US09913452B2
The present invention relates to the field of Lactuca sativa, in particular to a new variety of lettuce designated NUN 06117 LTL as well as seeds and plants and heads or leaves thereof.
US09913450B1
A soybean cultivar designated 68071303 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 68071303, to the plants of soybean cultivar 68071303, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 68071303, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 68071303. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 68071303. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 68071303, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 68071303 with another soybean cultivar.
US09913449B1
A soybean cultivar designated 67272133 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 67272133, to the plants of soybean cultivar 67272133, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 67272133, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 67272133. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 67272133. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 67272133, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 67272133 with another soybean cultivar.
US09913444B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH294149. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH294149, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH294149 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH294149.
US09913435B2
A tree stump removal device is disclosed. The device includes an annular housing having cutters attached thereto. A method of removing a tree stump is disclosed that includes lowering a tree stump removal device into the ground surrounding the tree stump to severe some or all of the horizontal roots extending from the tree stump.
US09913424B2
An air cart for an agricultural air seeding system includes a frame; at least one tank for holding a material, and a metering system associated with the at least one tank. The metering system is configured for metering the material from the at least one tank at an output rate. A sensor senses a parameter associated with an angular orientation of the air cart relative to a reference plane, and provides an output signal indicative of the angular orientation. An actuator adjusts an output rate of the metering system and moves at least one of the at least one tank and the metering system relative to the frame. A controller is coupled with each of the actuator and the sensor and receives the output signal from the sensor. The controller is configured for controlling the actuator and adjusting the output rate of the metering system, dependent upon the output signal.
US09913423B2
In an agricultural air seeder, a fluid line connection for a pneumatic distribution system, the fluid line connection including a female and male connector. The female connector has an inside diameter with an annular groove, and a discrete seal disposed within said annular groove. The male connector is positioned within the female connector, the male connector having an outside diameter sealed with the seal.
US09913422B2
A shifting module for releasable securement on the lower two arms of a conventional three-point hitch of a tractor and for laterally shifting a pull-type implement mounted on the shifting module. The shifting module includes a lateral support having a pin on either end section for grasping and securement by the lower two arms of the three-point hitch. A traveler is mounted on the lateral support and a linear actuator operates to shift the traveler along the lateral support to any desired position along the lateral support. A hitch on the traveler is used for mounting of the pull-type implement so that the implement can be reliably and accurately positioned along a desired path.
US09918410B2
One embodiment provides a system for controlling one or more pulse width modulated (PWM) fans. The system can include a control system configured to provide a voltage control signal corresponding to a DC output voltage for the one or more PWM fans. A variable DC voltage source is configured to supply the DC output voltage to the plurality of fans at one of at least two different DC voltages based on the voltage control signal. The DC output voltage from the variable DC voltage source is separate from a PWM control signal that is also supplied to the PWM fans.
US09918404B1
A server sliding rail mounting bracket assembly includes a bracket, a top cover, an elastic member and a swing seat. When mounting, a lever of the swing seat is pushed to move hanging rods of the bracket into respective rectangular or circular mounting holes of the server rack, and the elastic member pushes second guide rods of the swing seat to move forward along respective longitudinal sliding slots of the top cover to further force a top block of the lever into abutment against an inner wall surface of the server rack and to force first guide rods of the swing seat into engagement with first or second engagement portions of the top cover. When dismounting, the lever is pushed inward to disengage the server sliding rail mounting bracket assembly and the server sliding rail assembly from the server rack. Thus, mounting and dismounting can be achieved easily without tools.
US09918399B1
A server adapted to a server rack. The server rack has a first and a second connectors at a rear end of the server rack. The server comprises a tray, a motherboard, an expansion board, an adaption board, a system board, a docking module and a first cable. The motherboard comprises a central processing unit. The motherboard, the expansion, the adaption board and the system board are disposed on the tray. The docking module comprises a third and a fourth connectors. The fourth connector is configured for electrically connected to the first connector, and the third connector is configured for electrically connected to the second connector. One end of the first cable is connected to one end of the third connector, and the other end of the first cable is connected to the adaption board. The first cable is electrically connected to the third connector and the adaption board.
US09918398B2
Provided is a vibration suppression mechanism for an electronic device, which efficiently absorbs vibrations that adversely affect operation of the electronic device. The vibration suppression mechanism for the electronic device includes a holding unit that is constructed such that a vibration absorbing member is used at a contacting portion on a first surface of a holding member and a contact member protruding from a second surface of the holding member which is opposite to the first surface is held by the vibration absorbing member, the holding unit supporting the electronic device via the vibration absorbing member used at the contacting portion on the first surface or the contact member protruding from the second surface, and a housing for holding the holding unit in a mounted state under a state in which the contact member protruding from the second surface or the vibration absorbing member used at the contacting portion on the first surface abuts against a holding structure.
US09918389B2
Pyrazine derivatives which contain one or more electron donating groups on the ring are used as catalytic metal complexing agents in aqueous alkaline environments to catalyze electroless metal plating on metal clad and un-clad substrates. The catalysts are monomers and free of tin and antioxidants.
US09918382B2
A handle substrate having at least one metallization region is provided on a stressor layer that is located above a base substrate such that the at least one metallization region is in contact with a surface of the stressor layer. An upper portion of the base substrate is spalled, i.e., removed, to provide a structure comprising, from bottom to top, a spalled material portion of the base substrate, the stressor layer and the handle substrate containing the at least one metallization region in contact with the surface of the stressor layer.
US09918364B2
An electronic circuit drives a plurality of LED strings connected in series. The electronic circuit includes a regulation module corresponding to each LED string, with the regulation module connected to the cathode terminal of the corresponding LED string. Each regulation module is further coupled to receive a reference voltage in phase with a rectified a.c. voltage. The regulation modules execute in turn and in sequence a current-regulation phase as a function of a trend of the reference voltage. Each regulation module, when executing the current-regulation phase, functions to regulate the current that flows in the corresponding LED string and in any previous LED strings in the series connection so that the regulated current is proportional to the reference voltage.
US09918351B2
The present disclosure relates to setup of IoT network devices, and specifically to setup of multiple similar IoT devices at substantially the same time using joint authentication. Embodiments include, for example, receiving, at an existing network device on a network, one or more communications, wherein the one or more communications include an indication that multiple new network devices are associated with the network; receiving an indication that the multiple new network devices have generated a setup access point; establishing a connection with the access point of each of the multiple new network devices; receiving identification information, wherein the identification information includes information identifying each of the multiple new network devices; and transmitting the identification information identifying each of the multiple new network devices, wherein when the identification information is received, the identification information facilitates generating an authentication query to authenticate one or more of the multiple new network devices.
US09918349B2
A proxy node includes reception logic operable to receive data from a first node for transmission to a second node over a communications link; determination logic operable to determine a selected proxy node from a group of proxy nodes, the selected proxy node being one of the group of proxy nodes where a difference in a communications link characteristic of a communications link between the proxy node, the selected proxy node and the second node and a communications link characteristic of a communications link between the proxy node and the second node falls within a threshold amount; and transmission logic operable to establish a rateless coded communications link for transfer of the data with the selected proxy node.
US09918346B2
A device includes a database, a controller, and a PVN router. The database is configured to store network settings information and tracks devices connected to a network. The controller is configured to control access of devices to one another after establishing a connection to the network. The PVN router is configured to receive a provisioning request from a requesting to connect to the network. The PVN router is further configured to transmit a provisioning response to the requesting device based on instantiation of a PVN template received from the database. The PVN template is generated based on the network settings information and further based on the control access determined by the controller. The provisioning response establishes a connection between the requesting device and the network. The requesting device is inaccessible by a subset of devices already connected in the network after the connection is established and vice versa.
US09918343B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication method for simultaneous data communication and a wireless communication terminal using the same, and more particularly, to a wireless communication method for suppressing interference between terminals and ensuring fairness when performing data simultaneous communication for spatial reuse of communication system and wireless communication terminal using the same.For this, provided are a wireless communication method and a wireless communication terminal using the same. The method includes: receiving a wireless signal of a specific channel; extracting basic service set (BSS) identifier information of the received wireless signal; extracting length information from the wireless signal wherein the length information represents information relating to a transmission completion time point of the wireless signal; and adjusting a data transmission period of the terminal based on the extracted length information, when the BSS identifier information of the wireless signal is different from BSS identifier information of the terminal.
US09918338B2
The present invention provides a method for detecting an uplink synchronization signal in a wireless access system supporting a high-frequency band, a method for designing a detection filter for the same and an apparatus for supporting the same. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for detecting a random access channel signal by a base station in a wireless access system supporting the high-frequency band comprises: allocating a cyclic shift value used in the base station; configuring a received signal vector for a signal transmitted via a random access channel; detecting at least one RACH signal from the received signal vector, using a frequency domain detecting filter; and identifying at least one terminal having transmitted at least one RACH signal, using a target terminal detecting filter, wherein the filter for detecting a target terminal may be set on the basis of the cyclic shift value.
US09918334B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a processing method for data transmission, an apparatus and a system. The method includes: receiving scheduling signaling sent by a base station, where the scheduling signaling includes a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process ID; and transmitting, within a same transmission time interval TTI, on a process that corresponds to the HARQ process identifier, data on a first logical channel element and data on a second logical channel element. According to the processing method for data transmission, the apparatus, and the system provided in the embodiments of the present invention, utilization of bandwidth resources for data transmission is improved. Therefore, data throughput of UE can be also effectively ensured.
US09918332B2
Provided are a method and device for UE-base station communication by using an unlicensed spectrum, the method comprising: a UE detects, on the first sub frame of a first carrier wave, a first physical layer signaling for scheduling the first carrier wave, and detects, on the second sub frame of a second carrier wave, a second physical layer signaling for scheduling the first carrier wave, the first carrier being deployed on the unlicensed spectrum, the second carrier wave being deployed on a licensed spectrum, and the first sub frame and the second sub frame being different sub frames. The present invention disclosure ensures the transmission quality of the physical layer signaling as far as possible, and also ensures that a sub frame on an SCC can be scheduled. In addition, the present invention disclosure reuses an existing LTE CA solution as far as possible, and has good compatibility.
US09918331B2
A method is provided for transmitting Device-to-Device (D2D) data by a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. The first UE configured a subframe set for D2D communication through a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. The first UE receives a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) including first D2D scheduling information from a base station in a subframe #n, wherein n is an integer of 0 or more. The first UE transmits the D2D data to a second UE based on the first D2D scheduling information, in a first available subframe of the subframe set for D2D communication after a subframe #(n+k), where k is a positive integer.
US09918322B2
A radio resource management (RRM) system and method manages radio resources in a wireless network of radio access points (APs). In some embodiments, the channel and/or frequency of radios of the APs are managed based on a prioritization scheme of the radios. In some embodiments, the transmit powers of the radios are managed based on the prioritization scheme. The priorities of the radios is partially based on the priorities of clients connected to the radios. In some embodiments, the RRM system is a centralized controller system. In some embodiments, the RRM system forms a hierarchical network of child and parent nodes. The parent nodes are configured to manage the radios associated with the parent and its child nodes. The parent node with the smallest number of child nodes, which are associated with the selected radio and its neighboring radios, is managing these radios.
US09918321B1
A method of operating a multi-band wireless base station to optimize traffic management on the multiple frequency bands. The wireless base station determines Upper Side Lobe Suppression (USLS) levels and network loads on the frequency bands. The wireless base station receives a request from a User Equipment (UE) attachment. When the network loads on the frequency bands exceed corresponding network thresholds, then the wireless base station selects one of the frequency bands having a best one of the USLS levels, and attaches the UE to the selected one of the frequency bands.
US09918318B2
In a mobile communication system, user data is communicated directly among a plurality of radio terminals without passing through a radio base station. The communication of user data directly performed among the plurality of radio terminals is performed by using a part of radio resources assigned to the mobile communication system. A D2D terminal included in the plurality of radio terminals notifies the radio base station of an identifier of a neighboring terminal located in the neighborhood of the D2D terminal, or the neighboring terminal notifies the radio base station of the identifier of the D2D terminal.
US09918304B2
Various methods of allocating uplink control channels in a communication system are implemented at a resource scheduler or a user equipment (UE). In one method the scheduler reserves resources for a downlink data channel and signals a corresponding downlink data channel grant and also reserves resources for a persistent uplink control channel for a longer duration than the data channel grant. Signaling overhead associated with a grant for this persistent uplink control channel is reduced over a full dynamic grant. A predetermined rule can be used at the scheduler and at the UE to avoid overhead signaling associated with a grant for this persistent control channel. Predetermined rules at the UE and scheduler can also be used to reserve appropriate resources and select appropriate MCS levels for control information and the control information and uplink data can be transported over a common uplink channel when a time overlap occurs between an uplink data channel and the persistent control channel.
US09918300B2
A method for controlling a communication apparatus, includes specifying, before joining a wireless network, an external device that will be a data transmitting source, receiving related information relating to data to be transmitted from the specified external device, determining whether to receive the data to be transmitted based on the received related information, joining a wireless network when it is determined to receive the data to be transmitted, and receiving the data to be transmitted from the specified external device after joining the wireless network.
US09918294B2
Methods, program products, and systems of location estimation using a probability density function are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective altitude of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. The server can calculate an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway using a probability density function of the harvested data. The probability density function can be a sufficient statistic of the received set of location coordinates for calculating an effective altitude of the wireless access gateway. The server can send the effective altitude of the wireless access gateway to other mobile devices for estimating altitudes of the other mobile devices.
US09918285B2
Disclosed are a method and user equipment of uplink power control. The method comprises the steps of: UE determines the target transmission power of uplink signal which transmitted on each synchronization uplink component carrier of current uplink sub-frame; Judging whether PRACH transmission exists on uplink secondary component carrier of current uplink sub-frame; If judged that there is, determining the PRACH target transmission power, and further judging that whether the sum of the uplink signal power and the PRACH target transmission power exceeds the maximum transmission power of UE; If judged exceeded, holding the PRACH target transmission power constant, and reducing the target transmission power of all or part of SC-FDMA symbol of uplink signal which is contained in current uplink sub-frame and needed to reduce power. The technical scheme of present invention is using for uplink power control when PRACH signal is overlap with other uplink signal.
US09918284B2
Backwards compatibility may be achieved by transmitting an alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands in uplink timeslots. In one example, a served user equipment (UE) receives a downlink TPC command from a serving base station during a downlink timeslot in a sequence of downlink timeslots, and generates an uplink TPC command based on a received power level of the downlink TPC command. The served UE may then transmit the uplink TPC command in an uplink timeslot mapped to the downlink timeslot in which the downlink TPC command was received, as well as transmit an alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands in other uplink timeslots. The alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands may cause a neighboring base station to effectively maintain its transmit power level.
US09918275B2
The present disclosure discloses a method and system for waking a sleeping trunking terminal. A trunking terminal determines whether to enter a sleeping mode in a standby status, calculates a waking monitoring time point of the group according to the group sleeping parameter of the group, enters the sleeping mode at a sleeping start time point of the trunking terminal, wakes up and monitors whether a group paging message is received at the waking monitoring time point of the group, wakes up, joins the group and monitors a group downlink sharing channel when the group paging message is received, and continues sleeping when the group paging message is not received. In a network side, a trunking switching center transmits a group establishment message to a base station. The base station calculates the waking monitoring time point, and transmits the group paging message at the waking monitoring time point.
US09918274B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device and method for reducing current consumption in an electronic device. The electronic device may include a communication interface that transmits and receives a signal; and a processor that configures a multi-hop network with at least one other electronic device, and changes the transmission period of a message for a path management of the multi-hop network based on whether the multi-hop network configuration has been changed. Other embodiments are also possible.
US09918272B2
The present invention is designed to provide highly efficient local area radio access. A communication system, in which a mobile terminal apparatus (10) detects a local area base station apparatus (30) to connect to, among local area base station apparatuses (30), is configured such that the local area base station apparatuses (30) transmit detection signals to be used to detect the local area base station apparatus (30), to the mobile terminal apparatus (10), in a radio communication scheme for the local areas, which is different from the radio communication scheme for the wide area, and the mobile terminal apparatus (10) transmits detection signal measurement results to the local area base station apparatus (30), through an uplink channel that is defined in the radio communication scheme for the local areas.
US09918252B2
LWA (LTE/WLAN Aggregation) is a tight integration at radio level which allows for real-time channel and load aware radio resource management across WLAN and LTE to provide significant user perceived throughput (UPT) improvement. When enabling LWA, packets are routed to a base station (eNB) for performing PDCP functionalities as an LTE PDU. Afterwards, the eNB can dispatch the PDU either delivered over LTE link or WLAN link. The UPT improvement depends on how the eNB dispatches the PDU over LTE link or WLAN link. In one novel aspect, the eNB can acquire channel information, load information, and throughput estimation regarding with WLAN link and LTE link. As a result, the eNB can optimize UPT and LWA PDU dispatching algorithm.
US09918250B2
This application discloses a data communication method implemented at an electronic device. The electronic device obtains a sequence of data packets. Each data packet complies with a first data format corresponding to a network access protocol and comprises a respective header that further includes a data length field for specifying a length of the respective data packet. Data are then assigned to the data length fields of the sequence of data packets according to a second data format. The electronic device encrypts the sequence of data packets including the assigned data. The encrypted data packets are then sent to a receiver device that is communicatively coupled to the electronic device via a wireless network. The receiver device is configured to retrieve the assigned data from the data length fields of the data packets according to the first and second data formats and perform operations in accordance with the retrieved data.
US09918249B2
Method and apparatus for removing interference and receiving signal in wireless communication system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. A method for a terminal for removing interference and receiving a signal in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: receiving configuration information for channel status information which has utilized interference measurements; and on the basis of the configuration information, measuring the interference from an interfering cell, and on the basis of the measured interference, measuring the channel status information from an interference measurement resource (IMR), wherein interference can be measured, in a resource block in which an IMR exists, on the basis of whether the interfering cell is transmitting data and the type of the signal transmitted from the IMR.
US09918231B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for dynamic, on-demand, cross-channel bandwidth provisioning in a wireless communication system. During operation, the system determines, by a scheduler, bandwidth resources that are available in the wireless communication system. The available bandwidth resources comprise a plurality of scattered spectrum pieces. The system defines one or more logical channels that encompass the scattered spectrum pieces, aggregates multiple logical channels in response to determining that spectrum pieces encompassed by a single logical channel do not meet traffic need, and provisions a user or a service using spectrum pieces located within the aggregated multiple logical channels, thereby facilitating on-demand, cross-channel bandwidth provisioning.
US09918228B2
A method, system and computer program product for session completion through co-browsing is claimed. The method can include establishing a content browsing session between a first computing device and a content server serving access to content to the first computing device and maintaining state data for the content browsing session. A co-browsing arrangement of the content can be created as between the first computing device and a second computing device and at least a subset of the state data can be cloned for use by the second computing device during co-browsing of the content. Thereafter, a modified form of the subset of the state data can be received from the second computing device resulting from the co-browsing of the content by the second computing device and the modified form of the subset of the state data can be provided to the first computing device for use during the content browsing session.
US09918227B2
In embodiments of network connectivity switching utilizing an authentication device for switching network connectivity from a first device to a second device, the authentication device receives a device switch indication from the second device, which can communicate via a cellular network. The authentication device communicates a device switch order to the first device, which is authenticated and communicatively linked for wireless communication via the cellular network. The authentication device communicates a network attach indication to the second device that then communicates an attach request to the cellular network, and the authentication device authenticates the second device to the cellular network. Alternatively, the authentication device receives a device switch indication from the second device and communicates a device switch order to the first device. The first device then communicates connection reestablishment information to the second device that initiates a connection reestablishment with the cellular network based on the connection reestablishment information.
US09918217B1
Fast roaming across a network fabric may be provided. A route device may receive location information corresponding to a client device in response to roaming by the client device from a first access point connected to a first network device to a second access point connected to a second network device. The first network device and the second network device may comprise fabric edge nodes on the fabric network. The first network device and the second network device may be ones of a plurality of network devices in the fabric network. On detecting the roaming of the client device, the route device may be updated with the new location, and then the route device may send, to the plurality of network devices in the fabric network, the location information corresponding to the client device.
US09918204B1
In one embodiment, a technique is provided for tracking a mobile device within a building. A course position estimate of the mobile device is determined using a positioning system. The course position estimate indicates a room in which the mobile device is located. One or more sensors of the mobile device capture a live point cloud of surroundings of the mobile device. Tracking software accesses a portion of a pre-captured point cloud of the interior of the building that serves as a reference. The portion of the pre-captured point cloud corresponds to the room indicated by the course position estimate. Once the initial pose is determined, an updated pose of the mobile device is determined when the mobile device is moved, based on a further comparison of the live point cloud to the portion of the pre-captured point cloud.
US09918202B2
A system and method for calculating a position in response to a position request. Observed beacon data associated with the request is used to select a calculation method based on available data for a venue and device capabilities. If sufficient venue data based on previously verified beacon positions is available, a position calculation can resolve floor and venue information. If insufficient previously observed data is available for a venue, the position is calculated using 2D data based on GPS observations. Following the choice a calculation model, the calculation position is returned in response to the position request.
US09918196B2
A mobile wireless network and a method of operation provide directional assistance in response to an Internet query. The directional assistance is provided from a location of the querying device to a destination that may be selectively prompted based on whether the destination is a nearby business, a type of business, a street address, or another mobile device or fixed telephone location. The location of the querying device is also selectively determined depending on whether the querying device is a wireless device such as a mobile telephone, or whether the device has a presumed fixed location, such as an ordinary telephone connected to a public-switched telephone network (PSTN).
US09918190B2
In an embodiment, presenting computer datacenter information comprises a server computer system that is coupled to a plurality of internetworking devices. The plurality of internetworking devices is configured to emit device location information. The server computer system receives the device location information from one or more internetworking devices, where the device location information is based on a particular proximity to a mobile computing device. The server computer system determines a geo-location and proximity of the mobile computing device relative to the one or more internetworking devices. The server computer system then selects device related information for a particular internetworking device, of the one or more internetworking devices, that has closest proximity to the determined geo-location of the mobile computing device. The server computer system then modifies a level of detail of the device related information based upon proximity of the mobile computing device and the particular internetworking device. The server computer system presents the device related information for the particular internetworking device, to the mobile computing device. In other embodiments, the invention encompasses a computer-readable medium configured to carry out the foregoing steps.
US09918189B2
Low cost semiconductor manufacturing techniques have provided consumers with a wide range of electronic devices supporting communications according to multiple standards. These electronic devices will be deployed within many operational jurisdictions, particularly with roaming features, such as Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and North America. However, operational compliance requirements can vary substantially with these different jurisdictions. Current electronic devices are designed, manufactured, calibrated and operated according to a specification providing compliance with broad range of operational jurisdictions despite the performance limitations this applies in many of the operational jurisdictions. Accordingly, there is provided a method of dynamically configuring the electronic device based upon a geographically based determination of the operational jurisdiction from global navigation systems data received by the electronic device. Based upon the determined operational jurisdiction, the operational parameters of a device's communication interfaces are adjusted for improving performance and efficiency of the device within these jurisdictions.
US09918188B2
Systems and methods are provided for optimizing delivery of messages to mobile device users, the method comprising receiving a message to be sent to a client application executable at a mobile device of a user, along with an associated time constraint and an associated geographic constraint; determining a current time at the mobile device and a current geographic location of the mobile device via a communication network; determining, upon receiving the current geographic location of the mobile device and the current time of the mobile device, whether the current geographic location of the mobile device complies with the associated geographic constraint for the message to be sent to the client application and determining whether the current time of the mobile device complies with the associated time constraint for the message to be sent to the client application; and sending, when the current geographic location of the mobile device is determined to comply with the associated geographic constraint and when the current time of the mobile device is determined to comply with the associated time constraint, the message for display to the user at the mobile device via a message notification interface of an operating system of the mobile device.
US09918186B2
A method for transmitting a beacon message, the method generating, with a beacon generating device at least one beacon message, wherein the at least one beacon message is defined by a beacon message format, wherein the beacon message format comprises a preamble field, an access address field, a protocol data unit (PDU) field and a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) field, wherein the PDU field comprises at least one electronic product code (EPC) encoded EPC-PDU field, and transmitting, with the beacon generating device, the at least one beacon message using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication protocol to a transmission area within a transmission range of the beacon generating device for reception by one or more beacon receiving devices located in the transmission area.
US09918185B2
An intelligent decision engine is configured on a mobile device that includes rules and criteria that the engine uses to determine whether to allow the mobile device to engage in M2M communications with an M2M device. The criteria may be based on user groups, location of the mobile device, privacy zones that may or may not include the M2M device, “black” and/or “white” access lists, time of day, traffic on a wireless link to a wireless network, etc. If the communication meets all applicable criteria it is permitted to commence, and if not, it is blocked.
US09918173B1
Devices for monitoring a sound pressure level of sound generated by a speaker. For example, the device may sample voltages at various points along a path of an audio signal, determine a current associated with the audio signal, and receive or infer an efficiency of the speaker. The device may then determine the sound pressure level based on the voltage, the current, and the efficiency to more accurately monitor the sound pressure level exposure of a user.
US09918166B2
A speaker is disclosed. The speaker includes a magnetic circuit system; a vibration system including a vibrating diaphragm, a voice coil for driving the vibrating diaphragm, and a silicone gel spider elastically supporting the voice coil. The silicone gel spider includes a through-hole passing through an upper surface and a lower surface thereof for balancing air pressure inside and outside of the speaker.
US09918164B2
An apparatus and method are disclosed for filtering an audio signal. The apparatus includes an analysis filter bank, a high frequency reconstructor or parametric stereo processor, and a synthesis filter bank. The analysis filterbank receives real-valued time domain input audio samples and generates complex valued subband samples. The high frequency reconstructor or parametric stereo processor modifies at least some of the complex valued subband samples. The synthesis filter bank receives the modified complex valued subband samples and generates time domain output audio samples. The analysis filter bank comprises analysis filters that are complex exponential modulated versions of a prototype filter with an arbitrary phase shift to reduce a complexity of the filter bank.
US09918152B2
Embodiments are provided for an improved peripheral speaker. The peripheral speaker includes an exterior casing enclosing one or more drivers. The exterior casing further has a channel formed therein such that the channel is sized to removably secure an electronic device. The exterior casing is equipped with a connector lead which partially defines the cavity and that connects the one or more drivers to a port of the electronic device. The one or more drivers output audio according to an audio signal transmitted from the electronic device via the connector lead.
US09918151B2
An optical network unit (ONU), a communication system and a communication method are disclosed. The ONU includes a passive optical network media access control (PON MAC) module and a processing module, the processing module includes a physical bridge submodule and at least two ONU submodules connected with the physical bridge submodule, different ONU submodules correspond to different identification information; the PON MAC module is configured to: be connected with the processing module, determine corresponding ONU submodules according to identification information in network side data, and send the network side data to the physical bridge submodule; the physical bridge submodule is configured to: distribute the network side data to corresponding ONU submodules according to the ONU submodules determined by the PON MAC module; and the ONU submodule is configured to: process the received data, and send the data to the user interface module corresponding to the ONU submodule.
US09918147B2
A transmission apparatus includes: a plurality of first devices; and a second device configured to output a data signal shared by the plurality of first devices and respective first clock signals to each of the plurality of first devices, and to control the plurality of first devices individually based on the respective first clock signals.
US09918146B2
A system comprises a scoring engine comprising at least one processor and memory. The scoring engine is to generate, based on telemetry information obtained from a plurality of nodes of a computing infrastructure, a first availability score for a first node of the plurality of computing infrastructure nodes and a second availability score for a second node of the plurality of computing infrastructure nodes. The scoring engine is further to generate, based on the first availability score of the first computing infrastructure node and the second availability score of the second computing infrastructure node, an edge tension score for a link between the first node and the second node.
US09918140B2
A method in a network entity associates a unique identifier with an event, for example a television program. The method comprises the steps of receiving an original time reference allocated to the event, for example an original start time for the event, and generating a first identifier (event_ID) to identify the event, wherein the first identifier is based on a set of first identifiers (event_IDs) that have a predetermined repetition period. The method further comprises the step of generating a second identifier (program_ID) to identify the event, wherein the second identifier is unique over time and based on a function of the first identifier and the original time reference allocated to the event. Various embodiments describe how changes to the original time reference can be made, yet still allow the unique event identifier to be determined.
US09918136B2
Content delivery and playback methods and apparatus are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for delivery and playback of content corresponding to a 360 degree environment and can be used to support streaming and/or real time delivery of 3D content corresponding to an event, e.g., while the event is ongoing or after the event is over. Portions of the environment are captured by cameras located at different positions. The content captured from different locations is encoded and made available for delivery. A playback device selects the content to be received based in a user's head position.
US09918131B2
A broadcast receiving device is disclosed. The broadcast receiving device includes: a data storage unit; a communication unit configured to receive a first electronic program guide (EPG) through a broadcast network and to receive a second EPG through the Internet; and a controller. The controller may be configured to: process the first EPG to generate first broadcast-related information, process the second EPG to generate second broadcast-related information, make the first broadcast-related information and the second broadcast-related information into databases having different data structures and store the databases in the data storage unit. In addition, when a broadcast-related information request is received from an application being executed, the controller may selectively search a database corresponding to at least one of the first broadcast-related information and the second broadcast-related information to obtain requested broadcast-related information and to deliver the obtained broadcast-related information to the application.
US09918130B2
A user profile server stores a particular user profile corresponding to a user who belongs to a plurality of separate loyalty programs, and the particular user profile includes a plurality of different loyalty program user identifiers each identifying the user on a respective one of the separate loyalty programs. The user profile server communicates user a preference included on the particular user profile to a first controller via the computer network and communicates the user preference included on the particular user profile to a second controller via the computer network. The first controller is associated with a first hospitality location where the user is identified according to a first loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile, and the second is controller is associated with a second hospitality location where the user is identified according to a second loyalty program user identifier included on the particular user profile.
US09918127B2
Methods and apparatus to detect people are disclosed. An example method includes detecting a first human pulse waveform in first light information associated with a first one of a plurality of segments of an environment, the light information obtained from a light sensor. Generating a first presence indication in response to respective light information associated with a threshold amount of the segments proximate the first one of the segments includes the first human pulse waveform identified in the first one of the segments. Identifying a first location associated with a face in the environment using thermal imaging data from a thermal sensor. Adjusting a people count in response to the first location associated with the face not corresponding to a second location associated with the first presence indication.
US09918125B2
A method and system for remote viewing of multimedia content using a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) is configured to duplicate multimedia content displayed on a first MCDN terminal device and route the duplicate multimedia content to a second MCDN terminal device. The MCDN terminal devices may be coupled to a local network at an MCDN client premises. The MCDN terminal devices may also include wireless telephony devices for mobile remote viewing functionality. The method may include transcoding of the multimedia content into a format suitable for the second MCDN terminal device.
US09918124B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving decoded satellite signals, obtaining media channels from the decoded satellite signals, selecting a portion of the media channels for distribution to a plurality of media processors, encoding the portion of the media channels selected according to a satellite distribution protocol, such as a protocol that facilitates satellite switching, to generate satellite encoded content, formatting the satellite encoded content according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content, and providing the formatted content for distribution to the plurality of media processors via a communication network, such as a single wire communication network or other network. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09918123B2
In an IPTV network, a program content stream is processed to create an artifact detectable by a commercial remover in a program content portion of the program content stream. The artifact may be created by splicing first and second portions of program content together such that the artifact appears in the program content. A commercial remover processing the resultant program content stream erroneously removes portions of program content or leaves portions containing commercial content in the program content stream.
US09918112B2
This invention relates to a system, server and client for multiplexed streaming of multimedia content comprising at least one server being capable of transmitting multimedia content in a streaming environment through one or more data paths to a client, wherein the multimedia content is de-multiplexed by the server into a plurality of sub-streams with each sub-stream comprising a unique mark such that the client is capable of multiplexing said sub-streaming into a continuous stream. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for multiplexed streaming of multimedia content.
US09918108B2
The present invention relates to an image processing device and method whereby deterioration of effects of filter processing due to local control of filter processing when encoding or decoding can be suppressed.A boundary control flag generating unit of a control information generating unit generates boundary control flags based on system specification information which a system specification managing unit manages. A control unit of an adaptive filter processing unit determines a processing method for filter processing to be performed as to pixels nearby a slice boundary following the value of the boundary control flag. For example, selection is made to perform filter processing straddling slices or to perform filter processing closed at the present slice.The present invention can be applied to an image processing device, for example.
US09918101B2
A decoding method includes: entropy-decoding received information; performing inter prediction on a current block based on the entropy-decoded information; and restoring images by using the prediction results, wherein, in the inter prediction step, a skip mode or merge mode is applied to the current block and movement information of the current block may be determined based on the movement information of a neighboring block of the current block.
US09918099B2
The present technique relates to a file generation apparatus, a file generating method, a file reproduction apparatus, and a file reproducing method capable of enabling a user to enjoy an HDR image.HDR information designated by HDR designating information is acquired from a file storing a track of a stream including the HDR information which is configured with feature information representing features of luminance of an HDR (high dynamic range) image having a dynamic range higher than that of an STD (standard) image and conversion information representing a conversion rule of converting the one of the STD image and the HDR image into the other and a target track including the HDR designating information designating the HDR information which is to be applied to the target track of interest in the HDR information of the track. The present technique can be applied, for example, to the case of storing data of images of a subtitle or the like and HDR information which is to be applied to the images in an MP4 file or the like.
US09918091B2
Techniques and systems are provided for encoding video data. For example, a method of encoding video data includes generating, by an encoder, an encoded video bitstream according to a first coding protocol. The encoded video bitstream includes one or more enhancement layers and a video parameter set defining parameters of the encoded video bitstream. The method further includes determining that a base layer is to be provided to a decoding device by an external source and is not to be provided as part of the encoded video bitstream. The method further includes assigning a minimum value to a syntax structure in the video parameter set when it is determined that the base layer is to be provided by the external source. The syntax structure defines profile, tier, and level parameters for the base layer.
US09918083B2
The method for decoding an intra-picture prediction mode includes the steps of: determining whether the intra-picture prediction mode of a current prediction unit is identical to a first intra-picture prediction mode candidate or a second intra-picture prediction mode candidate based on bit information; and when the intra-picture prediction mode of the current prediction unit is identical to the first intra-picture prediction mode candidate and/or to the second intra-picture prediction mode candidate, determining whether the first intra-picture prediction mode candidate or the second intra-picture prediction mode candidate is identical to the intra-picture prediction mode of the current prediction unit on the basis of additional bit information, and decoding the intra-picture prediction mode of the current prediction unit.
US09918078B2
A method of measuring a display delay time includes a step where a display pattern displayed on a first display including i (i is a natural number greater than 2) display elements is switched to a display pattern other than the display pattern at every elapse of a pattern continuation time, and j (j is a natural number, 1
US09918077B2
A collimated object is adjustable to produce collimated light propagating along different propagation directions. The plenoptic imaging system under calibration captures plenoptic images of the object adjusted to different propagation directions. The captured plenoptic images includes superpixels, each of which includes subpixels. Each subpixel captures light from a corresponding light field viewing direction. Based on the captured plenoptic images, a calibration module calculates which propagation directions map to which subpixels. The mapping defines the light field viewing directions for the subpixels. This can be used to improve processing of plenoptic images captured by the plenoptic imaging system.
US09918070B2
A method of description of points of an object from object space is disclosed, wherein for each point of the object of object space displayed on a graticule of a scanning device, information about point distance from the scanning device is registered and then stored to each point of the graticule of image as additional data. Furthermore, connection for implementation of said method covering a scanning device is disclosed, wherein a scanning system consists of at least two scanning devices connected to inputs of CPU central control unit, which includes a block of software applications and a block of computing module with evaluation software, whereas communication of the block of software applications and the block of calculation module with the evaluation software with CPU occurs via data buses, whereas CPU outputs are connected both on a block of internal memory and/or removable memory and a block of online outputs.
US09918068B2
A method and apparatus for texture image compression in a 3D video coding system are disclosed. Embodiments according to the present invention derive depth information related to a depth map associated with a texture image and then process the texture image based on the depth information derived. The invention can be applied to the encoder side as well as the decoder side. The encoding order or decoding order for the depth maps and the texture images can be based on block-wise interleaving or picture-wise interleaving. One aspect of the present invent is related to partitioning of the texture image based on depth information of the depth map. Another aspect of the present invention is related to motion vector or motion vector predictor processing based on the depth information.
US09918063B2
Provided are methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding a multiview video. The method of decoding the multiview video includes obtaining a data unit including encoding information of texture pictures and depth map pictures of a multiview image related to a same point of time, obtaining, from the data unit, view information of pictures that are encoded and are included in the data unit, type information indicating a type of each of the pictures from among the texture pictures and the depth map pictures, and reference flag information indicating whether each of the pictures is previously inter-layer predicted by referring to a texture picture of the same point of time or to a depth map picture of the same point of time, determining an encoding order of the pictures, based on the obtained information, and decoding the texture pictures and depth map pictures based on the determined encoding order.
US09918057B2
A method, apparatus and system of projecting text characters onto a textured document are described. The method comprises determining, from a captured image of the textured surface, a measure of the texture on the surface for a region of the textured surface over which the text characters are to be projected; selecting, based on a function of the determined measure, a glyph set, each glyph in the glyph set having visually contrasting inner and outer portions, the outer portion being sized proportionally to the inner portion according to the determined measure; and projecting the text characters onto the textured surface on of region using the selected glyph set.
US09918055B2
A polarization conversion element includes: a polarization separation layer which emits first polarized light among incident light and second polarized light which is different from the first polarized light in different directions, respectively; a color separation layer which reflects first colored light among incident light and transmits second colored light which is different from the first colored light, and reflects the first polarized light and one light ray among the second polarized light emitted from the polarization separation layer in substantially the same direction as the direction of the other polarized light emitted from the polarization separation layer; and a retardation layer which is disposed on an optical path of any of the one polarized light and the other polarized light and converts a polarization direction of incident light.
US09918054B2
An image generating unit includes a fixed unit including a first fixed plate and a second fixed plate; and a movable unit movably supported by the fixed unit. The movable unit includes a movable part movably supported between the first fixed plate and the second fixed plate; an image generating part provided on the movable part and configured to receive illumination light to generate an image; and a heat radiating part coupled to the movable part and configured to radiate heat generated in the image generating part, the second fixed plate being sandwiched between the heat radiating part and the movable part.
US09918053B2
A method of pulse width modulating a spatial light modulator comprises determining a modulation sequence and applying the modulation sequence to the spatial light modulator in a time order method. The modulation sequence comprises a plurality of minor modulation segments. Each minor modulation segment comprises an always-on modulation segment in an always-on state. The plurality of minor modulation segments are temporally spaced such that the always-on modulation segments are spaced at predetermined intervals. Each minor modulation segment comprises at least one thermometer bit.
US09918050B2
A method for capturing hyperspectral images using a regular color camera. In the method, the camera takes multiple images of a scene, with the camera oriented differently for each image. For a camera carried by an aircraft or spacecraft, this allows hyperspectral imaging without the cost or weight of a hyperspectral camera.
US09918038B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for multimedia capture. The system includes one or more storage devices connected through a network to a vehicle. The vehicle includes a memory for buffering video. The vehicle includes multiple cameras coupled to one or more video processors. The one or more video processors are configured to capture a first video of an interior view of the vehicle for a period of time, capture a second video of an exterior view of surroundings of the vehicle for the period of time, and synchronize the first video and the second video. The vehicle includes one or more microphones coupled to one or more audio processors for capturing audio and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes a multimedia processor. The electronic control unit is configured to buffer the synchronized video, detect a triggering event, and store the synchronized video.
US09918031B2
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device, a signal processing method therefor, and an electronic apparatus enabling sensitivity correction in which a sensitivity difference between solid-state imaging devices is suppressed. The solid-state imaging device includes a pixel unit in which one microlens is formed for a plurality of pixels in a manner such that a boundary of the microlens coincides with boundaries of the pixels. The correction circuit corrects a sensitivity difference between the pixels inside the pixel unit based on a correction coefficient. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a solid-state imaging device and the like.
US09918030B2
The present technology relates to an imaging device that can reduce the size thereof, and to an electronic apparatus.An upper substrate and a lower substrate are stacked. A pixel and a comparing unit that compares the voltage of a signal from the pixel with the ramp voltage are provided on the upper substrate, the ramp voltage varying with time. A storage unit that stores a code value obtained at a time when a comparison result from the comparing unit is inverted is provided on the lower substrate. The comparing unit is formed with a transistor that receives the voltage of the signal from the pixel at the gate, receives the ramp voltage at the source, and outputs a drain voltage. Accordingly, the imaging device can be made smaller in size. The present technology can be applied to image sensors.
US09918025B2
An apparatus and a method for illuminating a license plate comprising a plurality of infrared emitting devices connected in series, parallel or combination thereof mounted on a core material or substrate in a frame. The apparatus emits infrared light in a wavelength responsive to cameras, security camera, road camera, video-photo-radar traffic camera and others. The infrared emitting device is positioned within the perimeter of the license plate. The apparatus is powered by the vehicle power system or a rechargeable power supply.
US09918022B2
An imaging device of the present invention comprises a first combination processing circuit that carries out first cumulative combination processing for every pixel of image data that has been generated by the image sensor and image data that has been stored in a memory, and updates pixel data, a second combination processing circuit that carries out second cumulative combination processing for every pixel of image data that has been generated by the image sensor and image data that has been stored in the memory, and updates pixel data, and a controller that determines whether or not level of each pixel data constituting image data is a given threshold level or greater, and in accordance with the result of determination selects to either carry out the first cumulative processing by the first combination processing circuit, or to carry out the second cumulative processing by the second combination processing circuit.
US09918020B2
A user portable device includes a device chassis comprising at least one opening at a surface of the device chassis and a sensor assembly aligned with the at least one opening. The sensor assembly includes a mounting structure and a plurality of sensors mounted to the mounting structure. The sensors include at least two sensors utilized by the user portable device based on a specified geometric configuration between the at least two sensors. The user portable device further includes a mounting fastener that mounts the sensor assembly to the device chassis so as to isolate the sensor assembly from deformation of the surface of the device chassis along one or more axes during user handling, and thus aid in preventing alteration of a baseline geometric configuration of one or more sensors of the sensor assembly due to the chassis deformation.
US09918018B2
Dynamic range enhancement methods and systems for display for use welding applications are described. A display system in a dynamic range enhancement system can include, for example, a splitter, a high density filter, a low density filter, a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a graphical circuit, and a display. The high density filter and the first image sensor can be disposed in a first path. The low density filter and the second image sensor can be disposed in a second path. The first image sensor can receive filtered electromagnetic waves from the high density filter. The second image sensor can receive filtered electromagnetic waves from the low density filter. The graphic circuit can combine the signals from the first image sensor and the second image sensor to provide a high dynamic range image or video that is displayed on the display of a welding helmet, for example.
US09918013B2
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for a method for hiding a camera preview feed of a mobile device application. The method may proceed by the mobile device application enabling an imaging sensor of the mobile device, where the software of the mobile device requires the mobile device application to display the camera preview feed when the imaging sensor is enabled. The method may continue by creating a camera preview surface for displaying the camera preview feed. The method may further continue by modifying the camera preview surface to be hidden from the mobile device user. The method may end by setting the camera preview feed to be displayed on the camera preview surface. In another aspect, the present disclosure further relates to modifying the camera preview surface by resizing the camera preview surface to be one pixel large.
US09918010B2
A method for adjusting vehicle panorama system, which comprises: a calibration pattern is disposed around a vehicle, and at least one patterned feature and a plurality of cameras are disposed on the vehicle; capture the calibration pattern and patterned feature to obtain an original image; capture the patterned feature after a period of time to obtain a correction image; compares the correction image and original image and corrects the panorama images by recombining the images shoot by the plurality of cameras according to a comparison result.
US09918002B2
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a flying object equipped with a camera can be remotely controlled. The present disclosure includes a wireless communication unit configured to perform a communication with a flying object, a touchscreen configured to output a preview image received from the flying object, and a controller outputting a shot mode list on the preview image, the controller, if at least one shot mode is selected from the shot mode list, remotely controlling a flight location of the flying object in accordance with the selected at least one shot mode.
US09917990B2
An imaging system is provided wherein a positioning stage is translated with respect to an objective lens component and a scan mirror is repositioned while a two-dimensional image is made of a biochemical site on a substrate. In an example embodiment, an imaging system comprises a camera, an objective lens component, a positioning stage, and a scan mirror controllable by a servo system that synchronizes movement of the positioning stage and the tilting of the scan mirror so that the substrate image is maintained stable during imaging of the continuously moving positioning stage.
US09917987B2
A non-transitory machine readable medium that has a computer program for adjusting color values of an image represented in a color space is described. The computer program displays the image on a display device. The computer program receives several inputs on the displayed image. The several inputs include a selection of a point on the displayed image and a vector input. The computer program identifies a pixel of the image that corresponds to the selected point. Based on the color values of the identified pixel and the vector input, the program determines a color space transform for mapping a set of color values defined within the color space to a different set of color values.
US09917986B2
A controller includes an acquisition unit that acquires paper type information from each of a plurality of image output devices managed in a management system, a grouping unit that performs grouping of a plurality of managed image output devices based on paper information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a display controller that displays the managed image output devices having undergone the grouping performed by the grouping unit on a display unit. If the acquisition unit acquires current-fed-paper-type information, the grouping unit performs the grouping based on the current-fed-paper-type information. If the acquisition unit does not acquire the current-fed-paper-type information, the grouping unit performs the grouping based on calibration-executable paper type information included in the paper type information acquired by the acquisition unit.
US09917983B2
When a user logs into an image forming apparatus, a setting by the user is registered as an operation history in an individual setting of the user if a setting mode is an “individual setting” and an operation history is registered in a device setting if the setting mode is a “device setting”. If a user does not log into the image forming apparatus, an operation history is registered in the device setting. If the setting mode is the “device setting”, an operation history is deleted from the device setting when the user logs out from the image forming apparatus.
US09917978B2
A watermark generator for providing a watermark signal as a sequence of subsequent watermark coefficients based on a stream of subsequent stream values representing discrete valued data includes a differential encoder. The differential encoder is configured to apply a phase rotation to a current stream value of the stream values representing the discrete valued data or to a current watermark symbol, the current watermark symbol corresponding to a current stream value of the stream values representing the discrete valued data, to obtain a current watermark coefficient of the watermark signal. The differential encoder is configured to derive a phase of a previous spectral coefficient of a watermarked signal which is a combination of the host signal and the watermark signal, and to provide the watermark signal such that a phase angle of the phase rotation applied to the current stream value or the current watermark symbol is dependent on the phase of the previous spectral coefficient of the watermarked signal.
US09917977B1
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for generating one or more cut contours based on object types. The method includes receiving from a user a print job including a first file having objects and receiving at least one object type and a cut width for printing the job at a printer. Based on the at least one object type, corresponding objects are extracted from the first file. Then, automatically cut contours are generated while creating a raster image for the extracted objects. The cut contour is generated at the cut width distance outside a boundary of each object. The cut contour then is embedded around each object in the raster image to generate a second file. The cut contour is embedded using a specific color. The second file including the cut contour in the specific color around each object is printed.
US09917973B2
A processing mode set for a received print job is determined, and based on the result of the determination, the print job is processed in a first processing mode in which processing for rendering from print data to image data and print processing based on the image data resulting from the rendering processing are executed in parallel, or in a second processing mode in which the print processing based on the image data is executed after the entire rendering processing for rendering from print data to image data is complete.
US09917961B2
The present disclosure is directed to a method for managing printing device software. The method includes receiving, at a computing device, a request to print a document file. The method also includes receiving a selection of a particular printing device with which to print the document file. The method further includes performing a search operation to determine whether a printer driver for the particular printing device is stored on the first computing device. Additionally, the method includes causing a data transfer of the printer driver from a server onto the first computing device over a wide area network upon determining that the printer driver is not stored on the computing device. Further, the method includes converting, using the printer driver, the document file into a print job. The method also includes transmitting, to the particular printing device, instructions to execute the print job.
US09917959B2
A processing apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a job notification transmitted from a server, a control unit configured to store reception information indicating that the job notification is received in a memory, a request unit configured to request, in a case where the reception unit receives the job notification, the server to transmit job information, and an execution unit configured to execute the job using the job information transmitted from the server, in which the request unit requests the job information from the server in a case where the determination unit determines that the reception information is stored.
US09917957B1
A cropping electronic display image is provided in response to selection of an image crop menu option. The cropping electronic display image includes a geometric shape superimposed on the input image. Operation of the user input component changing position of at least one side of the geometric shape within the cropping electronic display image is detected to identify a selected cropped image area. Portions of the input image outside the selected cropped image area are removed to produce a cropped image, in response to completing the process of changing position of at least one side of the geometric shape. The cropped image and the cropped image area are enlarged to fit within the cropping electronic display image.
US09917946B2
A method, computer program product, and system for determining the availability of participants on a communication session is described. According to an embodiment, a method for determining a participant's availability may include receiving status information associated with a first user participating in a unified telephony call, the status information indicative of an availability of the first user. The method may also include determining an availability status for the first user based on, at least in part, the status information. The method may further include providing, by the one or more computing devices, a status indicator associated with the first user to at least a second user participating in the unified telephony call based on the availability status for the first user.
US09917945B2
A voice quality estimation process may be triggered by receiving one or more alarms corresponding to one or more endpoint terminals being used during a teleconference. The alarm(s) may include uplink transmission alarms, downlink transmission alarms and/or acoustic quality alarms. The alarms may be based on evaluating transmission metrics and/or acoustic quality metrics. The voice quality estimation process may require a relatively greater computational burden than the processes of evaluating the transmission metrics and/or acoustic quality metrics for the purpose of potentially triggering an alarm. The accuracy and computational complexity of voice quality estimation may be adjusted by selecting times during which alarm detection will take place, alarm detector thresholds, alarm analyzer thresholds and/or levels of voice quality estimation.
US09917935B2
Disclosed is a housing for a portable handheld electronic device such as a cellphone. The device has a housing, having a left side and right side. The housing can be layered, such as in a sandwich configuration. The layers can be secured together via one or more fasteners that extend through at least front and rear plates of the housing.
US09917933B2
Methods and apparatus for a wideband Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) transmission in a High Efficiency WLAN (HEW) include a method for transmitting a Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) in a wireless local area network. The method may further include performing a stream parsing of data bit streams to output blocks, determining whether to perform a segment parsing of the blocks based on a predetermined condition to output frequency subblocks, performing a constellation mapping of the blocks or the frequency subblocks, and transmitting the PPDU.
US09917932B2
A packet parser has a set of marker elements each comprising a one bit latch and connected to store flag values from the results of the application of parser rules. Some marker elements are connected to provide the stored marker values as input to the parser rule logic to be taken into account in the processing of subsequent parser rules and some are connected to control external hardware. Some markers are reset at the end of each packet. A special toggle marker element toggles its value when its address is selected and other marker elements are connected to store, when its own address is selected, the value of the toggle element. Other markers toggle their own value when selected.
US09917927B2
A first Core Network (CN) node (e.g., Gateway GPRS Support Node), a second CN node (e.g., Serving GPRS Support Node) and a wireless access node (e.g., Base Station Subsystem) are described herein that are configured to efficiently deliver a network triggered report notification to a wireless device (e.g., Internet of Things device).
US09917920B2
Systems and methods are provided for implementing reciprocal data sharing in a data exchange system. Limitations may be placed on the amount of data an exchange member may access based on the amount of data that exchange member has contributed. The system may include determining a data contribution associated with a first member of the data exchange, determining a limit for the first member based on the data contribution, and providing data to the first member when the first member has not exceeded the limit. In some embodiments, there may be separate limits for each member of the data exchange, so that a first member may have different access limits when accessing data from a second member, data from a third member, and data from a fourth member. Further, the system may limit a requester to a type of data that corresponds to the type of data contributed.
US09917919B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a memory configured to store at least one of a contact list or a call list, a communication module configured to transmit a phone number, included in at least one of the contact list or the call list, to a server and receive company information, associated with the phone number, from the server, and a control module configured to estimate a user profile using at least one of a word included in the contact list or a word included in the company information.
US09917918B2
A method of delivering content includes receiving an interest packet including a plurality of requests in a content-centric networking (CCN), determining an availability of content for a first request among the plurality of requests in a content store (CS), fetching available pieces of content from the CS for a set of sequential requests starting from the first request among the plurality of requests in response to the content for the first request being available in the CS, the fetching comprising fetching available content for each remaining request subsequent to the first request among the sequential requests based on information from content identified for a request immediately preceding each remaining request, and delivering the fetched available pieces of content.
US09917915B2
An information processing system includes one or more terminal apparatuses and an information processing apparatus connected via a network. The system converts stored information, based on a method determined for each of the terminal apparatuses, into at least first transmission information and second transmission information to be transmitted to the terminal apparatuses; transmits the first transmission information including a first display part of the information to one of the terminal apparatuses and transmits the second transmission information including a second display part of the information different from the first display part to the one of the terminal apparatuses after transmitting the first transmission information; and displays ones of the at least first transmission information and second transmission information.
US09917907B2
In one embodiment, a method includes storing one or more content postings that each include data representative of one or more content instances. Each content posting is associated with one or more first users. The method also includes storing one or more data records associating one or more geographic locations with accessing of the content instances. The method also includes selectively sending one or more of the content postings for display on an access device associated with a second user based on a past geographic location of the access device.
US09917897B2
Provided are a method, system and program for publishing configuration patterns for storage resources and storage performance models from client systems to share with client systems in a network computing environment. A determination is made of a configuration pattern of storage resources within the client computing environment and storage performance metrics for the configuration pattern of storage resources within the client. At least one storage performance model is created based on the determined storage performance metrics. Information on the at least one storage performance model and the configuration pattern of the storage resources for which the storage performance metrics were determined are published to the service provider.
US09917883B2
Telecommunication network management operations are performed based on accessing network management data (NMD) files via GUIs and general purpose computers including a network management system (NMS) server, and automatic routines for transferring binary NMD files between the general purpose computers and remote network elements (NEs) being managed. A system user produces configuration files at the NMS server for NEs using a network management GUI, and the hardware of NEs automatically complete the network management operations indicated by the NMD files transferred to them from the NMS server and produce their status files to the NMS server. The network management GUI displays network status based on the latest NE status files at the NMS server. This provides direct, binary file transfer based NMS communication that avoids the complexity and restrictions of intermediate messaging protocols or transaction languages and conversions thereof.
US09917882B2
A transparent batch file transfer is provided from a client to a server via a batch pool system. The batch pool system may be implemented by a proxy file server which is used to receive the file transfer from the client device and free the client device as soon as possible. The file transfer to an intended remote server is carried out by a batch transfer system at the proxy file server. The user of the client machine may then use their device to perform other tasks while the file transfer is completed by the proxy file server batch transfer system. The file transfer is coordinated by a background transfer module that is integrated with file system protocols. Hence, there is no new system or software for a user of the client to learn or operate.
US09917878B2
Access nodes and methods adjust a bit rate of a data stream in a communication network. The access nodes and methods have a packet inspection unit configured to inspect one or more of the data packets to determine that the data stream includes video data. A congestion unit is coupled to the packet inspection unit and is configured to determine a level of congestion in the communication network, the level of congestion associated with a capacity of the wireless channel, the level of congestion capable of varying over time, and the capacity of the wireless channel capable of varying with the level of congestion. A video scaling unit is configured to adjust the bit rate of the data stream responsive to the packet inspection unit and the congestion unit.
US09917871B2
In one embodiment, a first device in a network sends a Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translation (STUN) binding request towards an endpoint device of a media session between the first and endpoint devices. The binding request includes one or more network attribute fields. The first device receives a binding response from an intermediate node between the first and endpoint devices in the network, in response to sending the binding request towards the endpoint device. The intermediate node inserted the one or more network attribute fields into the binding response. The received binding response includes one or more metrics for the media session in the one or more network attribute fields. The first device adjusts one or more bitrates of the media session based on the one or more metrics for the media session in the received binding response.
US09917867B2
A computer-implemented method of conducting online meetings includes gathering sensed environment information from a set of intelligent sensor devices in physical user environments, along with meeting information describing online meetings in which the users participate while located in the respective environments. The sensed environment information and meeting information are stored in an event database, intelligent environment-control devices in the physical user environments are configured for subsequent online meetings. The configuring includes operating a stateful behavioral engine using the sensed environment information and meeting information from the event database to identify patterns of user behavior and to configure the intelligent environment-control devices according to the identified patterns of user behavior.
US09917866B2
A technology for arrangement of interactive content on a large format display is disclosed. A heuristic determines content most likely to be interacted with by a user and rearranges content on the large format display to be closest to the user. For example, a window that was most recently interacted with can be arranged to be closest to a coordinate on the large format display that is closest to a user. Additionally, a display having a substantially “L-shaped” configuration allows for display of collaborative materials and video of remote participants simultaneously, which provides for a more natural interaction for a meeting participant interacting with the collaborative materials.
US09917863B2
A method is provided for implementing a mandatory access control model in operating systems which natively use a discretionary access control scheme. A method for implementing mandatory access control in a system comprising a plurality of computers, the system comprising a plurality of information assets, stored as files on the plurality of computers, and a network communicatively connecting the plurality of computers, wherein each of the plurality of computers includes an operating system that uses a discretionary access control policy, and wherein each of a subset of the plurality of computers includes a software agent component operable to perform the steps of intercepting a request for a file operation on a file from a user of one of the plurality of computers including the software agent, determining whether the file is protected, if the file is protected, altering ownership of the file from the user to another owner, and providing access to the file based on a mandatory access control policy.
US09917856B2
A packet-filtering system configured to filter packets in accordance with packet-filtering rules may receive data indicating network-threat indicators and may configure the packet-filtering rules to cause the packet-filtering system to identify packets comprising unencrypted data, and packets comprising encrypted data. A portion of the unencrypted data may correspond to one or more of the network-threat indicators, and the packet-filtering rules may be configured to cause the packet-filtering system to determine, based on the portion of the unencrypted data, that the packets comprising encrypted data correspond to the one or more network-threat indicators.
US09917844B2
Methods and systems for detecting undesirable computer files based on scanning and analysis of information contained within an associated digital certificate chain are provided. According to one embodiment, a determination is made regarding whether there exists a certificate chain associated with a computer file. If the certificate chain is determined to exist, then the certificate chain is evaluated by extracting information from the certificate chain and analyzing the extracted information. The computer file is then classified into one of multiple categories based on the evaluation. Finally, the computer file is handled in accordance with a policy associated with the category to which it was assigned. For example, a confirmed or suspected undesired file may be quarantined and/or an end user or an administrator may be notified regarding the confirmed or suspected undesired file.
US09917842B2
Systems and methods for normalization of physical interfaces having different physical attributes are provided. According to one embodiment, information regarding multiple network devices is presented to a network manager. The network devices have one or more different physical attributes. Two physical attributes of two network devices that are to be normalized and that are among the one or more different physical attributes are identified. The physical attributes are normalized by creating a virtual attributes to which both correspond. A policy applicable to the virtual attribute is received. Configuration files, in which policies or rules contained therein are implemented in terms of the virtual attribute, are created for the network devices while they are offline. Physical attribute configurations for the physical attributes are resolved during installation of the network devices by resolving references to the virtual attribute in the configuration files into the respective physical attributes.
US09917838B2
Various examples of detecting whether a device meets an enrollment level are disclosed. A request to authenticate a user based upon user credentials is obtained. Applications for which the user is authorized are identified. An enrollment level associated with each of the plurality of applications is also identified. A user interface including the plurality of applications and the enrollment level associated with each of the plurality of applications is generated.
US09917837B1
A method, system, and medium are provided for managing application and content downloads to mobile devices from trusted domains. A dynamically updateable list of trusted domains is provided to a mobile device. In response to an attempted download by a server, a component of the mobile device compares the server's domain to the list of trusted domains and allows the server to download content and/or applications without requiring permission from a user. The list of trusted domains can be updated over the air by communicating replacement lists to the mobile devices.
US09917835B2
Techniques for secure message offloading are presented. An intermediary is transparently situated between a user's local messaging client and an external and remote messaging client. The user authenticates to the local client for access and the intermediary authenticates the user for access to the remote client using different credentials unknown to the user. Messages sent from the local client are transparently encrypted by the intermediary before being passed to the remote client and messages received from the remote client are transparently decrypted before being delivered to the local client.
US09917832B2
An app of a mobile device registers the mobile device for a remote credential server (RCS) and receives a device token. When a credential for a remote asset is supplied on the mobile device it is routed to the RCS and stored external to the mobile device but referenced on the mobile device via an asset token. When the credential is needed, the device token and the asset token permit the RCS to authenticate and return the credential to or on behalf of the mobile device so that the mobile device can authenticate to and access the remote asset.
US09917831B2
A method of authenticating a user of an image forming apparatus is provided that includes receiving, at the image forming apparatus, a one-time password (OTP) generating request, generating, at the image forming apparatus, an OTP according to the OTP generating request, receiving, at the image forming apparatus, an authentication request, from the host apparatus, including the OTP, and when the OTP received from the host apparatus matches the OTP generated according to the OTP generating request and absent a condition, approving an access to the image forming apparatus.
US09917826B2
A method, system and software for assessing an entity (15) at a first user terminal (13) connected to a data network (10). A control system (11) is used to receive an access request (101) from the entity (15) or an assessing user (16) at a second user terminal (14). The control system (11) invokes or facilitates transmission of a time-delimited sequence of unpredictable prompts (18) to the entity (15) for a performance of visible prompted actions (20). A video recording (21) of the prompted action performance is stored in a data store (61) and the control system performs an automated assessment of the video recording (21) by a gesture recognition system (67d) and generates an assessment signal respectively including a positive or negative indication of whether or not said entity (15) validly performed said prompted actions.
US09917816B2
In one embodiment, a social networking system provides people look up service and establish anonymous communication session between users; creates contact association for future communication between users; and configures one or more privacy settings for users.
US09917814B2
Systems and methods for managing configuration of a client security application based on a network environment in which the client device is operating are provided. According to one embodiment, a network connection state of a client device with respect to a private network is determined by a client security application running on the client device. The client security application, then selects a configuration based on the determined network connection state. Finally, the client security application launches one or more functions of the client security application that are designated by the selected configuration.
US09917811B2
A first computing system may identify a security threat located at least at a first virtual server. The first virtual server may be within a second computing system. The first computing system may provision, in response to the identifying, a first firewall associated with the first virtual server. The first firewall may include a rule to deny all communication transmitted from the first virtual server. The first computing system may execute, in response to the provisioning, a first repair operation to repair the first virtual server.
US09917808B2
Arrangements relate to the grouping electronic messages by a messaging client. A plurality of electronic messages to a message recipient from a sender electronic messaging system can be received. Each of the electronic messages can include a container specification, which can include an identifier assigned by the sender electronic messaging system. The identifiers of the received electronic messages can be compared. A plurality of the received electronic messages having the same identifier can be grouped. The grouped electronic messages can be presented as a single electronic message to the message recipient.
US09917806B2
A device identifies an email address of a recipient listed in an email. The device determines whether the email address is erroneous and based on determining that the email address is erroneous, the device displays a recommended email address to a user.
US09917804B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a social-networking system, an identifier corresponding to a first post item stored in the social-networking system. A first set of users is associated with the first post item. The method also includes receiving, at the social-networking system, a second post item. A second set of users is associated with the second post item. The method additionally includes associating the first and second post items with a story structure. The method further includes providing one of the post items in the story structure to a client for display.
US09917802B2
A method of adapting a webpage comprising monitoring textual content inputted to a user interface of an IM service by participant(s) of an IM session managed by the IM service, the user interface being displayed on a display of a client device, performing an analysis of the textual content to identify query conditions defining at least one feature of the product or the service, generating an interactive UI according to at least a portion of the query conditions and an identity of the at least one participant, storing the adapted interactive UI to be available to a browser via a link, automatically inputting the link into the IM session so as to allow the participant(s) to access the adapted interactive UI using a browser running on the client device, and submitting an order based on completing data received from the participant(s) via the adapted interactive UI.
US09917800B2
A method is provided in one example and includes creating a staging queue in a virtual interface card (VIC) adapter firmware of a server based on a log policy; receiving a log message from a VIC driver in the server; copying the log message to the staging queue; generating a VIC control message comprising the log message from the staging queue; and sending the VIC control message to a switch.
US09917790B2
A system is configured to use a de-randomizer and budget data structure to economize I/O operations for a shared storage device while still allowing access to the device to a number of different entities. Embodiments can identify a comparatively low cost next operation as compared to other I/O operations, including a cost for seek time, for a first entity to dispatch to the storage device when the first entity has sufficient budget to have the I/O operation performed on its behalf and to identify an I/O operation for a second entity to dispatch to the storage device when there is insufficient budget for the first entity.
US09917786B2
Systems and methods to support intra-application flow prioritization are disclosed herein. User equipment (UE) may be configured to communicatively couple to an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (eNB). The eNB may transmit packets from the UE to an evolved packet core (EPC), which may transmit schedule packets to an application function (AF) via a network. The AF may provide classification information and prioritization information for a plurality of intra-application flows transmitted between the AF and the UE. The EPC may classify uplink and/or downlink traffic into the intra-application flows and mark and/or schedule the traffic based on the prioritization information. Absolute and/or modular length, payload values, and/or packet type may be used to classify the traffic into the intra-application flows.
US09917785B2
In one embodiment, an intermediate node in a contention-based shared-media computer network determines a scheduled window within which a packet (with an assigned priority) should be transmitted by the intermediate node. In particular, the intermediate node may specifically determine whether an actual transmission time is prior to, during, or after the window, and sets a priority of the packet as either i) a reduced priority when the actual transmission time is prior to the window, ii) the assigned priority when the actual transmission time is during the window, or iii) an augmented priority when the actual transmission time is after the window. As such, the intermediate node may then transmit the packet from the intermediate node with the set priority at the actual transmission time.
US09917777B2
A system and method for dynamically processing data across a plurality of processor cores in a multi-core computing environment for breaking down incoming data traffic into a plurality of segments and dynamically distribute and re-distribute the segments on an ongoing basis so as to allocate the handling of data traffic in a resource efficient manner.
US09917773B2
A communication system in a vehicle consist includes a router that is configured to monitor an operational status of a plurality of network channels across a plurality of vehicles in the consist, and to route messages through one or more of the network channels in dependence upon the monitored operational status of the network channels.
US09917764B2
Network devices, like switches, selectively store network addresses of data packets received at their interfaces within forwarding tables. A management device determines workload devices related to a workload. The management device determines the network devices through which network traffic related to the workload among the workload devices traverses, and the network devices through which network traffic related to the workload among the workload devices does not traverse. The management device causes each network device to store or not store the network addresses of the workload devices depending on whether network traffic among the workload device traverses therethrough.
US09917760B2
Notifying original state listeners within a domain model. Identifying listener registration information pertaining to a listener. Monitoring a hierarchical relationship tree for an observable event, whereby the hierarchical relationship tree includes model objects, and whereby an observable event includes one or more of a change to a model object, an error condition associated with a model object, and the hierarchical relationship tree returning to an original state. Determining that a first observable event to the hierarchical relationship tree has occurred. Transmitting a notification to the listener detailing the occurrence of the first observable event. Determining that a second observable event to the hierarchical relationship tree has occurred. Determining that a third observable event to the hierarchical relationship tree has occurred, whereby the third observable event includes the hierarchical relationship tree returning to an original state. Transmitting a notification to the listener detailing the occurrence of the third observable event.
US09917758B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer program products, and systems for optimizing log analysis, such as in SaaS environments. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to determine an optimal log analysis location and ensure that the log file is processed at the optimal location based, at least in part, on the log file size and available network bandwidth.
US09917753B2
In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method receives and monitors performance metrics from network element. The method also includes receiving periodic control metrics corresponding to object instances. Performance metrics and control metrics provide information about operation of object instances. By monitoring the metrics, a network server is able to detect an operational flaw in the network. Monitoring the performance and control metrics in real time increases the speed of detecting any operational flaw in the network.
US09917747B2
A system and method performs packet analysis in a distributed communication network. Packet processors tap into data packet flow at various points in the distributed network. The packet processors processes data packets from the packet flow and select a set of packets using a packet signature function and packet selection criteria. A packet record is created by each packet processor and sent to other packet processors in the distributed network. The other packet processors add data to the packet record for the same set of packets. The packet records are analyzed to gather comparative data to identify problems in the network.
US09917744B2
A method for monitoring quality of data transmission in an IDC network includes: monitoring data sent by an application service node and data received by a data storage node of the application service node in an IDC network; acquiring index items of sent data and index items of received data; calculating, according to the index items of sent data and the index items of received data, a data transmission quality index of the sent data and the received data; and raising an alarm according to the data transmission quality index. By contrast, transmission of erroneous data that causes a waste of network bandwidth resources can be avoided, and data calculation performed according to the erroneous data resulting in an erroneous data calculation result is further prevented; therefore, occupation of unnecessary calculation resources and a bad decision that is generated according to the erroneous data calculation result can be prevented.
US09917735B2
A system for big data aggregation in a sensor network is provided, and the system includes a sensor network which comprises two or more sensor nodes connected to each other over a wired/wireless network and is configured to transfer sensor data generated by each of the two or more sensor nodes to a big data management unit by setting a destination address in the sensor data as an address of a big data management unit; and the big data management unit configured to distribute and dispersedly store the sensor data based on the set destination address of the sensor data.
US09917730B2
A peer-to-peer wireless controller topology provisioning system includes plurality of networking devices. A plurality of peer-to-peer wireless controllers are included in each networking device and are each configured to control a portion of a single wireless link with another peer-to-peer wireless controller. A management subsystem determines relative locations for each of the networking devices, and a number of peer-to-peer wireless controllers available in each of the networking devices. The management subsystem then uses a maximum hop constraint and a minimum bandwidth constraint to generate a peer-to-peer wireless controller topology for at least some of the peer-to-peer wireless controllers that are available in the networking devices. The management subsystem then provides the peer-to-peer wireless controller topology to each of the networking devices to cause each of the networking devices to configure their available peer-to-peer wireless controllers to provide wireless links according to the peer-to-peer wireless controller topology.
US09917729B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for multi-layer orchestration in software defined networks (SDNs) are disclosed. In one example, the method includes receiving orchestration related data for implementing a network service using the network resources within the SDN, determining configuration information for the network resources based on the orchestration related data and protocol layer capability of the network resources, wherein determining the configuration information includes identifying the network resources having the protocol layer capability to provide network services, and providing the configuration information to the network resources.
US09917726B2
A system, method, apparatus and mechanisms for detecting traps triggered by Label Switch Path (LSP) interface events, determining the corresponding event characteristics, associating the detected traps with a bitmap marker indicative of their respective event characteristics, and bundling together bitmaps having common markers to provide thereby respective bundles of common logger events adapted for bulk transmission to a management system.
US09917720B2
A method and an apparatus for receiving broadcast signals thereof are disclosed. The apparatus for receiving broadcast signals, the apparatus comprises a receiver to receive the broadcast signals, a demodulator to perform demodulation on the received broadcast signals by an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) scheme, a frequency de-interleaver to frequency de-interleave the demodulated broadcast signals by using a different interleaving sequence, wherein the different interleaving sequence is used for data corresponding to an OFDM symbol pair or data corresponding to an OFDM symbol according to an FFT size of the demodulation, a frame parser to parse at least one signal frame from the frequency de-interleaved broadcast signals and a decoder to decode service data in the parsed at least one signal frame.
US09917713B2
In one example, an apparatus includes an offset tunable edge slicer having an input to receive a pulse amplitude modulation signal. The offset tunable edge slicer also has a plurality of possible offset settings corresponding to a plurality of different reference voltages of the offset tunable edge slicer. A multiplexer has an output coupled to the input of the offset tunable edge slicer and an input to receive a control signal that selects one of the plurality of possible offset settings for the offset tunable edge slicer. A phase detector has an input coupled to an output of the offset tunable edge slicer.
US09917708B2
A signaling system is described. The signaling system comprises a transmit device, a receive device including a partial response receive circuit, and a signaling path coupling the transmit device and the receive device. The receive device observes an equalized signal from the signaling path, and includes circuitry to use feedback from the most recent previously resolved symbol to sample a currently incoming symbol. The transmit device equalizes transmit data to transmit the equalized signal, by applying weighting based on one or more data values not associated with the most recent previously resolved symbol value.
US09917707B2
The present disclosure provides adaptive cascaded equalization circuits for frequency spectrum compensation. The cascaded equalization are formed in circuit configurations to achieve configurable roll-up frequency responses to compensate for the loss of signal channels in the wire-line or optical communications, particularly but not exclusively, for the loss of signal trace in the wire-line communications, and photodetectors used in the optical communications. These cascaded equalization circuits include two or more stages of equalizers. The peaking frequencies of each stage are set to be different from each other, so that the overall frequency response characteristic has a unique frequency response with a roll-up slope. The equalization function is automatically tuned by an adaptive feedback control loop.
US09917703B2
A distributed content rendering system has a distributed communication structure (14, 14b) coupled between a stream source and a rendering device. A remote control device of the system has a “most recent” button. Control information is gathered for one or more streams of which rendering has been most recently started anywhere via the communication structure (14, 14b) before actuation of the “most recent” button (160). When actuation of the “most recent” button (160) is detected in association with the rendering device (10), one of the one or more streams selected and the information is used to direct that stream at the rendering device (10) that is associated with the actuated.
US09917699B2
A physical unclonable function (PUF) imaged through two faces is disclosed. The PUF is difficult to counterfeit because the view through both faces must be duplicated for a successful counterfeit. PUF may be incorporated into a user-replaceable supply item for an imaging device. A PUF reader may be incorporated into an imaging device to read the PUF. Other systems and methods are disclosed.
US09917698B2
One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method that includes accessing, by a mobile device management system, a profile for a mobile device. The method also includes negotiating, by the mobile device management system, with a certificate authority to obtain a certificate for the mobile device. The negotiating with the certificate authority includes imitating the mobile device based on the profile. The negotiating with the certificate authority also includes, based at least on the imitation, transmitting one or more certificate enrollment messages to the certificate authority. The negotiating with the certificate authority further includes, based on the one or more messages, receiving, at the mobile device management system, the certificate for the mobile device. The method further includes transmitting the certificate to a control agent hosted on the mobile device for installation.
US09917690B2
Management of key information as described herein enables a respective service provider to distribute encrypted content to subscribers, preventing improper use of the content without authorization. For example, the service provider can distribute encrypted content for recording by a subscriber at a remote location. At or around a time of recording the encrypted content, and on behalf of the user, the service provider initiates storage of the corresponding decryption information that is needed to decrypt the recorded encrypted content. In order to play back the recorded segments of the encrypted content, the subscriber communicates with a server resource to be authenticated. Subsequent to being authenticated, the server resource distributes a copy of decryption information needed to decrypt the previously recorded segments of encrypted content to the subscriber. Accordingly, the service provider retains control of playing back content via controlled distribution of the corresponding copy of decryption information.
US09917688B2
Consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption. In one example embodiment, a method for consolidating encrypted image backups without decryption may include individually encrypting, using a single encryption key, each block in a first set of blocks in a source storage, storing the first set of encrypted blocks in a first encrypted image backup, individually encrypting, using the single encryption key, each block in a second set of blocks in the source storage, storing the second set of encrypted blocks in a second encrypted image backup, and creating a consolidated encrypted image backup that includes a single encrypted block for each of multiple unique block positions represented by the first and second sets of encrypted blocks without decrypting any of the encrypted blocks.
US09917684B1
Sampled analog data are transferred between sampled analog circuits operating on respective local phase clocks which are triggered by a master clock. In response to a first (DATA READY) signal from an upstream sampled analog circuit, the sampled analog data are transferred from an upstream sampled analog circuit to a data transfer circuit. In response to a second (READY FOR DATA) signal from a downstream sampled analog circuit, the sampled data are transferred from the data transfer circuit to the downstream sampled analog circuit. The sampled data are delayed in the data transfer circuit for at least one master clock cycle when the second signal from the downstream sampled analog circuit is received before the first signal is received from the upstream sampled analog circuit.
US09917676B2
A user equipment (UE) is configured to perform a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) in an un-licensed system. The UE includes at least one antenna configured to communicate with a base station. The UE also includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to: send and receive data through the at least one antenna, in response to failing to decode a transport block transmitted by a first downlink carrier, transmit a negative acknowledgement message to the base station, and receive a re-transmission of the transport block from a second downlink carrier. The first downlink carrier comprises a unlicensed spectrum carrier and the second downlink carrier is different from the first downlink carrier.
US09917675B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques and apparatus for improving decoding latency and performance of Polar codes. An exemplary method generally includes generating a codeword by encoding information bits, using a multi-dimensional interpretation of a polar code of length N, determining, based on one or more criteria, a plurality of locations within the codeword to insert error correction codes generating the error correction codes based on corresponding portions of the information bits, inserting the error correction codes at the determined plurality of locations, and transmitting the codeword. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.
US09917674B2
A system and method for adapting code rate are provided. A method for a first communication device to transmit a resource assignment to at least one communication device includes assigning at least one transmission resource to transmit the resource assignment, adapting a code rate of an encoded payload based on the at least one transmission resource and a threshold, thereby producing an adapted payload, and transmitting the adapted payload.
US09917666B2
A method for broadcast service following for a vehicle includes a first step of continuously, or in given time intervals, estimating a signal quality and/or signal availability of the DAB service and/or the cellular network based broadcast service in a route section the vehicle is expected to reach in a given time span. The method also includes a second step of performing a handover from the DAB service to the corresponding cellular network based broadcast service dependent on the estimated signal quality and/or signal availability. The first step may depend on provided data base information. The first step may in addition, or in the alternative, depend on service information, which is included in a received DAB signal.
US09917664B2
A method for monitoring the quality of a communication channel supported by a sliding contact is provided. The method includes controlling application of a continuous electrical signal onto one of elements of the sliding contact, receiving measured values of electrical signals measured on other of the elements of the sliding contact, estimating from the measured values, a variance parameter value, comparing the variance parameter value with a threshold and, on the basis of a result of the comparison, generating a signal representative of a quality of the communication channel.
US09917659B2
Transmit/receive switches and methods for radio control include connecting a first reactive impedance in parallel with a power amplifier on a transmit path during reception to neutralize a reactive impedance of the power amplifier and to prevent received signals from entering the transmit path. The first reactive impedance is disconnected during transmission.
US09917655B1
Physical-layer information is conveyed within a packetized communication network via a timing-modulated side channel to yield low-latency physical interface control without consuming host-layer signaling bandwidth. Multi-modal transceivers at opposite ends of a signaling link optionally communicate to confirm mutual support and signaling headroom for timing-modulated information exchange before transitioning from an in-band feedback mode to a side-channel feedback mode.
US09917641B2
Disclosed are an optical power data processing method, device and computer storage medium. The method comprises: building the connection relationships between network elements and links into a topological arrangement; and obtaining optical power data corresponding to the network elements and/or the links via the topological arrangement, the optical power data comprising optical power performance data and optical power threshold data.
US09917635B2
Signals of data streams for transmission to user equipment (UE) in spoke-and-hub configurations will utilize multiple transponders of satellites. Radiation patterns from ground terminals with distributed apertures feature orthogonal beams (OB). A tracking OB beam from a moving platform dynamically shall autonomously be formed as a shaped beam by a digital-beam-forming (DBF) network with a peak to a desired satellite, and nulls to undesired satellites to minimize mutual interferences among multiple satellite spatially. Ground hubs and mobile terminals feature “coherent” bandwidth aggregating capability from multiple available but non-contiguous slices of frequency slots in many transponders by wavefront multiplexing/demultiplexing (WF muxing/demuxing) techniques. These individual frequency slots must be dynamically selected, calibrated and equalized continuously in receivers via embedded probing signals as a part of WF muxing/demuxing techniques.
US09917634B2
A relay apparatus includes a reception analog filter that extracts a desired signal from a received signal, an A/D converter that converts the signal after passage through the reception analog filter into a digital signal, a demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes the digital signal converted by the A/D converter into m signals, a reception-side compensating unit that digitally compensates for an analog characteristic of the reception analog filter with respect to the m signals demultiplexed by the demultiplexing unit, and a multiplexing unit that multiplexes the m signals digitally compensated by the reception-side compensating unit. The reception-side compensating unit further demultiplexes each of x signals not sufficiently compensated among the digitally-compensated m signals into k signals, digitally compensates for the analog characteristic of the reception analog filter, and multiplexes the k signals after the digital compensation.
US09917632B2
Methods and systems involving network coding (NC) atoms as building blocks of NC networks solve the scheduling problem in NC networks using a decomposition framework based on NC atoms. Ten physical-layer network coding (PNC) atoms and their straightforward network coding (SNC) counterparts are disclosed. SNC network can generate a transmission schedule based on SNC atoms. PNC network can generate transmission schedule based on PNC atoms. Performance evaluation results indicate that decomposition based on PNC atoms outperforms the traditional multi-hop (non-NC) scheduling by about 100% and can yield performance gain of 40% or more compared with decomposition based on the PNC TWRC atom alone. Further performance evaluation results indicate that decomposition based on SNC atoms outperforms the traditional multi-hop (non-NC) scheduling by about 33% and can yield performance gain of 14% or more compared with decomposition based on the SNC TWRC atom alone.
US09917630B2
A wireless communication device may autonomously transition from a multiple antenna port mode to a single antenna port mode. The wireless communication device may implicitly notify a base station about the autonomous transition from the multiple antenna port mode to the single antenna port mode. The base station may reallocate resources that were previously allocated to the wireless communication device but that are no longer being used by the wireless communication device. In some cases, the base station may configure the wireless communication device's antenna port mode via radio resource control signaling.
US09917629B2
A method for providing multi-hypothesis channel quality indicator (MH-CQI) feedback is described. Hypotheses corresponding to rank indicator (RI) and precoding matrix indicator (PMI) assumptions associated with a dominant interferer are selected. Multi-hypothesis channel quality indicator (MH-CQI) values based on the selected hypotheses are generated. The multi-hypothesis channel quality indicator (MH-CQI) values are encoded. The multi-hypothesis channel quality indicator (MH-CQI) values are sent as feedback.
US09917619B2
Disclosed are various examples for provisioning a client device through near-field communication (NFC). An administrator device can provide configuration parameters to a client device in a factory-reset condition through an NFC bump. A second NFC bump can be performed that provides enrollment parameters to the client device, after which the client device can complete enrollment with an enterprise mobility management (EMM) service.
US09917606B2
The present application discloses a signal processing apparatus and method, the method includes: receive an analog signal; adjust a frequency band of the analog signal to a lowest frequency band when a frequency band of the analog signal received by the receiving unit falls outside the lowest frequency band in multiple preconfigured frequency bands; process, by using a signal processing channel in the lowest frequency band, the analog signal whose frequency band has been adjusted to the lowest frequency band. The method provided in the embodiments of the present application processes signals of different frequency bands by using a processing channel in a lowest frequency band. In this way, only a relatively small quantity of radio-frequency link components are required to implement processing of the signals of the different frequency bands, which reduces a link size of a communications system.
US09917598B1
A method and apparatus are provided for implementing preemptive customized Codeset Converter Selection (CCS) on Software as a Service (SaaS) in a computer system. A codeset converter is automatically selected for operational modes, customer requests and service tasks which prompt the launching of the SaaS application. The CC selection is based upon history logs, content, and learned behavior performed as the application is launched and referenced without the user having to restart the session. Launching a new session is not needed for the enablement of the CC function.
US09917589B2
A transmitter circuit including a pre-driver circuit configured to receive a logic signal from a logic circuit and to generate a first signal driven by a first voltage, the pre-driver circuit including a transistor having a threshold voltage equal to or lower than a threshold voltage of a transistor included in the logic circuit, and a main-driver circuit configured to receive the first signal and generate a second signal driven by a second voltage, the main-driver circuit configured to output the second signal to an input/output pad, the main-driver circuit including a transistor having a threshold voltage which is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage of the transistor included in the logic circuit may be provided.
US09917586B2
A digital signal up-converting apparatus includes: a clock generating circuit arranged to generate a reference clock signal; an adjusting circuit coupled to the clock generating circuit and arranged to generate a first clock signal and a second clock signal according to the reference clock signal; a baseband circuit coupled to the adjusting circuit for receiving the first clock signal, wherein the baseband circuit further generates a digital output signal according to the first clock signal; and a sampling circuit coupled to the adjusting circuit and the baseband circuit for receiving the second clock signal and the digital output signal, wherein the second clock signal and the digital output signal are non-overlapping; wherein the sampling circuit samples the digital output signal based on the second clock signal and then combines the sampled digital output signal in order to generate a combined digital signal.
US09917581B2
An electronic device comprising a first power switch connectable or connected between a first voltage source and a load is proposed. The first power switch assumes a conductive state in response to a power-on request and a non-conductive state in response to a power-off request, for energizing and deenergizing the load, so that a voltage across the first power switch tends to a positive high level when the first power switch is in the non-conductive state and to a positive low level when the first power switch is in the conductive state. The device further comprises a second power switch connectable or connected between a second voltage source and the load. The second power switch assumes a conductive state in response to the power-on request and a non-conductive state when the voltage across the first power switch is below a defined switch-off threshold lower than the high level. The second voltage source thus assists the first voltage source in powering up the load. A method of operating the electronic device is also described.
US09917578B2
A semiconductor assembly includes a first FET integrated within the semiconductor assembly and comprising gate, source and drain terminals. The semiconductor assembly further includes a low voltage switching device integrated within the semiconductor assembly and being configured to electrically short a gate-source capacitance of the first FET responsive to a control signal.
US09917573B2
To provide a voltage detection circuit which avoids unintentional on/off-control of an output transistor immediately after starting a power supply. A voltage detection circuit is configured to be equipped with a comparator which compares a detected voltage and a reference voltage, and an inverter which drives an output transistor, based on an output of the comparator and to supply the operating current of the inverter by a current source.
US09917565B2
A system is provided for limiting distortion of an audio speaker. The system includes a first lowpass filter circuitry that is configured to receive a system input signal and generate a first lowpass filtered output signal. The system also includes a first limiter circuitry that is configured to limit the first lowpass filtered output signal. Limiting the first low pass filtered output signal includes reducing an amplitude of the first lowpass filtered output signal below a first predetermined threshold value, thereby to generate a first limited output signal. A second lowpass filter circuitry is configured to receive the first limited output signal and to generate a second lowpass filtered output signal.
US09917563B2
Apparatus and methods for biasing of power amplifiers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device includes a transceiver that generates a radio frequency signal and a power amplifier enable signal, a power amplifier that provides amplification to the radio frequency signal and that is biased by a bias signal, and a bias circuit that receives the power amplifier enable signal and generates the bias signal. The bias circuit includes a gain correction circuit that generates a correction current in response to activation of the power amplifier enable signal, and a primary biasing circuit that generates the bias signal based on the correction current and the power amplifier enable signal.
US09917553B2
A circuit and method for an audio op-amp that is configured to minimize crossover distortion between push and pull components of the audio op-amp. The audio op-amp includes an input stage that receives differential input signals and generates an output that amplifies the difference between the input signals. The audio op-amp further includes an output stage that receive the amplified signal and generate an audio output signal for playback by a speaker system. The output stage includes a diamond driver circuit that buffers the input stage from the speaker system, a boost circuit that includes a pair of boosting transistors that amplify the current of the amplified signal, and a biasing circuit that provides bias currents to the transistors of the boost circuit in a manner that minimizes crossover distortion between the boosting transistors.
US09917542B2
A method of determining angular position (θ) of a rotor of an N-phase permanent magnet motor (PMM). A processor having an associated stored angular position determination (APD) algorithm is programmed to implement the algorithm to cause an associated motor controller to execute steps including forcing one vector at a time a phase vector set of current or voltage vectors to stator terminals of windings for the N-phases a positive and negative magnitude vector, wherein the vector magnitude is sufficiently small to not move the rotor, and a time duration for the forcing current or voltage vectors is essentially constant. The resulting stator current or voltage levels are measured for each current or voltage vector. An N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is generated from superposition of the resulting stator current levels or resulting stator voltage levels. The N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is used to determine angular position.
US09917533B2
A driver assembly comprises several semiconductor switches that are arranged in a plane so that distances between adjacent semiconductor switches in the plane are equally large, and so that each semiconductor switch has the same number of adjacent semiconductor switches.
US09917529B2
To improve accessibility with respect to a power conversion unit in a power converter. The power converter includes a circuit connection part including a positive electrode conductor, a negative electrode conductor and an AC conductor, a power semiconductor module positioned in a particular direction with respect to the circuit connection part and connected to the positive electrode conductor, the negative electrode conductor and the AC conductor and a capacitor positioned in the particular direction with respect to the circuit connection part and connected to the positive electrode conductor and the negative electrode conductor. The positive electrode conductor is connected to a positive electrode conductor of another power conversion unit through a unit connection part positioned in an opposite direction of the particular direction with respect to the circuit connection part. The negative electrode conductor is connected to a negative electrode conductor of another power conversion unit through the unit connection part.
US09917526B2
A converter includes a DC input; a transformer including first and second primary windings, first and second secondary windings, and first and second feedback windings; a first field-effect transistor; a second field-effect transistor; and a drive circuit connected to the first and second field-effect transistors. The drive circuit includes a bias circuit that applies a bias voltage to gates of the first and second field-effect transistors via the first and second feedback windings during start-up of the converter, wherein the bias voltage is reduced to zero or substantially zero after start-up of the converter; and a reset circuit that resets the bias circuit when the converter is turned off. The converter is a self-oscillating push-pull DC-DC converter.
US09917523B1
A control method is used in a switching mode power supply to improve dynamic load response and switching loss. A PWM signal is provided to control a power switch and has a switching frequency. A cross voltage of a transformer in the switching mode power supply is detected to provide a de-magnetization time. The switching frequency is controlled in response to a sleep signal and a compensation voltage, which is generated based on an output voltage of the switching mode power supply. The sleep signal is provided in response to the de-magnetization time and a current sense signal, a representative of a winding current of the transformer. The switching frequency is not less than a first minimum value if the sleep signal is deasserted, and not less than a second minimum value if the sleep signal is asserted. The second minimum value is less than the first minimum value.
US09917520B2
Power adapters generally include a few components that make up the majority of the volume. One component that can consume a relatively large volume is a bulk capacitor. In accordance with the implementations described herein, the size (which can include the capacitance value or volume) of the bulk capacitor within a power adapter can be reduced. Moreover, by introducing a new control scheme, the bulk capacitor can be eliminated from the power adapter. This size reduction or elimination of the bulk capacitor from a power adapter can result in not only a smaller power adapter, but can also result in a lower cost for production of the power adapter and/or an improvement in the power factor and/or power efficiency of the power adapter. This type of relatively small adapter can be beneficial from a user experience perspective.
US09917509B2
The charge pump circuit includes multiple boosting stages, and each stage includes following units. A first switch circuit is controlled by a first clock signal to couple a second terminal of a first capacitor to a first input terminal or a second input terminal. A third switch circuit is controlled by a second clock signal to couple a second terminal of a second capacitor to the first input terminal or the second input terminal. A second switch circuit is controlled by electric potentials on the second capacitor to couple a first terminal of the first capacitor to the first input terminal or an output terminal. The fourth switch circuit is controlled by electric potentials on the first capacitor to couple a first terminal of the second capacitor to the first input terminal or the output terminal.
US09917506B2
A method and apparatus for detecting a critical duty cycle that maximizes an output power of a boost converter is provided. In the method and apparatus, the boost converter may be operated at or below the critical duty cycle. In the method and apparatus, a first voltage that is a function of an output voltage of a boost converter and voltage drops across a first set of parasitic resistances of the boost converter is detected. A second voltage that is a function voltage drops across a second set of parasitic resistances of the boost converter is also detected. The voltages are compared to determine the critical duty cycle and the boost converter is operated in accordance with a duty cycle that does not exceed the critical duty cycle.
US09917501B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of transistors, each having a gate electrode including extending portions having a length obtained by dividing the gate electrode causing interruption to switching at a desired frequency, wherein current inflow terminals of the plurality of transistors are connected to each other and current outflow terminals of the plurality of transistors are connected to each other.
US09917482B2
A hybrid drive module including: a torque converter with a cover, an impeller and a turbine; a rotor for an electric motor; a hub non-rotatably connected to the rotor and the cover and including a circumferential surface and a plurality of protrusions extending radially outward from the circumferential surface; and an end plate disposed between the plurality of protrusions and the rotor and engaged with the end plate and the rotor. The plurality of protrusions is formed of a material forming the hub and restrains the end plate and the rotor, with respect to the hub, in an axial direction.
US09917477B1
The embodiments described herein include a transmitter that transmits a power transmission signal (e.g., radio frequency (RF) signal waves) to create a three-dimensional pocket of energy. At least one receiver can be connected to or integrated into electronic devices and receive power from the pocket of energy. A wireless power network may include a plurality of wireless power transmitters each with an embedded wireless power transmitter manager, including a wireless power manager application. The wireless power network may include a plurality of client devices with wireless power receivers. Wireless power receivers may include a power receiver application configured to communicate with the wireless power manager application. The wireless power manager application may include a device database where information about the wireless power network may be stored.
US09917473B2
A power system 10 is provided with a power conversion device 110 connected to an input power supply 200, a battery 120 and a load 130 connected in parallel with each other to the output side of the power conversion device 110, and a control device 140 controlling charging/discharging of the battery 120, wherein the control device 140 receives output power of the power conversion device 110, determines, based on the received output power, charge or discharge power of the battery 120 such that the output power becomes close to a first value, and charges or discharges the battery 120 based on the determined charge or discharge power.
US09917472B2
A method and controller for controlling scheduled charging of an electric vehicle. A charging start time is scheduled in the electric vehicle. The electric vehicle is connected to a charger by means of a control line. A standby signal is transfers on the control line, and the charger enters into a charging standby mode. A charging control switch of the electric vehicle is then turned on (and subsequently off) for a first time at every first period so that the charger stays in the charging standby mode. At the scheduled charging start time, the charging control switch is turned on and left on so that the charger starts charging the electric vehicle.
US09917463B2
There are provided methods, devices, and systems relating to discharging thyristor-switched capacitors. For example, there is provided a method for discharging the capacitors of a thyristor-switched capacitor (TSC) device coupled to a transmission line. The method can include determining whether an angle of a voltage on the transmission line is within one of a first threshold range and a second threshold range. Further, the method can include discharging the capacitors, when the angle is within the first threshold range, by operating the TSC device in a first discharging mode. Furthermore, the method can include discharging the capacitors, when the angle is within the second threshold range, by operating the TSC device in a second discharging mode distinct from the first discharging mode.
US09917461B2
Techniques effectively prevent an overcurrent from occurring in a system comprising assembled batteries connected in parallel to a power supply line, when a given assembled battery is connected to the power supply line. Multiple battery units are each configured such that they can be connected to a power supply line. Each battery unit includes a battery cell group configured including multiple battery cells, a switching unit arranged between the power supply line and the battery cell group so as to control a current that flows between the power supply line and the battery cell group, and a control unit that controls the switching unit.
US09917460B2
A battery pack for use to provide starting power of an internal combustion engine. The battery pack includes an outer housing that encloses a plurality of individual battery cells organized into two battery groups. A charging circuit is contained within the outer housing, which allows the battery cells to be recharged without the need for a charging device other than the battery pack. The charging circuit allows the battery cells to be recharged from either a wall outlet or from the alternator of the internal combustion engine. The battery pack further includes a switching circuit that can configure the battery groups in either a parallel mode or a series mode. In the series mode, the output voltage of the battery pack is increased for starting a cold engine. In the parallel mode, the amount of current available from the battery pack is increased.
US09917455B1
The charging system charges electronic devices through the use of a charging base. Charging contacts within the charging base contact a charging adapter inserted into a port of the electronic device. The charging contacts of the charging base contact the charging contacts of the charging adapter to charge the device. A housing that partially encloses the electronic device limits the orientations in which the device can be inserted into the charging base. The housing promotes inserting the device into the charging base in a charging orientation that will charge the device.
US09917450B2
An electronic circuit (1) for charging a battery (15) of a blower filter device (20), which blower filter device (20) can be supplied with power from an external electric power source. The electronic circuit charging terminals for connection to poles of the battery via electric lines. A measuring device measures a charging current. A control unit receives a measured signal of the measuring device and monitors a flow of current through the lines and switches the circuit component to high resistance or opens the circuit in the absence of a charging current. A battery (15) of a blower filter device (20) is also provided as well as a blower filter device (20) for a blower filter system (30) as well as a method for charging a battery (15) of a blower filter device (20).
US09917448B2
A battery module architecture including a plurality of battery cells coupled electrically in series and having a combined battery potential proportional to the combined sum of the battery cells is controlled by microcontroller to balance battery cell voltages by a battery cell voltage balancer having a discharging circuit and a plurality of differential conductive connections each respectively coupled to positive and negative terminals of one of the battery cells.
US09917444B2
A method of controlling a plurality of DC/AC converters in cascade configuration, each being arranged to receive an input direct current and voltage from a respective photovoltaic panel and to deliver an electric output. The method includes receiving information representing at least one of frequency, phase, amplitude and harmonics of a required AC, and receiving information on the input direct current and voltage to each one of the plurality of DC/AC converters. Based on the received information, each one of the plurality of DC/AC converters is individually controlled in such manner that the combined output from the plurality of DC/AC converters produces an AC matching the required AC.
US09917443B2
The disclosure relates to a method for operating a photovoltaic system for feeding a medium-voltage grid, wherein the photovoltaic system has a photovoltaic generator including a plurality of photovoltaic modules, at least one inverter and at least one medium-voltage transformer. The medium-voltage transformer is connected on the primary side directly to a low-voltage AC output of the inverter, the inverter is connected to the photovoltaic generator via a DC input, and the inverter permits reverse currents from the low-voltage AC output to the DC input. The method is characterized by the fact that in the event that there is insufficient generation of electric power for the feed by the photovoltaic modules, the inverter remains connected on the AC side to the medium-voltage grid via the medium-voltage transformer, and remains connected on the DC side to the photovoltaic generator.
US09917440B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that operates a power supply. During operation, the system obtains power states of two or more loads coupled to two or more power converters in the power supply. Next, the system generates one or more control signals for a set of switching mechanisms to configure a coupling of the two or more loads to the two or more power converters through the switching mechanisms based on the power states.
US09917433B1
An extension and retraction device including a housing and a slip ring mounted within the housing. The slip ring includes a stator and rotor rotatably mounted therein. The rotor includes rotor leads and annular sections defined circumferentially around the rotor. Each rotor lead includes opposite ends with one end electrically connected to one of the annular sections. The stator includes a contact for each annular section in sliding electrical engagement with the annular section. Each contact includes a stator lead having one end electrically connected to the stator and another end extending out of an opening of the housing. A reel is mounted within the housing with the reel and rotor rotatable about a substantially common axis. A cord extending through another opening of the housing is retracted into the housing when the reel rotates in one direction, and the cord is extended from the housing when the cord is pulled and the reel rotates in the opposite direction.
US09917431B2
An electrical wall box having plurality of wire power terminals on exterior of electrical wall box, wire power terminals are electrically connected to one of plurality of insulated distribution buses within electrical wall box, each distribution buses has first quick connect terminal electrically connected thereto one distribution buses; each plurality of switch wiring terminals includes insulated electrical tap connecting one switch wiring terminals to one plurality of internal insulated distribution buses or to quick connect terminal within electrical wall box; each one or more pluggable electrical receptacles includes two or more second quick connect terminals to electrically connect thereto one of said one or more first quick connect terminals; a second wall box, a plaster ring, and cover plate.
US09917428B2
A multiple chamber explosion proof device may be configured for use in extreme environments. The enclosure includes a plurality of chambers in which a first chamber may contain equipment and at least a second chamber may be configured with other equipment. Between each chamber is an explosion proof bulkhead with thread connections used to mitigate flame paths. Each bulkhead may include access ports to allow electrical and network connections to be passed through the bulkheads. The wiring may be explosion proof. A cap for the terminal end includes threads to be secured to second bulkhead or another bulkhead and seal the enclosure. When the cap is removed, access to electrical connections for the device is provided.
US09917427B2
A utility box assembly includes a housing structure having an open upper end, a first peripheral channel around the open upper end, and a second peripheral channel disposed below the first peripheral channel and inwardly therefrom. A first sealing element is seated in the first peripheral channel, and a second sealing element is seated in the second peripheral channel. A cover is configured to cover the open upper end. The cover has an outer peripheral portion configured to engage the first sealing element, and a downward-depending flange configured to engage the second sealing element. A liquid-tight seal is provided by the compression of the first and second sealing elements within their channels when the cover is secured to the open upper end of the housing.
US09917422B2
An optoelectronic device grown on a miscut of GaN, wherein the miscut comprises a semi-polar GaN crystal plane (of the GaN) miscut x degrees from an m-plane of the GaN and in a c-direction of the GaN, where −15
US09917420B2
A quantum cascade laser integrated device includes: first and second lower semiconductor mesas extending in a direction of a first axis; a covering region disposed on top and side faces of the first and second lower semiconductor mesas, and including first and second upper semiconductor mesas, the first and second upper semiconductor mesas extending in the direction of the first axis on the first and second lower semiconductor mesas, respectively; and first and second electrodes respectively disposed on the upper semiconductor mesas, the first lower semiconductor mesa and the second lower semiconductor mesa each including a quantum cascading core layer, the covering region including a current blocking semiconductor region embedding the first and second lower semiconductor mesas, and a first conductivity-type semiconductor region disposed on the first and second lower semiconductor mesas and the current blocking semiconductor region, and the first conductivity-type semiconductor region including an upper cladding region.
US09917417B2
A widely tunable laser system includes a substrate, first and second lasers, an output and at least one optical combining device. The first laser is integrated with the substrate, includes a gain medium that includes a first material, and emits light at a wavelength that is tunable within a first wavelength range that is determined at least in part by the first material. The second laser is integrated with the substrate, includes a gain medium that includes a second material, and emits light at a wavelength that is tunable within a second wavelength range that is different from the first wavelength range that is determined at least in part by the second material. The at least one optical combining device is configured to direct light from one or both of the first laser and the second laser to the output.
US09917414B2
A photonic light generating device is provided on a portion of a first semiconductor material. The photonic light generating device includes a second semiconductor material that has a different lattice constant than the lattice constant of the first semiconductor material and that is capable of generating and emitting light. The second semiconductor material of the photonic light generating device is present in a via opening that is provided into a waveguide core material and an underlying dielectric material. The via opening exposes a surface of the first semiconductor material.
US09917412B1
An optical amplifier may comprise a first gain stage and a second gain stage. Each of the first and second gain stages may comprise a laser pump and an active fiber. A liquid crystal device may be coupled between an output of the first gain stage and an input of the second gain stage. A control unit may be coupled to the first and second gain stages, liquid crystal device and configured to control the first and second gain stages, and the liquid crystal device to provide a switchable gain. Light may pass through the first and second gain stages and be amplified by the first and second gain stages. The light amplified by the first gain stage may pass through the liquid crystal device and may be filtered by the liquid crystal device.
US09917410B2
Fiber amplifier and/or mode filter including a linearly birefringent LMA fiber coiled at a radius of curvature over a bend length to differentiate a fundamental optical mode from supported higher-order modes through bending losses. The LMA fiber may be a polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber having a variety of geometrical core shapes and cladding configurations. In some embodiments, the birefringent LMA fiber includes a radially asymmetric core that is angularly rotated over a length of the coiled fiber to ensure bending losses are experienced in orthogonally oriented higher-order modes associated with some orientation relative to the core orientation. In some embodiments, the fiber coiling is two-dimensional with bending occurring only about one axis. In some embodiments, an asymmetric core is pre-spun to a predetermined axial spin profile. In some embodiments, angular rotation of the core is achieved through mechanically twisting an un-spun fiber over a length of the coil.
US09917406B1
A contact module includes a dielectric holder holding signal contacts with mating portions and a shield structure providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The shield structure has first and second ground shields. The ground shields have mating portions extending forward of a mating end of the dielectric holder. The shield structure has a ground clip at least partially covering the mating end of the dielectric holder and extending between sides thereof to electrically connect the mating portions of the first ground shield and the mating portions of the second ground shield immediately forward of the mating end of dielectric holder.
US09917399B2
An electrical connector including a main body, a base portion, and a tapered end. The electrical connector extends axially in a first direction and an opposite second direction. The main body is configured to connect to an electrical cable. The base portion abuts the main body at a first end of the base portion and has an outer shoulder at a second end of the base portion. The tapered end extends and tapers from the outer shoulder in the second direction. The tapered end includes a plurality of resilient fingers separated by slots. The fingers extend away from the base portion in the second direction to a distal end of the fingers. The slots extend radially through the tapered end. The slots further extend axially in the first direction from the distal end through the outer shoulder.
US09917394B2
A cable connector cover includes, in one embodiment, a unitary body. The unitary body has a plurality of portions. The portions have different diameters for receiving a cable connector and establishing one or more seals.
US09917390B1
An electrical connector contact has a body for receiving a conductor and for receiving a male pin contact. A spring is configured for engaging the pin contact and includes a plurality of spring fingers positioned for forming a bore with the spring fingers bent radially inwardly and configured for securing a pin in engagement with the body. A sleeve is configured for engaging the body to overlie the spring. Indentations are formed in the body at discrete positions around the body and extend radially inwardly into the pin section. The spring includes tongues extending radially inwardly and configured for extending into the indentations for securing the spring with the body.
US09917385B2
A method for producing a composite window pane, particularly a motor vehicle windscreen, includes mounting guide pins and electronic components on traces of a printed circuit board and inserting the printed circuit board between a first and a second glass plate. The guide pins are inserted in passthroughs in the first glass plate.
US09917384B2
An interface card fastening module is provided for assembling an interface card to a housing and electrically connecting the interface card with a main board having an insertion slot corresponding to the interface card, and the opening of the insertion slot is substantially parallel to the main board. The interface card fastening module includes a stopping member and an engaging member rotatably disposed on the housing so as to be movable between a release position and an engage position. Therefore, upon assembling the interface card to the main board, additional riser card would be not required. As a result, the space for installing an adapting member can be saved, and more components may be received in the housing or the size of the housing may become smaller. In addition, since the adapting member is no more needed, the manufacturing cost and assembling hours for the adapting member can be saved.
US09917376B2
A method for generating an electromagnetic wave with an antenna array, the antenna array including at least one antenna, at least one circuit having parameters having an influence on the electromagnetic wave generated by the antenna array and connected to at least one antenna, and the method comprising: selecting a criterion to be met for the wave generated by the antenna array; determining desired decomposition coefficients of a wave in a basis giving the possibility of attaining the selected criterion; and calculating the parameters having an influence on the electromagnetic wave generated by the antenna array for each circuit of the antenna array so that the difference between the decomposition coefficients on the basis of the wave generated by the antenna array and the desired decomposition coefficients be minimal.
US09917370B2
A microwave antenna assembly is printed on a substrate with a first face and an opposing second face. The assembly includes at least one antenna disposed on the front face of the substrate and a balun disposed on the rear face of the substrate. A first microstrip on the front face is coupled to the antenna(s). A second microstrip on the front face is coupled a feed line. A coplanar strip on the rear face is electrically coupled to the second microstrip and electromagnetically coupled to the first microstrip.
US09917361B2
The present invention relates to a variable beam control antenna for a mobile communication system, the antenna comprising: a radome formed on the front surface at which a signal is emitted; multiple emitters vertically arranged in at least one row; a frame portion for supporting the radome and the multiple emitters; and a direction-changing module which rotates each of the multiple emitters vertically and horizontally with respect to a reference point in order to change the emission direction of the multiple emitters.
US09917358B1
An antenna with tightly coupled elements is provided. The antenna includes a plurality of planar elements. Each element is connected to a signal line, and is coupled to at least one other element. The elements are arranged in one or more linear arrays. A first array of elements can be provided on a first plane, while a second array of elements can be provided on a second plane. Moreover, elements included in the first array can can at least partially overlap elements included in the second array. Alternatively, a single array of elements formed on a first plane can be provided, with coupling elements that are capacitively connected to one element, and directly, are electrically connected to an adjacent element.
US09917352B2
A antenna for vehicles may include: a main ground formed on a printed circuit board (PCB); a first LTE antenna ground connected to the main ground so as to ground a signal of a first LTE antenna; and a second LTE antenna ground connected to the main ground so as to ground a signal of a second LTE antenna. The first LTE antenna ground and the second LTE antenna ground may be left-right asymmetrically formed on the PCB.
US09917348B2
A PIFA is formed using a grounding plane in a printed circuit board and a metal chassis or shield. Rather than using the printed circuit board as the separator, an air gap or other gap than the printed circuit board is formed. The transmitter and/or receiver for the antenna may be mounted to the printed circuit board. The feed pin routes signals for the PIFA from the transmitter and/or receiver to the metal chassis or shield while being isolated from the grounding plane that acts as the radiating surface of the PIFA. Standoffs supporting the printed circuit board may be used to short, and another standoff may be used as the feed pin.
US09917341B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving a communication signal, generating an electromagnetic wave from the communication signal, and inducing the electromagnetic wave on a portion of a transmission medium having an insulation layer with a tapered end covering at least part of a conductor. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09917336B2
A battery system comprises an assembled battery in which a plurality of battery cells are connected in series, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of the battery cells of the assembled battery, and a voltage detecting line connected to a voltage detecting location of the battery cell. Further the battery system fixes the connecting terminal at the voltage detecting location. The connecting terminal fixes the temperature sensor in a thermally coupling state, and electrically connects the voltage detecting line.
US09917334B2
Provided are an apparatus and a method for sensing swelling of a battery. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for sensing swelling of a battery includes: a sensing circuit configured to be coupled to one side of a housing of the battery; a current sensing unit configured to sense whether a current is conducted between the sensing circuit and the other side of the housing of the battery; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the battery is swelled by the sensing.
US09917332B2
A power supply for an electronic cigarette, includes a shell; a battery assembly received in the shell; an electrode assembly arranged at an end of the shell; a first electrical contact assembly arranged between the battery assembly and the electrode assembly. The first electrical contact assembly includes a first electrode plate electrically connected to the battery assembly, and a pair of first pins electrically connected to the electrode assembly. The first pins are electrically contacting the first electrode plate. An electronic cigarette using the power supply is also provided.
US09917331B2
Provided are a secondary battery having a configuration with which localized metal contaminant precipitation at the negative electrode can be reliably inhibited in less time, and a method for producing a secondary battery that allows reliable deactivation of metal contaminant in less time. The battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator placed between the two electrodes. The separator has an air resistance Rp≦100 sec in an in-plane direction vertical to its thickness direction and an air resistance Rt>Rp in the thickness direction. The method comprises a minimal charging step where the cell is charged to 0.01% to 0.5% capacity over at least one hour to obtain a state of charge where the positive and negative electrode potentials are at or above the oxidation and reduction potentials of a probable metal contaminant, respectively; and a step of performing initial conditioning charging.
US09917330B2
Provided is a secondary battery being superior to a conventional secondary battery with respect to volume (energy density) and manufacturing (manufacturing workload). The present invention provides a secondary battery including a sheet-shaped first-electrode-functioning base material having a function as a first electrode and a function as a base material, a front-side storage layer formed on a front side of the first-electrode-functioning base material, a front-side second electrode layer layered on the front-side storage layer, a rear-side storage layer formed on a rear side of the first-electrode-functioning base material, and a rear-side second electrode layer layered on the rear-side storage layer.
US09917327B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte. A positive electrode charge potential is 3.7 V or less with respect to a lithium metal potential. The nonaqueous electrolyte includes a cyclic disulfone compound having a specific structure in an amount of 0.1 to 4.0% by mass based on a total mass of the nonaqueous electrolyte.
US09917324B2
Embodiment of a system for generating electric power with micro fuel cells comprising at least one first micro cell and at least one second micro cell, each micro cell having an anode and a cathode with a membrane being sandwich-wise interposed, the system comprising a spacer element having an annular element that surrounds a cavity, said spacer element being associated with said anode of said first micro cell and with said anode of said second micro cell to realize a common diffusion chamber for the fuel of said first micro cell a of said second micro cell.
US09917323B2
A redox flow battery is provided having a double-membrane (one cation exchange membrane and one anion exchange membrane), triple-electrolyte (one electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode, one electrolyte in contact with the positive electrode, and one electrolyte positioned between and in contact with the two membranes). The cation exchange membrane is used to separate the negative or positive electrolyte and the middle electrolyte, and the anion exchange membrane is used to separate the middle electrolyte and the positive or negative electrolyte. This design physically isolates, but ionically connects, the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte. The physical isolation offers great freedom in choosing redox pairs in the negative electrolyte and positive electrolyte, making high voltage of redox flow batteries possible. The ionic conduction drastically reduces the overall ionic crossover between negative electrolyte and positive one, leading to high columbic efficiency.
US09917318B2
The invention relates to an energy generation apparatus (1), in particular for use in a vehicle, which can be operated using hydrocarbons such as diesel and the like, which comprises a fuel cell (2) and is provided with connections (3, 4, 5) for introduction of air and the hydrocarbons and for the output of electric energy. According to the invention, the energy generation apparatus has three essentially physically separate functional units (7, 8, 9), where the first functional unit (7) is configured as a supply device for media and has essentially devices for introduction of fuel and air, a second functional unit (8) is configured for reforming and has essentially devices for converting the hydrocarbons into process gas and a third functional unit (9) is configured for generation of electric energy and has essentially the fuel cell (2), where the process gas produced in the second functional unit (8) is fed to the third functional unit (9).
US09917288B2
A lithium-iron disulfide battery with improved high temperature performance is disclosed. The separator characteristics are deliberately selected to be compatible with the electrolyte at the intended temperature. Additional or alternative modifications can be made in the form of a scaffold or laminated structure. A preferred polymer for such separators is polyimide.
US09917282B2
A highly reliable light-emitting device is provided. A yield in a manufacturing process of a light-emitting device is increased. A light-emitting device is provided in which a non-light-emitting portion having a frame-like shape outside a light-emitting portion includes a portion thinner than the light-emitting portion. A light-emitting element and a bonding layer are formed over a substrate. The light-emitting element is sealed by overlapping a pair of substrates and curing the bonding layer. Then, while the cured bonding layer is heated, pressure is applied to at least a portion of the non-light-emitting portion with a member having a projection.
US09917278B2
Disclosed are an array substrate, an organic electroluminescent display panel and a display apparatus. The array substrate includes: a base substrate, an organic electroluminescent structure disposed on the base substrate, a thin film packaging layer covering the organic electroluminescent structure, and an adsorption layer disposed on the thin film packaging layer.
US09917273B2
A polymer including structural units represented by the following formulas (A) and (B).In the formula (A), P is a group derived from a compound represented by the formula (P). L1 is a linkage group. In the formula (B), Q is a group derived from a compound represented by the formula (Q). L2 is a linkage group. In the formula (B), at least one of “c”Qs and “d”L2s includes a cross-linkable group.
US09917268B1
A method of forming a transistor includes: forming a stack structure including a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer, a second conductive layer, and a second insulating layer on a substrate; patterning the first insulating layer, the second conductive layer, and the second insulating layer to form at least one opening passing through the first insulating layer, the second conductive layer, and the second insulating layer; forming a semiconductor layer over the second insulating layer and filling the opening; removing the portion of the semiconductor layer over the second insulating layer, in which the portion of the semiconductor layer filled in the opening constitutes at least one semiconductor channel; and forming a third conductive layer over the semiconductor channel.
US09917260B2
The present invention relates to a photoactive material comprising a donor substance and an acceptor substance, wherein the donor substance comprises or consists of one or more compounds of formula (I) described herein, or the acceptor substance comprises or consists of one or more compounds of formula (I) described herein, or the donor substance comprises or consists of a first compound of formula (I) described herein and the acceptor substance comprises a second compound of formula (I) described herein with the proviso that the first and second compound are not the same, as well as to an organic solar cell comprising said photoactive material. The present invention also relates to a photoelectric conversion device comprising or consisting of two or more organic solar cells comprising said photoactive material and to compounds of formula (I) as described herein for use as donor substance or as acceptor substance in a photoactive material, Further, the present invention relates to the use of a compound of formula (III) as described herein in the synthesis of a compound of formula (I)as described herein.
US09917251B2
A method of forming a resistive memory cell, e.g., a CBRAM or ReRAM, may include forming a bottom electrode layer, oxidizing an exposed region of the bottom electrode layer to form an oxide region, removing a region of the bottom electrode layer proximate the oxide region, thereby forming a bottom electrode having a pointed tip region adjacent the oxide region, and forming an electrolyte region and top electrode over at least a portion of the bottom electrode and oxide region, such that the electrolyte region is arranged between the pointed tip region of the bottom electrode and the top electrode, and provides a path for conductive filament or vacancy chain formation from the pointed tip region of the bottom electrode to the top electrode when a voltage bias is applied to the memory cell. A memory cell and memory cell array formed by such method are also disclosed.
US09917248B2
A memory element including a layered structure including a memory layer having magnetization perpendicular to a film face in which a direction of the magnetization is changed depending on information stored therein, a magnetization-fixed layer having magnetization perpendicular to the film face, which becomes a base of the information stored in the memory layer, and an intermediate layer that is formed of a non-magnetic material and is provided between the memory layer and the magnetization-fixed layer.
US09917247B2
A mechanism is provided for fabricating a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device. A bottom thermal barrier is formed on a bottom contact. A magnetic tunnel junction is formed on the bottom thermal barrier. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier. The tunnel barrier is formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer. A top thermal barrier is formed on the top ferromagnetic layer. A top contact is formed on the top thermal barrier. The top contact is reduced to a first diameter. The tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter. The first diameter of the top contact is smaller than the second diameter.
US09917246B2
A composite substrate production method of the invention includes (a) a step of mirror polishing a substrate stack having a diameter of 4 inch or more, the substrate stack including a piezoelectric substrate and a support substrate bonded to each other, the mirror polishing being performed on the piezoelectric substrate side until the thickness of the piezoelectric substrate reaches 3 μm or less; (b) a step of creating data of the distribution of the thickness of the mirror-polished piezoelectric substrate; and (c) a step of performing machining with an ion beam machine based on the data of the thickness distribution so as to produce a composite substrate have some special technical features.
US09917244B2
A resonant body high electron mobility transistor is described with resonance frequencies in gigahertz regime, limited by the cutoff frequency of the readout transistor. Piezoelectric materials form the resonating membrane of the device. Different modes of acoustic resonance, such as a thickness-mode, can be excited and amplified by applying an AC signal to the transducer electrode and proper biasing of all electrodes. The drain electrode reads out the acoustic resonance and amplifies it. The drain electrode is placed at or near where the piezoelectric charge pickup is maximum; whereas, the source electrode is placed at a nodal point with minimum displacement.
US09917243B2
A single photo mask can be used to define the three critical layers for the piezoelectric MEMS device, specifically the top electrode layer, the piezoelectric material layer, and the bottom electrode layer. Using a single photo mask removes the misalignment source caused by using multiple photo masks. Furthermore, in certain exemplary embodiments, all electrical interconnects use underpass interconnect. This simplifies the process for defining the device electrodes and the process sequence for achieving self-alignment between the piezoelectric element and the top and bottom electrodes. This self-alignment is achieved by using an oxide hard mask to etch the critical region of the top electrode, the piezoelectric material, and the bottom electrode with one mask and different etch chemistries depending on the layer being etched.
US09917242B2
Thermopile temperature sensor field of view narrowing using integrated light blocking layer and lens
A sensor device, a sensor package, and method for fabricating a sensor device are described that include an integrated light blocker disposed on the thermopile device and a lens configured to direct light to the thermopile device. In an implementation, the thermopile device includes a substrate; a thermopile membrane disposed on the substrate, the thermopile membrane including at least one passivation layer; a thermopile disposed within the thermopile membrane, the thermopile including at least one thermocouple; and a light blocking layer disposed proximate to the thermopile membrane, the light blocking layer including an aperture disposed proximate to the thermopile.
US09917240B2
Thermoelectric element, method of manufacturing the same and semiconductor device including the same
A thermoelectric element is provided as follows. First and second semiconductor fin structures are disposed on a semiconductor substrate. Each semiconductor fin structure extends in a first direction, protruding from the semiconductor substrate. First and second semiconductor nanowires are disposed on the first and second semiconductor fin structures, respectively. The first semiconductor nanowires include first impurities. The second semiconductor nanowires include second impurities different from the first impurities. A first electrode is connected to first ends of the first and second semiconductor nanowires. A second electrode is connected to second ends of the first semiconductor nanowires. A third electrode is connected to second ends of the second semiconductor nanowires.
US09917235B2
A display apparatus includes a substrate, a light-emitting diode (“LED”) provided above the substrate, an insulating layer provided above the LED, and a wire grid polarizer (“WGP”) provided above the insulating layer.
US09917233B2
The present disclosure provides a light emitting diode (LED) package structure, a backlight module and a display device, and relates to the field of display technologies. The LED package structure includes an encapsulation housing and an LED chip encapsulated in the encapsulation housing. The encapsulation housing is a polyhedron which includes at least one inclined plane. One inclined plane of the encapsulation housing is a light exiting surface of the LED package structure.
US09917226B1
Embodiments are related to systems and methods for fluidic assembly, and more particularly to systems and methods for assuring deposition of elements in relation to a substrate. In some cases, embodiments include a substrate including a plurality of wells each having a sidewall where a through hole via extends from a bottom of at least one of the plurality of wells; and a post enhanced diode including a post extending from a top surface of a diode structure.
US09917224B2
A concentrated photovoltaic receiver and backplane assembly is described herein. A thermally conductive heat spreader is configured between the receiver and the backplane for dissipating at least a portion of the thermal energy in a direction including a horizontal component towards a portion of the heat spreader which is not directly in contact with a receiver portion. In some embodiments, the heat spreader is electrically conductive and is adapted for conducting current from the receiver to the backplane. In some embodiments, a surface area of a receiver substrate is less than 5 times larger than a surface area of a solar cell that is mounted onto the receiver substrate. In some embodiments, the receiver substrate comprises vias for conducting current from a top face to a bottom face of the receiver.
US09917220B2
Methods for forming a photovoltaic device include forming a buffer layer between a transparent electrode and a p-type layer. The buffer layer includes a doped germanium-free silicon base material. The buffer layer has a work function that falls within barrier energies of the transparent electrode and the p-type layer. An intrinsic layer and an n-type layer are formed on the p-type layer. Devices are also provided.
US09917217B2
A solar antenna array may comprise an array of randomly placed carbon nanotube antennas that may capture and convert sunlight into electrical power. Methods for constructing the solar antenna array may use a mold and self aligning processing steps to minimize cost. Designs may be optimized for capturing a broad spectrum of non-polarized light. Alternatively, the array may generate light, and when connected in to an array of independently controllable sections may operate as either a reflective or light transmitting display.
US09917216B2
Kesterite-based photovoltaic devices formed on flexible ceramic substrates are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a photovoltaic device includes the steps of: forming a back contact on a flexible ceramic substrate; forming a kesterite absorber layer on a side of the back contact opposite the flexible ceramic substrate; annealing the kesterite absorber layer; forming a buffer layer on a side of the kesterite absorber layer opposite the back contact; and forming a transparent front contact on a side of the buffer layer opposite the kesterite absorber layer. A roll-to-roll-based method of forming a photovoltaic device and a photovoltaic device are also provided.
US09917214B2
A solar photovoltaic panel disposed in a matrix for use, wherein the solar photovoltaic panel comprises a plurality of antennas configured to communicate with antennas placed on adjoining solar photovoltaic panels, a receptor configured to receive a search command via the plurality of antennas, a transmitter configured to transmit a search command from the antennas excluding the antenna having received the search command in response to the received search command, and a responder configured to create a response signal including the panel ID of its own solar photovoltaic panel and transmit the response signal from the antenna having received the search command when no response signal to the search command transmitted from the transmitter is received, and when a response signal to the search command transmitted from the transmitter is received, transmit the response signal with the addition of information from the antenna having received the search command.
US09917209B2
A miniaturized transistor is provided. A first layer is formed over a third insulator over a semiconductor; a second layer is formed over the first layer; an etching mask is formed over the second layer; the second layer is etched using the etching mask until the first layer is exposed to form a third layer; a selective growth layer is formed on a top surface and a side surface of the third layer; the first layer is etched using the third layer and the selective growth layer until the third insulator is exposed to form a fourth layer; and the third insulator is etched using the third layer, the selective growth layer, and the fourth layer until the semiconductor is exposed to form a first insulator.
US09917204B2
A semiconductor device of stable electrical characteristics, whose oxygen vacancies in a metal oxide is reduced, is provided. The semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film over the gate electrode, a first metal oxide film over the gate insulating film, a source electrode and a drain electrode which are in contact with the first metal oxide film, and a passivation film over the source electrode and the drain electrode. A first insulating film, a second metal oxide film, and a second insulating film are stacked sequentially in the passivation film.
US09917201B2
It is an object to provide a transistor having a new multigate structure in which operating characteristics and reliability are improved. In a transistor having a multigate structure, which includes two gate electrodes electrically connected to each other and a semiconductor layer including two channel regions connected in series formed between a source region and a drain region, and a high concentration impurity region is formed between the two channel regions; the channel length of the channel region adjacent to the source region is longer than the channel length of the channel region adjacent to the drain region.
US09917200B2
A nanowire transistor structure is fabricated by using auxiliary epitaxial nucleation source/drain fin structures. The fin structures include semiconductor layers integral with nanowires that extend between the fin structures. Gate structures are formed between the fin structures such that the nanowires extend through the gate conductors. Following spacer formation and nanowire chop, source/drain regions are grown epitaxially between the gate structures.
US09917197B2
An object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device without exposing a specific layer to moisture or the like at all. A thin film element is manufactured in such a manner that a first film, a second film, and a third film are stacked in this order; a resist mask is formed over the third film; a mask layer is formed by etching the third film with the use of the resist mask; the resist mask is removed; a second layer and a first layer are formed by performing dry etching on the second film and the first film with the use of the mask layer; a fourth film is formed to cover at least the second layer and the first layer; and sidewall layers are formed to cover at least the entire side surfaces of the first layer by performing etch back on the fourth film.
US09917190B2
A method forming a semiconductor device that in one embodiment includes forming a gate structure on a channel region of fin structures, and forming a flowable dielectric material on a source region portion and a drain region portion of the fin structures. The flowable dielectric material is present at least between adjacent fin structures of the plurality of fin structures filling a space between the adjacent fin structures. An upper surface of the source region portion and the drain region portion of fin structures is exposed. An epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on the upper surface of the source region portion and the drain region portion of the fin structures.
US09917181B2
A superjunction bipolar transistor includes an active transistor cell area that includes active transistor cells electrically connected to a first load electrode at a front side of a semiconductor body. A superjunction area overlaps the active transistor cell area and includes a low-resistive region and a reservoir region outside of the low-resistive region. The low-resistive region includes a first superjunction structure with a first vertical extension with respect to a first surface of the semiconductor body. The reservoir region includes no superjunction structure or a second superjunction structure with a mean second vertical extension smaller than the first vertical extension.
US09917177B2
FinFET devices including III-V fin structures and silicon-based source/drain regions are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Silicon is diffused into the III-V fin structures to form n-type junctions. Leakage through the substrate is addressed by forming p-n junctions adjoining the source/drain regions and isolating the III-V fin structures under the channel regions.
US09917176B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device. In this method, a semiconductor fin is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Two cells adjacent to each other are formed on the semiconductor fin. A gate conductor is formed on a top of the semiconductor fin at a common boundary that is shared by the two cells. A gate spacer is formed to peripherally enclose the gate conductor. The gate conductor and the semiconductor fin are etched to form an air gap, thereby dividing the semiconductor fin into two portions of the semiconductor fin. A dielectric cap layer is deposited into the air gap to cap a top of the air gap.
US09917171B2
A device includes an n-doped InP layer and an ohmic contact, in contact with the n-doped InP layer. The ohmic contact includes an annealed stack of at least three, or preferably four alternating layers of Si and Ni, such that: (i) the n-doped InP layer and one of the layers of the stack in contact with the n-doped InP layer are at least partly intermixed; and (ii) any two adjacent layers of the stack are at least partly intermixed. Related fabrication methods are also disclosed.
US09917168B2
A metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) includes a substrate and a gate structure over a top surface of the substrate. The MOSFET further includes a source in the substrate on a first side of the gate structure and a drain in the substrate on a second side of the gate structure opposite the first side. The gate structure includes a variable thickness gate dielectric layer. The variable thickness gate dielectric layer includes a first portion closest to the drain, the first portion having a first thickness. The variable thickness gate dielectric layer further includes a second portion distal from the drain, the second portion having a second thickness less than the first thickness.
US09917163B2
A semiconductor device comprises a field effect transistor in a semiconductor substrate having a first main surface. The field effect transistor comprises a source region, a drain region, a body region, and a gate electrode at the body region. The gate electrode is configured to control a conductivity of a channel formed in the body region, and the gate electrode is disposed in gate trenches. The body region is disposed along a first direction between the source region and the drain region, the first direction being parallel to the first main surface. The body region has a shape of a ridge extending along the first direction, the body region being adjacent to the source region and the drain region. The semiconductor device further comprises a source contact and a body contact, the source contact being electrically connected to a source terminal, the body contact being electrically connected to the source contact and to the body region.
US09917159B2
An embodiment of a semiconductor device includes a transistor cell array having transistor cells in a semiconductor body. A planar gate structure is on the semiconductor body at a first side. Field electrode trenches extend into the semiconductor body from the first side. Each of the field electrode trenches includes a field electrode structure. A depth d of the field electrode trenches is greater than a maximum lateral dimension wmax of the field electrode trenches at the first side.
US09917154B2
Embodiments are directed to a method of forming a feature of a semiconductor device. The method includes forming the feature from a semiconductor material having compressive strain that extends throughout a cut region of the feature and throughout a preserve region of the feature. The method further includes converting the cut region of the feature to a dielectric.
US09917139B2
The present disclosure is directed toward carbon based diodes, carbon based resistive change memory elements, resistive change memory having resistive change memory elements and carbon based diodes, methods of making carbon based diodes, methods of making resistive change memory elements having carbon based diodes, and methods of making resistive change memory having resistive change memory elements having carbons based diodes. The carbon based diodes can be any suitable type of diode that can be formed using carbon allotropes, such as semiconducting single wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNT), semiconducting Buckminsterfullerenes (such as C60 Buckyballs), or semiconducting graphitic layers (layered graphene). The carbon based diodes can be pn junction diodes, Schottky diodes, other any other type of diode formed using a carbon allotrope. The carbon based diodes can be placed at any level of integration in a three dimensional (3D) electronic device such as integrated with components or wiring layers.
US09917131B2
A semiconductor device including a first semiconductor section including a first wiring layer at one side thereof, the first semiconductor section further including a photodiode, a second semiconductor section including a second wiring layer at one side thereof, the first and second semiconductor sections being secured together, a third semiconductor section including a third wiring layer at one side thereof, the second and the third semiconductor sections being secured together such the first semiconductor section, second semiconductor section, and the third semiconductor section are stacked together, and a first conductive material electrically connecting at least two of (i) the first wiring layer, (ii) the second wiring layer, and (iii) the third wiring layer such that the electrically connected wiring layers are in electrical communication.
US09917126B1
A semiconductor substrate includes a photodiode region, a charge storage region electrically coupled to the photodiode region and a capacitive deep trench isolation (CDTI) structure including a conductive region positioned between the photodiode region and the charge storage region. A contact etch stop layer overlies the semiconductor substrate and a premetallization dielectric layer overlies the contact etch stop layer. A first trench, filled with a metal material, extends through the premetallization dielectric layer and bottoms out at or in the contact etch stop layer. A second trench, also filled with the metal material, extends through the premetallization dielectric layer and the contact etch stop layer and bottoms out at or in the conductive region of the CDTI structure. The metal filled first trench forms an optical shield between the photodiode region and the charge storage region. The metal filled second trench forms a contact for biasing the CDTI structure.
US09917122B2
A structure includes a silicon substrate; silicon readout circuitry disposed on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and a radiation detecting pixel disposed on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate. The pixel has a plurality of radiation detectors connected with the readout circuitry. The plurality of radiation detectors are composed of at least one visible wavelength radiation detector containing germanium and at least one infrared wavelength radiation detector containing a Group III-V semiconductor material. A method includes providing a silicon substrate; forming silicon readout circuitry on a first portion of a top surface of the substrate and forming a radiation detecting pixel, on a second portion of the top surface of the substrate, that has a plurality of radiation detectors formed to contain a visible wavelength detector composed of germanium and an infrared wavelength detector composed of a Group III-V semiconductor material.
US09917119B2
An imaging device includes: a unit pixel cell comprising: a photoelectric converter generating an electric signal and comprising a first and second electrodes and a photoelectric conversion film located therebetween, the first electrode being located on a light receiving side of the photoelectric conversion film, a signal detection circuit detecting the electric signal and comprising a first transistor and a second transistor that are connected to the second electrode, the first transistor amplifying the electric signal, and a capacitor circuit comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor having a capacitance value larger than that of the first capacitor that are serially connected to each other, the capacitor circuit being provided between the second electrode and a reference voltage; and a feedback circuit comprising the first transistor and an inverting amplifier and negatively feeding back the electric signal to the second transistor via the first transistor and the inverting amplifier.
US09917112B2
Provided is a method to manufacture a liquid crystal display device in which a contact hole for the electrical connection of the pixel electrode and one of the source and drain electrode of a transistor and a contact hole for the processing of a semiconductor layer are formed simultaneously. The method contributes to the reduction of a photography step. The transistor includes an oxide semiconductor layer where a channel formation region is formed.
US09917106B2
Embedded security circuits formed by directed self-assembly and methods for creating the same are provided herein. An example integrated circuit includes a set of one or more fin field effect transistor devices unrelated to one or more security devices of the integrated circuit; and an embedded security circuit structure comprising an array of fin field effect transistor devices related to the one or more security devices of the integrated circuit, wherein the array comprises a combination of (i) one or more fin field effect transistor devices with unbroken fin channels and (ii) one or more fin field effect transistor devices with broken fin channels, and wherein the combination forms a distinct code to be associated with the integrated circuit.
US09917103B1
Methods of forming a diffusion break are disclosed. The method includes forming a diffusion break after source/drain formation, by removing a gate stack of the dummy gate to a buried insulator of an SOI substrate, creating a first opening; and filling the first opening with a dielectric to form the diffusion break. An IC structure includes the diffusion break in contact with an upper surface of the buried insulator. In an optional embodiment, the method may also include simultaneously forming an isolation in an active gate to an STI in the SOI substrate.
US09917094B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including gate structures provided on a substrate, a separation insulating layer interposed between the gate structures, and a plurality of cell pillars connected to the substrate through each gate structure. Each gate structure may include horizontal electrodes vertically stacked on the substrate, and an interval between adjacent ones of the cell pillars is non-uniform.
US09917092B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming an insulating film above a semiconductor substrate; forming a conductive film on the insulating film; forming a dielectric film on the conductive film; forming a plurality of upper electrodes at intervals on the dielectric film; forming a first protective insulating film on the upper electrodes and the dielectric film by a sputtering method; forming a second protective insulating film on the first protective insulating film by an atomic layer deposition method, thereby filling gaps of a grain boundary of the dielectric film with the second protective insulating film; and patterning the conductive film after the second protective insulating film is formed to provide a lower electrode.
US09917086B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a fin over the substrate. The fin includes a source region, a drain region, a channel region, and a biasing region. The channel region and the biasing region sandwich one of the source and drain regions. The FinFET further includes a gate over the substrate. The gate engages the fin adjacent to the channel region, thereby forming a field effect transistor (FET). The biasing region is configured to bias the FET when a voltage is applied across the biasing region and the source region.
US09917080B2
A semiconductor device with electrical overstress (EOS) protection is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a semi-insulating layer, a first contact disposed onto the semi-insulating layer, and a second contact disposed onto the semi-insulating layer. A passivation layer is disposed onto the semi-insulating layer. The passivation layer has a dielectric strength that is greater than that of the semi-insulating layer to ensure that a voltage breakdown occurs within the semi-insulating layer within a semi-insulating region between the first contact and the second contact before a voltage breakdown can occur in the passivation layer.
US09917079B2
An ESD protection circuit for an RF circuit includes first and second power supply voltage terminals for first and second power supply voltages and a power clamp coupled between the terminals. An RF input pad is configured to receive an input signal having an RF operating frequency. A resonance circuit is coupled to the RF input pad. A first ESD current path from the RF input pad to the first power supply voltage terminal includes the resonance circuit and a first ESD block configured to direct an ESD pulse of a first polarity toward the first terminal. A second ESD current path from the RF input pad to the second power supply voltage terminal includes the resonance circuit and a second ESD block configured to direct an ESD pulse of a second polarity toward the second terminal.
US09917067B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an interconnection for extending high-temperature use in sensors and other electronic devices. The interconnection includes a semiconductor layer; an ohmic contact layer disposed on a first region of the semiconductor layer; an insulating layer disposed on a second region of the semiconductor layer, where the second region differs from the first region; a metal layer disposed above at least the insulating layer and the ohmic contact layer; and a connecting conductive region disposed on the metal layer and in vertical alignment with a third region of the semiconductor layer. The third region differs from the first region and is offset from the ohmic contact layer at the first region. The offset is configured to extend an operational lifetime of the interconnection apparatus, particularly when the interconnection apparatus is exposed to high temperature environments.
US09917063B2
A semiconductor die package includes a semiconductor die, a film for improving die warpage bonded to a first face of the semiconductor die, a plurality of electrically conductive bumps formed on a second face of the semiconductor die, a substrate onto which the electrically conductive bumps of the second face of the semiconductor die are bonded to electrically connect the semiconductor die and the substrate, and a mold compound applied these components to form an exposed surface of the semiconductor die package that is coplanar with an exposed surface of the film.
US09917055B2
A corrosion-resistant semiconductor device includes fuse elements that can be cut by laser light. An upper portion of the fuse elements is covered with a porous insulating film so that, when laser light irradiated from a rear surface of a semiconductor substrate is collected at selected fuse elements, the fuse elements generate heat, expand, and rupture. An array of intersecting metal lines forming windows is disposed over the fuse elements to permit rapid expansion of the fuse elements when irradiated with the laser light. A silicon nitride film having a uniform thickness is formed on a front surface of the semiconductor device to prevent entry of moisture.
US09917037B2
A semiconductor device PKG includes a semiconductor chip CP, a lead LD3, a wire BW5 electrically connecting a pad electrode PD2 of the semiconductor chip CP to the lead LD3, a wire BW3 electrically connecting a pad electrode PD3 of the semiconductor chip CP to the lead LD3, and a sealing body sealing them with a resin. The semiconductor chip CP includes internal circuits 5b and 5c, and a switch circuit unit SW. Signal transmission is possible between the internal circuit 5c and the pad electrode PD3. The switch circuit unit SW is a circuit capable of being set in a first state in which signal transmission is possible between the internal circuit 5b and the pad electrode PD2, and in a second state in which signal transmission is not possible between the internal circuit 5b and the pad electrode PD2. The switch circuit unit SW is fixed to the second state during operation of the semiconductor device PKG.
US09917035B2
A bump-on-trace interconnection structure utilizing a lower volume solder joint for joining a conductive metal pillar and a metal line trace includes a conductive metal pillar having a bonding surface having a width WP and a metal line trace, provided on a package substrate, having a top surface with a width WT, where WP is greater than WT. The solder joint is bonded to the bonding surface by wetting across the width WP and bonded predominantly only to the top surface of the metal line trace by wetting predominantly only to the top surface across the width WT.
US09917033B2
A heat sink comprises a base and a fin support larger in area than the base and supporting fins that may be positioned in a plurality of orientations relative to the base. The base is adapted for being connected to a heat-generating electronic component on a circuit board, and the heat sink dissipates heat generated by the heat-generating electronic device and conducted through the base and the fin support to the fins supported thereon. The heat sink dissipates heat from the heat-generating electronic device in a first operable position and in a second operable position. The heat sink may be moved from the first to the second operable position to facilitate access to electrical contacts proximal the heat-generating electronic component.
US09917032B2
Thermal conductive compositions, methods for their preparation, and use are provided, which include, for example, as thermal sinks, heat transfer systems, and other uses.
US09917030B2
The present disclosure provides semiconductor structures and fabrication methods thereof. An exemplary semiconductor structure includes an insulation material layer having a top semiconductor layer having transistor regions formed on a top surface of the insulation material layer; isolation structures formed in the top semiconductor layer between adjacent transistor regions; a first dielectric layer formed over the top semiconductor layer; a first heat-conducting layer having a thermal conductivity higher than a thermal conductivity of the isolation structure and passing through the insulation material layer, the top semiconductor layer and the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer formed over the first dielectric layer; an interconnect structure formed in the second dielectric layer; and a bottom layer conductive via passing through the heat-conducting layer and a partial thickness of the second dielectric layer, and electrically connected with the interconnect structure.
US09917020B2
An analog integrated circuit is disclosed in which short channel transistors are stacked on top of long channel transistors, vertically separated by an insulating layer. With such a design, it is possible to produce a high density, high power, and high performance analog integrated circuit chip including both short and long channel devices that are spaced far enough apart from one another to avoid crosstalk. In one embodiment, the transistors are FinFETs and the long channel devices are multi-gate FinFETs. In one embodiment, single and dual damascene devices are combined in a multi-layer integrated circuit cell. The cell may contain various combinations and configurations of the short and long-channel devices. A high density cell can be made by simply shrinking the dimensions of the cells and replicating two or more cells in the same size footprint as the original cell.
US09917019B2
A method for forming a fin on a substrate comprises patterning and etching a layer of a first semiconductor material to define a strained fin, depositing a layer of a second semiconductor material over the fin, the second semiconductor material operative to maintain the a strain in the strained fin, etching to remove a portion of the second semiconductor material to define a cavity that exposes a portion of the fin, etching to remove the exposed portion of the fin such that the fin is divided into a first segment and a second segment, and depositing an insulator material in the cavity, the insulator material contacting the first segment of the fin and the second segment of the fin.
US09917016B2
Integrated circuits and methods of forming the same are provided. An exemplary method of forming an integrated circuit includes forming a dummy gate structure overlying a semiconductor substrate. The dummy gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer, a dummy gate layer, an etch stop layer, and a dummy gate cap layer. First sidewall spacers are formed adjacent to sidewalls of the dummy gate structure. A source and drain region are formed in the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the first sidewall spacers. A dielectric material is deposited adjacent to the first sidewall spacers. The dummy gate cap layer is etched with a first etchant selective thereto after depositing the dielectric material. The etch stop layer is etched with a second etchant that is selective thereto. The dummy gate layer is etched to form a gate recess, and a gate material is deposited in the gate recess.
US09917014B2
After forming source/drain contact structures within an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer to contact source/drain regions of a field effect transistor (FET), the ILD layer is recessed to expose upper portions of the source/drain contact structures. A sacrificial layer is then formed on a remaining portion of the ILD layer to laterally surround the upper portions of the source/drain contact structures. An interconnect conductor portion is subsequently formed to contact the source/drain contact structures by subtractive patterning of a metal layer that is formed on the sacrificial layer. Next, the sacrificial layer is removed, leaving a void between the interconnect conductor portion and the remaining portion of the ILD layer. An interconnect liner layer is then formed on a top surface and sidewalls of the interconnect conductor portion and on the remaining portion of the ILD layer. The interconnect liner layer encloses an air gap surrounding the upper portions of the source/drain contact structures.
US09917011B2
A semiconductor wafer is provided with a substrate, a GaN type semiconductor film which is laminated on the substrate, a plurality of element regions which are provided on the GaN type semiconductor film, a dielectric film which is laminated on the GaN type semiconductor film, and a dicing region which has a dicing groove which is provided in a lattice form without passing through the dielectric film described above so as to partition the element regions described above. Then, an end on the element region side of the dicing groove is higher or lower than a central portion of the dicing groove in a width direction in a bottom surface of the dicing groove.
US09917009B2
One illustrative method disclosed includes, among other things, forming a semiconductor device above a semiconducting substrate, forming a device level contact to the semiconductor device and, after forming the device level contact, performing at least one common process operation so as to form a through-substrate-via (TSV) in a trench in the substrate, a TSV contact structure that is conductively coupled to the TSV and a conductive metallization element that is conductively coupled to the device level contact.
US09917003B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a trench isolation. The trench isolation is located in the semiconductor substrate, and includes a bottom portion and a top portion. The bottom portion has a lining oxide layer, a negatively-charged liner and a first silicon oxide. The lining oxide layer is peripherally enclosed by the semiconductor substrate, the negatively-charged liner is peripherally enclosed by the lining oxide layer, and the first silicon oxide is peripherally enclosed by the negatively-charged liner. The top portion adjoins the bottom portion, and has a second silicon oxide peripherally enclosed by and contacting the semiconductor substrate.
US09917002B2
Semiconductor devices are described that have a metal interconnect extending vertically through a portion of the device to the back side of a semiconductor substrate. A top region of the metal interconnect is located vertically below a horizontal plane containing a metal routing layer. Method of fabricating the semiconductor device can include etching a via into a semiconductor substrate, filling the via with a metal material, forming a metal routing layer subsequent to filling the via, and removing a portion of a bottom of the semiconductor substrate to expose a bottom region of the metal filled via.
US09916999B2
Methods of fabricating a semiconductor package structure including at least one redistribution layer
A package structure and a method for fabricating thereof are provided. The package structure includes a substrate, a first connector, a redistribution layer, a second connector, and a chip. The first connector is disposed over the substrate. The redistribution layer is directly disposed over the first connector, and is connected to the substrate by the first connector. The redistribution layer includes a block layer, and a metal layer over the block layer. The second connector is directly disposed over the redistribution layer, and the chip is connected to the redistribution layer by the second connector.
US09916997B2
There is provided an end structure of a nozzle (11) including a gas-flow passage (13) communicable with an opening (104) provided through a bottom of a container (100) configured to contain an object, the nozzle (11) configured so that gas is injected into or discharged from the container (100) through the gas-flow passage (13) and the opening (104). The end structure includes a contact portion (19) provided at an upper end portion of the nozzle (11) and around the gas-flow passage (13), and the contact portion (19) is configured to be brought into contact with a contacted portion (103) provided around the opening (104). The contact portion (19) includes a flat portion (19b) and protruding portions (19a and 19c) each protruding upward relative to the flat portion (19b), and the flat portion (19b) is made of material softer than that of the protruding portions (19a and 19c).
US09916994B2
Embodiments of substrate supports and sealing rings for use in a substrate support are provided herein. In some embodiments, a substrate support structure includes an arcuate sealing piece having a first side including a generally planar support surface; a first arcuate portion; a second arcuate portion disposed radially inward of the first arcuate portion; a first end portion comprising a first arcuate extension extending from the first arcuate portion; and a second end portion comprising a second arcuate extension extending from the second arcuate portion.
US09916989B2
A system and method for laser assisted bonding of semiconductor die. As non-limiting examples, various aspects of this disclosure provide systems and methods that enhance or control laser irradiation of a semiconductor die, for example spatially and/or temporally, to improve bonding of the semiconductor die to a substrate.
US09916981B2
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a SiC layer having a first and a second plane; a first electrode having a first region in the SiC layer, the inclination angle of a side surface of the first region being 60 to 85 degrees; a second electrode; a first gate electrode; a second gate electrode facing the first gate electrode; first and second gate insulating layers; a first region of a first conductivity type in the SiC layer; a second region of a second conductivity type between the first region and the first gate insulating layer; a third region of the second conductivity type between the first region and the second gate insulating layer; a sixth region of the second conductivity type between the first region and the first region; and a seventh region of the second conductivity type between the first region and the sixth region.
US09916975B2
Semiconductor devices and methods of making semiconductor devices with a barrier layer comprising manganese nitride are described. Also described are semiconductor devices and methods of making same with a barrier layer comprising Mn(N) and, optionally, an adhesion layer.
US09916974B2
Provided are a novel amino-silyl amine compound and a manufacturing method of a dielectric film containing Si—N bond using the same. Since the amino-silyl amine compound according to the present invention, which is a thermally stable and highly volatile compound, may be treated at room temperature and used as a liquid state compound at room temperature and pressure, the present invention provides a manufacturing method of a high purity dielectric film containing a Si—N bond even at a low temperature and plasma condition by using atomic layer deposition (PEALD).
US09916965B2
Hybrid inspectors are provided. One system includes computer subsystem(s) configured for receiving optical based output and electron beam based output generated for a specimen. The computer subsystem(s) include one or more virtual systems configured for performing one or more functions using at least some of the optical based output and the electron beam based output generated for the specimen. The system also includes one or more components executed by the computer subsystem(s), which include one or more models configured for performing one or more simulations for the specimen. The computer subsystem(s) are configured for detecting defects on the specimen based on at least two of the optical based output, the electron beam based output, results of the one or more functions, and results of the one or more simulations.
US09916956B1
A fuse cutout assembly cover including an insulator cover end for positioning over a cutout assembly insulator and including a shield end for shielding a cutout upper contact assembly. An intermediate portion between the insulator cover end and the shield end can have detents for retaining the cover in place on the fuse cutout assembly. The fuse cutout cover can include a plurality of hole and slot arrangements to provide multiple access sites for an installation tool such as a shotgun stick or other hot stick tool. Methods of manufacturing fuse cutout assembly covers are also disclosed.
US09916955B2
A device for joining a bimetal strip and a component that acts as a support for the bimetal strip in a current breaking unit, the bimetal strip being electrically connected by a free end, to a input connection area, and by another end, by way of which the bimetal strip is fixed to the support, to a output connection area. The bimetal strip is mounted to pass through the support to be fixed at different locations along the length of the bimetal strip, the bimetal strip having a first part and a second part that are situated respectively on one side and the other of the support, the first part being on the side of the free end, corresponding to the usable surface of the bimetal strip, the length of the usable surface being variable depending on the insertion length of the bimetal strip in the support, the insertion length being determined depending on the calibre of the unit to obtain a constant thermal profile, regardless of the calibre, and to an electrical protection unit with same.
US09916952B2
A carrier sub-assembly for an electrical relay device includes a plunger and a shaft. The plunger is formed of a ferromagnetic material. The plunger has a generally cylindrical shape extending between a top side and a bottom side of the plunger. The shaft extends between a contact end and an opposite plunger end. The shaft is directly secured to the plunger without a discrete component between the shaft and the plunger securing the shaft to the plunger. The shaft and the plunger are configured to move together within the electrical relay device. A segment of the shaft including the contact end protrudes from the top side of the plunger for securing to a movable contact of the electrical relay device.
US09916950B2
A safety switching device for fail-safely switching on and off an electrical load, and to a system comprising at least two safety switching devices which interact in a fail-safe manner via a single-channel. The safety switching device comprises a fail-safe control unit, a first and a second electronic switching element connected with a first and a second output terminal; and at least one input terminal for receiving a first switching signal that causes a switching of said switching elements. Said first and second switching elements each comprise an output which provides depending on the first switching signal an output signal having a first or second potential. A third output terminal connects said safety switching device to a second safety switching device, providing a clocked signal depending on the first switching signal and being monitored by said control unit for performing a cross fault detection.
US09916941B2
An electrical switching apparatus includes a body and a display apparatus. The body has a housing, a handle partially extending through the housing, separable contacts located within the housing, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a main printed circuit board located within the housing, and a number of electrical rating settings associated with the main printed circuit board. Each of the number of electrical rating settings has a magnitude. The display apparatus is electrically connected to the main printed circuit board and is structured to display the magnitude of at least one of the number of electrical rating settings.
US09916938B2
The present patent application discloses a method of producing nano-porous carbon, comprising mixing furfuryl alcohol or its fast-polymerizing derivatives with an aluminum-based solid polymerization catalyst, heating the mixture until a solid catalyst-carbon matrix forms, heating again under inert atmosphere and etching the powder to remove the matrix to produce a network of pores in the nano-porous carbon. The application further provides a method for making of fabricating tailor-made nano-porous carbon electrodes.
US09916928B2
Provided is a high voltage multilayer ceramic capacitor and a manufacturing method thereof. The high voltage multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer ceramic sintering body; a plurality of first inner electrode layer; a plurality of second inner electrode layers; a plurality of first arc shield pattern layers respectively formed inside the multilayer ceramic sintering body to be arranged on a plane the same as those of the plurality of first inner electrode layers and spaced apart from the first inner electrode layers to surround the first inner electrode layers; and a plurality of second arc shield pattern layers respectively formed inside the multilayer ceramic sintering body to be arranged on a plane the same as those of the plurality of second inner electrode layers and spaced apart from the second inner electrode layers to surround the second inner electrode layers.
US09916919B2
Disclosed herein are superconducting wires. The superconducting wires can comprise a metallic matrix and at least one continuous subelement embedded in the matrix. Each subelement can comprise a non-superconducting core, a superconducting layer coaxially disposed around the non-superconducting core, and a barrier layer coaxially disposed around the superconducting layer. The superconducting layer can comprise a plurality of Nb3Sn grains stabilized by metal oxide particulates disposed therein. The Nb3Sn grains can have an average grain size of from 5 nm to 90 nm (for example, from 15 nm to 30 nm). The superconducting wire can have a high-field critical current density (Jc) of at least 5,000 A/mm2 at a temperature of 4.2 K in a magnetic field of 12 T. Also described are superconducting wire precursors that can be heat treated to prepare superconducting wires, as well as methods of making superconducting wires.
US09916910B2
A passively-cooled spent nuclear fuel pool system comprising: a spent nuclear fuel pool comprising a body of liquid water having a surface level, at least one spent nuclear fuel rod submerged therein that heats the water; a lid covering the spent nuclear fuel pool to create a hermetically sealed vapor space between the surface level and the lid; and a passive heat exchange sub-system including a riser conduit comprising first and second riser inlet sections and a primary riser section that receives water vapor therefrom. Each riser inlet section has a respective inlet positioned in a respective section of the vapor space. A downcomer receives and condenses water vapor from the primary section forming condensed water vapor. A return conduit fluidly coupled to the downcomer and having an outlet located in the body of liquid water returns the condensed water vapor thereto.
US09916909B2
Swirler, steam separator including the swirler, and nuclear boiling water reactor including the same
In one embodiment, the steam separator includes a standpipe configured to receive a gas-liquid two-phase flow stream, and a first swirler configured to receive the gas-liquid two-phase flow stream from the standpipe. The first swirler is configured to separate the gas-liquid two-phase flow stream. The first swirler includes a direct flow portion and an indirect flow portion. The direct flow portion has a direct flow channel for permitting direct flow of the gas-liquid two-phase flow stream through the first swirler, and the indirect flow portion has at least one indirect flow channel defined by at least one vane in the first swirler for providing an indirect flow of the gas-liquid two-phase flow stream through the first swirler.
US09916905B2
A display panel includes shift registers coupled in serial. At least one of the shift registers includes an input circuit, an output circuit and a control circuit. The input circuit is coupled to a first input terminal and a second input terminal for respectively receiving a first input signal and a second input signal. The output circuit is coupled to a first clock input terminal for receiving a first clock signal and outputting a pulse signal at an output terminal according to the first clock signal. The control circuit is coupled to the output circuit via a first control node, a second control node and a third control node and controls voltages at the first control node, the second control node and the third control node according to the first input signal or the second input signal, and further controls operations of the output circuit.
US09916900B2
A memory device, comprising: a memory cell array including a plurality of NAND strings, each NAND string including a plurality of memory cells respectively connected to a plurality of word lines vertically stacked on a substrate; and a control logic configured to generate a pre-programming control signal for memory cells of a first NAND string of the NAND strings such that, before erasing the memory cells of the first NAND string, pre-programming voltages applied to the word lines coupled to the corresponding memory cells of the first NAND string vary based on an operating characteristic of the corresponding memory cells.
US09916899B2
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having memory cells and a control unit. The control unit can retrieve information from a first portion of the memory cells. The information can include bits organized into a first bit group and second bit group. The information can be associated with management information. The control unit can store the first and second bits in the second group in a second portion of the memory cells. The control unit can update the first and second management information after the second bit group is stored.
US09916885B2
A semiconductor device includes a first row address generation circuit and a second row address generation circuit. The first row address generation circuit generates a first row address for refreshing memory cells connected to word lines included in a first up block and a second up block from a refresh command and an active signal in response to a period selection signal and a first period signal. The second row address generation circuit generates a second row address for refreshing memory cells connected to word lines included in a first down block and a second down block from the refresh command and the active signal in response to the period selection signal and a second period signal.
US09916883B2
Magnetic random access memory using current sense amplifier for reading cell data and related method
A circuit includes a first and second reference cells and a current sense amplifier. The first and second reference cells are configured to store a first and a second logic values, respectively. The current sense amplifier is configured to couple the first reference cell to a first node of the current sense amplifier, and couple the second reference cell to a second node of the current sense amplifier for reading bits stored in the first reference cell and the second reference cell.
US09916874B2
A memory macro includes a plurality of columns and a plurality of switching circuits. A column of the plurality of columns has a plurality of voltage supply nodes corresponding to a plurality of memory cells in the column. A switching circuit of the plurality of switching circuits corresponds to a column of the plurality of columns and is configured to selectively provide a first voltage value of a first voltage source or a second voltage value of a second voltage source to the voltage supply nodes. The first voltage value and the second voltage value differ by a predetermined voltage value.
US09916859B2
Systems and methods for forward corrupted track detection and by-pass are described. In one embodiment, a storage system comprising a storage controller performs a read operation for a target track of a shingled magnetic recording (SMR) disk drive and detects a read operation failure of the read operation for the target track. The storage controller also performs a boundary track read operation on one or more tracks including or adjacent to the target track and detect a forward corruption area based on the boundary track read operation. In another embodiment, a method is provided that includes detecting a read operation failure of a read operation for a track of a disk drive and performing a boundary track read operation on one or more tracks including or adjacent to the target track. The method also includes detecting a forward corruption area based on the boundary track read operation.
US09916842B2
Systems, methods, and devices for intelligent speech recognition and processing. According to one embodiment, a method for improving intelligibility of a speech signal may include (1) at least one processor receiving an incoming speech signal comprising a plurality of sound elements; (2) the at least one processor recognizing a sound element in the incoming speech signal to improve the intelligibility thereof; (3) the at least one processor processing the sound element by at least one of modifying and replacing the sound element; and (4) the at least one processor outputting the processed speech signal comprising the processed sound element.
US09916832B2
Techniques for leveraging a combination of audio-based and vision-based cues for voice command-and-control are provided. In one embodiment, an electronic device can identify one or more audio-based cues in a received audio signal that pertain to a possible utterance of a predefined trigger phrase, and identify one or more vision-based cues in a received video signal that pertain to a possible utterance of the predefined trigger phrase. The electronic device can further determine a degree of synchronization or correspondence between the one or more audio-based cues and the one or more vision-based cues. The electronic device can then conclude, based on the one or more audio-based cues, the one or more vision-based cues, and the degree of synchronization or correspondence, whether the predefined trigger phrase was actually spoken.
US09916825B2
There are disclosed methods and systems for text-to-speech synthesis for outputting a synthetic speech having a selected speech attribute. First, an acoustic space model is trained based on a set of training data of speech attributes, using a deep neural network to determine interdependency factors between the speech attributes in the training data, the dnn generating a single, continuous acoustic space model based on the interdependency factors, the acoustic space model thereby taking into account a plurality of interdependent speech attributes and allowing for modelling of a continuous spectrum of the interdependent speech attributes. Next, a text is received; a selection of one or more speech attribute is received, each speech attribute having a selected attribute weight; the text is converted into synthetic speech using the acoustic space model, the synthetic speech having the selected speech attribute; and the synthetic speech is outputted as audio having the selected speech attribute.
US09916819B2
A set of tremolo devices and bridge devices for static retention of a plurality of musical instrument strings in a stringed instrument. The tremolo device has a body with an upper surface, a neck portion, and a plurality of strings anchored at a first end of the neck and extending over at least a portion and secured to the tremolo device at the other end of the neck portion and the body and possesses an inertia block mechanism with substantially solid construction disposed to receive and securely retain a plurality of raw instrument strings without removal of a ball end from each string. The inertia block has an upper portion, a lower portion, and a plurality of internal, longitudinally displaced, cylindrically shaped, string retaining chambers designed to pass through an entirety of the block mechanism. The string retaining chambers have an upper and lower portion corresponding with the upper and lower portions of the block.
US09916809B2
Image data is transformed for display on a target display. A sigmoidal transfer function provides a free parameter controlling min-tone contrast. The transfer function may be dynamically adjusted to accommodate changing ambient lighting conditions. The transformation may be selected so as to automatically adapt image data for display on a target display in a way that substantially preserves creative intent embodied in the image data. The image data may be video data.
US09916804B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel comprising a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines, a gate driver circuit configured to generate a plurality of gate signals sequentially applied to the gate lines, and a timing controller configured to generate a reference control signal, the reference control signal adjusting at least one of a pulse-width and a phase of a predetermined gate signal among the gate signals.
US09916803B2
A display device includes a display panel including a first display region and a second display region and boundary correction circuits that perform tone correction on display data in such a manner that a correction amount for the display data to be written to a first pixel adjacent to a boundary between the first display region and the second display region and a correction amount for the display data to be written to a second pixel not adjacent to the boundary are different from each other.
US09916797B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus, a source driver, and a method for controlling polarity of driving signals thereof are provided. The source driver includes a signal receiving interface, a decoder, and a controller. The signal receiving interface receives an image data stream or a data input/output indication signal. The decoder obtains polarity controlling information from the image data stream or the data input/output indication signal. The controller receives the polarity controlling information and decides driving polarities of a plurality of source driving signals generated by the source driver according to the polarity controlling information.
US09916792B2
There are disclosed a pixel driving circuit and a driving method thereof and a display apparatus. The pixel driving circuit comprises: a main driving unit (11) connected to a data line; a main light-emitting device (12) connected to the main driving unit; an auxiliary driving unit (13) connected to the main driving unit (11); and an auxiliary light-emitting device (14) connected to the auxiliary driving unit (13). Herein, in an acquisition phase, the main driving unit (11) is configured to discharge through the main light-emitting device (12), and the auxiliary driving unit (13) is configured to discharge through the main light-emitting device (12). In a data storage phase, the main driving unit (11) is configured to store a data voltage; and in a light-emitting phase, the main driving unit (11) is configured to drive the main light-emitting device (12) to emit light, and the auxiliary driving unit (13) is configured to drive the auxiliary light-emitting device (14) to emit light. Since the auxiliary driving unit (13) can drive the auxiliary light-emitting device (14) to emit light in the light-emitting phase, brightness loss of the main light-emitting device (12) is remedied, so that brightness uniformity and brightness constancy of the display apparatus are raised.
US09916791B2
A novel display device is provided. In a display device with a 2T1C circuit configuration, a switch is provided between a current supply line and a transistor. The switch is turned off in a data voltage writing period to bring one of a source and a drain of the transistor into an electrically floating state. This configuration can prevent a potential rise on the anode side of a light-emitting element, thereby suppressing undesired light emission in the data voltage writing period.
US09916790B2
An organic light emitting display device includes: a panel having sections and blocks, pixels included in the blocks to control an amount of current flowing from a first power source to a second power source via organic light emitting diodes; a data driver to receive data, and generate the data signals; a sensing unit connected to the power supply unit, and to detect an amount of current flowing in each of the blocks; and a timing controller to generate a correction value to adjust the data in view of the amount of current.
US09916783B2
The present invention is a banner support assembly for mounting to poles of any surface or shape. The banner support assembly includes a plurality of pole brackets abutting the outer surface of the pole which are demountably secured at preselected intervals around the pole with at least one band clamp received through band slots defined in each pole bracket. A ring is slideably received within a channel defined in each of the pole brackets such that the ring is free to rotate around the pole about a longitudinal axis of the pole.
US09916776B2
Polyester-melamine coatings that exhibit desirable heat resistance and adhesion to a variety of polyolefin materials and labels including such coatings are provided. The polyester-melamine compounds present within the coatings can be obtained by reacting an etherified melamine and a hydroxylated polyester.
US09916773B2
A healthcare simulation system includes a mannequin with active physiological characteristics, a display monitor adapted for displaying physiological parameters and a computer for controlling the mannequin and the monitor. A healthcare simulation method includes the steps of programming the computer with healthcare scenarios, operating active characteristics of the mannequin and dynamically displaying physiological parameters corresponding to patient vital signs. Alternative aspects of the invention include tools, such as computers and other equipment, for obtaining and displaying information and for interconnecting and interfacing participants, subjects and controllers in training systems and methods. Glucometer simulation and training are also disclosed.
US09916762B2
A parallel parking system may include a controller configured to generate an alert identifying a discrepancy between a permitted parking distance that is defined by local requirements and a recommended parking distance that is defined by a minimum distance between an object adjacent to an available parking place to avoid contact with the object and an open vehicle door in a parked position in response to the recommended distance exceeding the permitted distance.
US09916758B2
The present disclosure provides a traffic light for cooperative vehicle-infrastructure and a method for controlling the same. The traffic light for cooperative vehicle-infrastructure includes: a communication module, a central processing module, a Global Positioning System GPS module and a scheduling module. The communication module is configured to receive a set of messages sent by vehicles periodically. The GPS module is configured to locate the position of the traffic light. The central processing module is configured to perform calculations and analyses on the received set of messages and the position of the traffic light, dynamically set lasting times of red and green lamps of the traffic light, and send a control signal carrying the set times to the scheduling module. The scheduling module is configured to control the lasting times of the red and green lamps of traffic light according to the control signal carrying the set times.
US09916756B2
A method includes configuring a plurality of sub-bounding areas within a primary bounding area. An aggregate traffic message includes traffic information aggregated from the sub-bounding areas, and is broadcast throughout the primary bounding area. The roads within the primary bounding area are associated with road classifications, and individual traffic messages associated with those roads are generated. Sub-bounding areas within the primary bounding area are associated with particular road classifications. Individual traffic messages (for particular roads) are selected for inclusion in the aggregate traffic message (broadcast over the primary bounding area) if those messages are associated with a road having a road classification that matches a road classification of a sub-bounding area in which the road is located. The aggregate traffic message is generated by combining the selected individual traffic messages, and is transmitted to a station importer.
US09916755B1
An on-demand, crowdsourced, roadway stewardship system with video reporting features is disclosed. The invention described herein is comprised of a system that allows users with mobile device cameras to record and report roadway safety incidents, traffic violations, crimes and infrastructure problem. Users are encouraged to become stewards by engaging in the system's rewards program. An on-demand style cloud infrastructure is presented which speeds up video processing and citations. Objects of the invention are to enhance safety and increase public participation in safety.
US09916744B2
Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include a multi-layer stack having multiple discrete component layers stacked and electrically connected together via a plurality of electrical contacts in between the component layers. Further, the tamper-respondent assembly includes a tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure embedded within the multi-layer stack. The tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure includes at least one tamper-respondent sensor embedded, at least in part, within at least one component layer of the multiple discrete component layers of the multi-layer stack. The tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure defines a secure volume within the multi-layer stack. For instance, the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure may be fully embedded within the multi-layer stack, with monitor circuitry of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure residing within the secure volume within the multi-layer stack.
US09916739B2
A communication adapter in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of outer surfaces comprising at least two outer surfaces, an interface device, an antenna, and a transmission device. The interface device is provided at at least one outer surface of the at least two outer surfaces and electrically coupled to an electric working machine through the at least one outer surface. The antenna is provided at another at least one outer surface, which is different from the at least one outer surface, among the plurality of outer surfaces, and configured to be capable of transmitting a radio wave for wireless communication with a communication device other than the electric working machine from the another at least one outer surface.
US09916735B2
Remote gaming cash voucher printing systems facilitate partial cash voucher payouts of cash value balances on electronic gaming terminals, such as to provide tips. Systems can include electronic gaming tables that host wager-based table games facilitated by live human dealers, cash voucher printers at the gaming tables, remotely located electronic gaming terminals that provide remote play at the electronic gaming tables, and a remote print server coupled with the gaming tables and gaming terminals. The remote print server debits a cash value of a partial monetary payout request from a gaming terminal credit balance, and routes the request from the gaming terminal to a gaming table printer for issuance of a cash voucher. The remote print server can communicate with an existing TITO server and emulate authorized TITO requests in some arrangements.
US09916731B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a card game with an extra award for each winning hand including one or more extra hands of cards or a modifier for an extra award. In various embodiments, if the first hand includes any winning card combination from a first set of designated winning card combinations, the gaming system provides one or more extra hands of cards, wherein each extra hand initially includes one or more cards from the first hand and then provides one or more extra draws of cards to complete that extra hand. In various embodiments, when the first hand includes any winning card combination from a second set of designated winning card combinations, the gaming system provides a multiplier value which the gaming system applies to the award for the winning card combination from the first hand of cards.
US09916730B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus, system, computer readable storage media, and/or method that involve or otherwise facilitate a card game or secondary card game played on a gaming device. The card game may be structured to use similar rules to a blackjack-styled card game. The card game may be played against an opponent, such as a computer, dealer, or another player. Alternatively, the card game may include the display of one or more cards and a process to determine if a total value of the cards meets a predefined criterion. A win against an opponent or satisfaction of the predefined criterion may progress the card game to another round of play. These rounds of play may continue until an opponent wins, or until the predefined criterion is not satisfied.
US09916720B2
A method for selecting content for delivery to devices is described herein. In some embodiments, the method can include registering a plurality of devices of one or more device types. The method can further include receiving usage information indicating usage of the devices and affinity information indicating user affinities associated with the devices. The method can further include detecting that a device of the plurality of devices is in-use. The method can further include determining, based on the usage information and the affinity information, game content for the device currently used. The method can further include transmitting, to the device, the game content.
US09916718B2
A console for enabling play of a casino wagering game has: a video display screen; a player input system; a wager accepting and resolving system; a ball drop-and-capture gaming system; sensors for the gaming system; and a processor. Separate areas are provided on the video display screen for display of distinct results from at least two consecutive separate ball drop-and-capture events. The processor is configured to: a) receive information from sensors as to results of each ball drop-and-capture event; b) transmit viewable information to each separate area provided on the video display screen for each consecutive separate ball drop-and-capture event; and c) to compare all ball drop-and-capture events to a preselected number of memorialized ball drop-and-capture outcomes.
US09916711B1
A standard sized coin roll holder is loaded with a stack of alternating coins and spacers such that a variable number of coins can be accommodated in a standard sized holder. The number of coins loaded into the holder can be configured to be one more than the number of spacers, starting with a coin, then a spacer and so on, such that a coin occupies both the first position and the last position in the stack and making a coin face visible at each end. A twenty coin holder can be loaded, for example, with 10 coins and 9 spacers or with 5 coins and 4 spacers. A compressible silicone rubber washer can also be included to account for slight variations in coin thickness, thus securing the stack within the available height inside a closed and sealed case.
US09916709B2
To provide a coin batch insertion device which is capable of feeding a coin at high speed. In addition, to provide a coin batch insertion device which is capable of implementing space saving.A coin batch insertion device 1 that separates and feeds a plurality of inserted coins C, inserted as a batch, one by one, includes: a cylindrical portion 4; a rotor 5 arranged inside the cylindrical portion 4; and a floor portion 7 including a coin dropping hole 7a, in which the inserted coins C, maintained in an erect state, are fed by conveying the coins between an inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 4 and an outer peripheral wall of the rotor 5 along the inner peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 4 using rotation of the rotor 5 and dropping the coins into the coin dropping hole 7a one by one.
US09916708B2
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a signal processing system is provided, comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive at least one signal that comprises a plurality of multipath components; a verification unit configured to correlate at least one multipath component under test with a reference signal derived from one or more of said plurality of multipath components. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding signal processing method is conceived. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a corresponding computer program is provided.
US09916697B2
A respirator container includes a sealable chamber that is adapted to receive and contain a respirator having a unique identifying tag. The respirator container also includes a reader for reading the unique identifying tag of a respirator in the sealable chamber, and a timer for measuring the time during which a respirator is outside of the sealable chamber.
US09916694B2
Disclosed is a method for hole-filling in 3D models. The method includes extracting static background information from a current frame of an input image and extracting virtual static background information using the static background information, warping a color image and a depth map of the current frame to acquire a virtual image and a virtual depth map, and labeling a hole area formed in the virtual depth map to extract local background information, performing a first hole-filling onto the virtual image and the virtual depth map using a similarity between the virtual static background information and the local background information, and performing a second hole-filling with respect to remaining holes after the first hole-filling in a manner of an exemplar-based in-painting method to which a priority function including a depth term is applied.
US09916685B1
A system and method for providing a fast, efficient and accurate method for recovery of depth information from a single image of a face is disclosed. The technique uses a novel thin-plate spline-based dense-correspondence method to align the face, and the representation incorporates a weighted framework, interpreting the depth recovery problem as a weighted data problem.
US09916681B2
To integrate a sensory property such as occlusion, shadowing, reflection, etc. among physical and notional (e.g. virtual/augment) visual or other sensory content, providing an appearance of similar occlusion, shadowing, etc. in both models. A reference position, a physical data model representing physical entities, and a notional data model are created or accessed. A first sensory property from either data model is selected. A second sensory property is determined corresponding with the first sensory property, and notional sensory content is generated from the notional data model with the second sensory property applied thereto. The notional sensory content is outputted to the reference position with a see-through display. Consequently, notional entities may appear occluded by physical entities, physical entities may appear to cast shadows from notional light sources, etc.
US09916675B2
In a tile-based graphics processing system, when a tile for a render output is to be generated, the fragment data storage requirements for each fragment to be generated for the tile is determined 51, and a color and/or depth buffer in the tile buffer is allocated for use by the fragments for the tile based on the determination 57. The graphics processing pipeline then, when generating rendered fragment data for the tile, stores the rendered fragment data in the color buffer and/or depth buffer of the tile buffer allocated to the fragments for the tile 58.
US09916665B2
A cell tracking device includes first and second image acquisition units, first and second tracking units and an interpolation unit. The first image acquisition unit picks up images of a cell under a short-time exposure condition at points in time to capture short-time exposure images. The second image acquisition unit picks up images of the cell under a long-time exposure condition to capture long-time exposure images, each image of the cell under the long-time exposure condition being picked up within each interval between the points in time. The first tracking unit tracks the cell based upon the short-time exposure images. The second tracking unit tracks the cell based upon the long-time exposure images. The interpolation unit interpolates a tracking result obtained by the second tracking unit with a tracking result obtained by the first tracking unit.
US09916657B2
Disclosed is a method for restoring a scan image. The method includes the steps of: measuring a blurring function oversampled with respect to a slit image obtained through a slit inclined at a predetermined angle in a vertical or horizontal direction according to the predetermined angle; and restoring a scan image to increase a resolution of an interface of a subject in the scan image obtained by obtaining the subject using the measured blurring function. Computed tomography (CT) that applies image restoration by increasing sampling can secure a precise image for computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) additionally used in a system used when actually diagnosing a patient, and thus does not require additional expenses and equipment.
US09916647B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus, which displays an image on the basis of an input image signal input from an outside, includes a liquid crystal display element, a processor that performs a plurality of processing to reduce disclination in the liquid crystal element with respect to the input image signal selectively or in combination so as to acquire an output image signal, and a liquid crystal driver that drives the liquid crystal display element using the output image signal.
US09916645B2
A chroma subsampling having reduced artifacts is achieved by detecting high contrast areas in a luminance channel of an image to be chroma subsampled so as to partition the image into a first region composed of the high contrast areas and a second region distinct from the first region, with chroma subsampling the image in the first region using a first chroma subsampler and chroma subsampling the image in the second region using a second chroma subsampler, with the first chroma subsampler having a higher edge preserving property than compared to the second chroma subsampler. Thereby, bleeding artifacts may be avoided at least partially, while the saturation of the image may be substantially preserved.
US09916639B2
Systems and methods for facilitating enhanced display characteristics based on viewer state are provided. A media device may process an indication of a first state of a first viewer of a display device that is coupled to the media device. The indication of the first state of the first viewer may be captured at a time corresponding to the display device displaying first content with a first set of one or more size characteristics. The media device may determine a display adjustment based at least in part on the indication of the first state of the first viewer. The media device may cause the display device to display second content in accordance with the display adjustment so that the display device displays at least a portion of the second content with a second set of one or more size characteristics that is different from the first set of one or more size characteristics.
US09916635B2
A transparent display device is provided, which includes: a transparent display; a camera; a graphic processor configured to generate an augmented reality (AR) object; and a controller configured to operate in at least one of a transparent AR mode in which the AR object is displayed on the transparent display and a video AR mode in which the AR object is displayed on an image captured by the camera. The controller is further configured to switch between the transparent AR mode and the video AR mode in response to an occurrence of a predetermined event.
US09916631B2
A multi-purpose electronic switch is disclosed herein. The multi-purpose electronic switch includes a housing having a front and a back and defining an internal volume, a switch having a default position and movable to a first position and a second position from the default position. The switch can receive a press-button input by moving from the default position to one of the first and second positions. The multi-purpose electronic switch can include a display located on the switch, and a plurality of sensors located within the internal volume of the housing. The plurality of sensors can detect a swipe input across the front of the housing. The multi-purpose electronic switch can include a processor that can control the display to generate images representing a plurality of menu items and settings within the menu items and receive inputs selecting menu items.
US09916610B2
The present invention provides a method of allowing a user to obtain a service using a processing system. The method utilizes components each of which corresponds to a respective service portion provided by a respective entity. The method includes causing the processing system to determine a combination of components defining a sequence of service portions, in accordance with input commands received from the user. The processing system then implements the components in accordance with the component combination, thereby causing the sequence of service portions to be performed, such that the desired service to be performed.
US09916604B2
A method and system for bringing together online and offline advertising uses anonymous links that are associated with consumer data. The anonymous links allow processing without personally identifiable information (PII) in a secure environment. Data is matched using the anonymous links, and further using identifiers that are encrypted for use in connection with individual match distribution partners. The method and system allows a marketer to utilize offline data to precisely target advertisements without the use of PII, and to perform analytics concerning the use of the online advertisements to more precisely determine the effectiveness of multichannel marketing efforts.
US09916594B2
A method and computer program product for identifying attributes of customers and potential customers, allowing marketing to be directed at such consumers. Information is received regarding each of a number of consumers. This information can include demographic information, data regarding spending habits, and information as to how such attributes may have changed over time. Once attributes have been determined, and any changes over time to such attributes have been determined, a correlation of the attributes is performed. Such combined attributes are denoted as composite dimensions. Given the composite dimensions, as well as attributes that may not have been correlated with any other attributes, consumers are plotted in the resulting multi-dimensional space. Sets of consumers that appear to be grouped in this multi-dimensional space are then identified. Common attributes of this consumer group are identified. Unique attributes of a given consumer in such a group are also identified.
US09916593B1
This disclosure relates to determining and displaying item preferences associated with geographic areas. Each of a plurality of item selections is associated with a respective geographic location. Item selections associated with a geographic area are identified. A preference for an item from among a group of items is determined based on the identified ones of the item selections. The preference is sent to a client for rendering.
US09916590B2
Provided are methods and systems for providing analytic services, as well as computer programs encoded on computer storage devices and configured to perform the actions of the methods. One or more processors create an alignment associated with a client, where the alignment organizes data in a database, and where the data in the database comprises prescription information, store information, and product information. A request for a report is received, where the request identifies the client. The requested report is generated based on the alignment, where the report comprises one or more indicators derived from data contained in the database.
US09916571B2
The disclosed embodiments include a mobile client device for providing real-time manufacturer-based financing. In one embodiment, the mobile device is configured to receive a product code associated with a manufacturer product offered for sale at a merchant location. The mobile device may further provide the product code to a financial service provider system configured to create a manufacturer-based financial service account associated with the product manufacturer. Further, the mobile device may provide, to the financial service provider system, information associated with a received account application, where the financial service provider system may create the manufacturer-based financial service account based on the received information and the product code. The mobile device may also receive a purchase code for purchasing the product using the manufacturer-based financial service account, provide it at the merchant POS location, and receive a confirmation of product purchase.
US09916570B2
A point-of-sale system includes a stand that supports a tablet computer. The tablet computer can run a merchant application to provide the typical functionality for a point-of-sale system. The stand can be rotatable to face either the merchant or the customer. The stand can incorporate a card reader. The tablet computer can be connected through a hub to other peripheral components, such as a controllable cash drawer, a printer and/or a bar code reader. The cash drawer can include a slidable drawer having sliding rails that are hidden from a top view of the drawer.
US09916563B1
Techniques for effectuating a rollback to a previous version of a catalog associated with an entity are described. A payment processing service may receive instructions to modify a catalog associated with an entity. The payment processing service may modify the catalog based at least partly on the instructions and add an entry to a modification log. Each entry in the modification log may correspond to a previous version of the catalog and the entry may correspond to a new version of the catalog after the modification to the catalog. The payment processing service may determine that the modification to the catalog is likely to warrant a rollback and may effectuate the rollback by determining a previous entry of the modification log that precedes the entry and adding a new entry to the modification log that corresponds to the previous version of the catalog associated with the previous entry.
US09916558B2
A method for autonomously delivering and/or collecting at least one shipment using at least one distribution vehicle is described, in which a distribution vehicle approaches a customer vehicle at least partially autonomously and at least partially via the public road traffic, in which the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously causes opening of a closure unit of the customer vehicle, in which, when the closure unit is open, the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously places a shipment into the customer vehicle and/or at least partially autonomously removes a shipment from the customer vehicle, which, after placing and/or removing the shipment, the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously causes closing of the closure unit of the customer vehicle.
US09916557B1
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for delivery of items in connection with social networks. For example, in various embodiments, a customer can register with a carrier and identify participation is various social networks. The carriers may then use the social network contacts of the customer to facilitate improved delivery efficiency.
US09916553B1
The present disclosure is directed toward incorporating corporate culture, change management, and employee morale concerns into a business facilities management process to ensure continuity of operations and revenues when managing a change event. A preferred methodology focuses on flexible and careful consideration of human factors throughout the change process, with frequent status re-assessment and plan re-alignment. A preferred system may allow the user to incorporate existing preferred software tools to manage logistics associated with an office move, and together with an information-based kit, address human factors and provide a form factor solution to facilitate teamwork and buoy employee morale. In a preferred configuration, the relocation kit may simplify the change process and enable managers of change and mobile employees to experience a sense of control, order, calm, and fun.
US09916543B2
An interactive rapid response Internet accessed air travel management system. The system includes a web-based planning and reservation interface system and an interactive access device. The system responds to details of a member's desired travel, to thereafter act in real time to contact the domains of associated travel service providers to arrange for every aspect of the member's trip, from airline and hotel reservations, ticket issuance, and ground transportation, to restaurant and theater reservations, and any other travel related needs of the member. The system stores identification information to verify access device possession to prohibit unauthorized use of the system and to provide security pre-clearance to system members.
US09916540B2
Scalable-effort machine learning may automatically and dynamically adjust the amount of computational effort applied to input data based on the complexity of the input data. This is in contrast to fixed-effort machine learning, which uses a one-size-fits-all approach to applying a single classifier algorithm to both simple data and complex data. Scalable-effort machine learning involves, among other things, classifiers that may be arranged as a series of multiple classifier stages having increasing complexity (and accuracy). A first classifier stage may involve relatively simple machine learning models able to classify data that is relatively simple. Subsequent classifier stages have increasingly complex machine learning models and are able to classify more complex data. Scalable-effort machine learning includes algorithms that can differentiate among data based on complexity of the data.
US09916539B2
Described herein is a computer implemented method for generating a probabilistic model usable to identify instances of a target feature in geophysical data sets stored on a memory device. The computer implemented method using a computer processing unit to generate a probabilistic model from a training library for use in identifying instances of the target feature in the geophysical data sets, applying, using the computer processing unit, the probabilistic model to one or more of the geophysical data sets to generate a plurality of results, processing, using the computer processing unit, the set of results according to an acceptability criteria in order to identify a plurality of candidate results, receiving a selection of one or more of the candidate results and for the or each selected candidate result displaying on a display the result and its associated geophysical data set to assist a user in making an assessment as to whether or not the probabilistic model is an acceptable model for the processing of the geophysical data sets, receiving from a user an assessment as to whether or not the probabilistic model is an acceptable model; and if the assessment received indicates the probabilistic model is an acceptable model for processing the geophysical data, outputting the probabilistic model and/or the training library.
US09916538B2
Specification covers new algorithms, methods, and systems for artificial intelligence, soft computing, and deep learning/recognition, e.g., image recognition (e.g., for action, gesture, emotion, expression, biometrics, fingerprint, facial, OCR (text), background, relationship, position, pattern, and object), Big Data analytics, machine learning, training schemes, crowd-sourcing (experts), feature space, clustering, classification, SVM, similarity measures, modified Boltzmann Machines, optimization, search engine, ranking, question-answering system, soft (fuzzy or unsharp) boundaries/impreciseness/ambiguities/fuzziness in language, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computing-with-Words (CWW), parsing, machine translation, sound and speech recognition, video search and analysis (e.g. tracking), image annotation, geometrical abstraction, image correction, semantic web, context analysis, data reliability, Z-number, Z-Web, Z-factor, rules engine, control system, autonomous vehicle, self-diagnosis and self-repair robots, system diagnosis, medical diagnosis, biomedicine, data mining, event prediction, financial forecasting, economics, risk assessment, e-mail management, database management, indexing and join operation, memory management, data compression, event-centric social network, Image Ad Network.
US09916537B2
A smart office desk interactive with the user, defined on the basis of an individual work desk (M) and various hardware and software elements applied to it and whose main hardware components comprise a working desktop divided into two zones, one which can be raised at an angle, motor-driven legs which raise and lower the desktop, a footrest tray and a series of sensors integrated into the desktop structure and in the legs.The smart office desk learns from the user by machine learning algorithms, and proposes physical actions in accordance with what has been learned. The table collects information from the user concerning their postures and working habits, using various physical sensors, and by their interactions with the software application displayed onscreen.It is thus a table controlled by a computer system which receives data on the user and the working environment as inputs. The system's outputs take the form of recommendations made to the user, automatic implementation of actions on them, and statistics the user can consult about their daily work.
US09916530B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that selectively propagates information through a neuromorphic circuit comprising a set of interconnected neurons. During operation, a neuron in the set of neurons receives information-carrying current pulses from one or more upstream information-carrying neurons, wherein the information-carrying current pulses are insufficient to cause the neuron to generate output current pulses. The neuron also receives selectively generated gating current pulses from one or more gating neurons, wherein the gating current pulses cause a neural voltage of the neuron to approach a firing threshold. In this way, concurrently received information-carrying current pulses combine with the gating current pulses to cause the neural voltage to exceed the firing threshold, which causes the neuron to generate output current pulses that propagate to downstream neurons.
US09916522B2
A source deconvolutional network is adaptively trained to perform semantic segmentation. Image data is then input to the source deconvolutional network and outputs of the S-Net are measured. The same image data and the measured outputs of the source deconvolutional network are then used to train a target deconvolutional network. The target deconvolutional network is defined by a substantially fewer numerical parameters than the source deconvolutional network.
US09916510B2
A method of estimating a time to collision (TTC) of a vehicle with an object comprising: acquiring a plurality of images of the object; and determining a TTC from the images that is responsive to a relative velocity and relative acceleration between the vehicle and the object.
US09916505B2
An evaluator can determine whether there is a material change in the observed parameter of a crop or field with respect to average measurements of the observed parameter. A location-determining receiver is adapted to determine a location of a vehicle corresponding to the material change in the observed parameter. An imaging device is adapted to collect the image data for a time interval associated with the material change. A data processor is arranged for associating the image data with the corresponding location data and storing the image data and corresponding location data in a data storage device.
US09916497B2
An automated process of transferring an object (e.g., the head with hair) from an image into another image, or to a different location in the same image is described. The implementation is a comprehensive and fully automated approach enabling the object's transfer without intermediate intervention and support from the user. The process automates both steps: the object's delineation, and its blending into the new background as well.
US09916491B2
A first method comprises using an imaging device to produce a plurality of images of a culture device, analyzing a first image to identify a microorganism colony at a first location, analyzing a second image to identify a gas bubble at a second location, and determining whether the first location is proximate the second location. A second method comprises analyzing an image of a culture device to detect gas bubbles and classifying the gas bubbles according to a size parameter associated with each of the gas bubbles. A third method comprises analyzing a first area of an image of a culture device to detect a first number of gas bubbles, analyzing a second area of the image to detect a second number of gas bubbles, and comparing the first number of gas bubbles to the second number of gas bubbles.
US09916478B2
A data storage system uses the free space that is not yet filled with data after the deployment of the data store. The free space is used to store additional ‘opportunistic’ protection information for stored data, possibly above and beyond the specified protection level. As the system fills up, the additional protection information is deleted to make room for more data and specified protection information.
US09916472B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for data obfuscation and right-protection. An initial matrix Xi, represents the initial data set of the application and final matrix Xf is obtained from Xi. The final matrix Xf is obtained by performing one of the following operations Xf=(P(Xi)+E)F; Xf=P(Xi)F+E; and Xf=P(XiF)+E. Where P(.) is a projection operator that projects an input initial matrix in a space having a lower dimension than the input matrix, E represents a noise matrix, and F represents a matrix as a perturbation series. The matrix F is represented as a perturbation series, whose leading term is the identity matrix I, one or more higher-order terms of the perturbation series embedding a secret, multiplicative noise, so as for a matrix multiplied by the matrix F is right-protected.
US09916469B2
Devices, systems, and methods for performing particularized encryption of confidential information within real-world data files that are subsequently stored within a cloud environment are described. Specific rules/logic are executed in a local computing environment to identify the type(s) and/or magnitude(s) of confidential information contained within each real-world data file. The identified type(s) and/or magnitude(s) of confidential information is thereafter specifically encrypted using various encryption processes. Once encrypted, the data is packaged and stored within a cloud environment without the need for further encryption at either the local computing or cloud environments.
US09916468B2
A system and method are provided for detecting fraud and/or misuse of data in a computer environment through generating a rule for monitoring at least one of transactions and activities that are associated with the data. The rule can be generated based on one or more criteria related to the at least one of the transactions and the activities that is indicative of fraud or misuse of the data. The rule can be applied to the at least one of the transactions and the activities to determine if an event has occurred, where the event occurs if the at least one criteria has been met. A hit is stored if the event has occurred and a notification can be provided if the event has occurred. A compilation of hits related to the rule can be provided.
US09916464B2
Examples disclosed herein relate to replacement text for textual content to be printed. Examples include a covert version of a document including textual content to be printed, the covert version including replacement text having, for each character of a plurality of first characters of the textual content, a corresponding second character having a different semantic meaning than the first character. The covert version also includes an encrypted representation of the textual content.
US09916463B2
A transmission system is used in a method of transmitting a camouflaged transmission of signals by generating an underlying transmission comprising a plasma transmission discharge constituting background noise having a first amplitude and generating an embedded transmission of signals within the underlying transmission.
US09916458B2
Techniques to provide secure cloud-based storage of data shared across file system objects and clients are disclosed. In various embodiments, a primary encryption key is determined for an object associated with a plurality of component chunks of file system data. The primary encryption key is used to generate for each of said component chunks a corresponding chunk key, based at least in part on the primary encryption key and data comprising or otherwise associated with the chunk. The respective chunk keys are provided to a file system client configured to create and store the object at least in part by encrypting each chunk included in the plurality of component chunks using the chunk key provided for that chunk to generated encrypted chunk data, and combining the encrypted chunk data to create and store the object.
US09916456B2
Systems and methods are provided for securing a virtual machine by causing a plurality of shares of virtual machine files to be separately stored in response to a stop command. Systems and methods are also provided for restoring a data set with a cryptographic restoration application in response to a series of user inputs received when no visual indicator of the cryptographic restoration algorithm is displayed, and for restoring a data set with data shares received from another computer device in response to detecting a communication link with the device.
US09916449B2
Disclosed are devices, systems, apparatus, methods, products, media, and other implementations, including a method that includes computing for one or more inputs of a circuit associated metrics representative of degree of influence that values of each of the one or more inputs have on at least one output dependent on the one or more inputs, and determining based, at least in part, on the computed metrics associated with the one or more inputs of a more inputs whether the at least one output dependent on the one or more inputs is part of a potentially malicious implementation.
US09916447B2
The present invention relates to an active defense method based on cloud security comprising: a client collecting and sending a program behavior launched by a program thereon and/or a program feature of the program launching the program behavior to a server; with respect to the program feature and/or the program behavior sent by the client, the server performing an analysis and comparison in its database, making a determination on the program based on the comparison result, and feeding back to the client; based on the feedback determination result, the client deciding whether to intercept the program behavior, terminate execution of the program and/or clean up the program, and restore the system environment. The invention introduces a cloud security architecture, and employs a behavior feature based on active defense to search and kill a malicious program, thereby ensuring network security.
US09916446B2
Disclosed are various approaches for integrating application scanning into a mobile enterprise computing management system. A management service instructs the client device to provide a list of installed applications to the management serviceand receives the list of installed applications from the client device. The management service then adds the list of installed applications to an aggregate listing of applications representing a list of client applications installed on one or more client devices. Subsequently, the management service sends to a scanning service a policy comprising an identifier of a client application that is prohibited on the client device. The management service also sends the aggregate listing of applications to the scanning service. The management service then receives a notification from the scanning service that the prohibited client application is present in the aggregate listing of applications. In response, the management service determines whether the prohibited client application is installed on the client device and instructs the client device perform a remedial action specified by the policy.
US09916445B2
For a plurality of events, event stage information is stored which describes an event observed by an information system when an attack against the information system is underway, a pre-event stage, and a post-event stage. Observed event notice information is received which notifies an observed event observed by the information system. Event stage information is searched for which describes the observed event notified by the observed event notice information. Event stage information is searched for which describes a post-event stage coinciding with a pre-event stage of the event stage information searched for, or a pre-event stage coinciding with a post-event stage of the event stage information searched for. If an event of the event stage information searched for is an observation non-available event that cannot be observed, an event sequence is created by treating the observation non-available event as having been observed and connecting the observed event and the observation non-available event to each other with a dependency.
US09916443B1
Various techniques for detection of malware that attempt to exploit a memory allocation vulnerability are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for detecting an attempt to exploit a memory allocation vulnerability includes receiving a malware sample; monitoring an array operation performed by the malware sample using a memory monitoring component; and determining whether the array operation performed by the malware sample is suspicious. For example, an array operation, such as a vector operation performed by an application that is executed using an ActionScript virtual machine, can be monitored to detect any suspicious vector operations.
US09916439B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards securing network data traffic through a trusted partition of the computing environment. A proxy service may communicate transaction data from a client to security-critical code within the trusted partition, which compares the transaction data to a security policy from a commercial electronic entity. If the transaction data includes malicious content, a security component framework of the trusted partition may reject the transaction data and terminate communications with the client. If the transaction data does not include malicious content, the security component framework may communicate a secured version of the transaction data and retrieve response data from the commercial electronic entity, which may be further communicated back to the client.
US09916435B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for restricting data, or portions thereof, to specific display devices when accessed by a user. Furthermore, the system and method of the invention are directed, in part, to evaluating in real time, the access level of a device and restricting the availability of sensitive information on the device according to the access level as determined by device location and hardware configuration.
US09916419B2
A method and a system for processing electronic documents are provided. The method includes displaying a first image. The first image includes one or more portions. The one or more portions are associated with metadata. A first portion of the one or more portions of the first image is selected. Upon selection of the first portion, at least one subsequent image is displayed based on a first selection. The subsequent images also include one or more portions associated with metadata. One or more subsequent portions of the at least one subsequent image is selected. Upon selecting the portions of the first image and the subsequent image, one or more electronic documents corresponding to the selections are retrieved.
US09916407B2
A design tool can implement phase algebra based design evaluation to evaluate a circuit design with a compact representation of waveforms without simulating the individual waveforms. The tool can determine whether module instances of a register level circuit design share a common usage, each instance being associated with a mapping. Two instances share a common usage if a sequence of signal transition representations received by the first instance can be mapped using a first mapping to the same common sequence of signal transition representations as a mapping of another sequence of signal transition representations received by the second instance using a second mapping. A result sequence of signal transition representations was generated by a previous propagation of the common sequence through the common usage. If the two instances share the common usage, the result sequence is mapped to an output sequence for the second instance using the second mapping.
US09916396B2
A technique is provided for search. The technique includes providing content. The technique includes receiving gesture data from a user, wherein the gesture data reflects a selection of a substantially enclosed area of the display screen. The technique includes, in response to receiving the gesture information, determining one or more search criteria associated with content within the enclosed area, and providing data related to the one or more search criteria.
US09916384B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for receiving a first search query from a user device; receiving search results for the first search query provided by a search engine, wherein each of the search results identifies a respective resource; determining from the search results that the first search query relates to a first entity of a first entity type; determining that one or more entities of a second entity type have a predetermined relationship with the first entity; and transmitting information identifying the one or more entities of the second type to the user device as part of a response to the first search query.
US09916380B2
Electronic natural language processing in a natural language processing (NLP) system, such as a Question-Answering (QA) system. A receives electronic text input, in question form, and determines a readability level indicator in the question. The readability level indicator includes at least a grammatical error, a slang term, and a misspelling type. The computer determines a readability level for the electronic text input based on the readability level indicator, and retrieves candidate answers based on the readability level.
US09916379B2
Technologies are described herein for executing queries expressed with reference to a structured query language against unstructured data. A user issues a structured query through a traditional structured data management (“SDM”) application. Upon receiving the structured query, an SDM driver analyzes the structured query and extracts a data structure from the unstructured data, if necessary. The structured query is then converted to an unstructured query based on the extracted data structure. The converted unstructured query may then be executed against the unstructured data. Results from the query are reorganized into structured data utilizing the extracted data structure and are then presented to the user through the SDM application.
US09916374B2
A query is received by a database server from a remote application server. The query encapsulates an on-the-fly calculation scenario that defines a data flow model that includes one or more calculation nodes. Thereafter, the database server instantiates the on-the-fly calculation scenario. The database server then executes the operations defined by the calculation nodes of the instantiated calculation scenario to result in a responsive data set so that the database server can provide the data set to the application server. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.
US09916373B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are included for defining a partitioning strategy corresponding to an attribute, creating tables and inserting data into the tables according to the partitioning strategy, detecting triggering events, and responsive to the triggering events, dynamically activating tables for storing data.
US09916371B1
A method includes receiving a copy command, by a primary data storage device, to copy a data portion stored on the primary data storage device to another location on the primary data storage device; determining, with a mirroring module, whether a local copy of the data portion is stored on a secondary data storage device and whether the another location on the primary data storage device is mirrored by the secondary data storage device, the secondary data storage device at least partially mirroring the primary data storage device; and if the local copy of the data portion is stored on the secondary data storage device and the another location is mirrored by the secondary data storage device, sending a second command to the secondary data storage device to copy the local copy of the data portion to another location on the secondary data storage device.
US09916361B2
Provided are techniques for dynamically mapping zones. For a file and a field, while receiving text characters, possible terms for the text characters are provided by querying an index. In response to receiving selection of a possible term from the possible terms, each occurrence and position of the selected term in the file is determined. In response to selection of an occurrence and position of the selected term, the file is marked to identify the selected occurrence at the position in the file. The selected term and the position are associated with the field for any other files that match a type of the file.
US09916350B2
A computer system processes a plurality of unrelated database tables to create a join graph where each node in the join graph represents a table. The nodes in the join graph are connected by weighted, directed edges, where each directed edge represents a join from a first column in a first table to a second column in a second table and where the weight of the directed edge represents a predicted level of success in performing the join. The edge weights can be based on a likelihood of finding a value from the first column in the second column. A user selects a subset of the tables, and the system creates a join tree with recommended joins between the tables selected by the user. The recommended joins are used to create a structured query language statement which is executed to return a result to the user.
US09916347B2
A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for matching data to a dynamic set of signatures. The mechanism creates a state transition, result, and mask (STR&M) table based on a set of signatures. The mechanism executes scanner code in each of a plurality of hardware devices in parallel to form a plurality of matching engines. The mechanism loads the STR&M table into each of the plurality of matching engines. Responsive to receiving a plurality of input records, the mechanism distributes input strings from the plurality of input records among the plurality of matching engines and receiving signature set match results from the plurality of matching engines.
US09916345B1
Methods and systems for interacting with multiple three-dimensional (3D) object data models are provided. An example method may involve receiving a search query comprising a descriptor for an object that is associated with a given category of objects. The method may involve comparing the descriptor to contents of a three-dimensional (3D) object-data-model database that includes contents associated with the given category of objects. Based on the comparison, the method may involve generating a search query result that comprises 3D object data models that describe the object and associated images that describe the object. The method may also involve arranging the 3D object data models and associated images in the search query result in a manner such that the 3D object data models are moveable inline in the search query result, and providing the search query result.
US09916344B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient systems and methods for processing large data sets using a composite function. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to compute a broad range of composite functions in a single map-reduce job. Each mapper computes an additive function G on a set of specified data partitions, and then passes the results to one or more reducers. The one or more reducers can then compute a function F, using the aggregate results of function G and data from a single partition.
US09916325B2
A method includes flushing a write transaction based on byte-ranges within a file system block. It is determined if the write transaction is a first write transaction to the file system block and whether to flush the received write transaction to a recovery log. If it is determined to flush the write transaction to the recovery log and the received write transaction is the first write transaction: the data associated with the write transaction is appended in the recovery log and byte-ranges remaining in the file system block are recorded, and also recording an associated particular bit value or particular bit pattern that the remaining byte-ranges must be set to before the remaining byte-ranges are accessed or when a recovery sequence for recovering data in the recovery log executes due to failure. The write transaction is replicated. The entire file system block byte-range is marked as committed.
US09916323B2
When a WORM cartridge is formatted for Tape File System (LTFS) in advance, such as prior to shipment, Linear Tape File System Library Edition (LTFS LE) is expanded by software to reduce consumption of the index partition and to support elimination of the appending of unnecessary data. More specifically, instead of recording metadata in the index partition during normal unmounting, the metadata is recorded in separate local storage such as on hard disk drive (HDD), and the index partition is updated only when the cartridge is ejected from the library. In this way, the present invention is able to significantly reduce the frequency of index partition updates. Because an update occurs only when the user intentionally ejects a cartridge, overflow of the index partition before overflow of the data partition can be prevented.
US09916307B1
Dynamic translation of idioms is performed with respect to electronic communications. An electronic communication is observed and movement of indicia proximal to a phrase in the electronic communication is detected. In response to the detection, an idiom search application is activated which identifies an idiom within the phrase and searches a corpus for a translation of the idiom and one or more associated characteristics. In response to detection of the translation in the corpus, profile metadata related to the observed communication is collected and compared to the one or more characteristics. The idiom and the collected profile metadata are stored in a corpus that supports a search of the idiom. In response to absence of the translation in the corpus, the idiom is dynamically translated. The translated idiom is presented proximal to the evaluated expression.
US09916299B2
Technology is disclosed that improves language coverage by selecting sentences to be used as training data for a language processing engine. The technology accomplishes the selection of a number of sentences by obtaining a group of sentences, computing a score for each sentence, sorting the sentences based on their scores, and selecting a number of sentences with the highest scores. The scores can be computed by dividing a sum of frequency values of unseen words (or n-grams) in the sentence by a length of the sentence. The frequency values can be based on posts in one or more particular domains, such as the public domain, the private domain, or other specialized domains.
US09916298B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for processing responses from services (e.g., content providers) and managing content tailoring by services and/or recommender systems used by those services. Embodiments of the present invention can afford users with the ability to control the diversity of content in responses provided by services based one or more detected themes of the responses. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may be used to provide users with enriched responses from services, without needing cooperation of those services.
US09916291B2
A method, an apparatus, and a terminal device for displaying multiple input boxes in a web page are provided. The method includes: obtaining, by an obtaining unit using a processor, a focus input box in a web page currently displayed by a terminal device; searching, by a searching unit using a processor, for other input boxes in the web page in a preset distance range of the focus input box; rolling, by a rolling unit using a processor, the web page and/or canvas of the display screen of the terminal device when the other input boxes are located in a lower level of an interface, so that the focus input box and the other input boxes are displayed in a visible area of the display screen of the terminal device simultaneously.
US09916282B2
Systems and methods are provided for analyzing unstructured time stamped data. A distribution of time-stamped data is analyzed to identify a plurality of potential time series data hierarchies for structuring the data. An analysis of a potential time series data hierarchy may be performed. The analysis of the potential time series data hierarchies may include determining an optimal time series frequency and a data sufficiency metric for each of the potential time series data hierarchies. One of the potential time series data hierarchies may be selected based on a comparison of the data sufficiency metrics. Multiple time series may be derived in a single-read pass according to the selected time series data hierarchy. A time series forecast corresponding to at least one of the derived time series may be generated.
US09916278B2
A slave device for a serial synchronous full duplex bus system, which has a data input stage, a clock input stage, an interface logic, a synchronization delay flip-flop, and a data output stage. The slave device is manufactured using nanometer technologies. Also, a method for operating the slave device.
US09916271B2
Communication systems and communication control methods are disclosed. In one example, a slave device belonging to a group of devices to which arbitration is applicable sequentially transmits a start bit and a first address including a first bit having a value different from a corresponding first bit of predetermined pattern data. A master device sequentially transmits the start bit and the predetermined pattern data. The master device arbitrates the master device and the first slave device based on the value of the first bit.
US09916261B2
An embodiment relates to a device for a memory access, the device having a first component for conducting operations on the memory and a second component for accessing the memory in a randomized manner, wherein the first component conducts at least a portion of the operations via the second component.
US09916258B2
According to one embodiment, a file system (FS) of a storage system is partitioned into a plurality of FS partitions, where each FS partition stores segments of data files. In response to an input and output (IO) request for accessing a first of the FS partitions, a second of the FS partitions is selected that is currently in a ready state for access. The second FS partition is then removed from the ready state for access. The first FS partition is brought into a ready state for access.
US09916255B2
Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to store data in a memory module. The memory module may include a volatile portion and a non-volatile portion. The methods may comprise receiving, by a processor, a request to store the data. The request may include an indication of a virtual address. The methods may further include determining, by the processor, a persistency of the data based on the virtual address. The methods may further include performing a first operation of identifying a particular portion of the memory module based on the virtual address. The methods may further include generating a command to store the data in the particular portion of the memory module. The methods may further include controlling the operating system to perform a second operation of updating a translation lookaside buffer to indicate the persistency of the data.
US09916253B2
A method for supporting a plurality of requests for access to a data cache memory (“cache”) is disclosed. The method comprises accessing a first set of requests to access the cache, wherein the cache comprises a plurality of blocks. Further, responsive to the first set of requests to access the cache, the method comprises accessing a tag memory that maintains a plurality of copies of tags for each entry in the cache and identifying tags that correspond to individual requests of the first set. The method also comprises performing arbitration in a same clock cycle as the accessing and identifying of tags, wherein the arbitration comprises: (a) identifying a second set of requests to access the cache from the first set, wherein the second set accesses a same block within the cache; and (b) selecting each request from the second set to receive data from the same block.
US09916244B1
Improved techniques for maintaining cache coherence in a consistent state are provided. These techniques implement a data storage system using a journaled mirrored cache that ensures that storage operations making up certain transactions be performed atomically, so that a system failure does not result in data loss. The improved techniques also allow for efficient communication of mirroring information.
US09916240B2
The present invention relates to an interleaving and de-interleaving method, an interleaver and a de-interleaver. The interleaving method includes: receiving N×M frames of data, and sequentially storing, with each frame as a unit, the N×M frames of data in storage space indicated by N×M addresses of a first storage unit; transferring the data stored in the storage space indicated by an ((X−1)×M+Y+1)th address of the first storage unit to the storage space indicated by a (Y×N+X)th address of a second storage unit; and according to an address sequence, outputting the data stored in the space indicated by the N×M addresses of the second storage unit frame by frame. The interleaving and de-interleaving solutions of the present invention have low implementation complexity, and high capacity of correcting a burst bit error.
US09916238B2
A memory system and method are provided for performing garbage collection on blocks based on their obsolescence patterns. In one embodiment, a controller of a memory system classifies each of the plurality of blocks based on its obsolescence pattern and performs garbage collection only on blocks classified with similar obsolescence patterns. Other embodiments are possible, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.
US09916227B2
Computer-implemented systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for facilitating analysis of a software application to determine its compatibility with one or more computer platforms. In accordance with some embodiments, a processor may receive, via an operator interface, a selection of an application and a user identity, and the processor may determine compatibility status between the application and at least one computing platform of a device associated with the user identity, and generate a report with the compatibility results.
US09916222B2
Testing computer software applications is performed by identifying first and second executable portions of the computer software application, where the portions are configured to access a data resource, and where at least one of the portions is configured to write to the data resource, instrumenting the computer software application by inserting one or more instrumentation instructions into one or both of the portions, where the instrumentation instruction is configured to cause execution of the portion being instrumented to be extended by a randomly-determined amount of time, and testing the computer software application in multiple iterations, where the computer software application is executed in multiple parallel execution threads, where the portions are independently executed at least partially in parallel in different threads, and where the computer software application is differently instrumented in each of the iterations.
US09916210B2
According to an aspect, data asset reconstruction includes receiving a data lineage for a data asset, where the data lineage identifies a data source connected to the data asset by an intermediate process. It is determined whether the intermediate process can be used to reconstruct a lost data asset. Based on determining that the intermediate process can be used to reconstruct the lost data asset, reconstructing the lost data asset with the intermediate process and the data source.
US09916206B2
In connection with a data distribution architecture, client-side “deduplication” techniques may be utilized for data transfers occurring among various file system nodes. In some examples, these deduplication techniques involve fingerprinting file system elements that are being shared and transferred, and dividing each file into separate units referred to as “blocks” or “chunks.” These separate units may be used for independently rebuilding a file from local and remote collections, storage locations, or sources. The deduplication techniques may be applied to data transfers to prevent unnecessary data transfers, and to reduce the amount of bandwidth, processing power, and memory used to synchronize and transfer data among the file system nodes. The described deduplication concepts may also be applied for purposes of efficient file replication, data transfers, and file system events occurring within and among networks and file system nodes.
US09916205B2
A system, method, and apparatus for secure live virtual machine guest based snapshot recovery. A virtual machine sends a request to access a snapshot of a first virtual disk of the virtual machine including a snapshot identifier. A hypervisor selects the snapshot using the snapshot identifier and creates a second virtual disk using the snapshot. The hypervisor then maps the second virtual disk to the virtual machine and notifies the virtual machine that the snapshot on the second virtual disk is accessible. The virtual machine accesses the snapshot on the second virtual disk including retrieving snapshot data from the second virtual disk without reverting a current virtual machine instance on the first virtual disk to the snapshot on the second virtual disk.
US09916199B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for an error tolerance aware data retention scheme in a storage device for multi-scale error tolerant data. A mapping of retention priorities to sectors of the storage units maps higher retention priorities to sectors having a higher retention capability. A data stream and retention metadata for the data stream indicate retention priorities for segments of the data stream. Segments of the data stream having less error tolerance are mapped to higher retention priorities than segments of the data stream having greater error tolerance. The mapping of retention priorities is used to determine a sector having a retention priority matching a retention priority of a segment of the data stream indicated in the retention metadata. The segment of the data stream is stored in the determined sector.
US09916195B2
A method for performing a repair operation in a computer system using arrays having array cells includes detecting an error in an array. In response to detecting the error, error information is written to an error trap register. The error information includes error data and associated error detection information and a position in an array row. The error information is read from the error trap register and a corresponding data copy is determined and fetched in the computer system. One or more exact bit positions that caused the error are determined by comparing the error data with the corresponding data copy. The array cells which are associated with the determined one or more bit positions are disabled.
US09916192B2
Dynamically collecting data pertaining to a program execution. A method can include monitoring execution of the program in a plurality of threads and, responsive to identifying an exception triggered by the program execution in a first of the plurality of threads, initiating at least one data collector to collect data exclusively relevant to the program execution in the first thread.
US09916182B2
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for allocating a stream processing unit, and pertains to the field of communications technologies. The method includes: obtaining a parallelism degree and a resource usage rate of a stream processing component on each computing node, and determining the number of stream processing units according to the parallelism degree; generating a stream processing unit to be allocated, and determining a resource usage rate of the stream processing component as a resource usage rate of a corresponding stream processing unit; and allocating, according to a processing capability of the computing node on which the stream processing component is located and a resource usage rate of an allocated stream processing unit, the stream processing unit to be allocated to a corresponding computing node. According to the present invention, the steam data processing efficiency of a distributed stream processing system is improved.
US09916181B2
Disclosed aspects include managing asset placement with respect to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. A first set of first resource values is detected with respect to a set of assets. The first set of first resource values includes a first value. A second set of first resource values is detected with respect to the set of assets. The second set of first resource values includes a second value. The second value exceeds the first value. A set of asset weight values is detected with respect to the set of assets. The set of asset weight values indicates an asset utilization arrangement. A placement arrangement is determined for the set of assets using the first set of first resource values, the second set of first resource values, and the set of asset weight values. Accordingly, the set of assets is placed based on the placement arrangement.
US09916179B2
In a transactional memory environment including a first processor and one or more additional processors, a computer-implemented method includes, by the first processor, initializing a time record, listening for zero or more probes from the one more additional processors, responding to each probe of the zero or more probes, and logging each probe of the zero or more probes to yield a probe log. The computer-implemented method further includes, by the first processor, receiving a probe report directive and, responsive to the probe report directive, generating a probe report indication based on the probe log. The probe report indication denotes whether, since the time record, the first processor has received any of the zero or more probes. The computer-implemented method further includes ending the time record. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed.
US09916159B2
A method for implementing a programmable linear feedback shift register instruction, the method includes obtaining, by a processor, the machine instruction for execution, the machine instruction includes a first input operand indicating the current value of a shift register, wherein the shift register includes a data bit for each of a plurality of cells, a second input operand indicating a first sub-set of cells from the plurality of cells, and a logical operation specifier field indicating a logical operation to perform on the first and second input operands. Additionally, executing the machine instruction includes performing the logical operation based on the first input operand, the second input operand, and the logical operation specifier field, and generating an output operand by shifting the current value of the shift register to vacate a cell of the shift register and inserting an output value of the logical operation into the vacated cell of the shift register.
US09916146B2
Presently described is a decompilation method of operation and system for parsing executable code, identifying and recursively modeling data flows, identifying and recursively modeling control flow, and iteratively refining these models to provide a complete model at the nanocode level. The nanocode decompiler may be used to determine if flaws, security vulnerabilities, or general quality issues exist in the code. The nanocode decompiler outputs in a standardized, human-readable intermediate representation (IR) designed for automated or scripted analysis and reporting. Reports may take the form of a computer annotated and/or partially human annotated nanocode listing in the above-described IR. Annotations may include plain English statements regarding flaws and pointers to badly constructed data structures, unchecked buffers, malicious embedded code or “trap doors,” and the like. Annotations may be generated through a scripted analysis process or by means of an expert-enhanced, quasi-autonomous system.
US09916142B2
Embodiments disclose a method, computer program product, and system for optimizing computer functions. The embodiment may create a control flow graph from a computer function. The control flow graph may contain an entry block, an exit block, and basic blocks located between the entry block and the exit block. The embodiment may classify each of the basic blocks as an original heavy basic block or an original light basic block. The embodiment may classify the original heavy block, the exit block and each of the basic blocks that are located between each original heavy block and the exit block as a determined heavy block. The embodiment may create light computer functions and heavy computer functions from the computer function. Each heavy computer function contains the basic blocks classified as determined heavy. The light computer functions contains the remaining basic blocks, the exit block and calls to the heavy computer functions.
US09916121B2
A substrate provided with alignment marks, a display screen, a splicing screen and an alignment method of splicing screen, in which, the splicing screen includes at least two display screens with alignment marks. A substrate of the display screen is provided with at least two alignment marks, and different alignment marks have a height difference therebetween which is larger or equal to a standard difference value. A narrow bezel splicing of display screens can be achieved by setting the alignment marks with different heights.
US09916114B2
A method for deterministic sharing of a plurality of processing resources with respect to one or more distributed network actionable items begins by the plurality of processing resources executing a scoring function using one or more properties of the one or more distributed network actionable items and one or more properties of each of the plurality of processing resources to produce a plurality of scoring resultants. The method continues with each of the plurality of processing resources independently determining a first priority processing resource of the plurality of processing resources based on a corresponding one of the plurality of scoring resultants for a first distributed network actionable item of the one or more distributed network actionable items. The method continues with the first priority processing resource assuming by responsibility for the first distributed network actionable item and executing one or more functions regarding the first distributed network actionable item.
US09916110B2
Implementations of the disclosure provide for size adjustable volumes for containers. A method of the disclosure includes determining, by a processing device of the PaaS system, a size used space in a storage volume with respect to a container associated with an execution of an application. The size is a summation of current usage of disk space for the storage volume by the application. This size of the used space is compared to a threshold size. The threshold size indicates a determined amount of the storage volume allocated to the container. Responsive to the size meeting the threshold size, an increase in the allocated amount of the storage volume associated with the container is regulated by the processing device.
US09916106B2
A method and tangible medium embodying code for allocating resource units of an allocatable resource among a plurality of clients in a computer is described. In the method, resource units are initially distributed among the clients by assigning to each of the clients a nominal share of the allocatable resource. For each client, a current allocation of resource units is determined. A metric is evaluated for each client, the metric being a function both of the nominal share and a usage-based factor, the usage-based factor being a function of a measure of resource units that the client is actively using and a measure of resource units that the client is not actively using. A resource unit can be reclaimed from a client when the metric for that client meets a predetermined criterion.
US09916104B2
Examples are given for techniques for entry to a lower power state for a memory device or die. The examples to include delaying transitions of the memory device or die from a first higher consuming power state to a second relatively lower power state using one or more programmable counters maintained at or with the memory device.
US09916102B1
A technique for managing storage space in a data storage system generates liability values on a per-family basis, with each family including files in the file system that are related to one another by snapping. Each family thus groups together files in the file system that share at least some blocks among one another based on snapshot activities. Distinct files that do not share blocks based on snapping are provided in separate families. The file system leverages the snap-based relationships among family members to produce more accurate estimates of liability than would otherwise be feasible.
US09916094B2
A method for determining a primary storage device and a secondary storage device for copies of data comprises determining metrics data for at least two storage devices located on different servers in a computing environment. The method further comprises adjusting the metrics data using a predefined weighting factor for read data blocks rates and a predefined weighting factor for written data blocks rates, where the predefined weighting factor for the written data blocks rates is higher than the predefined weighting factor for the read data blocks rates. The method further comprises selecting a storage device of the at least two storage devices as a primary storage device based, at least in part, on the adjusted metrics data for each of the at least two storage devices.
US09916091B2
An embodiment includes a module, comprising: a memory bus interface; circuitry; and a controller coupled to the memory bus interface and the circuitry, and configured to: collect meta-data associated with the circuitry; and enable access to the meta-data in response to a memory access received through the memory bus interface.
US09916081B2
Techniques for image-based search using touch controls are described. An apparatus may comprise: a processor circuit; a gesture component operative on the processor circuit to receive gesture information from a touch-sensitive screen displaying an image and generate a selection area corresponding to the gesture information; a capture component operative on the processor circuit to extract an image portion of the image corresponding to the selection area; and a search component operative on the processor circuit to perform an image-based search using the extracted image portion. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09916075B2
The present disclosure generally relates to displaying content on a reduced-size user interface. An electronic device with one or more processors, memory, and a display, receives content associated with a designated area of the display, where the content is associated with a plurality of available display formats stored in the memory. The device determines a size of the designated area and determines a first display format for the content from the plurality of available display formats based on at least the content and the size of the designated area. The device displays a representation of the content according to the first display format.
US09916074B2
The disclosure herein provides for interpreting and facilitating user input to virtual knobs on a touchscreen interface. Aspects of the disclosure provide for the interpretation of a contact with a virtual knob of a device represented on a touchscreen interface. In response to the contact, a state change associated with the virtual knob may be made, or an annular input icon displayed around the virtual knob. The annular input icon may guide an adjustment of the virtual knob.
US09916073B1
There is described a method of operating an electronic device having a housing and a user interface mounted to the housing. The user interface includes force sensor(s) on an edge of the housing and a display screen. The method includes displaying, on the display screen, a graphical element having an edge portion; receiving an input from the force sensor(s) on the edge, the input being a measured value of a force applied on the force sensor(s); and in response to said input received, modifying the graphical element on the display screen in a manner to move, to a destination position, the edge portion depending on a direction of movement of the edge portion, the destination position of the edge portion depending on an amplitude of the measured value.
US09916068B1
A method of generating a graphical user interface is disclosed. The method includes monitoring a plurality of elements of a computer system and collecting information related to each of the plurality of elements. The method also includes creating a first group icon including information related to a first element group, the first element group including a first set of elements of the plurality of elements, and creating a first set of element icons, each element icon including information related to an element of the first set of elements. The method also includes graphically displaying the first group icon, graphically displaying the first set of element icons in response to a signal indicating a user has selected the first group icon, and graphically displaying a first element-specific frame in response to a signal indicating the user has selected a particular element icon of the first set of element icons.
US09916064B2
A method for providing a toggle interface on an electronic personal display is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a request to enter a toggle mode from a user, determining a first e-book content associated with the user, determining a second e-book content associated with the first e-book content; and directing the electronic personal display to open said second e-book content when initiating the toggle mode.
US09916060B2
An electronic device capable of rearranging icons on a graphic user interface is described. The electronic device provides a method that allows icons that are displayed on one of a plurality of pages to be moved from one page to any other page. The icons can be dragged to a page indicator associated with the page it is to be moved to.
US09916054B2
A display device includes: a pixel array having pixels arranged in matrix and having a first side parallel to a row and a second side opposite to the first side; scanning lines arranged in each row of the pixel array to supply a scanning signal to the pixels arranged in a corresponding row; signal lines arranged in each column of the pixel array to supply an image signal to the pixels arranged in a corresponding column; drive electrodes arranged in a column of the pixel array and to which a drive signal to detect an external proximate object is supplied; and a first drive electrode circuit arranged along the first side and connected to control lines and the drive electrodes arranged in the pixel array to supply the drive signal to, among the drive electrodes, the drive electrode specified by a selection signal supplied via the control lines.
US09916053B2
There is disclosed a user interface unit for an electronic device, said user interface unit comprising a two-dimensional capacitive sensor structure, wherein the capacitive sensor structure comprises an array of corner sensor elements each comprising a capacitor over its area, and wherein the capacitive sensor structure further comprises a central sensor element located between the corner sensor elements and comprising a capacitor over its area. Furthermore, there is disclosed a corresponding electronic device, as well as a corresponding method of manufacturing a user interface unit for an electronic device.
US09916041B2
An optical touch-sensitive device is able to determine the locations of multiple simultaneous touch events. The optical touch-sensitive device includes multiple emitters and detectors. Each emitter produces optical beams which are received by the detectors. Touch events disturb the optical beams. Detection schemes define the operation of the touch capability. Different detection schemes consume different amounts of power and may be used in combination to reduce overall power consumption.
US09916040B2
A bandpass sense amplifier circuit (FIG. 2A) is disclosed. The circuit includes a capacitor (C0) having a first terminal coupled to receive an input signal (Vin) and a second terminal. A current conveyor circuit (200-206,212) has a third terminal (X) coupled to the second terminal of the capacitor and a fourth terminal (Z) arranged to mirror a current into the third terminal. A voltage follower circuit (214) has an input terminal coupled to the fourth terminal of the current conveyor circuit and an output terminal.
US09916038B2
A touch sensor includes a touch panel including driving lines and sensing lines and having node capacitors between neighboring or overlapping driving lines and sensing lines, a driving unit configured to modulate driving signals using a direct sequence spread spectrum technique or scheme and simultaneously drive two or more of the driving lines using the modulated driving signals, and a sensing unit configured to demodulate the signals from the sensing lines using the direct sequence spread spectrum method and generate demodulated signals.
US09916029B2
Disclosed herein is a sensor controller that controls a sensor device that gives input information to a computer. The sensor controller includes a non-volatile memory that stores application software for accepting and processing touch input, an activation program that checks an activation state of the application software at a time of activation, a recovery program that executes recovery processing of the application software, and information indicating the activation state. The sensor controller further includes a processor that activates the activation program at the time of activation and executes the recovery program when the activation state indicates that activation of the application software is a second or subsequent activation and indicates that touch input has not been processed normally by the application software at a time of past activation.
US09916021B2
An information handling system having a precision touch pad (PTP) touch input device interfaced through a multi-drop serial link with a processor sends information passing through the serial link to an embedded controller. The embedded controller translates the PTP information into legacy PS2 touch device inputs and forwards the inputs to the processor to provide touch inputs during states in which the processor cannot process information provided through the PTP serial link, such as when the operating system is not active or does not have native support for PTP.
US09916015B2
A recognition device includes an acquisition unit and a processor. The acquisition unit acquires first and second informations. The first information relates to a first signal corresponding to a state of a first portion of a body performing an action. The first signal is generated by a first element mounted to the first portion. The second information relates to a second signal corresponding to a state of a second portion. The second signal is generated by a second element mounted to the second portion. A relative positional relationship between the first portion and the second portion changes according to the action. The processor calculates a first feature based on the first information and a second feature based on the second information. The processor recognizes a type of the action based on a change of the first feature and a change of the second feature.
US09916011B1
A force measurement system includes a force measurement assembly with a top surface configured to receive at least one portion of the body of a subject and at least one force transducer configured to sense forces and/or moments being applied to the top surface; at least one visual display device having an output screen, the output screen comprising an overhanging top portion so that a top edge of the output screen is not readily visible to the subject; and one or more data processing devices operatively coupled to the force measurement assembly and the at least one visual display device. In one or more embodiments, the force measurement assembly may be in the form of an instrumented treadmill. In one or more further embodiments, the force measurement system may additionally comprise a motion capture system configured to detect the motion of one or more body gestures of the subject.
US09916004B2
An information processing apparatus including a communication interface configured to be connected to an external posture detecting device to be worn by a user; a display configured to rotatably display a display image; and circuitry configured to control a rotation angle of the image displayed by the display based on posture information received from the external posture detecting device.
US09915998B2
An apparatus includes a first reservation station and a second reservation station. The first reservation station dispatches a first load micro instruction, and detects and indicates on a hold bus if the first load micro instruction is a specified load micro instruction directed to retrieve an operand from a prescribed resource other than on-core cache memory. The second reservation station is coupled to the hold bus, and dispatches one or more younger micro instructions therein that depend on the first load micro instruction for execution after a first number of clock cycles following dispatch of the first load micro instruction, and if it is indicated on the hold bus that the first load micro instruction is the specified load micro instruction, the second reservation station is configured to stall dispatch of the one or more younger micro instructions until the first load micro instruction has retrieved the operand.
US09915995B2
An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image capturing unit configured to generate image data; an adding unit configured to add additional information every predetermined amount of pixel data in the image data; a transmission unit configured to transmit image data by the amount of pixel data to which the additional information is added; an image processing unit configured to perform image processing on the image data; and a power control unit configured to control power supply when the transmission unit transmits the pixel data, based on the additional information, wherein the power control unit restricts the power supply to less than a predetermined power amount in a case where the additional information indicates a predetermined state, and performs power supply at the predetermined power amount in a case where the additional information does not indicate the predetermined state.
US09915994B2
Techniques are generally described related to management of power consumption for a processor. One example method may include identifying a target operating constraint and a first operating parameter; determining a second operating parameter based on the target operating constraint and the first operating parameter; estimating an actual operating constraint; comparing the target operating constraint and the actual operating constraint; and setting up the first operating parameter and the second operating parameter of the processor based on a comparison of the target operating constraint and the actual operating constraint, wherein the target operating constraint is not a worst-case operating constraint. Other examples of methods, systems, and computer programs related to managing power consumption for a processor are also contemplated.
US09915992B1
A controller may drive a first digital value onto a first address terminal of a first peripheral. The controller may transmit a data message on a data bus while driving the first digital value onto the selected address terminal. The first peripheral is coupled with the data bus, in accordance with at least one embodiment. A second peripheral having a second address terminal may also be coupled to the data bus. The first peripheral may be configured to accept the data message over the data bus when the first digital value is received on the first address terminal. The second peripheral may be configured to accept the data message over the data bus when the first digital value is received on the second address terminal.
US09915991B2
A power state management system of an electronic system is coupled to a plug load device and a method for operation of the same. The system includes a context clock to adjust a duty cycle of the electronic system for controlling the power states of the electronic system for more efficient use of electricity. The context clock is responsive to user input, multiple event driven activities or an external protocol determined policy or command. Interface circuitry communicates user input, multiple event driven activities or an external protocol determined policy or command to the context clock. Interface circuitry also communicates commands to the managed plug load device or devices.
US09915989B2
Additional workloads are assigned among servers in a power-efficient manner. For each of a plurality of servers, a stored power efficiency/capacity utilization relationship is accessed, current component power consumption values are obtained, and a current power consumption efficiency is calculated. An amount of capacity utilization necessary to perform an additional workload is obtained, and a predicted power consumption efficiency is determined for each server. The predicted efficiency is determined using the current power consumption efficiency of the server and the stored relationship. The workload is then assigned to the server identified as having the greatest predicted power consumption efficiency. Alternatively, the workload may be assigned to the server identified as having the greatest improvement in power consumption efficiency.
US09915982B2
A display device is provided which suppresses cost increases attributable to design changes and so forth for things disposed on the inside of a product when a plurality of products of different screen size are developed, or when the screen size is changed. A display device 5 includes a display panel 11, a first board attachment component 13, a display panel board 18, a second board attachment component 21, a main board 22, a third board attachment component 23, and a power supply board 24. The main board 22 stores a plurality of display programs that produce an image to be displayed on the display panel 11, according to the screen size of the display panel 11. The first board attachment component 13, the display panel board 18, the second board attachment component 21, the main board 22, the third board attachment component 23, and the power supply board 24 are disposed in this order, starting from the display panel 11 side, on the rear side of the display panel 11.
US09915981B2
A hinge device applicable to soft display module includes a joint unit assembly. The joint unit assembly has a main section, a first side, a second side and a top section. The joint unit assembly has multiple shaft guide sections and shaft fixing sections positioned on the main section and respectively assembled with the motional shafts. A rotary shaft and a socket are formed on the first and second sides of the joint unit assembly along the top section. A (soft) display module is disposed on the top section of the joint unit assembly. The shaft guide section of the joint unit assembly is defined with a first position and a second position. When operating and opening/closing the display module, the rotary shafts serve as rotational fulcrums, whereby the motional shafts are relatively rotatable between the first and second positions of the shaft guide section.
US09915977B1
A docking station for a mobile electronic device is provided. It utilizes a transmission unit and a release unit to control the positioning of a connection unit. The transmission unit includes a horizontal displacement member abutted against a floating cover for horizontal displacement upon a downward movement of the floating cover, and a pivot member mounted at the connection unit and connected to the horizontal displacement member, so that the connection unit can connect the mobile electronic device upon a downward movement of the floating cover. The release unit includes a swing arm connected with the pivot member and a button abutted against the swing arm. When the button is pressed, the swing arm is pushed to drive the connection unit to disengage from the mobile electronic device via the pivot member. Thus, the mobile electronic device can be removed.
US09915970B1
The present technology proposes techniques for generating globally coherent timestamps. This technology may allow distributed systems to causally order transactions without incurring various types of communication delays inherent in explicit synchronization. By globally deploying a number of time masters that are based on various types of time references, the time masters may serve as primary time references. Through an interactive interface, the techniques may track, calculate and record data relative to each time master thus providing the distributed systems with causal timestamps.
US09915959B2
A thermostatic valve for a diesel fuel system includes a valve housing and a valve element movable within the housing between a position directing heated diesel fuel returning from an engine to the inlet of a fuel pump and a position dumping the fuel into a reservoir where the fuel mixes with lower temperature fuel. A temperature responsive thermostatic element moves the valve element in response to the temperature of the diesel fuel. A temperature relief valve is provided in the housing to dump the returning fuel into the reservoir if the temperature reaches a temperature indicating overheating of the fuel. The temperature relief valve is a bi-metal valve mounted in an end wall of the valve housing.
US09915957B2
Disclosed is a gas pressure regulator for gas or liquid that has inlet, an outlet and a diaphragm positioned between said inlet and said outlet in an manner that one side of the diaphragm controls the flow of fluid through the inlet to the outlet, a vent exposed to the opposite side of said diaphragm, and a spring in association with the opposite side of the diaphragm to adjust the position of the diaphragm, and a gas porous filter positioned in an manner that is adjacent the vent.
US09915955B2
Embodiments are directed to a rotor-based remote flying vehicle platform such as a quadrotor, and to methods for controlling intra-flight dynamics of such rotor-based remote flying vehicles. In one case, a rotor-based remote flying vehicle platform is provided that includes a central frame. The central frame has a control center that is configured to control motors mounted to the vehicle platform. The central frame also has a communication port configured to interface with functionality modules. The communication port is communicably connected to the control center. The rotor-based remote flying vehicle platform further includes at least a first arm that is connected to the central frame and extends outward, as well as a first motor mounted to the first arm, where the first motor is in communication with the control center. The method for controlling intra-flight dynamics may be performed on such a rotor-based remote flying vehicle.
US09915954B2
A control system for a rotorcraft, which system includes at least one control unit allowing a rotor of a rotorcraft to be driven, with the rotorcraft including at least three independent landing-gear units, with each landing-gear unit including means for detecting a ground reaction force F1, F2, F3 exerted on the landing-gear unit when the rotorcraft is in contact with the ground, and with the control system being suitable for receiving information from the detection means. The invention also relates to the rotorcraft and to a control method corresponding to the control system.
US09915945B2
A system and method for optimizing a rescue operation of an individual. The method comprises maintaining, by an individual engaged in an activity, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) associated with and in proximity to the individual. For storage at the UAV, the individual records at a recording device a message. A sensor device is configured to detect a situation requiring a need to rescue the individual at a current location, and generates a trigger signal in response to a detection. In response to the receipt of the trigger signal, a current GPS location of the individual is recorded and a launching of the UAV to traverse a flight-path to a destination location. At or before arriving at the destination location, the UAV contemporaneously provides the stored recorded message and current GPS location of the individual to an emergency response authority to inform of the individual's situation and location.
US09915940B2
A method and system for linking sensor data to metrology data and metrology data to sensor data is described herein. In one embodiment, a user selection of metrology data for a product is received, related process tool fault detection summary for the selected metrology data for the product is presented, a user selection of a process tool from the process tool fault detection summary is received, and related fault detection details for the selected process tool are presented.
US09915927B2
A power management apparatus (120) includes management information storage unit (121) capable of storing a condition under which each consumer management apparatus (100) receives power (first condition) and a condition under which each consumer management apparatus (100) supplies power (second condition), power control unit (123) for supplying or received power to or from the consumer management apparatuses (110), and information control unit (122) for controlling the consumer management apparatus (110) and power control unit (123). Each consumer management apparatus (110) includes a distributed power supply (111), a load (112), and control unit (113) that controls the distributed power supply 112. When the information control unit (122) detects that one consumer management apparatus (110) has activated the first condition, it requests another consumer management apparatus (100) activating the second condition to supply power and supplies the power to the first consumer management apparatus (110) via the power control unit (123).
US09915918B2
An image forming apparatus comprises a fixing device comprising a heater for heating a sheet on which an image is formed and a non-volatile memory in which characteristic information of the heater is stored. The fixing device is replaceable. In a case where the fixing device is replaced, the image forming apparatus starts to supply power to the heater before completing to read the characteristic information from the fixing device replaced. Due to this, the image forming apparatus can promptly heat the heater of the fixing device than before.
US09915910B2
A cleaning device includes a cleaning member configured to move in the opposite direction from a moving direction of an image carrier and come into contact with a surface of the image carrier to remove residual matter from the surface of the image carrier, wherein the cleaning member includes a supporting member formed with a metallic plate spring and a contact member formed with an elastic material and bonded to an end of the supporting member, an edge portion at an end of the contact member being brought into contact with the surface of the image carrier, the end of the contact member protrudes from the end of the supporting member, and the end of the supporting member is located on an upstream side of a normal line of the image carrier at the contact position of the edge portion in the moving direction of the image carrier.
US09915908B2
An image forming apparatus includes a power supply voltage detector, a power supply cycle detector, a voltage converter, and a controller. The power supply voltage detector detects a power supply voltage value of a commercial alternating-current voltage. The power supply cycle detector detects a power supply cycle of the commercial alternating-current voltage. The voltage converter performs switching of the commercial alternating-current voltage, and thereby converts the commercial alternating-current voltage into a heater alternating-current voltage to be applied to a heater. The controller controls the voltage converter and thereby generates the heater alternating-current voltage, on a basis of the power supply voltage value detected by the power supply voltage detector and the power supply cycle detected by the power supply cycle detector. The heater alternating-current voltage has an effective value that is stepped down from an effective value of the commercial alternating-current voltage, and is synchronized with the power supply cycle.
US09915905B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a rotating member; a rotation position detecting unit that detects a rotation position of the rotating member; an image density detecting unit that detects density of an image; an image information analysis unit that analyzes image information; a density profile management unit that manages a density profile; a correction data generation unit that generates correction data; a density correction unit that performs density correction; and a density correction control unit that sets a density correction level, wherein when the density correction level is set at reference accuracy, the density correction unit corrects density, and when the density correction level is set at accuracy higher than the reference accuracy, the density profile management unit forms a corrective patch image and generates a new density profile, the correction data generation unit updates the correction data, and the density correction unit corrects density.
US09915902B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a cleaning member that cleans the image carrier, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material, and a controller that controls the image forming unit based on at least one of physical property information and dimension information of the cleaning member.
US09915900B1
A fixing device includes a heating belt, a heat source, a pressuring body, a pressing member and a sheet member. The heating belt is endless and heats a medium while being circulated. The heat source supplies heat to the heating belt. The pressuring body forms a nip with the heating belt, rotates so as to circulate the heating belt and presses the medium with the heating belt. The pressing member is disposed inside the heating belt and presses the heating belt against the pressuring body at the nip. The sheet member is held between the heating belt and the pressing member, attached to the pressing member at a center side portion and both end side portions in a longitudinal direction of the sheet member and has a heat shrinkable property. The both end side portions are shiftable in the longitudinal direction greater than the center side portion.
US09915888B2
Image carrying member units are each provided with an image carrying member, a charging device, and a pair of support frames. The charging device has: a charging roller that charges the image carrying member by rotation driven by the image carrying member; a cleaning member for cleaning the charging roller; a pair of bearing members for rotatably supporting both end parts of the cleaning member and the charging roller; and biasing members for biasing the bearing members in a direction in which the same moves closer to the image carrying member. An image carrying member bearing part and a first cleaning member bearing part for rotatably supporting one end part of the rotating shaft for the cleaning member where an input side gear is provided, are formed integrally on a first support frame for supporting one end part of the image carrying member where an output side gear is provided.
US09915878B2
An exposure apparatus transfers a pattern on a wafer by irradiating a reticle with an illumination light, and the pattern is formed on a pattern surface of the reticle. The exposure apparatus is provided with a reticle stage that moves holding the reticle, and a sensor that irradiates a measurement light on the pattern surface of the reticle held by the reticle stage and detects speckles from the pattern.
