US09554026B2

An image-capturing apparatus is disclosed, including a lens driver module and a sensor module; wherein the lens driver module includes a lens housing chamber and a female engagement base, the lens housing chamber being for housing a lens, and the female engagement base being located inside the lens driver module; the sensor module includes a sensor and a male engagement base; the female engagement base being disposed on the male engagement base; and an optical calibration facility being used to adjust the lens driver module; when an optical axis of the lens driver module is parallel to a sensor optical axis of the sensor module, a glue is applied to fasten the lens driver module and the sensor module so that the female engagement base and the male engagement base do not move with respect to each other.
US09554024B2

An image sensor module and an imaging device. An image sensor package includes a plurality of image sensor chips for generating image signals and a lower transparent board over the image sensor chips. An upper transparent board is positioned over the lower transparent board and includes a lens for focusing an external light to the image sensor chips. An adhesion member is interposed between the upper transparent board and the lower transparent board, and thus the upper and lower transparent boards are adhered to each other by the adhesion member such that the lens and the image sensor chips are aligned with each other. A dehumidifying agent is arranged in the adhesion member to absorb moistures from an interior of the image sensor module. Accordingly, the moistures are prevented from being condensed onto the surface of the image sensor module.
US09554022B2

Embodiments provide a camera module including a lens unit, a first board formed with an electromagnetic circuit, a second board spaced apart from the first board, the second board including a terminal for external electrical connection and being formed with an electromagnetic circuit, a first support member having one side coupled to the first board and the other side coming into contact with one surface of the second board, so as to maintain a constant distance between the first board and the second board, and an electromagnetic-field shield configured to receive the first board and the second board therein, the electromagnetic-field shield serving to inhibit outward leakage of an electromagnetic-field formed in each board.
US09554021B2

An analog video signal received through a cable may be distorted due to the cable and noise during its transmission. Provided is a method and apparatus for determining a level of transmission distortion and compensating for an analog video signal. A video signal reception method and apparatus may determine a distortion level of an analog video signal using an equalizing pattern signal included in a video signal, and may compensate for the analog video signal based on the distortion level.
US09554019B2

An image processing apparatus reads an image on an original and generates lines of data by causing a carriage to perform scanning, then by referring to the data, detects chromatic color pixels that exist between two achromatic color pixels, being first and second achromatic color pixels, from among pixels in the image that has been read in the scanning direction of the carriage, and determines one of the detected chromatic color pixels as a pixel of interest and corrects the pixel of interest to an achromatic color pixel while shifting the position of the pixel of interest pixel-by-pixel N times from a pixel position adjacent to the first achromatic color pixel in a direction toward the second achromatic color pixel.
US09554015B2

Provided is an image compression apparatus including a dividing unit that divides a bit width pixel value set in advance that indicates compressed image information into an invalid bit region and a valid bit region other than the invalid bit region that are replaced with a fixed value determined in advance, an image information conversion unit that makes a value of the valid bit region be a value of a bit corresponding to the pixel value and makes a value of the invalid bit region be the fixed value determined in advance and converts the compressed image information to conversion image information, and a compression unit that compresses the conversion image information.
US09554009B2

An image scanning apparatus has a scanner configured to read an original sheet on a line basis at a constant line cycle and generate analog image data for each pixel of the line, and output the analog image data for each pixel at a pixel cycle, a power source including a DC/DC converter configured to convert a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage by applying a switching control to the first DC voltage at a switching cycle, the second DC voltage being supplied to the scanner, a convertor configured to sample the analog image data at the pixel cycle to convert the analog image data to digital image data, a sampling setting unit configured to set the pixel cycle, and a controller configured to cause the sampling setting unit to set the pixel cycle to be an integer multiple of the switching cycle of the DC/DC convertor.
US09554008B2

A web browser section makes, to a second web server section, a request for acquisition of operation screen data of an application program executed in an information processing device, when an instruction to activate the application program is received. The second web server section transmits the operation screen data of the application program to the web browser section in accordance with and in response to the request for acquisition. The displaying section displays an operation screen in accordance with the operation screen data obtained by the web browser section from the second web server section.
US09554004B2

In the case where state information has already been obtained from a service providing server on the Internet at the time when an MFP requests access to the service providing server, a mediation server gives a notification using the MFP based on the state information. In this case, the mediation server switches a notification method between a method of displaying a view on a display panel of the MFP and other methods in accordance with a function of the MFP.
US09554003B2

A management server includes a communication unit configured to receive job data and transmit the job data to the image forming apparatus so that the image forming apparatus executes the job, and a registering unit. When the communication unit receives the job data containing account information, if it is determined that the account information contained in the job data satisfies the registration condition, the registering unit registers the account information contained in the job data. If it is determined that the registration condition is not satisfied, the registering unit does not register the account information contained in the job data.
US09554002B2

Provided is a portable terminal capable of efficiently storing untransmitted print object data as print data in a non-volatile storage unit, and restarting printing by the print object data. Included are a storage unit, a remaining battery capacity detection unit, a print data construction unit that constructs the print data in each [print unit size] from a data start position of the print object data and transmits the print data to an image forming device, and a data storage processing unit that performs a data storage process in which the print object data is stored in the storage unit in each [storage unit size] toward the data start position from a data end position of the print object data when a remaining battery capacity is smaller than or equal to a preset reference value during transmission of the print data by the print data construction unit.
US09554000B2

A server includes a controller and an interface for communicating with image processing devices and an information processing device. The controller performs: obtaining, from a first image processing device, first identification information about the first image processing device and a first particular code input to the first image processing device; determining whether at least one code in a storage contains the obtained first particular code; transmitting first corresponding information corresponding to the first particular code to the first image processing device when the at least one code contains the obtained first particular code; receiving the first corresponding information provided from the first image processing device to the information processing device and first user account information input to the information processing device; and registering the received first user account information and the first identification information identified by the received first corresponding information, into the storage in association with each other.
US09553996B2

A modified end user network access point includes a switching module and a controller to track usage of the end user network access point by wirelessly connected end user devices. The tracked usage information is transmitted from the end user network access point to a remotely coupled data center. The data center collects usage information from a plurality of different end user network access points. The collected usage information is in turn transmitted from the data center to a network carrier. The network carrier uses the received usage information to bill users for accessing the end user network access points and using any services provided by the end user network access points. An owner of each end user network access point is compensated by the network carrier each instance that an end user device utilizes the end user network access point to access the network carrier's communications network.
US09553994B2

Methods for operating a meeting coordinator to detect which participant is speaking during a teleconference meeting using a teleconferencing system, having corresponding mobile electronic devices and computer-readable media, comprise: accessing calendaring information concerning the teleconference meeting, the calendaring information including a time of the teleconference meeting, a meeting location, identities of meeting invitees, and contact information for the meeting invitees; automatically setting up the teleconference meeting using the calendaring information to enable the teleconferencing system to connect remotely-located meeting invitees; generating a roster of meeting participants comprising at least some of the meeting invitees; tracking a participation status for the meeting participants; and accessing prerecorded unique digital voice signatures for the meeting invitees.
US09553982B2

A system and method for securely recording voice communications, comprising an authentication server, further comprising at least a software components operating on a network-capable computing device, and a database, wherein an authentication server verifies the validity of voice communications and a database stores voice communication recordings.
US09553981B2

A device includes a communication unit configured to receive a call request from a calling user; and a control unit configured to control the communication unit to provide a response message including information about a current situation based on information about an application currently being executed to the calling user in response to a rejection regarding the call request.
US09553978B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving an input from a call center agent indicating a symptom of a quality of an electronic communication between the agent and a caller. Identifying a cause of the quality of the electronic communication based on the input. And, sending instructions to adjust the cause of the quality of the electronic communication.
US09553973B2

An apparatus and a method is provided for detecting a privacy condition in a communication device and disclosing the privacy condition to a second communication device. A privacy condition is detecting in the communication device, wherein the privacy condition is a condition that can affect the privacy of a call. The privacy condition can be the enablement of a speakerphone, the detection of a non-private environment, or the detection of a nearby electronic signal. Thereafter, during an active call, a notice of the privacy condition is sent to the second communication device. A privacy condition can be displayed in response to receiving a privacy condition message from the second communication device.
US09553972B2

A content reproducing method and system for performing seamless playback of contents between devices is provided. The contents reproducing system includes a portable device which, when a short distance communication with a remote control which is configured to control an electronic device occurs during reproducing of contents, generates data required by the electronic device for reproducing the contents that are being reproduced, and which transmits the generated data to the remote control; the remote control which receives the data from the portable device and which transmits the received data to the electronic device, in conjunction with the occurrence of the short distance communication with the portable device; and the electronic device for receiving the contents from a contents provider and reproducing the contents.
US09553969B2

Systems and methods for operation upon a mobile device to handle a duress situation caused by another person. An input password is received from a user. The input password is decoded by the device. Responsive to the input password being a duress indication, a duress operation is performed to protect data on the mobile device.
US09553964B2

A portable terminal is provided having a front surface and a curved side surface in which the portable terminal is operated in a general mode in which an application is displayed on a main display area of the front surface, and in response to the occurrence of the event while in the general mode, the display is controlled to display event information related to the event on an auxiliary display area of the curved side surface and display the application on the main display area.
US09553961B2

A wireless multimedia communication device includes a shell module, a wireless module, and an energy storage module. The shell module has a waterproof function. The wireless module installed in the shell module has a mobile communication function. The energy storage module installed in the shell module for storing energy. When the wireless module is turned on, the wireless module utilizes the energy to operate.
US09553955B2

A communication terminal for Internet telephony is provided that handles and control communication of data in accordance with a standardized network protocol and exchanges data with a connecting unit connected to the Internet where the resulting data exchanged between the terminal and a connecting unit consist of packets in a standardized protocol data packet format embedded in a wireless format. This provides a communications terminal which uses a network or the Internet for the transfer of digitized speech, etc., thereby achieving great economic savings. Also, the flexibility is increased with respect to wireless communication with the network or the Internet without any need for specialized equipment and functionality.
US09553953B2

Examples of systems and methods are provided for communication and for establishing a remote session between a client device and a remote server using RDP. An RDP share option is enabled to notify the remote server of a request for a shared RDP session. Multiple client devices may connect to the single shared RDP session. One client device may be considered the presenter and given special permissions. Any other client devices may be considered attendees and given only restricted access. Multiple RDP sessions may be initiated for multiple client devices.
US09553950B2

A communication control method includes: receiving data, acquired by respective terminals, through a communication network; accumulating the received data in an information recording medium; obtaining an intra-network transmission time, which is an estimated value of a maximum time taken for transmission from when the data are acquired by the respective terminals until the data are received through the communication network; determining, of the accumulated data, the data whose time from an acquisition time point when the data is acquired by the terminal until a current time is shorter than the intra-network transmission time; excluding, of the accumulated data, the data whose time is determined to be shorter than the intra-network transmission time from data used for predetermined processing; and executing the predetermined processing by using the data excluding the data whose time is determined to be shorter than the intra-network transmission time.
US09553948B2

A graphical user interface for a virtualized computing environment that includes a plurality of host computers, each having one or more virtual machines running therein, where the virtualized computing environment is configured with one or more monitoring profiles for monitoring a status of objects included in the virtualized computing environment, where the graphical user interface includes a first section and a second section. The first section organizes the one or more monitoring profiles, where each monitoring profile includes one or more rules and each rule corresponds to an action that is performed if the rule is violated. The second section organizes a first set of rules associated with a selected monitoring profile and corresponding actions associated with each rule in the first set of rules.
US09553946B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for transmitting, to user devices, data for potential targets predicted to be identified in an augmented reality application. One method includes receiving a request for target data related to at least one physical object within an image of a real-world environment captured at the device; identifying a current target representing the physical object within a virtual environment corresponding to the real-world environment; determining at least one potential future target to be identified at the device based on identified coincident target requests; and sending to the device target data for each of the current and potential future targets based on the determination, wherein the device presents the target data for the current target within the virtual environment displayed at the device and store the target data for the potential future target in a local memory of the device.
US09553936B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for improving geographic targeting of digital content. One of the methods includes receiving a targeting request that identifies a target geographic region; identifying one or more groups of geographic regions that each include at least two geographic regions, including the target geographic region, wherein the one or more groups of geographic regions are identified based on respective combined targeting accuracies, the respective combined targeting accuracy of each of the one or more groups being higher than a targeting accuracy for the target geographic region; and providing data describing the identified one or more groups of geographic regions in response to the targeting request.
US09553935B2

A system and method for facilitating efficient interaction between a client device and a server. An example method includes receiving at a server, a request for server configuration information sent to the server by a client device, and then employing a first web service in communication with the server to convey configuration information about a server to a client device in response to the request message received therefrom by the server. The configuration information includes information pertaining to known capabilities that may be offered by the server to the client device. Generally, embodiments described herein provide various features for facilitating configuring service endpoints in native client applications at runtime, thereby enabling implementation of changes to server-side components that a client application invokes or communicates with, without needing to change the client application.
US09553930B2

An exemplary method accelerating content delivery via DNS overriding may comprise the steps of generating a routing table for a content delivery network (CDN), the routing table map one or more edge server IP addresses to each of one or more geographic regions, transmitting the routing table to one or more DNS server computers, receiving a request from a registrant of a domain name to subscribe the domain name to the CDN, and designating said domain name as subscribed to the CDN in a DNS zone for the domain name.
US09553923B2

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for unobtrusively determining previous actions and information associated with a user via an RGB string and generating web page content based upon previous actions and stored information.
US09553916B2

Generally discussed herein are systems and methods for transferring content from one device to another device. In one more embodiments an apparatus can include a first module to detect a request to perform a copy operation has been issued, receive content that was selected at a time the request to perform the copy operation was issued, or automatically create a machine-decodable image of the selected content in response to detecting the request, wherein the machine-decodable image includes the selected content encoded therein. The apparatus can include a display coupled to the first module to show the machine-decodable image.
US09553913B2

Performing a real-time application on a mobile device, involving communication of audio/video packets with a remote device. The mobile device may initially communicate the audio/video packets on a first communication channel with the remote device. During the real-time communication, the mobile device may determine if no packets have been received by the mobile device from the remote device for a first threshold period of time. If no packets have been received by the mobile device from the remote device for the first threshold period of time, the mobile device may establish a second communication channel for transmission of the audio/video packets with the remote device. In response to using the second communication channel, the mobile device may modify a resolution or bit rate of the audio/video packets transmitted to the remote device.
US09553910B2

A data streaming method is performed at a computing device having one or more processors and memory. The memory stores one or more programs configured for execution by the one or more processors. The process records video from a camera in real-time. The recorded video is stored in the memory in a circular buffer in chronological order. The process sends data in chronological order from the circular buffer to a destination in real-time. In response to detecting that a portion of content from the circular buffer needs to be resent, the process concurrently resends to the destination in reverse chronological order data from the portion of content from the circular buffer.
US09553907B2

Disclosed are methods, circuits, devices, systems and associated computer executable code for providing information exchange between two or more network elements of a communication network over an existing or open dataflow. According to embodiments, there may be provided two or more network elements adapted to perform deep packet inspection of an existing packet and to modify one or more fields of the packet header to include information to be conveyed to another network element further along the packet flow path. According to some embodiments, one or more of the network elements may reside within a tunneled area of the communication network.
US09553905B2

A device supporting content delivery is configured to run at least one content delivery (CD) service of a plurality of CD services. The plurality of CD services include adaptation services.
US09553904B2

A method includes defining multiple moderation tasks, which originate from respective textual articles that are to be automatically converted into respective video clips following moderation by human moderators. The moderation tasks are pre-processed, so as to predict success measures of the corresponding video clips. Delivery of the moderation tasks to the human moderators is prioritized based on the predicted success measures.
US09553903B2

Methods, systems, and techniques for federating operations, in an optimized way using wide area networks are provided. Example systems provide an API for generating and handling federated requests as an aggregation. In one example Wide Area Network Aggregation System, WANAS provides an API, a connection manager, and connection iterators to manage inter-site connections and requests, and inter-pod requests and messaging. These components cooperate to distribute a task across multiple physically disparate sites using a representative connection to the site and fan out of requests to other pods within the site.
US09553895B2

A security gateway appliance is configured to evaluate network traffic according to security rules that classify traffic flows according to specifically identified application programs responsible for producing and/or consuming the network traffic and to enforce policies in accordance with network traffic classifications. The appliance includes an on-box anti-virus/anti-malware engine, on-box data loss prevention engine and on-box authentication engine. One or more of these engines is informed by an on-box dynamic real tie rating system that allows for determined levels of scrutiny to be paid to the network traffic. Security gateways of this type can be clustered together to provide a set of resources for one or more networks, and in some instances as the backbone of a cloud-based service.
US09553891B1

Automated locating and disconnection of undesired devices may include receiving both the addresses of the device and the switch coupled to the device and determining whether the switch can blackhole the traffic of the device. If it is determined that the switch cannot blackhole the traffic associated with the device, systems and methods of the present disclosure may further determine whether the switch can reroute the traffic of the device. If, however, the switch can blackhole traffic of the device, a blackhole command may be issued to transform a destination of the traffic associated with the device to a null destination. Alternatively, if it is determined that the switch can reroute traffic of the device, a reroute command may be issued to transform the destination of the traffic associated with the device to a safe zone.
US09553887B2

One or more examples provide a method of transferring a virtual machine between a virtualized computing system and a cloud computing system that includes: establishing connection between a first resource in the virtualized computing system and a second resource in the cloud computing system to transfer files that implement the virtual machine from the first resource to the second resource; accessing, for transmission over the connection, data blocks on a storage device in the virtualized computing system that include the files; executing at least one compliance check on each of the data blocks using at least one compliance checker; and preventing each of the data blocks that fails a compliance check from being maintained in the cloud computing system.
US09553883B2

A method and an apparatus to perform multiple packet payload analysis have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a plurality of data packets, each of the plurality of data packets containing a portion of a data pattern, determining whether each of the plurality of data packets is out of order, and making and storing a local copy of the corresponding data packet if the corresponding data packet is out of order. Other embodiments have been claimed and described.
US09553880B2

An electronic media distribution/play system includes a service facility that has a communications network interface and maintains a data file catalog. The catalog is sent over the network to requesting users, and the system processes payments from customers in establishing file access authorizations. Encrypted user-selected files and a player program are transmitted to each customer for metered access to received data files as limited by the authorization, and customers can make additional selections and play the encrypted files freely while the authorization remains established. The system can transmit the data files from local storage, and also provide links to encrypted files that are stored at remote vendor facilities. Authorizations can be for selected portions or class levels of the catalog, and for terms measured as calendar time, play time, and collective number of plays. Also disclosed is a method for facilitating the distribution and accessing of electronic files.
US09553879B2

The invention provides a method and apparatus for providing content in a network having a network proxy arranged between a mobile terminal and a content provider. The method features a step of adapting or transforming the content in the network proxy based on one or more digital rights issued by the owner of the content. The network proxy includes an adaption policy module that receives the digital rights and provides an adaption policy; and an adaption engine module that receives the adaption policy and the content from the content provider, and provides adapted content to the terminal. In operation, the network proxy uses the digital rights to determine an optimal adaptation policy and then uses that to transform the content.
US09553869B2

A method for initializing a memory area associated with a smart meter, establishing a first communication channel between a first computer system and a security module, the security module being associated with a memory area, and the first computer system being associated with a set of computer systems interconnected via a network; authenticating the first computer system with respect to the security module; once the first computer system has been successfully authenticated, the security module receiving data from the first computer system by secure transmission and storage of the data in the memory area in order to initialize the memory area, communication between a second computer system of a utility company and/or operator of the measuring system and the security module being only possible while bypassing the first computer system, owing to the stored data, the second computer system being a computer system of the set of computer systems.
US09553866B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and method of performing automated administrative operations on a mobile device. One example method may include determining via a hosted server that an action needs to be performed by a mobile device under management. The method may further include generating a message via the hosted server, the message includes the action, and transmitting the message to the mobile device under management, and receiving a result message from the mobile device under management responsive to the transmitted message, the result message indicating that the action has been satisfied.
US09553863B2

A communication service accessible on a web that authenticates user credential information of a first user to authorize a request in order to perform a communication with at least a second user; the first user requesting to the communication service to generate a hyperlink that is associated to its address and provides the generated hyperlink to at least a second user; the latter requesting to initiate said requested communication with said first user by directly clicking on said provided hyperlink, wherein the identity of said at least second user is maintained anonymous and the identity of said first user is done based on the information provided on said hyperlink; said communication between said at least second user and said first user being authorized by and a first server.
US09553859B2

A communication device and method for authentication of a message being transmitted from the communication device. The method includes receiving, by a messaging utility, content of a message provided for transmission from the communication device. Based on a determination that the message requires user authentication before the message is transmitted to a recipient, the method further includes selecting, based on contextual data, one or more biometric capturing components of the communication device; triggering at least one selected biometric capturing component to capture a corresponding biometric input from a user of the communication device; and transmitting the message when the biometric input as belonging to an authorized user of the communication device. In one embodiment, a clearinghouse service authenticates a biometric input from a user of the communication device in order to certify the user and/or the message.
US09553857B2

Content is transmitted within a range of the user's legitimate use while limiting the number of equipment to which the content is transmitted at the same time.A content using apparatus periodically transmits an exchange key and the corresponding key ID using a command. Only while receiving the key ID at predetermined reception cycles, a content providing apparatus maintains the corresponding exchange key. When not periodically receiving the key ID, the content providing apparatus destroys the corresponding exchange key. After that, when receiving a command including the key ID, the content providing apparatus returns a response including information indicating that the exchange key has become invalid.
US09553853B2

Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques to distribute encrypted packets among multiple cores in a load-balanced manner for further processing. An apparatus may include a processor component; a decryption component to decrypt an encrypted packet to generate a decrypted packet from the encrypted packet, the encrypted packet comprising a header that comprises at least one field of information; a hash component to generate a header hash from the at least one field of information during decryption of at least a portion of the encrypted packet by the decryption component, the header hash comprising a smaller quantity of bits than the at least one field of information; and a distribution component to select a first core of multiple cores coupled to the processor component based on the header hash and to transmit the decrypted packet to the first core from the processor component. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09553851B2

Methods and systems to facilitate real time communications via a telephonic apparatuses that support data communications. In one embodiment, a telephonic apparatus includes: a network interface to submit a query over a data communication network and to receive a listing with embedded information about the query; and a call module coupled to the network interface, the call module to embed the information about the query in a call signaling message for a telephonic connection according to the listing.
US09553846B2

A virtual network (VN) realization method and system are provided. The method includes setting a VN-AP in a data center network and/or a broadband network. A service deployment and management function entity receives a VN service request from a user to generate feature information of the VN; a PC/VM automatically discovers the VN-AP, the automatically discovered VN-AP generates the VN forwarding table entry of the PC/VM after the PC/VM passes the identity authentication of the VN, and performs tunnel encapsulation according to the VN forwarding table entry to forward a packet from the PC/VM. By discovering a VN-AP for processing a VN automatically, the disclosure realizes the automatic and rapid deployment of the VN.
US09553841B1

A messaging platform forms an interactive message with one or more components and broadcasts the interactive message to client devices associated with accounts. The interactive message has a plurality of states that update based on event data received from a content source. While the event is in progress, the messaging platform receives event data relating to the event and transitions to an updated state based on the received event data. When the interactive message transitions to the updated state, the messaging platform updates the interactive message broadcast to the client devices. The interactive message may include interactive components that accounts may use to perform various interactions with the event, the content source, or each other.
US09553838B1

Querying for devices based on location is disclosed. A request to send a push notification to a location is received. One or more bucket indexes to search for the presence of a device identifier are determined. The one or more bucket indexes are searched for the presence of the device identifier. One or more device identifiers are received in response to the search. The push notification is sent to one or more devices associated with the received one or more device identifiers.
US09553837B2

Systems, method sand computer program products for facilitating the automatic deletion of received emails after a user-selectable time period has elapsed are disclosed. In various embodiments, email messages contain a header field referred to as an “Expiration Time” header field that dictates the length of time the email will reside in a designated Inbox prior to its automatic deletion by an email server. The server is able to automatically delete the received email as long as the email is residing in a folder that is synched to the server. A user receiving the email has access to the Expiration Time Header field and can modify its value if desired and allowed by the sender. The user can move the retrieved email to a folder that is not synched to the server, thus preventing the email from being automatically deleted by the server.
US09553829B2

A network switch comprises a plurality of packet processing units configured to process a received packet through multiple packet processing stages based on search result of a table. The network switch further comprises one or more memory units configured to maintain the table to be searched and provide the search result to the packet processing units. The network switch further comprises a table managing unit configured to accept a plurality of rules on bulk update to the table specified by a control unit, and perform the bulk update on the table based on the rules specified by the control unit without the control unit accessing the table directly for the bulk update.
US09553821B2

Methods and apparatus for equitable distribution of excess shared-resource throughput capacity are disclosed. A first and a second work target are configured to access a shared resource to implement accepted work requests. Admission control is managed at the work targets using respective token buckets. A first metric indicative of the work request arrival rates at the work targets during a time interval, and a second metric associated with the provisioned capacities of the work targets are determined. A number of tokens determined based on a throughput limit of the shared resource is distributed among the work targets to be used for admission control during a subsequent time interval. The number of tokens distributed to each work target is based on the first metric and/or the second metric.
US09553813B2

In one embodiment, a device in a network identifies a set of one or more destination addresses for which traffic shaping is to be performed by controlling the data rate at which traffic is sent to the one or more destination addresses. The device sends the traffic to one of the destination addresses along a communication path in the network and at a particular data rate. The device identifies a change in a performance characteristic for the communication path. The device adjusts the data rate at which the traffic is sent along the communication path, in response to identifying the change in the performance characteristic for the communication path.
US09553812B2

One embodiment provides a system that facilitates an intermediate node to handle a potential timeout event. During operation, the system receives, by an intermediate node, a keep-alive control packet which indicates a name for an Interest message, an indicator to keep alive a Pending Interest Table (PIT) entry, and a time period for which to keep the PIT entry alive. The intermediate node determines whether the keep-alive control packet corresponds to the PIT entry based on the name, and, responsive to determining that the keep-alive control packet corresponds to the PIT entry, updates a timeout value of the PIT entry based on the time period indicated in the keep-alive control packet. Responsive to determining one or more interfaces specified in the PIT entry from which the Interest message is received, the intermediate node forwards the keep-alive control packet to the one or more interfaces.
US09553807B2

Some embodiments provide a method for a managed forwarding element. The method receives a set of packets for processing by the managed forwarding element. For each of several packets in the set, the method associates the packet with one of several groups of other packets in the set. Each group of packets shares a set of characteristics. For each group of packets the method identifies a set of actions to perform and executes the specified set of actions on all of the packets in the group together.
US09553806B2

In one embodiment, a packet is processed by three flow tables in a network device of a software-defined networking (SDN) system. In the first flow table, upon finding a match based at least partially on an IP address value of the packet, the network device adds a first identifier based on the IP address value to metadata of the packet and forwards the packet to a second flow table, where upon finding a match based at least partially on a port value of the packet, the network device adds a second identifier based on the port value to the metadata and forwards the packet to a third flow table. At the third flow table, upon finding a match based at least partially on a combination of the first and second identifiers, the network device performs one set of instructions of the matching entry on the packet.
US09553795B2

A port switching method performed by a processor included in an analysis device coupled to a first port and a second port which are included in at least one of a plurality of switches, the port switching method includes receiving a first copy packet from the first port; determining whether the first copy packet succeeded a second copy packet based on sequence information of the first copy packet, and based on sequence information of a second copy packet received before the receiving; specifying a target port outputted the first copy packet to the first port, the target port being included in a target switch among the plurality of switches when it is determined that the first copy packet did not succeed the second copy packet; and causing the target switch to transmit, from the target port, a third copy packet generated at the target switch to the second port.
US09553794B1

A traffic engineering process seeks to optimize network utilization and creating paths in the network such that the network is used efficiently. The exemplary embodiments seek to maintain fairness across allocation of flows while honoring constraints on the number of paths used per flow and the granularity of splits allowed. Exemplary embodiments provide a solution in a speedy manner and get close to optimal solutions for allocation of the network traffic.
US09553787B1

Systems and methods are disclosed which facilitate monitoring of usage information associated with services implemented within a hosted computing environment. Providers of a service, or other authorized parties, may be enabled to associate one or more descriptors with a service. Thereafter, each service instances may be monitored for such descriptors. By correlating usage information of instances with specific descriptors, usage information for the descriptor may be generated. In some instances, usage information corresponding to a descriptor may be utilized to monitor license agreements associated with services including the descriptor. Further, use of descriptors may reduce or eliminate the need to associate services with physical attributes of hosting computing devices, such as media access control addresses.
US09553780B1

A method of troubleshooting a communication service, a troubleshooting tool, and a system are disclosed. Each involves bi-lateral testing of a customer premise equipment in a customer network and a communication service provider router in a communication service provider network. Bi-directional information generated in the bi-lateral testing is stored in a datastore for later retrieval in troubleshooting the customer premise equipment and communication service provider router. User interaction is also stored in the datastore to track customer behavior which can be used alone or in combination with the bi-directional information to monitor performance and/or troubleshoot the customer premise equipment and communication service provider router.
US09553762B1

Systems and methods are provided herein for providing an NoC including a configurable array of nodes, where a node of the configurable array of nodes operates in a default operating mode until a replacement operating mode is triggered. For example, when an NoC is unconfigured, a latch bank may be initialized to “clear,” such that no routing decisions are stored. This may enable a default operating mode where routing logic updates the latches' values as needed to implement required routing behavior in a dynamic fashion until configuration is performed.
US09553753B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for facilitating synchronization in a wireless communication system. A number sequence of length L is defined. The number sequence is mapped on a first set of discrete Fourier frequency coefficients. A second set of discrete Fourier frequency coefficients is generated by frequency shifting the first set of discrete Fourier frequency coefficients. The second set of discrete Fourier frequency coefficients is transformed into a time domain signal.
US09553750B2

Provided is a transmitter which improves the flexibility of SRS resource allocation without increasing the amount of signaling for notifying the cyclic shift amount. In the transmitter, with regard to each basic shift amount candidate group having a basic shift amount from 0 to N−1, a transmission control unit (206) specifies the actual shift amount imparted to a cyclic shift sequence used in scrambling a reference signal transmitted from each antenna port, said specification being performed based on a table in which cyclic shift amount candidates correspond to each antenna port, and based on setting information transmitted from a base station (100). With regard to basic shift amount candidates for shift amount X, the table differentiates between an offset pattern comprising offset values for cyclic shift amount candidates corresponding to each antenna port and an offset pattern corresponding to basic shift amount candidates of X+N/2.
US09553748B2

The synchronous demodulator electronic circuit for phase modulation signals includes, in a control loop, a discrete Fourier transform unit for receiving the phase modulation signal to be demodulated, and means of recovering the carrier frequency of the phase modulation signal, so that the discrete Fourier transform unit performs in combination the operations of mixing and low-pass filtering the sampled phase modulation signal with at least one frequency and phase adapted digital conversion signal to supply at least one demodulated signal at the output of the discrete Fourier transform unit.
US09553745B2

A signaling system includes a pre-emphasizing transmitter and an equalizing receiver coupled to one another via a high-speed signal path. The receiver measures the quality of data conveyed from the transmitter. A controller uses this information and other information to adaptively establish appropriate transmit pre-emphasis and receive equalization settings, e.g. to select the lowest power setting for which the signaling system provides some minimum communication bandwidth without exceeding a desired bit-error rate.
US09553741B2

A neural network demodulator is used within a receiver to provide Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) channel equalization and to correct for I/Q/phase imbalance. The neural network is trained with a single integrated training step to simultaneously handle the channel impairments of ISI equalization and I/Q phase imbalance as opposed to prior art methods of separately addressing each channel impairment in sequence.
US09553737B2

In one embodiment, backbone service instance identifiers (I-SIDs) of backbone frames are modified based on flow identification of frames encapsulated therein to induce entropy into the headers of the backbone frames. Backbone packet switching devices use the modified service instance identifier to load balance the corresponding frame through the backbone network. At an exit point of the backbone network, the original backbone service instance identifier (I-SID) associated with a frame encapsulated in a backbone frame is recovered from the modified service instance identifier, with this recovery typically including determining the flow identification of the frame encapsulated in the backbone frame.
US09553735B1

Systems and methods are described for determining broadcast parameters for a transmission. A plurality of broadcast content that comprise a priority level may be received, where each of the plurality of broadcast content may also comprise a timing for broadcasting. For each of the plurality of broadcast content, a number of nodes for broadcasting may be determined based on the priority level and the timing for broadcasting. The plurality of broadcast content may also be ranked based on the timing for broadcasting and the number of nodes for broadcasting. At least one scheduler may be instructed to schedule the plurality of content for broadcasting based on the ranking and the priority level for each of the plurality of broadcast content.
US09553725B2

Systems and methods for authenticating data and timeliness are disclosed. A method for authentication can comprise processing a data block to determine a first secret element, generating a second secret element based upon the first secret element, generating a non-secret element based upon the second secret element, and comparing the non-secret element to a nonce associated with the first secret element to determine authentication.
US09553722B2

A first key associated with a plurality of devices may be received. Furthermore, a second key associated with a single device may be received. The first key associated with the plurality of devices may be modified based on a device identification of the single device. Additionally, a primary key may be generated based on the modified first key and the second key.
US09553716B2

A network receiver for a network using distributed clock synchronization and a method of adjusting a frequency of an internal clock of the network receiver are provided. The network receiver receives from the network an input signal and has an internal clock for generating a clock signal. The network receiver further includes a clock bit comparator and an adjustment signal generator. The clock bit comparator compares lengths of a first time period lapsed while receiving at least five consecutive bits of the signal and of an internal clock time interval representing the same number of bits as a number of bits of the first time period. The adjustment signal generator generates a frequency adjustment signal for controlling a frequency of the internal clock in dependence of a result of the comparison of the lengths to reduce a difference between the lengths.
US09553706B2

Reference signals may not uniformly span over time and/or frequency on a resource unit. For example, reference signals may non-uniformly occupy symbols of a subframe. Alternatively, reference signals normally transmitted over certain tones of a subframe may have to be punctured to avoid collisions with a PSS and/or SSS transmitted over the same tones. Consequently, a UE may only be able to use a subset of reference signal tones for performing channel estimation. Accordingly, a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided for improving channel estimation under a non-uniform signal pattern. The apparatus indicates to a UE to utilize a subset of reference signals to derive a channel estimate for demodulating data in a specific subframe, and transmits a plurality of subframes, the plurality of subframes including the reference signals and the specific subframe, the specific subframe including a PSS and/or SSS.
US09553705B2

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for allocating feedback transmission resource and a method and apparatus for providing information on values thereof. According to the method of allocating feedback transmission resource, the feedback transmission resource is divided into a plurality of resource units, and the method can comprise receiving information on values of the plurality of resource units for the mobile stations; determining values of possible resource allocation status in each bidding round for the mobile stations from the received information on the values based on the sequential second price auction; and deriving an auction process of the resource units from the determined values of possible resource allocation status in each bidding round based on the sequential second price auction, so as to obtain a final resource unit allocation result for the mobile stations. With embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to improve performance in sum channel capacity and at the same time it can achieve preservation in fairness among MSs. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the feedback transmission resource can be optimized between at least two kinds of feedback information such as channel station information and intercell interference information, which will further improve the system performance.
US09553703B2

A method and an apparatus and for transmitting downlink Hybrid Automatic Repeat request (HARQ) information in a wireless communication system are provided. In the method, at least one Physical Resource Block (PRB) for transmitting a Physical HARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH) signal is set among all PRBs forming an available frequency band. A PHICH resource is determined within the set at least one PRB. A PHICH signal is transmitted using the determined PHICH resource.
US09553698B2

A terminal capable of ensuring that when a UL-DL configuration is switched over, recognition of a UL HARQ process continued in the UL-DL configuration before and after the switchover is matched between a base station and the terminal. A terminal (200) can be switched to either one of configuration patterns including a downlink subframe used in downlink communication and an uplink subframe used in uplink communication. Mapping between an uplink subframe and a retransmission process is set for each of the configuration patterns. On the basis of mapping in a unique base frame determined by a pre-switchover configuration pattern and a post-switchover configuration pattern, a determination unit (206) determines a first retransmission process to be continued after switchover from among retransmission processes in the pre-switchover configuration pattern, and a second retransmission process to be continued from the first retransmission process from among retransmission processes in the post-switchover configuration pattern.
US09553697B2

Techniques for sending ACK/NACK information in a multi-carrier wireless communication network are disclosed. In one aspect, a plurality of ACK/NACK transmission techniques are selectively employed by a multi-carrier user equipment (UE) to reduce the number of bits of ACK/NACK information to send and/or increase the number of payload bits available for sending the ACK/NACK information. The ACK/NACK transmission techniques may include an orthogonal sequence reduction technique, a channel selection technique, a spatial bundling technique, a carrier bundling technique, and/or a subframe bundling technique. The ACK/NACK transmission techniques may be prioritized based on the number of carriers on which data transmissions are received, a payload size available for carrying ACK/NACK information, and/or other factors. The multi-carrier UE can utilize different ACK/NACK transmission techniques in connection with different subsets of its configured carriers.
US09553692B2

Disclosed are a method and system for determining and controlling power of an optical transmitter of an optical network unit (ONU) for a time and wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (TWDM-PON). The system includes an RSSI collector configured to collect received signal strength indication (RSSI) information from upstream optical signals received from the ONUs connected to optical line terminal (OLT) ports, an ONU power level determiner configured to gather the pieces of RSSI information about the ONUs from the RSSI collector, and to determine power of optical transmitters of the ONUs based on the gathered information, and a power mode controller configured to receive power mode setting information of the optical transmitters of the ONUs from the ONU power level determiner, and to generate a physical layer operation and maintenance (PLOAM) message to control power modes of the ONUs based on the received power mode setting information.
US09553689B2

A temperature insensitive DEMUX/MUX device whose wavelength does not change by environment temperature is provided for WDM application. The temperature insensitive DEMUX/MUX device includes a waveguide-based delay-line-interferometer configured to receive an input light bearing multiplexed wavelengths and output a first output light bearing the same multiplexed wavelengths but with a shifted intensity peak position. The first output light is transmitted into a DEMUX device through a first free space coupler and a grating fiber or waveguide to be demultiplexed for forming a plurality of second output lights each bearing an individual wavelength. The DEMUX device includes a second free space coupler for refocusing each second output light to corresponding output channel. The shifted intensity peak position of the first output light is tunable to make each second output light free from any temperature-induced drift off corresponding output channel.
US09553687B1

A system for transmitting data using orthogonal mode division multiplexing (OMDM), a multiplexing method derived from the orbital angular momentum of photons. In one embodiment, a transmitter transmits multiple superimposed radio frequency (RF) beams each independently modulated with data, and each with a different orbital angular momentum rotational state. An OMDM receiver receives the different rotational states in separate communications channels. The OMDM states are substantially orthogonal, providing independent data channels for increased data capacity, and providing privacy.
US09553675B2

An optical transmitter may receive and encode a first group of bits into first encoded data and second encoded data. The optical transmitter may supply a first sub-carrier carrying a first symbol and a second sub-carrier carrying a second symbol. The first symbol and the second symbol may be based on the first encoded data and the second encoded data, respectively, such that the first sub-carrier has a first polarization state comprising first and second polarization components, and the second sub-carrier has a second polarization state comprising first and second polarization components. The first polarization state may be substantially orthogonal to the second polarization state. An optical receiver may receive the first symbol via the first sub-carrier, may receive the second symbol via the second sub-carrier, may decode the first symbol and the second symbol into a second group of bits, and may output the second group of bits.
US09553674B2

An optical transmitter includes a circuit that controls a first frequency component and a second frequency component that are contained in an optical signal to be transmitted to be in different polarization states from each other.
US09553659B2

A method and system for communication with a mobile platform is provided. An antenna system coupled to a transmitter for use in providing a communication channel to a mobile user includes a first linear transmit array of radiating horns, a second linear transmit array of radiating horns, and at least one reflector coupled to at least one of the first linear transmit array and the second linear transmit array, the at least one reflector configured to reflect illumination from the first and second linear transmit arrays to form a communication channel for the mobile user.
US09553658B1

Methods, devices, routers and systems for a satellite-ready Satcom Direct router with simultaneous use of Inmarsat, SwiftBroadband, Swift 64, Ku-Band and Ka-Band satellite connections with intelligent traffic control, along with Wi-Fi access and 3G/4G cellular network connectivity. The router is compatible with existing Wi-Fi access points and is backward-compatible with 802.11b/g. Up to four or more simultaneous wireless networks can be supported, allowing multiple systems to operate on aircraft without additional wireless access points and providing 3G/4G network connectivity when the aircraft is on the ground. A downloadable Satcom Direct router mobile App provides on-board cabin services including one or more of moving maps, flight tracker and command and control of satellite links.
US09553645B2

The present invention provides a data transmission device and method in a wireless communication system. The device comprises a processor which is connected with the M antennas and which is formed so as to generate data to be transmitted through the M antennas, on the basis of a precoding matrix; the precoding matrix is generated based on a plurality of matrices; and a first matrix, which is one matrix among the plurality of matrices, is selected from within a codebook for N antennas (where N
US09553641B2

A UE, for an HSPA WCDMA system, equipped with a first and a second transmit antenna, and arranged to use one or more sets of pre-coding weights for transmission. The UE is arranged to receive instructions from a NodeB on the set or sets of pre-coding weights to be used, and to transmit a first and a second pilot signal, and to use a first set of pre-coding weights for the first pilot signal and a second set of pre-coding weights for the second pilot signal, where the first set of pre-coding weights is the same as the UE uses for transmitting a first data stream, and to use different spreading codes for the first data stream and for the first pilot signal.
US09553639B2

Systems and methods presented herein provide for locating user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network. The system includes one or more wireless access points, wherein each wireless access point is operable to detect signal of a UE in the wireless communication network, and to train with the UE to establish a communication link with the UE. The system also includes a network processing element communicatively coupled to the wireless access points and operable to extract channel estimation and signal strength information of the UE from the wireless access points via said training with the UE, to compare the channel estimation and signal strength information of the UE from the wireless access points to stored signatures of the UE, and to determine a location of the UE in the wireless communication network based on the comparisons.
US09553632B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a wireless communications method, user equipment, a base station and a system, and relate to the field of wireless communications. The method includes: acquiring a frequency domain spreading factor, a symbol-level spreading factor and a transmission time interval-level spreading factor; and performing frequency domain spreading, symbol-level spreading and transmission time interval-level spreading on first to-be-sent information respectively according to the acquired spreading factors and sending first spread information; or, despreading, according to the acquired spreading factors, second spread information sent by a base station.
US09553627B2

A manufacturing method for manufacturing a protective case, includes steps: a reflective film is prepared; a first filter film, a second filter film, and a third filter film of a color filter film, and then a decorative film are laminated on the reflective film in sequence to form a multilayer film structure; and a plurality of couples of relative positions of opposite surfaces of the multilayer film structure are processed via a bidirectional processing machine, thereby forming a plurality of light transmission openings penetrating the reflective film and the decorative film and further penetrating at least one or zero of first filter film, the second filter film, and the third filter film. A rear plate including the plurality of light transmission openings, the reflective film, the color filter film, and the decorative film is formed accordingly.
US09553626B2

A method, system, and device provide power-efficient communications within the context of available power. Transmission and receipt data rates are scalable in accordance with output power available from a power source. Data is transmitted at a data rate determined, at least in part, by the available output power.
US09553624B2

Disclosed are a card socket device and an electronic apparatus including the same. The card socket device includes a seat portion configured to receive an attachable card; and one or more connection terminal portions formed in the seat portion and configured to form an electrical connection with one or more connection pads formed in a bottom surface of the attachable card, wherein the seat portion is configured such that a space accommodating the attachable card is upwardly opened.
US09553620B2

A method and system for detecting and characterizing an input signal receive a signal having an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature-phase (Q) component. A first IQ sample of the signal is acquired at a first point in time, and a second IQ sample of the signal is acquired at a second point in time, Using one or more processors, a delayed complex conjugate multiply (DCM) is applied to the first IQ sample of the signal and the second IQ sample of the signal to produce a constant product having an in-phase (IC) component and a quadrature-phase (QC) component. A signal magnitude and a signal frequency are determined from the IC component of the constant and the QC component of the constant, using the one or more processors.
US09553613B2

Provided are a transmitter for processing an L1 signaling including an L1-pre signaling and an L1-post signaling, a receiver of the L1 signaling, and methods of controlling the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter includes: an encoder configured to perform Bose, Chaudhuri, Hocquenghem (BCH) encoding and Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoding with respect to the L1-post signaling, and a puncturing unit configured to puncture at least a part of LDPC parity bits constituting an LDPC codeword generated by the LDPC encoding of the L1-post signaling, wherein the number of bits to be punctured is calculated based on the number of bits available for transmission of the LDPC codeword and a modulation order of the L1-post signaling.
US09553610B2

A transmitter and receiver of a broadcasting signal and a method of processing the broadcasting signal are provided. The transmitter includes: a segmenter configured to segment an L1 signaling of a frame into a plurality of segmented L1 signalings such that each of the segmented L1 signalings has bits a number of which is equal to or smaller than a predetermined number; and an encoder configured to perform a Bose, Chaudhuri, Hocquenghem (BCH) and a low density parity check (LDPC) encoding, or the LDPC encoding without the BCH encoding, with respect to the segmented L1 signalings.
US09553607B2

A transmitting apparatus is provided. The transmitting apparatus includes a segmenter configured to segment Layer 1 (L1) signaling; and an encoder configured to perform Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoding with respect to each of the segmented L1 signalings, and the encoder punctures parity bits from LDPC parity bits added by the LDPC encoding as many as bits of a predetermined group unit.
US09553601B2

An electrical signal is processed by digitizing the electrical signal to produce a stream of digitized data in the time domain, wherein the stream has an original frequency spectrum, transmitting the stream to N signal paths (N>1), and down-converting and filtering the stream in each of the N signal paths to produce N streams of digitized data in the time domain, wherein the N streams have N frequency spectra, respectively, and the N frequency spectra cover N different portions of the original frequency spectrum, respectively.
US09553597B2

Various embodiments improve accuracy by increasing the number of atoms engaged in a clock transitions in an optical lattice clock. An exemplary optical lattice clock an embodiment comprises an optical waveguide, an optical path, a laser light source, and a laser cooler. The optical path has a hollow pathway that extends from a first end to a second end while being surrounded with a tubular wall, which is used as a waveguide path. The optical path passes between mirrors and through the pathway. The laser light source supplies to the optical path a pair of lattice lasers (L1 and L2) propagating in opposite directions with each other. The laser cooler supplies cooled atoms that have two levels of electronic states associated with a clock transition to the vicinity of the first end of the optical waveguide.
US09553595B2

In a clock generating circuit, a variable frequency division circuit generates a variable divided clock by dividing a source clock in accordance with a division ratio setting signal. A first clock synchronization circuit generates a first delayed clock that is delayed by a maximum number of clocks from the variable divided clock in synchronization with the source clock and supplies the first delayed clock to a control circuit. One or more second clock synchronization circuits generate one or more second delayed clocks, each of which is delayed by the maximum number of clocks from the variable divided clock in synchronization with the source clock, and supply each of the one or more second delayed clocks to each of one or more functional modules.
US09553592B1

A circuit for generating a divided clock signal with a configurable phase offset comprises a first latch circuit adapted to receive a clock signal to be divided; a second latch coupled to an output of the first latch circuit and generating a divided output clock signal; and an initialization circuit coupled to the first latch circuit and the second latch circuit, the initialization circuit coupled to receive an initialization signal. The initialization signal determines a phase offset between the divided output clock signal and the clock signal to be divided. A method of generating a divided clock signal is also described.
US09553585B1

A level shifter circuit includes a level shifting unit configured to receive signals that may vary in a first range via a positive input terminal and a negative input terminal, respectively and to output signals that may vary in a second range to a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, respectively, where the second range is larger than the first range, a first pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the positive output terminal to a predetermined level when a clock is in a first level, and a second pre-charging unit configured to pre-charge the negative output terminal to the predetermined level when the clock is in the first level.
US09553583B2

To reduce a leakage current of a transistor so that malfunction of a logic circuit can be suppressed, a semiconductor device includes a first conductive layer over an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer over the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer over the semiconductor layer, a gate insulating layer over the second conductive layer, and a gate electrode over the gate insulating layer. The semiconductor device may further include wiring layers. The logic circuit includes a transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor layer having a function of a channel formation layer and in which an off current is 1×10−13 A or less per micrometer in channel width, and may be 1×10−17 A or less per micrometer. A first signal, a second signal, and a third signal that is a clock signal are input as input signals. A fourth signal and a fifth signal whose voltage states are set in accordance with the first to third signals which have been input are output as output signals.
US09553581B2

A multi-module integrated circuit (IC) can be configured in different types of packages having different modules enabled or disabled. A module that can be disabled has driven circuitry that is known a priori to have a low-power input vector that places the driven circuitry into a low leakage power state. The module also has driving circuitry with one or more package-aware cells. The IC has a package-aware controller that generates control signals for the package-aware cells that ensure that the outputs from the package-aware cells are forced to particular values (i.e., either logical-0 or logical-1) that cause the low power input vector to be applied to the driven circuitry when the IC is assembled in a package in which the module is disabled. In this way, module leakage power is reduced for package types in which certain modules are disabled.
US09553572B2

A self clocking comparator for clocking a charge pump providing a high voltage output including multiple gain stages and a reset circuit. The gain stages are configured to assert the compare voltage at a first voltage level in a default state when the sense voltage is greater than the reference voltage, and to assert the compare voltage to a second voltage level in a reset state when the sense voltage falls below the reference voltage. The reset circuit resets, or otherwise forces, the gain stages back to the default state in response to the compare voltage transitioning to the second voltage level. The compare voltage oscillates while the sense voltage is less than the reference voltage at a frequency based on a magnitude of a difference between the sense voltage and the reference voltage up to a predetermined maximum frequency level.
US09553571B1

A method and apparatus for mitigating offsets in an interpolator are disclosed. In the method and apparatus, a first number of clock cycles of a first clock signal observed over a first clock cycle of a second clock signal is determined and then stored. Also a second number of clock cycles of the first clock signal observed over a second clock cycle of the second clock signal subsequent to the first clock cycle is determined and stored. The first number of clock cycles and the second number of clock cycles are compared to determine whether they are different from each other. If they are different from each other, a reset signal is asserted under control of the second clock signal to reset at least one of a derivator stage and an integrator stage of an interpolator.
US09553565B2

A method an apparatus for performing automatic frequency compensation (or control) is disclosed. A method and apparatus for performing automatic frequency compensation (or control) is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes a radio receiver receiving a radio signal and detecting a preamble in the radio signal. The method further includes freezing an automatic frequency compensation (AFC) loop responsive to detecting the preamble. A clock source of the AFC loop may be switched from a first clock signal to a second clock signal. The method further includes subsequently unfreezing the AFC loop.
US09553557B2

An apparatus for processing an input sound signal, the apparatus including: gain circuitry configured to control a gain based on a plurality of respective sub-signals of the input sound signal; and an amplification apparatus configured to adjust the amplification of all the plurality of amplitudes based on the common gain.
US09553542B2

A hammer drill (100) comprises an electric motor (110), a piston (127) as a driving member and a controller (199) which controls and drives the electric motor (110). The piston (127) is reciprocated by rotation of the electric motor (110) and thereby a hammer bit (119) is driven in its longitudinal direction. The hammer bit (119) is moved forward in response to a forward movement stroke of the piston (127) and thereby a hammering operation is performed by the hammer bit (119). The controller (199) sets a duty ratio of a driving pulse signal which drives the electric motor (110) in the forward movement stroke of the piston (127) to be larger in order to prevent a reduction of a rotation speed of the electric motor (110) due to a load applied on the electric motor (110) during the forward movement stroke of the piston (127).
US09553540B2

A power converter has a phase leg with upper and lower switching devices coupled across a DC link. A junction between the devices is coupled to a load. A current sensor detects direction of current flow from the junction to the load. A gate driver activates the devices according to upper and lower gate signals in response to pulse-width modulation (PWM) to generate nominal gate signals from a variable duty cycle. When the positive current direction is detected then the upper gate signal has turn-on and turn-off times shifted by a predetermined offset with respect to the nominal signals, and dead-times are added to the lower gate signals. When the negative direction is detected then the lower gate signal has turn-on and turn-off times shifted by the predetermined offset with respect to the nominal signals, and dead-times are added to the upper gate signals.
US09553536B2

A stator arrangement includes a stator extending in a circumferential direction and plural teeth alternating with plural slots arranged along the circumferential direction. A first wire is arranged in a first slot of the plural slots. A second wire is arranged in a second slot of the plural slots, wherein the second slot is circumferentially adjacent to the first slot. A first converter has an input terminal connected to the first wire and a second converter has an input terminal connected to the second wire.
US09553532B2

A control device for AC rotary machine includes a current vector detection section (3), a magnetic flux vector detection section (9), an adaptive observation section (8), a control section (4), a voltage application section (5), a deviation vector calculation section (6) for outputting a current deviation vector and a magnetic flux deviation vector, and a deviation amplification section (7). The adaptive observation section (8) calculates an estimated current vector, an estimated magnetic flux vector, and an estimated position, based on a voltage instruction vector and an amplified deviation vector. Further, the control section (4) superimposes a high-frequency voltage vector, and the magnetic flux vector detection section (9) calculates a detected magnetic flux vector, based on a magnitude of a high-frequency current vector having the same frequency component as the high-frequency voltage vector, included in a detected current vector, and on a magnitude of a rotor magnetic flux.
US09553529B2

There is provided a motor controller including: a voltage generator that generates a voltage applied to a motor; a temperature detector that detects a temperature of a circuit; a rotation speed detector that detects a rotation speed of the motor; and a voltage controller that controls the voltage generator so as to generate a voltage of a duty ratio based on a speed instruction value, and that, in cases in which a temperature of an element configuring the circuit, computed based on the temperature of the circuit detected by the temperature detector, the rotation speed of the motor detected by the rotation speed detector, and a load of the circuit, reaches a predetermined threshold value or above, controls the voltage generator so as to generate a voltage of a duty ratio that is lower than the duty ratio based on the speed instruction value.
US09553528B2

A method and apparatus for controlling a motor. The motor comprises windings. A switch bridge comprising a plurality of switches is configured to couple a power source to the windings. A motor controller is configured to control the plurality of switches. An undesired condition identifier is configured to identify an undesired condition when the motor is providing power to the power source, wherein the undesired condition is defined with respect to a characteristic of the power source. An undesired condition reducer is configured to reduce the undesired condition in response to identifying the undesired condition by the undesired condition identifier.
US09553525B2

A method is disclosed to at least partially prevent back powering of power sourcing equipment. In one or more implementations, the method includes detecting a magnitude of current through a current sensor, such as a transistor and/or a resistor. The active FET bridge is configured to rectify input power supplied by power sourcing equipment to a power over Ethernet (PoE) powered device. The method also includes causing the transistor to transition from a closed configuration to an open configuration to at least substantially prevent current flow through the transistor when the magnitude of current is below a predefined threshold to at least substantially prevent back powering of the PSE.
US09553516B2

This is a multi-level converter comprising one or more arms (B) to each be connected between a voltage source (VDC) and a current source (I). Each arm comprises two stages (E1, E2) in cascade, the first to be connected to the voltage source (VDC), the second to be connected to the current source (I). The first stage (Et1) comprises several elementary stages (E1n, . . . , E12, E11) of rank one to n in cascade, the elementary stage (E11) of rank one being connected to the second stage (Et2) and the elementary stage (E1n) of rank n having to be connected to the voltage source (VDC). Each elementary stage (E1n) comprises a pair of identical cells of NPC type (Cen1, Cen2) in series, the connection being direct in the elementary stage of rank 1, the connection being made via n−1 capacitive cells ((Can(1), . . . , Can(n−1)) for each elementary stage of rank greater than one, the second stage (Et2) comprising a floating capacitor cell (Ce10).
US09553514B2

To provide a DC-DC converter which prevents overshoot from occurring in an output voltage even when a power supply voltage rises from a voltage lower than a desired output voltage of the DC-DC converter to a normal voltage. A DC-DC converter is equipped with a 100% DUTY detection circuit which detects a 100% DUTY state of a PWM comparator, a power supply voltage rise detection circuit which detects a rise in a power supply voltage, and a discharge control circuit which lowers an output voltage of an error amplifier. The DC-DC converter is configured to lower the output voltage of the error amplifier when a power supply voltage rise detection signal is outputted where a 100% DUTY state is reached and the output voltage of the error amplifier is higher than a predetermined voltage.
US09553511B2

At least one embodiment is directed to a semiconductor voltage controller comprising: a start-mode circuit associated with a start-mode; and an off-mode circuit associated with an off-mode, where the voltage controller can be configured to receive a feedback signal and an off-mode signal from a single input and provide an output voltage, where the voltage controller can be configured to be in the off-mode when the feedback signal is less than a skip level and the feedback signal is less than a HV control level, and where the voltage controller can be configured to be in start mode when the feedback signal is greater than HV control level and Vcc is below a Vcc-start.
US09553508B1

A circuit that includes a first diode-connected dummy device, a second diode-connected dummy device, a third diode-connected dummy device, a fourth diode-connected dummy device, and a first discharge path. The second diode-connected dummy device connected in cascode with the first diode-connected dummy device. The fourth diode-connected dummy device connected in cascode with the third diode-connected dummy device. The first and the second diode-connected dummy devices are formed in a first region. The third and the fourth diode-connected dummy devices are formed in a second region which is outside the first region. The first discharge path configured to discharge charges from at least one of the first and the second diode-connected dummy devices in the first region to a reference voltage terminal of one of the third and the fourth diode-connected dummy devices in the second region.
US09553507B1

A current to current charge pump including two flying capacitors, a capacitor driver, two rectifying inverters, a bypass capacitor coupled between an input node and a control node, a current control transistor circuit coupled between the control node and a reference node, and an output circuit coupled between upper and lower nodes. One of the upper and lower nodes is held at a constant voltage level. A storage capacitor is coupled between the upper and lower nodes. The capacitor driver drives each of the flying capacitors to opposite states between the control and input nodes using a clock signal. The rectifying inverters are cross-coupled between the flying capacitors, and have supply terminals coupled between the upper and lower nodes. The current control transistor circuit develops an input current at the control node based on a reference current. The output transistor circuit develops an output current that follows the input current.
US09553505B1

A circuit for electromagnetic interference (EMI) reduction contains a signal input, a signal output, a pulse count controlling unit, a stand-by power reduction unit, a pulse series delay unit, and a temperature sensing unit. An alternating current (AC) input is provided to the signal input and the modified signal is drawn out from the signal output. The pulse count controlling unit and the pulse series delay unit modify the pulses of the pulse-width modulation process such that the overall efficiency of the circuit is increased. In particular, the pulse count controlling unit increases the number of pulses per cycle such that additional power is transferred onto the output load. On the other hand, the pulse series delay unit shifts the start time of a series of pulses such that the overall emission is reduced. The stand-by power reduction unit disconnects power when a circuit overload occurs.
US09553504B2

Disclosed are a power factor correction circuit and a power adapter, and the power factor correction circuit includes a sampler, a controller and a current limiter, and the controller includes an error amplification unit, a peak value adjusting unit, an ON/OFF computing unit and a phase lock unit. The sampler is coupled to the phase lock unit, and the current limiter is coupled to the error amplification unit and the ON/OFF computing unit, so as to achieve the effects of enhancing the power factor property of the power factor correction circuit, lowering the manufacturing cost, and improving the electric power utilization.
US09553490B2

A motor includes a rotary and a stationary portion. The rotary portion includes a shaft, a rotor holder, and a rotor magnet. The stationary portion includes a bearing member, a housing, a stator, a circuit board directly or indirectly held in the housing, positioned axially below the rotor holder, and a circuit board support portion provided together with the housing as a monolithic member or directly or indirectly held in the housing, directly or indirectly attached to a device body. The circuit board includes first and second circuit boards positioned respectively axially above and below the circuit board support portion. The first and second circuit boards are electrically connected via a connecting member, and partially overlap. An attachment portion attaching the motor to a device is positioned on an outer peripheral surface of the circuit board support portion.
US09553488B2

An electrical machine, particularly a permanent magnet motor, having a number of poles and teeth or tooth groups that is divisible by a whole number A around which coil-forming loops of winding wire are arranged such that B coils are arranged in series, the coils having a number of windings equivalent to C/B where C is a whole number divisor of B and indicates the wire diameter as a quotient of a traditional standard winding, as well as a method to provide a corresponding winding structure.
US09553487B2

The present disclosure relates to a radial and axial flux motor using integrated windings, which includes a rotor which includes a rotor core having a shape of a hollow cylindrical case, and permanent magnets for an inner lateral surface and permanent magnets for a ceiling surface that are coupled to the inner lateral surface and the ceiling surface of the rotor core respectively, and which is rotated about a shaft, and a stator which includes a stator core and windings coupled to the stator core and which is installed in the rotor. Therefore, a radial flux motor and an axial flux motor are integrated into one motor to be able to increase both efficiency and output.
US09553485B2

An inductive wireless power transfer system comprises a transmitter configured to generate an electromagnetic field to a coupling region for providing energy transfer to a wireless power receiving apparatus. The transmitter includes control logic configured to determine a power component of the transmitter, and determine a presence of a foreign object within the coupling region in response to a comparison of the power component and a desired threshold for the power component. Related inductive methods for detecting a foreign object in an inductive wireless power transfer coupling region of an inductive wireless power transfer system and operating a sleep mode of a wireless power transmitter are disclosed.
US09553482B2

Lighting power supply system (1) including a mains input converter (11) operable to provide power, a controller (17) operable to control at least one element of the lighting system, a controller bus (26) and a controller interface (25) operable to provide control signals from the bus to the lighting system. An auxiliary converter (43) powers the lighting system from the bus and it may allow the controller to continue to be powered when the mains input is absent and an emergency battery (19) is depleted.
US09553461B2

A charge control circuit includes: a charge/discharge circuit to charge a capacitor when an input current from an input power supply is smaller than a first current, and discharge the capacitor when the input current is greater than the first current; a discharge circuit to discharge the capacitor when the input current becomes greater than a second current greater than the first current; an error amplifier circuit to amplify an error between a lower voltage between a capacitor charging voltage and a reference voltage corresponding to the maximum output voltage, and a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage; and a drive circuit to perform switching of a transistor of a booster circuit, including an inductor and the transistor to increase an inductor current, configured to boost the output voltage by supplying the inductor current to the terminal when the transistor is off, so that the error becomes smaller.
US09553460B2

A wireless battery management system includes a computing device and first and second battery unit monitoring modules. The computing device includes an output data request port and an input data port. In response to a data request from the output data request port of the computing device, a first battery unit monitoring module transmits data of the first battery unit to the input data port of the computing device wirelessly and may transmits a data request to the second battery unit monitoring module. In response, the second battery unit monitoring module may transmit data of the second battery unit to the input data port of the computing device wirelessly or transmit data of the second battery to the first module for wireless transmission. In addition, each battery unit monitoring module may communicate wirelessly and independently with the computing device.
US09553458B2

A power supply apparatus includes a power supply unit that wirelessly supply power to an electronic device, a first communication unit that communicates, based on a first communication method, with the electronic device, a second communication unit that communicates, based on a second communication method that is different from the first communication method, with the electronic device, and a control unit that controls the first communication unit so as to acquire authentication data for a communication between the second communication unit and the electronic device if a remaining capacity of a battery, connected to the electronic device, is equal to or more than a predetermined value.
US09553454B2

For network stabilization of an electric power supply network, the voltage at a first network connection point at a first voltage level to a power generator, and at a second network connection point to a second voltage level, as well as at at least one third network connection point to a load, are each sensed as a voltage measurement, wherein a reactive power draw or a reactive power delivery by the power generator is ascertained using a linkage of the voltage measurements with the geographic location of the relevant network connection point.
US09553447B2

An electronic device includes a chassis with a power button and a motherboard. The motherboard includes a slot, a controller chip, a startup circuit coupling to the power button, and a protecting circuit. The protecting circuit includes an electronic switch and an AND gate circuit. The electronic switch includes a first terminal coupled to the slot, a second terminal coupled to a ground, and a third terminal coupled to a first power supply through a first resistor. The AND gate circuit includes a first input end coupled to the first power supply, a second input end coupled to the controller chip, and an output end coupled to the startup circuit. The power button is pressed down, the controller chip outputs a control signal with a high voltage to the second input end of the AND gate circuit.
US09553445B2

A high-speed input circuit for industrial control provides an optoisolator protected by a series current regulator and shunting voltage regulator. The combined effect of the regulators is to allow the input circuit to work over a wide range of voltages while providing extremely fast response time.
US09553441B2

A method for protecting an intermediate circuit capacitor in a power converter circuit is disclosed. The power converter circuit includes at least two submodules in a series circuit, which draws electrical power from a power source outputting a DC voltage via an inductance, wherein each submodule has, on the input side, a single-phase half bridge and, on the load side, a single-phase full bridge, and wherein the half bridge, the full bridge and an intermediate circuit capacitor are connected in parallel with one another on the DC voltage side. When a fault in one of the submodules is detected, transmission of electrical power from the load-side output of the full bridge of the submodule with the detected fault into the submodule with the detected fault is blocked.
US09553437B1

An electrical outlet safety cover consisting of a cover plate removable caps to cover and prevent access by children to underlying electrical outlets. The cover plate replaces a standard electrical cover plate on an electrical outlet and secures to the electrical outlet with an attachment screw. A rear side of the cover plate is provided with slots on each side of each electrical socket access opening into which tabs provided on sides of the child proof safety caps insert as a means of removably securing the caps over the electrical outlets. A tab housing surrounds each slot to prevent the tabs from inserting too far inwardly when inserting or removing the caps from the cover plate. The caps are sufficiently large to cover the attachment screw and to prevent choking by a child.
US09553436B2

A floor box cover includes a base plate that engages an electrical device and a cover plate connected to the base plate. The cover plate includes a first opening to expose the electrical device and a second opening to receive a lid. A connector is inserted into an aperture in the lid and engages the cover plate to secure the lid within the second opening, causing the lid to conceal the first opening. A connector gasket engages the connector to prevent the connector from being easily removed from the lid. The connector gasket may be compressed within the aperture to seal the aperture when the connector engages the cover plate. A compressible ring gasket may be friction fit within the second opening, and when the connector engages the cover plate, the lid may compress the ring gasket to seal the second opening.
US09553433B2

A gangable electrical box includes a U-shaped box member having a generally rectangular back wall including opposed back wall ends. An end wall extends from each of the back wall ends. Each of the end walls has opposed longitudinal edges. The gangable box further includes a pair of generally rectangular side walls where each side wall has opposed side wall ends. The side wall ends are attachable to the U-shaped box member to define an open ended box interior. The longitudinal edges of the end walls and the opposite ends of the side walls include interfitting snap fit connection for toolless attachment of the side walls to the box member.
US09553425B2

A method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor laser elements having; preparing the semiconductor wafer; forming grooves that extend along second lines on a first main surface side of the semiconductor wafer, and forming a first texture pattern along second lines on a bottom surface of the grooves, the second lines being parallel to a cavity length direction; forming a second texture pattern along the second lines by covering at least part of the first texture pattern with a protective film; and splitting the semiconductor wafer along first lines, the first lines being parallel to a cavity width direction, and splitting along the second lines using a second main surface, which is an opposite side of the first main surface, of the semiconductor wafer as an origin.
US09553418B2

A distributed resonator laser system using retro-reflecting elements, in which spatially separated retroreflecting elements define respectively a power transmitting and a power receiving unit. The retroreflectors have no point of inversion, so that an incident beam is reflected back along a path essentially coincident with that of the incident beam. This enables the distributed laser to operate with the beams in a co-linear mode, instead of the ring mode described in the prior art. This feature allows the simple inclusion of elements having optical power within the distributed cavity, enabling such functions as focusing/defocusing, increasing the field of view of the system, and changing the Rayleigh length of the beam. The optical system can advantageously be constructed as a pupil imaging system, with the advantage that optical components, such as the gain medium or a photo-voltaic converter, can be positioned at such a pupil without physical limitations.
US09553412B2

The present disclosure provides a main connector including a shield housing, an insulated body, a plurality of metal terminals, and a shielding plate. The shield housing has an opening for a butt joint connector to insert. The insulated body is encapsulated inside the shield housing. Each of the metal terminals has a contact portion and a fixing portion. The contact portion is arranged in two rows inside the opening of the shield housing, and the fixing portion is fixed to the insulated body. The shielding plate has at least one elastic arm with bending formation and is disposed between two rows of the metal terminals.
US09553411B2

An electronic interface is provided and includes a shield having a first shield element, a second shield element, and a connection section. The second shield element is spaced apart from the first shield element along a length of the shield and has a width different than a width of the first shield element. The connection section electrically connects the first shield element and the second shield element.
US09553406B2

A wire connection terminal structure includes a seat body and a conductive clip disposed therein. One end of the seat body has an extending side and a recessed side and a slope formed between the extending side and the recessed side. The conductive clip has a holding mouth. The slope is formed with a wire plug-in opening aligned with the holding mouth. A wire plug-in protection wall is formed on an edge of the recessed side. The wire plug-in protection wall protrudes in a direction as an extending direction of the extending side. The slope and the wire plug-in protection wall define a recessed configuration on the end of the seat body. The wire plug-in protection wall on the outer edge of the wire plug-in opening provides a shielding and guidance effect so that the conductive wire can be easily aimed at and plugged into the wire plug-in opening.
US09553391B2

An electrical connector including a metal plate including an insulating portion and an insulating portion; and a contact support portion including a hole portion that is extended in a thickness direction, of which a top end is blocked by a connection portion, and of which a bottom end exposes the insulating portion but not the metal plate, and a hole portion that is extended in the thickness direction, of which a bottom end opens to an outer surface and is blocked by a connection portion, and of which a top end exposes the insulating portion but not the metal plate.
US09553390B2

A transmission module includes a cable and an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a case and a transmission assembly. The case includes a standard section and a cable-collecting section. The standard section and the cable-collecting section together form a housing space. The transmission assembly is located in a part of the standard section. The cable is located in a part of the cable-collecting section, and electrically connected to the transmission assembly. The standard section has a standard height. The cable-collecting section has a non-standard height. The non-standard height is greater than the standard height, and a height difference between the non-standard height and the standard height is less than 1.5 millimeters.
US09553388B2

An electrical connector includes a connector terminal, a housing formed with a slider groove, and a retainer locking the connector terminal and preventing the connector terminal from being released by sliding from the unlocking position to the locking position. The retainer includes a basal end housed in the slider groove, and a projection projecting from the basal end toward the opening of an engagement hole. The basal end is formed with an operation hole in which an operating jig that changes the position of the retainer between the locking position and the unlocking position is inserted. The projection is formed with a guide portion that guides the insertion of the operating jig in the operation hole.
US09553373B2

A retention system is for an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus includes a frame having a number of slots, a cover coupled to the frame, an electrical component enclosed by the frame and the cover, separable contacts enclosed by the frame and the cover, and an operating mechanism to open and close the separable contacts. The retention system includes: at least one bundle of wires having a plurality of individual wires extending through a corresponding one of the number of slots to be electrically connected to the electrical component; and at least one restriction mechanism each including an insulative sleeve surrounding a corresponding one of the at least one bundle of wires, and a blocking member connected to the insulative sleeve. The blocking member engages the frame to prevent undesired movement of the individual wires with respect to the corresponding one of the number of slots.
US09553369B2

Systems and devices relating to a biconical antenna. The antenna has a top cone assembly and a bottom cone assembly, each cone assembly being coupled to a dielectric spacer at its apex. Each cone assembly has a cone section and a truncated cone section. The cone section is a cone with an apex which forms the apex of the cone assembly. The truncated cone section is coupled to the cone of the cone section at the cone's rim. The cone has an opening angle which is larger than the opening angle of the truncated cone. The biconical antenna can be fed by way of a coaxial cable with the outer cable feeding the bottom cone assembly and the inner cable feeding the top cone assembly.
US09553367B2

An antenna structure includes a main antenna, a diversity antenna, and at least one accessorial antenna. The main antenna extends in a main antenna direction. The diversity antenna is spaced apart from the main antenna and extends in a first radiation direction substantially parallel to the main antenna direction. The at least one accessorial antenna extends in a second radiation direction which is substantially perpendicular to either the main antenna direction or the first radiation direction.
US09553365B2

A multiband reception antenna enables the combined reception of circularly polarized satellite radio signals from at least one satellite radio service which emits with circular polarization and of terrestrially emitted radio signals. The multiband reception antenna comprises at least one satellite reception antenna with a ring line emitter and a plurality of vertical emitters are connected to the ring line emitter over the circumference of the ring line emitter. Furthermore, a monopole is provided, with a monopole connection point formed at the lower end thereof.
US09553362B2

[Object] To provide an antenna device which has a radiation pattern of wide angle, does not generate nulls in the vicinity of a front of an antenna, and has a high radiation efficiency.[Organization] An array antenna device 1 having a plurality of radiation elements has: a dielectric substrate 2; two or more series array antennas 10, 20 which are formed on the dielectric substrate and to which the plurality of radiation elements 11 to 13, 21 to 23 are connected in series by conductor lines 15, 25; a distributor 30 formed in a layer different from a layer of the dielectric substrate where the series array antennas are formed, the distributor distributing power via capacitive coupling to the two or more series array antennas; and a phase adjuster (conductor lines 34 to 37) adjusting a phase of power distributed by the distributor.
US09553357B2

An antenna mounting system for use with recreational vehicles and boats as well as stationary objects. The system includes a pedestal securable to the recreational vehicle and an antenna head containing an antenna element and securable to the pedestal. The pedestal has an upstanding male portion slidably receivable in a mating, female portion of the antenna head. In assembling the system, the male and female portions are first axially aligned and then moved axially toward each other to a predetermined, operating position where they are snapped together in a locking engagement. Anti-rotation structure including one or more pairs of mating, channels and protuberance is also provided to prevent the pedestal and antenna head from being rotated relative to each other about their aligned axes (and the coaxial cable running through them from being twisted) as they are moved together to the predetermined and locked, operating position.
US09553334B2

An object is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte and a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery which have excellent discharge load characteristics and are excellent in high-temperature storability, cycle characteristics, high capacity, continuous-charge characteristics, storability, gas evolution inhibition during continuous charge, high-current-density charge/discharge characteristics, discharge load characteristics, etc. The object has been accomplished with a nonaqueous electrolyte which comprises: a monofluorophosphate and/or a difluorophosphate; and further a compound having a specific chemical structure or specific properties.
US09553314B2

An ultra-short pulse laser physically and/or chemically modifies a substrate surface. A laser ablation process is configured to form raised surface features on the substrate. The laser also functions as the energy source in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The laser delivers energy to the substrate with parameters such as pulse energy, size, duration, and spacing sufficient to simultaneously vaporize substrate material and cause the substrate material to react with a controlled environment that includes constituents of a desired coating composition. A battery electrode having a face with microneedle features coated with an active metal compound can be produced by the process. The active metal compound is a lithium-containing compound in a lithium-ion battery.
US09553311B2

Provided is a cathode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery capable of obtaining high initial discharge capacity and good output characteristics at low temperature. In order to achieve this, a cathode active material that is a lithium nickel composite oxide composed of secondary particles that are an aggregate of primary particles is expressed by the general expression: Liw(Ni1-x-yCoxAly)1-zMzO2 (where 0.98≦w≦1.10, 0.05≦x≦0.3, 0.01≦y≦0.1, 0≦z≦0.05, and M is at least one metal element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ga), and where the crystallite diameter at (003) plane of that lithium nickel composite oxide that is found by X-ray diffraction and the Scherrer equation is within the range of 1200 Å to 1600 Å is used as the cathode material.
US09553299B2

A negative electrode sheet of a lithium-ion secondary battery has a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer on the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode active material layer contains flake graphite particles and has a first region neighboring the negative electrode current collector and a second region neighboring a surface side that are different in perpendicularity of the graphite particles. The perpendicularity of the graphite particles is defined as (m1/m2), where, when the inclination θn of each of the graphite particles is specified relative to a surface of the negative electrode current collector, m1 is the number of the graphite particles having an inclination θn of 60°≦θn≦90° and m2 is the number of the graphite particles having an inclination θn of 0°≦θn≦30°.
US09553294B2

An electric storage device includes: electric storage elements including external terminals; and bus bars connected to the external terminals, wherein the bus bars include thin-walled portions, and the thin-walled portions and the external terminals are welded together.
US09553292B2

In an aspect, a rechargeable lithium battery that includes a positive electrode; negative electrode; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and including a porous substrate and a coating layer formed on at least one side of the porous substrate; and an electrolyte including a lithium salt, a non-aqueous organic solvent, and an additive is provided.
US09553287B2

A battery pack including a plurality of bare cells electrically connected to one another; and a housing including a bottom portion accommodating the bare cells therein, a middle portion mounted on the bottom portion, and a top portion on the middle portion, the top portion including a first fastening portion, and the middle portion including a second fastening portion facing the first fastening portion, and at least a portion of the first fastening portion or the second fastening portion is spaced apart from the other of the first fastening portion or the second fastening portion.
US09553280B2

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, electronic device including the same and method of manufacturing the OLED display are disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a first plastic layer, a first barrier layer formed over the first plastic layer and a first intermediate layer formed over the first barrier layer. The OLED display also includes a second plastic layer formed over the first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer formed over the second plastic layer and a second barrier layer formed over the second intermediate layer. The OLED display further includes an OLED layer formed over the second barrier layer and a thin-film encapsulation layer encapsulating the OLED layer.
US09553277B2

An iridium complex represented by formula (1) and an OLED using the same are shown. In Formula (1), l, m, n, p, b, R1-R6, X1-X6, A1, A2 and B are the same as defined in the specification. The iridium complex is able to emit a range of visible light with high color purity and high efficiency as neat sample.
US09553270B2

The present invention provides an organic light emitting device including a dibenzothiophene-based compound and an organic material layer composed of one more layers including a first electrode, a second electrode and a light emitting layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, in which one or more layers of the organic material layer include the dibenzothiophene-based compound of Formula 1 or a compound in which a heat curable or photo curable functional group is introduced into the dibenzothiophene-based compound.
US09553268B2

The present invention generally relates to cathode buffer materials and devices and methods comprising the cathode buffer materials.
US09553265B1

The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit, which includes a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a lower metal layer, an intermediate metal layer disposed over the lower metal layer, and an upper metal layer disposed over the intermediate metal layer. An upper surface of the lower metal layer and a lower surface of the intermediate metal layer are spaced vertically apart by a first distance. A resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell is arranged between the lower metal layer and the upper metal layer. The RRAM cell includes a bottom electrode and a top electrode which are separated by a data storage layer having a variable resistance. The data storage layer vertically spans a second distance that is greater than the first distance.
US09553260B2

A conductive via disposed beneath a magnetic device and aligned therewith. In certain embodiments, an electrode formed on the conductive via may be polished to eliminate step functions or seams originating at the conductive via from propagating up through the various deposited layers. This integration approach allows for improved scaling of the MRAM devices to, for example, a 45 nanometer node.
US09553258B2

A magnetoresistive memory element (for example, a spin-torque magnetoresistive memory element), includes first and second dielectric layers, wherein at least one of the dielectric layers is a magnetic tunnel junction. The memory element also includes a free magnetic layer having a first surface in contact with the first dielectric layer and a second surface in contact with the second dielectric layer. The free magnetic layer, which is disposed between the first and second dielectric layers, includes (i) a first high-iron interface region located along the first surface of the free magnetic layer, wherein the first high-iron interface region has at least 50% iron by atomic composition, and (ii) a first layer of ferromagnetic material adjacent to the first high-iron interface region, the first high-iron interface region between the first layer of ferromagnetic material and the first surface of the free magnetic layer.
US09553256B2

A spin valve element 10 including a spin injector 12 made of a ferromagnetic material, a spin detector 16 made of a ferromagnetic material, and a channel part 14 made of a non-magnetic material. The spin detector 16 is arranged at a position separated from the spin injector 12, the channel part 14 is connected with the spin injector 12 and the spin detector 16 directly or through an insulating layer, and a plurality of spin diffusion portions 30 to 34 with enlarged cross section areas in a direction perpendicular to a spin current is formed in the channel part 14.
US09553249B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a thermoelectric component or at least one semi-finished product of same, in which a multiplicity of thermolegs made of a thermoelectrically active material are introduced into an essentially planar substrate made of an electrically and thermally insulating substrate material such that the thermolegs extend through the substrate essentially perpendicular to the substrate plane, and in which the active material is provided in pulverulent form, is pressed to give green bodies and is then sintered within the substrate to give thermolegs. It is based on the object of refining the method of the generic type mentioned in the introduction so as to increase the freedom of choice of the thermally and electrically insulating substrate material. The object is achieved in that the pulverulent active material is pressed, in a mould arranged outside the substrate, to give green bodies, the green bodies are pushed out of the mould and into holes provided in the substrate, where they are sintered to give thermolegs.
US09553241B2

A method for producing a semiconductor light emitting device includes a light-emitting-element provision step, a light-emitting-element placement step, and a light-reflection-layer coating step, in this order. In the light-emitting-element provision step, a light emitting element is prepared which includes a semiconductor layer structure on the lower-surface side of a substrate. In the light-emitting-element placement step, the light emitting element is placed on or above a supporting member from the semiconductor layer structure side. In the light-reflection-layer coating step, the surfaces of the substrate and the semiconductor layer structure is coated with a light reflection layer by using atomic layer deposition so as to expose at least a part of the upper surface or a part of side surface of the substrate as a light-extracting region. The intended functioning of the light reflection layer can be ensured. The highly reliable light reflection layer can make the device good quality.
US09553240B2

A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductive type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductive type, a light-emitting layer formed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, a first electrode connected to the first semiconductor layer, and a second electrode connected to the second semiconductor layer. The second electrode includes an ohmic electrode contacting the second semiconductor layer, and a semiconductor electrode made of a semiconductor layer contacting the ohmic electrode.
US09553236B2

A light emitting device includes a first conductive semiconductor layer on a substrate, a control layer interposed between the substrate and the first conductive semiconductor layer. The control layer includes a first nitride semiconductor layer having aluminum (Al), a plurality of nano-structures on the first nitride semiconductor layer, and a second nitride semiconductor layer provided on the first nitride semiconductor layer and having gallium (Ga).
US09553208B2

A current sensor device for sensing a measuring current includes a semiconductor chip having a magnetic field sensitive element. The current sensor device further includes an encapsulant embedding the semiconductor chip. A conductor configured to carry the measuring current is electrically insulated from the magnetic field sensitive element. A redistribution structure includes a first metal layer having a first structured portion which forms part of the conductor.
US09553197B2

A thin film transistor includes: a lower gate electrode on a substrate; a gate insulating layer on the lower gate electrode; a first semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer; a source electrode on the first semiconductor layer, a drain electrode on the first semiconductor layer and spaced apart form the source electrode; a second semiconductor layer on a channel region of the first semiconductor layer and on the source electrode and the drain electrode; a passivation layer on the second semiconductor layer; and an upper gate electrode disposed on the passivation layer, corresponding to the channel region.
US09553194B1

A method can include performing an etching process to define a fin trench having a first depth, the first depth being less that a target height of fin. A method can also include forming a layer to protect sidewalls defining the fin trench. A method can also include performing a second etching process to increase a depth of fin trench.
US09553172B2

A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are disclosed. The method includes receiving a substrate having a fin projecting through an isolation structure over the substrate; etching a portion of the fin, resulting in a trench; forming a doped material layer on sidewalls of the trench; and growing at least one epitaxial layer in the trench. The method further includes exposing a first portion of the at least one epitaxial layer over the isolation structure; and performing an annealing process, thereby driving dopants from the doped material layer into a second portion of the at least one epitaxial layer. The first portion of the at least one epitaxial layer provides a strained channel for the semiconductor device and the second portion of the at least one epitaxial layer provides a punch-through stopper.
US09553151B2

A semiconductor device containing a GaN FET has an isolating gate structure outside the channel area which is operable to block current in the two-dimensional electron gas between two regions of the semiconductor device. The isolating gate structure is formed concurrently with the gate of the GaN FET, and has a same structure as the gate.
US09553141B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of lower electrodes having a vertical length greater than a horizontal width on a substrate, a supporter disposed between the lower electrodes, an upper electrode disposed on the lower electrodes, and a capacitor dielectric layer disposed between the lower electrodes and the upper electrode. The supporter includes a first element, a second element, and oxygen, an oxide of the second element has a higher band gap energy than an oxide of the first element, and the content of the second element in the supporter is from about 10 at % to 90 at %.
US09553140B2

An integrated circuit and a method of fabricating the integrated circuit are provided. In various embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a substrate and a polysilicon resistor. The polysilicon resistor is disposed on the substrate. The polysilicon resistor has at least one positive TCR portion and at least one negative TCR portion. The positive TCR portion is adjacent to the negative TCR portion, and the positive TCR portion is in direct contact with the negative TCR portion.
US09553133B2

A method for producing an optoelectronic assembly having a first and at least a second optoelectronic components may include forming a first electrically conductive layer on a substrate, forming a second electrically conductive layer on the first electrically conductive layer, applying an insulator material on the second electrically conductive layer and the substrate, such that at least a first insulator region, which insulates a first component region from a second component region, a second insulator region, which insulates the second component region from a first contact region, a third insulator region arranged on a side of the first component region, and a fourth insulator region arranged between the first and second insulator regions on a side of the second component region are formed by the insulator material, forming a first and second optically functional layers in the first and second component regions, respectively, and applying an electrically conductive electrode layer.
US09553131B2

Disclosed is a semiconductor device that reduces the area of a transistor in a ReRAM. A plurality of memory cells differ from each other in the combination of bit line and plate line. The potential of plate line PL2 is a forming voltage. By contrast, the potentials of the other plate lines are +Vi. The potential of bit line BL2 is 0 V (ground potential). By contrast, the potentials of the other bit lines are +Vi. The potential of is +Vgf. By contrast, the potentials of the other word lines are +Vi.
US09553128B1

A technique relates to a linear magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) device. A linear magnetic tunnel junction structure includes a non-magnetic tunnel barrier on top of a free layer and a reference layer on top of the non-magnetic tunnel barrier, where the linear magnetic tunnel junction structure is in a line. Bottom contacts are separated from one another by a column space while the plurality of bottom contacts are self-aligned to the linear magnetic tunnel junction structure, such that the plurality of bottom contacts are in the line with and underneath the linear magnetic tunnel junction structure. The bottom contacts abut a bottom of the linear magnetic tunnel junction structure. MRAM devices are formed by having non-conducting parts of the free layer isolating individual interfaces between the bottom contacts and the free layer. The MRAM devices are formed in the line of the linear magnetic tunnel junction structure.
US09553124B2

A CMOS image sensor including a plurality of pixels, each including: a photodiode; a sigma-delta modulator of order p, p being an integer greater than or equal to 1, capable of delivering a binary digital signal representative of the illumination level of the photodiode; and a configurable connection circuit enabling to couple the sigma-delta modulator of the pixel to a sigma-delta modulator of another pixel, so that the modulators of the two pixels form with each other a sigma-delta modulator of order greater than p.
US09553122B2

A backside illuminated image sensor includes a substrate, a backside passivation layer disposed on backside of the substrate, and a transparent conductive layer disposed on the backside passivation layer.
US09553119B2

Methods of forming an image sensor are provided. A method of forming an image sensor includes forming a trench in a substrate to define a unit pixel region of the substrate. The method includes forming an in-situ-doped passivation layer on an exposed surface of the trench. The method includes forming a capping pattern on the in-situ-doped passivation layer, in the trench. The method includes forming a photoelectric conversion region in the unit pixel region. Moreover, the method includes forming a floating diffusion region in the unit pixel region.
US09553117B2

A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a photoelectric conversion unit, a charge storage unit, and a floating diffusion unit, all disposed on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state image pickup apparatus further includes a first gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending between the photoelectric conversion unit and charge storage unit, and a second gate electrode disposed on the semiconductor substrate and extending between the charge storage unit and the floating diffusion unit. The solid-state image pickup apparatus further includes a light shielding member including a first part and a second part, wherein the first part is disposed over the charge storage unit and at least over the first gate electrode or the second gate electrode, and the second part is disposed between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode such that the second part extends from the first part toward a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09553116B2

A substrate-removed, surface passivated, and anti-reflective (AR) coated detector assembly is provided. The assembly has an AR coating or passivation layer which includes a wide bandgap thin-film dielectric/passivation layer integrated therein. The wide bandgap thin-film dielectric/passivation layer is positioned proximal to a back interface of a substrate-removed detector assembly. A method of manufacturing the detector assembly includes etching a backside of a partially-removed-substrate detector assembly to obtain an etched detector assembly removed from a substrate. A wide bandgap layer is deposited, in a vacuum chamber, on the etched detector assembly without utilizing an adhesive layer. Additional anti-reflective coating layers are deposited, in the same vacuum chamber, on the wide bandgap layer to form an anti-reflective coating layer with the wide bandgap layer integrated therein. The wide bandgap layer is positioned proximal to an interface portion between the anti-reflective coating layer and the detector assembly.
US09553114B2

A novel display device capable of adjusting color purity is provided. A novel display device with improved adhesion of a color filter is provided. A novel display device capable of excellent reflective display is provided. The display device includes a transistor, a reflective electrode layer formed on the same surface as a source electrode layer or a drain electrode layer of the transistor, a first insulating layer over the reflective electrode layer, a coloring layer which is over the first insulating layer and overlaps with the reflective electrode layer, a second insulating layer over the coloring layer, and a pixel electrode layer over the second insulating layer. The coloring layer includes at least a first opening and a second opening. The pixel electrode layer is electrically connected to the transistor through the first opening. The second insulating layer is in contact with the first insulating layer in the second opening.
US09553106B1

A three-dimensional nonvolatile memory device includes a substrate defined with a slimming region, first and second pass regions on both sides of the slimming region, and a cell region adjacent to the slimming region with the first pass region interposed therebetween; a word line stack including a plurality of word lines stacked over the cell region, the first pass region, and the slimming region of the substrate; first wiring lines extending from the slimming region to the first pass region and electrically coupling some word lines with pass transistors formed in the first pass region of the substrate; and second wiring lines extending from the slimming region to the second pass region and electrically coupling remaining word lines, other than the some word lines, with pass transistors formed in the second pass region of the substrate.
US09553105B2

Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a stack of alternating insulation layers and gate electrodes. The semiconductor device includes a channel material in a channel recess in the stack. The semiconductor device includes a charge storage structure on the channel material, in the channel recess. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes a gate insulation layer on the channel material. The gate insulation layer undercuts a portion of the channel material. Related methods of forming semiconductor devices are also provided.
US09553099B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for providing a 3D memory array apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus may comprise a substantially hexagonal arrangement having seven pillars disposed in a die in a repeating pattern. The arrangement may include first and second pillars disposed at a pillar pitch from each other in a first row; third, fourth, and fifth pillars disposed at the pillar pitch from each other in a second row; and sixth and seventh pillar disposed at the pillar pitch from each other in a third row and shifted relative to the first and second pillars respectively by a quarter of the pillar pitch in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to bitlines disposed in the die. Each pillar in the arrangement may be electrically coupled with a different bitline. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09553096B2

A semiconductor arrangement includes a logic region and a memory region. The memory region has an active region that includes a semiconductor device. The memory region also has a capacitor within one or more dielectric layers over the active region. The semiconductor arrangement includes a protective ring within at least one of the logic region or the memory region and that separates the logic region from the memory region. The capacitor has a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, where an electrode unit of the first electrode has a first portion and a second portion, and where the second portion is above the first portion and is wider than the first portion.
US09553090B2

Structures and formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a fin structure over a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a gate stack covering a portion of the fin structure, and the gate stack includes a work function layer and a metal filling over the work function layer. The semiconductor device structure further includes an isolation element over the semiconductor substrate and adjacent to the gate stack. The isolation element is in direct contact with the work function layer and the metal filling.
US09553089B2

A semiconductor device, including first and second fin patterns separated by a first trench; a gate electrode intersecting the first and second fin patterns; and a contact on at least one side of the gate electrode, the contact contacting the first fin pattern, the contact having a bottom surface that does not contact the second fin pattern, a height from a bottom of the first trench to a topmost end of the first fin pattern in a region in which the contact intersects the first fin pattern being a first height, and a height from the bottom of the first trench to a topmost end of the second fin pattern in a region in which an extension line of the contact extending along a direction in which the gate electrode extends intersects the second fin pattern being a second height, the first height being smaller than the second height.
US09553083B2

An apparatus configured to control a heat flow is provided. The apparatus may include a semiconductor device region formed in a matrix; a heat rectifier region formed adjacent to the semiconductor device region; and a heat flow blocker formed in at least one region contacting the semiconductor device region and the heat rectifier region.
US09553081B2

A semiconductor device and method of forming the same including, in one embodiment, a semiconductor die formed with a plurality of laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (“LDMOS”) cells. The semiconductor device also includes a redistribution layer electrically coupled to the plurality of LDMOS cells and a plurality of metallic pillars distributed over and electrically coupled to the redistribution layer.
US09553079B1

A flip chip assembly is disclosed that includes a die with die circuitry and a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected to the die circuitry. A substrate includes electrical contacts that are juxtaposed with and electrically connected to corresponding die electrical contacts. A passive component is disposed between the die and the substrate, and includes a dielectric disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is electrically connected to a first of the die electrical contacts and a corresponding substrate electrical contact, and the second electrode is electrically connected to a second of the die electrical contacts and a corresponding substrate electrical contact.
US09553069B2

A bonding apparatus of substrate manufacturing equipment includes an upper stage, a lower stage facing the upper stage and which is configure and dedicated to support a processed substrate on which semiconductor chips are stacked (set), and an elevating mechanism for raising the lower stage relative to the upper stage to provide pressure for pressing the substrate and chips towards each other.
US09553066B2

A device includes a metal pad, a passivation layer overlapping edge portions of the metal pad, and a first polymer layer over the passivation layer. A Post-Passivation-Interconnect (PPI) has a level portion overlying the first polymer layer, and a plug portion that has a top connected to the level portion. The plug portion extends into the first polymer layer. A bottom surface of the plug portion is in contact with a dielectric material. A second polymer layer is overlying the first polymer layer.
US09553065B2

A chip scale semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor die, a first bump and a second bump. The first bump having a first diameter and a first height is formed on an outer region of the semiconductor die. A second bump having a second diameter and a second height is formed on an inner region of the semiconductor die. The second diameter is greater than the first diameter while the second height is the same as the first height. By changing the shape of the bump, the stress and strain can be redistributed through the bump. As a result, the thermal cycling reliability of the chip scale semiconductor device is improved.
US09553059B2

An embodiment package on package (PoP) device includes a molding compound having a metal via embedded therein, a passivation layer disposed over the molding compound, the passivation layer including a passivation layer recess vertically aligned with the metal via, and a redistribution layer bond pad capping the metal via, a portion of the redistribution layer bond pad within the passivation layer recess projecting above a top surface of the molding compound.
US09553055B2

The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating semiconductor devices having reinforcing elements. The method includes steps of providing a first wafer having a lower electrode layer and an insulation layer; forming a device layer; etching the device layer and the insulation layer to form recesses; etching the device layer to form separation trenches and upper electrodes; forming reinforcing elements; and depositing metal pads. The reinforcing elements strengthen the integration of the upper electrodes and the insulation layer.
US09553054B2

Strain detection structures used with bonded wafers and chips and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming lower metal wiring structures associated with a lower wafer structure. The method further includes bonding the lower wafer structure to an upper wafer structure and thinning the upper wafer, and forming upper metal wiring structures. The method further includes electrically linking the lower metal wiring structures to the upper metal wiring structures by formation of through silicon via structures to form an electrically connected chain extending between multiple wafer structures. The method further includes forming contacts to an outside environment which electrically contact two of the lower metal wiring structures.
US09553053B2

A bump structure for electrically coupling semiconductor components is provided. The bump structure includes a first bump on a first semiconductor component and a second bump on a second semiconductor component. The first bump has a first non-flat portion (e.g., a convex projection) and the second bump has a second non-flat portion (e.g., a concave recess). The bump structure also includes a solder joint formed between the first and second non-flat portions to electrically couple the semiconductor components.
US09553049B2

Disclosed are devices and methods related to metallization of semiconductors. A metalized structure can include a first titanium (Ti) layer disposed over a compound semiconductor, a first barrier layer disposed over the first Ti layer, a second Ti layer disposed over the first barrier layer, and a copper (Cu) layer disposed over the second Ti layer. The second Ti layer can be configured to inhibit or reduce alloying of the Cu layer and the first barrier layer. The first Ti layer, the first barrier layer, and the second Ti layer can be configured to yield a barrier between the Cu layer and an ohmic metal layer formed on the compound semiconductor. The metalized structure can further include a third Ti layer disposed over the Cu layer and a second barrier layer disposed over the third Ti layer. The first and second barrier layers can include platinum (Pt) and/or palladium (Pd).
US09553048B1

According to one embodiment, in a semiconductor device, a second contact is disposed at a position that is shifted from a first contact by a distance approximately of P in a first direction and by a distance approximately of √8×P in a second direction. A third contact is disposed at a position that is shifted from the first contact by a distance approximately of 2P in the first direction and by a distance approximately of √8×P/2 in the second direction. A fourth contact is disposed at a position that is shifted from the first contact by a distance approximately of 3P in the first direction. A fifth contact is disposed at a position that is shifted from the fourth contact by a distance approximately of P in the first direction and by a distance approximately of √8×P in the second direction.
US09553047B2

Provided are improved semiconductor memory devices and methods for manufacturing such semiconductor memory devices. A method may incorporate the patterning of the array and periphery regions in self-aligned quadruple patterning and provide semiconductor devices resulting from the combined patterning.
US09553041B1

Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die to interposer wafer first bond are disclosed and may include bonding a plurality of semiconductor die comprising electronic devices to an interposer wafer, and applying an underfill material between the die and the interposer wafer. Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die-to-packing substrate first bond are disclosed and may include bonding a first semiconductor die to a packaging substrate, applying an underfill material between the first semiconductor die and the packaging substrate, and bonding one or more additional die to the first semiconductor die. Methods and systems for a semiconductor device package with a die-to-die first bond are disclosed and may include bonding one or more semiconductor die comprising electronic devices to an interposer die.
US09553036B1

A semiconductor package including an insulating layer, a chip, a thermal interface material, a heat-dissipating cover and a re-distribution layer is provided. The insulating layer has an accommodating opening. The chip is disposed in the accommodating opening. The chip has an active surface, a back surface opposite to the active surface and a side surface connected to the active surface and the back surface. The thermal interface material is filled in the accommodating opening for at least encapsulating the side surface of the chip and exposing the active surface. The re-distribution layer and the heat-dissipating cover are disposed on two side of the insulating layer respectively. The heat-dissipating cover is thermally coupled to the chip through the thermal interface material. The re-distribution layer covers the active surface of the chip and the thermal interface material, and the re-distribution layer is electrically connected to the chip.
US09553020B2

A structure includes a first chip having a first substrate, and first dielectric layers underlying the first substrate, with a first metal pad in the first dielectric layers. A second chip includes a second substrate, second dielectric layers over the second substrate and bonded to the first dielectric layers, and a second metal pad in the second dielectric layers. A conductive plug includes a first portion extending from a top surface of the first substrate to a top surface of the first metal pad, and a second portion extending from the top surface of the first metal pad to a top surface of the second metal pad. An edge of the second portion is in physical contact with a sidewall of the first metal pad. A dielectric layer spaces the first portion of the conductive plug from the first plurality of dielectric layers.
US09553019B1

A method for via alignment includes forming first airgaps between interconnect structures and depositing a pinch off layer to close off openings to the first airgaps. A protection layer is formed in divots in the pinch off layer. The protection layer and the pinch off layer are planarized to form a surface where the protection layer remains in the divots. An interlevel dielectric layer (ILD) is deposited on the surface. The ILD and the pinch off layer are etched using the protection layer as an etch stop to align a via and expose the interconnect structure through the via.
US09553011B2

An integrated circuit is formed on a substrate containing a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type. A deep well having a second, opposite, conductivity type is formed in the semiconductor material of the first conductivity type. A deep isolation trench is formed in the substrate through the deep well so as separate an unused portion of the deep well from a functional portion of the deep well. The functional portion of the deep well contains an active circuit element of the integrated circuit. The separated portion of the deep well does not contain an active circuit element. A contact region having the second conductivity type and a higher average doping density than the deep well is formed in the separated portion of the deep well. The contact region is connected to a voltage terminal of the integrated circuit.
US09553010B2

A wafer transport system includes a substantially horizontal non-contact support platform for supporting a wafer substantially horizontally at a substantially fixed vertical distance from the platform. A wafer gripping device includes wafer grippers to grip a surface of the wafer that is opposite the non-contact support platform. Each of the wafer grippers is mounted on a vertically flexible holder to enable the wafer gripper to adapt to a height of the wafer above the wafer gripping device while maintaining a substantial horizontal rigidity of the vertically flexible holder so as to prevent horizontal motion of the wafer relative to the wafer gripping device.
US09553007B2

A coating method includes a step of forming a film of a coating solution having a larger thickness in a central region of a substrate than in an edge region of the substrate by discharging droplets of the coating solution from a plurality of nozzles formed on an inkjet head to the substrate, and a step of moving the coating solution in the film from the central region toward the edge region of the substrate by rotating the substrate. This reduces a difference in thickness of the film between the central region and the edge region of the substrate, thereby to make the film thickness substantially uniform. At the same time, the movement of the coating solution in the film can make the surface of the film smoother.
US09553006B2

An apparatus, such as a heater, is provided that includes a base member having at least one fluid passageway. A two-phase fluid is disposed within the fluid passageway, a pressure of the two-phase fluid being controlled such that the two-phase fluid provides at least one of heating and cooling to the base member. A tuning layer is secured to the base member, and the tuning layer includes a plurality of zones. Furthermore, a component, such as a chuck by way of example, is secured to the tuning layer.
US09553000B2

A package includes a device die having a substrate. A molding compound contacts a sidewall of the substrate. A metal pad is over the substrate. A passivation layer has a portion covering an edge portion of the metal pad. A metal pillar is over and contacting the metal pad. A dielectric layer is over the passivation layer. A package material formed of a molding compound or a polymer is over the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer includes a bottom portion between the passivation layer and the package material, and a sidewall portion between a sidewall of the metal pillar and a sidewall of the package material. A polymer layer is over the package material, the molding compound, and the metal pillar. A post-passivation interconnect (PPI) extends into the polymer layer. A solder ball is over the PPI, and is electrically coupled to the metal pad through the PPI.
US09552999B2

In one embodiment, an electronic package includes a substrate having a die pad plurality of lands embedded within substrate encapsulant. An electronic chip including an electronic component is connected to the die pad. The die pad is configured with a recessed well extending from a top surface of the die pad towards a bottom surface of the die pad. The electronic component is position at least proximate to and overlapping the recessed well to increase the distance between the die pad and the electronic component. In one embodiment, the electronic component includes a passive component, such as an inductor. A package body encapsulates the electronic chip and top surfaces of the substrate, and is further disposed within the recessed well. The die pad bottom surface is continuous below the recessed well.
US09552995B2

Some example forms relate to an electrical interconnect for an electronic package. The electrical interconnect includes a dielectric layer that includes a trench formed into one surface of the dielectric layer and a signal conductor that fills the trench and extends above the one surface of dielectric layer. The electrical interconnect further includes a conductive reference layer mounted on an opposing side of the dielectric layer. The conductive reference layer is electromagnetically coupled to the signal conductor when current passes through the signal conductor.
US09552992B2

Co-fabricating non-planar (i.e., three-dimensional) semiconductor devices with different threshold voltages includes providing a starting semiconductor structure, the structure including a semiconductor substrate, multiple raised semiconductor structures coupled to the substrate, at least two gate structures encompassing a portion of the raised structures, each gate structure including a gate opening lined with dielectric material and partially filled with work function material, a portion of the work function material being recessed. The co-fabrication further includes creating at least one conformal barrier layer in one or more and less than all of the gate openings, filling the gate openings with conductive material, and modifying the work function of at least one and less than all of the filled gate structures.
US09552990B2

A supply source for delivery of a CO-containing dopant gas composition is provided. The composition includes a controlled amount of a diluent gas mixture such as xenon and hydrogen, which are each provided at controlled volumetric ratios to ensure optimal carbon ion implantation performance. The composition can be packaged as a dopant gas kit consisting of a CO-containing supply source and a diluent mixture supply source. Alternatively, the composition can be pre-mixed and introduced from a single source that can be actuated in response to a sub-atmospheric condition achieved along the discharge flow path to allow a controlled flow of the dopant mixture from the interior volume of the device into an ion source apparatus.
US09552988B2

A method for DSA fin patterning includes forming a BCP layer over a lithographic stack, the BCP layer having first and second blocks, the lithographic stack disposed over a hard mask and substrate, and the hard mask including first and second dielectric layers; removing the first block to define a fin pattern in the BCP layer with the second block; etching the fin pattern into the first dielectric layer; filling the fin pattern with a tone inversion material; etching back the tone inversion material that overfills the fin pattern; removing the first dielectric layer selectively to define an inverted fin pattern from the tone inversion material; etching the inverted fin pattern into the second dielectric layer of the hard mask; removing the tone inversion material; and transferring the inverted fin pattern of the second dielectric layer into the substrate to define fins.
US09552983B2

A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, including: loading a wafer into a reaction chamber; placing the wafer on a push-up shaft moved up; preheating the wafer under controlling an in-plane temperature distribution of the wafer to be a recess state under a state of placing the wafer on the push-up shaft moved up; lowering the push-up shaft with the wafer kept in the recess state to hold the wafer on a wafer holding member; heating the wafer to a predetermined temperature; rotating the wafer; and supplying a process gas onto the wafer.
US09552981B2

A metal oxide film forming method includes: repeating a cycle a first predetermined number of times, the cycle including supplying a gas containing an organic metal precursor into a processing chamber where an object to be processed is accommodated, and supplying oxygen gas into the processing chamber after the gas containing the organic metal precursor is supplied into the processing chamber; and supplying ozone gas into the processing chamber, wherein repeating the cycle and supplying the ozone gas are repeated a second predetermined number of times, so that a metal oxide film is formed on a surface of the object to be processed.
US09552979B2

A process for depositing aluminum nitride is disclosed. The process comprises providing a plurality of semiconductor substrates in a batch process chamber and depositing an aluminum nitride layer on the substrates by performing a plurality of deposition cycles without exposing the substrates to plasma during the deposition cycles. Each deposition cycle comprises flowing an aluminum precursor pulse into the batch process chamber, removing the aluminum precursor from the batch process chamber, and removing the nitrogen precursor from the batch process chamber after flowing the nitrogen precursor and before flowing another pulse of the aluminum precursor. The process chamber may be a hot wall process chamber and the deposition may occur at a deposition pressure of less than 1 Torr.
US09552971B2

Methods and systems for delivering a liquid sample to an ion source are provided herein. In various aspects, the methods and systems can improve the stability of a flow of liquid sample delivered to an ion source. In accordance with various aspects, the methods and systems can remove bubbles (e.g., cavitation bubbles or otherwise) present in the liquid sample prior to its injection into an ionization chamber.
US09552970B2

A method of analyzing ions is disclosed comprising: (i) separating ions according to a physico-chemical property in a separator; (ii) transmitting ions which emerge from the separator through a transfer device with a first transit time t1, energizing a pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode and obtaining first data; (iii) transmitting ions which subsequently emerge from the separator through the transfer device with a second greater transit time t2, energizing the pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode and obtaining second data; and (iv) repeating steps (ii) and (iii) one or more times. The pusher electrode or orthogonal acceleration electrode is energized with a period t3, wherein t2-t1 is arranged to equal t3/2. The first and second data are combined to form a composite data set.
US09552963B2

A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a reading unit to read an identifier from a substrate where an absorber film which absorbs extreme ultraviolet light is formed and the identifier which can be optically read is formed, a storage unit to store defect position information indicating a position of a defect on the substrate based on reference marks, defect size information indicating a size of the defect, which are corresponding to the identifier, and pattern data for writing, an examination unit to input partial pattern data corresponding to a region including at least the defect in the pattern data, the defect position information based on reference marks, and the defect size information, and to examine whether a pattern layout is formed such that the defect is located in a region where the absorber film remains after patterning, and a writing unit to write a pattern on the substrate.
US09552962B2

The present invention relates to a method of controlling an ion implanter having a plasma power supply AP and a substrate power supply, the substrate power supply comprising: an electricity generator; a first switch SW1 connected between the generator and the output terminal of the substrate power supply; and a second switch SW2 connected between the output terminal and a neutralization terminal; the method including an implantation stage A-D and a neutralization stage E-H. The method also includes a relaxation stage C-F overlapping the implantation stage and the neutralization stage, during which relaxation stage the plasma power supply is inactivated. Furthermore, the neutralization stage includes a preliminary step E-F for closing the second switch, this preliminary step being followed by a cancellation step F-G for activating the plasma power supply AP.
US09552961B2

Embodiments are directed to an information processing system for generating a corrected image of a sample. The system includes a detector, a memory communicatively coupled to the detector, and a post-detection image processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the detector. The detector is configured to detect data of a plurality of moving particles, wherein the data of the plurality of moving particles correspond to an uncorrected image of the sample, and wherein the uncorrected image includes defocus, astigmatism and spherical aberration. The post-detection image processor is configured to generate a corrected image of the sample based at least in part on processing the detected data of the plurality of moving particles.
US09552959B2

A water solution in which an observation sample is, for example, dissolved is sandwiched on a first insulative thin film side provided under a conductive thin film. When an electron beam incident part is charged minus, electric dipoles of water molecules are arrayed along a potential gradient. Electric charges are also generated on the surface of a second insulative thin film. The electric charges are detected by a terminal section and changes to a measurement signal. In a state in which an electron beam is blocked, the minus potential disappears. Consequently, the electric charges on the surface of the first insulative thin film also disappear, and the measurement signal output from the terminal section changes to 0.
US09552953B2

The disclosure relates to a field emission cathode. The field emission cathode includes a microchannel plate, a cathode electrode and a number of cathode emitters. The microchannel plate is an insulative plate and includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The microchannel plate defines a number of holes extending through the microchannel plate from the first surface to the second surface. The cathode electrode is located on the first surface. The number of cathode emitters are filled in the number of holes and electrically connected with the cathode electrode.
US09552939B2

A keyboard equipped with multipoint press positions comprises at least a baseboard, a keycap assembly and a command trigger assembly. The keycap assembly includes a support frame to hold a plurality of keycaps. The command trigger assembly includes a command circuit board and a plurality of elastic switches. The command circuit board includes a plurality of trigger portions corresponding to the keycaps and triggered by the keycaps, and at least one primary command circuit electrically connected to each trigger portion. The elastic switches are corresponding to and depressible by the keycaps to trigger the trigger portions. Each elastic switch includes a base and a primary movement portion, a first secondary movement portion and a second secondary movement portion that are respectively corresponding to a primary trigger switch and at least two secondary trigger switches of the trigger portions. The keyboard thus formed can provide higher press sensitivity.
US09552926B2

Embodiments are directed to obtaining a specification of at least one operational requirement for at least one capacitor, generating a design of the at least one capacitor to satisfy the at least one operational requirement, the design of the at least one capacitor comprising a plurality of layers and a first integrated busbar coupled to at least a portion of the layers, and based on the design, manufacturing the at least one capacitor by utilizing an additive manufacturing technique.
US09552925B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body, and external electrodes on opposite side surfaces of the ceramic body. The ceramic body includes an inner layer portion including a plurality of ceramic layers, and first and second internal electrodes each arranged at interfaces between the ceramic layers defining the inner layer portion, and also includes outer layer portions arranged on an upper surface and a lower surface of the inner layer portion. The ceramic layers defining the inner layer portion include as a main component a perovskite-type compound containing Ba and Ti. The amount of Mg contained in the ceramic layers defining the inner layer portion preferably is 0 to about 0.4 part by mole per 100 parts by mole of Ti, for example. The thickness of the ceramic layers defining the inner layer portion preferably is not more than about 0.55 μm, for example.
US09552920B2

A system, such as a charging system, is provided. The system can include a coil. A connection module can be coupled to the coil and configured to allow the coil to communicate with an energy source to generate a magnetic field. A field-focusing element can be included, the field-focusing element acting to focus the magnetic field when the magnetic field varies in time at a predetermined rate. In one embodiment, the field-focusing element may be configured to focus the magnetic field in an area separated from the coil by at least about 5 cm.
US09552915B2

A polymorphic surface may be provided by applying at least one magnetic field across a plurality of movable surface contour elements and selectively passing a current through the magnetic field(s) adjacent selected surface contour elements, with the current being perpendicular to the magnetic field. The current interacts with the magnetic field to generate a Lorentz force driving guided substantially linear motion of the respective surface contour element(s). The surface contour elements may be individually moveable and individually selectable for application of current to generate movement. The surface contour elements may be supported in position after removing the current. The current applied across each selected surface contour element may be varied to control the amount of guided substantially linear motion.
US09552905B2

According to the invention there is provided a Structural integrated wiring loom comprising at least one conductor comprising at least one first conductive fiber ply, wherein said at least one first conductive fiber ply comprises at least two electrical connectors, a separator structure comprising at least one first non-conductive fiber ply, and at least one second non-conductive fiber ply, said separator structure encapsulating said at least one conductor, a screen structure which encapsulates said separator structure, said screen structure comprising at least one second conductive fiber ply and at least one third conductive fiber ply, wherein said device is encapsulated a binder matrix. The device may be used to replace structural panels on a vehicle vessel or craft, to transfer electrical power or RF signals, data transmission around a composite structure.
US09552899B2

An electrical bushing for use in a housing of an implantable medical device is proposed. The electrical bushing includes at least one electrically insulating base body and at least one electrical conducting element. The conducting element establishes, through the base body, at least one electrically conductive connection between an internal space of the housing and an external space. The conducting element is hermetically sealed with respect to the base body, at least in part. The at least one conducting element includes at least one cermet. The cermet of the conducting element and the base body include one or more of the same ceramic compound.
US09552894B2

An embodiment may include a first replica driver group configured for replicating an output driver of a physical area. A second replica driver group configured for replicating an output driver of a test electrode area for direct access of a memory, and an impedance calibration unit configured to independently perform an impedance matching operation of the first replica driver group and the second replica driver group.
US09552891B2

A display panel includes: gate and data lines; pixels connected to the gate and data lines; and a stage includes: a pull-up driver including an output terminal of the stage and which outputs a gate-on voltage, an output pull-down unit which pulls down an output terminal of the stage, a reset unit which changes a voltage of a second node into a low voltage based on a voltage of the output terminal of the stage, a first node pull-up unit which changes a first node into a high voltage based on a gate-on voltage from a previous stage, a first node pull-down unit which changes the first node into the low voltage based on the gate-on voltage from a subsequent stage, and a first node reset unit which changes the voltage of the first node into the low voltage based on the voltage of the second node.
US09552888B2

Methods and devices for data sensing are disclosed. One such method includes performing a number of successive sense operations on a number of memory cells using a number of different sensing voltages, determining a quantity of the number memory cells that change states between consecutive sense operations of the number of successive sense operations, and determining, based at least partially on the determined quantity of the number of memory cells that change states between consecutive sense operations, whether to output hard data corresponding to one of the number of successive sense operations.
US09552879B2

A method of resetting a variable resistance memory cell in a nonvolatile memory device includes; programming the memory cell to a set state using a corresponding compliance current, and then programming the memory cell to a reset state by pre-reading the variable resistance memory cell to determine its resistance and resetting the memory cell using a variable reset voltage determined in response to the determined resistance.
US09552873B2

A device includes memory cells, reference memory cells, and a sensing unit. The reference memory cells are configured to store first bit data, second bit data, third bit data, and fourth bit data, in which the first bit data and the fourth bit data are configured to be a high logic state, and the second bit data and the third bit data are configured to be a low logic state. The sensing unit is configured to read bit data stored in one of the memory cells according to the first bit data, the second bit data, the third bit data, and the fourth bit data.
US09552866B2

The present invention is provided with: subword drivers SWD for driving subword lines SWL, a selection circuit for supplying either negative potential VKK1 or VKK2 to the subword drivers SWD, and memory cells MC that are selected in the case when the subword line SWL is set to an active potential VPP and are not selected in the case when the subword line SWL is either a negative potential VKK1 or VKK2.
US09552854B1

Some embodiments include apparatuses having a first node to receive a supply voltage, a second node, a switching circuit to couple the first node to the second node and to decouple the first node from the second node, circuit blocks coupled to the second node and the switching circuit, and drivers coupled to the second node. Each of the circuit blocks includes a capacitor having a plate coupled to the second node. Each of the drivers is associated with a conductive line. The conductive line is associated with memory cells.
US09552852B2

Some embodiments of the present invention may include one, or more, of the following features, characteristics or advantages: (i) latch device including multiple Ecrit material regions all electrically connected to a common terminal (sometimes structured and shaped in the form of a storage plate conductor); (ii) bi-stable three-terminal latch device using two Ecrit property regions; (iii) three-terminal, two-Ecrit-region latch device where, for each Ecrit region, (Vdd−Vss) divided by (region thickness, dn) is greater than the region's Ecrit value; or (iv) use of multiple Ecrit material region latch devices to provide data storage instrumentality in a static memory device.
US09552850B2

An embodiment relates to a sense amplifier driving device for stabilizing bit line precharge power when a post-overdriving operation is performed. The sense amplifier driving device includes a power driving unit configured to supply a first pull-up voltage and a pull-down voltage to a pull-up power line and a pull-down power line during a post-overdriving period and a driving signal generation unit configured to generate a pull-up driving signal and a pull-down driving signal activated during the post-overdriving period in order to control the driving of the power driving unit. The driving signal generation unit controls a point of time at which the pull-down driving signal shifts in response to a post-overdriving enable signal.
US09552849B2

In some examples, a memory device is configured to receive a precharge command and an activate command. The memory device performs a first series of events related to the precharge command in response to receiving the precharge command and a second series of events related to the activate command in response to receiving the activate command. The memory device delays the start of the second series of events until the first series of events completes.
US09552844B2

To easily edit dynamic image content suiting user's preferences in consideration of the geographical position. A trajectory information generation unit 230 generates trajectory information about a trajectory during imaging of dynamic image content based on position information, wherein the dynamic image content is associated with the position information and azimuth information. An editing point setting unit 260 sets a section of the dynamic image content on a time axis based on the generated trajectory information. For example, the section is set based on a comparison result of an imaging range of the trajectory identified by the generated trajectory information (imaging range identified by azimuth information) and a specific target area such as a landmark. A play list information generation unit 270 generates play list information about a playback of the dynamic image content based on the set section. A display control unit 240 displays the trajectory identified by the generated trajectory information by superimposing the trajectory on a map containing the trajectory.
US09552828B2

An audio signal processing device includes: a frequency-domain conversion unit that generates a plurality of pieces of frequency-domain information from a plurality of audio input signals acquired at different positions; a relative value calculation unit that calculates, for each piece of frequency-domain information, a relative value between a time-frequency component included in one frequency-domain information and a time-frequency component included in another frequency-domain information; a mask generation unit that compares the relative value with an emphasized range set based on a relative value threshold stored in advance to generate a time-frequency mask that decreases a value of the frequency-domain information corresponding to the relative value which is outside the emphasized range; a mask multiplication unit that multiplies the time-frequency mask by the frequency-domain information to generate emphasized frequency-domain information; and a time-domain conversion unit that converts the emphasized frequency-domain information into an audio output signal indicated as being time-domain information.
US09552826B2

A device includes a HPF 702 that modifies frequency characteristics of a target signal; a phase correcting unit 701 that corrects the phase characteristics of the target signal to make the phase characteristics nearly equal to phase characteristics of the HPF 702; a first multiplier 705 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the phase correcting unit 701; a second multiplier 706 that adjusts the gain of the signal output from the HPF 702; a coefficient determining unit that determines the gain coefficients of the first and second multipliers 705 and 706 in such a manner that the sum of the gain coefficient of the first multiplier 705 and the gain coefficient of the second multiplier 706 becomes a fixed value; and an adder 713 that adds the two signals output from the first multiplier 705 and second multiplier 706.
US09552825B2

Devices, methods, and systems for noise cancellation for voice activation are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include determining, with a computing device, whether a background noise received with the computing device is recognized, creating a stored noise cancellation filter based on the background noise when the background noise is not recognized, receiving a signal that includes the background noise and a voice command at the computing device, filtering out the background noise from the signal with the stored noise cancellation filter, and processing the voice command.
US09552819B2

A multiplet-based spatial matrixing codec and method for reducing channel counts (and thus bitrates) of high-channel count (seven or more channels) multichannel audio, optimizing audio quality by enabling tradeoffs between spatial accuracy and basic audio quality, and converting audio signal formats to playback environment configurations. An initial N channel count is reduced to M channels by spatial matrix mixing to a lower number of channels using multiplet pan laws. The multiplet pan laws include doublet, triplet, and quadruplet pan laws. For example, using a quadruplet pan law one of the N channels can be downmixed to four of the M channels to create a quadruplet channel. Spatial information as well and audio content is contained in the multiplet channels. During upmixing the downmixed channel is extracted from the multiplet channels using the corresponding multiplet pan law. The extracted channel then is rendered at any location within a playback environment.
US09552816B2

A speech-based system includes an audio device in a user premises and a network-based service that supports use of the audio device by multiple applications. The audio device may be directed to play audio content such as music, audio books, etc. The audio device may also be directed to interact with a user through speech. The network-based service monitors event messages received from the audio device to determine which of the multiple applications currently has speech focus. When receiving speech from a user, the service first offers the corresponding meaning to the application, if any, that currently has primary speech focus. If there is no application that currently has primary speech focus, or if the application having primary speech focus is not able to respond to the meaning, the service then offers the user meaning to the application that currently has secondary speech focus.
US09552815B2

A speech recognition system includes a mobile device and a remote server. The mobile device receives the speech from the user and extracts the features and phonemes from the speech. Selected phonemes and measures of uncertainty are transmitted to the server, which processes the phonemes for speech understanding and transmits a text of the speech (or the context or understanding of the speech) back to the mobile device.
US09552812B1

Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a contact center communication. That is to say, various embodiments of the invention involve predicting an outcome for an event of interest associated with a party involved in a contact center communication based on characteristics and content of the communication conducted with the party by utilizing one or more classifier models.
US09552808B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for decoding parameters for Viterbi search are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving lattice data that defines a plurality of lattices. The actions include for each defined lattice determining a particular path that traverses the lattice; determining a node cost of a path from the start node to the frame node; determining a beam size for each frame; determining a beam cost width for each frame; determining a maximum beam size from the beam sizes determined for frames; and determining a maximum beam cost width from the beam cost widths determine for the frames. The actions include selecting a particular beam size and a particular beam cost width. The actions include determining paths for additional lattices using the pruning parameters of the particular beam size and the particular beam cost width.
US09552807B2

A system and method for automatically dubbing a video in a first language into a second language, comprising: an audio/video pre-processor configured to provide separate original audio and video files of the same media; a text analysis unit to receive a first text file of the video's subtitles in the first language and a second text file of the video's sub-titles in the second language, and re-divide them into text sentences; a text-to-speech unit to receive the text sentences in the first and second languages from the text analysis unit and produce therefrom first and second standard TTS spoken sentences; a prosody unit to receive the first and second spoken sentences, the separated audio file and timing parameters and produce therefrom dubbing recommendations; and a dubbing unit configured to receive the second spoken sentence and the recommendations and produce therefrom an automatically dubbed sentence in the second language.
US09552803B2

A communication method is provided. The communication method includes generating a pseudo background sound signal based on a gradient pulse control signal, performing a computation of subtracting the pseudo background sound signal from an acoustic signal having a sound signal and a background sound signal including a gradient coil drive sound signal, the acoustic signal obtained by an input device configured to receive the voice of a subject, and outputting sound based on a result of the computation, wherein a parameter of generating the pseudo background sound signal is controlled to reduce the difference resulting from the subtraction.
US09552790B2

The present invention provides a scan driving circuit for oxide semiconductor thin film transistors, a pull-down holding circuit part (600) employed of the circuit comprises a first pull-down holding module (601) and a second pull-down holding module (602) which is capable of extending the lifetime of the circuit; the first pull-down holding module (601) comprises a first main inverter and a first auxiliary inverter with introducing a constant low voltage level (DCL); the second pull-down holding module (602) comprises a second main inverter and a second auxiliary inverter with introducing a constant low voltage level (DCL); setting the constant low voltage level (DCL)
US09552784B2

According to one embodiment, a lateral electric-field type of liquid crystal display device includes a display panel including a plurality of liquid crystal pixels arranged in a matrix, and a controller configured to perform intermittent driving to rewrite an image signal to the liquid crystal pixels, wherein a frame frequency falls within a range of 10 Hz to 20 Hz, and an absolute value of a flexo coefficient (e11, e33) of a liquid crystal applied to the liquid crystal pixels is 1.6 pC/m or less.
US09552781B2

An apparatus, computing device, and a computer readable medium are described herein. The apparatus includes logic to process pixels using content adaptive LCD backlight control. The apparatus also includes logic to perform analog current level control dimming when processing the pixels, and logic to linearly compensate for the analog current level control dimming when processing the pixels.
US09552780B2

A multi-color display device has front and rear electrodes on opposed sides of an electrophoretic medium. The device has a voltage controller configured to apply a first and a smaller second potential difference, of either polarity, between the electrodes. The electrophoretic medium has first and second species of particles of differing colors and charge polarities. The first and second particles move independently of one another in response to the first potential difference, but upon application of the second potential difference form charged aggregates, moving as a unit, having an aggregate color different from the first and second colors.
US09552778B2

A method for controlling a digital device, and which includes receiving content; displaying the received content on a display screen of the digital device; calculating, via a controller of the digital device, an average luminance value respective to an entire display screen where the received content is displayed; generating, via the controller, a histogram respective to a partial area of the entire display screen; analyzing, via the controller, the histogram respective to the partial area and verifying whether or not a pixel distribution ratio of pixels having a minimum gray level, among pixels being located in the partial area of the display screen, is equal to or greater than a reference ratio; and if the pixel distribution ratio of pixels having the minimum gray level is equal to or greater than the reference ratio, processing a luminance of the partial area of the display screen to be black.
US09552775B2

In the electro-optical device for carrying out an image display by using n-bit (n is a natural number) digital image signals, one pixel incorporates n×m (m is a natural number) memory circuits, and has a function to store the digital image signals for m frames in the pixel (in examples shown in the drawings, n=3, m=2, and memory circuits A1 to A3 and B1 to B3 store signals for 3 bits×2 frames). Thus, in the display of a still picture, the digital image signals once stored in the memory circuits are repeatedly read out and a display is carried out for each frame, so that driving of a source signal line driver circuit is stopped during the display. Thus, the electric power consumption of the electro-optical device is reduced.
US09552773B2

Disclosed herein is a display device in which light emitting elements of a plurality of colors including a light emitting element emitting blue light are formed in each pixel on a substrate on which a transistor is formed for each sub-pixel, and a plurality of pixels formed with sub-pixels of the plurality of colors as a unit are arranged in a form of a matrix, wherein relative positional relation between transistors of sub-pixels of respective light emission colors including blue light and a light emitting section of a light emitting element emitting the blue light is laid out such that distances between the transistors of the sub-pixels of the respective light emission colors including the blue light and the light emitting section of the light emitting element emitting the blue light are equal to each other for the respective colors.
US09552769B2

In one embodiment, a display system includes a display panel having a plurality of display elements, a scan driver to control a leaky switch to select a storage capacitor of a display element of the plurality of display elements to receive a data signal, and a data driver to provide the data signal to the storage capacitor when the leaky switch is in an on state at each of an on voltage to illuminate the display element and an off voltage and to hold the on voltage at an input of the leaky switch when the leaky switch is in an off state.
US09552761B2

A semiconductor device where delay or distortion of a signal output to a gate signal line in a selection period is reduced is provided. The semiconductor device includes a gate signal line, a first and second gate driver circuits which output a selection signal and a non-selection signal to the gate signal line, and pixels electrically connected to the gate signal line and supplied with the two signals. In a period during which the gate signal line is selected, both the first and second gate driver circuits output the selection signal to the gate signal line. In a period during which the gate signal line is not selected, one of the first and second gate driver circuits outputs the non-selection signal to the gate signal line, and the other gate driver circuit outputs neither the selection signal nor the non-selection signal to the gate signal line.
US09552753B1

Aspects of the present disclosure directs to inspection of pixels of a display device using photon collection. In certain embodiments, the display device includes a display panel defining multiple pixels in a pixel matrix. A controller divides the pixel matrix into multiple areas, with each area including at least one pixel, and assigns a threshold value for each area. The controller then controls the pixels in one area to emit light displaying a color. A transparent photon collection panel attached to the display panel receives the light displayed by the area, and generates an analog signal in response to the light. An analog to digital (A/D) converter converts the analog signal to a photon current value. The controller receives the photon current values corresponding to each area, and compares the photon current value with the threshold value for each area to determine a flag value for the area.
US09552748B1

Apparatus and methods for displaying a card via a decorative figurine, or similar device, equipped with one or more card retention mechanisms. In one embodiment, the retention mechanisms are arranged in a V shape to allow a card placed therein to be retained in a partially open state. In another embodiment, upper projections may be included to provide further stability to the retained card. In some embodiment, the apparatus is in the form of a quadruped, the retention mechanisms are integral to or coupled to the quadruped's legs, and the upper projections are in the form of the quadruped's arms. In another embodiment, a tent-style card is held between upper and lower retention mechanisms. In another embodiment, the card is permanently adhered to the figurine.
US09552732B2

A driver assistance system senses and provides an indication of an approaching vehicle located sidewardly and rearwardly within an immediately adjacent driving lane to a host vehicle. The system includes left and right rear sensor units proximate rear corners of the host vehicle. The rear sensor units sense vehicles on respective sides and rearwardly of the host vehicle. When either rear sensor unit detects an approaching vehicle within the adjacent lane on the opposite side of the host vehicle therefrom, the rear sensor unit provides an opposite-lane warning signal to the other rear sensor unit. The system includes providing host vehicle driving path information to the rear sensor units for determining the path of the adjacent lanes adjacent to and rearward of the host vehicle. The path information accounts for curves in a roadway. Further, the rear sensor units detect the speed of a closing vehicle. When a left rear sensor unit senses a closing vehicle in the immediately adjacent left lane or obtains an opposite-lane warning signal from a right rear sensor unit, the left rear sensor unit provides a warning signal to an alarm unit for a vehicle approaching in the left lane. When the right rear sensor unit senses a closing vehicle in the immediately adjacent right lane, or receives an opposite-lane warning signal from the left rear sensor unit, the right rear sensor unit provides a warning signal to the alarm unit.
US09552724B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for vehicle speed acquisition and citation. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, multiple different imaging systems can be placed individually at different locations along a route of travel, such as a highway, byway or waterway. Images of different vehicles can be captured at each of the locations and different ones of the different vehicles can be image-recognized. A time of travel between pairs of the locations can be determined for selected ones of the different vehicles in order to compute a rate of travel for the selected ones of the different vehicles. A citation signal is generated when a speed of a vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed limit such that the vehicle owner may be automatically cited for speeding.
US09552721B2

The invention provides a system 100 for providing wireless control on an electronic device 30. The system 100 comprises a control station 10 and a wireless device 20. The control station 10 is configured to send a wireless exciting signal and a wireless control command. The wireless device 20 comprises an exciter module 201 and a processor module 210, wherein the exciter module 201 is configured to collect power from the wireless exciting signal and subsequently change a state of the processor module 210 from an inactive state to an active state, and the processor module 210 is configured to receive the control command and adjust functions of the electronic device 30 in accordance with the control command. The invention also provides a method and a wireless device.
US09552717B1

A system for alerting a user of a device departing a vehicle includes a software application configured to be executed on a memory of the device. The software application performs an initial query phase to periodically query the status of a data connection between the device and the vehicle. Upon confirmation that a data connection has been established, the software application engages an armed state and periodically queries for a failure of the data connection between the device and the vehicle. Upon detecting a failure of the data connection the software application engages an alert state operative to alert a user upon failure of said data connection between the device and the vehicle.
US09552698B2

Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for enhancing gaming experiences using a game wheel. Accordingly, a gaming device can be configured to operate a gaming wheel having a plurality of sections. Each of the sections of the wheel includes a symbol mark and is associated with a section classification. Random selections of game wheel sections are made where selected sections associated with a first classification provide an award associated with the corresponding symbol mark and places a termination indicator in the selected section. Selected sections associated with a second classification clear one or more of the existing termination indicators, if any. Selections continue until a section associated with a termination indicator is selected.
US09552694B2

The invention addressing these and other drawbacks relates to systems and methods of selecting and placing real-world wagers responsive to one or more wager triggers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating user interactions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through the interactive media to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from the user interactions even though the outcomes resulted from the real-world wagers and were determined before the user interactions. The system may provide a wager opportunity based on the occurrence of certain events with interactive media. Upon the occurrence of an event, for example, the user may be provided with an opportunity to place a wager.
US09552692B2

A gaming machine including an interface unit configured to accept game play data from a player, and a controller coupled to the interface unit. The controller includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores player tracking data and wherein the processor is configured to receive, via the interface unit, game play data for the player playing a primary game, initiate a play of a secondary game if a triggering event occurs, enable a player to select at least one of a plurality of different loyalty awards associated with the secondary game, determine an outcome of the secondary game, and issue a loyalty award based on the determined outcome of the secondary game.
US09552689B2

Certain embodiments provide systems and methods for awarding jackpots and disseminating information regarding jackpot awards in a gaming environment. Certain embodiments provide a method for announcing jackpot awards including detecting a jackpot awarded at a gaming terminal in the gaming system, determining satisfaction of an announcement criterion by the jackpot, and transmitting, upon satisfaction of the announcement criterion, a jackpot announcement to a group of one or more players satisfying an eligibility criterion. The jackpot announcement may include, for example, an opportunity to win an additional jackpot and/or an award of an additional jackpot. In certain embodiments, the announcement criterion identifies a jackpot sufficient to trigger a jackpot announcement and opportunity for an additional jackpot award. In certain embodiments, the eligibility criterion identifies one or more groups of one or more players who qualify for an opportunity for an additional jackpot.
US09552687B2

Examples disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for delivering game play, which may include providing wagering game options that may include a two-dimensional option, a three-dimensional option, and/or a combination of both.
US09552684B2

A security system is provided that integrates physical and logical security controls for the protection of secured resources. The resources may include physical locations and/or computing resources such as databases containing personal information. In some embodiments, information is stored in separate, codependent databases such that by isolating the components of the databases from each other, a successful attack on one component is not sufficient to enable the access of content of the other components. In some embodiments, biometric information is automatically obtained as users approach an access location, and is ready for expedited verification of identity upon request by the user.
US09552681B2

The apparatus, which is used with a vehicle, comprises a breath alcohol sensor and a computing device. The computing device is operatively coupled in use to the sensor and the vehicle and configured to record data: which provides information indicative of the likelihood that the vehicle has been operated in circumstances wherein a breath sample has not been delivered to the sensor within a predetermined period preceding the commencement of said operation; and associated with the delivery of breath samples to the sensor that contain alcohol in excess of a predetermined threshold.
US09552680B2

A vehicle includes a tire rotation reminder system. The system includes a controller that generates a tire rotation reminder based on a predicted driving time for attaining a predetermined difference in tread wear between front tires and rear tires. The predicted driving time is based on a rate of change of a difference between a front tire circumference and a rear tire circumference. The tire rotation reminder is output when the predicted driving time is less than a predetermined time. The tire rotation reminder system may interface with at display to output additional information related to tire rotation. The tire rotation reminder may be communicated using a visual indicator, an audible indicator, and a tactile indicator.
US09552679B2

A vehicle damper monitoring system of the present disclosure may include at least one height sensor and at least one controller configured to receive signals from the at least one height sensor and generate a notification if the signals indicate that one or more suspension dampers of a vehicle need to be serviced.
US09552674B1

Systems and methods for displaying an image of a virtual object in an environment are described. A computing device is used to capture an image of a real environment including a marker. One or more virtual objects which do not exist in the real environment are displayed in the image based at least on the marker. The distance and orientation of the marker may be taken into account to properly size and place the virtual object in the image. Further, virtual lighting may be added to an image to indicate to a user how the virtual object would appear with the virtual lighting.
US09552672B2

Dynamic systems and methods for depicting context among different views of an imaging visualization application used by a medical workstation are provided.
US09552670B1

Disclosed is a system and method for triangulating vector graphics data having non-simple multi-styled and multi-connected shapes. The method provides for geometry flattening and more efficient processing of horizontal edges. The method involves computing a plurality of monotone chains corresponding to each of the plurality of shapes; computing a plurality of scan beams corresponding to the plurality of monotone chains; computing a plurality of monotone polygons corresponding to the monotone chains; computing a plurality of triangles from the plurality of monotone polygons; and displaying the plurality of triangles on the computer display.
US09552669B2

One or more geographic limits of a view of a digital display device are determined based on a location and orientation of the digital display device. A least a location of a subsurface object within the view is determined, and a multi-dimensional first representation of the subsurface object is rendered in the view based on the location and depth such that the first representation indicates an actual location of the subsurface object within the view.
US09552659B2

Difference of resolution depending on imaging position in one reconstructed image generated in the FFS method is reduced to improve measurement accuracy. The X-ray CT device interpolates missing data of the projection data obtained by the FFS method with view direction interpolation processing using real data of the projection data lining up along the angular direction of the rotational movement, and channel direction interpolation processing using real data of the projection data lining up along the channel direction, and generates a reconstructed image, in which contribution ratios of the projection data having been subjected to the view direction interpolation processing and the projection data having been subjected to the channel direction interpolation processing differ according to position of pixel in the reconstructed image.
US09552650B2

The impression given by a background image is determined, wherein the background image represents the background of a location to be decorated with a picture frame into which a print has been inserted. A picture frame image that gives this impression is found. The image representing the print is corrected so as to give an impression closer to the impression that has been determined. The corrected image is combined with the found picture frame image and the resulting composite image is transmitted to a smartphone. When the composite image is checked and deemed suitable by the user, the print of the corrected image is inserted into an actual picture frame specified by the picture frame image and the picture frame with the inserted print is delivered to the user.
US09552649B2

Image texture feature values are computed for a set of image texture features from an image of an anatomical feature of interest in a subject, and the subject is classified respective to a molecular feature of interest based on the computed image texture feature values. The image texture feature values may be computed from one or more gray level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), and the image texture features may include Haralick and/or Tamura image texture features. To train the classifier, reference image texture feature values are computed for at least the set of image texture features from images of the anatomical feature of interest in reference subjects. The reference image texture feature values are divided into different population groups representing different values of the molecular feature of interest, and the classifier is trained to distinguish between the different population groups based on the reference image texture feature values.
US09552640B2

A method of recognizing stairs in a 3D data image includes an image acquirer that acquires a 3D data image of a space in which stairs are located. An image processor calculates a riser height between two consecutive treads of the stairs in the 3D data image, identifies points located between the two consecutive treads according to the calculated riser height, and detects a riser located between the two consecutive treads through the points located between the two consecutive treads. Then, the image processor calculates a tread depth between two consecutive risers of the stairs in the 3D data image, identifies points located between the two consecutive risers according to the calculated tread depth, and detects a tread located between the two consecutive risers through the points located between the two consecutive risers.
US09552638B2

A device includes an image data receiving component, a vegetation index generation component, a spatial structure variance generation component, a classification component and a water budget component. The image data receiving component receives multiband image data of a geographic region. The vegetation index generation component generates a vegetation index based on the received multiband image data. The spatial structure variance generation component generates a spatial structure variance image band based on the received multiband image data. The classification component generates a land cover classification based on the received multiband image data, the vegetation index and the spatial structure variance image band. The water budget component generates a water budget of a portion of the geographic region based on the land cover classification.
US09552627B2

The invention relates to an electronic device for performing imaging, including a camera for creating image data (ID) from an imaging target (IT), the imaging target (IT) including at least one primary image object (I1) and at least one secondary image object (I2), an image-processing chain arranged in connection with the camera, for processing the image data created from the imaging target, and a focussing unit for focussing the camera on at least the primary image object. In addition, a blurring unit is arranged in the image-processing chain, to blur at least some of the said secondary image objects in the image data, and arranged to use the information produced by the focussing unit.
US09552608B2

A method of reducing duplications of content items across multiple content item lists presented to a user is disclosed. A first set of content items is received. It is detected that the first set of content items was communicated for presentation to a user in a first list. A second set of content items is received. It is determined that the second set of content items includes a duplicate content item, the duplicate content item being a content item that was included in the first set of content items. Based on a satisfaction of an omission criterion, an indication is provided that the content item is to be omitted from the second set of content items before the second set of content items is communicated for presentation to the user in a second list.
US09552589B2

Methods and apparatus to determine efficiencies of media delivery across platforms are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining a first effectiveness metric for a first platform, obtaining a first reach of the first platform with respect for a target group of audience members, and calculating a first performance metric based on the first effectiveness metric and the first reach.
US09552585B2

A survey providing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a survey participation signal, from a user device, related to the broadcasting program that is being reproduced in a broadcasting device, a user authentication unit configured to authenticate a user based on identification information of the user device included in the received survey participation signal and user information that is previously stored in a database, a transmission unit configured to transmit a survey list for the broadcasting program to the user device and a survey result generation unit configured to generate a survey result based on a survey response to the survey list and the user information, wherein the transmission unit is further configured to transmit the generated survey result to the broadcasting device.
US09552577B2

The present disclosure concerns a method for transferring a money amount by using a two-dimension image code. It provides that the registration of the transfer parties affected by a managing entity generates a two-dimension image code containing registration and security data. Moreover, the request of the recipient party to the paying party of the money amount occurs by a two-dimension image code generated on the display of a mobile phone of the recipient party; the payment order of the paying party to the managing entity to pay said money amount involves the capture of the two-dimension image code from the display of the recipient party and sending to the managing party an encrypted SMS message including the data, the reception of the encrypted the SMS message by a central server of the managing party, which forwards or not the request of authorization of payment of the money amount.
US09552575B2

A card actuated automated banking machine (152, 198, 200) includes a plurality of transaction function devices. The transaction function devices include a card reader (170), a printer (174), a bill dispenser (176), a display (182), a check imaging device (186), and at least one processor (190). The machine is operative, responsive to receiving a check and certification data, to dispense cash in exchange for the check. The person presenting the check to the machine need not provide user identifying inputs through input devices of the machine in order to receive cash for the check. Furthermore, prior to accepting the check as a payment, the person can communicate with at least one computer (204) through at least one consumer interface device (208) to verify that the check is payable for the check amount.
US09552562B2

A method, apparatus, and system for a visual information builder for business rules are provided. By providing an additional interface layer over a general purpose business rule creation interface, role-based and context-sensitive interaction and presentation can be provided to abstract the complexity of the underlying service platform that supports the business rules. Templates are used to provide custom context-sensitive user interfaces and to hide complexity from the user by limiting the scope of the rule dictionary exposed to the user. The general rule building process is uniformly consistent across different contexts and operates similarly at the block and rule scale. Moreover, logical combinations are built using a consistent logical layout specifying logical operators and order of operations based on direction of expansion and relative positions. The logical combinations that are built in VIB can be automatically translated into corresponding business rule code for evaluation and execution by a rules engine.
US09552561B2

Incorporating user insights in predicting, diagnosing and remediating problems that threaten on-time delivery of a project may comprise gathering information. The information may be conveyed to one or more users. A user may be allowed to input a new value associated with the project, the new value assessed based on the information and representing an expert assessment of the information. The user may be allowed to also indicate a period of time the user considers the information to be applicable. The new value and the period of time may be incorporated into data used in a prediction algorithm that predicts probability distribution of completion time of the project as the project is progressing.
US09552550B2

In one embodiment, a committed information rate (CIR) prediction is received from a machine learning model that corresponds to a predicted average traffic rate supported by a network connection. A traffic shaping strategy is adjusted based on the CIR prediction. A rate at which data is communicated over the network connection may be based on the traffic shaping policy. The effects of the adjusted traffic shaping strategy are also monitored. Feedback is further provided to the machine learning model based on the monitored effects of the adjusted traffic shaping strategy.
US09552544B1

Described is a system for action selection based on a combination of neuromodulatory and prefrontal cortex models. The system inputs group attack probability estimates for multiple groups in a prefrontal cortex (PFC) input area of a model instance. The system encodes a dispersion of the group attack probability estimates in an anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) conflict input area of the model instance, resulting in activation of the ACC conflict input area. The activation is propagated to an action area and a neuromodulatory area of the model instance. An action strategy is selected in the action area. The action strategy is implemented, and a reward and a cost is generated for the implemented action strategy. An assessment of possible action strategies is updated based on the generated reward and cost. Each model instance modulates its subsequent action strategy selection based on the updated assessment of the possible action strategies.
US09552538B2

An image forming apparatus for performing image formation using a recording material includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a remaining amount of the recording material, a prediction unit configured to predict a remaining amount of the recording material based on data used for the image formation, a setting unit configured to set the predicated remaining amount of the recording material as a remaining amount of the recording material to be displayed, and a control unit configured to perform control so that when the predicted remaining amount of the recording material reaches a remaining amount of the recording material to be acquired next by the acquisition unit, the remaining amount of the recording material to be displayed is maintained at the remaining amount of the recording material to be acquired next by the acquisition unit until the acquisition unit acquires the next remaining amount of the recording material.
US09552535B2

Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for obtaining examples that break a visual expression classifier at user devices such as tablets, smartphones, personal computers, and cameras. The examples are sent from the user devices to a server. The server may use the examples to update the classifier, and then distribute the updated classifier code and/or updated classifier parameters to the user devices. The users of the devices may be incentivized to provide the examples that break the classifier, for example, by monetary reward, access to updated versions of the classifier, public ranking or recognition of the user, a self-rewarding game. The examples may be evaluated using a pipeline of untrained crowdsourcing providers and trained experts. The examples may contain user images and/or depersonalized information extracted from the user images.
US09552531B2

Image segmentation utilizing the color and brightness of sections of the image to generate super-pixels is described herein. The image segmentation is implemented pixel-wise. A color triangle is utilized in the classification of the pixels. By using a hierarchical classification table, the memory usage is significantly reduced, and the image segmentation is able to be performed on-the-fly in real-time.
US09552528B1

Methods and apparatus for generating a binarization threshold are described. A set of input image pixels is processed. Edges including edge pixels are identified. In various embodiments histograms of pixel values and edge pixel values are generated and jointly used in determining an appropriate binarization threshold. In some embodiments a first histogram of edge pixel values is used to determine an interval of pixel values of interest to limit the set of pixel values used for determining a binarization threshold statistically. In some embodiments a first histogram corresponding to edge pixel values and a second histogram corresponding to image pixel values are generated, subjected to one or more smoothing operations, and truncated, based on information derived from the edge histogram. Characteristics of the histograms including, e.g., minima, maxima, are determined, evaluated, and used to generate a best global threshold.
US09552521B2

The present invention provides a human body security inspection method and system. The method comprises: retrieving in real-time scanning row or column image data of a personal to be inspected; transmitting in real-time the image data to an algorithm processing module and processing these image data by the module; automatically recognizing a suspicious matter by a suspicious matter automatic target recognition technique, after retrieving an image data of an entire scanning image of the personal; any of the following three inspection modes is selected, so as to perform a further processing on basis of the recognition result of the suspicious matter, (1) in a manner of automatic target recognition technique, (2) in a combination manner of the automatic target recognition technique and a privacy protection image; and (3) a combination manner of the automatic target recognition technique, a privacy protection image and human intervention.
US09552519B2

There is provided a communication system that includes a vehicle and a mobile device, and a method uses that system to provide vehicle owner's manual information. The method includes the steps of: receiving a digital image of a portion of a vehicle; identifying an object of the vehicle in the digital image; associating the object with at least one reference object image stored in an object library comprising a plurality of reference object images; displaying owner's manual information based on the association; and storing at least a portion of the digital image in the object library as a new reference object image for future identifications.
US09552516B2

A receipt processing system includes at least one imaging device which generates an image of a paper receipt. At least one processor programmed to acquire the image of a paper receipt from the at least one imaging device, textualize the data from the acquired receipt image, define specific local partial models based on regular expressions and geometric proximity, extract information from the textualized data according to the local partial models, apply rules to the extracted information, and generate receipt data from the application of the rules.
US09552510B2

Techniques for facial expression capture for character animation are described. In one or more implementations, facial key points are identified in a series of images. Each image, in the series of images, is normalized from the identified facial key points. Facial features are determined from each of the normalized images. Then a facial expression is classified, based on the determined facial features, for each of the normalized images. In additional implementations, a series of images are captured that include performances of one or more facial expressions. The facial expressions in each image of the series of images are classified by a facial expression classifier. Then the facial expression classifications are used by a character animator system to produce a series of animated images of an animated character that include animated facial expressions that are associated with the facial expression classification of the corresponding image in the series of images.
US09552501B2

The present invention is to provide a card reader that can prevent the illegal acquisition of magnetic information recorded on a magnetic stripe, based on an output signal from a pre-head. More specifically described, in a card reader having a card insertion slot for guiding a magnetic card having a magnetic stripe to a transport passage and a pre-head arranged in the vicinity of the card insertion slot for detecting the presence of the magnetic stripe, the pre-head is equipped with a head portion having at least one pair of magnetic cores arranged to be opposite from each other having a magnetic gap between them and coils wound around a pair of the magnetic cores; and a signal different from that of the magnetic information recorded on the magnetic stripe is output from the pre-head.
US09552500B2

A platform including an always-available theft protection system is described. In one embodiment, the system comprises an arming logic to arm the platform, when an arming command is received, a risk behavior logic to detect a potential problem when the platform is armed, and a core logic component to provide logic to analyze the potential problem, and to move the platform to a suspecting mode, when the potential problem indicates a theft suspicion. The system, in one embodiment, further comprises configuration logic to configure settings for the system when the platform is in an unarmed mode, the configuration logic including a user logic enabling an authorized user to alter settings and an administrator logic enabling an administrator to alter the settings using an authenticated set request.
US09552480B2

The method includes identifying an instance of software installed. The method further includes determining a fingerprint corresponding to the instance of software installed. The method further includes determining a security risk associated with the instance of software installed. The method further includes identifying a software management policy for the instance of software based upon the fingerprint, security risk, and designated purpose of the computing device. In one embodiment, the method further includes in response to identifying the software management policy, enforcing, by one or more computer processors, the software management policy on the instance of software installed on the computing device.
US09552469B2

A human biological characteristic file corresponding to a particular identity is received and used as a base file. A characteristic code to be authenticated is obtained according to a human biological characteristic of a person who requests identity authentication when an identity authentication request corresponding to the particular identity is received. A base characteristic code is collected from a base file. A collecting algorithm applied for collecting the base characteristic code is the same as or matches an algorithm applied for obtaining the characteristic code. The present techniques determine whether the base characteristic code and the characteristic code correspond to a same human biological characteristic. If a result is positive, the identity authentication request is verified. The present techniques implement communication between different terminal devices of different manufacturers and effectively improve user experiences, thereby efficiently and conveniently implementing remote identity authentication.
US09552463B2

A method, system and non-transitory computer-readable medium product are provided for functionality watermarking and management. In the context of a method, a method is provided that includes identifying a request to establish an association between a watermark template and a function of at least one user device and determining whether the request to establish the association between the watermark template and the function of the at least one user device is authorized. The method further includes authorizing the request to establish the association between the watermark template and the function of the at least one user device in response to a determination that the request to establish the association between the watermark template and the function of the at least one user device is authorized.
US09552457B2

Methods of “reprogramming” epigenetic mark readers or erasers to recognize epigenetic marks other than their cognate (or natural) marks are provided. Reprogramming the reader or eraser can offset the effects of aberrant writer activity (for example, loss of function or overactivity) that can contribute to certain diseases states, such as cancer. The use of the reprogramming compounds identified by these methods in the treatment of such disease states is also provided. Exemplary mark readers that can be targeted by these methods include BPTF and CBX2.
US09552452B2

The present invention provides a method for flip chip packaging co-design. The method comprises steps of: providing an I/O pad information of a chip and a connection information of a PCB; performing a first I/O pad placement according to the I/O pad information of the chip and the connection information of the PCB; utilizing a RDL routing analysis device to perform a bump pad pitch analysis for the first I/O pad placement of the chip to generate a bump pad pitch analysis result; performing a bump pad planning for a package according to the bump pad pitch analysis result to generate a bump pad planning result; and performing a second I/O pad placement for the chip according to the bump pad planning result to generate an I/O pad placement result.
US09552451B1

Embodiments relate to cross-hierarchy interconnect adjustment. An aspect includes receiving chip layout data corresponding to a chip design, wherein a first portion of a metal stack of the chip design is assigned to a first hierarchy and a second portion of the metal stack is assigned to a second hierarchy based on a contract between the first and second hierarchy. Another aspect includes determining an unused portion of the first portion of the metal stack. Another aspect includes moving an interconnect of the second hierarchy from the second portion of the metal stack that is assigned to the second hierarchy to the unused portion of the first portion of the metal stack in the chip layout data. Another aspect includes performing power recovery on the chip layout data after moving the interconnect based on an amount of slack margin generated in the chip design by the moving of the interconnect.
US09552449B1

Techniques relate to dynamic complex fault model generation for diagnostics simulation and pattern generation. Inline fabrication parametric data is received, and the inline fabrication parametric data is a collection of physical measurements made on a device under test during a manufacturing fabrication of the device under test. A fault model of defects is generated according to the inline fabrication parametric data, where the fault model is based on a physical design of the device under test combined with the inline fabrication parametric data for the device under test. Test patterns are generated based on the fault model and the inline fabrication parametric data, such that the test patterns are configured to test the device under test in order to obtain results that are based on the inline fabrication parametric data. A simulation is run of the device under test using the results and the inline fabrication parametric data.
US09552448B2

A method of transmitting data is disclosed. At least one system block of a system-on-chip (SoC) is modeled at an untimed functional level in first and second untimed functional models. First and second transaction level (TL) models of the at least one system block system block are modeled at a transaction level (TL) using the first and second untimed functional models, respectively. First and second cycle accurate (CA) models are modeled at a cycle accurate (CA) level using the first and second TL models, respectively. Data is transmitted from the first untimed functional model to the first CA model, from the first CA model to the second CA model via a CA bus, and from the second CA model to the second untimed functional model.
US09552447B2

Disclosed are a system and method that control integrated circuit chip temperature using frequency scaling based on predetermined temperature-frequency settings. During integrated circuit chip operation, a controller causes a variable clock signal generator to adjust the frequency of a clock signal that coordinates operations of an integrated circuit chip based on the temperature of the integrated circuit chip and on predetermined temperature-frequency settings. The temperature-frequency settings are predetermined in order to ensure that the frequency of the clock signal, as adjusted, remains sufficiently high to meet a chip performance specification, but sufficiently low to prevent the temperature from rising above a predetermined maximum temperature in order to limit power consumption. Also disclosed is a method of generating such temperature-frequency settings during timing analysis.
US09552445B2

Automatic change propagation in an area-based open pit mine designer is disclosed. One example includes an economic shell receiver module to receive an economic shell. In addition a user input module receives a user parametric input denoting an open pit mine shape based on the economic shell. An open pit mine designer module automatically develops an open pit mine design from the user parametric input. The user input module receives an additional area to be incorporated into the open pit mine design. The open pit mine designer module automatically propagates the additional area into the open pit mine design to generate a modified open pit mine design.
US09552444B2

Techniques are disclosed for using a third-party application to access or edit a file within a cloud-based environment within a cloud-based platform or environment. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to a request to access the content in the cloud-based environment, providing the third-party application with a login view to verify an identity of a user. The login view is generated from a server hosting the environment. The method further includes, upon the verification of the user's identity, providing the requested content to the third-party application.
US09552443B2

An information processing apparatus includes a search execution unit configured to execute a search on the basis of a search condition, an item specification unit configured to specify particular data as an item from data included in a result of the search executed by the search execution unit on the basis of the search condition, an item storage unit configured to store the item specified by the item specification unit in a storage apparatus, a search result generation unit configured to generate a search result without data overlap on the basis of data included in a result of a search executed by the search execution unit on the basis of a new search condition and the item stored in the storage apparatus, and a search result display unit configured to display the search result generated by the search result generation unit.
US09552419B2

Graphical user interfaces for searching music. A computer provides a window of a first webpage providing a user interface to search music, comprising search tools including filter tools and a keyword search tool. In response to a user search request for music via the filter tools and/or the keyword search tool, the computer provides, within the window, music search results. When a search result is selected by the user, the selected search result expands within the window. The expanded search result includes one or more of: a grab button, a download button, a share button, a license button, an audio player showing an audio waveform of the selected music search result, a description of the selected music search result, artwork associated with the search result, and an explore-more button, that when selected provides additional music related to the selected music based on acoustic similarity.
US09552413B2

A program vector can represent attributes of a program to be generated. EPG data can be received, and metadata necessary for generation of a program vector PP can be extracted from the EPG data. A morphological analysis can be carried out on contents and title included in the metadata to disassemble the contents and the title into words. Items included in the metadata can be subjected to a vector creation process to generate the program vector PP. An effect vector can be extracted on the basis of a genre of a program associated with the metadata. The extracted effect vector can be associated with the generated program vector PP and the processing can be ended. This can be applied to a distribution server for distributing contents.
US09552390B2

Embodiments are provided herein for efficient out-of-order (OOO) multiple query execution within a stored procedure in a database processing system. An embodiment method includes compiling a procedure comprising a plurality of statements. During the compiling, any dependencies between the statements are detected and maintained in a dependency table. The method further includes executing the procedure. During the execution, the method includes upon detecting a change in a dependency between the statements, updating the dependency in the dependency table. The statements are scheduled for OOO execution according to the dependency table with the updated dependencies.
US09552377B2

A method for naming an image file comprises the steps of: searching for a keyword string in initial scan image data; identifying an encoded string after the keyword string; and generating an initial file corresponding to the initial scan image data. If the keyword string is found, a file name of the initial file is automatically set up according to the encoded string.
US09552373B2

The present invention relates to a method for performing face recognition in a telecommunication system (1) comprising a central repository (10) in which Face Recognition profiles attached to subscribers signed up for face recognition have been stored. The method comprises steps like: Detecting proximity between a subscriber (5) of the subscribers signed up for face recognition and an entity (6,8) involved with Face Recognition, said subscriber (5) being located within a cell coverage area (7); Migrating a Face Recognition profile attached to said subscriber, from the central repository (10) to a Network node (8) controlling the cell coverage area (7); Generating in the Network node, an extended synthetic gallery for the migrated Face Recognition profile.
US09552369B2

A system for managing files over a network comprises a first computer hosting managed folders and files and one or more second computers. The first computer comprises database management software, server software such as server pipe software, and a first unique token. The second computer comprises a software module adapted and configured to be integrated into application software, client software such as client pipe software, and a second unique token. The computers communicate in part using the server and client software to establish a secure session for file access and transfer between the first and second computers.
US09552367B2

The system and method described herein may use reverse path lookup to build mappings between file handles that represent network file system objects and full path names associated therewith and distinguish hard links between different file system objects having the same identifier with different parents or file names. The mappings and information distinguishing the hard links may then be cached to enable replicating changes to the file system. For example, a server may search the cached information using a file handle associated with a changed file system object to obtain the file name and full path name associated therewith. The server may then send the file name and full path name and metadata describing how the file system object was changed to a replica host, which may then replicate the change to the file system object.
US09552366B2

Systems and methods are presented for storing and updating data. The metadata associated with a user computing device may be used to determine whether the user computing device is configured to maintain a synchronized copy of the file. Moreover, a user computing device may be authorized to modify a file through a virtual desktop instance on a PES. If a user computing device is authorized to synchronize the file, the file may be accessible locally without a network connection.
US09552353B2

Techniques are disclosed for generating phrases for selection by users communicating in an online virtual world environment. A phrase generation engine automatically constructs new phrases using pre-approved words from a dictionary of frequently used words and language-specific rules for phrase formation to ensure safety and supplement an existing database of commonly used, pre-approved phrases. Increasing the number of phrases that are available for selection by a user increases the user expressivity. Each word in the dictionary is annotated with semantic and grammatical information that constrains how the word is combined with other words to generate a new phrase. Each new phrase may also be tagged to enable translation into a different language so a phrase in a first language selected by a first user may be displayed in a second language to a second user.
US09552341B2

A web-based application constructor can be used to construct a web display. The web-based application constructor can obtain data from heterogeneous data sources having Web Services schemas to produce the web display. The web display can contain page components and can display the data from at least some heterogeneous data sources. A versioning system can keep track of changes to page components, page layout, searches, and text to allow users to make changes without administrative approval.
US09552339B1

A method and apparatus of modifying user content data on a mobile station are disclosed. One example method of displaying customized content data on a mobile station may include receiving the content data at the mobile station, and modifying the content data based on predefined viewing preferences of the user. The modified content may then be displayed on a display interface of the mobile station allowing the user to view the content based on their specified preferences.
US09552336B2

Methods and systems for generating and sending an XML document are described. In a specific implementation, methods and systems for responding to an XML client request utilize an XML response generator. The XML response generator responds to a client request without having to first build and save the entire response. An emitter object is provided that receives data that is gathered. The calls are made in a particular order and ensure that the hierarchical nature of the response that is being built is preserved. The emitter object translates the data that it receives into response portions that are in proper XML syntactic form.
US09552330B2

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for indicating a page number of an active document page within a document are provided. Embodiments include detecting, by a presentation controller, activation of a document page on a presentation device; in response to detecting the activation of the document page on the presentation device, tracking, by the presentation controller, an amount of time that the document page is consecutively active on the presentation device; determining, by the presentation controller, that the amount of time that the document page is consecutively active on the presentation device exceeds a predetermined threshold; and in response to determining that the predetermined threshold has been exceeded, providing to a target source, by the presentation controller, an output indicating a page number of the document page while the document page is active on the presentation device.
US09552320B2

A method that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus. The method includes: replicating propagation path lengths, loads, and buffering of a radial distribution network for a strobe, receiving a lag pulse signal, and generating a replicated strobe signal by employing the replicated propagation path loads lengths, and buffering; measuring the time between assertion of the lag pulse signal and assertion of the replicated strobe signal; on a lag bus, generating a value that indicates the time; within a synchronous lag receiver, receiving a first one of a plurality of radially distributed strobes and a data bit, and delaying registering of the data bit by the time.
US09552315B2

In one aspect, a system includes electrical components arranged in a daisy chain that include a first electrical component disposed at a first end of the daisy chain and a second electrical component disposed at an opposite end of the daisy chain than the first end. Each of the first and second electrical components includes an input port, an output port and a common port. The input port of the first electrical component is coupled to one of a supply voltage port or ground and the common ports of the first and second electrical components are coupled to the other one of the supply voltage or the ground. An address of the second electrical component is determined before addresses of the other of the electrical components are determined, and the addresses determine a position of an electrical component with respect to the other of the electrical components.
US09552311B2

A memory system having a memory controller and several separate memory devices connected to the controller by a system bus. The memory devices each included an array of memory cells, addressing circuitry used to address the cells and an address storage circuit which stores a local address unique to each of the memory devices. The local addresses are sequentially assigned to the memory devices by selecting a first one of the devices and forwarding an address assign command to the selected device. A command decoder, having detected the address assign command, will permit a local address placed on the bus by the controller to be loaded into the selected memory device. This sequence will continue until all of the memory devices have been assigned local addresses at which time the memory devices can be accessed to perform memory read, program, erase and other operations.
US09552310B2

An EVEN component selecting unit and an ODD component selecting unit acquire a first signal from a DQ signal based on a rising edge of a DQS signal and a second signal from the DQ signal based on a falling edge of the DQS signal. Variable delay adding units give the first signal a first delay based on a phase difference between an internal clock signal and the rising edge of the DQS signal and give the second signal a second delay based on a phase difference between the internal clock signal and the falling edge of the DQS signal. Data capturing units capture, based on the internal clock signal, data from the first signal to which the first delay is given and the second signal to which the second delay is given.
US09552308B2

A request associated with a particular cache record is generated to be sent to a system component associated with a cache bank over an interconnect. A wake-warn signal is sent over a dedicated wake-warn channel to indicate to the system component that the request is to arrive. Wake-warn signals cause a disabled clock to be ungated to an enabled state. The request is then sent to the system component.
US09552305B2

A method begins by a processing module identifying a first storage space zone that includes a plurality of deleted encoded data slices and a plurality of active encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module determining to compact the first storage space zone based on a function of the plurality of deleted encoded data slices and the plurality of active encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module retrieving the plurality of active encoded data slices from the first storage space zone, identifying a second storage space zone, storing the plurality of active encoded data slices in the second storage space zone, and erasing the plurality of deleted encoded data slices and the plurality of active encoded data slices from the first storage space zone when the first storage space zone is to be compacted.
US09552303B2

A method and system for maintaining release consistency in shared memory programming on a computing device having multiple processing units includes, in response to a page fault, initiating a transfer, from one processing unit to another, of data associated with more than one but less than all of the pages of shared memory.
US09552300B2

A cache system for a storage device includes a solid state drive (SSD), a random access memory (RAM), and a cache control device. The cache control device is configured to: retrieve data from the storage device in response to a request to read data from the storage device, store at least some of the data in one or both of (i) the SSD and (ii) the RAM, when storing the at least some of the data to the RAM, write to the RAM non-sequentially with respect to a memory space of the RAM, and when storing the at least some of the data in the SSD, write to the SSD sequentially with respect to a memory space of the SSD. The cache control device comprises an SSD interface device configured to allocate memory for storing data in the SSD sequentially with respect to the memory space of the SSD.
US09552299B2

Systems and methods of building massively parallel computing systems using low power computing complexes in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. A massively parallel computing system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes at least one Solid State Blade configured to communicate via a high performance network fabric. In addition, each Solid State Blade includes a processor configured to communicate with a plurality of low power computing complexes interconnected by a router, and each low power computing complex includes at least one general processing core, an accelerator, an I/O interface, and cache memory and is configured to communicate with non-volatile solid state memory.
US09552298B2

Methods and systems configured to facilitate smart pre-fetching for sequentially accessing tree structures such as balanced trees (b-trees) are described herein. According to various described embodiments, a pre-fetch condition can be determined to have been met for a first cache associated with a first level of a tree such as a b-tree. A link to a bock of data to be read into the cache can be read into the cache by accessing a second level of the tree. The data elements associated with the retrieved link can subsequently read into the cache.
US09552292B2

A storage management apparatus configured to allocate physical addresses in a physical storage area, to virtual addresses in a virtual storage area for storing data is provided. The storage management apparatus includes a processor that executes a process to define, in the physical area, a continuous area having a plurality of continuous physical addresses, and define, based on a virtual address to which a physical address in the continuous area has initially been allocated, an allocation range of virtual addresses for allocating the defined continuous area; and allocate a physical address in the defined continuous area to a virtual address in the defined relation range.
US09552284B2

A method to determine valid input sequences for an unknown binary program is provided. The method includes obtaining multiple input sequences, which each include two or more different inputs, for an unknown binary program. The inputs for the input sequences may be valid inputs for the unknown binary program. The method may further include executing an instrumented version of the unknown binary program separately for each input sequence. For each execution of the instrumented version of the unknown binary program, a set of execution traces may be generated by recording execution traces generated by the execution of the instrumented version of the unknown binary program. The method may further include comparing the sets of execution traces and determining which of the input sequences the unknown binary program accepts as valid based on the comparison of the sets of execution traces.
US09552281B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for integrating JAVA objects, such as handlers, into a scripting language to be used as part of a test automation environment including a test automation tool. The environment can access and execute one or more script files coded using diverse scripting languages designed to exercise and test DNS servers, registries, and/or other network entities. The test automation tool can invoke a set of generalized handlers that may comprise compiled JAVA objects configured to perform specific testing functions. The test automation tool may load a script for a test case and a scripting language, establish a controller, and interface the script to the intermediate JAVA handlers to abstract individual script files for use in a more universal fashion, avoiding incompatibilities that can arise between various script languages.
US09552278B1

A method, computer program product, and system performing a method that include a processor defining a code fingerprint by obtaining parameters describing at least one of an event type or an event. The code fingerprint includes a first sequence. The processor loads the code fingerprint into a register accessible to the processor. Concurrent with executing a program, the processor obtains the code fingerprint from the register and identifies the code fingerprint in the program by comparing a second sequence in the program to the first sequence. Based on identifying the code fingerprint in the program, the processor alerts a runtime environment where the program is executing.
US09552277B2

A synchronized JAVA debugger maintains synchronization between a JAVA source file in the debugger current working directory and a corresponding JAVA stored procedure in a database to be debugged. The debugger includes fetching module, storage module, display module, and execution module. The fetching module fetches a corresponding JAVA source file for a JAVA stored procedure from a database. The display module displays a recompile option, as a button, menu, or command line interface. In response to selection of the recompile option in the user interface, the execution module terminates the debugging session, sends a modified JAVA source file to the remote target JAVA Virtual Machine (JVM) and instructs the remote JVM to recompile the JAVA stored procedure using the modified JAVA source file before a new debugging session is started. Communication between the debugger and the remote database is by sending and receiving JAVA Debug Wire Protocol (JDWP) command packets.
US09552259B1

A method and system are provided for dynamic provisioning of snapshots in a data backup system with a software defined storage (SDS). The method implemented by the backup system receives a snapshot provisioning request including a user selection of snapshot objectives by a dynamic snapshot module, converts a file system reference mapping to a logical unit number (LUN) of the SDS, consolidates the snapshot provisioning request to the mapping and snapshot frequency, and passes the consolidated snapshot provisioning request to the SDS to provision snapshots.
US09552251B2

Techniques for reading data from memory cells arranged along a common charge trapping layer. One example is in a 3D stacked non-volatile memory device. Memory cells on a word line layer WLLn can be disturbed by programming of memory cells on an adjacent word line layer WLLn+1, resulting in uncorrectable errors. The memory cells on WLLn are read in a data recovery read operation which applies an elevated pass voltage to WLLn+1. The elevated pass voltage decreases and narrows the threshold voltages on WLLn, which facilitates reading. The data recovery read operation compensates for the lower threshold voltages of the cells by lowering the control gate voltage, raising the source voltage or adjusting a sensing period, demarcation level or pre-charge level in sensing circuitry. The elevated pass voltage can be stepped up in repeated read attempts until there are no uncorrectable errors or a limit is reached.
US09552247B2

Some embodiments are directed to a method, corresponding system, and corresponding apparatus for detecting unexpectedly high latency, due to excessive retries of a given storage device of a set of storage devices. Some embodiments may comprise a processor and associated memory. Some embodiments may monitor one or more completion time characteristics of one or more accesses between the given storage device and one or more host machines. Some embodiments may then compare the one or more completion time characteristics with a given threshold. As a result of the comparison, some embodiments may report, by the one or more host machines, at least one error associated with the given storage device. The error may be unreported by the set of storage devices.
US09552246B2

A portable memory device is interfaced to a SST and authenticated; a system application on the SST writes diagnostic data to the device. The portable memory device is subsequently interfaced to an enterprise system and the diagnostic data is pulled to the enterprise system for analysis. In an embodiment, the enterprise system pushes informational data regarding maintenance and support to the portable device when the portable device is subsequently interfaced to the SST; the informational data is pushed to the SST for presentation and viewing by a service engineer.
US09552244B2

Systems and methods for correcting bit failures in a resistive memory device include dividing the memory device into a first memory bank and a second memory bank. A first single bit repair (SBR) array is stored in the second memory bank, wherein the first SBR array is configured to store a first indication of a failure in a first failed bit in a first row of the first memory bank. The first memory bank and the first SBR array are configured to be accessed in parallel during a memory access operation. Similarly, a second SBR array stored in the first memory bank can store indications of failures of bits in the second memory bank, wherein the second SBR array and the second memory bank can be accessed in parallel. Thus, bit failures in the first and second memory banks can be corrected in real time.
US09552228B2

Technologies are generally described for systems, devices and methods effective to execute a first computing task by a processor of a data center. In some examples, the first computing task may be executed using an instruction set extension. Execution of the first computing task using the instruction set extension may require a first number of clock cycles. In other examples, execution of the first computing task without using the instruction set extension may require a second number of clock cycles. In some examples, a savings value may be determined. The savings value may represent a difference between the first number of clock cycles and the second number of clock cycles. An amount of processing time may be allocated on the processor to a second computing task. The amount of processing time may be based on the savings value. The second computing task may be different from the first computing task.
US09552224B2

A method of capturing the state of a target program that is running within the environment of an operating system is provided. The method includes identifying threads associated with the target program, suspending threads associated with the target program, preserving data characterizing the threads, and preserving data accessible by the threads when in operation. A method of changing the state of a target program that is running within the environment of an operating system is also provided. This method includes identifying threads associated with the target program, suspending threads associated with the target program, replacing data characterizing the threads with previously preserved data, and replacing data accessible by the threads when in operation with previously preserved data. In either case, the threads are then resumed to allow the target program to continue operation.
US09552220B2

A methods and device for accessing virtual machine (VM) data are described. A computing device for accessing virtual machine comprises an access request process module, a data transfer proxy module and a virtual disk. The access request process module receives a data access request sent by a VM and adds the data access request to a request array. The data transfer proxy module obtains the data access request from the request array, maps the obtained data access request to a corresponding virtual storage unit, and maps the virtual storage unit to a corresponding physical storage unit of a distributed storage system. A corresponding data access operation may be performed based on a type of the data access request.
US09552209B2

A method is described that includes fetching an instruction. The method further includes decoding the instruction. The instruction specifies an operation, a first operand and a second operand. The method further includes fetching the first and second operands of the instruction. The first and second operands are each composed of a plurality of larger chunks having constituent elements. The method further includes performing the operation specified by the instruction including generating a resultant composed of a plurality of larger chunks having constituent elements. The generating of the resultant includes selecting for each element in the resultant a contiguous group of bits from a same positioned chunk of the first operand as the chunk of the element in the resultant, the contiguous group of bits being identified by a same positioned element of the second operand as the element in the resultant.
US09552206B2

Traditionally, providing parallel processing within a multi-core system has been very difficult. Here, however, a system is provided where serial source code is automatically converted into parallel source code, and a processing cluster is reconfigured “on the fly” to accommodate the parallelized code based on an allocation of memory and compute resources. Thus, the processing cluster and its corresponding system programming tool provide a system that can perform parallel processing from a serial program that is transparent to a user. Generally, a control node connected to the address and data leads of a host processor uses messages to control the processing of data in a processing cluster. The cluster includes nodes of parallel processors, shared function memory, a global load/store, and hardware accelerators all connected to the control node by message busses. A crossbar data interconnect routes data to the cluster circuits separate from the message busses.
US09552195B2

Disclosed here are methods, systems, paradigms and structures for incrementally compiling scripts at runtime to generate executable code. The incremental compilation generates executable code corresponding to basic blocks of a script in various phases and at various scopes. In a first phase, an executable code for a basic block of the script is generated for a set of types of variables of the basic block. The generated executable block is stored and executed for subsequent requests. In a second phase, a set of executable blocks whose profiling information, such as frequency of (a) execution, (b) transition between two executable blocks, or (c) execution of a particular path, satisfies an optimization criterion is identified. The identified set of executable blocks are combined to generate an executable control region, which is more optimal than the executable blocks generated in the first phase. The executable control region is executed for subsequent requests.
US09552192B2

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates execution of a software program. During operation, the system determines a structure of a software program and an execution context for the software program from a set of possible execution contexts for the software program. Next, the system generates memory layouts for a set of object instances in the software program at least in part by applying the execution context to the structure independently of a local execution context on the computer system. The system then stores the memory layouts in association with the software program.
US09552190B1

In accordance with some embodiments, a floating point number datapath circuitry, e.g., within an integrated circuit programmable logic device is provided. The datapath circuitry may be used for computing a rounded absolute value of a mantissa of a floating point number. The floating point datapath circuitry may have only a single adder stage for computing a rounded absolute value of a mantissa of the floating point number based on one or more bits of an unrounded mantissa of the floating point number. The unrounded and rounded mantissas may include a sign bit, a sticky bit, a round bit, and/or a least significant bit, and/or other bits. The unrounded mantissa may be in a format that includes negative numbers (e.g., 2's complement) and the rounded mantissa may be in a format that may include a portion of the floating point number represented as a positive number, (e.g., signed magnitude).
US09552189B1

Circuitry that performs floating-point operations on an integrated circuit is provided. The circuitry may execute a floating-point operation by decomposing the floating-point operation into multiple steps and decomposing the floating-point number on which to perform the floating-point operation into multiple portions. The circuitry may include storage circuits that store at least some results of the multiple steps, and memory access operations may be performed using some portions of the floating-point number. The circuitry may use arithmetic floating-point and arithmetic fixed-point circuits to implement Taylor series expansion circuits that may perform a subset of the multiple steps, thereby reducing the complexity of the subset of these steps.
US09552186B2

A data processing method and an electronic device are disclosed. The method comprises: causing at least one display content displayed by the at least one input/output display unit respectively to be independent from each other, so that processing on one current input/output display unit only affects the display content of the current input/output display unit, but does not affect other input/output display unit(s); obtaining a user operation on the at least one display area; synchronizing a system message between the at least one input/output display unit in response to the user operation, so that consistent system service is obtained from the at least one input/output display unit, wherein the at least one display content are identical or not identical.
US09552180B2

An information processing device includes multiple communication interfaces, a holding unit, a counting unit, and a processing unit. The holding unit holds requests for the multiple communication interfaces in order for each of the communication interfaces, respectively. The counting unit counts a number of times that a turn to process the requests was not given for each of the communication interfaces. The processing unit selects one of the communication interfaces on the basis of the number of times, and processes the request being held for the selected communication interface.
US09552179B2

An image forming apparatus includes a printing section, an acceptance section configured to accept an instruction for the printing section to change a printing speed, and an operation control section configured to control an operation of the printing section. When the acceptance section accepts the instruction, the operation control section calculates a first amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at an unchanged printing speed, a second amount of time for the printing section to start and complete printing at a changed printing speed, and a third amount of time for the printing section to change the printing speed and start printing at the changed printing speed, compares a total of the second and third amounts of time with the first amount of time, and determines whether to allow the printing section to change the printing speed based on a result of the comparison.
US09552168B2

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for virtual machine (VM) backup from a storage snapshot. An embodiment operates by receiving selective backup parameters including a VM to backup and then creating a VM snapshot associated with the VM. Next, an offset table associated with a virtual disk of the VM stored on a storage is retrieved. The embodiment further includes generating a storage snapshot and deleting the VM snapshot and then promoting the storage snapshot to a new logical unit number. The promoted storage snapshot is then mounted to the backups server. The virtual disk data is backed up to a backup storage using the offset table from the storage snapshot. The storage snapshot is dismounted from the backup server and deleted from the storage.
US09552165B2

Systems and methods of a memory allocation buffer to reduce heap fragmentation. In one embodiment, the memory allocation buffer structures a memory arena dedicated to a target region that is one of a plurality of regions in a server in a database cluster such as an HBase cluster. The memory area has a chunk size (e.g., 2 MB) and an offset pointer. Data objects in write requests targeted to the region are received and inserted to the memory arena at a location specified by the offset pointer. When the memory arena is filled, a new one is allocated. When a MemStore of the target region is flushed, the entire memory arenas for the target region are freed up. This reduces heap fragmentation that is responsible for long and/or frequent garbage collection pauses.
US09552164B2

Techniques and mechanisms for a memory device to concurrently receive and process signals each based on a different respective reference voltage level. In an embodiment, an input/output (I/O) interface of a memory device includes receiver circuits each to process a respective signal received via a corresponding signal line of a bus. In response to one or more configuration commands, a first receiver circuit is configured to process a first signal based on a first reference voltage level and a second receiver circuit is configured to process a second signal based on a second reference voltage level. In another embodiment, a memory controller sends the one or more configuration commands to such a memory device based on an evaluation of voltage swing characteristics each corresponding to a different respective signal line of a bus.
US09552163B1

Systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for providing compressed data storage using non-power-of-two flash cell mapping. One embodiment of a method comprises receiving one or more compressed logical pages to be stored in a NAND flash memory. Binary data in the one or more logical pages is transformed to a quinary representation. The quinary representation comprises a plurality of quinary bits. A binary representation of each of the plurality of quinary bits is transmitted to the NAND flash memory. The binary representation of each of the plurality of quinary bits is converted to a quinary voltage for a corresponding cell in a physical page in the NAND flash memory.
US09552158B2

A method for allocating memory includes an operation that determines whether a prototype of a callee function is within a scope of a caller. The caller is a module containing a function call to the callee function. In addition, the method includes determining whether the function call includes one or more unnamed parameters when a prototype of the callee function is within the scope of the caller. Further, the method may include inserting instructions in the caller to allocate a register save area in a memory when it is determined that the function call includes one or more unnamed parameters.
US09552154B2

A device and method for providing a user interface using information is provided. The device includes a display unit, a sensor and a controller. The display unit displays at least one graphic user interface (GUI). The sensor generates a sensor signal according to a user's finger touch input. The controller receives the sensor signal from the sensor, identifies a touch area and an adjacent area based on the received sensor signal, generates touch finger shape-based information according to the identified touch area and the identified adjacent area, and controls the display unit to display the GUI according to the generated finger shape-based information.
US09552146B2

A slide track of a notched slider control can include a continuous path extending between two end points. A slider can be a graphical element able to move along the slide track. The end points can correspond to upper and lower extremes of a value range. Positions between the end points can represent values within the value range. The slide track can include at least one notch that is visually represented within the slide control as a deviation from a straight line segment having the two end points. The notch corresponds to a value within the value range. The notch can causes the slider to become fixed at a point along the slide track whenever a pointing device controlling the slider is moved in a direction of the deviation.
US09552131B2

Methods and apparatuses to display windows. In more than one embodiments of the invention, a window is closed automatically (e.g., after a timer expires, or when a condition or criterion is met, or a system input is received) without user input. In some examples, the window is translucent so that the portion of another window, when present, is visible under the window. In some examples, the image of the window is faded out before the window is closed and destroyed. In some examples, the window does not close in response to any input from a user input device. In some examples, the window is repositioned (or hidden) automatically when another translucent window is displayed. The degree of translucency, the speed for fading out, the discrete levels of translucency for fading out, the time to expire, and/or other parameters for controlling the display of the window may be set by the user or adjusted by the system (or application software programs) automatically according to system conditions or other criteria.
US09552130B2

An application may be hosted for utilization by a remote computing platform. User interface (UI) elements of a UI generated by the hosted application may be identified. Proxy UI elements may be generated. Each of the proxy UI elements may correspond to one or more of the identified UI elements. A transcript of an audio sample may be processed. The audio sample may comprise an utterance of a user of the remote computing platform. The transcript of the audio sample may comprise at least one word corresponding to one or more of the proxy UI elements. A functionality of the hosted application may be invoked. The invoked functionality may correspond to one or more of the UI elements corresponding to the one or more of the proxy UI elements.
US09552125B2

Methods, systems, apparatus, including computer program products for browsing and editing input for an input method editor. In one implementation, a method is provided. The method includes receiving an input sequence of characters in a first writing system; identifying in the input sequence of characters one or more first subsequences of consecutive characters, where each subsequence represents a syllable in a different, second writing system; identifying in the input sequence of characters one or more second subsequences, where each second subsequence includes one or more consecutive first subsequences and represents a term in the different, second writing system; determining one or more boundaries that delimit the one or more second subsequences; and generating one or more selectable indicators for display in a user interface, where each of the one or more selectable indicators identifies a respective second subsequence delimited by the one or more boundaries.
US09552123B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for integrating applications in a portal. A user interface is obtained in one or more computing devices from a first one of a plurality of applications. The user interface includes an identification of an object instance associated with an object type. A list of views associated with a second one of the applications is obtained. One or more of the views are configured to represent the object type. A modified user interface is generated from the user interface according to the identification of the object instance and the list of views. The modified user interface includes a component for selecting one of the views to represent the object instance.
US09552122B2

A dry etching apparatus for performing dry etching in manufacture of a set of touch screen panels on a mother substrate, including a chamber, an upper electrode in the chamber at an upper portion thereof, the upper electrode configured to apply a high-frequency power source (RF) to the interior of the chamber, a lower electrode in the chamber at a lower portion thereof, the lower electrode configured to apply the high-frequency power source to the interior of the chamber, a gas injection port configured to inject a compound mixture gas into the chamber, an exhaust port configured to exhaust a reactive gas produced in the interior of the chamber, and a shadow mask disposed above a location on the lower electrode for the mother substrate for the touch screen panels, the shadow mask having a plurality of exposure windows respectively corresponding to a plurality of exposure portions to be formed.
US09552121B2

A processing system for a capacitive sensing input device comprises a sensing module, a first internal diagnostic mechanism, and a determination module. The sensing module is configured to couple with a first sensor electrode path of a plurality of sensor electrode paths, and is configured to drive the first sensor electrode path with a first signal. The first internal diagnostic mechanism is configured to couple with a second sensor electrode path and to acquire a test signal output while the sensing module drives the first sensor electrode path with the first signal. The first internal diagnostic mechanism comprises a selectable current source configured to couple with the second sensor electrode path, and the selectable current source is enabled during acquisition of the test signal output. The determination module is configured to determine whether the first and second sensor electrode paths are ohmically coupled together based on the test signal output.
US09552114B2

The disclosure is related to a touch panel including a substrate; a low-temperature poly-silicon layer, a first isolating layer, a gate and a second isolating layer arranged in sequence and disposed on a surface of the substrate; a source and a drain disposed on the second isolating layer, the source and the drain disposed separately and respectively connected to the low-temperature poly-silicon layer through a through hole; a planar layer disposed on the source, the drain and the second isolating layer, the planar layer having a first via corresponding to the drain; a filling part filling the first via and the filling part electrically connected to the drain; a third isolating layer disposed on the planar layer, the third isolating layer having a second via corresponding to the filling part; a pixel electrode disposed on the third isolating layer and electrically connected to the filling part through the second via.
US09552107B2

An inputting fingertip sleeve includes a sleeve and an inputting end. The sleeve is configured to receive a finger. The sleeve includes at least one opening. The inputting end is located on the sleeve. The inputting end includes a supporter and a conductive layer. The conductive layer is located on a surface of the supporter. The conductive layer includes a carbon nanotube structure and a conductive layer. The carbon nanotube structure includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes. The conductive material is coated on a surface of each carbon nanotube to form a coating layer.
US09552097B2

Techniques are described to discern between intentional and unintentional gestures. A device receives a first input from one or more sensors that are coupled to a flexible material to detect input from the user provided by manipulation of the flexible material. In addition, the device receives a second input from one or more environmental sensors that are coupled to the user to detect environmental conditions associated with the user. The device correlates the first input and the second input to determine whether the first input is an intentional input by the user.
US09552096B2

Disclosed herein are a display device and a manufacturing method thereof, in which a sensing signal generated by touch input is received through at least two receiving channels. The display device includes a touch panel in which a plurality of driving electrodes receive a plurality of driving signals and a plurality of sensing electrodes generate a plurality of sensing signals by a touch input, wherein the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are arranged to intersect each other, and a sensing circuit device in which a plurality of receiving channels receive the sensing signals. The sensing circuit device is configured to receive one sensing signal generated by the touch input through at least two receiving channels.
US09552091B2

There is provided a display driving circuit, including: a touch signal terminal, a first clock terminal, a second clock terminal, a power supply terminal, a drive signal enabling terminal, a drive electrode signal terminal, a common electrode signal terminal, and a plurality of sub-circuits connected in cascades, each of the sub-circuits including: a logic unit, a driving unit and a transmission unit, wherein the logic unit is connected to the touch signal terminal, the first clock terminal, the second clock terminal, the power supply terminal, the drive signal enabling terminal, and the driving unit, the driving unit is connected to the transmission unit, and the transmission unit is connected to the drive electrode signal terminal and the common electrode signal terminal. The present application realizes co-electrode time-division multiplexing of the in-cell capacitive touch screen in the narrow-fame display apparatus.
US09552083B2

A multi-function touch pen for a portable electronic device includes a pen body and an audio output module. The pen body includes a touching input terminal, located at a first end of the pen body for inputting information to the portable electronic device, and an audio input unit located adjacent to the touch input terminal for inputting audio signals to the portable electronic device. The audio output module is located at a second end of the pen body for outputting audio signals generated from the portable electronic device.
US09552077B2

A user interface or control includes a cushion-type support member and a user input member that is interconnected with and carried by the support member. The support member defines an upwardly facing recess, and the input member may be a user interface or control device that is contained within the upwardly facing recess. The support member may be formed to surround the recess about the user interface or control device. The support member may include an air vent that vents air exhausted from the user interface or control device. The user interface or control device may be a laptop computer having a body including a keyboard contained within the recess, and a screen carried by the body. The user interface or control device may alternatively be an electronic input member having an upwardly facing screen, a convertible input member movably mounted to a mounting member, or a game controller.
US09552069B2

The description relates to 3D gesture recognition. One example gesture recognition system can include a gesture detection assembly. The gesture detection assembly can include a sensor cell array and a controller that can send signals at different frequencies to individual sensor cells of the sensor cell array. The example gesture recognition system can also include a gesture recognition component that can determine parameters of an object proximate the sensor cell array from responses of the individual sensor cells to the signals at the different frequencies, and can identify a gesture performed by the object using the parameters.
US09552064B2

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for optical sensing and tracking of eye movement. In one aspect, a device for obtaining a user's eye dynamics data includes a display screen to present at least one content. The device includes an eye sensing module to obtain the user's eye dynamics data including the user's eye movement while presenting to the user the at least one content on the display screen. The device includes a processor in communication with the eye sensing module. The processor can determine the user's reaction to the at least one content presented on the display screen based at least partly on the obtained user's eye dynamics data.
US09552055B2

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and edges, accessing user-concept scores for a first set of users nodes of the plurality for nodes, respectively, generating a recommendation-algorithm for estimating recommended user-concept scores for all user-concept pairs in the first set of user nodes and the plurality of concept nodes, and calculating recommended user-concept scores for a second set of user nodes of the plurality of nodes.
US09552054B2

A method for controlling a sensor includes steps of: sensing an object for determining whether the object is within a sensing range of the sensor; if it is determined that the object is not within the sensing range, the sensor is turned into a non-active mode for a predicted non-active time, wherein the predicted non-active time is calculated based on a predetermined or a historical non-active time; sensing the object for determining whether the object is within the sensing range during the predicted non-active time; and if it is determined that the object is not within the sensing range during the predicted non-active time, the sensor is turned into a sleep mode for an predicted sleep time, wherein the predicted sleep time is calculated based on the predetermined non-active time and a predetermined sleep time, or is calculated based on the historical non-active time and a historical sleep time.
US09552048B2

A pull-up resistor of an electronic device pulls up a potential of a USB signal line that is for connection with a host, thereby allowing the host to detect a communication speed. In response to a status request from the host in a normal power mode, a transmission-reception section transmits a status response indicating a switchable status when the electronic device is switchable to a power saving mode. A control section performs switching to the power saving mode after the host suspends transmission of the status request upon receipt of the status response, and performs switching to the normal power mode in response to a specific event within the electronic device in the power saving mode. A switch disables the pull-up to inform the host about disconnection, and enables the pull-up to inform the host that the connection is re-established, thereby causing transmission of the status request to be resumed.
US09552043B2

A handheld electronic device is provided. The handheld electronic device includes a touch display unit, a sensor unit and a processing unit. The sensor unit detects a rotation angle of the handheld electronic device relative to a gravity direction and a displacement of the handheld electronic device. The processing unit is electrically connected to the touch display unit and the sensor unit to extend a timeout threshold of the touch display unit from a first value to a second value that is larger than the first value when the rotation angle is within a reading mode range. The processing unit keeps the timeout threshold at the second value when at least a first condition that the displacement of the handheld electronic device is larger than a predetermined value is met.
US09552041B2

In a system, an apparatus determines whether or not an information processing apparatus needs to return to a normal power supply mode, in response to reception of a first packet related to a job through a network, determines whether or not cooperation with another apparatus is needed in order to process the job related to the first packet if it is determined that the information processing apparatus needs to return to the normal power supply mode, generates a second packet for causing the another apparatus in a power saving mode to return to the normal power supply mode, sends the second packet to the another apparatus, if it is determined that cooperation with another apparatus is needed, and causes the information processing apparatus to return from a power saving mode to the normal power supply mode after the second packet is sent.
US09552040B2

A method and apparatus for enabling low power idle (LPI) signaling for Ethernet transceivers operating in legacy modes are disclosed that allow a high speed transceiver to retain energy efficient Ethernet (EEE) functionality even when the transceiver is operating in a slower speed mode. In some embodiments, an Ethernet device may enter an LPI mode upon receiving a regular LPI signal when its media independent interface (MII) is operating at a first transmission rate, and may enter the LPI mode upon receiving a modified LPI signal when the MII is operating at a first speed operating at a second transmission rate that is slower than the first transmission rate.
US09552031B2

At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a power shelf for serving a power zone within an IT equipment rack. The power shelf includes: a DC bus configured to provide DC power to rack-mounted equipment within the power zone; multiple pairs of backup battery units (BBUs) and power supply units (PSUs), wherein the multiple pairs include at least a redundant pair, such that voltage and power is supplied through the DC bus sufficient to power the rack-mounted equipment even when one of the multiple pairs is inoperative; and a power circuit, in each PSU of each of the multiple pairs, configured to rectify an AC phase from an external multi-phase AC power source, wherein the power circuit is configured to draw power from one of the BBUs paired to the PSU when the PSU fails to provide power sufficient to power the rack-mounted equipment.
US09552029B2

The techniques described herein include for forming a power grid array with multiple power generators coupled to a power distribution unit. The power distribution unit is adapted to monitor operational data from each of the power generators to perform load balancing among the generators and to optimize the performance of the power grid array. A microgrid network is also provided within the power grid array to enable communication among the power distribution unit and the multiple generators in the array. This communication facilitates monitoring of the power grid as well as receiving and storing the operational data from each of the generators in the grid. The microgrid network can then be used to communicate the operational data over one or more connected networks allowing users to remotely access the power grid and to monitor and control the operational characteristics of the generators.
US09552027B2

A control method and an electronic device utilizing the same are described. The control method, applied to an electronic device which contains at least one of a battery and a touch panel, including: detecting at least one of a temperature of the battery, a consumption rate of the battery, a display time of the touch panel and a touch frequency of the touch panel; and when at least one of the temperature of the battery, the consumption rate of the battery, the display time of the touch panel and the touch frequency of the touch panel meets at least one trigger condition, initiating a protection mechanism.
US09552026B2

A heat-dissipating mobile terminal includes a main body, a heat dissipating member positioned in the main body, and a back cover detachably connected to the main body. The main body includes a heat-producing element and the heat dissipating member includes a heat radiator arranged above the heat-producing element. The back cover defines a perforated portion above the heat dissipating member. The heat radiator is integrated with the main body. The heat radiator is exposed to external cooler air by the perforated portion in the back cover. The mobile terminal of the present disclosure effectively improves heat radiating efficiency and reduces cost.
US09552021B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge configured to connect the first housing and the second housing and including a pipe, and a cable. The cable includes a first portion outside the pipe and a second portion inside the pipe, thicker than the first portion and in contact with an inner surface of the pipe.
US09552018B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a main body deformable in a flat state and a bent state, and a spring structure which is provided on the main body and keeps the main body in the flat state or the bent state. The main body includes an elastic member, and first and second rigid members. The spring structure includes a plate spring which extends in a direction of crossing the elastic member, and is supported by the first and the second rigid members on both ends of the plate spring.
US09552017B2

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device has a functional body and a supporting apparatus. The supporting apparatus supports the functional body on a supporting surface. The supporting apparatus has a supporting rod, which is connected to the functional body, and a base. When the electronic device is in a first usage mode, the functional body is approximately perpendicular to the supporting surface. When the electronic device is in a second usage mode, the functional body is approximately parallel to the supporting surface. When the electronic device is switched between the first usage mode and the second usage mode, a relative position of the supporting rod and the base is unchanged.
US09552016B2

There is disclosed a mobile terminal including a front case, a first rear case shaped to cover a first area of a rear surface of the front case, a second rear case shaped to cover the second area of the rear surface of the front case, a tightening groove formed in the portion where the first rear case and the second rear case are coupled with each other and comprising inclined surfaces a first tightening rib projected from a front surface of the first rear case and comprising an inclined surface corresponding to one inclined surface of the tightening groove, a second tightening rib projected from the front surface of the second rear case and comprising an inclined surface corresponding to the other inclined surface of the tightening groove, wherein the first tightening rib and the second tightening rib are inserted in the tightening groove.
US09552012B2

A frequency calibration method applicable in a Universal Serial Bus device includes: plugging the Universal Serial Bus device to a Universal Serial Bus host; using the Universal Serial Bus device to receive a polling low frequency periodic signal generated from the Universal Serial Bus host; determining a host type of the Universal Serial Bus host according to the polling low frequency periodic signal; and calibrating a programmable oscillator of the USB device according to a specific clock period corresponding to the host type, to make the programmable oscillator generate a target oscillating signal having a predetermined frequency.
US09552001B2

A system includes a cooling system having a cooling fluid for cooling an engine and a radiator fan motor; a dynamic braking system configured to supply electrical energy to the fan motor during a braking event; and a controller that is operable to direct the electrical energy from the dynamic braking system to the fan motor to cool the coolant to a predetermined minimum threshold temperature. A method includes switching a vehicle thermal management system from a first mode of operation in which the coolant is maintained at a steady operating temperature to a second mode of operation in which the coolant is cooled to a minimum threshold temperature.
US09551994B2

A dual stage vehicle attitude control system includes a first attitude control module having at least two momentum wheels arranged to provide zero momentum vehicle attitude control, each momentum wheel comprises a limited travel two axis gimbal that pivots the momentum wheel along two of the three axes of the vehicle, a second attitude control module having reaction wheels arranged in a pyramid configuration to provide vehicle attitude control along at least one control axis that is common with a control axis of the at least two momentum wheels, and a controller connected to the first attitude control module and the second attitude control module, the controller being configured to coordinate actuation of the first attitude control module and the second attitude control module to rotate the vehicle in at least one of three axes of a vehicle.
US09551983B2

A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is provided for execution of workflows in response to specified business objectives. The MES system can maintain a library of activity sets representing industry-specific workflows that can be selected and executed in order to satisfy business-driven goals. The activity sets can comprise both business-level and control-level operations, and can be configured using an intuitive graphical interface that mitigates the need for low-level programming by the end user. In response to receipt of a request from a business-level system such as an ERP system, the MES system can match the request to an activity set, and subsequently execute the workflow defined by the activity set to facilitate satisfying the request.
US09551978B2

Embodiments of a digital clasp for a watch can include a watch having an analog watch face, a first watch band portion, a second watch band portion and an analog watch face. The digital clasp can include a clasp housing that includes a latch assembly configured for attachment to the first band portion and the second band portion, a digital display, and a circuit board associated with a controller.
US09551977B2

A shock and water resistant housing for a wearable device includes a first housing and a second housing assembled with the first housing, the first housing includes a first sleeve and a second sleeve contained in the first sleeve and the second housing includes a cover and a sealing ring embedded and fixed in the cover. The sealing ring is disposed on a junction of the first housing and the second housing for sealing the first housing and the second housing. A wearable electronic device using the housing is also provided.
US09551976B2

An intermittent blocking mechanism for at least one escape wheel, that intermittent blocking mechanism cooperating with at least one regulating member or a balance which is actuated with an alternate motion under action of an elastic return mechanism, the intermittent blocking mechanism being pivoted in at least one bottom plate, and forming an inseparable single-piece component with the bottom plate. The intermittent blocking mechanism includes at least one pallet lever in a single-piece with the plate to which it is connected by the elastic return mechanism.
US09551970B2

A paper size detection system includes a paper tray, a width adjuster, a length adjuster, a plurality of sensors, and a signal processor. The paper tray is configured to receive a printing paper and includes a blocking plate. Each of the width adjuster and the length adjuster is movably mounted to the paper tray. The width adjuster, the length adjuster, and the blocking plate cooperatively define a paper placing space with a size substantially equal to a size of the printing paper. The sensors are configured to get a position signal assembly according to positions of the width adjuster and the length adjuster. The signal processor is configured to confirm the size of the paper placing space according the position signal assembly. A paper size detection method is further disclosed.
US09551965B2

To provide an electric equipment which has a function in which parameter is set, and enables a user to appropriately adjust the parameters regardless of an ability level of user. A plurality of reception screens having different degrees of detail for received instructions for adjusting parameters are displayed depending on the ability level of user to adjust the appropriate parameters, such as maintenance ability, or presence or absence of the specialized knowledge for the apparatus, or the like, thus the user adjusts the parameter using the reception screen suitable for the user.
US09551958B2

A developing apparatus that develops an electrostatic latent image on an image supporting body using developer including toner and carrier includes a circulation path where the developer circulates, a discharge path connected to the circulation path through which some of the developer passes, and a first recycle path connected to the discharge path and allowing some of the developer flowing into the discharge path to return to the circulation path. The discharge path includes a discharge opening for discharging the developer flowing into the discharge path, and a first return opening for connecting to the first recycle path. The first return opening is located on an upper side in a vertical direction with respect to the discharge opening and located on an upstream side in a pass-through direction of the developer flowing into the discharge path.
US09551957B2

A developing cartridge mountable to a development rotary of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a coupling member for transmitting a rotational force from a main assembly engaging portion to a developing roller, the coupling member being engageable and disengageable relative to the engaging portion with rotation of the rotary, the coupling member being movable among a rotational force transmitting angular positio, a pre-engagement angular position in which the coupling member is inclined relative to that in the transmitting angular position to engage with the engaging portion, and a disengaging angular position for disengaging therefrom; and an inclination regulating member movable between a regulating position for positioning the coupling member to the pre-engagement position and a retracted position, the inclination regulating member being movable from the retracted position to the regulating position by being abutted by a function member of the rotary.
US09551955B2

The image forming apparatus includes the optical scanning apparatus configured to scan a surface of an image bearing member provided in an image forming apparatus body with a laser beam. The optical scanning apparatus is inserted through an insertion opening formed in a frame member of the image forming apparatus body and supported by a support member mounted to the frame member. A housing of the optical scanning apparatus has an opening that allows passage of the laser beam, and includes a transparent dustproof member that covers the opening. On the surface side of the housing on which the dustproof member is provided, a plurality of projecting portions projecting with respect to the dustproof member are provided.
US09551952B1

An image forming apparatus includes a charging member configured to charge a photoreceptor, a power supply configured to provide charging power to the charging member, a measurement unit configured to measure a current provided to the charging member, and a controller configured to search for a current saturation point of the charging member using the current value measured by the measurement unit in a state in which fixed direct current (DC) power and varied alternating current (AC) power are supplied to the charging member, and control the power supply to perform a charging operation with only DC power corresponding to the searched current saturation point.
US09551951B2

In an image forming apparatus, a first electric pathway connects a charging portion and a power supply unit, a second electric pathway is formed in the photoconductor unit and connects the first electric pathway and the photoconductor. An electrical component is disposed on the second electric pathway and has predetermined electrical property in accordance with the type of the photoconductor unit. A current detection portion is configured to detect current flowing through the second electric pathway when a detection voltage is applied on the first electric pathway. A determination processing portion is configured to determine the type of the photoconductor unit and existence of usage of the photoconductor unit, based on a current value detected by the current detection portion. The blocking portion is configured to block the second electric pathway after determination by the determination processing portion.
US09551949B2

To suppress an image trouble resulting from abnormal discharge independent of the use conditions and use environment of an electroconductive member, provided is an electroconductive member to be used while being brought into contact with a body to be contacted, the electroconductive member comprising a layer of a network structural body on an outer peripheral surface of a electroconductive support, in which: when a surface of the network structural body in a surface of the electroconductive member is observed, at least a part of the network structural body exists in an arbitrary square region having one side length of 200 μm; the network structural body contains non-electroconductive fibers; and an average fiber diameter of a top 10% of fiber diameters of the non-electroconductive fibers measured at arbitrary points is 0.2 μm or more and 15 μm or less.
US09551947B2

A magnetic toner is provided that exhibits an excellent dot reproducibility and developing performance after being allowed to stand in a high temperature and high humidity environment and an excellent low-temperature fixability. The magnetic toner has an inorganic fine powder and a magnetic toner particle containing a binder resin, a magnetic body, and a release agent, wherein in a stress relaxation measurement using a rotating plate rheometer, the magnetic toner exhibits a yield value A at 25° C. of at least 3×106 (sec), and the magnetic toner that has been heated to 80° C. and then cooled to 25° C. exhibits a yield value B at 25° C. of not more than 1×105 (sec).
US09551945B2

An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate, and a single-layer type photosensitive layer that contains a binder resin, a charge generating material, a hole transporting material, and an electron transporting material, wherein a content of the charge generating material in the photosensitive layer is 0.5% by weight or more and less than 2.0% by weight and the charge generating material satisfies expression (1): 30≦a/b, wherein a represents the number of the charge generating materials per unit cross-sectional area in a region ranging from the surface side of the film thickness of the photosensitive layer to a point corresponding to ⅓, and b represents the number of the charge generating materials per unit cross-sectional area in a region ranging from the conductive substrate side of the film thickness of the photosensitive layer to a position corresponding to ⅔, provided that a case where b is 0 is included.
US09551937B2

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a graphene touch sensor, a graphene sensor and a touch-sensitive display device. The method comprises: forming a graphene layer on a substrate; forming a metal layer on the graphene layer; coating a photoresist layer on the metal layer; exposing the photoresist layer by using a gray-scale reticle and developing the exposed photoresist layer to obtain a photoresist completely removed region, a photoresist partially remained region, and a photoresist completely remained region; removing the metal layer located in the photoresist completely removed region; removing the graphene layer located in the photoresist completely removed region; removing the metal layer located in the photoresist partially remained region; coating a protective film on the graphene layer located in the photoresist partially remained region; striping off the remainder photoresist. The embodiment of the present disclosure avoids the alkaline developing solution and the alkaline stripping solution from contacting the graphene film to degrade the conduction of the graphene, thereby increasing yield and reducing cost.
US09551933B2

There is provided an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising: (A) a resin containing a repeating unit represented by the first specific formula and a repeating unit represented by the second specific formula, wherein the content of the repeating unit represented by the first specific formula is 35 mol % or more based on all repeating units in the resin (A), a resist film formed using the actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition.
US09551931B2

A method of forming a pattern includes (a) forming a film of an actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition, (b) exposing the film to light, and (c) developing the exposed film with a developer comprising an organic solvent to thereby form a negative pattern. The actinic-ray- or radiation-sensitive resin composition includes (A) a resin whose solubility in the developer comprising an organic solvent is lowered when acted on by an acid, which resin contains a repeating unit with any of lactone structures of general formula (1) below, and (B) a compound that when exposed to actinic rays or radiation, generates an acid.
US09551929B2

An androstane or estrane-substituted cholane as base resin is combined with an acid generator to formulate a positive resist composition, especially chemically amplified positive resist composition.
US09551925B2

A blankmask and a photomask using the same are provided. The blankmask can be useful in preventing the loss in thickness of lateral, top and bottom surfaces of a pattern of a light shielding film or a phase shifting film after the manufacture of the photomask by forming protective film, which has an etch selectivity with respect to a pattern of a hard film or the light shielding film, on the light shielding film or the phase shifting film so that the loss of the phase shifting film formed under the light shielding film or the phase shifting film can be prevented when a process of removing the light shielding film disposed under the hard film or a pattern of the light shielding film is performed during a washing process and a process of removing a pattern of the hard film in a method of manufacturing a photomask, thereby securing uniformity in thickness.
US09551907B2

The present invention discloses a pixel unit and an array substrate. The pixel unit comprises: a plurality of pixel electrodes, including oblique pixel electrodes extending obliquely and transverse pixel electrodes located on edges of the oblique pixel electrodes and extending transversely, the plurality of pixel electrodes forming a display region having an opening region; and, a conductive unit which is located within the opening region and partially overlapped with projections of the oblique pixel electrodes, one corner of the conductive unit close to the oblique pixel units being an unfilled corner or a round corner. Accordingly, the impact of an electric field around the opening region on the electric field of the oblique pixel electrodes is reduced, and the impact on the liquid crystal orientation of the opening region is reduced; the dark fringe of pixels is improved; the aperture ratio of pixels is increased; and the quality of display is improved.
US09551906B2

A liquid crystal display is provided. A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the first substrate; and a first electrode disposed on the thin film transistor and connected to an output terminal of the thin film transistor, wherein the first electrode includes a first region and a second region each including a plurality of minute branches separated from each other by open parts, portions of at least two minute branches among the plurality of minute branches are connected to form a plurality of minute plate branches, and wherein the minute plate branch has a wider width than a minute branch.
US09551902B2

Provided is a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate configured to face each other, a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first and second substrates, a first alignment film positioned between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate, and a second alignment film positioned between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate. Here, at least one of the first alignment film and the second alignment film includes a double layer of an alignment base film that is aligned so as to have a pretilt angle and an alignment control film that has polymerized mesogen.
US09551898B2

A backlight module includes a back plate, light sources, protrusive pieces and a reflective sheet. The light sources are disposed on the back plate. The protrusive pieces protrude from the back plate. Each of the protrusive pieces is located between at least two adjacent light sources. The reflective sheet is disposed on the back plate and has through holes. Each of the light sources passes through a corresponding through hole. The reflective sheet further has cutting line groups. Each of the cutting line groups includes two cutting lines intersected at an intersection point. Each of the intersection points is substantially aligned with a corresponding protrusive piece. Portions of the reflective sheet adjacent to the cutting line groups are warped upwards from the back plate, and respectively resist the protrusive pieces.
US09551897B2

A polarizing plate includes a polarizer, and a protective film on one side of the polarizer and including a reverse dispersion liquid crystal coating layer having λ/4 retardation. An optical display panel includes the polarizing plate. The polarizing plate has a depolarization function and allows for viewing of the display panel through polarizing sunglasses.
US09551889B2

A display module includes a display panel configured to display an image on a display surface, a frame having a shape configured to surround an outer edge of the display panel and having an opening formed in a region overlapping the display surface, and a holding member having an inner region that is a region closer to a center of the display panel and an outer region that is a region farther from the center of the display panel, the inner region being connected to the display panel, the outer region being connected to the frame, and the inner region being separated from the outer region in a view projected from a direction orthogonal to the display surface.
US09551881B2

A retention mechanism includes a fixed part including a magnet, and a movable part opposed to the fixed part. A plurality of rolling elements are provided between the fixed part and the movable part, and the movable part is movable in a plane direction. A magnetic material which forms, in combination with the magnet, a magnetic spring is provided on the movable part. The magnetic spring generates a magnetic attraction force which attracts the movable part to the fixed part. The magnetic material is extended along a direction in which magnetic poles of the magnet are arrayed.
US09551876B2

Technologies are generally described for displaying information in a head up display of a vehicle. In one example, an information acquisition unit is configured to obtain data from one or more sensors associated with the vehicle. An information display unit is coupled to the information acquisition unit and the information acquisition unit is further configured to determine a display location based on the data obtained from the one or more sensors. The information acquisition unit is configured to control the information display unit to display information at the determined display location.
US09551872B1

An optical combiner includes an off-axis spatially multiplexed lens optically coupled to receive image light and direct the image light in an eye-ward direction. The off-axis spatially multiplexed lens includes a first sub-lens multiplexed with a second sub-lens. The first sub-lens and the sub-lens are configured to direct the image light to designated eyeward-regions.
US09551866B1

In an optical scanning system, each of plural light beams is reflected at a point on a deflector in a sub-scanning cross section, a point of reflection on the deflector of the principal ray of each beam in the case that the principal ray is incident normally to a scanning surface in a main scanning cross section is designated as a fiducial point, distance from the fiducial point to the scanning surface is designated as L, distance from the center of curvature of the exit surface of one of the second scanning lenses for a light beam i to the scanning surface is designated as BFi, refractive powers of the first scanning lens and one of the second scanning lenses are designated as φ1si and φ2si, and then the following expressions are satisfied. 0.15≦BFi/L≦0.2  (1) 0.4≦φ1si/φ2si≦1  (2)
US09551864B2

There is provided an eyepiece lens which has a long length from an image display surface to a first lens, a high observation magnification, and a large apparent field of view. An eyepiece lens used to observe an image displayed on the image display surface includes a first lens with a positive refractive power, a second lens with a negative refractive power, and a third lens with a positive refractive power sequentially from the image display surface side to the observation side. The lens surface of the first lens on the image display surface side has a convex shape on the image display surface side. The lens surface of the second lens on the observation side has a concave shape on the observation side. The focal length of the eyepiece lens, the focal length of the lens surface, and the focal length of the lens surface are set appropriately.
US09551854B2

Methods and apparatus relating to capturing images of a scene area in a synchronized manner using a plurality of optical chains are described. In various embodiments image sensors corresponding to the plurality of optical chains of a camera are operated in rolling shutter mode to read out rows of pixel values corresponding to a current scan position when the image sensors have a row of pixel values corresponding to the current scan position. In some embodiments a scene area of interest is captured by initiating a scan and thus image capture of the scene area by one or more optical chains which are operated in a coordinated manner. In some embodiments a controller controls the plurality of image sensors to perform a read out of pixel values in a synchronized manner, e.g., with rows of pixel values being read out sequentially in accordance with operation of a rolling shutter implementation.
US09551853B2

A removable optical loupe that is mountable to headwear is provided. The inventive loupe is configured to clip on to the brim of a hat, or the bill of a cap or visor. Embodiments of the inventive loupe have a pivoting joint for positioning the lens of the optical loupe into and out of the line of sight when not in use. The lens of the inventive optical loupe is used for magnifying objects for inspection.
US09551850B2

A light source module of an optical apparatus is disclosed. The light source module includes a laser pump unit, a lens unit, and a fiber unit. The laser pump unit generates a laser source. The lens unit converts the laser source into a condensed beam. The fiber unit receives the condensed beam and emits an optical signal. The light source module can achieve effects of low cost, large bandwidth, high resolution, and high stability with well-designed pump power of the laser pump unit, and length, doping material, and core size of the fiber unit.
US09551838B2

An optical bridge for switching between a plurality of electrical chips, the optical bridge comprising: a passive optical router; and a plurality of Bridge Interface Chips optically connected to the passive optical router; each Bridge Interface Chip being connectable to one of the plurality of electrical chips to form a connection between that electrical chip and the passive optical router at which electrical signals from the electrical chip are converted into wavelength tunable modulated optical signals for transmission to the passive optical router and at which an optical signals from the passive optical router are converted into electrical signals to be received by the electrical chip; wherein each Bridge Interface Chip includes a wavelength tunable laser input and a modulator for modulating the wavelength tunable laser input to provide the wavelength tunable modulated optical signals.
US09551837B2

Embodiments relate to silicon optical line multiplexers. In an embodiment, an optical line multiplexer includes at least one microprism etched from a silicon substrate. Another embodiment includes a plurality of these microprisms forming an array. In use, a light beam is guided through the multiplexer device such that it impinges on a line of microprisms that, depending upon their orientation, either reflect/deflect or transmit the beam.
US09551832B1

An optical source is described. This optical source includes a semiconductor optical amplifier, with a semiconductor other than silicon, which provides an optical gain medium. In addition, a photonic chip, optically coupled to the semiconductor optical amplifier, includes: a first optical waveguide that conveys at least a portion of the optical signal, and a second optical waveguide that conveys at least another portion of the optical signal. Moreover, the photonic chip includes a distributed-Bragg-reflector (DBR) ring resonator that is optically coupled to the first optical waveguide and the second optical waveguide, and that reflects a tunable wavelength in the optical signal. Furthermore, a monitor on the photonic chip measures at least the other portion of the optical signal, and control logic on the photonic chip thermally tunes the tunable wavelength of the DBR ring resonator based on the measurement of at least the other portion of the optical signal.
US09551830B1

A method of reversible spatial mode selection and conversion between waveguides and free space is presented using a multiplexed volume Bragg grating (MVBG). The MVBG has an inherent angular selectivity, providing different losses for different transverse modes and converting a higher order mode in waveguide to a single fundamental mode in free space. Using the device in a resonator allows for a pure higher order mode to be guided and amplified in the gain medium, to increase the mode area, to extract accumulated excitation more efficiently, and, therefore, to increase gain of the amplifier. In the same resonator, the device is able to convert the higher order mode to a high brightness Gaussian beam in free space or to a fundamental mode in a waveguide.
US09551828B2

The present invention relates to an optical fiber containing a glass fiber and a resinous coating layer that covers a periphery of the glass fiber, in which the resinous coating layer contains an ethanol of 10 mg or less or a methanol of 2 mg or less per gram of the resinous coating layer.
US09551824B2

A light guide plate has a light exit surface, a back surface opposed to the light exit surface, and a light entrance surface consisting of at least part of a side surface. The light guide plate also has a body portion, and a light exit-side layer formed from an ionizing radiation curable resin. The light exit-side layer includes an optical element portion which defines the light exit surface. The optical element portion includes unit shaped elements arranged in one direction intersecting a light guide direction, each unit shaped element extending linearly in a direction intersecting the one direction.
US09551822B2

A display device including a light source; a wavelength conversion member to convert a wavelength of light generated from the light source; a light guide member to guide the light converted by the wavelength conversion member; and an adhering member. In addition, the wavelength conversion member includes a first surface facing the light source; a second surface facing the light guide member; a top surface extending from the first surface to the second surface; and a bottom surface facing the top surface. Furthermore, the adhering member is disposed on the top surface and the bottom surface. Also, the wavelength conversion member includes a tube, the tube receives a sealing member, an air layer and a matrix therein, and the air layer is formed between the sealing member and the matrix.
US09551817B2

The present invention relates to composite polymeric particles for use as infrared reflectors in optical bandpass applications.
US09551810B2

A capsule comprising two non-directly contacting halves enables otherwise coupling loads between experiment and gauging to be re-routed through the outer-most portable body (e.g. a logging sonde housing) having substantial inertia, thus serving to attenuate the parasitic loads. For co-located leveled experiment and gauging, a pair of concentric bearings (shaft in shaft) is utilized. Independent bearing sets and shock/vibration isolation support each capsule half within the outer sonde housing. A first half of the capsule supports the experiment, which the second half supports the gauging apparatus.
US09551802B2

A method and towed sonic array system for defocusing the beampattern of the towed sonic array. The method includes determining an amplitude adjustment and a phase adjustment for each of the sonic projectors; and driving each of the sonic projectors with a drive signal modified by the amplitude adjustment and the phase adjustment for that sonic projector. The amplitude adjustment and phase adjustment for each of the sonic projectors are, at least in part, based upon the distance from that sonic projector to a virtual source. The location of the virtual source may be selected so as to achieve different beampatterns, including wide-sector beams and, in at least one case, a near-omni-directional beampattern. The drive signal may include multiple frequency components, in which case the method may be used to find a set of beamformer coefficients for each of the frequency components and an inverse transform may be used to realize a defocused driving signal.
US09551801B2

Techniques are disclosed relating to wide towing of marine survey signal sources. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a signal source and a wing coupled to the signal source. In this embodiment, the wing is configured to impart a force to the signal source when towed through a body of water by a survey vessel. In this embodiment, the force includes a lateral component and a vertical component. The wing may be configured to impart the force based on a shape of the wing and an orientation of the wing. The wing may extend over at least a third of a length of a keel of the apparatus. At least a majority of a top surface of the wing may be oriented within 20 degrees of parallel to a surface of the body of water. The wing may include a plurality of wing sections.
US09551800B2

A device, medium and method for deblending seismic data associated with a subsurface of the earth. The method includes receiving an input dataset generated by first and second sources S1 and S2 that are operating as simultaneous sources; arranging the input dataset based on the firing times of source S1; applying with a computing system an annihilation filter to the arranged input dataset to estimate cross-talk noise; convolving the cross-talk noise estimate with an operator to form a signal estimate using the firing times of S1 and S2; and generating an image of the subsurface based on the signal estimate.
US09551794B2

User-friendliness of a radiation imaging apparatus configured to reset a sensor array is improved. This invention is a radiation imaging apparatus including a two-dimensional sensor array. This apparatus includes a scan control signal generation circuit which controls the reset operation of the two-dimensional sensor array, a row number register which stores the row number of a line currently subjected to the reset operation at the time of detection of radiation irradiation, a scan control signal generation circuit which controls read operation after the completion of the radiation irradiation, and an image processing circuit which interpolates an image, of the image generated based on the signals read by the read operation, which corresponds to a line corresponding to the row number stored in the row number register, by using images of adjacent lines.
US09551777B2

A direction finding system for finding the angle of arrival of a target signal from a transmitter. The system includes a plurality of directional antennas positioned to face different directions for receiving the target signal. The antennas are mounted as an antenna array on a rotatable mount for supporting and rotating the antenna array. A receiver unit down converts the RF target signal to IF signals that are digitized by an A/D converter providing digital values. A computer computes the power in the signals from the A/D samples. A computer stores calibration information for the directional antennas, processes the digital values and the calibration information to determine a rotation angle α for rotating the antennas to provide new digital values, processes the new digital values and the calibration information to determine an intersection angle, and subtracts the rotation angle from the intersection angle to determine the final value for the angle of arrival of the target signal.
US09551776B2

Methods and apparatus to determine a position using light sources are disclosed. An example method includes processing an output of a photodetector based on anticipated codes to identify multiple light sources from which the photodetector receives light at a first position, determining locations of the identified light sources; and determining a location of the first position based on the locations of the identified light sources.
US09551772B2

An organic, spin-dependent magnetic field sensor (10) includes an active stack (12) having an organic material with a spin-dependence. The sensor (10) also includes a back electrical contact (14) electrically coupled to a back of the active stack (12) and a front electrical contact (16) electrically coupled to a front of the active stack (12). A magnetic field generator (18) is oriented so as to provide an oscillating magnetic field which penetrates the active stack (12).
US09551759B2

In various embodiments, a device for testing a battery may be provided. The device for testing a battery may include: a determination circuit configured to determine at least one of a differential enthalpy of the battery and a differential entropy of the battery; and an evaluation circuit configured to evaluate a health state of the battery based on the determined at least one of the differential enthalpy and the differential entropy.
US09551758B2

A method of remote sensing a charge includes charging or discharging a capacitor of an RC circuit to a predetermined threshold voltage using a power source. A response signal is provided from a communications module to a handheld computing device comprising a reader system once the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold voltage. An amount of time taken for the handheld computing device to receive the response signal is determined using a processor. The processor determines charge information using the amount of time.
US09551757B2

A remaining battery life measuring device may include a first estimator configured to estimate a state of charging of a battery using an open circuit voltage of the battery; a second estimator configured to estimate the state of charging of the battery using charge, discharge, or charge and discharge currents of the battery; a correction unit configured to generate a correction value on the state of charging estimated by the second estimator, based on the state of charging estimated by the first estimator or an output state of charging; and/or a state of charging (SOC) processing unit configured to calculate the output state of charging using the state of charging estimated by the second estimator and an accumulated correction value. The accumulated correction value may be generated based on the correction value.
US09551756B2

A method for determining, by sampling at a given frequency, a maximum voltage value of a load signal of at least one motor vehicle battery cell, the load signal to be sampled being rectified and sinusoidal and having a frequency that is higher than the sampling frequency, the method including: determining a sampling frequency, a measurement time at the sampling frequency, and a related inaccuracy, measuring a load voltage with the predetermined sampling frequency and with the predetermined measurement time, and determining a maximum load voltage.
US09551745B2

A semiconductor device assessment apparatus that electrically assesses a semiconductor device formed on a semiconductor substrate includes a holding unit having a surface to hold the semiconductor substrate thereon, and a detection unit to detect irregularity on the surface of the holding unit. The holding unit on the surface includes a plurality of grooves formed such that when the semiconductor substrate is held on the surface, the grooves overlap a periphery of the semiconductor substrate and also have a portion located outer than the periphery of the semiconductor substrate.
US09551742B2

An overcurrent detection circuit for a power switch comprises a sampling circuit and a comparing circuit. The sampling circuit is configured to perform current sampling on the power switch using a sampling Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET) and an amplifier, convert a sample current into a sample voltage and transmit the sample voltage to the comparing circuit, and clamp operating voltages of the comparing circuit and of an output circuit of the amplifier by a serially connected clamping MOSFET. The comparing circuit is configured to compare the sample voltage with a reference voltage and to output a result of overcurrent detection.
US09551741B2

Current tests for I/O interface connectors are described. In one example a test may include applying a forced energy to a first pin of an interface of a data communications bus of an integrated circuit on a die, sensing the energy caused by the forced energy at a second pin of the interface, and comparing the forced energy and the sensed energy to determine an amount of current leaked by at least a portion of the interface.
US09551739B2

A coaxial connector including a connector main body is formed of an upper housing and a lower housing. An outer conductor includes a circular cylinder portion surrounding the periphery of a hole of the connector main body and configured to be inserted into an outer conductor of a mating coaxial connector. A main body portion is provided on the connector main body, and a fixation portion that is extended from the main body portion so as to sandwich the connector main body along with the main body portion. A fixed terminal is anchored to the connector main body. A movable terminal includes a fixation portion anchored to the connector main body, and a plate spring that extends from the fixation portion toward the fixed terminal and overlaps with the fixation portion at tip ends of the plate spring.
US09551735B2

In a related art sensor device, an output voltage of the sensor device is fixed not to a power supply voltage or a ground potential but to an intermediate potential upon disconnection of a power supply line or a ground line. A sensor device 1 is composed of: a detection element 8 whose voltage Vsen changes depending on a detected physical quantity; an output circuit configured by MOS switches 4 to 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12 to 17, capacitors 2, 11 and 18, an operational amplifier 19, a reference voltage source 20, and output NMOS transistor 21; a series circuit of the MOS switch 4 and the capacitor 2, the series circuit being arranged in a negative feedback part of the output circuit; and a diode 3 that connects a well electrode of the MOS switch 4 and a power supply terminal Vcc.
US09551726B2

A device for the interferometric measuring of an object, including a source to generate a source beam, a beam splitting device to split the source beam into a measuring beam and a reference beam, an optic interference device and a first detector, which cooperate such that the measuring beam reflected by the object at least partially is at least partially interfered as the receiver beam and the reference beam on a detector area of the first detector. The beam splitting device splits the source beam into a measuring beam, a first partial reference beam, and at least one second partial reference beam. There is at least one second detector embodied such that the first receiver beam is interfered with the first partial reference beam on a detection area of the first detector and the second partial receiver beam with a second partial reference beam on a detection area of the second detector, each with the formation of an optic interference. An assessment unit assesses the measuring signals of the detectors according to the principle of the reception diversity.
US09551724B2

Novel conjugates of 5-fluoro-uracil and novel 5-fluoro-uracil immunogens and monoclonal antibodies generated by these immunogens which are useful in immunoassays for the quantification and monitoring of 5-fluoro-uracil in biological fluids.
US09551722B2

There are provided compounds and methods for the detection of amyloids and treatment of diseases related to amyloids including Alzheimer's disease and other related amyloid-based neurodegenerative diseases.
US09551707B2

A nanopore structure includes an aperture extending from a first surface to a second surface of a substrate, the aperture having a wall comprising gold ions embedded in the substrate, the wall defining a first diameter; a first deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) layer including a thiolated DNA strand covalently bonded to the embedded gold ions within the wall of the aperture; and a second DNA layer hydrogen bonded to the first DNA layer, the second DNA layer defines a substantially cylindrical nanopore that defines a second diameter within the wall of the aperture, the second DNA layer including a single-stranded DNA strand; wherein the second diameter is less than the first diameter.
US09551700B2

The present invention discloses a novel device and methods thereof with utility application in the high-throughput detection, screening and disease management of cervical disease. The “multiwell” device of the present invention consists of a solid support featuring multiple well-separated areas, each accommodating a patient sample, leading to simultaneous evaluation of patient samples. The methods of the present invention comprise conventional cytological staining, cervical Pap staining, and immunochemical staining using antibodies or combination of antibodies which are capable of binding to biomarkers that are overexpressed in cancer including in cervical carcinoma and dysplasia, as compared to normal controls. The device and methods of the present invention can be practiced in either manual or automated mode, and applied to any biological fluid or cell suspension from any biological specimen in view of a variety of cell biology assays, and in view of detection and screening of cervical and other diseases.
US09551699B2

In some examples, a device applies an electrical potential difference across a blood sample. The device measures an electrical signal that passes through the blood sample over a duration of time to obtain a plurality of measurements representing a measurement function of time. An accumulative property of the measurement function may be determined such that the accumulative property correlates to a blood coagulation characteristic.
US09551679B2

A device for measuring thermal conductivity of gas components of a gas mixture in order to determine fractions of the gas components includes a plurality of thermal conductivity sensors, each thermal conductivity sensor being a component of a resistance bridge circuit and being connected to an evaluation unit associated with the device. Each thermal conductivity sensor has a heating element and an integrated temperature measuring element, which elements generate two measuring voltages (UM3, UM2) when the temperature of the thermal conductivity sensor changes as a result of heat dissipation by the gas mixture. Voltages are compared in the evaluation unit in order to detect measuring errors.
US09551676B2

There is provided a System and Method For Determining The Radiological Composition of Material Layers Within a Conduit. The system and method disclosed is equally applicable to pipes, vessels, and conduits as well as medical applications such as determining vessel thickness, occlusion, scarring, or the like in humans and animals. A phantom setup is disclosed that has a phantom containing a test standard such as a reactor water test standard, removable plates, a collimator and probe with a spectrometer display. The phantom setup provides a baseline data set that can be used in conjunction with field measurements to determine the composition of materials within the conduit, such as corrosion or the like. The baseline data set may be semi-logarithmic and contains spectrometer readings of various plate thicknesses or quantities of plates.
US09551672B2

Provided are a defect classifying method and an inspection apparatus which are capable of classifying a defect by distinguishing a basal plane dislocation, which is a killer defect in bipolar high-voltage elements, from other defects. The defect classifying method according to the present invention includes: projecting an illumination beam toward a silicon carbide substrate and forming a reflection image and a photoluminescence image; a first inspection step of detecting a defect image from the reflection image formed; a second inspection step of detecting a defect image from the photoluminescence image formed; and a defect classification step of classifying detected defects based on whether or not the defect image is detected and the shape of the detected defect image.
US09551671B2

An in-line method for optically inspecting transparent or translucent containers (3) comprises illuminating each container with a light source that presents light intensity variation in a periodic pattern along at least a first variation direction. A number N greater than or equal to three of images of the container traveling in front of the light source and occupying N different respective positions along the travel path is taken. Between taking successive images, a relative shift between the container and the periodic pattern is created. A geometrical transformation is determined and applied in order to put the pixels belonging to the container in the N successive images of the same container into coincidence. A phase image for each container is constructed using the N registered images of the container. The phase image is analyzed in order to deduce therefrom at least the presence of defects or the quality of the container.
US09551664B2

There is provided a laser scanning microscope system including a mode-locked laser unit configured to radiate a laser beam with a predetermined frequency, an intermittent light-emitting unit configured to intermittently emit the laser beam radiated from the mode-locked laser unit in a predetermined intermittent light-emission period, a detector configured to convert a fluorescent substance into an electric signal, the fluorescent substance receiving the intermittently emitted laser beam and then being excited from an object, and an A/D conversion unit configured to sample the electric signal in a sampling period synchronized with the intermittent light-emission period.
US09551656B2

A method of processing diffuse spectrum data may include: obtaining diffuse spectrum data of a medium to be detected at one or more first radial positions; and determining optical information caused by substantially only a variation in scattering characteristic of the medium to be detected and/or optical information caused by substantially only a variation in absorption characteristic of the medium to be detected at one or more second radial positions from the obtained diffuse spectrum data.
US09551650B2

An integrated optofluidic system for trapping and transporting particles for analysis is provided comprising a planar substrate; a microfluidic channel; and a waveguide integrated with the channel. A microsphere particle in the integrated optofluidic system can act as a cavity, allowing light to circulate many thousands of times around the circumference of the microsphere. Optical trapping and transport is used for nanoscale positioning to excite the microsphere resonances. Sensitive measurements on molecules can be accomplished by monitoring changes in whispering gallery modes (WGMs) that propagate around the circumference of the microsphere. By using a broadband or supercontinuum light source, a microsphere can be trapped and many WGM resonances can be excited through the visible and near-infrared wavelengths simultaneously. After the resonances are measured using the waveguide transmission, the microsphere can be freed by decreasing the optical power and the process repeated with a different microsphere.
US09551649B2

A system, method, and device for analyzing a sample using spectroscopy. The system includes a spectroscope, a sample vial with a swab removably sealable within a transparent enclosure, the swab including an absorbent collection substrate. The system further includes a sample vial adaptor configured to affix to the spectroscope, and a sample vial receptacle that receives the sample vial. The adaptor is configured to position the sample vial such that the transparent portion of the enclosure is between the swab and the laser of the Raman instrument, and such that the swab is positioned at the focal distance of the laser.
US09551648B2

The invention is directed to a substrate for generating surface plasmons (SPs) and surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) by means of an excitation radiation, wherein the substrate has a carrier layer and a coating with gold or silver. A surface of the carrier layer is provided with identical surface structures arranged in an array of rows and columns. The surface structures are recesses with an elongate shape which are arranged with a first periodicity (PH) and with a second periodicity (PV) in direction of the rows and orthogonal to the direction of the rows, respectively. The invention is further directed to a method for the production of the substrate and to uses of the substrate.
US09551643B2

Systems for sterile separation of magnetically labeled sample components and methods for using the same are provided. Embodiments of the systems include a magnetic separation device and a pliant sample container, where a portion of the pliant sample container is operatively coupled under pressure to the magnetic separation device. Also provided are methods of using the systems, as well as pliant sample containers configured for use with the subject systems and methods.
US09551640B2

A mechanism is provided for identifying a wire-pull test location on a wire of a microelectronic package. A first distance between a first terminating location of the wire on the microelectronic package and a second terminating location of the wire on the microelectronic package is determined. Based on the first distance, a second distance from either the first terminating location or the second terminating location is determined as the wire-pull test location for testing a strength of a connection of the wire to at least one of the first terminating location or the second terminating location. An adjustment is performed such that a visual guide is oriented on the wire at the wire-pull test location.
US09551637B2

Disclosed is a sheath delivery system that uses a continuous flow of sheath fluid into a pressurized internal reservoir that substantially matches the outflow of sheath fluid through the nozzle of a flow cytometer. A substantially constant level of the sheath fluid is maintained. If the sheath fluid level falls below a desired level, or goes above a desired level, a dampened control system is used to reach the desired level. In addition, air pressure in the pressurized internal container is controlled so that an external sheath container can be removed and refilled with additional sheath fluid without stopping the sheath delivery system 100. Differences in pressure are detected by a droplet camera, which measures the droplet breakoff point to determine the pressure of the sheath fluid in the nozzle.
US09551634B2

A testing apparatus for a touch panel is disclosed, which includes a control system, a plurality of supporting members and a plurality of contact members. The supporting members are respectively connected to the control system, wherein one side of each of the supporting members includes at least one contact member, which is configured to be used to touch the touch panel. The contacting members are capable of being moved relative to the touch panel when the supporting members are driven by the control system. Also a method for using the same apparatus is disclosed.
US09551632B2

A probe assembly for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The probe assembly may include a probe, and a fastener to retain the probe within a case of the gas turbine engine, the fastener including a sealing arrangement with a heat shield of the gas turbine engine.
US09551631B2

A system and method for is provided to determine a fuel flow cutout delay between transmitting a signal to stop a fuel flow to a fuel accumulator of a fuel system and the actual stop of fuel flow to the fuel accumulator. The fuel flow cutout delay is used to determine when pressure data from a sensor associated with the fuel accumulator is unaffected by fuel flow to the fuel accumulator.
US09551627B2

Various examples are provided for dynamic simulation of wind velocity and pressure. In one embodiment, among others, a dynamic wind simulator includes a fan and a fast-acting damper connected to an inlet of the fan. The fast-acting damper configured to modulate airflow provided by the fan at frequencies up to 10 Hz. In another embodiment, a system includes a fan and an air outlet path of the fan connected to a testing assembly configured to support a specimen for testing. An air inlet path of the fan includes a fast-acting damper configured to modulate airflow provided by the fan to the testing assembly at frequencies up to 10 Hz. The testing assembly may include a pressure chamber and/or a test section.
US09551621B2

A pressure sensor includes a sensor body which has a first surface and a cavity with an opening in the first surface, a cantilever which has a base end portion supported on the first surface and a distal end portion provided to form a gap from a peripheral edge of the opening inside the opening, is flexurally deformed according to a pressure difference between an inside and an outside of the cavity, and is formed of a semiconductor material, and a displacement measurement unit which measures a displacement of the cantilever vibrating according to the pressure difference at a frequency larger than a lower limit frequency fLOW (Hz) defined by Expression (1), where a width (μm) of the gap is represented by G, a volume (ml) of the cavity is represented by V, and a proportional constant is represented by k. fLOW=k·(G2/V)  (1)
US09551615B2

A monochromator has at least one optical grating which is rotatable in relation to incident light of a source of light, a drive unit to rotate the optical grating by a connected drive rod around a longitudinal axis, and a control unit to control the drive unit and thereby the rotation of the optical grating. The drive unit further has a first damping element with at least one electrical conductive surface, and a second damping element which provides at least one magnetic field having a magnetic axis which penetrates the electrical conductive surface. One of the first and second damping elements is fixed to the drive rod and is rotatable along with the drive rod around the longitudinal axis thereof in relation to the other one of the second or first damping element.
US09551608B2

A wearable device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed herein. The wearable device, comprising a bio-signal sensor unit configured to sense a bio-signal; a storage unit configured to store data; and a processor configured to control the bio-signal sensor unit and the storage unit, wherein the processor is further configured to: generate first reference data including a weight of a first reference object and a first bio-signal being generated by holding the first reference object when the first bio-signal is detected, generate measurement data including a second bio-signal being generated by holding a measurement object, when the second bio-signal is detected, and obtain a weight of the measurement object by comparing the measurement data with the first reference data.
US09551604B2

A multiphase flowmeter includes a first flow quantity measurer configured to transmit and receive a first measurement signal, the first flow quantity measurer being disposed on an outside wall of a vertical pipe line, a second flow quantity measurer configured to transmit and receive a second measurement signal, the second flow quantity measurer being disposed on an outside wall of a horizontal pipe line which is connected to the vertical pipeline, and a flow quantity parameter calculator configured to receive the first measurement signal from the first flow quantity measurer and the second measurement signal from the second flow quantity measurer, the flow quantity parameter calculating a flow quantity parameter in accordance with the first measurement signal and the second measurement signal.
US09551603B2

An ultrasonic flow meter device comprises a fluid passage forming section including a measurement fluid passage, and an opening facing a bottom surface of the measurement fluid passage; a pair of ultrasonic transducers which transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave via the opening; a partition plate which partitions the measurement fluid passage; and an identification section provided on an end surface of the partition plate and used to identify an obverse surface and a reverse surface of the partition plate.
US09551602B2

To suppress the generation of bubbles of gas dissolved in a fluid, a flow evaluating portion compares a measured flow rate value with a preset reference flow rate value and determines whether a fluid is flowing through a measurement tube. When the flow evaluating portion determines that the fluid is not flowing through the measurement tube, a magnetic excitation controlling portion imposes a limitation so that a magnetic excitation current reduces to an electric current value less than a magnetic excitation current obtained in normal measurement. When the flow evaluating portion determines that the fluid is flowing through the measurement tube, the magnetic excitation controlling portion releases the limitation on the magnetic excitation current.
US09551600B2

A system for creating a flow cytometer network includes: a flow cytometer with an interrogation zone and a fixed gain detection system that collects sample data from the interrogation zone; a flow cytometer data center that stores and manages sample-related data from the flow cytometer; and a network communication module that communicates sample-related data between the flow cytometer and the data center. The system may include a second flow cytometer and a second network communication module, where the first and second flow cytometers are calibrated to have substantially identical fixed gain settings. A method for creating a flow cytometer network includes: calibrating first and second flow cytometers with a calibration solution; collecting sample data with a fixed gain detection system; uploading data to a flow cytometer data center; retrieving data from the data center; and performing data analysis on the retrieved data.
US09551597B2

In at least one embodiment, a mobile measurement system includes a handheld device, a measurement device, and an optical sensing device. The measurement device and the optical sensing device are communicatively coupled to the handheld device. The handheld device receives measurement data that comprises at least one measured electrical parameter corresponding to a physical property of an external system. The measurement device generates measurement data that corresponds to a period of time. The measurement device communicates the generated measurement data to the handheld device. The optical sensing device generates optical data corresponding to an interface of the measurement device and the external system where the measurement data is being generated. The generated optical data corresponds to a particular time within the measurement period of time. The mobile measurement system associates and stores the generated optical data for the particular time with measurement data corresponding to the period of time.
US09551596B2

A manufacturing method for a high-temperature-resistant metal-packaged fiber Bragg grating sensor includes using a regenerated fiber Bragg grating obtained via high-temperature annealing as a sensitive element so that the grating will not be erased when used at high temperature. The method also includes using a magnetron sputtering method which makes an optical fiber and metal combine better to form on the surface of the optical fiber an adhesive layer and a conductive layer, thereby causing little damage to optical fiber because of the absence of the processes of coarsening, sensitization, etc. of electroless plating and the fact that the method is performed in an anhydrous environment. After magnetron sputtering, the method includes using an electroplating method to thicken and deposit a protective layer, and embedding the optical fiber in a flexible-structure metallic substrate through the electroplating method to achieve the all-metal package.
US09551587B2

The present disclosure discloses a navigation device and a navigation method. The navigation method includes a satellite signal receiving module of the navigation device for receiving a positioning signal, a control unit of the navigation device for controlling a display module to display a navigation map on a map region according to the positioning signal, and the control unit of the navigation device for controlling a prompt region to present prompt information with different light effects according to traffic information. The prompt region is located outside the map region. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the user to further pay too much cognitive attention on understanding or referring to the navigation images and instructions, so the driving safety can be ensured.
US09551585B2

A fuel supply prompting method obtains a remaining fuel level of a vehicle from a detection unit, determines a fuel economy of the vehicle, and determines an available moving distance of the vehicle that the remaining fuel level can sustain according to the fuel economy of the vehicle. The method recalls a navigation system to determine a distance of a route from a current position of the vehicle to a destination. The method compares the available moving distance with the distance of the route from the current position of the vehicle to the destination, to determine whether the vehicle can reach the destination without refueling. The method further generates a first prompt when the vehicle cannot reach the destination without refueling. And a related vehicle assistance device is also provided.
US09551581B2

A turn-by-turn internal navigation system for use with a mobile electronic device includes three receives for using a trilateration navigational algorithm using first receiver for receiving a cellular tower radio frequency (RF) signal, a second receiver for receiving a WiFi RF signal; and a third receiver for receiving at least one Bluetooth RF signal based upon a BLE tag network. A processor works to execute an algorithm using feed-forward estimation such that no feedback is needed for distance error correction. The algorithm uses dead reckoning navigation in combination with information from the first receiver, second receiver and third receiver to generate positional information such that in-building navigation instructions are displayed on the mobile electronic device.
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