US09473818B2
According to one embodiment, a method of controlling an electronic device comprises accessing a world wide web (WWW) server by using information that indicates at least the menu language which is set by an initial setup module of the electronic device, through a connection module of the electronic device that connects the electronic device to the world wide web server. The method further comprises selecting content of one of languages from a set of content of various languages stored in the WWW server, where the one of languages is the same language with that of the display menu, and displaying content delivered from the WWW server.
US09473812B2
A method for delivering media content includes receiving a request identifying a requested media file. The method also includes, in response to receiving the request, accessing the requested media file. The requested media file includes media content in a first format. The method further includes generating a modified media file based on the requested media file. The modified media file includes media content in a second format. Additionally, the method includes generating an auxiliary file associated with the modified media file. The auxiliary file includes a plurality of content records associated with different portions of the media content in the modified media file and indicating a location of the associated portion. Each content record includes information to facilitate transmission of the associated portion of the media content to a remote client prior to the modified media file being completely generated.
US09473809B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving reaction information from one or more sensors located at a second location that is representative of a reaction by a second user at the second location to the presentation of the personalized content, analyzing the reaction information to determine a response based at least in part on trait information associated with different first users, selecting a second portion of the recorded segments based on a comparison of the determined response with a context identified for each of received recorded segments, and adjusting personalized content to include the selected second portion of the recorded segments. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09473806B2
A method and system are disclosed for sending stored IPTV advertisement data from an IPTV network end user network interface device, the method including but not limited to intercepting data from the end user device connected to the end user network interface device before the data reaches a destination intended by an end user associated with the end user device; determining at the end user network interface device whether a television subscription is active for the end user network device; and sending the advertisement data from the television network device to the end user device for display when the television subscription is not active for the network interface device and instructions to connect the client device to a walled garden indicated by a uniform resource in the advertisement data.
US09473797B2
A system includes a video-on-demand server and an authentication server. The video-on-demand server is configured to provide video-on-demand content through a broadband connection to a set-top box device. The authentication server is in communication with the video-on-demand server. The authentication server is configured to receive a request to allow access to a video-on-demand package that includes the video-on-demand content, to determine if a user is currently authorized to constantly receive a broadcast package that includes a plurality of broadcast channels related to the video-on-demand content, and to authorize a broadcast channel in the broadcast package when not currently authorized to receive the broadcast package.
US09473796B1
An access policy module automatically applies an access policy to a video. Access policies frequently require manual review of an item to determine a proper access policy for the video, such as whether the video should be taken down, age-limited, or permitted general access. Results of a manual review of a video are stored along with the portion of the video that was manually reviewed and the access policy applied to the video. When a trigger event occurs indicating access policies should be considered for a video, the video is compared to reviewed portions of videos that were manually reviewed to determine if an access policy can be automatically applied with sufficient confidence. When insufficient confidence is reached or conflicting access policies both have high confidence, the video is scheduled for manual review with a priority level based on the possible access level of the video.
US09473794B2
According to one embodiment, a method of processing broadcast data in a broadcast transmitter includes: encoding the broadcast data for broadcast service; encoding signaling information for signaling the broadcast data; assigning the encoded broadcast data and the encoded signaling information into a signal frame; and transmitting a broadcast signal including the signal frame. The broadcast signal further includes a signaling table having access information of the broadcast data. The signaling table includes service id information for identifying the broadcast service and component information for indicating a number of components in the broadcast service.
US09473792B2
Method and system to improve the performance of a video encoder. The method includes processing an initial video signal in a front-end image pre-processor to obtain a processed video signal and processor information respecting the signal, providing the processed video signal and the processor information to a video encoder, and encoding the video signal in the video encoder according to the processor information to provide an encoded video signal for storage. The system includes a video pre-processor connectable to receive an initial video signal. The video encoder in communication with the video pre-processor receives a processed video signal and a processor information. A storage medium in communication with the video encoder stores an encoded video signal.
US09473788B2
A high resolution 3D Image may be encoded into a reduced resolution image in a base layer and a full resolution unfiltered image in one or more enhancement layers. Encoded asymmetric-resolution image data for the 3D image may be distributed to a wide variety of devices for 3D image processing and rendering. A recipient device may reconstruct the reduced resolution image and the full resolution unfiltered image for 3D image rendering with high subjective perceptual quality due to interocular masking. Full resolution unfiltered images may be alternating between left and right eyes.
US09473785B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to an image or raster compression method that includes receiving pixel data for a raster comprising a two dimensional (2D) array of pixels where each pixel is associated with a data value. The method further includes receiving a user defined parameter defining a maximum error allowable per pixel for a compression algorithm. The raster can be divided into a number of pixel blocks where each pixel can be quantized and bit stuffed based on a number of block statistics including the maximum error allowable. The method further includes executing the compression algorithm wherein for each pixel, where an error caused by the compression algorithm is equal to or less than the maximum error allowable, and encoding the pixel data based on the compression algorithm. In certain embodiments, the compression algorithm is a non-transform compression algorithm.
US09473775B2
A moving picture coding apparatus includes a motion estimation unit (101) for performing motion estimation by fixing the one of two reference pictures as a reference picture indicated by an inputted default reference picture number DefRefNo and a variable length coding unit (107) for performing variable length coding on coded residual data ERes, a prediction type PredType, a reference picture number RefNo2 and motion vectors MV1, MV2 on a block-by-block basis, and outputting them as coded moving picture data Str.
US09473758B1
Methods and systems for processing computer game videos for virtual reality replay are disclosed. The method, when executed by a processor, comprises first receiving a video recorded using a virtual camera array during a game play of a source computer game. Next, upscaling the received video to a higher resolution, and interpolating neighboring video frames of the upscaled video for insertion into the upscaled video at a server. Finally, generating a spherical video from the interpolated video for replay in a virtual reality environment. The virtual camera array includes multiple virtual cameras each facing a different direction, and the video is recorded at a frame rate and a resolution lower than those of the source computer game. The spherical videos are provided on a video sharing platform. The present invention solves the chicken-and-egg problem of mass adoption of virtual reality technology by easily generating VR content from existing computer games.
US09473753B2
An image sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface; an array of pixels formed on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate, each pixel being adapted for sensing light radiation; an array of color filters formed over the plurality of pixels, each color filter being adapted for allowing a wavelength of light radiation to reach at least one of the plurality of pixels; and an array of micro-lens formed over the array of color filters, each micro-lens being adapted for directing light radiation to at least one of the color filters in the array. The array of color filters includes structure adapted for blocking light radiation that is traveling towards a region between adjacent micro-lens.
US09473749B2
A visual inspection device includes a housing with a support portion and a grip portion extending from the support portion, a flexible cable having a first end coupled to the housing and a second end, a camera assembly coupled to the second end of the flexible cable and operable to transmit image data through the flexible cable, and a display movably coupled to the support portion of the housing and operable to present an image derived from the image data.
US09473745B2
Near real-time imagery of a given location may be provided to user upon request. Most popularly viewed geographic locations are determined, and a 360 degree image capture device is positioned at one or more of the determined locations. The image capture device may continually provide image information, which is processed, for example, to remove personal information and filter spam. Such image information may then be provided to users upon request. The image capture device continually captures multiple views of the given location, and the requesting user can select which perspective to view.
US09473733B2
A wireless communication system, comprising: an imaging apparatus; a storage medium attached to the imaging apparatus; and a terminal device, wherein the imaging apparatus comprises: a controller to control operation of the imaging apparatus and to execute transmission/reception of data, wherein the storage medium comprises: a first wireless communication unit; and a control unit to execute transmission/reception of data, wherein the terminal device comprises: a command generating unit to generate a command for controlling the operation of the imaging apparatus; and a second wireless communication unit, wherein: the controller executes a checking process in a predetermined cycle; and when the controller determines that the storage medium has received the command, the controller controls the operation of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the command and transmits an instruction to change operation of the control unit to the storage medium in accordance with the operation of the imaging apparatus.
US09473727B2
An apparatus for controlling electronic devices has a camera and a transmitter. The camera acquires a first image of an electronic device. The device is configured for remote control. The apparatus identifies a probable identity of the device by comparing the first image to a plurality of stored images of known electronic devices. Test instructions are selected based on the probable identity of the device and sent to the device. A confirmation image of the device is acquired after the test instructions are sent. The apparatus determines from the confirmation image that the state of the device is consistent with execution of the test instructions. The apparatus receives user input specifying a command for the device. Based on the first image, the device is not in a state corresponding to the command, so the apparatus transmits an instruction corresponding to the command to the device.
US09473717B2
A counting device includes a control unit suitable for generating a control signal including a first control signal and a second control signal, a first operation unit suitable for performing a logic operation for pixel signals of a pixel array and a control signal, wherein pixel signals of used column in the pixel array are transferred by using the first control signal, and pixel signals of unused column in the pixel array are blocked by using the second control signal during a binning mode operation, a second operation unit suitable for performing a logic operation for a counter clock and an output signal of the first operation unit, and a counting unit suitable for counting an output signal of the second operation unit.
US09473714B2
An object is to provide a solid-state imaging device or a semiconductor display device with which a high-quality image can be taken. By performing operation using a global shutter method, a potential for controlling charge accumulation operation can be shared by all pixels. In addition, a first photosensor group includes a plurality of photosensors connected to a wiring supplied with an output signal, and a second photosensor group includes a plurality of photosensors connected to another wiring supplied with the output signal. A wiring for supplying a potential or a signal for controlling charge accumulation operation to the first photosensor group is connected to a wiring for supplying the potential or signal to the second photosensor group.
US09473710B2
A video signal termination detection system includes an input configured to connect to a video driver that produces a video signal, an output configured to connect to a video receiver that operates with a signal type, a detection circuit connected between the input and the output and configured to detect the signal type of the video receiver and to output a detection signal, and a conversion circuit configured to receive the video signal from the video driver and to convert the video signal to the signal type if the video signal is different than the signal type.
US09473709B2
An image blending system and a method for image blending are provided. The image blending system includes a plurality of projection devices, an image capturing device, a blending device, a video input module, and a computing module. The projection devices project a desired image. The image capturing device is configured for image capturing from a projection surface. The captured image has an image capturing coordinate system based on a resolution of the captured image. The projection devices receive an input video signal transmitted from the blending device for projection, and the input video signal has an input video coordinate system based on a resolution of the input video signal. The computing module calculates for obtaining a plurality of mapping relationships according to the image capturing coordinate system and the input video coordinate system, and obtaining an image blending relationship through the mapping relationships and an overlapping area of projection regions.
US09473707B2
A system for producing a visual representation of an object includes a structure for at least partially circumscribing the object, a plurality of still cameras mounted in fixed relation to each other, and at least one computer processor. The one or more computer processors trigger the plurality of still cameras to capture a plurality of still images of the object, create the visual representation of the object by, at least in part, arranging at least some of the plurality of still images in an order, and transmit a digital file that includes the visual representation of the object to a storage medium accessible by a user device. The visual representation of the object is user manipulable to permit presenting the visual representation in more than one way.
US09473698B2
An imaging device, comprising an imaging section for forming a subject image and obtaining image data, a lens control section for changing focus lens position, and a position correction section for carrying out alignment of a plurality of image data that have been acquired by the imaging section, wherein the position correction section selectively executes local alignment processing for carrying out alignment locally, and global alignment processing for carrying out alignment globally, based on relative focus position between two images that will be combined.
US09473696B2
A gaze detection apparatus includes a light source which illuminates a user's eye, an imaging unit which generates an image by capturing the image of a user's face, and a processor adapted to: estimate a distance between the imaging unit and the user's face; calculate the ratio of the distance between the imaging unit and the user's face to a separation distance between the imaging unit and the light source and determine, based on the ratio, whether a bright pupil phenomenon occurs; detect from the captured image a corneal reflection image of the light source and a center of the user's pupil when determining that the bright pupil phenomenon does not occur; and detect the user's gaze direction or gaze position based on a positional relationship between the center of the user's pupil and the corneal reflection image when determining that the bright pupil phenomenon does not occur.
US09473695B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for focusing a digital camera to capture a scene. It is first detected that a change in a scene requires the digital camera to be focused or refocused. The camera focus is automatically scanned from a closest settable distance to farther distances until a first closest object in the scene is detected. Once the first closest object in the scene is detected, the camera focus is set at the distance of the first closest object and a finer scan is executed. In an embodiment, a dynamic movement threshold is calculated and used to determine that the change in scene requires the digital camera to be focused or refocused.
US09473693B2
A photographing apparatus has a body portion to which a lens portion is mountable and to which an image forming luminous flux is conducted from the lens portion, and the photographing apparatus includes an image pickup device having pixels for image pickup and pixels for focus detection, a storage section that retains information of sensitivity characteristics of the pixels for focus detection, and a control amount calculation section that obtains information about an incident angle and an angular range of the image forming luminous flux from the lens portion and calculates information for focus control based on the obtained information and information read from the storage section. The focus control of high precision is enabled with simple configuration, irrespective of a lens system.
US09473690B1
A closed-loop system for auto-focusing in photography is used to capture better images of remote objects by generating and executing auto-focusing corrections in real time. The system includes an image collecting device, a focuser, a beam selector, an imaging camera, a second camera, and a computing unit. The image capturing device is typically a telescope that is used to capture the image of the remote object. The beam selector is used to split the captured image between the imager camera and the second camera. The imager camera is used to progressively create the image of a target. The second camera is used to create images of a reference object at regular intervals. The images of the reference object are analyzed by the computing unit and are used to generate auto-focusing corrections by the computing unit. Those corrections are then executed by the focuser.
US09473687B2
Systems and methods are presented for modifying image parameters of an image to be captured by an image capturing device based on input from a wearable computing device. In some embodiments, the system receives image data, determines an image parameter based on the image data, and receives data from a wearable computing device positioned proximate to a subject of the image. The system modifies the image parameter based on the data received from the wearable computing device and captures the image data using the modified image parameter.
US09473686B2
A camera device includes: an imaging unit taking image light to obtain a video signal; an output unit outputting the video signal obtained in the imaging unit to a connected cable; a detection unit detecting current variation or voltage variation of the video signal to be outputted from the output unit; and a control unit determining a control signal transmitted through the cable based on the signal variation detected by the detection unit and performing operation control corresponding to the determined control signal.
US09473683B2
An image capture apparatus with a detachable lens includes a communication unit capable of switching a communication mode used in communication with the mounted lens unit between a first communication mode of transmitting first control information to the mounted lens unit and a second communication mode of transmitting a second control information different from the first control information to the mounted lens unit, and a control unit configured to control a communication with the mounted lens unit, wherein the control unit controls the communication such that, until the control started based on either one of the first control information and the second control information is ended, the other one of the first control information and the second control information is not transmitted.
US09473668B2
System, methods, and computer-readable media. A method includes maintaining an original image of a mail piece in a local image server and generating metadata corresponding to the original image by the local image server. The method includes transmitting the metadata to a regional image server over a network. The method includes receiving a request for the original image from a second system, and transmitting the original image to the second system in response to the request.
US09473661B2
An image forming apparatus includes a receiving section, a distance acquiring section, an arrival time calculating section, an execution order determining section, and a printing section. The distance acquiring section acquires a distance between a user and the image forming apparatus. The arrival time calculating section calculates a travel speed of the user based on variation per unit time in the distance acquired by the distance acquiring section and calculates an arrival time indicating an amount of time it will take for the user to arrive at the image forming apparatus based on the calculated travel speed and the acquired distance. The execution order determining section determines, an order of execution of print jobs based on the arrival times calculated by the arrival time calculation section. The printing section then executes the print jobs in the execution order determined by the execution order determining section.
US09473659B2
An image forming apparatus divides image data into a plurality of image regions in a sub-scanning direction and performs predetermined processing on the image data of each divided image region so as to form an image on a recording medium. The image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit that detects whether the image data of the image region is blank data; a storage unit that stores the image data of the image region that has been subjected to detection; and a control unit that controls whether to cause the detection unit to perform the detection depending on a predetermined printing mode.
US09473643B2
A mute detector actively provides an indication to a user when the user is speaking while on mute in an audio conferencing application. The indication may prevent the user from speaking for a period without being heard by other participants. The indication also may prevent a user from believing they were heard by others in an audio conference when they were, in fact, on mute. The techniques may be integrated into the software layer of any audio or video conferencing application, although other implementations will be apparent in light of this disclosure.
US09473636B2
A method for optimizing customer support during the activation of an access control device or payment device of an access control system includes starting a pre-set timer when the access control or payment device is activated, and automatically establishing a communication between the customer and the staff support personnel over an intercom system or a video intercom system and activating a video connection whenever the pre-set timer expires and (1) the customer is still standing in front of the access control or payment device, (2) the customer's vehicle is still located in front of the access control or payment device, (3) the customer is still operating the device before completion of the transaction or interaction that was initiated when the timer was started, or (4) an n-times repetition of operator errors occurs in the operation of the access control or payment device where n is a pre-specified natural number ≧2. The video connection and a display device indicates to the staff personnel whether and how the customer is operating the access control device or payment device.
US09473627B2
A video endpoint and related methods are disclosed. A video endpoint includes a control circuit configured to provide a user interface configured to enable a user to communicate with another user of another video endpoint with text during video communications with the other user. The user interface is also configured to enable the user to select from text strings stored in a database. A method of operating the video endpoint includes transmitting data corresponding to a selected one of the text strings stored in the database to the other video endpoint during the video communications responsive to the user selecting the selected one of the text strings. A method of transforming a computing device into a video endpoint includes storing computer-readable instructions directed to performing the functions of the control circuit on one or more servers, and transmitting the computer-readable instructions to the computing device.
US09473621B1
Methods and systems for customer administered calling controls in an institutional setting comprising receiving customer control information from a customer outside of an institution where the customer control information comprising one or more control mechanisms and providing a resident of the institution, through a telephone network, phone services subject to the one or more control mechanisms.
US09473617B2
An apparatus, system, or method for causing a controlled device and a controlling terminal to operate in collaboration with each other, wherein a server apparatus stores in advance a plurality of sets of collaboration information which causes the controlled device and the controlling terminal to operate in collaboration with each other. The plurality of sets of collaboration information is respectively stored in association with a plurality of controlled apparatuses different from one another in type. When the controlling terminal requests the server apparatus to send the collaboration information designating the type of the controlled device, the server apparatus sends to the controlling terminal the collaboration information corresponding to the type of the controlled device. The controlled device and the controlling terminal operate in collaboration with each other using the collaboration information.
US09473614B2
Various embodiments are described for managing media content using a communications device. One embodiment is a method that comprises providing, by the communications device, a user interface for a user to access the media content. The method further comprises receiving a user input from the user via the user interface, searching a media content database for media content corresponding to the user input, and updating the user interface according to the media content corresponding to the user input and displaying in a specified order.
US09473611B2
Various arrangements for handling a call by a mobile device and/or selecting a function for execution by the mobile device are presented. A phone call may be commenced by a mobile device. During the phone call, the mobile device may collect proximity data that indicates the mobile device is not proximate to an ear of a user. The microphone of the mobile device may be muted in response to the proximity data that indicates the mobile device is not proximate to the ear of the user.
US09473609B2
This application relates to various button related embodiments for use with a portable electronic device. In some embodiments, a snap clip can be integrated with a button bracket to save space where two separate brackets would take up too much space in the portable electronic device. In other embodiments, a tactile switch can be waterproofed by welding a polymeric layer atop a tactile switch assembly. In this way water can be prevented from contacting moisture sensitive components of the tactile switch assembly. The weld joining the polymeric layer to the tactile switch can include at least one gap to trapped gas surrounding the tactile switch assembly to enter and exit during heat excursions caused by various operating and/or assembly operations.
US09473607B2
A mobile phone holder for a vehicle mounted to a docking portion which is provided with a power plug and formed to a center fascia may include a supporter selectively mounted to the docking portion and a connecting pin connected with the power plug provided at an end of the supporter, a center cradle provided with a connecting terminal thereto, an upper cradle supporting an upper portion of a mobile phone, a moving unit disposed within the center cradle and selectively sliding the upper cradle according to a size of the mobile phone, and a charging unit provided with a charging connector electrically connected with the connecting terminal corresponding to a charging terminal of the mobile phone, and the charging unit fixing the mobile phone to the center cradle by connecting the charging terminal of the mobile phone with the charging connector.
US09473600B2
Methods and devices for reducing traffic over a wireless link through the compression or suppression of high layer packets carrying predictable background data prior to transportation over a wireless link. The methods include intercepting application layer protocol packets carrying the predictable background data. In embodiments where the background data is periodic in nature, the high layer packets may be compressed into low-layer signaling indicators for communication over a low-layer control channel (e.g., an on off keying (OOK) channel). Alternatively, the high layer packets may be suppressed entirely (not transported over the wireless link) when a receiver side daemon is configured to autonomously replicate the periodic background nature according to a projected interval. In other embodiments, compression techniques may be used to reduce overhead attributable to non-periodic background data that is predictable in context.
US09473599B2
The invention provides a method of forming s custom data packet for a point-to-point trunk network, the method comprising the steps of providing a First-In First-Out (FIFO) register to capture data packets transmitted via a packet-switched computer network at speeds equal to or greater than 1 Gbps, the packet switched data packets having a packet switched header and a packet switched frame check sequence (FCS), providing selectors connected to the FIFO outputs, each selector receiving a packet-switched data packet and stripping out the packet-switched header and replacing if with a mini-header and filling each stripped data packet with 1 to 1,500 bytes of customer data to transform each data packet to a high payload data packet, replacing the packet-switched FCS with a mini-FCS. Sending each high payload data packet across the point-to-point trunk network having a reduced latency of less-than 1 microsecond for roundtrip transmission and recreating the standard packet-switched data packet based on the mini-header and mini-FCS.
US09473595B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a policy control method and device. The method includes: receiving, by a PCRF, NAT entry information sent by a NAT device; obtaining, by the PCRF, a first PCC rule according to the NAT entry information, where the first PCC rule is a PCC rule including an IP address to be translated by the NAT device; and sending, by the PCRF, the first PCC rule to a gateway device, so that the gateway device executes the first PCC rule. According to the embodiments of the present invention, it can be ensured that the gateway device correctly executes the PCC rule.
US09473579B2
A communication device for a vehicle has a first communication unit and a second communication unit. The first communication unit is configured to communicate with a server via a first communication protocol. The second communication unit is configured to communicate with at least one further vehicle via a second communication protocol. The first communication unit is configured to receive from the server control information for the second communication protocol and to forward it to the second communication unit. The second communication unit is configured to perform, depending on the forwarded control information, at least one predetermined setting for communicating with the at least one further vehicle by use of the second communication protocol.
US09473570B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises creating a hierarchal chain of network services in response to instantiation within a data center of a virtualized application providing an application service, the chain having a corresponding hierarchal proxy endpoint identifier for each network service in the chain; registering the chain of network services as a logical path for reaching the application service within the data center; and routing, within the data center, a web-based service request for the application service to the chain of network services for execution by the virtualized application.
US09473569B2
Methods, systems and computer program products are disclosed for measuring a performance of a program running on a processing unit of a processing system. In one embodiment, the method comprises informing a logic unit of each instruction in the program that is executed by the processing unit, assigning a weight to each instruction, assigning the instructions to a plurality of groups, and analyzing the plurality of groups to measure one or more metrics. In one embodiment, each instruction includes an operating code portion, and the assigning includes assigning the instructions to the groups based on the operating code portions of the instructions. In an embodiment, each type of instruction is assigned to a respective one of the plurality of groups. These groups may be combined into a plurality of sets of the groups.
US09473559B2
Systems and methods for providing registration at a remote site that may include, for example, a monitoring module that may communicate with a remote site. A registration protocol may be used by the monitoring module and the remote site in generating the messages communicated during the registration process. The monitoring module may gather and generate various identification information to be included in the registration protocol messages. The registration information provided by the monitoring module maybe stored at the remote site in a database server having a database. A confirmation message may be communicated from the remote site to the monitoring module that may either acknowledge successful registration or report that an error occurred during the registration process.
US09473558B2
A method and system for utilizing target browsers. A client program is executed, which includes: (i) receiving a selection of at least one target browser by a user at a user interface at a first terminal, wherein the user interface displays two or more target browsers for each group of target browsers of two or more groups of target browsers from which the user has selected the at least one target browser; (ii) generating a message that includes the selected at least one target browser; and (iii) sending the message to a server.
US09473552B2
A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, perform processes including a first generation operation generating first sound data, a storage operation storing the first sound data in a storage device, an acquisition operation acquiring a first value defined based on a storage amount, a determination operation determining whether the first value is larger than a threshold value, a setting operation setting a total time to a first total time in response to the determination operation determining that the first value is larger than the threshold value and to a second total time, which is shorter than the first total time, in response to the determination operation determining that the first value is not larger than the threshold value, and a second generation operation generating the second sound data from a specified number of pieces of the first sound data.
US09473550B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, a system, and a computer program product for fusing a stream operator into more than one processing element within a streaming application. The method includes receiving an instruction to concurrently fuse, into a second processing element, a stream operator of interest that is fused into a first processing element. The method includes determining whether the stream operator of interest is stateful. The method includes compiling, in response to determining the stream operator of interest is stateful, a clone of the stream operator of interest into the second processing element so that the clone is synchronized with the stream operator of interest.
US09473548B1
Described herein are systems and methods for determining and distributing pre-fetch data associated with streaming of content to a media device. Transport control data associated with user navigation within the content during consumption of the content is acquired. The transport control data is processed to determine one or more points of interest in the content. Pre-fetch content associated with these one or more points of interest may be delivered to the media device. Presentation is expedited with low or no latency during navigation to one of the points of interest having the pre-fetched content, which may be presented while the content is being made available.
US09473543B2
A method is presented comprising transmitting, from an application computer communicably connected to a call controller which is connected to a data network, packetized messages indicative of telephone calls in progress at an endpoint of the data network, or indicative of such endpoint, and transmitting, from the call controller to the application computer, packetized messages indicative of a variety of information contained in, or relevant to, the telephone calls so as to process such information for a variety of applications. Apparatus to implement the method is also presented.
US09473538B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for overriding a soft website block. One of the methods includes receiving, from a user device, a request to access a resource, determining, using a first policy group for the user device, that the user device should be prevented from accessing the resource, providing, to the user device and based on determining that the user device should be prevented from accessing the resource, instructions for the presentation of a user interface including a user credentials field, receiving user credentials from the user device, determining that the user credentials are the same as credentials used to log onto the user device, and allowing the user device access to the resource.
US09473536B2
Methods and apparatus are described for facilitating communication among a plurality of entities via an interoperability network. Each entity has policy data corresponding thereto governing interaction with the entity via the interoperability network. A message is transmitted from a first one of the entities to a second one of the entities. The first entity has first policy data corresponding thereto and the second entity has second policy data corresponding thereto. The transmitted message was handled in the network according to combined policy data representing a combination of the first and second policy data.
US09473535B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and policy rating server device that receives a request from a client computing device for one or more privacy ratings. The request identifies at least one application, such as an application installed on the client computing device for example. A policy associated with the identified application is obtained. The obtained policy is analyzed to identify a plurality of key words or phrases associated with use by the at least one application of functionality of, or personal information stored on, the client computing device. One or more privacy ratings are generated based on numerical values assigned to each of the identified key words or phrases. The generated one or more privacy ratings are output to the client computing device in response to the request.
US09473533B2
Systems and methods for a secure mobile framework to securely connect applications running on mobile devices to services within an enterprise are provided. Various embodiments provide mechanisms of securitizing data and communication between mobile devices and end point services accessed from a gateway of responsible authorization, authentication, anomaly detection, fraud detection, and policy management. Some embodiments provide for the integration of server and client side security mechanisms, binding of a user/application/device to an endpoint service along with multiple encryption mechanisms. For example, the secure mobile framework provides a secure container on the mobile device, secure files, a virtual file system partition, a multiple level authentication approach (e.g., to access a secure container on the mobile device and to access enterprise services), and a server side fraud detection system.
US09473526B2
A survivable network is described in which one or more network device includes enhanced functionality to fight through cyber attacks. A Fight-Through Node (FTN) is described, which may be a combined hardware/software system that enhances existing networks with survivability properties. A network node comprises a hardware-based processing system having a set of one or more processing units, a hypervisor executing on each one of the processing units, and a plurality of virtual machines executing on each of the hypervisor. The network node includes an application-level dispatcher to receive a plurality of transaction requests from a plurality of network communication session with a plurality of clients and distribute a copy of each of the transaction requests to the plurality of virtual machines executing on the network node over a plurality of time steps to form a processing pipeline of the virtual machines.
US09473524B2
In one aspect, the disclosure provides: A method comprising: inviting a distributed plurality of researchers to participate in one or more computer vulnerability research projects directed to identifying computer vulnerabilities of one or more networks and/or computers that are owned or operated by a third party; assessing reputation and skills of one or more of the researchers, and accepting a subset of the researchers who have a positive reputation and sufficient skills to perform the investigations of the computer vulnerabilities; assigning a particular computer vulnerability research project, relating to a particular network under test, to a particular researcher from among the subset of the researchers; using a computer that is logically interposed between the particular researcher and the particular network under test, monitoring communications between the particular researcher and the particular network under test, wherein the communications relate to attempting to identify a candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test; validating a report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher; determining and providing an award to the particular researcher in response to successfully validating the report of the candidate security vulnerability of the particular network under test that is received from the particular researcher.
US09473516B1
Techniques for analyzing access to a network-based document may be provided. For example, a portion of the network-based document for hashing may be identified. A client hash of the portion may be accessed. The client hash may be based on an access of a client to the network-based document over a network. A provider hash of the portion may be also accessed. The provider hash may be based on a trusted version of the portion. The client hash and the provider hash may be compared. Based on the comparison, an issue associated with the access to the network-based document over the network may be detected.
US09473512B2
The present invention provides methods and systems to protect an organization's secure information from unauthorized disclosure. The present system uses protect agents installed across various egress points (e.g., email server, user's computer, etc.) to monitor information disclosed by a user. The present system also provides the use of fingerprint servers to remotely maintain a database of fingerprints associated with the organization's secure data. In one embodiment, the protect agents transmit fingerprints associated with the user's information to the fingerprint server utilizing a local network or the public internet. The protect agents then receive a comparison analysis from the fingerprint servers and execute appropriate security action based on the analysis. In one embodiment, a combination of the local network and public internet is utilized to achieve remote agent lookups.
US09473502B2
Embodiments described herein provide techniques for atomically updating a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM)-based access control list (ACL). According to one embodiment, a current version bit of the ACL is determined. The current version bit indicates that a rule in the ACL is active is the version flag in the rule matches the current version bit. Through these techniques, a first set of rules can be modified to create a second set of rules (e.g., by insertions, deletions, and replacements, etc.).
US09473501B2
There is presented a system and method for associating a domain transcendent identification (ID) of a user and a domain specific ID of the user, the system comprising an ID association server accessible by a plurality of secure domains over a network. The system also includes an ID associator application that when executed by ID association server is configured to receive a domain specific ID that associates the user to the secure domain, enter the domain specific ID in a domain transcendent ID record created for the user, generate a unique data associated with the domain transcendent ID record and identify a network location for submission of the unique data, send the unique data and the network location to the user, and associate the domain transcendent ID and the domain specific ID.
US09473494B2
A method and system for access credential functionality using biometrically generated public/private key pairs may involve generating an asymmetric encryption key pair using a biometric scan of a human user and a server identifier of a network server. The public key of the key pair may be sent to the network server from a client device operated by the human user. The network server may use the public key to authenticate that the client device is in possession of the private key, thereby authenticating the human user.
US09473491B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for a computing device with an integrated authentication token. The computing device includes first circuitry having a processor and a memory and providing general-purpose computing capability. The computing device also includes second circuitry configured to generate a one-time password. The first circuitry is incapable of determining the one-time password due to a hardware, communicative, and/or electrical separation, and the first and second circuitry are in a single enclosure.
US09473490B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with bidirectional authentication are described herein. According to one embodiment, a method includes a user receiving a communication from an entity. In response to receiving the communication from the entity, the method further includes generating a token. The token may be a one-time passcode, personal identification number (PIN), alphanumeric value, code word, pass phrase, or security question. The token is received by a device of the user. Additionally, the token is transmitted to the entity. The user may then receive evidence of the token from the entity.
US09473466B2
A decentralized method for IPSec processing in virtual environments includes assigning a unique identifier to each of a set of compute nodes. Each compute node can emulate one or more virtual machines that generate IP packets for forwarding over a network (e.g., the Internet). An IP packet, received from a trusted source at a compute node, is encrypted and a trailer is appended to the encrypted packet. The trailer includes the unique identifier of the compute node. The encrypted packet with appended trailer is forwarded to a secure gateway that can perform an anti-replay check using stored parameters corresponding to the unique identifier in the trailer. In inbound processing, the unique identifier is inserted into a trailer appended to an encrypted packet by the security gateway and a VPN server directs the incoming encrypted packet to the appropriate compute node for forwarding to the virtual machine.
US09473464B2
Based on a request for media content from a media client, a device identifies one or more: segments of encrypted media content; encryption keys for decrypting the segments of encrypted media content; and segments of unencrypted media content. The device determines an order for sending the one or more segments of encrypted and unencrypted media content. The device sends, to the media client, a segment of encrypted media content, according to the order for sending, along with an encryption key for decrypting the segment of encrypted media content being sent. The device sends, to the media client, a segment of unencrypted media content, according to the order for sending, along with a subsequent encryption key for decrypting a subsequent segment of encrypted media content to be sent after the segment of unencrypted content. The subsequent encryption key permits the media client to decrypt the subsequent segment of encrypted media content.
US09473463B2
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing control word and associated entitlement control message (ECM) functionalities are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may cache concurrently a first set of control words and a first set of entitlement control messages (ECMs) associated with the first set of control words. The computing device may encrypt a transport stream with a particular control word of the first set of control words. The computing device may insert a particular ECM, of the first set of ECMs, corresponding to the particular control word into the transport stream sent to a device downstream from the computing device. In some embodiments, a computing device may reuse control words and associated ECMs.
US09473460B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using HyperText Transfer Protocol communication as a transport for bi-directional data streams. Embodiments of the invention facilitate passing otherwise blocked TCP communication through a firewall. Embodiments of the invention can be used to pass legitimate TCP communication through a firewall even though a firewall is configured to block the legitimate TCP communication.
US09473446B2
Techniques for optimizing a delivery time for the delivery of messages are described. According to various embodiments, a system determines, for each of a plurality of time intervals, a likelihood of a particular member of an online social network service performing a particular member user action on a particular message content item during the corresponding time interval. The plurality of time intervals are then ranked, based on the determined likelihoods corresponding to the plurality of time intervals. Thereafter, a particular time interval is identified from among the plurality of time intervals that is associated with a highest ranking. The particular time interval is then classified as an optimum personalized message delivery time for the particular member.
US09473445B2
The agent server of the present invention includes (i) a conversation monitoring section for monitoring, based on a conversation log saved in a family message board server, comments made by members belonging to a community, (ii) a status information collecting section for collecting status information of the community which information corresponds to (i) a specific member or a combination of specific members and (ii) a specific keyword or a combination of specific keywords which have been detected based on the conversation log, and (iii) a comment making section for outputting, to the server, a comment message which conforms to an event of the community which event is indicated by status information.
US09473442B2
An improvement to an electronic mail program is disclosed. In particular, the improved electronic mail program enables a user to mark individual action items within a message and set attributes for each action item. In the preferred embodiment, attributes include priority, deadline, abstract, and responsibility. The electronic mail program stores the action items and associated attributes in a database and sends the message to one or more recipients. The electronic mail program then displays the message and action items to the recipients. Message recipients then navigate through the list of action items to read descriptions and to determine the priority and nature of the actions necessary. The responsibility attribute further indicates which recipient should respond to the action item. The improved electronic mail program updates the status of each action item in the database as recipients respond.
US09473440B1
A method and associated computer system. A composed message portion, of an electronic message, that includes a hyperlink is received and sent to a set of content rendering emulators. Each emulator is configured to emulate a rendering of content accessible through the hyperlink on a respective particular platform. An emulation result is received from the set of content rendering emulators. The emulation result is indicative of the emulated rendering of the content sent accessible through the hyperlink on the respective particular platforms emulated by the content rendering emulators. It is determined whether the emulation result indicates that the content accessible through the hyperlink can be rendered in accordance with defined rendering criteria on at least one of the respective platforms prior to transmission of a message including the message portion, and if so then a validation message is generated, and if not then a warning message is generated.
US09473437B1
An electronic communication is received. The received communication is classified according to a tertiary classification scheme. In the tertiary classification scheme, communications classified using a first classification are not delivered to a recipient. Also in the tertiary classification scheme, communications classified using a second classification are subjected to heightened review. In some cases, the heightened review is performed by one or more reviewers, after the communication has been at least partially redacted.
US09473436B2
Storing image data and related information for sharing via a URL includes receiving image data uploaded from a client computer via a user interface and receiving, separate from the receiving of the image data, related information uploaded via the user interface. The uploaded image data and related information are stored. A uniform resource locator (URL) configured for retrieving a display that includes the stored image data and the related information is generated. The URL is provided in a message.
US09473433B2
A communication device includes a communication circuit, one or more processors operable with the communication circuit, and one or more memory devices to store one or more applications. The one or more processors can enable data messaging communication through the communication circuit and disable other data communication through the communication circuit. A data message can be received indicating a request to enable at least data communication with at least one application to deliver a payload to the application. In response to receipt of the data message, data communication can be enabled with the application to receive the payload. After receipt of the payload, data communication with the application can again be disabled.
US09473426B2
Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to implement hybrid routers in multicore architectures. A first tile may include a processor core, a cache configured to be in communication with the processor core and a router configured to be in communication with the cache. The router may be effective to move data with a packet switching channel or a circuit switching channel. The first tile may include switching logic configured to be in communication with the cache and the router. The switching logic may be effective to receive a routing objective that may relate to energy or delay costs in routing data through the network. The switching logic may select one of the packet switching channel or the circuit switching channel to move the data through the network based on the routing objective.
US09473420B2
Techniques are provided for providing access control lists in a distributed network switch. The distributed network switch made of switch units is divided into logical switch partitions, or logical networks. Physical ports of the switch units are partitioned into logical ports, where each logical port is associated with a logical switch partition. A control point of the distributed network switch manages and assigns a service tag (S-Tag) used to identify which logical port ingress and egress frames are associated with. To generate metrics and other forwarding actions for a given logical switch partition, the control point sets up access control list (ACLs) targeting the logical port associated with the S-Tags associated with the given logical switch partition.
US09473419B2
A multi-tenant cloud storage system is provided. The cloud storage system a plurality of tenants, each tenant is configured to utilize an isolated logical partition of the cloud storage system accessible to a respective tenant portal, wherein the plurality of tenants includes at least a first type tenant and a second type tenant, each of the first type tenant and the second type tenant are configured to provision its respective set of members with a different storage policy.
US09473415B2
The present disclosure is directed to Quality of Service (QoS) and handshake protocols to facilitate endpoint bandwidth allocation among one or more agents in a Network on Chip (NoC) for an endpoint agent. The QoS policy and handshake protocols may involve the use of credits for buffer allocation which are sent to agents in the NoC to compel the acceptance of data and the allocation of an appropriate buffer. Messages sent to the agent may also have a priority associated with the message, wherein higher priority messages have automatic bandwidth allocation and lower priority messages are processed using a handshake protocol.
US09473413B1
Techniques for dynamically throttling network traffic may be provided. For example, a first threshold specific to a first client may be determined and may be dynamically adjusted over time. A volume of network traffic of the first client may be compared to the first threshold and, if is in excess, a throttling operation may be performed. The throttling operation may include throttling the network traffic of the first client, throttling the traffic of a second client, or comparing the volume of network traffic to a second threshold. If the second threshold is exceeded, a connection with the first client or the second client may be terminated.
US09473412B2
In one embodiment, a method is disclosed in which a device in a network receives self-interference information from one or more nodes in the network. A degree of self-interference along a communication path in the network is determined based on the received self-interference information. A packet to be sent along the communication path is also identified and traffic shaping is performed on the communication path based on the degree of self-interference along the path.
US09473409B2
An overlay network, node and application for load balanced service discovery. The application includes the steps of implementing the service discovery mechanism in the DHT P2P overlay network for finding a peer (1100) that provides a desired service; a step of adding to a record structure (50) of the service discovery mechanism a maximum capacity parameter Cmax (54) and a currently used capacity parameter Ccurrent (56); and a step of removing from the tree (10) a record of the peer (1110) that provides the desired service when the currently used capacity reaches a predetermined capacity so that the peer is not contacted by other service clients.
US09473404B2
In one embodiment, a method implemented in a software-defined networking (SDN) system includes determining that a packet is to be forwarded by a flow table that includes at least two sets of instructions in flow table entries. The method continues with determining values of a plurality of match key components extracted from the packet to match the flow table, where the plurality of match key components contains at least a pair of match key components in a same type, wherein values of the pair are determined based on numerical measures of the pair. The method continues with searching the flow table to find a matching entry for the packet and, upon finding it, selecting one of the at least two sets of instructions of the matching entry following the determination of the values of the plurality of match key components, and perform the selected set of instructions on the packet.
US09473402B2
Methods and systems which receive and transmit an IP data packet at a network device via a first network interface if the IP data packet satisfies an interception policy, and via a second network interface if the IP data packet does not satisfy the interception policy. The decision to use the first network interface or the second network interface depends on whether the IP data packet satisfies the interception policy. The IP data packet is either received by the network device or created by the network device. If the IP data packet is created by the network device, the source address of the IP data packet is reachable via the first network interface. When the IP data packet is received by the network device and also satisfies the interception policy, another IP data packet is transmitted via the first network interface as a response and its source address is an IP address reachable via the first network interface. Its destination address is source address of the IP data packet received by the network device.
US09473400B1
Virtual Network Interface Connection (VNIC) is a client-server protocol that virtualizes access to a single physical Ethernet network adapter. “Dedicated VNIC” describes a configuration where a VNIC server is connected to a single VNIC client via a command/response queue (CRQ), allowing minimal overhead when communicating between the client and the Ethernet network adapter. A VNIC server failover mechanism includes multiple VNIC servers on a prioritized list. The top VNIC server on the prioritized list is selected to serve a VNIC client when a CRQ is opened by the client. When the selected VNIC server stops working, the VNIC server failover mechanism selects the next VNIC client in the prioritized list as the active VNIC server, and establishes a connection to the VNIC client's CRQ. In this manner, recovery of a failure in a VNIC server is done in a way that does not require any changes to the VNIC client.
US09473398B2
A set of routing rules is receiving at a networking device in a data communication network from a controller in the data communication network implemented using the software-defined network architecture. A condition is detected at the networking device. A subset of the set of routing rules is selected in the networking device. The selecting is responsive to the condition. The subset of routing rules is applied in the networking device at a first time such that the networking device uses a first routing rule to route data traffic in the data communication network, and omits using a second routing rule received from the controller to route data traffic in the data communication network. A second subset of routing rules from the set of routing rules responsive to a second condition is applied autonomously at a second time at the networking device.
US09473394B1
In general, techniques are described for enhancing operations of virtual networks. In some examples, a network system includes a server that executes a virtual router configured to receive, from a switch fabric, a tunnel packet for a virtual network of the virtual networks, wherein the tunnel packet comprises an outer header and an inner packet that defines a packet flow. The virtual router is also configured to determine, based at least on the outer header, that the packet is associated with a virtual network of the one or more virtual networks, determine a packet flow defined by the inner packet does not match any flow table entry of a flow table that identifies active flows only for virtual network and, in response, add a flow table entry for a reverse packet flow of the packet flow to the flow table.
US09473389B2
Examples disclose a computing device, method, and machine-readable storage medium to identify a destination address associated with a data frame upon ingress. Additionally, the computing device, method, and machine-readable storage medium exclude the data frame from a link aggregation group (LAG) based upon a determination to route the data frame to a port associated with the LAG.
US09473371B2
A method and application server for dynamically determining a Reference Signal (RS) Power Boost level in a radio telecommunication network. The application server may be a Self-Optimized Network (SON) application server configured to received network performance information from Performance Management (PM) counters and configuration information from a configuration database server. The application server monitors a plurality of network Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), compares the KPIs to associated thresholds, and derives and assigns values to KPI threshold factors. The server calculates a scaling factor based on values of the KPI threshold factors, and calculates a dynamic RS Power Boost level by applying the scaling factor to a baseline RS Power Boost level.
US09473358B2
A network system for an expandable distributed core architecture (“DCA”) includes multiple spine switches, multiple leaf switches coupled thereto, and a plurality of interconnections coupling each of the spine switches to each of the leaf switches. Servers, storage, and other system items and resources can be coupled to the leafs via downlinks and uplinks. Each of the plurality of spine switches includes at least one unused spine port that is reserved for a future expansion of the DCA in order to accommodate the addition of at least one other separate leaf switch to the at least one unused spine port. Additional ports can be unused and reserved for future expansion additions of more leafs and/or more spines. Also, a computing system assists in the design of the specific number and configuration of spines, leafs and interconnections based upon user inputs regarding current and future system needs.
US09473357B2
Techniques are provided for optimizing bandwidth in a network. Information describing a network bandwidth capacity of a port extender device is received at a switch. The port extender device is connected to the switch. The port extender device is configured to provide ports for the switch. The network bandwidth capacity of the port extender device is compared to a minimum network bandwidth guarantee threshold. If the switch determines that the network bandwidth capacity of the port extender device is below the minimum network guarantee threshold, the switch sends to the port extender device a message configured to cause the port extender to deactivate one or more links between the port extender device and one or more servers in communication with the port extender device.
US09473350B2
A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause a network element to protect a label switched network against egress node failure by receiving a primary service label and a backup service label from an upstream node in the network, receiving data traffic comprising the primary service label from the upstream node for transmitting to a downstream node in the network, determining a status of a primary egress node in the network, the primary egress node being associated with a primary label switching path, forwarding the data traffic according to a primary label switching path when the primary egress node is operating properly, and replacing the primary service label with the backup service label and forwarding the data traffic according to a backup label switching path when the primary egress node has failed.
US09473348B2
In an embodiment, methods and systems have been provided for detecting changes in a network using improved Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) polling that reduces network traffic. Examples of changes in the network include, but are not limited to, configuration and behavioral changes in a network device, and response of network device to a network change. A Network Management Station (NMS) periodically polls Management Information Base (MIB) groups instead of periodically polling individual MIB object instances. The NMS receives the Aggregate Change Identifiers (ACIs) of MIB groups in response to polling, from a SNMP agent. The changes in the received ACIs represent the changes in the MIB groups. A change in an MIB group represents changes in the MIB object instances of the MIB group. The ACIs can be checksum, timestamp, and a combination of number of MIB object instances in a group and checksum of the MIB group.
US09473345B2
Displayable names corresponding to identities of networks which provide service for subscriber stations are obtained, the identities of the networks and the corresponding displayable names are processed into processed information, and the processed information is transmitted.
US09473328B2
A coax network unit (CNU) is coupled to a coax line terminal (CLT). In first and second modes of operation, the CNU transmits data during an upstream window and receives data during a downstream window. In the first mode of operation, a duration of data transmission for the upstream window or a duration of data reception for the downstream window is reduced by a specified amount with respect to the second mode. A sounding signal is transmitted in the first mode in a probing slot that has a duration corresponding to the specified amount.
US09473315B2
A first network device adapted for communication with one or more other network devices is configured to originate a first route identifying a tunnel for carrying traffic for a multicast, to originate a second route specifying a leaf information requirement for the multicast but not identifying a tunnel for carrying traffic for the multicast, and to track a plurality of receivers of the multicast based at least in part on leaf information received from the multicast receivers responsive to the specified leaf information requirement of the second route. The first route may comprise an inclusive route having a tunnel attribute that identifies an inclusive tunnel for the multicast and the second route may comprise a selective route having a tunnel attribute configured to indicate that it carries no tunnel information. Multicast traffic can be switched between an inclusive tunnel and a selective tunnel responsive to the multicast receiver tracking.
US09473309B2
A system for providing security services to a mobile device where the mobile device is in communication with a public network through a first network path that is subject to interference by a third party. The system includes a security server and a private network. The security server is operative to communicate with the mobile device through the private network. The security server is also operative to communicate with the public network through a second network path that is less susceptible to the interference by the third party than is the first network path. The security server communicates with the public network through the second network path to provide security services to the mobile device that are delivered over the private network.
US09473308B2
A method and a system for implementing a digital signature in a mobile operating system. The method comprises: an application program coding to-be-signed data to obtain a first data packet; calling a preset system function by using an address character string of a service program, an address character string of an application program and the first data packet as parameters; when the service program is called by the preset system function, parsing function parameters, and storing the address character string of the service program; decoding the first data packet; if the decoding succeeds, sending the to-be-signed data and a preset signature type to an intelligent key device; otherwise, using decoding failure information as a returned value, and calling the preset system function by using the address character string of the application program and the returned value as parameters; receiving information returned by the intelligent key device; calling the preset system function by using the information returned by the intelligent key device, the address character string of the application program and the returned value as parameters; and the application program parsing the parameters of the preset system function to obtain a signature result and a returned value, and the operations end.
US09473291B2
Described are apparatuses and methods for reducing channel physical layer (C-PHY) switching jitter. An apparatus may include a pattern dependent delay circuit to detect a switching pattern of at least three data signals on respective wires and adaptively change delays of the at least three data signals based on the switching pattern. The apparatus may further include a transmitter, coupled to the pattern dependent delay circuit, to transmit the at least three data signals.
US09473290B2
A method and an apparatus for clocking data processing modules, with different average clock frequencies and for transferring data between the modules are provided. The apparatus includes a device for providing a common clock signal to the modules. Clock pulses are deleted from the common clock signal to individual modules in dependence on the clocking frequency required by each module. The clock pulses are applied to the modules between which the data is to be transferred at times consistent with the data transfer.
US09473289B2
A base station determines a first set of PUCCH resources to use for a first set of UEs to send acknowledgment information to the base station for a first group of DL subframes. The first set of PUCCH resources starts at a first index. The base station determines a second set of PUCCH resources to use for a second set of UEs to send acknowledgment information to the base station for a second group of DL subframes. The second set of PUCCH resources starts at a second index. The UEs in the first set only use the first set of PUCCH resources. The UEs in the second set use the first and second sets of PUCCH resources. For an UL reception, acknowledgement information is received from the first UEs using the first set of PUCCH resources and from the second UEs using the first and second sets of PUCCH resources.
US09473276B2
Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, cooperation of multiple beams for transmission is provided by identifying at least two beams among multiple beams that are dominant for a user, determining if there is any beam collision between the at least two beams, and, if there is beam collision between the at least two beams, delaying scheduling on one or more weaker ones of the at least two beams for other users and combining the two or more beams for transmission to the user. Alternatively, cooperation of multiple beams for transmission is provided by, if there is beam collision between the at least two beams, muting one or more weaker ones of the at least two beams and transmitting to the user with a stronger one of the at least two beams.
US09473271B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a telecommunications method to be performed by a first telecommunications device while trying to transmit a data block to a second telecommunications device. According to the embodiment, the first telecommunications device determines whether a first set of early termination criteria is satisfied. Then, if the first set of early termination criteria is satisfied, the first telecommunications device further determines whether a second set of early termination criteria is satisfied. The second set of early termination criteria is different from the first set of early termination criteria. If both the first set of early termination criteria and the second set of early termination criteria are satisfied before the first telecommunications device finishes transmitting the data block, the first telecommunications device reduces a transmission power.
US09473267B2
A method for transmitting uplink control information and a wireless device are provided. The wireless device masks the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of a first piece of uplink control information with a masking sequence related to a second piece uplink control information and transmits the masked first piece of uplink control information to an uplink channel.
US09473266B1
An iterative decoder is controlled to iteratively decode a block by performing one or more decoding iterations for the block. The iterative decoder uses a parity-check matrix and can be configured to process that parity-check matrix for parallel, sequential or a combination of parallel and sequential (“hybrid”) parity constraint updates.
US09473265B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating information using a plurality of report dictionaries are described. A plurality of request dictionaries are implemented for a wireless terminal to use for multi-bit uplink transmission backlog request reports communicated via the dedicated control channel. Each dictionary defines a different bit mapping interpretation for a set of multi-bit uplink transmission backlog request reports, e.g. a 3 bit uplink request report and a 4 bit uplink request report. The plurality of request dictionaries includes a default dictionary and additional dictionaries. The implementation of a plurality of alternative request dictionaries expands the reporting possibilities allowing a wireless terminal to use a reporting format well-suited to its current needs. The default dictionary is mandated to be used under certain predefined conditions, e.g., upon entry into the active state. Rules for transitioning between different dictionaries and continuing to use a selected dictionary are described.
US09473262B2
An optical communication apparatus of a wavelength division multiplexing transmission system has a transponder having a double-wavelength tunable transceiver and a transceiver including a switching controller, and a ROADM device having a device that copes with a colorless function and a directionless function and can operate in cooperation with the transponder.
US09473261B1
A method of enabling transport of symmetric latency-sensitive constant-bit-rate (CBR) client data streams over an optical transport network (OTN) is provided. The method performs, utilizing an OTN wrapping device, an OTN wrapping operation on a received first constant-bit-rate (CBR) client data stream to form a first framed OTN data stream. The method determines a static wrapping delay induced on the first CBR client data stream by the OTN wrapping operation, performs, utilizing the OTN wrapping device, an OTN unwrapping operation on a received second framed OTN data stream to extract a second CBR client data stream from the second framed OTN data stream, determines a static unwrapping delay induced on the second framed OTN data stream by the OTN unwrapping operation, and equalizes the static wrapping and unwrapping delays by adjusting, at the OTN wrapping device, at least one of the static wrapping and unwrapping delays.
US09473260B2
Method for performing announcements in a means of transport that has an announcement device having at least one loudspeaker and an entertainment device, having the following steps: an announcement start signal is sent from the announcement device to the entertainment device at the beginning of an announcement; an interruption to the reproduction of the reproduction appliance is prompted by the entertainment device when the announcement start signal is received; the announcement is reproduced as an audible announcement signal via the announcement loudspeaker; continuation of the reproduction of the reproduction appliance is prompted by the entertainment device when an announcement end signal is received or at the end of reception of the announcement start signal, characterized by detection of an audio signal that is output by the announcement loudspeaker by the entertainment device, wherein the reproduction of the reproduction appliance is automatically interrupted after the audio signal is detected.
US09473259B2
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for testing a receiver incorporated into an IC to receive a bitstream. An apparatus includes a precharge component to set a VGA to output a differential bias voltage; a taps component to set a tap to form a feedback loop that extends from an output of the bit slicer to the input of the bit slicer through a delay circuit and the tap, the tap to output a first differential voltage to the input of the bit slicer to invert a polarity of a sum of differential voltages at the input of the bit slicer to enable oscillation of the bit slicer, the sum generated from at least the differential bias voltage and the first differential voltage; and a capture component coupled to the output of the bit slicer to capture a series of bit values therefrom. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09473257B1
A system suitable for use in classifying radio signals includes a plurality of feature extractors configured to extract a plurality of features from an object and a plurality of classification layers. Each of the plurality of classification layers includes one or more reduced enhanced Gaussian classifiers selected from a plurality of Gaussian classifiers based on a classification error rate of each of the plurality of Gaussian classifiers and configured to classify the object as belonging to an object class in a subgroup of correctly classified object classes or in a disjoint error subgroup that needs further classification, using at least one of the extracted plurality of features. If the object is classified as belonging to an object class in a disjoint error subgroup at a layer, the object is passed on to a different reduced enhanced Gaussian classifier in a next layer for further classification.
US09473254B2
A correlation between noise injection time at which a power supply noise signal is applied to a clock path and a path delay of the clock path at the time of the power supply noise signal being applied is acquired. Furthermore, noise injection time width based on a clock signal inputted from a circuit arranged before the clock path to the clock path is set. The differences between path delays within the set noise injection time width are calculated by the use of the acquired correlation and the maximum value of the differences is estimated to be clock jitter of the clock path. The estimated clock jitter is smaller than the worst value and overestimation is prevented.
US09473238B2
Method and device for processing a communication network A method and a device for processing a communication network are provided, wherein (a) a first performance parameter of the communication network is determined; (b) a third performance parameter is determined based on the first performance parameter and a second performance parameter, which second performance parameter was previously determined, wherein the second performance parameter comprises a forecast of an expected network performance over time until the end of the scheduled lifetime of the communication network; and (c) the communication network is processed based on the third performance parameter. Furthermore, an according computer program product is suggested.
US09473237B2
A display device may include: an acquisition unit acquiring transmitting terminal identification information that is identification information of a transmitting terminal transmitting image data by wireless communication, and receiving terminal identification information that is identification information of a receiving terminal receiving the image data by wireless communication; and an information display unit displaying the transmitting terminal identification information and the receiving terminal identification information.
US09473231B2
Inspection system for inspection or cleaning of pipes (5), wherein the inspection system comprises an inspection or cleaning means (15) and a control means (10), and wherein the inspection system comprises a first transmission/receiver means (20; 40) assigned to the control means (10) and a second transmission/receiver means (30) assigned to the inspection or cleaning means (15) for wireless transmission of control or measurement data between the inspection or cleaning means (15) and the control means (10).
US09473225B2
A method according to the present invention is for selecting User Equipment (UE) for scheduling/precoding within the coverage area of a communications node having a predefined codebook. The method includes: receiving at the communications node feedback information from each of the UEs within the coverage area of the communications node wherein the feedback information includes at least one precoder matrix indicator (PMI); generating at the communications node a precoder matrix based on the reported precoder matrix indicator from each UE; determining at the communications node correlation values for each UE in the coverage utilizing the precoder matrix; identifying a pair of UEs having minimum correlation values; and selecting the identified UEs for scheduling/precoding if the minimum correlation value is less than or equal to a threshold value.
US09473221B2
A Next Generation Data Network is described. It leverages the “cloud” for data management, frequency data computation and analytics. Nodes in the network are arranged into subnets with at least one node per subnet connected to a physical high-speed computer communication link. The wireless network using packet switched beams, the beams are formed and switched electronically. It utilizes advanced signal processing to compensate for low transmit signal power and multipath reflections that can be frequency or flat fades.
US09473220B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of controlling wireless communication based on an orientation-related attribute of a wireless communication device. For example, a wireless communication device may include a controller to receive from a sensor orientation-related information indicating an orientation-related attribute of the wireless communication device, and to control an antenna scheme of one or more antennas of the wireless communication device based on said orientation-related information.
US09473219B2
This invention measures the propagation delay τ1 between the user equipment and a first cooperating unit and the propagation delay τ2 between the user equipment and a second cooperating unit. These propagation delays are used to compute a timing advance amount to the user equipment to enable coordinated multi-point reception. In a first embodiment one cooperating unit receives a function of the propagation delay, computes the timing advance amount and transmits a timing advance command to the user equipment. In a second embodiment a central unit performs these operations.
US09473216B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions to obtain at least one operational parameter associated with a communication device and to adjust a steerable antenna of the communication device when the communication device does not satisfy an impedance threshold, where the satisfying of the impedance threshold is determined based on the at least one operational parameter. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09473214B2
Apparatus for harvesting and using power in a near field communications mode, includes a host device with operating components. A first near field communication (NFC) device is contained in the host device and is configured to be selectively coupled to one of the operating components. The first NFC device harvests energy from a second NFC device and converts the harvested energy to electrical power. The first NFC device receives information from the second NFC device and power on the operating component as a function of the information received from the second NFC device. The first NFC device transfers data to or from the operating component when the operating component is powered on. The first NFC device powers off the operating component when the transfer of data between the first NFC device and the operating component has been completed.
US09473213B2
The embodiments of the present application provide a wireless charging method and system, and a mobile terminal. The wireless charging method includes: activating a wireless charging function by a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal; determining that the first mobile terminal is a wireless charging sender, and the second mobile terminal is a wireless charging receiver; and performing a wireless charging on the second mobile terminal by the first mobile terminal. The embodiments of the present application solve the problem that the power is insufficient in emergency situations. In addition, the operation is simple and the usage limitations are reduced.
US09473212B2
In a power transmitter device, a power transmitter side active electrode and a power transmitter side passive electrode are formed. In a power receiver device, a power receiver side active electrode and a power receiver side passive electrode are formed. The power transmitter side active electrode is rectangle that is shorter in a first direction and longer in a second direction. The power receiver side active electrode is rectangle that is longer in the first direction and shorter in the second direction. The power transmitter side active electrode and the power receiver side active electrode are formed so as that lengths of overlapping area in the first and second directions do not change in a placement receivable area on the power transmitter device, within which the power receiver device is allowed to be displaced.
US09473210B2
A power transmitting device includes a resonance circuit, a first signal generating unit, and a second signal generating unit. The resonance circuit is used in non-contact power transmission. The first signal generating unit is connected to one end of the resonance circuit, and generates, with the use of a switching system, a first high-frequency signal including one or more harmonic components. The second signal generating unit is connected to an other end of the resonance circuit, and generates, with the use of a switching system, a second high-frequency signal including a specific harmonic component. The first high-frequency signal is adjusted in pulse width and input to the one end of the resonance circuit, and the second high-frequency signal is adjusted in pulse width and phase difference from the first high-frequency signal and input to the other end of the resonance circuit.
US09473207B2
An electronic device may include an auxiliary circuit providing an operative function, a data signal circuit, and an extremely high frequency (EHF) wireless transmitter. The auxiliary circuit may produce a first low frequency data signal. The data signal circuit may be coupled to the auxiliary circuit for encoding a first composite data signal including the first low frequency data signal and the first base high frequency data signal. The EHF wireless transmitter may transmit the first encoded composite data signal to an external device over a wireless EHF communication link. The transmitted encoded composite data signal may have a predefined rate of carrier modulation.
US09473205B2
Data communication having improved electromagnetic interference (EMI) rejection when communicating through a coaxial cable is provided by using differential transmission and/or reception through a common-mode choke and a dissipative element resulting in extremely low radiated emissions and high immunity to external radiation interference in a low-cost way.
US09473203B2
A transmitter and receiver for performing a signal select algorithm are provided. A transmitter for providing a signal on a line to be located includes at least one direct digital synthesizer, the direct digital synthesizer producing two component frequencies in response to an input square wave signal; and a feedback loop providing the input square wave.
US09473199B2
An amplifier circuit performs an amplification of a carrier signal received by a transmitting and receiving unit. The amplifier circuit includes an impedance matching circuit that performs matching of an impedance of the amplifier circuit when the transmitting and receiving unit and the amplifier circuit are connected. A superposition wave generating unit generates a superposition wave which is superimposed on the received carrier signal. A driver outputs an amplified carrier signal which is obtained by adding the superposition wave to the received carrier signal. An amplitude detecting unit detects whether the received carrier signal is a predetermined carrier signal superimposed with a predetermined communication signal, based on changes of an amplitude value of the received carrier signal. When the predetermined carrier signal is detected, the amplifier circuit outputs the amplified carrier signal.
US09473193B2
A mobile terminal for satellite communications receives communication, e.g., from a gateway via a satellite link. A frequency lock loop unit locks to the carrier frequency of the received communication. The mobile terminal includes a global positioning system for receiving global positioning data. The mobile terminal determines the Doppler frequency shift of the received communications based on the global positioning data. The mobile terminal generates a reference clock for return transmissions based on the frequency of the frequency lock loop, corrected for the Doppler shift. A correction factor of two times the determined Doppler frequency shift is used, to compensate for both a forward and return transmission link.
US09473191B1
A portable handheld container for storing personal items that includes a portable handheld cylindrical sidewall with a first end defining a first opening, a second opposing end defining a second opening, and an inner surface defining a tubular-shaped storage area separating the first end and the second end of the cylindrical sidewall, the container having a first cover portion coupled to the first end so as to enclose the first opening into the tubular-shaped storage area and a second cover portion selectively removably coupled to the second end so as to enclose the second opening into the tubular-shaped storage area, wherein at least one of the first and second cover portions define a plurality of sound propagation apertures and has an inner surface defining a cell-phone track sized and shaped to retain and orient a mobile phone in a longitudinal direction of the cylinder shaped-sidewall within the tubular-shaped storage area.
US09473187B2
A system may include a base station and a remote radio head (“RRH”). The base station may receive digital data streams destined for a user device, and generate a first set of modulated signals. The modulated signals may each be based on a different one of the digital data streams. The generated first set of modulated signals may be modulated within a first carrier frequency band. The base station may output the first set of modulated signals to the RRH. The RRH may generate a second set of modulated signals based on the first set of modulated signals. The second set of modulated signals being modulated within a second carrier frequency band, and may output the second set of modulated signals to the user device.
US09473177B2
A turbo decoder stores received data in words in systematic memory and parity memory in a way that is known that it will be used for later iterations by turbo decoder engines arranged to operate in parallel. A loader receives and separates LLRs into systematic and parity data and stores them into a portion of a word per cycle until a word is full in a corresponding one of the systematic memory and parity memory. The turbo decoder engines read the LLRs from one word of the systematic memory and one word of the parity memory in a single cycle. The data can be rearranged within the words in an order format for the turbo decoder engines to later read them by providing sub-words corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of turbo decoder engines.
US09473173B2
A method and decoder for early terminating decoding processes of serial concatenated coding are disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a codeword, encoded by a first coding and a second coding sequentially; setting a maximum syndrome weight; decoding the second coding for the codeword by iterative calculations for syndromes; terminating decoding of the second coding if a number of the iterative calculations reaches a preset number or a syndrome weight of one iterative calculation is equal to or smaller than the maximum syndrome weight, otherwise repeating the decoding step and the terminating step; and decoding the first coding for the codeword.
US09473168B1
Detailed herein are embodiments of systems, methods, and apparatuses for compression using hardware and software. Embodiments include compressor hardware to operate on two streams with one of the streams being an offset of the other stream. Additionally, in some embodiments, the output of the compressor hardware is submitted to software for further processing.
US09473162B2
An analog input voltage is converted to a digital code by, generating a first set of confirmed bits based on a first series of comparisons of an output of a digital-to-analog converter with the analog input voltage and generating a second set of confirmed bits based on a second series of comparisons of the output of the digital-to-analog converter with the analog input voltage. The first set of confirmed bits is independent of the second series of comparisons. The bits of the digital output code corresponding to the analog input voltage are generated based on the first set of confirmed bits, the second set of confirmed bits and a constant value representative of a voltage shift introduced in the digital-to-analog converter between the first series of comparisons and the second series of comparisons.
US09473161B1
A combination of a precision analog-to-digital converter (ADC), an analog amplifier having selectable gains and an intelligent controller to coordinate the amplifier gain selection and placement of the digital conversion results into at least one register provide for a very high resolution analog-to-digital conversion process, at a high sample rate and low power consumption. For example, a 14-bit ADC may be used with selectable gain analog amplification, e.g., ×1, ×2, ×4 and ×8, between the sampled signal and ADC input and an intelligent controller to provide a 17-bit conversion number having proper scaling of the digital sample words. The entire high resolution analog-to-digital conversion process may be automatically performed without additional control from external hardware/software.
US09473160B2
A method includes a first analog/digital conversion of an analog signal over m bits, with m less than n, associated with a first full-scale value, and a second analog/digital conversion of the analog signal over m bits associated with a second full-scale value 2n-m times bigger than the first. The two analog/digital conversions are carried out simultaneously and respectively delivering a first intermediate digital word of m bits and a second intermediate digital word of m bits. The method also includes a digital post-processing carried out after the two analog/digital conversions and generating an n-bit digital word starting from at least one of the two intermediate digital words extended to n bits and from at least one threshold digital indication representative of at least one threshold lower than or equal to the first full-scale value.
US09473151B1
A frequency generation solution controls an oscillator amplitude using two feedback paths to generate high frequency signals with lower power consumption and lower noise. A first feedback path provides continuous control of the oscillator amplitude responsive to an amplitude detected at the oscillator output. A second feedback path provides discrete control of the amplitude regulating parameter(s) of the oscillator responsive to the detected oscillator amplitude. Because the second feedback path enables the adjustment of the amplitude regulating parameter(s), the second feedback path enables an amplifier in the first feedback path to operate at a reduced gain, and thus also at a reduced power and a reduced noise, without jeopardizing the performance of the oscillator.
US09473147B2
A frequency dividing apparatus includes: a plurality of latching devices arranged to selectively generate an output signal having a first oscillating frequency or a second oscillating frequency different from the first oscillating frequency according to an input clock signal and a first reset signal; and a controlling device arranged to generate the first reset signal at least according to a programming input signal; wherein the first reset signal is arranged to reset a first latching device in the plurality of latching devices to make the plurality of latching devices to generate the output signal having the second oscillating frequency.
US09473143B2
A driving circuit includes an activating end, an operation switch, a voltage control end, and an output switch. The activating end selectively outputs a first voltage control signal and a second voltage control signal. The operation switch is turned off according to the first voltage control signal to generate a low voltage control signal or is turned on according to the second voltage control signal to generate a high voltage control signal. The voltage control end generates a low voltage according to the low voltage control signal or generates a bias voltage according to the high voltage control signal. The output switch is turned off according to the low voltage to determine that an output voltage is the same as the low voltage, or is turned on according to the bias voltage to determine that the output voltage is the same as the high voltage.
US09473141B2
Embodiments disclosed herein include an I/O module with multiple level shifters that establish a plurality of voltage domains. Using the level shifters, the I/O module converts data signals in a core logic voltage domain to data signals in an external voltage domain. In one embodiment, when transmitting data signals to an external device, the I/O module level shifts the data signals from a core logic voltage domain to a low voltage domain. The I/O module then level shifts the data signals from the low voltage domain to an intermediate voltage domain. The I/O module may further shift the data signals from the intermediate voltage domain to both a low voltage domain and a high voltage domain. Using the data signals from both of these domains, the I/O module outputs the data signals in a voltage domain corresponding to a communication technique used to transmit data to the external device.
US09473138B2
Embodiments include apparatuses, methods, and systems for crosstalk compensation. In embodiments, a transmitter may include a crosstalk compensation circuit that may receive a victim data signal and one or more attacker data signals. The crosstalk compensation circuit may adjust the timing of transitions in the victim data signal based on detected transitions in the one or more attacker data signals. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09473129B2
A method for performing phase shift control in an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided, where the method includes: obtaining a set of clock signals corresponding to a set of phases; and controlling a phase shift of an output signal of an oscillator by selectively mixing the set of clock signals into the oscillator according to a set of digital control signals, wherein the phase shift corresponds to the set of digital control signals, and the set of digital control signals carries a set of digital weightings for selectively mixing the set of clock signals. More particularly, the method may include: selectively mixing the set of clock signals into a specific stage of a plurality of stages of the oscillator according to the set of digital control signals.
US09473128B2
A pulse generation circuit for outputting a pulse signal at an output terminal, including: a PMOS, an NMOS, and a logic circuit. The PMOS has a source coupled to a first reference voltage level, a drain coupled to the output terminal, and a gate that receives a first gate control signal. The NMOS has a source coupled to a second reference voltage level, a drain coupled to the output terminal, and a gate that receives a second gate control signal. The logic circuit generates the first gate control signal according to a control signal and a first delay signal and generates the second gate control signal according to the control signal and a second delay signal. The first delay signal is relevant to the second gate control signal and the control signal. The second delay signal is relevant to the first gate control signal and the control signal.
US09473126B2
A latch and a frequency divider are provided. The latch includes: a first logic unit coupled between a power supply and a ground wire, wherein the first logic unit comprises a first control terminal, a first input terminal and a first output terminal; a second logic unit having a structure symmetrical to that of the first logic unit, wherein the second logic unit comprises a second control terminal, a second input terminal and a second output terminal; and a feedforward control unit adapted for cutting off a current path in the first logic unit or the second logic unit based on signals inputted into the first input terminal and the second input terminal. Power consumption of the latch can be reduced in both static working condition and dynamic working condition.
US09473123B2
Provided is a semiconductor circuit which includes a first circuit configured to determine a voltage level of a feedback node based on a voltage level of input data, a voltage level of a latch input node, and a voltage level of a clock signal, a second circuit configured to pre-charge the latch input node based on the voltage level of the clock signal, a third circuit configured to pull down the latch input node based on the voltage level of the feedback node and the voltage level of the clock signal, a latch configured to output output data based on the voltage level of the clock signal and the voltage level of the latch input node, and a control circuit included in at least one of the first to third circuits and the latch and configured to receive the control signal.
US09473122B1
Embodiments described herein relate to an improved circuit technique in a rail-to-rail input stage circuit utilizing non-complementary differential pairs with bias control designed to maintain a constant transconductance “gm” throughout an input common mode voltage range. The rail-to-rail input stage circuit comprises a first differential pair circuit, a level-shifted differential pair circuit coupled with the first differential pair circuit, and a constant transconductance generation circuit coupled with the level-shifted differential pair circuit. The constant transconductance generation circuit is configured to control the bias current conducting in the level-shifted differential pair circuit based on current conducting in the first differential pair circuit to maintain a constant transconductance in the rail-to-rail input stage circuit.
US09473120B1
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a high-speed AC-coupled inverter-based buffer, which may be used as a buffer for a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), for example. One example buffer for a VCO generally includes a first inverter stage having an input node configured to receive a first complementary signal of a differential pair, a second inverter stage having an input node configured to receive a second complementary signal of the differential pair, a biasing stage replicating the first inverter stage or the second inverter stage, wherein an output node of the biasing stage is connected with an input node of the biasing stage, a first impedance coupled between the input node of the first inverter stage and the input node of the biasing stage, and a second impedance coupled between the input node of the second inverter stage and the input node of the biasing stage.
US09473118B2
A semiconductor device including: a plurality of function block units each including a plurality of latch circuits; a current prediction unit that predicts a variation amount of current consumed by each of the function block units; an operation control unit that, if any of the variation amounts predicted by the current prediction unit exceeds a threshold value, operates the latch circuits included in a predetermined number of target function block units for a predetermined period, the predetermined number of target function block units being chosen from function block units not operating among the plurality of function block units; and a restore control unit that, after the predetermined period passes, restores information held by the latch circuits included in the predetermined number of target function block units, to information held by the latch circuits before the operation for the predetermined period.
US09473108B2
A surface acoustic wave device includes: a pair of comb-like electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate, each of which includes electrode fingers, dummy electrode fingers and a bus bar to which the electrode fingers and the dummy electrode fingers are connected, the electrode fingers and the dummy electrode fingers of one of the pair of comb-like electrodes facing the dummy electrode fingers and the electrode fingers of the other com-like electrode, respectively; and additional films extending in the form of a strip in a first direction in which the electrode fingers are arranged side by side, each of the additional films covering at least parts of gaps defined by ends of the electrode fingers of one of the pair of comb-like electrodes and ends of the dummy electrode fingers of the other comb-like electrode.
US09473105B2
An acoustic wave device includes: a substrate; a functional element formed on the substrate and including an excitation electrode that excites an acoustic wave; a columnar electrode formed on the substrate and electrically connected to the excitation electrode; a metal frame body formed on the substrate and surrounding the functional element and the columnar electrode; and a ceramic substrate sealing the functional element in combination with the metal frame body, a first metal layer bonded to the columnar electrode and a second metal layer bonded to the metal frame body being formed on a surface of the ceramic substrate.
US09473099B2
The automatic gain control (AGC) method contains the following steps: producing a feedback signal and transmitting the feedback signal to a signal processing unit to produce a working signal; transmitting the working signal to a first signal control unit to produce a first control voltage; transmitting the first control voltage to a second signal control unit to produce a second control voltage, which is a fixed voltage; and transmitting the second control voltage to an AGC unit where the fixed second control voltage is used as a reference value. As such, when a radio-frequency (RF) input signal varies due to channel loading variation, an RF output signal by the AGC unit can be maintained within a specified dB range.
US09473095B2
A speaker assembly is provided and may include an outer portion having a plurality of slots. An inner portion may cooperate with the outer portion and may have a positioning lever and an adjustment mechanism slot. The positioning lever may cooperate with one of the plurality of slots. An adjustment mechanism may cooperate with one of the plurality of slots and the adjustment mechanism slot. The adjustment mechanism may slide within the adjustment mechanism slot changing a volume of the speaker assembly when the outer portion moves in relation to the inner portion.
US09473093B2
A method and apparatus trigger audio reduction using an ultrasonic signal. Device audio can be output at a first device audio setting from a device through a headphone coupled to the device. An ultrasonic signal can be received. Device audio volume can be reduced through the headphone to output the device audio at a second device audio setting through the headphone in response to receiving the ultrasonic signal. An external audio signal can be received. The external audio signal can be sent through the headphone in response to receiving the ultrasonic signal.
US09473089B2
A hybrid power module for supplying a power to a power amplifier is provided. The hybrid power module includes a DC-DC converter and a linear regulator. The DC-DC converter provides a first current to the power amplifier via a first inductor according to an operating frequency and an envelope tracking signal. The linear regulator provides a second current to the power amplifier via a first capacitor according to the envelope tracking signal. A switch-mode power supply (SMPS) ripple voltage caused by the DC-DC converter is reduced by the linear regulator.
US09473087B2
Methods and apparatus for Class-D amplifier circuits with improved power efficiency. The circuit has an output stage with at least first and second switches and a modulator that receives an input signal to be amplified, SIN, and a first clock signal fSW. The modulator controls the duty cycles of the first and second switches, within a switching cycle based on the input signal, wherein the switching cycle has a switching frequency based on the first clock signal. A frequency controller controls the frequency of the first clock signal in response to an indication of the amplitude of the input signal so as to provide a first switching frequency at a first input signal amplitude and a second, lower, switching frequency at a second, lower, input signal amplitude. A lower switching frequency can be tolerated at low signal amplitudes and varying the switching frequency in this way thus maintains stability whilst reducing switching power losses.
US09473079B2
A power amplifier includes a plurality of power amplification modules, each of which includes an input terminal and an output terminal. Equivalent input impedances seen respectively into the power amplification modules from the input terminals thereof are the same, and equivalent output impedances seen respectively into the power amplification modules from the output terminals thereof are the same. The input terminals of the power amplification modules are coupled together for receiving an input signal. The output terminals of the power amplification modules are coupled together for outputting an output signal. Each of the power amplification modules amplifies a portion of a power of the input signal to obtain a portion of a power of the output signal.
US09473073B2
A voltage converter can be switched among two or more modes to produce an output voltage tracking a reference voltage that can be of an intermediate level between discrete levels corresponding to the modes. One or more voltages generated from a power supply voltage, such as a battery voltage, can be compared with the reference voltage to determine whether to adjust the mode. The reference voltage can be independent of the power supply voltage.
US09473064B2
A clamp is provided that allows for easily and securely mounting an object such as a PV panel to a rail having an internal recess or channel. The clamp utilizes one or more splice bars that extend into a recess of a rail that supports a PV panel. In one arrangement, the splice bar is inserted through an end of the rail into the recess such that a portion the splice bar extends beyond the end of the rail. A sliding clamp body engages lateral edges of the slice bar to, in one embodiment, compress a PV panel against a surface of the rail. The sliding clamp body may be affixed to the splice bar to secure the panel.
US09473062B2
A method for controlling a controlled switch operates a power supply of an electric motor from an AC voltage source. The method includes actuating closure of the controlled switch, an instant of actuation of which is dependent on a value characteristic of a value of an electric voltage across terminals of the controlled switch. A control device for such a controlled switch includes elements for implementing the method.
US09473056B2
There is provided a motor control device controlling an energizing state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step, and a reverse rotating unit configured, when the detecting unit detects that the stepping motor is out of step, to rotate the stepping motor in a second rotation direction reverse to a first rotation direction, which is a rotation direction of the stepping motor before detecting out-of-step, by a number of steps with which a stress received by the stepping motor is alleviated, before the stepping motor spontaneously rotates in the second direction.
US09473055B2
An electric working machine including: an input part; a control unit configured to control a motor in accordance with an operation amount of the input part; and a switching part; wherein, when a predetermined operation is performed to the switching part, the control unit shifts to a fixed control mode in which the motor is controlled in accordance with an operation amount of the input part at the time when the predetermined operation is performed to the switching part, irrespective of an operation amount of the input part after the predetermined operation is performed to the switching part.
US09473054B2
Determining an amount of rotating a vector according to a result of comparing the rotated vector with a predetermined phase and rotating the vector according to the determined amount of rotating the vector are repeated to acquire the determined amount of rotating the vector as a rotation angle of a rotation shaft. Based on the thus acquired amount of rotating the vector, a rotation angle change signal is generated for acquiring a state of a change of the rotation angle of the rotation shaft. A signal indicating to increase or decrease a fixed amount is generated for increasing or decreasing the amount of rotating the vector according to the result of the comparison.
US09473052B2
A motor drive method of the invention is to drive a brushless motor having a rotor, a stator, and a hall element used as a position detecting sensor. While driving the brushless motor, when executing a correction process for a rotation speed of the rotor, the correction process is skipped for a predetermined number of times according to a position detection signal.
US09473048B2
A micro assembly having a substrate and an operating plane coupled to the substrate. The operating plane is movable from an in-plane position to an out-of-plane position. One or more electric connections provide electric power from the substrate to the operating plane in the out-of-plane position. A tool is coupled to the operating plane. The tool is operable to receive electric power from the operating plane to perform work.
US09473039B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates a rectifying module, which is operable for rectifying an alternating current (AC) signal into a direct current (DC) signal. The rectifying module includes a transmission line, at least one rectifying unit, and at least one pattern. The transmission line is configured for receiving and transmitting the alternating current signal. The rectifying unit is arranged neighboring to the transmission line for operatively coupling with the transmission line to receive a part of the alternating current signal and rectifies the alternating current signal into the DC signal. The pattern is configured to be a hollow grounding structure and the pattern is disposed under the dual-line coupling areas of the rectifying unit neighboring to the transmission line.
US09473036B2
A direct current voltage conversion device includes a buck converter receiving a direct current input voltage and outputting a direct current first voltage according to a first control signal, a series resonant converter outputting an alternating current second voltage according to a second control signal and a third control signal, a transformer that receives the alternating current second voltage, a rectifier, and an output capacitor electrically coupled with the rectifier. The rectifier generates a direct current output voltage according to a fourth control signal and a fifth control signal, which is outputted across the output capacitor.
US09473027B2
A voltage regulator with hybrid adaptive voltage position includes a resistor, a controllable current source, a current DAC and an error amplifier. The resistor has a first terminal coupled to the output voltage of the voltage regulator and a second terminal. The controllable current source is coupled to the second terminal of the resistor to provide a main current proportional to the output current of the voltage regulator. The current DAC is configured to receive a digital signal and the output current, and provide a tuning current to the second terminal of the resistor based on the digital signal and the output current. The error amplifier generates a compensation signal based on a reference voltage and the voltage at the second terminal of the resistor, so as to adjust the output voltage of the voltage regulator.
US09473018B2
A voltage multiplier circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit includes a storage element, a first transistor, a second transistor and third transistor. The storage element has a first end and a second end. The second end is coupled to a clock signal input. The first transistor has a gate coupled to a voltage node, a first terminal coupled to a supply node, and a second terminal coupled to the first end of the storage element. A second transistor has a first terminal coupled to the first end of the storage element and a second terminal coupled to the voltage output. The third transistor has a gate in communication with the clock input and a first terminal coupled to the voltage node.
US09473016B2
There is provided a semiconductor device including: a power source section that steps down a power source voltage to generate a step-down voltage, and that stops generation of the step-down voltage when input with a stop signal; a control section that is driven by the step-down voltage generated by the power source section, and that outputs to the power source section a stop signal to stop generation of the step-down voltage; and a power source controller that prohibits input of the stop signal to the power source section until the step-down voltage has become a predetermined value or greater.
US09473005B2
Disclosed stator core for motor is comprising: more than one stator core body; a fixing unit, which is arranged at both ends of the stator core body and fixes the stator core body to be a cylindrical shape; a first insulator, which is integrally formed by mold in order to wrap a part of the stator core body and a side surface of plural teeth simultaneously; and a second insulator, which is arranged to have a form corresponding to the first insulator, and which is integrally formed by mold in order to wrap a part of the stator core body and a side surface of plural teeth simultaneously through the assembly with the first insulator, wherein the first simulator and the second simulator are separated from each other by the section wrapping the teeth during the bending process of the stator core body.
US09473001B2
A cooling structure for a brushless motor, which includes a stator, a rotor, and a motor shaft arranged integrally with the rotor. The stator includes a stator core including an inner circumferential surface, a cylindrical portion including first and second end surfaces adjacent to the inner circumferential surface, and teeth projecting from the inner circumferential surface. An insulator covers the inner circumferential surface, the first and second end surfaces, and the teeth. A coil is wound around each tooth that is covered by the insulator. The cooling structure includes a cooling fan coupled to one end of the motor shaft and arranged closer to the second end surface than the first end surface. At least one ventilation recess is arranged between two adjacent ones of the teeth in the circumferential direction in a portion of the insulator that covers the first end surface.
US09473000B2
The rotor for an electric machine comprises a shaft, a spider on the shaft, a laminated drum on the spider. The spider has a plurality of apart elements defining ducts between each other. The laminated drum has a plurality of cooling channels connected to the ducts. The rotor also has throttle elements associated to at least one duct and/or cooling channel.
US09472997B2
An electric motor comprises a shaft, an interior magnet rotor core comprising a central bore and a pair of opposing ends faces, and at least one resilient structure inserted within the central bore between the pair of opposing end faces. The at least one resilient component is inserted within the central bore between the pair of opposing end faces such that the at least one resilient component does not extend beyond one of the opposing end faces. The resilient component comprises an outer rigid structure inserted within the central bore, a resilient component inserted within the outer rigid structure, and an inner rigid structure inserted within the resilient component, wherein the shaft is inserted through the inner rigid structure.
US09472996B2
A terminal board includes a base portion with a length; a plurality of terminals extending from the base portion; and a plurality of barriers extending from the base portion between terminals and having a barrier spacing distance between each barrier. The ratio of length to barrier spacing distance is at least 5.124:1. The terminal board can be connected to a starter-generator housing for outputting power from the starter-generator.
US09472989B2
A method of manufacturing an armature for an electric motor, includes: placing a commutator and a lamination stack on an armature shaft, winding magnet wire in slots in the lamination stacks to form coils, attaching ends of the magnet wire to the commutator, and molding plastic around the magnet wire and around the shaft of the armature at ends of the lamination stack. A spinning inertia of the armature is adjusted by adjusting at least one of a mass of the plastic molded and a distribution of the plastic molded. Alternatively and/or additionally, at least one of a resonant frequency and critical speed of the armature is adjusted by adjusting at least one of a geometry of the plastic molded, the physical properties of the plastic and the mechanical properties of the plastic.
US09472974B2
An object is to provide a power feeding system and a power feeding method which are more convenient for a power feeding user at the power receiving end. An object is to provide a power feeding system and a power feeding method which also allow a power feeding provider (a company) which feeds power (at the power transmitting end) to supply power without waste. A power feeding device which wirelessly supplies power to a power receiver detects the position and the resonant frequency of the power receiver to be supplied with power, and controls the frequency of a power signal to be transmitted to the power receiver on the basis of the information. An efficient power feeding service can be offered by transmitting a power signal to the power receiver at an optimum frequency for high power transmission efficiency.
US09472971B2
A charging system for the wireless inductive charging of an energy source in a weapon in a weapon system. The charging system includes a first portion of the weapon system, wherein the first portion has a first inductive coil therein, and a female receiver sized for receiving, in a male-female mating engagement, the first portion of the weapon system. The receiver has a second inductive coil positioned to inductively couple with the first inductive coil when the first portion of the weapon system is in the male-female mating engagement with the receiver. The first inductive coil is adapted for electrical connection to a weapon system platform electrical power supply and has a direct current resistance of less than or equal to substantially 0.2 Ohms so as to be adapted to provide charging power having a peak power of at least substantially 10 watts.
US09472966B2
A surgical tray assembly for storing, charging, and/or communicating with battery powered surgical instruments and other communication-enabled devices. The surgical tray assembly includes a stand, a surgical instrument tray supported on the stand, an electrical connector coupled to the tray, and one or more electrical transmission devices. The electrical connector is configured to be inserted into an electrical outlet. The electrical transmission device(s) is in electrical communication with the electrical connector. The surgical tray assembly may further include a wireless communication system capable of capturing data from a battery powered surgical instrument and transmitting such data. The surgical tray may further include a user interface display for displaying captured data from a battery powered surgical instrument.
US09472963B2
A receiver device configured to connect to a chargeable device, including an inductive region including at least one receiver coil for receiving magnetic flux from an inductive charging system. Additionally the receiver device includes a conductive region having contacts for receiving wireless electric power from a conductive charging system. In addition, the receiver device includes a connector for transferring wireless power received from the inductive or conductive charging system to the chargeable device in order to charge the chargeable device.
US09472958B2
A higher power wireless power transmitter (HPWPT) including a first, second and third circuit and a transmit coil for wirelessly powering a lower power wireless power receiver (LPWPR) is provided. The first circuit is a switch network. The second circuit is variable impedance network and/or a tuning network. The third circuit is a control logic circuit configured to change the input voltage source or topology of the first circuit, to change the impedance and/or tuning characteristics of the second circuit, to select the transmit coil, vary frequency or duty cycle of the PWM signal or any combination thereof. The change in the input voltage or topology of first circuit or change in impedance or tuning characteristics of second circuit or change in the transmit coil used or the applied constraints on the frequency and duty cycle of the PWM signal constrain the maximum power transmitted by the HPWPT to LPWPR.
US09472956B2
Methods of operating a cellular radio are provided in which a first power supply signal is transmitted from a power supply to a wireless power unit at least in part over a power cable. A second power supply signal is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless power unit to the cellular radio to power the cellular radio. Data is transmitted from a baseband unit that is associated with the cellular radio to a wireless transceiver at least in part over a data cable. This data is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless transceiver to the cellular radio. The data is then transmitted through an antenna that is coupled to the cellular radio.
US09472954B2
A microgrid power generation system includes a plurality of generators having a plurality of different rated capacities and a plurality of distribution nodes, at least some of the distribution nodes being powered by the generators. A grid is formed by the distribution nodes, the grid includes a system frequency. A plurality of loads are powered by the grid through the distribution nodes, the loads have a power demand. A processor includes a plurality of efficiency bands, each of the efficiency bands being for a corresponding one of the generators and including a plurality of generator switching points based upon droop of the system frequency and the power demand of the loads. The processor is structured to operate the generators and the loads under transient conditions based upon the efficiency bands.
US09472939B1
A remote display system including a portable display that wirelessly receives data and power from a primary station. The primary station, which is remote from and without a tangible connection with the portable display, includes a data transmitting element and a power transmitting element. The portable display includes a power receiving element that receives power wirelessly from the power transmitting element and a data receiving element operable to receive data from the data transmitting element.
US09472937B2
A cable/cable tray mounting system comprises a plurality of magnets and a strut. The strut includes a plurality of spaced apart mounting apertures. A suspension assembly pivotally secures each magnet of the plurality of magnets to the strut. The plurality of mounting apertures of the strut allow for varying magnetic arrangements of the plurality of magnets thereby allowing the magnet mounting system to be mounted onto flat surfaces, curved surfaces and/or other shaped surfaces.
US09472910B2
An electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle connector and a flippable pug connector for connecting with a cable. The receptacle connector includes a terminal module assembly defining a mating tongue loading with two rows of contacts on opposing surface of the mating tongue and a metallic shell retained on the terminal module assembly and enclosing the mating tongue, thereby defining a mating cavity between the metallic shell and the mating tongue. The plug connector includes an insulating housing defining a center slot with side walls and two rows of contacts on the side walls and a metallic shell attached to an outer periphery of the insulating housing. The mating cavity of the receptacle connector is configured to be symmetrical to a horizontal center line without orientation limits so as to allow the plug connector to be mated in two opposite orientations, and the center slot receives the mating tongue.
US09472908B2
A plug and receptacle assembly including a housing, an actuating mechanism for manipulating a switch to ON and OFF positions, a plug receptacle adapted to receive a plug, a link driving member attached to the actuating mechanism, a link member adapted to move laterally when the switch is moved to the ON position, a link blocking member movable from a position where lateral movement of the link member is blocked to a position where lateral movement of the link member is allowed, wherein upon insertion of the plug into the plug receptacle, a notch on the plug causes the link blocking member to move into the unblocked position where the actuating mechanism is movable to have the link driving member laterally move the link member and to turn the switch from the OFF position to the ON position.
US09472899B1
An electrical plug assembly including a plug housing having a first set of pins projecting from a first surface and a second set of pins projecting from an opposed second surface. The electrical plug assembly also includes an enclosure slideably attached to the plug housing. The enclosure slides to expose one set of pins while enclosing the other set of pins. The electrical plug assembly further includes a hood pivotally attached to the plug housing and slideably attached to the enclosure. The enclosure is rotatable from a first position to a second position. As the hood rotates, it slides the enclosure from a first location wherein the first set of pins is exposed to a second location wherein the second set of pins is exposed. The first set of pins conform to one technical standard, e.g. NEMA 6-20P while the second set of pins conform to another technical standard, e.g. NEMA 5-15P.
US09472893B1
A connector including a housing which formed with a work opening in an outer surface on a side of an outer corner of the L-like bent shape of the housing, further includes a lid attached to the work opening, a fixed terminal configured to be inserted through the external-wire leading portion and accommodated in the housing, and a flexible conductor connecting the terminal to one end of the fixed terminal and including an external-force absorbing portion sagging between both ends of the flexible conductor. The other end of the fixed terminal is connected to a conductor of the external wire, and an intermediate portion of the fixed terminal is fixed to the housing and elongates along the axis of the external wire.
US09472890B2
A connector for cable connection having good connection workability is provided. A waterproof connector for cable connection includes a housing having a cylindrical portion for allowing a cable to which a terminal is connected to be attached thereto, a waterproof bushing, a cover member, and a clamp member. In a state that the cable is attached to the housing through the cylindrical portion, a front portion of the bushing is elastically attached to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and a rear portion of the bushing is elastically attached to the outer periphery of the cable. The cover member has an attachment portion for the clamp member. The clamp member attached to the attachment portion clamps the cable.
US09472889B2
A connector includes a housing (40) with a terminal accommodating chamber (50) and a terminal fitting (10) connected to an end of a wire (W) is inserted therein from behind. A sleeve (20) surrounds a part (15) of the terminal fitting (10) connected to the wire (W) and includes a locking portion (23) for the terminal fitting (10). A holder (60) is mounted on a rear of the housing (40) to retain the sleeve (20) by contacting a contact portion (36) on a rear end of the sleeve (20). The wire (W) is inserted through a rubber plug (70) that close contacts an inner peripheral surface of the terminal accommodating chamber (50). The rubber plug (70) is formed separately from the sleeve (20) and mounted on the sleeve (20) so that the contact portion (36) is exposed for contact by the holder (60).
US09472881B2
An electrical interconnect system employs electrical connectors in which the contacts are identical for both the male and the female side of the connection. Contacts are arranged in a linear header and multiple header pairs are arranged in a dielectric matrix or grid. The grid is an external dielectric frame capable of providing load bearing and geometry requirements. This arrangement results in a cost-effective construction that features very high electrical bandwidth capabilities and an extremely rugged product.
US09472864B2
A one-piece metallic connector is configured to receive a fastener and has features that grip and electrically bond two conductors as they are clamped together when the fastener is tightened. The connector's generally U-shaped body has first and second legs, a bight portion joining the legs and an opening in each leg through which a single mounting fastener can extend. When installed with the outside of one leg abutting one conductor, another conductor is clamped between the legs. At least one outer projection (tooth) on the outer face of one leg engages the conductor to which the connector is mounted. At least one inner projection (tooth) on the same leg engages the conductor clamped between the legs. A recess on the inner face of the distal portion of the other leg is configured to cradle the clamped conductor.
US09472862B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed that may include a contact pin; and a plurality of loops of conductive wire, coated with insulation material, disposed in proximity to the contact pin, wherein along at least one portion of the conductive wire, at least one edge of the contact pin extends through the insulation material and thereby forms conductive electrical contact with the conductive wire.
US09472860B1
A method for fabricating a radar array assembly comprises providing a mounting plate including first mounting holes and second mounting holes, at least some of the second mounting holes being between at least some of the first mounting holes. Grooved posts having longitudinal grooves are installed within the first mounting holes, and panel sections of antenna elements are disposed within the longitudinal grooves of adjacent installed grooved posts. Each of the antenna elements further includes a connector section that is disposed within the second mounting holes.
US09472859B2
Package structures are provided for integrally packaging antennas with semiconductor RFIC (radio frequency integrated circuit) chips to form compact integrated radio/wireless communications systems that operate in the millimeter-wave and terahertz frequency ranges. For example, a package structure includes an RFIC chip, and an antenna package bonded to the RFIC chip. The antenna package includes a glass substrate, at least one planar antenna element formed on a first surface of the glass substrate, a ground plane formed on a second surface of the glass substrate, opposite the first surface, and an antenna feed line formed through the glass substrate and connected to the at least one planar antenna element. The antenna package is bonded to a surface of the RFIC chip using a layer of adhesive material.
US09472857B2
An antenna device includes a first substrate, a feeder line which is disposed in the first substrate, a grounding conductor which is disposed in the first substrate, a first radiation element which is electrically connected to the feeder line in the first substrate, a second radiation element which is electrically connected to the grounding conductor and is disposed substantially in parallel with the first radiation element in the first substrate, a first reflector which is disposed in the first substrate, and a second reflector which is disposed in the first substrate so as to be separated by a predetermined distance from the first radiation element or the second radiation element in at least one of longitudinal directions of the first radiation element and the second radiation element.
US09472843B2
A method includes coupling a printed circuit board (PCB) and a first conductive sheet to a pressure plate to form an antenna sub-assembly. The first conductive sheet defines a first plurality of openings and includes a first plurality of bumps. At least one opening of the first plurality of openings is surrounded by a set of bumps of the first plurality of bumps. The method includes coupling the antenna sub-assembly to a cover to form an antenna assembly.
US09472828B2
The present invention is to provide a nonaqueous electrolytic solution capable of enhancing electrochemical characteristics in a broad temperature range, an energy storage device using the nonaqueous electrolytic solution, and a specific trifluoromethylbenzene compound. There are provided a nonaqueous electrolytic solution of an electrolyte salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent, which comprises at least one halogenoalkylbenzene compound represented by the following general formula (I), an energy storage device using the nonaqueous electrolytic solution, and a specific trifluoromethylbenzene compound. (In the formula, Y1 represents an alkoxycarbonyl group having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, an alkenyloxycarbonyl group having from 3 to 9 carbon atoms, an alkynyloxycarbonyl group having from 4 to 9 carbon atoms, an aryloxycarbonyl group having from 7 to 12 carbon atoms, an alkanesulfonyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or an arylsulfonyl group having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms; RX represents a halogenoalkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; n indicates an integer of from 1 to 5. However, when Y1 is an alkoxycarbonyl group having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms or an aryloxycarbonyl group having from 6 to 12 carbon atoms, the number of carbon atom of RX is 1. In the substituent represented by Y1, at least one hydrogen atom may be substituted with a halogen atom.)
US09472827B2
A main object of the present invention is to provide a solid electrolyte layer having flexibility, in which ion conductivity is inhibited from decreasing. The present invention attains the above-mentioned object by providing a solid electrolyte layer including a sulfide solid electrolyte material not having cross-linking sulfur substantially and a branched polymer for binding the above-mentioned sulfide solid electrolyte material.
US09472823B2
A hydrogen generator includes: a reformer operative to generate a hydrogen-containing gas by using a raw material gas; a hydro-desulfurizer operative to remove a sulfur compound in the raw material gas; a recycle passage through which the hydrogen-containing gas is supplied to the raw material gas before the raw material gas flows into the hydro-desulfurizer; an ejector which is disposed on a raw material gas passage provided upstream of the hydro-desulfurizer and into which the hydrogen-containing gas flows from the recycle passage; and a heater operative to heat the ejector.
US09472820B2
Fuel cell system mounting fuel cell vehicle including: fuel cells having platinum-containing catalyst as electrode catalyst; cell voltage meter configured to measure cell voltage of fuel cells; and controller controlling fuel cell system, wherein (a) cell voltage meter obtains first cell voltage in predefined idling state of fuel cells, (b) in response to changing operation state of fuel cell vehicle from driving state to stop state, controller changes operation state of fuel cells to idling state, and cell voltage meter obtains second cell voltage of fuel cells in idling state, (c) controller uses difference between first and second cell voltages to obtain recovery process voltage for recovering catalyst of fuel cells and recovery process time duration wherein cell voltage of fuel cells is kept at recovery process voltage, and (d) controller reduces voltage of fuel cells to recovery process voltage for recovery process time duration, preforming recovery process of catalyst.
US09472816B2
A powder metallurgical molded part includes a disk or plate-like main body and a row of knob-shaped and/or ridge-shaped elevations in a row direction having a height perpendicular to a main plane of the main body and a cross section with side flanks leading from an outer end contour in height direction of the elevation via rounded corner portions into curved portions with a curve radius. The curve radius merges into the surface contour of the main body and a rectilinear flank portion or tangent of the side flank lying at the point where the rounded corner portion merges into the curved portion is disposed at an angle of inclination to the main plane. At least two different angles of inclination are on the same side of the main body and the at least two different angles of inclination represent at least first and second geometries.
US09472810B2
A production method of a porous layer material for forming a porous layer includes the steps of obtaining particles that contain carbon and a water-repellent resin by spray drying a mixed solution that includes the carbon and the water-repellent resin, producing a paste that includes the particles, and extruding or rolling the paste to obtain the porous layer material in a sheet-like form.
US09472809B2
Provided is a lithium ion secondary battery capable of realizing a high energy density while maintaining output. A lithium ion secondary battery D1 according to the present invention includes an electrode having an active material mix layer 31 on both surfaces of a current collector 35. The active material mix layer 31 has a smaller void ratio in a current collector side region 34 of the active material mix layer 31 and a surface side region 32 of the active material mix layer 31 than in an intermediate region 33 between the current collector side region 34 and the surface side region 32 of the active material mix layer 31.
US09472804B2
An anode material for a lithium ion device includes an active material including germanium and boron. The weight percentage of the germanium is between about 45 to 80 weight % of the total weight of the anode material and the weight percentage of the boron is between about 2 to 20 weight % of the total weight of the anode material. The active material may include carbon at a weight percentage of between 0.5 to about 5 weight % of the total weight of the anode material. Additional materials, methods of making and devices are taught.
US09472802B2
A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including an uncoated region at ends thereof; a case accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap plate coupled with the case; and an insulation member in the case, the insulation member including a first region between the electrode assembly and the cap plate, and a second region between the uncoated region of the electrode assembly and an inner surface of the case.
US09472800B2
A contact arrangement is described for connecting a power supply to electrical components in a vehicle. The contact arrangement may include a first mechanical contact for connecting a first lead of the power supply to an electrical component, and a second mechanical contact for connecting a second lead of a power supply to the electrical component. The first and second mechanical contacts are configured to disconnect the power supply in the event of a collision. The first mechanical contact is configured to be arranged substantially perpendicular to the second mechanical contact in relation to a transverse plane of the vehicle.
US09472799B2
A switch arrangement may include at least one carrier having a first side and a second side and a plurality of electrically conductive through connections extending from the first side to the second side; a first switch terminal on the first side; a second switch terminal on the second side; a plurality of electronic switching devices arranged on the first side, each electronic switching device comprising a first controlled terminal and a second controlled terminal; wherein each first controlled terminal is connected to the first switch terminal via a respective electrically conductive connection; wherein the electrically conductive connections have substantially the same length; and wherein each second controlled terminal is connected to a respective through connection to connect the second switch terminal.
US09472792B2
A vehicle traction battery cell retainer includes a sidewall defining a plurality of windows each surrounded by a window flange extending therefrom, a top channel extending from the sidewall and terminating in a top flange, and a bottom channel extending from the retainer sidewall, defining a plurality of air bypass windows, and terminating in a bottom flange, the top and bottom flanges arranged for interlocking with an adjacent retainer of the traction battery. A vehicle traction battery assembly includes first and second adjacent battery cell arrays each having associated first and second retainers having a sidewall defining air flow windows and integrated top and bottom channels formed of unitary construction with interlocking flanges to couple the first and second arrays.
US09472788B2
Methods for transferring nanoparticles and nanowires to permanent glass receptors using transfer films. The transfer films include nanoparticles within a sacrificial material having a structured backfill layer on a substrate and a nanowire formulation between sacrificial substrates. To transfer the nanoparticles, the transfer film is laminated to a glass receptor, the substrate is removed, and the sacrificial material is baked-out to leave the nanoparticles aligned within the structured surface of the backfill layer on the glass receptor. To transfer the nanowires, the transfer film is laminated to a glass receptor, and the sacrificial substrates are baked-out to leave the nanowires aligned on the glass receptor.
US09472786B2
Discussed is an organic light emitting display device which prevents a voltage drop, wherein the light emitting display device includes a substrate; a first electrode on the substrate; an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode; a second electrode on the substrate including the organic light emitting layer; and an encapsulation substrate confronting the substrate, wherein the encapsulation substrate is formed of a metal material, and is electrically connected with the second electrode.
US09472784B2
The present invention provides a film packaging structure for an OLED, an OLED device, and a display apparatus. The film packaging structure for an OLED is an OLED film packaging structure, which includes a flexible film for packaging an OLED unit. The flexible film includes at least one layer of inorganic film, and at least one layer of organic film which is alternately stacked with the at least one layer of inorganic film. Each layer of organic film in the at least one layer of organic film is an integral film, and each layer of inorganic film in the at least one layer of inorganic film includes a plurality of non-connected inorganic film segments. The display apparatus includes the OLED device. The OLED film packaging structure, the OLED device and the display apparatus utilize inorganic films and organic films which are alternately stacked with the inorganic films.
US09472782B2
Write in of lower significant bits of a digital video signal to a memory is eliminated by a memory controller of a signal control circuit in a display device during a second display mode in which the number of gray scales is reduced, as compared to a first display mode. Further, read out of the lower significant bits of the digital video signal from the memory is also eliminated. The amount of information of digital image signals input to a source signal line driver circuit is reduced. Corresponding to this operation, a display controller functions to make start pulses and clock pulses input to each driver circuit have a lower frequency, and write in periods and display periods of sub-frame periods participating in display are set longer.
US09472778B2
This disclosure provides a display apparatus and the sealing method thereof. The display apparatus includes: a substrate having a displaying region and a non-displaying region surrounding the displaying region; and a frit disposed on the non-displaying region to form a closed loop which surrounds the displaying region and has both a start portion and an end portion not overlapping each other; wherein a first light beam is applied to the frit to sinter it along the loop in a first direction, and a second light beam is applied to the frit to sinter it along the loop in a second direction, starting at the start portion and ending up at the end portion; wherein, the second direction is different from the first direction.
US09472768B2
A material for an organic optoelectronic device, an organic light emitting diode including the same, and a display device including the organic light emitting diode, the material including at least one compound represented by the following Chemical Formula A-1; and at least one compound represented by the following Chemical Formula B-1:
US09472760B2
In the present invention, an organic semiconductor film is formed by using a cover member which is disposed on a substrate for forming the organic semiconductor film and forms a space relative to the substrate, filling the space between the cover member and the substrate with a solution, and drying the filled solution, wherein the cover member has a control surface on which an uppermost part most separated from the substrate and a descending part provided on both sides in the y-direction of the uppermost part so as to descend from the uppermost part toward the substrate are formed.
US09472756B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile memory device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a variable resistance layer. The variable resistance layer is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The variable resistance layer contains impurity of a nonmetallic element. The impurity is at least one selected from the group consisting of S, Se, Te, F, Cl, Br, and I.
US09472755B2
A resistive memory structure, for example, phase change memory structure, includes one access device and two or more resistive memory cells. Each memory cell is coupled to a rectifying device to prevent parallel leak current from flowing through non-selected memory cells. In an array of resistive memory bit structures, resistive memory cells from different memory bit structures are stacked and share rectifying devices.
US09472751B2
A method of manufacturing a storage element by forming a magnetic layer; and forming a tunnel barrier layer on the magnetic layer, wherein, n the forming a tunnel barrier layer, the tunnel barrier layer is formed to a predetermined thickness in at least two steps in a divided manner.
US09472744B2
A system includes a first plate and a second plate. The first plate is arranged to be thermally coupled to a first surface and the second plate is arranged to be thermally coupled to an environment. The environment has a temperature that is different than the first surface. The system also includes a thermoelectric device that includes a plurality of thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric device includes a third plate coupled to the plurality of thermoelectric elements and thermally coupled to the first plate. The thermoelectric device also includes a fourth plate coupled to the plurality of thermoelectric elements and thermally coupled to the second plate. The system also includes a dielectric fluid arranged between the first plate and the second plate. The thermoelectric elements are submersed in the dielectric fluid.
US09472743B2
A light-emitting diode package includes a package body and a light-emitting diode chip disposed on the package body. The package body includes upper conductive patterns disposed on an upper insulation substrate, a lower insulation substrate disposed on lower conductive patterns, and middle conductive patterns disposed between the upper insulation substrate and the lower insulation substrate. The package body also includes upper vias electrically connecting each of the upper conductive patterns to each of the middle conductive patterns, respectively, the upper vias being disposed in the upper insulation substrate, and lower vias electrically connecting each of the middle conductive patterns to each of the lower conductive patterns, respectively, the lower vias disposed in the lower insulation substrate.
US09472737B2
A light-emitting device includes a substrate; a light-emitting element mounted on the substrate; a first light-transmissive member bonded to an upper surface of the light-emitting element via an adhesive; and a second light-transmissive member placed on an upper surface of the first light-transmissive member. In a plan view of the light-emitting device, a peripheral edge of a lower surface of the first light-transmissive member is positioned more inward than a peripheral edge of the upper surface of the light-emitting element. The adhesive extends from the upper surface of the light-emitting element to a lower surface of the second light-transmissive member, the adhesive covers a side surface of the first light-transmissive member, and the adhesive is separated from the substrate.
US09472736B2
Provided are an etching method capable of increasing an etching selectivity between a subject material and a resist, a sapphire substrate processed using the etching method, and a light-emitting device including the sapphire substrate. An etching method using a plasma etching apparatus includes: a resist film forming step of forming a resist film on a subject material; a pattern forming step of forming a predetermined pattern on the resist film; a resist degenerating step of exposing the resist film on which the pattern is formed to plasma under a predetermined degeneration condition to degenerate the resist film and increase an etching selectivity; and a subject material etching step of exposing the subject material to plasma under an etching condition different from the degeneration condition to etch the subject material using the resist film having an increased etching selectivity as a mask.
US09472735B2
A light-emitting device includes a package and at least one light-emitting element. The package includes a concave portion which has a bottom surface. The bottom surface includes sides, package distances between opposite sides among the sides, a longest package distance among the package distances, a lower side among the sides, and an upper side among the sides opposite to the lower side. The at least one light-emitting element is arranged on the bottom surface of the concave portion and has a polygonal shape viewed along a front direction. The polygonal shape has light-emitting element distances between vertexes of the polygonal shape and has a longest light-emitting element distance among the light-emitting element distances. The at least one light-emitting element is arranged such that a light-emitting element lateral line along the longest light-emitting element distance is substantially parallel to a package lateral line along the longest package distance.
US09472728B2
A light emitting device package includes a package body, and a light emitting device chip provided on a chip mount area of the package body. A molding member is provided on the package body. The package body includes a central area having the chip mount area and a chip non-mount area adjacent to the chip mount area. An upper surface of the light emitting device chip is higher than an upper surface of the package body in the chip non-mount area and an upper surface of the package body in the peripheral area.
US09472724B2
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor light emitting element. The semiconductor light emitting element has a first conductivity type layer, a light emitting layer, and a second conductivity type layer that are laminated; a first pad electrode provided to the first conductivity type layer; and second pad electrodes provided to the second conductivity type layer. The first pad electrode and the second pad electrode is disposed on the same side of the semiconductor light emitting element. Plan view shape of the semiconductor light emitting element is rectangular. The first pad electrode is disposed in a middle region of three regions of the semiconductor light emitting element. The three regions are defined by dividing the light emitting element into three equal parts in the lengthwise direction of the semiconductor light emitting element. The second pad electrodes are respectively disposed in regions on both sides of the three regions.
US09472714B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a light-emitting diode (LED) device. A wafer is provided. The wafer has a sapphire substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on the sapphire substrate. The semiconductor layer contains a plurality of un-separated LED dies. A photo-sensitive layer is formed over the semiconductor layer. A photolithography process is performed to pattern the photo-sensitive layer into a plurality of patterned portions. The patterned portions are separated by a plurality of openings that are each substantially aligned with one of the LED dies. A metal material is formed in each of the openings. The wafer is radiated in a localized manner such that only portions of the wafer that are substantially aligned with the openings are radiated. The sapphire substrate is removed along with un-radiated portions of the semiconductor layer, thereby separating the plurality of LED dies into individual LED dies.
US09472710B1
Embodiments are directed to a coupler system having an interposer configured to couple optical signals. The interposer includes at least one optoelectronic component formed on a glass substrate. The interposer further includes at least one waveguide formed on the glass substrate and configured to couple the optical signals to or from the at least one optoelectronic component, wherein the at least one waveguide comprises a waveguide material having grain diameters greater than about one micron and an optical loss less than about one decibel per centimeter of optical propagation.
US09472708B2
A method of fabricating a CIGS thin film for solar cells using a simplified co-vacuum evaporation process and a CIGS thin film fabricated by the method are disclosed. The method includes: (a) depositing Cu, Ga and Se on a substrate having a substrate temperature ranging from 500° C. to 600° C. through co-vacuum evaporation, (b) depositing Cu, Ga, Se and In through co-vacuum evaporation while maintaining the same substrate temperature as in step (a), and (c) depositing Ga and Se through co-vacuum evaporation, followed by depositing Se alone through vacuum evaporation while lowering the temperature of the substrate. The method can realize crystal growth and band-gap grading by Ga composition distribution while simplifying process steps and significantly reducing a film-deposition time, as compared with a conventional co-vacuum evaporation process, thereby providing improvement in process efficiency.
US09472706B2
A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method includes forming a trench, in a vertical direction of a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of photoelectric converting elements arranged on the semiconductor device, at positions between the photoelectric converting elements that are next to each other, forming a first conductive-material layer in and above the trench by implanting a first conductive material into the trench after an oxide film is formed on an inner wall of the trench, forming a first conductor by removing the first conductive-material layer excluding a first conductive portion of the first conductive-material layer implanted into the trench, and forming an upper gate electrode above the first conductor, the upper gate electrode configured to be conductive with the first conductor. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an image sensor, a trench, a first conductor, and an upper gate electrode.
US09472701B2
A solar power system may include a combiner module, one or more rows of solar panels connected to the combiner module, and one or more wiring circuits connecting the one or more rows of solar panels to the combiner module. Each circuit may include an inter-module wiring arrangement that connects individual solar panels to each other in series, and a return wiring arrangement that connects the inter-module wiring arrangement to the combiner module. Each inter-module wiring arrangement may be arranged such that at least some solar panels are wired to other solar panels in the same row in a substantially alternating manner, such that non-adjacent solar panels in the same row are wired directly in series to each other. This arrangement may reduce the total length of harness wires needed to connect the one or more panel rows to the combiner box, as compared with conventional wiring schemes.
US09472696B1
Techniques are described to furnish an IR suppression filter, or any other interference based filter, that is formed on a transparent substrate to a light sensor. In one or more implementations, a light sensor includes a substrate having a surface. One or more photodetectors are formed in the substrate. The photodetectors are configured to detect light and provide a signal in response thereto. An IR suppression filter configured to block infrared light from reaching the surface is formed on a transparent substrate. The light sensor may also include a plurality of color pass filters disposed over the surface. The color pass filters are configured to filter visible light to pass light in a limited spectrum of wavelengths to the one or more photodetectors. A buffer layer is disposed over the surface and configured to encapsulate the plurality of color pass filters and adhesion layer.
US09472695B2
A semiconductor device and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. Specifically, methods and devices for manufacturing opto-couplers are disclosed. Even more specifically, the opto-coupler includes a lens assembly to enhance light coupling efficiency between an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. An encapsulant material may also be utilized.
US09472693B2
A solar cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, a photoactive layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and including an electron donor and an electron acceptor, and a partially oxidized metal thin film between the first electrode and the photoactive layer.
US09472692B2
An integrated circuit chip is mounted on top of a base wafer, and a protection wafer is mounted on top of the integrated circuit chip. An encapsulation block is formed around the integrated circuit chip and the protection wafer and on a peripheral part of the front face of the base wafer. The encapsulation block includes a first encapsulation ring arranged around the integrated circuit chip and the protection wafer, having an annular beading protruding with respect to the front face of the protection wafer and forming a peripheral groove (24) recessed with respect to this protruding annular beading. A second encapsulation ring of the encapsulation block fills the peripheral groove of the first encapsulation ring.
US09472688B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor layer, a trench formed selectively in an obverse surface portion of the semiconductor layer and defining a unit cell of predetermined shape in the obverse surface portion, a second conductivity type layer formed to conform to a portion or an entirety of an inner surface of the trench, an obverse surface layer of a first conductivity type formed so as to be exposed from an obverse surface of the semiconductor layer in the unit cell, a reverse surface layer of the first conductivity type formed so as to be exposed from a reverse surface of the semiconductor layer, a drift layer of the first conductivity type formed between the obverse surface layer and the reverse surface layer of the semiconductor layer and being of lower concentration than the obverse surface layer and the reverse surface layer, a first electrode contacting the obverse surface layer and forming an ohmic contact with the obverse surface layer, and a second electrode contacting the reverse surface layer and forming an ohmic contact with the reverse surface layer.
US09472684B2
A gallium nitride (GaN)-based junction field-effect transistor (JFET) can include a GaN drain region having a top surface extending in a lateral dimension, a source region, and a GaN channel region of a first conductivity type coupled between the source region and the GaN drain region and operable to conduct electrical current between the source region and the GaN drain region. The JFET can also include a blocking layer disposed between the source region and the GaN drain region such that the GaN channel region is operable to conduct the electrical current substantially along the lateral dimension in a laterally-conductive region of the GaN channel region, and a GaN gate region of a second conductivity type coupled to the GaN channel region such that the laterally-conductive region of the GaN channel region is disposed between at least a portion of the blocking layer and the GaN gate region.
US09472683B2
An insulating film is provided over one surface of a first semiconductor layer including a first oxide semiconductor including indium as a main component, and a second semiconductor layer including an i-type second oxide semiconductor is provided in contact with the other surface. The energy difference between a vacuum level and a Fermi level in the second oxide semiconductor is larger than that in the first oxide semiconductor. In the first semiconductor layer, a region in the vicinity of the junction surface with the second oxide semiconductor which satisfies the above condition is a region having an extremely low carrier concentration (a quasi-i-type region). By using the region as a channel, the off-state current can be reduced. Further, a drain current of the FET flows through the first oxide semiconductor having a high mobility; accordingly, a large amount of current can be extracted.
US09472666B2
According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided. The device includes: The second region has a greater curvature than the first region. The device includes: an N-type epitaxy layer; a P-well in the N-type epitaxy layer; a drain in the N-type epitaxy layer; a source in the P-well; and a bulk in the P-well and in contact with the source, wherein the bulk has a greater area in the second region than in the first region.
US09472664B1
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device including a substrate, a gate structure, a channel layer, a first active region and a second active region. The gate structure is disposed in the substrate. The channel layer is sandwiched between the gate structure and the substrate. A material of the channel layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon-germanium epitaxial material, silicon-carbon epitaxial material, and a combination thereof. The first active region and the second active region are disposed in the substrate and respectively disposed at opposite sides of the gate structure. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided herein.
US09472662B2
A bi-directional trench field effect power transistor. A layer stack extends over the top surface of the substrate, in which vertical trenches are present. An electrical path can be selectively enabled or disabled to allow current to flow in opposite directions through a body located laterally between the first and second vertical trenches. A shallow trench, more shallow than the first vertical trench and the second vertical trench is located between the first vertical trench and the second vertical trench and extend in the vertical direction from the top layer of the stack into the body, beyond an upper boundary of the body. The body is provided with a dopant, the concentration of the dopant is at least one order of magnitude higher in a region adjacent to the shallow trench than near the first vertical trench and the second vertical trench.
US09472657B2
A triode includes a semiconductor, a deep n-well, a p-well, an n+ doping region, and a p+ doping region. The deep n-well is disposed adjacent to the semiconductor substrate. The p-well is included in the deep n-well and serves as a collector region of the triode. The n+ doping region serves as a base region of the triode. The p+ doping region serves as an emitter region of the triode. The deep n-well is coupled to the n+ doping region.
US09472656B2
A semiconductor device including a minute transistor with a short channel length is provided. A gate insulating layer is formed over a gate electrode layer; an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the gate insulating layer; a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer are formed over the oxide semiconductor layer; a conductive film is formed over the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer; a resist mask is formed over the conductive film by performing electron beam exposure; and then a third conductive layer and a fourth conductive layer are formed over and in contact with the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, respectively, by selectively etching the conductive film.
US09472653B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. A plurality of target patterns is formed on a substrate. The plurality of target patterns is extended in parallel to each other along a first direction. A first mask pattern extending in the first direction and including a plurality of first openings is formed. A second mask pattern extending in a second direction crossing the first direction and including a plurality of second openings is formed. Each second opening overlaps each first opening to form an overlapped opening region. A region of the plurality of target patterns is etched through the overlapped opening region using the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern as a etch mask. The region of the plurality of target patterns is overlapped with the overlapped opening region.
US09472651B2
Spacerless fin device with reduced parasitic resistance and capacitance and method to fabricate same
A structure includes a substrate having an insulator layer and a plurality of elongated semiconductor fin structures disposed on a surface of the insulator layer. The fin structures are disposed substantially parallel to one another. The structure further includes a plurality of elongated sacrificial gate structures each comprised of silicon nitride. The sacrificial gate structures are disposed substantially parallel to one another and orthogonal to the plurality of fin structures, where a portion of each of a plurality of adjacent fin structures is embedded within one of the sacrificial gate structures leaving other portions exposed between the sacrificial gate structures. The structure further includes a plurality of semiconductor source/drain (S/D) structures disposed over the exposed portions of the fin structures between the sacrificial gate structures. The embodiments eliminate a need to form a conventional spacer on the fin structures. A method to fabricate the structure is also disclosed.
US09472649B1
A method of fabricating a multi-zone, short gate length thin film transistor is provided. Gate metal and a plurality of layers are deposited on a substrate. The layers include a gate insulator, a first semiconductor, a second semiconductor, and source contact metal. An insulator is deposited on the plurality of layers partially overlapping the gate electrode and masking part of the plurality of layers. Portions of the source contact metal not masked by the insulator are removed and the first and second semiconductors are diffused with dopants via a plasma. Sidewalls of the insulator and source metal contact are covered with an insulating layer. Portions of the second semiconductor not masked are removed by etching for a length of time to create undercuts below the insulator and extending under the source contact metal. The undercuts are filled with an insulating material and an external metal contact layer is deposited.
US09472631B2
High resolution active matrix nanowire circuits enable a flexible and stretchable platform for probing neural circuits. Fabrication of such circuits includes forming an array of transistors using a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. Electrically isolated arrays of vertically extending, electrically conductive wires are formed from a doped, electrically conductive layer within the substrate, each of the arrays of wires being electrically connected to a transistor in the array of transistors.
US09472630B2
A process for fabricating a tapered field plate dielectric for high-voltage semiconductor devices is disclosed. The process may include depositing a thin layer of oxide, depositing a polysilicon hard mask, depositing a resist layer and etching a trench area, performing deep silicon trench etch, and stripping the resist layer. The process may further include repeated steps of depositing a layer of oxide and anisotropic etching of the oxide to form a tapered wall within the trench. The process may further include depositing poly and performing further processing to form the semiconductor device.
US09472618B2
One embodiment of the instant disclosure provides a transistor device that comprises: a semiconductor substrate; a buffer layer formed in a fin structure over the semiconductor substrate; a nanowire formed over the buffer layer, having at least a middle portion suspended over the buffer layer by an undercutting, the nanowire including a source and a drain region respectively defined at distal portions thereof and a channel region defined in the suspended portion of the nanowire and connecting the source and drain regions; and a gate structure surrounding at least a portion of the suspended portion of the nanowire.
US09472617B2
Provided is a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes an isolation region disposed in a semiconductor substrate and configured to define an active region. A gate electrode buried in the active region is disposed. A gate dielectric layer is disposed between the active region and the gate electrode. A first source/drain region and a second source/drain region are disposed in the active region on both sides of the gate electrodes. An interconnection structure intersecting with the gate electrode, overlapping the first and second source/drain regions, electrically connected with the first source/drain region, and spaced apart from the second source/drain region is disposed. A contact structure is disposed on the second source/drain region.
US09472615B2
A fin-shaped field-effect transistor (finFET) device is provided. The finFET device includes a substrate material with a top surface and a bottom surface. The finFET device also includes a well region formed in the substrate material. The well region may include a first type of dopant. The finFET device also includes a fin structure disposed on the top surface of the substrate material. A portion of the fin structure may include the first type of dopant. The finFET device also includes an oxide material disposed on the top surface of the substrate material and adjacent to the portion of the fin structure. The finFET device also includes a first epitaxial material disposed over a portion of the fin structure. The first epitaxial material may include a second type of dopant.
US09472610B2
A substrate having a dielectric film thereon, in which: the dielectric film comprises at least four stacked layers of a dielectric material; the stacked layers comprise compressive layers which are subject to a compressive stress, and tensile layers which are subject to a tensile stress; and there are at least two spaced apart tensile layers which are each adjacent to one or more compressive layers.
US09472608B2
Disclosed herein is a chip inductor. The chip inductor according to the present invention includes a substrate on which a through-hole is formed, a conductive coil that is formed on the substrate, an upper resin composite magnetic layer that is filled to surround the conductive coil so that a core is formed on a center portion of the substrate, a lower resin composite magnetic layer that is formed on a bottom portion of the substrate, and an external electrode that is formed on both sides of the upper and lower resin composite magnetic layers.
US09472590B2
An aspect of the invention is a solid-state image capturing device that includes a P-type well 12, an N-type low concentration diffusion layer 18 formed in the P-type well 12, a P-type surface diffusion layer 16 formed on a surface of the N-type low concentration diffusion layer 18, and a P-type high concentration well 15 formed in a boundary region between a side surface of the N-type low concentration diffusion layer 18 and the P-type well 12.
US09472586B1
Techniques are described to furnish an IR suppression filter that is formed on a glass substrate to a light sensor. In one or more implementations, a light sensor includes a substrate having a surface. One or more photodetectors are formed in the substrate and configured to detect light and provide a signal in response thereto. An IR suppression filter configured to block infrared light from reaching the surface is formed on a glass substrate. The light sensor also includes a plurality of color pass filters disposed over the surface. The color pass filters are configured to filter visible light to pass light in a limited spectrum of wavelengths to the one or more photodetectors. A buffer layer is disposed over the surface and configured to encapsulate the plurality of color pass filters and adhesion layer. The light sensor further includes through-silicon vias to provide electrical interconnections between different conductive layers.
US09472585B2
A semiconductor package includes: a sheet-like thin plate on which a semiconductor chip is secured; and a substrate including a wiring layer, disposed on the thin plate to extend over a part of a region surrounding the region where the semiconductor chip is secured or over the entire surrounding region, wherein the semiconductor chip and the substrate are electrically connected.
US09472580B2
A pixel array and a display panel are provided. The pixel array includes a plurality of pixel units. Each of the pixel units includes a first scan line, a second scan line, a data line, a first thin-film transistor, a second thin-film transistor, a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode. The first thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the first scan line and the data line. The first pixel electrode is electrically connected to the first thin-film transistor. The second thin-film transistor is electrically connected to the second scan line and the data line. The second pixel electrode is electrically connected to the second thin-film transistor. The orthogonal projection pattern of the first thin-film transistor on XY plane and the orthogonal projection pattern of the second thin-film transistor on XY plane are substantially the same.
US09472570B2
Approaches for body contacted transistors are provided. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes forming a field effect transistor (FET) including a channel and a gate. The method also includes forming a diode that is electrically connected between the channel and the gate, wherein the diode and channel are contained in a same layer of material.
US09472563B2
A semiconductor device includes bit lines (12) that are provided in a semiconductor substrate (10) an ONO film (14) that is provided on the semiconductor substrate; word lines that are provided on the ONO film (14) and extend in a width direction of the bit lines (12); and a dummy layer (44) that extends in the width direction of the bit lines (12) and is provided in a bit-line contact region (40) having contact holes formed to connect the bit lines (12) with wiring layers (34). In accordance with the present invention, the proximity effect at the time of word line formation can be restrained, and the variation in the widths of the word lines can be made smaller, or current leakage between the bit lines and the semiconductor substrate can be restrained.
US09472553B1
An electrical device that includes a substrate including a first region of a type III-V semiconductor material and a second region of a type IV germanium containing semiconductor material. An n-type planar FET is present in the first region of the substrate. A p-type planar FET is present in a second region of the substrate. A gate structure for each of the n-type planar FET and the p-type planar FET includes a metal containing layer including at least one of titanium and aluminum atop a high-k gate dielectric. An effective work function of the gate structure for both the n-type and p-type planar FETs is a less than a mid gap of silicon.
US09472546B2
A decoupling capacitor cell includes: a first decoupling capacitor formed by only a pMOS transistor; and a second decoupling capacitor formed by two metal layers. The decoupling capacitor cell is arranged in an unused region not occupied by basic cells in a cell-based IC and is connected to a power wiring and a ground wiring.
US09472527B2
Surfaces of a semiconductor chip and a circuit board are made to face each other, and upper portions of stoppers of the circuit board are fit into regions between adjacent stoppers of rail grooves of the semiconductor chip, and upper portions of the stoppers of the semiconductor chip are fit into regions between the adjacent stoppers of rail grooves of the circuit board, whereby side surfaces of first terminals of the semiconductor chip and side surfaces of second terminals of the circuit board are electrically connected.
US09472524B2
A semiconductor device includes an under-bump metallization (UBM) layer over a substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a copper-containing layer having a base portion over the UBM layer. The semiconductor device further includes a solder bump over the UBM layer and over the copper-containing layer. The base portion is embedded in the solder bump. The copper-containing layer has a cylindrical shape and includes at least two segments separated by at least two openings. A first total area (A) of the at least two openings is greater than about 3% of a second total area (B) of the at least two segments. The first total area (A) is less than about 70% of the second total area (B) of the at least two segments.
US09472520B2
A multi-layer pillar and method of fabricating the same is provided. The multi-layer pillar is used as an interconnect between a chip and substrate. The pillar has at least one low strength, high ductility deformation region configured to absorb force imposed during chip assembly and thermal excursions.
US09472518B2
Semiconductor structures including carrier wafers and methods of using such semiconductor structures
A semiconductor structure comprising a carrier wafer and a device wafer. The carrier wafer comprises trenches sized and configured to receive conductive pillars of the device wafer. The carrier wafer and the device wafer are fusion bonded together and back side processing effected on the device wafer. The device wafer may be released from the carrier wafer by one or more of mechanically cleaving, thermally cleaving, and mechanically separating. Methods of forming the semiconductor structure including the carrier wafer and the device wafer are disclosed.
US09472516B2
An embodiment is a structure comprising a die having a pad on a surface and an encapsulant at least laterally encapsulating the die. The pad is exposed through the encapsulant. The structure further includes a first dielectric layer over the encapsulant and the die, a first conductive pattern over the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer over the first conductive pattern and the first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer have a first opening to the pad of the die. The structure further includes a second conductive pattern over the second dielectric layer and in the first opening. The second conductive pattern adjoins a sidewall of the first dielectric layer in the first opening and a sidewall of the second dielectric layer in the first opening.
US09472513B2
A semiconductor transmission line substructure and methods of transmitting RF signals are described. The semiconductor transmission line substructure can include a substrate; a first signal line over the substrate; a first ground line over the substrate; and a second semiconductor substrate over the substrate. The first signal line, the first ground line and the second semiconductor substrate are each vertically spaced apart from one another and can be separated from one another by at least one electrically insulating layer.
US09472511B2
An ESD device that includes a gate and an n-drain region isolated from the gate and formed at least partially within an n-well region, which in turn is formed at least partially within a deep n-well region. The doping levels of the n-drain region, the n-well region and the deep n-well region are in a descending order. The ESD device has trigger and holding voltages, above the operation voltage of its protected circuit, which are layout-configurable by altering the distance between the n-drain and a side edge of the n-well region.
US09472510B2
To enhance the security of a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device has a regulator unit for generating an internal power supply voltage based on a power supply voltage supplied from outside, an internal circuit which operates on the internal power supply voltage, a current detection unit for monitoring a power supply current supplied to the internal circuit, and a control unit for controlling operation of the internal circuit. In the semiconductor device, when the current detection unit detects that the power supply current exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit restricts the operation of the internal circuit.
US09472504B2
The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a via structure and method of manufacturing same. In an example, a via structure includes a via having via sidewall surfaces defined by a semiconductor substrate. The via sidewall surfaces have a first portion and a second portion. A conductive layer is disposed in the via on the first portion of the via sidewall surfaces, and a dielectric layer is disposed on the second portion of the via sidewall surfaces. The dielectric layer is disposed between the second portion of the via sidewall surfaces and the conductive layer. In an example, the dielectric layer is an oxide layer.
US09472502B1
Some embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit device. In this method a dielectric layer is formed over a substrate. The dielectric layer comprises an opening arranged within the dielectric layer. A first cobalt liner is formed along bottom and sidewall surfaces of the opening. A barrier liner is formed on exposed surfaces of the first cobalt liner. A bulk cobalt layer is formed in the opening and over the barrier liner to fill a remaining space of the opening.
US09472501B2
A conductive line structure includes two conductive lines in a layout. The two cut lines are over at least a part of the two conductive lines in the layout. The cut lines designate cut sections of the two conductive lines and the cut lines are spaced from each other within a fabrication process limit. The two cut lines are connected in the layout. The two conductive lines are patterned over a substrate in a physical integrated circuit using the two connected parallel cut lines. The two conductive lines are electrically conductive.
US09472499B2
Self-aligned pitch split techniques for metal wiring involving a hybrid (subtractive patterning/damascene) metallization approach are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a metal wiring layer on a wafer includes the following steps. A copper layer is formed on the wafer. A patterned hardmask is formed on the copper layer. The copper layer is subtractively patterned using the patterned hardmask to form a plurality of first copper lines. Spacers are formed on opposite sides of the first copper lines. A planarizing dielectric material is deposited onto the wafer, filling spaces between the first copper lines. One or more trenches are etched in the planarizing dielectric material. The trenches are filled with copper to form a plurality of second copper lines that are self-aligned with the first copper lines. An electronic device is also provided.
US09472498B2
A multiple access Proximity Communication system in which electrical elements on an integrated circuit chip provide the multiplexing of multiple signals to a single electrical receiving element on another chip. Multiple pads formed on one chip and receiving separate signals may be capacitively coupled to one large pad on the other chip. Multiple inductive coils on one chip may be magnetically coupled to one large coil on another chip or inductive coils on three or more chips may be used for either transmitting or receiving. The multiplexing may be based on time, frequency, or code.
US09472492B2
A semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip, a lead frame and metal wires for electrically connecting the lead frame are sealed with sealing resin. The lead frame has a plurality of lead terminal portions, a supporting portion for supporting the semiconductor chip, and hanging lead portions supporting the supporting portion. Each of the lead terminal portions adjacent to the hanging lead portion is a chamfered lead terminal portion having, at its head, a chamfered portion formed substantially in parallel with the hanging lead portion so as to avoid interference with the hanging lead portion.
US09472488B2
A semiconductor device exhibits low pressure loss and is capable of cooling a plurality of power semiconductor chips evenly. This semiconductor device includes a semiconductor module and a cooler for cooling a power semiconductor element mounted in the semiconductor module. A cooling unit of the cooler has a first header part that has a first bottom surface disposed between a coolant inlet and an end portion of a first substrate on the coolant outlet side and inclined toward a bottom plane of cooling fins so that a coolant supplied from the coolant inlet flows toward the cooling fins; and a second header part that has a second bottom surface inclined from an end portion of the bottom plane of the cooling fins on the coolant outlet side so that the coolant discharged from the cooling fins flows to the coolant outlet.
US09472484B2
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a recess disposed beneath a semiconductor device. The semiconductor structure also includes a thermally conductive core disposed in the recess, and a package substrate including a heat sink. The heat sink is in thermal contact with the thermally conductive core.
US09472478B2
Timely testing of die on wafer reduces the cost to manufacture ICs. This disclosure describes a die test structure and process to reduce test time by adding test pads on the top surface of the die. The added test pads allow a tester to probe and test more circuits within the die simultaneously. Also, the added test pads contribute to a reduction in the amount of test wiring overhead traditionally required to access and test circuits within a die, thus reducing die size.
US09472477B1
An electromigration test structure is provided for evaluation of interconnect liner integrity in a semiconductor interconnect structure. The electromigration test structure includes a feeding line; a stress line overlying the feeding line; a first via interconnecting the feeding line and the stress line, wherein the first via comprises a bottom barrier; a first cathode sense and a second cathode sense interconnected to the feeding line; and a first anode sense and a second anode sense interconnected to the feeding line.
US09472472B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, a first main surface side of the first semiconductor substrate and a first main surface side of the second semiconductor substrate being bonded to each other; and a warpage correction layer which is formed on at least one or more selected from the first main surface side of the first semiconductor substrate, the first main surface side of the second semiconductor substrate, a second main surface side of the first semiconductor substrate, and a second main surface side of the second semiconductor substrate.
US09472471B1
A method of CMOS construction may include stacked III-V nanowires and stacked Ge nanowires. The CMOS construction may include a hybrid orientation with surface SOI and a standard substrate.
US09472470B2
A method including forming fin spacers on opposite sidewalls of a semiconductor fin made from a semiconductor substrate, forming a dielectric layer in direct contact with the fin spacers such that a top surface of the fin and a top surface of the fin spacers remain exposed, recessing a portion of the fin between the fin spacers, removing the fin spacers to create an opening, and epitaxially growing an unmerged source drain region in the opening, where lateral growth of the unmerged source drain region is constrained on opposite sides by the dielectric layer.
US09472468B2
A method includes growing a nanowire from a substrate, forming a sacrificial layer surrounding the nanowire, removing the nanowire from the sacrificial layer to form an opening in the sacrificial layer, and growing a replacement semiconductor nanowire in the opening.
US09472462B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of pillars in a semiconductor substrate, forming an insulating layer between the plurality of pillars in such a manner that an upper region of each pillar protrudes, forming a silicide layer on an exposed surface of the pillar, and forming an insulating layer for planarization in a space between pillars.
US09472455B2
A method is provided for fabricating cross-coupled line segments on a wafer for use, for instance, in fabricating cross-coupled gates of two or more transistors. The fabricating includes: patterning a first line segment with a first side projection using a first mask; and patterning a second line segment with a second side projection using a second mask. The second line segment is offset from the first line segment, and the patterned second side projection overlies the patterned first side projection, and facilitates defining a cross-stitch segment connecting the first and second line segments. The method further includes selectively cutting the first and second line segments in defining the cross-coupled line segments from the first and second line segments and the cross-stitch segment.
US09472449B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor structure includes forming a dielectric layer overlaying a substrate; forming a trench in the dielectric layer; forming a first barrier layer lining the trench; forming a conductive layer overlaying the first barrier layer; forming a second barrier layer overlaying the conductive layer; forming a metallic sacrificial layer to cover the second barrier layer and to fill the trench; and performing a polishing process to remove the materials above a bottom portion of the second barrier layer.
US09472445B2
A semiconductor memory device including a substrate, a first element isolation film pattern, and a second element isolation film pattern. The substrate includes a first region and a second region. The first element isolation film pattern is in the first region and corresponds to a first active region. The second element isolation film pattern is in the second region and corresponds to a second active region. The first element isolation film pattern includes a first material and the second element isolation film pattern includes a second material different from the first material.
US09472444B2
A wafer support device is provided. The wafer support device includes a plurality of support portions; and a bottom area located among the support portions, wherein the bottom area has a protective layer formed thereon. A method for processing a working surface of a wafer support device is also provided.
US09472442B2
A wafer processing method which includes a first tape attaching step of attaching a first tape to the front side of a wafer and mounting the wafer through the first tape to a first annular frame, a separating step of holding the wafer through the first tape on a chuck table and applying a laser beam to the boundary between an annular projection formed along the outer circumference of the wafer and a device area surrounded by the annular projection to cut the wafer and the first tape along this boundary, thereby separating the device area from the annular projection, and a removing step of removing the annular projection together with the first annular frame from the device area of the wafer in the condition where the annular projection is supported through the first tape to the first annular frame.
US09472441B2
A substrate processing apparatus is used for a spin drying apparatus, a pencil-type scrubbing cleaning apparatus, an IPA drying apparatus and the like, which are used as semiconductor wafer processing apparatuses. The substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate stage and a substrate chuck mechanism. The substrate chuck mechanism includes a chuck body having a substrate placing portion configured to place a peripheral portion of a substrate and a guide surface configured to guide an outer circumferential end surface of the substrate and to position the substrate when the substrate is placed on the substrate placing portion, and a chuck claw rotatably supported on the chuck body and configured to hold the peripheral portion of the substrate between the substrate placing portion and the chuck claw by turning the chuck claw inward in a closing direction. The guide surface comprises a first guide surface and a second guide surface which guide the outer circumferential end surface of the substrate and differ in inclinations from each other.
US09472440B2
A plurality of inserts adapted are to be received in a plurality of holes in a support plate having a first surface adapted to engage a first surface of an integrated cicuirt IC package strip. The support plate has a plurality of holes in fluid communication with a vacuum source and are constructed from a first material having a first hardness. The plurality of inserts are constructed from a second material having a second hardness less than said first hardness.
US09472436B2
Multiple bonding layer schemes that temporarily join semiconductor substrates are provided. In the inventive bonding scheme, at least one of the layers is directly in contact with the semiconductor substrate and at least two layers within the scheme are in direct contact with one another. The present invention provides several processing options as the different layers within the multilayer structure perform specific functions. More importantly, it will improve performance of the thin-wafer handling solution by providing higher thermal stability, greater compatibility with harsh backside processing steps, protection of bumps on the front side of the wafer by encapsulation, lower stress in the debonding step, and fewer defects on the front side.
US09472434B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrostatic chuck (ESC) having azimuthal temperature control. In one embodiment, the electrostatic chuck includes an insulating base, a dielectric layer disposed on the insulating base, the dielectric layer having a substrate supporting surface, an electrode assembly disposed between the insulating base and the substrate supporting surface, and a plurality of heating elements coupled to the insulating base, the heating elements azimuthally control a temperature profile across a substrate surface.
US09472426B2
A method for manufacturing a packaging substrate includes: patterning a first photo-resisting layer having first openings on a copper foil layer to expose portions of the copper foil layer; patterning a removable second photo-resisting layer having second openings on the first photo-resisting layer to expose the first openings; filling copper into the first and second openings to form base portions and a first wiring layer; orderly forming a first dielectric layer and a second wiring layer on the first wiring layer; patterning a removable third photo-resisting layer comprising covering portions opposite to the base portions on the copper foil layer; and etching the copper foil layer to form protruding portions connected to and corresponding to the base portions to define a copper pillar bump, a size of the copper pillar bump gradually increasing from the protruding portions to the base portions.
US09472417B2
Methods of selectively etching metal-containing materials from the surface of a substrate are described. The etch selectively removes metal-containing materials relative to silicon-containing films such as silicon, polysilicon, silicon oxide, silicon germanium, silicon carbide, silicon carbon nitride and/or silicon nitride. The methods include exposing metal-containing materials to halogen containing species in a substrate processing region. No plasma excites the halogen-containing precursor either remotely or locally in embodiments.
US09472411B1
A method of performing spalling of a semiconductor substrate in which a release layer is used between a handling substrate and a stressor layer. The release layer is removed using a liquid that does not damage the spalled semiconductor substrate.
US09472396B2
A plasma-based processing method includes depositing a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) material onto a substrate. The TMDC material is plasma treated in an oxygen containing ambient to oxidize the TMDC material to form oxidized dielectric TMDC material. The oxidized dielectric TMDC material has a higher electrical resistivity as compared an electrical resistivity of the TMDC material before the plasma treating, typically >103 times greater.
US09472395B2
In accordance with a method of manufacturing a semiconductor arrangement, a first trench is formed into a semiconductor body from a first side. An anodic oxide structure is formed at a bottom side of the first trench by immersing the semiconductor body in an electrolyte and applying an anodizing voltage between the semiconductor body and an electrode in contact with the electrolyte.
US09472393B2
A silicon oxide film forming method includes: forming an amorphous silicon film, including: adsorbing an adsorbate containing silicon to a workpiece by supplying a source gas containing chlorine and silicon into a reaction chamber accommodating the workpiece, activating the source gas, and reacting the activated source gas with the workpiece; and removing chlorine contained in the adsorbate by supplying hydrogen gas into the reaction chamber and activating the hydrogen gas, and reacting the activated hydrogen gas with the adsorbate, wherein removing the chlorine is performed after adsorbing the adsorbate is performed, thereby forming the amorphous silicon film on the workpiece; and forming a silicon oxide film on the workpiece by supplying an oxidizing gas into the reaction chamber and oxidizing the amorphous silicon film, wherein forming the amorphous silicon film and forming the silicon oxide film are repeated in this order plural times.
US09472391B2
A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a thin film containing silicon, oxygen, carbon and a specified Group III or Group V element on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes: supplying a precursor gas containing silicon, carbon and a halogen element and having an Si—C bonding and a first catalytic gas to the substrate; supplying an oxidizing gas and a second catalytic gas to the substrate; and supplying a modifying gas containing the specified Group III or Group V element to the substrate.
US09472390B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for parallel all-mass tandem mass spectrometry employing multi-reflecting time-of-flight analyzer for both MS stages, preferably arranged within the same analyzer to secure ultra-high resolution. Sensitivity and speed of TOF-TOF tandem are enhanced by non-redundant multiplexing based on signal sparseness and on avoiding repetitive signal overlaps at multiple repetitions of true fragment signals. Non-redundant matrices of gate and delay timing are constructed by extending orthogonal Latin square matrices. The method is generalized for multiplexing of any multiple repetitive signal sources being sparse either spectrally, or spatially, or in time.
US09472389B2
An ion source assembly for a static mass spectrometer, comprises: a mounting element for locating the assembly within the static mass spectrometer; an ion source for generating ions to be analyzed in the static mass spectrometer, the ion source being spaced from the mounting element and arranged to be held in use at a first relatively high potential V1 with respect to the mounting element; and a spacer mounted between the mounting element and the ion source, the spacer arranged to be held in use at a second potential V2 with respect to the mounting element, which is less than the first potential V1.
US09472378B2
A low inductance coil antenna for a plasma reactor has multiple radial zones of plural conductor lobes extending radially from respective RF supply and ground rings.
US09472377B2
Method and apparatus for characterizing metal oxide reduction using metal oxide films formed in an anneal chamber are disclosed. Oxygen is provided into an anneal chamber. A substrate including a metal seed layer is exposed to the oxygen and exposed to a heated substrate support in the anneal chamber to form a metal oxide of the metal seed layer. The oxidized substrate can be stored for later use or transferred to a processing chamber for reducing the metal oxide to metal. The oxidized substrates formed in this manner provide metal oxides that are repeatable, uniform, and stable. The oxidized substrate is exposed to a reducing treatment under conditions that reduce the metal oxide to metal in the form of a film integrated with the metal seed layer.
US09472369B2
A retractable connector assembly for establishing an electrical connection to a power bus bar from an electrical device is disclosed. The retractable connector assembly includes a frame plate and a sled. The sled has a rack and a connector assembly having an electrical contact. The sled has an extended position and a retracted position relative to the frame plate. A spur gear is mounted on the frame plate. The spur gear engages the rack to move the sled between the retracted position and the extended position when the spur gear is rotated. The electrical contact creates an electrical connection with the power bus bar when the sled is in the extended position but not in the retracted position. Safety interlocks and indicia can be provided for the connector assembly.
US09472367B2
An electrical switching apparatus includes a ferromagnetic frame having first and opposite second portions, a ferromagnetic core disposed therebetween, a permanent magnet disposed on the first portion, a first tapered portion on the opposite second portion; a coil disposed about the core; and a ferromagnetic or magnetic armature including a first portion, an opposite second portion and a pivot portion pivotally disposed on the core between the portions of the armature. The armature opposite second portion has a complementary second tapered portion therein. In a first armature position, the armature first portion is magnetically attracted by the permanent magnet and the first and second tapered portions are moved apart with the coil de-energized. In a second armature position, the armature opposite second portion is magnetically attracted by the opposite second portion of the frame and the first tapered portion is moved into the second tapered portion with the coil energized.
US09472366B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for producing a directional electric field from an end of the solenoid in an efficient manner. For example, voltage pulses can be used to charge the turns of the coil so that the coil acts as a capacitor. The voltage pulses can be of a specified time width (e.g., 1 μs or less) so as to reduce the amount of current flowing in the coil, and thus reduce the input power used in the coil. The electric field can be used for a variety of purposes, e.g., for charging or communication. An output conductor can be positioned such that electrons can be moved in the output conductor. The motion of electrons can correspond to the communication of data or be used to operate a load (e.g., in charging a device or otherwise providing power).
US09472364B2
A circuit protection device includes a base assembly, a spring on top of the base, a conductive terminal that fits over the base and spring, and a cap that first over the base, spring and terminal. The base includes latches on the front side of the base. The conductive terminal includes a first end on the front side of the base and a second end on a rear side of the base that is opposite to the front side. The cap includes a first protrusion extending downward from the cap above one of the latches and a second protrusion extending downward from the cap above the other latch. The circuit protection device also includes a means for activating the circuit protection device after reflow in response to a force applied to the cap in a first direction defined from a top of the cap towards the base.
US09472362B2
A rotation mechanism for a rotary switch and a method of operating a rotary switch are provided. The rotation mechanism includes a mechanism shaft for switching the switch between open and closed positions of the switch, a crank rotationally connected to the mechanism shaft, a spring connected to the crank, where the spring has a dead point between the open and closed positions of the switch, and a force transmission roll rotationally connected to the crank. The mechanism shaft, crank and force transmission roll have a common axis of rotation. There is a predetermined rotational free-play between the rotation of the mechanism shaft and the crank, and a predetermined rotational free-play between the rotation of the crank and the force transmission roll.
US09472359B2
Circuit breakers that include and/or a trip latch assembly that is configured to maintain open and closed energy status of the breaker. The trip latch assembly can include: a first stop cam held on a cam shaft; a second stop cam held on the cam shaft axially spaced apart from the first stop cam; a drive cam held on the cam shaft; a trip-open latch held on a trip latch shaft, (typically above) in cooperating alignment with the first stop cam; a trip-close latch held on the trip latch shaft above and in cooperating alignment with the second stop cam; a follower residing below and in communication with the drive cam; and a linkage attached to the follower and to a main shaft to open and close the breaker responsive to the position of the drive cam.
US09472358B2
An electronic component includes a rectangular parallelepiped main body portion and at least one terminal portion which is provided in the main body portion, wherein a housing member includes a first housing chamber which guides and accommodates the main body portion and a second housing chamber which accommodates and holds a terminal fitting, the first housing chamber is formed by surrounding with a frame-shaped wall portion uprightly raised from a bottom portion on every side, the second housing chamber is formed at an outside with the wall portion interposed therebetween, the terminal portion includes a base end and a fitting portion which extends from a protruding front end of the base end along a side surface of the main body portion while being separated from the side surface and is fitted to the terminal fitting.
US09472356B2
A tank-type vacuum circuit breaker includes: a pressure tank; an insulating frame that is detachably supported by a support member provided in the pressure tank using a coupling; a vacuum interrupter that is supported by the insulating frame and includes a stationary electrode and a moving electrode; a stationary-electrode side terminal that is connectably/disconnectably connected to a bushing-terminal side internal conductor; a moving-electrode side terminal that is connectably/disconnectably connected to a bushing-terminal side internal conductor; and an insulating rod, the inside end of which is detachably coupled to the moving electrode and the outside end of which is coupled to an opening/closing actuation mechanism that opens/closes the contacts of the stationary contact and moving contact. The vacuum interrupter, the stationary-electrode side terminal, the moving-electrode side terminal and the insulating frame are integrated into a unit, and the unit can be removed and mounted by disconnecting the connections and the couplings.
US09472353B2
An electric double layer capacitor comprises first and second electrodes, each comprising respective first and second carbon materials having distinct pore size distributions. A pore volume ratio of the first carbon material is greater than a pore volume ratio of the second carbon material. The pore volume ratio R is defined as R=V1/V, where V1 is a total volume of pores having a pore size of less than 1 nm, and V is a total volume of pores having a pore size greater than 1 nm.
US09472343B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body; first and second external electrodes disposed on a mounting surface of the ceramic body; third and fourth external electrodes disposed on a surface of the ceramic body opposing the mounting surface; a first active layer including first and second internal electrodes alternately exposed through the mounting surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the ceramic body opposing the mounting surface and connected to the first and third external electrodes, respectively; a second active layer including third and fourth internal electrodes alternately exposed through the mounting surface of the ceramic body and the surface of the ceramic body opposing the mounting surface and connected to the second and fourth external electrodes, respectively; and an intermittent part disposed on the surface of the ceramic body opposing the mounting surface and connecting the third and fourth external electrodes to each other.
US09472339B2
A wireless power transfer system that transmits electrical power from an electrical power supply to an electrical load using a source transducer and a capture transducer. The wireless power transfer system may be part of a wireless charging system for an electric vehicle. The source resonator coil in the source transducer and the capture resonator coil in the capture transducer are substantially identical and are interchangeable. The structures that hold the resonators in the transducers and the plates that provide a ground plane for the resonators in the source transducer and the capture transducer are also substantially identical and are interchangeable. Each resonator is formed of a carrier-winder, or bobbin, that has two substantially identical and interchangeable halves enclosing a magnetic core and is wound with a wire coil.
US09472337B2
An electrostatic shield for controlling the electrostatic field between a high voltage conductor and a low voltage conductor in an instrument transformer is provided. The instrument transformer has a current transformer and a voltage transformer. The current transformer has a split core which includes a first core segment and a second core segment. When the first core segment adjoins the second core segment, a current transformer is formed, having a core formed from the first and second core segments. The high voltage conductor runs between the first and second core segments of the current transformer. The first core segment is encapsulated in a polymer resin and when encapsulated, forms a first encasement. The second core segment has a low voltage winding mounted thereon. The electrostatic shield is disposed between the low voltage winding and the high voltage conductor. A second encasement is formed by encapsulating the electrostatic shield, low voltage winding and second core segment in a polymer resin.
US09472325B2
A dielectric cover system for an insulator supporting a high voltage conductor is molded to fit over the insulator to cover at least a top portion of the insulator and the conductor in contact with the insulator. A clip internal to the cover allows the cover to be freely placed over the insulator and then effectively restricts an inner diameter of the cover at a reduced diameter neck portion of the insulator, such that the clip blocks the cover from being lifted off the insulator and rotated about the insulator during high wind conditions. The clip is particularly effective where the conductor is supported in a side groove of the insulator, so the insulator and conductor form an asymmetric structure.
US09472314B2
The present disclosure relates to a hybrid cable having a jacket with a central portion positioned between left and right portions. The central portion contains at least one optical fiber and the left and right portions contain electrical conductors. The left and right portions can be manually torn from the central portion.
US09472308B1
A semiconductor memory device includes: a normal cell region having normal cells; a redundancy cell region having first redundancy cells replaced with repair target cells of the normal cells and second redundancy cells which are not replaced with the repair target cells; a fuse unit suitable for programming repair information including replacement information and one of state information and a repair address of the repair target cells; a boot-up unit suitable for outputting the repair information programmed in the fuse unit, resetting the repair information in response to a test control signal, and outputting the reset repair information; an information update unit suitable for generating the test control signal; a test control unit suitable for generating a test address during a redundancy test operation; and a test unit suitable for selectively testing the second redundancy cells in response to the test address.
US09472307B1
A method can be used for checking the operation of a device of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory type powered by a power supply voltage and associated with a power on reset circuit. The method includes implementation of at least one pilot operation corresponding to a phase of operation of the device that is identified as a phase that is inclined to malfunction in the event of a drop in the power supply voltage below a given value, execution of the at least one pilot operation during the operation of the memory device, and analysis of the result of the pilot operation so as to detect any malfunction not prevented by the reset circuit.
US09472304B2
A configurable signal-processing circuit may provide a plurality of selectable signal-processing operations. The configurable signal-processing circuit may have a configuration circuit that provides a configuration code that selects a first signal-processing operation from the plurality of selectable signal-processing operations based on a timing pattern for evaluating an input signal and outputting an output signal.
US09472299B2
A memory cell is read by measuring a parameter associated with the memory cell with a first resolution to determine a value stored in the memory cell. The parameter is also measured with a second resolution that is finer than the first resolution. The memory cell is reprogrammed to mitigate an offset between the parameter as measured with the second resolution and the parameter as measured with the first resolution.
US09472297B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell part including a main memory unit and a redundancy memory unit, a page buffer circuit including a plurality of page buffer groups and reading data stored in the memory cell part, and a sensing circuit including a plurality of sense amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of page buffer groups, respectively, and suitable for sensing the read data, wherein the plurality of sense amplifiers perform data sensing operations in parallel in order to sense the read data.
US09472293B2
To read multilevel data from a memory cell having a transistor using silicon and a transistor using an oxide semiconductor, without switching a signal for reading the multilevel data in accordance with the number of the levels of the multilevel data. The potential of the bit line is precharged, the electrical charge of the bit line is discharged via a transistor for writing data, and the potential of the bit line which is changed by the discharging is read as multilevel data. With such a structure, the potential corresponding to data held in a gate of the transistor can be read by only one-time switching of a signal for reading data.
US09472292B1
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory unit including a first memory block and a second memory block, a power supply unit suitable for applying a plurality of operating voltages to one of first global lines or second global lines, a switching circuit suitable for switching the first global lines and first internal global lines in response to a first control signal and switching the second global lines and second internal global lines in response to a second control signal, and a pass circuit suitable for electrically connecting the first internal global lines to word lines and selection lines of the first memory block and electrically connecting the second internal global lines to word lines and selection lines of the second memory block in response to a block selection signal.
US09472290B2
A semiconductor device and a method of operating the same are provided. The method includes performing a multi-plane erase operation on selected planes; determining that the multi-plane erase operation has failed when a number of erase loops reaches a maximum number without successful completion of the multi-plane erase operation; determining whether there are passed planes amongst the selected planes; and performing a soft program operation on the passed planes.
US09472284B2
A three-dimensional flash memory system is disclosed.
US09472274B1
Resistance drift can be addressed by refreshing the nonvolatile memory cells and reference cells. Different approaches include performing the refresh upon a program operation, and upon satisfaction of a condition after the program operation. Refreshes are performed on a reference resistance stored in a reference cell that can be compared by a sense amplifier to the resistance stored in a memory cell. In one approach, upon programming the first memory cell, a stored refresh status is updated to indicate that the first resistance of the first memory cell and the first reference resistance of the first reference cell are to be refreshed upon satisfaction of a condition. In another approach, upon programming the first memory cell, the first reference cell is programmed.
US09472272B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of resistive switching memory cells, where each resistive switching memory cell can include: (i) a programmable impedance element having an anode and a cathode; (ii) a word line pair configured to control access to the programmable impedance element, where the word line pair comprises first and second word lines; (iii) a PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the cathode, a drain coupled to a bit line, and a gate coupled to the first word line; and (iv) an NMOS transistor having a source coupled to the bit line, a drain coupled to the cathode, and a gate coupled to the second word line.
US09472263B2
An object is to increase the retention characteristics of a memory device formed using a semiconductor with a wide bandgap, such as an oxide semiconductor. A transistor including a back gate (a back gate transistor) is inserted in series at one end of a bit line so that the back gate is constantly at a sufficiently negative potential. The minimum potential of the bit line is set higher than that of a word line. When power is turned off, the bit line is cut off by the back gate transistor, ensuring prevention of outflow of charge accumulated in the bit line. At this time, the potential of a source or a drain (bit line) of a cell transistor is sufficiently higher than that of a gate of the cell transistor (0 V), so that the cell transistor is put in a sufficiently off state; thus, data can be retained.
US09472248B2
An apparatus and method for implementing a heterogeneous memory subsystem is described. For example, one embodiment of a processor comprises: memory mapping logic to subdivide a system memory space into a plurality of memory chunks and to map the memory chunks across a first memory and a second memory, the first memory having a first set of memory access characteristics and the second memory having a second set of memory access characteristics different from the first set of memory access characteristics; and dynamic remapping logic to swap memory chunks between the first and second memories based, at least in part, on a detected frequency with which the memory chunks are accessed.
US09472247B2
A memory includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, a latch unit, and a switch unit. The latch unit has a true node and a complement node. The switch unit is responsive to a first control signal and a second control signal, and is configured to connect the first memory cell to the true node and to disconnect the second memory cell from the complement node in response to the first control signal and to connect the second memory cell to the complement node and to disconnect the first memory cell from the true node in response to the second control signal. A semiconductor device that includes the memory is also disclosed. A method for testing the memory is also disclosed.
US09472241B2
Each data integrity value, from among a plurality of data integrity values each associated with a separate unit of a program comprising a plurality of units, is checked against a separate recorded portion of a recording of the program corresponding to one of the plurality of units, wherein the recording of the program is recorded from a broadcast of the program. Responsive to a particular data integrity value from among the plurality of data integrity values not matching when checked against a particular separate recorded portion of the program corresponding to a particular unit from among the plurality of units, the recording is corrected by replacing only the particular separate recorded portion of the program from a second recording of only the particular unit from a subsequent broadcast of the program.
US09472240B2
A video editing method for a video editing device is provided. The method includes: obtaining an editing segment of a video, wherein the editing segment follows a first segment of the video and precedes a second segment of the video, the first segment includes a first picture, the second segment includes a second picture, and a short-term reference index of the second picture points to the first picture; setting a header of a third picture in the first segment, such that the first picture is moved from a short-term reference picture list to a long-term reference picture list when the header of the third picture is decoded; changing the short-term reference index of the second picture into a long-term reference index, wherein the long-term reference index points to the first picture in the long-term reference picture list; and encoding the video. Accordingly, the speed of editing the video is increased.
US09472239B1
Aspects relate to transcoding a video at substantially the same time as the video is streamed so that upon completion of streaming, the transcoded video is available for immediate download. The transcoding can be performed on a client device or on a host device. Portions of the video can be tagged such that only the tagged portions are transcoded and made available for downloading. The tagged portions can be merged into a single file. Notification of the availability of the video can be broadcast. The broadcast can be controlled so as to be a public notification or a selective notification that is broadcast to a specified set or sets of individuals. Further, video chats can be recorded and compared so that a downloaded version of the video chat is an enhanced version of the information rendered on a user device.
US09472238B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating a multi-stream composite video. A first mobile device is linked with a second mobile device so that the first mobile device and the second mobile device are time synchronized. A video stream is captured using the first mobile device. Interactions with a user interface are captured using the second mobile device. A composite video is generated based on the captured video stream and the captured interactions based on the time synchronization of the first mobile device and the second mobile device.
US09472235B2
A system and a computer program product are disclosed for eliminating access to data on removable storage media of a removable storage media cartridge. The system comprises a computer configured to send to a data storage drive a command to eliminate access to data on a removable storage media cartridge, and send to the data storage drive a command to shred at least one key in response to the command, where shredding the at least one key eliminates access to the data on the removable storage media cartridge. A determination to eliminate access to the data on the removable storage media cartridge is based on a number of read and/or write errors encountered for the removable storage media cartridge.
US09472233B2
Systems and methods for writing data on a magnetic tape having a plurality of partitions and accessed by a tape drive having an associated tape drive processor in communication with a host computer having an associated host processor include storing a read-only partition identifier associated with each of the plurality of partitions, comparing a requested write partition identifier with the stored read-only partition identifiers, and writing data to the requested write partition only if the associated read-only identifier indicates that the requested write partition is not a read-only partition.
US09472230B1
A plasmon generator includes a main body, and a front protrusion protruding from the main body. The front protrusion has a proximal portion which is a boundary with the main body, and a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The main body has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface each facing toward the medium facing surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are at a distance from each other and aligned in the track width direction. The proximal portion of the front protrusion is located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.
US09472226B2
Provided is a precise alignment method for an optical component that positions a slider to X-axis and Y-axis coordinates of maximal intensity in a manner such that frame images of a laser beam passing through an optical waveguide are captured while relatively moving the slider and a semiconductor laser device at a uniform speed in the X and Y directions, the X-axis coordinate of the maximal intensity is calculated by performing a fitting calculation only in the X direction, frame images of a laser beam passing through the optical waveguide are captured by relatively moving the slider and the semiconductor laser device at a uniform speed only in the Y direction while the X-axis coordinate is fixed, and the Y-axis coordinate of the target maximal intensity is calculated by performing a fitting calculation only in the Y direction.
US09472224B2
An apparatus comprising a writer, a reader, and a sensor configured to at least sense thermal asperities of a magnetic storage medium. The apparatus includes a writer heater configured to thermally actuate the writer, a reader heater configured to thermally actuate the reader, and a sensor heater configured to thermally actuate the sensor. The thermally actuated sensor is configured to detect thermal asperities arising from the magnetic storage medium during a topographical survey of the medium. The sensor heater is configured to be rendered inoperable subsequent to the survey in response to receiving a predetermined signal while the writer and the reader heaters remain operable.
US09472214B1
A magnetoresistive (MR) sensor shield shields against both down track and cross-track interference. The shield can be formed in a single deposition step. In one implementation of the disclosed technology, a “tail” portion of the shield is eliminated by including a non-magnetic material adjacent to opposite sides of a middle portion of the sensor stack.
US09472212B2
An apparatus comprises a controller configured to apply a writing configuration (WC) to a heat-assisted magnetic recording head to write data to a recording medium. The recording medium includes a plurality of sectors. The controller is further configured to determine an optimized WC for each of the plurality of sectors and initiate a write operation to one of the plurality of sectors. The write operation is configured to be performed by the head utilizing the optimized WC for the respective sector.
US09472209B2
In a method for deep tagging a recording, a computer records audio comprising speech from one or more people. The computer detects a non-speech sound within the audio. The computer determines that the non-speech sound corresponds to a type of sound, and in response, associates a descriptive term with a time of occurrence of the non-speech sound within the recorded audio to form a searchable tag. The computer stores the searchable tag as metadata of the recorded audio.
US09472206B2
A user device and method discriminately provides audible responses to a voice command received by a user device that supports voice activation. The method includes detecting a first pre-established, audible activation command that activates the user device. In response to detecting the first pre-established, audible activation command, the method includes producing a first audible acknowledgement within loudspeaker proximity of the user device and then monitoring for detection of at least one second, audible acknowledgement produced by another user device within a pre-set time interval, which detection would indicate that the other user device is also responding. The method includes processing and responding to a received audible command in response to not detecting. However, in response to detecting, the method includes triggering entry into a privacy mode of audible command input and producing a privacy mode announcement via at least one of a display and a sound producing component.
US09472192B2
Provided is a lightweight computational device that is configured to be in communication with a cloud both directly and via a smart computational device. The lightweight computational device receives a voice command from a user, wherein the lightweight computational device does not have adequate processing power to convert the voice command to a text command. The voice command is transmitted from the lightweight computational device to a smart computational device, wherein the smart computational device uses voice recognition to convert the voice command to a text command in the smart computational device, and transmits the text command for being processed by that cloud that provides at least one of voice recognition service and other services. The lightweight computational device receives a data response for the user from the cloud, via the smart computational device, based on the other services provided by the cloud.
US09472179B1
A sound absorbing structure comprising a set of nesting components having increasing size, each of said components being enclosed by the next larger said component, each of said components and its next larger component defining an aperture and a cavity, and said apertures and said cavities forming a set of Helmholtz resonators having increasing size, dissipating sound energy over a wide frequency range.
US09472177B2
A music application guides a user with some musical, experience through the steps of creating and editing a musical enhancement file that enhances and plays in synchronicity with an audio signal of an original artist's recorded performance. This enables others, perhaps with lesser musical ability than the original artist, to play-along with the original artist by following melodic, chordal, rhythmic, and verbal prompts. The music application accounts for differences in the timing of the performance from a standard tempo by guiding the user through the process of creating a tempo map for the performance and by associating the tempo map with MIDI information of the enhancement file. Enhancements may contain. MIDI information, audio signal information, and/or video signal information which may be played back in synchronicity with the recorded performance to provide an aural and visual, aid to others playing-along who may have less musical experience.
US09472174B2
Drum pedal assemblies are disclosed which can include one or more adjustment feature and/or interlocking feature. Adjustment features which can be included in embodiments of the invention can include spring tension adjustment features, pedal incline adjustment features, lever length adjustment features, and/or beater stem angle adjustment features. Drum pedal assemblies are also disclosed which can include slot-and-tab connections between assembly pieces, which can reduce or eliminate certain undesired pedal movements.
US09472171B2
Conventional stringed musical instrument fingerboards are constructed with a constant longitudinal slope, relative to the string, along the fingerboard's length direction. Fingerboards with variations in their slope along their length direction could improve playability by shortening the string-to-fingerboard distances. A variable slope fingerboard is suggested to improve playability at locations close to the bridge.
US09472169B2
Systems and methods for determining priorities of pixel fetch requests of separate requestors in a display control unit. The distance between the oldest pixel in an output buffer and the output equivalent coordinate of the oldest outstanding source pixel read request for each requestor in the display control unit is calculated. Then, a priority is assigned to each requestor based on this calculated distance. If a given requestor lags behind the other requestors based on a comparison of the distance between the oldest pixel and the output equivalent coordinate of the oldest outstanding source pixel read, then source pixel fetch requests for this given requestor are given a higher priority than source pixel fetch requests for the other requestors.
US09472158B2
Systems and methods are provided for adjusting and displaying image data to account for variable common voltage error across separate common electrode sub-plates. The image data may be adjusted based on a common mode common voltage error on a common voltage line coupled to more than one different common electrode sub-plate. Each common electrode sub-plate may carry a common voltage that varies depending on values of the image data programmed to pixels associated with that common electrode sub-plate.
US09472150B1
The present invention provides a gate driving circuit applied for 2D-3D signal setting, comprising: a plurality of GOA units which are cascade connected, and a Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit controls charge to a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n) in a display area, and the Nth GOA unit comprises a pull-up controlling part, a pull-up part, a transmission part, a first pull-down part, a bootstrap capacitor part, a pull-down holding part and a pull-up compensation part; on the basis of the gate driving circuit utilizing the present GOA skill, the present invention adds a pull-up compensation part to compensate the leakage gap existing in the 2D signal transmission to ensure that the voltage level of the gate signal point Q(N) will not descend in leakage gap period; by introducing an additional DC control signal source DC to control the activation and deactivation of the pull-up compensation part for activating it in 2D mode to realize compensation and deactivating it in 3D mode to prevent the influence to the 3D signal transmission. The pull-up compensation part can be effectively controlled.
US09472148B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device including gate lines extending on a substrate; data lines crossing the gate lines to define a plurality of pixels; a thin film transistor in each pixel; and a liquid crystal capacitor in each pixel region, an electrode of the liquid crystal capacitor is connected to the thin film transistor, wherein the thin film transistors of a (2a−1)th pixel and a (2a)th pixel in a (2b)th pixel column share a (2a)th gate line, and the thin film transistors in a (2a)th pixel and a (2a+1)th pixel in a (2b+1)th pixel column share a (2b+1)th gate line, and wherein each of a and b is a positive integer.
US09472146B2
A display device includes a plurality of sub-pixel groups. Each of sub-pixel groups includes a first sub-pixel located at a first column; a second sub-pixel located at a second column adjacent to the first column; a third sub-pixel located at a third column adjacent to the second column; a fourth sub-pixel located at a fourth column adjacent to the third column; and a fifth sub-pixel located at the third column and the fourth column; wherein height of first sub-pixel equals height of second sub-pixel, height of first sub-pixel is greater than heights of third sub-pixel, fourth sub-pixel and fifth sub-pixel, and height of the first sub-pixel is different from or equal to sum of heights of fifth sub-pixel and third sub-pixel or sum of heights of fifth sub-pixel and fourth sub-pixel; wherein height of fifth sub-pixel is different from or equal to heights of third sub-pixel and fourth sub-pixel.
US09472145B2
The present application discloses a liquid crystal display device for displaying a video on a display surface with pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels has three sub-pixels formed with different color filter portions in hue. The display surface includes pixel sets. Each of the pixel sets is defined to include two or three of the pixels next to each other in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions. An opening is formed on one of the color filter portions every hue in each of the pixel sets.
US09472141B2
A display apparatus according to the present invention includes: a backlight; a displaying unit configured to display an image on a screen by allowing the light from the backlight to be transmitted therethrough; a first measuring unit provided on a light-emitting surface of the backlight, to detect the brightness on the light-emitting surface; a correcting unit configured to correct the detection brightness which is the brightness detected by the first measuring unit; and a controlling unit configured to control the light emission brightness of the backlight. The correcting unit reduces the detection brightness by a greater reduction amount, when the image displayed in a predetermined area corresponding to a position where the first measuring unit is provided is dark, than when the image displayed in the predetermined area is bright.
US09472140B2
A device includes pixel circuits arranged in columns and rows, n data lines (n being an integer of 2 or more) for each column, gate lines supplied with scan signals, and light-emitting control lines supplied with light-emitting control signals. The pixel circuits are divided into n groups of rows, each group of rows being exclusively connected to a corresponding data line. Each pixel circuit includes a write control transistor to control writing a data voltage in response to a scan signal, a driving transistor to control the amount of current to be supplied to a current light-emitting element, a light-emitting control transistor to control supply of a current to the light-emitting element in response to a light-emitting control signal, a capacitor to retain a voltage corresponding to a write data voltage, and a reset transistor to set the gate electrode of the driving transistor with the initial voltage.
US09472139B2
A technique for driving a column of pixels that include light emitting elements. The technique incorporates feedback data provided from feedback data sources connected to the data line and to feedback line of the array, pixel driving circuit with feedback path. The technique can also include block of the reference elements for input signal corrections.
US09472136B2
A display module including a substrate having a plurality of pixels, a data line that supplies a data signal to a pixel, a current supply line that supplies electric current to the pixel, a data driving circuit that supplies a data signal to the data line, and a gate driving circuit thereon. The plurality of pixels are arranged in a display area of the substrate, and each of the plurality of pixels includes a light emitting device, a first thin film transistor connected to the data line that supplies the data signal, a second thin film transistor connected to the current supply line, and a capacitor. The light emitting device includes a first electrode layer connected to the second thin film transistor, an organic layer formed on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer formed on the organic layer.
US09472135B2
The present invention provides an AMOLED panel driving circuit and driving method. The driving circuit includes: an AMOLED panel (2), a gate driver (4) and a source driver (6) each electrically connected to the AMOLED panel (2), and a timing controller (8) and a gamma IC (10) each electrically connected to the source driver (6). The timing controller (8) is further electrically connected to the gate driver (4) and the gamma IC (10). The timing controller (8) uses two sets of gate control signal to control the gate driver (4). The source driver (6) supplies a data signal to the AMOLED panel (2). The data signal includes a plurality of data frames and each of the data frames includes a plurality of sub-data-frames having equal time intervals.
US09472134B1
An array substrate provided by an embodiment of the present invention may include a flexible substrate and an array layer formed on the flexible substrate. The array layer may includes signal transmission lines, which include a plurality of data lines and a plurality of gate lines intersected with each other on the flexible substrate to form a plurality of sub-pixel regions; and thin film transistors, each of which is provided in a corresponding sub-pixel region of the plurality of sub-pixel regions and connected to a corresponding data line and a corresponding gate line. An angle between at least a portion of the signal transmission lines and any one edge of the flexible substrate may not be substantially equal to 90°.
US09472132B2
A display device includes a timing controller for controlling the display of an image. The timing controller forms a frame for an image signal based on a main frame, a compensation frame, and at least one blank frame. The timing controller also determines a driving method for the display pixels to generate output image data. The main frame serves to display the image signal. The compensation frame serves to compensate luminance of the main frame. The blank frame serves to express a black gray scale value.
US09472130B2
A flag system having a modular construction is disclosed that includes a plurality of inserts and a plurality of flags. The flags are insertable through channels in the inserts and are able to rotate therein. The inserts are then slid into the open ends of channels in a channeled base that is fixed to a wall or other solid structure.
US09472124B2
The invention relates to a security label for protecting medicaments contained in an individual packaging, comprising a security layer (10, 110, 210) that can be stuck on the individual packaging. Removable elements (16, 216) are formed in the security layer (10, 110, 210), in the region of the medicaments (15) to be inserted, in such a way that cuts (17) are made in the security layer (10, 110, 210), on the edge of the removable elements (16, 216), said cuts (17) following a virtual cut strip. In order to produce such a security label that can be easily opened, but still provides protection against unauthorized opening by children or inadvertent opening, and can be produced cost-effectively, obstacle points are provided on the cut strip, forming a resistance when the removal element is removed.
US09472123B2
Devices, systems, and methods appropriate for use in medical training that include materials that better mimic natural human tissue are disclosed. In one aspect, methods of forming multi-layer tissue simulations are provided. In another aspect, methods of forming a male genitalia model are provided. In another aspects, methods of forming an abdominal surgical wall insert are provided. Devices and systems associated with these methods are also provided.
US09472112B2
The present invention is a robotics construction kit that serves as a platform for children to engage in problem-solving and innovative thinking in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By designing and building robotics constructions from an apparently simple set of blocks that encapsulate the kinetic, electronic, and software elements of robots, children and others can encounter, explore, and experiment with basic principles of science and computation. Unlike existing robotics construction kits for education, the present invention embodies computation in every element, which affords understanding systems of distributed computation, rather than systems of top-down control.
US09472108B2
Methods and systems for updating an airfield lighting system with an LED light source are described herein. One method includes removing a light source from an existing light fixture of an airfield lighting system, wherein the removed light source is not a light emitting diode (LED) light source, and replacing the removed light source with an LED light source in the existing light fixture without modifying or replacing any other element of the existing light fixture.
US09472107B2
A method and device for determining a control set point of an aircraft, an associated computer program and an aircraft are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes calculating a performance scale in the form of slope values of the aircraft, the performance scale including a slope characteristic value, the slope characteristic value being associated with a corresponding performance characteristic value. The method also includes acquiring a guidance set point and displaying the acquired guidance set point, in the form of a slope value with respect to the performance scale. The method further includes determining a slope characteristic value associated with a guidance set point displayed in the form of a slope value, and calculating an aircraft control set point, the control set point being calculated relative to the performance characteristic value corresponding to the determined slope characteristic value.
US09472102B2
An automotive vehicle includes a driver analyzer and a driver assistance system, both of which are coupled to a controller. The controller includes a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions for causing the controller to determine a level of attentiveness of a driver of the automotive vehicle and to adapt a response of the driver assistance system in response to the determined level of attentiveness.
US09472099B2
A method and apparatus for providing a public transportation service in a communication system includes transmitting a signal representing an existence of a passenger at a particular stop terminal, and transmitting a signal representing information on a number of vehicles at to the stop terminal for selection by a user.
US09472089B2
A method for monitoring hand sanitization policy compliance including initializing a sanitization monitoring sensor (SMS) to a deactivated state, the SMS being configured to wearable by a user, activating the SMS by an SMS activator that is disposed in at least one predetermined location of a structure, wherein the SMS is activated upon a determination of at least one parameter, deactivating the SMS by an SMS deactivator configured to deactivate the SMS upon use of an associated sanitization dispenser by the user, monitoring SMS activation/deactivation activity by a network integrated SMS monitoring module, wherein when the SMS changes activation states, the network integrated SMS monitoring module receives a log of SMS activities, including credentials and time of activation/deactivation; and negotiating access credentials by the SMS with at least one access point wherein the access point restricts access to the SMS if the SMS is activated.
US09472087B1
An electric fence monitor is operable to provide an audible and/or visual indicator of an operating condition (i.e., falter no-fault) of an electric fence and electric fence box. The electric fence monitor is operable to remain continuously connected between the electric fence and earth ground during normal operation of the fence.
US09472072B2
A method and apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of detecting a plurality of events within a secured area detected by respective sensors that have been activated within a predetermined time period of one another, wherein at least one of the plurality of events is an alarm event, ordering the plurality of events based upon a reporting time of each of the plurality of events, and displaying a map showing the respective sensors that have been activated within a predetermined time period of one another within the secured area along with a potential route of an intruder traveling among locations of the respective sensors that have been activated within a predetermined time period of one another in accordance with the reporting time of each of the plurality of events.
US09472071B1
An infrared image and/or a video of one or more residents of a controlled-environment facility is captured using an imaging device of a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device disposed within the controlled-environment facility when the device is not being used in a communication session. The imaging device of the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is capable of operation with an infrared light source. The infrared image or video may be stored and/or presented to an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility, such as personnel of the facility, a facility administration system, etc. Capturing the image may include turning on at least one infrared light source on the device and/or turning off any indication that the capturing is taking place. The device may be located in a resident sleeping area and a bed check may be performed by the entity or device, using the infrared image.
US09472068B1
An anti-theft device for monitoring connection between a male plug and a female receptacle. The male plug has a sheath enclosing a plurality of conductive pins. The sheath contains a tongue having a first retracted configuration when the male plug is outside the female receptacle and a second displaced configuration when the male plug is inserted in the female receptacle. In the second displaced configuration, the tongue engages at two conductive pins, thereby creating a closed electric circuit. An alarm module monitors the electric current flow within the electric circuit, and responsive to detecting an interruption in the electric current flow, the alarm module transmits an alarm signal.
US09472057B2
Systems, apparatuses and methods for enhancing winning result opportunities in gaming activities. Embodiments involve identifying award-enhancing opportunities using dice, and enabling repetition of such award-enhancing opportunities based on the dice results until a terminating event occurs using the die/dice for a plurality of gaming devices. Award-enhancing opportunities can be accumulated during the repetition, whereby payout opportunities of the gaming event from which the dice activity was initiated may be enhanced.
US09472053B2
The present invention relates to a gaming apparatus comprising an input apparatus for inputting of a stake information in the form of a number, an outcome ascertainment apparatus for ascertaining a winning number, and a win ascertainment apparatus for ascertaining a gaming win from a comparison of the ascertained winning number with the input stake information. According to the invention, the outcome ascertainment apparatus comprises a monitoring apparatus for monitoring at least one skill/skilled sport installation on which a game of skill/skilled sport which provides at least one game outcome can be executed by at least one participant, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises game outcome determination means for determining the game outcome, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises a game outcome determination means for determining the game outcome, and a determination device for determining the winning number from the determined game outcome.
US09472048B1
A cabinet top assembly may comprise a top plate having upper and lower surfaces and at least one mounting aperture therethrough, and a mounting fixture for mounting a gaming machine to the top plate. The mounting fixture may comprise a first mounting rail positioned below the top plate adjacent to the mounting aperture, an intermediate rail positioned below the top plate adjacent to the mounting aperture, and at least one mount member extendable between the first mounting rail and the intermediate member in a position adjacent to the mounting aperture. The at least one mount member may have a mount end configured to mount on the mounting rail in a manner resisting removal of the mount end from the mounting rail while permitting sliding of the mount member along the mounting rail, and a free end being freely abuttable against the intermediate rail.
US09472047B2
Apparatus, methods and systems are set forth to enable a player to play several, different concurrent games at a gaming device. The player selects the games to play from a game library and a processor assigns the game instances to real estate at the gaming device display. The player may record wagers to play the games. A processor determines game cycle times and choreographs play of the games' start and stop cycles to provide an appealing and serial display of game outcomes to the player.
US09472038B2
A bill deposit/dispensing section has: an opening/closing section that moves a shutter in an opening direction and a closing direction; a driving section having driving force; a lock gear that serves as a gear section that drives the opening/closing section by transmitting driving force of the driving section to the opening/closing section by contacting the driving section and the opening/closing section and rotating; and a shutter locking/unlocking section that, by contacting the gear section and restricting rotation of the gear section, restricts operation of the opening/closing section and locks the shutter such that the shutter does not move, and, on the other hand, by coming apart from the gear section and freeing rotation of the gear section, releases locking so as to move the opening/closing section and move the shutter. Due thereto, a shutter device and media transaction device having improved security are provided.
US09472023B2
The disclosure includes a system and method for providing a heads-up display in a vehicle for alerting users to roadway objects. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: monitor, with the one or more processors, for a roadway object; detect, with the one or more processors, the roadway object; generate graphical data configured to emphasize the roadway object on a heads-up display; determine whether a user sees the roadway object; responsive to the user failing to see the roadway object, determine whether the roadway object is critical; and responsive to the roadway object being critical, enhance a graphic output on the heads-up display to get the user's attention.
US09472022B2
A scene point cloud is processed and a solution to an inverse-function is determined to determine its source objects. A primitive extraction process and a part matching process are used to compute the inverse function solution. The extraction process estimates models and parameters based on evidence of cylinder and planar geometry in the scene. The matching process matches clusters of 3D points to models of parts from a library. A selected part and its associated polygon model is used to represent the point cluster. Iterations of the extraction and matching processes complete a 3D model for a complex scene made up of planes, cylinders, and complex parts from the parts library. Connecting regions between primitives and/or parts are processed to determine their existence and type. Constraints may be used to ensure a connected model and alignment of its components.
US09472019B2
A method determines a set of mesh polygons or fragments of the mesh polygons visible from a view region having a plurality of view region vertices, the mesh polygons forming polygon meshes. The method includes determining at least one supporting polygon between the view region and the polygon meshes. The method further includes constructing at least one wedge from the at least one supporting polygon, the at least one wedge extending away from the view region beyond at least the polygon meshes. Further, the method includes determining one or more intersections of the wedges with the mesh polygons. Also, the method includes determining the set of the mesh polygons or fragments of the mesh polygons visible from the view region using the determined one or more intersections of the at least one wedge with the polygon meshes.
US09472011B2
A system for motion control is presented. In one embodiment, a motion control 3D projection system includes a projector; and a projection surface coupled to a robotic arm, where the robotic arm moves the projection surface through a set of spatial coordinates, and a 3D projection from the projector is projected onto a set of coordinates of the projection surface and matches the 3D projection to the set of coordinates of the projection surface as the projection surface moves through the set of spatial coordinates. In additional embodiments, a master control system may integrate additional robotic arms and other devices to create a motion control scene with a master timeline.
US09472004B2
A method and system for providing an indoor map representation are provided herein. Aspects of this disclosure provide a representation of an indoor map environment whereby navigable areas are represented by a series of convex polygons in adjacency relationships with one another. Image analysis may be performed on a floor plan image to identify navigable areas and to determine the boundaries of the polygons, such as by assigning one or more colors to navigable space and one or more colors to non-navigable space. Route-finding operations may be performed using the adjacency relationships to find a path from a source area to a destination area.
US09472002B1
A computer-implemented method for generating a graph of parameters of a virtualized computing environment. The method includes generating a first graph depicting a timeline of aggregate health of a virtual machine grouping; generating a second graph depicting types of user activity for one of the plurality of time frames; and generating a third graph depicting aggregate health of the virtual machine grouping for one of the plurality of time frames, wherein the second graph is overlaid with the third graph, and wherein the first graph, the second graph, and the third graph are for display in a single view.
US09471992B2
A moving image processing apparatus cumulatively sums for each reference block and in a predetermined sequence, values representing differences between corresponding pixels in a first block of a reduced image of a given image and a reference block within a search range in a reduced reference image; detects a motion vector of the first block, based on a calculation result; compares the amounts of increase among intervals of the summing process when the evaluation value is calculated for the reference block represented by the motion vector; and based on the comparison, determines a sequence to be used when the evaluation value of the reference block is calculated by cumulatively summing the values that represent differences between corresponding pixels in a second block in the given image and corresponding to the first block, and in a reference block within a search range in the reference image indicated by the motion vector.
US09471980B2
The image processing apparatus includes a receiver for receiving a first image acquired by photographing scattered radiation of X-rays existing in a closed space and a second image acquired by photographing the closed space; and an image processor for generating a third image by combining the first image and the second image.
US09471972B2
A solder print inspecting device includes three-dimensional measurement lighting unit that directs a specific light at a printed substrate, a CCD camera for imaging the printed substrate that is illuminated by the light, three-dimensional calculating unit that performs a three-dimensional measurement of cream solder based on image data, etc., and displaying unit that displays a three-dimensional image showing a three-dimensional shape of the cream solder, along with displaying an arrow image showing an operating direction of a squeegee in a solder printing machine, an arrow image showing a conveying direction of the printed substrate, etc.
US09471965B2
A first edge strength calculation circuit calculates an edge strength of each pixel in the image on the basis of results of detection by the first edge detection circuit. A filter strength setting unit sets a filter strength of a two-dimensional lowpass filter for each pixel, on the basis of the edge strength calculated by the edge strength calculation circuit. A second edge strength calculation circuit calculates an edge strength of each pixel in the image, on the basis of results of detection by the second edge detection circuit. An enhancement strength setting circuit sets an edge enhancement strength of the edge enhancement filter for each pixel, on the basis of the edge strength calculate by the second edge strength calculation circuit.
US09471962B2
An image enhancement apparatus according to the present invention for generating an output image obtained by sharpening an input image includes a non-linear processing unit configured to carry out non-linear processing on an input image signal representing the input image, a filter unit configured to generate a second signal by removing at least a DC component of the frequency components included in the first signal, a limiter configured to generate a third signal by adjusting the second signal, and an adder configured to generate an output image signal representing the output image by adding the third signal to the input image signal.
US09471945B2
Methods and systems of managing settings are described. According to various embodiments, a settings page corresponding to a user's settings on an online service may be caused to be displayed on a device. The settings page may comprise selectable category setting options for a setting category. The setting category may have a plurality of subcategories, and each subcategory may have its own selectable subcategory setting options. Each one of the category setting options may correspond to its own distinct configuration of subcategory setting options for its subcategories. A user input indicating a selection of one of the category setting options for the setting category may be received. The configuration of subcategory setting options corresponding to the selected one of the category setting options for the setting category may be applied to the user's settings on the online service.
US09471943B2
A social networking system receives a sponsored story request identifying a story describing an action performed by a social networking system user and generates a sponsored story accordingly. The sponsored story request may also include a bid amount and other information for generating a sponsored story from the sponsored story request. When an action is included in a sponsored story presented to a social networking system user, the social networking system notifies the user associated with the action and provides one or more settings regulating inclusion of actions associated with the user in sponsored story requests. For example, settings allow a user to prevent generation of sponsored stories including a specified type of action, a specific action, or multiple actions associated with the user. Hence, the settings allow a user to limit or prevent generation of sponsored stories describing actions associated with the user.
US09471942B2
A portable terminal which supports a social network, more particularly, an apparatus and a method for generating a community with agents of the same character in a social network and processing an answer to a query by sharing information between the generated communities. The apparatus includes an agent determiner configured to set an agent for a first network object. The apparatus also includes a community setting part configured to establish a community with an agent for a first network and an agent for a second agent, select a first representative agent of the community, and establish a community with the first representative agent selected and other adjacent representative agents.
US09471939B1
A method for recommending products. The method may include receiving an identification element associated with an image or a visual code captured by a user. The method may include identifying a first item associated with the identification element, whereby the first item is a product or a service. The method may include identifying at least one of a tag and a keyword associated with the first item. The method may include identifying social media interactions within a social media network that reference at least one of the first item, the tag, and the keyword, whereby the social media network is associated with the user. The method may further include identifying a second item referenced in the social media interactions, whereby the second item is a product or a service. The method may also include determining a score for the second item based on an algorithm.
US09471906B2
This invention describes a set of related procedures designed to co-operate with mints of digital money in order to allow for said money to be properly, securely, and conveniently traded by, various size and various type of trading crowds. The procedures refer mainly to distribution of responsibility. This invention also specifies the construction of digital coins encapsulated in a physical housing to amount to off-line tradable digital coins.
US09471903B1
A computerized on-road vehicle service handling method involves: receiving a fault condition signal; automatically identifying multiple vehicle service locations; automatically transmitting information to the multiple vehicle service locations, identifying an estimated time of arrival at each vehicle service location based upon current location and speed of travel; receiving individual service responses, each reflecting an ability to service the vehicle, inherently representing a stock of parts needed, including at least an estimate of cost, and at least one appointment time within a specified time after the estimated time of arrival; causing the individual service responses to be provided to the user for potential selection; receiving a selection by the user of at least two service locations and an ordered list of preference thereof; replying to a first of the vehicle service locations in the ordered list by sending payment information; receiving a communication either accepting or rejecting.
US09471902B2
Embodiments described herein relate to enabling a lightweight way of recording and sharing video messages intended to provide input to a future meeting that cannot be personally attended. A person who cannot attend the meeting pre-records their thoughts and remarks for the meeting as video clips for presentation at the meeting. A physical device with at least a display is presented at the meeting. The physically present participants can play the pre-recorded clips on the device. Video of participants' responses to the clips is recorded and made available so that the represented attendee can view the participants' responses.
US09471888B2
The present invention relates to a method for utilizing a mobile station for the transmission of authorization information requiring verification in a telecommunication network comprising the mobile station. In the method, the information to be verified is transmitted to the mobile station, the authorization information transmitted is presented on the display of the mobile station, the authorization information presented is read from the display of the mobile station, and the authenticity of the authorization information thus read is verified. According to the invention, the authorization information is sent in a form comprising information to be presented in a graphic form, and the authorization information is presented on the display of the mobile station using a user-independent function of the mobile station in question for the presentation of graphic information.
US09471886B2
A method for feature transformation of a data set includes: receiving a data set including original feature samples with corresponding class labels; splitting the data set into a direction optimization set and a training set; using the direction optimization set to calculate an optimum transformation vector that maximizes inter-class separability and minimizes intra-class variance of the feature samples with respect to corresponding class labels; using the optimum transformation vector to transform the rest of the original feature samples of the data set to new feature samples with enhanced discriminative characteristics; and training a classifier using the new feature samples, wherein the method is performed by one or more processors.
US09471874B2
An approach is provided for mining threaded online discussions. In the approach, performed by an information handling system, a natural language processing (NLP) analysis is performed on threaded discussions pertaining to a given topic. The analysis is performed across multiple web sites with each of the web sites including one or more threaded discussions. The analysis results in harvested discussions pertaining to the topic. The harvested discussions are correlated and a question is identified from the harvested discussions. A set of candidate answers is also identified from the harvested discussions, with one of the candidate answers being selected as the most likely answer to the identified question.
US09471873B1
Methods and systems for automating user patterns on a user device are described. A user device receives data representing inputs to a user interface (UI) of the user device and system data associated with each of the inputs, wherein the system data comprises information describing an environment of the user device when the input to the UI was received. The user device then determines that a subset of the inputs to the UI and the system data associated with the subset of the inputs exceeds a threshold probability of matching a pattern of previously-identified UI inputs and system data associated with the previously-identified UI inputs. The user device then executes additional inputs to the UI to complete the matched pattern.
US09471872B2
Building a runtime dialog is provided. An initial answer to an initial question is received from a user. A state of a conversation thread is created based on the initial answer. A next question to ask is automatically selected by a processor based on the updated state of the conversation thread. The next question is presented to the user. A next answer to the next question is received. The state of the conversation thread is updated based on the next answer. The selecting, presenting, receiving, and updating are repeated until a criterion is satisfied.
US09471866B2
Systems (100) and methods (400) for providing customer service based theft deterrent. The method comprises: identifying each item of a plurality of items that is being removed from display equipment by the person; determining whether the person is performing an action associated with a potential theft of the item that was previously removed from the display equipment by the person; and perform actions to initiate a customer service based interaction in response to a determination that the person is performing the action associated with the potential theft of the item. The customer service based interaction is initiated with the person such that the person is deterred from committing theft. Notably, the person is at a location within a facility other than at an exit of the facility when the customer service based interaction occurs.
US09471859B2
An image processing device that changes the output format of the generated printout can dynamically change the output format of the printout using print data from an existing system. An image processing device that executes a process to change the output format of a printout has an output format selector that selects a template determining the format of the printout based on information contained in the print data for the printout, and a print data generator that changes the print data according to the selected template.
US09471854B2
The disclosure discloses a tape printer comprising a controller. In a print data generation process, print data to form a first image portion, a second image portion, and a third image portion on a decorative to-be-printed tape is generated. The first image portion has a first length in accordance with a result of acceptance. The second image portion has a second length in accordance with the result of acceptance. The third image portion is composed of a third pattern image corresponding to one pattern type accepted. In a cooperative control process, a decorative tape is produced. A single of the first image portion is formed on a first side, and a single of the second image portion is formed on a second side, and at least one of the third image portion is formed between the first and the second image portions, on a decorative tape.
US09471851B1
A method and systems are provided. The method includes recognizing semantic concepts in a set of images and assigning semantic scores for the images to predict a gender of a user. The method further includes performing gender prediction from visual content and textual content in the images to respectively generate visual-based gender predictions and textual-based gender predictions. The method also includes combining, using multimodal information fusion, the visual-based gender predictions, the textual-based gender predictions, and the semantic scores, to infer a gender of a user.
US09471846B2
A mobile electronic device is used to decode a printed correlation mark. The device receives an image of a printed correlation mark, identifies a decoding template, applies the template to detect hidden content within the printed correlation mark, and outputs an image of the detected hidden content on the display. The device may enhance the image before presenting it on the display.
US09471825B2
The present application relates to overcoming some of the physical problems associated with putting a biometric sensor into the body of an electronic card, such as a smart card. A disclosed method of manufacturing an electronic card including a biometric sensor may include providing a preformed card body including a circuit having contacts for connection to a biometric sensor, the contacts being embedded within the preformed card body, removing material from the preformed card body to form a cavity in the preformed card body to expose the contacts, coating walls of the cavity with an adhesive epoxy, and connecting a biometric sensor to the contacts using an conductive epoxy. Also disclosed is an electronic card including a biometric sensor manufactured by this method.
US09471821B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for an RFID tag comprising a radio frequency (RF) network node and a communication facility, the RF network node comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein an external computing device accesses the memory store through a communications bus.
US09471812B2
An integrated circuit includes a non-volatile memory module that can censor access to various memory regions based upon a censorship criteria. Information used to implement the censorship criteria is stored at a non-volatile memory location. A one-time programmable non-volatile memory location stores a value representing permanent censorship key. If the permanent censorship key is in an erased state, one or more resources are allowed to modify the non-volatile memory location and disable censorship. If the permanent censorship key has one or more programmed bits, no resource is allowed to modify the non-volatile memory location and disable censorship.
US09471806B1
Method and system are provided for protecting state data of computer system code. The computer system code may be operating system code, subsystem code or application code and the item of state data is not expected to change within the execution of the computer system code. The method includes: creating or modifying an item of state data having a field value and being stored in memory for access by computer system code; registering an item of state data for protection; preserving the field value of the item of state data in a form inaccessible to third party software; validating the field value of the item of state data by comparing a current field value with the preserved field value to determine if the field value has been modified; and, if the field value has been modified, taking appropriate action.
US09471800B2
Techniques to provide secure access to data are disclosed. An indication that an operator is assigned to index a data value extracted from a document image is received. A snippet or other partial image showing just a portion of the document image that includes a text or other content image portion that corresponds to the data value extracted from the document image is displayed to the operator. The data value is included in a subset of data values extracted from the document image, and access to the subset of extracted data values is provided to the operator without providing access to one or more other portions of the document image associated with extracted data values not included in the subset.
US09471799B2
A system and method are disclosed for securely receiving data from an input device coupled to a computing system. The system includes an interface configured to receive data from an input device, a coprocessor, and a host computer, wherein the host computer includes an input handler and a host processor. The host processor is configured to execute code in a normal mode and in a privileged mode. The host processor switches from the normal mode to the secure mode upon data being available from the interface while the host computer is in a secure input mode. The input handler receives the data from the interface and sends the received data to the coprocessor responsive to receiving the data while operating in the secure mode.
US09471797B1
Embodiments are directed to a computer-based system for tuning roles. The system includes a memory and a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory. The processor system is configured to receive at least one database access log file and existing role definitions of the system. For each role, the processor system is further configured to create an existing user to permission assignment (EUPA) based at least in part on the existing role definitions of the system. For each role, the processor system is further configured to identify logical sessions in the at least one database access log file and create a demonstrated user to permission assignment (DUPA) formed at least in part from data of the identified logical sessions. For each role, the processor system is further configured to create a final user to permission assignment (FUPA) including a function of the EUPA and the DUPA.
US09471793B2
An embedded security module includes a security processor, volatile and non-volatile memory, and an interface. The security processor includes transistors formed in one or more semiconductor layers of a semiconductor die, and implements one or more security-related functions on data and/or code accessed by the security processor. The volatile memory is fabricated on the same semiconductor die as the security processor and stores the data and/or code accessed by the security processor. The non-volatile memory includes non-volatile storage cells disposed above each semiconductor layer of the semiconductor die, and securely stores at least one of the data and/or code accessed by the security processor and security information relating to the data and/or code accessed by the security processor. The interface is fabricated on the same semiconductor die as the security processor and provides a communication interface for the security processor.
US09471783B2
A technique for detecting malware in an executable allows unpacking of a packed executable before determining whether the executable is malware. In systems with hardware assisted virtualization, hardware virtualization features may be used to iteratively unpack a packed executable in a controlled manner without needing knowledge of a packing technique. Once the executable is completely unpacked, malware detection techniques, such as signature scanning, may be employed to determine whether the executable contains malware. Hardware assisted virtualization may be used to facilitate the scanning of the run-time executable in memory.
US09471781B2
In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining at least one packet from a first element on a Universal Serial Bus (USB) bus. The at least one packet is intended for a second element. The method also includes processing the at least one packet to determine whether the at least one packet is associated with unsafe content, and providing the at least one packet to the second element if it is determined that the at least one packet is not associated with the unsafe content. The at least one packet is provided to the second element on the USB bus. Finally, the method includes blocking the at least one packet from being provided to the second element when it is determined that the at least one packet is associated with the unsafe content.
US09471779B2
An information processing system in which a monitoring device can detect illegal and/or abnormal operations in a system to be monitored, without using detailed information of the system, is provided. In a target device 100, an operation data generation unit 130 generates operation data 140 as data of encoding a set of operations related to a predetermined program executed in an execution environment 120, and transmits the operation data to the monitoring device 200. In the monitoring device 200, an operation pattern storing unit 230 stores an operation pattern 240 as operation data related to a set of operations to be detected. An operation data decision unit 220 decides that the operation to be detected is executed in the execution unit when the operation data received from the target device 100 matches the operation pattern 240, and notifies of execution of the operation to be detected.
US09471778B1
Software that automatically creates baselines from time series data of computer system activity, thereby providing immediate value from observed system data. The software performs the following operations: (i) receiving values of one or more attributes of a computing system that correspond to one or more time periods; (ii) determining a first set of statistical thresholds for the received values, wherein the received values include a subset of values that exceed the first set of statistical thresholds; (iii) determining a second set of statistical thresholds for the subset of values that exceed the first set of statistical thresholds; and (iv) determining a baseline pattern for the one or more attributes based, at least in part, on the determined first set of statistical thresholds and the determined second set of statistical thresholds.
US09471772B2
A proposed password is decomposed into basic components to determine and score transitions between the basic components and create a password score that measures the strength of the proposed password based on rules, such as concatenation, insertion, and replacement. The proposed password is scored against all known words, such as when a user is first asked to create a password for an account or access. The proposed password can also be scored against one or more previous passwords for the user, such as when the user is asked to change the user's previous password, to determine similarity between the two passwords.
US09471770B2
A method for detecting manipulation of at least one vehicle network of a vehicle includes determining a digital fingerprint of the at least one vehicle network, comparing the digital fingerprint of the at least one vehicle network to reference information, adapting a function of the at least one vehicle network as a function of a result of the comparison, such that operational safety is ensured, and activating a regular control mode if no manipulation of the at least one vehicle network is detected, or activating an operationally safe control mode if manipulation of the at least one vehicle network is detected. A control unit for detecting manipulation of at least one vehicle network of a vehicle carries out control tasks as a function of a result of a comparison of a digital fingerprint of at least one vehicle network to reference information of a control network.
US09471748B2
A method for sharing medical image data based on a cloud platform, a cloud platform and a system are disclosed. The cloud platform is connected to at least one medical imaging device. The method includes: receiving a medical image and/or scan data transmitted from the at least one medical imaging device; and storing, on the cloud platform, the medical image and/or scan data from the at least one medical imaging device.
US09471747B2
An apparatus includes a computer system programmed to retrieve information from a plurality of data sources; the computer system including a plurality of vault query services; an adapter for each of the data sources, each adapter translating an interface for one of the data sources to a vault query service interface; and a cross-vault query service providing an interface for data communication between an application program and the plurality of vault query services; and a user display for displaying the information retrieved from the data sources in response to a query from the application program.
US09471746B2
A design layout for a semiconductor chip includes information on shapes desired to be fabricated. Clusters of photolithographic exposure “shots” are generated and subject to a measure of shot density to approximate a mask shape that generates the desired fabricated shapes when exposed during wafer fabrication. A simulation is run on the clusters of shots to estimate the resulting fabrication shapes that the clusters of shots create. The clusters of shots are modified to align the estimated fabrication shapes more closely with desired fabrication shapes. The process of simulating and modifying the shots is iterative, repeating until the estimated fabrication shapes are within a desired error difference of the planned fabrication shape.
US09471735B2
A method and system to obtain a physical design of an integrated circuit from a logical design are described. The system includes a memory device to store a logical design, and a processor to execute a synthesis engine. The processor performs a baseline synthesis to obtain a baseline physical design using timing constraints and an overall power budget, computes power assertions, performs a re-synthesis using the timing constraints and the power assertions to obtain a new physical design, compares 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, reduces a weighting of the power assertions relative to the timing constraints based on the degradation, and iteratively performs the re-synthesis, compares the new physical design with the baseline physical design, and reduces the weighting until the degradation is below a threshold value.
US09471732B2
Mechanisms are provided for modeling a plurality of devices of an integrated circuit design as a single statistically equivalent wide device. An integrated circuit design is analyzed to identify a portion of the integrated circuit design having the plurality of devices. For the plurality of devices, a statistical model of a single statistically equivalent wide device is generated which has a statistical distribution of at least one operating characteristic of the single statistically equivalent wide device that captures statistical operating characteristic distributions of individual devices in the plurality of devices. At least one statistical operating characteristic of the single statistically equivalent wide device is a complex non-linear function of the statistical operating characteristics of the individual devices. The integrated circuit design is modeled using the single statistically equivalent wide device.
US09471724B2
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for estimating railway vehicle masses, the method comprising checking if a train has entered an initial acceleration section and a straight section, receiving a speed of the train, each acceleration of the plurality of railway vehicles and each traction of the plurality of railway vehicles, dynamically modeling the train, and estimating masses of the plurality of railway vehicles and rail gradient.
US09471723B2
A reservoir simulator forms by parallel processing in a multimode computer system estimates of behavior of a subsurface reservoir organized into a matrix grid of three-dimensional cells. The simulator is provided with a module which acts on input data regarding actual reservoir performance and parameters of interest. A grammar is provided which has a sequence of tokens and actions to be taken by the computer system on the input data. Based on the grammar, the input data are arranged into data structures for processing. The module translates the data structures into a set of arithmetic and logical actions to be applied to the original input data provided to the simulator.
US09471715B2
Methods and arrangements for evaluating a regular expression. Text strings are received. A regular expression is also received, the regular expression comprising a pattern for specifying and recognizing at least one text string from among the received text strings. There is generated, with respect to the received text strings, a data structure containing grams with positional information. The data structure is employed to evaluate the regular expression via identifying a subset of the text strings comprising at least one match for the given regular expression. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.
US09471711B2
A system, a method, and a computer program product for accessing stored partially structured data using a structure-based query language. A partially-structured data is stored in a data management system using at least one key-value pair. Using the data management system, a query of data is processed. The query is generated using a structured language.
US09471710B2
Embodiments include a method and computer program product for encoding data while it is being processed as part of a query is provided. The method includes receiving a query request and determining a set of values associated with data to be encoded for completing the query request. The method also includes encoding those values such that any subsequent processing operations can be performed on the encoded values to complete the requested query. After performing the subsequent processing operations to complete the requested query, each value is decoded back to its original value.
US09471695B1
Aspects of the disclosure relate to generating a sequence of images or other visual representations associated with an entity, otherwise known as a semantic image navigation experience. After an entity is selected, a set of sub-entities may be identified. Each sub-entity in the set has a containment relationship with the selected entity as well as at least one associated landmark and one associated pre-stored navigation experience. Then, a ranking order of the sub-entities in the set may be determined based on characteristics of each entity. Based on the determined ranking order, a subset of sub-entities may be selected. A semantic image navigation experience for the selected entity may then be generated using the pre-stored navigation experiences associated with the subset of sub-entities.
US09471694B2
A method and system for remote control of a presenter's computer screen using only web browsers is described. Viewers are able to view representation of a presenter's screen on a screen of the viewer's device and remotely control the presenter's screen directly from a web browser, without any downloads, plugins, or dialog boxes. Viewer control events are captured by the browser, sent to a server, and transmitted to the presenter's computer. A program running on the presenter's computer executes the control events, updates the presenter's screen, and transmits images of the updated screen back to the viewers.
US09471690B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed to generate an interface for a web service and to query the web service. A method includes generating a user interface associated with a web service. The user interface includes one or more input parameter options associated with the web service. The user interface is generated based on a service specification and one or more series specifications associated with the service specification. User input is received via the user interface, where the user input includes a selection of at least one of the one or more input parameter options. A query of the web service is generated based on the user input, and the query reflects at least one selected input parameter option.
US09471684B2
A server device provides for display a user interface that includes multiple code snippets, where each of the multiple code snippets, when executed, causes a user device to perform one or more functions. The server device receives a selection of a particular code snippet from the multiple code snippets provided by the user interface, and associates the particular code snippet with content. The server device provides the content with the particular code snippet to the user device, and executes the particular code snippet to cause the user device to perform a particular function with another server device.
US09471682B1
Implementations generally relate to providing information associated with a profile owner to a target user in a social network system. In one implementation, a method includes receiving profile data associated with a profile owner. The method also includes receiving contact data associated with the profile owner, where the profile data and the contact data are provided by different users. The method also includes generating one or more views, where the one or more views include an interleaved view, and where the profile data and the contact data are displayed in an interleaved manner in a same section of the interleaved view.
US09471678B2
The present invention is directed to a search engine for a video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in an environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user's choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order on-demand programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to the GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner.
US09471674B2
The overall architecture and details of a scalable video fingerprinting and identification system that is robust with respect to many classes of video distortions is described. In this system, a fingerprint for a piece of multimedia content is composed of a number of compact signatures, along with traversal hash signatures and associated metadata. Numerical descriptors are generated for features found in a multimedia clip, signatures are generated from these descriptors, and a reference signature database is constructed from these signatures. Query signatures are also generated for a query multimedia clip. These query signatures are searched against the reference database using a fast similarity search procedure, to produce a candidate list of matching signatures. This candidate list is further analyzed to find the most likely reference matches. Signature correlation is performed between the likely reference matches and the query clip to improve detection accuracy.
US09471672B1
An method for searching a database and sorting the results of a search to identify important, authoritative, and seminal records and to bring them to the front of the search result. The method comprises a means of rapidly identifying references to other records within each record and an algorithm that uses those references to identify the seminal, authoritative, and important cases. The invention may be used in legal research, permitting researches to find additional seminal documents that are missed by a standard Boolean search and to sort search results by seminality so that they can rapidly find the seminal case in an area of law.
US09471671B1
A system for identifying and/or recommending relevant media content is provided. The system includes a relevancy component, a classification component and a notification component. The relevancy component determines a topic or an event related to media content and associates the media content with a group of media content based on the topic or the event. The classification component assigns a classifier value to the media content based on data associated with the media content and the group of media content. The notification component generates a notification message associated with the media content for a user based on the classifier value and a temporal-based relevancy value generated as a function of user context.
US09471665B2
Techniques disclosed herein can pertain to querying an object structure using an index to determine whether a content object of a specified type has been stored. Further, a request workflow can be evaluated in view of one or more exceptions. At least one action item can be generated based on a result of the query and the workflow evaluation.
US09471664B2
This application relates generally to defining a domain-specific syntax characterizing a functional information system and performing operations on data entities represented by the domain-specific syntax, including defining a domain-specific syntax, receiving and storing a domain-specific data entity, assigning a syntactic tag to the domain-specific data entity, and electronically storing the tag assigned to the data entity in the electronic data store so that the tag is logically linked to the stored data entity.
US09471658B2
A processor determines a predicted quantity of updates to be made to a set of data using a history of updates. The set of data is associated with a category of replication that indicates a first frequency of data replication to be applied to the set of data. The processor determines whether the first predicted quantity of updates meets a first threshold for a frequency of replication of the set of data. The first threshold indicates an allowed number of updates and meeting the first threshold indicates that an adjustment to the frequency of replication of the set of data is to be initiated. The processor responds to a determination that the first threshold has been met by associating the set of data with a category of replication that has a second frequency of data replication to be applied to the set of data.
US09471657B1
Distributed database management systems may perform range queries over the leading portion of a primary key. Non-random distribution of data may improve performance related to the processing of range queries, but may tend to cause workload to be concentrated on particular partitions. Groups of partitions may be expanded and collapsed based on detection of disproportionate workload. Disproportionate write workload may be distributed among a group of partitions that can subsequently be queried using a federated approach. Disproportionate read workload may be distributed among a group of read-only replicated partitions.
US09471655B2
Systems, products and methods for enabling symptom verification. Verifying a symptom may include eliminating repeated symptom definitions or eliminating symptoms having low accuracy. A computer system enables verification of a symptom including a rule for detecting a set of events related to a given problem. The computer system includes a symptom database which stores the symptom, a specimen database which stores a specimen including a set of events detected according to a rule of a certain symptom, and an analysis unit which analyzes the specimen stored in the specimen database using a new symptom in order to determine whether to add the new symptom to the symptom database. The present disclosure also includes a method and a computer program for enabling verification of a symptom including a rule for detecting a set of events related to a given problem.
US09471649B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for presenting search results. In one aspect, a method includes displaying a search engine results page in a first presentation mode or a second presentation mode, wherein, in the first presentation mode and the second presentation mode, the search engine results page includes (i) a text region that displays textual information relating to one or more search results that are responsive to a search query and (ii) an image region, wherein, in the first presentation mode, the image region displays contextual information relating to two or more of the search results that are responsive to the search query, and wherein, in the second presentation mode, the image region displays contextual information relating to a single search result that is responsive to the search query; and receiving a user input, then switching the search engine results page between the first presentation mode and the second presentation mode.
US09471648B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for displaying one or more data sets to a user. These mechanisms and methods for displaying one or more data sets to a user can enable enhanced data security, more relevant data display, reduced processing, etc.
US09471646B2
The invention concerns a method of exchanging information items, e.g. HTTP headers, between a server device and a plurality of clients, and also concerns such a server device. The server device establishes connections with clients, wherein each connection involves a server-initiated indexing table for the server device to encode information items to be sent over the connection in the server-to-client direction. The method comprises the following steps performed at the server device: obtaining a same single indexing table as the server-initiated indexing table of the connections; in response to receiving a request for data from a client, pushing entries of the table to the client to configure the latter for item exchange in the server-to-client direction, encoding information items associated with the requested data using item indexing based on the table and sending the encoded information items to the client over the connection established with it.
US09471636B2
Systems and methods for optimizing a query, and more particularly, systems and methods for finding optimal plans for graph queries by casting the task of finding the optimal plan as an integer programming (ILP) problem. A method for optimizing a query, comprises building a data structure for a query, the data structure including a plurality of components, wherein each of the plurality of components corresponds to at least one graph pattern, determining a plurality of flows of query variables between the plurality of components, and determining a combination of the plurality of flows between the plurality of components that results in a minimum cost to execute the query.
US09471621B1
The method includes generating, by one or more computer processors, a first piece of data based on a defined set of data characteristics. The method further includes generating a first bit, wherein the first bit corresponds to the first generated piece of data. The method further includes sending the first generated piece of data to a target location. The method further includes receiving the first generated piece of data from the target location. The method further includes determining whether to validate the first generated piece of data received from the target location. The method further includes adjusting the first generated bit based on the determination of whether to validate the first generated piece of data.
US09471610B1
A computing resource monitoring service receives metrics data from customer applications and resources provided by a computing resource service provider. The metrics data is stored in observation journals within an observation journal logical data container. A map reduce processor is configured to obtain a current index file, the index file comprising a mapping of the metrics data stored within a metric store and a manifest comprising a listing of all processed observation journals. The map reduce processor may process the unprocessed observation journals to separate, sort and aggregate metrics data stored therein. This process generates index artifacts that may be merged with the index file, in an append-only process, to generate a new index file. An index pointer may be modified such that the map reduce processor refers to a different version of the index file in order to support roll back of metrics data.
US09471609B2
A system and method of de-duplicating data using a graphical user interface application. The graphical user interface application represents a model of the selected data records in a data tree. The graphical user interface application processes a selected target data record and potential duplicates data records. Nodes representing the potential duplicate data records can be added to the target data record. Nodes representing the potential duplicate data records can also be dragged and dropped into a node of the target data record. Nodes from the target data record can also be removed from the target data record. Differences between data associated with multiple nodes can be graphically presented with the graphical user interface application when multiple nodes are selected. Changes made to the data tree in the graphical user interface are applied to data records stored in a database.
US09471604B2
A system and method extracts relevant image features about listed products in a network-based publication system for enabling image similarity searching of such listed products. When a seller lists a product, an image of the product is uploaded and may be sent to a picture processing service, which generates several digests. The digests are compressed data structures each representing a particular image feature of a listed product such as edge, color, texture, or words. These digests are then stored in a database, where the digests can be used to retrieve listings of products by image similarity at scale. A similar process can be performed for a query by image similarity searching the database for products similar to the query. When a product is located by image similarity search, a selectable icon is provided to enable more products like the located product to be located by image similarity search.
US09471600B2
A method in an electronic device (100) for handling tags associated with an acquired digital image. The method includes displaying the image and the associated tags. The tags are have been assigned relative ranking values and are selected based on the relative ranking values. A selected tag is dissociated from the image by means of the electronic device detecting a user command instructing the device to dissociate a tag from the image.
US09471587B2
When enumerating of a set of content items in a directory in a remote file server, an electronic device provides a request for information associated with the set of content items. The electronic device and the file server may use, respectively, use an OS X®-based operating system and a Windows®-based operating system. In response to the request, the file server may access information specifying the set of content items. For example, the information may include maximal access information and finder information for each content item in the set of content items in the directory. Next, the electronic device may receive a response with the requested information from the file server. The providing of the request and the receiving of the response may, respectively, involve single instances of a request and a response, thereby significantly reducing the amount of communication between the electronic device and the file server.
US09471583B2
A method according to one embodiment includes the operations of receiving a list of one or more data race analysis targets, wherein the data race analysis targets comprise at least one of a source file name, source file line, function name, variable name or target address range; generating a data race analysis filter, wherein the data race analysis filter comprises a data structure including memory address ranges based on the list of data race analysis targets; and performing a data race analysis on a memory access, wherein the memory access is associated with memory addresses included in the data race analysis filter.
US09471582B2
A computer determines a degree of information duplication between at least two files included in an original pre-fetch list. The computer generates a re-ordered pre-fetch list by re-ordering the files included in the original pre-fetch list. The re-ordering is based, at least in part, on the degree of information duplication between the two files included in the original pre-fetch list. The files included in the original pre-fetch list are re-ordered by grouping files containing higher degrees of duplicate information closer together in the re-ordered pre-fetch list.
US09471554B2
The functionality of a browser application is enhanced using a browser plug-in, which enables the browser application to access portions of a file system not otherwise accessible to the browser application. The enhanced functionality provided by the browser plug-in is used in one example by an image uploading web application. The browser application may also start a task in the background, such as a task for uploading several images, and then monitor the progress of the task even when the browser application navigates away from the page that initiated the task. The browser application may use a local web server running on the client device to perform tasks, including the rendering of images and monitoring progress of long running tasks.
US09471545B2
Processes, machines, and stored machine instructions are provided for approximating value densities in data. While generating a resulting density model to approximate value densities in a set of data, density modeling logic selects a functional component of a first model to vary based at least in part on how much the functional component contributes to how well the first model approximates the value densities. The density modeling logic then uses at least the functional component and a variation of the functional component as seed components to determine adjusted functional components of a second model by iteratively determining, in an expectation step, how much the seed components contribute to how well the second model explains the values, and, in a maximization step, new seed components, optionally to be used in further iterations, based at least in part on how much of the values are attributable to the seed components.
US09471543B1
A compact, computationally-efficient, firmware-resident version of a DSP autocorrelation function, extracts periodic information from noise-corrupted signals. The function adapts autocorrelation parameters in real-time either autonomously or via up-link commands from a ground-based system. The function calculates specific determination values that optimize the performance of the autocorrelation process for a specific application. The per-bit multiplication used by the function can be performed by logically ANDing each of the respective samples in the two arrays. The summation of the per-bit multiplication is an integer summation, rather than the more time-consuming floating-point summation. A further aspect of the present function is the utilization of a threshold detection process to discretize the correlation output estimate to a one-bit binary sample.
US09471542B2
The present invention discloses a parameter generating device and the method thereof to generate a parameter for circuit operation in which the parameter corresponds to an N degree polynomial of a characteristic curve while said N is a positive integer. The parameter generating device comprises: a storage circuit to store at least N+1 initial values that are determined by a start value and a unit variation amount; and a parameter calculating circuit, coupled to the storage circuit, to carry out addition calculation for at least [(K−1)×N+1] time(s) if a multiple K is positive or subtraction calculation for at least −K×N time(s) if the multiple K is negative, so as to generate the aforementioned parameter, wherein the multiple K is derived from a difference divided by the unit variation amount while the difference is a current value minus the start value.
US09471539B2
Methods and devices for determining a noise variance of an axis of a gyroscope are described. In one aspect, the method includes: representing a plurality of gyroscope readings for the axis in a histogram, the histogram including a plurality of bins associated with respective ranges; determining a bias for the axis of the gyroscope by identifying a concentration of the gyroscope readings within the histogram; and determining a noise variance for the axis of the gyroscope based on the histogram and based on the identified concentration of gyroscope readings.
US09471532B2
A multi-core processor with a shared physical memory is described. In an embodiment a sending core sends a memory write request to a destination core so that the request may be acted upon by the destination core as if it originated from the destination core. In an example, a data structure is configured in the shared physical memory and mapped to be accessible to the sending and destination cores. In an example, the shared data structure is used as a message channel between the sending and destination cores to carry data using the memory write request. In an embodiment a notification mechanism is enabled using the shared physical memory in order to notify the destination core of events by updating a notification data structure. In an example, the notification mechanism triggers a notification process at the destination core to inform a receiving process of a notification.
US09471529B2
An embedded storage device for use with a computer device is provided. The embedded storage device includes a microprocessor, a master storage unit, a slave storage unit, and a relay bus. The microprocessor provides a clock signal and creates data transmission link to the computer device. The master storage unit has a master clock pin, at least a master data pin, and a master control pin. The master control pin receives a command signal from the microprocessor. The slave storage unit has a slave clock pin and at least a slave data pin. The relay bus is coupled to the master storage unit and the slave storage unit to enable communication between the master storage unit and the slave storage unit, such that the command signal from the microprocessor is sent from the master storage unit to the slave storage unit via the relay bus.
US09471521B2
A communication system is arranged to interface a plurality of transmission circuits with an interconnection network. Each transmission circuit generates read requests and/or write requests. The communication system includes a first circuit that operates independently of the communication protocol of the interconnection network. In particular, the first circuit includes, a) for each transmission circuit a communication interface configured for receiving the read requests and/or write requests from the respective transmission circuit, b) a segmentation circuit configured for dividing, i.e., segmenting, the read requests and/or write requests received from the transmission circuits into transfer segments, and c) an interleaving circuit configured for generating, via an operation of interleaving of the transfer segments, a series of segments. The communication system also includes a second circuit configured for converting the transfer segments of the series of segments into data packets according to the protocol of the interconnection network and for transmitting the data packets to the interconnection network.
US09471507B2
A virtual memory management apparatus of an embodiment is embedded in a computing machine 80 and is provided with an application program 21, an operating system 22, a volatile memory 11, and a nonvolatile memory 12. The volatile memory 11 is provided with a plurality of clean pages. The nonvolatile memory 12 is provided with a plurality of dirty pages and a page table memory unit 51. The operating system 22 is provided with a virtual memory management unit 23 which includes a page transfer unit 25.
US09471504B2
A load request is received to retrieve a piece of data from a location in memory and the load request follows one or more store requests in a set of instructions to store a piece of data in the location in memory. One or more possible locations in a cache for a piece of data corresponding to the location in memory is determined. Each possible location of the one or more possible locations in the cache is determined. It is then determined if at least one location of the one or more possible locations contains data to be stored in the location in memory. Data in one location of the at least one location is loaded, the data in the one location is from a store request of the one or more store requests and the store request is closest in the set of instructions to the load request.
US09471501B2
Methods and apparatuses to control access to a multiple bank data cache are described. In one embodiment, a processor includes conflict resolution logic to detect multiple instructions scheduled to access a same bank of a multiple bank data cache in a same clock cycle and to grant access priority to an instruction of the multiple instructions scheduled to access a highest total of banks of the multiple bank data cache. In another embodiment, a method includes detecting multiple instructions scheduled to access a same bank of a multiple bank data cache in a same clock cycle, and granting access priority to an instruction of the multiple instructions scheduled to access a highest total of banks of the multiple bank data cache.
US09471498B2
The present invention discloses a memory card access device, the control method thereof and a memory card access system. Said device comprises: a memory card interface circuit to generate card-read data according to a card-read signal or generate a card-writing signal according to card-writing data; a host interface circuit to generate host-read data according to a host-read signal or generate the host-writing signal according to host-writing data; and a control circuit, coupled to the memory card and host interface circuits respectively, operable to generate the host-writing data by processing the card-read data according to a predetermined cache protocol or generating the card-writing data by processing the host-read data according to the predetermined cache protocol, so as to treat a memory card as a cache device.
US09471492B2
In accordance with some embodiments, a scatter/gather memory approach may be enabled that is exposed or backed by system memory and uses conventional tags and addresses. Thus, such a technique may be more amenable to conventional software developers and their conventional techniques.
US09471490B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a processor having a plurality of cores and a cache memory coupled to the cores and including a plurality of partitions. The processor can further include a logic to dynamically vary a size of the cache memory based on a memory boundedness of a workload executed on at least one of the cores. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09471488B2
Methods and apparatus to improve reliability and/or performance of partially written memory blocks in flash memory systems are described. In some embodiments, a storage device stores information corresponding to a partial write operation performed on a partially programmed memory block of a non-volatile memory. Memory controller logic then cause application of a reduced voltage level and/or an offset value to portion(s) of the non-volatile memory during a read or write operation to the non-volatile memory based at least in part on the stored information. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09471486B2
Methods for reducing program disturb in non-volatile memories are described. In some embodiments, a non-volatile storage system may acquire a first set of intermediate data to be written to a plurality of memory cells, determine a current set of intermediate data written in the plurality of memory cells, determine whether to invert the first set of intermediate data based on the current set of intermediate data, invert the first set of intermediate data, and write the inverted first set of intermediate data to the plurality of memory cells. The memory cells that are already at the correct state may be skipped over and not programmed, thereby improving programming speed and reducing the cumulative voltage stress applied to unselected memory cells.
US09471482B2
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include a host computer selecting a first workload of a plurality of workloads running on the host computer to be subjected to an input/output (I/O) trace. The host computer determines whether to generate the I/O trace for the first workload for a first length of time or for a second length of time. The first length of time is shorter than the second length of time. The determination is based upon runtime history for the first workload, I/O trace history for the first workload, and/or workload type of the first workload. The host computer generates the I/O trace of the first workload for the selected length of time.
US09471475B2
A system and method for remote testing of enterprise software applications (ESA) allows one or more testers to remotely access an ESA and remotely test the ESA. In at least one embodiment, the ESA resides in a testing platform that includes one more computers that are provisioned for testing. “Provisioning” a computer system (such as one or more servers) refers to preparing, configuring, and equipping the computer system to provide services to one or more users. In at least one embodiment, the computer system is provisioned to create an ESA operational environment in accordance with a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) template interacting with virtualization software.
US09471473B1
A system is provided for environment validation. The system includes a user interface, a repository, and a validation tool. The repository includes environment component information. The validation tool accesses environment component information in the repository and validates each keystore associated with an environment. The validation tool also validates each port associated with the environment and validates each database associated with the environment. Additionally, the validation tool validates each message service associated with the environment and validates each interface associated with the environment. Furthermore, the validation tool outputs results of validating each environment component to the user interface.
US09471470B2
Disclosed herein are a system and a method for automated test suite optimization and recommendation, based on historical data, using randomized evolutionary techniques. The system analyzes historical data pertaining to file change pattern and test case execution history to identify test cases that match application being tested. Further, based on the test cases identified, the system generates optimized test suite recommendations to the user.
US09471459B2
A storage unit stores information indicting the past execution records of a plurality of related tasks. An operating unit obtains information indicating the execution status of a plurality of tasks. After obtaining the information, the operating unit obtains the execution status of an unexecuted task included in the plurality of related tasks, which was not yet executed, at an estimated time by which the unexecuted task is completed and which is estimated based on the information stored in the storage unit.
US09471456B2
One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to a method including monitoring execution of a set of programs each including a set of instructions executing interleaved with other instructions of the set of instructions, where each of the set of instructions includes at least one operation operating on a set of threads; organizing a first set of instructions corresponding to a first program of the set of programs based on an execution order of the first set of instructions; generating a result set representing the first set of instructions organized based on the execution order; and displaying the result set.
US09471450B2
For reducing data loss by a processor device in a computing storage environment, data blocks are prioritized for creating an N number of additional secondary copies of data using a vulnerability factor for identifying those of the data blocks having a probability of failure. The data blocks include at least a primary copy and a secondary copy of the data.
US09471448B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method performing an atomic write operation across multiple storage devices. A determination is made of a plurality of storage devices on which to write data for a write operation. A tag is generated to uniquely identify the write operation. A write command is sent to each of the determined storage devices including the tag and write data to cause each of the storage devices to write the write data at the storage device. Each of the storage devices maintains a copy of a previous version of the data to be updated by the write operation. A revert command is sent with the tag to one of the storage devices to cause the storage device to restore the copy of the previous version of the write data at the storage device.
US09471447B2
Virtualization simulation engine including assuming a dormant state for a lower priority application
An approach is provided for determining disaster recovery capacity. A simulation hypervisor receives streaming metric data, which represents the current production workload of a primary site, from the primary site. The metric data is combined with production data of the backup site by the simulation hypervisor to simulate a recovery event. Using data from the simulating, disaster recovery planning can be performed.
US09471442B2
A backup image generator can create a primary image and periodic delta images of all or part of a primary server. The images can be sent to a network attached storage device and one or more remote storage servers. In the event of a failure of the primary server, an updated primary image may be used to provide an up-to-date version of the primary system at a backup or other system. As a result, the primary data storage may be timely backed-up, recovered and restored with the possibility of providing server and business continuity in the event of a failure.
US09471439B2
Systems and methods are presented for reducing load database time in a database backup process. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method may include marking a checkpoint in a log of the database; generating a backup of the database for data up to the checkpoint; recording first changes in the database while generating the backup of the database; adding to the backup of the database an additional backup of the recording of the first changes; recording second changes in the database while adding the additional backup; determining if a number of second changes satisfies a criterion; and if the number of second changes satisfies the criterion, then adding to the backup of the database a backup of the recorded second changes. Recording these changes can enable a database dump process to contain more recent page images, so that the amount of recovery at load time is reduced.
US09471410B2
In a data processing system, a memory subsystem detects whether or not at least one potentially transient condition is present that would prevent timely servicing of one or more memory access requests directed to the associated system memory. In response to detecting at least one such potentially transient condition, the memory system identifies a first read request affected by the at least one potentially transient condition. In response to identifying the read request, the memory subsystem signals to a request source to issue a second read request for the same target address by transmitting to the request source dummy data and a data error indicator.
US09471406B2
A method for remote product invocation includes configuring an invocation framework that includes an integration module and an endpoint/handler module. Once configured, the integration module is configured to: receive a source object; format data from said source object for a desired operation; and utilize said endpoint/handler module to make a connection to an external service that executes said desired operation using said data from said source object. A system for remote invocation of external services includes a calling entity which generates a source object containing data for execution of a remote operation; and an integration module configured to receive the source object, interpret the source object, and pass the data to an endpoint/handler which opens a connection with an external service and executes the remote operation.
US09471398B2
A method for lock acquisition includes adding a current contention state of a lock to a contention history. The lock includes a memory location for storing information used for excluding accessing a resource by one or more threads while another thread accesses the resource. The method includes combining the contention history with a lock address for the lock to form a predictor table index, and using the predictor table index to determine a lock prediction for the lock. The prediction includes a determination of an amount of contention.
US09471393B2
Methods and apparatus for burst-mode admission control using token buckets are disclosed. A work request (such as a read or a write) directed to a work target is received. Based on a first criterion, a determination is made that the work target is in a burst mode of operation. A token population of a burst-mode token bucket is determined, and if the population meets a second criterion, the work request is accepted for execution.
US09471392B2
A system and method of using metrics to control throttling and swapping in a message processing system is provided. A workload status of a message processing system is determined, and the system polls for a new message according to the workload status. The message processing system identifies a blocked instance and calculates an expected idle time for the blocked instance. The system dehydrates the blocked instance if the expected idle time exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US09471390B2
There is provided a method, a system and a computer program product for improving performance and fairness in sharing a cluster of dynamically available computing resources among multiple jobs. The system collects at least one parameter associated with availability of a plurality of computing resources. The system calculates, based on the collected parameter, an effective processing time each computing resource can provide to each job. The system allocates, based on the calculated effective processing time, the computing resources to the multiple jobs, whereby the multiple jobs are completed at a same time or an approximate time.
US09471385B1
Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for overprovisioning resources are disclosed. Resource usage statistics may be gathered for a plurality of client virtual machines (“VMs”). Statistical characteristics of resource usage by the plurality of client VMs may be calculated. It may also be determined which of the plurality of client VMs requesting resources to allocate resources to, as well as an amount of the resources to allocate, in a given time slot based on the calculated statistical characteristics.
US09471373B2
An embodiment of an information handling apparatus can use an entitlement vector to specify resources used by an object of a plurality of multiple objects. The information handling apparatus can include logic for issuing a hint instruction based on the entitlement vector for usage in scheduling the resources.
US09471368B2
A mechanism is provided for sharing resources allocated to an entitled virtual machine (VM). A blocked domain is created around the entitled VM and one or more processors allocated to the entitled VM. A first dispatching algorithm is implemented that prevents the dispatching of processes from other operating systems within other VMs to the one or more processors allocated to the entitled VM. Responsive to utilization of the one or more processors allocated to the entitled VM falling below a predetermined threshold, a second dispatching algorithm is implemented that allows dispatching of processes from the other operating systems within the other VMs to the one or more processors allocated to the entitled VM.
US09471366B2
The invention relates to a method for managing virtual machine image disk usage comprising a disk image emulator for a virtual machine provided by a hypervisor, comprising the steps of providing at least a first disk image comprising a sequence of data blocks for accumulating write operations to the first disk image, providing at least a second disk image comprising a sequence of data blocks for permanently storing disk image data, and providing a disk cleaning process for transferring disk image data from the first disk image to the second disk image and deleting unused data blocks in the first and/or the second disk image.
