further include relative distance or received signal strength indication or other information about physical location of the electronic device.
US09438488B2
The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for monitoring application level flow for database applications served by a cluster of servers. An application flow monitor may receive and distribute write requests of a client to at least one master server and read requests of the client to one or more slave servers, based on load balancing or similar policies. The application flow monitor may receive responses from the recipient server and may aggregate the requests and responses into Internet Protocol Flow Information Export (IPFIX) messages that may describe the entire communication flow for the application. Accordingly, application flow statistics may be monitored, regardless of which server was involved in any particular request/response exchange, allowing scalability without impairment of administrative processes.
US09438487B2
In one embodiment of a network pipe optimization method, a network element may obtain at least one of a push pipe utilization report and a pull pipe utilization report from each distribution node of the content delivery network. Based on the utilization reports, the network element may determine new push pipe weights and new pull pipe weights for distribution pipes associated with each distribution node of the content delivery network. Using at least one of the new push pipe weights and new pull pipe weights, a network pipe utilization model associated with the content delivery network may be simulated. Responsive to determining that the simulated network pipe utilization model yields an improved utilization of the content delivery network, the new push pipe weights and new pull pipe weights may be distributed to each distribution node in the content delivery network.
US09438482B2
A server in a distributed environment includes a process that manages incoming client requests and selectively forwards service requests to other servers in the network. The server includes storage in which at least one forwarding queue is established. The server includes code for aggregating service requests in the forwarding queue and then selectively releasing the requests, or some of them, to another server. The queuing mechanism preferably is managed by metadata, which, for example, controls how many service requests may be placed in the queue, how long a given service request may remain in the queue, what action to take in response to a client request if the forwarding queue's capacity is reached, etc. In one embodiment, the server generates an estimate of a current load on an origin server (to which it is sending forwarding requests) and instantiates the forward request queuing when that current load is reached.
US09438476B2
Methods, machine-readable media, and systems are provided for self-organization of a satellite grid 102. One method for self-organization of a satellite grid 102 includes receiving, with a first satellite 108-1, a list of a plurality of managed nodes 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, 110-4, 110-5, 110-6, 110-7, 110-8, 110-9, receiving, with the first satellite 108-1, rules, calculating a first claim score for a particular one of the plurality of managed nodes 110-1 and the first satellite 108-1 according to the rules, comparing the first claim score with a second claim score for the particular node 110-1 and a second satellite 108-2 that is managing the particular node 110-1, and claiming management of the particular node 110-1 based on the comparison.
US09438472B2
A method is implemented by a network element or controller for determining a backup path for a fast reroute process to be utilized in response to a network event invalidating a primary path to a destination node. The method identifies at least one intermediate node that has a backup loop free alternative (LFA) path to a destination node in a network where no path meeting LFA conditions can be found for a point of local repair (PLR).
US09438470B2
Methods and apparatus are provided to monitor and analyze activity occurring on a networked computer system. In some embodiments, a method is provided for capturing, in a data structure, at least a portion of a notification describing a network event provided by a node on a computer network, identifying a data element (e.g., an IP address of the node) within the notification, and updating an index and/or summary based on the data element. The data structure may be stored in a file system maintained on a site, and sites may exchange information related to the notification data stored on each. In some embodiments, a query which is issued to a site may be processed using data transferred from other sites, and/or may be split into one or more additional queries which may be transmitted for processing to other sites.
US09438446B2
A data transmission device is provided. the data transmission device comprises a first device comprising a first memory; a second device comprising a plurality of sensors, a multiplexer to which data output from the plurality of sensors is input, and a counter connected to the multiplexer; a first transmission line configured to transmit a clock of a signal generator mounted on the first device or the second device to the second device or the first device; a second transmission line configured to transmit data output from the multiplexer according to an output from the counter of the second device to the first memory of the first device; and a third transmission line configured to transmit the output from the counter of the second device to the first device to enable the data transmitted to the first memory of the first device to be stored in a second memory or output.
US09438422B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first logic to receive from a first node a synchronization portion of a message and to generate a set of state information using the synchronization portion, to synchronize the apparatus with the first node. The apparatus may further include a second logic to decrypt a data portion of the message using the set of state information to obtain a decrypted message. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09438420B2
A method of generating an unpredictable number in a computing device is provided. The method comprises the computing device performing the following programmed steps: obtaining a plurality of data elements; performing a first one way function on an internal value P and the plurality of data elements to update the value P; and performing a second one way function on the value P to obtain the unpredictable number. A computing device adapted to perform this method is also described.
US09438412B2
Computational overhead for private multiparty data function computation can be decreased by sharing parameters of dimensionality-reducing function between a client and a server, with both the client applying the function to a query vectors and the server applying the function to server vectors, both client and server creating embedded vectors. The client homomorphically encrypts the embedded query vector and provides the encrypted embedded query vector to the server. The server performs encrypted domain computations for an embedded vector processing function, each computation using the encrypted embedded query vector and one of the server embedded vectors as inputs for the function. The client receives encrypted computation results and identifies server vectors of interest using those results that are informative of a result of an application of an aggregate function to the query vector and one of the server vectors. The client obtains the vectors of interest using an oblivious transfer protocol.
US09438408B2
In a cellular system (100), transmissions are made (410) in subframes (310) which comprise subelements. The method is used for scheduling (415) first and second channels in a subframe, and comprises: dividing (420) the transmission resources for the first channel into a first set of resource groups, assigning (425) the resource groups of the first set to subelements in the subframe (310) in a predetermined fashion, assigning (430) a symbol value to all subelements (210) in the subframe (310) which have not been assigned a resource groups of the first set, dividing (435) the transmission resources for the second channel into a second set of resource groups, assigning (440) the resource groups of the second set to subelements in the subframe by means of said symbol values.
US09438399B2
The present invention relates to a method for receiving Downlink Control Information (DCI) in a wireless access system and a terminal therefor. More specifically, the method comprises the steps of: performing blind decoding according to the transmission mode set for a terminal in a search space assigned to the terminal; and receiving DCI through a detected Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) via blind decoding, wherein the transmission mode is set to any one of a plurality of transmission modes, which have limitations dependent on the performance of the terminal, by a base station that supports a plurality of transmission modes.
US09438396B2
The present invention is designed to allow more DM-RS sequences to be allocated, and more DM-RS resources to be secured. The radio communication method of the present invention has a characteristic of generating DM-RS sequences using ZC sequences that are allocated in a new number of randomized sequences between the number of randomized sequences corresponding to a ZC sequence having a length of the largest prime number, not exceeding the ZC sequence length required in the uplink DM-RS, and the number of randomized sequences defined in Rel. 10 LTE.
US09438394B2
In an embodiment the method includes, at a transmit side, grouping carriers into carrier groups, and selecting a group constellation diagram for modulation of the carriers of a given carrier group. The selected group constellation diagram is built as a hierarchical sum of I super-imposed constellations vectors having predefined decreasing powers with the P strongest and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted. The carriers of the carrier group are modulated by means of the selected group constellation diagram, and P and/or Q parameters per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol are adjusted.
US09438391B2
The addition and change of a CoMP transmission point performing a CoMP transmission/reception process is appropriately performed. A mobile communication method includes: a step of notifying, by a radio base station (eNB), configuration information of CSI-RS of a CoMP transmission point to a mobile station (UE) connected to a cell (#5) managed by the radio base station (eNB), when instructing an addition or change of the CoMP transmission point performing a CoMP transmission/reception process by “RRC Connection Reconfiguration”; a step of measuring, by the mobile station (UE), a CQI of the CoMP transmission point by using the CSI-RS of the CoMP transmission point, while performing the CoMP transmission/reception process; and a step of notifying, by the mobile station (UE), the CQI of the CoMP transmission point to the radio base station (eNB).
US09438390B2
The present invention relates to a mobile communication system having a coordinated communication mode in which radio communication is performed between a user equipment and a plurality of base stations in a coordinated manner and an uncoordinated communication mode in which radio communication is performed between a user equipment and a base station without coordinating with another base station, in which radio communication is performed by selectively using any of the coordinated communication mode and the uncoordinated communication mode. The coordinated communication in which radio communication is performed between a user equipment and a plurality of base stations in a coordinated manner and the uncoordinated communication in which radio communication is performed between a user equipment and a base station without coordinating with another base station are selectively used in an appropriate manner, with the result that a mobile communication system capable of exerting its performance in accordance with a situation can be provided.
US09438389B2
A master application device comprises a plurality of distributed transceivers, a central baseband processor, and a network management engine that manages operation of the master application device and end-user application devices. The master application device communicates data streams to the end-user devices utilizing one or more distributed transceivers selected from the plurality of distributed transceivers. The selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices are concurrently configured by the network management engine based on corresponding link quality and propagation environment. The network management engine allocates resources to the selected distributed transceivers and the end-user devices during the data communication. The network management engine continuously monitors communication environment information to configure beamforming settings and/or antenna arrangement for the selected distributed transceivers. Beam patterns are selected for the selected distributed transceivers so as to minimize power consumption and/or based on the location and orientation information of the end-user application devices.
US09438379B2
Communication device, communication program, communication method, and information processing device
Disclosed is a communication technology in which the effect of packet loss can be easily reduced to the extent that it can be ignored, even on networks where packet loss can easily occur. Specifically, a communication device is disclosed that includes a packet loss determination unit that determines whether a packet that transmits image information has been lost, and an interpolated packet transmission unit that transmits an interpolated packet when a packet that transmits image information has been lost.
US09438377B2
A two-reference-point-pair determining unit 101 determines two reference point pairs by selecting two transmission symbol points with their LLR computation target bit being 0 and two transmission symbol points with their LLR computation target bit being 1. An LLR computation unit 113 assigns weights to the two LLRs calculated for the two reference point pairs, respectively, followed by adding them, and further adds to the addition result a correction term that may be zero sometimes, thus computing LLR for the two reference point pairs.
US09438371B2
A method of optical communication comprising encoding four modulated symbols to generate four encoded symbols in two orthogonal polarizations and transmitting the four encoded symbols in two successive time slots. An optical communication apparatus comprising a processor configured to receive two sequences of digital symbols in a plurality of time slots, wherein the two sequences correspond to two components of two orthogonal polarizations, wherein one digital symbol per polarization is received in each of the plurality of time slots, divide each of the two sequences into a plurality of groups using a modulo operation of time, wherein each group comprises two digital symbols received in two consecutive time slots, and adaptively equalize the four digital symbols of the two consecutive time slots using a 4×4 matrix to generate four modulated symbols, wherein the 4×4 matrix comprises 16 tap-vectors.
US09438369B2
Systems and methods of optimizing capacity of an optical network include identifying a first wavelength with an associated target capacity; determining that the first wavelength has insufficient capability to operate at the associated target capacity; and adjusting one or more wavelengths to increase capability of the first wavelength such that the first wavelength can operate at the associated target capacity.
US09438361B2
In a method for providing a content service to a recipient (20) in communications, a service center (14) receives information on a recipient identification and on service terminals (16) assigned, in a sender device (38), for the content. The service center (14) uploads the content to the assigned service terminals (16). The service terminal (16) receives information on a location of a transmitter device (34) of the recipient (20). The service terminal (16) compares the received location information with location information on the service terminal (16). Based on the comparing, if the service terminal is in a close proximity of the transmitter device (34) of the recipient (20) the service terminal (16) activates a first display content for inviting the service terminal (16) to display the uploaded content on a monitor of the service terminal (16). When the recipient acknowledges the first display content, the service terminal may take actions related to a second display content.
US09438358B2
A receiver unit comprising a mixer, a test signal unit, a multiplexer unit, an amplifier unit, a signal strength unit, and a digital control unit is described. The mixer may be arranged to downconvert a received radio-frequency signal to an intermediate frequency, thereby generating a reception signal having the intermediate frequency. The multiplexer unit may be connected to the mixer and to the test signal unit and arranged to select, among the reception signal and a test signal, a multiplexer output signal in dependence on an operating signal. The amplifier unit may be connected to the multiplexer unit and arranged to amplify the multiplexer output signal, thereby generating an amplified signal. The signal strength unit may be connected to the amplifier unit and arranged to generate a signal strength indicator indicative of a signal strength of the amplified signal. The control unit may be connected to the signal strength unit and arranged to generate the operating signal in accordance with an operating cycle, the operating cycle comprising one or more test phases and a reception phase. The test signal unit may be connected to the control unit and arranged to generate the test signal in dependence on the operating signal, the test signal having the intermediate frequency. The control unit may be further arranged to: gather, in each of the test phases, a test value of the signal strength indicator, thus gathering one or more test values; determine a numerical transformation on the basis of the one or more test values; gather, in the reception phase, a reception value of the signal strength indicator; and compute a corrected signal strength value by applying the transformation to the reception value.
US09438356B2
An apparatus for cancelling a self-interference signal between a transmission antenna and a reception antenna is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first self-interference signal cancellation unit for cancelling a self-interference signal in consideration of a linear channel between the transmission antenna and the reception antenna, a second self-interference signal cancellation unit for cancelling a self-interference signal in consideration of nonlinear channel characteristic between the transmission antenna and the reception antenna or linear characteristic of a radio channel, and a controller for comparing a transmitted signal output from the transmission antenna and a received signal received by the reception antenna to provide a first coefficient to be applied to self-interference signal cancellation of a linear device in the first self-interference signal cancellation unit and a second coefficient to be applied to self-interference signal cancellation of a nonlinear device in the second self-interference signal cancellation unit.
US09438355B2
The present invention describes systems 1, 12 and methods for control of optical devices and communications subsystems. The control system comprises ASIC sub-modules and programmable circuitry 25 which may be integrated into a self-contained, stand-alone module. In one embodiment, the module has one or more FPGAs 25 in conjunction with RF and Digital ASICs 30, an integrated cross-connect 36 between the FPGA and digital and RF ASIC building blocks, and an integrated cross-connect 41 between the ASIC and optical circuits and supporting functions. Programmable chip control and other transmission and tuning functions, programmable transponders, and each FPGA/ASIC 25, 30 that is incorporated into a transponder form factor or a host board, can have the same or different functionalities and other parameters including but not limited to modulation format.
US09438346B2
A dual rate transceiver may be provided. First, a host data speed of a host device may be detected. Then a last know data speed of a transceiver may be determined. Next, it may be determined that the host data speed and the last know data speed are different. And in response to determining that the host data speed and the last know data speed are different, the transceiver may be reconfigured to operate at the host data speed.
US09438345B2
The optical module includes an optical component, a substrate, and a laser, an electro-absorption modulator, and a semiconductor optical amplifier that grow on the substrate, where: the electro-absorption modulator is located between the laser and the semiconductor optical amplifier; the laser is configured to output an optical signal after power-on; the electro-absorption modulator is configured to perform signal modulation on the optical signal output by the laser; the semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to amplify the optical signal modulated by the electro-absorption modulator; the optical component is configured to perform deflection and convergence for the optical signal amplified by the semiconductor optical amplifier and output the optical signal.
US09438336B2
There is provided a method for determining a noise parameter characterizing an optical Signal-Under-Test (SUT) having a signal contribution, an Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) noise contribution and a non-ASE optical noise contribution, such as a carrier-leakage contribution or a depolarized-signal contribution, within an optical-signal bandwidth. The method comprises acquiring optical spectrum trace(s) of the SUT, discriminating at least the non-ASE optical noise contribution from the ASE-noise contribution using the optical spectrum trace(s) and/or a trace obtained from the optical spectrum trace(s); and determining the noise parameter using discriminated non-ASE optical noise contribution and/or the discriminated ASE-noise contribution.
US09438328B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for feeding back channel state information, a user equipment, and a base station, to improve feedback precision of channel state information. The method includes: receiving a reference signal sent by a base station; selecting a precoding matrix W from a codebook according to the reference signal, where a column vector of the precoding matrix W may be expressed as α[v ejφv]T, v=[1 ejθ]; and sending a precoding matrix indicator PMI to the base station, where the PMI is corresponding to the selected precoding matrix W. The present invention may further improve quantization precision and achieve balance between overheads and the quantization precision. The base station performs precoding on a sent signal according to a fed back precoding matrix indicator, which can improve precoding precision, thereby improving a data transmission rate and system throughput.
US09438325B2
Methods for signaling multi-user multiple-input multiple output (MU-MIMO) parameters for Evolved-UTRA (E-UTRA) are disclosed. Example signaling format methods are presented that allow use of distributed virtual resource blocks (DVRB) or support of four wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) but maintaining a predetermined signal format size. A signaling format is also presented that signals transmission precoding matrix indexes used by all co-scheduled WTRUs.
US09438322B2
Provided is a radio communication device which can separate propagation paths of antenna ports and improve a channel estimation accuracy even when using virtual antennas. The device includes: a mapping unit which maps a data signal after modulation to a virtual antenna and a virtual antenna; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S0 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit between the odd-number slot and the even-number slot; the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R0 transmitted from the antenna port; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S1 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit; and the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R1 transmitted from an antenna port.
US09438321B2
A user equipment (UE) in a wireless network having two-dimensional antenna systems performs a method of codebook sampling. The method includes receiving from an eNodeB (eNB) an indication of a restricted subset M of vertical precoding matrices, wherein M is less than a total number of vertical precoding matrices N in a codebook, the codebook comprising a plurality of vertical precoding matrices and horizontal precoding matrices. The method also includes feeding back vertical precoding matrix indicators (V-PMI) to the eNB based on the restricted subset of vertical precoding matrices.
US09438317B2
Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for detecting near field communication (NFC) cards/tags by a NFC enabled device, using a coupled impedance signature unique to the NFC cards/tags and the NFC enabled device.
US09438312B2
System and method for inferring schematic relationships between load points and service transformers
A system and method for identifying which of several candidate service transformers is powering a specific service point an electrical distribution grid are disclosed. An audio-frequency electrical signal, the detection signal, is injected onto the power line at the service point via a meter socket or electrical outlet. The Transmitter for the detection signal may be a portable device or it may be incorporated into an electrical meter. The audible or mechanical resonance caused in the service transformer by the detection signal is detected and recorded using an accelerometer or directional microphone in a Receiver. A variety of methods for fixing the Receiver at or in proximity to the service transformers are disclosed in order to adapt to variations in the siting and housing of service transformers. A variety of mechanisms and methods for collecting detection events are disclosed.
US09438302B2
A radio frequency (RF) switching module and a control method of the RF switching module are described. The RF switching module has 2 switches, and the control method includes starting to turn off a first switch of the RF switching module, starting to turn on a second switch of the RF switching module after the first switch is turned off for a first predetermined time, wherein starting to turn off the first switch and starting to turn on the second switch is finished during a transition period from a first mode to a second mode.
US09438294B2
Methods and devices for voice communications and foreign language translation are disclosed. One method includes selecting one of a plurality of microphones of an earpiece unit, receiving a selected voice communication of a first language from the selected microphone and translating the selected voice communication from the first language to a second language, the second language different from the first to create a translated voice communication, and transducing the translated voice communication at a speaker within the earpiece unit. Preferably the microphones are oriented in different directions and are directional microphones. The present invention further optionally provides for the sensing and transmission of pulse oximeter measurements and temperature measurements.
US09438256B2
A method and apparatus for synchronizing data transfers from a first clock domain to a second clock domain includes sampling data from circuit included in the first clock domain. The clock signal from the first clock domain may then be synchronized to a clock signal from the second clock domain. The sampled data may then be captured using the clock signal from the second clock domain responsive to a detection of an edge of the synchronized first clock signal.
US09438250B2
A numerically controlled oscillator includes a phase accumulator that outputs a phase word and a clock that periodically outputs a clock signal in accordance with a delay interval. The phase accumulator outputs a new phase word in response to receiving the clock signal. A clock controller calculates a timing drift and adjusts the delay interval to reduce the timing drift. A method includes receiving a plurality of frequency control words, calculating a delay interval, accumulating the frequency control words in accordance with the delay interval to generate a phase word, converting the phase word to a waveform, calculating a timing drift, and adjusting the delay interval to reduce the timing drift.
US09438244B2
A circuit for controlling power within an integrated circuit comprises a plurality of circuit blocks; a global control signal routed within the integrated circuit; and a plurality of power control blocks. Each power control block is coupled to a corresponding circuit block of the plurality of circuit bocks and has a first input coupled to receive a reference voltage and a second input coupled to receive the global control signal. The global control signal enables, for each circuit block, the coupling of the reference voltage to the corresponding circuit block. A method of controlling power within an integrated circuit is also disclosed.
US09438243B2
A programmable logic circuit includes: first to third wiring lines, the second wiring lines intersecting with the first wiring lines; and cells provided in intersecting areas, at least one of cells including a first transistor and a programmable device with a first and second terminals, the first terminal connecting to one of a source and a drain of the first transistor, the second terminal being connected to one of the second wiring lines, the other of the source and the drain being connected to one of the first wiring lines, and a gate of the first transistor being connected to one of the third wiring lines. One of source and drain of each of the first cut-off transistors is connected to the one of the second wiring lines, and an input terminal of each of first CMOS inverters is connected to the other of the source and the drain.
US09438241B1
An Integrated Circuit, a system, and a method are provided. The disclosed Integrated Circuit may include a plurality of pads exposing internal components of the Integrated Circuit to external circuits, a digital interface connectable to the plurality of pads, an analog interface connectable to the plurality of pads, and sensing circuitry configured to detect whether a digital circuit or an analog circuit is externally connected to the plurality of pads and based on such detection selectively connect at least one of the digital interface and analog interface to the plurality of pads.
US09438239B2
A level shifter includes: a first cascode portion, including a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type which are cascode-coupled to each other, configured to transmit a first input signal; a second cascode portion, including a third transistor of the first conductivity type and a fourth transistor of the second conductivity type which are cascode-coupled to each other, configured to transmit a second input signal; a latch portion configured to retain a first output signal and a second output signal obtained by changing, based on a first voltage obtained by boosting a power supply voltage, potential levels of the first input signal and the second input signal; and a potential-difference suppression circuit, coupled in parallel to the first cascode portion, configured to control a potential difference between source and drain of each of the first transistor and the second transistor.
US09438236B2
An input/output (IO) driver circuit is described. The IO buffer driver circuit comprises: at least one input for receiving an input signal and at least one output for providing at least one output signal; and a plurality of switches arranged to provide a variable voltage level between a low voltage value and a high voltage value to the at least one output. The at least one first switch of the plurality of switches is arranged to initiate a voltage change to an intermediate voltage level between the low voltage value and the high voltage value in a first time period. The at least one second switch of the plurality of switches is arranged to continue the voltage change to the low voltage value or the high voltage value in a second time period.
US09438235B2
A circuit buffer for outputting a voltage signal having a magnitude greater than a withstand voltage of any circuit element in the circuit buffer includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal electrically connected to an input terminal and an output terminal of the circuit buffer respectively, a third terminal electrically connected to a first power supply terminal, and a fourth terminal electrically connected to the third terminal of the first transistor. The second transistor includes a first terminal and a second terminal electrically connected to the input terminal and the output terminal of the circuit buffer respectively, a third terminal electrically connected to a second power supply terminal, and a fourth terminal electrically connected to the third terminal of the second transistor. Voltages of the first and second power supply terminal are switched between two different levels, respectively.
US09438221B2
Switch devices with a first switching path and a second switching path are provided in some embodiments. When a voltage drop across the first switching path exceeds a predetermined voltage, the second switch may be activated.
US09438220B2
A state detecting circuit has a first switch circuit connected to a first selection line and a second switch circuit connected to a second selection line. The first switch circuit includes two switches, and performs an arithmetic operation of ON/OFF states of the switches and a selection signal. Thus, since one switch circuit performs an arithmetic operation using ON/OFF states of the two switches, the number of selection lines and the number of parts can be reduced.
US09438219B2
Pulse width modulation (PWM) based on selectable phases of a system clock may be implemented with respect to leading-edge-modulation (LEM), trailing-edge-modulation (TEM), and/or dual-edge-modulation. An initial pulse may be generated based on a duty command, synchronous with the system clock, and may be registered with a D flip-flop under control of a selected phase of the system clock. Alternatively, a target count may be derived from the duty command, and an edge of the PWM pulse may be initiated when a count of the selected phase equals the target count. The pulse edge may be registered by a D flip-flop to a SR flip-flop under control of the selected phase. The phases of the system clock may be shared amongst multiple systems to generate multiple PWM signals. A system may include a DLL and digital logic, which may consist essentially of combinational logic and registers.
US09438217B2
A system and method of clocking an integrated circuit (IC) includes determining operating characteristics of the IC. The IC has multiple domains and each domain receives a respective domain clock signal. A skew value is determined for each of the domain clock signals, where each skew value is associated with a respective domain of the IC. The domain clock signals are generated from a reference clock signal and each domain clock signal is skewed from the reference clock according to the respective skew value.
US09438210B1
A semiconductor device may include a data output circuit and a control signal output circuit. The data output circuit may compare a first input signal or a second input signal with a storage datum to generate a first comparison selection signal and may compare the first input signal with the second input signal to generate a second comparison selection signal. The control signal output circuit may detect logic levels of bits included in the first and second comparison selection signals to generate first and second detection signals, generate first and second flag signals from the first and second detection signals in response to a storage flag signal, and sequentially output the first and second flag signals as transmission control signals.
US09438205B2
A temperature-compensated oscillator and a device including the same include an oscillation unit configured to generate an oscillation signal using an operating current and an operating voltage, a bias circuit configured to control the operating current so that a frequency of the oscillation signal increases as a temperature increases, and a voltage generation unit configured to generate the operating voltage that varies with the temperature.
US09438198B2
A PIN diode circuit comprising a RF input coupled to a first junction point via a first DC blocking circuit and a constant voltage source coupled to the first junction point via a first DC feeding circuit, the constant voltage source configured to DC bias the first junction point. The PIN diode circuit further comprises a first PIN diode with an anode coupled to the first junction point and a cathode coupled to an anode of a second PIN diode via a second DC blocking circuit. The cathode of the second PIN diode is configured to be coupled to ground potential. The PIN diode circuit further comprises an adjustable voltage source coupled to a second junction point via a second DC feeding circuit. The second junction point is coupled to the cathode of the first PIN diode via a first resistor and is further coupled to the anode of the second PIN diode via a second resistor.
US09438187B2
An amplifying device of an embodiment includes: a first amplifier amplifying a first component of an input signal; a first output circuit having an input connected to an output of the first amplifier and converting impedance seen from an output of the first output circuit to make the converted impedance seen from the first amplifier; a second amplifier amplifying a second component of the input signal with a bias deeper than that of the first amplifier; a second output circuit having an input connected to an output of the second amplifier, having a longer electrical length than that of the first output circuit part, and converting impedance seen from an output of the second output circuit to make the converted impedance seen from the second amplifier; and a combiner combining the first component amplified by the first amplifier and the second component amplified by the second amplifier.
US09438183B2
Known types of amplifiers include so-called class D amplifiers, which first use a pulse-width modulator to convert an analog signal into a pulse-width modulated switching signal, which is then amplified and subsequently converted back into a continuously variable voltage via a filter. This type of amplifier is particularly energy-efficient and is therefore preferably used for high-power amplifiers. The invention relates to an amplifier device 1 comprising a control device (5), wherein the control device (5) has an input interface for an audio signal (2), and comprising an amplifier unit (9) for amplifying the audio signal (2, 8) downstream of the control device (5), wherein the control device (5) has a delay module (6) that is designed to transmit the audio signal (2), delayed by a delay value delta_t, to the amplifier unit (9) and to automatically and/or autonomously reduce the delay value delta_t from a starting value delta_t to a final value during an adaptation phase AP.
US09438174B2
An amplifier comprises a first amplifier circuit, a second amplifier circuit, a hybrid-coupler circuit and a termination. The hybrid-coupler circuit comprises an output port and an isolation port. The termination in this context is connected to the isolation port of the hybrid-coupler circuit. The termination comprises a first switch, a first capacitor and a first inductance.
US09438170B2
A power amplifier includes an input circuit configured to receive an input signal. At least two transistors connected in series. A first transistor of the at least two transistors is located at a first end of the at least two transistors. A second transistor of the at least two transistors is located at a second end of the at least two transistors. The first transistor is coupled to a low voltage power supply node. The first gate of the first transistor is coupled to a first bias voltage. The input signal is coupled to a first gate of the first transistor. At least one capacitor is coupled between a second gate of the second transistor and the low voltage power supply node. An output circuit coupled to a second gate of the second transistor.
US09438169B2
A frequency shifter configured to shift the frequency of a signal, the frequency shifter comprising: a resonant structure configured to mechanically resonate at a first frequency; and a plurality of capacitors, each capacitor having a variable plate separation distance, wherein the resonant structure is configured to cause the plate separation distance of each capacitor to oscillate so as to cause the frequency of the signal to shift by the first frequency.
US09438148B2
The present invention relates to a motor drive device having a drive circuit for driving a power supply relay and a phase relay providing a fail-safe function. The motor drive device includes: an inverter circuit for supplying electric power to an electric motor; a power supply relay provided on a power supply line for supplying electric power from a power supply to the inverter circuit; a phase relay provided on a drive line between the inverter circuit and the electric motor, and constituted by a semiconductor switching element; and a drive circuit connected to the phase relay and the power supply relay. The phase relay and the power supply relay share the same drive circuit, and the phase relay and the power supply relay are driven simultaneously by a drive signal output from the drive circuit.
US09438143B2
A PWM signal generator section for generating a plurality of PWM signals with different phases to be respectively fed to a plurality of loads, and a phase difference setting section for setting phase differences among the PWM signals are provided. The phase difference setting section sets phase differences Δt_shift(n,n+1) calculated based on an effective current Ia(n) flowing to each of the loads, where the number of the loads is N, according to the equations below: Ia_all = ∑ n = 1 N Ia ( n ) t_shift ( n , n + 1 ) = t_pwn × Ia ( n ) / Ia_all where n=1 to N (where N is an integer of two or more, and n+1=1 when n+1>N), and t_pwm is a cycle of the PWM signals.
US09438137B2
A method for operating a piezoelectric actuator which may be activated with the aid of an activation signal. The piezoelectric actuator is operable in a passive and in an active operating mode. The piezoelectric actuator is activated without a functional operating request if the piezoelectric actuator is in a passive operating mode.
US09438135B2
An electric power converter includes a DC stabilization circuit configured to stabilize a DC voltage from DC power supply, and an inverter configured to convert the DC voltage stabilized by the DC stabilization circuit to an AC voltage. The DC stabilization circuit includes an aluminum electrolytic capacitor configured to smooth the DC voltage, a saturable reactor configured to prevent the DC stabilization circuit from oscillating, and a film capacitor configured to supply a ripple current to the inverter.
US09438133B2
An AC to DC circuit includes a rectifier circuit, a voltage detecting circuit, the current source and the output circuit. The rectifier circuit converts the AC power to pulsating DC. The constant current source provides current to the voltage detection circuit and to the control port of the output circuit. The current passing throughout the constant current source is the sum of the current flowing to the voltage detection circuit and to the output circuit. The voltage detection circuit increases with the instantaneous value of the output voltage of the rectifier circuit, it absorbs more current from the current provided by the constant current source and less current flows from the constant current source to the control port of the output circuit. The output circuit amplifies the current of the control port and outputs it to power the load. The AC to DC circuit of the present invention can rectify the portion of an alternating input voltage below a sine peak of the alternating current, working at a sine wave ascending area and a sine wave descending area, and it can carry a capacitive load.
US09438130B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor switch, a first rectifier circuit, and a second rectifier circuit. The semiconductor switch, the first rectifier circuit, and the second rectifier circuit are integrated on a common board. On the board, a first output terminal of the first rectifier circuit is coupled to a first gate terminal of the semiconductor switch, and a first output reference terminal of the first rectifier circuit is coupled to a first source terminal of the semiconductor switch. On the board, a second output terminal of the second rectifier circuit is coupled to a second gate terminal of the semiconductor switch, and a second output reference terminal of the second rectifier circuit is coupled to a second source terminal of the semiconductor switch.
US09438114B2
Methods and systems for energy recycling are described. One example energy recycler includes an input to receive an input voltage, an output to couple to an inductor, a resonant tank, a switching circuit coupled between the input, the output, and the resonant tank, and a controller coupled to the switching circuit. The controller is configured to control the switching circuit to selectively couple the input voltage to the output, and couple an induced voltage from the inductor to the resonant tank when the input voltage is decoupled from the inductor.
US09438108B2
Disclosed herein are bias voltage generating circuits configured for switching power supplies, and associated control methods. In one embodiment, a bias voltage generating circuit can include: (i) a first control circuit configured to compare a drain-source voltage of a switch against a bias voltage; (ii) a capacitor, with the bias voltage across the capacitor; (iii) a second control circuit configured to control the switch, and that is enabled when the bias voltage is at least as high as an expected bias voltage; (iv) the first control circuit being configured to control the capacitor to charge when the drain-source voltage of the switch is greater than the bias voltage; and (v) the bias voltage being less than an overvoltage protection voltage when the capacitor charges, and where the overvoltage protection voltage comprises a voltage that is a predetermined amount higher than the expected bias voltage.
US09438107B2
A control device includes: a power supply circuit that controls output voltage using a switching element; a generation unit that generates a reference signal on the basis of the output voltage from the power supply circuit; a PWM unit that generates a PWM signal that is output to the switching element by comparing the reference signal with a carrier signal; and a switching unit that switches a frequency of the carrier signal by changing amplitude of the carrier signal, wherein the generation unit generates the reference signal on the basis of the frequency.
US09438105B2
A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based positive/negative voltage generation circuit includes: an inverter including an NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor, a first transfer capacitor coupled to the PMOS transistor, a first output capacitor, a second transfer capacitor coupled to the NMOS transistor, a second output capacitor, a first diode disposed between the first transfer capacitor and the first output capacitor, a second diode disposed between the second transfer capacitor and the second output capacitor, one end of the first output capacitor is coupled to the ground, one end of the second output capacitor is coupled to the ground; wherein an output voltage of the inverter is controlled by a single-phase clock to flip periodically, charge the first transfer capacitor through a parasitic diode of the PMOS transistor, and charge the second transfer capacitor through a parasitic diode of the NMOS transistor.
US09438102B2
A phase locked loop having a dual bandwidth is disclosed. The phase locked loop divides a loop filter into a zero filter and a pole filter, disposes the zero filter in front of a phase-frequency detector (PFD), and performs high-pass filtering on a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) noise with a maximum bandwidth and performs low-pass filtering on a charge pump noise (CP noise) with a minimum bandwidth to divide the VCO noise and the CP noise.
US09438098B2
A technology is disclosed for controlling switching of power converters included in a power converting system. Phase angles are allocated to a plurality of sub-units corresponding to the power converters, and the respective sub-units create local switching carriers based on the allocated phase angles. The sub-units compare a reference AC voltage with the local switching carriers, and switch the power converters according to the result of the comparison.
US09438096B2
An electric motor that can be used in driving a compressor and that incorporates a magnetic gear. The motor has high and low speed stators mounted within a motor casing side-by-side that drive coaxial low and high speed rotors also mounted within the motor casing for rotation and within the high and low speed stators. The high and low speed stators produce rotating magnetic fields that rotate in opposite directions to drive the rotors under application of a multiphase alternating current. The low speed rotor has a set of ferrous pieces, rotating with the low speed rotor and mounted thereon between the high speed rotor and the high speed stator. The ferrous pieces produce a magnetic gearing effect to drive the high speed rotor at a higher speed than the low speed rotor and in an opposite direction to the low speed rotor.
US09438086B2
An electric push bar assembly includes an electric push bar including a retractable tube and a connector, and a release mechanism including a connection socket connected to the retractable tube, a fixed socket connected to the connector, a clutch socket axially slidably coupled to the connection socket and having a plurality of engagement tooth blocks respectively engaged with respective engagement teeth of the fixed socket and a rotary operating member mounted around the fixed socket and operable to disengage the engagement tooth blocks of the clutch socket from the engagement teeth of the fixed socket for allowing adjustment of the retractable tube manually.
US09438085B2
The invention relates to a converter system (1, 1′, 1″) for an electric vehicle and in particular a lightweight electric vehicle. The converter system (1, 1′, 1″) has a supporting housing (10, 10′, 10″) for connecting to the vehicle, has an electromechanical energy converter arranged at least partially in the supporting housing (10, 10′, 10″), said electromechanical energy converter having at least one stator (21, 21′) and a rotor (22, 22′) which is rotatable relative to the stator (21, 21′) about a drive axis (7, 40), and has a power transmitting device which connects the rotor (22, 22′) to a connection element. To permit a particularly cheap design which is easy to maintain and to reduce thermal problems, the supporting housing (10, 10′, 10″) has at least one first (14) and one second axial portion (15). wherein (the first portion (14) has a greater diameter than the second portion (15) in a direction transversely with respect lo the drive axis (7, 40). Here, the second portion (15) of the supporting housing (10, 10′, 10″) is formed for mourning the rotor (22, 22′) and/or the connection element. The rotor (22, 22′) and stator (21, 21′) of the energy converter are arranged at least partially in the first portion (14) of the supporting housing (10, 10′, 10″).
US09438071B1
An information handling system (IHS) includes a base station that has a transmitter coil to generate a magnetic field for charging a portable power source of a battery-powered electronic device. A receiver coil magnetically receives power from the transmitter coil of the base station. A power control module connected to the portable power source and the receiver coil charges the portable power source with the received power. A flexible ferrite shield is positioned on a side of the receiver coil opposite to the transmitter coil to shield the IHS electronics. A pneumatic diaphragm is formed by a portion of the flexible ferrite shield that is positioned for oscillating movement into a center cavity of the receiver coil. A diaphragm actuator is attached to the pneumatic diagram and is responsive to a triggering signal to oscillate the pneumatic diaphragm to disperse thermal energy that is generated by the receiver coil.
US09438068B2
A non-contact power feeder includes a plurality of power transmission coils disposed along a disposition surface, wherein a power receiving device that houses a power reception coil is disposed on the disposition surface, and a controller that determines a first traveling wave power, from among a plurality of traveling wave powers, that feeds the power transmission coil corresponding to the power receiving device based on a state of change of at least one of: actual transmitted power, from the plurality of traveling wave powers, transmitted from the plurality of power transmission coils to the power reception coil when power transmitted to the plurality of power transmission coils is changed, and reactive power, from the plurality of traveling wave powers, not transmitted from the power transmission coil to the power reception coil when the power transmitted to the plurality of power transmission coils is changed.
US09438052B1
Mobile device holder-charger with a rotating three prong plug that allows for use in either horizontal or vertical outlets. There is a bracket to secure the phone. The device can be used on a support surface with a grounded extension cord. There is non-skid material disposed on the bottom. The device is a one piece unit for easy portability.
US09438050B2
In a battery pack, an overcharge detecting circuit compares a voltage between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a secondary battery with a threshold voltage to detect an overcharge of the secondary battery, and turns off a switching element. A series circuit including a thermistor and a resistor is arranged near the secondary battery and connected in parallel to the secondary battery. A comparator compares a voltage at a junction point of the thermistor and the resistor with a reference voltage corresponding to a predetermined temperature. In response to an output signal of the comparator, a changing unit changes the threshold voltage to a first value when a temperature of the secondary battery is below the predetermined temperature, and changes the threshold voltage to a second smaller value when the temperature of the secondary battery is above the predetermined temperature.
US09438040B2
An energy supply system for supplying electrical energy to a building, comprising a grid connector unit for providing a connection to an external power grid, a load connector unit for connecting to a building power grid, a conductor loop for electrically connecting the grid connector unit to the load connector unit, an energy storage device connected to the conductor loop, and a disconnector placed in the conductor loop for, upon activation of the disconnector, disconnecting the electrical connection between the grid connector unit and the load connector unit, whereby the energy storage device is connected to the conductor loop via a discharging line such that electrical energy stored in the energy storage device may be discharged through part of the conductor loop to the load connector unit when the disconnector is activated.
US09438038B1
This disclosure is directed to techniques for providing supply power to components of an electronics system, such as components of a networking device. According to these techniques, a power supply system charges a bulk capacitance of a power supply unit when the power supply unit is selectively disabled (e.g., disconnected). In this manner, when the power supply unit is again enabled, the power supply unit may provide supply power to components of the networking device faster in comparison to other techniques. In addition the power supply does not use any input power and therefore does not produce any heat loss while it is disconnected, thus saving otherwise wasted energy.
US09438037B2
Different systems to achieve solar power conversion are provided in at least three different general aspects, with circuitry that can be used to harvest maximum power from a solar source or strings of panels for DC or AC use, perhaps for transfer to a power grid three aspects can exist perhaps independently and relate to: 1) electrical power conversion in a multimodal manner, 2) alternating between differing processes such as by an alternative mode photovoltaic power converter functionality control, and 3) systems that can achieve efficiencies in conversion that are extraordinarily high compared to traditional through substantially power isomorphic photovoltaic DC-DC power conversion capability that can achieve 99.2% efficiency or even only wire transmission losses. Switchmode impedance conversion circuits may have pairs of photovoltaic power series switch elements and pairs of photovoltaic power shunt switch elements.
US09438033B2
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection devices can protect electronic circuits. In the context of radio frequency (RF) circuits and the like, the insertion loss of conventional ESD protection devices can be undesirable. The amounts of parasitic capacitances at nodes of devices of an ESD protection device are not necessarily symmetrical, with respect to the substrate. Disclosed are techniques which decrease the parasitic capacitances at signal nodes, which improve the insertion loss characteristics of ESD protection devices.
US09438030B2
A trigger circuit detects a transient voltage increase on an integrated circuit. The trigger circuit controls a conductivity state of a clamping device to limit the transient voltage increase. The trigger circuit comprises a common capacitive element having a capacitive value, wherein a first time value and a second time value are dependent upon the capacitive value of the common capacitive element, the first time value applicable to an unpowered state of the integrated circuit and the second time value applicable to a powered state of the integrated circuit. The first time value and the second time value control a trigger circuit parameter which may include a detection range within which a rate of transient voltage increase causes the trigger circuit to become active or an “on” time upon which an active duration of control of the conductivity state of the clamping device depends.
US09438028B2
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of devices and related methods for detecting an electrical arc event using a motor management relay and for suppressing the electrical arc event. The motor management relay may incorporate an optical arc-flash sensor configured to detect an optical event. Control logic may analyze the optical event and determine whether the optical event corresponds to an electrical arc event. When an electrical arc event is detected an instruction may be issued via a control port in communication with the control logic to implement a protective action. According to various embodiments, a plurality of sensors for monitoring electrical characteristics of a motor may also be in communication with the control logic. Input from the sensors may be analyzed in order to determine whether the optical event corresponds to an electrical arc event.
US09438020B2
It is aimed to improve soundproofing of a wiring module. The wiring module is provided with a sheet-shaped first soundproofing member; a wire harness which contains at least one wire and is disposed at least partially along one main surface of the first soundproofing member, and a second soundproofing member. The second soundproofing member is provided partially to one main surface of the first soundproofing member and holds the wire harness interposed between the first soundproofing member and the second soundproofing member.
US09438017B2
Apparatuses and devices are provided that allow for a power input cord to be placed in two or more different orientations relative to a power distribution unit. A power distribution unit may be provided with one or more input cord assemblies that allow an input cord to be swiveled such that the cord exits an outside plane of the power distribution unit at a different angle. Such an assembly allows a power distribution unit to be placed in an equipment rack and coupled with an input power source in a flexible and convenient manner. Clearances and dimensions of equipment racks may be modified to provide enhanced space usage, efficiency, and/or density in a facility.
US09438010B1
A VCSEL according to the invention, configured to emit a light having about 850 nm wavelength, comprises an active region which comprises one or more InxGa1-xAs quantum wells; two or more GaAs1-yPy barriers bonding to the one or more quantum wells; and x ranges from 0.05 to 0.1, and y ranges from 0.2 to 0.29. The VCSEL has increased optical confinement and high transmission speed, good reliability characteristics, high-temperature performance, and long life time.
US09438000B2
A shell of a female connector includes two members including a shell body integrated with a female housing and a braided wire fixing member to which a braided wire of a shield cable is crimped and fixed. The braided wire fixing member to which the braided wire is crimped and fixed is mated with a cylindrical portion of the shell body integrated with the female housing.
US09437998B2
A method of preparing silver-based electrical contact materials with directionally arranged reinforcing particles includes steps of: (1) preparing composite powders with Ag coating on the reinforcing phase by chemical plating coating; (2) granulating; (3) placing the granulated powders and the matrix silver powders into the powder mixer for mixing; (4) cold-isostatically pressing; (5) sintering; (6) hot-presssing; (7) hot-extruding, thereby obtaining the reinforcing silver-based electrical contact materials with directionally arranged particles. Regardless of the size of reinforcing particles, the present invention can obtain particle-reinforced silver-based materials with excellent electrical performance. The process is simple and easy to operate, and places no special requirements on the equipment. Furthermore, the resistance to welding and arc erosion, and the conductivity of the material prepared by the present invention can be greatly improved. Moreover, the processing performance is excellent.
US09437994B2
An electronic apparatus includes a receptacle having a plurality of pins for connecting a plug of a transmission cable and a transmission cable determination section adapted to apply a predetermined voltage to a predetermined one of the pins of the receptacle to determine a category of the transmission cable.
US09437990B2
A receptacle block defines at least one socket at which a plug connector may be received. First contact members extend into each socket to receive a primary signal from a plug connector. Second contact members extend into one or more of the sockets to read physical layer information from any plug connector inserted into the socket. A sensing contact is positioned to electrically connect to one of the second contact members when a plug connector is inserted into the respective socket. At least a portion of the sensing contact is flexible to follow the movement of the one second contact member. In certain implementations, the second contact members have resilient sections that are identical to each other.
US09437986B2
Technologies are generally described for a socket, plug, and jumper system. In an example, a receptacle socket includes a first prong receptacle for a ground circuit, a second prong receptacle for a neutral circuit, and a third prong receptacle for an active voltage circuit. A plug housing includes a first prong contact corresponding to the first prong receptacle for the ground circuit, a second prong contact corresponding to the second prong receptacle for the neutral circuit, and a fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit. A jumper component includes a third prong contact corresponding to the third prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, and a fourth prong contact corresponding to the fourth prong receptacle for the active voltage circuit, wherein the fourth prong contact is completely recessed within the jumper component.
US09437984B2
A dual orientation connector having a connector tab with first and second major opposing sides and a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the connector tab. The plurality of contacts includes a first set of external contacts formed at the first major side and a second set of external contacts formed at the second major side. Each individual contact in the first plurality of contacts is electrically connected within the tab or body to a corresponding contact in the second plurality of contacts. In some embodiments contacts in the first and second pluralities of contacts that are directly opposite each other are coupled together. In some other embodiments, contacts in the first and second pluralities of contacts that are in a cater cornered relationship with each other are coupled together. The first plurality of contacts are symmetrically spaced with the second plurality of contacts and the connector tab is shaped to have 180 degree symmetry so that it can be inserted and operatively coupled to a corresponding receptacle connector in either of two insertion orientations.
US09437979B2
A connector can include a first shell having at least one first wall made of an electrically conductive material, where the at least one first wall forms a first cavity. The connector can also include an insert disposed within the first cavity. The connector can further include at least one connector pin disposed in and traversing the first shell. The connector can also include an electrically conductive face seal that abuts against a distal end of the insert within the first cavity, where the at least one connector pin traverses at least one first aperture in the electrically conductive face seal. The connector can further include at least one electrically insulating bushing disposed within the at least one first aperture in the electrically conductive face seal, where the at least one electrically insulating bushing is further disposed between the face seal and the at least one connector pin.
US09437970B2
A multi-pole plug connection unit for three-phase alternating current systems having two plug connection parts which complement one another for the purpose of kink-free plug connection and having a locking sleeve which axially secures the plug connection parts in relation to one another in the plug-connected state is known. Each plug connection part is constructed as a monolithic insulating body in which a plurality of electrical plug contacts are axially latched, and an outside diameter of the plug connection parts and the locking sleeve is less than 23 mm, and the plug connection unit is designed to transmit voltage and current intensity ranges of up to 630 volts/16 amperes. The multi-pole plug connection unit is used for energy and signal transmission in machine tools.
US09437968B2
The receptacle connector comprises a receptacle housing, a receptacle connecting surface, a contact, a first receptacle magnetic pole portion, a second receptacle magnetic pole portion and a third receptacle magnetic pole portion. The plug connector comprises a plug housing, a plug connecting surface, a contact, a first plug magnetic pole portion, a second plug magnetic pole portion and a third plug magnetic pole portion. The first receptacle magnetic pole portion and the first plug magnetic pole portion have opposite magnetic polarities. The second receptacle magnetic pole portion and the third receptacle magnetic pole portion have opposite magnetic polarities. The second plug magnetic pole portion and the third plug magnetic pole portion have opposite magnetic polarities. The second receptacle magnetic pole portion and the second plug magnetic pole portion have opposite magnetic polarities.
US09437945B2
An electrical connector and terminal for use therewith are disclosed. The terminal includes a securing portion extending along the vertical direction and provided with a plurality of bumps for fixing the terminal; a soldering portion bending and extending from the upper end of the securing portion to a first side of the securing portion. The terminal includes an arc bending portion, the arc bending portion extends from the lower end of the securing portion to the first side, and then extends through a bend to a second side opposite to the first side, the arc bending portion being hook shaped. The terminal includes a contact portion that extends obliquely and upwards from the arc bending portion toward the second side.
US09437935B2
A dual band printed antenna pair operates simultaneously at both WLAN frequency bands (2.4 GHz/5 GHz). The antenna pair provides high isolation between both antennas while having an efficient over the air performance. The antenna pair achieve greater than 20 dB isolation at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band, while having antennas positioned in close proximity. The high isolation is accomplished using an orthogonal antenna configuration (exploiting orthogonal polarization) and a parasitic element to further enhance isolation at 2.4 GHz. The antenna pair and parasitic element are printed on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) adding relatively little cost to the Radio Frequency (RF) interface. The PCB is then fixed on top of a metal chassis with the antenna keep out area overhanging a corner of the metal chassis to enhance performance.
US09437929B2
An array antenna includes a modular, multi-layer, multi-balun board structure for use in feeding a dual polarization radiating element. In some embodiments, contacts on a multi-balun board structure may be directly conductively coupled to corresponding feed points of a dual polarization radiating element during antenna assembly. The multi-balun board structure may be inserted into an opening within an aperture board of an array antenna before the contacts are secured to the feed points. Dual balun board structures may be provided for some or all of the radiating elements on the aperture board.
US09437926B2
A broadband antenna for interfacing an electronic device with a plurality of radio access technologies is provided. The antenna includes an excitation element and a parasitic element. The excitation element includes a feed line with a first distal end and a second distal end with first and second arms extending from the second distal end, wherein one of the first or second arms is shorter than the other such that the excitation element forms an asymmetrical T shape. The length of the first and second arms determines at least two modes of operation of the antenna. The parasitic element wraps around the asymmetrical T shape and includes a length configured to provide another mode of operation of the antenna.
US09437902B2
The manufacturing method of the invention includes the steps of: providing a positive electrode and a negative electrode (S10), a sodium ingredient being included in either the positive electrode or the negative electrode; producing an electrode assembly from the provided positive electrode and negative electrode (S20); producing a battery assembly in which the electrode assembly is housed in a battery case (S30); injecting a nonaqueous electrolyte solution into the battery case (S40), the nonaqueous electrolyte solution including at least lithium bis(oxalato)borate, a fluorophosphate compound, a carbonate solvent and an ether solvent, and the amount of ether solvent included in the nonaqueous electrolyte solution being less than 10 vol % when the amount of nonaqueous solvent included in the nonaqueous electrolyte solution is set to 100 vol %; and charging and discharging the battery assembly (S50).
US09437898B2
Disclosed is a secondary battery including a plurality of electrode assemblies. The secondary battery includes a first electrode assembly including a first cathode, a first separator and a first anode, and a second electrode assembly including a second cathode, a second separator and a second anode, wherein, when an electrode plate area of the second electrode assembly is smaller than that of the first electrode assembly, a cross-sectional thickness of the second electrode assembly is larger than that of the first electrode assembly.
US09437895B2
Fuel cells and, more particularly, the H2—Cl2 proton exchange membrane fuels cells are described. In some embodiments the fuel cells include a flow through electrolyte assembly that is configured to allow the introduction of a first (relatively dilute) electrolyte into the cell, and the remove of a second (relatively concentrated) electrolyte from the cell. Fuel cell stacks and systems for cogenerating electricity and hydrochloric acid using such fuel cells are also described.
US09437891B2
A hydrogen generator comprises a reformer configured to generate a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction using a raw material; a hydrodesulfurization unit configured to remove a sulfur compound from the raw material; a recycle passage configured to flow therethrough the hydrogen-containing gas to be added to the raw material in a state before the raw material flows into the hydrodesulfurization unit, the recycle passage having a downward slope; and a water drain passage configured to discharge condensed water generated in the downward slope of the recycle passage.
US09437889B2
A system and method for limiting voltage cycling of a fuel cell stack during a stand-by mode by providing power from a battery to the stack while the stack is turned off. The method includes monitoring the voltage of each of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack and determining an average cell voltage of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack. The method also determines whether the average cell voltage of the fuel cells in the fuel cell stack has fallen below a predetermined voltage value and, if so, applies a voltage potential to the fuel cell stack to increase the average cell voltage above the predetermined voltage value.
US09437877B2
Electrocatalysts for the anode electro-oxidation of formic acid in direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). The Pd-, Pt- or PdPt-based electrocatalysts contain WO3-modified ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) as support material. Compositions and ratios of Pd:Pt in the electrocatalysts as well as methods of preparing and characterizing the catalysts and the WO3-OMC support material.
US09437876B2
Provided is a production method of an electrode catalyst that can reduce the content of chlorine species reliably and sufficiently through a simple operation, even when using an electrode catalyst precursor containing a high concentration of chlorine (Cl) species as a raw material of the electrode catalyst. The production method of the electrode catalyst has a core-shell structure including a core part formed on a support and a shell part formed to cover at least a part of a surface of the core part. The production method includes a first step (1) of preparing a first liquid with an electrode catalyst precursor (I) being dispersed in ultrapure water by adding the electrode catalyst precursor (I) to the ultrapure water, the electrode catalyst precursor (I) being produced using a material containing chlorine (Cl) species, and exhibiting a chlorine (Cl) species concentration not lower than a first chlorine (Cl) species concentration when measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy; and a second step (2) of preparing a second liquid by dispersing an electrode catalyst precursor (II), the electrode catalyst precursor (II) being obtained by filtrating and washing the electrode catalyst precursor (I) contained in the first liquid with ultrapure water, and then performing washing until an electric conductivity ρ of a filtrate has become a first value or lower.
US09437873B2
Regarding spinel-type lithium manganese-based composite oxide (LMO) to be used as a positive electrode active substance material for lithium battery, a novel LMO is provided, which is capable of maintaining discharge capacity even if charging and discharging are repeated under high temperatures. An LMO in which the crystallite size is 250 nm to 350 nm, the strain is 0.085 or less and the specific surface area increase rate when placed in water at 25° and pH 7 and ultrasonically dispersed at 40 W ultrasonic intensity for 600 seconds is 10.0% or less, can prevent a decrease in the output that accompanies the repetition of charging and discharging while at a high temperature.
US09437867B2
A battery plate grid strip pasting assembly can include an orifice plate, a support structure, and a belt. The orifice plate has an opening through which battery paste material is dispensed out of a hopper. The support structure underlies a battery plate grid strip and supports the battery plate grid strip upstream of the opening. The belt traverses beneath the orifice plate and carries the battery plate grid strip downstream of the opening and downstream of the support structure. The support structure supports the battery plate grid strip above the belt and a gap is provided between a bottom surface of the battery plate grid strip and a top surface of the belt. Battery paste material is dispensed into the gap, through the battery plate grid strip, and overpastes the bottom surface of the battery plate grid strip.
US09437866B2
A process for producing a lithium vanadium phosphate-carbon composite includes a first step that includes mixing a lithium source, a tetravalent or pentavalent vanadium compound, a phosphorus source, and a conductive carbon material source that produces carbon through pyrolysis, in an aqueous solvent to prepare a raw material mixture, a second step that includes heating the raw material mixture to effect a precipitation reaction to obtain a reaction mixture that includes a precipitate, a third step that includes subjecting the reaction mixture that includes the precipitate to wet grinding using a media mill to obtain a slurry that includes ground particles, a fourth step that includes spray-drying the slurry that includes the ground particles to obtain a reaction precursor, and a fifth step that includes calcining the reaction precursor at 600 to 1300° C. in an inert gas atmosphere or a reducing atmosphere. A lithium vanadium phosphate-carbon composite produced by the process may provide a lithium secondary battery with excellent battery performance (e.g., high discharge capacity) when used as a cathode active material.
US09437865B2
To provide an active material having high capacity and excellent cycle characteristics. An active material has a layered crystal structure and is expressed by a compositional formula (1) LiyNiaCobMncMdOx (1), where the element M is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Zr, Ti, Fe, Mg, Nb, Ba, and V; 1.9≦(a+b+c+d+y)≦2.1; 1.05≦y≦1.35; 0
US09437861B2
The present disclosure provides a lithium-ion secondary battery, having a case made from a conductive material; a cell received in the case; a cap assembly mounted to the case in a sealing way and equipped with electrode posts electrically connected to the cell, the electrode posts are a positive post and a negative electrode post; an electrolyte injected in the case; and at least one adapter member. Each adapter member is made from a conductive material and it has a connection portion fixedly connected to the corresponding one electrode post equipped to the cap assembly; and a contact portion extending downwardly into a space between the cell and the case from the connection portion at a lateral side of the cell. The contact portion contacts with the case to realize a short-circuit between the electrode posts when the case is crushed under an external force.
US09437858B2
A lead tap that includes an insulation cover including a boss unit, which protrudes from a surface of the insulation cover and includes an electrical insulating material; and a thermal cut-off device assembly including: a thermal cut-off device; a first lead and a second lead that are coupled to the thermal cut-off device; and a hole through which a portion of the boss unit of the insulation cover protrudes. Here, the boss unit of the insulation cover includes an edge unit that is larger than an opening of the hole of the thermal cut-off device assembly to secure the insulation cover to the thermal cut-off device assembly.
US09437854B2
A battery pack 200 including a plurality of cells 100, in which the plurality of cells 100 are arranged so as to be oriented in the same direction, the cells 100 each have a first safety valve and a second safety valve whose operating pressure is higher than an operating pressure of the first safety valve, the first safety valve of each cell 100 is connected to a first exhaust passage 50, the second safety valve of each cell 100 is connected to a second exhaust passage 60, and the first exhaust passage 50 is spatially separated from the second exhaust passage 60.
US09437852B2
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a battery (10) in which at least one battery module (12) having a plurality of battery cells (14) is provided. A cooling device (26) is selected depending on whether liquid cooling or cooling by a gaseous medium is intended for the at least one battery module (12). Depending on the selection, at least one first heat sink (26), through which a cooling liquid can flow, or at least one second heat sink, through which a gaseous medium can flow, is arranged on the at least one battery module (12) as the cooling device. The invention further relates to a battery arrangement and a modular system for producing a battery (10).
US09437848B2
A latch mechanism for retaining a battery within a batter compartment.
US09437831B2
A first organic resin layer is formed over a first substrate; a first insulating film is formed over the first organic resin layer; a first element layer is formed over the first insulating film; a second organic resin layer is formed over a second substrate; a second insulating film is formed over the second organic resin layer; a second element layer is formed over the second insulating film; the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded; a first separation step in which adhesion between the first organic resin layer and the first substrate is reduced; the first organic resin layer and a first flexible substrate are bonded with a first bonding layer; a second separation step in which adhesion between the second organic resin layer and the second substrate is reduced; and the second organic resin layer and a second flexible substrate are bonded with a second bonding layer.
US09437825B2
Provided is a hole-transporting compound having a novel structure, and more particularly, a hole-transporting compound for an inorganic/organic hybrid perovskite solar cell. An inorganic/organic hybrid perovskite-based solar cell using the hole-transporting compound according to the present invention has significantly high power generation efficiency.
US09437822B2
The present invention provides a manufacturing method of a display module, including a step of disposing a substrate on a transparent carrier plate, wherein the substrate has a bottom surface and a supporting surface opposite to the bottom surface; the bottom surface is attached to the transparent carrier plate and includes a first area and a second area. A step of performing a display elements manufacturing process on the supporting surface. A step of etching the first area by a first energy having a first energy density passing through the transparent carrier plate to separate the first area from the transparent carrier plate. A step of etching the second area by a second energy having a second energy density passing through the transparent carrier plate to separate the second area from the transparent carrier plate, wherein the second energy density is greater than the first energy density. A step of separating the substrate from the transparent carrier plate.
US09437815B1
In one embodiment, a resistive switching memory device can include: (i) a plurality of resistive memory cells arranged in a plurality of array blocks, where each resistive memory cell is configured to be programmed to a low resistance state by application of a program voltage in a forward bias direction, and to be erased to a high resistance state by application of an erase voltage in a reverse bias direction; (ii) a plurality of anode plates corresponding to the plurality of array blocks, where each resistive memory cell can include a resistive storage element having an anode coupled to one of the anode plates; (iii) an inactive ring surrounding the plurality of anode plates, where the inactive ring can include a same material as each of the plurality of anode plates; and (iv) a plurality of boundary cells located under the inactive ring.
US09437812B2
A method of fabricating a TMR sensor that includes a free layer having at least one B-containing (BC) layer made of CoFeB, CoFeBM, CoB, CoBM, or CoBLM, and a plurality of non-B containing (NBC) layers made of CoFe, CoFeM, or CoFeLM is disclosed where L and M are one of Ni, Ta, Ti, W, Zr, Hf, Tb, or Nb. In every embodiment, a NBC layer contacts the tunnel barrier and NBC layers each with a thickness from 2 to 8 Angstroms are formed in alternating fashion with one or more BC layers each 10 to 80 Angstroms thick. Total free layer thickness is <100 Angstroms. The TMR sensor may be annealed with a one step or two step process. The free layer configuration described herein enables a significant noise reduction (SNR enhancement) while realizing a high TMR ratio, low magnetostriction, low RA, and low Hc values.
US09437808B2
Spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices incorporating a field plate for application of an electric field to reduce a critical current required for transfer torque induced magnetization switching. Embodiments utilize not only current-induced magnetic filed or spin transfer torque, but also electric field induced manipulation of magnetic dipole orientation to set states in a magnetic device element (e.g., to write to a memory element). An electric field generated by a voltage differential between an MTJ electrode and the field plate applies an electric field to a free magnetic layer of a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) to modulate one or more magnetic properties over at least a portion of the free magnetic layer.
US09437804B2
An electroactive polymer structure includes a first flexible electrode, a second flexible electrode, and a polymer dielectric layer with ionic liquid on top of the first electrode including at least two regions. Each region of the polymer dielectric layer includes a different ionic liquid concentration. The polymer dielectric layer is in between the first flexible electrode and the second flexible electrode.
US09437800B1
Systems and methods for suppressing magnetically active surface defects in superconducting quantum circuits are provided. A method includes providing one or more superconducting quantum circuits, and arranging the one or more superconducting quantum circuits in a hermetic enclosure capable of isolating the one or more superconducting circuits from ambient surroundings. The method also includes controlling an environment in the hermetic enclosure to suppress magnetically active surface defects associated with the one or more superconducting quantum circuits. In some aspects, the method further includes introducing an inert gas into the hermetic enclosure to passivate a surface of the one or more superconducting quantum circuits. In other aspects, the method further includes coating a surface of the one or more superconducting circuits with a non-magnetic encapsulation layer. In yet other aspects, the method further includes irradiating the one or more superconducting circuits using ultraviolet light.
US09437788B2
A light emitting diode (LED) component comprises an LED having a dominant wavelength in a range of from about 425 nm to less than 460 nm and a phosphor in optical communication with the LED. The phosphor includes a host lattice comprising yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG), and may include an activator comprising Ce and a substitutional dopant comprising Ga incorporated in the host lattice. An emission spectrum of the phosphor has a maximum intensity in a wavelength range of from about 540 nm to about 570 nm, and an excitation spectrum of the phosphor comprises an intensity at 440 nm equivalent to at least about 85% of a maximum intensity of the excitation spectrum.
US09437784B2
Disclosed is a light emitting device including a light emitting structure comprising a first semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second semiconductor layer, a phosphor plate disposed on the second semiconductor layer, a first electrode portion disposed on the phosphor plate, and a plurality of bonding portions disposed between the light emitting structure and the phosphor plate, the bonding portions bonding the phosphor plate to the light emitting structure, wherein each bonding portion includes at least one first bonding portion electrically connected to the first electrode portion.
US09437779B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a structure, a first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer. The structure includes a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a light emitting layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The first electrode layer is provided on the first semiconductor layer side of the structure. The first electrode layer is made of metal and contains a portion contacting the first semiconductor layer. The second electrode layer is provided on the second semiconductor layer side of the structure. The second electrode layer has a metal portion with a thickness of not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 50 nanometers, and a plurality of openings piercing the metal portion, each of the openings having an equivalent circle diameter of not less than 10 nanometers and not more than 5 micrometers.
US09437774B2
A method of fabricating a light emitting diode, which includes an n-type contact layer and a light generating structure adjacent to the n-type contact layer, is provided. The light generating structure includes a set of quantum wells. The contact layer and light generating structure can be configured so that a difference between an energy of the n-type contact layer and an electron ground state energy of a quantum well is greater than an energy of a polar optical phonon in a material of the light generating structure. Additionally, the light generating structure can be configured so that its width is comparable to a mean free path for emission of a polar optical phonon by an electron injected into the light generating structure.
US09437771B2
A monolithic active pixel radiation detector including a method of fabricating thereof. The disclosed radiation detector can include a substrate comprising a silicon layer upon which electronics are configured. A plurality of channels can be formed on the silicon layer, wherein the plurality of channels are connected to sources of signals located in a bulk part of the substrate, and wherein the signals flow through electrically conducting vias established in an isolation oxide on the substrate. One or more nested wells can be configured from the substrate, wherein the nested wells assist in collecting charge carriers released in interaction with radiation and wherein the nested wells further separate the electronics from the sensing portion of the detector substrate. The detector can also be configured according to a thick SOA method of fabrication.
US09437764B2
An exemplary embodiment is a photoelectric conversion device having a photoelectric conversion portion, and a transfer portion. The transfer portion transfers charges of the photoelectric conversion portion. The photoelectric conversion portion includes first and second semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type. Charges generated by photoelectric conversion are accumulated in the first and second semiconductor regions. According to the structure of the first and second semiconductor regions of the exemplary embodiment or the method for manufacturing them, the transfer efficiency of charges can be improved while improving the sensitivity of the photoelectric conversion portion.
US09437761B2
Disclosed is a method of forming a chalcopyrite light-absorbing layer for a solar cell, including: forming a thin film including a chalcopyrite compound precursor; and radiating light on the thin film, wherein the chalcopyrite compound precursor absorbs light energy and is thus crystallized. When forming the chalcopyrite light-absorbing layer, light, but not heat, is applied, thus preventing problems, including damage to a substrate due to heat and formation of MoSe2 due to heating of the Mo rear electrode. Furthermore, long-wavelength light, which deeply penetrates the thin film, is first radiated, and short-wavelength light, which shallowly penetrates the thin film, is subsequently radiated, thereby sequentially forming the chalcopyrite light-absorbing layer from the bottom of the thin film.
US09437757B2
A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes forming a polished surface on a silicon substrate and forming a first flowable matrix in an interdigitated pattern on the polished surface, where the polished surface allows the first flowable matrix to form an interdigitated pattern comprising features of uniform thickness and width. In an embodiment, the method includes forming the silicon substrate using a method such as, but not limited to, of diamond wire or slurry wafering processes. In another embodiment, the method includes forming the polished surface on the silicon substrate using a chemical etchant such as, but not limited to, sulfuric acid (H2SO4), acetic acid (CH3COOH), nitric acid (HNO3), hydrofluoric acid (HF) or phosphoric acid (H3PO4). In still another embodiment, the etchant is an isotropic etchant. In yet another embodiment, the method includes providing a surface of the silicon substrate with at most 500 nanometer peak-to-valley roughness.
US09437756B2
A solar cell structure includes P-type and N-type doped regions. A dielectric spacer is formed on a surface of the solar cell structure. A metal layer is formed on the dielectric spacer and on the surface of the solar cell structure that is exposed by the dielectric spacer. A metal foil is placed on the metal layer. A laser beam is used to weld the metal foil to the metal layer. A laser beam is also used to pattern the metal foil. The laser beam ablates portions of the metal foil and the metal layer that are over the dielectric spacer. The laser ablation of the metal foil cuts the metal foil into separate P-type and N-type metal fingers.
US09437754B2
A method of manufacturing an electrical device comprising steps of: preparing a substrate; applying a conductive paste onto the substrate, wherein the conductive paste comprises (i) an inorganic powder comprising at least a conductive powder, (ii) an organic polymer, (iii) a solvent and (iv) a gellant selected from the group consisting of a polyalkyleneoxy terminated polyamide (PAOPA), an ester terminated polyamide (ETPA), polyether polyamine (PEPA) and a mixture thereof; and heating the applied conductive paste to form an electrode.
US09437746B2
The present disclosure relates to a thin film transistor substrate with a metal oxide semiconductor layer that has enhanced characteristics and stability. The present disclosure also relates to a method for manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate in which a thermal treatment is conducted for the metal oxide semiconductor layer and the damages to the substrate by the thermal treatment are minimized.
US09437736B2
In a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, it is only necessary that, at the time of data writing, a voltage drop is caused in a high resistance region. Therefore, the value of voltage applied to a gate electrode can be reduced as compared with a conventional device. In correspondence with the reduction in the value of applied voltage, it is possible to reduce the film thickness of a gate insulating film of memory transistors, and further the film thickness of the gate insulating film of a peripheral transistor for controlling the memory transistors. As a result, the circuit configuration of the non-volatile semiconductor memory device can be reduced in size as compared with the conventional device.
US09437726B2
In a field effect transistor, a carbon concentration in a buffer layer at the side closer to a high resistance layer is not less than 0.8×1019/cm3 and not more than 1.0×1021/cm3, a carbon concentration in the high resistance layer at the side closer to the buffer layer is not less than 3.7×1018/cm3 and not more than 1.0×1021/cm3, and a carbon concentration in the high resistance layer at the side closer to the channel layer is not less than 1.4×1019/cm3 and not more than 1.0×1021/cm3.
US09437718B1
A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a first seed layer, a second seed layer and an intrinsic base spaced apart from each other and with the intrinsic base located between the first seed layer and the second seed layer on an insulator layer. The method further includes forming an emitter on the first seed layer and on a first vertical surface of the intrinsic base by epitaxially growing the emitter from the first seed layer and the first vertical surface of the intrinsic base, and forming a collector on the second seed layer and on a second vertical surface of the intrinsic base by epitaxially growing the collector from the second seed layer and the second vertical surface of the intrinsic base.
US09437714B1
Gate metal is selectively deposited on work function material during formation of a replacement metal gate. The work function material is subjected to a hydrogen-based surface treatment to enable the subsequent selective deposition of the gate metal. Work function materials including titanium nitride and tantalum nitride may be processed to facilitate the selective deposition of gate metals, thereby simplifying the gate fabrication process by eliminating the need for subjecting the gate metal to a reactive ion etch or chemical mechanical planarization prior to formation of a dielectric cap.
US09437711B2
One method disclosed herein includes, among other things, performing a process operation on an exposed surface of a substrate so as to form an H-terminated silicon surface, selectively forming a sacrificial material layer within a replacement gate cavity but not on the H-terminated silicon surface, forming a high-k layer of insulating material within the replacement gate cavity above the H-terminated silicon surface and laterally between first spaced-apart portions of the sacrificial material layer, and forming a work-function adjusting material layer in the gate cavity, wherein the work-function adjusting material layer has a substantially planar upper surface that extends between second spaced-apart portions of the sacrificial material layer formed on the sidewall spacers.
US09437709B2
A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. In the method, a substrate structure is provided, including a substrate and a fin-shaped buffer layer formed on the surface of the substrate. A QW material layer is formed on the surface of the fin-shaped buffer layer. A barrier material layer is formed on the QW material layer. The QW material layer is suitable for forming an electron gas therein. Thereby the short-channel effect is improved, while high mobility of the semiconductor device is guaranteed. In addition, according to the present disclosure, thermal dissipation of the semiconductor device may be improved, and thus performance and stability of the device may be improved.
US09437708B2
A III-N semiconductor device that includes a substrate and a nitride channel layer including a region partly beneath a gate region, and two channel access regions on opposite sides of the part beneath the gate. The channel access regions may be in a different layer from the region beneath the gate. The device includes an AlXN layer adjacent the channel layer wherein X is gallium, indium or their combination, and a preferably n-doped GaN layer adjacent the AlXN layer in the areas adjacent to the channel access regions. The concentration of Al in the AlXN layer, the AlXN layer thickness and the n-doping concentration in the n-doped GaN layer are selected to induce a 2DEG charge in channel access regions without inducing any substantial 2DEG charge beneath the gate, so that the channel is not conductive in the absence of a switching voltage applied to the gate.
US09437707B2
A transistor device is described that includes a source, a gate, a drain, a semiconductor material which includes a gate region between the source and the drain, a plurality of channel access regions in the semiconductor material on either side of the gate, a channel in the semiconductor material having an effective width in the gate region and in the channel access regions, and an isolation region in the gate region. The isolation region serves to reduce the effective width of the channel in the gate region without substantially reducing the effective width of the channel in the access regions. Alternatively, the isolation region can be configured to collect holes that are generated in the transistor device. The isolation region may simultaneously achieve both of these functions.
US09437699B2
According to another embodiment, a semiconductor structure is provided. The structure includes: a substrate; a first nanowire over the substrate; and a second nanowire over the substrate and substantially symmetric with the first nanowire.
US09437691B2
Techniques are disclosed for forming column IV transistor devices having source/drain regions with high concentrations of germanium, and exhibiting reduced parasitic resistance relative to conventional devices. In some example embodiments, the source/drain regions each include a thin p-type silicon or germanium or SiGe deposition with the remainder of the source/drain material deposition being p-type germanium or a germanium alloy (e.g., germanium:tin or other suitable strain inducer, and having a germanium content of at least 80 atomic % and 20 atomic % or less other components). In some cases, evidence of strain relaxation may be observed in the germanium rich cap layer, including misfit dislocations and/or threading dislocations and/or twins. Numerous transistor configurations can be used, including both planar and non-planar transistor structures (e.g., FinFETs and nanowire transistors), as well as strained and unstrained channel structures.
US09437689B2
A Ga2O3 semiconductor element includes: an n-type β-Ga2O3 single crystal film, which is formed on a high-resistance β-Ga2O3 substrate directly or with other layer therebetween; a source electrode and a drain electrode, which are formed on the n-type β-Ga2O3 single crystal film; and a gate electrode, which is formed on the n-type β-Ga2O3 single crystal film between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09437674B2
A method of manufacturing an insulating trench including the successive steps of: a) forming, on a semiconductor substrate, a first masking structure including a layer of a first selectively-etchable material and etching a trench into the substrate; b) forming an insulating coating on the trench walls and filling the trench with doped polysilicon; c) forming a silicon oxide plug penetrating into the trench substantially all the way to the upper surface of the substrate and protruding above the upper surface of the substrate; and d) removing the layer of the first material.
US09437672B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first semiconductor layer of a nitride semiconductor formed on a substrate; a second semiconductor layer of a nitride semiconductor formed on the first semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a hole extraction electrode, each of which is formed on the second semiconductor layer, wherein between the source electrode and the hole extraction electrode or in a region right under the source electrode, the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer form a vertical interface approximately perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, and a surface of the first semiconductor layer configured to form the vertical interface is an N-polar surface.
US09437670B2
A test circuit including a light activated test connection in a semiconductor device is provided. The light activated test connection is electrically conductive during a test of the semiconductor device and is electrically non-conductive after the test.
US09437669B2
A semiconductor resistor circuit has resistor elements of a polycrystalline silicon thin film formed on an insulating film deposited on a semiconductor substrate. A high stress insulating film is formed on and covers the resistor elements and the insulating film exposed between the resistor elements. Metal wirings cover upper portions of the resistor elements. The high stress insulating film has a membrane stress that is higher than that of the metal wirings.
US09437668B1
An on-chip magnetic structure includes a magnetic material comprising cobalt in a range from about 80 to about 90 atomic % (at. %) based on the total number of atoms of the magnetic material, tungsten in a range from about 4 to about 9 at. % based on the total number of atoms of the magnetic material, phosphorous in a range from about 7 to about 15 at. % based on the total number of atoms of the magnetic material, and palladium substantially dispersed throughout the magnetic material.
US09437665B2
Disclosed is an organic light-emitting display apparatus. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a pixel electrode that is connected to at least one thin film transistor, an opposite electrode that is disposed to face the pixel electrode, an organic light emitting layer that is disposed between the pixel electrode and the opposite electrode, and a pad electrode that includes a first pad layer, a second pad layer disposed on the first pad layer, and a third pad layer which is disposed between the first pad layer and the second pad layer and contains a material having a reducibility that is lower than a reducibility of a material contained in the second pad layer.
US09437656B2
A semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a dielectric film configured to store information depending on presence or absence of a conductive path therein, and a plurality of electrodes provided to contact a first surface of the dielectric film. The conductive path can be formed between two electrodes arbitrarily selected form the plurality of electrodes. The conductive path has a rectifying property of allowing a current to flow more easily in a first direction connecting arbitrary two electrodes than in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The largest possible number of the conductive paths that may be formed is larger than the number of the plurality of electrodes.
US09437644B2
To provide a semiconductor device having a photoelectric conversion element having a high sensitivity, causing less blooming, and capable of providing a highly reliable image. The semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate, a first p type epitaxial layer, a second p type epitaxial layer, and a first photoelectric conversion element. The first p type epitaxial layer is formed over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second p type epitaxial layer is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the first p type epitaxial layer. The first photoelectric conversion element is formed in the second p type epitaxial layer. The first and second p type epitaxial layers are each made of silicon and the first p type epitaxial layer has a p type impurity concentration higher than that of the second p type epitaxial layer.
US09437639B2
Provided is a semiconductor device which allows an alignment mark used for the manufacturing of a solid-state image sensor (semiconductor device) having a back-side-illumination structure to be formed in a smaller number of steps. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having a first main surface and a second main surface opposing the first main surface, a plurality of photodiodes which are formed in the semiconductor layer and in each of which photoelectric conversion is performed, a light receiving lens disposed over the second main surface of the semiconductor layer to supply light to each of the photodiodes, and a mark for alignment formed inside the semiconductor layer. The mark for alignment is formed so as to extend from the first main surface toward the second main surface and have a protruding portion protruding from the second main surface in a direction toward where the light receiving lens is disposed.
US09437635B2
An image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having first and second faces, and a wiring structure arranged on a side of the first face, wherein photoelectric converters are arranged in the semiconductor layer and light is incident on the second face. The wiring structure includes reflection portions having reflection regions and arranged for at least some of the photoelectric converters, absorbing portions arranged around the reflection regions, an insulator portion arranged to surround the absorbing portions, and an interlayer insulating film arranged between the first face and a group of the reflection portions, the light absorbing portions, and the insulator portion, and a reflectance of the light absorbing portions is smaller than a reflectance of the reflection regions, and a light transmittance of the light absorbing portions is smaller than a light transmittance of the insulator portion.
US09437627B2
A manufacturing method of a thin film transistor includes the following steps. A substrate is provided first. A semiconductor layer is then formed on the substrate. Next, a photoresist pattern including a middle portion and two peripheral portions is formed on the semiconductor layer. The middle portion is disposed between two peripheral portions, and the thickness of the middle portion is greater than each of the peripheral portions. Next, an etching process is performed on the semiconductor layer for forming a patterned semiconductor layer. A photoresist ashing process is then performed to remove at least the peripheral portions of the photoresist pattern to form a channel defining photoresist pattern and expose two portions of the patterned semiconductor layer. Next, the patterned semiconductor layer is treated to form a semiconductor portion and two conductor portions. The channel defining photoresist pattern is then removed.
US09437626B2
MMIC circuits with thin film transistors are provided without the need of grinding and etching of the substrate after the fabrication of active and passive components. Furthermore, technology for active devices based on non-toxic compound semiconductors is provided. The success in the MMIC methods and structures without substrate grinding/etching and the use of semiconductors without toxic elements for active components will reduce manufacturing time, decrease economic cost and environmental burden. MMIC structures are provided where the requirements for die or chip attachment, alignment and wire bonding are eliminated completely or minimized. This will increase the reproducibility and reduce the manufacturing time for the MMIC circuits and modules.
US09437619B2
An array substrate and a manufacturing method thereof and a display device are provided, wherein the array substrate includes: a substrate, and a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode, a drain electrode and an insulating protection layer sequentially formed on the substrate, and the substrate is further provided with a pixel electrode and a common electrode, and a first leading wire hole connecting the pixel electrode with the drain electrode and a second leading wire hole connecting the common electrode with a common electrode line, the pixel electrode is provided on the substrate, and the gate electrode is directly provided on a transparent conductive layer which is provided at the same layer with the pixel electrode; the pixel electrode is connected with the drain electrode through a first metal connection layer provided in the first leading wire hole, and the first metal connection layer is provided at the same layer with the gate electrode.
US09437618B2
A pixel structure includes a thin film transistor device. The thin film transistor device includes a first connection electrode, a second connection electrode, an oxide semiconductor channel layer, a gate insulation layer, a gate electrode, a dielectric layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The oxide semiconductor channel layer at least partially covers a top surface of the first connection electrode and a top surface of the second connection electrode. The gate electrode is disposed on the gate insulation layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on the gate electrode and the gate insulation layer. The gate insulation layer and the dielectric layer have a first contact hole at least partially exposing the top surface of the first connection electrode and a second contact hole at least partially exposing the top surface of the second connection electrode. The source electrode is electrically connected to the first connection electrode via the first contact hole, and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the second connection electrode via the second contact hole.
US09437614B1
A method of forming an active device on a semiconductor wafer includes the steps of: forming a plurality of semiconductor fins on at least a portion of a semiconductor substrate; forming a dielectric layer on at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate, the dielectric layer filling gaps between adjacent fins; forming a plurality of gate structures on an upper surface of the dielectric layer; forming a channel region on the dielectric layer and under at least a portion of the gate structures, the channel region comprising a first crystalline semiconductor material; forming source and drain epitaxy regions on an upper surface of the dielectric layer and between adjacent gate structures, the source and rain regions being spaced laterally from one another; and replacing the channel region with a second crystalline semiconductor material after high-temperature processing used in fabricating the active device has been completed.
US09437608B2
Some embodiments include a memory cell string having a body having a channel extending therein and in contact with a source/drain, a select gate adjacent to the body, a plurality of access lines adjacent to the body, and a dielectric in a portion of the body between the source/drain and a level corresponding to an end of the plurality of access lines most adjacent to the select gate. The dielectric in the portion of the body does not extend along an entire length of the body. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09437607B2
A semiconductor device has a vertical channel and includes a first tunnel insulating layer adjacent to a blocking insulating layer, a third tunnel insulating layer adjacent to a channel pillar, and a second tunnel insulating layer between the first and third tunnel insulating layers. The energy band gap of the third tunnel insulating layer is smaller than that of the first tunnel insulating layer and is larger than that of the second tunnel insulating layer.
US09437597B2
The present disclosure provides a static memory cell and fabrication method. A first fin part is formed on a semiconductor substrate. An isolation layer is formed to cover a lower portion of sidewalls of the first fin part. A first dummy gate structure is formed across the first fin part. A dielectric layer is formed on the isolation layer. A mask layer is formed on the dielectric layer with a first opening to expose the top surface of the first dummy gate structure. The first dummy gate structure is removed through the first opening to form a first trench exposing the first fin part. A portion of the isolation layer is removed through the first opening to form a second trench exposing a portion of sidewalls of the first fin part below the top surface of the isolation layer. A first gate structure is formed by filling up the first and the second trenches.
US09437595B2
A structure includes at least one shallow trench isolation structure formed in a substrate to isolate adjacent different type devices. The structure further includes a barrier trench structure formed in the substrate to isolate diffusions of adjacent same type devices. The structure further includes a material spanning the barrier trench structure to connect the diffusions of the adjacent same type device, on a same level as the adjacent same type devices.
US09437594B2
A nitride insulating film which prevents diffusion of hydrogen into an oxide semiconductor film in a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Further, a semiconductor device which has favorable electrical characteristics by using a transistor including a silicon semiconductor and a transistor including an oxide semiconductor is provided. Two nitride insulating films having different functions are provided between the transistor including a silicon semiconductor and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Specifically, a first nitride insulating film which contains hydrogen is provided over the transistor including a silicon semiconductor, and a second nitride insulating film which has a lower hydrogen content than the first nitride insulating film and functions as a barrier film against hydrogen is provided between the first nitride insulating film and the transistor including an oxide semiconductor.
US09437592B2
A switching device according to the present invention is a switching device for switching a load by on-off control of voltage, and includes an SiC semiconductor layer where a current path is formed by on-control of the voltage, a first electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer, and a second electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer for conducting with the first electrode due to the formation of the current path, while the first electrode has a variable resistance portion made of a material whose resistance value increases under a prescribed high-temperature condition for limiting current density of overcurrent to not more than a prescribed value when the overcurrent flows to the current path.
US09437584B2
An electronic apparatus includes a multilayered structure in which a plurality of semiconductor chips provided with semiconductor devices are stacked, penetrating electrodes penetrating the semiconductor chips and electrically connecting the semiconductor devices of the plurality of semiconductor chips, an MEMS chip mounted on the multilayered structure and provided with an MEMS device, wherein pads connecting to the penetrating electrodes are provided on the MEMS chip.
US09437583B1
A package-on-package (PoP) assembly includes a bottom die package and a top die package. The bottom die package includes an interposer having a first side and a second side, an active chip mounted on the first side within a chip mounting area through first bumps, and a dummy chip mounted on the first side within a peripheral area. The dummy chip is directly mounted on a passivation layer of the interposer. A dielectric layer covers the active chip and the dummy chip. At least one TSV connecter penetrates through the dielectric layer and the dummy chip. A molding compound is disposed on the first side. The molding compound covers the active chip and the TSV chip. Solder bumps are mounted on the second side.
US09437572B2
A method embodiment includes patterning an opening through a layer at a surface of a device die. The method further includes forming a liner on sidewalls of the opening, patterning the device die to extend the opening further into the device die. After patterning the device die, the liner is removed. A conductive pad is formed in the device die by filling the opening with a conductive material.
US09437562B2
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes placing a mask having an opening on an external region of a top face of a substrate to locate an end portion of the opening of the mask just above a concave portion formed on the top face of the substrate, the external region being located outside the concave portion. The manufacturing method further includes: growing a conductive film on part of the top face of the substrate through the mask after the mask is placed on the substrate, the part of the top face containing the concave portion; and removing the mask from the substrate after the conductive film is grown.
US09437555B2
It is desirable to design and manufacture electronic chips that are resistant to modern reverse engineering techniques. Disclosed is a method and device that allows for the design of chips that are difficult to reverse engineer using modern teardown techniques. The disclosed device uses devices having the same geometry but different voltage levels to create different logic devices. Alternatively, the disclosed uses devices having different geometries and the same operating characteristics. Also disclosed is a method of designing a chip using these devices.
US09437552B2
A plurality of semiconductor die is mounted to a temporary carrier. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and carrier. A portion of the encapsulant is designated as a saw street between the die, and a portion of the encapsulant is designated as a substrate edge around a perimeter of the encapsulant. The carrier is removed. A first insulating layer is formed over the die, saw street, and substrate edge. A first conductive layer is formed over the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first conductive layer and first insulating layer. The encapsulant is singulated through the first insulating layer and saw street to separate the semiconductor die. A channel or net pattern can be formed in the first insulating layer on opposing sides of the saw street, or the first insulating layer covers the entire saw street and molding area around the semiconductor die.
US09437549B2
A method for manufacturing a ceramic substrate is characterized in using a preformed trench, a patterned protective layer and a sand blasting process to manufacture a cavity in a ceramic substrate and control the cavity size and shape of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate is collocated with a base substrate to form a package substrate for packaging a semiconductor chip. The manufacturing method set forth above can lower the manufacturing cost and raise the accuracy of the size and shape of the cavity of the ceramic substrate. The abovementioned method can reduce the fabrication cost and increase the precision of the shape and size of a ceramic substrate.
US09437537B2
A semiconductor device including conductive lines configured to include first lines extending generally in parallel in a first direction and second lines extending generally in parallel in a second direction to intersect the first direction from the respective ends of the first lines and each second line having a width wider than the first line, and dummy patterns formed between the second lines.
US09437525B2
An object is to use an electrode made of a less expensive material than gold (Au). A semiconductor device comprises: a first titanium layer that is formed to cover at least part of a semiconductor layer and is made of titanium; an aluminum layer that is formed on the first titanium layer on opposite side of the semiconductor layer and mainly consists of aluminum; a titanium nitride layer that is formed on the aluminum layer on opposite side of the first titanium layer and is made of titanium nitride; and an electrode layer that is formed on the titanium nitride layer on opposite side of the aluminum layer and is made of silver.
US09437516B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor die and a metal clip. In one embodiment, the semiconductor die is embedded in an insulating material and has a first surface facing in a first direction, a second surface facing in a second direction opposite the first direction and an edge extending between the first and second surfaces. The metal clip is embedded in the insulating material above the die and bonded to the second surface of the die. Part of the metal clip extends laterally beyond the edge of the die and vertically in the first direction to provide galvanic redistribution at the second surface of the die. Other embodiments of semiconductor packages are also provided.
US09437513B2
Method for manufacturing an electronic semiconductor package, in which method an electronic chip (100) is coupled to a carrier, the electronic chip is at least partially encapsulated by means of an encapsulation structure having a discontinuity, and the carrier is partially encapsulated, and at least one part of the discontinuity and a volume connected thereto adjoining an exposed surface section of the carrier are covered by an electrically insulating thermal interface structure, which electrically decouples at least one part of the carrier with respect to its surroundings.
US09437507B2
The polishing process includes a first state where an eddy current sensor and a polishing target object do not face each other and a second state where the eddy current sensor and the polishing target object face each other. The method of correcting a film thickness measurement value includes obtaining a first measurement signal (Xout, Yout) output from the eddy current sensor in the first state (step S108), computing a correction value (ΔX, ΔY) on the basis of the obtained first measurement signal and a reference signal (Xsd, Ysd) set in advance, obtaining a second measurement signal (X, Y) output from the eddy current sensor in the second state (step S104), and correcting the obtained second measurement signal on the basis of the computed correction value while the polishing process is being performed (step S105).
US09437501B1
A method of making a nanowire device incudes disposing a first nanowire stack over a substrate, the first nanowire stack including alternating layers of a first and second semiconducting material, the first semiconducting material contacting the substrate and the second semiconducting material being an exposed surface; disposing a second nanowire stack over the substrate, the second nanowire stack including alternating layers of the first and second semiconducting materials, the first semiconducting material contacting the substrate and the second semiconducting material being an exposed surface; forming a first gate spacer along a sidewall of a first gate region on the first nanowire stack and a second gate spacer along a sidewall of a second gate region on the second nanowire stack; oxidizing a portion of the first nanowire stack within the first gate spacer; and removing the first semiconducting material from the first nanowire stack and the second nanowire stack.
US09437500B1
A semiconductor device and a method for making the semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a non-volatile memory cell having a gate dielectric and formed in a non-volatile memory well region; a first transistor type formed using a first gate oxide and formed in a first transistor well region; a second transistor type formed using a second gate oxide and formed in a second transistor well region; and a third transistor type formed using a third gate oxide and formed in a third transistor well region. The gate dielectric and the first and second gate oxides are formed from the same oxide stack. The first, second, and third transistor types include extension implants formed using a first implant dopant, and the non-volatile memory cell includes extension implants formed using a second implant dopant, where the first and second implant dopants are different.
US09437494B2
A semiconductor arrangement and method of formation are provided. A method of semiconductor formation includes using a single photoresist to mask off an area where low voltage devices are to be formed as well as gate structures of high voltage devices while performing high energy implants for the high voltage devices. Another method of semiconductor fabrication includes performing high energy implants for high voltage devices through a patterned photoresist where the photoresist is patterned prior to forming gate structures for high voltage devices and prior to forming gate structures for low voltage devices. After the high energy implants are performed, subsequent processing is performed to form high voltage devices and low voltage devices. High voltage device and low voltage devices are thus formed in a CMOS process without need for additional masks.
US09437488B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes providing a structure with a sacrificial layer having at least one through-hole exposing a metal surface and, optionally, an oxide surface. In one example, the method may include applying a self-assembled monolayer selectively on the exposed metal surface and/or on the oxide surface. The method may also include growing a metal on the self-assembled monolayer and on the exposed metal surface if no self-assembled monolayer is present thereon, so as to fill the at least one through-hole, thereby forming at least one metal structure. The method may further include replacing the first sacrificial layer by a replacement dielectric layer having a dielectric constant of at most 3.9.
US09437486B2
A sputtering target contains high purity Nb of which Ta content is 3000 ppm or less and oxygen content is 200 ppm or less. Dispersion of the Ta content in all the sputtering target is within ±30% as a whole target. Dispersion of the oxygen content is within ±80% as a whole target. According to such sputtering target, an interconnection film of low resistivity can be realized. In addition, each grain of Nb in the sputtering target has a grain diameter in the range of 0.1 to 10 times an average grain diameter and ratios of grain sizes of adjacent grains are in the range of 0.1 to 10. According to such sputtering target, giant dust can be largely suppressed from occurring. The sputtering target is suitable for forming a Nb film as liner material of an Al interconnection.
US09437480B2
Methods of fabricating semiconductor structures incorporating tight pitch contacts aligned with active area features and of simultaneously fabricating self-aligned tight pitch contacts and conductive lines using various techniques for defining patterns having sublithographic dimensions. Semiconductor structures having tight pitch contacts aligned with active area features and, optionally, aligned conductive lines are also disclosed, as are semiconductor structures with tight pitch contact holes and aligned trenches for conductive lines.
US09437476B2
In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a pattern portion and a flat portion on a substrate, the pattern portion including plural patterns, and the flat portion having a flat surface at a position lower than upper surfaces of the patterns. The method further includes transferring a first film on the substrate to continuously form the first film on the upper surfaces of the patterns and on the flat surface of the flat portion and to form a first air gap between the patterns.
US09437475B2
A method of producing a microelectronic device in a substrate including a first semiconductor layer, a first dielectric layer, and a second semiconductor layer, including: etching a trench through the first semiconductor layer, the first dielectric layer, and a part of the second semiconductor layer, defining one active region, and such that, at the level of the second semiconductor layer, a part of the trench extends under a part of the active region; deposition of one second dielectric layer in the trench; etching the second dielectric layer such that remaining portions of the second dielectric layer forms portions of dielectric material extending under a part of the active region; deposition of a third dielectric layer in the trench such that the trench is filled with the dielectric materials of the second and third dielectric layers and forms an isolation trench.
US09437473B2
A process for separating at least two substrates comprising at least two separation interfaces along one of the interfaces includes, before inserting a blade between the substrate, damaging at least one portion of a peripheral region of a chosen one of the interfaces, then inserting the blade and partially parting the substrates, and applying a fluid in a space between the parted substrates while the blade remains inserted therebetween, and decreasing a rupture energy of the chosen interface by stress corrosion involving breaking of siloxane bonds present at the interface.
US09437468B2
A heated non-contact wafer handling gripper may heat a thin device wafer bottom surface having a temporary bonding adhesive residue after debonding of the device wafer from a carrier along a layer of temporary bonding adhesive that bonds the wafers. The gripper may heat residue of the adhesive that remains on the bottom surface while gripping, transferring and placing the wafer onto an adhesive cleaning chuck. The heated adhesive cleaning chuck may heat the thin device wafer bottom surface having the adhesive residue after being placed on the chucks. The chuck may heat the residue of the adhesive while the residue is cleaned from the wafer. Due to the heating by the chuck and/or gripper, wafer warpage and associated problems due to cooling of the residue may be eliminated or acceptable for wafer handling and adhesive cleaning.
US09437463B2
A heating apparatus includes a susceptor having a heating face of heating a semiconductor and a supporting part joined with a back face of the susceptor. The susceptor comprises a ceramic material comprising magnesium, aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen as main components. The material comprises a main phase comprising magnesium-aluminum oxynitride phase exhibiting an XRD peak at least in 2θ=47 to 50° by CuKα X-ray.
US09437461B2
Aspects of the invention include a semiconductor device that enables both solder-outflow prevention and inhibition of seizures coming from laser processing residues. A semiconductor device can include a semiconductor chip, a plurality of insulating substrates on each of which the semiconductor chip is fixed, a heat sink having a plurality of first grooves surrounding each one of more than one predetermined arrangement area. The plurality of insulating substrates can be arranged at each of the predetermined areas, and a plurality of second grooves surrounding the first groove, wherein the second grooves are shallower in depth than each of the first grooves, and solder filled between the insulating substrate and the arrangement area on the heat sink.
US09437456B2
Flash lamps connected to short-pulse circuits and flash lamps connected to long-pulse circuits are alternately arranged in a line. The duration of light emission from the flash lamps connected to the long-pulse circuits is longer than the duration of light emission from the flash lamps connected to the short-pulse circuits. A superimposing of a flash of light with a high peak intensity from the flash lamps that emit light for a short time and a flash of light with a gentle peak from the flash lamps that emit light for a long time can increase the temperature of even a deep portion of a substrate to an activation temperature or more without heating a shallow portion near the substrate surface more than necessary. This achieves the activation of deep junctions without causing substrate warpage or cracking.
US09437455B2
A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device includes introducing an impurity into a SiC substrate, forming a mixed material layer, which is made from a resin and a fibrous carbon material, on a surface of the SiC material into which the impurity is introduced, performing heat treatment of the SiC substrate in which the mixed material layer is formed on the surface of the SiC substrate, and removing the mixed material layer after the heat treatment.
US09437452B2
A method of forming a fine pattern includes forming a phase separation guide layer on a substrate, forming a neutral layer on the phase separation guide layer, forming a first pattern including first openings on the neutral layer, forming a second pattern including second openings each having a smaller width than each of the first openings, forming a neutral pattern including guide patterns exposing a portion of the phase separation guide layer by etching an exposed portion of the neutral layer by using the second pattern as an etch mask, removing the second pattern to expose a top surface of the neutral pattern, forming a material layer including a block copolymer on the neutral pattern and the phase separation guide layer exposed through the guide patterns, and forming a fine pattern layer including a first block and a second block on the neutral pattern and the phase separation guide layer.
US09437444B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of first hard mask patterns separated by a plurality of trenches on a target layer, forming a plurality of second hard mask patterns filling the plurality of trenches, forming a plurality of first opening units in the plurality of second hard mask patterns, forming a plurality of second opening units in the plurality of first hard mask patterns and forming a plurality of patterns using the plurality of first opening units and the plurality of second opening units, which are transferred by etching the target layer.
US09437443B2
A SIT method includes the following steps. An SIT mandrel material is deposited onto a substrate and formed into a plurality of SIT mandrels. A spacer material is conformally deposited onto the substrate covering a top and sides of each of the SIT mandrels. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is used to deposit the SIT spacer at low temperatures. The spacer material is selected from the group including a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride and combinations including at least one of the foregoing materials. The spacer material is removed from all but the sides of each of the SIT mandrels to form SIT sidewall spacers on the sides of each of the SIT mandrels. The SIT mandrels are removed selective to the SIT sidewall spacers revealing a pattern of the SIT sidewall spacers. The pattern of the SIT sidewall spacers is transferred to the underlying stack or substrate.
US09437437B2
According to one embodiment, a method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a base film above a semiconductor substrate, forming a core above the base film, forming a side wall film on a side face of the core, and replacing at least part of the side wall film with a metal film by performing plating processing.
US09437426B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: a process of transferring a substrate into a processing chamber; a first gas supplying process of supplying a B atom-containing gas into the processing chamber; a first purging process of purging an inside of the processing chamber under an atmosphere of the B atom-containing gas supplied in the first gas supplying process; a second gas supplying process of supplying an Si atom-containing gas into the processing chamber to form a non-doped Si film on the substrate, after the first purging process; and a second purging process of purging the inside of the processing chamber under an atmosphere of the Si atom-containing gas.
US09437423B2
In a method for fabricating an inter dielectric layer in semiconductor device, a primary liner HDP oxide layer is formed by supplying a high density plasma (HDP) deposition source to a bit line stack formed on a semiconductor substrate. A high density plasma (HDP) deposition source is supplied to the bit line stack to form a primary liner HDP oxide layer. The primary liner HDP oxide layer is etched to a predetermined depth to form a secondary liner HDP oxide layer. An interlayer dielectric layer is formed to fill the areas defined by the bit line stack where the secondary liner HDP oxide layer is located.
US09437418B2
A method for forming spacers of a transistor gate having an active layer surmounted by the gate, including forming a porous layer covering the gate and having a dielectric constant equal to or less than that of silicon oxide, forming a protective layer covering the porous layer and the gate, etching the protective layer anisotropically to preserve residual portions of the protective gate only at the flanks of the gate, forming a modified layer by penetration of ions within the porous layer anisotropically to modify the porous layer over its entire thickness above the gate and above the active layer and so as not to modify the entire thickness of the porous layer on the flanks of the gate, the latter being protected by protective spacers constituting porous spacers, and removing the modified layer by etching to leave the protective spacers in place.
US09437415B2
Methods for aligning layers more accurately for FinFETs fabrication. An embodiment method includes forming a first pattern in a workpiece using a first photomask, forming a second pattern in the workpiece using a second photomask, the second photomask aligned to the first pattern, and aligning a third pattern to the first and the second patterns by aligning a first feature of the third pattern to a first feature of the first pattern in a first direction, and aligning a second feature of the third pattern to a first feature of the second pattern in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.
US09437403B2
An arrangement is provided for feeding in HF current for rotatable tubular cathodes in a vacuum chamber of a plasma coating system as well as a high frequency current source. Located inside the tubular cathode is a magnet arrangement that extends along said tubular cathode for generating a magnetic field. The arrangement enables a low loss infeed of HF current, so that a particularly homogeneous sputter removal from the tubular cathode is guaranteed. The HF current source is coupled to the tubular cathode inside the vacuum chamber by a capacitive infeed of HF current in the form of a coupling capacitor. The coupling capacitor includes a part of the surface of the tubular cathode and a metal plate or metal film that surrounds the tubular cathode, at least partially, at a specified distance.
US09437396B2
A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a dose calculation unit to calculate a first dose resolving the resist of the target object, for a first beam of the multiple beams, corresponding to a pattern forming region, in which a pattern is arranged; and to calculate a second dose not resolving the resist, for a second beam of the multiple beams, corresponding to a no-pattern forming region, which surrounds the whole perimeter of the pattern and in which no pattern is arranged, and a deflection control unit to control a plural blankers so that a dose of the first beam is to be the first dose calculated and a dose of the second beam is to be the second dose calculated.
US09437395B2
The present invention provides an improved electron-optical apparatus for the inspection and review of the specimen, and for the defect inspection, an inspection mode of operation is performed to generate inspection data, wherein the large beam current is formed by a magnetic immersion lens to scan the specimen, and preferably the objective lens system, a swing objective retarding immersion lens, focuses the beam current and generates the large scanning field, and for the defect review, the review mode of operation is performed to analyze the defects, wherein the large beam current is abandoned and the small beam current is adopted to examine the specimen without a large scanning field, and in order to properly select and detect signal charged particles excited from the specimen, a first Wien filter is utilized to select the acquired signal particles and a second Wien filter is used to compensate the aberrations induced when the signal particles pass through the first Wien filter.
US09437382B2
An electromagnet device has a spool having a guard portion at at least one end thereof, a coil wound around a body portion of the spool, and a coil terminal press-fitted in the guard portion. A lead wire of the coil is tied up to a tying-up portion of the coil terminal projected from the guard portion. The tying-up portion is folded toward the guard portion of the spool after the lead wire of the coil is tied up to the tying-up portion of the coil terminal extending in a direction receding from the spool.
US09437381B2
A smart plug for coupling an electric vehicle to a power supply includes a relay including contacts, the relay configured to operate in a closed state to enable power to be supplied to the electric vehicle and an open state to prohibit power from being supplied to the electric vehicle. The smart plug also includes a microcontroller (MCU) coupled to the relay, the microcontroller outputting a control signal to operate the relay in the closed state. The smart plug further includes a zero crossing detector (ZCD) coupled to the relay, the ZCD outputting a close signal to the relay when a voltage of the power is substantially zero and outputting an open signal to the relay when a current of the power is substantially zero.
US09437379B2
A key plate includes a light-permeable covering plate having a plurality of first key openings and includes a key symbol display plate disposed on the light-permeable covering plate and having a plurality of second key openings and a plurality of light-permeable key symbol blocks. The light-permeable key symbol blocks are positioned proximate to the second key openings, respectively. The second key openings correspond in position to the first key openings, respectively. Further provided is an illuminated keyboard with the key plate. Accordingly, the key plate and the illuminated keyboard feature simplified structure, low manufacturing costs, and short manufacturing process, prevent users' fingers from hiding symbols displayed on the keys in bright and dark environments, prevent the symbols displayed on the keys from getting blurred or smeared after long contact with the users' fingers, and feature variable appearance of the key symbol display plate.
US09437377B2
There is provided a frameless display device in which a frame on the periphery of a display portion is made invisible. The frameless display device makes the frame on the top surface of a button 8 invisible to display an image on the entire surface of the button 8, wherein the button 8 has a lens 9 and a button cover 8A, wherein a display device 6 is provided below the lens 9, and wherein the lens 9 disposed on top of the button 8 includes a curved surface 9A formed on the periphery of the top surface of the lens 9, a depression formed on the bottom surface of the lens, a step formed at the periphery of the lens, and an inclined surface formed at the step and inclined towards the center of the lens 9.
US09437376B2
An electric switch includes a movable contact, a stationary contact to be contacted by the movable contact, one or more quenching plates, and a permanent magnet for directing an arc, which is formed when the contacts are separated from each other, to the quenching plate. The quenching plate has a base portion and side portions extending away from the base portion. The permanent magnet is arranged such that the arc is directed towards one of the side portions of the quenching plate.
US09437374B2
A grounding device for switchgear includes a connector and a body. The body includes (1) a male interface portion including an electrically conductive bus with a first bore and a spade connector; (2) a conductive housing including a second bore that is axially aligned with the first bore, and a grounding terminal to receive a grounding wire; (3) a pin assembly including a non-conductive tip, and a conductive pin, wherein the pin assembly is configured to move axially within the first and second bores between a closed position that provides an electrical connection between the bus and the conductive housing and an open position that provides no electrical connection; (4) a communications receptacle to receive signals from a controller outside the device body; and (5) a motor configured to selectively drive the pin assembly between the open position and the closed position, based on a signal from the controller.
US09437370B2
A lithium-ion cell comprising: (A) a cathode comprising graphene as the cathode active material having a surface area to capture and store lithium thereon and wherein said graphene cathode is meso-porous having a specific surface area greater than 100 m2/g; (B) an anode comprising an anode active material for inserting and extracting lithium, wherein the anode active material is mixed with a conductive additive and/or a resin binder to form a porous electrode structure, or coated onto a current collector in a coating or thin film form; (C) a porous separator disposed between the anode and the cathode; (D) a lithium-containing electrolyte in physical contact with the two electrodes; and (E) a lithium source disposed in at least one of the two electrodes when the cell is made. This new Li-ion cell exhibits an unprecedentedly high energy density.
US09437364B2
A film capacitor includes a capacitor element including a dielectric film and a pair of electrode layers facing each other across the dielectric film, and a pair of end-surface electrodes provided on both ends of the capacitor element. At least one electrode layer of the pair of electrode layers mainly contains aluminum and further contains zinc and magnesium. A peak of an atomic concentration of magnesium of the electrode layer is located at a position closer to a surface of the electrode layer than a peak of an atomic concentration of zinc of the electrode layer. The film capacitor has a high humidity resistance.
US09437355B2
Provided are an amorphous metal core that can minimize a core loss in which amorphous thin plate laminates are mutually combined by coupling protrusions and coupling recesses of assembly plates, an induction device, and a method of making the amorphous metal core. The amorphous metal core includes: a number of amorphous metal unit cores that include an amorphous thin plate laminate and a pair of assembly plates that are respectively laminated on the front and rear surfaces of the amorphous thin plate laminate, and are configured to have an I shape, respectively. The induction device includes: an amorphous metal core including a number of amorphous metal unit cores that are formed of an “I” shape, respectively; and at least one coil that is wound on at least one of the amorphous metal unit cores forming the amorphous metal core.
US09437348B2
Provided in at least one embodiment is a nonwoven paper layer directly fused on one or both sides with a nonwoven fabric layer wherein one or both of the nonwoven paper and nonwoven fabric are electrically insulating.
US09437344B2
This invention provides a graphite or graphite-carbon particulate for use as a lithium secondary battery anode material having a high-rate capability. The particulate is formed of a core carbon or graphite particle and a plurality of satellite carbon or graphite particles that are each separately bonded to the core particle wherein the core particle is spherical in shape, slightly elongate in shape with a major axis-to-minor axis ratio less than 2, or fibril in shape, and wherein the satellite particles are disc-, platelet-, or flake-like particles each containing a graphite crystallite with a crystallographic c-axis dimension Lc and a lateral dimension. Preferably, Lc is less than 100 nm and the flake/platelet lateral dimension is less than 1 μm. The core particle may be selected from natural graphite, artificial graphite, spherical graphite, graphitic coke, meso-carbon micro-bead, soft carbon, hard carbon, graphitic fibril, carbon nano-fiber, carbon fiber, or graphite fiber. Preferably, the flat-shaped particles are randomly oriented with respect to one another.
US09437335B2
A nuclear fuel pellet with a porous substrate, such as a carbon or tungsten aerogel, on which at least one layer of a fuel containing material is deposited via atomic layer deposition, and wherein the layer deposition is controlled to prevent agglomeration of defects. Further, a method of fabricating a nuclear fuel pellet, wherein the method features the steps of selecting a porous substrate, depositing at least one layer of a fuel containing material, and terminating the deposition when the desired porosity is achieved. Also provided is a nuclear reactor fuel cladding made of a porous substrate, such as silicon carbide aerogel or silicon carbide cloth, upon which layers of silicon carbide are deposited.
US09437334B2
An apparatus for automatically loading a fuel pellet for manufacturing a nuclear fuel rod is provided. The apparatus includes a tray transfer unit that horizontally transfers the tray, a fuel pellet alignment unit that aligns fuel pellets arranged in the tray, a measurement unit that measures an entire length of the fuel pellets arranged in a row on the tray, a controller that compares an accumulated measured length with a set length, a waiting table located adjacent to the tray transfer unit to store a redundancy fuel pellet, and a fuel pellet movement unit that is driven by the controller and moves the fuel pellets between the tray and the waiting table.
US09437323B2
A shift register circuit may include a first latch capable of latching an input signal in synchronization with a first clock, a first flip-flop capable of latching the output signal of the first latch in synchronization with a second dock having the same skew as the first clock, a second latch capable of latching the output signal of the first flip-flop in synchronization with a third clock having a different skew from the second clock, and a second flip-flop capable of latching the output signal of the second latch circuit in synchronization with a fourth clock having the same skew as the third clock.
US09437322B2
An active precharge circuit for a non-volatile memory array which minimizes write disturb to non-selected memory cells during programming is disclosed. In a programming cycle, all bitlines are pre-charged to a program inhibit voltage level and held at the program inhibit voltage level with current or voltage sources coupled to each of the bitlines in a precharge operation and a following programming operation. In the programming operation, a bitline connected to a memory cell to be programmed is driven to a programming level, such as VSS, while the active precharge circuit is enabled to enable programming thereof. Because the other non-selected bitlines are held at the program inhibit voltage level, they will not be inadvertently programmed when the programming voltage is supplied by the word line.
US09437319B1
Provided are methods, devices, and/or the like for reducing the bit line interference when programming non-volatile memory. One method comprises providing a non-volatile memory device comprising a set of cells, each cell associated with a bit line; shooting a programming voltage across each cell; detecting a threshold voltage for each cell; identifying a fast subset of the set of cells and a slow subset of the set of cells based at least in part on the detected threshold voltage for each cell; and shooting the programming voltage until the threshold voltage for each cell is greater than a verify voltage. For each shot a fast bit line bias is applied to the bit line associated each cell of the fast subset and a slow bit line bias is applied to the bit line associated with each cell of the slow subset.
US09437317B2
An external power control method includes determining whether to apply a second external voltage to a first node according to a drop of a first external voltage; generating a flag signal according to a drop of the second external voltage when the second external voltage is applied to the first node; transferring a voltage of the first node to a second node in response to the flag signal; and discharging at least one voltage of an internal circuit connected to the second node in response to the flag signal.
US09437296B2
A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. The memory cell array includes: a plurality of first conductive layers that are stacked; a memory layer provided on a side surface of the plurality of the first conductive layers; and a second conductive layer that contacts the side surface of the plurality of the first conductive layers via the memory layer. A thickness of the first conductive layer disposed at the first position is larger than a thickness of the first conductive layer disposed at the second position. The control circuit is configured to apply a first voltage to a selected first conductive layer. The control circuit changes a value of the first voltage based on a position of the selected first conductive layer.
US09437294B2
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for sensing a resistance variable memory cell. A number of embodiments include programming a memory cell to an initial data state and determining a data state of the memory cell by applying a programming signal to the memory cell, the programming signal associated with programming memory cells to a particular data state, and determining whether the data state of the memory cell changes from the initial data state to the particular data state during application of the programming signal.
US09437290B2
A method of operating a resistive memory device including a plurality of memory cells comprises determining whether to perform a refresh operation on memory cells in a memory cell array; determining a resistance state of each of at least some of the memory cells; and performing a re-writing operation on a first memory cell having a resistance state from among a plurality of resistance states that is equal to or less than a critical resistance level.
US09437284B1
A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory device, a plurality of word lines and bit lines, first and second decoders, and a control circuit. The memory array includes memory cells on rows and columns. Each word line is coupled to the memory cells in one row. Each bit line is coupled to the memory cells in one column. The first decoder selects one word line according to an address signal and a first control signal. The control circuit respectively generates the first control signal and the second control signal according to a first clock signal and a second clock signal. In the period during which the first decoder selects the one word line, the second decoder selects at least two bit lines according to the address signal and a second control signal. The memory device performs a read/write operation on the selected bit lines.
US09437283B2
The disclosed invention provides a semiconductor storage device that creates no trouble, independently of power-on sequence. A semiconductor storage device includes a first power supply for the memory cells, a second power supply which is turned on independently of the first power supply and provided for a peripheral circuit which is electrically coupled to the memory cells, and a word line level fixing circuit for fixing the level of the word lines, which operates in accordance with turn-on of the first power supply. The word line level fixing circuit includes multiple level fixing transistors which are provided to correspond respectively to the word lines and provided between one of the word lines and a fixed potential and a level fixing control circuit which controls the level fixing transistors in accordance with input of a signal responding to turn-on of the second power supply.
US09437265B2
Semiconductor devices have a substrate including first and second regions of differing conductivity types and a shallow trench isolation isolation region that extends within the first and second regions. First and second active regions are disposed in respective first and second regions, with a gate electrode disposed in a lower portion of a gate groove that extends continuously from the first active region to the second active region, the gate groove being shallower than the shallow trench. A cap insulating film is disposed in an upper portion of the gate groove covering an upper surface of the gate electrode. First and second transistors are within respective first and second active regions and share the gate electrode.
US09437262B2
A memory controller and an associated signal generating method are provided. A generating sequence of commands is properly arranged to enlarge latching intervals of an address signal and a bank signal for stable access of a DDR memory module.
US09437261B2
A memory controller has a first variable delay circuit that delays a data strobe signal received from a memory, and a second variable delay circuit that variably delays a data signal which is received from the memory and is synchronous with the data strobe signal, and that is set a second delay amount which is different from a first delay amount of the first variable delay circuit.
US09437251B1
A method of making a magnetic head is provided. The method includes forming a first read sensor and a first electrical contact formed with a first shunt region. The method further includes forming a first mid-shield layer on the first read sensor, the first mid-shield layer being electrically connected to the first electrical contact. Additionally the method also includes forming a second mid-shield layer over the first mid-shield layer. Further, the method also includes forming a second read sensor over the second mid-shield layer, the second read sensor having a second electrical contact formed with a second shunt region electrically connected to the first shunt region.
US09437250B2
A hard drive carrier includes a frame to receive a hard drive. The frame includes a front and a side, and a handle connects to the front. The hard drive carrier engages with a hard drive bay to hold the hard drive carrier in the hard drive bay at a first insertion depth when the handle is in a closed position. The first insertion depth is selected to prevent a hard drive connector from engaging with an enclosure connector on a backplane of the hard drive bay. The hard drive carrier further engages with the hard drive bay to hold the hard drive carrier at a second insertion depth when the handle is in the closed position. The second insertion depth is selected to engage the hard drive connector with the enclosure connector.
US09437248B2
An apparatus and method for transmitting video data to a receiving terminal is disclosed. The apparatus comprises an event processing unit for outputting a signal to store a selected portion of the video data that is currently being reproduced, a video data reproduction unit for receiving the signal from the event processing unit and storing the selected portion of the video data that is currently being reproduced in response to the outputted signal while reproducing the video data. A message transmission unit is further provided for attaching the stored selected portion of the video data that is currently being reproduced to a message and transmitting the message to the receiving terminal. A data storage unit stores the video data and the selected portion of the video data.
US09437246B2
There is provided an information processing device including a display control unit that controls display of a display screen containing a content display area and a subtitles display area, and an operation recognition unit that, when a first operation on the subtitles display area is detected, recognizes that an operation to perform second processing is performed, the second processing being different from first processing performed when the first operation on the content display area is detected.
US09437221B2
A method of making a transducer head disclosed herein includes depositing a spacer layer on an NFT layer of the transducer head, forming an etch stop layer on a spacer layer of a transducer, depositing a cladding layer on the etch stop layer, and milling the cladding layer at a sloped angle such that the milling stops at the etch stop layer.
US09437219B1
An apparatus for two-dimensional magnetic recording includes a storage medium, an array of magnetoresistive read heads disposed adjacent the storage medium and spaced to read a data track, a number of leads connected to the array of magnetoresistive read heads, and number of bias circuits connected to the array of read heads by the leads. The bias circuits can be configured to independently bias each of the array of read heads with the array of read heads connected in series or in parallel.
US09437214B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for customizing, distributing and processing audio fingerprint data. An example method includes receiving, at a first device, an activation signal and a first audio fingerprint via first wireless communications between the first device and a communications network, the receiving occurring while the first device is not recording audio via a microphone of the first device; based on the activation signal, recording audio using the microphone during a first time period; generating a second audio fingerprint representative of the recorded audio; determining whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint; and sending an indication of whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint to an audience measurement entity via second wireless communications between the first device and the communications network.
US09437213B2
Implementations include systems, methods and/or devices operable to enhance the intelligibility of a target speech signal by targeted voice model based processing of a noisy audible signal. In some implementations, an amplitude-independent voice proximity function voice model is used to attenuate signal components of a noisy audible signal that are unlikely to be associated with the target speech signal and/or accentuate the target speech signal. In some implementations, the target speech signal is identified as a near-field signal, which is detected by identifying a prominent train of glottal pulses in the noisy audible signal. Subsequently, in some implementations systems, methods and/or devices perform a form of computational auditory scene analysis by converting the noisy audible signal into a set of narrowband time-frequency units, and selectively accentuating the time-frequency units associated with the target speech signal and deemphasizing others using information derived from the identification of the glottal pulse train.
US09437212B1
Systems and methods for reducing noise from an input signal are provided. An input signal is received. The input signal is transformed from a time domain to a plurality of subbands in a frequency domain, where each subband of the plurality of subbands includes a speech component and a noise component. For each of the subbands, an amplitude of the speech component is estimated based on an amplitude of the subband and an estimate of at least one signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the subband. The estimating of the amplitude of the speech component is based on a closed-form solution. The plurality of subbands in the frequency domain are filtered based on the amplitudes of the speech components.
US09437211B1
Provided is a system, method, and computer program product for improving the quality of voice communications on a mobile handset device by dynamically and adaptively selecting adjusting the latency of a voice call to accommodate an optimal speech enhancement technique in accordance with the current ambient noise level. The system, method and computer program product improves the quality of a voice call transmitted over a wireless link to a communication device dynamically increasing the latency of the voice call when the ambient noise level is above a predetermined threshold in order to use a more robust high-latency voice enhancement technique and by dynamically decreasing the latency of the voice call when the ambient noise level is below a predetermined threshold to use the low-latency voice enhancement techniques. The latency periods are adjusted by adding or deleting voice samples during periods of unvoiced activity.
US09437205B2
The current invention discloses methods, applications, and devices for audio transmission from a mobile terminal. After receiving an audio signal transmission request from a user, the mobile terminal may initiate a recording session to record audio signals into audio frames. During the recording session, the terminal may adjust the audio codecs used for encoding the audio frames based on the workload and the performance of the terminal. By measuring and evaluating the encoding time, the terminal may change between using a floating-point AMR audio codec and a fixed-point AMR audio codec. The encoded audio frames are transmitted to a remote server. The current invention provides a flexible and efficient approach for audio signal encoding and transmission, balancing signal integrity and encoding speed at the same time.
US09437203B2
Provided is a system, method, and computer program product for improving the quality of speech reproduction in wireless applications where the received speech frames are subject to transmission and packet losses. The speech decoding process is dynamically delayed by at least one frame period in order to perform additional error correction and concealment techniques during times when the wireless link quality if below a predetermined threshold. The wireless link is monitored and if the link quality falls below a predetermined threshold, the decoding process is delayed by at least one frame period so that one or more error correcting techniques can be performed to increase the quality of the reconstructed speech.
US09437202B2
Methods and arrangements in a codec for supporting bandwidth extension, BWE, of an harmonic audio signal. The method in the decoder part of the codec comprises receiving a plurality of gain values associated with a frequency band b and a number of adjacent frequency bands of band b. The method further comprises determining whether a reconstructed corresponding frequency band b′ comprises a spectral peak. When the band b′ comprises a spectral peak, a gain value associated with the band b′ is set to a first value based on the received plurality of gain values; and otherwise the gain value is set to a second value based on the received plurality of gain values. The suggested technology enables bringing gain values into agreement with peak positions in a bandwidth extended frequency region.
US09437201B2
A method, computer program product, and computing device for obtaining an uncompressed digital media data file. One or more default watermarks is inserted into the uncompressed digital media data file to form a watermarked uncompressed digital media data file. The watermarked uncompressed digital media data file is compressed to form a first watermarked compressed digital media data file. The first watermarked compressed media data file is stored on a storage device. The first watermarked compressed media data file is retrieved from the storage device. The first watermarked compressed digital media data file is modified to associate the first watermarked compressed digital media data file with a transaction identifier to form a second watermarked compressed digital media data file.
US09437196B2
A working method of a sound transmission-based dynamic token comprises: a dynamic token waiting for disconnection of a key; and when the disconnection of the key is detected, judging the type of a pressed key, and performing a corresponding operation according to different types of keys.
US09437195B2
A system includes a user speech profile stored on a computer readable storage device, the speech profile containing a plurality of phonemes with user identifying characteristics for the phonemes, and a speech processor coupled to access the speech profile to generate a phrase containing user distinguishing phonemes based on a difference between the user identifying characteristics for such phonemes and average user identifying characteristics, such that the phrase has discriminability from other users. The speech processor may also or alternatively select the phrase as a function of ambient noise.
US09437187B2
A search string acquiring unit acquires a search string. A converting unit converts the search string into a phoneme sequence. A time length deriving unit derives the spoken time length of the voice corresponding to the search string. A zone designating unit designates a likelihood acquisition zone in a target voice signal. A likelihood acquiring device acquires a likelihood indicating how likely the likelihood acquisition interval is an interval in which voice corresponding to the search string is spoken. A repeating unit changes the likelihood acquisition zone designated by the zone designating unit, and repeats the process of the zone designating unit and the likelihood acquiring device. An identifying unit identifies, from the target voice signal, estimated intervals for which the voice corresponding to the search string is estimated to be spoken, on the basis of the likelihoods acquired for each of the likelihood acquisition zones.
US09437179B2
A reverberation suppression device comprises: an echo canceller that removes an echo component included in an input signal; a howling suppressor that detects occurrence of howling based on a frequency characteristic of the input signal from which the echo component has been removed and attenuates a frequency level of a component of the detected howling; and an initial sound suppressor that detects a sound section of the input signal in which the frequency level of the howling component has been attenuated and suppresses a signal value at a sound start portion of the detected sound section.
US09437166B2
A scan driver includes stages dependently connected to each other, where each of the stages outputs a gate signal, where a first scanning start signal is input to a first stage of the stages, where a second scanning start signal is input to a last stage of the stages, where each of the first scanning start signal and the second scanning start signal has one pulse per frame, where the stages sequentially output a gate-on voltage between a time when a pulse of the first scanning start signal for a frame is input to the first stage and a time when a pulse of the second scanning start signal for the frame is input to the last stage, and where the stages output a first low voltage lower than the gate-on voltage after the pulse of the second scanning start signal for the frame is input to the last stage.
US09437162B2
Disclosed is an image output apparatus that outputs a plurality of image data to one or a plurality of image display apparatuses capable of controlling amounts of light of backlights, the image output apparatus including: a determining unit configured to determine whether the plurality of image data satisfy a predetermined condition; and a controlling unit configured to control, when the determining unit determines that the plurality of image data satisfy the predetermined condition, the one or the plurality of image display apparatuses such that either or both of amounts of light and number of light emission control units of the backlights used for display of the plurality of image data are the same.
US09437160B2
A system for automatic color matching of multiple displays in a multi-display system. A sensor observes the output energy of each of the displays in a multi-display system and measures the difference in the color responses for a given input color. This difference is used to derive a modification function that is applied to each display. The displays are modified accordingly, and then the color is displayed again. This process is repeated until the measured values from each of the displays are within a minimum measurement error tolerance, so that the differences in displayed colors observed among the displays are minimized.
US09437151B2
The present invention provides a scan driving circuit and display panel. The scan driving circuit comprises a plurality of scan driving units, each of which comprises a fan-out line, a plurality of switch sets, a plurality of control lines and a plurality of scan lines. The control lines are connected to at least one of the switches of each of the switch sets individually and the fan-out line is connected to the scan lines through the switch sets, such that the scan lines are turned on separately under control of the fan-out line and the control lines. By the above mentioned solution, the present invention drives a plurality of scan lines by one fan-out line such that an amount of the gate driving chips in the fan-out block and the layout space of the fan-out line can be reduced.
US09437147B2
A polarity inversion driving method, a driving apparatus and a liquid crystal display device, for attenuating the flickers due to POL inversion. The polarity inversion driving method is used for inversion of polarity of pixels on the liquid crystal panel, and comprises: generating a polarity inversion reference signal for reflecting selection of polarity of each row of pixels on the liquid crystal panel; generating a control signal comprising control levels generated in m frames, where m is an integer higher than or equal to two, wherein width of the control level in each of the m frames is gradually increased in chronological order to be equal to a time length of one frame; as an alternative, the width of the control level in each of the m frames is gradually decreased in chronological order from the time length of one frame to zero; and generating a polarity inversion signal from the polarity inversion reference signal and the control signal.
US09437146B2
Disclosed are a shift register, a gate driver and a display device, which relate the field of display technology and may eliminate the voltage coupled noise generated by a clock signal at an output terminal of the shift register effectively. The shift register comprises: a first input unit, a clock control unit, a second input unit, an inverting unit, a pulling-down unit and a first level selecting unit, a second level selecting unit, a third level selecting unit; the first input unit is connected with a first input signal terminal, the first level selecting unit and the second input unit, respectively, wherein a node at which the first input unit is connected with the second input unit is a pulling-up node, the first input unit is used for controlling a potential at the pulling-up node. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various display devices.
US09437141B2
A scan driver includes: a plurality of scan driving blocks including an output terminal outputting a scan signal to a scan line; a first transistor transmitting a voltage of a power source to the output terminal; a second transistor transmitting a clock signal to the output terminal; and a third transistor including a gate electrode connected to a node formed with a gate-on voltage turning on the second transistor, one terminal connected to the power source, and the other terminal connected to the gate electrode of the first transistor. The scan driver may reduce the influence of a leakage current even though application of the scan signal is increased, and a scan signal of a uniform voltage level may be output.
US09437136B2
A pixel includes five transistors and a capacitor. A first transistor controls current to be supplied to a light-emitting element. A second transistor is connected between a gate electrode of the first transistor and a first power supply. A third transistor is connected between the gate electrode of the first transistor and a second terminal of the first transistor. The capacitor is coupled between the third transistor and the second terminal of the first transistor. The fourth transistor is connected between the second terminal of the first transistor and a second power supply. The fifth transistor is connected between the second terminal of the third transistor and a signal line. The capacitor may be the only capacitor in the pixel, and the signal line may receive an initialization voltage and a gray scale data voltage.
US09437133B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display device includes a driver that receives image data and generates a data signal and a scan signal corresponding to the image data, and an organic light emitting display panel that receives the data signal and the scan signal and displays an image corresponding to the image data, wherein the scan signal includes a scan-on period and a scan-off period, and when gray scales of the image data increase, the length of the scan-on period increases.
US09437124B1
A flying decoration includes a drive unit, at least one object mount, a transport line and an idler pulley device. The drive unit includes a drive motor, a system controller and a speed sensor. The drive unit is retained above the ground in one location and the idler pulley device is retained above the ground in another location. A drive pulley is mounted to a drive shaft of the drive motor. The system controller controls the rotation of the drive shaft. Both ends of the transport line are secured to the object mount to form a transport loop. The system controller includes an automatic travel distance calibration program. The object mount includes a line tensioning device for reducing slack in the transport loop. One end of the transport loop is retained on the drive pulley and the other end is retained on an idler pulley of the idler pulley device.
US09437122B2
Paper is disclosed for use in making repositionable or removable adhesive labels. The adhesive can be applied in patches or discrete areas to the paper or to a layer of material that cleans rollers in the manufacturing line and/or in printers. The adhesive can be applied in single or multiple layers. The paper is light weight paper and preferably thermal paper for use in POS printers.
US09437120B2
One embodiment is directed to a computer program, embodied on a computer readable medium. The computer program is configured to control a processor to execute instructions. The instructions include receiving a selection of built-in interactive regions provided by a visualization component, aggregating the selected set of regions, and creating one or more custom regions from the aggregation of the selected set of regions.
US09437117B2
Devices, systems, and methods appropriate for use in medical training are disclosed. In some instances, a patient simulator system is provided that includes a maternal patient simulator and a fetal patient simulator. The maternal patient simulator includes an internal chamber sized to receive the fetal patient simulator and a birthing mechanism disposed within the internal chamber configured to translate and rotate the fetal patient simulator with respect to the maternal patient simulator to simulate a birth. In some instances, the fetal patient simulator an internal support structure that includes a head, spinal components, left arm components, right arm components, left leg components, and right leg components with a continuous silicon skin layer covering the internal support structure.
US09437114B2
A departure sequencing system models airport operations and provides suggested gate pushback times for aircraft. In various embodiments, a departure sequencing system includes an airport state analyzer, a taxi-out predictor, and a pushback optimizer. The departure sequencing system may utilize stochastic models, and resolve aircraft conflicts using a business rules engine. Via use of the departure sequencing system, taxi times may be reduced, taxi fuel burn may be reduced, and airport throughput may be increased.
US09437102B2
A system and method used to configure a smart device to command functional operations of a target appliance. The smart device retrieves from a controllable appliance, such as a settop box, data indicative of a codeset identity of the target appliance wherein the codeset identity was determined during a process used to configure a conventional universal remote control to command functional operations of the target appliance and wherein the process used to configure the conventional universal remote control is performed in cooperation with the controllable appliance. A remote control application resident on the smart device then uses the data indicative of the codeset identity retrieved from the controllable appliance to also configure the smart device to command functional operations of the target appliance.
US09437097B2
Methods and devices are disclosed for monitoring environmental conditions in one or more environments. In one embodiment, the method includes maintaining a plurality of environmental-condition thresholds, each of which corresponds to an environmental condition and is predetermined based on data corresponding to the environmental condition that is received from a plurality of robots. The method further includes receiving from a first robot first data corresponding to a first environmental condition in a first environment. The method may still further include making a first comparison of the first data and a first environmental-condition threshold corresponding to the first environmental condition and, based on the first comparison, triggering a notification. Triggering the notification may comprise transmitting to the robot instructions to transmit the notification to at least one of a call center and a remote device.
US09437095B1
A safety system for a trailer hitch device having a hitch member and a hitch ball. The safety system includes a body configured to peripherally surround the hitch member and the hitch ball and a fastening device attached to the body and configured to secure the body to the hitch member.
US09437086B2
Light-based systems for communicating information associated with service orders and/or the identification of personal objects are disclosed. A personal mobile electronic communication device is used in conjunction with a communication network and a lighting controller to communicate service orders by lighting with one or more individually controllable luminaires in a lighting network. A personal mobile electronic communication device is, alternatively or additionally, used in conjunction with a communication network, and a lighting controller controlling an illumination proximate to the personal mobile electronic communication device such that the illumination proximate to the personal mobile electronic communication device visually indicates the service order.
US09437084B2
A gaming system displays a plurality of independent reels, wherein each independent reel generates a symbol from a plurality of symbol positions of that independent reel in accordance with a plurality of probabilities. At least two adjacent independent reels generate symbols according to relatively high probabilities of generating a designated symbol. For a play of the game, the gaming system generates and displays a symbol for each independent reel and provides an award for any displayed winning symbol combinations. In one embodiment, for at least one symbol position of at least one winning symbol combination, the gaming system re-generates a symbol for one or more independent, such as by displaying a symbol from an adjacent symbol position of that independent reel. The gaming system provides an award for any winning symbol combinations and repeats until no winning symbol combinations are displayed.
US09437082B2
The invention provides a method of gaming and a game controller and gaming system for implementing the method. The method includes selecting at least one symbol to form at least one player hand comprised of a plurality of symbols, selecting at least one symbol to form a jackpot hand comprised of a plurality of symbols, and making a jackpot award to the player if the player hand corresponds to the jackpot hand.
US09437081B2
A gaming system and method including providing a community or group bonus event to a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming devices. For each of the players determined as eligible to participate in a triggered group bonus event, the gaming system determines that player's relative probability of winning a group bonus event award in the triggered bonus event. In one such embodiment, each player's relative probability of winning the group bonus event award is based on that player's wagering history, such as any amounts wagered by that player, the frequency of placing such wagers and/or frequency of not placing any wagers.
US09437079B2
A game system including a plurality of symbols, a rotor and an award amount. The plurality of symbols include at least one secondary award group of the symbols. A wager is placeable on the secondary award group. The rotor displays the symbols and a plurality of ball landings adjacent to the symbols. A plurality of the symbols are indicatable after multiple spins of the rotor. The game system is operable to provide a secondary award based on the indication of one or more symbols within the secondary award group.
US09437076B2
Method and apparatus for modifying gaming machines to provide supplemental or modified functionality
A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for transferring credits from one gaming device to another via the use of coded scrip is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of accepting a cash-out command in the gaming device, scanning a magnetically manifested code uniquely identifying a scrip stored in the gaming device, transmitting a cash-out message comprising the code to a remote processor having access to a database configured to store and retrieve codes from a plurality of gaming devices, receiving a scrip dispense message from the remote processor, and dispensing the scrip. The apparatus comprises a scrip storage unit, a scrip dispensing unit having a scrip transducer for reading and recording a magnetically manifested code on a scrip retrieved from the scrip storage unit, and a processor, communicatively coupled to the scrip transducer and a remote computer having access to a database for storing and retrieving code information from the plurality of gaming devices.
US09437072B2
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some examples, the operations include connecting social network user accounts to a communal wagering game. The operations can further include determining, via a network communication interface, an electronic request associated with a first social network user account to transact an electronic exchange, with a second social network user account, of one or more non-cash items associated with the communal wagering game. The operations can further include accessing, via an electronic processing unit, a first memory storage unit of the gaming system associated with the first social network user account. The first memory storage unit specifies the one or more non-cash items. The operations can further include transacting, via the network communication interface, the electronic exchange of the one or more non-cash items between the first social network user account and the second social network user account.
US09437071B2
A gaming apparatus includes a display unit and has a display support structure that extends substantially vertically from a horizontal support base. The display unit includes a flat-panel display screen having a width (W) and a height (H) wherein W/His at least 16/10. The display unit is rotatable about a horizontal axis located in a plane substantially parallel to the display screen wherein, a player's angle of viewing the display unit may be adjusted by vertical translation of the display unit on the display support structure, over a vertical range of motion, and by rotation of the display unit about the horizontal axis. A front face of the display structure presents, in a region proximate to the vertical range of motion, a concave side of a curved surface.
US09437057B2
A construction machine controller includes: a first board operated by a construction machine embedded operating system; and a second board connected to the first board through a general purpose interface and operated by a general purpose PC operating system, wherein construction machine information acquired from a state acquisition unit inside a construction machine is input to the first board.
US09437054B2
A method of predicting an auxiliary power unit fault in an aircraft having an auxiliary power unit and multiple sensors related to the auxiliary power unit, components thereof, and systems related thereto, including receiving a sensor signal from at least one of the multiple sensors to define a sensor output, comparing the sensor output to a reference value and predicting a fault in the auxiliary power unit based on the comparison.
US09437052B2
A vehicle after-sales service system has a main controller and a cloud platform communicating with the main controller. The main controller is adapted to be equipped on a vehicle and to transmit vehicle information set by an original equipment manufacturer to the cloud platform. The vehicle information can include vehicle body information, chassis information, motive power information, entertainment information and error information. The cloud platform receives and stores the vehicle information from the main controller for providing after-sales service to provide innovative service and to meet the owner's need.
US09437046B2
A method for encoding information includes specifying a digital value and providing a symbol (28, 70, 80, 90, 100) comprising a plurality of polygons (72, 82, 92, 94, 102) meeting at a common vertex (74, 84, 96, 98, 104) and having different, respective colors selected so as to encode the specified digital value.
US09437035B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for determining a location relative to an object and a type of a light source that illuminated the object when the image was captured, are described. A method performed by a process executing on a computer system includes identifying an object of interest in a digital image. The method further includes projecting at least a portion of the digital image corresponding to the object of interest onto a three dimensional (3D) model that includes a polygon-mesh corresponding to the object's shape. The method further includes determining one or more properties of a light source that illuminated the object in the digital image at an instant that the image was captured based at least in part on a characteristic of one or more polygons in the 3D model onto which the digital image portion was projected.
US09437033B2
A system and method is provided for generating textured 3D building models from ground-level and orthogonal imagery. Ground-level images for the sides of building objects are collected to form a 3D dense point cloud for identification of key architectural features, corresponding key façade geometry planes, and generation of a 3D building façade geometry. Orthogonal images are correlated to the 3D building model providing a properly geo-positioned, scaled and textured 3D building model.
US09437001B2
Technologies for determining a distance of an object from a vehicle include a computing device to identify an object captured in a fisheye image generated by a fisheye camera of the vehicle. The computing device projects a contour of the identified object on a selected virtual plane that is located outside the vehicle and selected from a predefined set of virtual planes based on a location of the identified object relative to the vehicle. The computing device identifies a bottom of the projected contour on the selected virtual plane and determines an intersection point of an imaginary line with a ground plane coincident with a plane on which the vehicle is positioned. The imaginary line passes through each of the identified bottom of the projected contour and the fisheye camera. The computing device determines a location of the identified object relative to the vehicle based on the determined intersection point and the identified bottom of the projected contour.
US09436999B2
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for adjusting the orientation of an image frame and a scene depicted in the image frame are described. In general, techniques are disclosed for analyzing an image with one or more feature detectors to identify features in the image. An alignment or position associated with one or more features identified in the image may be used to determine a proper orientation for the image frame. The image can then be rotated to the proper orientation. It may also be determined if a scene depicted in the image is properly aligned in the rotated image orientation. If not, alignment information associated with the identified features may be utilized to straighten the depicted scene.
US09436992B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides improved methods for determining the presence of abnormalities in exfoliated cells. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides methods for reconstructing cellular spectrum of a cell sample by creating a spectral map of the cellular sample, generating a binary mask of the spectral map, removing edge artifacts from each cell, and co-adding spectral data of each pixel corresponding to the cell to reconstruct the spectrum of each cell.
US09436990B2
The present invention is detection of a defect signal which is small enough to be buried in a background noise, by a method that includes detecting a defect on a specimen which is detected by another inspection device by using a detection device equipped with an optical microscope, amending positional information of the defect, observing the defect by using an SEM, wherein the detecting the defect is carried out such that forming stationary waves on the specimen by irradiating the specimen with two illumination lights having the same wavelength from the opposite directions on the same incidence plane at the same incidence angle and cause the two illuminating light to interfere; removing scattered components generated by minute irregularities on the specimen surface by a spatial filter, detecting an image formed by the scattered light not removed by the spatial filter; and processing the detected image to detect the defect.
US09436987B2
A stereo camera system produces a stereo image pair of a cable harness, which is used to define a 3D point cloud of the cable harness at its current pose position. Pose information of specific parts of the cable harness are determined from the 3D point cloud, and the cable harness is then re-presented as a collection of primitive geometric shapes of known dimensions, whose positions and orientations follow the spatial position and orientation of the imaged cable harness. The length, position and number of geometric shapes are atomically determined from a 2D image segmentation of one of the images in the stereo image pair.
US09436981B2
A dictionary creation device including a blurred image generation unit which outputs a blurred image generated by performing a blurring process to a learning image together with a blur parameter indicating a blurring state of the blurred image, a patch pair generation unit which generates a restoration patch and a blurred patch as a patch pair that is composed of the patches located at the corresponding positions of the learning image and the blurred image, and a registration unit which associates the patch pair with a blur parameter corresponding to the blurred patch in the patch pair and registers them in a dictionary.
US09436976B2
Embodiments provide a video camera that can be configured to highly compress video data in a visually lossless manner. The camera can be configured to transform blue and red image data in a manner that enhances the compressibility of the data. The data can then be compressed and stored in this form. This allows a user to reconstruct the red and blue data to obtain the original raw data for a modified version of the original raw data that is visually lossless when demosacied. Additionally, the data can be processed in a manner in which the green image elements are demosaiced first and then the red and blue elements are reconstructed based on values of the demosaiced green image elements.
US09436975B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for interpolating an image. The method includes: selecting a first filter, from among a plurality of different filters, for interpolating between pixel values of integer pixel units, according to an interpolation location; and generating at least one pixel value of at least one fractional pixel unit by interpolating between the pixel values of the integer pixel units by using the selected first filter.
US09436962B2
Data streams are generally selected according to user preferences and transmitted to the user in general alignment with expressed preferences of the user. Such data streams may be music, including music videos. Users may indicate their general or specific preferences with regards to song, artists, or albums. Any other aspects or factors that might affect the user's preferences can be taken into account. A playlist is created that combines all of these factors. The playlist then serves as the basis for feeding the data streams to the user. Each user is able to express his or her own preferences and receive music corresponding to those preferences on an on-going basis.
US09436955B2
A method of transferring funds to and/or from a first party's financial account is provided. A first party's financial account information is entered with a single initial entry to the payment service. Funds are transferred to and/or from the first party's financial account using the payment service. The first party is registered with the payment service, or becomes registered prior to transferring funds to and/or from the financial account using the payment service. For future uses of the first party's financial account to transfer funds to and/or from the first party's financial account, the first party's financial account information need not be entered again with the payment service.
US09436953B1
A facility for constructing an advertising message in connection with a web page is described. The facility obtains text associated with the web page, and uses the obtained text to generate a query. The facility uses the generated query to select a stock photography image, and generates an advertising message that incorporates the selected stock photography image.
US09436942B2
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to allowing a recipient of a closed-loop gift card to select one of a number of merchants toward which to apply the value. A consumer buys a variable gift card from a service provider for a set amount, pays the service provider that amount, and the service provider holds that amount in escrow. The consumer sends the gift card to a recipient with a predetermined merchant. The recipient receives the gift card and decides to switch the gift card from the predetermined merchant to a desired merchant. The recipient requests the service provider to change the merchant, and the service provider delivers the amount from escrow to the desired merchant. If the recipient does desire to use the predetermined merchant, the recipient contacts the service provider for activation and the service provider transfers the amount to the predetermined merchant.
US09436934B2
Techniques for visual integration of meeting spaces within a calendar system are presented. A meeting room can be viewed via a map and selected for scheduling a meeting. The map depicts the location of the meeting room within a facility of an enterprise. A meeting scheduler visually sees the meeting room within the map and can select the meeting room and acquire details about the meeting room.
US09436922B2
A system is provided. The system comprises a first computer located in a first plant, a first memory, and a first object based process management application stored in the first memory. The system further comprises a second computer located in a location separate from the first plant, a second memory, and a second object based process management application stored in the second memory. When executed on the first computer, the first application invokes scripts in response to events and the scripts launch tasks. When executed on the second computer, the second computer invokes scripts in response to events and the scripts launch tasks, one of the events acted on by the second application is a message received from the first application.
US09436916B2
A method for determining a correction characteristic curve for adapting a characteristic curve of an injection system, in which the correction characteristic curve includes at least one deviation of a measured characteristic curve from a setpoint characteristic curve, the at least one deviation including a sum tolerance of at least two components of the injection system, which have an effect on the characteristic curve.
US09436911B2
A method/apparatus/system for generating a request for improvement of a data object in a neural network is described herein. The neural network contains a plurality of data objects each made of an aggregation of content. The data objects of the neural network are interconnected based on one or several skill levels embodied in the content of the data objects via a plurality of connecting vectors. These connecting vectors can be generated and/or modified based on data collected from the iterative transversal of the connecting vectors by one or several users of the neural network.
US09436910B2
There is provided a method for reconstructing intended activities from a first representation of neural signals which is indicative of an intended activity to a second representation, wherein for second representations, a degree of agreement between the first representation and each second representation from a plurality of predetermined second representations that are indicative of intended activities is determined on the basis of a predetermined agreement criterion, and a second representation of neural signals is selected from the plurality of second representations on the basis of the degree of agreement, which selected second representation is the reconstructed intended activity.
US09436886B2
A system and method is provided for automatically recognizing building numbers in street level images. In one aspect, a processor selects a street level image that is likely to be near an address of interest. The processor identifies those portions of the image that are visually similar to street numbers, and then extracts the numeric values of the characters displayed in such portions. If an extracted value corresponds with the building number of the address of interest such as being substantially equal to the address of interest, the extracted value and the image portion are displayed to a human operator. The human operator confirms, by looking at the image portion, whether the image portion appears to be a building number that matches the extracted value. If so, the processor stores a value that associates that building number with the street level image.
US09436885B2
A system and method for accurately positioning a computer position, and identifying the specific rack position where the computer is without manual intervention. A camera is installed on the computer to read the contents of a tag on the rack, so as to identify the position information of the computer. Specifically, the computer is provided with a self-positioning function, wherein: a camera is installed on the computer, and the camera is configured to read the contents of a tag attached on a side of a rack to house the computer to identify the rack position where the computer is.
US09436871B2
A posture detection method and system are provided. The posture detection method includes: obtaining skeleton data of a target person; analyzing the skeleton data to obtain actual posture information of the target person; and recording the actual posture information of the target person. The accuracy of determining the posture information by obtaining the skeleton data of a body is quite high. Besides, the actual posture information is recorded automatically, so that a doctor does not need to record the posture information manually. Therefore, scanning missing or wrong scanning direction caused by inconformity between the real posture of the patient and the recorded posture information may be avoided, which ensures the reliability of medical diagnosis.
US09436868B2
Described are methods that enable rapid automated object classification of measured three-dimensional object scenes. Each method can be performed during a three-dimensional measurement procedure while data are being acquired or after completion of the measurement procedure using the acquired data. In various embodiments, an object scene is illuminated with an optical beam and an image is acquired. In some embodiments, the object scene is illuminated with a structured light pattern and a sequence of images of the object scene illuminated by the pattern at different spatial phases is acquired. Coordinates are determined for points in the one or more images and a translucence value is determined for each of the points. An object class is determined for each point based on the translucence value for the point. Optionally, additional information, such as grayscale or color image data for each point, is used to supplement the object class determination.
US09436867B2
The method produces, from a first image, a second image with sparse coding. The method produces, from the first image, a processing intermediate image having a pixel value distribution that a difference among pixel values in a region of the intermediate image is equal to a DC component in a corresponding region of the first image, performs a first process of acquiring, using an AC component in a first region of the intermediate image and a basis produced by dictionary learning, an AC component in a second region, performs a second process of acquiring a difference among pixel values in the second region as a DC component in a corresponding region of the second image, and repeats the first and second processes with changing a position of the first region in the intermediate image to acquire DC components in regions of the second image.
US09436865B2
An apparatus, system and method for biometric acquisition are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor is configured to detect a biometric signature of a subject. The sensor is configured to be mounted to a surface. Various sensors are disclosed as being operative with the biometric acquisition apparatus. A vehicle with a mounted biometric acquisition apparatus is disclosed. A method for identification of suspects is also disclosed.
US09436861B2
A board connection structure including a wiring board having a contact point section provided at one end portion and opposed to a switch button, and a holding member to which the wiring board is attached with flat surfaces of the contact point section and the connection section on the same surface intersecting with each other by the folding of the wiring board.
US09436858B2
Disclosed are a radio frequency locating system and method, which efficiently solve the problem of precise locating a moving target tag in a complex environment by using a method where location information is provided for a mobile tag by using low-cost fixed active RFID tags in place of a plurality of readers requiring network connection, and the location information of the mobile tag is directly transferred to a reader at the center of a locating area from a long distance by using a mobile or fixed location tag. The present invention uses a long-distance coordinator and clock information in a transmission instruction to coordinate and schedule communication time between the mobile tag and the location tag, thereby ensuring a super long battery life of the mobile tag and the location tag.
US09436852B2
A two-dimensional code authenticating device reads a self-authentication two-dimensional code to obtain an RS bit string, and detects a bit string c′ as an error using the RS bit string. Next, an exclusive OR between a bit string l included in the RS bit string and the bit string c′ detected as an error is calculated to obtain a bit string c′, and a bit string md is obtained by decrypting the bit string c′ through a scheme corresponding to the encryption. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the decrypted bit string md matches the bit string m included in the RS bit string, thereby authenticating the self-authentication two-dimensional code.
US09436850B2
A mobile terminal including a communication unit configured to communicate with at least one external terminal; a memory configured to store at least a first and second operating system including at least first and second modes, respectively; and a controller configured to execute the first operating system and to activate the first mode corresponding to the first operating system, to display a first information screen corresponding to the activated first mode on a display of the mobile terminal, to receive an event signal indicating an event related to the second mode has occurred on the mobile terminal, and to selectively display event information related to the event of the second mode on a display of the at least one external terminal.
US09436849B2
A method for sharing encrypted data and encryption keys through a system comprised of the following data types, but not limited to a; 1) Record and its encryption key, 2) RecordSet and its encryption key, and 3) Entity and its encryption key. A Record is encrypted using an encryption key, furthermore, the Record encryption key is encrypted using a RecordSet encryption key, and finally, both the encrypted Record and its encrypted encryption key are wrapped as a single unit, to avoid key the expensive operations of key lookup and general key operation overhead. Access control to the RecordSet encryption keys are provided by a combination of data types, but not limited to a; 1) Entity and its encryption key, 2) Ciphers, and 3) Trusted Entity Lists. For each Entity which is authorized access to access a RecordSet, an encrypted Cipher, made of both the Entity encryption key and RecordSet encryption key, is added to a Trusted Entity List. Tokens are protected by user defined secrets, comprised of Entity encryption keys.
US09436840B2
A system and method for storing information on a storage device. An encrypted version of the information is stored on a storage device. The information is inspected in order to determine whether it may be stored on the storage device. If the information may be stored on the storage device then the stored encrypted version is decrypted, otherwise it is deleted.
US09436835B1
A transformation function that satisfies at least linearity and convolution can be used to encrypt data. The transformation function can, for example, be a DFT with one or more evaluation points that can be kept secret for encryption. The transformation function can effectively serve as a transform map and can be used to achieve fully homographic encryption in a system where encrypted data can be manipulated by applying one or more operations and the resulting encrypted data can be decrypted by applying the inverse of the transformation function and/or transformation map. A transformation function that satisfies at least linearity and convolution can be used for various applications, including, for example, private/public key decryption schemes, a signature schemes, database query and search schemes, as well as various applications of homomorphic operations.
US09436817B2
Information-processing device transmits biological information not being encrypted in association with an application ID to information delivery server device, and transmits encrypted biological information in association with a user ID to backup server device. Advisory terminal accepts an input of advice according to a user data set stored in information delivery server device. Client terminal downloads the advice according to the user data set from information delivery server device.
US09436815B2
A block management unification system and method for communicating a data file that includes a source component, a first rearrangement criterion, a first block encryption key, a second rearrangement criterion, a second block encryption key, a compression module, and an encryption module. The source component accesses the data file that is divided into a plurality of blocks. The first rearrangement criterion organize the blocks according to the first rearrangement criterion. The first block encryption key is inserted into the blocks. The second rearrangement criterion organize the blocks according to the second rearrangement criterion. The second block encryption key is inserted into the blocks. A compression module compresses the rearranged blocks. An encryption module encrypts the rearranged blocks with the first block encryption key and the second block encryption key.
US09436813B2
Enterprise software is computer software used to satisfy the needs of an organization and/or multiple individual users. Methods, systems and/or computer program product are described for providing, to a plurality of tenants, access to an enterprise software that is accessible by only a single tenant. At least one of the tenants accessing the enterprise software includes a plurality of users.
US09436803B2
An automatic prescription drug dispenser including a remote dispenser, a prescription entry system, and a communications network. The remote dispenser transmits and receives information from the communications network and dispenses prescription drugs to the patient. The prescription entry system transmits and receives information from the communications network and provides an input system for the prescriber to electronically enter individual prescriptions for each patient. The communications network coordinates communications between the doctor, insurance carrier, and the remote dispenser. The remote dispenser stores, retrieves, and labels prescription drug and over-the-counter products directly to patients through a remote automated dispenser, a prescription entry system, and a communications network.
US09436799B2
A system is provided including a processing unit including an input module, a processing module, and an output module. The processing unit is located at a first location that is remotely located from a scanning location at which a remote medical scanning system is located. The input module is configured to communicate with the remote medical scanning system to receive scanning data obtained during a scan performed by the remote medical scanning system, the scanning data corresponding to an object scanned by the remote medical scanning system. The processing module is configured to use the scanning data to reconstruct an image representing the object. The output module is configured to provide access to the image reconstructed by the processing module to at least one of the remote medical scanning system or a requester located remotely from the first location.
US09436798B2
The present invention discloses a method of retrieving a plurality of data slices from a medical image data set (5), the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying an indicator (10, 20) associated with the plurality of data slices; b) selecting the indicator (10, 20) based on a user input; and c) retrieving the plurality of data slices (1, 2) associated with the indicator when said indicator is selected; wherein the association between the indicator and the plurality of slices is based on segmentation of the medical image data set, the indicator representing an object obtained in the segmentation of the medical image data set, the plurality of data slices comprising the object data. The method of the invention reduces the amount of data transfer because it allows for retrieving only those data slices which comprise relevant data relating to the object of interest.
US09436792B2
A method of designing a layout of an integrated chip (IC) includes designing a first layout by place and route a plurality of standard cells that define the IC, and generating a second layout by modifying the first layout during a mask data preparation process related to the first layout, wherein the second layout is generated by connecting first and second patterns from among first layer patterns that correspond to a first layer of the first layout, such that the number of masks necessary for forming the first layer patterns is reduced.
US09436791B1
A method, executed by one or more processors, for optimizing placement of a logic network, includes partitioning a logic network into a set of logic partitions, launching a set of placement optimization threads that correspond to the logic partitions, and allocating memory that is accessible to the placement optimization threads to provide a globally accessible placement memory for reserving placement locations on the integrated circuit. Each placement optimization thread may be configured to conduct the operations of determining a desired location for a logic element, reserving a set of potential locations for the logic element, determining a best location from the set of potential locations, and placing the logic element to the best location. Each placement optimization thread may also be configured to release each of the potential locations that are not the best location. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed herein.
US09436786B1
Methods and circuits for superclocked operation of a plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits are disclosed. One of the plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits is selected according to a selection algorithm. In response to selecting one of the plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits, superclocked operation of the selected one of the plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits is enabled. Superclocked operation of other ones of the plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits is disabled. The selected one of the plurality of functionally-equivalent logic circuits is used to process a portion of the input data set at the superclocked clock frequency.
US09436781B2
A set of ordered predicted completion strings including strings of ideographs are presented to a user as the user enters text in a text entry box (e.g., a browser or a toolbar). The user entered text may include zero or more ideographs followed by one or more phonetic characters, or the entered text may be one or more. The predicted completion strings can be in the form of URLs or query strings. The ordering may be based on any number of factors (e.g., a query's frequency of submission from a community of users). URLs can be ranked based on an importance value of the URL. The sets of ordered predicted completion strings are obtained by matching a fingerprint value of the user's entry string to a fingerprint to table map which contains the set of ordered predicted completion strings. The generation of the ordered prediction strings takes into account multiple phonetic representations of certain strings of ideographs.
US09436769B2
Various embodiments of the present technology involve the configuration of a wireless-enabled memory card. For example, a client application associated with a content management system (CMS) can obtain a computing device's current wireless configuration information, request a temporary authentication token from the CMS, encode this information in a visual code, and display this visual code on a display screen of the computing device. A user can capture an image of the visual code with a camera, thereby, causing the memory card to extract the wireless configuration information and token from the image, and connect to the specified wireless network. Once connected, the temporary authentication token is exchanged for an access token allowing the memory card to automatically send images captured by the camera to an account with the CMS for storage.
US09436767B2
Method and apparatus for providing content items to a network accessible device responsive to a rotational orientation of the device. In accordance with some embodiments, a first rotational orientation of a display screen of the network accessible device is identified. A first content item is transferred across a network for display on the screen in said first orientation responsive to a request from the device. A change of the display screen to a different, second rotation orientation is detected. A second content item for display on the screen in said second rotational orientation is transferred across the network to the device responsive to said change of the display screen to the second orientation.
US09436764B2
Systems, methods, and computer media for enhancing search results, as well as user interfaces for performing search queries and navigating search results, are provided. A search query is received from a user. A plurality of web pages relevant to the search query are identified. At least one of the relevant web pages is identified as popular. A search result page is generated including a search result listing and a search result page header. The search result page header includes a link to the popular web page to provide the user with a quick and easy way to select a popular web page relevant to the user's search query.
US09436762B1
Configurations for sharing an instance of an executing process for a plug-in based on a session and a cookie data store associated with the session are disclosed. A cookie data store can be associated with a tab running in a corresponding security mode. By way of example, instead of initiating a new process for the plug-in in a new tab, the subject technology can first determine whether a previous tab is running an instance of a plug-in process. If this is the case, the subject technology can then determine whether the previous tab is running in the same security mode (e.g., protected or unprotected) as the new tab. The subject technology then shares the existing plug-in process in the previous tab without instantiating a new plug-in process in the new tab.
US09436761B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for selectively communicating data and audio over a limited-size audio plug. A host device determines whether an audio accessory or a data communicating accessory is plugged therein via a signal, or lack thereof, communicated to the host device via the audio plug of the accessory. The host device then either communicates audio or data over the audio plug contacts that are typically used only for audio communication based on whether its connected to an audio accessory or data communicating accessory. An audio plug may also include a split-ring contact where multiple, independent contacts are formed in place of a single tip, ring, or sleeve contact. The split-ring contact may be used for communicating audio and/or data.
US09436758B1
Methods and systems for use in partitioning documents having customer feedback and support content are provided. One exemplary computer-implemented method including executing instructions stored on a computer-readable medium includes receiving a plurality of documents, at least a portion of the plurality of documents including customer feedback related to an issue and support content responsive to the customer feedback, filtering the plurality of documents to retain one of the customer feedback and the support content within a plurality of filtered documents, partitioning the plurality of filtered documents into multiple clusters, receiving a new document, and partitioning the new document based on at least one keyword included in one of the multiple clusters of filtered documents.
US09436757B1
According to various aspects of the subject technology, a user's personality profile is based on a user's social actions, including uploading a photo in association with a post (e.g. check-in, comment, reshare, etc.). The post's content (e.g. photo) is attributed to one or more personality dimensions in the user's personality profile. The various personality dimensions are then displayed in a compass graph, which shows user achievement on a multi-dimensional scale. Each discreet, explicit submission alters, to some degree, one or more dimensions. The compass graph is publicly viewable, and users can see the profile change over time, as each user action updates the compass graph. The dimensions can also be altered by the number of posts, time, locations of posts, subject matter (e.g. types of posts or categories of posts), and external interaction such as social interactions (e.g. feedback on posts, or positive comments).
US09436751B1
A method and apparatus are provided to perform live migration of a guest in a computer system using device assignment. In this method and apparatus, one or more pages of the guest are copied to a target computer system. It is determined which pages have been copied, and what incremental changes have been made to the pages that were copied. For example, the incremental changes may be indicated to a hypervisor of an initial host of the guest by a network interface controller or other device in the computer system. The incremental changes are then copied to the target computer system. Detection and copying of incremental changes may continue until a time when all dirty pages can be copied to the target computer system.
US09436749B2
A system for storing subscriber information in a centralized location includes a processor, memory coupled to the processor, and a data storage device coupled to the processor. The data storage device includes a subscriber profile portion for storing personal information about a subscriber. The subscriber profile portion includes a subscriber identification portion for storing an identification string. The subscriber profile portion is associated with an account type portion for storing account information, a portal portion for storing portal information, and an account status portion for storing account status information. The data storage device further includes a subscription portion for storing subscription information. The subscription portion is associated with a device portion for storing device information, a services portion for storing services information, and a mobile subscription portion for storing mobile subscription information.
US09436747B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for generating synthetic queries using seed queries and structural similarity between documents are described. In one aspect, a method includes identifying embedded coding fragments (e.g., HTML tag) from a structured document and a seed query; generating one or more query templates, each query template corresponding to at least one coding fragment, the query template including a generative rule to be used in generating candidate synthetic queries; generating the candidate synthetic queries by applying the query templates to other documents that are hosted on the same web site as the document; identifying terms that match structure of the query templates as candidate synthetic queries; measuring a performance for each of the candidate synthetic queries; and designating as synthetic queries the candidate synthetic queries that have performance measurements exceeding a performance threshold.
US09436741B2
Systems and methods are provided for graphically representing associations between one or more stories and one or more referents of interest. In some embodiments, a score may be determined for each of a set of stories based at least in part on a number of associations between the given story and one or more referents of interest. A graphical representation of the stories may then be presented for display. The graphical representation may include indicia, where each indicium graphically indicates the strength of association between a given story and the one or more referents of interest. The strength of association for a given story may be determined, for example, based at least in part on the determined score for the story.
US09436738B2
A Mechanical Turk-Integrated Development Environment system is disclosed. An integrated development environment (IDE) can include one or more interfaces capable of communicating with a mechanical turk engine. As a developer creates applications within the IDE, the developer can use the IDE to submit one or more requests to the mechanical turk engine. The engine constructs a mechanical turk project based on the requests and provides project tasks to workers. The results of the tasks can then be compiled and integrated back into the developer's application via the IDE. An example use includes constructing large domain specific data sets that can be applied to spoken dialog interfaces.
US09436737B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for determining keywords for an image that supports an overlay content item. A method includes identifying, using one or more processors, an image that is to support an overlay content item, the image being presented on a web site and including a portion that is designated as being enabled to receive and display the overlay content item; evaluating pixel data associated with the image including determining one or more labels that are associated with content included within the image; and determining one or more keywords for the image based at least in part on the one or more labels.
US09436730B2
Methods and systems for use in validating input data in a computing system. Input data associated with a destination software application, such as a database, is received at a computing system. The input data is forwarded to an intermediate software application, such as a web application. When the input includes one or more patterns, a query produced by the intermediate software application based on the input data is validated, such as by comparing the structure of the query to one or more expected query structures. If the validation succeeds, the query is forwarded to the destination software application. Otherwise, the query is discarded.
US09436727B1
Methods include receiving a request to access an integrated macro module, wherein the integrated macro module is integrated into an application. Methods include presenting an option to search for a macro. When the option to search for the macro is selected, methods include transmitting a message, wherein the message asks for one or more search terms corresponding to the macro. Methods include receiving the one or more search terms. Methods include identifying a macro associated with at least one of the one or more search terms that is stored in an accessible repository. Methods include presenting the identified macro. Methods include recording a macro. Methods include presenting an option to share a macro. When the option to share the macro is selected, methods include storing the macro in a public repository. When the option to share the macro is not selected, methods include storing the macro in a local repository.
US09436723B2
A system for storing compressed data comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to receive a compressed segment. The compressed segment is determined by breaking a data stream, a data block, or a data file into one or more segments and compressing each of the one or more segments. The processor is further configured to determine whether the compressed segment has been previously stored, and in the event that the compressed segment has not been previously stored, store the compressed segment. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.
US09436712B2
User data is retrieved from an instance of a data system. A mapping between the data system and one or more staging tables is generated and a package that includes the data and the mapping is generated. The user data is saved to the one or more staging tables using the mapping.
US09436709B1
The disclosure includes a system and method for discovering content in a topical community. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions when executed cause the system to: receive data indicating a first engagement action associated with a content item, the first engagement action performed by a first user; determine a topic associated with the content item; determine a topical reputation score related to the topic for the first user based on one or more second engagement actions performed by one or more second users associated with the content item; determine that the topical reputation score satisfies a reputation threshold; unlock the topic for the first user responsive to the determination that the topical reputation score satisfies the reputation threshold and provide the first user an ability to curate other content items associated with the unlocked topic.
US09436701B2
Methods and systems are provided for regulating interaction with respect to an object in a database. One exemplary method involves creating an engagement record associated with the object in the database and in response receiving a request for a database activity with respect to the object from a user, determining whether the user is authorized to initiate the database activity with respect to the object based on a protection status indicated by the engagement record for the object. When the first user is authorized, the database is updated the database to reflect the requested database activity associated with the object and the protection status of the engagement record is updated in response to the database activity. After updating the protection status of the engagement record, subsequent database activity with respect to the object initiated by a second user is regulated based on the updated protection status.
US09436692B1
A video file is split into a plurality of chunks. At least a subset of the chunks is processed in parallel, including by detecting one or more moving objects and computing for each detected moving object a visual key and an associated attribute value. The visual key and the associated attribute value are provided as output.
US09436689B2
An efficient large scale search system for video and multi-media content using a distributed database and search, and tiered search servers is described. Selected content is stored at the distributed local database and tier1 search server(s). Content matching frequent queries, and frequent unidentified queries are cached at various levels in the search system. Content is classified using feature descriptors and geographical aspects, at feature level and in time segments. Queries not identified at clients and tier1 search server(s) are queried against tier2 or lower search server(s). Search servers use classification and geographical partitioning to reduce search cost. Methods for content tracking and local content searching are executed on clients. The client performs local search, monitoring and/or tracking of the query content with the reference content and local search with a database of reference fingerprints. This shifts the content search workload from central servers to the distributed monitoring clients.
US09436687B2
A social networking system obtains specific structured data about a user via a composer interface having textual content with incomplete portions and input fields corresponding to the incomplete potions. The input fields map to data fields in the user's profile and are selected based on the social networking system's need for the information associated with the data fields.
US09436686B1
A system and method for evaluating claims is disclosed. The system comprises a selection module, a query module, a communication module and a determination module. The selection module determines a review set including one or more claims based at least in part on claim data. The query module determines, based at least in part on the review set, an evaluation form including one or more queries associated with a first claim. The communication module receives answer data describing one or more answers responsive to the one or more queries included in the evaluation form. The determination module determines a validity decision associated with the first claim based at least in part on the answer data.
