US09445534B2
An information handling system (IHS) when operational has compute components held by a lightweight server (LWS) chassis. For both shipping and operational support, the LWS chassis is inserted into a casing that is laterally sized to prevent lateral movement of the server chassis. The casing is formed of an impact tolerant material to protect the server chassis and any functional compute components inserted within the server chassis. In addition, the casing has sealable flaps that enable the server chassis to be fully enclosed within the casing. Thereby, the casing can be utilized as an external shipping carton in which the IHS can be physically shipped to a destination.
US09445526B2
Power electronics modules having modular jet impingement assembly utilized to cool heat generating devices are disclosed. The modular jet impingement assemblies include a modular manifold having a distribution recess, one or more angled inlet connection tubes positioned at an inlet end of the modular manifold that fluidly couple the inlet tube to the distribution recess and one or more outlet connection tubes positioned at an outlet end of the modular manifold that fluidly coupling the outlet tube to the distribution recess. The modular jet impingement assemblies include a manifold insert removably positioned within the distribution recess and include one or more inlet branch channels each including an impinging slot and one or more outlet branch channels each including a collecting slot. Further a heat transfer plate coupled to the modular manifold, the heat transfer plate comprising an impingement surface including an array of fins that extend toward the manifold insert.
US09445521B2
The present disclosure relates to an electronic card connection device and an electronic device. The electronic card connection device comprises a connector, an electronic card tray and a switch. The connector comprises a terminal housing and a shell, the shell and the terminal housing define a mating space. The electronic card tray being inserted in the mating space, the electronic card tray may comprise an electronic card receiving recess, a mounting block positioned in front of the electronic card receiving recess and an operating handle pivotally connected to the mounting block. The switch may be positioned alongside a rotation range of the operating handle, and partially protrudes into the rotation range allowing rotation of the operating handle to switch the state of the switch.
US09445520B2
An electronic device may be provided with an ejectable component assembly having a connector that can receive and retain a removable module within a housing of the electronic device. The ejectable component assembly may also be provided with an ejector mechanism for at least partially ejecting the removable module from the connector. The ejector mechanism may receive a user input force at an ejector user interface, translate that user input force into an ejection force, and apply that ejection force onto the removable module for ejecting the module. The ejector user interface may be provided at any suitable position of the housing that may not interfere with other functions of the device. The path along which the ejector mechanism translates the user input force into the ejection force between the ejector user interface and the removable module may be provided in any suitable way throughout the device.
US09445513B2
A display device includes: a first display part having a first screen; a second display part having a second screen; a casing which accommodates the first and second display parts, therein. A first display part area accommodates the first display part and a second display part area accommodates the second display part, which are formed in the casing. The movement mechanism includes a first in-plane direction rail which allows the first display part to move in the X-direction; and a second vertical direction rail, which allows the second display part to move in the Z-direction. The first in-plane direction rail allows the first display part area to move between the first display part and a neighboring area which is disposed adjacent to the first display part. The second vertical direction rail allows the second display part to move between the second display part and the first display part areas.
US09445512B2
The present invention is to provide a holder having an adjustable clamping orientation, which includes a clamping assembly having a first clamping plate extended forwardly from a front end thereof and movably connected with a second clamping plate to form a clamping head for clamping a plate, a support assembly having a front end pivoted to a rear end of the clamping assembly and a side edge pivoted to a support arm extended therefrom so that a free end of the support arm is rotatable in a direction of away from or close to the clamping assembly, and a holding seat having a front end rotatably fastened with a rear end of the support assembly and a positioning member disposed at a rear end thereof, so that a mobile electronic device can be firmly positioned at the positioning member and adjusted to an expected orientation with respect to the plate.
US09445508B2
A solder alloy is a tin-silver-copper solder alloy, and contains tin, silver, copper, bismuth, nickel, and cobalt. Relative to the total amount of the solder alloy, the silver content is 2 mass % or more and 4 mass % or less, the nickel content is 0.01 mass % or more and 0.15 mass % or less, and the cobalt content is 0.001 mass % or more and 0.008 mass % or less.
US09445507B2
A mechanism is provided for packaging a multiple socket, one-hop symmetric multiprocessor topology. The mechanism connects each of a first plurality of processor modules to a first multiple-socket planar via a respective one of a first plurality of land grid array (LGA) connectors. The mechanism connects the first multiple-socket planar to a first side of a redistribution card via a second plurality of LGA connectors. The mechanism connects each of a second plurality of processor modules to a second multiple-socket planar via a respective one of a third plurality of LGA connectors. The mechanism connects the second multiple-socket planar to a second side of the redistribution card via a fourth plurality of LGA connectors.
US09445506B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a preparation method of a patterned film, a display substrate and a display device, avoiding falling off of a film layer occurring in the process of peeling off a photoresist layer. The preparation method of the patterned film comprises: forming a preset film layer on a surface of a preset substrate; covering the preset film layer with an isolation layer; forming a photoresist layer on a surface of the isolation layer and forming a pattern of the isolation layer with a patterning process; then removing the preset film layer which is not covered by the pattern of the isolation layer, peeling off the photoresist layer and removing the remaining, isolation layer to form a pattern of the preset film layer.
US09445487B2
An X-ray radiation device comprises a plurality of X-ray radiation units, each having an X-ray tube for generating an X-ray, a drive circuit for driving the X-ray tube, and a trunk line connected to the drive circuit, and a controller having a control circuit for controlling the X-ray radiation units. The trunk lines of the plurality of X-ray radiation units are connected in series to the control circuit so that the drive circuits of the plurality of X-ray radiation units are connected in parallel to the control circuit. Since the trunk lines of the plurality of X-ray radiation units are connected in series to the control circuit, the X-ray radiation units can be connected to each other and are not required to be connected one by one to the controller. This makes it possible to increase and decrease the number of units without complicating their wiring.
US09445486B2
One aspect of the invention provides an energy dissipative tube including: a length of corrugated stainless steel tubing; a conductive resin layer adjacent to the outside of the tubing; and an insulative resin layer adjacent to the conductive layer. Another aspect of the invention provides an energy dissipative tube consisting of: a length of corrugated stainless steel tubing; a conductive thermoplastic polymer layer adjacent to the outside of the tubing, the conductive thermoplastic polymer layer having a volume resistivity of less than about 106 ohm-cm; and an insulative resin layer adjacent to the conductive layer.
US09445485B2
Systems, methods and articles for providing centralized control of area lighting hours of illumination. An area illumination system includes a central control system operatively coupled to a plurality of luminaires through a data communications network. In some implementations, the data communications network may include a power-line power distribution system and/or a wired or wireless communications network. Each of the plurality of luminaires includes a local illumination control system, which may include a photosensor. The central control system identifies one or more luminaires as having a faulty local illumination control system and issues illumination commands to such luminaires through the data communications network so that the luminaires continue to operate normally without a working local illumination control system. The central control system may store data relating to luminaires having faulty illumination control systems, such as addresses, map data, routing data, or the like.
US09445483B2
The invention provides a lighting device (100) and a luminaire (200). The lighting device comprises a light emitter (110) thermally connected to a heat sink (120). The lighting device further comprises a communication circuit (130) which is coupled to the heat sink for transmitting and/or receiving a communication signal. The heat sink is electrically conductive and comprising an opening (151) having dimensions for constituting an aperture antenna (150) for a particular frequency for directionally transmitting and/or receiving the communication signal of the particular frequency via the heat sink. In the embodiment shown, the lighting device comprises an aperture antenna (150) and a further aperture antenna (160).
US09445467B2
A backlight driving circuit includes a LED driving chip (10) for outputting a PWM signal, a power port (20), a voltage conversion unit (30), a first, a second, and a third switch unit (50, 60, 70), and a level conversion unit (40). The voltage conversion unit (30) includes a primary unit (31) and a secondary winding (32). The first switch unit (50) is connected to the power port (20) and the primary unit (31). The second switch unit (60), the secondary winding (32) and a first LED string (21) forms a first circuit loop (LP1). The first and the second switch unit (50, 60) are turned on or off when receiving the PWM signal. The third switch unit (70), the primary winding (31), and a second LED string (22) form a second circuit loop (LP2). The voltage conversion unit output a reversed PWM signal to the third switch unit (70).
US09445465B2
Adaptation circuits (1) allow discharge lamps to be replaced by light circuits (45) with light emitting diodes, while keeping ballast circuits (8) designed for connection to the discharge lamps. The adaptation circuits (1) comprise conversion circuits (2) for converting input voltage and current signals coming from the ballast circuits (8) into output voltage and current signals destined for the light circuits (45). The conversion circuits (2) reduce amplitudes of the input voltage signals to values below predefined values during predefined time intervals after energy from the ballast circuits (8) has been transferred to the conversion circuits (2). The time intervals are synchronized with periods of the input voltage signals. Between first draining states for draining energy and second releasing states for releasing the energy, third states such as holding states for holding the energy have been introduced. The third states allow relevant values as experienced by the ballast circuits (8) to remain comparable to situations when the discharge lamps were powered.
US09445459B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a vessel configured to contain a secondary magnetic induction field therein for melting materials, and methods of use thereof. The vessel can be used in an injection molding apparatus having an induction coil positioned along a horizontal axis and adjacent to the vessel. The vessel can have a tubular body configured to substantially surround and receive a plunger tip. At least one longitudinal slot extends through the thickness of the body to allow and/or direct eddy currents into the vessel during application of an RF induction field from the coil. The body also includes temperature regulating lines configured to flow a liquid within. The temperature regulating lines can be provided to run longitudinally within the wall(s) of the body between its inner bore and outer surface(s). A flange may be provided at one end of the body to secure the body within an injection molding apparatus.
US09445453B2
A communication method uses a dual-modem Mobile Equipment (ME) that includes a cellular modem communicable with a cellular system and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) modem capable of WLAN communication. The method includes registering a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a Terminal Equipment (TE) connected to the cellular modem over a WLAN. The method also includes receiving data from the TE with the registered MAC address at the WLAN modem through a WLAN interface, and transferring the data to the cellular system through the cellular modem. Thus, even a TE with no cellular modem equipped can perform data communication over the cellular network and the pre-registered TE is allowed to transmit and receive data through an ME with a WLAN modem, facilitating efficient use of the limited resources, and the user is allowed to set priorities of TEs, making it possible to ensure QoS of each TE independently.
US09445450B2
A network configuration and process are disclosed in which a user equipment preserves its physical uplink control channel resources (PUCCH) in connected mode when so instructed by the network upon expiration of a time alignment timer. Upon re-initiation of network messaging the network passes information to the user equipment during random access signalling to re-use the physical uplink control channel resources.
US09445443B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for provisioning of devices, such as UEs, for service at a wireless network. One or more device parameters may be identified for use in provisioning the device on the wireless network, which may be provided to a network element. The network element may use the provided parameters to access a subscription server. The subscription server may provide verification and/or subscription parameters of the device that may then be used by the device to verify that the device is authorized to access the wireless network.
US09445442B2
A communication system and various methods using that communication system, including a method of providing short-range wireless communication (SRWC) in a vehicle. The method includes the steps of: (a) establishing a first wireless connection over a first communication channel between a vehicle multi-tainment unit (VMU) and a first mobile device, wherein, with respect to the first wireless connection, the VMU operates as a server and the first mobile device operates as a client; (b) establishing a second wireless connection over a second communication channel between the VMU and a second mobile device, wherein, with respect to the second wireless connection, the second mobile device operates as a server and the VMU operates as a client; and (c) following steps (a) and (b), controlling the second mobile device from the VMU to change the second wireless connection from the second communication channel to the first communication channel.
US09445432B2
A fine-grained channel access system and method to facilitate fine-grained channel access in a high-data rate wide-band wireless local-area network (WLAN). Embodiments of the system and method divide an entire wireless channel into proper size subchannels commensurate with the physical layer data rate and typical frame size. Once the subchannels are defined, each node on the WLAN contends independently for each of the fine-grained subchannels. A first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technique is used to signal an access point on the WLAN that the node desires one or more of the subchannels. A second OFDM technique (which is different from the first OFDM technique) is used for data transmission. Sometimes there is contention between nodes that want the same subchannel. The access point resolves any contention between the nodes using a frequency domain contention technique that includes a frequency domain backoff technique.
US09445429B2
The disclosure describes procedures for including downlink control information (DCI) within a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) communication to reduce power consumption for a user equipment (UE) operating in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. A network apparatus can be configured to identify an expected DCI change for the UE, determine whether an LTE subframe location for the DCI change is known, generate either a general or a specific DCI change indicator, and send the corresponding DCI change indicator to the UE on the PDSCH. The specific DCI change indicator can include a bitmap identifying a particular upcoming LTE subframe where the UE is required to decode the PDCCH for DCI, and the general DCI change indicator can include a bit flag identifying a time associated with one or more upcoming LTE subframes when the UE should decode the PDCCH for DCI.
US09445428B2
A method of operating a wireless communication terminal includes receiving one or more downlink control messages that each contain scheduling information scheduling the wireless terminal to receive a downlink transmission on either a primary carrier or a secondary carrier. The method also includes determining, for each of the downlink control messages, whether that message includes scheduling information for the primary carrier or for a secondary carrier. Additionally, the method includes selecting a format for an uplink control message based on whether any of the downlink control messages includes scheduling information for a secondary carrier, generating an uplink control message based on the selected format, and transmitting the uplink control message to the base station.
US09445427B2
A downlink scheduler schedules downlink transmissions to a plurality of user terminals over a shared downlink channel and allocates resources for the downlink transmissions. For making scheduling decisions, the downlink scheduler computes a resource metric to compare the available resources that are being allocated. The resource metric is based on the individual scheduling metrics of the user terminals. Allocation of the resources is performed in an iterative fashion. A first resource is selected based on the resource metric and allocated to a user terminal based on the corresponding individual scheduling metrics of the user terminals. The next resource is then selected and allocated. This allocation process continues until all RBGs are allocated, or until all user terminals are served. In one embodiment, the resource metrics for the remaining resources and individual scheduling metrics for the remaining user terminals are computed/recomputed during each iteration.
US09445426B2
Aspects of the invention en-compass an apparatus and corresponding method and computer program product, wherein the apparatus comprises a controller, configured to cause communication via a first and at (east a second radio access technology, provide for setting of rules, which permit the apparatus to autonomously deny communication via the first radio access technology, detect a predetermined event in terms of the second radio access technology, responsive thereto, apply the rules and deny a communication via the first radio access technology, detect an occurrence of a further predetermined event in terms of the second radio access technology, while the rules prohibit to further deny a communication via the first radio access technology, decide, responsive thereto, to violate the rules and to permit to deny a further communication via the first radio access technology, and cause transmission of a violation indication to a destination of the communication via the first radio access technology. A network entity apparatus and corresponding method and computer program product are also envisaged.
US09445421B2
A method and system are described for managing radio frequency layer priority settings for radio access network nodes in a mobile wireless network. A programmed server is configured with an initial configuration of the trigger definitions and corresponding radio frequency layer priority settings. Thereafter, the programmed server applies current conditions bearing upon a conditional area to a conditional area trigger definition. The programmed server then issues, based upon the application of the current conditions to the conditional area trigger definition, a message to re-designate radio frequency layer priority settings for a cell. The programmed server thereafter receives network characteristics feedback.
US09445417B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a user equipment (UE) that can maintain active connections on multiple wireless communication networks. The UE shares a transmission resource when transmitting (TX) on a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT in a time-division manual. During TX sharing, the UE provide uplink recovery and protection to one of the RATs.
US09445414B2
A reference signal multiplexing method for multiple mobile stations includes: grouping together control signals for the multiple mobile stations; and multiplexing reference signals corresponding to the control signals by CDM over the same bandwidth as that of grouped control signals.
US09445412B2
An EPDCCH is made up of an aggregation of one or more resources obtained by dividing one of PRB pairs. In a case where a total number of antenna ports for transmitting reference signals to be used to demodulate signals mapped to the EPDCCH is four, four resources obtained by dividing one of the PRB pairs correspond to the antenna ports of different numbers. In a case where a total number of antenna ports for transmitting reference signals to be used to demodulate signals mapped to the EPDCCH is two, two resources obtained by dividing one of the PRB pairs correspond to the antenna ports of different numbers. A mobile station apparatus includes a reception processor that demodulates, by using reference signals transmitted from the antenna ports corresponding to the resources used for the EPDCCH, signal mapped to the EPDCCH for which decoding and detection are performed.
US09445411B2
An access point to transmit a first message that instructs stations (STAs) to bypass uplink transmissions for a first time interval indicated in the first message. The access point is to transmit one or more first messages at a transmission power sufficient for a first portion of the STAs to decode the one or more first messages and insufficient for a second portion of the STAs to decode the one or more first messages. The transmission power can be determined based on minimum transmit powers associated with the STAs. Subsequent second time intervals can be determined based on uplink transmissions received from the STAs during the first time interval.
US09445405B2
In at least some embodiments, a wireless networking system is provided. The wireless networking system includes a base-station and a plurality of user devices in communication with the base-station. The base-station selectively assigns each user device to one of a first group and a second group. Also, the base-station selectively assigns each user device to an uplink synchronized state and an uplink non-synchronized state. The base-station allocates a unique reduced identifier to each user device in the uplink synchronized state, but does not allocate unique reduced identifiers to user devices in the non-synchronized state.
US09445400B2
A method and device for performing an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) procedure in a wireless communication environment are provided. An initiation of the ARQ reset procedure is triggered by one of a transmitting device and a receiving device. A sequence number corresponding to a start of an ARQ window is determined. The sequence number is a sequence number of a first ARQ block to be transmitted by the transmitting device upon completion of the ARQ reset procedure. An ARQ reset message indicating the determined sequence number is transmitted to the receiving device. Accordingly, first and second pointer values of the ARQ window at the receiving device is set to the sequence number in the ARQ reset message. An ARQ reset acknowledgement message is sent to the transmitting device. Moreover, first and second pointer values of the ARQ window at the transmitting device is set to the determined sequence number.
US09445395B1
A method includes generating an alert message in a device. The device is one of a plurality of connected devices. The alert message is suppressed in the device responsive to a state of a microphone of any of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state. A device includes a microphone, a speaker, and a processor coupled to the microphone and the speaker. The processor is to generate an alert message and suppress the alert message responsive to a state of a microphone of any of a plurality of connected devices including the device indicating an active state.
US09445388B2
Provided is a reporting method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system. The method comprises receiving positioning duration setting from a network, evaluating a positioning enabling condition, and if the positioning enabling condition is satisfied, starting a positioning duration timer, enabling positioning, acquiring position information through the enabled positioning, and transmitting a report message including a measurement result and the position information to the network.
US09445372B1
An exemplary power management system detects a signal level representative of an environmental condition external to a mobile device, determines that the signal level is within a predetermined range, and disables, in response to the determination that the signal level is within the predetermined range, a feature of the mobile device. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.
US09445361B2
A first client may establish a power charging association with one of a plurality of service agents over a network. The first client transmits a first signal via a first attachment point of a powerline network, the first signal associated with requesting the power charging association. The first client broadcasts a sounding message via the first attachment point after transmitting the first signal, wherein the sounding message is receivable by one or more service agents including at least a first service agent of the powerline network. The first service agent received the sounding message with a lowest attenuation of the one or more service agents that received the sounding message. The power charging association is established between the first client and the first service agent.
US09445360B2
An approach is provided for global multiline roaming. A global roaming multiline platform provisions a communication device with a plurality of communication access numbers respectively associated with a plurality of communication service regions, wherein the plurality of communication access numbers are associated with a single subscriber identity module (SIM) of the communication device. The platform also selects a target communication access number from among the plurality of communication access numbers for relaying a communication session to or from the communication device based on a location of the communication device, a location of a called device, a location of a calling device, or a combination thereof with respect to the plurality of communication service regions.
US09445338B2
A device includes a transceiver to receive, from a base station, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission and processing circuitry to classify downlink (DL) subframe types for a set of DL subframes associated with a first uplink (UL) subframe for transmission of a hybrid automatic report request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) and perform physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources mapping based on the classified DL subframe Types for an acknowledgement transmission associated with PDSCH transmission reception.
US09445337B2
In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a method for use by a wireless cellular telecommunications device camped on a first cell. The method comprises, at the device: selecting a parameter applicable to a priority-based re-selection algorithm and also applicable to another cell; measuring an attribute of a signal received from a second cell; and, evaluating the second cell for re-selection according to a ranking algorithm based at least on the selected parameter and the measured attribute. A device and computer readable medium are also provided.
US09445328B2
The present invention relates to a method for enabling a terminal to reselect a cell in a wireless communication system. In more detail, the method includes receiving probability information relating to cell reselection from a network, and performing first cell reselection by using the received probability information when a specific service is received or is to be received.
US09445323B1
A method is disclosed to help keep a UE's network identifier available for reassignment to that UE even after that UE engages in a particular type of handover. In accordance with the method, a network may make a determination that a UE should engage in a particular type of handover. In response to making this determination, the network may terminate the UE's active connection. However, based on the particular type of handover in which the network determined that the UE should engage, the network may also reserve the network identifier assigned for the UE's active connection.
US09445319B2
A method and device for preventing a handover failure by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless access system supporting cell-on/off. The method includes: initiating, by a user equipment (UE), a handover procedure to a target Base Station (BS); receiving, by the UE, cell off indication information indicating that a cell of the target BS will be powered off during the handover procedure; and discontinuing, by the UE, the handover procedure according to the cell off indication information.
US09445318B2
Method and apparatus for providing inbound mobility to closed subscriber group (CSG) and hybrid cells are described. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) reads the cell global identity (CGI) of a neighbor cell and reports it to a network of CSG cells. The network maps the CSG cell's physical cell identity (PCI) to the CSG CGI and, if required, requests the WTRU to read the CGI at handover.
US09445314B2
The disclosure relates to a method 10 for radio access bearer establishment performed in a wireless device 8 of a communication system 1. The communication system 1 comprises a network node 4 configured to provide radio access bearers to the wireless device 8. The method 10 comprises detecting 11 a need for a circuit switched service and a packet switched service during a communication session, and indicating 12, to the network node 4, a need for a circuit switched radio access bearer towards a circuit switched core network 3 providing the circuit switched service and for a packet switched radio access bearer towards a packet switched core network 2 providing the packet switched service.
US09445313B2
A data processing method is provided for forwarding data in the case of handover between heterogeneous networks. The data processing method includes: when a user equipment (UE) is handed over from an originating network to a target network, receiving, by the originating network, a data forwarding address obtained by the target network; creating a data forwarding tunnel between an originating network gateway and a target network gateway according to the data forwarding address; and forwarding data to the target network through the data forwarding tunnel. A data processing device is also provided. The lossless data processing solution can overcome the problem of data loss in the case of handover between heterogeneous networks in the existing technology, reduces the time of user service interruption and enhances the user experience.
US09445310B2
During a transition procedure from a first communication system to a second communication system, when the priority of a second communication call, whose setup is requested, is the first priority, the second communication system does not set up the bearer of a first communication call between the second communication system and the mobile communication terminal, and notifies the first communication system that the setup of the first communication is not possible, but the setup of the second communication call is possible. When notified that the setup of the first communication is not possible, but the setup of the second communication call is possible, the first communication system aborts the handover procedure, and instructs the mobile communication terminal to switch to the second communication system by another procedure.
US09445307B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for minimizing data overhead in a cellular network. In some embodiments a method includes receiving, by a base station of the cellular network, location information associated with a mobile device. The method may include determining, by the base station, a location of the mobile device based on the location information; and determining, by the base station, an offload alternative connection point based on the determined location of the mobile device. In some cases, the method includes disconnecting the mobile device from a current connection point; and connecting the mobile device to the offload alternative connection point.
US09445306B2
A method for simultaneously transmitting packets having different lengths to two or more users in a wireless communication system includes: generating the packets to transmit to the respective users, the packets containing information on the maximum transmission length of the packets having different lengths; and simultaneously transmitting the generated packets to the respective users. The maximum transmission length is represented by the number of symbols, and each of the packets sequentially contains control information required for transmitting the packet, data, a tail field, and a PHY pad field, and is generated by inserting a MAC pad between the control information and the data such that the tail field and the PHY pad field are positioned at the last byte of the last symbol of the maximum transmission length.
US09445305B2
Techniques and tools are described for transmitting beacon messages using a wireless communication protocol, such as the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol. In some examples, beacon messages can be generated in a compact format and included in an AdvData portion of a payload of a protocol data unit of a Bluetooth Low Energy advertising channel packet. A beacon message can be transmitted from a stationary beacon generation device and broadcast to an area within a transmission range of the beacon generation device, and mobile computing devices, such as mobile phones, can receive the beacon message and perform one or more actions in response to information contained in the beacon message, all while conserving energy used by the beacon generation device and the mobile computing device.
US09445303B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a capacity station activation method and system. A coverage station sends activation control information to a capacity station, where the activation control information enables the capacity station to send a pilot signal to a user in a power decreasing manner; receives a pilot signal measurement result from the user; determines, according to the measurement result, a capacity station that needs to be activated to meet a system requirement; and sends activation information to the determined capacity station that needs to be activated. According to the capacity station activation method and system provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the capacity station that needs to be activated can be more accurately determined, transmit power of an activated capacity station can be controlled, and power consumption of an entire system can be reduced.
US09445302B2
Approaches for managing machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless devices are disclosed. M2M wireless devices may be configured to utilize service classes in order to implement network access policy control. Packets generated by an application running on the wireless device are inspected, for example using Deep Packet Inspection (DPI). Service class may be assigned based on patent contents such as payload, transport-layer criteria, or communication protocol in use. Service class assignment proceeds according to a rule set which may be remotely configurable. Packets may be buffered and their transmission may be deferred pending service class assignment. Spoofing of the intended recipient and/or the application may be performed while the packets are buffered and/or inspected.
US09445298B2
Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and system for controlling a terminal device. A method of controlling a terminal device is performed by a terminal device control unit included in the terminal device. The method may include determining whether or not to change a state of the terminal device into a terminal device control state based on range information including at least one of a control area and a control period in which the terminal device is controlled and the real-time information of the terminal device, changing the state of the terminal device into the terminal device control state based on a result of the determination, and controlling the terminal device based on the control information in the terminal device control state.
US09445290B2
The present invention relates to management of wireless communication networks and, more particularly, to methods, apparatuses and systems for spectrum management, load balancing and problematic station detection featuring problematic station detection algorithms based on calculating the amount of time a station is wasting, the location of stations, the RSSI of stations and other considerations. The present invention further includes solutions for optimizing wireless network management.
US09445281B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for optimizing the distribution of a broadband wireless signal in a building. The methods and systems include at least one antenna inserted into a building ventilation system and transmitting a wireless broadband signal from a transmitter in communication with the antenna. The wireless broadband signal will include multiple orthogonal subcarriers. The methods and systems further include detecting the wireless broadband signal with a receiver in the building. In selected embodiments, the methods and systems may include the steps of analyzing a parameter of the detected wireless broadband signal and optimizing the wireless broadband signal based at least in part upon the analyzed parameter.
US09445278B2
Techniques for communication management between Radio Access Technologies (RATs) sharing operating spectrum in an unlicensed band of radio frequencies are disclosed. Interference may be mitigated by, for example, receiving signaling via a resource. A first RAT may be used to receive the signaling. Based on the received signaling, utilization of the resource associated with the first RAT may be identified. The identified utilization of the resource may be classified based on an attribute associated with the received signaling and a plurality of thresholds associated with the attribute. The plurality of thresholds may define different classes of utilization. Communication by a second RAT over the resource may be adapted based on the classified utilization of the resource.
US09445277B2
A spectrum management server generates and an electronic device uses a channel map solution for a predetermined travel route of the electronic device. The channel map solution includes at least one available channel for each of the plural geographic areas through which the planned travel route passes. At least two adjacent ones of the geographic areas have different channel availability.
US09445259B2
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a policy server. The method includes: receiving a request for service, the request including an identification of user equipment; determining a user equipment type (TAC); evaluating a policy rule based on the user equipment type, the policy rule including a condition referencing at least one user equipment type; and responding to the request for service based on evaluation of the policy rule.
US09445252B2
A method and apparatus for providing a service at an incident scene is provided herein. During operation, a device will enter a geographic area (e.g., an incident scene), join a local-area network (LAN), and determine what services are presently being offered by other devices on the LAN. From a list of services deployed on the device, a determination is then made as to what services the device will run, and those services are then offered to all devices on the LAN.
US09445251B2
A method and system includes the ability for individuals to set up an ad hoc digital and voice network easily and rapidly to allow users to coordinate their activities by eliminating the need for pre-entry of data into a web or identifying others by name, phone numbers or email. This method is especially useful for police, fire fighters, military, first responders or other emergency situations for coordinating different organizations at the scene of a disaster to elevate conventional communication problems either up and down the chain of command or cross communication between different emergency units. The method and system provides that the users are only required to enter a specific Server IP address and an ad hoc event name, a password and perhaps the name of the particular unit.
US09445239B2
Operating parameters of a wireless mobile communication device can be adjusted to comply with requirements defined by a local regulatory regime. Location information can be received by the wireless mobile communication device and be used to determine local operating requirements. In one embodiment, location information in the form of MCC-MNC information can be used to query a local database to determine values of local operating limits such as, for example, a local value of a maximum allowable transmission power limit.
US09445237B1
A system and method are disclosed that may provide an accurate estimate of the angle of arrival (AoA) of a wireless signal received by a device. The received wireless signal may include a plurality of signal components associated with a number of different arrival paths. The device may generate a weighted signal, including a plurality of weighted signal components, by multiplying the plurality of signal components of the received wireless signal with a set of weighting values. The device may identify one or more of the weighted signal components associated with a first arrival path to the device, determine phase information of the one or more identified weighted signal components, and then determine the angle of arrival based, at least in part, on the determined phase information.
US09445236B2
A mobile device has a location sensor and a data sensor for collecting data that relates to technical equipment. An area component determines that the mobile device is located in an event area with the potential of occurrence of events in categories. A detection component processes data from the data sensor that is indicative of events. The detection component is active if the mobile device is located in the event area. A recorder component records data from the data sensor in combination with the geographic location of the mobile device. The recorder component is active if a particular event that falls into at least one of the categories has been detected.
US09445233B2
Examples disclosed herein may relate to partitioning identity and/or position information for a plurality of wireless transmitters positioned within a geographical region into a plurality of sub-partitions.
US09445230B1
A device's arrival at a destination location is automatically detected, and notification of such arrival is automatically generated, without any need for a user to specify the destination location in advance. A perimeter, or geofence, is continually or periodically defined around the device's current location. A timer is automatically set, with some pre-specified duration. If the device exits the geofence before the timer expires, the new location of the device is determined, a new geofence around that location is defined, and the timer is reset. If the timer expires before the device exits the geofence, the device is considered to have arrived at a destination; an “arrives” event is generated. Notification of such an event can be output at the device and/or transmitted to one or more subscribers. Various exceptions, conditions, and preferences can be taken into account so as to avoid false positives.
US09445219B1
An example embodiment includes an apparatus. The apparatus includes piconet logic for establishing a multi-level piconet hierarchy having a top level piconet and a lower level piconet(s). The top level piconet includes a master device and master controller(s). The lower level piconet includes master controllers(s) and sub-controller(s). The apparatus includes time division multiplexing logic to solicit and control aggregated communication with master controllers. The aggregated communication comprises data from the master controller and data from a sub-controller(s).
US09445218B2
Techniques described herein may provide for the organization and the control of nodes in an Machine to Machine (M2M) domain that is energy efficient and may provide for prioritized control of network traffic. Data may be received from of clusters of nodes in a M2M network, each of the clusters including one or more nodes to generate the data and a hub node to receive, from the one or more nodes, the generated data. The hub node may transmit the generated data. An update interval for the one or more nodes in each of the clusters may be set on a per-cluster basis and the update interval may define a period at which the one or more nodes in a particular cluster transmit data towards a corresponding hub node of the particular cluster. Additionally, an update interval for the hub node may be set, the update interval for the hub node being set on a per-cluster basis and defining a period at which the hub node transmits data.
US09445204B1
In one embodiment, a personal amplification device may be configured to operate as a master and communicate to another personal amplification device that operates as a slave. The master may be configured to send signals to the slave device and control the slave device changing operation according to information sent in the sent signals.
US09445199B2
In Higher Order Ambisonics, a problem is the tracking of time variant directions of dominant sound sources. The following processing is carried out: from a current time frame of HOA coefficients, estimating a directional power distribution of dominant sound sources, from said directional power distribution and from an a-priori probability function for dominant sound source directions, computing an a-posteriori probability function for said dominant sound source directions, depending on said a-posteriori probability function and on dominant sound source directions for the previous time frame, searching and assigning dominant sound source directions for said current time frame of said HOA coefficients.
US09445192B2
A reference signal generating unit of an active-noise-reduction device of the present invention outputs a referencing signal having a correlation with a vibration to an adaptive filter unit. A filter coefficient update unit receives an input of an error signal, and successively updates a filter coefficient of the adaptive filter unit. The error signal is generated by a cancelling sound based on the output of the adaptive filter unit and noise. The detection unit detects a filter coefficient of the filter coefficient update unit, and determines a size of the output of the adaptive filter unit. Then, the amplitude of the cancelling sound is adjusted based on the size of the output of the adaptive filter unit estimated by the detection unit.
US09445190B2
Methods and apparatuses for addressing open space noise are disclosed. In one example, a method for masking open space noise includes outputting from a speaker a speaker sound corresponding to a flow of water, and displaying a water element system, the water element system generating a sound of flowing water.
US09445185B2
An audio listening device having a damped ball joint type interface between an ear-cup assembly and a headband assembly is provided. For example, the audio listening device can include a headband assembly comprising at least one end; an ear-cup assembly pivotably engaged to the at least one end of the headband assembly by an engagement structure, the engagement structure comprising at least two cooperatively coupled curved surfaces; and a damper rim coupled to the ear-cup assembly and to the at least one end of the headband assembly, wherein the damper rim is configured to at least partially constrict movement of the ear-cup assembly relative to the headband assembly.
US09445184B2
An active noise reduction earphone includes a speaker, a plurality of microphones and a feedback system. Each microphone is displaced from the speaker and the other microphones, and each microphone generates a microphone signal responsive to received acoustic noise. The feedback system receives a combination of the microphone signals and generates an inverse noise signal that is applied to the speaker. The speaker generates an inverse acoustic noise signal that substantially cancels the acoustic noise signal at a predetermined location relative to the speaker and the microphones. The feedback system can include a microphone signal combiner in communication with the microphones. The microphone signal combiner generates a signal that may be a sum or weighted sum of the microphone signals and can be used to generate the inverse noise signal. The earphone has an increased noise reduction bandwidth and improved cancellation capability relative to conventional earphones.
US09445182B2
A headset having rotatable ear cups. The headset includes a headband having a first end and a second end. An earphone unit is coupled to each end of the headband. The earphone unit includes an ear cup that is rotatable between a closed position and an open position.
US09445181B1
An integrated headphone insert device for listening to audio output while wearing a cap includes a curved band. The band is flexible and curved. Each of a back tab, a left tab, and a right tab are coupled to and extend from the band. A headphone set includes a main cable being split having a right cable extending through the right tab and a left cable extending through the left tab. Left and right earbuds are coupled to the left and right cables respectively.
US09445174B2
An apparatus comprising: an audio signal analyser configured to analyse at least one audio signal to determine at least one audio component with an associated orientation parameter; a reference definer configured to define at least one of: a reference orientation for an apparatus; and a reference position for the apparatus; a directional determiner configured to determine a direction value based on the reference orientation/position for the apparatus and at least one of: an orientation of the apparatus; a position of the apparatus; an orientation of a further apparatus co-operating with the apparatus; and a position of the further apparatus; and a directional processor configured to process at least one associated directional parameter for the at least one audio component dependent on the direction value.
US09445172B2
A novel headphone system includes a first speaker assembly, a second speaker assembly, and an interactive visual display system. The interactive visual display system includes a display operative to output visual contents according to interaction with a user. In a more particular embodiment, the headphone system includes an external device interface that enables a user to interact with the contents displayed from the screen via an external device or via the Internet. In another embodiment, the interactive visual display system is removable from the rest of the headphone system and can optionally be installed in another compatible non-headphone device.
US09445169B2
A sound reproduction device includes a signal processing chain configured to render an acoustic useful signal for reproduction to a listener, a simulation scenario processor configured to provide auditory scenario information for a simulated auditory scenario, the simulated auditory scenario influencing perception, by the listener, of the reproduction of the useful signal and/or defining a useful signal type, a user interface configured to detect reproduction parameter settings from a user which represent an individual preference of the listener in view of the simulated auditory scenario, a signal modifier configured to receive the reproduction parameter settings and modify reproduction of the useful signal in dependence on the reproduction parameter settings, and a storage provided for storing the reproduction parameter setting and the auditory scenario information relative to one another. Further aspects relate to a method for training user-defined and auditory scenario-dependent reproduction parameter settings for a sound reproduction device, and a corresponding computer program.
US09445150B2
A video streaming system includes a handheld computing device that asynchronously streams video to a storage subsystem. The handheld computing device receives and buffers video data of contiguous video samples and, after a predefined amount of contiguous video samples has been buffered, assigns an index for that predefined amount of contiguous video samples and asynchronously transmits the index and those contiguous video samples to a storage subsystem of a broadcast server system. The handheld computing device, upon determining that the predefined amount of contiguous video samples has been received by the storage subsystem, transmits a notification message to an application server of the broadcast server system that includes the assigned index and indicates that the corresponding contiguous video samples are stored on the storage subsystem. The notification message causes the application server to fetch those video samples according to the index and process them for broadcasting to client computing devices.
US09445148B2
Techniques described herein may use a computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer, that is attached to a local area network, as a storage device or supplemental storage device for a set-top box (STB) that is also attached to the local area network. In one implementation, the STB may stream, to the computing device, video content corresponding to a television program that is being viewed by a user of the STB. In response to a command such as a rewind or unpause operation, the STB may request the video content from the computing device; receiving the requested video content from the computing device; and satisfying the unpause or rewind operation, based on the received video content.
US09445142B2
An information processing apparatus which communicates with an image capturing apparatus and reproduces video data obtained by the image capturing apparatus, comprises a unit which requests a segment list in which information of segments of video data is written; a unit which acquires the requested segment list; a unit which decides which segment, from the segments in the acquired segment list to request; a unit which requests the decided segment from the image capturing apparatus; a unit which acquires the requested segment; and a unit which calculates a delay time for segment transmission based on a number of segments in the segment list.
US09445141B2
Systems and methods are provided for reusing parts of previously created media assets when creating new media assets. Files created for previous media assets are evaluated when creating a manifest file for a new media asset. If a needed file was previously created, the manifest file for the new media asset references the preexisting file. This avoids the need to recreate files when creating new media assets.
US09445136B2
Video data is retrieved from a server. During retrieval of the video data, a client device receives information indicating bit rates of representations of multimedia content. In addition, the client device receives information indicating priority values for segments of the representations. The segments correspond to particular temporal sections of the representations. The client device requests selected ones of the segments based on the priority values for the segments and an estimated throughput. In some instances, the client device requests the segments in accordance with an adaptive streaming network protocol, such as Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH).
US09445132B2
In some examples, a video coder employs a two-level technique to code information that identifies a position within the block of transform coefficients of one of the coefficients that is a last significant coefficient (LSC) for the block according to a scanning order associated with the block of transform coefficients. For example, a video coder may code a sub-block position that identifies a position of one of the sub-blocks that includes the LSC within the block, and code a coefficient position that identifies a position of the LSC within the sub-block that includes the LSC.
US09445117B2
Methods and encoders for tracing an error in a frame of a video to a subsequent frame of the video. In response to receiving an error notification message indicating an error has occurred in an encoded frame during decode, an encoder obtains: (a) the minimum and maximum horizontal motion vector components for each column of blocks of the frame immediately following the error frame; and (b) the minimum and maximum vertical motion vector components for each row of blocks of the frame immediately following the error frame. A rectangular region of blocks of the frame immediately following the error frame that the error is likely to have propagated to is identified using the minimum and maximum horizontal and vertical motion vector components.
US09445111B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus including circuitry configured to predict an image of a second layer from an image of a first layer using a lookup table which maps combinations of a luminance component, a first color difference component, and a second color difference component of the first layer to predicted pixel values of the second layer corresponding to the combinations. The second layer has a different color gamut from the first layer. The circuitry uses the lookup table in which granularities of the first and second color difference components are lower than a granularity of the luminance component.
US09445110B2
Embodiments feature families of rate allocation and rate control methods that utilize advanced processing of past and future frame/field picture statistics and are designed to operate with one or more coding passes. At least two method families include: a family of methods for a rate allocation with picture look-ahead; and a family of methods for average bit rate (ABR) control methods. At least two other methods for each method family are described. For the first family of methods, some methods may involve intra rate control. For the second family of methods, some methods may involve high complexity ABR control and/or low complexity ABR control. These and other embodiments can involve any of the following: spatial coding parameter adaptation, coding prediction, complexity processing, complexity estimation, complexity filtering, bit rate considerations, quality considerations, coding parameter allocation, and/or hierarchical prediction structures, among others.
US09445104B2
Encoding and decoding a motion vector using a motion vector of a current block of a current picture, which indicates a region corresponding to the current block in a first reference picture and one of generating a motion vector predictor from a motion vector of the adjacent block having a motion vector referring to the first reference picture among adjacent blocks encoded before the current block and a motion vector of an adjacent block referring to a second reference picture other than the first reference picture.
US09445102B2
A more accurate model parameter estimation is achieved by using a Kalman filter for discretely estimating the model parameters between the consecutive frames of the frame sequence and performing the correction of the time-discrete Kalman filter twice per frame, firstly using a measurement value which depends on a complexity measure of the current frame to achieve a primarily corrected state of the time-discrete Kalman filter, and secondly using a measurement value depending on an actual coding rate or distortion of the video encoder in encoding the current frame using a predetermined quantization which may have been determined by an estimation of the actual rate- or distortion-quantization function according to the primarily corrected state. A rate-quantization model function relates the quantization of the video encoder to the coding rate of the video encoder and is piecewise defined to exhibit quadratic and exponential functions in finer and coarser quantization intervals, respectively.
US09445099B2
Provided is an apparatus for encoding an image that adaptively filters reference pixels according to an intra prediction mode and a size of a prediction block, and generates the prediction block according to the intra prediction mode. When the reference pixels for a second directional intra prediction mode are filtered, the reference pixels for a first directional intra prediction mode, that is closer to an intra prediction mode having a direction of 45° with reference to a horizontal mode than the second directional intra prediction mode is, are also filtered. The first and the second intra prediction modes exist between the horizontal mode and the intra prediction mode having the direction of 45° with reference to the horizontal mode. The plurality of sub-blocks and non-zero coefficients of each sub-block are scanned according to a scan pattern determined by the intra prediction mode of the prediction block.
US09445098B2
An apparatus and a method for video encoding/decoding using predictability of an intra-prediction mode are disclosed. The apparatus for encoding a video of the present disclosure includes: an intra-prediction mode determiner for determining an encoder prediction mode which is an intra-prediction mode of a current block of the video; an encoder for encoding a residual block generated by subtracting, from the current block, a predicted block generated by predicting the current block according to the encoder prediction mode; a mode information generator for generating mode information according to whether or not a video decoding apparatus is able to predict the encoder prediction mode; and an encoded data generator for generating encoded data including the encoded residual block and the mode information. The present disclosure can enhance compression in video encoding/decoding by using intra-prediction to predict the video with a minimum necessary bit rate.
US09445092B2
The present technique relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program capable of obtaining a vector with a high degree of prediction accuracy as a prediction vector. A prediction vector generation unit generates a prediction vector of a deviation vector representing deviation of a target block, which is a processing target in a depth image having depth information about parallax as a pixel value for each pixel of a color image, with respect to another picture different from a picture of the target block. The prediction vector generation unit generates the prediction vector in accordance with a vector prediction method which is different depending on whether the target block is an occlusion block including an occlusion portion that does not include any corresponding point in another picture. The present invention can be applied to, for example, a case of generating a prediction vector of a parallax vector used to generate a prediction image for encoding and decoding of a depth image about parallax.
US09445079B2
A method for calibrating a 3D camera includes determining an actuation of an element by a person and calibrating the 3D camera based on the determining of the actuation.
US09445072B2
Techniques are disclosed for generating autostereoscopic video content. A multiscopic video frame is received that includes a first image and a second image. The first and second images are analyzed to determine a set of image characteristics. A mapping function is determined based on the set of image characteristics. At least a third image is generated based on the mapping function and added to the multiscopic video frame.
US09445067B2
Enhancing the image quality by suitable color noise correction is realized without depending on a subject, a photographing scene, and photographing conditions by determining and correcting a color noise component according to photographing conditions of a camera. The present invention is configured of an imaging device that has: an imaging unit; a signal processing unit that performs signal processing on an image signal inputted from the imaging unit and outputs a luminance signal and a chrominance signal; a camera controlling unit that controls at least one of photographing conditions of optical conditions and exposure of the photographing unit and a signal processing condition of the signal processing unit; and a color noise correction unit that extracts and corrects a color noise component from the chrominance signal inputted from the signal processing unit. The camera control unit controls the color noise correction unit using information of the photographing conditions.
US09445062B2
An imaging device includes: a filter formed of four different filter regions with four different spectral transmittances that three different spectral transmittances having characteristics of a color matching function and a spectral transmittance for extracting metallic black have been linearly transformed thereinto by a linear transformation matrix; and an imaging unit that takes an image of light which has come out from a subject, and has been collected by an optical system, and then has passed through the filter.
US09445055B2
In one implementation, a periodic teleconference for multiple participant endpoints is established. The periodic teleconference occurs on multiple dates or multiple times. A network device may identify an attendance of the multiple participant endpoints for the periodic teleconference includes and contributions of the multiple participant endpoints for the periodic teleconference. The network device generates a summary of the periodic teleconference including data indicative of the attendance of the multiple participant endpoints and the contributions of the multiple of participant endpoints.
US09445053B2
A conferencing server (100) receives incoming bitstreams (I1, I2, I3, I4, I5) carrying media data from respective conferencing endpoints (110, 120, 130, 140, 150); receives a mixing strategy (M) specifying properties of at least one outgoing bitstream (O1, O2, O3, O4, O5) and requiring at least one additive media mixing step; and supplies at least one outgoing bitstream by executing, in a processor (103) and a memory (102) with a plurality of memory spaces, a run list of operations selected from a predefined collection of primitives and realizing the received mixing strategy. A pre-processor (104) in the server derives said run list repeatedly and dynamically while taking into consideration determined momentary activity in each incoming bitstream. In embodiments, the run list may be derived by (a) pruning of an initial run list, (b) constrained or non-constrained minimization of a cost function, or (c) automatic code generation.
US09445037B2
Disclosed are a method of transmitting and receiving a broadcast signal and an apparatus for receiving the broadcast signal. In the present invention, first program table information describing a broadcasting stream, and second program table information including additional service identifier information of the multiplexed stream and third program table information describing the additional service data for the multiplexed stream are obtained. The additional service can be provided with the additional service data by using the third program table information.
US09445031B2
An article of clothing has at least one element of clothing wearable by a user, and a recording camera constructed to operate wirelessly associated with the element of clothing and carrying out recording processes while being associated with the element of clothing.
US09445023B2
In a photoelectric conversion device, groups of unit pixels are arranged in a well, where each of the unit pixels includes photoelectric conversion elements, an amplifier transistor, and transfer transistors. The photoelectric conversion device includes a line used to supply a voltage to the well, a well-contact part used to connect the well-voltage-supply line to the well, and transfer-control lines used to control the transfer transistors. The transfer-control lines are symmetrically arranged with respect to the well-voltage-supply line in respective regions of the unit-pixel groups.
US09445018B2
An image sensor may include phase detection pixels that receive and convert incident light into pixel signals. Processing circuitry may use pixel signals from the phase detection pixels to determine an amount by which image sensor optics should be adjusted during automatic focusing operations. Phase detection pixels may include photodiodes with asymmetric angular responses. For example, the center of a photodiode in a phase detection pixel may be offset from the optical center of the microlens that covers that photodiode. A group of two, three, four, or more than four phase detection pixels may be clustered together and covered by a single microlens. Groups of these clusters may be arranged consecutively in a line. Phase data may be gathered using all of the phase detection pixels in the array, and image processing circuitry may determine which phase data to use after the data has been gathered.
US09445013B2
A system for determining lens position includes a first sensor component disposed on a stationary housing of a camera. A second sensor component is disposed on a rotating lens component of the camera. A processor is operatively connected to the first and second sensory components to identify the position of the rotating lens component of the camera based on an angle between the first and second sensor components.
US09445010B2
Optical apparatus includes an image sensor and objective optics, which are configured to collect and focus optical radiation over a range of wavelengths along a common optical axis toward a plane of the image sensor. A dispersive element is positioned to spread the optical radiation collected by the objective optics so that different wavelengths in the range are focused along different, respective optical axes toward the plane.
US09444999B2
A feature detection process includes identifying an approximate location of a feature in a preliminary image. A gradient phase map of image pixel intensities within the approximate location is computed. A projection result is determined by applying a projection function to the gradient phase map. The projection result is analyzed to determine a state of the feature.
US09444980B2
A video camera includes a camera body provided with an opening; a panel unit configured to be pivotable with respect to the camera body between a use position and a storage position; and a lid configured to be pivotable with respect to the opening so as to open/close a battery box. The opening is provided on a surface adjacent to a storage position against which the bottom of the panel unit is brought into abutment at the storage position. The panel unit overhangs a surface in which the opening is provided by the pivot of the panel unit from the storage position to the use position, and the lid pivots relative to the opening to a position which does not interfere with the panel unit so as to open the opening.
US09444976B2
Methods of generating a pixel clock signal for a multimedia source are provided in which a transmission clock signal having a first frequency is generated from a reference clock signal that has a second frequency. The generated transmission clock signal is multiplied by a multiple to generate the pixel clock signal. The pixel clock signal has a third frequency that is the product of the second frequency and the multiple.
US09444975B2
Gamut mapping is applied to a pixel to thereby convert input component values (e.g. RGB values) of the pixel to corresponding output component values of the pixel. The input component values have a first valid range which includes some negative values and the output component values have a second valid range which does not include negative values. The gamut mapping unit determines whether a first input component value of the pixel is negative, and if so: (i) applies an adjustment to that component value such that it is not negative; and (ii) adjusts one or more other input component value(s) of the pixel based on the adjustment applied to the first input component value to thereby compensate for the adjustment applied to the first input component value. The output component values of the pixel are based on the adjusted input component values of the pixel.
US09444968B2
An image forming apparatus includes a print device, a sign printing circuit, and a sign analyzing circuit. The print device performs a print job onto a print medium. The sign printing circuit causes the print device to print a sign where a glyph is present in a font corresponding to a code based on the code included in print data. The sign analyzing circuit analyzes whether or not the glyph is invalid data where the sign printing circuit is not able to cause the print device to print. When the sign analyzing circuit analyzes that the glyph present in the font corresponding to the code of a target sign is the invalid data, the sign printing circuit causes the print device to print a specific alternative sign as an alternative to the target sign.
US09444966B2
According to an embodiment of this invention, opening/closing of an ADF unit is correctly detected even under the influence of outside light. More specifically, a light source provided in a reading unit is turned on to irradiate a white board, and first data based on reflected light from the white board is obtained. Next, the light source provided in the reading unit is turned off, and second data based on reflected light from the white board is obtained. The difference between the first data and second data is compared with a predetermined threshold. It is determined based on the comparison whether the ADF unit is in an opened or closed state.
US09444958B2
An image reading device includes a light source arranged below a document table glass and irradiating light to a document on the document table glass, a carriage that holds the light source and is movable in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction, a photoelectric conversion unit that receives the light irradiated by the light source and reflected from the document, a pair of rail members that extend in the sub-scanning direction while being arranged spaced apart from each other in the main scanning direction and support the carriage so as to be movable in the sub-scanning direction, a rotatable shaft, and an eccentric cam that is fixed to the shaft, has a peripheral surface abutting at least one predetermined place of the pair of rail members, and rotates together with the shaft to displace the predetermined place of the rail members in a vertical direction.
US09444953B2
Image forming apparatus configured for identifying user who left printed document in the output tray
An image forming apparatus has an image reading unit which reads an image, a photographing unit, a storing unit, a printing unit, a detecting unit, a notifying unit, an extracting unit, and a displaying unit. When the detecting unit detects untaken printed paper, the notifying unit notifies a user to promote reading of the image of the untaken printed paper by the image reading unit. The extracting unit extracts the data of the image of at least one part other than the face of the whole body of the user photographed by the photographing unit from the image of the printed paper read by the image reading unit. The displaying unit displays the image of at least one part other than the face of the whole body of the user extracted by the extracting unit.
US09444950B2
A white reference plate includes in addition to a rectangular portion disposed at an optical adjustment position, white reference portions between an optical adjustment position and a document size detection position outside a document reading region (i.e., outside contact glass) in a main scanning direction. In response to an opening and closing detecting section detecting opening and closing of a document conveyance unit during optical adjustment, a drive section moves a scanning section from the optical adjustment position to the document size detection position. The white reference portions are disposed at locations above respective opposite end parts of the scanning section in a main scanning direction, so that optical adjustment can be performed using an output value that the scanning section obtains by reading the white reference portions without interruption even during or after the movement.
US09444949B2
Simulation apparatus, simulation system, and simulation method that ensure use of general-purpose PC
A simulation apparatus includes a status-transition-frequency input, a job status unit, a job-status simulating unit, an error-occurrence-rate input unit, and a device alert unit. The status-transition-frequency input unit receives an input of a status transition frequency of a job executable by a device. The job status unit simulates a status transition of the job based on the status transition frequency. The job-status simulating unit makes a transition of a status of the job based on the status transition by the job status unit as a simulation. The error-occurrence-rate input unit receives an input of an error occurrence rate of the job. The device alert unit makes a transition of a status of the device based on the error occurrence rate as a simulation.
US09444948B1
A first network device receives multiple subscription data campaigns, where each of the multiple subscription data campaigns comprises media content, a free data usage quota, and a price for receiving the media content, presents the multiple subscription data campaigns to a user device associated with a user, and receives a selection of one of the multiple subscription data campaigns from the user device. The first network device receives, from a second network device, an indication that the user has successfully subscribed to the selected one of the multiple subscription data campaigns, where the second network device hosts media content associated with the selected one of the multiple subscription data campaigns, generates an authorization token that includes an identifier of the user, an identifier of the selected one of the multiple subscription data campaigns, and the free data usage quota, and sends the authorization token to the second network device.
US09444945B1
A system of an alert puck, a mobile communication device, and an alert server for facilitating a VOIP session with the mobile communication device responsive to an emergency event triggered by the alert puck. The alert puck comprises a housing enclosing a sealed volume, a power supply and control circuitry that includes a personal area network (PAN) interface. The mobile communication device comprises an operating system, an alert application executing upon the operating system, and a wireless transceiver. The alert server contacts a set of one or more previously defined contact devices, conveys an emergency message, and facilitates the VOIP session with the alert application, when a button is pressed on the alert puck.
US09444903B2
The present invention is a proxy based network communication system and method that incorporates one or more proxy servers that may be non-static, dynamic proxy servers, operable to automatically identify aspects of a user's network environment and details of the servers in said network and to set-up and configure software to be utilized by a user without user input of details of the user's network environment. These operations of the present invention may be undertaken at a point of user setup and reinitiated upon recognition of a communication problem, The present invention may further be operable to allow a user to access only the part of the network to which the user requires access, and to prevent the user from accessing other parts of the network. The present invention therefore provides a secure environment by implementing changing proxy servers rather than static proxy servers and restricting user access within the network on a need-for-access basis.
US09444901B2
A method and apparatus for sending a push message is provided. A push sending agent in a server receives a push message sent by a push initiator, and compares a length of a content of the push message with a matching condition. The matching condition includes a maximum message length threshold specifying a maximum length allowed for the content of the push message. The push sending agent determines that the length of the content of the push message does not exceed the maximum message length threshold, and then sends the content of the push message to a push receiving agent in a terminal.
US09444900B2
A method and system for managing a target list on behalf of a user agent client, the method receiving a subscription request from the user agent client, the subscription request containing at least one uniform resource identifier identifying a resource; providing a subscription request to a an information owning enabler; receiving a notification containing information associated with a candidate uniform resource indicator set; evaluating information associated with the candidate uniform resource indicator set to create a selected uniform resource indicator set; and notifying the user agent client of the selected uniform resource indicator set.
US09444892B1
A method of communicating with a telematics unit in a vehicle. The method comprises receiving a content message directed to a telematics unit by an event manager application executing on a server computer, wherein the telematics unit is an electronic device comprising a wireless communication transceiver and integrated into a motor vehicle, determining by the event manager application that the content message is a high priority message type, and determining by the event manager application that the telematics unit is off-line and out-of-wireless-coverage. The method further comprises, responsive to determining that the content message is a high priority message type and to determining that the telematics unit is off-line and out-of-wireless-coverage, sending by the event manager application a wake-up message to the telematics unit, wherein the telematics unit, responsive to receiving the wake-up message, establishes a roaming data wireless communication link and receives the content message via the data link.
US09444887B2
A method of wireless communication includes aggregating data in a streaming communication session from a source node in a destination aggregator node, wherein data in the streaming session is transported over multiple paths from the source node to the aggregator node via a multipath overlay network discovered by the source node and the aggregator node.
US09444884B2
A load-aware load-balancing cluster includes a switch having a plurality of ports; and a plurality of servers connected to at least some of the plurality of ports of the switch. Each server is addressable by the same virtual Internet Protocol (VIP) address. Each server in the cluster has a mechanism constructed and adapted to respond to determine the particular server's own measured load; convert the particular server's own measured load to a corresponding own particular load category of a plurality of load categories; provide the particular server's own particular load category to other servers of the plurality of servers; obtain load category information from other servers of the plurality of servers; and maintain, as an indication of server load of each of the plurality of servers, the particular server's own particular load category and the load category information from the other servers.
US09444882B2
A calendared event may be visually indicated. A proposed time for the calendared event can be identified and each of a plurality of event participants can be associated with the calendared event. For each of the participants, a local time of the participant that corresponds to the proposed time for the calendared event can be identified and displayed.
US09444875B2
History and navigation information in a computer application are managed by establishing a global context that can communicate with multiple resources, each of which resides in an associated local context. State information from one or more of the local contexts is communicated to the global context, and global navigation information (for example, defining a drop-down history list or back/forward button states) is generated based on the communicated state information. Using the global navigation information, a user of the computer application can move among previously visited resources in a global manner.
US09444864B2
A method, computer program product and client electronic device for storing, in a memory of a client electronic device, a location of at least one remote media data file available to stream from a server device. A location of at least one local media data file available on the client electronic device is stored in the memory of the client electronic device. A playlist is compiled that defines the location of the at least one remote media data file and the location of the at least one local media data file. The at least one local media data file and the at least one remote media data file in the playlist are rendered and metadata concerning the at least one local media data file rendered is transmitted to the server device.
US09444861B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for predictive caching of content to facilitate instantaneous use of the content. If a user is likely to commence use of a content item through a client, and if the client has available resources to facilitate instantaneous use, the client is configured to predictively cache the content item before the user commences use. In doing so, the client may obtain metadata for the content item and an initial portion of the content item from a server. The client may then initialize various resources to facilitate instantaneous use of the content item by the client based at least in part on the metadata and the initial portion.
US09444859B2
A system is provided that performs event management operations. The operations include receiving a request to manage an event on behalf of an event sponsor identity associated with an event sponsor, the request including event information including a description of the event, invitee identities associated with invitees to the event and invitee contact information associated with the invitees, generating an event invitation message including the description of the event and an instruction for responding to the event invitation message, directing the event invitation message to be sent to the invitee contact information associated with the invitees, determining that responses to the event invitation message have been received from a set of the invitees, generating an event update message based on a sorting of the responses from the set of the invitees, and directing the event update message to be sent to sponsor contact information associated with the event sponsor.
US09444858B1
A method, system and mobile application for self-regulating content downloads to mobile communication devices is disclosed herein. The invention determines if a network connection to a mobile communication device is a WiFi connection or a cellular connection. The invention utilizes the performance characteristics and the type of network identified to select the quality and the quantity of DLC to download onto the mobile communication device from the content server.
US09444847B2
A notification is received at a workload that indicates that a compliance policy update is available for the workload at a compliance policy management system. A synchronization manager on the workload pulls the compliance policy update from the compliance policy management system and deploys it to the workload.
US09444841B2
A method for enforcing a network policy is described herein. In the method, a network socket event request from an application executing in a first context is intercepted by an agent prior to the request reaching a transport layer in the first context. A context refers to virtualization software, a physical computer, or a combination of virtualization software and physical computer. In response to the interception of the request, the agent requests a decision on whether to allow or deny the network socket event request to be communicated to a security server executing in a second context that is distinct from the first context. The request for a decision includes an identification of the application. The agent then receives from the security server either an allowance or a denial of the network socket event request, the allowance or denial being based at least in part on the identification of the application and a security policy. The agent blocks the network socket event from reaching the transport layer when the denial is received from the security server. In one embodiment, the method is implemented using a machine readable medium embodying software instructions executable by a computer.
US09444817B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to facilitating claim use in an identity framework. In aspects, a definition of a trust framework may be received and stored. A graphical interface may display a plurality of trust frameworks and allow an administrator to select which trust framework to instantiate. The graphical interface may also allow the administrator to define which rules of the trust framework to use in the instance of the trust framework. After receiving this information, the instance of the trust framework may be instantiated and configuration data provided to the administrator to allow the administrator to configure a Web service to invoke the instance of the trust framework to grant or deny access to the Web service.
US09444812B1
A method for authenticating a user to provide a service is provided. The method includes storing information associated with a user of a first device on a server. The stored information includes a phone number associated with a second device of the user and is stored during an event. Additional information is needed to authenticate the first device to provide a service. The method includes querying the user for additional information to authenticate the first device to provide the service and querying the user to verify the phone number provided during the event before sending one or more communications associated with providing the service to the first device. The method includes sending, based on the stored information and the additional information the one or more communications to provide the service.
US09444811B2
An exemplary system preserves the autonomy of two or more distinct storage management systems all the while enabling backed up data to be restored from a first storage management system (the “local system”) to a specially-configured client in a second storage management system (the “remote system”). For example, backed up data in the local system (e.g., a secondary copy of production data) may be transferred, in a restore operation, from secondary storage in the local storage management system, which originated the data, to a client of the remote storage management system (the “remote client”). As a specially-configured “restore-only client,” the remote client is limited to receiving backed up data from the local storage management system, via restore operation(s) managed by the local storage manager. The remote client remains a full-fledged client in its home system, the remote storage management system.
US09444807B2
This invention includes a system and method to enable a device to determine the presence information of another device over a secure communication network. First, the device and a presence server establish a secure connection. Next, while the initial secure connection with the presence server is established, the device generates a randomly created token and provides it to the presence server. The token is used as a shared-secret by the device and the presence server to secure future presence communications over a non-secure connection. Next, without the need to again enter a password or establish a secure connection with the presence server, the device uses the shared-secret to sign, encrypt and convey presence information to the presence server over an arbitrary connection. Finally, the presence server may share the first device's presence information with another device.
US09444791B2
Improved approaches for providing secure remote access to resources maintained on private networks are disclosed. According to one aspect, predetermined elements, such as applets, can be modified to redirect all communications to and from an application server through an intermediate server. The intermediate server in turn communicates with the application servers. According to another aspect, a communication framework can be provided to funnel communication between an applet and a server through a communication layer so as to provide managed and/or secured communications there between.
US09444787B2
Non-intrusive method and apparatus for automatically dispatching security rules in cloud environment
The present invention relates to a non-intrusive method and apparatus for automatically dispatching security rules in a cloud environment. The method comprises: forming a composition application model of an application in the cloud environment, said composition application model including at least types of various servers for deploying said application; generating a topology model of said various servers in the cloud environment; automatically generating security rules to be adopted by the server-side firewalls of respective servers based on the application context of said application, said composition application model and said topology model; and dispatching said security rules to each server-side firewall based on said composition application model and topology model.
US09444776B2
A computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for providing a dynamic, intelligent e-mail signature. In an embodiment, the method includes the steps of receiving an e-mail from a sender, storing the e-mail for later retrieval, assigning a URL representing the e-mail signature and sending the URL to the sender. Further, the method includes the steps of receiving the URL from the e-mail recipient, analyzing the e-mail and social media activities of sender and recipient, determining a signature and sending the signature to the recipient.
US09444766B2
Exemplary embodiments for use in a communications source network node for identifying a destination port associated with a destination network node to which a selected network link is connected. The embodiments include receiving a communications protocol packet at a destination network node via said selected network link connected to the destination port associated with the destination network node; inspecting the packet for a predetermined identifier; and if the predetermined identifier is present in said packet then outputting an indication that the identifier has been received comprising an identification of the destination port via which the packet was received. The indication is output by at least one of illumination for a pre-set period of a destination switch associated with the destination port, and by an output provided via a user interface of a network interface controller associated with the destination port.
US09444761B2
A computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for performing create, read, update, or delete operations on a plurality of resources in a client-server environment. In an embodiment, the computer implemented method includes the steps of identifying individual resources requiring operations to be performed, assigning local references for any resources to which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) has not been provided by the server, generating metadata describing the local references and operations to be performed, wrapping each individual resource with the metadata to provide a plurality of wrapped resources arranging the wrapped resources into a single payload, and transmitting the single payload to the server.
US09444760B2
Allocating an instance of a resource to an IT-service includes: analyzing a service model specifying the structure of an IT-service and comprising nodes and resource management rules specifying the management of said node's resource. For each node, the method includes: determining a resource type indicated by said node; determining one or more resource management rules assigned to said node; evaluating the resource management rules assigned to said node on a resource instance catalog and the determined resource type for computing selection criteria; applying the selection criteria on a service provider catalog for selecting one of the one or more resource managers, the service provider catalog being indicative of one or more of the resource managers respectively being operable to provide a resource instance of a given resource type to the IT-service; creating an instance of the resource provided by the selected resource manager; and allocating said instance to the IT-service.
US09444759B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium for managing registration, by a content broker, of one or more resources with one or more service providers are provided. A content broker obtains registration information for registering the one or more resources with a service provider. The registration information may include a request to publish one or more resources to a service provider, an identification of the one or more resources, service provider selection criteria provided by the content provider or otherwise selected, and the like. The content broker transmits a service provider generation request corresponding to the registration information to the service provider. Then, the content broker manages and processes data pursuant to registration of the one or more resources with the service provider.
US09444758B2
Techniques are disclosed to transmit packets by a network switch and according to a link protocol while reducing incidence of intra-packet transmission gaps unsupported by the link protocol. Whether a packet satisfies an underflow risk condition is determined by evaluating, for each of one or more cycles since receipt of one or more flits of the packet, a respective count of flits of the packet received by the network switch in the respective cycle. Only upon determining that the packet satisfies the underflow risk condition is selective underflow protection performed for the packet, including buffering an increased count of flits of the packet, prior to commencing transmission of the packet.
US09444754B1
Congestion detection is implemented on the ingress direction, egress direction, or both directions in a network interface controller. Congestion notification is facilitated between a source and a destination through a network interface controller. In accordance with an aspect, a NIC is configured to label ingress packets—coming from the network—in relation to the presence of congestion. In accordance with another aspect, the NIC is configured to label egress packets—going to the network—in relation to the presence of congestion. A full offload NIC is equipped to operate on the packet labels in the presence of congestion and to react appropriately if it is on the receiving end, sending end, or both.
US09444752B2
Methods and systems for distributed caching of information using extended caching optimization are provided. According to one aspect, a method for distributed caching of information using extended caching optimization includes, at a mobile device for operating in a wireless network, monitoring requests issued from an application located within the device to an external entity not located within the device; storing, in a local cache, responses to the monitored requests received from the external entity; and, in response to identifying a request as one that meets a first criterion for optimization, applying an extended caching optimization, including preventing the identified request from being transmitted to the external entity and providing a response to the identified request from the local cache.
US09444747B2
An application executing on a device communicates packet data with a server via an operating system (OS) on the device. The device receives information concerning a port mapping policy that specifies a plurality of applications. For each application, a predetermined assignable port space is defined within which an application specific port can be assigned. When the application is started, an OS specific port is assigned to the application. Additionally, an application specific port for the OS specific port is assigned in accordance with the port mapping policy. The device then translates data packets to be transmitted by the application, such that for a given OS specific source port, the device replaces the OS specific source port field of the packets to be transmitted with the assigned application specific port. The device then transmits the translated data packets with the assigned application specific source port.
US09444736B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for selecting an interface for routing an outbound packet. During operation, the system receives an outbound packet to be routed to a destination address. Next, the system obtains application-layer data associated with the outbound packet, including one or more of a process identifier, an application identifier and a user identifier. The system then selects an interface through which to route the outbound packet based on the application-layer data, and uses the selected interface to route the outbound packet.
US09444735B2
Techniques are presented herein to distribute the processing of communication to network-connected devices to routing nodes, as opposed to centralizing those operations in one device as in the traditional/classical system. Using a bitmapped Type field, advertisements and queries can be categorized. Also, by using a Subgroup field, the scope of advertisements and queries can be dynamically limited. These techniques reduce the number of matches and make the matches more relevant to the user who sent the query. Routing nodes can be any network element that routes traffic, physical or virtual (cloud-based router or switch). The intelligence to perform these techniques can be embodied as an overlay on top of a physical network.
US09444734B2
In one embodiment, a method for packet switching includes receiving a packet, wherein the packet comprises a header and a payload; determining, without using a look-up table, a destination port based on a destination address stored in the header; and sending the packet to the destination port.
US09444733B2
Communicating is disclosed. A first communication associated with a first mechanism for configuring a pseudo-wire is received. The first communication is transformed into a second communication, where the second communication is associated with a second mechanism for configuring a pseudo-wire. The second communication is transmitted, where a pseudo-wire that is configured using the second communication is associated with (1) a first node that is configured to support the first mechanism and (2) a second node that is configured to support the second mechanism.
US09444731B2
Optimizing a bitmap data tree and a corresponding lookup operation in the bit map data tree may be provided. A number of branches for each search node of a data tree may be counted. The data tree may comprise a plurality of search nodes. Then an optimum depth for the plurality of search nodes may be identified based on the number of branches in the data tree. Next, a hash node may be added to replace a search node of the data tree when a number of branches for the search node is greater than the identified optimum depth.
US09444727B2
In one embodiment, a source node monitors a quality of a primary link, and forwards one or more duplicate copies of a packet in response to poor quality of the primary link. Specifically, forwarding generally comprises transmitting a first copy of the packet on the primary link with an indication of duplicate copies, and transmitting a second copy of the packet on a backup link with an indication of duplicate copies. In another embodiment, an intermediate node receives a first copy of a packet with an indication of duplicate copies, and stores an identifier of the first copy of the packet in response to the indication. Upon receiving a second copy of the packet with the indication of duplicate copies, the node determines whether the identifier of the second copy matches the stored identifier of the first copy, such that in response to a match, the second copy is dropped.
US09444723B1
Passing data over virtual links is disclosed, including: encapsulating a layer three data packet as an inner payload of a network data packet; and generating an outer header of the network data packet with a layer two header and a layer three header, wherein the network data packet is configured to communicate over a virtual link between a first interface of a first network appliance and a first interface of a second network appliance.
US09444721B2
Techniques are described for utilizing two-part metrics with link state routing protocols of computer networks. For example, link state advertisements communicated by a router convey outbound cost metrics representative of outbound costs for the router to send network traffic to a network, and inbound cost metrics representative of inbound costs to receive network traffic from the network. The techniques may be particularly useful with respect to shared access networks, including broadcast or non-broadcast multi-access networks.
US09444716B2
A method for providing a secure management agent for high-availability continuity for cloud systems includes receiving operating parameters and threshold settings for a plurality of computing clouds. Secure relationships are established with the plurality of computing clouds based on the operating parameters. Data is mirrored across the plurality of computing clouds. Threshold data is then monitored for the plurality of computing clouds to maintain a continuity of resources for the plurality of computing clouds.
US09444704B2
In a cloud environment that provides both virtual environment and non-virtual environment, in order to address a problem in that monitoring items that vary depending on usage cases must be managed, the present invention proposes a management method in which whether each server brings about a virtual environment or a non-virtual environment is managed by performing registration processing in cooperation with image management and a service resource registration task. In addition, user manager monitoring profile item management information for virtual/no-virtual environment is prepared, and with reference to this information, calculation methods, which specify monitoring items to be monitored out of monitoring items and infra monitoring items for each environment, are managed. With the use of these calculation methods, a user manager and an infrastructure manager may perform optimal monitorings.
US09444703B1
A first electronic device can receive an identifying signal broadcast from a second electronic device located within a wireless communication range of the first electronic device, and in response, establish a first, local electronic communication path between the first and second electronic devices. The first electronic device can then receive a set of status data from the second electronic device over the local electronic communication path. The first electronic device can then establish a second, remote electronic communication path to a remote server and subsequently transmit, over the remote electronic communication path, the status data from the second electronic device along with status data from the first electronic device.
US09444702B1
Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable mediums for selective visualization and performance characterization of one or more transactions/messages or subsets of transaction/message of a System-on-Chip (SoC) and/or Network-on-Chip (NoC), with respect to latency, throughput, packet size, data size, hop-to-hop latency breakdown, load of one or more channels, power states of one or more elements of the NoC system, transaction data, among other like performance attributes.
US09444688B2
Receiver-based methods for controlling TCP sender behavior in cellular communications networks with large buffer sizes are disclosed. One method includes, at a TCP receiver, receiving packets from a TCP sender. The method further includes determining, based on the packets, a minimum round trip time and a moving average round trip time for cellular network carrying the packets between a TCP sender and a TCP receiver. The method further includes adaptably adjusting a received window size to advertise to the TCP sender based on the minimum round trip time and the moving average round trip time. The method further includes advertising the adjusted received window sizes to the TCP sender.
US09444686B2
An intelligent network patch field management system is provided that includes electronic hardware, firmware, mechanical assemblies, cables, and software that provide visible and audible cues for connecting and disconnecting patch cords in an interconnect or cross-connect patching environment. Systems of the present invention also monitor patch cord connections in a network.
US09444679B2
A method and system for configuring a service at a base station of a wireless communication network are disclosed. According to one aspect, a base station receives from a network node a service identifier that identifies a service to be provided via a plurality of bearers to a user equipment. The base station configures the plurality of bearers according to a service configuration associated with the service identifier.
US09444676B2
A method is implemented by a network device in a network having a plurality of nodes. The method computes a remote loop free alternative (RLFA) next hop as a backup for a primary path next hop. The method improves RLFA computation efficiency for a Q-Space list of nodes in a Q-space for an endpoint node by reducing calculations of the loop free condition for a path from a source node to a destination node via a tunnel between the source node and the endpoint node. The method includes adding a neighbor node to a poison list where the candidate node is in the poison list and the neighbor node is not in the candidate list, the poison list indicating that a node is not a candidate for Q-Space, and determining the Q-Space list by removing nodes from poison list from the plurality of nodes.
US09444671B2
The present invention makes it possible to maintain the continuity of reception detection level and adjust the direction of a reception antenna even under the condition that the reception electric field is low and clock timing synchronization at a C/N ratio of 0 dB or less is lost. QAM modulation including a pilot carrier has higher correlativity in one symbol (1152 samples) correlation, and differential modulation with no pilot has higher correlativity in effective symbol (1024 samples) correction. Detection circuits are provided separately for the QAM modulation and the differential modulation, and in the differential modulation, autocorrelation with a 1024 FFT clock delay signal is performed. The higher of the respective correlation results is selected in the final stage.
US09444669B2
A method includes processing an input sequence of samples of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal (OFDM) to reduce a peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of the OFDM signal with given constraints of an error vector magnitude (EVM) parameter and a spectral mask parameter for the OFDM signal during a first processing iteration. The method includes performing at least one other iteration of the first processing iteration on a subsequent time domain sequence generated in the first processing iteration to reduce the PAPR of the OFDM signal below a system target PAPR threshold and below threshold limits for the EVM parameter and the spectral mask parameter.
US09444664B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, includes: performing channel estimation on a signal of a current channel to obtain channel information of the current channel, performing calculation processing on the channel information obtained in current channel estimation and channel information obtained in previous channel estimation to obtain a phase difference of the current channel information, dividing the phase difference of the current channel information by a time interval between two times of channel estimation to obtain residual frequency offset information of the current channel, adding the residual frequency offset information of the current channel and frequency offset information which is of the channel and obtained in a previous calculation to obtain frequency offset information of the current channel, and outputting the frequency offset information of the current channel, so as to perform frequency offset correction on the signal of the channel according to the current frequency offset information.
US09444657B2
Dynamically calibrating an offset of a receiver with a DFE while performing data transport operations, the DFE comprising a plurality of independent data transport banks, at least one data transport bank operating a data transport mode and at least one data transport bank operating in a calibration mode, including: iteratively, while carrying out data transport operations: utilizing the data transport bank operating in the data transport mode to perform data transport operations; calibrating the data transport bank operating in the calibration mode; and upon completing calibration of the data transport bank operating in the calibration mode, switching the mode of each data transport bank.
US09444644B2
Enabling virtual workloads using overlay technologies to interoperate with physical network services
A solution is provided to enable cloud service provider customers/users to offer physical network services to virtualized workloads that use overlay technologies, such as a Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN). For a virtual workload that uses an overlay technology, an identifier is received of a logical network to which the virtual workload connects and a policy for the logical network. Based on the identifier of the logical network and the policy, a gateway is configured to connect traffic for the virtual workload on the logical network to a particular virtual local area network (VLAN) interface of the physical network service equipment on which the policy is configured.
US09444641B2
Techniques are identified for optimizing the MAC flush in Ethernet rings for faster traffic restoration. In one embodiment, flushing of MAC addresses is performed only once on receiving a first control message. For example, when a first control message is received, a network device may switch from a first state to a second state, which may indicate that the MAC addresses are not to be flushed if additional control messages are received. In another embodiment, flushing of MAC addresses is performed on one ring port rather than on both ring ports. For example, a flag field of a control message header may be used to determine on which port to flush. In another embodiment, flushing of MAC addresses is performed on only one ring port of an interconnection node. For example, the ring port can be determined using a flag field and possibly labels associated with the ring ports.
US09444639B2
An apparatus and method for a multi-tier wireless home mesh network is described. The method may include formation of an infrastructure-less wireless home mesh networking environment comprising a collection of nodes that operate as a decentralized, ad hoc wireless network with multiple sub-networks or tiers that, are responsible for different functions within the network. Each node of the multi-tier network is configured to forward data to other nodes and is assigned to a particular tier based on the node's performance capabilities. A further embodiment includes identification of a wireless home mesh network. Once identified, one or more proprietary messages may be exchanged in a secure manner to establish connections with a home electronics device as either a mobile node or a stationary node of the home network. A home electronics device may wirelessly communicate to route data within one or more nodes of the wireless home mesh network. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09444630B2
Described are a system and method for presenting security information about a current site or communications session. Briefly stated, a browsing software is configured to receive a certificate during a negotiation of a secure session between a local device and a remote device. The certificate includes security information about a site maintained at the remote device. The security information is displayed to a user of the browsing software in a meaningful fashion to allow the user to make a trust determination about the site. Displaying the security information may include presenting a certificate summary that includes the most relevant information about the certificate, such as the name of the owner of the site and the name of the certificating authority of the certificate.
US09444628B2
In a method for providing differential access to a digital document among workflow participants, in which at least one of the workflow participants is outside of a common secure environment (300), a first set of keys including an encryption key, a signature key, and a verification key is associated with atomic unit(s) (304). The atomic unit(s) is encrypted using the encryption key and signed using the signature key (306, 308). A level of access to the atomic unit(s) to be granted to each of the workflow participants and the keys in the first set of keys to supply to each of the workflow participants based upon the identified level of access are identified (310, 312). In addition, each of the workflow participants is supplied with the identified one or more keys (314) and the encrypted and signed atomic unit(s) is supplied to a first workflow participant (316).
US09444626B2
A device to process information is provided. According to an embodiment, a display unit is configured to display computer-generated objects. A processor is configured to receive selection input effective to select a particular computer-generated object from amongst the computer-generated objects. Manipulation input corresponding to detected motions is received. The particular computer-generated object is moved and rotated in its entirety in response to the manipulation input and in accordance with the detected motions. Each of the detected motions has a corresponding time period. A password is generated using the detected motions and the time periods. A user is authenticated by use of the generated password and an identified unrevealed authentication. The authentication of the user includes an indication of an authentication failure when the detected motions are different from an expected input and any of the corresponding time periods are outside of an allowable time range.
US09444617B2
The present invention discloses a single-wire transmission method, which includes: providing a transmission signal including alternating high and low levels through a single-wire, wherein a period of one of the high and low levels defining a reference time and a period of the other of the high and low levels defining a content time; determining a relative relationship between the reference time and the content time; when the content time is smaller than a proportion of the reference time, defining the content time to express a first meaning; and when the content time is larger than the proportion of the reference time, defining the content time to express a second meaning.
US09444610B2
A method for detecting a primary synchronization is provided. The method includes: obtaining a time-domain signal sequence for synchronization; obtaining a correlation result corresponding to the time-domain signal sequence; normalizing the correlation result according to a received signal strength indicator corresponding to the time-domain signals; and sorting the normalized correlation result to ascertain a peak value position corresponding to the correlation result.
US09444601B2
A method for Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) combination is disclosed. The method includes that: externally configured parameters relevant to HARQ combination are received, and an identifier ddr2switch of DDR2 switching is calculated to acquire addresses involved before and after the HARQ combination; it is determined, according to the parameters and the addresses involved before and after the HARQ combination, whether the HARQ combination is needed to be performed; and when it is determined that the HARQ combination is needed to be performed, data in a DDR2 are read and stored into a first data cache random access memory RAMA; and a HARQ combination calculation is performed, and the calculation result is stored into a second data cache random access memory RAMB. A device for HARQ combination is further disclosed. The technical solutions provided in the disclosure are based on a latest interference cancellation algorithm, greatly increase the success probability of decoding, saves the storage space of a DDR2 and improves the reading or writing efficiency.
US09444596B2
The present invention relates to a method for generating an uplink reference signal in a system supporting plural uplink-access transmission modes. The method comprises: a step for transmitting the reference signal configuration information about the configuration of a reference signal from a base station to a user device through an uplink grant PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and a step for receiving from the user device a sub-frame including the reference signal that is generated based on the reference signal configuration information. The reference signal configuration information is prepared for plural uplink access transmission modes and includes a cyclic shift value for the sequence of the reference signal. The reference signal is supposed to be transmitted to an uplink, and the user device is set up to be operated in the uplink-access transmission mode that corresponding to the reference signal configuration information.
US09444579B2
A method of processing broadcast data in a broadcast transmitter. The method can include randomizing broadcast service data, first encoding the randomized broadcast service data to add parity data to the randomized broadcast service data, second encoding the first-encoded broadcast service data at a code rate of D/E (D
US09444576B2
A method of determining a modulation coding scheme (MCS) for communications between a communications device and a client station (STA). The communications device determines a first MCS for transmitting data to the STA during a first sounding interval based, at least in part, on channel state information received from the STA upon initiation of the first sounding interval. The device determines a first series of packet error rates (PERs) associated with one or more data transmissions to the STA during the first sounding interval. The device then determines a second MCS for transmitting data to the STA during a second sounding interval based, at least in part, on the first PER in the first series of PERs. Specifically, the second MCS is independent of the remaining PERs in the first series.
US09444572B2
A transmission device includes: optical transmitters configured to transmit optical signals of different wavelengths; optical couplers configured to multiplexing the optical signals transmitted from the optical transmitters; and a wavelength selective switch configured to multiplex multiplexed optical signals obtained by multiplexing by the couplers, wherein optical signals, a wavelength interval between which is less than a predetermined value, are transmitted to separate optical couplers of the optical couplers, among the optical signals.
US09444570B1
Reference signals (a.k.a., pilot signals) are broadcast to aid in at least channel estimation, cell selection, and handover. When a multi-antenna mode (i.e., MIMO) is used data signals on one antenna should not interfere with reference signals on another antenna. Reference signal resource elements (a.k.a., slots) being broadcast from one antenna are multiplied by a first Walsh code and the data (or reference) signal resource elements being broadcast from another antenna are multiplied by second Walsh code in the same family. Multiplication by Walsh codes reduces or eliminates the correlation between the data resource elements on a first antenna and the reference signal resource elements simultaneously broadcast on a second antenna.
US09444564B2
In an embodiment, a given UE joins a local group communication session between a group of UEs, establishes itself as a director, obtains media feeds captured by media capturing UEs in the group of UEs and transmits a selected subset of the media feeds to a server for transmission to target UEs. In another embodiment, the server receives the media feeds itself and sends the media feeds to a director UE. The director UE indicates a selection of the subset of the media feeds to the server, and the server transmits the selected subset of media feeds to the target UEs. Accordingly, a local director UE can direct the subset to the target UEs by controlling which media feeds are sent to the server, or a remote director UE can direct the subset to the target UEs by controlling which media feeds the server sends to the target UEs.
US09444559B2
IP2 calibration efficiency can be improved by passing the calibration signal through the transceiver's duplexer instead of inserting the calibration signal directly onto transceivers receive circuit. Passing the calibration signal through the duplexer may reduce IP2 calibration periods for transceivers having less-permeable duplexers, or duplexers that provide better than average separation between the RX and TX circuits. IP2 calibration inefficiencies can also be reduced by using a binary-like search when computing the in-phase and quadrature-phase path correction coefficients of the IP2 correction code.
US09444556B1
An underwater communication system comprises a plurality of location and messaging units for sending and receiving ultrasonic energy through water. In accordance with one aspect, each of the location and messaging units comprising an array of transducers, a transceiver adapted to generate a code element, generate a data element, generate a modulation element, and combine the code element, the data element and the modulation element into an analog wave form. The system is further adapted to transmit the analog wave form through one of the ultrasonic transducers and receive the analog wave-form generated by at least one of the location and messaging units.
US09444554B2
A digital coherent receiving apparatus includes a first oscillator for outputting a local light signal of a fixed frequency, a hybrid unit mixing the local light signal with a light signal received by a receiver, a second oscillator for outputting a sampling signal of a sampling frequency, a converter for converting the mixed light signal into digital signal synchronizing with the sampling signal, a waveform adjuster for adjusting a waveform distortion of the converted digital signal, a phase adjustor for adjusting a phase of the digital signal adjusted by the waveform adjustor, a demodulator for demodulating the digital signal adjusted by the phase adjuster, and a phase detector for detecting a phase of the digital signal adjusted by the phase adjuster, and a control signal output unit for outputting a frequency control signal on the basis of the detected phase signal to the second oscillator.
US09444549B2
Systems and methods for detecting laser transmission bursts in a CATV network.
US09444539B2
A device for forming a beam of an antenna array, the device including: an antenna array having a plurality of spatially distributed elements; a processor for selectively switching said elements between first and second states wherein, in said first state, said elements are configured to receive an incoming signal; and a receiver operatively associated with said antenna array and said processor for generating a reference signal, mixing said incoming signal with a modified reference signal to generate a mixed signal and summing the mixed signal over a predetermined period to generate an accumulated signal, wherein said reference signal is modified prior to being mixed with said received signal such that said accumulated signal is indicative of the direction and magnitude of the beam of the antenna array.
US09444536B2
A base station used in a wireless communications system with multiple transmission ranks is disclosed. The base station comprises a memory to store a codebook for a transmission rank, a beamforming controller to precode data with a precoding matrix selected from the codebook, and a transmitter to transmit the precoded data to a user equipment, wherein the precoding matrix is selected according to a first description and a second description, which are unique to the precoding matrix, and wherein the second description provides a finer description of the codebook than the first description. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses also are disclosed.
US09444530B2
A Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) antenna device is adapted for connecting electrically to a radio frequency (RF) circuit for transmitting and receiving RF signals. The MIMO antenna device includes a circuit board, a plurality of antenna units, and a plurality of multiplexer units. The antenna units are disposed on the circuit board proximate to a peripheral edge thereof, are arranged in a loop formation, and are divided into a plurality of groups of the antenna units. Each of the multiplexer units is connected electrically to a respective one of the groups of the antenna units for selecting one of the corresponding antenna units and for connecting electrically the selected one of the corresponding antenna units to the RF circuit, thereby achieving the MIMO technique with the independently and simultaneously operating antenna units.
US09444508B2
A magnetic privacy filter is disclosed. The magnetic privacy filter is adapted to protect the screen of a mobile device and has an anti-peep function. The magnetic privacy filter includes a filtering element and several ferromagnetic elements embedded in the filtering element. Accordingly, when the anti-peep function is needed, the magnetic privacy filter is adhered to the screen of the mobile device; while when the anti-peep function is not needed, the magnetic privacy filter can be detached from the mobile device instantly.
US09444506B2
A protective case for an electronic device may include a housing, a case cover and a gasket positioned between the housing and the case cover. The housing may include a case member, having a plurality of housing snap attachment structures formed therein. The case cover may likewise include case cover snap attachment structures formed thereon that couple with the housing snap fit structures. The gasket is positioned between planar surfaces of the case member and case cover so that it is axially compressed between the case member and the case cover to provide a water and air tight seal, with the compression of the gasket being maintained by the connection of the housing snap attachment structures and the case cover snap attachment structures.
US09444499B2
A wireless device includes a digital-to-analog converter that converts a digital transmission signal within a digital signal processing band to an analog transmission signal, a modulator that performs quadrature modulation of an analog transmission signal obtained by the digital-to-analog converter using a first local signal having a first frequency outside a frequency range, the frequency range centered around a center frequency of a transmission signal and having a bandwidth of the digital signal processing band, and outputs a modulated signal, a frequency converter that performs a frequency shift of a modulated signal output from the modulator using a second local signal having a second frequency within the frequency range, and an inhibitor that performs carrier leakage inhibition processing on the digital transmission signal, based on a signal obtained by the frequency converter.
US09444495B2
A system for interfacing with a co-processor or input/output device is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system includes a computer processing unit, a memory module, a memory bus that connects the computer processing unit and the memory module, and a co-processing unit or input/output device, wherein the memory bus also connects the co-processing unit or input/output device to the computer processing unit.
US09444485B2
Aspects of a method and system for a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter with dynamic search algorithms are provided. In some embodiments, a successive approximation analog-to-digital converter includes a digital-to-analog converter, a comparator, and a search and decode logic modules which cooperate to generate a digital output code representative of the analog input voltage based on a dynamic search algorithm. The dynamic search algorithms may alter a sequence of reference voltages used to successively approximate the analog input voltage based on one or more characteristics of the analog input voltage.
US09444484B2
An encoder signal processing circuit is connected to encoder heads outputting an encoder signal in accordance with a relative displacement with respect to a corresponding scale in such a way that signals can be transmitted to and received from the encoder heads, and processes encoder signals from the encoder heads. The circuit includes a processing unit and a processing decision unit. The processing unit generates displacement information from the encoder signal. The processing decision unit decides at least one of content of processing for the encoder heads and content of processing on encoder signals read from the encoder heads after starting to read an encoder signal from one of the encoder heads.
US09444482B2
Improvement of conversion precision in an analog-to-digital converter is realized. Therefore, a voltage of a correction signal and a voltage obtained by attenuating the voltage with a fixed attenuation rate by an attenuation circuit 21 are generated and each voltage is input to an analog-to-digital conversion unit 23. A correction unit 20a receives a digital output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit 23, searches a correction coefficient Wi of each bit of the analog-to-digital conversion unit 23, based on an adaptive control algorithm, and corrects the digital output from the analog-to-digital conversion unit 23 using the searched correction coefficient Wi.
US09444480B1
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes at least first thru third ADC slices configured to sample input signal and transmit first thru third digitally converted values thereof, at least one reference ADC slice configured to sample input signal and transmit a digitally converted reference value, first thru third and reference registers coupled to first thru third and reference ADC slices, respectively, a delay register having an input and output, and configured to produce a sample time adjustment signal, where the sample time adjustment signal facilitates adjustment of a phase of a next time sampling of the input signal by the second ADC slice, and a plurality of computational circuit elements coupled to the input, output, and the registers, and configured to determine values of an error, an approximate time derivative of the input signal estimated from the third, second and first sampled time point, and the sample time adjustment signal.
US09444477B2
An atomic oscillator includes a gas cell into which alkali metal atoms are sealed, a light emitting portion that emits excitation light including a pair of resonance light beams for resonating the alkali metal atoms toward the alkali metal atoms, a coil that is provided to surround an outer circumference of the gas cell with an axis of the excitation light as an axial direction, and a shield case that stores at least the gas cell and the coil and contains a metal material, in which the shield case is constituted by a plurality of tabular portions, and, among the plurality of tabular portions, a main surface of one of two adjacent tabular portions faces a side surface of the other tabular portion.
US09444472B2
Provided are a digitally controlled oscillator and an electronic device including the digitally controlled oscillator. The digitally controlled oscillator includes a digital control unit and a power control oscillation unit. The digital control unit compensates for a difference between a feedback signal of an output power and a reference power set based on an input digital control signal and outputting an output power. The power control oscillation unit receives a signal related to the output power, and generates an output clock having an oscillation frequency in response to the signal related to the output power.
US09444470B2
A double phase-locked has a first phase-locked loop including a first narrowband loop filter configured to reduce phase noise in a first input clock, and a second phase-locked loop including a second loop filter configured to receive a second input clock from a stable clock source. The second clock has a frequency close to said first clock. The first loop has a bandwidth at least an order of magnitude less than the second loop. A coupler couples the first and second phase-locked loops to provide a common output. The double phase-locked loop can be used, for example, to provide time-of-day information in wireless networks or as a fine filter for cleaning phase noise from clock signals recovered over telecom/datacom networks.
US09444469B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods disclosed herein may initialize a delay-locked loop (DLL) or phase-locked loop (PLL) to achieve a locked condition and may then initiate a quiescent mode of operation. Quiescent operation may be achieved by breaking a feedback loop associated with the DLL or PLL to prevent updates to a variable delay line associated with the DLL and/or to a variable frequency oscillator associated with the PLL. An output clock phase associated with the DLL or PLL may thus be held substantially constant following a DLL initialization period. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09444464B1
A push-pull resistive random access memory cell circuit includes an output node, a word line, a first bit line, and a second bit line. A first resistive random access memory device is connected between the first bit line and the output node and a second resistive random access memory device is connected between the output node and the second bit line. A first programming transistor has a gate connected to the word line, a drain connected to the output node, and a source. A second programming transistor has a gate connected to the word line, a drain connected to the source of the first programming transistor, and a source. The first and second programming transistors have the same pitch, the same channel length, and the same gate dielectric thickness, the gate dielectric thickness chosen to withstand programming and erase potentials encountered during operation of the push-pull ReRAM cell circuit.
US09444450B2
A scan driving circuit is disclosed, and the scan driving circuit has a pull-up control module, a pull-up module, a pull-down module, a pull-down maintaining module, a bootstrap capacitor and a constant low-level voltage source; the pull-up control module is connected to the pull-up module, the pull-down module, the pull-down maintaining module and the bootstrap capacitor respectively, and the constant low-level voltage source is connected to the pull-down maintaining module and the pull-down module respectively. The electrical leakage phenomenon can be efficiently avoided, and the reliability of the scan driving circuit is thus improved.
US09444447B2
A switch electrically connected to a first terminal and a second terminal. A first comparator detects a load open state where the switch is off and a load is not connected to the second terminal. Upon detecting, a clamp circuit clamps the voltage of the second terminal to a clamp voltage higher than a first reference voltage and lower than an input voltage. A second comparator detects an output-to-supply short circuit state where the switch is off and the second terminal is connected to the power supply. A capacitor with one terminal connected to the second terminal and another terminal connected to a third terminal. A bootstrap circuit supplies a charge current to the third terminal at a constant voltage. A clamp voltage rise prevention circuit prevents the clamp voltage of the clamp circuit from rising, when the first comparator detects the load open state.
US09444446B2
In a switching control circuit, a determiner determines whether there is one of a first type of abnormality and a second type of abnormality different therefrom in a target switching element and/or the switching control circuit. A controller controls a second switching element to close a low-impedance discharge path for discharging a control terminal of the target switching element when it is determined that there is the first type of abnormality, and disables closing of a high-impedance discharge path for discharging the control terminal while the low-impedance discharge path is closed by the second switching element. The controller controls a third switching element to close the high-impedance discharge path when it is determined that there is the second type of abnormality; and disables closing of the low-impedance discharge path while the high-impedance discharge path is closed by the third switching element.
US09444445B2
In one embodiment, a power switch driving circuit can include: (i) an upper switch having a first power terminal coupled to a voltage source, and a second power terminal coupled to a driving signal; (ii) a lower switch having a first power terminal coupled to the driving signal, and a second power terminal coupled to a first voltage level, where the first voltage level is higher than a first ground potential; (iii) an upper switch driving sub circuit configured to receive a control signal, and to drive the upper switch in response thereto; and (iii) a lower switch driving sub circuit configured to receive the control signal, and to drive the lower switch in response thereto, where the upper and lower switch driving sub circuits are coupled to a second ground potential.
US09444440B2
An embodiment of a detector includes first and second generators. The first generator is operable to receive a transition of a first signal and to generate in response to the transition a first pulse having a length that is approximately equal to a length of a detection window. And the second generator is operable to receive a second signal and to generate a second pulse having a relationship to the first pulse in response to a transition of the second signal occurring approximately during the detection window.
US09444439B2
A circuit for generating a series of pulses in response to a first signal, the circuit comprising: a lossy integrator which receives a second signal as its input; and a comparator which: receives the output of the lossy integrator at one of its inputs; and receives the first signal at the other of its inputs. This circuit can be incorporated into, for example, audio-frequency amplifiers and regulated power supplies.
US09444438B2
A frequency doubling device suitable to generate an output terminal voltage oscillating at a differential frequency double the frequency of the input differential voltage, includes a first differential pair of P-type transistors and a second differential pair of N-type transistors controlled by the differential input voltage, as well as an LC oscillator including a LC resonant dipole through which the absorbed current is forced by two differential pairs of transistors.
US09444425B2
An electronic device may be provided with wireless circuitry. Control circuitry may be used to adjust the wireless circuitry. The wireless circuitry may include antennas that are tuned, adjustable impedance matching circuitry, antenna port selection circuitry, and adjustable transceiver circuitry. Wireless circuit adjustments may be made by ascertaining a current usage scenario for the electronic device based on sensor data, information from cellular base station equipment or other external equipment, signal-to-noise ratio information or other signal information, antenna impedance measurements, and other information about the operation of the electronic device.
US09444422B2
Adjustment of volume level of a mobile device, by the mobile device without direct or manual user-input, based on one or more contextual parameters detected by the mobile device, such as ambient noise level.
US09444414B2
A current sense circuit having a single opamp DC offset auto-zero capability that allows for continuous current sensing operation while at the same time providing for DC offset sensing and compensation. The single opamp design can operate in a first phase to sense and store a DC offset, while providing an output to drive an output stage of the current sense circuit. The single opamp design can operate in a second phase, using the sensed DC offset to generate an accurate output that can drive the output stage and which can be used in the first phase.
US09444406B1
An amplifier topology achieves enhances DC gain to improve linearity while maintaining a good signal to noise ratio. The amplifier includes an amplifier output stage that supplies an amplifier output signal. The amplifier also includes a sense amplifier that augments the output stage. The sense amplifier is coupled to the amplifier input to control current through the output stage in order to achieve reduced voltage variation at the amplifier input as a function of the amplifier output signal voltage as compared to a basic common source amplifier and thereby enhances DC gain of the amplifier.
US09444405B1
An amplifier system includes a low offset amplifier having a first signal input, a second signal input, an output, a resistive digital to analog converter (RDAC) coupled between a first amplifying terminal and a second amplifying terminal of the amplifier that provides offset control, and a current supply coupled to the RDAC. The amplifier system further includes a low offset amplifier having a first signal input, a second signal input, an output, a resistive digital to analog converter coupled between a first amplifying terminal and a second amplifying terminal of the amplifier that provides offset control, and a current supply coupled to the RDAC. The amplifier system also further includes a load coupled to the output and to the second input of the amplifier and a controller coupled to the RDAC that provides an offset control of the first and second inputs by controlling the RDAC.
US09444403B2
A resonation element includes a basal portion, resonating arms extending out in a Y-axis direction from the basal portion, and a vibration substrate, formed of single crystal silicon, in which a Z-axis direction is set to a thickness direction, and is configured such that the resonating arms are flexurally vibrated in an XY in-plane direction. In addition, when resonation frequencies of the resonating arms are set to F [kHz], widths of the resonating arms are set to W [μm], and lengths of the resonating arms are set to L [μm], at least one expression of the following Expression (1) and the following Expression (2) is satisfied. W<10A×Log(F)+B (1) where, A is −5.006×10−1, and B is 2.451, and L<10C×log(F)+D (2) where, C is −7.507×10−1, and D is 4.268.
US09444400B2
Systems and methods for biasing frequency oscillators to minimize phase noise are disclosed. The system may comprise a tank circuit having an inductor, at least a first coupling capacitor and a second coupling capacitor. The system may further comprise a varactor circuit electrically connected to the first coupling capacitor and the second coupling capacitor. The system may further comprise at least one first metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) device electrically connected in shunt with the tank circuit and a bias voltage. The at least one first MOS device may be electrically connected to a first gate bias voltage configured to bias the at least one first MOS device such that a first gate-to-source voltage of the at least one first MOS device remains below the first threshold voltage.
US09444393B2
A motor driving device, which controls a rotation number of a brushed motor by outputting a command signal to a motor controller placed in a current supply path, includes: a noise detecting unit including at least one of: a high voltage side noise detecting unit which detects high voltage side noise from brush noise included in the monitor voltage, based on whether a monitor voltage is larger than a first threshold voltage; and a low voltage side noise detecting unit which detects low voltage side noise from the brush noise included in the monitor voltage, based on whether the monitor voltage is smaller than a second threshold voltage; and a calculating unit which outputs the command signal to the motor controller to control the rotation number of the motor to reduce a occurrence number of the brush noise, based on at least one of the occurrence numbers.
US09444392B2
A motor control device includes: a control processing unit that controls the driving of a motor based on a command signal input from a controller and a detection signal which is a detection result of the operation of the motor; an abnormality determining unit that detects an abnormality in the controller, the motor control device, and the motor according to the command signal, the detection signal, and a control signal generated in the motor control device and that determines a level of repeatability of the detected abnormality on the basis of a predetermined criterion; a specific abnormality storage unit that stores occurrence information of a specific abnormality which is determined to have high repeatability on the basis of the predetermined criterion; and an abnormality releasing unit that erases the occurrence information of the specific abnormality stored in the specific abnormality storage unit according to an erasure command signal.
US09444388B2
A medium voltage inverter system is provided. The inverter system includes a controller configured to short-circuit the output terminal of the inverter unit when failure occurs, a supply unit configured to supply an electric power to the controller, and an auxiliary rectifying unit configured to rectify the AC voltage provided through the input terminal and to supply the rectified AC voltage to the supply unit.
US09444387B2
Control circuitry for inductive loads comprehending a DC power source (DC), electrical switches (A and R) and appropriate electrical conductors to direct current to an inductive load, as the control system includes a primary circuit and a secondary circuit which is partly concurrent with the primary electrical circuit. The primary electrical circuit includes a series of DC power sources (DC), an inductive load in the form of an electric motor (M) or transformer (T) and a capacitor (C), while the secondary electrical circuit includes the inductive loads and capacitor (C), since the two electrical switches (A and R) are so arranged that the power of a first operational phase is driven through the primary electric circuit by the voltage supplied by the DC power source (DC) while the current in another phase of operation runs through the secondary electric circuit by the voltage supplied by the capacitor (C).
US09444386B2
An apparatus comprises a processing system (201) configured to produce voltage control signals for controlling an electrical machine (202) comprising two or more multiphase stator windings. The processing system is configured to produce the voltage control signals on the basis of rotation-converted stator currents expressed in a coordinate system bound to a rotor of the electrical machine and on the basis of a model of the electrical machine modeling at least inductances of the multiphase stator windings and mutual inductances between the multiphase stator windings. The processing system is configured to convert phase currents of the multiphase stator windings into the rotation-converted stator currents with a conversion rule corresponding to a form of the model of the electrical machine where each of the stator flux-linkages of the model is dependent on only one of the rotation-converted stator currents in spite of the mutual inductances between the multiphase stator windings.
US09444384B2
An AC motor controller is provided that utilizes a direct torque controller and primary and secondary control loops. The primary control loop operates in a relatively conventional manner, determining a voltage vector that sets the inverter switching variables for the motor's power inverter, where the voltage vector is based on the motor's torque and flux as estimated from the measured voltage and current of the motor. The voltage vector determined by the primary loop is selected and applied immediately upon completion of the corresponding primary control loop computational cycle. The secondary loop, utilizing a faster sampling rate than that of the primary loop, compares the measured phase current to a preset current limit. If the secondary loop determines that the measured phase current has exceeded the preset current limit, it sets a null voltage vector, thereby limiting transient over currents.
US09444379B2
A wind power excitation synchronous generation system having a maximum power determining unit and a control method thereof are disclosed. In this control method, dual input shafts and a single output shaft of a gear transmission mechanism are used, and two kinds of inputted power, such as wind power and servo motor control power, are integrated, so as to allow the output shaft to drive an excitation synchronous generator to generate electric power. In this system, a rotation speed and a phase of a servo motor are controlled, so as to allow the excitation synchronous generator to output the electric power with a frequency and a phase identical to the utility grid.
US09444375B2
The invention relates to a method for operating a synchronous machine, comprising the following steps: determining a difference value between the rotor inductance of the synchronous machine in the polar axis direction and the rotor inductance of the synchronous machine in the pole-gap direction for each of a plurality of different 2-tuples from values of useful current adjusted in the rotor-fixed coordinate system of the synchronous machine; preparing a characteristic diagram for the determined difference values in dependence on the 2-tuples of the values of useful current; determining a torque-dependent operating-point trajectory for the 2-tuples of the values of useful current taking into account the magnitude of the determined difference values along the operating-point trajectory to be determined; and operating the synchronous machine according to the determined operating-point trajectory.
US09444373B2
A motor control device includes a rectifier, a smoothing capacitor provided to a DC link, an inverter that power-converts DC power of the DC link and AC power of a motor side, an initial charging unit that charges the smoothing capacitor before motor driving start, a current detection unit that detects an AC current detection value of an input side of the rectifier, a current conversion unit that converts the detection value into a value corresponding to a DC link current, a current integration unit that outputs an integration value obtained by integrating the conversion value, an alarm output unit that outputs an alarm when the integration value is equal to or more than a first threshold value, a disconnecting unit that disconnects the AC power to the rectifier in response, and a protective unit that commands the disconnecting unit to disconnect the AC power when the alarm is output.
US09444366B2
A dual mode direct current-to-alternating current (DC-AC) micro-inverter is capable of operating either with or without connection to an active external AC power source. The dual mode DC-AC micro-inverter may operate in “current control mode” when connection to the active AC power source is present and may operate in “voltage control mode” when connection to the active external AC source is absent. Processes for operating an array of these micro-inverters are disclosed. The dual mode operation capability enables the micro-inverter(s) to function both in the grid connected mode (i.e., current control mode) as well as off-grid mode (i.e., voltage control mode). The system is configured to sense the presence or absence of grid power and automatically select the appropriate mode of operation. For the voltage control mode of operation, a process may include designating a master from the array of micro-inverters in order to establish the voltage and frequency references.
US09444365B2
The disclosure relates to a tracking method for a voltage transformer, in particular an inverter, of a photovoltaic system. In the method, an intermediate circuit voltage is repeatedly decreased or increased in one direction to a lower or higher voltage by voltage steps of a specified magnitude. The method is characterized in that an average rate of change of the intermediate circuit voltage in a partial time period between two voltage steps is limited by a maximum average rate of change, the maximum average rate of change being defined according to the magnitude of the intermediate circuit voltage. The disclosure further relates to a tracking device designed to perform the tracking method and to an inverter equipped with the tracking device.
US09444353B2
In one embodiment, an isolated power converter can include: (i) a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; (ii) a secondary rectifier circuit coupled to the secondary winding; (iii) a power switch coupled between an input voltage source and a first terminal of the primary winding, where a second terminal of the primary winding is coupled to ground; (iv) a feedback circuit coupled between the first and second terminals of the primary winding, the feedback circuit being configured to generate a feedback voltage based on a voltage across the primary winding; (v) a control circuit configured to generate a control signal to control the power switch; and (vi) an over voltage protection circuit configured to activate a reset signal when the voltage feedback signal is greater than a threshold value, where the reset signal is configured to reset the control signal when activated.
US09444348B2
An electronic apparatus and a power controlling method thereof are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a system unit supplied with power to conduct an operation, and a power supply unit including a power control unit controlling output of standby power, and supplying the standby power to the system unit. The power control unit includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) generation unit generating a PWM signal and a first switching unit switched on/off based on an external input signal to selectively supply power to the PWM generation unit. Thus, power consumption of the electronic apparatus in the standby mode is minimized to facilitate conformance with power regulations in accordance with an energy saving policy.
US09444345B2
The invention concerns a method and device for controlling the switching operation in a switch mode power supply module. The switch mode power supply module is intended to supply power to an item of equipment. The method comprises the steps of measuring, in the switch mode power supply module, the load current and comparing the measured load current with a predefined load current threshold value, and, cyclically interrupting the switching operation if the measured load current inside the device is less than the predefined load current threshold value.
US09444344B2
Disclosed is a voltage obtaining apparatus. The voltage obtaining apparatus includes a plurality of conversion units, which are connected to each other in parallel and respectively convert charge packets into voltages, and a control unit that controls a timing when the charge packets are respectively input to the plurality of conversion units. The control unit is configured to control the timing so that a corresponding charge packet is input to an nth conversion unit (where n denotes number of the conversion units) at a timing when an operation of an (n−1)th conversion unit is ended.
US09444343B1
A method for controlling a voltage regulator includes monitoring an output current and an inductance of an output inductor in a voltage regulator, wherein the voltage regulator includes high-side and low-side field effect transistors both coupled to an input to the first output inductor. The high-side and low-side field-effect transistors are alternately turned on at a switching frequency, wherein only one of the field-effect transistors is turned on at a time. The method measures a change in the inductance of the output inductor resulting from the output inductor reaching current saturation and measures a rate of change in the output current of the output inductor. The switching frequency is controlled as a function of the measured change in the inductance and the measured rate of change in the output current in order to prevent an amount of current through the high-side field-effect transistor from exceeding a maximum operating current setpoint.
US09444328B2
In one or more embodiments, a fixed time interval for a system is determined. The fixed time interval corresponds to time between clock ticks. A random time interval is determined based on the fixed time interval and an offset. One or more electronic components affixed to a motherboard are transitioned to a new power state when the random time interval has elapsed. By introducing a randomization to the timing element to a control signal that drives the power state transition, a periodicity for the system is disrupted. The disruption in periodicity mitigates acoustic noise generated by vibrations in electronic components and motherboards affected by current and/or voltage transitions.
US09444318B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to magnetic gears comprising first and second moveable members arranged to interact in a magnetically geared manner via a first electrical winding arrangement arranged to generate, at least in part, a first magnetic flux having a first number of pole-pairs, and one or more pole-pieces arranged to modulate the first magnetic flux to interact with a second magnetic flux having a second number of pole-pairs, wherein the first number of pole-pairs is less than the second number of pole-pairs.
US09444308B2
An apparatus includes an electric machine. The electric machine includes an internal housing, an armature coil disposed within the internal housing and separated from the internal housing by a gap, and a magnetic core associated with the armature coil. The apparatus also includes a fan configured to cause air to flow in the gap between the armature coil and the internal housing.
US09444305B2
A motor, which has a braking function and is used in a linear actuator includes a main body, a rotation shaft, a braking means and a stopping means. The rotation shaft penetrates the center of the main body. The braking means includes a braking ring and a helical ring. The braking ring includes a plurality of curved plates. The helical ring surrounds outer edges of the curved plates. Each curved plate is put on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft. The stopping means is disposed between the main body and the braking means for restricting the rotation of any of the curved plates. By this arrangement, a better braking and decelerating function can be achieved.
US09444301B2
Disclosed is a motor including: a housing formed by means of insert injection molding in such a manner as to locate a stator assembly inside a mold, the stator assembly having a stator core, an upper insulator adapted to be coupled to the upper side of the stator core, and a lower insulator adapted to be coupled to the lower side of the stator core; a printed circuit board adapted to mount an integrated circuit device thereon; and at least one or more screws adapted to be inserted into screw holes formed on the top peripheral portion of the housing and having screw heads formed thereon, the screw heads being engagedly coupled to the peripheral portion of the end cover and the end portions of the screws being brought into contact with the stator core.
US09444292B2
An electric motor according to the present invention includes stator (10) which has ring-shaped yoke (11) and a plurality of teeth (12) disposed at the inner peripheral part of yoke (11). Yoke (11) and teeth (12) configure slots (13) in which windings (15) are wound via electric insulator (14). Moreover, the motor includes rotor (20) that is rotatably held and faces the inner periphery of stator (10) via a slight gap. The rotor includes rotor iron core (21) having permanent magnets (22) that are disposed in the inside or on the surface of the core. Furthermore, a plurality of yoke recesses (16) is disposed only in the yoke (11) parts of slots (13).
US09444282B2
A wireless charging method and apparatus wirelessly charges power between separate electronic appliances. The wireless charging method includes searching for at least one chargeable electronic device, receiving status information from the searched at least one electronic device, determining whether the electronic device is a power supply electronic device or a power demand electronic device, receiving a supply of power from the searched at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power demand electronic device, and supplying the power to the at least one electronic device if the electronic device is determined to be the power supply electronic device.
US09444277B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a charger integrating a network interface conversion apparatus, which is used with a wireless mobile gateway device. The charger includes a first interface, a power interface, a second interface, a charging circuit, and a network interface adapter circuit. The power interface is connected to an input end of charging circuit. An output end of the charging circuit is connected to the first interface and a power supply terminal of the network interface adapter circuit. The second interface is connected to a signal terminal which has a corresponding format and is of the network interface adapter circuit, and the first interface is connected to a signal terminal which has a corresponding format and is of the network interface adapter circuit.
US09444275B2
An energy storage system is provided. The system includes a plurality of energy storage modules connected in parallel. Each energy storage module has an energy storage source, a bidirectional current converter configured for supplying charge to the energy storage source from a power source and for discharging current for use by an electrical device, a monitoring module for monitoring the energy storage source and the current converter, and a controller configured to control the current converter based upon monitored characteristics of the storage source and the current converter to produce a respective output signal for each module. A communications module is in connection with each output signal of the energy storage modules and configured for communicating a combined output signal with one of the power source and the electrical device.
US09444263B2
The present invention relates to a system comprising an electric current supply device, said device in turn comprises a main outlet, where main electrical equipment is connected, and at least one secondary outlet where secondary electrical equipment is connected, the device is characterized by measuring with a consumption detector the electrical consumption level of the main electrical equipment and in the event of detecting a consumption level below a specific threshold, directing the current towards the at least one secondary outlet.
US09444258B2
The configurations of photovoltaic system and methods thereof are provided. The proposed photovoltaic system includes a PI-INC MPPT controller using a constant-frequency variable-duty (CFVD) control and guided by an Ipv-Vpv curve and a Ppv-Vpv curve.
US09444235B1
A connector assembly including a connector body with a spring clip including a first free end for engaging a side wall of an electrical box upon installation. During insertion of the connector body the first free end engages the knock-out hole perimeter and deforms so as to permit further insertion. Once the connector body is fully inserted, the spring clip cooperates with a lug on the connector body to hold the connector assembly onto the electrical box. The connector body includes one or more spiral indentations for engaging a convolution of a metal cable. The spring clip biases the cable toward engagement with the spiral indentation to yield improved performance characteristics.
US09444233B2
Methods, devices, and systems for automated maintenance mode switching are described. An example method of controlling a protection assembly mode of operation is described for use in a system having a protection assembly configured to receive power from an upstream power source and provide power and protection to a downstream protection device moveable between a fully engaged position and a fully disengaged position. The method includes determining, by the protection assembly, when a maintenance action is being performed on the downstream protection device, and switching the protection assembly from a normal protection mode to a maintenance mode of operation in response to determining the maintenance action is being performed on the downstream protection device.
US09444231B2
A mounting mechanism for gripping DIN rail comprises: a main body and a latching body. The main body includes a first mounting portion having a stopper member and at least one first retaining unit, and a second mounting portion. The latching portion is movably disposed in the first mounting portion and includes at least one resilient portion and at least one second retaining unit. When one end of the latching body protrudes into the second mounting portion, the range of movement of the latching body spans from a position wherein the resilient portion abuts the stopper member to a position in wherein the second retaining unit abuts the first retaining unit. The main body is movably latched onto the DIN rail through the second mounting portion, and is fixed to a position on the DIN rail through one end of the latching body protruding into the second mounting portion.
US09444230B2
A header assembly for a power distribution assembly in which the power distribution assembly includes a mounting portion and a plurality of current carrying components. The header assembly includes a first header segment made from a first material and a second header segment disposed on the first header segment and being made from a second different material. The first header segment and the second header segment together form a composite header assembly structured to be mechanically coupled to the mounting portion and electrically connected to at least some of the current carrying components. At least one of the first material and the second material is thermally conductive and electrically insulative.
US09444223B2
Provided is a surface-emitting semiconductor laser device including a substrate; a semiconductor layer formed on the substrate, the semiconductor layer including a first semiconductor multilayer film of a first conductivity type, an active region, and a second semiconductor multilayer film of a second conductivity type, the first semiconductor multilayer film and the second semiconductor multilayer film forming a cavity; and an oxidation-resistant structure including a groove formed along at least a portion of an outer periphery of the semiconductor layer and an oxidation-resistant portion formed on a surface of the groove.
US09444211B2
A crimping clamp includes a pair of clamp bodies, a pair of jaws and a pair of lock mechanisms. A head end of the clamp body includes a containing groove, a pair of perforations and at least one opening. The perforations are respectively disposed at two corresponding sides of the containing groove and correspond to each other. Each of the jaws includes a hole. When each of the jaws is combined in each containing groove, each hole corresponds to one of the openings. Each of the lock mechanisms includes a bolt, a rod and an operating lever. The bolt is movably inserted in the opening. One end of the rod is connected with one end of the bolt. The operating lever is movably inserted in the perforation, and one end of the operating lever is connected with the other end of the rod.
US09444203B2
An electric connector assembly includes a plug connector and a mating socket connector, and the plug connector includes a base, a tongue plate protruding forwardly from the base and a plurality of electrical contacts. The tongue plate defines two relative surfaces and the tongue plate includes a terminal holder and a side portion beside the terminal holder in a transverse direction. The side portions define at least a pair of clamping portions recessed from the surface of the tongue plate, and the socket connector defines at least a pair of elastic arms for engaging with said clamping portions for enhancing the stability when the electric connector inserted into a mating connector.
US09444202B2
A connector receptacle includes an insulating housing, a plurality of contacts, a protective plate, and a metallic shell. The insulating housing includes a base portion and a tongue portion extending from the base portion. The tongue portion defines a plurality of receiving slots through the base portion. The contacts are inserted into the receiving slots, and a power contact exists among the contacts. The protective plate includes a planner main portion and two connecting arm portions. The planar main portion is disposed on the tongue portion, and includes a planar section, a front section, a side section, and a connecting section. One lateral side of the planar section is a cutting notch exposing parts of the tongue portion which corresponds to the power contact. The cutting notch prevents the power contact and the protective plate from contacting while connecting with a plug, so as to secure the safety.
US09444194B2
A connector with a sheet has a housing mated with another connector, a terminal secured to the housing and contacting another terminal on the other connector, and a sheet affixed to the housing. The sheet has a laminate structure which includes a soft magnetic layer having real parts of complex relative permeability at 100 MHz of from 20 to 45, and a conductive/dielectric layer having an electrical resistance of from 0.5 to 20 Ω·cm.
US09444190B2
An adapter for grounding a protector module in a network interface device (NID) is provided. The adapter includes a body, and at least one ground mount area on the body. Each ground mount area includes a ground post extending from the body and configured to conductively couple to the protector module. A connector extends from the body and is configured to conductively couple to a grounding element of the NID. The body, the at least one ground post and the connector are conductive. The adapter allows for reuse of existing protector modules that do not have a ground adapter for direct mounting to a ground post by using the vertical grounding feature found in the protector module.
US09444181B2
An electronic apparatus includes a receptacle for connecting to a plug is disclosed. The receptacle is located on an outer surface of a chassis of the electronic apparatus. The plug includes a male-side plate-like member having a signal terminal disposed therein is contained in a metal case. The receptacle includes a female-side plate-like member having a signal terminal disposed therein. The female-side plate-like member is configured to protrude from or retreat into the outer surface of the chassis. The plug is connected to the female-side plate-like member at a protruding position at which the female-side plate-like member protrudes from the outer surface of the chassis.
US09444179B1
A cover for outdoor electrical devices includes a rectangular base having a rear, side and bottom panels. A peripheral flange surrounds the base. Haspways are provided in diagonally opposed corners of the flange, with the haspways being closed by a web. A lid is hinged to the top panel, for orientation in a vertical position or to a side panel for orientation in a horizontal position. An aperture at a lower corner of the lid registers with a lower haspway. To secure the cover, the lower haspway web is broken and padlock shackle inserted through the open haspway and lid aperture. The haspway at the upper corner of the base flange remains closed by the web to preclude the entrance of water into the interior of the cover.
US09444176B2
An electrical connector assembly configured to couple a power cable and at least one other electrical component, includes a housing body that includes a outer jacket, an insert portion, and an insulative inner housing positioned between at least a portion of the outer jacket and the insert portion. The housing body forms at least one bore for receiving the power cable. The outer jacket comprises a cable receiving jacket portion and a main body jacket portion. At least a portion of the cable receiving jacket portion is configured to engage the power cable received into the housing body. The cable receiving jacket portion comprises a cold shrink material configured to securely engage the power cable upon and the main body jack portion comprises a non-cold shrink material.
US09444174B2
A connecting terminal device includes a connecting terminal body having a plurality of pin connection holes. The connecting terminal body has an outer circumferential surface with at least one arcuate groove cut out of the outer circumferential surface. The arcuate groove extends along a circumferential direction centered on a first hole of the plurality of pin connection holes provided in the connecting terminal body. The plurality of pin connection holes other than the first hole are positioned within the arcuate groove. Preferably, the connecting terminal device is part of a compressor.
US09444172B2
A connector in which a large contact pressure between male and female terminals is obtained. The female terminal has an elastic wall portion that is outwardly pressed by the displaced elastic contact piece to be displaced. The elastic lance is disposed on the side of the elastic wall portion of the socket portion so as to be outwardly pressed by the displaced elastic wall portion to be displaced. The displaced elastic contact piece is pressed by the displaced elastic wall portion and the elastic lance, thereby increasing the contact pressure of the elastic contact piece.
US09444166B2
A connector for a flat cable connecting a connection terminal part of a flat cable to an electronic device includes a housing, a terminal, and a lock member. The housing is fixed to the electronic device and is formed with an insertion part into which a flat cable is inserted and a flat cable accommodation space that continues from the insertion part to an inside of the housing. The terminal is aligned and disposed in the housing, is connected to a wiring terminal provided to the electronic device and is contact-connected to the connection terminal part of the flat cable when the flat cable is inserted into the flat cable accommodation space. The lock member is put on a backside of a surface of the housing facing the electronic device and is formed with a pair of flat cable holding parts engageable with locking holes.
US09444158B1
A line concentrator and a connector assembly with the line concentrator are provided. The connector assembly includes a plurality of signal cables and a line concentrator, the line concentrator includes a body and an arm. The body includes a plurality of sidewalls connected to each other and a bottom plate connected to the sidewalls. An accommodating cavity is surrounded by the sidewalls. The bottom plate includes a plurality of holes connected through the accommodating cavity. The arm protrudes from a top of one of the sidewalls of the body and extends along a direction away from the bottom plate. The arm includes a position limiting protrusion.
US09444156B2
A coaxial cable connector and a grounding insert extending between an elongated hollow post and a nut interior and providing an electrically conductive path therebetween.
US09444151B2
A multi-band antenna system includes an array of wide-band radiating elements and a multi-band electrical tilt circuit. The multi-band electrical tilt circuit includes a plurality of combiners, a first RF band variable phase shifter and a second RF band variable phase shifter implemented in a common medium. The common medium may comprise a PCB, a stripline circuit, or the like. Each combiner includes a combined port, a first RF band port, and a second RF band port. The combined ports are coupled to the radiating elements. The first RF band phase shifter has a first plurality of variably phase shifted ports connected to the first RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line, and the second RF band phase shifter has a second plurality of variably phase-shifted ports connected to the second RF band ports of the combiners via transmission line. The phase shifters are independently configurable.
US09444149B2
The present invention relates to a rotation apparatus of the polarizer for a multiple-polarized satellite signals and a satellite signal receiving apparatus included with the apparatus, includes a feedhorn for receiving satellite; a low noise block down converter for processing signals received by the feedhorn; and a skew compensation apparatus, included in the low noise block down converter or feedhorn, for rotating the low noise block down converter or feedhorn to compensate skew angles in the case that the satellite signals received in the feedhorn are the linearly polarized waves, the low noise block down converter includes the rotation apparatus of the polarizer for receiving linearly polarized signals and circularly polarized signals of the satellite signals, thereby to receive and process both of linearly polarized wave and circularly polarized wave by a simple structure.
US09444146B2
A system for transmitting or receiving signals may include an integrated circuit (IC), a transducer operatively coupled to the IC for converting between electrical signals and electromagnetic signals; and insulating material that fixes the locations of the transducer and IC in spaced relationship relative to each other. The system may further include a lead frame providing external connections to conductors on the IC. An electromagnetic-energy directing assembly may be mounted relative to the transducer for directing electromagnetic energy in a region including the transducer and in a direction away from the IC. The directing assembly may include the lead frame, a printed circuit board ground plane, or external conductive elements spaced from the transducer. In a receiver, a signal-detector circuit may be responsive to a monitor signal representative of a received first radio-frequency electrical signal for generating a control signal that enables or disables an output from the receiver.
US09444145B2
An antenna, especially for use with a handheld RFID reader for scanning RFID tags oriented in different orientations, includes a feeding port located on an axis for supplying an RF signal to a primary antenna member for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves. A secondary antenna member is juxtaposed with the primary antenna member for re-radiating the electromagnetic waves propagated by the primary antenna member. Each antenna member includes one antenna element extending in a radial direction away from the axis and continuing along at least one turn in a turning direction at least partly about the axis, and another antenna element extending in an opposite radial direction away from the axis and continuing along at least one turn in the turning direction at least partly about the axis. The electromagnetic waves have congruent slant polarizations each having components in both of two mutually orthogonal planes to read the tags.
US09444134B2
An optically transparent conformal polymer antenna and a method for producing the antenna from optically transparent conductive polymers. The method includes selecting an antenna design; providing an optically transparent conductive polymer material capable of being printed using an ink-jet printer device; and printing layers of the polymer in the desired antenna design pattern onto a substrate. The surface tension of the polymer solution is adjusted to allow the material to pass through a printer head for printing on a flexible substrate. The material is modified to have a higher conductivity than regular conductive polymer materials so that a suitable antenna may be formed.
US09444129B2
A multi-band compatible multi-antenna device which is miniaturized by reducing a distance between antenna elements includes a first antenna element corresponding to a 1.5 GHz band and a 2.0 GHz band, a second antenna element corresponding to the 1.5 GHz band and the 2.0 GHz band, a first passive element which is arranged between the first antenna element and the second antenna element and which resonates at a frequency corresponding to the 1.5 GHz band, and a second passive element which is arranged between the first antenna element and the second antenna element separately from the first passive element and which resonates at a frequency corresponding to the 2.0 GHz band.
US09444128B2
An electronic device having antenna structure is provided. The electronic device includes a first body, a pivot assembly, a second body and an antenna structure. The pivot assembly is pivoted to the first body along a first axis. The second body is pivoted to the pivot assembly along a second axis. The antenna structure is disposed in the pivot assembly and has a first radiation portion, a second radiation portion and a third radiation portion. The first radiation portion and the second radiation portion have a slot therebetween to form a slot antenna. The third radiation portion forms a monopole antenna and is aligned to the slot. The third radiation portion and the slot are not coplanar.
US09444127B2
A directional coupler includes a main line, a sub line, and a parasitic element. The main line includes first and second main line portions formed substantially in a spiral shape, as viewed from a first direction. The second main line portion is positioned in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, as viewed from the first direction. The sub line includes first and second sub line portions formed substantially in a spiral shape, as viewed from the first direction. The first and second sub line portions are electromagnetically coupled with the first and second main line portions, respectively. The second sub line portion is positioned in the second direction, as viewed from the first direction. The parasitic element is superposed on the first main line portion and the second sub line portion, as viewed from the first direction.
US09444123B2
A battery pack includes a plurality of prismatic format batteries in a stacked configuration. Flexible graphite sheet heat spreaders are interposed between adjacent prismatic batteries in the stack. A heat sink extends the length of the stack of prismatic format batteries. Both heat spreader major surfaces contact the heat sink at contact areas and thereby extend into the heat sink by at least 30 percent of the thru-thickness of the heat sink.
US09444122B2
A battery module and a battery temperature managing system of a battery temperature managing system includes a battery module; a heat exchanger connected with the battery module via a coolant circulating circuit, and a temperature control device connected with the heat exchanger via a refrigerant circulating circuit, in which a coolant in the coolant circulating circuit and a refrigerant in the refrigerant circulating circuit exchange heat with each other via the heat exchanger, and the battery module is cooled or heated by the coolant when the coolant flows through the battery module.
US09444120B2
A rechargeable lithium battery according to the present invention includes a positive electrode including a positive active material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium; a negative electrode including a negative active material being capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium; and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes a lithium-containing metal compound that is inactive for water, and can intercalate lithium during at least discharge. The rechargeable lithium battery has an irreversible capacity during a first charge and discharge, and has no problems such dendrite, electrolyte decomposition, or dissolution of a negative current collector.
US09444117B2
The present application relates generally to electrochemical devices, for example proton exchange membrane fuel cells or electrolysers. The present application employs a metal foam as a common fluid flow manifold between adjacent fuel cells and avoids the use of expensive metal end plates. The common fluid flow manifold is provided by the metal foam with no separator/gas barrier provided.
US09444116B2
An electrochemical converter with proton membrane includes a plurality of electrochemical unitary cells connected in series and arranged on a carrier tape elongated along a longitudinal axis, a first face of which has anodes that receive hydrogen and a second face has cathodes that receive air, wherein the hydrogen circulates in a flow parallel to the longitudinal axis of the aforementioned tape and the air circulates in a flow transverse to the longitudinal axis of the aforementioned tape, and separation means dividing the air flow into a cooling flow having no contact with the cathodes and a cathodic reaction flow in contact with the cathodes.
US09444102B2
A fluoro material is provided for use as an electrode active material as well as a process tar producing it. The material includes particles of a fluorosulfate which corresponds to formula (I) L1-yFe1-xMnxSO4F (I) in which 0
US09444096B2
Disclosed are embodiments of active materials for organometallic and organometallic-inorganic hybrid electrodes and particularly active materials for organometallic and organometallic-inorganic hybrid cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. In certain embodiments the organometallic material comprises a ferrocene polymer.
US09444095B1
Provided are a cathode material for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery containing the same. The cathode material for a lithium secondary battery comprises: a cathode active material, which is a lithium-transition metal oxide, and a lithium phosphate layer coated on a surface of the cathode active material.
US09444090B2
An embodiment of the invention combines the superior performance of a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) or polyethyleneoxide (POE) binder, the strong binding force of a styrene-butadiene (SBR) binder, and a source of lithium ions in the form of solid lithium metal powder (SLMP) to form an electrode system that has improved performance as compared to PVDF/SBR binder based electrodes. This invention will provide a new way to achieve improved results at a much reduced cost.
US09444083B2
A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules including a plurality of cells aligned and accommodated in a case, wherein a battery assembly in which the plurality of cells are aligned in a row is used as a unit, and the multiple ones of the battery assembly are aligned in each battery module. The battery modules are a first battery module in which the plurality of battery assemblies are aligned in parallel and second battery modules in which the plurality of battery assemblies are aligned in series, and the first battery module and the second battery modules are combined with each other to form the battery pack.
US09444079B2
An electrode structure of a lithium battery is provided for electrically connecting a positive pole and a negative pole in a tank of the lithium battery to the external. The electrode structure includes a lid body and at least one electrode body made of sheet metal material. The electrode body has a wrapped portion disposed in the lid body, two ends of the wrapped portion form bent portions respectively, and a connection portion and an output portion extend respectively from the bent portions to protrude from a surface of the lid body. A conductive electrode structure of the lithium battery is formed by wrapping instead of direct penetrating, thus achieving a hermetic effect of conductive positions of the electrode.
US09444062B2
A thin-layer encapsulation (1) for an optoelectronic component. The thin-layer encapsulation (1) comprises a sequence of layers (2) that comprises the following layers: a first ALD layer (3) deposited by means of atomic layer deposition, and a second ALD layer (4) deposited by means of atomic layer deposition. A method is disclosed for producing the thin-layer encapsulation and an optoelectronic component is disclosed having such a thin-layer encapsulation.
US09444057B2
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting device and a method for preparing the same, and the organic light emitting device according to the present invention comprises: a substrate; a first electrode provided on the substrate; an organic material layer provided on the first electrode; a second electrode pattern provided on the organic material layer and comprising two or more metal layers spaced apart from each other; and a fuse layer provided in an entire region of an upper surface of the second electrode pattern and gaps between the metal layers spaced apart from each other.
US09444053B2
Provided are a novel aromatic amine derivative having a specific structure and an organic electroluminescence device in which an organic thin layer comprising a single layer or plural layers including a light emitting layer is interposed between a cathode and an anode, wherein at leas one layer of the above organic thin layer contains the aromatic amine derivative described above in the form of a single component or a mixed component. Thus, the organic electroluminescence device is less liable to be crystallized in molecules, improved in a yield in producing the organic electroluminescence device and extended in a lifetime.
US09444047B2
Provided are nonvolatile memory assemblies each including a resistive switching layer and current steering element. The steering element may be a transistor connected in series with the switching layer. Resistance control provided by the steering element allows using switching layers requiring low switching voltages and currents. Memory assemblies including such switching layers are easier to embed into integrated circuit chips having other low voltage components, such as logic and digital signal processing components, than, for example, flash memory requiring much higher switching voltages. In some embodiments, provided nonvolatile memory assemblies operate at switching voltages less than about 3.0V and corresponding currents less than 50 microamperes. A memory element may include a metal rich hafnium oxide disposed between a titanium nitride electrode and doped polysilicon electrode. One electrode may be connected to a drain or source of the transistor, while another electrode is connected to a signal line.
US09444045B2
Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell, which includes a top electrode and a bottom electrode that are separated by a RRAM dielectric layer. The top electrode of the RRAM cell has a recess in its upper surface. A via is disposed over the RRAM cell and contacts the top electrode within the recess.
US09444044B2
A resistive nonvolatile storage device includes a first interlayer insulating layer provided above a substrate, a contact hole penetrating through the first interlayer insulating layer, a contact layer wholly covering a bottom surface and a sidewall surface of the contact hole and extending to at least partially cover an upper surface of the first interlayer insulating layer, a contact plug filled in the contact hole, an upper surface of the contact plug being positioned below an upper surface of the contact layer, a lower electrode provided on both the contact plug and the contact layer that is provided on the part of the upper surface of the first interlayer insulating layer, and a resistance change layer provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode that is provided on the resistance change layer.
US09444042B2
Some embodiments include a memory cell that has an electrode, a switching material over the electrode, a buffer region over the switching material, and an ion reservoir material over the buffer region. The buffer region includes one or more elements from Group 14 of the periodic table in combination with one or more chalcogen elements. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells.
US09444037B2
A magnetoresistive memory array including a plurality of magnetoresistive memory elements wherein each magnetoresistive memory element comprises a free layer including at least one ferromagnetic layer having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, a fixed layer, and a tunnel barrier, disposed between and in contact with the free and fixed layers. The tunnel barrier includes a first metal-oxide layer, having a thickness between 1 and 10 Angstroms, a second metal-oxide layer, having a thickness between 3 and 6 Angstroms, disposed on the first metal-oxide layer, and a third metal-oxide layer, having a thickness between 3 and 6 Angstroms, disposed over the second metal-oxide layer. In one embodiment, the third metal-oxide layer is in contact with the free layer or fixed layer. The tunnel barrier may also include a fourth metal-oxide layer, having a thickness between 1 and 10 Angstroms, disposed between the second and third metal-oxide layers.
US09444035B2
A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes a pinned layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the pinned layer, and a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer. The MTJ device also includes a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer on the free layer, a capping layer on the PMA enhancement layer, and a conductive path electrically shorting the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer. A method of fabricating a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device includes forming a capping layer, a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) enhancement layer and a free layer. The method also includes forming a conductive layer to short the capping layer, the PMA enhancement layer and the free layer.
US09444031B2
Provided are an energy harvester using a mass, and a mobile device including the energy harvester. The mobile device includes an energy harvester connected to a mobile device body to generate electric energy. The energy harvester includes an energy generator configured to generate electric energy by using a mechanical force applied by a movement of the mobile device body.
US09444016B2
Provided are a light emitting device, a light emitting device package, and a lighting system. The light emitting device comprises a reflective layer, a second conductive type semiconductor layer on the reflective layer, an active layer on the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a first conductive type semiconductor layer on the active layer, and a pad electrode on the first conductive type semiconductor layer. The reflective layer comprises a predetermined pattern.
US09444008B2
A semiconductor nanocrystal including a core comprising a first semiconductor material comprising at least three chemical elements and a shell disposed over at least a portion of the core, the shell comprising a second semiconductor material, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal is capable of emitting light with an improved photoluminescence quantum efficiency. Also disclosed are populations of semiconductor nanocrystals, compositions and devices including a semiconductor nanocrystal capable of emitting light with an improved photoluminescence quantum efficiency. In one embodiment, a semiconductor nanocrystal includes a core comprising a first semiconductor material comprising at least three chemical elements and a shell disposed over at least a portion of the core, the shell comprising a second semiconductor material, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal is capable of emitting light upon excitation with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency greater than about 65%. In another embodiment, a semiconductor nanocrystal includes a core comprising a first semiconductor material comprising zinc, cadmium, and sulfur and a shell disposed over at least a portion of the core, the shell comprising a second semiconductor material. In a further embodiment, a semiconductor nanocrystal includes a core comprises a first semiconductor material comprising at least three chemical elements and a shell disposed over at least a portion of the core, the shell comprising a second semiconductor material comprising at least three chemical elements, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal is capable of emitting light with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency greater than about 60% upon excitation. In a further embodiment, a semiconductor nanocrystal including a core comprises a first semiconductor material comprising zinc, cadmium, and selenium and a shell disposed over at least a portion of the core, the shell comprising a second semiconductor material, wherein the semiconductor nanocrystal is capable of emitting light with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency greater than about 60% upon excitation.
US09444005B2
A light emitting diode structure is provided. The light emitting diode structure includes a substrate, a light emitting multi-layer structure, a first current blocking layer, a first current spreading layer, a second current blocking layer and a second current spreading layer. The light emitting multi-layer structure is formed on the substrate by way of stacking. The first current blocking layer is formed on part of the light emitting multi-layer structure. The first current spreading layer covers the first current blocking layer and the light emitting multi-layer structure. The second current blocking layer is formed on part of the first current spreading layer. An orthogonal projection of the second current blocking layer is disposed in an orthogonal projection of the first current blocking layer. The second current spreading layer covers the second current blocking layer and the first current spreading layer.
US09444003B2
A solar cell. The solar cell includes a substrate, a first layer comprising a first copper-based material deposited upon the substrate, the first copper-based material electrically attracted to the substrate or to a first optional deposit layer deposited between the substrate and the first layer, and a second layer comprising a second copper-based material deposited upon the first layer or an second optional deposit layer deposited between the first layer and the second layer, the second copper-based material electrically attracted to the first layer or to the second optional deposit layer, wherein the first copper-based material and the second copper-based material are selected from the group consisting of copper indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS), copper indium selenium (CIS), and cadmium sulfate (CdS).
US09443993B2
A method for manufacturing a spectroscopic sensor includes: (a) forming a light receiving element on a semiconductor substrate; (b) forming an angle restricting filter on the semiconductor substrate; and (c) forming a spectroscopic filter on the angle restricting filter. The step (c) of forming a spectroscopic filter includes: (c1) forming a first light transmitting film having a peripheral edge that overlaps a light blocking portion in plan view ox the semiconductor substrate by a lift-off method; and (c2) forming a second light transmitting film at a position spaced apart from the first light transmitting film in plan view of the semiconductor substrate by the lift-off method, the second light transmitting film having a peripheral edge that overlaps the light blocking portion in plan view of the semiconductor substrate.
US09443981B2
In a thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage is prevented. In the thin film transistor, a buffer layer is provided between an oxide semiconductor layer and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer. The buffer layer includes a metal oxide layer which is an insulator or a semiconductor over a middle portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The metal oxide layer functions as a protective layer for suppressing incorporation of impurities into the oxide semiconductor layer. Therefore, in the thin film transistor, an increase in off current or negative shift of the threshold voltage can be prevented.
US09443978B2
A semiconductor device includes a fin structure disposed on a substrate, a sacrificial layer pattern disposed on the fin structure, an active layer pattern disposed on the sacrificial layer pattern, and a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer extending through the sacrificial layer pattern and surrounding a portion of the active layer pattern.
US09443969B2
A transistor includes a substrate, a channel layer over the substrate, an active layer over the channel layer, a metal diffusion barrier over the active layer, and a gate over the metal diffusion barrier. The active layer has a band gap discontinuity with the channel layer.
US09443967B1
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first conductivity type, a high-voltage well having a second conductivity type and formed in the substrate, a source well having the first conductivity type and formed in the high-voltage well, a source region formed in the source well, an isolation layer formed above the high-voltage well and spaced apart from the source well, a gate layer formed above the substrate and continuously extending from above an edge portion of the source well to an edge portion of the isolation layer, and a metal layer formed above the substrate and the isolation layer. The metal layer includes a first metal portion overlapping an edge portion of the gate layer and a side portion of the isolation layer, a second metal portion overlapping and conductively contacting the gate layer, and a third metal portion overlapping and conductively contacting the source region.
US09443966B2
An n-type region encloses an n-type well region is disclosed in which is disposed a high-side drive circuit. A high resistance polysilicon thin film configuring a resistive field plate structure of a high breakdown voltage junction termination region is disposed in spiral form on the n-type region. An OUT electrode, a ground electrode, and a Vcc1 electrode are disposed on the n-type region. The Vcc1 electrode is connected to the positive electrode of an auxiliary direct current power supply (a bootstrap capacitor). The OUT electrode is connected to the negative electrode of the auxiliary direct current power supply. One end portion (a second contact portion) of the high resistance polysilicon thin film is connected to the ground electrode, and the other end portion (a first contact portion) of the high resistance polysilicon thin film is connected to the OUT electrode.
US09443963B2
A semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the device. The method includes: providing a FinFET having a source/drain region, at least one SiGe fin, a silicon substrate, a local oxide layer is formed on the silicon substrate, a gate structure is formed on the at least one SiGe fin and the local oxide layer, the gate structure is encapsulated by a gate hard mask and sidewall spacer layers; recessing the at least one SiGe fin in the source/drain region to the sidewall spacer layers and the silicon substrate layer; recessing the local oxide layer in the source/drain region to the sidewall spacer layer and the silicon substrate; growing a n-doped silicon layer on the silicon substrate; growing a p-doped silicon layer or p-doped SiGe layer on the n-doped silicon layer; and forming a silicide layer on the p-doped silicon layer or p-doped SiGe layer.
US09443958B2
A HVMOS transistor device is provided. The HVMOS has a substrate, a gate structure, a drain region and a source region, a base region and a gate dielectric layer. The substrate has a first insulating structure disposed therein. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate and comprises a first portion covering a portion of the first insulating structure. The drain region and the source region are disposed in the substrate at two respective sides of the gate, and comprise a first conductivity type. The base region encompasses the source region, wherein the base region comprises a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type. The gate dielectric layer is between the gate and the drain region, the base region and the substrate. The gate structure further comprises a second portion penetrating into the base region. A method of forming the HVMOS is further provided.
US09443952B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. A substrate having multiple fins is provided. An insulating layer fills a lower portion of a gap between two adjacent fins. At least one first stacked structure is formed on one fin and at least one second stacked structure is formed on one insulation layer. A first dielectric layer is formed to cover the first and second stacked structures. A portion of the first dielectric layer and portions of the first and second stacked structures are removed. Another portion of the first dielectric layer is removed until a top of the remaining first dielectric layer is lower than tops of the first and second stacked structures. A second dielectric layer is formed to cover the first and second stacked structures. A portion of the second dielectric layer is removed until the tops of the first and second stacked structures are exposed.
US09443945B2
A semiconductor structure comprises a substrate and a transistor. The transistor comprises a raised source region and a raised drain region provided above the substrate, one or more elongated semiconductor lines, a gate electrode and a gate insulation layer. The one or more elongated semiconductor lines are connected between the raised source region and the raised drain region, wherein a longitudinal direction of each of the one or more elongated semiconductor lines extends substantially along a horizontal direction that is perpendicular to a thickness direction of the substrate. Each of the elongated semiconductor lines comprises a channel region. The gate electrode extends all around each of the channel regions of the one or more elongated semiconductor lines. The gate insulation layer is provided between each of the one or more elongated semiconductor lines and the gate electrode.
US09443942B2
A power diode is disclosed wherein it is possible to lower on-voltage by expanding a conducting region at an on time. By applying negative voltage to a plate electrode when turning on a power diode, an inversion layer is formed in a front surface layer of an n drift region sandwiched between a p guard ring region and a p anode region, and the p guard ring region and p anode region are connected by the inversion layer, thereby causing one portion or all of the p guard ring region to function as an active region together with the anode region, and expanding an energization region, thus lowering on-voltage.
US09443939B2
A method of fabricating a rare earth oxide buffered III-N on silicon wafer including providing a crystalline silicon substrate, depositing a rare earth oxide structure on the silicon substrate including one or more layers of single crystal rare earth oxide, and depositing a layer of single crystal III-N material on the rare earth oxide structure so as to form an interface between the rare earth oxide structure and the layer of single crystal III-N material. The layer of single crystal III-N material produces a tensile stress at the interface and the rare earth oxide structure has a compressive stress at the interface dependent upon a thickness of the rare earth oxide structure. The rare earth oxide structure is grown with a thickness sufficient to provide a compressive stress offsetting at least a portion of the tensile stress at the interface to substantially reduce bowing in the wafer.
US09443935B2
Provided are methods of forming field effect transistors. The method includes preparing a substrate with a first region and a second region, forming fin portions on the first and second regions, each of the fin portions protruding from the substrate and having a first width, forming a first mask pattern to expose the fin portions on the first region and cover the fin portions on the second region, and changing widths of the fin portions provided on the first region.
US09443930B2
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined by a trench, a device isolation layer provided in the trench to surround the active region, a gate electrode extending in a direction crossing the active region, and formed on the active region and the device isolation layer, and a gate insulating layer between the active region and the gate electrode. The active region may have a first conductivity type, and the device isolation layer may include a first silicon oxide layer on an inner surface of the first trench and a different layer, selected from one of first metal oxide layer and a negatively-charged layer, on the first silicon oxide layer.
US09443928B2
An oxide termination semiconductor device may comprise a plurality of gate trenches, a gate runner, and an insulator termination trench. The gate trenches are located in an active region. Each gate trench includes a conductive gate electrode. The insulator termination trench is located in a termination region that surrounds the active region. The insulator termination trench is filled with an insulator material to form an insulator termination for the semiconductor device.
US09443917B2
Provided are an organic light-emitting display apparatus having superior light efficiency and ease of manufacture, as well as a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a substrate; a pixel electrode disposed on a pixel region of the substrate; a first insulating layer that is interposed between the substrate and the pixel electrode and that has a first discontinuous region extending along at least a portion of an edge of the pixel electrode; an intermediate layer that is disposed on the pixel electrode and that includes an emission layer; and an opposite electrode that covers the intermediate layer and at least a portion of the first discontinuous region, so that a shortest distance to the substrate in at least a portion of the first discontinuous region is shorter than a shortest distance between the pixel electrode and the substrate.
US09443916B2
An organic light emitting display (OLED) device, and a method of manufacturing the OLED device are discussed. The OLED device according to one embodiment includes a substrate; a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, and a third pixel electrode formed on the substrate; a first bank layer and a second bank layer formed on the substrate; and a first organic light emitting layer, a second organic light emitting layer, and a third organic light emitting layer formed on the first pixel electrode, the second pixel electrode, and the third pixel electrode, respectively. The first organic light emitting layer overlaps the second organic light emitting layer on the first bank layer.
US09443904B1
A light-emitting device display includes a substrate, a first bottom electrode, a second bottom electrode, a micro light emitting device, a first isolation layer, an opposite electrode, and an encapsulation layer. The first and second bottom electrodes are disposed on the substrate. The micro light emitting device is disposed on the first bottom electrode and electrically connected to the first bottom electrode. The first isolation layer at least partially covers a side surface of the micro light emitting device, in which the first isolation layer has a refractive index n1, and the micro light emitting device has a refractive index ndevice, and ndevice≧n1. The opposite electrode is disposed on the micro light emitting device and electrically connected to the micro light emitting device and the second bottom electrode. The encapsulation layer at least covers the micro light emitting device and the first isolation layer.
US09443900B2
This disclosure provides an integrated circuit (IC) including one or more pixels. A photodiode is arranged in a semiconductor substrate and includes an n-type region near an upper surface of the substrate and a p-type region under the n-type region. A semiconductor fin is arranged over the photodiode and is electrically coupled to the n-type region of the photodiode. The semiconductor fin includes a transfer transistor and a separate charge storage or charge transfer region, wherein the charge storage or charge transfer region is adapted to store or transfer charge generated by the photodiode in response to impingent light.
US09443898B2
An image sensor includes first pixels and a first source follower transistor, which are disposed adjacent to each other in a first pixel area in a column direction, and second pixels and a second source follower transistor, which are formed in a second pixel area adjacent to the first pixel area in a row direction by the same number of the first pixels, wherein when the first pixels share the first source follower transistor and the second pixels share the second source follower transistor, while pixels selected from the same row are activated, the first source follower transistor and the second source follower transistor being activated are disposed so that locations thereof have a diagonal symmetry.
US09443891B2
A ranging pixel located in a peripheral region of a solid-state image sensor includes a microlens having a center axis that is shifted relative to a center axis of the ranging pixel, a first photoelectric conversion unit, and a second photoelectric conversion unit. The first photoelectric conversion unit is disposed on a side of the center axis of the ranging pixel that is in a direction opposite to a direction (projection shift direction) obtained by projecting a shift direction of the microlens onto a straight line connecting a center of the first photoelectric conversion unit and a center of the second photoelectric conversion unit, and the second photoelectric conversion unit is disposed on another side of the center axis of the ranging pixel that is in a direction identical to the projection shift direction of the microlens. In addition, the area of the first photoelectric conversion unit is greater than the area of the second photoelectric conversion unit.
US09443890B2
A shared active pixel sensor includes a first shared photodiode, a first shared sense node, a first transfer gate, a first shared reset gate and a first shared source follower gate. The first shared photodiode consists of a first signal node and a second signal node. The first shared sense node is electrically connected to the first shared photodiode. The first transfer gate is disposed between the first signal node and the first shared sense node so that the first signal node and the first shared sense node together serve as a source and a drain controlled by the first transfer gate. The first shared reset gate is electrically connected to the first shared sense node. The first shared source follower gate is capable of reading a photocurrent from the first shared photodiode.
US09443887B1
An electronic component includes a first transistor on a substrate. The first transistor includes a first source, a first drain, a first gate dielectric, a first gate, and a first semiconductor channel having a first length. At least a portion of the first semiconductor channel extends in a direction parallel to the substrate. A vertical-support-element on the substrate has a first reentrant profile. A second transistor includes a second source, a second drain, a second gate dielectric, and a second gate having a second semiconductor channel. At least a portion of the second semiconductor channel extends in a direction orthogonal to the substrate in the first reentrant profile of the vertical-support-element.
US09443884B2
There is disclosed a method for manufacturing an Electro Static Discharge (ESD) device, an ESD device and a display panel, which are capable of addressing an issue that static-electric charges accumulated on the array substrate damage the unformed ESD device and improving a yield ratio of the array substrate. The method includes forming a TFT, a first lead wire, wherein the first lead wire or the second lead wire comprises at least two separate lead-wire segments; depositing a layer of passivation thin film, and forming via-holes for connecting the at least two separate lead-wire segments on the layer of passivation thin film; depositing a layer of transparent conductive film on the substrate on which the via-holes are formed, wherein the layer of transparent conductive film connects the lead-wire segments by the via-holes.
US09443881B2
A thin film transistor array panel includes a gate line, a gate insulating layer that covers the gate line, a semiconductor layer that is disposed on the gate insulating layer, a data line and drain electrode that are disposed on the semiconductor layer, a passivation layer that covers the data line and drain electrode and has a contact hole that exposes a portion of the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode that is electrically connected to the drain electrode through the contact hole. The data line and drain electrode each have a double layer that includes a lower layer of titanium and an upper layer of copper, and the lower layer is wider than the upper layer, and the lower layer has a region that is exposed. The gate insulating layer may have a step shape.
US09443862B1
A NAND flash memory includes a select transistor having a first region formed of a stack of layers on the substrate surface, and a second region that includes an opening through an interpoly dielectric layer, floating gate layer, and tunnel dielectric layer, the opening separated from the substrate surface by a select gate dielectric on the substrate surface, the opening filled by a control gate layer.
US09443857B2
Systems and methods of forming semiconductor devices. A trench capacitor comprising deep trenches is formed in an n+ type substrate. The deep trenches have a lower portion partially filled with a trench conductor surrounded by a storage dielectric. A polysilicon growth is formed in an upper portion of the deep trenches. The semiconductor device includes a single-crystal semiconductor having an angled seam separating a portion of the polysilicon growth from an exposed edge of the deep trenches. A word-line is wrapped around the single-crystal semiconductor. A bit-line overlays the single-crystal semiconductor.
US09443849B2
An electronic component includes a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor and a low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor. A source electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically connected to a drain electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor, and a gate electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor is electrically coupled to the source electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor. The on-resistance of the enhancement-mode transistor is less than the on-resistance of the depletion-mode transistor, and the maximum current level of the enhancement-mode transistor is smaller than the maximum current level of the depletion-mode transistor.
US09443846B2
A structure of dual trench rectifier comprises of the following elements. A plurality of trenches are formed parallel in an n− epitaxial layer on an n+ semiconductor substrate and spaced with each other by a mesa. A plurality of recesses are formed on the mesas. Each the trench has a trench oxide layer formed on the sidewalls and bottom thereof, and a first poly silicon layer is filled therein to form MOS structures. Each the recess has a recess oxide layer formed on the sidewalls and bottom thereof, and a second poly silicon layer is filled therein to form MOS structures. A plurality of p type bodies are formed at two sides of the MOS structures in recesses. A top metal is formed above the semiconductor substrate for serving as an anode. A bottom metal is formed beneath the semiconductor substrate for serving as a cathode.
US09443845B1
An integrated circuit comprises a transistor body control circuit for controlling a body of a bidirectional power transistor. The transistor body control circuit comprises switches connected between a body terminal and a first current terminal, with a control terminal for controlling the current flowing through the switch.The control terminal of the switch is connected to alternating current, AC capacitive voltage divider. The AC capacitive voltage dividers are connected to the control terminals and arranged to control the switches to switch the voltage of the body terminal as a function of the voltage between the first current terminal and the second current terminal. The integrated circuit further comprises a bi-directional power transistor connected to the transistor body control circuit.
US09443843B2
The invention provides an integrated circuit device. The integrated circuit device includes a substrate. A first capacitor is disposed on the substrate. A first metal pattern is coupled to a first electrode of the first capacitor. A second metal pattern is coupled to a first electrode of the second capacitor. A third metal pattern is disposed over the first and second metal patterns. The third metal pattern covers the first capacitor, the first metal pattern and the second metal pattern. The third metal pattern is electrically grounding. An inductor is disposed over the third metal pattern.
US09443832B2
A light emitting device includes: a substrate; a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element that are mounted above the substrate; and a heat transfer pattern that is formed on the substrate. A rate of decrease in light output with respect to a temperature increase is greater for the second light emitting element than for the first light emitting element. The second light emitting element is mounted above the substrate via the heat transfer pattern, and the first light emitting element is mounted above the substrate without the heat transfer pattern.
US09443824B1
An integrated circuit (IC) package structure may include a substrate. The substrate may include a semiconductor bridge having a first surface directly on a surface of the substrate that faces a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The semiconductor bridge may be disposed within a cavity extending through a photo-sensitive layer on the surface of the substrate. The semiconductor bridge may have an exposed, second surface substantially flush with the photo-sensitive layer. The first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die are supported by the substrate and coupled together through the semiconductor bridge.
US09443823B2
A semiconductor device comprises a wiring substrate, first and second semiconductor chips mounted on the wiring substrate so as to be spaced apart from each other, a third semiconductor chip mounted on the first and second semiconductor chips, first and second adhesive layers that are provided between the first and second semiconductor chips and the wiring substrate so as to bond the first and second semiconductor chips to the wiring substrate, and a third adhesive layer that is provided between the third semiconductor chip and the first and second semiconductor chips so as to bond the third semiconductor chip to the first and second semiconductor chips, with its thickness being made thicker than that of the first and second adhesive layers, a sealing layer covering the wiring substrate, and a filling layer that is provided between the first and second semiconductor chips and is different from the sealing layer.
US09443808B2
A semiconductor wafer includes circuit integration regions each incorporating an integrated circuit and guard rings disposed to surround the circuit integration regions, respectively. A scribe region disposed between every adjacent two of the guard rings. An element and a pad electrically connected to the element are disposed in the scribe region. A groove is disposed along a corresponding guard ring on a front surface of the semiconductor wafer between the pad and the corresponding guard ring. The distance between the groove and the pad is varied along the corresponding guard ring.
US09443807B2
A device includes a semiconductor chip. An outline of a frontside of the semiconductor chip includes at least one of a polygonal line including two line segments joined together at an inner angle of greater than 90° and an arc-shaped line.
US09443792B1
A power module includes a substrate DMB (Direct Metal Bonded). A novel bridging DMB is surface mounted to the substrate DMB along with power semiconductor device dice. The top metal layer of the bridging DMB has one or more islands to which bonding wires can connect. In one example, an electrical path extends from a module terminal, through a first bonding wire and to a first location on a strip-shaped island, through the island to a second location, and from the second location and through a second bonding wire. The strip-shaped island of the bridging DMB serves as a section of the overall electrical path. Another bonding wire of a separate electrical path passes transversely over the strip-shaped island without any wire crossing any other wire. Use of the bridging DMB promotes bonding wire mechanical strength as well as heat sinking from bonding wires down to the substrate DMB.
US09443791B2
A method of forming semiconductor devices on a leadframe structure. The leadframe structure comprising an array of leadframe sub-structures each having a semiconductor die arranged thereon. The method comprises; providing electrical connections between terminals of said lead frame sub-structures and said leadframe structure; encapsulating said leadframe structure, said electrical connections and said terminals in an encapsulation layer; performing a first series of parallel cuts extending through the leadframe structure and the encapsulation layer to expose a side portion of said terminals; electro-plating said terminals to form metal side pads; and performing a second series of parallel cuts angled with respect to the first series of parallel cuts, the second series of cuts extending through the lead frame structure and the encapsulation layer to singulate a semiconductor device from the leadframe structure.
US09443788B2
A method of manufacturing a through-hole electrode substrate includes forming a plurality of through-holes in a substrate, forming a plurality of through-hole electrodes by filling a conductive material into the plurality of through-holes, forming a first insulation layer on one surface of the substrate, forming a plurality of first openings which expose the plurality of through-hole electrodes corresponding to each of the plurality of through-hole electrodes, on the first insulation layer and correcting a position of the plurality of first openings using the relationship between a misalignment amount of a measured distance value of an open position of a leaning through-hole among the plurality of through-holes and of a design distance value of the open position of the leaning through-hole among the plurality of through-holes with respect to a center position of the substrate.
US09443787B2
An electronic component includes a high-voltage depletion-mode transistor, a low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor arranged adjacent and spaced apart from the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor, and an electrically conductive member electrically coupling a first current electrode of the high-voltage depletion-mode transistor to a first current electrode of the low-voltage enhancement-mode transistor. The electrically conductive member has a sheet-like form.
US09443778B2
It is possible to provide a semiconductor device which can be obtained at a high reliability by warping an insulating substrate stably into a convex shape while ensuring a close contact between a cooling member and the insulating substrate. The semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate, a semiconductor element disposed on a first surface of the insulating substrate, a case connected to the insulating substrate, and a resin filled inside the case. Assuming that the thickness of the insulating substrate is denoted by t1, the thickness of the resin is denoted by t2, the linear expansion coefficient of the insulating substrate is denoted by α1, and the linear expansion coefficient of the resin is denoted by α2, the relationship therebetween satisfies t2≧t1 and α2≧α1, and a second surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the first surface thereof is warped into a convex shape.
US09443774B2
A donor layer that is formed by performing a heat treatment for a crystal defect formed by proton radiation is provided in an n-type drift layer of an n− semiconductor substrate. The donor layer has an impurity concentration distribution including a portion with the maximum impurity concentration and a portion with a concentration gradient in which the impurity concentration is reduce to the same impurity concentration as that of the n-type drift layer in a direction from the portion with the maximum impurity concentration to both surfaces of the n-type drift layer. The crystal defect formed in the n-type drift layer is a composite crystal defect mainly caused by a vacancy, oxygen, and hydrogen.
US09443771B1
A method of removing RMG sidewall layers, and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a TiN layer in nFET and pFET RMG trenches; forming an a-Si layer over the TiN layer; implanting O2 vertically in the a-Si layer; removing the a-Si layer and TiN layer from the side surfaces of the RMG trenches followed by the a-Si layer from the bottom surfaces; forming a TiN layer in the RMG trenches; forming a a-Si layer over the TiN layer; implanting O2 vertically in the a-Si layer; removing the a-Si layer and TiN layer from the side surfaces of the RMG trenches, the a-Si layer from the bottom surfaces, and a remainder of the TiN layer from only the nFET RMG trench; forming a Ti layer in the RMG trenches; implanting Al or C in the Ti layer vertically and annealing; and filling the RMG trenches with Al or W.
US09443763B2
Memory cell array architectures and methods of forming the same are provided. An example method for forming an array of memory cells can include forming a plurality of vertical structures each having a switch element in series with a memory element in series with a top electrode, and forming an interconnection conductive material between the respective top electrodes of the plurality of vertical structures. The interconnection conductive material is etched-back and chemical-mechanical polished (CMPed). A conductive line is formed over the interconnection conductive material after CMPing the interconnection conductive material.
US09443758B2
A stacked integrated circuit includes multiple tiers vertically connecting together. A multi-layer horizontal connecting structure is fabricated inside a substrate of a tier. Layers of the horizontal connecting structure have different patterns as viewed from above the substrate.
US09443747B2
An apparatus for picking and placing or for picking and transferring or for picking, placing and pressing semiconductor components (10) is disclosed. The apparatus (10) comprises a motor for generating power to rotate a turret (6) which holds a plurality of pick up heads (7), a plurality of pressers (8), wherein each of said pressers (8) is a voice coil assembly (3) which consist of voice coil actuator assemblies (31), at least one stationary frame (1, 2) to secure said voice coil assemblies (3) and a controller means to control the direction and magnitude of displacement of said voice coil actuator assemblies (31). When current flows into voice coil in said voice coil actuator assembly (31), electromagnetic force is generated in vertical direction, forcing said actuators to press said pick up heads (7) located directly below said actuators at a particular moment, which in turn reaches to and press on wafers or semiconductor components located below said pick up heads. The pressing force, speed and direction of each actuator can be controlled individually. Furthermore, this invention includes safety measures wherein a real time actuator position feedback system is used to confirm the displacement of said actuators and an urging device (35) is used to return the actuators back to their original position in the event of power outage.
US09443734B2
A semiconductor memory device and a manufacturing method of the semiconductor memory device are provided. The semiconductor memory device can include a substrate in which a cell area and a peripheral area are defined, a first gate insulating layer on the peripheral area, and a poly gate layer on the first gate insulating layer to form a combined stack, wherein the combined stack of the first gate insulating layer and the first poly gate layer is absent from the cell area.
US09443732B1
The method may include forming a plurality of fins on a substrate with first and second regions, forming a photoresist pattern to expose the fins of the first region, forming a material layer to cover the fins of first region and the photoresist pattern, chemically reacting the photoresist pattern the material layer to form a supplemental film on a side surface of the photoresist pattern, performing an ion implantation process using the photoresist pattern and the supplemental film as a ion injection mask to form impurity layers in the fins of the first region.
US09443724B2
A modification processing method includes preparing a substrate having a silicon layer on which a damage layer is formed through plasma processing. The method further includes removing the damage layer formed on the silicon layer by processing the substrate with a first process gas containing a fluorine gas.
US09443722B1
A method for processing a substrate using a plasma chamber. The method includes providing the substrate on a pedestal of the plasma chamber, the substrate having a material layer that has a porous structure and a least one feature formed in the material layer that exposes one or more open pores of the porous structure. The method further includes introducing an inert gas into the plasma chamber so that a pressure of the plasma chamber is increased to a first pressure that is higher than an average process pressure used for depositing a thin film, wherein increasing to the first pressure causes at least some of the inert gas to migrate into the one or more open pores of the porous structure of the material layer and decreasing the pressure of the plasma chamber to a second pressure that is lower than the average process pressure used for depositing the thin film, wherein decreasing the pressure to the second pressure causes at least some of the inert gas in the material layer to outgas from the one or more open pores. The method then includes depositing the thin film over the material layer and the feature formed in the material layer simultaneously while the inert gas outgases from the one or more open pores of the material layer to seal the one or more open pores while the inert gas outgases.
US09443721B2
Disclosed herein is a method of processing a device, comprising providing a substrate having a buffer layer disposed on a back side and forming an outer protection layer over the back side of the buffer layer, forming a thermal layer on the back side of the outer protection layer and heating the substrate through the thermal layer and the back side of the outer protective layer. A back side protection layer may be formed on the back side of the buffer layer. The thermal layer has a thermal emissivity coefficient of about 0.7 or greater and a thickness greater than a roughness of the back side of the outer protection layer. The back side protection layer is an oxide with a thickness between about 20 angstroms and about 50 angstroms. The outer protection layer is a nitride with a thickness between about 50 angstroms and about 300 angstroms.
US09443709B2
A corona discharge ionizer device which emits ions generated by corona discharge to a gas flow to be ionized includes a discharge electrode having a pin configured tip portion. A second grid electrode positioned at a spaced distance from the discharge electrode is provided. The grid electrode is preferably formed from a sheet configured material which has at least one hole formed therein adapted and configured to permit the gas flow to pass therethrough. A power supply is coupled to the discharge electrode and grid electrode configured cause ion emission from the discharge electrode. The power supply is preferably an alternating current power supply configured to produce an alternating electric field region in close proximity to the tip portion of the discharge electrode sufficient to cause avalanche breakdown in the gas flowing in close proximity to the tip portion of the discharge electrode.
US09443704B2
A stable etching process is realized at an earlier stage by specifying the combination of wavelength and time interval, which exhibits a minimum prediction error of etching processing result within a short period. For this, the combination of wavelength and time interval is generated from wavelength band of plasma emission generated upon etching of the specimen, the prediction error upon prediction of etching process result is calculated with respect to each combination of wavelength and time interval, the wavelength combination is specified based on the calculated prediction error, the prediction error is further calculated by changing the time interval with respect to the specified wavelength combination, and the combination of wavelength and time interval, which exhibits the minimum value of calculated prediction error is selected as the wavelength and the time interval used for predicting the etching processing process.
US09443701B2
Disclosed is an etching method for selectively etching an oxidation layer made of silicon from a processing target object having the oxidation layer within a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The etching method includes: forming an altered layer by generating plasma of a gas containing hydrogen, nitrogen, and fluorine to alter the oxidation layer; and after the forming the altered layer, irradiating secondary electrons to the processing target object to remove the altered layer within the processing chamber, in which a negative direct current voltage is applied on an upper electrode of the plasma processing apparatus so that positive ions generated from plasma collide against the upper electrode and thus the secondary electrons are emitted from the upper electrode.
US09443700B2
A plasma reactor that generates plasma in a workpiece processing chamber by an electron beam, has an electron beam source and segmented suppression electrode with individually biased segments to control electron beam density distribution.
US09443697B2
A carbonaceous material is removed using a low energy focused ion beam in the presence of an etch-assisting gas. Applicant has discovered that when the beam energy of the FIB is lowered, an etch-assisting gas, such as O2, greatly increases the etch rate. In one example, polyimide material etched using a Xe+ plasma FIB with a beam energy from 8 keV to 14 keV and O2 as an etch-assisting gas, the increase in etch rate can approach 30× as compared to the default mill rate.
US09443692B2
The invention provides a charged particle beam system wherein the middle section of the focused ion beam column is biased to a high negative voltage allowing the beam to move at higher potential than the final beam energy inside that section of the column. At low kV potential, the aberrations and coulomb interactions are reduced, which results in significant improvements in spot size.
US09443691B2
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to electron emitters for use in conjunction with X-ray emitting devices. In certain embodiments the emitter includes features that prevent, limit, or control deflection of the electron emitter at operating temperatures. In this manner, the electron emitter may be kept substantially flat or at a desired curvature during operation.
US09443674B1
An illuminated keyboard device includes plural keys, a membrane switch circuit module and plural light-emitting elements. The membrane switch circuit module is located under the plural keys. The plural light-emitting elements and plural light source wiring lines are disposed on the membrane switch circuit module. The plural light-emitting elements are connected with each other through the plural light source wiring lines. Since the plural light-emitting elements and the plural light source wiring lines are disposed on the membrane switch circuit module, it is not necessary to install a backlight module.
US09443668B2
A torque regulator assembly is for a stored energy assembly of an electrical switching apparatus. The torque regulator assembly includes: a drive assembly including a gear and a transfer assembly disposed on the gear, the gear being structured to be cooperable with at least one charging mechanism of the stored energy assembly; and a shaft extending through the gear. The drive assembly is structured to move between a driving position and a non-driving position. In the driving position, the gear is cooperable with the transfer assembly to drive the shaft. In the non-driving position, the gear rotates independently with respect to the transfer assembly.
US09443661B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a power storage device with excellent cycle property, employing a cathode containing a nitroxyl polymer. To attain the object in the present invention, in the power storage device employing a cathode comprising a nitroxyl polymer, a lithium or lithium alloy anode is used as an anode active material and the cathode is in direct contact with the anode.
US09443660B2
One aspect provides a capacitor feedthrough assembly having an electrically conductive member dimensioned to extend at least partially through a feedthrough hole of a case of the capacitor, the conductive member having a passage therethrough.
US09443658B2
A variable capacitor (300) comprises cells (200, 400) that have an RF electrode (202, 402) coupled to a bond pad (30). Each cell comprises a plurality of MEMS devices (100) the capacitance of which can be changed by means of a movable electrode. The MEMS devices are placed in a sealed cavity of the cell and are arranged next to each other along the length of the RF electrode of the cell. The RF electrode of each cell can be trimmed so as to obtain an RF line (402) and a further ground electrode (404) and so as to scale the RF capacitance of the cell without impacting the mechanical performance of the MEMS cells. Each cell has the same control capacitance irrespective of the RF capacitance. This allows each cell to use the same isolation resistor required for RF operation and thus each cell has the same parasitic capacitance. This allows the CMOS control circuit to be optimized and the dynamic performance of the cells to be matched.
US09443657B1
A variable capacitor structure using calibration plates, dual variable distance calibration plates, and/or interleaving extentions to the calibration plates.
US09443654B2
A multilayer ceramic electronic component achieves a high electrostatic capacitance and includes an Al inner electrode superior in smoothness and conductivity. The multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a multilayer body including a plurality of stacked ceramic layers and a plurality of inner electrodes arranged along certain interfaces between the ceramic layers and containing Al as a main component, and an outer electrode located on an outer surface of the multilayer body. A surface of the inner electrode is covered with a layer including a noble metal or Ti as a main component.
US09443653B2
A rare earth magnet may include a formed body having magnetic powder containing rare earth metal, the formed body being magnetized, a coating film which is formed on an outer face of the formed body, and a rust preventive treatment layer which is formed on a surface of the magnetic powder in a pore of the formed body. In a manufacturing method for a rare earth magnet, a forming step is performed in which a formed body having magnetic powder containing rare earth metal is formed, after that, a coating film forming step is performed in which a coating film is formed on an outer face of the formed body and, after that, a rust prevention processing step is performed in which rust preventive liquid is impregnated into the formed body.
US09443652B2
Provided are a soft magnetic core having an excellent high current DC biased characteristic and an excellent core loss characteristic and a manufacturing method thereof. The method includes the steps of: after classifying nanocrystalline grains obtained by grinding metal ribbons prepared by using a rapid solidification process (RSP), mixing alloy powders so that a particle size distribution is configured to have a particle size of 75˜100 μm with 10˜85 wt %, a particle size of 50˜75 μm with 10˜70 wt %, and a particle size 5˜50 μm with 5˜20 wt %, to thus prepare the soft magnetic cores by using nanocrystalline alloy powders having an excellent high current DC biased characteristic and an excellent core loss characteristic.
US09443643B2
An insulated wire, containing: a conductor; a foamed insulating layer; and an unfoamed filled layer on the outer circumference of the foamed insulating layer, in which the filled layer contains a partial discharge resistant material, which insulated wire has all of high partial discharge inception voltage, resistance to partial discharge, heat resistance, and abrasion resistance (scratch resistance).
US09443642B2
The present invention provides an electrical wire which includes a conductor portion comprising a plurality of element wires being twisted together, and an insulating covering portion disposed over the conductor portion. Each of element wires is formed of aluminum or aluminum alloy material, and has a circular cross-section. The stranding pitch of the element wires is at least three times greater than a pitch diameter of the conductor portion but no more than thirty times greater than the pitch diameter of the conductor portion.
US09443634B2
Provided is an atmospheric electron particle beam nozzle, with a nozzle body having a lumen disposed therethrough; an electrode that is disposed within the lumen, optionally concentrically with the nozzle body, to define an output chamber within the lumen that encompasses the electrode. Also provided is an atmospheric electron particle beam system that provides: a nozzle, that supplies a nozzle body having a lumen disposed therethrough; an electrode disposed within the lumen, optionally concentrically with the nozzle body, to define an output chamber; an RF generator that is in communication with a transformer having a number of turns and connected to a vacuum variable capacitor, and connected electrically to the electrode; and a fluid source that supplies the nozzle with a fluid. Also herein is a method of projecting an electron beam, by projecting an electron charged fluid sheath over a distance, and projecting the electron beam within the sheath.
US09443625B2
Method for storing high level radioactive waste. In one embodiment, the invention comprises: (a) providing a body portion comprising a floor, an open top end, an inner shell forming a cavity having, an outer shell surrounding the inner shell so as to form a space therebetween, and at least one opening in the inner shell that forms a passageway from the space into a bottom of the cavity; (b) placing a canister containing high level radioactive waste into the cavity; and (c) positioning a lid having at least one outlet vent atop the inner and outer shells so as to enclose the open top end of the body portion and the at least one outlet vent forming a passageway from a top of the cavity to the ambient atmosphere; and wherein at least one inlet vent forms a passageway from an ambient atmosphere to the space.
US09443615B2
Apparatuses and methods for memory testing with data compression is described. An example apparatus includes a plurality of latch test circuits, wherein each of the plurality of latch test circuits is coupled to a corresponding global data line of a memory. Each of the latch test circuits is configured to receive test data and is configured to latch data from the corresponding global data line or a corresponding mask bit. Each of the plurality of latch test circuits is further configured to output data based at least in part on the corresponding mask bit. A comparison circuit is coupled to an output of each of the latch test circuits and is configured to compare output data provided by each of the latch test circuits and provide a comparator output having a logical value indicative of whether all the output data matches.
US09443614B2
One feature pertains to a single data pattern being read from a pattern register located within a memory circuit or device. At least one of the plurality of data patterns is derived from the single data pattern, and the plurality of data patterns may be used in a test and sent to an output driver of the memory circuit. The plurality of data patterns may include a first data pattern and a second data pattern. The first data pattern may be derived from the single data pattern. The second data pattern is one of either a true copy of the single data pattern, an inverse copy of the single data pattern, an all zero bits data pattern, or an all one bits data pattern.
US09443613B2
For performing advanced memory test diagnostics, an apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory that stores code executable by the processor, an address space module that identifies an address space having a plurality of blocks of memory addresses, a memory diagnostic module that performs, at least three times, a memory test procedure using a block pattern, wherein a first block pattern is used the first time, a second block pattern is used the second time, and a third block pattern is used the third time, and a memory fault module that determines the presence of a memory fault based on results of the memory test procedures.
US09443602B2
According to one embodiment, a storage device includes a storage medium, a DLL circuit, a latch circuit, and a delay amount adjustment circuit. The DLL circuit gives a predetermined amount of delay to an inputted clock signal, the latch circuit latches data outputted from the storage medium in accordance with the clock signal delayed in the DLL circuit, the delay amount adjustment circuit adjusts the delay amount that the DLL circuit is to give to the clock signal based on a latch result by the latch circuit.
US09443601B2
The various embodiments described herein include circuits, methods and/or devices used to protect data in a storage device. In one aspect, a method includes performing a power fail operation on a first section of the storage device. The power fail operation includes supplying power, via an energy storage device, to the first section of the storage device, where the energy storage device is distinct from a power source used during normal operation of the storage device, and where supplying power via the energy storage device includes switching the output of the energy storage device from an output of a boost regulator to an input of the boost regulator. The power fail operation also includes performing data hardening on the first section of the storage device.
US09443597B2
A technique for erasing non-volatile memory such as a NAND string which includes non-user data or dummy storage elements. The voltages of the non-user data storage elements are capacitively coupled higher by controlled increases in an erase voltage which is applied to a substrate. The voltages are floated by rendering a pass gate transistor in a non-conductive state, where the pass gate transistor is between a voltage driver and a non-user data storage element. Voltages of select gate transistors can also be capacitively coupled higher. The substrate voltage can be increased in steps and/or as a continuous ramp. In one approach, outer dummy storage elements are floated while inner dummy storage elements are driven. In another approach, both outer and inner dummy storage elements are floated. Write-erase endurance of the storage elements is increased due to reduced charge trapping between the select gates and the dummy storage elements.
US09443595B2
According to one embodiment, each memory chip included in a memory package includes a first storage unit that stores therein first information that is n-bit information and is a comparison target of a chip address, and is used for identifying its own memory chip, a second storage unit that stores therein second information for determining an effective bit of the n-bit first information, and a control unit that determines an effective bit of the n-bit first information and an effective bit of the chip address based on the second information.
US09443594B2
A logic embedded nonvolatile memory device is provided which includes a first erase gate line for erasing a plurality of first memory cells; a second erase gate line electrically separated from the first erase gate line and for erasing a plurality of second memory cells; a global erase gate line supplied with an erase voltage; and an erase gate selection switch formed between the first memory cells and the second memory cells, wherein the erase gate selection switch connects the global erase gate line to the first erase gate line or the second erase gate line according to an erase control signal.
US09443593B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes memory units each includes a first transistor, memory cell transistors, and a second transistor serially coupled between first and second ends. A memory cell transistor of each memory unit has its gate electrode coupled to each other. A bit line is coupled to the first ends. First and second drivers output voltage applied to selected and unselected first transistors, respectively. Third and fourth drivers output voltage applied to selected and unselected second transistors, respectively. A selector couples the gate electrode of the first transistor of each memory unit to the first or second driver, and that of the second transistor of each memory unit to the third or fourth driver.
US09443589B2
A method for reading out a non-volatile memory element having at least two stable states 0 and 1. This memory element comprises at least one resistive memory cell, which encodes the two states 0 and 1 into a state HRS having higher electrical resistance and a state LRS having lower electrical resistance. In the two states 0 and 1, the memory element has differing capacitances C0,1; this difference is used to determine which state is present. A memory element is selected in which a fixed capacitance that is independent of the state of the memory cell is connected in series with the memory cell. A series connection of a resistive memory cell with a fixed capacitance, instead of with a second resistive memory cell, improves the signal strength during capacitive read-out. The second memory cell becomes indispensable for the memory function when the memory element is read out capacitively. Moreover memory elements were developed which combine a field effect transistor or a DRAM structure with a resistive memory cell or an antiserial series connection of such memory cells.
US09443578B2
This invention discloses a HiNAND array scheme with multiple-level of bit lines (BLs) including metal3 global bit lines (GBLs), divided metal2 Segment bit lines (SBLs), and divided metal1 block bit lines (BBLs) laid out in parallel to each other respectively for a plurality of NAND Strings. All other source lines or power lines connected to bottoms of corresponding String capacitances of GBLs, SBLs, and BBLs are associated with metal0 line laid out perpendicular to those BLs. Under the HiNAND array scheme, conventional one-WL Read and Program-Verify operations are replaced by multiple-WL and All-BL Read and Program-Verify operations executed with charge capacitance of SBLs being reduced to 1/10- 1/20 of capacitance of GBLs to achieve DRAM-like faster operation, less operation stress, and lower power consumption. A preferred set of program biased voltages on the selected WL and remaining non-selected WLs associated with a Multiplier and a DRAM-like charge-sharing Latch Sensing Amplifier is proposed.
US09443577B2
The present invention is directed to a magnetic random access memory comprising a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) including a first magnetic reference layer and a first magnetic free layer with a first insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween; a second MTJ including a second magnetic reference layer and a second magnetic free layer with a second insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween; and an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed between the first and second variable magnetic free layers. The first and second magnetic free layers have a first and second magnetization directions, respectively, that are perpendicular to the layer planes thereof. The first magnetic reference layer has a first pseudo-fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the layer plane thereof. The second magnetic reference layer has a second pseudo-fixed magnetization direction that is substantially perpendicular to the layer plane thereof and is substantially opposite to the first pseudo-fixed magnetization direction.
US09443563B2
In a memory module including a memory cell array including memory cells arranged in matrix, each including a first transistor using an oxide semiconductor and a first capacitor; a reference cell including a p-channel third transistor, a second capacitor, and a second transistor using an oxide semiconductor; and a refresh timing detection circuit including a resistor and a comparator, wherein when a potential is supplied to the first capacitor through the first transistor, a potential is supplied to the second capacitor through the second transistor, wherein a drain current value of the third transistor is changed in accordance with the potential stored in the second capacitor, and wherein when the drain current value of the third transistor is higher than a given value, a refresh operation of the memory cell array and the reference cell are performed.
US09443562B2
Subject matter disclosed herein may relate to word line electrodes and/or digit line electrodes in a cross-point array memory device. One or more word line electrodes may be configured to form a socket area to provide connection points to drivers and/or other circuitry that may be located within a footprint of an array of memory cells.
US09443557B2
A recording apparatus includes a data recording unit configured to record data in a cartridge which is mounted on a cartridge mounting unit and stores a plurality of recording media, the data recording unit being configured to record a first resolution video data file having a first resolution in a first recording medium of the cartridge and record, in a second recording medium of the cartridge, a second resolution video data file having another resolution lower than the first resolution corresponding to the first resolution video data file recorded in the first recording medium.
US09443549B2
A control unit refers to a logical library information storage unit in response to a reception of an export process command from an external device, identifies one of the logical library units which is correlated with a physical recording medium in a physical library unit which has been ordered by the export process command to been ejected from an ejection slot, and correlates, in the identified logical library unit, the ejection slot to a logical recording medium which is correlated to the physical recording medium which has been ordered to been ejected.
US09443537B2
A voice processing device includes a processor; and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, causing the processor to execute: acquiring an input voice; detecting a sound period included in the input voice and a silent period adjacent to a back end of the sound period; calculating a number of words included in the sound period; and controlling a length of the silent period according to the number of words.
US09443529B2
An integrated sensor-array processor and method includes sensor array time-domain input ports to receive sensor signals from time-domain sensors. A sensor transform engine (STE) creates sensor transform data from the sensor signals and applies sensor calibration adjustments. Transducer time-domain input ports receive time-domain transducer signals, and a transducer output transform engine (TTE) generates transducer output transform data from the transducer signals. A spatial filter engine (SFE) applies suppression coefficients to the sensor transform data, to suppress target signals received from noise locations and/or amplification locations. A blocking filter engine (BFE) applies subtraction coefficients to the sensor transform data, to subtract the target signals from the sensor transform data. A noise reduction filter engine (NRE) subtracts noise signals from the BFE output. An inverse transform engine (ITE) generates time-domain data from the NRE output.
US09443519B1
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media (transitory and non-transitory) are provided herein for reducing latency caused by switching input modalities. In various implementations, a first input such as text input may be received at a first modality of a multimodal interface provided by an electronic device. In response to determination that the first input satisfies one or more criteria, the electronic device may preemptively establish a session between the electronic device and a query processor configured to process input received at a second modality (e.g., voice input) of the multimodal interface. In various implementations, the electronic device may receive a second input (e.g., voice input) at the second modality of the multimodal interface, initiate processing of at least a portion of the second input at the query processor within the session, and build a complete query based on output from the query processor.
US09443517B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training a neural network. One of the methods includes accessing a first neural network that was trained to recognize a given keyword or keyphrase using a set of hotword training data, wherein the hotword training data includes positive hotword training data that correspond to utterances of the keyword or keyphrase, and negative hotword training data that corresponds to utterances of words or phrases that are other than the keyword or keyphrase, selecting a seed hotsound, mapping, to a feature space, (i) the positive hotword training data, (ii) the negative hotword training data, and (iii) the seed hotsound, performing an optimization of a position of the seed hotsound within the feature space to generate a modified seed hotsound, generating a set of hotsound training data using the modified seed hotsound, training a second neural network to recognize the modified seed hotsound using the generated set of hotsound training data, and using the trained second neural network to recognize the modified hotsound.
US09443516B2
A method for far-field speech recognition can include determining a location for a plurality of sound recognition devices, communicatively coupling each of the plurality of sound recognition devices, adjusting a sound reception for the plurality of sound recognition devices to receive a voice command from a particular direction, and sending instructions to a device based on the voice command.
US09443514B1
A system is configured to obtain a first voice request, from a client, to access a voice processing system that processes voice communications received from clients; determine a first pace at which terms, associated with the first voice request, are spoken by a user of the client; determine a second pace, associated with the user, based on terms, associated with other voice requests, spoken by the user and users of the clients prior to receiving the first voice request by using a weighted average of the pace associated with the user of the client and a pace associated with the users of the clients other than the client; compare the first pace to the second pace; determine a third pace based on the comparison; and send, to the client, a voice response to be outputted at the third pace.
US09443510B2
The present specification relates to a speech recognition apparatus and method capable of accurately recognizing the speech of a user in an easy and convenient manner without the user having to operate a speech recognition start button or the like. The speech recognition apparatus according to embodiments of the present specification comprises: a camera for capturing a user image; a microphone; a control unit for detecting a preset user gesture from the user image, and, if a nonlexical word is detected from the speech signal which is input through the microphone from the point in time at which the user gesture was detected, determining the speech signal detected after the detected nonlexical word as an effective speech signal; and a speech recognition unit for recognizing the effective speech signal.
US09443505B2
A system for infrasonic pressure fluctuation (infrasound) control of a structure defining an interior. The system includes a reversible compressor including a housing defining an interior opening interface open to the interior of the structure and an exterior opening interface open to an exterior of the structure, and including at least one controllable element to generate positive pressure flows and negative pressure flows between the interior opening interface and the exterior opening interface. The system includes a first pressure sensor located to sense pressure indicative of the interior of the structure, a second pressure sensor located to sense pressure indicative of the exterior of the structure, and at least one controller configured to control the at least one controllable element of the compressor to cancel pressure oscillations within the interior of the structure based on the pressures detected by the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor.
US09443490B2
Disclosed is a test and measurement instrument that includes a signal input structured to receive a modulated radio frequency (RF) signal under test and a demodulator structured to extract a digital signal from the received modulated RF signal. The extracted digital signal has a measurable parameter. The instrument also includes a display controller structured to display the extracted demodulated signal at one of at least two different intensities based on the measured parameter of the digital signal. In other embodiments the signal need not be an RF signal. Methods of operation are also described.
US09443478B2
A light source device capable of preventing luminance from being decreased, a driving method of the light source device and a display device having the light source device are disclosed. Alight source device includes a plurality of light-emitting diode (“LED”) strings and an LED driving circuit. The LED strings include LEDs emitting lights connected in serial. The LED driving circuit supplies a driving voltage to the LED strings. The LED driving circuit maximizes the driving voltage supplied to the LED strings by using the minimum string current of string currents supplied to each LED string in an initial driving period. The LED driving circuit supplies the maximum driving voltage to the LED strings by blocking a current flowing through a sensing resistor disposed to sense the minimum string current in a normal driving period.
US09443464B2
An organic light emitting display device having a stage circuit capable of creating a scan signal and a light emitting control signal. The stage circuit includes a control unit controlling a first node and a second node corresponding to signals of a first input terminal, a third input terminal, and a fourth input terminal, a first output unit supplying a light emitting control signal to a second output terminal corresponding to voltages at the first node and the second node, and a second output unit supplying a scan signal having different polarity than that of the light emitting control signal to a first output terminal corresponding to a signal of a second input terminal and voltages at the first node and the second node.
US09443460B2
A luminescence shock avoidance algorithm selectively limits the brightness level of a display device when the display device is activated in a dark environment to prevent the temporary vision impairment that can occur when a display device is activated in a dark environment. The algorithm receives the state of the display (e.g. on or in standby mode), and can optionally receive an ambient lighting value from an ambient light sensor and a user-selectable manual brightness adjustment setting to determine whether luminescence shock avoidance should even be triggered, and if it is triggered, how much should the brightness level of the display be limited.
US09443459B2
A flat display panel includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of data lines, a plurality of tracking gate lines and a display area. The display area is disposed with pixel modules therein. Each pixel module includes a first pixel unit and a second pixel unit. The first pixel unit is configured to determine whether to receive a data transmitted on the first predetermined data line according to a voltage level of the first predetermined gate line. The second pixel unit is configured to determine whether to receive a voltage level of the second predetermined gate line according to a voltage level of the first predetermined gate line and determine whether to receive a data from the first pixel unit according to a voltage level received from the second predetermined gate line.
US09443452B2
An information system for displaying information, the system including a light source 2, an optical element OP having an optical axis to display information by directing light received at an entrance surface 5 from the light source through the optical element to an exit surface 6 for the light to exit the optical element, and, an absorber 10 to absorb sunlight entering the optical element at the exit surface. The system includes a reflector 12, 13 to reflect sunlight entering the optical element at the exit surface to the absorber 10 to absorb the reflected sunlight.
US09443451B2
The present system and method provides for a new digital media paradigm enabling tight choreography of motion, content and, time able to be presented on a variety of hardware platforms consisting of robotic control of a multiplicity of display screens in the form of a movable array of 2 or more LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs, etc., with the movement and placement of each display achieved by one multi-axis manipulator arm mechanism. Motion control is achieved through software programmed onto one or more controller systems, and the corresponding tools necessary for creative visual designers to produce content meeting this new paradigm are also proposed. Each arm/display screen combination is kept aware of its positioning in physical space, relative to the positioning of each and every other arm/display screen at all times, in order to prevent collisions. The preprogrammed software control takes the form of a choreographed playlist of movements, content, and time that match the desired positioning of the array of display screens, in order to achieve the desired dynamic presentation of custom-produced digital content that will be presented across the array, in a fully coordinated fashion.
US09443449B2
A self-laminating rotating cable marker label is constructed of a transparent film having a first adhesive area, an adhesive-free smooth area, and a second adhesive area. A print-on area forms one side of the transparent film, the print-on area adapted to receive indicia identifying the cable about which the marker label is applied. A perforation extends across the transparent film providing a line of separation of the transparent film. When wrapped around a cable, the second adhesive area overlies the print-on area such that the cable identifying indicia is visible through the transparent second adhesive area. As the transparent film is wrapped around the cable, the first adhesive area adheres to the cable. The remainder of the transparent film is rotated, breaking the perforation, whereby the smooth area of the film in contact with the cable provides smooth rotation of the label around the cable.
US09443447B2
A digital map of an airport is displayed via the user interface of a client device, and real-time flight information of a flight scheduled to depart from, or arrive at, an airport is obtained. An airport facility with which the real-time flight information is associated is determined, and the real-time flight information is displayed at a location on the digital map corresponding to the determined airport facility.
US09443442B2
A computing device may include a display, a memory to store electronic book data having a plurality of different content layers each associated with a different content difficulty level, and a processor coupled to the display and the memory. The processor may determine a selected content difficulty level for viewing of the electronic book data, and display on the display the respective content layer of the electronic book data associated with the selected content difficulty level.
US09443439B2
The present invention provides a figure plate set for learning that comprises a first triangular plate (1) having an angle of 45°, an angle of 45°, and an angle of 90° and a second triangular plate (2) having an angle of 30°, an angle of 60°, and an angle of 90°. A length of one of two orthogonal sides (7, 8) of the first triangular plate (1) is same as a length of one of two orthogonal sides (14, 16) of the second triangular plate. A new triangular shape can be formed by combining the first triangular plate (1) and the second triangular plate (2).
US09443429B2
A method to display a registered graphic upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display within a source vehicle includes monitoring an operating environment of the source vehicle, monitoring a driver registration input, determining a recommended continuous gaze location based upon the operating environment and the driver registration input, and displaying the registered graphic upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display.
US09443422B2
Methods and systems for modifying a carrier frequency for a trainable transmitter may include receiving a request to transmit a control signal from the trainable transmitter to a receiver. A transmission of a first control signal may be made using a trained carrier frequency and a control data. At least part of the carrier frequency may be shifted by a frequency increment. A second control signal may then be generated using the carrier frequency shifted by the frequency increment and the control data. The second control signal may then be transmitted.
US09443419B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for the use of sensor links in a network to estimate the breathing rate of a breathing subject within a structure, estimate the location of the subject within the structure, and detect if the subject is breathing. The structure may be a bed, a building, or a room in the building. The received signal strength of the sensor links is obtained and is then used in various breathing models to determine the breathing rate estimation, the location estimation, and the breathing detection.
US09443416B2
A fire alarm system includes a transceiver. The transceiver has: a housing; conductors for receiving power from power lines; power output conductors for transmitting the power to a local alarm; and a connector for the alarm conductor of the local alarm. The transceiver has a trigger circuit, responsive to an alarm condition. A transmitter circuit responds to the alarm condition by injecting a signal onto a power conductor, using power line carrier technology. A receiver circuit responds to a second signal, similar to the first signal, by triggering the transmitter circuit; and by triggering the local alarm.
US09443413B2
A computing device is described that can receive contextual information related to a user associated with the computing device. The contextual information may relate to at least one of a physiological condition of the user at a current time or a type of activity associated with the user at the current time. The computing device can select, based at least in part on the contextual information, a type of alert to output as an indication of notification data. The type of alert may include at least one of an electric stimulus type alert, a shape-memory alloy type alert, and a vibration type alert. Responsive to selecting the type of alert, the computing device can output an alert based on the notification data, the alert being of the selected type of alert.
US09443410B1
A personal safety response system comprises a wearable device to be worn by a user, the wearable device includes a speaker configured for generating audio notification, an exterior visual indicator configured for generating visual notification, a vibrator configured for generating haptic notification, a panic button, a radio frequency transceiver, and a controller configured to recognize a first set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a notification to a base telephone. The base telephone includes a radio frequency transceiver configured for two-way communication with the wearable device, and transmit and receive data over the telecommunication network and Internet, a memory, a processor configured to recognize a second set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a notification to the wearable device, a user input device configured to receive user input, and a display screen configured to display information associated with the notification transmitted to the wearable device.
US09443407B2
An Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system is provided wherein the system is configured to detect passive radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags. The system can be configured to read the passive RFID tags and produce a corresponding emulated EAS signal to initiate an alarm on a detected tag. The system can transmit the emulated EAS signal to a legacy EAS system thereby utilizing an existing EAS infrastructure. In some embodiments, a composite EAS system is configured to detect RFID tags and other EAS tags, wherein the composite EAS system comprises a legacy EAS system and an RFID-based EAS system configured to produce an emulated EAS signal.
US09443406B2
A tag controller is configured to interface with a tag on a product in a monitoring environment that includes first and second monitoring zones. The first monitoring zone includes first locator devices, and the second monitoring zone includes second locator devices. The tag controller includes processing circuitry configured to facilitate operation of the tag in a first mode to employ wireless communication with the first locator devices or the second locator devices to generate position information usable for locating the tag in the monitoring environment. The first mode defines communication parameters associated with the wireless communication. The processing circuitry may also be configured to determine whether mode switch criteria are met, and direct the tag to switch to operation in a second mode to employ different communication parameters relative to wireless communication with the first locator devices or the second locator devices responsive to the mode switch criteria being met.
US09443404B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to security systems for securing an item of merchandise from theft or unauthorized removal. For example, the security system may include a sensor configured to be coupled to the item of merchandise and a base configured to removably support the sensor and the item of merchandise thereon. The base includes a charging circuit for providing power to the sensor and/or the item of merchandise. The security system also includes a controller operably coupled to the base and a key configured to wirelessly communicate with the base and/or controller. The sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the base.
US09443403B2
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for visually and audibly indicating the setup and maintenance of a system.
US09443398B2
Examples disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for utilizing one or more reel-of-one symbol functionalities. The electronic gaming device may include a memory, a processor, and a plurality of reels. The plurality of reels may include one or more areas. The memory may include one or more reel-of-one functionality modules. The processor may generate one or more symbols to be located in the one or more areas and to generate one or more reel-of-one symbol groupings to be placed on one or more reels.
US09443396B2
The present invention combines aspects of social media with traditional lottery games. In one aspect, the present invention provides lottery game for drawing-based and instant-based games, where the numbers or icons that are traditionally used are replaced by player profiles.
US09443393B2
A multi-site tournament gaming system and method are disclosed wherein multiple casino operators are engaged to initiate a series of player qualifying events and to hold a multi-session tournament of the qualified players to determine the site winners; and, a final tournament is operated wherein the site winners are provided prizes and compete to be named the ultimate champion.
US09443384B2
A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system is configured to establish a secure communication session between an electronic gaming machine and a portable electronic device. The system can confirm that a communication session is secure by displaying pre-selected content unique to the portable electronic device. The content can be continuously displayed on the EGM during the active communication session to indicate that the session is secure.
US09443381B2
For facilitating re-experience of an event of a gaming device with a player, data is gathered in a data processing device, in communication with, yet external to, the gaming device, the data processing device having been provided a sampling of data from the gaming device by a gaming system having supervisory hierarchical control over the gaming device. At least a portion of the sampled data is processed to generate a facsimile animation re-creation of the event to be provided to the player. The facsimile animation re-creation is editable through the data processing device by use of at least one predefined rule, an operator of the data processing device, and a player granted subsequent access to the data processing device.
US09443375B2
The present invention provides players with fun brought by a moveable component. A gaming machine includes a game result determination unit, that determines a game result; a game execution unit, that executes a game in such a manner as to reach the game result; a moveable component, disposed at a position visible from outside and configured to be capable of mechanical movement; and a movement control unit, which enables the moveable component to move in a movement pattern corresponding to the game result.
US09443373B2
The present invention relates to a beverage preparation machine (1) having an extended user-advisory functionality, comprising a control unit (21) for recognizing an actual or upcoming event triggering said user-advisory functionality, such as a disturbance of such machine (1) based on monitored machine parameters or a machine contextual event, a communication module (11) for communicating with a remote external device (50) via a communication network (501, 511), and a display (10) for displaying messages, wherein the control unit (21) in said user-advisory functionality is further adapted to establish a connection via the communication module (11) to said external device (50) offering a resource for managing the actual or upcoming event, and to control the display of a message on the display (10) indicating the actual or upcoming event and advising a user on managing said event. The present invention further relates to a program stored on a memory device and executable by a control unit (21) of the beverage preparation machine (1) for providing an extended user-advisory functionality for a beverage preparation machine (1).
US09443369B2
The invention provides a system to physically dispense an item, including tangible items and/or services or features, on-site from a dispenser whereby the item to be dispensed is selected by the system based on user-specific or item-specific information. In an embodiment, the system selects the dispensed item based on both user-specific and item-specific information. In another embodiment the invention comprises a system that activates gaming features in a gaming device based on user-specific information. In another embodiment, the invention comprises a system incorporated into an interactive amusement system to activate features of a playfield based on user-specific information.
US09443361B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for preventing unauthorized persons from using an electronic device within a facility. In such an embodiment, the system may include a RFID tag having unique identification information associated with a wearer of the RFID tag. The RFID tag may be comprised in a non-removable item worn by the wearer, such as a bracelet. This system may also include an RFID reader associated with the electronic device and having an RFID coverage zone for detecting RFID tags within the coverage zone. A device management system may be connected to the reader and configured to determine whether a wearer in the coverage zone is authorized to use the electronic device based at least in part on detected RFID tag's unique identification information. In such an embodiment, the device management system is configured to activate the electronic device if it determines the authorized wearer is detected in the coverage zone.
US09443352B1
A computer generates one or more geometric rays at a predetermined height above one or more portions of an avatar's body in a virtual environment. Once the rays are generated, the computer computes intersections of the one or more rays with a collision mesh that defines a terrain of the virtual environment at the location of the avatar. Then, the computer computes the point of intersection of each of the one or more rays with the collision mesh. Using the points of intersection, the computer calculates an offset in an elevation and/or an offset in an orientation of the avatar with respect to the terrain in the virtual environment. Further, the computer adjusts the elevation and/or the orientation of the avatar based on the calculated offset in the elevation and/or the elevation in the orientation, respectively, such that the adjusted elevation and/or orientation compensates for the calculated offsets.
US09443349B2
An electronic apparatus and a method for incremental pose estimation and photographing are provided. In the method, at least two images of a 3D object are captured at different positions encircling the 3D object. Displacements and angular displacements are detected when capturing the images. Features of the 3D object in the images, the displacements and the angular displacements are used to estimate a central position of the 3D object and a distance between the electronic apparatus and the 3D object. A circumference suitable for capturing the images of the 3D object is estimated based on the distance and is divided into several segments, and a timing interval of a timer is adjusted based on a length of the segments. A camera of the electronic apparatus is triggered at intervals set by the timer to capture the images of the 3D object.
US09443344B2
Some embodiments of the invention pertain to a method for displaying a representation of a portion of a three-dimensional surface by rendering data representing physical features of the portion of the three-dimensional surface. The data may be apportioned into a multitude of tiles at a plurality of different detail levels. The representation may include a multitude of image pixels and/or a buffer being assigned to each image pixel. The method may also include identifying tiles that need to be rendered, and rendering the identified tiles. At least a portion of a tile may be displayed by a multitude of image pixels, by assigning an unambiguous distance value to each of the identified tiles, and storing a default buffer value in the buffers of the image pixels. The rendering may include comparing the buffer values of image pixels and the distance value of a presently rendered tile.
US09443342B2
An information processing apparatus includes an operation unit, and a control unit that displays, on a display unit, a data image representing the contents of temporally continuous data along a time axis. Here, when a gesture operation for cutting the data image perpendicularly to the time axis is performed through the operation unit, the control unit divides the data at a position on the time axis in accordance with the position cut by the gesture operation.
US09443331B2
Techniques for an input object for routing input for visual elements are described. In at least some embodiments, a region of a display area includes multiple graphic elements that can be generated and/or managed by different graphics functionalities. For instance, a graphical user interface (GUI) for an application can include a primary window and visual elements within the primary window, such as banners, control buttons, menus, Tillable fields, and so forth. In at least some embodiments, the primary window of the GUI can be managed by a first graphics functionality, while one or more visual elements within the primary window can be managed by a second graphics functionality. In accordance with one or more embodiments, an input object is employed to route input to visual elements to a graphics functionality responsible for managing the visual elements.
US09443330B2
Systems and methods are provided for data reconstruction. In accordance with one aspect, data interpolation is performed on a time-varying three-dimensional (3D) image dataset of one or more vessel-like structures to generate at least one interpolated voxel value. The interpolated voxel value is used to correct at least one value of a vessel voxel representing the one or more vessel-like structures in the time-varying 3D dataset.
US09443328B2
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a memory configured to store a material texture assigned to a type of an application executed on the mobile terminal; a display unit configured to display screen information having the material texture assigned to the type of the application executed on the mobile terminal; and a controller configured to receive an input on the displayed screen information, and apply a visually changing textural effect to the displayed screen information that corresponds to the material texture assigned to the type of the application.
US09443324B2
A method and system for construction and rendering of annotations associated with an electronic image is disclosed. The system comprises a first data repository for storing the electronic image, which has a plurality of pixels, with one or more pixels annotated at a plurality of levels, which contain descriptive characteristics of the pixel, in ascending magnitude, such that the descriptive characteristics at a subsequent level are with reference to descriptive characteristics of one or more pixels surrounding the pixel. The system comprises a second data repository for storing the annotations. An image display module is configured to display the electronic image. A pixel and level identification module is configured to receive pixel and level selection details from a user-interface. An annotation retrieval module is configured to retrieve annotations corresponding to the pixel and level selection from the second repository and renders the retrieved annotations for the electronic image.
US09443320B1
A tracking system and method are suited to tracking multiple of objects of different categories in a video sequence. A sequence of video frames is received and a set of windows is extracted from each frame in turn, based on a computed probability that the respective window contains an object, without reference to any specific category of object. For each of these windows, a feature representation is extracted. A trained detector for a selected category detects windows that constitute targets in that category, based on the respective feature representations. More than one detector can be used when there is more than one category of objects to be tracked. A target-specific appearance model is generated for each of the targets (e.g., learned or updated, if the target is present in a prior frame). The detected targets are tracked over one or more subsequent frames based on the target-specific appearance models of the targets.
US09443313B2
A stereo camera apparatus which carries out distance measuring stably and with high accuracy by making measuring distance resolution variable according to a distance to an object is provided. A stereo camera apparatus 1 takes in two images, changes resolution of a partial area of each image that is taken in, and calculates a distance from a vehicle to an object that is imaged in the partial area, based on disparity of the partial area of each image in which resolution is changed. Thus, even when the object exists at a long distance and is small in size, distance measuring processing can be carried out stably.
US09443312B2
A method may include projecting, onto a first projection plane of a first projection volume, first points from a point cloud of a setting that are within the first projection volume. Further, the method may include matching a plurality of the projected first points with a cross-section template that corresponds to a line parametric object (LPO) of the setting to determine a plurality of first element points of a first primary projected element. Additionally, the method may include projecting, onto a second projection plane of a second projection volume, second points from the point cloud that are within the second projection volume and matching a plurality of the projected second points with the cross-section template to determine a plurality of second element points of a second primary projected element. Moreover, the method may include generating a parameter function based on the first element points and the second element points.
US09443304B2
The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting information from remotely detected characteristic signals. A data stream (24) derivable from electromagnetic radiation (14) emitted or reflected by an object (12) is received. The data stream (24) comprises a sequence of frames (66, 70, 92, 94; 108, 110, 112, 122, 124; 164, 66, 168), at least some of the frames comprise a frame section (68, 72; 174, 180, 186) 5 representative of a region of interest (56) attributable to the object (12). The region of interest (56) exhibits a continuous or discrete characteristic signal (136; 192) including physiological information (200) indicative of at least one at least partially periodic vital signal (20; 208). The sequence of frames (66, 70, 92, 94; 108, 110, 112, 122, 124; 164, 166, 168) further comprises a disturbing signal portion at least partially indicative of undesired object motion. 10 The characteristic signal (136; 192) can be stabilized by deriving a derivative signal form (78, 88, 98, 100, 102; 172, 176) from at least some frames of said sequence of frames (66, 70, 92, 94; 108, 110, 112, 122, 124; 164, 166, 168) through a dimensional reduction. A positional shift (74, 178) of a present derivative signal form (88, 98, 100, 102; 176) relative to a previous derivative signal form (78, 172) can be estimated. A present frame section (72; 180, 186) can be determined under consideration of the estimated positional shift (74, 178). Hence, the region of interest (56) can be tracked for at least partially compensating undesired object motion. Consequently, the disturbing signal portion can be at least partially compensated. The characteristic signal (136; 192) can be extracted from the sequence of frames (66, 70, 92, 94; 108, 110, 112, 122, 124; 164, 166, 168) under consideration of a sequence of determined frame sections (68, 72; 174, 180, 186).
US09443303B2
Systems and methods for determining a centerline of a tubular structure from volumetric data of vessels where a contrast agent was injected into the blood stream to enhance the imagery for centerlining. Given a 3D array of scalar values and a first and second point, the system and methods iteratively find a path from the start position to the end position that lies in the center of a tubular structure. A user interface may be provided to visually present and manipulate a centerline of the tubular structure and the tubular structure itself.
US09443302B2
Modeling an object in 3-D space may be accomplished various embodiments disclosed herein. An exemplary method of creating a 3-D model includes receiving roentgenograms of an object and at least one reference marker. In some embodiments, the roentgenograms may each include an image of at least one object marker. The exemplary method may further include determining 3-D positions of the x-ray source using the images of the at least one reference marker. The location of the 3-D positions of the x-ray source may allow a 3-D model of the imaged object to be created.
US09443294B2
This invention is concerning an image correction system that includes an image-capturing unit configured to acquire a captured image by capturing a subject; a tilt recognition unit configured to recognize tilt of an image-capturing direction of the image-capturing unit relative to an image-capturing direction in which the image-capturing unit being directly opposite to the subject captures the subject; a first correction unit configured to generate a corrected image by correcting distortion in the captured image due to the tilt; and a second correction unit configured to acquire a corrected captured image by correcting non-linear distortion in the corrected image.
US09443285B2
A method for replacing image data in a destination region that is divided into sub-pieces along one or more cutting paths, which start and end at two different points on the border, and finding replacement data for the sub-pieces. The cutting paths may be determined as a function of the type of image structured at the start and the end points. The cutting paths may also be determined as a function of the area of the sub-pieces and the lengths of the cutting paths. Optionally, the destination region may be determined by a spot detection algorithm. Further optionally, the spot detection algorithm may comprise calculation of a high pass filter, or detection of areas of luminosity and border-to-volume ratios. A method for moving an image element within an image is also provided.
US09443262B1
Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for reserving items of merchandise for in store pickup and/or inspection. In some embodiments, a reservation method for a store includes receiving, from a first computing device associated with a customer, a request to reserve a requested item for the customer. The reservation method may further include identifying, based on the requested item, an additional item to reserve for the customer. The reservation method may also include sending, to a second computing device associated with an employee of the store, a notification that instructs the employee to gather the requested item and the additional item and place the gathered items in a reserved merchandise area of the store.
US09443253B2
In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to allow merchants to initiate offers in an offer campaign based on a spending pattern specified by the merchant, such as the lack of transactions in a predetermined period of time of the day, in a recent time period, and/or in a particular merchant category. The offer campaign can be adjusted between offer delivery/announcement and fulfillment for a limited time period. The benefit of a further purchase may be announced via a message scheduled to be transmitted in response to an event identifying the arrival of a particular time instance, in response to a qualification notification of a transaction satisfying the requirements of a purchase event required in the offer campaign, or in response to the detection of a required spending pattern.
US09443251B2
A system for authenticating a customer includes a network interface and a processor. The network interface communicates a request for customer data associated with a particular customer. It also receives a customer profile code associated with the customer, wherein the customer profile code comprises a first code segment and a second code segment. It further receives first and second rules associated with the customer profile code. The processor transforms the first and second code segments into customer data using the rules. It further authenticates the customer using the customer data.
US09443250B1
A learning module of an information retrieval system is configured to automatically learn distinctive characteristics used by different web sites when presenting data variables of interest. The learned information can then be used to identify data variables of interest on arbitrary web pages of the web sites. In one embodiment, the learning process is guided by feeds provided by the web sites that list values for data variables of interest, and by web pages also provided by the web sites. The values of the feeds enable the learning module to identify candidate portions of the web pages that may represent a data variable of interest. Weights are computed for different values of various properties of the candidate portions, aggregated over all the analyzed pages, and used to identify one of the candidate portions as being the best candidates.
US09443237B2
A system is provided that includes a transaction engine running on a mobile device. In response to a financial transaction between a buyer and a seller, the transaction uses the mobile device to accept information selected including but not limited to information from financial transaction or information pertaining to financial transaction card used by the buyer in the transaction. At least a portion of this information is communicated with a third party financial institution or payment network to authorize the transaction. Encrypted information is sent to the third party payment system authorizing a financial transaction.
US09443225B2
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for displaying a feed item of an information feed in a presentation on a display device. In some implementations, a feed item having one or more attributes is received. A filter including one or more parameters is applied to the one or more feed item attributes. The filter is capable of being stored on one or more storage mediums. When the one or more feed item attributes satisfies the one or more filter parameters, presentation information is generated. The presentation information includes at least one indicator configured to identify, in a user interface on the display device, the feed item as having the one or more attributes satisfying the one or more filter parameters. The presentation information can be stored on one or more storage mediums.
US09443223B2
A social networking website is themed toward achievements and/or accomplishments of users. As such, the social network may provide users with a unitary platform over which users can share a variety of different accomplishments of a variety of different accomplishment types, in a variety of categories, and/or involving a variety of different entities. Users may further observe accomplishments or achievements of other users via the social network despite the disparate nature of the accomplishments, accomplishment types, categories of activities involved in the accomplishments, and/or the entities involved in the accomplishments.
US09443221B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for physical location tagging via image recognition of physical components in a data center. The method includes acquiring an image scan of a field of view of a camera at a known location in a data center and matching an image of a device in the image scan to a pre-stored image of a similar device to determine a device type of the device in the image scan. The method also includes transmitting a directive to a known device in inventory of the determined device type to activate a visual indicator disposed on an exterior portion of the known device. Finally, the method includes re-acquiring the image scan to detect an activated visual indicator on the device in the image scan and, in response, mapping the known location in the data center to the known device in inventory.
US09443205B2
A computer system for generating a diagnostic tool by applying artificial intelligence to an instrument for diagnosis of a disorder, such as autism. For autism, the instrument can be a caregiver-directed set of questions designed for an autism classification tool or an observation of the subject in a video, video conference, or in person and associated set of questions about behavior that are designed for use in a separate autism classification tool. The computer system can have one or more processors and memory to store one or more computer programs having instructions for generating a highly statistically accurate set of diagnostic items selected from the instrument, which are tested against a first test using a technique using artificial intelligence and a second test against an independent source. Also, a computer implemented method and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are disclosed.
US09443198B1
Features are disclosed for detecting an event in input data using a cascade-based detection system. Detection of the event may be triggered at any stage of the cascade, and subsequent stages of the cascade are not reached in such cases. Individual stages of the cascade may be associated with detection thresholds for use in triggering detection of the event. The sequence of stages may be selected based on some observed or desired operational characteristic, such as latency or operational cost. In addition, the cascade may be modified or updated based on data received from client devices. The data may relate to measurements and determinations made during real-world use of the cascade to detect events in input data.
US09443189B1
Described is a system, method, and computer program product for feature detection with spiking dynamics. The system is configured to perform operations of first receiving an input pattern comprising a plurality of features. The input pattern is then translated into a spike-coded representation of the input pattern. The spike-coded representation of the input pattern is transferred to a feature detector layer of a feature detector network comprising a set of feature detector neurons having input weights. Each feature detector neuron in the set of feature detector neurons then competes for the feature detector neuron whose input weights best represent the input pattern. Finally, the input weights which compressively code frequently seen input patterns are updated according to a set of learning rules. Also presented is a novel set of rules that transform the functional properties of rate-coded models into the spiking domain.
US09443177B2
Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a universal printing controller, and corresponding method, for universal printing control. A universal printing controller is presented herein which may provide instructions and/or control functionality to printers of various print technologies. Based on a particular print-head type, the universal controller may choose a print technology format from a variety of different print technology formats. The universal printing controller may also provide print instructions for printing an image description based on the chosen print technology format.
US09443176B2
An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a detection unit configured to detect approach or contact of a printing apparatus relative to a display apparatus, a first acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a print attribute of the printing apparatus detected by the detection unit, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire attribute information about content data to be displayed on the display apparatus, and a determination unit configured to determine suitability of printing the content data in the printing apparatus, based on the information about the print attribute of the printing apparatus and the attribute information about the content data.
US09443175B2
As image processing apparatus includes a color converter 20 as a color converting device. The color converter 20 has, as main functional components for carrying out color conversion of halftone of a spot color, a spot color information acquiring unit 21 for acquiring spot color information from manuscript data, a spot color Lab acquiring unit 22 for acquiring L*a*b* values in an L*a*b* color space when the dot percentage of the spot color is 100%, a first calculating unit 23 for calculating halftone L*a*b* values, using the L*a*b* values at 100% dot percentage of the spot color acquired by the spot color Lab acquiring unit 22 and a dot percentage of the spot color in a printing target portion of the spot color, and a second calculating unit 24 for converting, using an output ICC profile, the halftone L*a*b* values calculated by the first calculating unit 23 into CMYK values.
US09443174B2
An image processing apparatus rendering a plurality of objects includes a CPU cache used for rendering, a determination unit configured to determine whether a cache miss of the CPU cache occurs in rendering of the plurality of objects, and a rendering unit configured to, in a case where the determination unit determines that the cache miss occurs, execute division rendering processing for generating a bitmap corresponding to the plurality of objects by classifying the plurality of objects into a plurality of groups and for rendering the plurality of objects by each group so that the cache miss does not occur, and, in a case where the determination unit does not determine that the cache miss occurs, generate a bitmap corresponding to the plurality of objects by executing rendering without classifying the plurality of objects into the plurality of groups.
US09443173B2
A printing apparatus comprises a conveyance control unit which controls conveyance of printing sheets so that a trailing edge of a preceding sheet as a printing sheet precedingly fed from a stacking unit and a leading edge of a succeeding sheet as a printing sheet succeedingly fed from the stacking unit overlap each other, and a determination unit which determines whether to convey the succeeding sheet to a position facing the printing unit while keeping an overlap state between the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet. The determination unit determines whether the printing sheet is suitable for overlap conveyance, and if the determination unit determines that the printing sheet is unsuitable for overlap conveyance, the conveyance control unit conveys the succeeding sheet while the succeeding sheet does not overlap the preceding sheet.
US09443162B2
Certain embodiments of these teachings take inputs of a) an image to be segmented and b) a set of user input markers that identify at least a foreground of said image. From these inputs are determined strong foreground regions Sf, strong background regions Sb and ambiguous regions G. Each ambiguous region Gi is classified as either a weak foreground region Wf or a weak background region Wb by comparing color of each ambiguous region Gi against color of regions adjacent thereto and merging the respective ambiguous region Gi with its adjacent region having a most similar color. The strong foreground regions Sf are also merged with the weak foreground regions Wf. What is output therefrom is a foreground image of the image to be segmented, separate and distinct from any region that is classified as one of the strong background regions or weak background regions.
US09443160B2
A method to extract irradiation field areas in an X-ray image represented by a digital signal representation comprising the steps of segmenting the image in multiple regions of pixels which have similar local image characteristics, fitting line segments to the boundaries of these regions whereby said line segments correspond with candidate irradiation field boundaries and constitute a segmentation map, classifying regions in said segmentation map into at least two classes, one class being irradiation field and the other class being collimated region on the basis of at least one of local, regional and global image characteristics.
US09443159B2
A computer and a terminal apparatus retain position information about targets. The terminal apparatus includes: a capturing portion that captures an image of the target; a position information acquisition portion that acquires information about a position to capture the target; an orientation information acquisition portion that acquires information about an orientation to capture the target; and a communication portion that transmits the image, the position information, and the orientation information to the computer. The computer identifies at least one first target candidate as a candidate for the captured target from the targets based on the position information about the targets, the acquired position information, and the acquired orientation information. The computer identifies at least one second target candidate from at least the one first target candidate based on a distance from the terminal apparatus to the captured target.
US09443157B2
A nontransitory computer readable medium having stored thereon software instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations. The operations can include intercepting a request for manual processing of a mail piece image. The request can be transmitted by an originating MPE having failed to resolve the mail piece image. The request can be ignored and the mail piece scan image can be forwarded to an automated mail recognition system (AMRS). If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, a response, including a plurality of addressing data corresponding to the mail piece scan image, can be received from the AMRS. If the AMRS successfully resolved the image, at least a portion of the plurality of addressing data can be transmitted to the originating MPE. If the AMRS did not successfully resolve the image, the request can be forwarded to a manual mail recognition processing system.
US09443156B2
A state machine engine may be configured to recognize (e.g., detect) a great number of patterns in a data stream. This may be accomplished via detection cells of state machine elements that output a respective result of an analysis performed by the respective state machine elements, for example, a match in an analyzed data stream from a single state machine element, which may be utilized in conjunction with results from other state machine elements, for example, to search for a pattern in a data stream. These matches may be provided to a match element, which may operate to output a selected result generated from a row of state machine elements for a given data stream search or a portion of a data stream search.
US09443153B1
A yield determination system for automatically collecting, determining, and labeling yield behaviors of vehicles during cooperative driving scenarios. The system includes sensors for detecting the start and stop of the scenario, a data recorder for automatically collecting the data, an annotation unit for automatically labeling features of interest about the vehicle and surrounding vehicles during the scenario. The labeled file may be automatically uploaded and processed to insert the labelled features into a learning model to predict vehicle behavior in cooperative driving scenarios.
US09443152B2
A system and method for analyzing and wirelessly transmitting information in real-time, comprising capturing snapshots and videos, by utilizing for example a smartphone. The images are analyzed in conjunction with other system data to provide the user: 3 dimensional images, GPS coordinates, safety alerts, etc. In particular, the system is mountable within a vehicle interior to provide: road conditions, dangerous driving situations, the make/model/manufacturer of surrounding cars, GPS coordinates, and the identity of local businesses. The user may also share the information via wireless transmissions with surrounding users possessing the same system, such as for real-time video gaming systems. And the system may also be detached from the vehicle for use in other scenarios, such as searching a merchant database for matching items and wirelessly sending the information to other system users.
US09443150B2
A technique is proposed for enabling stable detection of an object even when the contrast of an image is lowered overall or partially.A preprocessing section 12 is added to the upstream stage of an object detecting processing section 13, and provides an obtained corrected image (image obtained by subjecting an input image to contrast enhancement) as an input image for the object detecting processing section 13. This facilitates the detection of the object even when the contrast of the entire screen is lowered due to fog or rain. Furthermore, the object detecting processing section 13 detects the object by using not only the corrected image from the preprocessing section 12 but also correction characteristic information 23 containing image characteristics regarding the correction (contrast enhancement). This attempts to reduce an influence of noises enhanced by the contrast enhancement.
US09443147B2
Many internet users consume content through online videos. For example, users may view movies, television shows, music videos, and/or homemade videos. It may be advantageous to provide additional information to users consuming the online videos. Unfortunately, many current techniques may be unable to provide additional information relevant to the online videos from outside sources. Accordingly, one or more systems and/or techniques for determining a set of additional information relevant to an online video are disclosed herein. In particular, visual, textual, audio, and/or other features may be extracted from an online video (e.g., original content of the online video and/or embedded advertisements). Using the extracted features, additional information (e.g., images, advertisements, etc.) may be determined based upon matching the extracted features with content of a database. The additional information may be presented to a user consuming the online video.
US09443140B2
According to one embodiment, a paper sheets processing apparatus includes a first sub controller, a second sub controller, and a main controller. The first sub controller generates image data, based on an output signal from a camera which captures an image of a banknote transported along a transport path. The second sub controller generates sensor data, based on an output signal from a sensor which measures the banknote. The main controller inputs the image data and the sensor data of the same banknote from the first sub controller and the second sub controller, and transfers the image data and the sensor data to one external device indicated from a plurality of external devices.
US09443139B1
Methods and apparatus for detecting labels included in a document or other binarized image, and for extracting and/or using information associated with a label, are described. A nodal structure modeling objects, e.g., characters, character strings or words, which make up various label aliases are described. The nodal structure is used to generate a score for portions of a binarized document with the scores being used to determine the presence or absence of one or more label aliases. When a label alias is determined to be present, information is extracted from the document and used as information corresponding to a label to which the identified label alias corresponds. Multiple different label aliases may correspond to a single label allowing multiple different aliases to be used to identify the same information. The label aliases and information extraction can be and sometimes used to extract information from scanned forms.
US09443124B2
A fingerprint image obtaining unit 1 obtains a fingerprint image of multiple fingers. A vein image obtaining unit 3 obtains a palm vein image. An authentication information DB 6 stores reference vein characteristic information, and a reference direction of a predetermined finger in a reference palm vein image for which the reference vein characteristic information is obtained. A reference obtaining unit 20 detects a longitudinal direction of a predetermined finger based on the fingerprint image. A position correcting unit 40 corrects the palm vein image based on the longitudinal direction of the predetermined finger, and the reference direction of the predetermined finger. A vein characteristic information extracting unit 4 obtains vein characteristic information from a corrected palm vein image. A verification processing unit 32 matches the vein characteristic information obtained with the reference vein characteristic information for authentication.
US09443119B2
A portable radio-frequency identifier (RFID) reading terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, an RFID reading device, and a display. The portable EIR terminal can be configured, responsive to successfully reading a plurality of RFID tags attached to a plurality of items sustained by a physical structure, to group the plurality of read RFID tags into zero or more clusters, by correlating quantities of RFID tags read within several time periods to spatial positions of the coverage shapes of the RF signals transmitted by the RFID reading device during the several time periods. The EIR terminal can be further configured to determine the spatial positions of the RFID signal coverage shapes based on the spatial positions and orientations of the portable EIR terminal during the several time periods. The EIR terminal can be further configured to display a quantity of RFID tags within each cluster overlaid over an image.
US09443112B2
Embodiments of a secure media container and a method of using same are provided. In some embodiments, the secure media container includes a portable power supply; an antenna; a receptacle for receiving removable data storage; and a computer apparatus including a processor and a memory, comprising executable instructions that cause the processor to: determine that a removable data storage device has been input into the receptacle; track a location of the secure media container using the antenna; determine an action associated with the location of the secure media container by: accessing a database comprising a plurality of locations and associated actions; and comparing the location of the secure media container to the plurality of locations and associated actions in the database; and apply the action to the removable storage device based on the location of the secure media container.
US09443110B2
A method for generating an n-bit result includes a secured containment device (SCD) receiving a request to generate the n-bit result. The request includes an n-bit generator input and a master secret identifier. The request is sent from an application executing on a host system using an input/output (I/O) interface. The SCD disables all I/O interfaces on the SCD between the host system and the SCD. After disabling all the I/O interfaces on the SCD between the host system and the SCD, the SCD provides the n-bit generator input and the master secret identifier to a secured hardware token over a second I/O interface, receives the n-bit result from the secured hardware token over the second I/O interface, enables at least the first I/O interface after the n-bit result is generated, and provides, after enabling the first I/O interface, the n-bit result to the application using the first I/O interface.
US09443103B2
A system for transforming customer data includes a network interface and a processor. The network interface communicates a request for customer data associated with a determined set of customers. It also receives a customer profile code associated with the customer data, wherein the customer profile code comprises a first code segment and a second code segment. It further receives first and second rules associated with the customer profile code. The processor determines the set of customers, transforms the first and second code segments into customer data using the rules, and analyzes the customer data to determine an operations history for the set of customers.
US09443101B2
A system and method for implementing a privacy policy in an application to be run are provided. Definitions are received for a set of fields. At least one of the fields is designated as sensitive by a default privacy policy. A user is provided with a consent editor whereby the user can consent to relaxing the default privacy policy for at least one of the sensitive fields. A consent privacy rule is generated based on the received consent. A mapping aspect is provided which identifies joins at which code of the application is to be augmented by calling a minimization service to apply the default privacy policy by generating a minimized value of data in each of the designated sensitive fields used by the application unless there is a generated consent privacy rule which authorizes relaxation of the default privacy policy for the user's data in a respective sensitive field.
US09443097B2
The systems and methods of the present invention provide a solution that makes data provably secure and accessible—addressing data security at the bit level—thereby eliminating the need for multiple perimeter hardware and software technologies. Data security is incorporated or weaved directly into the data at the bit level. The systems and methods of the present invention enable enterprise communities of interest to leverage a common enterprise infrastructure. Because security is already woven into the data, this common infrastructure can be used without compromising data security and access control. In some applications, data is authenticated, encrypted, and parsed or split into multiple shares prior to being sent to multiple locations, e.g., a private or public cloud. The data is hidden while in transit to the storage location, and is inaccessible to users who do not have the correct credentials for access.
US09443081B2
A computer device and method are described for controlling access to a resource. An execution environment executes a user process with access privileges according to a user security context. A security unit controls access to resources according to the user security context, with the user process making system calls to the security unit. A proxy hook module embedded within the user process intercepts the system call and generates a proxy resource access request. A proxy service module in a privileged security context validates the proxy resource access request from the proxy hook module and, if validated, obtains and returns a resource handle that permits access to the desired resource by the user process.
US09443075B2
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for adapting to malware activity on a compromised computer system. An embodiment operates by detecting an adversary operating malware on a compromised system. A stream of network communications associated with adversary is intercepted. The stream of network communications includes a command and control channel of the adversary. The stream of network communications is accessed. An emulation of the command and control channel is provided. An analysis of the accessed stream of traffic is executed. A plurality of response mechanisms is provided. The plurality of response mechanisms is based in part on the analysis of the stream of network communications and a custom policy language tailored for the malware.
US09443073B2
A system and method that includes receiving a first device profile and associating the first device profile with a first application instance that is assigned as an authentication device of a first account; receiving a second device profile for a second application instance, wherein the second application instance is making a request on behalf of the first account; comparing the second device profile to the first device profile; and completing the request of the second application instance according to results of comparing the second device profile and the first device profile.
US09443071B2
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for additional security, functionality, and convenience in the operation of a wireless communication device with the use of a separate proximity security token in communication with the wireless communication device. In exemplary embodiments, the token is carried by the user while device logic is installed on the user's wireless communication device. The device logic along with transceivers allows the device to sense proximity of the token through wireless communication. Given a certain range of the proximity security token, as determined by the wireless signal strength, the device logic determines whether the device is in a locked or unlocked state. If the proximity security token is outside the range, then the device is locked. The proximity security token uses ultra low power communications for optimal battery life.
US09443070B2
Systems and methods for facilitating and securing the exchange of digital information between individuals within the social network of a person or group of people who are subject to security or law enforcement limitations or otherwise reside within a controlled or correctional facility. All submitted information requires administrative approval, either by a human administrator or an automated process, before it can be viewed by other members of the social network.
US09443069B1
A method includes registering a given user with a verification platform adapted for communication with a verification agent implemented on a given processing device of the given user. The method also includes receiving a specification of verification rules to be used by the verification platform in authenticating a verification request from the given user, the verification rules specifying two or more different types of verification, a verification mode for each of the two or more different types of verification and a sequence for performing the two or more different types of verification. The method further includes synchronizing verification credentials associated with the given user for each of the two or more different types of verification, receiving a verification request from the given user, and authenticating the verification request utilizing the specified verification rules and the synchronized verification credentials.
US09443057B2
A method and system for image acquisition workflow are provided. The imaging acquisition system is configured to implement an imaging acquisition protocol. Then imaging data is acquired according to the protocol. At least some identification information is entered during the imaging data acquisition. The entered identification information may be checked for errors during the imaging acquisition. The imaging data and identification information are then stored together. Identification information may include, for example, a patient's name and/or identification number, date of birth, sex, height, weight, race or ethnicity, and perhaps yet other information.
US09443056B2
An embodiment of the present invention is a methodology for prioritizing variants relevant to inherited Mendelian (“single gene”) disease syndromes according to disease phenotype, gene, and variant level information.
US09443055B2
Methods for retargeting a circuit design layout for a multiple patterning lithography process and for fabricating a semiconductor device are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a computer-executed method for retargeting a circuit design layout for a multiple patterning lithography process is provided. The method includes decomposing a circuit design layout file to produce decomposed layout files in a computer. Each decomposed layout file is associated with a respective mask for use in the multiple patterning lithography process. The method includes preparing retargeted layout files in the computer by retargeting selected decomposed layout files based on photolithography limitations specific to each selected decomposed layout file to produce retargeted layout files. Also, the method includes determining in the computer that a combination of layout files includes a spacing conflict. The method further includes resolving the spacing conflict in the computer by modifying the layout file or layout files causing the spacing conflict.
US09443052B2
An exposure pattern is computed which is used for exposing a desired pattern on a target by means of a particle beam and a blanking aperture array in a particle-optical lithography apparatus, taking into account a non-uniform current dose distribution as generated by the beam over the positions of the apertures of the blanking aperture array: From the desired pattern a nominal exposure pattern is calculated as a raster graphics comprising nominal dose values for the pixels of the raster graphics; based on a map of the current dose distribution, which correlates each aperture with a current factor describing the current dose of the beam at the location of the aperture, a compensated dose value is calculated for each pixel; and for each pixel, a discrete value is determined by selecting a value from a discrete gray scale so as to approximate the compensated dose value.
US09443050B2
Electronic design automation (EDA) technologies are disclosed that analyze a circuit design for candidate low-voltage swing (LVS) modifications, report the impact of the candidate LVS modifications on circuit characteristics (such as area, timing and energy) and implement selected LVS modifications based on their impact on the circuit characteristics. Candidate LVS modifications comprise replacing existing standard low-voltage swing drivers and receivers, or inserting low-voltage swing drivers and receivers.
US09443049B2
A method and system to obtain a physical design of an integrated circuit from a logical design are described. The method includes performing a baseline synthesis to obtain a baseline physical design using timing constraints and an overall power budget. The method also includes computing power assertions, performing a re-synthesis using the timing constraints and the power assertions to obtain a new physical design, comparing the new physical design with the baseline physical design to determine a degradation of the new physical design in comparison with the baseline physical design, and reducing a weighting of the power assertions relative to the timing constraints based on the degradation. The executing the performing the re-synthesis, the comparing, and the reducing are done iteratively until the degradation is below a threshold value.
US09443034B2
A graph that includes multiple nodes and edges is received. Multiple instances of the graph are generated by randomly instantiating the edges according to either a binary independent cascade model or a randomized edge length independent cascade model. Where the binary independent cascade model is used, combined reachability sketches are generated for each node across all instances of the graph. Where the randomized edge length independent cascade model is used, combined all-distances sketches are generated for each node across all instances of the graph. Depending on which model is used, the combined reachability or all-distances sketches are used to estimate the influence of nodes in the graph or to estimate a subset of nodes from a graph of a specified size with a maximum influence using a greedy algorithm.
US09443033B2
The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for data integration. An exemplary method includes receiving a data record at a system, comparing the received data record with an existing data record, determining a level of match between the received data record and the existing data record, and in response to determining the level of match is equal to or greater than a first threshold level and is less than or equal to a second threshold level, processing the data, wherein the second threshold level is greater is than the first threshold level. Additionally, the exemplary method includes mapping the received data record to a database accessible to the system.
US09443028B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards using a satisfaction model's prediction as to whether a user was satisfied or dissatisfied in satisfying a search goal to help estimate the relevance of a URL/document that was returned and clicked by the user. The clickthrough data for a search goal session is processed by either a utility model or a despair model based on whether the satisfaction model indicated that the search goal session ended with the user satisfied or dissatisfied, respectively. The utility model distributes a utility value to each clicked URL, while the despair model distributes a despair value to each clicked URL. The utility value and despair value of each query-URL pair may be used as corresponding feature data for learning a search ranker.
US09443025B1
Responsive to selecting, by a source system, a representative listing of an entity located on a provider system, the representative listing having first identification data and a first provider-supplied external identifier, the source system searches the provider system for additional listings having identification data matching the first identification data. The source system receives, from the provider system, a potential matching listing having identification data matching the first identification data and having a second provider-supplied external identifier that differs from the first provider-supplied external identifier. The source system designates the potential matching listing as a duplicate listing. The source system transmits, to the provider system, a request to suppress the designated duplicate listing on the provider system, the request comprising the second provider-supplied external identifier.
US09443021B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing a rich search experience utilizing entity-type characterization are provided. A search query is received and an entity type is determined for the query. A Web search is then performed for the query against a predefined list of sources determined to be authoritative for the determined entity type. The results of the source-specific searches are filtered based upon the entity type providing a filtered list of results that each pertains to an entity of the entity type determined to be associated with the query. The filtered list are then compared to a list of resolved entities to determine equivalent entities identified by different searched sources, the equivalent entities being combined into a single potential search result. The consolidated search results are then ordered based upon rank values. At least a portion of the results may then be presented to the user.
US09443002B1
Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed for analyzing and selecting data to estimate the potential weight associated with an event. The systems and methods provide for obtaining data sets associated with a first event and events that can result from the first event, classifying the data into weight data related to a weight associated with the resulting events and probability data related to the probability that the resulting events will occur, prioritizing the data based on the availability the data sets, prioritizing the probability data based on a statistical analysis of the relevance of the probability data, analyzing the prioritized weight data to establish weight estimates for the resulting events, analyzing the prioritized probability data to establish probability estimates for the resulting events, and providing for display a decision tree with the established weight estimates and probability estimates.
US09443000B2
Some embodiments include a novel method for categorizing open-ended comments. The method relies on a person who originally made a comment to put the comment into a category. In some embodiments, the method receives a comment in response to an open-ended question, displays a set of categories that have been evaluated and determined to be likely to match a category for the received comment, receives a respondent-determined category for the comment, and categorizes the comment based on the respondent-determined category. This captures the category immediately after the comment is made with a high degree of accuracy.
US09442997B2
A content management system synchronizes content items across client computing systems connected by a network. Each client device has a storage allocation for synchronized shared content items. If the storage allocation for shared content items on a client device is exceeded by the request to add or edit a content item such that it is enlarged, a client application or the host of content management system selects content items to remove from residence on the client device but keep remotely on content management system. Upon removal of the selected content items, the client application creates shadow items, representing the content item but only containing the metadata of the content item. This creates sufficient space for the initial request to be completed while maintaining user access to all synchronized shared content items. The processes of replacing content items with shadow items may be completed while the client device is idle.
US09442990B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus for selecting geographic areas of interest for a query. A method includes for each query stored in search log data, determining an origin location for each occurrence of the query, determining a content location for each occurrence of the query, for each of a plurality of catchment areas, determining catchment area matches for the query based on the origin location of each occurrence of the query and the content location of the occurrence of the query, determining, for each catchment area, a catchment area score that is indicative of an interest level for the catchment area for a query, the determination based on a number of catchment area matches for the catchment area for the query and selecting, for the query and based on the catchment area scores for the catchment areas, one of the catchment areas as a selected catchment area for the query.
US09442985B2
Search results may be provided to a user. A search query may be received from the user. A query feature vector may be formed for the search query. The query feature vector may be compared with news feature vectors associated with documents related to current events. An augmented query feature vector may be formed based on results of the comparison of the query feature vector with the news feature vectors. The augmented query feature vector may be compared with feature vectors related to target documents. Search results that include target documents may be identified based on results of the comparison of the augmented query feature vector with the feature vectors related to the target documents. The user may be made able to perceive at least some of the identified search results.
US09442979B2
Data analysis is disclosed, including: receiving data to be analyzed, wherein the data includes one or more data identifiers (IDs) and one or more preset key-value pairs, wherein each preset key-value pair includes a preset key and a preset value; acquiring data to be analyzed based at least in part on the data IDs; segmenting the acquired data into one or more data elements; classifying the one or more data elements based at least in part on one preset key of the one or more preset key-value pairs; and analyzing the classified one or more data elements based at least in part on one preset value of the one or more preset key-value pairs.
US09442975B2
A system and method for processing data stored in data storage devices is described. A computing processor acquires blocks of data from a target machine and computes an entropy value associated with each block of the acquired data. The computing processor checks the entropy values of each block to determine whether or not the particular block is deemed to contain useful data, before that block is analyzed.
US09442974B2
Techniques for providing polymorphic query requests. A request is received that has at least a database query. The database query comprises at least an expression using a polymorphic relationship. The request is processed utilizing the polymorphic relationship. A user-readable result is provided for the query where the result is defined by at least the polymorphic relationship.
US09442972B2
A method of and system for managing a data set of a storage facility is disclosed. The data set may be a sequential-access data set. The method and system may include structuring the sequential-access data set to have a first group-of-records configured for adding a second group-of-records to the sequential-access data set. The method and system add a second group-of-records to the sequential-access data set. The method and system merge the second group-of-records with the first group-of-records in response to a triggering event. The method and system establish, in response to merging the second group-of-records with the first group-of-records, a marker configured to indicate the first and second group-of-records, as merged, is sorted.
US09442960B2
A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are provided which provide an efficient data layout for image data and fast access to samples of an image stored in hierarchical z-order format. An array of image data of a physical entity is ordered in a hierarchical z-order at a computing device. Data blocks are created from the array ordered based on the hierarchical z-order. Data files containing a predetermined number of successive data blocks are created from the created data blocks. A directory structure is created in a file system of a second computing device based on the hierarchical z-order. The created data files are stored in the created directory structure based on the hierarchical z-order.
US09442957B2
A system and method of identifying objects is provided. In one aspect, the system and method includes a hand-held device with a display, camera and processor. As the camera captures images and displays them on the display, the processor compares the information retrieved in connection with one image with information retrieved in connection with subsequent images. The processor uses the result of such comparison to determine the object that is likely to be of greatest interest to the user. The display simultaneously displays the images the images as they are captured, the location of the object in an image, and information retrieved for the object.
US09442952B2
Metadata structures and related locking techniques to improve performance and scalability in a cluster file system are disclosed. In one implementation, a method includes receiving, by a server, a request for a first file, retrieving, by the server, the first file and metadata for a second file that is related to the first file, and sending, by the server in response to the retrieving and in advance of any request for the metadata for the second file, an asynchronous lock request to obtain a lock for accessing at least a portion of the metadata for the second file.
US09442948B2
A system includes reception of an instruction to load a page from a database datastore into a database cache, allocation of the page within the cache, determination of a resource type associated with the page, and allocation of a control block for the page within the cache based on the determined resource type, wherein the allocated control block in a case that the resource type is a first resource type is different from the allocated control block in a case that the resource type is a second resource type.
US09442941B1
In one aspect, a method includes providing a server that stores a hash digest metadata table and configuring entries in the hash digest metadata table to include entries that include persistent fields and non-persistent fields. The hash digest metadata table maps a hash digest representing X-Page data to its metadata information. The persistent fields include a short hash digest field, a physical layout offset field, a deduplication reference count field and a flags field.
US09442937B2
Techniques are described herein which minimize the impact of virtual machine snapshots on the performance virtual machines and hypervisors. In the context of a volume snapshot which may involve (i) taking virtual machine snapshots of all virtual machines associated with the volume, (ii) taking the volume snapshot, and (iii) removing all the virtual machine snapshots, the virtual machine snapshots may be created in a first order and removed in a second order. Specifically, snapshots for busy virtual machines (i.e., virtual machines with higher disk write activity) may be created last and removed first. Consequently, snapshots of busy virtual machines are retained for the shorter periods of time, thereby minimizing the effect of virtual machine snapshots on those virtual machines (and their associated hypervisors) that would be most negatively impacted by virtual machine snapshots.
US09442935B2
An approach is provided for determining at least two associated users who are presented media items based on respective playlists of media items. The approach further involves analyzing media items in the respective playlists to determine similarity information for the media items in the respective playlists. The approach further involves causing insertion of at least one further media item in the respective playlists of the at least two users at least in part based on the determined similarity information.
US09442931B2
Techniques for recommending media are described. A character preference function comprising a plurality of preference coefficients is accessed. A first character model comprises a first set of attribute values for the plurality of attributes of a first character. The first and second characters are associated with a first and second salience value, respectively. A second character model comprises a second set of attribute values for the plurality of attributes of a second character of the plurality of characters. A first character rating is calculated using the plurality of preference coefficients and the first set of attribute values. A second character rating of the second character is calculated using the plurality of preference coefficients with the second set of attribute values. A media rating is calculated based on the first and second salience values and the first and second character ratings. A media is recommended based on the media rating.
