US09948472B2
Techniques are described for utilizing Protocol Independent Multicast Sparse Mode (PIM-SM) to transport BUM (broadcast, unknown unicast, and multicast) traffic in a Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) underlay of a data center, where the BUM traffic is received on active-active, multi-homed Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) interconnects between multiple physical data centers. For example, the techniques may readily be applied to support usage of PIM-SM where provider edge (PE) routers of the EVPN operate as gateways between the EVPN and the VXLAN spanning the data center interconnect.
US09948468B2
In an example, a DHN (DHN) is provided for enabling grantees to access digitally-controlled assets of a principal. The principal (level 0) establishes a digital testament (DT), identifying one or more grantees on levels 1-n. Each grantee receives a digital heritage certificate (DHC), which may be based on the PKI certificate definition. The DHC includes a “PREDECESSORS” field, identifying one or more predecessor certificates that must be revoked before the DHC is valid. All grantee DHCs have the principal's level 0, DHC as a predecessor certificate. Level n certificates may also be valid only if all certificates at level n−1, have been revoked. In practice, a DHC may be revoked when a user of the certificate passes away, so that nth generation grantees inherit only when generation n−1, has passed away.
US09948467B2
A method for using digital signatures for signing blockchain transactions includes: generating a domain key pair comprising a domain private key and a domain public key, wherein the domain public key is signed after generation; receiving a plurality of member public keys, wherein each member public key is received from an associated member of a blockchain network and is a public key in a key pair comprising the member public key and a member private key corresponding to the associated member; signing each member public key using the domain private key; receiving a transaction block from a specific member of the blockchain network, wherein the transaction block includes a plurality of blockchain transaction values and a hash signed using the member private key corresponding to the specific member; signing the received transaction block using the domain private key; and transmitting the signed transaction block.
US09948464B1
The present invention discloses a multi-port PUF circuit based on NMOS zero temperature coefficient point, comprising an input register, a deviation current source, a arbiter and a disturbing module used to construct a multi-port PUF circuit; the input register comprises m D-flip-flops; the deviation current module comprises m deviation current cells; the arbiter comprises 2n current sensitive amplifiers; the disturbing module comprises n 2-input XOR gates; wherein an input challenge used to configure deviation current generation module can update IDs without replacement of hardware. In addition, it has a capability of producing a multi-bit IDs in one clock cycle. Post-layout simulation results show that the PUF circuit is provided with excellent uniqueness and randomness with reliability up to 98.2% across temperature variation from −40° C. to 125° C., and supply voltage variation from 1.08V to 1.32V; it can be applied in information security field.
US09948459B2
The present invention relates to a multiple encrypting method, for encrypting a file and/or a protocol and generating encryption keys. Comprising the steps of: uploading at least one of a file and a protocol by a file uploading unit; generating random numbers by a random number generation unit; arranging the random numbers to form at least one key and at least one initialization vector respectively by a key generation unit and an initialization vector generation unit; encrypting the file and/or the protocol from the file uploading unit via using AES encryption by an encryption unit, so as to generate an encrypted file and/or an encrypted protocol; saving the key and the initialization vector respectively in a first storage unit and a second storage unit; Repeating the above steps at least one time.
US09948454B1
A symmetric data encryption system configured to receive a data stream to be encoded; to relate segments of the data stream with a predetermined distortion-inducing amplitude of light to encrypt the datastream; to transmit the datastream; to decrypt the data stream by compensating for the value induced by the distortion-inducing amplitude of light; wherein the distortion-inducing amplitude of light relates to different wavelengths of light emitted by one or more of a plurality of light sources in a non-uniform manner such that the effect of the distortion-inducing amplitude of light is difficult to predict, thereby providing obfuscation and encryption of the datastream.
US09948441B2
Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a method and device for sending a pilot signal. The method includes: generating a sub-frame carrying user-specific pilot signals, wherein the sub-frame includes one or more resource blocks, the resource block includes a plurality of resource elements in a symbol-subcarrier plane, locations of the resource elements in the symbol-subcarrier plane are determined by an OFDM symbol and subcarrier, a first part of the user-specific pilots signal are carried by the resource elements of the initial one or more OFDM symbols in the resource block, and a second part of the user-specific pilot signals are carried by resource elements of other OFDM symbols in the resource block; and sending the sub-frame carrying the user-specific pilot signals. The methods and devices are capable of improving the precision of channel estimation.
US09948431B2
Various aspects described herein relate to managing a soft buffer for decoding hybrid automatic repeat/request (HARQ) based transmissions in wireless communications. A legacy soft buffer size of a legacy soft buffer can be determined for decoding HARQ based transmissions in legacy communications, where the legacy communications are based on a first transmission time interval (TTI) of a first duration. Ultra low latency (ULL) communications can be received, where the ULL communications are based on a second TTI that is less than the first duration. A ULL soft buffer size for a ULL soft buffer for decoding HARQ based transmissions in the ULL communications can be determined. Contents of the ULL soft buffer can be managed based at least in part on the ULL soft buffer size.
US09948428B2
Methods and systems are disclosed that support the aggregation of acknowledgement messages and control messages. Advantageously, acknowledgement and negative acknowledgement indications for multiple client nodes are combined into a single aggregated message which is broadcast or multicast to the multiple client nodes. Based on unique identifiers assigned to each client node, client nodes are grouped such that the aggregated acknowledgement messages can be efficiently encoded to conserve both network capacity when they are transmitted, as well as processing capacity when they are parsed by the client nodes. If code division multiple access (CDMA) technology is used, the aggregated acknowledgment message can be transmitted without CDMA spreading to effectively broadcast or multicast it to multiple client nodes. A similar technique can be employed for the efficient broadcast or multicast of aggregated control messages.
US09948423B2
Variation-tolerant wavelength division multiplexing receiver and transceiver, and associated methods
A variation-tolerant receiver includes a plurality of receiver resonators configured to demultiplex a multiplexed modulated signal received from at least one wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmitter having a plurality of transmitter resonators and wherein operationally each of the receiver resonators has a receiver resonance linewidth not exceeding a minimum spacing between two adjacent transmitter resonances of the transmitter resonators, the receiver resonances collectively spanning a free spectral range of one of the receiver resonators such that the variation-tolerant receiver achieves gapless spectral response. A method passively compensates transmitter-receiver channel mismatch in a transceiver by: separating a broadband carrier into a plurality of narrowband transmitter carriers; modulating the narrowband transmitter carriers to form a plurality of modulated signals; multiplexing each of the modulated signals to form a multiplexed modulated signal; and demultiplexing the multiplexed modulated signal onto a plurality of receiver channels.
US09948422B2
A communication system includes a first optical system and a second optical system optically connected to a clamping laser and a pump laser. The first optical system includes first and second optical splitters. The first optical splitter is configured to receive a clamping laser signal from the clamping laser and split the signal into split clamping laser signals. The second optical splitter is configured to receive a pump laser signal from the pump laser and split signal into split pump laser signals. The second optical system is optically connected to the first optical system and includes amplifier systems. Each amplifier system is configured to receive a multiplexed signal. The second optical system includes first and second combiners optically connected to an erbium-doped fiber. The first combiner is optically connected to the first splitter, and the second combiner is optically connected to the second splitter.
US09948416B2
An apparatus for processing a hybrid broadcast service, the apparatus comprising a reception module for receiving broadcast signals though a broadcast channel or contents through a broadband channel for the hybrid broadcast service, wherein the broadcast signals include data for the hybrid broadcast service and an EAM (Emergency Alert message) and a processor for receiving a request from a companion device and sending at least one of a content or continuous components or files or data or media timeline information of the EAM (Emergency Alert message) based on the request, wherein the continuous components or the files or the data are a part of the hybrid broadcast service which is currently selected.
US09948411B2
An automatic system level testing (ASLT) system for testing smart devices is disclosed. The system comprises a system controller operable to be coupled with a smart device in an enclosure, wherein the system controller comprises a memory comprising test logic and a processor. The system also comprises the enclosure, wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of components, the plurality of components comprising: (i) a robotic arm comprising a stylus, wherein the stylus is operable to manipulate the smart device to simulate human interaction therewith; and (ii) a platform comprising a device holder, wherein the device holder is operable to receive a smart device inserted there into. The processor is configured to automatically control the smart device and the plurality of components in accordance with the test logic.
US09948402B2
Methods and systems for large silicon photonic interposers by stitching are disclosed and may include, in an integrated optical communication system including CMOS electronics die coupled to a silicon photonic interposer, where the interposer includes a plurality of reticle sections: communicating an optical signal between two of the plurality of reticle sections utilizing a waveguide. The waveguide may include a taper region at a boundary between the two reticle sections, the taper region expanding an optical mode of the communicated optical signal prior to the boundary and narrowing the optical mode after the boundary. A continuous wave (CW) optical signal may be received in a first of the reticle sections from an optical source external to the interposer. The CW optical signal may be received in the interposer from an optical source assembly coupled to a grating coupler in the first of the reticle sections in the silicon photonic interposer.
US09948399B2
Methods and apparatus for removing beat interference from the splitting and/or combining of signals. In one embodiment, an active splitter/combiner receives multiple input optical signals from downstream communication resources via a number of individual point-to-point links. Each input optical signal is converted to an electric signal (which, unlike the input optical signals, do not share a characteristic wavelength). The resulting electrical signals can be combined without introducing beat interference. Once combined, the resulting aggregate signal is converted back to an optical format for transmission via the optical network. Various other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to active splitting of optical signals.
US09948392B2
A method and apparatus are provided for generating a visible light signal according to an amount of data transmission in a first Visible Light Communication (VLC) device. The method includes determining a ratio of an amount of data that has been received from a second VLC device to a total amount of data to be received; determining a visible light signal pattern corresponding to the ratio; generating a visible light signal corresponding to the visible light signal pattern; and outputting the visible light signal.
US09948390B2
Configurations and processes for detecting a location at which noise is being generated in a network are disclosed. A device for identifying a location in a network at which noise is being generated may include: an acquiring unit for acquiring amplitude fluctuations in signals transmitted from a first device via a second device in the network; and a detecting unit for detecting a noise-generating device that is transmitting signals containing noise on the basis of the amplitude fluctuations acquired by the acquiring unit.
US09948384B1
A method of identifying network faults includes receiving subscriber statuses of customer premises equipment (CPE) of a communication network represented as a tree having a root node and leaf nodes. Each leaf node corresponds to a CPE. For each CPE, the method includes: (i) determining a conditional probability of the subscriber status of the CPE for each sub-tree in the network tree; (ii) determining a joint probability of the subscriber status of the CPE for every sub-tree in the network tree; (iii) determining a joint probability of the subscriber status of the CPE for every residual tree in the network tree; and (iv) determining a Bayesian posterior probability of a cut at each leaf node, given the subscriber status of the CPE. The method further includes determining a network node status topology indicating node statuses of nodes of the network tree based on the determined Bayesian posterior probabilities.
US09948383B1
A communication network includes and a communication method uses a communication node configured to use a time division multiple access protocol to allow communication in the network. The time division multiple access protocol is configured to allocate time slots. The communication node includes a main transceiver and an auxiliary transceiver. The communication node is configured to listen for a synchronization signal using the main transceiver during a first window and to listen for a synchronization signal during a second window using the auxiliary transceiver.
US09948382B2
A method of reducing data transfer while increasing image information over an 802.15.4 network includes obtaining an image with a sensor, modulating a representation of the image using a first 802.15.4 modem, sending the representation of the image to a coordinator, demodulating the representation of the image using a second 802.15.4 modem, and digitally enhancing at least one of the representation of the image and the image. A system for communication over an 802.15.4 network includes a sensor for obtaining data, the size of the data being at least an order of magnitude greater than the size of an 802.15.4 packet, a first 802.15.4 modem coupled to the sensor, a buffer for temporarily storing the data to allow transmission of portions of the data; the buffer being coupled to the sensor, a coordinator coupled to the sensor, the coordinator being capable of communicating with a computer, and a second 802.15.4 modem coupled to the coordinator.
US09948381B2
Systems and methods are described for paired-beam satellite communications in a flexible satellite architecture. Embodiments include one or more “bent pipe” satellites having multiple transponders for servicing a number of spot beams. Implementations include novel types of paired-beam transponders that communicatively couple gateway terminals and user terminals in different spot beams. Some implementations also include loopback transponders that communicatively couple gateway terminals and user terminals in the same spot beam. The transponders can use similar components, can provide for flexible forward-link and return-link spectrum allocation, and/or can provide other features. Certain embodiments further include support for utility gateway terminal service and/or redundancy (e.g., active spares) for one or more active components.
US09948379B2
A base station signal matching device is a base station signal matching device mounted in a distributed antenna system for amplifying a received base station signal and transmitting the amplified base station signal to a user terminal. The base station signal matching device includes a first unit for generating first and second branch base station signals by using a power division function based on the base station signal, and transmitting the second branch base station signal to a third unit, and a second unit for matching the first branch base station signal to be suitable for signal processing of the distributed antenna system.
US09948367B2
Methods and systems for acknowledging multi-user transmissions on a wireless network include receiving a multi-user transmission comprising a first message from the first device and a second message from the second device, generating a first media access control protocol data unit, the first media access control protocol data unit acknowledging the first message and including a destination address field identifying the first device, generating a second media access control protocol data unit, the second media access control protocol data unit acknowledging the second message and including a destination address field identifying the second device, generating an aggregated media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) comprising the first media access control protocol data unit (MPDU) and the second media access control protocol data unit (MPDU); and transmitting the aggregated media access control protocol data unit (A-MPDU) on the wireless network.
US09948363B2
A wireless communication system and method that includes configurable Carrier Aggregation (CA) and/or Multiple-input Multiple-output (MIMO) operational modes. In CA, multiple carriers (i.e., channel bundling) are aggregated and jointly used for transmission to/from a single terminal. Downlink inter-band carrier aggregation increases the downlink data rates by routing two signals, received in different frequency bands, simultaneously to two active receivers in the RF transceiver. MIMO utilizes two additional receivers as diversity paths and the frequency generation can be shared between main and diversity path for each carriers.
US09948361B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses for selecting beamforming parameters based on selected micro-routes are disclosed. One method includes characterizing at least one wireless link between a first node and a second node of a wireless network, including identifying a plurality of micro-routes between the first node and the second node, selecting a micro-route from the plurality of micro-routes for each of a plurality of antenna arrays of at least one of the first node or the second node, yielding a plurality of selected micro-routes, selecting beam forming parameters for each of the plurality of antenna arrays based on the plurality of selected micro-routes, and communicating at least one stream between the first node and the second node through the plurality of selected micro-routes of the plurality of antenna arrays.
US09948352B2
Techniques for implementing timesharing in discontinuous systems, for example to implement low power modes, are discussed. In some embodiments, a set of bit loading tables is determined in advance, and bit loading tables are then selected based on which lines are transmitting and which are quiet.
US09948350B2
Circuitry includes a first RF power amplifier, a second RF power amplifier, a third RF power amplifier, a first bias signal generator, and a second bias signal generator. The first RF power amplifier and the second RF power amplifier are each configured to amplify RF signals for transmission in a first carrier network. The third RF power amplifier is configured to amplify RF signals for transmission in a second carrier network. In a first mode, the first bias signal generator provides a bias signal to the first RF power amplifier and the second bias signal generator provides a bias signal to the second RF power amplifier. In a second mode, the first bias signal generator and the second bias signal generator each provide a portion of a bias signal to the third RF power amplifier.
US09948326B2
Systems and methods for enabling a WLAN client to communicate simultaneously over more than one band at a time are described, where each client has at least one radio that is operational in each supported band. Load balancing based on traffic requirements optimizes the use of the multiple bands.
US09948311B1
A decision-directed phase detector (DDPD) to compare an input signal including clock and data components with a reference signal set to a clock crossover value, and generate a first compared output signal designating a transition of the input signal through the clock crossover value. The DDPD may also receive the first compared output signal and generate a phase adjustment signal, and compare the input signal with the reference signal set to a positive offset clock crossover value of the clock crossover value offset by a positive offset value, and generate a positive offset compared output signal designating a transition of the input signal through the positive offset clock crossover value. The DDPD may further generate a valid transition signal to route the phase adjustment signal to a clock generation circuit when the positive offset compared output signal transitions over a clock period.
US09948299B2
A memory subsystem includes a multi-device package including multiple memory devices organized as multiple ranks of memory. A control unit for the memory subsystem sends a memory access command concurrently to some or all of the ranks of memory, and triggers some of all of the memory ranks that receive the memory access command to change on-die termination (ODT) settings. One of the ranks is selected to execute the memory access command, and executes the command while all ranks triggered to change the ODT setting have the changed ODT setting.
US09948292B2
A bidirectional integrated CMOS switch is provided which is capable of switching voltages beyond the range of the supply and ground potentials. The switch is composed of NMOS and PMOS transistors as the switch conductor path, a diode bridge, and control circuitry to turn the switch on and off by means of low voltage logic, regardless of the voltages on the switch terminals. The device and method of the invention enables the switching of high voltage loads operating at arbitrary or floating voltages relative to the low voltage power supply and ground, and provides on/off control of the switch with ordinary low voltage logic levels. The invention provides bidirectional switching without conducting through the parasitic body diodes of the CMOS devices.
US09948289B2
In accordance with an embodiment, method of controlling a switching transistor includes applying a first voltage to a first node of a switchable tank circuit, where the first node is coupled to a control node of the switching transistor, the first voltage has a first polarity with respect to a reference terminal of the switching transistor, and the first voltage is configured to place the switching transistor into a first state. After applying the first voltage, the switchable tank circuit is activated, where a voltage of the first node transitions from the first voltage to a second voltage that is configured to place the switching transistor in a second state different from the first state. The switchable tank circuit is deactivated after the voltage of the first node attains the second polarity.
US09948283B2
When a signal of high amplitude is outputted, a drain-to-source voltage exceeding a withstand voltage may be applied. The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a level shift circuit that outputs a high amplitude signal from the input of a low amplitude logical signal. The level shift circuit includes a series coupling circuit, a first gate control circuit coupled to a first power supply, a second gate control circuit coupled to a second power supply of a potential higher than the potential of the first power supply, and a potential conversion circuit arranged between the first gate control circuit and the series coupling circuit. The potential conversion circuit supplies a first level potential, which is lower than the potential of the first power supply and higher than the potential of the reference power supply, to a gate of an N-channel MOS transistor of the series coupling circuit.
US09948275B2
A piezoelectric vibration element includes a piezoelectric substrate including (i) an excitation portion and (ii) a peripheral portion that is integrally arranged at a periphery of the excitation portion and whose thickness is smaller than that of the excitation portion. The piezoelectric vibration element further includes excitation electrodes that are arranged in a front-and-rear relationship on front and rear principal faces of the piezoelectric substrate. The excitation portion includes a first portion that is at a location of a maximum thickness of the excitation portion and a side face that is connected to (i) a principal face of the first portion and (ii) a principal face of the peripheral portion. The side face includes level difference portions having a level difference and a face that has no level difference from the principal face of the first portion to the principal face of the peripheral portion.
US09948270B2
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a circuit including an antenna having a tunable component. The tunable component can be operable to receive a variable signal to cause the tunable component to change a reactance of the antenna. The tunable component can include a first conductor coupled to the antenna, a second conductor, and a tunable material positioned between the first conductor and the second conductor, where at least one of the first conductor or the second conductor, or both are adapted to receive the variable signal to cause the change in the reactance of the antenna. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09948261B2
A speaker system includes an electronic signal processing unit configured to split an input audio signal into a low-pass audio component and a high-pass audio component. The electrical signal processing unit includes a multi-rate finite impulse response (FIR) filter configured to downsample the low-pass audio component and sample the downsampled low-pass audio component at a first sampling rate lower than a second sampling rate used to sample the high-pass audio component. The speaker system further includes an electronic adaptive equalizer coefficient (EAEC) module configured to dynamically determine at least one equalizer coefficient based on a signal characteristic of the input audio signal. An electronic filter coefficient update unit (FCUU) is included and is configured to control a frequency response of the speaker system based on the at least one equalizer coefficient.
US09948259B2
Methods and systems for amplitude estimation and gain adjustment using noise as a reference are described. An example receiver can include an antenna and a front end amplifier coupled to the antenna. The receiver can also include a detector circuit coupled to the front end amplifier. The receiver can be configured to determine a power of a received signal at the antenna based on a gain of the receiver. The gain of the receiver can be determined based on a noise figure of the front end amplifier and a noise amplitude.
US09948256B1
Audio information of audio content being listened to by a user is received. An aspect of a listening environment of the user is identified. A volume preset, based on the audio information and the aspect of the listening environment, is determined to be available. A first volume of the audio content being listened to by the user is determined to be different from the volume preset. The first volume of the audio content is adjusted to a second volume.
US09948248B2
An amplifier for converting a single-ended input signal to a differential output signal. The amplifier comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor and a fourth transistor. The first transistor, configured in common-source or common-emitter mode, receives the single-ended input signal and generates a first part of the differential output signal. The second transistor, also configured in common-source or common-emitter mode, generates a second part of the differential output signal. The third and fourth transistors are capacitively cross-coupled. The amplifier further comprises inductive degeneration such that a source or emitter of the first transistor is connected to a first inductor and a source or emitter of the second transistor is connected to a second inductor.
US09948247B2
An RF amplifier comprising an input-transistor having an input-transistor-base terminal, an input-transistor-collector terminal and an input-transistor-emitter terminal; a degeneration-component connected between the input-transistor-emitter terminal and a ground terminal; and a protection-transistor having a protection-transistor-base terminal, a protection-transistor-collector terminal and a protection-transistor-emitter terminal. The input-transistor-base terminal is connected to the protection-transistor-emitter terminal, and the protection-transistor-base terminal is connected to the input-transistor-emitter.
US09948243B2
A reconfigurable load modulation amplifier having a first power amplifier (PA) configured to be supplied by a first drain voltage and a second PA coupled in parallel with the first PA, wherein the second PA is configured to be supplied by a second drain voltage is disclosed. The reconfigurable load modulation amplifier includes a quadrature coupler configured to combine power from both the first PA and the second PA for output through an output port. Also included is control circuitry configured to set at least one of the first drain voltage and the second drain voltage such that the first drain voltage is different than the second drain voltage. In at least one embodiment, the control circuitry is further configured to dynamically adjust at least one of the first drain voltage and the second drain voltage such that the first drain voltage is different than the second drain voltage.
US09948242B2
A selectable current limiter circuit to limit the current an amplifier with a load. The limiter circuit limits the current of an amplifier by comparing a voltage reference that follows the output swing of the amplifier to voltage drop across a current limiting resistor coupled to the output of the amplifier. The limiter circuits are operatively coupled to buffer and switch circuits that delay the current limiting until the limiter circuits are activated.
US09948238B2
A harmonic mixer that suppresses the degradation of the conversion efficiency is disclosed. That harmonic mixer includes an input transmission line, an output transmission line, and two transistors connected in parallel between the input transmission line and the output transmission line. Two transistors are complementarily driven by a local signal LO and generate an output signal RF with frequencies of 2×fLO±fIF, where fLO and fIF are frequencies of a local signal LO and an intermediate signal IF.
US09948237B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for generating, filtering, and amplifying signals that are sent and received using SOCs. These improved methods and devices advantageously provide filtering of composite RF signals such that the RF signals can be transmitted with an improved SNR. Such filtered signals can then be transmitted at a higher power. Because filtering is performed at an intermediate frequency, the higher cost of low-noise RF-transmitters and/or RF filtering components can be avoided. Accordingly, less expensive (e.g., noisier) components, such as readily available wireless transceiver SOCs, can be used for generating RF signals, filtering the signals, and then transmitting the filtered signals at higher power. As a result of these devices and methods, inexpensive SOCs may be used at higher powers and over longer ranges than would be normally expected.
US09948231B2
A method of controlling vibration is provided. The method includes determining whether the electronic device is located on a flat surface if a vibration event of an electronic device occurs, measuring a first noise signal level before driving a vibration motor by using a microphone of the electronic device if the electronic device is located on the flat surface, measuring a second noise signal level after driving the vibration motor at a minimum vibration intensity, and controlling a driving intensity of the vibration motor by comparing the first noise signal level and the second noise signal level. Accordingly, an excessive noise may be avoided if a portable terminal vibrates on a hard surface such as a desk.
US09948223B2
Provided is drive unit of a synchronous motor capable of improving the accuracy of magnetic flux operations with a simple configuration. To this end, the drive unit has a magnetic flux operation part which, in the case where a direction of a magnetic field pole of the synchronous motor is regarded as a d-axis and a direction orthogonal to the d-axis is regarded as a q-axis, calculates a magnetic flux of the d-axis and a magnetic flux of the q-axis on the basis of a current of the d-axis, a current of the q-axis, and a field current of the synchronous motor; and a magnetic flux operation error correcting part which calculates a phase difference between an input voltage and an input current of the synchronous motor and corrects an inner-phase difference angle calculated from the magnetic flux of the d-axis and the magnetic flux of the q-axis on the basis of the phase difference.
US09948217B2
The present invention relates to a motor assembly, a method of operation thereof and a transport vehicle provided with the motor assembly. The motor assembly is provided with an energy source switching controller that is in synchronization with motor operation and provides an improved utilization of energy storage sources in an electric, hybrid electric, or fuel cell based motor vehicle drive train application.
US09948214B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide electrostatic chucks for operating at elevated temperatures. One embodiment of the present invention provides a dielectric chuck body for an electrostatic chuck. The dielectric chuck body includes a substrate supporting plate having a top surface for receiving a substrate and a back surface opposing the top surface, an electrode embedded in the substrate supporting plate, and a shaft having a first end attached to the back surface of the substrate supporting plate and a second end opposing the first end. The second end is configured to contact a cooling base and provide temperature control to the substrate supporting plate. The shaft is hollow having a sidewall enclosing a central opening, and two or more channels formed through the sidewall and extending from the first end to the second end.
US09948213B2
A power supply includes a rotor having an undulated surface (658, 858, 958, 10, 58) and a magnetostrictive material disposed adjacent to the undulated surface. The undulated surface alternatingly compresses the magnetostrictive material as the rotor rotates, inducing an electric current in a conductor coupled to the magnetostrictive material.
US09948207B2
There is provided an inverter control apparatus, a capacitor being provided on an AC side of the inverter. The apparatus includes a system voltage detector detects a system voltage, a differentiation unit calculates a differential value of the system voltage, a correction current instruction value calculator calculates a correction current instruction value for correcting a current instruction value set for an output current of the inverter, based on the differential value of the system voltage, a current instruction value correction unit corrects the current instruction value, based on the correction current instruction value, and a controller controls the inverter based on the current instruction value.
US09948201B2
A module of conversion circuit includes a High side IGBT, a Low side IGBT connected in series to the High side IGBT, a first terminal connected to the High side IGBT, a second terminal connected to the Low side IGBT, a capacitor connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, and a third terminal connected to a connection point between the High side IGBT and the Low side IGBT. A fourth terminal is engaged with the first terminal. A fifth terminal is engaged with the second terminal. A sixth terminal is engaged with the third terminal. The first and second terminals have at portions thereof between front edges and rear edges high-resistance parts having higher resistance than other portions.
US09948198B2
A resonant inverter includes a first switch element and a second switch element that are alternately turned on and off, a first capacitor and a second capacitor, a first inverter section constituted by the first switch element and the first capacitor, and a second inverter section constituted by the second switch element and the second capacitor. A first coil and the first capacitor constitute a first resonant circuit included in the first inverter section, and the first coil and the second capacitor constitute a second resonant circuit included in the second inverter section, thereby forming a resonant converter.
US09948193B2
A galvanic isolation is provided between a first circuit and a second circuit. A first galvanically isolated link is configured to transfer power from a first circuit to a second circuit across the galvanic isolation. A second galvanically isolated link is configured to feed back an error signal from the second circuit to the first circuit across the galvanic isolation for use in regulating the power transfer and further configured to support bidirectional data communication between the first and second circuits across the galvanic isolation.
US09948184B2
A regulator circuit includes a multiphase ramp generator circuit, an amplifier circuit configured to receive a plurality of phase sense signals and provide a plurality of respective error signals, and an adder circuit configured to receive the error signals and ramp generator signals. The ramp generator signals are received from the multiphase ramp generator circuit and the adder circuit is configured to provide a plurality of respective adjusted ramp generator signals. The regulator can be a multiphase switching regulator circuit.
US09948181B2
Described examples include DC-DC power conversion systems, apparatus and methods for linearizing a DC-DC circuit conversion gain, including a gain circuit providing an output signal according to a gain value and the difference between a first compensation signal and a threshold signal, and a switching circuit selectively operative when the first compensation signal exceeds the threshold signal to linearize the conversion gain by providing a second compensation signal for pulse width modulation of at least one DC-DC converter switch according to the threshold signal and the gain circuit output signal.
US09948178B2
A semiconductor device includes a charge pump circuit having a plurality of booster units which are connected in series between an input terminal and an output terminal, each of the plurality of booster units includes: a main transistor that is diode-connected so as to cause a forward current to flow in a direction from an internal input terminal toward an internal output terminal; a sub-transistor that is connected between a first terminal of the main transistor and a back-gate terminal of the main transistor and has a control terminal connected to a second terminal of the main transistor; a resistor that connects the second terminal of the main transistor and the back-gate terminal of the main transistor; and a capacitor that is connected between the internal output terminal and a clock wire.
US09948176B2
A static varr compensation apparatus including: a plurality of capacitor banks supplying three-phase alternating current (AC) power; a plurality of bidirectional thyristors opening and closing the plurality of capacitor banks; and a controller calculating an amount of reactive power necessary to be compensated and controlling the plurality of bidirectional thyristors to open and close the plurality of capacitor banks in correspondence to the calculated amount of reactive power, wherein the plurality of capacitor banks are in a structure of Y connection.
US09948172B2
A ripple-eliminating power converter includes a first voltage converter configured to output a first voltage by stepping up or down a DC voltage supplied from a battery cell; a second voltage converter configured to receive the first voltage outputted from the first voltage converter and output a second voltage by stepping up or down the first voltage; and a ripple-eliminating capacitor disposed between the first voltage converter and the second voltage converter to transfer a DC component of the first voltage to the second voltage converter by eliminating an AC component included in the first voltage.
US09948166B2
A method that can produce a high-performance stator by providing only an upper or lower fixed piece for latching a coil on an insulator and thus effectively suppressing loosening of the coil winding wire when resin is injected while improving the production efficiency of the insulator. The method includes producing an intermediate by disposing a coil around an insulator, which includes a tubular portion, a flange at one end thereof, and a fixed piece that, when the insulator is loosely fit around the tooth, extends in the radial direction of the tooth from an end side of the flange corresponding to an upper or lower end face of the tooth, and has a coil latching claw, and loosely fitting the insulator with the coil around the tooth; and placing the intermediate in a die and injecting resin from around a region where the coil is latched by the fixed piece.
US09948164B2
Linear motor having optimized power, including a U-shaped profiled stator housing, which forms an inner installation space for receiving a winding packet consisting of multiple coils. The installation space is delimited on the cover side by a carriage driven so it is longitudinally displaceable by magnetic force on the stator housing, on which carriage a length scale is fastened, opposite to which a position sensor is arranged in the stator housing. The installation area for the arrangement of the winding packet in the stator housing is uninfluenced by the position sensor also arranged in the stator housing.
US09948153B2
A stacked core includes a plurality of core pieces that are arranged in a stack. Each of the core pieces has a plurality of magnet insertion holes. A bridge is provided between a radially-outer end of each of the magnet insertion holes and an outer region of each of the core pieces, A radially-outer contour of the bridge is provided on a radially-inner side of a blanking-contour line of each of the core pieces.
US09948148B2
Foreign substance detection can be performed with a simple configuration in a power transmission system. A power transmitting apparatus that wirelessly transmits power to a power receiving apparatus, the power transmitting apparatus comprises: determination means for, in a case where an initial impedance value and the detected output impedance value do not match and there is no change in the output impedance value between before and after the transmission of a predetermined detection signal, determining that a foreign substance is present within a predetermined power transmission range, and, in a case where the initial impedance value and the detected output impedance value do not match and there is a change in the output impedance value between before and after the transmission of the predetermined detection signal, determining that a power receiving apparatus is present within the predetermined power transmission range.
US09948147B2
The present disclosure provides a magnetic resonance type wireless charging circuit, and belongs to the field of wireless charging technology. The magnetic resonance type wireless charging circuit comprises: a high frequency oscillation circuit configured to generate an initial oscillation signal; and a driving circuit configured to generate a transmission signal using the initial oscillation signal; wherein the driving circuit comprises one stage of driving sub-circuit or n stages of driving sub-circuits with (n−1) stages of Direct Current (DC) blocking circuits serially connected thereamong in an alternate manner, where n≥2 and n is an integer, and each stage of driving sub-circuit comprises a frequency doubling circuit and a first frequency selection circuit which are connected in series. In the present disclosure, the frequency of the initial oscillation signal generated by the high frequency oscillation circuit is doubled, so as to increase the frequency of the transmission signal and ensure a transmission distance of the transmission signal, thereby ensuring the effects of wireless charging. When the frequency of the transmission signal is required to reach a certain value, the requirements for switch transistors are reduced, and a wireless charging circuit with good effects can be achieved by using cheap switch transistors, thereby reducing production cost of the wireless charging circuit.
US09948142B2
A wireless charging system including a first coil configured to be coupled to a transmitter driver circuit and arranged in a first plane, a second coil configured to be coupled to the transmitter driver circuit and arranged in a second plane and a third coil configured to be coupled to the transmitter driver circuit and arranged in a third plane. The transmitter driver circuit is configured to provide a time-varying current signal to one or more of the first coil, the second coil or the third coil. The first coil, the second coil and the third coil are concentric, the first plane is not parallel to the second plane and the third plane, and the second plane is not parallel to the third plane.
US09948140B2
An improved control arrangement is used in a high power rectifier and comprises two or more power controllers ganged together in parallel. Each power controller rectifies an AC voltage signal using zero voltage crossing switching to produce a binary switched signal and each power controller is connected to an independent connectable load. Each power controller includes a fast acting binary power switch that selectively connects the respective independent connectable load to the rectified AC voltage signal. The control arrangement selectively activates the power controllers to define a desired connected load. This high power rectifier and control arrangement is advantageously used to provide fast up down power regulation to a grid by selective storage of thermal energy and deriving power from the thermal energy storage system to add fill in power to the grid.
US09948133B2
A wireless charging method includes obtaining charging information of a plurality of electronic devices, and charging the plurality of electronic devices in sequence according to the charging information of the plurality of electronic devices. For each electronic device, a charging resonance frequency is chosen and accordingly the corresponding wireless charging power is provided for charging.
US09948130B2
A power supply apparatus includes a power supply unit that wirelessly supplies power to an electronic apparatus, a communication unit that performs a wireless communication with the electronic apparatus, and a control unit that controls a timing for switching a communication process performed by the communication unit and a power supply process performed by the power supply unit.
US09948127B2
A power supply circuit can be configured to generate a supply voltage that provides power to the apparatus. A signal generation circuit can be configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) charging signal. An amplification circuit can be configured to amplify the RF charging signal using the supply voltage and to present the amplified charging signal to a power transmitting coil for transmission of wireless power to a remote device. A communication circuit can be configured to detect amplitude variations in the RF charging signal; detect variations in a voltage level of the supply voltage; adjust the detected amplitude variations in the RF charging signal to compensate for detected variations in a voltage level; and decode data represented by the amplitude variations in the RF charging signal based upon the adjusted amplitude variations.
US09948109B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a power management system that supplies power to components in an electronic device. The power management system includes a system microcontroller (SMC) and a charger. During operation, the power management system accepts power from at least one of a power adapter and a solar panel. Next, the power management system supplies the power to components in the electronic device without using a converter circuit between the solar panel and the power management system.
US09948105B2
Disclosed embodiments relate to a data control system. In some embodiments, the data control system includes a transmission module configured to add synchronization signal information to data included in a first data stream to generate a second data stream, and a plurality of control modules configured to receive the second data stream from the transmission module. In some embodiments, the data includes power information.
US09948102B2
A home appliance can operate in a future time frame. Information is obtained from a power distributor in order to determine a time when to operate the home appliance in this future time frame. The home appliance then operates at the time determined with information from the power distributor.
US09948097B2
In this control method for controlling the electrical power delivered over an electrical supply network (20) by at least two sources (16) of electrical energy, each energy source (16) comprises a storage member (22) for storing electrical energy. The method includes for each energy source (16) the following steps: the application by the electrical energy source (16) of an alternating current voltage signal over the electrical supply network (20); the measurement of an associated electrical power; the determination of an electrical energy stored in the storage member (22); the calculation of a set point value for the voltage signal parameter as a function of the measured power; the modification of the voltage signal, the value of the voltage signal parameter being modified so as to be equal to the calculated set point value. During the calculation step, the set point value is calculated additionally as a function of the stored electrical energy determined.
US09948088B2
A device for protecting a circuit of a battery for a vehicle having an operating current direction, having a control device for providing a control signal, which represents a direction of the current flow through the circuit and a switching element that is designed to interrupt the circuit depending on the control signal in order to protect the circuit.
US09948081B1
An asymmetric Stockbridge damper having at least six and as many as ten resonant frequencies. The damper includes two assemblies, each having a primary weight at the end of a messenger cable and two secondary weights at the ends of thin beams. The thin beams are mounted at one end to the primary weight and each support a secondary weight at an opposite end. The thin beams extend parallel to the messenger cable. The messenger cable is affixed to a clamp assembly which clamps to an overhead transmission line. The clamp assembly includes a toggle crank generating a theoretically infinite clamping force on the transmission line.
US09948079B2
Provided herein in some embodiments is an quick-connect electrical junction box including a front cover, a bus module, and a back cover configured to fit together and form the quick-connect electrical junction box. The front cover can include a front face including a number of sockets configured to accept a number of prongs of one or more electrical accessory modules. The front cover can also include a back face including a number of clamp tunnels corresponding to the number of sockets. The bus module can include a front face including a bus assembly fixed to the bus-module front face, wherein the bus assembly can include a number of clamps correspondingly disposed in the number clamp tunnels. The bus module can also include a back face including a number of bus assembly-connected wire lugs fixed thereto for wiring the quick-connect electrical junction box to a circuit breaker or another quick-connect electrical junction box.
US09948073B2
An auxiliary compartment for housing at least one electrical device is associated with an auxiliary cubicle of a switchgear enclosure. The auxiliary compartment is removably mounted in the corresponding auxiliary cubicle for quick disconnection of the electrical device from an associated circuit breaker in an adjacent circuit breaker cubicle. The auxiliary compartment includes a first connection connected to the electrical device. The auxiliary cubicle includes a second connector attached to the auxiliary compartment rear wall that is removably engageable with the first connector. The second connector is connected with the circuit breaker in the adjacent circuit breaker cubicle. The electrical device in the auxiliary compartment can be quickly disconnected from the power and communication connections with the circuit breaker in the adjacent circuit breaker cubicle by withdrawing the auxiliary compartment from the auxiliary cubicle to disconnect the first and second connectors.
US09948052B2
A terminal block for an apparatus includes at least one terminal conductor having a first end that extends to a second end. The first end includes a first connection portion and the second end includes a second connection portion. A non-electrically conductive member covers the at least one terminal conductor. The non-electrically conductive member includes a body having a first end section arranged at the first end extending through an intermediate section to a second end section arranged at the second end. The first end section includes a first opening exposing the first connection portion, and the second end portion includes a second opening exposing the second connection portion. The body further includes a conductor routing system having at least one conductor routing member configured and disposed to restrain and guide a conductor member across the at least one terminal conductor.
US09948049B2
An electrical post relocation assembly is configured for use with an electrical component of a vehicle. The electrical component includes a first and second components post configured to be coupled to first and second cables, respectively. The electrical post relocation has first and second relocation posts. The first relocation post is formed from a first electrical conductor and has a first end configured to be coupled to the first component post. A second end of the first relocation post is configured to be coupled to the first terminal fitting of the first cable. Similar to the first relocation post, the second relocation post is also formed from an electrical conductor. A first end of the second relocation post is configured to be coupled to the second component post, and a second end of the second relocation post is configured to be coupled to the second terminal.
US09948045B2
The audio/video signal transmission connector provided in this application, relates to the field of TV; use partition and integration arrangement corresponding to the audio-video signal transmission connector in TV, so as to avoid interference among each zone, and make the connecting end faces of the interface in each zone locate in the same horizontal plane, so as to make the connector easier to plug the other components, and the connection are reliable and not easy to loose, meanwhile it is benefit for welding procedure.
US09948042B2
Connector inserts having retention features with good reliability and holding force. These connector inserts may include ground contacts that provide an insertion portion having a reduced length. These connector inserts may be reliable, have an attractive appearance, and be readily manufactured.
US09948035B2
Provided are a circuit board assembly that can prevent contact between connection terminals due to whiskers even if whiskers grow from the connection terminals and a method for manufacturing an insert molded product. A cover body of a circuit board assembly has a plurality of partition walls that form a plurality of grooves each accommodating a corresponding one of connection terminals. The partition walls restrain the inner surface of a second cover of the cover body from entering the grooves when an external pressure is applied to a part of the cover body which covers the connection terminals. The partition walls also prevent contact between adjoining ones of the connection terminals when whiskers grow.
US09948034B2
A connector having favorable crosstalk characteristics and common conversion characteristics and high noise immunity is provided. The connector includes a first connector having at least one pair of first terminals disposed in one housing and a second connector that includes at least one pair of second terminals disposed in another housing, and configured to be connected to the one pair of first terminals. The connector includes at least one first terminal surrounding conductors fixed inside the one housing, individually surrounding the pairs of first terminals, and are insulated from other members, and at least one second terminal surrounding conductors are fixed inside the other housing, individually surrounding the pairs of second terminals, and are insulated from other members. When the first terminals are respectively connected to the second terminals, the first terminal surrounding conductors are respectively connected to the corresponding second terminal surrounding conductors as well.
US09948027B2
A high power electrical connector that includes a housing that has an interface end for mating with a complimentary connector and a cable termination end opposite the interface end for terminating a high power cable. The housing is insulative. An extended anchor member is fixed to an outer surface of the housing. The extended anchor member has a locking end, a strain relief end, and an intermediate extended body therebetween separating the locking end and the strain relief end. A gripping member has a coupling end coupled to the extended anchor member at the strain relief end thereof, and a flexible body configured to provide strain relief to the high power cable.
US09948018B2
Contact structures that are readily manufactured, where contacts in the contact structures consume a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in an electronic device.
US09948011B2
A superluminal antenna element integrates a balun element to better impedance match an input cable or waveguide to a dielectric radiator element, thus preventing stray reflections and consequent undesirable radiation. For example, a dielectric housing material can be used that has a cutout area. A cable can extend into the cutout area. A triangular conductor can function as an impedance transition. An additional cylindrical element functions as a sleeve balun to better impedance match the radiator element to the cable.
US09948008B2
A method for achieving multiple beam radiation vertical orthogonal field coverage by means of multiple feed-in dish antenna, comprising using a total metallic disc and plural feed-in antenna components, wherein it is possible to generate multiple sets of radiation beams by applying multiple sets of feed-in antenna components, and the coverage ranges created by different radiation beams may uniformly distribute there between so as to generate multiple communication service coverage areas. Moreover, since the field formed by the reflection of the total metallic disc is characterized in vertical orthogonality, advantages such as effectively increased coverage, improved energy utilization and radiation beam switches or the like can be provided.
US09947987B2
An antenna apparatus includes a power supply coil, a booster electrode sheet, a magnetic sheet, and a ground substrate arranged in this order from the top. The power supply coil includes a spiral coil conductor located on a flexible substrate. The booster electrode sheet includes a booster electrode located on an insulating substrate. The booster electrode includes a conductor region covering the coil conductor, a conductor aperture covering a coil window, and a slit portion connecting the outer edge of the conductor region and the conductor aperture in plan view. The magnetic sheet covers the booster electrode sheet so that the magnetic sheet covers a region slightly larger than a region including the conductor aperture and the slit portion of the booster electrode.
US09947975B2
A vehicle includes a traction battery arranged to be cooled by a chiller of a refrigerant system, and a radiator of a coolant system. The coolant system includes a proportioning valve having a pair of first and second outlets that each selectively receives a proportion of coolant flowing into the valve depending upon a position of the valve. The coolant system further includes a chiller loop connected to the first outlet and arranged to convey coolant to the chiller, and a radiator loop connected to the second outlet and arranged to convey coolant to the radiator. A controller is configured to, in response to the refrigerant system being ON, actuate the proportioning valve to proportion the coolant between the first and second outlets such that heat transfer through the chiller is limited to a chiller capacity.
US09947972B2
A battery pack and a method of inspecting a storage state of a secondary battery in the battery pack are provided. In the method of inspecting a storage state of a secondary battery in the battery pack, the battery pack includes (A) a plurality of secondary batteries and (B) a housing, the housing having a plurality of storage sections and containing the secondary batteries in the respective storage sections; a conductive member 30 is attached to an outer surface of each of the secondary batteries made of a non-conductive material; each of the storage sections is provided with at least two detection sections; and depending on a storage state of each of the secondary batteries in each of the storage sections, two detection sections are in contact with the conductive member, or at least one detection section is not in contact with the conductive member.
US09947970B2
A power storage device including a solid electrolyte and operating at room temperature and a power storage device including a solid electrolyte and having higher discharge capacity are manufactured. The power storage devices are each manufactured in the following manner: an electrolyte including an ion-conducting high polymer, an inorganic oxide, and a lithium electrolyte salt is provided between a positive electrode and a negative electrode; charge at a first current value is performed and then a charge at a first voltage value obtained by the charge at the first current value is performed, between the positive electrode and the negative electrode at room temperature; and discharge at a second current value is performed after the charge at the first voltage value is performed.
US09947967B2
The present invention provides a method for producing a fluorisulfonylimide salt, which enables reducing the impurity content and continuous operation for a long time, and a fluorosulfonyl imide salt. The fluorosulfonyl imide salt of the present invention has a K content of 10,000 ppm or less. The method for producing a fluorosulfonyl imide salt of the present invention is that after a fluorination reaction of chlorosulfonyl imde or a salt thereof, the reaction solution is brought into contact with an aqueous alkaline solution so as to remove impurities. The fluorosulfonyl imide salt of the present invention, in which various impirities are reduced to extremely low levels, is useful as an electrolyte used in a lithium secondary battery, a capacitor or the like, an ionic liquid, or an intermediate for a sulfonyl imide salt, and the like. It is expected that use of the fluorosulfonyl imide salt of the present invention as an electrolyte leads to a high-performance electrochemical device.
US09947966B2
The present invention relates to a lithium secondary battery comprising a non-aqueous electrolyte solution comprising lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) and a phosphazene compound as additives, a positive electrode comprising a lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-based oxide as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode and a separator. According to a non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention, a rigid SEI layer may be formed at a negative electrode during the initial charging of the lithium secondary battery comprising the same, the output properties of the lithium secondary battery may be improved, and the output properties after storing at high temperature and capacity properties may be increased.
US09947961B2
The high thermal conduction resistances of a lithium-ion battery (LIB) severely limit the effectiveness of a conventional external thermal management system (TMS). A method for a new thermal management system for lithium-ion batteries that utilizes a multi-functional electrolyte (MFE) to remove heat locally inside the cell by evaporating a volatile component of the MFE is disclosed. These new electrolyte mixtures comprise a high vapor pressure co-solvent. The characteristics of a previously unstudied high vapor pressure co-solvent HFE-7000 (65 kPa at 25° C.) in an MFE (1 M LiTFSI in 1:1 HFE-7000/EMC), and other possible MFE compositions that can be utilized in a custom electrolyte boiling facility, are disclosed.
US09947957B2
Disclosed is a secondary battery having a structure in which a jelly-roll having a cathode/separator/anode structure is mounted in a cylindrical battery case, wherein a plate-shaped insulating member is mounted on the top of the jelly-roll and the insulating member includes a perforated inlet enabling gas discharge and penetration of electrode terminals and a plurality of pores with a diameter of 100 μm or less provided over the entire surface of the insulating member.
US09947955B2
A fuel cell stack module includes a base, a cover dome removably positioned on the base, and a plurality of fuel cell stacks removably positioned on the base below the cover dome. A modular fuel cell system includes a plurality of the fuel cell stack modules, where each fuel cell stack module may be electrically disconnected, removed from the fuel cell system, repaired or serviced without stopping an operation of the other fuel cell stack modules in the fuel cell system.
US09947951B2
An object is to provide a highly efficient and small-sized fuel cell module. To achieve this object, a cell stack 10, a reformer 20, and an evaporator 30 are accommodated together in a casing 50. The reformer 20 and the evaporator 30 are formed as vertical structures independently juxtaposed to each other and are disposed adjacent to the cell stack. The reformer 20 and the evaporator 30 are heated with exhaust gas resulting from combustion of off-gas released from the cell stack 10. Exhaust gas flow paths respectively are disposed to the reformer 20 and the evaporator 30 so as to let the combustion exhaust gas pass through in a vertical direction for heating the reformer and the evaporator. The exhaust gas flow paths of the reformer 20 and the evaporator 30 are connected in series through a connection pipe 60 above the reformer 20 and the evaporator 30.
US09947941B2
A titanium material for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell separator consists of, by mass %, a platinum group metal: 0.005% to 0.15% and a rare earth metal: 0.002% to 0.10%, with the balance being Ti and impurities. The titanium material of the present invention is provided with a film formed of a titanium oxide and a platinum group metal on the surface thereof. It is preferred that the film has a thickness of 50 nm or less, and that the concentration of the platinum group metal on the surface of the film is 1.5% by mass or more. With the thus formed film, the titanium material of the present invention is capable of achieving a reduction in initial contact resistance and ensuring good corrosion resistance. In the titanium material of the present invention, the rare earth metal is preferably Y, and the platinum group metal is preferably Pd.
US09947936B2
The present invention concerns an oxygen reduction catalyst comprising composite particles in which primary particles of a titanium compound is dispersed into a carbon structure, wherein the composite particles have titanium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen as constituent elements, and with regard to a ratio of number of atoms of each of the elements when titanium is taken as 1, a ratio of carbon is larger than 2 and 5 or less, a ratio of nitrogen is larger than 0 and 1 or less, and a ratio of oxygen is 1 or more and 3 or less, and an intensity ratio (D/G ratio) of D band peak intensity to G band peak intensity in a Raman spectrum is in the range of 0.4 to 1.0. The oxygen reduction catalyst according to the present invention has satisfactory initial performance and excellent start-stop durability.
US09947932B2
A lithium-air battery cathode having increased mesopore and macropore volume and methods of making the cathode are provided. In at least one embodiment, a plurality of mesopores is present in the cathode having a porosity of 1 to 70 percent. In another embodiment, a plurality of macropores are present in the cathode having a porosity of 5 to 99 percent. In one embodiment, the mesopores and macropores are imprinted using a sacrificial material. In another embodiment, the mesopores and macropores are imprinted by applying a template. In another embodiment, the mesopores and macropores are formed by coating cathode material onto a porous substrate.
US09947927B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a production method for suppressing the deformation of a negative electrode in the production of a negative electrode for an all-solid-state battery using turbostratic carbon and a solid electrolyte.The problem described above can be solved by a production method for a negative electrode for an all-solid-state battery comprising the steps of: (1) coating a carbonaceous material having a true density of from 1.30 g/cm3 to 2.10 g/cm3 determined by a butanol method with a solid electrolyte; and (2) pressure-molding the solid electrolyte-coated carbonaceous material.
US09947914B2
A battery pack unit is disclosed that includes an abrasive material or surface in a location where battery clamps of the battery pack unit are placed for storage. This provides for a surface where the battery clamps can be frictionally cleaned to remove unwanted corrosion or deposits from the battery clamps. This allows the cleaned battery clamps to be connected to terminals of a battery without experiencing a significant reduction in flow of current between the battery clamps and the terminals of the battery.
US09947907B2
A housing is provided for accommodating a cell stack. The housing has a side wall and a frame structure. The side wall is designed as a plastic component. The side wall has a first accommodation area and a second accommodation area. The frame structure is designed for preloading the cell stack. The frame structure has a first rail fixed in the first accommodation area and a second rail fixed in the second accommodation area. The first rail and the second rail are oriented transversely to the side wall.
US09947900B2
An organic EL device according to the present invention includes: a first structure section; and a second structure section. The first structure section includes: a recess; a reflection layer provided along an inner surface of the recess; a filling layer filled at an inner side of the recess via the reflection layer; a first electrode; an organic layer including a light-emitting layer; and a second electrode. The second structure section includes: a reflection layer provided on a flat surface of the base material; a first electrode; an organic layer including a light-emitting layer; and a second electrode.
US09947896B2
A display device includes: pixel electrodes corresponding to pixels; an insulating layer provided so as to overlie peripheral edge portions of the pixel electrodes; a light-emitting layer provided so as to be stacked on and in contact with each of the pixel electrodes; a first common electrode stacked on the light-emitting layer so as to be in contact therewith and provided so as to overlie the insulating layer; a light transmissive layer stacked on the first common electrode above the pixel electrodes, the light transmissive layer avoiding stacking thereof on the first common electrode above the insulating layer; and a second common electrode stacked on the light transmissive layer above the pixel electrodes and stacked on the first common electrode so as to be in contact therewith above the insulating layer.
US09947890B2
An electro-optical device includes an element substrate that includes a display region in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in matrix form and a terminal region in which mounting terminals are arranged on an outer side of the display region, a protective substrate that faces a plurality of light emitting element side of the element substrate, and a joining substrate that is joined to the terminal region of the element substrate, and includes a connection terminal. A sealing film, which seals the plurality of light emitting elements, is also formed in the terminal region on the element substrate. The mounting terminal is connected to the connection terminal. Portions in which the sealing film is removed, and which join to the joining substrate in the electro-optical device are present.
US09947878B2
The present specification relates to an organic light emitting diode.
US09947867B2
A method of fabricating a resistive memory element having a layer structure includes: providing a substrate; depositing a first electrode on an upper surface of the substrate; forming a layer of confining material on an upper surface of the first electrode so as to define a cavity having a maximal lateral dimension that is less than 60 nm along a direction parallel to an average plane of the first electrode, the confining material having a thermal conductivity greater than 0.5 W/(m·K); depositing a resistively switchable material as an amorphous compound comprising carbon to fill the cavity; and depositing a second electrode on an upper surface of the resistively switchable material.
US09947865B2
A magnetoresistive element (e.g., a spin-torque magnetoresistive memory element) includes a fixed magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, having a high-iron alloy interface region located along a surface of the free magnetic layer, wherein the high-iron alloy interface region has at least 50% iron by atomic composition, and a first dielectric, disposed between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer. The magnetoresistive element further includes a second dielectric, having a first surface that is in contact with the surface of the free magnetic layer, and an electrode, disposed between the second dielectric and a conductor. The electrode includes: (i) a non-ferromagnetic portion having a surface that is in contact with a second surface of the second dielectric, and (ii) a second portion having at least one ferromagnetic material disposed between the non-ferromagnetic portion of the electrode and the conductor.
US09947852B2
Aspects relate to an energy harvesting device adapted for use by an athlete while exercising. The device may utilize a mass of phase-change material to store heat energy, the stored heat energy subsequently converted into electrical energy by one or more thermoelectric generator modules. The energy harvesting device may be integrated into an item of clothing, and such that the mass of phase change material may store heat energy as the item of clothing is laundered.
US09947846B2
A method of manufacturing a light emitting device includes providing a reflecting sheet having a first surface and a second surface and defining through-holes; placing a wavelength-converting sheet on a first surface side of the reflecting sheet to cover openings of the through-holes at the first surface side; disposing a light-transmissive adhesive in the through-holes; disposing a light emitting element in each of the through-holes so that a light emitting surface of the light emitting element faces the wavelength converting sheet; fixing the light emitting element in the through-hole via the adhesive; and covering the second surface of the reflecting sheet and an outer surface of the adhesive with a reflecting material.
US09947833B2
A semiconductor light-emitting element comprises: a semiconductor structure layer including a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, a light-emitting layer and a second semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type being laminated in sequence; a first electrode including a first electrode layer formed on the first semiconductor layer and a first contact electrode connected to the first electrode layer at a position displaced from a center of the first electrode layer in an intra-layer direction of the first electrode layer; and a second electrode extending through the first electrode layer, the first semiconductor layer and the light-emitting layer and being connected to the second semiconductor layer.
US09947826B2
A method of manufacturing ZnO-containing semiconductor structure includes steps of: (a) forming a subsidiary lamination, including alternately laminating at least two periods of active oxygen layers and ZnO-containing semiconductor layers doped with at least one species of group 3B element; (b) alternately laminating said subsidiary lamination and AgO layer, sandwiching an active oxygen layer, to form lamination structure; and (c) carrying out annealing in atmosphere in which active oxygen exists and pressure is below 10−2 Pa, intermittently irradiating oxygen radical beam on a surface of said lamination structure, forming a p-type ZnO-containing semiconductor structure co-doped with said group 3B element and Ag.
US09947813B2
A scanning system can include an illuminator, configured to produce an illuminating beam, and a fixation unit, configured to mechanically support a sample to be measured within the illuminating beam. The illuminating beam can reflect off the sample to produce reflected light. The system can further include a sensor, positioned angularly away from the illuminator, configured to receive the reflected light. The illuminating beam can include a wavelength spectrum having a FWHM less than 100 nm. In some examples, the fixation unit can be positioned based, in part, on a position of the illuminator and the sensor. In some examples, the sensor can include at least one imaging element that produces an image of the sample. In some examples, the illuminating beam can include a calibration pattern. In some examples, the illuminating beam and the reflected light can be angularly separated between ten degrees and fifteen degrees.
US09947812B2
Approaches for the metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell involves forming a plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions in or above a substrate. The method also involves forming a metal seed layer on the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions. The method also involves patterning at least a portion of the metal seed layer at regions in alignment with locations between the alternating N-type and P-type regions. The method also involves, subsequent to the patterning, etching to form trenches at the locations between the alternating N-type and P-type regions, isolating the alternating N-type and P-type regions from one another.
US09947810B2
Disclosed is a solar cell including a semiconductor substrate, a first conductive area formed on one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive area formed on a remaining surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first electrode connected to the first conductive area, and a second electrode connected to the second conductive area. The second electrode includes a pad portion and an electrode portion that include different conductive materials as main components. The pad portion includes at least one pad extending in a given direction, the wire being attached to the pad. The electrode portion and the pad are spaced apart from each other in the given direction so as to form a spacer therebetween.
US09947806B2
A Schottky barrier diode (semiconductor device) includes at least: a semiconductor substrate of an N type (first conductivity type); a semiconductor portion (first portion) of a P type (second conductivity type) opposite to the N type, the semiconductor portion being formed on a part of a one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate; a metal portion (second portion) with conductivity formed on the one main surface of the semiconductor substrate so as to be electrically connected to a part of the P type semiconductor portion; and a high resistance portion (third portion) formed so as to be electrically connected to a part of the P type semiconductor portion and to be in contact with a side surface and a bottom surface connected thereto of the P type semiconductor portion.
US09947804B1
An IC structure according to the disclosure includes: a substrate; a pair of transistor sites positioned on the substrate, wherein an upper surface of the substrate laterally between the pair of transistor sites defines a separation region; a pair of nanosheet stacks, each positioned on one of the pair of transistor sites; an insulative liner conformally positioned on the upper surface of the substrate within the separation region, and a sidewall surface of each of the pair of transistor sites; a semiconductor mandrel positioned on the insulative liner and over the separation region; a pair of insulator regions each positioned laterally between the semiconductor mandrel and the insulative liner on the sidewall surfaces of each of the pair of transistor sites; and a source/drain epitaxial region positioned over the pair of insulator regions and the semiconductor mandrel, wherein the source/drain epitaxial region laterally abuts the pair of nanosheet stacks.
US09947797B2
Homogeneity and stability of electric characteristics of a thin film transistor included in a circuit are critical for the performance of a display device including said circuit. An object of the invention is to provide an oxide semiconductor film with low hydrogen content and which is used in an inverted staggered thin film transistor having well defined electric characteristics. In order to achieve the object, a gate insulating film, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a channel protective film are successively formed with a sputtering method without being exposed to air. The oxide semiconductor layer is formed so as to limit hydrogen contamination, in an atmosphere including a proportion of oxygen. In addition, layers provided over and under a channel formation region of the oxide semiconductor layer are formed using compounds of silicon, oxygen and/or nitrogen.
US09947796B2
The present invention provides an oxide thin film transistor and a manufacturing method thereof, an array substrate and a display device. The oxide thin film transistor of the present invention comprises a substrate, and a gate, a gate insulation layer, an oxide semiconductor active layer, a source and a drain, which are sequentially formed on the substrate, wherein, the oxide thin film transistor further comprises a transition layer formed between the oxide semiconductor active layer and the source and between the oxide semiconductor active layer and the drain, the transition layer comprises a metal layer and a protective layer, and the protective layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor active layer, the metal layer is arranged on the protective layer and in contact with the source and the drain, and the protective layer is made of a metal oxide.
US09947794B2
A semiconductor device that operates at high speed. A semiconductor device with favorable switching characteristics. A highly integrated semiconductor device. A miniaturized semiconductor device. The semiconductor device is formed by: fainting a semiconductor film including an opening, on an insulating surface; forming a conductive film over the semiconductor film and in the opening, and removing the conductive film over the semiconductor film to form a conductive pillar in the opening; forming an island-shaped mask over the conductive pillar and the semiconductor film; etching the conductive pillar and the semiconductor film using the mask to form a first electrode and a first semiconductor; forming a gate insulating film on a top surface and a side surface of the first semiconductor; and forming a gate electrode that is in contact with a top surface of the gate insulating film and faces the top surface and the side surface of the first semiconductor.
US09947793B1
Disclosed is a method of forming a vertical pillar-type field effect transistor (FET). One or more semiconductor pillars are formed by epitaxial deposition in one or more openings, respectively, that extend through a first dielectric layer and that have high aspect ratios in two directions. The first dielectric layer is etched back and the following components are formed laterally surrounding the semiconductor pillar(s): a first source/drain region above and adjacent to the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer on the first source/drain region, a gate on the second dielectric layer and a gate cap on the gate. The gate cap extends over the top surface(s) of the semiconductor pillar(s). A recess is formed in the gate cap to expose at least the top surface(s) of the semiconductor pillar(s) and a second source/drain region is formed within the recess. Also disclosed is the vertical pillar-type FET structure.
US09947788B2
A method includes forming a gate electrode structure above a channel region defined in a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is recessed in a source/drain region. A first material is epitaxially grown in the source/drain region. The first material includes a dopant species having a first concentration. A diffusion blocking layer is formed in the source/drain region above the first material. A second material is epitaxially grown in the source/drain region above the diffusion blocking layer. The second material comprises the dopant species having a second concentration greater than the first concentration.
US09947782B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor layer and a substrate. The semiconductor layer constitutes at least a part of a current path, and is made of silicon carbide. The substrate has a first surface supporting the semiconductor layer, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. Further, the substrate is made of silicon carbide having a 4H type single-crystal structure. Further, the substrate has a physical property in which a ratio of a peak strength in a wavelength of around 500 nm to a peak strength in a wavelength of around 390 nm is 0.1 or smaller in photoluminescence measurement. In this way, the semiconductor device is obtained to have a low on-resistance.
US09947773B2
One or more semiconductor arrangements and techniques for forming such semiconductor arrangements are provided. A semiconductor arrangement comprises a channel, such as an un-doped channel, over a substrate. The semiconductor arrangement comprises a gate, such as a gate-all-around structure gate, around the channel. The semiconductor arrangement comprises an isolation structure, such as a silicon germanium oxide structure, between the gate and the substrate. The isolation structure blocks current leakage into the substrate. Because the semiconductor arrangement comprises the isolation structure, the channel can be left un-doped, which improves electron mobility and decreases gate capacitance.
US09947770B2
A trench metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), in accordance with one embodiment, includes a drain region, a plurality of gate regions disposed above the drain region, a plurality of gate insulator regions each disposed about a periphery of a respective one of the plurality of gate regions, a plurality of source regions disposed in recessed mesas between the plurality of gate insulator regions, a plurality of body regions disposed in recessed mesas between the plurality of gate insulator regions and between the plurality of source regions and the drain region. The MOSFET also includes a plurality of body contact regions disposed in the each body region adjacent the plurality of source regions, a plurality of source/body contact spacers disposed between the plurality of gate insulator regions above the recessed mesas, a source/body contact disposed above the source/body contact spacers, and a plurality of source/body contact plugs disposed between the source/body contact spacers and coupling the source/body contact to the plurality of body contact regions and the plurality of source regions.
US09947764B2
A structure and method for implementation of dummy gate structures within multi-gate device structures includes a semiconductor device including an isolation region that separates a first and second active region. The first active region is adjacent to a first side of the isolation region and the second active region is adjacent to a second side of the isolation region. A device including a source, a drain, and a gate is formed within the first active region. One of the source and drain regions are disposed adjacent to the isolation region. A dummy gate is formed at least partially over the isolation region and adjacent to the one of the source and drain regions. In various examples, the gate includes a first dielectric layer having a first thickness and the dummy gate includes a second dielectric layer having a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
US09947760B2
A method for manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor is provided. A layer stack is provided that comprises a semiconductor substrate having a trench isolation; an isolation layer arranged on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first isolation layer comprises a recess forming an emitter window; lateral spacers arranged on sidewalls of the emitter window; a base layer arranged in the emitter window on the semiconductor substrate; and an emitter layer arranged on the isolation layer, the lateral spacers and the base layer. A sacrificial layer is provided on the emitter layer thereby overfilling a recess formed by the emitter layer due to the emitter window. The sacrificial layer is selectively removed up to the emitter layer while maintaining a part of the sacrificial layer filling the recess of the emitter layer. The emitter layer is selectively removed up to the isolation layer while maintaining the filled recess of the emitter layer.
US09947749B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention include a versatile and scalable process, “patterned regrowth,” that allows for the spatially controlled synthesis of lateral junctions between electrically conductive graphene and insulating h-BN, as well as between intrinsic and substitutionally doped graphene. The resulting films form mechanically continuous sheets across these heterojunctions. These embodiments represent an element of developing atomically thin integrated circuitry and enable the fabrication of electrically isolated active and passive elements embedded in continuous, one atom thick sheets, which may be manipulated and stacked to form complex devices at the ultimate thickness limit.
US09947744B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor-on-insulator wafer having a buried oxide layer. The buried oxide layer includes therein opposing etch barrier regions and a gate region between the etch barrier regions. The semiconductor device further includes at least one nanowire having a channel portion interposed between opposing source/drain portions. The channel portion is suspended in the gate region. A gate electrode is formed in the gate region, and completely surrounds all surfaces of the suspended nanowire. The buried oxide layer comprises a first electrical insulating material, and the etch barrier regions comprising a second electrical insulating material different from the first electrical insulating material.
US09947739B2
An array substrate and a display device are provided. The array substrate includes: a gate driving circuit, no pixel electrode layer being provided on a position of the array substrate corresponding to the gate driving circuit, the array substrate being made of a flexible material, wherein, the gate driving circuit is disposed on a position of a central axis of the array substrate and extends along a direction of the central axis; the gate driving circuit is configured for providing a driving signal to a gate line of the array substrate.
US09947734B2
A display device may include a substrate, a first light emitting structure, a second light emitting structure, and a support structure. The first light emitting structure may include an electrode and a light emitting layer. A face of the electrode may directly contact the light emitting layer and may overlap the substrate. The support structure may be positioned between the first light emitting structure and the second light emitting structure, may be spaced from each of the first light emitting structure and the second light emitting structure, may overlap a transparent portion of the substrate, and may not include or directly contact any light emitting layer. A height of the support structure relative to the substrate may be greater than at least one of a height of the face of the electrode relative to the substrate and a height of the light emitting layer relative to the substrate.
US09947724B2
A method of fabricating a CMOS logic device with SWCNTs includes forming a plurality of local metallic gate structures on a substrate by depositing a metal on the substrate; forming a plurality of contacts on the substrate; and depositing the SWCNTs on the substrate, and doping a certain area of the SWCNTs to form the CMOS logic device having at least one NMOS transistor and at least one PMOS transistor. Each of the NMOS and PMOS transistors has a gate formed by one of the local metallic gate structures, and a source and a drain formed by two of the contacts respectively. The gate of each PMOS transistor and the gate of each NMOS transistor are configured to alternatively receive at least one input voltage. At least one of the drain of the PMOS transistor and the drain of the NMOS transistor is configured to output an output voltage.
US09947722B2
A semiconductor memory device according to the embodiment includes a first wiring, a second wiring, a resistance change film, a metal film, and a first film. The first wiring is provided between a first interlayer insulating film and a second interlayer insulating film. The second wiring is provided intersecting with the first wiring and extends in a first direction. The resistance change film is provided between the first wiring and the second wiring. The metal film is provided between the second wiring and the resistance change film. The first film is provided between the first wirings and includes chalcogen.
US09947718B2
Aspects relate to an energy harvesting device adapted for use by an athlete while exercising. The device may utilize a mass of phase-change material to store heat energy, the stored heat energy subsequently converted into electrical energy by one or more thermoelectric generator modules. The energy harvesting device may be integrated into an item of clothing, and such that the mass of phase change material may store heat energy as the item of clothing is laundered.
US09947714B2
In a method of manufacturing an image sensor, photodiodes may be formed on a semiconductor layer in an active pixel region and a peripheral region. A structure including insulating interlayers and wiring structures may be formed on a first surface of the semiconductor layer in the active pixel region, the peripheral region and an input/output (I/O) region. The semiconductor layer and a first insulating interlayer of the insulating interlayers on the I/O region may be partially etched to form a via hole exposing a first wiring structure of the wiring structures. A first metal layer and a second metal layer may be formed on a second surface of the semiconductor layer and the via hole. The second metal layer may be patterned to form a second pad pattern on the semiconductor layer in the I/O region. An anti-reflective layer may be formed on the first metal layer and the second pad pattern. The anti-reflective layer and the first metal layer may be patterned to form a light blocking structure including the first metal layer and the anti-reflective layer in the peripheral region, and a pad structure including a via contact, a first pad pattern, the second pad pattern and an anti-reflective pattern in the I/O region. An image failure due to the reflected light may be minimized.
US09947707B2
An image sensor includes a semiconductor layer, a plurality of light sensing regions, a first pixel isolation layer, a light shielding layer, and a wiring layer. The semiconductor layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The plurality of light sensing regions is formed in the semiconductor layer. The first pixel isolation layer is disposed between adjacent light sensing regions from among the plurality of light sensing regions. The first pixel isolation layer is buried in an isolation trench formed between the first surface and the second surface. The light shielding layer is formed on the second surface of the semiconductor layer and on some of the adjacent light sensing regions. The wiring layer is formed on the first surface of the semiconductor layer.
US09947698B2
The present invention provides a manufacture method of an oxide semiconductor TFT substrate and a structure thereof. The method continuously forms the gate isolation layer (3), the oxide semiconductor layer (4′) and the etching stopper layer (5′), and implements pattern process to the oxide semiconductor layer (4′) and the etching stopper layer (5′) with one halftone mask or a slit diffraction mask to first form an island shaped oxide semiconductor layer (4) and an island shaped etching stopper layer (5) which are stacked up, and then to form blind holes (54) respectively at two sides of the island shaped oxide semiconductor layer (4) and the island shaped etching stopper layer (5); and a depth of the blind hole (54) is larger than a thickness of the island shaped etching stopper layer (5), and smaller than a thickness sum of the island shaped etching stopper layer (5) and the island shaped oxide semiconductor layer (4) and the contact area of the source/the drain of the TFT with the oxide semiconductor layer (4) is enlarged to reduce the contact resistance and raise the on state current of the TFT.
US09947696B2
A method of forming an LTPS TFT substrate includes: Step 1: providing a substrate and depositing a buffer layer; Step 2: depositing an a-Si layer; Step 3: depositing and patterning a silicon oxide layer; Step 4: taking the silicon oxide layer as a photomask and annealing the a-Si layer with excimer laser, so that the a-Si layer crystalizes and turns into a poly-Si layer; Step 5: forming a first poly-Si region and a second poly-Si region; Step 6: defining a heavily N-doped area and a lightly N-doped area on the first and second poly-Si regions, and forming an LDD area; Step 7: depositing and patterning a gate insulating layer; Step 8: forming a first gate and a second gate; Step 9: forming via holes; and Step 10: forming a first source/drain and a second source/drain.
US09947682B2
A three dimensional stacked non-volatile memory device comprises alternating dielectric layers and conductive layers in a stack, a plurality of bit lines below the stack, and a plurality of source lines above the stack. There is a separate source line for each bit line. Each source lines is connected to a different subset of NAND strings. Each bit line is connected to a different subset of NAND strings. Multiple data states are verified concurrently. Reading is performed sequentially for the data states. The data states are programmed concurrently with memory cells being programmed to lower data states having their programming slowed by applying appropriate source line voltages and bit line voltages.
US09947676B2
The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a HKMG hybrid non-volatile memory (NVM) device and that provides small scale and high performance, and a method of formation. In some embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a memory region having a NVM device with a pair of control gate electrodes separated from a substrate by corresponding floating gates. A pair of select gate electrodes are disposed at opposite sides of the pair of control gate electrodes. A logic region is disposed adjacent to the memory region and has a logic device with a metal gate electrode disposed over a logic gate dielectric and having bottom and sidewall surfaces covered by a high-k gate dielectric layer. The select gate electrodes or the control gate electrodes comprise metal and have bottom and sidewall surfaces covered by the high-k gate dielectric layer.
US09947650B1
An ESD protection device includes a MOS transistor connected between a first terminal and a second terminal and having a gate region, source/drain region and a well region electrically coupled by a resistive-capacitive circuit configured to control turn on of the MOS transistor in response to an ESD event. The resistive-capacitive circuit has a common part with at least one of the source, gate or drain regions of the MOS transistor and includes a capacitive element and a resistive element. A first electrode of the capacitive element is formed by the resistive element and a second electrode of the capacitive element is formed by at least a portion of a semiconductor film within which the source/drain region is formed.
US09947649B1
A semiconductor structure including an electrostatic discharge (ESD) diode with an increased junction area and a vertical field effect transistor (FET) formed on a same substrate is provided. The ESD diode is formed by forming a first doped semiconductor segment merging bottom portions of a pair of semiconductor fins and then forming a second doped semiconductor segment having a conductivity type opposite to that of each of the first doped semiconductor segment and the pair of semiconductor fins. A U-shaped p-n junction is present between the second doped semiconductor segment and the first doped semiconductor segment and the second doped semiconductor segment and the pair of semiconductor fins.
US09947645B2
Multi-Project Wafers includes a plurality of chiplets from different IP owners. Non-relevant chiplets are implemented with IP protection to inhibit IP disclosure of non-relevant IP owners.
US09947643B2
Inverted optical device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of piggyback substrates are attached to a carrier wafer. The plurality of piggyback substrates are dissimilar in composition to the carrier wafer. The plurality of piggyback substrates are processed, while attached to the carrier wafer, to produce a plurality of integrated circuit devices. A flip wafer is attached to the plurality of light emitting diodes, away from the carrier wafer and the carrier wafer is removed. The plurality of light emitting diodes may be singulated to form individual light emitting diode devices.
US09947634B1
A ball grid array (BGA) connector including an outer housing, an insert mounted within the outer housing having a first side and a second side, and a plurality of electrical contacts provided within the insert. The BGA connector also includes a plurality of connector balls electrically coupled to the electrical contacts at the first side of the insert, where some of the connector balls have a low Young's modulus and some of the connector balls have a high Young's modulus such that the high Young's modulus connector balls carry more of a separation load than the low Young's modulus connector balls. In one embodiment, the high Young's modulus connector balls are located around an outer periphery of the BGA. Also, the high modulus connector balls are soldered to larger solder pads than the low modulus connector balls.
US09947625B2
A wiring board with embedded component and integrated stiffener is characterized in that an embedded semiconductor device, a first routing circuitry, an encapsulant and an array of vertical connecting elements are integrated as an electronic component disposed within a through opening of a stiffener, and a second routing circuitry is disposed beyond the through opening of the stiffener and extends over the stiffener. The mechanical robustness of the stiffener can prevent the wiring board from warping. The embedded semiconductor device is electrically coupled to the first routing circuitry and surrounded by the vertical connecting elements in electrical connection with the first and second routing circuitries. The first routing circuitry provides primary fan-out routing for another semiconductor device to be assembled on the wiring board, whereas the second routing circuitry not only provides further fan-out wiring structure, but also mechanically binds the electronic component with the stiffener.
US09947624B2
The invention provides a semiconductor package assembly with a TSV interconnect. The semiconductor package assembly includes a first semiconductor package mounted on a base, having: a semiconductor die, a semiconductor substrate, and a first array of TSV interconnects and a second array of TSV interconnects formed through the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first array and second array of TSV interconnects are separated by an interval region. The assembly further includes a second semiconductor die mounted on the first semiconductor package, having a ground pad thereon. One of the TSV interconnects of the first semiconductor package has a first terminal coupled to the ground pad of the second semiconductor die and a second terminal coupled to an interconnection structure disposed on a front side of the semiconductor substrate.
US09947617B2
The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit configured to mitigate damage to MIM decoupling capacitors. In some embodiments, the integrated chip has a lower metal interconnect layer arranged over a substrate. A plurality of MIM (metal-insulator-metal) structures are arranged over the lower metal interconnect layer, and a plurality of memory cells are arranged over the lower metal interconnect layer at a location laterally offset from the plurality of MIM structures. An upper metal interconnect layer is arranged over the plurality of MIM structures and the plurality of memory cells. One or both of the lower metal interconnect layer and the upper metal interconnect layer are comprised within a conductive path that electrically couples the plurality of MIM structures in a series connection. The plurality of MIM structures and the plurality of memory cells comprise multi-layer structures having a substantially same shape.
US09947605B2
A process for forming a semiconductor package. The process comprises forming a first leadframe strip mounted upon an adhesive tape. The first leadframe strip is at least partially encased in a first mold compound thereby forming a molded leadframe strip. At least one flip chip semiconductor device is mounted on the molded leadframe strip. The semiconductor device has conductive masses attached thereon to effectuate electrical contact between the semiconductor device and the molded leadframe. The conductive masses can be substantially spherical or cylindrical. Liquid encapsulant is dispensed on the semiconductor device to encapsulate the flip chip semiconductor device. A cavity is formed between the semiconductor device and the molded leadframe. The molded leadframe strip, the semiconductor device, and the conductive masses are at least partially encased in a second mold compound. The second mold compound can be molded so that a surface of the flip chip semiconductor device that is not attached to the molded leadframe is substantially exposed or molded to produce a globular form on the flip chip semiconductor device. The molded leadframe strip is singulated to form discrete semiconductor packages.
US09947603B2
An electronic package includes a carrier and a semiconductor chip. In a first aspect a lid is attached to the chip and subsequently the gap between the lid and the carrier is filled by a seal band that includes seal band material and a plurality of shim members. In another aspect, an interleaved seal band includes a pattern of a first type of seal band material and a second type of seal band material. In another aspect, the lid includes a plurality of surfaces at different topographies to reduce the thickness of the seal band between the topographic lid and the carrier. In yet another aspect the electronic package further includes a frame concentric with the chip. The lid is attached to the frame with a solder, epoxy or elastomer and placed on the chip with a thermal interface material. The seal band material is dispensed on the chip carrier and the frame is then moved towards the chip carrier allowing a minimum seal band thickness.
US09947600B2
In an embodiment, a semiconductor structure includes a support substrate comprising a surface adapted to support epitaxial growth of a Group III nitride, one or more epitaxial Group III nitride layers arranged on the surface and supporting a plurality of transistor devices assembled upon the support substrate, and a test structure formed in a Group III nitride layer. The test structure includes a plurality of trenches configured to provide an optical diffraction grating when illuminated by UV light. The trenches have a parameter corresponding to a parameter of a feature of the transistor devices.
US09947598B1
A methodology and associated wafer level assembly of testing crackstop structure designs. The wafer level semiconductor assembly includes: a substrate structure shaped to define a set of horizontal directions; a metallization layer located on top of the substrate structure, with the metallization layer including a crackstop structure formed therein in accordance with a crackstop structure design; and a tensioned layer located on top of the metallization layer, with the tensioned layer being made of material having internal tensile forces oriented in the horizontal directions. The tensile forces promote horizontal direction crack propagation in the metallization layer so that the crackstop structure design can be tested more rigorously and reliably before deciding on the crackstop design structure to put into mass production (which mass produced product would typically not include the tensioned layer).
US09947593B2
A method for forming semiconductor devices includes forming a highly doped region. A stack of alternating layers is formed on the substrate. The stack is patterned to form nanosheet structures. A dummy gate structure is formed over and between the nanosheet structures. An interlevel dielectric layer is formed. The dummy gate structures are removed. SG regions are blocked, and top sheets are removed from the nanosheet structures along the dummy gate trench. A bottommost sheet is released and forms a channel for a field effect transistor device by etching away the highly doped region under the nanosheet structure and layers in contact with the bottommost sheet. A gate structure is formed in and over the dummy gate trench wherein the bottommost sheet forms a device channel for the EG device.
US09947588B1
A method for manufacturing fins includes following steps. A substrate including a plurality of fins formed thereon is provided. At least an ion implantation is performed to the fins. A thermal process is performed after the ion implantation. An insulating layer is formed on the substrate, and the fins are embedded in the insulating layer. Thereafter, a portion of the insulating layer is removed to form an isolation structure on the substrate, and the fins are exposed from a top surface of the isolation structure. The insulating layer is formed after the ion implantation and the thermal process. Or, the isolation structure is formed before the ion implantation, or between the ion implantation and the thermal process.
US09947586B2
A method of forming semiconductor devices may begin with forming gate structures over fin structures on sidewalls of at least two mandrels. The mandrels are removed to provide gate structures having a first pitch and gate structure spacers having a second pitch. A first conductivity type epitaxial semiconductor material is formed on the exposed portions of the fin structures. Masking is formed in the first pitch space. The first conductivity type epitaxial semiconductor material is removed from a second space pitch. A second conductivity type epitaxial semiconductor material is formed in the second space pitch.
US09947581B2
Low capacitance and high reliability interconnect structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a copper based interconnect structure in an opening of a dielectric material. The method further includes forming a capping layer on the copper based interconnect structure. The method further includes oxidizing the capping layer and any residual material formed on a surface of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the capping layer by outdiffusing a material from the copper based interconnect structure to a surface of the capping layer. The method further includes removing the residual material, while the barrier layer on the surface of the capping layer protects the capping layer.
US09947579B2
Low capacitance and high reliability interconnect structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a copper based interconnect structure in an opening of a dielectric material. The method further includes forming a capping layer on the copper based interconnect structure. The method further includes oxidizing the capping layer and any residual material formed on a surface of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the capping layer by outdiffusing a material from the copper based interconnect structure to a surface of the capping layer. The method further includes removing the residual material, while the barrier layer on the surface of the capping layer protects the capping layer.
US09947575B2
A multilayer wiring in a semiconductor device includes a first lower wiring formed in a first insulating layer, a via which is formed in a second insulating layer over the first insulating layer and which is connected to the first lower wiring, and an upper wiring connected to the via. The upper wiring has an outer edge at which a nick portion is formed beside a portion of the upper wiring to which the via is connected. The formation of the nick portion at the outer edge of the upper wiring prevents the via from enlarging.
US09947572B2
In a substrate processing apparatus, a shield plate includes a first chucking magnetic material (441). The shield plate is moved up and down by a chamber opening-and-closing mechanism. A substrate holding part includes a movable chuck member (412) and a fixed chuck member. The movable chuck member (412) includes a second chucking magnetic material (442). When the shield plate is moved down, the shield plate comes in close proximity to the upper surface of a substrate (9), and the first chucking magnetic material (441) comes in close proximity to the second chucking magnetic material (442). The substrate (9) is held by magnetic action between the first chucking magnetic material (441) and the second chucking magnetic material (442). It is thus possible to hold the substrate (9) with a simple structure.
US09947568B2
To improve peelability, yield in a peeling step, and yield in manufacturing a flexible device. A peeling method is employed which includes a first step of forming a peeling layer containing tungsten over a support substrate; a second step of forming, over the peeling layer, a layer to be peeled formed of a stack including a first layer containing silicon oxynitride and a second layer containing silicon nitride in this order and forming an oxide layer containing tungsten oxide between the peeling layer and the layer to be peeled; a third step of forming a compound containing tungsten and nitrogen in the oxide layer by heat treatment; and a fourth step of peeling the peeling layer from the layer to be peeled at the oxide layer.
US09947567B2
A bonding material including a phenoxy resin thermoplastic component, and a carbon black filler component. The carbon black filler component is present in an amount greater than 1 wt. %. The carbon black filler converts the phenoxy resin thermoplastic component from a material that transmits infra-red (IR) wavelengths to a material that absorbs a substantial portion of infra-red (IR) wavelengths.
US09947555B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a wafer retaining module configured to retain a wafer by a chuck pin and to rotate the wafer. The apparatus further includes a wafer cleaning module configured to retain a cleaning member for cleaning a surface of the wafer and to rotate the cleaning member around a first rotation axis that is perpendicular to the surface of the wafer, the wafer cleaning module cleaning the surface of the wafer by moving the cleaning member on the surface of the wafer while the cleaning member contacts the wafer and rotates. The wafer cleaning module retains and rotates the cleaning member so that the first rotation axis does not pass through a contact region of the cleaning member with respect to the wafer.
US09947547B2
An environmentally green wet etch process for selective removal of cobalt metal generally includes applying water that is free of added buffers, acids, and/or bases to a substrate including exposed cobalt metal. The process can be utilized to form recesses where desired such as may be implemented for metal contact fill, metal gate fill, interconnect fill, or the like.
US09947536B2
A method for producing a semiconductor power device includes forming a gate trench from a surface of the semiconductor layer toward an inside thereof. A first insulation film is formed on the inner surface of the gate trench. The method also includes removing a part on a bottom surface of the gate trench in the first insulation film. A second insulation film having a dielectric constant higher than SiO2 is formed in such a way as to cover the bottom surface of the gate trench exposed by removing the first insulation film.
US09947525B2
A technique for time interval measurement is provided. First and second signal components are received, sampled and digitized. The first signal component is derived from a trigger signal that causes or indicates generation 5 of the second signal component. A time interval between the first and second signal components is determined based on a reference time defined by the sampled and digitized first signal component and based on a reference time defined by the sampled and digitized second signal component.
US09947518B2
A method of analyzing ions is disclosed comprising performing an initial multi-dimensional survey scan comprising separating parent ions according to a first physico-chemical property and separating the parent ions according to a second physico-chemical property. At least one parent ion of interest from the initial multi-dimensional survey scan is determined, the at least one parent ion of interest having a first value or range of the first physico-chemical property and a second value or range of the second physico-chemical property. Then, during a subsequent single cycle of separation, the method further comprises separating parent ions according to the first physico-chemical property. If the parent ions have a value or range of the first physico-chemical property which corresponds with the first value or range, then the method further comprises selecting parent ions of interest having a value or range of the first physico-chemical property which corresponds with the first value or range and which also have a value or range of the second physico-chemical property which corresponds with the second value or range. If the parent ions have a value or range of the first physico-chemical property which does not correspond with the first value or range then the method further comprises separating the parent ions according to the first physico-chemical property and separating the parent ions according to the second physico-chemical property.
US09947517B1
Embodiments described herein generally related to a substrate processing apparatus. In one embodiment, a process kit for a substrate processing chamber disclosed herein. The process kit includes a first ring having a top surface and a bottom surface, an adjustable tuning ring having a top surface and a bottom surface, and an actuating mechanism. The bottom surface is supported by a substrate support member. The bottom surface at least partially extends beneath a substrate supported by the substrate support member. The adjustable tuning ring is positioned beneath the first ring. The top surface of the adjustable tuning ring and the first ring define an adjustable gap. The actuating mechanism is interfaced with the bottom surface of the adjustable tuning ring. The actuating mechanism is configured to alter the adjustable gap defined between the bottom surface of the first ring and the top surface of the adjustable tuning ring.
US09947513B2
Systems and methods for performing edge ramping are described. A system includes a base RF generator for generating a first RF signal. The first RF signal transitions from one state to another. The transition from one state to another of the first RF signal results in a change in plasma impedance. The system further includes a secondary RF generator for generating a second RF signal. The second RF signal transitions from one state to another to stabilize the change in the plasma impedance. The system includes a controller coupled to the secondary RF generator. The controller is used for providing parameter values to the secondary RF generator to perform edge ramping of the second RF signal when the second RF signal transitions from one state to another.
US09947512B2
An improved gas injection assembly for mounting in a central bore of a dielectric window of an inductively coupled plasma chamber includes a window having a central bore and cylindrical recess configured to receive an annular insert having a bayonet opening. The gas injector assembly includes a gas injector, an RF shield surrounding the gas injector, and a faceplate surrounding the RF shield, the faceplate including projections at the bottom thereof for engaging the bayonet opening in the annular insert. The window and gas injection assembly are designed to avoid chipping of the window which is typically made of quartz and in prior mounting arrangements the window has a bayonet opening machined therein. Due to the brittle nature of the quartz material, the machined bayonet opening was subject to chipping when the gas injector assembly was inserted into the bayonet opening.
US09947507B2
The disclosure provides a method for preparing a cross-section of a sample by milling with a focused ion beam. The cross-section is to be prepared at a pre-defined position. The method includes excavating a trench by milling in a first milling direction. The first milling direction leads away from the position of the cross-section to be prepared. The method also includes excavating the cross-section by enlarging the trench by milling in the reversed milling direction. The second milling direction leads towards the position of the cross-section to be prepared, whereupon the milling is completed at the position where the cross-section is to be cut. The desired largest milling depth is achieved at the completion of this milling step.
US09947500B2
A ground fault circuit interrupter includes a reset key, a reset mechanism, a conductive assembly configured to connect a power supply input side to a load side, a leakage signal detection circuit, and an electromagnetic tripping mechanism. The reset mechanism comprises a reset support and a support return mechanism. The reset support comprises a reset bracket and a support reset spring. The support return mechanism comprises a reset pole, a reset key spring, a compression spring, a reset block, a compression spring container, a reset slider, and a contact conductive part. The contact conductive part is disposed at a lower end of the reset slider and is configured to align with a position of a switch contact on a first PCB board. A state of contact or separation between the contact conductive part and the switch contact is configured to control an on-off state of the conductive assembly.
US09947498B2
A movable contact assembly for an electrical switching apparatus is provided. The movable contact assembly includes a number of shunts, and, a carriage assembly including two sidewalls and a contact arm assembly. The carriage assembly sidewalls are disposed in a spaced relation. The contact arm assembly includes a plurality of contact arms, a number of isolation members, a number of movable contacts, and an axle. Each contact arm defines an opening. One movable contact is disposed on each contact arm. Each contact arm is rotatably coupled to the axle with the axle extending through the contact arm opening. Each isolation member is disposed adjacent at least one contact arm. Each isolation member is coupled to, and in electrical communication with the adjacent contact arm. The shunts are coupled to, and in electrical communication with, the isolation members. In this configuration, no shunt operatively engages a contact arm.
US09947495B2
The present disclosure relates to an arc extinguishing chamber of an electrical circuit breaker, including an arc-forming chamber enclosing a fixed contact and a moving contact, which, at the time of their separation, form an arc between them, said forming chamber communicating with the input of an arc-quenching chamber comprising a stack of separators extending parallel to one another, and including a magnetic release situated on the side of the fixed and moving contacts and a switching horn situated on the opposite side, where the form of the separators varies progressively from one separator to the next, or by groups of identical separators from one group to another, or a mixture of both, in such a way that this form changes from the V having the largest opening surface area to the V having the smallest opening surface area, in the direction from the magnetic release to the switching horn.
US09947494B2
A clip member that attaches to the actuator of a flip switch timer for a toggle switch to allow the flip switch timer to actuate a decorator switch between on and off positions. The clip member may include a connector or fastener including a pair of arms having clips for engaging a slot on the actuator. A lever arm on the switch engages the raised end of a decorator switch when the actuator, and thus the clip member, are moved linearly within the flip switch timer.
US09947492B2
A switch includes a pushbutton comprising an actuating portion, a first fixed contact element and a first movable contact element facing the first fixed contact element for establishing a first switching way. The first movable contact element may include a movable portion of a first elastically deformable conductive blade. The actuating portion may include a first cam which cooperates with a cam follower portion of the first blade to deform or relax the first blade for longitudinally moving the first movable contact element to come into contact, or out of contact, with the portion of the first fixed contact element, depending on the vertical position of the actuation member. A second fixed contact element and second movable contact may be similarly constructed to provide a second switching way.
US09947487B2
Provided is a switch that can be downsized. A switch is provided with a plunger, and an upper torsion spring configured to bias the plunger in a returning direction. The torsion spring has a first arm that extends to the plunger and abuts against the plunger. The plunger has a hole at a position into which the first arm is inserted. The hole is a through hole extending in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the plunger moves, and is the same as a direction in which the first arm extends when viewed in the direction in which the plunger moves.
US09947484B2
An electrolyte solution intended for use in electrochemical devices which can achieve a high capacitance retention ratio even after long-term use at high voltage. The electrolyte solution of the present invention includes a mononitrile compound (I), at least one compound (II) selected from dinitrile compounds and trinitrile compounds, and a quaternary ammonium salt (III). The amount of the compound (II) in the electrolyte solution is 0.05 to 5% by mass.
US09947480B2
The present invention provides an electrolyte material formulation including: (a) a monomer of formula (I) (b) a monomer of formula (II) and (c) a polymerizable compound, wherein A, X, B1, B2, R1 to R3, q and w are defined as those recited in the specification, and the monomer (b) is in an amount of about 1 part by weight to about 800 parts by weight and the polymerizable compound (c) is in an amount of about 1 part by weight to about 10000 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the monomer (a). The present invention further provides an electrolytic material composition obtained by the polymerization of the aforementioned electrolytic material formulation. The electrolytic material composition can be applied to a solid electrolyte capacitor.
US09947478B2
A variable capacitance device includes a ferroelectric capacitor, a control terminal, a ground terminal, and a capacitor. The ferroelectric capacitor includes a ferroelectric film and capacitor electrodes sandwiching the ferroelectric film, and its capacitance value is changed according to a control voltage value applied between the capacitor electrodes. The control terminal is connected to a first end of the ferroelectric capacitor. The ground terminal is connected to a second end of the ferroelectric capacitor. The capacitor is connected between the control terminal and the ground terminal, and has a capacitance larger than that of the ferroelectric capacitor.
US09947477B2
In a method of manufacturing a thin-film polymer multi-layer capacitor, in a vacuum chamber, a resin thin film layer forming step of forming a resin thin film layer by forming a monomer layer by vapor-depositing a monomer and thereafter by curing the monomer layer by irradiating an electron beam onto the monomer layer, and a metal thin film layer forming step of forming a metal thin film layer by vapor-depositing a metal material are alternately performed on a rotary drum thus forming a multi-layer body in which the resin thin film layer and the metal thin film layer are alternately laminated on the rotary drum. In the resin thin film layer forming step, the monomer layer is formed using a dimethacrylate compound having an alicyclic hydrocarbon skeleton expressed by a following chemical formula (1) as the monomer. wherein, symbol A indicates an organic group containing alicyclic hydrocarbon.
US09947474B2
A multilayer capacitor includes a first grounding internal electrode including a first grounding electrode having a lead-out part led to one side surface of a stacked body, and a second grounding electrode having a lead-out part led to the other side surface; a second grounding internal electrode including a third grounding electrode which overlaps the first grounding electrode and has a lead-out part led to the other side surface, and a fourth grounding electrode which overlaps the second grounding electrode and has a lead-out part led to one side surface; and a signal internal electrode disposed between the first and second grounding internal electrodes, wherein the first and second grounding electrodes and the third and fourth grounding electrodes have, at their adjacent opposed sides, corners curved as seen in a plan view in the stacking direction, respectively, the corners being each located opposite to the corresponding lead-out part.
US09947472B2
In a multilayer capacitor, both a dimension in a thickness direction of a first terminal electrode on the first end surface and a dimension in the thickness direction of a second terminal electrode on the second end surface are greater than a minimum distance in the thickness direction between a first effective portion of a first inner electrode and a second main surface and a minimum distance in the thickness direction between a second effective portion of a second inner electrode and the second main surface.
US09947460B2
An oxide ceramic represented by the general formula [Sr2−xBaxCo2−y(ZnuNi1−u)yFe12−zAlzO22]. In the formula, 0.7≤x≤1.3 and 0.8≤z≤1.2. y is 0≤y≤0.8 when 0.5≤u≤1.0 and is 0≤y≤1.6 when 0≤u≤0.5. y is preferably 0.4 or less. Further, a variable inductor as a ceramic electronic component has a component base body formed from the oxide ceramic.
US09947456B2
Devices, systems, and methods of manufacture relating to PCB embedded inductors are described in the present disclosure. Namely, an example device includes a substrate having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface. The device also includes a plurality of upper conductors disposed along the upper surface and a plurality of lower conductors disposed along the lower surface. The upper conductors and the lower conductors are radially disposed about a central axis. Each of the upper conductors and the lower conductors includes a petal shape. A distance between adjacent upper conductors is less than a width of each upper conductor and a distance between adjacent lower conductors is less than a width of each lower conductor. The device also includes a plurality of through-substrate conductors connecting respective upper conductors to respective lower conductors so as to form a series electrical connection. The series electrical connection includes a toroid configuration.
US09947450B1
A electromagnetic device may include a core in which a magnetic flux is generable and an opening through the core. A primary conductor winding may be received in the opening and extend through the core. A primary electrical current signal flowing through the primary conductor winding generates a magnetic field about the primary conductor winding and a first magnetic flux flow in the core. A secondary conductor winding may be received in the opening and extend through the core. A first modular conductor winding may extend through the opening and encircle a first outer core portion of the core. A first modulation signal flowing through the first modular conductor winding modulates the primary electrical current signal to provide a modulated output current signal at an output of the secondary conductor winding.
US09947446B2
The pickling loss when a hot-rolled steel sheet having a predetermined chemical composition is annealed at 1000° C. for 30 seconds in a nitrogen atmosphere and then immersed in a solution of 7% HCl at 80° C. for 60 seconds is in a range of 40 g/m2 or more and 100 g/m2 or less. A hot-rolled steel sheet for production of a non-oriented electrical steel sheet with not only excellent magnetic properties such as iron loss and magnetic flux density but also excellent recyclability and steel sheet surface appearance can thus be obtained.
US09947444B1
A process for producing a multilayer varistor (MLV) if remained its size unchanged as prior arts is favorable to outstandingly increase overall current-carrying area and improve the performance of final produced MLV; and the MLV has laminated a lower cap, an inner-electrode stack formed from piling up several inner-electrode gaps (g), and an upper cap into a unity, and at least satisfies the condition that the lower cap and the upper cap has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the inner-electrode gap (g), but equal to or greater than 0.1 times of the thickness of the inner-electrode gap (g).
US09947438B2
The present disclosure relates to an impact resistant, multipolar power cable (10) comprising, a plurality of cores (1), each core (1) comprising at least one conductive element (3) and an electrical insulating layer (5) in a position radially external to the at least one conductive element (3). The cores (1) are stranded together so as to form an assembled element providing a plurality of interstitial zones (2). An expanded polymeric filler (6) fills the interstitial zones (2) between the plurality of cores (1). An expanded impact resistant layer (7) is in a position radially external to the expanded polymeric filler (6) and comprises a polymer that differs from the expanded polymeric filler (6).
US09947429B2
An Ag alloy film used for a reflecting electrode or an interconnection electrode, the Ag alloy film exhibiting low electrical resistivity and high reflectivity and having exceptional oxidation resistance under cleaning treatments such as an O2 plasma treatment or UV irradiation, wherein the Ag alloy film contains either In in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 2.7 atomic % or smaller; or Zn in an amount of larger than 2.0 atomic % to 3.5 atomic % or smaller; or both. The Ag alloy film may further contain Bi in an amount of 0.01 to 1.0 atomic %.
US09947428B2
An atomic beam source includes a tubular cathode that includes an emission portion that includes an emission port through which an atomic beam can be emitted, a rod-shaped first anode disposed inside the cathode, and a rod-shaped second anode disposed inside the cathode and spaced from the first anode. At least one selected from the group consisting of a shape of the cathode, a shape of the first anode, a shape of the second anode, and a positional relationship between the cathode, the first anode, and the second anode is predetermined so that emission of sputter particles resulting from collision of cations, which have been generated by plasma between the first anode and the second anode, with at least one selected from the cathode, the first anode, and the second anode is reduced.
US09947423B2
A nanofuel engine including an inventive nanofuel internal engine, whereby nuclear energy is released in the working fluid and directly converted into useful work, with the qualities of an economical advanced small modular gaseous pulsed thermal reactor. Scientific feasibility is established by studying the behavior of nuclear fuels in configurations designed to support a fission chain reaction. Nanofuel is defined as nuclear fuel suitable for use in an internal engine, comprised of six essential ingredients, and can be created from clean fuel or from the transuranic elements found in light-water reactor spent nuclear fuel in a proliferation resistant manner. Three essential ingredients ensure the nanofuel is inherently stable, due to a negative temperature coefficient of reactivity. Reciprocating and Wankel (rotary) internal engine configurations, which operate in an Otto cycle, are adapted to support a fission chain reaction. Dynamic engine cores experience a decrease in criticality as the engine piston or rotor moves away from the top dead center position. In this inherent safety feature, the increase in engine core volume decreases the nanofuel density and increases the neutron leakage. Technological feasibility is demonstrated by examining potential engineering limitations. The nanofuel internal engine can be operated in two modes: spark-ignition with an external neutron source such as a fusion neutron generator; and compression-ignition with an internal neutron source. The structural integrity can be maintained using standard internal combustion engine design and operation practices. The fuel system can be operated in a closed thermodynamic cycle, which allows for complete fuel utilization, continuous refueling, and easy fission product extraction. Nanofuel engine power plant configurations offer favorable economic, safety, and waste management attributes when compared to existing power generation technology. The initial (first-of-a-kind) overnight capital cost is approximately $400 per kilowatt-electric. Obvious safety features include an underground installation, autonomous operation, and an ultra-low nuclear material inventory.
US09947421B2
A nuclear reactor with a liquid metal coolant includes a housing having a separating shell disposed therein. In the annular space between the housing and the separating shell are disposed at least one steam generator and at least one pump. Inside the separating shell there is an active region, above which a heat collector is disposed. The heat collector is in communication with the vertically central portion of the steam generator in order to separate a stream of liquid metal coolant into ascending and descending flows. Alternatively, the heat collector is in communication with the upper portion of the steam generator in order to create a counter-flow heat exchange regime. Below the reactor head is an upper horizontal cold collector with an unfilled level of coolant, and below the steam generator is a lower accumulating collector in communication with the upper cold collector.
US09947413B2
A method of initializing and programming a 3D non-volatile memory device includes applying a first program voltage to a selected string selection line coupled to a selected memory layer among the plurality of memory layers; verifying whether threshold voltages of a plurality of string selection transistors reach a target value to determine the plurality of string selection transistors as programmed string selection transistors or unprogrammed string selection transistors; programming memory cell transistors of one or more of memory strings coupled with the programmed string selection transistors to have a predetermined threshold voltage, by applying a second program voltage to a selected wordline among the plurality of wordlines; and program-inhibiting channel lines of the programmed string selection transistors using the programmed memory cell transistors as screening transistors and applying a third program voltage to the selected string selection line to selectively program the unprogrammed string selection transistors.
US09947408B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a block of memory cells including first, second, and third memory cells, a first word line electrically connected to a gate of the first memory cell, a second word line electrically connected to a gate of the second memory cell, a third word line electrically connected to a gate of the third memory cell, and a control circuit configured to access the block in one of at least first and second modes to perform an operation thereon. When the control circuit accesses the block in the first mode, the same voltage is applied to the first and second word lines throughout the operation, and when the control circuit accesses the block in the second mode, the same voltage is applied to the second and third word lines throughout the operation.
US09947405B2
A method of obtaining a dot product using a memristive dot product engine with a nulling amplifier includes applying a number of programming voltages to a number of row lines within a memristive crossbar array to change the resistance values of a corresponding number of memristors located at intersections between the row lines and a number of column lines. The method also includes applying a number of reference voltages to the number of the row lines and applying a number of operating voltages to the number of the row lines. The operating voltages represent a corresponding number of vector values. The method also includes determining an array output based on a reference output and an operating output collected from the number of column lines.
US09947404B1
A resistive memory apparatus may include a memory cell array and a selective write circuit. The memory cell array may include a plurality of resistive memory cells coupled between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines. The selective write circuit may determine whether or not to perform a pre-read/comparison operation for a memory cell on which a next write operation is scheduled to be performed, based on a logic level of input data provided for a write operation. The selective write circuit may control the write operation for the memory cell array according to a determination result of the pre-read/comparison operation.
US09947400B2
A method for improving the stability of a resistive change cell is disclosed. The stability of a resistive change memory cell—that is, the tendency of the resistive change memory cell to retain its programmed resistive state—may, in certain applications, be compromised if the cell is programmed into an unstable or metastable state. In such applications, a programming method using bursts of sub-pulses within a pulse train is used to drive the resistive change cell material into a stable state during the programming operation, reducing resistance drift over time within the cell.
US09947396B2
To improve a reading speed and a writing speed while preventing occurrence of disturbance in a resistance storage element, specifically, a nonvolatile storage device that has a memory having at least one nonvolatile resistance storage element and a control unit configured to write a high resistance state or a low resistance state to the resistance storage element, wherein the control unit applies a bias to the resistance storage element in a verification operation carried out after writing the high resistance state, or applies a bias to the resistance storage element in a verification operation carried out after writing the low resistance state, these biases being in directions opposite to each other.
US09947395B2
Techniques are presented for the programming of a non-volatile memory in which multi-state memory cells use a charge trapping layer. When writing data onto a word lines, different data states are written individually, while programming inhibiting the other states, thereby breaking down the write operation into a number of sub-operations, one for each state to be written. This allows for improved timing and decreased power consumption.
US09947382B2
Three-terminal magnetic circuits and devices based on the spin-transfer torque (STT) effect via a combination of injection of spin-polarized electrons or charged particles by using a charge current in a spin Hall effect metal layer coupled to a free magnetic layer and application of a gate voltage to the free magnetic layer to manipulate the magnetization of the free magnetic layer for various applications, including nonvolatile memory functions, logic functions and others. The charge current is applied to the spin Hall effect metal layer via first and second electrical terminals and the gate voltage is applied between a third electrical terminal and either of the first and second electrical terminals. The spin Hall effect metal layer can be adjacent to the free magnetic layer or in direct contact with the free magnetic layer to allow a spin-polarized current generated via a spin Hall effect under the charge current to enter the free magnetic layer. The disclosed three-terminal magnetic circuits can also be applied to signal oscillator circuits and other applications.
US09947372B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of chips including first and second chips, each of the first and second chips including a first input terminal receiving a first token input signal, a first output terminal outputting a first token output signal, a second input terminal receiving a second token input signal, and a second output terminal outputting a second token output signal. The first and second chips are coupled to each other in a bi-directional ring structure such that the first output terminal of the first chip is coupled to the first input terminal of the second chip and the second output terminal of the second chip is coupled to the second input terminal of the first chip. Each of the first and second chips performs a corresponding peak zone operation according to the first token input signal and the second token input signal.
US09947366B2
Systems and methods for generating group portraits using video chat systems are provided. A communications system can generate a group portrait that includes an image of two or more users. For example, a communications system can generate a group portrait that includes an image of each user participating in a video conference, and the group portrait may serve as a memento from the video conference.
US09947365B2
A movie editor converts a received movie into a proxy format, and creates a texture strip representing the frames of the movie. An editor can use the texture strip to edit the movie, rather than editing the movie directly. Deep tags and/or special effects can be defined for the texture strip using a graphical interface. The graphical interface enables movies to be combined into a playback product according to a control structure graphically presented in the graphical interface.
US09947355B2
As disclosed herein a method for encoding information on tape using write offset gaps. The method includes receiving a request to write a dataset on a tape medium using a plurality of head groups, and identifying information to be encoded when writing the dataset. The method further includes determining a head group offset pattern that encodes the information, and writing the dataset using the head group offset pattern. Also disclosed herein is a method for decoding information on tape using write offset gaps. The method includes reading a dataset from a tape medium using a plurality of head groups, and determining a head group offset pattern used to read the dataset. The method further includes decoding information encoded in the head group offset pattern to provide decoded information. A computer program product corresponding to the above method is also disclosed herein.
US09947351B1
According to one embodiment, a position detecting device includes a detecting portion which periodically detects a plurality of pieces of information generated in accordance with positional information divided into upper digits and lower digits. The upper digits are further divided into a plurality of pieces of upper digit information equal to the number of the period. The pieces of the upper digit information are obtained in a predetermined order. The lower digits are obtained simultaneously with any one of the pieces of the upper digit information. The positional information is divided so that the number of values, which are obtainable in one piece of the upper digit information provided by dividing the upper digits, and a division number of the upper digits are coprime.
US09947349B2
An apparatus includes a waveguide extending along a light-propagation direction between a light source and a media-facing surface. An assistant layer is configured to receive light from a light source, the assistant layer has a terminating end with a first taper that narrows toward the media-facing surface. A core layer has a coupling end configured to receive light from the assistant layer, the coupling end having a second taper that widens toward the media-facing surface. A middle cladding layer is disposed between the core layer and the assistant layer. A near field transducer is disposed proximate the media-facing surface and configured to receive the light from the core layer.
US09947346B2
A system, according to one embodiment, includes: a near field transducer, a return pole, a main pole, a waveguide adjacent the near field transducer, wherein the waveguide extends away from the near field transducer along a direction perpendicular to a media facing surface, at least one cladding layer adjacent to the waveguide, an underlayer positioned behind the near field transducer with respect to the media facing surface, the underlayer extending away from the near field transducer along the direction perpendicular to the media facing surface, and a fill material at least partially surrounding the underlayer, the waveguide and the at least one cladding layer. The underlayer has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the fill material. Other systems, and methods are described in additional embodiments.
US09947343B1
A hard disk drive desledder comprises a support and a cutting member. The support is configured to receive and to support a hard disk drive assembly that includes a hard disk drive and a sled. The cutting member has at least two cutting edges corresponding to respective portions of the sled. The cutting member is movable from a first position spaced apart from the support and a second position adjacent the support to cause the at least two cutting edges to cut portions of the sled to allow the hard disk drive to be removed from the hard disk drive assembly. Related desledding methods are also described.
US09947339B2
A method comprising: detect a first acoustic signal by using a microphone array; detecting a first angle associated with a first incident direction of the first acoustic signal; and storing, in a memory, a representation of the first acoustic signal and a representation of the first angle.
US09947335B2
Embodiments are directed to a companding method and system for reducing coding noise in an audio codec. A compression process reduces an original dynamic range of an initial audio signal through a compression process that divides the initial audio signal into a plurality of segments using a defined window shape, calculates a wideband gain in the frequency domain using a non-energy based average of frequency domain samples of the initial audio signal, and applies individual gain values to amplify segments of relatively low intensity and attenuate segments of relatively high intensity. The compressed audio signal is then expanded back to substantially the original dynamic range that applies inverse gain values to amplify segments of relatively high intensity and attenuating segments of relatively low intensity. A QMF filterbank is used to analyze the initial audio signal to obtain a frequency domain representation.
US09947330B2
An improved concept for coding sample values of a spectral envelope is obtained by combining spectrotemporal prediction on the one hand and context-based entropy coding the residuals, on the other hand, while particularly determining the context for a current sample value dependent on a measure of a deviation between a pair of already coded/decoded sample values of the spectral envelope in a spectrotemporal neighborhood of the current sample value. The combination of the spectrotemporal prediction on the one hand and the context-based entropy coding of the prediction residuals with selecting the context depending on the deviation measure on the other hand harmonizes with the nature of spectral envelopes.
US09947325B2
A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels is provided, having a receiving interface for receiving an audio input signal having a plurality of audio object signals, for receiving loudness information on the audio object signals, and for receiving rendering information indicating whether one or more of the audio object signals shall be amplified or attenuated, further having a signal processor for generating the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal, configured to determine a loudness compensation value depending on the loudness information and depending on the rendering information, and configured to generate the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal from the audio input signal depending on the rendering information and depending on the loudness compensation value. One or more by-pass audio object signals are employed for generating the audio output signal. Moreover, an encoder is provided.
US09947324B2
A first similarity degree processor calculates first similarity degrees between a feature value in voice signal of each of first speakers and each feature value in a plurality of unspecified speaker models of a plurality of unspecified speakers. The processor specifies a plurality of the unspecified speaker models for which the first similarity degrees are equal to or greater than a prescribed value. The processor also associates and stores each of the first speakers and the specified unspecified speaker models. Additionally, the processor calculates, for each of the first speakers, a plurality of second similarity degrees between a feature value in a voice signal of a second speaker and each feature values in the unspecified speaker models associated with the first speakers and stored in a second speaker model storage. The processor further specifies the second speaker based on the second similarity degrees.
US09947322B2
Systems and methods for evaluating human speech. Implementations may include: a microphone coupled with a computing device comprising a microprocessor, a memory, and a display operatively coupled together. The microphone may be configured to receive an audible unconstrained speech utterance from a user whose proficiency in a language is being tested and provide a corresponding audio signal to the computing device. The microprocessor and memory may receive the audio signal and process the audio signal by recognizing a plurality of phones and a plurality of pauses and calculate a plurality of suprasegmental parameters using the plurality of pauses and the plurality of phones. The microprocessor and memory may use the plurality of suprasegmental parameters to calculate a language proficiency rating for the user and display the language proficiency rating of the user on the display associated with the computing device.
US09947321B1
Methods and systems for handling speech recognition processing in effectively real-time, via the Internet, in order that users do not experience noticeable delays from the start until they receive responsive feedback. A user uses a client to access the Internet and a server supporting speech recognition processing. The user inputs speech to the client, which transmits the user speech to the server in approximate real-time. The server evaluates the user speech, and provides responsive feedback to the client, again, in approximate real-time, with minimum latency delays. The client upon receiving responsive feedback from the server, displays, or otherwise provides, the feedback to the user.
US09947320B2
A method, computerized apparatus and computer program product for determining script compliance in interactions, the method comprising: receiving one or more indexed audio interaction; receiving a text representing a script; automatically extracting two or more key terms from the script; automatically generating a query representing the script, comprising: receiving one or more constraint associated with the at least two key terms; and determining spotted key terms of the key terms that appear in the indexed audio interactions; determining complied constraints based on a number of words difference between two key terms of the at least two key terms; and determining a relevance score for each of the indexed audio interactions, based on the spotted key terms and the complied constraints.
US09947318B2
A system and method for processing an audio signal captured from a microphone may reproduce a known audio signal with an audio transducer into an acoustic space. The known audio signal may include content from one or more audio sources. A microphone audio signal may be captured from the acoustic space where the microphone audio signal comprises the known audio signal and one or more unknown audio signals. Processing control information may be accessed. The known audio signal may be reduced in the microphone audio signal responsive to the processing control information where the processing control information indicates one or more characteristics of a downstream audio processor that processes the microphone audio signal.
US09947316B2
A voice input comprising a command word, one or more media variable instances, and one or more zone variable instances is received. A media playback system command which corresponds to the command word is determined. Media content which corresponds to the one or more media variable instances is identified. The media playback system is caused to execute the media playback system command on the media content based on the one or more zone variable instances.
US09947297B2
In a method of enhancing the appearance of a digital image on an electronic display, Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) and Screen Brightness (SB) inputs are combined with a calibration input 12 to generate a first strength parameter 22, including an alpha component that is dependent only upon the properties of the display. Then a further, content-based input 24 is also combined to generate a second strength parameter 26, including a beta component that is dependent only upon a content type, or a content quality, or both.
US09947286B2
A display driving apparatus and a method for driving display apparatus are provided. Source drivers generate abnormality-notify signals according to driving signals. A timing controller determines the source drivers received abnormal driving signals according to the abnormality-notify signals and a horizontal synchronizing signal and adjusts the driving signals corresponding to the source drivers received the abnormal driving signals.
US09947284B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel including a first data line, a timing controller which generates an external voltage selection signal, a channel control signal and a data signal, an external voltage generator which selects one of first voltage levels based on the external voltage selection signal to generate a first external voltage, and a data driver including a channel voltage generator which generates a first channel voltage, a first channel line connected to the first data line, a first switch connected between a first node receiving the first channel voltage and a second node connected to the first channel line, and a second switch connected between a third node receiving the first external voltage and a fourth node connected to the first channel line, where the data driver controls operations of the first and second switches based on the channel control signal.
US09947283B2
The present invention provides a display apparatus, including: a display panel circuit which includes a panel load line and performs a scanning display operation; and a panel driving circuit. The panel driving circuit determines at least a test phase and a scanning display phase according to a display control signal generated by a timing control circuit, wherein the test phase is a partial time period when the panel driving circuit does not perform the scanning display operation. The panel driving circuit generates a test driving signal on the panel load line, and detects an electronic characteristic of the display panel circuit so as to determine a failure item thereof during the test phase according to a pre-determined test instruction. The panel driving circuit generates a display driving signal on the panel load line for the scanning display operation according to the display control signal during the scanning display phase.
US09947280B2
A thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate is provided. The TFT array substrate is structured to change the way that sub-pixels are arranged so that during a displaying period of a frame of image, the sub-pixels that have inconsistent brightness/darkness become alternate with each other spatially so that a displaying defect of vertical bright/dark lines can be improved and the overall resistance of the data line can be reduced to thereby reduce resistance-capacitance delay and prevent incorrect charging at a tail end of a scan line or a data line.
US09947273B2
The present disclosure provides a voltage drop compensation method, a voltage drop compensation device and a display device. The voltage drop compensation method includes steps of determining a voltage drop for a power signal corresponding to each subpixel set; determining a first equivalent brightness reduction value corresponding to the voltage drop; calculating an initial brightness value for each subpixel in the subpixel set; calculating a sum of the first equivalent brightness reduction value corresponding to the subpixel set and the initial brightness value as a target brightness value for each subpixel in the subpixel set; and generating a driving signal for each subpixel in accordance with the target brightness value for each subpixel in the subpixel set, and outputting the driving signal.
US09947272B2
An OLED display device includes an array of pixel units. Each pixel unit includes a pixel driving circuit and an OLED. The pixel units in each column is connected to a data line. The pixel units in each row is connected to a first scan line for selecting and activating pixel units to receive a data voltage provided by the data line. The pixel units in each row is connected to a second scan line for selecting and resetting pixel units. An emission control line connected to the pixel units in each odd-numbered row is connected to a first clock signal end. An emission control line connected to the pixel units in each even-numbered row is connected to a second clock signal end. Two emission control signals outputted by the first and second clock signal ends have the same period and have a stable phase difference between 90° and 180°.
US09947262B2
A display comprises a plurality of autonomous pixels on a stretchable substrate. Each autonomous pixel comprises a display element and a control element arranged to sense an external stimulus and to generate, entirely within the autonomous pixel, a control signal to drive the display element based, at least in part, on a magnitude of the sensed external stimulus. The stretchable substrate comprises a plurality of less elastic regions separated by stretchable areas, where the less elastic regions are less stretchable than the surrounding stretchable areas and each control element of an autonomous pixel is located in or on a less elastic region of the stretchable substrate.
US09947261B2
This invention provides an electro-optical module with reduced noise in driving voltage. The invention can include a power supply substrate that is arranged separately from the flexible substrate having a driver, so that the noise of the driving voltage supplied from the power supply substrate is reduced.
US09947259B2
An electronic device may include a display having an array of display pixels and having display control circuitry that controls the operation of the display. The display control circuitry may adaptively adjust the display output based on ambient lighting conditions. For example, in cooler ambient lighting conditions such as those dominated by daylight, the display may display neutral colors using a relatively cool white. When the display is operated in warmer ambient lighting conditions such as those dominated by indoor light sources, the display may display neutral colors using a relatively warm white. Adapting to the ambient lighting conditions may ensure that the user does not perceive color shifts on the display as the user's vision chromatically adapts to different ambient lighting conditions. Adaptively adjusting images in this way can also have beneficial effects on the human circadian rhythm by displaying warmer colors in the evening.
US09947248B2
A lighting assembly includes an assembly body. A first lighting unit is attached to the assembly body. The first lighting unit includes a number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and optical elements arranged over the LEDs such that each optical element overlies only one associated LED. The first lighting unit is configured to illuminate a substantially rectangular region. A second lighting unit is attached to the assembly body and spaced from the first lighting unit. The second lighting unit includes a number of LEDs and optical elements arranged over the plurality of LEDs such that each optical element overlies only one associated LED. The lighting assembly is configured to direct the light toward the substantially rectangular area such that the light illuminates the substantially rectangular area with a uniformity across the substantially rectangular area that achieves at most a 3:1 ratio of the average illumination to the minimum illumination.
US09947240B2
World data is established, including real-world position and/or real-world motion of an entity. Target data is established, including planned or ideal position and/or motion for the entity. Guide data is established, including information for guiding a person or other subject in bringing world data into match with target data. The guide data is outputted to the subject as virtual and/or augmented reality data. Evaluation data may be established, including a comparison of world data with target data. World data, target data, guide data, and/or evaluation data may be dynamically updated. Subjects may be instructed in positions and motions by using guide data to bring world data into match with target data, and by receiving evaluation data. Instruction includes physical therapy, sports, recreation, medical treatment, fabrication, diagnostics, repair of mechanical systems, etc.
US09947228B1
A method of monitoring a blind spot of a monitoring vehicle by using a blind spot monitor is provided. The method includes steps of: the blind spot monitor (a) acquiring a feature map from rear video images, on condition that video images with reference vehicles in the blind spot are acquired, reference boxes for the reference vehicles are created, and the reference boxes are set as proposal boxes; (b) acquiring feature vectors for the proposal boxes on the feature map by pooling, inputting the feature vectors into a fully connected layer, acquiring classification and regression information; and (c) selecting proposal boxes by referring to the classification information, acquiring bounding boxes for the proposal boxes by using the regression information, determining the pose of the monitored vehicle corresponding to each of the bounding boxes, and determining whether a haphazard vehicle is located in the blind spot of the monitoring vehicle.
US09947223B2
A valet parking system for automatically bringing a vehicle to a parking space within a predefined parking area. The valet parking system includes a central control unit and a parking-space monitoring system having a stationary parking-space sensor. The parking-space monitoring system is designed to detect the current state of occupancy of the parking spaces of the parking area and to transmit that to the central control unit. The parking-space monitoring system may localize all autonomously moving or waiting vehicles that are currently in transit autonomously within the parking area either to be brought to their assigned parking space or received by their driver at a predefined pick-up location, and to transmit information about the present position of all these vehicles to the central control unit. A free parking space is assigned to the vehicle by the central control unit as a function of the geometrical dimensions of the vehicle.
US09947221B1
Vehicular communication systems and methods are disclosed, including one or more media devices. A host device inside a vehicle is coupled to a media device that is adaptable to being mounted to the vehicle. The media device includes a display configured to display a default image. The host device is configured to receive data associated with a predefined direction of the vehicle from vehicle operation sensors on the vehicle and receive traffic data from one or more application servers. In response to the data, the host device determines a vehicle status and transmits media content to be presented on the display, including at least one road sign. The host device is further configured to establish a link with a second media device including a display and transmit instructions to project the media content.
US09947209B2
The invention relates to an alarm for detecting damage to a multiple glazed unit comprising: a humidity sensor; and a movement sensor in which, when the movement sensor detects movement of the glazed unit, the humidity sensor compares the current detected humidity in the glazed unit with a previously stored detected humidity, and if the humidity has changed by a predetermined threshold, a damage alarm is triggered.
US09947198B2
The present solution provides a system and a method for efficiently transmitting data recorded by a wearable sensor. More particularly, the systems and methods described herein enable the data/context-aware transmission of data. In some implementations, by classifying data into predefined categories and then transmitting the data using a transmitter configuration associated with each of the categories enables improved transmission reliability while also improving battery life.
US09947193B2
An electronic article surveillance (EAS) assembly is installable in a workstation that processes products associated with targets to be electro-optically read. The assembly includes a radio frequency (RF) antenna having a pair of RF feed lines and a conductive loop for generating an electromagnetic field to deactivate EAS tags associated with the products to be processed, and a protective carrier for supporting and protecting the antenna during the installation in a predetermined position in the workstation.
US09947189B2
A home automation device includes a movement detector (20) including an accelerometer and a magnetometer, and a processing unit for processing the signals supplied by the accelerometer and the magnetometer. At least one memory stores a reference orientation of the detector. The processing unit, on detection of a reference event from the acceleration signals, is capable of replacing the reference orientation with the instantaneous orientation of the detector.
US09947166B2
A readily reconfigureable cash dispensing system for providing change, such as coins of different values and bills or currency of different denominations needed by a retail store, grocery store, busy convenience store, or the like. A tray or trays for storing and delivering multiple rolls of coins or bills of a first value, as well as, a tray or trays for storing and delivering stacks of bills are described herein. A bill acceptor may be employed to accept bills used to purchase rolls of coins and stacks of bills, and a system controller can sense restocking and dispensing events to maintain an accurate inventory of cash in the bill acceptor, as well as, the total cash stored in the form of coin rolls or rolls bills, as well as, bill stacks.
US09947159B2
A system for installation in a vehicle and for controlling a remote device includes a trainable transceiver and a remote button module. The trainable transceiver base station configured to be mounted in the vehicle at a first location and the remote button module separated from the base station and configured to be mounted in the vehicle at a second location. The remote button module is configured to wirelessly transmit a command signal to the base station in response to receiving a user input at a user input device, and the base station responds to receiving the command signal by transmitting an activation signal to the remote device, wherein the activation signal is formatted to control the remote device.
US09947150B2
An object is to provide a maintenance monitor device which can display numerical data related to three or more display items on a graph simultaneously, with high visibility and operability. A maintenance monitor device (1) is capable of displaying a graph of numerical data of three or more of a plurality of display items related to an apparatus (14) subject to maintenance on a monitor screen (10), and includes: a list display unit (2) capable of displaying a list of the display items (22) on the monitor screen; a numerical data display unit (3) capable of displaying a graph of numerical data related to the three or more display items on the monitor screen in accordance with graph axes including a first axis which includes a time axis; a position information calculation unit (7) capable of calculating position information of a cursor (28) displayed on the monitor screen; a display item recognition unit (6) capable of recognizing the display items indicated by the cursor on the basis of the position information of the cursor calculated by the position information calculation unit; and a second axis display unit (5) configured to be capable of displaying only one scale (33) corresponding to the display item recognized by the display item recognition unit on a second axis included in the graph axes.
US09947142B2
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for generating a patch surface model of a geometric structure. The system includes a computer-based model construction system configured to be coupled to a device that includes at least one sensor configured to acquire a set of original location data points corresponding to respective locations on a surface of the geometric structure, the computer-based model construction system further configured to generate a reference surface based on the acquired original location data points, subdivide the reference surface into a plurality of triangles, project at least some of the original location data points onto a respective nearest point on the subdivided reference surface, compute a function that morphs the projected location data points towards the original location data points to generate a patch surface model, and determine a boundary for the patch surface model.
US09947135B2
A close-out audit method performed at a cell site subsequent to maintenance or installation work includes, subsequent to the maintenance or installation work, obtaining video capture of cell site components associated with the work; subsequent to the video capture, processing the video capture to obtain data for the close-out audit, wherein the processing comprises identifying the cell site components associated with the work; and creating a close-out audit package based on the processed video capture, wherein the close-out audit package provides verification of the maintenance or installation work and outlines that the maintenance or installation work was performed in a manner consistent with an operator or owner's guidelines.
US09947134B2
The invention is a system for generating a dynamic three-dimensional model of a space, comprising a camera module (100) comprising an optical sensor adapted for recording image information of the space, and a depth sensor adapted for recording depth information of the space, and a modelling module (300) adapted for generating a dynamic three-dimensional model of the space on the basis of the image information and the depth information. In the system according to the invention the image information with the optical sensor and the depth information with the depth sensor are recorded at a plurality of discrete times. The system according to the invention comprises a synchronisation signal generating module determining synchronised with each other the discrete times associated with the image information and the discrete times associated with the depth information. In the system according to the invention the dynamic three-dimensional model is generated at a plurality of the discrete times of the image information and of the depth information, and at each of the discrete times the image information and the depth information associated with the given discrete time are integrated into the dynamic three-dimensional model on the basis of position and orientation of the camera module (100) at the given discrete time, which position and orientation are determined by the modelling module (300) on the basis of information provided by the sensors of the camera module (100) at the discrete times in an observation window. The invention is, furthermore, a method for generating a dynamic three-dimensional model of a space.
US09947131B2
When rendering a scene that includes a complex object made up of many individual primitives, rather than processing each primitive making up the object in turn, a bounding volume which surrounds the complex object is generated and the scene is then processed using the bounding volume in place of the actual primitives making up the complex object. If it is determined that the bounding volume representation of the object will be completely occluded in the scene (e.g. by a foreground object), then the individual primitives making up the complex object are not processed. This can save significantly on processing time and resources for the scene.
US09947128B2
A multi-temporal, multi-angle, automated target exploitation method is provided for processing a large number of images. The system geo-rectifies the images to a three-dimensional surface topography, co-registers groups of the images with fractional pixel accuracy, automates change detection, evaluates the significance of change between the images, and massively compresses imagery sets based on the statistical significance of change. The method improves the resolution, accuracy, and quality of information extracted beyond the capabilities of any single image, and creates registered six-dimensional image datasets appropriate for mathematical treatment using standard multi-variable analysis techniques from vector calculus and linear algebra such as time-series analysis and eigenvector decomposition.
US09947125B2
Examples of systems and methods for transmitting facial motion data and animating an avatar are generally described herein. A system may include an image capture device to capture a series of images of a face, a facial recognition module to compute facial motion data for each of the images in the series of images, and a communication module to transmit the facial motion data to an animation device, wherein the animation device is to use the facial motion data to animate an avatar on the animation device.
US09947118B2
Techniques described herein are generally related to non-interferometric phase measurements of an optical signal. The various described techniques may be applied to methods, systems, devices or combinations thereof. Some methods for determining phase data of the optical signal may include transmitting the optical signal through a first optical element and obtaining first intensity data at a first focal plane of the first optical element by an optical sensor. Example methods may also include transmitting the optical signal through a second optical element. The second optical element may include a phase transformation mask. Example methods may further include obtaining a second intensity data at a second focal plane of the second optical element by the optical sensor and determining the phase data for the optical signal based on the first intensity data and the second intensity data.
US09947117B2
A method is disclosed for the reconstruction of resultant image data of an examination object from scan data acquired during a relative rotation movement between a radiation source of an X-ray image recording system and the examination object. An embodiment of the method includes reconstruction of initial image data from the scan data; derivation of contour data from the initial image data; calculation of contour significance data from the scan data and/or the initial image data; and calculation of the resultant image data using the contour data and the contour significance data. A corresponding computer program, a corresponding data carrier, a corresponding control and computation unit and a corresponding X-ray image recording system are also disclosed.
US09947114B2
An apparatus and methods for modifying gradation in an image frame determine a blend factor indicating a first weighting associated with a previously processed portion of the image frame. The apparatus and methods generate a weighted value associated with a current region of the image frame based on the current region of the image frame and based on applying the first weighting to the previously processed portion of the image frame so as to modify the gradation in the image frame.
US09947113B2
A detection learning module is used for enabling and/or disabling real-time compression detection by maintaining a history of real-time compression detection success for sampled data. The enabling or disabling of the real-time compression detection is based on a detection benefit function derived from a set of calculated heuristics indicating the real-time compression detection success on input streams. The detection benefit function is calculated based on at least one heuristic score.
US09947110B2
A medical data processing method for assisting the positioning of a first medical structure (1) relative to a second medical structure (2), the method being constituted to be executed by a computer and comprising the following steps: —acquiring two-dimensional projection image data comprising two-dimensional projection image information describing a two-dimensional projection image of at least the first medical structure (1); —acquiring registration data comprising registration information describing the registration of the two-dimensional projection image with respect to the first medical structure (1); —acquiring, on the basis of said two-dimensional projection image data, two-dimensional position data comprising position information describing the position of at least one base point (3) and at least one reference point (4) in the two-dimensional projection image; —acquiring, on the basis of the two-dimensional position data, positional relationship data comprising positional relationship information describing the positional relationship between the at least one base point (3) and the at least one reference point (4) in the two-dimensional projection image; —acquiring three-dimensional position data comprising position information describing the position of the at least one base point (3) and the at least one reference point (4) in three-dimensional anatomical space, in particular relative to the first medical structure (1); —determining, on the basis of the positional relationship data, the registration data and the three-dimensional position data, three-dimensional reference point correspondence data comprising correspondence information describing whether or not the position of the at least one reference point (4) corresponds to the position of the at least one reference point (4) in the two-dimensional projection image.
US09947107B2
A method, system and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a first image captured by a first capture device, the first images depicting first objects; obtaining a kinematic value for each of the first objects; receiving a second image captured by a second capture device, the second images depicting second objects; and analyzing the first and second images and the kinematic value, to determine transition parameters related to transition of objects from a first field of view of the first capture device to a second field of view of the second capture device, wherein the first capture device and the second capture device are calibrated, wherein a gap exists between the first and the second fields of view, and wherein said transition parameters are usable for associating further objects captured by the first capture device with corresponding objects captured by the second capture device.
US09947100B2
Embodiments disclosed pertain to the use of user equipment (UE) for the generation of a 3D exterior envelope of a structure based on captured images and a measurement set associated with each captured image. In some embodiments, a sequence of exterior images of a structure is captured and a corresponding measurement set comprising Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) measurements, wireless measurements (including Global Navigation Satellite (GNSS) measurements) and/or other non-wireless sensor measurements may be obtained concurrently. A closed-loop trajectory of the UE in global coordinates may be determined and a 3D structural envelope of the structure may be obtained based on the closed loop trajectory and feature points in a subset of images selected from the sequence of exterior images of the structure.
US09947096B2
A method for generating 3D-information from multiple images showing a 3D scene from multiple perspectives has: providing at least two hypotheses for the 3D-information; performing a multi-hypotheses test by matching the at least two hypotheses to the multiple images and determining a test-result hypothesis that fulfills a particular matching criterion; updating the test-result hypothesis by varying a parameter set of the test-result hypothesis to further improve the matching criterion or another criterion; and determining the 3D-information on the basis of the parameter set of a resulting hypothesis provided by the action of updating the test-result hypothesis. A corresponding computer readable digital storage medium and a 3D-information generator are also described. Further embodiments perform a correspondence analysis between projections of spatio-temporal objects (STO) in multiple images to select a particular spatio-temporal object on the basis of said correspondence analysis.
US09947095B2
An image processing techniques and apparatuses providing image analysis that calculates a feature value of an input frame image; compares the feature value of the frame image with a feature value of a previous frame image or standard frame image to determine an area corresponding to a change of the feature value and a degree of the change of the feature value in the input frame image. A color-coded display of the corresponding area may be generated based on the degree of change.
US09947091B2
A method, including, receiving three-dimensional tomographic data with respect to a body of a living subject, and using the data to generate a representation of an external surface of the body and displaying the representation on a screen. The method further includes inserting an invasive instrument into a region of the body and identifying a position of the instrument in the body. The method also includes rendering an area of the external surface surrounding the identified position of the instrument locally transparent in the displayed representation, so as to make visible on the screen an internal structure of the body in a vicinity of the identified position.
US09947089B2
A digital specimen manufacturing device comprises: a reduction processing unit which generates a reduced image by reducing a high resolution image of a first magnification into a second magnification image; an operation instruction unit which instructs the imaging unit to update the second magnification and recapture the low resolution image when information indicates the difference between the reduced image and the low resolution image is not within the allowable error range; and an image processing unit which obtains a third magnification, and outputs an image of the digital specimen by reducing the high resolution image into an image of the third magnification which an image magnification greater than the updated second magnification and smaller than the first magnification.
US09947087B2
Systems and methods are provided for determining the safety of an image, which may be used to determine whether an image is appropriate for a given purpose or for use in a given context. Determining the safety of the image may include analyzing the image to determine the amount of skin exposed in various key body areas of each human represented in the image, such as a photograph.
US09947074B2
Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for performing memory-aware matrix factorization on a graphics processing unit. Aspects include determining one or more types of memory on the graphics processing unit and determining one or more characteristics of each of the one or more types of memory. Aspects also include assigning each of a plurality of memory accesses of a matrix factorization algorithm to one of the one or more types of memory based on the one or more characteristics and executing the matrix factorization algorithm on the graphics processing unit.
US09947069B2
Described is a system for providing variants of a digital asset based on specific device capabilities of target devices. A developer may compress a digital asset that is part of a universal application to be installed on a set of target devices by selecting from a set of intent-based compression options. The compression options may include hardware-accelerated compression formats that utilize a graphics processing unit (GPU) during rendering. Despite the compression option selected, the application package includes a variant of the digital asset renderable on each type of target device including devices without a GPU. This allows a developer to freely choose any option without the concern of whether the option is compatible or supported by each type of device. A distribution server may then map attributes of a specific target to particular feature classes, and accordingly, distribute an appropriate variant of the digital asset to the target device.
US09947066B2
An apparatus and method for a sensor network, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine type communication (MTC), and Internet of things (IoT) are disclosed. The disclosure may be applied to, for example, intelligent services related to the above technologies, in conjunction with smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars or connected cars, health care, digital education, retail business, security, and safety related services. The method includes generating first image data by resizing original image data to a predetermined size, inserting watermark data into the first image data, and adding difference data corresponding to the difference between the original image data and the first image data to second image data that is image data in which the watermark data is inserted.
US09947064B2
An image photographing apparatus and a method for controlling the image photographing apparatus are provided. The method includes outputting light so as to penetrate a projection and fall on an object, receiving first reflective light reflected from an object, obtaining a first image based on information of the first reflective light, controlling the projection using predetermined information to generate a controlled projection, receiving second reflective light using the controlled projection, obtaining a second image based on information of the second reflective light, and generating a depth map using the obtained first image and second image.
US09947063B2
Methods and systems can automate the delivery of motor vehicle fuel while reducing the need for operator involvement and driving to a gas station. A server with access to a database and in wireless communication with computers installed in a motor vehicle can collect data from the computers including vehicle fuel level and vehicle geographic location. The data can be compared to a fuel level threshold and geographic boundary. The data can be transmitted wirelessly through a wireless network to the database. A mobile fuel tanker truck can be dispatched to the vehicle's location when at least one of: fuel service is requested by a user of the vehicle or the vehicle's fuel level falls beneath the fuel level threshold. Fuel service can be requested by a user via a smartphone running an application that enables the monitoring, management, selection, and ordering of fuel service.
US09947060B2
Disclosed herein is a matching of multiple different social graphs to generate a combined social graph. Such a combined social graph may be searched and used in determining information to provide to a user, for example. An iterative metric learning approach may be used in matching multiple different social graphs. A mechanism is provided to validate a match from different social graphs. Match validation of data field matching is provided.
US09947055B1
A computer-implemented method of detecting a merchant with chargeback activity includes a computing device receiving merchant financial data from a plurality of different financial service providers, wherein the merchant financial data comprises chargebacks. The computing device aggregates the received merchant financial data into, for example, a database. The computing device analyzes the aggregated merchant financial data of a single merchant for a chargeback characteristic and the computing device flags the merchant when the chargeback characteristic exceed preset threshold levels. A flagged merchant may trigger an optional notification to one or more of the financial service provider (e.g., card issuer), the acquiring bank, the merchant, or the customer.
US09947053B2
A system and method for facilitating fee-based group membership is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving, from at least one designated organizer for at least one group of a plurality of groups, data representing a monetary value of a membership fee; receiving, from a first plurality of user terminals associated with a first plurality of users, a first plurality of requests to join the at least one group; registering the first plurality of users with the at least one group; receiving, from a second plurality of user terminals associated with a second plurality of users, a second plurality of requests to join the at least one group; transmitting, to the second plurality of user terminals, data configured to display payment options; and registering at least a portion of the second plurality of users with the at least one group upon payment of the fee.
US09947050B1
A central claims adjuster control unit associated with an entity may oversee the assignment of claims cases to claims adjusters. The control unit may designate that a threshold number of cases may be assigned to certain claims adjusters. When new claims cases arrive, the control unit may monitor the workload of each of the claims adjusters and the threshold value assigned to any of the claims adjusters before assigning the case to one of the adjusters. If no adjuster is available, the control unit may store the case(s) in a memory until one of the adjusters becomes available. An additional feature of the control unit includes a user interface for modifying information about claims adjusters, including whether or not a threshold value is associated with them, the value of any associated threshold, and the reassignment of cases from one adjuster to another.
US09947038B2
An online content management system determines a new account configuration to offer to a user, including the price and/or size of a user's quota of storage space in an account on the online content management system, based on usage characteristics of the account. An account management module tracks account usage. The account management module analyzes the account usage and applies a model to predict the willingness of the user to pay for a new account configuration. Responsive to the results of the prediction, the new account configuration is offered to the user. The user's feedback on the offered new account configuration is tracked. If the user accepts the offer, the user's account details are updated accordingly. If the user rejects the offer, this feedback may be added as input into future predictions of that user's willingness to pay for a new account configuration.
US09947036B2
Systems and methods for suggesting gifts include associating a first item identifier with a first user in a database in response to receiving at least one implicit action by the first user that is directed to a first item having a first item type that is identified by the first item identifier. A second user device of a second user is then detected as located at a physical merchant location. An association between the first user and the second user is then retrieved. In response to the first user being associated with both the second user and the first item identifier in the database, that the first item type that is identified by the first item identifier is determined to be available at the physical merchant location. A gift suggestion is then provided for display on the second user device that identifies the first user and the first item type.
US09947022B1
Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for forecasting demand. An example method comprises generating a virtual offer for one or more combinations of a category or sub-category, location, and price range, accessing consumer data comprising one or more users and user data related to each of the one or more users, calculating a probability that a particular user would buy a particular offer in a particular time frame for at least a portion of the plurality of users and for each of the virtual offers, and determining an estimated number of units of to be sold for at least a portion of the one or more virtual offers as a function of at least the probability associated with each of the one or more virtual offers.
US09947021B1
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for identifying a service need via a promotional system, and offering the service need to a third party. Promotions may be offered via a promotional system for a consumer to purchase in exchange for a discounted product or service from a provider. Demand information, which may be collected based on promotions and/or other sources. A residual demand may be calculated based on the demand information and available inventory. The residual demand may be utilized to identify a service need. The service need may be identified in a geographic area having a similar demographic to a geographic area having an associated successful promotion. A service need may be provided to a third party or provider, and may indicate the need for a new business or expansion of a current business.
US09947017B2
A content evaluation system includes a scanning server to scan web sites to determine metrics for online ads. The content evaluation system may include a content evaluation server to classify the online ads into campaign groups based on the metrics, and each group is associated with a different ad campaign.
US09947015B1
A digital image of an item, created by a creator, can be received at an authentication server from a collector. The creator and collector can have profiles on the authentication server. The item can have an associated with the creator. The association can be a mark placed on the item. The co-location of the creator and the collector can be verified at the time of creation of the item. The digital image of the item can be transferred to the collector for verification of its authenticity. A record of ownership can be generated and stored in electronic storage with the digital image. The record of ownership can indicate that the collector owns the item.
US09947010B2
Payments assurance methods and systems are described. In some embodiments, a Proxy Service Manager Server computer receives a consumer authentication request from a merchant device, and transmits that request to an Authentication Service Manager Server computer. The Proxy Service Manager Server computer then receives a non-repudiable accountholder authentication value (“AAV”) token, generates a payment authorization request that includes the AAV token, and transmits the payment authorization request to an Acquirer financial institution (FI) Server computer. The Proxy Service Manager Server computer is then operable to receive a payment authorization message, and to transmit the payment authorization message to the merchant device to enable a merchant to complete a purchase transaction with a consumer.
US09947008B1
An enhanced certificate authority system and method allows for the enhanced security, validation and Multi-Factor Authentication of user's within a digital signature and transaction system through the creation and management of a user's Digital Identity certificate so that through an enhanced certificate authority a user's identity and bona fides may be both protected and established across a diversity of electronic devices and transactions.
US09946987B2
A system and method for selecting an optimal policy to be implemented in production support engagement. The system configures a knowledge base including plurality of policies, reference events, and reference scenarios. The plurality of policies is mapped with the plurality of reference scenarios and the plurality of reference events. The plurality of policies is defined in a plurality of layers in a manner that each policy corresponds to a particular layer of the plurality of layers. Relevant policies, out of the plurality of policies, may be selected based on an event received. Simulation may be performed on the relevant policies for identifying first candidate policy. The optimization may be performed on the relevant policies for identifying second candidate policy. The first and second candidate policy indicate the optimal policy to be implemented in the production support engagement.
US09946980B2
High-frequency data capture for diagnostics is provided. An example system collects device data at a high acquisition rate. The collected data can be diagnostic when a critical event occurs, but need not be stored permanently or transmitted to a remote server unless needed. In an implementation, the data is stored in a dynamic circular buffer and the resolution of the data is tapered in real-time to maintain a lean data size of the entire buffer contents. High-resolution is maintained for recent data, while a decreasing resolution is applied to aging data. A triggering event changes the system from transmitting low bandwidth status information to transmitting the entire leaned-down data record stored in the buffer. After the triggering event, the system can also transmit incoming diagnostic data to the remote server at a high data resolution, and then can taper the resolution of the data transmission over time.
US09946979B2
A system (200) executes a method (130-180) to produce an optimal path for any type of path planning application. In operation, the system (200) constructs a configuration space node structure representing a discretized configuration space including a plurality of states characterized by one or more parameters, and augments the configuration space node structure with discrete parameter values explicitly quantifying each node of the configuration space node structure and/or with heuristic values serving as a search guide through a free space region of the discretized configuration space.
US09946978B2
A method for itinerary planning includes the steps of populating a first queue with a first set of network segments connected to an origin, removing one of the network segments from the first queue, placing an expansion build representing the one network segment together with a continuing network segment in a second queue if the continuing network segment has not been considered, noting a cost for the expansion build if it arrives at a destination, and placing a captured build representing the one network segment together with the continuing network segment in the first queue if the continuing network segment has been considered.
US09946975B2
A method and apparatus for identifying influencers are disclosed. For example, the method obtains a list of customers, and determines a social network for each of the customers. The method selects one or more attributes to be used for predicting a measure of influence for each of the customers, and determines one or more influencers in the social network by using the one or more attributes.
US09946960B1
A method for acquiring a bounding box corresponding to an object is provided. The method includes steps of: (a) acquiring proposal boxes; (b) selecting specific proposal box among the proposal boxes by referring to (i) a result of comparing distance between a reference bounding box and the proposal boxes and/or (ii) a result of comparing score which indicates whether the proposal boxes includes the object, and then setting the specific proposal box as a starting area of a tracking box; (c) determining a specific area of the current frame as a target area of the tracking box by using the mean shift tracking algorithm; and (d) allowing a pooling layer to generate a pooled feature map by applying pooling operation to an area corresponding to the specific area and then allowing a FC layer to acquire a bounding box by applying regression operation to the pooled feature map.
US09946959B2
In an example, high-dimensional data is projected to a multi-dimensional space to differentiate clusters of the high-dimensional data. A user selection of at least two of the clusters may be received and a plurality of dissimilar dimensions may be extracted from the at least two clusters. In addition, a user selected of a dissimilar dimension from the plurality of extracted dissimilar dimensions may be received. In response to receipt of the user selection of the dissimilar dimension from the plurality of dissimilar dimensions, a plurality of correlated dimensions to the dissimilar dimension may be determined. In addition, the plurality of dissimilar dimensions and the plurality of correlated dimensions may be displayed.
US09946950B2
An aspect of the present invention provides a data processing apparatus, including: an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image depicting a road along which vehicles pass; a calibration section that computes a road parameter for converting coordinates in the captured image to coordinates in real space based on the captured image and road data related to the road; a vehicle lane region detection section that detects a vehicle lane region in the captured image based on the captured image and the road parameter; and a processing region setting section that, based on the vehicle lane region, sets a processing region in the vehicle lane region for detecting a vehicle passing.
US09946948B2
When monitoring a logistics line and outputting a video image on a display, a privacy-protected video image processor uses an image of a first specific region corresponding to an area of the logistics line as it is among an original image captured by a capture, and performs mask processing on a person detected in an image of a region other than the first specific region.
US09946945B2
A computer-implemented method comprises generating a description of a character symbol from a binarized image; comparing a template for the character symbol with the description of the character symbol based on a reference description, wherein the template comprises a grid of cells, a set of local features which may be present in the grid of cells, the reference description specifying which member of the set of local features should be present or absent in the grid of cells, and a threshold of an accepted deviation with the description of the character symbol; assigning a penalty value to the description of the character symbol via a cost function when a discrepancy exists based on the comparing; selecting the template as a match candidate for the character symbol when the penalty value is below the threshold; recognizing the character symbol based on the selecting.
US09946942B2
Method and apparatus for processing a biometric measurement signal using a computing device, including receiving biometric measurement records associated with a first biometric measurement generated by contact with a single individual, extracting, for each of the biometric measurement records, feature data including periodic features extracted from the biometric measurement records, determining, pairing data comprising candidate pairs between the feature data and defined profiles associated with a known individual, wherein a candidate pair is associated with one of the periodic features and one of the defined profiles associated with the known individual, determining, for the candidate pair, a similarity value based on the one of the periodic features and the one of the defined profiles associated with the known individual, and determining whether a match exists between the single individual and the known individual based on a combination of the similarity values determined for the candidate pairs.
US09946938B2
An in-vehicle image processing device capable of appropriately monitoring areas forward of, around, and rearward of a vehicle is provided at low cost. The device is for mounting on a vehicle and includes a camera, an image processing unit, and a determination unit. With a reflector provided in front of the camera, the camera can image, for display in a frame at a time, a first area forward of the vehicle and a second area, e.g. an area around the vehicle. In the image processing unit supplied with such image data from the camera, either the first-area image or the second-area image is appropriately processed whereas image processing is omitted for the other image. Alternatively, both images are subjected to a same image processing. The determination unit supplied with vehicle speed information supplies appropriate control instruction information based on the current vehicle speed to the image processing unit.
US09946924B2
A computer-implemented method, a processing pipeline and a system create a hierarchical semantic map of a document and extracted information. The method includes apportioning the document into major sections by accessing the document, recognizing a hierarchical structure of the document, and dividing the document into the major sections by using a data profiler and a machine learning module, classifying the major sections, and mapping the major sections to key elements in one of the multiple levels, searching one major section, and identifying sub-sections from the one major section to achieve a maximum confidence score indicates that the sub-sections associate with the key element, extracting the information from the identified sub-sections by using sequence modelers and linguistic characteristics provided by the data profiler, generating the hierarchical semantic map of the document by using the extracted information, and displaying in a user interface drop down selections of the key elements.
US09946922B2
A system for tracking airborne organisms includes an imager, a backlight source (such as a retroreflective surface) in view of the imager, and a processor configured to analyze one or more images captured by the processor to identify a biological property of an organism.
US09946917B2
A biometric input system includes: a biometric sensor, configured to generate a biometric image comprising features of an input biometric object; and a processing system, configured to receive the biometric image, generate a feature map from the biometric image, perform a distance transform on the feature map, and determine an attribute of the biometric image from the distance transform. The processing system is further configured to compare the determined attribute of the biometric image with corresponding attributes of enrolled biometric images, and, based on the comparison, to eliminate enrolled biometric images from a matching process for the biometric image, wherein the matching process is performed after the elimination and comprises comparison of the biometric image to remaining enrolled biometric images based on one or more attributes of the biometric image other than the determined attribute.
US09946912B2
Examples of techniques for encoding data in a 2D symbology are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented comprises assigning a first color representative of a 0-bit and a second color representative of a 1-bit. The method further comprises designating a starting cell pair and an ending cell pair. The method also comprises generating, by a processing device, the 2D symbology. The 2D symbology comprises a series of cells in a cell space starting with the starting cell pair and ending with the ending cell pair. Each cell between the starting cell pair and the ending cell pair corresponds to a bit of a binary string and has a common cell length. The cells corresponding to a 0-bit are colored the first color and the cells corresponding to a 1-bit are colored the second color.
US09946902B2
This invention provides a system and apparatus that is able to authenticate and prevent illegal manufacturing and unauthorized operation of disposable bioprocess components. This invention utilizes a ferro-electric random access memory chip (FRAM) chip to store error-correctable information on a RFID tag attached to the disposable bioprocess components, where the error-correctable information is written in sequence into the memory chip, so that the redundant information can remain in the chip when the RFID tag and disposable bioprocess component is gamma-sterilized. Also, this invention includes a method for authenticating the disposable bioprocess component that reduces liability in that a counterfeit poor quality disposable component is not used on the hardware so the user will not file an unjustified complaint.
US09946900B2
A method and system for dividing tagged items into subsets. A region is split into subregions. For each subregion, a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion is determined, utilizing information that includes, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item. A virtual boundary is outlined around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item. The portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion.
US09946899B1
Provided are systems, methods, and apparatus for protecting an integrated circuit against invasive attacks and various forms of tampering. A defensive mechanism is an active physical security shield that includes an array of traces at a high metal of the integrated circuit, covering a high percentage of the surface area of that layer, and a collection of digital logic components that drive signals across the traces. The driving of the signals across the traces is done in an active manner such that a short, open, or stuck-at fault on any of the traces is detected within a very short period of time. The active security system is connected to or in communication with an alert response mechanism, such that a fault detected by the security system results in a signal being sent to the alert response mechanism.
US09946893B2
An approach is provided for adapting privacy profiles to respond to changes in physiological state. The policy platform may process and/or facilitate a processing of sensor information to determine at least one change in one or more physiological states of at least one user, wherein the at least one user is associated with at least one context, at least one activity, or a combination thereof. Then, the policy platform may cause, at least in part, a modification of at least one privacy profile for at least one device associated with the at least one user based, at least in part, on the at least one change in the one or more physiological states, the at least one context, the at least one activity, or a combination thereof, wherein the modification of the at least one privacy profile includes, at least in part, an enabling or a disabling of one or more privacy services operating at least at least one device.
US09946890B2
A secure start system for an autonomous vehicle (AV) can detect startup of the AV and transmit credentials to a backend system. When the credentials are authenticated, the secure start system can receive a tunnel key from the backend system. Using the tunnel key, the secure start system can establish a private communications session with a backend vault of the backend system and retrieve a set of decryption keys from the backend vault. Using the set of decryption keys, the secure start system can verify and decrypt a cryptographically signed, encrypted, and compressed file system for execution by a compute stack of the AV—where execution of the file system by the compute stack enables autonomous operation of the AV.
US09946885B2
In one embodiment, a method replicates data from a first database system to a second database system and determines a modeling of a first access context for a table in the replicated data. An ACL rule based on the first access context is generated to restrict access to the replicated data in the second database system to users associated with the first access context. The method receives a request to access the replicated data from a user and determines a second access context for the user. The first access context for the ACL rule and the second access context for the user are compared to determine whether the user is allowed to access the replicated data. Access to the replicated data is allowed when the second access context and the first access context indicate the user is allowed to access the replicated data.
US09946882B2
A method and device are provided for securing entry of an alphanumerical code by a user. The method includes: obtaining, through a first device, information for converting at least one portion of the alphanumerical code into at least one portion of converted code, the information for converting being one-time converting means; a piece of information identifying the information for converting; entering, into a second device distinct from the first device, at least the portion of converted code, converted using the information for converting; and transmitting at least the portion of converted code and the piece of information identifying the information for converting towards a secured server.
US09946879B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for establishing risk profiles for software packages that have an insufficient security history. A security history for a software package is received. It is determined that the security history does not meet a sufficiency threshold. One or more other software packages are identified that are similar to the software package and have a corresponding security history that meets the sufficiency threshold. A risk profile of the software package is generated based at least in part on the corresponding security history of the other software package(s).
US09946872B1
A hack-proof computer interface between a public-side operating system and a private-side operating system utilizing a “King's food taster” approach. A public-side operating system is exposed to the outside world, while a private-side operating system is isolated from the outside world except through the hack-proof interface. This effectively prevents infection of the private-side operating system with viruses or other computer malware from the outside world. The hack-proof interface includes a bitmap-coupled interface, such as a camera capturing a video image of the visible computer screen public-side operating system. A security device, such as a video scrambler or security lens, distorts or decimates the video image sufficiently to prevent active virus code from passing through the bitmap-coupled interface. A user-controlled input interface, such as hardware or software switches, allows a user to selectively direct keyboard and mouse commands to the public-side operating system or the private-side operating system.
US09946861B2
A method of operating an electronic device and the electronic device is provided. The method includes setting a fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to a display; identifying a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determining whether to perform the function with fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area. The electronic device includes a display configured to display at least one content; a memory configured to store at least one fingerprint information acquired in a fingerprint detecting area; the fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to the display; and at least one processor configured to set the fingerprint detecting area, identify a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determine whether to perform the function with the at least one fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area.
US09946859B2
A method of enabling a lock screen of an electronic device operating an electronic device that includes an electronic processor and a display screen. The method includes receiving, by the electronic processor, a request to unlock the electronic device. The method further includes determining, by the electronic processor, an authentication state for the electronic device. The method further includes, determining, by the electronic processor, a lock screen authentication mode based on the authentication state, and displaying, on the display screen, a lock screen including the lock screen authentication mode. The electronic device includes a display screen and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to receive a request to unlock the electronic device. The electronic processor is further configured to determine an authentication state for the electronic device, determine a lock screen authentication mode based on the authentication state and display on the display screen, a lock screen including the lock screen authentication mode.
US09946854B2
Method for processing data, in which a Petri net is encoded, written into a memory and read and executed by at least one instance, wherein transitions of the Petri net read from at least one tape and/or write on at least one tape symbols or symbol strings, with the aid of at least one head. [FIG. 1]. In an alternative, data-processing, co-operating nets are composed, the composition result is encoded, written into a memory and read and executed from the memory by at least one instance. In doing this, components can have cryptological functions. The data-processing nets can receive and process second data from a cryptological function which is executed in a protected manner. The invention enables processing of data which prevents semantic analysis of laid-open, possibly few processing steps and which can produce a linkage of the processing steps with a hardware which is difficult to isolate.
US09946852B1
A portable hardware device such as a USB memory stick is used to provide parental locking functionality to a computer. When the device is coupled to the computer, the computer is unlocked and allowed to operate normally. When the device is not coupled to the computer, the computer is locked, and some or all of the computing functionality is blocked. This enables parents to lock and unlock a child's computer with a “key.” A detecting module detects the coupling and uncoupling of devices to the computer. When a device is coupled to the computer, an identifying module identifies the device by reading its unique identifier, and determining whether the coupled device is the one being used as the key. If so, the computer is unlocked, and allowed to operate. If not, a blocking module blocks at least some capabilities of the computer.
US09946849B2
A content reading method includes identifying first version information indicating a version of a content copyright protection method of an optical disk based on this optical disk, identifying second version information indicating a version of a protocol used in authentication of a host apparatus, determining whether the authentication is to be approved or not by comparing the first version information and the second version information, authenticating the host apparatus according to a result of the determination, reading out, from the optical disk, Volume ID used in decrypting an encrypted content and sending it to the authenticated host apparatus, and 0 the encrypted content from the optical disk and sending it to the authenticated host apparatus.
US09946846B2
Among other things, methods, systems and computer program products for providing visual indication of documentation and coding of medical procedures may include providing a choice of medical codes associated with a medical procedure. A user selection of one of the medical codes is detected. Based on the detection, a visual indication of the user selection is generated on one or more anatomical diagrams.
US09946845B2
A method of filling prescription orders includes inputting the prescription orders into a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device, processing the prescription orders with the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to fill a plurality of vials with desired pharmaceuticals, and transferring the plurality of filled vials from the pharmaceutical storage and retrieval device to a storage unit. The method also includes storing the plurality of filled vials in the storage unit until a customer claims one of the plurality of filled vials and directing the one of the plurality of filled vials from the storage unit to the customer.
US09946838B1
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to a technique for analyzing data records using a touch screen interface. A touch event is received from the touch screen interface. In response to receiving the touch event, at least one data record is selected from a plurality of data records in a time chart, the time chart including at least one time line relating to at least one data object, the plurality of data records being plotted on the at least one time line based on a time parameter of each of the plurality of data records. Information relating to the selected at least one data record is processed based on the time parameter.
US09946837B2
A system and method of associating a plurality of objects is disclosed. A physical space may be defined and a real-time locating system (RTLS) may be used to determine objects that are within the physical space. The objects may be determined by the RTLS to be within the physical space are associated. The objects may include at least one of a caregiver, a patient, a medical device, a medication, and a medical substance.
US09946836B2
A biomarker monitoring method and system in one embodiment includes a communications network, a portable wellness device configured to form a communication link with the communications network, the portable wellness device including a detector configured to detect at least one biomarker in a biologic sample, a first memory, a plurality of program instructions stored in the first memory, and a processing circuit operably connected to the first memory and configured to execute the program instructions to generate wellness data based upon detection of the at least one biomarker in the biologic sample, and a remote user interface operably connected to the communications network and configured to render the wellness data.
US09946826B1
In server virtualization, the resources of an integrated circuit are partitioned into smaller portions, and each of these smaller portions is then operated independently. Software is used to represent the smaller portions as virtual environments. For the purpose of server virtualization, an integrated circuit may include several different circuit designs, each implemented in a secure partition in the integrated circuit. The operation of the circuit design implementations in the integrated circuit may require that each circuit design implementation can be verified as un-altered and from the respective user or owner and as having been approved by the integrated circuit owner and/or the circuit design implementation owner. The operation of the circuit design implementations in the integrated circuit may require that each circuit design implementation can be operated securely and independently of the other circuit design implementations in the integrated circuit.
US09946824B2
A slew-based effective capacitance (Ceff) is used to compute gate output slew during early synthesis of an integrated circuit design. A π model is constructed for the gate and reduced to two parameters which are used to compute a slew value for the model, given a slew definition. A capacitance coefficient is then calculated as a function of this slew value. The effective capacitance is the product of the coefficient and the total capacitance of the π model. The output slew of the gate may in turn be computed using the slew-based Ceff. The coefficient may be computed by iteratively solving an equation representing output voltage over time dependent on the first and second parameters, by directly solving a closed-form equation which is a function of the first and second parameters, or by looking up the capacitance coefficient in a table indexed by the first and second parameters.
US09946821B2
To provide a system comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle; and a free space location database, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has: a camera that is capable of 360°-image capturing on a horizontal plane; a positioning apparatus that measures a location of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a direction measuring apparatus that measures a direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle; an altitude measuring apparatus that measures an altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and an information transmitting unit that transmits, to the free space location database, camera image data captured by the camera at every predetermined altitude, and the location, direction and altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle at time of image capturing by the camera, and based on the camera image data, and the location, direction and altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the free space location database corrects 3D data including terrain information to generate free space location data.
US09946815B1
A method for use in deploying computers into a data center includes calculating in a computer an expected peak power draw for a plurality of computers. The expected peak power draw for the plurality of computers is less than a sum of individual expected peak power draws for each computer from the plurality of computers.
US09946811B2
In certain implementations, presentation of streaming data may be facilitated. In some implementations, a request for presentation of values associated with an attribute may be received. A set of queries for data related to the values may be performed based on the request. The set of queries may include (i) a first subset of queries performed based on the request and (ii) one or more other subsets of queries performed based on the request. Subsets of data for calculating a first value of the values may be received based on the first subset of queries. The first value may be predicted based on the subsets of data before one or more other subsets of data for calculating the first value are received, where the other subsets of data are received based on the other subsets of queries.
US09946799B2
Apparatuses, computer readable medium, and methods are disclosed for federated search page construction based on machine learning. The method may include receiving a search query submitted by a searcher and submitting the search query to a plurality of sources of information to generate a plurality of search results. The method may further include ranking the plurality of search results based on historical search data and selecting a primary search result and a secondary search result of the plurality of search results based on the ranking. The method may further include constructing a federated search results page with a first portion of the first search results positioned first, a cluster of the second search result positioned second, and a second portion of the first search results positioned third. The method may include causing the federated search results page to be displayed to the searcher.
US09946796B2
The present invention provides methods, databases and devices for establishing the first integration of social behavior with biological phenotypic measurements. In one embodiment, a method for correlating data from a sample database and a survey database is provided. The method comprises obtaining a sample comprising biological molecules from an individual, simultaneously obtaining survey data from the individual, storing the survey data in the survey database, analyzing the sample of biological molecules to determine the composition of biological molecules, storing the data from the composition in the sample database, and correlating the data from the sample database to the data from the survey database.
US09946793B2
A method for providing an electronic book and a cloud server are provided. The method comprises S1: receiving a query; S2: performing a search according to the query; and S3: generating the electronic book according to a search result responsive to the search.
US09946792B2
A method and system for improving access to search results are provided in the disclosure herein. Aspects of this disclosure minimize the delay in accessing network content by priming certain regularly viewed content (e.g., a web search home page or a search results page) in an invisible browser instance. As the user accesses the content prerendered in the invisible browser instance, a new instance of the prerendered content is created to facilitate future accesses to the network content (e.g., future search queries).
US09946786B2
An approach is provided to ingest software source code files into a question/answering (QA) system. During ingestion, source code blocks are classified to identify one or more constructs in the blocks as being domain-specific. Relationships between the blocks are then mapped. Software compliance regulations are ingested into the QA system. Using the QA system, a source code file is analyzed for compliance to the software compliance regulations. The analysis identifies code sections within the source code file as being domain-specific and subject to the ingested set of software compliance regulations.
US09946784B2
A computing platform may receive data identifying one or more sets of fields of a database. The computing platform may, for each record of a plurality of records of the database, instantiate one or more objects corresponding to the one or more sets and comprising values stored in the fields for the record, and may store, amongst a plurality of objects associated with the database, the one or more objects. In addition, the computing platform may instantiate: an object for the record; for each set of the one or more sets, an object for the set; and for each field of the set, an object for the field.
US09946781B2
In some example embodiments, a first alias creation statement is received. The first alias creation statement comprises a first table identifier of a first table, a second table identifier of a second table, a first alias identifier, and a first common table expression, and the first common table expression comprises the first table identifier. A first alias for the second table is generated based on the first alias creation statement, with the first alias comprising the first alias identifier and the first common table expression. The first alias is stored as metadata of the second table. A first query statement is received, with the first query statement comprising the second table identifier and the first alias identifier, and the first query statement is rewritten using the first common table expression based on the first alias identifier to generate a first rewritten query statement.
US09946780B2
The present disclosure provides improved systems, methods, and computer program products suited to address the issues with legacy approaches. Specifically, the present disclosure provides a detailed description of techniques used in systems, methods, and in computer program products for interpreting relational database statements using a virtual multidimensional data model. Certain embodiments are directed to technological solutions for receiving a relational database statement comprising relational metadata mapped to a virtual multidimensional representation of a subject database, and generating a subject database statement based at least in part on the relational database statement and the virtual multidimensional representation, and configurable to operate on the subject database to produce a visualization result set, which embodiments advance the technical fields for addressing the problem of projecting a multidimensional data view of a subject database on to a relational data analysis environment to enable real time data analyses, as well as advancing peripheral technical fields.
US09946778B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for copying data between environments in an information management system such as the copying of business data between production and test environments in a database system. The system has a relations database with a set of relations created outside the runtime environment which are derived from a first database and which provide a link between database tables in the first database. The system also has a service generator which extracts and copies database tables at runtime to form a predetermined service or product. When the service generator receives a request to copy a product or service, this is done only if the data in the database tables comprising the product or service is the subject of one or more relation in the relations database.
US09946775B2
A system and method for detecting implicit information related to a user are disclosed. The system comprises a network interface for accessing one or more data sources; a plurality of agents for collecting textual content from the one or more data sources; a processing unit for extracting explicit demographic information related to the user and generating implicit demographic information related to the user respective of the explicit demographic information; and a data warehouse connected to the processing unit for storing the generated implicit demographic information.
US09946772B2
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a client system of a first user, a text query inputted by the first user, generating a plurality of structured queries based on the text query, each structured query comprising references to one or more objects associated with the online social network, generating one or more search results corresponding to at least one of the structure queries, and sending, to the client system responsive to receiving the text query, one or more of the structured queries for display, at least one of the structured queries being displayed with a preview of one or more of the search results corresponding to the structured query.
US09946769B2
A method at a server includes identifying a media content item currently being presented in proximity to a first user; identifying, in an entities repository, one or more first quotations associated with the media content item, where the first quotations are determined to be popular in accordance with one or more popularity criteria; sending, to a client device associated with the first user, the first quotations and one or more affordances associated with the first quotations; receiving selection of a first affordance of the affordances, the first affordance associated with a respective quotation of the first quotations; and in accordance with the selection of the first affordance, performing an operation associated with the respective quotation.
US09946768B2
Optimizing data rendering includes, in one embodiment, using templates to express a data request as a set of queries where each query in the set is prioritized based on, among other things, context factors such as capabilities of the requesting device, network factors, and user context. After generating the set of queries, each query in the set of queries is then executed to progressively populate the template with the requested data. As the queries are executing, the templates are progressively rendered.
US09946764B2
According to an aspect, a processing system of a question answering computer system determines a first set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a question. The processing system also determines a second set of relations between one or more pairs of terms in a candidate passage including a candidate answer to the question. The processing system matches the first set of relations to the second set of relations. A plurality of scores is determined by the processing system based on the matching. The processing system aggregates the scores to produce an answer score indicative of a level of support that the candidate answer correctly answers the question.
US09946762B2
An approach is provided in which a QA system ingests traditional sources, which includes traditional terms, into a domain dictionary. Next, the QA system ingests crowd-based sources that include crowd-based terms and corresponding crowd-based metadata. In turn, the QA system calculates weightings pertaining to the traditional terms based upon the crowd-based metadata. When the QA system receives a question from a requestor that includes question terms, the QA system identifies an answer to the question based on the calculated weightings pertaining to the traditional terms that are relevant to the question terms.
US09946760B2
A system and method for visual importance indication enhancement for collaborative environments comprises a processor for establishing a set of attributes for a primary participant based on attributes obtained from data sources accessible by the primary participant, generating a dynamic rule in accordance with the set of attributes, applying the dynamic rule to an activity stream comprising one or more messages to obtain points of commonality between a participant and the primary participant and determining an importance level of at least one of the one or more messages, and visually indicating the points of commonality and the importance level of the at least one message as a display on a display device. The system can further comprise computer readable storage medium for storing data including the set of attributes.
US09946758B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a processor configured to monitor a user's quality parameter preference to determine a quality parameter for a reference media, update the quality parameter of the reference media, and adapt the quality parameter of the reference media.
US09946757B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for processing a search request received from a user. A method includes providing access to content items associated with metadata. The method includes providing information about at least one search previously performed for a user, and providing access to information describing relationships between at least one of the content items and the metadata. The method includes receiving a present input from the user intended to identify a desired content item. Upon determining that results from the previous search did not satisfy the search request from the user, the method includes determining an intent shared by the previous search and the present input based on comparing (i) the relationship information, (ii) the previous search, and (iii) the present input. The method also includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the shared intent and the metadata.
US09946753B2
Generating a document index comprises: obtaining a document to be indexed; determining whether each monadic partition obtained from the document is a filter character and if so, forming a polynary partition with the monadic partition and at least one adjacent monadic partition and indexing the polynary partition, otherwise, indexing the monadic partition. Querying data comprising: receiving a data query, determining whether each monadic partition obtained from the data query is a filter character and if so, forming a polynary partition with the monadic partition and at least one adjacent monadic partition and using the polynary partition to obtain search results, otherwise, using the monadic partition to obtain search results; and combining search results to form a final query search result.
US09946752B2
Techniques for implementing a low-latency query processor accommodating an arbitrary number of data rows with no column indexing. In an aspect, data is stored across a plurality of component databases, with no requirement to strictly allocate data to partitions based on row keys. A histogram table is provided to map object relationships identified in a user query to the component databases where relevant data is stored. A server processing the user query communicates with component databases via an intermediary module. The intermediary module may include intermediary nodes dynamically assigned to connect to the component databases to retrieve and process the queried data.
US09946751B2
Methods and systems for query optimization for a multi-tenant database system are provided. Some embodiments comprise receiving at a network interface of a server in a multi-tenant database system an original query transmitted to the multi-tenant database system by a user associated with a tenant, wherein the original query is associated with data accessible by the tenant, and wherein the multi-tenant database system includes at least a first index and a second index. Metadata associated with the data is retrieved, wherein at least a portion of the data is stored in a common table within the multi-tenant database system. A tenant-selective query syntax is determined by analyzing at least one of metadata generated from information about the tenant or metadata generated from the data accessible by the tenant. An improved query is then generated using the query syntax, wherein the improved query is based at least in part upon the original query and a result of a join between a first number of rows associated with the first index and a second number of rows associated with the second index.
US09946746B2
The subject technology provides configurations for propagating information from an initial analytics tracking data communication to subsequent analytics tracking data communications at an analytics server. In one example, the subject technology receives an analytics tracking data communication. The subject technology determines if the received analytics tracking data communication includes state changing information based on analytics tracking data included in the analytics tracking data communication. The subject technology then determines one or more attributes for propagating to subsequent analytics tracking data if the analytics tracking data communication includes state changing information. The state changing information are stored as one or more of the determined one or more attributes. The subject technology stores the analytics tracking data including the determined one or more attributes.
US09946744B2
A database system and method for managing and storing sensitive and non-sensitive vehicle data. Received vehicle data messages are processed to separate out sensitive and non-sensitive data. The data is stored in a database having: an encrypted table, a plain-text table, and an identification mapping table. The encrypted table contains the sensitive data entries in an encrypted format. The plain-text table contains the non-sensitive data entries in a plaintext form. The identification mapping table contains a plurality of mapping data entries, wherein each mapping data entry associates a unique identifier to an affiliated identifier that is used to recall data from the encrypted table and the plain-text table.
US09946738B2
A history preserving data pipeline computer system and method. In one aspect, the history preserving data pipeline system provides immutable and versioned datasets. Because datasets are immutable and versioned, the system makes it possible to determine the data in a dataset at a point in time in the past, even if that data is no longer in the current version of the dataset.
US09946731B2
Devices, computer readable medium, and methods for selecting an object displayed on a screen and providing information about that object.
US09946730B2
In various example embodiments, a system and method for onboarding a collection of items is provided. In example embodiments, image data containing images of a plurality of items from a client device is received. The image data is parsed to distinguish an item of the plurality of items. The item is then identified. In some embodiments, the item is identified by determining at least one catalog item that matches an identifying feature of the item, providing a verification request indicating the at least one catalog item, and receiving a verification response confirming the identity of the item. An inventory list is compiled by including the identified item in the inventory list.
US09946728B2
A cloud service system and a cloud service method thereof are disclosed herein. The cloud service method includes the following steps. A target file is downloaded to a private cloud system. A resource allocation setting corresponding to the target file is obtained. A resource establishment is automatically deployed according to the resource allocation setting, and the target file is installed on the resource allocation setting. A data structure and a default data corresponding to the target file are configured automatically.
US09946726B2
A method and a system for execution of disconnection from and reconnection to persistent handles are provided herein. The method may include the following steps: generating a file handle, responsive to a file connect request sent by a client to a distributed file system, wherein the handle has a handle identifier; associating a reconnect identifier with the handle identifier, wherein the reconnect identifier is indicative of a most recent connect attempt made using the respective handle identifier at a respective request; sending a disconnect request responsive to a disconnection, wherein the disconnect request is sent with a reconnect identifier indicative of a connection prior to the disconnection; updating the reconnect identifier, responsive to a reconnect request associated with said handle identifier; and approving the disconnect request only in a case that the reconnect identifier of the disconnect request is identical to the reconnect identifier of the reconnect request.
US09946725B1
Systems and methods for incrementally communicating a document to a client computer are disclosed herein. Time consistent views of the document are maintained throughout the incremental downloading through use of a cryptographically secured permissions token identifying a version of the document the user is permitted to access.
US09946714B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a reception section that receives a deletion operation on a first target; and an associating section that associates a second target with a third target when the second target visually overlaps the third target as a result of the first target being deleted.
US09946709B2
One or more words are received. A set of frequency of occurrence values of the received word(s) within a set of domain tables is determined. A domain table in the set of domain tables is associated to the received word(s), based on the set of frequency of occurrence values meeting a threshold value. A word-sense of the received word(s) is determined based on a corresponding word-sense in the associated domain table and/or corresponding domain dictionary.
US09946706B2
Methods and systems which utilize, in one embodiment, automatic language identification, including automatic language identification for dynamic text processing. In at least certain embodiments, automatic language identification can be applied to spellchecking in real time as the user types.
US09946704B2
For suggesting input text based on tone mark information for Chinese or Japanese characters or words, an apparatus, system, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus may include a processor, a handwriting input unit operatively coupled to the processor, an input text module that receives input text comprising at least one character, a tone mark module that identifies a tone mark associated with the input text, and a suggestion module that proposes at least one next character based on the identified tone mark. The input text module may receive a user selection of the at least one next character. The input text may include characters selected from the group consisting of: Chinese characters and Japanese characters.
US09946703B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for selecting a title for a post of a social network. A method includes operations for identifying a word weight for each word in a corpus based on the relevance of each word, receiving a document that includes several sentences, and assigning to each word in the sentences a tag indicative of a part of speech. Further, the method includes operations for calculating a topic weight for each sentence based on the tags of the words in the sentence, and for calculating a sentence weight for each sentence based on a sum of the word weights of the words in the sentence, the topic weight for the sentence, and a position weight of the sentence within a paragraph. The sentence with the highest sentence weight is selected as the title for the document, and the title is presented with the document to a user.
US09946690B2
A paragraph alignment detection engine and a section reconstruction engine. The paragraph alignment detection engine determines the paragraph alignment of a paragraph and updates the paragraph alignment property of the paragraph in the data store for single line and multi-line paragraphs. The paragraph alignment detection engine employs per paragraph comparisons and relative comparisons to other paragraphs to determine the paragraph alignment of a single line paragraph. The paragraph alignment detection engine employs per paragraph comparisons and relative comparisons of the lines of a paragraph to determine the paragraph alignment of a multi-line paragraph. The section reconstruction engine minimizes the number of sections created in the flow format document by identifying the columns on each page, combining contiguous pages with the same column layout into a single section, and creating alternative objects to contain regions associated special cases in lieu of creating additional sections.
US09946687B2
A method for generating a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is disclosed. The method includes providing an input signal to two or more fixed-point FFT algorithms that apply different scaling to reduce growth of their output, resulting in each of the FFT algorithms yielding an array of FFT output values characterized by a different gain. The method further includes determining, on a per-FFT output value basis, whether an output value of an FFT algorithm with a relatively high gain was clipped due to saturation. If not, then the output value of that FFT algorithm is included in the final FFT. Otherwise, an output value of an FFT algorithm with a lower gain is included in the final FFT. Reconstructing the final FFT by such combination of values from different FFTs allows benefiting from the advantages of both higher- and lower-gain FFTs while avoiding or minimizing their disadvantages.
US09946685B1
Described are techniques for performing data storage system management of a data storage system. Using an active element manager component, a data storage system management operation in connection with a data storage device of the data storage system is performed, and context information is collected and provided to a target location in an external environment having connectivity to the data storage. The active element manager component provides for automatically connecting a current session associated with the data storage system management operation to the target location and receives one or more communications from the external environment.
US09946681B1
A dynamically configurable device including a connector configured to detect a first status of an interface selection mechanism, and a first Serializer De-serializer (SerDes) configured to drive a first selected interface from among a plurality of interfaces based on the first status. In response to the first status having a first state, the first selected interface is a first interface that causes the dynamically configurable device to present as a first type of device, and in response to the first status having a second state, the first selected interface is a second interface that causes the dynamically configurable device to present as a second type of device.
US09946678B2
A data selector circuit divides a group of data including a plurality of types of data into the plurality of types of data. A first compression circuit and a second compression circuit respectively compress the plurality of types of data in parallel with each other in accordance with each of the plurality of types of data. The first compression circuit compresses data and obtains compressed data. The second compression circuit compresses data and obtains compressed data. The data transmission circuit-transmits the compressed data and the compressed data to a terminal.
US09946667B2
A microcontroller may have a central processing unit (CPU); a programmable logic device receiving input signals and having input/outputs coupled with external pins, and an interrupt control unit receiving at least one of the internal input signals or being coupled with at least one of the input/outputs and generating an interrupt signal fed to the CPU.
US09946655B2
In a storage system, first and second controllers have respective first and second buffer and cache areas. The first controller stores write data in accordance with a write request in the first cache area without involving the first buffer area and to transfer the stored write data to the second cache area without involving the second buffer area. The first controller is configured to determine which of the first and second cache areas is to be used as a copy source and to be used as a copy destination depending on whether the storing of the first write data in the first cache area had been successful or on whether the transfer of the write data from the first cache area to the second controller had been successful, and by copying data from the copy source to the copy destination, recovers data in an area related to a transfer failure.
US09946653B2
Metadata history is collected for operations performed by an application as directed by a user. In a subsequent interaction by the user with the application, interaction metadata for the interaction is matched to a pattern in the metadata history. An operation identified in the pattern is processed as a background process and results from processing the operation are pre-staged in cache of the device being operated by the user. When the user requests the operation during the subsequent interaction with the application, the pre-staged results from the cache are provided to the user.
US09946647B2
A cache coherence mechanism may comprise a bit-to-cache map for processor cores operable up to a maximum frequency for cores of a multicore processor. Entries in a cache coherence directory may include a bit field identifying cores operable at or near the maximum frequency that share a memory block corresponding to the entry. An additional field may indicate sharing by cores operating at lower frequencies. The additional field may be indicative of the bit-field corresponding to a bit-to-cache map representative of cores other than those operating at or near the maximum frequency.
US09946646B2
A system for managing cache utilization includes a processor core, a lower-level cache, and a higher-level cache. In response to activating the higher-level cache, the system counts lower-level cache victims evicted from the lower-level cache. While a count of the lower-level cache victims is not greater than a threshold number, the system transfers each lower-level cache victim to a system memory without storing the lower-level cache victim to the higher-level cache. When the count of the lower-level cache victims is greater than the threshold number, the system writes each lower-level cache victim to the higher-level cache. In this manner, if the higher-level cache is deactivated before the threshold number of lower-level cache victims is reached, the higher-level cache is empty and thus may be deactivated without flushing.
US09946644B2
A memory system may include a memory device including a plurality of a super blocks, a list, and a controller suitable for updating the list with block information regarding one of the super blocks when a super block is opened or closed; and at power up, reading the block information from the list and rebuilding a logical block addressing (LBA) table based on the block information.
US09946639B2
Transaction data is received identifying characteristics of a particular transaction involving the first software component and a second software component as observed by an agent during operation of the system. The particular transaction is contemporaneous with another transaction involving software components in the system. It is determined, from the transaction data, that the particular transaction falls within a defined transaction boundary for the system and the other transaction falls outside the transaction boundary. A virtual service is instantiated for use in the particular transaction that simulates responses of a particular software component of the system. Another software component of the system interacts with the virtual service in the particular transaction based on the particular transaction falling within the transaction boundary, and the other software component interacts with the particular software component in the other transaction based on the other transaction falling outside the transaction boundary.
US09946635B2
A method comprises receiving a list of steps with a step associated with a first work unit and a step associated with a second work unit, the first work unit is operative to process the list of steps by determining whether a first step in the list of steps is associated with the first work unit, determining whether a step sequentially listed prior to the first step has been completed responsive to determining that the first step in the list of steps is associated with the first work unit, processing the first step and designating the first step complete responsive to determining that the step sequentially listed immediately prior to the first step has been completed, determining whether a second step in the list of steps is associated with the first work unit.
US09946632B1
A service request from a customer is received at a first computer system. The service request concerns an issue with an application that is installed in a second computer system of the customer. The service request includes a set of fields, and corresponding values inputted by the customer. The service request is parsed to identify the application, the operating system (OS) of the second computer system, and a configuration setting. Code modules automatically create and configure the testing environment so that the environment includes the application, the operating system, and configuration specified in the service request. A test case is then executed in the testing environment, and a notification is generated that includes a result of the executed test case.
US09946626B2
A runtime of a computer program may be measured by providing the compiled computer program with at least a first watchpoint and a second watchpoint at respective first and second code locations, running the compiled computer program on a computing device, measuring a first time parameter at the first watchpoint and a second time parameter at the second watchpoint, and determining the runtime of at least part of the compiled computer program in terms of the second time parameter and the first time parameter.
US09946622B2
A software application for monitoring the performance of other software applications on mobile devices using efficient crowd sourced data and recommending third party software apps based on a user's demographics and mobile device data.
US09946620B2
A memory built-in self test (“BIST”) system comprises: a controller; a single port memory engine coupled to one or more single port memories; and a non-single port memory engine coupled to one or more non-single port memories. The controller receives operation codes (“op-codes”) for testing a plurality of memory types. An output of the controller is coupled to inputs of the single port memory engine and the non-single port memory engine. The controller generates test instructions based on the received op-codes. The single port memory engine and the non-single port memory engine interpret the test instructions to test the one or more single port memories and the one or more non-single port memories.
US09946613B2
An instrumentation system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of field devices, in which each of the field devices is configured to perform at least one of measuring and operation of a target, a connection device including a plurality of slots, in which I/O modules are respectively attachable to the slots and the field devices are connectable to the I/O module, and a host control device configured to individually set the I/O modules attached to the slots to have a redundant configuration or a non-redundant configuration and to operate a first I/O module having the non-redundant configuration, among the I/O modules attached to the slots, in a pseudo redundant configuration.
US09946604B1
Optimized remoting cloning is disclosed, including: receiving data from a source storage system associated with an ongoing replication process of a snapshot; and prior to the completion of the replication process of the snapshot, generating a set of metadata associated with a clone of the snapshot, wherein at least a portion of data comprising the snapshot that has been received at the destination storage system can be read using the clone while the replication process of the snapshot is ongoing.
US09946602B2
Machines, systems and methods for enhancing data recovery in a data storage system, the method comprising determining whether one or more data storage mediums in a data storage system are unavailable; determining data that are at a risk of loss, due to said one or more data storage mediums being unavailable; from among the data that is determined to be at the risk of loss, identifying data that is highly vulnerable to loss; and creating one or more temporary replicas of the data that is highly vulnerable to loss.
US09946596B2
In a network storage device that includes a plurality of data storage drives, error correction and/or recovery of data stored on one of the plurality of data storage drives is performed cooperatively by the drive itself and by a storage host that is configured to manage storage in the plurality of data storage drives. When an error-correcting code (ECC) operation performed by the drive cannot correct corrupted data stored on the drive, the storage host can attempt to correct the corrupted data based on parity and user data stored on the remaining data storage drives. In some embodiments, data correction can be performed iteratively between the drive and the storage host. Furthermore, the storage host can control latency associated with error correction by selecting a particular error correction process.
US09946582B2
A distributed processing device includes an object storage unit that stores a continuation object including at least one of plural processes constituting a task and containing data of the task that is being processed, a processing unit that executes the continuation object retrieved from the object storage unit, and a storage processing unit that stores, in an execution state file, data stored in the object storage unit.
US09946578B2
A method and apparatus for managing the persistent data of a pre-installed application in an elastic virtual machine instance is disclosed, the method comprising: in response to installing an application into a master virtual machine image, obtaining a persistent data point of a function component of the application, the persistent data point comprising a file directory for storing the persistent data of the function component; in response to launching an elastic virtual machine instance from the master virtual machine, creating a storage volume, attaching the storage volume to the elastic virtual machine instance, and mounting the storage volume to the file directory based on the persistent data point. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.
US09946576B2
A workflow is designated for execution across a plurality of autonomous computational entities automatically. Among other things, the cost of computation is balanced with the cost of communication among computational entities to reduce total execution time of a workflow. In other words, a balance is struck between grouping tasks for execution on a single computational entity and segmenting tasks for execution across multiple computational entities.
US09946565B2
The current document is directed to methods for aggregating host computers into distributed computing systems and to distributed computing systems created by the methods. In a described implementation, host computers are aggregated into two or more clusters, at a first distributed-computing-system level, each managed by a second-level management server. The two or more clusters are then, in turn, aggregated into a hierarchical distributed computing system managed by a top-level management server. The top-level management server is interconnected to, and accesses, the second-level management servers through a host-gateway appliance that includes host-gateway control logic implemented within a server computer. In order to achieve scalability and efficiency, the top-level management server provides a subset of the native management commands to system administrators and other users who access a management interface provided by the top-level management server.
US09946560B2
A development device operating system may simulate a first electronic device operating system. A first electronic device application executed by the simulated first electronic device operating system may generate a command for a second electronic device application executed by the simulated first electronic device operating system. A first electronic device framework of the first electronic device application may process the command for the second electronic device application. The processing may transform the command data for the second electronic device application to a form that is usable by a simulated relay module executed by the simulated first electronic device operating system. The simulation relay module may route the command to the second electronic device application. The development device operating system may display data for the second electronic device application on a simulated second electronic device display. The displayed data may be updated based on the command for the second electronic device.
US09946556B2
Multilingual information guidance system and device are provided. To elaborate, the system may include: at least one information output device configured to display guidance information to a user; and an information provision server connected to the information output device and configured to provide guidance information prepared in one or more languages to the information output device according to a request of the information output device. The information output device may output guidance information prepared in the native language corresponding to nationality information of a user, which is read from an RFID tag in which the nationality information of the user is stored or transmitted from the information provision server.
US09946542B2
A Load to Block Boundary instruction is provided that loads a variable number of bytes of data into a register while ensuring that a specified memory boundary is not crossed. The boundary may be specified a number of ways, including, but not limited to, a variable value in the instruction text, a fixed instruction text value encoded in the opcode, or a register based boundary.
US09946532B2
An image processing device and control method that includes a processor and a memory storing a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, controls the image processing device to receive a first data object representing a software update to be applied to the at least one peripheral device coupled to the image processing device. A communication mode switch message is generated to change a mode of communicating data between the at least one peripheral device and the image processing device and communicate the communication mode switch message to the at least one peripheral device. Currently active communication mode is disabled and a previously disabled communication pathway of the at least one peripheral device is activated as an update mode. The data representing the software update is transmitted via the update mode to apply the software update to the at least one peripheral device.
US09946530B2
Provided are a method and system for upgrading firmware. The method includes: an upgrading control single board receives a firmware upgrading request from a master control single board, wherein the firmware upgrading request carries firmware upgrading parameter information; the upgrading control single board determines, according to the firmware upgrading parameter information, a sublink to be upgraded corresponding to the firmware upgrading parameter information; and the upgrading control single board acquires, from the master control single board, firmware upgrading data corresponding to the sublink to be upgraded, and upgrades, by adopting the firmware upgrading data, one or more pieces of firmware on the sublink to be upgraded. According to the solution, under a power-on state of a bare single board to be upgraded, remote firmware upgrading can be performed for the single board, so that the risk of influence of firmware upgrading operation on normal running of the system is lowered.
US09946525B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for extracting source code. One of the methods includes receiving, by a newly created process, a request to execute code of an executable file in the newly created process, wherein the request specifies a parameter. The newly created process loads a process interception library. Library initialization code of the process interception library determines whether the parameter should be intercepted. In response to determining that the parameter should be intercepted, the parameter is provided to another process.
US09946523B2
A code region of an application is instrumented by a multi-pass profiler with first annotations for generating profile data. The application is executed with the first annotations, wherein executing the application with the first annotations generates first profile data for the code region. The multi-pass profiler identifies, from the first profile data, the code region as a delinquent code region. The multi-pass profiler determines second annotations based, at least in part, on the first profile data and the at least one of the first annotations that defines the delinquent code region. The multi-pass profiler instruments, based on the first profile data, a code sub-region of the delinquent code region with the second annotations for generating profile data. The application is executed with second annotations, wherein executing the application with the second annotations generates second profile data for the code sub-region.
US09946521B2
A method, computer program product, and system performing a method that includes a processor compiling a description including information to be utilized by programmable logic to recognize a code fingerprint in a program executing in the runtime environment. The method also includes the processor configuring the programmable logic, by loading the description into the programmable logic at a predefined time and obtaining, during runtime of the program, an alert that the programmable logic recognized the code fingerprint in the program.
US09946517B2
A system and method of dynamically generating software is provided. Applications are created in a set of workflow models which are tested in an interpretive test environment. The models are stored in a versioning repository and code generation templates created for the models. Source code is generated and compiled for the application. Modifications to the models are tested and incorporated into a modified version of the application after subsequent testing of the model and the modified, compiled application. The modified version of the application is returned to the test environment where it becomes the basis for testing future modifications.
US09946512B2
Systems and methods for sorting a data set stored on an external device. A plurality of smaller radix sizes are determined, based on a first radix size and performance characteristics of an external data storage device, whose sizes add up to a first radix size for an in-place radix sort. The smaller radix sizes reduce a total time to perform the in-place radix sort. Each level of a multiple level in-place radix sort is performed with the smaller radix sizes. Each level of the sort includes dividing the data set into N buckets; dividing the buffer into N buckets; and iteratively loading a respective segment in each bucket of the data set into a respective bucket of the buffer, performing an in-place radix sort on the data in the buffer, and returning sorted buffer data to the data set on the external storage device.
US09946510B2
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal enabling a user to more conveniently use the terminal and a method of controlling therefor. According to at least one of embodiments of the present invention, a voice data can be recorded using an attachable/detachable stylus pen and the recorded voice data can be easily stored and managed by the stylus pen. And, according to at least one of embodiments of the present invention, a virtual hand writing memo written by the attachable/detachable stylus pen can be easily stored and managed by the stylus pen.
US09946503B2
There are provided: a tray information acquisition unit configured to acquire tray information indicating the size and direction of sheets stacked on a plurality of paper feed trays of a printing machine, and the number of remaining sheets; a number-of-pages calculator configured to calculate the number of print pages of the image data based on the print job; and a raster image processor configured to determine the direction of the image data based on the tray information and the number of print pages, and generate image data by performing a raster image processing.
US09946499B1
An information processing apparatus includes a transmitter and an update unit. The transmitter refers to a memory in response to an availability determination request with designation of a requested usage amount of a function. The memory stores a usable amount for each of second periods which are set by dividing a first period into plural periods. An upper limit value of a usage amount of the function which it is not allowed to exceed being set to the first period. The usable amount for each of the second periods is set as an initial value by allocating the upper limit value to the second periods. The transmitter transmits executability information to a request source of the availability determination request when the function in the requested usage amount is executable. The update unit updates the usable amounts stored in the memory based on the requested usage amount.
US09946492B2
A data processing system 2 including non-volatile memory 22 manages the ordering of writes to the non-volatile memory and persist barrier instructions using a persist buffer storing persist buffer data. A write controller responds to the persist buffer data to prevent writing to the non-volatile memory for instructions following a given persist barrier instruction within a sequence of program instructions before the writes to the non-volatile memory which precede that given persist barrier instruction have at least been acknowledged as received by the memory system containing the non-volatile memory. In the case of a multi-core system, cache snooping mechanisms are used to pass persistency dependence data between cores such that strong persist atomicity may be tracked and managed between the cores.
US09946490B2
In general, techniques are described for logical defragmenting of a storage device. A controller of a storage device groups sequential logical block addresses of a logical span into a plurality of groups. Each group includes a same number of logical block addresses, and each logical block address references a physical location of a physical block on the storage device. For each group, the controller determines whether at least one logical block address references a physical location of a physical block that includes valid data. Responsive to the at least one logical block address referencing valid data, the controller stores a first value to a field of a bit-level indirection table. The bit-level indirection table includes a number of fields equal to a number of groups of sequential logical block addresses. Responsive none of the logical block addresses referencing valid data, the controller stores a second value to the field.
US09946489B2
A method of indirection replay for a flash storage system includes writing data, in a host stream, to blocksets of the flash storage system. The host blocksets are assigned a major sequence number incremented from the most recently closed host blockset. The method includes writing an indirection journal to each host blockset which are associated with the assigned major sequence number. The method includes writing data, in a garbage collection (GC) stream, to other blocksets of the flash storage system. The GC blocksets are assigned a major sequence number, based on the most recently closed host blockset, and a minor sequence number, incremented from the most recently closed GC blockset. The method includes writing an indirection journal to each GC blockset which are associated with the assigned major and minor sequence numbers. The indirection table is constructed by replaying the journals of the blocksets in order of major sequence and minor sequence numbers.
US09946480B2
Systems and methods for disk image deletion with failure resistant data erasure. An example method may comprise: receiving a request to delete a first disk image associated with a data storage portion; associating the data storage portion with a second disk image responsive to receiving the request to delete the first disk image; deleting the first disk image; and initiating a data erasure procedure on the data storage portion.
US09946476B2
A memory management method for a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. The rewritable non-volatile memory module has a plurality of devices. The method includes dividing a plurality of memory logical units to a first logical unit group mapping to physical erasing unit of a first device and a second logical unit group mapping to physical erasing units of a second device; receiving first data stored into at least one first logical unit of the first logical unit group, and writing the first data into at least one first erasing unit, mapping to the at least one first logical unit, of the first device; and recording a wear value of every device. The method also includes performing a remapping operation corresponding to a predetermined condition if an operation status of the devices meets the predetermined condition.
US09946475B2
Both rewriting and error correction are technologies usable for non-volatile memories, such as flash memories. A coding scheme is disclosed herein that combines rewriting and error correction for the write-once memory model. In some embodiments, code construction is based on polar codes, and supports any number of rewrites and corrects a substantial number of errors. The code may be analyzed for a binary symmetric channel. The results can be extended to multi-level cells and more general noise models.
US09946474B2
A method of storing an amount of data D in association with a device, the method comprising: obtaining a characteristic C of the device; generating error correction data R for the characteristic C, the error correction data R enabling correction of up to a predetermined number of errors in a version of the characteristic C; combining the characteristic C with the amount of data D and an authentication key K to generate storage data P, wherein said combining is arranged so that the amount of data D and the authentication key K are obtainable using the characteristic C and the storage data P; generating a signature using a signature key, the signature being a digital signature of a quantity of data comprising the storage data P, the amount of data D and the authentication key K, wherein the signature key corresponds to a verification key accessible by the device; generating an authentication code for the error correction data R using the authentication key K, wherein the authenticity of the error correction data R is verifiable using the authentication code and the authentication key K; and storing the error correction data R, the storage data P, the signature and the authentication code to thereby store the amount of data D.
US09946461B2
A storage infrastructure, device and associated method for processing immutable data objects using in-flash processing. An in-flash processing system is provided that includes: an input/output manager that receives parameters from a host to perform back-end data processing tasks on immutable objects and that outputs commands to read and write immutable data objects to and from super-pages in a set of flash memory storage devices; a priority manager that ensures that front-end data processing tasks takes priority over back-end data processing tasks; and a back-end processing system that processes at least one immutable object in order to generate at least one new immutable object.
US09946458B2
A method of inputting text in an electronic device having a touch screen is provided. The method includes displaying a screen including a keypad and a character input window, displaying a recommended text related to a character on a candidate window when an input of the character is detected through the keypad, detecting a gesture of a touch input according to the recommended text, and displaying a recommended text to which a style corresponding to the gesture is applied on the character input window.
US09946455B2
A message screen display comprises a static non-scrollable display area for display of at least part of a first message, the first message having an associated first message time. The message screen display further comprises a scrollable display area for display of at least part of a second message, the second message having an associated second message time. The message screen display further comprises a feature applied to at least part of the first message that varies based on time as referenced to the associated first message time.
US09946454B2
A watch-type mobile terminal is provided. The watch-type mobile terminal includes a control unit for operating in a first mode and a second mode. The control unit may display, in the first mode, a first screen at least having a watch shape and a second screen in the second mode. The luminance of the second screen may be lower than the luminance of the first screen. The second screen may include a plurality of ambient screens that represents different kinds of pieces of notification information.
US09946450B2
A method for controlling a terminal screen includes: first displaying, on a screen of a terminal, a first function input unit and at least a portion of a page of content on a screen, the first function input unit being associated with at least a first function for the terminal; recognizing a scroll operation on the screen; and second displaying, in response to the recognizing the scroll operation on the screen, a second function input unit instead of at least a portion of the first function input unit, the second function input unit being associated with a second function for the terminal.
US09946434B2
A computerized method of presenting information from a variety of sources on a display device. Specifically the present invention describes a graphical user interface for organizing the simultaneous display of information from a multitude of information sources. In particular, the present invention comprises a graphical user interface which organizes content from a variety of information sources into a grid of tiles, each of which can refresh its content independently of the others. The grid functionality manages the refresh rates of the multiple information sources. The present invention is intended to operate in a platform independent manner.
US09946432B2
Customizable bladed applications are described herein. A device platform is configured to provide a simultask mode that enables combined user access to multiple applications of the platform via respective chrome portions. When simultask mode is active, arrangement of chrome elements within a user interface is controlled to generate a bladed view that provides a compact representation for one application in conjunction with an expanded view that provides principal chrome for a different application. The platform makes the bladed view available for any displayable application of the platform. The bladed view may also include application-specific elements that are populated using customizations designated via metadata of the application, or using default information for applications in the absence of designated customizations. Further, the platform may implement a notification system that operates on behalf of applications to obtain and apply updates for dynamically updatable content incorporated into bladed views.
US09946431B2
Resizable and lockable user interfaces (UI) are provided. Systems and methods described herein allow a user to resize and/or lock a section of the user interface. Interference and distraction caused by secondary content when primary content is traversed may be minimized. In addition, UI controls are provided to allow traversing primary content and secondary content separately.
US09946417B2
An array substrate, an in-cell touch screen and a touch display device are provided. The array substrate includes a common electrode layer, wherein the common electrode layer is provided with a plurality of driving electrodes and a plurality of sensing electrodes with extending directions perpendicular to each other, each of the driving electrodes includes a plurality of driving sub-electrodes which are connected to one another, each of the sensing electrodes includes a plurality of sensing sub-electrodes which are connected to one another, and adjacent driving sub-electrode and sensing sub-electrode have concave-convex structures in a staggered arrangement at an border and are insulated from each other.
US09946414B2
An in-cell touch panel and a display device are disclosed. The in-cell touch panel includes a plurality of self-capacitance electrodes disposed on the same layer and independent from each other, a touch sensing chip and a plurality of wires. The self-capacitance electrodes constitute a common electrode layer and the wires and the self-capacitance electrodes are disposed on different layers. The touch sensing chip is configured to apply common electrode signals to self-capacitance electrodes in a display time period and determine touch positions by detecting capacitance value variation of self-capacitance electrodes in a touch time period. In the touch panel, the common electrode layer is reused as self-capacitance electrodes, thereby implementing touch function without a touch dead zone.
US09946412B2
A touch sensing device and a display device for improving hovering performance including: a touch sensing display panel including sense electrodes arranged in a matrix; and a sensing signal controller connected to the touch sensing display panel. The sense electrode includes a metal mesh electrode and a conductive layer contacting the metal mesh electrode.
US09946403B2
A touch sensitive display device, a method for driving the same, and a driving circuit of the display device are disclosed. The touch sensitive display device comprises a display panel comprising a plurality of pixels and a plurality of touch sensors. Each touch sensor is connected to at least one respective pixel of the pixels, the display panel driven in a plurality of successive display frame periods and during each display frame period a respective frame of image data is driven to the pixels. A touch driving circuit drives touch driving signals to the touch sensors during a touch frame that begins in a first display frame period of the display frame periods and ends in a second display frame period of the display frame periods that immediately follows the first display frame period.
US09946396B2
A transparent electrode capacitance sensor includes a transparent resin substrate; at least one transparent electrode formed on the transparent resin substrate; a pseudo auxiliary electrode formed in at least a portion of an outer periphery of the transparent electrode; and a lead wire connected to the pseudo auxiliary electrode, wherein the pseudo auxiliary electrode is thicker than the transparent electrode, and includes the same material as the transparent electrode.
US09946394B2
A gate driver includes a plurality of gate driver units. Each of the gate driver units includes a GOA driving circuit and at least one buffer GOA driving circuits at multiple levels. The GOA driving circuit outputs output signals during a display stage, wherein the output signals are transmitted to gate lines and the buffer GOA driving circuits at multiple levels. The output signals are transmitted between the levels when the buffer GOA driving circuits at the multiple levels are during a touch stage, and the output signals are transmitted to the GOA driving circuit of the driving unit at the next level. In addition, a touch panel includes the above gate driver.
US09946387B2
A display apparatus includes: a display device; a touch detection device; and a driver unit driving the display device so as to sequentially display M horizontal lines in each of plural unit drive periods forming one frame period and driving the touch detection device in N touch detection periods provided in each unit drive period, in which N is lower than M.
US09946372B2
A pen-type input device and method for sending positional input to a host device, in which a first switch, located on the pen's tip is provided to input character strokes in a character input mode and move a mouse cursor in a mouse mode, a second switch is provided to perform a mouse left-click operation in the mouse mode, and a third switch is provided to switch an input mode of the pen-type input device.
US09946370B2
A method for rejecting an unintentional palm touch is disclosed. In at least some embodiments, a touch is detected by a touch-sensitive surface associated with a display. Characteristics of the touch may be used to generate a set of parameters related to the touch. In an embodiment, firmware is used to determine a reliability value for the touch. The reliability value and the location of the touch is provided to a software module. The software module uses the reliability value and an activity context to determine a confidence level of the touch. In an embodiment, the confidence level may include an evaluation of changes in the reliability value over time. If the confidence level for the touch is too low, it may be rejected.
US09946357B2
A movement of an object is recognized as a predetermined movement, by transmitting signals between transmitter-receiver pairs, which are reflected from the object. A first event is recorded for one of the transmitter-receiver pairs if a reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion, and a second event is recorded for a second transmitter-receiver pair if, after the first event, a subsequent reflected signal meets a predetermined proximity criterion. The first and second events are used to identify the movement.
US09946353B2
A message processing method for a portable electronic device includes the steps of: detecting, by a motion sensor, a plurality of first knocks of an object on the portable electronic device and generating a plurality of first detecting signals according to the plurality of first knocks; and encoding, by an encoding system, the plurality of first detecting signals to generate a first message code, wherein a first message is decodable from the first message code by a decoding system.
US09946346B2
A notification control apparatus is provided with a moving image acquisition unit 41 that acquires a moving image, an identification unit 44 that identifies a frame according to forwarding operation, out of a plurality of frames constituting the moving image, a determination unit 46 that determines whether or not the identified frame is a predetermined frame, and a notification control unit 49 that notifies determination result by the determination unit 46.
US09946344B2
Described herein are fNIR-based brain computer interfaces. Training of individuals to intentionally control neural activity in specific cortical areas, thereby up-regulating and down-regulating oxygenation levels in specific locations in the brain is also provided herein. Further, continuous and/or binary control over computing environments using fNIR brain computer interfaces. Further still, a scale for brain interface index for oxygenation of a portion of the brain is provided herein.
US09946342B2
A programmable display device connectable to a programmable logic controller in a communicable manner includes a sightline estimate unit, which estimates a direction of a sightline using image data obtained by capturing an image of a person, a display control unit, which displays a screen including an object on a display, a measurement unit, which measures a time period for which the sightline is directed to the object when the sightline is determined to be directed to the object through the estimation, and a storage unit, which stores image identification information identifying the object and time information indicating the measured time period in association with each other. This allows a third person to determine a time period for which a user has gazed at an object.
US09946335B1
A display apparatus includes a transparent electronic display such as a non-backlit LCD screen, a display area disposed behind the transparent electronic display, and a light source for illuminating the display area. When the light source is activated, the pixels of the LCD screen, and objects behind the screen, become visible. Various examples of the display apparatus include additional enhancements to the visual image and/or functionality. These enhancements include additional monitors for coordinated displays, user-controlled turntables with coordinated informational displays, parallax compensation, RFID sensors for identifying objects to be displayed, and switchable liquid crystal films and/or polarized mirror coatings to further control revealing and concealing of objects behind the screen. Some examples of the display apparatus may include an animal habitat. The animal habitat may be selectively revealed or concealed. The display apparatus may incorporate screen displays with animal movements for unique visual effects.
US09946334B2
A method of objectively measuring a driver's ability to operate a motor vehicle user interface. The method includes objectively measuring the driver's ability to perform each one of a plurality of calibration tasks of various degrees of difficulty including an easy task, a medium task, and a difficult task; generating a scale with which to evaluate the driver's ability to operate the user interface, the scale customized for the driver based on the objective measurements of the driver's ability to perform each calibration task; objectively measuring the driver's ability to operate a function of the motor vehicle user interface; and objectively evaluating the driver's ability to operate the function of the motor vehicle user interface using the scale to determine if the user interface is appropriate for the driver.
US09946325B2
A modem identifies an idle condition associated with a data network to be accessed and determines an opportunity to enter a first one of a set of low power device states based on the idle condition, where the set of low power device states further includes a second low power device state, and a host device consumes less power in the first low power device state than in the second low power device state. A notification is sent to an application processor of the host device that the modem is to enter a sleep state, where the notification identifies the first low power device state, and a low power link state is entered corresponding to the first low power device state based on a signal from the application processor. The low power link state applies to a link coupling a communications processor of the modem to the application processor.
US09946324B2
In one embodiment, a computing system may access an image associated with an online social network, where the image portrays at least a first person. The computing system may determine, for each user in a first set of users, a facial recognition score with respect to the first person portrayed in the image, where the facial recognition score is based on a facial representation associated with each user of the first set of users, where the facial representation associated with each user is compared with the image, and a comparison of a location history of each user with a location associated with the image. The computing system may generate one or more tag suggestions for the first person portrayed in the image based on the determined facial recognition scores.
US09946320B2
An information processing method and an electronic apparatus are described to reduce the power consumption of electronic apparatus. The method is applied to an electronic apparatus that includes a processing module with at least two sensing units corresponding to at least two power consumption grades. The method includes, when the N sensing units among the at least two sensing units are in an OFF state and the M sensing units among the at least two sensing units are in an ON state, obtaining a first parameter through at least one sensing unit among the M sensing units; determining whether the first parameter satisfies a first predetermined condition; if so, controlling N1 sensing units among the N sensing units to be in the ON state, wherein N1 is a positive integer less than or equal to N.
US09946314B1
The heat dissipation device is for a display card and includes an air cooling member on a power supply circuit of the display card, a water cooling member on a processing element of the display card, and an auxiliary member disposed to a side of the water cooling member adjacent to the display card. The auxiliary member has at least an opening corresponding to the processing element and an extension piece extended away from the opening corresponding to a memory of the display card. As such, the heat from power supply circuit, the processing element, and the memory is respectively dissipated by the air cooling member, the water cooling member, and the auxiliary member and its extension piece, thereby achieving significantly enhanced heat dissipation performance.
US09946311B2
Provided is a display control device including a communication unit that performs communication with an external device, a detecting unit that detects a direction of an operation device based on detection information representing motion of the operation device, and a display control unit that generates an imaging control command used to control an imaging operation based on the detected direction of the operation device, and controls display of an image obtained through an imaging operation by causing the communication unit to transmit the imaging control command to the external device.
US09946310B1
A hinge includes connection members, a first fixing member, a second fixing member, a first axle, a second axle, and a third axle. Each connection member includes a first slide block, a second arc surface, a first arc surface, and a second slide block. A first circular hole penetrates through the first slide block. A first arc hole penetrates through the second slide block. The first fixing member includes a third arc surface and a third slide block with a second arc hole. The second fixing member includes a fourth slide block with a second circular hole and a fourth arc surface. The first axle passes through the second arc hole and the first circular hole. The second axle passes through the second circular hole and the first arc hole. The third axle passes through the first circular hole and the first arc hole.
US09946307B2
Different types of user inputs can be input by a user via a keyboard of an input device. These different types of user inputs include, for example, key strikes, multi-touch interactions, single finger motions, and/or mouse clicks. Touch information regarding the pressure applied to the keys of a pressure sensitive keyboard over time (or the contact area of the user input for other types of keyboards over time) is used to classify the intent of the user input as one of the various types of user inputs.
US09946306B2
An electronic assembly includes a transparent adhesive layer, a transparent cover, a display module and a frame. The transparent adhesive layer has a first adhesive surface and a second adhesive surface opposite to the first adhesive surface, the second adhesive surface having a central region and a peripheral region around the central region. The transparent cover is adhered to the first adhesive surface of the transparent adhesive layer. The display module is adhered to the central region of the transparent adhesive layer. The frame has a border carrying part which is adhered to the peripheral region of the transparent adhesive layer.
US09946296B2
An accessory device for use with an electronic device is disclosed. The accessory device may include a cover configured to overlay an electronic device (or device) or fold to form a support structure for the electronic device. The cover may include an attachment feature that electrically couples with the device, and a keyboard foldable with respect to the cover. Further, the keyboard may include a retention feature designed to receive the attachment feature in a folded configuration of the cover. The accessory device may further include an electrically conductive fabric that folds with the cover. The accessory device may include an array of magnets throughout the attachment feature, the cover, and the keyboard. The magnets may be used to magnetically couple together 1) segments of the cover, 2) the cover and the keyboard assembly, 3) and/or the device with the cover.
US09946292B2
A power supply circuit includes a N-channel switching element having a drain connected to an input terminal and a source connected to an output terminal, and a P-channel switching element having a drain connected to the output terminal and a source connected to the input terminal. A voltage detection circuit is connected to the input terminal and configured to detect a level of an input voltage supplied at the input terminal. A voltage boosting circuit is configured to boost the input voltage and supply a boosted voltage to a gate of the N-channel switching element. A control circuit is configured to control the N-channel switching element, the P-channel switching element, and the voltage boosting circuit based on the level of the input voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit.
US09946291B2
A reference voltage generation circuit includes a loading block suitable for generating a reference current and first and second mirroring currents obtained by mirroring the reference current based on a power source voltage, a biasing block suitable for generating a first bias voltage controlled corresponding to variations in the power source voltage and a second bias voltage controlled corresponding to variations in temperature based on the first mirroring current, a compensation block suitable for compensating for the reference current based on the first and second bias voltages, and an output load block suitable for generating a reference voltage which corresponds to the reference current based on the second mirroring current.
US09946278B2
A processor system includes first and second regulators for regulating an adjusted supply voltage. In one embodiment, the regulator system comprises a digital low-dropout (DLDO) control system comprising first and second regulators that generate a plurality of control signals to regulate an adjusted power supply voltage and that generate a charge when a droop level falls below a droop threshold value. The first regulator implements a first control loop and the second regulator implements a second and much faster acting control loop. A supply adjustment block with the two regulators and control loops are provided for each processor core allowing different cores to have different regulated supply levels all based on one common supply.
US09946268B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to manipulating pressure-related hysteresis in a pressurized flow system by setting the pressure of the system to a predetermined location in the hysteresis band to advantageously minimize an effect of the pressure related hysteresis on the pressure of the system or to advantageously benefit from the effects of the hysteresis on the pressure of the system.
US09946264B2
A system and method are provided for autonomously navigating a vehicle. The method captures a sequence of image pairs using a stereo camera. A navigation application stores a vehicle pose (history of vehicle position). The application detects a plurality of matching feature points in a first matching image pair, and determines a plurality of corresponding object points in three-dimensional (3D) space from the first image pair. A plurality of feature points are tracked from the first image pair to a second image pair, and the plurality of corresponding object points in 3D space are determined from the second image pair. From this, a vehicle pose transformation is calculated using the object points from the first and second image pairs. The rotation angle and translation are determined from the vehicle pose transformation. If the rotation angle or translation exceed a minimum threshold, the stored vehicle pose is updated.
US09946258B2
The present invention is to provide a method and system for generating contingency flight plans for normal landing and flight termination (crash) of UAVs (drones) in the event of lost communications with ground control stations. The system is fast, automatic, comprehensive, and systematic. The contingency plan can be generated using laptops or PCs. The execution of contingency plans will involve the coordination of flight computer in drones, ground control station, air traffic controllers (ATC), and pilot in command (PIC). External devices such as satellites and RF towers are also involved in the process such as reestablishment of communications.
US09946256B1
A wireless communication device may include a housing, a touch sensitive display integrally included within the housing, multiple radio frequency transceivers included within the housing, multiple input mechanisms included within the housing, and a processor included within the housing. The processor may be configured to obtain visual information captured by an image capture subsystem of the unmanned aerial vehicle, display the visual information via the touch sensitive display, detect parameters of a touch on the touch sensitive display, determine a first set of inputs based upon the parameters of the touch on the touch sensitive display, receive a second set of inputs when one or more of the multiple input mechanisms are engaged, effectuate transmission, via a first radio frequency transceiver, of instructions to the unmanned aerial vehicle based upon the first set of inputs and/or the second set of inputs.
US09946249B2
A control device of a machining tool with power consumption reduction function includes an execution unit configured to execute control of devices using parameter extracted from a parameter set storage unit, based on a selected priority mode and operation condition of the machining tool. At least one parameter set stored in the parameter storage unit is set with a parameter corresponding to the heating device having a value for making the heating device in an on state and a parameter corresponding to the cooling device having a value for making the cooling device in an on state.
US09946248B2
A system which can improve the reliability of an emergency stop operation of a robot when contacting a worker. The system is comprised of a force sensor and a malfunction judgment part. The force sensor has a detection part which detects the load in one direction. The detection part includes a first detection element and a second detection element. The malfunction judgment part judges if a first detection value which is detected by the first detection element and a second detection value which is detected by the second detection element differ from each other. If the first detection value and the second detection value differ from each other, it is judged that the first detection element or second detection element have malfunctioned.
US09946247B2
A system for managing real-time work information of a motor fitting provides a sensor set at the motor fitting to transmit the real-time work information to a processing module. A processing unit of the processing module sends type information and a real-time work parameter according to the real-time work information. When a detection unit determines the real-time work parameter is fallen outside a normal work parameter according to a lookup table stored in a database and the type information, the detection unit generates an abnormal-notification signal for transmission. When an application procedure of the application-processing unit is triggered, the application-processing unit activates a play unit to play the normal work parameter, and further the activated play unit plays notification information upon receiving the abnormal-notification signal.
US09946233B2
An apparatus and methods provide a building automation system that includes a controller, a web server and a client. The controller includes building automation objects that may be used to generate a model that includes elements, wherein each element is associated with one or more of the objects. The web server includes business logic that reads and subscribes to the objects. Each object notifies the business logic of changes to the data of the object. The business logic processes the data from the objects to provide model update commands based on the changed data. The client includes presentation logic that displays the model, receives the model update commands from the business logic, updates the model using the model update commands, and displays the updated model.
US09946227B2
Disclosed are timepieces including a first mirror that is at least partially transparent and a second mirror. The second mirror is coupled to the first mirror to articulate with respect to the first mirror about a first axis. A time display is coupled to the second mirror. Also disclosed are reflecting devices including a first mirror and an articulating device coupled to the first mirror. A rotatable device is coupled to the articulating device and a second mirror is also coupled to the rotatable device. Additionally disclosed are reflecting kits including a mirror and an articulating device coupled to the mirror. A ring is coupled to the articulating device. The ring has an aperture. A reflective material is configured to be received by the ring. Methods of using these devices and kits are also disclosed.
US09946222B2
An air flow sensor includes a case, a to-be-detected object, and a detector. The case includes an intake port and an exit port through which air is to flow. The to-be-detected object is located at a first position in the case when the air flowing from the intake port to the exit port has lower than a predetermined level of pressure, and is movable from the first position receiving the air when the air has equal to or higher than the predetermined level of pressure. The detector is disposed outside the case and is configured to detect a movement of the to-be-detected object and output an electrical signal.
US09946221B2
An image forming apparatus includes a main frame, a plurality of process cartridges, a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a waste toner cartridge, a contact-separation mechanism, and a collective conveying unit. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum cleaning unit collecting waste toner on the drum. The cartridge-supporting body is movable between an internal position inside the frame and an external position outside the frame. The belt confronts the process cartridges in the internal position. The waste toner cartridge accommodates the waste toner collected from the drums. The contact-separation mechanism moves the cartridge-supporting body between a contact position where the drums are in contact with the belt and a separated position where the drums are out of contact with the belt. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from drums and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
US09946220B2
A developer cartridge includes a first gear having a first engagement part provided along a circumferential surface of the first gear, and a first trigger protruding from the circumferential surface. The developer cartridge also has a second gear having a small diameter gear part configured to be engaged to the first engagement part, a large diameter gear part rotatable together with the small diameter gear part, and a second trigger configured to contact and rotate the first gear. The large diameter gear part is configured to receive a driving force and rotate to move from a first position at which the large diameter gear part can rotate relative to the second trigger to a second position at which the large diameter gear part rotates together with the second trigger. The second trigger is configured to rotate together with the large diameter gear part to contact the first trigger.
US09946219B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a heating unit; a pressure roller; a first frame supporting the heating unit; a second frame engaging the first frame; a first gear; a second gear; and a fixing member. The second frame supports a shaft portion of the pressure roller. The first gear is provided at one end of the shaft portion and rotatable with the pressure roller. The second gear engages the first gear and transmits a drive force to the first gear. The fixing member has a first portion engaging the shaft portion and a second portion engaging the second frame. At least a part of the first portion engages the shaft portion at a position on a downstream side of the shaft portion in a second direction in which the shaft portion receives a force upon transmission of the drive force.
US09946212B2
A post-processing apparatus includes a side edge removing unit that removes a side edge of a sheet, and a rigidity imparting unit that imparts rigidity to the side edge that is removed by the side edge removing unit such that the side edge has a higher rigidity in a longitudinal direction of the side edge than a body of the sheet from which the side edge is removed.
US09946201B2
An image-forming apparatus contains a control portion that controls a cooling operation of the fixing portion. The control portion sets an image confirmable position in which an image formed on a long sheet is confirmable. When a print job on the long sheet finishes, the control portion starts the cooling operation of the fixing portion and controls the conveying portion to convey the long sheet until a rear end of a final image fixed by a fixing portion reaches the image confirmable position and finishes the cooling operation of the fixing portion until the rear end of the image fixed by the fixing portion reaches the image confirmable position. The control portion also sets the image confirmable position to be at an outermost circumference of rolled paper reeled by a reeling apparatus.
US09946195B2
A developer container or a developing device including a sheet member having a plurality of holes and a plurality of protruded portions to be inserted into the holes.
US09946189B2
A developing apparatus includes a developer bearing member configured to bear a developer on a surface, a regulating member that regulates layer thickness of the developer on the developer bearing member, and a developer conveying member. In addition, a frame has a development chamber in which the developer bearing member and the regulating member are provided, a storage chamber in which the conveying member is provided and the developer is stored, and an opening through which the developer passes into the development chamber. The developing apparatus collects the developer remaining on the developer bearing member into the storage chamber after the developer on the developer bearing member is transferred onto a transfer material. The regulating material includes a step portion that forms a gap between the regulating member and the developer bearing member.
US09946188B2
An image forming apparatus is capable of performing a second image forming operation in which a peripheral velocity ratio of a developer bearing member to an image bearing member becomes greater than that in a first image forming operation, and in which a potential difference between a developing bias applied to the developer bearing member and a supply bias applied to a supply member becomes a potential difference at which a urging force causing a developer at the contact portion between the developer bearing member and the supply member to move from the supply member to the developer bearing member becomes smaller than that in the first image forming operation, or becomes a potential difference at which a urging force causing the developer to move from the developer bearing member to the supply member is generated.
US09946183B2
A liquid developer includes metallic particles that may be surface-treated using an insulating material, and a carrier liquid.
US09946165B2
In a lithographic process, product units such as semiconductor wafers are subjected to lithographic patterning operations and chemical and physical processing operations. Alignment data or other measurements are made at stages during the performance of the process to obtain object data representing positional deviation or other parameters measured at points spatially distributed across each unit. This object data is used to obtain diagnostic information by performing a multivariate analysis to decompose a set of vectors representing the units in said multidimensional space into one or more component vectors. Diagnostic information about the industrial process is extracted using the component vectors. The performance of the industrial process for subsequent product units can be controlled based on the extracted diagnostic information.
US09946162B2
An exposure method for exposing a mask pattern, which includes plural types of patterns, with a high throughput and optimal illumination conditions for each type of pattern. The method includes guiding light from a first spatial light modulator illuminated with pulse lights of illumination light to a second spatial light modulator and exposing a wafer with light from the second spatial light modulator, accompanied by: controlling a conversion state of the second spatial light modulator including a plurality of second mirror elements; and controlling a conversion state of the first spatial light modulator including a plurality of first mirror elements to control intensity distribution of the illumination light on a predetermined plane between the first spatial light modulator and the second spatial light modulator.
US09946161B2
An optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus and a microlithographic exposure method are disclosed. In an embodiment an optical system for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus includes at least one mirror arrangement having a plurality of mirror elements which are displaceable independently of each other for altering an angular distribution of the light reflected by the mirror arrangement. The optical system also includes at least one manipulator downstream of the mirror arrangement in the light propagation direction. The manipulator has a raster arrangement of manipulator elements so that light incident on the manipulator during operation of the optical system is influenced differently in its polarization state and/or in its intensity in dependence on the incidence location.
US09946154B2
A spacer manufacturing device is disclosed. The device includes a photo mask having a central light-transmitting region and a peripheral light-transmitting region disposed at a periphery of the central light-transmitting region; and an exposure device right opposite to the photo mask. Wherein, light emitted from the exposure device is irradiated to a negative photoresist material after passing through the photo mask, the light intensity passing through the peripheral light-transmitting region is less than the light intensity passing through the central light-transmitting region. A spacer is also disclosed. Only one exposure process is required to realize the spacer having a convex-shaped cross section. The process is simple and the manufacturing cost is low. At the same time, a flatness of the convex shoulder of the spacer having a convex-shaped cross section is adjustable, which can satisfy the requirement for manufacturing spacers having different specifications.
US09946150B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a light reflection type lithography mask including: a substrate; and a reflection layer. The reflection layer is formed on the substrate, and has a first pattern and a second pattern as viewed from above. The second pattern is located so as to be closest to one of one side and the other side of the first pattern in a first direction. A reflectivity at a portion corresponding to the first pattern is different from a reflectivity at a portion corresponding to the second pattern.
US09946145B2
An illumination unit includes one or more light sources each including a solid-state light-emitting device having a light emission region configured of one or more light-emission spots, one or more traveling-direction angle conversion device each converting a traveling-direction-angle of light, and an integrator including a first fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the traveling-direction angle conversion device and a second fly-eye lens having cells which receive light from the first fly-eye lens, the integrator uniformalizing illumination distribution in a predetermined illumination area. An optical system configured with the traveling-direction angle conversion device and the first and second fly-eye lenses has an optical magnification which allows each of light source images to have a size not exceeding a size of the cell in the second fly-eye lens, the light source images being formed on the second fly-eye lens by the respective cells in the first fly-eye lens.
US09946143B1
A light source apparatus according to an aspect of the invention includes a first light source section that includes a first solid-state light source that emits excitation light, a second light source section that includes a second solid-state light source that emits red light and a third solid-state light source that emits blue light and outputs color light containing the red light and the blue light, and a rotor irradiated with the excitation light and the color light. The rotor is provided with a phosphor section that emits fluorescence when irradiated with the excitation light and a diffuser section that diffuses the color light and outputs the diffused color light with the phosphor section and the diffuser section provided along the direction of rotation of the rotor.
US09946142B2
A light source device includes light sources having semiconductor lasers, a condensing lens, an optical component between the light sources and the condensing lens, and a phosphor wheel. The optical component has an inclined optical surface, and the inclined optical surface has different inclination angles for each of the light sources. Some of the semiconductor lasers are first semiconductor lasers having a short axis of the shape of its condensing spot aligned in a first direction and some of them are second semiconductor lasers having a short axis in a second direction that is different from the first direction. A light diffusing layer is disposed in the optical path of the emitting light of either the first semiconductor laser or the second semiconductor laser. A light scattering layer is disposed in the optical path of the emitting light of either the first semiconductor laser or the second semiconductor laser.
US09946141B2
A projection device for projecting images on a surface of the device includes an outer housing having a front translucent screen, a projection module frame mounted on an inner surface of the outer housing, and a projection roller frame supported by the projection module frame. The projection roller frame includes first and second spaced apart rollers rotatable respectively on two opposite cylindrical ends integrally formed on a lampshade. A cylindrical projection film is held between the first and second rollers. A light source is mounted inside the lampshade so that an image formed on the projection film can be projected on the front translucent screen by the light source. The device further includes a gear mechanism for driving the rollers, a position-limiting mechanism, and a speaker.
US09946137B2
Potential non-uniformity in a surface of an electrode in an electrochromic element is improved during coloring and color erasing. The electrochromic element includes a pair of transparent electrodes and an electrochromic layer placed between the transparent electrodes. Each of the transparent electrodes includes an end portion having an electric supply portion. The electric supply portions face each other. The surface resistivity of each of the transparent electrodes increases with the increase of the distance from a corresponding one of the electric supply portions. The potential of the transparent electrodes is such that the difference between the maximum and minimum potentials in a surface of each transparent electrode is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
US09946134B2
A sub-wavelength grating is placed inside a liquid crystal variable optical retarder to reduce polarization dependence of the optical retardation generated by the variable optical retarder. A small thickness of the sub-wavelength grating, as compared to a conventional waveplate, reduces the driving voltage penalty due to the in-cell placement of the sub-wavelength grating.
US09946129B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a first insulation substrate; a gate line disposed on the first insulation substrate; a first data line and a second data line disposed on the first insulation substrate; a color filter disposed on the first insulation substrate and disposed between the first data line and the second data line; a first light blocking member disposed on the first data line and the second data line; and a second light blocking member disposed on the color filter and the first light blocking member, extending in the same direction as the gate line, and overlapping the first light blocking member on the first data line and the second data line.
US09946127B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes first and second substrates, and liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes first and second electrodes. The second electrode includes comblike electrodes extending in parallel to a first direction and tapered toward tips thereof, and a connecting portion which connects the comblike electrodes. An initial alignment direction is parallel to the first direction or a direction orthogonal to the first direction. The comblike electrode includes a first part having sides each form a first angle with the first direction, and a second part having sides each form a second angle with the first direction, the second angle being greater than the first angle.
US09946123B2
The present disclosure provides a pixel arrangement structure, a display panel and a display device. The pixel arrangement structure includes a plurality of first sub-pixels, a plurality of second sub-pixels and a plurality of third sub-pixels. Each pixel includes one first sub-pixel, each second sub-pixel is shared by at least two adjacent pixels and each third sub-pixel is shared by at least two adjacent pixels. A density of the sub-pixels is 1.5 times larger than a density of the pixels in a first direction of a pixel array, and a density of the sub-pixels is 1.5 times larger than a density of the pixels in a second direction of the pixel array. The first direction is different from the second direction.
US09946112B2
A light source apparatus includes: a plurality of light sources provided, respectively, in a plurality of first divided regions; a first suppressing member that suppresses, for each of the plurality of first divided regions, spreading of light emitted from a light source provided in the first divided region; a conversion member that converts the color of the light emitted from the light sources and emits light of the converted color; and a diffusing member that is provided on a side closer to the emission surface than the conversion member so as to diffuse the light emitted from the conversion member, wherein the diffusing member is apart from the conversion member by a predetermined distance.
US09946111B2
A liquid crystal display device improved in front surface luminance, having a backlight unit, a light conversion member, a polarization separating member, a liquid crystal cell, and a display-side polarizer; the backlight unit includes an unpolarized blue light source and a reflection member that converts circularly-polarized to unpolarized blue light and reflects same; the light conversion member includes a circularly polarized luminescence fluorescent material that emits green and red lights which are circularly-polarized; the polarization separating member includes a reflection polarizer that separates the unpolarized blue light into blue transmitted light that is right- or left-circularly-polarized light and blue reflected light that is the other circularly-polarized light and a λ/4 plate that converts the blue transmitted light, the green and red lights, which are circularly-polarized, to linearly-polarized lights; and an absorption axis of the display-side polarizer is parallel to vibration directions of the blue, green and red lights, which are linearly-polarized.
US09946108B2
The present invention provides a display panel and a manufacture method thereof. By locating the matrix electrode corresponding to the black matrix on one side of the color film substrate, which is close to the liquid crystal layer, and because the matrix electrode is coupled to the common electrode signal, no voltage difference exists between the matrix electrode and the common electrode, and no matter in condition of being electrified or not electrified, the liquid crystal layer between the matrix electrode and the common electrode of the array substrate is not orientated and constantly appears in an opaque state so that no interference generates to light between adjacent pixels of the panel to eliminate the large view angle color washout of the panel and to improve the display quality of the LTPS display panel.
US09946106B2
An electronic display includes electrically conductive layers. An active layer is disposed between adjacent electrically conductive layers. The active layer includes cholesteric liquid crystal material. At least one transparent front substrate is disposed adjacent one of the electrically conductive layers near a front of the display. A semitransparent back layer absorbs light that passes through the active layer, reflects grey light or light of a color and is light transmitting. Electronic circuitry applies a voltage to the conductive layers that enables at least one of erasing or writing of the active layer.
US09946102B2
A display device includes a display panel, a plurality of flexible substrates, and an alignment structure. The display panel is disposed on a side of the transparent plate. The plurality of flexible substrates is connected to the display panel. The alignment structure is disposed on the side of the transparent plate for coupling with an external structure. It can be disposed regardless of positions of the plurality of flexible substrates to avoid the plurality of flexible substrates from being impaired by an unnecessary contact with the alignment structure. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid elements in the display device from being impaired by the alignment structure during the manufacturing process of the display device.
US09946096B2
It is provided a removable decorative attachment to one or both of the temple pieces of an eyewear. The decorative attachment to the temple of the eyewear can be of different shapes, colors, patterns and is made of a thermoplastic material, and retained onto the temple by friction or through a retaining mechanism built on both the attachment and the temple pieces of the eyewear.
US09946094B2
A wearable optical assembly can include: a first array of aligned prisms configured to direct light towards a first target region; and one or more first chromatic correction elements in series with the first array of aligned prisms, the one or more first chromatic correction elements being configured to compensate for color dispersion caused by the first array of aligned prisms.
US09946084B2
Described herein are methods for constructing optical device without the need of chemical adhesives. The methods involve performing the following steps: obtaining a first optical substrate comprising a first surface and a second optical substrate comprising a second surface; applying water to the first surface of the first optical substrate, to the second surface of the second optical substrate, or both; securing the first optical substrate to the second optical substrate, wherein the first surface of the first optical substrate is adjacent to the second surface of the second optical substrate; and applying deep ultraviolet radiation to the first optical substrate and the second optical substrate to form a bond without the use of adhesive. Also provided are optical devices constructed by the methods described herein.
US09946083B2
A reflective mobile phone lens, comprising a semi-permeable semi-reflecting mirror (5), a concave spherical reflecting mirror (4) and a mobile phone (1) screen; the mobile phone (1) screen serves as a display screen to display an image; light passes through the semi-permeable semi-reflecting mirror (5) and arrives at the concave spherical reflecting mirror (4), and then is reflected by the concave spherical reflecting mirror (4) back to the semi-permeable semi-reflecting mirror (5), and is reflected by the reflective surface of the semi-permeable semi-reflecting mirror (5) onto the mobile phone (1) screen. The mobile phone lens enables watching an online movie or playing a virtual reality game on the mobile phone (1) to have a good effect like watching a movie on a big screen in a cinema.
US09946079B2
A method of causing a processor of a head-mounted display including a display device that displays an image to execute operations including receiving information indicating an inclination of the head-mounted display, determining a posture of the head-mounted display based on the received information indicating the inclination, in a case where the posture of the head-mounted display is first posture, controlling the display device to display a representing an operation process performed by a user and superimposed in a field of view of the user, and in a case where it is determined that the posture of the head-mounted display has changed from the first posture to a second posture, switching the image displayed on the display device to a second image having a display area smaller than that of the first image.
US09946077B2
The present invention relates to a new type of collapsible virtual reality headset to view a three-dimensional environment on a smart device that can be folded into a self-contained package for compact storage and ease of portability. Through its design of structural folds, the collapsible virtual reality headset offers portability, durability, and adaptability to be mounted to headphone, headgear, and/or to be used with a haptic device. Users of the invention download software applications onto their smart devices and use this display apparatus to view the virtual stereoscopic images or video through left and right lens systems. Users of this invention can adjust the pupillary distance and the distance between the lenses from the smart device display for optimal user comfort. The invention is made up of material that makes it water resistant and may be stored in one's bag or pocket when configured in its compact form.
US09946074B2
An apparatus for use with a head wearable display includes a curved eyepiece for guiding display light received at an input surface peripherally located from a viewing region and emitting the display light along an eye-ward direction in the viewing region. The curved eyepiece includes an optical combiner, an eye-ward facing surface that is concave, a world facing surface that is convex, and a curved lightguide disposed between the eye-ward facing and world facing surfaces to guide the display light via total internal reflections from the input surface to the viewing region. The optical combiner is disposed within the curved eyepiece at the viewing region to redirect the display light towards the eye-ward direction. The optical combiner includes a pattern of reflective elements separated by interstitial regions. The interstitial regions pass ambient light incident through the world facing surface such that the viewing region is partially see-through.
US09946070B2
A head-up-display (HUD) system includes at least one scanning laser projector operative to generate laser light, and a stacked array of multiple-switchable screens arranged relative to the projector to receive laser light generated by the projector, each screen of the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens spaced apart from one another and operative to switch between a transparent state and a diffusive state. A controller is operatively coupled to the stacked array of multiple-switchable screens, the controller configured to time sequentially switch each screen of the array from a transparent state to a diffusive state, wherein only one screen is switched to the diffusive state at any given time. An output of the projector is arranged at an angle or a distance from imaging optics succeeding the array of screens to prevent a specular beam emitted by the at least one scanning laser projector from intercepting the imaging optics succeeding the array of screens when all screens are in the transparent state.
US09946069B2
An optical component for a display apparatus comprises an optical waveguide part (11) arranged to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection, an input part (13) arranged to receive light and direct the received light into the optical waveguide part, and an output part comprising a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating (25) arranged upon a surface part of the optical waveguide part. The output part is optically coupled to the input part by the optical waveguide part to receive guided light and to transmit some but not all of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part. The angularly reflective optical coating extends along a dimension of the optical waveguide part to expand the guided light in said dimension along the output part by repeated partial transmission thereof for output.
US09946067B1
Systems and methods for communications with wearable devices having displays with low boot time are provided. In one example embodiment, a display command is received at a low-power processor, and the low-power processor boots a video processor. The video processor then boots a high-speed processor as part of managing display of content. In certain embodiments, a low-power wireless connection from a camera to a client device is established. Based on this connection, the low-power processor initiates boot-up of a high-speed processor and wireless communication circuitry, which is used to receive content for display on the wearable device.
US09946055B2
A beam shaping system is for example for use over an array of light sources. An array of beam shaping units is arranged in a general plane, each beam shaping unit comprising a central refracting area, an intermediate total internal reflection area for processing of light from a light source beneath the central area, and an outer total internal reflection area for processing light from the nearest light source and an adjacent light source. This outer area essentially extends the useful size of the adjacent beam shaping unit to improve the beam shaping performance and/or the optical efficiency.
US09946053B1
An optical system a plurality of lenses, arranged within a same optical path, configured to simultaneously pass and focus therethrough short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) spectral bands to a common focal plane and provide simultaneous correction of monochromatic and chromatic aberrations over the SWIR and MWIR spectral bands is disclosed. Another system and a method are also disclosed.
US09946048B2
A lens barrel module is disclosed to include a lens barrel unit and a flow path unit. The lens barrel unit extends along an axis and includes a peripheral wall that surrounds the axis and that has a first end adjacent to an object side of a lens assembly and a second end opposite to the first end and adjacent to an image side of the lens assembly. The peripheral wall defines an accommodation space configured as a series of accommodation sections for receiving the optical members. The flow path unit is formed in the lens barrel module and is in spatial communication with at least two of the accommodation sections. A lens assembly including the lens barrel module is also disclosed.
US09946046B2
An apparatus for selectively connecting an accessory item to a surgical microscope includes a center pivot. An adapter arm includes an adapter support having a substantially planar support body which extends laterally in an outboard direction from the center pivot and has laterally spaced inboard and outboard support regions separated by a laterally oriented centerline. The adapter arm is configured to accept at least a portion of the accessory item in a supporting relationship. An undermount adapter includes a substantially planar undermount body having laterally spaced inboard and outboard body regions separated by a laterally oriented centerline. A plurality of microscope attachment throughholes each throughhole extend through the undermount body. Each throughhole is configured to accept a fastener for securement of the undermount adapter to the surgical microscope. An arm receiver is configured to accept the adapter tongue of the adapter arm in a supporting relationship.
US09946034B1
A plug may be coupled with a cable and include a fiber ferrule extending from the plug. A biasing mechanism may be arranged to bias a cover toward a covered configuration in which the fiber ferrule is situated within an internal volume defined by the cover and away from an uncovered configuration in which the fiber ferrule is situated at least partially outside of the internal volume defined by the cover. Bristles or other blockers may be positioned along or within a boundary of the internal volume of the cover, may be arranged to block particulate entry through the blockers into the internal volume of the cover in the covered configuration, and may be movable to permit passage of the fiber ferrule through the blockers in response to movement of the cover between the covered configuration and uncovered configuration.
US09946032B2
Fiber optic modules, fiber optic connectors, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fiber optic module includes a body and a fiber tray. The body includes a fiber tray recess extending from a first surface, a fiber-end datum surface positioned an end of the fiber tray recess, and a plurality of lens surfaces. The plurality of lens surfaces, the fiber-end datum surface, and intervening portions of the body define a plurality of lenses each having a linear optical axis. The fiber tray includes a plurality of fiber support features disposed on a first surface. The plurality of fiber support features is configured to receive a plurality of optical fibers. The fiber tray is disposed within the fiber tray recess and secured to the body.
US09946031B2
An optical switching arrangement includes a plurality of input and output waveguides. Each of the input waveguides has a first plurality of 1×2 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the output waveguides has a second plurality of 1×2 optical switches associated therewith and extending therealong. Each of the first and second plurality of optical switches is selectively switchable between a through-state and a cross-state. The input and output waveguides are arranged such that optical losses arising for any wavelength of light only depend on a length of segments of the input and output waveguides located between adjacent ones of the 1×2 optical switches. Each of the first plurality of optical switches associated with each of the input waveguides is optically coupled to one of the second plurality of optical switches in a different one of the output waveguides when both optical switches are in the cross-state.
US09946029B2
An optical coupler structure may include a substrate, a waveguide section and an anchored cantilever section. The substrate may include a main body and a sub-pillar structure formed on the main body. The waveguide section may be disposed on the substrate, and may include a core waveguide of a first material surrounded by a cladding layer of a second material. The anchored cantilever section may be disposed on the sub-pillar structure on the substrate, which may be configured to support the cantilever section and separate the cantilever section from the main body of the substrate. The anchored cantilever section may include a multi-stage inverse taper core waveguide and a cladding layer, of the second material, which surrounds the multi-stage inverse taper core waveguide.
US09946026B2
An imaging system comprises a matched pathlength combining waveguide array including input optical couplers for receiving light, combining waveguides for combining the light received from different input optical couplers and relaying the light to output optical couplers. A lens system is also provided for imaging the light from the output optical couplers. Compared to imaging systems, this imaging system can be much more compact. A standard imaging system requires a focal length at least equal to the aperture (width) of the lens. Because the aperture size of a lens determines the performance of a system (resolution and collected light) there is a limit to how compact a traditional high performance imaging system can be. In contrast, the present system removes that limitation because the minimum practical focal length is now determined by the size of the aperture of the outputs, which can be significantly smaller (by factors of more than 10×, typically).
US09946025B2
An integrated circuit includes optical waveguides defined in a semiconductor layer, and uses removable optical taps to allow for in-process characterization and trimming. These optical waveguides may be trimmed during fabrication of the integrated circuit to improve performance. Note that the trimming may modify indexes of refraction of portions of the optical waveguides or may involve a more invasive process. Moreover, the trimming may exclude or may not involve the use of a polymer and/or the carrier wavelengths at a given temperature may be stable as a function of time. The trimming process may use removable optical taps for external feedback to determine the amount of change required. These optical taps may be formed either in the semiconductor layer or the cladding layer, and they may be disabled with negligible impact to device performance via alterations to the cladding layer after the completion of trimming.
US09946021B1
A method for fabricating a waveguide construction is described and has steps of: providing a layered structure by: forming a first-type InGaAsP layer on a substrate, forming a first-type InP layer on the first-type InGaAsP layer, forming an active layer containing gallium on the first-type InP layer, forming a second-type InP layer on the active layer, and forming a second-type InGaAsP layer on the second-type InP layer; forming an SiO2 patterned layer having SiO2 regions and at least one channel facing toward a desired direction and formed between the SiO2 regions on the second-type InGaAsP layer; and performing a rapid thermal annealing treatment on the layered structure formed with the SiO2 patterned layer. The rapid thermal annealing treatment has a treating temperature between 720° C. and 760° C. and a treating time between 60 and 240 seconds.
US09946010B2
A display device includes a display panel including a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel, and a fourth pixel, and a backlight unit including a first light source emitting a first light and a second light source emitting a second light, the first, second, third, and fourth pixels including respective light control layers and including respective light converting units, the light converting units respectively receiving the first light from the backlight unit through the light control layers of the first, second, and third pixels and converting the received first light into light having different wavelengths, the fourth pixel including a light transmitting unit receiving the second light from the backlight unit through the light control layer of the fourth pixel and transmitting the received second light therethrough.
US09946004B2
A lighting system is disclosed. The lighting system comprises at least one light source comprising a light emitting diode (LED) and one or more phosphors optically coupled to the LED to convert at least a portion of original light emitted by the LED to provide a modified LED light having a first predetermined spectral output, and an optical material that is optically coupled to at least a portion of a surface of a light guide plate and optically coupled to receive at least a portion of the modified LED light and to convert at least a portion of the modified LED light to at least one predetermined wavelength to provide modified light having a second predetermined spectral output, wherein the optical material comprises one or more types of quantum confined semiconductor nanoparticle. A device including a lighting system is also disclosed.
US09946003B2
A light guiding structure includes a resilient base and a plurality of light guiding columns. A plurality of through holes is separately formed on the resilient base. The plurality of light guiding columns resiliently engages with the plurality of through holes. Each of a plurality of light emitting components is disposed on an end of each of the plurality of the light guiding columns. The light guiding structure utilizes the plurality of light guiding columns for guiding the light transmitted from the plurality of light emitting components and further utilizes the resilient base for allowing the light transmitted from one of the plurality of light emitting components to pass through the corresponding light guiding column only. Therefore, the light transmitted from the plurality of light emitting components can be guided to a correct position, which effectively reduces human misjudgment.
US09945998B2
Optical systems including an image surface, a stop surface, a partial reflector disposed between the image surface and the stop surface, a reflective polarizer disposed between the stop surface and the partial reflector, and a quarter wave retarder disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector are described. The reflective polarizer is convex along two orthogonal axes. The reflective polarizer may be a thermoformed multilayer reflective polarizer.
US09945994B2
Assemblies comprising multi-layer optical film comprising optical layers reflecting incident UV and blue light over specified wavelength ranges. Embodiments of the multi-layer optical films are useful, for example, as a UV protective covering. An exemplary UV stable assembly comprises a multi-layer optical film comprising at least a first plurality of first and second optical layers reflecting at least 50 percent of incident UV light over at least a 30 nanometer wavelength range in a wavelength range from at least 300 nanometers to 400 nanometers, and a second plurality of first and second optical layers reflecting at least 50 percent of incident light over at least 30 nanometer wavelength in a wavelength range from at least 430 nanometers to 500 nanometers.
US09945993B2
A technique is provided which enables preparation of a curved grating having a desired curvature, by plastically deforming, along a curved substrate, a flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process on a silicon substrate, and which thus prepares a diffraction grating with high accuracy. A silicon flat grating prepared by a semiconductor process is transferred to an amorphous material, and the amorphous material substrate is curved and mounted on a curved fixed substrate, thus providing a curved grating having a crystalline material in which the generation of a dislocation line is restrained.
US09945992B2
The optical unit includes an objective optical system and a splitting element. The splitting element consists of a first right-angle prism, a second right-angle prism, and a third right-angle prism, and has a surface of incidence and an optical splitting surface. The surface of incidence is provided to the first right-angle prism, and the first right-angle prism is positioned such that the surface of incidence is orthogonal to an optical axis of the objective optical system. The optical splitting surface is provided to a boundary of the second right-angle prism and the third right-angle prism. The second right-angle prism has a first optical path and the third right-angle prism has a second optical path. A first optical image and a second optical image are both formed on the same plane, and an area of the first optical image and an area of the second optical image are separated spatially.
US09945985B2
There is provided a method for making an optical element having a textured surface. The method comprises the steps of: a) providing a plurality of primary optical fiber segments, each primary fiber segment comprising one or more cores; b) bundling the primary fiber segments into an assembly with the cores of said primary fiber segments extending parallely; c) transforming the assembly into a secondary structure comprising the parallely extending cores; and d) etching a surface of the secondary structure according to an etch profile of said secondary structure, the etch profile being defined by the parallely extending cores, thereby forming the textured surface of the optical element. An optical element having a textured surface is also provided.
US09945983B2
Certain example embodiments relate to a layer of or including Ti1-xSixOy and/or a method of making the same. In certain example embodiments, the Ti1-xSixOy-based layer may be substoichiometric with respect to oxygen. In certain example embodiments of this invention, the layer may include Ti1-xSixOy where x is from about 0.05 to 0.95 (more preferably from about 0.1 to 0.9, and even more preferably from about 0.2 to 0.8, and possibly from about 0.5 to 0.8) and y is from about 0.2 to 2 (more preferably from about 1 to 2, and even more preferably from about 1.5 to 2, and possibly from about 1.9 to 2). The layer may have an index of refraction of from about 1.6 to 1.9. The layer may also be used with a transparent conductive oxide in a transparent conductive coating.
US09945982B2
Fluorinated siloxane compositions, and methods of making and using the fluorinated siloxanes are disclosed. The polymers described herein may exhibit self-healing properties, a low dielectric constant, and a low refractive index. In some embodiments, a method of making a siloxane compound may involve contacting a silicon metal with a fluorinated compound to form a dichlorosilane compound, hydrolyzing the dichlorosilane compound to form a fluorinated tetrasiloxane compound, and contacting the fluorinated tetrasiloxane compound with a metal catalyst to form a fluorinated cyclic siloxane (D4) compound.
US09945980B2
A infrastructure sensitivity centric weather forecast system, method of forecasting weather and a computer program product therefor. A forecasting computer applies a grid to a forecast area, locates infrastructure, e.g. power grid infrastructure, in the area and determines weather effects on infrastructure in each grid cell. A targeted selection module iteratively identifies grid cells for refinement in response to the weather effects on cell infrastructure. In each iteration a refined grid is applied to each grid cell identified as containing infrastructure that may be sensitive, or vulnerable, to expected weather. The forecasting computer refines the area considered to focus on area infrastructure and sensitivities/vulnerabilities to expected weather.
