US09559641B2
There is provided a current mirror that includes at least one bias amplifier configured to adjust a gate line voltage by feeding currents to the gate line to make constant gate-source voltages of a plurality of FETs (Field Effect Transistors), the gate line connecting gates of the FETs each being a load component in the current mirror.
US09559638B2
A distortion compensation apparatus includes a calculation unit that acquires, from calculation performed by using a factor and an output signal from the amplifier, a distortion component that is associated with the distortion generated in the amplifier, and a comparing unit that compares a signal that is obtained by giving the distortion component acquired by the calculation unit to an output signal output from the amplifier, with an input signal input to the amplifier, to which a distortion component is previously given. The calculation unit adjusts, on the basis of a comparison result obtained by the comparing unit, the factor that is used for the calculation.
US09559635B2
A circuit includes a first oscillator and a second oscillator. The first oscillator includes an inductive device, a capacitive device, and an active feedback device configured to output a first output signal having a predetermined frequency according to electrical characteristics of the inductive device of the first oscillator and electrical characteristics of the capacitive device of the first oscillator. The second oscillator includes an inductive device, a capacitive device, and an active feedback device configured to output a second output signal having the predetermined frequency according to electrical characteristics of the inductive device of the second oscillator and electrical characteristics of the capacitive device of the second oscillator. The inductive device of the first oscillator and the inductive device of the second oscillator are magnetically coupled.
US09559628B2
A power tool is disclosed having a compact AC switch assembly. An electric motor driving the power tool is contained within a housing that includes a handle. A trigger is slidingly received in the handle and moves in an axis of trigger travel along a trigger travel distance extending between an extended position of the trigger and a depressed position. A trigger switch including a printed circuit board is disposed in mechanical communication with the trigger and controls the electric motor in accordance with trigger position. The printed circuit board has a plurality of conductive traces that are sequentially arranged and linearly aligned adjacent the trigger in a direction that is transverse to the axis of trigger travel to reduce the width of the printed circuit board to a value that is less than or equal to three times the trigger travel distance.
US09559627B2
A switched reluctance motor device includes first and second winding components wound around a stator one on top of the other, multiple damping capacitors, a capacitor battery unit and a switching circuit. The first winding component has multiple first winding portions coupled in series to form a close loop. The second winding component has multiple second winding portions coupled in a star configuration and cooperating with the damping capacitors to form multiple resonant circuits. The switching circuit switches one first winding portion from a magnetizing state to a demagnetizing state, and induces generation of a resonant current in the corresponding resonant circuit to charge the capacitor battery unit.
US09559624B2
A control module for a motorized powered surgical tool. The module includes a trigger sensor, a motor rotor position sensor and control circuit. The trigger sensor and motor rotor position sensor output their signals by monitoring magnetic fields associated with, respectively the trigger and the motor rotor. Based on signals from the trigger sensor and the motor rotor position sensor, the control circuit selectively applies energization signals to the windings of the motor. The module includes a shell that separates the trigger sensor, the motor rotor position sensor and the control circuit from the motor. The shell is formed from material that both shields the components within the shell from affects of the ambient environment and that allows the magnetic fields to be detected by the sensors.
US09559618B2
A control (18) for a seat belt positioning device (10) includes a motor (12) for positioning a seat belt component (16). A locking tongue sensor (20) generates a locking tongue signal (S) depending on whether a locking tongue is inserted in a belt buckle (16). A trigger circuit (22) connected to the locking tongue sensor (20) generates a trigger signal (TR, TR1, TR2, VT, TM) in response to the locking tongue signal (S) A timer (32) or a motor load circuit (33) connected to the trigger circuit (22) generates a motor signal (M) having a predetermined period or depending on a motor load in response to the trigger signal (TR, TR1, TR2, VT, TM). A motor control circuit (34) connected to the timer (32) and the trigger circuit (22) turns the motor on and off in response to the motor signal (M). The direction of motion of the motor (12) is selected depending on the trigger signal (TR, TR1, TR2, VT, TM).
US09559605B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for harvesting ambient energy. In one embodiment, an energy harvester comprises: a first RF rectifier to output a first voltage determined by rectified RF energy in response to received RF energy; a first energy reservoir coupled to the first RF rectifier to store energy at the first voltage; a DC/DC converter coupled to the first energy reservoir to convert the first voltage to a second voltage; a second reservoir coupled to the DC/DC converter to store energy at the second voltage, the second voltage being greater than the first voltage; and a third reservoir coupled to the second reservoir to receive energy transferred from the second reservoir periodically.
US09559601B2
A switched mode power supply (400), comprising a transformer (410) having a primary winding (410-1), a transformer core (410-3) configured to store energy transferred thereto from the primary winding (410-1) during operation, and a secondary winding (410-2) having a first terminal (T1) and a second terminal (T2). The switched mode power supply also has a primary side circuit (Q1, Q2, C1) arranged to generate voltage pulses and thereby to drive the primary winding (410-1) of the transformer (410), and a secondary side circuit comprising a rectification circuit connected to the secondary winding (410-2) at the first and second terminals (T1, T2). The rectification circuit is arranged such that during a forward phase of operation of the switched mode power supply, in which the primary winding (410-1) is driven by the primary side circuit to magnetize, and store energy in, the transformer core (410-3), a current induced to flow in the secondary winding (410-2) from the second terminal (T2) to the first terminal (T1) is output by the rectification circuit. The rectification circuit is further arranged such that during a fly-back phase of operation of the switched mode power supply, in which the magnetization of the transformer core (410-3) is reset, a current induced to flow in the secondary winding from the first terminal (T1) to the second terminal (T2) of the secondary winding (410-2) is output by the rectification circuit so that energy stored in the transformer (410) during the forward phase of operation is output by the rectification circuit.
US09559600B2
An error amplifier outputs an error voltage to the primary side as a feedback signal indicating a state of the load. An oscillator controls a switching frequency of the switching operation such that the switching frequency is reduced from a highest normal frequency to a lowest normal frequency based on the feedback signal in a load range from a heavily-loaded state to a lightly-loaded state in a normal oscillating operation that continuously performs the switching operation. An intermittent oscillation control circuit intermittently performs the switching operation by stopping the switching operation based on the feedback signal when the load is lighter than a previously set reference. The oscillator increases the switching frequency from an intermittent-operation frequency lower than the lowest normal frequency in an intermittent oscillation duration in which the switching operation is performed in the intermittent oscillating operation.
US09559599B2
An electronic apparatus includes a system portion configured to operate with a received voltage, and a power supply including a pulse width modulation (PWM) generator to generate a PWM signal, a converter to transfer voltage from a primary side to a secondary side in accordance with an output voltage of the PWM generator, and an output portion to supply voltage at the secondary side as standby voltage to the system portion, the PWM generator receives feedback on the standby voltage at the secondary side of the converter, the PWM signal is turned on/off in accordance with levels of the standby voltage at the secondary side, and voltage being supplied to components, except, when the PWM signal is turned off, voltage at the secondary side is only supplied to a component that monitors the feedback of the standby voltage.
US09559594B2
The present disclosure is directed to an electrosurgical generator including a resonant inverter having an H-bridge and a tank. A sensor array measures at least one property of the tank. A pulse width modulation (PWM) controller outputs a first PWM timing signal and a second PWM timing signal to the H-bridge. The PWM controller controls a dead-time between the first PWM timing signal and the second PWM timing signal based on the at least one property measured by the sensor array.
US09559591B2
A multi-phase interleaved converter can include: (i) a plurality of phases, where each phase of the multi-phase interleaved converter includes a buck-type power stage having a power switch, a freewheeling switch and an inductor, a switching control circuit and a reference signal generator, and where each switching control circuit includes: (ii) an adder that receives a ramp signal and a feedback signal that represents an output voltage, and generates a feedback voltage signal; (iii) a comparator that receives the feedback voltage signal and a reference voltage signal, and generates a comparator output signal; and (iv) a logic circuit that receives the comparator output signal and an output from an on time control circuit, and controls a switching operation of the power switch.
US09559587B2
The present document relates to DC/DC converters with a modular structure for providing different levels of output currents. A power converter configured to convert electrical power at an input voltage into electrical power at an output voltage is described. The power converter comprises inverter stages with half bridges comprising a high side switches and low side switches which are arranged in series between the input voltage and a reference voltage; and with high side drivers for providing drive signals for the high side switches, subject to a high side control signals at a drive voltage level. In addition, the power converter comprises a level shifting unit configured to convert a high side control signal at a logic voltage level into the high side control signal at the drive voltage level for driving the high side switches.
US09559583B2
A power converter includes a wave generator, a low pass filter, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The wave generator receives an input voltage, and converts the input signal into a wave signal according to a first control signal and a second control signal. The low pass filter filters the wave signal to generate an output voltage. The first control circuit generates the first control signal according to the wave signal and the output voltage. The second control circuit generates the second control signal according to the wave signal and the output voltage.
US09559580B2
An electric motor drive apparatus includes: an AC/DC converter converting AC into DC by the switching of multiple power devices; a control circuit performing PWM switching control of the multiple power devices; a current detecting circuit that detects input current from the AC power supply to the AC/DC converter; an electromagnetic contactor connecting or cutting off power from the AC power supply to the AC converter; and a DC link unit including a smoothing capacitor for smoothing DC voltage, and is constructed such that the control circuit determines that the electromagnetic contactor has been welded when input current is detected in a condition where with the DC link unit having been charged, the electromagnetic contactor is turned off to cut off the power from the AC power supply to the AC/DC converter and the multiple power devices are controlled by PWM switching in accordance with the switching commands.
US09559577B2
The present invention relates generally to a flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like. The present invention also relates generally to a flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like that incorporates an outer stator assembly that converts a variable input to a constant output. The present invention further relates generally to an axially aligned flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like. The improved flux focusing magnetic gear assemblies of the present invention find applicability in traction, wind, and ocean power generation, among other applications.
US09559563B2
A motor includes a housing having a ring-shaped protruding portion protruding from a lower surface thereof. A stator core is fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the housing and on which a coil is wound, and an insulator is provided between the stator core and the coil. A lower end of the insulator is in contact with the protruding portion. Vibration and noise generated from the housing may be reduced without changing a material or a thickness of the housing.
US09559562B2
A voltage regulator device for a rotary electrical machine, notably an alternator and/or alternator-starter of a motor vehicle. The regulator device (14) comprises one or more electronic components (28) able to contribute to controlling the electric machine, a heat sink (30) having parallel heat-dissipating vanes (32). The heat sink is in a heat-exchange relationship with the component or components, and a support (34) on which the heat sink is positioned. The support is able to be mounted on the electric machine in such a way that the vanes of the heat sink can orient an air flow towards a region of depression provided between the support and the machine. A bearing of an electric machine is equipped with such a device and to an electric machine equipped with such a bearing.
US09559556B2
A stator includes an annular stator core having a plurality of slots arranged in the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals and a stator coil formed of a plurality of electric conductor wires mounted on the stator core. Each of the electric conductor wires has a plurality of in-slot portions received in the slots of the stator core and a plurality of turn portions that connect, on the outside of the slots, adjacent pairs of the in-slot portions. The stator coil has first and second coil end parts and that respectively protrude axially outward from a pair of axial end faces of the stator core. At each of the coil end parts, the turn portions of the electric conductor wires are stacked in a radial direction of the stator core, and the axial heights h1 of the turn portions are set so as to gradually increase from the radially inside to the radially outside.
US09559525B2
A network monitoring device for a supply network and a method for actuating a switch unit are disclosed, wherein the switch unit can control the energy supply of a consumer connected to a supply network. In order to prevent an overload of the supply network or of parts thereof, according to an embodiment of the invention, the network monitoring device includes a communication device, wherein the network monitoring device can receive a switch command for a switch unit via the communication device and transmit same to the switch unit, wherein the network monitoring device is designed to determine a network utilization of the supply network by way of a measurement device and, in dependence on the determined network utilization,; to influence a received switch command for the switch unit, which would lead to increased energy consumption on the supply network.
US09559515B2
A method for operating a sensor system, having at least one capacitive sensor element, which is attachable to the surface of machines or machine parts, electrical field lines on the sensor element changing in the event of an approach and/or a contact of a body or object, and the at least one sensor element being connected to a control unit, which, based on the detected change of the field lines of the at least one sensor element, triggers a safety function on the machine or the machine part. The at least one sensor element has, in addition to fulfilling the safety function, an operating function, which is concluded from the location of the at least one sensor element and the time curve of the change of the field lines, and the safety function has priority over the operating function in a base state of the sensor system.
US09559514B2
Systems and methods for monitoring the moisture to which an electronic device is exposed may alter or vary operation of the electronic device. Operation of the electronic device may be altered or varied to provide a notification that the electronic device has been exposed to moisture. When an electronic device is exposed to moisture, an operational mode of the electronic device may be changed. A change in the operational mode of the electronic device may include termination of the supply of power to one or more components, which may protect those components. Programs or apps that provide a user of the electronic device with information regarding exposure of the electronic device to an amount of moisture that meets or exceeds a moisture response threshold are also disclosed.
US09559511B2
Circuit configuration for error reporting, having a signal transmitter (1) for issuing error signals, having an error reporting line (46) that is connected with an error report evaluation device (6), having a coupler (2) for galvanic separation of the error reporting line (46) from the signal transmitter (1), and having a power supply (5) for making available an operating voltage for the coupler (2).A connection circuit (3) is provided between coupler (2) and error reporting line (46), which places the error reporting line (46) at a predetermined potential, the error report potential, if the operating voltage of the coupler (2) is insufficient.The connection circuit (3) can furthermore be controlled by the coupler (2), in such a manner that if the signal transmitter (1) issues an error signal, the connection circuit (3) places the error signal onto the error reporting line (46).
US09559510B2
The invention relates to a signalling device (1) for an aerial transmission line (2) comprising two signalling elements (3, 4) which are configured to be mounted one against the other around a conductor portion (2) of the transmission line, in which at least one of the two signalling elements (3, 4) comprises at least partially an outer signalling coating in the context of air safety, which device is characterized in that the two signalling elements (3, 4) are at least partially electrically conductive and at least one of the two signalling elements (3, 4) comprises a clamping means (5) which is configured to clamp the conductor portion (2) of the transmission line. The invention also relates to a method for assembling such a device on a high-voltage aerial transmission line.
US09559509B2
A power supply control device includes: a control board that is configured to control a voltage of a battery module; and a bus bar module that is configured to electrically connect the control board and the battery module, the control board and the bus bar module are arranged in a stacked manner, and connection terminals of the bus bar module which are connected to the battery module are exposed when viewed from the control board.
US09559497B2
A laser light source, comprising a semiconductor layer sequence having an active region and a radiation coupling out area having first and second partial regions, and a filter structure. The active region generates coherent first electromagnetic radiation and incoherent second electromagnetic radiation. The coherent first electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region along an emission direction, and the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first partial region and by the second partial region. The filter structure at least partly attenuates the incoherent second electromagnetic radiation emitted along the emission direction. The filter structure has at least one filter element arranged on an area of the semiconductor layer sequence which has an extension direction parallel to the emission direction. The at least one filter element comprises a surface structure comprising a roughening and/or at least one layer comprising a non-transparent material.
US09559494B2
An edge emitting semiconductor laser includes a semiconductor body including a waveguide region, the waveguide region including first and second waveguide layers and an active layer arranged between the first and second waveguide layers, that generates laser radiation; the waveguide region is arranged between a first and second cladding layers disposed downstream of the waveguide region; a phase structure for selection of lateral modes of the laser radiation emitted by the active layer, wherein the phase structure includes at least one cutout extending from a top side of the semiconductor body into the second cladding layer; at least one first intermediate layer composed of a semiconductor material different from that of the second cladding layer embedded into the second cladding layer; and the cutout at least partly extends from the top side into the first intermediate layer; the second cladding layer contains a first partial layer adjoining the waveguide region.
US09559485B2
A dual wavelength pumping system and method have been developed to improve the efficiency of laser systems operating in the raid infrared region has been developed, in a conventional system the ions are excited from a ground state to an upper lasing state using a light pump. They then undergo a laser transition to leave the ion in a long lived post lasing excited state from which it eventually decays back to the ground state. In contrast they present system uses a first light pump to pump ions from the ground state to the post lasing state, and a second light pump to pump ions from the post lasing state to the upper lasing state. This system thus exploits the long lifetime of the post lasing state to enable it to become a virtual ground state for the second laser allowing continued cycling of ions between the upper lasing state and the post lasing state. A system using an Erbium, doped fiber generated a 3.5 μm laser output with an average power of over 250 mW and an initial slope, efficiency of 25.4% (previous system have only generates less than 10 mW of power with efficiencies of 3%).
US09559479B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus and a method for connecting a first device and second device. An apparatus includes an angled connector configured to connect to a first device to a second device, the first device and the second device configured to communicate through signal paths in the connector, the signal paths configured to pass digital data signals, a fastening device configured to secure the angled connector to the first device.
US09559477B2
The invention discloses a connector and a method for implementing the connector. The connector includes a power source socket, and a power source plug mating with the power source socket, wherein annular or circular electrode sheets are arranged on the power source socket, and one or more pairs of positive and negative terminals are positioned correspondingly on the power source plug, so that when the power source plug is inserted into the power source socket in any direction or at any angle, the positive and negative terminals can come into contact with the annular or circular electrode sheets to thereby electrically connect the power source plug with the power source socket; and in a preferred embodiment, an earphone jack is positioned at the center of the power source socket so that the connector can operate as both the earphone jack and the power source socket to thereby make use of the space effectively so as to lower the number of interfaces via which a device is connected externally, thus making the device simpler in appearance.
US09559473B2
An electrical connection system that connects and disconnects a plurality of supply circuits. More specifically, a connection system that can quickly connect two or more batteries in series by connecting a wire bridge system to two or more mated battery side connectors. Alternatively, the connection system can quickly connect a plurality of devices to one battery connection point by connecting a multi-device connector to a mated battery side connector.
US09559472B2
A desktop USB-charger related product has space to receive an AC power-wire, USB-charger wire, or another charging related wire(s). The USB-charger related product is arranged to be installed on a desk top at a hand-reachable distance from a user by attachment means so that there is no need for the user to bend body or knee in order to charge a device using the charger. The USB-charger related product has at least one USB-port that can supply a desired output-current in the range of from 1.0 A to 12 A and 3.5VDC to 8.5VDC by converting input AC power ranging from 110VAC to 250VAC. The USB-charger product may also incorporate at least one additional device such as an AC outlets, sensor, motion sensor, remote control, time display, LEDs, other lights, a power fail device, a smell device, an audio device, a video device, or other electric or electronic devices.
US09559465B2
An electrical connector assembly may include a plurality of signal isolating barriers. Each of the plurality of signal isolating barriers may be positioned around a group of board contacts proximate to a board connecting interface. Each of the plurality of signal isolating barriers isolates the group of the plurality of board contacts from other groups of the plurality of board contacts.
US09559464B2
The present invention provides a positive locking confirmation mechanism for a battery contact of an electric vehicle. The positive locking confirmation mechanism uses a terminal bolt with an expansive tail section and judges whether the battery contact is in a positive locking state according to a voltage signal measured by a battery management unit. Before the battery contact is possibly not in the positive locking state, the system notifies the user to check and repair the possibly-loosened contact. Consequently, the problem of losing power or generating electric arc in the battery box will be avoided.
US09559452B1
A housing for an electrical contact that includes a unitary one-piece body that has an internal bore that extends between a front end and an opposite rear end of the unitary one-piece body and is adapted to receive the electrical contact. A front holding member extends into the internal bore from an inner surface of the internal bore, and the front holding member is located at the front end of the one-piece body. A rear holding member extends into the internal bore, and is disposed on the inner surface of the internal bore at the rear end of the one-piece body. A contact retaining member receiving area is defined in the internal bore between the front holding member and the rear holding member for capturing a contact retaining member therebetween.
US09559450B2
A card connector is provided having a housing and a contact. The housing includes a card receiving space. The contact is supported by the housing and includes a contact arm and an extended portion. The contact arm includes a free end and the extended portion includes a first end positioned below the contact arm on which the free end of the contact arm slides.
US09559446B1
An electrical connector includes a housing having a signal contact section and a power contact section. The housing has a plurality of signal contact channels at the signal contact section and a plurality of power contact channels at the power contact section. A signal contact assembly is coupled to a rear of the housing and has a plurality of signal contacts. The signal contacts are configured to be terminated to a circuit board. A power contact assembly is coupled to the rear of the housing and has a plurality of power contacts received in corresponding power contact channels. The power contacts are terminated to ends of power wires. The power wires are configured to be electrically connected to the circuit board remote from the signal contacts.
US09559439B2
An electrical connector is provided and includes a cover member and a connector bushing. The connector bushing is partially encased and movable in the cover member and having an electrical conductor section.
US09559431B2
The antenna configuration disclosed herein can be used in a mobile telecommunications device to provide three-dimensional, orthogonal polarization. The antenna configuration comprises a half mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) antenna, a first thick-slot antenna and a second thick-slot antenna. The HMSIW antenna comprises two parallel conductive plates separated by a dielectric. The HMSIW antenna has a substantially rectangular shape comprising a first edge, a second edge substantially perpendicular to the first edge and connected to the first edge by a first corner, a third edge opposing and substantially parallel to the first edge and connected to the second edge by a second corner, and a fourth edge opposing and substantially parallel to the second edge and connected to the first edge by a third corner and to the third edge by a fourth corner. The first and second edges are open for radiation. The first thick-slot antenna includes a first dielectric strip extending from the third corner in a direction substantially parallel to and collinear with the first edge and away from the first corner. The second thick-slot antenna includes a second dielectric strip extending from the second corner in a direction substantially parallel to and collinear with the second edge and away from the first corner. The two parallel plates of the I IMS1W antenna lie in a plane defined by the first and second dielectric strips. The first thick-slot antenna is responsible for linear polarization in a direction parallel to the first edge, the second thick-slot antenna is responsible for linear polarization in a direction parallel to the second edge, and the HMSIW antenna is responsible for linear polarization in a direction perpendicular to the parallel conductive plates of the HMSIW antenna.
US09559428B1
A waveguide architecture for a dual-polarized antenna including multiple antenna elements. Aspects are directed to dual-polarized antenna architectures where each antenna element includes a polarizer having an individual waveguide with dual-polarization signal propagation and divided waveguides associated with each basis polarization. The waveguide architecture may include unit cells having corporate waveguide networks associated with each basis polarization connecting each divided waveguide of the polarizers of each antenna element in the unit cell with a respective common waveguide. The waveguide networks may have waveguide elements located within the unit-cell boundary with a small or minimized inter-element distance. Thus, unit cells may be positioned adjacent to each other in a waveguide device assembly for a dual-polarized antenna array without increased inter-element distance between antenna elements of adjacent unit cells. Antenna waveguide ports may be connected to unit cell common waveguides using elevation and azimuth waveguide networks of the corporate type.
US09559412B2
An apparatus, such as a wireless portable electronic device, is provided that includes a body formed of a conductive material. The body defines an internal cavity and an opening. The wireless portable electronic device also includes a ground plane disposed within the internal cavity and electromagnetically coupled to the body. The wireless portable electronic device additionally includes an antenna, such as a loop antenna or a monopole, disposed within the internal cavity and electromagnetically coupled to the body such that the body functions as a radiator. The wireless portable electronic device further includes a three-dimensional ground plane extension disposed within the internal cavity so that at least a part of the three-dimensional ground plane extension overlies the antenna. The three-dimensional ground plane extension is galvanically coupled to the ground plane and electromagnetically coupled to the body.
US09559408B2
An antenna device capable of using an existing external antenna as a diversity antenna is disclosed. The disclosed antenna device includes: a radiator configured to be extensible to the outside of a terminal; a feeding switch configured to perform a switching operation for connecting one of a plurality of feeding units to the radiator; at least one conductive line of which a first end coming into contact with a part of the radiator when the radiator is inserted into the inside of the terminal; and at least one ground switch coupled to the at least one conductive line and configured to switch a connection between a second end of the conductive line and the ground. In accordance with the disclosed antenna device, it is possible to use an existing external antenna as a diversity antenna without installing an additional antenna.
US09559396B2
A solid ion conductor including a garnet oxide represented by Formula 1: L5+x+2y(Dy,E3-y)(Mez,M2-z)Od Formula 1 wherein L is at least one of a monovalent cation or a divalent cation, D is a monovalent cation, E is a trivalent cation, Me and M are each independently a trivalent, tetravalent, pentavalent, or a hexavalent cation, 0
US09559385B2
Nickel iron battery employing an untreated polyolefin separator with a surfactant in the electrolyte
Provided is a nickel-iron battery. The battery comprises a positive nickel electrode, an iron negative electrode, an electrolyte comprising a surfactant, and a non-polar separator. In one embodiment, the non-polar separator is comprised of a polyolefin, and the surfactant comprises a zwitterionic surfactant.
US09559382B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a flat winding electrode assembly including a positive electrode substrate exposed portion on one end and a negative electrode substrate exposed portion on the other end. The winding numbers of the positive and the negative electrode substrate exposed portions are each 30 or more. The positive and negative electrode substrate exposed portions each have an outermost surface welded and connected with a positive and a negative electrode collectors, respectively. A nonaqueous electrolyte used to fabricate the battery contains a lithium salt having an oxalate complex as an anion. At the welded connection portions, all of the layers of the positive electrode substrate exposed portion are melted to be welded and connected to the positive electrode collector, and all of the layers of the negative electrode substrate exposed portion are melted to be welded and connected to the negative electrode collector.
US09559375B2
An iron based redox flow cell. The redox flow cell comprises a first half-cell comprising a first electrolyte providing a source of Fe2+ ions and an electrode disposed within the first half-cell; a second half-cell comprising a second electrolyte providing a source of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions and an electrode disposed within the second half-cell; and a separator between the first and second half-cells, where (a) the second electrolyte comprises a Fe3+ stabilizing agent; (b) the first electrolyte comprises a hydrogen evolution suppressing agent; or (c) the first electrolyte comprises a hydrogen evolution suppressing agent, and the second electrolyte comprises a Fe3+ stabilizing agent.
US09559367B2
The present invention relates to membrane electrode assemblies comprising two electrochemically active electrodes separated by a polymer electrolyte membrane, there being a polyimide layer on each of the two surfaces of the polymer electrolyte membrane that are in contact with the electrodes.The present membrane electrode assemblies may be used in particular for producing fuel cells which have a particularly high long-term stability.
US09559365B1
Embodiments include methods and systems for oxidizing an interconnect for a fuel cell stack that include generating atomic oxygen, and forming an oxide layer on exposed surfaces of at least one interconnect using the atomic oxygen. In various embodiments, the atomic oxygen may be generated by thermally decomposing nitrous oxide gas into molecular nitrogen and atomic oxygen. In further embodiments, the atomic oxygen may be generated by catalytically decomposing nitrous oxide gas into molecular nitrogen and atomic oxygen. In further embodiments, the atomic oxygen may be generated using microwave discharge. In the various embodiments, the oxidation of the interconnect may be a controlled oxidation that is performed prior to incorporating the interconnect into a fuel cell stack.
US09559359B2
The lithium secondary battery positive electrode provided by the present invention has a positive electrode collector and a positive active material layer formed on the collector. The positive active material layer is composed of a matrix phase containing at least one particulate positive active material and at least one binder, and an aggregate phase dispersed in the matrix phase, constituted by aggregation of at least one particulate positive active material and containing substantially no binder.
US09559356B2
Synthesis process for new particles of Li4Ti5O12, Li(4-α)ZαTi5O12 or Li4ZβTi(5-β)O12, preferably having a spinel structure, wherein β is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.5 (preferably having a spinel structure), α representing a number greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.33, Z representing a source of at least one metal, preferably chosen from the group made up of Mg, Nb, Al, Zr, Ni, Co. These particles coated with a layer of carbon notably exhibit electrochemical properties that are particularly interesting as components of anodes and/or cathodes in electrochemical generators.
US09559351B2
A method for producing nickel composite hydroxide particles may include: a first step of producing nuclei including primary particles by controlling the pH of an aqueous solution for nucleation, the aqueous solution for nucleation containing a metal compound having an atomic ratio of metals corresponding to an atomic ratio of metals in the nickel composite hydroxide particles and substantially not containing a metal complex ion-forming agent; and a second step of forming, on an outer surface of each of the nuclei, an outer shell portion including platy primary particles larger than primary particles of the nuclei by controlling the pH of an aqueous solution for particle growth containing the nuclei obtained in the nucleation step.
US09559348B2
Electrochemical cells having desirable electronic and ionic conductivities, and associated systems and methods, are generally described.
US09559342B2
A cap configured to cover a terminal of a battery includes a base and a top having a plug and a cavity. The cavity is configured to receive the terminal and the plug is configured to retain the top on the terminal. A tether has a first end fixed to the base and a second end fixed to the top and connects the top to the base. The base is configured to retain the top to the terminal when the top is both connected to the terminal and separate from the terminal.
US09559338B2
A method for repairing an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device includes: determining the position of foreign particle (13) in a lamination structure (12); removing the foreign particle (13) and layers over the foreign particle (13) and in a recess region to be formed, so as to form a recess (21) in the lamination structure (12), in which an opening of the recess (21) is towards the external environment; and forming a repair structure (31) in the recess (21), in which the refractive index of the repair structure (31) is less than that of the lamination structure (12). The method overcomes the black spot defect caused by the foreign particle, improves the product yield and avoids the waste of cost.
US09559332B2
An organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel includes a substrate, a thin film transistor on the substrate, an overcoat layer on the thin film transistor and containing an organic material, a first electrode on the overcoat layer, an organic light emitting layer on the first electrode, a second electrode on the organic light emitting layer, and a barrier layer between the overcoat layer and the first electrode and including a first region formed of a single layer and a second region formed of a multilayer.
US09559321B2
The invention relates to electrochemical devices comprising complexes of cobalt comprising at least one ligand with a 5- or six membered, N-containing heteroring. The complex are useful as p- and n-dopants, as over of electrochemical devices, in particular in organic semiconductors. The complexes are further useful as over-discharge prevention and overvoltage protection agents.
US09559315B2
A light-emitting device (100) includes a housing (20) including a light-transmitting section (25), a surface light-emitting element (10) including a rectangular light-emitting section (R10) facing the light-transmitting section (25) and a non-light-emitting section formed outside the light-emitting section (R10), and an electronic device (31). The non-light-emitting section includes a flexible outer edge section (R13) provided with an electrode on a surface. The outer edge section (R13) is bent in a direction away from a light-emitting surface (S1) of the light-emitting section (R10) together with the electrode. The electrode electrically connects the light-emitting section (R10) and the electronic device (31).
US09559312B1
The present invention mainly provides a new imidazole compound, which can be used to produce electronic devices that are able to operate at low driving voltage and at high current efficiency. The new imidazole compound of the present invention is represented by the following formula (1): (In the formula (1), R1 and R2 are respectively the same as described in the specification).
US09559309B2
A compound for an organic optoelectronic device, an organic light emitting diode including the same, and a display device including the organic light emitting diode are disclosed, the compound being represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:
US09559304B2
This forming involves a composition including: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) or PEDOT; polystyrene sulfonate or PSS; a compound (A) having formula: with 0
US09559303B2
The invention relates to novel polymers containing repeating units based on benzo[1,2-d;4,3-d′]bisthiazole, monomers and methods for their preparation, their use as semiconductors in organic electronic (OE) devices, especially in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, and to OE and OPV devices comprising these polymers.
US09559302B2
An organic material for a light emitting device is deposited over a substrate by evaporating the organic material from an evaporation source. The evaporation source comprises a plurality of discrete evaporation cells separated from each other, wherein each of the plurality of discrete evaporation cells contains the organic material. The evaporation source has a length along a first direction and a width along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the length being greater than the width. The plurality of discrete evaporation cells is arranged along the first direction. When the organic material is evaporated, a relative location of the evaporation source with respect to the substrate is changed along the second direction, and the evaporation of the organic material is initiated by heating the plurality of discrete evaporation cells.
US09559300B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a resistive random access memory device includes a substrate, first and second wiring lines, and a storage cell. The first and second wiring lines are disposed on the substrate so as to intersect each other. The storage cell is disposed between the first and second wiring lines at the intersection of the first and second wiring lines and includes a first electrode, a resistive switching film on the first electrode, a second electrode on the resistive switching film, and a tantalum oxide (TaOx) layer. The first electrode is electrically connected to the first wiring line. The second electrode is electrically connected to the second wiring line. The tantalum oxide (TaOx) layer is disposed between the first electrode and the resistive switching film and is in contact with the resistive switching film.
US09559295B2
A nano multilayer film of electrical field modulation type, a field effect transistor of electrical field modulation type, an electrical field sensor of switch type, and a random access memory of electrical field drive type can obtain an electro-resistance effect in an electrical field modulation multilayer film at room temperature. The nano multilayer film includes in succession from bottom to top a bottom layer, a substrate, a bottom layer, a functional layer, a buffer layer, an insulation layer, a conductive layer, and a cap layer. The buffer layer and the insulation layer can be selectively added as required when the conductive layer is made of a magnetic metal. The effect of influencing and changing the conductivity of the metal layer and thus adjusting the change in the resistance of the devices can obtain different resistance states corresponding to different electrical fields and achieving an electro-resistance effect.
US09559292B2
A semiconductor device includes a piezoelectric layer interposed between a first metal layer and a hardmask layer. A first trench extends through the hardmask layer, the piezoelectric layer and the first metal layer. A self-limiting second trench extends through the hardmask layer and the piezoelectric layer without reaching the first metal layer.
US09559290B2
A method for producing a piezoelectric sensor, includes the following steps: producing, on a rigid support (10), a stack of sensor layers (2, 4, 5, 12), the sensor layers including a layer of piezoelectric material (5) included between a first electrode (6, 7) and a second electrode (8, 9), the first electrode not being in contact with the second electrode, then, while the sensor layers (2, 4, 5, 12) are still held by the rigid support (10), covering the sensor layers with a polymer layer (11), then removing the stack of sensor layers from the rigid support (10), such that the sensor layers covered by the polymer layer (11) are no longer carried by the rigid support (10).
US09559285B2
A piezoelectric actuator includes an actuator base that supports a load beam and has an opening accommodating a piezoelectric element, a receiver member that is laid on and fixed to the actuator base and forms a receiver that faces the opening and receives the piezoelectric element, an adhesive part formed of a liquid adhesive that is filled in a space defined by the piezoelectric element, an inner circumference of the opening, and the receiver and adheres the piezoelectric element to the inner circumference of the opening and the receiver, and a suppressing zone that is formed along an overlapping area where the actuator base and receiver member overlap each other and suppresses penetration of the liquid adhesive due to a capillary phenomenon into the overlapping area.
US09559276B2
The present invention relates to an LED metal substrate package, and particularly, to an LED metal substrate package having a heat dissipating structure, and a method of manufacturing same. The method comprises at least the steps of: forming at least one cavity having a groove of a predetermined depth in a metal substrate that is electrically separated by at least one vertical insulation layer, the cavity having one vertical insulation layer built in a floor thereof; treating all surfaces, except portions of the top surface of the metal substrate formed in the respective cavities, with shadow masking; removing an oxide film formed on the surface portions that have not been treated with masking; depositing an electrode layer on each of the surface portions of the oxide layer that have been removed; removing the shadow mask; performing Au/Sn soldering on the electrode layer and bonding an optical device chip; and wire bonding one electrode of the optical device, disposed on one side of the metal substrate with respect to each of the vertical insulation layers, through wires to the metal substrate disposed on the other side of each of the vertical insulation layers. The present invention forms solder using Au/Sn material, which has good heat dissipating characteristics and good bonding characteristics, on the electrode layer to bond an optical device chip, so as to have excellent heat dissipating performance compared to existing LED metal packages that use Ag epoxy.
US09559274B2
Provided a light emitting device comprising: a package; a light emitting element disposed in the package; an encapsulation member that covers the light emitting element, the encapsulation member being formed from a resin composition that contains a fluorescent material, a resin, and nanoparticles selected from at least one of the group consisting of aluminum oxide nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, zirconium oxide nanoparticles, and silicon oxide nanoparticles, wherein when the resin composition includes silicon oxide nanoparticles, the content of the silicon oxide nanoparticles is 0.02 to 5 mass parts relative to 100 mass parts of the resin; and wherein the fluorescent material is a red-light emitting fluorescent material including a fluoride material having a chemical composition that includes tetravalent manganese, at least one selected from the group consisting of alkali metal elements and NH4+, and at least one selected from the group consisting of elements from Group 4 of the periodic table and elements from Group 14 of the periodic table.
US09559270B2
A light-emitting device can prevent light from leaking through an unwanted area (or an unintended area) and can improve color unevenness and brightness unevenness. A method of producing such a light-emitting device, can include: disposing a plurality of light-emitting elements on a surface of a supporting substrate; forming a reflecting layer on the respective light-emitting elements along peripheries of the light-emitting elements facing an area between the light-emitting elements; forming a wavelength conversion layer so as to embed the plurality of light-emitting elements therein on the supporting substrate; and irradiating the wavelength conversion layer with laser beams to remove the wavelength conversion layer disposed at the area between the light-emitting elements.
US09559269B2
An outdoor luminaire comprising a blue LED chip having a maximum peak at a wavelength of 420-480 nm and a phosphor layer disposed forward of the LED chip in its emission direction is provided. The phosphor layer comprises a phosphor of the formula: Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ which is activated with up to 1 mol % of Ce relative to Lu, the phosphor being dispersed in a resin. In scotopic and mesopic vision conditions, the luminaire produces illumination affording brighter lighting, higher visual perception and brightness over a broader area.
US09559268B2
A method of manufacturing an optical device for a back light unit includes forming a metal ingot by adhering insulating layers between metal plates. The metal ingot is cut in a vertical direction to create original substrates each with insulating layer portions in parallel with intervals therebetween. Solder resist is deposited on at least one of a top surface and bottom surface of an original substrate.
US09559266B2
The invention relates to an illumination device (1) specifically a packaged LED (2), which is embedded in a casing body leaving the bottom side of the LED (2) exposed; on the bottom side, a contacting element (7) is vacuum deposited onto the LED (2), which contacting element protrudes laterally above the LED (2) and allows on a macroscopic level for an electric contacting of the LED (2), namely by connection of flat surfaces, such as welding.
US09559265B2
A flip-chip LED, a method for manufacturing the same and a flip-chip LED package are revealed. The LED includes at least one multi-layer reflective layer covered over the outermost layer thereof. The multi-layer reflective layer includes non-conductive reflective layer or combination of the non-conductive reflective layer with conductive reflective layer. The multi-layer reflective layer is manufactured by physical vapor deposition (PVD) with a mask at one time. The mask is used to form a pattern of the multi-layer reflective layer. Thus a photoresist layer is further formed on surface of exposed electrodes. Then a pumping and venting process is used only once during to complete vacuum deposition of each layer of the multi-layer reflective layer in turn.
US09559264B2
A light emitting device may include a substrate, a light emitting structure disposed under the substrate, the light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer, a first electrode configured to penetrate the second conductive semiconductor layer and the active layer, so as to come into contact with the first conductive semiconductor layer, a contact layer configured to come into contact with the second conductive semiconductor layer, a first insulation layer disposed between the second conductive semiconductor layer and the first electrode and between the active layer and the first electrode, the first insulation layer being provided for capping of a side portion and an upper portion of the contact layer, and a second electrode configured to penetrate the first insulation layer, so as to come into contact with the contact layer.
US09559261B2
A nitride layer with embedded hole structure can be used for fabricating GaN-based LED of high external quantum efficiency through epitaxial growth. The approaches can have advantages such as reducing the complexity chip process for forming hole structure, reducing impacts from the chip process on chip reliability, effective reduction of hole structure size and increase of device stability, crush resistance, and reliability. A fabrication method of an underlayer structure with embedded micro-hole structure is also provided.
US09559254B2
A light emitting device according to the embodiment includes a first light emitting structure including a first conductive type first semiconductor layer, a first active layer under the first conductive type first semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type second semiconductor layer under the first active layer; a first reflective electrode under the first light emitting structure; a second light emitting structure including a first conductive type third semiconductor layer, a second active layer under the first conductive type third semiconductor layer, and a second conductive type fourth semiconductor layer under the second active layer; a second reflective electrode under the second light emitting structure; a contact part that electrically connects the first conductive type first semiconductor layer of the first light emitting structure to the second reflective electrode; and a first insulating ion implantation layer between the contact part and the second conductive type second semiconductor layer.
US09559249B2
A microwave-annealed indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) film and methods of making the same are disclosed. The methods may comprise: depositing an IGZO film onto a substrate; and microwave annealing the IGZO film to produce a microwave-annealed IGZO film.
US09559240B1
In one example, a device includes a trench formed in a substrate. The trench includes a first end and a second end that are non-collinear. A first plurality of semiconductor pillars is positioned near the first end of the trench and includes integrated light sources. A second plurality of semiconductor pillars is positioned near the second end of the trench and includes integrated photodetectors.
US09559235B2
The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device. Specifically, the photoelectric conversion device has a structure in which a substrate including a photoelectric conversion element provided at the bottom and a substrate including a photoelectric conversion element provided at the side are secured in a brace form by a light-dividing device. This structure divides incident light using the light-dividing device into a plurality of wavelength bands, and causes the divided light to fall onto the photoelectric conversion elements provided at the bottom and side, thereby making it possible to provide a photoelectric conversion device which is capable of generating a lame amount of electric power. In addition, the light-dividing device distributes pressures and impacts applied to the substrates at the bottom and side, thus making it possible to provide a photoelectric conversion device which has resistance to pressures and impacts.
US09559232B1
A folding deployment system for solar panels provides a portable solar collecting power station that can be easily packaged and deployed for use in diverse environments. A solar array frame extends and contracts in accordion fashion. Solar panels mounted on the solar array frame are pivotally moveable from an upright position in a stowed position inside a container to a substantially horizontal position outside the container in a deployed position.
US09559226B2
A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a phase difference detection pixel including a photoelectric conversion section that is formed on a semiconductor substrate and configured to photoelectrically convert incident light, a waveguide configured to guide the incident light to the photoelectric conversion section, and a light-shielding section that is formed in vicinity of an opening of the waveguide and configured to shield a part of the incident light that enters the waveguide.
US09559216B2
Techniques for providing a semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns. Each memory cell may include a first region coupled to a source line, a second region coupled to a bit line, and a body region capacitively coupled to at least one word line via a tunneling insulating layer and disposed between the first region and the second region.
US09559212B2
An object is to increase field effect mobility of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor. Another object is to stabilize electrical characteristics of the thin film transistor. In a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer, a semiconductor layer or a conductive layer having higher electrical conductivity than the oxide semiconductor is formed over the oxide semiconductor layer, whereby field effect mobility of the thin film transistor can be increased. Further, by forming a semiconductor layer or a conductive layer having higher electrical conductivity than the oxide semiconductor between the oxide semiconductor layer and a protective insulating layer of the thin film transistor, change in composition or deterioration in film quality of the oxide semiconductor layer is prevented, so that electrical characteristics of the thin film transistor can be stabilized.
US09559208B2
A liquid crystal display device is provided in which the aperture ratio can be increased in a pixel including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used. In the liquid crystal display device, the thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer and an oxide semiconductor layer which are provided so as to overlap with the gate electrode, and a source electrode and a drain electrode which overlap part of the oxide semiconductor layer is provided between a signal line and a pixel electrode which are provided in a pixel portion. The off-current of the thin film transistor is 1×10−13 A or less. A potential can be held only by a liquid crystal capacitor, without a capacitor which is parallel to a liquid crystal element, and a capacitor connected to the pixel electrode is not formed in the pixel portion.
US09559206B2
A method includes forming isolation regions in a semiconductor substrate, forming a first semiconductor strip between opposite portions of isolation regions, forming a second semiconductor strip overlying and contacting the first semiconductor strip, and performing a first recessing to recess the isolation regions. A portion of the second semiconductor strip over top surfaces of remaining portions of the isolation regions forms a semiconductor fin. A second recessing is performed to recess the isolation regions to extend the semiconductor fin downwardly, with an inter-diffusion region of the first semiconductor strip and the second semiconductor strip being exposed after the second recessing. The inter-diffusion region is then etched.
US09559201B2
Vertical memory devices comprise vertical transistors in an array region and digit lines extending in a first direction and comprising a source region or a drain region of at least some of the vertical transistors. The vertical memory devices further include word lines extending in a second direction along sidewalls of the vertical transistors and along sidewalls of columns of an oxide material in a word line end region. The wordlines extend closer to an upper surface of the vertical memory device on the sidewalls of the oxide material than on the sidewalls of the vertical transistors. Memory arrays comprising vertical transistors in an array region, digit line, and word lines are disclosed, as are memory devices comprising transistors in an array region, digit lines, and word lines.
US09559194B2
Some embodiments include a transistor having a drain region and a source region. A conductive gate is between the source and drain regions. First channel material is between the gate and the source region. The first channel material is spaced from the gate by one or more insulative materials. Second channel material is between the first channel material and the source region, and directly contacts the source region. The first and second channel materials are transition metal chalcogenide. One of the source and drain regions is a hole reservoir region and the other is an electron reservoir region. Tunnel dielectric material may be between the first and second channel materials.
US09559192B1
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a first fin-shaped pattern having a first fin mask pattern disposed thereon on a substrate, forming a second fin-shaped pattern having a second fin mask pattern disposed thereon on the substrate, forming a first trench by removing the first fin mask pattern, forming a fin-cut mask pattern filling the first trench, and removing the second fin mask pattern and the second fin-shaped pattern using the fin-cut mask pattern as a first etch mask.
US09559191B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a fin structure from a bulk semiconductor substrate and forming an isolation region contacting a lower portion of a sidewall of the fin structure, wherein an upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure is exposed. A sacrificial spacer is formed on the upper portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. The isolation regions are recessed to provide an exposed section of the sidewall of the fin structure. A doped semiconductor material is formed on the exposed section of the lower portion of the sidewall of the fin structure. Dopant is diffused from the doped semiconductor material to a base portion of the fin structure.
US09559188B2
A method of producing a trench gate type MOSFET is provided in which each intersection trench is formed as a two-stage trench structure. A gate trench is backfilled with a mask material and the mask material is then patterned to form a mask used for forming each intersection trench. The intersection trench intersecting the gate trench is provided so as to be deeper than the gate trench. A Schottky electrode is provided in the bottom of each intersection trench 10p. In this manner, there is provided a trench gate type semiconductor device and a method of producing the same, in which: the cell pitch can be reduced even when a wide band gap semiconductor is used as a main semiconductor substrate; good ohmic contacts can be obtained; and an excessive electric field is prevented from being applied to an insulating film in the bottom of each trench.
US09559185B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate including an active fin structure, a plurality of gate structures, a first spacer on sidewalls of each of the gate structures, and a second spacer on sidewalls of the first spacer. The active fin structure may extend in a first direction and including a plurality of active fins with adjacent active fins divided by a recess. Each of the plurality of gate structures may extend in a second direction crossing the first direction, and may cover the active fins. The first spacer may include silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN), and may have a first carbon concentration. The second spacer may include SiOCN and may have a second carbon concentration which is different from the first carbon concentration. The semiconductor device may have a low parasitic capacitance and good electrical characteristics.
US09559181B2
The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device that includes a substrate of a first semiconductor material; a fin feature having a first portion, a second portion and a third portion stacked on the substrate; an isolation feature formed on the substrate and disposed on sides of the fin feature; semiconductor oxide features including a second semiconductor material, disposed on recessed sidewalls of the second portion, defining dented voids overlying the semiconductor oxide features and underlying the third portion; and a gate stack disposed on the fin feature and the isolation feature. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer extended into and filling in the dented voids. The first and third portions include the first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant. The second portion includes the second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant.
US09559174B2
Favorable electrical characteristics are given to a semiconductor device. Furthermore, a semiconductor device having high reliability is provided. One embodiment of the present invention is an oxide semiconductor film having a plurality of electron diffraction patterns which are observed in such a manner that a surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed is irradiated with an electron beam having a probe diameter whose half-width is 1 nm. The plurality of electron diffraction patterns include 50 or more electron diffraction patterns which are observed in different areas, the sum of the percentage of first electron diffraction patterns and the percentage of second electron diffraction patterns accounts for 100%, the first electron diffraction patterns account for 90% or more, the first electron diffraction pattern includes observed points which indicates that a c-axis is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface where the oxide semiconductor film is formed.
US09559171B2
In order to realize an SJ-MOSFET and an IGBT on a single chip and realize a new arrangement configuration for an SJ-MOSFET section and an IGBT section in a single semiconductor chip, provided is a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate; two or more super-junction transistor regions provided on the semiconductor substrate; and one or more IGBT regions that are provided in regions sandwiched by the two or more super-junction transistor regions, in a cross section obtained by cleaving along a pane perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate.
US09559167B2
One embodiment provides a semiconductor component including a semiconductor body having a first side and a second side and a drift zone; a first semiconductor zone doped complementarily to the drift zone and adjacent to the drift zone in a direction of the first side; a second semiconductor zone of the same conduction type as the drift zone adjacent to the drift zone in a direction of the second side; at least two trenches arranged in the semiconductor body and extending into the semiconductor body and arranged at a distance from one another; and a field electrode arranged in the at least two trenches adjacent to the drift zone. The at least two trenches are arranged at a distance from the second semiconductor zone in the vertical direction, a distance between the trenches and the second semiconductor zone is greater than 1.5 times the mutual distance between the trenches, and a doping concentration of the drift zone in a section between the trenches and the second semiconductor zone differs by at most 35% from a minimum doping concentration in a section between the trenches.
US09559163B2
The invention includes semiconductor constructions having trenched isolation regions. The trenches of the trenched isolation regions can include narrow bottom portions and upper wide portions over the bottom portions. Electrically insulative material can fill the upper wide portions while leaving voids within the narrow bottom portions. The trenched isolation regions can be incorporated into a memory array, and/or can be incorporated into an electronic system. The invention also includes methods of forming semiconductor constructions.
US09559162B2
A first pair of resistors formed in a first layer of material, and a second pair of resistors formed in the first layer or in a second layer can be wired into a Wheatstone bridge to form a temperature sensor. Either layer can include a semiconductor or a dielectric. In a semiconductor layer, a pair of resistors can be doped areas of the layer, while in a dielectric, a pair of resistors can be material deposited in cavities in the layer, such as material from an added “middle-of-line” (MOL) metallization layer.
US09559158B2
An integrated capacitor can be fabricated with both electrodes formed by trenches for low resistance. According to one embodiment, the capacitor can comprise a first trench electrode, one or more dielectric layers, and a second trench electrode. The first trench electrode and the second trench electrode can be fabricated in different trenches to improve capacitance density and resistance of the integrated capacitor.
US09559142B2
A display panel and a method of forming a display panel are described. The display panel may include a thin film transistor substrate including a pixel area and a non-pixel area. The pixel area includes an array of bank openings and an array of bottom electrodes within the array of bank openings. A ground line is located in the non-pixel area and an array of ground tie lines run between the bank openings in the pixel area and are electrically connected to the ground line in the non-pixel area.
US09559135B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip comprising a first metallic structure and a second semiconductor chip comprising a second metallic structure. The second semiconductor chip is bonded with the first semiconductor chip by a first conductive plug. A second conductive plug extends from the first metallic structure and into a substrate of the first semiconductor chip. The first conductive plug connects the first metallic structure and the second metallic structure, wherein a conductive liner is along a sidewall of the first conductive plug or the second conductive plug.
US09559120B2
A method for forming CMOS devices includes masking a first portion of a tensile-strained silicon layer of a SOI substrate, doping a second portion of the layer outside the first portion and growing an undoped silicon layer on the doped portion and the first portion. The undoped silicon layer becomes tensile-strained. Strain in the undoped silicon layer over the doped portion is relaxed by converting the doped portion to a porous silicon to form a relaxed silicon layer. The porous silicon is converted to an oxide. A SiGe layer is grown and oxidized to convert the relaxed silicon layer to a compressed SiGe layer. Fins are etched in the first portion from the tensile-strained silicon layer and the undoped silicon layer and in the second portion from the compressed SiGe layer.
US09559118B2
A vertical ferroelectric field effect transistor construction comprises an isolating core. A transition metal dichalcogenide material encircles the isolating core and has a lateral wall thickness of 1 monolayer to 7 monolayers. A ferroelectric gate dielectric material encircles the transition metal dichalcogenide material. Conductive gate material encircles the ferroelectric gate dielectric material. The transition metal dichalcogenide material extends elevationally inward and elevationally outward of the conductive gate material. A conductive contact is directly against a lateral outer sidewall of the transition metal dichalcogenide material that is a) elevationally inward of the conductive gate material, or b) elevationally outward of the conductive gate material. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09559112B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device includes forming a mold stack on a substrate and the mold stack including first sacrificial layers and second sacrificial layers alternately stacked on the substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of vertical channels that penetrate the mold stack and that contact the substrate, patterning the mold stack to form word line cuts between the vertical channels, the word line cuts exposing the substrate, removing one of the first and second sacrificial layers to form recessed regions in the mold stack, forming a data storage layer, at least a portion of the data storage layer being formed between the vertical channels and the gates, forming gates in the recessed regions, forming air gaps between the gates by removing the other of the first and second sacrificial layers, and forming an insulation layer pattern in the word line cuts.
US09559107B2
An exposed edge of a conductive liner in a Damascene trench provides a high aspect ratio geometry of a non-volatile memory cell that can be scaled to arbitrarily small and nanoscale areas and thus provides an extremely compact non-volatile memory array layout that is applicable to any non-volatile memory technology such as resistive memory (RRAM), magnetic memory (MRAM), phase change memory (PCRAM) and the like. The high aspect ratio of the non-volatile memory cell area offsets the sharp increase in filament forming voltage required in conductive bridge memories (CBRAMs) as the non-volatile memory cells are scaled to very small sizes. The compact memory cell layout is also tolerant of lithographic overlay errors and provides a high degree of uniformity of electrical characteristics which are tunable by maskless and non-lithographic processes.
US09559103B2
Provided is a memory device. The memory device includes a substrate including a cell area and a peripheral area; gate line stacks and bit line stacks configured to vertically cross in the cell area; buried contacts disposed in areas, which are simultaneously shared by neighboring gate line stacks and neighboring bit line stacks; expanded landing pads including expanded portions connected to the buried contacts and expanded over adjacent bit line stacks, and disposed in a row; landing pads spaced apart from the expanded landing pads as a column, connected to the buried contacts, and having horizontal widths smaller than those of the expanded landing pads; and first storage nodes connected to the expanded portions of the expanded landing pads, and second storage nodes connected to the landing pads.
US09559102B2
A semiconductor device includes first and second active regions. Each active region includes a plurality of fin protrusions and a recessed area disposed between the fin protrusions. A plurality of gate structures are disposed on each of the plurality of fin protrusions. A semiconductor layer is disposed in each recessed area. A distance between the gate structures of the first active region is the same as a distance between the gate structures of the second active region, and a height difference between a bottom surface of the semiconductor layer of the first recessed area and a top surface of each of the fin protrusions of the first active region is smaller than a height difference between a bottom surface of the semiconductor layer of the recessed area of the second active region and a top surface of each of the fin protrusions of the second active region.
US09559099B2
A FinFET device comprises an isolation region in a substrate, wherein the isolation region comprises a plurality of non-vertical sidewalls, a first V-shaped groove, a second V-shaped groove and a third V-shaped groove formed in the substrate, a first cloak-shaped active region over the first V-shaped groove, wherein a top surface of the first cloak-shaped active region comprises a first slope, a second cloak-shaped active region over the second V-shaped groove, wherein a top surface of the second cloak-shaped active region is triangular in shape and a third cloak-shaped active region over the third V-shaped groove, wherein a top surface of the third cloak-shaped active region comprises a second slope.
US09559093B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes a GaN FET with an overvoltage clamping component electrically coupled to a drain node of the GaN FET and coupled in series to a voltage dropping component. The voltage dropping component is electrically coupled to a terminal which provides an off-state bias for the GaN FET. The overvoltage clamping component has a breakdown voltage less than a breakdown voltage of the GaN FET. The voltage dropping component is formed to provide a voltage drop which increases as current from the overvoltage clamping component increases. The semiconductor device is configured to turn on the GaN FET when the voltage drop across the voltage dropping component reaches a threshold value.
US09559087B2
Techniques for fabricating multiple device components. Specifically, techniques for fabricating a stacked package comprising at least one I/C module and a multi-chip package. The multi-chip package includes a plurality of integrated circuit dice coupled to a carrier. The dice are encapsulated such that conductive elements are exposed through the encapsulant. The conductive elements are electrically coupled to the chips. The I/C module comprises an interposer having a plurality of integrated circuit dice disposed thereon. The dice of the I/C module are electrically coupled to the interposer via bondwires. The interposer is configured such that vias are aligned with the conductive elements on the multi-chip package. The multi-chip package and I/C module may be fabricated separately and subsequently coupled together to form a stacked package.
US09559075B1
A structure and method for performing metal-to-metal bonding in an electrical device. For example and without limitation, various aspects of this disclosure provide a structure and method that utilize an interlocking structure configured to enhance metal-to-metal bonding.
US09559068B2
A semiconductor device package is formed of DBC in which thinned MOSgated and/or diode die are soldered to the bottom of an etched depression in the upper conductive layer. A via in the insulation layer of the DBC is filled with a conductive material to form a resistive shunt. Plural packages may be formed in a DBC card and may be separated individually or in clusters. The individual packages arc mounted in various arrays on a support DBC board and heat sink. Integrated circuits may be mounted on the assembly and connected to the die for control of the die conduction.
US09559067B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a passivation layer on top of a guard ring and an active area of a circuit device, forming a passivation contact within the passivation layer, the passivation contact being over and electrically connected to the guard ring, forming a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) guard ring over the passivation layer and electrically connected to the passivation contact, and forming a first polymer layer over the PPI guard ring, the first polymer layer extending along a sidewall of the PPI guard ring.
US09559054B2
The present invention discloses a repairing line structure for repairing a breakage at a crossing point of electric wires extending along different directions on a thin film transistor panel. The repairing line structure includes a repair line extending from a same side of the electric wire where the breakage is defined and connecting opposite ends of the breakage and an amorphous silicon protection pattern. The repairing line traverses the other electric wire crossing with the electric wire where the breakage is defined. The amorphous silicon protection pattern is located between the repairing line and the electric wire traversed by the repairing line.
US09559051B1
A method for depositing a conductor in the via opening electronic structure removes the via bottom liner so that the conductor deposited in the via opening directly contacts the underlying conductive layer. The method includes depositing amorphous silicon over the dielectric layer and the liner layer on the via opening sidewalls and bottom. The amorphous silicon extends substantially over the entire via opening while leaving below a void within the via opening. The amorphous silicon over the via opening and on the via opening bottom and the liner layer on the via opening bottom are anisotropically etched to leave a layer of amorphous silicon over the dielectric layer and the via opening side walls. The amorphous silicon is then removed to form a via opening having a substantially open-bottom liner. The conductor is then deposited in the via opening and contacts the underlying conductive layer.
US09559050B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first conductor pattern and a second conductor pattern running side by side with each other, including forming a first portion of the first conductor pattern and a second portion of the second conductor pattern by patterning using a first mask, and forming a second portion of the first conductor pattern and a first portion of the second conductor pattern by patterning using a second mask. A first inter-conductor capacity is formed by the first portion of the first conductor pattern and the first portion of the second conductor pattern. A second inter-conductor capacity is formed by the second portion of the first conductor pattern and the second portion of the second conductor pattern.
US09559045B2
Provided is a package structure including a circuit board, a plurality of first contact pads, a plurality of metal pillars and at least one chip. The first contact pads are disposed on the circuit board. The chip is disposed on one portion of the first contact pads. The metal pillars are disposed on the other portion of the first contact pads, where the chip is surrounded by the metal pillars. A method for manufacturing the package structure is also provided.
US09559044B2
A method includes forming a passivation layer over a portion of a metal pad, forming a polymer layer over the passivation layer, and exposing the polymer layer using a photolithography mask. The photolithography mask has an opaque portion, a transparent portion, and a partial transparent portion. The exposed polymer layer is developed to form an opening, wherein the metal pad is exposed through the opening. A Post-Passivation Interconnect (PPI) is formed over the polymer layer, wherein the PPI includes a portion extending into the opening to connect to the metal pad.
US09559035B2
A semiconductor device includes a laminated substrate having circuit boards, an insulating plate, and a metal plate laminated, and warped convexly to the circuit board side; semiconductor chips fixed to the corresponding circuit boards; a base plate having a predetermined disposition region in which the laminated substrate is disposed, grooves disposed in the outer periphery of the disposition region, and projections disposed in positions in the disposition region adjacent to and inside the grooves. The grooves has on the projection side an inclination corresponding to an inclination caused by the warp of the laminated substrate. A joining material fills the space between the metal plate and the disposition region and covers the grooves and projections.
US09559028B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device can be manufactured with a reduced cost. The semiconductor device (1D) includes, a substrate (100D), which includes a main surface (101D) and a recess (108D) depressed from the main surface (101D), and includes a semiconductor material; a wiring layer (200D) in which at least a portion thereof is formed on the substrate (100D); one or more first elements (370D) accommodated in the recess (108D); a sealing resin (400D) covering at least a portion of the one or more first elements (370D) and filled in the recess (108D); and a plurality of columnar conductive portions (230D) penetrating through the sealing resin (400D) in the depth direction of the recess (108D), and respectively connected with the portion of the wiring layer (200D) that is formed at the recess (108D).
US09559027B2
A semiconductor device includes a housing with a fragile portion. The fragile unit or portion has a resistance to a pressure or a melting point temperature that is lower than other portions of the housing. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed inside the housing. Each semiconductor element includes a semiconductor element region having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A first electrode is provided on the first surface and a second electrode is provided on the second surface.
US09559014B1
A technique relates to forming a self-aligning field effect transistor. A starting punch through stopper comprising a substrate having a plurality of fins patterned thereon, an n-type field effect transistor (NFET) region, a p-type field effect transistor (PFET) region, and a center region having a boundary defect at the interface of the NFET region and the PFET region is first provided. The field effect transistor is then masked to mask the NFET region and the PFET region such that the center region is exposed. A center boundary region is then formed by etching the center region to remove the boundary defect.
US09559013B1
A semiconductor device a first epitaxially grown source/drain region comprising a first material arranged on a first fin, a second epitaxially grown source/drain region comprising the first material arranged on the second fin, the second epitaxially grown source/drain region arranged above the first epitaxially grown source/drain region, a third epitaxially grown source/drain region comprising the first material arranged on a second fin, a fourth epitaxially grown source/drain region comprising a second material arranged on the second fin, the fourth epitaxially grown source/drain region arranged above the third epitaxially grown source/drain region, and a gate stack arranged over a channel region of the first fin and a channel region of the second fin.
US09559011B2
Methods for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The method includes forming a first fin and a second fin over a substrate and forming a first isolation structures and a second isolation structure adjacent to the substrate. The first fin is partially surrounded by the first isolation structure and a second fin is partially surrounded by the second isolation structure, and the first isolation structure has a dopant concentration higher than that of the second isolation structure.
US09559009B2
A gate structure straddling a plurality of semiconductor material portions is formed. Source regions and drain regions are formed in the plurality of semiconductor material portions, and a gate spacer laterally surrounding the gate structure is formed. Epitaxial active regions are formed from the source and drain regions by a selective epitaxy process. The assembly of the gate structure and the gate spacer is cut into multiple portions employing a cut mask and an etch to form multiple gate assemblies. Each gate assembly includes a gate structure portion and two disjoined gate spacer portions laterally spaced by the gate structure portion. Portions of the epitaxial active regions can be removed from around sidewalls of the gate spacers to prevent electrical shorts among the epitaxial active regions. A dielectric spacer or a dielectric liner may be employed to limit areas in which metal semiconductor alloys are formed.
US09559002B2
A semiconductor device includes a circuit device on a substrate and a first insulating interlayer on the substrate and covering the circuit device. An electrode structure extends through the first insulating interlayer and at least partially through the substrate. An etch-stop layer pattern is disposed on a sidewall of the electrode structure on a side of the first insulating layer opposite the substrate. A blocking layer pattern is disposed on the etch-stop layer pattern. The device further includes an interconnection structure including a via portion passing through the blocking layer pattern to contact the through electrode structure and a wiring portion on the via portion and having a different width than the via portion. The semiconductor device may further include a contact plug electrically connected to the circuit device through the first insulating interlayer. The contact plug and the through electrode structure may include different metals.
US09558996B2
A method for filling a trench with a metal layer is disclosed. A deposition apparatus having a plurality of supporting pins is provided. A substrate and a dielectric layer disposed thereon are provided. The dielectric layer has a trench. A first deposition process is performed immediately after the substrate is placed on the supporting pins to form a metal layer in the trench, wherein during the first deposition process a temperature of the substrate is gradually increased to reach a predetermined temperature. When the temperature of the substrate reaches the predetermined temperature, a second deposition process is performed to completely fill the trench with the metal layer. The present invention further provides a semiconductor device having an aluminum layer with a reflectivity greater than 1, wherein the semiconductor device is formed by using the method.
US09558989B2
After embedding a silicon oxide film within a second trench that opens in a semiconductor substrate using a silicon nitride film as a hard mask, the silicon oxide film over the silicon nitride film is polished, and then, wet etching is performed before a step for removing the silicon nitride film, and thereby the upper surface of the silicon oxide film within a first trench opened in the silicon nitride film is retreated.
US09558988B2
A method for manufacturing a shallow trench isolation (STI) region with a high aspect ratio is provided. A semiconductor substrate is provided with a trench. A first dielectric layer is formed lining the trench. A second dielectric layer is formed filling the trench over the first dielectric layer. In some embodiments, before forming the second dielectric layer, ions are implanted into an implant region of the first dielectric layer that extends along and is limited to a lower region of the trench. In alternative embodiments, after forming the second dielectric layer, an ultraviolet curing process is performed to the second dielectric layer. With the second dielectric layer formed and, in some embodiments, the ultraviolet curing process completed, an annealing process is performed to the second dielectric layer. A semiconductor structure for a STI region is also provided.
US09558986B2
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a first doped region, a second doped region and a dielectric. The first doped region and the second doped region respectively has an aspect ratio and a dopant concentration uniformity along a depth in the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric is between the first doped region and the second doped region. The dopant concentration uniformity is within 0.2% and the aspect ratio of the semiconductor substrate is greater than about 10.
US09558984B2
A device (1) for holding a planar substrate (4), in particular for a wafer or an eWLB, is shown, with a support (2) which forms a supporting surface (3) for the substrate (2) and has at least one recess (5) provided in the region of the supporting surface (3) for the substrate (2), and with at least one holding means which is connected in terms of flow to said recess (6) and is intended for fixing the substrate (2) on the device (1) with the aid of a vacuum generated between the support (2) and substrate (4). In order to be able to grip a multiplicity of substrates of geometrically differing profile, it is proposed that the support (2) has at least one recess (6) with an elastic seal (7) which is designed to be movable from a position (9) protruding over the edge (8) of the recess (6) into a position (10) pulled back in relation to the edge (8) of the recess (6) or at most corresponding to said edge and which interacts with the recess (5) for sucking the full area of the substrate (4) onto the support (2).
US09558983B2
A base film for a dicing sheet is provided which can suppress dicing debris from generating during the dicing of a cut object without imparting physical energy, such as electron beam or γ ray. The base film for a dicing sheet comprises a resin layer. The resin layer comprises: a norbornene-based resin that is a thermoplastic resin having a norbornene-based compound as at least one type of monomer; and an olefin-based thermoplastic resin other than the norbornene-based resin. The norbornene-based resin in the resin layer has a content of more than 3.0 mass %. A dicing sheet is also provided which comprises: the base film for a dicing sheet; and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer placed on a surface of the film at the resin layer side.
US09558977B2
A transport device simultaneously transports a plurality of articles with a simple device configuration. The transport device includes a chucking device that holds a magazine. An overhead carriage that transports the magazine held by the chucking device includes article storage parts that each accommodate the magazine held by the chucking device. The article storage parts include rotary tables that receive, from the chucking device, the magazine held by the chucking device. The rotary tables having received the magazines from the chucking device move from the chucking device to the article storage parts.
US09558976B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate retaining mechanism into which retaining members on which substrates are placed are installed to retain the substrates; a substrate transfer unit configured to transfer at least one substrate; a detecting unit configured to detect states of the retaining members installed into the substrate retaining mechanism; a determination unit configured to compare data representing the states of the retaining members, which is obtained by the detecting unit, with master data, which is reference data obtained by detecting normal states of the retaining members, beforehand to determine the states of the retaining members; and a transfer control unit configured to control the substrate transfer unit according to the determination of the determination unit.
US09558975B2
A system for transferring articles between an atmospheric pressure environment and a vacuum pressure environment. The system may include a vacuum enclosure having a wall separating the atmospheric pressure environment from the vacuum pressure environment. A transfer shaft may extend through the wall from the atmospheric pressure environment to the vacuum pressure environment. The transfer shaft may include an atmospheric transfer port disposed within the atmospheric pressure environment, a vacuum transfer port disposed within the vacuum pressure environment, and an intermediate port disposed adjacent a channel in the wall. The system may further include a movable transfer carriage disposed within the transfer shaft, the transfer carriage having an access port for providing access to an interior of the transfer carriage. The system may further include an air bearing on the transfer carriage configured to expel gas for maintaining a gap between the transfer carriage and the transfer shaft.
US09558963B2
Placing a conductive member between a plasma chamber in a remote plasma reactor and a substrate to shield the substrate from irradiation of undesirable electromagnetic radiation, ions or electrons. The conductive member blocks the electromagnetic radiation, neutralizes ions and absorbs the electrons. Radicals generated in the plasma chambers flows to the substrate despite the placement of the conductive member. In this way, the substrate is exposed to the radicals whereas damages to the substrate due to electromagnetic radiations, ions or electrons are reduced or removed.
US09558946B2
An embodiment is a method including forming a fin on a substrate, forming a first doped region in a top portion of the fin, the first doped region having a first dopant concentration, and forming a second doped region in a middle and bottom portion of the fin, the second doped region having a second dopant concentration, the second dopant concentration being less than the first dopant concentration.
US09558944B2
A reticle for use in an extreme ultraviolet (euv) lithography tool includes a trench formed in the opaque border formed around the image field of the reticle. The trench is coated with an absorber material. The reticle is used in an euv lithography tool in conjunction with a reticle mask and the positioning of the reticle mask and the presence of the trench combine to prevent any divergent beams of radiation from reaching any undesired areas on the substrate being patterned. In this manner, only the exposure field of the substrate is exposed to the euv radiation. Pattern integrity in neighboring fields is maintained.
US09558942B1
A method of fabricating a nanowire array is disclosed. The method includes forming a mask layer over a substrate, wherein the mask layer includes a plurality of openings; growing a first plurality of nanowires through the plurality of openings; forming a conformal layer over the first plurality of nanowires and the mask layer; planarizing the conformal layer over the first plurality of nanowires to form a coplanar top surface defined by the first plurality of nanowires and the conformal layer; removing a portion of the conformal layer and a portion of the mask layer to expose the substrate, wherein the portions of the conformal layer and the mask layer are located between adjacent nanowires from the plurality of nanowires; and growing a second plurality of nanowires on the exposed substrate.
US09558931B2
Improved methods and systems for passivating a surface of a high-mobility semiconductor and structures and devices formed using the methods are disclosed. The method includes providing a high-mobility semiconductor surface to a chamber of a reactor and exposing the high-mobility semiconductor surface to a gas-phase sulfur precursor to passivate the high-mobility semiconductor surface.
US09558912B2
The present invention aims at providing an ion milling apparatus for emitting an ion beam to a sample to process the sample and capable of controlling the temperature of the sample with high accuracy regardless of deformation or the like of the sample being irradiated with the ion beam, and proposes an ion milling apparatus including at least one of a shield holding member for supporting a shield for shielding the sample from the ion beam while exposing a part of the sample to the ion beam; a shifting mechanism for shifting a surface of the sample stand in contact with the sample following deformation of the sample during irradiation with the ion beam, the shifting mechanism having a temperature control mechanism for controlling temperature of at least one of the shield holding member and the sample stand; and a sample holding member disposed between the shield and the sample, the sample holding member deforming following deformation of the sample during irradiation with the ion beam, for example.
US09558909B2
The present invention discloses a multifunctional ultrafast electron gun of a transmission electron microscopy. The ultrafast electron gun of a transmission electron microscope comprises: a laser source, an electron gun body and a laser introducing module. The electron gun body comprises: an electron gun sleeve comprising a first section sleeve and a second section sleeve; and, a cathode, an acceleration electrode and an anode arranged in up-down order, wherein the cathode and the acceleration electrode are located within the first section sleeve and the anode is located within the second section sleeve. The laser introducing module includes an introducing module sleeve sealedly connected between the first section sleeve and the second section sleeve and provided with a laser incoming window in a side thereof; and a laser reflective mirror located in the introducing module sleeve, which is configured to face right the laser incoming window and configured adjacent to a central axis of the introducing module sleeve, and the reflective face of which is configured to make an angle of 45° with the central axis of the introducing module sleeve. The multifunctional ultrafast electron gun of a transmission electron microscopy according to the present invention achieve the best coherence performance of the electrons obtained in the case of the photoelectron emission compared with those in the prior art.
US09558900B2
An electrical disconnect includes a housing having a recess defined therein extending from an opening toward a base. The disconnect also includes a vacuum envelope defined within the housing near the base; a fixed contact assembly including a fixed contact structured to be in electrical communication with a voltage source disposed partially within the vacuum envelope; and a movable contact assembly including a movable contact having a first end disposed within the vacuum envelope and a second end disposed in the recess near the base and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact a separation distance. The housing includes a dynamic shield electrically connected to the movable contact, the dynamic shield being disposed about the recess within the housing and extending from the base toward the opening thereof.
US09558891B2
Disclosed is a polymerization solution for electrolytic polymerization containing borodisalicylic acid and/or a salt thereof as a supporting electrolyte, in which precipitation due to the hydrolysis of borodisalicylate ions is inhibited and which provides a conductive polymer exhibiting excellent heat resistance. The polymerization solution has: a solvent consisting of 100 to 80% by mass of water and 0 to 20% by mass of an organic solvent; at least one monomer having a π-conjugated double bond; at least one supporting electrolyte selected from the group consisting of borodisalicylic acid and borodisalicylic salts; and at least one stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of nitrobenzene and nitrobenzene derivatives, and the content of the stabilizing agent content is more than ⅛ mol per 1 mol of the supporting electrolyte. A complex is formed by the stabilizing agent and borodisalicylic acid, and the formation of precipitation due to the hydrolysis of borodisalicylate ions is inhibited.
US09558890B2
An electronic component includes a laminated capacitor and a substrate-type terminal on which the laminated capacitor is mounted, with an viscoelastic resin located in a space between the laminated capacitor and the substrate-type terminal. The substrate-type terminal includes a substrate body, component connecting electrodes to mount the laminated capacitor are located on a component mounting surface of the substrate body, and external connecting electrodes to be connected to a circuit board are located on a substrate mounting surface of the substrate body.
US09558886B2
A laminate body includes a plurality of ceramic layers and capacitor conductors embedded in the laminate body so as to be opposed to each other via one of the ceramic layers. The capacitor conductors are made of an Al-based material, and the capacitor conductors include narrow portions, respectively, which function as fuse elements. The narrow portions have an average width smaller than an average width of portions of the capacitor conductors other than the narrow portions. As a result, the electronic component has an improved capability to protect its function as a capacitor when a short circuit occurs between capacitor conductors.
US09558885B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a surface-modified rare earth metal-based sintered magnet having extremely excellent corrosion resistance even in an environment with fluctuating temperature and humidity and also having excellent magnetic characteristics. The method for producing a surface-modified rare earth metal-based sintered magnet of the present invention as a means for achieving the object is characterized by comprising a step of subjecting a rare earth metal-based sintered magnet to a heat treatment at 200° C. to 600° C. in an atmosphere having an oxygen partial pressure of 1×103 Pa to 1×105 Pa and a water vapor partial pressure of 45 Pa or less with the ratio between the oxygen partial pressure and the water vapor partial pressure (oxygen partial pressure/water vapor partial pressure) being 450 to 20000.
US09558877B2
A coil conductor and a via electrode placed away from the coil conductor are embedded in a magnetic layer. The magnetic layer is sandwiched between a pair of non-magnetic layers. The coil conductor and the via electrode are formed from a conductive material containing Cu as its main constituent, and the magnetic layer is formed from Ni—Mn—Zn ferrite where the CuO molar content is 5 mol % or less, and (x, y) falls within the range of A (25, 1), B (47, 1), C (47, 7.5), D (45, 7.5), E (45, 10), F (35, 10), G (35, 7.5), and H (25, 7.5) when the molar content x of Fe2O3 and the molar content y of Mn2O3 are represented by (x, y). Thus, insulation properties can be ensured, favorable electrical characteristics can be achieved, and a ceramic electronic component is achieved which is able to be reduced in size.
US09558872B2
An R-T-B rare earth sintered magnet contains R which represents a rare earth element; T which represents a transition metal essentially containing Fe; a metal element M which represents Al and/or Ga; B; Cu; and inevitable impurities the R-T-B rare earth sintered magnet including 13.4 to 17 at % of R, 4.5 to 5.5 at % of B, and 0.1 to 2.0 at % of M, and T as the balance; in which the R-T-B rare earth sintered magnet is formed of a sintered body which includes a main phase composed of R2Fe14B and a grain boundary phase including a larger amount of R than the main phase; in which the magnetization direction of the main phase is a c-axis direction, in which crystal grains of the main phase have one of an elliptical shape and an oval shape extended in such a direction so as to cross the c-axis direction; and in which the grain boundary phase includes an R-rich phase in which the total atomic concentration of the rare earth elements is 70 at % or greater and a transition metal-rich phase in which the total atomic concentration of the rare earth elements is 25 to 35 at %.
US09558870B2
An electrical assembly including a conductor arrangement and a dual resolution potentiometer electrically connected to the conductor arrangement. The dual resolution potentiometer includes a first resistive element having a first adjustment mechanism and a second resistive element having a second adjustment mechanism. The first adjustment mechanism being coupled in a hysteresis arrangement to the second adjustment mechanism.
US09558866B2
A wire harness including a metal pipe into which an electrical wire is inserted, a metal braided section that covers the electrical wire drawn out from the metal pipe and is formed by braiding metal bare wires that are made of a different type of metal from that of the metal pipe, and a joint pipe to one end of which the metal pipe is connected and to the other end of which the metal braided section is connected. The joint pipe is made of the same type of metal as the metal braided section or of an insulating material.
US09558856B2
In a control system for a plant controlling a plant such as a nuclear power plant 1 with use of a plurality of digital control devices 41, the plurality of digital control devices 41 include a plurality of control functions 46 to 56, and the plurality of control functions 46 to 56 are provided in the plurality of digital control devices 41 in a distributed manner so that the digital control devices 41 may not fall below safety standards preset by safety analyses. This provides a control system for a plant using the plurality of digital control devices 41 and configured to control a plant safely even when a digital control device is failed.
US09558851B2
Apparatus and methods for soft post package repair are disclosed. One such apparatus can include memory cells in a package, volatile memory configured to store defective address data responsive to entering a soft post-package repair mode, a match logic circuit and a decoder. The match logic circuit can generate a match signal indicating whether address data corresponding to an address to be accessed matches the detective address data stored in the volatile memory. The decoder can select a first group of the memory cells to be accessed instead of a second group of the memory cells responsive to the match signal indicating that the address data corresponding to the address to be accessed matches the defective address data stored in the volatile memory. The second group of the memory cells can correspond to a replacement address associated with other defective address data stored in non-volatile memory of the apparatus.
US09558843B2
A shift register unit, a gate driving circuit, and a display device are disclosed. The shift register unit comprising: a pull-up module for pulling up level signal at present-stage signal output based on a signal at a pull-up control node and a first clock input; a control module connected to a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal for controlling the level at the pull-up control node based on a signal inputted to a first signal input and a second clock input; and a reset module for resetting the level signal outputted from the present-stage signal output based on a signal inputted to a second signal input. Signal lines and TFTs integrated in the shift register unit may be reduced, thereby saving space occupied by the circuit and reducing product cost.
US09558831B2
Some embodiments include a memory device and a method of programming memory cells of the memory device. One such method includes applying voltages to data lines associated with different groups of memory cells during a programming operation. Such a method applies the voltages to the data lines associated with a last group of memory cells being programmed in a different fashion from the other groups of memory cells after the other groups of memory cells have been programmed. Other embodiments including additional memory devices and methods are described.
US09558830B2
The number of level shifters is reduced in a decode circuit of a nonvolatile memory. A semiconductor device is configured with an electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cell array, and a decode circuit which generates a selection signal to select a driver for a memory gate line (word line). The decode circuit includes a level shifter to step up a signal after predecode. The selection signal is generated by decoding predecode signals which are stepped up by the level shifter in the logical operation circuit. A logic gate to invert the logical level of the predecode signal depending on an operation mode is provided in the preceding stage of each level shifter. When decoding the stepped-up predecode signal, the logical operation circuit performs a different logical operation depending on the operation mode.
US09558826B2
A first potential and a second potential lower than the first potential are applied to a first end of a memory gate electrode part of the nonvolatile memory and to a second end of the memory gate electrode part, respectively, so that a current is caused to flow in a direction in which the memory gate electrode part extends, then, a hole is injected from the memory gate electrode part into a charge accumulating part below it, therefore, an electron accumulated in the charge accumulating part is eliminated. By causing the current to flow through the memory gate electrode part of a memory cell region as described above, Joule heat can be generated to heat the memory cell. Consequently, in the erasing by a FN tunneling method in which the erasing characteristics degrade at a low temperature, the erasing speed can be improved by heating the memory gate electrode part.
US09558822B2
In operating a resistive memory device including a number of memory cells, a write pulse is applied to each of the plurality of memory cells such that each of the memory cells has a target resistance state between a first reference resistance and a second reference resistance higher than the first reference resistance. The resistance of each of the memory cells is read by applying a verify pulse to each of the plurality of memory cells. A verify write current pulse is applied to each of the memory cells that has resistance higher than the second reference resistance, and a verify write voltage pulse is applied to each of the memory cells that has resistance lower than the first reference resistance.
US09558821B2
Provided are a resistive memory device and a method of the resistive memory device. The method of operating the resistive memory device includes performing a pre-read operation on memory cells in response to a write command; performing an erase operation on one or more first memory cells on which a reset write operation is to be performed, determined based on a result of comparing pre-read data from the pre-read operation with write data; and performing set-direction programming on at least some memory cells from among the erased one or more first memory cells and on one or more second memory cells on which a set write operation is to be performed.
US09558808B2
A memory includes a DRAM array having memory cells, wordlines and bitlines coupled to the memory cells, and sense amplifiers. The memory can be configured to perform a method in which a wordline of the DRAM array is set to an active state. While the wordline is active, signals develop on the respective bitlines according to the flows of charge between the memory cells coupled to the wordline and the respective bitlines. The sense amplifiers connected to the respective bitlines can remain inactive such that the sense amplifiers do not amplify the signals to storable signal levels. Then, when the wordline is set again to the inactive state, insufficient charge remains in the memory cells coupled to the wordline such that the data stored in memory cells coupled to the wordline are erased. These steps can be repeated using each of a remaining number of wordlines of all or a selected range of the DRAM array so as to erase the data stored in all of the DRAM array or a selected range.
US09558800B2
A non-volatile memory device includes an array of non-volatile memory cells. A memory cell in the array of memory cells includes a first resistive element including a first terminal and a second terminal, a second resistive element including a first terminal and a second terminal, and a select transistor including a gate electrode coupled to a word line, a first current electrode coupled to the first terminal of the first resistive element and the first terminal of the second resistive element, and a second current electrode coupled to a bit line. The second terminal of the first resistive element is coupled to a first source line, and the second terminal of the second resistive element is coupled to a second source line.
US09558796B2
Enhanced memory circuits are described that maintain coherency between concurrent memory reads and writes in a pipelined memory architecture. The described memory circuits can maintain data coherency regardless of the amount of pipelining applied to the memory inputs and/or outputs. Moreover, these memory circuits may be implemented as dedicated hard circuits in a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), and can be supplemented with user-configurable logic to achieve coherency in a variety of applications.
US09558789B1
An improved storage device sled is provided. The storage device sled includes first and second portions, each of which includes a threaded fastener, a longitudinal member, and a bezel member. The longitudinal members are configured to couple to mounting holes of a storage device. Each of the bezel members is orthogonal to a longitudinal member. One of the bezel members includes a latching clip and cutouts to receive one or more alignment projections. The other bezel member includes a latching clip receiver, configured to receive and capture the latching clip, and the one or more alignment projections. Each of the longitudinal members includes a hole for the threaded fastener, which retains the longitudinal member to a mounting hole on a side of the storage device. The longitudinal members also include a tapered post, which captures a mounting hole on a side of the storage device.
US09558788B2
In an exemplary method, a computer-implemented media service system provides a graphical user interface view associated with a first functional area of the media service for display on a display screen, detects a peek request input while the graphical user interface view is displayed, and provides, in response to the peek request input and for display with the graphical user interface view, an activity indicator indicating a tracked activity associated with the second functional area of the media service. Corresponding systems and methods are also described.
US09558784B1
Automatic replay or skip ahead functionality can be configured to intelligently navigate to a portion of a video a user desires to view. The context at which a user selects intelligent navigation can be analyzed to determine where to initiate automatic replay or skip ahead. The context for intelligent navigation can be based on scene or shot segmentation data, closed captioning, aggregate video navigation data from a community of users of shared demographic traits and/or interest, and/or other metadata. In the case of automatic replay, playback of a portion of a video can include enhancements for that portion, such as providing closed captioning, display at a decreased frame rate (“slow motion”), zooming in/out on a portion of the frames of a video segment, among other enhancements.
US09558780B2
A library device includes: a housing having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the housing having a first surface and a second surface differing from each other; a first track that is provided within the housing, the first track extending along the first surface; a second track that is provided within the housing, the second track extending along the second surface, the second track being parallel with the first track; and an accessor device that includes a first portion engaging with the first track, and a second portion engaging with the second track.
US09558774B1
An apparatus includes a slider of a magnetic recording transducer comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads. A component is coupled to a pair of the electrical bond pads. A sensor is coupled to the pair of the electrical bond pads in parallel with the component. The sensor is configured to sense for one or more of thermal asperities of a magnetic recording medium, voids of the medium, spacing changes between the slider and the medium, and contact between the slider and the medium. The sensor is configured to be rendered non-functional in response to the sensor receiving a predetermined signal. The component is configured to remain operable after the sensor is rendered non-functional.
US09558773B2
An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.
US09558772B1
Methods and apparatuses for modulating a position error signal detection gate signal responsive to a track crossing velocity are discussed. The position error signal can be used to detect position information. A track crossing velocity can be estimated and then used via the modulating. Phase errors due to the track crossing velocity can be minimized.
US09558769B1
A system, according to one embodiment, includes a magnetic head having: a near field transducer, an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, and an anti-reflection block positioned along the optical waveguide farther from a media facing side of the magnetic head than the near field transducer. The anti-reflection block is positioned a distance from the near field transducer to destructively interfere with light reflected away from the near field transducer. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.
US09558765B2
A spin transfer oscillator (STO) with a seed/FGL/spacer/SIL/capping configuration is disclosed with a composite seed layer made of Ta and a metal layer having a fcc(111) or hcp(001) texture to enhance perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying (A1/A2)YFeCo laminated field generation layer (FGL). The spin injection layer (SIL) may be laminated with a (A1/A2)XFeCo configuration. The FeCo layer in the SIL is exchanged coupled with the (A1/A2)X laminate (x is 5 to 50) to improve robustness. The (A1/A2)Y laminate (y=5 to 30) in the FGL may be exchange coupled with a high Bs layer to enable easier oscillations. A1 may be one of Co, CoFe, or CoFeR where R is a metal, and A2 is one of Ni, NiCo, or NiFe. The STO is typically formed between a main pole and trailing shield in a write head.
US09558761B2
A method comprising receiving microphone audio information from at least one microphone, identifying a song based, at least in part, on the microphone audio information, receiving song audio information based, at least in part, on the identification of the song, causing display of, at least a portion of, a song indicator that represents the song, receiving information indicative of a song rendering input in relation to the song indicator, and causing rendering of the song audio information based, at least in part, on the song rendering input is disclosed.
US09558750B2
Disclosed is a frame error concealment (FEC) method. The method includes: selecting an FEC mode based on states of a current frame and a previous frame of the current frame in a time domain signal generated after time-frequency inverse transform processing; and performing corresponding time domain error concealment processing on the current frame based on the selected FEC mode, wherein the current frame is an error frame or the current frame is a normal frame when the previous frame is an error frame.
US09558749B1
Features are disclosed for automatically identifying a speaker. Artifacts of automatic speech recognition (“ASR”) and/or other automatically determined information may be processed against individual user profiles or models. Scores may be determined reflecting the likelihood that individual users made an utterance. The scores can be based on, e.g., individual components of Gaussian mixture models (“GMMs”) that score best for frames of audio data of an utterance. A user associated with the highest likelihood score for a particular utterance can be identified as the speaker of the utterance. Information regarding the identified user can be provided to components of a spoken language processing system, separate applications, etc.
US09558747B2
A high intelligibility voice announcement system is described herein. One system includes an announcement station containing a speech to text engine in which a spoken announcement from a user is converted to text data, wherein any errors are identified and marked in the converted text data and displayed to the user. After the user has corrected any errors, the corrected text data is transmitted to one or more speakers, where a text to speech engine converts the text data to an audible message that is then broadcast via the speakers.
US09558723B2
An improved tremolo arm is provided configured for engagement to a pivoting bridge of a stringed instrument such as a guitar. The arm features a facing surface formed in a complimentary fashion to the shape of the palm of a user's hand. The arm is engageable to conventional bridges or may be employed with an arm mount having a centered attachment point to provide an even pivoting of the bridge during use.
US09558717B2
The present application relates to a display apparatus having a panel including sub-pixels, data lines, and horizontal lines; a sensing circuit to collect sensing data by sensing for external compensation in the horizontal lines; a calculator to determine a characteristic change of each of the sub-pixels using the sensing data to calculate an external compensation value; a data aligner to receive input image data, and when the input image data corresponds to a horizontal line where the sensing is performed, to convert the input image data into compensation image data based on a compensation value; and a data driver to output a compensation data voltage corresponding to the compensation image data to a data line corresponding to the sensed horizontal line before and after the sensing is performed, and output a sensing data voltage to the data line while the sensing is performed.
US09558702B2
A self-compensating gate driving circuit includes cascade-connected GOA units of which a Nth GOA unit includes a pull-up controlling part, a pull-up part, a transmission part, a first pull-down part, a bootstrap capacitor part and a pull-down holding part. The pull-up part, the first pull-down part, the bootstrap capacitor part and the pull-down holding circuit are respectively coupled to a Nth gate signal point Q(N) and a Nth horizontal scanning line G(n). The pull-up controlling part and the transmission part are each coupled to the Nth gate signal point Q(N). The pull-down holding part is inputted with a first DC low voltage VSS1 and a second DC low voltage VSS2. The pull-down holding part includes a first pull-down holding part and a second pull-down holding part to alternately work.
US09558694B2
An organic light emitting display device, including pixels positioned at crossing regions of scan lines and data lines and a bias voltage supply configured to supply bias voltages to the pixels. Each of the pixels includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a first transistor coupled between a first power supply and the OLED and driven in a saturation region by a corresponding one of the bias voltages to supply a set current to the OLED, a second transistor coupled between the first power supply and the OLED and driven in a linear region by a data signal supplied from a corresponding one of the data lines to turn on or off, and a second capacitor coupled between a gate electrode of the first transistor and the first power supply.
US09558692B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a display unit including pixels coupled to scan lines and data lines, first and second power lines coupled to the pixels, a DC-DC converter configured to output first and second power sources to the pixels via the first and second power lines, respectively, and a short-circuit-sensing circuit configured to detect whether a short-circuit between the first and second power lines occurs, and configured to control an operation of the DC-DC converter when the short-circuit is detected, wherein voltage levels of the first and second power sources are configured to be changed in a frame period, the frame period including a reverse voltage application period in which the voltage level of the second power source is higher than that of the first power source.
US09558687B2
In order to display 3D images by a parallax barrier method, a display screen and the eyes of a viewer need to have a specific positional relation. An object is to provide a display device with an extended area where the viewer can perceive 3D images with the naked eye. Attention is focused on the position of the viewer with respect to pixels provided in a display device and a mode of a parallax barrier provided between the viewer and the pixels. This leads to a structure in which the position of the viewer with respect to pixels is specified by using an ultrasonic wave to change a mode of a parallax barrier in accordance with the position of the viewer, thereby achieving the above object.
US09558684B2
A cable marker includes a housing which has an accommodating opening to accommodate a label to mark a cable, a cover to close the accommodating opening in a closed position of the cable marker, and a film hinge integrally connecting the housing to the cover such that in an open position, in which the cover does not close the accommodating opening, the cover can be pivoted in relation to the housing along a pivoting plane. The film hinge has a first base portion connecting the film hinge to the housing, a second base portion connecting the film hinge to the cover, and a connecting portion arranged between the first base portion and the second base portion. The connecting portion has a width that is reduced in comparison with at least one of the base portions as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the pivoting plane.
US09558682B2
A seal housing body, extruded AL or molded plastic or metal, has cavity portions communicating through an interface region formed by one at least one frangible projection protruding from the first body into the cavity, a first cavity portion for receiving a locking body, the second cavity portion forming a shackle receiving passageway. The locking body has a channel inclined relative to and in communication with the passageway. A spring in the channel urges a shackle locking ball up the channel partially into the interface region, the ball, having a diameter sufficient to pass through the passageway, is captured in the channel by the at least one projection. The locking body has indicia and/or flanges, at one or both opposing ends, to provide tampering evidence. The channel is offset from the locking body's central plane forming a single channel side wall to preclude trapping the ball by tampering.
US09558681B2
Labels having identification tags and tamper evident pattern release layers and methods of producing such labels are disclosed. An example method includes moving a first substrate in a direction. The first substrate has a first side opposite a second side. The first side has a first adhesive and a pattern release layer. The method also includes coupling a third side of a tag to the first side of the first substrate. The tag includes the third side and a fourth side opposite the third side. The method also includes mating transfer tape of a second substrate over the first side and the fourth side. The second substrate includes a liner layer and the transfer tape. The transfer tape is to be positioned immediately adjacent the tag.
US09558680B2
Processes include a process for transmitting a payload embedded in a picture using payload-in-picture-encoding. The process may comprises transmitting a human recognizable picture by a first device, receiving the transmitted human recognizable picture by a second device, the received human recognizable picture is processed and transformed into a payload, wherein the payload is one of a 2D payload image, an encrypted 2D payload image, a text message, an encrypted text message, a file, and encrypted file. The process is performed by taking remainders of an modulo operation with a modulus M of brightness values of pixels of the received recognizable picture, combining the taken remainders having n′ bits of a plurality of pixels of the received human recognizable picture into a payload having n bits, wherein n is larger than n′, and wherein a maximum of n′ bit number is less than the modulus M, reconstructing the transformed payload comprising the payload having n bits combined from the taken remainders having n′ bits.
US09558673B2
Improving automated package delivery to mobile delivery receptacles to allow accurate and reliable package deliveries comprises a delivery receptacle for an automated package delivery via an unmanned aerial delivery device. The delivery receptacle is notified of a pending delivery and travels to a receiving location. The delivery receptacle emits infrared (“IR”) beacons from one or more IR beacon transmitters. An aerial delivery device detects the IR beacon and uses the beacons to navigate to the delivery receptacle. The delivery receptacle receives IR beacon responses from the aerial delivery device and continually or periodically directs the IR beacons in the direction of the aerial delivery device. The aerial delivery device deposits the package in the delivery receptacle. After receiving the package, the delivery receptacle transports the package to a secure location, such as into a garage.
US09558672B2
The DYNAMIC AIRCRAFT THREAT CONTROLLER MANAGER APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“DATCM”) transforms flight profile information, terrain, weather/atmospheric data and flight parameter data via DATCM components into comprehensive hazard avoidance optimized flight plans. Comprehensive hazard avoidance includes synergistic comprehensive turbulence and airfoil-specific icing data. In one implementation, the DATCM comprises a processor and a memory disposed in communication with the processor and storing processor-issuable instructions to receive anticipated flight plan parameter data, obtain weather data based on the flight plan parameter data, obtain atmospheric data based on the flight plan parameter data, and determine a plurality of four-dimensional grid points based on the flight plan parameter data. The DATCM may then determine comprehensive hazards mappings. With (near) real-time comprehensive hazard information and/or predictive turbulence/icing forecast specific to airfoil type and/or profile parameters, the DATCM may allow aircraft to avoid areas where comprehensive hazard is greater than a predetermined threshold and/or avoid areas where turbulence/icing may occur.
US09558668B2
Systems and methods for improving the reception and delivery of an In-Trail Procedures (ITP) altitude change request. An example system located on board a host aircraft includes a communication component, a display device and a processor unit that is in signal communication with the communication component and the display device. The processor unit presents a user interface on the display device. The user interface includes a plurality of fields for receiving In-Trail Procedures (ITP) altitude change request information. The processor sends the ITP altitude change request information received within the plurality of fields to an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility via the communication component. An ITP unit having a display receives an altitude selection and presents ITP altitude change request information if the received altitude selection is determined to be valid.
US09558664B1
An approach is provided for parking availability detection based on vehicle trajectory information. A trajectory processing platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of trajectory data associated with at least one journey of at least one vehicle to determine at least one portion of the at least one journey that is associated at least one parking search by the at least one vehicle. The trajectory processing platform also determines one or more street segments associated with the at least one portion of the at least one journey. The trajectory processing platform further causes, at least in part, a classification of the one or more street segments as associated with the at least one parking search. The trajectory processing platform further determines parking availability information for the one or more street segments based, at least in part, on the trajectory data.
US09558662B2
A display section classifies evaluation values of a first traveling environment into a plurality of classes to obtain levels of ease of driving and displays the levels of ease of driving for each of unit areas including one or a plurality of areas. The display section displays levels of ease of driving calculated based on evaluation values of a second traveling environment as replacement for first unit areas including areas in a level of ease of driving displaced from a median.
US09558657B2
A controller receives probe data from a vehicle traveling on a path segment. The probe data may be collected by a mobile device. The path segment may be a multilane roadway. The controller identifies a first lane of the path segment from the probe data. The controller associated a forked route with the first lane of the path segment. The controller calculates different traffic values for the lanes of the path segment. One traffic value may be calculated directly from speeds derived from the path data. Another traffic value may be calculated by the probe data and a historical relationship.
US09558655B2
A monitoring device, system and method are provided for in-home/on-premises monitoring of usage of utilities, such as electricity and other services. The monitoring device receives information from a smart meter, and displays usage through a display, illuminating an area using a colour indicative of the current cost of consumption, and varying the illuminated area at a rate indicative of a rate of consumption or other metric, the varying of the illuminated area simulating movement in the display. The display provides a consumer with “at a glance” visual information on current usage. Optionally a digital display screen provides detailed alphanumeric and graphical information, through a number of selectable display modes. One or more devices may be networked, and interface directly or indirectly with a transceiver of a smart metering system, or a retrofit transceiver for a conventional meter. Monitoring of other utilities and services may alternatively or additionally be provided.
US09558653B2
A home appliance and a method of controlling the same are provided. The home appliance may include a controller that processes state data. The state data may include raw data representing an operation state of the home appliance. The controller may also output diagnosis result data representing whether or not an error has occurred in the home appliance. A tag device including a tag storage device may store the state data and the diagnosis result data, and a transmitting and receiving device may transmit the state data and the diagnosis result data when an external device is tagged.
US09558650B2
A surveillance method, a surveillance apparatus, and a marking module are applied to an active burglarproof system. The surveillance method includes the following steps. Determine whether a first wireless signal related to a marking module is received in a first sensing region, to produce a first determination result. Determine whether the first wireless signal is received in a second sensing region, to produce a second determination result. Selectively generate a warning signal according to the first determination result and the second determination result.
US09558649B2
A patient monitoring secondary alarm notification system comprises a plurality of devices, configured to generate an alarm data, and a central station. The central station comprises a processor configured to receive the alarm data from the plurality of devices and monitor a plurality of dynamic conditions. The processor is further configured to assess the alarm data and the dynamic conditions to determine an alarm notification.
US09558637B2
Systems and methods for haptic conversion are described. One disclosed method includes the steps of: determining a characteristic of a target user interface device having a target haptic output device, determining a source haptic effect associated with a source user interface device having a source haptic output device; converting the source haptic effect to a target haptic effect, the conversion based at least in part on the characteristic of the target haptic output device, and generating a haptic signal associated with the target haptic effect, the haptic signal configured to cause the target haptic output device to output the target haptic effect.
US09558635B2
A gaming terminal for conducting a wagering game includes a gaming cabinet, a video display, and an art panel. The video display is positioned within the gaming cabinet and is configured to display content associated with the wagering game. The art panel is positioned within the gaming cabinet and overlays the video display such that a first region of the art panel is illuminated by the video display.
US09558633B2
Provided is a mixed-math slot machine game having a reels-first base game and a mystery bonus feature with prize-first game logic. After any winning play of the base game, the reels have the possibility of re-spinning a number of times, with the preferred version varying the re-spins from one to four times, for example. If this happens, the game screen informs the player that he or she has been awarded the bonus. While this bonus is triggered by the first base game spin of the reels, the possible prizes it awards are statistically weighted based on the amount of the initial base game prize from the winning reel stop. Various ways of implementing the change of gaming logic are provided.
US09558632B2
Examples disclosed herein relate to systems and methods, which may receive wagers on one or more paylines. The systems and methods may utilize one or more tournament game structures. The systems and methods may utilize one or more power-up cards in the one or more tournament game structures.
US09558630B2
The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
US09558627B2
Gaming devices may generate outcomes to be sold in printed form. Representations of the outcomes, corresponding payouts, and other information are printed on sheets of paper. Multiple printed outcomes are assembled into books, wrapped, and sold to consumers. Consumers may purchase the books and browse through the printed outcomes at their leisure. When finished with a book, a consumer may submit a portion of the book to the casino that sold the outcomes. The casino may then pay the player based on the payouts associated with the outcomes in the book.
US09558626B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a gaming system and method providing a group game having a same average expected total payback percentage regardless of the number of players participating in the group game. In various embodiments, the gaming system determines or sets one or more characteristics, features, or parameters of the group game based on the number of players participating in the group game such that the average expected total payback percentage of the group game is the same or substantially the same for each play of the group game regardless of the number of players participating in that play of the group game.
US09558620B2
A mobile gaming device may be a player's own personal tablet, smartphone, PDA, etc., with an application program installed via the internet for carrying out a remote gaming session. All gaming functions are carried out by a stationary gaming terminal communicating with the mobile device, such as by using WiFi. The mobile device operates as a user interface The games involve a plurality of players.
US09558609B2
A gaming device including a plurality of symbol generators adapted to generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions. In one embodiment, a player selects a first symbol position, the selected symbol position is activated and the gaming device reveals whether a terminator is associated with the selected symbol position. In this embodiment, the player continues selecting symbol positions (and the gaming device continues activating the selected symbol positions) until a terminator is revealed to be associated with a selected symbol position. After a terminator is revealed, the gaming device randomly generating a symbol at each of the activated symbol positions. The gaming device determines an outcome based on the symbols or combinations of symbols generated at the activated symbol positions and provides the player the determined outcome.
US09558602B1
A system, apparatus, and method for a smart switch are provided. The smart switch may be integrated into various types of security devices and intelligently protect the devices from unwanted manipulation. In one particular embodiment, the smart switch may use location information from a GPS receiver to determine whether the device is in a safe zone, and the smart switch may intelligently enable or disable certain changes of the current operational status of the security device. Alternatively, pre-set time period, RFID authorization, environmental factors, or a combination of several factors may be used by the smart switch to determine whether users may change the operational status of the security device.
US09558599B2
A monitoring system implemented on a truck. The system includes: a plurality of strain and pressure gauges at critical locations at which a failure is predicted to occur; a processor with memory hardware configured to process the acquired real-time data from the gauges to determine measures of actual instantaneous stress and a real-time operating state; an output device configured to provide information comparing measures of actual instantaneous stress with corresponding reference values of maximum allowable stress, and to provide the real-time information derived from the real-time operating state. The real-time information derived from the real-time operating state preferably includes an amount of cumulative damage or closeness to failure having regard to the measures of actual instantaneous stress and the real-time operating state.
US09558590B2
Augmented reality light guide display techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a housing configured in a hand-held form factor, one or more sensors configured to detect a position and orientation of the housing in three dimensions in a physical environment of the housing, a light guide that is at least partially transparent and supported by the housing, a light engine that is optically coupled to the light guide, and one or more modules disposed within the housing and implemented at least partially in hardware. The one or more modules are configured to calculate a position and orientation of an augmentation and cause the light engine to output the augmentation for display using the light guide such that the augmentation is viewable concurrently with at least a portion of the physical environment through the light guide.
US09558586B2
A method and device for estimating the opacity at a point of a scene lit by an area light source and comprising an object defined by a mesh and occluding some of the emitted light. In order to optimize the calculations for live estimation of the opacity, the method comprises sampling said area light source in a plurality of samples, for at least one sample of the plurality of samples and for at least one first mesh element of the occluding object visible from the at least one sample, generating one shadow plane per edge of the at least one first mesh element, estimating a opacity level depending on coefficients of projection in a function base from values representative of the opacity for a set of intersection points between at least one ray having for origin a viewpoint of the scene and shadow planes crossed by said at least one ray, depending on an angle formed by the normal associated with each shadow plane crossed and by said at least one ray.
US09558580B2
A first surface, a second surface, and a third surface are set in order in a direction of a scene, and the first surface has a plurality of cells and a plurality of sub-cells divided from each of the plurality of cells, the second surface has a plurality of segments, and the plurality of cells and the plurality of segments are associated respectively. A trace direction of a ray passing through each sub-cell is determined based on a segment associated with a cell including the sub-cell. Ray tracing on the determined trace direction is performed for each sub-cell so as to generate light-field data of the scene between the second and third surfaces.
US09558577B2
A request to generate templates for a template set may be received. A template set member from the template set may be selected and the template set member's dimensions may be determined based on an initial cut. A desired number of image tiles for the template set member may be identified, and templates having the desired number of image tiles may be generated for the template set member based on logical rules.
US09558558B2
A system and method directed to receiving a first data set corresponding to patient data at a first time, receiving a second data set corresponding to patient data at a second time, segmenting a first region of interest in the first data set and a second region of interest in the second data set, the first and second regions corresponding to one another and aligning the first region of interest with the second region of interest to highlight a first contour indicating a change in size, shape and orientation between the first and second regions of interest.
US09558555B2
The technology disclosed relates to adjusting the monitored field of view of a camera and/or a view of a virtual scene from a point of view of a virtual camera based on the distance between tracked objects. For example, if the user's hand is being tracked for gestures, the closer the hand gets to another object, the tighter the frame can become—i.e., the more the camera can zoom in so that the hand and the other object occupy most of the frame. The camera can also be reoriented so that the hand and the other object remain in the center of the field of view. The distance between two objects in a camera's field of view can be determined and a parameter of a motion-capture system adjusted based thereon. In particular, the pan and/or zoom levels of the camera may be adjusted in accordance with the distance.
US09558551B2
An image measurement apparatus includes: a lighting unit that emits a first narrowband light with a bandwidth (i) narrower than a bandwidth of a visible light and (ii) including a dominant wavelength of a color of a positive cell nucleus; an image obtaining unit that obtains an examination image by capturing an image of a pathologic examination specimen to which the first narrowband light is emitted; a cell nuclei extracting unit that extracts pixels of positive cell nuclei from the examination image by comparing pixel values of the examination image with a predetermined threshold; a positive proportion calculating unit that calculates a proportion of the positive cell nuclei among cell nuclei included in the pathologic examination specimen, using the pixels of the positive cell nuclei extracted by the cell nuclei extracting unit; and an output unit that outputs the proportion.
US09558549B2
An image processing apparatus comprises: shape obtaining means for obtaining information indicating a surface shape of a target object; discrimination means for discriminating a contact portion and a noncontact portion between the target object and an imaging surface of an ultrasonic probe which captures an ultrasonic image of the target object; position and orientation obtaining means for obtaining information indicating a position and orientation of the ultrasonic probe at the time of imaging; and alignment means for estimating deformation of the target object based on information indicating the surface shape, a discrimination result obtained by the discrimination means, and information indicating the position and orientation, and aligning the surface shape with the ultrasonic image.
US09558546B2
A three-dimensional object detection device has an image capturing unit, an object detection unit, a nighttime assessment unit, a luminance detection unit, a luminance peak detection unit and a controller. The image capturing unit captures images rearward of a vehicle. The object detection unit detects a presence of an object from the captured images. The nighttime assessment unit assesses if nighttime has fallen. The luminance detection unit detects a luminance of image areas from the captured image. The luminance peak detection unit detects a peak in the luminance having a luminance gradient that is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value from among the detected peaks in the luminance as a target luminance peak. The controller controls detection of the object in an image area in which the target luminance peak is detected when an assessment has been made that nighttime has fallen by the nighttime assessment unit.
US09558537B2
The present invention provides an image denoising method and an image denoising apparatus. The image denoising method includes performing preliminary denoising processing to an acquired image to be processed, so as to obtain a preliminarily denoised image; calculating a residual quantity corresponding to a central pixel of each unit area in the image to be processed according to numerical values of specific energy parameters to which the image to be processed and the preliminarily denoised image correspond, respectively; and using the residual quantity to calculate a weight matrix corresponding to each unit area, and performing non-local mean value calculation to the image to be processed according to the weight matrix, so as to realize the denoising processing of the image to be processed. The image denoising method is able to denoise effectively, and make a denoised image more visually natural.
US09558535B2
Image processing device, image processing method, image processing program, and image display device
An image processing device according to one embodiment of the invention includes a contour direction estimating unit, a direction evaluating unit, a reference region weighting processing unit, and a composition operation unit. The contour direction estimating unit estimates a contour direction in which signal values of pixels are constant values for each pixel, the direction evaluating unit decides an evaluation value of each reference pixel of the pixel based on the contour direction of the pixel estimated by the contour direction estimating unit and the contour direction of each reference pixel serving as a pixel in a reference region corresponding to the pixel for each pixel, the reference region weighting processing unit decides a weighting coefficient of the reference pixel based on the contour direction of the pixel estimated by the contour direction estimating unit and the direction of each reference pixel of the pixel from the pixel, and the composition operation unit smoothes a signal value of the pixel based on the evaluation value decided by the direction evaluating unit and the weighting coefficient decided by the reference region weighting processing unit using a signal value of the reference pixel of the pixel.
US09558520B2
Pursuant to some embodiments, insurance systems, methods and devices are provided which include a data storage device for storing, updating and providing access to loss risk score data, a computer processor for executing program instructions and for retrieving the loss risk score data from the data storage device, a memory, coupled to the computer processor, for storing program instructions for execution by the computer processor, a geocoding engine comprising program instructions stored in the memory for geocoding historical loss data and a plurality of loss risk factors, a scoring engine comprising program instructions stored in the memory for calculating a loss risk score for each of a plurality of geographical locations based on said historical loss data and said plurality of loss risk factors, and a communication device, coupled to the computer processor, to output loss risk score data based on geographical location.
US09558519B1
A computing device is configured to acquire or access credit or reporting data associated with a consumer. The computing device then is configured to analyze the credit or reporting data to determine reporting cycles for accounts associated with the consumer. For example, the computing device may determine that credit information for a particular account may be updated at a regular interval (e.g., once a month on the 3rd) or some other more complex cycle. The computing device can subsequently used the determined reporting cycles to predict the next reporting dates for respective accounts and provide the information, for instance, to the consumer.
US09558505B2
A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. The enrolled merchant database includes a list of merchants participating in the loyalty incentive program. The participating merchant offer database includes loyalty incentive offers from participating merchants. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers.
US09558503B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed that provide enhanced customer services based on detected mobile identifiers of mobile devices. One system includes a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a wireless sensor, and a backend system. The POS terminal handles sales of items and generate transactions for sold items. The wireless sensor is positioned proximate the POS terminal and detects mobile identifiers from mobile devices proximate the POS terminal. The backend system receives transactions from the POS terminal and detected mobile identifiers from the wireless sensor. The backend system matches a received transaction to a received mobile identifier based on a detection time of an associated mobile device proximate the wireless sensor and a transaction time for an associated transaction of the POS terminal. The backend system updates a purchase history associated with the matched mobile identifier based on sold items of the matched transaction.
US09558491B2
A method of secured passcode entry is disclosed. The method, in one embodiment, includes: receiving a request to authenticate a user; in response to receiving the request, generating a passcode entry interface that includes a plurality of buttons for the user to compose a passcode entry, each button representing a character of a set of characters, the set of characters having a natural sequence, wherein said generating includes displaying the buttons on a touchscreen of the electronic device in an arrangement that does not reflect the natural sequence of the set of characters; detecting a touch event, represented as a coordinate on the touchscreen, interacting with the touchscreen while the passcode entry interface is displayed, wherein the touch event is indicative of at least a portion of a passcode entry by the user; and verifying an authenticity of the passcode entry based at least partly on the touch event.
US09558484B2
A method for crediting a customer account maintained by a vendor of services in response to payment received from a customer is disclosed herein. The method includes issuing, to the customer, a membership account number associated with at least the customer account. A membership account number and a payment corresponding to a requested amount of a service offered by the vendor are received from the customer at a point-of-sale. The method further includes generating, at the point-of-sale, an authorization message including at least the membership account number and embedded transaction information identifying the service offered by the vendor and the requested amount. The embedded transaction information is then communicated from the point-of-sale to a database server. The customer account is credited, in response to the embedded transaction information, based upon an amount of the payment. The method also includes electronically transferring funds based upon the amount of the payment from a first account associated with the point-of-sale to a second account associated with the vendor.
US09558479B1
Techniques for verifying identity and/or location of a customer. One embodiment involves receiving a customer-provided address from a customer in a communication via a computer network or telephone network. The customer is a person or entity paying to receive calls from a resident of a controlled access residential institution. The embodiment further involves accessing a computer system to identify location information associated with the customer, the location information derived from additional information within or about the communication and determining a reliability estimate of the customer-provided address by comparing the customer-provided address with the location information associated with the customer that was identified based on the additional information. The embodiment may involve notifying a telecommunications provider, the controlled access residential institution, or law enforcement based on the reliability estimate of the customer-provided address.
US09558477B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computerized method for effecting payment by a check includes electronically receiving payment information for a check drawing on a checking account of an account holder, retrieving from a storage location an image replacement document template associated with the checking account in response to receiving the payment information, and generating an image replacement document representative of the check by inserting the payment information into respective fields of the image replacement document template. The payment information includes a date, a payee, a dollar amount, a legal amount, and a signature.
US09558467B1
Certain example embodiments relate to techniques for creating/updating a computerized model usable with an enterprise modeling platform. The computerized model is defined with a first modeling language. An image of a hand-drawn model existing on a physical substrate and following rules of a second modeling language is acquired. Multi-level image processing is performed on the image, the different levels corresponding to recognitions of (a) structures in the image corresponding to objects in the hand-drawn model, (b) object types for the identified structures, (c) text associated with the identified structures, and (d) connections between at least some of the identified structures. A digitized, iteratively-reviewed version of the hand-drawn model is generated and transformed into the computerized model using rules defining relationships between elements in the different modeling languages. Generation includes presenting, on a level-by-level basis, results of the recognitions; and accepting user modification(s) to the results on that basis.
US09558462B2
Methods and systems for identifying conditional actions in a business process are disclosed. In accordance with one such method, text fragments are extracted from input documents. In addition, a plurality of pairs of the text fragments that respectively include text fragments that are similar according to a pre-defined similarity standard are determined. For each pair of at least a subset of the pairs, at least one difference between the text fragments of the corresponding pair is determined. Further, at least two particular pairs of the subset of the pairs are merged in response to determining that the particular pairs have at least one of the determined differences in common. Additionally, the merged particular pairs are output to indicate the conditional actions in the business process.
US09558456B2
A method for building a factual database of concepts and entities that are related to the concepts through a learning process. Training content (e.g., news articles, books) and a set of entities (e.g., Bill Clinton and Barack Obama) that are related to a concept (e.g., Presidents) is received. Groups of words that co-occur frequently in the textual content in conjunction with the entities are identified as templates. Templates may also be identified by analyzing parts-of-speech patterns of the templates. Entities that co-occur frequently in the textual content in conjunction with the templates are identified as additional related entities (e.g., Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon). To eliminate erroneous results, the identified entities may be presented to a user who removes any false positives. The entities are then stored in association with the concept.
US09558454B2
A method for management entity operations includes receiving a request to collect data for an entity in a communications system, collecting the data for the entity utilizing a set of protocols selected using knowledge defined by a first data model of a data model list derived from an information model of the communications system, and saving the data collected.
US09558453B1
Technical solutions are described for forecasting leaks in a pipeline network. An example method includes identifying a subsystem in the pipeline network that includes a first station. The method also includes accessing historical temporal sensor measurements of the stations. The method also includes generating a prediction model for the first station that predicts a pressure measurement at the first station based on the historical temporal sensor measurements at each station in the subsystem. The method also includes predicting a series of pressure measurements at the first station based on the historical temporal sensor measurements. The method also includes determining a series of deviations between the series of pressure measurements and historical pressure measurements of the first station and identifying a threshold value from the series of deviations, where a pressure measurement at the first station above or below the threshold value is indicative of a leak in the subsystem.
US09558450B2
The invention relates to a system for recommending maintenance of helicopter engines depending on the technical condition of the engine, the standard replacement of parts between engines, and the replacement of parts with different parts. The system comprises: a centralized database storing data relating to (i) working condition and working condition indicators, (ii) modifications of the engines, (iii) maintenance plans for the engines, (iv) causes of unscheduled events, (v) maintenance applied to the engines, and (vi) instantiated configurations; means for acquiring the working condition indicators and for updating the working condition data; means for identifying maintenance to be applied to the engines depending on the data; means for generating an alarm for identified maintenance to be performed; means for the digitally-signed updating of the applied maintenance and configuration data according to maintenance operations; and means for deactivating an alarm once the maintenance associated with the alarm is completed.
US09558443B2
One embodiment provides a system comprising a memory device for maintaining deterministic neural data relating to a digital neuron and a logic circuit for deterministic neural computation and stochastic neural computation. Deterministic neural computation comprises processing a neuronal state of the neuron based on the deterministic neural data maintained. Stochastic neural computation comprises generating stochastic neural data relating to the neuron and processing the neuronal state of the neuron based on the stochastic neural data generated.
US09558438B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure can include systems, methods, and non-transitory computer program products for using color space encoded images to perform image-based information broadcasting. In certain aspects, the information broadcasting can include using the encoded images to broadcast information to multiple devices within view of the encoded images. Embodiments can also include broadcasting information independent of network availability. In certain aspects, a public display having a camera can register or capture a color space encoded image from a remote device, where the encoded image encodes a request for information from a user. The public display can send the encoded image to be decoded, and receive the decoded request for information. The public display can encode an encoded image representing a response, and display the encoded image representing a response for decoding by the user.
US09558437B2
A method of communicating barcode information using audio signaling is disclosed. A mobile device being brought into physical proximity to a communication bridge device is detected. Two-way audio communication is commenced between the mobile device and the bridge device upon detection of the mobile device by the bridge device. Barcode information is communicated from the mobile device to the bridge device. The barcode information is converted into a pulsed signal to simulate scanning of a static image of a barcode. A human perceptible signal is provided that indicates the barcode information has been received into the bridge device. The barcode information is transmitted as light pulses emitted from the bridge device for reception by a barcode scanner.
US09558435B2
A main power supply supplies a supply target including a network connector with power for allowing the supply target to operate. The network connector operates by using power supplied from the main power supply. A network-event detector detects an electrical change in the telephone network as a network event. A backup power supply is provided separately from the main power supply and is charged with power supplied from the main power supply during operation of the main power supply. A normal-mode setter operates by using power supplied from the backup power supply in a stopped mode, and to set an operational mode to a normal mode in response to occurrence of a voltage reduction state in a backup voltage. A forcing discharger discharges charged power of the backup power supply in response to the network-event detector detecting the network event in the stopped mode, thereby generating the voltage reduction state.
US09558425B2
Shape features in natural images influence emotions aroused in human beings. An in-depth statistical analysis helps to understand the relationship between shapes and emotions. Through experimental results on the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) dataset, evidence is presented as to the significance of roundness-angularity and simplicity-complexity on predicting emotional content in images. Shape features are combined with other state-of-the-art features to show a gain in prediction and classification accuracy. Emotions are modeled from a dimensional perspective in order to predict valence and arousal ratings, which have advantages over modeling the traditional discrete emotional categories. Images are distinguished vis-a-vis strong emotional content from emotionally neutral images with high accuracy. All of the methods and steps disclosed herein are implemented on a programmed digital computer, which may be a stand-alone machine or integrated into another piece of equipment such as a digital still or video camera including, in all embodiments, portable devices such as smart phones.
US09558411B1
Aspects of the disclosure relate to classifying the status of objects. For examples, one or more computing devices detect an object from an image of a vehicle's environment. The object is associated with a location. The one or more computing devices receive data corresponding to the surfaces of objects in the vehicle's environment and identifying data within a region around the location of the object. The one or more computing devices also determine whether the data within the region corresponds to a planar surface extending away from an edge of the object. Based on this determination, the one or more computing devices classify the status of the object.
US09558405B2
A method includes obtaining real-time imaging data of at least a sub-portion of an object and a region of interest therein. The method further includes displaying the real-time imaging data as the real-time imaging is obtained. The method further includes tracking extraction of a sample from the region of interest by an extraction device based on the real-time imaging data. The method further includes identifying an extraction location for the extracted sample based on the tracking and the real-time imaging data and generating a signal indicative thereof.
US09558398B2
A behavior analysis/monitoring device includes: a person detection unit configured to detect a person(s) from image information obtained by capturing images covering an area around an item placement area; a part-of-interest detection unit configured to detect, for each person detected by the person detection unit, a part of interest set in a part of an upper body of the person excluding hands and arms; a position measurement unit configured to measure a position of the part of interest detected by the part-of-interest detection unit; and an item pick-up action determination unit configured to obtain a displacement of the part of interest based on the position of the part of interest obtained by the position measurement unit and to determine whether each person detected by the person detection unit performed an item pick-up action based on the displacement of the part of interest of the person.
US09558397B2
A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for identifying a person in an image includes an image analyzer. The image analyzer determines the content of an image such as a person, location, and object shown in the image. A person in the image may be identified based on the content and event data stored in a database. Event data includes information concerning events and related people, locations, and objects determined from other images and information. Identification metadata is generated and linked to each analyzed image and comprises information determined during image analysis. Tags for images are generated based on identification metadata. The event database can be queried to identify particular people, locations, objects, and events depending on a user's request.
US09558396B2
A face tracking apparatus includes: a face region detector; a segmentation unit; an occlusion probability calculator; and a tracking unit. The face region detector is configured to detect a face region based on an input image. The segmentation unit is configured to segment the face region into a plurality of sub-regions. The occlusion probability calculator configured to calculate occlusion probabilities for the plurality of sub-regions. The tracking unit is configured to track a face included in the input image based on the occlusion probabilities.
US09558387B2
Systems and methods for decoding and using data on cards are disclosed. According to one disclosed embodiment, a system for decoding and using data on cards includes: a network interface; a scanner configured to scan a passive data source on the identification card and transmit a scanner signal associated with the passive data source; a processor coupled to the scanner and the network interface, the processor configured to: receive the scanner signal; process the scanner signal and determine data stored in the passive data source.
US09558382B2
A microprogram for performing communication between an RFID smart tag and external digital sensors (EDS1, EDSK) is loaded in a buffer (Bu). A hard-wired dedicated processing unit (DPU) of the tag reads, decodes and executes said microprogram through the digital communication interface (DCI). The sensor data is stored at beginning locations of said buffer (Bu), wherefrom they are read by an RFID interrogator. The tag functionality in an application is settable with the RFID interrogator to an automatic data logger or RFID wireless sensor. The tag is adjustable to various types of digital sensors from various manufacturers. A hardwired dedicated processing unit makes it possible that the tag saves more energy, has smaller dimensions and is faster.
US09558378B2
A system to provide an always-on embedded anti-theft protection for a platform is described. The system in one embodiment comprises an arming logic to move the platform to an armed mode when receiving an arming command, a disarming logic to move the platform to an unarmed mode when receiving a disarming command, the disarming logic active while the platform is in a low power state, and a power transition logic to move the system from the low power state to an ON state in response to a user request, the power transition logic to present a log-in screen when the platform is armed, and to move the platform to the ON state without a log-in screen when the platform is unarmed.
US09558377B2
Electronic access control systems and methods address one or more weaknesses of conventional electronic access control systems. In some cases, an electronic access control system includes a secure communication channel for transmitting information to the access control system computer (ACC). In some cases, a method secures the communication channel between user access credentials (UACs) and the ACC.
US09558368B2
In one embodiment, a method includes generating, by a computer system, a search-engine query from stored identity-theft nomenclature. The method also includes querying, by the computer system, at least one search engine via the search-engine query. Further, the method includes crawling, by the computer system, at least one computer-network resource identified via the querying. In addition, the method includes collecting, by the computer system, identity-theft information from the at least one computer-network resource. Additionally, the method includes processing, by the computer system, the identity-theft information for compromised personally-identifying information (PII).
US09558367B2
One or more systems and/or methods for storing personal information within a first device and/or for providing personal information from the first device to the second device are provided. The first device (e.g., a smartphone) may identify a user interface (e.g., a movie streaming website) populated with user specified data (e.g., a password). The user specified data may be evaluated to identify personal information of the user (e.g., a movie streaming website password). The personal information may be stored within the first device. Responsive to determining that a second device (e.g., a smart television) displays a personal information input field (e.g., a movie streaming website password input field), an input event comprising the personal information may be provided from the first device to the second device. The input event may invoke the second device to input the movie streaming website password into the movie streaming website password input field.
US09558365B1
Systems and methods for creating and sharing protected content between individuals is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for creating and sharing protected content between individuals may include (1) receiving foundation content; (2) receiving a selection of cover content; (3) receiving a selection of one or more unlock actions; (4) receiving a selection of one or more recipients for the protected content; (5) at least one computer processor creating a layered data file comprising the foundation content fully obscured by the cover content; (6) providing the one or more recipients access to the layered data file; (7) receiving an unlock action by the one or more recipients; (8) verifying, by the at least one computer processor, the unlock action; and (9) displaying to the one or more recipients the foundation content from the layered data file.
US09558363B2
In some implementations, encrypted data (e.g., application data, keychain data, stored passwords, etc.) stored on a mobile device can be accessed (e.g., decrypted, made available) based on the context of the mobile device. The context can include the current device state (e.g., locked, unlocked, after first unlock, etc.). The context can include the current device settings (e.g., passcode enabled/disabled). The context can include data that has been received by the mobile device (e.g., fingerprint scan, passcode entered, location information, encryption key received, time information).
US09558358B2
Techniques are described for generating high quality entropy in a software only or a hardware assisted software environment, such as a virtualized environment. Embodiments of the invention describe creating an entropy pool within the virtualized environment using multiple sources of entropy. The entropy pool may be used in creating dynamically customizable and high entropy RNG and PUF. The sources of entropy may include trusted sources, untrusted sources and entropy sources with a varied scale of trust and entropy quality associated with them.
US09558357B2
A management process for access to secure data includes: storing secure data associated with a first user and authentication data of said first user, managing access to the secure data of the first user, as a function of the authentication data of this first user. The process includes: storing, in the secure data of the first user, a heritage rule and a list of at least one second user and, for each second user of said list, an rule for access to secure data of the first user, storing authentication data for each second user of said list, and when the heritage rule is satisfied, managing access, by said at least one second user, to the secure data of the first user, as a function of the authentication data of the second user and of the rule for access of the second user.
US09558341B1
A computer system is provided including a single sign-on system with applications and a data store storing user profiles, each including a user ID, wherein each of the user profiles has a corresponding application password for one or more of the applications, and a user profile administration tool. The user profile administration tool includes a password provisioning section where an administrator selects a user profile and further selects an application type. The application type includes an application type wherein the administrator resets the password for one or more of the applications. The application type also includes a stand-alone application type wherein the administrator resets a password for a stand-alone application. The user profile administration tool further includes a password synchronizing section wherein the user profile administration tool automatically synchronizes the application passwords with each of the corresponding user profiles.
US09558325B2
Methods and apparatus for analyte level estimation are provided for filtering measurement data. In an embodiment, a present predicted analyte level estimate is determined. A present corrected analyte level estimate is determined based at least in part on the determined present predicted analyte level estimate and a received present monitored analyte measurement data. One or more of the medication infusion rate or the received present monitored analyte measurement data are filtered using a rate variance filter, wherein when the medication infusion rate exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the rate variance filter is adjusted from a predetermined setting to a modified setting to be responsive to changes in the present monitored analyte measurement data after a predetermined time period lapses.
US09558323B2
An example system to manage a radiologist workflow includes a first interface to monitor a distribution status of at least one medical exam. The medical exam is to be at least one of automatically allocated or assigned to an examiner work queue based on one or more rules. The example system includes a second interface to view at least one metric associated with distribution of the at least one medical exam and an assignment tool to be displayed via the first interface. The assignment tool is to facilitate assignment of the medical exam to an examiner work queue. The example system includes a rules viewer to be displayed via a third interface. The rules viewer is to facilitate configuration of the one or more rules based on the distribution status, the at least one metric, or the assignment. The rules viewer is to automatically update the one or more rules.
US09558316B2
A system and method for vending digital video discs is provided. A request is received from a user to complete a rental transaction for a first digital video disc. A database is queried to determine whether a quantity of a set of second digital video discs in a vending inventory exceeds a predetermined threshold. A discount offer notification is presented to the user to rent one of the set of second digital video discs, upon determining that the quantity of the set of second digital video discs exceeds the predetermined threshold. A second request from the user to rent one of the second set of digital video discs is received, and one of the set of second digital video discs is vended to the user.
US09558313B1
A system and method for global routing that includes receiving nets that need to be routed and capacity constraints, ordering, using processing circuitry, the nets, routing, using the processing circuitry, the nets based on a maze routing with framing method, determining, using the processing circuitry, whether the routing is congestion free, selecting, using the processing circuitry, a subset of the nets based on a game theory method when the routing is not congestion free, applying a rip-up and re-route process on the subset of the nets, and repeating the selecting and applying steps until the routing is congestion free.
US09558302B2
The invention is directed to computer-implemented method for designing a staggered pattern of objects in a computer-aided design system. The method comprises providing a rotation axis that is the origin of two or more concentric circles, providing a reference object to be multi-instantiated, defining the number of objects to be instantiated from the reference object on each concentric circle, defining an angular shift, instantiating the number of objects from the reference object on each concentric circle, the instantiated objects being spaced according to an angular deviation between two consecutive instantiated objects on a given concentric circle, in one of every two concentric circle, shifting the instantiated objects in accordance with the angular shift.
US09558298B2
A list of elements in a set of elements is matched by means of regular expressions that define respective groups of elements in the set by approximately matching by means of the regular expressions the list of elements by locating recurrences of the regular expressions in the list of elements with a maximum number of matching errors. The matching errors correspond to insertions deriving from the superposition of groups of elements related to different regular expressions. Each time the recurrence of one regular expression is located in the list, the group of elements defined by the regular expression thus located is removed from the list, while leaving in the list those elements corresponding to errors. The approximate matching can be performed by representing each regular expression in terms of Glushkov automata. The method is applicable, e.g., for generating workflows related to interventions on equipment such as equipment included in a telecommunication network or to attacks attempted against such equipment.
US09558295B2
A system for extracting and interpreting information received in a human-readable format, typically PDF, assigning field tags to the extracted information and transferring the tagged information to a data processing system so that the tagged information can be uploaded to the system automatically. The system provides an incoming document with a time stamp to enable differentiation of the incoming document from other incoming documents, then, the incoming document may be spilt into sections to enable processing of each section individually. Subsequently, context and information are extracted by allowing a processing engine to apply a predetermined set of rules so that the extracted information to be ascribed meaning and assigned a field tag depending on its meaning. The system generates an editable output which is sent to a user.
US09558292B2
Implementations and techniques for distilling popular parts of a web page are generally disclosed. In some examples the techniques include receiving, at a computing device, an indication of a clipboard operation on the web page, responsive to the received indication, obtaining information corresponding to data stored as content of the clipboard operation, storing the obtained information, determining a number of times the obtained information is stored, and setting a popularity level for the obtained information based, at least in part, on the determined number of times.
US09558291B2
An image processing system includes: a relay apparatus; a service providing apparatus for an electronic-file storing service; and an image processing apparatus, which are connected to a network. The image processing apparatus includes: a first-address-get-request transmitting unit that transmits a request for getting a first address representing a location of an electronic file to be downloaded from the service providing apparatus to the relay apparatus; a first downloading unit which, upon receiving the first address from the relay apparatus after the request for getting the first address is transmitted, downloads the electronic file stored at the first address; and a storage control unit that controls a storage unit to store the electronic file downloaded by the first downloading unit. The relay apparatus includes: a first-address-get-program storage unit; a first-address getting unit; and a first-address transmitting unit.
US09558289B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for rendering online ads on a webpage. A first inter-frame communication channel is created, which comprises a first communication channel between a first cross-domain frame and a host page, such as the webpage. The first cross-domain frame comprises content from a domain that is different than that of the host page domain. A second inter-frame communication channel is created comprising a second communication channel between the first cross-domain frame and a second cross-domain frame in the host page.
US09558278B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for providing integrated content recommendations in a graphical user-interface GUI). Specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure employ a recommendation request from a client running a GUI for content recommendations formatted to fit within the GUI. An external component determines the recommendations, formats the recommendations to match a layout/look and feel of the GUI and the formatted recommendations are presented in the GUI as an integrated component of the GUI.
US09558271B1
A method of matching job profiles with a candidate profile is disclosed. A plurality of concepts corresponding to an ontology is extracted from a candidate profile. A normalized candidate profile is generated, wherein the normalized candidate profile includes the plurality of concepts. A search query is formed at least in part based on the normalized candidate profile and the ontology. The search query is submitted to a source of job profiles. An initial batch of job profiles potentially matching the candidate profile is received from the source of job profiles. At least a subset of the plurality of concepts corresponding to the ontology is extracted from a job profile among the batch of job profiles. A normalized job profile is generated, wherein the normalized job profile includes the at least a subset of the plurality of concepts. Whether the normalized candidate profile matches with the normalized job profile is determined.
US09558269B2
Extracting and mining of quote data across multiple languages, including: retrieving, from a plurality of quote sources, a plurality of commentary summarizations, wherein each commentary summarization is embodied as a machine-readable data structure and wherein the plurality of commentary summarizations include information in at least two or more languages; for each commentary summarization: identifying, within the commentary summarization, quote data, wherein the quote data represents a quote from a commentator; creating a quote tuple for the quote data, the quote tuple including information associated with quantifiable aspects of the quote data; and storing, in a quote tuple repository, the quote tuple; mining, for quote analysis information, the quote tuple repository; and presenting, to a user, the quote analysis information.
US09558266B1
A method for discovering a group defined by a common characteristic is disclosed. The method includes building representation of a portion of a social network based on a starting person with the given characteristic, the person also providing the person's gender and school affiliation. The social network representation is then searched to discover clusters therein meeting certain size and connectivity requirements with respect to the network. After the clusters in the network are discovered, clusters having a high degree of similarity are merged together. The resulting clusters, both merged and non-merged, are then scored to determine the cluster that best fits the original group. The winning cluster is then returned to the starting person who confirms the correctness of the cluster. The set of the persons in a confirmed cluster are then displayed to the starting person.
US09558263B2
Mechanisms are provided for identifying commonalities between candidate answers generated by a Question and Answer (QA) system in response to an input question. The mechanisms receive a plurality of candidate answers for an input question from the QA system and identify terms present in the candidate answers. The mechanisms determine relationships between terms in each of the candidate answers and determine a common relationship between a first term and a second term, the common relationship being common amongst at least a subset of the plurality of candidate answers, based on the determined relationships between terms in each of the candidate answers. The mechanisms present the plurality of candidate answers and the common relationship to a user.
US09558261B2
Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to monitor a data access activity. In some examples, a method may include receiving, by a processor, a destination concept. The processor may identify a set of concepts, which may include the destination concept and at least one related concept associated with the destination concept, in an ontology. The processor may generate a planned path, which may define a first data access order associated with access of at least one of the related concepts and the destination concept, using the set of concepts. The processor may generate a browsing path which may define a second data access order associated with the data access activity. The processor may compare the planned path with the browsing path. The processor may determine a deviation based on the comparison of the planned path and the browsing path. The processor may monitor the data access activity using the deviation.
US09558254B2
A computer-implemented method includes downloading data elements from a wireless device. The method includes determining whether a user account exists in storage and determining whether the user account currently has stored data elements of the same type as the downloaded data elements associated therewith. The method further includes comparing the downloaded data elements to the stored data elements. This method also includes storing any downloaded data elements not currently existing in the data elements associated with the user account and not in conflict with data elements associated with the user account. The method further includes resolving conflicts between downloaded data elements and currently existing data elements, to establish which of the conflicting elements is representative of a proper version of the element. Finally, the method includes storing the proper version of the element resulting from each conflict resolution.
US09558243B2
An information processing method is disclosed which includes the steps of: (a) calculating levels of similarity between a standard form vector as a comparison basis vector and each of a plurality of item characteristic vectors of the standard form which are characteristic of a plurality of items, the standard form vector being made up of N components individually representative of N attributes of each of the plurality of items, N being an integer of at least 1, step (a) further determining as the items to be recommended to a user a plurality of items corresponding to the item characteristic vectors of which the level of similarity satisfies a first condition; (b) determining one of the N attributes of the plurality of recommended items determined in step (a) as a common recommendation reason common to the plurality of recommended items when the determined attribute satisfies a second condition; and (c) controlling presentation to the user of either the plurality of recommended items determined in step (a) or information about the recommended items, together with the common recommendation reason determined in step (b).
US09558242B2
A group recommendation provides end users in a social group a set of recommended destinations based on the combined personal preferences of the members of the social group. Members of a social group are identified using a combination of location based signals and social graph information in response to receiving a recommendation request. The group recommendation may be determined by combining the personal preferences associated with each member of the group into a master preference profile. Alternatively, the group recommendation may be determined by first calculating an individual recommendation list for each member of the social group and then calculating a composite score for each recommendation on the individual recommendation lists.
US09558240B2
Methods are provided for improving the ability to apply modeling techniques similar to relational algebra to an expanded number of workflows. By allowing a relational algebra type modeling technique to be applied to an expanded number of workflows, an increased number of data processing workflows can be more readily improved, such as by automatic modification of the sequence of tasks in a workflow, to reduce the execution costs for a workflow. The relational algebra type modeling technique can also allow for identification of portions of data processing workflows or queries that share a common input and output.
US09558229B2
For each data change occurring transaction created as part of a write operation initiated for one or more tables in a main-memory-based DBMS, a transaction log entry can be written to a private log buffer corresponding to the transaction. All transaction log entries in the private log buffer can be flushed to a global log buffer upon completion of the transaction to which the private log buffer corresponds.
US09558228B2
The invention relates to a client computer for querying a database stored on a server via a network, the server being coupled to the client computer via the network, wherein the database comprises a first relation, wherein the first relation comprises first data items, wherein the first data items are encrypted with a first cryptographic key in the first relation, wherein the first data items form a partially ordered set in the first relation, the partial order being formed with respect to the first data items in non-encrypted form, wherein the client computer has installed thereon an application program, the application program being operational to perform the steps of receiving a search request specifying a search interval and determining the first data item forming an interval boundary of the search interval.
US09558215B2
A method and system for governing information is provided. The method includes receiving, by a processor, data defining a scope and context of an information governance project and information requirements data associated with the data. The processor classifies the information requirements data into concepts in accordance with a meta-model profile. The processor generates conceptual models and realization models in accordance with the meta-model profile. Governance roles are defined and assigned to informational assets within the conceptual models The processor selects a final architecture option and generates policy models in accordance with the governance roles, the informational assets, the meta-model profile and user input. A final architecture option is deployed and monitored, and governance events triggered and reports generated in response to changes in this deployed architecture option.
US09558214B1
Systems and methods are described for using secondary mappings in an Object Relational Mapping (ORM) system to enable source code changes to be implemented and carried out without requiring updates to the database schema. In order to use secondary mappings, one or more attributes of an object in the ORM system are annotated to indicate that they are secondary mapped attributes. The annotation can indicate to the ORM system that the various operations (e.g. read operations, write operations) referencing attributes of the object may need to be remapped if the column for the attribute being referenced does not actually exist in the database. For example, if no column is directly mapped to the attribute being referenced, the ORM system can remap the operation to point to a secondary data structure (e.g. a map stored in-memory) that will be used to store the value for that attribute.
US09558200B2
A system for managing a storage system comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to receive storage system information from a deduplicating storage system. The processor is further configured to determine a capacity forecast based at least in part on the storage system information. The processor is further configured to provide a compression forecast. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.
US09558186B2
A system and method for extracting facts from documents. A fact is extracted from a first document. The attribute and value of the fact extracted from the first document are used as a seed attribute-value pair. A second document containing the seed attribute-value pair is analyzed to determine a contextual pattern used in the second document. The contextual pattern is used to extract other attribute-value pairs from the second document. The extracted attributes and values are stored as facts.
US09558183B2
A system and method for localizing a spoken dialog system is disclosed. Source data from a source language spoken dialog system is accessed, including semantic annotations and transcriptions of a plurality of utterances. The transcriptions are machine-translated into a target language. Semantic classifiers are trained on the machine translated transcriptions and the source language semantic annotations.
US09558161B2
Embodiments described herein provide recovery placeholders within an application. Specifically, one approach includes providing an application operating on a client device, and generating a recovery placeholder that defines a current state of the application by analyzing a queue containing a set of messages, and identifying one or more selected events corresponding to the application from the queue. In one approach, the current state defines, at the time the recovery placeholder is generated, at least one of: a position within a window of the application, a current activity of the application, a position of the window within a display of a display device, and a placement order of the window of the application in relation to a stack of other cascaded windows. At a later point in time, the application may then be restored to the current state by accessing the recovery placeholder to replay the one or more selected events.
US09558160B2
Embedded content suitability scoring is provided. A plurality of containers of a document is identified. Each container includes a portion of content of the document. A source for a container of the plurality of containers of the document is identified by matching the content of the container to the content of the source. A suitability score for the container is determined based, at least in part, on the content of the container and the content of the source. A suitability category for the container is determined based, at least in part, on the suitability score. The document is presented along with markup of the container that is based, at least in part, on the suitability category.
US09558147B2
A system and method for monitoring a plurality of data streams is disclosed. At a first processing stage, a first memory area is associated to an element of a plurality of data streams. Upon arrival of a frame associated with one of the plurality of data streams, a second memory area is associated to the arrived frame based on the element. In the second memory area, a data indicating an arrival of the arrived frame is recorded and on a successful recording, the frame is forwarded to a second processing stage. An independent process executes at a preselected time interval to erase contents of the first memory area.
US09558145B2
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a counter to count between a start value and an end value according to a local clock signal, a first register to store an output of the counter, a mirror elastic buffer to store samples of the counter output received from the first register, where the mirror elastic buffer is to mirror an elastic buffer of a receiver circuit, and a resolution logic to receive a counter output sample from the mirror elastic buffer and a current counter value output from the counter, and to determine a transit latency for a data element to traverse the receiver circuit based at least in part on the counter output sample and the current counter value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09558144B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a node to couple to a serial bus, and a controller to provide a control signal to one of a first circuit path and a second circuit path in order to change electrical termination of a signal at the node between a first electrical termination through the first circuit path during a first mode of the controller and a second electrical termination through the second circuit path during a second mode of the controller. The controller can be arranged to provide the control signal to the first and second circuit paths during the first and second modes without providing another control signal from the controller to the first and second circuit paths during the first and second modes.
US09558143B2
System on a Chip (SoC) devices include two packetized memory buses for conveying local memory packets and system interconnect packets. In an in-situ configuration of a data processing system two or more SoCs are coupled with one or more hybrid memory cubes (HMCs). The memory packets enable communication with local HMCs in a given SoC's memory domain. The system interconnect packets enable communication between SoCs and communication between memory domains. In a dedicated routing configuration each SoC in a system has its own memory domain to address local HMCs and a separate system interconnect domain to address HMC hubs, HMC memory devices, or other SoC devices connected in the system interconnect domain.
US09558126B2
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems receive a first input/output (I/O) trace from a first workload and run the first I/O trace through a cache simulation to determine a first miss ratio curve (MRC) for the first workload. A second I/O trace from the first workload is received and run through the cache simulation to determine a second MRC for the first workload. First and second cache sizes corresponding to a target miss rate for the first workload are determined using the first and second MRCs. A fingerprint of each of the first and I/O traces is generated. The first cache size, the second cache size, or a combination of the first and second cache sizes is selected as a cache size for the first workload based upon a comparison of the first and second fingerprints. A recommended cache size is generated based upon the selected cache size.
US09558124B2
A data storage system may be configured at least with a primary memory that is coupled to a host via a controller and coupled to at least one external interface. The controller may be adapted to passively partition a secondary memory into cache and user memory space regions in response to the secondary memory engaging the at least one external interface and the cache region can be allocated as cache for the primary memory by the controller.
US09558121B2
A virtually tagged cache may be configured to index virtual address entries in the cache into lockable sets based on a page offset value. When a memory operation misses on the virtually tagged cache, only the one set of virtual address entries with the same page offset may be locked. Thereafter, this general lock may be released and only an address stored in the physical tag array matching the physical address and a virtual address in the virtual tag array corresponding to the matching address stored in the physical tag array may be locked to reduce the amount and duration of locked addresses. The machine may be stalled only if a particular memory address request hits and/or tries to access one or more entries in a locked set. Devices, systems, methods, and computer readable media are provided.
US09558120B2
Techniques and mechanism to provide a cache of cache tags in determining an access to cached data. In an embodiment, a tag storage stores a first set including tags associated with respective data locations of a cache memory. A cache of cache tags store a subset of tags stored by the tag storage. In response to any determination that a tag of the first set is to be stored to the cache of cache tags, all tags of the first set are stored to the first portion. Any storage of tags of the first set to the cache of cache tags includes storage of the tags of the first set to only a first portion of the cache of cache tags. In another embodiment, a replacement table is maintained for use in determining, based on an indicated level of activity for a set of the cache of cache tags, whether the set is to be selected for eviction and replacement of cached tags.
US09558115B2
A method includes receiving an atomic operation for execution, wherein the execution of the atomic operation is to access a data container stored in more than one data store device of a plurality of data store devices in a distributed storage system. The method includes executing, in response to receiving the atomic operation, a write-back cache operation for the data container to preclude access of the data container by a different operation prior to completion of the atomic operation. The method also includes executing the atomic operation, wherein executing the atomic operation comprises accessing the data container stored in the more than one data store device of the distributed storage system.
US09558110B2
A method of managing a rewritable mass memory subdivided into sectors within which data pages are recorded, and data periodically updated, where data erasure in a sector erases all previously written data therein. The method includes: writing pieces of data in a sector, each piece being associated with a first block containing at least one information for identifying the data piece, writing information data in an administrative block for managing the data of the sector concerned in the sector, each block being written among other data of the sector and being associated with a second block including one information piece and one check information piece, a block including a first part giving general indications and a second part including a counter being incremented at each writing of an administrative block in a new sector, each first block including a check number which is based on the corresponding administrative block counter.
US09558109B2
A method for reducing an amount of time needed for a single iteration of arithmetic encoding and arithmetic decoding is provided. Rescaling and range are calculated in parallel, range being a High parameter bound of a symbol-interval—a Low parameter bound of the symbol-interval+1. A new iHigh (iH) parameter and a new iLow (iL) parameter or a given/decoded symbol is found according to a cumulative frequency for an ith symbol. iH parameter and iL parameter rescaling is performed by shifting an amount of most significant bits of iH, iL in accordance with values of iH and iL. iRange is shifted to the left in accordance with a number of digits needed to represent iRange and a total number of bits reserved for iRange. A shifted iRange is divided by CF[N] and saved to Step_tmp while awaiting a result of H,L rescaling.
US09558108B2
A method for managing block erase operations is provided for an array of memory cells including erasable blocks of memory cells in the array. The method comprises maintaining status data for a plurality of sub-blocks of the erasable blocks of the array. The status data indicate whether the sub-blocks are currently accessible and whether the sub-blocks are invalid. The method comprises, in response to a request to erase a selected sub-block of a particular erasable block, issuing an erase command to erase the particular block if the other sub-blocks of the particular erasable block are invalid, else updating the status data to indicate that the selected sub-block is invalid.
US09558103B2
In one implementation, computer executable instructions are provided to identify a group of instructions corresponding to a code block for an executable module. The instructions increment a counter associated with the code block to indicate the code block has been tested.
US09558100B2
Disclosed are a method and a system for monitoring one or more activities offered by a software application in a computer network. The method comprises monitoring a response time for one or more activities. The one or more activities are performed by a software application. The method further comprises comparing the response time of the one or more activities with a corresponding pre-defined threshold time. The method also comprises detecting a faulty activity of the one or more activities based on the comparison. The method further comprises highlighting a code snippet corresponding to the faulty activity in a source code of the software application.
US09558091B2
An information processing device includes a detection unit and an avoidance unit. The detection unit monitors one or both of a utilization rate of memory capacity allocated to a process, and a processing time to take to process a request. The detection unit detects a state where a fault is likely to occur in the information processing device, based on the monitoring result. The avoidance unit executes fault avoidance processing when the state where the fault is likely to occur is detected. The fault avoidance processing is processing that lowers an upper limit number of threads from a standard value to a limit value that is less than the standard value, and extends a waiting time of a thread from a standard time to an extended time that is longer than the standard time.
US09558080B2
Crash recovery of a computing system in the context in which the computing system includes a volatile memory which has contents lost due to the crash, an intermediate non-volatile memory that (together with the volatile memory) contributes to the active memory of the computing system, and non-volatile storage. The recovery occurs by identifying pages that were in the volatile memory at the time of the crash. For each of these pages, the recovery determines whether to recover the page into the volatile memory from either the intermediate non-volatile memory or the storage, and then performs the recovery. In embodiments in which access speeds for the intermediate non-volatile memory may be much faster than for the storage, and in which much of the pages to be recovered are recovered from the intermediate non-volatile memory, the recovery time may be reduced.
US09558079B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to determine which cluster within a disaster recovery (DR) family to access, via a DR host, a snapshot of data from based on a consistency of the snapshot in relation to data on one or more production clusters at a time-zero, cause the processor to allow access, via a first DR cluster, to snapshots on any of one or more DR clusters within a DR family, access the snapshot stored on the one or more DR clusters within the DR family only when the snapshot was made consistent with respect to data on the one or more production clusters within the DR family before a time-zero, and perform DR testing using the snapshot.
US09558076B2
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes the step of communicatively coupling with an application-server local area network (LAN). The physical servers are discovered in the application-server LAN. The applications running in one or more physical servers in the application-server LAN are discovered. The application data and the application metadata are captured. The application data and the application metadata are parsed. The unique data blocks of the application data and the application metadata are identified. The unique data blocks are uploaded to a cloud-computing platform. It is determined that the one or more physical servers running the application data and the application metadata is no longer available in the application-server LAN. A cloud-based appliance in the cloud-computing platform is placed in an operational state. An application associated with the application data and the application metadata is identified.
US09558074B2
A replica control system includes software to control replication in virtual environments. The replica control system identifies a plurality of data blocks within an underlying storage volume in response to a request to update a replica of a target storage volume, identifies changed data blocks of the plurality of data blocks within the underlying storage volume, and identifies a subset of the changed data blocks with which to update the replica of the target storage volume based on a characteristic of the changed data blocks.
US09558072B1
A source volume is restored to the time of a selected incremental backup volume without writing over all of the data blocks in the source volume. If the source volume has valid data blocks and there are valid records of the changes to these valid data blocks and the valid records are consistent with the state of the source volume and indicate that certain valid data blocks did not change since the selected incremental backup, then the restoration does not write over the valid data blocks that did not change since the selected incremental backup. Otherwise, data blocks are recovered from the selected incremental backup and one or more backups prior to the selected incremental backup. For example, data blocks are recovered by scanning incremental backups in reverse chronological order to find the most recent version of the block in these backups.
US09558063B2
A device is provided with: memory cell array including plurality of first and second memory cells and one or more third memory cells; judging circuit that judges plurality of data values held by selected first and second memory cells of the first and second memory cells, by referring to reference potential corresponding to reference data held by a selected third memory cell; and error detection and correction circuit that detects whether or not there is error in the judged data values of the first and/or second memory cells, with judged data value of the first and second memory cells as error correcting code. When the error detection and correction circuit detects that there is error exceeding error correction capability in the judged data values, control is performed to write reference data to the selected third memory cell.
US09558060B1
A self-repairing enterprise workstation that selects a workstation repair script based on a currently experienced workstation problem, retrieves the workstation repair script from a repair script repository, and executes the retrieved repair script in a user context of the workstation to repair the problem. The self-repairing enterprise workstation comprises an automated computer repair application stored in the memory, that when launched by an operating system of the workstation in response to the receipt of an input selection of a custom URL moniker downloads a script associated with the URL moniker from a repair script repository, executes the script in a user context of the automated computer repair application, repairs a problem experienced by the self-repairing enterprise workstation.
US09558057B2
In one embodiment, a network device is configured to generate a control protocol packet containing a source address of the network device and a destination address. The network device is configured to translate the source address to a interface device address of a first communication interface device included in the network device. The control protocol packet can be transmitted over the network by a second communication interface device included in the network device for receipt by a device based on the destination address.
US09558042B2
The present invention provides a system, method and computer-readable media for creating object messages within a compute environment such as a cluster or grid. The method comprises upon an event affecting the availability or performance of an object within a cluster environment, retrieving messages related to the event from messages logs in different layers of a cluster environment. Next, the method comprises aggregating the retrieved messages into a single location, associating the aggregated messages with the object and, if a user submits a job and the performance of the job within the cluster environment is affected by the event, notifying the user of the event using the associated messages. Administrators may also create messages and associate the messages with objects such as nodes or reservations.
US09558041B2
A computing device having a non-uniform memory access (NUMA) architecture implements a method to attach a resource to an application instance that is unaware of a NUMA topology of the computing device. The method includes publishing the NUMA topology of the computing device, where the published NUMA topology indicates for one or more resources of the computing device, a NUMA socket associated with each of the one or more resources of the computing device. The method further includes grouping one or more resources that have a same attribute into a resource pool, receiving a request from the application instance for a resource from the resource pool, determining a central processing unit (CPU) assigned to execute the application instance, where the CPU is associated with a NUMA socket, choosing a resource from the resource pool that is associated with a NUMA socket that is closest to the NUMA socket associated with the CPU assigned to execute the application instance, and attaching the chosen resource to the application instance.
US09558040B2
A memory management system is described herein that receives information from applications describing how memory is being used and that allows an application host to exert more control over application requests for using memory. The system provides an application memory management application-programming interface (API) that allows the application to specify more information about memory allocations that is helpful for managing memory later. The system also provides an ability to statically and/or dynamically analyze legacy applications to give applications that are not modified to work with the system some ability to participate in more effective memory management. The system provides application host changes to leverage the information provided by applications and to manage memory more effectively using the information and hooks into the application's use of memory. Thus, the system provides a new model for managing memory that improves application host behavior and allows applications to use computing resources more efficiently.
US09558037B2
Systems and methods are provided to allocate application tasks to a pool of processing machines. According to some embodiments, a requestor generates a scope request including an indication of a number of compute units to be reserved. The requestor also provides an application request associated with the scope. A subset of available processing machines may then be allocated to the scope, and the application request is divided into a number of different tasks. Each task may then be assigned to a processing machine that has been allocated to the application request. According to some embodiments, each task is associated with a deadline. Moreover, according to some embodiments an overall cost is determined and then allocated to the requestor based on the number of compute units that were reserved for the scope.
US09558031B2
A centralized controller may include at least one processor, a memory and a communication interface. The centralized controller may configure a computing system in a single deployment of an executable process. The executable process may include multiple executable instances associated with one of multiple different templates for the executable process. Each template may include multiple user-configurable parameters. A user may request a template associated with a first executable instance and update the template using the user-configurable parameters. The centralized controller may generate a second executable instance of the executable process and a second template associated with the second executable instance based on the updated template. The centralized controller may reconfigure the computing system based on the second executable instance of the executable process while maintaining the configuration of the computing system based on the first executable instance.
US09558029B2
Some embodiments provide a method for a first managed forwarding element (MFE). The method receives a data message that includes a logical context tag that identifies a logical port of a particular logical forwarding element. Based on the logical context tag, the method adds a local tag to the data message. The local tag is associated with the particular logical forwarding element, which is one of several logical forwarding elements to which one or more containers operating on a container virtual machine (VM) belong. The container VM connects to the first MFE. The method delivers the data message to the container VM without any logical context. A second MFE operating on the container VM uses the local tag to forward the data message to a correct container of several containers operating on the container VM.
US09558025B2
A virtualization management method and related apparatuses for managing hardware resources of a communication device are disclosed. The method includes: acquiring a first virtual machine context that is issued by a first service board deployed in a communication device and that corresponds to a first interrupt, and issuing the first virtual machine context, or a second virtual machine context that is obtained based on the first virtual machine context and that corresponds to the first interrupt, so that a second service board deployed in the communication device, after acquiring the issued first virtual machine context or second virtual machine context, transfers the acquired first virtual machine context or second virtual machine context to a first virtual machine running on the intra-board Hypervisor in the second service board for processing, where the first virtual machine is the employer of the first hardware resource.
US09558022B2
Managing a cloud computing environment including a plurality of resources adapted to host at least one virtual machine includes, in a virtual machine, determining a period of inactivity of the operating system for a user of the virtual machine and comparing, using a processor, the period with a defined threshold. From the virtual machine, a virtual machine termination request is sent to the cloud computing environment responsive to the period exceeding the defined threshold.
US09558020B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel server for processing application programming interface (API) requests. In some embodiments, the API server is written in JavaScript. For example, in some embodiments, the API-accessible objects of this server are each defined in terms of a JavaScript file and a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) file. At runtime, a runtime processor instantiates each JavaScript object from its associated JavaScript and JSON files. Once instantiated, the JavaScript object can be used to process API requests that refer to the JavaScript object. Some embodiments use novel JSON file structures that allow these embodiments to define rich JavaScript models.
US09558016B2
A method for changing a support hardware configuration of a universal extensible firmware interface basic input output system (UEFI BIOS) is provided, and the change method is performed by a platform system. The method includes the following steps: in a boot stage, copying binary data of a setup menu in the UEFI BIOS to a memory or a storage medium, where a program of the setup menu to be displayed on a user interface is written in a visual forms representation (VFR) format, and a compiler compiles the program of the setup menu into the binary data of the setup menu in an internal forms representation (IFR) format; and writing a piece of address data to the UEFI BIOS, where the address data is used to query a location at which the binary data of the setup menu stored in the memory or the storage medium is located.
US09557998B2
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing delta decoding on packed data elements of a source and storing the results in packed data elements of a destination using a single packed delta decode instruction are described. A processor may include a decoder to decode an instruction, and execution unit to execute the decoded instruction to calculate for each packed data element position of a source operand, other than a first packed data element position, a value that comprises a packed data element of that packed data element position and all packed data elements of packed data element positions that are of lesser significance, store a first packed data element from the first packed data element position of the source operand into a corresponding first packed data element position of a destination operand, and for each calculated value, store the value into a corresponding packed data element position of the destination operand.
US09557997B2
Techniques are described herein for using configurable logic constructs in a loop buffer. In an embodiment, a configurable hardware block is programmed based on one or more target functions within a loop. The configurable hardware block is associated with a plurality of registers, including a loopcount register and a first output register. For each iteration of the loop, a counter value in the loopcount register is updated and a target value in the first output register is updated using the programmed configurable hardware block. For each iteration of the loop, a set of one or more instructions may be fetched from the instruction buffer and executed based on the updated target value in the first output value.
US09557986B2
Systems and methods for managing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provided by a virtual machine are described. The system may include a management application, and may receive a feature package from the virtual machine. The feature package may be associated with a function supported by the virtual machine. The system may integrate the feature package into the management application, and transmit a first command to the virtual machine for executing the function at the virtual machine. The first command may be generated by the management application based on the feature package.
US09557975B2
A method for accelerating processing of program code in a heterogeneous system may be provided. It may include identifying at runtime a code region having an acceleration potential, creating a dependency graph of the program code, expanding the dependency graph based on a first set of predefined rules to generate variants of the code region, and determining segments within the variants based on a second set of predefined rules. The segments may be dedicated and assigned and compiled for use to/by a specific execution unit such that a cost function is minimized.
US09557974B2
A system and method can support compatibility checking in a programming language environment. The programming language environment can check whether a target type associated with an expression in the programming language environment is functional, wherein the target type is functional when it has exactly one method meeting one or more criteria that define that method as relevant in a counting system. Then, the programming language environment can derive a function descriptor from the target type, which is context-dependent. Furthermore, the programming language environment can type-check the expression with the function descriptor associated with the target type.
US09557970B2
The present disclosure describes methods, systems, and computer program products providing an integrated development environment for client/server environments. One computer-implemented method includes reading a derived business application data model (BADM) associated with a business application into an integrated development environment (IDE), defining a client application data model (CADM) for a client application, defining at least one data mapping rule (DMR) to map at least data translations between the BADM and the CADM, developing the client application based upon at least the CADM, developing at least one web service based upon the BADM, CADM, and the at least one DMR, generating the client application and the at least one web service, and deploying the client application, the at least one web service, and the at least one DMR.
US09557964B2
A random number generator and a method for generating random number thereof are provided. The random number generator is used for generating a random sequence and includes a linear-feedback shift register (LFSR) circuit, an oscillating circuit, a delay circuit and a logic operation circuit. The LFSR circuit receives the random sequence to generate a plurality of first control signals and a plurality of second control signals. The oscillating circuit receives the first control signals to generate a random clock signal. The delay circuit receives an alternating current signal and the second control signals to generate a random delay sampling signal. The logic operation circuit receives the random clock signal and the random delay signal to generate the random sequence.
US09557958B2
Examples described herein involve maintaining a database of audio processing algorithms. Maintaining the database may involve generating or updating audio processing algorithm entries. In one example, generating an audio processing algorithm may involve a computing device causing a playback device to play a first audio signal in a playback zone, receiving (i) data indicating one or more characteristics of a playback zone, and (ii) data indicating a second audio signal detected by a microphone of the playback device in the playback zone. Based on the second audio signal and a characteristic of the playback device, an audio processing algorithm may be determined. The an association between the determined audio processing algorithm at least one of the one or more characteristics of the playback zone may be stored in the database.
US09557957B2
A method for deriving optimal discriminating features indicative of a subject state when the subject listens to one of a set of musical pieces, comprising a step of extracting frequency features from the subject's EEG signal when the subject is in a first subject state and a second subject state, the frequency features being extracted from more than one frequency band in one set of time segments; and identifying optimal discriminating features from the extracted frequency features, the optimal discriminating features indicative of characteristics of the EEG signal when the subject is in the first subject state and the second subject state, wherein one of the first subject state and the second subject state indicates that the subject likes a musical piece while the other state indicates that the subject does not like the musical piece.
US09557954B2
A display panel includes a carrier substrate, a system interconnect, and a plurality of display modules disposed across the carrier substrate. The display modules are each communicatively coupled to the system interconnect to each output a different portion of an overall image communicated via the system interconnect. Each of the display modules includes an array of direct emission display pixels and a module interconnect to couple the array of direct emission display pixels to the system interconnect. The array of direct emission display pixels of a given display module of the plurality of display modules is distinct and separate from the array of direct emission display pixels of other display modules of the plurality of display modules.
US09557948B2
The present invention provides solution of a matter of authentication to be performed when print service is accessed using a printer driver so that content data is printed.The print service distributes a printer driver capable of transmitting authority information representing that user's authority for using the print service is transferred to the printer driver, the content data, and a print setting to a client.
US09557939B2
A print job processing system comprising at least one printer, a user interface, a job file receiving section for receiving a print job having print job properties, a conflict checking section for checking for a conflict in the print job, and an auto resolve section for automatically resolving the conflict according to an auto resolve strategy, wherein the print job processing system comprises a system setting section adapted to set according to user input by means of the user interface per print job property a user interaction strategy out of a plurality of user interaction strategies, each user interaction strategy of the plurality of user interaction strategies comprising a different user interaction and each user interaction strategy being configured to be executed if the corresponding print job property has been changed due to the auto resolve strategy for the conflict.
US09557932B1
Discovering snapshot information based on storage arrays is described. A system identifies first snapshot information associated with a first storage array. The system identifies second snapshot information associated with a second storage array. The system outputs the first snapshot information and the second snapshot information via a user interface.
US09557930B2
A memory module contains a set of contacts configured to contact a second set of contacts on a memory module connector when the memory module is removed from the connector. The contacts on the connector can be activated. The memory module is configured to erase data on the memory module in response to the set of contacts on the memory module contacting the set of contacts on the connector when the set of contacts on the connector is activated.
US09557914B2
An object is to provide a technology for preventing content of an unlocking operation from being easily recognized by another person even when the unlocking operation is seen by the other person. In order to achieve the object, there is provided an electronic device (10) including an input reception unit (11) that receives an input from a user through an operation to indicate a predetermined region using a predetermined object, and a lock unit (12) that locks a predetermined function, and unlocks the lock when the input reception unit (11) receives an input caused by a first operation and an input caused by a second operation in parallel.
US09557912B2
Disclosed are a display device and controlling method thereof. The present invention includes a communication unit configured to perform a communication with a terminal device located in a preset distance, the communication unit configured to receive terminal device's information including an identifier of the terminal device, a controller determining whether a card included in a card group exists by searching the card group associated with the received terminal device's identifier, and a display unit, wherein if the card included in the searched card group exists, the controller displays a main card and wherein if the card included in the searched card group does not exist, the controller outputs a notification message.
US09557909B2
Semantic zoom techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that may be utilized by a user to navigate to content of interest. These techniques may also include a variety of different features, such as to support semantic swaps and zooming “in” and “out.” These techniques may also include a variety of different input features, such as to support gestures, cursor-control device, and keyboard inputs. A variety of other features are also supported as further described in the detailed description and figures.
US09557908B1
Systems and methods for rendering web content in a browser are described herein. An embodiment includes a web rendering engine in a rendering engine process to generate one or more requests to selectively redraw one or more regions of content retrieved by a browser process. A renderview then generates a bitmap based on the requests and content retrieved by the browser process. The bitmap may then be stored by the renderview in a shared memory area where it may be accessed by a renderview host in the browser process. The renderview host may then provide the bitmap to a backing store associated with a display device for display to a user. In another embodiment, the shared memory area between the browser process and the rendering engine process may be used to achieve efficient scrolling of a web page through rate limited rendering of content.
US09557900B2
A user interface generation system comprises a reception component that facilitates receipt of instantiated objects from within a programmable logic controller, wherein the objects conform to a hierarchically structured data model. A view generation component communicatively coupled to the reception component utilizes a subset of the objects to dynamically generate a user interface. For example, the hierarchically structured data model can be based at least in part upon one or more of ISA S95, ISA S88 and/or OMA.
US09557896B1
An interstitial creator identifies a playlist of media items, the playlist comprising pointers to the media items. The interstitial creator receives a request to insert an interstitial at a location in the playlist, wherein the location is after a first media item and before a second media item. In response to the request, the interstitial creator provides an interstitial creation interface and receives, through the interstitial creation interface, interstitial configuration parameters. The interstitial creator creates the interstitial based on the received interstitial configuration parameters and inserts a pointer to the interstitial into the playlist at the location.
US09557895B2
An e-book (112) has navigation controls (124) for accessing the sections (110) of a first path (130) of sections of the e-book. In response to receipt (101) of a path-change command (134), the active path (129) is changed to a second path (132). Concomitantly, the navigation controls are changed so that they provide for navigation along the second path instead of along the first path.
US09557889B2
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatuses to enable subscribers of mobile wireless communication devices to view, research, select and customize service plans; to create and manage device groups, share and set permission controls for service plans among devices in device groups; to manage communication services through graphical user interfaces; to sponsor and promote service plans; and to design, manage, and control communication services through application programming interfaces.
US09557886B2
A method and an apparatus for operating a user interface, and a recording medium using the same are provided. First, a plurality of user interfaces is provided and one of them is displayed on a touch screen of a portable electronic device. Then, the touch screen is used for detecting a touch signal. When the touch signal is moved toward a first direction, the currently displayed user interface is switched to another one. When the touch signal is moved toward a second direction, an item of the currently displayed user interface is switched to another item. Accordingly, a more intuitive and convenient manner for operating the user interface is provided for the user.
US09557884B2
A device, system, and method may variously include or utilize a processor to cause a user device to display a content selection display area and a content display area. The content selection display area may include subject matter categories and icons, at least some of the icons being individually associated with at least one of the subject matter categories and at least some of the categories being associated with at least one of the plurality of icons. Each category is associated with at most a predetermined number of the plurality of icons. The content display area is configured to display content corresponding to at least one of the plurality of icons as selected in the content selection display area.
US09557881B1
A system for generating a graphical user interface for tracking and displaying user activities over a predetermined time period is provided. The system includes a presentation component configured to display a graphical user interface that facilitates receiving user input regarding daily activities of the user, wherein the interface comprises a chart comprising a plurality of input compartments defined by a plurality of concentric circles divided into a plurality of slices, wherein each of the concentric circles are associated with a different input category and each of the slices are associated with a different time frame of a time period.
US09557874B2
Flexible electronic devices may be provided. A flexible electronic device may include a flexible display, a flexible housing and one or more flexible internal components configured to allow the flexible electronic device to be deformed. Flexible displays may include flexible display layers, flexible touch-sensitive layers, and flexible display cover layers. The flexible housing may be a multi-stable flexible housing having one or more stable positions. The flexible housing may include a configurable support structure that, when engaged, provides a rigid support structure for the flexible housing. The flexible internal components may include flexible batteries, flexible printed circuits or other flexible components. A flexible battery may include flexible and rigid portions or may include a lubricious separator layer that provides flexibility for the flexible battery. A flexible printed circuit may include flexible and rigid portions or openings that allow some rigid portions to flex with respect to other rigid portions.
US09557873B2
A sensor-integrated display panel including an operation surface for performing an input operation and an image display surface which are formed integrally with a sensor as one piece. A data transfer device supplies the sensor-integrated display panel with a drive signal for driving the sensor and outputs sensing data corresponding to a potential of a sensor signal output from the sensor. A contact electrode is provided in a frame formed around the sensor-integrated display panel to vary the potential of the sensor signal when a conductor touches or does not touch to the frame. An application executing device receives and analyzes the sensing data and generates a signal to select an operating function in accordance with an analysis result.
US09557872B2
A human machine interface includes a capacitive touch screen having a capacitive sensor. The capacitive touch screen displays text characters and/or graphical information. A control device is rotatably coupled to a structure such that the control device is superimposed over the screen. The control device includes at least one electrically conductive element. The control device rotates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the screen such that the at least one electrically conductive element follows the rotation of the control device. The capacitive sensor senses a rotational position of the at least one electrically conductive element.
US09557869B2
A high-accuracy single-layer capacitive touch panel device with one side for connection includes a substrate, a plurality of conductive lines, and a touch detection circuit. The conductive lines are arranged in parallel on the surface of the substrate and extended from the first side to the second side of the substrate. Each conductive line includes a conductive trace having opposite first edge and second edge and a plurality of triangle sensing electrodes arranged at the two edges of the conductive trace. Each triangle sensing electrode is connected with the conductive trace via a connection part. Each conductive line only has one connection end close to the second side. A touch detection circuit is electrically connected to the connection ends of the plurality of conductive lines through a connection circuit, so as to detect variations of the equivalent resistances and the equivalent capacitances of the plurality of conductive lines.
US09557865B2
A touch location sensing panel including horizontal location sensing electrodes and vertical location sensing electrodes, which are arranged in two dimensions on one surface of a base layer and are electrically isolated from each other. A conductive layer is formed within the electrode and on at least a part of the electrode. The electrodes are connected to separate channels of a circuit sensing a touch of a user, respectively, and the conductive layer and the sensing electrodes have a difference in color, so that an image is expressed in an entire region of the sensing panel.
US09557860B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device having a plurality of sensor electrodes that can be configured to be scanned in a first direction or a second direction. The input device includes a set of sensor electrodes and first and second sets of buses. The first buses are oriented in a first direction and the second buses are oriented in a second direction. The input device also includes a set of switching elements that are each configured to couple one of the sensor electrodes to either a bus in the first set of buses or a bus in the second set of buses. These embodiments allow the sensor electrodes to be scanned in a variety of patterns for flexible sensing functionality.
US09557852B2
A method of identifying a palm area for a touch panel has steps of: receiving sensing frame information having multiple touching sensing points from the touch panel; selecting one of the touching sensing points; outwardly extending a distance from an outline of the selected touching sensing point to define a searching range; checking whether other touching sensing points are within the searching range; marking the touching sensing points in the searching range and expanding the searching range based on the currently marked touching sensing points; sequentially selecting and checking each touching sensing point if it is within the present searching range; and finally merging all the outlines of the marked touching sensing points to form a final outline as a palm area. Other unmarked touching sensing points are defined as touching reference points.
US09557849B2
A touch panel is provided including at least one first electrode pattern including a plurality of electrode lines arranged in a first direction; and at least one second electrode pattern including a plurality of second electrode lines arranged in a second direction to crossing the first direction; with each of the first and second electrode patterns including a center electrode line and two electrode lines positioned on a side of the center electrode line, with a first space separating the center electrode line from one of the two electrode lines, with a second space separating the one of the two electrode lines from the other of the two electrode lines, and with the first space being different from the second space.
US09557847B2
A touch panel includes a substrate, a sensing array, a plurality of first connection lines and at least two button sensing pads. The substrate has an active region and a peripheral region disposed on at least one side of the active region. The sensing array is disposed in the active region, which includes a plurality of first sensing electrode series disposed in the active region along a first direction and a plurality of second sensing electrode series disposed in the active region along a second direction. The first and second sensing electrode series intersect and form a plurality of sensing units. The first connection lines are disposed in the peripheral region and electrically connected to the first sensing electrode series respectively. The at least two button sensing pads are disposed in the peripheral region, and electrically connected to at least two first connection lines respectively to form a virtual button.
US09557846B2
A hybrid touch system that utilizes a combination of a capacitive touch system for position sensing and an optical touch system for pressure sensing is disclosed. The optical touch system includes a transparent sheet having a surface, at least one light source and at least one detector which are operably arranged relative to the transparent sheet to transmit light through the sheet and to detect the transmitted light. Performing position sensing using the capacitive touch system simplifies the pressure-sensing optical touch system.
US09557828B2
An input information processing system, which is configured so as to enable an operator to efficiently conduct work without interruption, and processes input information that has been inputted using an input device, is configured so as to comprise: a display means for displaying data to be processed on a display screen; a first input device for inputting first input information; a second input device for inputting second input information; an acquisition means for acquiring a predetermined position in the data to be processed, which is displayed on the display screen of the display means, on the basis of the first input information inputted using the first input device; and control means for clearly showing the predetermined position in the data to be processed which was acquired by the acquisition means on the data to be processed displayed on the display screen of the display means, and for controlling the data to be processed which is displayed on the display screen of the display means on the basis of the second input information inputted using the second input device.
US09557817B2
The techniques discussed herein contemplate methods and systems for providing, for example, interactive virtual experiences that are initiated or controlled using user gestures. In embodiments, the techniques provide for gestures performed by users holding devices to be recognized and processed in a cloud computing environment such that the gestures produce a predefined desired result. According to one embodiment, a server communicates with a first device in a cloud computing environment, wherein the first device can detect surrounding devices, and an application program is executable by the server, wherein the application program is controlled by the first device and the output of the application program is directed by the server to one of the devices detected by the first device.
US09557812B2
A software controlled user interface and calibration method for an eye gaze controlled device, designed to accommodate angular accuracy versus time averaging tradeoffs for eye gaze direction sensors. The method can scale between displaying a small to large number of different eye gaze target symbols at any given time, yet still transmit a large array of different symbols to outside devices with minimal user training. At least part of the method may be implemented by way of a virtual window onto the surface of a virtual cylinder, with eye gaze sensitive symbols that can be rotated by eye gaze thus bringing various groups of symbols into view, and then selected by continual gazing. Specific examples of use of this interface and method on an eyeglasses-like head-mountable, vision-controlled, device are disclosed, along with various operation examples including sending and receiving text messages, control of robotic devices and control of remote vehicles.
US09557799B2
A sensor interface system includes a system bus, a bus master and a sensor. The bus master is coupled to the system bus. The bus master is configured to provide voltage regulation at a first band and perform data transmission within or at a second band. The sensor is also coupled to the system bus. The sensor is configured to receive or utilize the voltage regulation and to perform data transmission within or at the second band.
US09557798B2
A power control device 10 is a power control device that controls power supply from an outside to a plurality of power consuming devices 50, and includes a power supply control device 20 that obtains consumed power values of the plurality of power consuming devices 50 and predicts consumed power values, and controls power supply to the power consuming devices 50 when a prediction value of a total of the obtained consumed power values based on the prediction exceeds a predetermined power value.
US09557796B2
A network node has an interface which has different modes of operation, including at least a power saving mode and a normal operating mode. The node has a power saving mode management module for maintaining information about whether the interface is in the power saving mode of operation. The power saving mode management module is able to make available to one or more layers higher than the physical layer of the interface information about whether the interface is in the power saving mode of operation.
US09557794B2
A bus for distributing electrical power to a plurality of sets of electrical devices is disclosed. The bus includes one or more bus separators and a plurality of bus sections. The plurality of bus sections includes at least a first bus section and a second bus section electrically coupled to each other via a bus separator, where the first bus section is electrically connectable to a first set of electrical devices having a first importance metric and the second bus section is electrically connectable to a second set of electrical devices having a second importance metric different from the first importance metric. The bus separator is configured to isolate the first bus section and the second bus section based on occurrence of a fault condition. A Direct Current power distribution system employing the bus and a method for distributing electrical power via the bus are also disclosed.
US09557792B1
Methods and apparatus for datacenter power management optimization are disclosed. Metrics, including workload data, thermal measurements and the like are collected from numerous endpoints within a datacenter. System profiles of a plurality of servers, and application workload profiles for various workloads, are stored. Based on analysis of collected metrics, power optimization operations comprising either workload scheduling operations, power configuration change operations, or both, are initiated.
US09557791B2
A computer device and a method for converting a working mode of a universal serial bus (USB) connector of the computer device. The computer device comprises a USB connector, a power interruption unit, a first switch unit, a south bridge chip, a reading unit, a control unit, and a charging control unit. The USB connector is linked to an external USB device. When a fast charging instruction is received, the power interruption unit interrupts the power supply of the USB connector; the first switch unit performs switching, so that the USB connector works in a fast charging mode. When the control unit receives a common charging instruction, the power interruption unit interrupts the power supply of the USB connector; the first switch unit performs switching, so that the USB connector works in a common charging mode, and data transmission can be performed.
US09557780B2
Disclosed is a conductor pattern structure of a capacitive touch panel. First-axis conductor assemblies and second-axis conductor assemblies are formed on a surface of a substrate. Each first-axis conductor assembly includes a plurality of first-axis conductor cells that are interconnected by first-axis conduction lines. An insulation layer is formed on a surface of each first-axis conduction line. Each second-axis conductor assembly includes a plurality of second-axis conductor cells that are interconnected by second-axis conduction lines. Each second-axis conduction line extends across the insulation layer of the associated first-axis conduction line.
US09557765B2
An apparatus is provided that compensates for misalignment on a synchronous data bus. The apparatus includes a replica radial distribution element, a bit lag control element, and a synchronous lag receiver that is configured to receive one of a plurality of radially distributed strobes and a data bit, and that is configured to delay registering of the data bit by a propagation time. The replica radial distribution element is configured to receive a first signal, and is configured to generate a second signal, where the replica radial distribution element comprises replicated propagation path lengths, loads, and buffering of a radial distribution network for a strobe. The bit lag control element is configured to measure a propagation time beginning with assertion of the first signal and ending with assertion of the second signal, and is configured to generate a value on a lag bus that indicates the propagation time. The synchronous lag receiver has a first plurality of matched inverters, a first mux, and a bit receiver. The first plurality of matched inverters is configured to generate successively delayed versions of the data bit. The first mux is coupled to the first plurality of matched inverters, and is configured to receive a value on a lag bus that indicates the propagation time, and is configured to select one of the successively delayed versions of the data bit that corresponds to the value. The bit receiver is configured to receive the one of the successively delayed versions of the data bit and one of a plurality of radially distributed strobe signals, and is configured to register the state of the one of the successively delayed versions of the data bit upon assertion of the one of a plurality of radially distributed strobe signals.
US09557761B2
A rotary/push button controller is provided herein. The controller includes an outer ring being movable, radially at a rotation angle about a rotation axis, and axially along the rotation axis, the outer rings being integrally formed with a centrally disposed shaft, the shaft includes a connection to an electric switch in response to the axial movement of the shaft; an intermediate space between an inner wall of the outer ring and the shaft; an inner ring being disposed in the intermediate space between the inner wall of the outer ring and the shaft coaxially in relation to the shaft and to the outer ring; and a roller bearing having at least two rows of roller bodies, which are situated between the inner wall of the outer ring and the outer wall of the inner ring.
US09557759B2
A reference voltage generator including an electrostatic discharge (ESD) resistor, a first branch coupled to the ESD resistor and including a first capacitor, a second branch coupled to the ESD resistor and including a second capacitor, wherein the first and second capacitors are coupled in parallel, a first switch configured to control a first charge transfer path leading to the first branch, and a second switch configured to control a second charge transfer path leading to the second branch.
US09557758B2
A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port includes the steps of: (a) in a first operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a first switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle; and (b) in a second operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a control switching device of the switching circuit to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to maximize an amount of power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port.
US09557757B2
Technologies are generally described for scaling a voltage regulator implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a power transistor configured to convert an input voltage to an output voltage, and a feedback loop configured to regulate the output voltage in response to a voltage change. At least one component of the voltage regulator may be selected for scaling, and a range of scaling factors may be identified for the component. An optimal coefficient may be determined for the scaling factors within the identified range through an empirical formulation and/or by running a circuit simulation based on parameters associated with voltage, load current, and load capacitance, for example. The optimal coefficient may be a coefficient that when applied to the component optimizes the performance of the IC and thus, the component may be scaled based on the optimal coefficient to achieve an optimized performance of the IC.
US09557756B2
Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide detection of a voltage drift of an electrical component or system. A detection circuit detects the voltage drift based on a comparison of a received signal from a test circuit and a reference voltage. A compensation voltage may be generated and applied at one or more locations within the test circuit to compensate for the voltage drift.
US09557725B2
A method includes identifying device description files corresponding to first and second field devices associated with an industrial process control system. The method also includes comparing multiple field device characteristics of the first and second field devices using the device description files. The method further includes identifying any differences between the device characteristics of the first field device and the device characteristics of the second field device. In addition, the method includes determining a compatibility of the first and second field devices based on any identified differences. The field device characteristics can relate to field device attributes, field device function blocks, and function block parameters of the first and second field devices.
US09557716B1
A multifunctional crown is provided on a wearable device or smart watch for various types of connections with external devices through stereo audio ports, audio/video ports, or data ports such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports for transfer of audio, video or data signals.
US09557712B2
The oscillating weight includes a drive ring and a heavy sector. The drive ring includes an annular transmission portion which has a coaxial toothing and a second annular portion concentric to the annular transmission portion, the heavy sector being fixed to the second annular portion. The drive ring further includes a plurality of connecting elements which are elastically deformable and which connect the annular transmission portion to the second annular portion.
US09557711B2
Proposed is a method of static scaling of an image in holographic lithography. The method consists of generating a final virtual digital hologram of the original pattern through a sequence of mathematical calculations with participation of a virtual coherent light source having a predetermined wavelength λ1 and producing an actual hologram on the basis of the virtual digital hologram of the original pattern. The obtained hologram can be used for forming an actual original pattern in a predetermined size. When it is necessary to produce the original pattern in another size, this can be done by static scaling by merely selecting another wavelength for the laser source with adjustable wavelength. The method allows determining the wavelength range in which scalability is possible with substantially homothetic transformation of the image.
US09557709B1
A blower duct includes a path section including an entrance path section having an inlet through which air is taken in, a first bent path section, and a second bent path section having an outlet facing a longitudinal-direction portion; a first flow control member that makes a portion of the path of the first bent path section narrower than other portion of the path and causes an elongated gap extending in the longitudinal direction to pass the air; and a second flow control member constituted of an air permeable member having air permeable sections at the outlet. One of the paths located downstream of the first flow control member in an air flowing direction is partially provided with an inclined inner wall surface that is inclined from above to extend toward an upper portion of a downstream opening end of the narrowed path in the first flow control member.
US09557708B2
In an image forming apparatus, a drawer includes a first biasing part and a second biasing part. A process cartridge includes: a first protruding part provided on one end of the process cartridge in an axial direction of a photosensitive drum; and a second protruding part provided on another end of the process cartridge in the axial direction. Each of the first and second protruding parts extends in a sliding direction, in which the drawer moves, and overlaps with a center of the process cartridge. In a state that the drawer supporting the process cartridge is at an internal position inside of a main casing, the process cartridge moves from a first position to a second position positioned above the first position by the first protruding part being biased by the first biasing part and the second protruding part being biased by the second biasing part.
US09557706B2
A waste toner collection container includes a housing main body, a detection chamber with an opening and a waste toner introduction inhibition member. The housing main body collects waste toner therein. The detection chamber engages with the housing main body and enables a sensor to determine whether the waste toner reaches a predetermined amount, by interrupting a light path of the sensor. The opening opens toward the housing main body. The waste toner introduction inhibition member seals the opening to inhibit the waste toner in the housing main body from being introduced into the detection chamber before the waste toner in the housing main body reaches the predetermined amount, and is fractured by a pressing force of the waste toner to permit the waste toner to be introduced into the detection chamber as the waste toner in the housing main body reaches the predetermined amount.
US09557704B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a belt cleaning unit, a waste toner cartridge, and a collective conveying unit. Each drum-cleaning unit collects waste toner on a corresponding photosensitive drum. The cartridge-supporting body supports the process cartridges and is movable between an internal position inside the main frame and an external position outside of the main frame. The belt cleaning unit collects waste toner on the belt. The waste toner cartridge accommodates both waste toner collected from the photosensitive drums by the drum-cleaning units and waste toner collected from the belt by the belt cleaning unit. The collective conveying unit aggregates both waste toner collected from the photosensitive drums by the drum-cleaning units and waste toner collected from the belt by the belt cleaning unit and conveys the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
US09557698B2
An information processing apparatus includes a sound collector configured to collect an operation sound of a sound collection target device to obtain sound data; a context information obtaining unit configured to obtain context information at a time of an operation of the sound collection target device; a feature generator configured to generate feature of sound data corresponding to the context information; and a clustering unit configured to generate an operation status table of the sound collection target device by using the feature.
US09557697B2
A recording media smoothness detector includes a sensor and a calculator. The sensor includes a light source to emit light toward a recording medium and a light detector to detect an amount of light reflected by the recording medium. The calculator includes a first memory to store an initial output value of the sensor and a second memory to store a decreased output percentage of the sensor relative to the initial output value per number of recording media detected. The calculator is configured to calculate a decreased output amount of the sensor from the decreased output percentage of the sensor per number of recording media detected, according to a number of recording media detected by the sensor, to adjust a luminosity of the light source based on the calculated decreased output amount of the sensor and determine a type of the recording medium based on an output of the sensor after the adjustment of the luminosity of the light source and based on the number of recording media detected by the sensor.
US09557692B2
A fixing device may include an endless fixing member; a heating unit that is provided inside an inner peripheral surface of the fixing member; and a nip forming unit that comes into press-contact with a rotationally driven pressing member with the fixing member interposed therebetween to form a nip. The nip forming unit has a shape in which a center of a contact surface protrudes toward the pressing member compared to both ends. The nip forming unit has a protruding amount at a center toward the pressing member compared to both ends of the nip forming unit in no-load state is set to be less than a bent amount of the nip forming unit when the nip forming unit comes into press-contact with the pressing member with the fixing member interposed therebetween.
US09557689B2
An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, a plurality of belt rollers, a plurality of transfer rollers, a cleaning member, a first driving portion, a second driving portion, and a running control portion. The first driving portion is capable of causing the respective transfer rollers to come into contact with or separate from the intermediate transfer belt. The second driving portion is capable of changing orientation of predetermined one or a plurality of movable rollers among the plurality of belt rollers. The running control portion executes a running process including: causing the first driving portion to separate the respective transfer rollers from the intermediate transfer belt; causing the second driving portion to change the orientation of the movable roller to orientation different from that during execution of an image forming process; and causing the intermediate transfer belt to run.
US09557683B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a developing device, a supplying device, and a controller. The controller can execute a normal supply mode and a forced supply mode on the basis of a difference between a toner supply amount in the normal supply mode and a supply amount of the toner to be supplied to the developing device. In a case where the flag is set when a predetermined time is elapsed after the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold, image formation is effected and then interrupted, and then the controller executes the operation in the forced supply mode, and in a case where the flag is reset when the predetermined time is elapsed after the difference exceeds the predetermined threshold, the image formation is effected and then said controller continues an image forming operation without executing the operation in the forced supply mode.
US09557676B2
An electrostatic charge image developing carrier includes magnetic particles, wherein the magnetic particles have an unevenness average Sm of a surface, an arithmetic surface roughness Ra of a surface, a BET specific surface area A, and a volume average particle diameter D50v satisfying the following expressions (1) to (4): 0.5 μm≦Sm≦2.5 μm (1) 0.3 μm≦Ra≦1.2 μm (2) 0.14 m2/g≦A≦0.20 m2/g (3) 18 μm≦D50v≦32 μm. (4)
US09557663B2
A surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a change region in which a ratio of the number of carbon atoms with respect to the sum of the number of silicon atoms and the number of carbon atoms gradually increases toward a surface side of the electrophotographic photosensitive member from a photoconductive layer side, wherein the change region has an upper charge injection prohibiting portion containing a Group 13 atom, and a surface-side portion which is positioned closer to the surface side of the electrophotographic photosensitive member than the upper charge injection prohibiting portion and does not contain the Group 13 atom, and the distribution of the Group 13 atom in a boundary portion between the surface-side portion and the upper charge injection prohibiting portion is precipitous.
US09557655B2
A photomask includes a focus metrology mark region that includes a plurality of focus monitor patterns. To measure a focal variation of a feature pattern formed on a substrate, a substrate target for lithography metrology including a focus metrology mark formed on the same level as the feature pattern is used. A lithography metrology apparatus includes a projection device including a polarizer; a detection device detecting the powers of ±n-order diffracted light beams from among output beams diffracted by the focus metrology mark of a to-be-measured substrate; and a determination device which determines, from a power deviation between the ±n-order diffracted light beams, defocus experienced by the feature pattern.
US09557643B2
There is provided a pattern forming method comprising (1) a step of forming a film by using an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition containing (A) a resin containing an acid-decomposable repeating unit and being capable of decreasing the solubility for an organic solvent-containing developer by the action of an acid, (B) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation, (C) a compound capable of decomposing by the action of an acid to generate an acid, and (D) a solvent; (2) a step of exposing the film by using an actinic ray or radiation, and (4) a step of developing the exposed film by using an organic solvent-containing developer to form a negative pattern.
US09557639B2
A method of patterning a block copolymer layer, the method including: providing a substrate with a guide pattern formed on a surface thereof; forming a block copolymer layer on the substrate with the guide pattern, the block copolymer layer including a block copolymer; and directing self-assembly of the block copolymer on the substrate according to the guide pattern to form n/2 discrete domains, wherein the guide pattern includes a block copolymer patterning area having a 90-degree bending portion, and an outer apex and an inner apex of the 90-degree bending portion are each rounded, the outer apex having a first curvature radius r1, and the inner apex having a second curvature radius r2, respectively, and the width of the patterning area W, the first curvature radius r1 and the second curvature radius r2, satisfy Inequation 1: 2 + 2 - ( 1 + 2 ) [ ( n + 2 ) 2 n ( n + 1 ) ] 1 3 ≤ r 1 - r 2 W ≤ 2 + 2 - ( 1 + 2 ) [ ( n - 2 ) 2 n ( n - 1 ) ] 1 3 . Inequation 1
US09557636B2
A mask, method of fabricating same, and method of using same are disclosed. In an example, a mask includes a substrate and a reflective multilayer coating deposited over the substrate. The reflective multilayer coating is formed by positioning the substrate such that an angle α is formed between a normal line of the substrate and particles landing on the substrate and rotating the substrate about an axis that is parallel with a landing direction of the particles. In an example, reflective multilayer coating includes a first layer and a second layer deposited over the first layer. A phase defect region of the reflective multilayer coating includes a first deformation in the first layer at a first location, and a second deformation in the second layer at a second location, the second location laterally displaced from the first location.
US09557634B2
A single-lens two-channel reflector provides the capability to switch between two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging. The reflector includes displaceable outward reflectors and displaceable inward reflectors that can simultaneously provide left and right images of a scene to an imager, and controllers for controlling relative distance between the outward and the inward reflectors, and for controlling deflection angle of the inward reflectors, so as to enable the adjustment of disparity and convergence angle. Imaging systems and methods utilize the single-lens two-channel reflector.
US09557627B2
A folded lens system may include multiple lenses with refractive power and a light path folding element. Light entering the camera through lens(es) on a first optical path or axis is refracted to the folding element, which changes direction of the light onto a second optical path or axis with lens(es) that refract the light to form an image plane at a photosensor. At least one of the object side and image side surfaces of at least one of the lens elements may be aspheric. Total track length (TTL) of the lens system may be 16.0 mm or less. The lens system may be configured so that the telephoto ration |TTL/f| is greater than 1.0. Materials, radii of curvature, shapes, sizes, spacing, and aspheric coefficients of the optical elements may be selected to achieve quality optical performance and high image resolution in a small form factor camera.
US09557613B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate, a pixel electrode formed on the first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a common electrode formed on the second substrate. The pixel electrode includes a first subpixel electrode disposed in a first subpixel region, and a second subpixel electrode disposed in a second subpixel region. A first voltage applied to the first subpixel electrode and a second voltage applied to the second subpixel electrode are different from each other, and a ratio of the first voltage to the second voltage is about 0.76 to about 0.80.
US09557595B2
A switchable window includes: first and second substrates (e.g., glass substrates); a liquid crystal inclusive layer (e.g., PDLC layer) disposed between at least the first and the second substrates; and a low-E coating provided between at least the liquid crystal inclusive layer and the first substrate. Voltage is applied to the liquid crystal inclusive layer via the low-E coating and a substantially transparent conductive coating which are on opposite sides of the liquid crystal inclusive layer. By adjusting voltage applied to at least part of the liquid crystal inclusive layer, the window is selectively switchable between at least first and second states with different visible light transmissions.
US09557593B2
Transparent structures containing a transparent electrically conductive fluid are used for aesthetically appealing designs and/or improved fatigue performance. Some structures have multiple isolated conductors while others have a single conductive area that may be used as a transparent antenna or a transparent EMI shield. Other embodiments employ fluids that change crystalline structure under an applied voltage such that a structure can change color and/or display a message.
US09557592B2
Provided is a display device including: a display panel; a support member that is in contact with at least a part of a lower side of the display panel; and a panel holder that has a first member supporting via the support member the lower side of the display panel. The support member is an elastic body that, in a case where the display panel is deformed, deforms accordingly as a result of a part thereof moving relative to the first member.
US09557590B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel, a light source part which generates and provides a light to the display panel, and a receiving container. The receiving container includes a bottom portion under the light source part, and a sidewall extending from the bottom portion. The bottom portion includes a first strength portion and a second strength portion. The first strength portion and the second strength portion have different strengths from each other and are continuously connected to each other.
US09557589B2
A display device has a front surface and sides connected to each other using the same material. The display device includes a display panel, a case member wrapping around the side of the display panel, and a polarizing plate, which is attached to a front surface of the display panel and connects the display panel with the case member. The polarizing plate includes a polarizer disposed at the front surface of the display panel and a base film, which connects the front surface of the display panel with the case member.
US09557586B2
An optical isolator with a collimator which is used at the tip end of a laser beam transmitting fiber utilized in a laser processing. The optical isolator can provide solutions to the problems how to make return lights to be isolated from an incident light path and how to prevent the light energy from being conducted to an incident fiber, a laser oscillator, the collimator, and the optical isolator. The solutions include light-receiving fibers disposed at focal points of a collimator lens to which reflected lights from a workpiece return through the optical isolator. The return lights are then led to a ceramic tube where the return light energy is converted to thermal energy and dissipated.
US09557584B2
An interior rearview mirror assembly includes an interior prismatic mirror reflective element having a wedge-shaped glass substrate having a circumferential edge along the periphery of said glass substrate. The circumferential edge spans a thickness of the glass substrate between its front and rear surfaces. The prismatic mirror reflective element has a mirror reflector established at the rear surface of the glass substrate. A plastic molding is circumferentially disposed about the circumferential edge of the glass substrate without overlapping onto the front surface of the glass substrate. The outermost part of the plastic molding curves and the plane of the front surface of the glass substrate is generally flush with the outermost part of the plastic molding.
US09557582B2
A reader for communicating with both an eye-mountable device and a display device is provided. The reader can transmit radio frequency power to a tag that is part of the eye-mountable device. The reader can communicates with the tag using a first protocol. Communicating with the tag can include having the reader request data from the tag and receive the requested data from the tag. The reader can process the received data. The reader can store the processed data. The reader can communicates with the display device using a second protocol, where the first and second protocols can differ. Communicating with the display device can include having the reader transmit the stored data to the display device. The display device can receive the transmitted data, process the transmitted data, and generate one or more displays including the transmitted and/or processed data.
US09557565B2
In embodiments of the invention, an apparatus may include a display comprising a plurality of pixels. The apparatus may further include a computer system coupled with the display and operable to instruct the display to display a deconvolved image corresponding to a target image, wherein when the display displays the deconvolved image while located within a near-eye range of an observer, the target image may be perceived in focus by the observer.
US09557556B2
An integrated apertured micromirror is provided in which the micromirror is monolithically integrated with a micro-optical bench fabricated on a substrate using a lithographic and deep etching technique. The micromirror has an aperture therein and is oriented such that the micromirror is optically coupled to receive an incident beam having an optical axis in a plane of the substrate and to at least partially transmit the incident beam therethrough via the aperture.
US09557551B2
The disclosed technology relates generally to a method and system for an improved lighting apparatus compatible with imaging small specimens for viewing or photographic purposes. In certain embodiments, the disclosed technology provides an apparatus for projecting light on specimens from opposing light sources at varying distances and angles. In certain embodiments, the apparatus includes an elongated stem that allows the light sources to be repositioned quickly, easily, and accurately. The elongated stem may be flexible and may be used in conjunction with a positioning system, such as a rack and pinion system, thereby allowing precise movement of the light sources.
US09557532B2
A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The sixth lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof.
US09557521B2
An optical guide system is provided for guiding an optical lens along an optical axis of the guide system. The optical guide system has a guide housing for accommodating a guide carriage, wherein an inner guide surface thereof extends along the optical axis. The guide carriage is arranged within the guide housing, movably between a start position and an end position and suitably to secure the at least one optical lens. The guide carriage also has a sliding element which is in contact with the inner guide surface of the guide housing and which enables sliding of the guide carriage. The optical guide system also has a suspension element which is connected to the guide carriage and by means of which the guide carriage is mechanically coupled to a drive. The optical guide system also has a tensioning element which is arranged outside the guide housing and which cooperates with the suspension element, causing a tensioning force which acts on the guide carriage so that the at least one sliding element lies against the inner guide surface of the guide housing.
US09557520B2
Methods and apparatus relating to controlling optical chains (OCs) of a camera device to scan a scene area of interest, thereby capturing images of the scene area, in a synchronized manner are described. In various embodiments a synchronized rolling shutter read out of two or more image sensors included in two or more corresponding OCs is implemented controlling the sensors to read out rows of pixel values corresponding to a portion of the scene at the same time, e.g., concurrently. While two or more of the OCs are controlled to read out at the same time, some other OCs in the camera maybe controlled not to read out pixel values while other image sensors are reading out. In various embodiments the read out rate of the two or more sensors corresponding to two or more optical chains is controlled as a function of the focal lengths of the corresponding OCs.
US09557518B2
The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for operating a dynamic nano focusing system for use thereof in the field of microscopy, interferometry or similar applications, wherein the nano focusing system comprises a lever-transmission piezo actuator and a frictionless guide based on a resiliently deformable solid body joint which is connected to a mounting unit, in particular for a lens, in order to implement the desired adjustment paths for the focusing. According to the invention, in order to increase the dynamics during the focusing process, a secondary fine adjustment movement is superimposed on the primary adjustment movement, said secondary fine adjustment movement having a smaller adjustment path but higher frequency than the primary adjustment movement, wherein, when the fine adjustment is carried out, a determination is made as to whether the focusing result changes, in order to specify according thereto the amount and/or the direction of the primary adjustment movement.
US09557517B2
The present invention provides a lens barrel that holds a lens system including a plurality of lens groups in which an object-side fixed lens group and image-side fixed lens group that are fixed to both ends of a cylindrical fixed barrel are arranged, and a first focusing lens group and a second focusing lens group that are moving lens groups are arranged inside the fixed barrel.
US09557515B2
A camera module, in particular, for a vehicle, the camera module including at least: an objective mount and an objective, which is held in the objective mount and has a lens holder and at least one lens secured in the lens holder, the objective being fixed in position in the objective mount by a frictional connection between an outer surface of the lens holder and an inner surface of the objective mount. A plurality of frictional connection devices spaced apart in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer surface of the lens holder and/or on the inner surface of the objective mount, in order to generate the frictional connection. To insert and to adjust the objective, the objective mount is preferably asymmetrically deformed in an elastic manner, and the objective is placed into the deformed objective mount, and the elastic deformation is subsequently removed.
US09557513B1
An optical system is provided. The optical system includes a corrector lens that is configured to reduce aberrations in electromagnetic radiation (EMR) received from a window having a window axis of symmetry. A rotation mechanism is coupled to the corrector lens, and is configured to selectively rotate the corrector lens about an optical axis of the corrector lens to maintain a Y-axis of the corrector lens in a same plane as the window axis of symmetry of the window.
US09557512B2
A pressure housing apparatus including a first cable termination shell, a housing connected to the first cable termination shell, a pressure vessel slide shell provided to the hollow housing, a cable termination assembly oriented within the housing, a plurality of pass through widows provided from the interior of the housing to the splice trays, and a plurality of circumferentially oriented splice trays provided to the cable termination assembly configured for receiving fiber tubes.
US09557511B2
A fiber optic cable includes a jacket, an element of the cable interior to the jacket, and first and second powders. The element includes a first surface and a second surface. The cable further includes a third surface interior to the jacket and facing the first surface at a first interface and a fourth surface interior to the jacket and facing the second surface at a second interface. At least one of the third and fourth surfaces is spaced apart from the jacket. The first powder is integrated with at least one of the first and third surfaces at the first interface and the second powder integrated with at least one of the second and fourth surfaces at the second interface. The first interface has greater coupling than the second interface at least in part due to differences in the first and second powders.
US09557506B2
A micro-duct cable includes a center member and a plurality of buffer tubes surrounding the center member. A plurality of fibers are disposed in each of the plurality of buffer tubes. Each of the plurality of buffer tubes contains greater than or equal to 24 fibers. The micro-duct cable further includes a cable jacket surrounding the plurality of buffer tubes and the center member. A maximum outer diameter of the cable is less than 13 millimeters and a modulus of elasticity of the cable is greater than or equal to 800 kpsi.
US09557502B2
Systems, apparatuses, and devices for facilitating communication. An apparatus a first interface configured for coupling with a first pin pattern of an optical transceiver and a second interface configured for coupling with a second pin pattern of a printed circuit board. The apparatus is configured for communicatively coupling an optical transceiver having the first pin pattern with the second pin pattern of the printed circuit board.
US09557498B2
The present disclosure relates to a fiber optic network including first and second optical components desired to be optically coupled together, and third and fourth optical components desired to be couple together. The first and second optical components include first and second de-mateable connection locations having dust caps with first coordinated indicia. The third and fourth optical components include third and fourth de-mateable connection locations having dust caps with second coordinated indicia.
US09557488B2
An optical connector for optically connecting at least one light source to at least one light receiver is disclosed. The optical connector includes first and second connector members respectively having first and second positive-power lens elements with respective first and second planar lens surfaces. The lens elements are arranged in their respective connector members such that when the two connector members are operably mated, the first and second lenses form an optical system where the first and second planar lens surfaces are spaced apart in opposition with a narrow gap in between, and are non-perpendicular to the optical system axis. The lenses may be conventional uniform-refractive-index lenses having a convex surface or may be gradient-index lenses having two planar surfaces. The optical connector is tolerant to contamination that can find its way into the narrow gap.
US09557486B2
An optimized SOI 2×2 multimode interference (MMI) coupler is designed by use of the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulation shows that, within a footprint of 9.4×1.6 μm2, <0.1 dB power unbalance and <1 degree phase error are achieved across the entire C-band. The excess loss of the device is <0.2 dB.
US09557476B2
A multicore fiber includes six or more of core elements having a core, a first clad surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the core and a second clad surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the first clad, and includes a clad surrounding the core elements. All of expressions are satisfied: n1>n2>n3, n1>n4, n3
US09557471B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a LCD panel having a first polarizer, a first substrate, a second substrate and a second polarizer are sequentially provided from a front surface side, a frame which surrounds the LCD panel and has a first opening having first to fourth sides, a planar light source disposed on the rear surface side of the LCD panel in the first opening, a plurality of optical sheet groups which are disposed between the planar light source and the LCD panel, and an adhesive layer which has a second opening formed along the first to fourth sides of the frame. A front surface side of the adhesive layer is adhered to the LCD panel along at least the first side, and a rear surface side of the adhesive layer is adhered to the plurality of optical sheet groups and the frame along at least the first side.
US09557469B2
A light guide plate and a backlight module are described. The light guide plate includes a main body and a plurality of stripe microstructures. The main body includes a light incidence surface, a light-emitting surface and a light reflective surface. The light-emitting surface is opposite to the light reflective surface, and the light incidence surface is connected between the light-emitting surface and the light reflective surface. The light-emitting surface includes a microstructure region adjacent to the light incidence surface. The stripe microstructures are arranged in the microstructure region, and parallel to a normal line of the light incidence surface.
US09557467B2
Provided is a display device, which includes a light source, a light guide plate, a light conversion member, and a display panel. Light is incident to the light guide plate from the light source. The light conversion member is between the light source and the light guide plate. The display panel is on the light guide plate. The light guide plate includes a central region corresponding to an available display region of the display panel for displaying an image, an outer region around the central region, and a total reflection surface inclined from an optical axis of the light source, and disposed in the outer region.
US09557464B2
A lighting device for a vehicle includes: a transparent rod shaped light guide member having an incident surface of lights in an end face; a light source which is arranged so as to be opposed to the incident surface of the rod shaped light guide member and generates heat at a temperature or higher than a softening point of the rod shaped light guide member, lights emitted from the light source being allowed to be incident on the rod shaped light guide member from the incident surface so that the rod shaped light guide member emits lights in a linear form; and a transparent heat insulating part arranged between the light source and the incident surface of the rod shaped light guide member.
US09557460B2
A transparent conductive layer is made of a graphene transparent conductive material and is in the form of a thin film having a thickness of 0.36 nm-10 nm, transmittance of visible light being 80-97%, and surface resistance being 30-500Ω/□. A CF substrate includes the graphene transparent conductive layer to replace and ITO transparent conductive layer in order to obtain an electrode or a static electricity draining layer having high transmittance and excellent flexibility and, when used in a liquid crystal display panel, helps improve the transmittance of the liquid crystal panel and reduce the use of backlighting. Also provided is a manufacturing method of the CF substrate having the graphene transparent conductive layer, which uses a CVD process to form graphene on a growth substrate to be subsequently transferred to a CF substrate body.
US09557456B2
Pointing and positioning system of light beams and images including a plurality of cycloidal diffractive waveplates, each waveplate capable of deviating a generally broadband light beam over a predetermined angle. The lateral translation and deviation angles of the light beams are controlled by controlling the relative distance, rotational position, and the diffractive efficiency of a least one in the plurality of waveplates.
US09557436B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for creating a 3-Dimensional model for objects in an inspected luggage in a CT system. The method includes acquiring slice data of the luggage with the CT system; interpolating the slice data to generate 3D volume data of the luggage; performing unsupervised segmentation on the 3D volume data of the luggage to obtain a plurality of segmental regions; performing isosurface extraction on the plurality of segmental regions to obtain corresponding isosurfaces; and performing 3D surface segmentation on the isosurfaces to form a 3D model for the objects in the luggage. The above solutions can create a 3D model for objects in the inspected luggage in a relatively accurate manner, and thus provide better basis for subsequent shape feature extraction and security inspection, and reduce omission factor.
US09557428B2
A method is provided for controlling quality of operation of a passive acoustic monitoring system. The method includes, at least for one given source: (a) the given source emits at least one acoustic test signal; (b) the passive acoustic monitoring system obtains acoustic signal measurements and estimates at least one parameter, characteristic of and/or associated with the at least one test acoustic signal, as a function of the acoustic signal measurements; (c) comparing the at least one estimated parameter with at least one reference parameter, characteristic of and/or associated with the at least one test acoustic signal; (d) obtaining at least one piece of quality information, as a function of results of the comparing step. A quality control device is provided, which drives the given source to trigger the step (a), obtains the at least one estimated parameter and carries out the steps (c) and (d).
US09557426B2
An x-ray radiation detector is disclosed with an upper side, which faces an x-ray radiation source during operation, and with a semiconductor layer for direct conversion of x-ray radiation into electric measurement signals. In an embodiment, a luminous film is arranged between the upper side and the semiconductor layer, and with the aid of which luminous film, electromagnetic radiation can be coupled into the semiconductor layer.
US09557417B2
Embodiments relate to integrated sonic sensors having a transmitter, a receiver and driver electronics integrated in a single, functional package. In one embodiment, a piezoelectric signal transmitter, a silicon microphone receiver and a controller/amplifier chip are concomitantly integrated in a semiconductor housing. The semiconductor housing, in embodiments, is functional in that at least a portion of the housing can comprise the piezoelectric element of the transmitter, with an inlet aperture opposite the silicon microphone receiver.
US09557416B2
A system and method is provided that displays graphical symbology that enables a pilot to rapidly discern (1) that a neighboring aircraft is a rotorcraft, and (2) whether the rotorcraft is hovering. The provided system and method enables a user to define hovering, by editing a position change (distance) within a predetermined time.
US09557405B2
Disclosed is an example for determining a projectile trajectory with at least two sensors. In one example, the projectile trajectory is estimated using a first sensor having a first angular range. Further, the projectile trajector is estimated using a second sensor having a second angular range. The first sensor and the second sensor are disposed on a platform at different spatial locations. Furthermore, a discrepancy in the projectile trajectory is determined when the projectile moves from the first angular range to the second angular range. The discrepancy is created due to the different spatial locations of the first sensor and the second sensor. An actual projectile trajectory is determined by compensating for the discrepancy in the projectile trajectory using the estimated discrepancy.
US09557400B2
A system and method for tracking and tracing motions of multiple incoherent sound sources and for visualizing the resultant overall sound pressure distribution in 3D space in real time are developed. This new system needs only four microphones (although more could be used) that can be mounted at any position so long as they are not placed on the same plane. A sample configuration is to mount three microphones on the y, z plane, while the 4th microphone on a plane perpendicular to the y, z plane. A processor receives signals from the microphones based on the signals received from noise sources in unknown locations, and the processor determines the locations of these sources and visualizes the resultant sound field in 3D space in real time. This system works for broadband, narrowband, tonal sound signals under transient and stationary conditions.
US09557391B2
A system for magnetic detection may include a nitrogen vacancy (NV) diamond material, a radio frequency (RF) excitation source, an optical excitation source, an optical detector, a magnetic field generator, and a controller. The controller may control the excitation sources to apply a first pulse sequence. The controller may receive a first light detection signal due to the first pulse sequence, measure first and second values of the first light detection signal at first and second reference periods, and compute a first measurement. The controller may further control the excitation sources to apply a second pulse sequence, receive a second light detection signal due to the second pulse sequence, measure first and second values of the second light detection signal at first and second reference periods, and compute a second measurement. The first and second measurements may be based on high and low resonance frequencies of the NV diamond material.
US09557385B2
A computer program product is provided for performing symbol timing recovery in a parallel recording channel system. The computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to receive a plurality of timing-error estimates for a plurality of read channels. Each of the timing-error estimates corresponds to one of the read channels. Also, the program instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to calculate a common phase based on the plurality of timing-error estimates. Moreover, the program instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to calculate a skew of a transducer array based on the plurality of timing-error estimates, and to calculate a different total phase estimate for each read channel based on the calculated common phase and the calculated skew of the transducer array.
US09557384B2
A testing device has plural pin electronics substrates and a control substrate. The control substrate includes a first instruction code memory storing an instruction code, a first program counter incrementing a count in synchronization with a clock, a code analysis circuit analyzing the instruction code read from the first instruction code memory in accordance with a counter value, and a control data output control circuit outputting control data for controlling the pin electronics substrates in accordance with the instruction code. Each pin electronics substrate includes a first pin memory storing pin data, a second program counter incrementing a count in synchronization with the clock, and a pin data output control circuit adjusting, based on control data, the count value of the second program counter and outputting pin data read from the first pin memory, the pin data being dependent on the count value of the second program counter.
US09557380B2
Scan flip-flop and associated method are provided. The scan flip-flop includes a data input terminal, a scan input terminal, a flip-flop circuit, a first transistor and a plurality of second transistors. A gate of the first transistor is coupled to the scan input terminal, gates of the second transistors are commonly coupled to an enabling signal, drains and sources of the first transistor and the second transistors are serially coupled to the flip-flop circuit, so as to increase a delay between the scan input terminal and the flip-flop circuit.
US09557379B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor integrated circuit includes memories, comparison circuits, first registers and a BIST. The comparison circuits compare output values of the memories with expected values, respectively. The first registers store comparison result data in the comparison circuits, respectively. The BIST controls tests of the memories and generates the expected values. A relief data generator generates relief data indicating the presence of a defect of each of the memories and a failure position on the basis of the comparison result data stored in a second register in the BIST. A third registers store the relief data and are smaller in number than the memories. A judgment circuit outputs a relief impossible signal when the total number of the relief data is greater the number of the third registers.
US09557376B2
Apparatuses and methods can include a die seal between an integrated circuit region of a die and a periphery of the die. A via chain(s) may be arranged around an inner circumference of the die seal between the die seal and the integrated circuit region and/or around an outer circumference of the die seal between the die seal and the periphery of the die. The via chain may include a plurality of contacts comprised of conductive material and extending through portions of the die. Circuitry may be coupled to an end of the via chain to detect an electrical signal. Additional apparatuses and methods are described.
US09557374B2
A system is used to perform an operation on an article, the article including a plurality of fiducial marks and a set of features. A digital imaging system captures a digital image of the article, which is analyzed to determine spatial relationships between positions of the features and positions of the fiducial marks. The article is positioned in proximity to an instrument and a fiducial sensing system including a plurality of fiducial sensors is used to determine positions of the fiducial marks. Predicted positions of the features are determined responsive to the determined spatial relationships and the determined fiducial mark positions. The position of the instrument or the article is adjusted responsive to the predicted positions of the features, and the instrument is used to perform an operation on the article.
US09557370B2
In a method of improving bump allocation for a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device with improved bump allocation, a predetermined signal bump is surrounded with at least three bumps, each being a ground bump or a paired differential signal bump.
US09557359B2
A voltage/current verifier computes, for each phase, a phase difference between phase voltage and phase current from the phase of phase voltage and the phase of phase current computed for each phase by a phase acquirer, and determines conformity if all of the computed phase differences are within a preset range. A current/current verifier computes phase differences between phase currents from the phase of phase current computed for each phase by the phase acquirer, and determines conformity if all of the computed phase differences are less than 180°. A reporting device reports that a current transformer is incorrectly placed on a power line unless both the voltage/current verifier and the current/current verifier do not determine conformity.
US09557349B2
A measuring system for continuously monitoring a high-voltage bushing provides for multi-stage, secure protection. The system includes a measuring circuit, a connection plug, a connection cable, and a three-stage protective circuit. When overvoltages occur at the measurement connection, each protective stage can produce a short circuit at the measurement connection to limit the voltage. A first protective stage responds at a response voltage U1. A second protective stage connected between the first stage and the measurement connection responds at a higher response voltage U2. A low-pass filter in the first protective stage decouples the first and second protective stages. The first stage responds to overvoltages at operating frequency, the second stage responds to high-frequency overvoltages. A third protective stage is connected between the measurement connection and the first protective stage in parallel with the measurement connection and includes a mechanical switch for short-circuiting when a third response voltage is present.
US09557348B2
A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor testing structure. The method includes providing a substrate having a to-be-tested device structure formed on a surface of the substrate, a dielectric layer formed on the surface of the substrate and a surface of the to-be-tested structure, and conductive structures and an insulation layer electrically insulating the conductive structures formed on a first surface of the dielectric layer. The method also includes planarizing the conductive structures and the insulation layer to remove the conductive structures and the insulation layer until the first surface of the dielectric layer is exposed; and bonding the first surface of the dielectric layer with a dummy wafer by an adhesive layer. Further, the method includes removing the substrate to expose a second surface relative to the first surface of the dielectric layer of the dielectric layer and a surface of the to-be-tested device structure.
US09557342B2
This document provides methods and materials related to determining whether or not a pregnant mammal (e.g., a pregnant human) has preeclampsia. For example, methods and materials related to the use of urinary podocytes to determine whether or not a pregnant human has preeclampsia are provided.
US09557338B2
Provided herein are methods for treating a cancer treatable by inhibition of phosphorylation of PRAS40, GSK3β or p70S6K1, comprising administering an effective amount of a TOR kinase inhibitor to a patient having a cancer treatable by inhibition of phosphorylation of PRAS40, GSK3β or p70S6K1.
US09557325B2
The binding specificity of at least one protein suspended or dissolved in a liquid medium is reversibly altered by exposing the protein to an oxidizing agent or an electric current. A masked protein such as an autoantibody can be detected, isolated and recovered from a biological fluid by subjecting the biological fluid to an oxidizing agent or an electric current to change the binding specificity of masked proteins contained therein.
US09557321B2
The present invention provides a method for screening drugs for suppressing inflammasome activity, using macrophages derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) having mutant NLRP3 gene.
US09557316B2
Disclosed are sample analysis apparatus and methods. A sample analysis apparatus includes a first unit that rotates a microfluidic apparatus including: a chamber having a space accommodating a sample, a channel that provides a path through which the sample flows; and a valve that selectively opens and closes the channel, a valve driver that supplies energy, used to operate the valve, to the valve in a state of being separated from the microfluidic apparatus, a third unit that rotates the valve driver with respect to a common rotation axis with a rotation axis of the microfluidic apparatus and the third unit, and a control unit that controls the first and third units and the valve driver to supply energy to the valve while the microfluidic apparatus and the valve driver are being rotated at the same rotation speed.
US09557311B2
A plastic packaging component is provided that is formed of a resin containing an electromagnetic spectrally detectable additive mixed with the resin. The resin formed into a plastic packaging component of an aerosol package lid, an aerosol spray button, an aerosol spray tube, a trigger sprayer, an integrated lid-sprayer, a grease cartridge, a grease cap, plastic fiber toweling, a packaging strap, a pail lid, a jar cap, or a brush. A process for detecting a displaced packaging component in an organic production stream is provided that includes adding to a resin an electromagnetically detectable additive intermixed with the resin and forming the additive loaded resin into the plastic packaging component. The production stream is then scanned for the detectable signal of the additive. Upon detecting the additive, an alarm signal is provided that the production stream contains the displaced packaging component.
US09557303B2
A computer with a proper program generates a phased array sequence of signals. In a pulser with delays, the signals are fed through a multiplexor into multiple water wedges that are attached to a valve being tested. For a sequential operation of the valves from the open to the closed position, ultrasonic signals are transmitted through the fluid contained in the valve and reflected back through piezo-electric crystals to the multiplexor. By summation and merger of the signals, an image can be developed of the operation of the valve to determine if the valve is operating properly. By comparing the signals received with a known standard for that type valve, proper operation, or lack thereof, of the valve under test can be determined.
US09557288B2
A well is formed in a body of dielectric material and has a chamfered edge about a top side of the well. A top electrode layer is on a top face of the body and on the chamfered edge of the well. A bottom electrode is on a floor of the well.
US09557278B1
Seed sensors that surround the conventional mounting location on existing seed tubes. The seed sensors sense seeds using electromagnetic fields, including RF and microwave fields. In one embodiment, a first seed sensor has a coaxial Fabry-Perot resonant cavity which is formed between two coaxial portions of a conduit that surround the seed tube. Another seed sensor uses a capacitive design. In one embodiment, the driving signals are applied 180 degrees out of phase. The detected phase shift between the reference and reflected signals provides reliable seed counting. Electronics extract the signal from the sensing field.
US09557270B2
An optical sensor can include first and second optical emitters configured to emit light into a fluid sample via an optical pathway. Light from the emitters can cause fluorescence from the sample and/or scatter off of the sample. Scattered and fluoresced light can be received by an optical detector in the sensor via the optical pathway, and used to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid sample. A second optical detector can provide reference measurements of the amount of light emitted to the sample. The second optical emitter and second optical detector can be included in an optical emitter assembly removably disposed in the optical pathway of the optical sensor such that the second optical emitter emits light into the optical pathway toward a fluid sample.
US09557268B2
Instrument and method for detecting pesticides and other analytes. A sample to be tested is mounted on a cassette and inserted into a housing which is substantially impervious to light, and light from a source within the housing is directed toward the sample to induce fluorescent emission from analyte on the sample. Fluorescent emissions from the sample are monitored with a detector within the housing to detect emissions having a spectral content characteristic of the analyte to be detected. Data from the detector is processed, and information based on the processed data is displayed. In some embodiments, the instrument is calibrated with data from a reference sample of known concentration or density. The detector measures the analyte in units of mass per unit area, and in some embodiments the mass per unit area is converted to units of concentration or density of the analyte in the sample.
US09557267B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses are disclosed for interrogating characteristics of a substrate material surface and sub-surface by evaluating: 1) sum frequency output beams produced by combining an optical source input and a Terahertz source input, and 2) Terahertz second harmonic frequency output from a Terahertz source input.
US09557263B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses are disclosed for interrogating characteristics of a substrate material surface and sub-surface by evaluating Terahertz output signals generated by non-Terahertz, optical source inputs.
US09557259B2
A particle detector apparatus for optically ascertaining a number of particles arranged on a surface of, for example, a particle filter. The particle detector apparatus includes a light source, an optical focusing device, a spatially resolving light detector and an evaluation device. The light source emits source light onto the surface. The optical focusing device focuses image light that is emitted from the surface in response to the source light onto the spatially resolving light detector. The spatially resolving light detector includes light sensors that measure brightness values based on the image light, such that the light detector produces image data based on the brightness values delivered by the light sensors. The evaluation device then ascertains the number of particles based on the image data.
US09557258B2
The invention relates in particular to a device for determining one or more fluid properties of a fluid. The device preferably comprises a flow distributor comprising a cavity, an inlet to the cavity, one or more outlets from the cavity, and one or more flow deflecting elements present in the cavity and/or one or more flow dividing wall elements of the cavity, wherein the one or more flow deflecting elements and/or the flow dividing wall elements being arranged in such a manner that it provides sub-streams of different strength through the outlet. Furthermore, the device comprises an analyzer downstream of the outlet of the flow distributor comprising means adapted to provide a read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams.
US09557257B2
A vibrating member (500) for a vibrating densitometer (800) is provided. The vibrating member (500) includes an inner surface (531) with one or more arcuate portions (730). The inner surface (531) of the vibrating member (500) also includes one or more raised portions (530) sized and located to increase a frequency separation between a resonant frequency of a desired vibrational drive mode and a resonant frequency of one or more undesired vibrational modes.
US09557246B2
Disclosed are methods and systems to determine a power plant machine reliability forecast. In an embodiment, a method may comprise obtaining an environmental factor of a power plant machine based on geospatial data of a first area and location data of a second area, obtaining an operating factor of the power plant machine, and determining a reliability forecast based on the obtained environmental factor and the obtained operating factor.
US09557243B2
An apparatus includes a laser source configured to output laser light at a target frequency, and a measurement unit configured to measure a deviation between an actual frequency outputted by the laser source at a current period of time and the target frequency of the laser source. The apparatus includes a feedback control unit configured to, based on the measured deviation between the actual and target frequencies, control the laser source to maintain a constant frequency of laser output from the laser source so that the frequency of laser light transmitted from the laser source is adjusted to the target frequency. The feedback control unit can control the laser source to maintain a linear rate of change in the frequency of its laser light output, and compensate for characteristics of the measurement unit utilized for frequency measurement. A method is provided for performing the feedback control of the laser source.
US09557235B2
Machines and methods capable of evaluating torque-tension and prevailing torque performance of prevailing-torque threaded fasteners. Such a machine may include one or more of the following features: a coordinated drive unit for achieving relative linear and rotational movement of a nut and bolt of a nut-bolt assembly; a sensor unit with multiple reaction torque sensors in series, wherein a lower-range torque sensor is protected from being overstressed while torque is transferred therethrough to a higher-range torque sensor; an optical temperature measurement unit oriented to detect a temperature at a thread interface of a nut and bolt through an opening in a device adapted to rotate the nut; and a bolt recess measurement unit that determines a bolt-through condition of a nut-bolt assembly by detecting a bolt recess of the nut-bolt assembly that has been assembled such that a prevailing torque feature thereof has been encountered.
US09557230B2
The invention concerns a pressure transducer comprising a deflecting membrane, said membrane comprising two piezoresistors (10, 11) of different types, said piezoresistors being arranged such that a same stress or a same strain is applied on said piezoresistors and said piezoresistors (10, 11) yield changes in resistance, wherein a piezoresistor of a first type (10) is positioned such that its current direction is perpendicular to the stress direction (trans verse) and a piezoresistor of a second type is parallel to the stress direction (longitudinal), allowing, when a tensile stress is applied to the transducer, said piezoresistor of the first type to increase its resistance and said piezoresistor of the second type to decrease the resistance; or when a compressive stress is applied to the transducer, said piezoresistor of the first type to decrease its resistance and said piezoresistor of the second type to increase the resistance; wherein said piezoresistor of the first type (10) has a specific width and a length as short as possible and said piezoresistor (11) of the second type has a width as short as possible and a length as long as possible.
US09557228B1
A temperature measuring device includes a heat plate exposed to the ambient, one or more sensor chips, and one or more device electronics that include a power transmitter, a wireless communication receiving block, and a processor. Each sensor chip includes a wireless communication transmitting block, a temperature sensor, a signal processing block, and an energy harvesting circuit. The heat plate and the sensor chips are positioned within an indent formed in an exposed surface of a device cover, such as a glass cover. The energy harvesting circuit harvests energy from an electromagnetic signal transmitted by the power transmitter. Temperature data sensed by each temperature sensor is wirelessly transmitted by the wireless communication transmitting block to the wireless communication receiving block. The processor determines an ambient temperature corrected for heat influences on the temperature sensors by internal device electronics. The temperature measuring device is implemented within a mobile electronics device.
US09557227B2
Thermometer comprising an organic-inorganic matrix which comprises tris complex (β-diketonate) of two different cations of lanthanide elements. In addition, the invention also relates to the matrix, methods for preparing it and methods of using a thermometer to measure absolute temperatures.
US09557222B2
A hand-held device having a housing and a processor disposed within the housing, includes a camera and a temperature sensing element having an adjustable field of view. The camera is configured to generate an image of an object and to permit the user to frame the image at a portion of the object to determine the temperature of the framed portion. The temperature sensing element includes a plurality of temperature sensors and the processor is configured to select ones of the plurality of sensors to produce a field of view (FOV) of the temperature sensing element that is less than or equal to the frame in the image. The selected sensors are activated to generate signals corresponding to the temperature of the object in the FOV and the processor is configured to determine a sensed temperature based on the sensor signals.
US09557218B2
A method of determining degradation of a thermoplastic when exposed to light and heat includes illuminating the thermoplastic with a desired wavelength of light at a desired irradiance while maintaining the ambient air surrounding the thermoplastic at a desired temperature. The method is useful to measure the discoloration rate of transparent, translucent and opaque thermoplastics such as polycarbonates, the discoloration rate being determined by transmission or reflectance spectra of transmitted or reflected white light through or from the thermoplastic.
US09557217B2
An apparatus for optically analyzing a sample may include an imaging subsystem that images the sample, one or more analyzing subsystems that analyze the sample, a temperature control subsystem that controls a temperature of the atmosphere within the apparatus, a gas control subsystem that controls a composition of the atmosphere within the apparatus, and a control module that controls the various subsystems of the apparatus.
US09557216B2
A laser-based spectroscopy system that combines a distance/proximity standoff sensor, a high-repetition rate laser spectroscopy system, and software with a decision-making algorithm embedded in a processing unit which in combination performs selective firing of the laser when the target object is within an interrogation zone. In a related embodiment, the system provides selective sorting of spectroscopic signals based on information from the standoff signal and from information contained in the spectral signals themselves. The laser emission can be actively controlled while keeping the laser firing, thereby preserving the thermal stability and hence the power of the laser; and the standoff sensor information and the spectral information can be combined to determine the proper relative weighting or importance of each piece of spectral information.
US09557215B2
Contrary to conventional wisdom, which holds that light-emitting diodes (LEDs) should be cooled to increase efficiency, the LEDs disclosed herein are heated to increase efficiency. Heating an LED operating at low forward bias voltage can be accomplished by injecting phonons generated by non-radiative recombination back into the LED's semiconductor lattice. This raises the temperature of the LED's active rejection, resulting in thermally assisted injection of holes and carriers into the LED's active region. This phonon recycling or thermo-electric pumping process can be promoted by heating the LED with an external source (e.g., exhaust gases or waste heat from other electrical components). It can also be achieved via internal heat generation, e.g., by thermally insulating the LED's diode structure to prevent (rather than promote) heat dissipation. In other words, trapping heat generated by the LED within the LED increases LED efficiency under certain bias conditions.
US09557212B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for determining a dynamic effective elastic modulus of a composite slickline or wireline cable are provided. A system for estimating the effective elastic modulus (or change thereof) may include a sensing head assembly, a vibration generator, a pair of pulleys, and an optical-based signal processing assembly. The system may detect a resonant frequency of a section of the composite cable held between the two pulleys and estimate the effective elastic modulus based on the detected resonant frequency variation. Adjustments for weight and length of the cable extending into the wellbore may be made as well to determine the dynamic elastic modulus of the cable. The opto-mechanical integrated system described below may enable real-time elastic modulus determination. The system may provide a non-contact inspection method for monitoring mechanical fatigue of a composite cable without interfering with the composite cable intervention operation.
US09557210B2
A system for on-line detection of incipient cracks in turbine blades to serve as early warning system for turbine blade failure. The system of non-intrusive detection of turbine blade condition of the invention is simple and cost effective and would enable assessing the health of the turbine blade during plant operation, which is extremely important for the safe operation of the turbine in an operating power plant. The present method and system of identifying the presence of modulated blade passing frequency (BPF) for blade vibration that is not correlatable to the change in the operating condition and would thus be indicative of presence of cracked blades with incipient cracking. It is capable for verifying the Campbell diagram and ascertain the margin available between the natural frequency of the blade/stage and the steam excitation frequencies/engine orders.
US09557207B2
Volume of a fluid in a tank is determined by measuring the pressure of fluid proximate to the bottom of the tank. The depth of the fluid is then determined from the pressure and density of the fluid. Fluid volume is then determined mathematically or from charts given the depth as well as the size and shape of a tank. Multiple pressure readings may be taken along the bottom of a tank, and an average pressure determined that may be used to calculate volume. Pressure readings may be taken at different heights to determine fluid density used to calculate volume. Pressure readings may be adjusted for atmospheric pressure. Volume increases or decreases exceeding a respective predetermined threshold may be flagged and alerts generated. Volume calculations may be recorded for comparing against a volume of fluid recorded as being purchased.
US09557206B2
An improved fluid level verification apparatus which may be manufactured or otherwise fabricated as a kit and assembled at a remote location for use on liquid filled containers and configured to reduce inherent mechanical stresses on the inspection tube and resists leakage due to environmental, chemical, thermal or mechanical expansion cycles by using internal grooves and entrapped o-rings. The improved fluid level verification apparatus having at least one adjustable end to provide adjustable spacing between the fluid level verification apparatus inlet and outlet.
US09557191B2
A rotating field sensor includes four detection circuits and a computing unit. In the computing unit, defined are four first detection circuit groups each consisting of three detection circuits. Further, defined in each first detection circuit group are three second detection circuit groups each consisting of two detection circuits. The computing unit calculates an angle value for each of all the second detection circuit groups on the basis of the output signals of the two detection circuits, extracts one or more normal first detection circuit groups each of which is such one that all three angle values corresponding to the three second detection circuit groups fall within an angle range of a predetermined breadth, and determines an angle detection value on the basis of at least one of all angle values corresponding to all second detection circuit groups belonging to the one or more normal first detection circuit groups.
US09557184B2
An electronic system includes: a communication unit for providing a factor; a storage unit, coupled to the communication unit, for consolidating history with the factor; a control unit, coupled to the storage unit, for: estimating a delay based on the factor and the history; predicting traffic based on the estimated delay; and determining an alternate route based on the predicted traffic.
US09557182B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for determining shortest route(s) or path(s) to one or more destination nodes from one or more origin nodes. In accordance with one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes identifying a plurality of origin nodes associated with a route based on a threshold distance from at least one destination node, the origin nodes being options for a departure from the route to the at least one destination node. Further, the method may include calculating, using a processor, a cost associated with travelling from each of the origin nodes to at least one common intermediate node between the route and the at least one destination node, and determining a path to the at least one destination node based on the origin node having the lowest calculated cost.
US09557180B2
Free state determination at a high precision is made by using a simpler mechanism. A vehicle position detection device is configured to: store conditional probability information which associates each of values to be taken in vehicle information on a state of an own vehicle, a matching conditional probability that the value occurs in a matching state, and a free conditional probability that the value occurs in a free state; use the conditional probability information to acquire the matching conditional probability and the free conditional probability corresponding to the acquired value of the vehicle information; calculate a probability index in the matching state and a probability index in the free state based on the conditional probabilities; and determine which state is to be selected based on the probability index in the matching state and the probability index in the free state.
US09557173B1
A gyroscope including a dielectric resonator, a laser vibrometer on a first side of the dielectric resonator, and a laser dump for redirecting or absorbing light received at the laser dump from the laser vibrometer, the laser dump on a second side of the dielectric resonator. A first distance between the dielectric resonator and the laser vibrometer ranges from 10 nm to 20 μm, and a second distance between the dielectric resonator and the laser dump ranges from 10 nm to 20 μm.
US09557164B2
Data acquisition devices for analyzing reference objects and systems for monitoring turbine component deformation are provided. A data acquisition device has a longitudinal axis and includes a lens assembly and an image capture device in communication with the lens assembly for receiving and processing light from the lens assembly to generate images. The data acquisition device further includes a light source and a light tube coupled at a rear end to the light source. The light tube extends along the longitudinal axis between a front end and the rear end, and is operable to transport light from the light source therethrough and emit the light from the front end. The data acquisition device further includes an actuator operable to activate the image capture device and the light source.
US09557162B2
A smart phone senses audio, imagery, and/or other stimulus from a user's environment, and acts autonomously to fulfill inferred or anticipated user desires. In one aspect, the detailed technology concerns phone-based cognition of a scene viewed by the phone's camera. The image processing tasks applied to the scene can be selected from among various alternatives by reference to resource costs, resource constraints, other stimulus information (e.g., audio), task substitutability, etc. The phone can apply more or less resources to an image processing task depending on how successfully the task is proceeding, or based on the user's apparent interest in the task. In some arrangements, data may be referred to the cloud for analysis, or for gleaning. Cognition, and identification of appropriate device response(s), can be aided by collateral information, such as context. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09557142B2
A ballistic effect compensating reticle 300 and aim compensation method for rifle sights or projectile weapon aiming systems includes a multiple point elevation and windage aim point field (e.g., 350) including a primary aiming mark (e.g., 358) aligned horizontally with left and right leveling reference lines (e.g., 370L, 370R) which point inwardly to the primary aiming point to be sighted-in at a first selected range. The aim point field also includes a plurality of secondary downrange aiming points arrayed beneath the primary aiming mark, and the downrange aiming points are arrayed in lines of dots or downrange windage hold points positioned to compensate for ballistic effects such as spin drift.
US09557141B2
Kits, apparatus, assemblies, and methods for mounting sighting devices are disclosed. A sighting device includes a base for coupling the sighting device to an object at a first interface, a mounting element connected to the base at a second interface, and a sighting element connected to the mounting element. A channel disposed in the bottom of the base is aligned with a channel disposed in the surface of the object and a channel insert is secured within both channels to securely couple the sighting device to the object. The secure coupling can resist movement of the sighting device relative to the object in at least one direction. The sighting element has a non-opaque body displaying a reticle. An illuminating element backlights the reticle from a first vantage point. The device optionally includes an opaque mounting body and a magnifying optic aligned with the sighting element in an open sight configuration.
US09557140B2
A self-compensating weapon sight includes a housing, partially reflective optics, through which a user may observe a target and receive visually displayed information simultaneously, a light source, for visualization of an aiming point to the user via the partially reflective optics, means for receiving a measure of the distance to the target a processor, for determining the adequate position of the aiming point, based on the distance to the target, and for controlling the light source to emit light so that the aiming point is visualized at the adequate position, wherein the light source is an array capable of selectively emitting light in well defined locations on its surface.
US09557134B1
A reduced friction trigger for a crossbow including a catch moveable between a closed position that retains the draw string in a drawn configuration and an open position that releases the draw string to a released configuration position such that after firing the crossbow the catch is biased to the open position. A sear is moveable between a de-cocked position and a cocked position coupled with the catch at an interface to retain the catch in the closed position such that after firing the crossbow the sear is retained in the de-cocked position by the catch, the sear being biased to the cocked position by a sear biasing force. A low friction device is located at the interface of the catch with the sear. A force sufficient to overcome frictional forces at the interface to release the catch to the open position is less than the sear biasing force.
US09557121B2
Provided is a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant tubes in which a refrigerant flows, a heat dissipation-fin in which the plurality of refrigerant tubes are inserted and through which the refrigerant and a fluid are heat-exchanged with each other, a header coupled to at least one side of the plurality of refrigerant tubes to define a refrigerant flow space, and a guide device disposed within the header to branch the refrigerant into a plurality of passages corresponding to the plurality of refrigerant tubes.
US09557117B2
A cooling structure is provided which includes: an evaporation chamber defined by a base plate having a boiling surface, a ceiling plate and a side wall; a plurality of plate-shaped fins arranged in parallel on the boiling surface, defining a plurality of coolant passages in the evaporation chamber, a liquid phase coolant flows through the coolant passages in one direction from one end portion thereof toward another end portion; a liquid return port formed in the side wall facing the one end portion of coolant passages; and a vapor port formed in the ceiling plate facing the other end portion of coolant passages, wherein space is formed between the ceiling plate and an upper end portion of the plurality of plate-shaped fins, the space expanding gradually from a liquid return port side of the side wall toward the vapor port.
US09557116B2
A stacked plate heat exchanger may include a plurality of elongated plates on top of and connected to one another. The elongated plates may define a first cavity in the longitudinal direction of the plates and be configured to cool a medium. The elongated plates may define a second cavity for conducting a coolant therethrough, wherein in two end regions of each elongated plate, a through hole may be arranged for supplying the medium to be cooled. The through hole may be at least partially surrounded at its boundary by a dome and arranged approximately at the edge of the elongated plates. At least one of the dome and the through hole may be integrated in the edge of the elongated plate.
US09557115B2
Disclosed herein is an orifice plate comprising one or more plates having orifices disposed therein; the orifices being operative to permit the flow of solids from a moving bed heat exchanger to a solids flow control system; where the orifice plate is downstream of a tube bundle of the moving bed heat exchanger and upstream of the solids flow control system and wherein the orifice plate is operative to evenly distribute the flow of solids in the solids flow control system.
US09557105B2
The improved method and arrangement are for cooling torrefied lignocellulosic material. By adding water in controlled amounts to the torrefied material in a grinder at exit from a roaster the entire volume of torrefied material could be cooled down to a temperature well below the critical temperature without increasing the water content of the final product.
US09557099B2
An optical lens for a light source has an incidence surface receiving light rays emitted from a light source and an aspherical emitting surface optically coupled with the incidence surface for receiving light rays from the incidence surface and emitting light rays received from the incidence surface. The incidence surface defines a cavity for receiving the light source. An opaque or semi-opaque bottom surface adjoins the incidence surface and emitting surface. A lighting device has a substrate, a lighting source located on the substrate, and the optical lens located with the substrate and enclosing the lighting device. A strip light has an elongate substrate having light sources and respective lenses distributed longitudinally along the substrate. Such a strip light using the lens is suitable for lighting the interior of a commercial or domestic refrigerator, chillier cabinet, or other enclosure.
US09557095B2
A refrigerator lock for selectively locking at least one door of a refrigerator into a closed position is described. The refrigerator door lock may include an anchor having an outer periphery sized to fit on a door face of the refrigerator adjacent to one or more doors seals when the door maintains the closed position. A fastener such as an adhesive may be utilized to secure the anchor to the door face of the refrigerator. An extension extends from a catch and is selectively securable to the anchor. With the extension secured to the anchor, the catch overlaps the refrigerator doors and either directly or indirectly engages the refrigerator doors to hold them in the closed position.
US09557088B2
An ice dispensing arrangement, particularly for a household refrigeration appliance, has a flap that is rotatable between a first and a second distribution position and a motor which actuates the flap via a transfer device. The transfer device has a rotational disk to be connected to a motor shaft, a piston rod and a rotating transfer element. The latter is rotatable a first and second position such that the flap in the first position of the rotating transfer element, is in the first distribution position and in the second position of the rotating transfer element, the flap is in the second distribution position. The rotating transfer element has a coupling element. The piston rod couples a motor shaft-eccentric point of the rotating disk to the coupling element of the rotating transfer element to rotate the transfer element between the first and second positions.
US09557087B2
An ice making tray has an array of individual ice cube compartments. A mechanical oscillating mechanism is coupled to the tray and rotates the tray from a horizontal plane in opposite directions along an axis through an angle φ of about 20° to 40°, such that water in the tray moves between ice cube compartments. The frequency of oscillation (ω) is harmonically related to the frequency of movement of water in the tray and is about equal to or about twice the frequency of movement of water in the tray. In a preferred embodiment, the floor of the tray is a thermally conductive material in contact with a thermoelectric plate used to freeze the water as well as being subsequently heated to release the formed ice cubes.
US09557086B2
An aseptic ice making system includes an ice making system to receive water from a water supply. The ice making system includes an ice producing subsystem to produce ice and a positive air pressure subsystem to maintain a positive air pressure environment within the ice making system.
US09557083B2
An air-conditioning apparatus has a heating only temporary operation mode in which, in changing from a heating main operation mode to a heating only operation mode, when an outside air temperature is at or above a predetermined temperature, at least one of heat exchangers functioning as a condenser in the heating main operation mode continues functioning as the condenser, and the refrigerant is not supplied to the intermediate heat exchanger functioning as an evaporator in the heating main operation mode and a cooling only temporary operation mode in which, in changing from a cooling main operation mode to a cooling only operation mode, when the outside air temperature is at or below a predetermined temperature, at least one of heat exchangers functioning as the evaporator in the cooling main operation mode continues functioning as the evaporator, and the refrigerant is not supplied to the intermediate heat exchanger functioning as the condenser in the cooling main operation mode.
US09557080B2
A refrigeration cycle apparatus (1A) includes: a main circuit (2) composed of an evaporator (25), a first compressor (21), an intercooler (8), a second compressor (22), and a condenser (23) which are connected in this order; and an evaporation-side circulation path (5) that allows a refrigerant liquid retained in the evaporator (25) to circulate via a heat exchanger for heat absorption (6). The intercooler (8) is a heat exchanger that allows a refrigerant vapor compressed by the first compressor (21) to be cooled by the refrigerant liquid. A supply path (71) supplies, to the intercooler (8), a portion of the refrigerant liquid flowing in the first circulation path (5), and a recovery path (73) recovers the refrigerant liquid from the intercooler (8) to the evaporator (25).
US09557071B2
A fire-rated exhaust duct system comprising a modular configuration or structure. The fire-rated exhaust duct system comprises a plurality of exhaust duct sections. Each of the exhaust duct sections is configured to be joined or connected with other exhaust duct sections in the field or at an installation site, e.g. in building housing a kitchen facility or a laboratory facility to form longer sections or runs for exhaust duct system.
US09557064B2
A cooking hob includes a transparent or semi-transparent top panel and a cooking zone with a pot detector. A user interface is below the top panel and includes touch switches and a touch slide. A light source corresponds with the touch switch and the cooking zone. The light source indicates detection of a pot on the cooking zone by a first light signal during a predetermined time interval and indicates an activated state of the cooking zone by a second light signal and indicates the selected cooking zone and the activated state of the touch slide element by the first light signal. The touch slide is for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the indicated cooking zone within the time interval. The touch switch is for selecting the cooking zone and activating the touch slide. The touch slide is for adjusting the power and/or temperature of the selected cooking zone.
US09557051B2
A vortex flame device includes a flow guiding mechanism integrated from two half flow guiding mechanisms and with which a fuel reservoir is adapted to connect. Each half flow guiding mechanism includes a wall. The walls are engaged together in a manner movable relative to each other, and each includes a plurality of vanes mounted thereon. Two adjacent vanes include a spiral air passage formed therebetween and in communication with the channel. The two half flow guiding mechanisms selectively change to a first position including a gap between free ends thereof and a second position with the free ends thereof joined. Further, a combustion head is disposed in the channel and has at least one outlet hole that fuel of the connected fuel reservoir flows through. Further, a shield is disposed above the flow guiding mechanism.
US09557048B2
A heat dissipating housing for a lighting device includes a back wall comprising an upper section and a lower section. The housing further includes a sidewall extending down from the upper section of the back wall. The back wall and the sidewall define a cavity of the housing. The upper section of the back wall is elevated from the lower section of the back wall such that when a printed circuit board (PCB) having an uninsulated electrical element on a back side of the PCB is in contact with the lower section of the back wall within the cavity, the uninsulated electrical element is separated from a closest point on the housing by an air gap and a distance that is compliant with an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) spacing requirement. The back side of the PCB faces the upper section of the back wall.
US09557047B2
A light emitting diode (LED) lamp includes a hollow connector, an LED module mounted on the connector, and a fin unit received in the connector. The connector has an inlet and an outlet couple to the inlet. Heat generated from the LED module is transferred to the connector to dissipate. The fan unit includes a first fan and a second fan rotating along contrary directions.
US09557042B2
An illumination system includes an illumination base. The illumination base has two common lines, a plurality of parallel branching lines extending between the common lines respectively, and a plurality of sockets disposed on the branching lines. The same number of sockets are disposed on each branching line, and the sockets are connected in series. The illumination system also includes light source elements. Each light source element has a first plug portion to be received in one of the sockets, and an LED lamp to be electrically connected to the illumination base when the first plug portion is received in the associated socket. The illumination system also includes resistor elements. Each resistor element has a second plug portion to be received in one of the sockets, and a resistor to be electrically connected to the illumination base when the second plug portion is received in the associated socket.
US09557041B2
This invention relates to separately produce the complicated 3D curved structure and LED 3D curved lead frame to meet the demand of the complicated curved surface illumination of illumination device. First of all, draw illumination circuit with banded structure of multilayer lead frame on 3D illumination complicated curved surface, then spread these curved circuit into plane circuit, dismantle the banded structure of multilayer lead frame of circuit into circuit pattern of single layers, use process the prototype of circuit patterns of each layer with conductive metal charge tape, and produce the prototype of banded structure of multilayer conductive frame through repeated accumulation of multi-disc charge tapes, and install the LED chip on the installation seat to get LED flat lead frame, then flex the conductive metal into LED 3D curved lead frame with jig and paste on the luminous curved surface, and package them together with transparent material, for example, curved decorative lighting, spherical display advertising board, etc.; this method offers more flexibility for structure and aesthetic design, and fully utilizes the high heat dissipation capacity of main body of metal part.
US09557036B2
A lighting device comprises a housing carrying a linear array of light radiation sources and one or more elongated diffusive screens arranged facing the array of light sources so as to be passed through by the light radiation. The screen or screens have a pattern of geometric features for producing a radiation pattern of the light radiation emitted by the lighting device as a result of passing through the diffusive screen or screens. By replacing the diffusive screen or screens with screens which have a different pattern of geometric features it is possible to vary the radiation pattern of the light radiation emitted by the lighting device.
