US09942524B2

A device for detecting the position of an object in a machine tool includes a camera configured to provide an image of the object and an object carrier to which the object is connected and whose position within the machine tool is known. A first processing unit is configured to identify a position of the object relative to the camera based on geometric features of the object which are obtained from the image. A second processing unit is configured to identify a position of the object carrier relative to the camera based on geometric features of the object carrier which are obtained from the image. A third processing unit is configured to determine a position of the object relative to the object carrier from the identified positions of the object and the object carrier relative to the camera.
US09942522B2

A camera system for a vehicle may include a control interface configured to receive an input from a driver and generate a signal, and at least one camera configured to capture video of an interior of the vehicle. The camera system may also include a display configured to output video to the driver, and a controller in communication with the control interface, the camera, and the display. The controller may be configured to receive the signal from the control interface, actuate the at least one camera to capture video based on the signal, and output the video to the display based on the signal.
US09942515B2

Pairing and configuring a computing device for use in a meeting space is provided. An appliance may communicate a broadcast to a computing device which announces the availability of a meeting space for a meeting. The computing device may establish a connection with the appliance. The computing device may then join the meeting in the meeting space.
US09942510B2

The invention provides a method for processing input image data by an image processing device, to reach a desired visual effect within an output image, wherein input image data are stored within an input memory device and the input image data are transferred based on data of a lookup table into respective output image data stored within an output memory device, the lookup table being generated based on at least one data remapping function to reach the desired visual effect, wherein further the entries within the lookup table are arranged in such a way that when processing the lookup table the input memory device is addressed in a sequential reading order; a computer readable medium having stored thereon program code to carry out the inventive method as well as an image processing device to carry out the method.
US09942509B2

A device receives a request from a controlling device, such as a remote control, smart phone, or the like, where the request is intended to have one or more target devices perform one or more functional operations. The device responds to the request by applying the optimum methodology to propagate one or more commands to each intended target appliance to cause each intended target appliance to perform the intended one or more functional operations.
US09942508B2

A remote controller setting method using display identification data (EDID) includes transmitting, by a TV, EDID information to a set-top box, when the set-top box is connected to the TV through a high definition multimedia interface cable, and analyzing, by the set-top box, the EDID information to grasp a manufacturer's name of the TV and transmitting, to a remote controller, the manufacturer's name of the TV or infrared (IR) code information corresponding to the TV manufacturer to allow the remote controller to remotely control the TV (5).
US09942504B2

An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor and a generation unit configured to generate a signal of each of the pixels from the signals respectively read out from the plurality of charge accumulation units. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including: a photoelectric conversion unit; a plurality of charge accumulation units for accumulating a charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit; a control unit configured to control accumulation of charge in each of the plurality of charge accumulation units; and a readout unit configured to read out a signal corresponding to the charge from each of the plurality of charge accumulation units. The photoelectric conversion unit is formed in a first chip, and the plurality of charge accumulation units, the control unit, and the readout unit are formed in a second chip.
US09942501B2

Provided are an image sensor compensating for property degradation of a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) resulting from a threshold voltage shift that may occur when photodiodes and a MOS circuit of configuring an amplifier are integrated on the same substrate, and a method for driving the image sensor.
US09942500B2

An image sensor comprising a plurality of imaging pixels, a plurality of focus detecting pixels in which opening positions of light receiving sections are shifted from those of the imaging pixels, and a plurality of color filters arranged corresponding to the imaging pixels and the focus detecting pixels, wherein first focus detecting pixels in which opening positions are shifted in a first direction are arranged at positions corresponding to first color filters of the imaging pixels, and second focus detecting pixels in which opening positions are shifted in the first direction and which have opening ratios different from those of the first focus detecting pixels are arranged at positions corresponding to the first color filters.
US09942493B2

An image pickup apparatus including a pixel array including a first pixel that outputs a signal based on a light flux passed through an entire area of an exit pupil, a second pixel that outputs a signal based on a light flux passed through a part of the exit pupil, and a floating diffusion area shared by the plurality of rows adjacent to one another; and a controller that sets a first and a second accumulation periods so as to prevent them from overlapping with each other for a predetermined length of time or longer, when the first pixel read in the first scanning shares the floating diffusion area with the second pixel read in the second scanning, the first and second accumulation periods being periods for the row in which the first and the second pixel are arranged, respectively.
US09942475B2

System and method of performing various transformations between an omnidirectional image model and a rectilinear image model for use in vehicle imaging systems. In particular, a panel transform system and method for transforming an omnidirectional image from an omnidirectional camera positioned on a vehicle to a rectilinear image. The rectilinear image is then displayed to the driver for use while performing vehicle maneuvers. The panel transform system and method also provide a rectilinear image model based on the omnidirectional camera for use with existing rectilinear imaging processing systems. The rectilinear image model is determined based on a variable set of input parameters that are defined by both automatic and manual system inputs such as a steering wheel angle sensor and a user interface.
US09942457B2

An imaging apparatus to communicate with an external apparatus over a network and mount a first storage and/or a second storage includes a receiving unit, a mounting unit, and a control unit. The receiving unit can receive a first mount command to mount the first storage and a second mount command to mount the second storage. The control unit instructs the mounting unit to mount the first storage and/or the second storage. If a mount command received is a first mount command, the control unit instructs the mounting unit to mount the first storage by a first access protocol for accessing the first storage. If the mount command received is a second mount command, the control unit instructs the mounting unit to mount the second storage by a second access protocol which is an access protocol for accessing the second storage and is different from the first access protocol.
US09942453B2

Disclosed are a mobile terminal having a plurality of light emitting devices, and a method for controlling the same. The mobile terminal includes a camera; a light emitting portion including a plurality of light emitting units; and a controller configured to control the light emitting portion to emit light, such that depth information of an image received through the camera is extracted, wherein the controller determines the number of light emitting units which emit light among the plurality of light emitting units, based on a distance between a subject corresponding to the image and the camera.
US09942452B2

The present invention provides an optoelectronic module and an imaging apparatus such as an endoscope comprising such module. The optoelectronic module includes a housing and an image sensor. The image sensor's face has a perimeter S, the cross section of the optoelectronic module along the face has a perimeter H, and S
US09942450B2

A method for automatically matching video streams from two cameras of a camera network includes obtaining a video stream of frames that are acquired by each of the cameras. Each video stream includes images of moving objects. A time signature for each of the video streams is calculated. Each time signature is indicative of a time at which an image of one the objects is located at a predetermined part of the frame. A temporal offset of one of the signatures relative to the other signature is calculated such that, when applied to one of the signatures, a correspondence between the signatures is maximized. The temporal offset is applicable to video streams that are acquired by the two cameras to determine if a moving object that is imaged by one of the cameras is identical to a moving object that is imaged by the other camera.
US09942447B2

A color processing device includes a compositing unit, a modification unit, and an output unit. The compositing unit composites plural color conversion rules in a color space that includes plural color components through serial processing. The modification unit modifies the color conversion rules after being composited by the compositing unit, by applying an inverse conversion of a specific one-dimensional correlation, which correlates input color values and output color values in the color space, to the composited color conversion rules. The output unit outputs the composited color conversion rules after being modified and the specific one-dimensional correlation.
US09942445B2

An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires, from image data acquired in such a manner that a chart formed by an image forming unit is read, a line signal value from pixel values of pixels for a line arranged in a first direction of the chart and a line representative value by using line signal values respectively acquired from a plurality of lines adjacent to each other in a second direction different from the first direction of the chart, and a determination unit that determines a portion where a streak is generated in the second direction by using a difference between a first representative value and a second representative value.
US09942441B2

An information processing apparatus includes a memory, and circuitry. The circuitry acquires a plurality of images divided from original image data, the plurality of images including at least a first image data and a second image data, predicts a size of a storage-use region in the memory, the storage-use area to be used for storing the plurality of image data to be merged based on image information of the acquired first image data, secures the predicted size of the storage-use region in the memory, merges the plurality of image data in the storage-use region secured in the memory based on image information of the acquired first image data, and stores the merged plurality of image data in the storage-use region secured in the memory.
US09942440B2

Detection and identification a field's boundaries is performed in a workflow based on processing images of the field captured at different times, relative to a defined seed point. Images are clipped to align with the seed point and a bounding box around the seed point, and a mask is built by extracting edges of the field from the images. The workflow floods an area around the seed point that has pixels of a similar color, using the mask as an initial boundary. The flooded area is compared to threshold parameter values, which are tuned to refine the identified boundary. Flooded areas in multiple images are combined, and a boundary is built based on the combined flooded set. Manual, interactive tuning of floodfill areas allows for a separate boundary detection and identification workflow or for refinement of the automatic boundary detection workflow.
US09942439B2

A data communication apparatus has a transmission function of transmitting data to a pre-set transmission destination. A data communication apparatus, when importing at least one of an address book and setting information based on import data including data that has been exported by another data communication apparatus, determines data to be imported. The data communication apparatus determines, with respect to each of the address book and the setting information, if the address book or the setting information is actually to be imported. Furthermore, if it is determined that either one of the address book and the setting information is to be imported, but the other one is not to be imported, the use of the transmission function is restricted after import processing has been performed based on the import data.
US09942432B2

A scanning device includes a transparent platen which receives a sheet to be scanned. A backing assembly is spaced from the platen by the sheet during scanning. The backing assembly includes a backing plate of a fixed color and an electrochromic layer intermediate the backing plate and the platen. The electrochromic layer has a first state in which the electrochromic layer is opaque and has a different color from the fixed color, and a second state, in which the electrochromic layer is transparent to expose the backing plate through it. A sensor is positioned to acquire an image of the sheet based on light passing through the platen. A controller selectively applies a voltage across the electrochromic layer to change the electrochromic layer between the first and second states.
US09942425B2

An image processing apparatus is to execute a process selected among multiple processes. The image processing apparatus includes a storage unit to store a list in which each of the processes is associated with a type of the process representing whether the process is to use information about an orientation of a document; an objective process determination unit to determine whether the selected process to be executed is of the type to use the information about the orientation of the document, based on the list stored in the storage unit; and a display control unit to display a confirmation screen on a display unit, for prompting to confirm the orientation of the document after having received an execution command for the process, in a case where the process has been determined as of the type to use the information about the orientation of the document.
US09942424B2

A method of displaying a digital image having a high aspect ratio on a user interface screen connected to a control unit of a printing system includes the steps of determining a first part of the digital image, which part includes one end of the digital image in a longitudinal direction; determining a second part of the digital image, which part includes the other end of the digital image in the longitudinal direction; displaying the first part and the second part simultaneously on the user interface screen; and further displaying the remaining part of the digital image in a suppressed manner or a compressed manner in-between the first part and the second part at the user interface screen. A printing system includes a control unit, which includes a memory unit for storing a digital image, and a user interface screen for displaying the digital image, the control unit being configured to execute the method.
US09942401B2

A system and method for automated call center operation facilitating agent-caller communication are provided. Multiple call sessions with users are simultaneously provided for an agent on a display. One of the call sessions is identified as active and the agent is allowed to communicate with the user of that call session. Speech utterances for each of the remaining call sessions are received from the user participating in that call session. Each received speech utterance is transcribed and displayed with the associated call session while the agent is communicating with the user of the active call. During the call sessions, text messages are received from one or more of the user of the active call and at least one of the users of the remaining call sessions. The text messages are displayed with the associated call sessions while the agent is communicating with the user of the active call session.
US09942397B1

Methods and systems described in this disclosure allow customers to personalize their phone experience when calling into an organization. In some embodiments, customers who may benefit from this service are identified based on the content of the customer's previous or current phone calls to the organization. The identified customers may be invited to enroll and to provide preferences for a customized Interactive Voice Response experience. In some embodiments, the customer can elect to hear the balances of one or more of his accounts without going through a phone menu or asking a representative to look up the relevant amounts. Once enrolled, when the customer dials into the organization and upon successful authentication, the organization proactively states the customer's account balances with no further customer request.
US09942396B2

Workflows are provided that enable documents to be distributed, assented to, and otherwise interacted with on an aural and/or oral basis. Such workflows can be implemented so as to allow a recipient to receive, understand, and interact with a document using conventional components such as the microphone and speaker provided by a telephone. For instance, in one embodiment a document originator may send a document to a recipient with a request for an electronic signature. The document may include an audio version of the document terms. The recipient can listen to the audio version of the document terms and record an electronic signature that represents assent to such terms. An electronic signature server can record the recipient's electronic signature and incorporate it into the document, such that it forms part of the electronic document just as a traditional handwritten signature forms part of a signed paper document.
US09942392B1

An architecture and process flow for a system that processes event notifications from a speech analytics system for the purpose of controlling the recording of calls in a contact center for various contexts. Based on the regulatory context of the call, call recording may require requesting and receiving consent from the remote party to record the call. A speech analytics system operating in conjunction with an event handler module and a call recording application specific module can facilitate automatically recording the call and minimize agent intervention. The application specific module may provide icons and text on the agent's display to remind or inform the agent of the context and various conditions. The application specific module may also control various recording equipment.
US09942389B2

At least one user expression of a first user of a first communication device, at least one text-based electronic communication sent or received by the first user, or at least one background sound detected in an environment where the first user is located can be monitored in real time. A current demeanor of the first user can be automatically determined by processing user expression, the text-based electronic communication, or the background sound. An incoming call from a second communication device to the first communication device can be detected. Responsive to detecting the incoming call, a ringback tone indicating the current demeanor of the first user can be automatically selected. The ringback tone can be communicated to the second communication device for presentation to a second user who is using the second communication device.
US09942383B2

A method and apparatus for processing contact information, the method comprising: displaying a list of contacts on a display of a wireless terminal; determining a first contact from the list of contacts in response to a selection by a user; obtaining a web log address and an online shop address of the first contact; obtaining, from a network service, a first content corresponding to the web log address and the online shop address of the first contact; and displaying the first content on a first area of the display, the first content being dynamically updated.
US09942365B2

Separating and isolating multiple network stacks in a network element may enable a network element to simultaneously operate within multiple forwarding planes respectively corresponding to the multiple network stacks. In addition to the network stack, other protocols and routing tools may also be instantiated for each desired forwarding plane. The different instantiations of the network stacks may be executed in parallel in respective memory spaces that are distinct and separate. In this manner, each forwarding plane may operate independently on the network element from other forwarding planes.
US09942356B1

An electronic device associated with a media-providing service has one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. The electronic device accesses a listening history of a user of the media-providing service. Based at least in part on the listening history of the user, the electronic device assigns a first personality trait of a plurality of personality traits to the user. The electronic device provides personalized content to the user based on the first personality trait.
US09942341B2

According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for signaling optimization in a wireless network utilizing proprietary and non-proprietary protocols. A first connection is established between an application on a mobile device and a local proxy on the mobile device, a second connection is established between the local proxy and a proxy server not located on the mobile device, and a third connection is established between the proxy server and a content server. A byte stream between client and server is communicated between the client and the server via the first, second, and third connections. The mobile device performs signaling optimization to optimize traffic over the second connection.
US09942336B2

Approaches are provided for to enabling or disabling parental controls based on time or task validation using a centralized computing environment. An approach includes receiving parental control rules for one or more computing devices. The approach further includes publishing the parental control rules to each of the one or more computing devices to enable the parental control rules on each of the one or more computing devices. The approach further includes determining whether at least one of completion of a task is validated, and the current time is outside of a specified time. The approach further includes at least one of when the completion of the task is validated, and the current time is outside of the specified time period, publishing a parental control disable command to each of the one or more computing devices to disable at least one of the parental control rules.
US09942333B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that provide updates to localized software are provided. Resources are stored on a server device and may be cached or stored locally at a client device. Updates to the resources are made available at the server device. The updates include translations of the resources to several languages. The client device checks for an update of the resource and downloads the update for the server when the application is launched or downloaded by a computing device.
US09942324B2

A method implemented by a network element (NE) in a network, comprising composing a first network storage entity by mapping a plurality of logical storage units to a plurality of physical storage units in a physical storage system according to a first storage metric associated with the plurality of physical storage units, arranging the plurality of logical storage units sequentially to form a logical circular buffer, and designating a current logical storage unit for writing data and an upcoming logical storage unit for writing data after the current storage unit is fully written, and rebalancing the physical storage system while the physical storage system is actively performing network storage operations by relocating at least one of the logical storage units to a different physical storage unit according to a second storage metric associated with the plurality of physical storage units.
US09942318B2

Asynchronous processing of messages that are received from multiple servers is disclosed. An example method may include transmitting, by a computer system, a search request to a plurality of search peers of a data aggregation and analysis system. The method may further include receiving a plurality of sub-application layer protocol packets from the plurality of search peers. The method may further include parsing, by a first processing thread of the computer system, one or more sub-application layer protocol packets of the plurality of sub-application layer protocol packets, to produce an application layer message representing a partial response to the search request. The method may further include processing, by a second processing thread of the computer system, the application layer message to produce a memory data structure representing an aggregated response to the search request.
US09942313B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, initializing a boundary estimate for an optimization of a linear programming model describing a network of media servers for servicing requests for media content items from subscriber devices, where the boundary estimate is an estimate of an infeasible solution of the linear programming model, and calculating iteratively, using an exponential potential function, additional boundary estimates for the linear programming model, wherein the calculating resolves to an improved boundary estimate that corresponds to placement of copies of the media content items at the media servers subject to a set of constraints on storage capacity of media servers and on bandwidth for communication links in the network. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09942311B2

A content distribution network, including: a content server that stores a set of content items; a plurality of gateways for storing and serving content requests to a subset of the content items, the plurality of gateways being grouped into a plurality of classes of gateways; and a plurality of class trackers corresponding to the plurality of classes; wherein each class tracker manages a placement of content items and an assignment of content requests for its class of gateways; wherein the plurality of class trackers exchange congestion signals among themselves; wherein, for each content item, each class tracker determines a fraction of gateways in its class of gateways that store the content item and a rate of content requests that are forwarded to the content server or other class trackers, based on requests for the content item entering its class and the congestion signals received from other class trackers.
US09942310B1

A system for multi-user design includes a host computer having a memory and a processor. The host computer is configured to operate a multi-user CAx environment including a part file, a plurality of local computers in communication with the host computer, a plurality of data storage systems in communication with the host computer, and a load balancing module within the CAx environment. Each of the local computers includes a local CAx environment portion of the multi-user CAx environment. Each of the data storage systems includes at least a portion of the part file. The load balancing module is configured to cause the host computer to assign edits originating at one of the local computers to one of the plurality of data storage systems.
US09942309B2

A parallel computer system includes computing nodes to execute a parallel program for generating computing processes that perform computations and monitoring processes and forming a monitoring hierarchical structure, each monitoring process monitors a monitoring process and a computing process arranged immediately lower than the monitoring process, each of the computing nodes operating as the computing process when the computing process is allocated to the computing node and operating as the monitoring process when the monitoring process is allocated to the computing node. Each of the computing nodes allocated to the monitoring process performs processing that changes the hierarchical structure based on a first target value serving as a target value for the total number of subordinate computing processes of the allocated monitoring process and a second target value serving as a target value for the number of monitoring processes and computing processes arranged immediately lower than the allocated monitoring process.
US09942298B2

Help page techniques including: (i) sending, by a customer computer, heterogeneous software context data to a central registry over a communication network; (ii) receiving, by the customer computer, from a registry server over the communication network, a set of network address information including at least a first network address information for contacting a first provider server relating to the first software product and a second network address information for contacting a second provider server relating to the second software product; and (iii) linking, by the customer computer, the first and second network address information on a single set of help page(s).
US09942295B2

Technologies for crowdsourced media streaming include a number of mobile computing devices configured to capture media streams and transmit the media streams to a media server. The media server associates the media streams with metadata describing the media streams, including metadata describing an event captured in the media stream. The media server also processes the media streams to generate additional metadata. A number of client computing devices may submit media stream requests to the media server, and the media server contemporaneously streams matching media streams to the client computing devices as the media streams are captured by the mobile computing devices. The client computing devices may transmit feedback information relating to the media stream to the source mobile computing device via the media server. The client computing devices may display the media streams alongside or overlaying other media such as a broadcast media event. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09942290B2

A system and method for effectuating channel changes in a multicast adaptive bitrate (MABR) streaming network using temporarily borrowed bandwidth from a shared progressive download ABR bandwidth pipe for downloading a requested channel's data in a recovery segment by issuing an HTTP request. A video management agent is configured to stitch the recovery segment's data with the regular channel stream during the channel change to generate a hybrid stream, which is multicast streamed toward the requesting device. Once the data from the regular channel stream is properly joined, recovery segment downloading ceases and the bandwidth consumed for sending recovery data is released back to the progressive download ABR pipe.
US09942289B2

Techniques are described above for smoothing peak load in collaborative systems. One embodiment includes, prior to a predicted peak load period, pre-staging user-data associated with one or more users of the collaborative system. During the predicted peak load period, a request from a first one of the users for access to the pre-staged user-data associated with the first user is received. And in response to the request, the pre-staged user-data is provided to the first user.
US09942281B2

In a communication system providing a group communication service and advertisement of an existing and newly created group, information on usable media types in the group is sent to group members in a message advertising the group. The message contains either a new field for the information or an existing field is extended to contain the information.
US09942280B2

A method, device, program, server and terminal are provided for monitoring a data-exchange session between first terminals belonging to a first user and at least one second terminal belonging to a second user. The method includes, after the first user receives an invitation to establish a session, creating a first group of the first terminals belonging to the first user suitable for enabling the session to be established with the first group.
US09942275B2

Communications and security policy data for two or more zones is obtained that includes data indicating allowed protocols for the respective communications jurisdiction zones. Request data indicating a desired exchange of data between a secrets data source in a first zone and a requesting resource in a second zone is received/obtained. The first zone policy data and the second zone policy data is automatically obtained and analyzed to determine an allowed type of communications security level for the desired exchange of data that complies with both the first zone communications and data security policy data and the second zone policy data. A communications channel, including the allowed type of secure communications security level, is automatically establishing between the first resource and the second resource, and at least a portion of the requests secrets and/or other data is exchanged.
US09942273B2

A method, apparatus and computer program product for automatically reconfiguring a policy of a multi-tenant service is disclosed. A first tenant specific policy for a first tenant of a plurality of tenants serviced by the multi-tenant service is provided. The multi-tenant service uses a second tenant specific policy different from the first tenant specific policy for a second tenant of the plurality of tenants. An event relevant to the first tenant specific policy is detected. The first tenant specific policy is reconfigured according to the detected event.
US09942269B2

A computer implemented method for detecting, alerting and blocking data leakage, eavesdropping and spyware in one or more networked computing devices includes providing a graphical user interface (GUI) and displaying all available hardware device interfaces in each networked computing device. Next, providing a turn-on switch and a turn-off switch for each displayed hardware device interface in each networked computing device. Next, providing a turn-all-on switch and a turn-all-off switch for all displayed hardware device interfaces in each networked computing device. Next, monitoring status of each available hardware device interface and data traffic across each available hardware device interface. Upon detecting an unauthorized change of status of a specific hardware device interface or unauthorized data traffic across a specific hardware device interface providing a warning signal, turning off the specific hardware device interface by activating the turn-off switch for the specific hardware device interface or the turn-all-off switch.
US09942265B2

Denial-of-service attacks are prevented or mitigated in a cloud compute environment, such as a multi-tenant, collaborative SaaS system. This is achieved by providing a mechanism by which characterization of “legitimate” behavior is defined for accessor classes, preferably along with actions to be taken in the event an accessor exceeds those limits. A set of accessor “usage profiles” are generated. Typically, a profile comprises information, such as a “request time window,” one or more “constraints,” and one or more “actions.” A request time window defines a time period over which request usage is accumulated and over which constraints are applied. A constraint may be of various types (e.g., number of transactions, defined resource usage limits, etc.) to be applied for the usage monitoring An action defines how the system will respond if a particular constraint is triggered. By applying the constraints to accessor requests, over-utilization of compute resources is enabled.
US09942263B2

Static analysis is applied to unrecognized software objects in order to identify and address potential anti-sandboxing techniques. Where static analysis suggests the presence of any such corresponding code, the software object may be forwarded to a sandbox for further analysis. In another aspect, multiple types of sandboxes may be provided, with the type being selected according to the type of exploit suggested by the static analysis.
US09942260B2

A method securely scans a second web page linked to a first web page being displayed by a browser. The method identifies a target link to a second web page from one or more links contained within a first web page. Prior to receiving a user selection of the target link, the method prefetches content from the second web page and loads the prefetched content from the second web page into a safe cache on the client computing device before receiving the user selection of the target link. The method scans the prefetched content from the second web page for a security threat, within the safe cache, wherein the safe cache is configured to prevent the prefetched content from altering a memory location or storage location external to the safe cache. In response to identifying a security threat within the prefetched content, the method displays a warning to the user.
US09942252B1

One or more proxy logs are processed in order to generate a graph of domains, wherein those domain pairs in the graph that are connected have low support and high confidence. One or more domains within the graph that are highly connected to other domains in the graph are identified. The identified domains are flagged as suspicious domains.
US09942251B1

Detecting malware is disclosed. A candidate malware application is caused to be executed using a virtual machine. Traffic analysis is performed on network traffic associated with the execution of the candidate malware application. A determination is made as to whether the candidate malware application is malicious or not, based at least in part on the traffic analysis and an application type associated with the candidate malware application.
US09942250B2

Electronic appliances, computer-implemented systems, non-transitory media, and methods are provided to identify risky network activities using intelligent algorithms. The appliances, systems, media, and methods enable rapid detection of risky activities.
US09942247B2

According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for obfuscating a traffic pattern associated with a plurality of network traffic within a tunnel connection is provided. The method may include detecting the tunnel connection. The method may also include analyzing a connection environment associated with the detected tunnel connection. The method may then include determining a packet handling technique based on the analyzed connection environment, whereby the packet handling technique provides a way for creating a noise packet that will be discarded by a network stack at a target node or before the target node. The method may include determining a noise strategy based on the determined packet handling technique. The method may also include sending a plurality of noise packets into the tunnel connection based on the determined noise strategy to obfuscate the traffic pattern.
US09942245B2

A distributed cyber-physical system includes physical elements (15-1, 15-2, . . . , 15-n) disposed in a physical space (11). Controllers (13-1, 13-2, . . . , 13-n) are disposed in a cyber space (10). Each of the physical elements (15-1, 15-2, . . . , 15-n) corresponds to a corresponding controller (13-1, 13-2, . . . , 13-n). A cyber infrastructure (12) is disposed in the cyber space (10). The cyber infrastructure (12) manages a connection between the controllers (13-1, 13-2, . . . , 13-n) and the physical elements (15-1, 15-2, . . . , 15-n). Control loops (14) are established via the cyber infrastructure (12). Each of the control loops (14) includes a physical element and a corresponding controller. A resilient control agent (31) is configured to monitor each of the control loops (14), determine when one of the control loops (14) is experiencing an adverse condition, reduce a sampling frequency of the control loops (14) that are not experiencing the adverse condition, and increase a sampling frequency of the control loop (14) that is experiencing the adverse condition.
US09942239B2

As disclosed herein a computer system, executed by a computer, includes receiving, from a user, a request for access to a shared system, wherein the request comprises a user identifier and a user password corresponding to the user, and determining privileges corresponding to the shared system using the user identifier. The computer system further includes requesting, from an identity manager, a shared identifier and a shared password corresponding to the shared system, receiving, from the identity manager, the shared identifier and the shared password, and using the shared identifier and the shared password to enable the user to use the shared system.
US09942238B2

According to one embodiment, a system includes a memory comprising instructions, an interface, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the interface. The interface is configured to receive, from a first user associated with an online account, a first request to allow access, by a second user not associated with the online account, to the online account, send, in response to the first request, a second request to the second user for credentials, and receive, in response to the second request, credentials from the second user. The process is configured, when executing the instructions, to generate, for the online account based on the first and the credentials received from the second user, an access profile associated with the second user.
US09942237B2

According to one embodiment, a system comprises a memory comprising instructions, an interface, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the interface. The processor is configured, when executing the instructions, to determine one or more characteristics of a user device, determine, based on the one or more characteristics of the user device, a risk level associated with the user device, and apply, to the user device, one or more access restrictions for an online account based on the determined risk level.
US09942224B2

A user, group, and device management and authentication system allows administrators to manage one or more directories with devices that are not associated with a domain of the one or more directories via a set of APIs. The system also allows applications and services that do not have direct access to a list of directory users to access the one or more directories. The user, group, and device management and authentication system may be an add-on system that works in conjunction with a centrally-managed directory service to provide such functionality. For example, the system may generate an access token associated with a particular directory that can be used by a service accessed by an administrator to call an API provided by the system. The API call may be translated into a directory-specific API call that can be used to perform an action in the particular directory.
US09942220B2

User login information submitted as part of an attempt to log into a computer system is evaluated for unauthorized or illegitimate use based on indicators of suspicious behavior. Example indicators of suspicious behavior include whether the login information is known to have been compromised, whether the login attempt originates from a network source or a physical source that has previously originated an attempt to log in using login information known to have been compromised, and whether multiple login attempts using the login information from multiple users has originated from the source. A suspicion index can be calculated based on the presence of the indicators of suspicious behavior. The system can require enhanced authentication based on the measurement of suspicious behavior.
US09942219B2

In one embodiment, a method is provided that may include one or more operations. One of these operations may include, in response, at least in part, to a request to store input data in storage, encrypting, based least in part upon one or more keys, the input data to generate output data to store in the storage. The one or more keys may be authorized by a remote authority. Alternatively or additionally, another of these operations may include, in response, at least in part, to a request to retrieve the input data from the storage, decrypting, based at least in part upon the at least one key, the output data. Many modifications, variations, and alternatives are possible without departing from this embodiment.
US09942217B2

Devices, systems, and methods for generating a secure token specific to an online service provider are provided. User account information of a user is transmitted to a token processor from an online service provider requesting a secure token generation. The token processor also receives exchange information for an exchange between the user and the online service provider. The token processor generates, based on the exchange information and the user account information, a secure token to be used for the exchange. The generated secure token is mapped to the online service provider and transmitted to the online service provider. The stored secure token is usable only at the mapped online service provider.
US09942206B1

A method includes accessing genomic data of from a genomic database; generating, by a processor, a first hash by probabilistically and irreversibly encrypting a first portion of the genomic data encoding the first genomic sequence, the first hash projecting the first portion into reduced dimensions such that the first portion of the genomic data encoding the first genomic sequence becomes statistically improbable to recover outside the first processor; generating, by the processor, a first cryptogram by deterministically and reversibly encrypting a second portion of the genomic data encoding the first genomic sequence; generating, by the processor, a look-up table by using at least the first cryptogram as a key and the first portion of the genomic data encoding the first genomic sequence as the value, and transmitting data encoding the first hash and the first cryptogram to one or more processors that are different from the first processor.
US09942201B1

A method for operating a network is provided. The method comprises segmenting the network into a plurality of virtual private networks, wherein each virtual private network runs on an underlying physical network; and wherein each virtual private network represents a particular context; and configuring at least some nodes within the network to send and receive traffic based on context.
US09942200B1

A user is provisioned for a Web service by supplying a user name and password. A digital certificate and VPN identifier are generated and downloaded to the user's computer. The VPN identifier and user identifier are stored into a database. The user accesses the Web service and establishes a VPN using the certificate and VPN identifier. A user identifier, user name or user password is not required. A gateway computer uses the VPN identifier to access the database previously established during the provisioning session to retrieve the user identifier. Retrieval of the user identifier validates that the computing device is authorized to use the Web service. The gateway computer stores the client IP address and a mapping to the user identifier into a database. A proxy server retrieves the user identifier from the database using the IP address and includes the user identifier in Web traffic for a remote computer.
US09942195B2

Disclosed herein is a network address translation (NAT) traversal method. A node sends a first, second, and third detection message from a local port to a first, second, and third response server, respectively, in order to receive from the response servers a first, second, and third response message, which respectively include a first, second, and third proximal external port number (EPN). The node then deduces a rule for proximal EPNs based on the received ones. Also disclosed is a system for mediating connection. The system assists a first node on a network in NAT traversal and includes at least three response servers, which receive detection messages from the first node and send back response messages that include EPNs.
US09942178B2

A method of providing a document sharing service based on a messaging service includes: receiving, by a server, a document transmission signal for transmitting a document which is displayed in a chat window of a first chat group from a first terminal application corresponding to a member of the first chat group, to second terminal applications respectively corresponding to members of a second chat group different from the first chat group; obtaining, by the server, a document identifier from the document transmission signal, searching, by the server, a database for a document corresponding to the document identifier, and transmitting, by the server, the document to the second terminal applications; and updating, by the server, shared status information of the document in the database based on a shared status of the document in the second chat group.
US09942177B1

A cloud information service provides information delivery substantially in real-time to in-network users and out-of-network users. Information delivered is formatted to appear visually as a card (a “smartcard”) for both in-network and out-of-network users. Real-time communication by way of messaging is enabled with any user whether they are in-network or out-of-network. Users of the cloud information service may employ mobile devices or desktop or laptop computers. Updates in substantially real-time are provided to the smartcards as the data sources change. The data sources may include enterprise and Internet data. The information is provided in a manner to remain current for mobile users and is efficient for mobile networks that can often experience poor connectivity and limited bandwidth.
US09942176B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for processing electronic messages and/or reply electronic messages. A contact entry associated with a user issue is created. A unique token associated with the contact entry is generated. Electronic messages sent to the user are generated with a reply-to address that incorporates the token.
US09942175B1

A sequence of packets is stored in a memory of the network device such that a current packet in the sequence of packets is stored at a predetermined distance following a preceding packet in the sequence. Lengths of corresponding ones of the packets stored in the memory are indicated in the memory. The packets are sequentially read from the memory based on the indicated lengths of corresponding ones of the packets stored in the memory. An operation is performed on the ones of the packets read from the memory. Subsequent to performing the operation, least some of the packets are written back to the memory. Ones of the packets are written to the memory beginning at a memory location following a respective preceding packet in the sequence by a predetermined distance.
US09942170B2

The present disclosure relates to a technique for configuring transmission of a multicast channel carrying scheduling information and data belonging to one or more multicast services, the scheduling information indicating scheduling of the multicast services mapped to the multicast channel. A method embodiment comprises the steps of configuring (404) the transmission of the scheduling information on the multicast channel based on a scheduling information specific transmission requirement and configuring (404) the transmission of the data belonging to the one or more multicast services based on a service specific transmission requirement; and signalling (406) the scheduling information specific transmission requirement and the service specific transmission requirement.
US09942169B1

A memory system has a plurality of memory stages in which each stage stores a respective portion of a data table. A request for reading an entry of the table is processed serially by the memory stages, and each stage narrows the range of table entries possibly storing the requested data. Based on the results of the previous stages, the final stage is able to quickly determine whether the requested data is stored in the data table and, if so, to retrieve the requested data from such table.
US09942161B1

The embodiments relate to configuring and updating quality of service (QOS) features for a router, especially for routers used in a home network or local area network. The QOS features are autonomous and do not require user configuration or intervention. The QOS features may be triggered during periods of congestion. Popular traffic services, such as voice, video streaming, and gaming, are preloaded into the router so that they are recognized automatically. In some embodiments, the router employs a programmed table to identify traffic sessions. The table may be updated remotely by an update service. The table may also be updated locally by a user via a client coupled to the router.
US09942149B2

A method and apparatus of a device that determines a match for a destination address using an exact match table and a longest prefix match table of a network element is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element receives a data packet that includes a destination address. The network element generates a key for the destination address, wherein the key represents more addresses than the destination address. The network element further performs an address lookup using the key in an exact match table. Furthermore, a match in the address lookup indicates a first transmitting interface of the network element. The network element additionally performs an address lookup using the destination address with a longest prefix match table, wherein a match in the address lookup indicates a second transmitting interface of the network element. In addition, the network element determines a resulting transmitting interface based on results from the exact match table address lookup and the longest prefix match address lookup. The network element forwards the data packet using the transmitting interface.
US09942135B2

A computer implemented method and system comprising receiving a data packet from a network source, extracting source and destination data from the received data packet, determining a user from the extracted source and destination data from the received data packet. If a label does not exist for the extracted source and destination data from the received data packet, creating a label for the data packet, the label comprising the extracted source data and historic source data for the determined user, calling a chaotic function with the label for the received data packet. If the chaotic function returns false, calling an alternative function for an output with the label for the received data packet. If the chaotic function returns true, capturing the output of the chaotic function, and updating the label with the output of the chaotic function or with the output of the alternative function.
US09942134B2

A lower level processor holds a link, in response to detecting a link down condition of the link. In response to the holding of the link, the lower level processor transmits a command to an upper level processor indicating the link down condition of the link. The lower level processor initiates a process of link recovery for the link, in response to receiving an authorization from the upper level processor.
US09942125B1

A method of detecting a fault in an Ethernet system is disclosed. The system includes multiple physical channels, each channel bounded by a pair of link partner transceivers. The method includes selectively coupling at least a first one of the physical channels to a second one of the physical channels. A test pattern is then transmitted along the first and second physical channels. Cross-channel information corresponding to the transmitted test pattern is received. An echo canceller in the second of the multiple channels is trained to generate an impulse response corresponding to the received crosstalk information. For a selected segment of the system, the generated impulse response is compared to an expected impulse response for that selected segment. The determination of whether a fault exists is based on the comparison.
US09942122B2

A storage system includes network monitoring device having NIC coupled to network and configured to capture raw data packets. The system further includes 4 data repositories. A first repository stores captured packets. A second repository stores captured packets' metadata. A third repository stores captured packets' and metadata's timestamp indexed data. A fourth repository stores captured packets' data flow. The storage system further includes a storage engine coupled to the repositories. The storage engine receives packet search criteria specifying at least a first time range. Data flow information associated with the search criteria is retrieved from the fourth repository. The retrieved data flow information is associated with a second, narrower, time range. Metadata information associated with the second time range is retrieved from the second repository using corresponding timestamp indexed data. Captured packets associated with the retrieved metadata are retrieved from the first repository using corresponding timestamp indexed data.
US09942119B2

The present disclosure relates to an adaptive jitter buffer for buffering audio data received via a network. The adaptive jitter buffer comprises an adaptive audio sample buffer, which comprises an adaptive resampler that receives a number of audio samples of the audio data and that outputs a first number of audio samples, which are resampled from the received number of audio samples according to a resampling factor, an audio sample buffer that buffers audio samples, wherein the outputted first number of audio samples are written to the audio sample buffer during an input access event and a second number of audio samples are read from the audio sample buffer during an output access event, and an audio sample buffer fill quantity controller that controls a fill quantity of the audio sample buffer based on controlling the resampling factor of the adaptive resampler.
US09942110B2

Monitoring of storage systems, including virtual tape libraries (VTLs), may be performed with automated systems. Automated monitoring may be performed through an SSH connection to a storage manager for the storage system. For example, a method may include initiating, by a monitoring server, an SSH connection to a storage manager; issuing commands, by the monitoring server, through the SSH connection to monitor a storage device coupled to the storage manager; receiving, by the monitoring server, responses to the issued commands through the SSH connection; matching, by the monitoring server, the responses to automation rules; and executing, by the monitoring server, commands based on the matched automation rules.
US09942105B2

A method includes providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays a view of the globe as from outer space. The view including a geographic distribution of beacons having one or more visual attributes. Each beacon corresponds to one or more real users who are accessing a website, web application or mobile app from a geographic location. The visual attributes include an indicator of a performance metric representative of an experience of the one or more real users of the website, web application, or mobile app. Each beacon is generated in real-time from aggregated data obtained in real-time from one or more corresponding real user sessions on the website, web application or mobile app. The beacons are periodically refreshed with the visual attributes changing in response to measured changes in the geographic distribution, a total number of real users at the location, or the performance indicator at the location.
US09942101B2

A method of providing topology information about a network to a topology manager is disclosed. The network includes a plurality of sensors each having a sensor ID, and the method includes performing the following steps at each of the plurality of sensors: receiving a stream of packets and identifying a topology trace packet in the stream of packets, wherein the topology trace packet has a destination address and an ID of a previous sensor, including the sensor ID in the topology trace packet, sending the topology trace packet to the destination address, forming a report message so as to include the sensor ID, the previous sensor ID, sending the report to the topology manager; and, providing network addresses of adjacent nodes to the topology manager.
US09942098B2

An appliance interconnection system and method. The system includes a high speed private local area network (LAN) and a logical cluster of appliances comprising a plurality of physical sub-clusters of appliance nodes. Each node of the appliance nodes includes a different generation node. The plurality of sub-clusters are interconnected via the high speed private LAN. A sub-cluster (N) of the plurality of physical sub-clusters comprises a first plurality of nodes of the appliance nodes. The sub-cluster (N) is associated with a plurality of (M) generation appliances of the logical cluster of appliances. Each appliance of the plurality of (M) generation appliances comprises a same type of appliance. (N) comprises a first cluster number and (M) comprises a first generation number of a first generation. The plurality of sub-clusters, in combination, form a single logical cluster.
US09942097B2

A switch can reduce power consumption in a switch network by disabling under-utilized links between switches. The switch can include one or more line cards each operable to transmit and receive packets over a respective link to a remote switch. The switch can also comprise a control mechanism operable to place under-utilized links in standby mode whenever possible to conserve power. During operation, the switch can receive a standby request for placing a first link to a neighboring switch in a standby mode, and determines whether one or more eligible links to the neighboring switch can accommodate traffic from the first link. If the eligible links are able to accommodate traffic from the first link, and if the local switch and the neighboring switch agree to place the first link in standby mode, the local switch proceeds to place the first link in standby mode.
US09942096B2

A tool for forwarding plane support in a distributed system utilizing a three-tiered architecture. The tool receives one or more messages, wherein the one or more messages include a plurality of state information. The tool determines a distribution scope for the one or more messages based, at least in part, on the plurality of state information. The tool determines a destination endpoint ID for the one or more messages, wherein the destination endpoint ID identifies one or more switch units to receive the one or more messages. The tool sends the one or more messages to a forwarding plane agent for distribution to the one or more switch units based, at least in part, on the distribution scope and the destination endpoint ID.
US09942094B1

The use of a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) of a user device to perform Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) update may replace the conventional use of multiple SMS messages to update the UICC of a user device. A UICC update request may be sent to a UICC update service of a wireless communication network via a communication session by a trusted update application that is executing in the TEE. Subsequently, the UICC update service may send a UICC update file to the user device via the communication session for storage in the TEE. A copy of the UICC update file is then transferred from the TEE to modem software of a modem in the user device. The modem software chunks the UICC update files into multiple UICC update data chunks. The data chunks are sent by the modem software to the UICC to update the UICC.
US09942076B2

A receiver for detecting and recovering payload data from a received signal, the receiver comprising a radio frequency demodulation circuit configured to detect the received signal, the received signal carrying the payload data as Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed, OFDM, symbols in one or more of a plurality of time divided frames, each frame including a preamble including a plurality of bootstrap OFDM symbols. One or more of the bootstrap OFDM symbols of the preamble carry signalling data represented as a relative cyclic shift of a signature sequence carried by the bootstrap OFDM symbols, the signalling data providing an indication of parameters for detecting and recovering the payload data carried by the one or more frames. The receiver comprises a detector circuit configured to detect and to convert a useful part of the one or more of the bootstrap OFDM symbols into the frequency domain and a bootstrap processor. The bootstrap processor is configured to generate, using the signature sequence, an estimate of a channel transfer function from a first bootstrap OFDM symbol, and to decode the signalling information carried by one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols using the estimate of the channel transfer function and the signature sequence. A demodulator circuit is configured to recover the signalling data from the one or more bootstrap OFDM symbols using the estimate of the channel transfer function. The bootstrap processor is configured to generate, for each of the one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols, an updated version of the channel transfer function, to equalize each of the one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols using the updated version of the channel transfer function for each of the one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols, and to detect the signalling data carried by the one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols by correlating the equalized one or more other bootstrap OFDM symbols with a reproduced version of the signature sequence. Embodiments of the present technique provide an improvement in detecting and recovering signalling data carried by the bootstrap signals by updating the channel transfer function for each bootstrap OFDM symbols.
US09942074B1

Examples described herein include systems and methods which include wireless devices and systems with examples of mixing input data with coefficient data specific to a processing mode selection. For example, a computing system with processing units may mix the input data for a transmission in a radio frequency (RF) wireless domain with the coefficient data to generate output data that is representative of the transmission being processed according to a specific processing mode selection. The processing mode selection may include a single processing mode, a multi-processing mode, or a full processing mode. The processing mode selection may be associated with an aspect of a wireless protocol. Examples of systems and methods described herein may facilitate the processing of data for 5G wireless communications in a power-efficient and time-efficient manner.
US09942069B2

A method and mobile communication device adapted for frequency synchronization with a radio access network (RAN) based on frequency shift detection in a first signal received at the mobile communication device, including: offsetting the first signal's frequency by a first value extracted from a second signal received at the mobile communication device; generating a replica of the first signal from a second value extracted from a third signal received at the mobile communication device; multiplying a component of the offset first signal with the replica to generate a product; transforming the product into a frequency-domain signal; and detecting a peak in the frequency-domain signal to determine the frequency shift.
US09942066B2

A method for simultaneously transmitting data bits and a clock signal includes converting the combination of the data bits and the clock signal to analog voltages by a digital-to-analog converter. The clock signal are the most significant bit of the digital-to-analog conversion and the data bits are the least significant bit of the digital-to-analog conversion.
US09942065B2

A wireless communication device includes a wireless communication unit and a processor. The wireless communication unit connects to relays for wireless communication and transmits and receives communication data via the relays by wireless communication. The processor determines a second relay different from a first relay currently connected to the wireless communication unit and a timing of connection to the second relay based on a predetermined connection standard. When setting are provided for switching destination to the second relay at the timing of connection, the processor instructs the wireless communication unit to send information on the second relay and information at the timing of connection to other predetermined wireless communication device. The processor instructs the wireless communication unit to switch the destination to the second relay at the timing of connection.
US09942064B2

The present application discloses a data processing method and apparatus. The technical solutions of the present application include: coding received data; distributing the coded data to multiple PCS lanes; and performing self-synchronizing scramble separately for multiple data streams distributed to the multiple PCS lanes, where the multiple data streams are in a one-to-one correspondence with the multiple PCS lanes. The technical solutions provided by the present application may be used to reduce occupied logical resources during a data processing process at a physical layer.
US09942051B1

The present invention provides systems and methods for supporting encrypted communications with a medical device, such as an implantable device, through a relay device to a remote server, and may employ cloud computing technologies. An implantable medical device is generally constrained to employ a low power transceiver, which supports short distance digital communications. A relay device, such as a smartphone or WiFi access point, acts as a conduit for the communications to the internet or other network, which need not be private or secure. The medical device supports encrypted secure communications, such as a virtual private network technology. The medical device negotiates a secure channel through a smartphone or router, for example, which provides application support for the communication, but may be isolated from the content.
US09942046B2

Cryptographic hashing circuitry such as mining circuitry used to mine digital currency may be formed on an integrated circuit. The hashing circuitry may include sequential rounds of register and logic circuitry that perform operations of a cryptographic protocol. A final hash output from the hashing circuitry may be checked using a difficulty comparison circuit to determine whether the hash output satisfies predetermined difficulty criteria. The difficulty comparison circuit may be configured as a hardwired comparison circuit having logic gates for checking only a subset of bits in the hash output. The comparison circuit may be adapted to change the number of bits that is checked based on a target number of bits for comparison set by the Bitcoin protocol. Candidate solutions found using the hardwired comparison circuit may then be fed to a host controller that checks the entire hash output to determine whether the candidate solution is valid.
US09942043B2

Techniques for enhancing the security of storing sensitive information or a token on a communication device may include sending a request for the sensitive information or token. The communication device may receive a session key encrypted with a hash value derived from user authentication data that authenticates the user of the communication device, and the sensitive information or token encrypted with the session key. The session key encrypted with the hash value, and the sensitive information or token encrypted with the session key can be stored in a memory of the communication device.
US09942042B1

A digitally signed authentication assertion is generated in response to successful authentication of a current user of a user device by using a signing key that is uniquely assigned to the authenticator process to digitally sign a document indicating that the current user of the user device was successfully authenticated on the user device. The signing key uniquely assigned to the authenticator process is stored in a key container associated with the user device, and the key container is located on a key container server that is physically separate from the user device. The digitally signed authentication assertion is conveyed from the authenticator process to an authentication service, in order to securely indicate to the authentication service that the current user of the user device has been verified as an authentic user by the authenticator process.
US09942041B1

Techniques for securely instantiating applications associated with computing resource service provider services on hardware that is controlled by third parties and/or customers of the computing resource service provider are described herein. A request to instantiate an application is received and fulfilled by selecting a computer system from computer systems that are controlled by a third party and/or a customer of the computing resource service provider. The computer system is selected based at least in part on the hardware capabilities of the computer system associated with instantiating a secure execution environment. The application is then instantiated within a secure execution environment operating on the computer system.
US09942034B2

Systems and methods are provided for confidential communication management. For instance, a server computer can include a protected server key identifier in a response message to a client computer. The protected server key identifier can include a server key identifier that identifies a server private key used to encrypt the response message. The client computer can pass the protected server key back in a subsequent request, so that the server computer can identify the proper server private key to use for decrypting the request message. In another example, a message may include encrypted protocol data (e.g., cipher suite) and separately encrypted payload data. The encrypted payload data can include a plurality of individually encrypted payload data elements.
US09942028B1

A timing error detection circuit for calibrating a serial transmitter is disclosed. The circuit includes a data source configured to provide data for serial transmission and a clock source configured to produce N versions of a sampling clock that are at N different phases of the sampling clock. The detection circuit has a first sampler configured to sample the data source by using a first phase of the sampling clock to generate a first sampled signal and a second sampler configured to sample the data source by using a second phase of the sampling clock to generate a second sampled signal. The detection circuit also includes a first comparator configured to compare the first and second sampled signals to generate a difference signal and a first low-pass filter configured to filter the difference signal to generate an average difference voltage. A second comparator in the detection circuit is configured to compare the average difference voltage with a reference voltage.
US09942025B2

Disclosed is an electrical transceiver for synchronous Ethernet, including: a first interface connected with a host; a second interface including a physical layer (PHY) transceiver connected with a serial link; and a processor connected with the first interface and the second interface, wherein the processor includes a timing control unit controlling a transmission signal transmitted to the second interface from the first interface and a reception signal transmitted to the first interface from the second interface to have the same time delay.
US09942023B2

Systems and methods for signaling in an increased carrier monitoring wireless communication environment are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) may include control circuitry to configure the UE for increased carrier monitoring; determine, based on a first signal received from a network apparatus, whether a reduced performance group carrier is configured; determine, based on a second signal received from the network apparatus, whether a scaling factor is configured; and in response to a determination that no reduced performance group carrier is configured and a determination that no scaling factor is configured, allow the UE to monitor fewer carriers than required by increased carrier monitoring. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.
US09942020B1

Embodiments herein describe recovering data packets received by a plurality of wireless antennas of a radio head. In one embodiment, the signals received by the radio head are filtered using a single filter to recover at least one data packet. In another embodiment, the signals received by the radio head are filtered using a plurality of filters to recover at least one data packet. In one embodiment, a controller coupled with the radio head filters the received signals and recovers the at least one data packet.
US09942019B2

Disclosed is a method for a base station to transmit a downlink control channel in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: separating each resource block, of which there are at least one, into a preconfigured number of subsets; structuring basic resource allocation units for an downlink control channel as one of the subsets comprised in one or more resource blocks; configuring the basic resource allocation units, the number of which correspond to the aggregation level of the downlink control channel, as transmission resources; and using the transmission resource to transmit the downlink control channel to a terminal.
US09942013B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for hierarchical modulation and interference cancellation in wireless communications systems. Various deployment scenarios may be supported that may provide communications on both a base modulation layer as well as in an enhancement modulation layer that is modulated on the base modulation layer, thus providing concurrent data streams that may be provided to the same or different user equipments. Various interference mitigation techniques may be implemented in examples to compensate for interfering signals received from within a cell, compensate for interfering signals received from other cell(s), and/or compensate for interfering signals received from other radios that may operate in adjacent wireless communications network.
US09942008B1

Systems and methods are provided for extending the range of a transmitter by time repetition. The systems and methods may include receiving, at the transmitter block, and input of signals corresponding to data for transmission. The systems and methods may further include repeating the signals, reordering the signals, and operating on the signals in such a way that an output of signals from the transmitter block is dependent on a time-varying function and corresponds to the data for transmission.
US09941999B1

Methods and apparatus embodiments to communicate data via a digital isolator by receiving an input data stream having first and second states, generating a first pulse train for the first state and a second pulse train for the second state. The first and second pulse types are transmitted across a voltage barrier of a digital signal isolator and received by a receive channel. The first and second pulse trains are processed to recover the input data stream in an output data stream. Data/System integrity functionality can identify fault conditions from an alteration of transmitted pulses.
US09941994B2

Methods and systems are provided for wavelength shift elimination during spectral inversion in optical networks. The method includes receiving an input optical signal, and generating a combined optical signal by combining, by Bragg scattering, the input optical signal having an input wavelength with a first pump signal having a first wavelength. The method further includes converting the combined optical signal into an output optical signal, by phase-conjugation, using a second pump signal having a second wavelength. The output optical signal has the same wavelength as the input optical signal.
US09941982B2

Systems and techniques relating to beamforming testing for wireless communication are described. A described technique includes controlling a first wireless device to deactivate or activate a beamforming mode, the first device being configured to selectively use the beamforming mode to transmit data over multiple antennas; causing the first device to send a first portion of data traffic to a second wireless device via a wireless channel while the beamforming mode is deactivated; measuring first throughput values of the first portion of data traffic while the beamforming mode is deactivated; causing the first device to send a second portion of data traffic to the second device via the wireless channel while the beamforming mode is activated; measuring second throughput values of the second portion of the data traffic while the beamforming mode is activated; and producing a test result based on a comparison of the first and second throughput values, and predetermined criteria.
US09941981B2

Body coupled communication device (200; 201) arranged to receive signals via a body transmission channel (260), the device (200) comprising —two couplers (202, 204) arranged to receive a body-coupled signal from the body transmission channel (260), the body transmission channel (260) being formed by a body of a user (150) when the body is in the direct vicinity of the couplers (202, 204), —a receiver amplifier (206) coupled to at least one of the two couplers, —an inductance (220) for matching the impedance of the receiver amplifier, the inductance being arranged in parallel to the couplers.
US09941979B2

A receiver-audio-device and a transmitter-audio-device. The receiver-audio-device comprises a receiver-ultrasound-receiver, configured to receive transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request, from a transmitter-audio-device, for complementary audio resources; and a receiver-processor, configured to generate a complementary-audio-output-signal based on at least the transmitter-ultrasound-signals and to provide the complementary-audio-output-signal to a receiver-loudspeaker. The receiver-loudspeaker is configured to provide a complementary-audio-output based on the complementary-audio-output-signal. The transmitter-audio-device, comprising: a transmitter-ultrasound-transmitter, configured to provide transmitter-ultrasound-signals representative of a request for complementary audio resources; a transmitter processor, configured to generate an audio-output-signal and to provide the audio-output-signal to a transmitter-loudspeaker. The transmitter-loudspeaker is configured to provide an audio-output based on the audio-output-signal.
US09941975B2

The invention relates to a wavelength division multiplexing optical receiver that is provided with a polarization splitting grating coupler and a driving method for the same, where the power consumption is reduced, and at the same time, a degradation in the receiver sensitivity is suppressed. Two monitor photodetectors configured to monitor the light intensity of a first polarization component and a second polarization component separated by a polarization splitting optical coupler are provided, and a control circuit is provided in order to allow a semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the first polarization component and another semiconductor optical amplifier that amplifies the second polarization component in accordance with the signal intensity ratio of the two monitor photodetectors to amplify light with different light gains.
US09941969B2

A transmitter includes a pilot loading apparatus, an optical modulator, and a pilot locking apparatus. The pilot locking apparatus is configured to determine a pilot operating point that is currently on a response curve and that is of the optical modulator, and a target initial amplitude of an electrical pilot signal. The pilot locking apparatus is further configured to control the pilot loading apparatus to adjust an initial amplitude of the electrical pilot signal to the target initial amplitude.
US09941958B2

An apparatus comprising a semiconductor chip that comprises an optical modulator configured to modulate an optical signal based on a received driver signal, a voltage-mode (VM) driver coupled to the optical modulator and configured to produce a level-shifted driver signal to modulate the optical signal, and a two-stage test interface coupled to the optical modulator and configured to receive and test the level shifted driver signal. The two-stage test interface comprises a voltage equalization stage coupled to an output-terminated buffer stage, the VM driver comprises a two-stage VM Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) driver that comprises a pre-driver coupled to a VM level-shifter (VMLS). The apparatus further comprises a resistor coupled to an output of the buffer stage, wherein the resistor comprises an amount of resistance that matches a termination resistance of a test equipment. The termination resistance is about 50 ohm (Ω).
US09941955B2

A method may include receiving, by a switching engine, an optical signal that includes a channel. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, a first beam steering grating to direct a first portion of the channel to a first output port. The method may include applying, by the switching engine, one or more second beam steering gratings to direct at least one of a second portion of the channel to a second output port, or a third portion of the channel to a photodetector. The third portion may be approximately less, in power, than 10 percent of the channel.
US09941951B2

Provided is an interference cancellation relay device. The interference cancellation relay device includes: an interference cancellation unit cancelling an interference signal from an input signal and outputting the input signal from which the interference signal is removed; a gain control unit controlling a gain of an output signal of the interference cancellation unit; and a pre-distortion unit distorting the output signal of the interference cancellation unit, of which the gain is controlled by the gain control unit.
US09941942B2

Provided are a method and device for processing Channel State Information (CSI), User Equipment (UE) and an Evolved Node B (eNodeB). The method includes: storing one or more sets of precoding codebook models the same as those of an eNodeB; determining a precoding codebook model for feeding back CSI; and sending the CSI to the eNodeB by adopting the determined precoding codebook model. By the solution, the problems of difficulty in code word selection and increase of link overhead during application of a codebook-based CSI feedback manner to massive Multi-input Multi-output (MIMO) in the related technology is solved, and the effect of reducing codebook transmission overhead is further achieved.
US09941936B2

A communication device includes a pulse width modulator that is provided with an oscillator signal at a communication carrier frequency. The pulse width modulator input is an amplified reference voltage that is regulated by a feedback loop. A modulation control provides the data signal to be transmitted. The modulation control may either be provided to the amplifier mixed with the reference voltage or may be provided to the pulse width modulator. A power transistor receives the pulse width modulator output and generates a chip output signal. An external filter is connected at the chip output to filter the signal that is provided to the communication antenna and produce a carrier sinusoid with an amplitude proportional to the pulse width modulated by voltage regulation and by the modulating data input. The power source is connected to the external filter. A differential version includes differential outputs from the pulse width modulator to two power transistors and through two external filters to a differential antenna.
US09941932B2

Pick-up devices (1-9) for picking-up signals from first cables (21, 22) in electrically contactless manners comprise first arrangements (31) for picking-up power signals from the first cables (21, 22) in inductive manners and second arrangements (35, 36) for picking-up data signals from the first cables (21, 22) in capacitive manners. The first arrangements (31) may comprise inductive couplings such as magnetic cores (61, 62) with first openings for surrounding parts of first conductors (21) of the first cables (21, 22) and with second openings for surrounding parts of second conductors (22) of the first cables (21, 22). The second arrangements (35, 36) may comprise capacitive couplings such as first and second electrodes (71-74). The pick-up devices (1-9) may be pick-up and transfer devices (3) for transferring the signals to second cables (23, 24) in electrically contactless manners. Provision devices (10) provide the signals in electrically conductive manners and termination devices (11-13) terminate the cables (21-24).
US09941921B2

A modular wireless communications platform is provided. The modular wireless communications platform has a modular host unit and a modular remote unit in communication with the modular host unit. The modular host unit and remote unit include a serial radio frequency communicator configured to convert serial digital data into RF sampled data and configured to convert RF sampled data into serial digital data. The modular host unit and remote unit also include an interface coupled to the serial radio frequency communicator and configured to allow transfer of the RF sampled data from the serial radio frequency communicator to a digital to analog radio frequency transceiver module.
US09941913B2

A filtering device intended for being connected to a portable mobile terminal compatible with a PMR network having a wide range of receiving frequencies Bi, includes a fastening system for fastening to the mobile terminal, a first radio-frequency connector intended for engaging with a radio-frequency connector of the mobile terminal, a first channel including a first filter for filtering a first receiving useful band Bui included within the band Bi, and a second radio-frequency connector intended for engaging with a removable RF antenna to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals.
US09941911B2

A mixing stage includes a first modulation stage that receives an input signal from a first common node of the mixing stage, a first local oscillator input that receives a local oscillator signal, and a first modulation signal output adapted to provide a first modulated signal. A second modulation stage of the mixing stage includes a second input that receives a phase inverted representation of the input signal from a second common node of the mixing stage, a second local oscillator input that receives the local oscillator signal, and a second modulation signal output adapted to provide a second modulated signal. A current generation circuit provides a supply current to the first common node and to the second common node. A current control circuit is adapted to superimpose an offset current to the current of at least one node of the first common node and the second common node.
US09941910B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a controller that determines a radiated throughput for at least one of an uplink throughput or a downlink throughput of the communication device, reduces transmit power for the communication device responsive to the radiated throughput satisfying a predetermined throughput range, and tunes a matching network of the communication device responsive to the radiated throughput not satisfying the predetermined throughput range. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09941903B1

A method of protecting digital words traversing multiple data paths is presented. The method identifies a number of bits for a header of a digital word and determines a number of protection bits for the header. A bit value for each of the protection bits is computed, and the computed bit values of the protection bits are transmitted through one or more data paths.
US09941897B1

A higher accuracy ADC circuit (e.g., in which the number of bits of the ADC circuit is twelve or greater) may need calibration multiple times during its working life to avoid bit weight errors. Described are techniques to address DAC element ratio errors between DAC element clusters in a DAC circuit in order to maintain the linear performance of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuits and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuits.
US09941887B2

An integrated circuit includes a field programmable gate array including: (i) a plurality of memory cells (e.g., static memory cells) to store data, wherein each memory cell includes a first output, (ii) a multiplexer including inputs, an output and input selects, (iii) a plurality of poly-silicon conductors, each poly-silicon conductor is disposed in the substrate and connected to the first output of an associated memory cell, (iv) poly-silicon extensions, each poly-silicon extension is (a) connected to an associated poly-silicon conductor and (b) coupled to an associated input select of the multiplexer, wherein the poly-silicon extensions are disposed in the substrate and at least partially under a metal conductor, disposed above the substrate, in the field programmable gate array.
US09941882B1

An integrated circuit with programmable logic is provided. The programmable logic may include multiplexers that are actively used by a custom logic design or unused. To ensure that these multiplexers do not suffer from aging effects when they are not in use, the multiplexers may be provided with aging prevention circuitry. In particular, such a multiplexer may include an input selection stage that is coupled in series with a tristate buffer stage. The input selection stage may include pass transistors or full CMOS transmission gates. The tristate buffer stage may include at least two pairs of output driving transistors, with gates that are selectively shorted when the multiplexer is activated using additional transmission gate circuits. The aging prevention circuitry may include tie-off transistors that are activated to drive the gate-to-source voltages of the output driving transistors to zero volts whenever the multiplexer is not in use.
US09941872B2

An apparatus includes first and second input transistors receiving respective first and second input signals, and a feedback circuit coupled to the first and second input transistors. The first and second input transistors provide first and second nodes with first and second currents according to values of the first and second input signals, respectively, when the feedback circuit is turned on. The first and second input transistors produce a reset value on the nodes when the feedback circuit is turned off. A method includes resetting, using first and second input transistors, respectively, values of first and second nodes to a reset value, providing first and second currents to the nodes using the first and second input transistors according to values of first and second input signals, and determining the values of the nodes according to the values of the first and second input signals.
US09941865B2

A method and circuitry for generating a trigger signal based on an oscillation signal and associated non-transitory computer program product are provided. The method includes following steps. Firstly, a calibration value is obtained according to a reference frequency and a frequency of the oscillation signal, and a counting value is gradually altered from a first initial value to a breakpoint value. Secondly, the counting value is updated to a second initial value when the counting value is equal to the breakpoint value. Then, the counting value is gradually altered from the second initial value to a final value, and the trigger signal is generated when the counting value is equal to the final value.
US09941862B2

The trans-filter compresses in band AWGN, demodulates input signals and has no threshold due to applied noise. Two frequency selective networks with opposite amplitude vs frequency slopes are designed to remain 180 degrees out of phase over the signal band. Output amplitudes are equal at band center and are summed producing a monotonic amplitude vs frequency characteristic going thru zero at center frequency with abrupt phase reversal. This produces the parabolic output noise density and differentiates applied signals. Absence of nonlinear circuit components and product devices prevents generation of noise×noise products, avoiding the threshold phenomenon. Exponentially modulated digital signals produce output impulses due to the slope and abrupt phase reversal. The impulses have strong fundamental frequency components and may be recovered at baseband without frequency conversion. Cascading trans-filters increases noise reduction and impulse amplitude. The trans-filter algorithm may be used separately or in conjunction with one or more hardware trans-filters.
US09941852B1

A semiconductor device includes an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with a matched pair of transistors including a first transistor and a second transistor, and configuration units that include a first set of switches, a second set of switches, and an input transistor. Gain adjustment circuitry is coupled to adjust gain of the OTA. Measurement circuitry is coupled to measure offset in the OTA. Control logic is configured to operate the first and second sets of switches to couple input transistors of a first group of the configuration units to the first transistor of the matched pair of transistors, and to couple input transistors of a remaining group of the configuration units to the second transistor of the matched pair of transistors. Settings of the first and second sets of switches are selected to minimize the offset.
US09941850B1

A fully differential operational amplifier is provided. The amplifier has input nodes and includes a differential input stage for receiving input signals over the input nodes and providing output signals on first and second intermediary nodes. The amplifier includes a fully differential amplification stage having positive and negative inputs coupled to the first and second intermediary nodes, respectively. The amplifier includes a first compensation transistor having conduction terminals coupled to the first intermediary node and a first node, and a control terminal coupled to a negative output of the fully differential amplification stage. The amplifier includes a second compensation transistor having conduction terminals coupled to the second intermediary node and a second node, and a control terminal coupled to a positive output of the fully differential amplification stage. The amplifier includes positive and negative output stages for providing amplifier outputs and feeding the outputs back to the amplifier.
US09941847B2

A speaker driver comprising an amplifier, configured to receive a test signal that comprises a plurality of equivalent test-blocks, and provide measurement-signalling for a speaker at the amplifier output. The measurement-signalling comprising a plurality of measurement-blocks, wherein each of the measurement-blocks corresponds to the output of the amplifier for one of the plurality of test-blocks. The speaker driver also includes an output-current-sensor configured to: measure a current level of the measurement-signalling, and provide sensed-signalling that comprises a plurality of sensed-blocks, wherein each of the plurality of sensed-blocks corresponds to one of the plurality of measurement-blocks of the measurement-signalling. The speaker driver further includes a processor configured to either: (a) combine the plurality of sensed-blocks to provide a time-averaged-block; and determine a frequency-spectrum of the time-averaged-block; or (b) determine a frequency-spectrum of each of the plurality of sensed-blocks to provide a plurality of frequency-spectrum-sensed-blocks; and combine the plurality of frequency-spectrum-sensed-blocks to provide a time-averaged-frequency-spectrum-block.
US09941845B2

Apparatus are provided for amplifier systems and related circuits are provided. An exemplary circuit includes a main amplifier arrangement, first impedance matching circuitry coupled between the output of the main amplifier arrangement and a first output of the circuit, a peaking amplifier arrangement, and second impedance matching circuitry coupled between the output of the peaking amplifier arrangement and a second output of the circuit. In one exemplary embodiment, the first impedance matching circuitry and the second impedance matching circuitry have different circuit topologies and different physical topologies.
US09941842B2

A power amplifier bias circuit having high dynamic range and low memory is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes an output stage configured to generate a biased RF signal based on a first DC signal and a filtered signal. The apparatus also includes a low pass filter configured to filter the biased RF signal to generate the filtered signal.
US09941838B2

A low voltage crystal oscillator (XTAL) driver with feedback controlled duty cycling for ultra low power biases an amplifier for an XTAL in the sub-threshold operating regime. A feedback control scheme can be used to bias the amplifier for an XTAL biased in the sub-threshold operating regime. The amplifier of a XTAL oscillator can be duty cycled to save power, e.g., the XTAL driver can be turned off to save power when the amplitude of the XTAL oscillation reaches a maximum value in range; but be turned back on when the amplitude of the XTAL oscillation starts to decay, to maintain the oscillation before it stops. In addition or alternatively, a feedback control scheme to duty cycle the amplifier of a XTAL oscillator can be used to monitor the amplitude of the oscillation.
US09941835B2

A rapidly installable photovoltaic mounting system that can be manually snapped onto a first photovoltaic module and then lowered onto a trapezoidal metal roof to serve as a base for receiving a second photovoltaic module thereon.
US09941829B2

Systems and methods for controlling the operating speed and the torque of an electric motor using an operational model are described. An operational model for the electric motor, including a plot of engine performance parameters, is used for reference, and a most efficient output path, which may pass through an optimal operation region in the operational model, is selected. The most efficient output path may be determined, for example, according to locations of a current output state and a to-be-reached target state in the operational model, enabling the operating state of the motor to reach the target state from the current operating state. By selecting a more efficient output path, the operating efficiency of the motor may be optimized, the life of a battery improved and/or the operating mileage of the vehicle may be increased, without significantly reducing the driving experience.
US09941824B2

An electric working machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a brushless motor, a rotational position sensor, a detector, and a calculator. The calculator detects, when the brushless motor is inertially rotated, a difference between a detection result obtained by the rotational position sensor and a detection result obtained by the detector and calculates a correction value, based on the difference, for correcting the detection result obtained by the rotational position sensor.
US09941808B2

According to one disclosed embodiment, a smart power delivery system includes a power conversion unit having a communication module and a power management module that can convert mains power into an optimized voltage and limited current used to power an electronic device. In one embodiment, a power conversion unit can optimize an output voltage by communicating with a connected electronic device and exchanging parameters representing desired characteristics of the output voltage. In one embodiment, an electronic device receives power from a power conversion unit through a wired power conduit. In another embodiment, an electronic device receives power from a power conversion unit through a wireless power conduit. In one embodiment, an optimal voltage is selected after negotiation between multiple electronic devices and a power conversion unit.
US09941796B2

In one embodiment, a control circuit configured for an interleaved switching power supply having first and second voltage conversion circuits, can include: a feedback compensation signal generation circuit that generates a feedback compensation signal; a first power switch control circuit that activates a first on signal when a first voltage signal that represents an inductor current of the first voltage conversion circuit is less than the feedback compensation signal, a first power switch of the first voltage conversion circuit being turned on based on the first on signal, and turned off after a predetermined time; and a second power switch control circuit that activates a second on signal after half of a switching period from a rising edge of the first on signal, and a second power switch control signal to turn on a second power switch of the second voltage conversion circuit based on the second on signal.
US09941794B2

In order to reduce spurious emissions of a current converter or voltage converter having at least one power switch which is actuated with an actuating signal, wherein each actuating signal comprises switch-on pulses spaced apart from one another, and wherein pulse widths of the switch-on pulses are modulated in order to meet a specification for a current or a voltage in or at the current converter or voltage converter, the pulse widths are additionally varied more quickly and more strongly than is appropriate for meeting the specification in order to change the spectrum of the spurious emissions. In this context, changes to the pulse widths when they additionally vary compared to the pulse widths that would result only owing to their modulation to meet the specification are made on the basis of successive groups of changes which each extend over a predefined number of successive switch-on pulses and in which a sum of the changes is zero in each case. The successive groups of changes are varied with respect to at least one aspect which is selected from absolute values of the changes, signs of the changes, a sequence of the changes and an extent of the group.
US09941791B1

The present disclosure describes apparatuses and techniques of fast transient response for switching power regulators. In some aspects, an output voltage of a switching regulator operating in a discontinuous mode is monitored via a comparator coupled directly to an output of the switching regulator. In response to the output voltage falling below a predefined threshold, a high-side switch is activated to provide current to a load connected to the output of the switching regulator. The switching regulator is then transitioned from the discontinuous mode of operation to a continuous mode of operation to control subsequent operation of the high-side switch. This can be effective to mitigate a drop in the output voltage of the switching regulator when an amount of current consumed by the load increases (e.g., a load step).
US09941780B2

A power converting apparatus includes a rectifier converting alternating-current power from an alternating-current power supply into direct-current power; a short-circuit unit short-circuiting the alternating-current power supply via a reactor; and a controlling unit controlling the short-circuit unit in a half cycle of the alternating-current power supply. A correction amount using inductance of the reactor is set in the controlling unit, and the controlling unit changes, using at least a detection value of a power supply current and the correction amount, an ON time and an OFF time of a plurality of switching pulses, and controls, using changed switching pulses, an ON/OFF operation of the short-circuit unit.
US09941773B2

An actuator includes a circuit board having an electromagnetic interference (EMI) reduction circuit. The actuator includes a motor having a motor casing mounted on the circuit board. A portion of the motor casing contacts a surface of the circuit board. The actuator includes an electrical contact conductively coupled to the EMI reduction circuit and mounted on the surface of the circuit board. The electrical contact establishes a conductive path between the EMI reduction circuit and the motor casing when the motor casing is mounted on the circuit board.
US09941749B2

There is provided a non-contact type charger including: a plurality of power transmitting coils transmitting power in a non-contact manner; a plurality of switching units connected to the plurality of power transmitting coils, respectively, to switch power transmitted by corresponding power transmitting coils; and a switching control unit controlling power switching of the switching units, depending on coupling coefficients between each of the plurality of power transmitting coils and a plurality of power receiving coils which receive the power transmitted by the plurality of power transmitting coils to charge a plurality of battery cells connected thereto with power.
US09941748B2

Techniques for remote interactions with devices, such as charging, communications, and user interaction, are provided. Specifically, systems and methods to provide charging of devices, such as, remote charging by photovoltaic (PV) cells, infrared (IR) illumination, audio signals, and LEDs such as laser LEDs to charge devices such as watches, jewelry, car panels, headphones and phones, are presented.
US09941746B2

Provided is a power transmitting device, a power feeding system, and a power feeding method in which power loss is cut by increasing power use efficiency and power can be supplied to a power feeding user (a power receiving device) with high power transmission efficiency. Depending on a power feeding state (e.g., resonant frequency of a power transmitting resonance coil is not the same as that of a power receiving resonance coil, or the influence of their positional relation), power transmitted from a power source portion of the power transmitting device is reflected to the power transmitting coil side by the power transmitting resonance coil. Further, a power recovering function (circulation function) for power reflected to the power transmitting device is provided to recover the power reflected to the power transmitting coil side and to reuse it for power transmission.
US09941742B2

A wireless power transmission apparatus for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus includes a first wireless power transmission module configured to wirelessly transmit power using a first method, a second wireless power transmission module configured to wirelessly transmit power using a second method, and a controller configured to control the first wireless power transmission module and the second wireless power transmission module. The first wireless power transmission module includes a first signal transmission unit configured to transmit a first signal for detecting the wireless power reception apparatus, a second signal transmission unit configured to transmit a second signal for determining whether the detected wireless power reception apparatus is capable of receiving power transmitted using the first method and a reception unit configured to receive a signal from the wireless power reception apparatus.
US09941725B2

A method and an electronic device for supplying power to a battery are provided. The electronic device includes a housing, a battery disposed inside the housing, and a power management circuit configured to control power supplied from an external power source to the battery. The power management circuit is configured to supply power from the external power source to the battery to apply a substantially constant current to the battery during a first time interval, supply power from the external power source to the battery to maintain a substantially constant voltage in the battery during a second time interval following the first time interval, sense a current value applied to the battery and a voltage value of the battery, and determine a duration of the first time interval based on at least part of the sensed current value and the sensed voltage value.
US09941719B2

A surface with various layers that provide wireless charging may include at least one of a top surface layer, a second layer, comprising a plurality of lights and a power grid, disposed under the top surface layer, a charging pad disposed on a portion of the power grid, and a third layer, comprising a power supply which provides power to the plurality of lights and the power grid, disposed under the second layer.
US09941718B2

A method for conducting an operation including a power tool battery pack. The battery pack can include a housing, a first cell supported by the housing and having a voltage, and a second cell supported by the housing and having a voltage. The battery pack also can be connectable to a power tool and be operable to supply power to operate the power tool. The method can include discharging one of the first cell and the second cell until the voltage of the one of the first cell and the second cell is substantially equal to the voltage of the other of the first cell and the second cell.
US09941715B2

A charging station includes a main body, a central emission module, a supersonic receiver, a controller, and a lateral emission module having a left infrared emitter and a right infrared emitter. The controller drives the left infrared emitter and the right infrared emitter to emit alternatively infrared signals to a first signal area and a second signal area, respectively. When the supersonic receiver receives a supersonic signal from the self-propelled apparatus, the controller drives the central emission module to emit another infrared signal to a third signal area so as to guide the self-propelled apparatus to enter the third signal area. When a distance between the self-propelled apparatus and the charging port is smaller than a predetermined distance, the self-propelled apparatus turns to have a charging-input unit thereof to face the charging port. In addition, a charging system including the charging station and the self-propelled apparatus is also provided.
US09941709B2

A novel hybrid lithium-ion anode material based on coaxially coated Si shells on vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (CNF) arrays. The unique cup-stacking graphitic microstructure makes the bare vertically aligned CNF array an effective Li+ intercalation medium. Highly reversible Li+ intercalation and extraction were observed at high power rates. More importantly, the highly conductive and mechanically stable CNF core optionally supports a coaxially coated amorphous Si shell which has much higher theoretical specific capacity by forming fully lithiated alloy. Addition of surface effect dominant sites in close proximity to the intercalation medium results in a hybrid device that includes advantages of both batteries and capacitors.
US09941708B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed for power transfer including a plurality of coil structures located over a ferrite element, the plurality of coil structures configured to generate a high flux region and a low flux region, the low flux region being located between the plurality of coil structures, and a tuning capacitance located directly over the ferrite element in the low flux region.
US09941688B2

A method of operating a refrigeration system that receives power from an electrical grid includes selectively operating at least one component of the refrigeration system in a first state. The method includes selectively detecting a fault event of the electrical grid in response to a concurrent (i) increase in amount of current drawn by the component and (ii) decrease in voltage of power received by the component. The method includes, in response to detecting the fault event, switching the component from the first state to a second state. The component consumes less power in the second state than in the first state. The method includes determining a first delay period. The method includes identifying a conclusion of the fault event. The method includes, in response to the conclusion of the fault event, waiting for the first delay period before switching the component back to the first state.
US09941683B2

The device comprises at least a first part intended to detect an electrical fault occurring in a network and a second part comprising at least one switch connecting the network to a power supply source, the first part comprising at least one reflectometry detection system capable of being coupled with the network, the system detecting and analyzing the impedance changes occurring in the network, a signal being sent by the system to trigger the opening of the switch when a detected impedance change is considered by the system to be an electrical fault.
US09941680B2

An apparatus and a method are for varying an impedance of a phase line of a segment of a first electrical power line, the phase line including n conductors electrically insulated from each other and short-circuited together at two ends of the segment. The apparatus includes at least one controllable switching device for connection with at least one of the conductors. The apparatus also includes a controller for performing control of the at least one controllable switching device, the controller having at least one optical port for receiving first optical signals on which the control is based, and for sending second optical signals to adjacent switching apparatuses, the second optical signals including status information of the one switching apparatus, upon which control of adjacent switching apparatuses is based.
US09941671B2

A corona igniter assembly including an ignition coil assembly, a firing end assembly, and a dielectric compliant member is provided. The dielectric compliant member is compressed between a high voltage insulator of the ignition coil assembly and a ceramic insulator of the firing end assembly. During assembly of the corona igniter assembly, the dielectric compliant member pushes air outwards and forms a hermetic seal between the high voltage insulator and the ceramic insulation. The dielectric compliant member can have a rounded upper surface, which may improve the hermetic seal. Alternatively, or in addition to the rounded surface on the dielectric compliant member, the lower surface of the high voltage insulator can be rounded to push air outwards during assembly and provide a hermetic seal.
US09941668B2

In various embodiments, wavelength beam combining laser systems incorporate etalons to establish external lasing cavities and/or to combine multiple input beams into a single output beam.
US09941664B1

A hybrid III-V on silicon laser device includes a layer structure, with a stack of III-V semiconductor gain materials, a silicon waveguide core and a cladding structure. The semiconductor gain materials stack is along a stacking direction, which is perpendicular to a main plane of the stack. The silicon waveguide core extends along a longitudinal direction, parallel to the main plane. The cladding structure extends between said waveguide core and the stack. The device further comprises an optical coupling structure formed in the layer structure. This coupling structure is designed: 1) to allow a hybrid-mode optical coupling of radiation between the stack of III-V semiconductor gain materials and the tapered waveguide core; and 2) to favor a coupling of a fundamental transverse optical mode of said radiation over a coupling of one or more higher-order transverse optical modes of said radiation from the stack into the waveguide core.
US09941660B2

A tunable lasing device including a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser, adapted to generate a fundamental laser beam in response to pumping from a pump source, said fundamental laser beam having a fundamental wavelength and a fundamental linewidth; a fundamental resonator cavity adapted to resonate the fundamental beam therein; a first optical element located within the fundamental resonator cavity for control of the fundamental linewidth of the fundamental beam; a Raman resonator located at least partially in said fundamental resonator adapted to receive the fundamental beam and comprising therein, a solid state Raman active medium located therein for generating at least a first Stokes beam from the fundamental beam wherein said Raman resonator cavity is adapted to resonate said Stokes beam therein and further adapted to emit an output beam; and further comprising a nonlinear medium located within the Raman resonator cavity for nonlinear frequency conversion of at least one of the beams present in the fundamental or the Raman resonator cavity; said tunable lasing device further comprising an output coupler adapted to emit an output beam, said output beam comprising at least a portion of said frequency converted beam being derived from at least one of the resonating beams in said fundamental or said Raman resonator cavities.
US09941657B2

A passively mode-locking laser and corresponding method is described. The laser comprises a resonator (2) terminated by first (3) and second (4) mirrors and folded by a third (5) and fourth (6) mirror. The third mirror comprises a reflector (14) surmounted by a multilayer semiconductor gain medium (15) including at least one quantum well layer while the second mirror (4) comprises an intensity saturable mirror. The resonator is configured to provide a cross sectional area of an intra cavity resonating field on the intensity saturable mirror that is greater than or equal to a cross sectional area of the intra cavity resonating field on the multilayer semiconductor gain medium. This arrangement provides a passively mode-locking laser that exhibits increased stability when compared to those systems known in the art.
US09941630B2

A power source connector device includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a first housing and first terminals. The second connector includes second terminals. The second terminals face each other at least partially with a space in between. When the first connector and the second connector fit to each other, a portion of the first housing is disposed in the space. At the same time, a portion of an outer wall of one of the first connector and the second connector abuts an inner wall of the other of the second connector or the first connector. An engaging portion is disposed on the outer wall, and a corresponding engaging portion for engaging with the engaging portion is disposed on the inner wall. The engaging portion is supported using the first housing disposed in the space.
US09941626B2

The present disclosure discloses an electrical receptacle assembly. The electrical receptacle assembly comprises a housing with a first compartment and a second compartment with at least one third opening for receiving power supply cables. The first compartment has a second opening for receiving a switch knob, defined with central axis. A base of the second compartment fitted with a switch assembly in the housing. The switch assembly defines a spindle which is required to align axially with the central axis of the slot of the switch knob. A first and a second switch assembly mounting locations on the base mounts the switch assembly. The first mounting location is used when the power supply cables are positioned to enter the receptacle from operatively below the receptacle and the second mounting location is used when the power supply cables are positioned to enter the receptacle from operatively above the receptacle.
US09941619B2

A connector includes a housing and a front holder. The front holder includes an arm portion to be exposed at a side surface of the housing. The housing includes a pair of extension walls on the side surface of the housing to cover the arm portion. The pair of extension walls has a first part and a second part. In the first part, a distance between the extension ends of the extension walls is constant. In the second part, the distance increases gradually as they extend away from the first part in the attaching direction. A distal end of the arm portion is in a position corresponding to the second part when the front holder is in a final lock position, and the distal end of the arm portion is in a position corresponding to the first part when the front holder is in a preliminary lock position.
US09941615B2

A leaf spring portion turning back at a bottom wall (first side wall portion) and coming into contact with a male terminal of a connector on the other side to press the male terminal to a ceiling wall (second side wall portion) is formed in a tubular-shaped main terminal body portion in a terminal, the main terminal body portion is formed when a metal plate is bent in a tubular shape such that a pair of end edges approaches each other to form the ceiling wall (second side wall portion), and depressed portions bending toward an inside of the main terminal body portion and extending in a longitudinal direction of the main terminal body portion are provided in a pair of respective wall portions forming the ceiling wall (second side wall portion).
US09941603B2

A metallic contact for insertion into a modular telecommunications plug includes a generally planar body defining a top end, a bottom end, a front end, a rear end, and a length extending from the front end to the rear end. The bottom end is at least partially defined by a blade for piercing an insulation of a wire positioned within the plug. At least a portion of the top end is configured to electrically contact a conductor of a jack that receives the plug. The top end is defined at least in part by a first engagement surface that is separated from a second engagement surface by a notch. An uppermost portion of the first engagement surface defines a first push surface that is generally at the same height as a second push surface defined by an uppermost portion of the second engagement surface. The notch is defined by a front vertical wall spaced from a rear vertical wall, wherein the front vertical wall is positioned at a distance of at least half the length of the contact from the front end of the contact.
US09941602B2

A terminal that is capable of positively scraping off insulation coating of an electric wire. A wire connection portion is formed with a slit. A pair of positioning portions and a pair of supporting portions are disposed with the slit of the wire connection portion therebetween. A spacing between the pair of supporting portions is smaller than a spacing between the pair of positioning portions. Each supporting portion is formed with a corner portion in an end portion thereof toward a positioning portion associated therewith. Each positioning portion is formed with a cutout in an end portion thereof toward the supporting portion. An inner surface of the cutout is continuous with a surface of each corner portion toward the positioning portion.
US09941598B2

Described herein are technologies related to an in-band full-duplex wireless communication operation. More particularly, the technologies utilize a complementary pair of antennas for signal transmission and reception arranged in a new manner to be both compact (relatively to conventional approaches) and provide an extremely high (e.g., 60 dB or more) isolation.
US09941594B2

An antenna system includes an antenna having an aperture, and a polarizer array. The polarizer array includes a support structure, at least two polarizer elements arranged relative to the support structure, each of the at least two polarizer elements rotatable about a separate axis, and an actuator coupled to the at least two polarizer elements, the actuator operative to effect common rotation of the at least two polarizer elements. The polarizer array is arranged to at least partially cover the antenna aperture.
US09941584B2

A reconfigurable radio frequency aperture including a substrate, a plurality of reconfigurable patches on the substrate, and a plurality of reconfigurable coupling elements on the substrate, wherein at least one reconfigurable coupling element is coupled between a reconfigurable patch and another reconfigurable patch, and wherein the reconfigurable coupling elements affect the mutual coupling between reconfigurable patches.
US09941583B2

A lightning protection device for an antenna receiver includes a shield for a coaxial cable connected to the antenna, and a high-pass filter mounted in series relative to the shield and capable of limiting the low-frequency power flowing in the coaxial cable, including a capacitor and an inductor lower than 1 ohm at the lowest frequency used by the receiver, the capacitor including at least one layer of a conductive material embedded in a printed circuit. The capacitor may be made of a printed circuit including at least two floor plans, each of which is connected to the ground of a connector of the coaxial cable. The printed circuit may include at least one layer of a highly pervious material sandwiched between two layers of a conductive material.
US09941578B2

An antenna comprising: a hollow conductive chamber having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the lower end is open; a shorting strap electrically connected to the upper end; a conductive center member running through the chamber and electrically connected to the shorting strap; a conductive ground plane having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface is separated from the lower end of the chamber by a gap; and a first solid insulator connected to the chamber and the top surface of the ground plane such that the first insulator fills the gap and fills the lower end and an interior portion of the chamber.
US09941574B2

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing having a conductive portion in at least a part of the housing, a component which is accommodated in the housing and emits noise, an antenna which overlaps the component in a thickness direction of the housing, and a conductive member which electrically connects a ground of the antenna and the conductive portion of the housing.
US09941572B2

An NFC antenna assembly is provided. One embodiment of the NFC antenna assembly disclosed herein includes: a metal plate defining a fitting aperture which penetrates through the metal plate in a thickness direction of the metal plate; a mounting sheet disposed in the fitting aperture; an insulating washer disposed in the fitting aperture and surrounding the mounting sheet; and an NFC antenna disposed on the mounting sheet, wherein the mounting sheet comprises a first through slot extended in a radial direction of the mounting sheet, and the metal plate comprises a second through slot extended from the fitting aperture to a periphery of the metal plate.
US09941568B2

The invention relates to a transition device between a printed transmission line on a dielectric substrate and a rectangular waveguide including a front face forming an inlet of the waveguide, a rear face parallel to the front face and forming an outlet of the waveguide, a lower face, an upper face parallel to the lower face, the upper and lower faces extending between the front and rear faces, the waveguide being a block of dielectric material whereof the faces are fully metallized except for the front face and the rear face, the transition device including: a three-dimensional cavity formed in the volume of the waveguide between the inlet of the waveguide, further forming the inlet of the cavity, and the rear face widening, the cavity being at an inlet height of the lower face of the waveguide and ending at a distance from the inlet of the cavity at an outlet height greater than the inlet height; an electrical connection extending from the transmission line along the front face of the waveguide up to the inlet of the three-dimensional cavity.
US09941564B2

A dielectric resonator includes: two dielectric resonant cylinders and a metal cavity, wherein the dielectric resonant cylinders are located within the metal cavity; and it also includes: a fastener and a connector, wherein bottoms of the dielectric resonant cylinders are connected via the connector to form a U-shaped structure, and the connector is fixed on the metal cavity via the fastener. With the dielectric resonator of the embodiments of the present invention, a good close contact between the dielectric resonant cylinders and the metal cavity can be guaranteed, thereby improving the resonant performance of the dielectric resonator.
US09941563B2

Disclosed are embodiments of ceramic radiofrequency filters advantageous as RF components. The ceramic filters can include a ceramic stepped impedance resonator, wherein the inner diameter of the ceramic stepped impedance resonator can vary from one end to another end. The inner diameter can be, for example, tapered, sectioned, or stair-stepped in order to provide different impedances in the ceramic resonator.
US09941562B2

A microwave-frequency filtering structure includes two dielectric layers separated by a conducting layer that is etched in the pattern of a filter, the upper and lower exterior faces of the stack being covered over the larger part of their surface by a conducting plane constituting ground planes of the structure, which are interlinked by a metallization of the periphery of the structure; two identical devices, an input and an output transition device, each allowing the passage from a microstrip mode to a stripline mode and vice versa, configured so that the geometry of the transition device is optimized to minimize the standing wave ratios at the ports of the filter, and to minimize the excitation and the coupling of the TE10 mode, two conducting pillars perpendicular to the plane of the structure and situated close to its principal axis, without being coupled with the filter, and linking the upper and lower ground planes.
US09941557B2

System and methods are disclosed incorporating a battery cooling system design that may provide for relatively uniform cooling of an associated battery system. In certain embodiments, a battery cooling system may include a central coolant delivery system configured to circulate liquid coolant through one or more coolant flow channels included in one or more cooling plates. One or more seals may be used to couple the central coolant delivery system to the one or more coolant delivery plates. Embodiments of the disclosed battery cooling system may allow for relatively straightforward manufacturing processes and/or assembly of the cooling system, provide sufficient mechanical strength to support a group of battery packs, reduce the occurrence of liquid coolant leaks, and/or provide for relatively uniform cooling of a group of battery packs.
US09941552B2

Described embodiments include a system and a method. A system includes at least two individually controllable electrochemical cells configured to output electric power. Each individually controllable cell includes an electrolyte, and a first working electrode configured to transfer electrons to or from the electrolyte. Each individually controllable cell includes a second working electrode configured to transfer electrons to or from the electrolyte. Each individually controllable cell includes a gating electrode spaced-apart from the second working electrode and configured if biased relative to the second working electrode to modify an electric charge, field, or potential in the space between the electrolyte and the second working electrode. The system includes a control circuit coupled to apply a respective biasing signal to each gating electrode of each controllable cell of the at least two controllable cells.
US09941549B2

A rechargeable battery, which can improve safety by maintaining a short-circuit state when the internal pressure of the rechargeable battery exceeds a critical pressure due to overcharge (or any other reason). In one embodiment, the rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly, a case accommodating the electrode assembly, a cap assembly sealing the case and including a cap plate, and a short-circuit member including a first short-circuit plate coupled to the cap plate and a second short-circuit plate on a surface of the first short-circuit plate facing toward the electrode assembly and coupled to the cap plate.
US09941548B2

A Nickel iron battery using a mono-block housing that has cells with leak-proof intercell connections. The intercell connections use compressed grommets to prevent fluid transfer between the cells. Each cell generates a charge that can be connected in series or parallel as required. The cells use an electrode plate that enables a manufacturing process which yields higher efficiency, higher throughput, and significantly lower battery cost. The anode composition of the cells has iron powder to increase cathode utilization, therefore lowering cathode material usage and lowering production cost.
US09941530B2

An object is to provide a technique of enhancing the accuracy of estimation of the water content of a fuel cell on the occurrence of localized drying of an electrolyte membrane. In a fuel cell system, until satisfaction of a second condition indicating that localized drying of the electrolyte membrane is eliminated after satisfaction of a first condition indicating that localized drying of the electrolyte membrane occurs, a water content estimator performs a second water content estimation process that estimates the water content of the fuel cell based on an output current value of the fuel cell, in place of a first water content estimation process that estimates the water content of the fuel cell based on an impedance of the fuel cell. The first condition is that an oxidizing gas stoichiometric ratio is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value and that a first elapsed time has elapsed since the oxidizing gas stoichiometric ratio becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined reference value. The second condition is that an accumulated current value by accumulation of the output current value for a second elapsed time since satisfaction of the first condition is equal to or greater than a reference value of accumulated current value or that the oxidizing gas stoichiometric ratio is lower than the predetermined reference value and that a third elapsed time has elapsed since the oxidizing gas stoichiometric ratio becomes lower than the predetermined reference value.
US09941526B2

A dual purpose fuel cell configuration generates electricity and oxygen-depleted inert gases. The inert gaseous outflows are then applied to fuel tanks comprising electric compartments, fuel tanks, battery compartments, storage cavities, and refrigeration containers. Due to the low oxygen concentration in the generated gas, applications for these inerted gases range from fire prevention, fire suppression, and fumigation, to preservation of perishables, refrigeration, food and beverage preparation, and oxidation prevention.
US09941524B2

Provided is an interconnector material which is chemically stable in both oxidation atmospheres and reduction atmospheres, has a high electron conductivity (electric conductivity), a low ionic conductivity, does not contain Cr, and enables a reduction in sintering temperature. The interconnector material is arranged between a plurality of cells each composed of an anode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and a cathode layer stacked sequentially, and electrically connects the plurality of cells to each other in series in a solid electrolyte fuel cell. The interconnector is formed of a ceramic composition represented by the composition formula La(Fe1-xAlx)O3 in which 0
US09941523B2

Use of noble metal alloy catalysts, such as PtCo, as the cathode catalyst in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells can provide enhanced performance at low current densities over that obtained from the noble metal itself. Unfortunately, the performance at high current densities has been relatively poor. However, using a specific bilayer cathode construction, in which a noble metal/non-noble metal alloy layer is located adjacent the cathode gas diffusion layer and a noble metal layer is located adjacent the membrane electrolyte, can provide superior performance at all current densities.
US09941517B2

Provided are an electrode for a lithium battery that is capable of providing a lithium battery having both high stability and high battery properties; a process for producing an electrode for a lithium battery, in which a positive electrode plate and/or a negative electrode plate, even when coated with a thermal activation material dissolved in an organic solvent such as a pyrrolidone-based solvent, is prevented from swelling; and a lithium battery including said electrode for a lithium battery. The electrode for a lithium battery includes an electrode plate, a mix layer and a heat insulating layer in this order, wherein the mix layer includes at least an aqueous adhesive and an active material; the heat insulating layer includes at least a thermal activation material; and at least part of the mix layer is in contact with at least part of the heat insulating layer.
US09941512B2

A core-shell-type electrode material is used as an electrode active material layer of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the core-shell-type electrode material having a core part including an electrode active material and a shell part in which a conductive material is contained in a base material formed by a gel-forming polymer having a tensile elongation at break of 10% or more in a gel state.
US09941509B2

Silicon particles for active materials and electro-chemical cells are provided. The active materials comprising silicon particles described herein can be utilized as an electrode material for a battery. In certain embodiments, the composite material includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of silicon particles. The silicon particles have an average particle size between about 0.1 μm and about 30 μm and a surface including nanometer-sized features. The composite material also includes greater than 0% and less than about 90% by weight of one or more types of carbon phases. At least one of the one or more types of carbon phases is a substantially continuous phase.
US09941500B2

A conveying apparatus for a separator of an electrical device alternately laminates a first electrode and a second electrode of different polarity from the first electrode, with a separator interposed therebetween to form a laminated body for conveyance. The separator includes a melt material representing a substrate and a heat-resistant material laminated on one surface of the melt material and having a higher melting point than the melt material. The separator conveying apparatus includes a drive member which makes contact with the separator and conveys the separator; and a pressure member which, while urging the drive member via the separator, is driven by the drive member. The drive member makes contact with the melt material portion of the separator. With this separator conveying apparatus, it is possible to maintain constant feed size or dimension of the separator assembly.
US09941495B2

A vehicle mount structure for includes a stack case and a boss. The stack case accommodates a fuel cell stack. The stack case includes a bottom panel to be provided on a bracket member of a vehicle. The bottom panel includes a lower plate and an intermediate member. The lower plate is opposite to and below an upper plate in a height direction of the vehicle. The lower plate has an opening to surround a bearing surface of the bracket member. The intermediate member is disposed between the upper plate and the lower plate. The intermediate member has a thickness thicker than a thickness of the upper plate and a thickness of the lower plate. The boss is disposed on the intermediate member and includes a rib. The boss with the rib protrudes toward the bracket member to pass through the opening.
US09941487B2

In various embodiments, glassware is provided. The glassware may include a glass matrix having a surface, a first type of particles, and at least one second type of particles, wherein the particles of the second type have a higher refractive index than the particles of the first type, wherein the particles of the first type are completely surrounded by the glass matrix, such that the surface of the glass matrix is free of particles of the first type, and the particles of the second type are arranged above and/or between the particles of the first type at least partly in the glass matrix at the surface of the glass matrix in order to increase the refractive index of the glassware.
US09941486B2

Various embodiments may relate to a component. The component includes an optically active region designed for electrically controllably transmitting, reflecting, absorbing, emitting and/or converting an electromagnetic radiation, and an optically inactive region formed alongside the optically active region, wherein the optically inactive region and/or the optically active region have/has an adaptation structure designed to adapt the value of an optical variable in the optically inactive region to a value of the optical variable in the optically active region.
US09941483B2

A light-emitting element includes a stack of a first light-emitting layer emitting fluorescent light and a second light-emitting layer emitting phosphorescent light between a pair of electrodes. The second light-emitting layer includes a first layer in which an exciplex is formed, a second layer in which an exciplex is formed, and a third layer in which an exciplex is formed. The second layer is located over the first layer, and the third layer is located over the second layer. An emission peak wavelength of the second layer is longer than an emission peak wavelength of the first layer and an emission peak wavelength of the third layer.
US09941479B2

Platinum complexes suitable for use as phosphorescent emitters or as delayed fluorescent and phosphorescent emitters having the following structure:
US09941474B2

A method of manufacturing an OLED display is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing a donor substrate including a material formed on one surface thereof and heating the material so as to form a barrier thin-film on the donor substrate. The method also includes providing an acceptor substrate and a substrate attached to the acceptor substrate, forming an OLED unit over the substrate, bonding the OLED unit and the barrier thin-film together, and irradiating a laser beam on the barrier thin-film so as to delaminate the donor substrate from the barrier thin-film.
US09941470B2

The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit, which includes a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a lower metal layer, an intermediate metal layer disposed over the lower metal layer, and an upper metal layer disposed over the intermediate metal layer. An upper surface of the lower metal layer and a lower surface of the intermediate metal layer are spaced vertically apart by a first distance. A resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell is arranged between the lower metal layer and the upper metal layer. The RRAM cell includes a bottom electrode and a top electrode which are separated by a data storage layer having a variable resistance. The data storage layer vertically spans a second distance that is greater than the first distance.
US09941464B2

A semiconductor device includes a resistance variable element including a free magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer and a pinned magnetic layer; and a magnetic correction layer disposed over the resistance variable element to be separated from the resistance variable element, and having a magnetization direction which is opposite to a magnetization direction of the pinned magnetic layer.
US09941461B2

An electronic component element includes a piezoelectric substrate and a comb-shaped electrode located on one principal surface of the piezoelectric substrate. A support layer is arranged around the comb-shaped electrode. A cover layer is disposed so as to cover the support layer and the comb-shaped electrode. Via-hole electrodes extend through the cover layer and are connected to the comb-shaped electrode. An uneven portion is located on a principal surface of the cover layer that is opposite to a principal surface of the cover layer that is opposed to the comb-shaped electrode.
US09941460B2

An electronic device includes a sealing plate including a first surface connected to a pressure chamber formation substrate, and a second surface having a drive IC provided thereon. The sealing plate includes a first region in which a plurality of individual connection terminals are arranged, and a second region in a position different from the first region. A plurality of bump electrodes are arranged at a pitch different from a pitch of an individual connection terminals, in a region overlapping a second region, and a wiring group connecting the individual connection terminal and a bump electrode includes a first wiring of which a position of a pass-through wiring relaying the first surface and the second surface is within the first region. A second wiring of which a position of a pass-through wiring connecting the first surface and the second surface is within the second region.
US09941459B2

A technique relates to a qubit readout system. A cavity-qubit system has a qubit and a readout resonator and outputs a readout signal. A lossless superconducting circulator is configured to receive the microwave readout signal from the cavity-qubit system and transmit the microwave readout signal according to a rotation. A quantum limited directional amplifier amplifies the readout signal. A directional coupler is connected to and biases the amplifier to set a working point. A microwave bandpass filter transmits in a microwave frequency band by passing the readout signal while blocking electromagnetic radiation outside of the microwave frequency band. A low-loss infrared filter has a distributed Bragg reflector integrated into a transmission line. The low-loss filter is configured to block infrared electromagnetic radiation while passing the microwave readout signal. The low-loss infrared filter is connected to the microwave bandpass filter to receive input of the microwave readout signal.
US09941458B2

A semiconductor device package and method for manufacturing the same, includes a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of embedded thermoelectric couples. The embedded thermoelectric couples can be in trenches and extend partially into the substrate from the handle side of the substrate. An n-type pillar and a p-type pillar are electrically connected using a conducting contact plate to form each of the partially embedded thermoelectric couples. A series connection layer electrically connects the plurality of thermoelectric couples on the handle side. A power source provides electrical current to the series connection layer allowing current to flow through the plurality of the series connected thermoelectric couples. A heat sink is positioned adjacent to the connected thermoelectric couples for transferring heat away from the device side to the heat sink using the thermoelectric couples.
US09941455B2

Disclosed herein is a light emitting device. The light emitting device is provided to include a light emitting structure, a first electrode pad, a second electrode pad and a heat dissipation pad, and a substrate on which the light emitting diode is mounted. The substrate includes a base; an insulation pattern formed on the base; and a conductive pattern disposed on the insulation pattern. The base includes a post and a groove separating the post from the conductive pattern. An upper surface of the post is placed lower than an upper surface of the conductive pattern, the heat dissipation pad contacts the upper surface of the post, and the first electrode pad and the second electrode pad contact the conductive pattern. With this structure, the light emitting device has excellent properties in terms of electrical stability and heat dissipation efficiency.
US09941446B2

A method of manufacturing a light-emitting element includes forming a light-transmissive insulating film on a portion of an upper surface of a semiconductor layered body; forming a first light-transmissive electrode to continuously cover the upper surface of the semiconductor layered body and an upper surface of the light-transmissive insulating film; heat-treating the first light-transmissive electrode, and subsequently forming a metal film in at least a portion of a region above the light-transmissive insulating film; forming a second light-transmissive electrode to continuously cover an upper surface of the metal film and an upper surface of the first light-transmissive electrode, the second light-transmissive electrode being electrically connected to the first light-transmissive electrode; and forming a pad electrode in a region where the metal film is disposed in a top view, such that at least a portion of the pad electrode is in contact with an upper surface of the second light-transmissive electrode.
US09941443B2

There is provided a semiconductor light emitting device including a first conductivity-type semiconductor base layer and a plurality of light emitting nanostructures disposed to be spaced apart from one another on the first conductivity-type semiconductor base layer, each light emitting nanostructure including a first conductivity-type semiconductor core, an active layer, an electric charge blocking layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, respectively, wherein the first conductivity-type semiconductor core has different first and second crystal planes in crystallographic directions.
US09941438B2

A neutron detector includes a microchannel plate having a structure that defines a plurality of microchannels, and layers of materials disposed on walls of the microchannels. The layers include a layer of neutron sensitive material, a layer of semiconducting material, and a layer of electron emissive material. For example, the layer of neutron sensitive material can include at least one of hafnium (Hf), samarium (Sm), erbium (Er), neodymium (Nd), tantalum (Ta), lutetium (Lu), europium (Eu), dysposium (Dy), or thulium (Tm).
US09941433B2

A composite quantum-dot photodetector comprising a substrate with a colloidally deposited thin film structure forming a photosensitive region, the thin film containing at least one type of a nanocrystal quantum-dot, whereby the nanocrystal quantum dots are spaced by ligands to form a lattice, and the lattice of the quantum dots has an infill material that forms an inorganic matrix that isolates the nanocrystal quantum dots from atmospheric exposure.
US09941428B2

Provided is a detector that includes a scintillator, a common electrode, a pixel electrode, and a plurality of insulating layers, with a plurality of nano-pillars formed in the plurality of insulating layers, a nano-scale well structure between adjacent nano-pillars, with a-Se separating the adjacent nano-pillars, and a method for operation thereof.
US09941427B2

Provided is a solar cell and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell according to an embodiment includes a supporting substrate; a transparent electrode layer on the supporting substrate; a buffer layer on the transparent electrode layer; a light absorption layer on the buffer layer; a backside electrode layer on the light absorption layer; and a plurality of recesses formed on a top surface of the transparent electrode layer and having a first slope and a second slope.
US09941420B2

This conductive paste is such that the printing properties and sintering properties are superior and is formed such that resistance of wiring after sintering is lowered. This conductive paste is characterized by being formed from copper-based metal particles and by an aspect ratio (dmax/dmin), which is defined as the ratio of the maximum diameter (dmax) and minimum diameter (dmin) for the metal particles, being greater than or equal to 1.0 and smaller than 2.2.
US09941418B2

Provided herein is a Schottky diode including: a first semiconductor layer; an intermediate layer provided over the first semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer provided over the intermediate layer; an anode provided over the second semiconductor layer; and a cathode provided over the first semiconductor layer, wherein in a sectional view, a width of the second semiconductor layer is greater than a width of the intermediate layer.
US09941416B2

A MOS transistor includes a semiconductor layer resting on an insulator and having a substantially planar upper surface. The semiconductor layer extends down to a first depth in the channel region, and down to a second depth, greater than the first depth, in the source and drain regions. In the channel region, the semiconductor layer is formed from a portion of an upper semiconductor layer of a silicon on insulator substrate. In the source and drain regions, the semiconductor layer is formed by epitaxially grown semiconductor material.
US09941415B2

Provided are: a sintered oxide which achieves low carrier density and high carrier mobility when configured as an oxide semiconductor thin-film by using the sputtering method; and a sputtering target using the same. This sintered oxide contains indium, gallium and magnesium as oxides. It is preferable for the gallium content to be 0.20-0.45, inclusive, in terms of an atomic ratio (Ga/(In+Ga)), the magnesium content to be at least 0.0001 and less than 0.05 in terms of an atomic ratio (Mg/(In+Ga+Mg)), and the sintering to occur at 1,200-1,550° C., inclusive. An amorphous oxide semiconductor thin-film obtained by forming this sintered oxide as a sputtering target is capable of achieving a carrier density of less than 3.0×1018 cm−3, and a carrier mobility of 10 cm2V−1 sec−1 or higher.
US09941412B2

According to one embodiment, a display device includes a first scanning line, a signal line, a second pixel electrode, a first pixel electrode, a second thin-film transistor, a first line and a second line. The first line is connected to the second pixel electrode, and extends through a region facing the first pixel electrode to the first scanning line side. The first line and a second semiconductor layer of the second thin-film transistor are provided on a first insulating film and are formed of a same material. The second line connects the first line and a fourth electrode of the second thin-film transistor.
US09941396B2

To achieve a semiconductor device equipped with a low ON voltage and high load short circuit withstand trench gate IGBT. A collector region on a back surface of a semiconductor substrate is comprised of a relatively lightly-doped P+ type first collector region and a relatively heavily-doped P++ type second collector region. The P++ type second collector region includes, in plan view, interfaces between a first trench having therein a first linear trench gate electrode and an N+ type emitter region formed on the side surface of the first trench and between a second trench having therein a second linear trench gate electrode and an N+ type emitter region formed on the side surface of the second trench. This enables electrons injected from the surface side of the semiconductor substrate to reach the P++ type second collector region and offset, with them, holes injected from the back surface side of the semiconductor substrate.
US09941392B2

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes depositing a dielectric layer over fins formed in a semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer includes a screen layer over tops of the fins. An etch stop feature is formed on the screen layer. The etch stop feature is patterned down to the screen layer in regions across the device. A dummy gate material formed over the fins is planarized down to the etch stop feature, a dielectric fill between gate structures patterned from the dummy gate material is planarized down to the etch stop feature and a gate conductor is planarized to the etch stop feature.
US09941390B2

The disclosure relates to a method of fabricating a vertical MOS transistor, comprising the steps of: forming, above a semiconductor surface, a conductive layer in at least one dielectric layer; etching a hole through at least the conductive layer, the hole exposing an inner lateral edge of the conductive layer and a portion of the semiconductor surface; forming a gate oxide on the inner lateral edge of the conductive layer and a bottom oxide on the portion of the semiconductor surface; forming an etch-protection sidewall on the lateral edge of the hole, the sidewall covering the gate oxide and an outer region of the bottom oxide, leaving an inner region of the bottom oxide exposed; etching the exposed inner region of the bottom oxide until the semiconductor surface is reached; and depositing a semiconductor material in the hole.
US09941376B2

Gate structures and methods of forming the gate structures are described. In some embodiments, a method includes forming source/drain regions in a substrate, and forming a gate structure between the source/drain regions. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, a work function tuning layer over the gate dielectric layer, a first metal over the work function tuning layer, an adhesion layer over the first metal, and a second metal over the adhesion layer. In some embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an alloy of the first and second metals, and may be formed by annealing the first and second metals. In other embodiments, the adhesion layer can include an oxide of at least one of the first and/or second metal, and may be formed at least in part by exposing the first metal to an oxygen-containing plasma or to a natural environment.
US09941375B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a first side. A trench having a bottom is formed. The trench separates a first mesa region from a second mesa region formed in the semiconductor substrate. The trench is filled with an insulating material, and the second mesa region is removed relative to the insulating material filled in the trench to form a recess in the semiconductor substrate. In a common process, a first silicide layer is formed on and in contact with a top region of the first mesa region at the first side of the semiconductor substrate and a second silicide layer is formed on and in contact with the bottom of the recess.
US09941372B2

The invention relates to integrated circuit fabrication, and more particularly to a semiconductor device with an electrode. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; an electrode over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the electrode comprises a trench in an upper portion of the electrode; and a dielectric feature in the trench.
US09941365B2

A method for producing a field-effect semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor body with a first surface defining a vertical direction, defining an active area, forming a vertical trench from the first surface into the semiconductor body, forming a field dielectric layer at least on a side wall and a bottom wall of the vertical trench, depositing a conductive layer on the field dielectric layer, forming a closed cavity on the conductive layer in the vertical trench, and forming an insulated gate electrode on the closed cavity in the vertical trench.
US09941359B2

A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate and first transistors having a first operating voltage. Each first transistor may include a first channel and a first punch-through stop (PTS) layer in the semiconductor substrate, and the first PTS layer may be at a first depth below the first channel. The semiconductor device may further include second transistors having a second operating voltage higher than the first operating voltage. Each second transistor may include a second channel and a second PTS layer in the semiconductor substrate, and the second PTS layer may be at a second depth below the second channel that is greater than the first depth. Furthermore, the first channel may include a first superlattice, and the second channel may include a second superlattice.
US09941349B2

A trench etch mask is formed on a process surface of a semiconductor layer. By using the trench etch mask, both first trenches and second trenches are formed that extend from the process surface into the semiconductor layer. The first and second trenches alternate along at least one horizontal direction parallel to the process surface. First semiconductor regions of a first conductivity type are formed in the first trenches. Second semiconductor regions of a second, opposite conductivity type are formed in the second trenches.
US09941347B2

Embodiments of systems, methods, and apparatus for improving ESD performance and switching time for semiconductor devices including metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) field effect transistors (FETs), and particularly to MOSFETs fabricated on Semiconductor-On-Insulator (“SOI”) and Silicon-On-Sapphire (“SOS”) substrates.
US09941343B2

An area sensor of the present invention has a function of displaying an image in a sensor portion by using light-emitting elements and a reading function using photoelectric conversion devices. Therefore, an image read in the sensor portion can be displayed thereon without separately providing an electronic display on the area sensor. Furthermore, a photoelectric conversion layer of a photodiode according to the present invention is made of an amorphous silicon film and an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer are made of a polycrystalline silicon film. The amorphous silicon film is formed to be thicker than the polycrystalline silicon film. As a result, the photodiode according to the present invention can receive more light.
US09941341B2

A display apparatus includes a pixel including a first area and a second area. Light is emitted from the first area and ambient light is transmitted through the second area. A pixel circuit unit is disposed in the first area, the pixel circuit unit including at least one thin-film transistor (TFT). A first insulating layer covers the pixel circuit unit. A first electrode is disposed on the first insulating layer, and is electrically connected to the pixel circuit unit. A second insulating layer covers an edge of the first electrode. A second electrode is aligned with the first electrode and is disposed in at least the first area. An intermediate layer is disposed between the first and second electrodes and includes an emission layer. An inorganic insulating film is disposed in the second area of the pixel. An organic insulating film covers the inorganic insulating film in the second area.
US09941334B2

A display device is disclosed, which includes: a pixel group including a first pixel having a red sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel; a second pixel having a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel; a third pixel having a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel; and a fourth pixel having a red sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel. The first pixel is adjacent to the second pixel in a row direction. The first pixel is adjacent to the second pixel in a column direction. The fourth pixel is diagonal to the first pixel, and the fourth pixel is adjacent to the second pixel and the third pixel. In the pixel group, the blue sub-pixels are quantitatively more than the red sub-pixels, and the blue sub-pixels are quantitatively more than the green sub-pixels.
US09941328B2

An optical device and method for fabricating an optical device. The optical device comprising: a semiconductor material comprising an active layer configured to emit light when an electrical current is applied to the device and/or to generate an electrical current when light is incident on the active layer, wherein the semiconductor material comprises a first surface and an opposed second surface, from which light is emitted from and/or received by the device, and wherein the first surface defines a first structure comprising the active layer and configured to reflect light emitted from the active layer toward the second surface and/or to reflect light received by the device toward the active layer, and the second surface defines a second structure configured to permit light incident on the second surface at an angle outside a critical angle range to the planar normal to pass therethrough.
US09941326B2

The present technology includes: bonding a device formation side of a first substrate having a first device and a device formation side of a second substrate having a second device in opposition to each other; forming a protective film on at least an edge of the second substrate having the second device; and reducing a thickness of the first substrate.
US09941306B2

To make the dimension of an electrostatic protection circuit small with the same maintained high in sensitivity. The electrostatic protection circuit is of the configuration that a first diode and a second diode are connected in series, wherein a semiconductor layer owned by each diode is configured to be sandwiched between a gate electrode and a conductive light shielding film. The light shielding film is formed to overlap with the semiconductor layer and has a wider area than the semiconductor layer. This results in having a gate covering the semiconductor layer from an upper side and a back gate covering the semiconductor layer from a lower side, so that the sensitivity can be maintained high irrespective of decreasing the electrostatic protection circuit in dimension.
US09941301B1

Methods for eliminating the distance between a BULEX and SOI and the resulting devices are disclosed. Embodiments include providing a silicon layer on a BOX layer on a silicon substrate; forming two active areas in the silicon layer, separated by a space; forming first and second polysilicon gates over one active area, a third polysilicon gate over the space, and fourth and fifth polysilicon gates over the other active area, the second and fourth gates abutting edges of the space; forming spacers at opposite sides of each gate; removing the second, third, and fourth gates and the corresponding spacers; removing the silicon layer and BOX layer in the space, forming a trench and exposing the silicon substrate; forming second spacers on sidewalls of the trench; forming raised source/drain regions on each active area; and forming a p-well contact on the silicon substrate between the second spacers.
US09941300B2

A method for fabricating a fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) device is described. A charge trapping layer in a buried oxide layer is provided on a semiconductor substrate. A backgate well in the semiconductor substrate is provided under the charge trapping layer. A device structure including a gate structure, source and drain regions is disposed over the buried oxide layer. A charge is trapped in the charge trapping layer. The threshold voltage of the device is partially established by the charge trapped in the charge trapping layer. Different aspects of the invention include the structure of the FDSOI device and a method of tuning the charge trapped in the charge trapping layer of the FDSOI device.
US09941292B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of first electrode layers stacked in a first direction; a semiconductor layer extending in the first direction in the plurality of first electrode layers; a first insulating layer extending in the first direction along the semiconductor layer between the semiconductor layer and each of the plurality of first electrode layers; a second insulating layer covering the periphery of the plurality of first electrode layers; a resistive body provided on the second insulating layer; and a third insulating layer provided between the resistive body and the second insulating layer, the third insulating layer including the same material as the material of the first insulating layer.
US09941286B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming first and second lower structures including selection elements on first and second chip regions of a substrate, respectively, forming first and second mold layers on the first and second lower structures, respectively, forming first and second support layers on the first and second mold layers, respectively, patterning the first support layer and the first mold layer to form first holes exposing the first lower structure, forming first lower electrodes in the first holes, forming a support pattern including at least one opening by selectively patterning the first support layer while leaving the second support layer, and removing the first mold layer through the opening. A top surface of the support pattern is disposed at a substantially same level as a top surface of the second support layer.
US09941281B2

A semiconductor device, including first and second fin patterns separated by a first trench; a gate electrode intersecting the first and second fin patterns; and a contact on at least one side of the gate electrode, the contact contacting the first fin pattern, the contact having a bottom surface that does not contact the second fin pattern, a height from a bottom of the first trench to a topmost end of the first fin pattern in a region in which the contact intersects the first fin pattern being a first height, and a height from the bottom of the first trench to a topmost end of the second fin pattern in a region in which an extension line of the contact extending along a direction in which the gate electrode extends intersects the second fin pattern being a second height, the first height being smaller than the second height.
US09941280B2

According to example embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a first fin, a second fin that is separated from the first fin, and a gate on the first fin and the second fin. The gate crosses the first fin and the second fin. The first fin includes a first doped area at both sides of the gate. The first doped area is configured to have a first voltage applied thereto. The second fin includes a second doped area at both sides of the gate. The second doped area is configured to have a second voltage applied thereto. The second voltage is different than the first voltage.
US09941276B2

A semiconductor component arrangement method includes producing a trench transistor structure including at least one trench disposed in the semiconductor body and at least one gate electrode disposed in the at least one trench. The method also includes producing a capacitor structure comprising an electrode structure disposed in at least one further trench, the electrode structure comprising at least one electrode. The gate electrode and the at least one electrode of the electrode structure are produced by common process steps.
US09941271B2

A fin-shaped field-effect transistor device is provided. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may include a semiconductor substrate having a top and a bottom surface. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include a fin structure disposed on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, where the fin structure includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite of the first sidewall. The first sidewall is adjacent to a first region of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second sidewall is adjacent to a second region of the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include an insulation layer disposed above the fin structure and the first and second regions of the top surface. The fin-shaped field effect transistor device may also include a conductor structure disposed above and adjacent to the insulation layer.
US09941270B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a predetermined region in which a standard cell is disposed, and also includes: a first circuit connected to a first ground power line; a second circuit that is connected to a second ground power line and formed from the standard cells; and a protection circuit interposed and connected between the first circuit and the second circuit. The protection circuit includes: a resistor connected in series between the first circuit and the second circuit; and a protector that is interposed and connected between a node of the resistor on the second circuit side and the second ground power line and clamps a potential difference between the node and the second ground power line to a predetermined voltage or lower. The protection circuit is formed in a protection cell disposed in the predetermined region.
US09941260B2

A semiconductor package structure is provided. The semiconductor package structure includes a first semiconductor package that includes a first semiconductor die having a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto. A first package substrate is disposed on the first surface of the first semiconductor die. A first molding compound surrounds the first semiconductor die and the first package substrate. A first redistribution layer (RDL) structure is disposed on the first molding compound, in which the first package substrate is interposed and electrically coupled between the first semiconductor die and the first RDL structure.
US09941254B2

A semiconductor device 10 includes: multi-layered substrates 12 each having a circuit board 12c; control terminals 14 whose one end is fixed on the circuit board 12c of each multi-layered substrate 12; a resin case 15 which has openings 20 and is arranged to cover the multi-layered substrates 12, through which openings 20 the other ends of the control terminals 14 extend outwardly; and resin blocks 18 which are each inserted into the openings 20 of the resin case 15 and press-fixes the control terminals 14 against the side walls of the respective openings 20. The control terminals 14 each have a low-rigidity portion 14j at a position that is further interior of the resin case 15 than a position where each control terminal 14 is in contact with the resin block 18 in the respective openings 20 of the resin case 15.
US09941252B2

A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor chip including a through silicon via in the first semiconductor chip and a first trench portion in an upper portion of the first semiconductor chip, a second semiconductor chip on an upper surface of the first semiconductor chip and being electrically connected to the first semiconductor chip through the through silicon via of the first semiconductor chip, and an insulating bonding layer between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip. The insulating bonding layer fills the first trench portion.
US09941240B2

A surface mounting semiconductor component includes a semiconductor device, a circuit board, a number of first solder bumps, and a number of second solder bumps. The semiconductor device included a number of die pads. The circuit board includes a number of contact pads. The first solder bumps are configured to bond the semiconductor device and the circuit board. Each of the first solder bumps connects at least two die pads with a corresponding contact pad. Each of the second solder bumps connects a die pad with a corresponding contact pad. A method of forming a surface mounting component or a chip scale package assembly wherein the component or assembly has at least two different types of solder bumps.
US09941233B2

An electronic device includes an electronic element, a plurality of first sub-electrodes arrayed in a first direction, a plurality of second sub-electrodes arrayed in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, a dummy electrode, and a sealing resin. The sealing resin has a resin back surface from which the plurality of first sub-electrodes, the plurality of second sub-electrodes and the dummy electrode are exposed. The plurality of second sub-electrodes are located further in the first direction than any of the plurality of first sub-electrodes. The plurality of first sub-electrodes are located further in the second direction than any of the plurality of second sub-electrodes. The dummy electrode is located further in the first direction than any of the plurality of first sub-electrodes, and is located further in the second direction than any of the plurality of second sub-electrodes.
US09941213B2

An advanced metal conductor structure is described. An integrated circuit device including a substrate having a dielectric layer is patterned. The pattern includes a set of features in the dielectric for a set of metal conductor structures. An adhesion promoting layer is disposed over the set of features in the patterned dielectric. A nitridized ruthenium layer is disposed over the adhesion promoting layer. A cobalt layer disposed over the nitridized ruthenium layer filling the set of features, wherein the cobalt layer is formed using a physical vapor deposition process.
US09941197B2

A strip-shaped substrate made from a film includes a plurality of units for producing chip carriers. Each unit has a chip island for fixing a semiconductor chip, electrodes for electrical connection of the semiconductor chip, and through-openings for structuring the unit. At least one through-opening forms an anchoring edge for a casting compound for encapsulating the semiconductor chip. A surface section of the film abutting the through-opening is chamfered to form the anchoring edge. The anchoring edge protrudes past the side of the film on which the chip island is arranged.
US09941193B1

A conductive clip for a semiconductor device package. In one example, the conductive clip may include a number of protrusions that extend from a surface of the conductive clip that in practice is solder-mounted to a leadframe of the semiconductor device package. In another example, the conductive clip may include the number of protrusions that each extend from the surface of the conductive clip that in practice is solder-mounted to the leadframe of the semiconductor device package, and may also include a number of protrusions that each extend from a surface of the conductive clip that in practice is solder-mounted to at least one electrical component that in turn is solder-mounted to the leadframe of the semiconductor device package.
US09941187B2

A power converter includes a plurality of power cards, a plurality of coolers and a pressure member. Each of the power cards houses a semiconductor element. The plurality of coolers is laminated with the power cards. The cooler includes a body, a gasket and a metal plate. The body is made of resin, and has an opening that is provided in a side surface of the cooler that faces the adjacent power card. A surface on one side of the metal plate is configured to close the opening through the gasket, and the other surface faces the power card. The pressure member is configured to apply a pressure in a laminating direction on a lamination unit. The opening is sealed by the metal plate by pressure applied by the pressure member on the lamination unit.
US09941183B2

A wall mountable connector assembly with an optional wall covering plate is disclosed. The wall mountable connector provides electrical connections to each of a plurality of field wires and is configured to provide electrical connections to a thermostat secured to the wall mountable connector. The optional wall covering plate is configured to fit over the wall mountable connector and provide a pleasing appearance.
US09941182B2

In a substrate, at least one lateral surface between one surface and another surface is a cut surface that is cut together with mold resin. The mold resin, which is cut together with the substrate, is provided with a surface that is flush with the cut surface. A portion of the mold resin constituting the surface flush with the cut surface has a surface that is joined to the surface flush with the cut surface and parallel to the one surface of the substrate; this portion is thinner than a portion that seals electronic parts. Consequently, the mold resin is cut with a dicing blade brought into contact with a surface parallel to the one surface of the substrate.
US09941177B2

A pattern accuracy detecting apparatus includes a stage for supporting a substrate, an optical warpage detecting unit that measures a shape of a substrate disposed on the stage, an optical pattern detection unit that detects a position of a pattern on the substrate, and a processing unit that corrects the detected pattern position based on the measured shape of the substrate.
US09941175B2

A method for forming fins on a semiconductor device includes etching trenches into a monocrystalline substrate to form first fins and forming a first dielectric layer at bottoms of the trenches. Second fins of a material having a different composition than the substrate are grown on sidewalls of the trenches. A second dielectric layer is formed over the second fins. The first fins are removed by etching. The second fins are processed to form fin field effect transistor devices.
US09941171B1

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device including: forming a block layer above a well region of a first doping type in a semiconductor substrate, wherein the block layer has an opening for defining a first region in an upper part of the well region and has sidewalls at sides of the opening; implanting dopants of a second doping type into the well region through the opening of the block layer to form the first region; implanting dopants of the first doping type into the first region in the manner of large-angle-tilt dopants implantation to form a second region for a first transistor, and to form a third region for a second transistor; and forming, for both of the first transistor and the second transistor, a fourth region between the second region and the third region.
US09941167B2

The method includes a laser scribing step of forming an opening including an exposing portion, where the first layer is exposed, by irradiating the dividing region of the substrate with laser light from the first main surface side, forming a remaining region on which the second layer in the dividing region remains around the opening other than the exposing portion, and forming a first damaged region of a surface layer portion of the first layer including the exposing portion and a second damaged region of a surface layer portion of the first layer to be covered by the remaining region on the first layer of the dividing region.
US09941161B2

A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a gate structure thereon, a first hard mask atop the gate structure, and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer around the gate structure and the first hard mask; removing part of the first hard mask; forming a second hard mask layer on the first hard mask and the ILD layer; and planarizing part of the second hard mask layer to form a second hard mask on the first hard mask.
US09941157B2

A method for semiconductor manufacturing includes receiving a device that includes a substrate and a first layer disposed over the substrate, wherein the first layer includes a trench. The method further includes applying a first material over the first layer and filling in the trench, wherein the first material contains a matrix and a porogen that is chemically bonded with the matrix. The method further includes curing the first material to form a porous material layer. The porous material layer has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed in the trench. The second portion is disposed over the first layer. The first and second portions contain substantially the same percentage of each of Si, O, and C. The first and second portions contain substantially the same level of porosity.
US09941148B2

In a wafer chuck design featuring pins or “mesas” making up the support surface, engineering the pins to have an annular shape, or to contain holes or pits, minimizes sticking of the wafer, and improves wafer settling. In another aspect of the invention is a tool and method for imparting or restoring flatness and roughness to a surface, such as the support surface of a wafer chuck. The tool is shaped such that the contact to the surface being treated is a circle or annulus. The treatment method may take place in a dedicated apparatus, or in-situ in semiconductor fabrication apparatus. The tool is smaller than the diameter of the wafer pin chuck, and may be approximate to the spatial frequency of the high spots to be lapped. The movement of the tool relative to the support surface is such that all areas of the support surface may be processed by the tool, or only those areas needing correction.
US09941143B2

A thin film transistor include a control electrode, a semiconductor layer on the control electrode, an input electrode, at least a portion of the input electrode being on the semiconductor layer, and an output electrode spaced apart from the input electrode, at least a portion of the output electrode being on the semiconductor layer. Each of the input electrode and the output electrode includes a wiring layer including a metal material, a dummy portion on a side part of the wiring layer, the dummy portion including an oxide of the metal material, and a protection layer on the wiring layer, the protection layer overlapping the wiring layer and the dummy portion.
US09941138B2

A method for exposing polysilicon gate electrodes is disclose. The method comprises planarizing a pre-metal dielectric on a wafer surface; performing a selective etching process to the planarized pre-metal dielectric and a multi-layer dielectric which covers polysilicon gates in the wafer according to pre-set etching parameters to expose the polysilicon gates in the wafer. The selective etching process effectively control the amount of etching, which ensures high surface flatness when exposing the polysilicon gates without affecting the subsequent film deposition process. Therefore, wafer surface defects, gate stack damages, and polysilicon gate deformation caused by the conventional CMP process or the shear stress generated during the CMP process can be avoided, and then product yield can be enhanced.
US09941129B2

A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the device. The method includes: depositing a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor device; forming a plurality of first trenches through the first dielectric layer; depositing an insulating fill in the plurality of first trenches; planarizing the plurality of first trenches; forming a first gate contact between the plurality of first trenches; depositing a first contact fill in the first gate contact; planarizing the first gate contact; depositing a second dielectric layer on the device; forming a plurality of second trenches through the first and second dielectric layers; depositing a conductive fill in the plurality of second trenches; planarizing the plurality of second trenches; forming a second gate contact where the second gate contact is in contact with the first gate contact; depositing a second contact fill in the second gate contact; and planarizing the second gate contact.
US09941110B2

A method of manufacture and fluid supply system for treating a substrate is provided. The fluid supply system for treating a substrate may include a substrate dry part supplying a dry fluid to dry a rinse solution doped on a substrate; a dry fluid separation part retrieving a mixed fluid that the dry fluid and the rinse solution are mixed with each other during a dry process of the substrate from the substrate dry part and separating the dry fluid from the mixed fluid; and a dry fluid supply part resupplying the dry fluid separated from the dry fluid separation part to the substrate dry part.
US09941108B2

Plasma is generated using elemental hydrogen, a weak oxidizing agent, and a fluorine containing gas. An inert gas is introduced to the plasma downstream of the plasma source and upstream of a showerhead that directs gas mixture into the reaction chamber where the mixture reacts with the high-dose implant resist. The process removes both the crust and bulk resist layers at a high strip rate, and leaves the work piece surface substantially residue free with low silicon loss.
US09941105B2

The invention generally relates to systems and methods for mass spectrometry analysis of microorganisms in samples.
US09941101B2

A plasma processing apparatus includes supporting members, connecting members and a sliding member. Each of the supporting members is partially disposed in a disc-shaped cooling plate and configured to support an upper electrode in a direction of gravity. Each of the connecting members is partially disposed in the cooling plate and extends in a diametrical direction of the cooling plate to be engaged with the corresponding supporting member. The sliding member is configured to slide the connecting members inward in the diametrical direction of the cooling plate, thereby pushing upward the supporting member and lifting the upper electrode to the cooling plate.
US09941092B2

The disclosed subject matter includes devices and methods relating to anode assemblies and/or X-ray assemblies. In some aspects, a method of forming an X-ray assembly may include providing an anode base formed of a first material and including a first end. The method may include depositing a second material different from the first material over a first surface of the anode base to form a coated portion of the anode base. The coated portion may be configured such that some backscattered electrons do not travel beyond the coated portion.
US09941079B2

A handle switch for use on a vehicle includes a plurality of switches for operating electric devices on a vehicle. The handle switch is mounted on a switch case fixed to a handlebar of the motorcycle, wherein the plurality of switches include a composite switch having a plurality of operating directions and other switches having less operating directions than the composite switch. The composite switch is disposed on the switch in a position closer to a center of a vehicle body, and the other switches are disposed in a position between a handle grip fixed to an end of the handlebar and the composite switch. The composite switch has an operating portion is directed rearwardly of the vehicle body. The operating portion of the composite switch includes a four-way switch as a plural-direction operator projects rearwardly of the vehicle body.
US09941078B2

A touch and/or proximity-sensitive actuation element has an electrically non-conductive housing, which has a fastening portion for the stationary and non-rotational mounting of the actuation element and a substantially cylindrical detection portion, which defines a touch and/or proximity-sensitive detection region of the actuation element, at which a rotary movement of a user around the actuation element can be detected. A plurality of electrically conductive sensor elements are arranged in the housing spaced apart from one another along a lateral surface of the detection portion. A printed circuit board is provided and has a plurality of contact faces, which are each electrically conductively in contact with one of the plurality of sensor elements.
US09941075B2

A keyboard device includes a key structure, a base plate and a switch circuit board. The switch circuit board includes a soft covering element. The key structure includes a keycap and a stabilizer bar. The stabilizer bar is connected with the keycap and the soft covering element. The soft covering element is disposed on the switch circuit board. An accommodation space is formed between the soft covering element and the switch circuit board. The stabilizer bar is inserted into the accommodation space and connected with the switch circuit board. The stabilizer bar and the base plate are made of metallic material. Since the stabilizer bar and the base plate are separated by the switch circuit board, the keyboard device is capable of reducing noise.
US09941068B2

A key structure includes a pedestal with a sliding groove, an upper cover, a triggering element, and a spring strip. The spring strip is movable within the sliding groove. The triggering element is arranged between the pedestal and the upper cover, and located beside the spring strip. When a keycap of the key structure is depressed, the triggering element is moved relative to the pedestal to push the spring strip. In response to the elasticity of the pushed spring strip, the spring strip is slid within the sliding groove to collide with the upper cover. Consequently, the key structure generates sound surely.
US09941067B2

A key module has a housing and a tappet arranged in the housing. The tappet is movable in a linear manner between an upper stop position and a lower stop position in a manner limited by an upper stop and a lower stop, wherein an elastic element arranged in the housing pushes the tappet into the upper stop position, and wherein an actuating force exerted by a user pushes the tappet into the lower stop position and in the process reversibly compresses the elastic element. To reduce impact noises, the lower stop is formed by a first damping element and the upper stop is formed by a second damping element. The slip-on element has a carrier element to which a first damping element for reducing impact noises at the lower stop and a second damping element for reducing impact noises at the upper stop are attached.
US09941064B2

In an on-load tap changer (10) for controlling voltage of a tapped transformer (15) it is provided that the tapped transformer (15) has at least one regulatable phase (16) that has a first winding (20) and a second winding (30); the first winding (20) has a regulating winding (21) with even-numbered winding taps (23) and a main winding (22), and the second winding (30) has a regulating winding (31) with odd-numbered winding taps (33) and a main winding (32); the first winding (20) and the second winding (30) having the regulating windings (21, 31) of the even-numbered and of the odd-numbered winding taps (23, 33), are inductively coupled; the on-load tap changer (10) has a selector (40) for the alternating power-free preselection of the even-numbered or odd-numbered winding taps (23, 33) to be switched.
US09941062B2

To provide a key switch structure where the outline of a key top becomes well-defined. A reflection sheet is adhered on top of a membrane sheet, so that light reflected by a back surface of a key top is reflected by the reflection sheet and emitted toward the outer side of the outer periphery of the key top. Because of this, the outer side of the key top is lighted up and the outline of the key top becomes well-defined.
US09941042B2

An electromagnetic actuating apparatus, in particular a proportional magnet or switching magnet, includes a magnet armature (4) guided for axial movement in a pole tube (2). The pole tube is at least partially surrounded by a coil winding and is adjoined by a pole core (10) via a separating region (20) forming a magnetic decoupling. On energization of the coil winding (52), a magnetic force acts on the armature (4) to move the armature (4) in the direction of the pole core (10) within a travel area. At least one insert (28) of ferromagnetic material with a preset axial thickness is between the armature (4) and the pole core (10) to shorten, as desired, the axial length of the travel area.
US09941026B2

This invention relates to the vitrification of radioactive waste products. According to this invention, a glass composition, which is suitable for low-level radioactive waste resins, and a method of vitrifying the low-level radioactive waste resins using the same are provided to significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste products and to vitrify low-level radioactive waste products using the glass composition, which is suitable for vitrifying the low-level radioactive waste resins, thereby maximally delaying or completely preventing the leakage of radioactive materials from a glass solidified body.
US09941021B2

Methods, systems, techniques, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. Groups of cells may be operated in different ways depending, for example, on a relationship between cell plates of the group of cells. Cells may be selected in pairs in order to accommodate an electric current relationship, such as a short, between cells that make up the pair. Cells may be arranged in cell plate groups, and a pair of cells may include a first cell plate from one cell plate group and a second cell plate from the same cell plate group or from another, adjacent cell plate group. So a pair of cell plates may include cell plates from different cell plate groups. The first and second cell plates may be selected as a pair or a group based at least in part on the electric current relationship between the cell plates.
US09941017B1

An antifuse one-time programmable (OTP) semiconductor memory comprises a PN junction diode formed in an active area of a semiconductor substrate proximate metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor wherein MOS gate conductor and MOS channel region are of the same conductivity type. A vertical bipolar junction transistor (BJT) is present in each cell, comprising said PN junction diode and a semiconductor layer below said PN junction diode. In a programmed cell, BJT emitter, base and collector are connected to the bit line, word line and common collector terminal, respectively. In an unprogrammed cell, BJT is an open-base BJT.
US09941015B2

A semiconductor memory device includes first to third pages, first to the third word lines, and a row decoder. In data writing, data is written into the first page before data is written into the second page. The row decoder is configured to apply first to third verify voltages to gates of first to third memory cells in a program verify operation.
US09941008B1

The present disclosure illustrates a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) device for software defined networking and method thereof. In the TCAM device, M bits of each forwarding rule is stored as a first part into a NAND-Type TCAM, and N bits of the same forwarding rule is stored as a second part into a NOR-Type TCAM. M bits of searching data is compared with the first part to generate a first matching result, N bits of the searching data is compared with the second part to generate a second matching result when the first matching result indicates match, and comparing process for the second part is disabled when the first matching result indicates mismatch. The mechanism is help to improve flexibility of the TCAM in words length and to reduce power consumption.
US09941002B2

A memory unit is provided. The memory unit includes a resistive element, a diode, and a first transistor. The resistive element has a first terminal receiving a bit voltage and a second terminal coupled to a first node. The diode has an anode coupled to the first node and a cathode coupled to a second node. The second node receives a word voltage. The first transistor has a control electrode, a first electrode coupled to the first node, and a second electrode.
US09940996B1

A memory circuit includes plurality of bit-cells organized in a column, each bit-cell of the plurality is coupled to a first voltage supply terminal and a second voltage supply terminal. A word-line control circuit is coupled to each bit-cell of the plurality by way of a local bit-line. The word-line control circuit is configured to operatively couple the local bit-line with a global bit-line during a read operation. A first voltage generation circuit is coupled to the first voltage supply terminal. The first voltage generation circuit is configured to provide a first reduced voltage at the first voltage supply terminal during a first write operation. A second voltage generation circuit is coupled to the second voltage supply terminal. The second voltage generation circuit is configured to provide a second reduced voltage at the second voltage supply terminal during the first write operation.
US09940994B2

A circuit and method performs a write assist for a memory cell (e.g., a static random access memory cell (SRAM)). The method includes providing a lower supply voltage signal to a voltage supply node of the memory cell using a capacitor. The lower supply voltage signal is lower in voltage level than a supply voltage signal. The method further includes lowering a common signal provided to a write driver using the capacitor.
US09940989B2

A magnetic cell structure including a nonmagnetic bridge, and methods of fabricating the structure are provided. The magnetic cell structure includes a free layer, a pinned layer, and a nonmagnetic bridge electrically connecting the free layer and the pinned layer. The shape and/or configuration of the nonmagnetic bridge directs a programming current through the magnetic cell structure such that the cross sectional area of the programming current in the free layer of the structure is less than the cross section of the structure. The decrease in the cross sectional area of the programming current in the free layer enables a lower programming current to reach a critical switching current density in the free layer and switch the magnetization of the free layer, programming the magnetic cell.
US09940985B2

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to performing comparison operations in memory. An example apparatus can include a first group of memory cells coupled to a first access line and configured to store a plurality of first elements, and a second group of memory cells coupled to a second access line and configured to store a plurality of second elements. The apparatus can include a controller configured to cause the plurality of first elements to be compared with the plurality of second elements by controlling sensing circuitry to perform a number of operations without transferring data via an input/output (I/O) line, and the plurality of first elements and the plurality of second elements can be compared in parallel.
US09940984B1

A shared command/address (C/A) bus for memory devices in a multi-channel configuration can enable reducing the number of pins and signal lines in a memory subsystem. In one embodiment, a memory controller includes hardware logic to generate commands to access a plurality of memory devices via a plurality of channels and input/output (I/O) circuitry to transmit command/address (C/A) information for the commands to the plurality of memory devices over a single C/A bus for the plurality of channels. In one embodiment, double-speed strobe signal lines can also enable reducing the number of pins and signal lines in a memory subsystem.
US09940980B2

An apparatus comprises a hybrid-memory multi-chip package (MCP) including a non-volatile memory (NVM) in an NVM die; a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in two or more DRAM die, wherein a portion of the DRAM is allocated as a cache memory for the NVM; and a hybrid controller for the NVM and DRAM. The hybrid controller includes an NVM interface to the NVM; a DRAM interface to the cache memory; a host interface to communicate data with a host processor, wherein the host interface includes a parallel data bus for reading and writing data directly with both of the DRAM and the NVM; and logic circuitry configured to interleave access by the host processor and hybrid controller to the DRAM and NVM.
US09940975B2

A computer-implemented method for automatically displaying variable image content in an image product includes automatically obtaining markers in photos or videos in a user account which includes detecting features in image content of the photos or the video frames and obtaining a marker for one of the photos or the video frames, automatically identifying a sequence of similar photos or videos if the markers detected in the photos or the associated video frames include more than a predetermined number or percentage of common features, detecting a marker in a photo product by a user device when the photo product is viewed by the user device, identifying a marked photo incorporated in the photo product based on the marker detected in the photo product, and enabling photos or videos in a sequence photos or videos associated with the marked photo to be displayed on the user device.
US09940970B2

A method comprising obtaining, by an automatic video media remixing service, at least one source of media content to be used as a reference media content; analysing the at least one reference media content according to at least one stylistic parameter; and determining, on the basis of the at least one stylistic parameter, at least one editing rule or parameter for controlling creation of an automatic media remix.
US09940969B2

Audio and or video data is structurally and persistently associated with auxiliary sensor data (e.g., relating to acceleration, orientation or tilt) through use of a unitary data object, such as a modified MPEG file or data stream. In this form, different rendering devices can employ co-conveyed sensor data to alter the audio or video content. Such use of the sensor data may be personalized to different users, e.g., through preference data. For example, accelerometer data can be associated with video data, allowing some users to view a shake-stabilized version of a video, and other users to view the video with such motion artifacts undisturbed. In like fashion, camera parameters, such as focal plane distance, can be co-conveyed with audio/video content—allowing the volume to be diminished (or not, again depending on user preference) when a camera captures audio/video from a distant subject. Some arrangements employ multiple image sensors and/or multiple audio sensors—each also collecting auxiliary data. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09940966B2

Provided are an optical information reproduction device and a method therefor with which the influence of reference light reflected from the surface of a disk can be reduced, thereby enabling data to be reproduced in a stable manner in an optical information reproduction device that uses holography. The information reproduction device, which reproduces from a recording medium information that has been recorded on the recording medium by the formation of a hologram, is equipped with: a light output unit that emits laser light; an optical system that generates reference light from the laser light emitted from the light output unit; an objective lens that reproduction signal light reproduced by the reference light with which the recording medium has been irradiated enters; a light detector that receives the reproduction signal light propagated by the objective lens; a medium-reflected light reduction unit that reduces the amount of medium-reflected light (generated when the recording medium reflects the reference light) with which the light detector is irradiated; and a control unit that controls the operation of the information reproduction device.
US09940959B1

A method and apparatus are directed to providing relative movement between a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording and a magnetic recording medium, and causing protrusion of a portion of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider in response to activating at least a laser source while maintaining spacing between the protrusion and the medium. A magnitude of at least a portion of the protrusion is measured while maintaining spacing between the protrusion and the medium.
US09940958B1

A data storage device is disclosed wherein multiple voice coil motors (VCMs) are unloaded using a back electromotive force (BEMF) voltage generated by a spindle motor. A velocity and position of each VCM is measured, and a priority assigned to each VCM based on the measured velocity and position. During a delay interval, the BEMF voltage is used to apply a first brake voltage to a high priority VCM and to apply a second brake voltage to a low priority VCM, wherein the second brake voltage is lower than the first brake voltage. After the delay interval, the BEMF voltage is used to apply the first brake voltage to the high priority VCM and to apply a third brake voltage to the low priority VCM, wherein the third brake voltage is higher than the second brake voltage.
US09940942B2

The present document relates an audio encoding and decoding system (referred to as an audio codec system). In particular, the present document relates to a transform-based audio codec system which is particularly well suited for voice encoding/decoding. A quantization unit configured to quantize a first coefficient of a block of coefficients is described. The block of coefficients comprises a plurality of coefficients for a plurality of corresponding frequency bins. The quantization unit is configured to provide a set of quantizers. The set of quantizers comprises a plurality of different quantizers associated with a plurality of different signal-to-noise ratios, referred to as SNR, respectively. The plurality of different quantizers includes a noise-filling quantizer; one or more dithered quantizers; and one or more un-dithered quantizers. The quantization unit is further configured to determine an SNR indication indicative of a SNR attributed to the first coefficient, and to select a first quantizer from the set of quantizers, based on the SNR indication. In addition, the quantization unit is configured to quantize the first coefficient using the first quantizer.
US09940941B2

The invention provides an efficient implementation of cross-product enhanced high-frequency reconstruction (HFR), wherein a new component at frequency QΩ+rΩ0 is generated on the basis of existing components at Ω and Ω+Ω0. The invention provides a block-based harmonic transposition, wherein a time block of complex subband samples is processed with a common phase modification. Superposition of several modified samples has the net effect of limiting undesirable intermodulation products, thereby enabling a coarser frequency resolution and/or lower degree of oversampling to be used. In one embodiment, the invention further includes a window function suitable for use with block-based cross-product enhanced HFR. A hardware embodiment of the invention may include an analysis filter bank, a subband processing unit configurable by control data and a synthesis filter bank.
US09940928B2

A system for communication between one or more remotely controllable devices and a hearing assistance device includes a gateway device. The hearing assistance device detects voice commands issued by its wearer. The gateway device wirelessly communicates with the hearing assistance device, produces one or more control signals based on the voice commands, and routes the one or more control signals to one or more devices selected from the one or more remotely controllable devices according to the voice command.
US09940921B2

A vehicle, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle driving sound control apparatus in which a user may freely generate a requested vehicle driving sound using a user terminal and generate an additional driving sound more similar to an actual vehicle driving sound by vibrating a structure of a vehicle using an exciter are provided. The vehicle includes a controller configured to receive vehicle driving sound parameters requested by a user from a user terminal and an exciter configured to vibrate a structure of a vehicle based on the vehicle driving sound parameters.
US09940918B2

A set of two or more whistles. Each whistle of the set sounds differently from each other based on a different type of sound or a different value of a characteristic of sound common to whistles of the set. Sound characteristics may include but not limited to pitch, quality, loudness, and/or duration. Each whistle in the set may be different in appearance from each other in the set. Appearance characteristics may include but not limited to color, numbering, design, light up features, size, and/or shape. Alternatively, the whistles in a set may have a common appearance characteristic, but each whistle may have its own value of the common appearance characteristic. Additional element(s) such as lanyards or mouthpieces may be added to whistles of a set to distinguish them from each other. The set of whistles may be included in a kit having a box for removably storing the whistles.
US09940911B2

A sound post, in particular for stringed instruments, and a sound post assembly set. The sound post is composed of at least two sound post components and has end pieces which can be pivoted at the end faces of the sound post. The second sound post component has a threaded portion, and the first sound post component has an inner thread which corresponds to the threaded portion such that the sound post components can be screwed together and thus adjusted vertically or longitudinally relative to each other. The threaded portion has a fine thread. Furthermore, a scale with an equidistant graduation is arranged on one of the at least two sound post components. The graduation of the scale corresponds to the pitch of the fine thread.
US09940907B2

Virtual surface techniques are described. These techniques support the use of initialization and batching of updates, use of updates and lookaside lists, use of gutters, blending and BLT operations, use of surface optimization techniques such as push down as well as enumeration and clumping, mesh usage, and use of occlusion management techniques.
US09940904B2

Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques for receiving image information for a current frame, determining an amount of change between the current frame and a previous based on the image information for the current frame and image information for a previous frame and determining an adjustment of a frame time based on the amount of change between the current frame and the previous frame.
US09940892B2

A flexible display device is disclosed which includes: a display unit; a support unit configured to selectively support the display unit; a connection unit configured to attach together one edge of the display unit and one edge of the support unit; and a driving unit connected to the other edge of the display unit and the other edge of the support unit and configured to control a plurality of operations. The plurality of operations includes a first operation, which allows the display unit and the support unit to come in contact with each other and to maintain a relatively flattened state of the display unit, and a second operation which enables the display unit and the support unit to be separated from each other for stowage.
US09940885B2

According to one embodiment, a display device includes a pixel electrode and a memory in each of pixels, a common electrode, a first drive circuit which supplies a digital signal, a second drive circuit which supplies an AC common signal to the common electrode, a storage control circuit which stores the digital signal in the memory in a storage period, and a select control circuit which selectively supplies, in a display period, to the pixel electrode, one of a display signal and a non-display signal. A frequency of the common signal in the storage period is a first frequency. The frequency of the common signal in the display period is a second frequency. The first frequency is higher than the second frequency.
US09940882B2

In the technical field of display, a source driver circuit and a display device according to the present disclosure, which can effectively reduce the heat generating efficiency of a gamma driver circuit cooperating with the source driver circuit, lower the temperature of the gamma driver circuit, and facilitate the integration of the gamma driver circuit with other driver circuits, are provided. The source driver circuit is in connection with several pixel gray scale reference voltages from the gamma driver circuit, and comprises several operational amplifiers, the number of which equals to that of the pixel gray scale reference voltages outputted from the gamma driver circuit, and the operational amplifiers each are connected with a corresponding pixel gray scale reference voltage.
US09940875B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a shift register unit and a driving method thereof, a gate driving circuit and a display apparatus. The shift register unit includes a reset signal sub-unit and a scan signal sub-unit. The reset signal sub-unit includes a first input module, a first output module, and a first control module. The scan signal sub-unit includes a second input module, a second output module, and a second control module. The first input module is connected with the first control module, the first output module, and a signal input terminal. Both the first output module and the first control are connected with the scan signal sub-unit and a reset signal terminal. The second input module is also connected with the second output module and the second control module. Both the second output module and the second control module are connected with a signal output terminal.
US09940872B2

A degradation compensating device includes an accumulator configured to accumulate stress data every pixel block, a memory configured to receive the stress data from the accumulator, and to load accumulated data from an external flash memory when a display device power is turned on, the accumulated data being a total sum of the stress data, a compensation factor calculator configured to determine a target compensation factor based on the accumulated data to compensate image data, and to apply an initial compensation factor to the target compensation factor during a wake-up period after loading the accumulated data is completed, the initial compensation factor being changed gradually during the wake-up period, and a data compensator configured to generate image compensation data based on the target compensation factor, and to generate initial image data based on a wake-up factor that is an adjusted target compensation factor based on the initial compensation factor.
US09940855B2

An illuminated display for displaying a lottery jackpot values in the range of millions and billions of dollars is disclosed. A lottery display comprises a string of three LED modules positioned next to each other, where the leftmost LED module indicates the hundreds place for a jackpot value, the center LED module indicates the tens place, and the rightmost LED module indicates the ones place for the jackpot. Conventional LED modules having seven segments may be employed for the indicia of the hundreds and tens values. A special LED module having nine segments may be employed for the indicia of units, where the LED module may be illuminated to form the numerals 0 through 9, as well as an upper case letter “B.” The illuminated display may also display indicia for currency and the day of the week for the jackpot draw.
US09940854B2

Methods of monitoring one or more electronic displays are disclosed. A method may include performing at least one diagnostic operation on at least one electronic display having at least one camera, a display element, and a display server. Further, the method may include transmitting data relating to the at least one diagnostic operation to a network remote from the at least one electronic display. Additionally, the method may include displaying the data within the remote network.
US09940837B2

Negotiating a multi-vehicle environment using vehicle-to-vehicle network tokens for intra-vehicle communication. Preliminary routing assignments are efficiently improved by available intra-vehicle communication.
US09940836B2

Transit through an area by a population of travelers may be evaluated by a number of techniques, and may be useful for routing, transit time estimation, and transit control. Some techniques involve the use of probes, such as individuals or vehicles that are tagged and trackable through the area. However, estimating properties such as transit queue volume through probe counts may be difficult, as the ratio of probes to the overall population may vary. Presented herein are techniques for estimating transit properties by evaluating transit queues to estimate the probe ratio for an area. Such techniques involve counting and tracking the probes in a transit queue to estimate a queue length change of the transit queue, and a probe rate change of probes entering and exiting the transit queue. This information may inform estimates of the probe ratio, and in turn regional transit estimates, such as transit queue volumes.
US09940834B1

Methods and systems for communicating between autonomous vehicles are described herein. Such communication may be performed for signaling, collision avoidance, path coordination, and/or autonomous control. A computing device may receive communications from autonomous vehicles, where the communications include data for the same road segment, including an indication of a condition of the road segment. The computing device may combine the data for the same road segment to generate an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, which may include a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment. Additionally, the computing device may receive a request from a mobile device within a vehicle approaching the road segment to display vehicle data. The overall indication for the road segment may then be displayed on a user interface of the mobile device.
US09940831B2

A pointing device and a controlling method thereof are provided. The controlling method of the pointing device includes transmitting an identification signal to an external device that is targeted by the pointing device according to a user input, receiving a reflected signal that is generated by reflecting the identification signal from a reflective surface attached to a surface of the external device, and analyzing the reflected signal and identifying the external device.
US09940826B1

A data analysis system and approach having sensors, a collective processing mechanism connected to the sensors, and a threshold logic panel connected to the collective processing mechanism. Raw data from the sensors may be subject to collective processing and collective threshold logic analysis. The collective processing mechanism and the threshold logic panel may be situated outside of or in the cloud. Big data analytics may be performed on the data. The sensors may be homogeneous or heterogeneous. Consequently, there may be data fusion for false alarm reduction and advanced alarm detection, and application of big data analysis. Raw data may be used for determining positional information.
US09940816B2

A warning system for vehicles equipped with air brakes is provided. The present invention provides one or more warning modules in connection with a low pressure switch and a door jamb switch to provide an alert if the driver fails to apply the parking brake and opens the vehicle door. A low pressure switch is connected to an air line controlled by a cabin parking brake switch. When the parking brake switch is toggled on, air is evacuated from the air line and the parking brakes are applied; the low pressure switch is then open. When the air line is pressurized, the parking brake switch is not toggled on and the parking brakes are not applied, causing the low pressure switch to close. If the door jamb sensor registers the driver door is open, the low pressure switch and door jamb sensor complete a circuit, activating the warning modules.
US09940815B1

A system having a user configurable and sizeable planar sensor pad having electrical circuits thereon, adjacent to a trough or groove formed in the sensor pad. These circuits are energized upon the application of a conductive fluid into the trough and once activated initiates a wireless communication device to transmit an alarm to a mobile device of the user, such as a smart phone, alerting the user of the detected fluid leak. The device may be self contained, operating on its own DC power source and may not require the use of a computer, a WI-Fi signal, or the internet.
US09940809B2

A smart phone with application of preventing children from being left in a car includes a speedometer, a data processing center, a phone speaker, a micro phone, a touch screen and an application of preventing children from being left in a car (application). the application is programmed as the follows: the speedometer detects car speed and reports the car speed data to the application, when the car speed increasing from first speed to second speed the application issues a [REMINDER] of “if has children in the car” to a driver, when the car speed decreasing from third speed to 0 speed, the application issues a [WARNING] of “must bring children out of the car” to the driver.
US09940805B1

A marking and identification system and method includes a dispersing device configured to disperse marker therefrom when in an activated mode. An activating device is configured to arm the dispersing device from an inactivated mode wherein the dispensing device does not disperse marker to the activated mode. A triggering device is configured to operate the dispersing device and disperse marker when in the activated mode. The marker can be identified at a later time to positively identify a person that triggered the marking and identification system.
US09940795B2

A gaming system comprising a spheroid object, a surface of which is provided with a plurality of symbols, gaming means for causing the spheroid object to rotate along at least three separate axes of rotation, display means for displaying symbols provided on a part of the surface of the spheroid object as rotated by the gaming means in a display area of the gaming system, and win determination means for evaluating a winning condition from those symbols of that are visible in the display area along at least one win line.
US09940794B2

A video slot machine has M reels, each displaying N symbols when stopped. Above the display of the reels is a set of generally valuable replacement symbols that have been independently selected at random independent from the reel display. Each reel is associated with a particular replacement symbol in the set. If a special symbol is displayed on a reel, the replacement symbol associated with that reel substitutes for the special symbol when determining the award. Examples of the replacement symbols include wild symbols, bonus symbols, and multiplier symbols. After each game, the replacement symbols are shifted, and used replacement symbols are randomly replaced to vary the possibilities for each game. The player is incentivized to play longer due to the possibility of using valuable replacement symbols in the symbol array and the possibility of very high awards being granted by multiple special symbols being displayed.
US09940787B2

Software on a server and/or client device verifies a user as eligible to play an online game in which the wager and payout are made with real money. The software causes a graphical user interface (GUI) view for a first online game to be displayed to a user. The software then receives a first game input from the user. The first game input represents a wager or a play according to game mechanics of the first online game. The software causes a GUI view for a second game to be displayed to the user. And the software receives a second game input from the user. The second game input represents a play according to game mechanics for the second game. Then the software provides a payout for the first online game. The payout includes a promotional payout that depends at least in part on the second game input.
US09940779B2

A card game that is a variant of a community card poker game is disclosed. The card game involves presenting a plurality of sets of hole cards to one or more players. One of the sets of hole cards includes at least one card being presented face down and at least one card being presented face up. The card game further includes receiving a hand bet made by a player on at least one of the sets of hole cards. Further, the card game includes presenting a plurality of community cards to the one or more players, and subsequently determining a highest-ranked poker hand for the game based on each of the sets of hole cards in combination with the community cards.
US09940777B2

A system in a casino for playing a game, the system comprising: a network of betting terminals linked to a plurality of game tables, first players playing a first game at each of the game tables, at least one first game being a live baccarat game, wherein each of the betting terminals comprises a mechanism to display a plurality of first games occurring at the game tables in the casino so as to allow a second player at each one of the betting terminals to switch to different game tables, place bets at different first games at a same time, place a separate jackpot wager bet on a jackpot game based on the first games being played live at the game tables and select betting options, wherein the system includes a display part having a screen for showing game number and respective amounts available for betting.
US09940774B2

Various embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a multi-touch game play system that includes a display subsystem, a sensor subsystem, and one or more computing subsystems. The display subsystem is configured to display images related to one or more games to be played on at least a first game playing surface. The images include a virtual game layout having a number of demarcations of at least one area associated with the play of the one or more games. The sensor subsystem is configured to detect multiple touch gestures, wherein gestures include simultaneous touches by multiple fingers, consecutive touches by a single finger, touching and sliding of a finger, touching and sliding of multiple fingers, and combinations thereof.
US09940772B2

Chip cards are used to secure credit and debit payment transactions. To prevent fraudulent transactions, the card must protect cryptographic keys used to authenticate transactions. In particular, cards should resist differential power analysis and/or other attacks. To address security risks posed by leakage of partial information about keys during cryptographic transactions, cards may be configured to perform periodic cryptographic key update operations. The key update transformation prevents adversaries from exploiting partial information that may have been leaked about the card's keys. Update operations based on a hierarchical structure can enable efficient transaction verification by allowing a verifying party (e.g., an issuer) to derive a card's current state from a transaction counter and its initial state by performing one operation per level in the hierarchy, instead of progressing through all update operations performed by the card.
US09940763B2

An on-vehicle apparatus control system includes: an on-vehicle control device; and a portable machine. The on-vehicle apparatus control system includes: a mode switching unit that selects a permission mode or a prohibition mode; and an illegality recording portion that records transmission or reception of a response request signal as illegality history in a case where the response request signal is transmitted from the on-vehicle control device or is received by the portable machine during the prohibition mode. If the response request signal is received by the portable machine during the permission mode, the portable machine transmits the response signal. If the response request signal is received by the portable machine during the prohibition mode, the portable machine transmits an illegality notification signal instead of the response signal, and the on-vehicle control device does not control an on-vehicle apparatus if the illegality notification signal is received.
US09940758B2

A method for communicating vehicle data relating to a vehicle automatically determines whether a vehicle is in a predefined surrounding area of a service facility. If this has been detected, a predefined set of vehicle data is provided via a communication interface of the vehicle for transmission to a vehicle data collection device. The set of vehicle data received by the vehicle data collection device is at least partially made available to the service facility.
US09940751B1

An image of an environment including an object (i.e., object in reality, physical object) can be captured and be displayed by a computing device. The size of an image representation of the object can be determined. Information about a physical size of the object and about a distance between the computing device and the object in the environment can be obtained/determined. A comparison of the size of the image representation of the object and the physical size of the object can be used to calculate a scale for converting between an actual size of a real-world item and a size of the item as displayed. The information about the distance can optionally be used to determine/adjust/modify the scale. A virtual article depicting/representing a real-world article/item/object (i.e., real-world correspondence) can be displayed with the captured image. The virtual article displayed can be scaled to an appropriate size using the scale.
US09940745B2

The density of images to display can be increased, and distractions reduced, through intelligent cropping or manipulation of at least some of the images. For objects such as dresses represented in the images, the density can be increased by cropping away regions of background outside the object region(s). Locating regions representing the face and legs of the wearer can enable cropping of the top and/or bottom of the image in order to cause the dress to occupy the majority of the area of the image, and can provide for a level of consistency of the sizes of the objects across the images, regardless of the sources of the images. Representative colors of the objects can also be selected to adjust the background color, in order to provide for easy distinction between the images while not providing contrasting or unappealing colors that take away from the aesthetics of the objects.
US09940737B2

To make a user easily obtain an objective and stable analysis result of bone mineral density. An analyzer 100 of bone mineral density using CT image data of a phantom having a known bone mineral density includes: a known data storage part 105 that stores known data of bone mineral density for a phantom; a histogram production part 102 that produces a histogram of region number relative to a CT value for three-dimensional CT image data of the phantom; a correspondence determination part 106 that determines correspondence between a CT value and a bone mineral density by correlating CT values showing respective peaks of the produced histogram with the known data of the phantom; and an analysis part 109 that decides a bone mineral density for three-dimensional CT image data of a subject using the determined correspondence.
US09940724B2

In accordance with various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a method and a system for detecting multiple objects from real-time images are provided. The method comprises: performing, using a CPU host, an image segmentation process to divide real-time input images into a plurality of image partitions; performing, by multiple GPUs, a fast block-wise registration process, a mark setting process, a background generation process, a foreground generation process based on a Hyper-Q computation infrastructure, and a support vector machine classification process; and generating, by the CPU host, visualization classification images.
US09940722B2

Segmentation and identification of closed-contour features in images using graph theory and quasi-polar transform are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes representing, in a rectangular domain, an image including a feature of interest. Further, the method includes determining a point within the feature of interest. The method also includes transforming the image of the feature from the rectangular domain to a quasi-polar domain based on the point. The quasi-polar domain is represented as a graph of nodes connected together by edges. The method also includes graph cutting the quasi-polar domain to identify the boundary of the feature of interest in the image.
US09940720B2

Camera and sensor augmented reality techniques are described. In one or more implementations, sensor data is obtained from a sensor of a hardware device, the sensor data being associated with the hardware device that is located in an environment, such as in three-dimensional (3D) space. Images of the environment are captured with at least one camera of the hardware device. A position of the hardware device in the environment can then be determined based on at least one of the sensor data and the images of the environment. Further, an orientation of the hardware device in the environment can be determined based on at least one of the sensor data and the images of the environment.
US09940718B2

An apparatus for extracting a peak image includes an image selector configured to select one of continuously photographed images; a base image determiner configured to determine at least one base image according to a predetermined criterion; a difference calculator configured to calculate a difference between the selected image and the at least one base image; and a peak image determiner configured to determine a peak image among the continuously photographed images based on the calculated difference.
US09940714B2

According to an embodiment, an image analyzing device includes a first acquirer, a constructor, a first calculator, a second calculator, and a third calculator. The first acquirer is configured to acquire image information on a joint of a subject and bones connected to the joint. The constructor is configured to construct a three-dimensional shape of the bones and the joint, and relation characteristics between a load and deformation in the bones and the joint from the image information. The first calculator is configured to calculate a positional relation between the bones connected to the joint. The second calculator is configured to calculate acting force of a muscle acting on the bones connected to the joint based on the positional relation. The third calculator is configured to calculate first stress acting on the joint based on the three-dimensional shape, the relation characteristics, and the acting force.
US09940701B2

A mechanism is described for facilitating depth image dequantization at computing devices according to one embodiment. A method of embodiments, as described herein, includes detecting a digital image of an object, the digital image including pixels having associated pixel values contaminated by noise, and side information pertaining to confidence of a value acquired in each pixel. The method may further include measuring characteristics of noise in each pixel of the digital image, and a plurality of weights relating to one or more of the pixel values, the side information, and the noise characteristics. The method may further include computing a smart filter based on a combination of the plurality of weights, applying the smart filter to filter the digital image by reducing the noise in the digital image, and outputting the filtered digital image.
US09940699B2

A projection conversion coefficient acquirer of an image processing apparatus acquires the same number of projection conversion coefficients, which are coefficients for doing projection conversion of an image, as the number of a plurality of reference points at differing positions in the image. A post-projection-conversion image acquirer does projection conversion on the image through each of the projection conversion coefficients, of which there are the same number as the number of the plurality of reference points acquired by the projection conversion coefficient acquirer, and acquires a plurality of post-projection-conversion images from the image, the number of the post-projection-conversion images being the same as the number of reference points. A weighted averager finds a weighted average for each of the coordinates of pixels comprising the plurality of post-projection-conversion images, using a plurality of weightings determined in accordance with distance from the plurality of reference points in the image. A weighted average image acquirer acquires a weighted average image in which the plurality of post-projection-conversion images have undergone weighted averaging by the weighted averager.
US09940697B2

Systems and methods for capturing and/or processing of panoramic imaging content using spatial redundancy-based mapping. Panoramic imaging content may be processed using a processing pipeline that may operate on a portion of the image. Images may be transformed prior to processing. Image transformation may introduce distortion and/or data redundancy. Image partitioning for the pipeline processing may be configured based on spatial redundancy associated with the transformation. Windowing operation may include partitioning an image using non-rectangular and/or non-equal windows.
US09940683B2

An embodiment of a risk-management method includes determining a risk that a subject treated for a condition will be retreated within a time period, and calculating, in response to a determined risk, a fee for taking an action if the subject is retreated within the time period. For example, such an embodiment may aid in managing a risk of a liability that may be incurred if a subject treated for a condition is retreated for the condition, for a complication arising from the condition or from the treatment of the condition, or for another reason, within a specified retreatment time period.
US09940681B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, computer program products, and systems for a predictive approach to contract management. In one embodiment, acceptable contract parameters are predicted based, at least in part on historic data and specified thresholds of identified contract parameters. Predicting acceptable contract parameters can help reduce negotiation cycles.
US09940672B2

A system for generating data from social media messages for the real-time evaluation of publicly traded assets includes an ingest component for ingesting the social media messages and a filter module eliminating expressions not considered useful language from social media messages and configuring input social media message into useful formats to form filtered social media messages. The system also includes a language processor processing the filtered social media messages based upon lexical databases to form filter and processed social media messages. The system further includes a sentiment calculator applying rules to the filtered and processed social media messages so as to compute a representation of sentiment values associated with the social media messages. A graphical user interface displaying the sentiment values is also provided.
US09940670B2

Systems 100, 1000, methods, and machine-interpretable programming or other instruction products for the management of data transmission by multiple networked computing resources 106, 1106. In particular, the disclosure relates to the synchronization of related requests for transmitting data using distributed network resources.
US09940669B2

The disclosure extends to computer-implemented personal financial management tools, methods and systems for providing financial transaction data to users and attracting origination customers to a financial institution within a financial business computing environment. The disclosure also extends to a flexible Open Origination that allows any type of mobile, internet, online, personal financial management software, finance tool, or other useful function, device or software, that a bank or financial institution provides to account holders, and offers that same functionality to all users, regardless of their account status. Non-account holders can download and utilize the Banking Software in question in order to enjoy its features, and to become familiar with the experience of doing business with the bank or financial institution that provides the software. This method, system and software allows any user, regardless of where his/her accounts are located, to use the financial software and benefit from its functionality.
US09940648B2

Systems and methods for advertising, and, more particularly, systems and methods for managing ephemeral locations in a virtual universe. A method for managing ephemeral locations in a virtual universe (VU) includes causing a computer infrastructure to: render an ephemeral location upon a triggering in the VU; teleport a VU user avatar to the ephemeral location; permit the user avatar to interact in the ephemeral location; teleport the user avatar out of the ephemeral location; and un-render the ephemeral location.
US09940639B2

Methods and apparatus for implementing forward looking optimizing promotions by administering, in large numbers and iteratively, test promotions formulated using highly granular test variables and automatically incorporating constraints on segmented subpopulations. The responses from individuals in the subpopulations are received and analyzed. The analysis result is employed to subsequently formulate a general public promotion.
US09940634B1

A content consumption monitor (CCM) generates intent data that identifies topics of real-time interest to users. The CCM uses the intent data to direct information to more interested audiences and reduce the information noise/overload that may prevent users from viewing information. This targeted information may increase user conversion rates for seminars, advertising, documents downloads, or any other activity associated with published information. In one example, the CCM generates the intent data from third party content. Using a wide variety of third party content enables the CCM to better identify current user interests. The CCM may aggregate the intent data for different demographics, such as for companies, job positions, age, gender, or geographic locations.
US09940630B2

The present disclosure includes a system, method, and article of manufacture for aggregating a consumer profile, identifying tailored content (e.g., in response to a trigger event and/or based upon a consumer profile), and/or tailoring a digital destination. For example, the systems may receive direct data indicating an interest in receiving specific content, aggregate that data into a consumer profile, compare the consumer profile to content, and/or identify tailored content based upon the comparison. Further, the systems may communicate the tailored content to a web client associated with a consumer, receive a transaction request from a web client, and/or receive bids associated with tailored content. In addition, these systems may prioritize tailored content comprising a plurality of tailored offers and/or forecast a budget for an upcoming experience.
US09940621B2

A method and computer readable medium for conducting a transaction, comprising receiving a verification value and a portion of a dynamic data element, determining candidate dynamic data elements using the portion of the dynamic data element, calculating candidate verification values using candidate dynamic data elements, and determining if the received verification value matches any of the candidate verification values, wherein the transaction is thereafter authenticated if a candidate verification value matches a candidate verification value.
US09940619B2

A system for and methods of processing non-traditional payment transactions on a traditional payment network is disclosed. More specifically, a payments system includes one or more payment program managers (PPMs), which are the providers of alternative payment products, in combination with one or more payment program processors (PPPs), which serve as processors for the PPMs. The PPMs and PPPs operate on a payment network, such as a traditional payment network. The payments system includes the utilization of traditional bank identification numbers (BINS) in order to process non-traditional transactions on a traditional payment network. Surrogate numbers are issued on BIN ranges to the non-traditional transactions in order to process them on the traditional payment network. Additionally, the payments system includes pricing structures that are associated with alternative payment products. These pricing structures are implemented and processed on the payment network, alongside the pricing structures of traditional payment products.
US09940614B2

Syncing two separate authentication channels to the same account or data using a token or the like is performed. Two authentication channels could be an online login and a mobile device login. Login for one channel creates a unique authentication code. When login from the second channel is desired, the login information is passed to the first channel device to obtain the appropriate authentication code. Then login at a service layer and data access are accomplished.
US09940610B1

Technologies are described herein for a payments portal. A payments portal can be configured to support payments by generating and embedding widgets in webpages hosted by merchant sites associated with a marketplace. The widgets can provide specific payment functionality for users, thereby providing consistent payment experiences across merchant sites without updating the merchant sites. The widgets can be dynamic or static. Interactions with the widgets can cause a browser displaying the widgets to access data hosted by the payments portal and/or other systems, devices or services in communication with the payments portal.
US09940609B2

The disclosed embodiments include systems and methods for executing a point of sale deposit. In one embodiment, a system may include one or more memory devices storing software instructions, and one or more processors configured to execute the software instructions to receive transaction information related to a point of sale deposit from a client device, and generate a pending deposit transaction based on the transaction information. The one or more processors may be further configured to execute the software instructions to receive a first transaction token from the client device, receive a second transaction token from a third-party device, match the first transaction token to the second transaction token, and complete the pending deposit transaction based on the match.
US09940608B2

A system and method for processing person-to-person transactions using EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) networks in real time is provided. The system may include an adaptive payment server including one or more processors configured to receive first identification information and second identification information from a sender communication device. The adaptive payment server may receive third identification information from a receiver communication device. The adaptive payment server may determine a sender account based on the first identification information. The adaptive payment server may determine a receiver account based on the third identification information. The adaptive payment server may process a person-to-person transaction based on the sender account and the receiver account via an EFT network.
US09940603B1

A processor identifies that at least one value of a primary shortage metric triggers an exception to a rule. The processor retrieves a list of items that have a non-zero value for the primary shortage metric and retrieves at least one secondary shortage metric value for each item in the list of items. The processor then generates report data for a report that includes at least one item in the list of items and the values of the first and second shortage metrics for the item.
US09940601B2

A system may obtain courier location information associated with a package to be delivered, by a courier, to a delivery location associated with a customer. The courier location information may indicate that the customer is not available at the delivery location. The system may obtain delivery location information associated with the delivery location. The system may determine that the courier location information matches the delivery location information. The system may provide, to a customer device associated with the customer, a delivery notification based on determining that the courier location information matches the delivery location information. The system may receive a customer signature based on providing the delivery notification. The customer signature may be associated with the customer. The system may provide the customer signature. The customer signature being provided to inform the courier to deliver the package while the customer is not available at the delivery location.
US09940599B2

Systems and methods for generating solution recommendations for power plant operation can be provided by certain embodiments of the disclosure. In one embodiment, a system may include a processor configured to collect power plant operational data from power plant components. The power plant operational data may be analyzed to identify cost factors for the power plant components. Based at least in part on the power plant operational data and the cost factors, upgrade opportunities for the power plant components may be determined. Financial values may be calculated for the upgrade opportunities. Based at least in part on the financial values, recommendations may be generated using a product interaction database and provided as an electronic output to a user.
US09940596B1

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a system for establishing base stations and allocating service vehicles to the base stations in order to provide roadside assistance. The system may include computing devices associated with customer vehicles and service vehicles as well as network computing devices. The system may receive a service request from a customer regarding a disabled vehicle. The system may then identify an appropriate service vehicle to assist the customer and assign the service request to the identified service vehicle. The system may select the appropriate service vehicle based on a location of the disabled vehicle. In an example, the system may choose a service vehicle from a base station closest to or within the shortest driving time to the disabled vehicle. By setting-up base stations in advance of service requests, service vehicles may reach disabled vehicles within a predetermined period of time.
US09940592B2

The present invention is directed to a system and method for generating, processing and distributing leads, the system comprising a leads processing engine for receiving customer requests, creating leads based upon the customer requests, determining a best available agent or agents for each lead from a pool of available agents based upon one or more selected factors, and offering or sending each lead to the best available agent or agents.
US09940591B2

A third-party provider may integrate services with a customized enterprise-software tenancy via a tenant service context determined using an uncustomized data model and a tenant-customized data model from the enterprise-software provider. A difference map is generated for the tenant-customized data model with respect to the uncustomized data model, and is used to determine a mapped integrated-service data model, which facilitates integrating services with those of the enterprise-software provider. The mapped integrated-service data model is merged with the tenant-customized data model to obtain the tenant service context for the tenant. When a user provides an instruction to interact with the multi-tenant enterprise-software provider, the tenant service context is used to determine an action based on an interpretation of the instruction, and the enterprise-software provider is commanded to perform the action.
US09940582B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to technical support management and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for intelligent problem tracking to optimize technical support. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for intelligent problem tracking can include receiving recorded information of tracked end user behavior collected in an end user computing system while the end user addresses a problem in the end user computing system, determining a level of technical sophistication of the user based upon the recorded information, selecting a technical support level corresponding to the determined level of technical sophistication of the user, and transmitting a resolution to the problem in a message to the end user computing system commensurate with the selected technical support level.
US09940568B2

A transaction card is provided. The transaction card includes a card frame having a card inlay and a card housing. The transaction card also includes a magnetic stripe disposed inside the card frame between the card inlay and the card housing.
US09940563B2

A computerized system for preserving and managing an audit trail associated with printing of a sensitive document, the system including: a printing device disposed on a local area network; a network-connected appliance disposed on the local area network and communicatively coupled to the printing device, the network-connected appliance configured to receive a request from a client system for printing of the sensitive document, to log information related to the received printing request and to release the sensitive document to the printing device for printing; and a server disposed outside of the local area network and configured to receive from the network-connected appliance the logged information related to the printing request and to aggregate and store the logged information on a storage device for subsequent search and retrieval. The computerized system additionally implements the enforcement side of improper document handling and enables identifications of the user(s) who mishandled the specific document(s).
US09940558B1

A system for formatting and printing wallet cards having the form factor of a standard ISO credit card or debit card, the printing format being calculated according to the aspect ratio and pixel density of mobile handheld devices that are capable of communicating with a printer wherein the handheld device preferably has an internal program that converts the pixilated display screen to a select content portion of the physical ISO card area wherein the remaining card area resulting from the mismatch of the aspect ratios of the display screen and the physical card form is programmed to contain data, graphics, coding, or if desired, left blank as part of the card margin.
US09940554B2

Data analysis and management methods and systems for social networks are provided. First, specific data is received from a specific registered user of a social network system via a network. The specific data is processed with a data analysis procedure to obtain at least one contact information based on the specific data. Then, a connection with at least one target user who has not registered on the social network system is established according to the contact information.
US09940552B1

A linear function describing a framework for identifying an object of class k in an image sample x may be described by: wk*x+bk, where bk is the bias term. The higher the value obtained for a particular classifier, the better the match or strength of identity. A method is disclosed for classifier and/or content padding to convert dot-products to distances, applying a hashing and/or nearest neighbor technique on the resulting padded vectors, and preprocessing that may improve the hash entropy. A vector for an image, an audio, and/or a video may be received. One or more classifier vectors may be obtained. A padded image, video, and/or audio vector and classifier vector may be generated. A dot product may be approximated and a hashing and/or nearest neighbor technique may be performed on the approximated dot product to identify at least one class (or object) present in the image, video, and/or audio.
US09940547B2

Disclosed herein is an intelligent agent to analyze a media object. The agent comprises a trained model comprising a number of state layers for storing a history of actions taken by the agent in each of a number of previous iterations performed by the agent in analyzing a media object. The stored state may be used by the agent in a current iteration to determine whether or not to make, or abstain from making, a prediction from output generated by the model, identify another portion of the media object to analyze, end analysis. Output from the agent's model may comprise a semantic vector that can be mapped to a semantic vector space to identify a number of labels for a media object.
US09940544B2

In embodiments of event image curation, a computing device includes memory that stores a collection of digital images associated with a type of event, such as a digital photo album of digital photos associated with the event, or a video of image frames and the video is associated with the event. A curation application implements a convolutional neural network, which receives the digital images and a designation of the type of event. The convolutional neural network can then determine an importance rating of each digital image within the collection of the digital images based on the type of the event. The importance rating of a digital image is representative of an importance of the digital image to a person in context of the type of the event. The convolutional neural network generates an output of representative digital images from the collection based on the importance rating of each digital image.
US09940539B2

An object recognition apparatus and method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary apparatus may determine an image feature vector of a first image by applying a convolution network to the first image. The convolution network may extract features from image learning sets that include the first image and a sample segmentation map of the first image. The exemplary apparatus may determine a segmentation map of the first image by applying a deconvolution network to the determined image feature vector. The exemplary apparatus may determine a weight of the convolution network and a weight of the deconvolution network based on the sample segmentation map and the first segmentation map. The exemplary apparatus may determine a second segmentation map of a second image through the convolution network using the determined weight of the convolution network and through the deconvolution network using the determined weight of the deconvolution network.
US09940530B2

Described herein is an onboard vehicle system capable of gathering driver behavior to be provided to a service provider computer. In some embodiments, the onboard vehicle system includes one or more input sensors, such as camera devices, configured to capture image information surrounding the onboard system. Upon detecting another vehicle within the image information, the onboard system may determine a vehicle identifier and determine, based on the vehicle's movements, that the vehicle is exhibiting anomalous behavior. Upon detecting anomalous behavior of a vehicle within its vicinity, the onboard system may transmit an indication of the anomalous behavior and a vehicle identifier to the service provider computer to be stored in a database. In some embodiments, the information provided to the service provider computer may be accessed by one or more users over a public network.
US09940527B2

A driving assist system for a vehicle and a method thereof includes a broadband camera which photographs the surrounding area of the vehicle to create an image including four channels of light information having different wavelengths. The broadband image data and the position of the vehicle are matched so that a road and an obstacle are easily recognized using a minimal number of cameras while driving the vehicle. Recognition performance of a drivable area is significantly improved, navigation for the vehicle is easily measured, and the biometric recognizing abilities of a driver monitoring camera is improved, thereby improving the convenience of a driver by the improvement of a the performance of a driving assist device.
US09940523B2

A computing device with processor(s) and memory has a video monitoring user interface for displaying a video feed on a display of a client system. When events are detected in the video feed, an events feed is displayed in the video monitoring user interface to present the detected events. For each detected event, the events feed includes a visual representation of the video feed that was recorded at the time of the respective event, an event characteristic indicator indicating a characteristic of the respective event, and a time indicator indicating the time at which the event occurred. Then, in response to detecting the user selection of one of the events included in the events feed, the computing device records the recorded video feed that was recorded during the selected event is recorded, and displays the requested recorded video feed on the video monitoring user interface.
US09940522B2

There is provided a system including a non-transitory memory storing an executable code and a hardware processor executing the executable code to receive a plurality of training contents depicting a plurality of activities, extract training object data from the plurality of training contents including a first training object data corresponding to a first activity, extract training scene data from the plurality of training contents including a first training scene data corresponding to the first activity, determine that a probability of the first activity is maximized when the first training object data and the first training scene data both exist in a sample media content.
US09940521B2

Embodiments include systems of and methods for an electronic device having a camera configured to capture image data, a display configured to display the captured image data and content corresponding to an application of the electronic device, and a motion sensor configured to detect motion of the electronic device. The electronic device also includes circuitry configured to activate the camera when motion is detected by the motion sensor, and control the display to display at least a portion of the captured image data at a size proportional to an amount of motion as detected by an output of the motion sensor.
US09940510B2

Examples disclosed herein provide for the sharing of digital content stored on a device via an image that is representative of the digital content. The device, in response to selection of digital content stored on the device, extracts frames from the digital content that are representative of the digital content. In response to selection of one of the frames, the device captures digitally handwritten customizations made to the selected frame to create a customized image. The device extracts features at least from the handwritten customizations made to the selected frame to identify the customized image. The device uploads the digital content, the customized image, and the extracted features to a remote database.
US09940508B2

Enables integration of sensor data with other information on servers such as social media sites to detect, confirm and/or publish events. Sensors may measure values such as motion, temperature, humidity, wind, pressure, elevation, light, sound, or heart rate, etc. Sensor data and event tags may be utilized to curate text, images, video, sound and post the results to social networks, for example in a dedicated feed. Event tags generated by the system may represent for example activity types, players, performance levels, or scoring results. The system may analyze social media postings to confirm or augment event tags. Users may filter and analyze saved events based on the assigned tags. The system may create highlight and fail reels filtered by metrics and by tags. Recommendations may be provided to a user based on analysis of sensor data and other information; recommendations may include for example recommended friends, purchases, or activities.
US09940506B2

A system and method for generating a descriptor for a face is provided. The descriptor is operable to generate information about a given region in a face image to enable face recognition. The descriptor provided herein is a low dimension relative to many existing descriptors providing similar face recognition accuracy. In another aspect, a system and method for face recognition is provided.
US09940505B2

A method for use with a stream of images defining a video. The method includes the steps of periodically conducting a face finding operation on an image in the stream. In respect to the last image in the stream preceding the image in which one or more faces was found, a tracker based upon wavelet decomposition is used to find a face for each face found in the last image for which no counterpart was found in the image.
US09940501B2

The present invention relates to the field of fingerprint identification technologies, and provides a method and a system for processing fingerprint sensing signals, and a fingerprint identification terminal. The method includes a frequency mixing step by mixing a collected high frequency fingerprint sensing signal with a first high frequency signal to obtain a low frequency signal; and an amplification step by amplifying the low frequency signal. By using the character that capacitance impedance is inversely proportional to signal frequency, the present invention shifts a fingerprint sensing signal with a high frequency into a signal with a low frequency through frequency spectrum shifting and performs signal amplification on the signal with a low frequency, which can overcome the difficulty in amplifying the high frequency fingerprint sensing signal and thus improves the signal-to-noise ratio SNR.
US09940497B2

Systems and methods for minimizing laser persistence are provided. In one implementation, a timing circuit for controlling a barcode reader is provided. The timing circuit comprises a shutter control circuit configured to control an electronic shutter function of an image sensor and a laser control circuit configured to control the activation of a reference laser. When activated, the reference laser directs a laser beam to an approximate position of a field of view of the image sensor. The activation of the reference laser includes a delay to minimize laser persistence on an image captured by the image sensor.
US09940492B2

An apparatus is adapted to be coupled to a component of a system associated with a wellhead. The apparatus includes a band adapted to be coupled to the component; a buckle coupled to the band and located proximate to a first end of the band; a holder coupled to the band, wherein the holder is positioned, or is adapted to be positioned, proximate to the first end; an electronic identifying device attached to the holder and adapted to identify the component; and an identifying component coupled to the band. The identifying component visually conveys information about at least one of: the electronic identifying device, and the component to which the band is adapted to be coupled. In one embodiment, the system associated with the wellhead is a system for pumping fluid to the wellhead. The electronic identifying device is, or includes, an RFID chip.
US09940486B2

A trusted guard module stores one or more identifiers, each identifier uniquely identifying a respective electronic component of one or more electronic components in a circuit, wherein each electronic component is previously programmed with its respective identifier. In one embodiment, the one or more electronic components are in communication with the guard module via a test data channel. A query is sent from the guard module to one of the components via the test data channel, requesting that the queried component provide its respective identifier to the guard module. The guard module then receives a response from the queried component via the test data channel. The guard module compares the response to the stored identifier for the queried component. If the response fails to correspond to the stored identifier for the queried component, the guard module asserts an alarm condition.
US09940483B2

This disclosure provides for implementing a firmware security interface within a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for communicating between secure and non-secure environments executable within the FPGA. A security monitor is implemented within the programmable logic of the FPGA as a soft core processor and the firmware security interface modifies one or more functions of the security monitor. The modifications to the security monitor include establishing a timer “heartbeat” within the FPGA to ensure that the FPGA invokes a secure environment and raising an alarm should the FPGA fail to invoke such environment.
US09940473B2

An information processing device of the present invention includes: a cluster information acquisition unit which acquires information indicating a cluster which is a set of records in an anonymized state in which at least a portion of attribute values of set-valued attributes, which can include one value or a plurality of values included in the records, is removed from the cluster which is a set of records including an attribute value so that the cluster satisfies a predetermined anonymity; and a set-valued attribute refinement unit which discloses at least a portion of attribute values from among removed attribute values of the set-valued attributes of records included in the cluster acquired by the cluster acquisition, and divides the cluster into clusters which satisfy the predetermined anonymity based on the disclosed attribute values.
US09940464B2

Methods for creating a hybrid string representation include determining string components from input string information that may be represented concretely by comparing the one or more components to a set of known concretizations using a processor. The set of known concretizations includes string configurations that cannot be interfered with by an attacker. All string components that could not be represented concretely are abstracted. A hybrid string representation is created that includes at least one concrete string component and at least one abstracted string component.
US09940448B2

An unlock processing method for a terminal, includes: receiving an input unlocking instruction from a user; determining whether the user belongs to a preset user group according to the unlocking instruction; and acquiring and storing information regarding the user, if it is determined that the user does not belong to the preset user group.
US09940447B2

Plural modes of operation, each associated with a class attribute, may be established on a mobile device. The present application discloses a method of handling an application launch request, a computing device for carrying out the method and a computer readable medium for adapting a processor to carry out the method. The method includes receiving a launch request identifying an application that is to be launched, acquiring an identity for the application, acquiring a class for the application, labeling the application with the identity and the class and launching the application.
US09940439B2

A medicine identification and sorting system is disclosed, which includes an image capturing system for creating a digital image of at least a portion of a target medicine, and an image processing system for comparing said created target medicine image with reference medicine images in a reference medicine image database to identify and/or then sort the medicine from a mixture of medicines.
US09940435B2

In the present invention, a monitoring device for providing information on data obtained from sensors operably connected to the device includes a central processing unit configured to receive incoming data signals from a sensor concerning a physiological parameter and to compare the incoming data signals to predetermined alarm criteria for the physiological parameter to determine an alarm condition. The device also includes a display operably connected to the central processing unit and having a display screen with a display area configured to visually represent the incoming data signals concerning the physiological parameter relating to a determined alarm condition on a portion of the display area in a visually distinct manner from a remainder of the display area to visually illustrate an escalation effect.
US09940428B2

This application discloses a computing system implementing one or more tools or mechanism configured to capture a hierarchy of a circuit design layout generated by a downstream tool. The hierarchy can include multiple cells that identify corresponding portions of the circuit design layout. The tools or mechanism can be further configured to modify the circuit design layout based, at least in part, on the captured hierarchy, which alters the portions of the circuit design layout identified by the cells separately from other portions of the circuit design layout.
US09940412B2

A method and apparatus for generating an array layout template. In one embodiment the method comprises scanning, using an installation application on a mobile device comprising at least one processor, a tag coupled to a splice box that is coupled to a trunk cable in a solar installation; and generating, via the installation application and based on information obtained by scanning the tag, a template that shows a physical layout of the splice box and a plurality of solar array components that are coupled to the trunk cable.
US09940404B2

A three dimensional (3D) client application for web browsing is described. The 3D client is able to interpret 3D structure definitions and display 3D environments associated with various sets of websites. Each 3D environment is defined using a set of connecting grids. Each connecting grid defines spatial relationships among sets of websites associated with zones of the connecting grid. Each zone includes a set of 3D structures and is associated with a set of surrounding zones. As a user moves throughout the 3D environment, additional zones may be included in the 3D environment while some zones may be removed such that the user experiences a continuous expansive environment. A user is able to interact with multiple sets of websites included within the set of surrounding zones.
US09940403B2

A client-based computer system configured to communicate with a remote server through a network and to provide access to content or services provided by the server is provided. The system includes a processor, a storage device, a client-side cache dedicated to a set of resources specified by a configuration, and a caching manager to automatically manage the cache as directed by the configuration. The client-side cache is directed by the configuration to transparently intercept a request for one of the resources from a client application to the server, and to automatically determine when to send the request to and provide a response from the server over the network to appear to the client application as though the client application sent the request to and received the response from the server.
US09940394B1

The Messaging Search and Management Apparatuses, Methods and Systems (“MSM”) transforms message, ranking request inputs via MSM components into work graphs, ML structure input data, ML structure, ranking response outputs. A work graph generation request that includes group level access control data may be obtained. A set of metadata access control carrying messages, a set of users, a set of channels, and a set of topics with access control data corresponding to the group level access control data may be determined. A user priority score for each of the other users, a channel priority score for each of the channels, and a topic priority score for each of the topics, from the perspective of each user, may be calculated. A work graph data structure may be generated that includes, for each user, data regarding the calculated user priority scores, channel priority scores, and topic priority scores.
US09940393B2

A method comprises receiving a first user communication, accessing a directory entry associated with the user, accessing, by a processor, a database stored in a memory that includes content designated as private that is associated with the user in the directory, determining with the processor whether the first user communication includes content designated as private that is associated with the user, generating a second user communication by removing the content designated as private that is associated with the user from the first user communication, and sending the second user communication to an electronic personal assistant.
US09940389B2

Systems and methods for generating issue networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of generating an issue network from a document corpus includes searching, using a computer, the document corpus for a set of documents discussing a starting issue, wherein the starting issue is one of a plurality of normalized issues defined by the document corpus. The method further includes determining a set of normalized issues discussed by the set of documents discussing the starting issue, wherein the set of normalized issues also includes the starting issue, and determining instances of co-occurrences of individual normalized issues of the set of normalized issues within individual cases of the set of documents. The method also includes linking individual normalized issues of the set of normalized issues based on their co-occurrences within the set of documents, wherein the linked individual normalized issues at least in part define the issue network.
US09940388B2

There is provided an information processing device including an event cluster creation unit configured to create an event cluster including, among a plurality of types of content, reference content serving as a reference and related content, the related content having a different type from the reference content and indicating the same event as the reference content, and a meta information appending unit configured to create meta information about the event on the basis of the event cluster and append the meta information to the event cluster.
US09940383B2

An aspect of the present invention is a computer executable method for characterizing, e.g. for diagnostic purposes, utilizing a reference database, a query sample tissue based on the gene expression data of the tissue. The method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of calculating an expression match score (EM-score) indicating the likelihood of having the gene expression level observed in the query sample in each of the tissue categories of the reference database, calculating for the genes of the sample tissue, using e.g. the EM-score, tissue specificity score (TS-score), that expresses how uniquely a gene identifies the query sample as belonging to a certain tissue category, calculating, utilizing e.g. the TS-score, overall similarity of the sample tissue in relation to a tissue category of the reference database, and storing at least some resulting characterization data to a memory device or outputting the data to an output device of a computer. An arrangement and a computer program product are also disclosed.
US09940376B2

A method for enabling querying independently of a computerized system about objects thereof, comprising providing a computer linked to the computerized system with replications of entries of an index of the computerized system that comprise data derived from contents of the objects, where said entries correspond to a subset of objects that are identified as related objects, thereby enabling the computer, based on the provided replications, to query locally and independently of the computerized system about the related objects according to contents thereof, and an apparatus for performing the same.
US09940375B2

Systems and methods for interest-driven business intelligence systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention are illustrated. In one embodiment, an interest-driven distributed data server system includes a processor, an interest-driven distributed data server application, aggregate data storage, and a data source directory, wherein the interest-driven distributed data server application configures the processor to obtain reporting data requirements, determine at least one data dimension using the reporting data requirements, identify at least one data source identified that can provide data associated with the data dimension, generate data source job data, transmit the data source job data to at least one data source, and receive job response data, store the received job response data in the aggregate data storage, build reporting data based on the reporting data requirements, and transmit the reporting data.
US09940367B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for scoring candidate answer passages. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query determined to be a question query that seeks an answer response and data identifying resources determined to be responsive to the query; for a subset of the resources: receiving candidate answer passages; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query term match score that is a measure of similarity of the query terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, an answer term match score that is a measure of similarity of answer terms to the candidate answer passage; determining, for each candidate answer passage, a query dependent score based on the query term match score and the answer term match score; and generating an answer score that is a based on the query dependent score.
US09940360B2

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for stream optimized data processing. An embodiment operates by receive a stream of data in a streaming data format. A query associated both with the stream of data and one or more records of a database is determined. It is determined whether the one or more records of the database are stored in a local cache. Those records not stored in the local cache are retrieved from the database and converted into the streaming data format. A query response, including references to each of the one or more records stored in the local cache in the streaming data format, is provided for execution of the query.
US09940357B2

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for formulating global statistics for parallel databases. In general, embodiments of the invention merge (combine) information in multiple compute node level histograms to create a global histogram for a table that is distributed across a number of compute nodes. Merging can include aligning histogram step boundaries across the compute node histograms. Merging can include aggregating histogram step-level information, such as, for example, equality rows and average range rows (or alternately equality rows, range rows, and distinct range rows), across the compute node histograms into a single global step. Merging can account for distinct values that do not appear at one or more compute nodes as well as distinct values that are counted at multiple compute nodes. A resulting global histogram can be coalesced to reduce the step count.
US09940343B2

A method of converting data to tree data is provided. A first node memory structure that includes a first value indicator, a first counter value, and a first observation indicator is initialized for a first variable. The first value indicator is initialized with a first value of the first variable selected from first observation data, and the first observation indicator is initialized with a first indicator that indicates the first observation data. The first value of the first variable is compared to a second value of the first variable. The first counter value included in the first node memory structure is incremented when the first value of the first variable matches the second value of the first variable. Corresponding values of second observation data are compared to the identified values from first observation data when the first value of the first variable matches the second value of the first variable. A next observation is read from the data when the identified values match the corresponding values. The tree data is output after a last observation of the data is processed.
US09940337B2

Examples perform predictive probabilistic deduplication of storage, such as virtualized or physical disks. Incoming input/output (I/O) commands include data, which is written to storage and tracked in a key-value store. The key-value store includes a hash of the data as the key, and a reference counter and the address of the data as the value. When a certain percentage of sampled incoming data is found to be duplicate, it is predicted that the I/O commands have become not unique (e.g., duplicate). Based on the prediction, subsequent incoming data is not written to storage, and instead the reference counter associated with the hash of the data is incremented. In this manner, predictions on the uniqueness of future data is made based on previous data, and extraneous writes and deletions from the chunk store are avoided.
US09940334B2

An image forming apparatus can prevent deletion of necessary data, when partially deleting a bundle development area, wherein the image forming apparatus holds information for identifying a file to be treated as a deletion target exception when an application is deleted, specifying an application to be a deletion target from among a plurality of kinds of applications, and deleting a file related to the specified application, such that in deletion, the file, serving as the deletion target exception, identified based on the held information, is not deleted.
US09940332B1

Described are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for expanding a storage pool-backed file system. A file system expansion trigger is detected. First reserved space in the storage pool is reserved. A LUN size attribute associated with a LUN underlying the file system is increased. A file system size attribute associated with the file system is increased. First data to write to the file system is received. In response to receiving the first data, an expansion result is determined, wherein the expansion result indicates whether to expand the LUN and the file system. If the expansion result indicates to expand the LUN and the file system, a first portion of the first reserved space is provisioned and formatted. The first data is written to the file system.
US09940329B2

A system, method and computer-readable storage devices for providing a climate data persistence service. A system configured to provide the service can include a climate data server that performs data and metadata storage and management functions for climate data objects, a compute-storage platform that provides the resources needed to support a climate data server, provisioning software that allows climate data server instances to be deployed as virtual climate data servers in a cloud computing environment, and a service interface, wherein persistence service capabilities are invoked by software applications running on a client device. The climate data objects can be in various formats, such as International Organization for Standards (ISO) Open Archival Information System (OAIS) Reference Model Submission Information Packages, Archive Information Packages, and Dissemination Information Packages. The climate data server can enable scalable, federated storage, management, discovery, and access, and can be tailored for particular use cases.
US09940325B2

Methods and systems for computer-aided translation include receiving a document having one or more sentences to be translated; generating a suggestion pool of possible translations for each sentence in the document; providing a best suggestion from the suggestion pool to a user for a sentence being translated; updating the suggestion pool based on the user's input of a translation prefix; and providing an updated best suggestion from the updated suggestion pool to the user for the sentence being translated.
US09940317B2

A system provides on a computer display screen, a graphical image of an initial parsing as generated by a computerized algorithm. Individual clauses are encased in expandable containers that a user can shift and resize on the screen using a mouse or other cursor control device to thereby improve the initial parsing.
US09940315B2

In a method for managing modifications to elements of a website, receiving one or more modifications to an element of a first webpage, wherein the first webpage is a member of a website. The method further includes determining one or more webpages that include one or more instances of the modified element of the first webpage, wherein the determined one or more webpages are members of the website. The method further includes mapping a location for each of the one or more instances of the modified element within a respective webpage of the determined one or more webpages. The method further includes rendering at least a portion of the determined one or more webpages, wherein the rendered portion of the determined one or more webpages includes the location of the corresponding instance of the modified element.
US09940312B1

Systems and methods for transferring a web content display from one container to another container are disclosed. A request to transfer a first web content display hosted in a first container having a first document object model (DOM) tree to a second container having a second DOM tree is received. The first web content display has a state comprising a plurality of state components. A second web content display hosted in the second container is created. If a first state component is dependent on a property of the first DOM tree associated with a host of the first web content display: the first state component is adjusted in the second web content display according to a corresponding property of the second DOM tree.
US09940300B2

A board portal system provides the ability to manage multiple boards, where each of the boards may be a separate legal entity. The board portal may provide the ability to establish links between the multiple boards and create parent-child relationships with subsidiary boards. With the board portal, users can create content and make it viewable and accessible across multiple boards that related through a parent-child relationship. At the same time, the board portal maintains a requisite level of separation between the related boards in the portal using encryption and/or other separation techniques. As a result, the board portal facilitates flexible workflow patterns and communication processes based on the proper hierarchical structure that exists between the parent organization and its subsidiaries.
US09940299B2

A device includes a transmitter coupled to a node, where the node is to couple to a wired link. The transmitter has a plurality of modes of operation including a calibration mode in which a range of communication data rates over the wired link is determined in accordance with a voltage margin corresponding to the wired link at a predetermined error rate. The range of communication data rates includes a maximum data rate, which can be a non-integer multiple of an initial data rate.
US09940297B2

A method for manipulating the bus communication of an electronic control device is provided, wherein the bus communication includes a bus hardware-independent first communication layer and a bus hardware-dependent second communication layer. The first communication layer encodes at least one piece of information in a first protocol data unit and transmits it to the second communication layer and/or the first communication layer receives the first protocol data unit from the second communication layer and decodes the first information from the first protocol data unit. The second communication layer generates bus hardware-dependent bus information from the first protocol data unit or from an additional protocol data unit derived from the first protocol data unit for transmission via the bus and/or the second communication layer generates the first protocol data unit or an additional protocol data unit, from which the first protocol data unit can be derived.
US09940290B2

Read-copy update (RCU) grace period initialization and CPU hotplugging are synchronized without a sleeplock. Periodic RCU grace period initialization includes, for each node of a combining tree, copying a first bitmask indicating online/offline status of a set of CPUs to a second bitmask indicating RCU quiescent state status of the CPUs. Periodic CPU hotplug operations include indicating CPU online/offline status to leaf nodes associated with the CPUs. This status is indicated without manipulating any bits in the first bitmask of the leaf nodes. Prior to each RCU grace period initialization, RCU grace period pre-initialization is performed at each leaf node. The RCU grace period pre-initialization includes (1) updating the first bitmask to account for the CPU hotplug operations, and (2) if this results in the first bitmask transitioning between fully cleared and not-fully cleared states, the state change is conditionally propagated to a higher level node.
US09940288B1

The present disclosure relates to a method for use with a serializer/deserializer comprising. The method may include operatively connecting one or more lane modules of an integrated circuit (IC) to form one or more links. The method may further include associating a FIFO reset generator with each of the one or more lane modules and receiving a signal from the FIFO reset generator at a synchronization FIFO. The method may also include aligning, at the synchronization FIFO, one or more enqueue pointers and dequeue pointers.
US09940280B1

An electronic assembly perform data storage operations on behalf of a set of storage processors (SPs). The electronic assembly includes an enclosure, and a set of peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) switches which installs within the enclosure. The set of PCIe switches is constructed and arranged to connect to the set of SPs while the set of SPs is external to the enclosure. The electronic assembly further includes a set of data storage devices which installs within the enclosure. The set of data storage devices is constructed and arranged to persistently store data on behalf of the set of SPs via PCIe-based communications through the set of PCIe switches.
US09940275B2

An information handling system includes an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) master device and an I2C slave device coupled to the I2C master device via an I2C bus. The I2C slave device is configured with a pre-set I2C address and includes seeding data that is unique to the I2C slave device. The I2C master device receives the seeding data and addresses the I2C slave device at an I2C slave address instead of at the pre-set I2C address, wherein the I2C slave address is based upon the seeding data.
US09940274B2

According to one embodiment, an interface of a memory system includes a circuit configured to adjust output resistance for data output. When the circuit has received a command in a second state, the circuit adjusts output resistance during a first period. The first period is a period from when the interface completes reception of the command to when the interface starts transmission of data read from the memory. The second state is a state in which power consumption is lower than that in a first state in which operation is caused by a command.
US09940267B2

A processing device includes a target processor instruction memory to store a plurality of target processor instructions that include a plurality of global memory access instructions. The processing device further includes a compiler to communicate with the target processor instruction memory, the compiler including: a global variable candidate detection module to identify a global memory access instruction within a set of code regions that use a set of global variable candidates to access a global memory, and a memory access optimization module to modify the global memory access instruction, wherein the modified global memory access instruction utilizes an unused base pointer register of a set of unused base pointer register candidates within the set of code regions, a global variable from the set of global variable candidates to be used as a base address, and an offset relative to the base address to access the global memory.
US09940265B2

A computing system including a memory that is shared by a plurality of components of the computing system in order to exchange data between the plurality of components; and a controller configured to control the plurality of components to encrypt the data and to record the encrypted data in the memory.
US09940264B2

A mechanism for simultaneous multithreading is provided. Responsive to performing a store instruction for a given thread of threads on a processor core and responsive to the core having ownership of a cache line in a cache, an entry of the store instruction is placed in a given store queue belonging to the given thread. The entry for the store instruction has a starting memory address and an ending memory address on the cache line. The starting memory addresses through ending memory addresses of load queues of the threads are compared on a byte-per-byte basis against the starting through ending memory address of the store instruction. Responsive to one memory address byte in the starting through ending memory addresses in the load queues overlapping with a memory address byte in the starting through ending memory address of the store instruction, the threads having the one memory address byte is flushed.
US09940259B2

Embodiments relate to a virtualized storage environment with one or more virtual machines operating on a host and sharing host resources. Each virtual machine has a virtual disk in communication with a persistent storage device. The virtual machine(s) may be misaligned with the persistent storage device so that a virtual block address does not correspond with a persistent storage block address. A relationship between the virtual disk(s) and the persistent storage device is established, and more specifically, an alignment delta between the devices is established. The delta is employed to translate the virtual address to the persistent address so that the virtual and persistent storage blocks are aligned to satisfy a read or write operation.
US09940253B2

A method and controller for implementing storage adapter enhanced write cache management, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller includes a hardware write cache engine implementing hardware acceleration for storage write cache management. The hardware write cache engine performs destage operations from storage write cache with minimal firmware involvement to enhance performance.
US09940252B2

A method and controller for implementing storage adapter enhanced write cache management, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller includes a hardware write cache engine implementing hardware acceleration for storage write cache management. The hardware write cache engine performs reads with partial read hits from storage write cache with no firmware involvement for greatly enhancing performance.
US09940249B2

A method and controller for implementing storage adapter enhanced write cache management, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller includes a hardware write cache engine implementing hardware acceleration for storage write cache management. The hardware write cache engine performs hardware manipulation of CLs (Cache Lines), a hash table, and per array LRU queues.
US09940246B1

In one embodiment, a set-associative cache memory has a plurality of congruence classes each including multiple entries for storing cache lines of data. The cache memory includes a bank of counters, which includes a respective one of a plurality of counters for each cache line stored in the plurality of congruence classes. The cache memory selects victim cache lines for eviction from the cache memory by reference to counter values of counters within the bank of counters. A dynamic distribution of counter values of counters within the bank of counters is determined. In response, an amount counter values of counters within the bank of counters are adjusted on a cache miss is adjusted based on the dynamic distribution of the counter values.
US09940245B2

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for caching in storage clients. In some embodiments, a storage client for accessing a storage service from a computer program may be provided. A cache may be integrated within the storage client for reducing a number of accesses to the storage service. An application may be used the cache to reduce accesses to the storage service, wherein the application is implemented by a computer program. In response to the storage service being unresponsive or responding too slowly, the application may use the cache to allow the application to continue without communicating with the storage service.
US09940231B2

An approach for erasing data being stored in a data storage apparatus is provided, which may be provided e.g. as an apparatus, as a method, as a system or as a computer program. A sequence of uncompressible data is obtained fulfilling predetermined criteria, which includes a statistical measure indicative of compressibility or uncompressibility of the sequence of uncompressible data meeting a predetermined criterion, wherein the sequence of uncompressible data is divided into one or more blocks of uncompressible data, the sum of the sizes of the one or more blocks of uncompressible data being larger than or equal to the storage capacity of the data storage apparatus. The one or more blocks of uncompressible data is provided to the data storage apparatus for storage therein to overwrite the data currently stored in the data storage apparatus.
US09940230B2

Compression and decompression of data at high speed in solid state storage is described, including accessing a compressed data comprising a plurality of blocks of the compressed data, decompressing each of the plurality of blocks in a first stage of decompression to produce a plurality of partially decompressed blocks, and reconstructing an original data from the partially decompressed blocks in a second stage of decompression.
US09940225B2

A test system for providing automatic testing of an application on a plurality of devices, the system including an input/output device for communicating with the plurality of devices, a processor and a memory that stores instructions which cause the processor to install an application on a device, monitor the device as it performs a series of steps, and record the results of the series of steps in a log.
US09940222B2

Automated requirements-based test case generation method includes constructing in a model-based development tool a software architecture model automatically derived from architectural information of a software design model, allocating requirement models into blocks/operators of the software architecture model, and generating component level requirements-based test cases from the software architecture. The component level requirements-based test case generation method includes receiving a software architecture along with allocated requirement models represented in hierarchical data flow diagram, selecting one of the software components, building an intermediate test model based on the selected component by automatically attaching at least one of test objectives or constraints to the corresponding software architecture model blocks/operators based on the selected test strategy, and generating human and machine readable test cases with the test generator for further automatic conversion to test executable and test review artifacts. A system and a non-transitory computer-readable medium for implementing the method are also disclosed.
US09940214B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a plurality of measurements, each measurement associated with a different parameter, calculating an index based on the measurements, and generating a visual index display indicating the index, the visual index display comprising a first portion and a second portion, each portion configured for selection by a user. A first set of measurements is displayed when the first portion is selected and a second set of measurements is displayed when the second portion is selected. The first set of measurements is a subset of the second set of measurements. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.
US09940211B2

A resource system comprises a plurality of resource elements and a resource controller connected to the resource elements and operating the resource elements according to a predefined set of operational goals. A method of operating the resource system comprises the steps of identifying error recovery procedures that could be executed by the resource elements, categorizing each identified error recovery procedure in relation to the predefined set of operational goals, detecting that an error recovery procedure is to be performed on a specific resource element, deploying one or more actions in relation to the resource elements according to the categorization of the detected error recovery procedure, and performing the detected error recovery procedure on the specific resource element.
US09940208B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for generating a reverse installation file for network restoration. A set of managed machines, such as personal computers or servers, can be managed by a network management engine communicating with the machines via a secure channel. The network management engine can scan the managed network for kickstart, or provisioning answer files, that were used to install software to network nodes at a prior time. The network management engine can access the original kickstart file, and update that file to reflect a current state of the associated machine by inserting user-supplied updates, storage configuration updates, security credentials, and/or other data. Upon a crash or other malfunction of the associated machine, the network management platform can access the reverse kickstart file and generate a restoration of that node to a current state from the reverse kickstart data.
US09940202B2

Methods, apparatus and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that enable a computer system comprising networked computers to self-heal from a boot failure of one of the computers. In some embodiments, upon detecting a first computer having a memory and a physical boot device failing to successfully load a boot image, a second computer defines a virtual boot device in communication with the first computer and the second computer and having a boot image for the first computer. Subsequent to defining the virtual boot device, the second computer can configure the first computer to boot from the virtual boot device.
US09940201B2

A disk array includes a buffer to temporarily store data (data X) from a host, a redundant first and second disk having a mirror configuration, and an auxiliary disk. A controller controls reading and writing of data X in response to a request. The controller is configured to: (a) copy to the auxiliary disk, data X stored in the buffer for rebuilding, in parallel with reading and writing data X, when the second disk fails; (b) log copied disk locations of data X copied in (a); (c) return a response to the host after completion; (d) reference a redundancy management table before copying in (a) to determine whether data X stored in the buffer has been copied; and (e) bypass copying in (a) and return to the host a response when current data X has been copied in (d).
US09940188B2

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for prioritizing delivery of messages across multiple communication systems. Aspects include that a conflict resolution system is configured to identify a plurality of processes. The conflict resolution system is further configured to generate a plurality of conflict rules corresponding to the plurality of processes. Based on the at least one selected process, the conflict resolution system can identify a conflict corresponding to at least one selected process of the plurality of processes in a conflict medium. In the exemplary embodiment, the conflict resolution system, applies at least one selected conflict rule of the plurality of conflict rules corresponding to the conflict, the at least one selected process, and the conflict medium. Based on the at least one selected conflict rule, the conflict resolution system modifies the at least one selected process.
US09940186B2

A memory controller includes a transaction interface arranged to be coupled to a transaction interconnect to receive a write transaction comprising write data, a mode controller arranged to obtain context information and to select a data protection scheme out of a plurality of data protection schemes based on the obtained context information, at least one data protection module to apply the selected data protection scheme by generating one or more protection code sequences from at least the write data in accordance with the selected data protection scheme, and a physical memory interface coupled to at least one memory device to store the write data and the one or more protection code sequences in the at least one memory device.
US09940184B2

In an anomaly detecting method by using multi-dimensional time series sensor signals including, generating anomaly model by using data of a learning period including neither that period nor any exclusion candidate period, calculating anomaly measurements on the basis of the distance from the normal model and, making a period containing the maximum anomaly measurement value but no exclusion candidate period, learning exclusion periods and anomaly determining thresholds are determined as learned data on the basis of the result in each round, generates anomaly model data in a learning period except learning-exclusion periods regarding acquired data or data in a designated evaluation period, an anomaly measurement at each time point is calculated on the basis of the distance from the normal model, and data at each time point is determined to be anomaly or normal by comparing the anomaly measurements with anomaly determining thresholds.
US09940178B2

In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for integrating a transactional middleware platform with a centralized audit framework for a SOA middleware platform. An audit provider in the centralized audit framework can be provided as a plug-in module to the transactional middleware platform, and registered as an internal audit service therein. The internal audit service can be advertised on an audit server, and can process audit requests from within the transactional middleware platform. One or more configuration files can be provided to the audit provider, for use in generating audit data for audit events occurring in one or more components in the transactional middleware platform. The audit provider itself can be configured to represent an audit aware component within the centralized audit framework, thereby utilizing a plurality of functionalities available in the centralized audit framework, including saving the audit data in a central data store.
US09940173B2

A system includes a plurality of computers configured to process a computer program in parallel by executing a plurality of processes, respectively, in parallel, each process of the plurality of processes including at least one thread, and each of the plurality of computers including a first memory and a first processor coupled to the first memory and configured to execute the plurality of processes, respectively, and a management device configured to control the plurality of computers, the control device including a second memory, and a second processor coupled to the second memory, and based on parallelization rate, memory busy rate, operation number difference and processing time difference, execute an adjusting of a number of the threads included in at least one process of the plurality of processes.
US09940159B1

Systems and methods for facilitating hibernation mode transitions for virtual machines. An example method comprises: responsive to determining that an active user session exists in a virtual machine operating in a hibernation state on a host computer system, disabling modifications of a hardware configuration parameter of the virtual machine; responsive to determining that the active user session has terminated, enabling modifications of the hardware configuration parameter of the virtual machine; and responsive to determining the hardware configuration parameter of the virtual machine has been modified, causing the virtual machine to discard, upon awakening, a previously saved memory state.
US09940156B2

An amount of a hardware resource is assigned to a virtual machine (VM) to be run on a computing device including the hardware resource. The VM is caused to run on the computing device, and usage of the hardware resource by the VM is monitor. In response to determining that the usage of the hardware resource by the VM is less than a threshold, the amount of the hardware resource assigned to the VM is decreased.
US09940154B2

One or more techniques and/or devices are provided for storage virtual machine relocation (e.g., ownership change) between storage clusters. For example, operational statistics of a first storage cluster and a second storage cluster may be evaluated to identify a set of load balancing metrics. Ownership of one or more storage aggregates and/or one or more storage virtual machines may be changed (e.g., permanently changed for load balancing purposes or temporarily changed for disaster recovery purposes) between the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster utilizing zero-copy ownership change operations based upon the set of load balancing metrics. For example, if the first storage cluster is experiencing a relatively heavier load of client I/O operations and the second storage cluster has available resources, ownership of a storage aggregate and a storage virtual machine may be switched from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster for load balancing.
US09940143B2

Systems and methods for using Peripheral Component Interconnect Express Vendor-Defined Message (PCIe-VDM) and Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) transport for network communications are described. In some embodiments, an IHS may include: a host processor; a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) coupled to the host processor; a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) coupled to the host processor; and a memory coupled to the BMC, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution, cause the BMC to: receive a message over a network while the host processor is powered off, wherein the message originates from a remote IHS and targets the BMC; and in response to a pass-through data transfer rate available to the BMC not meeting a threshold value: power on the host processor; request that the BIOS boot up; and perform a communication with the remote IHS via a PCIe bus using a PCIe-VDM supported by the host processor.
US09940140B2

The invention relates to a method of resetting a processor, the method comprising the receiving of a reset signal indicating that one or more parts of said processor need to be reset, and forwarding of said reset signal to said parts to be reset. The forwarding of the reset signal is delayed for a period of time for at least one of the parts to be reset. The clock frequency of at least one of the parts to be reset is gradually decreased during said period of time. In this way the total activity of the processor device is gradually decreased so as to avoid an on-chip voltage overshoot, which could cause a total reset of all the parts of the processor.
US09940130B2

A method of one aspect may include receiving a rotate instruction. The rotate instruction may indicate a source operand and a rotate amount. A result may be stored in a destination operand indicated by the rotate instruction. The result may have the source operand rotated by the rotate amount. Execution of the rotate instruction may complete without reading a carry flag.
US09940124B2

The system includes a terminal machine and a service provider machine. The terminal machine is modified using an update server machine. The terminal machine includes a terminal application for displaying a prompt in a first sequence of prompts and accepting a user data entry in a first series of data entries. The service provider machine includes a provider application for receiving the user data entry. The update server machine sends a dialogue module including a first and second set of updated code to the terminal machine and the service provider machine, respectively. The dialogue module does not modify computer-executable instructions saved on the terminal or service provider machines. The first and second set of updated code adapts the terminal application and provider application, respectively, to use a second sequence of prompts and a second sequence of data entries.
US09940113B2

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to techniques for managing processing of data in computing systems. One embodiment provides a method which includes receiving a set of inputs to apply to at least a first big data definition. Each big data definition encapsulates information specified in the set of inputs into a set of reusable software components. The method also includes generating, based on the reusable software components, a first executable code component for the at least first big data definition. The method further includes deploying the first executable code component to an executing application without interrupting services provided by the executing application to which the first executable code component is deployed.
US09940110B2

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.
US09940109B2

Various embodiments of methods and systems for proactive resource allocation and configuration are disclosed. An exemplary method first compiles and links a profile instrumented application with a compiler comprising a profile guided optimization feature that inserts calls to a profiler runtime. The profile instrumented application is executed on a target device using one or more workload datasets representative of probable workloads. During execution, based on recognition of the inserted calls, an instrumentation-based profile dataset is generated in association with each of the one or more workload datasets. Next, the profile instrumented application is recompiled and relinked based on the instrumentation-based profile datasets to create a set of profile guided optimizations to the source code, thereby resulting in an optimized application. The optimized application may be executed and monitored to generate a revised profile dataset useful for providing instructions to the target device for optimal workload allocation and resource configuration.
US09940106B2

There is provided a method and system for generating a program. The method includes detecting a number of steps for performing a task on a computing device and detecting an example relating to each of the steps, wherein the example includes input data and corresponding output data relating to the step. The method also includes, for each example, determining a rule that transforms the input data to the corresponding output data based on cues including textual features within the input data and the corresponding output data. The method further includes generating a program for performing the task based on the rules.
US09940097B1

A registered synchronous FIFO has a tail register, internal registers, and a head register. The FIFO cannot be pushed if it is full and cannot be popped if it is empty, but otherwise can be pushed and/or popped. Within the FIFO, the internal signal fanout of incoming data circuitry and push control circuitry and is minimized and remains essentially constant regardless of the number of registers of the FIFO. The output delay of the output data also is essentially constant regardless of the number of registers of the FIFO. An incoming data value can only be written into the head or tail. If a data value is in the tail and one of the internal registers is empty, and if no push or pop is to be performed in a clock cycle, then nevertheless the data value in the tail is moved into the empty internal register in the cycle.
US09940096B2

To perform information output suitable for the state of a user. A mobile terminal 1 includes an input unit 17, an output unit 18, a response generation unit 53, a position monitoring unit 52, and an output control unit 54. The input unit 17 receives voice input. The output unit 18 displays information, or outputs information by a method other than screen display. The position monitoring unit 52 detects the position of the mobile terminal 1 at the time of the voice input to the input unit 17. The output control unit 54 controls the output unit 18 to display a response to the voice input generated by the response generation unit 53 in the case where, at the time of the output of the response, the position monitoring unit 52 detects the position at the time of the voice input to the input unit 17, and controls the output unit 18 to output the response to the voice input in the case where, at the time of the output of the response, the position monitoring unit 52 detects a position other than the position at the time of the voice input to the input unit 17.
US09940092B2

Embodiments are provided for causing a playback device to pre-cache audio content in a playback queue. An example implementation involves a playback device detecting by a sensor on the playback device, movement in relation to the playback device. In response to detecting the movement, the playback device identifies a particular media item in a playback queue associated with the playback device. Prior to receiving a user command to play the media item, the playback device stores at least a portion of the particular media item in memory on the playback device.
US09940091B2

An example implementation may involve a first playback device rendering audio content. The example implementation may also involve the first playback device detecting that a second playback device has been connected to a playback system. After detecting that the second playback device has been connected to the playback system, the first playback device may determine a playback responsibility associated with the second playback device. The determined playback responsibility may include a grouping with the first playback device. After determining the playback responsibility associated with the second playback device, the first playback device may direct the second playback device to render the audio content.
US09940083B2

An information processing system includes: a terminal; and a file server. The terminal includes: a first communication unit configured to receive data from the file server; a display unit configured to display the data; and an editing unit configured to add an image associated with workflow processing, to the data. The first communication unit is further configured to transmit the data to which the image is added, to the file server. The file server includes: a second communication unit configured to transmit the data to the terminal and receive the data to which the image is added, from the terminal; and an executing unit configured to execute the workflow processing associated with the image.
US09940078B2

A printing apparatus includes a printing unit configured to perform printing with a decolorable material, a communication unit configured to receive print data and security setting data for the print data from an external device, and a control unit configured to determine a security level of the print data based on the security setting data received by the communication unit and control the printing unit to print or not print the print data based on the security level.
US09940070B2

Systems and methods for balancing maintenance and programming host data across multiple maintenance source blocks in a non-volatile memory are disclosed. A memory system may include non-volatile memory and a controller configured to execute one or more of the steps of selecting a fixed plurality of maintenance source blocks for executing a balance cycle of maintenance and host writes across the selected fixed plurality of maintenance source blocks. The method interleaves moving of valid data from source blocks with host data writes to achieve a balance of free space generation and consumption for the balance cycle, while periodically reevaluating an overall interleave ratio and/or substituting other previously programmed blocks for one of the previously selected plurality during the balance cycle.
US09940066B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for snapshot management in a storage infrastructure. A computer accesses a first snapshot captured in a first layer of the storage infrastructure. The computer accesses a second snapshot captured in a second layer of the storage infrastructure. The computer produces a determination that the first snapshot in the first layer of the storage infrastructure is one or more of: inconsistent with the second snapshot in the second layer of the storage infrastructure and a duplicate of the second snapshot in the second layer of the storage infrastructure. The computer removes the first snapshot in the first layer of storage infrastructure responsive to the determination.
US09940047B1

A method, system, and apparatus are disclosed, which include injecting shadow input/outputs (shadow IOs) into a system, removing the shadow IOs from the system, storing the shadow IOs, and analyzing the stored shadow IOs to determine application specific behavioral information about the system.
US09940044B2

A method, apparatus or software is disclosed for transferring storage replication system configurations between heterogonous storage systems.
US09940040B2

Systems and methods suitable for assisting data storage on a solid-state mass storage device by furthering interaction between a host and the solid-state mass storage device. The method includes providing data in a target block from a solid-state mass storage device to a host computer system, analyzing the data to identify valid and invalid data of the data in the target block with the host computer system, removing the invalid data, reformatting the valid data into a new data structure with the host computer system, writing the new data structure to the mass storage device, and marking the data in the target block as invalid.
US09940038B2

Technologies for an operating system identifying SSD and CSSD devices based on a corresponding descriptor, and for optimizing operating system functionalities with respect to the SSD/CSSD device. Optimizations include disabling non-SSD/CSSD functionalities, such as HDD defragmentation, and by enabling SSD/CSSD specific functionalities, such as write optimization storage functionalities.
US09940024B1

Determining cumulative workload skew is described. Measurements for one or more logical devices are determined. The set of measurements include, for each of N storage tiers, a workload measurement identifying workload directed to the single tier, and a capacity measurement identifying an amount of data stored in the single tier. N points may be determined using the measurements. Each point corresponds to a different storage tier and has a first coordinate identifying a cumulative percentage of data portions stored in the storage tier and all other tiers having a higher performance ranking than the one storage tier, and a second coordinate denoting an aggregated percentage of total workload directed to the foregoing cumulative percentage of data portions. A curve representing a cumulative workload skew may be determined using these N points and a point of origin.
US09940016B2

An apparatus includes a keyboard engine that operates a keyboard that accepts shape-writing input and radial entry input. A keyboard input module obtains input data from at least one input sensor of the keyboard. An intention disambiguation engine enables simultaneous use of the shape-writing input and the radial entry input acceptance for a user of the keyboard.
US09940008B2

Disclosed embodiments relate to a system and a method of managing an online social network having a plurality of neighborhoods. The system may receive a location from a user, and select, based on the location, a neighborhood from the plurality of neighborhoods. The system may further assign the user to the selected neighborhood and grant the user access to communications by users assigned to the selected neighborhood. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises creating and storing in computer data storage neighborhood data defining a plurality of geographical neighborhoods based upon a plurality of vertices or boundaries; using a computer, for each particular neighborhood among the plurality of neighborhoods, determining one or more nearby neighborhoods is associated with a geographical area proximate to the particular neighborhood; using the computer, receiving from a second computer that is associated with a user account, activation input specifying selections of one or more nearby neighborhoods as activated in association with the particular user account, wherein the activation input specifies fewer than all the one or more nearby neighborhoods; updating a database coupled to the computer to associate the selections of one or more nearby neighborhoods as activated in association with the particular user account; using the computer, receiving a request from the second computer to perform any of displaying a map page that includes the nearby neighborhoods, displaying a feed of messages, and creating a new message; using the computer, in response to the request, performing causing the displaying the map page that includes the nearby neighborhoods, causing displaying the feed of messages, or the creating the new message based upon only the selections of the one or more nearby neighborhoods as activated in association with the particular user account.
US09940006B2

Systems and methods for user interfaces for use on a computing device of a real-time collaborative computing system. A collaborative application runs on the computing device and displays information and data regarding the collaboration system and also receives user input via the user interface. The display interface arrangement may vary based on a type of collaborative session. Graphical user interfaces include a user interface based on a magnetic force model.
US09940004B2

Methods and apparatuses for predicting characteristics of coffee using only a portable communications device having data processing capabilities and an embedded camera. Images of a comminuted substance are captured by the camera, with particle characteristics being quantified and entered into a data processor of the portable communications device. This information is combined with archived data such as known characteristics of ground coffee. The combined information is processed to predict the final characteristics of the brewed coffee. Predicted final characteristics may be displayed on a display of the portable communications device.
US09940000B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a computing device including a memory, a display device and a controller. The controller is programmed to provide to a first server a request for User Interface (UI) device configurations, provide to the first server configuration criteria associated with the request, receive configuration data associated with target UI device configurations from the first server, present a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the display device based on the configuration data where the GUI displays selections for each of the target UI device configurations, provide a selection from among the selections of the target UI device configurations, and receive provisioning information from the first server that allows for implementing the selection of the target UI device configuration. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09939998B2

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which various kinds of informations and/or functions for at least one content can be provided through a plurality of partitioned regions generated by partitioning a region of a display object for the at least one content into a plurality of the partitioned regions. The present invention may include creating a display object corresponding to an upper content in a manner of having an inner space partitioned into a plurality of regions and displaying the created display object on a touchscreen, wherein different lower contents subordinate to the upper content are displayed on a plurality of the regions, respectively.
US09939997B2

Transitioning browser tabs from one contextual environment to another contextual environment may be provided. A user interface having a set of tabs may be presented. A context may be defined for the set of tabs and stored. One or more of the tabs in the set may be changed and a new context defined for the changed tabs and stored. A plurality of such additional contexts may be defined and stored. The set of tabs may be adjusted based on a selected browser tab context.
US09939995B2

Previewing content included in an enterprise database associated with an enterprise system is disclosed. A first indication is received for an overlay object associated with an object from the enterprise database that is being displayed. an action list is dynamically determined associated with the object being displayed using a first method to retrieve actions from the enterprise system that are associated with the object being displayed. The action list is provided to the overlay object. Content associated with the object is dynamically determined using a second method to retrieve content from the enterprise system. The content is provided to the overlay object. The overlay object is displayed to preview the content included in the enterprise database and to provide the action list.
US09939994B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for flagging, tracking, and managing collaborative content to facilitate addressing flagged items, including providing a user interface configured to receive a flag from a user for portions of content in a collaborative effort system, the content comprising one or more log elements and the flag indicating a flagged user, applying the flag to an indicated content to form a flagged content responsive to an input by the user, displaying the flagged content such that the flagged content is visible to the flagged user, receiving an entry by the flagged user indicating the flagged content, and removing the flag from the indicated content.
US09939986B2

A screen transfer control system includes a business device performing a business process, a mobile terminal, and a screen transfer control device converting a business screen of the business device to image data and sending the image data to the mobile terminal, the screen transfer control device converting the business screen to the image data on the basis of the drawing command, detecting a change in the cursor shape on the basis of cursor information included in the drawing command, and sending change information, when a change in the cursor shape is detected, to the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal displaying the image data from the screen transfer control device, determining whether the cursor shape is changed on the basis of the change information, and starting up a software keyboard when a screen touch that made the change in the cursor shape continues for a predetermined time.
US09939967B2

A position detection method that includes calculating a distance between 2 contact points in a first direction by measuring a potential of a first electrode in a state where a power supply voltage is applied to the first electrode and a second electrode is grounded, calculating a distance between 2 contact points in a second direction by measuring a potential of a third electrode in a state where a power supply voltage is applied to the third electrode and a fourth electrode is grounded, and correcting the distance between the 2 contact points in the first direction obtained by the potential of the first electrode in accordance with the distance between the 2 contact points in the second direction obtained by the potential of the third electrode.
US09939966B2

A processing system for an input device includes a sensor module coupled to sensor electrodes. The sensor module includes sensor circuitry and configured to acquire first capacitive measurements when the input device is in a first state, and acquire second capacitive measurements when the input device is in a second state. The second state has an increased ground as compared to the first state. The processing system further includes a determination module configured to determine positional information for an input object based on the first capacitive measurements and the second capacitive measurements.
US09939948B2

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which an external terminal can be controlled easily and intuitively. The present invention includes a touchscreen, a wireless communication unit configured to transceive data with an external terminal, a sensing unit configured to detect a rotation of the mobile terminal, a user input unit configured to receive an input of a gesture command from a user, and a controller controlling the external terminal in 1st operating mode based on the received input of the gesture command, the controller controlling the touchscreen to output at least one control button for controlling the external terminal in 2nd operating mode, the controller switching the 1st operating mode and the 2nd operating mode to each other based on the detected rotation.
US09939943B2

A client can return a display state of an object to the past. When a point body moves on a screen, a projector draws an object of a line representing a moving trajectory. The projector generates object data representing the object and transmits the generated object data to tablet terminals. The object data contains order information representing generation order of the object. The tablet terminals display the object represented by the transmitted object data on a touch panel. When performing an operation for returning the display, the tablet terminals return the display by object unit based on the order information contained in the object data.
US09939940B2

The present disclosure relates to a field of displaying technology, and describes an in-cell touch screen and a method for driving the same. The in-cell touch screen comprises: a substrate; an electrode layer, formed on the substrate; and a touch driving module, wherein multiple rows of electrodes are formed on the electrode layer, and each row of electrodes is configured to drive at least one row of pixel units; the touch driving module comprises a plurality of signal lines corresponding to electrodes in one-to-one correspondence; and during a time period for displaying an image, when the image is to be displayed by the pixel units corresponding to a row of electrodes, the touch driving module is configured to input display driving signals to the row of electrodes and input touch driving signals to the other rows of electrodes simultaneously.
US09939934B2

Aspects of the present invention relate to external user interfaces used in connection with head worn computers (HWC). Embodiments relate to an external user interface that has a physical form intended to be hand held. The hand held user interface may be in the form similar to that of a writing instrument, such as a pen. In embodiments, the hand held user interface includes technologies relating to writing surface tip pressure monitoring, lens configurations setting a predetermined imaging distance, user interface software mode selection, quick software application launching, and other interface technologies.
US09939928B2

The disclosure herein is directed to a computer mouse device, comprising: a) a base comprising a mouse device portion, front mouse pad portion, a left mouse pad portion, a right mouse pad portion, a wrist portion, one more wrist portion mounts, one or more rib mounts, a top surface and a bottom surface; b) an optical computer mouse cage comprising one or more ribs connected to the front mouse pad portion, the left mouse pad portion and/or the right mouse pad portion and traversing to the wrist portion of the base, wherein the ribs have a curved contour for accommodating an optical computer mouse positioned at the mouse pad portion grasped by a user's hand; and c) at least one wrist clamp or wrist strap connected to a left side and a right side of the wrist portion.
US09939923B2

Examples of the disclosure determine the current context of a user or a wearable device of the user. User input is received to select one or more of context-dependent events from a plurality of past, current and future events. In some examples, one or more events from the plurality of past, current and future events and a part of the current context are captured by sensors available on the wearable device. Responsive to receiving the user input, one or more of the plurality of events are selected based on the determined current context and a direction of the user input. At least one of the selected one or more of the plurality of events is displayed on the wearable device of the user.
US09939919B2

An input device includes: a key (8); and an elastic supporting member (11) supporting the key (8) in such a manner as to allow the key (8) to move in a pressing direction of the key (8), the elastic supporting member (11) including: a post section (12) protruding below a level of a bottom face of the key (8) from an edge (8a) of the key (8); and an elastic arm section (13) connected to a tip end of the post section (12) and extending along the edge (8a) of the key (8).
US09939915B2

An operation device and a method for operating functions of a vehicle involve a gesture detection device allowing detection of gestures carried out by a person in an interior of the vehicle for operating the functions. The gesture detection device has a multitude of operation zones in the interior, each zone being allocated to one of the functions and being selectable for operating the respective function by a gesture allocated to the respective operation zone.
US09939914B2

Systems and methods for combining three-dimensional tracking of a user's movements with a three-dimensional user interface display is described. A tracking module processes depth data of a user performing movements, for example, movements of the user's hands and fingers. The tracked movements are used to animate a representation of the hand and fingers, and the animated representation is displayed to the user using three-dimensional display. Also displayed are one or more virtual objects with which the user can interact. In some embodiments, the interaction of the user with the virtual objects controls an electronic device.
US09939909B2

A hand region is detected in a captured image, and for each part of the background area, a light source presence degree indicating the probability that a light source is present is determined according to the luminance or color of that part; on the basis of the light source presence degree, a region in which the captured image is affected by a light source is estimated, and if the captured image includes a region estimated to be affected by a light source, whether or not a dropout has occurred in the hand region in the captured image is decided; on the basis of the result of this decision, an action is determined. Gesture determinations can be made correctly even when the hand region in the captured image is affected by a light source at the time of gesture manipulation input.
US09939900B2

One illustrative system disclosed herein includes a first haptic output device configured to receive a first haptic signal and output a first haptic effect to a deformable surface and a second haptic output device configured to receive a second haptic signal and output a second haptic effect to the deformable surface. The illustrative system further includes a processor coupled to the first haptic output device and the second haptic output device, the processor configured to: determine an event, determine a first haptic effect and a second haptic effect based at least in part on the event, transmit a first haptic signal associated with the first haptic effect to the first haptic output device, and transmit a second haptic signal associated with the second haptic effect to the second haptic output device.
US09939899B2

This disclosure relates to detecting hand gesture input using an electronic device, such as a wearable device strapped to a wrist. The device can have multiple photodiodes, each sensing light at a different position on a surface of the device that faces skin of a user. Examples of the disclosure detect hand gestures by recognizing patterns in sensor data that are characteristic of each hand gesture, as the tissue expands and contracts and anatomical features in the tissue move during the gesture.
US09939891B2

An earpiece for use in voice dictation includes a speaker disposed within the earpiece housing, a microphone, and a processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the microphone and the speaker, wherein the processor is adapted to capture a voice stream from the microphone. The earpiece may further include a wireless transceiver disposed within the earpiece housing, the wireless transceiver operatively connected to the processor. The earpiece is configured to be controlled by a user through a plurality of different user interfaces to perform voice dictation.
US09939866B2

Systems, operations, management and monitoring of controlling and managing power source performance by providing an operating power source device and providing one or more sensors to monitor operation of the power source device. Operational data of the power source device is collected via the one or more sensors and stored to both a local and remote database. The collected operational data is analyzed to detect and identify any operational errors of the power source device, as well as obtaining external and/or internal operating conditions of the operating power source device. Any identified operational errors of the power source device are corrected for using at least the external and/or internal operating conditions.
US09939864B1

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.
US09939860B2

An electronic device according to the invention includes a second electronic device and a first electronic device removably connected with the second electronic device; the electronic device includes a first heat dissipation channel in the first electronic device and a second heat dissipation channel in the second electronic device. In a disconnected state, the heat dissipation airflow flows through the first heat dissipation channel to perform heat dissipation of the first electronic device. In a connected state, the first air inlet of the first heat dissipation channel communicates with the second air outlet of the second heat dissipation channel, and the heat dissipation airflow may enter into the first heat dissipation channel via the second heat dissipation channel so as to perform heat dissipation of the first electronic device by the second heat dissipation channel and the first heat dissipation channel.
US09939856B1

A supporting frame includes at least one supporting element, a base and a light-permeable pillar. The supporting element has a first through-hole. A cam is disposed in the supporting element and has a second through-hole and a turning portion. The second through-hole is disposed corresponding to the first through-hole. The base extends to form a sleeve. The light-permeable pillar passes through the first through-hole and the second through-hole and is inserted into the sleeve. The supporting element is capable of sliding along the light-permeable pillar. The turning portion is configured for pushing against an inner wall of the supporting element for fixing the supporting element on the light-permeable pillar.
US09939850B2

A cover for a portable electronic device is disclosed. The cover can include at least one electrical component. For example, in one embodiment, an electrical component can be embedded in the cover. When the cover is placed on or mated with the portable electronic device, the electrical component embedded in the cover is able to interact with electrical circuitry of the portable electronic device. Advantageously, the cover can not only provide a protective and/or ornamental covering for the portable electronic device but can also augment the electrical capabilities of the portable electronic device.
US09939847B2

A foldable display device includes a flexible display panel, a case supporting the flexible display panel, a bonding member fixing the flexible display panel to the case. The case includes a hinge portion, and supports respectively coupled to the hinge portion at opposing sides of the hinge portion. The flexible display panel includes a bendable area corresponding to the hinge portion, and planar areas respectively at opposing sides of the bendable area and corresponding to the supports of the case. The bonding member is between a support of the case and the corresponding planar area of the flexible display panel, and is displaceable with respect to the support along one of a thickness direction and a width direction of the flexible display panel when the flexible display panel is folded.
US09939836B2

An internal voltage generation circuit includes a first control signal generation unit suitable for generating a first control signal activated to a level of a second external voltage when a first external voltage is activated, a second control signal generation unit suitable for generating a second control signal that equals the higher of the second external voltage and an internal voltage, and a voltage generation unit suitable for generating the internal voltage by performing a charge pumping operation based on the second external voltage and an oscillation signal while blocking a current flowing through a generation node from which the internal voltage is generated, based on the first and second control signals.
US09939829B2

Low-noise current source, configured to be supplied by at least one DC main supply (Vss) and to deliver an output current (IL), the source comprising one or more current generator modules (G1, G2, . . . GN) operating in parallel each one of which is configured to deliver a respective output current (Ii), whereby the output current (IL) of the source is equal to the sum of the output currents (Ii) of said one or more current generator modules (G1, G2, . . . GN), each current generator module (G1; G2; . . . GN) comprising a regulator component (Q1), configured to deliver the output current (Ii) of the current generator module (G1; G2; . . . GN), a sensing resistor (Rs) connected in series to the regulator component (Q1), and an error amplifier stage (IC1), configured to compare a reference voltage (Vref) with a voltage drop (Vs) across the sensing resistor (Rs), whereby the error amplifier stage (IC1) is configured to amplify an error signal equal to a difference between the between voltage (Vref) and voltage across the sensing resistor (Rs), the error amplifier stage (IC1) being configured to output the amplified error signal that is configured to control the regulator component (Q1), the current source being characterized in that each current generator module (G1; G2; . . . GN) further comprises a first shunt type regulator (Z1, I1), configured to be connected to said at least one DC main supply (Vss), that is further configured to generate a dedicated supply voltage supplying the error amplifier stage (IC1), whereby the error amplifier stage (IC1) is configured to be supplied in a floating manner with respect to said at least one DC main supply (Vss).
US09939822B2

In one embodiment, a remote monitoring system for a fluid applicator system is disclosed. The fluid applicator system is disposed to heat and pump spray fluid, and to transmit reports including sensed temperatures, pressures, and other operational parameters of the fluid applicator system via a wireless network. The remote monitoring system comprises a data storage server, and an end user interface. The data storage server is configured to receive and archive the reports. The end user interface is configured to provide a graphical user interface based on the reports. The graphical user interface illustrates a status of the fluid handling system, sensed and commanded temperatures of the fluid handling system, sensed and commanded pressures of the fluid handling system, and usage statistics of the fluid handling system.