US10251537B2
A large incident angle of an off-axis principal ray is ensured while a stroke of a moving lens group is kept long, and a size is reduced while a focusing operation in magnification is easy.A magnifying endoscope optical system provided with a negative single lens cemented to an image pickup device and a moving lens group, capable of switching at least between a normal observation state and a proximity magnifying state can be made by moving the moving lens groups; and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied: −65
US10251534B2
Embodiments of the disclosure may include a medical device comprising an elongate member and a handle assembly connected to the elongate member. The handle housing may house a steering mechanism movable relative to the handle assembly and configured to steer the elongate member along a first plane and a second plane different from the first plane, a camera system configured to capture images from a distal end of the elongate member, and an illumination system configured to provide illuminating light from the distal end of the elongate member.
US10251529B2
A dishwasher is disclosed. The dishwasher includes a cabinet having an opening, a tub provided in the cabinet to accommodate objects for washing, a spray arm for spraying wash water to the objects, a sump for storing wash water, a door for opening and closing the opening, and a first steam nozzle provided at an inner surface of the door to spray steam to the objects.
US10251524B2
Embodiments include a cleaning head assembly for a floor surface maintenance machine. The cleaning head assembly can include a hub (or cleaning head housing) and a pad or a brush driver, wherein the driver attaches to and aligns axially with the hub (or cleaning head housing) in a touch-free manner.
US10251523B2
A floor cleaning device having an anti-bacterial treatment system includes a recovery tank configured to receive and retain waste cleaning liquid, a recovery hose in fluid communication with the recovery tank, and a vacuum system configured to draw waste cleaning liquid from a surface that is being cleaned through the recovery hose and into the recovery tank. An anti-bacterial material is located whereby at least some of the waste cleaning liquid discharged into the recovery tank passes over the anti-bacterial material. In a particular embodiment a debris trap assembly is positioned within the recovery tank such that waste cleaning liquid drawn through the recovery hose passes through the debris tray prior to discharging into the recovery tank, with the anti-bacterial material disposed at the debris tray.
US10251512B2
A portable warming device for maintaining food items in a warm state includes a housing that defines an internal space. A power module and a heating element are coupled to the housing and are positioned in the internal space. The heating element is operationally coupled to the power module. The heating element is positioned in the housing such that the heating element is configured to warm items that are positioned in contact with the housing.
US10251511B2
A rethermalizing station includes a well defined by an exterior wall, a food pan configured to be inserted into the well and to hold a food item, a first induction coil surrounding the exterior wall of the well, the first induction coil configured to warm the food item via inductive heating of the food pan, a first temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the food pan, and a control unit coupled to the first induction coil and the first temperature sensor, the control unit configured to control the first induction coil in response to the temperature of the food pan detected by the first temperature sensor such that temperature of the food pan is maintained at a targeted temperature.
US10251503B1
A delivery/drop box is provided for parcels and products (“items”). The box comprises: a frame; a plurality of wall, floor, fixed roof, and fixed front panels securable to the frame; a cam roof section hingeably securable to at least one of the frame and the fixed roof section; a drop door assembly hingeably securable to at least one of the frame and the fixed front panel. As the drop door assembly is moved to an open position, the cam roof section moves to a raised position and an opening into an interior of the box is created. The box further comprises a lockable door panel hingeably securable to one of the side or rear panels, whereby an item passed through the opening into the interior of the box is accessible when the door panel is unlocked and open and is inaccessible when the door panel is closed and locked.
US10251496B1
A collectable mounting device is configurable to a wall-mounted configuration, and a horizontal support surface (or shelf) mounted configuration. In the wall-mounted configuration, support members are secured together via a fastener through the adjustment slots such that support channels extend in the same direction to support the collectable on a wall. In the shelf-mounted configuration, the support members are fastened together such that the support channels extend in opposite directions, and a tensioning member is inserted between the support members in opposed tensioning member receiving slots to flex the support members away from each other. A method of using a collectable mounting device comprises the steps of configuring the support members in a first configuration for supporting a collectable on a wall and a second configuration for supporting a collectable on a horizontal surface.
US10251493B2
The present invention relates to an end cap for a showcase roller shelf. The end cap for a showcase roller shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a state where roller unit bodies including casings enclosing the outer perimeter of a roller support body are arranged in a plurality of rows, is inserted into and is supported on both ends of each casing while a plurality of rollers are rotatably supported on the roller support body so as to slide a product on the inside of a showcase and move the product to a withdrawal location. The end cap for a showcase roller shelf comprises: cap bodies which are disposed on both ends of each casing so as to face each other, and are installed on locations crossing both ends of each casing disposed in a plurality of rows; and a plurality of protruding bodies which: protrude from locations where the cap bodies face each other so as to be inserted into both ends of each casing disposed in a plurality of rows, wherein the protrusion distances thereof are adjusted so that the rollers arranged in a plurality of rows in locations where the plurality of casings are inserted are positioned at locations where rotation centers are different in each row; and protrude alternately repeatedly while the protrusion distances thereof, by which an adjacent row among a plurality of row locations is supported, are different from each other.
US10251482B2
A bracket device includes a side wall, an end wall and a supporting base. The end wall is bent relative to the side wall. The end wall has a first hole and a second hole. The supporting base has a first base hole and a second base hole. The first base hole and the second base hole are arranged at positions respectively corresponding to the first hole and the second hole of the end wall. Each of the first base hole and the second base hole has a thread feature.
US10251469B2
A personal-care applicator comprises at least one stem having a proximal end including a handle and a distal end opposite to the proximal end and at least one bristled component attached to the stem, wherein the bristled component comprises a carrier and a plurality of bristles ultrasonically welded to the carrier and outwardly extending therefrom according to a pre-determined pattern, wherein the elongated carrier and the at least first plurality of bristles comprise ultrasonically compatible materials, and wherein the bristles are ultrasonically bonded to the carrier through a direct ultrasonic bond between a surface of the carrier and a lengthwise portion of each of the bristles.
US10251468B1
An insulated beverage protector for sealing and storing an open bottle comprised of: (i) a body having at least two sections, that removably attach to each other—(a) an upper section that is tapered and configured to snugly surround the tapered neck of the bottle and (b) a base section configured to snugly surround the cylindrical base of the bottle; (ii) a cover that removably attaches to the body; (iii) a stopper (stored within the cover) that removably attaches to the inside, top-most surface of the cover.
US10251455B2
A zipper includes a left zipper belt, a right zipper belt, and a square slider. Each of the left zipper belt and the right zipper belt is provided with a left stop member and a right stop member. The slider includes an upper fin, a lower fin, and a connection support rod. Two sides of the slider are separately provided with a first inserting opening and a second inserting opening fitting correspondingly to the left stop member and the right stop member.
US10251454B2
There is provided a slider cover of a slide fastener. An upper mounting plate includes: an upper plate to be arranged above an upper blade of a slider and formed with a through-hole penetrating therethrough; and an upper wall protruding downward from the upper plate. A lower mounting plate includes: a lower plate to be arranged below a lower blade of the slider; and a lower wall for surrounding front, right and left sides of an outer periphery of the lower blade and protruding upward from the lower plate. At least one of the upper and lower mounting plates includes a protrusion protruding from an inner peripheral surface of at least corresponding one of the upper and lower walls and configured to come in close contact with a part of an outer peripheral surface of at least corresponding one of the upper and lower blades.
US10251451B2
According to an embodiment, a device for tightening an article includes a housing, a spool rotatably positioned within the housing, a knob operably coupled with the spool to cause the spool to rotate within the housing, and a stop mechanism. The device is configured so that incremental rotation of the knob in a first direction causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool within the housing that incrementally tensions a tension member and thereby tightens the article. The device is also configured so that incremental rotation of the knob in a second direction causes a corresponding incremental rotation of the spool that incrementally loosens the tension member's tension. The stop mechanism is configured to prevent rotation of the spool in the second direction when the tension member's tension achieves or falls below a tension threshold.
US10251448B2
The present embodiments generally relate to an article of footwear with multiple layers. The article of footwear may include an inner layer with a void dimensioned for receipt of at least a portion of a foot. The article of footwear may also include an outer layer, where the outer layer at least partially surrounds the inner layer. A midsole may be disposed between the inner and outer layers, where the midsole is secured to the inner layer and the outer layer to thereby form an indirect coupling between the inner layer and the outer layer. The inner layer may be movable relative to the outer layer at one or more locations separate from the indirect coupling.
US10251442B2
A footwear device including a resilient member having first and second ends. The first end can be configured for being connected to a user's foot, and the second end can be configured for being connected to the user's leg above the ankle joint. The resilient member can be configured and positioned for resiliently and rotatably biasing the user's foot about the ankle joint.
US10251424B2
A heater assembly for an electronic vaping device and a method of manufacturing the electronic vaping device are provided. The heater assembly includes a chimney cage extending longitudinally, a heater extending longitudinally within the chimney cage, a heater gauze positioned about an outer circumference of the heater, the chimney case positioned about an outer circumference of the heater gauze, and a cathode clip electrically connected to a first end portion of the heater.
US10251423B2
A programmable smoking cessation system includes an electronic vaporizing apparatus system, apparatus, nicotine management plan. Methods for the reduction of nicotine consumption based on the nicotine management plan to reduce or eliminate nicotine dependence. The systems, apparatuses and methods described herein utilize a digital processing device in combination with a vapor release mechanism to vaporize and blend nicotine and non-nicotine liquid substances from cartridge chambers to produce vapors configured to reduce nicotine consumption and dependence at a modulated rate over a specified period of time based on the nicotine management plan. The system and apparatus are configurable to track and report data acquired during use and provide feedback to a user and/or a clinical professional.
US10251422B2
An electronic smoking article includes a heater and a liquid aerosol formulation. The heater is a coil heater. The liquid aerosol formulation includes at least one aerosol former, optionally water, nicotine and phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid is included in an amount sufficient to substantially abate corrosion of the heater.
US10251418B2
An intermediate hopper (30) in a tobacco industry apparatus (1) for vertical conveying of a mass-flow of rod-like articles (R) comprising sidewalls (31, 32) and multiple partitions (34) partitioning the intermediate hopper (30) into vertical channels (35, 36) which are adapted to receive the rod-like articles (R) from above, whereas the intermediate hopper (30) is provided with a movable transferring element (37) being slidable relative to the partitions (34) of the intermediate hopper (30), in addition, the transferring element (37) is built of supporting plates (35A, 36A) which support the mass-flow of the rod-like articles (R) in the vertical channels (35, 36) of the intermediate hopper (30) above the supporting plates (35A, 36A), whereas the supporting plates (35A, 36A) are adapted to move downwards (A) within the vertical channels (35, 36) and to move upwards (C) outside the vertical channels (35, 36), in addition, the supporting plates (35A, 36A) are adapted to be inserted (D) into the channels (35, 36) in the area of the channel inlets (35C, 36C) and to be pulled out (B) of the vertical channels (35, 36) in the area of the channel outlets (35E, 36E), characterized in that at least the outermost supporting plate (35A) of the transferring element (37) is adapted to make a movement in the transverse direction to the direction of movement of the other supporting plates (36A). The object of the application is also a feeding apparatus for the feeding with the rod-like articles of the tobacco industry, and an apparatus for emptying of a tray filled with the tobacco industry articles.
US10251416B2
The present disclosure provides an apparatus to scrape to extract coconut meat from a half coconut with minimal human intervention and convenient to use. The apparatus to scrape coconut generally includes 1. Variable-Width-Scraper-Apparatus which considers and accommodates the variability in width of a half coconut and scrapes it accordingly, 2. Vertical-Movement-Control-Apparatus which considers and accommodates the variability in length of a half coconut and moves the Variable-Width-Scraper-Apparatus length-wise through the half coconut to scrape the half coconut fully, 3. Variable-Opening-Entry-Mechanism which considers and accommodates the variability in the diameter of the cut face opening of half coconut and guides the entry of the Variable-Width-Scraper-Apparatus into the half coconut optimally, 3.1. Scraped-coconut-meat-expeller which expels the scraped coconut meat from the scraping area so that it can be collected efficiently. 4. Coconut-holding-mechanism which optimally holds the half coconut to be scraped and 5. Optimal-Operations-Mechanism which controls the starting, scraping and stopping process of the overall apparatus to scrape coconut.
US10251406B2
Disclosed is a device for loosening bones such as ribs from a meat piece from slaughtered animals such as pigs. The bone puller such as rib puller can be hand-held and e.g. pneumatic activated or connected to a robot, and is much easier to use than prior art pneumatic rib pullers and also impose less working stress upon the user. The bone puller may comprise a counter hold for supporting the device towards a belly piece from a slaughtered animal, a string for loosening a bone, a movable pull bar for pulling the string, and a holding-down bar for holding down a bone while loosening this bone. The device may further comprise loading means located at the end of the holding-down bar such that the string can surround the loading means and where this loading means secure feeding of the string around an exposed bone end before loosening this bone.
US10251405B2
A meat cutting machine of the present invention includes a machine frame and a cutter group. The cutter group includes at least two groups of cutter bars. Blades on the two groups of cutter bars are crosswise arranged to form a cutting edge region. The machine frame includes an upper machine frame, a lower machine frame and a regulating ejector rod. At least one threaded through hole is formed in a side wall of the machine frame. The cutter bars include shaft shoulders. Since the upper machine frame and the lower machine frame are separable and the cutter bars are convenient for disassembly and removal, the cutter bars can be easily washed and are sanitary in design. The regulating ejector rod can be used to perform minor distance adjustments between interactive blades, which ensures close cooperation between two matched blades and the meat cutting effect of the meat cutting machine.
US10251397B2
The present invention relates to a slurry comprising water, bentonite, and a compound selected from fertilizer, a plant growth regulator, a fungicide and an insecticide. The present invention also relates to an agricultural product comprising a slurry comprising water and bentonite, and a plant propagative material. Methods of using the bentonite to enhance a growth-related trait, such as drought tolerance, in a plant are also described.
US10251396B2
There is provided a noxious arthropod controlling agent containing an amide compound of formula (I): wherein R1 represents a C1-C8 chain hydrocarbon group optionally having one or more groups selected from Group A, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or the like, R3 represents a hydrogen atom or the like, R5 and R6 are the same or different, and independently represent a hydrogen atom or the like, Y represents an oxygen atom or the like, m represents 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, and Q represents a C1-C8 chain hydrocarbon group optionally having one or more atoms or groups selected from Group D.
US10251386B2
According to an aspect of the present application, a bird deterrence system is proposed comprising a laser device for producing a laser beam; comprising scanning equipment for rotating the laser beam at designated lateral and elevational angular speeds relative to the normal axis; a power supply for feeding the laser device and the scanning equipment; and a control unit for controlling the laser device and scanning equipment. An input module is programmed, in a teach mode, to control the scanning equipment by rotating the laser beam at designated lateral and elevational angles, wherein the input module further comprises an identification routine to identify said designated lateral and elevational angles as waypoints for said successive waypoints defining a laser scanning area; and to store the waypoints in the control unit, and wherein the input module further comprises a routine for defining a maximum elevational angle; and wherein the control unit is programmed to de-activate the laser beam for elevational angles larger than the maximum designated elevational angle.
US10251382B2
Various implementations described herein are directed to a wearable device used to record fishing data. The wearable device may include a housing. The housing may include a sensor or sensors to detect motion. The housing may include a computer system with a processor and memory. The memory may have a plurality of executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed by the processor, the processor may receive motion data from the sensor or sensors and determine whether a cast has been made.
US10251376B2
This document relates to methods and materials involved in the removal of senescent cells within a mammal. For example, transgenic non-human animals that can be induced to delete senescent cells are provided.
US10251373B2
A poultry feeder operable in a winch-up condition where the feeder is positioned off of a floor of the poultry house and in a winch-down condition in which the feeder is position resting on the floor of the poultry house. The poultry feeder defines a first path and a second path for feed to enter the pan, the first path comprising a flood path through the aligned windows in lower drop tube portion and in the feed level skirt, and the second path comprising a path through the aligned spaces between the feed pan and the lower skirt of the feed level skirt and lower tube portion of the drop tube.
US10251367B2
An environment cleaning system for an animal breeding house has an outside environment, a breeding house, an air covering, and a cleaning device. The breeding house is deposited in the outside environment. The air covering is deposited in the outside environment and is mounted around the breeding house. The air covering is used to buffer the air pressure between the outside environment and the breeding house. The cleaning device is deposited in the outside environment, is connected to the air covering and the breeding house, and has an air exchanging unit and at least one filtering unit. The air exchanging unit controls the relative pressure among the outside environment, the air covering, and the breeding house to provide a unidirectional air flowing effect, and the flowing direction of the air is based on the relative pressure between the breeding house and the air covering.
US10251362B1
A novel maize variety designated PH2T4K and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH2T4K with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH2T4K through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are provided. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts are produced by crossing the variety PH2T4K or a locus conversion of PH2T4K with another maize variety.
US10251361B2
The present invention includes cauliflowers with enhanced whiteness and methods for obtaining such cauliflowers. The present invention also provides reagents that can be used in methods for obtaining such cauliflowers.
US10251357B1
A novel maize variety designated X03M286 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X03M286 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X03M286 through backcrossing or genetic transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are described. Maize variety X03M286, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X03M286 are provided. Methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X03M286 and methods of using maize variety X03M286 are disclosed.
US10251355B1
A novel maize variety designated X95M201 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X95M201 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X95M201 through backcrossing or genetic transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are described. Maize variety X95M201, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X95M201 are provided. Methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X95M201 and methods of using maize variety X95M201 are disclosed.
US10251347B2
A method for generating digital models of potential crop yield based on planting date, relative maturity, and actual production history is provided. In an embodiment, data representing historical planting dates, relative maturity values, and crop yield is received by an agricultural intelligence computer system. Based on the historical data, the system generates spatial and temporal maps of planting dates, relative maturity, and actual production history. Using the maps, the system creates a model of potential yield that is dependent on planting date and relative maturity. The system may then receive actual production history data for a particular field. Using the received actual production history data, a particular planting date, and a particular relative maturity value, the agricultural intelligence computer system computes a potential yield for a particular field.
US10251345B2
The present application provides a handheld plant trimming apparatus. The handheld plant trimming apparatus, in one aspect, includes a wand having a longitudinal axis. The wand includes a wand inlet tube defining a void and an elongate slot, an outlet port having a through bore parallel to the wand longitudinal axis and an outlet bore where the outlet bore is in fluid communication with the void, and a handle. A cutting element is contained in the wand inlet tube and coupled to a motor to provide rotative force to the cutting element. A drum is in fluid communication with the wand and a vacuum pulls plant parts that are cut by the cutting element from the wand to the drum.
US10251339B2
An automobile shaped lawn mower cover is described. Embodiments of the present invention include an automobile shaped lawn mower cover having one or more openings and at least one hinged panel. The automobile shaped cover can generally be aesthetically pleasing and can be implemented as a functional cover for a rotary lawn mower. Embodiments of the automobile shaped cover can include a plurality of automobile designs spanning all major car manufacturers. Typically, the automobile shaped cover can be adapted to work with existing lawn mowers.
US10251336B1
The drip irrigation system allows for the irrigation of soil with carbon dioxide-infused water. The drip irrigation system includes a pipe having first and second inlets. The first inlet is adapted for receiving pressurized carbon dioxide gas, and the second inlet is adapted for receiving water under pressure. A plurality of drip nozzles are mounted to the pipe, such that each drip nozzle is in fluid communication with an interior of the pipe. An inner tube is mounted in the interior of the pipe and is in fluid communication with the first inlet for receiving the pressurized carbon dioxide gas. The pressurized carbon dioxide is expelled through a plurality of ports of the inner tube to mix with the water flowing within the interior of the pipe. This mixture forms water infused with carbon dioxide, which is then released, in the forms of drops, by the plurality of drip nozzles.
US10251335B2
An agricultural machine tool includes a wheel body which includes a hub, a rim and at least two arms which each connect the hub and the rim to each other. At least one aperture is provided between the two arms and the rim, and has a closed contour. The tool includes a component which forms an accessory having a profiled portion having a shape which generally corresponds to the closed contour, and a generally superficial portion which terminates the profiled portion. The profiled portion is introduced at one side of the wheel body into the aperture, closing the aperture by form-fitting cooperation. A set of fixing members ensures the retention of the component in a final position, in which the superficial portion moves into a flush state with the arms, at least in the region of the contour.
US10251322B2
An agricultural implement having a rolling basket is disclosed. The rolling basket includes a plurality of elongated members arranged in a substantially cylindrical shape. A stationary internal scraper is disposed in the inner chamber of the rolling basket and is adapted for breaking up a material from the inner chamber as the rolling basket is rotated around the major axis of rotation of the rolling basket. The internal scraper extends in an upward direction with respect to the major axis of rotation of the rolling basket with the upper edge of the internal scraper distally spaced away from and above the major axis of rotation of the rolling basket and with the lower edge of the internal scraper distally spaced away from and above the major axis of rotation of the rolling basket. The upper edge of the internal scraper is positioned above the lower edge.
US10251321B2
There is provided a shovel apparatus including a body with a bottom and two sides. Each side is fixedly coupled to a side edge of the bottom, and includes a front and a back adjacent to a front edge and a back edge of the bottom, respectively. A first handle is coupled to each side. A second handle is coupled to each side and extends past the back of each side and away from the shovel apparatus. The shovel apparatus is sized to hold the bag or sack in an open position for filling and the shovel apparatus has a length less than a length of the bag or sack such that when the shovel apparatus is inserted in the bag or sack, the second handle touches near a bottom of the bag or sack and the first handle is near a top of the bag or sack.
US10257965B1
The electromagnetic shielding of an enclosable building structure is provided by applying a shielded covering to overlay optical openings in the building structure. The shielded covering comprises a metal-coated woven substrate and a shielding coupling. The metal-coated woven substrate has a woven substrate and a metal coating. The woven substrate may be organic and comprise threads of intermingled fibers such as silk fibers. The metal-coated woven substrate may also have a protection feature such as transparent resin, of barriers of glass or transparent polymeric material. The shielded coupling connects the shielded covering to other shielding components of a shielded building structure to preserve shielding continuity over the interface between shielding components.
US10257955B2
A cable backplane system includes cable backplanes each including a tray configured to be coupled to a chassis and a plurality of cable connector assemblies mounted to the tray. The tray has a plate extending between a front and a rear with mounting locations receiving corresponding cable connector assemblies. The trays are oriented parallel to each other with front openings between the fronts of the plates and rear openings between the rears of the plates. Each cable connector assembly has a housing holding contacts terminated to corresponding cables. Each cable connector assembly has a holder mounted to the corresponding mounting location of the plate. The holder is mounted to the plate and removable from the plate through the rear opening at the rear of the plate.
US10257950B2
An electronic device or electronic device assembly may comprise a first portion and a second portion, a first magnet disposed inside the first portion and rotatable about a pivot axis with respect to the first portion, and a second magnet disposed inside the second portion and rotatable about a pivot axis with respect to the second portion. The first and second magnet may be configured to rotate so that the first and second magnets magnetically engage each other when the distance between the first and second magnet is equal to or smaller than a first distance.
US10257946B2
One embodiment provides an electronic device, comprising: a main body component; an adjustable display component comprising a display area, a first shape, a second shape, and an assembly that is partially changeable in shape; and at least one accommodating component; wherein the main body component supports the adjustable display component and the at least one accommodating component. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US10257942B1
A stackable variable height via package includes a substrate having a first surface and terminals thereon. The terminals include a first terminal and a second terminal. Vias are on the terminals, the vias including a first via on the first terminal and a second via on the second terminal. The first via has a height from the first surface of the substrate less than a height of the second via from the first surface of the substrate. The package further includes a package body and via apertures in the package body to expose the vias. Forming the stackable variable height via package with variable height vias readily accommodate stacking of additional packages having different types of terminals, e.g., LGA and BGA type packages, as well as variable degrees of warpage on the stackable variable height via package. Further, the vias are formed with a minimum pitch.
US10257940B2
In an example, a process for reversibly bonding a conformal coating to a dry film solder mask (DFSM) material is disclosed. The process includes applying a first conformal coating material to a DFSM material. The first conformal coating material includes a first functional group, and the DFSM material includes a second functional group that is different from the first functional group. The process also includes reversibly bonding the first conformal coating material to the DFSM material via a chemical reaction of the first functional group and the second functional group.
US10257938B2
The present invention provides a surface-treated copper foil capable of imparting the profile shape of the substrate surface after removal of the copper foil, the profile shape maintaining fine wiring formability and achieving satisfactory adhesion of electroless copper plating coating. The present invention also provides a resin substrate provided with a profile shape of the surface maintaining fine wiring formability and achieving satisfactory adhesion of electroless copper plating coating. The surface-treated copper foil of the present invention is a surface-treated copper foil, wherein a surface-treated layer is formed on a copper foil, and the proportion of the area corresponding to the particles of the surface of the surface-treated layer is 0.1 to 0.85.
US10257932B2
A light source module comprising a semiconductor light source mounted directly to a conducting trace of a multilayer printed circuit board having a core comprising a plurality of core layers electrically and thermally coupled by a plurality of buried vias wherein at least one of the core layers comprises a heat sink plane.
US10257925B2
A method for manufacturing an electronic assembly and electronic assemblies are presented. The method includes obtaining a substrate film for accommodating electronics, providing at least an electrical contact pad to the substrate film, coupling an electrically conductive member to the electrical contact pad, and molding, such as injection molding, a material layer onto the substrate film to embed the elastic electrically conductive member utilizing a mold structure defining a cavity for molding. The elastic electrically conductive member is arranged to extend during the molding from the electrical contact pad through the cavity to be in contact with an element on a different side of the cavity with respect to the electrical contact pad for maintaining at least a part of the elastic electrically conductive member accessible after the molding to provide an electrical connection through the material layer to the electrical contact pad.
US10257907B2
The invention describes an LED lighting module (1) comprising input terminals (13hi, 13lo) for connecting to an input voltage (Uin); an LED load (10) realized to operate at an upper threshold voltage level (Vdim); and a regulation circuit (11, 12) realized to decrease LED current (ILED) through the LED load (10) when the input voltage (Uin) is greater than the upper threshold voltage level (Vdim). The invention further describes an LED lighting arrangement (4) and a method of driving an LED load (10).
US10257896B2
Systems and methods for of dimming generally considered to be non-dimmable with conventional dimmers. An exemplary dimming module accepts a power source for a light source and a dimming signal. The dimming module modifies the power signal and generates a modified power signal capable of dimming LED light sources (and other light sources) that are generally considered to be non-dimmable with conventional dimmers. The dimming signal can be a wireless signal. Exemplary embodiments include a computer application executing on a computer or handheld computer that can be used to remotely dim, via the dimming module, one or more LED light sources (and other light sources) that are generally considered to be non-dimmable with conventional dimmers.
US10257888B2
An electric heating pad for a water tank includes a substrate, a heating layer paved on the substrate, a leading wire that is electrically connected to the heating layer, and a fastener that fixes the leading wire. The substrate is configured with a first through hole that latching to the leading wire. The fastener includes a first fixed part and a second fixed part that are arranged on two faces of the substrate. The second fixed part is configured with a clamp part, and a second through hole matching to the leading wire is arranged at the clamp part. The fastener further includes a connecting rod that connects the first fixed part to the second fixed part, the substrate is configured with a third through hole, and the connecting rod passes through the third through hole to make the substrate be clamped between the first fixed part and the second fixed part.
US10257881B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a radio resource control RRC message processing method, apparatus, and system. The method includes: setting up, by a first serving node, a connection to a first anchor node, and setting up, by the first anchor node, a connection to a mobility management entity MME; receiving, by the first serving node, a radio resource control RRC message sent by first user equipment UE, where the RRC message includes an RRC message carried by a signaling radio bearer SRB1 or an RRC message carried by an SRB2; and sending, by the first serving node, the RRC message to the first anchor node.
US10257879B2
A method for establishing at least one control rule for a communication session between a packet communication network and a mobile terminal linked to a mobile network, referred to as a user session, which is carried by a connection between the mobile terminal and a gateway of the mobile network. The gateway is connected to the packet communication network, and a control session is carried by a connection between the gateway and a control entity of the mobile network. The method is implemented by the control entity.
US10257867B2
Systems and methods for allocating a physical cell identifier (PCI) to a cell are described. In one implementation, the method comprises identifying allocated physical cell identifiers based on PCI data and generating a near PCI list and a far PCI list based on the allocated PCIs and a RSRP threshold value. Further, the method comprises determining cell group IDs and a cell IDs from the near PCI list and the far PCI list. Further, the method comprises assigning the cell group IDs to a first bin and the cell IDs to a second bin. Further, the method comprises prioritizing the cell group IDs in the first bin based on effective distance and the cell IDs in the second bin based on an effective RSRP value. Further, the method comprises allocating the PCI, to the cell, determined based on the prioritized cell group IDs and the cell IDs.
US10257866B2
Disclosed is a method and terminal for wireless network access point connection. The method for wireless network access point connection includes: establishing at least one wireless network access point group in a terminal, and setting a common password of the wireless network access point group; and detecting whether a password of each wireless network access point in the wireless network access point group is the common password, and connecting to one wireless network access point with a password which is the common password in the wireless network access point group according to the common password.
US10257861B2
A method of communicating in a wireless network comprises controlling a bandwidth or a transmission mask of a PPDU transmitted by a transmitting STA to a receiving STA within a TXOP based on bandwidth information in at least one preceding frame within the TXOP. The method and associated devices allow a control of TXOP bandwidth or transmission mask where devices capable of both dynamic and static bandwidth operation may be present within the network. The preceding frame may include a non-HT frame of a non-HT duplicate frame exchange, such as a non-HT duplicate RTS/CTS exchange or a BAR/BA exchange, where the bandwidth or the transmission mask would be controlled by being limited to be less than or equal to a bandwidth of the non-HT frame. The preceding frame may include a preceding PPDU, where the bandwidth or the transmission mask would be limited to be less than or equal to a bandwidth of the preceding PPDU.
US10257857B2
A method is implemented by a station (STA) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to update a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) maintained by the STA. The method includes receiving a first Physical Layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU), determining whether a duration indicated in a control field of a preamble portion of the first PPDU is greater than a current NAV value, determining whether the first PPDU is received as an immediate response to a second PPDU previously transmitted by the STA, and updating the NAV maintained by the STA using the duration in response to a determination that the duration is greater than the current NAV value and the first PPDU is not received as an immediate response to the second PPDU previously transmitted by the STA.
US10257856B2
Disclosed is a 5G or pre-5G communication system for supporting a data transmission rate higher than that of a 4G communication system such as LTE. Disclosed are: a method for transmitting a signal in an unlicensed band channel on the basis of a counter reduction in the unlicensed band channel of a mobile communication system and a clear channel assessment (CCA) of the channel; and a mobile communication system, and according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method for transmitting a signal in an unlicensed band channel on the basis of a counter reduction in the unlicensed band channel of a mobile communication system and a clear channel assessment (CCA) of the channel comprises the steps of: reducing the counter and performing a CCA for the channel, during a first period of transmitting a discovery signal and data; storing the reduced counter when a second period of transmitting only the discovery signal without the data is started; reducing the counter by using the stored counter and performing the CCA for the channel when a third period of transmitting the discovery signal and the data is started; and transmitting the discovery signal or the data on the channel on the basis of the counter value.
US10257848B2
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A base station may communicate with multiple user equipments (UEs) in a wireless system supporting directional transmission in shared spectrum (e.g., in millimeter wave (mmW) spectrum). The base station may contend for the channel (e.g., using a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure) and, upon success, transmit a directional channel reservation (CR) signal to each of the multiple UEs. The CR signal may reserve the channel for a specific time period and indicate a start time, an end time, or both. The UE may respond with another CR transmission. In some examples, the base station may transmit CR signals to each of the UEs in a single burst transmission. In other examples, the base station may transmit CR signals to the UEs sequentially, so that if a UE does not respond, the reserved time may be allotted to another UE.
US10257843B2
A digital media device is provided. The digital media device includes a processor, a transceiver configured to be operationally connected with the processor, and a sensor configured to be operationally connected with the processor. The processor may be configured to receive identification information of an object when an event occurs, obtain state information of a user within a specific distance from the object, and create reaction information with respect to the object based on the state information.
US10257842B2
A method and an apparatus for providing zone based prediction. The method includes determining, by a base station, a plurality of zones by dividing a coverage area of a cell, receiving, by the base station, channel state information (CSI) from a user equipment (UE), identifying, by the base station, a first zone from the plurality of zones where the UE encounters an obstructed area based on the CSI at a time domain, and allocating, by the base station, at least one resource to the UE to compensate for signal losses if the UE enters the obstructed area.
US10257836B1
The described technology is generally directed towards a joint procedure in wireless communications for reporting a partial beam failure or performing beam management when no beams have failed. The joint procedure reports the beam management reference signal received power and control beam recovery on a common feedback channel, which avoids the need for a reserved, dedicated feedback channel resource for beam recovery. Also described is configuring a possibly different failure threshold for each selected beam, whereby the network can configure different beams to have different reliability/quality-of-service levels for example.
US10257835B2
Enhanced beam management for a wireless communication system is provided. In one example, a method comprises: determining, by a device comprising a processor, first beam information for a selected first beam of beams associated with a base station device, wherein the selected first beam is for downlink transmission; determining, by the device, second beam information for a selected second beam of the beams associated with the base station device, wherein the selected second beam is an alternative to the selected first beam for transmission of downlink data to the device, and the determining the second beam information is performed during a random access channel procedure; and transmitting, by the device, to a network device, the first beam information and the second beam information.
US10257824B2
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of resource allocation. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a technique of allocating communication resources in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of access nodes, each of the plurality of access nodes being connected to one or more of the plurality of access nodes via one or more links to provide a plurality of routes for routing data through the wireless communication network. A method embodiment comprises the step of receiving, for one or more links (180, 182) of at least one access node (100) of the plurality of access nodes, allocation information. The allocation information indicates how available communication resources are to be allocated. The method comprises allocating, for the one or more links (180, 182) of the at least one access node (100), the available communication resources based on the received allocation information and a status of one or more data buffers of the at least one access node (100) for buffering data related to one or more of the plurality of routes.
US10257822B2
In a terminal, a control unit transmits a bundle response signal using a resource in a basic region of an uplink control channel in an uplink unit band of a unit band group when no error is detected in each of a plurality of pieces of downlink data of the unit band group, the uplink control channel in the uplink unit band being associated with a downlink control channel in a basic unit band that is a downlink unit band in which a broadcast channel signal including information relating to the uplink unit band is transmitted, and the control unit transmits the bundle response signal using a resource in an additional region of the uplink control channel when an error is detected in each of the plurality of pieces of downlink data.
US10257820B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communications technology. A Method and a device for transmitting data in an unauthorized frequency band are provided. The method includes: determining a starting position of to-be-transmitted data in a radio frame in the unauthorized frequency band; determining position indication information based on the starting position; and transmitting the position indication information, to enable a terminal to obtain the starting position of the to-be-transmitted data in the radio frame in the unauthorized frequency band based on the position indication information.
US10257817B2
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for a device-to-device (D2D) terminal to transmit and receive a signal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving downlink control information (DCI) comprising resource allocation information; checking the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the DCI by using a D2D radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); and, if there is no error in the result of the CRC check, performing D2D communication on resources denoted in the resource allocation information, wherein if the TPC field of the DCI is a pre-set value, a downlink signal is received from a base station on resources denoted in the resource allocation information.
US10257813B2
Various aspects of the present disclosure enable a plurality of mobile devices (UEs) within a cell to spread out in time their respective transmissions of signaling messages, such as cell update messages, when the network enables or disables enhanced uplink (EUL, sometimes referred to as high-speed uplink packet access or HSUPA) while the UE is in the CELL_FACH state, by changing SIB5 or SIB5bis. In this way, the network load may be reduced, and a network blockage that otherwise might result from large numbers of UEs simultaneously transmitting the cell update message can be avoided. According to one example, a network node may be configured to distribute CELL_UPDATE messages or procedures to UEs when the network node enables or disables EUL in CELL_FACH by changing SIB5 or SIB5bis over time to reduce the network load. According to another example, a UE may be configured for utilizing a random timer or back-off timer to defer cell updates.
US10257806B2
A first communication device allocates respective sub-channels of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel to two or more second communication devices for uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) transmission from the two or more second communication devices. A first sub-channel is allocated to a first one of the second communication devices and a second sub-channel is allocated to a second one of the second communication devices. The first communication device provides, to the second communication devices, indications of the respective sub-channels allocated to the second communication devices. The first communication device receives an uplink OFDMA data unit that includes a first OFDM data unit transmitted from the first one of the second communication devices via the first sub-channel, and a second OFDM data unit transmitted from the second one of the second communication devices via the second sub-channel.
US10257805B2
Driving condition data is determined. The driving condition data identifies one or more driving actions that require more driver attention and one or more driving actions that require less driver attention. An indication is received that a user has a mobile device and is driving a vehicle. The surrounding environment of the vehicle is monitored. An incoming notification on the mobile device is received. A distraction value is determined. The distraction value is based on the one or more driving actions and the surrounding environment. The incoming notification is modified based on the distraction value.
US10257799B2
A transport network (20) is connected to a first wireless base station (3, 4) and to a second wireless base station (6). The first wireless base station comprises a remote radio unit (3) and a baseband processing unit (4) which are connected by the transport network (20). A node (16) of the transport network (20) receives a synchronous time division multiplexed communication signal which carries at least a first communication signal between the baseband processing unit (4) and the remote radio unit (3). The node (16) determines a frequency synchronisation signal from the synchronous time division multiplexed communication signal. The node (16) transmits the synchronous time division multiplexed communication signal to the remote radio unit (3) of the first wireless base station. The node (16) transmits the frequency synchronisation signal to the second wireless base station (6). The node (16) also assists with providing phase/time synchronisation to the second wireless base station (6).
US10257798B1
Disclosed are methods, devices and systems for generating accurate timestamps for wireless communications signals that can be used to correct the clocks of base stations for wireless communications systems. A radio signal timestamping unit (RSTU) receives a wireless signal including timing information broadcast by a base station. The RSTU includes a local clock that is in communication with a high-precision time source and provides high-accuracy timing information to one or more base stations to maintain accurate clock synchronization among the plurality of base stations. The timing synchronization information can be determined at least in part based on the propagation delay of the wireless signals received at the RSTU.
US10257793B2
A method for use in a user terminal in a cellular communications system. According to the method, the user terminal applies a first timing advance value to its transmissions to a controlling node, and the user terminal requests communication with the controlling node in a contention based procedure by transmitting an access request (MSG 1), in response to which the controlling node transmits an initiation message (MSG 2) along with a second timing advance value. According to the method, the user terminal uses the first timing advance value if the user terminal loses the contention based procedure, i.e. if the controlling node subsequently continues the initiated communication with said other user terminal.
US10257790B2
Provided is a terminal with which it is possible, in a heterogeneous cell network, to transmit a Periodic-Sounding Reference Signal (P-SRS) at a transmission bandwidth and power density necessary for carrying out both a process of selection of a transceiving participating base station and a process of frequency scheduling of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). A terminal (300) comprises a receiving unit (301) which receives control information which includes information which denotes a P-SRS transmission parameter, and a transmission unit (303) which, using a transmission parameter which is included in the received control information, transmits a first P-SRS provided with a first bandwidth and a first power density at a first period, and transmits a second P-SRS provided with a second bandwidth which is narrower than the first bandwidth and second power density which is higher than the first power density at a second period.
US10257784B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for generating an STF signal usable in a wireless LAN system. The STF signal is included in a field used to improve AGC estimation of a MIMO transmission. A portion of the STF signal is used to transmit an uplink, and can be used for uplink MU PPDUs transmitted from a plurality of STAs. The STF signal that is disclosed, for example, is used for a 40 MHz band or an 80 MHz band, is desirably usable for the 40 MHz band, and can be generated based on a sequence in which a predetermined M sequence is repeated. The predetermined M sequence can be a binary sequence of which the length is 15 bits.
US10257779B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for searching for an access point of a terminal in a wireless communication system, and the method for searching for an access point of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to the present invention comprises the steps of: transmitting a probe request frame including an identifier for searching for a specific access point; receiving a probe response frame transmitted from the access point related to the identifier; and connecting to the access point having transmitted the probe response frame.
US10257778B2
A wireless communication system includes a terminal configured to perform wireless communication concurrently using a cell of a first type enabling connection without association with another cell and a cell of a second type enabling connection by being associated with the cell of the first type; and a base station configured to form a first cell of the second type and when detecting that the terminal selects the first cell for the cell of the first type, the base station notifies the terminal of a second cell of the first type different from the first cell so as to allow the terminal to change connection to the second cell.
US10257777B2
A method embodiment includes receiving, by a virtual user-specific service gateway (v-u-SGW) on a processor, a packet, processing the packet, and forwarding the packet to a user equipment (UE). The v-u-SGW is created in accordance with registration of the UE in a network. The method further includes processing the packet in accordance with a configuration of the UE and/or a configuration of the network.
US10257776B2
Embodiments herein provide a method of performing a cell search by user equipment (UE). The method includes receiving a signal from the base station. The method includes estimating a fractional frequency offset (FFO) along with a coarse timing using a cyclic prefix (CP) in the received signal. The method includes compensating the received signal with the estimated FFO. Further, the method includes applying a correlation on the compensated received signal with each of a plurality of primary synchronization signals (PSSs) generated by the UE. Furthermore, the method includes determining a plurality of cell search parameters based on the applied correlation.
US10257772B2
A method of system information (SI) acquisition with reduced signaling overhead is proposed. To reduce SI broadcast overhead, the quantity of periodic SI broadcast and the frequency of on-demand SI acquisition need to be reduced. In order to reduce the quantity of periodic SI broadcasting, on-demand SI delivery is enabled. With on-demand SI delivery, signaling overhead is proportional to the frequency of SI acquisition. From the network side, the base stations proactively provide SI delivery options and delivers SI over unicast or scheduled broadcast. From the UE side, UE determines how to acquire SI, i.e., by listening to broadcast or by sending an on-demand request via existing procedures such as a random-access procedure over a random-access channel (RACH).
US10257761B2
Embodiments relate to systems, methods, and computer readable media to enable a millimeter wave capable small cell (MCSC) devices to receive a handover of a user equipment from a universal mobile telecommunications system terrestrial radio access node B (eNB.) In particular, systems and methods are described for user equipment (UE) association with a MCSC operating as a booster for an eNB, including identification of and communication on preferred cell sector between the UE and the MCSC.
US10257758B2
The claimed subject matter includes techniques for migrating wireless channels. An example method includes initiating, via a first media access controller on an integrated circuit chip, a first connection on a first wireless channel. The example method also includes performing, via a second media access controller on the integrated circuit chip, a scan on additional wireless channels using a second media access controller. The example method also includes detecting, via the second media access controller, an available wireless channel from the additional wireless channels. The method further includes migrating, via the first media access controller, the first connection from the first wireless channel to the available wireless channel. The method further includes combining the second access media controller with the first media access controller to provide increased throughput or signal quality on the available wireless channel.
US10257746B2
Methods and apparatus for reducing and/or canceling signal interference between receiver and transmitter components of a wireless communications device are described. The methods and apparatus are well suited for use in a wide range of devices including user equipment devices such as cell phones as well as in network equipment such a base stations. Opto-mechanical devices are used in some embodiments as part of an apparatus which performs interference cancelation on RF (Radio Frequency) signals.
US10257744B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, disclosed is a method for supporting, by a serving base station, cancellation of interference signals from signals received at a target terminal in a wireless communication system. The method comprises the steps of: receiving scheduling information of at least one neighboring base station from the at least one neighboring base station; configuring a set of auxiliary information for canceling the interference signals of a target terminal on the basis of the scheduling information of the at least one neighboring base station; and transmitting the set of auxiliary information for canceling the interference signals of the target terminal to the target terminal, wherein the auxiliary information comprises at least one of demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) related information and cell-specific reference signal (CRS) related information in association with interference signals from respective neighboring base stations.
US10257741B2
A base station transmits configuration parameters of a plurality of cells to a wireless device. The plurality of cells comprise: a primary cell with a primary physical uplink control channel (PUCCH); and a PUCCH secondary cell with a secondary PUCCH; a transmit power control (TPC) radio network temporary identifier (RNTI); a primary TPC index for the primary PUCCH; and a secondary TPC index for the secondary PUCCH. An activation control element indicating activation of the PUCCH secondary cell is transmitted. A downlink control information (DCI) associated with the TPC RNTI is transmitted via a common search space of the primary cell. The DCI comprises an array of TPC commands. The secondary TPC index determines a TPC command in the array. An uplink signal with an uplink signal transmission power determined based on the TPC command is received from the wireless device and via the secondary PUCCH.
US10257734B2
A method and apparatus for indicating a logged multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) measurement availability in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) determines whether to inform a serving cell that the UE has logged MBMS measurement results to be reported based on a first condition and a second condition, and when both the first condition and the second condition are met, the UE informs the serving cell that the UE has the logged MBMS measurement results. The first condition corresponds to that the UE 0has the logged MBMS measurement results to be reported. The second condition includes at least one MBMS minimization of drive tests (MDT) related condition.
US10257731B2
For determining operational status of components of a wireless signal transmission environment, a signal is received from a client power receiver (CPR), and at least one waveform characteristic value of the signal is calculated. Based on the determined waveform characteristic value(s), a current transceiver system operational status is computed for the CPR at a current location. The determined current transceiver system operational status is compared with a prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location, and it is determined if, as a result of the comparing, the current transceiver system operational status matches the prior-stored last known good transceiver system operational status for the CPR at the current location. Determining a presence or an absence of the match facilitates identifying one of a presence and an absence of: functional problem(s) in: at least one of the transceiver system and the CPR.
US10257727B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing at least one report relating to a wireless communications spectrum. At least one device is operable for wideband scan; to detect and measure at least one signal transmitted from at least one signal emitting device autonomously, thereby creating signal data; to analyze the signal data in near real-time, thereby creating analyzed data; generate the at least one report in near real-time; and to communicate at least a portion of the at least one report over a network to at least one remote device.
US10257722B2
A method and system are provided. The system includes a communication system including a first transmitter/receiver operating on a first frequency and a second transmitter/receiver operating on a second frequency. The system also includes a controller monitoring at least one of interference and throughput on the first and second transmitter/receiver and shifting demand based on the monitoring.
US10257713B2
Improved systems and techniques for communication in an environment in which muting of resources is used to avoid interference between cells. If a cell, represented by a macro eNB for example, is muting resources, those resources can be made available, under appropriate conditions, to user devices, such as UEs, engaging in device to device communication. Allocation of muted resources to D2D UEs can be based on meeting of conditions, such as that the D2D UEs be outside of a specified proximity to a cell, such as a small cell, using the resources, or that the D2D UEs transmit at less than a specified power. The UEs may take measurements to determine if the conditions are met and report the measurements to their base stations, which then determine whether to allocate the muted resources and configure the UEs with resource allocation information.
US10257712B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause performance of operations comprising entering, by a first access point associated with a wireless network, a first mode for collecting network data from one or more access points associated with the wireless network, entering, by the first access point, a second mode for transmitting data to and from one or more client devices associated with the wireless network, and when a number of access points associated with the wireless network is greater than or equal to a number of channels of the wireless network, (i) collecting, by the first access point, network data of a first channel of the wireless network and (ii) receiving, by the first access point, network data of a second channel of the wireless network from a network coordination device is shown.
US10257711B2
In order for making MTC more efficient and/or secure, a base station forming a communication system connects a UE to a core network. A node serves as an entering point to the core network for a service provider, and transmits traffic between the service provider and the UE. The node establishes, as a connection to the base station, a first connection for directly transceiving messages between the node and the base station. Alternatively, the node establishes a second connection for transparently transceiving the messages through a different node that is placed within the core network and has established a different secure connection to the base station.
US10257709B2
Some embodiments provide a method for bypassing device security protections to communicate with a contact of a secure device. The method displays a selectable user interface object on the device enabling a user to bypass the security protections of the device. Upon receiving a selection of the user interface object, the method initiates a communication to a contact that is preselected from a list of contacts.
US10257701B2
Mechanisms for authenticating a connection between a user device and a streaming media content device comprising: identifying a collection of candidate streaming media content devices based on beacon(s) detected by a user device; receiving an indication that one of the content devices is to be selected for connection to the user device; transmitting instructions to the content devices to broadcast a signal, wherein the signal broadcast by each of the content devices contains a value that indicates an identity of the content device; receiving, from the user device, an audio signal that includes a detected signal; processing the audio signal to extract the value indicating the identity of a particular content device associated with the detected signal contained in the received audio signal; identifying the particular content device based on the determined value; and transmitting an indication that the user device and the particular content device are authenticated to communicate.
US10257696B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for sharing device capabilities of Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) devices with a service provider entity. Device capabilities of one or more UPnP devices in a UPnP home network environment are obtained. The device capabilities are aggregated. The aggregated device capabilities are mapped in a user agent profile. The user agent profile including the device capabilities is communicated to the service provider entity so that the service provider entity delivers telephony services to the one or more UPnP devices according to respective device capabilities.
US10257682B2
A method at a computing device for dedicated short range communication with traffic offload, the method including utilizing a radio in a communications subsystem on the computing device for a first category of communications; determining, at the computing device, that a trigger condition has been met; and splitting operation of the radio in the communications subsystem of the computing device, the splitting comprising utilizing a first portion of the radio for the first category of communications and a second portion of the radio for a second category of communications.
US10257678B2
Data discovery for sensor data in an M2M network uses probabilistic models, such as Gaussian Mixing Models (GMMs) to represent attributes of the sensor data. The parameters of the probabilistic models can be provided to a discovery server (DS) that respond to queries concerning the sensor data. Since the parameters are compressed compared to the attributes of the sensor data itself, this can simplify the distribution of discovery data. A hierarchical arrangement of discovery servers can also be used with multiple levels of discovery servers where higher level discovery servers using more generic probabilistic models.
US10257672B2
In one example, a method includes receiving, from a client application executing on a client device, a message transmission request including a number assigned to a recipient device. The message transmission request is added to an outbound queue based on determining the message transmission request is valid. The message request is caused to be transmitted to the recipient device based on the message transmission request being included in the outbound queue. Status information is obtained specifying a status of transmission of the message, the status information including an indication of successful transmission of the message. A record of the message transmission request responsive to the causing the transmission of the message is stored, the storing including storing the message and the indication of successful transmission of the message.
US10257671B2
A system and method for sending text messages and, more particularly, a system and method for forcing SMS capable devices to communicate via SMS using, for example, SS7 protocol. A method includes providing a tag forcing a return text message to be sent via SS7 protocol. In use, the system and method is configured to force the use of SMS messages via the SS7 protocol. The system and method can be implemented over any network, for example, and any existing mobile device and related infrastructure can be modified to take advantage of the benefits and functionality of the system and method of the invention.
US10257667B2
A data transmission method and device, where the method includes determining, by a first station device, that a second station device supports a first service, receiving a device group join request message that is sent by the second station device according to a media access control (MAC) address of a first device group, where the first device group is a device group of the first service and is a device group to which the first station device belongs, sending a device group join response message to another station device in the first device group and the second station device according to the multicast MAC address of the first device group in a contention transmission manner, and performing data transmission of the first service with the second station device in a service window of the first service, where the service window includes a time and/or a channel of service transmission.
US10257650B2
The disclosure relates to a method, performed by at least one apparatus. The method may include obtaining new opportunity signal data pertaining to an opportunity signal source and indicating opportunity signal values for particular locations at a site; obtaining previous opportunity signal data pertaining to said opportunity signal source and indicating opportunity signal values for particular locations at said site; comparing at least a part of said opportunity signal values of said new opportunity signal data pertaining to said opportunity signal source of said site and said opportunity signal values of said previous opportunity signal data pertaining to said opportunity signal source of said site for corresponding locations at said site; and classifying said opportunity signal source based at least in part on said comparing.
US10257647B2
This specification describes a method comprising detecting presence of a portable device in a vicinity of a first vehicle based on an identifier of the portable device which is detected at first user equipment, UE, located at the first vehicle, and further comprising causing transmission, from the first UE to a second UE located at a second vehicle in the vicinity of the first vehicle, of the identifier of the portable device and measurement data relating to the portable device and collected at the first vehicle, the measurement data being for use at the second vehicle to determine the location of the portable device relative to the second vehicle.
US10257645B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) Geo-Fencing. For example, an apparatus may include circuitry configured to cause a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device to process a plurality of geo-fencing parameters of a geofence from an application on the NAN device; and perform geo-fencing with another NAN device based on the geo-fencing parameters.
US10257641B2
The present application relates to a method whereby the communication traffic between a wireless communication apparatus such as a smartphone and another device such as a map information providing server and/or server managed by mobile virtual network operator MVNO. According to a first aspect, the communication traffic can be reduced by dividing items of geographical information that are sent to the smartphone are divided into static information and dynamic information and the two types of information are separately processed in that the map data is updated less often than information such as traffic congestion, weather information or the congestion level of a base station. According to a second aspect, congestion information is derived by averaging over time the number of vehicles which pass through a certain point. According to a third aspect, the updating interval, i.e. the frequency by which new information will be downloaded from the server, is adapted to degree of change of the dynamic information over time. According to a fourth aspect, the updating interval is adapted to the movement speed of the smartphone. According to a fifth aspect, download rates of a communication carrier are displayed on top of a map, thereby providing some sort of geobrowsing. According to a sixth aspect, an MVNO informs its subscribers about base station related information, such as signal intensity and the base station's congestion level. According to a seventh aspect, the smartphone selects, on the basis of the various items of information received, another network, either manually or automatically.
US10257636B2
Described herein is a method (30) of rendering an audio signal (17) for playback in an audio environment (27) defined by a target loudspeaker system (23), the audio signal (17) including audio data relating to an audio object and associated position data indicative of an object position. Method (30) includes the initial step (31) of receiving the audio signal (17). At step (32) loudspeaker layout data for the target loudspeaker system (23) is received. At step (33) control data is received that is indicative of a position modification to be applied to the audio object in the audio environment (27). At step (38) in response to the position data, loudspeaker layout data and control data, rendering modification data is generated. Finally, at step (39) the audio signal (17) is rendered with the rendering modification data to output the audio signal (17) with the audio object at a modified object position that is between loudspeakers within the audio environment (27).
US10257635B2
The invention improves HOA sound field representation compression. The HOA representation is analysed for the presence of dominant sound sources and their directions are estimated. Then the HOA representation is decomposed into a number of dominant directional signals and a residual component. This residual component is transformed into the discrete spatial domain in order to obtain general plane wave functions at uniform sampling directions, which are predicted from the dominant directional signals. Finally, the prediction error is transformed back to the HOA domain and represents the residual ambient HOA component for which an order reduction is performed, followed by perceptual encoding of the dominant directional signals and the residual component.
US10257632B2
Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) signals can be compressed by decomposition into a predominant sound component and a residual ambient component. The compressed representation comprises pre-dominant sound signals, coefficient sequences of the ambient component and side information. For efficiently combining HOA decompression and HOA rendering to obtain loudspeaker signals, combined rendering and decoding of the compressed HOA signal comprises perceptually decoding the perceptually coded portion and decoding the side information, without reconstructing HOA coefficient sequences. For reconstructing components of a first type, fading of coefficient sequences is not required, while for components of a second type fading is required. For each second type component, different linear operations are determined: one for coefficient sequences that in a current frame require no fading, one for those that require fading-in, and one for those that require fading-out. From the perceptually decoded signals of each second type component, faded-in and faded-out versions are generated, to which the respective linear operations are applied.
US10257626B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for fitting hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method for assisting wearers in adjusting settings of hearing assistance devices using a mobile adaptation tool. The method includes providing a mobile adaptation tool for a wearer of a hearing assistance device. The wearer is guided using gamification to adjust settings of the hearing assistance device using the mobile adaptation tool, including providing an update to the wearer via the adaptation tool with an indication of a level of matching between current settings and target settings, according to various embodiments.
US10257612B2
This application relates to methods and apparatus for digital microphones. Disclosed is a digital microphone apparatus (300) for outputting a digital output signal (DATA) at a sample rate defined by a received clock signal (CLK). The apparatus includes a band splitter (302) configured to receive a microphone signal (SMD) indicative of an output of a microphone transducer and split said microphone signal into first signal path (SP1) for frequencies in a first band and a second signal path (SP2) for frequencies in a second band, the frequencies of the second band being higher than the frequencies in the first band. A modulation block (304) is configured to operate on the second signal path to down-convert signals in the second signal path from the second frequency band to a lower frequency band.
US10257607B2
The present invention is directed to a headphone device including zones to separate different frequency ranges for enhancing and improving sound quality. The headphone device includes more than one cavities and second auxiliary holes. The second auxiliary holes are configured for most bass or low-frequency to enter a second cavity through the second auxiliary holes and to have a better frequency division effect and to improve the audio quality of the headphone device.
US10257600B2
An earphone includes a housing having a sound output hole, wherein a center axis line of the sound output hole is deviated from a center axis line of the housing by an angle; a drive unit received inside the housing; and a resilient element disposed on the housing, wherein the resilient element can be squeezed and deformed, the resilient element or the housing abuts a cavum conchae of a user.
US10257598B2
A direction-switchable transponder of a high speed communications network, e.g., an fiber optic data communications network, is capable of dynamically reversing the data traffic flow of its various communications channels in response to a signal. The signal can specify a number of channels, a channel map, or a required bandwidth. The direction-switchable transponder can receive a signal relating to network bandwidth requirements; select, based on the received signal, one or more fiber optic channels for reversing direction of flow of network traffic; and dynamically and automatically reconfigure the selected fiber optic signal to reverse direction of flow of network traffic. By responding to asymmetric bandwidth requirements, the direction-switchable transponder uses high speed communications network lines more efficiently.
US10257594B2
A device and method for controlling light by wavelength in a device with a switch plane and a dispersion plane uses optics providing an imaging function in the dispersion plane, and a Fourier transform function in the switch plane, so as to enable crosstalk to be reduced.
US10257591B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for call classification and for training a model for call classification, an example method comprising: receiving DTMF information from a plurality of calls; determining, for each of the calls, a feature vector including statistics based on DTMF information such as DTMF residual signal comprising channel noise and additive noise; training a model for classification; comparing a new call feature vector to the model; predicting a device type and geographic location based on the comparison of the new call feature vector to the model; classifying the call as spoofed or genuine; and authenticating a call or altering an IVR call flow.
US10257577B2
A set of media playback and device settings data from each home appliance of a first set of home appliances is stored on a central server and/or sent to a remote control device upon initiation of a suspend command by a user. The stored media and devices states may be used at a later time to control the first set of home appliances, or a user may, after relocating to a second set of home appliances, initiate a resume state command whereupon media playback and device settings data from the central server and/or remote control device controls each home appliance in the second set of home appliances to bring about the same or substantially similar media and device states as in the first set of home appliances.
US10257567B2
Method, devices, systems and computer program products are described that improve speed and accuracy of watermark detection from multimedia content, and allow faster and better content recognition. One technique for improving detection of boundaries of an embedded multimedia content segment includes detecting a synchronization header and a full watermark from the multimedia content, constructing a predicted watermark segment that is positioned at a predicted distance from the synchronization header, and comparing the group of candidate watermark symbols obtained from the multimedia content to the first predicted watermark segment to obtain a match. The disclosed techniques enable extraction of watermarks from short content segments, and can utilize a shortened payload design to establish media time during content usage.
US10257563B2
Disclosed are various embodiments to extract portions of video or audio data from a media summary corresponding to a media content item available in a media content catalog according to one or more predefined rules. The extracted portions of video and audio data are used to generate one or more network pages detailing or describing the media content item.
US10257562B2
An image display device includes: a processor; a memory configured to store channel information corresponding to at least one channel; and at least one program which is stored in the memory and executed by the processor. The program may include instructions for controlling a display so as to move a channel indicator in a first or second direction on a channel scroll bar and to display channel information of a channel corresponding to a point at which the channel indicator is located, in response to a first input of pressing a channel-up or channel-down key for a long time, and for switching a current channel to the channel corresponding to the point at which the channel indicator is located and displaying an image corresponding to the switched channel, in response to a second input of releasing the channel-up or channel-down key.
US10257561B2
Disclosed are a digital media asset selection interface and method. The interface may comprise a plurality of digital media assets that are displayed to a user such that the user can navigate the digital media assets in a first direction and a second direction, such as a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. In a more particular embodiment, the digital media assets are listed horizontally such that assets listed to the left of a selection pane represent a “past” aspect and assets listed to the right of a selection pane represent a “future” aspect. The digital media assets listed vertically are related to one another in some way.
US10257542B1
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for improving color resolution in YUV subsampled signals. Chrominance data may be subsampled using two different techniques and the two different outputs may be interlaced to improve a resulting color resolution as perceived by a viewer. Luminance data may be adjusted in paired frames to improve the perceived color resolution without affecting the perceived luminance values. High edge areas, including high frequency variations in luminance values, may be adaptively desaturated to improve the perceived color resolution of the resulting output.
US10257539B2
A method and apparatus for coding a depth block in three-dimensional video coding are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention divide a depth block into depth sub-blocks and determine default motion parameters. For each depth sub-block, the motion parameters of a co-located texture block covering the center sample of the depth sub-block are determined. If the motion parameters are available, the motion parameters are assigned as inherited motion parameters for the depth sub-block. If the motion parameters are unavailable, the default motion parameters are assigned as inherited motion parameters for the depth sub-block. The depth sub-block is then encoded or decoded using the inherited motion parameters or a motion candidate selected from a motion candidate set including the inherited motion parameters. The depth block may correspond to a depth prediction unit (PU) and the depth sub-block corresponds to a depth sub-PU.
US10257537B2
A moving picture coding apparatus includes a counter unit which counts the number of pictures following an intra coded picture; and a motion estimation unit which compares respectively only reference pictures which are the intra coded picture or the following pictures, selected from among a reference picture Ref1, a reference picture Ref2 and a reference picture Ref3 stored in memories, with a picture signal, and determines the reference picture whose inter picture differential value is smallest.
US10257536B2
A method and apparatus of deriving a temporal derived motion vector in a second direction based on a given motion vector in a first direction for motion vector prediction are disclosed. According to the present invention, a given motion vector for a current block is determined, where the given motion vector points from the current block in a first direction. A reference motion vector associated with a first reference block in a first reference frame is identified. Then, based on the reference motion vector and the given motion vector, a temporal derived motion vector is derived. The temporal derived motion vector points from the current block to a second reference block in a second reference frame in a second direction different from the first direction. The temporal derived motion vector is then used as one predictor for encoding or decoding of the motion vector of the current block.
US10257532B2
A method is provided for coding at least one image split up into partitions, a current partition to be coded containing data, at least one data item of which is allotted a sign. The coding method includes, for the current partition, the following steps: calculating the value of a function representative of the data of the current partition with the exclusion of the sign; comparing the calculated value with a predetermined value of the sign; as a function of the result of the comparison, modifying or not modifying at least one of the data items of the current partition, in the case of modification, coding the at least one modified data item.
US10257524B2
A residual up-sampling apparatus has a residual up-sampling buffer and a shared residual up-sampling circuit. The residual up-sampling buffer stores an intermediate residual up-sampling result. The shared residual up-sampling circuit employs a same processing kernel to perform a first-direction residual up-sampling operation and a second-direction residual up-sampling operation. The first-direction residual up-sampling operation processes an inverse transform output of an inverse transform circuit to generate the intermediate residual up-sampling result to the residual up-sampling buffer. The second-direction residual up-sampling operation performs transpose access upon the residual up-sampling buffer to retrieve the intermediate residual up-sampling result, and processes the intermediate residual up-sampling result to generate a final residual up-sampling result.
US10257520B2
Methods and devices for modified coding of blocks of residuals in the case of transform skipping. To better align the data with assumptions upon which the entropy coding scheme is based, the block of residual data is permuted at the encoder prior to entropy coding. The block of reconstructed data is then inverse permuted at the decoder to recover the reconstructed block of residuals. The permutation may include 180 rotation of the block, which may be of particular benefit in the case of intra-coded residuals.
US10257516B2
According to an embodiment, an encoding device includes a deriving unit and an encoding unit. The deriving unit is configured to derive a first reference value based on fixed point precision representing roughness of a weighting factor that is used for multiplying a reference image. The encoding unit is configured to encode a first difference value that is a difference value between the weighting factor and the first reference value and the fixed point precision. The weighting factor is included in a first range of predetermined bit precision having the first reference value at approximate center. The first difference value is in the predetermined range.
US10257515B2
An image processing device including an acquiring section configured to acquire quantization matrix parameters from an encoded stream in which the quantization matrix parameters defining a quantization matrix are set within a parameter set which is different from a sequence parameter set and a picture parameter set, a setting section configured to set, based on the quantization matrix parameters acquired by the acquiring section, a quantization matrix which is used when inversely quantizing data decoded from the encoded stream, and an inverse quantization section configured to inversely quantize the data decoded from the encoded stream using the quantization matrix set by the setting section.
US10257503B2
An autostereoscopic display device has a particular design of display panel for use with a forming arrangement having non-slanted view forming elements (being for example a lenticular or parallax barrier array). The display panel sub-pixels incorporate a slant into their shape. The display panel is designed to enable low slant angles while still enabling efficient mapping of the 2D display panel pixels to the 3D pixels, allow for square 3D sub-pixels on rectangular grid which gives better distribution of color components with improved uniformity and improved rendering in 3D mode.
US10257502B2
Embodiments of the present application disclose various methods and an apparatus for controlling light field capture. One method for controlling light field capture comprises: determining, at least according to at least one sub-lens that affects imaging of a first region in a sub-lens array of a light field camera, at least one first sub-lens to be adjusted, the first region being a part of a scene to be shot; determining an object refocusing accuracy of a light field image section captured by the first sub-lens in a light field image of the scene to be shot; adjusting, according to the object refocusing accuracy, a light field capture parameter of the first sub-lens; and performing, based on the light field camera after being adjusted, light field capture on the scene to be shot. The solution can achieve differentiated distribution of refocusing accuracies of various light field image sections that correspond to different regions of the scene to be shot, thereby better satisfying a user's actual application demands.
US10257497B2
A depth sensor and a 3D camera include a macro pixel that provides an output signal when light is received and a programmable concurrent detector (PCD) circuit that compares an electric signal provided by the macro pixel with a number of concurrence (NC) and determines a necessity of providing the output signal of the macro pixel. In addition, the depth sensor and the 3D camera may include a controller that measures a dark count of the macro pixel, changes the number of concurrence (NC) of the macro pixel, based on the dark count, and controls noise of the macro pixel. In addition, the depth sensor and the 3D camera may control the noise of the macro pixel, based on an external light count which is a noise signal generated due to the external light.
US10257487B1
Techniques are described for reducing the number of fetches performed when a background layer (e.g., letter or pillar box) to be displayed is of a constant fill color. One or more processors (e.g., a display processor) may be configured to detect that a background layer is of a constant fill color. If so, rather than fetching the background layer from memory, the one or more processors may be configured to generate the constant fill color for the background layer. In doing so, there may be a reduction in the number of memory fetches performed, as the constant fill background layer is not fetched or is only partially fetched. This may reduce memory fetch operations (as only the video layer is fetched) and therefore power savings (e.g., battery usage) at memory and bus interfaces, decreased use of the bandwidth at the bus and memory, and decreased processor usage.
US10257483B2
In various embodiments, a color gamut mapper includes a gamut map selection generator configured to analyze color space signals and generate a gamut map selection signal in response thereto. A color gamut transformer is configured to process the color space signals via a selected one of a plurality of gamut maps to generate gamut mapped color space signals, wherein the selected one of the plurality of gamut maps is selected in response to the gamut map selection signal. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US10257476B2
Monitoring system of person coming to entrance comprises camera for capturing image of the person and recorder for the captured image, the system informing the person of the image recordation for deterring a crime in bad visit case or making polite notice in goodwill visit case. Unlock system has an intercom for visitor to request unlock and a self unlock operating portion for resident. If unlock done through intercom with acquaintance confirmed, polite notice is preferred, whereas “note record” is added to the image record in case of intercom unlock with unacquainted assumed. If unlock done by resident, the information and the image recordation are withheld. If entrance in a group detected, “note record” is added to the image record in case bad person successively follows goodwill person duly unlocking entrance. Privacy of acquaintance visitor image is protected by password. “Note record” is added to image record without voice message.
US10257475B2
In an A/V recording and communication device, the power configuration of the device is considered when determining a setting for a keep-alive interval of the device. If the device is connected to a reliable and continuous source of power, such as AC mains, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a very short duration, thereby reducing or eliminating any latency that the user might experience when attempting to remotely access the camera of the device. By contrast, if the device relies solely on a rechargeable battery for power, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a longer duration, thereby reducing the rate at which the rechargeable battery will be discharged. And, if the device is connected to an intermittent source of power, such as a solar panel, then the keep-alive interval may be set to a moderate duration to balance the competing interests of reducing latency and conserving battery life.
US10257468B2
Systems and methods are disclosed allowing a passenger of a vehicle to use a personal electronic device to control a saving, on a storage device, of image data of video streams arising from cameras of the vehicle. The system includes at least one client/server module configured to receive and retransmit image data of a video stream received from one of the cameras to the storage device. The client/server module includes a processor configured to connect the personal electronic device to the client/server module, a receiver for receiving a request, originating from the personal electronic device, including an item representative of a set of images of the video stream to be saved and a transmitter for transmitting to the storage device image data of the video stream corresponding to the item, with a view to their saving.
US10257465B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided to intelligently frame groups of participants in a meeting. This gives a more pleasing experience with fewer switches, better contextual understanding, and more natural framing, as would be seen in a video production made by a human director. Furthermore, in accordance with another embodiment, conversational framing techniques are provided. During speaker tracking, when two local participants are addressing each other, a method is provided to show a close-up framing showing both participants. By evaluating the direction participants are looking and a speaker history, it is determined if there is a local discussion going on, and an appropriate framing is selected to give far-end participants the most contextually rich experience.
US10257464B2
The present invention provides a method for processing images in a video. The method includes after providing a plurality of first video images to a server, a plurality of video devices proposing a request message related to a second video image to the server; and the plurality of video devices receiving and displaying the second video image from the server; wherein the server performs a transcoding process on the received plurality of first video images for at least one time to obtain the second video image; wherein a hierarchical structure exists between the server and the plurality of video devices; wherein the second video image comprises the plurality of first video images and a screen layout of the plurality of first video images in the second video image is controlled by a control terminal.
US10257461B2
Automated, algorithmic quality control is performed for digital content converted from one form or format to another. Such conversion may be made of movies, television programs, feature films, advertisements, or any other content. The conversion process may be semi or fully automated, and may include a range of alterations, such as pulldown or frame rate conversions, size and/or resolution conversions, addition of content, deletion of content, and so forth. Actual content contained in pre-and post-converted frames is utilized, such as by image recognition techniques, as a base for the quality control routines. Audio data may also be considered. The quality control is fully or nearly fully automated with minimal manual involvement.
US10257459B2
A receiving apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives expected waves, and a control unit that sets the receiving unit to an operational state that has a lower electricity consumption within a range in which reception performance is allowed, depending on interference waves with respect to the expected waves that the receiving unit receives.
US10257458B2
A ramp signal generator is provided. The ramp signal generator includes a bias generation circuit, a transferring switch, a sampling capacitor, a current cell circuit, a current to voltage converter and a tuning circuit. The bias generation circuit generates a bias voltage. The transferring switch transfers the bias voltage to a sampling node in response to a first switching control signal. The sampling capacitor samples the bias voltage. The current cell circuit provides a first output node with a first ramping current in response to a sampled bias voltage and switching code pairs. The current to voltage converter includes a first load resistor to convert the first ramping current to a first ramp signal. The tuning circuit includes a capacitor that couples the sampled bias voltage to the first ramp signal, and adjusts a degree of nonlinearity of the first ramp signal in response to a tuning signal.
US10257457B2
Provided is a solid-state imaging device capable of increasing the speed of an A/D converter. The solid-state imaging device includes a successive approximation A/D converter that performs A/D conversion on an analog pixel signal. The successive approximation A/D converter includes a D/A converter, a comparator, and a successive approximation register. The D/A converter converts a digital reference signal to an analog reference signal. The successive approximation register operates based on the result of comparison by the comparator to generate the digital reference signal in such a manner that the analog reference signal approximates the analog pixel signal. The D/A converter includes a split capacitor, first capacitors, second capacitors, a switch array, a third capacitor, and a multiplexer. The first capacitors each have a first electrode coupled to the output node. The second capacitors are coupled to a second electrode of the split capacitor. The switch array is coupled to a second electrode of each of the first and second capacitors and is adapted to generate the analog reference signal at the output node by selectively applying a first reference voltage. The third capacitor is coupled to the second electrode of the split capacitor. The multiplexer is coupled to a second electrode of the third capacitor and is adapted to generate the analog reference signal at the output node by selectively applying a second reference voltage.
US10257454B2
A solid-state imaging device includes: a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface that oppose each other; and a plurality of photodiodes stacked in the semiconductor layer. One or more photodiodes of the plurality of photodiodes also serve as a transfer path of a signal charge accumulated in other photodiodes.
US10257451B2
Provided are a comparison device capable of achieving a small area by using one small sampling capacitor for an input terminal and improving linearity by using a fixed reference voltage and a CMOS image sensor using the same. The comparison device may include a comparator configured to compare a pixel signal inputted through a positive input terminal with a ramp signal, a first sampling capacitor configured to be provided between an input terminal of the ramp signal and the positive input terminal of the comparator, a sampling switch configured to be provided between an output terminal of the comparator and a negative input terminal of the comparator, and a second sampling capacitor configured to be provided between a ground terminal and the negative input terminal of the comparator.
US10257439B2
A semiconductor device including a selection section that selects and outputs one video signal from plural input video signals; a clock signal output section that outputs a clock signal that corresponds to the video signal selected by the selection section; and a masking section that, for a predetermined period starting from a point when the clock signal output from the clock signal output section is switched in accordance with a switching of the selection of the video signal, performs masking processing on a synchronization signal that, among plural synchronization signals that correspond respectively to the plural video signals, corresponds to the video signal selected by the selection section. The selection section outputs the selected video signal in synchronization with the synchronization signal that corresponds to the selected video signal and that has undergone masking processing.
US10257434B2
A multiview body camera system comprising a vest, a helmet, shoulder pads, camera units providing video, directional microphones providing audio, sensors providing motion detection and other functions is described herein. A control module controls camera units, microphones, sensors and all other circuitry. A tamper-proof locking compartment containing elements of the body camera system is operable by a remote control signal transmitted from an authorized party or by a security code. The body camera system features voice command recognition, real time monitoring, recording, storing, remote reporting; alerts the wearer of impending threats, such as approaching cars, persons, objects or gunshots and may incorporate a visor that provides a panoramic view. The body camera integrates all components internally. Bullet resistant material is used in the construction of the vest and helmet. The device operates continuously, and the wearer cannot disrupt the operation without consequence. All recorded data is archived an internal memory.
US10257433B2
The imaging system has two lenses coupled together, wherein both lenses face different sides of the device body. Each lens has a separate image sensor; for example, the first lens is for the front side camera and the second lens is for the back side camera. A single actuator moves both lenses simultaneously. Depending on the imaging direction, either the front side image sensor or the back side image sensor is activated and an image is received through the corresponding lens system. The actuator generates autofocus or image stabilization functions for both cameras.
US10257430B2
An image processing technique that enables accurate detection of a flicker component even when applied to an image pickup device capable of changing a driving method on a region basis within a frame. A flicker detection section detects a flicker component of an image pixel signal read out from the image pickup device having a pixel region for detecting a phase difference. When the driving method is changed to one for performing phase difference detection, the flicker detection section detects a flicker component such that the period of the flicker component in a region used for phase difference detection within the frame coincides with a period of the flicker component in a region not used for phase difference detection.
US10257427B2
An information processing method and an electronic device are provided. The method comprises: detecting a first movement parameter value of an image capture unit of the electronic device in its current movement state, the first movement parameter value being associated with the current movement state of the image capture unit; determining a first capturing frame rate corresponding to the first movement parameter value based on a correspondence between movement parameter values and capturing frame rates; and controlling the image capture unit to capture an image at the first capturing frame rate.
US10257422B2
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup element, an image pickup module and electronic equipment configured to avoid large scaling of an image pickup element caused by an improvement in functions thereof. The solid-state image pickup element is configured with a lamination of an image sensor substrate on which a plurality of pixels is arranged on a surface of a sensor, and a signal processing substrate in which signal processing of an image signal output from the image sensor substrate is executed. The signal processing substrate has an electronic blur correction processing unit, a first connection unit that connects with an optical blur correction processing unit, and a second connection unit that connects with a gyro sensor which detects a blur generated in an image. At least a part of signals passed between the gyro sensor and the optical blur correction processing unit passes through the signal processing substrate.
US10257420B2
An image processing apparatus includes a division unit configured to divide one frame image into a plurality of divided images, a plurality of image processing units configured to respectively process the plurality of divided images, and a combining unit configured to combine the divided images respectively subjected to image deformation processing by the plurality of image processing units, wherein the division unit changes an amount of overlap between the plurality of divided images according to a deformation amount of the image deformation processing performed on the divided image calculated by the image processing unit.
US10257418B2
An image processing method for improving image quality selects one of a plurality of two-dimensional pixel matrix source images of an imaged target as a reference image. Movement of the target is detected in the source images. The detected movement between the reference image and at least one other image of the source images is compensated differently in at least two different sections of the at least one other source image. The reference image and the movement compensated at least one other image are combined for forming an improved image.
US10257416B2
A method for setting a camera in an electronic device including at least one photographing module is provided. The method includes detecting environment information through a sensor or a microphone, and changing setting information of at least one photographing module according to the detected environment information.
US10257412B2
The present invention relates to a method for obtaining the chromatic attributes of natural surroundings, which can be used, under the same parameters, in artificial surroundings or mixed surroundings, by means of digital extraction by taking photographs to generate color patterns (natural surroundings are understood to be those linked to the environment and include landscape, vegetation and fauna; artificial surroundings are those in which humans and/or built; and mixed surroundings involve physical characteristics of artificial and natural surroundings). This method is intended to obtain chromatic palettes used on any type of surface that functions as an imitating factor in diverse fields of application, such as: biosecurity, well-being associated with chromatic perception, color psychology, eco-urban landscape, color trends in dress and products, management of indoor and outdoor spaces, and even for the military sector, insofar as the physical and technical principles would be the same as for the civil sector.
US10257402B2
A control apparatus includes at least one processor operatively coupled to a memory, serving as a sensing unit configured to sense a tracking target that appears in a sensed video, a recording unit configured to record a size of the tracking target, and a search unit configured to obtain a predicted size of the tracking target in the sensed video, based on the size recorded by the recording unit, for a case of zooming out at a predetermined scaling factor, and, if the predicted size is larger than a predetermined size, to zoom out by the predetermined scaling factor, and then to search for the tracking target in the sensed video after the zoom out.
US10257391B2
An information processing apparatus connecting a terminal apparatus through a network includes a display unit that displays first explanatory information of the terminal apparatus, an input unit that receives a user operation input by a user, a first acquisition unit that, when the display unit displays the first explanatory information, based on a first instruction from the input unit, acquires a first identifier corresponding to the first explanatory information displayed by the display unit, the first instruction being one type of the user operation, and a first communication unit that transmits the first identifier acquired by the first acquisition unit to the terminal apparatus.
US10257389B2
A communication system including an image processing apparatus configured to, in response to receiving acquisition instruction information from a server via indirect communication, receive authentication information from an information processing terminal device via near-field wireless communication, transmit the received authentication information to the server via the indirect communication, and in response to receiving communication instruction information, which indicates a method for data communication with a service providing apparatus, from the server via the indirect communication, perform data communication with the service providing apparatus in accordance with the received communication instruction information.
US10257387B2
An image processing apparatus includes: an image processing device processing image data; a wireless communication wirelessly communicating with an external terminal present at a predetermined distance from the wireless communication and receiving first identification information from the external terminal; a first storage storing a first record including the first identification information and second identification information while being associated with each other; an receiving the second identification information and third identification information; a communication capable of communicating with a server, the server storing the second identification information and the third identification information while being associated with each other; a display; and a processor. The processor is configured to switch an operational mode of the image processing apparatus between a first mode for causing the image processing apparatus to standby, and a second mode in which a processing by the image processing device is executable.
US10257386B2
An image forming device is provided, including a generation part, a determination part and a printing part. The generation part generates a plurality of types of binarized image data with respect to original image data. The determination part determines the binarized image data, in which an error between each of the plurality of the types of the binarized image data and the original image data is smaller, among the plurality of the types of the binarized image data. The printing part prints the binarized image data determined by the determination part on a medium.
US10257374B2
An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a personal setting value of a user, a reception unit that receives a login of the user, and a control unit that that determines whether the personal setting value of the user whose login is received can be stored in the storage unit, and in a case where it is determined that the personal setting value cannot be stored and registration of the personal setting value is instructed by the user whose login is received, performs control so as to store the personal setting value of which the registration is instructed in a virtual storage area prepared for temporary storage.
US10257370B2
The present disclosure relates to cloud-based document quality assurance. One example embodiment includes a method for evaluating document quality. The method includes receiving, by a cloud server, document data associated with an image forming device. The method also includes accessing, by the cloud server, a cloud service. Further, the method includes performing, by the cloud service, a data-segment comparison between the document data and reference document data from a quality assurance database. In addition, the method includes generating, by the cloud service, a quality assurance report based on the data-segment comparison between the document data and the reference document data.
US10257364B2
An integrated security system integrates broadband and mobile access and control with conventional security systems and premise devices to provide a tri-mode security network that with remote connectivity and access. The integrated security system includes a touchscreen providing security keypad functionality as well as content management and presentation, and is used as a security system interface and an interface for interacting with a network. The integrated security system delivers remote premise monitoring and control functionality to conventional monitored premise protection and complements existing premise protection equipment. The integrated security system integrates into the premise network and couples wirelessly with the conventional security panel, enabling broadband access to premise security systems. Automation devices can be added, enabling users to remotely see live video or pictures and control home devices via a personal web portal, mobile phone, or other client device. Users can receive notifications of detected events via electronic message.
US10257361B1
A method and apparatus of sharing documents during a conference call data is disclosed. One example method may include initiating a document sharing operation during a conference call conducted between at least two participants communicating during the conference call. The method may also include transferring the document from one of the two participants to another of the two participants, and recording at least one action performed to the document by the participants during the conference call.
US10257356B2
Network presence is used to assign a worker to a task. In today's networked environment, workers may be remotely located but still accomplish tasks. As long as workers have network access, the workers may be assigned tasks for completion. As tasks are completion, the network presences of the workers are determined, and the tasks may be assigned based on the network presences.
US10257353B2
A customer support system diverts a customer to an integrated support service to serve the customer better in situations where the use of a single mode of interaction is insufficient. Embodiments of the invention find use where an email or SMS is sent to a customer's smart devices with a link to visual content which helps customer better understand the information.
US10257352B2
A method, computer program product, and system is disclosed for generating an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system tree. A plurality of IVR system options from the IVR system are received. A first set of selections of the IVR system options are received from the user. A second set of selections of the IVR system are received, comprising at least a second set of subtrees. In response to identifying a plurality of subtrees of the second set of subtrees that are associated with the root node, the identified plurality of subtrees are mapped to the option tree. An IVR combination tree is generated. A visualization IVR combination tree is generated for display, in response to receiving a second user request for access to the IVR system. A target service associated with a user input selection of at least one end node of the visualized IVR combination tree is accessed.
US10257351B2
The invention relates to a customer interaction management system that comprises a memory, an input and a computer processor programmed to: interact, via a first communication channel, with the customer via an automate self-service feature; receive a customer input to opt out of the automated self-service feature; place the customer in a queue with an estimated wait time; determine whether the estimated wait time exceeds a threshold wait time; engage the customer in a self-service on hold feature via a second communication channel separate from the first communication channel; and maintain the customer's place in the queue while the customer interacts with the self-service on hold.
US10257344B2
A system, device, and method for tracking and monitoring mobile phone usage while operating a vehicle in order to deter and prevent such usage are disclosed. The system comprises a device that engages with a vehicle and an application on a mobile phone to monitor the phone's usage in a vehicle and to prevent certain functions of the phone while the vehicle is being operated. The device may also record information about the different states of the device, such as the number of times and length of time the device is in each state, as well as the count and time that an audible and/or visual alarm is on, which data is transmitted to the mobile phone application. The device, in combination with the mobile phone application, may record information about certain behaviors the user engages in on the mobile phone while operating a vehicle.
US10257338B2
Provided is a telephone apparatus including a wireless communicator that performs wireless communication of data with a music reproducing device, a controller that remotely controls the music reproducing device through the wireless communicator, a speaker, a sound processor that reproduces sound data from the music reproducing device and outputs the sound data to the speaker, and a call controller that detects outgoing or incoming of a call through a telephone line and restricts output of sound data from the music reproducing device in a case where the incoming or outgoing of a call is detected while the sound data is output as a sound.
US10257333B2
An electronic device includes: a camera module, a camera window formed to cover the camera module and installed in a first opening, a bracket receiving the camera window and the camera module and adhered to a rear cover by a third waterproof member, a fourth waterproof member adhering the window cover and the bracket, a second opening formed in the bracket and connected to the inside of the middle frame, and a filter member disposed in the second opening and blocking movement of water and forming a movement path of air, wherein a gap is formed between an edge of the rear cover forming the first opening and an edge of the camera window and a movement region is formed by a space between the rear cover and the bracket and connected to the second opening, such that air and water are introduced.
US10257329B2
A wireless communications apparatus includes first/second data source/sinks that respectively source/sink PDCP SDU and MAC PDU for transfer to/from a memory unit and hardware accelerators controlled by a control processor (CP). In response to sourcing transmit PDCP SDU for transfer to the memory unit, the CP controls the hardware accelerators to generate and write PDCP, RLC, MAC headers to the memory unit and assemble the generated headers and the transmit PDCP SDU from the memory unit into transmit MAC PDU for provision to the second data sink. In response to sourcing receive MAC PDU for transfer to the memory unit, the CP controls the hardware accelerators to decode PDCP, RLC MAC headers of the receive MAC PDU in the memory unit to determine locations of receive PDCP SDU in the memory unit and fetch the receive PDCP SDU from the determined locations for provision to the first data sink.
US10257323B2
An electronic device process data including a compressed header is provided. The electronic device includes a controller configured to generate a data packet comprising a header compressed based on at least one data packet previously transmitted, and a transmitter configured to transmit the data packet.
US10257322B2
A method for establishing an in-band connection in an OpenFlow network and switch where the method includes receiving, from a first port, a SYN packet passing through a first path, recording the first port as a first transmit port between a target controller and a source switch, according to the SYN packet passing through the first path, in an in-band connection list, and forwarding the SYN packet passing through the first path, receiving a SYN response packet from a second port, determining the first transmit port between the target controller and the source switch, and forwarding the SYN response packet from the first transmit port between the target controller and the source switch which enable controllers and switches provided by more manufacturers are compatible.
US10257316B2
A system creates and monitors virtual threads within a node.js application. Callbacks executing within an event loop for a node.js system are identified and may be traced. The callbacks are associated with a context, and resources associated with execution flow during each context may be identified. Callback registrations, callback calls, and callback completion messages may each be detected and recorded. Each registration, call, and completion message is associated with a virtual thread or other transaction identifier. The timing information for each virtual thread and other resource usage for each context may then be identified, stitched together for distributed transactions and reported to a user to provide more detail for node.js application processing.
US10257309B2
In one embodiment, a method includes sending a request for a measure of affinity associated with a first user for a particular content associated with a second user, where the measure of affinity predicts a level of interest the first user has for the particular content; sending weighting information for computing the measure of affinity, where the weighting information includes information specifying a first weight to be attributed to a first predictor function that is based on the second user and a second weight to be attributed to a second predictor function that is based on concepts associated with the particular content; receiving the measure of affinity; and sending, to the first user, the particular content, based on the received measure of affinity.
US10257308B2
A social networking system identifies a set of groups of which a user of the social networking system is not a member and selects a group for recommendation to the user based on a predicted affinity of the user for each identified group. The social networking system computes an affinity score of the user for each of one or more members of the selected group based at least in part on information describing a set of connections between the user and each member. Based on the scores, the social networking system selects a set of members of the group and generates a recommendation unit, wherein images associated with the selected members are arranged based on their scores and overlay at least a portion of an image associated with the group. The recommendation unit is communicated to the user to suggest that the user join the recommended group.
US10257307B1
Systems and methods are described to reserve cache space of points of presence (“POPs”) within a content delivery network (“CDN”). A provider may submit a request to the CDN to reserve cache space on one or more POPs for data objects designated by that provider. Thereafter, the CDN may implement a provider-specific cache on the POPs of the CDN, which is distinct from a shared cache space on the POPs. The provider may further select a custom cache eviction policy for the provider-specific cache, which causes the POPs to manage data objects within the provider-specific cache according to the custom cache eviction policy, independently of a cache eviction policy applied to the shared cache.
US10257304B2
A system and method that enables large content data transfers to mobile platforms is provided. The mobile platform cache system and method provided build a cache suitable for large content data transfers using the available storage capacity of one or more frequently used, existing mobile devices. The provided mobile cache system and method prioritize available free or low cost communication protocols for data transfer to one or more mobile devices, enabling the use of free Wi-Fi communications or low cost communications, and minimizing the use of cellular data transmissions for large content data transfers.
US10257303B2
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for providing an alternative GUI to a client application. A proxy computer comprises a history with request sequences respectively representing a part of a workflow predefined by an original GUI. Each request sequence in the history has been transmitted previously from an original GUI displayed in a client application via the proxy computer and via a network to a backend application. The proxy computer intercepts a current request transmitted from the original GUI to the backend application via the network and the proxy computer, compares the current intercepted request with the request sequences in the history, identifies and evaluates a matching request sequence for generating the alternative GUI, the alternative GUI completely or partially implementing the part of the workflow represented by the identified request sequence and returns the generated alternative GUI via the network to the client application.
US10257299B2
One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for facilitating user subscription to content from a content provider are provided. For example, a message interface provides access to messages associated with a user message address of a user. A content recommendation to subscribe to content of a content provider is generated and populated within the message interface (e.g., a recommendation to subscribe to a gardening newsletter). Responsive to the user interacting with the content recommendation, a subscribe option is displayed through the message interface. The user can use the subscribe option to quickly and efficiently create a user subscription to the content without transitioning away from the message interface. Information used to create the user subscription can be prefilled in order to reduce the amount of user actions needed for creating the user subscription.
US10257289B2
A method and associated systems for capturing configuration items from hybrid-cloud provisioning data. A processor of a service-management system intercepts a service request requesting that the hybrid cloud's orchestration mechanism provision or deprovision a configuration item of the hybrid cloud. The service-management system identifies the configuration item by examining the service request and then forwards the request to the cloud-orchestration mechanism. After confirming that the request has been satisfied, the service-management system retrieves from the orchestration mechanism provisioning information that describes attributes of the newly provisioned or deprovisioned configuration item and uses this information to update a configuration-management database, marking any provisioning information newly stored in the database as being authorized for use by other management systems of the hybrid cloud. The service-management system then enhances the stored data by means of an artificially intelligent analytics module and additional configuration-item data collected by a discovery agent.
US10257287B2
A data distribution system in comprises software application nodes that utilize a publish-subscribe communication mechanism for distribution of data in real-time or near real-time within a personal area network (PAN), local area network (LAN), or wide-area network (WAN) configuration. The distributed system communication software application nodes reside in medical devices, such as monitoring devices and cardiac defibrillators, and associated patient information delivery systems and patient data management systems comprising medical software installed on servers and end-user computing devices, including mobile devices.
US10257281B2
A message based contextual dialog may be conducted by establishing, using a processor, a collaborative session between a first client device and a second client device, receiving, using the processor, a message from the first client device, and detecting, using the processor, a request for a service within the message. Responsive to the request, a service correlated with the request may be invoked using the processor. A result from execution of the service may be provided, using the processor, to the first client device and the second client device as part of the collaborative session.
US10257276B2
A computing device includes an interface configured to interface and communicate with a dispersed storage network (DSN), a memory that stores operational instructions, and processing circuitry operably coupled to the interface and to the memory. The processing circuitry is configured to execute the operational instructions to perform various operations and functions. The computing device detects at least one available memory device within a storage unit (SU). The computing device identifies storage capacities of each of the memory devices within the SU and identifies a DSN address range associated with the SU. The computing device maps the DSN address range to each of the memory devices within the SU based on the storage capacities to generate a memory mapping of the memory devices within the SU. The computing device then facilitates redistribution of some EDS from a first memory device to the at least one available memory device within the SU.
US10257272B2
A content management system synchronizes content items across client computing systems connected by a network. Client devices connected to peer devices on a LAN utilize peer-to-peer synchronization to synchronize content items. Client devices on the LAN broadcast namespaces synchronized on the client devices with other devices on the LAN. Client devices on the LAN connect to a subset of client devices that share a namespace with the connecting client device based on the broadcasts. Upon receiving a notification from the content management system that a new content item has been synchronized with the namespace a client device sends requests for a block comprising a content item to a subset of the connected devices. Additional block requests are sent in the order of randomized blocklist.
US10257253B1
Systems, methods, and media for correlating information corresponding to multiple related frames on a web page are provided. In some embodiments, a method for identifying corresponding iframes on a web page to a server is provided, the method comprising: loading a web page including a plurality of iframes; receiving the requested content and identifying information for a first iframe; loading an event listener; determining a location of the first iframe in the structure of the web page; transmitting a message to a second iframe including the first identifying information and location of the first iframe; receiving, using the event listener, a message from the second iframe including second identifying information and location of the second iframe; determining that the second iframe is nested within the first iframe; and transmitting a third message to a server including at least the second identifying information and location of the second iframe.
US10257225B1
The present disclose describes systems and methods for creating a simulated phishing campaign for a user based on at least a history of the user with respect to simulated phishing campaigns. A database may be configured to store simulated phishing campaign history of a user, the simulated phishing campaign history comprising information on events associated with the user during one or more previous simulated phishing campaigns, A campaign controller may identify the simulated phishing campaign history of the user from the database, determine based at least on the simulated phishing campaign history of the user, a model from a plurality of models for creating a simulated phishing campaign directed to the user; and create, responsive to the determination, the simulated phishing campaign using the model.
US10257214B2
In one embodiment, a device in a network receives traffic data regarding one or more traffic flows in the network. The device applies a machine learning classifier to the traffic data. The device determines a priority for the traffic data based in part on an output of the machine learning classifier. The output of the machine learning classifier comprises a probability of the traffic data belonging to a particular class. The device stores the traffic data for a period of time that is a function of the determined priority for the traffic data.
US10257206B2
A blockchain of transactions may be referenced for various purposes and may be later accessed by interested parties. One example may comprise one or more of creating one or more control commands configured to control one or more smart devices, signing the one or more control commands via a key maintained by an entity creating the control commands, broadcasting the one or more control commands to the one or more smart devices, and storing the one or more control commands in a blockchain.
US10257191B2
Methods and apparatuses for providing biometric authentication of a test user using a registration process where a reference data sample representative of one or more biometric attributes of a reference user is used to train a plurality of neural networks to achieve a target output. The weights that achieve this in the plurality of neural networks may be stored on a user device as a first data set. A second data set representative of one or more biometric attributes may be obtained from the test user using the authentication device or received from the user device. The first data set may be received by the authentication device and used as weights in an artificial neural network and the second data set may be used as inputs. The output of the neural network may determine a degree of correlation between the reference user and the test user to be authenticated.
US10257185B2
A method is disclosed. The method includes transmitting by a computing device, an account creation request to a remote server computer. The method further includes automatically provisioning the computing device with an access token in response to receiving a request to create the account.
US10257184B1
A centralized policy management may allow for one set of credentials to various applications and services offered by a computing resource service provider or other third-party servers. An entity responsible for the administration of a directory made available through a managed directory service may specify one or more policies for users and/or groups of users that utilize the directory. For example, the managed directory service may include a policy management subsystem that manages a set of policies for users and/or groups of users that controls a level of access to applications and services. Administrators can assign one or more policies to a user or a group of users and users can select one or more policies provided to the user by the administrator when attempting to access an application or service.
US10257175B2
Apparatuses and methods are described herein discovering and managing key information, including, but not limited to, obtaining the key information associated with at least one segment, storing the key information, and at least one of generating at least one encryption report based on the key information, exporting the key information, or orchestrating keys based on the key information. In some embodiments, obtaining the key information includes at least interrogating encryption assets associated with at least one segment for key information, and receiving the key information from the encryption assets associated with the at least one segment.
US10257168B2
A method and system are provided for securing telecommunications traffic data. A method is provided for transmitting messages via a telecommunications network between a number of subscribers by means of a telecommunications service, wherein the telecommunications service receives at least one first message of individual first size from at least one first subscriber to the telecommunications service that is intended for at least one second subscriber of the telecommunications service. In reaction to receiving a message, the telecommunications service sends at least one second message to the at least one second subscriber, wherein the at least one second message obtains a second size. The first size cannot be conclusively deduced from the second size.
US10257167B1
Embodiments presented herein disclose a VPN service which includes a cluster of VPN appliances that requires only an eventually consistent database to share VPN session data among cluster nodes. Doing so provides a VPN service that can scale both horizontally (i.e., the VPN service can support large numbers of VPN appliances) as well as geographically (i.e., nodes of the cluster do not need to be physically proximate to one another in order to satisfy latency requirements). Thus, the VPN service can provide regional endpoints to VPN clients that do not share common points of failure or administrative burdens.
US10257165B2
A system and method of providing security service to a mobile traffic network are provided. A local network group comprising a plurality of user devices that are subscribed to the security service is created. One of the plurality of the user devices is selected to act as a firewall for the plurality of user devices of the local network group. The selected user device is provisioned to act as a firewall for the local network group. A message is sent to the plurally of user devices of the local network group to route communication through the selected user device via a short range wireless communication technology.
US10257159B2
Techniques and systems for operating a device as a proxy network address translation device for other devices are provided. For example, a method, computing device, or computer-program product may be provided. In one example, a method may include receiving a communication that includes a performance metric of one or more devices on a local network. The computing device and the one or more devices share a common network service provider. The method may further include determining, based on the performance metric, that the computing device is selected for operating as a proxy network address translation device for the one or more devices that share the common network service provider. The method may further include aggregating network address translation traversal for the one or more devices, including establishing a single network address translation connection with the common network service provider. Communications of the one or more devices can then be communicated over the single network address translation connection. The method may further include causing a transmitter to transmit communications of the one or more devices over the single network address translation connection with the common network service provider.
US10257154B2
In one embodiment, a method and apparatus for resolving domain name system queries using unique top-level domains in a private network space are disclosed. For example, the method determines that a domain name service query specifies a destination residing in a private network space rather than in a public Internet space. The method then routes the domain name service query to a top-level domain name service server associated with the private network space, without routing the domain name service query to a root domain name service server in the public Internet space. The top-level domain name system server resides in the highest level of a hierarchy of domain name system servers belonging to the private network space.
US10257151B2
A network-connected communication system is provided, via which individuals may engage in dialog with one or more dialog members. Differing views of the dialog may be presented to different individuals, based on the viewer's association with the dialog and/or variable privacy settings associated with the dialog. Dialogs may be initiated as private conversations, with members electing to make available views of the conversation to individuals other than the dialog members. Tools, such as redaction tools, may be provided for dialog participants to control availability of dialog content outside of dialog members. A dialog display user interface may be provided to dialog members, which includes a toggle permitting members to toggle between public and private dialog views, thereby highlighting differences in how a dialog is rendered to different audiences. Association-based and variable privacy may also be implemented in connection with online forums and restricted access communities. Such privacy-enabling systems may integrate to receive dialog content from another messaging system, and/or to disseminate privacy-conscious views of dialogs to external systems such as messaging platforms, social networks and search engines.
US10257137B2
A method and a system to suggest a content item to be included in a message based on a determined context are provided. A context of a message that user is composing via a composition interface is determined based on one or more properties of the message. One or more inputs to the user composition interface are identified, the one or more inputs indicating at least a portion of intended content of the message. One or more suggested content items are provided for inclusion in the message based on the context of the message and the one or more inputs. A suggested content item of the suggested content items are added in the message based at least in part on the one or more properties of the message.
US10257136B2
Data aggregation in an internet of things (IoT) system refers generally to collecting data such that the data can be processed in a useful manner. Existing approaches to data aggregation in IoT systems, such as a system including a network of sensors for example, often focus on network logical topology and data transmission scheduling and routing schemes. An IoT system can aggregate data at an application-protocol layer. For example, an IoT node in an IoT system can send a data aggregation request message that is capable of retrieving data from a plurality of different applications. In response, the IoT node may receive data that is representative of a set of nodes that are located downstream in the IoT system from the IoT node.
US10257130B2
A method and system for providing real-time communication via text between multiple mobile devices is provided. A conversation request is received from a first mobile device. The conversation request is based upon a selection of a second mobile device from a contact list that is stored on the first mobile device. The conversation request is sent from the application server to a push server, receiving a conversation session ID from the second mobile device. The conversation session ID is sent from the application server to the push server if the conversation request is accepted by the second mobile device. A first datagram message is received from the first mobile device. The first datagram message is sent from the application server to the second mobile device. A second datagram message is received from the second mobile device, and the second datagram message is sent from the application server to the first mobile device.
US10257129B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit for acquiring an image that includes a target a user is paying attention to, an access information acquisition unit for acquiring access information assigned with a time-limited access right to public information that is associated with the target in the image, a public information acquisition unit for acquiring the public information using the access information, and a display control unit for controlling display of the public information.
US10257121B1
Embodiments include systems and methods for transmitting data over high-speed data channels in context of serializer/deserializer circuits. Some embodiments include a novel full-rate source-series-terminated (SST) transmitter driver architecture with output charge sharing isolation. Certain implementations have a programmable floating tap (e.g., in addition to standard taps) with both positive and negative FIR values and cursor reduction, which can help achieve large FIR range and high channel equalization capability. Some embodiments operate with multi-phase clocking having phased clock error correction, which can facilitate operation with low-jitter and low-DCD clocks. Some implementations also include novel output inductor structures that are disposed to partially overlap output interface bumps.
US10257109B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for providing content management services in a Cloud computing environment. A content management application and associated content is distributed across a set of servers in a Cloud computing environment. Requests for Cloud content management services are received from requesters that are using the Cloud computing environment. The received requests are analyzed to determine an amount of resources needed for responding to the requests. Based on the results of the analysis and a predetermined set of rules, the content management application is dynamically replicated to additional servers within the Cloud computing environment. Any instance of the content management application is capable of replying to any received request so as to maintain a high throughput of the Cloud content management services.
US10257105B2
A more efficient 5G network can be achieved by leveraging a centralized radio access network (CRAN) and/or a virtualized radio access network (VRAN) architecture to comply with transport bandwidth requirements for better performance. Additionally, linear compression techniques can be used to reduce the transport bandwidth. Compression on a fronthaul can be achieved by utilizing the concept of spatial compression. After a signal has been compressed, it can be decompressed in accordance with a number of antennas.
US10257101B2
Provided are methods and systems for load balancing client requests between sites associated with a domain name. A method comprises determining a first active response delay time between a Domain Name System server and a first site. The method further comprises determining a first application response delay time between the first site and one or more first servers associated with the first site. According to the method, the first active response delay time and the first application response delay time are compounded to produce a first compounded response delay time. The method further comprises determining a second active response delay time and a second application response delay for a second site to produce a second compounded response delay time. The first compounded response delay time and the second compounded response delay time are compared to perform load balancing between the first site and the second site.
US10257093B2
An information processing device includes: a first analyzing unit which estimates whether or not a protocol related to a communication flow is a first protocol set in advance by analyzing, each time data is received, the data in accordance with characteristics of the first protocol; and a second analyzing unit which estimates whether or not the protocol related to the communication flow is a second protocol set in advance by analyzing, each time data belonging to the communication flow is received, the data in accordance with characteristics of the second protocol regardless of a result of analysis by the first analyzing unit.
US10257075B1
Apparatus and methods described herein relate to an apparatus including a set of ports and a processor operatively coupled to each port of the set of ports. A port from the set of ports can be associated with a port of a multi-chassis aggregate (MCAE) interface and a virtual local area network (VLAN). The processor can generate an untagged data unit and tagged data units. The processor can send the untagged data unit and the tagged data units via the port from the set of ports, and can receive a tagged data unit included in the tagged data units, and/or the untagged data unit. The processor can also forward the received data unit to a destination network peer when the received tagged data unit is associated with the VLAN, and can disable the port of the MCAE interface in response to the port from the set of ports receiving the data unit, when the received data unit is associated with the VLAN.
US10257069B1
The invention is an eighth layer cloud administrative framework that provides for both monitoring users and providing needed software. The cloud framework guides software tool implementation so that users can accomplish business tasks efficiently.
US10257067B2
Disclosed are various examples for facilitating network speed testing on behalf of a client device that is associated with an enterprise. In a client device that can be a managed device managed by a management service, a network testing profile can be obtained which specifies a testing schedule as well as a network testing endpoint with which network testing can be conducted. Results of the network speed test can be transmitted to the management service, which can determine if the network speed implicates a compliance rule associated with the client device or an enterprise with which the client device is associated.
US10257065B2
A method and apparatus for balancing multipoint Radio Access Network traffic to mitigate backhaul congestion is provided. Schedulers communicate with a Traffic Engineering (TE) controller either directly or via a Virtual Link Monitor. The schedulers receive indications of data rate upper limits for virtual links overlaid onto the backhaul network, and schedule mobile device communications such that the data rate upper limits are respected. The Virtual Link Monitors maintain indications of current loading of the virtual links and provide the schedulers with operational information based on same. Scheduling is performed in view of the operational information. The Virtual Link Monitors also provide the TE controller with indications of service requirements for the virtual links, so that the TE controller can reconfigure the virtual links based on same.
US10257064B2
An indicator for a device may provide an indication that a threshold associated with a budget for a network resource has or will be reached. When a user requests a network operation that will consume the network resource, an amount of the network resource to be consumed by the operation is predicted, if possible. If the prior use of the network resource and the amount to be used to complete the network operation exceeds a threshold the user may be warned and given an opportunity to cancel the operation or adjust the way in which the operation will be performed. If the amount of network resource a network operation will consume is unknown, a rate of use of the network resource is determined and a time until the budget is reached is estimated.
US10257055B2
A computer-implemented method for searching for a ticket relevant to a current ticket describing an incident, a system and a computer program product for the same. The method includes extracting a topology of a first application of a server system, the first application being indicated by the current ticket; selecting a second application relevant to the first application from a plurality of candidate applications of the server system, according to the topology; and searching tickets associated with the second application for the ticket relevant to the current ticket.
US10257054B2
A system for a searchable best fit abstraction framework includes a network having one or more network resources, a network inventory server programmed to generate a network inventory of the one or more network resources, and a searchable best fit abstraction engine in communication with the network inventory server. The searchable best fit abstraction engine includes at least one processor, and non-transitory computer readable media having encoded thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions executable by the at least one processor. The set of instructions includes instructions to retrieve the network inventory, instantiate an inventory class object for at least one network resource, define a set of service abstractions for the inventory class object, provide customer and service provider facing interfaces, and provision at least one service offering satisfying a customer service requirement, or as defined by a service template.
US10257053B2
Present disclosure relates to methods, processing systems and computer program products of analyzing contention data and following resource blockers to find root causes of computer problems. The method may include: detecting one or more resource waiters in a computer system, iteratively determining whether the resource blockers are a resource waiter, until a final resource blocker not waiting for another resource is found, determining, whether final resource blocker is caused by a resource blocker in a different computer system, iteratively executing, the method on the different computer system to find the final resource blocker not waiting for another resource is found, determining, whether the final resource blocker has more than one symptom that may or may not be a contention problem, selecting a symptom that has the highest priority as the root cause of the computer problems, and generating, using the processor, a report of root causes of the computer problems.
US10257048B2
The present disclosure is directed towards managing communications from different sources is described where such a management operation can be controlled using a user interface. Sources are selected using the user interface such that communications concerning a specified subject are received from such sources. The user interface can also be used to specific the amount of context/communications that come from different sources concerning the specified subject.
US10257037B2
The disclosure discloses a method and device for implementing seamless switching between northbound Common Object Request Broker Architecture (Corba) interface specifications, which relate to northbound interfaces in telecommunication network management field. The method includes that: when a northbound component of an Element Management System (EMS) is initiated, according to configuration information of a northbound Corba specification supported by the EMS, a corresponding relationship between the northbound Corba specification and the configuration information of the northbound Corba specification supported by the EMS is established, and a specification switching file is provided to a Network Management System (NMS); according to a Corba specification switching command sent by the NMS, and according to the corresponding relationship between the northbound Corba specification and the configuration information of the northbound Corba specification supported by the EMS, the EMS acquires the configuration information required for the Corba specification to be switched; and the EMS executes the seamless switching between northbound Corba interface specifications by using the configuration information required for the Corba specification to be switched.
US10257036B2
A cloud-based onboarding server detects a network change and facilitates an onboarding process for a new access point. An SSID and authentication credentials for an existing Wi-Fi channel are sent over a temporary Wi-Fi channel using a preconfigured SSID and passphrase generated by both the new access point and the master access point. A wireless station scans the identification information from a label on the new access point and sends it directly or indirectly to the master access point, so that both sides have the same seed for generating a matching passphrase. The master access point terminates the temporary channel and reactivates the existing Wi-Fi channel.
US10257033B2
In one embodiment, a method implements virtualized network functions in a serverless computing system having networked hardware resources. An interface of the serverless computing system receives a specification for a network service including a virtualized network function (VNF) forwarding graph (FG). A mapper of the serverless computing system determines an implementation graph comprising edges and vertices based on the specification. A provisioner of the serverless computing system provisions a queue in the serverless computing system for each edge. The provisioner further provisions a function in the serverless computing system for each vertex, wherein, for at least one or more functions, each one of said at least one or more functions reads incoming messages from at least one queue. The serverless computing system processes data packets by the queues and functions in accordance with the VNF FG. The queues and functions processes data packets in accordance with the VNF FG.
US10257020B2
An alarm processing method and an alarm processing apparatus are provided. In the alarm processing method, an alarm reported by a Virtualized Network Function (VNF) is received; VNF Forwarding Graph (VNF FG) information of the VNF and/or Network Forwarding Path (NFP) information of the VNF is acquired; and alarm analysis processing is performed on the received alarm according to the VNF FG information and/or the NFP information acquired.
US10257015B2
A polar transmitter includes an amplitude path comprising an amplitude signal that corresponds to an amplitude of a vector sum of an in-phase input signal and a quadrature input signal; a phase path comprising a phase modulator configured to phase-modulate a phase signal that corresponds to the phase of the vector sum of the in-phase input signal and the quadrature input signal; a digital power amplifier (DPA) configured to amplify the phase-modulated (PM) input signal based on the amplitude signal; a tunable matching network coupled to an output of the DPA and configured to adjust a load impedance of the DPA; and a controller configured to adjust the matching network based on a look-up table with respect to amplitude and frequency information, where the look-up table indicates a plurality of optimal operation modes of the matching network for specific combinations of amplitude and frequency information.
US10257011B2
A method of configuring a preamble of a downlink frame for synchronization in data frame transmission of a 60 GHz wireless local area network system, the method comprising arranging a short preamble having a plurality of repetitive S symbols, and an IS symbol, and arranging a long preamble having a long cyclic prefix (CP) and a plurality of L symbols for frame synchronization and symbol timing by performing auto-correlation according to the length of window of the auto-correlation.
US10257007B2
The present application relates to a filtering scheme with low complexity. The method includes: dividing an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal into a first sideband signal, a first signal, and a second sideband signal; sampling the first sideband signal by using a first sampling rate; sampling the first signal by using a second sampling rate; sampling the second sideband signal by using a third sampling rate; and separately performing filtering processing of a third spectral mask, upsampling processing, and digital frequency conversion processing to generate a first filtered-OFDM (f-OFDM) signal, a second f-OFDM signal and a third f-OFDM signal; and superposing the first f-OFDM signal, the second f-OFDM signal, and the third f-OFDM signal to obtain an f-OFDM signal, where the first sampling rate and the third sampling rate are both less than the second sampling rate.
US10257005B2
An apparatus includes circuitry that processes a subframe as part of a time-domain signal frame structure used for radio frequency communications. The subframe includes a plurality of block symbols each having an associated time-domain guard period and one or more radio frequency (RF) switching guard periods. Each block symbol of the plurality of block symbols is either a common block symbol or a special block symbol. A common block symbol has a common time-domain guard period with all other common block symbols of the subframe. A special block symbol has a time-domain guard period different from the common time-domain guard period. All the special block symbols in the subframe are placed into the one or more RF switching guard periods.
US10256996B2
Methods and systems for obtaining improved joint channel estimates for a multi-user, frequency-multiplexed data transmission such as SC-FDMA or OFDM begins by estimating separate contributions of users (and/or other signal sources) to the received signal based on joint frequency domain channel estimates. A reduced data set is obtained by subtracting contributions of one or more users from the received data, leaving only the estimated contributions of the remaining users, with noise and residual estimation error signal. Time domain joint channel estimation is then performed on the reduced data set, which is feasible because the number of users has been reduced. In exemplary embodiments, the reduced data set includes only one estimated user contribution. This process is repeated to obtain channel estimates for all of the users. The method can be repeated by using the channel estimates to re-estimate the user contributions and calculate revised channel estimates.
US10256994B2
A multitenant network scheme system includes a memory, a physical processor in communication with the memory, an isolated guest on a host, a virtual switch, and a network interface controller. The isolated guest includes a virtual network interface controller (vNIC). The virtual switch includes a plurality ports, which include a northbound port, a communication port, and a southbound port. The northbound port is connected to a network having a respective network name. Additionally, the northbound port is associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN). The communication port is connected to the vNIC of the isolated guest and is associated with the VLAN. The network interface controller is connected to the southbound port.
US10256989B2
An application method of a communication terminal is disclosed, the communication terminal being applied to a smart home system based on IoT protocols. The application method includes: installing, by the communication terminal the IoT protocols, acquiring, by the communication terminal, a first message from a device of the smart home system; and comparing the first message against a preset message comparison table, and, when a match is found, acquiring a second message matching the first message, and further sending the second message by the preset mode. Thus, the communication terminal according to the disclosure can connect to the appliances of the smart home system based on IoT protocols, enabling the smart home system relying on the communication terminal, which can provide realtime information reporting. In addition, the smart home system provides a low cost, a wide coverage area and a high intelligence.
US10256985B2
A system and method for providing top-up of mobile data, by processing one or more transactions between a data sponsor and a data beneficiary who is possibly being served by multiple data providers. The top-up can be based on i) an application program interface (API) call being made into the mobile network operator of a data user or ii) an API call being made into a sponsored data (SD) platform/system (SDS) to allocate a quota to the data user, among other possible product options. In the first option, provisioning of the data quota and consumption against the quota is managed directly by the mobile network operator itself. In the second option, allocation of the quota and consumption against the quota is managed by the SDS and an SD control app. The system can select a particular option because that option best meets one or more business goals or rules.
US10256983B1
Described herein are various technologies pertaining to authentication of integrated circuits by using external factors to affect or modify an output of a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit. In an example, the output of the PUF circuit in response to a challenge signal can be sensitive to changes in environmental factors. In another example, the output of the PUF circuit can be sensitive to user-selectable configuration parameters of the PUF circuit. In yet another example, the output of the PUF circuit can be modified by additional circuitry external to the PUF circuit based upon one or more selectable or configurable inputs. A PUF-based device authentication system that uses external factors as authentication inputs to affect a challenge response of the device authentication system can enhance authentication capabilities by permitting multi-factor authentication.
US10256981B2
Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for secure logging of host security module. In some embodiments, an event may be received. The event may include data to be written to a secure log file. A hash may be generated using data of the event. The hash may be stored in a first field of an event record associated with the event. The event record may be stored in the secure log file. The hash may be stored in a second field of a next event record in the secure log file.
US10256979B2
Authenticity of a new application being installed on a mobile device is evaluated to provide a result. The evaluation uses a plurality of inputs. In response to the result, an action is performed (e.g., on the mobile device itself and/or a server performing or assisting with the evaluation). For example, the evaluating may be done for an application that a user of the mobile device desires to install from an application marketplace. In another example, the action is sending of a notification to the mobile device, and the notification includes an assessment of authenticity of the new application.
US10256975B2
An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and system for data transfer. The embodiment may include receiving, by a relay node, a data payload from a data sending program intended for a data receiving program. The embodiment may include determining whether the received data payload is numeric data or non-numeric data based on a payload length associated with the received data payload. The embodiment may include creating a corrected data payload by performing at least one cognitive correction to the non-numeric data payload based on determining that the received data payload contains non-numeric data. The embodiment may include transmitting the corrected data payload.
US10256964B2
A method for transmitting UCI, UE and base station. The method for transmitting includes: mapping, by UE, UCI onto time-frequency resources, wherein a subframe where the UCI is located contains one uplink reference signal or contains no an uplink reference signal; and transmitting the UCI to a base station via a PUSCH. An uplink reference signal occupies only one OFDM symbol or occupies no an OFDM symbol in a subframe, which may reduce waste of resources, and correspondingly change resource mapping of the UCI, thereby obtaining better decoding performance.
US10256951B2
Disclosed a method and an apparatus for configuring and transmitting a pilot, the method includes: a UE determines, according to a partitioned resource set, a parameter for generating an initial value of a demodulation pilot sequence; generates an initial value of the demodulation pilot sequence on the first resource set according to the first parameter, and generates an initial value on the second resource set according to the second parameter; and obtains the demodulation pilot sequence according to the initial value. In embodiments of the present invention, since parameters for calculating the initial value of the demodulation pilot sequence are respectively configured according to a pre-partitioned resource set, the initial value can be calculated according to the resource set to which the E-PDCCH belongs and the set parameter, thus obtaining the demodulation pilot sequence for demodulating the E-PDCCH, so as to improve demodulation performance of the E-PDCCH.
US10256947B2
Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for handling errors affecting the at least partially parallel performance of data access commands between nodes of a storage cluster system. An apparatus may include a processor component of a first node, an access component to perform a command received from a client device via a network to alter client device data stored in a first storage device coupled to the first node, a replication component to transmit a replica of the command to a second node via the network to enable performance of the replica by the second node at least partially in parallel, an error component to retry transmission of the replica based on a failure indicated by the second node and a status component to select a status indication to transmit to the client device based on the indication of failure and results of retrial of transmission of the replica.
US10256930B2
A testing method for testing mobile communication devices comprises measuring a three-dimensional antenna pattern of an active phased antenna array (AAS) of the mobile communication device, with the AAS being maintained at a specific beamforming alignment during the measurement. A predefined base fading profile is calibrated with the measured three-dimensional antenna pattern to obtain an optimized fading profile adapted to the specific beamforming alignment. A channel model for emulation of a base station is emulated on the basis of the optimized fading profile. The method further involves performing a receiver test on the mobile communication device using the emulated channel model. The testing method may in some embodiments be a radiated two-stage over-the-air (RTS-OTA) testing method.
US10256925B2
Methods and systems for wireless re-calibration of Radio Frequency (RF) components of a communication device are described. Methods includes monitoring a current value of at least one parameter of at least one RF component of the communication device and communicating the current value to a calibration server on detection of an event related to the at least one parameter. The current value is analyzed by the calibration server to determine a calibration value, wherein the calibration server maybe configured to communicate the calibration value to the communication device. Further, the methods includes receiving the calibration value for at least one parameter from the calibration server for initiating a re-calibration procedure and re-calibrating the current value of the at least one parameter to the calibration value in accordance with the recalibration procedure. The method improves RF device performance in spite of device aging and environmental factors.
US10256917B2
Aspects are generally directed to receivers and methods for optically demodulating optical signals. In one example, a receiver includes an optical resonator to receive an optical signal, the optical resonator including an optical medium interposed between first and second semi-reflective surfaces, where the first and second semi-reflective surfaces are positioned to resonate optical signal energy, and the optical resonator is configured to disrupt the optical signal energy resonance responsive to a variation in the received optical signal. The receiver may further include a probe source positioned to provide an optical probe beam to the optical medium, the optical medium being configured to interrupt the optical probe beam during the optical signal energy resonance and to transmit at least a portion of the optical probe beam in response to the disruption of the optical signal energy resonance, and a detector to detect the transmitted portion of the optical probe beam.
US10256914B2
Systems and methods for optical communication using single source optical transmission are disclosed. A representative method includes receiving optical signals at a first frequency by a receiver (RX) from an optical fiber. The received optical signals are routed to a modulator that modulates the optical signals at a second frequency. The optical signals are emitted by a transmitter (TX) back to the optical fiber at the second frequency.
US10256900B2
A ground station with P antennas for individually tracking a satellite out of an origin first moving satellite S1 and a destination second moving satellite S2 comprises, connected in series, a multi-channel reception and processing device and a combination device with configurable diversity, and comprises a device for managing diversity and seamless handover of a reception communication link from the origin first satellite S1 to the destination second satellite S2. The diversity and seamless handover management device is configured to manage and coordinate the execution of a succession of k seamless and unitary antenna handovers Bi, and during each seamless and unitary handover Bi, control the antennas, the multi-channel reception and processing device and the combination device with configurable diversity by determining and sending to them respectively: satellite acquisition pointing commands, and commands for alignment in time and in phase of the P signals received as input of the multi-channel reception and processing device generated as a function of measurements of time and phase deviations of P-1 signals received as input in relation to the signal received as input taken as reference signal, and a setpoint for selection of the output processed signals to be combined as a function of the scheduling of the handover from the first diversity configuration C1 to the second diversity configuration C2 and as a function of measurements of qualities of the signals received as input of the reception and processing device.
US10256892B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and a network node for calculating transmitter precoding weights and receiver combining weights for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna system. Channel responses are estimated at the network node for user terminals accessing the network node on a carrier. Zero forcing beamforming weights are determined for the carrier by adding one of the user terminals at a time in a calculation of an inverse of a Gram matrix containing parameters of the channel responses.
US10256890B2
Methods and systems are provided for adaptive management of antennas in a communication network comprising a complex array of both static and moving communication nodes (e.g., a network of moving things, which may be a vehicle network, a network of or including autonomous vehicles, etc.).
US10256870B2
A method embodiment includes defining, by a network controller, one or more operation modes for a radio node in a network. The one or more operation modes includes a hyper transceiver mode, where the hyper transceiver mode configures a virtual transmission point to cooperatively communicate with a virtual reception point in accordance with neighborhood relations of a target radio node. The method further includes selecting one of the one or more operation modes for the radio node and signaling a selected operation mode to the radio node.
US10256861B2
A floatable cell phone case floats, with a cell phone or other electronic device housed therein, on a liquid through use of enclosed polygonal units that define a polygonal air volume. The polygonal units form a seal with the cell phone to create buoyancy. The cell phone case comprises case body having a rear wall and enclosed sidewalls having a flange. The rear wall and sidewalls define a device placement zone. The device placement zone is sized to house the cell phone. The flange retains the cell phone within the device placement zone. The phone case further comprises enclosed polygonal units spanning upwardly from an inner surface of the rear wall into the device placement zone. Each of the polygonal units define a polygonal air volume.
US10256855B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques and apparatus for signaling interference management information, such as network assisted interference cancelation (NAIC) information as downlink control information (DCI). According to certain aspects, a method is provided for wireless communications by an interfering or potentially interfering base station. The method generally includes generating information for use by a user equipment (UE) in performing interference mitigation when processing a signal from a serving base station and transmitting the information to the UE. The method may further include generating an indication of how the interfering or potentially interfering base station transmits the information and how one or more cells transmit information for use by the UE in performing interference mitigation when processing a signal from the serving base station and transmitting the indication to the UE.
US10256852B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a communication module and a processor electrically connected to the communication module, wherein the communication module includes an antenna configured to transmit and receive a communication signal, a sensor configured to measure an impedance of the antenna, and a first matching circuit and a second matching circuit electrically connected to the antenna, and the processor is configured to receive information on the impedance of the antenna from the sensor, check control information on at least one of the first matching circuit and second matching circuit corresponding to the impedance of the antenna at least partially based on the received information on the impedance of the antenna, and transmit control information generated at least partially based on the checked control information to at least one of the first matching circuit and the second matching circuit corresponding to the control information.
US10256849B2
A communication unit includes the following elements. A first transmit circuit outputs a first signal or a second signal from a first input signal. A first amplifier amplifies the first signal and outputs a first amplified signal. A first signal generating circuit generates a third signal having a frequency higher than a frequency of the second signal, based on the second signal and a first reference signal. A first filter circuit receives the third signal and allows one of a frequency component representing a sum of the frequency of the second signal and a frequency of the first reference signal and a frequency component representing a difference therebetween to pass through the first filter circuit and attenuates the other one of the frequency components. A second amplifier amplifies the third signal output from the first filter circuit and outputs a second amplified signal.
US10256843B2
A data storage system stores a set of codewords in memory. The set of codewords are encoded in accordance with a joint nesting matrix specifying multiple layers of integrated interleaved codes, including first, second and third layers of integrated interleaved codes, and the set of codewords stored in the memory include first, second and third layers of parity information corresponding to the first, second and third layers of integrated interleaved codes. When decoding a first codeword and a first subgroup containing the first codeword fail, the system decodes a group of codewords that include two more subgroups of codewords, including the first subgroup of codewords, using the third layer parity information for the group of codewords. The second and third layers of integrated interleaved codes are configured to enable decoding of two codewords, in a subgroup of codewords, having errors beyond the correction capability of the first layer codes.
US10256820B2
Various implementations described herein are directed to a circuit for translating an input signal from a source voltage domain to an output signal for a destination voltage domain that is is different than the source voltage domain. The circuit may include a level shifting portion configured to operate with a supply voltage that exceeds a stressing threshold of one or more components within the circuit. The level shifting portion may be configured to generate the output signal for the destination voltage domain based on the input signal and a power management signal. The circuit may include an isolating portion configured to isolate the one or more components from the supply voltage during activation and deactivation of the circuit based on the power management signal.
US10256818B2
A level shifter (100) is presented comprising an input branch (102) and an output branch (104). The input branch comprises a first switch (130), a voltage clamping unit (120) and a controllable current source (110) in series. The output branch (104) comprises a second switch (140) and a third switch (150) in series, the second switch (140) and third switch (150) having opposite polarities. An output (OUT, 160) is provided between the second and the third switch (140, 150). The current source (110) is controlled by an input signal (IN) and the output signal (OUT). The first switch (130) is controlled by the input signal (IN). Switching control terminals (122, 124) of the second and the third switch are connected on either side of the clamping unit (120). This reduces voltage swing of switching control units, thus resulting in fast switching, less power consumption and wider voltage ranges. The input branch (102) draws a current only during level transitions, enabling fast switching and power saving in steady state of the level shifter (100).
US10256812B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of controlling a switch driver includes energizing a first inductor in a first direction with a first energy; transferring the first energy from the first inductor to a second inductor, wherein the second inductor is coupled between a second switch-driving terminal of the switch driver and a second internal node, and the second inductor is magnetically coupled to the first inductor; asserting a first turn-on signal at the second switch-driving terminal using the transferred first energy; energizing the first inductor in a second direction opposite the first direction with a second energy after asserting the first turn-on signal at the second switch-driving terminal; transferring the second energy from the first inductor to the second inductor; and asserting a first turn-off signal at the second switch-driving terminal using the transferred second energy.
US10256811B2
Provided is a cascode circuit including first and second transistors connected between a drain terminal and a source terminal in cascode form, a level sifter configured to change a voltage level of a switching control signal applied to a gate terminal and provide the changed switching control signal to a gate of the first transistor, a buffer configured to delay the switching control signal and provide the delayed switching control signal to a gate of the second transistor, and a first resistor connected between the level shifter and the gate of the first transistor.
US10256807B2
To provide a driving device for semiconductor elements that is capable of suppressing variation in switching time caused by driving capability and temperature. A driving device for semiconductor elements includes: a semiconductor chip in which a voltage control type semiconductor element is formed; a temperature detecting unit configured to detect temperature of the semiconductor chip; a driving-capability adjusting unit configured to adjust driving capability of the voltage control type semiconductor element according to temperature detection values detected by the temperature detecting unit; and a timing adjusting unit configured to adjust switching time of the voltage control type semiconductor element according to the temperature detection values detected by the temperature detecting unit.
US10256806B2
An electric vehicle includes a direct current (DC) power source with a DC electric power output. An inverter is coupled to receive the DC electric power output of the DC power source, and the inverter has an alternating current (AC) electric power output. An electric motor is coupled to receive the AC electric power output. The electric motor has a driving torque output that is coupled to drive at least one wheel of the vehicle. The inverter further includes a power semiconductor switch, such as an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). A protection circuit is coupled to the power semiconductor switch, and the protection circuit has an adjustable protection detection level circuit.
US10256796B2
A master-slave level shifter array includes an asymmetric master level shifter having a predefined output state that produces an enable signal to drive an array of symmetric slave level shifters during a power collapse. As a result, the slave level shifter array has a reliable output state during a power collapse, while also providing wafer area savings due to their small symmetric characteristics.
US10256788B2
A BAW resonator includes a nonlinear substrate defining a cavity, and an acoustic stack over the cavity, including a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and a top electrode, where an active region of the acoustic stack includes overlapping portions of the cavity, the bottom electrode, the piezoelectric layer and the top electrode. The BAW resonator further includes a connecting strip extending from a portion of the top electrode for providing electrical excitation of the acoustic stack, where an E-field generated in the BAW resonator begins at the top electrode and terminates at the bottom electrode in response to the electrical excitation. The cavity includes an inner portion in the active region and an extended portion extending from an outer perimeter of the active region underneath the connecting strip. A length of the extended portion are sufficient to substantially prevent portions of the E-field from passing through the substrate.
US10256785B2
Distortion reducing multi-band compressor with timbre preservation is provided. Timbre preservation is achieved by determining a time-varying threshold in each of a plurality frequency bands as a function of a respective fixed threshold for the frequency band and, at least in part, an audio signal level and a fixed threshold outside such frequency band. If a particular frequency band receives significant gain reduction due to being above or approaching its fixed threshold, then a time-varying threshold of one or more other frequency bands are also decreased to receive some gain reduction. In a specific embodiment, time-varying thresholds can be computed from an average difference of the audio input signal in each frequency band and its respective fixed threshold.
US10256771B2
A crystal oscillator device is disclosed. The crystal oscillator device includes a crystal piece provided in a casing; a pair of excitation electrodes provided for the crystal piece; a coil provided on the crystal piece; a magnetic flux generating member configured to generate magnetic flux passing through the coil; and an alarm generator configured to generate an alarm based on a signal whose amplitude is equal to or less than a reference value, the signal being generated in the coil.
US10256768B2
A photovoltaic mounting structure includes a frame for holding a photovoltaic array including a plurality of widthwise channels so as to permit photovoltaic modules to be easily slid between pairs of the channels, the photovoltaic modules resting upon flanges of the channels. In various embodiments, domed protrusions are disposed on lateral sides of the channel to prevent kinking of the modules and reduce friction, retention teeth are formed on upper surfaces of the flanges to position the modules; locator teeth are formed on lower surfaces of the flanges to guide the channels to predetermined spacing; and pre-installed mounting clips are attached to a top surface of the channel. The mounting clips each include an anti-rotation tab oriented downwardly and partially disposed in a corresponding hole in a top surface of the channel so as to prevent rotation of the mounting clip when a bolt of the mounting clip is rotated.
US10256761B2
Techniques for monitoring the health of a device comprising a motor or generator are described. An apparatus to monitor the health of the device includes a plurality of sensors to detect root-mean-square (RMS) current values for a plurality of stator windings of the device. The apparatus also includes a processor to receive the RMS current values from the plurality of sensors and compute a fault indicator based on the RMS current values. The fault indicator represents a level of current imbalance between the plurality of stator windings due to winding faults.
US10256756B2
In a brushless motor apparatus, a brushless motor has a rotor and Y-connected coils, and a controller has an inverter circuit selectively driving the coils. The controller detects an induced voltage generated in a specific coil which is not driven by the inverter circuit while the rotor rotates. The controller acquires a positional signal of the rotor on a basis of a timing at which the induced voltage reaches the reference value. The timing is obtained through comparison between the detected induced voltage and a reference value. The controller switches a coil driven by the inverter circuit on a basis of the positional signal, and sets a mask period on a basis of a result of comparison between voltage of the specific coil and a coil other than the specific coil. The comparison between the induced voltage and the reference value is not executed in the mask period.
US10256753B2
An alternating current (AC) motor system and control methods are provided herein. The AC motor system includes a motor having a first rated horsepower and configured to be coupled to a power source, and a drive circuit configured to be electrically coupled between the power source and the motor. The drive circuit has a second rated horsepower that is lower than the first rated horsepower.
US10256749B2
The invention relates to a piezoelectric actuator including: a first piezoelectric vibrator including a first diaphragm and first piezoelectric elements that are provided on the first diaphragm and include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material layer held by the first electrode and the second electrode; a second piezoelectric vibrator including a second diaphragm and second piezoelectric elements that are provided on the second diaphragm and include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material layer held by the first electrode and the second electrode; and an inductor. The layout of the first piezoelectric vibrator in the first diaphragm is the same as the layout of the second piezoelectric vibrator in the second diaphragm. The positions of the first piezoelectric elements on the first diaphragm correspond to the positions of the second piezoelectric elements on the second diaphragm. The second electrode of the first piezoelectric elements corresponds to the second electrode of the second piezoelectric elements. The corresponding second electrodes are connected via the inductor.
US10256747B2
In a control unit for drive-controlling a switching element unit of each power conversion device, a voltage correction amount calculation unit calculates a correction amount corresponding to voltage drop due to impedance between the switching element unit and filter reactor. A voltage command correcting unit corrects a voltage command generated by the voltage command generation unit, using the correction amount. Thus, for a power conversion device 21 that has a small output impedance, correction is performed so as to increase the output impedance, and a PLL unit changes the frequency in accordance with active power calculated from output voltage and output current of the power conversion device, so as to uniform power allocations.
US10256738B2
The present invention is related to a method for controlling a high frequency dual bridge DC/DC power converter of nominal frequency (fN) and nominal power (PN), in a wide range of input voltage and with power overload capacity up to 200%, said method comprising a step of varying, in a range up to the value of π radians, a first phase shift (φHB) between the voltage of the full bridge and the voltage of the half bridge, while—varying the operation frequency (f) simultaneously with the said first phase shift and/or—inducing a second phase shift (φFB) between the voltages of the two half bridges or branches constituting the full bridge, modifying thereby the first phase shift (φHB) between the voltage of the full bridge and the voltage of the half bridge and/or—decreasing the operation frequency (f) towards the LC resonance frequency (f0) of the circuit, so as to minimize the switch losses in the DC/DC converter during operation.
US10256732B2
A medium voltage direct current (MVDC) collector system for renewable power generation facilities includes at least one renewable energy generation device. The MVDC collector system also includes at least one direct current (DC)-to-DC (DC/DC) power converter coupled to the at least one renewable energy generation device. The at least one DC/DC power converter is configured to shift a switching operation of the DC/DC power converter between full-wave conversion and half-wave conversion. The MVDC collector system further includes at least one controller coupled to the at least one DC/DC power converter. The at least one controller is configured to regulate shifting the switching operation of the at least one DC/DC power converter between full-wave conversion and half-wave conversion.
US10256731B2
Apparatus and associated methods relate to continuously providing power to a load throughout an interruption of a power source. While the power source is providing power, a converter is exciting a primary winding of a transformer. A load winding of the transformer delivers power to a load connected thereto, and a holdup winding provides power to a holdup circuit, which stores energy for use when the power source is interrupted. A turns ratio of the holdup winding to the primary winding is greater than one so that the energy stored by the holdup circuit is at a voltage that is greater than or equal to the voltage used for exciting the primary windings. If the voltage used for exciting the primary windings falls below a predetermined threshold, a one-shot controls the transfer of energy stored in the holdup circuit to a storage capacitor supplying current to the primary windings.
US10256730B2
A housing of a power conversion device is partitioned into sealed and open parts. A first housing containing a primary-side electronic component connected to a primary winding of a transformer has a first opening through which a first connection conductor is inserted, the first opening being blocked by an aperture surface included in a third housing containing the transformer and filled with an insulating member. A shortest distance between the first connection conductor and an edge of the first opening is greater than or equal to a first threshold. A second housing containing a secondary-side electronic component connected to a secondary winding of the transformer has a second opening through which a second connection conductor is inserted, and is blocked by the aperture surface. A shortest distance between the second connection conductor and an edge of the second opening is greater than or equal to a second threshold.
US10256729B1
Circuits and methods are provided for voltage conversion within a switched-capacitor converter (SCC). The SCC includes multiple switch stages cascaded together. Each switch stage includes two half bridges connected in parallel. Each half bridge has a high and low-side switch connected at a switching node. The switching nodes of each half bridge of each switch stage are coupled to corresponding switching nodes of some other switch stage via capacitors. The switches are controlled such that during a first interval, a phase A capacitor attached to each switch stage is charged while a phase B capacitor is discharged. During a second interval, the phase B capacitor is charged while the phase A capacitor is discharged. By alternating the intervals thusly, one of the capacitors coupled to each switch stage is nearly always discharging such that it can provide current to an output of the SCC or some adjacent switch stage.
US10256718B2
The switching performance of a half-bridge arrangement particularly for a converter shall be improved. For this purpose, a half-bridge arrangement has a circuit board having at least four trace layers and two switching elements and a capacitor device arranged on opposite sides of the circuit board and interconnected so as to produce, during a commutation event of the half-bridge arrangement, at least two dipoles having opposite spatial directions.
US10256712B2
A current-ripple-based control strategy for an AC-DC converter with a series ripple cancellation converter (RCC). Embodiments provide series ripple cancellation by sensing the load current information, and significantly simplify the control circuitry. In addition, the embodiments allow input voltage of the series RCC to tightly track its output voltage peak value with no extra control circuit, thus minimizing the RCC component voltage stress as well as the RCC loss. Embodiments are suitable for driving an LED load, where they eliminate LED light flicker caused by the power factor correction (PFC) stage, and significantly reduce its output capacitance.
US10256710B2
In a magnetic drive linear actuator, a load attachment portion is fixed to the lower side portion of the rectangular tubular coil frame of a mover, and a light-emitting portion of a position detection portion for detecting the movement position of the mover is fixed to the upper side portion of the coil frame. The load attachment portion and the upper side portion of the coil frame are mutually coupled through beam portions bridged there between. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress the behaviors of the load attachment portion and light-emitting portion from being shifted to each other during high-acceleration driving of the mover, thereby improving the responsiveness and positioning accuracy of the linear actuator.
US10256694B2
A motor includes a busbar made of metal and a busbar holder made of resin. The busbar includes a plate shaped portion and terminals extending upward from the plate shaped portion and electrically connected to an end portion of a conducting wire included in coils. In addition, a busbar portion defined by the busbar and the busbar holder and a rotor overlap each other in an axial direction. The busbar portion widens in a radial direction, and dimensions of the entire motor in the radial direction are significantly reduced or minimized. In addition, the number of busbars stacked in the axial direction is reduced. As a result, the dimensions of the motor in the axial direction are significantly reduced or minimized.
US10256688B1
An electric machine having a rotor, stator and housing. The rotor includes a radially mounted array of permanent magnets and the stator includes a plurality of electromagnets radially positioned around the rotor. The machine includes a fluid circuit consisting of first and second cavities enclosed by the stator and positioned between the rotor and housing. The fluid circuit also includes an air gap between the stator and rotor and a plurality of ventilation channels extending through the rotor. The air gap and ventilation channels are in fluid communication with the first and second cavities. The rotor also includes an internal fan extending into the first or second cavity. When the rotor is caused to rotate with respect to the stator, the fan causes air or another fluid to circulate through the fluid circuit to cool the rotor.
US10256686B2
A rotor includes a rotor shaft with a mounting portion along a mounting region of the shaft; and a plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the mounting portion on the rotor shaft, wherein the rotor shaft includes, in the mounting portion, a region with a radius reduced with respect to a circular cross-section, such that a radially measured thickness of a permanent magnet is greater in the region than in an adjacent region with non-reduced radius of the rotor shaft.
US10256682B2
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, example stator assemblies for three phase dynamoelectric machines and related winding methods are disclosed. An example stator assembly generally includes a non-segmented stator core including a stator yoke and a plurality of teeth. The stator assembly also includes a plurality of coil portions electrically coupled in a delta winding pattern, with each coil portion extending around a different one of the plurality of teeth. The stator assembly further includes a plurality of connection portions each extending between two adjacent ones of the plurality of coil portions. A first set of consecutive ones of the plurality of coil portions is defined by a first continuous length of winding wire having two wire ends. Second and third sets of consecutive ones of the plurality of coil portions are each defined by respective continuous lengths of winding wire each having two ends.
US10256675B2
A power-supplying device and a wireless power supply system of the present disclosure include an inverter circuit configured to convert direct current power into alternating current (AC) power, a resonance circuit configured to wirelessly transmit power toward a power-receiving device based on the AC power, and a control unit configured to control the inverter circuit at a switching frequency based on state information of predetermined elements.
US10256668B2
A control device to be used in a power receiving device that receives power from a power transmitting device by contactless power transmission includes a power supply portion that supplies power to a load based on power received by a power receiving portion, a communication portion that performs communication in which communication data is transmitted to the power transmitting device, and a control portion that controls the power supply portion and the communication portion. The control portion causes the communication portion to start the communication when an output voltage of the power receiving portion becomes higher than a first voltage, and causes the power supply portion to start power supply to the load when, after the communication is started, the output voltage of the power receiving portion becomes higher than a second voltage that is different from the first voltage.
US10256667B2
The invention provides a power supplying device, which includes a first coil; and a second coil, which is wound to be substantially line symmetrical to the first coil with respect to a center line, wherein the center line is an axis passing through a winding center of the first coil. A ground point of the first coil and the second coil is disposed further inside than an outermost winding of the first coil.
US10256665B2
An electronic device may include a power driver to receive power and to selectively provide power, and a plurality of power transfer contacts to receive power from the power driver and to provide power to an external device. A controller may control the power driver to provide power to the plurality of power transfer contacts based on a plurality of time periods having a frequency shifted such that a length of a second one of the time periods is different than a length of a first one of the time periods. The controller may control the power driver to disconnect power from the power driver to the power transfer contacts during a plurality of test time durations. The controller may obtain data during the plurality of test time durations.
US10256658B2
A method for operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes monitoring a noise level of a noise signal received via a panel while wireless power is transmitted and/or received at a first power level via at least a conductive pattern, and generating a signal for changing the first power level corresponding to at least a part of an input to at least a part of the panel.
US10256654B2
On a start of a fuel cell system, (i) when the temperature of a high-voltage secondary battery obtained from a temperature sensor is higher than a predetermined reference value, a controller of the fuel cell system is configured to set an output voltage on a step-down side of a DC-DC converter to a higher voltage than a voltage of a low-voltage secondary battery and subsequently start an FC auxiliary machine using electric power from the high-voltage secondary battery. (ii) When the temperature of the high-voltage secondary battery obtained from the temperature sensor is equal to or lower than the predetermined reference value, on the other hand, the controller of the fuel cell system is configured to set the output voltage on the step-down side of the DC-DC converter to a lower voltage than the voltage of the low-voltage secondary battery and subsequently start the FC auxiliary machine using the electric power from the high-voltage secondary battery.
US10256650B2
The present invention discloses devices and methods for adaptive fast-charging of mobile devices. Methods include the steps of: firstly determining whether a first connected component is charged; upon firstly determining the first connected component isn't charged, secondly determining whether the first connected component is adapted for rapid charging; and upon secondly determining the first connected component is adapted for rapid charging, firstly charging the first connected component at a high charging rate via a charging device. Preferably, the charging device is selected from the group consisting of: a rapid charger and a slave battery. Preferably, the first connected component is selected from the group consisting of: a mobile device and a slave battery. Preferably, the high charging rate is selected from the group consisting of: greater than about 4 C, greater than about 5 C, greater than about 10 C, greater than about 20 C, greater than about 30 C, and greater than about 60 C.
US10256643B2
An system is provided that includes a first circuit that serially connects storage battery units, second circuits, and adjusters that adjust an amount of current flowing at the second circuits. The system also includes a controller that executes at least one of first control, where voltage at a first storage battery unit is made to be higher than voltage at a second storage battery unit regarding which prediction has been made that a degree of deterioration will be greater than the degree of deterioration of the first storage battery unit, and charging is stopped. The system further includes second control, where the adjusters are controlled and voltage at the first storage battery unit is made to be lower than voltage at the second storage battery unit, and discharging is stopped.
US10256642B2
A power delivery controller includes a detection unit, a regulation unit, and a control unit. The detection unit has a detection pin and an enable pin, wherein the detection pin is used for detecting a power delivery consumer device. The regulation unit is coupled to the detection unit, wherein when the detection pin detects the power delivery consumer device, the detection unit is used for turning on the regulation unit through the enable pin, and after the regulation unit is turned on, the regulation unit generates an internal voltage. The control unit is coupled to the regulation unit for providing power to the power delivery consumer device according to the internal voltage. When the detection pin fails to detect the power delivery consumer device, the regulation unit is turned off.
US10256635B2
The invention provides a method and system for operating a solar farm inverter as a Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) device—a STATCOM—for voltage control. The solar farm inverter can provide voltage regulation, damping enhancement, stability improvement and other benefits provided by FACTS devices. In one embodiment, the solar farm operating as a STATCOM at night is employed to increase the connectivity of neighboring wind farms that produce peak power at night due to high winds, but are unable to connect due to voltage regulation issues. The present invention can also operate during the day because there remains inverter capacity after real power export by the solar farm. Additional auxiliary controllers are incorporated in the solar farm inverter to enhance damping and stability, and provide other benefits provided by FACTS devices.
US10256634B2
The object of the invention is to provide a power supply system and method for the various elements forming DC/AC electronic power converters that assures the operation of the converters during normal operating conditions and anomalous operating conditions, being specially designed for photovoltaic systems connected to the power grid and capable of providing direct current and alternating current voltages at the output thereof from at least one DC power source (1) and at least one AC power source (2), which basically comprises an output for DC loads (6) connected to the output of a DC/DC converter (3) the input of which is connected to the DC power source (1), an AC output for critical loads (7) connected to a first selector (5) configured for alternating between a first position where said AC output for critical loads (7) is connected to the output of a first DC/AC converter (4) the input of which is connected to the DC power source (1), and a second position where said AC output for critical loads (7) is connected to the AC power source (2), an AC output for non-critical loads (8) connected to the AC power source (2) and a control unit (9) controlling the operation of said first selector (5).
US10256630B2
In some examples, a controller device is configured to control power electronics circuitry and includes a high-voltage (HV) pin, a power supply (VCC) pin, a startup device configured to conduct electricity from the HV pin to the VCC pin, and comparator circuitry configured to determine whether a voltage level of the VCC pin is greater than a turn-on voltage threshold. In some examples, the comparator circuitry is further configured to cause the controller device to enter a normal-operation mode in response to determining that the voltage level of the VCC pin is greater than the turn-on voltage threshold. In some examples, the controller device also includes level detection circuitry configured to determine the turn-on voltage threshold based on a level of the HV pin.
US10256623B2
A power control device includes: an output voltage controller to control the output voltage of a power supply circuit based on a feedback voltage obtained by dividing the output voltage with voltage dividing resistors; and an overvoltage protection circuit to protect against an overvoltage in the output voltage. The overvoltage protection circuit includes: an output voltage detector to detect whether the output voltage has risen above an output voltage threshold value; and a feedback voltage detector to detect whether the feedback voltage has fallen to or below a feedback voltage threshold value. The overvoltage protection circuit continues or stops operation of the output voltage controller based on a first detection output from the output voltage detector and a second detection output from the feedback voltage detector.
US10256621B2
A circuit interrupter that includes a passive integration channel structured to receive an output signal from a di/dt current sensor and generate a first signal output based on the output signal, and an active integration channel structured to receive the output signal from the di/dt current sensor and generate a second signal output based on the output signal that is proportional to the primary current received by the di/dt current sensor. Circuit protection functionality is provided based on the first signal output responsive to the primary current being determined to be greater than a threshold level, current metering and circuit protection functionality is provided based on the second signal output responsive to the primary current being determined to be less than or equal to the threshold level, and a seed current value is provided to the active integrator based on the first signal output.
US10256620B2
A splice for use in high voltage electrical environment is disclosed employing a combination of cold-shrink and an interference fit in a single splice component, thereby allowing for the use of a shortened core at a first cold splice end and the absence of a cable adapter at the interference fit at the second end.
US10256603B2
An electro-optical device having two wafer components and a device fabrication method. A first wafer component includes a silicon substrate and a cladding layer on top thereof. The cladding layer comprises a cavity formed therein, wherein the cavity is filled with an electrically insulating thermal spreader, which has a thermal conductivity larger than that of the cladding layer. The second wafer component comprises a stack of III-V semiconductor gain materials, designed for optical amplification of a given radiation. The second wafer component is bonded to the first wafer component, such that the stack of III-V semiconductor gain materials is in thermal communication with the thermal spreader. In addition, the thermal spreader has a refractive index that is lower than each of the refractive index of the silicon substrate and an average refractive index of the stack of III-V semiconductor gain materials for said given radiation.
US10256602B2
A laser component has a housing, which includes a carrier having a cavity with a bottom surface and a sidewall, wherein the cavity widens starting from the bottom surface, the side wall is inclined relative to the bottom surface by an angle different from 45°, a laser chip, an emission direction of which is oriented parallel to the bottom surface, is arranged on the bottom surface in the cavity, a reflective element is arranged in the cavity and bears on an edge between the bottom surface and the side wall, a reflective surface of the reflective element defines an angle with the bottom surface of the cavity, and the emission direction defines an angle of 45° with the reflective surface of the reflective element.
US10256582B1
A grommet assembly includes, in one embodiment, a single-piece housing having an open top end, an open bottom end, an interior region, an interior wall surrounding the interior region and a housing outer surface. A receptacle support structure is located within the interior region and attached to the interior wall for supporting an electrical power receptacle. A bottom cover is attached to the housing at the open bottom end. The bottom cover includes sidewalls, an interior side facing the interior region of the housing and an opposite exterior side. The bottom cover is configured so that the sidewalls are located within the interior region of the housing when the bottom cover is completely attached to the housing. The grommet assembly further including a fastener operable to secure the housing at an opening formed in a work surface. The fastener includes an upper surface that is configured to engage a lower surface of the work surface.
US10256577B2
In a connector, a tapered portion is formed at a corner portion between a housing and a flange portion so as to be formed in parallel to a chamfered portion formed on an edge of a mounting hole in a casing. An annular seal member of the connector is mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the housing at a front side of the flange portion in an insertion direction of the housing, and is brought into close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the housing and an inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole so as to seal therebetween. A lip portion abutting on the flange portion is provided on a rear side of the seal member in the insertion direction. An outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of the lip portion are formed in parallel to the tapered portion.
US10256568B2
Electrical connectors, electrical modules, and systems are provided. In one aspect, an electrical connector includes a housing defining a side surface, an electrical conductor supported by the housing and including an engagement portion proximate the side surface of the housing. The engagement portion is adapted to engage another electrical conductor of another electrical connector. The connector also includes a magnet supported by the housing proximate the side surface of the housing, a projection extending from the side surface of the housing, and a receptacle defined in the side surface of the housing. In other aspects, an electrical module includes at least one of these electrical connectors. In further aspects, a system includes a plurality of these modules and the modules are selectively couplable together.
US10256567B2
A wire cover (30) can be mounted to a connector body (C) in any one of a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to a wire drawing port (31). A first mark (M1) and a second mark (M2) having different appearance from each other are provided in the wire cover (30). A first identification mark (S1) is provided on one of both side surfaces of the connector body (C) and a second identification mark (S2) is provided on the other side surface. When the wire cover (30) is mounted in the first direction, the first mark (M1) and the first identification mark (S1) are disposed close to each other. When the wire cover (30) is mounted in the second direction, the second mark (M2) and the second identification mark (S2) are close to each other.
US10256566B2
The present invention provides a waterproof electric connector, including: first and second connectors configured such that first and second wire entry ends are provided at the first side ends of first and second housings; first and second packings configured to be inserted into the inner circumferences of the first and second wire entry ends; first and second finishing caps formed as blocking components which are coupled to the outer circumferences of the first and second wire entry ends; a coupling cap configured such that one side end thereof is coupled to the outer circumference of one side end of the second housing; and a connection packing part configured to include a first elastic packing and a second elastic packing.
US10256565B2
A contact for an electrical connector having a connecting section a contact section. The connecting section has a connecting mounting member. The contact section has a contact mounting member engageable with the connecting mounting member of the connecting section. The contact section is separable from the connecting section, electrically connectable to the connecting section at a contact region, and detachably mechanically connectable to the connecting section at the contact region.
US10256555B2
An electrical distribution center includes a housing, an electronic device, an upper fixing member, a printed circuit board (PCB), a lower fixing member and a connector. The upper fixing member has a first inserting hole. Pin terminals of the electronic device pass through the first inserting hole and are connected to the PCB. A connector mounting slot for fixing the connector is arranged on the lower fixing member. A second inserting hole and a guide rod member are arranged in the connector mounting slot. A TPA member is sheathed on the guide rod member. The TPA member has a third inserting hole. Pin terminals of the connector pass through the third inserting hole and the second inserting hole and are fixed in the connector mounting slot with the TPA member. The pin terminals of the connector are connected to the PCB after passing through the first inserting hole.
US10256546B1
An antenna having a body that includes a plurality of rigid sections separated by a plurality of flexible sections and at least one conductor attached to the rigid and flexible sections. The flexible sections forming hinges that connect rigid sections together to permit the body to be configured into a conical configuration from a substantially flat trapezoid configuration.
US10256543B2
An antenna assembly includes a bobbin that provides a cylindrical body that defines an outer radial surface, an inner radial surface, and a central axis. One or more channels are defined on the outer radial surface, and each channel provides a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, a floor, and a pocket jointly defined by the first sidewall and the floor. A coil including one or more wires is wrapped about the bobbin and received within the one or more channels.
US10256522B2
A vertical combiner for an overlapping linear phased array is provided. The vertical vector combiner enables two strip-line signals from different layers to be combined, or divided, by vertical transitions between substrate layers and produce a desired output signal phase. The combiner can terminate in a short to act as an antenna. In an antenna application, the antenna provides multiple substrate layers for each strip-line signal, each having a metal ground plane. The ground planes are be coupled by vertical transitions access enabling a stepped ground within the structure which increases bandwidth. The multi-layer combiner architecture enables integration with phased array feed networks for millimeter wave phased array antennas.
US10256520B2
Conduit structures for redirecting extremely high frequency (EHF) signals are disclosed herein. The conduit structures discussed herein are designed to re-direct EHF or RF signal energy from a first signal path to a second signal path. The conduit structures according to embodiments discussed herein can re-direct the RF signal energy while simultaneously adhering to specified signaling characteristic of the RF signal and minimizing stray RF signal radiation within a device to support device-to-device contactless communications.
US10256518B2
A pair of joined dielectric resonator components of an RF filter includes a first dielectric resonator component and a second dielectric resonator component. The first dielectric resonator component includes a first block of dielectric material, which has a coating of a first conductive material and at least one planar face. The at least one planar face includes a first aperture formed by removing the coating of first conductive material from a portion of the planar face of the first block. The second dielectric resonator component includes a second block of dielectric material, which has a coating of a second conductive material and at least one planar face. The at least one planar face includes a second aperture formed by removing the coating of second conductive material from a portion of the planar face of the second block. The first and second dielectric resonator components are joined to one another with the coating of first conductive material on the planar face of the first block in contact with the coating of second conductive material on the planar face of the second block, and with the first aperture aligned with the second aperture. The second dielectric resonator component has a hole through the coating of second conductive material and into the second block of dielectric material. The hole is outside of the second aperture, and controls electric-field coupling between the first and second dielectric resonator components.
US10256514B2
Systems are disclosed for battery modules/systems with cooling systems. In accordance with disclosed embodiments, the cooling system may be disposed against an external surface of a housing of the battery system. The cooling system may utilize air as a coolant to remove heat generated by cells within the battery module, to prevent the cells from aging prematurely. Embodiments of the cooling system may include manifolds, channels, fins, or a combination thereof, which may route the cooling air along the surface of the battery module housing. Such features may create an isothermal temperature distribution within the battery system.
US10256513B2
Provided is a battery system having improved safety and reliability. The battery system includes a battery module including a unit cell and a cell controller performing control of the unit cell and a battery controller performing control of the battery module; the cell controller includes an abnormality diagnosis unit which diagnoses the presence or absence of abnormality of the unit cell, a state detection unit which calculates any one or more of voltage, current, temperature, SOC, SOH, and allowable charge/discharge current of the unit cell, a power line communication unit which performs wire communication, and a wireless communication unit which performs wireless communication, the information diagnosed by the abnormality diagnosis unit is output through the power line communication unit to the battery controller; and the information calculated by the state detection unit is output through the wireless communication unit to the battery controller.
US10256512B2
Systems and control devices for charging and discharging a lithium-ion battery and relevant methods are provided. A variable frequency triggering oscillation charge-discharge device constructs an oscillation loop with a lithium-ion battery using an inherent impedance characteristic of the lithium-ion battery to charge and/or discharge the lithium-ion battery in the form of an oscillation current generated by the oscillation loop, to avoid direct current (DC) charge-discharge for the lithium-ion battery or battery pack that causes polarization and lithium precipitation of the lithium. Accordingly, the lithium-ion battery has longer battery life, higher charging threshold voltage, higher charge, and controlled internal temperature increase. Thus, the suitable temperature range for the lithium-ion battery is broadened.
US10256511B2
Rechargeable cells in cylindrical form are arranged within frames in a honeycomb structure and coupled by connecting straps outside the frames to form cell pack. Several cell packs, an electronic switch and control circuit are integrated into the battery housing. A bus bar extends around the perimeter of the housing. A high density MOSFET switch is coupled between the bur bar and the battery contact. A high power electronic clamp disposed across the battery terminals absorbs or redirects transients. An active, high-efficiency, low-noise cell balance converter or a LC based resonant converter may also be provided. For advanced battery applications a +5V CAN bus interface is provided via two circular connectors. Thermistors are provided for use in a thermal protection scheme.
US10256500B2
Various methods and apparatus relating to three-dimensional battery structures and methods of manufacturing them are disclosed and claimed. In certain embodiments, a three-dimensional battery comprises a battery enclosure, and a first structural layer within the battery enclosure, where the first structural layer has a first surface, and a first plurality of conductive protrusions extend from the first surface. A first plurality of electrodes is located within the battery enclosure, where the first plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes, and wherein the first plurality of electrodes includes a second plurality of electrodes selected from the first plurality of electrodes, each of the second plurality of electrodes being in contact with the outer surface of one of said first plurality of conductive protrusions. Some embodiments relate to processes of manufacturing energy storage devices with or without the use of a backbone structure or layer.
US10256496B2
A power generation system including a first fuel cell configured to generate a first anode tail gas stream is presented. The system includes at least one fuel reformer configured to receive the first anode tail gas stream, mix the first anode tail gas stream with a reformer fuel stream to form a reformed stream; a splitting mechanism to split the reformed stream into a first portion and a second portion; and a fuel path configured to circulate the first portion to an anode inlet of the first fuel cell, such that the first fuel cell is configured to generate a first electric power, at least in part, by using the first portion as a fuel. The system includes a second fuel cell configured to receive the second portion, and to generate a second electric power, at least in part, by using the second portion as a fuel.
US10256495B2
A fuel cell includes a pair of interconnectors (ICs); a cell main body provided between the ICs and including an electrolyte, a cathode and an anode formed on respective surfaces of the electrolyte; and a current collection member provided between at least one of the cathode and the anode and the IC for electrically connecting the cathode and/or the anode and the IC. The current collection member has a connector abutment portion which abuts the IC, a cell main body abutment portion abutting the cell main body, and a connection portion connecting the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion, the portions being continuously formed. Between the cell main body and the IC, a spacer is provided so as to separate the connector abutment portion and the cell main body abutment portion.
US10256494B2
A solid polymer fuel cell has a plurality of stacked single battery modules having an electrolyte membrane, electrode layers disposed on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and a pair of separators provided with a gas flow paths disposed on the inside surface so as to sandwich the electrode layer. The electrolyte membrane is provided with electrolyte material and a nonwoven fabric which is embedded in the electrolyte material. The nonwoven fabric is provided with a plurality of fused parts that are provided in a linear shape or spotted on a part of the nonwoven fabric that is a part corresponding to of the solid polymer fuel cell. Two or more nonwoven fibers are fused to each other, and the thickness thereof is thinner than the membrane thickness of the unwoven fabric.
US10256493B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a redox flow secondary battery which has low electrical resistance and excellent current efficiency in addition to durability. The present invention relates to: an electrolyte membrane for redox flow secondary batteries, which contains an ion exchange resin composition containing a fluorine-based polymer electrolyte; and a redox flow secondary battery which uses the electrolyte membrane for redox flow secondary batteries.
US10256481B2
A support member includes a support portion that supports an electric power generation portion of a cell and a seal portion located outside the electric power generation portion and seals between adjacent cells. A seal structure includes outer-side and inner-side wall portions located between adjacent seal portions. The outer-side wall portion is located on a side of an outer circumference of one of the seal portions. The inner-side wall portion is located on another of the seal portions and on a side closer to the electric power generation portion than the outer-side wall portion. An elastic member is provided between the outer-side and inner-side wall portions, and presses the inner-side and outer-side wall portions in opposing directions. A seal member is provided between at least one of the outer-side wall portion and the elastic member, or the inner-side wall portion and the elastic member.
US10256480B2
In order to provide a flow element by means of which a fluid can be guided and/or distributed over a surface as uniformly as possible, it is proposed that the flow element comprises a plate-like main body, which has a channel structure, wherein the channel structure comprises two or more paths, which connect an inlet side of the channel structure to an outlet side of the channel structure, wherein the two or more channel paths each have one or more meandering segments, wherein meandering segments of channel paths different from each other are nested in each other.
US10256475B2
Provided is an electrode catalyst that can exhibit sufficient performance, is suitable for mass production, and is suitable for reducing production costs, even when containing a relatively high concentration of chlorine. The electrode catalyst has a core-shell structure including a support; a core part that is formed on the support; and a shell part that is formed so as to cover at least one portion of the surface of the core part. A concentration of bromine (Br) species of the electrode catalyst as measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is 500 ppm or less, and a concentration of chlorine (Cl) species of the electrode catalyst as measured by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy is 8,500 ppm or less.
US10256474B2
The present disclosure relates to an air electrode composition, an air electrode, and a fuel cell including the same.
US10256472B2
The present invention provides a conductive paste for positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries and mixture paste for positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries that have an easy-to-apply viscosity, even when a relatively small amount of a dispersant is incorporated. More specifically, the present invention provides a conductive paste for positive electrodes of lithium-ion batteries containing a dispersion resin (A), conductive carbon (B), and a solvent (C), the dispersion resin (A) being a copolymer of a monomer mixture comprising a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing monomer (A-1) in an amount of 1 to 70 mass %, based on the total solids content.
US10256452B2
A cell contacting system for an electro-chemical device includes a plurality of electro-chemical cells and a current line system, wherein the cell contacting system includes a signal line system having signal lines for connecting a respective signal source to a signal line termination or to a monitoring device of the cell contacting system and a carrier element which carries the signal line system. The cell contacting system further includes at least one signal-line-system-side positioning element which is fixed to a signal line of the signal line system and at least one carrier-element-side positioning element which is fixed at least temporarily to the carrier element, wherein the signal-line-system-side positioning element is connected to the carrier-element-side positioning element at least temporarily in such a way that the signal-line-system-side positioning element is positioned in a desired position relative to a cell connector or a current termination of the current line system.
US10256448B2
A battery includes 1) an anode, 2) a cathode, and 3) an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. The anode includes a current collector and an interfacial layer disposed over the current collector, and the interfacial layer includes an array of interconnected, protruding regions that define spaces.
US10256445B2
A battery separator for a lithium-ion battery includes a nonwoven fiber mat that is composed of entangled microfibers having an average fiber diameter of less than 6 microns. The nonwoven fiber mat also includes a binder that binds the microfibers together and a polymer component that is dispersed homogeneously through or within the entangled microfibers so that the polymer component is uniformly distributed throughout the nonwoven fiber mat and so that the entangled microfibers, the binder, and the polymer component form a single layer component or product. The polymer component is configured to melt within the nonwoven fiber mat when exposed to a sufficiently high heat in order to effectively interrupt an electro-chemical process of the lithium-ion battery and thereby prevent overheating of the lithium-ion battery. The nonwoven fiber mat is typically between 0.1 and 20 mils thick.
US10256443B2
Provided herein is a battery pack including a plurality of secondary batteries, a containing member, a protective member, and a wiring member. The plurality of secondary batteries include a plurality of terminals at each secondary battery. The containing member contains the plurality secondary batteries to expose the plurality of terminals. The protective member includes a plurality of openings, and the plurality of secondary batteries contained in the containing member are covered with the protective member to expose the plurality of terminals from the plurality of openings. The wiring member is coupled to the plurality of terminals exposed from the plurality of openings. One or both of the containing member and the protective member include one or both of a ceramic material and a polymer material having a heat resistance temperature of 300° C. or higher.
US10256442B2
A battery is provided including a battery cell having main top and bottom surfaces, and a plurality of side surfaces; and at least one resin section including a cured resin that covers at least three of the plurality of side surfaces of the battery cell, but that does not cover substantially all of the top and bottom surfaces of the battery cell.
US10256441B2
An exemplary embodiment provides a rechargeable battery including a case including an internal space and an opening and a cap plate coupled to the case to cover the opening. The cap plate may include a first portion having a first thickness, and a second portion continuously disposed along an edge of the cap plate and having a second thickness that is thicker than the first thickness.
US10256432B2
In order to provide an organic EL panel, and a method for producing same, that makes it possible to have excellent moisture resistance and ensure sealing substrate-side transparency, provided is an organic EL panel comprising an element formation substrate (1) on which an organic EL element (2) is formed, a sealing substrate (3), and a sealing layer interposed with no gaps between the element formation substrate (1) and the sealing substrate (3), wherein: the sealing layer is constituted of an inner hygroscopic agent (4) covering the organic EL element (2), an outer peripheral hygroscopic agent (5) provided along an outer peripheral edge of the inner hygroscopic agent (4), and a marginal adhesive (6) provided along an outer peripheral edge of the outer peripheral hygroscopic agent (5); the inner hygroscopic agent (4) is constituted of an ultraviolet curable or thermosetting gel-like resin and a desiccant added at a weight ratio of 0.3 to less than 10% to the resin; and the outer peripheral hygroscopic agent (5) is constituted of the aforementioned resin and a desiccant added at a weigh ratio of 10 to 80% to the resin.
US10256423B2
An organic solar cell is provided. The organic solar cell includes a photoactive layer in which a low molecular weight conjugated compound as a first organic semiconductor material is mixed with an appropriate amount of a second organic semiconductor material. The first organic semiconductor material includes both electron donors and electron acceptors. The presence of the electron donors and the electron acceptors in the first organic semiconductor material improves the morphology of the photoactive layer, leading to high efficiency of the organic solar cell.
US10256420B2
A novel organometallic complex having high reliability is provided. The organometallic complex includes platinum and a ligand coordinated to the platinum. The ligand includes a plurality of pyridoindole skeletons. Each of the pyridoindole skeletons includes nitrogen bonded to the platinum. Each of the pyridoindole skeletons is bonded to an arylene group bonded to the platinum.
US10256419B2
Imidazophenanthridine ligands and metal complexes are provided. The compounds exhibit improved stability through a linking substitution that links a nitrogen bonded carbon of an imidizole ring to a carbon on the adjacent fused aryl ring. The compounds may be used in organic light emitting devices, particularly as emissive dopants, providing devices with improved efficiency, stability, and manufacturing. In particular, the compounds provided herein may be used in blue devices having high efficiency.
US10256418B2
An organometallic compound represented by Formula 1: M(L1)n1(L2)n2 Formula 1 wherein in Formula 1, M, L1, L2, n1, and n2 are defined in the detailed description.
US10256408B2
The present invention relates to novel compositions comprising an organic semiconductor (OSC) and one or more organic solvents. The composition is solid at a temperature of 25° C. and fluid at a higher temperature and the boiling point of the solvent is at most 400° C. Furthermore, the present invention describes the use of these compositions as inks for the preparation of organic electronic (OE) devices, especially organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and OLED devices, to methods for preparing OE devices using the novel compositions, and to OE devices, OLED devices and OPV cells prepared from such methods and compositions.
US10256407B2
In one aspect, organic thin film transistors are described herein. In some embodiments, an organic thin film transistor comprises a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal; a dielectric layer positioned between the gate terminal and the source and drain terminals; and a vibrationally-assisted drop-cast organic film comprising small molecule semiconductor in electrical communication with the source terminal and drain terminal, wherein the transistor has a carrier mobility (μeff) of at least about 1 cm2/V·s.
US10256405B2
A method of forming semiconductor elements in an artificial neural network, the method including forming a substrate including an oxide layer, forming a Silicon layer on the oxide layer, depositing a thin film dopant layer on the Silicon layer, and controlling a concentration of the dopant in the thin film dopant layer.
US10256403B2
The present disclosure relates generally to Hf-comprising materials for use in, for example, the insulator of a RRAM device, and to methods for making such materials. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method for the manufacture of a layer of material over a substrate, said method including a) providing a substrate, and b) depositing a layer of material on said substrate via ALD at a temperature of from 250 to 500° C., said depositing step comprising: at least one HfX4 pulse, and at least one trimethyl-aluminum (TMA) pulse, wherein X is a halogen selected from Cl, Br, I and F and is preferably Cl.
US10256400B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a multilevel wiring layer structure on the semiconductor substrate; and a variable resistance element in the multilevel wiring layer structure, wherein the variable resistance element comprises a variable resistance element film whose resistance changes between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein the multilevel wiring layer structure comprises at least a wiring electrically connected to the bottom electrode and a plug electrically connected to the top electrode, and wherein the wiring also serves as the bottom electrode.
US10256390B2
A solar power generation system according to the present invention comprises heat pipes which are arranged radially on the outer peripheral surface of an absorber to increase heat transfer effectiveness between the absorber and the heat pipes, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency. Also, the solar power generation system has the advantage of operating the system more stably and efficiently even in suddenly changing weather conditions, due to the improved heat transfer efficiency and capability to store heat for a specific amount of time. In addition, when the heat pipes are extrapolated onto the absorber, heat can be transferred more effectively by increasing contact surface area with between the absorber and the heat pipes. Furthermore, heat can be transferred more effectively by increasing the contact surface area by coupling the heat pipes to a heat exchange portion through a block-coupling technique.
US10256385B2
LED packages and related methods are provided. The LED packages can include a submount having a top and bottom surface and a plurality of top electrically conductive elements on the top surface of the submount. An LED can be disposed on one of the top electrically conductive elements. The LED can emit a dominant wavelength generally between approximately 600 nm and approximately 650 nm, and more particularly between approximately 610 nm and approximately 630 nm when an electrical signal is applied to the top electrically conductive elements. A bottom thermally conductive element can be provided on the bottom surface and is not in electrical contact with the top electrically conductive elements. A lens can be disposed over the LED. The LED packages can have improved lumen performances, lower thermal resistances, improved efficiencies, and longer operational lifetimes.
US10256377B2
A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting element configured to emit excitation light, and a phosphor layer in which phosphor particles are dispersed so as to emit fluorescence in response to the excitation light. The phosphor layer includes a constitutional unit derived from an ionic liquid having a polymerizable functional group. The light-emitting device further includes a protective layer that seals the light-emitting element therein.
US10256375B2
Provided is a light emitting device capable of realizing color reproducibility in a broad range. The light emitting device contains a light emitting element having an emission peak wavelength in a range of 430 nm or more and 470 nm or less, a first fluorescent material having a composition represented by formula (I), which has an emission peak wavelength in a range of 510 nm or more and 525 nm or less and has an average particle diameter that is 10.0 μm or more and 30.0 μm or less, and a second fluorescent material having an emission peak wavelength in a range of 620 nm or more and 670 nm or less: X1aMgbMncAldOa+b+c+1.5d (I) wherein X1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr and Ca, and a, b, c and d satisfy 0.5≤a≤1.0, 0.0≤b≤0.7, 0.3≤c≤0.7, and 8.5≤d≤13.0.
US10256374B2
A light emitting device that is capable of achieving excellent color rendering property is provided. The light emitting device contains a light emitting element having a light emission peak wavelength within a range of 430 nm or more and 470 nm or less, and a fluorescent member. The fluorescent member contains a first fluorescent material that contains an Eu-activated alkaline earth aluminate, a second fluorescent material that contains a Mn-activated fluorogermanate, a third fluorescent material that contains a Ce-activated rare earth aluminate, and a fourth fluorescent material that contains an Eu-activated silicon nitride having Al and at least one of Sr and Ca.
US10256358B2
Problem addressed: how to decrease the loss of visual quality in an image that appears when this image is placed behind a semitransparent photovoltaic sheet or film. Solution: on the one hand, increase the luminosity of the image by depositing a white-colored or metallic or reflective layer on the side of the photovoltaic cells that is turned towards the image; and on the other hand, by modifying the luminosity, the contrast, and the color saturation of the image.
US10256348B2
A semiconductor device in which parasitic capacitance is reduced is provided. A first oxide insulating layer and a first oxide semiconductor layer are sequentially formed over a first insulating layer. A first conductive layer is formed over the first oxide semiconductor layer and etched to form a second conductive layer. The first oxide insulating layer and the first oxide semiconductor layer are etched with the second conductive layer as a mask to form a second oxide insulating layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer. A planarized insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer and the second conductive layer. A second insulating layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer are formed by etching the planarized insulating layer and the second conductive layer. A third oxide insulating layer, a gate insulating layer, and a gate electrode layer are formed over the second oxide semiconductor layer.
US10256346B2
In a semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer made of an oxide semiconductor, occurrence of variance in the characteristics of TFTs is suppressed. In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device (100) where a passivation film (17) is to be formed at an upper layer of a semiconductor layer (11) made of an oxide semiconductor, deposition conditions of the passivation film (17) are set such that the proportion of pure metal (the ratio of pure metal to all the components of the semiconductor layer (11)) at an interface of the semiconductor layer (11) to the passivation film (17) becomes higher than the proportion of pure metal in the bulk of the semiconductor layer (11).
US10256338B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first epitaxial layer of a first conductivity type, a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, a second epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type, a second semiconductor region of the first conductivity type, a gate insulating film, a gate electrode, an interlayer insulating film, a source electrode; and a gate electrode pad. The first semiconductor region is not provided beneath the gate electrode pad.
US10256334B2
A switch includes an input contact and an output contact to a conducting channel. At least one of the input and output contacts is capacitively coupled to the conducting channel. A control contact is located outside of a region between the input and output contacts, and can be used to adjust the switch between on and off operating states. The switch can be implemented as a radio frequency switch in a circuit.
US10256332B1
A high hole mobility transistor includes a substrate, a back-barrier layer, a conducting layer, a doping layer, a gate electrode, source/drain electrodes, and a band adjustment layer. The back-barrier layer is disposed on the substrate. The conducting layer is disposed on the back-barrier layer. A channel region is disposed in the conducting layer and is adjacent to the interface between the conducting layer and the back-barrier layer. The doping layer is disposed on the conducting layer. The gate electrode is disposed on the doping layer. The source/drain electrodes are disposed on opposite sides of the gate electrode. The band adjustment layer is disposed on the doping layer and electrically connected to the gate electrode. The band adjustment layer is an N-type doped III-V semiconductor.
US10256329B2
A HBT on a GaAs substrate is presented, wherein its base comprises a first base layer comprising IniGa1-iAs with an Indium content i with a slope s1 and a second base layer on the emitter side comprising InjGa1-jAs with an Indium content j with a slope s2, and an average of s1 is half of the average of s2 or smaller; or the base comprises a first base layer comprising InmGa1-mAs with an Indium content m and a second base layer on the emitter side comprising InnGa1-nAs with an Indium content n, and an average of n is larger than the m at a second base layer side; or the base comprises a first base layer pseudomorphic to GaAs with a bulk lattice constant larger than GaAs, and the emitter comprises a first emitter layer pseudomorphic to GaAs with a bulk lattice constant smaller than GaAs.
US10256319B2
A U-shaped gate dielectric structure is provided that has a horizontal gate dielectric portion having a vertical thickness, and a vertical gate dielectric wall portion extending upwards from the horizontal gate dielectric portion. The vertical gate dielectric wall portion has a lateral thickness that is greater than the vertical thickness of the horizontal gate dielectric portion. The U-shaped gate dielectric structure houses a gate conductor portion. Collectively, the U-shaped gate dielectric structure and the gate conductor portion provide a functional gate structure that has reduced capacitance.
US10256316B1
Fabricating a steep-switch transistor includes receiving a semiconductor structure including a substrate, a fin disposed on the substrate, a source/drain disposed on the substrate adjacent to the fin, a gate disposed upon the fin, a cap disposed on the gate, a trench contact formed on and in contact with the source/drain, and a source/drain contact formed on an in contact with the trench contact. A recess is formed in a portion of the source/drain contact using a recess patterning process. A bi-stable resistive system (BRS) material is deposited in the recess in contact with the portion of the source/drain contact. A metallization layer is formed in contact upon the BRS material, a portion of the source/drain contact, the BRS material, and a portion of the metallization layer contact forming a reversible switch.
US10256312B1
A semiconductor structure includes a contact plug located on a barrier layer in a contact hole; a first conductive feature integrally formed with the contact plug on the barrier layer; a second conductive feature disposed on the interlayer dielectric layer; and a gap between the first and second conductive features. The gap includes a vertical trench recessed into the interlayer dielectric layer, and a discontinuity in the barrier layer. The discontinuity extends below the second conductive feature to form an undercut structure.
US10256310B1
A split-gate flash memory cell is provided. The split-gate flash memory cell includes a semiconductor substrate having a source region and a drain region. The source region and the drain region are separated by a channel region. The split-gate flash memory cell also includes a concave trench in the semiconductor substrate, a floating gate dielectric lining the concave trench, and a floating gate situated in the concave trench on the floating gate dielectric. The floating gate has a convex bottom surface. The split-gate flash memory cell also includes an inter-gate dielectric on the floating gate, and a control gate on the inter-gate dielectric.
US10256309B2
Memory cells having electrically conductive nanodots between a charge storage material and a control gate are useful in non-volatile memory devices and electronic systems.
US10256304B2
A semiconductor device includes a fin patterned in a substrate; a gate disposed over and substantially perpendicular to the fin; a pair of epitaxial contacts including a III-V material over the fin and on opposing sides of the gate; and a channel region between the pair of epitaxial contacts under the gate including an undoped III-V material between doped III-V materials, the doped III-V materials including a dopant in an amount in a range from about 1e18 to about 1e20 atoms/cm3 and contacting the epitaxial contacts.
US10256289B2
Methods of forming capacitors include forming a self-assembled pattern of periodic first and second domains using first and second block copolymer materials over a substrate. The second block copolymer material is etched away. Material from the substrate is etched based on a pattern defined by the first block copolymer material to form cavities in the substrate. A capacitor stack is conformally deposited over the substrate, such that the capacitor stack is formed on horizontal surfaces of the substrate and vertical surfaces of the cavities.
US10256284B2
A display device includes: a substrate including a bending area located between a first region and a second region; an organic layer disposed over the substrate, an upper surface of the organic layer including an uneven surface in the bending area, the uneven surface including a plurality of protrusions; and a conductive layer extending from the first region to the second region across the bending area, the conductive layer being located over the organic layer and including a plurality of through holes.
US10256282B2
Provided is a display apparatus capable of reducing generation of defects during manufacturing processes or while in use after being manufactured. The display apparatus includes a substrate including a first area including a display area, a second area spaced apart from the first area, and a bent area between the first area and the second area and connecting the first area and the second area to each other, wherein the substrate is bent about a bending axis; an inorganic insulating layer over the substrate, wherein the inorganic insulating layer includes a first opening or a first groove corresponding to the bent area and a second opening or a second groove at outside the display area to extend along at least a part of the display area; and an organic material layer at least partially filling the first opening or the first groove and the second opening or the second groove.
US10256276B2
Hybrid high electron mobility field-effect transistors including inorganic channels and organic gate barrier layers are used in some applications for forming high resolution active matrix displays. Arrays of such high electron mobility field-effect transistors are electrically connected to thin film switching transistors and provide high drive currents for passive devices such as organic light emitting diodes. The organic gate barrier layers are operative to suppress both electron and hole transport between the inorganic channel layer and the gate electrodes of the high electron mobility field-effect transistors.
US10256262B2
Hilbert phase microscopy (HPM) as an optical technique for measuring high transverse resolution quantitative phase images associated with optically transparent objects. Due to its single-shot nature, HPM is suitable for investigating rapid phenomena that take place in transparent structures such as biological cells. A preferred embodiment is used for measuring biological systems including measurements on red blood cells, while its ability to quantify dynamic processes on the millisecond scale, for example, can be illustrated with measurements on evaporating micron-size water droplets.
US10256258B2
A pixel structure and a fabrication method thereof are provided, and the fabrication method includes steps as follows. A gate and a scan line connected to the gate electrode are formed on a substrate. An insulation layer is formed on the substrate and is patterned to form an opening corresponding to the gate electrode. A gate insulation layer is formed to cover the gate electrode and the scan line. A channel layer is formed on the gate insulation layer and is located in the opening. A first ohmic contact layer and a second ohmic contact layer are formed on the channel layer and are located in the opening. A source electrode, a drain electrode and a data line connected to the source electrode are formed on the first ohmic contact layer and the second ohmic contact layer. A first electrode is formed and is electrically connected to the drain electrode.
US10256256B2
A thin film transistor including a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed over the substrate; a gate insulting film disposed over the semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode. The semiconductor layer includes a channel region, a source region, and a drain region. The gate insulating film includes a first region and a second region. The second region borders the first region. The gate electrode is disposed over the first region. A step shape is formed where the second region meets the first region.
US10256252B1
A three-dimensional memory device includes an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers located over a substrate, a memory opening extending through the alternating stack, a semiconductor pedestal channel portion located at a bottom portion of the memory opening, and a memory stack structure located in the memory opening and contacting a top surface of the pedestal channel portion. The memory stack structure includes a memory film and a vertical semiconductor channel located inside the memory film. A bottommost insulating layer among the insulating layers comprises a first silicon oxide material, and at least some of the insulating layers other than the bottommost insulating layer include a second silicon oxide material having a greater density than the first silicon oxide material.
US10256249B2
Some embodiments include an integrated structure having a conductive material, a select device gate material over the conductive material, and vertically-stacked conductive levels over the select device gate material. Vertically-extending monolithic channel material is adjacent the select device gate material and the conductive levels. The monolithic channel material contains a lower segment adjacent the select device gate material and an upper segment adjacent the conductive levels. A first vertically-extending region is between the lower segment of the monolithic channel material and the select device gate material. The first vertically-extending region contains a first material. A second vertically-extending region is between the upper segment of the monolithic channel material and the conductive levels. The second vertically-extending region contains a material which is different in composition from the first material.
US10256248B2
Lower level metal interconnect structures are formed over a substrate with semiconductor devices thereupon. A semiconductor material layer and an alternating stack of spacer dielectric layers and insulating layers is formed over the lower level metal interconnect structures. An array of memory stack structures is formed through the alternating stack. Trenches are formed through the alternating stack such that a staircase region is located farther away from a threshold lateral distance from the trenches, while neighboring staircase regions are formed within the threshold lateral distance from the trenches. Portions of the spacer dielectric layers proximal to the trenches are replaced with electrically conductive layers, while a remaining portion of the alternating stack is present in the staircase region. At least one through-memory-level via structure can be formed through the remaining portions of the spacer dielectric layers and the insulating layers to provide a vertically conductive path through a memory-level assembly.
US10256241B2
Apparatus and methods for reducing minority carriers in a memory array are described herein. Minority carriers diffuse between ON cells and OFF cells, causing disturbances during write operation as well as reducing the retention lifetime of the cells. Minority Carrier Lifetime Killer (MCLK) region architectures are described for vertical thyristor memory arrays with insulation trenches. These MCLK regions encourage recombination of minority carriers. In particular, MCLK regions formed by conductors embedded along the cathode line of a thyristor array, as well as dopant MCLK regions are described, as well as methods for manufacturing thyristor memory cells with MCLK regions.
US10256236B2
A switch circuit includes a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor of a same conductivity type connected in parallel between a first terminal and a second terminal of the switch circuit, the first and second MOS transistors having respective gate terminals coupled to the control terminal to receive a control signal to turn the first and second MOS transistors on or off. The first MOS transistor is characterized by a first reverse gate-to-drain capacitance (Crss) and the second MOS transistor is characterized by a second Crss that is greater than the first Crss.
US10256230B2
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.
US10256224B2
A multiple-unit semiconductor device (1) includes a normally-ON type first FET (11) and a normally-OFF type second FET (12) that are connected to each other in series between a first terminal and a second terminal (17 and 19). The multiple-unit semiconductor device (1) further includes a protection circuit that includes a switching element for discharge (16) connected to the second FET in parallel and a trigger circuit that is disposed between the first terminal and the second terminal (17 and 19) and causes the switching element for discharge to turn to an ON state when a surge is applied to the first terminal.
US10256223B2
An integrated circuit design tool includes a cell library. The cell library includes entries for a plurality of cells, entries in the cell library including specifications of particular cells in a computer executable language. At least one entry in the cell library can comprise a specification of physical structures and timing parameters of a plurality of transistors and an interconnect; wherein a transistor in the plurality has a channel comprising one or more nanowires or 2D material strips arranged in parallel, and the interconnect comprises one or more nanowires or 2D material strips arranged in parallel and connected to terminals of more than one of the transistors in the plurality of transistors. An integrated circuit including the plurality of transistors and the interconnect is described.
US10256222B2
A light emitting diode substrate includes a substrate, a plurality of first light emitting diode and second light emitting diode. The first light emitting diode are disposed on the substrate and arranged along a first direction and a second direction to form a first array. The first light emitting diode have a first side length extending along the first direction and a second side length extending along the second direction. The second light emitting diode are disposed on the substrate and arranged along the first direction and the second direction to form a second array. The second light emitting diode have a third side length extending along the first direction and a forth side length extending along the second direction. A first difference between the first side length and the third side length is less than a second difference between the second side length and the forth side length.
US10256202B1
A durable bond pad structure is described that facilitates highly durable electrical connections to semiconductor microelectronics chips (e.g., silicon carbide (SiC) chips) to enable prolonged operation over very extreme temperature ranges.
US10256193B1
A semiconductor device includes a package substrate, a semiconductor die attached to a first major surface of the package substrate, and a plurality of wire bonds attached between the semiconductor die and the first major surface of the package substrate. The device further includes a conductive plate over the semiconductor die, plurality of wire bonds, and package substrate wherein a first major surface of the conductive plate faces the first major surface of the package substrate. The device further includes a plurality of conductive extensions attached to the first major surface of the conductive plate, wherein each conductive extension extends from the first major surface of the conductive plate and between two adjacent wire bonds of the plurality of wire bonds.
US10256189B2
A scalable switching regulator architecture has an integrated inductor. In some embodiments an area and current drive capability of switches of the switching regulator is matched with an inductor built within an area above the switches. In some embodiments the combined switches and inductor are constructed as a unit cell and can be combined to form larger elements as required for higher current drive capability and multiphase operation.
US10256188B2
An integrated circuit has a substrate and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The interconnect region includes a plurality of interconnect levels. Each interconnect level includes interconnects in dielectric material. The integrated circuit includes a graphitic via in the interconnect region. The graphitic via vertically connects a first interconnect in a first interconnect level to a second interconnect in a second, higher, interconnect level. The graphitic via includes a cohered nanoparticle film of nanoparticles in which adjacent nanoparticles cohere to each other, and a layer of graphitic material disposed on the cohered nanoparticle film. The nanoparticles include one or more metals suitable for catalysis of the graphitic material. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process. The graphitic via is electrically coupled to an active component of the integrated circuit.
US10256187B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a winding structure formed on a top side the semiconductor substrate, wherein the winding structure comprises one or more metal lines winding with respect to a center of the winding structure; and a backside metal formed under a backside of the semiconductor substrate; wherein a hollow slot is formed within the backside metal, and a projection of the winding structure is within the hollow slot.
US10256186B2
Methods of forming an interconnect structure include depositing a first conductive material on a substrate. Aspects include subtractively etching the conductive material to form a patterned first conductive layer, and depositing a dielectric layer on interconnect structure. Aspects also include depositing a second conductive material on the dielectric layer and removing the second conductive material through the top of the second metal liner.
US10256177B2
An integrated circuit (IC) package includes a first substrate having a backside surface and a top surface with a cavity disposed therein. The cavity has a floor defining a front side surface. A plurality of first electroconductive contacts are disposed on the front side surface, and a plurality of second electroconductive contacts are disposed on the back side surface. A plurality of first electroconductive elements penetrate through the first substrate and couple selected ones of the first and second electroconductive contacts to each other. A first die containing an IC is electroconductively coupled to corresponding ones of the first electroconductive contacts. A second substrate has a bottom surface that is sealingly attached to the top surface of the first substrate, and a dielectric material is disposed in the cavity so as to encapsulate the first die.
US10256175B2
A printed wiring board includes a support plate, a laminate formed on the support plate and including first conductor pads on a first surface side of the laminate and second conductor pads on a second surface side of the laminate, and a solder resist layer interposed between the support plate and the laminate and having openings formed such that the openings are exposing the first conductor pads respectively. The laminate includes a resin insulating layer and has a first surface on the first surface side and a second surface on the second surface side on the opposite side with respect to the first surface of the laminate, the second conductor pads are embedded in the second surface of the laminate such that the second conductor pads have surfaces recessed from the second surface of the laminate respectively.
US10256173B2
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first package body and at least one connecting element. The substrate has a first surface. The first package body is disposed adjacent to the first surface of the substrate, and defines at least one cavity. The connecting element is disposed adjacent to the first surface of the substrate and in a corresponding cavity. A space is defined between a periphery surface of a portion of the connecting element and a sidewall of a portion of the cavity. An end portion of the connecting element extends beyond an outermost surface of the first package body.
US10256170B2
An electronic device for a vehicle includes a substrate and a semiconductor package. The substrate is arranged to extend along a flowing path of wind produced by a fan unit. The semiconductor package is disposed on the substrate to be cooled by the wind. When an inflow port from which the wind is drawn by the fan unit is defined to include a flowing path having a first cross-section area, the semiconductor package is disposed in a space including a flowing path having a cross-section area that is larger than the first cross-section area.
US10256158B1
Integrated circuit structures include isolation elements extending into a substrate, and source/drain regions of a first transistor contacting the isolation elements. The isolation elements extend from the substrate to the source/drain regions of the first transistor. Isolation layers contact the source/drain regions of the first transistor, and source/drain regions of a second transistor also contact the isolation layers. Thus, the isolation layers are between the source/drain regions of the first transistor and the source/drain regions of the second transistor. Channel regions of the first transistor contact and extend between the source/drain regions of the first transistor, and channel regions of the second transistor contact and extend between the source/drain regions of the second transistor. A gate conductor surrounds sides of the channel region of the first transistor and the channel region of the second transistor.
US10256145B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a sacrificial layer in a first contact hole of a first dielectric layer, forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer, and forming a second contact hole in the second dielectric layer, the second contact hole being aligned with the first contact hole, removing the sacrificial layer from the first contact hole, and forming a copper contact in the first and second contact holes.
US10256140B2
Techniques herein include a method of patterning a substrate that uses a self-alignment based process to align a via to odd and even trenches by using multiple different materials. Methods herein decompose or separate a via pattern into spacer side via and mandrel side via, and then sequentially access the spacer side and mandrel side respectively. With such a technique, overlay of via to grid is significantly improved. By using an additional memorization layer underneath a trench memorization layer and independently accessing the spacer side and mandrel side in the midst of a trench pattern, significant improvement in via alignment is achieved.
US10256138B2
A method for fabricating silicon-on-insulator (SOI) semiconductor devices, wherein the piezoresistive pattern is defined within a blanket doped layer after fusion bonding. This new method of fabricating SOI semiconductor devices is more suitable for simpler large scale fabrication as it provides the flexibility to select the device pattern/type at the latest stages of fabrication.
US10256135B2
To provide a semiconductor device having a substrate contact in a deep trench thereof and having an improved characteristic. A PVD-metal film (metal film formed by PVD) is used as a first barrier metal film which is a lowermost layer barrier metal film formed in a deep trench penetrating an n type epitaxial layer and a reaching a layer therebelow. Such a configuration makes it possible to stably form a metal silicide layer at a boundary between the PVD-metal film and a silicon layer therebelow (or silicon substrate) and thereby stabilize the contact resistance.
US10256134B2
An integrated circuit (IC) structure is disclosed. The structure can include: a first heat dissipative element disposed between a pair of shallow trench isolations (STIs) in a substrate, and a first polysilicon resistor in a polysilicon layer positioned over the substrate and the pair of STIs, the first polysilicon resistor in thermal communication with the first heat dissipative element. The structure can also include a second polysilicon resistor in the polysilicon layer, the second polysilicon resistor laterally separated from the first polysilicon resistor, and the first heat dissipative element in thermal communication with the first polysilicon resistor and the second polysilicon element. The structure can also include a second heat dissipative element, the second heat dissipative element in a different directional orientation than the first heat dissipative element.
US10256131B2
An electrostatic chuck device includes an electrostatic chuck member and a temperature controlling base member. The electrostatic chuck member has a ceramic plate having a mounting surface on which a plate-shaped sample is mounted, and an electrode for electrostatic attraction provided on the other surface on the side opposite the mounting surface of the ceramic plate. The temperature controlling base member is disposed on the surface on the side opposite the ceramic plate side of the electrode for electrostatic attraction and cools the electrostatic chuck member. The ceramic plate has a dike portion which extends to the temperature controlling base member side and surrounds the electrode for electrostatic attraction, the temperature controlling base member has a groove portion accommodating an end part of the dike portion, and a space between the groove portion and the dike portion is filled with a filling part formed of a resin material.
US10256129B2
A temporary storage apparatus is provided with a slidable buffer which does not prevent installation of the apparatus and maintenance of equipment, has increased storing capacity for carriers without a lateral transfer mechanism in a local vehicle, stores carriers between overhead travelling vehicles and a load port, and is provided with the local vehicle travelling on a rail below the rail for the overhead travelling vehicles and a slidable buffer comprising a cell to support a carrier and a guide mechanism sliding the slidable buffer between an advanced position under the rail and a backward position laterally shifted from the rail. The guide mechanism moves between an active position laterally protruding from the rail and a retracted position allowing transfer by the overhead travelling vehicles between the load port. The rail extends along the front face of the equipment to a waiting position separated from a position over the port.
US10256127B2
A substrate transfer apparatus to transfer a circular substrate provided with a cutout at an edge portion thereof, includes: a sensor part including three light source parts applying light to positions different from one another at the edge portion, and three light receiving parts paired with the light source parts; and a drive part for moving the substrate holding part, wherein the three light source parts apply light to the light receiving parts so that whether or not a detection range of the sensor part overlaps with the cutout of the substrate is determined on the basis of an amount of received light by each light receiving part, and when it is determined that there is an overlap at any position, positions of the edge portion of the substrate are further detected with the position of the substrate displaced with respect to the sensor part.
US10256114B2
A semiconductor device having one or more tiered pillars and methods of manufacturing such a semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device may include redistribution layers, a semiconductor die, and a plurality of interconnection structures that operatively couple a bottom surface of the semiconductor die to the redistribution layers. The semiconductor device may further include one or more conductive pillars about a periphery of the semiconductor die. The one or more conductive pillars may be electrically connected to the redistribution layers and may each comprise a plurality of stacked tiers.
US10256104B2
The present invention relates to a film-thickness measuring method for detecting a film thickness by analyzing optical information contained in a reflected light from a substrate. The film-thickness measuring method includes producing a spectral waveform indicating a relationship between intensity and wavelength of reflected light from a substrate; performing Fourier transform processing on the spectral waveform to determine strengths of frequency components and corresponding film thicknesses; determining local maximum values (M1, M2) of the strengths of the frequency components; and selecting, according to a preset selection rule, one film thickness from film thicknesses (t1, t2) corresponding respectively to the local maximum values (M1, M2). The selection rule is either to select an N-th largest film thickness or to select an N-th smallest film thickness, and N is a predetermined natural number.
US10256101B2
In a raw material gas supply apparatus, a control unit obtains an offset value of (m3−(m1+m2)), m1, m2 and m3 being respective measurement values of first and second mass controllers, and a mass flow meter, by supplying a carrier gas and a dilution gas in a state where the carrier gas flows through a bypass channel. Further, the control unit obtains an actual measurement value of a flow rate of the raw material by subtracting the offset value from (m3−(m1+m2)) obtained by supplying the carrier gas and dilution gas in a state where the carrier gas flows through the inside of a raw material container and calculating a difference between a target value of the flow rate of the raw material and the actual measurement value, and adjusts a set value of the first mass flow controller such that the flow rate of the raw material becomes.
US10256097B2
A semiconductor device includes a silicon carbide semiconductor body and a metal contact structure. Interface particles including a silicide kernel and a carbon cover on a surface of the silicide kernel are formed directly between the silicon carbide semiconductor body and the metal contact structure. Between neighboring ones of the interface particles, the metal contact structure directly adjoins the silicon carbide semiconductor body.
US10256095B2
A system and method for performing location specific processing of a workpiece is described. The method includes placing a microelectronic workpiece in a beam processing system, selecting a beam scan size for a beam scan pattern that is smaller than a dimension of the microelectronic workpiece, generating a processing beam, and processing a target region of the microelectronic workpiece by irradiating the processing beam along the beam scan pattern onto the target region within the beam scan size selected for processing the microelectronic workpiece.
US10256091B2
The oxide of the present invention for thin-film transistors is an In—Zn—Sn-based oxide containing In, Zn, and Sn, wherein when the respective contents (atomic %) of metal elements contained in the In—Zn—Sn-based oxide are expressed by [Zn], [Sn], and [In], the In—Zn—Sn-based oxide fulfills the following expressions (2) and (4) when [In]/([In]+[Sn])≤0.5; or the following expressions (1), (3), and (4) when [In]/([In]+[Sn])>0.5. [In]/([In]+[Zn]+[Sn])≤0.3 (1), [In]/([In]+[Zn]+[Sn])≤1.4×{[Zn]/([Zn]+[Sn])}−0.5 (2), [Zn]/([In]+[Zn]+[Sn])≤0.83 (3), and 0.1≤[In]/([In]+[Zn]+[Sn]) (4). According to the present invention, oxide thin films for thin-film transistors can be obtained, which provide TFTs with excellent switching characteristics, and which have high sputtering rate in the sputtering and properly controlled etching rate in the wet etching.
US10256084B2
An electronic device 1 for analyzing a gas composition, which is present in an environment A at an environment pressure Pa, is described. The device 1 is portable and comprises a gas sampling module 7, an ion filtering module 8 and an ion detecting module 9. The sampling module 7 is configured to adjust an input gaseous flow Fi of gaseous particles from the environment A and to ionize said gaseous particles and to generate an ion flow I having an ion composition representative of the gas composition to be analyzed. The ion filtering module 8 is configured to controllably select at least one type of ions present in the ion flow I and to generate a corresponding at least one homogeneous ion beam I′. The ion detecting module 9 is configured to measure the intensity of such least one ion beam I′.
US10256080B2
Apparatus and method for the plasma treatment of surfaces with a first electrode and a second electrode, the apparatus and method comprises an alternating voltage source between the first and second electrodes, and an electrical field forming, at least between the first and second electrodes, an effective area, which is arranged in front of the first electrode and in which the surface to be treated can be positioned, wherein the second electrode is arranged closer to the effective area than the first electrode. The apparatus and method provides at least one process gas channel for at least one stream of process gas with at least one outlet at the first electrode, wherein the at least one outlet points in the direction of the effective area, the at least one stream of process gas impinges on the electrical field, the electrical field converts the at least one stream of process gas into a stream of plasma, and the stream of plasma impinges on the effective area.
US10256073B2
In one embodiment, a charged particle beam writing method includes writing a first pattern statically in central part of a first substrate having Charge Dissipation Layer (CDL), calculating, based on a position of the written first pattern, a first correction coefficient, writing a second pattern statically applying with the first correction coefficient in central part of a second substrate having no CDL, calculating, based on a position of the written second pattern, a second correction coefficient, writing a third pattern continuously applying with the first correction coefficient in central part of a third substrate having CDL, calculating, based on a position of the written third pattern, a third correction coefficient, writing a fourth pattern statically applying with the first correction coefficient in wide range of a fourth substrate having CDL, and calculating, based on a position of the written fourth pattern, a fourth correction coefficient.
US10256071B2
Quantitative Secondary Electron Detection (QSED) using the array of solid state devices (SSD) based electron-counters enable critical dimension metrology measurements in materials such as semiconductors, nanomaterials, and biological samples (FIG. 3). Methods and devices effect a quantitative detection of secondary electrons with the array of solid state detectors comprising a number of solid state detectors. An array senses the number of secondary electrons with a plurality of solid state detectors, counting the number of secondary electrons with a time to digital converter circuit in counter mode.
US10256054B2
A method is disclosed for improving the production of electrical switch contacts, in particular for vacuum tubes. In the method, an electrical or electromagnetic field assists and/or effects a sintering process. In the method, the sintering process takes place on a metallic carrier, and via the method, semi-finished contact elements for electrical switch contacts, contact elements for electrical switch contacts, and/or electrical switch contacts, in particular for vacuum tubes, are produced.
US10256043B2
A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes a ceramic body and first and second external electrodes. The ceramic body includes an active region including a plurality of dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes alternately disposed on surfaces of the plurality of dielectric layers to contribute to capacitance formation, and a protective layer provided on at least one of upper and lower surfaces of the active region. The first and second external electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second internal electrodes, respectively, and formed on both end surfaces of the ceramic body. The ceramic body includes a plurality of first and second dummy electrodes respectively extended from the second and first external electrodes into length-direction margin parts of the active region so as to face the first and second internal electrodes, respectively. Further, step portion absorbing layers are disposed in width-direction margin parts of the active region.
US10256042B2
The invention relates to a contact part (20) for electrically connecting end-face contact layers on the end faces of a plastic film capacitor winding (10) of an encased electric single-phase or three-phase capacitor to a terminal wire (18, 34) or a connecting wire, comprising a preferably flat contact support with a terminal region for contacting a terminal wire (18, 34) or a connecting wire; comprising at least one contact piece (26) with at least one contact tip, said contact piece (26) extending upwards or downwards from the contact support in a substantially vertical manner, in order to establish an electric connection to an end-face contact layer (12, 14) by pressing the contact tip into said end-face contact layer (12, 14); and comprising a penetration depth-limiting device for limiting the penetration depth of the contact tip or the contact tips in the end-face contact layer (12, 14). The invention also relates to encased single-phase and three-phase capacitors comprising said contact part.
US10256037B2
A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes an electronic component element including a ceramic layer and an inner conductor, and outer electrodes disposed on the surface of the electronic component element. The outer electrodes include a first layer disposed on the surface of the electronic component element, and a second layer disposed on the first layer. The first layer includes an oxide of at least one of elements of the ceramic layer. The second layer does not include oxides of elements of the ceramic layer.
US10256029B2
An electronic component includes a multilayer body having a configuration, in which a plurality of insulator layers containing ferrite ceramic are stacked, and a coil having a configuration, in which a plurality of coil conductor layers containing Ag and being disposed on the insulator layers are connected to at least one via hole conductor penetrating the insulator layers in the stacking direction, and having a spiral shape spiraling in the stacking direction. A first pore area ratio of a side gap interposed between an outer circumferential edge of an annular track formed by stacking the plurality of coil conductor layers and an outer edge of the multilayer body, when viewed in the stacking direction, is 9.0% or more and 20.0% or less, and the second pore area ratio of a portion interposed between two coil conductor layers in the stacking direction is 8.0% or less.
US10256027B2
An embodiment of coil assembly includes a laterally disposed ferrite ring having a central opening. A laterally disposed annular conductive member is positioned above the ferrite ring and has a plurality of spaced-apart circumferential segments. A plurality of bond wires are connected at opposite ends thereof to outer and inner portions of the plurality of spaced-apart circumferential segments. A layer of mold compound covers the ferrite ring and the bond wires.
US10256025B2
A low cost, low profile, small size and high performance inductive device for use in electronic circuits. In one exemplary embodiment, the device includes a ferrite core comprising a step gap, a winding disposed on the core, and a magnetic powder and epoxy mixture packed in to create a cubic-shaped inductor optimized for electrical and magnetic performance. Additionally, the incorporation of the magnetic powder and epoxy mixture around the step gap eliminates fringing magnetic fields during device operation thereby minimizing adverse electromagnetic inference on adjacently disposed electronic components. The geometry and placement of the step gaps can be varied in order to optimize performance parameters associated with the underlying inductive device. Methods of manufacture and use for the inductive device are also disclosed.
US10256018B2
Rare earth-containing alloy flakes and a sintered magnet made of the same are provided, which alloy flakes are useful in the production of sintered magnets of which Br and HcJ may be excellent and well-balanced according to the Dy and/or Tb content. The rare earth-containing alloy flakes are R-TM-A-M-type alloy flakes which have a particular composition, and a structure having a Nd2Fe14B main phase and a boundary phase, the Fe content in the boundary phase is not more than 10 mass %, and a ratio of the total content (b) of Dy and Tb in the boundary phase to the total content (a) of Dy and Tb in the main phase is higher than 1.0, and are useful as a sintered magnet material.
US10256017B2
A rare earth based permanent magnet formed by a sintered compact with an R-T-B based composition, wherein, R contains R1 and R2 as the necessity, R1 represents at least one rare earth element including Y and excluding Dy, Tb and Ho, and R2 represents at least one from the group made of Dy, Tb and Ho. Its main phase grains have a core-shell structure in which a core part and shell part coating the core part are contained. When the atom concentrations of R1 and R2 in the core part and the atom concentrations of R1 and R2 in the shell part are defined as αR1, αR2, βR1 and βR2, respectively, αR1<βR1, αR2>βR2, αR1<αR2 and βR2<βR1. Relative to all the main phase grains observed at the cross-section of the sintered compact, the ratio occupied by the main phase grain having the core-shell structure is 5% or more.
US10256013B2
A passive arc control system for a motor control center 60 includes an arc attenuating box having sides separating adjacent vertical bus bar phases 54, providing a physical barrier to arc flash energy. The box is open at its top and bottom forming a chimney 55. A shutter assembly for each box includes an insulator cap 62 on a free end of the bus bar and an independently moveable, box-shaped shutter 64 that slides along the bus bar away from the insulator cap, when a device is connected to the bus bar. The shutter has an opening 65 through which the bus bar passes when the device is connected to the bus bar and an opening 55′ aligned with the box's chimney. The arc control system provides a high degree of arc protection for personnel working around open motor control centers and is highly modular and easy to construct.
US10256010B2
A cable (100) is used for running a load between surface and downhole in a well. The cable includes one or more wires (110) composed of a non-metallic material. Each of the one or more wires (110) bears the load from the surface and electrically conducts between the surface and downhole. An insulating material (120) is disposed about the one or more wires (110) and insulates the electrical conduction. The non-metallic material includes a carbon nano-tube wire. A jacket (130) can be disposed about the insulating material (120), and the jacket (130) can be composed of a non-metallic material also, such as carbon nano-tube wire.
US10256007B2
The present invention provides a process to extract liquid dielectric coolant from the sesame oil, which is suitable for both power frequency and high frequency electrical applications. The process comprises the steps of, processing the refined, bleached and deodorised sesame seed oil with an alkali to remove the fatty acids. After processing the sesame seed oil, at step, the processed sesame seed oil is blended with a Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The blended sesame oil forms a top layer and a bottom layer within short duration of time. At step, the top layer is extracted and is water washed and filtered. At step, the top layer sesame seed oil is mixed the Tert Butyl Hydroxy Quinone solution. Finally, at step, the mixture of filtered top layer and Tert Butyl Hydroxy Quinone solution is heated to extract the liquid dielectric coolant.
US10255994B2
A system configured to reduce a frequency of alarms from a physiological monitoring system including a physiological sensor configured to detect signals representative of a physiological condition of a patient and a processor configured to receive the detected signals, determine a physiological parameter of the patient, detect an alarm condition and delay a notification of the alarm condition until a predetermined alarm delay period has elapsed.