US09872609B2

There is provided herein a tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising a front-pointing camera and a discrete front illuminator associated therewith two or more side-pointing cameras positioned at or in proximity to a distal end of said tip section, wherein each of said two or more side-pointing cameras having a discrete side illuminator associated therewith, and a working channel configured for insertion of a surgical tool.
US09872607B2

An endoscope includes: a bending portion, a wire, and a coil sheath, including a single element wire, an outer peripheral face of which is formed to be a curved face on one side of the outer peripheral face and to be a flat surface on another side of the outer peripheral face, the coil sheath being passed inside by the wire and configured by being helically wound by the element wire along a longitudinal direction such that the outer peripheral face formed to be the curved face and the outer peripheral face formed to be the flat surface are in contact with each other.
US09872606B2

Improved systems, methods, and devices relating to optical fiber scanners are provided. In one aspect, a scanning apparatus includes an optical fiber and a piezoelectric actuator coupled to the optical fiber to deflect a distal end of the optical fiber in a scanning pattern. The apparatus can include drive circuitry coupled to the piezoelectric actuator, sense circuitry electrically coupled to the piezoelectric actuator and the drive circuitry to determine displacement of the piezoelectric actuator, and a processor coupled to the drive circuitry and the sense circuitry to drive the piezoelectric actuator in response to the displacement.
US09872604B2

A removable, resilient atraumatic sheath for arthroscopic instruments. The sheath covers sharp edges on the arthroscopic instrument, particularly the distal tip of the rigid cannula, and thereby protects tissue and objects near a surgical site from accidental trauma. The sheath may be provided in the form of an inflow/outflow sheath that allows a surgeon to irrigate and drain a surgical field without the use of a separate irrigation instrument.
US09872600B2

A tissue resection cap assembly includes a distal member and a resection device. The distal member includes an outer cap extending from a proximal end to a distal end and includes a lumen extending therethrough and an inner cap received within the lumen of the outer cap. The inner cap extends from a proximal end to a distal end and defines a working channel, a resection device track defined between the distal end of the outer cap and the distal end of the inner cap. The resection device is received within the resection device track, in an operative position, to cut target tissue received within the working channel.
US09872596B2

A flow through chemical sensor includes a housing having a through passage along which chemical can flow, a sidewall of the housing having first and second openings that communicate with the through passage. A first electrode is mounted on the housing and aligned with the first opening, the first electrode of a plate configuration with a unitary depression that extends through the first opening and to a peripheral edge of the through passage. A second electrode is mounted on the housing and aligned with the second opening, the second electrode of a plate configuration with a unitary depression that extends through the second opening and to the peripheral edge of the through passage. A method of detecting presence or absence of chemical is also provided.
US09872594B2

Disclosed is a cleaning robot having an improved driving and cleaning ability. The cleaning robot includes a dust collecting blade. A lower end of the dust collecting blade is bent in a direction opposite to the driving direction of the cleaning robot during operation of the cleaning robot, so that wobbling is not generated even though the ground surface on which the cleaning robot operates has bumps and gaps.
US09872590B2

A multi-functional wet wipe supply device relates to the technical field of daily necessities and solves the technical problem that the prior art is inconvenient in use and prone to cause pollution. The device comprises a base, a wet wipe compartment, a liquid storage compartment and a controller. A turnplate, and a wipe pushing rod are positioned on the base. A plurality of vertical cylindrical wipe positioning holes are positioned in axial symmetry in the turnplate. The wet wipe compartment is fixed on the base and located on the periphery of the turnplate. The liquid outlet of the liquid storage compartment is in communication with the inner cavity of the wet wipe compartment through a wet wipe liquid inlet valve, a wet wipe liquid supply pump and a wet wipe liquid outlet valve in sequence. The device provided by the present invention is particularly suitable for use in public places.
US09872586B2

A method for filling a fryer pot in a fryer with a volume of cooking oil includes determining if the fryer has commenced a setpoint control operation, and opening a valve and activating a pump to fill the fryer pot with oil when the fryer has commenced the setpoint control operation.
US09872578B2

A holder for round objects for everyday use, such as bottles, plates, bowls, dishes, and the like with a positioning plate and two approximately semicircularly curved holder plates. The holder plates can be brought from an open insertion position into a closed holding position and enclose the objects placed on the positioning plate. By means of a special embodiment of the positioning plate and the novel embodiment of the rotary support of the holder plates, a unit is created that is closed in the holding position, in which the objects placed in it are unequivocally fixed and secured on the positioning plate, so that the unit can be transported and set up again at a different location.
US09872576B2

A pillow cover includes a top sheet with a peripheral edge, a bottom sheet with a peripheral edge, and a gusset. The gusset is affixed between the top sheet peripheral edge and the bottom sheet peripheral edge. The gusset is stretchable in a circumferential direction. A pillow includes a stuffing material, and the foregoing the foregoing pillow cover for encasing the stuffing material. When the pillow cover is stuffed with the stuffing material, the stretchable gusset crowns the pillow.
US09872574B2

A method of using a hanger and marking device includes holding an article adjacent to a wall and determining the exact desired location on the wall for hanging the article; exerting pressure on the article so as to cause a support marker of the device to create a small indent in the wall at the desired location; temporarily anchoring the article to the wall with the support marker of the device; stepping back from the wall and observing the temporarily anchored article on the wall; removing the article from the wall; nailing a nail into the wall at the location marked by the device; hanging the article on the wall by mounting the device with article onto the wall-mounted nail.
US09872573B1

Furniture with an extensible counter-top is described. The extensible counter-top has a primary surface and a pair of leaves hingeably attached to the cabinet housing for pivoting relative to the primary surface. In a folded position, the pair of leaves rest upon the primary surface. In an unfolded position, the pair of leaves pivot in opposite directions to expand a width of the counter-top. When in the unfolded position, a first leaf of the pair of leaves forms a first support surface substantially coplanar with the primary surface, and a second leaf of the pair of leaves forms a second support surface offset below the primary surface.
US09872566B2

An electromotive furniture drive includes a drive unit and a power take-off unit which can be moved relative to the drive unit. At least one connecting element is arranged on each of the drive unit and the power take-off unit to respectively connect the drive unit and the power take-off unit to a furniture fitting. Each of the connecting elements provides at least two force application points in spaced apart relation for the connection to the furniture fitting in a direction transverse to the relative movement between the drive unit and the power take-off unit. The force application points are spaced apart from one another at least by a distance which is greater than approximately 50% of a displacement movement of the furniture drive.
US09872560B2

A support holder for a mobile device is disclosed. The holder may include a continuous sheet of flexible material and three score lines formed parallel to transverse boundaries of the continuous sheet to define first, second and third panels and base panel. A first tab and a second tab are formed by first and second tab perforations in the base panel, with the first and second tabs positioned between the third score line and the second transverse boundary. First and second slits may be formed in the continuous sheet, and the first and second tabs can be inserted into the first and second slits after the panels are folded about the score lines to form the support holder.
US09872539B2

An article of footwear includes an intermediate covering portion with an adjustable volume. The intermediate covering portion is closed around the instep of the foot. The article also includes a tensioning system that can be used to change the volume of the intermediate covering portion. The tensioning system includes two tension balancing members engaged with driven tensioning members, and a common driving tensioning member that engages both tension balancing members.
US09872532B2

A protective helmet may include an energy management material inside an outer surface, a rim positioned on an outwardly facing surface between an inner surface and the outer surface, a sweat management pad assembly with an absorbent forehead pad positioned in a front portion of the helmet proximate the rim, the assembly including at least one absorbent extension tab extending from the absorbent forehead pad and across a portion of a surface of the rim outward of the inner surface of the energy management material, wherein the absorbent extension tab extends at least half a distance across the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface, and a fastener positioned between the absorbent extension tab and the rim and coupling the absorbent extension tab to the rim.
US09872524B2

Embodiments for garments are provided with an inner panel having at least one covering for a wearer's breast, the at least one covering having a first layer of material that overlaps a second layer of material, the first and the second layers of material are fastened together to provide an opening between the overlapping layers, and the at least one covering provides support during milk expression for at least one of the wearer's breast and a portion of a breast pump body inserted through the opening, and an exterior front surface having a first panel of material that overlaps at least a portion of the second of panel of material, the first and the second panels able to be moved to expose the at least one covering of the inner panel.
US09872515B2

The present invention provides an enteral nutritional composition with which the labor of administering water between meals can be saved. The enteral nutritional composition comprises proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, with the calories per ml of the composition being less than 1 kcal and the moisture content being 30 percent by mass or more.
US09872511B2

A bait cake for a crustacean trap, the bait cake comprising a mixture of animal collagen, water, gelatin, gelling agents, fish meal, and fish oil, molded and cured into a cylindrical cake; a method of preparation of a bait cake which preserves the attractiveness of the bait cake to crustaceans, and a method of attracting crustaceans to a trap using the bait cake of the invention.
US09872506B2

A system and a method for removing a thigh bone from a defeathered whole leg poultry product includes providing a leg product including a thigh, a drumstick and a knee joint. In the leg product, a transverse cut has been provided at the knee joint transverse to the thigh bone and the tibia bone, which extends from one side of the leg product to a cut end so that the thigh and the drumstick are connected to each other, by which transverse cut a drumstick side cut plane and a thigh side cut plane are created. While keeping the thigh and the drumstick connected to each other, changing the angle between the thigh and thereby exposing the thigh side cut plane, while keeping the thigh meat and the drumstick connected to each other, removing the thigh bone from the thigh meat via the thigh side cut plane.
US09872502B2

The present invention relates to fungi of Acremonium spp, wherein said fungi are purified or isolated from plants of the Brachiaria-Urochloa complex and wherein, when said fungi are inoculated into a plant, said plant has improved resistance to diseases and/or pests relative to an uninocualated control plant. The present invention also relates to plants inoculated with such fungi, products produced by the fungi and related genes, proteins and methods.
US09872501B2

The present invention relates to a process for forming stabilized metal salt particles.
US09872498B2

A herbicidal composition including rimsulfuron with anti-hydrolysis agent, wherein the anti-hydrolysis agent is 2-isoxazoline-3-carboxylic acid derivatives having formula (I): in which R1 is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted, R2 is (C1-C6)alkyl, (C3-C6)cycloalkyl or phenyl, each of the 3 last-mentioned radicals is unsubstituted or substituted, R3 is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 18 C atoms which is unsubstituted or substituted. A method for controlling weeds, including applying to a plant, plant part, or locus thereof, an effective amount of the herbicidal composition. A method for imparting hydrolysis resistance to a herbicidal composition containing rimsulfuron by adding to the composition an effective amount of the compound of formula (I).
US09872494B2

The present invention relates to novel active ingredient combinations which consist of fluopyram and other known active ingredients and are very well suited for the control of animal pests, such as insects and/or unwanted acarids and/or nematodes, in foliar and soil application and/or in the treatment of seeds, and are also suitable for increasing yields.
US09872491B2

Provided are compositions comprising aconitic acid, one or more acids selected from the group consisting of adipic acid, glutaric acid, and combinations thereof, and a carrier. Also provided are methods of disrupting a biofilm comprising applying to a surface having a biofilm a composition of the present invention.
US09872488B2

A device (10) is disclosed. It has a gas impervious barrier (12) configured to be located between an opening of a container (16) and a door (18) arranged to close the opening. There is a passageway (14) through the barrier, the passageway (14) providing a pathway between the interior and exterior of the container (16) for a gas.
US09872462B1

A novel maize variety designated X13H923 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X13H923 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13H923 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13H923, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13H923. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13H923.
US09872460B1

A novel maize variety designated X03H008 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X03H008 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X03H008 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X03H008, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X03H008. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X03H008.
US09872459B2

The invention relates to the wheat cultivar designated LA7W10-175. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the wheat cultivar LA7W10-175. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the wheat cultivar LA7W10-175 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing wheat plants by crossing the wheat cultivar LA7W10-175 with itself or another wheat cultivar and plants produced by such methods.
US09872456B2

The invention relates to the wheat cultivar designated FA4W11-6054. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6054. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6054 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing wheat plants by crossing the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6054 with itself or another wheat cultivar and plants produced by such methods.
US09872454B2

The invention relates to the wheat cultivar designated FA4W11-6023. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6023. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6023 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing wheat plants by crossing the wheat cultivar FA4W11-6023 with itself or another wheat cultivar and plants produced by such methods.
US09872446B2

A water level indicator having an upper housing, with a cavity, having a plurality of indicator flag caps disposed within the cavity, and a plurality of pushrods, wherein each indicator flag cap is connect to one of the plurality of pushrods, and each of the pushrods may have a different length. A plurality of floats, each having a locking hole, which receive and secures one of the plurality of pushrods. A first floats of the plurality of floats has a locking tab that secures the second end of a first pushrod, and the float having at least one through hole which allows a second pushrod of the plurality of pushrods to pass through the first float cage and the first float.
US09872440B2

A power hand tool comprises a trigger (23), a motor (22), a blade (25) driven by the motor (22), and electronic circuit (10) for controlling the angular position or the speed of the motor (22) on the basis of the instantaneous position of the trigger (23). The electronic circuit (10) is arranged to detect a predefined movement sequence of the trigger (23) and to execute a function in response to the detection of such a sequence.
US09872438B2

A lawn maintenance vehicle includes a frame having a first axle and a second axle mounted to the frame. A first drive wheel and a second drive wheel are mounted to the first and second axle. An energy storage device and an electric motor having a motor shaft are mounted to the frame. The electric motor is in electrical communication with the energy storage device and the energy storage device provides electrical power to the electric motor. The lawn maintenance vehicle further includes a traction drive. The traction drive is operably connected to the motor shaft, and the traction drive is operably connected to the first and second axles. The lawn maintenance vehicle includes an implement mounted to the frame. The lawn maintenance vehicle can also include an internal combustion engine operably connected to the electric motor.
US09872437B2

A robotic work tool system (200), comprising a charging station (210), a boundary wire (250), a signal generator (240) for generating and transmitting a signal through said boundary wire (250) for demarcating a work area (205) and for generating a magnetic field (265) for guiding a robotic work tool (100) to said charging station (210), said robotic work tool (100) being configured to detect a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field (265) in the work area (205), direct itself towards an increasing magnetic field strength, determine that the robotic work tool (100) is unable to reach the charging station (210), inform the robotic work tool system (200) accordingly, whereby the robotic work tool system (200) is configured to adapt a current level of the signal generating the magnetic field (365).
US09872436B2

A drum conveyor has a laterally extending drum (120), first and second stub axles (204, 206) extending into the ends of the drum; two link members (208, 210) that are fixed to the stub axles inside the drum and that support a third axle (212) inside the drum for free rotation with respect to the two link members.
US09872427B2

An air cart system includes a container assembly mounted on wheels and including a primary product container and an air distribution network including a product conduit that delivers a first agricultural product and a second agricultural product to an agricultural implement. The air cart system includes a first metering device to meter the first agricultural product from the primary product container to the product conduit. A fill hopper mounts on a side of the container assembly, and a secondary product container mounts beneath a portion of the primary product container. The secondary product container receives the second agricultural product from the fill hopper, which receives the second agricultural product at an opening and conveys the second agricultural product to the secondary product container. The air cart system includes a second metering device to meter the second agricultural product from the secondary product container to the product conduit.
US09872423B2

An adjustable scraper structure is attached to a press wheel arm and suspends an adjustable scraper above the press wheel for removing mud buildup above the treads on the tire. The scraper is rotatably adjustable about the rotational axis of the press wheel and the blade pitch is rotatably adjustable about an axis parallel to and removed from the press wheel axis. The pitch or tilt of the scraper blade may be radially aligned with the blade extending perpendicular to a wheel periphery tangent line or the press wheel scraper blade may be inclined somewhat in either direction.
US09877416B2

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed for heat management in a server rack. A server rack includes devices and a direct cooling element. A door coupleable to the server rack includes fluid-conducting conduits. An intake hose is coupled to a first fluid-conducting conduit and a fluid supply. The intake hose is coupleable to a fluid supply located below and above the server rack. An intermediate hose is coupled to a second fluid-conducting conduit and the direct cooling element. A return hose is coupled to a fluid return line and the direct cooling element. The return hose is coupleable to a fluid return line located below and above the server rack. The intake hose, the fluid-conducting conduits, the intermediate hose, the direct cooling element, and the return hose are connected to create a single path for the fluid.
US09877415B2

A server can be used for a cold storage application. The server can include a nest for holding a high density of bare storage drives. The nest can include a plurality of drive cooling channels residing on the underside of the nest. The server can further include rear, front, and side air flow paths for natural convection cooling.
US09877410B2

A cooler is placed on a power module to cool the power module with refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe, and includes a heat transfer plate having a groove into which a cooling pipe is fitted, and a presser plate configured to press the cooling pipe against the groove. The cooler includes a hinge mechanism configured to rotatably attach the presser plate to the heat transfer plate such that the presser plate is switched between an open position at which the groove is exposed and a closed position at which the presser plate covers the groove.
US09877409B2

A battery-cooling system includes a battery array and a plurality of heat pipes that each include a low-profile extrusion having a plurality of hollow tubes formed therein. A heat transfer fluid is disposed in the plurality of hollow tubes. Each heat pipe includes an evaporator portion and a condenser portion. The evaporator portion is disposed between successive batteries within the battery array and the condenser portion is disposed outside of the battery array and exposed to a heat sink.
US09877406B2

Architectural tiled panel systems composed of at least one sensory output tile module and a plurality of non-sensory-output tile modules. Each sensory output tile module includes any one or more of a variety of electronic devices, such as a video display device, an audio speaker, and an illumination device (e.g., an LED or light bulb), among others. Each non-sensory-output module includes a presentation face that is visually appealing. The non-sensory-output tile modules can be used to provide aesthetic surrounds for each of one or more sensory output tile modules and/or groups of sensory output tile modules. In some embodiments, a plurality of video display type sensory output tile modules are grouped together and controlled to provide a larger mosaicked video display. In some embodiments, abutting tile modules are secured together using connectors having a latch mechanism for each tile module connected thereby.
US09877403B2

A display device includes a body including a display panel, a module cover positioned on a rear side of the display panel, and first and second coupling parts formed in a first position of the module cover and a second position spaced apart from the first position, and a target attachment surface placed in a first state in which the target attachment surface is coupled to the body and a second state in which the target attachment surface is separated from the body, and including third and fourth coupling parts positioned to face the first and second coupling parts in the first state, wherein the first coupling part and the third coupling part are coupled and the second coupling part and the fourth coupling part are coupled in the first state, and the body and the target attachment surface may be parallel to each other. Since the body is coupled to be parallel to the target attachment surface by a plurality of coupling parts, the body may be guided to an accurate position and a user may be able to be more focused on a display screen.
US09877391B2

According to one embodiment, a electronic module includes a circuit board including an electronic component mounted thereon, a flexible conducting member including a conductor including a portion covered with a covering member and a portion exposed from an edge of the covering member and soldered to the circuit board, and an engagement member engaging with the flexible conducting member to place the engaged flexible conducting member in a predetermined position on the circuit board and is attached to the circuit board by an attachment method the same as a method of mounting the electronic component on the circuit board.
US09877390B2

A multilayer substrate including a multilayer body formed by laminating a plurality of insulating layers including via holes in the insulating layer as an uppermost layer of the multilayer body so as to pass through the insulating layer, and via conductors formed by filling the via holes with a conductive paste. The via holes are formed through lower end positions, upper end positions, and intermediate positions between the lower end positions and the upper end positions such that a diameter enlargement degree toward the upper end positions from the intermediate positions is larger than a diameter enlargement degree toward the intermediate positions from the lower end positions. By forming the via holes as described above, when the via holes are filled with the conductive paste from openings at the small diameter side of the via holes, exudation of the conductive paste from openings at the large diameter side is prevented.
US09877387B2

A wiring board includes: an inorganic insulating layer having a via hole formed so as to penetrate the inorganic insulating layer in a thickness direction thereof; a conductive layer disposed on the inorganic insulating layer; and a via conductor which adheres to an inner wall of the via hole and is connected with the conductive layer. The inorganic insulating layer includes a first section including a plurality of inorganic insulating particles partly connected to each other, and a resin portion located in gaps between the inorganic insulating particles, and a second section which is interposed between the first section and the via conductor, including a plurality of inorganic insulating particles partly connected to each other, and a conducting portion composed of part of the via conductor which is located in gaps between the inorganic insulating particles.
US09877385B2

A conductive sheet includes: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; and a first electrode pattern placed on the first main surface of the substrate. The first electrode pattern is made of metal thin wires, and includes a plurality of first conductive patterns that extend in a first direction. Each first conductive pattern includes, at least, inside thereof, a sub-nonconduction pattern that is electrically separated from the first conductive pattern. An area A of each first conductive pattern and an area B of each sub-nonconduction patterns satisfy a relation of 5%
US09877383B2

Tamper-respondent assemblies and fabrication methods are provided which incorporate enclosure to circuit board protection. The tamper-respondent assemblies include a circuit board, and an electronic enclosure mounted to the circuit board and facilitating enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume. A tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitates defining the secure volume, and the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure includes a tamper-respondent circuit. An adhesive is provided to secure, in part, the electronic enclosure to the circuit board. The adhesive contacts, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit so that an attempted separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, facilitating detection of the separation by a monitor circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure.
US09877374B2

A system includes at least one light-emitting device configured to be mounted on a stationary structure, such as a lighting pole or parking structure. A control circuit is operatively coupled to the at least one light-emitting device and configured to detect an object in a vicinity of the at least one light-emitting device and to vary a characteristic of illumination produced by the at least one light-emitting device responsive to the detection of the object.
US09877368B2

Provided is an optical analyzer for performing a feedback control on the amount of light emitted from an LED as a light source, in which the configuration of an optical system is made simple and the degree of freedom in optical system arrangement is secured. An optical member 2 for focusing most of light while discharging part of the light as unfocused light is provided on an optical path from a light casting unit 1 to a sample cell 3. The optical member 2 can be achieved with a simple configuration, for example, two ball lenses spaced apart by a predetermined distance from each other. The light focused by the optical member 2 is cast as measurement light into the sample cell 3. Meanwhile, a second photodetector 5 is arranged at a position where the unfocused light reaches. The second photodetector 5 generates a detection signal in accordance with the amount of light that has entered the second photodetector 5 as monitored light, and a drive current to be supplied to an LED is controlled through a drive current controlling unit 6 and a current source 7 such that the amount of light is maintained at a fixed level.
US09877361B2

A phototherapy or photobiomodulation process employing the application of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to a living organism, typically a human being. The EMR is generated by one or more strings of LEDs and is programmed to emit one or more wavelengths, typically in the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, the EMR in each wavelength being delivered in pulses having specified on-times, off-times, photoexcitation frequencies, duty factors, phase delays, and power amplitudes. A system for providing such EMR includes a microcontroller having a pattern library of algorithms, each of which defines a particular sequence of synthesized pulses, and an application pad, preferably flexible, containing the LED strings.
US09877359B2

An assembly for evaporating a volatile fluid includes a device and a refill which are detachable from one another: wherein the device comprises a magnetic induction coil configured to operate with an alternating current passed therethrough at a frequency of between substantially 20 KHz to substantially 500 KHz; the refill comprises a fluid reservoir containing the volatile fluid, a wick and at least one magnetic susceptor arranged to heat the wick predominately by magnetic hysteresis when said alternating current is passed through the induction coil, wherein the magnetic susceptor has a coercivity of substantially 50 ampere/meter (HC) to substantially 1500 ampere/meter (HC). Refills, devices and methods of operation are also described.
US09877348B2

A method and radio base station for enabling establishment of backhaul links. A method is performed by a first communication network node for establishing a backhaul link (BH) between the first communication network node and a second communication network node (200, 200′, 202, 400), wherein one of the first communication network node and the second communication network node is associated to a backhaul network (220). The second communication network node is detected (500), an address of the second communication network node is determined (502), preferably, an IP-address or an Ethernet-address. The address is sent (504) to a backhauling entity (206), the backhauling entity being associated with a third communication network node (204), and at least one of the first communication network node and the second communication network node is located within a coverage of the third communication network node. Routing information regarding the second communication network node is received (506) from the backhauling entity, the routing information being calculated by the backhauling entity, and a backhaul link (BH) between the first communication network node and the second communication network node is established (508) by applying the routing information. By performing routing calculations in a central backhauling entity, embedded RBSs may be designed less complex because less calculation capacity needs to be included, and no routing protocols needs to be stored locally. Moreover, the backhauling entity may select the most appropriate and effective transport mechanism for the backhauling.
US09877344B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for techniques for downlink (DL) scheduling and uplink (UL) scheduling in a shared radio frequency (RF) spectrum band. In some aspects, a wireless communication device may receive an UL data transmission grant associated with a channel of shared RF spectrum band. The wireless communication device may perform a channel readiness procedure associated with the channel. The wireless communication device may also transmit channel readiness information based at least in part on the channel readiness procedure to a base station. The channel readiness information may be transmitted via an uplink channel of a licensed RF spectrum band different from the shared RF band. In other aspects, a base station may schedule a data transmission on one or more channels of a shared RF spectrum band. The base station may transmit a data transmission grant for the scheduled data transmission to a wireless communication device.
US09877340B1

In systems and methods of communicating with a wireless device, base band unit data is received at a base band unit from a communication network for the wireless device, and a control signal associated with the data is also received, the control signal comprising a frequency band identifier. A scheduling module is selected from among a plurality of scheduling modules based on the frequency band identifier, and transmission of the data is scheduled to the wireless using the selected scheduling module.
US09877338B1

A method, wireless system, and medium are provided for estimating capacity for a new communication session initiated by a wireless device. The wireless system includes a base station and wireless devices that wirelessly connect to the base station. The base station executes a wireless scheduler that coordinates wireless transmission over wireless networks. The base station also executes a bandwidth estimation component to estimate available bandwidth for a new communication session. The estimated available bandwidth is used in a quick configuration message communicated from the base station to a wireless device to notify the wireless device of the capacity available at the base station and of a transmission rate for the wireless device.
US09877335B2

According to an example implementation, a wireless communication in which user devices belonging to a service group use a first half-duplex time domain resource for sending and receiving messages in the service group and a second time domain resource is used for relaying collided messages.
US09877318B2

A wireless device at least demodulates, descrambles and decodes a first control signal to generate a first signal. The wireless device processes the first signal by at least encoding, scrambling, modulating and scaling the first signal. The wireless device subtracts the processed first signal from received signals to generate a second signal. The wireless device at least demodulates, descrambles and decodes the second signal to generate a physical broadcast message. The wireless device determines a plurality of system parameters of a base station employing the physical broadcast message.
US09877317B2

An apparatus and method for dynamically changing an uplink and downlink ratio configuration is disclosed herein. An evolved Node B (eNodeB) operating in a wireless communications network transmits a System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1) including first uplink and downlink ratio configuration information. The eNodeB also transmits in at least one downlink subframe of a radio frame configured in the first uplink and downlink ratio configuration second uplink and downlink ratio configuration information. The second uplink and downlink ratio configuration information is included in a downlink control information (DCI) message. The DCI message is included in the at least one downlink subframe of the radio frame.
US09877314B2

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for receiving a control signal through an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) by a user equipment in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) included in a physical resource block (PRB) pair; and monitoring an EPDCCH associated with the DMRS, wherein a minimum aggregation level or the number of enhanced resource element groups (EREGs) per enhanced control channel element (ECCE) applied to the EPDCCH is determined depending on to which interval of a plurality of predetermined intervals the number of resource elements (REs) included in the PRB pair belongs.
US09877312B2

An apparatus and a method for generation of channel state information in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes transmitting, by an evolved Node B (eNB), a first reference signal to a plurality of User Equipments (UEs), receiving channel state information generated based on the first reference signal from the plurality of UEs, selecting candidate UEs to which wireless resources are to be allocated and transmitting second reference signals to the selected candidate UEs, receiving channel state information generated based on the second reference signals from the candidate UEs, and selecting final UEs, to which wireless resources are to be allocated, from the candidate UEs based on the channel state information generated based on the second reference signals, and transmitting control information for data reception to the selected final UEs.
US09877311B2

There is provided a method for sending uplink control information, comprising when a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) serving cell and a Time Division Duplex (TDD) serving cell are aggregated, a user equipment (UE) sending the uplink control information in uplink subframes of the FDD serving cell and/or uplink subframes of the TDD serving cell according to a predefined rule.
US09877284B2

A communication method based on a power save mode, performed by a station (STA) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system is provided. The method includes switching to an awake state; transmitting a wakeup poll frame to an access point (AP) the wakeup poll frame indicating that the station has switched to the awake state; receiving a wakeup confirm frame from the AP in response to the wakeup poll frame, the wakeup poll frame including an awake duration field, the awake duration field indicating an awake duration as a duration in which the station maintains the awake state; and switching to a doze state after the time interval indicated by the awake duration field has lapsed.
US09877282B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives an LDCS configuration for a UE relay from a second entity and monitors for an LDCS from the UE relay based on the received LDCS configuration. The second entity may comprise one of an LPN that is not in a dormant state and a Macro cell. The apparatus may receive LDCS configurations for a plurality of LPNs and monitor for a plurality of LPNs based on the received LDCS configurations. When the apparatus determines a need to connect to a LPN, the apparatus may select an LPN among the plurality of LPNs.
US09877268B2

A closed subscriber group (CSG) cell is a cell that allows use of subscribers. In order to receive the service by the CSG cell, a CSG-ID is required to be notified to a user equipment, which cannot be obtained in a situation outside the reach of radio waves from a non-CSG cell. In a mobile communication system including base stations respectively provided to a CSG cell and a non-CSG cell in which access is made to the CSG cell with the use of a CSG-ID issued in a case where use of the CSG cell is allowed, the base station provided in the CSG cell refers to the notified identification information of a user equipment and then transmits a tracking area update request from the user equipment to a core network, and the core network determines whether the user equipment is allowed to use the CSG cell and, in the case where the use is allowed, transmits a signal for allowing assignment of radio resources to the user equipment and the CSG-ID. The user equipment accesses the CSG cell with the use of the CSG-ID.
US09877265B2

A coding approach for a robust and flexible network communication protocol is described. By using coding, it is possible to eliminate the need to track packet identities, and hence, it is possible to reduce coordination overhead associated with many conventional protocols. The method and system described herein takes advantage of multiple paths, interfaces, mediums, servers, and storage locations available in a network. The proposed protocol allows quick response to congestion by load balancing over different network resources. The method also enables soft vertical hand-overs across heterogeneous networks. In one embodiment, a media file is divided into chunks and transmitted using a transport protocol tailored to meet delay requirements of media streaming applications. Also described are different coding strategies for chunk delivery based upon an urgency level of each chunk.
US09877264B2

A method and apparatus for managing and controlling wireless connection of a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) proxy device in a wireless communication network are provided. The method includes receiving one of information indicating a wireless connection deactivation of an HTTP client performing HTTP communication and information indicating a change in an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the HTTP client from a predetermined node of the wireless communication network; and deactivating a connection with an HTTP server if the received information indicates the wireless connection deactivation of an HTTP client performing the HTTP communication; and maintaining a connection with an HTTP server if the received information indicates the change in the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the HTTP client.
US09877259B2

Operational and environmental efficiency in virtual radio access networks (VRANs) can be improved by offloading data traffic and/or control signaling between physical transmit points (TPs) of a virtual TP. This may allow one or more physical TPs of the virtual TP to be muted in the downlink or uplink direction, thereby reducing energy consumption. The offloading may be performed during relatively short time-intervals such that physical TP are muted for one or more transmission time intervals (TTIs) before being re-activated. The offloading may also be implemented over longer time-intervals in accordance with a traffic engineering (TE) policy. Further it is possible to re-activate a de-activated downlink transmitter of physical TP by monitoring wireless signals via an activated receiver of the physical TP.
US09877255B2

In a wireless communication system including one or more second base station placed in a cell of a first base station which can be configured with ABS, a base station according to the present invention is applied as either the first base station or the second base station. The base station includes a communication portion that notifies a terminal which is communicating of offset values, each of which is applied to a reception quality regarding each cell of the first base station and the second station in a determination on whether to trigger an event regarding a handover operation, and which is a corrected offset value based on a ratio of ABS relative to entire subframes in the first base station.
US09877254B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus transmits a first set of capabilities to a first cell. The first set of capabilities is for communication with the first cell. The apparatus transmits information associated with a second set of capabilities to the first cell. The second set of capabilities is for communication with a second cell. The apparatus moves from the first cell to the second cell. The apparatus communicates with the second cell based on the transmitted information.
US09877240B1

A wireless communication device (WCD) can communicate with either a first radio access network (RAN) that uses a packet-switched network under the control of a call server for voice calls, or a second RAN that uses a circuit-switched network for voice calls. When served by the first RAN, the WCD determines whether it should be served by a relay base station of the first RAN (a base station that has a wireless backhaul to a donor base station), a non-relay base station of the first RAN, or a base station of the second RAN, by measuring a communication latency with the call server. If the latency is greater than a threshold latency for voice calls, the WCD initiates a handover to a non-relay base station (if served by a relay base station) or to a base station of the second RAN (if served by a non-relay base station).
US09877235B2

A method, in a radio communication system, for setup or modification of data flows between user equipment (UE) in dual connectivity with a primary node and a secondary node of the system, comprising switching a data path between the primary node and the secondary node by transmitting message data between the primary node and secondary node to establish a direct user plane path between the secondary node and a serving gateway (S-GW) of the system.
US09877231B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a base station having a wireless transceiver operable in compliance with a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access protocol, and a controller to manage the wireless transceiver. The controller can be operable to receive a request from a communication device to access the base station, and to direct the communication device to a second base station upon determining that granting wireless access to the communication device reduces an operating performance of the base station below an operating threshold of the base station. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09877230B2

A method and apparatus of wireless communication between a base station and at least one user equipment. The method includes: transmitting an enhanced physical downlink control channel from the base station to the at least one user equipment using a demodulation reference signal antenna port; transmitting message from the base station to the at least one user equipment which is scheduled by the enhanced physical downlink control channel; receiving the message at the at least one user equipment; determining at the at least one user equipment whether the message was correctly received; and transmitting an ACK/NAK signal on an ACK/NAK resource determined from the enhanced physical downlink control channel from the at least one user equipment to the base station indicating whether the message was correctly received by the at least one user.
US09877228B2

The present invention discloses an overload control method, a gateway device, a mobility management entity, and a PGW. The method includes: determining, by a gateway device, first overload indication information, where the first overload indication information is used to indicate an overload control policy; and sending, by the gateway device, the first overload indication information to a mobility management entity, so that the mobility management entity executes the overload control policy according to the first overload indication information. According to the overload control method, the gateway device, the mobility management entity, and the PGW in embodiments of the present invention, adverse impact brought by device overload can be avoided; therefore, the device overload can be effectively controlled.
US09877226B2

A system comprising: one or more server devices to: set a first network threshold level for determining network congestion in a network; set rate limiting criteria for determining when one or more subscribers will be rate limited; detect an increase in network congestion at a base station above the first network threshold level; identify one or more subscribers meeting one or more of the rate limiting criteria; rate limit network traffic associated with the one or more subscribers; detect a decrease in network congestion at the base station below a second network threshold level; and remove the rate limiting of the network traffic associated with the one or more subscribers.
US09877225B2

In order to accommodate expansion of a mobile network and detailed QoS control, a transmission VXLAN header is generated by setting a logical group to which an input packet belongs as a logical network number in the VNI field of a VXLAN header and setting QoS information as traffic control information in a predefined, predetermined field. The generated transmission VXLAN header is added to the input packet, which is then output as a VXLAN header-added output packet to a mobile backhaul. When a VXLAN header-added input packet is input from the mobile backhaul, the received VXLAN header that was added is removed, and the logical network number that is set in the VNI field of the received VXLAN header and the traffic control information that is set in the predefined, predetermined field are extracted. Traffic control is performed on the basis of the extracted logical network number and traffic control information, and the packet is output as an output packet.
US09877216B2

A method and apparatus can be configured to receive, by a first network node (for example, a first base station), a minimization-of-drive-test activation command. The method may also comprise performing collection of a first minimization-of-drive-test data. The method may also comprise instructing a second network node (for example, a second base station) to at least one of collect and report a second minimization-of-drive-test data.
US09877211B2

The application relates to the problem that when an HeNB switches off (HeNB1-3) while connected via a proxy (PR) as mentioned by Release 11 of 3GPP TR 37.803 to a peer X2AP entity, the X2AP entity in the HeNB can not inform its peer (eNB1) that it is no longer reachable. The problem is solved in that when the proxy detects the disconnection of the SCTP connection (SCT-P1-3) between the HeNB and itself, it transmits an X2AP STOP message to the eNB (eNB1), whereby this message indicates the end of the SCTP connection (SCTP1-3) and identifies the HeNB.
US09877209B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system including a frequency mixer that combines a signal and a carrier wave to form a combined signal, and a transmitter that generates a transmission based on the combined signal. The system can also include a coupling device that emits the transmission as an electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium. The electromagnetic wave can propagate longitudinally along the surface of the transmission medium and at least partially around the surface of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09877208B2

Exemplary apparatuses and methods are provided associated with an unobtrusive router/relay system (URRS) configured to communicate with a plurality of radio frequency (RF) systems including a first radio frequency (RF) system (e.g. a cell phone, RF system carried or used by an individual or team, etc.), other URRS systems (which each include a second RF receiver/transmitter), and an RF communication's hub (e.g. cell tower, tethered UAV, control center, etc.). Locations are identified for a specific location or number of locations along a transit path where the RF communication's hub lacks transmit/receive coverage with the first RF system. URRS are positioned in the locations or transit path lacking RF communication hub transmit/receive coverage. The exemplary URRS are configured to route/relay the first RF system's signals to the RF communications' hub directly or through one or more other URRS systems. URRS are designed to blend with their surroundings.
US09877199B1

Wireless communication of information from an access control device to a mobile communications device is disclosed. The mobile communications device is capable of communicating with at least two transmitters. The at least two transmitters include i) a first transmitter located at a first access controlled door that transmits first BLE beacons; and a ii) second transmitter located at a second access controlled door that transmits second BLE beacons. The mobile communications device includes a Bluetooth communication module that is configured to receive a plurality of BLE beacons, including the first BLE beacons and the second BLE beacons, from the at least two transmitters at different locations on a same floor within a premises. The mobile communications device also includes a microprocessor that is configured to execute instructions to determine a location of the mobile communications device based at least in part on signal properties of the first and second BLE beacons, beacon-identifying information contained in the first and second BLE beacons, and known locations of the first and second access controlled doors. The mobile communications device also includes a display that is configured to output text or graphics to inform a device user of the location of the mobile communications device relative to at least the first and second access controlled doors.
US09877195B2

Traffic and signaling are routed between a set of networked femto access points (APs) and location-based services are enabled. A femto AP in the set of femto APs is functionally linked to a routing platform that manages traffic and signaling, and is functionally connected to a controller component that relays at least part of data and control to a femto network platform. The femto network platform allows access to one or more external networks. Routing platform can exchange signaling with one or more femto APs to enable, at least in part, location-based services based at least in part on identifier(s) for a femto AP, access privileges, or time-of-flight measurements that assess propagation timing between a mobile device and a femto AP. Routing platform can supply timing configuration to enable predetermined spatial resolution of location estimates. Location estimates can be recorded and conveyed to a consumer layer.
US09877194B2

Methods and apparatus enabling programming of electronic identification information of a wireless apparatus. In one embodiment, a previously purchased or deployed wireless apparatus is activated by a cellular network. The wireless apparatus connects to the cellular network using an access module to download operating system components and/or access control client components. The described methods and apparatus enable updates, additions and replacement of various components including Electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) data, OS components. One exemplary implementation of the invention utilizes a trusted key exchange between the device and the cellular network to maintain security.
US09877189B2

A method for verifying a user of a mobile device is provided. The method includes selecting a numerical value and generating a direction image based on the numerical value. The direction image may indicate a first position on the direction image and a second position on the mobile device when the direction image is initially displayed on the mobile device. The direction image may have a center point and the numerical value may correspond a central angle between the first position and the second position. The method may further include sending, to the mobile device, the direction image and a command to rotate the mobile device according to the direction image and receiving a magnetometric numerical value detected by the mobile device using a magnetometer. The method may further include determining whether to allow access of a server by the user based on the magnetometric numerical value.
US09877184B2

Apparatuses, systems, and methods to avoid contact/identity disclosure when using a multiple subscriber identity module (multi-SIM) wireless electronic device are described. According to one method, if a call to a first party in a first SIM cannot be established using the first SIM, the call is established using a second SIM, but without the device displaying identity/contact information of the first SIM. According to the embodiment, the calling line identification restriction (CLIR) supplementary service may be used, a user-to-user signalling (UUS) service may be invoked, and/or the user may decide to share selected identity/contact information associated with the first SIM while withholding the rest from the device.
US09877179B2

An audio, video, and navigation (AVN) system includes a battery voltage detection circuit configured to detect an output voltage of a main battery; an e-call power controller configured to output power of a back-up battery (BUB) based on a result of detecting the output voltage; and a central controller configured to receive the power of the BUB and to generate an accident occurrence message when an airbag inflation signal is received.
US09877177B2

Various systems described herein may allow a user's personal information, such as their medical history, to be automatically delivered to appropriate emergency personnel in response to a reported emergency, such as a 911 call, activation of a smoke alarm or security system, or other emergency. Various items of personal and confidential information may be stored in a secure location, and the user may provide advanced approval to have the information automatically delivered to emergency responders in response to a request for emergency assistance. For example, after the user initiates a request for emergency assistance, a computing device may determine whether the user has granted approval for emergency delivery of the user's confidential information, and if such approval has been granted, the computing device may request the delivery of the user's confidential information to the emergency responders.
US09877174B2

Example systems, methods, and devices for extending range of WiFi networks are discussed. More specifically, methods for extending range of a Wi-Fi network are disclosed. The method may include the operations of appending, by a network device, one or more codebits to one or more original codebits or coded symbols, sending, by the network device, the original codebits or coded symbols and the appended codebits to an interleaver or a constellation mapper for transmission. The original codebits or coded symbols and the appended codebits may be sent over a plurality of subcarriers. Methods, apparatus, and systems described herein can be applied to 802.11ax or any other wireless standard.
US09877167B2

The invention comprises an outside transceiver relaying digital television, internet, and/or phone data from a provider through an exterior wall of a personal residence or building to an inside transceiver, the inside transceiver used to distribute the data to one or more interior devices. The outside transceiver is optionally a small, AC-powered, weatherproof, high-speed, high-bandwidth transceiver configured to transmit and/or receive physical and/or wireless connections with remote services, that is positioned outside of a structure and used to encrypt and/or transfer the data over a limited range through an exterior wall to the inside transceiver, which is a small AC-powered device configured to decrypt and distribute the received transmitted signal, such as wirelessly, via an HDMI port, via an Ethernet port, via a co-axial cable, via a fiber optic line, and/or to any Wi-Fi enabled device within a transmission range.
US09877156B2

Techniques for populating a content stream of a mobile application are described. Consistent with some embodiments, the delays associated with waiting for a server to respond to a user's manual request for content items are eliminated by using various sensors of a mobile computing device to predict when a user is likely to view a personalized content stream. Accordingly, a background process identifies when certain conditions are satisfied, and an automatic content request is communicated to a content server, such that content items for presentation to a member of a social networking service are pre-fetched.
US09877151B2

The present disclosure relates to a method and an electronic device for measuring a position of the electronic device. The method includes identifying radio stations of different communication networks based on different communication signals transmitted from the radio stations, identifying at least one grid in a plurality of grids corresponding to the identified radio stations, and identifying the position of the electronic device based on the identified at least one grid, wherein the plurality of grids correspond to a plurality of areas generated on a basis of intensities of the different communication signals.
US09877143B2

An in-vehicle Bluetooth load control method and an apparatus using the same are disclosed. A Bluetooth load dispersion method for an in-vehicle head unit includes assigning and retaining priority per profile, executing a first profile. When execution of second to n-th profiles is requested, executing the second to n-th profiles, comparing priority level assigned to the first profile with priority level assigned to the second to n-th profiles, and classifying the profiles as a main service and sub services based on a result of the comparison. Wherein is a natural number equal to or greater than 2 and is a total number of profiles in the plurality of profiles. Consequently, Bluetooth load is effectively controlled in a multi Bluetooth profile environment.
US09877140B2

A radio device, comprising an application scheduling unit configured to initiate a transmission of application output data in communication with a radio access network in accordance with a predetermined application transmission schedule determining at least one allowed time, which is a time span or a point in time, for the communication of the application output data. The allowed time depends on a parameter value of a set of at least one parameter that is allocated to the radio device and that is suitable for distinguishing the radio device from at least one other radio device of a group of radio devices to which the radio device belongs. A communication unit is configured to transmit the application output data in communication with the radio access network in the form of radio signals and at a time that is in accordance with the predetermined transmission schedule.
US09877135B2

In accordance with an example embodiment of the invention, a method is disclosed. Near field communication is detected between at least two devices. A location of at least one of the at least two devices is determined based on the detected near field communication. An audio channel of a multi-channel audio file is assigned based on the determined location of the at least one of the at least two devices.
US09877133B2

The sound collection and reproduction system reproduces comprise: a microphone array selection unit which selects a microphone arrays; an area sound collection unit which collects sounds of all areas by using the microphone arrays; an area sound selection unit which selects an area sound of an area corresponding to a specified listening position, and area sounds of surrounding areas of this area corresponding to a listening direction, in accordance with a sound reproduction environment; an area volume adjustment unit which adjusts a volume of each area sound unit in accordance with a distance from the specified listening position; and a stereophonic sound processing unit which performs a stereophonic sound process, for each area sound to which volume adjustment has been performed by the area volume adjustment unit, by using a transfer function corresponding to a sound reproduction environment.
US09877132B2

The invention relates to a method for improving a stereo audio signal of an FM stereo radio receiver. The method comprises determining one or more parametric stereo parameters based on the stereo audio signal in a frequency-variant or frequency-invariant manner. Preferably, these PS parameters are time- and frequency-variant. Moreover, the method comprises generating the improved stereo signal based on a first audio signal and the one or more parametric stereo parameters. The first audio signal is obtained from the stereo audio signal, e.g. by a downmix operation.
US09877129B2

The present invention extracts azimuth information on a sound source, read the touch state of a touch screen on which an image is displayed, and enables a sound source having azimuth information corresponding to a place touched on the image to be synthesized so as to be distinguished from other sound sources. According to the present invention, since it is possible to listen to the distinguished sound of a desired location on an image, a user may be provided with more satisfaction.
US09877122B2

A hearing device includes a housing having an assembly opening and a housing cap for closing the assembly opening. The hearing device also includes a signal processing unit disposed in the housing and a sealing body for sealing the housing against the ingress of contaminants. Additionally, the hearing device includes an antenna body for wireless signal transmission with a separate device. This antenna body is embedded in the sealing body.
US09877095B2

A member-fastening structure permits three members to be fastened and fixed such that a first member and a second member holds a third member therebetween. The fastening of three members is accomplished with a meter visor that has a first through-hole formed therein. A speaker ring has a projecting part formed thereon which is inserted into the first through-hole. The projecting part has a second through-hole formed therein in a direction perpendicular to a projecting direction of the projecting part. A speaker grille is positioned on the meter visor, and the projecting part of the speaker ring is then caused to project downward through the first through-hole of the meter visor. A clip is inserted into the second through-hole of the projecting part projecting from an underside of the meter visor, and is engaged with the second through-hole of the projecting part and the underside of the meter visor.
US09877092B2

The present invention provides a method, which including: determining, by a first node, an adjustment requirement for a line interface rate; and according to the adjustment requirement for the line interface rate, adjusting, by the first node, a transport bandwidth of an optical channel (OCh) link, adjusting the number of optical channel transport lanes (OTLs) in an optical channel transport unit (OTUCn) link, and adjusting the number of optical channel data lanes (ODLs) in an optical channel data unit (ODUCn) link, where the OTL is in one-to-one correspondence with the ODL. In embodiments of the present invention, according to an adjustment requirement for a line interface rate, a transport bandwidth of an OCh link is adjusted, the number of OTLs in an OTUCn link is adjusted, and the number of ODLs in an ODUCn link is adjusted, so that the line interface rate can be dynamically adjusted.
US09877086B2

Method and system for producing relevance sorted video summary are provided herein. The method may include: obtaining a source video containing a plurality of source objects; receiving features descriptive of at least some of the source objects; clustering the source objects into clusters, each cluster including source objects that are similar in respect to one of the features or a combination of the features; obtaining relevance level of the clustered source objects, respectively; generating synopsis objects by sampling respective clustered source objects; and generating a synopsis video having an overall play time shorter than the overall play time of the source video by determining a play time for each of the synopsis objects based at least partially on the respective relevance level.
US09877082B2

Systems, devices and methods are provided to deliver messages between a television distributor and groups of television receivers. A data processing system provides a message exchange service that routes messages to any number of queues based upon various routing keys. Each of the customer-operated television receivers establishes a queue with the routing service that is bound to any number of routing keys. Keys may be selected based upon characteristics of the receiver, geographic factors, demographic factors, subscribed services, customer preferences or the like. When a service wants to send a message to a particular group, it sends the message to the group's routing key, and the routing service delivers the messages to each of the receivers bound to that particular key.
US09877080B2

A display apparatus and a method for controlling thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes a first display configured to display content, a second display configured to display an image at an outer area of the first display, and a controller configured to, in response to input of a user command while content is displayed on the first display, display a User Interface (UI) to control the display apparatus on the second display, and control content of the display by using the UI to control the display apparatus.
US09877078B2

Techniques for rules-based content management are provided. Video on demand content is collected from a variety of sources. Business rules embedded within metadata can be retrieved where the business rules control processing and delivery of the video on demand content. The video on demand content may be selectively packaged in response to the business rules and the metadata to generate packaged video on demand content. A server can distribute the packaged video on demand content to devices. A priority for processing the packaged video on demand content can be based on a quality of service parameter and based on the metadata, the business rules, and a license embedded within the metadata where the license describes the priority. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09877076B2

A device, system and method are provided to dynamically manage bandwidth for audiovisual communications and content distribution. The device, system and method may include dynamic qualification of content or channels for distribution in accordance with one or more distribution models, such as a broadcast distribution model and a narrowcast distribution model (e.g., a multicast distribution model and/or a unicast distribution model). In some embodiments, the qualification may be based on demand as reflected in requests for, or access to, content from user terminals. In some embodiments, based on changes in demand for content, a requalification of the content in terms of one or more distribution models may take place.
US09877066B2

This method for synchronizing a first multimedia stream rendered on a first terminal and a second multimedia stream rendered on a second terminal, comprises a step of generation, from an original audio sequence of the first stream, of original audio fingerprints, and further comprises steps of: a) generation from a first sequence of the first stream first audio fingerprints; b) comparison between the first fingerprints and the original fingerprints in order to obtain one or more first synchronization positions; c) correlation of the first sequence with one or more pieces of the original sequence located around the first synchronization positions in order to obtain a second synchronization position; d) rendering of the second stream on the second terminal using the second synchronization position.
US09877065B2

A device is provided for use with a content provider that is operable to provide content, which includes a plurality of content components. The device includes a communication portion, a memory portion, a parsing portion, a counting portion and a processing portion. The communication portion can receive the content from the content provider. The parsing portion can parse the content into the plurality of content components and can store the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion. The counting portion can provide a counter for each of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion, respectively. The processing portion can retrieve and process one of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion. The counting portion can further increment the counter associated with the retrieved one of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion.
US09877063B2

Implementations discussed herein are directed to providing interactive advertisements to a viewer of a broadcast or other program service transmission. Interactive advertisements include product offering advertisements that give details regarding sales of specific products or retailers that offering specific products for sale. A user may create a shopping list or other indicator that specifies which product offering advertisements are displayed. Product offering advertisements may be displayed concurrently with content from a program service transmission. Extended product offering advertisement that provide further details regarding a product for sale may be displayed in response to user selections of particular product offering advertisements. Product offering advertisements and/or extended product offering advertisements may be displayed on a front panel screen of a receiver or on a television or other output device used to display program service content.
US09877046B2

Sampled data is packaged in checkerboard format for encoding and decoding. The sampled data may be quincunx sampled multi-image video data (e.g., 3D video or a multi-program stream), and the data may also be divided into sub-images of each image which are then multiplexed, or interleaved, in frames of a video stream to be encoded and then decoded using a standardized video encoder. A system for viewing may utilize a standard video decoder and a formatting device that de-interleaves the decoded sub-images of each frame reformats the images for a display device. A 3D video may be encoded using a most advantageous interleaving format such that a preferred quality and compression ratio is reached. In one embodiment, the invention includes a display device that accepts data in multiple formats.
US09877036B2

Watermark data is converted to watermark coefficients, which may be embedded in an image by converting the image to a frequency domain, embedding the watermark in image coefficients corresponding to medium-frequency components, and converting the modified coefficients to the spatial domain. The watermark data is extracted from the modified image by converting the modified image to a frequency domain, extracting the watermark coefficients from the image coefficients, and determining the watermark data from the watermark coefficients. The watermark data may be truncated image data bits such as truncated least significant data bits. After extraction from the watermark, the truncated image data bits may be combined with data bits representing the original image to increase the bit depth of the image. Watermark data may include audio data portions corresponding to a video frame, reference frames temporally proximate to a video frame, high-frequency content, sensor calibration information, or other image data.
US09877035B2

In an example, system and method for coding encoded video data. A quantized residue differences block associated with a current block of a picture is generated and a reconstructed prediction residue for each quantized residue difference in the block of quantized residue differences is generated. Each reconstructed prediction residue is added to its corresponding original prediction value to produce a current block of a picture. Generating the reconstructed prediction residue includes performing inverse quantization on blocks of quantized residue differences, wherein the inverse quantization reconstructs data to which uniform quantization residue differential pulse code modulation (RDPCM) has been applied and wherein the quantization is of the form: ΔXq=floor((X+αQ)/Q) where Q is quantization step and α is quantization offset.
US09877019B2

Implementations of the invention are provided in methods for filter-unit based in-loop filtering in a video decoder and encoder. In one implementation, filter parameters are selected from a filter parameter set for each filter based on a filter index. In another implementation, the picture is partitioned into filter units according to filter unit size, which can be selected between a default size and other size. When other size is selected, the filter unit size may be conveyed using direct size information or ratio information. In another implementation, a merge flag and a merge index are used to convey filter unit merge information. A method for filter-unit based in-loop filtering in a video encoder for color video is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method incorporates filter syntax in the video bitstream by interleaving the color-component filter syntax for the FUs.
US09877010B2

One exemplary embodiment involves identifying a plane defined by a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) track points rendered on a two-dimensional (2D) display, wherein the 3D track points are rendered at a plurality of corresponding locations of a video frame. The embodiment also involves displaying a target marker at the plane defined by the 3D track points to allow for visualization of the plane, wherein the target marker is displayed at an angle that corresponds with an angle of the plane. Additionally, the embodiment involves inserting a 3D object at a location in the plane defined by the 3D track points to be embedded into the video frame. The location of the 3D object is based at least in part on the target marker.
US09877008B2

An apparatus for determining a measure for a distortion change of a first view synthesized from a second view, caused by a modification of a depth map of the second view from a first state to a second state, is configured—starting from a current synthesis state of the first view corresponding to a synthesis from the second view having the depth map modified to the second state in an already processed portion of the depth map and having the depth map unmodified at the first state in a yet to be processed portion of the depth map—to compute a possible successor synthesis state corresponding to a synthesis of the first view from the second view having the depth map modified to the second state in an already processed portion plus a currently processed portion and having the depth map unmodified at the first state in the yet to be processed portion without the currently processed portion; and to determine a distortion change of a distortion of the current synthesis state of the first view relative to an undistorted version of the first view to a distortion of the possible successor synthesis state of the first view relative to the undistorted version of the first view.
US09877007B2

A method, medium, and apparatus encoding and/or decoding an image in order to increase encoding and decoding efficiency by performing binary-arithmetic coding/decoding on a binary value of a syntax element using a probability model having the same syntax element probability value for respective context index information of each of at least two image components.
US09877000B2

Disclosed are a self-adaptive adjustment method and device of a projector, and a computer storage medium. The method includes: acquiring a luminance average value of a current picture, and calculating an absolute value of a difference between the luminance average value and a preset normal luminance average value; simultaneously adjusting the projection luminance and the image luminance if the absolute value is greater than or equal to a first preset threshold value; only continuously adjusting the projection luminance if the absolute value is greater than or equal to a second preset threshold value and less than the first preset threshold value; only adjusting the image luminance if the absolute value is greater than or equal to a third preset threshold value and less than the second preset threshold value; forbidding the luminance adjustment if the absolute value is less than the third preset threshold value.
US09876999B2

An optical module has light source mounting parts that include a reinforcement plate for a circuit board on which a light source is mounted, and is attached to a lateral surface of a housing. The optical module includes a protrusion and a thermally conductive member. The protrusion is formed on the outer circumference of the lateral surface of the housing. The thermally conductive member includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is thermally conductively connected to a surface of the reinforcement plate. The second surface is thermally conductively connected to the protrusion. The thermally conductive member has an inclined surface on the back side of the first surface. The inclined surface is formed along the first surface in such a manner that the thickness between the first surface and the inclined surface increases with a decrease in the distance to the second surface.
US09876988B2

Provided herein are systems, methods, and software for facilitating a video conference environment. In at least one implementation, video captured of a scene is received. A modification to display of the video is identified based at least in part on a share of a display space associated with an object in the scene relative to a share of another display space associated with another object in another scene. The modification to the display of the video is then initiated. In another implementation, the modification may also be based on a target share indicated by way of an interactive graphic.
US09876987B2

A communication terminal receives display data for displaying certain data on a screen of a display device and image data of an optical-to-electrical-converted image from another communication terminal via a communication network, includes a storage part storing reception information indicating whether the display data has been received by the communication terminal and arrangement information indicating at least one of a size and a position of the image based on the image data, in a manner of associating with one another; a reception part receiving the display data and the image data; an extraction part extracting, based on the reception information, the corresponding arrangement information from the storage part; and a display control part displaying the image using the image data based on the arrangement information extracted by the extraction part.
US09876984B2

A mounting system capable of mounting objects to support structures. The mounting system includes a wall mount including a display bracket configured to hold the object, a fixed support bracket coupleable to a vertical support structure, and a linkage assembly. The linkage assembly has a low-profile stowed configuration in which the object is held in a raised position close to the support structure. The linkage assembly moves to another configuration to move the object. The object can be held in a lowered position. A biasing mechanism can facilitate convenient movement of the object.
US09876981B2

An operational terminal device may include a control unit to control display on a display screen of at least one operation button to control a display control device, based on button information associated with the operation button and received from the display control device.
US09876978B2

The present disclosure relates to an imaging element, a gain control method, a program, and an electronic device that can capture an image with a high image quality or a high dynamic range with lower power consumption. The imaging element includes: an A/D conversion unit configured to A/D-convert a pixel signal outputted from a pixel; and a reference signal generation unit. The reference signal generation unit includes a prescribed number of pairs of transistors forming a current mirror circuit, and a switching unit configured to switch the number of transistors connected to the current mirror circuit. The switching unit is controlled so as to reduce the number of transistors connected to the current mirror circuit when the pixel signal is A/D-converted to a high gain. The present technology can be applied to a CMOS image sensor, for example.
US09876973B2

An optical module for use in a device includes an array of pixels configured to capture image data and a memory. The memory is configured to store identification information associated with said optical module. The identification information enables retrieval of information for controlling said optical module from a source outside said device.
US09876971B2

The solid-state imaging device includes unit cells each of which and generates a pixel signal corresponding to a light reception amount, vertical signal lines each of which is provided for a corresponding column of the unit cells and transfers the corresponding pixel signal, comparators each of which is provided for corresponding one of the vertical signal lines, and a ramp signal generation circuit that supplies a common ramp signal to the comparators. Each of the comparators includes a differential amplifier circuit that includes a transistor to which the ramp signal or the pixel signal is input, a transistor to which the other of the ramp signal and the pixel signal is input, an output terminal for outputting a signal corresponding to a difference between the ramp signal and the pixel signal, and a voltage generation circuit for reducing fluctuations of charge accumulated in a capacitance component of the transistor.
US09876970B2

Certain cameras and systems described herein produce enhanced dynamic range still or video images. The images can also have controlled or reduced motion artifacts. Moreover, the cameras and systems in some cases allow the dynamic range and/or motion artifacts to be tuned to achieve a desired cinematic effect.
US09876967B2

In one aspect, an example method involves: accessing, by a computing system, data associated with an election; using, by the computing system, the accessed data to make a determination that a status of the election satisfies each condition in a condition set; based, at least in part, on the determination, selecting, by the computing system, a particular digital video-effect (DVE) template configured to facilitate generation of a DVE having a particular attribute; and executing, by the computing system, the selected DVE template, thereby causing the computing system to generate a video stream representing video content.
US09876960B2

An image pickup apparatus which is capable of shortening a time period required for photometric measurement and obtaining an accurate photometric measurement value when there has been a shift from a photometric measurement operation using an image pickup device to a photometric measurement operation using a linear photometric sensor. When there has been no shift from a photometric measurement operation by the image pickup device to a photometric measurement operation by the photometric sensor, the photometric sensor performs a first photometric measurement operation for a plurality of times, and when there has been a shift from a photometric measurement operation by the image pickup device to a photometric measurement operation by the photometric sensor, a second photometric measurement operation is performed for a smaller number of times than that of the first photometric measurement operation according to a result of photometric measurement performed by the image pickup device.
US09876957B2

A dual mode image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes an on-chip sensing array, on-chip analog-to-digital converters, and an on-chip processor. The sensor array has rows and columns of discrete sensor elements. The dual mode image sensor has a scene sensing mode and an image capture mode, which use the same set of imaging optics. The processor includes a dual context register; one being for the scene sensing mode and the other for image capture mode. The scene sensing mode is configured to output results of object sensing, motion detection, focus evaluation and illumination measurement to the analog-to-digital converters. The image capture mode is configured to output captured images to the analog-to-digital converters, which are configured to send the digital data to the processor. The processor is configured to switch from scene sensing mode to image capture mode based upon the scene sensing mode output results.
US09876951B2

A method, computer program product and computer system is provided. A processor identifies a location of a user. A processor determines a subject based on the location of the user. A processor determines a composition factor associated with the subject. A processor determines a popularity score for the subject based, at least in part on, a plurality of search queries from a plurality of users. Responsive to the popularity score for the subject being above a threshold, a processor sends a suggestion for an image including the subject and the composition factor associated with the subject.
US09876950B2

An image capturing apparatus capable of setting a focus detection area in an imaging range includes a photometry unit, a face detection unit configured to detect a face area, and a photometry area setting unit configured to set a position of a main photometry area. When a user sets the focus detection area and the face detection unit detects a face area, the photometry area setting unit determines whether to set a position of the main photometry area to a position corresponding to the face area or to set a position of the main photometry area to a position corresponding to the focus detection area based on information regarding the face area and information regarding the focus detection area set by the user, and the photometry unit performs photometry on the object based on the position of the main photometry area set by the photometry area setting unit.
US09876944B2

Systems and methods are operable to correct synchronization between a video stream and an audio stream presented to a user. An exemplary embodiment receives a synchronization correction instruction, wherein the synchronization correction is configured to be initiated by the user; and incrementally adjusts one of the video stream and the audio stream by a synchronization correction, wherein the synchronization correction advances or retards presentation of at least one of the video stream and the audio stream by a predefined duration.
US09876940B2

An image processing apparatus has a determination unit that determines a print operation to be performed and a generation unit that generates quantized data for printing a dot by comparing a threshold value and the multi-valued data. In a case of performing a first print operation, dot arrangement of the multiple types of inks printed on the print medium by the print unit on a basis of pieces of quantized data generated by the generation unit is higher in exclusiveness and dispersibility between or among dots of the multiple types of inks and lower in an overlap rate between or among the dots of the multiple types of inks than dot arrangement of the multiple types of inks printed on the print medium by the print unit on a basis of the pieces of quantized data generated by the generation unit in the case of performing the second print operation.
US09876939B2

An image processing apparatus includes: an information obtaining portion that obtains association information indicating an association between a first and second portable terminal apparatus from an association information storage, the first portable terminal apparatus having a proper permission to use a function of the image processing apparatus from the first portable terminal apparatus, the second portable terminal apparatus having a temporary permission to use the function from the second portable terminal apparatus in place of the first portable terminal apparatus; a data storage that stores data caused by a process between the image processing apparatus and the second portable terminal apparatus; an online terminal detector that detects the first portable terminal apparatus as being online; and a data provider that provides the data to the first portable terminal apparatus from the data storage when the online terminal detector detects the first portable terminal apparatus as being online.
US09876934B2

Systems and methods are provided though which a transaction, e.g., in a multi-tier, distributed application may be initiated from a portable or hand-held device, such as a smartphone. A computer system or systems, possibly remote from the device, may approve the transaction, complete it, or both, and the remote computer system or systems may cause a document to be printed, e.g., by a printer physically proximate to the device.Aspects of the invention are illustrated by embodiments in which a drug prescription may be created electronically using a hand-held device. In such an embodiment, the prescription may be transmitted to one or more remote computer systems, such as an application server, for processing. If specified, the remote computer systems may cause a prescription to be printed, e.g., at a printer near the prescriber's location. The prescriber may sign the printed prescription and give it to a patient or pharmacy.
US09876919B2

A mediation server for mediating target service provision from a service provision server to an image processing apparatus, including a processor causing the mediation server to supply specific information for displaying a condition setting screen to an external apparatus, receive a plurality of selected setting values from the external apparatus, supply, to the image processing apparatus, a determination execution instruction including the plurality of selected setting values and for executing a determination about validity of a combination of the plurality of selected setting values, receive a result of the determination from the image processing apparatus, and when the result indicates that the combination is valid, supply, to the image processing apparatus, a processing execution instruction including the plurality of selected setting values and being for executing the target image processing in accordance with the determined processing condition.
US09876914B2

A method of initiating a telecommunication session for a communication device that includes submitting to one or more telecommunication carriers a proposal for a telecommunication session, receiving from at least one of the one or more telecommunication carriers a bid to carry the telecommunications session, and automatically selecting one of the telecommunication carriers from the carriers submitting a bid, and initiating the telecommunication session through the selected telecommunication carrier.
US09876912B2

The concept of chained parallel forking is introduced. Addresses of record are included in a contactee's contact resolution preferences to enable an incoming INVITE message to be routed to one or more users as well as other devices, per the contactee's contact resolution preferences. A communication system configured to execute the chained parallel forking contact resolution process is also described.
US09876907B1

A call record processing module retrieves call records from a database associated with accounts to be dialed, either as voice calls or text calls, wherein the called party may have a plurality of postal addresses indicated in the call record. A most restrictive calling window for a dialer by the call record processing module the multiple postal addresses of the account, along with other information in the call record, such as the telephone number. This information is then used to either schedule a time for originating a call or determining whether the call can originate currently. In other embodiments, the determination of the calling window may be modified by other restrictions, such as do not call lists, prior call attempts, state regulations, etc. Once the plurality of potential states are known, various regulations can be consulted for determining whether or when to originate the call.
US09876886B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for calling desired contacts using a standalone smartphone or other portable device, selecting and using contact information from a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and automatically updating the CRM system with the outcome of each conversation. In addition, systems and methods are disclosed for automatically integrating an automated calling system with a customer relationship management system, contact management system, and/or task management system, so that historical information stored concerning past contact activity and automated calling sessions relating to contacts is automatically updated in the customer relationship management system, contact management system, and/or task management system.
US09876885B1

The cell phone case with integrated hooks is configured for use with a personal data device. The cell phone case with integrated hooks is a housing that contains the personal data device. The cell phone case with integrated hooks comprises a housing, a plurality of fasteners, and a removable pad. The plurality of fasteners are retractably installed within the housing. Each of the plurality of fasteners attach the housing to a vertical surface such that the personal data device may be hung from the vertical surface thereby allowing the personal data device to be used in a hands free manner. The removable pad provides an anchor point for use by the plurality of fasteners when hanging the personal data device.
US09876883B2

An electronic device is provided which includes an outer housing that surrounds at least a portion of the electronic device, and a display, a front surface of which is exposed to the outside through one surface of the outer housing, and the outer housing includes a metal layer arranged on a rear surface of the display and includes at least one opening, a first non-metal layer arranged on an upper surface of the metal layer to overlap the entire metal layer while filling at least a portion of the at least one opening, and a second non-metal layer arranged on an upper surface of the first non-metal layer to be exposed to the outside.
US09876879B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for distributed generation of network pages from portions of network pages. A first request for a network page is obtained. A second request for a network page portion is sent to a server application. The second request includes a protocol header that specifies a base uniform resource locator (URL). The network page portion is obtained from the server application. The network page portion is based at least in part on the base URL. The network page is generated from the network page portion and other data.
US09876874B2

Disclosed herein is a network selecting apparatus including: a determining unit checking an operation state of a cache server in which replicated data corresponding to a data request signal are stored and determining whether the cache server is normally operated, when the data request signal is received from a client; and a selecting unit selecting a first network so that the replicated data are transmitted to input and output devices when the cache server is normally operated and selecting a second network so that original data corresponding to the data request signal are transmitted from a storage server in which the original data are stored to the input and output devices when the cache server is not normally operated.
US09876871B2

A method for associating a web event with a member of a group of users is implemented at a first computing device. The method includes: receiving a data access request from a second computing device; determining whether the second computing device provides a user login service; if so, causing the second computing device to render the user login service so that the user can provide an instruction of whether or not to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device; if not, identifying a third computing device that is physically proximate the second computing device; and causing the third computing device to output an alert signal prompting the user of the second computing device to respond; and in response to the user's response through the third computing device, generating a data record to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device.
US09876869B2

A user's terminal device and a service management server can provide specific service content associated with a registered beacon service to a user. In an embodiment, the terminal device registers at least one beacon service at a user's request and sends information about the registered beacon service to the service management server. Then the terminal device receives first beacon identification information corresponding to the registered beacon service from the service management server and stores the first beacon identification information. Further, when a beacon signal containing second beacon identification information is received from a beacon device, the terminal device compares the second beacon identification information with the first beacon identification information. If both of identification information are identical with each other, the terminal device offers service content corresponding to the second identification information.
US09876868B2

A method is disclosed for providing notice of geo-locations of potential interest to a user. The method includes obtaining the user's current geo-location, collecting geo-locations indicated in the user's network-based social data, and collecting geo-locations indicated in network-based social data of other persons who are identified in the user's network-based social data. The user's current geolocation is compared with the collected geo-locations, ones of the collected geo-locations are selected responsive to the comparing, and the selected ones are presented to the user.
US09876866B1

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing location-based data to secondary content providers via primary content providers are provided. In embodiments, a content request is received from a user device. The content request includes an indication of a primary content provider to which the content request is directed and a secondary content provider to which location-based data is to be transmitted. Upon identifying that location-based data is to be provided to the primary content provider, the location-based data is provided to the primary content provider, which then relays the location-based data to the secondary content provider.
US09876862B1

A method of performing service discovery is implemented in a first communication device. In the method, a service discovery request is generated that contains a first identifier associated with a requested service and does not contain a second identifier associated with the requested service. The first communication device is caused to transmit the service discovery request. A service discovery response, received by the first communication device from a second communication device, is processed. The service discovery response contains the second identifier and does not contain the first identifier. At least the second identifier is utilized to determine that the second communication device provides the requested service.
US09876859B1

Exemplary methods for performing session timeout include periodically receiving a first plurality of client requests corresponding to the first user session from a client, the client requests including a request time indicating a time when a corresponding client request was transmitted by the client, and a user active time indicating a time when a user last accessed the server via the first user session as of the time when the corresponding client request was transmitted by the client. In one embodiment, the method includes determining whether the first user session has timed out based on one or more request time and one or more user active time included the one or more client requests of the first plurality of client requests. In one embodiment, the method includes in response to determining the first user session has timed out, terminating the first user session and the SSO session.
US09876852B2

A coordinating server for coordinating between a first computerized service and a second computerized, the first service operating based on different platforms. The coordinating server provides a directory comprising a respective action ID for each of a plurality of predefined types of action that can be performed by a human user through a user device of the user. An ID of the first service is mapped to one of said action types, thereby defining an event that will be deemed to occur when the user performs the respective type of action while using the first service. The second service can then subscribe to this event. Further, the coordinating server issues a respective instance of a platform agnostic code module to each of the first service and the second service, for enabling the first service and second service to interact with the coordinating server.
US09876851B2

The description relates to cloud-edge topologies. Some aspects relate to cloud-edge applications and resource usage in various cloud-edge topologies. Another aspect of the present cloud-edge topologies can relate to the specification of cloud-edge applications using a temporal language. A further aspect can involve an architecture that runs data stream management systems (DSMSs) engines on the cloud and cloud-edge computers to run query parts.
US09876846B2

Embodiments of this disclosure belong to the data processing field and disclose a method and apparatus for data transmission. The method comprises sending a first request to a server in response to a first file locally cached having expired. The first request is for obtaining a first file in a new version, and the first request containing a first version identifier. The first version identifier being for indicating a version of the first file locally cached. Receiving a first response includes difference information and a second version identifier. The difference information makes it possible to obtain the first file in the new version based on the first file locally cached, and the second version identifier is for indicating the new version. The first file in the new version is obtained based on the difference information and the first file locally cached. Using the technical solution provided by the present embodiment(s), pressures on network transmission are reduced.
US09876844B2

Systems and techniques for transferring one or more files by connecting to a communications system host; sending, to a client connected to the communications system host, a request to transfer one or more files; when a client permits access to the one or more files, establishing a direct socket connection from the client and bypassing the communications system host; and initiating the transfer of the one or more files from the client over the direct socket connection.
US09876841B2

A flexible and context-aware delivery scheme for uniform resource locators builds on a generic representation that can be used for whichever binary content is to be delivered to a client. It can also be applied to improve the network operations of a network operator, the user's perceived quality of experience, and the costs of a content provider that does not need to encode and support different codecs and transport mechanisms.
US09876831B1

Implementations generally relate to facilitating communication between users. In some implementations, a method includes enabling a first user to initiate a chat session with one or more second users, wherein the chat session is a text chat session. The method further includes enabling the first user to broadcast a live video stream to the one or more second users during the chat session. The method further includes enabling at least the first user to convert the chat session to a video session.
US09876830B2

A network media device is described that pulls multimedia data from one or more sources (e.g., a multimedia website or a multimedia server computer) at a first time, stores it to long-term storage within the device and transmits the stored multimedia data to one or more designated multimedia playback devices at a second time.
US09876818B2

A network adapter system and associated method are provided. The network adapter system includes a processor positioned on a network adapter coupled between a computer and a network. Such processor is configured for scanning network traffic transmitted between the computer and the network.
US09876812B1

A computer system receives a file and instruments an original code of the file in memory. The resulting instrumented code allows for collection of runtime information of the original code. An unpacking routine that includes one or more instructions that execute several times, modify memory locations, and execute instructions in the modified memory locations is identified. The unpacking routine is deemed a malware signature and incorporated into a malware pattern. An unpacking behavior diagram can also be generated from the runtime information.
US09876810B2

Generally discussed herein are systems, devices, and methods for malware analysis lab isolation. A system can include a malware analysis zone LAN in which malware analysis is performed, a separation zone LAN communicatively connected to the malware analysis zone LAN, the separation zone LAN providing access control to manage communication of data between other LANs of the plurality of LANs, an analyst zone LAN communicatively connected to the separation zone LAN, and a remote access zone LAN communicatively connected to the separation zone LAN, the remote access zone LAN providing a user LAN with results from the malware analysis zone LAN and the analyst zone LAN and providing an item for malware analysis by the malware analysis zone LAN.
US09876803B2

Some implementations may provide a machine-assisted that includes: receiving, from a participant entity, a request to determine a trustworthiness of a transaction request, the transaction request being submitted by a user to access data managed by the participant entity; submitting a first inquiry at an authentication verification engine to determine an authenticity of a purported identity of the user submitting the transaction request; receiving a response from the authentication verification engine, the response including a computed authenticity score quantitatively attesting to the purported identity of the user submitting the transaction request; based on the computed authenticity score, determining the trustworthiness of the transaction request being submitted by the user; and notifying the participant entity of the determined trustworthiness of the transaction request to access data managed by the participant entity.
US09876798B1

A method of replacing an unauthorized media item on one platform with an authorized media item on another platform is provided herein. The method includes receiving a user request to send a notice pertaining to unauthorized content corresponding to an authorized media item of the user. The user is a rights holder of the authorized media item. The method further includes generating a notice identifying the unauthorized content to a third-party platform as being unauthorized. The unauthorized content is identified in a media item presented by the third-party platform and the notice includes a link to the authorized media item.
US09876794B2

Systems and methods for authenticating printer supply items using revocation lists are disclosed. Revocation lists are updated using DNSSEC to communicate between a printer and a DNS name server. A domain name is created containing a printer supply item serial number, a message digest, and a message authentication code. The domain name is sent to the DNS name server, and the returned IP address is used to update a revocation list. Other systems and methods are disclosed.
US09876792B2

An information handling system includes a host processing system and an authentication processing system. The authentication processing system authenticates to the host processing system based upon a shared secret. An authentication module of the authentication processing system operates as a master authentication module to establish an authentication area, determine that a first device is a first trusted device of the authentication module, determine that the first device is within the authentication area, authenticate the first device on the authentication area based upon the determination that the first device is within the authentication area, determine that a second device is a second trusted device of the authentication module, determine that the second device is not within the authentication area, and prevent the second device from authenticating on the authentication area based upon the determination that the second device is not within the authentication area.
US09876789B1

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for secure logon. One or more method includes: determining, via authentication information provided by a user of an electronic device, that the user is authorized to access an online account provided by the online account provider; providing the user with a selectable option to enable an expedited logon process by which the user can access the online account by solely providing a particular authentication item of the user; receiving a verification credential in response to a next logon attempt using the expedited logon process; and verifying that the received verification credential matches an assigned verification credential provided to the user for use in conjunction with the next logon attempt using the expedited logon process.
US09876785B2

Disclosed is a safe log-in system and method for allowing log-in of a user in association with a plurality of devices, and an apparatus for the same. The safe log-in method for allowing a safe log-in of a communication device which accesses a web site includes: by an authentication data providing device, receiving a request for authentication-related data, which is required for log-in to the web site, from the communication device; by the authentication data providing device, extracting authentication-related data required for log-in to the web site; by the authentication data providing device, transmitting the extracted authentication-related data to the communication device; and by the communication device, attempting log-in authentication to the web site by using the authentication-related data.
US09876780B2

Examples provided herein are directed to a computing device and media playback system sharing access to a media service corresponding to a media application installed on the computing device. In one example, a media playback system may be configured to (i) receive from the computing device an authorization code that corresponds to a media application installed on the computing device that is authorized to access media from a media service, (ii) transmit to the media service an authorization request with the authorization code, (iii) receive from the media service an authorization token that facilitates obtaining media from the media service, and (iv) transmit to the media service a request for media for playback by the media playback system, where the request for media includes the authorization token.
US09876777B2

The present disclosure discloses method and browser for online banking login, solving the problems of complex and trivial steps and insecurity of online banking login via web navigation websites. The method comprises: pre-storing and managing online banking website addresses on a browser side and managing the certificates and/or online banking plugins corresponding to the online banking in the form of NPAPI; judging whether the current website address accessed by a user in the browser is an online banking website address, based on the stored online banking website addresses; when it is one of the stored online banking website addresses, using the NPAPI to call the corresponding online banking certificate and/or online banking plugin to perform online banking login. The embodiments of the present disclosure decrease steps and enhance security to log in to online banking.
US09876771B2

A security application for a computing device, e.g., a mobile phone, allows generation of a secret according to a unique user input (e.g., user credentials). The secret is stored in a directory such that it is retrievable when the unique user input is received via a user interface of a device on which the security application executes or is coupled with. Responsive to receiving an identifier associated with the secret, the security application prompts, e.g., via a user interface of the mobile phone, entry of the unique user input; and, subsequently, verifies the unique user input. Following such verification, the security application provides the secret for use in encoding a communication with a remote computer-based station. Entry of the user credentials may be required prior to the security application generating the secret, and may be responsive to receipt of an invitation (e.g., from the remote computer-based station) to generate it.
US09876766B2

The present invention refers to a method for anonymization by transmitting an event data set from at least one data supplying entity supplying the event data set to at least one data aggregating entity aggregating the event data set wherein the data set includes at least one identifier identifying at least one user of the data supplying entity, the method comprises the steps of performing a non-reversible basic encryption of the at least one identifier using an encryption mechanism with a certain lifetime, iteratively performing an additional encryption of said basic encrypted identifier for n-times with n equal or greater than 1 resulting in an additional encrypted identifier, wherein the additional encryption comprises the steps of adding a random component to said encrypted identifier and encrypting the output using asymmetric encryption with a public key, wherein each iteration uses a random component with a lifetime shorter than the lifetime of the certain lifetime according to step a and than the lifetime of the previous iteration and a public key different to that of the previous iteration, transmitting the event data set characterized by the n-times additional encrypted identifier to the at least one data aggregating entity, and undoing at least one iteration of the additional encryption(s) at the at least one receiving data aggregating entity.
US09876764B2

The present invention discloses methods and systems for a VPN gateway to establish virtual private network (VPN) connections with at least one other VPN gateways. The VPN gateway determines that it is classified into a first VPN gateway group by a VPN management server, and the VPN gateway determines which other VPN gateways belong to the same first VPN gateway group. The VPN gateway then determines and sends information about the number of remaining possible VPN connections (RPVPNC) to the VPN management server, such that the VPN management server is able to send a first configuration to the first VPN gateway. The first VPN gateway is then configured according to the first configuration, and the first VPN gateway establishes VPN connections with other VPN gateways based on VPN connection topology, configuration, and number of RPVPNC of the first VPN gateway and other VPN gateways.
US09876763B2

A firewall cluster system comprises a first node operable to receive a connection in a firewall cluster having three or more nodes, monitor packets of the received connection and determining application state data associated with the connection from the monitored packets in the first node, and share application state data with at least another node in the firewall cluster.
US09876762B2

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a status or decision concerning a wireless service or device within a region to a network participant or other communication device (smartphone or motor vehicle, e.g.).
US09876750B2

Methods and systems are provided for reducing noise in a social media feed of the type including successive posts each having a substantially homogeneous format. The method may involve: identifying a plurality of related updates to a record; configuring a single smart post to include underlying content from each of the plurality of related updates, and a visual cue distinct from the substantially homogeneous format; and displaying the smart post in the feed.
US09876749B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first interface arrangement that obtains information from at least one data source. The information is associated with the presence of an entity at a location. The apparatus also comprises a processing arrangement that automatically updates a dynamic distribution list that is associated with the location based on the information.
US09876743B1

An online service may receive a request by a first user to provide a notice or other communication to a second user. The request may specify an email address or other communication address in order to identify the second user. The specified email address may be different than the primary email address by which the second user is known to the online service. Upon receiving such a request, the online service emails the second user using the specified email address and asks the second user to log on to the online service. When the second user logs on, the online service adds the specified email address to the account information of the second user as a secondary email address. When a subsequent request specifies the secondary email address, the notice is sent instead to the primary email address of the second user.
US09876736B2

In one embodiment, a first device in a multicast label distribution (mLDP) network receives a first label mapping message that includes IPv4 and IPv6 addresses of a root node of a multicast tree. The first device also receives a second label mapping message from a second device that identifies the multicast tree and includes one of: the IPv4 address or the IPv6 address of the root node. The first device determines that the second label mapping message is associated with the multicast tree. In response to determining that the second label mapping message is associated with the multicast tree, the first device adds the second device to the multicast tree.
US09876732B2

Resource provisioning to a process in a distributed computing system, such as a cloud computing system. An instruction to provision a resource is received. Portions of the resource are provisioned to the process as they become available, and prior to all portions becoming available, based on determining that the provisioning speed is greater than or equal to the use speed for the resource. If the use speed is faster, it may be actively slowed down.
US09876728B2

A first cache stores preferential packets to be preferentially processed. A second cache stores packets other than the packets stored in the first cache. A processing circuit adjusts the number of preferential packets stored in the first cache in a manner such that the preferential packets are processed at the amount of processing that is equal to or less than a set value set as the amount of processing applicable to the preferential packets within a predetermined period, processes the packets stored in the first cache, and reads from the second cache as many packets as are processable at a surplus value, and processes the read packets, the surplus value being obtained by subtracting the amount of processing to be applied to the preferential packets stored in the first cache from the amount of processing that the processing circuit is capable of performing within the predetermined period.
US09876723B2

The present invention discloses a method carried out by a first communications device for determining performance of a plurality of connections and selecting at least one first connection from the plurality of connections substantially based on performance. Data packets are then transmitted through the at least one first connection. The plurality of connections are aggregated to form an aggregated connection. The determining of performance is performed by transmitting evaluation packets through the plurality of connections. The evaluation packets are based on data packets that are received by the first communication device but have not yet been transmitted through the aggregated connection. The data packets may be designated for a host or node reachable through the aggregated connection. Alternatively, the evaluation packets may be based on predefined information when there are no data packets to be transmitted through the aggregated connection. The performance may be determined periodically.
US09876718B2

A first access switch in the first Fabric receives a notification sent by a second access switch in the first Fabric, and the notification includes a nickname of the second access switch. The first access switch identifies an egress interface to a TRILL path from the first access switch to an access switch corresponding to the nickname in the notification. The first access switch stores the egress interface to the TRILL path in a fiber channel (FC) forwarding table. The first access switch forwards a received FCoE packet by using the egress interface stored in the FC forwarding table. The FCoE packet is forwarded by the first access switch without encapsulation with a TRILL header.
US09876715B2

Disclosed herein are methods of forwarding packets on a network, such as a leaf-spine network having leaf devices and spine devices. The methods may include receiving a packet at an ingress leaf device, and determining based, at least in part, on a header of the packet whether the packet is to be transmitted to a spine device. The methods may further include ascertaining based, at least in part, on a header of the packet whether to perform encapsulation on the packet, encapsulating the packet according to a result of the ascertaining, and then transmitting the packet to a spine device according to a result of the determining. Also disclosed herein are network apparatuses which include a processor and a memory, at least one of the processor or the memory being configured to perform some or all of the foregoing described methods.
US09876709B1

In an example implementation, an alignment detection circuit includes a buffer, a candidate selection circuit, and a correlator circuit. The buffer is configured to receive a data stream from a data lane, the data stream including alignment markers delineating data frames, each of the alignment markers having a predefined bit pattern. The candidate selection circuit is configured to identify candidate data blocks in successive data blocks of the data stream provided by the buffer, each of the candidate blocks having a measure of symmetry satisfying a threshold metric indicative of the predefined bit pattern. The correlator circuit is configured to search for at least one of the alignment markers in each of the candidate blocks and adjust alignment of the data stream in the buffer in response to locating the at least one alignment marker.
US09876706B2

When IGMP packets are relayed to a predetermined router (L3SW), first and second L2SWs update their own snooping tables by snooping. Also, the first L2SW acquires a correspondence relation retained in the snooping table of the second L2SW through a control plane and registers it to the snooping table of the first L2SW. Then, when the first L2SW receives a multicast packet whose destination is a multicast group, the first L2SW extracts corresponding IP addresses based on its own snooping table and converts the multicast packet into unicast packets whose destinations are the IP addresses.
US09876704B2

An example method to perform packet tracing in a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) environment is provided. The SDN environment comprises an SDN controller device and a plurality of forwarding devices configurable by the SDN controller device. The method may comprise the SDN controller device configuring the plurality of forwarding devices to generate trace information of packets associated with a communication flow in the SDN environment; and receiving trace information of packets associated with the communication flow. Based on the trace information, the SDN controller device may generate aggregated trace information by identifying, from header information and payload information of the packets, particular packets associated with the communication flow that are processed by one of the plurality of forwarding devices, or a particular packet associated with the communication flow that is processed by at least two of the plurality of forwarding devices, or both.
US09876694B2

This application provides an apparatus and method for detecting online failure and a system. The apparatus includes: a reading unit configured to read signal to noise ratios of subcarriers from a receiver of a multicarrier optical communication system according to a predetermined monitoring time interval; a judging unit configured to judge whether there exist a first predetermined number of subcarriers of which the signal to noise ratios are less than a first threshold value; a detecting unit configured to monitor a change of distortion of the system when it is judged yes by the judging unit, and determine a cause of degradation of signal to noise ratios according to the change of distortion of the system; and a reporting unit configured to report degradation of signal to noise ratios and/or the cause of degradation of signal to noise ratios. With the apparatus and method and system provided by this application, changes of distortion of the system may be monitored on line, and the changes possibly posing a threat to normal operation of the system may be early alerted, thereby making it possible to perform targeted adjustment in advance.
US09876673B2

Techniques are disclosed for automatic remediation of application performance degradations caused by configuration changes. In one embodiment, a learning module keeps track of application configuration changes and subsequent effects on the application's performance. The learning module creates new potential remediation rules based on correlations between such configuration changes and performance degradations or improvements. The learning module affirms such potential rules if the correlation between the configuration changes and degradations or improvements are repeatedly observed, and vice versa. When subsequent performance degradations are observed, a rule engine, which maintains a set of remediation rules, evaluates the rules to identify configuration changes relevant to the observed performance degradation and determines whether the probability that the configuration changes caused the degradation are greater than a threshold for invoking a remediation action, such as rolling back the configuration changes.
US09876668B2

To enable a large-capacity, high-quality data communication that is excellent in bit error rate characteristic even in an adverse noise environment mainly caused by phase noises or thermal noises. [Solution] Included are: a first phase error detection filter that generates, on the basis of a forward sequence of received symbols, a first phase difference value and a first phase error estimated value; a second phase error detection filter that generates, on the basis of a backward sequence of received symbols, a second phase difference value and a second phase error estimated value; a phase error combination means that generates a third phase error estimated value on the basis of the first and second phase error estimated values and one of the first and second phase difference values; and a phase error compensation means that compensates the phase error of the received symbols in accordance with the third phase error estimated value.
US09876663B2

Method and an apparatus for application of distortion shaping when using Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR) reduction. The apparatus obtains an input signal. The apparatus applies, on the input signal, the PAR reduction and the distortion shaping to form an output signal. A bandwidth associated with the distortion shaping covers multiple channel bandwidths comprised in the input signal, which multiple channel bandwidths are associated with one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs). Embodiments herein facilitate the distortion shaping and applicability of PAR reduction, in particular in case one of the RATs is Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or similar and/or the input signal is associated with radio communications systems that support multiple RATs.
US09876655B2

A Precoding-codebook-base Secure Uplink (PSU) scheme is proposed to utilize the channel reciprocity, uniqueness, and randomness in solving the secure initiation problem. A UE receives a first reference signal via first downlink channel in a mobile communication network. The UE performs channel estimation based on the first reference signal and thereby obtaining a first channel response matrix of the first downlink channel. The UE then encodes secrecy information onto a second reference signal. The UE transmits the second reference signal via a second uplink channel. The secrecy information is hidden in the uplink channel through a precoding operation such that the secrecy information can be extracted when the second uplink channel is reciprocal to the first downlink channel.
US09876652B2

In one embodiment, a technique is provided for automatically generating a custom user interface (UI) of a control device usable to control a home automation system. A configuration database is maintained, for example, on a host controller, of the home automation system. The configuration database stores logical representations that describe a configuration. The configuration database is transferred (e.g., downloaded) to a control device. The control device accesses the configuration database for one or more of the logical representations, and translates returned information related to the one or more of the logical representations to UI element, using predefined mappings. The controll device then displays the UI elements as a custom UI.
US09876650B2

A method for controlling functions of a Management Device (MD) included in a home network is provided. The method for controlling the functions of the MD by a Control Device (CD) in a home network system including the CD for controlling functions of an Electronic Device (ED) connected to a home network and the MD, the functions of which are managed by the CD, includes diagnosing at least one function performed by the MD; identifying information necessary to control the at least one function; and transmitting, to the MD, control information for controlling the at least one function, in consideration of the information necessary to control the at least one function.
US09876648B2

A system and method to control a wireless power transmission system by configuration of wireless power transmission control parameters is disclosed. The configuration of the system may be performed by an operator using a standard web browser on a computing device where the system configuration GUI presented to the operator may be functionally identical regardless of the computing device running the browser. The system configuration GUI may be connected to system through a system configuration API. According to some aspects of this embodiment, a method to control wireless power transmission system by configuration of wireless power transmission control parameters may include accessing the system configuration GUI, displaying operational or other parameter to configure the system, selecting an operational parameter, configuring the selected operational parameter, and then continuing to configure others operational parameter if needed, storing configuration parameters in the computer memory, and communicating configuration parameters to others system computers.
US09876646B2

Systems and methods for managing the identity of a user, for managing the identity of the user in a public storage facility, and for certifying pending transactions for a user are disclosed. One example method includes receiving, at an input device, personal data that identifies the user. The personal data is represented as input data. The input device is configured to process a hashing function to provide a hash value and user accessible interface for transmitting the hash value and a public key of the user to the public storage facility, e.g., block chain, and for receiving back from the public storage facility a transaction number corresponding to the hash value and the public key. In one example, the input device is configured to encrypt the hash value, a time stamp and the transaction number with a public key of a certification entity to provide user certifiable data to the certification entity. The certification entity is configured to access the public storage facility to verify the user. Also provided are systems and methods for certifying pending financial transactions, pending debit and/or credit card transactions, and other pending transactions are also disclosed. Systems and methods signing and certifying documents are also disclosed.
US09876633B2

The invention relates to a device for the radio transmission of a data word between a transmitter (1) and a receiver (65), comprising a transmitter (1) that can transmit at least one block of data comprising a preamble word and a data word repeated several times; an elementary synchronization block allowing the synchronization of the receiver (65) to the transmitter (1) and the detection of the preamble word; and a synchronous averaging device (67) calculating the average of the data word repeated.
US09876628B2

The invention relates to methods for communicating within a communication system when re-configured from a source to a target uplink/downlink configuration. The invention is also providing mobile station for performing these methods, and computer readable media the instructions of which cause the mobile station to perform the methods described herein. Specifically, the invention suggests to perform PUSCH transmissions in response to Downlink Control Information, DCI, transmissions such that the source uplink/downlink configuration is applied to PUSCH transmissions relating to DCI transmissions received up to and including subframe N−6, a predefined uplink/downlink configuration is applied to PUSCH transmissions relating to DCI transmissions received during subframes N−5 to N−1; and the target uplink/downlink configuration is applied to PUSCH transmissions relating to DCI transmissions received from subframe N onward.
US09876624B2

For aperiodic reporting of CSI, nCQI ref is four, and a subframe n−nCQI ref corresponds to a valid subframe. A subframe that satisfies a criteria including at least a criterion (i) is regarded as being valid. In the criterion (i), in a case where third information for a radio frame is detected, an UL-DL configuration for the radio frame is given by the third information for the radio frame, and in a case where the third information for the radio frame is not detected, the UL-DL configuration for the radio frame is given by first information. The criterion (i) stipulates that the subframe is a subframe indicated as a DL subframe or a special subframe by the UL-DL configuration for the radio frame. In a case where a subframe n−4 is not a valid subframe for aperiodic reporting of channel state information, the reporting of the CSI is omitted in the subframe n.
US09876620B2

A method and apparatus provide a user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a plurality of carrier aggregation (CA) groups with at least a first CA group (CG1) and a second CA group (CG2). The UE includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the UE is power-limited. The UE is scheduled to transmit acknowledged information in a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to a cell of the CG1 and uplink control information (UCI), other than the acknowledgement information, in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) to a cell of the CG2. The processing circuitry is also configured to, responsive to the UE being power-limited, prioritize the PUSCH for power allocation. The processing circuitry is also configured to transmit the PUSCH to the cell of the CG1.
US09876603B2

An optical multi carrier signal has a modulation format and has many individual carrier signals. Parameters of the signal are controlled by receiving an indication of individual carrier transmission performance of the individual carrier signals, and selecting parameter values for the individual carrier signals, the parameter values comprising both a carrier FEC overhead and a carrier bandwidth for the modulation format. Selection is made according to the indicated individual carrier transmission performance and according to an overall spectral efficiency of the multi carrier signal. The selected parameter values are output for control of the optical multi carrier signal. By selecting values for both parameters rather than either one, better optimization can be obtained since they are interdependent. The control can have better granularity than changing modulation format, and can make better use of bandwidth or improve the overall capacity.
US09876601B2

There is proved an optical transmission system including: a transmitter configured to transmit an optical signal modulated with a discrete multi-tone (DMT) drive signal; a filter capable of changing a wavelength of the optical signal input from the transmitter; a monitor configured to monitor a power of the optical signal passed through the filter; and at least one processor configured to: set a center wavelength of the filter, shift the center wavelength, detect a change in the power monitored by the monitor, identify a carrier component of the optical signal based on the change in the power, and control a relative relationship between a transmission characteristic of the filter and a wavelength of the carrier component so that the carrier component is included in the optical signal and one of an upper sideband and a lower sideband of the optical signal is at least partially removed by the filter.
US09876600B2

Methods and systems are described for calibrating phase hardware-induced distortion in a cellular communications system. In one aspect, an estimate of a phase difference at a user equipment (UE) between downlink channels including signals sent over two or more BS transmitter chains is obtained. A phase difference between uplink channels including signals received over two or more BS receiver chains is determined. A relative phase distortion induced by two or more BS transceiver chains is determined based on the received estimate of phase difference between downlink channels and the determined phase difference between uplink channels.
US09876593B1

Disclosed is a system and method for transmitting data to a device based on an entry of a rundown for a news program. An example method involves: (i) a first device recording data transmitted from a second device to a third device; (ii) assigning an identifier to the recorded data; (iii) selecting an entry from a rundown including entries indicative of a sequence of events related to a news program; (iv) making a determination that the selected entry is associated with the assigned identifier; and (v) responsive to making the determination, causing the recorded data to be transmitted to the third device.
US09876590B2

In some applications network parameters vary over time in a manner that precludes the use of conventional swept frequency network analyzers. Swept measurements incur penalty both in terms of acquisition time, and in terms of registration between measurements taken at the beginning and at the end of a sweep. Disclosed is an architecture and method for real-time analysis of network parameters. Example applications are presented, ranging from thermal drift of amplifiers, to microwave imaging of moving objects, to characterizing materials on conveyors, to characterizing plasma buildup, and many more.
US09876578B2

An optical device comprising, an optical input and output device comprising a first input port, a second input port, a first output port and a second output port, and an optical filtering device comprising an input port coupled to the first output port and an output port coupled to the second input port, and an optical amplifying device comprising an input port coupled to the second output port. The optical input and output device is adapted to couple the output port comprised in the optical filtering device to the input port comprised in the optical amplifying device. The optical filtering device comprises a multiple of cascaded phase shifted Bragg gratings, each being adapted to filter an associated respective optical carrier within to produce a respective output signal to the optical amplifying device.
US09876577B2

An optical transmitter includes a discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation unit that modulates a carrier signal having a specific frequency with an information signal and a carrier signal having a frequency different from the specific frequency with a monitor signal, to generate a DMT modulation signal that multiplexes the information signal and the monitor signal. The optical transmitter includes a laser diode (LD) unit that optically converts the DMT modulation signal to a corresponding optical DMT modulation signal, a frequency extraction unit that extracts a harmonic distortion component of the monitor signal from the optical DMT modulation signal, and a frequency analysis unit. The optical transmitter includes a bias control unit that controls a bias supply unit that adjusts a bias value to be supplied to the LD unit such that the extracted harmonic distortion component of the monitor signal is reduced.
US09876573B2

Example embodiments include an optical networking system (e.g., apparatus) and corresponding method. According to some embodiments, a plurality of shelves may be interconnected to form a daisy chain, each shelf including unpowered passive optical modules and the daisy chain including an active module having a passive power communication source. The passive power communication source may distribute passive power to memory devices on the one unpowered passive optical networking modules. The memory devices may provide respective communication as a function of interconnections of the daisy chain and passive power distributed by the passive power communication source. Advantages include unique identification of the memory devices without requiring active power to their corresponding modules, and continuous discovery and inventory of such memory devices. Such embodiments may also help network planners better manage and end-to-end optical circuit which may reduce amplification or regeneration nodes creating a more cost efficient solution.
US09876572B2

Systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks that allow bandwidth to be efficiently allocated within the data center networks, while reducing the physical interconnectivity requirements of the data center networks. Such systems and methods of affinity modeling in data center networks further allow computing resources within the data center networks to be controlled and provisioned based at least in part on the network topology and an application component topology, thereby enhancing overall application program performance. Using an affinity topology describing requirements for communications between applications and a network topology, network nodes are configured to satisfy multicast dispersion and latency requirements associated with communications between applications.
US09876559B2

A method for relaying signal and a relay using the same are proposed. The method is applicable to a relay. The method includes: receiving a signal with power allocation from a source; demodulating the signal to extract a symbol; re-modulating the symbol to a re-modulated symbol; and transmitting the re-modulated symbol to a destination according to a specific delay.
US09876547B2

Channel state information (CSI) feedback in a wireless communication system (100) is disclosed. User equipment (107) transmits a CSI feedback signal via a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) (108). If the UE is configured in a first feedback mode, the CSI comprises a first report jointly coding a Rank Indicator (RI) and a first precoding matrix indicator (PMI1) (203), and a second report coding Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) and a second precoding matrix indicator (PMI2)(204). If the UE is configured in a second feedback mode, the CSI comprises a first report coding RI (205), and a second report coding CQI, PMI1 and PMI2 (206). The jointly coded RI and PMI1 employs codebook sub-sampling, and the jointly coding PMI1, PMI2 and CQI employs codebook sub-sampling.
US09876543B2

Systems and methods are disclosed herein to provide improved channel estimation and channel state information (CSI) transfer in a wireless data communication system, including but not limited to Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication systems. In accordance with one or more embodiments and aspects thereof, a channel estimation and CSI transfer system is disclosed that extends and utilizes existing frame transfer elements to accomplish estimation and transfer. Such a system may offer improved capabilities such as a lower overhead CSI transfer, reduced data transfer latency, and more frequent CSI measurements.
US09876539B2

A method and apparatus for load balancing in a wireless network is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, by at least one of the one or more controllers, from at least one of the one or more base stations, information indicative of a rate that can be provided by the at least one base station to at least one client terminal by the at least one base station when serving a group of one or more client terminals, the at least one client terminal being associated to the at least one controller; receiving, by the at least one of the one or more controllers, from the at least one of the one or more base stations, information indicative of the transmission resources provided by the at least one base station for resource allocation among the at least one client terminal by the at least one controller; and determining, by the at least one controller, based on the information indicative of the rate and the information indicative of transmission resources, information indicative of an allocation of base station transmission resources for at least one client terminal from the at least one base station.
US09876532B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves along a surface of a wire that facilitates delivery of electric energy to devices, and sensing a condition that is adverse to the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the wire. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09876529B2

A method and apparatus for providing information about an encrypted signal transmitted by a satellite in a satellite navigation system are disclosed. A data sequence of the encrypted signal as transmitted is obtained, a signal sample is extracted from the data sequence, the signal sample including a part of the data sequence having a length less than a total length of the data sequence, and the signal sample and information about when the data included in the signal sample was transmitted by the satellite are transmitted, as the encrypted signal information, to a receiver for use in the satellite navigation system. A method and apparatus for authenticating an unencrypted signal based on the encrypted signal information are also disclosed. In particular, a time offset between an internal clock of the receiver and an internal clock of the satellite is obtained based on the unencrypted signal, the encrypted signal information is received, a portion of the received encrypted signal is identified that is expected to correspond to the signal sample based on the obtained time offset, the identified portion is correlated with the signal sample, and it is determined that the received unencrypted signal is authentic if a predetermined threshold correlation is obtained.
US09876526B2

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for filtering of communication signals. Filtering may be implemented, for example, as a bandpass filter that is selectively tuned across a communication system frequency range to more effectively utilize the communication system bandwidth. In one example, a system includes a printed wiring board (PWB) and a filter implemented in the PWB. The filter includes first and second ports, an inductor comprising a plurality of vias extending through the PWB and a plurality of conductors connecting the plurality of vias to provide a plurality of coils between the first and second ports, and a plurality of capacitors disposed within the PWB. Additional systems and methods are also provided.
US09876522B2

Disclosed is durable and water-resistant or water-proof communication accessory with a built-in battery for a mobile communication device capable of enclosing, powering, and protecting a mobile device and protecting it from dirt, water, weather, bumps, and scratches. The built-in battery can extend the battery operating time of mobile communication device while protecting the sensitive electronics, glass screen, and data.
US09876516B2

A method of suppressing interference in a communication sent over a channel includes assessing characteristics of channel-induced distortion in a channel, and applying pre-distortion to a signal sent over the channel. The pre-distortion is based on the assessed characteristics of the channel-induced distortion.
US09876511B2

A memory system includes a non-volatile memory. A coding unit generates a codeword by performing coding of a graph code using a graph. A side of the graph is associated with a block that is a part of user data and that has one or more symbols at which component codes intersect one another. A control unit stores the codeword in the non-volatile memory. Error correction is performed on the user data in accordance with the codeword.
US09876509B2

An example method to parallelize data decompression includes adjusting a first one of initial starting positions to determine a first adjusted starting position by decoding the bitstream starting at a training position in the bitstream, the decoding including traversing the bitstream from the training position as though first data located at the training position is a valid token; and merging, by executing an instruction with the processor, first decoded data generated by decoding a first segment of the compressed data bitstream starting from the first adjusted starting position with second decoded data generated by decoding a second segment of the compressed data bitstream, the decoding of the second segment starting from a second position in the compressed data bitstream and being performed in parallel with the decoding of the first segment, and the second segment preceding the first segment in the compressed data bitstream.
US09876495B2

A semiconductor device capable of reducing power consumption is provided. A writing potential is supplied to the cell 11 in which data rewriting is to be performed, whereby data is written. Meanwhile, in the cell 11 in which data rewriting is not to be performed, the data is transferred to the cell 12 and then the transferred data is rewritten to the cell 11. As a result, the data stored in the cell 11 in which data rewriting is not to be performed can be maintained without the reading and writing operation in a driver circuit. This results in a higher rewriting speed and lower power consumption in the driver circuit.
US09876485B2

An active circuit includes an active element, an input unit, and a bypass unit. The active element is coupled to an output terminal of the active circuit for outputting an output signal. The input unit is coupled to an input terminal of the active circuit, and is coupled to an input terminal of the active element through a node. The input unit adjusts a capacitance value of the input unit according to a first control signal. The bypass unit is coupled to an output terminal of the input unit through the node, and is coupled to the output terminal of the active circuit. The bypass unit turns on or off a signal bypassing path according to a second control signal.
US09876480B2

A tunable capacitance circuit comprises a plurality of varactor transistors which are coupled in series. An antenna tuner comprises such a tunable capacitance circuit.
US09876473B2

Apparatus and methods for wideband envelope tracking systems are disclosed herein. In certain implementations, an envelope tracker includes a DC-to-DC converter, a current digital-to-analog converter (DAC), an error amplifier, a feedback circuit, and an AC combiner. The current DAC receives a digital envelope signal, and uses the digital envelope signal to generate an envelope current. The feedback circuit is connected between an output and an inverting input of the error amplifier, and the envelope current is provided to the error amplifier's inverting input. Additionally, the AC combiner generates a power amplifier supply voltage by combining an output of the DC-to-DC converter and an output of the error amplifier.
US09876467B2

A wiring structure for a solar cell roof may include a moving glass slidably provided on a mechanism rail mounted on each of side frames that are disposed on both sides of a ceiling opening of a vehicle, and a fixed glass fixedly provided, a connection wire connected at a first end thereof to a solar cell included in the moving glass and connected at a second end thereof to a solar cell included in the fixed glass to allow electric current to flow therethrough, and a guide device provided on the side frame adjacent to the mechanism rail to be disposed in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and having a space to accommodate the connection wire therein, in which, when the moving glass is opened, the guide device accommodating the connection wire is restrained in movement in a transverse direction of the vehicle but is rotated only upwards.
US09876466B2

Circuits integrated or integrable with a photovoltaic panel to provide built-in functionality to the photovoltaic panel including safety features such as arc detection and elimination, ground fault detection and elimination, reverse current protection, monitoring of the performance of the photovoltaic panel, transmission of the monitored parameters and theft prevention of the photovoltaic panel. The circuits may avoid power conversion, for instance DC/DC power conversion, may avoid performing maximum power tracking to include a minimum number of components and thereby increase overall reliability.
US09876464B2

A renewable energy system comprising a solar panel that is adapted to be mounted on a structure and convert solar energy into electrical energy, a windmill that is adapted to be mounted on the structure and convert wind energy into electrical energy, a window turbine assembly that is adapted to convert wind energy into electrical energy, and a means for shutting down the renewable energy system that is adapted to automatically shut down the system in the event of an emergency. A method for a renewable energy system comprising providing a renewable energy system and converting renewable energy into electrical energy.
US09876458B2

A control device for an AC rotating machine includes an electric-power converter that has two or more switching devices connected with an AC rotating machine and applies a voltage to the AC rotating machine, a switch that opens or closes an electric connection path between the AC rotating machine and the electric-power converter, a switching device controller that controls opening and closing of the switching devices, and a switch controller that controls opening and closing of the switch; when a failure occurs in the electric-power converter, the AC rotating machine, or the electric connection path therebetween, the switch controller controls opening and closing of the switch in accordance with rotation information on the AC rotating machine.
US09876455B2

A field winding type synchronous machine has a stator having a stator core to which a stator coil is wound, and a rotor that rotates while facing a peripheral surface of the stator with an electromagnetic gap therebetween. The rotor includes a rotor core having a plurality of main pole portions and interpole portions, main pole windings wound around the main pole portions, interpole windings wound around the interpole portions, and a full-wave rectifier circuit for energizing the field current to the main pole windings. The interpole windings produce the induced current by a magnetic flux generated by a time harmonic current superimposed on a fundamental wave of the stator coil. The electromagnetic gaps between the interpole portions and a circumferential surface of the stator are configured larger than electromagnetic between the main pole portions and the circumferential surface of the stator.
US09876442B2

A single-phase DC/AC inverter has a single-phase inverter bridge with binary switches connected to an RLC low-pass filter. Digital control logic in a control circuit (or in a microcontroller) determines and controls a logic state q determining the position of the switches in the inverter bridge from sensed iL, vC values from the RLC filter. The control logic selects one of multiple possible logic states q based on whether the sensed iL, vC values belongs one of multiple boundary regions of a tracking band in an iL, vC state space.
US09876433B2

A controller for use in a power converter includes a drive circuit coupled to generate a drive signal to control switching of a power switch of the power converter in response to a feedback signal to control a transfer of energy from an input to an output of the power converter. An audible noise window circuit is coupled to generate a frequency skip signal in response to the feedback signal. The frequency skip signal is activated in response to a frequency of a feedback request signal responsive to the feedback signal being within an audible noise window. An audible noise reduction circuit is coupled to output a reduction signal in response to the frequency skip signal. The drive circuit is coupled to generate the drive signal in response to the reduction signal from the audible noise reduction circuit.
US09876430B2

A method for providing non-resonant zero-voltage switching in a switching power converter. The switching power converter converts power from input power to output power during multiple periodic switching cycles. The switching power converter includes a main switch and an auxiliary capacitor adapted for connecting to the main switch, and an inductor connectible to the auxiliary capacitor. When the main switch is on, a previously charged (or previously discharged) auxiliary capacitor is connected to the main switch with auxiliary switches. The main switch is switched off with zero voltage while discharging non-resonantly (charging) the auxiliary capacitor by providing a current path to the inductor. The auxiliary capacitor is disconnected from the main switch. The voltage of the auxiliary capacitor is charged and discharged alternatively during subsequent switching cycles. The voltage of the auxiliary capacitor stays substantially the same until the subsequent turn off of the main switch during the next switching cycle with substantially no energy loss in the auxiliary capacitor.
US09876429B1

An apparatus including an inductor coupled to a load circuit, a control circuit, and a driver circuit. The control circuit may be configured to select a first operating mode in response to a determination that a value of current flowing through the inductor is greater than a threshold, and to otherwise select a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor for a first duration, based on a comparison of a supply voltage level to a voltage level across the load circuit. In the second operating mode, the driver circuit may be configured to source current to the load circuit through the inductor at a number of time points. At each time point the current may be sourced for a second duration that is based on an allowable peak current flowing through the inductor.
US09876426B2

An ON-period setting circuit is provided in a fixed-ON-period switching power supply device that produces a desired output voltage from an input voltage by driving a coil by turning ON and OFF an output transistor and a synchronous rectification transistor. The ON-period setting circuit shortens the ON period the more the lighter the load is in a discontinuous-current mode. Or, the ON-period setting circuit transiently shortens the ON period on completion of a transition from a discontinuous-current mode to a continuous-current mode.
US09876424B2

Disclosed are a compensation network, switching power supply circuit and a circuit compensation method; in the compensation network: an output end of the resistance capacitance network is cascaded to an input end of the unity gain amplifier network, and an output end of the unity gain amplifier network is cascaded to an input end of the error amplifier network; the resistance capacitance network is configured to provide a voltage dividing resistor, and generate a zero and a pole which are mutually canceled; the unity gain amplifier network is configured to generate a zero for canceling a pole in a low pass filter network, and a pole for suppressing a high-frequency noise and improving a phase margin of a switching power supply circuit; and the error amplifier network is configured to generate a pole for increasing low-frequency gain and a zero for canceling another pole in the low pass filter network.
US09876421B2

A power supply controller having a shortened reset time due to a small hiccup voltage includes an electrical circuit providing a repeated voltage hiccup of a supply voltage of the controller of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) when the controller enters a latched state. A plurality of comparators each have an input coupled with the controller supply voltage. A multiplexer and two latches are included, each coupled with one or more comparator outputs, and a restart controller is coupled with an output of one of the latches. The restart controller in various implementations toggles a switch to activate and deactivate a current sink to create the supply voltage hiccup. In other implementations, the switch is excluded and the restart controller toggles a voltage startup transistor to couple and decouple a voltage source with the supply voltage to create the voltage hiccup.
US09876420B2

A submodule distributed control method, device and system are provided. Submodules of each bridge arm are grouped. Each group corresponds to one valve based controller. An upper-level control device calculates a weight of each group according to a bridge arm current, an average voltage of normal submodules in each group, and the number of the normal submodules in each group; calculates, according to the number of submodules to be input in a corresponding bridge arm, the number of submodules being input in each group and delivers the number to the valve based controller. The valve based controller operates according to a voltage balancing policy and a gating method that are provided in the prior art.
US09876419B2

A vibration motor includes a fixed member, a vibration unit, and an elastic member. The fixed member includes a housing having a receiving space and a coil received in the receiving space and assembled with the housing. The vibration unit includes a first weight, a second weight, and a magnet sandwiched by the first and second weights. The motor further includes a positioning guiding member including a first weight guiding rail, a second weight guiding rail, a first base guiding rail formed on the bottom wall, a second base guiding rail formed on the bottom wall, a first movement rail formed by the first weight guiding rail and the first base guiding rail, a second movement rail formed by the second weight guiding rail and the second base guiding rail, and a plurality of rolling members accommodated in the first movement rail and the second movement rail.
US09876412B2

A drive system for driving a load, comprising a gas turbine configured and arranged for driving the load, an electric motor/generator electrically connected to an electric power grid, a first load coupling connecting the gas turbine to the load, a second load coupling, connecting the load to the electric motor/generator. The electric motor/generator is adapted to function as a generator for converting excess mechanical power from the gas turbine into electrical power and delivering the electrical power to the electric power grid, and as a motor for supplementing driving power to the load. The drive system comprises furthermore a disconnecting device to reversibly disconnect the load from the gas turbine, so that the load can be driven only by the motor.
US09876410B2

The present invention relates to an electric motor, comprising a stator and a rotor that can rotate relative to the stator and that is mounted in bearing arrangements, and also comprising a motor housing and a vibration sensor to pick up vibrations that occur in the electric motor and that are caused by malfunctions of the bearing arrangements. The configuration provided here is that of an external-rotor motor. The stator has a bearing support tube that is connected at one end to a ring-shaped stator flange. Bearing arrangements are arranged at a distance from each other in the bearing support tube in the direction of a center longitudinal axis of the bearing support tube, in which a shaft of the rotor is supported. The vibration sensor is attached to the stator flange.
US09876403B2

Spatially mutually close pole components are offset with respect to one another such that their influences on a given harmonic of the vibrations occurring during operation cancel one another as much as possible. The present invention therefore suggests concepts and makes dimensioning proposals by means of which certain harmonic orders of the operating noise can be reduced.
US09876395B2

A power feeding device utilizing an electromagnetic resonance coupling method and a contactless power feeding system can be provided. A coupling coefficient of electromagnetic induction coupling in the power feeding device and/or the inside of a power receiving device is optimized to improve electric power transmission efficiency of a resonance frequency regardless of positions of the power feeding device and the power receiving device. Provided is a power feeding device or a contactless power feeding system in which an S11 parameter which is a reflection component of electric power output from a high-frequency power source of the power feeding device is monitored, and one or both of positions of a transmission coil and a first resonant coil in the power feeding device and positions of a reception coil and a second resonant coil in a power receiving device are changed to adjust a coupling coefficient of electromagnetic induction coupling.
US09876394B1

A controlled-power delivery system may operate with RF waves for supplying continuous and suitable power to a load. The controlled-power delivery system may include one or more receiving antennas, one or more rectifiers, a first boost converter, a charger, a storage element, and a second boost converter. The first boost converter may step up the rectified DC voltage obtained from the receiving antenna and rectifier to supply a suitable voltage level that can be used for charging the storage element. The second boost converter may increase the voltage from the storage element to a suitable level that may satisfy the power requirements of the load. The charger in conjunction with the first and second boost converters may be configured to allow a plurality of modes of operation for delivering power to the load and charging the storage element.
US09876386B2

Example wireless power transfer systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to an electronic lock module. An electronic control module that is physically separate from the electronic lock module generates a wireless charging link between the electronic control module and the electronic lock module. The electronic control module transmits a charging signal to the electronic lock module via the wireless charging link, and the electronic lock module uses this charging signal to charge the rechargeable battery. The transmission frequency of the charging signal can be varied over a predetermined frequency range by a numerically controlled oscillator.
US09876381B2

The present disclosure illustrates a bidirectional wireless charging device. The bidirectional wireless charging device comprises a transceiver chip which is configured to receive a switch signal. The transceiver chip comprises a power stage circuit and a control module. The power stage circuit is coupled to a coil, and the control module is coupled to the power stage circuit. The power stage circuit is configured to output a voltage to the coil, or to receive an induced voltage from the coil. The control module is configured to control the transceiver chip to enter a power mode or a charging mode based upon the switch signal. When the transceiver chip enters the power mode, the transceiver chip provides the voltage to the coil. When the transceiver chip enters the charging mode, the transceiver chip receives the induced voltage from the coil and charges a power storage unit.
US09876375B2

A jumper cable which includes a receptacle mounted on, near or within a battery casing. The receptacle may include a socket having a pair of circular contacts on the inner circumference thereof electrically connected to battery terminals. The device may also include a cable having a plug on each end configured to mate with the receptacle socket. Such a plug may include a larger-diameter ring for engaging the upper contact and a smaller-diameter ring for engaging the lower contact when the plug is inserted into the socket. Accordingly, if a battery needs recharging, a plug is inserted into the receptacle associated with the dead battery and the opposing plug is inserted into a receptacle associated with a charged battery to establish electrical interconnection there between. Alternatively, an adapter having a socket and electrical clamps for grasping battery terminals may be used when a receptacle is not connected to one of the batteries.
US09876374B2

A device for controlling a charging voltage, includes: a voltage drop unit configured to drop a voltage by a preset magnitude; a voltage comparison unit configured to compare a charging voltage of a battery with a first reference voltage and to output a path selection signal through an output terminal; a first path configured to connect the battery to a charging power supply; a second path configured to connect the battery to the charging power supply, with the voltage drop unit being interposed between the battery and the charging power supply; and a path selector configured to select one from the first path and the second path according to the path selection signal.
US09876355B2

A programmable electrical control device (10) adapted to be programmed by an external programming device, the programmable electrical control device for controlling electrical power supply in cooperation with an electrical switching device (12), the electrical switching device having a body, an electrical power supply input, an electrical power supply output (15) and a manual switch (16), the device (10) including a data connection module; memory; a timing module; a processor; and a switching module, including at least one supply on period, and at least one supply off period, wherein at least a part of the device (10) is capable of being integrated within the body.
US09876353B2

The present invention relates to a method (40) for transmitting electrical power between an energy supply grid (16) and an energy consumer (12) or energy producer (12) which is coupled to the energy supply grid (16), wherein at least one electrical variable of the energy supply grid (16) is detected, wherein a discrepancy between the electrical variable and a rated variable of the energy supply grid (16) which is associated with the electrical variable is determined, wherein the power transmission is controlled on the basis of the discrepancy, and wherein the electrical variable is a mains frequency and/or a mains voltage of the energy supply grid (16) and the rated variable is a rated frequency and/or rated voltage of the energy supply grid (16).
US09876352B2

Systems and methods for voltage stability monitoring in power systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving data representing a set of system parameters of a power system having one or more power buses under a load condition. The method also includes estimating one or more sets of the system parameters under one or more additional load conditions based on the received data and topology information of the power system. The method further includes determining a voltage stability index for the power system based on both the received set of system parameters and the estimated one or more sets of the system parameters.
US09876350B2

[Problem] To provide a power supply system which effectively utilizes a power storage unit and also limits degradation of the power storage unit.[Solution] A power supply system (1) is provided with: a power storage unit (2) for charging supplied electric power and supplying the charged electric power by means of discharge; and a power storage unit controller (3) for controlling the discharging of the power storage unit (2). The power storage unit controller (3) sets a discharge period during which the power storage unit (2) can be discharged. Furthermore, during the discharge period, the power storage unit controller (3) determines the electric energy to be supplied by means of the discharging of the power storage unit (2) during the remaining discharge period on the basis of the remaining discharge period and the electric energy that can be discharged by the power storage unit (2).
US09876343B2

An automatic transfer switch includes a first switching apparatus having a first state to electrically connect at least one load to a primary power source and a second state to electrically connect the at least one load to a secondary power source; a sensor structured to sense information related to the power draw of the at least one load; and a control unit structured to determine the power draw of a selected one of the loads based on the output of the sensor, to compare the power draw of the selected load to a power capacity of the secondary power source, to allow the selected load to turn on if the power capacity of the secondary power source is at least greater than the power draw of the selected load, and to otherwise prevent the selected load from turning on.
US09876339B2

A thermal sleeve for protecting an electronic member connected to a wiring harness, assembly therewith and method of construction are provided. The thermal sleeve includes a tubular heat-settable nonwoven inner layer having a generally cylindrical portion and an outer surface extending along a longitudinal central axis between opposite open ends. A reflective outer layer is disposed about the outer surface. At least one finger of the heat-settable nonwoven inner layer extends radially inwardly from the generally cylindrical portion. The at least one finger is heat-set to remain extended radially inwardly absent an externally applied force thereon. The at least one finger has a free end surrounding a through opening sized for receipt of the wiring harness.
US09876334B2

A breaker assembly is disclosed comprising a breaker board having a bus bar including a first engagement feature and a breaker module having a line side connector including a second engagement feature engaging the first engagement feature to inhibit separation of the breaker module from the breaker board. The breaker board can further include a board mount having a first alignment feature, and the breaker module can further include a module mount engaging the board mount and having a second alignment feature engaging the first alignment feature. In another aspect of the invention, the breaker board includes board connections, the breaker module includes breaker connections (e.g., blind mate connections), and the board connections are engaged with the breaker connections. In another aspect of the invention, the breaker module includes a ledge that defines an undercut to facilitate prying of the breaker module from the breaker board.
US09876332B2

In a metallic shell, cutting traces are formed on the inner circumferential surface of a trunk portion and the inner circumferential surface of an elongated leg portion. A first portion of a packing is in contact with and disposed between the rear end surface of a ledge portion of the metallic shell and the outer circumferential surface of a step portion of an insulator. A second portion of the packing is in contact with and disposed between the inner circumferential surface of a trunk portion of the metallic shell and the outer circumferential surface of a tubular portion of the insulator. A gap between the inner circumferential surface of the elongated leg portion and the outer circumferential surface of the leg portion is approximately uniform along the entire circumference.
US09876320B2

A sensor adapter cable provides medical personnel with the convenience of utilizing otherwise incompatible optical sensors with multiple blood parameter plug-ins to a physiological monitor, where the plug-ins each have keyed connectors that mechanically lock-out incompatible sensors in addition readers that poll sensor identification components in each sensor so as to electrically lock-out incompatible sensors.
US09876319B2

A shield is described for minimizing leakage of electromagnetic waves from a connector/chassis interface. The shield includes a conductive strip sized to at least partially surround an aperture in a chassis, where the chassis receives a connector port assembly through the aperture. The conductive strip includes an outer portion affixed to an interior surface of the chassis, and an inner portion able to be manipulated to at least partially cover one or more gaps between the connector port assembly and the chassis.
US09876307B2

Contact structures for devices, where contacts in the contact structures may provide a sufficient normal force to provide a good electrical connection with corresponding contacts while consuming a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in a device, and where the contact structures may prevent or limit the ingress of fluid or debris into the device. On example may provide a contact structure having a frame. The frame may be arranged to be placed in an opening in a device enclosure for an electronic device or the frame may be part of the electronic device. The frame may include a number of passages, each passage for a contact of the contact structure. Each contact may be held to the frame by a pliable membrane. Each contact may connect to a board in the electronic device via a compliant conductive path.
US09876305B2

A connector composing one of two wire-to-wire connectors is provided. The connector includes a cylindrical outer housing having an insertion opening on one end for inserting the other connector of the two wire-to-wire connectors. The connector further includes an inner housing inserted into the outer housing via an assembly opening on the other end of the outer housing. The connector further includes a retainer inserted into the inner housing via a window hole provided in the cylindrical wall portion of the outer housing for locking a terminal in a detachment-preventing manner on the basis of a push-in operation after a wire with the terminal has been inserted into the terminal holding hole in the inner housing. The retainer enters first and second temporary locking states.
US09876304B2

The present invention relates to a contacting device for producing an electrical contact between at least one first electrical component and at least one second electrical component, said device having a first contacting region and a second contacting region at a distance therefrom.
US09876301B2

The utility model discloses an electrical connector for Christmas lamp trees which comprises an upper and a lower connecting base, first columnar electrodes and elastic devices are arranged in the upper connecting base, second arc-shaped electrodes are arranged in the lower connecting base, and the elastic devices cause the first electrodes to tightly abut against the second electrodes. The first columnar electrodes and the second arc-shaped electrodes form a point-to-surface contact, so that the reliability of electrical connection is increased greatly, allowing a Christmas lamp tree to be universal to high and low voltages. Moreover, sufficient contact between upper and lower layers and natural effect of the Christmas lamp tree can still be ensured even if the Christmas lamp tree is subjected to an external force, and multiple sets of first and second electrodes are electrically connected in one-to-one correspondence, leading to diversified functions of the Christmas lamp tree.
US09876299B2

The electrical connector assembly includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the housing. The stand includes a support and a spring supporting the support. The electrical connector is seated upon the support and moveable along with the support in the vertical direction due to deformation of the spring. Each of the contacts includes an upper contacting section and a lower contacting section. An electronic component located upon the housing and downwardly pressing and mechanically and electrically connected to the upper contacting sections. An FPC is sandwiched between the support and the electrical connector and mechanically and electrically connected to the lower contacting sections.
US09876288B2

A cable connector for coupling to a coaxial cable includes an outer barrel configured to receive the cable, a collar received on the outer barrel, and a seal assembly. The seal assembly includes a plurality of compressible compression bands, the seal assembly configured to provide a seal with a cable received by the cable connector.
US09876287B1

An artificial lighted tree may have power routed through the tree trunk and three-wire safety grounding. A system and method are provided for preventing inadvertent electrical connection of a standard plug to a female socket of an electrical power cord to the artificial lighted tree. The apparatus and method comprise a non-standard female socket on a three-prong safety grounded electrical power cord. The non-standard female socket includes raised side socket walls with vertical half rounds in the sidewalls to mate with a non-standard two-prong non-polarized male electrical plug, customized to include mating grooves cut into top and bottom lips. Advantageously, use of a non-standard female socket paired with a non-standard two-prong non-polarized male electrical plug functions to prevent electrical connection by standard two-prong non-polarized male electrical plugs thereby permitting use of a three wire cord having lower amperage rating than standard UL approved three wire cord.
US09876284B2

The invention relates to a multibeam source for a multibeam antenna, the source comprising a plurality of identical basic sources, such that the basic sources are combined into identical subnetworks around a central basic source, each subnetwork forming a beam, and such that two adjacent subnetworks comprise at least one common basic source, wherein the source includes: a supply and polarization stage for supplying power to the central basic sources and polarizing the electromagnetic field at the accesses of the central basic sources; and a stage for distributing the power from the central basic sources among the basic sources of the corresponding subnetwork and those common to a plurality of subnetworks according to a predetermined amplitude law.
US09876276B2

A device is equipped with one or more communication modules supporting communication on the basis of radio signals and communication on the basis of body-coupled communication signals. Further, the device is equipped with an antenna for transmission of the radio signals. The antenna is further operable to transfer the body-coupled communication signals between the device and a body of a user of the device.
US09876264B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a guided wave switch that selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core of a first conductorless guided wave cable with an end of a selected one of a plurality of second dielectric cores of at least one second conductorless guided wave cable to facilitate coupling of the first guided waves from the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09876261B2

A monitoring device for a battery, a lithium-ion battery with the monitoring device and a method for the monitoring of a battery, wherein the battery is provided with a plurality of cell composites comprising a number of mutually parallel-interconnected battery cells. The cell composites are also interconnected by means of electrical cell couplers, and one or more temperature sensors are arranged between the cell composites. Where a voltage drop across one or more of the battery cells on the electrical cell couplers exceeds a predetermined value and, simultaneously, a temperature occurs on at least one of the temperature sensors which exceeds a predetermined value, a fault signal is generated. The defective battery cell can then be isolated from the cell composite.
US09876259B2

A current interruption device includes a deforming plate, a contact plate and a conducting plate which configure a current path. The deforming plate includes one surface on an opposite side from the contact plate facing a first space, a pressure of which is retained to a same pressure as the internal pressure of the casing and the other surface opposed to the contact plate facing a second space, a pressure of which is retained to a same pressure as an external pressure of the casing. When the internal pressure rises above the predetermined level, the second contact portion is separated from the conducting plate by deformation of the deforming plate toward the contacting plate.
US09876256B2

A device including a detector 200 for detecting position of a positive electrode 24 as a first electrode in terms of a packaged electrode having a bag-shaped separator 40 in which the positive electrode is provided, and stacking unit 112 and 122 for stacking the positive electrode 24 as the first electrode on a negative electrode 30 as a second electrode having a different polar characteristics from that of the positive electrode 24 as the first electrode on the basis of the position of the positive electrode 24 as the first electrode thus detected.
US09876254B2

A non-aqueous liquid electrolyte for a secondary battery, containing, in an aprotic solvent: an electrolyte; a particular nitrile compound; and a flame retardant composed of a particular phosphate compound or a phosphazene compound, in which the nitrile compound is contained in an amount of 0.1 parts by mass to 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the flame retardant.
US09876251B2

Layer cell includes an outer casing, positive electrode, negative electrode, separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and electrically conductive current collector passing through the positive electrode, the negative electrode and the separator in an axial direction of the outer casing. The positive electrode, the negative electrode and the separator are stacked in the axial direction of the outer casing. First electrode which is one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode is in contact with an inner surface of the outer casing, but is not in contact with the current collector. Second electrode which is the other electrode is not in contact with the outer casing, but is in contact with the current collector. An outer edge of the second electrode is covered with the separator. Peripheral edge of a hole, in the first electrode is covered with the separator.
US09876249B2

In certain configurations and applications, fuel cell stacks can be subject to damage arising from resonance. For instance, the natural frequency of lengthy automotive fuel cell stacks can be low enough to be problematic. Incorporating appropriate support bars between the compression straps holding such stacks together and the fuel cells in the stack can suitably increase the natural frequency in a relatively compact manner.
US09876247B2

A solid ceramic electrolyte may include an ion-conducting ceramic and at least one grain growth inhibitor. The ion-conducting ceramic may be a lithium metal phosphate or a derivative thereof. The grain growth inhibitor may be magnesia, titania, or both. The solid ceramic electrolyte may have an average grain size of less than about 2 microns. The grain growth inhibitor may be between about 0.5 mol. % to about 10 mol. % of the solid ceramic electrolyte.
US09876246B2

In one aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, includes fabricating each of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode, and the membrane separately by electrospinning; and placing the membrane between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and pressing then together to form the fuel cell MEA.
US09876245B2

A gas separator has an adsorbent, a circulation-passage constituting member, a circulator, an adsorption facilitator, and a desorption facilitator. The adsorbent adsorbs or desorbs carbon dioxide, and the adsorbent is made of a liquid. The circulation-passage constituting member therein has a space that defines a circulation passage in which the adsorbent flows. The circulator circulates the adsorbent in the space. The adsorption facilitator facilitates an adsorption of carbon dioxide to the adsorbent filling the space. The desorption facilitator facilitates a desorption of carbon dioxide from the adsorbent filling the space.
US09876237B2

A fuel cell separator, a fuel cell stack having the fuel cell separator, and a reactant gas control method of the fuel cell stack are provided. That is, even when the fuel cell stack operates under the low load operation condition, a reactant gas is supplied to the reactant gas passages of the fuel cell separator, and thus, the length of the passage can be shortened by 50% as compared with the prior art having only one reactant gas passage. Therefore, the reactant gas can be effectively supplied without experiencing pressure loss. Further, in the high load operation of the fuel cell stack, the reactant gas is introduced into the first reactant gas passage of the fuel cell separator and utilized in half of the whole electrode area. Subsequently, the reactant gas is introduced into the second reactant gas passage and utilized in the remaining half of the electrode area. The flow rate of the reactant gas flowing along the passage channels is increased by two times, even when the reactant gas utilizing rate is identical as compared with the reactant gas flow in the low load operation. As a result, the moisture existing in the passage channels can be more effectively discharged and the flooding phenomenon occurring in the high load operation can be prevented. By controlling the reactant gas supply in accordance with an operation condition of the fuel cell stack without experiencing pressure loss and deterioration of the utilizing rate, the flooding phenomenon and concentration polarization phenomenon that occur in the fuel cell stack can be prevented.
US09876228B2

Process for manufacturing nickel-cobalt composite represented by Ni1−x−yCoxMnyMz(OH)2 (where, 0.05≦x≦0.95, 0≦y≦0.55, 0≦z≦0.1, x+y+z<1, and M is at least one metal-element selected from Al, Mg, and the like), includes: forming seed particle, while reaction solution having mixed solution containing metal compounds and ammonia solution containing ammonium ion supply source at discharge head of an impeller from 50-100 m2/s2, the concentration of nickel ions is maintained within range 0.1-5 ppm by mass, whereby seed particles are formed; and growing seed particle wherein solution is obtained by supplying mixed and ammonium solutions to reaction solution is agitated with a concentration of nickel ions being maintained within range 5-300 ppm by mass and higher than the concentration of nickel ions in seed particle formation, whereby seed particles are grown up.
US09876223B2

Provided herein is a cathode for lithium-sulfur battery. The cathode for lithium-sulfur battery has a structure for improved in charge/discharge efficiency, charge capacity, and life span. In particular, in the cathode structure, an active material is inserted into a porous carbon structure and a surface of the porous carbon structure is densely coated with the conducting material thereby maximizing the contents of an active material and a conducting material in the cathode without a current collector.
US09876220B2

An electrode has a current collector and an electrode mixture containing a binder and an active material particle selected from at least one of a carbonaceous material, a metal particle and a metal oxide particle formed on the current collector. When cutting strength of an interface between the current collector and the electrode mixture is represented by “a” and cutting strength in a horizontal direction within the electrode mixture is represented by “b”, the “a” and “b” satisfy a relation of a/b>1.
US09876218B2

A device that intermittently coats a moving surface with a paste containing electrochemically active particles including a nozzle having a slot-shaped delivery opening, a paste reservoir from which paste being supplied to the delivery opening via a transport channel, a rotary valve having a rotatably mounted control axle that enables the paste supply to the delivery opening in a first switching position and, in a second switching position, blocks the transport channel and disconnects a section of the transport channel extending as far as the delivery opening from the paste supply, and a reduced pressure source in communicating connection with the rotatably mounted control axle via a reduced pressure channel, wherein the rotatably mounted control axle comprises a passage via which the paste reservoir is in communicating connection with the delivery opening in the first switching position and via which the delivery opening is in communicating connection with the reduced pressure source in the second switching position.
US09876215B2

To provide an electric-connector attachment structure of a battery pack for an electric vehicle, which can attach an electric connector to a battery pack even when the height of the battery pack for an electric-vehicle is set low, the electric-connector attachment structure includes: a battery pack 3 for an electric vehicle including a tray 4 of a box-like shape which accommodates a battery and has an opening on an upper side, and a cover 5 of a box-like shape having an opening on a lower side, the tray 4 and the cover 5 being joined at a horizontal plane; and an electric connector 6 to which an electrical cable 61 is connected. It further includes an inclined portion 441, 551 to which the electric connector 6 is connected, disposed at an inner side of the battery pack 3 with respect to a joint surface 461 at which the tray 4 and the cover 5 are joined, extending over lower and upper regions across the horizontal plane H passing through the joint surface 461; and a protruding portion 443, 553 disposed between the joint surface 461 and the inclined portion 441, 551 so as to protrude from the horizontal plane passing through the joint surface 461 in a direction opposite to the electric connector 6. The inclined portion 441, 551 is formed so as to be continuous from the protruding portion 443, 551.
US09876211B2

The present application relates to a separation membrane and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same, and the separation membrane according to the present application prevents elution of lithium polysulfide in a cathode and suppresses growth of a lithium dendrite generated in an anode, and thus has an effect that a life-span and safety of the battery are improved.
US09876204B2

Disclosed herein is a battery module assembly including two or more battery modules, each of which includes two or more plate-shaped battery cells vertically stacked such that electrode leads of the battery cells are arranged in one direction, a base plate including module receiving parts, on tops of which the battery modules are loaded in a state in which electrode terminals of the battery modules are arranged in one direction, the base plate being provided at an outer edge thereof with upwardly bent side walls, an upper cover plate including downwardly bent side walls formed at opposite sides thereof on the basis of the electrode terminals of the battery modules, the upper cover plate being fixed on the base plate to form a top of the battery module assembly, and a plate-shaped assembly cover loaded on tops of the battery modules and coupled to the battery modules in a fastening fashion, the assembly cover including a cable fixing part for fixing a cable.
US09876201B2

An electric working machine including: a housing to which a battery is configured to be detachably mounted, wherein the housing is configured such that a weight unit including a weight can be mounted to the housing.
US09876189B2

Provided is a transparent electrode having both sufficient conductivity and light transmittance, and also provided is an electronic device which improves performance by using said transparent electrode. Further provided is method of manufacturing said transparent electrode. This transparent electrode is provided with a nitrogen-containing layer and an electrode layer. The nitrogen-containing layer is formed at a deposition speed of 0.3 nm/s or greater, and is configured using a compound containing nitrogen atoms. Further, the electrode layer is provided adjacent to the nitrogen-containing layer, has a 12 nm or lower film thickness and a measurable sheet resistance, and is configured using silver or an alloy having silver as the main component.
US09876187B2

In a light-emitting element including an EL layer between a pair of electrodes, between an electrode functioning as an anode and a fourth layer having a light-emitting property (light-emitting layer), the EL layer includes at least a first layer having a hole-injecting property (hole-injecting layer), a second layer having a hole-transporting property (first hole-transporting layer), and a third layer having a hole-transporting property (second hole-transporting layer). The absolute value of the highest occupied molecular orbital level (HOMO level) of the second layer is larger than the absolute value of the highest occupied molecular orbital level (HOMO level) of each of the first layer and the third layer. With such a structure, the rate of transport of holes injected from the electrode functioning as an anode is reduced and emission efficiency of the light-emitting element is improved.
US09876180B2

An organic light emitting device and a display device including the same, the organic light emitting device including a first electrode; a hole controlling layer on the first electrode; an emission layer on the hole controlling layer; an electron controlling layer on the emission layer; and a second electrode on the electron controlling layer, wherein the emission layer includes a hole transport host material, an electron transport host material, a bipolar host material, and at least one dopant material.
US09876177B2

Provided is a thiadiazole compound with high efficiency and long life which emits light in a near-infrared region and represented by Formula (I). [In the Formula (I), As each independently represent an aryl group which may have a substituent or a diarylamino group.]
US09876166B2

A process forms a phase change memory cell using a resistive element and a memory region of a phase change material. The resistive element has a first thin portion having a first sublithographic dimension in a first direction; and the memory region has a second thin portion having a second sublithographic dimension in a second direction transverse to the first dimension. The first thin portion and the second thin portion are in direct electrical contact and define a contact area of sublithographic extension. The second thin portion is delimited laterally by oxide spacer portions surrounded by a mold layer which defines a lithographic opening. The spacer portions are formed after forming the lithographic opening, by a spacer formation technique.
US09876165B2

A method for forming a pattern, the method including forming an etch target layer on a substrate; patterning the etch target layer to form patterns; and performing a pre-oxidation trim process a plurality of times, the pre-oxidation trim process including performing an oxidation process to form an insulating layer on a sidewall of each of the patterns; and performing a sputter etch process to remove at least a portion of the insulating layer.
US09876164B1

A magnetic junction and method for providing the magnetic junction are described. The magnetic junction resides on a substrate and is usable in a magnetic device. The magnetic junction includes free and pinned layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer. The free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. The free layer has a free layer perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy greater than a free layer out-of-plane demagnetization energy. The free layer includes an alloy. The alloy includes [CoxFeyBz]uMgt, where u+t=1 and x+y+z=1.
US09876158B2

A component suitable for miniaturization and comprising acoustically decoupled functional structures is specified. The component comprises a first functional structure, a first thin-film cover, which covers the first functional structure, and a second functional structure above the thin-film cover. The thin-film cover does not touch the first functional structure.
US09876146B2

An optoelectronic semiconductor device comprises a substrate; a semiconductor system including a first conductivity layer, a second conductivity layer, and a conversion unit between the first conductivity layer and the second conductivity layer, wherein the first conductivity layer is closer to the substrate than the second conductivity layer is to the substrate, and the second conductivity layer comprises a top surface perpendicular to a thickness direction of the semiconductor system, and in a top view of the semiconductor system, an outline of the first conductivity layer surrounds an outline of the second conductivity layer; a first electrical connector on the first conductivity layer of the semiconductor system; a second electrical connector comprising a shape formed on the second conductivity layer of the semiconductor system; and a contact layer formed on the top surface of the second conductivity layer and having an outer perimeter at an inner side of the outline of the second conductivity layer in the top view of the semiconductor system, wherein the contact layer comprises a discontinuous region exposing the top surface of the second conductivity layer, the discontinuous region is formed along the shape of the second electrical connector.
US09876143B2

In an example, the present invention provides a light-emitting device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation in a range of 210 to 360 nanometers. The device has a substrate member comprising a surface region. The device has a thickness of AlGaN material formed overlying the surface region and an aluminum concentration characterizing the AlGaN material having a range of 0 to 100%. The device has a boron doping concentration characterizing the AlGaN material having a range between 1e15 to 1e20 atoms/centimeter3.
US09876142B2

An optoelectronic device including a support having a first face; a first set of first light-emitting diodes having first wire-like, conical or frustoconical semiconductor elements, each resting on a second face of a first contact stud, each first contact stud including, in addition, a third face opposite the second face; and a first conductive layer connecting the first contact studs and extending at least over part of the second face or the third face of each first contact stud, the first conductive layer and/or the first contact studs resting on the support.
US09876141B2

The escape surface of a light emitting element includes features (310) that include sloped surfaces (312, 314) that have angles of inclination that are based on the direction of peak light output from the light emitting element. If the light output exhibits a number of lobes at different directions, the sloped surfaces (312, 314) may have a corresponding number of different angles of inclination (as in FIGS. 3b and 3c). To minimize the re-injection of light into adjacent features, adjacent features may be positioned to avoid having surfaces that directly face each other. The features may be shaped or positioned to provide a pseudo-random distribution of inclined surfaces across the escape surface, and multiple roughening processes may be used.
US09876140B2

A semiconductor structure comprising a buffer structure and a set of semiconductor layers formed adjacent to a first side of the buffer structure is provided. The buffer structure can have an effective lattice constant and a thickness such that an overall stress in the set of semiconductor layers at room temperature is compressive and is in a range between approximately 0.1 GPa and 2.0 GPa. The buffer structure can be grown using a set of growth parameters selected to achieve the target effective lattice constant a, control stresses present during growth of the buffer structure, and/or control stresses present after the semiconductor structure has cooled.
US09876139B2

A light-emitting device, comprises a light-emitting stacked layer comprising a first conductivity type semiconductor layer; a light-emitting layer formed on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer formed on the light-emitting layer and comprising a first plurality of cavities; a first dielectric layer formed on a first part of the second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a first transparent conductive oxide layer formed on the first dielectric layer and on a second part of the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, the first transparent conductive oxide layer including a first portion in contact with the first dielectric layer and including a second portion in contact with the upper surface of the second conductivity type semiconductor layer; a first electrode formed on the first portion; and a first reflective metal layer formed between the first transparent conductive oxide layer and the first electrode.
US09876135B2

Methods for fabricating busbar and finger metallization over TCO are disclosed. Rather than using expensive and relatively resistive silver paste, a high conductivity and relatively low cost copper is used. Methods for enabling the use of copper as busbar and fingers over a TCO are disclosed, providing good adhesion while preventing migration of the copper into the TCO. Also, provisions are made for easy soldering contacts to the copper busbars.
US09876127B2

A backside-illuminated photodetector structure comprising a first reflecting region, a second reflecting region and a semiconductor region. The semiconductor region is between the first reflecting region and the second reflecting region. The semiconductor region comprises a first doped region and a second doped region.
US09876126B2

A semiconductor device that includes: a pair of photoelectric transducers that output photocurrent that accords with an intensity of received light; and a first filter film that is provided to a light incidence side of one out of the pair of photoelectric transducers, that is configured by alternatingly stacking high refractive index layers and low refractive index layers having mutually different refractive indexes, and that transmits one out of either UV-A waves or UV-B waves included in ultraviolet rays with a higher transmittance than the other out of the UV-A waves and the UV-B waves.
US09876116B2

A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the same are disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a first gate structure, a second gate structure and a second dielectric spacer. Each of the first gate structure and the second gate structure adjacent to each other includes a first dielectric spacer. The second dielectric spacer is on one of opposing sidewalls of the first gate structure and without being disposed on the dielectric spacer of the second gate structure.
US09876114B2

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure in accordance with some embodiments. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; and a gate stack disposed on the semiconductor substrate; wherein the gate stack includes a high k dielectric material layer, and various metal layers disposed on the high-k dielectric material layer, wherein the gate stack has a convex top surface.
US09876108B2

A method includes forming a gate stack on a middle portion of s semiconductor fin, and forming a first gate spacer on a sidewall of the gate stack. After the first gate spacer is formed, a template dielectric region is formed to cover the semiconductor fin. The method further includes recessing the template dielectric region. After the recessing, a second gate spacer is formed on the sidewall of the gate stack. The end portion of the semiconductor fin is etched to form a recess in the template dielectric region. A source/drain region is epitaxially grown in the recess.
US09876105B2

A semiconductor device includes a buried doped region at a first distance to a main surface of a semiconductor body. A contact structure extends from the main surface to the doped region. The contact structure includes a contact layer formed from a metal-semiconductor alloy that directly adjoins the doped region. The contact structure further includes a fill structure formed from a metal or a conductive metal compound. An insulator structure surrounds the contact structure in cross-sections parallel to the main surface.
US09876098B2

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a fin feature over a substrate having a first region and a second region, forming a gate stack over the fin feature in the first region and forming a spacer layer over the gate stack in the first region and over the fin feature in the second region. The spacer layer is disposed along sidewalls of the gate stack and the fin feature, respectively. The method also includes removing the spacer layer along sidewalls of the fin feature in the second region without removing the spacer layer along sidewalls of the gate stack in the first region.
US09876094B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a gate electrode and a source or drain disposed at opposite sides of the gate electrode, forming an interlayer insulating layer covering the gate electrode and the source or drain, forming a contact hole exposing the source or drain in the interlayer insulating layer, forming a silicide layer on a bottom surface of the contact hole, and forming a spacer on sidewalls of the contact hole and an upper surface of the silicide layer.
US09876091B2

After formation of a silicon nitride gate spacer and a silicon nitride liner overlying a disposable gate structure, a dielectric material layer is deposited, which includes a dielectric material that is not prone to material loss during subsequent exposure to wet or dry etch chemicals employed to remove disposable gate materials in the disposable gate structure. The dielectric material can be a spin-on dielectric material or can be a dielectric metal oxide material. The dielectric material layer and the silicon nitride liner are planarized to provide a planarized dielectric surface in which the disposable gate materials are physically exposed. Surfaces of the planarized dielectric layer is not recessed relative to surfaces of the silicon nitride layer during removal of the disposable gate materials and prior to formation of replacement gate structures, thereby preventing formation of metallic stringers.
US09876090B1

A transistor device includes a source region, a drain region and a III-V channel material disposed between the source and drain region. A gate dielectric layer is epitaxially grown on the III-V channel material. The gate dielectric layer includes a (X)Se compound, wherein X includes one or more of Zn, Cd and/or Mg. A gate conductor is formed on the gate dielectric layer.
US09876087B2

A semiconductor device includes a fin-shaped semiconductor layer and a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer. A diffusion layer resides in an upper portion of the fin-shaped semiconductor layer. A metal contact electrode is around the pillar-shaped semiconductor layer and a metal contact line is connected thereto. A fourth contact surrounds an upper sidewall of the pillar-shaped semiconductor layer and is connected to the metal contact electrode.
US09876086B2

Embodiments of mechanisms for forming a memory device structure are provided. The memory device includes a first gate stack structure. The first gate stack structure includes a first dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The first gate stack structure also includes a first floating gate over the first dielectric layer, and the first floating gate has a tip corner. The first gate stack structure further includes a second dielectric layer conformally covering an upper surface and sidewalls of the first floating gate. The second dielectric layer has a substantially uniform thickness. In addition, the first gate stack structure includes a first control gate over the second dielectric layer and partially over the first floating gate.
US09876078B2

An amount of warp of a wafer is not only reduced, but the amount of warp of the wafer is also accurately controlled to a desired amount. The present invention relates to a method for slicing a semiconductor single crystal ingot, by which a cylindrical semiconductor single crystal ingot is bonded to and held by a holder in a state where the ingot is rotated at a predetermined rotation angle around a crystal axis of the ingot different from a center axis of a cylinder of this ingot and the ingot is sliced by a cutting apparatus in this state. The predetermined rotation angle at the time of bonding and holding the ingot with the use of the holder in such a manner that an amount of warp of a wafer sliced out by the cutting apparatus becomes a predetermined amount.
US09876074B2

A semiconductor structure is provided that includes a semiconductor fin portion having an end wall and extending upward from a substrate. A gate structure straddles a portion of the semiconductor fin portion. A first set of gate spacers is located on opposing sidewall surfaces of the gate structure; and a second set of gate spacers is located on sidewalls of the first set of gate spacers. One gate spacer of the second set of gate spacers has a lower portion that directly contacts the end wall of the semiconductor fin portion.
US09876072B2

This invention discloses a semiconductor power device disposed in a semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor substrate has a plurality of deep trenches. The deep trenches are filled with an epitaxial layer thus forming a top epitaxial layer covering areas above a top surface of the deep trenches covering over the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor power device further includes a plurality of transistor cells disposed in the top epitaxial layer whereby a device performance of the semiconductor power device is dependent on a depth of the deep trenches and not dependent on a thickness of the top epitaxial layer. Each of the plurality of transistor cells includes a trench DMOS transistor cell having a trench gate opened through the top epitaxial layer and filled with a gate dielectric material.
US09876065B2

Organic light-emitting display is disclosed. The organic light-emitting display includes a first substrate, a semiconductor layer positioned on the first substrate, a first insulating layer positioned on the semiconductor layer, a gate metal layer positioned on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer with a contact hole exposing part of the gate metal layer, a source-drain metal layer positioned on the second insulating layer and electrically connected to the gate metal layer via the contact hole, a third insulating layer positioned on the source-drain metal layer, a fourth insulating layer positioned on the third insulating layer, and a pixel electrode positioned on the fourth insulating layer, wherein the fourth insulating layer fully covers the contact hole, and a stepped portion of the pixel electrode caused by the fourth insulating layer is spaced apart from the contact hole.
US09876052B2

A light-emitting diode device includes a substrate; a plurality of light-emitting units formed on the substrate, wherein the light-emitting units form a serially-connected array, including n adjacent light-emitting unit rows, wherein n≧5, and the light-emitting units in the same rows connect vertically and/or the light-emitting units in the same columns connect horizontally, and a connecting direction of at least three light-emitting units in two adjacent rows are the same; a plurality of conductive connecting structures connecting the plurality of light-emitting units; a first contact light-emitting unit formed on the substrate and in the first light-emitting unit row; and a second contact light-emitting unit formed on the substrate and in the nth light-emitting unit row; at least three light-emitting units in the first light-emitting unit row have a 1st area, and at least three light-emitting units in the nth light-emitting unit row have a 2nd area, wherein the 1st area and the 2nd area are not equal.
US09876045B2

An image sensor including at least one pixel for collecting charge in its photodiode is provided. The image sensor comprises: a substrate having a first surface on a front side and a second surface on a back side, a photodetector formed in the silicon substrate and having a light-receiving surface on the second surface, and a first layer with positive charges disposed on the second surface, the first layer being configured to form an electron accumulation region at the light-receiving surface of the photodetector for suppressing a dark current at a back side interface of the image sensor. A method for fabricating an image sensor including a first layer with positive charges is also provided.
US09876043B2

An array of diffraction-pattern generators employ phase anti-symmetric gratings to projects near-field spatial modulations onto a closely spaced array of photoelements. Each generator in the array of generators produces point-spread functions with spatial frequencies and orientations of interest. The generators are arranged in an irregular mosaic with little or no short-range repetition. Diverse generators are shaped and placed with some irregularity to reduce or eliminate spatially periodic replication of ambiguities to facilitate imaging of nearby scenes.
US09876039B2

A thin-film transistor substrate constituting a liquid crystal display includes: a thin-film transistor including, a gate electrode, a gate insulating film covering the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer opposing the gate electrode via the gate insulating film, a channel protective film covering the semiconductor layer, a protective film covering over the channel protective film, source and drain electrodes in contact with the semiconductor layer through first contact holes penetrating through the protective film and the channel protective film; a first electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode; a gate wiring extending from the gate electrode; and a source wiring electrically connected to the source electrode. The source wiring and first electrode are respectively electrically connected to the source electrode and drain electrode through respective second contact holes penetrating through the protective film. The first electrode and source wiring have a first transparent conductive film formed on the first insulation film.
US09876036B2

The present invention provides a TFT arrangement structure, comprising a first thin film transistor (T1) and a second thin film transistor (T2) controlled by the same control signal line; the first active layer (SC1) of the first thin film transistor (T1) and the second active layer (SC2) of the second thin film transistor (T2) are at different layers, and positioned to stack up in space, and the first source (S1) and the first drain (D1) of the first thin film transistor (T1) are formed on the first active layer (SC1), and the second source (S2) and the second drain (D2) of the second thin film transistor (T2) are formed on the second active layer (SC2); the gate layer (Gate) is electrically coupled to the control signal line to control on and off of the first, the second thin film transistors (T1, T2). The TFT arrangement structure can reduce the space of the circuit arrangement to increase the aperture ratio of the display panel and satisfy the demands of the narrow frame and high resolution to the display panel.
US09876031B1

A layer stack including a lower semiconductor layer, a lower dielectric layer, and a spacer material layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate, and the spacer material layer is patterned to form spacer line structures. An upper dielectric layer and an upper semiconductor layer are formed, followed by formation of an alternating stack of insulating layers and spacer material layers. Memory stack structures are formed through the alternating stack, the upper semiconductor layer, and the dielectric material layer. The upper semiconductor layer, the upper dielectric layer, and the lower semiconductor layer can be patterned to form a buried source layer and at least one passive device. Each passive device can include a lower semiconductor plate, a dielectric material plate, and an upper semiconductor plate. Each passive device can be a resistor or a capacitor.
US09876025B2

An alternating stack of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers is formed over a substrate. Memory openings are formed through the alternating stack to the substrate. After formation of memory film layers, a sacrificial cover material layer can be employed to protect the tunneling dielectric layer during formation of a bottom opening in the memory film layers. An amorphous semiconductor material layer can be deposited and optionally annealed in an ambient including argon and/or deuterium to form a semiconductor channel layer having a thickness less than 5 nm and surface roughness less than 10% of the thickness. Alternately or additionally, at least one interfacial layer can be employed on either side of the amorphous semiconductor material layer to reduce surface roughness of the semiconductor channel. The ultrathin channel can have enhanced mobility due to quantum confinement effects.
US09876018B2

A method used in forming an electronic component comprising conductive material and ferroelectric material comprises forming a non-ferroelectric metal oxide-comprising insulator material over a substrate. A composite stack comprising at least two different composition non-ferroelectric metal oxides is formed over the substrate. The composite stack has an overall conductivity of at least 1×102 Siemens/cm. The composite stack is used to render the non-ferroelectric metal oxide-comprising insulator material to be ferroelectric. Conductive material is formed over the composite stack and the insulator material. Ferroelectric capacitors and ferroelectric field effect transistors independent of method of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09876016B2

A wrap-around source/drain trench contact structure is described. A plurality of semiconductor fins extend from a semiconductor substrate. A channel region is disposed in each fin between a pair of source/drain regions. An epitaxial semiconductor layer covers the top surface and sidewall surfaces of each fin over the source/drain regions, defining high aspect ratio gaps between adjacent fins. A pair of source/drain trench contacts are electrically coupled to the epitaxial semiconductor layers. The source/drain trench contacts comprise a conformal metal layer and a fill metal. The conformal metal layer conforms to the epitaxial semiconductor layers. The fill metal comprises a plug and a barrier layer, wherein the plug fills a contact trench formed above the fins and the conformal metal layer, and the barrier layer lines the plug to prevent interdiffusion of the conformal metal layer material and plug material.
US09876010B1

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate. A gate structure is disposed over the substrate. The gate structure includes: a pair of gate spacers extending generally vertically from the substrate, gate metal disposed between the spacers, and a self-aligned contact (SAC) cap disposed over the gate metal to form a top of the gate structure. A resistor is disposed directly upon the SAC cap such that no additional layer is disposed between the resistor and SAC cap. The resistor is composed of a material suitable to provide a predetermined resistance to a current to be conducted therethrough. A pair of resistor contacts are electrically connected to the resistor and spaced to provide the predetermined resistance to the current.
US09876006B2

A semiconductor device for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection includes a doped well, a drain region, a source region, a first doped region and a guard ring. The doped well is disposed in a substrate and has a first conductive type. The drain region is disposed in the doped well and has a second conductive type. The source region is disposed in the doped well and has the second conductive type, wherein the source region is separated from the drain region. The doped region is disposed in the doped well between the drain region and the source region, wherein the doped region has the first conductive type and is in contact with the doped well and the source region. The guard ring is disposed in the doped well and has the first conductive type.
US09876002B2

A microelectronic package may include a first microelectronic unit including a semiconductor chip having first chip contacts, an encapsulant contacting an edge of the semiconductor chip, and first unit contacts exposed at a surface of the encapsulant and electrically connected with the first chip contacts. The package may include a second microelectronic unit including a semiconductor chip having second chip contacts at a surface thereof, and an encapsulant contacting an edge of the chip of the second unit and having a surface extending away from the edge. The surfaces of the chip and the encapsulant of the second unit define a face of the second unit. Package terminals at the face may be electrically connected with the first unit contacts through bond wires electrically connected with the first unit contacts, and the second chip contacts through metallized vias and traces formed in contact with the second chip contacts.
US09875994B2

A multi-chip package may include a plurality of semiconductor chips integrated in a single package and sharing one or more command pins. Each of the semiconductor chips may include: a command decoder suitable for decoding a command to generate a buffer enable signal, a mode enable signal, and a mode signal; a data input buffer suitable for buffering data to output internal data, in response to the buffer enable signal and a common test mode signal; a command controller suitable for receiving the mode enable signal to output a test mode enable signal by selectively blocking the mode enable signal based on the internal data and the common test mode signal; and a test controller suitable for generating the common test mode signal and a test mode signal, based on the test mode enable signal and the mode signal.
US09875986B2

A fluxless bonding process is provided. An array of micro solder bumps of a first semiconductor structure is aligned to an array of bonding pads of a second semiconductor structure under an applied bonding force. An environment is provided to prevent oxides from forming on the solder bump structures and bonding pads during the bonding process. A scrubbing process is performed at a given scrubbing frequency and amplitude to scrub the micro solder bumps against the bonding pads in a direction perpendicular to the bonding. Heat is applied to at least the first semiconductor structure to melt and bond the micro solder bumps to the bonding pads. The first semiconductor structure is cooled down to solidify the molten solder. Coplanarity is maintained between the bonding surfaces of the semiconductor structures within a given tolerance during the scrubbing and cooling steps until solidification of the micro solder bumps.
US09875982B2

A semiconductor device includes a first die, a second die bonding to the first die thereby forming a bonding interface, and a pad of the first die and exposed from a polymeric layer of the first die. The semiconductor device further has a conductive material on the pad and extended from the pad in a direction parallel to a stacking direction of the first die and the second die. In the semiconductor device, the conductive material extended to a top surface, which is vertically higher than a backside of the second die, wherein the backside is a surface opposite to the bonding interface.
US09875978B2

According to various embodiments, a method may include: forming a first layer on a surface using a first lift-off process; forming a second layer over the first layer using a second lift-off process; wherein the second lift-off process is configured such that the second layer covers at least one sidewall of the first layer at least partially.
US09875976B2

A semiconductor device includes a first doping region, a second doping region, and a channel region. The first doping region is doped with a first type of dopant. The second doping region is doped with the first type of dopant. The channel region is doped with a second type of dopant, wherein the channel region is configured to have a first region with a first concentration of the second type of dopant and a second region with a second concentration of the second type of dopant, and the second concentration is higher than the first concentration.
US09875967B2

The present disclosure relates to an interconnect structure. In some embodiments, the interconnect structure has a first conductive body arranged within a first dielectric layer over a substrate. A first air-gap separates sidewalls of the first conductive body from the first dielectric layer. A barrier layer is arranged on sidewalls of the first conductive body at a location between the first conductive body and the first air-gap. The first air-gap is defined by a sidewall of the barrier layer and an opposing sidewall of the first dielectric layer.
US09875959B2

Stacked capacitor structures using TSVs are provided. In one aspect, a stacked capacitor structure includes: a first substrate having at least one first capacitor formed in a TSV in the first substrate; and a second substrate, bonded to the first substrate, having at least one second capacitor formed in a TSV in the second substrate, wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor each comprises a first electrode and a dielectric that both surround a second electrode that is at a core of the TSV, wherein the dielectric separates the first electrode from the second electrode, and wherein the second substrate is bonded to the first substrate such that the first capacitor is stacked on the second capacitor. A method of forming a stacked capacitor structure is also provided.
US09875958B1

A method of forming an interconnect that includes providing a sacrificial trace structure using an additive forming method. The sacrificial trace structure having a geometry for the interconnect. The method continuous with forming a continuous seed metal layer on the sacrificial trace structure; and removing the sacrificial trace structure, wherein the continuous seed metal layer remains. An interconnect metal layer may be formed on the continuous seed layer. A dielectric material may then be formed on the interconnect metal layer to encapsulate a majority of the interconnect metal layer, wherein ends of the interconnect metal layer are exposed through one surface of the dielectric material to provide an interconnect extending into a dielectric material.
US09875948B2

A package wafer processing method includes a processing step of processing a package wafer along planned dividing lines by a laser beam irradiation unit and forming processing grooves in the package wafer. The processing step includes detecting a processing groove and an exposed key pattern closest to the planned dividing line corresponding to the processing groove at a predetermined timing and measuring, as a deviation amount, the difference between the distance from the processing groove to the exposed key pattern and the distance that is registered in a registration step and is from the planned dividing line corresponding to the processing groove to the closest key pattern. An indexing feed mechanism is corrected according to the deviation amount.
US09875943B2

A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor comprises a semiconductor substrate, N-type and P-Type field-effect transistors positioned in the semiconductor substrate. Each of the field-effect transistor includes a germanium nanowire, a III-V compound layer surrounding around the germanium nanowire, a potential barrier layer mounted on the III-V compound layer, a gate dielectric layer, a gate, a source region and a drain region mounted on two sides of the gate. The field-effect transistor can produce two-dimensional electron gases and two-dimensional electron hole gases, and enhance the carrier mobility of the complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.
US09875941B1

A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. First, a first fin-shaped structure and a second fin-shaped structure are formed on a substrate, and a shallow trench isolation (STI) is formed around the first fin-shaped structure and the second fin-shaped structure, a patterned hard mask is formed on the STI. Next, part of the first fin-shaped structure and part of the second fin-shaped structure adjacent to two sides of the patterned hard mask are removed for forming a first recess and a second recess, and a dielectric material is formed into the first recess and the second recess.
US09875934B2

A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises forming an insulation trench structure comprising insulation material extending into the semiconductor substrate from a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The insulation trench structure laterally surrounds a portion of the semiconductor substrate. The method further comprises modifying the laterally surrounded portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a vertical electrically conductive structure comprising an alloy material. The alloy material is an alloy of the semiconductor substrate material and at least one metal.
US09875930B2

Methods of packaging integrated circuits are disclosed herein. In one embodiment of a method. A die having a side is provided. A conductive stud is connected to the side of the die, wherein the conductive stud has a first end that is connected to the die and an opposite second end. The die is encapsulated except for the side. A first dielectric layer is affixed to the side of the die. The first dielectric layer has a first side and a second side. The first side of the first dielectric layer is affixed to the side of the die. The conductive stud enters the first side of the first dielectric layer. A conductive layer is affixed to the second side of the first dielectric layer. The second side of the conductive stud is affixed to the conductive layer using a conductive adhesive.
US09875928B2

A method for fabricating metal interconnect structure is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer thereon; forming a metal interconnection in the first IMD layer; removing part of the first IMD layer; forming a spacer adjacent to the metal interconnection; and using the spacer as mask to remove part of the first IMD layer for forming an opening in the first IMD layer.
US09875927B2

A method for forming patterns for semiconductor device includes following steps. A substrate including a hard mask layer and a sacrificial layer is provided. A plurality of mandrel patterns are formed on the substrate. A spacer is respectively formed on sidewalls of the mandrel patterns. The mandrel patterns are removed to form a plurality of spacer patterns directly formed on the sacrificial layer. A plurality of first blocking layers are formed in the sacrificial layer after forming the spacer patterns. A plurality of second blocking layers exposing at least a portion of the sacrificial layer and at least a portion of the first blocking layers are formed on the substrate. The sacrificial layer and the hard mask layer are etched with the spacer patterns, the first blocking layers, and the second blocking layers serving as etching masks to form a patterned hard mask layer on the substrate.
US09875922B2

A system for processing substrates has a vacuum enclosure and a processing chamber situated to process wafers in a processing zone inside the vacuum enclosure. Two rail assemblies are provided, one on each side of the processing zone. Two chuck arrays ride, each on one of the rail assemblies, such that each is cantilevered on one rail assemblies and support a plurality of chucks. The rail assemblies are coupled to an elevation mechanism that places the rails in upper position for processing and at lower position for returning the chuck assemblies for loading new wafers. A pickup head assembly loads wafers from a conveyor onto the chuck assemblies. The pickup head has plurality of electrostatic chucks that pick up the wafers from the front side of the wafers. Cooling channels in the processing chucks are used to create air cushion to assist in aligning the wafers when delivered by the pickup head.
US09875916B2

Provided is a method and system for stripping an ion implanted resist or performing a post-ash clean using a single substrate tool. Cleaning objectives and cleaning operating variables are selected for optimization. The first step immerses the substrate in a first treatment chemical, while concurrently irradiating the substrate with UV light, the process completed in a first process time, a first flow rate, and a first rotation speed of the substrate. The second step dispenses onto the substrate a second treatment chemical at a second temperature and a second composition, the second treatment chemical dispensed at a dispense temperature, and completed in a second process time and a second rotation speed. The two or more selected cleaning operating variables comprise UV wavelength, UV power, first concentration, first rotation speed, first flow rate, second process time, second rotation speed, percentage of residue removal, and dispense temperature.
US09875914B2

A process comprises the following steps: a) provision of a chamber suitable for receiving a plurality of structures, b) circulation of a gas stream in the chamber so that the chamber has a non-oxidizing atmosphere, c) heat treatment of the plurality of structures at a temperature above a threshold value above which the oxygen present in an oxide of a dielectric diffuses through an active layer reacts with semiconductor material of the active layer and produces a volatile material, the process being noteworthy in that the step b) is carried out so that the gas stream has a rate of circulation between the plurality of structures greater than the rate of diffusion of the volatile material into the gas stream.
US09875912B2

A chip package includes a chip, a first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer, and a protection cap. The chip has a sensing area, a first surface, a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, and a side surface adjacent to the first and second surfaces. The sensing area is located on the first surface. The first adhesive layer covers the first surface of the chip. The second adhesive layer is located on the first adhesive layer, such that the first adhesive layer is between the first surface and the second adhesive layer. The protection cap has a bottom board and a sidewall that surrounds the bottom board. The bottom board covers the second adhesive layer, and the sidewall covers the side surface of the chip.
US09875910B2

It is an object to reduce defective conduction in a wiring board or a semiconductor device whose integration degree is increased. It is another object to manufacture a highly reliable wiring board or semiconductor device with high yield. In a wiring board or a semiconductor device having a multilayer wiring structure, a conductive layer having a curved surface is used in connection between conductive layers used for the wirings. The top of a conductive layer in a lower layer exposed by removal of an insulating layer therearound has a curved surface, so that coverage of the conductive layer in the lower layer with a conductive layer in an upper layer stacked thereover can be favorable. A conductive layer is etched using a resist mask having a curved surface, so that a conductive layer having a curved surface is formed.
US09875909B1

A method for planarizing a silicon layer includes providing a silicon layer having at least one recess therein. Next, a photoresist layer is formed to cover the silicon layer and fill up the recess. Then, the photoresist layer is hardened. After that, part of the photoresist layer is removed by taking a top surface of the silicon layer as a stop layer. Finally the photoresist layer and the silicon layer are etched back simultaneously to remove the photoresist layer entirely.
US09875908B2

The disclosed subject matter provides an LDMOS device and fabrication method thereof. In an LDMOS device, a drift region and a body region are formed in a substrate. A first trench is formed in the drift region and in the substrate between the drift region and the body region. The first trench is separated from the drift region by a first shallow trench isolation structure. A gate dielectric layer is formed on a side surface and a bottom surface of the first trench. A gate electrode filling up the first trench is formed on the gate dielectric layer with a top surface above a top surface of the semiconductor substrate. A source region is formed in the body region on one side of the gate electrode and a drain region is formed in the drift region on another side of the gate electrode.
US09875904B2

The present invention is able to provide: a silicon etching liquid which anisotropically dissolves single crystal silicon, and which is characterized by containing (1) potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, (2) a hydroxyl amine and (3) a cyclic compound represented by general formula (I), which has a thiourea group and wherein N and N′ are linked; and a silicon etching method which uses this silicon etching liquid. (In general formula (I), Q represents an organic group having a saturated or unsaturated carbon-carbon bond.) By using the above-described silicon etching liquid, high etching rate can be achieved without lowering the etching rate of silicon and stability of the etching liquid is not impaired even in cases where copper is present in the etching liquid and/or where copper ions are dissolved in the etching liquid.
US09875895B2

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus in which processes with respect to substrates are performed includes a lower chamber having an opened upper side, the lower chamber including a passage allowing the substrates to pass therethrough in a side thereof, an external reaction tube closing the opened upper side of the lower chamber to provide a process space in which the processes are performed, a substrate holder on which the one or more substrates are vertically stacked, the substrate holder being movable between a stacking position in which the substrates are stacked within the substrate holder and a process position in which the processes with respect to the substrates are performed, at least one supply nozzle disposed along an inner wall of the external reaction tube, the at least one supply nozzle having a supply hole for discharging a reaction gas, at least one exhaust nozzle disposed along the inner wall of the external reaction tube, the at least one exhaust nozzle having an exhaust hole for suctioning an non-reaction gas and byproducts within the process space, and a rear exhaust line connected to the exhaust nozzle to discharge the non-reaction gas and the byproducts which are suctioned through the exhaust hole. The lower chamber includes an exhaust port connecting the exhaust nozzle to the rear exhaust line and an auxiliary exhaust port connecting a stacking space defined within the lower chamber to the rear exhaust line.
US09875886B1

A double-ended ceramic metal halide lamp includes a luminous tube; at least two illuminators serially connected with each other deposed inside the luminous tube; and at least one ring-shaped retainers arranged between two illuminators to support the illuminators located along a central line of the luminous tube. A manufacturing method for a ceramic metal halide lamp includes following steps: (1) Arrange at least two serially connected illuminators inside an interior of a luminous tube; (2) Seal two ends of the luminous tube by a press sealing technique; and (3) Extract out the gas inside the luminous tube to form an eyelet at a central portion of the luminous tube.
US09875878B2

Sample transferring can be securely and easily performed between an FIB device, an electron microscope, and an atom probe device, and atom probe analysis can be performed to a material that easily alters due to atmospheric exposure. A sample holder that holds a sample (12) is provided with an atmosphere-isolation mechanism that prevents the sample from altering due to the atmospheric exposure upon the sample transferring between the devices. There is provided a structure enabling of attaching and detaching a housing (21) of a sample holder leading end of a part of the atmosphere-isolation mechanism in an analytical vacuum device, such as the atom probe device.
US09875877B2

In a scanning electron microscope, an atmospheric pressure space having a specimen arranged therein and a vacuum space arranged on a charged particle optical system side are isolated from each other using an isolation film that transmits charged particle beams. The scanning electron microscope has an electron optical lens barrel, a chassis, and an isolation film. The electron optical lens barrel radiates a primary electron beam onto a specimen. The chassis is directly bonded to the inside of the electron optical lens barrel and has an inside that turns into a lower vacuum state than the inside of the electron optical lens barrel at least during the radiation of the primary electron beam. The isolation film isolates a space in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere having a specimen mounted therein and the inside of the chassis in a lower vacuum state, and transmits the primary charged particle beam.
US09875873B2

A particle charger is provided with: a filter (28) partitioning the inside of a housing (20) into a first space (29) and second space (30); a particle introducer (22) for introducing a particle into the first space; a gas ion supplier (10) for supplying the first space with a gas ion; a potential gradient creator (26, 27, 31) for creating a potential difference within the housing so as to make the gas ion and a charged particle resulting from a contact of the aforementioned particle with the gas ion move toward the second space; an AC voltage supplier (32, 33) for applying AC voltages having a phase difference to the neighboring electrodes (28a, b) included in the filter; a controller (35) for performing a control for applying, to the plurality of electrodes, predetermined voltages so as to allow the charged particle to pass through a gap between the electrodes while trapping the gas ion by the electrodes; and a charged particle extractor (23, 25, 34) for extracting the charged particle admitted to the second space to the outside of the housing. By this configuration, the occurrence frequency of the multi-charging is suppressed.
US09875871B2

A starter for an internal combustion engine includes an electric motor and a solenoid switch. The solenoid switch includes a housing, a fixed core, a movable core, two spaced contacts, and a conductive member arranged to interconnect the contacts when the solenoid is turned on. The movable core is connected to a pinion of the motor which is movable to engage with a flywheel of the engine. The fixed core includes a pull-in coil of aluminum wire, a holding coil of copper wire, and a magnetic core. The motor is connected in series with the pull-in coil. When the solenoid is energized, the coils generate a magnetic field that attracts the movable core to the magnetic core, thereby the moving the pinion into engagement with the flywheel and causing the conductive member to interconnect the contacts.
US09875869B2

The disclosed concept pertains to vacuum interrupters and arc-resistant shields. The arc-resistant shields are positioned in between a ceramic insulator. Each end of the arc-resistant shield is hermetically sealed to the ceramic insulator. The arc-resistant shield includes an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface includes an arc-resistant material. Disposed within the arc-resistant shield is a pair of electrode assemblies which are separable to establish arcing. In certain embodiments, the arc-resistant material is copper-chromium alloy.
US09875867B2

The present disclosure relates to an electronic switch for simulating a mechanical rocker switch having a determined current-interrupting capacity, the electronic switch being configured to supply power to an electronic device using an input voltage, and comprises a tact switch for the generation of a control signal, a bistable circuit whose output state depends on said control signal, a switching circuit adapted to the opening and to the closing of a power supply line supplying power to the device, which device consumes a current less than or equal to said determined interrupting capacity, a memory circuit comprising a reservoir capacitor, the tact switch being configured to control opening and closing of the switching circuit and the memory circuit being adapted to the storage of an “open” or a “closed” mechanical position of the electronic switch for a predetermined duration according to the reservoir capacitor.
US09875862B2

A waterproof apparatus for a terminal side key and a terminal are disclosed. The apparatus includes: a terminal shell (1) with a sidewall hole that is filled with a terminal side key (3), and a terminal side-key circuit board component (2) connected to a terminal mainboard (4), herein, the terminal side-key circuit board component (2) includes: a side-key circuit board (23), an arched metal film (22) fixedly connected to the side-key circuit board, and a circuit board waterproof ring (21) used for wrapping the side-key circuit board (23) and the arched metal film (22) as a whole, herein, the circuit board waterproof ring (21) wrapping the side-key circuit board (23) and the arched metal film (22) as a whole is combined with a sidewall of the terminal shell (1) in an interference-fitted manner.
US09875859B2

A high voltage relay device according to the present invention includes fixed contacts, a movable contact provided at one side of the fixed contacts and contactable with or separated from the fixed contacts, fixed-side arc electrodes coupled to the fixed contacts, and a movable-side arc electrode coupled to one side of the movable contact and contactable with or separated from the fixed-side arc electrodes when the movable contact is brought into contact with or separated from the fixed contacts, whereby a generation of arc from primary electrodes when current flows and is cut off can be prevented so as to enhance reliability of the primary electrodes, and also usage of specialized materials may result in reduction of material costs.
US09875857B2

A contact pin for a high-voltage and/or medium-voltage switch includes a contact tip of arc-erosion resistant material, a tubular support sleeve connected to the contact tip and a support core in the sleeve. The contact tip is in a forward region of the contact pin where arcs arise during use. The sleeve is in a rearward region of the contact pin, adjoining the forward region, where no arcs arise during use. A pipe contact includes an arc-erosion resistant annular contact and a support pipe connected to the annular contact. The annular contact is in a forward region of the pipe contact where arcs arise during use, and the support pipe is in a rearward region of the pipe contact, adjoining the forward region, where no arcs arise during use. Methods for producing a contact pin and a pipe contact are also provided.
US09875854B2

A flexible supercapacitor comprising an electrolyte sandwiched between nickel foams electrodeposited with a nano-composite. The nanocomposite comprises of a conducting polymer, graphene oxide and a metal oxide. Process of fabricating the flexible supercapacitor is also provided. The process comprises electrodepositing a nanocomposite electro-potentiostatically on a nickel foam from an aqueous solution comprising of a conducting monomer, graphene oxide and a metal salt, placed in one compartment cell followed by compressing an electrolyte between at least two layers of electrodeposited nickel foams.
US09875841B2

Phaseback DC choke includes a common core, a first coil formed about the common core, and a second coil formed about the common core in parallel opposing configuration relative the first coil. A DC circuit including a Phaseback DC choke is also provided.
US09875839B2

A magnetic composition includes: coarse powder containing a non-crystalline iron-based material; medium powder containing a crystalline iron-based material; and fine powder containing nickel. A ratio of the coarse powder and the medium powder is in a range of 65:35 to 80:20, and the amount of the fine powder is in a range of 3 wt % to 7 wt % on the basis of a total weight of the coarse powder and the medium powder.
US09875829B2

Disclosed is a method for recoating an RTV anti-pollution flashover coating on an insulator coated with the RTV anti-pollution flashover coating. The insulator includes an insulator body, a steel cap connected to an upper surface of the insulator body, and a steel pin connected to a lower surface of the insulator body. The method includes: (1) wiping off dirt on a surface of the insulator; (2) determining whether the insulator can be recoated; (3) performing coating by using an RTV anti-pollution flashover coating with the content of solid being 55%-65%. After coating is performed, a newly coated anti-pollution flashover coating can be closely adhered to a surface of the insulator, swelling does not occur, adhesion of the coating with respect to the insulator is not reduced, the hydrophobicity of the surface is recovered, and non-reduction of a pollution flashover voltage of the insulator is ensured.
US09875823B2

A flat cable includes a dielectric element assembly including a plurality of dielectric layers laminated on each other in a direction of lamination, and a linear signal line provided in the dielectric element assembly. The dielectric element assembly includes at least one section bent in a plurality of places defining a zigzag shape when viewed in a plan view in the direction of lamination. In the zigzag section of the dielectric element assembly, any portions of the dielectric element assembly that are not adjacent across a bending line do not overlap when viewed in a plan view in the direction of lamination.
US09875816B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are described in which plasma pressures above the breaking point of solid material can be achieved by injecting a plasma into a funnel of liquid metal in which the plasma is compressed and/or heated.
US09875814B2

Systems and methods disclosed herein include those that may receive a memory request including a requested memory address and may send the memory request directly to an address decoder associated with a stacked-die memory vault without knowing whether a repair address is required. If a subsequent analysis of the memory request shows that a repair address is required, an in-process decode of the requested memory address can be halted and decoding of the repair address initiated.
US09875813B2

The present invention includes embodiments of systems and methods for increasing the operational efficiency and extending the estimated operational lifetime of a flash memory storage device (and its component flash memory chips, LUNs and blocks of flash memory) by monitoring the health of the device and its components and, in response, adaptively tuning the operating parameters of flash memory chips during their operational lifetime, as well as employing other less extreme preventive measures in the interim, via an interface that avoids the need for direct access to the test modes of the flash memory chips. In an offline characterization phase, “test chips” from a batch of recently manufactured flash memory chips are used to simulate various usage scenarios and measure the performance effects of writing and attempting to recover (read) test patterns written with different sets of operating parameters over time (simulating desired retention periods).
US09875808B2

Several embodiments of reclaimable semiconductor device packages and assemblies are disclosed herein. A semiconductor device assembly (100) includes a package (101) having a housing (102) and a package contact (104) arranged to receive a signal indicative of a reclamation state. A plurality of modules of semiconductor dies (106) are located within the housing and electrically coupled to the package contact (104). The dies (106) of the first and second modules dies are configured to store a module configuration state. The first and second modules (107a, 107b) are enabled for operation based, at least in part, on the reclamation state and the module configuration state.
US09875805B2

A double lockout programming technique is provided having a hidden delay between programming and verification. A temporary lockout stage and a permanent lockout stage are provided for double lockout programming. The temporary lockout stage precedes the permanent lockout stage and is used to initially determine when a memory cell should be locked out a first time for one or more program pulses. When a memory cell initially passes verification for its target state, it is temporarily locked out from programming for one or more program pulses. The memory cell enters a permanent lockout stage where it is verified again for its target state. When the memory cell passes verification a second time, it is permanently locked out for programming during the current program phase. The memory cell may be programmed at one or more reduced program rates in the permanent lockout stage.
US09875798B2

A non-volatile memory is erasable by page and equipped with a row redundancy mechanism. In the case of the detection of a defective row of the memory plane, the storing of the address of the row in a non-volatile register is carried out and a redundant row having a new address is assigned. In the case of an attempt to write to the defective row, a write to the redundant row is carried out. When writing to the redundant row, the new content of the redundant row is loaded into a volatile memory and, following an operation for writing to any other row of the memory plane, a re-loading of the new content of the redundant row into the volatile memory.
US09875794B2

A phase change memory array may include at least one cell used to determine whether the array has been altered by thermal exposure over time. The cell may be the same or different from the other cells. In some embodiments, the cell is only read in response to an event. If, in response to that reading, it is determined that the cell has changed state or resistance, it may deduce whether the change is a result of thermal exposure. Corrective measures may then be taken.
US09875793B2

A program method of a storage device which includes at least one nonvolatile memory device and a memory controller to control the at least one nonvolatile memory device, the program method comprising: performing a first normal program operation to store first user data in a memory block; detecting, at the memory controller, a first event; performing a dummy program operation to store dummy data in at least one page of the memory block in response to the detection of the first event; and performing a second normal program operation to store second user data in the memory block after the dummy program operation, dummy program operations being operations in which random data is programmed into the memory block, normal program operations being operations in which data other than random data is programmed in the memory block.
US09875784B1

A three-dimensional (3D) ferroelectric dipole metal-oxide semiconductor ferroelectric field-effect transistor (MOSFeFET) system, and related methods and systems are disclosed. The 3D ferroelectric dipole MOSFeFET system includes a bottom dielectric layer, a gate layer disposed above the bottom dielectric layer, and a top dielectric layer disposed on top of the gate layer. The 3D ferroelectric dipole MOSFeFET system also includes at least one source line (SL) line and at least one bit line (BL). At least one interconnect, which extends between the bottom dielectric layer and the top dielectric layer interconnects the at least one SL with the at least one BL. A ferroelectric dipole MOSFeFET(s) is formed at an intersection area of the at least one interconnect and the gate layer. The 3D ferroelectric dipole MOSFeFET system can lead to improved component density and reduced footprint.
US09875783B2

Described is a word-line driver which is operable to switch a voltage level of a word-line to one of: first power supply, second power supply, or third power supply wherein the voltage level of the second power supply is higher than the voltage level of the first power supply, and wherein transistors of the word-line driver have same gate oxide thicknesses.
US09875782B2

A magnetic memory device may include a bit line, a plurality of source lines, a plurality of normal cells coupled between the bit line and the plurality of source lines, and each including a magnetic resistance element and a switching element coupled in series to the magnetic resistance element and switched by a word line signal, a dummy cell coupled to the bit line, and a spin-hall effect material layer between the bit line and the magnetic resistance element. The magnetic resistance element may write data according to a first current that flows through the dummy cell and flows in a direction parallel to the magnetic resistance element, and a second current that flows through the magnetic resistance element.
US09875773B1

Systems and methods for an acoustic hard drive surrogate. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a chassis having a hard drive bay, and an acoustic hard drive surrogate coupled to the hard drive bay, where the acoustic hard drive surrogate includes a microphone configured to measure a combined airflow-induced and fan-generated acoustic wave transmitted over the air within the chassis and received at a selected point on a surface of the acoustic hard drive surrogate, and where the measurement excludes vibration received by the acoustic hard drive surrogate through the chassis.
US09875772B2

An editing apparatus for a editing video sequence, comprises: an editing unit for setting a first range to one part of the video sequence; a video sequence file generating unit for generating a video sequence file including video sequence corresponding to the first range and video sequence corresponding to a second range, wherein the second range is consecutively preceding to and/or subsequent to the first range; and an output for outputting the video sequence file.
US09875770B1

An apparatus for reading data from a magnetic storage medium includes a plurality of magnetic read heads each configured to read a track of the magnetic storage medium and generate an analog data signal corresponding to the read track. The apparatus includes a converter to generate digital data samples from the analog data signals, and a plurality of equalizers to apply a plurality of coefficients to the digital data samples to generate a plurality of equalized signals. The plurality of coefficients are associated with different locations within the track. The apparatus includes a plurality of detectors to compute metrics and detect data bits for the plurality of equalized signals, and at least one selector to select one of the plurality of equalized signals that has a best metric from the computed metrics and to output the selected equalized signal.
US09875765B2

A base for a magnetic recording medium includes, a substrate made of an Al alloy, and a film made of a NiP-based alloy and provided on the substrate. The Al alloy of the substrate includes Mg in a range of 0.2 mass % to 6 mass %, Si in a range of 3 mass % to 17 mass %, Zn in a range of 0.05 mass % to 2 mass %, and Sr in a range of 0.001 mass % to 1 mass %. An average grain diameter of Si grains in an alloy structure of the substrate is 2 μm or less. The film has a thickness of 10 μm or greater. The substrate has an outer diameter of 53 mm or greater, a thickness of 0.9 mm or less, and a Young's modulus of 79 GPa or higher.
US09875745B2

In general, techniques are directed to performing normalization with respect to ambient higher order ambisonic audio data. A device configured to decode higher order ambisonic audio data may perform the techniques. The device may include a memory and one or more processors. The memory may be configured to store an audio channel that provides a normalized ambient higher order ambisonic coefficient representative of at least a portion of an ambient component of a soundfield. The one or more processors may be configured to perform inverse normalization with respect to the audio channel.
US09875744B2

A method on a mobile device for voice recognition training is described. A voice training mode is entered. A voice training sample for a user of the mobile device is recorded. The voice training mode is interrupted to enter a noise indicator mode based on a sample background noise level for the voice training sample and a sample background noise type for the voice training sample. The voice training mode is returned to from the noise indicator mode when the user provides a continuation input that indicates a current background noise level meets an indicator threshold value.
US09875740B1

Approaches provide for using voice information to influence the importance of search result categories for a search query. For example, various embodiments may provide search results for a search query based on a most relevant search result category to the search query. Voice information associated with a subsequent user interaction may be analyzed to identify whether the search result category is correct or if search results from a different category should be provided. Additionally, the voice information may be used to update the relevance score of the search result category to the search query to improve the category matching of future queries.
US09875739B2

The system and method of separating speakers in an audio file including obtaining an audio file. The audio file is transcribed into at least one text file by a transcription server. Homogenous speech segments are identified within the at least one text file. The audio file is segmented into homogenous audio segments that correspond to the identified homogenous speech segments. The homogenous audio segments of the audio file are separated into a first speaker audio file and second speaker audio file the first speaker audio file and the second speaker audio file are transcribed to produce a diarized transcript.
US09875733B2

The technology described herein generally relates to a microporous membrane laminate for acoustic venting. In one embodiment, the technology disclosed herein is a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane having an average pore size between 0.05 μm and 2 μm and a scrim layer laminated to the PTFE membrane to form an acoustic membrane laminate. The acoustic membrane laminate has a thickness between 10 μm and 60 μm, and the scrim layer defines an average scrim opening between 0.20 mm2 and 5.0 mm2. The acoustic membrane laminate exhibits an increased average insertion loss in a frequency range from 300 Hz to 3000 Hz compared to the PTFE membrane alone, and has a decreased total harmonic distortion relative to the PTFE membrane alone. The acoustic membrane laminate has a water entry pressure that is substantially equal to that of the PTFE membrane.
US09875730B2

A dual action pedal device utilizing the forward section of a musical bass drum pedal foot board to strike a musical bass drum and an attached heel controlled piston to open/close musical hi-hat cymbals. By pressing in a downward motion the heel of a human foot closes musical hi-hat cymbals under spring pressure. Upon raising a human foots heel from the aforementioned piston the hi-hat cymbals open under spring pressure thus making this device a dual action pedal.
US09875726B2

According to an implementation of the present specification there is provided an apparatus for creating a hybrid image. The apparatus comprises: a first light source configured to emit a first light in a first direction; a reflector disposed to intercept the first light and configured to at least partially reflect the first light in an output direction to produce a reflected first light. The apparatus also comprises a second light source configured to emit a second light, the reflector configured to at least partially transmit the second light in the output direction to produce a transmitted second light. The apparatus also comprises an input terminal configured to receive an input used to control one or more of the first light source and the second light source. The hybrid image comprises a combination of the reflected first light and the transmitted second light.
US09875722B2

A method for controlling a display screen brightness level for an electronic device. In one embodiment, the electronic device determines a first ambient light level and associates the first ambient light level with a first priority weight value. The electronic device further determines a second ambient light level and associates the second ambient light level with a second priority weight value. A display controller within the electronic device sets the display screen brightness level based, at least in part, on the first ambient light level, the second ambient light level, and at least one of the first and second priority weight values.
US09875721B2

A non-quadrangular display includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of signal supply lines connected to the gate lines through corresponding contact points from among a plurality of contact points, and a difference between linear loads based on the signal supply lines and the gate lines connected to two contact points that have a similar symmetrical relationship from among the plurality of contact points is less than a set threshold value.
US09875716B2

A display panel includes a timing controller embedded data driver and a first data driver. The timing controller embedded data driver includes an image processing part and an internal data driving part. The image processing part generates a first data signal corresponding to a first display area and a second data signal corresponding to a second display area based on input image data. The internal data driving part generates a second data voltage based on the second data signal to output the second data voltage to the second display area. The first data driver is disposed at a first side of the timing controller embedded data driver. The first data driver receives the first data signal from the timing controller embedded data driver and generates a first data voltage based on the first data signal to output the first data voltage to the first display area.
US09875714B2

A driving circuit includes a receiver configured to receive an image control signal comprising a data signal and a clock signal, separate the data signal from the clock signal and output the separated data and clock signals, a clock recovery unit generating a reference clock signal based on the clock signal and generating a plurality of multi-phase clock signals having different phases from that of the reference clock signal, an output clock generation unit outputting an output clock signal in synchronization with the clock signal and the plurality of multi-phase clock signals, and a data output unit driving a plurality of data lines with a data driving signal corresponding to the data signal in synchronization with the output clock signal, and the output clock generation unit outputs the plurality of multi-phase clock signals.
US09875712B2

A gate driving circuit and a driving method thereof, and a display device are provided. The gate driving circuit comprises at least two stages of shift register units, and further comprises at least one compensation unit arranged between two adjacent shift register units; a scanning signal output terminal of a first shift register unit is connected to a first signal input terminal of the compensation unit; a first signal output terminal of the compensation unit is connected to a reset signal terminal of the first shift register unit; a scanning signal output terminal of a second shift register unit is connected to a second signal input terminal of the compensation unit; a second signal output terminal of the compensation unit is connected to a control signal input terminal of the second shift register unit; and the compensation unit is further connected to at least one compensation voltage terminal, a first voltage terminal and a second voltage terminal, and is configured to compensate for a gate scanning signal in blanking time. The phenomena of insufficient charging of the pixels caused by increase of the blanking time of the clock signal can be avoided.
US09875702B2

The present disclosure provides a pixel structure, a method for driving the pixel structure, a display panel and a display device. The pixel structure includes M gate lines, N data lines, and pixel units arranged in an array of M rows and N columns. Each pixel unit includes a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor (TFT), a drain electrode of the TFT is connected to the pixel electrode. Both M and N are positive integers. Source electrodes of the TFTs included in two adjacent pixel units in each row of the array are connected to two adjacent data lines respectively, and source electrodes of the TFTs included in two adjacent pixel units in each column of the array are connected to two adjacent data lines respectively.
US09875696B2

A method of displaying a three-dimensional image includes outputting a converted left image generated based on a left image to a pixel of a display panel during a first period, where the converted left image has a grayscale value less than a grayscale value of the left image, outputting the left image to the pixel of the display panel during a second period, outputting a converted right image generated based on a right image to the pixel of the display panel during a third period, where the converted right image has a grayscale value less than a grayscale value of the right image, and outputting the right image to the pixel of the display panel during a fourth period.
US09875695B2

A display device uses a control unit to analyze an image obtained by picturing a user using an image-capturing unit and detect a line of sight of the user with respect to the display region of a display unit. Further, the control unit identifies observation condition information indicating the condition of the user viewing the display region based on the detected line of sight of the user. A display control unit writes the image signal in the display region of the display unit for each frame, wherein the display control unit halts, for a predetermined frame period, writing of the image signal in a controlled region when the identified observation condition information meets a predetermined requirement, the controlled region being at least a part of the display region.
US09875688B2

The present invention provides an AMOLED pixel driving circuit and a pixel driving method. The AMOLED pixel driving circuit utilizes a 6T2C structure, comprising a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth and a sixth thin film transistors (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6), a first, a second capacitors (C1, C2) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED), and the first thin film transistor (T1) is a drive thin film transistor, and the fifth thin film transistor (T5) is a switch thin film transistor; and a first control signal (G1), a second control signal (G2) and a third control signal (G3) are involved, and the three are combined with one another and correspond to a data signal writing stage (1), a whole compensation stage (2), a charging stage (3) and a light emitting stage (4) one after another. The threshold voltage changes of the drive thin film transistor and the organic light emitting diode can be effectively compensated to make the display brightness of the AMOLED more even and to raise the display quality.
US09875683B2

A scan driver includes a plurality of decoder type stages respectively outputting a plurality scan signals. An n-th stage includes a first input block configured to provide a first DC voltage to a first node in response to a plurality of selection signals, a pull-down block configured to pull down a first node voltage, a second input block configured to reduce a voltage drop of a second node voltage when a scan signal is output, and to provide a second DC voltage to a second node in response to the selection signals, a buffer block configured to output the first node voltage, that is a buffer output voltage, in response to the first node voltage and the second node voltage, and an output block configured to output the scan signal.
US09875682B2

The present invention provides a display method and a display panel. The display panel comprises a plurality of rows of sub-pixels, the adjacent sub-pixels in the column direction having different colors and being staggered from each other by a half of a sub-pixel. The display method comprises: generating an original image composed of a matrix of virtual pixels; enabling the virtual pixels to correspond to sampling locations, wherein one sampling location is included between any two adjacent sampling locations corresponding to the virtual pixels in each distribution section, three sampling locations are included between two adjacent distribution sections; among the sampling locations in any two adjacent rows, the sampling locations corresponding to the virtual pixels are not arranged in the same columns
US09875677B2

An image processing device includes: a gain calculation section determining a gain, on the basis of a first partial image in a first frame image that includes a process target line; and a correction section correcting pixel luminance information regarding the process target line, on the basis of the gain.
US09875661B2

An obstacle-avoidance system for a vehicle, the obstacle-avoidance system may comprise: a communication device; a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors configured to detect collision threats within a predetermined distance of the vehicle; and a processor. The processor may communicatively couple to the communication device and the plurality of sensors and configured to receive navigation commands being communicated to a control system via said communication device. The processor may also receive, from at least one of said plurality of sensors, obstruction data reflecting the position of an obstruction. Using the obstruction data, the processor identifies a direction for avoiding said obstruction. In response, the processor may output, via said communication device, a command to said control system causing the vehicle to travel in said flight direction.
US09875660B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving flight path data regarding the presence of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at a location at a future time, detecting the presence of the UAV at the location at the future time, determining radio identity data of the UAV using a radio mode of identification, determining optical identity data of the UAV using an optical mode of identification, and certifying the UAV based on a comparison of the radio identity data and the optical identity data to the flight path data.
US09875652B2

The disclosed embodiments relate to prediction of traffic dynamics. A descriptive model is provided that uses historical probe data to create “tidal-like” patterns for the usual dynamics on the road network and creates a framework for taking a future time, e.g. in terms of month, day, time, and suggesting a typical speed for the specified road network link at that specific time. With this model, better predictions for estimated time of arrival will be derived. As opposed to blindly extrapolating from a static model, the disclosed embodiments dynamically adapt to current conditions using real time data to adapt, based on current conditions, the model from which a predicted speed may be determined.
US09875648B2

The present technology generally relates to robotics. More specifically, the present technology relates to systems and methods for reducing false alarms by a mobile robotic device using data collected by sensors in the robotic device. An example of the technology may include receiving sensor data at one or more sensors; determining a first portion of the sensor data that matches one or more positive logic patterns of the set of positive logic patterns; determining a second portion of the sensor data that matches one or more negative logic patterns of the set of negative logic patterns; determining a third portion of sensor data that does not match any positive logic patterns of the set of positive logic patterns or negative logic patterns of the set of negative logic patterns; generating an alarm decision; receiving an input indicating that the alarm decision was incorrect; linking the alarm decision and the input to each other; and transmitting the linked alarm decision and input to the second pattern library based on the input.
US09875644B2

A wireless fire alarm notification system uses wireless repeater devices to annunciate an alarm to slave devices from the control panel. A notification device provides a local synchronization signal via wire to a secondary notification device. A method enables the activation or deactivation of child device without the child device having to query their parent repeater. A circuit to test the integrity of an active battery charger, a battery, and an isolation circuit is also shown. A method for qualifying that an RF signal meets a specified minimum acceptable level is described. A method for wirelessly sending events to avoid RF link overload is provided. A programming checksum method confirms that an annunciator has latest programming information. A method to automatically process messages from new devices without having to hardcode repeaters to support these new devices is also described.
US09875643B1

System and methods are disclosed for emergency management during threatening events such as gunfire incidents. In some exemplary implementations, systems and methods may provide information to computer-based and mobile-device user interfaces, enabling various features and capabilities such as notifying site-based subscribers and public safety personnel that an emergency has occurred at a specific location. Implementations may also provide users with real-time information that can utilized by on-site personnel and responding public safety personnel to mitigate the emergency. Further, aspects may include configurations and/or capabilities that integrate with external technology platforms such as computer aided dispatch systems, surveillance camera systems, and security systems such as those having electronic lock control.
US09875635B2

Provided is a proximity detection system which is capable of changing a level of alarm depending on a distance between a worker and an apparatus, and setting an alarm-generating distance in an apparatus-side unit. The proximity detection system comprises a magnetic field detecting function-equipped RFID tag attachable to a worker, and a distance detection control unit installable in a self-propelled apparatus. The magnetic field detecting function-equipped RFID tag is configured to be selectively set between a plurality of levels of magnetic field detecting sensitivity, and comprises means to intermittently transmit setup magnetic field detecting sensitivity data and magnetic field detection data. The distance detection control unit is configured to output different levels of alarm according to the data received from the RFID tag.
US09875625B2

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a processor configured to determine a haptic effect and transmit a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect. The illustrative system also includes a multifunction haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the haptic effect. The multifunction haptic output device includes a single haptic actuator.
US09875622B2

Game wagers are received on a hand. At least two hands are dealt and completed according to an underlying game of baccarat or baccarat variation. A bonus wager is received. After the hands are completed, a determination is made whether an end-bonus condition is met. If not, a determination is made whether a bonus-eligible sum has been obtained in a designated hand. Bonus-eligible hand sums may include designated hand sums in a player hand, a banker hand, a player hand or banker hand, and/or a player hand and banker hand. Bonus-eligible hand sums may also be hand sums closer to a target value in a designated hand. When bonus-eligible sums have been obtained in a threshold quantity of bonus triggering games, without obtaining an end-bonus condition, an award is issued on the bonus wager.
US09875621B1

A mobile device for playing a wagering game and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include obtaining a game code associated with a secondary game, wherein the game code was scanned from a physical game card. In some embodiments, the game code is scanned by a scanning mechanism of a mobile device. The physical game card is associated with a wagering game. The operations can further include determining an outcome for the secondary game based on the game code. The operations can further include providing, for presentation, an indication of the outcome. In some examples, the indication of the outcome is provided for presentation via the mobile device.
US09875613B2

Gaming devices may generate outcomes to be sold in printed form. Representations of the outcomes, corresponding payouts, and other information are printed on sheets of paper. Multiple printed outcomes are assembled into books, wrapped, and sold to consumers. Consumers may purchase the books and browse through the printed outcomes at their leisure. When finished with a book, a consumer may submit a portion of the book to the casino that sold the outcomes. The casino may then pay the player based on the payouts associated with the outcomes in the book.
US09875605B2

A user-interface for a game is separately serviced to game clients based on an identifier of a site providing a selection interface for the game. Multiple user interfaces for a game are stored. A resource server receives a request for a game that includes an identification of a web site issuing the request. The resource servers uses the identification to select a user interface module from the multiple user interface modules associated with the game. The selected user interface is assembled into the game and provided to a source of the request.
US09875602B2

The present invention provides an electronic gaming machine comprising a display for displaying a game. The game comprises game symbols and an array of first symbol positions in which the game symbols are able to be displayed and predetermined winning combinations of randomly selected game symbols award prizes to a player. An electronic game controller controls the display of the game symbols on the display and randomly determines whether to display one of the game symbols in each first symbol position. In response to each first symbol position in the array displaying a game symbol, the electronic game controller causes the display of one or more second symbol positions in addition to the first symbol positions and randomly determines whether to display a game symbol in each of the one or more second symbol positions.
US09875591B2

Systems and methods for phone-as-a-key range extension are disclosed. An example disclosed vehicle includes an integrated antenna array with a plurality of antenna located on a roof of the vehicle. The plurality of antenna includes a personal area network antenna. The example vehicle also includes a personal area network module communicatively connected to the personal area network antenna. Additionally, the vehicle includes a key phone unit communicatively connected to the personal area network module. The example key phone unit performs key fob functions as requested by an authorized mobile device.
US09875571B2

In an embodiment, provided is an image combining apparatus coupled to a first terminal device through a network. The image combining apparatus includes: a delivery section that delivers screen data that is image data for a screen to the first terminal device; a receiving section that receives first handwriting position information indicating a position of first handwriting information input to a screen based on the screen data on the first terminal device; a generation section that produces first handwriting image data that is the image data of the first handwriting information using the first handwriting position information; and a combining section that produces combined screen data by combining the screen data with the first handwriting image data.
US09875567B2

The invention provides systems that allow users to design and model natural structures such as biomolecules. The system can include a collection of individual models and also provide users with the option to select certain simulation/interaction modalities that will influence the dynamics of models within a simulation created by the user. The system includes a processor coupled to a non-transitory memory within which is stored a digital model that includes data representing a structure and a rig that defines animation dynamics for the structure such that a range of motion of the at least one digital model on an electronic display device is predetermined without manipulation from a user. They system also includes at least one molecular dynamics modality selectable by the user that applies one or more parameters that influence the animation dynamics of the structure in a simulation provided by the system.
US09875566B2

At a first device there is received from a second device (i) a native pixilated image and (ii) interactive filter data associated with the image. The filter data corresponds to an interactive filter applied to the image. A first representation of the image is displayed in accordance with the interactive filter data on the display. All or a first subset of the pixels of the image are obscured in the first representation. Responsive to user input, for a period of time specified by the filter, a second representation of the image is displayed in place of the first representation. None or a second subset of the pixels of the image is obscured in the second representation, where the second subset is less than the first subset. Then there is displayed on the display, after the limited period of time has elapsed, the first representation in place of the second representation.
US09875560B2

A system for receiving one or more measured physiological parameters of a patient and displaying a graphical representation of the same. In various embodiments, a display module generates a graphical display that includes a range of possible values for the physiological parameter, one or more thresholds and/or alarm values, a numeric display of the current value of the measured physiological parameter, and a historical comparator of the current value with historical values.
US09875553B2

An image processing apparatus includes a depth control signal generation unit generating a depth control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region of an input image based on the depth position of a subject in each region of the input image; a face skin region control signal generation unit generating a face skin region control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region in the input image based on the human face skin region in the input image; a person region control signal generation unit generating a person region control signal controlling emphasis of the feel of each region in the input image based on the region of the person in the input image; and a control signal synthesis unit synthesizing the depth control signal, the face skin region control signal, and the person region control signal to generate a control signal.
US09875551B2

Disclosed are a method and an electronic device for performing user authentication, the method including detecting a subject, determining a light-emitting parameter of a light source when the subject is to be photographed, and acquiring an image of the subject based on the determined light-emitting parameter.
US09875548B2

A system and method that generates a candidate list of indexed images that potentially match an object in a query image is disclosed. The method includes receiving a query image including an object, receiving a plurality of indexed images that match the object, computing a region of interest for the object, computing an overlap between a first region of interest corresponding to a first indexed image and a second region of interest corresponding to a second indexed image, determining that the overlap between the first region of interest and the second region of interest satisfies a threshold and including the first indexed image and the second indexed image in a candidate list of indexed images.
US09875537B2

The methods comprise: a) obtaining a 3D volume of the object containing two different sub-volumes identified as: well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) sub-volumes; b) generating well-defined zone (S) and not-well-defined zone (BZ) patches from the two sub-volumes; c) automatically identifying the possible channels by means of automatically obtaining candidate channels regions (CCR), dilating the perimeters of the well-defined zone (S) patches. The method includes embodiments for a layered approach, an EAM polygonal mesh approach and a volume approach.The computer program product is adapted to implement part or all of the steps of the method of the invention.The EAM system comprises computing navigation means implementing the method of the invention.
US09875531B2

The present invention relates to medical image viewing in relation with navigation in X-ray imaging. In order to provide improved X-ray images, for example for cardiac procedures, allowing a facilitated perception while ensuring that increased details are visible, a medical image viewing device (10) for navigation in X-ray imaging is provided that comprises an image data providing unit (12), a processing unit (14), and a display unit (16). The image data providing unit is configured to provide an angiographic image of a region of interest of an object. The processing unit is configured to identify a suppression area for partial bone suppression within the angiographic image, and to identify and locally suppress predetermined bone structures in the angiographic image in the suppression area, and to generate a partly-bone-suppressed image. Further, the display unit is configured to display the partly-bone-suppressed image.
US09875527B2

A method and apparatus is provided to denoise material-decomposition data generated using projection data from a spectral computed tomography scanner. A whitening transform is used to transform the material-decomposition data into uncorrelated components and perform denoising on the uncorrelated components. Using different denoising parameters for the various uncorrelated components, a flattening can be achieved for the standard deviation of the noise as a function of X-ray energy, which can be determined using mono-energetic images derived from the material-decomposition data. The whitening transformation and the denoising can be applied the material-decomposition sinograms and/or to material-decomposition images reconstructed from the material-decomposition sinograms.
US09875524B2

An image processing apparatus includes: an input unit adapted to input an image; a first acquisition unit adapted to acquire a low-frequency component image from the image input by the input unit; a first transformation unit adapted to transform the low-frequency component image acquired by the first acquisition unit; a second transformation unit adapted to transform the image input by the input unit; a second acquisition unit adapted to acquire a transformed high-frequency component image from the transformed image obtained by the second transformation unit; and a display control unit adapted to display, on a display unit, a combined image obtained by combining the transformed low-frequency component image obtained by the first transformation unit and the transformed high-frequency component image acquired by the second acquisition unit.
US09875519B2

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for rendering using a graphics processing component (GPC). A computing device can receive instructions for a GPC, including an instruction IA associated with a first portion of a canvas. An insertion position in an instruction buffer for instruction IA can be determined by: determining an instruction IB in the instruction buffer that is associated with a second portion of the canvas. If the first and second portions overlap, the insertion position can be based on an overlapping-instruction position of IB in the instruction buffer. Otherwise, if instructions IA and IB are similar, then the insertion position can be based on a second position of IB in the instruction buffer. Otherwise, the insertion position can be determined based on an ending position of the instruction buffer. Instruction IA can be inserted in the instruction buffer at the insertion position.
US09875514B2

A system and methods for monitoring compliance with at least one time based rule for treating individuals with health related procedure requests. The system includes a server which periodically receives information on individuals within a group, a request procedure type, and a request date for the individuals that requested a health related procedure. The system then tracks the lapsed time of each health related request to monitor compliance with the time based rule. The system can also rank the individuals for scheduling of the health related procedure based on the procedure type, lapsed time, and the time based rule. The server also identifies individuals which have changed facilities while maintaining their original request date and then updates the rankings for each facility. The system is especially useful for handling dental procedures and requests for individuals at correctional institutions, military bases, and campuses.
US09875512B2

In one embodiment, a set of tags associated with a media item may be ascertained. One or more of a plurality of individuals may be identified based, at least in part, upon the set of tags associated with the media item and a plurality of sets of sharing preferences, each one of the plurality of sets of sharing preferences being associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of individuals and indicating tags for which media items are to be automatically shared with the corresponding one of the plurality of individuals. Information pertaining to the media item may be shared with the identified individuals.
US09875504B1

A method and system is provided for a merchant to display live streaming video feeds of live items, such as marine life, for sale to a buyer through an online e-commerce website. More specifically, the method can include placing the item within a storage vessel, positioning a video recording camera adjacent to the storage vessel, and capturing streaming video from the camera of the item. The method can further include transmitting the streaming video of the item to a client portal, receiving an order request from the client, processing the order request, updating an inventory based on the processed order request, and ceasing transmission of the streaming video to the portal based on the processed order. The method and system provide a simple, automated, and reliable method for a buyer to purchase live items from a merchant wherein the buyer can see exactly the item he or she is purchasing, including the physical condition, configuration, size, health, and overall well-being of the item.
US09875502B2

A central computer system is configured to simultaneously task various ones of a plurality of motorized transport units to temporarily attach to a corresponding mobile item container and to move the temporarily-attached mobile item container in a retail shopping facility in correspondence to the movement of an authorized consumer while also receiving and analyzing video input provided by video cameras that are included with at least some of the motorized transport units to identify security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping facility. By one approach, the central computer system identifies security and safety anomalies in the retail shopping center by characterizing contents of images as being either expected or unexpected and as being either potentially harmful or not potentially harmful. So configured the central computer system is able to not only identify anomalies but assess a degree of threat posed by a given anomaly.
US09875491B2

A method and a system for facilitating lending between private parties, the private parties including a lendee and at least one lender. For example, a loan request from a lendee may be received, the loan request sent to at least one lender, the lender indicating acceptance of the loan request, notifying the lendee of the acceptance and transferring funds from a financial account of the lender to a financial account of the lendee.
US09875490B2

The disclosed tools include enhanced and flexible tools to enable users who may be business competitors to share non-generic data in a substantially generic and in a substantially equitable manner. The resulting incentive to more freely share data between competitors will benefit users such as brand owners and enhance content delivered to their end users based on shared data.
US09875489B2

A method of dynamically binding supplemental content to video content includes receiving the video content at a device and identifying at least one value related to one or more products or services, where the at least one value is associated with the video content. The method also includes obtaining the supplemental content based on the at least one value, where the supplemental content provides additional information about the one or more products or services. In addition, the method includes dynamically binding the supplemental content to the video content and positioning the supplemental content in association with the video content using a supplemental interactive display.
US09875483B2

In accordance with some implementations, a method for responding to requests submitted through a conversational interface is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system receives a request from a user through a conversational interface. The server system determines, based on the request, whether the system is able to fulfill the request automatically. In accordance with a determination that the system is able to fulfill the request automatically, the server system fulfills the user request with no human interaction. In accordance with a determination that the system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention, the server system sends the request to a human operator for fulfillment.
US09875479B2

A device management apparatus including a receiving unit configured to receive state information indicating a change in a state of a device and store the state information in a state information storage unit; a sending unit configured to send report information relating to the state information to a predetermined destination, when the state information received by the receiving unit corresponds to a report target; and a changing unit configured to expand the report targets when an operation state of the device does not fulfill a scheduled state of a present time point, the operation state being identified based on history of the state information stored in the state information storage unit.
US09875476B2

Systems and methods for completing a transaction using biometric validation and data received from a wireless device are provided. The method comprises wirelessly receiving card data or information associated with the card data from a wireless device, the card data being associated with a card user, and authorizing for transmission, by one or more processors, the card data or the information associated with the card data, to complete the transaction, wherein the card data or information associated with the card data is received after validation of a first entity as the card user, and validation of the first entity as the card user is based on first biometric data received by an electronic device from the first entity.
US09875469B1

When a merchant sells goods or services in a sales transaction, a merchant device can generate a bill. The bill includes an itemized list of the goods and services, a price for each item, and an identifier of the sales transaction. A first customer and a second customer split the bill using a first customer device and a second customer device, respectively. The first customer device establishes communication between the first customer device and the merchant device. Using the identifier of the sales transaction, the first customer device pays a portion of the itemized list of the goods and services at the merchant device. The second customer device establishes communication between the second customer device and the merchant device. Using the identifier, the second customer device pays a remaining portion of the itemized list of the goods and services at the merchant device.
US09875452B2

An inventory of service parts may be managed by assessing a company's capability, optimizing the inventory and implementing a management program based on the assessment and optimization. Optimizing target stock levels for the inventory of parts may be accomplished by calculating an inventory baseline for understanding information about the currently held inventory; developing a service strategy for a set of segments; quantifying a service level for each of the segments; analyzing the segments and their service levels for identifying at least one logistically distinct business; assigning each of the segments to a “best-fit” planning model for indicating each segment's deployment, replenishment, forecasting and review characteristics; identifying a probability distribution function for estimating a demand process of each of the segments; and calculating a target stock level for each segment.
US09875436B2

Electronic systems, such as printing systems, often use components that have integral memory. The integral memory can be used to store information about the component. In some printing systems this memory includes a portion that stores a value indicative of an amount of a consumable that has been used. Some printing systems do this by using a counter to count the amount of the consumable used and then sending a count command to the memory. The increment count command is processed to increment the value stored within the memory. Disclosed is a method and system for allowing the memory to be updated by a count command without having to increment the value stored. This method allows print cartridges to be used in printing systems that utilize counters without having to increment the counter each time an increment command is received.
US09875434B2

A method for printing a strip-shaped material to be printed uses a printing unit of a roller printer. Output data for actuating at least one printing machine printing unit component, which determines the shape of printing images, is generated from stored template image data of a complete printing image in order to generate a printed complete printing image. The complete printing image is determined or described in a primary data packet, and the dimensions of the complete image, which dimensions are measured in a template direction, are assigned to the complete printing image in the template image data or the primary data packet. The dimensions of the complete image are compared with a threshold, and if the threshold is exceeded, the complete printing image is divided into a plurality of sections with respect to the template direction, with the plurality of sections being determined or described in a plurality of secondary data packets. The sections are produced on the material to be printed by printing processes which are carried out by the printing unit and during each of which, output data, based on at least one of the secondary data packets, is processed.
US09875426B2

A user captures images on a user computing device. The user signs in to an application, which transmits the user's images to an account management system, which recognizes objects within the images and assigns one or more object categories to the images and recognizes multiple images comprising objects in a common object category. After receiving user consent, the application groups the images on the user computing device according to object category. The user computing device captures an image of another object. The application transmits the image to the account management system, which detects objects within the image, identifies the object category, and saves the image to the corresponding object category group on the user computing device. After receiving user consent, the account management system finds information for each image in the object category group of images and transmits the information to the user computing device.
US09875424B2

A method for determining correspondences between a first and a second image, comprising the steps providing a first image and a second image of the real environment, defining a warping function between the first and second image, determining the parameters of the warping function between the first image and the second image by means of an image registration method, determining a third image by applying the warping function with the determined parameters to the first image, determining a matching result by matching the third image and the second image, and determining correspondences between the first and the second image using the matching result and the warping function with the determined parameters. The method may be used in a keyframe based method for determining the pose of a camera based on the determined correspondences.
US09875416B2

A method for situation analysis for a driver assistance system on board a motor vehicle includes steps of providing a representation of the surroundings of the motor vehicle, the representation including a system of cells that are reversibly unambiguously associated with predetermined sections of the surroundings, scanning the surroundings of the motor vehicle with the aid of at least one sensor in order to detect an obstacle, and marking cells, based on the scan, in such a way that a cell that is associated with an obstacle-free section of the surroundings carries a first marker, and a cell that is associated with a section of the surroundings in which an obstacle has been detected carries a second marker. A morphological filter is subsequently used on the representation in order to provide cells, which are not accessible by the motor vehicle, with the second marker.
US09875403B2

A method for geolocating an image sensor having an LoS and installed on board an aircraft. The geographical position of the sensor and the orientation of its LoS being approximate, it comprises: a step of creating an opportune landmark comprising the following substeps: an operator locating, on a screen for displaying acquired images, a stationary element on the ground, the axis of a telemeter being indicated in these images by means of a reticle the direction of which represents the LoS; the operator moving the LoS in order to place the reticle on this stationary element; tracking of this stationary element; estimating the approximate geographical position of this stationary element; searching in a terrain DB for the location corresponding to a zone centered on the stationary element; displaying an image of the terrain of this location, the operator locating the stationary element; and the operator pointing to this stationary element in the displayed terrain image, the geographical coordinates pointed to being retrieved from the terrain DB, this stationary element becoming an opportune landmark; and the sensor moving relative to the landmark, a step of accurately locating the sensor, from the geographical coordinates of this landmark and using a Kalman filter supplied with a plurality of measurements of the distance between the sensor and the landmark and with a plurality of measurements of the orientation of the LoS of the sensor toward the landmark, there being one orientation measurement for each telemetry measurement, simultaneously allowing the orientation of the LoS to be accurately estimated.
US09875401B2

An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit, a first classification unit, and a second classification unit. The obtaining unit obtains plural types of document images. The first classification unit classifies each of the plural types of document images obtained by the obtaining unit into any of classification items included in one category among plural categories, the plural categories each including plural classification items. The second classification unit classifies, in a case where there is a document image that is not classified into the one category by the first classification unit among the plural types of document images, the document image, which is not classified into the one category, into another category that includes at least one of classification items into which some of the document images are classified by the first classification unit.
US09875400B2

A notification device includes a difference calculation section adapted to calculate differences between index values of a plurality of indexes, which are calculated by analyzing an exercise of a user using an inertial sensor, and are related to an athletic ability of the user, and target values set to the respective indexes, an index selection section adapted to select some of the indexes based on the differences with respect to the respective indexes, and an output section adapted to output the some of the indexes selected.
US09875395B2

A system and method for tagging an image of an individual in a plurality of photos is disclosed herein. A feature vector of an individual is used to analyze a set of photos on a social networking website to determine if an image of the individual is present in a photo of the set of photos. Photos having an image of the individual are tagged preferably by listing a URL or URI for each of the photos in a database.
US09875387B2

A fingerprint sensor is provided. The fingerprint sensor includes a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), a fingerprint sensing die and a molding compound. The multi-layer PCB includes a bottom dielectric layer, at least one intermediate dielectric layer disposed on the bottom dielectric layer, a top dielectric layer disposed on the intermediate dielectric layer and a trench. The trench is formed by digging out a portion of the intermediate dielectric layer and a portion of the top dielectric layer. The fingerprint sensing die is disposed in the trench of the multi-layer PCB and mounted on an upper surface of the bottom dielectric layer of the multi-layer PCB. The fingerprint sensing die includes a sensing array capable of sensing fingerprint information of a user. The fingerprint sensing die is covered by the molding compound, and the trench of the multi-layer PCB is filled with the molding compound.
US09875380B2

Data carriers for inventorying by means of a communication station, whereby the communication station and each data carrier are brought into communicative connection, and each data carrier brought into communicative connection with the communication station is configured to generate a response signal that renders possible an inventorying of the data carrier and is capable of delivering a generated response signal with the use of a transmission start moment that can be selected from a plurality of transmission start moments, each data carrier tests whether another data carrier is already giving its response signal. Each data carrier is configured to discontinue the generation or delivery of its response signal if another data carrier is already providing its response signal.
US09875379B2

Systems and methods for reducing problems and disadvantages associated with providing a user-accessible card slot are provided. A removable card carrier a configured to mechanically interface an information handling system may include a body and a cover. The body may be adapted to hold a card. The cover may be movably coupled to the body such that exterior surfaces of the cover and the information handling system are substantially flush with each other when card carrier is disposed in the information handling system.
US09875375B2

A similar-information search method includes receiving, with a data computation device, an encrypted feature quantity and an encrypted similarity value from a user terminal device; calculating, with the data computation device, an encrypted distance between an encrypted reference feature quantity and the encrypted feature quantity; determining, with the data computation device, whether the encrypted distance matches the encrypted similarity value; generating, with the data computation device, encrypted reference data that is information obtained by encrypting reference data if it is determined that the encrypted distance matches the encrypted similarity value; and transmitting, with the data computation device, the generated encrypted reference data to the user terminal device.
US09875371B2

A system for controlling access to copyrighted data comprises, at least: a plurality of users having computers, each computer being assigned a unique identity and each computer being configured for communicating with external units via a core network; a core network operated by a telecommunications organization; an access handler configured to communicate with the computers via the core network and a communication interface configured for routing incoming data traffic to a first database; wherein the first database includes at least one table, in which table the unique identities of the computers are associated with access rights for each one of the unique identities, and the first database is configured to communicate with a second database and a third database/server; the second database includes copyrighted data material, and the second database is further configured to communicate via the core network with the computers for transferring requested copyrighted data material.
US09875360B1

A cybersecurity system for managing cyber behavior associated with cyber actors such that the cyber behavior can be computed and predicted and cyber interactions between the cyber actors can be created. The system includes a cyber behavioral space management module configured to receive input data, and data from the interaction engine and the analytic workflow engine, and to generate a plurality of cyber behavioral spaces based on the received data. The system includes an interaction engine configured to process cyber actor data to facilitate interactions with the cyber behavioral space, a cyber scene, a cyber map, and another cyber actor. The system includes an analytic workflow engine configured to analyze the cyber behavioral spaces and update cyber data based on the analyzed data and the interaction engine data. The system includes a visualization engine configured to compute visualizations and transmit the visualizations for display.
US09875346B2

A first electronic device is configured to operate in a restricted mode of operation, which restricted mode may be terminated or continued by one or more remotely located authorization devices, according to predetermined criteria. In a restricted mode, a first set of permitted applications stored on the first electronic device are executable, and a first set of data is accessible. While operating in the restricted mode, the first device detects a termination condition of the restricted mode and transmits an indication of the termination condition to one or more authorization devices. After transmitting the request, the first electronic device receives an indication that the restricted mode of operation has been continued according to predetermined criteria. Responsive to receiving the indication, the first electronic device continues to operate in the restricted mode according to the predetermined criteria.
US09875345B2

A method for preparing content for watermarking is disclosed. The content is available in different versions on a server for at least a client and the different versions of the content are subdivided into temporally aligned chunks. For each version of the content, candidate locations for watermarking are obtained. A watermark payload bit insertion rate is determined according to a minimum path. Watermark embedding metadata is generated for each version of the content such that the watermark payload bit insertion rate is the same. A device for implementing the method and a non-transitory program storage device are also disclosed.
US09875327B2

An asynchronous circuit may include a single-rail logic datapath; one or more error-detecting latches; a controller that controls the error-detecting latches; and delay lines. The controller and the delay lines may cooperate to communicate with one or more other controllers that the output of the controlled error-detecting latches may be valid prior to when the error-detecting latches indicate whether or not an error occurred.
US09875323B1

An apparatus and method for a computer implemented tool for designing fasteners to satisfy design rules and optimize the engagement between the locking insert of the bolt and the insert threads to achieve the best solution which has maximum engagement or friction, minimum vibration and weight.
US09875319B2

A framing technique included in a set of framing techniques is applied to at least a portion of a target data set. When a result of the application of the framing technique meets a first condition, a typing technique included in a set of typing techniques is applied to the target data set. When a result of the application of the typing technique meets a second condition, a tokenization technique included in a set of tokenization techniques is applied to the target data set. When a result of the application of the tokenization technique meets a third condition, a parsing technique for the target data set is determined to include the framing technique, the typing technique and the tokenization technique. An indication of the parsing technique is generated.
US09875309B2

A topical search computer system identifies topics from various definitional (i.e., data) sources. The system generates a catalog of different topics from the data sources. Topics with similar names are differentiated by the system based on the context in which each topic is used. The context for a topic is represented by a context vector, which describes the co-occurrence relationships between the topic and other topics derived from the data sources. Because the system has computed a context for each topic, the system can provide improved search results responsive to user queries for information.
US09875304B2

A content selection system and method for identifying and organizing moods in content using objectively measured scores for rhythm, texture and pitch (RTP) and clustered into six mood classifications based on an objective analysis of the measured scores. Digitized representations of the content may also be identified and organized based on the content's frequency data, three-dimensional shapes derived from the digitized representations, and colors derived from the frequency data. Each piece of content may be identified by at least a mood shape, but may also be identified by a mood color and/or a mood based on the clustered RTP scores and/or the digitized representation. Users of the selection system may be able to view the moods identified in the different manners, or combinations of two or three mood identifying manners and select and organize content based on the identified moods.
US09875302B2

Techniques for utilizing data mining technology to extract universal topics with multilingual representations from a multilingual database, and to organize existing or new documents in different languages by analyzing their respective topic distributions.
US09875296B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus for obtaining a resource, identifying a first portion of text of the resource that is characterized as a question, and a second part of text of the resource that is characterized as an answer to the question, identifying an entity that is referenced by one or more terms of the text that is characterized as the question, a relationship type that is referenced by one or more other terms of the text that is characterized as the question, and an entity that is referenced by the text that is characterized as the answer to the question, and adjusting a score for a relationship of the relationship type for the entity that is referenced by the one or more terms of the text that is characterized as the question and the entity that is referenced by the text that is characterized as the answer to the question.
US09875282B1

Database report subscription technology, in which subscriptions are delivered to multiple, different recipients on a customized basis. In response to detection of an event that triggers generation and delivery of a database report, customized versions of the report are generated for the multiple, different recipients based on a definition of the data used to generate the report included in the subscription, report parameters that define presentation aspects of the report included in the subscription, and profile data associated with at least one of the multiple, different recipients. The customized versions of the report include at least a first version of the report and a second version of the report that differs from the first version of the report and the customized versions of the report are delivered to the multiple, different recipients.
US09875280B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a database processing system for efficient partitioning of a database table with column-major layout for executing one or more join operations. One embodiment comprises a method for partitioning a database table with column-major layout, partitioning only the join-columns by limiting the partitions by size and number, executing one or more join operations for joining the partitioned columns, and optionally de-partitioning the join result to the original order by sequentially writing and randomly reading table values using P cursors.
US09875279B2

A data scanning method and apparatus are provided. The method includes analyzing a data scanning condition carried in a received data scanning request and determining at least one target data partition used to store data, acquiring a scanning cost of the target data partition, where the scanning cost includes waiting time of data scanning, allocating the target data partition to a processing resource according to the scanning cost so as to execute parallel data scanning, and acquiring a scanning result returned by the processing resource. In the present invention, statistics information of a data partition is collected, a scanning cost is acquired, and a target-data-partition operation group is appropriately allocated to a processing resource, thereby shortening waiting time of the whole data scanning.
US09875272B1

A computer-implemented database system, method, and computer program product are provided. the database system comprises a plurality of nodes, each node including a data storage device having memory and a server; and a database system controller coupled to each of the plurality of nodes and having a processor and software program code for directing the database system to perform the following function of defining, for a user, a node group including at least one of the plurality of nodes, upon which the user's data is to be stored in a user database; wherein the user database is defined in terms of time-partitioned tables residing on the nodes of the node group, and wherein each time-partitioned table is further defined in terms of shards of the user's data, the shards corresponding with respective ones of the time partitions. The user data is managed in terms of the shards on respective nodes of the node group, and the time-partitioned tables include a chronologically oldest time-partitioned table and a current time-partitioned table into which a new user data entry will be written. The system further performs the functions of determining whether a predetermined criterion has been met; and, responsive to the detecting that the predetermined criterion has been met, purging all shards of the chronologically oldest time-partitioned table.
US09875267B1

In one embodiment, a method includes, upon receiving a first message from a device, updating a table stored in a memory with a state of the device contained in the first message. The method further includes associating the state of the device stored in the table with a timestamp. The method additionally includes, in response to a request for the state of the device, generating a second message that includes from the table the state having an earliest associated timestamp, the second message being previously unseen by the application module.
US09875263B2

Composite partition function techniques are described herein that may be used to repartition a database without moving existing data. In one or more implementations, a database is partitioned in a first arrangement associated with a first partition function. The database is repartitioned to form a second arrangement associated with a second partition function. A record of key membership for data entries in the partitions existing at the time of repartitioning is created, which can be used to recognize data corresponding to the first arrangement. A composite partition function is defined for subsequent database operations that is configured to apply the first partition function for data having keys found in the record of key membership and apply the second partition function for other data having keys that are not found in the record of key membership.
US09875259B2

Techniques are described herein for distributing distinct portions of a database object across the volatile memories of a plurality of nodes in a clustered database system. The techniques involve establishing a single database server instance located on a node in a multi-node cluster as a load-operation master for a particular data set. The load-operation master determines how the data set may be separated into chunks using a hash function. The load-operation master then broadcasts a small payload of consistency information to other database servers, so each database server may independently execute the hash function and independently load their respectively assigned chunks of data.
US09875258B1

Approaches include using a machine learning-based approach to generating search strings and refinements based on a specific item represented in an image. For example, a classifier that is trained on descriptions of images can be provided. An image that includes a representation of an item of interest is obtained. The image is analyzed using the classifier algorithm to determine a first term representing a visual characteristic of the image. Then, the image is analyzed again to determine a second term representing another visual characteristic of the image based at least in part on the first term. Additional terms can be determined to generate a description of the image, including characteristics of the item of interest. Based on the determined characteristics of the item of interest, a search query and one or more refinements can be generated.
US09875255B2

A terminal and a method for sharing content are provided. A terminal includes an image acquirer configured to acquire face image data from a camera while content is being displayed, a face recognizer configured to recognize a face included in the face image data, a face change detector configured to detect whether the recognized face is different from a face recognized in a previous image data, a contact searcher configured to, in response to the detection that the recognized face is different from the face recognized in the previous image data, search a contact corresponding to the recognized face, and an information transmitter configured to transmit content usage information to the searched contact.
US09875251B2

The present invention is directed to methods and systems for querying a database of geofences, with each geofence in the database being associated with a plurality of geographic coordinate points. The method and system convert an IP address, preferably an IPv6 address, to a geographic coordinate point and identify any geofence anchor points associated with the geographic coordinate point.
US09875241B2

In general, metadata is stored in a data storage system. Summary data identifying one or more characteristics of each of multiple metadata objects stored in the data storage system is computed, and the summary data characterizing a given metadata object in association with the given metadata object is stored. A visual representation is generated of a diagram including nodes representing respective metadata objects and relationships among the nodes. Generating the visual representation includes superimposing a representation of a characteristic identified by the summary data characterizing a given metadata object in proximity to the node representing the given metadata object.
US09875237B2

An understanding model is trained to account for human perception of the perceived relative importance of different tagged items (e.g. slot/intent/domain). Instead of treating each tagged item as equally important, human perception is used to adjust the training of the understanding model by associating a perceived weight with each of the different predicted items. The relative perceptual importance of the different items may be modeled using different methods (e.g. as a simple weight vector, a model trained using features (lexical, knowledge, slot type, . . . ), and the like). The perceptual weight vector and/or or model are incorporated into the understanding model training process where items that are perceptually more important are weighted more heavily as compared to the items that are determined by human perception as less important.
US09875235B1

Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure describe natural language translation capabilities that enable automated process flow diagram generation from received input. Input may be received through an application for automated generation of a process flow diagram. The received input may be provided to a natural language processing component of a language understanding intelligence service. A data object, received from the natural language processing component, may be accessed. The data object provides data for creation of a process flow diagram based on the received input. In examples, the data object is generated based on natural language processing by the natural language processing component and at least one user defined grammar rule, provided by the application, for converting the received input to one or more process flow steps. The process flow diagram may be presented within the application. Other examples are also described such as reverse engineering an existing process flow diagram.
US09875225B1

A meeting summarization method, system, and computer program product, include recording meeting audio of a meeting, capturing notes including a time stamp from each of a plurality of users associated with the meeting, synchronizing the recorded meeting audio of the meeting and each of the notes of each of the plurality of users based on a correlation between the time stamp, and analyzing the synchronized meeting audio and notes to determine highlights of the meeting based on a co-occurrence of notes between the plurality of users.
US09875224B1

An apparatus, method, and program product for displaying presentation notes includes receiving one or more content elements for a slide of a presentation, determining whether a content element of the one or more content elements is a note element, and overlaying the note element over one or more different content elements presented on the slide such that the note element is visible on the slide.
US09875221B1

Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for real-time document sharing and editing. In one aspect, a method includes comparing a first user's and a second user's changes to a document, the document being edited by the first user and the second user concurrently; and notifying the first user of a conflicting change and content of any conflicting change to the document made by the first user but not made to the document because of the conflicting change. In another aspect, a method includes recording a saved position of a cursor of a user editing a client-side copy of a document; receiving an update to the document and generating an updated client-side copy of the document; using the saved position to determine an updated position of the cursor; and displaying to the user the updated client-side copy of the document with the cursor displayed at the updated position.
US09875219B2

Methods, systems, and machine readable tangible storage media that can provide for smooth and seamless opening of a file from, for example, a preview are described. A preview of a file can be generated by a non-native viewer or reader application and in response to a command to open a file in a native application, the preview can continue to be displayed while the native application launches such that a user will perceive no interruption in display of the content. The non-native application can pass a display state (e.g. a page number or scroll position) to the native application such that the native application continues to show a user's current position or view port into the file.
US09875212B1

Systems and methods for managing cached information maintained in a distributed storage system are provided. Requests for information within the distributed storage system are directed to specific coordinators. Each coordinator can maintain cached version of information maintained at various information sources within the distributed storage system. To manage the cache, the system can utilize generation identifiers that identify the component within the distributed storage system that last updated information sources. Each coordinator can determine whether cached version of information is valid based on an analysis of generation identifiers.
US09875211B2

A method, signal conditioning circuit, and system are disclosed to perform signal conditioning using a processing component coupled with at least first and second inputs. The processing component is further coupled with a first output port including first and second data lanes operable at different data rates. The method includes receiving, via the first input and at a first data rate, data included in a first input signal, and receiving, via the second input and at a second data rate different from the first data rate, data included in a second input signal. The method further includes driving, based on the first and second input signals, a first output signal onto the first output port, which includes transmitting the data included in the first input signal on the first data lane, and transmitting the data included in the second input signal on the second data lane.
US09875204B2

A processing node of a server rack includes a processor to generate processing node management requests and to process responses to the node management requests, and a communication module to receive the processing node management requests, to transmit over a communication link to a management controller of the server rack external to the processing node a processing node management request, to receive over the communication link from the management controller processing node management information, and to transmit the processing node management information to the processor.
US09875203B2

An intelligent connector is provided and includes a bus control module. The a bus control module includes a bus interface, a load interface, a first switch control interface configured to output a switch control signal, and a signal processing unit configured to process a interchanged signal.
US09875199B2

A data transfer control apparatus controls data transfers between different modules, and includes a module DMA controller configured for a predetermined module, a function DMA controller that provides a function absent in the module DMA controller, and a temporary memory coupled to the module DMA controller and the function DMA controller. When the temporary memory is input with data acquired by the module DMA controller from the predetermined module in order of acquisition, the temporary memory outputs the acquired data to the function DMA controller in order of input. When the temporary memory is input with data to be transferred to the predetermined module from the function DMA controller, the temporary memory outputs the data to be transferred to the module DMA controller in order of input.
US09875198B2

A computer device includes a processor, a circuit block capable of issuing an interrupt to the processor, and a cacheable memory configured to include a register that is mapped to the logic block for storing interrupt status information of the logic block.
US09875193B2

A method (and structure) protects confidentiality and integrity of information in a secure object from other software on the system. An object-id value that identifies software currently executing on a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is stored, the value having a predetermined standard value when software that is not a secure object is executing. Each block of information in the cache is associated with an ownership value that is used to store an identification of the software that owns the information in the block. When software attempts to access information in one of the blocks, the object-id of the currently executing software is compared with the ownership value associated with the block being accessed. Access to the block is allowed if the object-id of the currently executing software matches the ownership value of the block.
US09875186B2

The present technology relates to managing data caching in processing nodes of a massively parallel processing (MPP) database system. A directory is maintained that includes a list and a storage location of the data pages in the MPP database system. Memory usage is monitored in processing nodes by exchanging memory usage information with each other. Each of the processing nodes manages a list and a corresponding amount of available memory in each of the processing nodes based on the memory usage information. Data pages are read from a memory of the processing nodes in response to receiving a request to fetch the data pages, and a remote memory manager is queried for available memory in each of the processing nodes in response to receiving the request. The data pages are distributed to the memory of the processing nodes having sufficient space available for storage during data processing.
US09875182B1

Systems and methods for writing data are provided. A lock-free container and methods of writing to the lock-free container are disclosed. The container is associated with a tail pointer that identifies free space in the container. Threads writing to the container access the tail pointer and update an offset in the tail pointer to account for a size of a write to the container. Multiple threads can write to the same container without having to contend for a container lock.
US09875181B2

A method and system for memory management is disclosed. The disclosed method and system can prevent performance degradation due to automatic garbage collection associated with memory allocation for image processing. An image processing program includes two program modules. The first program modules is composed with a first language supporting a garbage collection feature but does not have a direct memory access which may trigger the garbage collection feature. The second program module is composed with a second language lacking the garbage collection feature. The image processing program delegates memory allocation for image processing to the second program module to prevent unnecessary activation of the garbage collection feature.
US09875174B1

A test environment is created for optimizing the execution of a programmable execution service (“PES”) application. The test environment is created in one embodiment by replicating a production network and one or more production virtual machine instances executing the PES application. Once the test environment has been created, the test environment is utilized to identify optimized values for one or more application parameters consumed by the PES application. The optimized values may be selected to optimize the output of a fitness function that is based upon one or more direct and/or indirect performance metrics associated with the PES application. Once the optimized values for the application parameters have been identified, the generated values are applied to production virtual machine instances executing the PES application.
US09875154B2

Provided is a non-volatile semiconductor storage device which can be downsized with a simple circuit without impairing the function of an error correcting section, and a method of testing the non-volatile semiconductor storage device. An error correction circuit is configured to perform error detection and correction of merely the same number of bits as data bits, and a circuit for performing error detection and correction of check bits is omitted to downsize the circuit. A multiplexer for, in a testing state, replacing a part of the data bits read out from a storage element array with the check bits, and inputting the check bits to the error correction circuit is provided. Thus, error detection and correction of the check bits are performed to enable shipment inspection concerning the check bits as well.
US09875153B2

A flash memory codeword architecture is provided. A non-integer count of logical pages is packed into a codeword payload data container. A codeword payload header is generated. The codeword payload header includes an offset to a first logical page that is packed, at least in part, into the codeword payload data container. The codeword payload data container and the codeword payload header are concatenated to generate a codeword payload. Error-correcting code data is generated based, at least in part, on the codeword payload using a systematic error-correcting code. The codeword payload and error-correcting code data is concatenated to generate a codeword. A physical page is programmed with the codeword.
US09875152B2

Various embodiments of the present invention methods for discovery, configuration, and coordinating data communications between master and slave devices in a communication system. Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to a two-wire point-to-point bus system, although the method can be used in other communication systems. Provisions are included for controlling the sequential powering of the bus and slave devices.
US09875150B2

An application manager of an operating system running within a data processing system receives a request from a first daemon via a first application programming interface (API) to present a notification message to a user. In response, the application manager identifies a first of a plurality of applications that have been installed within the operating system based on a unique identifier extracted from the request. The application manager communicates, via a second API, with the first application to obtain a first view controller handle of a first view controller associated with the first application. The application manager invokes, via the first view controller handle, the first view controller to display the notification message obtained from the request. The first view controller is configured to display the notification message in a manner configured by the first application on a display device associated with a data processing system.
US09875149B2

Described herein are techniques performed by an application executing on a computing device. The application may have a graphical user interface (GUI) comprised of graphic objects displayed on a display of the computing device. The application may also have state data managed and stored by the application. The state data may specify features and layout of the GUI. The graphic objects may be displayed according to the state data. The application may dynamically adjust a threshold to different levels by monitoring user interactions with the GUI via an input device and setting the threshold to the different levels according to the user interactions with the GUI. Operations from an external source directed to the GUI are received. Each operation has a corresponding priority specific to the operation. The priorities and threshold levels are compared to determine whether to implement the operations.
US09875148B2

Creating, maintaining and using a lock dependency graph in a way that includes the following steps: (i) acquiring a first restriction on processor access in a multi-processor computer system; (ii) modeling the first restriction as first locking primitive information; and (iii) storing data corresponding to the first locking primitive information in a lock dependency graph. The first restriction on processor access is one of the following two types: (i) disabling the interrupts on a given processor; and/or (ii) sending inter-processor interrupts with synchronous waiting from one processor to another (including itself).
US09875143B2

The purpose of the invention is to simplify the work of setting migration WWNs used in live migration of LPARs. Hypervisor management software of a management computer acquires and stores, in a storage unit, WWNs set for logical FC-HBAs of hypervisors of computers and host information including a WWN of a source capable of accessing a logical unit (LU) of a storage device. The hypervisor management software uses such information as a basis to output, on a display screen, information indicating whether or not a migration WWN, which is a WWN value of a logical FC-HBA used at migration of a virtual computer of the computer, is in a state of being able to be used to access the LU.
US09875141B2

Computer systems attempt to manage resource pools of a dynamic number of similar resources and work tasks in order to optimize system performance. Work requests are received into the resource pool having a dynamic number of resources instances. An instance-throughput curve is determined that relates a number of resource instances in the resource pool to throughput of the work requests. A slope of a point on the instance-throughput curve is estimated with stochastic gradient approximation. The number of resource instances for the resource pool is selected when the estimated slope of the instance-throughput curve is zero.
US09875138B2

A software engine for decomposing work to be done into tasks, and distributing the tasks to multiple, independent CPUs for execution is described. The engine utilizes dynamic code generation, with run-time specialization of variables, to achieve high performance. Problems are decomposed according to methods that enhance parallel CPU operation, and provide better opportunities for specialization and optimization of dynamically generated code. A specific application of this engine, a software three dimensional (3D) graphical image renderer, is described.
Patent Agency Ranking