US09686884B2

A safety mechanism is provided for an electrical equipment rack. The rack has a frame with a vertical frame element including vertically spaced at intervals mounting points which are apertures for accepting mounting pegs of a frame mountable portion of an electrical equipment unit mounting rail. The safety mechanism has a vertical strip member mounted for vertical movement adjacent the vertical frame element, and the vertical strip member includes spaced apertures corresponding to the apertures on the vertical frame element. The vertical strip member is movable between a fully raised position and a lowered position. The safety mechanism further includes a raising mechanism for raising the vertical strip member from a lowered position to the fully raised position.
US09686881B2

A server includes a chassis having a base and a cover, a switch mounted on the chassis, and a motherboard. The motherboard includes a control circuit and a power-on pin. The control circuit includes a switch unit, and the switch unit includes a first buffer, a switch chip and a jumper. When the cover is detached from the base, the switch outputs a first signal to the first buffer, and the first buffer outputs the first signal to the switch chip. The switch chip outputs the first signal to the power-on pin, and the server is powered off. When the base is covered by the cover, the switch outputs a third signal to the first buffer and the first buffer outputs the third signal to the switch chip. The switch chip outputs the third signal to the power-on pin, and the server is powered on.
US09686878B2

An exterior cover of an electronic device includes a cradle cover to which the electronic device is fitted, a top cover that opens or closes a front face of the electronic device, and a connecting member interconnecting the top cover and the cradle cover. The top cover is configured to be conformally engaged with the cradle cover and to maintain the conformally engaged state. An exterior cover for an electronic device includes a cradle cover to which the electronic device is fitted, a top cover that opens or closes a front face of the electronic device, and a connecting member interconnecting the top cover and the cradle cover, wherein the top cover is configured to be conformally engaged with the cradle cover.
US09686875B2

There has conventionally been a problem that a cable duct must be disposed as a separate member apart from a device when cable wiring between devices is carried out, and a fixed space is necessary for disposing the cable duct, and thus the space cannot be effectively used. An electrical device incorporates an electrical unit such as an inverter that is wired to a cable, and a cable duct part that houses a cable wired to another device, and has structure in which, by providing slide structure, the size of cable duct part can be adjusted in accordance with the requirements of cable wiring.
US09686869B2

A write wiring trace is formed over insulating layer. A coating layer, being directly in contact with at least a first portion of a surface of the write wiring trace, is formed over the insulating layer to cover the write wiring trace. A connection terminal is formed over the insulating layer to be electrically connected to the write wiring trace and exposed from the coating layer.
US09686867B2

Methods to systematize the development of machines using inexpensive, fast, and convenient fabrication processes are disclosed. In an embodiment, a folding pattern and corresponding circuit design can provide the blueprints for fabrication. The folding pattern may be provided (e.g. laser machined) on a flat sheet of substrate material, such as a polymer. The circuit pattern may be generated by etching or applying (e.g. sputtering) a copper foil layer onto the substrate. Circuit components and actuators may then be added at specified locations. The flat substrate may then be folded along the predefined locations to form the final machine. The machine may operate autonomously to perform a task.
US09686866B2

A package structure includes a circuit substrate, at least one electronic component, and a connecting slot. The circuit substrate includes at least one core layer, a build-up structure including at least three patterned circuit layers, at least two dielectric layers and conductive through holes, and circuit pads. The electronic component is embedded in at least one of the dielectric layers and located in a disposition area. The electronic component is electrically connected to one of the patterned circuit layers through a portion of the conductive through holes. The connecting slot has a bottom portion, a plurality of sidewall portions connecting the bottom portion, and a plurality of connecting pads located on the sidewall portions. The circuit substrate is assembled to the bottom portion, and the circuit pads are electrically connected to the connecting pads through a bent area of the core layer that is bent relative to the disposition area.
US09686851B2

A target assembly to produce radioisotopes for the synthesis of radiopharmaceuticals. The target assembly includes a target vessel with a target chamber adapted to receive a target material. A thin cover sheet of particle-permeable material covers the target chamber. In a bombardment process, a high-energy particle beam generated by a cyclotron or particle accelerator strikes the thin cover sheet, whereby at least some of the particles from the particle beam penetrate to the target chamber so as to interact with the target material, altering the nuclear makeup of some of the atoms in the target material to produce radioisotopes.
US09686837B1

Disclosed is a foldable display device comprising: a display panel comprising a display area, and one or more foldable areas and non-foldable areas located within the display area; a cover film disposed on a front surface of the display panel; a support disposed at a back surface of the display panel; and a drive circuit to drive the display panel. One of the foldable areas may be located at a display surface near one edge area of the display panel, such that the edge area of the display panel is folded toward the back surface of the display panel, and the drive circuit is located on a flexible printed circuit board provided at the back surface of the display panel while being connected to the edge area of the display panel.
US09686836B2

The present invention provides a light emitting diode (LED) driving device as a semiconductor device, which comprises: a direct current/direct current (DC/DC) controller, for controlling an output segment that is used to generate an output voltage from an input voltage and supply the output voltage to an LED; an output current driver, for generating an output current of the LED; and an LED short-circuit detection circuit, for monitoring a cathode voltage of the LED to perform an LED short-circuit detection, wherein the LED short-circuit detection circuit controls whether an action is performed or not according to a short-circuit detection enable signal input from outside the LED driving device.
US09686828B2

A LED retrofit lamp for replacement of fluorescent lamp or tube driven by fluorescent ballast is provided. The retrofit lamp is compatible with the fluorescent ballast that requires the presence of a barrier for striking an arc voltage. The present invention provides a strike barrier—a controllable barrier that does not allow current conduction until a threshold voltage is reached. When a current above the threshold voltage passes through the strike barrier, the circuit latches and allows conduction at normal voltage. The present invention also provides a circuit that replicates the cathode heater resistance of a fluorescent lamp to rapid start and programmed start ballast.
US09686826B2

Methods of and device for retaining a moisture level of a food heated/reheated in a microwave oven are provided. The device includes a microwave splatter cover, a lid, or a lunch box integrated with a steam generator. The device is able to contain a steam generator capable of generating steam from added water when a microwave radiation is provided. The steam generator is able to rotatably couple with the center of the microwave cover. Water added to the cover is able to be temporary stored on the cover and subsequently flow to a dish structure underneath the cover. Alternatively, water is able to be added directly through a hole on the cover to the dish structure.
US09686825B2

A cooking device includes a user interface having an outer surface. The user interface is connected to an outer enclosure. A duct is connected to the user interface. A door is connected to the outer enclosure. A cooling device is in thermal communication with a member selected from the group consisting of the outer surface and the door. The cooling device is connected to the user interface or the door by the duct.
US09686817B2

Embodiments of user equipment (UE) and methods for enhanced discontinuous reception (DRX) operations for inter eNB carrier aggregation (CA) in an LTE network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a UE is configured to be served by multiple serving cells. The first set of the serving cells may be associated with a first eNB and a second set of serving cells may be associated with a second eNB. In these embodiments, DRX operations may be performed independently in multiple serving cells belonging to the different eNBs. Other embodiments for enhanced DRX operations are also described.
US09686816B2

System and method embodiments are provided for pausing data transmission in a full-duplex wireless network. Embodiments eliminate the deadlocks in the full duplex MAC layer and improve the system efficiency. In an embodiment, a method in a wirelessly enabled and full duplex enabled network component for pausing an ongoing data transmission includes beginning a transmission, with the network component, of first data to a first station; determining, with the network component, that transmission of a second data to a second station is required before completion of the transmission of the first data to the first station; transmitting, with the network component, a pause indicator to the first station notifying the first station that transmission of the first data will be paused; transmitting, with the network component, the second data to the second station; and resuming transmitting, with the network component, the first data to the first station.
US09686809B2

The invention proposes a system for providing mobility to a terminal through at least two different mobility protocols, wherein a mobility gateway and a terminal share a common mobility session, said common mobility session can be updated through any of the said different mobility protocols, and each mobility protocol provides information to the terminal related to all other mobility protocol during a registration. The invention also proposes a corresponding gateway, a terminal and method.
US09686804B2

It is presented a method for assisting handling of interference at a receiver device. The method is performed in a network node and comprises the steps of: determining a parameter indicating a maximum number of interfering streams for which interference suppression is likely to be successful at the receiver device; determining that a number of potentially interfering streams at the receiver device exceeds the maximum number of interfering streams indicated by the parameter; and scheduling transmissions to avoid that the number of concurrent interfering streams at the receiver device exceeds the maximum number of interfering streams indicated by the parameter. A corresponding network node is also presented.
US09686803B2

A wireless digital communication system includes a base station in communication with a plurality of user equipment mobile terminals (UEs). The system prioritizes the forwarding of blocks of downlink data to designated ones of the UEs. The system employs adaptive modulation and coding (AM&C) to achieve improved radio resource utilization and provides optimum data rates for user services. Blocks of downlink (DL) data are received by the base station which requests downlink (DL) channel quality measurements only from those mobile terminals (UEs) with pending downlink transmissions. The UEs respond to the request by measuring and reporting DL channel quality to the base station, which then allocates resources such that the UEs will make best use of radio resources. The base station notifies the UEs of the physical channel allocation indicating the modulation/coding rate and allocated slots followed by transmission of blocks of downlink data which are transmitted to the UEs.
US09686801B2

The architecture of the high-speed shared service provides a Node B yielding various sets of information that answer a set of basic questions that a data service needs. Many potential measurements the Node B can make are provided to the RNC to enable a resource manager to perform certain functions and which can be used to answer the set of basic questions.
US09686797B2

The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for determining a power offset parameter. The method for determining the power offset parameter provided in the present invention comprises: obtaining data throughput rate and/or cell resource usage state of a terminal; determining a resource state of the terminal according to the data throughput rate and/or the cell resource usage state and a corresponding threshold; determining power offset parameter configuration corresponding to the resource state according to the determined resource state; and sending the power offset parameter configuration to the terminal, so that the terminal determines the power offset parameter according to the power offset parameter configuration.
US09686794B2

Provided is a communication system that, in using a communication scheme such as TD-LTE, may attain a high speed communication by securing a bandwidth of carriers and prevent radio interference with another system by keeping the carriers within a frequency band assigned to the communication scheme. Specifically, the communication system having a plurality of communication apparatuses for carrying out a radio communication by assigning the plurality of communication apparatuses to a second frequency band with a predetermined bandwidth to be exceeded by carriers serially assigned, assigns the carriers to the second frequency band in such a manner as to overlap a portion of each of the carriers, and a communication apparatus (10a) using one of the carriers and a communication apparatus (10b) using the other carrier carry out the radio communication by preferentially using respective ranges of the overlapping portion.
US09686793B2

A base station includes an antenna to receive frequency bands that include a first band associated with first signals carrying machine-two-machine (M2M) data and a second band associated with second signals carrying user equipment (UE) data. The base station further includes a baseband unit (BBU) that includes: a radio frequency (RF) interface configured to receive the first signals and the second signals, a digital front end (DFE) configured to generate first symbols based on the first signals and second symbols based on the second signals, a symbol processor configured to convert the first symbols into the M2M data and the second symbols into the UE data, and one or more processors configured to forward the M2M data to a first device and the UE data to a second device that differs from the first device.
US09686781B2

Certain embodiments described herein enable a base station (BS) and a medical device (MD) to establish a radio frequency (RF) link using any one of a plurality of different RF channels. The MD sniffs the RF channels over which a BS may send a link request, and tunes to the RF channel identified, as a result of the sniffing, as the channel over which a BS may be transmitting a link request. The MD may also demodulate a signal received over the RF channel to which the MD is tuned, and determine, based on a portion of the demodulated signal including a channel identifier, a specific one of the RF channels over which a BS is actually transmitting. This enables the MD to change the channel to which it is tuned if it determines that it is not tuned to the RF channel over which a BS is actually transmitting.
US09686780B2

A method of delivering downlink control information associated with downlink data transmission on an unlicensed channel includes, transmitting downlink control information to a user equipment (UE) on a second channel without knowing when the unlicensed channel is available for transmission, wherein the downlink control information corresponds to a later transmission of data on the unlicensed channel if the unlicensed channel is available; and transmitting the data to the UE on the unlicensed channel according to the downlink control information, if the unlicensed channel is available for transmission.
US09686768B2

Systems, apparatus and methods disclosed herein utilize motion detection to estimate variability of positioning related metrics. In some embodiments, a method may comprise obtaining the speeds of a plurality of mobile stations in a set of mobile stations connected to an AP in a wireless network. The frequency of Round Trip Time (RTT) measurements between a mobile station in the plurality of mobile stations and the AP is increased during periods when the speed of the mobile station does not exceed a threshold. An estimate of variability may be obtained for RTT measurements for the AP.
US09686751B2

[Object] To make it possible to perform uplink transmission using appropriate transmission power in the case where a beamforming process is performed.[Solution] There is provided a communication control apparatus including an acquisition unit configured to acquire control information for determining uplink transmission power; and a communication control unit configured to control transmission of the control information to a terminal apparatus. The control information includes adjustment information for adjusting transmission power according to an antenna gain in a case where a beamforming process is performed.
US09686750B2

Methods and apparatus for adaptively adjusting temporal parameters such as e.g., wake-up times of digital tracking algorithms (such as timing, frequency and power control). In one exemplary embodiment, wake-up times for tracking loops are based on success/error metrics (e.g., Block Error Rate (BLER), Bit Error Rate (BER), Packet Error Rate (PER), Cyclic Redundancy Checks (CRC), etc.) of one or more previous discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles. In a second embodiment, wake-up times for tracking loops are based on residual frequency and timing errors, etc.
US09686748B2

A terminal communicating with at least one wireless communication device determines whether a first data is received from the at least one wireless communication device in a first mode, in which power is supplied to a display portion, determines whether a second data is received during a first time period from the time when the first data is received, and switches to a second mode in which the power supplied to the display portion is blocked according to whether the second data is received.
US09686745B2

A device for use with a wireless transceiver that is operable to transmit a data file. The device includes a communication component, a processing component, a parameter detecting component and a controlling component. The communication component wirelessly communicates with the transceiver. The processing component operates in a first manner. The parameter detecting component detects a first parameter and generates a parameter signal based on the detected first parameter. The controlling component generates a wake-up signal based on the parameter signal. The communication component can further receive the data file based on the wake-up signal. The processing component can further operate in a second manner based on the data file.
US09686739B2

The present invention provides a method of joining/re-joining a first micro-mesh for a mesh node. The method includes self-evaluating a mesh capability and a gateway capability of the mesh node itself; searching for a nearby dynamic gateway node and determining whether the nearby dynamic gateway node is found; calculating cellular RF criteria and determining whether the cellular RF criteria are met when the nearby dynamic gateway node is found; and joining or re-joining the first micro-mesh when the cellular RF criteria are not met.
US09686738B2

Methods and apparatus that enable and optimize the simultaneous operation of several wireless femtocells having overlapping coverage areas. In one embodiment of the invention, a resource allocation (e.g., time-frequency grid for an OFDM or TDMA based wireless network) governs the simultaneous operation of several femtocells with overlapping coverage areas by specifying uses for resources. A resource allocation unit (RAU) entity is disclosed for managing and modifying resource allocations for femtocells. The community of femtocells can flexibly share resources according to the time-frequency grid, thereby maximizing spectral efficiency without requiring substantial network overhead.
US09686736B2

In various aspects, the disclosure provides user equipment (UE) capable of conducting a public land mobile network (PLMN) search by determining a paging schedule for a serving cell of the UE, the serving cell being associated with a first PLMN and the paging schedule defining one or more paging occasions. The UE may initiate a search for a second PLMN between consecutive paging occasions, and may read information blocks on a broadcast channel of a cell of the second PLMN. The UE may discontinue reading a partially-read information block when the partially-read information block is scheduled for transmission at least partially concurrently with a paging occasion on the serving cell if the partially-read information block does not include information for identifying the second PLMN. The UE may ignore the first paging occasion when the partially-read information block includes the information for identifying the second PLMN.
US09686734B2

A method may include receiving a request for content. The content may be associated with a content availability area. User devices located inside of the content availability area may be permitted access to the content. The method may include determining a first area entirely encompassed by the content availability area and/or a second area entirely encompassing the content availability area. The method may include obtaining first location information that identifies a location of a user device. The method may include selectively obtaining second location information based on whether the user device is located inside of the first area, outside of the second area, or outside of the first area and inside of the second area. The second location information may be more precise than the first location information, and may be used to determine whether the user device is located within the content availability area.
US09686733B2

A communication method in a wireless network is provided. The method includes, during the transmission of a data block from a source node to a destination node, the following steps: a node, having stored a set of segments of the block, selects a first adjacent node; determines an appropriate segment size for a transfer to the first adjacent node; reformats at least one segment from the set of segment(s) based on the determined segment size; and sends at least the reformatted segment to the first determined adjacent node; the method being characterized in that the node detects a modification of the links between the node and its adjacent nodes, and following that detection, selects a second adjacent node, stops the transmission to the first adjacent node of the set of segments stored before the detection, determines an updated appropriate segment size for a transfer to the second determined adjacent node, reformats at least one segment from the set of segment(s) not yet transmitted to the first adjacent node based on the updated size and transmits the at least one reformatted segment to the second adjacent node.
US09686731B2

Provided is a method for processing traffic by a terminal in a wireless communication system supporting a multiple access network. The method comprises receiving from a first access network traffic routing information, and processing traffic on the first access network based on the traffic routing information. The traffic routing information indicates whether at least one unit of traffic on the first access network can be processed through a second access network. Processing the traffic based on the traffic routing information involves determining whether the traffic can be processed through the second access network, and processing the traffic through the second access network when the traffic can be processed through the second access network.
US09686725B2

A mobility parameter adjustment method and apparatus for use in a wireless communication system is provided. The mobility parameter adjustment method of a base station includes receiving connection failure information from a terminal, and adjusting a mobility adjustment parameter based on the connection failure information. The mobility parameter adjustment method and apparatus of the present disclosure is capable of adjusting mobility parameter efficiently so as to improve the mobility robustness of the wireless communication system and User Equipment (UE).
US09686715B2

Techniques are provided, which may be used for determining a position of a user equipment (mobile device). In certain example implementations, tones in positioning signals from one or more sources that may interfere with certain positioning signals be estimated and some form of interference mitigation may be applied, which may better enable the user equipment to acquire certain other positioning signals that may be useful in determining a position of the user equipment.
US09686714B2

Detecting local cell identifier collision by a base station may be achieved by receiving, at a first base station from a user device, a dedicated identifier associated with a second base station. The dedicated identifier may include or otherwise map to a user device identifier associated with the second base station and a local cell identifier associated with the second base station. Based on the dedicated identifier, it may be determined, at the first base station, that there is a local cell identifier collision between the first base station and the second base station.
US09686704B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises: acquiring configuration information for terminal measurements of carriers relating to network performance on said carriers, said carriers being carriers in a carrier aggregation for a terminal, the configuration information comprising at least two measurement configurations with one measurement configuration for a radio access technology; and performing terminal measurements on said carriers according to the configuration information. Related apparatus and computer program product are also described.
US09686703B2

A method for sending a Channel State Information (CSI) report for a Downlink (DL) channel by a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system is provided. The method includes obtaining, from an evolved Node B (eNB), CSI report setting information including information about a transmission cycle and a transmission time for a CSI report, and Discontinuous Reception (DRX) setting information including information about an active time period in which signal transmission/reception is available in a DRX mode, determining whether the UE operates in the DRX mode, and if the UE is determined to operate in the DRX mode, adjusting the transmission time taking into account the CSI report setting information and the active time period, and sending the CSI report at the adjusted transmission time.
US09686700B2

A method for collecting and identifying interference, which includes requesting each access point device to collect spectrum information, so as to determine interference sources of spectrum information that belongs to a same interference type and is collected by the at least two access point devices, and extracting, from the spectrum information collected by the at least two access point devices, the spectrum information that belongs to the same interference type; matching characteristic sequences of the interference sources, and calculating an overlapping characteristic match value so as to determine whether the match value is greater than a preset threshold, and if the match value is greater than the preset threshold, determining that the extracted spectrum information is from a same interference source, and if the match value is not greater than the preset threshold, determining that the extracted spectrum information is from different interference sources.
US09686694B2

Techniques to support directional transmission and reception by wireless network boosters are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise logic, at least a portion of which is in hardware, the logic to receive a directionally-transmitted booster reference signal, receive a system information message comprising timing offset information, and determine a time at which to send a link establishment message based on the timing offset information and a time of receipt of the directionally-transmitted booster reference signal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09686693B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to transferring geospatial tiles for Wi-Fi networks. A geospatial tile specifies a geographic region and includes data pertaining to a plurality of Wi-Fi networks having respective geographic coverage areas within the geographic region. A mobile device can receive an indicator that corresponds to a geospatial tile for retrieval by the mobile device. Further, the mobile device can request the geospatial tile from a tile management system based upon the indicator. Upon receiving the geospatial tile from the tile management system, the mobile device stores the geospatial tile in a tile cache. Further, the mobile device can automatically connect to a particular Wi-Fi network from the plurality of Wi-Fi networks utilizing data for the particular Wi-Fi network included in the geospatial tile when the mobile device is positioned within a geographic coverage area of the particular Wi-Fi network.
US09686692B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to transferring geospatial tiles for Wi-Fi networks. A geospatial tile specifies a geographic region and includes data pertaining to a plurality of Wi-Fi networks having respective geographic coverage areas within the geographic region. A mobile device can receive an indicator that corresponds to a geospatial tile for retrieval by the mobile device. Further, the mobile device can request the geospatial tile from a tile management system based upon the indicator. Upon receiving the geospatial tile from the tile management system, the mobile device stores the geospatial tile in a tile cache. Further, the mobile device can automatically connect to a particular Wi-Fi network from the plurality of Wi-Fi networks utilizing data for the particular Wi-Fi network included in the geospatial tile when the mobile device is positioned within a geographic coverage area of the particular Wi-Fi network.
US09686682B2

The present disclosure relates to setup of IoT network devices, and specifically to setup of multiple similar IoT devices at substantially the same time using joint authentication. Embodiments include, for example, receiving, at an existing network device on a network, one or more communications, wherein the one or more communications include an indication that multiple new network devices are associated with the network; receiving an indication that the multiple new network devices have generated a setup access point; establishing a connection with the access point of each of the multiple new network devices; receiving identification information, wherein the identification information includes information identifying each of the multiple new network devices; and transmitting the identification information identifying each of the multiple new network devices, wherein when the identification information is received, the identification information facilitates generating an authentication query to authenticate one or more of the multiple new network devices.
US09686670B2

Locally available location data is analyzed to identify a country or region of the world in which an electronic device (10) is most likely being used. From the identified country or region, the electronic device configures a band scan order for a prioritized full band scan of channels supported by the electronic device. As part of the configuration, the electronic device places the frequencies most likely to be used for radio access technology in the identified country or region at the beginning of the band scan order.
US09686660B2

Information or items that otherwise might be carried in a person's wallet or purse may be managed and stored on a mobile phone. Embodiments include a software application loaded on a mobile phone and an Internet website through which certain information can be transmitted to the phone by the user, third parties, or both. A user may be alerted to certain information or changes in information that meet certain criteria. The website may provide secure storage for information, filter information, and send encrypted and compressed nuggets or fractions of information to the phone for storage based on topic. E-mails may be searched for information, information may be sent to different parties, and signals may be sent locally to exchange information. Personal information may include account information or travel information, for example.
US09686651B2

It is presented a method for assisting the determining of a position of a wireless device, the method being performed in a network node connected to a plurality of remote radio head devices via a combiner. The method comprises the steps of: receiving an uplink signal via the combiner; comparing a carrier frequency of the uplink signal with a set of manipulation schemes for a carrier frequency of uplink signals, wherein the manipulation schemes are different for at least some of the plurality of remote radio head devices; and providing a proximity indication that the position of the wireless device is in the vicinity of a remote radio head device the frequency manipulation scheme of which best matches the uplink signal. A corresponding network node, computer program, and computer program product are also presented.
US09686649B2

Methods and apparatus for determining device location in crowded indoor environments. A mobile device is configured to determine its location using a Wi-Fi Time of Flight (ToF)-based location scheme. Once the device determines it location, it may broadcast its location to nearby devices using a low energy location sharing mechanism that employs low energy broadcast signals identifying the location of the device. The low energy broadcast signals may be used by other devices having a similar configuration, as well as devices that don't use the ToF-based location scheme to determine their locations using RSSI measurements and multi-lateration and/or have such capabilities disabled. The location of a device may be updated by fusing location data derived from the ToF-based location scheme with location data received from nearby devices that are broadcasting their locations using the low energy location sharing mechanism. The sharing mechanism reduces the number of ToF sessions, while also reducing power consumption by using the lower energy broadcasts to share location data.
US09686639B2

A transmission system using the Bluetooth Low Energy is provided. The transmission system includes a broadcast device transmitting broadcast data, and a scanning device receiving the broadcast data and determining whether to execute a response action according to the broadcast data. The response action includes replying with request data to the broadcast device, and the broadcast device determines whether to transmit parameter data to the scanning device according to the request data in order to make the scanning device determine whether to further execute the response action. The parameter data is set according to the request data.
US09686629B2

A remotely provisioned proxy within a wireless/mobile phone that proxies a wireless communication path between a disconnected piconet (e.g., BLUETOOTH™) device and a network resource such as a universal resource locator (URL) via a mating mobile phone. Thus, an application proxy module embodied within the mobile phone provides managed access of a piconet device connected to the mating mobile phone to remote services. A disconnected piconet device uses the full data bandwidth available to a wireless phone, without the need for the disconnected piconet device to include its own separate wireless front end, or to require use of a modem within the mobile phone. Thus, using a mobile phone with application proxy, the user need not pay for the luxury of a tethered data plan.
US09686628B2

An audio channel control circuit includes a filter module and a determining module. The audio channel control circuit receives a first audio signal and a second audio signal from an audio device. The first audio signal loads a first carrier signal, while the second audio signal loads a second carrier signal. The first carrier signal and the second carrier signal have different phases. The filter module filters the first audio signal and the second audio signal, separating the first carrier signal from the first audio signal and the second carrier signal from the second audio signal. According to the phases of the first carrier signal and the second carrier signal, the determining module chooses a speaker of the left audio channel or a speaker of the right audio channel to output the first audio signal or the second audio signal.
US09686627B2

A process and system for generating three dimensional sound conferencing includes generating a virtual map with a plurality of positions, each participant selecting one of the positions, determining a direction from each position to each other position on the map, determining a distance from each position to each other position on the map, receiving sound from each participant, mixing the received sound, transforming the mixed sound into binaural audio, and directing the binaural audio sound to each participant via a speaker associated with the virtual position of the speaking participant. The result is a clarified sound that gives to the listening participant a sense of where the speaking participant is positioned relative to the listening participant.
US09686615B2

In an embodiment, an electroacoustic converter (earphone 100) has an enclosure 41, piezoelectric sounding body 32, electromagnetic sounding body 31, and passage 35. The piezoelectric sounding body 32 includes a first vibration plate 321 having a periphery supported directly or indirectly on the enclosure 41, and a piezoelectric element 322 placed at least on one side of the vibration plate 321. The piezoelectric sounding body 32 has a second vibration plate and divides the interior of the enclosure 41 into a first space S1 and a second space S2. The electromagnetic sounding body 31 is placed in the first space S1. The passage 35 is provided in or around the piezoelectric sounding body 32 to connect the first space S1 and second space S2. The electroacoustic converter is capable of obtaining desired frequency characteristics easily.
US09686610B2

Devices related to digital MEMS loudspeakers are discussed. Such devices may include an air pressure source, MEMS valves coupled to the air pressure source, and an audio modulator coupled to the MEMS valve to receive an audio signal and to control the MEMS valves via a modulation signal to provide an acoustic output.
US09686608B2

An acoustic coupling sensor 200 for a portable electronic device is described which includes an acoustic transmitter 22, a reference signal generator 20 coupled to the acoustic transmitter, and an acoustic sensor 24 wherein in operation, the reference signal generator is operable to transmit the reference signal to the acoustic transmitter, to detect an acoustic level of the transmitted reference signal via the acoustic sensor, and wherein the detected reference signal level corresponds to a value of acoustic coupling between the acoustic transmitter and the acoustic sensor. The acoustic coupling sensor may be used for example in a mobile phone to detect acoustic leakage in order to adapt the acoustic level in the mobile phone during use.
US09686604B2

A system and method for a hybrid ring-radiator headphone driver, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims.
US09686601B1

An audio device that sound enhances, that physically supports the sound enhancing, and that has a capability to physically support a video recorder. The audio device includes a microphone head and a stand. The microphone head enhances sound. The stand physically supports the microphone head and has the capability to physically support the video recorder.
US09686599B2

Systems and methods for determining minimal spectrum occupancy in routing and wavelength/spectrum assignment (RWA/RSA) in an optical network include performing, for a new demand request, a set of binary operations using a binary representation for each wavelength or portion of spectrum over all links in the optical network; and selecting, based on the set of binary operations, i) a route and ii) one of a) a wavelength and b) one or more portions of spectrum for the new demand request.
US09686592B2

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which the program guide may provide the user with a selectable list of combination categories. Combination categories are composed of multiple simple categories such as sports, news, comedy, movies, children, etc. Program listings are supplied to the program guide. At least some of the program listings are associated with combination categories. A combination category build process may be used to assign combination categories to program listings. The user is able to use the selectable categories list to quickly identify programming of interest.
US09686585B2

The present invention relates to a system and a device for providing proximity control in a satellite television media content distribution system comprising at least a primary receiver and a secondary receiver, whereby authorization to access the conditional access media content is given if the primary and secondary receivers are verified to be within a single household. The invention uses LNB control signaling, by the primary receiver, to cause the LNB to down-convert signals from pre-determined transponders onto a pre-determined frequency in the L-Band such that the secondary receiver may receive messages thus created through the primary receiver's controlling of the LNB.
US09686572B2

A digital media distribution device that includes an encoder, a decoder coupled to the encoder, and a transcoder coupled to the decoder. The encoder is configured to encode input data that is received by the digital media distribution device into a first data format. The decoder is configured to decode output data to be output by the digital media distribution device. The transcoder is configured to convert the encoded input data from the first data format into a second data format. The digital media distribution device is configured to be coupled to a computer network.
US09686571B2

Techniques to selectively provide a video feed to broadcasting equipment are disclosed. A master control switcher may receive video feeds from video servers containing video content. The master control switcher may select one of the video feeds to output. At least one localized switcher may also receive video feeds from the video servers and select one of the video feeds to output. One of the video feeds supplied to the localized switcher(s) is the output from the master control switcher. An air server may receive video feeds from the master control switcher and the at least one localized switcher and out put the video feeds to separate broadcasting equipment. The video feeds may be arranged to reflect a schedule of programming for a local television station. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09686570B2

It is provided a method for synchronizing content playback at the presentation level, wherein, a first content is presented on a first device and a second content that is the same as or correlated with the first content is presented on a second device. The method comprises steps of receiving status messages from the first device and the second device, wherein the status messages comprise information about playback positions of the first content and the second content currently being playbacked at the presentation level of the first device and the second device; and in response to differences between playback positions of the first content and the second content comprised in the status messages being above a threshold value, performing adjustment to maintain difference of playback positions of the first content and the second content at the presentation level of the first device and the second device below the threshold value.
US09686567B2

The present invention relates to an integrated video encoder/decoder supporting multilayer pictures with different types. The integrated video encoder according to the present invention includes a base encoder including an encoding algorithm module to encode a base-layer picture among multilayer pictures; and a partial encoder including an additional encoding algorithm module to encode an enhancement-layer picture based on a video coding type of the multilayer pictures.
US09686564B2

A candidate list construction unit selects a plurality of blocks each having one or two pieces of motion information containing at least information about a motion vector and information about a reference picture from a plurality of neighboring encoded blocks of an encoding target block and constructs a candidate list containing candidates of the motion information used for the motion compensation prediction from the motion information of the selected blocks. A selected candidate generator generates a new candidate of the motion information by combining the motion information of a first prediction list derived by the first motion information deriving unit and the motion information of the second prediction list derived by a second motion information deriving unit.
US09686559B2

Included is an inter-layer merge candidate derivation unit 1464B that derives motion information decoded in an area on a reference layer corresponding to an area which is located at a lower right part of a target PU and for which decoding has not been performed, in the target PU of a target layer, as a merge candidate.
US09686555B2

Video encoding/decoding apparatus includes video encoder and video decoder. Video encoder generates predicted subblocks by predicting subblocks into which macroblock is divided, generates residual subblocks by subtracting predicted subblocks from subblocks, generates quantized transform coefficients by transforming and quantizing residual subblocks by using transform selected according to size of subblock, generates encoded video data by encoding quantized transform coefficients, and selectively calculates and determines encoding cost when determining encoding mode for at least one of motion vector, transform type, prediction mode, and block type for subblocks. Video decoder reconstructs partition type information, motion information, transform type information, and quantized transform coefficients by decoding encoded data, reconstructs residual subblocks by inverse-quantizing and inverse-transforming quantized transform coefficients by using transform identified by transform type information, generates predicted subblocks by predicting subblocks identified according to partition type information by using motion information, and reconstructs subblocks by adding predicted subblocks and residual subblocks.
US09686554B2

An adaptive control system for a media encoder configured to encode a media data stream in accordance with a set of one or more encode parameters, the system comprising: an input queue for receiving a sequence of data portions representing a media stream; and an adaptation controller configured to form an accumulation parameter indicative of an incidence of accumulation events at the input queue, each accumulation event representing the reception of an incoming data portion into the input queue while a previous data portion in the sequence is in the input queue; the adaptation controller being configured to control the encode parameters of the media encoder in dependence on the accumulation parameter.
US09686551B2

Techniques related to content adaptive entropy coding of partitions data are described.
US09686543B2

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for interlayer intra-prediction, and the method for interlayer intra-prediction, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: deciding whether to apply an interlayer prediction to an enhancement layer; and performing a prediction on a current block of the enhancement layer based on reference information that is generalized and generated from a reference picture, which is decoded, of a reference layer, when the interlayer prediction is applied.
US09686542B2

A video processing device can receive in an encoded bitstream of video data a network abstraction layer (NAL) unit and parse a first syntax element in a header of the NAL unit to determine a temporal identification (ID) for the NAL unit, wherein a value of the first syntax element is one greater than the temporal identification.
US09686537B2

A plurality of images of a scene may be obtained. These images may have been captured by an image sensor, and may include a first image and a second image. A particular gain may have been applied to the first image. An effective color temperature and a brightness of a first pixel in the first image may be determined, and a mapping between pixel characteristics and noise deviation of the image sensor may be selected. The pixel characteristics may include pixel brightness. The selected mapping may be used to map at least the brightness of the first pixel to a particular noise deviation. The brightness of the first pixel and the particular noise deviation may be compared to a brightness of a second pixel of the second image. The comparison may be used to determine whether to merge the first pixel and the second pixel.
US09686536B2

A video device having data lanes and a method of operating the video device includes generating performance monitoring and/or debug data in response to the operation of the video device. The generated data is sampled from component of the video device operating in various clocking domain. The data sampled from the components is combined into a unified stream which is independent of the various clocking domain. The unified stream is transmitted across one more data lanes of a video link along with corresponding audio and/or video data in real time.
US09686523B2

A method and an apparatus for image processing in an electronic device are provided. The method for image processing in the electronic device includes obtaining a first image and a second image respectively from a first image sensor and a second image sensor, determining at least one of a first image processing parameter for the first image and a second image processing parameter for the second image as an image processing parameter for the first image and the second image, and displaying at least one of the first image and the second image by considering the image processing parameter for the first image and a second image.
US09686521B2

A first sum is calculated which is a sum of light intensities of dispersed lights generated when a pixel light by a target pixel passes through an optical system, and a first light intensity is calculated by adding the first sum to a light intensity of the pixel light of the target pixel. A second sum is calculated which is a sum, at a position of the target pixel, of each of light intensities of dispersed lights generated when each of pixel lights by pixels around the target pixel pass through the optical system. A second light intensity of the pixel light by the target pixel is calculated by subtracting the second sum from the first light intensity.
US09686518B2

This projector is configured to allocate a first projection laser beam corresponding to a first image signal and a second projection laser beam corresponding to a second image signal different from the first image signal to a first area and a second area not overlapping with the first area, respectively, to project the first projection laser beam and the second projection laser beam.
US09686510B1

Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing selectable interaction elements in a 360-degree video stream. A selectable interaction element is an element (e.g., user interface element) for which selection of the element initiates the providing of information pertaining to an object with which the element is associated. For instance, the selectable interaction element may be positioned proximate the object in the 360-degree video stream (e.g., a portion of the 360-degree video stream or an entirety of the 360-degree video stream). Examples of a user interface element include but are not limited to text, an icon, and a widget.
US09686508B2

A user device within a communication architecture, the user device comprising: an image capture device configured to determine image data and intrinsic/extrinsic capture device data for the creation of a video channel defining a shared scene; a surface reconstruction entity configured to determine surface reconstruction data associated with the image data from the image capture device; a video channel configured to encode and packetize the image data and intrinsic/extrinsic capture device data; a surface reconstruction channel configured to encode and packetize the surface reconstruction data; a transmitter configured to transmit the video and surface reconstruction channel packets; and a bandwidth controller configured to control the bandwidth allocated to the video channel and the surface reconstruction channel.
US09686506B2

The present disclosure provides a video call method, including: sending, by a first video terminal associated with a first account, a video call connection request to a video call control apparatus, to request to establish a video call connection with a second video terminal associated with a second account; receiving, by the first video terminal, video call preview information of the second account returned by the video call control apparatus; and displaying, in a video call interface of the first video terminal, the video call preview information of the second account, while the video call connection is being established. As such, video call preview information of a user may be displayed in advance when establishing a video call connection. The present disclosure further provides a video call apparatus, a video call control method and apparatus, a video call system, and a storage medium.
US09686501B2

A photographing processing method based on a mobile terminal comprises the steps of: providing an option on the mobile terminal for setting a picture classification beforehand and providing an option for adding a classification label; receiving, by using the option for setting the picture classification, an operational instruction from a user in a photographing interface for selecting a certain classification as a currently photographing classification; and automatically appending, when a certain classification is selected as the currently photographing classification, corresponding picture information to a photographed picture after photographing the picture, and saving the photographed picture in a corresponding directory.
US09686498B2

A curvature adjustable display device includes a base, a display panel arranged on the base, a rear cover arranged rearwards of the display panel and having a bottom extending into an interior of the base, connection sections arranged in the interior of the base and respectively connected to two opposite side edges of the rear cover, an adjustment mechanism arranged in a front portion of the base, and two chains arranged in the interior of the base and each having two ends respectively connected to the connection sections and the adjustment mechanism. Rotation of the adjustment mechanism stretches the chains and drives, via the connection sections, the rear cover to curve, and simultaneously, the rear cover drives the display panel to curve so as to achieve adjustment of curvature of the display panel.
US09686493B2

An image capture accelerator performs accelerated processing of image data. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator includes accelerator circuitry including a pre-processing engine and a compression engine. The pre-processing engine is configured to perform accelerated processing on received image data, and the compression engine is configured to compress processed image data received from the pre-processing engine. In one embodiment, the image capture accelerator further includes a demultiplexer configured to receive image data captured by an image sensor array implemented within, for example, an image sensor chip. The demultiplexer may output the received image data to an image signal processor when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in a standard capture mode, and may output the received image data to the accelerator circuitry when the image data is captured by the image sensor array in an accelerated capture mode.
US09686490B2

A pixel cell includes a first integration capacitor, a second integration capacitor, a photo detector and a transistor. The first integration capacitor includes a first lead operatively coupled to the photo detector. The second integration capacitor includes a first lead. The transistor is operatively coupled between the leads of the first and second integration capacitors for enabling current flow between the photo detector and the second integration capacitor only once a threshold voltage is met on the first integration capacitor.
US09686489B2

An image sensor including an optoelectronic conversion circuit, a read circuit, a timing control and a serial interface is provided. The optoelectronic conversion circuit is configured to store a charge amount. The read circuit is coupled to the optoelectronic conversion circuit via a bit line. The timing control is configured to send at least one control signal to control the optoelectronic conversion circuit to store the charge amount and control the read circuit to read the charge amount stored in the optoelectronic conversion circuit. The serial interface is coupled to the timing control and configured to send a trigger signal to the timing control to activate the timing control to send the at least one control signal.
US09686486B2

An image sensor may include an array of image photodiodes formed in rows and columns. The array of image photodiodes may include a region of photodiodes arranged in three adjacent rows and three adjacent columns of the array. The region of photodiodes may include four non-adjacent photodiodes, each of which generates charge in response to the same color of light. The four non-adjacent photodiodes may be coupled to a shared floating diffusion node. Each of the four non-adjacent photodiodes may transfer generated charge to the shared floating diffusion node. The charges from each of the four non-adjacent photodiodes may be summed at the shared floating diffusion node and read out as a summed signal or may be individually transferred to the shared floating diffusion node and read out individually.
US09686485B2

Pixel binning is performed by summing charge from some pixels positioned diagonally in a pixel array. Pixel signals output from pixels positioned diagonally in the pixel array may be combined on the output lines. A signal representing summed charge produces a binned 2×1 cluster. A signal representing combined voltage signals produces a binned 2×1 cluster. A signal representing summed charge and a signal representing combined pixel signals can be combined digitally to produce a binned 2×2 pixel. Orthogonal binning may be performed on other pixels in the pixel array by summing charge on respective common sense regions and then then combining the voltage signals that represent the summed charge on respective output lines.
US09686469B2

A digital camera having a plurality of photography modes, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system for imaging a scene onto the image sensor; an image capture control for initiating an image capture operation; a photography mode user interface for selecting between a plurality of photography modes, the photography modes having associated image capture and image processing settings; a power control for turning the digital camera on or off, wherein when the camera is in an off state and the power control is activated with a first activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a default photography mode and when the power control is activated with a second activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a previously selected photography mode.
US09686461B2

The present invention illustrates an automatic focusing method. Firstly, through multiple cameras of an image capturing device, a scene is captured, such that multiple images generated corresponding to the cameras are obtained. Then, multiple depth maps are generated according to the images. Next, according to the resolutions of single one or multiple objects in the depth maps, the depth information of the single one or multiple objects in the depth maps can be selected to generate a merged depth map. Then, a target focus distance of the single one object or target focus distances of multiple objects are calculated according to the merged depth map. Next, an actual focus distance of the multi-lenses module associated with the cameras is adjusted according to the target focus distance of the single one object or one of the multiple objects.
US09686449B1

A method and system for determining blur in digital video due to high quantization adopted during encoding of an image. The image is preprocessed to filter the noise and an edge image is extracted from the preprocessed image. A gradient sign change is determined for each pixel of the edge image. A ringing metric is determined based on the gradient magnitude and the gradient sign change. Further, a blockiness metric is determined based on a block grid periodicity and offset that is determined based on block grid analysis of the edge image. Further, a perceptual blurriness metric is determined using a mean and kurtosis computed based on a gradient histogram analysis of the block grid analysed edge image. A composite blurring metric is determined based on the blockiness metric, the perceptual blurriness metric, and ringing metric.
US09686444B2

The present disclosure relates to a computer implemented method for color separation for a printer, systems, and methods for printing using a printer. In some examples, the method for color separation for a printer comprises forming a color gamut for the printer in the form of a hull in a color space, the hull having vertices corresponding to Neugebauer Primaries, predicting the colorimetry in the color space of at least one Neugebauer Primary lying outside of an ink limit for the printer, determining the Neugebauer Primary area coverages that can produce a desired color in the color space using at least one Neugebauer Primary lying outside of the ink limit.
US09686432B2

Provided is an optional unit configured to be connected, in series, to a power supply apparatus for supplying drive electricity, the optional unit including: a receiving unit which receives the electricity supplied from the power supply apparatus or an optional unit in a higher connection level; a supply unit which supplies the electricity to a receiving unit of an optional unit in a lower connection level; and an operation unit which operates based on the electricity received by the receiving unit. In accordance with a voltage of the supplied electricity, based on which the operation unit of the optional unit in the higher level operates, exceeding a predetermined threshold value, the operation unit of the optional unit in the lower level below the optional unit in the higher level starts to receive the supplied electricity.
US09686429B2

A printing apparatus capable of conveying sheets to a sheet processing apparatus and to control the type of a sheet to be used as a cover sheet in a case where a book bound product is generated by switching back sheets each having an image printed, inverting the sheets and folding the inverted sheets, and to notify an error to a user based on the type of a sheet to be used as the cover sheet in a case where printing an image on the cover sheet is designated.
US09686427B2

An image reading device includes a casing, an image reading unit, a mounting board, and an antenna. The casing has a side wall positioned at one end thereof in a first direction. The image reading unit is accommodated in the casing and configured to read an image of an original document by scanning in the first direction. The mounting board is accommodated in the casing and mounts an electronic component that is used when the image reading unit reads the image, the mounting board extending in the first direction. The antenna is accommodated in the casing and configured to receive or transmit a radio signal. The antenna is disposed along and adjacent the side wall.
US09686425B2

An image forming apparatus that shifts to a plurality of power states includes a notification unit that notifies, in a case where a power state of the image forming apparatus is shifted, a predetermined notification destination of the power state, a first setting unit that sets, as a notification method by the notification unit, a first notification method in which a reach confirmation is performed or a second notification method in which a reach notification is not performed, and a control unit that performs, in a case where the power state of the image forming apparatus is shifted to a specific power state, control of a notification by the notification unit in such a manner that a notification by the first notification method set by the first setting unit is switched to a notification by the second notification method.
US09686417B2

A device includes one or more processor, a display, and a module card. The one or more processor determines that a communication function of the device has terminated and sends a notification to the module card that indicates the termination. The module card sends a message to a server in response to receiving the notification and receives another message from the server. The message indicates that the device is ready to receive the other message. The other message includes an instruction and another notification, which is based on usage of an account and identifies an actionable category with respect thereto. The instruction causes the one or more processor to function as display, receiving, determining, and sending devices, which respectively display the other notification, receive an input response thereto, determine that the response corresponds to a confirmation to implement the actionable category, and send a further message including the response.
US09686398B2

A user device may receive information identifying a prompt and an alert to be provided, when the user device is in a silent mode, based on the prompt. The user device may receive a message including the prompt when the user device is in the silent mode, and may detect the prompt in the body of text associated with the message. The user device may provide the alert based on detecting the prompt in the body of text associated with the message despite the user device being in the silent mode.
US09686396B2

A method and system for controlling multimedia presentation characteristics among a plurality of devices are disclosed. An electronic device (100) is capable of communication (109) with a peripheral device (102) to play back content (107) on the peripheral device (102). The content (107) has an associated a multimedia presentation characteristic signal, for example an audio signal (108). When the electronic device (101) receives a user input request to adjust a system volume, the device is configured to adjust either the associated audio signal or an output volume level of the peripheral device (102). Once this adjustment reaches a threshold, the device is configured to adjust the other of the associated audio signal or the output volume level of the peripheral device (102). The decision of which control to adjust first and which to adjust second can be user defined. The process can be repeated when more than two devices are included in the system.
US09686393B1

A method, system, and computer program product, include receiving a request for registration from a service provider, the request for registration comprising characteristic information of a service call to be initiated, determining whether the service receiver has authorized the request for registration, and upon the service receiver having authorized the request for registration, registering the characteristic information of the service call for the service receiver to enable the identification of the service call.
US09686385B2

An apparatus (122) including: a first feed point (26); a first radiator (28) coupled to the first feed point; a housing defining an interior surface (30) of the apparatus and including a first conductive cover portion (24) coupled to the first radiator; a ground member (18) coupled to the first conductive cover portion and positioned at least partially within the interior surface (30) of the housing, at least the first conductive cover portion and the first radiator having an electrical length configured to resonate in a first operational frequency band, the first radiator being configured to electromagnetically couple to the first conductive cover portion.
US09686381B1

In general, techniques are described for decapsulating and forwarding VPLS frames in a hybrid PE router space. In one example, a method includes sending a first control plane message that includes first configuration information to a first PE router, the first control plane message comprising a request that the VPLS frames include a control word when forwarded to the first PE router. The first PE router may receive from a second PE router a second L3 control plane message that includes second configuration information for forwarding VPLS frames to the second PE router, the second L3 control plane message not comprising a request to include the control word when forwarded to the second PE router. The method may include configuring a forwarding plane of the first PE router to process VPLS frames that are received from the second PE router without processing the VPLS frames to remove the control word.
US09686367B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing predicted likelihood of communication between users are disclosed. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for providing predicted likelihood of communication between users. The method includes predicting a likelihood that a first user will initiate communication with a second user based on stored information for the first user that indicates the second user, associating the predicted likelihood with status information for the first user, and providing for indicating the status information with the predicted likelihood to the second user.
US09686360B2

LTE and HSPA/UMTS deployments are trending towards high density, heterogeneous and ad-hoc deployments. These deployments can be managed through Self-Organizing Network (SON) schemas. Enabling SON generally involves the introduction of new software and/or hardware entities into the network that can interact with existing base station and network entities (e.g., Enhanced Packet Core, Element Management System, and/or other network entities). In one embodiment, these interactions include the development and deployment of interfaces (e.g., APIs) and protocols between the SON entities and various network entities. For example, data collected on either side of an interface or protocol can be post-processed before consumption (e.g., for both data integrity purposes as well as bandwidth reduction purposes). As described herein, a full set of such interfaces and protocols with specific examples are disclosed to illustrate various techniques for providing protocols, interfaces, and pre/post-processing for enabling SON entities and features in base stations and wireless networks.
US09686359B1

One or more computing devices may comprise congestion management circuitry, one or more client file system request buffers, and DESS interface circuitry. The congestion management circuitry is operable to determine an amount of congestion in the DESS. The one or more client file system request buffers is/are operable to queue first client file system requests of a first priority level and second client file system requests of a second priority level, wherein the first priority level is higher priority than the second priority level. The DESS interface circuitry is operable to control a rate at which the first file system requests and second file system requests are fetched from the one or more client file system request buffers based on the amount of congestion in the DESS, on the first priority level, and on the second priority level.
US09686352B2

Maximum throughput of a storage unit, and workload and latency values of the storage unit corresponding to a predefined fraction of the maximum throughput are estimated based on workloads and latencies that are monitored on the storage unit. The computed metrics are usable in a variety of different applications including admission control, storage load balancing, and enforcing quality of service in a shared storage environment.
US09686346B2

A method is described. The method comprising the steps of detecting an electronic device being positioned at one of a plurality of discrete positions, and generating data pertaining to at least one application associated with the one detected discrete position for generating or modifying a display object on a display generated by a remote device. A device is also described.
US09686342B2

Embodiments relate to a method, computer program product, and a computer system for generating a tailored schema description of a web service from a predefined schema description of the web service is provided. The predefined schema provides a machine readable description of operations performed by the web service and a message format for communication with the web service. A subset of the predefined schema required to support an identified operation may be calculated based on at least one example message. A tailored schema may then be generated based on the calculated subset of the predefined schema.
US09686339B2

A method includes receiving, at a media player at a computing device, a first portion of a media stream, and initiating playback of the first portion of the media stream. The method also includes receiving a second portion of the media stream during the playback of the first portion of the media stream, the second portion of the media stream including a platform-independent representation of source code. The method further includes compiling the platform-independent representation of the source code to generate a platform-specific component that is executable by the computing device. The method includes executing the platform-specific component at the computing device during execution of the media player at the computing device.
US09686337B2

In particular embodiments, one or more computer systems of a social-networking system determine a first media device of a first user of a social-networking system and determine a second media device of a second user of the social-networking system. The one or more computer systems access a social graph of the social-networking system, update the social graph based on the determined first and second media devices, and stream media from the first media device to the second media device using the updated social graph. The social graph includes nodes and edges connecting the nodes, the nodes including user nodes that are each associated with a particular user of the social-networking system and concept nodes that are each associated with a particular media device.
US09686334B2

Disclosed are a method for transmitting a media data stream and a thin client, and the method includes: a media channel is established between a first thin client and a second thin client, wherein a first media module is pre-configured in the first thin client and a second media module is pre-configured in the second thin client; and the media data stream is transmitted between the first media module pre-configured in the first thin client and the second media module pre-configured in the second thin client through the media channel. The present disclosure solves problems of network time delay and data distortion caused by a fact in the prior art that media data need to be transmitted between a thin client and a virtual desktop through using a protocol such as RDP so as to implement interaction of data between two thin clients, thus achieving technical effectives of improvement on the data transmission rate and accuracy of data.
US09686326B2

A method and apparatus for enabling registration of an Aggregate End Point (AEP) device that is incapable of supporting a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) based Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) registration are disclosed. The method performs a static registration of the AEP device in a plurality of network elements associated with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network by provisioning. The method then processes an originating call request or a terminating call request associated with the AEP device using the static registration.
US09686324B2

A method of establishing a communication link between a first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device on a first network or a second network is provided. The method includes processing by a processor from the first mobile communication device, an indication to initiate a link to the second mobile communication device, initiating by the processor, (i) a first link from the first mobile communication device to the second mobile communication device through the first network, and (ii) a second link from the first mobile communication device to the second mobile communication device through the second network, receiving an indication on the first mobile communication device including a selection of the first link or the second link to obtain a selected link, and establishing by the processor, a communication link between the first mobile communication device and the second mobile communication device on the selected link.
US09686322B2

A container application is a native application that provides a web based application with access a computer's system resources and windowing system. If a container application is associated with a window, then the web based application can alter or control many, or all, aspects of the container application's content area and meta user interfaces (Uis). Web based applications are downloaded from application servers and run inside container applications. A container application can run a web based application as a service. Services made from web based applications running in container applications are almost indistinguishable from operating system services when there is no associated window.
US09686319B2

A request related to an access to a network by a first user device may be received. The user device may be included in a plurality of user devices associated with a first first-level security profile assigned to the user. An application extension to an application executing on the first user device may be accessed in response to the request related to the access. A network connectivity file may be provided to the application extension. The network connectivity file may include network configuration information for the first user device. The network configuration information may be associated with a first second-level security profile assigned to the first user device. Instructions to configure the first user device to access the network based at least in part on the network configuration information in the network connectivity file may be provided.
US09686309B2

Methods and systems for improved attack context data logging are provided. According to one embodiment, configuration information is received from an administrator of a network security device. The configuration information includes information indicative of a quantity of packets to be captured for post attack analysis. Responsive to receipt of the configuration information, a size of a circular buffer is configured based thereon. Multiple packets directed to a network protected by the network security device are received from an external network. The received packets are temporarily buffered within the circular buffer. An analysis is performed to determine whether one of the received packets is potentially associated with a threat or undesired activity (“trigger packet”). Responsive to an affirmative determination, contextual information is captured by extracting information regarding at least a portion of the configured quantity of packets from the circular buffer and storing the contextual information within a log.
US09686305B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus for identifying anomalous behavior are provided. For example, a method may include receiving raw data, generating a behavior profile for the entity based on the raw data, receiving comparison data, determining whether the comparison data deviates from a pattern of behavior defined in the behavior profile, and identifying the comparison data as anomalous behavior when the comparison data deviates from the pattern of behavior. In one embodiment, the raw data includes recorded activity for the entity. In one embodiment, the behavior profile defines a pattern of behavior for the entity. In one embodiment, a countermeasure is performed upon identifying anomalous behavior. The countermeasure may include at least one of revoking the entity's credentials, denying the entity access to a resource, shutting down access to a port, and denying access to the entity. The method may further include providing a report of the anomalous behavior.
US09686303B2

A Web page vulnerability detection method and apparatus are described, where the method can receive a vulnerability detection task for performing vulnerability detection on a to-be-detected target Web page; acquiring a configuration file corresponding to the vulnerability according to the vulnerability detection task. The vulnerability detection task being is at least used to indicate a vulnerability that needs to be detected, and the configuration file includes a matching condition used to match the to-be-detected target Web page in to-be-detected Web pages and indication information of a test sample used to perform vulnerability detection on the to-be-detected target Web page. The method also detects whether the vulnerability indicated by the configuration file exists on the to-be-detected target Web page by using the configuration file.
US09686302B2

A computer-implemented method for security risk assessment of wireless access point devices, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving signals from one or more wireless access points by two or more mobile wireless devices visiting said access points, obtaining Basic Service Set Identifiers (BSSID) of visited access points and reporting values derived from BSSID and from an identifier of corresponding mobile device to a first database, receiving a request for a security risk assessment of evaluated wireless access point, said request containing value derived from BSSID of the evaluated access point, searching the first database for one or more entries corresponding to the evaluated access point, and processing search results to assess security risk of the evaluated access point, said processing comprises computing a component of said risk dependent on the count of unique identifiers of mobile devices reported for the evaluated access point.
US09686298B2

A method, apparatus, and program product are provided for protecting a network from intrusions. An offending packet communicated by an offending host coupled to a protected network is detected. In response to the detection, a blocking instruction is returned to the offending host to initiate an intrusion protection operation on the offending host, where the blocking instruction inhibits further transmission of offending packets by the offending host. At the offending host, a blocking instruction is received with a portion of an offending packet. The offending host verifies that the offending packet originated from the host. In response to the verification of the offending packet originating from the host, an intrusion protection operation is initiated on the host thereby inhibiting transmission of a subsequent outbound offending packet by the host.
US09686294B2

Methods and systems for protecting components of a linked vehicle from cyber-attack are disclosed. These methods and systems comprise elements of hardware and software for receiving a packet; tunneling the packet to a terrestrial-based security service, analyzing whether the packet is harmful to a component in the vehicle, and at least one action to protect at least one component.
US09686293B2

Systems and methods for monitoring malware events in a computer networking environment are described. The systems and methods including the steps of identifying suspect objects; transmitting the suspect objects to an inspection service, wherein the inspection service inspects the suspect objects using a plurality of inspection methods to create digital information about the nature of the potential threat posed by the suspect objects; transmitting said digital information to an analytical service operating, wherein the analytical service performs a plurality of analytical algorithms to categorize the suspect objects with one or more scores for each suspect object based on their security threat; transmitting said one or more scores to a correlation facility which aggregates a plurality of scores; and generating an infection verification pack comprising routines which, when run on an end-point machine within the computer networking environment, will mitigate a suspected security threat.
US09686291B2

A method and system for detecting a malicious domain name, comprising: collecting domain name statistical information from a non-recursive domain name system name server (RDNS NS); and utilizing the collected domain name statistical information to determine if a domain name is malicious or benign.
US09686290B2

The invention relates to a method for enabling post issuance operation on a secure element connectable to a communication device. The method allows an SE controlling party to perform remotely operations such as creation of new security domains for an external party, loading, and installation of applications of an external party and management functions including personalization and activation of applications loaded on the SE for an external party. The method includes the steps of: collecting data stored on the SE suitable for identification of the SE and data for contacting the SE controlling party; creating an initial data packet from the collected data, sending the data packet to a party which can be the external party, an agent of the external party, the SE controlling party, an agent of the SE controlling party. The invention further relates to a communication device and a software application for implementing the method.
US09686288B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for constructing security policies for content instrumentation against attacks. In one embodiment, the method comprises constructing one or more security policies for web content using at least one rewriting template, at least one edit automata policy, or at least one policy template; and rewriting a script program in a document to cause behavior resulting from execution of the script to conform to the one or more policies.
US09686287B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for delegating security authorization to at least one application executed on a client device. A computing device is employed to send to a remote server, from an agent application, a request for a first access credential. The first access credential is received from the remote server and a determination is made by the agent application in communication with a managed application, that the managed application requires a second access credential. In response to the determination being made that the managed application requires the second access credential, the second access credential is sent to the managed application, from the agent application. An indication that the agent is authorized to be in communication with managed applications regarding a need for access credentials is stored and the agent application determines where at least one of the managed applications requires an access credential.
US09686280B2

It is disclosed a method and a bootstrapping client (33) for assuring that a particular user (31) is present at local user authentication. It is also disclosed a method and a network application function (36) for authenticating a generic authentication architecture, GAA, client (34) to network application function, NAF (36). In addition, the NAF (36), requiring that the presence of the authorized user should be confirmed, sends a Nonce denoted as Nonce_UI, in which UI stands for “User Involvement”. The Nonce_UI indicates explicitly that the user involvement is required.
US09686278B1

A method and system for configuring computing devices. The method includes receiving, by a computing device, a first cache list object from a management service. The method also includes comparing the first cache list object to a second cache list object on the computing device, and based on the comparing, identifying a first object fingerprint that is present in the first cache list object and that is not present in the second cache list object. The method further includes obtaining, from a location that is external to the computing device, a first object corresponding to the first object fingerprint; and updating a configuration of the computing device using the first object.
US09686277B2

A mobile information handling system (IHS) includes an application (app) that may include a unique-identification tool and a device capability determination tool. The unique-identification tool may generate a signature string that is unique to the mobile IHS. The device capability determination tool may determine the hardware capability of the mobile IHS, the network capability of the mobile IHS and the capability of a network between the mobile IHS and a server IHS, and generate a device determination therefrom. The app may transmit the signature string and the device determination to a server IHS. In response to the signature string and device determination that the server IHS receives, the server IHS may generate and transmit a corresponding response containing specific data to the mobile IHS. The app may output the specific data by displaying the specific data on a display of the mobile IHS.
US09686274B2

In one embodiment, a user login device may create a user identifier template 400 for identifying a user by implicitly capturing one or more biometric identifier readings. A user login device may capture an enrollment biometric identifier reading of a user during an operational user action. The user login device may apply the enrollment biometric identifier reading in creating a user identifier template 400.
US09686269B2

A method and an apparatus for distinguishing humans from computers and for controlling access to network services. One intended application of the method is a CAPTCHA technique, deployed using a shared Trusted Computing technology over a trusted network of a user terminal, a network server, and a Trusted Party, any of which may be at a Decision Point. The method distinguishes a human user making a legitimate request for network access from a programmed computer making undesired requests, by detecting unusually high network access request frequencies made by an identifiable user and/or a trusted module from the user terminal. The CAPTCHA function is further used to improve the method for controlling access to network services. The information transmitted between the members of the trusted network may be encrypted.
US09686262B2

A method and system for authenticating a user to a target server. A request is received from a user computer system to authenticate the user for access to a target server at level N of N levels (N≧2). Each record of a stored authentication plan associated with the user has authentication records each having information relating to authentication of the user for access to N−1 target servers at respective levels 1 through N−1. Each record of a received current authentication plan for the user has authentication records each having current information relating to authentication of the user for access to the N−1 target servers at respective levels 1 through N−1. It is determined that there is at least a partial match between the stored and current authentication plans, and in response, the user is authenticated for access to the target server at level N.
US09686254B2

It is presented a method for assisting access to access protected services in a cellular multimedia delivery system. The method is performed in a wireless device and comprises the steps of: obtaining a set of one or more service identifiers, each service identifier being associated with a service; for each service identified by one of the service identifiers, determining if the service is access protected by reading a configuration associated with the service, independent of any delivery method associated with the service; and transmitting, to a key manager server, a request for service keys for all services which have been determined to be access protected. A corresponding wireless device, compute program and computer program product are also presented.
US09686251B2

Devices and techniques for controlling disclosure of sensitive information are provided. A request for information may be received through a first communication channel. The request may be provided using an account of a user. First encrypted data, which includes the requested information and has been encrypted with a first asymmetric encryption key, may be decrypted. The decrypted information may be re-encrypted with a second asymmetric encryption key different from the first asymmetric encryption key to obtain second encrypted data comprising the information. The second encrypted data may be sent to the user through a second communication channel different from the first communication channel.
US09686249B2

For multi-node encryption, a method communicates communication data from a first upstream node to a first downstream node in response to the first upstream node initiating secure communication with the first downstream node. The method further generates a downstream node nonce from communication data exchanged with the first downstream node. The method generates a first downstream message transformation as a function of the downstream node nonce. The method receives a request encrypted with the first downstream message transformation through the first downstream node. The method communicates the upstream message transformation encrypted with the first downstream message transformation through the first downstream node to the destination node in response to the request. In addition, the method generates a tunnel transformation at the destination node as a function of one or more upstream message transformations and the first downstream message transformation.
US09686234B1

Embodiments are directed towards dynamically changing a quality of content being played when a robustness or level of trust is determined to have changed for a computing device, or platform, currently playing at least one stream of the content. An initial level of trust is determined for the computing device, and is used to select a quality of content from the at least one stream of content for play. During play, when a change in the level of trust is detected for the computing device, a different quality of the content may be selected, and replaces the currently playing content.
US09686229B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for identifying a list of destination servers ordered by round-trip time (RTT) for a requesting machine. When a client interacts with an address, such as an IP address, when accessing a remote service, an RTT is collected for the address, or the RTT may be derived for a range of addresses, and saved in a database. When the client subsequently requests access to a remote service, a list of destination servers are returned, respectively identified by corresponding addresses. The destination servers can be sorted in order of efficiency by determining an expected RTT associated with a matching address, or range, in the database, and sorting the destination servers by their respective expected RTTs.
US09686227B1

The embodiments describe an apparatus for accessing a remote object. The apparatus includes a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit a Domain Name Service request of the remote object to a Domain Name Service server and receive a Domain Name Service response comprising an Internet Protocol of the remote object. The transceiver is further configured to connect to the Internet Protocol of the remote object based on the Domain Name Service response.
US09686215B2

A computer implemented method and apparatus for automatically aggregating metadata and e-mail attachments from various e-mail providers in a cloud repository. The method comprises accessing account information for one or more related e-mail accounts; accessing one or more e-mails from the one or more e-mail accounts using the received account information, wherein the one or more e-mails comprise one or more documents as one or more attachments; extracting metadata from each e-mail in the one or more e-mails that comprises at least one attachment, wherein the metadata comprises information that identifies the attachment and an associated e-mail; and storing the metadata in a cloud repository.
US09686212B2

A method for using a messaging program across a multiple applications and communications environment includes engaging a multiple applications and communications environment. The multiple applications and communications environment comprises at least one primary application and at least one secondary application. The at least one primary application is associated with a primary work product object and the at least one secondary application is associated with a secondary work product object. The primary work product object and the secondary work product object are associated with a work product matter. The method further includes configuring a messaging program to establish a first chat instance within the primary work product object and a second chat instance within the secondary work product object. The first chat instance and the second chat instance are determined by a set of permissions related to the primary work product object. Another method has the at least one primary application being a web application, a file manager application or an email application and the at least one secondary application being a web application, a file manager application or an email application.
US09686206B2

The present invention relates to a temporal base method of mutual exclusion control of a shared resource. The invention will usually be implemented by a plurality of host computers sharing a shared resource where each host computer will read a reservation memory that is associated with the shared resource. Typically a first host computer will perform and initial read of the reservation memory and when the reservation memory indicates that the shared resource is available, the first host computer will write to the reservation memory. After a time delay, the host computer will read the reservation memory again to determine whether it has won access to the resource. The first host computer may determine that it has won access to the shared resource by checking that data in the reservation memory includes an identifier corresponding to the first host computer.
US09686204B2

A device is configured to obtain backlog information from a network device. The backlog information indicates a backlog of a queue included in the network device. The device obtains settings information for the network device. The settings information indicates a setting of the queue. The device determines an adjustment to the setting of the queue based on the backlog information and the settings information. The device provides adjustment information, indicating the adjustment to the setting of the queue, to the network device for the network to adjust the setting of the queue.
US09686200B2

Some embodiments provide a managed forwarding element (MFE that includes a set of flow tables including a first set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. The MFE includes an aggregate cache including a second set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. Each of the flow entries of the second set is for processing packets of multiple data flows. At least a subset of packet header fields of the packets of the multiple data flows have a same set of packet header field values, and a same set of operations is applied to said packets. The MFE includes an exact-match cache including a third set of flow entries for processing packets received by the MFE. Each of the flow entries of the third set is for processing packets for a single data flow having a unique set of packet header field values.
US09686194B2

One embodiment provides a system that forwards a packet with a hierarchically structured variable-length identifier (HSVLI) in a network. An HSVLI indicates a piece of content and indicates a hierarchical structure of contiguous components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The length of the HSVLI is not fixed. During operation, the system receives a packet which contains an interest for a piece of content with an HSVLI. Subsequently, the system determines forwarding information for the HSVLI based on one or more of: knowledge of content which matches the HSVLI, a forwarding policy, and contextual information about the network. Next, the system configures a forwarding engine with the forwarding information. The system then forwards the packet based on the forwarding information.
US09686188B2

A method of realigning a node in a label switched network comprising a plurality of nodes and a node with a processor, a memory, and a network interface, for carrying out the method. The method includes periodically maintaining backup path status information for the node, restarting the node, and re-establishing label switched paths with the plurality of nodes using the backup status information. Communication with adjacent nodes is carried out in order to reconcile the path status information with respective path status information in the adjacent nodes in order to establish node realignment preferably judged against a threshold value for path reliability.
US09686174B2

According to one embodiment, a system includes a probe controller associated with a host device and configured to abstract a plurality of device-specific monitoring operations associated with a plurality of heterogeneous host devices to a normalized set of monitoring operations. The probe controller facilitates monitoring of the host device using the normalized set of monitoring operations. The system also includes a first specialized probe module associated with the host device and configured to provide device-specific information in response to the normalized set of monitoring operations. The first specialized probe module accesses, in response to receiving a notification from the probe controller to determine a metric associated with the host device, the metric associated with the host device. The first specialized probe module communicates the metric to the probe controller.
US09686173B1

A method for analyzing a content delivery network. The method includes obtaining network traffic flows corresponding to user nodes accessing contents from a set of servers of the content delivery network, extracting a timing attribute from each network traffic flow associated with a server, where the timing attribute is aggregated into a timing attribute dataset of the server based on all network traffic flows associated with the server, generating a statistical measure of the timing attribute dataset as a portion of a feature vector representing the server, where the feature vector is aggregated into a set of feature vectors representing the set of servers, analyzing the set of feature vectors based on a clustering algorithm to generate a set of clusters, and generating, based on the set of clusters, a representation of server groups in the content delivery network.
US09686172B2

The present invention provides a solution for determining a QoS policy and/or charging policy based on network resource utilization information in an LTE network. As compared to the current 3GPP policy and charging control architecture, the solution of the present invention determines a QoS policy and/or charging policy based on network resource utilization information in combination with existing input information, thereby making policy and charging control more flexible.
US09686159B2

An example device in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure is to generate a visual representation of a status of a metric. The visual representation is to be updated according to the granularity during at least a portion of a time period. The visual representation is to depict passage of time along a first dimension, and is to separate the time period into a plurality of time blocks to be depicted as being stacked along a second dimension of the visual representation.
US09686156B2

A network flow monitoring and analysis system comprises flow labeling agent(s), sensor(s), controller(s), and correlation engines(s). The flow labeling agent(s) label at data packet flow unique and covert label(s). The sensor(s) observe data packet flow for the unique and covert label(s) and generate examination report(s) from the observations. The examination report(s) comprise information such as: location information; time information; target information; path information; and flow information. The controller(s) communicate instructions to the labeling agent(s) and sensor(s), receive event information and manage the correlation engine(s). The correlation engine(s) correlate information from information such as the target information; event information; path information; and flow information.
US09686153B2

Techniques for placing a virtual edge gateway appliance on at least one host computing system are described. In one embodiment, a virtual switch assigned to a tenant for creating virtual networks is identified. Further, at least one host computing system having access to the virtual switch is identified. Furthermore, placing a virtual edge gateway appliance on the at least one identified host computing system is recommended to allow connectivity to networks created using the virtual switch assigned to the tenant.
US09686149B2

An information processing system includes an information processing device, a storage unit, a relay unit, and an update unit. The information processing device is an element of an information processing system. The storage unit stores integral information obtained by integrating information about the information processing device expressed as component information of the information processing system. The relay unit receives communication information including an update command for updating of the component information addressed to the information processing device, and transmits first communication information including the update command addressed to the information processing device and second communication information including the update command. The update unit receives the second communication information, and updates the integral information based on an update command included in the second communication information.
US09686143B2

Mechanisms to enable management controllers to learn the control plane hierarchy in data center environments. The data center is configured in a physical hierarchy including multiple pods, racks, trays, and sleds and associated switches. Management controllers at various levels in a control plane hierarchy and associated with switches in the physical hierarchy are configured to add their IP addresses to DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) responses that are generated by a DCHP server in response to DCHP requests for IP address requests initiated by DHCP clients including manageability controllers, compute nodes and storage nodes in the data center. As the DCHP response traverses each of multiple switches along a forwarding path from the DCHP server to the DHCP client, an IP address of the manageability controller associated with the switch is inserted. Upon receipt at the DHCP client, the inserted IP addresses are extracted and used to automate learning of the control plane hierarchy.
US09686134B2

A method for configuring server cluster includes: judging whether a signal processing function is a default exit value; if not, determining a configuration request is received from a server to be configured; obtaining a write lock from a shared memory and configuration information from a database, writing the configuration information in the shared memory, releasing the write lock; if receiving an exit signal between obtaining and releasing the write lock, setting the signal processing function to be the default exit value; obtaining a read lock from the shared memory, reading the configuration information from the shared memory, sending the read configuration information to the server, releasing the read lock, returning to the step of judging whether a signal processing function is a default exit value; if receiving the exit signal between obtaining and releasing the read lock, setting the signal processing function to be the default exit value.
US09686132B2

The monitoring of complex or spacious buildings or spaces requires a multiplicity of monitoring devices, for example monitoring cameras, in order to be able to extensively cover such monitoring areas. For this purpose, the invention proposes a terminal 7 having at least one functional device, wherein the functional device is in the form of a sensor and/or actuator device, having a control device 10, wherein the control device 10 is in the form of a digital data processing device, and having at least one network interface 9, wherein the network interface 9 is designed to couple the control device 10 to a network 2, with the result that data can be transmitted from the functional device to the network 2 and/or data can be transmitted from the network 2 to the functional device. The terminal 7 has a client address from a first network 2 as the network, and the terminal 7 has a storage device 11 which stores a server address from a different network 4. The control device 10 is designed to send a message to the server address via the network interface 9 upon initialization of the terminal 7.
US09686129B2

A JAVA virtual machine with multiple tenants is shared by allocating an IP address to each of the tenants, creating a separate virtual network interface for each of the tenants and configuring each separate virtual network interface with the respective separate IP address allocated for each tenant. For each of the tenants, network operations are performed via the virtual network interface created for that tenant, to provide for network isolation of each tenant sharing a JAVA virtual machine.
US09686128B2

Provided are a wireless network adapter and a configuration method of same. A wireless network adapter comprises: a self-configuration portion, used to configure the wireless network adapter as an access point adapter, and generate access information of a wireless network access point; a cable connection portion, connected to a second wireless network adapter, and used to transmit the access information to the second wireless network adapter and receive an acknowledgment message from the second wireless network adapter; and a wireless transceiver, connected to the second wireless network adapter. Another wireless network adapter comprises: a cable connection portion, used to receive access information from an access point adapter; a parameter storage portion, used to store the access information as a setting parameter; a self-configuration portion, used to configure the wireless network adapter as a client mode and generate an acknowledgment message; and a wireless transceiver, connected to a wireless network access point. Configuration of multiple wireless network adapters connected to each other may be implemented without any input parameter and without the need of access a configuration webpage by using a computer.
US09686126B2

Network node modules within a vehicle are arranged to form a reconfigurable automotive neural network. Each network node module includes one or more subsystems for performing one or more operations and a local processing module for communicating with the one or more subsystems. A management system enables traffic from the one or more subsystems of a particular network node module to be re-routed to an external processing module upon failure of the local processing module of that particular network node module.
US09686092B2

Methods and systems are described for storing video content collected by a home automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for accessing video content collected by a home automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to receive at a remote device live video content from a camera of the home automation system, and initiate real-time, two-way audio communication between the remote device and a user of the home automation system via the camera.
US09686082B2

A method and system for generating and processing an authenticity certificate. A request for a step certificate is received from a requester entity. The step certificate authenticates an involvement of the requester entity about an object. The request includes an object identifier, a requester entity type of the requester entity, and a requester identity certificate of the requester entity. The object identifier is hashed. A signature is created and includes the hashed object identifier, the requester entity type, a certifier identity certificate, and the requester identity certificate. A hashing result is generated by hashing a concatenation of the object identifier, the requester entity type, the certifier entity certificate, the requester identity certificate, and the signature. The step certificate is generated and includes the hashing result. The step certificate is encrypted. The encrypted step certificate is sent to the requester entity for subsequently storing the step certificate on a media.
US09686080B2

A system and method is illustrated for providing secure credential using a secure credential package stored on a client device and at least one key stored in a corporate network. In embodiments, an access connector receives credentials and a device unique identifier from the client device over a secure link, obtain the at least one key from the corporate network, apply the at least one key to the credentials and the device unique identifier to generate the secure credential package including the encrypted credential and the device unique identifier, send the secure credential package to the client device over the secure link, upon receiving the secure credential package from the client device, retrieve the at least one key via the key manager, decrypting the secure credential package using the at least one key to obtain the credentials, and validate the credentials against a user directory located in the corporate network.
US09686078B1

The state of firmware for devices on a provisioned host machine can be validated independent of the host CPU(s) or other components exposed to the user. A port that is not fully exposed or accessible to the user can be used to perform a validation process on firmware without accessing a CPU of the host device. The firmware can be scanned and a hashing or similar algorithm can be used to determine validation information, such as hash values, for the firmware, which can be compared to validation information stored in a secure location. If the current and stored validation information do not match, one or more remedial actions can be taken to address the firmware being in an unknown or unintended state.
US09686077B2

Various technologies described herein pertain to a computing device that includes secure hardware (e.g., a TPM, a secure processor of a processing platform, protected memory that includes a software-based TPM, etc.). The secure hardware includes a shared secret, which is shared by the secure hardware and a server computing system. The shared secret is provisioned by the server computing system or a provisioning computing system of a party affiliated with the server computing system. The secure hardware further includes a cryptographic engine that can execute a cryptographic algorithm using the shared secret or a key generated from the shared secret. The cryptographic engine can execute the cryptographic algorithm to perform encryption, decryption, authentication, and/or attestation.
US09686073B2

A third party system generates a public-private key pair, the public key of the key pair being an encryption key, and the private key of the key pair being a decryption key. The third party system publishes the encryption key as a DNS record of a third party system. The third party system receives a request to sign a message on behalf of a domain owner, the message to be sent to a recipient, and accesses an encrypted delegated private key published by the domain owner via a DNS record of the domain owner, the encrypted delegated private key encrypted using the encryption key. The third party system decrypts the encrypted delegated private key using the decryption key, and generates a signature for the message using the delegated private key. The third party system sends the signature and the message to the recipient.
US09686064B2

Devices and methods of reducing overall Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) of user equipment (UE) using a large amount of carrier aggregation are generally described. The UE may receive a subframe from an enhanced NodeB (eNB). The subframe may contain a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) formed in accordance with a Downlink Control information (DCI) format. The DCI format may comprise a Downlink Assignment Index (DAI) for Time Division Duplexed (TDD) and Frequency Division Duplexed (FDD) operation. The UE may determine, dependent on the DAI, a number and ordering of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) bits to be transmitted on a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and subsequently transmit the HARQ-ACK bits.
US09686059B2

Multi-cell interference management (MCIM) for interference management among multiple cells in a wireless communication network is provided. In some embodiments, MCIM includes collecting data (e.g., CQI measurements and/or subband usage statistics) from a neighborhood of base stations; determining local and neighborhood system utility metrics; and determining interference managing directives (e.g., that can be communicated to the MAC layer of a base station in the neighborhood of base stations).
US09686048B2

Disclosed are examples in which the acknowledgement channel is used for retransmitting a frame received with error. A receiver is configured to transmit an acknowledgment for a frame when the frame is decoded following receipt of the last Pilot Control Group (PCG) of the same frame. The transmitter is configured to receive the acknowledgment of an earlier frame during a subsequent frame, and not to retransmit the earlier frame. The two frames may be adjacent. During connection setup negotiation, the system can determine the values of ack_mask1 defining allowed times for the receiver to acknowledge successful decoding of the subsequent frame, and ack_mask2 defining allowed times for the receiver to acknowledge successful decoding of the earlier frame. The two mask values provide non-overlapping allowed times, so the receiver can acknowledge within the subsequent frame (1) successful decoding of the earlier frame, and (2) successful decoding of the subsequent frame.
US09686038B2

A method for communication includes generating a data transmission for transmission to a target receiver, and generating at least one jamming transmission having an amplitude that changes multiple times during the data transmission. The data transmission is transmitted to the target receiver using an antenna array, and the at least one jamming transmission is simultaneously transmitted using the antenna array.
US09686036B2

A method, an apparatus and a system for transmitting upstream burst data in a passive optical network system. Delimitation of end of upstream burst data is realized in the method. The method includes: transmitting a sync pattern sequence and a burst delimiter after turning on a laser; transmitting data to be sent; and transmitting an end-of-burst delimiter after the transmitting of data to be sent is finished. A method for receiving upstream burst data and a related apparatus and system are also provided in the embodiments of the invention.
US09686033B2

A system and method for separating clock recovery for a pseudowire communication. An incoming signal is received for a pseudowire communication. The incoming signal is separated into a first signal and a second signal. Packets within the first signal are ordered in a first register. A clock signal is extracted from the second signal in a second register to generate a modified clock signal. A delay is incurred during generating of the modified clock signal. The first signal is communicated utilizing the modified clock signal.
US09686028B2

A public location individual audio delivery device and method allows individual access and control to audio associated with a visual presentation within a public location. The device includes a display located in a public location. A receiver is coupled to the display and receives video for presentation on the display. The receiver receives audio associated to the video. A transmitter is coupled to the display and is communicatively coupled to the receiver. The transmitter transmits the audio associated to the video as an audio signal through a personal access network within the public location. At least one personal audio device is positioned within the public location accessing and receiving the audio signal through the personal access network wherein the audio associated to the video is played on the personal audio device.
US09686023B2

The various aspects provide a mobile device and methods implemented on the mobile device for modifying behavior models to account for device-specific or device-state-specific features. In the various aspects, a behavior analyzer module may leverage a full feature set of behavior models (i.e. a large classifier model) received from a network server to create lean classifier models for use in monitoring for malicious behavior on the mobile device, and the behavior analyzer module may dynamically modify these lean classifier models to include features specific to the mobile device and/or the mobile device's current configuration. Thus, the various aspects may enhance overall security for a particular mobile device by taking the mobile device and its current configuration into account and may improve overall performance by monitoring only features that are relevant to the mobile device.
US09686022B2

Optimized RF telemetry transmission between an active implantable medical device and a remote external receiver in which the information to be transmitted are grouped by class (TYPE 0, TYPE 1, . . . , TYPE n) according to a criticality index (IC) defining a priority rank as between the different information classes to be transmitted. A plurality of modulation schemes and of data rates characterize different transmission configurations, each with a reliability index inversely related to the probability of failure of transmission in a noisy environment. The criticality indexes of the highest priorities are assigned to the transmission configurations with the higher reliability indexes. On an information transmission request, an RF telemetry transmission configuration is selected (52-62) depending on the criticality index characterizing the information to be transmitted. The transmission is operated (64, 66) with the transmission configuration thus selected.
US09686019B2

The disclosed coherent optical receiver includes a local light source; a 90-degree hybrid circuit; an optoelectronic converter; an analog-to-digital converter; a skew addition unit; and a FFT operation unit. The 90-degree hybrid circuit makes multiplexed signal light interfere with local light from the local light source, and outputs multiple optical signals separated into a plurality of signal components. The optoelectronic converter detects the optical signal and outputs a detected electrical signal. The analog-to-digital converter digitizes the detected electrical signal and outputs a detected digital signal. The skew addition unit adds to the detected digital signal an additional skew amount whose absolute value is equal to, whose sign is opposite to a skew amount of a difference in propagation delay in each lane connected to each output channel of the 90-degree hybrid circuit. The FFT operation unit performs a fast Fourier transform on the output from the skew addition unit.
US09686018B2

An optical transmitter that narrows the linewidth of its output light is disclosed. The optical transmitter includes a wavelength tunable laser diode (LD) known as a CSG-DR LD integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) driven in a constant magnitude mode. The wavelength of the light output from the LD is determined by transmission through an etalon filter. The optical transmitter feeds the output of the etalon filter back to an injection current supplied to the LD to reduce phase noise inherently contained in the output light.
US09686015B2

An optical network unit includes a transmit/receive port and a silicon waveguide optically coupled to the transmit/receive port. The optical network unit also includes a tunable filter coupled to the silicon waveguide and providing a first output for a first frequency band and a second output for a second frequency band. The optical network unit further includes a polarization diverse receiver coupled to the tunable filter and a laser coupled to the tunable filter.
US09686012B2

An LED lamp acquires its location information from the outside through its power-line communication section and stores the acquired location information in nonvolatile storage device. A communication control section, which establishes visible light communication, uses visible light to transmit, at a predetermined timing, the location information read from a location information storage area in the nonvolatile storage device. An employed writing method for location information includes the steps of causing a server device coupled to a power-line network to provide a database in which the ID the LED lamp is associated with the location information, causing the server device to receive a location information write request transmitted from the LED lamp, searching the database to retrieve the location information associated with the requesting LED lamp, transmitting the retrieved location information to the power-line network, and causing the requesting LED lamp to write the location information into the nonvolatile storage method.
US09686007B2

Communication network (100) for wireless communication, comprising a base station (1, 16, 26), a wireless terminal (3, 15, 18, 25, 37) and at least one repeater (5, 10, 20, 28, 33) which is connected between the base station (1, 16, 26) and the wireless terminal (3, 15, 18, 25, 37), the base station (1, 16, 26) being configured for transmitting and receiving a communication signal on multiple information channels, the terminal (3, 15, 18, 25, 37) being configured for transmitting and receiving a communication signal on multiple information channels, and the repeater (5, 10, 20, 28, 33) being configured for receiving, passing through and retransmitting communication signals on multiple information channels, and contains a converting device (101, 103, 106, 110, 118) for frequency conversion of at least one information channel passed through, a test receiver (6, 12, 22, 34, 38) being additionally comprised which is configured for determining unused frequency ranges for wireless communication, the test receiver (6, 12, 22, 34, 38) being connected to the converting device (101, 103, 106, 110, 118) of the repeater (5, 10, 20, 28, 33), the converting device (101, 103, 106, 110, 118) being configured for carrying out the frequency conversion in at least one communication direction (UL, DL) to a frequency from the unused frequency ranges, and the repeater (5, 10, 20, 28, 33) being configured for transmitting the communication signal wirelessly with the at least one frequency-converted information channel in the at least one communication direction.
US09686006B2

A wireless communication system includes a first communication station that connects with a higher-order station or a lower-order station in a communication path of multi-hop wireless communication and that carries out wireless communication with a mobile terminal in access areas in predetermined wireless resources that differ from relay areas for wireless communication with the higher-order station or the lower-order station in the wireless resources, and a second communication station that constitutes a communication path that differs from the communication path of the multi-hop wireless communication, that uses the wireless resources to carry out wireless communication with a mobile terminal, and that acquires information indicating the relay areas in the wireless resources.
US09686005B2

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for feeding back channel estimation in a MIMO system. A terminal receives a reference signal for estimating a channel from a base station; estimates the channel based on the reference signal; generates channel estimation information according to the channel estimation result and generates error information indicating an error of the channel estimation; and transmits feedback information including the channel estimation information and the error information to the base station.
US09686004B2

Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus, and method for optimizing sounding and feedback overhead in a wireless digital network utilizing a beamforming technique by adaptively changing the frequency of sounding transmissions. The exemplary method comprises: transmitting a first plurality of sounding frames based on a first sounding interval, wherein the first sounding interval is a first period of time between transmissions of two sounding frames in the first plurality of sounding frames; receiving a plurality of feedback frames comprising information associated with the first plurality of sounding frames; based on the plurality of feedback frames: selecting a second sounding interval, different than the first sounding interval, for transmitting a second plurality of sounding frames; and transmitting the second plurality of sounding frames based on the second sounding interval, wherein the second sounding interval is a second period of time between transmissions of two sounding frames in the second plurality of sounding frames.
US09686002B1

A wireless communication sniffer including: a packet identification module; a channel modeler; single-channel and multi-channel equalization matrix calculators; and an equalizer. The packet identification module identifies a packet as single-user (SU) or multi-user (MU). The channel modeler models the communication channel for the packet as either a set of single-channel or multi-channel parameters responsive to the SU and MU packet identification. The single-channel equalization matrix calculator calculates a single-channel equalization matrix using the set of single-channel parameters, responsive to an SU identification. The multi-channel equalization matrix calculator calculates a multi-channel equalization matrix using the set of multi-channel parameters, responsive to an MU identification. The equalizer equalizes the received communication packet utilizing the single-channel or multi-channel equalization matrix responsive to the SU or MU packet identification respectively.
US09686001B1

Beam-steering for a 2-dimensional array of an arbitrary number of radiating elements around both possible axes may be accomplished using a limited number of control components. By selectively coupling signal lines to different feed ports of the antenna array's feed network, it is possible to steer the main beam.
US09685999B2

A method for transmitting a data unit and a device suing the same is provided. The device generates a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) that includes a first part and a second part. The first and second part are generated with different fast Fourier transform (FFT) size. A phase rotation of the second part is different from a phase rotation of the first part.
US09685998B2

An orientation control apparatus and a method thereof are provided. The orientation control apparatus for controlling orientation of a phased array antenna includes the phased array antenna and an orientation controller. In the phased array antenna, a plurality of antenna elements are disposed on a plane. The phased array antenna receives a signal transmitted from at least one transmitter. The orientation controller controls orientation of the phased array antenna based on a channel estimated result of each sub array where the plurality of antenna elements have been grouped in the phased array antenna.
US09685997B2

Systems and methods are described for enhancing the channel spatial diversity in a multiple antenna system (MAS) with multi-user (MU) transmissions (“MU-MAS”), by exploiting channel selectivity indicators. The proposed methods are: i) antenna selection; ii) user selection; iii) transmit power balancing. All three methods, or any combination of those, are shown to provide significant performance gains in DIDO systems in practical propagation scenarios.
US09685986B2

Aspects of the technology relate to a cover (e.g., for a handheld electronic device). The cover may include a cover body configured for securement to a handheld electronic device and comprising an accessory attachment area, wherein the accessory attachment area includes a plurality of receivers, and wherein the accessory attachment area is configured for coupling with an accessory in at least one of a plurality of orientations. In some aspects, each receiver further includes a space recessed into the cover body that is bounded, at least partially, by a recess wall, wherein each receiver includes an engagement surface configured for abutting engagement with a projection associated with an accessory when the projection is disposed in a secured configuration within a respective space. An electrical device cover and various attachment devices are also provided.
US09685985B2

Condensation water occurring within a container box (300) is discharged to the outside thereof, thereby keeping the inside of the container box (300) at a low humidity with no condensation water therein. The container box contains an electric circuit (210) therein and is sealed. The container box comprises: a minute discharge aperture (322) formed at a lowermost part of the container box (300); and a discharge valve (330), the discharge valve (330) being a check valve for closing the discharge aperture (322). Only when the an internal pressure of the container box (300) becomes higher than an external pressure thereof by a predetermined value or greater, does the discharge valve (330) opens to discharge the liquid present inside of the container box (300). The discharge valve closes to keep the airtightness of the container box (300) at all other times.
US09685974B1

A switched capacitor circuit includes a first sampling circuit having a first sampling capacitance element. The first sampling circuit receives an input voltage and outputs a sampled voltage according to a first sampling operation. A quantizer quantizes the sampled voltage output from the first sampling circuit and outputs a quantized value corresponding to the sampled voltage. A digital-to-analog converter outputs an analog signal in accordance with the quantized value from the quantizer. A first logic circuit outputs an instruction to start a sampling operation of a second sampling circuit, which is configured to sample the analog signal output from the digital-to-analog converter, when the quantizer completes quantization of the sampled voltage.
US09685968B2

An analog-to-digital converter circuit having a simple design and capable of preventing an increase in surface area and other problems. An analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog input signal to a digital quantity includes an analog-to-digital converter unit that converts analog input signals to pre-correction digital values, and a corrector unit that digitally corrects the pre-connection digital values output from the analog-to-digital converter unit. The corrector unit includes a weighting coefficient multiplier unit that outputs a post-correction digital value obtained by multiplying the weighting coefficients provided for each bit by each bit of the pre-correction digital value output from the A/D converter unit and summing them, and a weighting coefficient search unit that searches for weighting coefficients so as to minimize an error signal generated based on the post-correction digital value and an approximate value for the post-correction digital value.
US09685967B1

A ΣΔ ADC includes a forward path, a feedback path, and offset compensation circuitry. The forward path is configured to convert an analog input signal to a digital output signal and includes analog chopper circuitry configured to shift the analog input signal to a chopper frequency to generate a chopped analog signal. The feedback path includes a ΣΔ DAC configured to convert a digital offset compensation signal configured to compensate for offset error in the analog input signal to an analog feedback signal that is subtracted from a forward path signal. The offset compensation circuitry is configured to accumulate a chopped digital signal from the forward path to generate a digital offset error signal; add the digital offset error signal to the digital output signal to generate the digital offset compensation signal; and provide the digital offset compensation signal to the ΣΔ DAC.
US09685963B2

A charge pump circuit that utilizes a sensing circuit for determining the current loading or status of the output supply generated by the charge pump circuit to determine a corresponding frequency for a variable rate clock for the charge pump circuit. When a current load is present, the clock frequency automatically ramps up to a relatively high level to increase the output current of the charge pump circuit. When the current load is removed and the supply is settled out, the clock frequency is automatically reduced to a relatively quieter level and the charge pump circuitry operates at a lower power level. Accordingly, the charge pump circuit is only noisy when it has to be, thus providing optimal power when required and being electrically quiet and operating at lower power at all other times.
US09685948B2

A stage includes a first transistor including an input terminal to which a clock signal is applied and a control terminal connected to a first node; a first capacitor including terminals respectively connected to the first node and an output terminal of the first transistor; a second transistor including an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the first transistor, a control terminal connected to a second node, and an output terminal to which a low voltage is applied; a third transistor including an output terminal connected to the second node, a control terminal connected to the first node, and an input terminal to which the low voltage is applied; and a fourth transistor including an input terminal connected to the first node and an output terminal to which the low voltage is applied, wherein the fourth transistor is switched according to an output signal of a next stage.
US09685944B1

An integrated circuit includes a drive circuit with a first inverter circuit with a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type. The drains of the first and second transistors are connected. An output circuit is provided having a third transistor of the second conductivity with a gate connected to the drains of the first and second transistors. A capacitor is connected between the gate and a drain of the third transistor and has a capacitance greater than 0.5 pF and less than or equal to 3.0 pF. A gate width of the first transistor when divided by a gate width of the third transistor has a value of less than 1/100. The output circuit is configured to output a transmission signal from the drain of the third transistor.
US09685941B2

The invention relates to a device for protecting at least one active component of an electronic module, able to receive a microwave electromagnetic signal as input and to provide a microwave electromagnetic signal to said at least one active component. This device includes a delay module able to apply a predetermined delay time to the microwave electromagnetic input signal, connected in parallel with a switch-triggering device able to compare a power level of the microwave electromagnetic input signal to a power threshold and to command switching by a switch connected at the output of the delay module, an output of said switch providing the microwave electromagnetic signal to said at least one active component, the predetermined delay time being such that the switching is done before the arrival of the microwave electromagnetic output signal from the delay module.
US09685938B2

A maximum voltage selection circuit may include multiple inputs, each for receiving a different input voltage, an output for delivering the highest of the input voltages, and a voltage selection circuit. The voltage selection circuit may automatically select the input having the largest voltage magnitude, automatically deliver the voltage at the selected input to the output, and not draw quiescent operating current from any of the inputs. For each and every unique combination of two of the multiple inputs, the voltage selection circuit may include an enhancement mode FET with a channel connected in series between a first input of the unique combination of the two inputs and the output; a connection between the gate of the enhancement mode FET and the second input of the unique combination of the two inputs through the channel of a depletion mode FET; an additional enhancement mode FET with a channel connected in series between the second of the unique combination of the two inputs and the output; and a connection between the gate of the additional enhancement mode FET and the first of the unique combination of the two inputs through the channel of an additional depletion mode FET.
US09685936B2

A self-feedback control circuit is connected to a controller area network bus for controlling a high-level output and a low-level output, comprising a controller area network driving circuit and a replica circuit. The replica circuit is connected in parallel with the controller area network driving circuit and comprises an upper feedback path and a lower feedback path. The upper feedback path and the lower feedback path are connected jointly to a common mode, and the replica circuit provides a feedback signal from the common mode such that the feedback signal is able to be respectively transmitted to two individual transistors of the controller area network driving circuit through the upper feedback path and through the lower feedback path so as to control DC level stability of the high-level output and the low-level output.
US09685931B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide circuits for generating high accuracy millimeter wave or radio frequency (RF) wideband in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) oscillating signals having acceptable amplitude and phase mismatch over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations with reduced cost, area, and power consumption. In one example apparatus, a polyphase filter having a first stage and a second stage is provided. Each stage comprises resistive elements and capacitive elements. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide for intentional resistive and/or capacitive value mismatch between the resistive or capacitive values of one or multiple stages such that the phase mismatch between the resulting I and Q signals may be reduced without degrading the amplitude mismatch. Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide for replacing the resistive elements in at least one stage with transistors operating in the triode region, where the on-resistance is controlled by a feedback network.
US09685929B2

A MEMS/NEMS device having an adjustable frequency response comprises an array of electrostatically actuated resonators, an electrostatic actuation circuit, electrical detection means, and means adjusting the frequency response of the resonators. The device comprises resonators having a movable portion, electrically connected in series between a first biasing potential VB and a second biasing potential VB2, each resonator biased to a potential Vi between VB and VB2, depending on position in the series. The electrostatic actuation circuit comprises, for each resonator, an actuation electrode facing the movable portion, all electrodes being connected in parallel to a common control potential VIN, the actuation voltage of each resonator being equal to VIN−Vi. The detection means comprises a detection output common to all resonators, the output being connected to an output potential Vout. The means for adjusting the frequency response varies the common control potential and/or at least one of the biasing potentials.
US09685925B1

In some implementations, an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit comprises: a pre-divider circuit operable to pre-divide an input signal according to a pre-divider circuit setting and output a pre-divided signal; a pre-amplifier operable to pre-amplify the pre-divided signal and output a pre-amplified signal; a post-divider circuit operable to post-divide the pre-amplified signal according to a post-divider circuit setting; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operable to generate a digital data stream from the post-divided signal; logic operable to sample the digital data stream; determine a pre-divider circuit setting and a post-divider circuit setting based on the sampled data stream; set the pre-divider circuit and the post-divider circuit based on the determined settings; and generate a received signal strength value based on the pre-divider circuit setting and the post-divider circuit setting.
US09685921B2

Loudness control systems or methods may normalize audio signals to a predetermined loudness level. If the audio signal includes moderate background noise, then the background noise may also be normalized to the target loudness level. Noise signals may be detected using content-versus-noise classification, and a loudness control system or method may be adjusted based on the detection of noise. Noise signals may be detected by signal analysis in the frequency domain or in the time domain. Loudness control systems may also produce undesirable audio effects when content shifts from a high overall loudness level to a lower overall loudness level. Such loudness drops may be detected, and the loudness control system may be adjusted to minimize the undesirable effects during the transition between loudness levels.
US09685912B2

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for an envelope amplifier using adjustment of a switch current, in order to maximize the efficiency of the envelope amplifier at the entire sections of envelope output power. The apparatus and method can extend the battery lifetime of portable wireless devices such as smart phones or mobile phones or application devices such as notebook computers, which use a battery as a power supply.
US09685904B2

A micro-inverter assembly includes a housing having an opening formed in a bottom surface thereof, and a direct current (DC)-to-alternating current (AC) micro-inverter disposed within the housing at a position adjacent to the opening. The micro-inverter assembly further includes a micro-inverter DC connector electrically coupled to the DC-to-AC micro-inverter and positioned within the opening of the housing, the micro-inverter DC connector having a plurality of exposed electrical contacts.
US09685891B2

Systems and methods for driving a plurality of permanent magnet synchronous motors are provided. An embodiment of the system can include a first permanent magnet synchronous motor coupled to a first slip coupling, a second permanent magnet synchronous motor coupled to a second slip coupling, and the first permanent magnet synchronous motor and the second permanent magnet synchronous motor can be electrically connected in parallel on a bus.
US09685889B2

A piezoelectric device includes an insulating substrate, a piezoelectric vibration device that is mounted on a device mounting pad, a metal lid member that seals the piezoelectric vibration device in an airtight manner, an external pad that is arranged outside the insulating substrate, an oscillation circuit, a temperature compensation circuit, and a temperature sensor. The lid member and the temperature sensor or the lid member and the IC component are connected to each other so as to be heat-transferable, and a heat transfer member having thermal conductivity higher than that of the material of the insulating substrate is additionally included.
US09685884B2

It is composed of a three-phase three-level inverter 1, three single-phase five-level inverters 2, each of which is connected in series with an output of each phase of the three-phase three-level inverter 1, and pulse width modulation control means 8 provided for each phase which supplies gate pulses to the three-level inverter 1 and the single-phase five-level inverter 2 of the relevant phase. State transition means 84 which determines an output of a switching leg of the three-level inverter 1, and outputs of outside and inside switching legs of the single-phase five-level inverter based on transition of a voltage level created by the pulse width modulation control means 8, makes all of the three outputs of the three-level inverter 1, and the outside and inside switching legs of the single-phase five-level inverter 2 0 or positive, when the voltage level is positive, makes all of the outputs of these three legs 0 or negative, when the voltage level is negative, and makes all of the outputs of these three legs 0, when the voltage level is 0.
US09685882B2

An apparatus and a method for wireless power reception include converting a received wireless power to a wireless power for charging using a synchronous rectifier and a direct current/direct current (DC/DC) converter having a structure providing a high efficiency and low heat generation even when a high charging current is supplied.
US09685879B2

A power semiconductor module capable of reducing variation of inductance between upper/lower arms and reducing variation of current caused by the variation of inductance. The power semiconductor module includes circuit blocks (upper/lower arms) each of which is configured by connecting self-arc-extinguishing type semiconductor elements in series; first and second positive electrode terminals, first and second negative electrode terminals, and first and second AC terminals. Further, there are first and second wiring patterns that connect the self-arc-extinguishing type semiconductor elements to the DC and AC terminals. The outline of the power semiconductor module has a substantially quadrangular surface.
US09685870B2

A power supply includes a phase-cut pre-regulator. The phase-cut pre-regulator comprises a switching device connected between a line voltage and an input voltage of a bulk capacitor and a comparator receiving the line voltage and a reference voltage, comparing the line voltage with hysteresis reference voltages based on the reference voltage, and switching the switching device according to the compared result.
US09685869B1

GaN-based half bridge power conversion circuits employ control, support and logic functions that are monolithically integrated on the same devices as the power transistors. In some embodiments a low side GaN device communicates through one or more level shift circuits with a high side GaN device. Both the high side and the low side devices may have one or more integrated control, support and logic functions. Some devices employ electro-static discharge circuits and features formed within the GaN-based devices to improve the reliability and performance of the half bridge power conversion circuits.
US09685863B2

A power conversion system includes, for example, a PFM controller, a PWM controller, and an auxiliary voltage output stage. The PFM controller controls a power output stage in a PFM mode in response to a power stage voltage output generated by the power output stage during a first period of time in which the power output stage is operating in the PFM mode. The PWM controller controls the power output stage in a PWM mode in response to a power stage voltage output generated by the power output stage during a second period of time in which the power output stage is operating in the PWM mode. The auxiliary voltage output stage generates an auxiliary voltage during a third period of time, where the PWM controller controls the auxiliary power output stage using the auxiliary voltage during the third period of time.
US09685861B2

Systems and methods for digital voltage compensation in a power supply integrated circuit are provided. In at least one embodiment, a method includes receiving a digital voltage code, the digital voltage code corresponding to an output voltage value; setting an output count on a first counter to change from a present first digital count corresponding to a present voltage code value toward a target first digital count corresponding to a new voltage code value; and setting a second count to an offset count value on a second counter when the new voltage code value is received. The method also includes combining the second count with the output count to form a combined count value; and decrementing the second count value from the offset count value to zero when the first counter reaches the target first digital count.
US09685859B2

A signal transmission circuit with a first circuit in a signal transmission side having first and second semiconductor switch elements transmitting a reference potential or power supply voltage of the first circuit to a second circuit by being alternatively driven on and off according to a multiple of signals. The second circuit in a signal reception side having a voltage conversion circuit, including an in-phase noise filter that eliminates in-phase noise superimposed on the voltage transmitted via the first and second semiconductor switch elements, generating first and second pulse signals in accordance with the transmitted voltage, a latch circuit latching each of the first and second pulse signals with the first and second pulse signals as a clock, and a signal analysis circuit analyzing the first and second pulse signals latched by the latch circuit, and generating an output signal according to the category of the multiple of signals.
US09685851B2

A magnetic drive system comprising three members, a first and second of which form an input member and an output member each arranged to rotate relative to the third member, wherein two of the members have respective sets of permanent magnets, the two sets having different numbers of magnetic poles, and the other of the members comprises a cylindrical body having a plurality of pole pieces embedded therein, the pole pieces being arranged to modulate the magnetic field acting between the magnets, and wherein one of the pole pieces is of varying radial thickness.
US09685836B2

A motor which prevents the generation of noise from a bearing and prevents shortening of the life of the bearing while preventing the entry of foreign matter inside of a housing. The motor 10 includes a rotor 12, a stator 16, a bearing 20, a housing 18, a bearing support surface 60 arranged to be immovable relative to the housing 18 and surrounding an outer circumferential surface 58 of the bearing 20, a first groove 62 formed at the outer circumferential surface 58 of the bearing 20 or at the bearing support surface 60, and a second groove formed at the outer circumferential surface 58 of the bearing 20 or at the bearing support surface 60 to extend in a circumferential direction so as to intersect the first groove 62.
US09685825B2

A wireless power supply system has a power sending resonance coil, a power receiving resonance coil, and a relay resonance coil. The power sending resonance coil has a predetermined resonance frequency characteristic, and transmits power wirelessly. The power receiving resonance coil has the same resonance frequency characteristic as the power sending resonance coil, and receives power wirelessly with a magnetic field resonance mode generated by synchronization of the resonance frequency. The relay resonance coil has the same resonance frequency characteristic as the power sending resonance coil and the power receiving resonance coil, and relay power from the power sending resonance coil to the power receiving resonance coil wirelessly with the magnetic field resonance mode generated by synchronization of the resonance frequency with them.
US09685819B2

A generator system may include redundant control. The generator system may include any combination of redundant controllers, redundant communication paths, or other redundant control. A generator system may include an electrical bus, a first generator controller, and the second generator controller. The first generator controller may control a first generator breaker for connecting a first generator to the electrical bus and configured to control an external breaker for selectively connecting the electrical bus to an external source. The second generator controller may control a second generator breaker for connecting a second generator to the common bus and configured to control the external breaker for selectively connecting the electrical bus to the external source.
US09685795B2

Wireless power transfer between a power transmitter and a power receiver may include a power transfer established by a detector of the wireless power transmitter detecting a magnetic field from a wireless power receiver in proximity to the wireless power transmitter and activating the wireless power transmitter to transfer power to the wireless power receiver.
US09685786B1

An automatic transfer switch (ATS) is described that includes a multi-structure of relays that together provide proper spacing, within the ATS, between a first power feed and a second power feed. A monitor circuit is also described that monitors output ports of relays in the first stage of the multi-stage structure and detects that there is or is not proper spacing between the first power feed and the second power feed, within the ATS.
US09685783B2

A load control system having a controllable electrical outlet provides a low cost solution for controlling a plurality of standard electrical outlets. The controllable electrical outlet may be coupled in series between a power source and at least one standard electrical outlet for controlling the power delivered to the standard electrical outlet. The controllable electrical outlet may comprise an actuator for allowing the controllable electrical outlet to be associated with an input device for receiving digital messages from the input device. The controllable electrical outlet may be installed in a standard electrical wallbox, e.g., replacing a previously-installed standard electrical outlet. The actuator may be easily accessed to associate the controllable electrical outlet with the input device and a radio-frequency receiver and antenna may be located in the controllable electrical outlet to provide optimum reception of radio-frequency signals.
US09685781B2

This invention provides a solar photovoltaic system, comprising: a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies, for harvesting solar energy to generate DC currents; a plurality of micro-optimizers having input terminals coupled to the photovoltaic assemblies and having output terminals connected in series with each other, for optimizing output currents and/or output voltages of the photovoltaic assemblies, to generate maximum power; a manager configured to communicate with the plurality of micro-optimizers, for managing operating states of the micro-optimizers; and an inverter coupled to one or more strings of the micro-optimizers, for converting the optimized DC currents into AC currents and outputting the AC currents to a power grid. This invention further provides a method for energy harvest optimization and a method for fault detection of a solar photovoltaic system.
US09685776B2

A sealing unit (28) fits within the sealing unit opening (26) of a housing 22. The sealing unit (28) including a sealant arrangement (32) that define a plurality of cable ports (30). The sealing arrangement is also configured for providing a peripheral seal between the housing (22) and the sealing unit (28). The sealing unit (28) includes an actuation arrangement (31) for pressurizing the sealant arrangement (32) within the sealing unit opening (26). The sealant arrangement (32) includes a plurality of sealing modules (33a-33e) each sized to form only a portion of the pressure actuated sealant arrangement (32).
US09685774B1

A lightning protection system for liquid storage tanks having floating roofs wherein lightning energy is not directed into the shell of the storage tank. The lightning protection system includes at least one low-resistance low-impedance bypass conductor cable configured for lightning related frequencies and for routing lightning energy and for bounding charges away from the shell of the storage tank.
US09685773B2

The invention relates to a guiding device for a line, in particular a power chain (12), which can be turned over in such a way that a section (upper run) (16) of the power chain can be positioned above another section (lower run) (14) of the power chain and the upper run and the lower run are connected to each other by an arched section (18), wherein the guiding device has resting surfaces and lateral guiding surfaces and is provided with retaining elements (22) arranged at distances one another in the direction of travel, to which retaining elements guide rails (24) are attached preferably by means of clip connections, which guide rails bridge the distances between the retaining elements and support the lower run and/or the upper run of the line or power chain.
US09685772B2

Insulator integrated framings for power lines and kits for assembling same are disclosed. The framings have retaining member assemblies configured to retain power line wires and conductors, separated from power line support structures and other retaining member assemblies by insulators.
US09685761B2

Described herein are lasers comprising an output port to output an optical signal, a plurality of waveguide segments forming an optical cavity length, and a resonant optical cavity comprising the optical cavity length, a gain medium included in the resonant optical cavity to amplify the optical signal, and a heating element disposed near at least two of the plurality of waveguide segments, the heating element controllable to adjust the phase of the optical signal by heating the waveguide segments. Described herein are optical devices comprising a first plurality of ports to output a plurality of optical signals, a second plurality of ports to receive the plurality of optical signals, and a plurality of coupling waveguides. The plurality of waveguide may comprise a pair of adjacent waveguides separated by a first distance, each of the pair of adjacent waveguides comprising a different width.
US09685754B2

A device for generating temporally distant light pulses is provided, the device including at least a first light source for generating a first sequence of light pulses at a first repetition rate, and a second light source for generating a second sequence of light pulses at a second repetition rate. In some embodiments the device includes at least one actuator element which influences the first and/or the second repetition rate, and a control element which charges the actuator element with a periodical modulation signal for periodical variation of the first and/or second repetition rate. A control circuit is also provided including at least a phase detector, a corrective element, a control element, and a superposition element that forms an actuator signal from a modulation signal and an output signal of the control element, and which charges the actuator element with the actuator signal.
US09685750B2

The present invention relates to a method and tool for assisting alignment of one or more pin headers. In particular, the invention relates to a tool-assisted method of aiding alignment of one or more pin headers placed on a printed circuit board (PCB) prior to soldering, as well as to the tool itself.
US09685735B1

An electrical connector includes a module and a shell enclosing the module. The module includes an insulative housing and a number of terminals affixed to the insulative housing, the insulative housing having a base portion and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base portion, each terminal having a contact portion exposed on the tongue portion. The shell defines a mating port at a front portion thereof for mating with a mating connector, and a card receiving cavity at a rear portion thereof for loading a card.
US09685732B2

An apparatus for moving a carrier includes a housing and a carrier having a retracted closed position and an ejected open position with respect to the housing. The carrier includes a first magnet and a second magnet. A latch is provided having two states and having a third magnet located between the first magnet and the second magnet. In a first state, the carrier is in the retracted closed position due to a magnetic coupling between the first magnet and the third magnet. In a second state, the carrier is in the ejected open position due to a magnetic coupling between the second magnet and the third magnet.
US09685731B2

A watertight connector has a one-piece rubber plug (50) on a rear part of a housing (70), and a rear holder (30) to be locked to the housing (70) is behind the rubber plug (50). A receptacle 10 is fit externally to the housing (70) from the front and closely contacts lips (55) of the rubber plug (50). The receptacle (10) includes short side walls (15) facing each other in a first direction and long side walls (14) facing each other in a second direction. The rear holder (30) includes short surfaces (38) at inner sides of the short side walls (15) and long surfaces (37) at inner sides of the long side walls (14). Holder-side escaping portions (43) retracted more backward than front ends of the long surfaces (37) are provided on front ends of the short surfaces (38) of the rear holder (30).
US09685727B2

A high speed data contact assembly having a linear data contact set and a right-angle termination insert. The linear data contact set has a housing having a hollow body and a termination subassembly. The termination subassembly is inserted in the hollow body of the housing. The termination subassembly has a plurality of pairs of parallel contact beams, the contact beams in each pair being of the same orientation and the pairs of contact beams having alternating orientations, wherein each contact beam has a distal end having a first orientation and a proximal end having a second orientation opposite of the first orientation. The right angle termination insert is adapted for insertion into the proximal end of the linear data contact set. The right angle termination insert has a u-shaped housing and a right-angle contact insert assembly in the U-shaped housing.
US09685723B2

A card edge connector comprises an insulating body and a metal strengthening member. The insulating body comprises a card slot and a tower. The tower comprises a first side wall, a second side wall, a first guiding wall and a second guiding wall. A first mounting groove is formed between the first side wall and the first guiding wall, a second mounting groove is formed between the second side wall and the second guiding wall, a guiding groove is formed between the first guiding wall and the second guiding wall. The metal strengthening member comprises a base portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm extend toward the guiding groove and are respectively adjacent to the first guiding wall and the second guiding wall.
US09685722B2

The present invention includes a lower plate, an upper plate provided above the lower plate in such a manner that the upper plate is biased so as to be vertically movable, a guide member attached to the upper plate, the guide member guiding vertical movement of the upper plate, and a spring provided below the guide member, the spring biasing the upper plate upward via the guide member. In the lower plate, an insertion hole having a size that allows the spring and the guide member to pass therethrough in a vertical direction is formed. In the insertion hole, a spring holding member that holds the spring is detachably provided. Such configuration enables suppression of warpage of the upper plate caused by a biasing force of the spring and enables work for replacement of the upper plate to be performed easily and quickly.
US09685717B2

A method and structure for improving signal integrity probing. A coaxial or a microcoaxial cable is threaded through an optional alignment substrate where the cable is used to support or align the cable or an array of cables. A conductive elastomer is placed on a cable or a microcoaxial cable to improve signal integrity probing.
US09685708B2

Provided is a waveguide tube slot antenna (1) including: a plurality of waveguides (2) arranged in parallel with each other; a plurality of radiating slots (3) formed along each of the plurality of waveguides (2); and a plurality of waveguide tubes (10) connected in parallel with each other, in which the plurality of waveguide tubes (10) each include a first waveguide tube forming member (11) and a second waveguide tube forming member (12) each having a transverse section having a shape with an end, the first waveguide tube forming member and the second waveguide tube forming member being configured to define one of the plurality of waveguides (2) by being connected to each other.
US09685692B2

An antenna structure is configured to transmit and receive signal for a wireless communication device. The antenna structure includes a base board, a radiating unit, and a feed unit. The radiating unit and the feed unit are formed on the base board. The feed unit partially overlaps on the radiating unit to form a number of signal feed paths.
US09685680B2

Disclosed is use of an all-solid-state battery as a backup power source in at least one device selected from the group consisting of a computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a pocket computer, a workstation, a supercomputer, computer-peripheral hardware, and a server. This all-solid-state battery comprises a positive electrode layer comprising a positive-electrode active material that is an oriented polycrystalline body composed of lithium transition metal oxide grains oriented in a given direction; a solid electrolyte layer composed of a lithium-ion conductive material; and a negative electrode layer comprising a negative-electrode active material.
US09685670B2

A method of operating a hydrogen generator includes: a step (a) of generating a hydrogen-containing gas by a hydrogen generation unit by using a raw material in the hydrogen generation unit; a step (b) of removing a sulfur compound from the raw material by a hydrodesulfurizer which is heated by heat transferred from the hydrogen generation unit; and a step (c) of performing an operation of supplying the raw material to the hydrogen generation unit after stopping the generating of the hydrogen-containing gas by the hydrogen generation unit. The step (c) is not performed unless, at least, a temperature of the hydrodesulfurizer is such a temperature at which carbon deposition from the raw material is suppressed.
US09685663B2

The base material for a gas diffusion electrode of the present invention comprises a nonwoven fabric containing conductive fibers that contain conductive particles at least in the inside of an organic resin, and is characterized in that a specific apparent Young's modulus of the base material for a gas diffusion electrode is 40 [MPa/(g/cm3)] or more. Since the base material contains conductive fibers that contain conductive particles at least in the inside of an organic resin, it is flexible, and as a result, a polymer electrolyte membrane is not directly damaged. Further, since the specific apparent Young's modulus is 40 [MPa/(g/cm3)] or more, which indicates a high rigidity, and swelling and shrinkage of the polymer electrolyte membrane can be inhibited, cracking of the polymer electrolyte membrane can be avoided.
US09685661B2

A secondary battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution. The anode or the electrolytic solution, or both contain a metal salt including an unsaturated carbon bond.
US09685655B2

A method and apparatus for forming battery active material on a substrate are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus for depositing a battery active material on a surface of a substrate includes a substrate conveyor system for transporting the substrate within the apparatus, a material spray assembly disposed above the substrate conveyor system, and a first heating element disposed adjacent to the material spray assembly above the substrate conveyor system configured to heat the substrate. The material spray assembly has a 2-D array of nozzles configured to electrospray an electrode forming solution on the surface of the substrate.
US09685649B2

An electrode assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode plate having a fist electrode tab at an end of one side thereof, a second electrode plate having a second electrode tab, which is formed in a same direction as a longitudinal direction of the first electrode tab and is formed at a position not overlapping the first electrode tab, and a protrusion which is formed at a position overlapping the first electrode tab, and a separator insulating the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate. Therefore, the electrode assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention and the secondary battery including the same may improve the stability of the secondary battery by preventing lithium ion accumulation in a separator.
US09685635B2

A display may have thin-film transistor circuitry on a substrate. An array of organic light-emitting diodes may be formed on the thin-film transistor circuitry. The organic light-emitting diodes may have anodes, cathodes, and emissive material located between the anodes and cathodes. A circular polarizer may be formed over the array of organic light-emitting diodes. The circular polarizer may include a linear polarizer and a quarter wave plate. The linear polarizer may be formed from one or more film layers having narrowband dichroic dyes so that the polarizer exhibits transmission peaks aligned with a selected subset of wavelengths and absorbance notches corresponding to the selected subset of wavelengths. The selected subset of wavelengths may cover the ranges where the light-emitting diodes are outputting light. Configured in this way, the polarizer will exhibit enhanced luminance at the desired wavelengths while suppressing ambient light reflections at other wavelengths in the visible spectrum.
US09685628B2

Methods for making multiple hermetically sealed optical components are disclosed. Methods for making an individual hermetically sealed optical component are disclosed. An individual hermetically sealed optical component and products including same are also disclosed.
US09685625B2

An organic light emitting display element includes a substrate, a lower electrode positioned on the substrate, at least one organic light emitting layer positioned on the lower electrode, a metal doped layer positioned on the organic light emitting layer, and an upper electrode positioned on the metal doped layer that includes a conductive material, and is configured to transmit light. Such organic light emitting display element is capable of minimizing degeneration and damage to the organic light emitting layer caused by sputtering.
US09685616B2

A semiconductive component with a layer system includes at least one layer comprising a compound of the general formula (I) or (II).
US09685605B2

A magnetic memory device includes a magnetic memory unit having a plurality of magnetic memory cells, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first and second surfaces extending in a direction parallel to a direction in which the magnetic memory cells are arranged, a first magnetic shield unit extending below the first surface, and a second magnetic shield unit having a first portion that extends over the second surface and a second portion that extends from the first portion towards the first magnetic shield unit and is directly in contact with the first shield magnetic unit.
US09685600B2

Methods for enhancing characteristics of superconductive fullerenes and devices incorporating the fullerenes are disclosed. Enhancements can include increase in the critical transition temperature at a constant magnetic field; the existence of a superconducting hysteresis over a changing magnetic field; a decrease in the stabilizing magnetic field required for the onset of superconductivity; and/or an increase in the stability of superconductivity over a large magnetic field. The enhancements can be brought about by transmitting electromagnetic radiation to the superconductive fullerene such that the electromagnetic radiation impinges on the fullerene with an energy that is greater than the band gap of the fullerene.
US09685598B2

The present invention is directed to a thermoelectric device that includes a plurality of thermoelectric couples positioned between a top plate and a bottom plate, wherein each thermoelectric couple comprises n-type and p-type element assemblies electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel. When the device is used for electrical power generation, the efficiency is increased by using semiconductor materials with a high Seebeck coefficient, increasing the distance between the n-type and p-type element assemblies, increasing the length of the electrical conductors/thermal distance between the top and bottom plates, and/or using an insulation plate spaced from the top plate. When the device is used for heating/cooling, the coefficients of performance are increased by using semiconductor materials with a high Seebeck coefficient and/or optimizing the length of the electrical conductors/thermal distance between the top and bottom plates.
US09685586B2

A nitride semiconductor structure and a semiconductor light emitting device including the same are revealed. The nitride semiconductor structure mainly includes a stress control layer disposed between a light emitting layer and a p-type carrier blocking layer. The p-type carrier blocking layer is made from AlxGa1-xN (0
US09685585B2

The present disclosure is directed to LED components, methods and systems using such components, having light emitter devices with emissions tuned to meet CRI and LER goal values at a defined CCT. These emitter devices and methods may use a combination of light emitting diodes and quantum dots to tune the emission to meet these criteria. The quantum dots may incorporate additional features to protect the quantum dots from environmental conditions and improve heat dissipation, such as coatings and thermally conductive features.
US09685579B2

A cleaving system is described. The system can include a holding apparatus to retain a photovoltaic structure at a center section of a cleaving platform. The system can further include a contact apparatus to make contact with the photovoltaic structure and separate it into a plurality of strips. During operation, the system can activate an actuator to move the contact apparatus against the photovoltaic structure, thereby separating the photovoltaic structure into strips.
US09685568B2

A photovoltaic module, and method of making, is disclosed in which a flexible circuit is electrically coupled to a plurality of photovoltaic cells, where the photovoltaic cells are electrically coupled in series to form a series of cells. Each photovoltaic cell has free-standing metallic articles coupled to the top and bottom surfaces of a semiconductor substrate. A cell interconnection element of each photovoltaic cell is electrically coupled to a free-standing metallic article of an adjacent photovoltaic cell, where the interconnection elements of the initial and final cells in the series serve as contact ends for the series of cells. Contact tabs of the flexible circuit are electrically coupled to the contact ends of the series of cells, and a junction box is electrically coupled to a junction box contact region of the flexible circuit.
US09685562B2

An object is to provide a semiconductor device having electrical characteristics such as high withstand voltage, low reverse saturation current, and high on-state current. In particular, an object is to provide a power diode and a rectifier which include non-linear elements. An embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device including a first electrode, a gate insulating layer covering the first electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer in contact with the gate insulating layer and overlapping with the first electrode, a pair of second electrodes covering end portions of the oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer covering the pair of second electrodes and the oxide semiconductor layer, and a third electrode in contact with the insulating layer and between the pair of second electrodes. The pair of second electrodes are in contact with end surfaces of the oxide semiconductor layer.
US09685560B2

A transistor with favorable electrical characteristics, a transistor with stable electrical characteristics, or a highly integrated semiconductor device is provided. In a top-gate transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used for a semiconductor layer where a channel is formed, elements are introduced to the semiconductor layer in a self-aligned manner after a gate electrode is formed. After that, a side surface of the gate electrode is covered with a structure body. The structure body preferably contains silicon oxide. A first insulating layer is formed to cover the semiconductor layer, the gate electrode, and the structure body. A second insulating layer is formed by a sputtering method over the first insulating layer. Oxygen is introduced to the first insulating layer when the second insulating layer is formed.
US09685550B2

In one general aspect, an apparatus can include a silicon carbide (SiC) device can include a gate dielectric, a first doped region having a first conductivity type, a body region of the first conductivity type, and a second doped region having a second conductivity type. The second doped region has a first portion disposed between the first doped region and the body region, and the second doped region has a second portion disposed between the first doped region and the gate dielectric.
US09685540B2

A semiconductor device includes an active region with a first gate trench formed when a gate region is etched to a first depth, a device isolation film defining the active region and including a second gate-trench formed when a gate region is etched to a second depth, a gate buried below the first gate trench and the second gate trench, and a source plug and a drain plug formed when a conductive material is deposited in a source region and a drain region of the active region.
US09685532B2

Replacement metal gate structures with improved chamfered workfunction metal and self-aligned contact and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a replacement metal gate structure in a dielectric material. The replacement metal gate structure is formed with a lower spacer and an upper spacer above the lower spacer. The upper spacer having material is different than material of the lower spacer. The method further includes forming a self-aligned contact adjacent to the replacement metal gate structure by patterning an opening within the dielectric material and filling the opening with contact material. The upper spacer prevents shorting with the contact material.
US09685507B2

FinFET devices and processes to prevent fin or gate collapse (e.g., flopover) in finFET devices are provided. The method includes forming a first set of trenches in a semiconductor material and filling the first set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes forming a second set of trenches in the semiconductor material, alternating with the first set of trenches that are filled. The second set of trenches form semiconductor structures which have a dimension of fin structures. The method further includes filling the second set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes recessing the insulator material within the first set of trenches and the second set of trenches to form the fin structures.
US09685503B2

A semiconductor device includes a first conductivity type semiconductor layer that includes a wide bandgap semiconductor and a surface. A trench, including a side wall and a bottom wall, is formed in the semiconductor layer surface, and a Schottky electrode is connected to the surface. Opposite edge portions of the bottom wall of the trench each include a radius of curvature, R, satisfying the expression 0.01 L
US09685476B2

To provide an imaging device capable of high-speed reading. The imaging device includes a photodiode, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, and a fourth transistor. The back gate electrode of the first transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the first transistor and a potential lower than the source potential of the first transistor. The back gate electrode of the second transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the second transistor. The back gate electrode of the third transistor is electrically connected to a wiring that can supply a potential higher than a source potential of the third transistor and a potential lower than the source potential of the third transistor.
US09685475B2

A back-illuminated integrated imaging device is formed from a semiconductor substrate including a zone of pixels bounded by capacitive deep trench isolations. A peripheral zone is located outside the zone of pixels. A continuous electrically conductive layer forms, in the zone of pixels, an electrode in a trench for each capacitive deep trench isolation, and forms, in the peripheral zone, a redistribution layer for electrically coupling the electrode to a biasing contact pad. The electrode is located in the trench between a trench dielectric and at least one material for filling the trench.
US09685468B2

The present invention provides a color filter substrate, a display device and a detection method thereof, aims to solve the problems of difficulty in failure positioning and low detection efficiency in existing display panels. The color filter substrate comprises a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array, each of the sub-pixels is provided with a color filter, and at least a part of columns of sub-pixels are marked column of sub-pixels. The shapes of the color filters of a part of sub-pixels of the marked column of sub-pixels are different from those of the remaining sub-pixels. The display device comprises the above-mentioned color filter substrate. The color filter substrate can be used in the display device, particularly suitable for the display device which adopts double side GOA circuits.
US09685466B2

The present invention provides a TFT, an array substrate and a display device. The TFT includes a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a semiconductor layer. The source electrode and the drain electrode are arranged on different layers. The semiconductor layer is in electrical connection to the source electrode and the drain electrode, respectively; wherein, a region on the semiconductor layer which is corresponding to a region between the source electrode and the drain electrode is a channel region. The present invention also provides an array substrate and a display device comprising the on TFT.
US09685442B2

A semiconductor device including an insulating film in a first region of a semiconductor substrate; a first impurity region and a second impurity region of a first conductivity type, each of the regions including a part located deeper than the insulating film in contact with each other, and the insulating film being sandwiched by the first and second impurity regions in planar view in the first region of the semiconductor substrate; a metal silicide film on the first impurity region and in Schottky junction with the first impurity region; a first impurity of the first impurity region having a peak of a concentration profile deeper than a bottom of the insulating film; a second impurity of the second impurity region having a concentration higher than a concentration of the first impurity in a part of the first impurity region shallower than the bottom of the insulating film.
US09685441B2

The metal-oxide semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a gate dielectric multi-layer, an etch stop layer, a work function metallic layer, a barrier layer and a silicide layer. The substrate has a trench. The gate dielectric multi-layer overlies the trench, in which the gate dielectric multi-layer includes a high-k capping layer with a fluorine concentration substantially in a range from 1 at % to 10 at %. The etch stop layer is disposed on the gate dielectric multi-layer. The work function metallic layer is disposed on the etch stop layer. The barrier layer is disposed on the work function metallic layer. The silicide layer is disposed on the barrier layer.
US09685440B1

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a first pattern of alternating spacers of a first material and a second material on a semiconductor substrate, forming a second pattern of the alternating spacers of the first material and the second material by selectively removing at least a portion of at least one of one or more of the spacers of the first material and one or more of the spacers of the second material to form a remaining pattern of spacers of the first material and the second material on the semiconductor substrate, and transferring the second pattern of the spacers of the first material and the second material to the semiconductor substrate to form two or more fins in the semiconductor substrate by etching the semiconductor substrate selective to the first material and the second material.
US09685435B2

Aspects of the present disclosure describe MOSFET devices that have snubber circuits. The snubber circuits comprise one or more resistors with a dynamically controllable resistance that is controlled by changes to a gate and/or drain potentials of the one or more MOSFET structures during switching events.
US09685432B2

A multi-gate Schottky depletion-mode field effect transistor (FET), at least one diode and two resistors comprise a compact electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure. This ESD protection structure can be laid out in a smaller area than typical multiple diode ESD devices. The multi-gate FET may comprise various types of high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) devices, e.g., (pseudomorphic) pHEMT, (metamorphic) mHEMT, induced HEMT. The multiple gates of the Schottky field effect device are used to form an ESD trigger and charge draining paths for protection of circuits following the ESD protection device. Both single and dual polarity ESD protection devices may be provided on an integrated circuit die for protection of input-output circuits thereof.
US09685430B2

A method of manufacturing an embedded package comprises attaching a plurality of chips on a pre-mold lead frame; forming a first lamination layer on the plurality of chips, the pre-mold lead frame and a plurality of pins; forming a first plurality of vias and a second plurality of vias through the first lamination layer; forming a respective conductive plug of a plurality of conductive plugs by depositing a respective conductive material in each of the first plurality of vias and each of the second plurality of vias; and electrically connecting the plurality of conductive plugs on the electrodes of the plurality of chips to the plurality of conductive plugs on the plurality of pins.
US09685425B2

An integrated circuit package may have a package substrate with a surface to which an integrated circuit die is soldered. A first set of contacts on the package substrate may mate with contacts on the integrated circuit die. Solder may be used to connect the integrated circuit die to the first set of contacts. A covering material such as a plastic mold cap may be used to cover the integrated circuit die and the first set of contacts. The mold cap may have a rectangular shape or other footprint. A rectangular ring-shaped border region or a border region of other shapes may surround the mold cap and may be free of mold cap material. A second set of contacts on the package substrate may be formed on the surface in the border region.
US09685421B2

The subject matter of the present description relates to methods for the precise integration of microelectronic dice within a multichip package which substantially reduce or eliminate any misalign caused by the movement of the microelectronic dice during the integration process. These methods may include the use of a temporary adhesive in conjunction with a carrier having at least one recess for microelectronic die alignment, the use of a precision molded carrier for microelectronic die alignment, the use of magnetic alignment of microelectronic dice on a reusable carrier, and/or the use of a temporary adhesive with molding processes on a reusable carrier.
US09685417B2

Circuits which self-destruct under radiation are provided. In one aspect, a method for creating a radiation-sensitive circuit is provided. The method includes the step of: connecting an integrated circuit to a power supply and to a ground in parallel with at least one dosimeter device, wherein the dosimeter device is configured to change from being an insulator to being a conductor under radiation. Radiation-sensitive circuits are also provided.
US09685404B2

A BEOL e-fuse is disclosed which reliably blows in the via and can be formed even in the tightest pitch BEOL layers. The BEOL e-fuse can be formed utilizing a line first dual damascene process to create a sub-lithographic via to be the programmable link of the e-fuse. The sub-lithographic via can be patterned using standard lithography and the cross section of the via can be tuned to match the target programming current.
US09685394B2

An electronic device includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating material-filled layer and a vertical conductor. The semiconductor substrate has a vertical hole extending in a thickness direction thereof. The insulating material-filled layer is a ring-shaped layer filled in the vertical hole for covering an inner periphery thereof and includes an organic insulating material or an inorganic insulating material mainly of a glass and a nanocomposite ceramic. The nanocomposite ceramic has a specific resistance of greater than 1014 Ω·cm at room temperature and a relative permittivity of 4 to 9. The vertical conductor is a solidified metal body filled in an area surrounded by the insulating material-filled layer.
US09685390B2

A microelectronic package having an encapsulated substrate comprising a plurality of microelectronic devices encapsulated within an encapsulation material, wherein the encapsulated structure may have an active surface proximate the active surfaces of the plurality of microelectronic devices, and wherein at least one of the plurality of microelectronic devices may have a height greater than another of the plurality of microelectronic devices (e.g. non-coplanar). The microelectronic package further includes a bumpless build-up layer structure formed proximate the encapsulated structure active surface. The microelectronic package may also have an active surface microelectronic device positioned proximate the encapsulated structure active surface and in electrical contact with at least one of the plurality of microelectronic devices of the encapsulated substrate.
US09685386B2

The present invention provides a semiconductor test structure for MOSFET noise testing. The semiconductor test structure includes: a MOSFET device having a first conductivity type formed on a first well region of a semiconductor substrate; a metal shielding layer formed on the MOSFET device, the metal shielding layer completely covering the MOSFET device and extending beyond the circumference of the first well region; a deep well region having a second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor substrate close to the bottom surface of the first well region, the deep well region extending beyond the circumference of the first well region; wherein a vertical via is formed between the portion of the metal shielding layer extending beyond the first well region and the portion of the deep well region extending beyond the first well region to couple the metal shielding layer to the deep well region. The metal shielding layer is used to be connected to the ground terminal of a testing machine during testing, and the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type are opposite conductivity types.
US09685382B1

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a PMOS region and an NMOS region. A spacer material layer is deposited. Then, a first photo masking and etch process is used to form first sidewall spacers on the sidewalls of the gate structures in the NMOS region. A sacrificial surface layer is formed. Next, a second photo masking and etch process is used to form second sidewall spacers on the sidewalls of the gate structures in the PMOS region. After the second photoresist layer is removed, with the sacrificial layer masking the NMOS region, stress layers are formed in source/drain regions in the PMOS region, and a cover layer is formed on the stress layers. The method further includes removing the sacrificial material layer, the first sidewall spacers, and the second sidewall spacer.
US09685375B2

A method of forming a through substrate interconnect includes forming a via into a semiconductor substrate. The via extends into semiconductive material of the substrate. A liquid dielectric is applied to line at least an elevationally outermost portion of sidewalls of the via relative a side of the substrate from which the via was initially formed. The liquid dielectric is solidified within the via. Conductive material is formed within the via over the solidified dielectric and a through substrate interconnect is formed with the conductive material.
US09685374B1

Embodiments described herein generally relate to forming a semiconductor structure. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor structure is formed herein. The method includes exposing an oxide layer of the semiconductor structure, depositing a polysilicon layer on the semiconductor structure, filling a first gap formed by exposing the oxide layer, depositing a hard mask on the polysilicon layer, selectively removing the hard mask and the polysilicon layer, depositing an oxide layer on the semiconductor structure, filling a second gap formed by selectively removing the hard mask and polysilicon layer, exposing the polysilicon layer deposited on the semiconductor structure, selectively removing the polysilicon layer from the first gap, and selectively removing an etch stop layer from a surface of a contact in the semiconductor structure.
US09685371B2

Methods for depositing a metal layer in a feature definition of a semiconductor device are provided. In one implementation, a method for depositing a metal layer for forming a semiconductor device is provided. The method comprises performing a cyclic metal deposition process to deposit a metal layer on a substrate and annealing the metal layer disposed on the substrate. The cyclic metal deposition process comprises exposing the substrate to a deposition precursor gas mixture to deposit a portion of the metal layer on the substrate, exposing the portion of the metal layer to either a plasma treatment process or hydrogen annealing process and repeating the exposing the substrate to a deposition precursor gas mixture and exposing the portion of the metal layer to either a plasma treatment process or hydrogen annealing process until a predetermined thickness of the metal layer is achieved.
US09685366B1

A method for forming chamferless vias comprises receiving a substrate stack comprising a hard mask layer, a porous dielectric layer underlying the hard mask layer, a cap layer underlying the dielectric layer, and a conductive layer underlying the cap layer. The hard mask layer is opened to reveal a portion of the dielectric layer. A plurality of vias are opened to extend through the dielectric layer and the cap layer. A pore filling material comprising a thermally decomposable polymer is deposited into the vias. The pore filling material in the vias is hardened and driven into the pores of the dielectric layer adjacent to the vias by an annealing process. The hard mask layer is removed. A trench is patterned and etched coincident with the vias. A dissipation process is conducted to remove the pore filling material.
US09685364B2

Silicon-on-insulator integrated circuits including body contact structures and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed. A method for fabricating a silicon-on-insulator integrated circuit includes filling a plurality of first and second shallow isolation trenches with an insulating material to form plurality of first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) structures, the plurality of second shallow isolation trenches having doped regions therebeneath, and forming a gate structure over the semiconductor layer that includes a first portion disposed over and parallel to at least two of the plurality of second STI structures and a second portion disposed in between the at least two of the plurality of second STI structures. The method further includes forming contact plugs to a body contact or gate region of the semiconductor layer. The body contact region includes a portion of the semiconductor layer between at least one of the plurality of first STI structures and at least one of the plurality of second STI structures.
US09685360B2

A transport device includes a large-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of large-article supporting portions between a large-article supporting position and a large-article retracted position, and a small-article drive portion that moves each of a pair of small-article supporting portions between a small-article supporting position and a small-article retracted position. The small-article retracted position is set at a height at which the pair of small-article supporting portions are located above a supported portion supported by the pair of large-article supporting portions, and the pair of small-article supporting portions are provided between the pair of large-article supporting portions in a lateral width direction.
US09685358B2

An apparatus for treating a disc-shaped article comprises a spin chuck and at least three individually controllable infrared heating elements. The infrared heating elements are mounted in a stationary manner with respect to rotation of said spin chuck. At least the transparent plate positioned between the infrared heating elements and the underside of a wafer is mounted for rotation with the spin chuck. Alternatively, the transparent plate is part of a housing that encloses the infrared heating elements and that rotates with the spin chuck as the heating elements are stationary relative thereto.
US09685349B2

A method of forming and transferring shaped metallic interconnects, comprising providing a donor substrate comprising an array of metallic interconnects, using a laser system to prepare the metallic interconnects, forming shaped metallic interconnects, and transferring the shaped metallic interconnect to an electrical device. An electronic device made from the method of providing a donor ribbon, wherein the donor ribbon comprises an array of metal structures and a release layer on a donor substrate, providing a stencil to the metal structures on the donor substrate, applying a laser pulse through the donor substrate to the metal structures, and directing the metal structures to an electronic device.
US09685347B2

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor body with a front face and a back face, having an active zone located at the front face, a front surface metallization layer having a front face and a back face directed towards the active zone, the front surface metallization layer being provided on the front face of the semiconductor body and being electrically connected to the active zone, and a first barrier layer, comprising amorphous metal nitride, located between the active zone and the metallization layer. Further, a method for producing such a device is provided.
US09685345B2

An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes an upper surface and a channel, a gate electrode disposed over the substrate electrically coupled to the channel, and a Schottky metal layer disposed over the substrate adjacent the gate electrode. The Schottky metal layer includes a Schottky contact electrically coupled to the channel which provides a Schottky junction and at least one alignment mark disposed over the semiconductor substrate. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device includes creating an isolation region that defines an active region along an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate electrode over the semiconductor substrate in the active region, and forming a Schottky metal layer over the semiconductor substrate. Forming the Schottky metal layer includes forming at least one Schottky contact electrically coupled to the channel and providing a Schottky junction, and forming an alignment mark in the isolation region.
US09685325B2

Methods for the deposition of a silicon-containing film using an organic reactant, a silicon precursor and a plasma.
US09685323B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a buffer structure suited for III-N device having a foreign substrate. The buffer structure can include a first buffer layer having a first aluminum composition and a second buffer layer formed on the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer having a second aluminum composition. The buffer structure further includes a third buffer layer formed on the second buffer layer at a second interface, the third buffer layer having a third aluminum composition. The first aluminum composition decreases in the first buffer layer towards the interface and the second aluminum composition throughout the second buffer layer is greater than the first aluminum composition at the interface.
US09685322B2

The present disclosure relates to a method (100) for depositing a layer on a III-V semiconductor substrate, in which this method comprises providing (102) a passivated III-V semiconductor substrate comprising a III-V semiconductor surface which has a surface passivation layer provided thereon for preventing oxidation of said III-V semiconductor surface. The surface passivation layer comprises a self-assembled monolayer material obtainable by the reaction on the surface of an organic compound of formula R-A, wherein A is selected from SH, SeH, TeH and SiX3. X is selected from H, Cl, O—CH3, O—C2H5, and O—C3H2, and R is a hydrocarbyl, fluorocarbyl or hydrofluorocarbyl comprising from 5 to 20 carbon atoms. The method further comprises thermally annealing (107) the III-V semiconductor substrate in a non-oxidizing environment such as to decompose the self-assembled monolayer material, and depositing (108) a layer on the III-V semiconductor surface in the non-oxidizing environment.
US09685320B2

The embodiments herein focus on plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) processes. Conventional PEALD techniques result in films having high quality at the bottom and top of a feature, but low quality on the sidewalls. The disclosed embodiments achieve more uniform film quality as evidenced by more uniform wet etch rates and electrical properties throughout the film. The disclosed embodiments may use one or more of a relatively high deposition temperature, a relatively high RF power for generating the plasma, and/or relatively long RF plasma exposure duration during each cycle of the PEALD reaction.
US09685317B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes carrying a substrate into a process container, forming a thin film on the substrate by supplying a source gas into the process container with the substrate accommodated therein, performing a first modification treatment to a byproduct adhered to an inside of the process container by supplying an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas into the heated process container under a pressure less than an atmospheric pressure, while accommodating the thin film-formed substrate in the process container, carrying the thin film-formed substrate out of the process container, and performing a second modification treatment to the byproduct adhered to the inside of the process container after the first modification treatment by supplying an oxygen-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas into the heated process container under the pressure less than the atmospheric pressure, while not accommodating the substrate in the process container.
US09685315B2

The present invention provides a method of producing an epitaxial wafer having a highly flat rear surface without polishing top and rear surfaces of the epitaxial wafer after forming an epitaxial film. A method of producing an epitaxial wafer 100 according to the present invention comprises a step of preparing a semiconductor wafer 10 having a beveled portion 11 formed on its end portion, a first surface 12b, a second surface 12a opposite to the first surface 12b, and edges 13b and 13a on both of the first surface 12b and the second surface 12a, the each edge 13a and 13b is boundary with the beveled portion 11; a step of processing of rolling off an outer peripheral portion 14 of the first surface 12b to form a roll-off region, the outer peripheral portion 14 is extending outward of the wafer from a predetermined position P inner than the position of the edge 13b on 12a the first surface 12b; and a step of forming a first epitaxial film 20 on the second surface 12a.
US09685314B2

The invention discloses a positioning device for a horizontal external ignition apparatus. The positioning device comprises a rotating module, an expansion module, a lifting module, and a mounting member fixed at the bottom of a water cooling device of the ignition apparatus. The rotating module drives the mounting member and the external ignition chamber of the ignition apparatus to rotate around the spindle member of the rotating module and adjust the rotation angle. The expansion module adjust the lateral movement of the mounting member and the external ignition chamber along the expansion member of the expansion module. The lifting module adjust the longitudinal movement of the mounting member and the external ignition chamber.
US09685313B2

A mass spectrometer is disclosed comprising an ion mobility spectrometer and an ion gate. A collision cell is arranged downstream of the ion gate. The operation of the ion mobility spectrometer and the ion gate are synchronised so that only ions having a particular mass to charge ratio and a desired charge state are onwardly transmitted to the collision cell.
US09685305B2

A plasma processing apparatus includes a dielectric member having communication holes through which an internal space communicates with a processing space; a first electrode and a second electrode; a first gas supply device which supplies a first processing gas; a first high frequency power supply which supplies a first high frequency power to at least one of the electrodes to generate a first plasma of the first processing gas; a depressurizing device which introduces the first processing gas and radicals in the first plasma; a second high frequency power supply which supplies a second high frequency power to generate a second plasma of the first processing gas and to attract ions; and a control unit which adjusts, by controlling a total amount of the first high frequency powers, the radical amount in the second plasma and adjusts, by controlling a ratio therebetween, the ion amount therein.
US09685304B2

An isotopically-enriched, boron-containing compound comprising two or more boron atoms and at least one fluorine atom, wherein at least one of the boron atoms contains a desired isotope of boron in a concentration or ratio greater than a natural abundance concentration or ratio thereof. The compound may have a chemical formula of B2F4. Synthesis methods for such compounds, and ion implantation methods using such compounds, are described, as well as storage and dispensing vessels in which the isotopically-enriched, boron-containing compound is advantageously contained for subsequent dispensing use.
US09685303B2

A system and method for heating a substrate while that substrate is being processed by an ion beam is disclosed. The system comprises two arrays of light emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed above and below the ion beam. The LEDs may be GaN or GaP LEDs, which emit light at a wavelength which is readily absorbed by silicon, thus efficiently and quickly heating the substrate. The LED arrays may be arranged so that the ion beam passes between the two LED arrays and strikes the substrate. As the substrate is translated relative to the ion beam, the LEDs from the LED arrays provide heating to the substrate.
US09685296B1

An apparatus for modulating the density of an electron beam as it is emitted from a cathode, comprised of connecting a source of pulsed input power to the input end of a nonlinear transmission line and connecting the output end directly to the cathode of an electron beam diode by a direct electrical connection.
US09685281B2

A safety mechanism for medical treatment devices includes a switch actuator that depresses a power activation switch after movement in a first direction followed movement in a second direction. The safety mechanism thus prevents accidental or unintentional delivery of power to a heating segment of the medical treatment device.
US09685279B2

A switch has a base comprising a flat circular recess formed on an upper surface thereof, a fixed contact disposed in an inner surface of the flat circular recess, a spring body that has a bellows shape in which a reference form unit is repetitively formed, the spring body being annularly disposed in the flat circular recess of the base, an operating body that has a turning unit fitted turnably in the flat circular recess of the base, and an operating projection provided in an inward surface of the turning unit. When the operating body is turned, the operating projection presses an end portion of the spring body to compress the spring body, which allows a contact to be switched.
US09685273B2

A chip capacitor according to the present invention includes a substrate, a pair of external electrodes formed on the substrate, a capacitor element connected between the pair of external electrodes, and a bidirectional diode connected between the pair of external electrodes and in parallel to the capacitor element. Also, a circuit assembly according to the present invention includes the chip capacitor according to the present invention and a mounting substrate having lands, soldered to the external electrodes, on a mounting surface facing a front surface of the substrate.
US09685272B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor and a board having the same are provided. The multilayer ceramic capacitor includes three external electrodes including a conductive layer, a nickel plating layer, and a tin plating layer sequentially stacked on a mounting surface of the ceramic body, and spaced apart from each other. When an outermost portion of a lead-out portion of an internal electrode exposed to the mounting surface is P, a total thickness of the conductive layer, the nickel plating layer, and the tin plating layer in a normal line direction of the conductive layer from P is a, a thickness of the conductive layer in the normal line direction of the conductive layer from P is b, and a sum of pore heights of pores existing in the conductive layer in the normal line direction of the conductive layer from P is bp, (b−bp)/a satisfies 0.264≦(b−bp)/a≦0.638.
US09685261B2

Advantageous films and coatings (e.g., transparent conductive films), and improved methods for fabricating such films and/or coatings, are provided. The improved methods for fabricating transparent conductive films/coatings may involve trapping at least a portion of a layered material (e.g., graphene sheet(s) or layer(s) of graphite) at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an interface of two non-mixing solvents). Transparent, one to four layer, conductive films/coatings of pristine natural flake graphene are produced by kinetically trapping graphene sheets at an interface of a phase separated system (e.g., at an oil/water interface).
US09685258B2

A cable comprising hybrid carbon nanotube (CNT) shielding includes at least one conducting wire; at least one insulating layer covering at least one of the at least one conducting wire; a metallic foil component configured for lower frequency shielding function; and a CNT tape component configured for higher frequency shielding function.
US09685255B2

A lead-free composition comprising: (A) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC); (B) Bioplasticizer; (C) Calcium Carbonate; and (D) Calcined clay; with the combined weight of the calcium carbonate and calcined clay in the composition in the range of 1 to 15 weight percent, and the weight ratio of calcium carbonate to calcined clay in the range of 15:85 to 85:15. In one embodiment the invention is an insulation sheath for a wire or cable made from the lead-free composition described in the preceding embodiment. In one embodiment the invention is a wire or cable comprising the insulation sheath of the preceding embodiment.
US09685241B2

A test circuit includes a control circuit that tests a memory having a plurality of data holding circuits holding data, a plurality of write ports, and a plurality of read ports, a write port selection circuit that selects any one of the plurality of write ports based on the write port identification information identifying any one of the plurality of write ports; and a read port selection circuit that selects any one of the plurality of read ports based on the read port identification information identifying any one of the plurality of read ports, wherein the control circuit sets the write port identification information and sets the read port identification information and carries out a test on the memory via the selected write port and the selected read port.
US09685237B2

Disclosed is a driver circuit. The driver circuit includes a clamp transistor, a comparison voltage transistor, an amplification transistor, a bias transistor, and a charge circuit. The comparison voltage is configured to provide a comparison voltage. The amplification transistor includes an amplification gate connected to a first node of the clamp transistor, a first amplification node configured to receive the comparison voltage, and a second amplification node connected to a gate of the clamp transistor. The bias transistor is configured to supply a bias voltage. The charge circuit is at least one of configured to drain a current from the first node through the clamp transistor and configured to supply a current to the first node through the clamp transistor.
US09685231B2

An irreproducible and re-emergent unique structure or pattern identifier manufacturing and detection method, system, and apparatus is provided. A non-volatile floating gate charge storage device can include a block of floating gate transistors that can include a semiconductor region, a source region, a drain region, a floating gate region, a tunnel oxide region, an oxide-nitrite-oxide region, and a control gate region. A structure altering stress effect is applied to the block of transistors to create a passage region in a random number of floating gate regions of floating gate transistors which changes charge storage or electrical characteristics of random elements of the block of transistors. The passage region alters charges on a floating gate region to escape in a different manner than pre-alteration form causing the floating gate region to lose its charge. An apparatus for recording and detecting such differences in pre and post alteration can also be provided.
US09685226B2

A signal generating circuit includes a first circuit, a tracking circuit, and a delay circuit. The delay circuit is coupled with the first circuit and the tracking circuit. The first circuit is configured to receive a first clock signal and an output signal from an output of the delay circuit, and to generate a second clock signal and at least one first tracking signal. The tracking circuit is configured to receive the at least one first tracking signal and to generate a second tracking signal. The delay circuit is configured to receive the second clock signal and the second tracking signal and to generate the output signal.
US09685221B1

A memory control circuit unit, a memory storage device and a reference voltage generation method are provided. The method comprises: detecting a first impedance characteristic of a memory controller via a first connection interface of a memory interface and detecting a second impedance characteristic of a volatile memory via a second connection interface of the memory interface; generating an internal reference voltage according to a detection result; and resolving data signal received by the memory interface according to the internal reference voltage. Therefore, an influence on the internal reference voltage owing to the manufacture deviation of impedance element of the memory controller and/or the volatile memory can be reduced.
US09685215B1

A semiconductor memory device may include a pillar, a gate and at least one ferroelectric layer. The pillar may include a source, a drain and a channel region. The drain may be arranged over the source. The channel region may be arranged between the source and the drain. The gate may be formed on an outer surface of the pillar. The ferroelectric layer may be interposed between the pillar and the gate.
US09685211B2

The inventive concepts relate to nonvolatile memory devices. The nonvolatile memory devices may include a memory cell array, and a page buffer circuit connected to the memory cell array through bit lines. The page buffer circuit may comprise a substrate, bit line selection transistors on the substrate and connected to respective ones of the bit lines, and latches on the substrate connected to the bit line selection transistors through lines. The lines may be on a first plane above and parallel to a top surface of the substrate, and may be connected to respective ones of the bit line selection transistors through first contacts. The bit lines may be on a second plane above and parallel to a top surface of the substrate, and may be connected to respective ones of the bit line selection transistors through second contacts.
US09685210B1

A memory includes a plurality of memory cells and a plurality of bitlines. Each of the plurality of bitlines is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of memory cells. A precharge circuit precharges each of the plurality of bitlines before a read operation and precharges all but one of the plurality of bitlines following the read operation. A write driver drives the one of the plurality of bitlines following the read operation. A method includes precharging each of a plurality of bitlines before a read operation. Each of the plurality of bitlines is coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of memory cells. The method further includes precharging all but one of the plurality of bitlines following the read operation and driving the one of the plurality of bitlines following the read operation.
US09685209B1

A sense amplifier enable signal generating circuit includes an input coupled to a dummy bit line of a memory. A voltage comparator circuit compares a voltage on the dummy bit line to a threshold voltage and generates an output signal when the voltage falls below that threshold voltage. A multi-bit counter circuit counts a count value in response to the output signal. A pull-up circuit pulls up the voltage on the dummy bit line in response to the output signal. A count comparator circuit compares the count value to a count threshold and generates a sense amplifier enable signal when the count value equals the count threshold.
US09685199B2

An editing apparatus includes an image analyzing section that analyzes a recorded video, a sound analyzing section that analyzes recorded sound, and a display control section that displays, on a display section, on the basis of an analysis result of the image analyzing section, a video bar indicator corresponding to a reproduction time of the recorded video and displays, on the display section, on the basis of an analysis result of the sound analyzing section, a sound bar indicator corresponding to a reproduction time of the recorded sound, the sound bar indicator having a time per unit length same as a time per unit length of the video bar indicator. The editing apparatus facilitates editing combination work for the video and the sound by arranging and displaying the video and the sound on time axes of the same scale.
US09685196B2

A device may provide a video content item for display and receive a request to share the video content item with another device for a synchronized playing of the video content item by the device and the other device. The device may generate a stream of the video content item based on a point within the video content item currently played by the device and transmit the stream to the other device to synchronize playing of the video content item by the device and the other device. The device may obtain information identifying a particular point within the video content item currently played by the other device, determine a synchronization point, in the video content item, based on the obtained information, and update, based on the synchronization point, to synchronize the stream. The device may transmit the synchronized stream, to the other device, to re-synchronize playing of the video content item.
US09685188B2

Provided is a recording medium including an ink receiving layer. The ink receiving layer includes a hydrophilic resin and a low oil absorbing porous silica.
US09685184B1

A recording medium having improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) capabilities includes a NiFeX-based magnetic seed layer over a soft magnetic underlayer, where X comprises an element that is soluble in and has a higher melting point than Ni. X may be selected from a group of elements, including ruthenium (Ru), which may facilitate growth of smaller grains and distributions in the corresponding magnetic recording layer(s).
US09685180B2

A computer program product for positioning an actuator, according to one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se. The program instructions are executable by a processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to perform a method that includes generating or receiving, by the processing circuit, a first value representative of a lateral position of a tape, and using, by the processing circuit, the first value to adjust a position of a coarse actuator for moving a magnetic head in response to determining that the first value is in a first range relative to a first threshold. An integrator value is used by the processing circuit to adjust the position of the coarse actuator in response to determining that the first value is in a second range relative to the first threshold.
US09685177B2

A multi-sensor reader that includes a first sensor that has a sensing layer with a magnetization that changes according to an external magnetic field. The first sensor also includes first and second side biasing magnets having a magnetization substantially along a first direction. The first and second side biasing magnets align the magnetization of the sensing layer substantially along the first direction when the sensing layer is not substantially influenced by the external magnetic field. The multi-sensor reader further includes a second sensor that is stacked over the first sensor. The second sensor includes a reference layer that has a magnetization that is set substantially along a second direction. The first sensor further includes at least one sensor-stabilization feature that counteracts an influence of a magnetic field utilized to set the magnetization of the reference layer of the second sensor in the second direction on the magnetization of at least one of the first and second side biasing magnets in the first direction.
US09685173B2

A system and method for non-intrusive acoustic parameter estimation is included. The method may include receiving, at a computing device, a first speech signal associated with a particular user. The method may include extracting one or more short-term features from the first speech signal. The method may also include determining one or more statistics of each of the one or more short-term features from the first speech signal. The method may further include classifying the one or more statistics as belonging to one or more acoustic parameter classes.
US09685153B2

In some embodiments, the recognition results produced by a speech processing system (which may include a top recognition result and one or more alternative recognition results) based on an analysis of a speech input, are evaluated for indications of potential significant errors. In some embodiments, the recognition results may be evaluated to determine whether a meaning of any of the alternative recognition results differs from a meaning of the top recognition result in a manner that is significant for the domain. In some embodiments, one or more of the recognition results may be evaluated to determine whether the result(s) include one or more words or phrases that, when included in a result, would change a meaning of the result in a manner that would be significant for the domain.
US09685149B2

A music machine, comprising: a platform; a plurality of arcos disposed around a perimeter of the platform, the plurality of arcos disposed in a substantially vertical orientation; a central mast disposed substantially at a center of the platform; and a hand wheel disposed on the central mast, wherein each of the plurality of arcos is strung with a musical instrument string, and wherein each musical instrument string is tuned to produce a musical tone when caused to vibrate.
US09685138B2

A brightness controlling method for an all-in-one computer is provided. The all-in-one computer includes an on-screen display adjusting unit having a first brightness value, an operating system having a first system brightness value, a control unit and a scaler. The brightness controlling method includes the following steps. First, the first brightness value is adjusted to a second brightness value or the first system brightness value is adjusted to a second system brightness value. Then, when the first brightness value is adjusted to the second brightness value, the control unit synchronizes the first system brightness value to the second brightness value; when the first system brightness value is adjusted to the second system brightness value, the scaler adjusts the first brightness value to the second system brightness value. The invention also provides an all-in-one computer implementing the brightness controlling method.
US09685134B2

The present invention provides a shift register unit, a gate driving circuit and a display device, which belongs to the field of display technology. The shift register unit of the present invention comprises: an input module, a pull-up module, a pull-down control module, a pull-down module, a reset module and a discharge module.
US09685110B2

A display device including a display area. The display area having a plurality of pixel circuits, a peripheral area including a scanning circuit, a plurality of first scanning lines, a plurality of second scanning lines, and a plurality of third scanning lines. Each of the plurality of pixel circuits includes a write transistor, a drive transistor, a first switching transistor, a second switching transistor, a third switching transistor, a fourth switching transistor, a capacitor, and a light emitting element. Duration of a conductive state of the third switching transistor is variably controlled by changing a width of the input pulse and duration of a conductive state of the fourth switching transistor is variably controlled by changing the width of the input pulse.
US09685102B1

A lighting assembly includes LEDs arranged at a surface of a substrate, and optical elements proximate the LEDs such that each optical element overlies a single LED and each LED underlies a single optical element. Each optical element includes a first part, a second part intersecting the first part such that a normal to surface of the second part intersects a normal to the surface of the first part, and a third part extending away from the associated LED beyond a region between the first and second part. The LEDs and optical elements are configured such that light from each LED is directed towards an area to be illuminated in a uniform pattern covering the area.
US09685101B2

Solid state light emitting devices and display devices include at least one filtering material arranged to provide at least one spectral notch comprising a wavelength of greatest attenuation in at least one spectrum between dominant wavelengths of solid state light emitters of the light emitting and/or display devices. The at least one spectral notch may be non-overlapping with a majority or an entirety of spectral output of each solid state light emitter. Filtering material may be arranged in a light path between at least some emitters and) at least one light output surface of a light emitting or display device, with the filtering material(s) arranged to receive incident ambient light, such that at least a portion of reflected ambient light exiting the device exhibits at least one spectral notch.
US09685098B1

A system for driver compliance risk adjustments includes an interface and a processor. The interface is to receive driver violation data. The processor is to determine risk based at least in part on the driver violation data and provide an event recorder one or more risk adjustments based at least in part on the risk.
US09685096B2

The present application generally relates to guidance systems configured to assist individuals in learning to play a piano. Specifically, the invention relates to a system for projecting animated guidance onto the keys of a standard piano, with such system being controlled by a computing device directing the speed, tempo, location and other aspects of displaying such guidance. Further embodiments of the invention also provide for the system projecting graphical images onto the keys of the piano to assist with note association.
US09685089B2

This disclosure is directed to a detection and avoidance apparatus for an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) and systems, devices, and techniques pertaining to automated object detection and avoidance during UAV flight. The system may detect objects within the UAV's airspace through acoustic, visual, infrared, multispectral, hyperspectral, or object detectable signal emitted or reflected from an object. The system may identify the source of the object detectable signal by comparing features of the received signal with known sources signals in a database. The features may include, for example, an acoustic signature emitted or reflected by the objet. Furthermore, a trajectory envelope for the object may be determined based on characteristic performance parameters for the object such as cursing speed, maneuverability, etc. The UAV may determine an optimized flight plan based on the trajectory envelopes of detected objects within the UAV's air-space.
US09685085B2

A computer-implemented system and method for providing available parking spaces en route is provided. Each of a plurality of parking spaces are associated with a hold time during which other vehicles are prevented from parking within that parking space while available and prior to commencement of a reservation. A request for an available parking space is received from a user. One or more of the parking spaces are identified as available. A duration of time for arrival by the user to each of the available parking spaces is determined. The hold time for each available parking space is applied to the arrival time duration for that available parking space. At least one of the available parking spaces for which the user's arrival time duration is less than the hold time is selected and provided to the user.
US09685081B2

A method and system for managing a set of traffic lights at an intersection, measuring the Doppler Effect of a signal emitted by a vehicle, where such Doppler Effect being a function of the vehicle movement with respect to said intersection, and deciding as a function of such measure a new state for each traffic light at the intersection so as to facilitate passage of the approaching vehicle.
US09685074B2

Various aspects of a method and system for remote interaction with an electronic device via a user interface are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the method comprises establishment of a first communication channel between a first electronic device and a second electronic device by use of a first communication protocol. A second communication channel is dynamically established with the second electronic device based on the established first communication channel. The second communication channel uses a second communication protocol. Data associated with the second electronic device is received by the first electronic device. The data is received via the established second communication channel.
US09685073B2

A computing device for use in selecting a range for communication between a key fob and a vehicle is described. The computing device is located in the vehicle. The computing device is configured to receive a designation of a desired range for communication between the vehicle and the key fob, and transmit a signal corresponding to the designated range to the key fob.
US09685068B2

The present invention relates to a process of detecting if a handheld device (10) has been exposed to acceleration above a predetermined threshold by receiving a signal from an accelerometer (13) comprised in the handheld device and comparing the signal from the accelerometer with the predetermined threshold, and if the handheld device have been exposed to acceleration above the predetermined threshold sending, an alarm signal, via a wireless communication unit (16) comprised in the handheld device, to an alarm server, indicating that the handheld device has been subjected for an accident, the process being implemented as a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the program being executed on the handheld device having processing capabilities.
US09685063B2

A car seat occupant detection system for a car seat installed in a vehicle is provided. The system includes at least one harness sensor for detecting whether connectors of a car seat harness are connected and a weight sensor for detecting the weight of an occupant in the car seat. The system includes a controller in communication with the at least one harness sensor and the weight sensor. The system includes a transceiver configured to selectively communicate with a driver device via a local wireless link and with a third party device via a wide area wireless link. The controller determines whether or not an occupant in the car seat has been abandoned by a driver based on detections of the at least one harness sensor, the weight sensor, and communication range status between the transceiver and the driver communication device via the local wireless link.
US09685052B2

The alarm monitoring system provides various alerts of events that are not readily discernable to those individuals that are deaf or hard of hearing. The system generates visual, vibratory, and high decibel alerts separately or in combination to alert the user to a wide variety of events in combination with a vibratory illuminating puck shaped device and allows a user to filter out alerts based upon a variety of modifiers.
US09685049B2

A barcode scanner should output one scanned result per scanned item at checkout. Scanners with large scan areas and multiple scan lines may scan an item more than once as it is dragged through the scan area during the checkout process. A timeout period, during which duplicate scans are ignored, may prevent duplicate scans from being transmitted. Scanners with integrated weight scales may require the use of the scan area for a weight measurement. As a result, weighed items may linger in the scan area longer than the regular timeout period and may be re-scanned. The invention embraces a method and system for mitigating this problem by using information from the scanned barcode and information from the scale to affect how duplicate barcode scans are handled for items requiring a weight measurement and not adversely affected with speed of input as may result with gating and virtual gating with disable/enable scanning commands.
US09685041B2

Systems and methods for conducting on-line tournaments, and in particular such tournaments as permit participants to receive prizes without having to place wagers. Participants are permitted to enroll in an on-line tournament pool and submit tokens. The tokens act as each respective participant's prediction regarding the outcome of one or more events associated with a sporting event or other contest. Tokens may be completed “brackets” representing a participant's prediction of winners of all games in various rounds of a sporting event, or partially completed brackets representing the participant's prediction of winners of only some games thereof. Cash prizes are awarded for top scoring participants but no wagers or entry fees of any kind are accepted from or required to be paid by the participants.
US09685040B2

An electronic gaming machine includes a display and an electronic game controller. A first game, second game and third game are playable on the display, the second game being triggered during play of the first game and the third game being triggered during play of the second game. A player must make an additional wager to play one of the second and third games and does not need to make a further bet to play the other of the second and third games. A gaming method is also provided.
US09685030B2

A method of gaming comprising: selecting in at least one game round a plurality of symbols for display to a player in a set of display positions; modifying the displayed symbols copying each symbol in an original subset of the display positions to at least one clone subset of the display positions which is identical to or laterally displaced from the original subset, in response to determining that a subset of the symbols should be cloned; and determining an outcome based on the modified symbols.
US09685025B2

An optical sensing system for detecting objects passing through a volume of interest, wherein the sensing system has an emitter and a detector. The detector detects motion of object shadows generated as the object passes through the volume of interest between the emitter and detector. Motion detection algorithms, using computed motion vectors of the detected object, logically determine whether an object has traveled completely through the detection space, and can be used to discriminate a specific outcomes and/or impediments.
US09685024B2

An authorization system allows for cardholder-provided parameters to a personal authorization subsystem. The parameters can be selected by the cardholder to limit the authorizations that would otherwise be granted on the card. The parameters can indicate limits by frequency, dollar amount, merchant, geographic location, time of day, combinations thereof, or the like. Authorization for a given transaction, even where authorized by an issuer and a network operator, might be denied based on self-constraints set by the cardholder. In some variations, messages are sent to the cardholder based on constraints set by the cardholder and transactions might be approved and messaged, or denied and messaged.
US09685022B2

An image compensation correction method and a banknote recognition and detection device. The image compensation correction method is applied to the banknote recognition and detection device. The banknote recognition and detection device comprises: a micro controller; a programmable logic device which is connected to the micro controller; an AD chip, a drive circuit and a static random access memory which are connected to the programmable logic device respectively; and a contact image sensor which is connected to the AD chip and the drive circuit respectively. A compensation correction lookup table is pre-stored in the static random access memory, and the programmable logic device can acquire banknote compensation correction data corresponding to a banknote image pixel point by accessing the static random access memory, and send same to the micro controller. Therefore, the micro controller acquires banknote compensation correction data directly from the programmable logic device rather than performing compensation correction on the obtained banknote image pixel point any more, thereby improving the system performance of the micro controller, and thus improving the work efficiency of the banknote recognition and detection device.
US09685019B2

A method or apparatus for examining a security element of a value document involves at least one optical property of the security element influenceable by a magnetic field. The value document is transported through a magnetic field which is inhomogeneous transversely to the transport direction and/or is changed time-dependently. An image of at least one portion of the value document having the security element is captured and image data describing the image are formed. The optical properties of the security element are influenced by the magnetic field, and the image data is checked whether they have a location dependence transverse to the transport direction corresponding to the location dependence of the magnetic field and/or have a location dependence in the transport direction corresponding to the time dependence of the magnetic field.
US09685017B2

A wireless access control system is provided to lock or unlock a first door at a dwelling of a user. A user remote access device transmits a first signal and a second signal. The user remote access device is configured to be in communication with an intelligent door lock system at a dwelling with a door and associated lock. The intelligent door lock system includes a position sensing device coupled to a drive shaft, with the position sensing device sensing position of the drive shaft and configured to assist in locking and unlocking the lock, an engine with a memory coupled to the positioning sensing device and the drive shaft, and an energy source configured to provide electrical energy. When the user remote access device is at an exterior of the dwelling and in a close proximity to the dwelling, the drive shaft is caused to rotate by the engine and the energy source to provide an unlocking of the door when the door is in a locked state. The user remote access device is configured to be coupled to a second lock at a vehicle of the user or at an office of the user. The second lock has one or more wireless communication devices configured to receive the second signal causing the second lock to lock or be unlocked. The remote access device has a controller for generating the first and second signals. The controller generates the first and second signals in response to an action taken by user relative to the remote access device.
US09685016B2

A method provides a guest access to a defined space selectively accessible through an automated gate. The method includes the steps of causing a resident interface to be displayed to a resident via a resident data device. Guest data is received from the resident about the guest using the resident data device. The guest data is transmitted to a central station. The guest identifies when the guest arrives at the automated gate. The method also opens the automated gate to allow the guest to travel into the defined space after the automated gate is opened.
US09685011B2

A vehicle safety control apparatus using cameras includes a first camera configured to photograph a current object at at least one of a narrow angle and a straight angle during running, a second camera configured to photograph the current object at a wide angle during the running, an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on first current object image data captured by the first camera and second current object image data captured by the second camera, a recognition unit configured to recognize the first and second current object image data on which the image processing unit has performed the image processing, a storage unit configured to cause the recognized data to match preset reference object-specific data and separately store the data matching the preset reference object-specific data; and a control unit configured to receive the recognized data and deliver a storage command to the storage unit.
US09685010B1

Systems and methods for assessing vehicle operation are provided. According to certain aspects, an electronic device may receive and analyze image data depicting an individual located within a vehicle. The electronic device may also access and compile vehicle operation data and operator data corresponding to a state or condition of the vehicle operator. The electronic device may identify, from the vehicle operator data, a set of close misses experienced by the vehicle, correlate the set of close misses with a state or condition of the vehicle operator, and attribute at least some of the close misses to the vehicle operator. A remote server may aggregate and compile corresponding data from a plurality of vehicles.
US09685009B2

Systems and methods for managing and optimizing mixed fleet worksite operations based on video and or audio data are disclosed. One method includes receiving one or more models relating to a fleet of machines at the worksite, wherein the fleet of machines comprises an in-network machine and an out-of-network machine, receiving first sensor data associated with the out-of-network machine at the worksite, receiving second sensor data associated with the in-network machine at the worksite, determining a machine state of each of the in-network machine and the out-of-network machine based at least on the first sensor data and the second sensor data, comparing the determined machine states to a modeled machine state represented by the received one or more models to classify site operations and/or detect an irregularity in site operations or an inefficiency in site operations, and generating a response based at least on the detected irregularity or inefficiency.
US09685006B2

The invention concerns a method and a device for inserting 3D graphic animation in a 3D image, each 3D graphic element of the graphic animation being defined in size and in depth for the insertion in a determined insertion zone of said 3D image. The method comprises the step of determining for the graphic element to be inserted a depth range with a maximum allowed depth value, replacing the out of range depth values by the maximum allowed depth value when depth values of the graphic element are out of range and compensating the depth difference between the depth values of the graphic element and the maximal allowed depth value in reducing the graphic element in size proportionally to the reduction of depth for the graphic element.
US09685004B2

An apparatus for and method of image processing in an augmented reality application is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing at least one image of a real environment; performing image processing in an augmented reality application with the at least one image employing visualization of overlaying digital information with visual impressions or the image of the real environment and employing vision-based processing or tracking; and adjusting at least one of a parameter and operating flow of the vision-based processing or tracking depending on at least one of the following: a usage of the image processing, a usage of the visualization, a visually perceivable property of the digital information or the real environment, a property of a display device employed in the visualization, or a manner in which a user is viewing the visualization.
US09684999B1

Techniques are disclosed for providing easily computable representations of dynamic objects so that a graphic systems' physics engine can more accurately and realistically determine the result of physical actions on, or with, such dynamic objects. More particularly, disclosed techniques generate a convex decomposition of an arbitrarily complex polygonal shape that is then simplified in a manner that preserves physically significant details, resulting in an object having a relatively small number of convex shapes that cover the original polygonal shape. The salience of a physically significant detail may be controlled via a threshold value which may be user or system specified.
US09684997B2

Techniques for determining a shading rate of a volumetric element in a rendered scene when the rendered scene is viewed from a first point of view are provided. Embodiments determine a viewable area of the volumetric element, as viewed from the first point of view. A shading rate to use in processing the volumetric element is then determined, based on the determined viewable area. Embodiments processing the volumetric element at the determined shading rate using one or more shaders.
US09684996B2

Some implementations disclosed herein provide techniques and arrangements to render global light transport in real-time or near real-time. For example, in a pre-computation stage, a first computing device may render points of surfaces (e.g., using multiple light bounces and the like). Attributes for each of the points may be determined. A plurality of machine learning algorithms may be trained using particular attributes from the attributes. For example, a first machine learning algorithm may be trained using a first portion of the attributes and a second machine learning algorithm may be trained using a second portion of the attributes. The trained machine learning algorithms may be used by a second computing device to render components (e.g., diffuse and specular components) of indirect shading in real-time.
US09684994B2

Modifying perspective of stereoscopic images provided by one or more displays based on changes in user viewpoint. The one or more displays may include a first display that is provided substantially horizontal for displaying 3D horizontal perspective images and/or a second display that is provided substantially vertical for displaying text or conventional images such as 2D images, or 3D vertical perspective images. The horizontal display surface may be typically positioned directly in front of the user, and at a height of about a desktop surface so that the user can have about a 45° looking angle. The vertical display surface may be positioned in front of the user and preferably behind and above the horizontal display surface.
US09684988B2

An imaging device includes an imaging unit that images a subject so as to obtain first image data, an image processing unit that performs image processing on the first image data so as to obtain second image data, a first storage unit in which image data including one or both of the first image data and the second image data is stored, an image analysis unit that analyzes a feature of the image data stored in the first storage unit, a scenario generation unit that generates scenario data on the basis of an analysis result of the image analysis unit, a scenario changing unit that performs setting so as to change the scenario data, and an image collage processing unit that combines the plural pieces of image data stored in the first storage unit on the basis of the scenario data so as to generate the image collage data.
US09684987B1

The density of images to display can be increased, and distractions reduced, through intelligent cropping or manipulation of at least some of the images. For objects such as dresses represented in the images, the density can be increased by cropping away regions of background outside the object region(s). Locating regions representing the face and legs of the wearer can enable cropping of the top and/or bottom of the image in order to cause the dress to occupy the majority of the area of the image, and can provide for a level of consistency of the sizes of the objects across the images, regardless of the sources of the images. Representative colors of the objects can also be selected to adjust the background color, in order to provide for easy distinction between the images while not providing contrasting or unappealing colors that take away from the aesthetics of the objects.
US09684984B2

A system and process of nearsighted (myopia) camera object detection involves detecting the objects through edge detection and outlining or thickening them with a heavy border. Thickening may include making the object bold in the case of text characters. The bold characters are then much more apparent and heavier weighted than the background. Thresholding operations are then applied (usually multiple times) to the grayscale image to remove all but the darkest foreground objects in the background resulting in a nearsighted (myopic) image. Additional processes may be applied to the nearsighted image, such as morphological closing, contour tracing and bounding of the objects or characters. The bound objects or characters can then be averaged to provide repositioning feedback for the camera user. Processed images can then be captured and subjected to OCR to extract relevant information from the image.
US09684979B2

A method of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of a volume undergoing repetitive motion includes obtaining source slice data indicative of a plurality of source slices during the repetitive motion, and obtaining anchor slice data indicative of an anchor slice during the repetitive motion. The anchor slice intersects the plurality of source slices. The source slice data and the anchor slice data are reconstructed. A three-dimensional image assembly procedure is implemented to generate, for each phase of the repetitive motion, volume data based on a respective subset of the reconstructed source slice data. For each phase of the repetitive motion, the respective subset of slices is selected based on a correlation of the source slice data and the anchor slice data along an intersection between each source slice and the anchor slice. The source slice data of the selected subset is corrected for misalignment with the anchor slice data.
US09684974B2

Lossless compression of fragmented image data is disclosed. In some embodiments, a stream of information comprising data elements having statistical characteristics is received. An encoded output is produced by an encoder comprising a data compressor that implements a variable length code that is adapted to the statistical characteristics of the data elements. The output and information from which the variable length code can be derived are stored.
US09684967B2

A robust segmentation technique based on multi-layer classification technique to identify the lesion boundary is described. The inventors have discovered a technique based on training several classifiers such that to classify each pixel as lesion versus normal Each classifier is trained on a specific range of image resolutions. Then, for a new test image, the trained classifiers are applied on the image. Then by fusing the prediction results in pixel level a probability map is generated. In the next step, a thresholding method is applied to convert the probability map to a binary mask, which determines a mole border.
US09684965B1

A system having a non-transitory storage medium, wherein the non-transitory storage medium contains a first image captured at a first position relative to background subject matter, wherein undesirable structure is interposed between the first position and the background subject matter, and a second image captured at a second position, different from the first position, relative to the background subject matter wherein the undesirable structure is interposed between the second position and the background subject matter; a point cloud generation module coupled to the non-transitory storage medium, wherein the point cloud generation module generates a point cloud in response to the first image and the second image, and wherein the point cloud generation module stores the point cloud in the non-transitory storage medium; an identification module coupled to the non-transitory storage medium for retrieving the point cloud and identifying within the point cloud the undesirable structure and the background subject matter; and an image generation module coupled to the identification module for generating a third image in response to the background subject matter within the point cloud, wherein the image generation module stores the third image in the non-transitory storage medium.
US09684961B2

The invention relates to a scan region determining apparatus (12) for determining a scan region of a subject to be scanned by a scanning system (10) like a computed tomography system. A spatial transformation defining a registration of an overview image and a template image with respect to each other is determined, wherein initially the overview image and the template image are registered by using an element position indicator being indicative of a position of an element of the subject with respect to the overview image. A template scan region is defined with respect to the template image, wherein a final scan region is determined by projecting the template scan region onto the overview image by using the determined spatial transformation. The registration and thus the determination of the spatial transformation are very robust, which improves the quality of determining the final scan region.
US09684958B2

An image processing device 20 acquires captured images obtained by imaging a sample including a target cell, performs machine learning based on a first image feature quantity, sets a plurality of object regions for detecting the target cell in the captured images, and displays the plurality of object regions in an order determined based on the first image feature quantity of each of the plurality of object regions. The image processing device 20 calculates a second image feature quantity in each of the plurality of object regions, sorts the plurality of displayed object regions in an order of the second image feature quantity similar to the second image feature quantity of a reference object region selected from among the plurality of object regions, and displays the plurality of object regions.
US09684956B2

An arrangement for determining a body condition score of an animal comprises a three-dimensional camera system directed towards the animal and provided for recording at least one three-dimensional image of the animal; and an image processing device connected to the three-dimensional camera system and provided for forming a three-dimensional surface representation of a portion of the animal from the three- dimensional image recorded by the three-dimensional camera system; for statistically analyzing the surface of the three-dimensional surface representation; and for determining the body condition score of the animal based on the statistically analyzed surface of the three-dimensional surface representation.
US09684948B2

Systems and methods for facilitating enhanced display characteristics based on viewer state are provided. A media device may process an indication of a first state of a first viewer of a display device that is coupled to the media device. The indication of the first state of the first viewer may be captured at a time corresponding to the display device displaying first content with a first set of one or more size characteristics. The media device may determine a display adjustment based at least in part on the indication of the first state of the first viewer. The media device may cause the display device to display second content in accordance with the display adjustment so that the display device displays at least a portion of the second content with a second set of one or more size characteristics that is different from the first set of one or more size characteristics.
US09684946B2

A method of making an image of a scene (including a scene made by the method) generally corresponding to that perceived by the human brain via the human eyes, the method including the steps, in any suitable order, of: capturing, recording, generating, or otherwise representing a scene consisting of the entire field of view, or part thereof, visible to a human observer from a given ‘Viewing Point’ (VP) when fixating on a given region within the scene, progressively enlarging the image towards the area of the scene, and progressively compressing the area of the scene corresponding to the peripheral field of vision to thereby produce a modified image of the scene generally corresponding to how the scene would appear to the human perceiver.
US09684942B2

Video data and auxiliary data may be sent between a processor and a display device via a single cable using a link aggregator. As such, the link aggregator may receive a first parallel signal that may include the video data and a second parallel signal that may include auxiliary data from the processor. The link aggregator may then send the first parallel signal and the second parallel signal as an aggregated signal to the display device. Upon receiving the aggregated signal at the display device, the link aggregator may de-aggregate the aggregated signal into the first parallel signal and the second parallel signal. The link aggregator may then send the first parallel signal and the second parallel signal to a timing controller of the display device, such that the timing controller may display the video data using the display device.
US09684941B2

Image recognition and augmented reality experiences utilize auxiliary data extracted from an image or video, or image fingerprints, or a combination of both. One claim recites a method comprising: receiving a plurality of imagery frames captured by a device sensor; identifying a plurality of key points in each of the plurality of imagery frames; resolving image pose by utilizing relative relationships of the key points between different frames of the plurality of frames; modifying imagery of at least one of the plurality of frames based on resolved image pose; and deriving a fingerprint from modified imagery. Of course other claims and combinations are provided as well.
US09684939B2

A system and method for provisioning Internet access services to guests of a facility (e.g., one or more hotel chains). Equipment and devices for access service are installed throughout the facility. Each device that supports the Internet access services has a unique identifier. Zones representing various public and private areas within each facility are defined and one or more devices are associated with each zone. Service offerings for wired and wireless connections are defined and associated with one or more zones. Service offerings are also paired with pricing plans that provide various payment options and amounts. A web-based administration application allows an administrator to define and manage service offerings associated with the zones. The application also allows the administrator to define and manage the pricing plans. The ability to customize offerings in each facility allows development of consistent offerings, regardless of the size or layout of the facility.
US09684937B2

A method, system and computer program product for allowing a user to view network contacts of other users when visiting an environment of a different organization. A visitor requests to view a profile of a user while the visitor is visiting the environment or tenant space of a different organization. The organization of the visitor is obtained. Furthermore, the organization and network contacts of the user whose profile is requested to be viewed are obtained in response to validating the visitor's organization. The requested profile is then displayed to the visitor containing the accessible network contacts (if any) of the user based on whether the user and the visitor belong to the same organization.
US09684930B2

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating media playback in online auctions. A method may include detecting an indication of an auction event associated with an online vehicle auction for a first vehicle. The method may also include determining current auction information associated with the online vehicle auction. The method may further include determining auction event information associated with the auction event. Additionally, the method may include identifying, based at least in part on the current auction information and the auction event information, one or more media files for playback on a bidder device. The method may also include transmitting, to the bidder device in response to the indication of the auction event, the one or more media files for playback on the bidder device according to a determined sequence, which may result in acoustic output of one or more auctioneer phrases.
US09684929B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing content are disclosed. In one aspect, a set of interaction data specifying one or more types of user interactions with a resource is received for a user. A determination is made, based on the interaction data, that the user is in a first engagement category from at least two different engagement categories. A request for a content item to be provided to the user is received. A content item having a bid specifying an amount that a content item provider is willing to pay for distribution of the content item to a user in the first engagement category is identified. A determination is made, based on the outcome of an auction performed using the bid, that the bid is a winning bid. The content item is provided for presentation in response to the request.
US09684922B2

A delivery station and a method for operating the delivery station including a station server, at least one of storage device for controlling storage facility and a delivery device for delivery including confirmation, located in one of a building and distant and connected to at least one e-provider server via a network for gathering and delivering without error at least one of merchandise and service item included in an order received by at least one e-provider from at least one dweller of the building, each of the devices comprising a CPU, a memory, indicators and touch display screen identifying particulars pertaining to a stored item, the order received from a dweller, a barcode reader, an RFID reader, a communication transceiver for verifying and communicating the gathering and the delivery, including updating of the stored item quantity via the station server upon execution or cancellation of the delivery.
US09684914B1

A request to view an item may be received in an electronic marketplace. The request may cause an offer request to be sent to one or more merchants. The merchants may respond with corresponding offers. Upon receipt of the offer, so long as the offered is received during a time when offers are being accepted, a price may be determined for the item based at least in part on the received offers.
US09684904B2

Systems and methods of presentation of a response related to a dispute element are herein disclosed. A request from a device associated with a first user is received. The request including a request to access a customer service page with information related to a transaction between the first user and a second user. Transaction characteristics of the transaction and user characteristics of the first user may be identified. A dispute element associated with the transaction is detected based on the transaction characteristics and the user characteristics of the first user. A response related to the detected dispute element is generated. Presentation of the response related to the detected dispute element is caused.
US09684891B2

An access management system for managing network access of an end-user to one or more online content sources of a number of content providers. The system comprises a content proxy unit that stores the concealed addresses of the content sources. The content proxy unit is designed to receive a request for accessing one or more content sources from the end-user. The system further comprises an access management unit that stores an access rights record of the end-user. The access management unit is designed to authorize the request according to the access rights record of the end user. If the request is authorized, the content proxy unit facilitates the accessing using the concealed addresses of the requested content sources.
US09684889B2

A system for warranting the identity of a party over an electronic network. The system comprises a root entity and a plurality of additional entities. Each additional entity is admitted to the system after agreeing to abide by a plurality of operating rules promulgated by the root entity. The additional entities may comprise level-one participants and level-two participants. Certificate authorities maintained by level-one participants issue digital certificates to their customers. The digital certificates bind the customers to their public keys. System customers are also provided with a warranty request formatter which is adapted to formulate a request for a warranty as to the veracity of information contained in a digital certificate. The warranty request formatter is also adapted to transmit the request for the warranty to the customer's level-one participant. The level-one participants maintain an intelligent messaging gateway which is adapted to receive messages from their customers and to transmit messages to appropriate system entities. Warranty offers are issued by the participant that issued the digital certificate identified in the warranty request. The participants are required to maintain collateral with a collateral custodian.
US09684885B2

The present invention includes a method and a system for creating Web Ontology Language (OWL) ontology from a Universal Business Language (UBL) process diagram. The UBL process diagram includes one or more processes, one or more partitions, one or more activities, one or more objects, an initial node, and a final node. At least one of the processes, the partitions, the activities, and the objects are extracted from the UBL process diagram. A first OWL class, a second OWL class, and a third OWL class are created corresponding to the processes, partitions, and objects, respectively. Thereafter, an object property is created corresponding to each of the activities, the initial node, and the final node. Finally, the first OWL class, the second OWL class, the third OWL class, and each of the created object property are added to obtain the OWL ontology.
US09684880B2

Systems and methods of the present disclosure facilitate scheduling and managing a project. In some embodiments, the system includes a quoting module, a product data module, and a project planning module executing on at least one processor of a server. The product data module may be configured to store at least one product. The product stored in the project module may have a product class indicating that the product is a labor product, parts product, or agreements product. The system may be configured to copy products from the product data module to the quoting module. The system may be configured to also copy products from the product data module to the project planning module, and generate tasks for the project planning module based on the products.
US09684876B2

Generating distractors for text-based MCT items. An MCT item stem is received. The stem is transmitted to a QA system and a plurality of candidate answers related to the stem is received from the QA system. Incorrect answers in the plurality of candidate answers are identified. Textual features are extracted from the stem. A set of semantic criteria associated with the extracted textual features is generated. Based on the generated semantic criteria, a subset of the incorrect candidate answers is selected.
US09684867B2

Methods and apparatus are provided involving adaptive content inspection. In one embodiment, a content inspection processor may identify information with respect to input data and provide the information to a host controller. The host controller may adapt search criteria or other parameters and provide the adapted parameter to the content inspection processor. Other embodiments may include a content inspection processor having integrated feedback, such that results data is fed back to the content inspection processor. The results data may be processed before being provided to the content inspection processor.
US09684863B2

A smart card is provided, including an external connector formed of an insulating support and a plurality of external metal contact pads arranged on an external face of the support, and a card body having a housing in which the external connector is arranged and includes an electronic unit and/or an antenna electrically connected to a plurality of internal metal contact pads arranged underneath the external connector and respectively aligned with the external pads. The external pads are respectively electrically connected to the internal pads by a plurality of metal parts, which are each at least partially formed by a solder material and which traverse the insulating support through respective apertures. The metal parts are respectively covered by the external pads, which close the apertures on the external face of the support, and respectively form connecting bridges between rear surfaces of the external pads and the internal pads.
US09684853B2

An electronic device includes volatile memory, flash memory, and a CPU. The volatile memory includes a first actual data region that records actual data and a first log region that records update information including update data used for updating the actual data. The flash memory includes blocks and undergoes block unit initialization when writing is to be performed thereto. The blocks each include a second actual data region that records actual data and a second log region that records update information written from the first log region. The CPU writes update information corresponding to update data to the first log region when updating actual data using the update data. At a preset specific timing, the CPU collects update information recorded in the first log region, writes the collected update information to the second log regions in accordance with a specific order, and subsequently initializes the first log region.
US09684852B2

A method and systems are provided. A system includes a set of visual and textual classifiers for recognizing semantic concepts in a set of images and assigning semantic scores for the images to predict a gender of a user, and performing gender prediction from visual content and textual content in the images to respectively generate visual-based gender predictions and textual-based gender predictions. The system further includes a multimodal information fusion device for combining, using multimodal information fusion, the visual-based gender predictions, the textual-based gender predictions, and the semantic scores to infer a gender of a user.
US09684848B2

A system and method of retrieving an area of interest of an image stored in a storage device. The method includes selecting the area of interest having user desired features, the stored image being divided into a plurality of polygonal image sections, each polygonal image section having substantially homogenous features, the image being further divided into a plurality of quads such that each quad has boundaries that contains at least a portion of a first polygonal image section and at least a portion of a second polygonal image section. The method further includes determining in which quad in the plurality of quads each pixel of the area of interest is located and determining for each quad, in which portion of the first polygonal image section or the second polygonal image section each pixel is located.
US09684845B2

A method, computer program product, and a computer system is provided. A processor determines a first viewpoint of the point of interest, the first viewpoint includes a first image group captured from a first location. A processor retrieves an image from an online repository. In response to content of the image matching content of the first image group, a processor assigns a location of the image to the first viewpoint. A processor determines a second viewpoint of the point of interest, the second viewpoint includes a second image group captured from a second location. A processor determines a first ranking score for the first viewpoint based, in part, on the first image group. A processor determines a second ranking score for the second viewpoint based, at least in part, on the second image group. A processor generates a ranked list of the first viewpoint and the second viewpoint based.
US09684844B1

A method for normalizing at least one character included in an image is provided. The method includes steps of: (a) an apparatus for normalizing a specific character adding or supporting to add at least one margin, which is determined by referring to information on at least one another character related to the specific character detected in the image, around a bounding box which includes the specific character; and (b) the apparatus normalizing or supporting to normalize an area of the bounding box around which the at least one margin is added.
US09684840B2

A detection system comprises a light source configured to illuminate an object, an image sensor configured to receive light reflected from the object, and a processor. The image sensor generates a first picture when the light source is turned on. The image sensor generates a second picture when the light source is turned off. The processor is configured to subtract the second picture from the first picture for determining an object image produced by the object.
US09684834B1

A machine system includes monitor devices each having a camera, the monitor devices distributed over a physical area; layout logic forms images from the cameras of the monitor devices into a scene layout for the area; user interface logic receives training signals from sensors directed to a person physically present in the area and to correlate those signals to subareas of the layout; and analytical logic analyzes the layout and training signals to ascertain subareas of the area at which the monitor devices should focus machine sensor and processing resources.
US09684828B2

A method and an electronic device are provided in association with iris recognition. The electronic device includes a camera module that obtains a Near-Infrared Ray (NIR) image, and a controller that converts the NIR image into an integral image, detects at least one candidate eye region from the integral image using at least one mask, detects a pupil region and an eyebrow region from the at least one candidate eye region, and to detect an eye region based on the pupil region.
US09684824B2

A motion estimation device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a distance between a sensor and an object and a situation estimation unit configured to estimate a person's reaction based on a distance acquired by the acquisition unit at a first time that is set based on a time when a person is being urged to stop raising his/her hand.
US09684823B2

A moving body position estimating device includes an acquisition unit and a processor. The acquisition unit acquires information including first data relating to a first image and second data relating to a second image including a difference between the first image and the second image accompanying a movement of a moving body. The processor implements estimating, based on the information, a direction of a rotation accompanying the movement; detecting, based on the direction of the rotation, first feature points inside a first region inside the first image and second feature points inside a second region inside the first image; and determining first corresponding points inside a third region inside the second image and estimating a change of a position of the moving body based on each of the first feature points and each of the first corresponding points.
US09684822B1

A system may comprise a registration device configured to register patterns for users; a recording device configured to record a received pattern, as an electronic pattern, wherein the recording device recognizes the received pattern as one of the registered patterns; a receiving device configured to observe human movement patterns with a camera, transform the observed human movement patterns to an electronic signal, and receive the recognized registered pattern from the recording device by a first wireless transmission; a forwarding device configured to transmit the electronic signal, and the received recognized registered pattern to an alert service by a second wireless transmission; and an alert service, configured to receive the electronic signal and the received recognized registered pattern from the forwarding device and configured to transmit the electronic signal and the received recognized registered pattern to a second electronic device by a third wireless transmission.
US09684817B2

Disclosed is a method for automatically optimizing point cloud data quality, including the following steps of: acquiring initial point cloud data for a target to be reconstructed, to obtain an initial discrete point cloud; performing preliminary data cleaning on the obtained initial discrete point cloud to obtain a Locally Optimal Projection operator (LOP) sampling model; obtaining a Possion reconstruction point cloud model by using a Possion surface reconstruction method on the obtained initial discrete point cloud; performing iterative closest point algorithm registration on the obtained Possion reconstruction point cloud model and the obtained initial discrete point cloud; and for each point on a currently registered model, calculating a weight of a surrounding point within a certain radius distance region of a position corresponding to the point for the point on the obtained LOP sampling model, and comparing the weight with a threshold, to determine whether a region where the point is located requires repeated scanning. Further disclosed is a system for automatically optimizing point cloud data quality.
US09684814B2

A method for estimating an orientation field of a fingerprint is provided, comprising: obtaining an initial orientation field of a fingerprint, and putting the initial orientation field in a reference coordinate system; obtaining N initial orientation blocks corresponding to the initial orientation field, and obtaining N orientation block sets corresponding to N positions respectively from a fingerprint dictionary; obtaining a similarity between each of the N initial orientation blocks and each orientation block in the N orientation block sets corresponding to the N positions to obtain P similarities, and selecting a preset number of candidate orientation blocks for each position from the orientation block set according to the P similarities; obtaining a compatibility between two candidate orientation blocks corresponding to any two adjacent positions respectively to obtain a plurality of compatibilities; and obtaining a candidate orientation block for each position according to the P similarities and the plurality of compatibilities.
US09684810B2

A system and method for partite optically readable codes are provided. The method includes: scanning at least one component of the partite optically readable code, wherein the partite optically readable code comprises of at least two components; determining whether the remaining components of the partite optically readable code are accessible; combining all the components of the partite optically readable code; and decoding the partite optically readable code. The system includes: a scanning module configured to retrieve a component of a partite optically readable code, wherein the partite optically readable code comprises at least two components; and a code module configured to receive the component from the scanning module, the code module further configured to determine whether the remaining components of the partite optically readable code are accessible, to combine the components of the partite optically readable code, and to decode the partite optically readable code.
US09684806B2

A rack-based information handling system (RIHS) includes a rack chassis having at least two opposing side panels which are structurally held in place by one or more segments spanning between the two opposing side panels to generate an internal volume between the at least two opposing side panels. The internal volume has structures that enable insertion and retention of information technology (IT) gear and other components of the IHS at one of a front access space and a rear access space of the rack chassis that extend between the two opposing side panels. The RIHS also includes at least one security screen that is removably affixed to opposing edges of the two opposing side panels and span across a first segment of an access space to prevent direct physical access to the IT gear or other components that are inserted within the rack chassis behind the security screen.
US09684801B2

Some embodiments provide a program that provides data protection for a device when synchronizing a set of keychains stored on the device with a set of other devices. The program receives keychain data for synchronizing the set of keychains stored on the device with the set of other devices. The keychain data is specified as belonging to a protection domain. The program determines whether a set of conditions defined for the protection domain is satisfied. When the set of conditions is determined as satisfied, the program allows access to the keychain data in order to process the keychain data and synchronize the set of keychains stored on the device with the set of other devices.
US09684800B2

Data can be protected in a centralized tokenization environment. A request to tokenize sensitive data is received by an endpoint. A token for use in tokenizing the sensitive data is identified. A token certificate store is queried for a token certificate associated with the identified token. The token certificate can include a token status and use rules describing a permitted use of the token. Responsive to the token certificate store storing the queried token certificate, the endpoint tokenizes the sensitive data using the identified token if the token status indicates the token is available, and subject to the use rules included in the token certificate being satisfied. The token certificate is updated based on the tokenization of the sensitive data with the identified token and stored at the token certificate store.
US09684794B2

The present invention relates to a system and architecture for securing otherwise unsecured computer subsystems. According to one aspect, the invention provides an independent hardware platform for running software in a secure manner. According to another aspect, the invention provides the means to control and secure all disk, network and other I/O transactions. According to still further aspects, the invention provides a means to monitor and prevent unauthorized user and malicious software activity Additional aspects include providing a secure platform for device and user authentication as well as encryption key management, providing a means to perform background backup snapshots, and providing the means for enabling full management over computer operations.
US09684783B2

A self-authentication device and method. The self-authentication device being for the user or owner of an electronic security device, wherein the self-authentication recovery device is separate from the security device and is configured for connecting to a computing device via a first communication link for authentication processing, preferably for authentication and recovery processing.
US09684781B2

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to determining authorization of a software product based on a first authorization item and a second authorization item. Each authorization item may be a file or a registry key. A processor 104 may determine whether use of the software product is authorized at a particular time period by comparing a first authorization item and a second authorization item.
US09684780B2

An identity authentication system includes a storage unit, a display character set generation unit, a display unit and a password authentication unit. An identity authentication method includes the following steps: generating the dynamic display character sets; inputting a dynamic input code; and comparing the dynamic input code with the user password. This invention can improve the security of identity authentication and is convenient to use.
US09684772B2

An information processing apparatus includes a data processing section for reproducing contents stored in a medium having a general purpose area in which encrypted contents and corresponding utilization controlling information are stored and a protected area including a plurality of blocks having access limitation set thereto and including a block having an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted contents stored therein. The data processing section acquires utilization controlling information corresponding to a content from the general purpose area, decides, based on the utilization controlling information, whether validity period information indicative of a content utilization permission period is to be acquired from the utilization controlling information or the encryption key storage block, acquires the validity period information based on a result of the decision and then compares the acquired validity period information and current date information to decide permission or inhibition of content reproduction.
US09684769B2

There are provided an apparatus and method for diagnosis using a medical image. The apparatus includes: an analyzing unit configured to detect a lesion area, and generate a group of candidate lesion areas with respect to the detected lesion area; and an interface unit configured to arrange one or more candidate lesion areas selected among the group of candidate lesion areas with information about each of the one or more selected candidate lesion areas in a first region of an interface.
US09684767B2

According to another example, a wearable medical device controller is provided. The device controller includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to determine a correlation between a phenomenon identifiable by the wearable medical device controller and at least one response pattern associated with a patient and store, responsive to detecting the correlation, an adaptation path to address the at least one response pattern, the adaptation path specifying an adaptation of at least one characteristic of an alarm. The at least one response pattern may include a plurality of response patterns and the adaptation path may reflect adaptations made to address at least some of the plurality of response patterns.
US09684758B2

One or more processors group a plurality of timing arcs into a plurality of equivalence classes. Each timing arc includes one or more delay tables. One or more processors generate, for at least one equivalence class of the plurality of equivalence classes, an average sensitivity to a condition by performing a weighted average on respective sensitivities of timing arcs to the condition. One or more processors determine a sensitivity of an electronic circuit to the condition based, at least in part, a match between one or more attributes of the electronic circuit and one or more attributes present in the at least one equivalence class.
US09684755B2

A host system receives a description of a design under test (DUT) that includes multiple IP units and is to be emulated by an emulator. The host system compiles the description of the DUT, which includes synthesizing the description, partitioning the DUT, and mapping the partitions to FPGAs included in the emulator that will emulate the DUT. Each IP unit is part of a single partition or partitioned into multiple partitions and mapped to a different set of FPGAs. The host system identifies connections in the DUT between IP units. The host system designates one or more FPGAs of the emulator that have not been allocated to emulate IP units as interface FPGAs. The host system determines a route for each of the identified connections through one of the interface FPGAs. The connections are routed so that there are no direct connections between the sets of FPGAs of two IP units.
US09684746B2

A method for reconstructing at least one output signal associated to a sequential logic circuitry block of a circuit is disclosed. At least one input signal is associated to the sequential logic circuitry block. The method comprises simulating a value of the at least one output signal depending on the at least one input signal and determining a transfer function for computing the value of the output signal directly after the simulation timestamp depending on the input signal and/or on the value of the output signal directly before the simulation timestamp. The method further comprises computing the value of the at least one output signal directly after the simulation timestamp as a function value of the transfer function, if a reconstruction condition is fulfilled.
US09684738B2

Embodiments relate to generating application-processable commands from character strings. An aspect includes preparing a database in which are recorded keywords for presenting commands as conversion candidate objects, conversion candidate objects, and commands generated when a conversion candidate object has been selected. Another aspect includes receiving a plurality of character strings inputted by a user for an application. Another aspect includes converting a character string of the plurality of character strings to generate a completion candidate character string. Another aspect includes referencing the database when the character string includes a keyword, and presenting, to the user, completion candidate character strings and conversion candidate objects as a conversion candidate list. Another aspect includes generating a command corresponding to a selected conversion candidate object in response to selection of one of the conversion candidate objects from the conversion candidate list by the user.
US09684735B2

Recommending fonts includes obtaining a product category and determining whether a font recommendation should be made. In the event that the font recommendation should be made, the technique further includes determining a recommended font that corresponds to the product category, the determination being based at least in part on a plurality of predetermined correspondences, the plurality of predetermined correspondences indicating associations between a plurality of product categories and a respective plurality of fonts, and outputting information pertaining to the recommended font.
US09684734B2

A user may access a host server and receive display information within a single browser window. The display information includes at least one lens, wherein each lens controls server side web browsing and allows the user to view a separate web page from the Internet. The host server provides personalized web browsing capability specific to a particular user independent of the browser, device or location of the user. After the user submits a request to view a particular web page, the web page information is retrieved by the host server and transmitted to the user for display within a selected lens. Each lens controls server-side web browsing through independent navigational controls, such as a horizontal and vertical scroll bar, a resize button and the like. One lens may also control the web content displayed in another lens. The host server may reformat entire web pages so that they can be displayed within a lens without the need for scrolling. Additionally, each lens may have multiple cookies associated therewith. Users may further submit bookmarks which are applicable to one or more of the lenses. Bookmarks may be recognized through initiating a single command.
US09684732B2

A method for creating a service mashup instance comprises recording at least two services being selected by a user during an exploration procedure, obtaining a relationship between the at least two services, and generating the service mashup instance based on the relationship. Additionally, a method of using content retrieved from external data sources to create a service based on that content comprises, with a browser application, recording at least two services being selected by a user during an exploration procedure, analyzing the relationship between the at least two services selected, generating the service mashup instance based on the relationship, and storing the relationship between the at least two services in a repository.
US09684728B2

A system and method that provides a hosted network video guide application. The guide application is provided as a service to web portals and other websites that wish to expose access to the video content available on a public network such as the Internet. The operation of the guide includes mechanisms for search application hosting and processes for content gathering. Video index information can be derived from random content owners, guide affiliates, proactively gathered public domain content, and proactively harvested video content from the network via a video spidering mechanism. The video index information can be collected and maintained in a hosted, centralized repository and made available via an application interface, which can be customized, to users of the network. The video spidering mechanism generates an index of each accessed video, and the index is committed to the guide repository along with the URL information of the video being indexed.
US09684724B2

Computer-storage media, methods, and systems for improving the ability of a user to accomplish a task that is pending during a search session are provided. When a user invokes the pending task, a collection of elements that are associated with the pending task are dynamically organized into a sharable content page that may be shared with a user's contacts via a social network. The user's contacts may comment on or provide feedback related to the pending task. The feedback may be published to the sharable content page and presented to the user on a user interface.
US09684712B1

A method for use in analyzing tenant-specific data is disclosed. First data for a first tenant and second data for a second tenant is stored in a multi-tenant data storage system. A first portion of the first data is selected. Based on the selection, the first portion of the first data is copied to a data store that is specific to the first tenant. Data analysis techniques are applied to the data store.
US09684709B2

Disclosed herein is a system and method for generating an enhanced index for documents contained in a knowledge base. Documents or configuration snapshots are tokenized and then passed through a number of filters. The filters modify the token stream to generate an enhanced token stream for the document by removing words from the stream and adding domain level knowledge to the tokens in the stream. The token stream is then added to the index for the document so that searches can be completed against the knowledge base when searches are generated from configuration snapshots or from inputted search queries.
US09684708B2

In an approach for creating a machine-to-machine device model based on ontological relationship, one or more computer processors determine a plurality of characteristics of one or more machine-to-machine devices within a machine-to-machine communication environment. The one or more computer processors determine one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices. The one or more computer processors create a semantic device model, based, at least in part, on the one or more ontological relationships between the one or more machine-to-machine devices and the plurality of characteristics of the one or more machine-to-machine devices.
US09684700B2

A system includes a Synchrophasor Data Management System (SDMS), in which the SDMS includes a Synchrophasor Processor System (SPS). The SPS includes a Phasor Data Concentrator (PDC) configured to receive a first plurality of inputs from a first Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU), transform at least one of the first plurality of inputs into a first time aligned output by time aligning the at least one of the first plurality of inputs. The SPS further includes a virtual PMU configured to aggregate the first time aligned output into a PMU dataset, in which the SPS is configured to transmit the PMU dataset to a second PMU, an external PDC, a super PDC, or a combination thereof.
US09684697B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving a search query from a client device; receiving search result data identifying a first plurality of search result resources and respective initial scores for each of the first plurality of search result resources; identifying a respective group of resources to which each of the search result resources belongs; determining a respective group-based modification factor for each group of resources; and adjusting the initial score for each of the search result resources based at least in part on the group-specific modification factor for the group of resources to which the search result resource belongs to generate a respective second score for each of the search result resources.
US09684688B2

A system and method are provided, the method comprising: receiving, at a registry service, a request to register an identifiable pattern for matching patterns in text; registering, in a registry, the identifiable pattern and a corresponding handler for performing an action; and updating at least one client library accessible to a corresponding client process with the identifiable pattern.
US09684684B2

A method can include receiving a request to execute a database command identifying a target table; identifying a plurality of rows to insert into the target table based in part on the database command; writing rows, from the plurality of rows, into a data page until the data page is full; determining, by an index thread manager, a number of threads to use for updating indexes defined for the target table; and upon determining the data page is full, updating, in parallel, the indexes defined for the target table using the number of threads.
US09684682B2

Techniques are provided for sharding objects across different compute nodes. In one embodiment, a database server instance generates, for an object, a plurality of in-memory chunks including a first in-memory chunk and a second in-memory chunk, where each in-memory chunk includes a different portion of the object. The database server instance assigns each in-memory chunk to one of a plurality of computer nodes including the first in-memory chunk to a first compute node and a second in-memory chunk to a second local memory of a second compute node. The database server instance stores an in-memory map that indicates a memory location for each in-memory chunk. The in-memory map indicates that the first in-memory chunk is located in the first local memory of the first compute node and that the second in-memory chunk is located in the second local memory of the second compute node.
US09684681B2

Database processing using columns to present to a processing unit decompressed column data without changing the underlying row-based database architecture. For some embodiments, a database accelerator is used to efficiently process the columns of a database and output tuples to a processing unit's memory, such that the columns can be quickly processed (with the advantages of a column-based architecture) to create tuples of requested data, but without having to depart from a row-based architecture at the processing unit level or having decompressed data scattered throughout the processing unit's memory.
US09684675B2

Methods and apparatus implementing a technique for searching media objects. In general, in one aspect, the technique includes receiving user input specifying a plurality of reference objects (2), defining a set of features for them, and combining the features to generate composite reference information (4) defining criteria for search (6). In general, in another aspect, the technique includes combining object information for a plurality of reference objects to produce composite reference information, comparing (10) the composite reference information to object information for media objects in a collection of media objects, and selecting a media object based upon the comparison.
US09684665B2

A storage apparatus includes a data storage unit, management information storage unit, compression judgment unit, and compression control unit. The data storage unit stores the data of files. The management information storage unit stores management information on the files. The compression judgment unit evaluates compression effectiveness for a file at prescribed execution timing and determines whether the compression of the file is appropriate or not. The compression control unit updates the management information so as to reflect the determination result obtained by the compression judgment unit, and then stores the compressed data of the file in a compressed format in the data storage unit if the determination result indicates that the compression is appropriate, and stores the uncompressed data of the file in an uncompressed format in the data storage unit if the determination result indicates the compression is inappropriate.
US09684658B2

Example embodiments provide access to an updated file performed by at least one processor, wherein responsive to receiving a first list of logical page numbers (LPNs) and a second list of LPNs for an update, wherein the first list of LPNs is mapped to a first list of physical page numbers (PPNs), and the second list of LPNs is mapped to a second list of PPNs, the method, comprising: atomically remapping the first list of LPNs so that the first list of LPNs is mapped to the second list of PPNs; and trimming a mapping of the first list of LPNs to the first list of PPNs.
US09684655B2

Under one aspect, a computer-implemented method of displaying information about a media object, the media object being associated with location-related content corresponding to a location, includes receiving a request to display a representation of the media object; in response to the request, obtaining a summary of the media object; in response to the request, obtaining a spatial thumbnail of the media object, the spatial thumbnail comprising an image of a spatial domain encompassing the location; and simultaneously displaying both the summary of the media object and the spatial thumbnail on a visual display.
US09684651B2

Disclosed aspects include initiating an electronic communication configured to be transmitted to a first intended recipient. Based on a set of profile data, a first cultural indicator may be identified for the first intended recipient. Using a natural language processing technique, a cultural element of the electronic communication may be detected. Based on both the first cultural indicator and the cultural element, a first cultural-version of the cultural element may be determined for the first intended recipient. Using the first cultural-version, a cultural translation object may be established in the electronic communication. In response to establishing the cultural translation object in the electronic communication, the electronic communication may be transmitted to the first intended recipient.
US09684643B2

Systems and methods for managing and processing building plan documents. An electronic building plan document including a plurality of plan sheets is received. A first plan sheet is provided for display. A user interface is provided via which a user can select or enter a first comment associated with the first plan sheet. A user interface is provided via which the user can associate metadata, including a project type or discipline, with the first comment. A first plurality of comments, including the first comment, is stored in association with respective metadata. A user interface via which the user can select, by category and/or subcategory a plurality of comments to be included in a plan correction list, and a correction list is generated including a plurality of comments specified by a plurality of users.
US09684641B1

In some examples, an electronic device may present a portion of a content item in a first language contemporaneously with a corresponding portion in a second language. Thus, a user may view the portion of content in the first language and the same portion of content in the second language. Further, the electronic device may dynamically adjust an area allotted to displaying each language version, such as in the case that a portion of content in one language takes up more space than a matching portion of content in the other language. In some examples, metadata for multiple language versions of a content item may include mapping information for correlating a portion of the first language version of the content item with a matching or corresponding portion of the second language version of the content item based, at least in part, on location information.
US09684630B1

Disclosed are various embodiments of a first computing device for obtaining an authentication credential for a cryptographic module of a second computing device. The authentication credential is obtained via a communication session with a module interface of the second computing device. Configuration data is determined for the cryptographic module based at least in part upon the authentication credential. The configuration data is transmitted to the second computing device via the communication session.
US09684623B2

An integrated circuit device is disclosed including core circuitry and interface circuitry. The core circuitry outputs in parallel a set of data bits, while the interface circuitry couples to the core circuitry. The interface circuitry receives in parallel a first number of data bits among the set of data bits from the core circuitry and outputs in parallel a second number of data bits. The ratio of the first number to the second number is a non-power-of-2 value.
US09684609B2

A multiple device integrating control method, includes: detecting whether a first connection port of an electronic device is connected to a first device; determining whether a power port of the electronic device is connected to a power adapter when the first connection port is connected to the first device; and driving a processor of the first device to work and cooperate with a processor of the electronic device to compute.
US09684600B2

An apparatus, method, and program product for optimizing a multiprocessor computing system by sampling memory reference latencies and adjusting components of the system in response thereto. During execution of processes the computing system, memory reference sampling of memory locations from shared memory of the computing system referenced in the executing processes is performed. Each sampled memory reference collected from sampling is associated with a latency and a physical memory location in the shared memory. Each sampled memory reference is analyzed to identify segments of memory locations in the shared memory corresponding to a sub-optimal latency, and based on the analyzed sampled memory references, the physical location of the one or more identified segments, the processor on which one or more processes referencing the identified segments, and/or a status associated with the one or more identified segments is dynamically adjusted to thereby optimize memory access for the multiprocessor computing system.
US09684598B1

Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for re-syncing a distributed cache after node disconnection. The method includes stopping cache coherency among a plurality of nodes at times a first node among the plurality of nodes is in a disconnected state and determining the first node is no longer in the disconnected state. A second cache at a second node then may dump portions of the second cache at the second node inconsistent with changes made to a first cache at the first node at times the first node was in the disconnected state.
US09684590B2

A storage device controller may segregate data units that are typically accessed together to a common storage unit. In one example, a storage device includes a control unit configured to receive a plurality of logical blocks to be stored in the storage device, wherein a first set of addresses comprises logical block addresses (LBAs) of the plurality of logical blocks, and a non-volatile memory configured to store logical blocks in a plurality of storage units, wherein one of the plurality of storage units includes logical blocks corresponding to a second set of addresses. The control unit may determine an intersection of the first set of addresses with the second set of addresses and to store each of the logical blocks having LBAs in the determined intersection of addresses in a common storage unit of the storage device, wherein the common storage unit comprises one of the plurality of storage units.
US09684588B1

An interprogram communication system including a test engine, a program interface, and a visibility engine configured to employ interprogram communication messaging with each other. The test engine sends a feature notification that identifies a feature file to the visibility engine. The visibility engine associates a first test status and a second test status, and a workflow status with the feature file in response to receiving the feature notification. The test engine sends feature code test results to the visibility program via the program interface. The program interface translates feature code test results from a first format to a second format and sends the feature code test results in the second format to the visibility engine. The visibility engine updates the first test status and the second test status in response to receiving feature code test results from the test engine.
US09684579B1

A method for selecting test devices in a service provider environment may include receiving a request for performing a test on a device, the request specifying at least one parameter for the test. A list of available devices may be obtained. The list of available devices may be filtered to generate a list of candidate hardware devices that meet the at least one parameter for the test. Using a first set of operations, current state information for each of the candidate devices may be obtained. Using a second set of operations, at least one weight may be assigned to the current state information to generate weighted state information for each of the candidate devices. Device scores may be generated using the weighted state information. Based on the scores, one of the candidate devices may be selected for performing the test.
US09684576B1

In one aspect, a method includes mirroring a logical unit between a first site and a second site, tracking the changes to the logical unit on a backlog mirrored between the first site and the second site, replicating a virtual machine from the first site to a third site, storing virtual machine disks on a file system on the mirrored logical unit and resuming replication of the virtual machine to the third site from the second site using the mirrored logical unit after failure of the first site.
US09684569B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for performing file backup and restore in a computing system. Certain embodiments provide a communication interface for communicating with a non-volatile memory and a controller configured to determine that a file stored in the non-volatile memory has been modified, identify a chunk of the file that has been modified, determine a new chunk associated with the modified chunk, the new chunk reflecting the modification, generate a separate chunk file including the new chunk and a filename, and storing the chunk file in the non-volatile memory using the communication interface.
US09684557B2

A system and method for facilitating recovery from an error occurring during creation or alteration of a target document from a form or template. The method may involve gathering some or all input collateral (e.g., the document template, input data, instructions for creating the document) and adding it to the target document. If the target document is not created, the input collateral may be placed in an error document. The target or error document is dispatched to the user and may also be sent to support personnel (e.g., help desk, technical support personnel) or forward to such personnel by the user. Capturing the document creation conditions and parameters in the target or error document allows the support personnel (or user) to diagnose and/or recover from the error without expending the time and effort that would be required to gather the separate input collateral items, log files, configuration parameters, etc.
US09684554B2

A system and method for using failure casting to manage failures in computer system. In accordance with an embodiment, the system uses a failure casting hierarchy to cast failures of one type into failures of another type. In doing this, the system allows incidents, problems, or failures to be cast into a (typically smaller) set of failures, which the system knows how to handle. In accordance with a particular embodiment, failures can be cast into a category that is considered reboot-curable. If a failure is reboot-curable then rebooting the system will likely cure the problem. Examples include hardware failures, and reboot-specific methods that can be applied to disk failures and to failures within clusters of databases. The system can even be used to handle failures that were hitherto unforeseen—failures can be cast into known failures based on the failure symptoms, rather than any underlying cause.
US09684553B2

The invention provides for an electromechanical system comprising a machine. The machine comprises at least one mechanical component and at least one electrical sensor for acquiring measurement data. The system further comprises a data logger computer system for logging the measurement data and error reports as historical data, wherein the error reports are descriptive of one or more failure modes of the at least one mechanical component, wherein the error reports are further descriptive of repair actions taken to repair the one or more failure modes. The system further comprises a machine monitor comprising a repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a memory containing processor instructions that implement the repair solution engine, wherein the machine monitor comprises a processor for executing the processor instructions. The system further comprises a data transfer system for transferring the data from the machine to the machine monitor. The system further comprises a client computer system. Execution of the processor instructions cause the processor to: receive the measurement data from the data transfer system; receive the historical data from the data logger computer system; search the historical data to determine a current failure mode and a selected repair action, wherein the current failure mode is selected from the one or more failure modes of the historical data, wherein the selected repair action is selected from the repair actions; generate repair instructions using the selected repair action; and transfer the repair instructions of the selected repair entry to the client computer system.
US09684547B2

Techniques for handling security of an application and its extension are described. In one embodiment, an application manager of an operating system running within a data processing system launches an application in a first sandboxed environment based on a first security profile associated with the application. In response to receiving a request from the application for accessing a function of an application extension that is associated with the application, the application manager launches the application extension in a second sandboxed environment based on a second security profile associated with the application extension. The application manager is to individually enforce security and manage resources of the application and the application extension in the first and second sandboxed environments based on the first and second security profiles, respectively. The second security profile specifies resources fewer than the first security profile.
US09684539B1

Methods, systems, and computer readable mediums for logically remediating infrastructure resource components are disclosed. According to one example, the method includes interfacing an infrastructure component remediation (ICR) device to a plurality of infrastructure resource components located at a data facility area in order to assess a configuration state for each of the plurality of infrastructure resource components. The method further includes identifying, via the interfaced ICR device, a disparity existing between a converged infrastructure baseline configuration and the assessed configuration states associated with the infrastructure resource components, and remediating, via the interfaced ICR device, the plurality of infrastructure resource components to logically operate as a converged infrastructure that complies with the converged infrastructure baseline configuration.
US09684528B2

A planned virtual machine, for use in staging the construction of a virtual machine. Such a planned virtual machine may be used as part of a method for migrating virtual machines. The method may include creating a planned virtual machine based on a first realized virtual machine or a template, performing a configuration operation on the planned virtual machine, and converting the planned virtual machine to a second realized virtual machine. The configuration operation may comprise interaction with a virtualization platform managing the planned virtual machine and may be based on input provided by a user.
US09684519B2

An electronic device with a plurality of booting modes comprises at least a button unit, a control module, a control chip unit, a super I/O unit and a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). One of the button units outputs a first signal according to a trigger event. The control module includes a buffer unit connected to the button units. The control module sets the buffer unit according to the first signal. The control module outputs a status signal and copies the first signal and outputs the first signal after a delay time. The control chip unit receives the status signal. The super I/O unit receives the first signal outputted from the control module and transmits the first signal to the control chip unit. When the control chip unit receives the status signal and the first signal, the BIOS executes the corresponding booting procedure according to the status signal.
US09684503B2

A method for saving power of an electronic device includes establishing relationship between operational states and operations carried out by the electronic device. According to the relationship, an operation to the electronic device is executed after acquiring current operational states of the electronic device periodically. And the operational states of the electronic device is refreshed after executing the operation to the electronic device.
US09684502B2

Embodiments disclosed facilitate distributed orchestration and deployment of a cloud based distributed computing application. In some embodiments, the distributed orchestration may be based on a cloud agnostic representation of the application. In some embodiments, an ordered set of events may be obtained based on a starting sequence for the plurality of components, where each event in the ordered set is associated with a corresponding set of prerequisites for initiating execution of the event. Event identifiers corresponding to the ordered set of events may be placed on an event message bus with persistence that is shared between a plurality of distributed nodes associated with a cloud. Upon receiving an indication of completion of prerequisites for one or more events, a plurality of nodes of a distributed orchestration engine may select the one or more events corresponding to the one or more selected event identifiers for execution on the cloud.
US09684500B2

A system and method for remotely programming a vehicle including a vehicle connector with a plurality of pins in communication with one or more vehicle sub-systems or modules, a vehicle communication device connected to the vehicle connector; a bi-directional communication link between the vehicle communication device and a remote communication device, and a computer system connected to the remote communication device. The vehicle communication device is configured to receive signals from the pins, convert the signals to a network compatible data packet which can then be transmitted to the remote communication device, which re-converts the signals to the pin signals, which can be read by a computing system, such as a vehicle scan tool. Programming instructions can be sent from the scan tool to the vehicle, over the bi-directional communication link between the remote communication device and the vehicle communication device.
US09684495B2

The compiled code of a computer program is stored in multiple pieces within a database. Each piece is optionally stored within a separate data record. Execution of the computer program includes using database queries to retrieve pieces of the compiled code for execution. The database and associated database management logic are used to provide numerous advantages in execution and management of the computer program. For example, in some embodiments, database queries are used to help facilitate program flow logic. In another example, database queries are based on a command line or universal resource locator. These queries may be used to select functionality of a computer program in response to the command line or universal resource locator.
US09684493B2

In a method for analyzing a large data set using a statistical computing environment language operation, a processor generates code from the statistical computing environment language operation that can be understood by a software system for processing machine learning algorithms in a MapReduce environment. A processor transfers the code to the software system for processing machine learning algorithms in a MapReduce environment. A processor invokes execution of the code with the software system for processing machine learning algorithms in a MapReduce environment.
US09684490B2

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with the generation and execution of analytical models are described. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes identifying a selected runtime environment for executing an analytical model that includes analytical expressions. A user-script data structure is generated and provides mapping of the analytical expressions to executable expressions of the runtime environment. A computerized specification object is generated that includes a pre-script data structure, the user-script data structure with the analytical model, and a post-script data structure. The pre-script data structure specifies how the runtime environment is to access input data to be operated upon by the analytical model. The post-script data structure specifies how to output results data, produced by the analytical model, from the runtime environment. The computerized specification object is transmitted over a computer network to the runtime environment for execution of the analytical model in the runtime environment.
US09684486B2

A head mounted display device is used by being mounted on a body of a user and includes an image display unit through which outside scenery is transmitted and which displays an image such that the image is visually recognizable together with the outside scenery. Further, the head mounted display device includes a right headphone and a left headphone outputting a sound. Further, the head mounted display device includes a target detection unit that detects a target of the user in the visual line direction; a distance detection unit that detects a distance between the detected target and the user; and an information output control unit that controls the output of the sound of the right headphone and the left headphone according to the detected distance.
US09684484B2

Embodiments provided herein involve connected states between a mobile device and one or more zones in a network media system and different interactions between the mobile device and the network media system involving the connected states. The connected states may be established between the mobile device and the one or more zones such that further actions taken on media items identified in the playlist on the mobile device may also be taken on corresponding media items in a playback queue associated with the one or more zones. The interface on the mobile device may display various graphical representations to indicate the different interactions involving the connected states, including when a connected state is established, when a connected state is lost, and when a reconnected state is reestablished. The interface may further provide selectable icons to allow a user to navigate among the different media playback options involving the connected states.
US09684482B2

A multi-monitor display is disclosed. A multi-monitor display receives video data configured for a single N×M video display; splits the video data into a plurality of portions spanning the N×M display; and transmits the plurality of portions to a corresponding plurality of displays. The multi-monitor display system can be any system, for example a display-port system or an ePaper system.
US09684480B2

A server receives parameter-related data and sheet information from a first terminal device, determines a printing parameter based on the parameter-related data, registers, in a storage device, the printing parameter in association with registration-sheet information indicative of a sheet indicated by the sheet information received from the first terminal device, transmits, to a second terminal device, a list of sheets indicated by registration-sheet information registered in the storage device, receives a print command from the second terminal device, generates print data by using: the image data included in the print command; and a printing parameter associated with target sheet information, and transmits the print data to a printing device. The target sheet information is registration-sheet information indicative of a sheet specified by sheet-specifying data included in the print command. The print data is used for printing an image on the sheet specified by the sheet-specifying data.
US09684476B2

A method, system, and program product for communicating with machines and end users connected to a network. Information sent to or from the machines is transmitted using electronic mail or a via a direct connection. The electronic mail may be transmitted over the Internet to a service center or from a service center to a resource administrator, but also may remain within a local or wide area network for transmission between a machine and an end user or a resource administrator. E-mail messages may be transmitted from a computer which is attached to a device which is being monitored or controlled and include information regarding the status, usage or capabilities of the attached device. The device may send status messages and usage information of the device by an end user to either a resource administrator or to a service center on the Internet through a firewall.
US09684474B2

A storage module may include a controller configured to communicate with a memory having a plurality of memory dies. The controller may include a plurality of bond pads, where each bond pad is configured to communicate a same type of memory signal, and where each bond pad is electrically connected to at least one but less than all of the plurality of memory dies. A core of the controller may identify a memory die that it wants to communicate a memory signal and an associated bond pad with which to communicate the memory signal.
US09684469B1

Data objects of a file are cached in a cache memory of a storage system. An access sequence of the cached data objects is determined based on metadata of the file. In response to a request for cache space reclamation, a data object is evicted from the cache memory whose next access is a farthest amongst the cached data objects based on the access sequence of the data objects.
US09684467B2

Methods, systems, and programs are presented for managing a storage device memory. One method includes an operation for receiving a request to pin a volume stored in the storage device. The device includes disk storage and a solid state drive (SSD) cache, where pinned volumes in the storage device have all active volume data in the SSD cache. Further, the method includes an operation for determining the maximum amount of pinnable space in the SSD cache, the maximum amount of pinnable space being calculated based on the sizes of the disk storage and the SSD cache. Further, the method includes operations for determining the available pinning space, which is the maximum amount of pinnable space minus the current amount of pinned data in the SSD cache, and for granting the request to pin the volume when the available pinning space is greater than or equal to a size of the volume.
US09684465B2

According to embodiments of the disclosure, methods, systems and computer program products for memory power management and data consolidation are disclosed. The method may include selecting a first real memory portion and a second real memory portion from a plurality of real memory portions coupled to a memory controller in a computer system by a memory bus. The first real memory portion may be connected to a first buffer and the second real memory portion may be connected to a second buffer. The first and second real memory portions may be selected by the memory controller. The method may include migrating data from the first real memory portion to the second real memory portion on a migration bus through the first and second buffers. The method may also include placing the first real memory portion into a reduced power mode.
US09684464B2

A semiconductor storage device includes at least one memory from among a primary memory, a mirror memory storing data corresponding to data stored in the primary memory, and a buffer memory; and a controller that controls the at least one memory so as to store data in the at least one memory and read data from the at least one memory.
US09684459B2

According to one embodiment, there is provided a memory system including a nonvolatile memory, a host interface, and a controller. The host interface is configured to receive a first read command including a logical address to access the nonvolatile memory from a host system. The controller is configured to, when a size of read data requested in the first read command matches a predetermined data size, execute a process according to a second read command including a logical address sequential to the logical address included in the first read command before the host interface receives the second read command.
US09684455B2

A method for providing efficient processing for many concurrent streams of sequential I/O requests is provided. In response to receiving an I/O request, the method includes determining if the I/O request corresponds to an active stream. If the request corresponds to an active stream, then the method includes updating an existing active list entry of an active list corresponding to the active stream, and if the I/O request does not correspond to an active stream, then instead converting and configuring an inactive list entry of an inactive list into a new active list entry. The inactive list stores available but unallocated resources, and the active list stores allocated resources. The active list includes a head at one end of the active list and a tail at an opposite end. The active list head corresponds to a most recently used entry, and the tail corresponds to a least recently used entry.
US09684450B2

Technology is described for a profile-based lifecycle management for data storage servers. The technology can receive a profile, monitor events emitted by devices of the data storage system, determine based on the monitored events that a device of the storage system matches the indicated condition, and perform the action corresponding to the indicated condition, wherein the action includes managing data stored by the data storage system. The received profile can indicate a condition and an action corresponding to the condition.
US09684445B2

In gesture reporting and replay, touch events are captured from an operating system of a client device for touch actions on a touchscreen. The touch events are interpreted as gestures. Any application events are captured from an application in response to the gestures. A given gesture and any given application event in response to the given gesture are compared against an expected application event. When there is a match, the given gesture is identified as a responsive gesture. When there is no match, the given gesture is identified as a non-responsive gesture. The gesture information for the given gesture, any application event in response to the given gesture, and a screen layout displayed on the touchscreen at the time of the given gesture are sent to a service. For the information received, the service replays the given gesture and generates a report.
US09684441B2

An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: display a partial portion of a media scroll-line on a display; allow user marking input of respective start and end points to the partial portion of the media scroll-line, the marked start point and end point together defining a selection segment of the partial portion; and allow user scrolling input to the media scroll-line itself to scroll the media scroll-line on the display relative to the selection segment to re-position the selection segment to a different partial portion of the media scroll-line to allow for selection of the re-positioned selection segment.
US09684439B2

An apparatus and method of controlling a motion of an object on a touch screen of a device including recognizing pressures at least two positions on the touch screen of the device, and controlling a motion of the object on the touch screen using a difference in pressure between the at least two recognized positions.
US09684431B2

Among other things, a method includes receiving, from a user of a user interface of a media authoring application, first settings specifying a destination for media content authored in the media authoring application, the destination selected from a set of destinations supported by the media authoring application, and second settings specifying a set of media characteristics of media content authored in the media authoring application, and generating data representing a user interface element usable to provide media content authored in the media authoring application to the destination specified in the first settings at the set of media characteristics specified in the second settings.
US09684428B2

A method and a device of starting applications installed on a mobile operating system (OS) is performed by a mobile device for the mobile OS to flag any application installed on the mobile OS as a windowed application and display the application under a multi-window mode when the application is started. When multiple applications are simultaneously started, the mobile OS sequentially determines if each application is a windowed application. If positive, the application is displayed under the multi-window mode, and the size and location of the displayed window frame with the application running thereon are adjustable, rendering higher operational efficiency and convenience of software applications installed on a mobile OS.
US09684426B2

A user interface for a computing device, the interface comprising means for defining a coordinate system of a 3D frame (1), the 3D frame (1) being rotatable within a 3D environment of the user interface; and a plurality of 3D elements (2), each 3D element (2) being locatable at a position relative to the coordinate system for rotation with the 3D frame (1) and comprising a graphical indicator for identifying the 3D element (2).
US09684423B2

A conductive sheet, method for using conductive sheet and touch panel, having a base substance and conductive parts formed on one of the principal surfaces of the base substance. The conductive parts respectively extend in primary directions, and have two or more conductive patterns made from metal wires arranged in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The conductive pattern is constituted by serially connecting two or more large gratings in the first direction, and each of the large gratings is constituted by combining two or more small gratings. Around the edges of the large grating, non-connective patterns are formed from metal wires which are not connected with the large gratings.
US09684421B2

A display device includes a first electrode arranged in a first direction, and a second electrode arranged in a second direction, wherein the first electrode crosses the second electrode. A base film is between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a driving hole is in one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The driving hole is in a region in which the first electrode overlaps the second electrode, and a side of the driving hole is tilted relative to the first or second direction.
US09684419B2

A touch sensor integrated type display device capable of recognizing a user's touch operation is disclosed. The touch sensor integrated type display device includes a plurality of first electrodes each including a plurality of first electrode patterns, which are connected through a plurality of first bottlenecks, the plurality of first electrodes being arranged in a first direction, and a plurality of second electrodes arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction. The plurality of first electrode patterns and the plurality of second electrodes are alternately disposed. At least one unit pixel electrode is disposed corresponding to each of the plurality of first electrode patterns.
US09684404B2

A display device includes: a display panel including a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed on one side of the display panel; a first flexible pritned circuit board (FPCB) configured to connect the first substrate to the PCB; a second FPCB configured to connect the second substrate to the PCB; and an insulating member disposed between the first and second FPCBs.
US09684397B2

A touch display having a laminated structure is provided in present disclosure. The touch display comprises a touch panel, a display module, and a step-shaped gasket element. The display module has a step-shaped structure formed due to a height difference, wherein the step-shaped structure is located in an edge area of the display module. The gasket element inosculates with the step-shaped structure of the display module to fill the height difference in the edge area of the display module. In accordance with present disclosure, the gasket element is not in a suspended state usually caused when the gasket element is not being supported by display module and is effectively laminated to an outer frame of display module, thereby enhancing the reliability of lamination of touch panel and display module. Moreover, a laminated structure and a laminating method for touch display having the laminated structure are provided in present disclosure.
US09684396B2

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for subdividing a touch-sensitive interface of a mouse accessory into a first plurality of sectors for defining a first plurality of mouse buttons, where each sector of the first plurality of sectors corresponds to a distinct mouse button. The method can further include receiving a first signal from the touch-sensitive interface of the mouse accessory, detecting, from the first signal a selection of a sector of the first plurality of sectors, and generating a second signal indicating the selection of the sector. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09684394B2

Button functionalities for user interfaces, e.g., for use with a portable multifunction device, are disclosed. Exemplary button functionalities are described for an electronic device with a display, a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, and/or a button. Different device features may be accessed, depending on whether the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button is activated, and further depending on whether the activation represents a single press, a double press, or an extended press on the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button.
US09684389B2

An apparatus, method, and computer program product are described that can receive a signal from a tangible object, where the signal includes an indication of an operation to be executed upon receipt of a user input applied by the tangible object, and that can determine the operation based on the indication. In this way, the user is not required to provide additional user input to define the particular operation that is desired. The apparatus may determine at least one recipient with whom data selected via a user input applied by the tangible object may be shared. The apparatus may further provide for the determination of an operation to be executed based on an identification of a selection of content and may provide for the association of the operation with the tangible object, such that subsequent user input applied via the tangible object causes execution of the operation.
US09684386B2

There is provided an optical pointing system including at least one reference beacon, an image sensor, a storage unit and a processing unit. The image sensor is configured to capture an image frame containing a beacon image associated with the at least one reference beacon. The storage unit is configured to save image data of at least one object image in the image frame. The processing unit is configured to sequentially process every pixel of the image frame for identifying the object image and real-timely remove or merge the image data, saved in the storage unit, associated with two object images within a pixel range of the image frame thereby reducing the used memory space.
US09684384B2

A method for minimizing spurious motion of a mouse includes: determining whether the mouse enters a specific mode; and when the mouse is determined to enter the specific mode, generating a large correlation matrix by generating a standard size correlation matrix multiple times. The multiple standard size correlation matrices are offset with respect to each other so that an edge of each standard size correlation matrix touches at least an edge of another standard size correlation matrix to form the large correlation matrix. The specific mode is a skating mode wherein the mouse will move at high speed over a large area.
US09684383B1

An electronic apparatus and a method for detecting status of keys thereof are provided. The electronic apparatus comprises a key module, a key control circuit, a conversion circuit with calibration mechanism and a processor. The key control circuit detects whether any of keys in the key module is pressed. If the detection result is affirmative, the press status of each of the keys is scanned by the key control circuit to obtain a coarse scan result. The conversion circuit with calibration mechanism is configured to perform the other system function of the electronic apparatus. When the processor determines that at least one of the keys is not pressed according the coarse scan result, the conversion circuit with calibration mechanism is switched to assist a re-scan operation of the press status of the at least one of the keys.
US09684382B2

Input device configurations are described. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a sensor substrate having one or more conductors and a flexible contact layer spaced apart from the sensor substrate. The flexible contact layer is configured to flex to contact the sensor substrate to initiate an input of a computing device. The flexible contact layer includes a force concentrator pad that is configured to cause pressure to be channeled through the force concentrator pad to cause the flexible contact layer to contact the sensor substrate to initiate the input. In one or more implementations, an input device includes a capacitive sensor assembly arranged in an array that is configured to detect a location of an object that is proximal to a respective capacitive sensor of the capacitive sensor assembly and a pressure sensitive sensor assembly including a plurality of pressure sensitive sensor nodes that are configured to detect an amount of pressure applied by the object against a respective pressure sensitive sensor node of the pressure sensitive sensor assembly.
US09684380B2

Embodiments described herein includes a system comprising a processor coupled to display devices, sensors, remote client devices, and computer applications. The computer applications orchestrate content of the remote client devices simultaneously across the display devices and the remote client devices, and allow simultaneous control of the display devices. The simultaneous control includes automatically detecting a gesture of at least one object from gesture data received via the sensors. The detecting comprises identifying the gesture using only the gesture data. The computer applications translate the gesture to a gesture signal, and control the display devices in response to the gesture signal.
US09684377B2

A drive apparatus includes a memory to store waveform data representing a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying a frequency f1=(m/n)×q(t) (m and n: natural numbers, m≠n), to vibrate a vibration-generating device m times, where q(t) is a time characteristic of a resonance frequency of the vibration-generating device, or ((m/2)×r) times (r: natural number≠0, m and n: positive odd, m≠n), the vibration-generating device having the resonance frequency varying depending on an acceleration amplitude in a range between first and second resonance frequencies including the rated value f0; and a drive-processor to output the drive signal to the vibration-generating device. The q(t) is obtained when driving the vibration-generating device by a sinusoidal drive signal satisfying f1=(m/n)×f2, to vibrate the vibration-generating device m times if m≠n, or ((m/2)×r) times.
US09684376B1

A method and apparatus for providing tactile feedback to a rotary knob is provided herein. During operation a rotary knob will have a surface pattern that will change smoothly from one pattern to another based on device functions currently being controlled by the rotary knob. So, for example, when the rotary knob is controlling a volume function, the surface will have a first textured pattern, and when the rotary knob is controlling a channel function, the surface will have a second, differing, textured pattern.
US09684362B2

A battery powered device providing battery power to a processing device via a positive terminal and a negative terminal and including a first switch, a second switch, a battery unit and a control unit is provided. The first switch is coupled to the positive terminal. The second switch is coupled to the first switch. The battery unit is coupled between the second switch and the negative terminal. The control unit operates in an off mode when the control unit receives the turn-off command. The control unit operates in a power-saving mode when the control unit receives the save command. When the control unit operates in the off mode, the control unit turns off the first and second switches. When the control unit operates in the power-saving mode, the control unit turns off the first switch and turns on the second switch.
US09684354B2

A secure activity workspace including a monitoring device connected to a power source and a managed router and a monitoring router connected to a communication channel, and the managed router and a power source wherein the monitoring device controls the managed router.
US09684339B2

A bendable display assembly comprises a plurality of layered elements each having two side surfaces, each having an area, the elements comprising a display element capable of displaying an adjustable visual output. Two successive elements of the plurality of layered elements have opposite side surfaces facing towards each other, the opposite side surfaces being, for a majority of their areas, in contact with a sealed sliding fluid volume extending between the successive elements, whereby the successive elements are slidably movable relative to each other when the display assembly is bent.
US09684338B1

A multifunctional device layer may include a lightguide substrate having an optically patterned surface and an opposing non-patterned surface. The non-patterned surface of the lightguide substrate is coated with a first material having a first refractive index and the patterned surface is coated with a second material having a second refractive index. The first refractive index may be lower than the second refractive index and each may be lower than a refractive index of the lightguide substrate. A touch sensor may be formed on the coated non-patterned surface of the lightguide substrate, the coated patterned surface, or on an interstitial layer deposited on the coated non-patterned surface or the coated patterned surface. An anti-glare/anti-reflective coating potentially having ultraviolet (UV) absorption properties may be applied to the touch sensor.
US09684331B2

A vehicle pedal assembly with a stationary plastic pedal shaft structure made of different plastic materials and more specifically a vehicle pedal assembly with a pedal shaft including an exterior bearing surface adapted for abutting bearing contact with the surface of the drum of the pedal shaft. The bearing surface is made of a different plastic material that minimizes wear and friction between the shaft surface and the pedal drum surface. The pedal shaft includes opposed key shaped ends that are inserted into respective key hole shaped through-holes defined in the pedal assembly housing for aligning and securing the pedal shaft in the pedal housing.
US09684324B2

A voltage-regulator device includes an error-amplifier stage configured to receive a first reference voltage and a feedback voltage, an output amplifier stage coupled to the error-amplifier stage and configured to generate an output voltage related to the first reference voltage by an amplification factor, and a feedback stage configured to generate the feedback voltage. A compensation stage is configured to implement a second feedback loop, and cause, in response to a variation of the output voltage, a corresponding variation of a first biasing voltage for the output amplifier stage. The compensation stage includes a coupling-capacitor element coupled between the output amplifier stage and a first internal node, and a driving module coupled between the first internal node, and the output amplifier stage and configured to generate a compensation voltage for driving the output amplifier stage.
US09684311B2

A method of controlling the production efficiency of a well includes determining one or more parameters of a pump model for a pump of the well, determining an inflow rate of liquid into the well, and adjusting a pumping speed of the pump based on the one or more parameters of the pump model to maintain a outflow rate of liquid from the well at a desired fraction of the inflow rate.