US10172270B2

A pick-and-place machine and method includes use of a passive component feeder cartridge including a feeder gear. Rotation of the feeder gear causes a component-bearing tape to be fed through the feeder cartridge. A pickup head includes a vacuum nozzle to pick up the components from the tape and a rack gear to engage and drive the feeder gear of the feeder cartridge via translational motion of the pickup head when operatively disposed with respect to a selected feeder cartridge.
US10172266B2

A shielding cover mounting and dismounting apparatus for mounting or dismounting a shielding cover connected with a circuit board. The circuit board has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the shielding cover is connected with the lower surface. The apparatus includes a base, a first supporting seat, a second supporting seat, a heater and a moving seat. The first supporting seat is disposed on the base and has a bearing cavity. The shielding cover and the circuit board are disposed in the bearing cavity, and the shielding cover is disposed between the circuit board and a bottom surface of the bearing cavity. The second supporting seat is disposed in an opening of the bearing cavity. The heater is disposed at one side of the upper surface of the circuit board. The moving seat drives the heater to move closer to or away from the circuit board.
US10172258B2

A cooling structure for large electronic boards with closely-spaced heterogeneous die and packages is disclosed. The assembly includes a frame having a plurality of openings. The assembly further includes a cold plate mounted to the frame. The cold plate includes at least one inlet and at least one outlet and fluid channels in communication with the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet. The assembly further includes a heat sink mounted within each of the plurality of openings which in combination with sidewalls of the openings of the frame and the cold plate form individual compartments each of which are in fluid communication with the fluid channels.
US10172257B2

A heat dissipation module is provided. The heat dissipation includes a base, a frame, and a positioning member. The frame is disposed on the base and has a passage for containing an electronic component. At least a segment of the edge of the frame that is adjacent to the base is distant from the base so as to form an air path inlet that communicates with the passage therebetween. The positioning member is disposed in the passage and is connected to the frame and configured to position an electronic assembly in the frame.
US10172253B2

A barrier system configured to at least partially surround at least one access opening that permits access to an interior of a data storage library. The barrier system includes at least one side surface configured to be coupled to at least one door along a first side surface location and to the data storage library along a second side surface location. The at least one side surface may be configured to be deployable to surround the at least one access opening and form a working space when the at least one door is in an open position, and is configurable to be collapsible when the at least one door is in a closed position. The at least one side surface may also be configured to resist environmental conditions external to the data storage library from intruding into the working space when the at least one side surface is deployed.
US10172247B2

An enclosure for electronic components with a base and a capping forming a room for receiving at least one circuit board at least one circuit board support positioned on the base for the support of the at least one circuit board. At least one fastening element attaches the at least one circuit board to the circuit board support through an engagement with the circuit board support, wherein the capping is formed and/or attached to the base in such a manner that room is formed between the fastening element and the capping in such a manner that a detachment of the fastening element from the circuit board support is prevented.
US10172241B2

Provided is a flexible device, which includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of electrode lines provided on the flexible substrate and configured to contact the following anisotropic conductive film and then extend to a side of the flexible substrate, an anisotropic conductive film configured to contact the electrode line and laminated on the flexible substrate, a plurality of bumps provided on the anisotropic conductive film, and a circuit board having an electronic device provided at one side thereof and configured to contact the plurality of bumps.
US10172235B1

A wiring board includes a laminate in which at least one first insulating layer containing first insulating particles and a first insulating resin, and at least one second insulating layer containing second insulating particles having a particle size smaller than a particle size of the first insulating particles and a second insulating resin are alternately positioned; a groove for wiring positioned at least on an upper surface of the laminate and including a side surface and a bottom surface; a via hole positioned in the first insulating layer of the laminate; and a wiring conductor positioned in the groove for wiring and in the via hole. The bottom surface of the groove for wiring is positioned in the second insulating layer.
US10172234B2

The wired circuit board includes an insulating layer and a conductive pattern provided on the insulating layer. The insulating layer has an inclined face and a flat face, and a supplementary angle y to an angle formed by the inclined face and the flat face is more than 0 degree and 20 degrees or less.
US10172232B2

Tamper-respondent assemblies and fabrication methods are provided which incorporate enclosure to circuit board protection. The tamper-respondent assemblies include a circuit board, and an electronic enclosure mounted to the circuit board and facilitating enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume. A tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitates defining the secure volume, and the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure includes a tamper-respondent circuit. An adhesive is provided to secure, in part, the electronic enclosure to the circuit board. The adhesive contacts, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit so that an attempted separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, facilitating detection of the separation by a monitor circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure.
US10172227B2

The invention relates to a plasma accelerator that produces and controls a plasma stream exhaust, in particular for space propulsion. The ions are produced inside the discharge chamber by working gas collisional ionization by electrons from a single electron source placed outside, also employed for ion beam neutralization. The ion motion is directed outwards through the exit side by the electric field between a cathode grid and the walls of the plasma chamber. The acceleration voltage imparts energy to the ion flux and an electrically biased control grid modulates the ion outflow from the discharge chamber and the electron inflow from the electron source. This allows electrical control of throttle and/or modulation of thrust delivered along the longitudinal direction of the thruster axis. Several plasma accelerators could be clustered together to provide controlled non-axial thrust using the individual control of throttle.
US10172226B2

An apparatus and corresponding systems and methods for managing electric power, particularly a transformer system and method, and more specifically a transformer for transforming direct current to alternating current. An example apparatus includes a chamber configured to contain plasma. The apparatus includes input electrodes disposed at least partially within the chamber, and configured to receive direct current input into the chamber. The input electrodes are configured to cause the input direct current to induce motion in the plasma. Motion induced in the plasma transforms current flowing there-through. Output electrodes extend from the chamber, which output electrodes may rotated in a controlled manner. The output electrodes conduct a three or one phase alternating current, from the induced motion in the plasma, for delivery from the chamber.
US10172225B2

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber including a plasma generation region to which a target is supplied, the target being turned into plasma so that extreme ultraviolet light is generated in the chamber; a target supply part configured to supply the target to the plasma generation region by outputting the target as a droplet into the chamber; a droplet detector configured to detect the droplet traveling from the target supply part to the plasma generation region; an imaging part configured to capture an image of an imaging region containing the plasma generation region in the chamber; and a controller configured to control an imaging timing at which the imaging part captures the image of the imaging region, based on a detection timing at which the droplet detector detects the droplet.
US10172224B2

An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus may include: a chamber in which extreme ultraviolet light is generated from plasma generated by irradiating a target supplied into the chamber with a laser beam; a target generator that supplies the target into the chamber as a droplet; a droplet measurement unit that measures the droplet supplied from the target generator into the chamber; and a shielding member that shields the droplet measurement unit from electromagnetic waves emitted from the plasma, the droplet measurement unit including: a light source that emits continuous light to the droplet; a window provided in the chamber to allow the continuous light to transmit therethrough; and an optical sensor that receives the continuous light via the window. The shielding member includes a shielding body provided on the chamber side with respect to the window and configured to cover an optical path of the continuous light.
US10172215B2

A LED lamp has at least two LEDs to provide light of at least two different spectral outputs. An optic element has an entry surface disposed to receive the light from the LEDs. The entry surface includes refracting surfaces that refract the light tangentially. The refracting surfaces may extend radially relative to a center of the entry surface. The refracting surfaces may be continuously curved in cross-section where the refracting surfaces may include convex refracting surfaces and concave refracting surfaces.
US10172197B1

Systems, methods, and apparatus for a circuit with adaptive switching frequency control are disclosed. The method comprises operating a controller of the dimmable single-stage power converter in pulse width modulation (PWM) mode at a first switching frequency level from a maximum dimming duty-ratio level until a first dimming duty-ratio level. The method further comprises operating the controller in PWM mode, while reducing switching frequency from the first switching frequency level to a second switching frequency level, from the first dimming duty-ratio level until a second dimming duty-ratio level. Also, the method comprises operating the controller in PWM mode at the second switching frequency level from the second dimming duty-ratio level until a current command (Vipk) falls below a predetermined low limit value. Further, the method comprises operating the controller in skip mode, while reducing the switching frequency from the second switching frequency level, until a minimum dimming duty-ratio level.
US10172193B2

A DC power supply for preventing output from being misconnected to a power supply and its LED lamp and control system, comprise a DC power supply and an anti-misconnection module. The DC power supply comprises a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal. The anti-misconnection module comprises a positive access terminal and a negative access terminal which are electrically connected to the positive and negative output terminals of the DC power supply respectively, a NMOS transistor controlling on-off of the negative access terminal, a load access unit performing a turn-on operation of the NMOS transistor, a forward-blocking unit performing a turn-off operation of the NMOS transistor, and a backward access unit performing a turn-off operation of the NMOS transistor. The present invention prevents the DC power supply from being damaged even if the positive access terminal and the negative access terminal of the DC power supply are mis-connected to the external power supply, such as the electric supply or the dry battery. As long as the external power supply is removed and the normal load is connected, such as LED lamps, the DC power supply of the present invention can work normally, so that it can not only improve the reliability of power supply products, but also can reduce the corresponding maintenance workload.
US10172192B2

A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp single live wire intelligent control apparatus includes at least one first LED lamp half-wave driving device, a single live wire control circuit connected in series on a same alternating current (AC) loop, and a control output circuit. Or the LED lamp single live wire intelligent control apparatus includes one second LED lamp half-wave driving device and a single live wire control circuit connected in series on a same AC loop.
US10172191B2

A driver circuit is provided for lighting means, in particular for one or more LEDs, having an LLC circuit with an inverter which is clocked by means of at least two switches and is designed to supply a resonant circuit, wherein the resonant circuit is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer for transforming electrical energy from the primary winding to a secondary winding, and the lighting means can be supplied with current starting from the secondary winding, having a control unit which is designed to control the switch of the inverter after an activation of the driver circuit during a start phase, in such a way that after a single or after multiple alternating cycles of the switch, the cycling of the switch is suspended for the duration of at least one alternating cycling of the switch until a criterion for ending the start phase is satisfied.
US10172190B2

A light emitting diode including a first semiconductor layer and a plurality of mesas including a second semiconductor layer and an active layer interposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, the first semiconductor layer including an exposed region between the plurality of mesas, a current blocking layer disposed on a portion of the plurality of mesas and a portion of the exposed region, a transparent electrode layer covering the second semiconductor layer and the current blocking layer, and a second electrode disposed on the current blocking layer and the transparent electrode layer and electrically connected to the second semiconductor layer. The current blocking layer includes a connecting portion extending from a first mesa to a second mesa adjacent to the first mesa and a protruding portion protruding from the connecting portion and disposed on the exposed region.
US10172189B2

An apparatus for thermal treatment of dielectric films on substrates includes: a microwave applicator cavity and microwave power source; a workpiece to be heated in the cavity, having a porous coating on a selected substrate; and, an apparatus for introducing a controlled amount of a polar species into the porous coating immediately before heating by the microwave power. The interaction of the polar species with the microwaves enhances the efficiency of the process, to shorten process time and reduce thermal budget. A related method includes: depositing a porous film on a substrate; soft baking the film to a selected state of dryness; introducing a controlled amount of a polar species into the soft baked film; and, applying microwave energy to heat the film via interaction with the polar species.
US10172179B2

A data transmission method of a User Equipment, UE, in a Long Term Evolution, LTE, compliant mobile communications network, and a corresponding UE. The method comprises detecting reconfiguration of a bearer from a split bearer in which uplink Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP, Protocol Data Units, PDUs, are transmitted to both a Master eNB, MeNB, and to a Secondary eNB, SeNB, to a non-split bearer in which uplink PDCP PDUs are transmitted only to the MeNB. If reconfiguration of a bearer from a split bearer to a non-split bearer in which uplink PDCP PDUs are transmitted to the MeNB is detected, the method further comprises initiating retransmission of PDCP PDUs from the first PDCP PDU for which transmission was attempted via the SeNB and for which there has been no confirmation of successful delivery by a protocol layer below the PDCP layer within the UE. The method further comprises retransmitting only PDCP PDUs for which transmission of the PDU was attempted via the SeNB.
US10172172B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for signaling device-to-device (D2D) capability information. A user equipment (UE) may determine a frequency band list of frequency bands supported for D2D proximity service communications. Based on the frequency band list, the UE may determine a proximity service record for a frequency band combination parameter, the frequency band combination parameter associated with non-D2D communications. The proximity service record may include a reduced capabilities record for the frequency band combination parameter that indicates reduced capabilities for non-D2D communications when D2D proximity service communications are active.
US10172161B2

A user apparatus that communicates with a base station in a mobile communication system, including: a reception unit configured to receive a radio signal from the base station by a downlink control channel; and a control information detection unit configured to detect control information, addressed to the user apparatus, mapped to a predetermined area in a time frequency resource of the downlink control channel by performing blind decoding in a plurality of candidate areas which are candidates of the predetermined area, wherein, when the user apparatus performs a random access procedure, the control information detection unit performs the blind decoding in areas in which a part of areas is excluded from the plurality of candidate areas.
US10172159B2

The present disclosure provides a data transmission method and device. The method includes sensing, by a station, whether a channel allocated by an access point associated with the station is occupied, before obtaining a downlink scheduling phase. If the channel is not occupied, sending, by the station, channel clear signaling to the access point, where the channel clear signaling includes a first identifier used for identifying the station and a second identifier used for identifying the access point. The method also includes receiving, by the station in the downlink scheduling phase, data transmitted by the access point. The present disclosure ensures normal data transmission.
US10172155B2

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE), which may be a machine-type communication device and may have a half-duplex capability, may receive grants for uplink resources and downlink resources that overlap in time. The UE may prioritize the grants and either drop the low priority grant or may monitor a non-overlapping portion of resources assigned by the lower priority grant, for example. The UE may determine an acknowledgement mode for the downlink transmission based on one or more grants or on an explicit indication from a base station in some examples. A control format indicator may be interpreted based on the grant or on the bundling size. In some cases, the UE may identify a retuning time (e.g., for switching between transmit and receive modes or for switching frequencies) and may determine uplink and downlink bundling sizes based on the retuning time.
US10172143B2

A method includes estimating a transmit leakage signal for a duplexer, where the duplexer is included in a transceiver that includes a transmit chain and a receive chain; squaring an envelope of the estimated transmit leakage signal; generating a replica signal based at least on the squared envelope of the estimated transmit leakage signal; and subtracting the replica signal from a total received signal in the receive chain to generate a wanted received baseband signal.
US10172141B2

A system includes a notification controller including one or more processors, and a memory storing code that is executable by the notification controller to determine a context for a plurality of mobile devices. The system further determines, for the context, a hierarchical ranking for the plurality of mobile devices, wherein a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices is higher-ranked than at least one second mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, and communicates a command selected by a higher-ranked first mobile device to modify one or more notification settings of the at least one second mobile device that is lower-ranked than the first mobile device. Methods and a program product corresponding to the system are also included.
US10172140B2

A method and a radio network node (110) for managing precoder reports from a set of user equipments (120) are disclosed. Each of the precoder reports indicates a precoder selected, by a respective user equipment (121, 122, 123) of the set of user equipments (120), to be used by the radio network node (110) for transmission to the respective user equipment (121, 122, 123). The radio network node (110) receives (202), in a first time interval, a first set of precoder reports from the set of user equipments (120). The radio network node (110) receives (204), in a second time interval, a second set of precoder reports from the set of user equipments (120). The radio network node (110) determines (209) a first distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments and a second distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments, wherein the precoders in the first distribution are indicated by the first set of precoder reports and the precoders in the second distribution are indicated by the second set of precoder reports, whereby a change in distribution of precoders for the set of user equipments (120) is detected. A corresponding computer program and a carrier therefor are also disclosed.
US10172138B2

The present disclosure is related to the communication field, and provides method, apparatus, and storage medium for wireless communication. The method includes: establishing a WIFI channel and a Bluetooth channel between communication devices; detecting a communication distance between the communication devices; and transmitting multimedia data between communication devices through the WIFI channel and transmitting a control command between communication devices through the Bluetooth channel when the communication distance between the communication devices is less than or equal to a distance threshold. With the method provided in the present disclosure, a seamless switch between Bluetooth and WIFI can be implemented, respective advantages of Bluetooth and WIFI can be combined, thereby ensuring an unobstructed communication link in a small range wireless communication system, and improving the communication quality.
US10172135B2

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (e.g., a millimeter WTRU (mWTRU)) may receive a first control channel using a first antenna pattern. The WTRU may receive a second control channel using a second antenna pattern. The WTRU may demodulate and decode the first control channel. The WTRU may demodulate and decode the second control channel. The WTRU may determine, using at least one of: the decoded first control channel or the second control channel, beam scheduling information associated with the WTRU and whether the WTRU is scheduled for an mmW segment. The WTRU may form a receive beam using the determined beam scheduling information. The WTRU receive the second control channel using the receive beam. The WTRU determine, by demodulating and decoding the second control channel, dynamic per-TTI scheduling information related to a data channel associated with the second control channel.
US10172132B2

In a mobile communication system including a first base station, a second base station, and user equipment connected to the first base station as a master base station, upon triggering a random access procedure toward a cell of the second base station, the user equipment performs a contention based random access procedure on a secondary cell, based upon one of (a) selecting the secondary cell on which a random access signal is to be transmitted in accordance with an instruction from the first base station; (b) selecting the secondary cell on which the random access signal is to be transmitted using implicit information in the user equipment; and (c) determining autonomously at the user equipment the secondary cell on which the random access signal is to be transmitted.
US10172127B2

Systems, apparatus, user equipment (UE), evolved node B(eNB), and methods are described for machine-type communications (MTC) with early termination of repeated transmissions. In MTC implementations with narrow bandwidth, significant numbers of retransmissions may be scheduled based on channel quality measurements. If data is successfully decoded at a receiving device while a significant number of retransmissions remain, system resources are wasted. Embodiments described herein thus use downlink control messaging or intermediate hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) messaging for early termination of repeated messages.
US10172122B1

An LTE base station to facilitate identification of uplink interference serves a plurality of UE devices and one or more relay nodes. The LTE base station is configured to identify a first scheduling group comprising the plurality of UE devices and a second scheduling group comprising the one or more relay nodes based on LTE registration data, allocate uplink resource blocks by scheduling a first portion of the uplink resource blocks at one end of a channel spectrum to the UE devices in the first scheduling group and scheduling a second portion of the uplink resource blocks at the other end of the channel spectrum to the one or more relay nodes in the second scheduling group, and monitor for interference in the second portion of the uplink resource blocks to determine if the interference is associated with the one or more relay nodes in the second scheduling group.
US10172115B2

A method for performing Device-to-Device (D2D) communication in a wireless communication system according to the present invention, the method according to the present invention comprises transmitting, by a D2D transmitting UE, a first message requesting allocation of radio resources to be used for D2D communication to an eNB; receiving, by the D2D transmitting UE, a second message including radio resource allocation information from the eNB; and transmitting, by the D2D transmitting UE, data through a radio resource area allocated by the second message, wherein the data are transmitted to the eNB and at least one D2D receiving UE.
US10172114B2

This document describes an apparatus for providing an advance indication of channels available for use by a mobile device travelling along a geographic path. The path extends across two or more cells, with each cell defining a particular set of radio channels available for use by the mobile device in that cell. The apparatus is configured to receive predicted geographic path signalling associated with prediction of the geographic path to be taken by the mobile device. The apparatus is also configured to determine radio channels available for use by the mobile device along that path. The apparatus is also configured to provide, in advance, an indication of the radio channels available for use by the mobile device along the geographic path in each respective cell along the path.
US10172110B2

Performing user equipment (UE) assisted indoor small cell location determination is presented herein. A method can include in response to sending, by an access point device, a request directed to a mobile device to obtain mobile device location data representing a user equipment location of the mobile device, receiving, by the access point device, the mobile device location data from the mobile device; and based on the mobile device location data, determining, by the access point device, access point location data representing an access point location of the access point device. In an example, the mobile device location data can include coordinates of the mobile device comprising latitude of the mobile device and longitude of the mobile device, and a time stamp representing a time of generation of the coordinates. In another example, the mobile device location data can include an altitude of the mobile device.
US10172109B2

A method includes obtaining, by a user computing device of one or more computing devices of a computing system, a location synchronization approach. The method further includes determining a location determination approach based on the location synchronization approach and availability of location assets. The method further includes generating location synchronization information utilizing the location determination approach. For each of one or more synchronization entities of the computing system, the method further includes identifying a communication path for communication of the location synchronization information. The method further includes facilitating communication of the location synchronization information to the each of the one or more synchronization entities utilizing the communication path in accordance with the location synchronization approach.
US10172104B2

Methods and apparatus are provided in which a configuration message to configure at least one uplink carrier is received. A power headroom report (PHR) is triggered for a first uplink carrier if a predetermined event occurs. An allocation of an uplink transmission resource is detected for the PHR. It is identified whether the first uplink carrier for which a power headroom (PH) is to be determined is different from a second carrier to which the uplink transmission resource is allocated. The PH is determined based on a first pathloss associated with the first uplink carrier, if the first uplink carrier is different from the second carrier. The PHR generated based the determined PH is transmitted.
US10172103B2

A method is provided for a user equipment (UE) operating in a wireless communication system. The UE is configured with a first medium access control (MAC) entity and a second MAC entity. The UE triggers a power headroom reporting (PHR) in the first MAC entity if a condition is satisfied. A PHR MAC control element (CE) is generated for the triggered PHR. The UE transmits the PHR MAC CE to a first base station. The condition includes: there is an uplink (UL) transmission on any cell of the second MAC entity, and a required power backoff for the any cell of the second MAC entity has changed more than a threshold.
US10172100B2

The present disclosure provides a power control method and a wireless device, in a cluster comprised of wireless devices including a first wireless device and a second wireless device, comprising: receiving power control information including a second data channel transmission power, from the second wireless device; determining a first data channel transmission power based on the second data channel transmission power; and controlling data channel transmission power of the first wireless device according to the first data channel transmission power; wherein, the first data channel transmission power is a power allowing the first wireless device to reach all wireless devices in the cluster, and the second data channel transmission power is a power allowing the second wireless device to reach all wireless devices in the cluster.
US10172090B1

A sensor headroom control circuit includes a front end analog circuit, a digital compensation circuit, and a headroom state selection circuit. The front end analog circuit has configurable headroom and is configured to receive a sensor input signal and output a sensor digital signal. The digital compensation circuit is configured to adjust the sensor digital signal to compensate for an active headroom state of the front end analog circuit and produce a compensated sensor signal. The headroom state selection circuit is configured to select the active headroom state of the front end analog circuit responsive to a detected level of the compensated sensor signal.
US10172088B2

The present invention relates to an electronic device (10) comprising: a controller (12) configured to periodically activate the electronic device from a low power mode into a proximity area connectivity mode, while in the proximity area connectivity mode, the controller is configured to control proximity area connectivity of the electronic device with one or more proximity area electronic devices (20), via a wireless proximity area connection unit (14) of the electronic device trying to establish proximity area connection (15) with the one or more proximity area electronic devices, upon successful establishment of proximity area connection of the electronic device with a predetermined set of the one or more proximity area electronic devices, the controller is arranged to return the electronic device to the low power mode; upon unsuccessful establishment of proximity area connection of the electronic device with the predetermined set of the one or more proximity area electronic devices, the controller is arranged to transfer the electronic device from the proximity area connectivity mode into a wide area connectivity mode, while in the wide area connectivity mode, the controller is configured to, via a wireless wide area connection unit (16) of the electronic device, connect the electronic device to at least one wide area electronic device (30) via a wide area connection (35).
US10172087B2

Methods and apparatus are described. A long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A) wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver receives discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration information. The processor, in response to the received DRX information, controls the transceiver to monitor LTE-A physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs) in subframes in a first frequency band during an active time. The processor further, in response to detecting a downlink assignment in an LTE-A PDCCH in the first frequency band during the active time, wherein the downlink assignment indicates a second frequency band and assigned subcarriers within the second frequency band, to receive an LTE-A physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) K subframes after a transmission of the downlink assignment. The second frequency band is different than the first frequency band.
US10172085B2

One embodiment of the present specification provides a method for supporting a power saving mode in a wireless device. The method can comprise the steps of: transmitting a request message including a first active time value to a network entity, if a PSM is necessary; and receiving a rejection message for the request message from the network entity. Here, the rejection message includes the reason for rejection, and can include a second active time value determined by considering the first active time value. The method can comprise the steps of terminating the transmission procedure of the request message after receiving the reject message, and entering a PSM state on the basis of the second active time value.
US10172083B2

A radio terminal (3) can perform carrier aggregation using a first cell (10) of a first radio station (1) and a second cell (20) of a second radio station (2). The first radio station (1) or the second radio station (2) transmits constraint information to the radio terminal (3). The constraint information contains an information element necessary to specify a reception constraint and/or transmission constraint related to the first cell (10) and/or the second cell (20) when the carrier aggregation is performed. The reception/transmission constraint is a constraint related to downlink signal reception/uplink signal transmission by the radio terminal over one or more subframe periods of the primary cell (10) and the secondary cell (20). It is thus, for example, possible to contribute to reduction in wasteful power consumption in the radio terminal in the carrier aggregation of a plurality of cells served by different radio stations.
US10172080B2

Appropriate control is performed when communication is performed between a plurality of information processing devices. An information processing device performs real-time image transmission with another information processing device according to a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast specification. The information processing device includes a control unit. The control unit performs control such that setting request information for performing a setting related to the real-time image transmission is received from the other information processing device via an access point. The control unit performs control such that a setting request for performing the setting based on the setting request information is transmitted to the other information processing device through direct communication.
US10172069B2

A request to pair a first device with a second device is received. An indication is sent from the second device to the first device. The indication confirms that the second device is paired with the first device. One or more actions are received from the first device. The one or more actions may be taken on the second device.
US10172062B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving network information for a group of video sessions. Embodiments include calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the network information and include determining a first overall video traffic metric of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold. Also, embodiments include generating a graphical map that indicates the overall video traffic metric for each cell in the cellular network and sending the graphical map to a mobile device in the first cell showing first overall video traffic metric and the second overall video traffic metric relative to the first predetermined threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US10172053B2

A radiographic image capturing system includes: a radiographic image capturing apparatus which wirelessly transfers a signal value read from each of a plurality of radiation detecting elements; a channel switch controlling device capable of switching a channel used for wirelessly transferring the signal value from the radiographic image capturing apparatus to another channel; a notifying device which gives a notice to an operator who operates the radiographic image capturing system; and a display device which displays a radiographic image generated based on the signal value transferred from the radiographic image capturing apparatus, wherein the notifying device notifies an operator of the fact that the channel is being switched, at least once, while the radiographic image capturing apparatus is switching the channel.
US10172049B2

A network node and method therein for assisting a communication device to perform handover from a serving cell to a target cell in a communication network are disclosed. The network node is configured to obtain a first round trip time between the network node and a server and obtain a second round trip time between a target node in the target cell and the server. The network node is further configured to instruct the communication device to perform handover from the serving cell to the target cell based on at least the first round trip time and the second round trip time.
US10172043B2

Managing handoffs between a plurality of mobile devices in a phone hosted microservices architecture in a same vicinity, with each of the mobile devices connected to a cognitive reliability engine. The cognitive reliability engine, for each of the plurality of mobile devices hosting a hosted microservice, determining a reliability score for a time period through context and activity recognition of a user owning the mobile device. Depending on the reliability score, different beacons with data packets indicating that the microservice will end, the microservice may end, or the microservice will continue with surety for a specific time period.
US10172033B2

Disclosed are methods as well radio network nodes and user equipments (UE) that are suitable for overload control in a communication network. A radio network node may, upon receiving a random access preamble from an UE, determine whether there exists an overload condition. In response to a determination that an overload condition exists, the radio network node may configure a MAC PDU220 to accompany a E/T/RAPID subheader 212 with a request to extend the time period during which the UE waits for reception of a MAC RAR response.
US10172031B2

This application discloses a wireless assistance method, apparatus, and system. The wireless assistance apparatus includes an obtaining module, a determining module, and a transmission module. The obtaining module is configured to obtain network status information, and the obtaining module transmits the network status information to the determining module. The determining module is configured to receive the network status information, and determine, according to the network status information, a mobile access point that needs to perform wireless assistance, and the determining module transmits information about the mobile access point to the transmission module. The transmission module is configured to receive the information about the mobile access point, and transmit assistance command information to the mobile access point, where the assistance command information is information for instructing the mobile access point to perform wireless assistance.
US10172029B1

A method and system for a base station to manage air interface communications with a wireless client device (WCD) served by the base station, taking into account whether the WCD is a relay-WCD that provides wireless backhaul connectivity for a relay base station. The base station will determine whether the served WCD is a relay-WCD, and based on a determination that the served WCD is a relay-WCD, the base station will responsively invoke a process to help expedite air interface communications with the served WCD, in an effort to reduce the total delay resulting from the wireless relay arrangement. In particular, based on the served WCD being a relay-WCD, and perhaps based on the relay-WCD facilitating a threshold extent of delay-sensitive communication, the base station will invoke transmission time interval (TTI) bundling, to help expedite the air interface communications between the base station and the relay-WCD.
US10172023B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a device for a configuration error management for a sidelink radio bearer, the method comprising: receiving one or more D2D packets via a sidelink radio bearer, counting erroneous D2D packets among the one or more D2D packets, and detecting configuration error for the sidelink radio bearer if a number of the counted erroneous D2D packets is equal to or larger than a threshold.
US10172022B1

Techniques described herein relate to performing wireless diagnostic analyses including execution and evaluations of interactive content resources executed by execution devices on and/or for separate content receiver devices. A multi-phrase diagnostic session may proceed with an execution of an initial set of diagnostic modules on an execution device, during which interactive content is transmitted/received from a connected receiver device. The results of the diagnostic modules may be evaluated in real-time and transmitted to a diagnostic analyzer server to select additional diagnostic modules for execution during the diagnostic session. The diagnostic analyzer server may select the additional diagnostic modules based on based on response data received via the content execution device to the interactive content of the previously executed diagnostic modules, and/or data received from additional data sources related to the content receiver.
US10172020B2

Systems and methods include [i] identifying operational attributes of the mesh radio network; [ii] identifying an Internet communication request originating from at least one of the plurality of network communication devices or identifying an Internet communication response originating from the one or more Internet sources; [iii] generating an Internet communication routing table for the mesh radio network; [iv] transmitting the Internet communication routing table to the mesh radio network; and [v] in response to identifying the Internet communication requests, selecting an optimal communications routing path for the Internet communication request or the Internet communication response based on the Internet communication routing table.
US10172017B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically assigning cell identifier values in a communication network and to a method and apparatus for managing the assignment of cell identifier values in a communication network. In particular, the present invention relates to the management and assignment of cell identifier values that are required to be unique between adjacent cells, in a border region within a communication network in which cells from two or more cell sets are present. The present invention provides a novel method and apparatus for assigning cell identifier values in a communication network and for managing the assignment of cell identifier values in a communication network. Embodiments of the invention enable the automatic assignment of cell identifiers in a communication network, such as the assignment of physical cell identities (PCI) and scrambling codes (SC) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The need for manual administration in border areas between cell sets managed by different Operation Support Systems (OSSs) can therefore be reduced or eliminated.
US10172016B2

At least one example disclosed herein relates to determining if a change to a wireless network configuration should be determined. If it is determined that the change to the wireless network should be determined, a plurality of coverage monitors are generated within a site model, each coverage monitor specifying at least one coverage parameter for an associated region of the site model. The change to the wireless network may be determined by identifying a change to a configuration of a wireless access point.
US10172003B2

The present invention provides a communication security processing method and an apparatus. The communication security processing method includes: determining, by a base station, that user equipment UE needs to access an access point AP; acquiring, by the base station, a security parameter that is required for the UE to interact with the AP; after an air interface is securely activated, sending, by the base station, the security parameter to the UE, so that the UE performs, by using the security parameter, security processing on data exchanged between the UE and the AP. According to the communication security processing method and the apparatus that are provided in the present invention, a security air interface between UE and a base station is used to transfer a security-related parameter, which improves data communication security, and enhances network control performed by an operator.
US10172002B2

A method and device for transmitting product information using ultrasonic signals are disclosed. The device detects local availability of ultrasound-encoded product information while the device is at a location in proximity to an ultrasound transmitter. In response to detecting the local availability of the ultrasound-encoded product information, the device requests a user permission from a user of the device to capture the ultrasound-encoded product information. Upon obtaining the user permission to capture the ultrasound-encoded product information, the device receives, from the ultrasound transmitter, an ultrasonic signal encoded with a message containing respective information associated with a respective product. The device decodes the ultrasonic signal to obtain the message in a human-perceivable form.
US10171986B2

A radio communication system including a radio communication device configured to request connection, and radio relay devices. The communication device includes a neighbor node discovery unit to transmit a neighbor node discovery message, a selection unit to select the connection destination based on determination information when a response message to the discovery message is received, the determination information being used for determining whether to select a transmission source as the connection destination, and a storage unit to store the determination information. Each relay device includes a calculation processing unit to calculate, in accordance with a value of the determination information, transmission waiting time until transmission of the response message, a timer unit to manage passage of the waiting time, a response message transmission unit to transmit the response message when the timer unit notifies elapse of the waiting time, and a storage unit configured to store the determination information.
US10171980B2

Computerized method for coordinating decentralized response to emergency events includes receiving at least one request for emergency assistance, alerting registered responders in a geographic area corresponding to an emergency site of said request for emergency assistance, acknowledging a response from at least one of the responders agreeing to dispatch to the emergency site. The computerized method can also include one or more of confirming arrival of said at least one responder at the emergency site, determining a need for additional resources, confirming transportation to a destination facility, confirming arrival of said at least one responder at the destination facility, receiving a summary report of actions undertaken, and/or recognition of said at least one responder by the system to be available to receive subsequent requests for emergency assistance.
US10171978B2

A guest engagement system and associated methods provide seamless engagement with guests of facilities through the use of wireless sensing technologies. The system makes use of individual guest devices which are carried by guests and used to automatically identify and authenticate the guests throughout the facility. Services can thereby be seamlessly provided to the guests throughout the facility. The services include automatic unlocking of doors, including hotel or state room doors, based on the guests' immediate proximity to their assigned room's door. The services also include automated payment services provided at checkout or vending terminals, and automated log-on to interactive displays and portals, among others, based on secure wireless authentication of the guest devices.
US10171965B2

In a communication system having a number of base stations and user devices, a sending user device comprising a processor and a memory is configured to generate a packet or other communication for forwarding to a receiving user device via one or more intermediary user devices of the system. The forwarding path of the communication may involve one or more of the base stations. A payment token is associated with the communication, such that at least one of the intermediary user devices can generate a payment claim based on the payment token. The payment token is independent of the particular identities of the one or more intermediary user devices of the system.
US10171963B2

A call transfer method and terminal are provided. The method includes: sending, by a first terminal, a local number query request to a second terminal by using a near field communication link, where the local number query request is used to request the second terminal to query a local number of the second terminal; receiving, by the first terminal, the local number of the second terminal that is sent by the second terminal; and sending, by the first terminal, a call transfer request to a network side according to the received local number of the second terminal, where the call transfer request is used to request the network side to update a call transfer target of the first terminal to the local number of the second terminal.
US10171958B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS). In one configuration, service announcement information for at least one MBMS may be received. At least a subset of the service announcement information may be broadcast in a peer discovery signal. Content of the at least one MBMS may then be relayed to at least one mobile device operating outside a coverage area of a base station. In another configuration, an out-of-coverage status indicator or MBMS query may be broadcast in a first peer discovery signal, and a second peer discovery signal may be received from at least one MBMS relay device. The second peer discovery signal may include at least a subset of service announcement information for at least one MBMS.
US10171954B2

A method and system for determining a driver is provided. The method includes receiving and analyzing GPS data identifying locations of GPS enabled devices of a plurality of users. A group of users are determined to be located within a specified proximity to each other based on the analysis. The group of users are determined, based on an altitude, velocity, and a vector of the group of users, to be located within a vehicle. A position and role for each user with respect to the vehicle is determined. Selected functions of each GPS enabled device are controlled based on each role.
US10171951B2

Provided are a system and method for positioning a mobile device by using a Bluetooth signal, and more particularly, to a system and method for positioning a mobile device by using a Bluetooth signal, in which a location of a user carrying a mobile device is effectively determined by using the mobile device receiving a Bluetooth signal, and a method of positioning the mobile device.Provided are a system and method for positioning a mobile device by using a Bluetooth signal, in which a location of the mobile device may be more accurately determined by considering a Bluetooth signal receiving environment of the mobile device when providing a service and method of determining a location of the mobile device by using a Bluetooth signal.
US10171944B2

A computer program product and a computer system for monitoring an operation status of a disconnected device by a mobile device and an audio analysis system in an infrastructure. The mobile device has connectivity to the infrastructure while the disconnected device has no connectivity to the infrastructure. The mobile device invokes passive listening of the mobile device to a sound generated by the disconnected device, determines whether the sound can be detected by the mobile device, and steams audio with information of a location of the mobile device to the audio analysis system. The audio analysis system determines whether the audio is recorded from the disconnected device, compares the audio with pre-recorded sounds of the disconnected device, determines the operation status of the disconnected device, and sends to the mobile device a notification of the operation status of the disconnected device.
US10171939B2

A network device capable of performing rule-based actions dependent on geolocation-based conditions or realtime conditions from an external source. The network device can obtain its geolocation, obtain a rule based on a condition, query sources for and/or calculate updated statuses of the condition based on the geolocation, and perform actions based on the updated status of the condition, the geolocation, and the rule. The network device is capable of safely shutting down when voltage supplied to the network device falls outside of and acceptable range.
US10171938B2

Disclosed herein is a geofence service that enables various remote control and automatic operations based a user's current geographic position as determined by the user's mobile device's current geographic location. The geofence service enables the user to define one or more geofences based on specific geographic locations. Such geofences may be applied against several geofence applications for remote and automatic control of devices. In one embodiment, the mobile device's volume or power control settings are adjusted based on the user's location inside or outside a geofence. In one embodiment, temperature setting of a building or house is controlled based on user's proximity to a geofence. In one embodiment, electrical appliances within a home are activated and controlled automatically based on user's current geographic location.
US10171937B2

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method, apparatus, and system for matching users in connection with a Location-Based Service. The method includes receiving service messages from a plurality of terminals, wherein the service messages include communication attributes, geographic location information, and user feature identifiers, extracting the communication attributes, the geographic location information, and the user feature identifiers from the received service messages, determining whether two or more of the plurality of terminals are within a threshold range, determining whether the extracted user feature identifiers corresponding to the terminals are the same, and in the event that one or more of the plurality of terminals are within the threshold range and the extracted user feature identifiers are the same, setting a terminal of the one or more terminals as a message receiving terminal if a service message associated with the terminal includes a communication attribute corresponding to receiving.
US10171934B2

A system and method for using time to reach determinations to improve the usability of geo-fences is disclosed. A computer system accesses a current location of a client system and identifies one or more nearby geo-fences. The computer system then calculates the time to reach each of these geo-fences. If the calculated time to reach value for a particular geo-fence is within the notification range associated with that geo-fence, then the computer system generates a notification to display to a user.
US10171928B2

Embodiments relate to obtaining filter coefficients for a binaural synthesis filter; and applying a compensation filter to reduce artifacts resulting from the binaural synthesis filter; wherein the filter coefficients and compensation filter are configured to be used to obtain binaural audio output from a monaural audio input. The filter coefficients and compensation filter may be applied to the monaural audio input to obtain the binaural audio output. The compensation filter may comprise a timbre compensation filter.
US10171927B2

A method comprises multichannel processing of an input audio signal by a multichannel convolution with a predefined imprint, the imprint being formulated by the capture of a reference sound by a set of speakers disposed in a reference space. The method further comprises selecting at least one imprint from among a plurality of imprints previously formulated in different sound contexts.
US10171920B2

A test apparatus for binaurally-coupled acoustic devices is disclosed. The apparatus includes a base, a lid, a primary speaker, and a binaural test fixture. The lid is coupled to the base and movable between a closed position in which the lid and base cooperate to form a closed sound chamber that is symmetric about a vertical mirror plane, and an open position. The primary speaker is coupled to one of the base and the lid, and faces a direction that lies on the mirror plane. The binaural test fixture is positioned inside the sound chamber, and includes first and second acoustic coupler mounts. The vertical mirror plane extends symmetrically between the first and second acoustic coupler mounts. A binaural test fixture, an acoustic coupler assembly, and a method of testing binaurally-coupled acoustic devices are also disclosed.
US10171899B2

A light and sound combination includes a lighting module and an audio module detachably mounted on the lighting module. The audio module includes a main body and a sounding assembly mounted in the main body. The lighting module includes a housing and an LED board mounted in the housing. Thus, the light and sound combination provides illuminating and sound playing functions by provision of the lighting module and the audio module. In addition, the audio module is detachably mounted on the lighting module, so that the audio module is mounted on and detached from the lighting module easily and conveniently.
US10171898B2

The present disclosure provides a cup, which includes a cup body, a top part of the cup body has a rim; a cup lid, the cup lid has a bottom cover and a top cover connected with a top end of the bottom cover, and a bottom end of the bottom cover is connected with the rim, the top cover is fixed with the top end of the bottom cover through a rotary clamping structure, and the bottom cover and the top cover cooperatively form a sealed mounting cavity; and an audio broadcast device, the audio broadcast device is assembled in the mounting cavity. The disassembly and assembly processes of the top cover and the bottom cover are simple, it is much more convenience to assemble the rotary clamping structure in the mounting cavity or disassemble the rotary clamping structure from the rotary clamping structure.
US10171896B2

Disclosed is an electronic device including a side speaker hole. The disclosed electronic device may include: a housing including a first face facing a first direction, a second face facing a second direction opposite the first direction, a side face facing a third direction perpendicular to each of the first and second directions and surrounding at least a portion of a space between the first and second faces; a first plate disposed on the first face and exposed in the first direction; and a second plate disposed on the second face and exposed in the second direction. The first plate may include a plurality of first edge regions, and at least one of the first edge regions includes, in at least a portion thereof, at least one first curved region that extends in the third direction, and at least one speaker hole may be disposed on a side face between the first curved region and the second plate.
US10171894B2

This application discloses a method, including: determining a transmission rate of a to-perform-sending optical network unit (ONU); generating a reset signal before the to-perform-sending ONU sends an optical signal, where the reset signal is used to trigger the OLT to perform a reset operation; adjusting a signal characteristic of the reset signal according to the transmission rate, to generate an adjusted signal; extracting a signal characteristic of the adjusted signal, and generating a first signal and a second signal according to the signal characteristic of the adjusted signal, where the first signal indicates the reset signal, and the second signal indicates the transmission rate of the to-perform-sending ONU; performing the reset operation according to the first signal; and after the reset operation is completed, adjusting the reception parameter of the optical line terminal OLT according to the second signal.
US10171893B2

An adaptive algorithm based battery-powered long distance wireless temperature and humidity sensor module. The sensor module uses an adaptive algorithm to transmit data on an event basis and/or a reduced basis to extend battery life to more than 10 years. It also uses a low power wireless transmitter which has frequency of sub-1 GHz and an effective transfer distance of up to 250 meters, a low power temperature and humidity sensor, and a long lasting lithium battery which has shelf life of 20 years.
US10171888B2

A video processing method, a terminal, and a server, where the method includes receiving a media presentation description (MPD) file sent by the server, where the MPD file includes region information of a region that can be independently decoded in the video, determining, according to the region information, a region used for playback on a terminal from the region that can be independently decoded, determining a to-be-acquired media segment according to the MPD file, acquiring a location in which data content is stored in the media segment, acquiring, according to the location in which the data content is stored in the media segment, the data content from the media segment stored in the server, and playing a picture of the region for the playback on the terminal. Therefore, it is not required to independently store a partial video on the server, thereby saving a storage resource of the server.
US10171875B2

A display device including a display; an interface unit configured to receive a request from a remote controller; and a controller configured to in response to a first request received from the remote controller, display a list of previously-viewed content including at least a first item corresponding to a first previously-viewed content, a second item corresponding to a second previously-viewed content and a third item corresponding a third previously-viewed content, wherein the first item, the second item, and the third item are displayed in an order that has been previously viewed, in response to a second request received from the remote controller, display a fourth content on the display, in response to a third request from the remote controller to display the list of previously-viewed content, delete the first item in the list of previously-viewed content and display the list of previously-viewed content including the second item, the third item and a fourth item corresponding to the fourth displayed content, in response to a fourth request received from the remote controller, display a fifth content on the display, and in response to a fifth request from the remote controller to display the list of previously-viewed content, delete the second item in the list of previously-viewed content and display the list of previously-viewed content including the third item, the fourth item and a fifth item corresponding to the fifth displayed content.
US10171873B2

A computer program video player product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and loadable into the internal memory of a computing device, comprising software code portions for performing, when the video player product is run on a computer, a method including sequentially reading a plurality of distinctive Internet address associated with a plurality of discrete multimedia objects; determining a playback rate based on available cellular bandwidth; playing back a video at the determined playback rate consisting of at least a subset of the plurality of discrete multimedia objects; wherein the discrete multimedia objects are obtained by transcoding an input multimedia stream including a video segment forming part of a video stream into an optimal audiovisual format at an optimal encoding rate reflecting available cellular network bandwidth; dynamically converting the transcoded multimedia stream into discrete objects by splitting the transcoded stream into specified intervals by scanning after the specified intervals for the next I-frame, wherein each discrete object is split at that next I-frame to create another discrete multimedia object; and assigning each of the discrete multimedia objects a distinctive Internet address.
US10171872B2

Methods and systems that provide an interactive media guidance application having a locked mode for viewing media assets. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may provide media assets suited to a certain audience. The interactive media guidance application may determine suitable media assets for the locked mode based on media assets viewed by other users having characteristics similar to the user of the interactive media guidance application. In the locked mode, the interactive media guidance application may allow access to only certain media assets and/or limit the time period for which the media assets are presented.
US10171860B2

Systems and methods are provided for implementing and using interactive information. In one embodiment, a user may specify certain information that should be collected by the embodiment. The embodiment may monitor or search through one or more data streams for all information matching or corresponding to the user's specifications.
US10171857B2

A device receives, via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), a manifest file associated with streaming content, wherein the manifest file includes a sequence of multiple Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) that identify network storage locations of multiple content segments of the streaming content, and wherein a sponsorship signature of multiple sponsorship signatures is appended to at least one of the multiple URIs of the manifest file. The device retrieves the multiple URIs, and the sponsorship signature, from the manifest file; sends the sponsorship signature to a charging node in the PLMN for controlling the charging of data delivery associated with the streaming content to one of a user of the media playing device or a sponsor of the streaming content based on the sponsorship signature; and engages, via the PLMN using the multiple URIs, in a content streaming session to receive the streaming content.
US10171850B2

The present invention relates to the video surveillance field, and discloses a trunk management method and apparatus for video surveillance systems. In the present invention, the connection priority of a surveillance equipment is the highest priority amon/between priorities of all clients, when multiple clients with different priorities access the same surveillance equipment. The connection priority of the surveillance equipment is set as the priority of a new client, if the new client accesses the surveillance equipment and the priority of the new client is higher than the connection priority of the surveillance equipment; the connection priority of the surveillance equipment is remained unchanged, if the priority of the new client is not higher than the connection priority of the surveillance equipment. It is all required to supply a service for each video request of the users when the network bandwidth does not reach full load; the video requests of users having lower priorities will be denied when the network bandwidth is at full load, which can more reasonably utilize the network resources based on the connection management of client priorities to avoid a congestion even a paralysis on networks.
US10171849B1

The present invention proposes a method for transmitting a broadcast signal. The method for transmitting a broadcast signal according to the present invention proposes a system which can support a next-generation broadcast service in an environment supporting next-generation hybrid broadcast using a terrestrial broadcast network and an Internet network. Further, in the environment supporting the next-generation hybrid broadcast, the present invention provides an effective signaling scheme that covers both the terrestrial broadcast network and the Internet network.
US10171848B2

According to one embodiment, a method of processing broadcast data in a broadcast transmitter includes: encoding the broadcast data for broadcast service; encoding signaling information for signaling the broadcast data; assigning the encoded broadcast data and the encoded signaling information into a signal frame; and transmitting a broadcast signal including the signal frame. The broadcast signal further includes a signaling table having access information of the broadcast data. The signaling table includes service id information for identifying the broadcast service and component information for indicating a number of components in the broadcast service.
US10171839B2

Encoding data includes: encoding a residual of a first portion of an array of data to generate a first set of coefficients; decoding the first set of coefficients to generate a decoded representation of the first portion; computing an estimated covariance function for a residual of a second portion of the array of data based on a model that includes a gradient of a plurality of boundary data values located on a boundary of the decoded representation of the first portion; computing a set of transform basis functions from the estimated covariance function; and encoding the residual of the second portion using a first transform that uses the computed set of transform basis functions.
US10171829B2

There is provided a picture encoding device that encodes a picture and encodes a difference quantization parameter in a unit of a quantization coding block which is divided from the picture and is a management unit of a quantization parameter. A quantization parameter calculator derives a quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded. A prediction quantization parameter derivation unit derives a prediction quantization parameter using the quantization parameters of a plurality of quantization coding blocks which precede the quantization coding block to be encoded in order of encoding. A difference quantization parameter generator derives a difference quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded, using a difference between the quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded and the prediction quantization parameter. A first bitstream generator encodes the difference quantization parameter of the quantization coding block to be encoded.
US10171824B2

Method and system of video decoding incorporating frame compression to reduce frame buffer size are disclosed. The method adjusts parameters of the frame compression according to decoder system information or syntax element in the video bitstream. The decoder system information may be selected from a group consisting of system status, system parameter and a combination of system status and system parameter. The decoder system information may include system bandwidth, frame buffer size, frame buffer status, system power consumption, and system processing load. The syntax element comprises reference frame indicator, initial picture QP (quantization parameter), picture type, and picture size. The adaptive frame compression may be applied to adjust compression ratio. Furthermore, the adaptive frame compression may be applied to a decoder for a scalable video coding system or a multi-layer video coding system.
US10171822B2

An apparatus for transmitting images includes a base server and an aggregation server. The base server includes: a reference image transmitter; an extracted area computer; and an extracted image transmitter. The aggregation server includes an image synthesizer for synthesizing a moving image based on the reference image data transmitted from the base server, and the image data of the third area extracted out of the each of frames.
US10171821B2

A video encoding method including determining a phase shift between pixels of an enhancement layer image and a reference layer image, according to a scaling factor between the enhancement layer image and the reference layer image and a color format of the enhancement layer; selecting at least one filter coefficient set corresponding to the phase shift, from filter coefficient data including filter coefficient sets; generating an up-sampled reference layer image by extending a resolution of the reference layer image according to the scaling factor by performing interpolation filtering on the reference layer image by using the filter coefficient set; obtaining a prediction error between the up-sampled reference layer image and the enhancement layer image; generating an enhancement layer bitstream including the prediction error and a scalable codec; and generating a base layer bitstream by encoding the base layer images.
US10171818B2

Non-transform blocks of video content may be coded by selectively changing a scanning order. In some implementations, an encoder or decoder may perform a scanning process on a block according to a scanning order. When the block has not been transformed, the encoder or decoder may selectively change the scanning order to a different order. For example, if the block is associated with a particular type of prediction, the scanning order may be changed to a different order. In another example, if the non-transform block has a size that is smaller than a predetermined size, the scanning order may be changed to a different order.
US10171809B2

A video encoding apparatus determines whether to substitute all quantized coefficients in a target coefficient group by zero, on the assumption that the subsequent coefficient groups include one or more quantized coefficients that are not zero, the target coefficient group being sequentially selected from the lowest-frequency among coefficient groups included in a block serving as a unit in orthogonal transform, and determines, for each coefficient group sequentially from the lowest-frequency coefficient group, whether to update, to a first quantized-coefficient candidate that is not zero and corresponding to the highest frequency in the coefficient group on the assumption that all the quantized coefficients in the subsequent coefficient groups are zero, a second quantized-coefficient candidate, which is already obtained, based on comparison between the first candidate and the second candidate in terms of a comparison cost obtained by subtracting a coding error related to the subsequent coefficient groups from a cost.
US10171803B2

An image capturing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an image capturing unit, a display unit that displays an imaged picture imaged by the image capturing unit and a guide linearly shaped along a sagittal direction or a tangential direction in the imaged picture, the guide assisting imaging of a calibration image used for calibration in a point image restoration process, and a parameter calculation unit that calculates a parameter for the point image restoration process on the basis of the calibration image imaged by the image capturing unit with assistance from the guide.
US10171802B2

A calibration method for calibrating an attitude of a camera mounted on a vehicle using markers each arranged vertically and each positioned at a pre-designated height from a road surface. The method includes: a first process including shooting an image of the markers with the camera, thereby generating a two-dimensional image; a second process including converting the two-dimensional image into a bird's eye view image on a specific plane so that the bird's eye view image reflects the height of each of the markers; and a third process including calculating a parameter of the camera based on a position difference between the markers in the specific plane obtained in the second process.
US10171800B2

An I/O device, an I/O program, and an I/O method that can add a sense of distance from the position of visually recognizing eyes to a stereoscopic image that is a virtual image, through an object that is a real image and provide visual recognition as if the stereoscopic image were associated with the object are provided. An I/O device of the present invention includes a display device that can generate a stereoscopic image, a depth level sensor that measures a distance to an object, and an event generating unit that generates an event according to a mode of the object at least either in a stereoscopic region of the stereoscopic image generated by the display device or in a depth level detection region of the depth level sensor.
US10171793B2

An image capturing device is provided comprising an image sensor for capturing a first image of a scene, a light source for illuminating the scene with a first flash of coded light, and a network interface for communicating with a communications network and/or a further image capturing device. The device is operative to encode information into the first flash, enabling retrieval of the first image from a first data storage, capture the first image, and store the first image in the first data storage. Optionally, the device may be operative to detect a second flash of coded light emitted by the further image capturing device, decode information enabling retrieval of a second image captured by the further image capturing device from a second data storage, retrieve the second image, and create a 3D model from the first image and the second image.
US10171789B2

Apparatus and methods disclosed herein operate to monitor times of receipt of start-of-frame indications associated with frames received from multiple image sensors at a video controller. Time differences between the times of receipt of the frames are calculated. Embodiments herein alter one or more frame period determining parameter values associated with the image sensors if the time differences equal or exceed frame synchronization hysteresis threshold values. Parameter values are adjusted positively and/or negatively to decrease the time differences. The parameter values may be reset at each image sensor when the time differences become less than the frame synchronization hysteresis threshold value as additional frames are received at the video controller.
US10171788B2

A method to be performed by a playback device includes determining whether the playback device has a function for converting first graphics in a second luminance range narrower than a first luminance range to second graphics in the first luminance range, when the playback device has the function, converting the first graphics to the second graphics, and displaying a video in the first luminance range with the second graphics being superimposed on the video, and when the playback device does not have the function, displaying the video with third graphics different from the second graphics being superimposed on the video.
US10171787B2

The present technology relates to a reproduction device, reproduction method, and recording medium that enable graphics with an appropriate brightness to be displayed on a video having a wide dynamic range of brightness. A recording medium, on which the reproduction device of one aspect of the present technology performs reproduction, records coded data of an extended video that is a video having a first brightness range that is wider than a second brightness range, brightness characteristic information that represents a brightness characteristic of the extended video, and graphics data that is superimposed on the extended video and that has the second brightness range. The reproduction device converts a first pixel value of the graphics to a second pixel value in the brightness characteristic of the extended video represented by the brightness characteristic information, and synthesizes the extended video. The present technology can be applied to players that reproduce contents.
US10171786B2

This disclosure pertains to systems, methods, and computer readable media for performing lens shading correction (LSC) operations that modulate gains based on scene lux level and lens focus distance. These gains compensate for both color lens shading (i.e., the deviation between R, G, and B channels) and vignetting (i.e., the drop off in pixel intensity around the edges of an image). As scene illuminance increases, the sensor captures more signal from the actual scene, and the lens shading effects begin to appear. To deal with the situation, the lens shading gains are configured to adaptively ‘scale down’ when scene lux approaches zero and ‘scale up’ when scene lux changes from near zero to become larger. The lens shading gain may also be modulated based on the focus distance. For optical systems without zoom, the inventors have discovered that the amount of lens shading fall off changes as focus distance changes.
US10171782B2

An image sensor includes a plurality of non-color pixel sensors each configured to sense a non-color signal; and a color pixel sensing region including at least one color pixel sensor configured to sense a color signal, wherein the color pixel sensing region has an area physically greater than an area of each of the non-color pixel sensors.
US10171778B2

A liquid cooling apparatus has a chassis, a cover mounted on the chassis, and a dividing structure disposed in an inner chamber defined between the chassis and the cover. The dividing structure divides the inner chamber into a liquid inlet compartment and a liquid outlet compartment. The liquid inlet compartment communicates with the liquid outlet compartment via the recess. The liquid cooling apparatus can be installed on a first panel with the boss of the chassis mounted through a through hole of the first panel and thermally attached to a heat source on a second panel. A working fluid that flows into the liquid inlet compartment is forced to flow into the recess before flowing to the liquid outlet compartment by the dividing structure. Accordingly, heat generated by the heat source can be effectively dissipated.
US10171773B2

Disclosed aspects relate to dynamic video image management. A set of dynamic image quality factors may be collected with respect to a dynamic video image. A set of display parameter values may be determined based on the set of dynamic image quality factors. The set of display parameter values may be of a set of display parameter values for a set of computing assets. The set of display parameter values may be determined to benefit the set of dynamic image quality factors with respect to the dynamic video image. The set of computing assets may be configured using the set of display parameter values. The set of computing assets may be configured to benefit the set of dynamic image quality factors with respect to the dynamic video image.
US10171770B2

The system includes a display device causing a display unit to display video; a data transmission unit that transmits, to the display device, video data generated in a predetermined format based on information decoded from encoded information, and interpolation data for interpolating differences between the predetermined format and a format when decoding from the encoded information; an interpolation data selection unit that selects a kind of interpolation data to be transmitted to the display device, on the basis of priorities for a plurality of kinds of the interpolation data capable of being generated based on the encoded information; and a display processing unit that acquires the video data and the selected kind of the interpolation data in the display device, and causes the display unit to display video resulting from interpolation of the video data based on the interpolation data.
US10171767B2

The invention features an image reader and a corresponding method for capturing a sharp distortion free image of a target, such as a one or two-dimensional bar code. In one embodiment, the image reader comprises a two-dimensional CMOS based image sensor array, a timing module, an illumination module, and a control module. The time during which the target is illuminated is referred to as the illumination period. The capture of the image by the image sensor array is driven by the timing module that, in one embodiment, is able to simultaneously expose substantially all of the pixels in the array. The time during which the pixels are collectively activated to photo-convert incident light into charge defines the exposure period for the sensor array. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the exposure period occurs during the illumination period.
US10171757B2

Disclosed is an image capturing device that can easily perform image processing of visible light region and that of near infrared region, while utilizing a general image capturing device structure. The image capturing device comprises: a color filter that divides an incident light into a plurality of color lights; a photo sensor that converts the plurality of color lights as divided by the color filter to data representing image signals; a coded infrared cut filter that is placed before the color filter in the light proceeding direction or between the color filter and the photo sensor and that has infrared cut parts for cutting off near infrared lights and infrared passage parts for allowing near infrared lights to pass therethrough; and an image processing means that acquires a plurality of pieces of color information and a piece of near infrared information for each of a plurality of pixels on the basis of a plurality of image signals related to the lights having passed through the infrared cut parts and an image signal related to the light having passed through the infrared passage part for each of the pixel and adjacent pixels.
US10171752B2

An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging unit configured to continuously image a subject and generate moving image data of the subject; a display unit configured to display a moving image corresponding to the moving image data; a shooting controller configured to control the imaging unit to continuously image the subject in a moving image mode capable of connecting different pieces of the moving image data having different shooting time-points; a thumbnail generation unit configured to generate resized image data by performing resize processing of reducing a size of image data of at least one frame constituting the moving image data, and generate a thumbnail by combining a resized image corresponding to the resized image data with a template having a display area displaying information indicating that a different piece of the moving image data may be connected; and a display controller configured to display the thumbnail.
US10171750B2

The present technology relates to a solid-state image sensor, an imaging control method, a signal processing method, and an electronic apparatus that suppress the deterioration of image quality, which is caused by the difference of sensitivity between pixels. A solid-state image sensor includes: a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged, the plurality of pixels including a plurality of kinds of pixels, the plurality of kinds of pixels including a first pixel and a second pixel, the first pixel having the highest sensitivity, the second pixel having a sensitivity lower than the sensitivity of the first pixel; and a control unit that controls at least one of an analog gain and exposure time of/for the respective pixels depending on a ratio between the sensitivities of the first pixel and the second pixel. The present technology is applicable to a solid-state image sensor such as a CMOS image sensor.
US10171749B2

A fill light providing method includes obtaining an automatic exposure parameter of an image sensor and controlling a fill light lamp to provide a fill light based upon the automatic exposure parameter.
US10171748B2

An image pickup apparatus includes a microcomputer that sets, when a proper exposure time is longer than a frame period, one or more long exposure times equal to or shorter than the frame period and a short exposure time such that a total time of the one or more long exposure times and the short exposure time is equal to the proper exposure time, an image pickup device that outputs a long exposure image and a short exposure image for every frame period, and a cumulative addition processing section that adds the short exposure image and the long exposure image or long exposure images of one or more frames to generate a synthetic image corresponding to the proper exposure time.
US10171746B2

The drone comprises a camera (14), an inertial unit (46) measuring the drone angles, and an extractor module (52) delivering image data of a mobile capture area of reduced size dynamically displaced in a direction opposite to that of the variations of angle measured by the inertial unit. The module analyses the image data elements of the useful area to assign to each one a weighting coefficient representative of a probability of belonging to the sky, and defines dynamically a boundary of segmentation (F) of the useful area between sky and ground as a function of these weighting coefficients. Two distinct groups of regions of interest ROIs are defined, for the sky area and for the ground area, respectively, and the dynamic exposure control means are controlled as a function of the image data of the ROIs of one of these groups, in particular by excluding the ROIs of the sky area.
US10171743B2

An image pickup apparatus (10) includes an image sensor (102) which photoelectrically converts an optical image formed via an image pickup optical system to output image data, an estimator (104a) which estimates a luminance value of a saturated pixel of the image sensor based on a single image corresponding to the image data, a setter (104b) which sets an exposure parameter based on the luminance value, and a controller (107) which performs photography based on the exposure parameter.
US10171741B2

A mobile device and an eye-protection control method thereof are provided. The mobile device includes a display screen, an image capture unit, and a processer. The display screen is for displaying information. The image capture unit is for capturing a first image. The processer is coupled to the image capture unit to obtain the first image. The processer performs a human face detection to the first image to judge whether the first image has a human face information of a user. The processer counts a plurality of time periods when the first image has the human face information and adds up the time periods to a cumulative time, and the processer judges whether to perform an eye-protection operation through the cumulative time and a time threshold. Accordingly, the mobile device can remind the user to protect eyes and avoid overuse of the eyes.
US10171738B1

The subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods and systems for stabilizing video. A computing system determines a stabilized location of a facial feature in a frame of video accounting for its location in a previous frame. The computing system determines a physical camera pose in virtual space and maps the frame into virtual space. The computing system determines an optimized virtual camera pose using an optimization process that determines (1) a difference between the stabilized location of the facial feature and a location of the facial feature when viewed from a potential virtual camera pose, (2) a difference between the potential virtual camera pose and a previous virtual camera pose, and (3) a difference between the potential virtual camera pose and the physical camera pose. The computing system generates the stabilized view of the frame using the optimized virtual camera pose.
US10171736B2

A control unit 15 is provided at an imaging system 10. The control unit 15 controls a mode relating to imaging of an imaging apparatus according to posture determination information indicating at least posture of the imaging apparatus in a separation state between a fixation state in which the imaging apparatus and an information processing apparatus are fixed to each other and the separation state in which the imaging apparatus is separated from the information processing apparatus. For example, when a fixation/separation determining unit 91 of the imaging apparatus 20 determines that the imaging apparatus 20 and the information processing apparatus 60 are in the separation state, a control unit 45 controls the mode relating to imaging of the imaging apparatus 20 according to the posture determination information indicating the posture of the imaging apparatus 20. When the fixation/separation determining unit 91 of the information processing apparatus 60 determines that the imaging apparatus 20 and the information processing apparatus 60 are in the separation state, a control unit 85 controls the mode relating to imaging of the imaging apparatus 20 according to the posture determination information indicating the posture of the imaging apparatus 20. It is possible to easily set the mode relating to imaging.
US10171733B2

In a camera which electronically realizes panning, tilting, and zooming, on the basis of the luminance detected in each frame period (n−1), a condition of exposure for two frame periods thereafter (n+1), and digital gain for three frame periods thereafter (n+2) are set. When an instruction for changing the extracted region is received in a certain frame period (n−1), the region extracted from the image is changed three frame periods thereafter. It is possible to achieve a stable exposure control by which the luminance of the image varies little even when the region extracted from the image is switched.
US10171732B2

An image processing apparatus includes at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory. The at least one processor functions as a determiner configured to determine a weight coefficient that varies depending on a position in each of a plurality of parallax images, and an image generator configured to synthesize the plurality of parallax images based on the weight coefficient to generate an image. In addition, a sum of the weight coefficients of the plurality of parallax images is constant with respect to all positions in the plurality of parallax images.
US10171722B2

A lens unit and a rear-side focus adjustment system for infrared cameras capable of performing rear-side focus adjustments even when the position of the detection surface of an infrared sensor is unknown in an infrared camera. The lens unit is detachably mounted on a camera body that detects infrared light with an infrared sensor and converts the infrared light to an image signal, the lens unit including a focus adjustment lens and controller. The controller calculates a rear-side focus adjustment amount for causing a rear-side focus position to correspond to the detection surface based on an error between an actually measured focused position of the focus adjustment lens relative to an object at a particular object distance and a theoretically focused position of the focus adjustment lens calculated based on the object distance and controls the position of the focus adjustment lens based on the rear-side focus adjustment amount.
US10171719B1

Wireless headwear has a brim and a rechargeable power source and a receptacle for a detachable plug-in micro camera. A short-range component built into the brim sends data from the camera to external devices such as smartphones or tablets or potable video/music player. The device can eternally control the camera functions; including but not limited to zooming, taking a snapshot, recoding a video, lighten and darken image, increase/decrease pixels, compression of data. A FIFO video buffer of a predetermined duration and an instant save button preserve the contents of the FIFO video buffer upon activation of the instant save button. A processor preserves the contents of the FIFO video buffer during a selected duration dependent on how much time has passed since any previous operation of the instant save button.
US10171710B2

In order to eliminate timing offset between reproduction devices when a content transmitted from a distribution device is received and reproduced by a plurality of reproduction devices, data (SCR) indicating the elapsed time from the start of the content, generated by counting clock pulses, and data (FCR) indicating a frame number generated by counting the number of frames reproduced by a decoder (54) are transmitted by the distribution device, and a clock generation unit (103) in each reproduction device is controlled so that data (STC) indicating the elapsed time and data (FTC) indicating the frame number, which are generated in the same manner by each reproduction device, match the transmitted data (SCR, FCR). Synchronization between reproduction devices can thereby be established even when, in a state in which a content is being reproduced by one reproduction device, another reproduction device subsequently connects to the distribution device.
US10171708B2

An original image is read as an aggregate of a plurality of pixels in which adjacent pixels have different colors (R, G, and B) in a main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction, and the read pixels of the respective colors are stored in a line memory in association with information on relative positions of the pixels with respect to another pixel. Then, the stored pixels are sorted so that pixels having the same color are adjacent to each other, and an abnormal pixel (dust) not present in the original image is detected based on the state of the sorted pixels. With this, the dust not present in the original image is detected without increasing the cost, and the dust is corrected without forming a conspicuous trace of correction.
US10171703B2

A mobile apparatus includes a user interface configured to allow a user to select an image scan apparatus, a communication interface configured to transmit a scan command to the selected image scan apparatus and receive a plurality of image data from the selected image scan apparatus via a streaming method, and a controller configured to generate a scan image using the plurality of image data.
US10171698B2

An image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of service applications for providing respective services, in a state enabling a selected one of the service applications to be automatically started from a terminal apparatus. An image forming apparatus capable of performing printing includes a NFC unit. An NFC controller generates data to be read out by an external apparatus, according to selection of one of a plurality of applications. The NFC controller writes the generated data into the NFC unit.
US10171693B2

An apparatus can include a frame having a first side and a second side spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the first side by a third side that interconnects and extends longitudinally between the first side and the second side. The third side can define a portion of a media path. A surface of the third side includes a calibration area in the media path, the calibration area extending from an input edge to an exit edge in a media path direction that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the third side. A plurality of bars can protrude outwardly from the surface of the third side in the calibration area. Each of the bars extends in the media path direction and has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge.
US10171689B2

The image forming system comprises an accessory device and an image forming apparatus, the accessory device for storing device identification information for identifying its own device, and the image forming apparatus to which the accessory device is connected. The image forming apparatus stores the device identification information of the accessory device included in the image forming system. Further, the image forming apparatus receives a participation notification which requires participating in the image forming system from a new accessory device including the device identification information. If the device identification information included in the received participation notification is not stored, the image forming apparatus stores the information. If already stored, the image forming apparatus discards the participation notification.
US10171680B1

A system for customizing time limits for inmate communications in a correctional facility is disclosed. The system includes a profile subsystem that stores an inmate profile of the inmate and a communication processing subsystem comprising one or more processors configured to receive data of an inmate communication of an inmate, identify a type of communication device of the inmate and a call recipient of the inmate communication based on the data of the inmate communication, retrieve the inmate profile of the inmate form the profile subsystem, identify a plurality of behaviors of the inmate based on the inmate profile, determine a time limit based on at least one of the type of communication device, the call recipient of the inmate communication, and the plurality of behaviors of the inmate, and assign the time limit to the inmate communication of the inmate.
US10171671B1

A method of routing a communication of a customer to an appropriate service representative includes, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, identifying, within a database stored to a server, a customer account associated with the customer. The method also includes analyzing a data fingerprint saved to the customer account, where the data fingerprint comprises data indicative of a plurality of life events associated with the customer. The method also includes determining, via a switch, the appropriate service representative based on the analyzing of the data fingerprint.
US10171669B2

A system and method for enhanced interaction processing in a contact center that includes routing interactions based on adaptable business objectives. A processor detects a pending interaction with a customer. The processor identifies first and second objectives of the contact center in response to detecting the pending interaction, where the first objective is identified as more important to the contact center than the second objective. The processor identifies a first agent for handling the first objective, and determines a likelihood of success of the first agent in achieving the first objective. The processor identifies a second agent for handling the second objective, and determines a likelihood of success of the second agent in achieving the second objective. In the event that the likelihood of success in achieving the second objective by the second agent is higher than the likelihood of success of achieving the first objective by the first agent, the processor transmits instructions to route the pending interaction to the second agent. The processor also prompts the second agent to pursue the second objective.
US10171659B2

A customer portal of an intelligent automated agent for a contact center is provided. The customer portal is configured to run on a processor coupled to a non-transitory storage device. The customer portal includes a customer profile module configured to access a profile for a customer from a customer profile database stored on the storage device, and a customer emotion and mood detection module configured to detect emotions and moods of the customer during an interaction between the customer and the contact center. The intelligent automated agent is configured to run on the processor, take part in the interaction between the customer and the contact center, adjust its behavior in the interaction by factoring in the accessed profile for the customer and the detected emotions and moods of the customer during the interaction, and update the accessed profile on the storage device to reflect the interaction.
US10171655B2

A system for assembling a business process or a portion thereof includes a rules base containing executable rules and defined business process elements, a workflow orchestration engine, and at least one interface available to a process beneficiary. Information known about and or provided by a process beneficiary interacting with the at least one interface is used to execute one or more of the rules causing assembly of a new business process or a portion thereof according to workflow orchestration rules the new or modified process directing servicing of the process beneficiary accordingly.
US10171653B1

Receiving and processing customer support calls initiated from a mobile/wireless device via a call function or via a mobile device application may include various operations. For instance, an example method of operation may provide receiving a service request from a mobile device, requesting a temporary telephone number to be assigned to a subsequent call to be placed from the mobile device, creating a database record with an identifier of the mobile device and the temporary telephone number, transmitting the temporary telephone number to the mobile device, receiving an automated call to the temporary telephone number from the mobile device, and connecting the mobile device with a remote call recipient.
US10171650B2

An anti-distracted driving system comprises a plurality of transceivers at different locations within a vehicle. Each of the transceivers is operable to receive a signal from a mobile communication device and to output a detection signal indicative of the strength of the received signal. A controller in communication with the transceivers is operable to calculate a corresponding distance of the mobile communication device for each of the detection signals and to determine a location of the mobile communication device within the vehicle based on the distances. The controller can send a signal from a transceiver to a mobile communication device in response to determining that the mobile communication device is near a driver's seat, the signal causing at least one function of the mobile communication device to be inhibited.
US10171647B2

A first aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for mobile application, including a frequency spectrum generator for generating a frequency spectrum of radio waves at a current position of the apparatus and a classifier for classifying the frequency spectrum such that the frequency spectrum is assigned to one of at least two classes. A second aspect of the invention relates to a frequency spectrum generator with a tunable local oscillator, with a downmixer for downmixing a received antenna signal with the local oscillator signal for obtaining a downmixed signal, with a filter for filtering out a mirror-frequency portion in the downmixed signal, with a signal level detector for detecting a signal level of the downmixed signal at an intermediate frequency and with a control for sequentially controlling the local oscillator and the signal level detector to sample a frequency spectrum of the antenna signal.
US10171637B2

The present application discloses a mobile apparatus includes a light emitting unit, a touch sensor unit, a display panel and a control circuit; wherein the light emitting unit providing backlight to the display panel, the touch sensor unit is disposed on the light emitting unit and electrically connected to the control circuit. The present application is by disposing the touch sensor unit on the light-emitting unit and electrically connected to the control circuit, so that the mobile apparatus does not need to additional provide a FPC need to be adhesive to the cover plate to dispose the touch sensor unit, to save the cost and eliminate the adhesion process.
US10171632B2

An approach is provided for controlling a rate at which requests from a client computer will be received by a server application executed on a server computer. Requests are received by the server computer at different times from the client computer and time intervals between different pairs of successive requests are measured. The server computer determines that each time interval is within a predefined range of time intervals. Based on each time interval being within the predefined range, the server computer determines and blocks a denial of service attack or an overload of requests from the client computer.
US10171622B2

Systems, methods, and computer program products to perform an operation comprising receiving, by a Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) server from an application executing on a mobile device, a request to access content, identifying a set of objects as responsive to the request, determining a respective priority for each object in the set of objects, wherein the priority of each object is based at least in part on a context of the mobile device, and transmitting at least one object in the set of objects according to the determined priorities of each object.
US10171619B2

Analyzing network traffic includes identifying, by a computer related to an enterprise, an endpoint outside of the enterprise of a network connection between a resource of the enterprise and the endpoint; and autonomically determining, by the computer related to the enterprise, when the endpoint is associated with a cloud service provider. An indication that the endpoint is associated with the cloud service provider can then be stored by the computer related to the enterprise.
US10171614B2

A computer-implemented method for cache memory management in a distributed computing environment includes tracking, via a cache balancing engine, a plurality of vehicles operating in a first region. The method further includes executing, via the cache balancing engine, an analysis for a subset of the plurality of vehicles in the first region to determine a weighted mean velocity for each vehicle in the subset of the plurality of vehicles in the first region. The method further includes determining, via the cache balancing engine, based on the analysis, whether a second regional server tracking a second plurality of vehicles in a second region is likely to have an unbalanced cache memory, and rebalancing, via the cache balancing engine, cache memory data in the first regional server and cache memory data in the second regional server responsive to determining that the second regional server is likely to have an unbalanced cache memory.
US10171608B2

There is described a system for modifying messages having an archive format in a communications network, the communications network comprising a first network device, a second network device and a third network device. The system comprises receiving, at the first network device, a message, the message sent from the second network device for receipt by the third network device; selectively modifying, at the first network device, content of the received message that is in an archive format, based on a determination that the content can be optimized, sending the received message with the optimized content to the third network device.
US10171606B2

System and method embodiments are provided for implementing Data as a Service (DaaS). The system is implemented using a client side library, on a user device, and a server or proxy server to extract relevant data from relevant data sources, and process the data before returning results to the client. The client sends a user query to the proxy server, which then sends sub-queries and receive responses from multiple data sources in real-time or near real-time. The system also uses a data model that handles varying data reliability or accuracy levels in heterogeneous data sources and indicates the confidence levels in the data provided to a user or client application. The data model assigns different confidence levels for various data to distinguish between high quality data and low quality data. Thus, users are provided with more information from multiple sources without diluting high quality data with low quality data.
US10171603B2

A computer-implemented method includes steps for identifying a plurality of similar users that are similar to a target user, and providing a notification to the target user, the notification comprising a suggested action for the target user. In certain aspects, a method of the subject technology can further include steps for providing comparison information to the target user, wherein the comparison information includes participation information regarding participation for the plurality of similar users, with respect to the suggested action.
US10171594B2

In an example, there is disclosed a system and method for providing a service-oriented architecture, including request/response, over a publish/subscribe framework. In one embodiment, a system is disclosed for adding layers upon a publish/subscribe messaging framework for sophisticated messaging such as point-to-point (request/response) and the ability to query for available services, in a reliable, scalable manner.
US10171585B2

Provided are a method, a system, and a computer program product in which a computational device stores a first part of data in a first cloud storage maintained by a first entity. A second part of the data is stored in a second cloud storage maintained by a second entity.
US10171581B2

Multi-user collaborative software applications may synchronize data between multiple users or multiple devices. There are multiple existing ways to synchronize data. Some of these synchronization methods, such as file locking, are easy to implement but have performance or functionality drawbacks. Operational transformation (OT) is a high performance synchronization method, but difficult and time-consuming to implement in many cases, and cannot be partially implemented throughout a system. Methods and systems provide for blending operational transformation with other synchronization methods in the same collaborative software application, allowing operational transformation to be used in situations where it cannot be implemented throughout a system.
US10171577B2

A local area networking method includes a receiving by a system server unique identifiers associated with the first mobile device and other devices of a local area network. The system server correlates a listing of user identifiers and user profiles with the unique identifiers received from the first mobile device. The system server then communicates the listing of user identifiers and user profiles correlated with the unique identifiers to the first mobile device. A user of the first mobile device is thereby permitted to view the user identifiers and user profiles relating to the other devices registered with the system server, including the other devices in the local area network. The system server may further receive a geographical location of the local area network from the first mobile device, and associate one of a data file and an executable file from the first mobile device with the geographical location.
US10171576B2

The present disclosure provides a method for interaction between terminals, implemented by a first terminal. The method includes: acquiring to-be-sent data; sending the to-be-sent data to a second terminal; displaying a display interface; monitoring whether first operation information from the second terminal is received, the first operation information including a processing operation received by the second terminal after the second terminal outputs the to-be-sent data and performed by a user of the second terminal on the to-be-sent data; and updating the display interface according to the first operation information once the first operation information sent by the second terminal is received. The present disclosure further provides an apparatus and a system for interaction between terminals. According to the present disclosure, data can be exchanged between terminals in real time, thereby improving interactivity between users of the terminals.
US10171568B2

A selecting system selects, among controllers controlling a session between communication terminals, a controller to be connected to a communication terminal. The selecting system includes a state management unit, a load management unit, an accepting unit, a calculating unit, and a selecting unit. The state management unit manages, for each controller, state information indicating a state of communication of a communication terminal connected to the controller. The load management unit manages, for each state of communication, load information indicating a degree of load. The accepting unit accepts a connection request to the controller from a communication terminal not connected to the controller. The calculating unit calculates, for each controller, the degree of load related to the control based on the state information and the load information. The selecting unit selects a controller to be connected to the communication terminal as a connection requester terminal based on the degree of load.
US10171566B2

The present invention relates to a server-processor hybrid system that comprises (among other things) a set (one or more) of front-end servers (e.g., mainframes) and a set of back-end application optimized processors. Moreover, implementations of the invention provide a server and processor hybrid system and method for distributing and managing the execution of applications at a fine-grained level via an I/O-connected hybrid system. This method allows one system to be used to manage and control the system functions, and one or more other systems to co-processor.
US10171557B2

The media stream processing device between a plurality of media terminals (UA, UB, UC, UD) and a processing unit (UV) over a communication network. The processing unit (UV) is capable of sending a media stream transmission pause/resume command signal in the format of a RTP/RTCP real-time communication protocol or equivalent intended for at least one media terminal in response to a chosen event.
US10171556B2

Systems and methods for transferring a public announcement message to an onboard public announcement system (OPAS) installed on a vehicle using a personal electronic device. The personal electronic device establishes a wireless network connection to the OPAS to transmit a public announcement message stored on a personal electronic device. The personal electronic device transmits the public announcement message to the OPAS via the wireless network connection. The personal electronic device may download messages from a remote public announcement server for transfer to the OPAS. The personal electronic device may also record messages and control the playback of messages on the OPAS.
US10171550B1

The present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and methods of scanning a response to a first HTTP request for a web page in order to identify a web object for prefetching, and using a static tracker to identify and improve results. In one potential alternative embodiment, after a response is scanned a web object may be prefetched to a proxy server prior to a browser requesting the web object. The proxy server may observe one or more HTTP requests that are associated with the response to the first HTTP request for the web page and measure the success of the prefetching. After success is measured for the specific instance of the web object and the web page, a success rate for prefetching or not prefetching the web object as associated with the web page may be updated.
US10171539B2

A special rendering mode for the first few seconds of play out of multimedia data minimizes the delay caused by pre-buffering of data packets in multimedia streaming applications. Instead of pre-buffering all incoming data packets until a certain threshold is reached, the streaming application starts playing out some of the data packets immediately after the arrival of the first data packet. Immediate play out of the first data packet, for example, results in minimum delay between channel selection and perception, thereby allowing a user to quickly scan through all available channels to quickly get a notion of the content. The immediate play out is done at a reduced speed.
US10171537B2

A dynamic secure mobile network is provided to enable the transfer and storage of private data. The dynamic secure mobile network can provide secured communication channels that segregates different types of data and allows for protected data streams to be sent via different secured channels than non-protected data. The enhanced wireless mobile network can support consistent compliancy/privacy and security policies across all networks.
US10171534B2

Systems, devices and methods are provided to support placeshifting of adaptive media streams. A home device acts as an intermediary that passes requests for segments of an adaptive stream from a remote device to a content source. The content source responds with the requested segments, which are forwarded to the remote device. A connection service may be provided to facilitate placeshifting sessions between home and remote devices.
US10171532B2

An apparatus is provided for detecting the presence of multimedia content in one or more transactions and for classifying the multimedia content in the one or more transactions. The apparatus can include a traffic processor configured to acquire one or more handshake messages associated with the transactions. The apparatus can also include a multimedia detector configured to determine a domain name requested by a specific terminal based on the one or more handshake messages, and to detect the presence of the multimedia content data in the transactions using the determined domain name. The detection of the presence of the multimedia content can be used for at least one of optimizing or reporting of the multimedia content before the multimedia content is provided to the specific terminal.
US10171529B2

A vehicle communication system and method for allowing a user device to stream content to a vehicle display is provided. The communication system receives a request from the user device, approves or denies a user request to connect to the vehicle display, and facilitates streaming of an application running on the user device to the vehicle display.
US10171524B2

Techniques for establishing a screen sharing session are described. Consistent with some embodiments, a web conferencing application executing at a mobile computing device enables a user to specify the identity of a remote computer. The identity of the remote computer is communicated to a web conferencing service, directing the server operating the web conferencing service to establish a remote desktop connection with the remote computer. Once established, the web conferencing service receives from the remote computer a stream of information representing a user interface of the remote computer, and then broadcasts the user interface to all computing devices participating in the web conferencing session, while enabling the mobile computing device to manipulate the user interface of the remote computer.
US10171520B2

An already-connected telephone call is conferenced in a seamless manner that is transparent to the call participants, after which one or more additional participants may join the conference. The existing call is preferably moved to a conference bridge responsive to an existing call participant either logging on to a network-accessible user interface (such as a web page or portal-type page) or entering some special key or key combination using the participant's phone (which may be a software application that provides phone-like services). The participant requesting the move may be authenticated, and the authorization of the participant to request the move may be verified, before moving the call.
US10171519B2

A device may be configured to establish a session for communicating data between a first user device and a server device. The device may monitor the data communicated via the session. The device may store session information based on monitoring the session. The session information may include information for transferring the session with the server device to a second user device. The device may receive a request to transfer the session from the second user device. The device may send the session information to the second user device causing the session to be transferred from the first user device to the second user device. The device may establish the same session for communicating the data between the second user device and the server device.
US10171518B2

The invention proposes controlling a media session involving a plurality of media streams within a communications network, wherein the communications network comprises a media resource node (106) and a media control node controlling (102) the media resource node, wherein the media control node performs a method of determining that selected media streams out of the plurality of media streams are associated to each other in a media session, transmitting to the media resource node (106) an instruction to group the selected media streams of the media session, and transmitting to the media resource node (106) an instruction to prepare for performing an action with respect to the selected media streams. The invention further proposes a corresponding method to be performed in a media resource node (106), corresponding nodes (102, 106) and corresponding computer programs.
US10171510B2

A cybersecurity system is provided that sums and scores one or more cybersecurity controls for different client computing systems that each have different attributes, needs, and interests. In addition, the cybersecurity system provides to each different client computing system auto-suggestions that suggest one or more ways in which the client computing system may improve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information stored on the client computing system and/or improve the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the underlying characteristics of the client computing system. In addition, the cybersecurity system verifies that the functioning of the client computing system has improved.
US10171506B2

Systems and methods for managing users' local security policies based on social media network information are provided. According to one embodiment, a network security appliance of a private network receives authentication request from a client machine and provides a social login interface of a social media network to the client machine. After a user of the client machine is authenticated by the social media network through a personal social media network account of the user, the network security appliance receives an authentication and a user profile of the user from the social media network. The network security appliance extracts social relationship information from the user profile and determines a local network security policy for the user based on the social relationship information.
US10171500B2

Embodiments of a system, apparatus, and method of platform security are describe. In some embodiments, a system comprises a manageability engine to detect if a software agent of the platform is removed and a software agent enclave, wherein the software agent enclave and manageability engine each include a specific session key to be used for communications between the software agent enclave and the manageability engine.
US10171490B2

The system and method described herein may leverage active network scanning and passive network monitoring to provide strategic anti-malware monitoring in a network. In particular, the system and method described herein may remotely connect to managed hosts in a network to compute hashes or other signatures associated with processes running thereon and suspicious files hosted thereon, wherein the hashes may communicated to a cloud database that aggregates all known virus or malware signatures that various anti-virus vendors have cataloged to detect malware infections without requiring the hosts to have a local or resident anti-virus agent. Furthermore, running processes and file system activity may be monitored in the network to further detect malware infections. Additionally, the network scanning and network monitoring may be used to detect hosts that may potentially be participating in an active botnet or hosting botnet content and audit anti-virus strategies deployed in the network.
US10171485B2

Approaches for providing security in a networked computing environment are provided. The method includes detecting, by at least one computer device, a breach of a first system in the networked computing environment. The method also includes identifying a second system in the in the networked computing environment as an at-risk system based on a proximity of the second system to the first system. The method additionally includes re-generating, by the at least one computer device, the second system as a new system at a new location in the networked computing environment. The method further includes converting, by the at least one computer device, the second system to a decoy system.
US10171481B2

A security method that includes assigning a sensitivity value for a communication with a sensitivity determining module including at least one hardware processor. Following assignment of the sensitivity value to the communication, the communication is formatted for display. When sensitivity value exceeds a security threshold, the communication is parsed into a sequence of fragments. The communication is transmitted as the sequence of fragments when said sensitivity value exceeds the security threshold.
US10171473B2

A set of context profiles containing profile content rules for filtering which content within a set of personal productivity applications (such as e-mail, chat, calendar, and contacts applications) is accessible by a user. Content rules support filtering content by, for example, content originator, and/or subject matter. The context profiles are centrally maintained for control of integrated, non-integrated, and/or independently administered personal productivity applications.
US10171468B2

An application permissions processing system and method for processing application permission requests is provided. The method includes the steps of detecting that an application has been downloaded to a computing system, receiving one or more permission requests from the application for resources located on the computing system, determining that at least one of the one or more permission requests is a required permission of the application, prompting the user to decide the one or more permission requests, receiving a denial of the required permission from the user, in response to the prompting, and responding to the application by providing spoofed resources to the application to satisfy the required permission of the application.
US10171466B2

A wireless system receives a registration from a user device and transfers a request for the user device to an authorization server. The authorization server authorizes a user session for the user device and transfers a common identifier for the user session to the wireless system. The wireless system receives the common identifier and transfers a registration for the user device to an application node. The application node receives the registration and transfers a request for the user device to the authorization server. The authorization server authorizes a user application for the user device and transfers the common identifier for the user application to the application node. The wireless communication system tracks the user session and transfers user session data records having the common identifier. The application node tracks the user application and transfers user application data records having the common identifier.
US10171454B2

A method for generating a changing authentication input or password generation input for a user is provided. The method allows access to a computing device such as a smartphone or computer or using the computing device to communicate over a network to a server. Using recognizable objects displayed in positions on a graphic display, and input strings of text or alphanumeric characters the user has identified as related information relating to each recognizable object, a password or authentication can be generated by combining the input strings relating recognizable objects to paired related objects. Authentication can be varied easily for each access attempt by changing the recognizable objects displayed and/or the sequence of responses.
US10171452B2

A client seeking to establish a cryptographically-secure channel to a server has an associated public key acceptance policy. The policy specifies a required number of certificates that must be associated with the server's public key, as well as one or more conditions associated with those certificates, that must be met before the client “accepts” the server's public key. The one or more conditions typically comprise a trust function that must be satisfied before a threshold level of trust of the client is met. A representative public key acceptance policy would be that certificate chains for the public key are valid and non-overlapping with different root CAs, and that some configurable number of those chains be present. The technique may be implemented within the context of an existing client-server SSL/TLS handshake.
US10171449B2

Provided are an account login method and an apparatus. A first account is associated with a second account, and information of a login target corresponding to the second account is configured. A login request for using the first account to log in to the login target corresponding to the second account is received. Login configuration information of the second account is retrieved based on an association relation between the first account and the second account. Login configuration information of the second account is sent to the login target corresponding to the second account; and the login target corresponding to the second account is logged in to according to the login configuration information of the second account.
US10171443B2

The accessibility of a hyperlinked files is displayed. A hyperlink that references a resource is extracted from a target file. An attempt to acquire the resource is made by performing a first authentication operation. A first object is received in response to performing the authentication operation. A second object is acquired by performing a second authentication operation using pre-determined authentication information. The first object and the second object are compared to determine if the first object is the same as the second object. Information indicating the accessibility of the resource is presented via a display apparatus.
US10171434B2

Managed device scatternet administration is described herein. In one example, to form a scatternet of managed devices, a network entry request including a unique device identifier and a public key is received from a client device. The public key is validated and the structure of the scatternet is examined to find an opening for the client device. After validation of the public key, network access data and a session key are encrypted by the public key and forwarded to the client device. The client device can use the network access data to find a network sublayer having the opening in the scatternet. At the same time, client admission data and the session key can also be sent to a sublayer propagator device of the network sublayer. After the client device enters the scatternet, management configuration data can be dispatched to it for device management.
US10171432B2

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable medium are provided to secure data centers and cloud computing. A method receives network identifiers for functions, requests a network key for each function, allocates network interfaces, requests a virtual network interface controller allocation, requests a network key for each cloud function, receives storage identifiers for functions, requests a storage key for each cloud function, allocates virtual storage disks, requests a storage interface controller allocation, requests a storage key for each cloud function. Methods secure migration of a virtual machine from a source to a target server. A server includes multiple cores where each core is dedicated to a compute function and a unique key encrypts data of each compute function. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encodes programs that execute the above methods.
US10171431B2

A method and system for secure message handling of an application across deployment locations. The application is divided into multiple processing nodes which process messages and can be deployed in multiple different locations. The application is analyzed to identify processing nodes referencing given data aspects having deployment constraints. It is ascertained whether one or more data aspects of the given data aspects are accessed by an identified processing node. If so, a restriction is determined for the identified processing node based on the deployment constraints of the accessed one or more data aspects and the identified processing node of the application is deployed according to the determined restriction for the identified processing node. If not, the identified processing node or a preceding processing node is marked to indicate a required tokenization of the one or more data aspects, wherein the tokenization removes the deployment constraints for the identified processing node.
US10171423B1

A device may receive a set of packets. The device may select a first one or more packets, of the set of packets, for a Layer 7 (L-7) inspection based on a type of network traffic associated with the set of packets. The device may perform the L-7 inspection on the first one or more packets. The device may determine contextual information associated with the first one or more packets based on the L-7 inspection. The device may offload a second one or more packets, of the set of packets, for a Layer 4 (L-4) inspection without performing the L-7 inspection based on the contextual information associated with the first one or more packets.
US10171418B2

A method for accessing a demilitarized zone (DMZ) host in a local access network (LAN) includes: configuring a mapping relationship between public IP addresses obtained from a wide area network (WAN) side and private IP addresses of demilitarized zone hosts at a LAN side; after receiving an access request sent by a client at the WAN side, modifying a destination IP address in the access request to the private IP address of a corresponding demilitarized zone host at the LAN side according to the configured mapping relationship, and sending the modified access request to the demilitarized zone host; receiving a reply message returned by the demilitarized zone host, modifying a source IP address contained in the reply message to a public IP address of a client at the WAN side, and sending the modified reply message to the WAN side. The present document also discloses a corresponding apparatus.
US10171415B2

Embodiments relate to systems, devices, and computer-implemented methods for characterizing domain names by determining a name server switching footprint for domain names using a data set corresponding to name server operations for the domain names. The domain names can be clustered into groups based on the name server switching footprints, and intended uses of domain names in a group can be extrapolated to other domain names in the group. Name server switching footprints can also be predicted for new domains names using a prediction model trained using the determined name server switching footprints for the domain names in the data set.
US10171413B2

An e-mail system is disclosed that overcomes many deficiencies of, but is backward compatible with, existing e-mail systems. Embodiments of the system may include various features, including but not limited to: (1) secure transfer of e-mail messages, without the need for users to replace existing e-mail clients or to change e-mail addresses; (2) tracking of all actions performed in connection with an e-mail transmission; (3) the ability for a recipient to view information about an e-mail message, optionally including information about how other addressees have responded to it, before deciding whether to retrieve the e-mail message; (4) the aggregation of entire e-mail conversations into a single threaded view; (5) the ability to include both private and public messages in a single e-mail communication; (6) sender control over downstream actions performed in connection with an e-mail message; (7) flexible control over cryptographic methods used to encrypt emails messages for storage.
US10171412B2

A computer receives an out of office status a user has indicated on an email application, the email application using a communications network and determines a quota status of the user based on a previous quota usage pattern and a current quota usage pattern, wherein the quota includes an amount of storage spaced allotted to the user. The computer receives a new email to be delivered to the user and assigns a quota status to the new email. In response to the assigned quota status, the computer determines when the new email should be delivered to the email application of the user. As soon as the sender enters the name(s) of the recipients, the quota usage monitoring engine retrieves the quota status information from the recipients mail box. The engine determines if the new email should be sent out from the senders outbox and dropped to recipients mail box.
US10171408B2

A method for following asynchronous and synchronous productivity application communications includes providing, by an update processor, a targeted medium with a notification for changes associated with the productivity application communication based on a promotion of the productivity application communication to the targeted medium. The update processor further receives subscriptions for receiving update notifications through the targeted medium for the changes associated with the productivity application communication.
US10171403B2

A method (and structure) for developing a linguistic profile of a message to be transmitted, using a processor on a computer. The linguistic profile is compared with at least one linguistic profile of messages previously transmitted to other persons.
US10171392B1

A computer-implemented method (and non-transitory media) are provided, comprising at least a portion of an instant messaging application that is configured to cooperate with an apparatus, the instant messaging application, when executed, configured to cause a device to: display an instant messaging interface including: a text entry user interface element for receiving entered text, one or more user interface elements for generating requests that are valid according to a criterion schema defining at least one of a format or a vocabulary, the one or more user interface elements including: a first menu item with corresponding first text.
US10171385B1

System communications tailored to individual users may be dynamically provided responsive to trigger events in a virtual space. System communications may be sent if (1) triggered by trigger events in the virtual space, and (2) selected based on user state that is separate and discrete from the trigger events. Trigger events may include specific user actions, such as registering as a user in the virtual space. Current states may be obtained responsive to trigger events occurring. A given current state may include (1) a frequency of engagement by the first user in the virtual space, (2) an amount of real-world money spent toward the virtual space, and/or (3) total time spent by a user while engaged in gameplay in the virtual space. An individual system communication is selected and provided for presentation to a user responsive to an individual current state corresponding to the individual system communication.
US10171379B2

Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for the dynamic adjustment of a service level agreement (SLA) for a hosted computing environment based upon application capabilities. The method includes specifying in a user interface to the hosted computing environment one or more application components of an application to be hosted within the hosted computing environment. Thereafter, a resource utilization capability is determined for one of the components and a set of resource utilization options for an SLA for the application is filtered based upon the resource utilization capability of the component or components. One of the filtered set of options can be selected and the application is executed in the hosted computing environment. Finally, the utilization of resources accessible to the application is managed based upon the SLA during the execution of the application in the hosted computing environment.
US10171377B2

An approach is provided for orchestrating computing resources between different computing environments. Data from first and second computing environments is monitored. The data specifies utilization of infrastructure, middleware, software testing tools, integrated development environments (IDEs), relationships among nodes, utilization of the nodes, and user behavior in the first and second computing environments. Based on the utilization of the infrastructure, middleware, tools, IDEs, node relationships and utilization, and user behavior, a pattern decision tree is updated. Based on the updated pattern decision tree and a user request that specifies requirements of the computing resources, an orchestration topology is generated that specifies a placement of the computing resources in the first and second computing environments. Based on the orchestration topology, computing resource(s) are automatically deployed in the first computing environment and other computing resource(s) are automatically deployed in the second computing environment.
US10171369B2

A buffer node and method of buffering packet data units are provided. The buffer node comprises a receive interface configured to receive a complex queue configuration and to receive packet data units, a buffer configured to implement a queue graph configuration associated with the complex queue configuration to buffer incoming packets into queues, and a send interface configured to send the dequeued incoming packets to a destination node. The queue graph configuration comprises at least one classifier configured to determine a classification type for an incoming packet, at least two queues configured to store incoming packets, and at least one dequeuer configured to select a queue from the at least two queues to be dequeued and to apply a dequeueing function on that selected queue. The method comprises a buffer node receiving a complex queue configuration from a configuration entity, receiving a plurality of packet data units from at least one the packet source node, and sending each incoming packet to one of the at least two queues based on the queue graph configuration. The complex queue configuration is associated with a queue graph configuration for buffering packet data units.
US10171360B2

A system detection method and apparatus. Throughput and response time of a system are acquired. Throughput reflects the number of requests processed by the system that are received from outside the system. The response time reflects time required to process requests from outside the system. A system performance characteristic parameter based on the throughput and response time is obtained and used to describe congestion of the system to determine bottlenecks in the system by at least obtaining system performance characteristic parameter based on the throughput and the response time and conducting noise filtering on the system performance characteristic parameter. A bottleneck is determined based on the noise filtered system performance characteristic parameter. The system detection method and apparatus allow detecting a bottleneck and flow control are provided in a simple and effective way to ensure that requests are processed in time.
US10171359B2

A cellular network is provided. The cellular network includes a plurality of control plane transceiver stations, each one configured to provide radio coverage over a corresponding first coverage area for allowing user equipment within said first coverage area to exchange signaling traffic with the control plane transceiver station. For each control plane transceiver station, the cellular network further comprises one or more hybrid transceiver stations located within the corresponding first coverage area. Each hybrid transceiver station is configured to be switched between: a) a user operation modality that allows user equipment within said user coverage area to exchange user traffic with the hybrid transceiver station, and b) a control operation modality that provides radio coverage over a corresponding control coverage area for allowing user equipment within said control coverage area to exchange at least signaling traffic with the hybrid transceiver station.
US10171358B2

Systems and methods for port congestion resiliency in a Link Aggregation Group (LAG) including a multi-card LAG and/or a multi-switch LAG. A method includes receiving a packet for egress over the LAG; responsive to determining no congestion over internal ports not part of the LAG, hashing with all member ports in the LAG in a distribution state; and, responsive to determining congestion over the internal ports, hashing with only member ports on a local card in which the packet was received, wherein the hashing determines which member port the packet egresses from in the LAG. The multi-card LAG includes multiple cards where packets ingress and egress from, and the cards communicate via a backplane port which is not part of the LAG. The multi-switch LAG includes multiple chassis where packets ingress and egress from, and the chassis communicate via an inter-switch connectivity port which is not part of the LAG.
US10171354B2

Provided is a communication processing system including a response time measuring unit, a routing unit, and a communication route setting unit. The response time measuring unit measures a response time on a communication route between one or more communication apparatuses. The routing unit controls a communication route between the one or more communication apparatuses, based on the first communication route information to which a communication route between communication apparatuses is set. The communication route setting unit sets, based on the measured response time, a first communication route on which communication data related to a certain communication between communication apparatuses is transferred, to the first communication route information. The communication route setting unit sets, a communication route being different from the first communication route, on which communication data related to a communication other than the certain communication is transferred, to the first communication route information.
US10171353B2

Systems and methods for supporting dual-port virtual router in a high performance computing environment. In accordance with an embodiment, a dual port router abstraction can provide a simple way for enabling subnet-to-subnet router functionality to be defined based on a switch hardware implementation. A virtual dual-port router can logically be connected outside a corresponding switch port. This virtual dual-port router can provide an InfiniBand specification compliant view to a standard management entity, such as a Subnet Manager. In accordance with an embodiment, a dual-ported router model implies that different subnets can be connected in a way where each subnet fully controls the forwarding of packets as well as address mappings in the ingress path to the subnet.
US10171347B2

A transfer path between a sensor and a data processing server is partitioned into at least a first transfer path between the sensor and a first relay device, a second transfer path from the first relay device to a second relay device that transfers the data transmitted from the first sensor, and a third transfer path between the second relay device and the data processing server. A data transfer between each of the sensors and the data processing server is implemented by respectively controlling a pair of the first transfer path and the second transfer path, and a pair of the second transfer path and the third transfer path.
US10171344B1

An ingress network device of a network fabric mark packets with source endpoint group information to enable intra-EPG isolation. The ingress network device receives an indication of endpoints associated with an isolated endpoint group that restricts network traffic among members of the isolated endpoint group. The ingress network device receives a packet from a source and detects that the source endpoint belongs to the isolated endpoint group. The ingress network device incorporates source endpoint group information into a header of the packet. The source endpoint group information indicates that the source endpoint belongs to the isolated endpoint group.
US10171335B2

The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system obtains a component of a time-series performance metric associated with a server-side root cause of an anomaly in the time-series performance metric. Next, the system obtains a call graph representation of the component, wherein the call graph representation includes a parent node having a parent value of the component and a set of child nodes of the parent node, each child node having a corresponding child value of the component. The system then analyzes the call graph representation to identify one or more of the child nodes as sources of the anomaly. Finally, the system outputs an alert that identifies the sources of the anomaly.
US10171328B2

The present invention provides improved methods and devices for managing network congestion. Preferred implementations of the invention allow congestion to be pushed from congestion points in the core of a network to reaction points, which may be edge devices, host devices or components thereof. Preferably, rate limiters shape individual flows of the reaction points that are causing congestion. Parameters of these rate limiters are preferably tuned based on feedback from congestion points, e.g., in the form of backward congestion notification (“BCN”) messages. In some implementations, such BCN messages include congestion change information and at least one instantaneous measure of congestion. The instantaneous measure(s) of congestion may be relative to a threshold of a particular queue and/or relative to a threshold of a buffer that includes a plurality of queues.
US10171327B2

There is provided a network information system for handling network characteristics. The network information system comprises a first functional module, a second functional module, and a third functional module. The third functional module is arranged to invoke handling of network characteristics by triggering operation of the first functional module and the second functional module. An available bitrate for a media flow is estimated. Information about a permitted share of physical resources to be used during the transmission of the media flow is acquired. The estimated available bitrate for the media flow is updated. The updated estimated available bitrate is provided to a network entity associated with transmission of the media flow.
US10171326B2

A method for use in connection with a data transmission network includes receiving a plurality of time interval error data samples over a sampling period and comparing a duration of the sampling period to a time threshold for the sampling period. If the duration of the sampling period is less than or equal to the time threshold for the sampling period, the method includes processing the received plurality of data samples so as to calculate in real time a maximum time interval error. However, if the duration of the sampling period exceeds the time threshold for the sampling period, the method includes dividing the sampling period into a finite number of sub-intervals and processing the data samples in each sub-interval so as to produce a respective intermediate result for each sub-interval. Each of these intermediate results is stored directly after it is produced, and these stored intermediate results are processed so as to estimate the maximum time interval error.
US10171317B2

The management server causes an output section to output a startup date and time, shutdown date and time, minimum, maximum, and average values, and an occurrence count and durations of a predetermined event, for each of the operation time periods from the startup to shutdown in a unit of the remote monitoring terminal device, and causes the output section to output the startup date and time, shutdown date and time, and a movement locus of the mobile work vehicle or vessel based on the location information, for each of the operation time periods from the startup to shutdown in the unit of the remote monitoring terminal device.
US10171315B2

A method to generate an executable orchestration process includes: querying a user to enter first computer code for activating a service; querying the user to enter second computer code for undoing actions performed in the activating; loading pre-defined third computer code for determining whether the activated service is a success or has an error, based on the service; loading pre-defined fourth computer code for correcting the error; generating an executable orchestration function from the first through fourth computer code; and generating the orchestration process from the executable orchestration function.
US10171313B2

Managing workload in a computing environment, in one aspect, may include monitoring an execution behavior of a portion of a job executing on the external computing resources. The execution behavior of the portion of the job executing on the external computing resources may be compared to the behavior required to attain at least one performance objective. If the comparison indicates that a performance objective is not being met, whether allocating additional internal resources would improve the overall performance as compared to the objective may be determined. If the determination indicates that allocating additional internal resources would improve the overall performance, at least one additional resource may be allocated.
US10171309B1

A topology service may include a topology database and topology service interface used by clients to query the topology database. The topology database may describe a topology of resources of an infrastructure that may include racks of resources such as network, compute and storage resources. The topology database may be populated using discovery information returned as a result of issuing discovery requests to switches. The discovery information may identify connectivity between switches and other resources. The discovery information may be processed to determine assigned switch roles and additional derived information such as regarding instances of topological entities in the infrastructure. The derived information may identify instances of racks, rows and data centers in the infrastructure. The topology database may identify particular resources included in the different racks, rows, and data centers as well as connectivity between resources and communication capabilities of resource interfaces.
US10171307B2

A tool for processing a multi-modal network to reduce modality. The tool determines a plurality of entities connected by a plurality of links within a multi-modal network. The tool assigns a weighted value to each of the plurality of links connecting the plurality of entities. The tool converts the multi-modal network into a modelled network based, at least in part, on the weighted value assigned to each of the plurality of links. The tool eliminates one or more of the plurality of entities not designated as an entity of interest from the modelled network. The tool converts the modelled network into a uni-modal network.
US10171305B2

Profile generation for bandwidth management is provided. A content provider receive a notification regarding a new application or media file. Profile information for the application or media file is determined. Such profile information includes information regarding consumption of bandwidth throughout a time period of usage of the application or media file. The profile may be stored in memory in association with the application or media file. A request is received from a user device regarding access to the application or media file. Access to the requested application or media is provided to the user device; the profile is also provided to the user device for use in evaluating whether bandwidth requirements of the application or media file exceeds an available network bandwidth of a network of the user device.
US10171302B2

An example method is provided for a host to perform network configuration health check in a virtualized computing environment. The method may include selecting a source NIC and one or more destination NICs, based on a first network configuration of the host, generating one or more unicast probe packets that are addressed from the source NIC to the respective one or more destination NICs, and sending the one or more unicast probe packets to the respective one or more destination NICs from the source NIC via a physical switch connected to the host. The method may also include in response to receiving the one or more unicast probe packets from the physical switch, determining that there is a match between the first network configuration and a second network configuration, but otherwise, determining that there is a mismatch between the first network configuration and second network configuration.
US10171301B2

A method and associated systems for identifying hardcoded network addresses. A network-migration tool requests from a network certain types of data that may identify IP addresses used by the network and receives a subset of the requested data. The system infers from the manner in which received data characterizes IP addresses which of those addresses are likely to be hardcoded. If the system receives a list of server affinities, it infers that an IP address used for communication between servers in a same affinity group is hardcoded if that address is not listed by an associated DNS server. If a received ARP cache lists an IP address as having been resolved to a MAC address, the system infers that the IP address cannot be hardcoded. If a received TCP trace log lists an address without a corresponding hostname the system infers that the address is hardcoded.
US10171295B2

A remote execution request is received from a client, specifying first and second remote execution tools and execution data pertaining to the tools and comprising a query to select host machines. First and second host machines are selected in view of a result of the query and the first and second tools. A script is generated in view of the execution data and first metadata describing components of the host machines. A plurality of execution proxy machines are selected in view of the first and second hosts. A first template associated with the first tool and a second template associated with the second tool are generated in view of the script. The first template and the second template are transmitted to first and second execution proxy machines, respectively. Outputs from remote execution of the templates are received from the first and second hosts and transmitted to the client.
US10171288B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for diagnosing faults in stateless distributed computing platforms are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes processing a plurality of communication messages exchanged between two or more distributed components within a stateless distributed system; determining a message context for each of the plurality of communication messages based on one or more message identifiers extracted from each of the plurality of communication messages; grouping the plurality of communication messages into multiple clusters pertaining to message invocation, wherein said grouping is based on the determined message context for each of the plurality of communication messages; generating a control flow graph by creating one or more connections across the multiple clusters; and detecting a causal chain of events associated with a detected fault in the stateless distributed system by navigating the control flow graph.
US10171287B2

The present invention relates to multi-user analytical system and corresponding device and method. The device includes an interception module configured to intercept a user's request for a first core object, wherein the first core object belongs to core object; a transformation module configured to create, in response to the request being a creation request, the first core object specific to the user; a mapping module configured to interpret, in response to the request being a non-creation request, the request as a request for the first core object specific to the user. The present invention also includes an isolation method for the multi-user analytical system. The technical solutions provided in the present invention can effectively enable multiple users to share physical resources in the analytical system, and the users are isolated from each other in a substantially transparent way.
US10171286B2

A method and apparatus are described for accessing services affiliated with a service provider. A first discovery procedure may be performed to discover at least one service provider, and a bootstrap procedure may be performed with the at least one discovered service provider. A second discovery procedure may then be performed to determine available service capability layers (SCLs) supported by the at least one discovered service provider. The first discovery procedure may include transmitting a service provider discovery request including information for querying a record database to determine matching service provider discovery records, and receiving a service provider discovery response including a service discovery function record list that matches queries in the service provider discovery request. At least one service provider from the service discovery function record list may be selected to bootstrap with. Various versions of the second discovery procedure are described.
US10171283B2

Running a global production rule on data distributed over a plurality of machines may comprise receiving a local production rule that can run on each of the plurality of machines to jointly accomplish a global computation specified by the global production rule. The local production rule may be deployed to each of the plurality of machines, each of which stores a portion of the data and runs an instance of a rules engine that can run the local production rule. The plurality of machines are enabled to communicate intermediate data produced by the instance of the rules engine running the local production rule on said each of the machines. Coordinating between the plurality of machines is enabled to synchronize one or more local computations performed locally according to the local production rule on said each machine.
US10171281B2

A four-level pulse amplitude modulation transmitter and corresponding method are provided. The transmitter includes a most significant bit processing section and a least significant bit processing section. The transmitter further includes at least one termination resistor connected to respective outputs of the processing sections to provide a transmitter output. Each of the processing sections include a set of retiming latches arranged in a parallel for aligning input parallel data and providing parallel aligned latched outputs responsive to one phase of a quarter-rate four-phase quadrature clock. Each of the processing sections further includes a serializer for serializing the parallel aligned latched outputs to provide a serialized output using quarter-rates of the quarter-rate four-phase quadrature clock. Each of the processing sections also include an output driver for driving the serialized output.
US10171279B2

A transmitter includes: a null symbol map unit to determine a null symbol arrangement pattern by combining different unit patterns determining positions of data symbols and null symbols; a subcarrier map unit to assign, in a two-dimensional space defined by a plurality of subcarriers for use in multicarrier transmission and a time series represented in units of time determined in accordance with a single symbol, transmission data to positions of data symbols of the respective subcarriers determined in accordance with the null symbol arrangement pattern; a modulator to generate the data symbols by modulating the assigned transmission data, assign null symbols having a power of 0 to positions of null symbols of the respective subcarriers determined in accordance with the null symbol arrangement pattern, and generate transmission symbols of the respective subcarriers; and a baseband section to output a baseband signal based on the transmission symbols.
US10171278B2

Methods and apparatus for frequency offset estimation are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes determining a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) frequency offset estimate from DMRS symbols in a received signal, and determining a cyclic prefix (CP) frequency offset estimate from cyclic prefix values in the received signal. The method also includes combining the DMRS and CP frequency offset estimates to determine a final frequency offset estimate. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a DMRS frequency offset estimator that determines a DMRS frequency offset estimate based on DMRS symbols received in an uplink transmission, and a cyclic prefix (CP) frequency offset estimator that determines a CP frequency offset estimate based on cyclic prefix values in the uplink transmission. The apparatus also includes an offset combiner that combines the DMRS frequency offset estimate with the CP frequency offset estimate to generate a final frequency offset estimate.
US10171276B2

Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for Uplink operation in LTE unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U). A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may receive licensed assisted access (LAA) configuration information, e.g., for a first cell from a second cell. The first cell may be associated with operation in an unlicensed band, and the second cell may be associated with operation in a licensed band. The WTRU may determine whether a first subframe subframe is a sounding reference signal (SRS) subframe for the first cell. If the first subframe is an SRS subframe for the first cell, the WTRU may determine SRS resources for the first subframe and determine whether the WTRU is triggered to transmit an SRS transmission in the first subframe. If it is determined the WTRU is triggered to transmit the SRS transmission in the first subframe, the WTRU may transmit the SRS transmission on the SRS resources for the first subframe.
US10171274B2

A data transmission and reception system may include: a data transmission apparatus configured to generate N Tx signals having discrete levels using N binary data, and output the N Tx signals to N single-ended signal lines, respectively, where N is a natural number equal to or larger than 2; and a data reception apparatus configured to receive the N Tx signals transmitted in parallel through the single-ended signal lines, and restore the N binary data by comparing the received N Tx signals to each other.
US10171265B2

A method for sending data includes receiving, at a first station of a plurality of stations, a trigger frame from an access point of a wireless network. The method also includes determining a downlink channel estimation based on the trigger frame and sending the downlink channel estimation to the access point. The method further includes receiving uplink channel data from the access point in response to sending the downlink channel estimation. The method also includes sending data to the access point based on the uplink channel data.
US10171264B2

Measures for routing data packets in a data center network are provided. A packet forwarding function in a server in a data center network is configured to forward data packets to/from virtual systems hosted on that server. The packet forwarding function is configured to make forwarding decisions for received data packets based on the destination internet protocol (IP) address of the received data packet, and forward the data packet at least on the basis of the forwarding decision.
US10171262B2

A method for provisioning and configuring room automation components of a building automation system during an installation and configuration phase, wherein a configuration unit is used for the provisioning and configuring the room automation components, each room automation component is assigned a unique during the installation, a temporary address and a unique recognition code is defined for each room automation component and for an associated, temporary address, which is transferred to the respective room automation component, where a configuration mode is activated, during which the respective recognition code is issued by the respective room automation component. After successful identification and association with the respective associated, temporary address, each identified room automation component is indicated optically on the mobile unit and is selectable in a simple manner for further configuration, whereby the outlay in time is reduced and the flexibility during the installation is increased.
US10171261B2

Methods and systems are described for storing video content collected by a home automation system. According to at least one embodiment, an apparatus for accessing video content collected by a home automation system includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory which are executable by a processor to receive at a remote device live video content from a camera of the home automation system, and initiate real-time, two-way audio communication between the remote device and a user of the home automation system via the camera.
US10171260B2

Techniques are provided to manage how router advertisement messages are forwarded for ultimate wireless transmission in a wireless network. In one embodiment, a multicast router advertisement message intended for a virtual local area network is converted into individual unicast router advertisement messages directed to specific wireless mobile client devices that are part of that virtual local area network. In another embodiment, router advertisement messages are routed between controllers according to the current location of a wireless mobile client device. In still other embodiments, techniques are provided to minimize the volume of the router advertisement messages sent over a wireless network, and to proactively send a unicast router advertisement message to a mobile client device that has performed a handoff, without waiting for a router solicitation message.
US10171257B2

A computer system includes a first server including a first data management module and a second server including a second data management module, and a first and second storage controller. The first and second storage controllers are interconnected by a network configured for reliable data multicasting. The computer system further includes a cross system manager for controlling one or more core storage functions on each of the first and second storage controllers. The computer system further includes computer program instructions to, responsive to a core storage function triggered by the cross system manager: Create a multicast group for each of the first server and the second server in the network, wherein the multicast group is created by a reliable multicast mechanism, and Multicast data write operations of each of the first server and the second server to the first storage controller and the second storage controller of the multicast group.
US10171252B2

A data determination apparatus of the present invention includes a state transition model storage unit to store a state transition model representing a state transition, a state management unit to hold an operating state of an own apparatus based on the state transition model, a communication permission list storage unit to store, as a communication permission list, communication permitted data whose communications are permitted in respective operating states, a communication unit to obtain communication determination data, and a determination unit to determine whether or not the communication determination data is communication permitted data whose communication has been permitted in a current operating state, using the current operating state and the communication permission list.
US10171239B2

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to disclosing recovery keys. In aspects, when a recovery key is disclosed, data is updated to indicate that the recovery key has been disclosed. A machine that has locked data may determine whether a recovery key for the locked data has been disclosed and whether a new key needs to be generated for the locked data. If a new key needs to be generated for the locked data, the machine may generate the new key and send it to a recovery store for storage. In addition, old keys that protect the locked data may be deleted after the new key has been generated and stored.
US10171237B2

The invention relates to quantum cryptography, and includes a communication system for transmitting a cryptographic key between the ends of a channel, including a transmitting node (Alice) comprising a beam splitter, an electro-optical attenuator, an amplitude modulator, a phase modulator, a storage line, a Faraday mirror, a synchronization detector; a receiving node (Bob) that includes avalanche photodiodes, a beam splitter, a circulator, a delay line, a phase modulator, a polarizing beam splitter, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, and also a quantum channel for connecting these nodes. In this case, for the storage line is placed between the electro-optical phase modulator of the sender and the Faraday mirror. The limiting frequency of the laser pulse repetition at a fixed value of their width is increased, which makes it possible to use an autocompensation circuit at a frequency corresponding to the width of the laser pulse, which is the maximum possible result.
US10171234B2

A method for a method for mapping an input message to an output message by a keyed cryptographic operation in a cryptographic system, including a plurality of rounds wherein each round has a substitution layer, wherein wide encoding is used on the substitution layer in the rounds that require protection from attacks.
US10171231B2

A flexible aes instruction set for a general purpose processor is provided. The instruction set includes instructions to perform a “one round” pass for aes encryption or decryption and also includes instructions to perform key generation. An immediate may be used to indicate round number and key size for key generation for 128/192/256 bit keys. The flexible aes instruction set enables full use of pipelining capabilities because it does not require tracking of implicit registers.
US10171230B2

Technologies are generally described for providing a fully homomorphic encryption scheme. In some examples, a method performed under control of a first device may include determining an enciphering function, based at least in part on a secret key of the first device and a system parameter; enciphering a plaintext into a first ciphertext, based at least in part on the enciphering function; transmitting, to a server, the first ciphertext and the system parameter; receiving, from a second device, a second ciphertext to which the first ciphertext has been processed by the second device without deciphering the first ciphertext; and deciphering the second ciphertext, based at least in part on the system parameter and a deciphering function.
US10171229B2

The present invention is related with a computer-implemented method for generating a pseudo-random bit generator including the steps: a. Defining a multi-modal map by the equation: ƒβ=β(dr+1−x)(x−dr), x∈ℑr; b. Set the value of k∈+, and obtaining the values of βj, for j=from at least 1, to the final value k by the following equations: β1=4k; βj=(j)(β1); for 2≤j≤k; and taking the values of βj and split the space into 2j regions δ1j, to δ2jj which are determined by values κ1j to k(2j)−1j.
US10171228B2

In a self-synchronous transmission scheme, received data is accurately acquired. A timing signal generating unit generates timing signals indicating different timings in synchronization with a timing at which a status of a reception signal transitions. A first data signal generating unit generates a first data signal from statuses of the reception signal before and after a timing at which a predetermined first timing signal becomes a specific value, and outputs the first data signal in synchronization with a second timing signal different from the first timing signal. A second data signal generating unit generates a second data signal from statuses of the reception signal before and after a timing at which the second timing signal becomes the specific value, and outputs the second data signal in synchronization with a timing signal different from the first timing signal.
US10171226B2

A method of wireless communication using half duplex frequency division duplex (HD-FDD) comprises, at a wireless communications device, receiving downlink data during a plurality of downlink subframes and transmitting a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) on an uplink. The HARQ-ACK relates to downlink data received during at least two of the plurality of downlink subframes and the HARQ-ACK is transmitted during one uplink subframe.
US10171224B2

Underlay network node and macro base station and methods therein for enabling avoidance of interference in a cell extension area associated with an uplink/downlink imbalance. The underlay network node is assumed to be associated with a cell area A, and a cell extension area B, where the cell extension area B has an uplink/downlink imbalance in relation to a neighboring base station and the network node. The method in the underlay network node involves serving a UE in both uplink and downlink when the UE is located in cell area A. The method further involves serving a UE only in the uplink when the UE is located in cell extension area B, thus enabling avoidance of interference related to communication of a UE located in said cell extension area B.
US10171223B2

A wireless receiver for a distributed antenna diversity receiver apparatus comprising a pre-combining component arranged to receive an RF signal from an antenna and to recover and output an information signal contained within the received RF signal, and a combined-signal component arranged to receive the recovered information signal output by the pre-combining component of the wireless receiver and a further recovered information signal from a further wireless receiver and to perform diversity combining of the recovered information signals to obtain and output an enhanced information signal. The wireless receiver further comprises a monitoring component arranged to receive intra-packet channel reliability parameters for the wireless receiver and for the further wireless receiver, determine whether to assign a new master receiver for the distributed antenna diversity receiver apparatus based on the received intra-packet reliability parameters.
US10171220B2

Provided is a terminal configured to communicate with a base station with an FDD cell and a TDD cell. The terminal includes a reception unit configured to perform reception on a PDCCH transmitted in a DCI format. When a TDD cell is configured as a primary cell for the terminal, a first uplink reference UL-DL configuration used for determination of the interval between the reception of the PDCCH indicating a PUSCH transmission and the PUSCH transmission is configured for the TDD cell, and a second uplink reference UL-DL configuration used for determination of whether to use a DAI included in the DCI format of the PDCCH indicating the PUSCH transmission is configured in the FDD cell.
US10171214B2

A user equipment can be configured to decompose a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel into multiple domains, measure the channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) for each domain, and select a feedback format for transmission to network node based on the measurements. The network node can use the feedback to determine transmission parameters to be transmitted to the user equipment.
US10171212B2

A method for reporting a channel state on a downlink channel transmitted through M antenna ports that are 2-dimensionally arranged according to an embodiment of the present invention may be performed by a terminal and include a step of receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) setting for N virtual antenna ports that are formed by applying beam-forming to a group of vertical antennas of the 2-dimensionally arranged M antenna ports, and a step of calculating channel state information on the downlink channel by using the received CSI-RS setting to report the channel state information to a serving cell, wherein the reported channel state information may include information on a rotational transformation related to a first code word of a codebook related to a combination of Q unit vectors that are orthogonal in an N dimension space.
US10171205B2

A space time labelling technique for wireless communication systems is provided. A transmitter for implementing the technique includes a first bit mapper and a second bit mapper which is different to the first bit mapper and first and second transmitters. A processor is connected to the first and second mappers and the first and second transmitters and controls these to receive two bit streams and simultaneously feed these into the first mapper and the second mapper. The first mapper maps these into first and second mapped bit streams and the second mapper maps these into third and fourth mapped bit streams which are different from the first and second mapper bit streams. The first mapped bit stream is transmitted in a first time slot via the first transmitter and the second mapped bit stream is transmitted in the first time slot via the second transmitter. The third mapped bit stream is transmitted in a second time slot via the second transmitter and finally the fourth mapped bit stream is transmitted in a second time slot via the first transmitter.
US10171198B2

The present invention relates to A channel set up method of optical receiver with wavelength tunable filter such as an etalon filter in a TO type received wavelength-tunable optical receiver.According to the method of setting a channel in a wavelength-tunable optical receiver of the present invention, by circularly receiving communication channels within a predetermined temperature range, in which selectively receiving communication channel using two adjacent transmissive modes in the transmissive modes of a wavelength-tunable filter, it is possible to individually select and receive all communication channels with a predetermined temperature range. Further, it is possible to use all FP type etalon filters regardless of transmissive wavelength characteristics in at a specific temperature of a wavelength-tunable filter, so it is possible to reduce a manufacturing cost and power consumption of a product and increase thermal stability of a package.
US10171195B2

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be a user equipment that receives a configuration with carrier aggregation. The apparatus may determine a first starting symbol for a PDSCH. In one aspect, the first starting symbol for the PDSCH may be determined based at least in part on a blind detection.
US10171193B2

Methods, devices, and systems relating to Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) storage interconnect technology are provided. An SAS serial connection is established between an SAS initiator and an SAS expander over a physical link for communications between the SAS initiator and a plurality of target devices. The plurality of target devices is in communication with the SAS expander. SAS packets associated with each of the plurality of target devices are dynamically multiplexed and transmitted over the single SAS serial connection. Each SAS packet comprises one or more information bits indicating the target device with which the SAS packet is associated. The dynamically multiplexed SAS packets transmitted over the SAS connection may comprise SAS packets associated with at least two target devices having different maximum physical link rates. A result may be improved bandwidth utilization of the physical link when legacy SAS target devices with slower physical link rates are utilized.
US10171187B2

A system and a method for testing a high-speed ADC in a DP-QPSK receiver are disclosed. The system includes a simulation module for outputting a data flow and performing signal recovery, an arbitrary waveform generator for receiving the data flow and outputting a high-speed analog signal and a clock signal, a high-speed ADC for converting the high-speed analog signal and the clock signal into a high-speed digital signal, a cache memory circuit for converting the high-speed digital signal into a low-speed digital signal, and a logic analyzer for sending the low-speed digital signal to the simulation module.
US10171183B2

A method in a wireless communications assembly having an antenna, a transceiver and a baseband processor, includes: at the transceiver: receiving, from the antenna, a modulated carrier signal having a carrier frequency and containing payload data; demodulating the carrier signal to extract a baseband signal having a baseband frequency and containing the payload data; generating from the baseband signal, at a converter, a digital baseband signal containing the payload data; at an encoder: receiving the digital baseband signal from the converter; generating an encoded digital baseband signal encoding the payload data for transmission at an operating frequency; the encoded digital baseband signal having at least a threshold proportion of signal level transitions that, when transmitted at the operating frequency, have transition frequencies outside a predefined restricted frequency band; and transmitting the encoded digital baseband signal to the baseband processor via an interface at the operating frequency.
US10171182B2

Methods and systems for fast recovery, such as a transceiver that assists a second transceiver to recover rapidly from quality degradation. In one embodiment, the transceiver includes a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver receives from the second transceiver an indication to transmit known data, wherein utilizing the known data enables the second transceiver to recover within less than 1 millisecond from the quality degradation. And the transmitter transmits the known data, wherein the known data comprises bitwise complement code words of an idle sequence, and each bitwise complement code word appears in the idle sequence.
US10171176B2

An electrical circuit and method for de-modulation and carrier recovery of PSK modulated carrier signals in analog domain are described. A portion of the received PSK-modulated carrier signal is passed through a signal multiplication circuit to obtain a frequency-multiplied carrier that is absent of the PSK modulation, which is then passed through a frequency dividing circuit to obtain a reference carrier at the received carrier frequency. The reference signal is then mixed with the received PSK-modulated carrier signal to obtain a de-modulated baseband signal. The method may be used in heterodyne receivers of optical BPSK and QPSK signals.
US10171165B2

A visible light signal generating method is a method for generating a visible light signal transmitted in response to a change in a luminance of a light source of a transmitter, and includes: generating a header (SHR), where the header is data in which first and second luminance values, which are different luminance values, alternately appear along a time axis; generating a PHY payload A and a PHY payload B by determining a time length according to a first mode, where the time length is a time length during which each of the first and second luminance values continues in the data in which the first and second luminance values alternately appear along the time axis, and the first mode matches a transmission target signal; and generating the visible light signal by joining the header (SHR), the PHY payload A and the PHY payload B.
US10171159B1

A method for donor selection in a relay access node includes identifying a plurality of candidate donor access nodes and obtaining one or more characteristics associated with each of the plurality of candidate donor access nodes. The method further includes determining a primary donor access node based on a comparison of the one or more characteristics between each of the plurality of candidate donor access nodes, and receiving a reference signal transmitted by the primary donor access node at a transmission power higher than a transmission power of downlink information transmitted by the primary donor access node. One or more quality characteristics of the primary donor access node are evaluated, and based on the one or more quality characteristics meeting a predetermined threshold, a connection to the primary donor access node is requested. Devices and systems relate to donor selection.
US10171152B2

A communication method of a wireless device to which a single radio frequency (RF) chain antenna is applied. The wireless device stores a plurality of beam sets for the single RF chain antenna and a plurality of quality values for the plurality of beam sets. The wireless device selects a first beam set having a first quality value that is a best quality value among the plurality of stored beam sets. The wireless device confirms a second quality value for the first beam set using received data when the data are received using the first beam set. The wireless device selects a second beam set different from the first beam set among the plurality of stored beam sets when the second quality value is poorer than the first quality value.
US10171148B2

According to one embodiment, a wireless communication device includes a transmitter configured to multiplex and transmit a plurality of first frames; a receiver configured to receive a plurality of second frames that represent acknowledgement responses to the plurality of first frames and are multiplexed and transmitted; and controlling circuitry. The first information necessary for transmission of the plurality of second frames is set in the plurality of first frames. The controlling circuitry is configured to separate the plurality of second frames based on the first information.
US10171138B2

Various communication systems may benefit from improved network communications. For example, messages sent to a user equipment may benefit from having optional configurations of parameters. A method includes determining optional configurations for parameters that override or supplement a default configuration of the parameters. The optional configurations are grouped into optional parameter groups. The method also includes encoding at least one of the optional parameter groups in a message. In addition, the method includes transmitting the message from the network node to a user equipment.
US10171136B2

The present document is for a wireless communication with reduced internal signaling burden in the distributed antenna system (DAS). In the proposed method, a user equipment (UE) receives a first information unit from the network by a first distributed unit (DU) among multiple DUs distributed within the UE. The first DU reports reception information of the first information unit to a central unit (CU) of the UE, wherein the CU controls the multiple DUs. The first DU receives, from the CU, a direction regarding a transfer of the first information unit to the CU, and transfers the first information unit to the CU when the direction indicates a specific value.
US10171135B2

The present disclosure relates to embodiments of a precoding method and systems for implementing those embodiments. The embodiments includes receiving, by a level 2 data center, level 1 channel information sent by at least two level 1 data centers, where the level 1 channel information includes a channel matrix between a terminal and the level 1 data center; performing, by the level 2 data center, calculation according to the channel matrix, to obtain a level 2 precoding matrix; and generating, by the level 2 data center, a level 2 signal according to a signal sent to the terminal and the level 2 precoding matrix, and sending the level 2 signal to the level 1 data center. The level 2 data center generates the level 2 signal according to the signal sent to the terminal and the level 2 precoding matrix.
US10171131B2

A system is provided that can automatically adjust a tuned circuit to resonate at the frequency of an applied excitation signal. The error in the resonant frequency of the tuned circuit is determined in real time from signals derived from within the network. The system permits the use of a time varying excitation frequency in a high Q circuit, including modulation conveying information. The tuning information may be stored in a memory and used to set the tuning instantaneously in order to maintain resonance when the excitation frequency changes abruptly, for example when frequency shift keying is used.
US10171128B2

A data transmission method includes the following steps: determining a transmission resource to be used and a complex-valued spreading sequence to be used; processing a data symbol to be sent by using the complex-valued spreading sequence to generate a symbol sequence; and sending the symbol sequence through the transmission resource.
US10171125B2

An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry including an adjustable antenna system coupled to a radio-frequency transceiver. The adjustable antenna system may include one or more adjustable electrical components that are controlled by storage and processing circuitry in the electronic device. The adjustable electrical components may include switches and components that can be adjusted between numerous different states. The adjustable electrical components may be coupled between antenna system components such as transmission line elements, matching network elements, antenna elements and antenna feeds. By adjusting the adjustable electrical components, the storage and processing circuitry can tune the adjustable antenna system to ensure that the adjustable antenna system covers communications bands of interest.
US10171107B2

Disclosed herein are a system, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and method for encoding and decoding information on a data bearing medium. A message comprising a bit string is read. A plurality of substrings in the message may be associated with a phase invariant codeword.
US10171104B1

A graph compression system includes a memory unit to store graph data, and an electronic hardware controller in signal communication with the memory unit. The electronic hardware controller determines a distribution of a set of vertices in a graph, and encodes each vertex included in the set of vertices as a variable length integer (VLI) that includes a variable number of bytes. The variable number of bytes of each vertex is based on the determined distribution. Accordingly, the memory unit stores each vertex having been encoded according to the distribution of the set of vertices in the graph.
US10171103B1

A hardware compression architecture including a shift register including: a plurality of sequentially coupled stages and a window stage coupled at an output end of the shift register, the shift register configured to receive an uncompressed data stream at an input end and output the uncompressed data from the window stage; a plurality of comparators each coupled to receive a data value held in a corresponding stage of the shift register and a data value held in the window stage, each of the comparators being configured to output a comparison result indicating whether the received stage value and the window stage data value match; logic, coupled to the comparators to receive the comparison results, to selectively compute one or more indexes based on the comparisons; and an encoder coupled to receive the one or more indexes and output, based on the one or more indexes, a position of a matching data value and a length of a matching sequence of data values.
US10171100B2

An embodiment circuit includes a first reference source configured to provide a first reference signal to an analog-to-digital convertor (ADC). The circuit also includes a filter coupled to an output of the first reference source and configured to filter the first reference signal to produce a filtered first reference signal. The circuit further includes a second reference source coupled to an output of the filter. The second reference source is configured to provide a second reference signal to the ADC, and the second reference signal is generated based on the filtered first reference signal.
US10171099B2

A differential digital delay line analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes differential digital delay lines, a circuit including a set of delay elements included in the differential digital delay lines, and another circuit including another set of delay elements included in the differential digital delay lines. The first circuit is configured to generate data representing an analog to digital conversion of an input. The second circuit is configured to calibrate a source to the differential digital delay lines.
US10171097B1

Disclosed is a correcting device of successive approximation analog-to-digital conversion. The correcting device includes a successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) and a digital circuit. The SAR ADC is configured to generate a digital output. The digital circuit is configured to determine whether the digital output conforms to a metastable output, and correct the digital output when the digital output conforms to the metastable output. The metastable output is related with a metastable binary comparison-results sequence including successive K comparison results such as 110000 or 001111. The K comparison results include a first comparison result, a second comparison result and successive M comparison results in turn. The first comparison result and the second comparison result are the same; the M comparison results are the same; each of the first comparison result and the second comparison result is different from any of the M comparison results.
US10171089B2

An ADPLL circuit includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate a signal indicative of a phase difference between a first signal and a reference signal and a doubler electrically coupled to the TDC. The doubler is configured to receive a first voltage signal and generate a second voltage signal. The second voltage signal is provided to a voltage input of the TDC. The TDC is configured to generate one or more control signals for the doubler to adjust the second voltage signal.
US10171076B2

A FET-based RF switch architecture and method that provides for independent control of FETs within component branches of a switching circuit. With independent control of branch FETs, every RF FET in an inactive branch that is in an “open” (capacitive) state can be shunted to RF ground and thus mitigate impedance mismatch effects. Providing a sufficiently low impedance to RF ground diminishes such negative effects and reduces the sensitivity of the switch circuit to non-matched impedances.
US10171072B2

An improved analog switch for use in an ultrasound elastography probe is disclosed. The improved analog switch results in less heat dissipation compared to prior art analog switches.
US10171064B2

An elastic wave device includes a first piezoelectric substrate including a first principal surface and a second principal surface, a second piezoelectric substrate including a first principal surface and a second principal surface and with a greater thickness than that of the first piezoelectric substrate, and ground terminals located on the second principal surface of the first piezoelectric substrate. The first principal surface of the first piezoelectric substrate and the first principal surface of the second piezoelectric substrate are joined to face each other. On the first principal surface of the first piezoelectric substrate, a first elastic wave filter is located. On the first principal surface of the second piezoelectric substrate, a second elastic wave filter is located. The out-of-band attenuation of the first elastic wave filter is greater than the out-of-band attenuation of the second elastic wave filter.
US10171060B2

A high pass filter includes a first LC series resonator including a first end connected to a signal path, and a second end connected to at least one ground terminal, a second LC series resonator including a third end electrically connected to the signal path, and a fourth end connected to the at least one ground terminal, and a third capacitor between a first portion extending from a first capacitor to a first inductor and a second portion extending from a second capacitor to a second inductor.
US10171055B2

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to an audio production system which is more portable, less expensive, faster to set up, and simpler and easier to use than conventional audio production tools. An audio production system implemented in accordance with some embodiments of the invention may therefore be more accessible to the typical user, and easier and more enjoyable to use, than conventional audio production tools.
US10171051B2

An amplification circuit coupled to another circuit by alternating current (AC) coupling includes: an amplifier that amplifies and outputs a signal input from the other circuit or amplifies an input signal and outputs the amplified input signal to the other circuit; a feedback circuit that positively feeds back the signal output from the amplifier to an input of the amplifier; and a low pass filter that attenuates a high frequency component of the signal positively fed back to the input of the amplifier by the feedback circuit, and in which a higher cut-off frequency is set such that a lower cut-off frequency in a combination of the amplification circuit and a high pass filter formed by the AC coupling is lower than a lower cut-off frequency in the high pass filter.
US10171050B2

In some embodiments, circuits for providing Class-E power amplifiers are provided, the circuits comprising: a first switch having a first side and a second side; a first Class-E load network coupled to the first side of the first switch; a second Class-E load network; and a second switch having a first side and a second side, the first side of the second switch being coupled the second side of the first switch and the second Class-E load network. In some embodiments, the circuits further comprise: a third switch having a first side and a second side; a third Class-E load network coupled to the first side of the third switch; a fourth Class-E load network; and a fourth switch having a first side and a second side, the first side of the fourth switch being coupled the second side of the third switch and the fourth Class-E load network.
US10171043B2

An amplification device (100) comprises an amplifier circuit (110) and a limiter (120). The amplifier circuit (110) comprises a signal input (111) for an input signal to be amplified and a first signal output (112) for a first output signal. The limiter (120) comprises a differential amplifier (125) comprising a first differential amplifier input (129) for a threshold control signal, a second differential amplifier input (113) for a feedback signal, and a differential amplifier output (124) for a threshold signal indicative of a difference between the threshold control signal and the feedback signal. The limiter (120) also comprises a first diode (121) having a first anode (122) coupled to the first signal output (112) and a first cathode (123) coupled to the differential amplifier output (124), and a feedback stage (128) coupled between the differential amplifier output (124) and the second differential amplifier input (113). The feedback stage (128) is arranged to generate the feedback signal dependent on the threshold signal.
US10171041B2

The disclosure relates to a predistortion device for a non-linear PA device, comprising: an input terminal for receiving an input signal; a predistortion filter, connected between the input terminal and the non-linear PA device; a first delay element, coupled to the input terminal, and configured to delay the input signal by a time delay D to provide a delayed input signal; and an adaptive filter unit, comprising an adaptive filter having adjustable filter weights, and configured to filter the delayed input signal, and an adjusting unit, wherein the adjusting unit is configured to process an adaptive algorithm, based on the delayed input signal, to adjust the filter weights of the adaptive filter, and to provide both the adaptive filter and the predistortion filter with the same adjusted filter weights.
US10171040B1

The present disclosure provides a trans-impedance amplifier, comprising: an equivalent secondary amplifier module, having an input end and an output end, wherein the input end is coupled to an optical diode and used for accessing an input voltage signal, and the output end is used for outputting a secondarily amplified first voltage signal; an inverting amplifier unit, coupled to the output end of the equivalent secondary amplifier module and used for accessing the first voltage signal and outputting an inverting amplified voltage signal, the inverting amplifier unit comprising a third N-type transistor and a fourth N-type transistor coupled to the third N-type transistor; and a feedback resistor, coupled to the input end of the equivalent secondary amplifier module and an output end of the inverting amplifier unit. The feedback resistor of the trans-impedance amplifier can be not restricted by original conditions, may increase resistance, reduce input noise and improve sensitivity.
US10171038B1

An envelope-tracking power supply modulator (ETSM) supplies power to a radio frequency power amplifier (RFPA) of a radio frequency (RF) circuit according to a baseband envelope signal. The ETSM includes a linear amplifier, a capacitor, a single inductor multiple output (SIMO) switch-mode converter, and a controller. The linear amplifier receives the baseband envelope signal, and has its output terminal coupled to a power input of the RFPA. One terminal of the capacitor is coupled to a reference voltage, and the other terminal is coupled to a power input of the linear amplifier. The SIMO switch-mode converter includes two output terminals. One of the output terminals is coupled to the capacitor and the power input of the linear amplifier, and the other of the output terminals is coupled to the output terminal of the linear amplifier and the power input of the RFPA. The controller controls the SUMO switch-mode converter.
US10171034B2

A harmonic-rejection mixer apparatus includes a mixing circuit and a combining circuit. The mixing circuit receives mixes an input signal and a first local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a first output signal, and mixes the same input signal and a second LO signal to generate a second output signal, wherein the first LO signal and the second LO signal have a same frequency but different phases. The combining circuit combines the first output signal and the second output signal, wherein harmonic rejection is at least achieved by combination of the first output signal and the second output signal.
US10171025B2

A photovoltaic module generates electrical power when installed on a roof. A photovoltaic module preferably has an upper transparent protective layer, and a photovoltaic layer positioned beneath the upper transparent protective layer, the photovoltaic layer comprising a plurality of electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells disposed in an array. A rigid substrate layer is preferably positioned beneath the photovoltaic layer. A plurality of inserts is configured to be fixedly attached to (i) a bottom surface of the rigid substrate and (ii) a surface of a roof. The plurality of inserts is preferably disposed in an array, each foam insert having a substantially triangular-shaped cross section when viewed from a side orthogonal to a line of a roof downward slope.
US10171007B2

A method includes providing a substrate having a first sacrificial oxide region, the substrate comprising a first interconnect layer, the first interconnect layer comprising the first sacrificial oxide region. The method further includes covering the first sacrificial oxide region with a first porous layer being permeable to a vapor hydrofluoric acid (HF) etchant and selectively etching the first sacrificial oxide region through the first porous layer using the vapor HF etchant.
US10171006B2

An arm assembly is provided. The arm assembly includes a plurality of electrical components and a number of electrical buses. Each electrical component is coupled to, and in electrical communication with, one electrical bus. A sealing compound is then applied to each electrical bus and to a limited number of the electrical components.
US10170996B2

Methods and apparatus for a body diode conduction sensor configured for coupling to a switching element. In embodiments, the sensor comprises first and second voltage divider networks coupled to a voltage source and a diode coupled to the switching element and to the first voltage divider network, wherein the diode is conductive at times corresponding to body diode conduction of the switching element decreasing the DC average voltage at the output node of the first voltage divider network. A differential output voltage can be coupled to the first and second voltage divider networks with an output signal corresponding to a time of the body diode conduction of the switching element.
US10170995B2

A multiphase power converter and a corresponding method is presented. The multiphase power converter contains a first and a second constituent switched-mode power converter. The first constituent switched-mode power converter provides, both in a first mode of operation and in a second mode of operation, a first phase current to an output of the converter. The second constituent switched-mode power converter provides, in the second mode, a second phase current to the output of the converter. The converter switches, depending on an operation condition of the converter, between the first mode and the second mode. A first transconductance of the first constituent switched-mode power converter is adapted when switching between the first mode and the second mode. By adapting the first transconductance, unsteadiness of the output voltage of the converter occurring during the switching between both modes of operation is minimized.
US10170991B2

A switching control circuit for controlling a multi-channel switching circuit can include: a logic control circuit that receives an external operation signal, and generates an enable signal, a trigger signal, and an order signal; a reference voltage regulation circuit that receives the enable signal, the trigger signal, the order signal, and a plurality of input voltage signals, and generates an adjustable reference voltage signal, where the reference voltage regulation circuit is also configured to select one of the plurality of input voltage signals based on the order signal; a feedback control circuit that receives the reference voltage signal, the plurality of input voltage signals, and the output voltage signal, and generates a feedback control signal; and a channel selection circuit that receives the order signal and the feedback control signal, and generates switching control signals to control switching operations of the multi-channel switching circuit.
US10170987B2

A control circuit includes: a comparing circuit, having a first input terminal and second input terminal, configured to operably generate a comparison signal according signals received by the first and second input terminals, wherein the first input terminal is utilized for coupling with a reference signal and the second input terminal is utilized for coupling with a feedback signal; a periodic signal generating circuit configured to operably generate a periodic signal and apply the periodic signal to the first input terminal or the second input terminal of the comparing circuit; and a control signal generating circuit for controlling an on time of a power switch according to the comparison signal. The periodic signal generating circuit clamps a limit of the periodic signal to a predetermined value, but does not configure the slope of the periodic signal to be zero when there is no current passing through the inductor.
US10170986B2

A system is disclosed which allows for a multiphase Buck switching converter, where some phases operate in peak-mode current control, and some phases operate in valley-mode current control, simultaneously with the peak-mode phases. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter operate at lower frequency, and with a higher value inductor than the valley mode phases. The peak-mode phases support discontinuous control mode (DCM) operation and continuous control mode (CCM) operation, and the valley-mode phases only support CCM operation. The peak-mode phases of the switching converter are always enabled, and the valley-mode phases are only enabled at high currents. The peak-mode and valley-mode currents are matched with a peak current servo, for better efficiency.
US10170984B2

In accordance with an embodiment, a method, includes operating a power converter that comprises an electronic switch connected in series with an inductor in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode. Operating the power converter in each of the first operation mode and the second operation mode includes driving the electronic switch in a plurality of successive drive cycles based on drive parameter. Each of the plurality of drive cycles includes an on-time in which the electronic switch is switched on and an off-time in which the electronic switch is switched off.
US10170983B2

A driving device comprises a first transistor (B13), a second transistor (B14), and a resistance element. The first transistor (B13) has one terminal receiving a pulsed current and a control terminal connected to the one terminal. The second transistor (B14) has one terminal connected to at least one load, the other terminal connected to a reference potential together with the other terminal of the first transistor (B13), and a control terminal connected to the control terminal of the first transistor (B13). The resistance element is connected between the control terminal of the first transistor (B13) and the other terminal of the first transistor (B13).
US10170982B2

An auto-calibrated current sensing comparator is provided. A secondary dynamic comparator shares the same inputs and acts to adjust a calibration control of the current sensing comparator. The calibration control may be in the form of adjusting the offset of the current sensing comparator or adjusting a propagation delay that is added to its output.
US10170975B1

A controller for a switching power converter is provided with a single detection pin through which the controller monitors whether the switching power converter is connected to an AC mains. Should a voltage for the detection pin indicate that the switching power converter is disconnected from the AC mains, the controller asserts the detection pin voltage to trigger a bleeder circuit to discharge an X class capacitor.
US10170974B1

A primary resonant flyback converter may include a primary winding, a resonant capacitor in series with the primary winding, a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding, and an output electrically coupled to the secondary winding. A main switch may be operated to energize the primary winding when closed and transfer energy stored in the primary winding to the secondary winding when open. An auxiliary switch may be configured to switch complimentarily to the main switch, thereby allowing a resonant current to circulate through the primary winding and capacitor. Switch timing may be controlled to produce a desired output voltage. The switching frequency may be varied as a function of output load, input voltage and/or voltage ripple on a DC bus of the converter. Switching may also be temporarily disabled responsive to a decrease in output load and re-enabled responsive to an increase in output load.
US10170973B1

A synchronous rectifier circuit used in a switching power supply apparatus that performs synchronous rectification includes a transistor and a secondary control IC. The transistor performs switching operation in accordance with a gate voltage applied to a gate terminal. The secondary control IC includes a terminal and applies the gate voltage to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is connected to a capacitor which stores electric charge to be supplied to the gate terminal of the transistor. The terminal is applied with a direct-current voltage obtained through synchronous rectification. The direct-current voltage is equal to or smaller than a withstand voltage of the gate of the transistor, and equal to or larger than a threshold voltage of the transistor. A maximum value of the gate voltage is the direct-current voltage.
US10170967B2

A vibration motor is disclosed. The vibration motor includes a housing; an elastic connecting piece accommodated in the housing; a fixed component; and a vibrating component suspended in the housing by the elastic connecting piece. One of the fixed component and the vibrating component includes a coil, and the other including a magnet. The vibration motor further includes a damping piece integrated with the elastic connecting piece.
US10170963B2

In each coil (10), between a first radial section formed by a winding-start section (10a) and a second radial section formed by a winding-end section (10b) of a winding (10A), the circumferential lengths of the winding lap sections formed by said winding change in a continuous or stepped manner. For a first coil, the sequences within two slots (22) of the winding constituting the first coil are reversed with respect to one another by a twisted section (10d) between a first coil end (12a) and a second coil end (12b) of the first coil. The first coil and next second coil form a lap winding in which the twisted sections of the first and second coils are three-dimensionally entwined. The lap winding of said twisted sections continues for the third and subsequent coils, and the first coil end and the second coil end of each coil are continuous without spaces at the end surfaces of a core (20).
US10170958B2

A belt pulley arrangement for a belt drive for driving auxiliary units of a motor vehicle, comprising a belt pulley for introducing a torque that can be supplied by a traction mechanism, an output shaft for driving an auxiliary unit, particularly a coolant pump, an electric machine for transmitting torque between the belt pulley and the output shaft, the electric machine including a rotor connected to the belt pulley and a stator connected to the output shaft, and being able to be electrically connected to an electric energy source for the purpose of accelerating the output shaft and/or to an electric energy sink in order to decelerate the output shaft, a first rotational speed measurement device for detecting the time curve of the rotational speed of the belt pulley and/or a second rotational speed measurement device for detecting the time curve of the rotational speed of the output shaft, and a control device connected to the electric energy source and/or electric energy sink so as to control an output shaft rotational speed time curve by temporarily electrically connecting the energy source and/or energy sink in reaction to the rotational speed time curve that has been detected. The power flow between belt pulley and output shaft which can be influenced by the electric machine provides that the auxiliary unit that is connected via the output shaft does not have to be designed for the most unfavorable operating point. As a result, the auxiliary unit can have smaller dimensions which allows a reduction in the construction space for motor vehicle components and particularly in the construction space for motor vehicle auxiliary units which can be driven by the belt drive.
US10170949B2

A rotating electric machine including: —a magnetic mass, in particular rotoric, including first housings, —a plurality of permanent magnets inserted into the first housings, each permanent magnet having two polar faces, and —nonmagnetic shims inserted into the first housings and/or into second housings formed in the magnetic mass, —the shims being configured to cause a deformation of the first housings reducing the parasitic air gap between at least a polar face of a permanent magnet and the corresponding wall of a first housing.
US10170935B2

An inductive power supply that maintains resonance and adjusts duty cycle based on feedback from a secondary circuit. A controller, driver circuit and switching circuit cooperate to generate an AC signal at a selected operating frequency and duty cycle. The AC signal is applied to the tank circuit to create an inductive field for powering the secondary. The secondary communicates feedback about the received power back to the primary controller. The power transfer efficiency may be optimized by maintaining the operating frequency substantially at resonance, and the amount of power transferred may be controlled by adjusting the duty cycle.
US10170930B2

An electrical power restoration system for a circuit assembly having a circuit breaker, an electrical load and a circuit conditioner (e.g., a UPS) includes a circuit controller that is positioned along the circuit assembly between the circuit breaker and the electrical load. The circuit controller is electrically connected to the circuit conditioner, and controls activation and/or deactivation of the circuit conditioner. The circuit conditioner is positioned along the circuit assembly between the circuit controller and the electrical load and provides alternative AC power to the electrical load as determined by the circuit controller. The electrical power restoration assembly includes a first hot conductor and a second hot conductor. The first hot conductor conducts AC power from the circuit breaker to the circuit controller. The second hot conductor conducts AC power or alternative AC power from the circuit controller to the electrical load as determined by the circuit controller.
US10170921B2

Battery charging methods and systems for devices that have rechargeable batteries provide an efficient way to know when to charge a device's battery, and when to switch between the device's battery and an external power source as the device's power source. The methods and systems receive signals associated with an external information service including instructions to conduct processing, access thresholds for a plurality of power rates, obtain information about when different power rates are in effect and, after determining a charge level associated with a battery, compare the threshold of the current power rate to the device's battery's charge level. Based on such a comparison, the methods and systems can determine whether the battery should be charged and whether the device's battery or an external power source should be used as the device's power source.
US10170918B2

An electronic device. The electronic device may include a battery, and a charging system in electronic communication with the battery. The charging system may be configured to charge at least a partially-depleted battery to a threshold charge value, discontinue the charging in response to the battery being charged to the threshold charge value, and monitor the function of the electronic device to detect at least one of an anticipated event, and an unanticipated event of the electronic device. Additionally the charging system may be configured to recharge the battery in response to detecting one of: the anticipated event occurring a predetermined time subsequent to the recharging of the battery, or the unanticipated event occurring immediately before the recharging of the battery.
US10170916B2

An energy storage device including at least one battery pack; a communication module configured to transmit power-on information or energy storage amount information to a power management device and to receive a charge command or discharge command from the power management device; a connector configured to receive alternating current (AC) power, supplied to an internal power network through a photovoltaic module, from the internal power network based on the charge command or to output AC power to the internal power network based on the discharge command; and a power converter configured to, when the charge command is received from the power management device, convert the AC power from the internal power network into direct current (DC) power based on the charge command, or, when the discharge command is received from the power management device, convert DC power stored in the at least one battery pack into AC power based on the discharge command.
US10170895B2

A power amplifier circuit for a corona ignition system is provided. The circuit includes an inductor and capacitor connected to one end of a secondary winding of an RF transformer. The other end of the secondary winding is connected to a current sensor which is connected to ground. The transformer also has a primary winding with one end connected to a voltage supply and the other end attached to a pair of switches. The windings are wound around a core. Current flowing from the DC voltage supply to the switches causes a magnetic flux in the core. A voltage is generated on the secondary winding by the current that flows through the igniter. This voltage is fed back to the switches, controlling on and off timing. Voltage is provided to the corona igniter or pulled from the igniter when the current traveling into or from the igniter is at zero.
US10170892B2

The light-concentration density or laser power of a combined laser beam bundle, obtained by combining individual laser beams that are caused to oscillate by and are output from a plurality of single-emitter LDs, is increased efficiently, with high quality. On a bottom plate or a unit base 22 of the laser unit 10, there are disposed: a pair of stacked laser beam creation units 24L, 24R which are arranged with left-right symmetry with respect to a center line N; a single wavelength stabilizing element (VBG) 26 of which an incidence plane vertically intersects the center line N; a pair of primary anamorphic prisms 28L, 28R which are arranged separately on the right and left of the center line N; a mirror-type beam rotation element 30 disposed on the center line N; and a secondary anamorphic prism 32 disposed offset from the beam rotation element 30 in a direction (X-direction) perpendicular to the center line N.
US10170887B2

A surface emitting laser element includes a lower Bragg reflection mirror; an upper Bragg reflection mirror; and a resonator region formed between the lower Bragg reflection mirror and the upper Bragg reflection mirror, and including an active layer. A wavelength adjustment region is formed in the lower Bragg reflection mirror or the upper Bragg reflection mirror, and includes a second phase adjustment layer, a wavelength adjustment layer and a first phase adjustment layer, arranged in this order from a side where the resonator region is formed. An optical thickness of the wavelength adjustment region is approximately (2N+1)×λ/4, and the wavelength adjustment layer is formed at a position where an optical distance from an end of the wavelength adjustment region on the side of the resonator region is approximately M×λ/2, where λ is a wavelength of emitted light, M and N are positive integers, and M is N or less.
US10170882B2

A contact ribbon configured to connect a cable to a substrate includes a plurality of signal contacts, a ground plane, and at least one ground contact extending from the ground plane. The plurality of signal contacts are connected by a support member, and the support member is removable after the plurality of signal contacts are connected to the cable.
US10170873B2

A cable connector is provided. The cable connector includes a housing with a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is configured for insertion into a data port of a computer chassis. The proximal end is configured to receive at least one data cable. The cable connector includes a pull tab comprising an optically transparent material. The pull tab includes a body with a distal end connected to the housing and a proximal end extending past the proximal end of the housing. The pull tab includes a shank protruding from the body. The shank includes a polished surface aligned with a light output of the computer chassis when the distal end of the housing is inserted into the data port such that light from the light output enters the shank through the polished surface and is distributed through the transparent material to illuminate the pull tab.
US10170871B1

An electrical contact element with an integrated sensor is provided. The contact element has a groove, at least a portion of which extends on a plug-in side of the contact element. An optical fiber is provided in the groove. The optical fiber is designed in such a way as to be suitable as a sensor for measuring the temperature or the air humidity.
US10170864B1

A waterproof connector includes a dielectric body, a plurality of terminals integrally molded to the dielectric body, a shielding assembly, a metal shell surrounding outside the dielectric body, and a waterproof housing integrally molded outside the metal shell. The dielectric body has a tongue board. A periphery of a rear of the tongue board is recessed inward to form a limiting groove. A plurality of the blocking boards are protruded from the tongue board and located in front of the limiting groove. The shielding assembly is limited in the limiting groove. Outer surfaces of rear ends of contact portions of the plurality of the terminals adjacent to a front end of the shielding assembly are recessed inward to form a plurality of avoiding areas, each of the plurality of the avoiding areas is matched with one of the plurality of the blocking boards.
US10170861B2

The present disclosure relates to a telecommunications connector having cross-talk compensations, and a method of managing alien crosstalk in such a connector. In one example, the telecommunications connector includes electrical conductors arranged in differential pairs and a circuit board with conductive layers that provide a cross-talk compensation arrangement for applying capacitance between the electrical conductors. The circuit board includes conductive paths that provide capacitive coupling and a conductive plate that intensifies capacitive coupling of the electrical conductors. In another example, the telecommunications connector is used with a twisted pair system. Capacitances applied by the crosstalk compensation arrangement between electrical conductors associated with the pairs are provided such that, for each differential pair, a magnitude of an overall capacitance at a first electrical conductor of a differential pair is approximately equal to a magnitude of an overall capacitance at a second electrical conductor of the differential pair.
US10170857B2

An electrical connection device comprises: a receptacle connector and a plug connector. The receptacle connector comprises a receptacle body, a front guide-positional limiting portion, a rear guide-positional limiting portion and a first latching member. The plug connector removably mates with the receptacle connector, and comprises a plug body and a second latching member, when the plug connector mates with the receptacle connector, the second latching member of the plug connector is latched to the first latching member of the receptacle connector and limited by the front guide-positional limiting portion, and the rear guide-positional limiting portion of the receptacle connector engages with a recessed portion of the plug connector, so that two side walls of the plug connector are respectively exposed to two side openings of the receptacle connector and generally flush with two side walls of the receptacle connector.
US10170848B1

A lockout device configured to lockout a terminal block. The lockout device includes a pair of sections rotatably coupled to one another in which each of the sections has an upper portion including a corresponding lockout opening and a lower portion for selective reception into the space of an opened terminal block. The sections are rotatable between an opened and closed position. In the opened position, the upper portions are misaligned and the lower portions are aligned to permit at least a portion of the lower portions to be inserted into an opening in an opened terminal block. In the closed position, the lockout openings of the upper portions are aligned to accommodate reception of a lock in the lockout openings to prevent movement away from the closed position and the lower portions are misaligned to prevent removal of the lower portions from the opening in the terminal block.
US10170839B2

An antenna (e.g., circularly polarized (CP) planar aperture antenna) is presented herein. An antenna can include an opening cavity and a patch section within a perimeter of the opening cavity. The patch section can have crossed patch in a windmill shape. The opening cavity can have a windmill shape. The patch section can be fed differentially via grounded co-planar waveguide (GCPW). The antenna can be formed in a single layer substrate and can be 180° rotationally symmetric about its center. A height of the opening cavity can be quarter-wavelength at operating frequency and a diameter of the opening cavity can be larger than one wavelength at operating frequency.
US10170837B2

An antenna comprising a main arm comprising conductive material, wherein the main arm is connected to a signal feed, and a first coupling arm comprising conductive material, wherein the first coupling arm is electrically coupled to a ground, and wherein the first coupling arm is electrically coupled to the main arm across a first span of nonconductive material. Also disclosed is a mobile node (MN) comprising a signal feed, a ground, and an antenna comprising a main arm comprising conductive material, wherein the main arm is connected to the signal feed, and a first coupling arm comprising conductive material, wherein the first coupling arm is connected to the ground, and wherein the first coupling arm is electrically coupled to the main arm across a first span of nonconductive material.
US10170827B2

The present invention discloses a housing structure having a conductive adhesive antenna and the conductive adhesive antenna thereof, wherein the housing structure having the conductive adhesive antenna comprises a housing and an electrically conductive adhesive. The housing has two units which can be integrated with each other to form a bonding portion. The electrically conductive adhesive is bonded on the bonding portion and has at least one electrical connection end for electrically connecting with a wireless module, thereby the electrically conductive adhesive is also formed as an antenna structure. With the implementation of the present invention, the conductive adhesive antenna can replace a prior antenna.
US10170826B2

A TFT substrate (101) including a plurality of antenna element regions (U) arranged on a dielectric substrate (1), the TFT substrate including a transmitting/receiving region including a plurality of antenna element regions, and a non-transmitting/receiving region located outside of the transmitting/receiving region, each of the plurality of antenna element regions (U) including: a thin film transistor (10); a first insulating layer (11) covering the thin film transistor and having a first opening (CH1) which exposes a drain electrode (7D) of the thin film transistor (10); and a patch electrode (15) formed on the first insulating layer (11) and in the first opening (CH1), and electrically connected to the drain electrode (7D) of the thin film transistor, wherein the patch electrode (15) includes a metal layer, and a thickness of the metal layer is greater than a thickness of a source electrode (7S) and the drain electrode (7D) of the thin film transistor.
US10170822B2

According to one embodiment, a communication device is described comprising an antenna, a signal path for supplying a signal to the antenna, two directional couplers arranged within the signal path, wherein each directional coupler is coupled to an adjustable impedance defining the characteristic impedance of the directional coupler, a controller configured to set, for each of a plurality of impedances, the adjustable impedances of the directional couplers to the impedance, a return loss measurement circuit configured to determine, for each of the plurality of impedances, a return loss of the signal path when the adjustable impedances of the directional couplers are set to the impedance and a load impedance determination circuit configured to determine a load impedance of the signal path based on the determined return losses.
US10170818B2

Platform structures and platform assemblies are provided for supporting a plurality of radio frequency (RF) antennas and the weight of one or more workers. One platform structure provided herein includes a steel radial beam extending from an RF tower and a plurality of steel arms welded to the radial beam. The platform structure also includes a first front plate having a front facing portion and an angled portion, where the front facing portion of the first front plate is welded to a first steel arm. Also included is a second front plate having a front facing portion and an angled portion, where the front facing portion of the second front plate is welded to a second steel arm. The platform structure further includes a first side plate having a side facing portion and an angled portion. The side facing portion of the first side plate is welded to a third steel arm. The platform structure also includes a second side plate having a side facing portion and an angled portion, where the side facing portion of the second side plate is welded to a fourth steel arm.
US10170813B2

A method includes dispensing ion-conducting particles on a substrate comprising an adhesive to which the ion-conducting particles adhere; overcoating the ion conducting particles with a polymer; removing the substrate and the adhesive from the ion conducting particles; and removing a polymer overburden on the ion conducting particles to form a device that includes: (i) the polymer or a derivative thereof, and (ii) ion-conducting particles. At least a portion of the ion-conducting particles extend through the polymer or its derivative.
US10170802B2

Disclosed herein is a battery pack configured to have a structure including a plate-shaped battery cell having electrode terminals formed at one side thereof including a sealed surplus part and a protection circuit module (PCM) mounted at the sealed surplus part, wherein each of the electrode terminals of the battery cell is made of a plate-shaped conductive member, the PCM includes a protection circuit board (PCB), a safety element electrically connected between one of the electrode terminals formed at one side of the battery cell and the PCB or loaded on the PCB, an external input and output terminal electrically connected to a protection circuit of the PCB, and an electrically insulative module case in which the PCB and the safety element are mounted in a state in which the external input and output terminal extends outside, the module case is configured to have a structure in which two outer surfaces of the module case are open outward to form a first open surface and a second open surface, the module case is provided at an interior thereof with a PCB receiving part, and the PCM is loaded on the sealed surplus part of the battery cell in a state in which the PCM is received in the module case such that the PCM is electrically connected to the electrode terminals of the battery cell.
US10170796B2

Disclosed is a lithium secondary battery with improved rate characteristics. More particularly, disclosed is a lithium secondary battery including a cathode, an anode, a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte includes a mixed solvent of a cyclic carbonate-based material and a propionate-based material, the cathode includes a lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Formula 1 below as a cathode active material, and the anode includes a lithium metal oxide represented by Formula 2 below as an anode active material: LixMyMn2-yO4-zAz  (1) wherein 0.9≤x≤1.2, 0
US10170793B2

A secondary battery includes: a cathode; an anode; and an electrolytic solution including a cyano compound, the cyano compound including a compound represented by R1-O—C(═O)—O—R2 (R1, R2, or both include a cyano-group-containing group), a compound represented by R3-C(═O)—O—R4 (R4 includes the cyano-group-containing group), or both.
US10170790B2

A solid-state conductor with sodium oxoferrate structure is disclosed. The conductor may be used in battery applications where it is preferable to avoid the use of a liquid electrolyte. The conductor may be produced from an initial NaFeO2 chemical composition. So as to add defects and allow for sodium ion mobility, Fe(IV), Si, Sn, Ti, Zr, V, P, or S can be added. For example, (1−x)(NaFeO2)+x(XO2) can be melted with the corresponding oxide XO2, where X is Fe(IV), Si, Sn, Ti, Zr, V, P, or S, and x is between 0.1 and 0.5. These dopants generally preserve the crystallographic structure while decreasing the ion mobility barrier.
US10170787B2

An example separator includes: a flat plate-shaped first plate member; a flat plate-shaped second plate member joined with the first plate member; an oxidation gas flow channel wall, which forms a flow channel of oxidation gas; a fuel gas flow channel wall, which forms a flow channel of fuel gas; a cooling medium flow channel wall, which forms a flow channel of a cooling medium; a first through hole, which penetrates the first plate member and the second plate member; a second through hole, which penetrates the first plate member and the second plate member; a first cooling medium passage part; a second cooling medium passage part; one projection, which is formed on at least one of the first cooling medium passage part and the second cooling medium passage part; and another projection, which is formed at a position corresponding to the one projection.
US10170786B1

A modular planar interconnect device for a solid oxide fuel cell includes a planar interconnect body, a pair of upper shielding plates, and a pair of lower shielding plates. The planar interconnect body includes a right lateral surface and a left lateral surface. The right lateral surface includes a right lateral slot to fluidly communicate with an introducing slot of the planar interconnect body. The left lateral surface includes a left lateral slot to fluidly communicate with an exit slot of the planar interconnect body.
US10170784B2

The reservoirs 2 and 2′ preliminarily contain liquid water, which is utilized as the water to be supplied to the polymer membrane. A vapor pressure of the water is set to a predetermined value in the reservoir by controlling the temperature of the reservoirs 2 and 2′ individually. Pressure gauges 6 and 6′ may be used for setting a vapor pressure of the water. The water which is gasified based on the set vapor pressure in the respective reservoir is supplied to the stack 10 along with oxygen from the reservoir 2, and with hydrogen from the reservoir 2′. This configuration makes it possible to adjust the amount of water contained in the polymer membrane and maintain the moisturization of the polymer membrane without external water supply.
US10170782B2

A high efficiency fuel cell system includes a topping fuel cell assembly that includes a topping cathode portion and a topping anode portion, as well as a bottoming fuel cell assembly that includes a bottoming cathode portion and a bottoming anode portion. The assembly also includes a flue gas generating device configured to provide flue gas to the topping cathode portion and/or the bottoming cathode portion, and an oxidizer assembly configured to (i) oxidize anode exhaust output from the bottoming anode portion with air and/or oxygen to generate carbon dioxide-containing exhaust and (ii) generate waste heat for heating the flue gas before the flue gas is provided to the topping cathode portion and/or the bottoming cathode portion. A separation assembly is configured to receive the carbon dioxide-containing exhaust from the oxidizer assembly and to separate carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide-containing exhaust.
US10170770B2

The present invention relates to an efficient, non-metal, N-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and a process for the preparation of using g-C3N4 as a nitrogen precursor, metal organic frameworks (MOF) as a carbon template having high specific surface area, large number of active sites and large pore volume.
US10170769B2

A method of treating a carbon substrate, includes the successive steps of impregnating the carbon substrate with an aqueous solution containing an amorphous fluorinated copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and of perfluoromethoxy dioxole, drying the carbon substrate at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and obtaining a carbon substrate impregnated with a fluorinated copolymer. Such a carbon substrate may be used as a gas diffusion layer in a fuel cell.
US10170767B2

Provided is an energy storage device which includes: an electrode assembly including a positive electrode and a negative electrode respectively including a non-coated region having a metal foil; current collectors each having a support portion which is made to overlap with the non-coated region; and opposedly facing supports each configured to clamp the non-coated region cooperatively with the support portion, wherein at least one of the non-coated region, the support portion and the opposedly facing support includes a conductive layer having non-oxidizing property or hardly-oxidizable property, the conductive layer covering at least one surface out of a surface of the non-coated region facing the support portion, a surface of the non-coated region facing the opposedly facing support, a surface of the support portion facing the non-coated region, and a surface of the opposedly facing support facing the non-coated region.
US10170762B2

Electrochemically active material comprising a lithium metal oxide composition approximately represented by the formula Li1+bComNinMnpO(2), where −0.2≤b≤0.2, 0.2≤m≤0.45, 0.055≤n≤0.24, 0.385≤p≤0.72, and m+n+p is approximately 1 has been synthesized and assembled to batteries. The electrochemical performance of the batteries was evaluated. The lithium metal oxide composition in general comprises a first layered phase, a second layered phase and a spinel phase. A layered Li2MnO3 phase is at least partially activated upon charging to 4.5V. In some embodiments, the material further comprises a stabilization coating covering the lithium metal oxide composition.
US10170759B2

Forming a metal oxide by treating an acidic solution containing a metal to yield a precursor in the form of a semi-liquid, semi-solid or solid, and treating the precursor to yield a product including the metal oxide. An organic or inorganic component may be combined with the precursor to yield a second semi-liquid, semi-solid or solid. The product may be treated to yield a new material. In some cases, the metal oxide has an empirical formula HxM2A1y-A2z, where M represents a transition metal or any combination of transition metals in Groups 3-12; A1 is a first oxyanion; A2 is a second oxyanion; 0≤x≤3; 0≤y≤3; 0≤z≤3; and y+z>0.
US10170755B2

An electrochemical cell in one embodiment includes a first negative electrode including a form of lithium, a positive electrode, and a first separator positioned between the first negative electrode and the positive electrode, wherein the positive electrode includes a plurality of coated small grains of Li2S.
US10170752B2

A method for producing an amorphous carbon particle includes the steps of: obtaining a first crosslinked product by admixing mesophase particles with an amorphous carbon precursor and thereafter subjecting the mixture to a crosslinking treatment, or obtaining a second crosslinked product by crosslinking the amorphous carbon precursor and thereafter admixing the mesophase particles with the crosslinked precursor; and subjecting the first or second crosslinked product to an infusibilization treatment and thereafter firing the product to produce amorphous carbon particles including the mesophase particles within the particles.
US10170751B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a composite active material for lithium secondary batteries, which is capable of providing a lithium secondary battery that has large charge and discharge capacity, high-rate charge and discharge characteristics and good cycle characteristics at the same time; and a method for producing the composite active material for lithium secondary batteries. A method of producing a composite active material for lithium secondary batteries of the present invention comprises: a mixing step wherein graphite having a specific surface area of 30 m2/g or more and a battery active material that is capable of combining with lithium ions are mixed with each other, thereby obtaining a mixture; and a spheroidizing step wherein the mixture is subjected to a spheroidization treatment, thereby producing a generally spherical composite active material for lithium secondary batteries, said composite active material containing graphite and the battery active material that is capable of combining with lithium ions.
US10170748B2

Disclosed is an anode for a lithium battery comprising a body of carbon, such as graphitic carbon, having a layer of a Group IV element or Group IV element-containing substance disposed upon its electrolyte contacting surface. Further disclosed is an anode comprising a body of carbon having an SEI layer formed thereupon by interaction of a layer of Group IV element or Group IV element-containing substance with an electrolyte material during the initial charging of the battery.
US10170747B2

In at least one embodiment, a battery is provided comprising an electron beam-treated current collector having an increased surface energy compared to an untreated current collector and an electrode disposed on a treated surface of the current collector. The electrode may include a water-soluble binder uniformly coating a surface of the current collector and the treated current collector may have a contact angle with the water-soluble binder of 70 degrees or less. The electron beam treatment may be applied to a moving current collector foil as part of a battery production process, prior to application of an electrode slurry.
US10170743B2

A separator has: a substrate including a porous film; and a surface layer which is provided on at least one surface of the substrate, which includes a vinylidene fluoride-tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene copolymer, and which has a plurality of minute pores.
US10170737B2

A battery holder includes a first base, a first holding portion and a second holding portion. The first base is opposed to a first end of the battery unit in the state in which the battery unit is located at a first holding position. The first holding portion is movably arranged on the first base between a first position, where the first holding portion contacts a held portion of the battery unit to hold the battery unit at the first holding position, and a second position, where the first holding portion is separated from the held portion. The second holding portion is arranged on the first base at a downstream side of the first holding portion in a removal direction of the battery unit from the battery holder to hold the battery unit at a second holding position that is located at a downstream side of the first holding position.
US10170730B2

A vacuum evaporation device, a vacuum evaporation method, and an organic light-emitting display panel are provided. The vacuum evaporation device comprises at least a first evaporation chamber. The first evaporation chamber includes at least one first organic material evaporation source and at least one first metal evaporation source. The at least one first organic material evaporation source is configured to evaporate a first organic material, and the at least one first metal evaporation source is configured to evaporate a first metal material. The at least one first organic material evaporation source and the at least one first metal evaporation source are controlled to perform evaporation simultaneously to generate blend doping of a first organic material and a first metal material on a substrate disposed within the first evaporation chamber.
US10170728B2

A display device includes a substrate, an encapsulation portion on the substrate, a seal portion between the substrate and the encapsulation portion, and at least one dummy seal portion around the seal portion. The substrate and the encapsulation portion at least partially overlap each other in a first direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. The dummy seal portion is, when viewed in the first direction, arranged in an area between an edge of the seal portion and a boundary line of an overlapping area of the substrate and the encapsulation portion.
US10170723B2

An organic light emitting element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an emission layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, an electron injection layer between the second electrode and the emission layer, and a barrier layer between the electron injection layer and the second electrode, wherein a work function of the barrier layer is larger than a work function of the second electrode.
US10170719B2

A method for inorganic surface passivation in a photovoltaic device includes etching a native oxide over an inorganic substrate, the inorganic substrate having a surface; and forming an organic monolayer on the surface of the inorganic substrate to form a heterojunction, the organic monolayer having the following formula: ˜X—Y, wherein X is an oxygen or a sulfur; Y is an alkyl chain, an alkenyl chain, or an alkynyl chain; and X covalently bonds to the surface of the inorganic substrate by a covalent bond.
US10170716B2

Disclosed herein is a method of preparing organic films, including: (1) forming a first organic film including nanorods on a substrate using a first organic solution; (2) introducing a second organic solution at least into spaces between the nanorods of the first organic film; and (3) crystallizing the introduced second organic solution to form a second organic film. The method can provide an organic film having excellent properties in terms of crystallinity and topography.
US10170708B2

An organic electroluminescent material is shown in formula (1), Wherein R9 and R13 are benzimidazole derivatives, benzimidazole derivative is shown in formula (3) Wherein the rest of functional groups are independently selected from one of hydrogen atom, fluorine atom, cyano group, alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkoxy group, thioalkyl group, silyl group and alkenyl group.
US10170699B2

The present disclosure relates to a method of forming a resistive random access memory (RRAM) cell having a reduced leakage current, and an associated apparatus. In some embodiments, the method is performed by forming a bottom electrode layer over a lower metal interconnect layer. A dielectric data storage layer having a variable resistance is formed onto the bottom electrode layer in-situ with forming at least a part of the bottom electrode layer. A top electrode layer is formed over the dielectric data storage layer. By forming the dielectric data storage layer in-situ with forming at least a part of the bottom electrode layer, leakage current, leakage current distribution and device yield of the RRAM cell are improved.
US10170697B2

Methods for forming magnetic tunnel junctions and structures thereof include cryogenic etching the layers defining the magnetic tunnel junction without lateral diffusion of reactive species.
US10170695B2

A magnetic tunnel junction device includes a Heusler alloy layer that has not only a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy characteristic, but also a half-metallicity characteristic. For example, the magnetic tunnel junction device includes at least one Heusler alloy layer and a barrier layer. The barrier layer is in contact with the Heusler alloy layer and has an insulating property. A compressive strain is exerted on the Heusler alloy layer in a direction parallel to an interface between the Heusler alloy layer and the barrier layer.
US10170685B2

A microphone including a casing having a front wall, a back wall, and a side wall joining the front wall to the back wall, a transducer mounted to the front wall, the transducer including a substrate and a transducing element, the transducing element having a transducer acoustic compliance dependent on the transducing element dimensions, a back cavity cooperatively defined between the back wall, the side wall, and the transducer, the back cavity having a back cavity acoustic compliance. The transducing element is dimensioned such that the transducing element length matches a predetermined resonant frequency and the transducing element width, thickness, and elasticity produces a transducer acoustic compliance within a given range of the back cavity acoustic compliance.
US10170675B2

A light emitting diode (LED) structure has semiconductor layers, including a p-type layer, an active layer, and an n-type layer. The p-type layer has a bottom surface, and the n-type layer has a top surface through which light is emitted. Portions of the p-type layer and active layer are etched away to expose the n-type layer. The surface of the LED is patterned with a photoresist, and copper is plated over the exposed surfaces to form p and n electrodes electrically contacting their respective semiconductor layers. There is a gap between the n and p electrodes. To provide mechanical support of the semiconductor layers between the gap, a dielectric layer is formed in the gap followed by filling the gap with a metal. The metal is patterned to form stud bumps that substantially cover the bottom surface of the LED die, but do not short the electrodes. The substantially uniform coverage supports the semiconductor layer during subsequent process steps.
US10170673B2

An LED package structure includes a multilayer circuit board, an LED chip, and a cover. The multilayer circuit board has a conductive layer, a first resin layer disposed on the conductive layer, and a first circuit layer disposed on the first resin layer. The first resin layer has a first opening, and a portion of the conductive layer is partially exposed from the first resin layer via the first opening such that a mounting region is exposed. The first circuit layer has a second opening, and the second opening exposes the mounting region. The LED chip is fixed on the mounting region by passing it through the first and second openings, and the LED chip is connected to the first circuit layer by wires. The cover is disposed on the first resin layer and covers the LED chip and the first circuit layer.
US10170672B2

An optical element has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface is subdivided into at least one first segment and a second segment. The segments in each case adjoin a midpoint of the first surface. Each segment has a tooth structure having teeth extending along tooth extension directions. The tooth extension directions have bends at boundaries between the segments.
US10170671B2

A method to fill the flowable material into the semiconductor assembly module gap regions is described. In an embodiment, multiple semiconductor units are formed on the substrate to create an array module; the array module is attached to a backplane having circuitry to form the semiconductor assembly module in which multiple gap regions are formed inside the semiconductor assembly module and edge gap regions are formed surround an edge of the assembly module; The flowable material is forced inside the gap regions by performing the high acting pressure environment and then cured to be a stable solid to form a robustness structure. A semiconductor convert module is formed by removing the substrate utilizing a substrate removal process. A semiconductor driving module is formed by utilizing a connecting layer on the semiconductor convert module. In one embodiment, a vertical light emitting diode semiconductor driving module is formed to light up the vertical LED array. In another one embodiment, multiple color emissive light emitting diodes semiconductor driving module is formed to display color images. In another embodiment, multiple patterns of semiconductor units having multiple functions semiconductor driving module is formed to provide multiple functions for desire application.
US10170663B2

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device package includes forming a light emitting structure including a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor layer sequentially stacked on a growth substrate, forming a reflective layer on a first surface of the light emitting structure corresponding to a surface of the second conductivity-type semiconductor layer, forming bumps on the first surface, the bumps being electrically connected to the first or second conductivity-type semiconductor layer and protruding from the reflective layer, bonding a support substrate to the bumps on the first surface, removing the growth substrate, bonding a light transmissive substrate coated with a wavelength conversion layer to a second surface of the light emitting structure from which the growth substrate is removed, and removing the support substrate. The reflective layer covers at least portions of side surfaces of the light emitting structure and the bumps.
US10170658B2

An optical device includes a substrate, a light emitter, a light detector, a conductive structure, and an opaque material. The light emitter, the light detector and the conductive structure are disposed on a surface of the substrate and are electrically connected to traces on the surface of the substrate. The light emitter includes an emitting area facing the substrate. The light detector includes a receiving area facing the substrate. The light emitter emits light within a range of wavelengths, and the substrate passes the light emitted by the light emitter. The opaque material is disposed on the substrate, and absorbs or attenuates the light within the range of wavelengths.
US10170651B2

Various methods are used to provide a desired doping metal concentration in a CIGS-containing ink when the CIGS layer is deposited on a photovoltaic device. When the doping metal is sodium, it may be incorporated by: adding a sodium salt, for example sodium acetate, together with the copper-, indium- and/or gallium-containing reagents at the beginning of the synthesis reaction of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 nanoparticles; synthesizing Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 nanoparticles and adding a sodium salt to the reaction solution followed by mild heating before isolating the nanoparticles to aid sodium diffusion; and/or, using a ligand that is capable of capping the Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 nanoparticles with one end of its molecular chain and binding to sodium atoms with the other end of its chain.
US10170648B2

A nanocrystal including a core including a Group III element and a Group V element, and a monolayer shell on the surface of the core, the shell including a compound of the formula ZnSexS(1-x), wherein 0≤x≤1, and wherein an average mole ratio of Se:S in the monolayer shell ranges from about 2:1 to about 20:1.
US10170643B2

A barrier film and a method of manufacturing the barrier film are provided. The method includes performing high-pressure thermal treatment under certain conditions on an oxide thin film deposited by sputtering deposition or atomic layer deposition (ALD) to manufacture a barrier film with improved moisture resistance. According to the method, moisture resistance of the barrier film can be improved at a low process temperature by using both thermal energy and pressure energy. The barrier film provided herein can be useful as a barrier film for solar cells.
US10170634B2

A nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. Each of the first and second source/drain regions are formed on an upper surface of a bulk semiconductor substrate. A gate region is interposed between the first and second source/drain regions, and directly on the upper surface of the bulk semiconductor substrate. A plurality of nanowires are formed only in the gate region. The nanowires are suspended above the semiconductor substrate and define gate channels of the nanowire FET device. A gate structure includes a gate electrode formed in the gate region such that the gate electrode contacts an entire surface of each nanowire.
US10170630B2

To provide a highly integrated semiconductor memory device. To provide a semiconductor memory device which can hold stored data even when power is not supplied. To provide a semiconductor memory device which has a large number of write cycles. The degree of integration of a memory cell array is increased by forming a memory cell including two transistors and one capacitor which are arranged three-dimensionally. The electric charge accumulated in the capacitor is prevented from being leaking by forming a transistor for controlling the amount of electric charge of the capacitor in the memory cell using a wide-gap semiconductor having a wider band gap than silicon. Accordingly, a semiconductor memory device which can hold stored data even when power is not supplied can be provided.
US10170624B2

A non-planar transistor is provided. It includes a substrate, a fin structure, a gate structure, a first spacer structure and a source/drain region. The fin structure is disposed on the substrate, the gate structure is disposed on the fin structure. The fin structure includes an upper portion, a concave portion and a lower portion, and the concave portion is disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion. The first spacer structure is disposed on a sidewall of the gate structure. The first spacer structure includes a first spacer and a second spacer, wherein the first spacer is disposed between the second spacer, and a height of the first spacer is different from a height of the second spacer. The source/drain region is disposed in a semiconductor layer at two sides of the first spacer structure.
US10170621B2

Method of making a transistor, comprising the following steps: make a gate and a first spacer on a first channel region of a first crystalline semiconducting layer; make first crystalline semiconductor portions on the second source and drain regions; make the second regions amorphous and dope them; recrystallise the second regions and activate the dopants present in the second regions; remove the first portions; make a second spacer thicker than the first spacer; make second doped crystalline semiconductor portions on the second regions, said second portions and the second regions of the first layer together form the source and drain of the transistor.
US10170614B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first well and a second well in a substrate, wherein the first well is doped with dopants of a first conductivity type and the second well is doped with dopants of a second conductivity type. A third well is formed within the first well, and a gate structure is formed above the substrate, the gate structure partially overlying at least the first and second wells. A first epi region is formed on the third well, wherein the first epi region is doped with second dopants of the second conductivity type, and a drain region is formed that is electrically coupled to the second well.
US10170605B2

A clustered Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (CIGBT) comprising a drift region (24), a P region (20) formed within the n-type drift region, an N well region (22) formed within the P well region (20), a P base region (32) formed within the N well region (22) and a cathode region (36). One or more trenches (40) are formed in the device and configured to longitudinally intersect the drift region (24) and, optionally, the P well region (20) as well as laterally intersecting the base region (32), the N well region (22) and the P well region (20). An insulating film is formed on the inner surface of the trenches (40) and gate oxide is formed on the insulating film so as to substantially fill the trenches and form a gate.
US10170597B2

A method for forming flash memory units is provided. After a logic gate in a select gate PMOS transistor area is separated from a logic gate in a control gate PMOS transistor area, P-type impurities implanted into the logic gate in the select gate PMOS transistor area are diffused into an N-type floating gate polysilicon layer to convert the N-type floating gate into a P-type floating gate by a subsequent high temperature heating process, so that it is possible to successfully form a select gate PMOS transistor having a small surface channel threshold value in a 55 nm process flash memory unit, and achieve mass production. Further, a two-step growth process of the logic gate and a process for separating the logic gate can form a surface channel of the select gate PMOS transistor having a smaller threshold value without affecting the floating gate doping of the control gate PMOS transistor.
US10170596B2

A method of forming an arrangement of active and inactive fins on a substrate, including forming at least three vertical fins on the substrate, forming a protective liner on at least three of the at least three vertical fins, removing at least a portion of the protective liner on the one of the at least three of the at least three of vertical fins, and converting the one of the at least three of the at least three vertical fins to an inactive vertical fin.
US10170589B2

A device includes a semiconductor region in a semiconductor chip, a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor region, and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric. A drain region is disposed at a top surface of the semiconductor region and adjacent to the gate electrode. A gate spacer is on a sidewall of the gate electrode. A dielectric layer is disposed over the gate electrode and the gate spacer. A conductive field plate is over the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive field plate has a portion on a drain side of the gate electrode. A conductive via is disposed in the semiconductor region. A source electrode is underlying the semiconductor region, wherein the source electrode is electrically shorted to the conductive field plate through the conductive via.
US10170587B2

A semiconductor structure includes a source drain region of a first material and an extension region of a second material. A semiconductor device fabrication process includes forming a sacrificial dielectric portion upon a semiconductor substrate, forming a sacrificial gate stack upon the sacrificial dielectric portion, forming a gate spacer upon the sacrificial dielectric portion against the sacrificial gate, forming a source drain region of a first doped material upon the semiconductor substrate against the gate spacer, forming a replacement gate trench by removing the sacrificial gate stack, forming an extension trench by removing the sacrificial dielectric portion, and forming an extension region of a second doped material within the extension trench.
US10170579B2

A High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) and a method of forming the same are disclosed. The HEMT includes a first III-V compound layer having a first band gap and a second III-V compound layer having a second band gap over the first III-V compound layer, wherein the second band gap is greater than the first band gap. The HEMT further includes a first oxide layer over the second III-V compound layer; a first interfacial layer over the first oxide layer; and a passivation layer over the first interfacial layer.
US10170578B2

Embodiments herein describe a through-substrate via formed in a semiconductor substrate that includes a transistor. In one embodiment, the through via includes a BJT which includes different doped semiconductor layers that form a collector, a base, and an emitter. The through via can also include metal contacts to the collector, base, and emitter which enable the through to be coupled to a metal routing layer or a solder bump.
US10170576B2

A work function setting metal stack includes a configuration of layers including a high dielectric constant layer and a diffusion prevention layer formed on the high dielectric constant layer. An aluminum doped TiC layer has a thickness greater than 5 nm wherein the configuration of layers is employed between two regions as a diffusion barrier to prevent mass diffusion between the two regions.
US10170568B2

A structure includes a laterally diffused (LD) MOSFET with an n-type drift region disposed on a surface of a substrate and a p-type body region contained in the drift region. The structure further includes an n-type source region contained in the p-type body region; an n-type drain region contained in the n-type drift region; a gate electrode disposed on a gate dielectric overlying a portion of the p-type body region and the n-type drift region and an electrically conductive field shield member disposed within the n-type drift region at least partially beneath the p-type body region and generally parallel to the gate electrode. The electrically conductive buried field shield member is contained within and surrounded by a layer of buried field shield oxide and is common to both a first LD MOSFET and a second LD MOSFET that are connected in parallel. Methods to fabricate the structure are also disclosed.
US10170567B2

A structure includes a laterally diffused (LD) MOSFET with an n-type drift region disposed on a surface of a substrate and a p-type body region contained in the drift region. The structure further includes an n-type source region contained in the p-type body region; an n-type drain region contained in the n-type drift region; a gate electrode disposed on a gate dielectric overlying a portion of the p-type body region and the n-type drift region and an electrically conductive field shield member disposed within the n-type drift region at least partially beneath the p-type body region and generally parallel to the gate electrode. The electrically conductive buried field shield member is contained within and surrounded by a layer of buried field shield oxide and is common to both a first LD MOSFET and a second LD MOSFET that are connected in parallel. Methods to fabricate the structure are also disclosed.
US10170553B2

Device structure and fabrication methods for a bipolar junction transistor. An emitter layer is formed on a base layer and etched to form an emitter of the device structure. The emitter layer has a concentration of an element that varies as a function of the thickness of the emitter layer. The etch rate of the emitter layer varies as a function of the concentration of the element such that the emitter has a variable width over the thickness of the emitter layer.
US10170544B2

An integrated circuit product includes a FinFET device, a device isolation region that is positioned around a perimeter of the FinFET device, and an isolation protection layer that is positioned above the device isolation region. The FinFET device includes at least one fin, a gate structure, and a sidewall spacer, the device isolation region includes a first insulating material, and the isolation protection layer includes a material that is different from the first insulating material. A first portion of the isolation protection layer is positioned under a portion of the gate structure and under a portion of the sidewall spacer, wherein a second portion of the isolation protection layer is not positioned under the gate structure and is not positioned under the sidewall spacer, the first portion of the isolation protection layer having a thickness that is greater than a thickness of the second portion.
US10170542B2

A semiconductor device including a substrate of a first conductivity type, a metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor (MOSFET), junction gate field-effect transistors (JFETs), an isolation structure, and a buried layer of a second conductivity type is provided. The MOSFET is located on the substrate and has a first epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type. The JFET is located on the substrate and has a second epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type. The isolation structure is located between the MOSFET and the JFET to separate the first epitaxial layer from the second epitaxial layer. The buried layer is located between the MOSFET and the substrate. The buried layer extends from below the MOSFET to below the isolation structure and below the JFET, so as to electrically connect the MOSFET to the first JFET.
US10170541B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of electrode structures formed on a substrate; and an upper supporter group and a lower supporter between upper ends and lower ends of the plurality of electrode structures The upper supporter group includes a plurality of supporters, and at least some of the plurality of supporters each have an upper surface and a lower surface. One of the upper surface and the lower surface has a curved profile, and the other surface has a flat profile.
US10170536B1

A semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a first passivation layer over the substrate; a second passivation layer over the first passivation layer; a magnetic layer in the second passivation layer; and an etch stop layer between the magnetic layer and the first passivation layer, wherein the etch stop layer includes at least one acid resistant layer, and the acid resistant layer includes a metal oxide. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is also disclosed.
US10170531B2

An organic light emitting diode (“OLED”) display includes: a substrate divided into a pixel area, and a peripheral area enclosing the pixel area; an OLED in the pixel area and including a first electrode, an organic emission layer and a second electrode; a common voltage line in the peripheral area and transmitting a common voltage to the second electrode; and a reaction blocking part overlapping the common voltage line.
US10170526B1

An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel and a method for manufacturing the OLED display panel are provided. The OLED display panel includes a thin film transistor layer, an anode layer, a pixel definition layer, a cathode layer, and a barrier layer. The barrier layer is disposed on the pixel definition layer between any two adjacent anodes. The barrier layer blocks an electrical charge released by one of the two adjacent anodes from entering into a region in the cathode layer corresponding to the other of the two adjacent anodes.
US10170509B2

A device may include a filter array disposed on a substrate. The filter array may include a first mirror disposed on the substrate. The filter array may include a plurality of spacers disposed on the first mirror. A first spacer, of the plurality of spacers, may be associated with a first thickness. A second spacer, of the plurality of spacers, may be associated with a second thickness that is different from the first thickness. A first channel corresponding to the first spacer and a second channel corresponding to the second spacer may be associated with a separation width of less than approximately 10 micrometers (μm). The filter array may include a second mirror disposed on the plurality of spacers.
US10170507B2

A solid-state imaging device has a plurality of micro lenses, a first substrate, and a second substrate. The first substrate has a plurality of first photoelectric conversion units. Each of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion units corresponds to any one of the plurality of micro lenses. The second substrate has a plurality of second photoelectric conversion units and a plurality of third photoelectric conversion units. A plurality of pairs of photoelectric conversion units are disposed, and each of the plurality of pairs of photoelectric conversion units includes one of the second photoelectric conversion units and one of the third photoelectric conversion units. Each of the plurality of pairs of photoelectric conversion units corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first photoelectric conversion units. The second substrate further includes charge isolation regions disposed between the second photoelectric conversion units and the third photoelectric conversion units.
US10170500B2

Photolithography and etching steps for forming an island-shaped semiconductor layer are omitted, and a liquid crystal display device is manufactured with four photolithography steps: a step of forming a gate electrode (including a wiring formed using the same layer as the gate electrode), a step of forming source and drain electrodes (including a wiring formed using the same layer as the source and drain electrodes), a step of forming a contact hole (including the removal of an insulating layer and the like in a region other than the contact hole), and a step of forming a pixel electrode (including a wiring formed using the same layer as the pixel electrode). By the reduction in the number of photolithography steps, a liquid crystal display device can be provided at low cost and high productivity. Formation of a parasitic channel is prevented by an improvement in shape and potential of a wiring.
US10170482B2

A method for preventing epitaxial growth in a semiconductor device is described. The method includes cutting the fins of FinFET structure to form a set of exposed fin ends. A set of sidewall spacers are formed on the set of exposed fin ends, forming a set of spacer covered fin ends. The set of sidewall spacers prevent epitaxial growth at the set of spacer covered fin ends. A semiconductor device includes a set of fin structures having a set of fin ends. A set of inhibitory layers are disposed at the set of fin ends to inhibit excessive epitaxial growth at the fin ends.
US10170475B2

An improved transistor with channel epitaxial silicon. In one aspect, a method of fabrication includes: forming a gate stack structure on an epitaxial silicon region disposed on a substrate, a width dimension of the epitaxial silicon region approximating a width dimension of the gate stack structure; and growing a raised epitaxial source and drain from the substrate, the raised epitaxial source and drain in contact with the epitaxial silicon region and the gate stack structure. For a SRAM device, further: removing an epitaxial layer in contact with the silicon substrate and the raised source and drain and to which the epitaxial silicon region is coupled leaving a space above the silicon substrate and under the raised epitaxial source and drain; and filling the space with an insulating layer and isolating the raised epitaxial source and drain and a channel of the transistor from the silicon substrate.
US10170471B2

A semiconductor device, having a heterogeneous silicon stack, wherein the heterogeneous silicon stack comprises at least a base layer, a doped silicon layer, and an undoped silicon layer. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of silicon fins atop a doped silicon oxide fin layer and an undoped silicon oxide fin layer, wherein the plurality of silicon fins have a uniform width along the height of the plurality of silicon fins, and wherein the plurality of silicon fins have a plurality of hard mask caps.
US10170468B1

A semiconductor structure is provided. A semiconductor substrate has a first conductivity type. A first well is formed in the semiconductor substrate and has a second conductivity type. A first well includes a first region and a second region. The dopant concentration of the first region is higher than the dopant concentration of the second region. A second well has the first conductivity type and is formed in the first region. A first doped region is formed in the first region and has the second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type. The second doped region has the first conductivity type and is formed in the second well. A third doped region has the first conductivity type and is formed in the second region. A fourth doped region has the second conductivity type and is formed in the first region.
US10170465B2

A method of forming a vertical finFET and vertical diode device on the same substrate, including forming a channel layer stack on a heavily doped layer; forming fin trenches in the channel layer stack; oxidizing at least a portion of the channel layer stack inside the fin trenches to form a dummy layer liner; forming a vertical fin in the fin trenches with the dummy layer liner; forming diode trenches in the channel layer stack; oxidizing at least a portion of the channel layer stack inside the diode trenches to form a dummy layer liner; forming a first semiconductor segment in a lower portion of the diode trenches with the dummy layer liner; and forming a second semiconductor segment in an upper portion of the diode trenches with the first semiconductor segment, where the second semiconductor segment is formed on the first semiconductor segment to form a p-n junction.
US10170438B2

A semiconductor circuit includes a three-terminal high voltage semiconductor device, a charge distribution structure and a static discharge system. The charge distribution structure has a plurality of conductors with a floating potential. The charge distribution structure is capacitively coupled to a first terminal of the semiconductor device. The static discharge system removes charge that accumulates on at least a subset of the conductors. The static discharge system removes the charge that accumulates on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a first state while allowing charge to accumulate on the subset of conductors when the semiconductor device is in a second state.
US10170435B2

A method for forming a seal ring structure provides a semiconductor substrate having a first doping region formed over a top portion thereof. The method forms a plurality of patterned photoresist layers over the semiconductor substrate, encircling the semiconductor substrate, wherein each of the patterned photoresist layers has a plurality of parallel strip portions extending along a first direction and a plurality of bridge portions formed between the parallel strip portions, and then performs an etching process to a first doping region of the substrate. The method then removes the first doping region not covered by the patterned photoresist layers and forms a plurality of patterned first doping regions. The method then removes the patterned photoresist layers and forms an isolation region between and adjacent to the patterned first doping regions. Finally, the method forms a plurality of interconnect elements over the semiconductor substrate.
US10170432B2

A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, at least one semiconductor device, a through-substrate via (TSV), and a shield structure. The substrate has a front side surface and a back side surface. The semiconductor device is disposed on the front side surface. The TSV is disposed in the substrate. The TSV is exposed by the front side surface and the back side surface, and the TSV is electrically connected to the semiconductor device. The shield structure is disposed in the substrate and surrounds the TSV. The shield structure is exposed by the front side surface, the shield structure is electrically isolated from the TSV, and the shield structure is used to be electrically connected to a power terminal or a ground terminal.
US10170425B2

A metal interconnect layer, a method of forming the metal interconnect layer, a method of forming a device that includes the metal interconnect layer are described. The method of forming the metal interconnect layer includes forming an opening in a dielectric layer, forming a metal layer in the opening and over a top surface of the dielectric layer. The method also includes disposing a metal passivation layer on an overburden portion of the metal layer formed over the top surface of the dielectric layer. The metal passivation layer includes a metal selected from a group of: cobalt (Co), ruthenium (Ru), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), tungsten (W), any alloy thereof, nitrides of Co, Ru, Ti, Ni, or W, and any combination thereof. The method also includes performing an anneal at a temperature exceeding 100 degrees centigrade and below 300 degrees centigrade.
US10170423B2

A middle-of-line interconnect structure including copper interconnects and integral copper alloy caps provides effective electromigration resistance. A metal cap layer is deposited on the top surfaces of the interconnects. A post-deposition anneal causes formation of the copper alloy caps from the interconnects and the metal cap layer. Selective removal of unalloyed metal cap layer material provides an interconnect structure free of metal residue on the dielectric material layer separating the interconnects.
US10170418B2

A method for fabricating a backside device contact using a silicon-on-insulator substrate that includes a device layer, a buried insulator layer, and a handle wafer, includes forming a trench in the device layer. A trench is formed in the device layer. A sacrificial plug is formed in the trench. The handle wafer is removed to reveal the buried insulator layer. The buried insulator layer is partially removed to expose the sacrificial plug at a bottom of the trench. The sacrificial plug is removed. Backside processing of the buried insulator layer is performed. The trench is filled with a conductor to form a contact plug. A final substrate is connected to the buried insulator layer such that the contact plug contacts metallization of the final substrate.
US10170411B2

A method for via alignment includes forming first airgaps between interconnect structures and depositing a pinch off layer to close off openings to the first airgaps. A protection layer is formed in divots in the pinch off layer. The protection layer and the pinch off layer are planarized to form a surface where the protection layer remains in the divots. An interlevel dielectric layer (ILD) is deposited on the surface. The ILD and the pinch off layer are etched using the protection layer as an etch stop to align a via and expose the interconnect structure through the via.
US10170406B2

A method of forming an interconnect that includes providing a sacrificial trace structure using an additive forming method. The sacrificial trace structure having a geometry for the interconnect. The method continuous with forming a continuous seed metal layer on the sacrificial trace structure; and removing the sacrificial trace structure, wherein the continuous seed metal layer remains. An interconnect metal layer may be formed on the continuous seed layer. A dielectric material may then be formed on the interconnect metal layer to encapsulate a majority of the interconnect metal layer, wherein ends of the interconnect metal layer are exposed through one surface of the dielectric material to provide an interconnect extending into a dielectric material.
US10170400B2

A multi-finger transistor includes a circuit suppressing a variation in voltage current distribution. The circuit connects gate fingers (21) to each other, or source fingers (31) to each other in a region which is located outside an active region (11) and on a side where a drain pad (42) is disposed. The multi-finger transistor is configured to be linearly symmetric with respect to a direction of propagation of a signal from a gate pad (22) at the position of the gate pad (22).
US10170398B2

Disclosed is a three-dimensional integrated circuit divided into a plurality of groups and capable of repairing failed through-silicon vias (TSVs). In particular, the three-dimensional integrated circuit includes a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs) vertically penetrating the three-dimensional integrated circuit and included in each of the groups, and two or more redundant through-silicon vias (RTSVs), wherein, when the number of failed TSVs in one group exceeds a repairable number, the failed TSVs exceeding the repairable number are repaired using at least one RTSV included in another group adjacent to the group.
US10170396B2

The integrated circuit device disclosed herein includes a substrate, an interlevel dielectric layer disposed over the substrate, an intermetal dielectric layer disposed over the interlevel dielectric layer, an interconnect structure extending through the intermetal dielectric layer, and a through via (TV) extending through the intermetal dielectric layer and at least a portion of the substrate, the through via having a top surface co-planar with a top surface of the interconnect structure. In some embodiments, the through via is formed before the interconnect structure. In other embodiments, the interconnect structure is formed before the through via. In an embodiment, a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) is formed over the substrate.
US10170391B2

A backside initiated uniform heat sink loading system includes a system board assembly, a heat sink assembly, a loading plate, and a fastener. The system board assembly includes at least one processing unit. The heat sink assembly is mounted upon the processing unit from a topside of the system board assembly and includes a plurality of tension members that extend through the system board assembly. The loading plate is mounted to the plurality of tension members from a backside of the system board assembly. The fastener engages with the loading plate from the backside and forces the loading plate away from the system board assembly. As a result, the tension members uniformly force the heat sink assembly upon the processing unit to seat the processing unit with the system board assembly and to thermally contact the heat sink assembly with the processing unit.
US10170386B2

An electronic component package includes a frame having a cavity, an electronic component disposed in the cavity of the frame, a first metal layer disposed on an inner wall of the cavity of the frame, an encapsulant encapsulating the electronic component, and a redistribution layer disposed below the frame and the electronic component.
US10170383B2

A semiconductor device includes: an insulating board; a circuit pattern disposed on the insulating board; a semiconductor chip connected to the circuit pattern; a case disposed on the insulating board to surround the circuit pattern and the semiconductor chip and not bonded to the insulating board; and a cured resin disposed in the case to seal the circuit pattern and the semiconductor chip.
US10170382B2

A fan-out semiconductor package includes: a first interconnection member having a through-hole; a semiconductor chip disposed in the through-hole, having an active surface having a connection pad disposed thereon and an inactive surface opposing the active surface, and having a protrusion bump disposed on the connection pad; an encapsulant encapsulating at least portions of the first interconnection member and the inactive surface of the semiconductor chip; and a second interconnection member disposed on the first interconnection member and the active surface of the semiconductor chip. In the fan-out semiconductor package, step portions of the protrusion bumps may be removed.
US10170380B2

An array substrate and a display device are provided. The array substrate includes a display region and a peripheral circuit region, wherein a first gate line, a first data line and a pixel region are arranged in the display region; the pixel region includes a first pixel electrode and a thin film transistor, and the thin film transistor includes a first gate electrode, a first source electrode and a first drain electrode; the peripheral circuit region is provided with at least one test unit including: a second gate line; a second data line; a second testing pixel electrode; and a second testing thin film transistor. The second testing thin film transistor includes a second gate electrode, a second source electrode and a second drain electrode, wherein the second gate electrode, the second source electrode and the second drain electrode are provided with test ports exposed outside.
US10170379B2

Disclosed herein is a wafer processing system for processing wafers one at a time, the wafer processing system including: a plurality of trays each configured to accommodate a wafer; a conveyor configured to transfer the wafers accommodated in the trays; first and second tray holding apparatuses arranged to be spaced from each other along the conveyor, the first and second tray holding apparatuses unloading the trays from the conveyor and loading the unloaded trays onto the conveyor; and first and second apparatuses provided for the first and second tray holding apparatuses, respectively, the first and second apparatuses including a processing unit configured to process the wafers transferred by the conveyor, and a loading/unloading unit configured to unload a wafer from or load a wafer onto one of the trays that is held by the first or second tray holding apparatus.
US10170378B2

Semiconductor device includes first and second nanowire structures disposed on semiconductor substrate extending in first direction on substrate. First nanowire structure includes plurality of first nanowires including first nanowire material extending along first direction and arranged in second direction, second direction substantially perpendicular to first direction. Second nanowire structure includes plurality of second nanowires including second nanowire material extending along first direction arranged in second direction. Second nanowire material is not same as first nanowire material. Each nanowire is spaced-apart from immediately adjacent nanowire. First and second gate structures wrap around first and second nanowires at first region of respective first and second nanowire structures. First and second gate structures include gate electrodes. Viewed in cross section taken along third direction substantially perpendicular to first and second directions, height of first nanowires along second direction is not equal to distance of spacing along second direction between immediately adjacent second nanowires.
US10170377B1

A method includes forming a device above an active region defined in a semiconducting substrate. The device includes a plurality of gate structures, a spacer formed adjacent each of the plurality of gate structures, and conductive source/drain contact structures positioned adjacent each of the plurality of gate structures and separated from the associated gate structure by the spacer. A first portion of the conductive source/drain contact structures of a subset of the plurality of gate structures is recessed at a first axial position along a selected gate structure of the plurality of gate structures to define a cavity. A selected source/drain contact structure is not recessed. A first dielectric layer is formed in the cavity. A conductive line contacting the selected source/drain contact structure in the first axial position is formed.
US10170375B2

A semiconductor device includes a PMOS FinFET and an NMOS FinFET. The PMOS FinFET includes a substrate, a silicon germanium layer disposed over the substrate, a silicon layer disposed over the silicon germanium layer, and a PMOS fin disposed over the silicon layer. The PMOS fin contains silicon germanium. The NMOS FinFET includes the substrate, a silicon germanium oxide layer disposed over the substrate, a silicon oxide layer disposed over the silicon germanium oxide layer, and an NMOS fin disposed over the silicon oxide layer. The NMOS fin contains silicon. The silicon germanium oxide layer and the silicon oxide layer collectively define a concave recess in a horizontal direction. The concave recess is partially disposed below the NMOS fin.
US10170373B2

A method of fabricating advanced multi-threshold field effect transistors using a replacement metal gate process. A first method includes thinning layers composed of multilayer film stacks and incorporating a portion of the remaining thinned film in some transistors. A second method includes patterning dopant materials for a high-k dielectric by using thinning layers composed of multilayer thin film stacks, or in other embodiments, by a single thinning layer.
US10170372B2

A method for forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device includes growing a SiGe layer on a Si semiconductor layer, and etching fins through the SiGe layer and the Si semiconductor layer down to a buried dielectric layer. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the fins, and a dielectric material is formed on top of the buried dielectric layer between the fins. The SiGe layer is replaced with a dielectric cap for an n-type device to form a Si fin. The Si semiconductor layer is converted to a SiGe fin for a p-type device by oxidizing the SiGe layer to condense Ge. The dielectric material is recessed to below the spacers, and the dielectric cap and the spacers are removed to expose the Si fin and the SiGe fin.
US10170369B1

A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a fin structure extending along a first direction. The fin structure protrudes from a top surface of a trench isolation region and has a first height. A plurality of gate lines including a first gate line and a second gate line extend along a second direction and striding across the fin structure. The first gate line has a discontinuity directly above a gate cut region. The second gate line is disposed in proximity to a dummy fin region, and does not overlap with the dummy fin region. The fin structure has a second height within the dummy fin region, and the second height is smaller than the first height.
US10170368B2

A method is presented for creating an asymmetrical split-gate structure. The method includes forming a first device, forming a second device, forming a first gate stack between a first set of spacers of the first device, and a second gate stack between a second set of spacers of the second device. The method further includes depositing a hard mask over the first and second gate stacks, etching a first section of the first gate stack to create a first gap and a second section of the second gate stack to create a second gap, and forming a third gate stack within the first gap of the first gate stack and within the second gap of the second gate stack such that dual gate stacks are defined for each of the first and second devices. The method further includes annealing the dual gate stacks to form replacement metal gate stacks.
US10170363B2

An interconnection structure of the semiconductor integrated circuit device may be provided. The interconnection structure may include a first conductive pattern, a second conductive pattern, a dielectric layer and a contact part. The first conductive pattern may have a first width and a first length. The second conductive pattern may be formed over the first conductive pattern. The second conductive pattern may have a second width and a second length. The dielectric layer may be interposed between the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern. The contact part may be configured to simultaneously make contact with the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern.
US10170356B2

This invention application provides a method for manufacturing a SOI substrate, and the method comprising: providing a first semiconductor substrate; growing a first insulating layer on a top surface of the first semiconductor substrate for forming a first wafer; irradiating the first semiconductor substrate via a ion beam for forming a doping layer to a pre-determined depth from a top surface of the first insulating layer; providing a second substrate; growing a second insulating layer on a top surface of the second semiconductor substrate for forming a second wafer; bonding the first wafer with the second wafer; annealing the first wafer and second wafer at a deuterium atmosphere; separating a part of the first wafer from the second wafer; and forming a deuterium doped layer on the second wafer.
US10170354B2

A method for partially filling an open feature on a substrate includes receiving a substrate having a layer with at least one open feature formed therein, wherein the open feature penetrates into the layer from an upper surface and includes sidewalls extending to a bottom of the open feature. The open feature is overfilled with an organic coating that covers the upper surface of the layer and extends to the bottom of the open feature. The method further includes removing a portion of the organic coating to expose the upper surface of the layer and recessing the organic coating to a pre-determined depth from the upper surface to create an organic coating plug of pre-determined thickness at the bottom of the open feature, and converting the chemical composition of the organic coating plug to create an inorganic plug.
US10170352B2

A manufacturing apparatus includes a first supporting section to support a first tape section. The first tape section has a first surface facing away from the first supporting section. For example, a semiconductor chip can be disposed on the first surface. A second supporting section of the apparatus supports a second tape section in a facing arrangement with the first tape section. The second tape section has a second surface facing away from the second supporting section. For example, a semiconductor chip can be transferred from the first surface to the second surface in a manufacturing process. A ring element is between the first and second tape sections and surrounds a space between the first and second tape sections. The ring element has a port allowing fluid communication between the space and an outlet port.
US10170349B2

A substrate treating apparatus includes a plurality of solution treating units for performing solution treatment of substrates, and a plurality of individual gas supply devices provided to correspond individually to the solution treating units, each for supplying gas at a variable rate only to one of the solution treating units. The solution treating units perform the solution treatment by supplying treating solutions to the substrates. The individual gas supply devices supply gas only to the solution treating units corresponding thereto. The individual gas supply devices supply the gas at adjustable rates to the solution treating units. The rate of gas supply to the solution treating units can therefore be varied for each solution treating unit.
US10170346B2

A lower mold has a bottom surface member and a side surface member. An upper end surface of the bottom surface member forms an inner bottom surface of a cavity and has a planar shape corresponding to an unusual planar shape of a sealing resin. A substrate is disposed on a mold surface of an upper mold such that a component to be sealed attached to the substrate faces downward, and the cavity is filled with a fluid resin. The upper mold and the lower mold are clamped, and the component is immersed in the fluid resin. The bottom surface member is raised, and the fluid resin is pressed at a prescribed resin pressure and cured to form the sealing resin. The bottom surface member and the side surface member are moved relatively, and thereby, a molded product is released from a mold surface of the lower mold.
US10170340B2

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate; a chip disposed over the substrate; and a molding disposed over the substrate and surrounding the chip at a molding temperature. The warpage of the substrate is convex or about zero at the molding temperature or 10° C. more or less than the molding temperature.
US10170336B1

Embodiments of the present technology may include a method of etching. The method may include flowing a gas through a plasma to form plasma effluents. The method may also include reacting plasma effluents with a first layer defining a first feature. The first feature may include a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the bottom may include the first layer. The first layer may be characterized by a first thickness on the sidewall. The method may further include forming a second layer from the reaction of the plasma effluents with the first layer. The first layer may be replaced by the second layer. The second layer may be characterized by a second thickness. The second thickness may be greater than or equal to the first thickness. The method may also include removing the second layer to expose a third layer.
US10170334B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate structure and at least one CMP resistant structure. The gate structure is over the semiconductor substrate. The CMP resistant structure is embedded in a top surface of the gate structure. The CMP resistant structure has a CMP resistance property different from a CMP resistance property of the gate structure.
US10170332B2

A method and structure for protecting high-mobility materials from exposure to high temperature processes includes providing a substrate having at least one fin extending therefrom. The at least one fin includes a dummy channel and source/drain regions. A dummy gate stack is formed over the dummy channel. A first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer is formed on the substrate including the fin. The first ILD layer is planarized to expose the dummy gate stack. After planarizing the first ILD layer, the dummy gate stack and the dummy channel are removed to form a recess, and a high-mobility material channel region is formed in the recess. After forming the high-mobility material channel region, contact openings are formed within a second ILD layer overlying the source/drain regions, and a low Schottky barrier height (SBH) material is formed over the source/drain regions.
US10170331B2

Techniques for producing stacked SiGe nanowires using a condensation process without parasitic Ge nanowires as an undesired by-product. In one aspect, a method of forming SiGe nanowires includes the steps of: forming a stack of alternating Si and SiGe layers on a wafer; patterning fins in the stack; selectively thinning the SiGe layers in the fins such that the Si and SiGe layers give the fins an hourglass shape; burying the fins in an oxide material; and annealing the fins under conditions sufficient to diffuse Ge from the SiGe layers in the fins to the Si layers in the fins to form the SiGe nanowires. A FET device and method for formation thereof are also provided.
US10170329B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for spacer formation for SAMP techniques are described. In an embodiment a method includes providing a substrate with a spacer having a conformal coating. The method may also include performing a spacer freeze treatment process. Additionally, the method may include performing an etch and clean process on the substrate. Further, the method may include controlling the spacer treatment process and etch and clean process in order to achieve spacer formation objectives.
US10170328B1

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor pattern and a method for preparing the same. The semiconductor pattern includes a substrate, a plurality of first semiconductor structures disposed over the substrate, a plurality of second semiconductor structures disposed over the substrate, and a semiconductor frame structure disposed over the substrate. The first semiconductor structures and the second semiconductor structures are alternately arranged. The semiconductor frame structure encircles the first semiconductor structures and the second semiconductor structures. The first semiconductor structures include a first length, the second semiconductor structures include a second length, and the first length of the first semiconductor structures is less than the second length of the second semiconductor structures.
US10170318B2

A semiconductor device and a method of forming the semiconductor device are disclosed. A method includes forming a gate stack over a semiconductor structure. The gate stack is recessed to form a first recess. A first dielectric layer is formed along a bottom and sidewalls of the first recess, the first dielectric layer having a first etch rate. A second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer having a second etch rate, the first etch rate being higher than the second etch rate. A third dielectric layer is formed over the second dielectric layer. An etch rate of a portion of the third dielectric layer is altered. The first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, and the third dielectric layer are recessed to form a second recess. A capping layer is formed in the second recess.
US10170313B2

Systems and methods for improving doping and/or deposition uniformity using a tunable electromagnetic field generation device are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a chamber configured to contain a semiconductor wafer, a plasma generator, and a gas inlet, and an exhaust gas outlet. The gas inlet permits a controlled flow of a gas into the chamber through a wall of the chamber and the exhaust gas outlet permits exhausting of gas from the chamber. The system further includes a wafer support structure configured to support the semiconductor wafer during a doping or deposition process and an electromagnetic structure positioned within the chamber and at least partially surrounding an upper surface of the wafer support structure.
US10170312B2

Present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer with an epitaxial layer at a front surface of the semiconductor wafer, including providing the semiconductor wafer with a first dopant concentration of a dopant having a first conductivity type, forming a polysilicon layer over the front surface, removing the polysilicon layer from the front surface, and depositing the epitaxial layer at the front surface with a second dopant concentration of the dopant having the first conductivity type under a predetermined temperature. A transition width of the dopant having the first conductivity type across the semiconductor wafer and the epitaxial layer is controlled by the predetermined temperature to be at least about 0.75 micrometer. A semiconductor device and a semiconductor wafer with an epitaxial layer at a front surface of the semiconductor wafer are also disclosed.
US10170309B2

A multiple exposure patterning process includes the incorporation of a dummy feature into the integration flow. The dummy feature, which is placed to overlie an existing masking layer and thus does not alter the printed image, improves the critical dimension uniformity (CDU) of main critical (non-dummy) features at the same masking level.
US10170306B2

A method includes performing a double patterning process to form a first mandrel, a second mandrel, and a third mandrel, with the third mandrel being between the first mandrel and the second mandrel, and etching the third mandrel to cut the third mandrel into a fourth mandrel and a fifth mandrel, with an opening separating the fourth mandrel from the fifth mandrel. A spacer layer is formed on sidewalls of the first, the second, the fourth, and the fifth mandrels, wherein the opening is fully filled by the spacer layer. Horizontal portions of the spacer layer are removed, with vertical portions of the spacer layer remaining un-removed. A target layer is etched using the first, the second, the fourth, and the fifth mandrels and the vertical portions of the spacer layer as an etching mask, with trenches formed in the target layer. The trenches are filled with a filling material.
US10170304B1

The present disclosure generally relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to self-aligned nanotube structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes at least one nanotube structure supported by a plurality of spacers and an insulator material between the spacers and contacting the at least one nanotube structure.
US10170300B1

A protective film forming method is provided. In the method, an oxide film of either an organic metal compound or an organic metalloid compound is deposited on a flat surface region between adjacent recessed shapes formed in a surface of a substrate. Then, a lateral portion of the oxide film deposited on the flat surface region is removed by etching.
US10170297B2

Described herein are compositions or formulations for forming a film in a semiconductor deposition process, such as without limitation, a flowable chemical vapor deposition of silicon oxide. Also described herein is a method to improve the surface wetting by incorporating an acetylenic alcohol or diol surfactant such as without limitation 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyn-3-ol, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyn-4,7-diol, 4-ethyl-1-octyn-3-ol, and 2,5-dimethylhexan-2,5-diol, and other related compounds.
US10170287B1

Some embodiments relate to a system. The system includes a radio frequency (RF) generator configured to output a RF signal. A transmission line is coupled to the RF generator. A plasma chamber is coupled to RF generator via the transmission line, wherein the plasma chamber is configured to generate a plasma based on the RF signal. A micro-arc detecting element is configured to determine whether a micro-arc has occurred in the plasma chamber based on the RF signal.
US10170280B2

A plasma reactor has an array of plural gas injectors arranged around a circular side wall that are individually controlled.
US10170269B2

A magnetron includes an anode cylinder extending in a cylindrical shape along a central axis and a plurality of plate-like vanes at least each one end of which is fixed to the anode cylinder, extending from an inner face of the anode cylinder toward the central axis, in which the anode cylinder includes refrigerant flow paths for directly applying a refrigerant to the plate-like vanes. The refrigerant flow paths 111 are openings formed so that end surfaces (joint end faces of the plate-like vanes) of the plate-like vanes are exposed, which allow the refrigerant to directly contact the plate-like vanes.
US10170243B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a multilayer body including dielectric layers stacked on one another, inner electrodes, and auxiliary electrodes, and outer electrodes on end surfaces of the multilayer body. The inner electrodes include first through fifth inner electrodes on different planes. The auxiliary electrodes include a first auxiliary electrode on the same plane as the first inner electrode, a second auxiliary electrode on the same plane as the second inner electrode, a third auxiliary electrode on the same plane as the third inner electrode, and a fourth auxiliary electrode on the same plane as the fourth inner electrode.
US10170239B2

One aspect is for a method of manufacturing a magnetic coil for a magnetic actuator. A coil carrier is provided which comprises a tubular section and a collar which adjoins the tubular section, wherein the coil carrier is arranged for accommodating a coil winding. A die comprising a defined inner contour is provided which is adapted to the coil carrier. The coil carrier is inserted into the die, wherein the collar of the coil carrier rests on a seating surface of the die. The collar is punched with a punch, wherein a flange contour is formed at the collar the outline of which is defined by an inner contour of the die. The coil carrier is also at least sectionally potted or overmolded with a filler material, wherein the flange contour provides a barrier for the filler material. The disclosure further relates to a corresponding magnetic coil.
US10170238B2

A hand tool device having at least one charging coil, which includes at least one coil core which is at least partially made of a ceramic material and which is provided for transmitting energy. The coil core may be configured as a composite component.
US10170232B2

A toroid inductor includes a plurality of first turns configured in a first ring shape and a plurality of second turns configured in a second ring shape. The plurality of first turns includes a plurality of first upper interconnects, a plurality of first lower interconnects, and a plurality of first vias coupled to the plurality of first upper interconnects and to the plurality of first lower interconnects. The plurality of second turns is at least partially intertwined with the plurality of first turns. The plurality of second turns includes a plurality of second upper interconnects, a plurality of second lower interconnects, and a plurality of second vias coupled to the plurality of second upper interconnects and to the plurality of second lower interconnects.
US10170230B2

A power supply apparatus capable of appropriately supplying electrical power to a power transmission coil even if a foreign object is heated during power supply. The power supply apparatus (100) is provided with a power supply coil (103a) opposing a power-receiving unit (153) provided to a vehicle and supplying power to the power-receiving unit (153), and a casing (103b) accommodating the power supply coil (103a). In the casing (103b), a first cover (202) is formed on a surface of the casing (103b) opposing the power-receiving unit (153), and a second cover (203) opposing the first cover (202) is arranged between the first cover (202) and the power supply coil (103a).
US10170229B2

There is provided a chip electronic component including: an insulating substrate; a first coil part disposed on one surface of the insulating substrate; a second coil part disposed on the other surface of the insulating substrate opposing one surface of the insulating substrate; a via connecting the first and second internal coil parts to each other while penetrating through the insulating substrate; first and second via pads disposed on one surface and the other surface of the insulating substrate, respectively, so as to cover the via; and a first dummy pattern disposed in a region of one surface of the insulating substrate adjacent to the first via pad and a second dummy pattern disposed in a region of the other surface of the insulating substrate adjacent to the second via pad.
US10170223B2

A chip resistor includes a base substrate having first and second surfaces opposing each other. First and second resistor layers are separated from each other and are on the first surface of the base substrate. First and second terminals are on opposing end portions of the base substrate, respectively, and are connected to first sides of the first and second resistor layers, respectively. Third and fourth terminals are between the first and second terminals, and are respectively connected to second sides of the first and second resistor layers that respectively oppose the first sides of the first and second resistor layers.
US10170212B2

The invention relates to a novel solid state process for the preparation of metal-containing compounds comprising the steps i) forming a reaction mixture comprising one or more metal-containing precursor compounds and optionally one or more non-metal-containing reactants, and ii) using one or more hypophosphite-containing materials as a reducing agent; wherein one or more of the hypophosphite-containing materials is used as an agent to reduce one or more of the metal-containing precursor compounds; and further wherein the process is performed in the absence of an oxidizing atmosphere. Materials made by such a process are useful, for example, as electrode materials in alkali metal-ion battery applications.
US10170208B2

The invention discloses an electromagnetic coil bobbin used in reactor as well as an inner bobbin and an outer shell thereon, wherein more than one cut-off grooves are provided on the inner bobbin and the outer shell and uniformly distributed on corresponding inner bobbin or outer shell such that the inner bobbin and the outer shell of which the material of the main body is metal have excellent high-temperature resistance and avoid generation of induced eddy current, and such that the electromagnetic coil can generate a more uniform magnetic field while operating, thus achieving technical effects of reducing or avoiding eccentric wear, reducing or avoiding partial excessive wear, etc., and realizing the objectives of improving and raising movement performance of CRDM.
US10170205B2

A multi-dimensional surgical safety countermeasure system and method for using automated checklists to provide information to surgical staff in a surgical procedure. The system and method involve using checklists and receiving commands through the prompts of the checklists to update the information displayed on the display to guide the performance of a medical procedure.
US10170196B2

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a memory cell string including memory cells located in different levels of the apparatus and a data line coupled to the memory cell string. The memory cell string includes a pillar body associated with the memory cells. At least one of such apparatus can include a module configured to store information in a memory cell among memory cells and/or to determine a value of information stored in a memory cell among memory cells. The module can also be configured to apply a voltage having a positive value to the data line and/or a source to control a potential of the body. Other embodiments are described.
US10170192B2

A nonvolatile memory device including a memory cell array having a plurality of planes; a plurality of page buffers arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of planes; and a control logic circuit configured to transmit a bit line setup signal to each of the plurality of page buffers. Each of the plurality of page buffers includes a precharge circuit configured to precharge a sensing node and a bit line in response to the bit line setup signal, and a shutoff circuit configured to perform a bit line shutoff operation in response to a bit line shutoff signal. The control logic circuit is configured to control a transition time when a level of the bit line setup signal is changed according to a gradient of the bit line shutoff signal which is changed from a first level to a second level.
US10170188B1

Some embodiments include apparatuses, and methods of operating the apparatuses. Some of the apparatuses include a data line, a first memory cell string including first memory cells located in different levels of the apparatus, first access lines to access the first memory cells, a first select gate coupled between the data line and the first memory cell string, a first select line to control the first select gate, a second memory cell string including second memory cells located in different levels of the apparatus, second access lines to access the second memory cells, the second access lines being electrically separated from the first access lines, a second select gate coupled between the data line and the second memory cell string, a second select line to control the second select gate, and the first select line being in electrical contact with the second select line.
US10170187B2

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a memory cell string that can include memory cells located in different levels of the apparatus. The memory cell string can include a body associated with the memory cells. At least one of such embodiments can include a module configured to apply a negative voltage to at least a portion of the body of the memory cell string during an operation of the apparatus. The operation can include a read operation, a write operation, or an erase operation. Other embodiments are described.
US10170183B1

Some embodiments include methods of storing and retrieving data for an RRAM array. The array is subdivided into a plurality of memory bits, with each memory bit having at least two memory cells. A memory bit is programmed by simultaneously changing resistive states of all memory cells within the memory bit. The memory bit is read by determining summed current through all memory cells within the memory bit. Some embodiments include RRAM having a plurality of memory cells. Each of the memory cells is uniquely addressed through a bitline/wordline combination. Memory bits contain multiple memory cells coupled together, with the coupled memory cells within each memory bit being in the same resistive state as one another.
US10170181B2

A memory device includes: a cell array connected to a plurality of word lines and bit lines, the cell array including a plurality of memory cells each including a variable resistance element and a bidirectional selection element; a selection circuit that selects a selected word line and a selected bit line; and control logic that controls the selection circuit such that in a stand-by state, wherein the word lines and the bit lines which are connected to memory cells of a first area of the cell array are maintained in a discharge state, and the word lines and bit lines which are connected to memory cells of a second area of the cell array are maintained in a precharge state.
US10170175B2

A memory device with low power consumption is provided. The memory device includes a sense amplifier, bit lines, memory cells, and first transistors. The bit lines are provided over a layer comprising the sense amplifier. The memory cells are provided over a layer comprising the bit lines. The memory cell includes a second transistor and a capacitor. The sense amplifier and the bit lines are electrically connected to each other through the first transistors. The sense amplifier may include at least one layer of a conductor.
US10170172B2

A logic circuit may include at least one magnetic tunnel junction device including a first layer configured to receive a particular input signal and a second layer connected to a node, and an inverter connected to the node and configured to generate an output signal by inverting a signal of the node, wherein the inverter includes a transistor on a substrate, and the at least one magnetic tunnel junction device is on an upper portion of the transistor. The at least one magnetic tunnel junction device may include first and second magnetic tunnel junction devices configured to receive first and second input signals, respectively. The logic circuit may include a magnetic tunnel junction device and a reference resistor configured to receive a second input signal, the reference resistor connected to the node, the reference resistor having a reference resistance. The logic circuit may be included in an apparatus.
US10170170B2

In a multirank memory system in which the clock distribution trees of each rank are permitted to drift over a wide range (e.g., low power memory systems), the fine-interleaving of commands between ranks is facilitated through the use of techniques that cause each addressed rank to properly sample commands intended for that rank, notwithstanding the drift. The ability to perform such “microthreading” provides for substantially enhanced memory capacity without sacrificing the performance of single rank systems. This disclosure provides methods, memory controllers, memory devices and system designs adapted to these ends.
US10170152B1

An example tape storage drive may include reading/writing circuitry and control circuitry. The reading/writing circuitry may be to read from and write to tape media of tape cartridges. The processing circuitry may be to, in response to a tape cartridge being loaded into the tape storage drive, validate initialization of the tape cartridge. The processing circuitry may be to, in validating initialization of the tape cartridge, determine whether a tape format portion of a cartridge memory of the tape cartridge contains tape format data and whether the tape format portion is write-locked. If the tape format portion contains tape format data and is not write-locked, then the processing circuitry may fully initialize the tape cartridge including selecting a tape format for the tape cartridge and updating the tape format data to specify the selected tape format, write-lock the tape format portion, and then deem initialization of the tape cartridge to be complete.
US10170147B2

The present description is directed to moving a cartridge including a storage medium within a shuttle complex that includes numerous shuttle connections, and a plurality of library strings connected by at least one shuttle connection. Each shuttle connection has a car able to move within the shuttle connection and each library string has at least one cartridge including a storage medium. The shuttle complex identifies a library string that contains the access-cartridge (LSAC), identifies whether there is a drive within the LSAC that has a second cartridge mounted therein which comprises only inactive data chunks, removes the second cartridge from the drive within the LSAC if an elapsed time since the drive within the LSAC most recently accessed the second cartridge exceeds a predetermined time period threshold, and mounts the access-cartridge to the drive within the LSAC.
US10170145B2

A magnetic recording medium is provided that includes, in the order recited, a substrate; a first seed layer; a second seed layer containing ZnO; a third seed layer containing MgO; and a magnetic recording layer containing an ordered alloy. The first seed layer contains Ru and at least one material selected from the group consisting of oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Employing seed layers enables the magnetic recording medium to be a perpendicular magnetic recording medium by having the magnetic recording layer contain an ordered alloy suitable for perpendicular magnetic recording. Recording density is improved thereby while ensuring required thermal stability. Further, the invention achieves an increased thickness of the magnetic layer and a reduced grain size.
US10170138B2

A magnetic recording tape writing apparatus includes an array of write transducers extending along a common tape bearing surface. Each of the write transducers has a lower pole having a lower pole tip, a lower coil layer above the lower pole, an intermediate coil layer above the lower coil layer, and an upper coil layer above the intermediate coil layer. An upper pole is positioned above the upper coil layer, the upper pole having an upper pole tip. In one embodiment, a nonmagnetic write gap is positioned between the pole tips, a plane of deposition of the write gap extending between the intermediate coil layer and the lower coil layer. In another embodiment, a nonmagnetic write gap is positioned between the pole tips, a plane of deposition of the write gap extending between the intermediate coil layer and the upper coil layer.
US10170135B1

Systems, apparatuses and methods for technology to perform gait detection and identification. The system includes a pre-processing pipeline to process audio input data from one or more microphones to combine and strengthen an audio gait signal. The pre-processing pipeline is coupled to a gait detector to detect the sound of one or more footsteps from the audio gait signal. The system also includes a person evaluator (e.g., identifier/verifier) to identify the person associated with the one or more footsteps using a set of trained footstep identification (ID) classifiers. Each trained footstep ID classifier is mapped to the gait of a specific person in the home based on a particular combination of person, footwear, and floor surface within the home.
US10170134B2

A system, article, and method of acoustic dereverberation factoring the actual non-ideal acoustic environment.
US10170130B2

An autocorrelation calculating part calculates autocorrelation Ro(i) from an input signal. A predictive coefficient calculating part performs linear predictive analysis using modified autocorrelation R′o(i) obtained by multiplying the autocorrelation Ro(i) by a coefficient wo(i). Here, a case is comprised where, for at least part of each order i, the coefficient wo(i) corresponding to each order i monotonically decreases as a value having positive correlation with a pitch gain in an input signal of a current frame or a past frame increases.
US10170124B2

A voice-controlled computer system comprising a headset with a heads up display (HUD). When the system requires a user to verbally enter a character of an alphanumeric security code the system presents to the user on the HUD a plurality of different pairs of alphanumeric characters each containing a first character and an associated (pseudo) randomly generated second character. The first character of one pair is the code character to be entered, but for security reasons the user is required to verbally enter the second character associated with the code character, not the code character itself. The system deciphers verbal entry of the associated second character as equivalent to entry of the first character.
US10170118B2

A telephony system comprising means to establish an initial telephone call (1) between at least two initial telephone terminals (2, 3) characterized in that it further comprises: a call recording server (5) designed to record said initial telephone call (1), a speech to text engine (6) able to make a text transcription (9) of said initial telephone call (1), a providing mean (7) able to provide said text transcription (9) to a third telephone terminal (4).
US10170116B1

A system capable of generating and storing progress data associated with third party services. A voice enabled device may receive voice commands and the system may perform natural language understanding (NLU) to interpret the voice commands, determine a corresponding process and send instructions to a third party server associated with the process. In order to resume the process after the process is interrupted, the system may save and/or cause the third party server to save progress data and/or a checkpoint corresponding to a status of the process at the time that the process is interrupted. The system may use the progress data to resume the process at a later point based on the status. In addition, the system may track processes associated with saved progress data/checkpoints and may interpret incoming voice commands based on the tracked processes.
US10170115B2

Key phrase detection techniques for applications such as wake on voice are discussed include performing a vectorized operation on a multiple element acoustic score vector for a current time instance including a single state rejection model score and scores for a multiple state key phrase model and a multiple element state score vector for a previous time instance including a previous state score for the single state rejection model and previous state scores for the multiple state key phrase model to generate a multiple element score summation vector and a second vectorized operation on the multiple element score summation vector to determine a multiple element state score vector for the current time instance. The multiple element state score vector for the current time instance may then be evaluated to determine whether received audio input includes a key phrase corresponding to the multiple state key phrase model.
US10170114B2

Various embodiments contemplate systems and methods for performing automatic speech recognition (ASR) and natural language understanding (NLU) that enable high accuracy recognition and understanding of freely spoken utterances which may contain proper names and similar entities. The proper name entities may contain or be comprised wholly of words that are not present in the vocabularies of these systems as normally constituted. Recognition of the other words in the utterances in question, e.g. words that are not part of the proper name entities, may occur at regular, high recognition accuracy. Various embodiments provide as output not only accurately transcribed running text of the complete utterance, but also a symbolic representation of the meaning of the input, including appropriate symbolic representations of proper name entities, adequate to allow a computer system to respond appropriately to the spoken request without further analysis of the user's input.
US10170102B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for estimating the accuracy of a transcription of a voice recording. Specifically, in a typical embodiment, each word of a transcription of a voice recording is checked against a customer-specific dictionary and/or a common language dictionary. The number of words not found in either dictionary is determined. An accuracy number for the transcription is calculated from the number of said words not found and the total number of words in the transcription.
US10170084B2

A navigation application can generate and display a composite representation of multiple POIs when POI icons representing the POIs appear to be overlapping. Some embodiments display the composite representation when a certain zoom level is reached for a map including the multiple POI icons. In some embodiments, the navigation application can determine POIs that may be of interest to the user based on the user's attributes and activity history and generate the composite representation based on those attributes. The composite representation can include multiple POI icons that are displayed adjacent to each other such that a user of the navigation application can readily identify POIs that are likely to be of interest to the user within a region.
US10170078B2

Provided are a method and an apparatus for processing an optical coherence tomographic image. The method of processing an optical coherence tomographic image includes obtaining an optical coherence tomographic image by irradiating light to an object; generating a color space map based on the obtained optical coherence tomographic image; normalizing data of the obtained optical coherence tomographic image; realigning the normalized data of the optical coherence tomographic image; performing a tone mapping on the realigned data of the optical coherence tomographic image; and generating a color image by mapping the data of the optical coherence tomographic image on which the tone mapping is performed, by using the generated color space map.
US10170066B2

The present disclosure discloses a driving method and a driving system for gate scanning line and a TFT-LCD display panel, the method includes: driving the gate scanning lines line by line through the CKV waveform of variable frequency of gate driver; from the first gate scanning line to the middle line of the gate scanning line, the opening time is gradually increased; from the middle line of the gate scanning line to the N-th line of the scanning line, the opening time is gradually decreased. the scanning method using unequal time of each line of gate scanning line of each line of the present disclosure, the charging time of the middle line is the longest, the charging time is gradually decreased from the middle line to both sides, increasing the charging time of the TFT-LCD of the middle region in the display panel and optimizing the overall quality performance.
US10170065B2

The present invention discloses a shift register unit and driving method thereof, a gate driving circuit, and a display device, which relates to the field of display technology. The shift register unit comprises: an input module comprising a first input sub-module and a second input sub-module, an output control module and an output module. The first input sub-module transmits a signal inputted by a signal input terminal to a first node; the second input sub-module transmits a signal inputted by a low level signal input terminal to a second node based on the signal inputted by the signal input terminal; the output control module transmits a signal inputted by a clock signal input terminal to the second node based on the signal of the first node; the output module transmits a signal inputted by a high level signal input terminal to a signal output terminal based on the signal of the second node. The shift register unit and driving method thereof, the gate driving circuit, and the display device provided by the present invention are used for avoiding noise and distortion in signal output.
US10170062B2

The present invention provides a method of raising a pure color image brightness of four primary colors, employed to raise a display brightness of a four primary colors display panel as showing a pure color image, and the method comprises: deactivating a W pixel of the display panel and changing gamma values of a R pixel, a G pixel, a B pixel from a first predetermined values to a second predetermined value; and activating the W pixel, and adjusting a gray scale image of the entire display panel to be a first predetermined value. The present invention further provides a display panel and a display. The display panel, the display and the method of the present invention can raise the display brightness of the display panel as showing the pure color image.
US10170044B2

An organic light emitting display, and a driving method thereof are discussed. The organic light emitting display according to an embodiment includes a plurality of pixels sharing a sensing path, a first switch circuit configured to supply a sensing data voltage to the pixels sharing the sensing path through data lines in response to a first scan pulse, a second switch circuit configured to electrically connect an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) of each of the pixels with the sensing path in response to a second scan pulse to simultaneously supply currents of the pixels to the sensing path in a sensing period, and a sensing circuit configured to sense a sensing value through the sensing path. The sensing path includes a reference voltage line connected to the pixels to provide the currents of the pixels to the sensing circuit. The pixels simultaneously sensed by the sensing circuit have a same sensing value.
US10170041B2

A pixel circuit able to prevent a spread of the terminal voltages of drive transistors inside a panel and in turn able to reliably prevent deterioration of uniformity, wherein a source of a TFT serving as a drive transistor is connected to an anode of a light emitting element, a drain is connected to a power source potential, a capacitor is connected between a gate and source of the TFT, and a source potential of the TFT is connected to a fixed potential through a TFT serving as a switch transistor and wherein pixel circuit lines are connected by an upper line and bottom line and are arranged in parallel with pixel circuit power source voltage lines so as not to have intersecting parts.
US10170038B2

An organic light emitting diode display includes: a substrate, a scan line and a previous stage scan line on the substrate to transmit scan signals; a data line and a driving voltage line crossing the scan line and to transmit a data voltage and a driving voltage, respectively; an initialization transistor connected to the previous stage scan line and the driving voltage line, and including an initialization drain electrode connected to a driving gate electrode of a driving transistor; a compensation transistor connected to the scan line and including a compensation drain electrode connected to the initialization drain electrode; and an organic light emitting diode electrically connected to the driving transistor, wherein at least one of the initialization transistor and the compensation transistor includes a plurality of gate electrodes.
US10170030B2

In one embodiment, a device includes a first display which includes one or more first-display pixels that are configured to operate in multiple modes. The multiple modes include a first mode in which the one or more first-display pixels modulate, absorb, or reflect visible light and a second mode in which the one or more first-display pixels are substantially transparent to visible light. The device also includes a second display disposed behind or in front of the first display, the second display configured to emit, modulate, absorb, or reflect visible light.
US10170023B2

Disclosed herein are a transparent electronic display board and a method for manufacturing the same. The transparent electronic display board displays text, images, or videos by means of switching on or off a plurality of light emitting elements installed on transparent electrodes. The transparent electronic display board is configured such that wiring of the light emitting elements is effectively formed. Therefore, the number of assembly processes and the level of difficulty in manufacture thereof can be reduced, allowing for improved productivity.
US10170018B2

A computer system is configured to enable users to maintain a facility. The computer system includes a computer server configured to communicate across a computer network with a plurality of mobile devices, where each mobile device is pre-configured for one of a plurality of different facilities, and a database configured to store facility data about the facilities identifying sets of equipment within each facility that a user is required to perform a maintenance check on, and parameter data associated with the equipment that is set by a user through a given one of the mobile devices during the maintenance check. The computer server enables the mobile devices to read data from the database or insert new data into the database in response to requests received from the mobile devices.
US10170011B2

Techniques for drone device control are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises: meeting, by a drone device operatively coupled to a processor, an aircraft at a first location; and guiding, by the drone device, the aircraft to a second location along a ground movement path selected from a plurality of ground movement paths associated with an airport. The guiding can comprise providing a direction indication to the aircraft; and monitoring a defined region around the aircraft for one or more hazards. The guiding can also comprise, in response to identifying a hazard from the one or more hazards related to the defined region around the aircraft, providing a hazard indication to the aircraft.
US10170009B2

A method for transmitting flight parameters of a lead aircraft to an intruder aircraft. Transmission includes a collision avoidance system connected to which is a flight parameter transmission authorization system having a database including coordinates defining a volume of confidence smaller than the monitoring volume. The flight parameter transmission authorization system of the lead aircraft authorizes, only for an intruder aircraft identified as flying within the volume of confidence, transmission of at least one flight parameter of the lead aircraft, such that this intruder aircraft is able to calculate the position of centers of wake vortices generated by the lead aircraft or the flow strength of the wake vortices. Exchanging flight parameters of the lead aircraft only with intruder aircraft flying within the volume of confidence with limited dimensions makes it possible not to exceed the maximum capacity of the bandwidth of the automated communication.
US10170006B2

An aspect includes receiving data for each of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that includes a current location and final destination of each UAV. An aspect also includes calculating permutations of travel routes for each of the UAVs, which permutations are calculated as a function of the current locations of the UAVs and final destinations of each UAV. An aspect also includes applying a selected variable to the calculated permutations to produce proposed travel routes for the UAVs. An aspect further includes generating a routing plan from the proposed travel routes.
US10170005B1

Generally discussed herein are methods and apparatuses that can reduce conflicts in an area including vehicles. An apparatus can include transceiver circuitry, and conflict detection circuitry to receive a position of a vehicle in a geographical area that is segmented into discrete cells, determine whether the position is situated in a cell of the cells that includes a polygonal area representing an extended restricted area within the cell, and the extended restricted area completely within the polygonal area, in response to a determination the position is situated within the polygonal area, determine whether the position is situated within the extended restricted area, and in response to a determination the position is situated within the extended restricted area, provide one or more signals to the transceiver circuitry to cause the transceiver circuitry to transmit an alert to the vehicle indicating that a conflict exists.
US10170003B2

A method performs an automated measurement of dimension(s) of an arriving vehicle arriving at a parking area. The method obtains a skills assessment of a driver of the arriving vehicle, which indicates skill level of the driver in performing parking maneuver(s). The method dynamically defines, based on the dimension(s) of the arriving vehicle and the obtained skills assessment, a parking space in an unoccupied area within the parking area. The defining includes selecting dimensions of the dynamically defined parking space. The method directs the arriving vehicle to the dynamically defined parking space, the directing including providing live parking guidance to facilitate maneuvering the arriving vehicle into position in the dynamically defined parking space.
US10169998B2

A system for configuring a lane node tree includes: a host vehicle; and a controller disposed in the host vehicle and including a memory configured to store program instructions and a processor configured to execute the stored program instructions, which when executed cause the controller to: select a driving vehicle detection mode among a plurality of driving vehicle detection modes; select a lane of a road according to the selected driving vehicle detection mode; determine whether a neighbor vehicle neighboring the host vehicle is present in the selected lane; and request a node connection from a neighbor vehicle present in the selected lane when the neighbor vehicle is determined to be present in the selected lane.
US10169992B2

A method, system and computer program product for dynamically routing messages in a publish/subscribe system. A messaging application receives messages from sensors (e.g., road condition sensors). Upon analyzing the messages using data analytics, an event (e.g., icy road condition) may be correlated with the analyzed messages. In such a scenario, a temporal topic based on the triggered event is created. Furthermore, a temporal publication (e.g., “icy road condition near exit 40”) and a temporal subscription are created. Potential subscribers to be associated with the temporal subscription are identified by using either geo-location information or social media information. Once those subscribers are identified, they are associated with the temporal subscription. The temporal publication is then published to the subscribers associated with the temporal subscription. In this manner, messages are dynamically routed to the appropriate subscribers that may have previously been excluded based on dynamically created temporal topics, subscriptions and publications.
US10169990B2

Disclosed are a method and system for distributed redundancy control on an intelligent traffic network, the method includes: sending, by each communication control node, messages for electing a primary device to the other communication control nodes, and electing a primary device from the plurality of communication control nodes according to preset priorities of the communication control nodes, and backing up data of the communication control node in the primary device; and sending state detection messages to the other communication control nodes, if a response message of the communication control node to the state detection message indicates that the communication control node cannot control any action of a device served by the communication control node, controlling action of the device served by the communication control node, and adjusting control intervals of time of signaling lamps at junctions corresponding to the communication control nodes in a redundant network according to traffic flows.
US10169969B2

Systems, methods and apparatus for in-store preview of jewelry items that comprise detecting that a RFID tag that is coupled to a jewelry item is within a threshold vicinity of a RFID reader. The information about the jewelry item is transmitting to an electronic device that is located proximately to the jewelry counter. Beacon technology is employed to communicate with a customer's mobile device. Pass application technology is employed to transmit records to and from a customer and local retailer.
US10169967B1

Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include a multi-layer stack having multiple discrete component layers stacked and electrically connected together via a plurality of electrical contacts in between the component layers. Further, the tamper-respondent assembly includes a tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure embedded within the multi-layer stack. The tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure includes at least one tamper-respondent sensor embedded, at least in part, within at least one component layer of the multiple discrete component layers of the multi-layer stack. The tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure defines a secure volume within the multi-layer stack. For instance, the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure may be fully embedded within the multi-layer stack, with monitor circuitry of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure residing within the secure volume within the multi-layer stack.
US10169964B2

A system and method for signaling users including a control device electrically connected to a transceiver. The transceiver has a specified frequency. A first mobile signal device being activated by a first user and electrically communicating with a first transmitter having a selectable signal frequency. The first transmitter electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. A second signal device includes a second receiver for receiving an activation signal from the transceiver. The second receiver electrically communicates with the transceiver using the specified frequency. The second signal device is activated by the activation of the first mobile signal device using the transceiver for alerting other persons.
US10169963B2

A wearable device that warms or cools to notify a user wearing the device is provided. The wearable device includes: a plurality of individual heating and/or cooling spots, a plurality of dots pulsating in heating/cooling sections, and/or a plurality of dots moving around in heating/cooling sections. A system is also provided comprising a wearable device, a scheduling device, and a communication between the wearable device and the scheduling device.
US10169961B2

Briefly, example methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be implemented, in whole or in part, using one or more computing devices to facilitate and/or support one or more operations and/or techniques for instant bank account crediting via a bill-validating depositing system, such as a smart safe, for example.
US10169959B2

Systems, apparatuses and methods for increasing potential payout opportunities using multiple card indicia representing multiple cards. One embodiment involves determining whether any one or more of a plurality of cards of a poker game having multiple poker hands are to be randomly provided with multiple card indicia representing multiple cards, presenting the plurality of cards of the poker hands, including the one or more of the plurality of cards determined to be randomly provided with multiple card indicia, and identifying a plurality of resulting hands for each of the multiple poker hands that include a multiple card indicia, where each of the plurality of resulting hands includes a different subset of a total of the indicia of the other cards in the respective poker hand and any cards provided with multiple card indicia.
US10169958B2

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some examples, the operations can include presenting, via an electronic display device of the wagering gaming system, a configuration interface capable of presenting options to configure a wagering game machine. The operations can further include automatically detecting, via user input from the configuration interface, an electronic request to configure the wagering game machine for presentation of a wagering game effect (“effect”). The effect has a presentation limit for the presentation amongst a plurality of wagering game machines. The operations can further include electronically modifying, via an electronic processing unit of the gaming system, an availability of at least one of the options in response to determining, based on electronic evaluation of the electronic request against the presentation limit, whether the presentation of the effect via the wagering game machine complies with the presentation limit.
US10169956B2

A gaming machine for providing a slot game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine includes a display device and a controller for displaying a game to a player. The controller is configured to randomly determine an outcome of the game and display the outcome on the display device, determine a first award as a function of the outcome, and determine a second award as a function of the first award. The first award includes a first number of free games and a first award multiplier. The second award includes a second number of free games and a second award multiplier. The controller allows the player to select one of the first award and the second award and responsively provides the selected one of the first award and the second award to the player.
US10169954B2

The present invention provides novel method and devices for implementing progressive systems on networked gaming machines and associated network devices. Some preferred implementations of the invention allow a target progressive pool size to be selected and apply payouts such that the actual progressive pool size is not likely to exceed greatly the target progressive pool size. Some such implementations control the actual progressive pool size by applying a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool size payable to players of a wagering game on the networked gaming machines. The function may be a function of a current progressive pool size, target progressive pool size and bet size. The function may cause relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool size and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool size is less than or equal to a target progressive pool size.
US10169952B2

Embodiments include a method for presenting a credit balance affected by a plurality of wagering games. The method can include detecting wager amounts and win amounts associated with a plurality of wagering games conducted via a wagering game machine. The method can include presenting, on a display device of the wagering game machine, graphical identifiers indicating an order in which the wager amounts will decrease a credit balance and the win amounts will increase the credit balance. The method can include according to the order, increasing the credit balance on the display device by each of the win amounts and decreasing the credit balance on the display device by each of the wager amounts.
US10169949B2

A method and device for receiving the article and a method and system for delivering article are provided in the disclosure. The device for receiving the article (200) includes: a box body (10); a door (20), arranged on the box body (10); and a wireless communication module, configured to perform unlocking matching with an aircraft (100), control the door (20) to be in an open state after unlocking matching succeeds, and send a delivery instruction to the aircraft (100). The technical problem where an article cannot be automatically unloaded after being delivered to a destination is solved.