US11140870B2

Vapor wake detection is a highly advantageous method and system for detecting explosives and other illicit substances. With vapor wake detection, a canine and a handler are used; however, unlike other detection schemes, the canine leads the handler. After the handler positions the canine in a desired location, the canine detects scents in the air that come to the canine. When the canine detects a trained scent, the canine leads the handler to or follows behind the carrier of the item with the scent. Once the carrier is identified by the handler, the proper personnel are contacted. To implement vapor wake detection effectively, specific rigorous training is utilized.
US11140859B1

A soybean cultivar designated 90120947 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 90120947, to the plants of soybean cultivar 90120947, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 90120947, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 90120947. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 90120947. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 90120947, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 90120947 with another soybean cultivar.
US11140857B1

A soybean cultivar designated 93320341 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 93320341, to the plants of soybean cultivar 93320341, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 93320341, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 93320341. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 93320341. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 93320341, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 93320341 with another soybean cultivar.
US11140849B2

A soybean cultivar designated 2200074 is disclosed. Embodiments include the seeds of soybean 2200074, the plants of soybean 2200074, to plant parts of soybean 2200074, and methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean 2200074 with itself or with another soybean variety. Embodiments include methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more genes or transgenes and the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. Embodiments also relate to soybean cultivars, breeding cultivars, plant parts, and cells derived from soybean 2200074, methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean 2200074, and the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. Embodiments further include hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing 2200074 with another soybean cultivar.
US11140848B2

A soybean cultivar designated 2163154 is disclosed. Embodiments include the seeds of soybean 2163154, the plants of soybean 2163154, to plant parts of soybean 2163154, and methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean 2163154 with itself or with another soybean variety. Embodiments include methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more genes or transgenes and the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. Embodiments also relate to soybean cultivars, breeding cultivars, plant parts, and cells derived from soybean 2163154, methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean 2163154, and the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. Embodiments further include hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing 2163154 with another soybean cultivar.
US11140844B2

A soybean cultivar designated 87140321 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 87140321, to the plants of soybean cultivar 87140321, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 87140321, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 87140321. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 87140321. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 87140321, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 87140321 with another soybean cultivar.
US11140843B2

Compositions and methods for reducing the level of nornicotine and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in Nicotiana plants and plant parts thereof are provided. The compositions comprise isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides for cytochrome P450s that are involved in the metabolic conversion of nicotine to nornicotine in these plants. Expression cassettes, vectors, plants, and plant parts thereof comprising inhibitory sequences that target expression or function of the disclosed cytochrome P450 polypeptides are also provided. Methods for the use of these novel sequences to inhibit expression or function of cytochrome P450 polypeptides involved in this metabolic conversion are also provided. The methods find use in the production of tobacco products that have reduced levels of nornicotine and its carcinogenic metabolite, NNN, and thus reduced carcinogenic potential for individuals consuming these tobacco products or exposed to secondary smoke derived from these products.
US11140835B2

A wall mounted agricultural assembly includes a first planter and a second planter below the first planter, and a water supply arrangement that includes a fluid supply delivering fluid from a fluid supply to the first and second planters and a first valve configured to allow or prevent fluid flow to the planters, and a second valve configured to prevent or allow fluid to bypass the planters.
US11140832B2

An agricultural baler including a bale chamber; a plunger; a feeder duct; and a rotor feeder unit. The rotor feeder unit includes a rotor feeder unit bottom distant from a rotor feeder forming a lower boundary of a conveying channel through the rotor feeder unit. The rotor feeder unit also includes scrapers placed in a conveying direction behind the rotor feeder. The scrapers extend in between the tines and have a leading face cooperating with the tines. The agricultural baler further includes a position adjuster configured to displace the leading face of the scrapers relative to the rotor feeder unit bottom, and to displace a top wall and/or the bottom wall of the feeder duct, in order to adjust the volume of the feeder duct.
US11140827B2

A bale accumulator for a round baler including a frame configured for being located behind the bale chamber of the round baler and a plurality of bale holders configured for receiving and temporarily holding the bales. Each bale holder is pivotally and rotatably connected to the frame such that each bale holder is configured for rolling the bales by pivoting relative to the frame and realigning the bales by rotating relative to the frame.
US11140823B2

A lawn mower robot includes an outer cover; an inner body accommodated into the outer cover to mount a plurality of wheels for traveling on both sides thereof; a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a bottom surface of the inner body to mow the grass; a plurality of support portions arranged to be spaced apart in front-rear and left-right directions on an upper portion of the inner body to movably support the outer cover in front-rear and left-right directions with respect to the inner body; and a plurality of injury preventing walls provided on a bottom surface of the inner body to prevent a user's hand from entering toward the plurality of blades from a lower portion of the outer cover, thereby preventing a user's hand or the like from entering the blades through a lower portion of the outer cover so as to improve safety.
US11140810B2

A seed firmer and bracket combination for a planter row unit. The bracket includes a forward end configured to mount to a frame member of the planter row unit. The seed firmer includes a body having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a resiliently flexible central portion. The upper portion of the seed firmer body is releasably retained between a forward surface and a back surface of the rearward end of the bracket by a rearwardly extending upper arm and lower arms that respectively engage a top edge and a bottom edge of the back surface preventing the seed firmer body from moving vertically and horizontally relative to the bracket until the upper arm is disengaged from the top edge of the back surface.
US11140809B2

An apparatus and method for estimating a germination ability of a seed includes a terahertz signal source for emitting a terahertz signal towards the seed, a detector for detecting at least part of the terahertz signal having interacted with the seed, a scanner for moving the support relative to the terahertz signal to provide a scan of the seed, a data processing device for forming an image data from the detected terahertz signal as obtained for a plurality of positions during the scan of the seed, and a decision support system for providing an estimate of the germination ability from the image data. In an embodiment, the terahertz signal source is arranged for emitting a continuous or pulse wave signal, and the detector is arranged for detecting an amplitude and a phase of the terahertz signal having interacted with the seed. A signal representing an outcome of the estimation may control a separator to separate seeds according to their estimated germination ability.
US11140808B2

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for determining the depth of a trench opened by an agricultural planter. Sensors are provided for detecting the position of a ground-engaging element of the planter such as a gauge wheel or seed firmer of a row unit of the planter. Apparatus and methods are provided for installing such sensors onto a row unit of the planter. Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for controlling downpressure on a row unit based on the trench depth. Methods are provided for mapping trench depth measured by the depth sensors.
US11140806B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus for shifting weight between a tractor and toolbar and between sections of the toolbar and for folding a toolbar between a field position and a transport position.
US11140804B2

An angle adjustable coulter wheel assembly includes a rotatable shank having a longitudinal axis defined by an upper portion of the shank. The longitudinal axis is oriented neither vertically or horizontally with respect to the ground when the assembly is mounted on a tillage apparatus. A coulter wheel rotatably mounted on the shank proximate a lower portion of the shank. An actuator rotates the upper portion of the shank about the longitudinal axis to cause the face of the coulter wheel to rotate about three orthogonal axes thereby changing orientation of the face of the coulter wheel with respect to the ground when the assembly is on the tillage apparatus. The coulter wheel assembly permits adjusting the angle of the coulter wheel in at least two planes permitting greater control over how much soil the coulter wheel disturbs during tilling.
US11140803B2

A system for rotationally driving ground engaging tools of an agricultural implement may include a rotational actuator configured to rotationally drive a ground engaging tool of the implement about a rotational axis. A controller may be configured to determine a current ground speed of the implement based on data received from a sensor. Moreover, the controller may be further configured to determine a rotational output for the rotational actuator based on the current ground speed of the implement such that the tool rotates at a predetermined rotational speed relative to soil within a field. In addition, the controller may be configured to control the operation of the rotational actuator such that the actuator provides the determined rotational output to the tool while the tool is disposed at a working position relative to a soil surface of the field.
US11140802B2

There is provided soil loosening and furrower assemblies and a bed renovator therefor. The soil loosening assembly comprises a blade assembly and wherein the blade assembly is horizontally pitched such that, when drawn beneath a soil surface at a fixed depth, the horizontally pitched blade assembly severs rootstock at the level of the blade assembly while retaining the rootstock substantially in place and loosens soil above the level of the blade assembly without substantial soil inversion. The furrower assembly comprises side plates extending rearwardly from a forward prow edge, wherein the side plates are approximately 25-45° with respect to the horizontal axis; and bottom edges of the side plates are approximately 20-40° with respect to a direction-of-travel axis.
US11147197B2

Embodiments may relate to a material to provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection in an electrical device. The material may include first and second electrically-conductive carbon allotropes. The material may further include an electrically-conductive polymer that is chemically bonded to the first and second electrically-conductive carbon allotropes such that an electrical signal may pass between the first and second electrically-conductive carbon allotropes. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.
US11147195B2

A Faraday enclosure apparatus and method for manufacturing same are disclosure. The enclosure may comprise one or more sewn seam portions constructed to prevent signal leakage through stitch apertures in the seam. A vestibule section facilitates signal-shielded movement of electronic devices between the ambient environment and the main cavity of the enclosure. A connector filter may be mounted to extend through a wall of the enclosure to manage wired power and signal communications entering and exiting the main cavity of the enclosure. Foldable side walls facilitate the collapsibility of the enclosure for compact transport and storage.
US11147194B2

A housing device for isolating electromagnetic interference emitting devices includes a structural frame. The structural frame of the housing device is for housing the electromagnetic interference emitting devices. The housing device further includes an electromagnetic interference isolating enclosure. The electromagnetic interference isolating enclosure of the housing device is non-structural. The electromagnetic interference isolating enclosure of the housing device is for encapsulating the structural frame.
US11147176B1

A protective cover assembly and a protected electronic device are provided. The protective cover assembly for example includes: a silicone base, having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface; a patterned double-sided adhesive layer, attached onto the inner surface of the silicone base; and a releasable protective paper, attached onto a side of the patterned double-sided adhesive layer facing away from the inner surface of the silicone base and thereby the patterned double-sided adhesive layer is sandwiched between the silicone base and the releasable protective paper. The protective cover assembly can be applied for protecting a keypad and/or display part of an electronic device to thereby make the protected electronic device gain a liquid sealing and corrosion-resistant performance and the service life is prolonged consequently.
US11147172B2

A display device includes an array substrate and two electronic ink layers. The array substrate includes two active regions and a folding region that connects these two active regions. The two active regions are located at two opposite sides of the folding region. The two electronic ink layers are respectively located on the two active regions. The folding region of the array substrate is located below a gap between the two electronic ink layers. When the display device is at an unfolded state, two edges of the two electronic ink layers are adjacent to each other. When the display device is at a folded state, the two electronic ink layers are located between the two active regions of the array substrate.
US11147171B2

An electronic apparatus according to example embodiments may include a flexible display, a frame part configured to support the flexible display, and a rear cover attached to an outer surface of the frame part to cover at least a portion of the frame part, wherein the rear cover is disposed to be detachable from the frame part based on an electrical signal. Other various embodiments are also possible.
US11147170B2

A display panel and a display device are provided. The display panel includes a flexible screen body having a first region and a second region. The second region has a bending transitional region coplanar with the first region, a bending region, and an extending region connected in sequence. The first region is connected to the bending region through the bending transitional region and is at least a part of an active region. The bending region and the extending region are at least a part of a non-active region and not coplanar with the first region. The bending transitional region is another part of the active region or another part of the non-active region. The display panel further includes a buffer layer disposed on surfaces of the bending transitional region and the bending region at a stress concentration side thereof. At least two sections of the buffer layer have different hardnesses.
US11147163B2

A semiconductor module unit includes a semiconductor module, and a control board that includes a driver circuit configured to output drive signals to the semiconductor module and controls the semiconductor module. The control board includes a main board, a sub board that is separated from the main board and on which the driver circuit is mounted, and a flexible board that has flexibility and electrically connects the main board and the sub board. The sub board includes a fitting part that is fitted in a fitted part of the semiconductor module. The semiconductor module is electrically connected to the driver circuit in a state where the fitting part is fitted in the fitted part.
US11147160B2

Disclosed herein are a circuit board and a method of fabricating the same. The circuit board includes: a base substrate having a device mount area defined thereon; a first wiring pattern formed on a first surface of the base substrate; a dummy pattern formed on the base substrate, wherein at least a part of the device mount area is filled with the dummy pattern; a first protective layer covering the first wiring pattern and the dummy pattern; and a lead pattern formed on the first protective layer, wherein the lead pattern is extended to the device mount area.
US11147151B2

A rotary anode driving device includes a DC power supply, an inverter circuit which is connected to the DC power supply and includes a plurality of switching elements and, the inverter circuit generates an AC voltage from a DC voltage of the DC power supply, and outputs the AC voltage to a stator coil which generates a rotating magnetic field of an X-ray tube; a pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform generator configured to generate an AC voltage of two phases or three phases as the AC voltage from the DC voltage by performing PWM control of the switching elements of the inverter circuit; and a capacitor connected in series to an input side of a stator coil of at least one phase of the stator coil, the capacitor having an electrostatic capacitance constituting a series resonant circuit with the stator coil to which the capacitor is connected.
US11147146B2

A lighting fixture that provides an illumination light includes a wireless signal repeater configured to receive an input wireless signal and to transmit an output wireless signal that corresponds to the input wireless signal. The lighting fixture further includes an occupancy sensor configured to monitor a space and to output occupancy detection information indicating whether the space is occupied. The wireless signal repeater is configured to operate based on the occupancy detection information.
US11147145B2

A system for implementing a factory reset of a luminaire. The system comprises a luminaire; and a user device, the user device being configured to transmit, to the luminaire via a first communication medium, a message for triggering onset of a factory reset time-out period of the luminaire. The luminaire is configured to receive, the message for triggering the onset of the factory reset time-out period of the luminaire. The user device is further configured to transmit, to the luminaire via a second, different communication medium, a command comprising a factory reset code, FRC, for triggering a factory reset of the luminaire. The luminaire is further configured to: receive the command comprising the FRC, and implement a factory reset of the luminaire if the command comprising the FRC is received from the user device within the factory reset time-out period.
US11147138B2

A power supply system for a lighting unit, comprises a driver, a local energy storage device and a converter. The converter implements a first, charging mode, mode by connecting to the output of said driver for diverting at least a part of the driving current from the lighting unit to charge the energy storage device, a second, battery driving, mode by connecting to the lighting unit for converting the local energy storage device power supply to drive the lighting unit, and a third, grid driving, mode to neither charge the energy storage device nor convert the secondary power supply. The converter and the driver are controlled actively and synchronously to maintain the current through the lighting unit when switching the converter between modes.
US11147134B2

A multi-track illumination content editing system allows creation or alteration of content using multiple input tracks representing illumination or other electromagnetic emissions and auxiliary content representing presentations other than electronic emissions, e.g., images, audio, or video. The editing system may particularly perform mixed media editing that manipulates both illumination and auxiliary content so that output illumination or auxiliary tracks depend on both illumination and auxiliary input tracks.
US11147129B2

Systems and methods to improve an industrial heater are disclosed. The heater comprises a horizontal cylinder oriented parallel to the ground and may encase an interior recess running the length of the heater. The heater may be divided into a plurality of sections or zones. One or more mid-rings may support the structure of the heater, and may be disposed at the intersections of adjacent sections or zones. A plurality of interior boards and/or insulation layers may line the interior façade, and may be configured to overlap each other and/or interlock together. The interlocking structure may be absent of any gap or space to prevent heat loss from the interior recess. One or more heat strips may be configured in a sinusoidal pattern. The strips may be mirrored on the opposite side of the interior recess, and may be configured to elongate in the direction opposite of gravity.
US11147128B2

An atomizer includes an external sleeve and a heating assembly. The external sleeve defines an air intake hole. The heating assembly is received in the external sleeve. The heating assembly includes a tobacco holder and a heating member for heating the tobacco holder, the tobacco holder defines an atomizing chamber for filling fuming material, the tobacco holder defines a ventilation hole which fluidly communicates with the atomizing chamber. A spiral air intake passage is formed outside the tobacco holder and surrounds the tobacco holder, both the air intake hole and the ventilation hole fluidly communicate with the air intake passage, the tobacco holder and/or the heating member possesses a heating effect to the air intake passage. The tobacco holder and the air flow flowing through the spiral air intake passage can be heated at the same time.
US11147127B2

A device (100, 200, 1100, 2100) converts electricity into heat. A first flat winding support (110, 130, 210a, 210b, 230a, 230b, 310a, 310b, 330a, 330b, 510, 610, 630, 710, 1110, 1130, 2110, 2130) including electrically insulating material, has a first electric heating element (140, 150, 240a, 240b, 250a, 250b, 340a, 340b, 350a, 350b, 540, 640, 650, 740, 750) wound thereon. The first flat winding support with wound first electric heating element is inserted into a housing (190, 290, 1190, 2190) electrically insulated against the housing. A second flat winding support, including electrically insulating material, has a second electric heating element (140, 150, 240a, 240b, 250a, 250b, 340a, 340b, 350a, 350b, 540, 640, 650, 740, 750), which is galvanically separated from the first electric heating element, wound thereon. The second flat winding support with wound second electric heating element is inserted into the housing electrically insulated against the housing.
US11147121B2

A method and system for processing signaling release indication cause between user equipment and a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring, at the user equipment, whether a signaling connection release indication should be sent to the wireless network; appending, at the user equipment, a cause for the signaling connection release indication to the signaling connection release indication; sending the appended signaling connection release indication to the wireless network; receiving the signaling connection release indication at the wireless network; and filtering said cause to determine whether to raise an alarm.
US11147117B2

Various examples and schemes pertaining to timing advance validation for transmission in preconfigured uplink resources in narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) are described. When in a first mode, an apparatus (e.g., a user equipment) receives a plurality of different values for a time alignment timer (TAT) from a network before entering a second mode from the first mode. When in the second mode, the apparatus selects one of the plurality of values to apply to the TAT and also starts the TAT to count. When there is data for uplink transmission while the apparatus is still in the second mode, the apparatus performs an early data transmission in an event that a timing advance (TA) value is valid and that the apparatus is in the same serving cell as it was before entering the second mode.
US11147115B2

Provided is a method for performing measurement by a user equipment (UE). The method may include receiving, by the UE, configuration information on a measurement gap. The UE may be configured with a dual connectivity (DC) to an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) cell and a new radio access technology (NR) cell. The configuration information on the measurement gap may include a measurement gap length (MGL). The MGL may include one of 3 ms, 4 ms and 6 ms. The method may include determining a total number of slots to be interrupted during the MGL, and performing the measurement during the MGL. The total number of slots to be interrupted may be determined based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the NR cell and the MGL.
US11147114B2

A first base station (BS) connects to a communication device via a first cell, and transmits a Secondary Node (SN) Addition Request message to a second BS, to configure the second BS as a SN for the communication device in a dual connectivity (DC); the second BS transmits a SN Addition Request Acknowledge message comprising a first radio resource control (RRC) message to the first BS, wherein the first RRC message configures a second cell and comprises a first random access channel (RACH) configuration, the first RACH configuration configures at least one first RACH resource, and the first RRC message configures a first association configuration associating the at least one first RACH resource with a first synchronization signal block or a first channel state information reference signal transmitted via the second cell; the second BS communicating with the communication device via the second cell according to the first RRC message.
US11147099B2

Wireless communications systems and methods related to communications in a network are provided. A first wireless communication device communicates, with a second wireless communication device in a first frequency band, a first downlink (DL) communication signal indicating information associated with a transmission opportunity (TXOP) in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. The first wireless communication device communicates, with the second wireless communication device in the second frequency band based on the first DL communication signal, a second DL communication signal during the TXOP.
US11147098B2

The present disclosure relates to an electronic apparatus, a wireless communication device, and a wireless communication method. According to an embodiment, the electronic device for a base station side comprises a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to: perform control to perform, on a beam corresponding to a user equipment, channel detection on a target channel, the channel detection being based on a specific beam direction; and determine the access to the target channel according the channel detection result.
US11147095B2

This disclosure provides techniques for reducing waste of user equipment (UE) resources caused in transmission of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) when a UE conducts searching for downlink control information (DCI) outside of a PUSCH transmission. This disclosure defines a first search space on the basis of an existing second search space that was used to receive DCI information to schedule a PUSCH. The first search space can be used to obtain a DCI having an ACK feedback. This disclosure provides systems and methods for determining the location of the first search space to receive a second DCI having ACK feedback during a PUSCH repetitive transmission and whether the second search space should be used for the second DCI instead. Outside of the PUSCH transmission, the UE receives DCI in the second search space, decreasing the unnecessary searching of DCI and increasing network efficiency.
US11147090B2

A method including receiving one or more data packets wirelessly in one or more downlink transmission opportunities on one or more radio carriers, receiving scheduling information including an indication of uplink control information to be transmitted related to at least one of the one or more data packets, and causing wireless transmission of the uplink control information in an uplink transmission opportunity.
US11147076B2

This application discloses an information sending method. The method includes: generating, by a network device, control information, where the control information includes first indication information, second indication information, and third indication information, the first indication information is used to indicate a plurality of channel state information-reference signal CSI-RS resources, the second indication information is used to indicate at least one piece of the following information: beam index information of the plurality of CSI-RS resources that is sent by the network device, beam index information of the plurality of CSI-RS resources that is received by a terminal device, or beam pair information corresponding to the network device and the terminal, and the third indication information is used to indicate a measurement method of the plurality of CSI-RS resources; and sending, by the network device, the control information to the terminal device.
US11147066B2

A method performed by a wireless device in a wireless communication system, the method including detecting a first subframe, wherein the first subframe includes a first slot and a second slot, and wherein orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the first slot are not occupied, detecting a second subframe, wherein the second subframe a next subframe of the first subframe, and wherein all OFDM symbols in the second subframe are occupied and receiving a downlink signal from a network on an unlicensed carrier via at least one of the first subframe and the second subframe.
US11147063B2

The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond a 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method for a terminal may include: identifying a reference subcarrier spacing value; receiving random access channel (RACH) configuration information; determining a resource to be used for transmitting a random access preamble based on the RACH configuration information and the reference subcarrier spacing value; and transmitting the random access preamble using the determined resource.
US11147054B2

A mobile communications system is proposed in which mobile communications devices are arranged to transmit signals to and to receive signals from a base station using one or a subset of available sub-bands, with the base station being configured to move the mobile communications devices between the sub-bands. An anchor sub-band is also provided on which idle mobile communications devices camp until they are moved to one or more other sub-bands in addition to or instead of the anchor sub-band.
US11147053B2

A wireless transmission system included at least one user equipment and a base station. The base station is operable to form a downlink control information block, modulate the downlink control information, precode the modulated downlink control information, and transmit the precoded, modulated downlink control information on at least one demodulation reference signal antenna port to the at least one user equipment. The precoded, modulated downlink control information is mapped to a set of N1 physical resource block pairs in a subframe from an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol T1 to and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing symbol T2.
US11147045B2

A wireless communication device may receive with one of N antennas a signal processing message indicating a number up to N signals to process. Each of the N antennas may used to receive a communication. The indicated number of up to N signals may be processed and data from the indicated number of up to N signals recovered.
US11147044B2

Disclosed are a V2X (vehicle-to-everything) transmission resource selecting method implemented by a terminal in a wireless communication system and a terminal using the method. The method is characterized by: receiving type information for indicating the type of a resource pool; and executing a resource selection, on the basis of partial sensing, and/or a random selection from the resource pool on the basis of the type information.
US11147041B2

Facilitating device contexts, operational modes, and policy driven enhancements for paging in advanced networks (e.g., 4G, 5G, 6G, and beyond) is provided herein. Operations of a network device can comprise analyzing a group of contextual data for a user equipment device, and mobility management behaviors historically implemented for the user equipment device and based on an indication that a page request is scheduled to be sent to the user equipment device. The operations can also comprise configuring a paging message for the user equipment device based on the contextual data and the mobility management behaviors. Further, the operations can comprise sending the paging message to the user equipment device.
US11147037B2

According to some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device for receiving paging information comprises receiving a paging message from a network node. The paging message includes a paging indicator associated with a plurality of wireless devices (e.g., group paging message). The method further comprises determining the wireless device is associated with the paging indicator, transmitting a random access request message to the network node, and receiving a random access response message from the network node. The random access response message is associated with a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI). The method further comprises determining, based on the RNTI, that the random access response includes additional paging information for the wireless device, and decoding the random access response.
US11147035B2

Methods, computer programs, and apparatuses for a command center and a transportation vehicle, a transportation vehicle and command center. The method for a command center to teleoperate a transportation vehicle includes receiving input data from the transportation vehicle, estimating a current uplink delay based on the input data from the transportation vehicle, determining an estimated downlink and uplink delay based on the input data and the estimated current uplink delay, and determining control information for the transportation vehicle which at least partly compensates the estimated downlink and uplink delay. The method also includes transmitting information related to the control information to the transportation vehicle.
US11147033B2

A timing advance determining method and a device are provided. In the method, a network device determines, based on a correspondence between a parameter set and a TA granularity, TA information used by a terminal on an occupied frequency domain resource, where the parameter set includes a subcarrier spacing and a cyclic prefix type of a symbol; the network device sends the TA information to the terminal; and the terminal determines, based on the correspondence between a parameter set and a TA granularity, a TA granularity corresponding to the frequency domain resource occupied by the terminal, and determines, based on the TA granularity and the TA information, a TA value used by the terminal on the occupied frequency domain resource.
US11147030B2

Embodiments of this application disclose power control method, a terminal device, and a network device. The method includes: determining, by a terminal device, a first downlink reference signal (DL RS) resource group corresponding to a first bandwidth part (BWP), where the first DL RS resource group includes at least one DL RS resource; and determining, by the terminal device according to a signal corresponding to the at least DL RS resource in the first DL RS resource group, a path loss value used to calculate a transmit power for to-be-transmitted uplink data. The method, the terminal device, and the network device of the embodiments of this application help to improve system performance.
US11147013B2

A method for wireless communication, applied to a terminal device connecting with a first network and a second network, includes reducing, by the terminal device when an uplink duty cycle of the second network is greater than a maximum uplink duty cycle of the second network, at least one of a power class of the first network and the second network or the uplink duty cycle of the second network. The uplink duty cycle of the second network is a proportion of time domain resources that can be used for uplink transmission in a time unit.
US11147009B2

A User Equipment (UE) including a wireless transceiver and a controller is provided. The wireless transceiver performs wireless transmission and reception to and from a cell. The controller receives a System Information Block type1 (SIB1) comprising first configuration of a bandwidth size of an initial Downlink (DL) Bandwidth Part (BWP) from the cell via the wireless transceiver, and applies the first configuration for communication with the cell via the wireless transceiver in response to the UE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle or inactive state successfully completing a random access procedure.
US11147008B2

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. In one example, a method includes selecting between a first frequency range and a second frequency range to transmit a physical channel, the second frequency range being higher than the first frequency range, and jointly encoding at least two fields of the physical channel based at least in part on the selected frequency range. In some cases, the method includes selecting between a first frequency range and a second frequency range to transmit a physical channel. In some cases, the second frequency range is higher than the first frequency range. The method may further include adjusting a quantity of bits associated with a field of the physical channel based at least in part on the selected frequency range.
US11147006B2

Techniques for establishing and controlling information sharing via a dynamic wireless mesh network for a group of vehicles comprise determining a set of communication parameters for the group of vehicles and, based on the set of communication parameters, establishing the dynamic wireless mesh network for the group of vehicles, wherein each vehicle in the group of vehicles is a node in the dynamic wireless mesh network, determining a set of routing rules for the dynamic wireless mesh network, controlling information sharing between the group of vehicles through the dynamic wireless mesh network using the set of routing rules, and selectively adjusting the set of routing rules in response to changes in the set of communication parameters.
US11147005B2

A user equipment (UE) expedites cell reselection by reselecting a neighbor cell prior to call setup. In one instance, the UE measures a signal quality of a serving cell and a signal quality of the neighbor cell. The UE starts a reselection timer for reselecting the neighbor cell based on the measured signal quality of the serving cell and the measured signal quality of the neighbor cell. The UE reselects the neighbor cell prior to a scheduled expiration of the reselection timer.
US11147001B2

The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, a device of a terminal in a wireless communication system can include at least one transceiver and at least one processor operationally coupled with at least one transceiver. At least one processor can receive configuration information from a first network node for a first radio access technology (RAT), measure a first quality for a first signal of the first RAT and a second quality for a second signal of a second RAT on the basis of the received configuration information, and determine, whether a handover to a second network for the second RAT is performed, on the basis of the measured first quality or the measured second quality. The configuration information can include parameters for the handover between the first RAT and the second RAT.
US11146997B2

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 an LTE. A method of a terminal according to the present invention comprises: receiving a signal from a primary cell by using a first RF chain and receiving a signal from a second cell by using a second RF chain; deactivating the secondary cell in case of receiving a message for indicating a handover from the primary cell; performing a synchronization with a target cell by using the second RF chain while transmitting and receiving a signal with the primary cell by using the first RF chain; and receiving the signal from the target cell by using the second RF chain after performing the synchronization.
US11146988B2

The embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of communications, and particularly relate to a Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) data guarantee method and device, this being used for ameliorating the problem of poor VoLTE call quality caused by poor access network quality. The method involves: a first device receiving at least one group of first data packets sent by a second device; with regard to each group of first data packets in the at least one group of first data packets, executing the operation of the first device carrying out FEC coding on M VoLTE data packets comprised in the group of first data packets to obtain N FEC redundant data packets; adding FEC group information, corresponding to each data packet, to each data packet among the M VoLTE data packets and N FEC redundant data packets; and sending, to a third device, the M VoLTE data packets and N FEC redundant data packets with the FEC group information added thereto. Thus, the VoLTE data packet loss rate of an access network is lowered, and the problem of poor VoLTE call quality, caused by poor access network transmission quality, is ameliorated.
US11146987B1

Methods and systems for controlling application of MU-MIMO service by a base station are provided. The disclosure provides for determining a base station's buffer occupancy and then, based on the determined buffer occupancy, setting a maximum limit on a quantity of UEs that the base station will concurrently provide with MU-MIMO service. For instance, a system could determine that the base station's buffer occupancy is at least predefined threshold high and, based at least on that determination, could increase the maximum limit. Or, the system could determine that the base station's buffer occupancy is at least predefined threshold low and, based at least on that determination, could decrease the maximum limit.
US11146983B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for controlling network congestion, a terminal device, and a network device, a congestion control mechanism can be performed when a state of the terminal device changes, thereby a purpose of controlling network congestion when the state of the terminal device changes is achieved. The method includes that the terminal device performs the congestion control mechanism when the state of the terminal device changes.
US11146981B2

The present invention provides a method by which a vehicle-to-X (V2X) terminal performs a V2X operation in a wireless communication system, comprising: determining a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) and a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), which are related to a specific transport block to be transmitted; and transmitting the PSCCH and the PSSCH, which are related to the transport block, wherein the PSCCH and the PSSCH are transmitted continuously during a transmission period.
US11146979B2

Disclosed is a method for a terminal to receive a downlink signal from a base station in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present invention may include: a step for acquiring a minimum CSI-RS triggering offset that is applicable to a CSI-RS for aperiodic CSI on the basis of the reception of a minimum applicable slot interval for the scheduling of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH); a step for receiving, from the base station, downlink control information (DCI) for triggering the aperiodic CSI in a first slot; and a step for receiving the CSI-RS from the base station at a point in time later than the first slot and a second slot that is set on the basis of a CSI-RS triggering offset larger than or equal to the minimum applicable CSI-RS triggering offset.
US11146970B1

A method for spectrum sensing for cognitive radio includes performing a process of local spectrum sensing using receive beamforming and energy detection at each of a plurality of secondary users included in a cognitive radio network, wherein the process of local spectrum sensing decides between two hypotheses corresponding to absence and presence of a primary user, the two hypotheses being formulated using a primary user signal, a plurality of co-channel interferences, and sensing noise, the primary user signal, the plurality of co-channel interferences, and the sensing noise being received at each of the plurality of secondary users, and a set of beamforming weights of the receive beamforming is determined by optimizing a probability of detection and constraining a probability of false alarm.
US11146967B2

A communication system is for improving utilization efficiency of radio resources. The communication system includes a base station device and a plurality of terminal devices that communicate with the base station device. The base station device includes a first control unit that assigns radio resources including at least one or more resource blocks to at least one of the plurality of terminal devices. The at least one of the plurality of terminal devices comprises a second control unit that transmits transmission data by using at least some of the radio resources assigned to the at least one of the plurality of terminal devices.
US11146958B2

An electronic device according to one embodiment comprises: a housing; a wireless communication circuit located in the housing, and supporting a wireless protocol so as to wirelessly connect to one of a plurality of APs using the same first credential information at one time point; a processor located in the housing and electrically connected to the communication circuit; and a memory located in the housing and electrically connected to the processor. The electronic device receives, from a first AP, a list of first channels at least partially associated with at least one second AP having a coverage overlapping a coverage of the first AP and a list of second channels associated with at least one third AP that does not have a coverage overlapping the coverage of the first AP through the wireless communication circuit, wherein the first AP, the at least one second AP, and the at least one third AP use the identical first credential information.
US11146957B2

A communication adapter for collecting various kinds of information from a water-heating system and providing the information to an administration center via a wireless LAN router functions as an access point for providing a direct wireless communication with a smartphone; in response to a request from the smartphone via the direct wireless communication, it provides pairing authentication information to the smartphone; in response to a request from the smartphone, it initializes the wireless LAN connection information for the wireless LAN router to disconnect the wireless link to the wireless LAN router; and, when the wireless LAN connection information is set by its WPS function, it establishes a wireless link to the wireless LAN router and transmits the pairing authentication information to the administration center via the wireless LAN router.
US11146953B2

An electronic device used for unlocking a locking device is disclosed. The electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention may comprise: a communication module for transmitting an unlock signal; and a processor which performs authentication with respect to a user so as to unlock a locking device, changes, after the user is authenticated, a valid time configured for a first key selected among one or more keys registered on an application, and transmits the unlock signal, including information on the changed valid time and information on the first key, via the communication module. Other various embodiments are also possible.
US11146952B2

The method includes: receiving, by a first member device, a second EAPOL-MKA packet sent by a second member device; determining, by the first member device, a first cipher suite, and determining a first secure association key SAK corresponding to the first cipher suite; and sending, by the first member device, the first cipher suite and the first SAK to the second member device in CA. Based on the foregoing technical solution, a device in the CA may determine a cipher suite and a secure association key corresponding to the cipher suite that are used for MACsec secure data transmission. In addition, all devices in the CA support the determined cipher suite. In this way, a problem that the cipher suite needs to be re-determined because one or more devices do not support the cipher suite determined by the first device can be avoided.
US11146950B2

A method for consigning a function of an electrical device includes: a) receiving a request to consign a function implemented by a sub-assembly of the electrical device, the request being transmitted by a client terminal connected to the control unit via a short-range communication link; b) generating a digital key including a unique identifier; c) storing one copy of the generated key in a memory of the control unit and sending another copy of the generated key to the client terminal that transmitted the request; d) consigning the function so as to prevent this function of the device from being used by the control unit as long as the consignation is active.
US11146946B2

A presence server in a network can receive capability information about a UE in a publish message, and make that capability information available to other UEs on the network. When the UE later deregisters from the network, the UE can send an unpublish message. However, the presence server can at least partially disregard the unpublish message and continue to make the capability information about the UE available to other UEs. The presence server can also filter capability information of one or more target UEs provided to a watcher UE based on a registration status of a target UE, capabilities of the watcher UE, and/or whether a set of target UEs associated with a single user share certain capabilities.
US11146940B2

A device is configured to perform a method of device-to-device (D2D) communication in a wireless communication network in accordance with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. The method includes entering an RRC-Idle state or an RRC-Connected state. The method also includes transmitting, in the RRC-Idle state or RRC-Connected state, a D2D discovery signal for receipt by at least one second device in the network. The method further includes receiving, in the RRC-Idle state or RRC-Connected state, at least one D2D discovery signal from the at least one second device in the network.
US11146934B2

A system includes a first transceiver and a controller circuit. The first transceiver is configured to transmit first radio frequency (RF) signals. The first transceiver is further configured to output the first RF signals at a first transmission level corresponding to a first transmission range. The controller circuit is communicatively coupled with the first transceiver. The controller circuit is configured to attenuate the first RF signals to transfer the first RF signals at a second transmission level lower than the first transmission level. The second transmission level corresponds to a shorter transmission range than the first transmission range. The controller circuit detects a presence of at least one second transceiver within the shorter transmission range using the first RF signals transmitted at the second transmission level.
US11146923B1

A method and system for enabling MMS message delivery to a recipient device. An MMSC receives and stores MMS message content to be delivered to the recipient device, and the MMSC responsively sends to the recipient device an MMS-notification message carrying an address of the MMS message content stored at the MMSC and then receives a reply indicating that the recipient device received the MMS-notification message. The MMSC then detects that, after the MMSC received the reply, (i) at least a predefined threshold amount of time has passed and (ii) the MMSC has not yet received from the recipient device a request to download the MMS message content. And responsive to at least the detecting, the MMSC then sends to the recipient device a data-service-trigger message that triggers turning on data service of the recipient device, thus enabling MMS-message delivery to the recipient device.
US11146910B2

A communication technique of fusing a fifth generation (5G) communication for supporting higher data transmission rate beyond a fourth generation (4G) system with an Internet of things (IoT) technology and a system thereof is provided. The technique may be applied to an intelligent service (smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, health care, digital education, retail business, security and safety related service, or the like) based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT related technology. A method is provided for effectively managing a registration state for a terminal in a 5G core network such as an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a situation of accessing a 5G network via a non-3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access.
US11146902B2

A device may receive a request to initiate an audio test and may generate, based on the request, one or more instructions to control a bone transducer device and a microphone device. The device may send the one or more instructions to a control device and may receive, after sending the one or more instructions, audio data from the control device. The device may process the audio data to determine whether the audio data includes an otoacoustic emission (OAE) and may cause at least one action to be performed based on determining whether the OAE is included in the audio data.
US11146888B2

A signal processing apparatus and a signal processing method are provided. In a case where an HS microphone detection circuit has just detected connection of a microphone contact point, an input and output IF blocks a sound signal which is input from the microphone contact point from a first input port of a sound processing apparatus for two seconds by an HS mute circuit. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an improper sound signal from the microphone contact point from being output from a left speaker and a right speaker of a headset through a right output port Rout and a left output port Lout of the sound processing apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unpleasant noise caused by the improper sound signal from being output to a user.
US11146884B2

A transducer apparatus to provide high speech-intelligibility in a noisy environment. The transducer apparatus comprises a vibration-sensing transducer adapted to be placed on the non-honey and non-cartilaginous, i.e., fleshy, part of the head of the user—either on the all-flesh part of the cheek or all-flesh under chin. The vibrations sensed are vibrations arising from the user's voice in his mouth and conducted to the surface of the fleshy area of the users cheek or under-chin, and not by bone vibration. The embodiments of the invention include its application into headsets, earsets and helmets; and a switching means; and a means to realize a vibration transducer from an acoustical microphone.
US11146883B2

An ear-hook earphone with detachable microphone support includes an earphone body, a microphone support and an ear hook. The earphone body includes a housing assembly, a speaker unit, a first connection member and a second connection member, the housing assembly accommodates the speaker unit, the first connection member and the second connection member. The microphone support includes a plug, and the plug is detachably inserted into the first connection member. The ear hook includes a docking end and a flexible hook part connected to the docking end, and the docking end is detachably inserted into the second connection member.
US11146882B2

An earphone including an audio play portion, a body where a printed circuit board, a plug, and a socket are installed, and a connecting wire. The plug, the socket, and the connecting wire are in electrical connection with the printed circuit board. The plug is configured to be adapted to a lightning interface integrated with an audio output and a power input, and the audio play portion and the socket are in electrical connection with the plug and capable of work simultaneously and being respectively configured to play music and charge when the plug is inserted into the lightning interface. The earphone utilizes the plug to be adapted to the lightning interface integrated with the audio output and the power input.
US11146879B2

The present disclosure provides an ear cap and an earphone including a housing and the ear cap. The housing includes a body and a connecting rod protruding from the body. The ear cap includes a cap body and a connecting member arranged in the cap body. The cap body includes a first end surface and a second end surface arranged opposite to each other. The first end surface includes a first outer edge, and the second end surface includes a second outer edge, where the distance between each point of a projection of the first outer edge on a reference plane and the second outer edge is different, where the reference plane includes a plane on which the second outer edge is located. The hardness of the connecting member is greater than that of the cap body. The connecting member is capable of being detachably connected to the connecting rod.
US11146877B2

A sound output device includes a sound generating portion that generates a sound, a sound guiding portion that takes in the sound generated in the sound generating portion from one end, and a holding portion that holds the sound guiding portion in the vicinity of the other end. The holding portion is engaged with an intertragic notch, and supports the sound guiding portion such that a sound output hole of the other end of the sound guiding portion to face a depth side of an ear canal. Even in a state where the listener wears the sound output device, the sound output device does not block an ear cavity of the listener, and the listener can listen to the ambient sound.
US11146854B2

A method for playing a video and an electronic device. The method includes: establishing a player adapter, playing a live video stream by a root controller of a first scaled page by using the player adapter; receiving a trigger operation for playing the live video frame on a second scaled page; switching a playing page of the live video stream from the first scaled page to the second scaled page; transmitting the player adapter as a pull stream subject to the second scaled page; and playing the live video stream by a window controller of the second scaled page by using the player adapter for switching the live video stream from the first scaled page to the second scaled page.
US11146850B2

Described herein are techniques and mechanisms for providing a lean private copy of media content. According to various embodiments, a private copy of a media content item may be made specific to a user account. For example, to use a private copy of a media content item to present that media content item, a client machine may need to first perform operations such as account authentication, content licensing, and device-based DRM. The private copy of the media content item may be significantly deduplicated such that the actual size on disk of the private copy is small relative to the size of the uncompressed media content item. The private copy of the media content item may include reference information which maps the user account associated with the copy to data files associated with the recording.
US11146849B2

A provider transmits instructions to a receiver to record multiple instances of content. The instances of content are included in the same frequency band of a broadcast signal transmitted via a first communication link and encoded utilizing a common encryption. The provider determines to supplement and transmits an instruction to record a supplemental instance of content from a second content provider via a second communication link. The receiver receives the instructions and accordingly receives, decodes, and stores the multiple instances of content and the supplemental content. A recorder in communication with the receiver determines whether a content selection is a member of a content group. The group determination is based on a tag of the content selection. If the content selection is a member of the content group, the recorder presents to a display device the content selection and at least one other member of the content group.
US11146847B1

Disclosed are some implementations of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products for customizing and dynamically generating overlay graphical user interfaces (GUIs) within the context of a video streaming environment.
US11146846B2

A remote controller of an image processing apparatus includes: a touch screen which displays an input menu; a menu processor which processes the touch screen to display respective input menus corresponding to at least two modes among a control mode of the image processing apparatus, a character input mode and a handwriting mode; and a controller which controls the menu processor to display the input menu of the mode corresponding to a selection signal when the selection signal for the mode is received.
US11146842B2

A commercial television-interfacing dongle and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a wireless transceiver is located within a housing, which also interconnectively includes a television input, television output, a processor, memory, a control interface, and a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The control interface and the USB interface connect to the commercial television. The commercial television interfacing dongle may establish a pairing with a proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device having a display and receive and process virtual remote control functionality input instructions from the proximate wireless-enabled interactive programmable device. Following receipt and processing of the virtual remote control functionality input instructions, the commercial television-interfacing dongle sends a command to the commercial television via a commercial television control protocol.
US11146840B2

Provided is a method of registering a code set of a control target device using a set top box, the method including receiving a manual setting start request message, which is a message requesting a start of manual setting, from the set top box; selecting one of at least two manufacturers displayed on the control target device and providing information on the selected manufacturer to the set top box; providing a total index corresponding to the selected manufacturer requested by the set top box to the set top box; checking whether the control target device is remotely controlled by transmitting a control code constituting a code set corresponding to an index displayed on the control target device to the control target device; and registering the code set as a code set for remotely controlling the control target device when the control target device is remotely controlled.
US11146836B1

Methods and systems for improved detection of audio transmissions are provided. In one embodiment, a method is provided that includes receiving an audio signal containing an audio transmission. The audio transmission may contain a predetermined portion that was initially generated based on an expected sequence of complex-valued signals. A real portion of the expected sequence of complex-valued signals may be compared to the received audio signal to identify a first portion of the received audio signal. A complex portion of the expected sequence may be compared to portions of the received audio signal near the first portion of the received audio signal to identify a second portion of the received audio signal. An arrival time of the audio transmission may be determined based on the second portion of the received audio signal.
US11146831B2

A set-top box with an interactive portal and system and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the set-top box, the set-top box is deployed to provide an interactive portal in a hospitality establishment having multiple rooms, such as a hotel. The set-top box is associated with a room and includes a housing that secures a television input, a television output, a processor, a transceiver, and memory therein in an interconnected bus architecture. The set-top box generates a guest interactive portal as well as a housekeeping interactive portal for a guest and housekeeper, respectively. Each of the portals provides relevant feedback on the condition of the room to a server associated with the hotel.
US11146827B2

A system and method of reducing blocking artifacts and providing enhanced coding efficiency based, as least in part, upon evaluation of relative smoothness of signals at a coding boundary. In some embodiments, a boundary threshold difference can be established beyond which it is determined that the difference is representative of a natural or intended boundary and filtering can be applied to those boundaries having differences below the boundary threshold difference. In some further embodiments, the ramps of the signal across the boundary can be evaluated to determine whether weak or strong filtering might be appropriate. In some further embodiments, weak filtering can be performed that reduces blocking artifacts, improves coding efficiency, but does not distort ramp signals across the boundary.
US11146811B2

An encoder includes memory and circuitry. The circuitry: derives a first motion vector in a unit of a prediction block using a first inter frame prediction mode that uses a degree of matching between two reconstructed images of two regions in two difference pictures, the prediction block being obtained by splitting an image included in a video; and performs, in the unit of the prediction block, a first motion compensation process that generates a prediction image by referring to a spatial gradient of luminance in an image generated by performing motion compensation using the first motion vector derived.
US11146801B1

A method, computer program, and computer system is provided for encoding video data. Data corresponding to a video frame is received. One or more luma and chroma samples from are identified from the received image data. Two or more linear models are determined from the identified luma and chroma samples. The luma and chroma samples are classified into a number of categories corresponding to a number of linear models, and each category has one or more corresponding linear model parameters signaled to the bitstream.
US11146798B2

Picture coding and decoding methods, an encoder, a decoder and a storage medium are provided. The encoder, before performing coding processing according to a matrix-based intra prediction (MIP) mode, sets initial right shift parameters corresponding to different sizes and different MIP mode numbers as an uniform offset parameter, the offset parameter indicating a number of right shifting bits of a predicted value, and when performing coding processing according to the MIP mode, performs coding processing according to the offset parameter. The decoder, before performing decoding processing according to an MIP mode, sets initial right shift parameters corresponding to different sizes and different MIP mode numbers as an uniform offset parameter, the offset parameter indicating a number of right shifting bits of a predicted value, and when performing decoding processing according to the MIP mode, performs decoding processing according to the offset parameter.
US11146796B2

A method for inter-coding video is provided in which transmission bandwidth requirements associated with second motion vectors for bi-directional temporal prediction is reduced. In the method motion vector information for only one of the two motion vectors for bi-directional temporal prediction can be transmitted together with information on how to derive or construct the second motion vector. Thus, rather than sending express information regarding two motion vectors, express information related to only one motion vector along with information related to reconstruction/derivation of the second motion vector is transmitted, thus reducing bandwidth requirements and increasing coding efficiency.
US11146792B2

A sequence of digital images is encoded into a bitstream, at least one portion of an image being encoded by motion compensation with respect to a reference image portion. A target number of motion information predictors is obtained. Using the target number a set of motion information predictors is generated having controlled diversity. A motion information predictor for the image portion to encode is selected from the generated set of motion information predictors. The target number is signaled in the bitstream, together with information relating to the selected motion information predictor.
US11146788B2

An example method of coding video data includes coding, from a coded video bitstream, a syntax element that indicates whether a transpose process is applied to palette indices of a palette for a current block of video data; decoding, from the coded video bitstream and at a position in the coded video bitstream that is after the syntax element that indicates whether the transpose process is applied to palette indices of the palette for the current block of video data, one or more syntax elements related to delta quantization parameter (QP) and/or chroma QP offsets for the current block of video data; and decoding the current block of video data based on the palette for the current block of video data and the one or more syntax elements related to delta QP and/or chroma QP offsets for the current block of video data.
US11146786B2

A method of video processing includes maintaining tables, wherein each table includes a set of motion candidates and each motion candidate is associated with corresponding motion information; and performing a conversion between a first video block and a bitstream representation of a video including the first video block based on at least some of tables, the performing including checking motion candidates in a table in an order defined in a rule until a checking termination criteria is met.
US11146785B2

A method of video decoding includes maintaining a number of tables, wherein each table includes a set of motion candidates, wherein each motion candidate is associated with corresponding motion information derived from previously video blocks, performing a conversion between a video block and a coded representation of the video block, and determining, based on a conversion condition of the video block, whether to update at least one of the tables by adding motion information corresponding to the video block.
US11146775B2

Methods and apparatus for dimensioning an object by enlisting proximate devices to obtain image data representative of the object from multiple perspectives are provided. An example method includes capturing, by a first image capture device, first image data representative of an object from a first perspective; determining whether a second image capture device is within proximity of the first image capture device; and when the second image capture device is within proximity of the first image capture device, sending a request to the second image capture device for second image data representative of the object from a second perspective, wherein the first image data and the second image data are combinable to form a composite representative of the object.
US11146767B2

A projection position detection device includes: a spectroscopic camera receiving light from an image pickup range including a projection image projected onto a projection target, and picking up a plurality of spectral images corresponding to different wavelengths from each other; a spectrum computation unit computing an optical spectrum of each pixel, based on the plurality of spectral images; a feature point detector detecting a feature point in the image pickup range, based on the optical spectrum of the pixel; and a projection position calculator calculating a relative position of the projection image to the feature point.
US11146766B2

An object is to provide a technology for correcting color of a projected video more suitably. In order to solve the above-described object, a configuration includes a video projector configured to display a plurality of colors in time division and project a video to be displayed, and a color corrector configured to perform color correction on a projected video from the video projector. In the configuration, the projected video projected by the video projector is imaged by an internal imaging apparatus or an external imaging apparatus connected by wire or wireless connection, and the color corrector performs the color correction on the basis of a video corresponding to time division one period of the projected video detected from the imaged image or color information of the video corresponding to N times period of time division one period.
US11146763B1

A photo filter (e.g., artistic) light field effect system comprises an eyewear device that includes a frame, a temple connected to a lateral side of the frame, and a depth-capturing camera. Execution of programming by a processor configures the photo filter light field effect system to apply a photo filter selection to: (i) a left raw image or a left processed image to create a left photo filter image, and (ii) a right raw image or a right processed image to create a right photo filter image. The photo filter light field effect system generates, a photo filter light field effect image with an appearance of a spatial rotation or movement, by blending together the left photo filter image and the right photo filter image based on a left image disparity map and a right image disparity map.
US11146761B2

An imaging apparatus includes: a first interpolation unit that generates luminance interpolation values at a plurality of second pixels based on luminance values at a plurality of first pixels; a select unit that selects the plurality of second pixels at each of which an absolute value of a difference between each of the luminance interpolation values at the plurality of second pixels generated by the first interpolation unit and the luminance value at the plurality of first pixels of the first pixels is less than or equal to a predetermined value; and a second interpolation unit that generates a color interpolation value corresponding to one color component at the predetermined first pixel based on color values at the plurality of second pixels selected by the select unit.
US11146755B2

A dashcam serving as an on-vehicle image capturing and recording apparatus includes: a cancellation processing unit configured to perform cancellation processing for reducing an electronic device sound on a sound acquired by a surrounding image/sound acquisition unit based on the characteristics of an electronic device sound acquired by an electronic device sound acquisition unit; and an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of a vehicle, in which the acquired sound of the surroundings of the vehicle and a cancel sound are temporality recorded, a recording control unit is configured to discard the cancel sound and integrate only the sound of the surroundings of the vehicle with the image and record the integrated data when the abnormality detection unit does not detect an abnormality and otherwise records the cancel sounds and the sounds of the surroundings of the vehicle along with the image as overwriting prohibited data.
US11146754B2

A system and circuit for television power state control are disclosed. In one embodiment, a power management circuit communicatively controls television or set-top box components including a signal processing circuitry, a screen, and a visual indicator. The power management circuit selectively alternates the television between three states: powered ON/operating state (first state); power standby state (second state); and no/low power state (third state). Utilized with a television in a commercial or residential application, the system and circuit are employed to provide accelerated turn-on time to receive an image for user interaction, while providing sufficient control to maintain energy power savings.
US11146751B2

A solid-state imaging element that detects address events captures high-quality images. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel array section that has a plurality of pixels including a specific pixel arranged in a two-dimensional lattice pattern. The specific pixel includes a pixel circuit and two analog-digital converters. The pixel circuit outputs two analog signals proportional to an amount of charge produced by photoelectric conversion. The analog-digital converters convert the respective two analog signals into digital signals with different resolutions.
US11146750B2

A solid-state image sensing device is of a global-shutter type and includes a vertical driving unit and an analog-to-digital (AD) converter. The vertical driving unit performs a shutter operation during a time period from when the AD converter starts an AD conversion to when the AD converter ends the AD conversion. The AD converter does not output a digital signal during a time period from when the vertical driving unit starts the shutter operation to when the vertical driving unit ends the shutter operation.
US11146748B2

An imaging device includes pixel units, a control unit, and a correction unit. The control unit causes each pixel unit to output first and second signal. The first signal is a potential of a floating diffusion held when the charge accumulated in a photoelectric conversion unit is transferred upon a transfer switch being closed. The second signal is a potential of the floating diffusion held when a reset switch is closed with the transfer switch being open. The correction unit generates, with respect to the first and second signals output by each pixel unit, the pixel signal by subtracting a correction amount from a signal intensity of the first signal. The correction amount is a product of a signal intensity of the second signal and a coefficient determined in advance in accordance with a position of each pixel unit.
US11146732B2

A control apparatus configured to control at least one of a first driver that drives an image sensor for a first image stabilization and a second driver that drives a lens for a second image stabilization includes at least one processor or circuit configured to execute a plurality of tasks including a determination task configured to determine a ratio between the first image stabilization by the first driver and the second image stabilization by the second driver, using information on a changing amount of an imageable area of an optical system including the lens relative to a unit correcting angle of the second image stabilization, and information on a correcting angle of the first image stabilization relative to a unit driving amount of the image sensor.
US11146719B2

A stereo camera system for a driver assistance system includes a first camera having a first aperture angle and a second camera having a second aperture angle, wherein the first camera produces a wide-angle camera image, the second camera produces a telephoto camera image, and the two camera images have an area of overlap. The first camera is a rolling shutter camera and the second camera is a global shutter camera. The two cameras' shutters are synchronized with one another in particular manners.
US11146717B2

A camera module for an imaging device includes a light sensing module, a control circuit, a mounting member, one or more external lens modules, and a magnetic sensing element. The control circuit sets photographic conditions for a certain external lens module according to a control signal, the control signal being prompted by the magnetic sensing element detecting the type of the external lens module by the arrangement of magnetic components therein, as detected by the magnetic sensing element. The magnetic components have configurations corresponding to the type of the external lens module and the magnetic components assist in aligning one external lens module to the body of the imaging device. The automatic detection and photographic settings applied can be disabled by a user.
US11146712B2

A method for manufacturing a camera module array, made up of at least two camera modules, each camera module including a circuit carrier, an image sensor and at least one optical element, including: mounting the image sensor on the circuit carriers; applying a protective layer to the circuit carriers, the image sensors not being covered by the protective layer or being left exposed; and mounting the optical elements on the image sensors with the aid of an injection molding process and/or embossing process.
US11146707B2

An example image formation device includes a memory to store a program, and a controller to, by executing the program, perform pre-processing for an application to be installed, acquire information on an amount of resources necessary for execution of the application, acquire information on an amount of available resources, determine whether installation of the application is possible based on the information on the amount of resources necessary to execute the application and the information on the amount of available resources, and install the application in the memory when it is determined that the application is installable.
US11146704B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a detection device, and a controller. The controller classifies, when image data representing a plurality of cut patterns each having a color is inputted, the plurality of cut patterns by putting the cut patterns having the color of a same family in a same group, according to classification information indicating a plurality of colors classified by family, places the groups of the classified cut patterns on different pages, generates a cutting line representing a contour of each cut pattern, selects the cassette from which a recording medium color of the same family as the family of the cut patterns placed has been detected by the detection device, with respect to each page, supplies the recording medium from the selected cassette, with respect to each page, and forms the generated cutting line on the recording medium, with respect to each page.
US11146691B2

Systems, methods, and software can be used to provide reminding information. In some aspect, a special event is determined to occur. In response to determining that the special event occurs, a network type currently used by a device is acquired. Historical network usage information corresponding to the network type is determined. The network type and a traffic usage situation is outputted based on the historical usage information.
US11146689B1

An audio broadcast system may include communications devices, a cloud communications platform in communication with the communications devices, and an event-driven serverless cloud computing platform in communication with the communications devices and the cloud communications platform. The event-driven serverless cloud computing platform may be configured to provision resources from the cloud communications platform to initiate telephone calls respectively for the communications devices, and simultaneously broadcast an audio stream to the communications devices respectively via the telephone calls.
US11146687B2

It is disclosed a method to operate a desktop telephone (400) with Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity in a business social real-time collaboration environment, i.e. using the desktop telephone (400) as terminating point for incoming and outgoing calls or conferences capabilities where the desktop telephone may be located on a desktop or other surface or be wall mounted, with a list of recent calls, contacts (323) and directory search results altogether made available as a single combined conversation list (303) for navigation and for activation for a business social real-time collaboration user, such that the desktop telephone (400) is always up-to-date with the user's social real-time collaboration system; wherein when the said user logs on to his/her social real-time collaboration account the desktop telephone (400) associated with said user is in synchronisation with his/her activities involved with the social real-time collaboration system.
US11146677B1

Receiving and processing customer support calls initiated from a mobile/wireless device via a call function or via a mobile device application may include various operations. For instance, an example method of operation may provide receiving a service request from a mobile device, requesting a temporary telephone number to be assigned to a subsequent call to be placed from the mobile device, creating a database record with an identifier of the mobile device and the temporary telephone number, transmitting the temporary telephone number to the mobile device, receiving an automated call to the temporary telephone number from the mobile device, and connecting the mobile device with a remote call recipient.
US11146672B2

The present disclosure relates to a method, a device and storage medium for outputting communication message in the field of communication technologies. The method includes: detecting operating information corresponding to a terminal when a communication message is received, wherein the operating information instructs an operation that is different from an interface switching operation; acquiring an output condition corresponding to the communication message to respond to the operating information detected; and outputting the communication message in a current interface when the operating information satisfies the output condition, where the current interface is different from a display interface that is preset for the communication message.
US11146669B2

A data transmission method includes: obtaining multiple data blocks sent by L FlexE clients, L is greater than or equal to 1; and sending a data frame including the multiple data blocks to a physical-layer device, where a transmission rate of the data frame is N*100 Gbit/s, the data frame includes T data block groups, each of the T data block groups includes M continuous data block subgroups, each of the M continuous data block subgroups includes R*N continuous data blocks, the data frame further includes T overhead block groups, a tth overhead block group includes N continuous overhead blocks. According to the method, each data block subgroup in a data frame can include R*N data blocks, and each overhead block group can include N overhead blocks, and a data transmission rate can be adjusted flexibly.
US11146668B2

A first event occurs at a first computer at a first time, as measured by a local clock. A second event is initiated at a second computer by sending a message that includes the first time. The second event occurs at a second time, as measured by a local clock. Because of clock error, the first time is later than the second time. Based on the first time being later than the second time, an alternate second time, that is based on the first time, is used as the time of the second event. When a third system determines the order of the two events, the first time is obtained from the first computer, and the alternate second time is obtained from the second computer, and the order of the events is determined based on a comparison of the two times.
US11146661B2

An endpoint system including one or more computing devices receives user input associated with an avatar in a shared virtual environment; calculates, based on the user input, motion for a portion of the first avatar, such as a hand; determines, based on the user input, a first gesture state for first avatar; transmits first location change notifications and a representation of the first gesture state for the first avatar; receives second location change notifications and a representation of a second gesture state for a second avatar; detects a collision between the first avatar and the second avatar based on the first location change notifications and the second location change notifications; and identifies a collaborative gesture based on the detected collision, the first gesture state, and the second gesture state.
US11146655B2

Systems and methods for prefetching items of content associated with commercial websites, comprising receiving a request from a user device for data for a first interface, and in response, identifying items of content that are to be included in one or more second interfaces that are accessible by user-selectable links in the first interface. Data for the first interface and the items of content are then transmitted to the user device. After the transmission, a second request is received from the user device for a particular second interface, based on a selection of a particular user-selectable link in the first interface. In response, data corresponding to the particular second interface that does not include the items of content included in the particular second interface is transmitted to the user device to enable output of the second interface with its respective items of content.
US11146651B2

There is provided a method in a serving node of an information centric network, the method comprising: receiving an interest message referring to a first content object from a requesting node; processing the name of the first content object and the payload of the received interest message to generate the name of a second content object; and replying to the interest message with a redirect message, wherein the redirect message comprises the name of the second content object.
US11146646B2

In one embodiment, a method includes launching, by a client system of a first user, a video-call session to enable a video stream for display in a small-overlay-window on a display of the client system of the first user; receiving, by the client system of the first user, a video stream comprising video from a client system of a second user; determining at least one property for the small-overlay-window based on information associated with the second user; and displaying the video stream in the small-overlay-window, wherein the small-overlay-window is customized based on the determined at least one property, and wherein the small-overlay-window is positioned directly over an interface of an active application running on the client system of the first user.
US11146645B2

Network and/or application resources can be dynamically instantiated based on service attributes and/or network capabilities. In one aspect, a customized and/or localized core slice can be selected that can deliver the requested service with target performance parameters. According to an aspect, dynamic selection, control, and/or management reporting can be provided for core network slices. Moreover, optimal core network slice selection can be performed to reduce network transport costs and efficiently deliver various services using an optimal core slice that matches a service profile being requested by an end user and/or device.
US11146641B2

The present invention relates to the technical field of internet of things transmission. Disclosed is an internet of things information system. The internet of things information system of the present invention comprises an object platform, a sensing network platform, and an operator management platform; the object platform establishes a communication protocol with the operator management platform through the sensing network platform; the object platform comprises a perception information system and a control information system; the perception information system acquires perception information of the object platform; the control information system controls objects by control information; the sensing network platform comprises a perception information communication system and a control information communication system; and the operator management platform comprises a perception information management system and a control information management system. The internet of things information system provided by the present invention is simple in structure and diversified in transmission process, can be applied to all kinds of internet of things application systems, and is wide in application range.
US11146606B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a data buffering method. In the method, a network device obtains multimedia data and network characteristic information of a communications network. The communications network includes a first communications network or a second communications network, the first communications network is configured to transmit the multimedia data to the network device, and the second communications network is configured to transmit the multimedia data to a terminal device. A target data volume corresponding to the terminal device is determined at least based on the network characteristic information of the first communications network and/or the second communications network. First buffered data representing the multimedia data is determined based on the obtained multimedia data and has the target data volume. The first buffered data is sent to the terminal device by using the second communications network. A data volume of the first buffered data matches the network characteristic information.
US11146605B2

The present disclosure is generally related to wireless data transmission. An example method for transmitting a data file from a base station to multiple Internet of Things (IoT) devices includes obtaining information on connections between the base station and IoT devices as well as device-to-device connections. The method also includes generating schemes for splitting the data file and transmitting each data portion accordingly. The method optionally includes obtaining updates on connection information and adjusting the data splitting schemes based thereon.
US11146603B2

A real-time Internet streaming system and method includes a scheduling server that receives queries from encoders and determines if any scheduled events associated with a particular media encoders is an active scheduled event by comparing the scheduled events with time and date information. When there is an active scheduled event the scheduling server sends a response to the media encoders to stream a media stream to an origin server. When the scheduling server determines that an active scheduled event is no longer active, the scheduling server sends a response to the media encoders to stop streaming. The origin server can send the media stream or a modified version of the media stream to a plurality of viewing devices or archive the media stream for later playback. The real-time Internet streaming system can include a scheduling server, origin servers, and a plurality of encoders.
US11146597B2

Embodiments for intelligent media data filtering in an Internet of Things (IoT) computing environment by a processor. User preferences for the media data may be determined according to a plurality of identified contextual factors. At least a portion of the media data may be filtered according to one or more user classifications.
US11146587B2

Methods and systems for service integrated domain name servers are described. A method for out of path border gateway protocol (BGP) validation includes receiving, at a network component, a prefix announcement. The network component denies acceptance of the prefix announcement. A BGP monitor at the network component sends the prefix announcement to an out of path validation controller. The out of path validation controller evaluates the prefix announcement against one or more validation tests, sends a validation notification based on the one or more validation tests, and programs the network component for a validated prefix announcement.
US11146584B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a number of systems, apparatuses, and methods for scoring, rating, the cyber-security of a network, and the configuration, control, and remediation, thereof. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a network security evaluation method is provided which may comprise operating an investigatory container (IC) with access to a first network (FN), and retrieving first data by the IC from a source external to the FN. The first data can correspond to at least one of an inventory of security devices provided on the FN, plug-in module information for each security device provided on the FN, each plug-in module configured to allow the IC to communicate with a respective security device of the FN, and login information associated with each security device of the FN. The method can also include logging into each security device of the FN via a respective plug-in using the retrieved, respective login information, analyzing each security device so as to obtain security data of the FN related to a plurality of network elements, and determining whether the security data meets or exceeds a minimum-viable-data (MVD) for the FN, the MVD corresponding to an indication that the FN provides effective risk management. Upon confirmation, for example, at least one of a score and rating of the cyber-security of the network can be determined.
US11146574B2

A security platform employs a variety techniques and mechanisms to detect security related anomalies and threats in a computer network environment. The security platform is “big data” driven and employs machine learning to perform security analytics. The security platform performs user/entity behavioral analytics (UEBA) to detect the security related anomalies and threats, regardless of whether such anomalies/threats were previously known. The security platform can include both real-time and batch paths/modes for detecting anomalies and threats. By visually presenting analytical results scored with risk ratings and supporting evidence, the security platform enables network security administrators to respond to a detected anomaly or threat, and to take action promptly.
US11146560B1

Technology is described for a distributed ledger service within a service provider environment. The distributed ledger service may implement a distributed ledger formed from immutable append-only data structure and used for governance of computing resources. A policy governing a computing resource may be created and published to the distributed ledger on behalf of an account. The policy may be retrieved from the distributed ledger to govern access to the computing resource by the account.
US11146556B2

The present invention discloses methods and systems for contiguous utilization of individual end-user-based cloud-storage subscriptions. Methods including the steps of: upon receiving a write request for writing a data file into at least one cloud-storage allocation unit, identifying unused available storage in the cloud-storage allocation unit; fragmenting the data file into chunk files; encrypting each chunk file; writing each chunk file to the cloud-storage allocation unit to satisfy the write request; and updating a metadatabase having metadata associated with the data file and the chunk files. Alternatively, the method further includes: upon receiving a read request for reading the data file from at least one cloud-storage allocation unit, performing lookup in the metadatabase of the metadata; reading each chunk file from the cloud-storage allocation unit; decrypting each chunk file; reassembling the chunk files into the data file using the metadata; and providing the data file to satisfy the read request.
US11146552B1

Disclosed are various embodiments for authenticating users of applications using decentralized data models for storing a user's identity. A fingerprint for a computing device is received from an application executing on the computing device. An identity key associated with the fingerprint for the computing device is then obtained, the identity key being linked to a signed claim. The signed claim is retrieved and evaluated. The application executing on the computing device access is then granted access to the computing resource in response to evaluating the signed claim.
US11146549B2

A computer implemented system and method for acquisition of advance consent for each instance of PII use includes the steps of receiving reference specimens for a user, electronically storing the reference specimens on a distributed block chain. When PII of the user is to be used, a consent session is electronically requested for the user. Consent-session specimens are electronically received from the user in response to the electronic request for the consent-session after completion of the consent session. The consent-session specimens include a video of the user making an affirmative consent statement, a photograph of fingerprints of the user, and a photograph of identification (ID) credentials of the user. A degree to which each of the consent-session specimens from the user match the reference specimens for the user is electronically determined and the transaction information is electronically stored on the distributed block chain.
US11146547B2

Systems and methods are provided for securing data using a mobile device. The method may include determining securing global positioning data values of the mobile device; measuring a securing direction of the mobile device relative to a magnetic north direction; capturing a securing password by the mobile device; and securing the data against unauthorized access using the determined global positioning data values, the securing password, and the securing direction as a combined password.
US11146541B2

Systems and methods for authentication generate keys from secret credentials shared between authenticating parties and authenticators. Generation of the keys may involve utilizing specialized information in the form of parameters that are used to specialize keys. Keys and/or information derived from keys held by multiple authorities may be used to generate other keys such that signatures requiring such keys and/or information can be verified without access to the keys. Keys may also be derived to form a hierarchy of keys that are distributed such that a key holder's ability to decrypt data depends on the key's position in the hierarchy relative to the position of a key used to encrypt the data. Key hierarchies may also be used to distribute key sets to content processing devices to enable the devices to decrypt content such that sources or potential sources of unauthorized content are identifiable from the decrypted content.
US11146529B2

A computer-implemented method in a content delivery network (CDN), wherein the CDN delivers content on behalf of at least one content provider. The CDN includes a rendezvous system that selects CDN servers for clients. In response to a request by a rendezvous mechanism in the rendezvous system, a first given function is evaluated. Based on the outcome of the evaluating, the rendezvous mechanism uses either a first table or a second table. The first table was generated by a first table generation mechanism for use by said rendezvous mechanism to select CDN servers for clients, and the second table was generated by a second table generation mechanism for use by the rendezvous mechanism to select CDN servers for clients.
US11146526B2

A first device recognizes a user and acquires sensing data related to the user. A collaboration apparatus communicably connected with the first device, and is configured to execute transmission of a content based on the sensing data, as speech by a first virtual character registered as a member of a group in a Social Networking Service (SNS) provided by a SNS system, to the SNS system. The first virtual character represents the first device. A second device is communicably connected with the collaboration apparatus. The collaboration apparatus is configured to hold user management data in which identification information of the user of the first device is associated with the group, and register, when the second device recognizes the user, a second virtual character representing the second device with the group associated with the identification information of the user.
US11146516B2

A telecommunication and multimedia management apparatus and method that supports voice and other media communications and that enables users to: (i) participate in multiple conversation modes, including live phone calls, conference calls, instant voice messaging or tactical communications; (ii) review the messages of conversations in either a live mode or a time-shifted mode and to seamlessly transition back and forth between the two modes; (iii) participate in multiple conversations either concurrently or simultaneously; (iv) archive the messages of conversations for later review or processing; and (v) persistently store media either created or received on the communication devices of users. The latter feature enables users to generate or review media when either disconnected from the network or network conditions are poor and to optimize the delivery of media over the network based on network conditions and the intention of the users participating in conversations.
US11146511B1

Exemplary embodiments relate to improvements in the design of a messaging inbox. The inbox may display different units or “modules” for providing a user with quick access to different inbox functionalities. After a number of recent or unread messages are shown in the inbox's initial interface, the messages end and are replaced with modules. In some embodiments, promotional material may be integrated into a module, or may be integrated as a module. For example, a new message thread may be created to indicate a store in which a discount is offered. The message may appear in a module, or may stand in the place of a module. The promotional material may be selected based on proximity. The messaging service may differentiate between sponsored materials advertising a product or service, and purely beneficial materials such as coupons.
US11146507B1

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for inserting micro segments into a data packet. The methods may include the steps of receiving a packet with a destination address corresponding to a Micro Segment Identifier (uSID) carrier having one or more existing micro segments followed by one or more empty micro segment positions, receiving information relating to one or more new micro segments to be inserted into the uSID carrier, the one or more new micro segments associated with a new bit length, calculating a remaining bit length of the uSID carrier, the remaining bit length associated with the one or more empty micro segment positions in the uSID carrier, wherein, if the remaining bit length is greater than or equal to the new bit length, updating the uSID carrier by inserting the new micro segments, and forwarding the packet to destinations associated with the updated uSID carrier.
US11146499B2

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a processor configured to receive first data packets via a first modem, store the first data packets in a first data buffer assigned to a first area of a volatile memory, receive second data packets via a second modem, store the second data packets in a second data buffer assigned to a second area of the volatile memory, and deliver the first data packets and the second data packets from the first data buffer and the second data buffer to an upper layer in an order in which the first data packets and the second data packets are received. The second data packets include the same internet protocol (IP) destination address as the first data packets.
US11146497B2

The invention relates to a method for predicting an allocation of processing resources provided by a cloud computing module (230) to process a data set based on a predefined processing task. Input parameters are detected, the input parameters containing information about at least the data set to be processed by the cloud computing module and the processing task to be carried out on the data set. A model is selected from a plurality of different models provided in a model database (130), each model providing a relationship between the data set processing task and a predicted allocation of the processing resources. The allocation of the processing resources is predicted based on the selected model and based on the input parameters.
US11146480B2

A method includes determining a transmission path. The method includes determining, by a first node, a first candidate path group that includes at least one first candidate path. when the first candidate path group includes at least two first candidate paths, The method further includes selecting a first path from the at least one first candidate path according to a preset first rule based on node information of each of the first candidate paths in the first candidate path group. The method further includes determining that the first path is a transmission path and when a source node of the first path is the first node, or determining that the second path is the transmission path when the source node of the first path is a second node, where the second path is a reverse path of the first path.
US11146479B2

At a source node, a plurality of packets may be determined for transmission to a destination node in a network comprising a plurality of network nodes. A transmission rate of the plurality of packets from the source node to a neighbor node in the network may be adaptively controlled, based on a determination of a current status of the network by utilizing a plurality of parameters that are estimated via a reinforcement learning routing algorithm. The plurality of parameters include an estimated cost value representing a current cost to transmit the plurality of packets to the destination node via the network. Transmissions from intermediate nodes may also be adaptively deferred based on a determination of a current status of the network by utilizing the plurality of parameters.
US11146472B1

A lateral movement identification tool analyzes communications sent and received from a local host to identify potential instances of lateral movement. When the host-based lateral movement identification tool identifies a host to host connection, the tool processes one or more artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze information from local network resources including a directory service, a local network system such as a network basic input/output system, a domain name system, and event logs. The lateral movement identification tool correlates the aggregated information with identified host to host messaging and sends alerts when lateral movement is suspected. Alerts may be either presented locally or provided to a central console based on configuration information.
US11146466B2

In today's network management world, there are various solutions that collect data and presume to identify events impacting the QoE of the end-users. However, such solutions usually do not try to address the question of whether the end-users are actually impacted. These solutions usually look at certain types of known problems and try to detect if that problem exists in the end-user's network, and from that they conclude that the end-user might be impacted. The method according to an embodiment of the invention enables to proactively identify that an end-user is actually experiencing an event impacting the QoE in his home network. The proposed solution enables the detection of event affecting an end-user's network, regardless of the type of the network and without looking for specific issues. This knowledge may be a valuable asset of an Internet Service Provider which may fix issues quicker or mitigate end-users' dissatisfaction.
US11146463B2

In one embodiment, a device constructs a set of controlled what-if input parameters for evaluating a what-if scenario in a network. The device uses the set of controlled what-if input parameters and state data indicative of a current state of the network as input to a network state model. The network state model predicts values for the state data conditioned on the what-if input parameters. The device predicts a key performance indicator (KPI) in the network by using the predicted values for the state data from the network state model as input to a machine learning-based KPI prediction model. The device initiates a routing change in the network based in part on the predicted KPI.
US11146462B2

This application relates to the field of communications technologies, and discloses a network slice management method, device, and system, to solve the problem of low efficiency of manually deploying a network slice. One example network slice management method comprises obtaining, by a network management unit, the capability description information of a network slice, where the capability description information of the network slice includes at least one of a feature of the network slice and a deployment capability of the network slice. The method further comprises sending, by the network management unit, a notification message carrying the capability description information of the network slice, to a service management unit.
US11146452B2

A system for negotiating Ethernet link settings between interconnected nodes in a network having an Ethernet protocol stack that includes a PCS sub-layer with an auto-negotiation function. The system comprises connecting an intermediate device coupled between two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces, with the link settings between each node and the connected intermediate device being the same, thereby bypassing the auto-negotiation of the PCS sub-layer in the intermediate device. The intermediate device may transparently send negotiation messages from each node to the other during the link negotiation phase without interacting with those messages. Instead of the intermediate device, a single form pluggable (SFP) device may be connected between the two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces on the network side and via an SFP slot on the device side.
US11146445B2

Time series decomposition method and system are provided. Time series data including at least a seasonality component is received. A noise removal filter may be applied to the time series data. Furthermore, a trend component and the seasonality component are extracted from the time series data. A residual component may subsequently be extracted from the time series data based on the trend component and the seasonality component. Anomaly detection may then be performed on the trend component or the residual component to determine whether an anomaly exists in the time series data.
US11146444B2

A computer system to detect data alerts includes a data preprocessing system and a data analysis system. The data preprocessing system obtains system data of the computer system, generates predicted data based on the system data, and generates differential data indicating a difference between the system data and the predicted data. The data analysis is in signal communication with the data preprocessing system and determines that the differential data is one of expected event or an anomaly event in response to adding at least one new value from the differential data to the predicted data.
US11146443B2

Disclosed are various embodiments for receiving, via a network, a request from a client to establish a network tunnel over the network. A credential is received from the client in order to establish the network tunnel. The client is authenticated based upon the credential. The client negotiates, via the network, to establish the network tunnel.
US11146441B2

A technique for transmitting data is described. The data is represented by a modulation symbol comprising an in-phase component and a quadrature component. Considering a method aspect of the technique, the modulation symbol (510) is split into at least two different baseband signals (522, 524), which are in phase with each other and jointly representative of the modulation symbol (510). The at least two baseband signals (522, 524) are up-converted from a baseband frequency to a transmission frequency. Each of the at least two up-converted signals (532, 534) is transmitted on a different physical channel (536, 538).
US11146440B2

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) or access point (AP) may generate a protocol data unit (PDU) of a first 802.11 protocol and a preamble and data of a second 802.11 protocol. The preamble and data of the second 802.11 protocol may be arranged on resources of the PDU of the first 802.11 protocol with shaping sequences for concurrent transmission.
US11146431B2

Computers communicating in 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G cellular systems and in wireless Wi-Fi networks. Computers having location finding information and touchscreen generated signals for control of communications or of location of the computer. A fingerprint generated signal is used for authentication of the computer. Receiving, in a computer, a signal from a digital cellular communication system, processing the received digital cellular communication signal into a processed signal and transmitting the processed signal. Generating, in computer, a first data signal and transmitting this data signal to a wireless network. Receiving in the computer a second data signal from the wireless network. Generating, in the computer, a third data signal and transmitting the third data signal to a cellular system. Receiving in computer, a fourth data signal from the cellular system. The wireless network and the cellular system are distinct. Processing in a computer a photo and/or video camera generated signal into a processed digital camera signal and further processing and filtering the processed digital camera signal into a cross-correlated Time Constrained Signal (TCS) wave form and Long Response (LR) filtered baseband signal. Modulating in a quadrature modulator the TCS wave form and LR filtered signal into a modulated signal and transmitting the modulated signal.
US11146428B2

An adaptive equalizer, includes a sample buffer; and a processor coupled to the sample buffer and configured to: perform an adaptive equalization on data which has been fractionally sampled at a sampling rate higher than once a symbol rate and lower than twice the symbol rate, determine an initial value of a tap coefficient of the adaptive equalizer by using a training sequence inserted in the data, shift, by a predetermined shift amount, a sample point of one pattern from among two consecutive patterns included in the training sequence, specify a position of the training sequence in the data by replacing an original sample value with a sample value at the shifted sample point, and update the initial value of the tap coefficient based on the specified training sequence.
US11146411B2

A chassis front-end is disclosed. The chassis front-end may include a switchboard including an Ethernet switch, a Baseboard Management Controller, and a mid-plane connector. The chassis front-end may also include a mid-plane including at least one storage device connector and a speed logic to inform at least one storage device of an Ethernet speed of the chassis front-end. The Ethernet speeds may vary.
US11146406B2

A method for managing entitlement of a device to access a service, the method comprising providing an authenticated identity for the device, the authenticated identity including a public encryption key pair associated with the device signed by a trusted authority, and generating a device entitlement certificate encoding an authorisation related to the service and including a public key of the public encryption key pair associated with the device, wherein the device entitlement certificate is signed by the trusted authority.
US11146405B2

An example operation may include one or more of receiving, at an endorser node, a request message from a client system which comprises data to be stored on a blockchain, determining whether to endorse the data via invocation of chaincode which receives the data as input and executes the data against a current state of the blockchain, in response to a determination to endorse the data, generating a response message including a result of the execution and signing the response message based on a traceable blinded ring signature associated with the endorser node, and transmitting the generated response message that has been signed with the traceable blinded key ring to the client system.
US11146402B2

In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a system for digital authentication, the system including a server and a device. The device includes a first processor and a second processor separate and distinct from the first processor and dedicated solely to security functionality. The second processor is programmed to generate a public key and a private key, and to use the private key and to-be-signed signature data to generate digital signatures, including a first digital signature. The device transmits the public key and the first digital signature to the server. The server stores the public key to uniquely identify the device or a user of the device in subsequent communications between the server and device.
US11146399B2

One or more embodiments described herein disclose methods and systems that are directed at facilitating access to and retrieval of data concealed on a distributed ledger-based network (DLN) with the use of zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) techniques. The methods and systems allow for the encryption, using an encryption key, of data related to a transaction between participants of the DLN, the encryption of the encryption key using a public key of an auditor of the transaction, and the generation of a ZKP that the encryption key used to encrypt the data corresponds to the encryption key encrypted using the public key such that the encrypted encryption key and/or the encrypted data are available to the auditor after the ZKP is verified by a self-executing code segment of the DLN. The ZKP also includes a proof that the encrypted data includes the transaction data.
US11146398B2

Methods and apparatuses are described herein for improved communications between a service and end devices via a gateway. A token may be in a signed encrypted state when sent to untrusted devices and may be signed, but not encrypted, when used by trusted devices. Untrusted devices may receive the encrypted token and may use it to access services. An untrusted device may send the received encrypted token to the gateway, which may then send the token to its issuer so that the token issuer may decrypt the data payload. The token may then be sent back to the gateway, which may then read the decrypted data and verify whether the untrusted device is permitted to access the requested service. The gateway may then send, within the trusted domain, the request and token to the service provider so that the untrusted device can obtain access to the requested service.
US11146387B1

The present innovative solution increases security to interceptor attacks and loss of cipher-characters, while not negatively impacting the processing resource and time requirements of cryptography processes. A novel Synchronous and Self-Synchronous Random Position Cipher (RPC) with arbitrary length key cryptography methodology and apparatus are presented which are based on a novel Aperiodic Pseudo-Random Number Generator (APRNG) using large seed numbers. The RPC does not replace plaintext characters with encryption characters but with the number of pseudo-random numbers that need to be generated by the APRNG to match the ASCII codes of the characters in the plaintext. Decryption uses the number of pseudo-random numbers that need to be generated by the APRNG to match the ASCII codes of the plaintext characters. Variations to the starting and reset points for the counter are also presented for improving performance when cipher-characters are lost and for avoiding increasing the size of the ciphertext as opposed to the basic methodology.
US11146374B2

This application provides a transmission method and a transmission apparatus, so that a receive end can correctly demodulate data. A transmission method may include performing a phase compensation operation of a corresponding frequency value on each of m first signals in k signals, to obtain m second signals, where each of the m first signals is located at a non-center frequency of a current carrier, each first signal is a synchronization signal or data, m and k each are a positive integer, and m≤k. The method may also include performing sending processing on the m second signals.
US11146371B2

A method of transmission of Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RSs) includes transmitting, from a base station (BS) to a user equipment (UE), the CSI-RSs using 24 antenna ports (APs) or 32 APs. A first CSI-RS configuration for the APs are configured by aggregating a predetermined number of second CSI-RS configurations. A number of APs per each of the second CSI-RS configurations is 2, 4, or 8.
US11146366B2

The present invention is designed so that retransmission control is executed appropriately in smaller units than TBs (for example, in units of CBs, in units CBGs, etc.). A user terminal according to one aspect of the present invention has a receiving section that receives a downlink (DL) signal including one or more code blocks (CBs), and a control section that controls transmission of delivery acknowledgment information for the DL signal per CB or per code block group (CBG) including or one or more CBs, and a CB or a CBG where a negative acknowledgment (NACK) is indicated by the delivery acknowledgment information is retransmitted by using a numerology that is the same as or different from that of initial transmission.
US11146362B2

An Internet of Things data transmission method includes sending, by a terminal device, a first data request to a server, and continuously receiving, by the terminal device, N data packets from the server. The first data request instructs the server to continuously send a plurality of data packets. The first data request includes a quantity N of data packets, that the terminal device is capable of continuously receiving, and a time interval for sending two consecutive data packets, where N is an integer greater than 1. The N data packets include at least one non-confirmable Constrained Application Protocol (NON) data packet, a sending time interval between two consecutive data packets in the N data packets and the at least one NON data packet indicates that sending a receiving response from the terminal device to the server is unnecessary.
US11146359B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for wireless communications by a first wireless communication device. The method obtains a set of code blocks (CBs) of a transport block (TB) to be transmitted to a second wireless communication device. The method then transmits the CBs to the second wireless communication device in multiple transmissions, such that an order of the CBs for each transmission is determined by a permutation order for that transmission.
US11146356B2

According to some embodiments, a method for use in a wireless transmitter of adaptive cyclic redundancy check (CRC) length selection comprises: obtaining a system parameter related to a number of beam sweeps used by the wireless transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal; selecting a CRC length based on the obtained system parameter; selecting a CRC polynomial of the selected length; generating CRC bits from time-dependent or time-independent information bits using the CRC polynomial; concatenating the generated CRC bits with the time-dependent or time-independent information bits; encoding the concatenated bits; and transmitting the encoded bits to a wireless receiver. The system parameter may comprise: a carrier frequency; a number of transmit antenna elements; a number of receive antenna elements; a transmitter antenna azimuth configuration; a transmitter antenna elevation configuration; an antenna polarization type; a beam scanning algorithm; and a cell type.
US11146350B1

This disclosure describes C and L band optical communications module link extender, and related systems and methods. An example method may include receiving, by a dense wave division multiplexer (DWDM) at a headend, one or more optical data signals over a C band and an L band. The example method may also include combining the one or more optical data signals. The example method may also include outputting the combined one or more optical data signals to a first WDM at the headend. The example method may also include separating, by the first WDM, the combined one or more optical data signals into a C band signal and an L band signal. The example method may also include outputting the C band signal to a first amplifier at the headend and the L band signal to a second amplifier at the headend. The example method may also include amplifying, by the first amplifier, the C band signal. The example method may also include outputting the amplified C band signal to a coexistence filter. The example method may also include amplifying, by the second amplifier, the L band signal. The example method may also include outputting the amplified L band signal to the coexistence filter. The example method may also include outputting, by the coexistence filter, the amplified C band signal and the amplified L band signal to an optical switch. The example method may also include outputting, by the optical switch, an egress optical data signal to a first fiber.
US11146347B2

The present disclosure relates to a time division duplexing (TDD) sub-system of a distributed antenna system using a TDD mode. According to the present disclosure, a head-end unit of a distributed antenna system using a division duplexing mode has a TDD sub-system which includes a TDD sync detection module, a TDD sync replica module, a TDD sync self delay detection module, and a TDD sync operator delay detection module, whereby quickly detecting possible errors in the system operation, and more efficiently performing responsive servicing thereto.
US11146345B2

A method of operating a terminal device to perform measurement event evaluation for measurement reporting in respect of a downlink carrier in a wireless telecommunications system. The method includes determining that measurement event evaluation for the downlink carrier should be undertaken. Measurements of a parameter associated with radio channel conditions for frequency resources used by the downlink carrier are obtained during an evaluation period beginning at a start time. The extent to which the downlink carrier is being transmitted during the evaluation period is also established. Whether or not to send a measurement report to network infrastructure equipment is then evaluated by taking account of both the measurements of the parameter during the evaluation period and the extent to which the downlink carrier is being transmitted during the evaluation period.
US11146343B2

Techniques are provided which may be implemented using various methods and/or apparatuses in a mobile device to address maximum permissible exposure (MPE) proximity sensor failure. A mobile device may include a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) sensor control unit to actively monitor signals associated with proper operation of the MPE proximity sensors. Upon detecting an anomaly in any of these signals, such as a value drop below a given threshold, an MPE sensor control Unit will inform an AP (application processor, or other processor or controller) which in turn trigger display of a warning message on the display of the mobile device or the issuance of other warnings such an audible or tactile alert to inform the end user about the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) proximity sensor malfunction and/or notify the end use of a condition resulting in deactivation of the 5G new radio transceiver.
US11146335B1

A process for configuring an optical network termination (ONT) includes receiving an upstream overhead physical layer operation administration and maintenance (PLOAM) message from an optical line terminal (OLT). The process also includes extracting byte 10 data from the upstream overhead PLOAM message to identify a transceiver type of the OLT, and matching the transceiver type of the OLT with one of a plurality of sets of optical parameters. The process further includes storing the matched transceiver type of the OLT in a double date rate (DDR) memory prior to completing a ranging process with the OLT.
US11146330B2

A system and method for performing an in-service optical time domain reflectometry test, an in-service insertion loss test, and an in-service optical frequency domain reflectometry test using a same wavelength as the network communications for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint optical fiber networks while maintaining continuity of network communications are disclosed.
US11146329B1

An aircraft communication system includes, and a method of aircraft communication uses, communication radios and a multilink communication controller. The multilink communication controller includes a link selection table and a link selector. The link selector is in communication with the link selection table. The link selector is configured to receive a message from a system of the aircraft and select a communication link among a number of communication links for the message using a priority of the message and priority information from the link selection table.
US11146322B2

There is provided for supporting beam correspondence. The method may be performed by a user equipment (UE) and comprise: transmitting UE capability information to a base station. The UE capability information may include first information related a capability of supporting beam correspondence. The beam correspondence may be determined based on at least a beam correspondence tolerance requirement. The beam correspondence tolerance requirement may include a delta effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of 3 dB.
US11146317B2

A method includes generating, by a processor, first indication information based on N reference signals, where N is an integer and N≥2. The first indication information indicates a plurality of component vectors for constructing a precoding matrix and a superposition coefficient of each component vector of each of M precoding vectors for constructing the precoding matrix upon which a precoding of M reference signals is based, where M is an integer and 1≤M
US11146308B2

A transmitting device, a receiving device, a transmission method, a reception method and a program that can improve the data arrival rate in data transmission using a frequency-hopping technique are provided. In each of a plurality of unit periods, an HMD (12) executes data transmission at a frequency associated with the unit period. A packet transmitting unit (84) acquires to-be-transmitted data. The packet transmitting unit (84) transmits identical pieces of the to-be-transmitted data in a plurality of unit periods associated with mutually different frequencies.
US11146298B2

A signal generator device includes a digital signal waveform generator to produce a digital signal waveform, a first frequency band signal path having a first frequency band filter to receive the digital signal waveform and to pass first frequency band components of the digital signal waveform, and a first digital-to-analog converter to receive the first frequency band components of the digital signal waveform and to produce a first frequency band analog signal, a second frequency band signal path having a second frequency band filter to receive the digital signal waveform and to pass second frequency band components of the digital signal waveform, a second digital-to-analog converter to receive the second frequency band components of the digital signal waveform and to produce a second frequency band analog signal, and a combining element to combine the first frequency band analog signal and the second frequency band analog signal to produce a wideband analog signal. A method of generating a wideband analog signal includes generating a digital waveform, splitting the digital waveform into at least a first frequency band signal and a second frequency band signal, converting the first frequency band signal into a first frequency band analog signal, converting the second frequency band signal into a second frequency analog signal, and combining the first frequency band analog signal with the second frequency band analog signal to produce the wideband analog signal.
US11146297B2

The present invention relates to a street lighting pole base (10), i.a. comprising a sub-divider (38) arranged in a first bay (20a) and adapted to split an airflow (46) from an individual air inlet (28) into a first sub-airflow (48a) intended to mainly cool a first heat dissipating device used for wireless telecommunication (34a) when mounted in a first position (36a) but substantially not a second heat dissipating device used for wireless telecommunication (34b) when mounted in a second position (36b) and a second sub-airflow (48b) intended to mainly cool the second heat dissipating device used for wireless telecommunication but substantially not the first heat dissipating device used for wireless telecommunication. The present invention also relates to a street lighting pole (100) comprising such a base, and to a method of cooling first and second heat dissipating device used for wireless telecommunications mounted in such a base or pole.
US11146294B2

A polar coder circuit is described. The polar coder circuit comprises one or more datapaths; and at least one logical three-dimensional, 3D, memory block coupled to the one or more datapaths and comprising a number of one or more random access memories, RAMs, of the logical 3D memory block as a first dimension, wherein the one or more RAMs comprise(s) a width of one or more element(s) as a second dimension and a depth of one or more address(es) as a third dimension and wherein the first dimension or the second dimension has a size 2sd, where sd is a number of stages in a datapath of the one or more datapaths.
US11146281B2

A multi-stage switched capacitor circuit and an operation method thereof are provided. The multi-stage switched capacitor circuit includes a first operational stage, a second operational stage and a third operational stage that are serially connected in order. Each operational stage operates in a sample phase or a hold phase and generates a detection signal indicating an end of the hold phase. The operation method of the multi-stage switched capacitor circuit includes: controlling the second operational stage to operate in the hold phase when the detection signal of the first operational stage indicates the end of the hold phase of the first operational stage, and the detection signal of the third operational stage indicates the end of the hold phase of the third operational stage.
US11146276B2

A wireless communication device can include an antenna configured to sense a radio frequency (RF) signal. The wireless communication device can include signal estimation circuitry configured to generate estimates of amplitude and frequency for unmodulated spurs within the RF signal. The wireless communication device can further include multi-tone generator circuitry coupled to the signal estimation circuitry and configured to generate a composite spur cancellation signal based on the estimates of amplitude and frequency for unmodulated spurs within the RF signal. The wireless communication device can further include adder circuitry configured to subtract the spur cancellation signal from the RF signal to generate a spur cancelled signal.
US11146270B2

An apparatus can be used for detecting pile-up within circuitry associated with photodetectors. The apparatus includes an input terminal configured to receive a plurality of photodetector outputs. An OR-tree is coupled in parallel with the circuitry associated with the photodetectors. The OR-tree has an input coupled to the input terminal and is configured to combine the photodetector outputs. A counter is configured to count an output of the OR-tree. A comparator is configured to compare an output of the counter to a determined threshold value, wherein the comparator is configured to output an indicator indicating pile-up within the circuitry associated with photodetectors based on the output of the counter being greater than or equal to the determined threshold value.
US11146268B2

In a level shifter circuit that transmits a set signal and a reset signal input to input terminals of a high-side latch circuit, the source sides of high voltage transistors are connected to current negative feedback resistors, and transistors are connected in parallel to the current negative feedback resistors. Further included is a high-side voltage detection circuit that detects whether the voltage of a high-side power supply terminal is a high voltage. When a high voltage is detected, the transistors are turned OFF to make the drain currents that flow smaller, thereby making it possible to improve the trade-off between heat generation and propagation delay characteristics in the high voltage transistors.
US11146264B2

An electric circuit for testing a power-on reset circuit. The electric circuit including a comparator, which is configured to detect an undervoltage for an input voltage to be compared to a reference voltage and to output an output signal, a first noise filter for filtering out noise from the output signal received as a first input signal for a first time period and for outputting a first filtered output signal of a second noise filter for filtering out noise from a second input signal for a second time period, and for outputting a second filtered output signal, and a digital part having an OR gate for the logical linkage of a first filtered output signal and a second filtered output signal for the output of a power-on reset signal.
US11146261B1

An output buffer includes a first group of stagger FETs coupled in parallel between a power lead and an output signal lead and a second group of stagger FETs coupled in parallel between the output signal lead and a ground lead. Each stagger FET has a gate coupled to a respective base resistor and a respective adjustable resistor. A first group of bypass FETs and a second group of bypass FETs are each coupled across the terminals of a respective adjustable resistor and the gates of the bypass FETs are coupled to either a first process-sensing signal lead or a second process-sensing signal lead.
US11146247B2

Acoustic resonators, such as bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators and, in particular, acoustic resonators including stacked crystal filters (SCFs) are disclosed. SCF structures are disclosed with increased spurious free ranges by providing various arrangements of acoustically soft materials in one or more locations that correspond with high stress regions of one or more modes. For SCFs operating in first order modes, relative amounts of acoustically soft materials within shared electrodes may be increased. One or more additional layers of acoustically soft materials may also be added to SCF structures near shared electrodes. Accordingly, SCFs may be provided with increased frequency spreads between first order modes and second order modes.
US11146236B2

Film bulk acoustic resonator having suppressed lateral mode. In some embodiments, a film bulk acoustic resonator can include a piezoelectric layer having a first side and a second side, a first electrode having a first lateral shape implemented on the first side of the piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode having a second lateral shape implemented on the second side of the piezoelectric layer. The first and second lateral shapes can be selected and arranged to provide a resonator shape defined by an outline of an overlap of the first and second electrodes. The resonator shape can include N curved sections joined by N vertices of an N-sided polygon. The resonator shape can be configured to have no axis of symmetry.
US11146235B1

The present disclosure relates to a tunable Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) resonator with a top electrode, a bottom electrode, a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between the top electrode and the bottom electrode, and a reflection region underneath the bottom electrode. The reflection region includes a reflection layer and an ion-conductible structure between the bottom electrode and the reflection layer. Herein, the ion-conductible structure has a first terminal layer coupled to the bottom electrode, a second terminal layer coupled to the reflection layer, and an ion conductor between the first terminal layer and the second terminal layer. The ion conductor is eligible to transport ions between the first terminal layer and the second terminal layer, so as to achieve a mass-loading shift between the first terminal layer and the second terminal layer, and consequently, to tune a resonance frequency of the tunable BAW resonator.
US11146234B2

An electrical device includes an electronic component, a membrane and a cover. The electronic component has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The electronic component has a cavity extending from the first surface of the electronic component into the electronic component. The membrane is disposed within the cavity of the electronic component. The cover is disposed on the first surface of the electronic component.
US11146232B2

Acoustic filters, resonators and methods are disclosed. An acoustic resonator device includes a substrate having a surface. A back surface of a single-crystal piezoelectric plate is attached to the surface of the substrate except for a portion of the piezoelectric plate forming a diaphragm that spans a cavity in the substrate. A conductor pattern is formed on the front surface of the piezoelectric plate, the conductor pattern including an interdigital transducer (IDTs), interleaved fingers of the IDT disposed on the diaphragm. A pitch of the interleaved fingers and a mark of the interleaved fingers are set in combination such that a resonance frequency of the acoustic resonator is equal to a predetermined target frequency.
US11146230B2

A method for creating a double Bragg mirror is provided. The method comprises providing a wafer having a plurality of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices at an intermediate stage of manufacturing. A first dielectric layer is deposited over the wafer. A plurality of as-deposited thicknesses of the dielectric layer are determined, each as-deposited thickness corresponding to one BAW device from the plurality of BAW devices. A corresponding trimmed dielectric layer over each of the BAW devices is formed by removing a portion of the dielectric layer over each of the BAW devices, with a thickness of the removed portion determined from a corresponding as-deposited thickness and a target thickness. A Bragg acoustic reflector that includes the corresponding trimmed dielectric layer is formed over each of the BAW devices.
US11146213B2

A multi-radio access technology (RAT) envelope tracking (ET) amplifier apparatus is provided. The multi-RAT ET amplifier apparatus may be configured to enable concurrent communication of at least two radio frequency (RF) signals associated with at least two different RATs. Specifically, the multi-RAT ET amplifier apparatus includes an ET integrated circuit (IC) (ETIC) and a distributed ETIC (DETIC) configured to generate respective ET voltages for amplifying the two RF signals. In addition, the DETIC can be configured to utilize certain circuit(s) in the ETIC to help reduce a footprint of the DETIC. By amplifying the two different RF signals based on the respective ET voltages and sharing certain circuit(s) between the ETIC and the DETIC, it may be possible to improve overall efficiency and heat dissipation in the multi-RAT ET amplifier apparatus concurrent to reducing the footprint of the DETIC.
US11146212B1

A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property is disclosed. The monitoring system includes a sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of the property; a solar panel that is configured to generate and output power; and a monitor control unit. The monitor control unit is configured to: monitor the power outputted by the solar panel; determine that the power outputted by the solar panel has deviated from an expected power range; based on determining that the power outputted by the solar panel has deviated from the expected power range, access the sensor data; based on the power outputted by the solar panel and the sensor data, determine a likely cause of the deviation from the expected power range; and determine an action to perform to remediate the likely cause of the deviation from the expected power range.
US11146209B2

Methods, apparatus and systems for tunable photonic harvesting for solar energy conversion and dynamic shading tolerance are provided herein. A system includes a solar photovoltaic module; a sensor device operative to determine portions of the solar photovoltaic module that are underperforming; a plurality of configurable reflective surfaces, wherein: each of the configurable reflective surfaces is physically connected to the solar photovoltaic module at a given angle in relation to the surface of the solar photovoltaic module; and each of the configurable reflective surfaces is configurable based on a determination of the underperforming portions of the solar photovoltaic module to collect and distribute direct solar radiation and diffuse solar radiation across the solar photovoltaic module in a targeted manner to offset the underperforming portions by a given amount; and a heat transfer mechanism coupled to the solar photovoltaic module and operative to reduce the temperature of the solar photovoltaic module.
US11146208B2

A solar generator includes a base, a rotary plate provided to the base such that the rotary plate can rotate with respect to the base, a cover disposed atop the rotary plate, solar panel disposed atop the cover such that the solar panel is angled with respect to a horizontal plane, and a motor provided to the rotary plate such that the motor can engage the base to enable rotation of the rotary plate with respect to the base. A photosensor and a method of rotationally aligning a solar panel with the sun in an azimuth orientation are also provided.
US11146203B2

A motor control apparatus drives an inverter which supplies and receives electric power with respect to a motor by pulse width modulation. The motor control apparatus sets a frequency of a carrier such that a frequency of a sideband wave component of the carrier which is used for the pulse width modulation and a frequency of a predetermined rotation order of the motor become different from each other.
US11146200B2

A system for controlling a motor may include an alternating current (AC) bus configured to transmit an AC power signal to a set of stator windings, where the AC power signal produces a first rotating magnetic flux at the set of stator windings. The system may also include a high frequency contactless transformer configured to transmit an excitation signal to a set of rotor windings, where the excitation signal produces a second rotating magnetic flux at the rotor. The system may also include electrical circuitry configured to determine a rotor voltage and a rotor current associated with the excitation signal, determine a rotor flux magnitude estimate and a rotor flux angle estimate based on the rotor voltage and the rotor current, and determine an inverter control signal operable to generate the excitation signal based at least partially on the rotor flux magnitude estimate and the rotor flux angle estimate.
US11146187B2

The present invention is provided to prevent intrusion of dust, moisture, and the like, and simulatively deliver a kinetic operation feeling in response to an operation of an operator, and generate vibrations as necessary and separately from the operation of the operator. There is provided an inertial force imparting device including a stator, a mover that is arranged to be movable relative to the stator in a movable direction, a weight attached to the mover, an actuator unit that includes a shape memory alloy wire provided between the stator and the mover, instantaneously displaces the mover in the movable direction, and delivers an inertial force to the outside based on the displacement, and an elastic member that biases the mover toward the stator side along the movable direction, in which the shape memory alloy wire changes in length according to temperature, and changes the interval between the mover and the stator by expansion and contraction according to energization heating.
US11146186B2

The invention concerns a circuit for recuperating electrical energy from a mechanical resonator (402) comprising: a voltage inversion circuit (408) configured to invert the voltage across a capacitance (Cp) of the mechanical resonator, the voltage inversion circuit comprising: a capacitor (Cint); and a charge transfer circuit configured: to discharge a voltage of a first polarity held by the capacitance of the mechanical resonator to said capacitor during a first period; and to charge a voltage, of opposite polarity to the first polarity, to the capacitance of the mechanical resonator during a second period using the voltage potential stored by said capacitor during the first period; wherein the charge transfer circuit comprises an inductance and at least one switch controllable to limit the current passing through the inductance.
US11146185B2

A high voltage pulse generating system has a latching element coupled in between a ferroelectric generator (FEG) and a load, such as a vector inversion generator. Such a latching element prevents the return of current to the FEG when the FEG undergoes mechanical destruction after depolarization, thereby increasing the useful amount of energy extracted from the FEG. In some embodiments, multiple FEGs are configured with multiple latching elements to deliver multiple high-voltage, high-current pulses.
US11146183B2

A method for controlling an inverter configured to power electrically a motor including a stator and a rotor capable of being rotated relative to the stator when the motor is electrically powered, the inverter including a plurality of switches suitable for being controlled to open/close in order to regulate the power supply of the motor, each switch having a predetermined transition time from a closed state to an open state, and a predetermined transition time from the open state to the closed state, wherein the method includes the step of not generating the command to open and close the switches when this violates the predetermined transition times from a closed state to an open state, and the predetermined transition times from the open state to the closed state.
US11146180B2

A power converter having a dynamic bus controller to control a rectifier DC output for motoring and regenerating power flow directions, in which the controller controls a DC bus voltage between first and second regenerating voltage limits and limits power at the DC output in an increasing fashion with increasing values of the DC bus voltage according to a regenerating power limit parameter for a regenerating direction of power flow at a DC output. For a motoring direction of power flow at the DC output, the controller controls the DC bus voltage at the DC output between first and second motoring voltage limits and limits the power at the DC output in a decreasing fashion with increasing values of the DC bus voltage according to a motoring power limit parameter.
US11146169B2

This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for operating a power factor correction circuit. The power factor correction circuit can downconvert AC mains power to a lower power suitable for driving one or more LEDs. The power factor correction circuit can provide a regulated current, in a single-stage embodiment, and a regulated voltage, in a dual-stage embodiment. The power factor correction circuit can include an isolation transformer along with a switch for controlling downconversion. The power factor correction circuit can alternatively include a switch without isolation. Either way, the switch can have a duty cycle proportional to a desired downconversion from the AC mains signal, and can skip half cycles of the AC mains signal in order to reduce the downconverted output of the power factor correction circuit.
US11146168B2

Provided is a snubber circuit comprising N parallel charging paths each having a positive-side capacitor, a first diode, and a negative-side capacitor sequentially connected in series between a positive-side terminal and a negative-side terminal, and configured to conduct current from the positive-side terminal toward the negative-side terminal; (N+1) parallel discharging paths each having a second diode connected between the negative-side terminal or the negative-side capacitor of kth charging path of N charging paths and the positive-side capacitor of (k+1)th charging path of N charging paths or the positive-side terminal, and configured to counduct current from the negative-side terminal toward the positive-side terminal via at least one of the negative-side capacitor and the positive-side capacitor; and at least one auxiliary capacitor each being connected in parallel to at least one of the N first diodes included on N charging paths and (N+1) second diodes included on (N+1) discharging paths.
US11146155B2

Provided are an alignment method and an alignment device by which, immediately before aligning, the leg parts of adjacent conductors do not interfere with each other. The alignment method, in which by providing a plurality of coil elements (40) in an annular shape and moving the plurality of coil elements (40) in a direction in which the diameter of the annular shape is reduced, the plurality of coil elements (40) are aligned in a state where turn sections (42) provided at substantially apex portions are alternately overlapped, wherein the plurality of coil elements (40) are aligned by moving each of the plurality of coil elements (40) toward an annularly shaped center, and while doing so, rotating the plurality of coil elements about a rotation axis (231e) that is parallel to the central axis (C1) of the annular shape.
US11146148B2

The present invention relates to a BLDC motor integrated with an inverter, having a motor and an inverter part that are integrally formed, and to a BLDC motor integrated with an inverter, having an improved arrangement of switching elements mounted on a PCB substrate of an inverter part and three phase terminals of a stator coil such that the inverter part including the PCB substrate can be compactly formed.
US11146143B2

Provided is a method for removing moisture from a cooling air filter installed for filtering first cooling air for cooling a generator from a first end, the method including: pressurizing second cooling air cooling the generator from a second end; allowing the second cooling air having received heat from the generator to pass through the cooling air filter, in order to absorb and thereby reduce moisture from the cooling air filter.
US11146137B2

A coil insulation structure for a rotating machine provided in the present invention is based on a conventional insulation technology. In particular, tooth portions of an iron core in which coil windings are inserted have a straight tooth structure without a shoe portion, and a component with an insulation effect is further added at a position of an opening of a groove in which the coil winding is located, so that an insulation effect is improved, and at the same time an added insulation component is used to ensure a thickness and a size of an inner layer located at a position adjacent to an air gap of a motor when the coil winding is encapsulated, thereby improving product quality.
US11146129B2

According to one embodiment, a rotor of an electric rotating machine includes a shaft, a rotor core, and a plurality of permanent magnets. Two first permanent magnets are arranged in line symmetry with a pole center and are arranged gradually away from the pole center as the two first permanent magnets extend from first ends toward second ends thereof. Two second permanent magnets are arranged in line symmetry with the pole center and are arranged gradually away from the pole center as the two second permanent magnets extend from third ends toward fourth ends thereof. Angles θ1, θ2 are set to satisfy the relationships of θ1>θ2, and 70 degrees≤θ2≤110 degrees.
US11146127B2

A motor includes a motor body, a first cover covering at least one part of the motor body on the radial outer side of the motor body, and a second cover covering at least one part of the motor body on one axial side and the radial outer side of the motor body. The first and second covers make contact on the radial outer side of the motor body. The second cover includes first and second parts, the first part is in a disk shape, the second part is located on the radial outer side of at least one part of the first part and includes a wall part and an eave part, the wall part is formed in the axial direction, and the eave part is formed in the radial direction from one axial end of the radial outer side of the wall part.
US11146107B2

A wireless powering device comprising a first coil assembly including a first coil and a second coil assembly including a second coil. The second coil is adapted to be electromagnetically coupled with the first coil. One of the first coil and the second coil is used as a transmitting coil and another of the first coil and the second coil is used as a receiving coil. The second coil is movable with respect to the first coil in a direction perpendicular to a direction of magnetic lines generated by the transmitting coil.
US11146104B2

A radiofrequency-powered device such as a wireless passive sensor node, for instance, comprises a radiofrequency energy harvesting circuit configured to be coupled to an antenna to harvest radiofrequency energy captured by the antenna from a radiofrequency signal. The radiofrequency energy harvesting circuit is configured to be coupled to an energy storage component to store therein energy harvested via the radiofrequency energy harvesting circuit. The device comprises user circuitry configured to be supplied with energy harvested via the radiofrequency energy harvesting circuit and to operate in accordance with one of a plurality of configurations as a function of configuration data supplied thereto. A receiver circuit coupled to the radiofrequency energy harvesting circuit is configured to receive a configuration data signal modulating the radiofrequency signal and supply to the user circuitry configuration data extracted from the configuration data signal received.
US11146097B2

A capacitor module for a vehicle, wherein the module includes a capacitor having a plurality of capacitor cells operatively connected to each other, a first port for being connected to a power supply arrangement, a second port for being connected to an electric machine for cranking an internal combustion engine, and a third port for being connected to ground. The capacitor module includes a first electrical device connected between the first port and the capacitor and that the first electrical device is adapted for allowing a current to flow out from the capacitor module via the first port for providing power to at least one load during operation in case of a sudden voltage drop in the power supply from the power supply arrangement.
US11146092B2

According to an aspect of the present invention, a wireless power transmitting apparatus of a wireless charging system includes a substrate, a first bonding layer formed on the substrate, a soft magnetic layer formed on the first bonding layer, a second bonding layer formed on the soft magnetic layer and a transmitting coil formed on the second bonding layer, wherein at least one of the first bonding layer and the second bonding layer includes a magnetic substance.
US11146088B2

A power control circuit and a power control method are provided. The power control circuit includes a battery unit, a power controller and a switch circuit. The power controller is configured to provide a control signal. The switch circuit is coupled between the battery unit and the power controller. The switch circuit includes a diode component. The diode component is configured to receive the control signal. The switch circuit is configured to cut off a power transmission path of the battery unit in response to a voltage difference between a first terminal and a second terminal of the diode component.
US11146086B2

An electrical charging cable is configured to indicate the charge level of a battery being charged. The charging cable has a cable body with internal electrical conductors that are configured to carry charging current to the battery being charged. A plurality of LED lights are located at one location or over the length dimension of the cable and are configured to emit light that is indicative of the charging level of the battery being charged.
US11146085B2

A charging system for an electric window covering, which includes a motorized assembly controlling the movement of the electric window covering, and a power supply device including a rechargeable power unit and a first remaining power detection circuit is disclosed. The charging system comprises a charging device which provides power to the power supply device, a comparison module, and a notification unit. The first remaining power detection circuit detects the potential magnitude of the power unit, and the detected value is transmitted to the comparison module to be compared. If the potential magnitude is less than a predetermined threshold, a warning is presented at a notification unit. By actively presenting the warning to the user when the power of the power unit is low, the power supply device and the charging system can achieve the objectives of providing an active notification and extending the run-time of the power unit.
US11146075B2

One exemplary embodiment provides a charging and discharging control apparatus for an energy storage apparatus, the charging and discharging control apparatus including: a charging and discharging controlling unit configured to control a charging and discharging current amount of the energy storage apparatus according to a droop curve; a communication unit configured to receive state information from the energy storage apparatus; and a droop curve adjusting unit configured to adjust a characteristic value of the droop curve according to the state information.
US11146074B2

A controller for providing a DRP port according to USB Type-C standard. A state manager coupled to a power manager for controlling charging and discharging of a battery. A signal transmission module for exchanging a signal with a connection destination via a communication line in the USB cable according to an instruction from the state manager. The signal transmission module is possible to indicate the communication line whether the port is featured as the power supply side or the power reception side. When the port is featured as the power supply side, the state manager supplies an electric power stored in the battery to the connection destination and if the battery becomes the condition of Low Battery, the state manager stops supplying the electric power to the connection destination while maintaining the state that the port is featured as the power supply side.
US11146067B2

A configuration of switches added to a line control circuit allows for switching back and forth between a configuration featuring a series-connected thyristor switch and reactor and a configuration featuring a parallel-connected thyristor switch and reactor. Connecting the reactor in series with the thyristor switch allows a controlled high-impedance circuit configuration that is particularly well adapted for cold furnace start-ups and furnace idling. In this manner, there is reduced need for such equipment as extra startup transformers, alternate low-voltage power supply configurations and temporary specialty electrical apparatus for cold furnace start-ups.
US11146065B2

An energy management capsule is disclosed, being a mains-powered device with multiple sensors or electrical output controllers connected to the Internet. Web services analyse sensor data for controlling electrical outputs and providing information about significant changes to predicted sensor values. Several Energy Management Capsules may be interconnected via mains powerlines, wireless communications or wired digital networks. It reports failure of mains power supply.
US11146060B2

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device includes a voltage divider circuit, a detection circuit, and a clamping circuit. The voltage divider circuit outputs N−1 bias voltages according to a first voltage and a second voltage, in which N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The detection circuit detects an ESD event according to a voltage level at a predetermined node associated with the first voltage and the second voltage, and to generate N control signals according to the first voltage, the second voltage, and the N−1 bias voltages. When the ESD event occurs, the voltage level of the N control signals are the same as the first voltage. The clamping circuit is turned on according to the N control signals when the ESD event occurs, in order to provide a discharging path of a current associated with the ESD event.
US11146050B2

Apparatus, systems, and methods for increasing the lifespan of welding cable covers are described. In some examples, a cable cover is wrapped around a welding cable to protect the welding cable from hazards of the welding environment. Complementary fasteners attached to the cable cover are fastened together to hold the cable cover in place around the welding cable. The fasteners are arranged and the cable cover is wrapped such that a protective region of the cable cover overlaps with the fasteners, shielding vulnerable stitching used to attach the fasteners to the cable cover. This added protection may prolong the time that fasteners remain attached to a cable cover, thereby prolonging the usable life of the cable cover, and/or prolonging the life of the welding cable(s) protected by the cable cover.
US11146044B2

A filler plate for a loadcenter having an opening in a deadfront includes a cover plate constructed to cover the opening; a first leg coupled to and spaced apart from the cover plate to yield a first gap between the first leg and the cover plate, wherein the first gap is constructed to receive a first portion of the deadfront adjacent to the opening therein; and a second leg coupled to and spaced apart from the cover plate to yield a second gap between the second leg and the cover plate, wherein the second gap is constructed to receive a second portion of the deadfront adjacent to the opening therein.
US11146042B2

A spark plug inspection method and a spark plug manufacturing method that enable evaluation for the position of a ground electrode of a tapered-seat-type spark plug. The spark plug inspection method includes: a contact step of screwing an external thread of a metal shell to an internal thread of a gauge so as to bring a part of a tapered portion of the metal shell into line-contact or point-contact with an inner edge of the gauge; and a determination step of determining whether or not a ground electrode is present within a predetermined range in a circumferential direction of the gauge when the tapered portion comes into line-contact or point-contact with the inner edge of the gauge in the contact step.
US11146041B2

An insulator for a spark plug including a first portion; a second portion located on the rear side of the first portion, an outer diameter F at a front end of the second portion being smaller than an outer diameter of the first portion; a third portion located on the front side of the first portion, an outer diameter D at a rear end of the third portion being smaller than the outer diameter of the first portion and the outer diameter F at the front end of the second portion; a first slope portion connecting the first portion and the second portion; and a second slope portion connecting the first portion and the third portion. A length A of the second slope portion and a length B of the first slope portion satisfy 2.0≤A/B≤3.9, and 0.50≤D/F≤0.88 is satisfied.
US11146040B2

Included is a semiconductor multilayer film in which a non-doped InAlN layer and a GaN layer formed on said InAlN layer and containing a dopant are stacked a plurality of times.
US11146025B2

An electrical connector system with a receptacle and plug. The receptacle has a metal housing encircling an insulative housing. A side wall of the metal housing is separated from a corresponding side wall of the insulative housing, leaving a groove. The plug has a wall, extending from an insulative housing of the plug, parallel to a paddle card. The metal housing may be shaped to engage with the wall during mating of the plug and receptacle, facilitating alignment of the paddle card and plug interface of the receptacle. The wall may also carry latching components, which may latch to corresponding features of the metal housing, reducing the height of the mated connectors in comparison to configurations in which the latching components are mounted to the insulative housing of the plug. The receptacle housing may have asymmetric support parts, providing support in a compact space.
US11146023B2

A connector connection structure includes a first connector and a second connector. A second component of the first connector includes a pair of locking arm portions protruding outwardly from an outer periphery of a main body portion of the second component at opposite end portions of the outer periphery. A first component of the first connector includes an abutting surface extending in an up-and-down direction on an inner periphery of a cylindrical portion of the first component and facing toward a rear side of the first connector in a fitting direction. The pair of locking arm portions and the abutting surface have a structure in which at least one part of a tip surface of the locking arm portions first receives a force from the abutting surface when the tip surface receives the force on the rear side in the fitting direction from the abutting surface.
US11146022B2

A combination loadbreak and deadbreak temporary grounding device that includes a conductive body configured to accept a grounded bushing well; a grounded bushing well disposed through the body and having an inner end configured to slip onto a loadbreak mounting clip on a loadbreak mounting bracket and an outer end configured to accept either a loadbreak bushing or a deadbreak bushing for coupling, respectively, to either a loadbreak or deadbreak elbow connector; and a grounding cable electrically connected to the conductive body.
US11146010B2

An electrical connector having a housing and overmolded contact assemblies. The housing has a mating face and a mounting face. Contact receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the mounting face. The overmolded contact assemblies are provided in the contact receiving cavities. The overmolded contact assemblies include contacts and overmolded housings. The contacts have mating contact portions, securing portions and mounting contact portions. The overmolded housings are overmolded onto the securing portions of the contacts.
US11145995B2

An electrical contact for forming a materially bonded, electrically conductive connection to a mating contact comprises a contact surface and a soldering body. The contact surface has a recess extending into the contact surface. The soldering body is formed of a hard solder material and is pressed into the recess. The soldering body protrudes out from the recess beyond the contact surface.
US11145994B2

Disclosed is a high performance low cost multiband antenna configuration that has a low band dipole having dipole arms formed of stamped sheet metal that has a plurality of slots. Some of the slots are oriented along a longitudinal axis of the low band dipole arm, and others are oriented orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The presence of the slots creates a plurality of inductor structures, which act has cloaking structures that make the low band dipole substantially transparent to high band RF energy without inhibiting the performance of the dipole in the low band.
US11145989B2

The disclosure discloses a controllable wave-absorbing metamaterial including a substrate and a metamaterial unit array layer. Each conductive geometric unit includes a first hollow structure, second hollow structures, and conductive geometric structures. The second hollow structures are respectively extended from four vertices of the first hollow structure, and the conductive geometric structure is disposed between each two adjacent second hollow structures. The first end of the second hollow structure is provided with a varactor diode connected to the conductive geometric structures at both sides, the second end of the second hollow structure is provided with a fixed capacitor and a fixed resistor; the fixed capacitor is connected to the conductive geometric structure at one side, and the fixed resistor is connected to the conductive geometric structure at the other side. Therefore, active adjustment on a wave-absorption frequency band can be implemented, and power consumption is very low.
US11145976B2

Antennas used aboard aircraft to communicate with satellites or ground stations may have complex antenna patterns, which may vary as the aircraft moves throughout a given coverage area. Techniques are disclosed for dynamically adjusting the instantaneous power fed to an antenna system to ensure that the antenna transmits at the regulatory or coordinated effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) spectral limit. The antenna may transmit, in accordance with aircraft location and attitude, steerable beam patterns at different scan and skew angle combinations, causing variations in antenna gain and fluctuations in the transmitted EIRP. Using on-board navigational data, an antenna gain and ESD limit may be calculated for a particular scan and skew angle, which may be used to adjust power fed to the antenna such that the antenna transmits substantially at maximum allowable EIRP as the steerable beam pattern is adjusted.
US11145966B2

An over-molded thin film antenna device is provided that can include a core mandrel having a body and a lip, a thin film radio frequency (RF) element wrapped around and supported by the body, an RF connector electrically coupled to the thin film RF element, and an outer layer molded between shutoff surfaces of the core mandrel and over the thin film RF element. The lip can extend over a top of a portion of the thin film RF element to secure the portion of the thin film radio frequency element between the body and the lip.
US11145957B2

An antenna, an antenna control method, and a terminal, where the antenna includes an antenna body and an antenna branch, where one end of the antenna branch is coupled to the antenna body, the other end is coupled to a feedpoint of a primary radio frequency channel, and the end of the antenna branch that is coupled to the feedpoint of the primary radio frequency channel is further coupled to the antenna body through a first adjustable device, where the first adjustable device is in an on state or an off state. An antenna branch is coupled between the feedpoint of the primary radio frequency channel and the antenna body, and the antenna branch is capable of coupling or decoupling by switching on or off the first adjustable device.
US11145955B2

A wireless handheld or portable device includes an antenna system operable in a first frequency region and a higher, second frequency region. The antenna system comprises an antenna structure, a matching and tuning system, and an external input/output (I/O) port. The antenna structure comprises at least one radiating element including a connection point, a ground plane layer including at least one connection point, and at least one internal I/O port. At least one radiating element of the antenna structure protrudes beyond the ground plane layer. The antenna structure features at any of its internal I/O ports when disconnected from the matching and tuning system an input return loss curve having a minimum at a frequency outside the first frequency region of the antenna system. The matching and tuning system modifies the impedance of the antenna structure and provides impedance matching to the antenna system in the first and second regions.
US11145951B2

One example among various examples of the present invention provides an antenna device and an electronic device having the same, and the antenna device can comprise: a conductive film member including mesh grid areas composed of transparent conducting wires and electrodes; and a radiation pattern path unit formed between the mesh grid areas. In addition, the antenna device and the electronic device having the same, according to the present invention, can be implemented through other various examples.
US11145945B2

A dielectric filter includes a plurality of resonators, wherein each resonator included in the plurality of resonators includes a tuning hole; and at least one stepped hole for adjusting capacitive coupling, wherein the at least one stepped hole is disposed between two adjacent resonators included in the plurality of the resonators, wherein the stepped hole comprises a large hole and a small through hole at a bottom center of the large hole, wherein a first sidewall and a first annular bottom of the large hole are configured with a metal conductive layer, and wherein at least one of a second sidewall of the small through hole and a second annular portion outside a bottom of the small through hole is not covered with the conductive layer.
US11145944B2

The present disclosure relates to a technical field of cells, and discloses a protection device and a battery. The protection device includes: a first connecting member; a second connecting member; a first element; and an elastic sheet. When the elastic sheet has a temperature lower than a first temperature, the elastic sheet is connected to at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member; when the temperature of the elastic sheet is equal to the first temperature, the elastic sheet is deformed to allow the first connecting member, the second connecting member, the elastic sheet and the first element to form a series circuit. When the protection device is not triggered, the temperature of the elastic sheet is lower than the first temperature, and the elastic sheet is connected to at least one of the first connecting member and the second connecting member.
US11145943B2

A battery pack includes a battery unit including rectangular secondary batteries, each including a sealing plate and positive and negative electrode terminals attached to the sealing plate; a bus bar that connects the rectangular secondary batteries together in parallel; an insulating plate disposed between the sealing plates of the rectangular secondary batteries and the bus bar; and a short-circuit breaking portion that interrupts an electric conduction path between the rectangular secondary batteries connected in parallel by allowing each sealing plate to bulge outward in response to an internal pressure rise of the battery to push up the insulating plate and the bus bar. A portion of each sealing plate that bulges most protrudes outward by greater than or equal to 1.5 mm from an outer peripheral edge of the sealing plate when a pressure in the corresponding rectangular secondary battery reaches the operating pressure of a gas release valve.
US11145937B2

A battery pack includes a series of battery cells, a series of bus bars electrically connecting the series of battery cells, and a terminal member. The terminal member includes a first metal layer extending from an internal connection position connected to at least one of the series of bus bars to an external connection position for supplying output power of the battery pack. The terminal member also includes a second metal layer covering the first metal layer at the external connection position. The second metal layer includes a second metal different from a first metal of the first metal layer. Therefore, the battery pack has an improved structure for stable and low-resistance connection.
US11145935B2

Provided is a layered double hydroxide (LDH) separator including a porous substrate made of a polymeric material; and a LDH with which pores of the porous substrate are plugged. The LDH separator has a mean porosity of 0.03% to less than 1.0%.
US11145934B2

Disclosed herein are novel or improved fibrous layers, composites, composite separators, separators, composite mat separators, composite mat separators containing fibers and silica particles, battery separators, lead acid battery separators, and/or flooded lead acid battery separators, and/or batteries, cells, and/or methods of manufacture and/or use of such fibrous layers, composites, composite separators, separators, battery separators, lead acid battery separators, cells, and/or batteries. In addition, disclosed herein are methods, systems, and battery separators for enhancing battery life, reducing internal resistance, reducing metalloid poisoning, reducing acid stratification, and/or improving uniformity in at least enhanced flooded batteries.
US11145929B2

A battery pack including a housing having a longitudinal axis, a first surface, and a second surface, electrical terminals positioned within the housing and configured to engage and electrically couple with electrical terminals of a power tool, and a latch mechanism including an actuator that is movable within an aperture in the first surface and a latch member movable within an aperture in the second surface. The latch member includes a first latch portion having a first inclined surface and a second latch portion having a second inclined surface that intersects the first inclined surface. The actuator is depressible to retract the latch member within the housing.
US11145928B2

A battery pack includes a plurality of electrical energy storage cells positioned in a parallel layout in a protective casing. The protective casing has a peripheral wall and is closed at two opposite ends by a lid. Each of the lids has at least one venting hole for gases that that can form inside the protective casing, and at least one layer of metallic material, through which the gases are intended to flow, is disposed between the internal face of each of the lids and the cells.
US11145908B1

Methods and apparatuses for a listening only wireless network controller in a wireless battery management system are disclosed. A primary wireless network controller (WNC) receives battery sensor data from a plurality of module monitoring systems (MMSs). A secondary WNC also receives the battery sensor data from the MMSs. The secondary WNC is listening-only, in that it does not send commands to the MMSs. The listening-only WNC may be used to collect and provide redundant data for communication integrity or enhanced data for performance and diagnostic purposes. A collection of listening-only WNCs may be used to map locations of MMSs based on signal strength.
US11145906B2

There is provided a secondary battery cell transfer apparatus for a process of folding a secondary battery cell, including: multiple stations disposed at an equal interval and sequentially disposed in a straight process direction; tables provided in the multiple stations, respectively, and configured to vacuum-grip and support the secondary battery cell from below the secondary battery cell; transfer bars provided in the multiple stations, respectively; vacuum gripping units provided in the table and the transfer bar, respectively, and configured to selectively apply vacuum gripping force to the secondary battery cell; a lifting unit configured to operate a lifting operation of the transfer bar; and a straight transfer drive unit configured to operate a straight reciprocating motion of the transfer bar, in which productivity may be improved by reducing the tact time for a folding process.
US11145901B2

The present application relates to an electrolyte and an electrochemical device. The electrolyte includes an organic solvent, an additive and a lithium salt, the additive including a cyclic borate and a nitrile compound. The electrolyte of the present application has good stability at a high working voltage. In another embodiment of the present application, the combination of the electrolyte and an anode having a high compacted density provides a high energy density for the electrochemical device, and improves the storage, floating charge and dynamicperformance of the electrochemical device.
US11145894B2

A dense β″-alumina/zirconia composite solid electrolyte and process for fabrication are disclosed. The process allows fabrication at temperatures at or below 1600° C. The solid electrolytes include a dense composite matrix of β″-alumina and zirconia, and one or more transition metal oxides that aid the conversion and densification of precursor salts during sintering. The composite solid electrolytes find application in sodium energy storage devices and power-grid systems and devices for energy applications.
US11145889B2

Disclosed is a lithium metal secondary battery which includes: an electrode assembly including a negative electrode, a positive electrode and a separator interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode; a non-aqueous electrolyte with which the electrode assembly is impregnated; and a battery casing in which the electrode assembly and the non-aqueous electrolyte are received, wherein the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a lithium metal layer formed on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector, the charge/discharge condition of the lithium metal secondary battery includes charging the lithium metal secondary battery under a pressurized state and discharging the lithium metal secondary battery under a non-pressurized or pressurized state, and when the lithium secondary battery is discharged under a pressurized state, the pressure applied during discharge is controlled to be smaller than the pressure applied during charge. A battery module including the lithium metal secondary battery is also disclosed.
US11145884B2

Methods and apparatus for generating electric power from a fuel cell are disclosed. In embodiments, a fuel cell for generating electric power includes: a first electrochemical cell including a first electrode and second electrode, wherein the first electrochemical cell is configured to generate a first stage electric power (P1) from a fuel source; and a bi-cell including a second electrochemical cell and third electrochemical cell, wherein the second electrochemical cell includes a third electrode in fluid communication with the fuel source, and a fourth electrode, wherein the second electrochemical cell is configured to generate hydrogen gas from the fuel source and transport the hydrogen gas to a third electrochemical cell, and wherein the third electrochemical cell includes the fourth electrode, and a fifth electrode in fluid communication with a second air source, wherein the fourth electrode is configured for use by the second electrochemical cell as a cathode for hydrogen generation, and by the third electrochemical cell as an anode for hydrogen oxidation, and wherein the third electrochemical cell is configured to generate a second stage electric power (P2).
US11145875B2

A fuel cell first and second electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) situated therebetween. A graphene-based material coated onto a first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers. The graphene-based material has a number of defects including a number of quad-vacancy (QV) defects formed by a vacancy of four adjacent carbon atoms in the graphene-based material. The number of QV defects are configured to mitigate dissolution of the first and/or second catalyst materials through the first and/or second surface of the first and/or second electrode catalyst layers.
US11145874B2

The present invention relates to a catalyst for solid polymer fuel cells in which catalyst particles including platinum and a transition metal M are supported on a carbon powder carrier. The catalyst of the present invention is a catalyst for solid polymer fuel cells in which a molar ratio (Pt/M) of platinum to the transition metal M that form catalyst particles is 2.5 or more, and a ratio (SCOMSA/SBET) of a platinum specific surface area (SCOMSA) measured by a CO adsorption method to a catalyst specific surface area (SBET) measured by a BET method is 0.26 or more and 0.32 or less. The catalyst can be produced by preparing an alloy catalyst, then washing the alloy catalyst with a platinum compound solution, and additionally supplying platinum to the surfaces of catalyst particles.
US11145872B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to non-noble metal-based catalysts used as electrode materials for fuel cells, and methods of manufacturing the same. In an aspect of the present inventions, provided herein is a non-noble metal-based catalyst for an electrode of a fuel cell. The non-noble metal-based catalyst comprise a porous carbon having a first pore and a second pore smaller than the first pore. The first pore has a pore size of about 5 to 100 nm and has an inner wall into which an active site of the non-noble metal-based catalyst is introduced.
US11145867B2

Surface-treated copper foils exhibiting a void volume (Vv) in a range of 0.4 to 2.2 μm3/μm2 and an arithmetic mean waviness (Wa) lower than or equal to 0.4 μm are reported. Where the surface-treated copper foil is treated on the drum side and includes a treatment layer comprising a nodule layer. Such surface-treated copper foils can be used as a conductive material having low transmission loss, for example in circuit boards.
US11145862B1

The positive electrode active substance for a lithium secondary battery includes a mixture of a titanium-containing lithium cobalt composite oxide particle and an inorganic fluoride particle. The method for producing a positive electrode active substance for a lithium secondary battery includes a first step of subjecting a titanium-containing lithium cobalt composite oxide particle and an inorganic fluoride particle to a mixing treatment to thereby obtain a mixture of the titanium-containing lithium cobalt composite oxide particle and the inorganic fluoride particle. The lithium secondary battery uses, as a positive electrode active substance, the positive electrode active substance for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention.
US11145853B2

A secondary battery includes a power generation element that includes a positive electrode having a collector on which a positive electrode active material layer is disposed, an electrolyte layer for retaining an electrolyte, and a negative electrode having a collector on which a negative electrode active material layer is disposed. The negative electrode active material layer has an area greater than that of the positive electrode active material layer. The negative electrode active material layer has a facing portion that faces a positive electrode active material layer with an electrolyte layer interposed by therebetween, and a non-facing portion that is positioned on an outer periphery of the facing portion and does not face the positive electrode active material layer. The non-facing portion has a stretching rate that is less than a stretching rate of the facing portion.
US11145842B2

The present application provides an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel and a package method thereof, the OLED display panel includes a thin film transistor layer, an OLED light emitting layer, and a thin film encapsulation layer, which are sequentially disposed on a substrate; the thin film encapsulation layer includes laminated disposing inorganic encapsulation layers and an organic encapsulation layer; wherein the material forming the organic encapsulation layer is methyl methacrylate-N-isopropyl acrylamide copolymer solution, which is spread on the surface of the inorganic encapsulation layer and after curing, used to form an organic encapsulation layer.
US11145834B2

High efficiency multi-junction small-molecule organic photovoltaic devices and methods of fabricating the same are disclosed herein. Design considerations for improving spectral coverage and light-harvesting efficiency using the multi-junction devices are also disclosed.
US11145822B2

A compound of Chemical Formula 1, and a photoelectric device, an image sensor, and an electronic device including the same are disclosed: In Chemical Formula 1, each substituent is the same as defined in the detailed description.
US11145821B2

An organic electroluminescence device includes a first electrode, a hole transport region provided on the first electrode, an emission layer provided on the hole transport region, an electron transport region provided on the emission layer, and a second electrode provided on the electron transport region, wherein the emission layer includes a polycyclic compound represented by Formula 1. In Formula 1, L11 and L21 are each independently represented by Formula 2, and L12 and L22 are each independently represented by Formula 3.
US11145819B2

An organic light emitting device including an anode; a hole transport region on the anode; an emission layer on the hole transport region; an electron transport region on the emission layer; and a cathode on the electron transport region, wherein the hole transport region includes: a first hole transport layer including a first hole transport material represented by the following Formula 1 or a second hole transport material represented by the following Formula 2; and a second hole transport layer on the first hole transport layer, the second hole transport layer including a third hole transport material represented by the following Formula 3 or a fourth hole transport material represented by the following Formula 4:
US11145815B2

A non-volatile memory circuit in embodiments of the present invention may have one or more of the following features: (a) a logic source, and (b) a semi-conductive device being electrically coupled to the logic source, having a first terminal, a second terminal and a nano-grease with significantly reduced amount of carbon nanotube loading located between the first and second terminal, wherein the nano-grease exhibits non-volatile memory characteristics.
US11145812B2

A resistive random access memory device includes a first electrode; a solid electrolyte made of metal oxide extending onto the first electrode; a second electrode able to supply mobile ions circulating in the solid electrolyte made of metal oxide to the first electrode to form a conductive filament between the first and second electrodes when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes; an interface layer including a transition metal from groups 3, 4, 5 or 6 of the periodic table and a chalcogen element; the interface layer extending onto the solid electrolyte made of metal oxide, the second electrode extending onto the interface layer.
US11145806B2

A device includes a plurality of bottom electrode features, a plurality of Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) stacks formed on top surfaces of the bottom electrode features, top electrode features formed on top of the MTJ stacks, and an etch stop layer extending along side surfaces of the bottom electrode feature and partially along side surfaces of the MTJ stacks.
US11145795B2

A light-emitting apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same are provided in which heat dissipation from an LED package to a heat sinking substrate is improved while electrical insulation therebetween is ensured. The light-emitting apparatus includes a circuit board having an opening, an LED package inserted into the opening from the back side of the circuit board and having an edge connected to the back side of the circuit board, and a heat sinking substrate disposed on the back side of the circuit board so as to be in contact with the LED package. The LED package includes: an LED device; a lead frame including a mounting part having an upper surface on which the LED device is mounted and a back surface being in contact with the heat sinking substrate, and an electrode part being thinner than the mounting part and electrically connected to the LED device and the circuit board; an insulating resin filled between the mounting part and the electrode part and between the electrode part and the heat sinking substrate; and a sealing resin filled into a region on the mounting part to seal the LED device.
US11145791B2

A light-emitting device is provided, which includes a first semiconductor structure, an active structure, a second semiconductor structure, and a first blocking layer. The first semiconductor structure has a first conductivity type. The active structure is on the first semiconductor structure and has a first dopant. The second semiconductor structure is on the active structure and has a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type. The first blocking layer is between the second semiconductor structure and the active structure. The first blocking layer has the first dopant with a first doping concentration decreasing along a depth direction from the second semiconductor structure to the first semiconductor structure.
US11145784B2

A light-emitting thyristor includes a layered structure having a semiconductor DBR layer, a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductive type, a third semiconductor layer, and a fourth semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type in this order on a semiconductor substrate, the third semiconductor layer has at least one fifth semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type and a multi-quantum well structure, the fifth semiconductor layer is present between the second semiconductor layer and the multi-quantum well structure, the multi-quantum well structure is formed of barrier layers and quantum well layers, and the number of the quantum well layers is greater than or equal to 10.
US11145781B2

A light reception/emission element module comprises a substrate, a light emitting element disposed on the substrate, a first light receiving device disposed on the substrate apart from the light emitting element, and an upper wall located above the substrate. The upper wall comprises a facing surface facing the light emitting element and the first light receiving element. The light reception/emission element module of the disclosure further comprises a second light emitting element disposed on the substrate. The upper wall further comprises a first light passing portion located above the light emitting element, a second light passing portion located above the second light receiving element, and an intermediate portion located in a region between the first light passing portion and the second light passing portion. At least part of a lower surface of the intermediate portion comprises the facing surface.
US11145779B2

A photodiode includes an active area formed by intrinsic germanium. The active area is located within a cavity formed in a silicon layer. The cavity is defined by opposed side walls which are angled relative to a direction perpendicular to a bottom surface of the silicon layer. The angled side walls support epitaxial growth of the intrinsic germanium with minimal lattice defects.
US11145774B2

A photovoltaic cell may include a substrate configured as a single light absorption region. The cell may include at least one first semiconductor region and at least one second semiconductor region arranged on or in the substrate. The cell may include a plurality of first conductive contacts arranged on the substrate and physically separated from one another and a plurality of second conductive contacts arranged on the substrate and physically separated from one another. Each first conductive contact may be configured to facilitate electrical connection with the at least one first semiconductor region. Each second semiconductor conductive contact may be configured to facilitate electrical connection with the at least one second semiconductor region. Each of the first conductive contacts may form at least one separate cell partition with at least one of the second conductive contacts, thereby forming a plurality of cell partitions on or in the substrate.
US11145772B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a photodetecting device that includes a bottom gate, a bilayer semiconductor formed on the bottom gate, and a top gate above the bilayer semiconductor comprising a polymer electrolyte. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US11145768B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a capacitive element. One example capacitive element generally includes a substrate, a plurality of trench capacitors, an electrically conductive via, a first electrically conductive contact, and a second electrically conductive contact. The trench capacitors intersect the substrate. The electrically conductive via intersects the substrate and is disposed adjacent to at least one of the trench capacitors. The first electrically conductive contact is disposed above the substrate, and the second electrically conductive contact is disposed below the substrate and electrically coupled to the plurality of trench capacitors through the electrically conductive via.
US11145766B2

An active matrix substrate of an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate and a plurality of oxide semiconductor TFTs supported on the substrate. Each oxide semiconductor TFT includes a lower gate electrode provided on the substrate, a gate insulating layer covering the lower gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the gate insulating layer, a source electrode which is in contact with the source contact region of the oxide semiconductor layer, a drain electrode which is in contact with the drain contact region of the oxide semiconductor layer, an insulating layer covering the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode, and an upper gate electrode provided on the insulating layer. When viewed in a normal direction of the substrate, the upper gate electrode does not overlap a first electrode which is one of the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a second electrode which is the other of the source electrode and the drain electrode does not overlap the lower gate electrode.
US11145763B2

An embodiment includes a system comprising: a thin film transistor (TFT) comprising a source, a channel, a drain, and a gate; first, second, and third dielectric portions; wherein (a) a first vertical axis intersects the source, the channel, and the drain; (b) the first dielectric portion surrounds the source in a first plane; (c) the second dielectric portion surrounds the channel in a second plane; (d) the third dielectric surrounds the drain in a third plane; (e) a second vertical axis intersects the first, second, and third dielectric portions; (f) the source includes a first dopant, the first dielectric portion includes the first dopant, the second dielectric portion includes at least one of the first dopant and a second dopant, the drain includes the at least one of the first and second dopants, and the third dielectric portion includes the at least one of the first and second dopants.
US11145762B2

A multi-gate semiconductor device having a fin element, a gate structure over the fin element, an epitaxial source/drain feature adjacent the fin element; a dielectric spacer interposing the gate structure and the epitaxial source/drain feature.
US11145759B2

A source/drain (S/D) structure includes a SiGe structure epitaxially grown and having sloped facets on a recessed fin structure disposed adjacent to a channel portion of a finFET, a first Ge structure having a rounded surface epitaxially grown on the SiGe structure, and a capping layer formed over the rounded surface of the Ge structure. The capping layer may be formed of Si. Such S/D structures provide both a larger physical size for lower contact resistance, and greater volume and concentration of Ge for higher compressive strain applied to the channel portion of the finFET.
US11145758B2

A structure capable of effectively preventing dopant diffusion from source/drain regions into an underlying semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer of fully-depleted SOI transistors with U-shaped channels is provided. By inserting a dopant diffusion barrier layer between an SOI layer of an SOI substrate and a doped extension layer from which source/drain extension regions are derived, the undesired dopant diffusion from the source/drain extension regions into the underlying SOI layer can be prevented.
US11145748B2

One or more semiconductor arrangements and techniques for forming such semiconductor arrangements are provided. A semiconductor arrangement comprises a channel, such as an un-doped channel, over a substrate. The semiconductor arrangement comprises a gate, such as a gate-all-around structure gate, around the channel. The semiconductor arrangement comprises an isolation structure, such as a silicon germanium oxide structure, between the gate and the substrate. The isolation structure blocks current leakage into the substrate. Because the semiconductor arrangement comprises the isolation structure, the channel can be left un-doped, which improves electron mobility and decreases gate capacitance.
US11145745B2

A method for producing a semiconductor component includes: providing a semiconductor body having a first dopant of a first conductivity type; forming a first trench in the semiconductor body starting from a first side; filling the first trench with a semiconductor filler material; forming a superjunction structure by introducing a second dopant of a second conductivity type into the semiconductor body, the semiconductor filler material being doped with the second dopant; forming a second trench in the semiconductor body starting from the first side; and forming a trench structure in the second trench.
US11145742B2

A process of forming a nitride semiconductor device is disclosed. The process includes steps of: (a) forming insulating films on a semiconductor stack, where the insulating films include a first silicon nitride (SiN) film, a silicon oxide (SiO2) film, and a second SiN film; (b) forming an opening in the insulating films; (c) widening the opening in the SiO2 film; (d) forming a recess in the semiconductor stack using the insulating films as a mask; (e) growing a doped region within the recess and simultaneously depositing the nitride semiconductor material constituting the doped region on the second SiN film; and (f) removing the nitride semiconductor material deposited on the second SiN film and the second SiN film by removing the SiO2 film.
US11145728B2

A method includes forming a gate structure over a fin protruding above a substrate, forming a gate spacer layer on sidewalls of the gate structure, forming an etch stop layer on sidewalls of the gate spacer layer, replacing the gate structure with a gate stack, forming a source/drain contact adjacent the etch stop layer, recessing the gate stack to form a first recess, filling the first recess with a first dielectric material, recessing the source/drain contact and the etch stop layer to form a second recess, filling the second recess with a second dielectric material, recessing the second dielectric material and the gate spacer layer to form a third recess, and filling the third recess with a third dielectric material, wherein the composition of the third dielectric material is different from that of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material.
US11145726B2

Semiconductor structures may include a substrate. The structures may include a gate structure overlying the substrate and formed in a first direction across the substrate. The structures may include a fin overlying the substrate and formed in a second direction across the substrate. The second direction may be orthogonal to the first direction, and the fin may intersect the gate structure. The structures may include a source/drain material formed about the fin. The structures may include a through-contact material extending vertically above the source/drain material. The structures may include a metal material extending vertically above the through-contact material. An interface between the metal material and the through-contact material may be characterized by a non-planar profile.
US11145724B2

A silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type on a substrate of the first conductivity type, a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type on the first semiconductor layer, and a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type. The semiconductor device further includes a gate electrode provided in a plurality of trenches via gate insulating films, a protruding portion disposed on the second semiconductor layer at a bridge area between two adjacent ones of the trenches in a direction orthogonal to the trenches, an interlayer insulating film provided on the gate electrode, and having contact holes that form a striped pattern, a first electrode on the interlayer insulating film and in the contact holes, a plating film provided in a plating area, and a solder on the plating film.
US11145722B2

A metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) includes a source region and a drain region of a first conductivity type. The MOSFET additionally include a body region of a second conductivity type, where the body region underlies at least a portion of the source region and the drain region. The MOSFET further includes a buried region of the first conductivity type, where the buried region is disposed between the body region and a substrate, where the buried region is configured to reduce a capacitance between the source region and the drain region in response to an indicated voltage applied between the body region and the buried region.
US11145721B2

A semiconductor device fabrication method includes forming first and second spaced apart base regions and source regions in a substrate with a portion of a drift region therebetween. The method further includes forming at least a first trench extending laterally through the base region, the drift region and the source region, the first trench extending vertically partially through the source region. The method also includes forming a first oxide layer over the trenched upper surface, and forming a polysilicon layer over the first oxide layer. The polysilicon layer is patterned to form the gate conductor, and a drain contact is formed on a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US11145710B1

Methods, apparatuses, and systems related to forming a barrier material between an electrode and a dielectric material are described. An example method includes forming a dielectric material on a bottom electrode material of a storage node in a semiconductor fabrication process. The method further includes forming a barrier material on the dielectric material to reduce oxygen vacancies in the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a top electrode on the barrier material.
US11145703B2

A display device may include a substrate, a first layer on the substrate, the first layer including a first portion having a first thickness and a second portion having a second thickness greater than the first thickness, a second layer on the first layer, an active pattern on the second layer, the active pattern overlapping only the first portion of the first layer, a gate electrode on the active pattern, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the gate electrode and connected to the active pattern, a first electrode connected to one of the source electrode and the drain electrode, a pixel defining layer on the first electrode, the pixel defining layer having an opening portion exposing at least a portion of the first electrode, an emission layer in the opening portion on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the emission layer.
US11145697B2

An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate including an emission region and a non-emission region, an organic light emitting element which emits light, the organic light emitting element including a first electrode disposed on the substrate in the emission region, an organic light emitting layer disposed on the first electrode in the emission region, and a second electrode disposed on the organic light emitting layer, and a via insulation layer disposed on the substrate in the non-emission region thereof, the via insulation layer including an organic insulation material. The via insulation layer defines an opening therein in which the organic light emitting layer of the organic light emitting element is disposed.
US11145692B2

Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide a wearable device that includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) light source to output light having one peak wavelength from a single OLED emissive layer, and a first barrier layer that is disposed over or between the single OLED emissive layer and one or more down-conversion layers. One or more regions of the single OLED emissive layer are independently switchable and controllable so that the wearable device is configurable to output a plurality of wavelengths of light. One of the plurality of wavelengths of light that is output is near infrared light.
US11145688B2

An active matrix substrate having a pixel region includes a terminal part, a guard ring, and a connection part that connects the terminal part and the guard ring to each other. The pixel region, the terminal part, and the guard ring each include a first conductive layer in which a first metal film and second metal films that are lower in resistance than the first metal film are stacked, a first protective layer disposed to overlap at least a part of the first conductive layer, and a second protective layer disposed over the first protective layer. The pixel region includes a second conductive layer provided at a higher level than the first protective layer. The connection part includes the first metal film and the second protective layer disposed over the first metal film. Ends of the first conductive layer in the terminal part and the guard ring that face the connection part are located on the inside of ends of the first protective layer that face the connection part. The second conductive layer and the second metal films contain materials that are etchable with an identical etchant.
US11145683B2

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide methods of forming a hybrid film stack that may be used as a capacitor layer or a gate insulating layer with a high dielectric constant as well as film qualities for display applications. In one embodiment, a thin film transistor structure include gate, source and drain electrodes formed on a substrate, and an insulating layer formed on a substrate, wherein the insulating layer is a hybrid film stack having a dielectric layer comprising a zirconium containing material disposed on an interface layer formed above or below the gate, source and drain electrodes.
US11145680B2

A display panel and a display device including the display panel are discussed. The display panel includes a substrate having an active area, and a non-active area surrounding the active area and having a first area, a second area and a third area which are spaced apart from one another, at least one signal line disposed in each of the first, second and third areas, at least one connection pattern disposed on the at least one signal line, and a sealant disposed in the non-active area. In at least one of the first, second and third areas of the non-active area of the display panel and display device, i) at least one signal line and at least one connection pattern overlap each other, and ii) at least one signal line includes an area in the form of a mesh with at least one opening.
US11145677B2

According to embodiments of the present invention, a semiconductor device includes a first transistor located on a first fixed charge dielectric layer and a second transistor located on a second fixed charge dielectric layer. The first fixed charge dielectric layer and the second fixed charge dielectric layer are differently charged such that the first transistor and the second transistor have different threshold voltages.
US11145676B1

A memory device includes a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of source lines and a plurality of multi-level memory cells is introduced. Each of the multi-level memory cells is coupled to one of the word lines, one of the bit lines and one of the source lines. Each of the multi-level memory cells includes a ferroelectric storage element and a magneto-resistive storage element cascaded to the ferroelectric storage element. The ferroelectric storage element is configured to store a first bit of a multi-bit data. The magneto-resistive storage element is configured to store a second bit of the multi-bit data.
US11145675B2

A semiconductor device includes stack structures each including a first conductive layer, a substrate disposed under the stack structures, first impurity regions disposed in the substrate, and at least one trench passing through the stack structures and disposed above the first impurity regions.
US11145672B2

A semiconductor device includes lower gate electrodes placed on a substrate and spaced apart from one another; upper gate electrodes placed over the lower gate electrodes and spaced apart from one another; an R-type pad extending from one end of at least one electrode among the lower gate electrodes or the upper gate electrodes and having a greater thickness than the lower gate electrode or upper gate electrode connected to the R-type pad; and a P-type pad extending from one end of at least one electrode to which the R-type pad is not connected among the lower gate electrodes or the upper gate electrodes and having a different thickness than the R-type pad, wherein the P-type pad includes a first pad connected to an uppermost lower gate electrode among the lower gate electrodes.
US11145664B2

Disclosed is an integrated circuit for ferroelectric memory, the integrated circuit comprising: a ferroelectric memory array having a storage unit array formed on a ferroelectric single-crystal layer, wherein each ferroelectric memory unit in the ferroelectric memory array is at least formed by one storage unit in the storage unit array, or at least formed by one storage unit in the storage unit array and one transistor formed on a silicon substrate of a silicon-based reading and writing circuit that is electrically connected to the storage unit.
US11145663B2

A method of fabrication of a ferroelectric memory including a first electrode, a second electrode and a layer of active material made of hafnium dioxide HfO2 positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, where the method includes depositing a first electrode layer; depositing the layer of active material; doping the layer of active material; depositing a second electrode layer; wherein the method includes sub-microsecond laser annealing of the layer of doped active material.
US11145662B2

A memory structure including a substrate, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a trench capacitor is provided. The trench capacitor is disposed in the substrate and is connected between the first transistor and the second transistor.
US11145661B2

Static random access memory (SRAM) and its forming method are provided. The forming method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate including memory cell regions, each memory cell region including a transmission region, a pull-down region and a pull-up region including a pull-up fin cutting region; forming first fins on the transmission region and the pull-down region; forming second initial fins on the pull-up region; forming initial gate structures across the first fins and the second initial fins; forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, the first fins and the second initial fins; forming a mask layer on the dielectric layer and the initial gate structures; forming a first cutting layer in the initial gate structures at a bottom of the mask opening; and forming a second cutting layer on the pull-up fin cutting region in the dielectric layer at the bottom of the mask opening and in the second initial fins.
US11145660B2

A dual-port SRAM includes a substrate, first and second active regions over the substrate and oriented lengthwise generally along a first direction; first and second gate electrodes oriented lengthwise generally along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second gate electrodes engage the first and second active regions to form first and second pass gate transistors, respectively. The dual-port SRAM further includes a first gate contact disposed over the first gate electrode and electrically connected to the first gate electrode and a first source/drain contact oriented lengthwise generally along the second direction. The first source/drain contact directly contacts source/drain features of the first and second pass gate transistors. A portion of the first gate contact and a portion of the first source/drain contact are at a same vertical level from a top surface of the substrate and are aligned along the first direction.
US11145655B2

Some embodiments relate to a memory device including first and second conductive lines extending generally in parallel with one another within over a row of memory cells. A centerline extends generally in parallel with the first and second conductive lines and is spaced between the first and second conductive lines. A first plurality of conductive line segments is over the first conductive line. Conductive line segments of the first plurality of conductive line segments are coupled to different locations on the first conductive line. A second plurality of conductive line segments are disposed over the second conductive line, and are coupled to different locations on the second conductive line.
US11145649B2

A semiconductor device with low parasitic capacitance comprises a substrate. The semiconductor device also comprises a gate region on the substrate. The semiconductor device further comprises a contact region on the substrate, wherein the contact region comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is in contact with the substrate and has a first surface above the substrate, and wherein the second portion is in contact with the substrate and has a second surface above the substrate different from the first surface.
US11145645B2

Embodiments of three-dimensional (3D) memory devices having multiple memory stacks and methods for forming the 3D memory devices are disclosed. In an example, a 3D memory device includes a first device chip, a second device chip, and a bonding interface. The first device chip includes a peripheral device and a first interconnect layer. The second device chip includes a substrate, two memory stacks disposed on opposite sides of the substrate, two memory strings each extending vertically through one of the two memory stacks, and a second interconnect layer. The bonding interface is formed vertically between the first interconnect layer of the first device chip and the second interconnect layer of the second device chip.
US11145640B2

Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) device including a logic cell having an area defined by a cell boundary. The logic cell includes a first device region, a device isolation region, and a second device region. The first device region and the second device region are arranged apart from each other in a first direction that is perpendicular to a second direction. The device isolation region is between the first device region and the second device region. A first maximum length of the first device region in the second direction is less than a width of the cell boundary in the second direction, and a second maximum length of the second device region is substantially equal to the width of the cell boundary in the second direction.
US11145634B2

The power converter includes a semiconductor module including a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element connected in series, a multilayer substrate including a first wire connected to a first signal terminal of the first semiconductor element, a second wire connected to a second signal terminal of the first semiconductor element, a third wire connected to a third signal terminal of the second semiconductor element, and a fourth wire connected to a fourth signal terminal of the second semiconductor element, a first external connection terminal to which the first wire and the second wire are connected, and a second external connection terminal to which the third wire and the fourth wire are connected, the first and third wires being formed on a first layer with an insulating region interposed therebetween, the second and fourth wires being formed on a second layer with an insulating region interposed therebetween.
US11145628B1

A first semiconductor die includes first semiconductor devices located over a first substrate, first interconnect-level dielectric material layers embedding first metal interconnect structures and located on the first semiconductor devices, and a first pad-level dielectric layer located on the first interconnect-level dielectric material layers and embedding first bonding pads. Each of the first bonding pads includes a first proximal horizontal surface and at least one first distal horizontal surface that is more distal from the first substrate than the first proximal horizontal surface is from the first substrate and has a lesser total area than a total area of the first proximal horizontal surface. A second semiconductor die including second bonding pads that are embedded in a second pad-level dielectric layer can be bonded to a respective distal surface of the first bonding pads.
US11145627B2

Provided is a semiconductor package including first to third semiconductor dies, first to third RDL layers, conductive vias and an encapsulant, and a manufacturing method thereof. The first RDL layer is on an active surface of the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die is on the first RDL layer and electrically connected thereto through first TSVs. The conductive vias are on the first RDL layer and around the second semiconductor die. The encapsulant encapsulates the second semiconductor die and the conductive vias. The second RDL layer is on the encapsulant. The third semiconductor die is on the second RDL layer and electrically connected thereto through second TSVs. The third RDL layer is on the third semiconductor die. The area of the second semiconductor die is smaller than that of the first semiconductor die. The area of the third semiconductor die is larger than that of the second semiconductor die.
US11145612B2

A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit package includes depositing a first layer of metal at a location of a first metal post that is for connecting an IC die to an external circuit. The method also includes depositing a second layer of metal at the location of the first metal post, and a first layer of metal at a location of a second metal post that is for connecting the IC die to an external circuit.
US11145588B2

Provided are a method for fabricating a semiconductor package and a semiconductor package using the same, which can simplify a fabricating process of the semiconductor package by forming a lead frame on which a semiconductor die can be mounted without a separate grinding process, and can improve product reliability by preventing warpage from occurring during a grinding process. In one embodiment, the method for fabricating a semiconductor package includes forming a frame on a carrier, forming a first pattern layer on the frame, first encapsulating the frame and the first pattern layer using a first encapsulant, forming conductive vias electrically connected to the first pattern layer while passing through the first encapsulant, forming a second pattern layer electrically connected to the conductive vias on the first encapsulant, forming a first solder mask formed on the first encapsulant and exposing a portion of the second pattern layer to the outside, removing the frame by an etching process and etching a portion of the first pattern layer, and attaching a semiconductor die to the first pattern layer.
US11145586B2

An interposer includes a stacked body including insulating base material layers that are stacked on one another, first and second electrodes, a conductor pattern, and an interlayer connection conductor. The stacked body includes a first mounting surface including a first electrode, and a second mounting surface facing the first mounting surface and including a second electrode. The first electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode through the conductor pattern and the interlayer connection conductor. A length of an electrical path including conductor patterns connecting the first electrode and the second electrode is larger than a total length of the interlayer connection conductor in a stacking direction.
US11145581B2

A leadless package with wettable flanks is formed by providing a substrate and plating a metal layer onto the substrate to form a contact on the substrate extending across a saw street. An encapsulant is deposited over the contact. The substrate is removed to expose the contact and encapsulant. The encapsulant and contact are singulated. In some embodiments, the substrate includes a ridge, and the contact is formed over the ridge.
US11145576B2

An electronic module comprises a sealing part 90, a rear surface-exposed conductor 10, 20, 30, a rear surface-unexposed conductor 40, 50 and a second connector 70 for electrically connecting an electronic element 15, 25 to the rear surface-unexposed conductor 40, 50. The rear surface-unexposed conductor 40, 50 is positioned on a front surface side compared with the rear surface-exposed part 12, 22, 32. The second connection tip part 72 is positioned on a rear surface side compared with the second connection base part 71. A distance H in a thickness direction between a rear surface side end part of the second connection base part 71 and a rear surface side end part of the second connection tip part 72 is larger than a width W of the second connection tip part 72 of the second connector 70.
US11145569B2

A module that has excellent heat dissipation performance and enables height reduction easily is provided. The module includes a wiring substrate, a plurality of components mounted on the top surface of the wiring substrate, a plurality of heat dissipation members, a sealing resin layer laminated on the top surface of the wiring substrate, and a shield film that covers surfaces of the sealing resin layer. The heat dissipation member is formed into a strip-shaped sheet. In addition, both end portions of the heat dissipation member are in contact with the top surface of the wiring substrate and also with the components disposed between the both end portions. The heat dissipation member thereby forms a heat dissipation path that transmits heat generated by the component to the wiring substrate.
US11145568B2

There is disclosed in one example a computing apparatus, including: an active computing element; a first magnetic attractor mechanically coupled to the active computing element; and a cold plate disposed to conduct heat away from the active computing element, the cold plate including a second magnetic attractor disposed to magnetically couple with the first magnetic attractor.
US11145556B2

A method and device for inspection or analysis of a semiconductor sample is provided. The method includes: sandwiching a processed semiconductor sample between two blocks of a semiconductor material; polishing the sandwiched sample such that an even surface is obtained; and measuring the surface of the sandwiched sample. The blocks of a semiconductor material comprise the same semiconductor material as the semiconductor sample.
US11145555B2

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a plurality of fins over a top surface of a substrate, and forming one or more vertical transport field-effect transistors from the plurality of fins, the plurality of fins providing channels for the one or more vertical transport field-effect transistors. The method also includes forming a gate stack for the one or more vertical transport field-effect transistors surrounding at least a portion of the plurality of fins, the gate stack including a gate dielectric formed over the plurality of fins, a work function metal layer formed over the gate dielectric, and a gate conductor formed over the work function metal layer. The gate stack comprises a box profile in an area between at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of fins.
US11145551B2

FinFET devices and processes to prevent fin or gate collapse (e.g., flopover) in finFET devices are provided. The method includes forming a first set of trenches in a semiconductor material and filling the first set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes forming a second set of trenches in the semiconductor material, alternating with the first set of trenches that are filled. The second set of trenches form semiconductor structures which have a dimension of fin structures. The method further includes filling the second set of trenches with insulator material. The method further includes recessing the insulator material within the first set of trenches and the second set of trenches to form the fin structures.
US11145546B2

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same, the semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure, an insulating stacked structure and a first conductive layer. The gate structure is disposed on the substrate, and the insulating stacked structure covers the gate structure and the substrate to define a first opening thereinto expose a portion of the gate structure and a portion of the substrate. The first conductive layer covers surfaces of the first opening to directly contact the portion of the substrate and the portion of the gate structure, with the first conductive layer including two outer extension wings on a top surface of the insulating stacked structure.
US11145544B2

The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit with an interconnect structure and a method for forming the integrated circuit. In one embodiment, a method of the present disclosure includes receiving a workpiece that includes a first recess in a dielectric layer over the workpiece, depositing a contact fill in the first recess and over the dielectric layer to form a contact feature, planarizing a top surface of the workpiece to remove the contact fill over the dielectric layer, depositing an interlayer dielectric layer over the planarized top surface of the workpiece, forming a second recess in the interlayer dielectric layer to expose the contact fill in the dielectric layer, recessing the contact fill by soaking the workpiece in a room temperature ionic liquid, and depositing a conductive layer over the recessed contact fill. The material forming the contact fill is soluble in the room temperature ionic liquid.
US11145542B2

A semiconductor device including a substrate having a dielectric layer over the substrate and a first conductive feature disposed within the dielectric layer. A metal nitride material is disposed directly on a top surface of the first conductive feature. A metal oxynitride material is disposed directly on a top surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the metal nitride and the metal oxynitride are coplanar. A second conductive feature is disposed over and interfacing the metal nitride material.
US11145541B2

Conductive via and metal line end fabrication is described. In an example, an interconnect structure includes a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) on a hardmask layer, where the ILD includes a first ILD opening and a second ILD opening. The interconnect structure further includes an etch stop layer (ESL) on the ILD layer, where the ESL includes a first ESL opening aligned with the first ILD opening to form a first via opening, and where the ESL layer includes a second ESL opening aligned with the second ILD opening. The interconnect structure further includes a first via in the first via opening, a second ILD layer on the first ESL, and a metal line in the second ILD layer, where the metal line is in contact with the first via, and where the metal line includes a first metal opening, and where the metal line includes a second metal opening aligned with the second ILD opening and the ESL opening to form a second via opening. The interconnect structure further includes a metal line end in the first metal opening and further includes a second via in the metal line, where the second via is in the second via opening.
US11145539B2

The present disclosure describes a fabrication method that can form air-gaps in shallow trench isolation structures (STI) structures. For example, the method includes patterning a semiconductor layer over a substrate to form semiconductor islands and oxidizing the sidewall surfaces of the semiconductor islands to form first liners on the sidewall surfaces. Further, the method includes depositing a second liner over the first liners and the substrate and depositing a first dielectric layer between the semiconductor islands. The second liner between the first dielectric layer and the first liners is removed to form openings between the first dielectric layer and the first liners. A second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer to enclose the openings and form air-gaps between the first dielectric layer and the first liners so that the gaps are positioned along the first liners.
US11145531B2

A substrate fixing device includes a baseplate, an adhesive layer on the baseplate, and an electrostatic chuck on the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer includes a first layer and a second layer. The second layer is between the first layer and the electrostatic chuck. The thermal conductivity of the first layer is higher in a stacking direction in which the baseplate, the adhesive layer, and the electrostatic chuck are stacked than in a plane direction perpendicular to the stacking direction. The thermal conductivity of the second layer is higher in the plane direction than in the stacking direction.
US11145524B2

An apparatus for treating a substrate using a process gas includes a chamber having a treatment space defined therein, a substrate support unit for supporting the substrate in the treatment space, a gas supply pipe disposed in a ceiling surface of the chamber for supplying the process gas to the treatment space, and an exhaust unit for exhausting the process gas in the treatment space, wherein the exhaust unit includes an exhaust plate having an exhaust hole defined therein through which the process gas is exhausted, and an adjustment plate overlapping the exhaust plate, wherein the adjustment plate is constructed to control an opened amount of the exhaust hole when viewed from above.
US11145512B2

A method of forming a gate isolation plug for FinFETs includes forming an elongated gate, forming first and second spacers in contact with first and second sidewalls of the elongated gate, separating the elongated gate into first and second gate portions using first and second etching steps, and forming a gate isolation plug between the first and second gate portions, wherein a length of the gate isolation plug is greater than a length of either of the first or second gate portions.
US11145508B2

A method of fabricating a hard mask structure is provided. According to the method, a hard mask layer is disposed over a substrate. The hard mask layer includes a lower hard mask layer disposed over the substrate and an upper hard mask layer disposed over the lower hard mask layer. The hard mask layer is patterned and the upper hard mask layer is removed by selectively etching the upper hard mask layer until reaching the lower hard mask layer to form a top portion of the hard mask structure having a first dimension. A spacer material is disposed on a sidewall of the top portion of the hard mask structure. The lower hard mask layer is removed by selectively etching the lower mask layer until reaching the substrate to form a bottom portion of the hard mask structure having a second dimension.
US11145505B1

There is provided a technique that includes: (a) loading a substrate into a process container; (b) heating the substrate by supplying a first gas, which is heated when passing through a first heater installed at a first gas supply line, to the substrate via a gas supplier; (c) supplying a second gas, which flows through a second gas supply line different from the first gas supply line, to the substrate mounted on a substrate mounting table in the process container, via the gas supplier; and (d) lowering a temperature of the gas supplier by supplying a third gas, which has a temperature lower than that of the first gas, to the gas supplier between (b) and (c).
US11145500B2

In one aspect, a time-of-flight mass spectrometer includes a source comprising a backing plate configured to operably couple to a core sample containing component, and an acceleration region. The time-of-flight mass spectrometer also includes a time-of-flight mass analyzer operably associated with the source region. In some embodiments, the core sample core sample containing component is a coring drill bit. In some embodiments, core containing component is configured to couple to the backing plate of the source region from the opposite side of the acceleration region. In some embodiments, core containing component is configured to couple to the backing plate of the source region on the acceleration region side of the backing plate. In some embodiments, the acceleration region is a single-stage acceleration region. In other embodiments, the acceleration region is a two-stage acceleration region.
US11145498B2

A composition formula of each precursor ion located on a measured mass spectrum is estimated from the m/z value of the precursor ion (S11). A composition formula of each product ion located on a measured MS/MS spectrum is estimated from the m/z value of the product ion (S11). For each product-ion peak, the assignment of the peak is determined by verifying consistency between the composition formula of the product ion and the composition formula of each of the precursor ions (S13-S14). Based on the assignment result, the MS/MS spectrum data are separated and an MS/MS spectrum for each precursor ion is created (S15-S16). In this manner, MS/MS spectra which respectively correspond to a plurality of compounds can be created from an MS/MS spectrum in which the product ions originating from those compounds are mixed, and those compounds can be identified.
US11145495B2

A vacuum treatment chamber includes a vacuum recipient and therein a screen. Within the screen there is provided a stationary substrate support. Within the side wall of the vacuum recipient, there is provided a substrate handling opening and in the screen, a substrate handling cut-out. A drivingly, moveable screen-shutter frees or covers the substrate handling cut-out in the screen. Thereby, horizontal loading and un-loading (L/UL) of a substrate to the stationary substrate support is possible, although establishing an overall closed screen, once a substrate is treated in the vacuum treatment chamber.
US11145481B1

An X-ray generation apparatus includes an electron gun emitting an electron beam having a circular cross-sectional shape, a magnetic focusing lens located downstream of the electron gun and focusing the electron beam while rotating the electron beam around an axis along a first direction, a magnetic quadrupole lens located downstream of the magnetic focusing lens and deforming the cross-sectional shape of the electron beam into an elliptical shape having a major axis along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and a minor axis along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and a target located downstream of the magnetic quadrupole lens and emitting an X-ray in response to incidence of the electron beam.
US11145477B2

The invention relates to a short-circuiting device for use in low-voltage and medium-voltage systems for the protection of property and persons, comprising: a switching element, which can be operated by the tripping signal of a fault detection device; two mutually opposite contact electrodes having power supply means, which contact electrodes can be brought into contact with an electrical circuit having connection points at different potential; furthermore, in at least one of the contact electrodes, a movable contact part, which is under mechanical preload and executes a movement to the further contact electrode with the assistance of spring force in the event of a short circuit; and a sacrificial element as a spacer between the contact electrodes, with an electrical connection between the sacrificial element and the switching element on the one hand and one of the contact electrodes on the other hand, in order to deliberately cause current-flow-induced thermal deformation or destruction of the sacrificial element. According to the invention, the movable contact part is in the form of a hollow cylinder which is closed on one side, and a spring for generating preload is inserted in the hollow cylinder. The hollow cylinder is movably guided in a complementary cutout in the first contact electrode, a sliding contact thus being formed. In the region of the base of the closed hollow cylinder, the cylinder wall of said hollow cylinder transitions into a cone at the outer circumference. Furthermore, a first pin-like extension, opposite to which a second pin-like extension insulated from the contact electrodes is situated, extends within the hollow cylinder, proceeding from the base. The sacrificial element, in the form of a bolt or screw, is arranged between the first and the second pin-like extension. A cutout, which has an internal cone and is matched to the external cone of the movable contact, is provided in the second contact electrode. The external cone and the internal cone form a bounce-free short-circuit contact region having frictional locking and interlocking connection on account of plastic deformation which occurs. Furthermore, according to the invention the switching element is designed as an auxiliary short-circuiter on the basis of an electric match.
US11145475B1

A keyboard device includes plural key structures. Each key structure includes a plate assembly, a keycap, a connecting member and a buffering element. The plate assembly has a hollow region. The keycap is located over the plate assembly. The connecting member is connected between the keycap and the plate assembly. The keycap is connected with the connecting member through at least one hook of the keycap. The keycap is movable upwardly or downwardly relative to the plate assembly through the connecting member. The buffering element is installed on the plate assembly. The buffering element is extended in a direction toward the keycap and penetrated through the hollow region of the plate assembly. While the keycap is moved downwardly and the at least one hook of the keycap is contacted with the buffering element, there is the gap between the keycap and the plate assembly.
US11145473B2

An improved breaker for high current or voltage applications, for instance industrial and/or railways applications, is provided wherein a high current must be switched on/off or interrupted with high efficiency and extremely fast intervention times. The breaker may include a base portion including an activating mechanism including a holding mechanism and a release mechanism, an intermediate switching or breaking contact portion, including fixed contacts and movable contacts, and a top arc chute extinguishing portion covering the intermediate switching or breaking contact portion.
US11145466B2

The present disclosure relates to a method that includes positioning a stack that includes at least one of the following layers between a first surface and a second surface: a first perovskite layer and/or a second perovskite layer; and treating the stack for a period of time by at least one of heating the stack or pressurizing the stack, where a device that includes the first surface and the second surface provides the heating and the pressurizing of the stack.
US11145464B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body including an active portion that includes a dielectric layer and a plurality of internal electrodes overlapping each other across the dielectric layer, and cover portions formed above and below the active portion, and including first and second surfaces opposing each other, third and fourth surfaces connecting the first and second surfaces, and fifth and sixth surfaces connected to the first to fourth surfaces and opposing each other, and first and second side margin portions disposed on the first and second surfaces. In a cross-section of the ceramic body in a length-thickness (L-T) direction, a ratio Sd/Sc of an area Sd of a region except for the active portion to an overall area Sc of the cross-section is greater than 27%.
US11145451B2

Provided is a reactor in which a resin is sufficiently filled into winding portions. The reactor includes a coil having a first winding portion and a second winding portion and a magnetic core having an inner core portion and an outer core portion. The outer core portion includes a first groove portion and a second groove portion that are open to a coil facing surface opposite to the coil. When viewed from the axial direction of the first winding portion, the opening of the first groove portion is located at a first region between the outer circumferential contour of the first winding portion and the outer circumferential contour of the inner core portion that is disposed inside of the first winding portion. The inner resin portion and the outer resin portion are connected via the first groove portion and the second groove portion.
US11145444B2

An R-T-B-based sintered magnet 2 contains a rare earth element R, a transition metal element T, B, Ga, and O, the sintered magnet 2 includes a magnet body 4 and an oxidized layer 6 covering the magnet body 4, the magnet body 4 includes main phase grains 8 containing a crystal of R2T14B and a grain boundary phase 1 positioned between the main phase grains 8 and containing R, the oxidized layer 6 includes a plurality of oxide phases 3A containing R, T, Ga, and O, the oxide phase 3A satisfies the following Formulas (1) and (2) regarding the content (unit: atom %) of each element, and the oxide phase 3A in the oxidized layer 6 covers the grain boundary phase 1 in the magnet body 4. 0.3≤[R]/[T]≤0.5  (1) 0.2≤[O]/([R]+[T]+[Ga]+[O])≤0.7  (2)
US11145443B2

Provided is an R-T-B-based magnet material alloy including an R2T14B phase which is a principal phase and R-rich phases which are phases enriched with the R, wherein the principal phase has primary dendrite arms and secondary dendrite arms diverging from the primary dendrite arms, and regions where the secondary dendrite arms have been formed constitute a volume fraction of 2 to 60% of the alloy, whereby excellent coercive force can be ensured in R-T-B-based sintered magnets even when the amount of heavy rare earth elements added to the alloy is reduced. The inter-R-rich phase spacing is preferably at most 3.0 μm, and the volume fraction of chill crystals is preferably at most 1%. Furthermore, the secondary dendrite arm spacing is preferably 0.5 to 2.0 μm, and the ellipsoid aspect ratio of R-rich phase is preferably at most 0.5.
US11145435B2

Systems, devices, and methods including a launch control box; a multi-pack launcher (MPL) box; and a cable connecting the launch control box and the MPL box, where the cable comprises: an outer jacket, a shielded braid, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, and a fourth wire, where the first wire and the second wire are shielded by the shielded braid, where the third wire and the fourth wire are outside of the shielded braid, and where the third wire and the fourth wire act as an antenna.
US11145434B2

A low voltage power conductor can include a plurality of copper-clad aluminum wires braided into a power braid. The low voltage power conductor may be configured for use in a power distribution system for distributing power from an electrical grid, and can be attached to the transformer and the power distribution module at single respective attachment points. A low voltage power distribution system can include a low voltage power conductor and a clamp that includes a clamp body and a clamp spacer. Legs of the clamp spacer can be configured to limit deformation of the low voltage power conductor upon compression of the low voltage power conductor by the clamp.
US11145422B2

A printed circuit heat exchanger for use in a reactor includes a core formed from a stack of plates diffusion bonded together. The core has: a top face, a bottom face disposed opposite the top face, a first side face extending between the top face and the bottom face, and a second side face disposed opposite the first side face. The printed circuit heat exchanger includes: a plurality of primary channels defined in the core, each of the primary channels extending from a primary inlet defined in the first side face to a primary outlet defined in the second side face; and a plurality of secondary channels defined in the core, each of the secondary channels extending among at least some of the primary channels from a secondary inlet defined in the top face to a secondary outlet defined in the top face.
US11145418B2

A method of calculating blast injury metrics in a weapon training/IED blast scene can include: reconstructing topological layout of the scene having at least one real subject and a blast source; obtaining anthropometric and posture data for each real subject; obtaining anatomical soldier model for each real subject; identifying real position of at least one real pressure sensor on each soldier during a blast; positioning a virtual sensor on each anatomical soldier model to correspond with real pressure sensor on the real subject; calculating weapon signature of the blast source, the weapon signature including pressure versus time for a blast from the blast source; generating simulated pressure traces on each anatomical soldier model at east virtual pressure sensor; calculating blast injury metrics for the at least one real subject; and generating a report that includes the blast injury metrics for the at least one real subject.
US11145409B2

An automatic external defibrillator (AED) is described which is leased for an at-risk patient and designed for use in a single cardiac emergency. If the AED is in standby for a year without being deployed, the AED is removed from service and replaced with another AED. The AED requires a rescuer only to deploy the electrodes on the torso of the victim; the AED turns itself on, performs rhythm analysis and delivers a shock if needed automatically. The AED thus requires no user controls. Preferably the AED requires no on-site maintenance, as the AED communicates its readiness for use to a remote monitoring site which responds to any problems detected by self-testing. In addition to its electro-resuscitation function, the AED can be used on the chest of the victim to administer CPR compressions.
US11145395B1

Apparatus and associated methods relate to receiving a patient health record, determining a relationship between the health record and the patient health history, determining a condition associated with the health record and the location on the patient's body affected by the condition, and automatically presenting the relationship between the health record and health history based on the condition. In an illustrative example, the patient health record may be a doctor's diagnosis. The relationship between the health record and the patient health history may link multiple health records medically related to the received health record. In some examples, the relationship between the health record and health history may be comorbidity. The health history may include conditions complicating the condition associated with the health record. Various examples may advantageously present the patient's health status and conditions interactively visualized as a function of the patient's body, and the medical condition type or severity.
US11145391B1

A system and method for coordinating cooperative diagnosis construction, decreasing diagnostic error, reducing delays and repetition in performing tasks, and improving application of data gathering devices through structured data tracking of symptoms, diagnoses, conditions and records using encrypted, event-based blockchain ledgers distributed throughout a network of processors. Symptom and diagnosis devices are used to collect participant data. Data is encrypted and used to generate a secure chain of decentralized ledger blocks. The secure chain is stored in a network of secure processing devices. Data access is controlled by a gatekeeper. Structured data blocks are integrated, creating a comprehensive digital record that may be shared without sacrificing control. Pathology collections are generated from integrated data. Interfaces are used to provide reports and directives to allow participants to leverage data and perform tasks that were heretofore unavailable while simultaneously improving privacy, security, usability and accessibility of participant conditions, events and data.
US11145387B2

Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for soft post-package repair (SPPR). After packaging, it may be necessary to perform post-package repair operations on rows of the memory. During a scan mode of an SPPR operation, addresses provided by a fuse bank may be examined to determine if they are open addresses or if the bad row of memory is a redundant row of memory. The open addresses and the bad redundant addresses may be stored in volatile storage elements, such as in latch circuits. During a soft send mode of a SPPR operation, the address previously associated with the bad row of memory may be associated with the open address instead, and the address of the bad redundant row may be disabled.
US11145384B2

Memory devices and methods are described that include a stack of memory dies and a logic die. Method and devices described include those that provide for repartitioning the stack of memory dies and storing the new partitions in a memory map. Repartitioning in selected configurations allows portions of memory to be removed from use without affecting the rest of the memory device. Additional devices, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US11145377B2

A memory arrangement comprises a non-volatile memory plane (2), a replacement plane (3), an address select block (302), and a counter arrangement (300) having at least one counter (310 to 312). The at least one counter (310 to 312) is configured to be incremented at a write cycle of the memory arrangement (1). The address select block (302) is configured to switch from the non-volatile memory plane (2) to the replacement plane (3), if a counter value of the at least one counter (310 to 312) is higher than a predetermined limit.
US11145375B2

A memory system includes a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of memory cells; and a controller including a control unit and a random-access memory, and configured to determine, by applying a program verify voltage to at least one memory cell to be programmed with program data, whether the program data is programmed, wherein the control unit determines percentages of a count of read requests received from a host device and a count of program requests received from the host device, and adjusts a level of the program verify voltage based on the percentages.
US11145368B2

A memory device has a switch matrix with a power supply input, a control input and a power supply output, a random access memory with a power supply connection coupled with the power supply output of the switch matrix. The switch matrix has a capacitor being chargeable by a power supply and upon receiving a control signal through the control input, the switch matrix is designed to decouple the capacitor from the power supply and the random access memory and to couple the capacitor through the power supply output with the random access memory in reverse polarity thereby providing a negative power supply to the power supply output.
US11145367B2

Methods, systems, devices, and techniques for read operations are described. In some examples, a memory device may include a first transistor (e.g., memory node transistor) configured to receive a precharge voltage at a first gate and output first voltage based on a threshold of the first transistor to a reference node via a first switch. The device may include a second transistor (e.g., a reference node transistor) configured to receive a precharge voltage and output a second voltage based on a threshold of the second transistor to a memory node via a second switch. The first voltage may be modified by a reference voltage and input to the second transistor. The second voltage may be modified by a voltage stored on a memory cell and input to the first transistor. The first and second transistor may output third and fourth voltages to be sampled to a latch.
US11145365B2

The present disclosure provides a data search system and a data search method for determining whether there is stored information data matched with query information data in a storage circuit. The data search system comprises a storage circuit, a control circuit, and a feature extraction circuit, wherein the storage circuit comprises at least one storage unit which comprises a memristor crossbar array, a read/write unit, a decoder and a multiplexer, and the feature extraction circuit is configured to extract feature values of the query data. In the data search method, both the data matching process and the data storage process are performed in the memristor crossbar array under the control of the control circuit, which thus largely reduces the amount of data transmission while greatly improving the speed of data search using the characteristics of parallel calculation of the memristor crossbar array.
US11145364B2

A nonvolatile memory apparatus may include a memory cell, a bit line control circuit, and a word line control circuit. The memory cell may be coupled between a global bit line and a global word line. During a read operation, the bit line control circuit may provide a first high voltage to the global bit line and provide a second high voltage to the global bit line when snapback of the memory cell occurs. During the read operation, the word line control circuit may provide a second read supply voltage to the global word line and provide an anneal supply voltage to the global word line when snapback of the memory cell occurs.
US11145363B2

A memory device includes: first conductive lines extending in a first direction; second conductive lines extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a plurality of memory cells disposed at intersection portions of the first conductive lines and the second conductive lines; first selection transistors respectively connected to the first conductive lines, the first selection transistors constituting a plurality of groups; and first discharge circuits respectively connected to the plurality of groups of first selection transistors, each of the first discharge circuits discharging a group of first conductive lines corresponding thereto among the first conductive lines in response to a gate control signal.
US11145360B2

There are provided a semiconductor memory device and a manufacturing method thereof. The semiconductor memory device includes: a source layer; a channel structure extending in a first direction from within the source layer; a source-channel contact layer surrounding the channel structure on the source layer; a first select gate layer overlapping with the source-channel contact layer and surrounding the channel structure; a stack including interlayer insulating layers and conductive patterns that are alternately stacked in the first direction and surrounding the channel structure, the stack overlapping with the first select gate layer; and a first insulating pattern that is formed thicker between the first select gate layer and the channel structure than between the stack and the channel structure.
US11145357B2

A memory system, a memory controller and a method for operating a memory system are disclosed. Specifically, by performing soft-decision decoding for data read from some of the plurality of memory cells based on a first optimum read voltage of one or more optimum read voltages, based on reliability values of one or more first threshold voltage sections, and one or more second threshold voltage sections and also based on the first and second threshold voltage sections, it is possible to provide a memory system, a memory controller and a method for operating a memory system, capable of increasing an error correction effect by soft-decision decoding even in the case where threshold voltage distributions of memory cells in which data is stored are degraded.
US11145354B2

An exemplary semiconductor device includes a clock generator circuit configured to generate a clock signal, and a duty cycle adjustment circuit configured to receive the clock signal. The duty cycle adjustment circuit includes an adjuster circuit configured to receive a back-bias voltage and to adjust a duty cycle of the clock signal based on the back-bias voltage to provide an output dock signal.
US11145349B1

Disclosed is a memory cell including parallel-connected first access transistors and a first variable resistor in series between a bitline and a source line and parallel-connected second access transistors and a second variable resistor in series between the bitline and the source line. A write wordline controls one pair of first and second access transistors so that, during an initialization mode, the resistors are concurrently subjected to the same write bias conditions for one-time programming to switch from an unprogrammed state (where the resistors have the same first resistance state) to a programmed state (where one resistor has switched to a second resistance state and a bit is stored). Discrete first and second read wordlines control another pair of first and second access transistors to enable discrete read processes associated with the first and second variable resistors. Also disclosed are an associated circuit (e.g., a PUF) and a method.
US11145347B1

A memory device and a memory circuit is provided. The memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), a read word line, a read selector, a write word line and a write selector. The read word line is connected to the MTJ with the read selector in between. The read word line is electrically connected to the MTJ when the read selector is turned on, and electrically disconnected from the MTJ when the read selector is in an off state. The write word line is connected to the MTJ with the write selector in between. The write word line is electrically connected to the MTJ when the write selector is turned on, and electrically disconnected from the MTJ when the write selector is off. A turn-on voltage of the write selector is greater than a turn-on voltage of the read selector.
US11145345B2

A storage element includes a first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer; a nonmagnetic layer that is sandwiched between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer in a first direction; a first wiring which extends in a second direction different from the first direction, and the first wiring being configured to sandwich the first ferromagnetic layer with the nonmagnetic layer in the first direction; an electrode which sandwiches the second ferromagnetic layer at least partially with the nonmagnetic layer in the first direction; and a compound part which is positioned inside the electrode and has a lower thermal conductivity than the electrode.
US11145323B1

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a first timestamp in response to a first servo reader detecting a stripe of a first servo burst on the magnetic tape, and receiving a second timestamp in response to a second servo reader detecting a stripe of a second servo burst on the magnetic tape. A third timestamp is received in response to the first servo reader detecting a stripe of a third servo burst on the magnetic tape, while a fourth timestamp is received in response to the second servo reader detecting a stripe of a fourth servo burst on the magnetic tape. The first, second, third, and fourth timestamps are used to determine the skew of the magnetic tape. Further still, the first and third servo bursts are in a same first servo sub-frame, while the second and fourth servo bursts are in a same second servo sub-frame.
US11145322B2

A method in one embodiment includes fabricating a tape having an applicator portion for applying an organic coating to a magnetic head for reducing exposure of the head to oxidation promoting materials. The method also includes applying the organic coating to the applicator portion of the tape, the organic coating being for coating a tape bearing surface of the magnetic head with the organic coating upon the applicator portion being run over the tape bearing surface of the magnetic head. The method further includes applying a lubricant to a data portion of the tape.
US11145308B2

Symbol sequences are estimated using a computer-implemented method including detecting one or more candidates of a target symbol sequence from a speech-to-text data, extracting a related portion of each candidate from the speech-to-text data, detecting repetition of at least a partial sequence of each candidate within the related portion of the corresponding candidate, labeling the detected repetition with a repetition indication, and estimating whether each candidate is the target symbol sequence, using the corresponding related portion including the repetition indication of each of the candidates.
US11145296B1

Systems and methods described herein relate to adapting a language model for automatic speech recognition (ASR) for a new set of words. Instead of retraining the ASR models, language models and grammar models, the system only modifies one grammar model and ensures its compatibility with the existing models in the ASR system.
US11145291B2

A method for generating training data for training a natural language processing system comprises loading, into a computer memory, a computer-readable transcript representing an ordered sequence of one or more dialogue events. The method further comprises acquiring a computer-readable command describing an exemplary ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events from the computer-readable transcript. The method further comprises re-parametrizing the computer-readable command with an alternative semantic parameter. The method further comprises generating an alternative ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events based on the re-parametrized computer-readable command. The method further comprises outputting, to a data store, an alternative computer-readable transcript including the alternative ordered subsequence of one or more dialogue events, the alternative computer-readable transcript having a predetermined format usable to train the computerized assistant.
US11145290B2

Provided is a system including an electronic device to recognize and process a user's speech and a method of controlling speech recognition on an electronic device. According to an embodiment, an electronic device comprises a communication circuit, an input module, at least one processor, and a memory operatively connected with the at least one processor the input module, and the communication circuit, wherein the memory stores instructions configured to enable the at least one processor to provide a function according to a first utterance of a user for wake-up, receive a second utterance of the user including a plurality of words with predesignated relevance through the input module while the function is provided, transmit information about the second utterance of the user, to another electronic device via the communication circuit, and receive a response related to the second utterance of the user from the second electronic device according to the transmission and provide the received response.
US11145287B2

An information handling system may include an air mover configured to cause movement of gaseous fluid within the information handling system in order to thermally cool one or more components of the information handling system and a dynamic noise generation system configured to receive an indication of expected acoustical energy generated by the air mover and generate sound in accordance with an output noise signal based on noise generated by the air mover.
US11145285B2

The present disclosure relates to a method of editing an audio stream (S) having at least one tone (T1) extending over time in said stream. The method comprises cutting the stream at a first time point of the stream, producing a first cut (A) having a left cutting end (AL) and a right cutting end (AR); allocating a respective memory cell to each of the cutting ends; in each of the memory cells, storing information about the tone; and, for one of the cutting ends, concatenating the cutting end with a further stream cutting end which also has an allocated memory cell with information stored therein about any tones extending to said further cutting end. The concatenating comprises using the information stored in the memory cells for adjusting any of the tones extending to the cutting ends.
US11145283B2

Systems and methods for mapping parts in a digital sheet music file for a harmony. The method may include receiving a selection of a music segment for part mapping, receiving a digital sheet music representation of the selected music segment, and determining a plurality of plausible part mapping for the digital sheet music representation. A part mapping identifies one or more distinct musical parts in the digital sheet music representation, each of said one or more distinct musical parts corresponding to a performer of the harmony. The method may also include analyzing one or more features of the plurality of plausible part mapping to identify a highest probability part mapping based on previously stored information, and outputting the highest probability part mapping.
US11145278B2

There is provided a keyboard instrument in which a plurality of white keys and a plurality of black keys are arranged in a widthwise direction, a total width dimension of the plurality of white keys that constitute one octave is set to 160 mm or less, and a width dimension of an upper surface of each of the black keys is set to 9 mm or more and 10.5 mm or less.
US11145276B2

Complementary near-field and far-field light field displays (LFDs) are provided. A distributed LFD system is disclosed in which the light field is cooperatively displayed by a direct view LFD and a near-eye LFD. The two display components of the system work together synchronously to display a high-fidelity 3D experience to one or multiple viewers.
US11145268B2

An active matrix substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of source bus lines provided on a substrate; a source driver disposed in a peripheral region; signal output lines each connected to a corresponding one of output terminals of the source driver; and a demultiplexer circuit disposed in a peripheral region. The demultiplexer circuit includes unit circuits each configured to distribute a display signal from one signal output line to n source bus lines (n is an integer larger than or equal to 2). Each unit circuit includes n switching TFTs configured to perform individual on/off control of electrical connections of the n branch lines to the n source bus lines. The n branch lines being connected to one signal output lines. The demultiplexer circuit further includes a plurality of boost circuits each configured to boost a voltage applied to a gate electrode of a corresponding one of the n switching TFTs.
US11145264B2

A method of driving a display panel includes determining a present polarity of a pixel data signal of a present frame, generating a first compensated grayscale of the pixel data signal of the present frame using a pixel data signal of a previous frame, the pixel data signal of the present frame, and the present polarity, and displaying an image using the first compensated grayscale. The first compensated grayscale varies according to the present polarity.
US11145261B2

A variety of methods for driving electro-optic displays so as to reduce visible artifacts are described. Such methods include (a) applying a first drive scheme to a non-zero minor proportion of the pixels of the display and a second drive scheme to the remaining pixels, the pixels using the first drive scheme being changed at each transition; (b) using two different drive schemes on different groups of pixels so that pixels in differing groups undergoing the same transition will not experience the same waveform; (c) applying either a balanced pulse pair or a top-off pulse to a pixel undergoing a white-to-white transition and lying adjacent a pixel undergoing a visible transition; (d) driving extra pixels where the boundary between a driven and undriven area would otherwise fall along a straight line; and (e) driving a display with both DC balanced and DC imbalanced drive schemes, maintaining an impulse bank value for the DC imbalance and modifying transitions to reduce the impulse bank value.
US11145253B2

A display device includes a scan driver configured to provide a scan signal to the scan line, the scan signal having an ON voltage for turning on a transistor in a plurality of horizontal periods including a current horizontal period and at least one previous horizontal period corresponding to the scan signal, and a grayscale data processor configured to correct current grayscale data of a current pixel corresponding to the current horizontal period to generate correction grayscale data based on previous grayscale data of a previous pixel corresponding to the previous horizontal period, the current pixel included in a same pixel column as the previous pixel.
US11145252B2

A light-emitting diode apparatus and a control method of the light-emitting diode apparatus are provided. The control method includes: applying a pre-reset voltage to a control terminal of a driving transistor of the light-emitting diode apparatus in a pre-resetting stage to pre-reset the control terminal of the driving transistor; resetting the control terminal of the driving transistor of the light-emitting diode apparatus by using a reset voltage source in a first resetting stage; compensating the control terminal of the driving transistor to a compensation voltage in a compensation stage; and providing, by the driving transistor, a driving current in a light emission stage to drive a light-emitting diode of the light-emitting diode apparatus to emit light.
US11145229B1

A sign apparatus includes a front panel and a rear panel secured to the front panel. The rear panel includes a back portion, a side portion, and a rim. The side portion has an illumination panel step disposed between the back portion and the rim and the illumination panel step is configured to support a hue insert to modify one or more visible characteristics of light emitted by a light source. A cavity is defined between the rear panel and the front panel, and the hue insert is disposed within the cavity.
US11145226B2

An apparatus is configured to be used with a post-mountable sign. The apparatus includes identical first and second frame sections. Each of the first and second frame sections includes a first fastening element located at a first end thereof; a second fastening element located at a second end thereof; and a first recess between the first and second ends configured to accommodate the post. The first fastening element of the first frame section is configured to cooperate with the second fastening element of the second frame section. The first fastening element of the second frame section is configured to cooperate with the second fastening element of the first frame section. The identical first and second frame sections are configured to be fastened together to surround the sign. The first recess of each of the first and second frame sections is configured to be positioned adjacent the post.
US11145220B2

A system for creating and/or using structured performance assessment tools for tracking and assessing the movement of a user includes a library having at least images of illustrative movement steps organized in a hierarchical structure, an imaging device, and an assessment device functionally coupled to the library and the imaging device. The assessment device is configured for selecting a set of movement steps from the library; capturing the movement of the user; concurrently displaying the selected set of movement steps and the captured movement of the user; and receiving an input representing an evaluation result of the captured movement of the user in comparison with the selected set of movement steps. The system can be used for self-evaluation, peer-to-peer evaluation, or consensus evaluation or coach-led evaluation of human motion, motion characterization, and software-augmented motion evaluation. The system allows the user to create content or access other users content.
US11145212B2

Various systems, methods, for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are disclosed. In one aspect, UAVs operation in an area may be managed and organized by UAV corridors, which can be defined ways for the operation and movement of UAVs. UAV corridors may be supported by infrastructures and/or systems supported UAVs operations. Support infrastructures may include support systems such as resupply stations and landing pads. Support systems may include communication UAVs and/or stations for providing communications and/or other services, such as aerial traffic services, to UAV with limited communication capabilities. Further support systems may include flight management services for guiding UAVs with limited navigation capabilities as well as tracking and/or supporting unknown or malfunctioning UAVs.
US11145205B2

A system and method for addressing roadside parking issues are provided. The method includes: determining whether a parking fee has been paid for an on-street parking space, and if not, activating a detector of the corresponding parking meter; determining whether an object exists in the parking space and whether the object, if existing, is a vehicle, and if yes to both, activating a camera of the parking meter to obtain an image of the parking space; determining again whether the object is a vehicle by performing image and license plate recognition, and if yes, either prompting a parking enforcement officer to go to the parking space and issue a parking ticket or issuing the parking ticket automatically; updating the parking meter after the parking ticket is issued; and reducing the detection frequency. The method is labor-saving and reduces power consumption by the parking meter.
US11145198B2

A traffic control method and system that interfaces to all available traffic control systems (401), which include all manner of existing traffic control systems and new traffic control systems, extends the scope and capabilities the real-time monitoring of traffic characteristics (402) and utilizes artificial intelligence techniques to predict and/or detect traffic congestion (403), as well as to determine corrective actions (404) to be performed by relevant available mechanisms. These corrective actions are then caused to occur by providing appropriate data and instructions to the selected mechanisms and systems using compatible interfaces provided for this purpose.
US11145197B2

A system jointly controls vehicles according to traffic configuration of a zone of intersection of a first road and a second road. The intersection zone includes a sequencing zone and a control zone covering sections of the first and the second road in proximity to the intersection. The system groups vehicles traveling within the sequencing zone on the first and the second roads into a set of groups of the vehicles and prevents the vehicles of different groups to travel concurrently in the control zone such that the first vehicle of the following group cannot pass the last vehicle of the preceding group. The system determines motion trajectories for the vehicles of the same group traveling in the control zone on the first and the second roads to pass the intersection and transmits the motion trajectories to the corresponding vehicles.
US11145192B1

A traffic sensing alarm assembly includes a motion sensing unit that emits a focused beam of electromagnetic energy to detect a vehicle that passes through the focused beam. The motion sensing unit broadcasts an alert signal when the focused beam is interrupted. A first mount is removably attachable to the motion sensing unit to engage an edge of a road sign. A second mount is removably attachable to the motion sensing unit to rest on a dashboard of a service vehicle that is parked on a roadside. An attachment is removably coupled to the motion sensing unit to engage a rear view mirror on the service vehicle. A remote alert is worn on a service worker's clothing and the remote alert is in wireless communication with the motion sensing unit. The remote alert emits an audible alarm when the motion sensing unit broadcasts the alert signal to alert the service worker to the potential hazard of oncoming traffic.
US11145167B1

A system and method for conducting a card game including a player v. dealer arrangement involving a comparison of HI and LO hand values. Players declare a three-card hand as either HI or LO and a dealer forms three-card LO and HI hands using five cards with a shared card being used in both the LO and HI hand. Aces have a value of 1 point when used in a LO hand and 11 when used in a HI hand, face cards have a value of 0 points and cards 2 through 10 have values matching their rank. Match and poker bonus features may also be incorporated.
US11145163B2

A “dual” gaming unit or machine is configured to implement both one or more traditional casino-style wagering games, such as games having outcomes determined primarily by chance and not skill, and one or more games which are traditionally not casino style games, such as amusement-type games or games having amusement-type game components, such as games where the outcome is determined substantially by skill. The wagering game portion of the gaming machine may award monetary awards to the player for winning wagering game outcomes, and the amusement portion of the gaming machine may be used to award promotional prizes to the player. A player rewards system may include such dual gaming units or other award dispensing mechanisms.
US11145154B2

An enhanced ejection device (10) for an automatic dispenser (12) of the automatic vending machine type, suitable for being incorporated in said automatic vending machine and applied to a shelf (14) subdivided into seats or channels (28) defined by opposing separator elements or shoulders (26) internally to which there are accommodated products of different types, the device comprising product handling and ejection means (27) for handling and ejecting the product from said seats or channels, and said handling and ejection means (27) being quickly couplable with/decouplable from the shelf (14).
US11145151B2

An access control system (ACS) for a building includes an access reader, a camera, and an access controller. The access reader is configured to read an access credential provided by a person at an access point and generate ACS data including the access credential. The camera is configured to capture facial recognition system (FRS) data including an image of the person at the access point. The access controller is configured to determine whether the access credential is valid based on the ACS data, determine whether the person is recognized based on the FRS data, grant or deny access to the person through the access point based on whether the access credential is valid and whether the person is recognized, and generate and store one or more of a plurality of access events. Each of the access events corresponds to a different combination of whether the access credential is valid and whether the person is recognized.
US11145143B2

An unmanned lawn mowing system includes a plurality of unmanned lawn mowers that perform work while traveling without a human operator and a management server. Each of the unmanned lawn mowers includes an information transmission section that transmits operation information including information indicating a work state to the management server. The management server includes: a case storage section that stores a case related to a failure in and/or a case related to maintenance of each of the unmanned lawn mowers; a maintenance determination section that determines whether or not maintenance of the unmanned lawn mower is necessary, based on the case associated with operation information identical or similar to the operation information; and a maintenance notification transmission section that notifies maintenance to the unmanned lawn mowers, based on a determination result made by the maintenance determination section.
US11145142B2

A method of detecting and identifying road surface defects is provided. Motion and position information is received from a plurality of vehicles. A profile is retrieved for a particular vehicle from a database of vehicle profiles by using an identifier of the particular vehicle. One or more criteria are identified for detecting a particular type of road surface defect based on the retrieved profile of the particular vehicle. Upon determining that the received motion and position data satisfies the identified criteria, a detection of a road surface defect of the particular type and a location associated with the detected road surface defect based on the received position information is reported.
US11145141B2

Electric vehicle predictive range estimating systems and methods are provided herein. An example method includes determining an initial state of charge (SOC) for an energy source of a vehicle at a first point in time; determining one or more boundary conditions for the vehicle during a time frame extending from the first point in time to a second point in time, the one or more boundary conditions causing a loss in the energy source during the time frame; determining a predicted future SOC for the energy source based on the one or more boundary conditions and the initial SOC; and predicting an availability of a vehicle operating condition based on the predicted future SOC for the energy source.
US11145138B2

A computing system and method to generate an avatar wearing multiple layers of clothing. For each clothing model acquired for the avatar, the system generates a customized clothing model based on transforming the original clothing model for fitting on the avatar based on deforming and physical simulation and a reduced clothing model based on collapsing the customized clothing model on the body of the avatar such that applying the reduced clothing model is simplified as painting the texture of the reduced clothing model onto the avatar model. Wearing the inner layers of the clothing by avatar is computed by applying the texture of the corresponding reduced clothing model on the body of the avatar in a sequence from inside layers to outside layers. The customized clothing model of the outermost layer is combined with the avatar wearing the inner layers to generate the avatar wearing the multiple layers of clothing.
US11145136B2

Systems and methods for conveying virtual content in an augmented reality environment comprising images of virtual content superimposed over physical objects and/or physical surroundings visible within a field of view of a user as if the images of the virtual content were present in the real world. Exemplary implementations may: obtain user information for a user associated with a presentation device physically present at a location of the system; compare the user information with the accessibility criteria for the virtual content to determine whether any portions of the virtual content are to be presented to the user based on the accessibility criteria and the user information for the user; and facilitate presentation of the virtual content to the user via presentation device of user based on the virtual content information, the field of view, and the correlations between the multiple linkage points and the reference frame of the virtual content.
US11145112B2

In a method of producing images of a stored three-dimensional model of the surroundings of a vehicle, the images are corrected for perspective. A camera picture is produced by a camera device of the vehicle, and is projected onto a projection surface in the surroundings model. A region relevant for driving is marked in the surroundings model and is projected onto a corresponding projection surface area of the projection surface. An image of the projection surface including the driving-relevant region projected onto the projection surface area is produced and output by a virtual camera that can move freely in the surroundings model.
US11145111B2

A method to view inside three-dimensional volumetric build data takes in each pixel of the images and evaluates the density, usually represented by color, of the pixel. This evaluation allows the user to set threshold values and return exact representations of the data presented, instead of a culmination of all data along a ray trace. The user can determine the size and placement of a slice plane in relation to the volumetric data, and the software will remove the data in front of the plane so the user can view the internal structure of the data.
US11145102B2

A method of and system for recreating a real world pose or aligning a real world object in a virtual space, the method including: prompting a user to successively place a device at a plurality of positions/alignments associated with a plurality of physical points associated with a body of the user, a body of another, or an object; capturing the plurality of positions/alignments with respect to a real world frame of reference; translating the plurality of positions/alignments with respect to the real world frame of reference to a frame of reference in virtual space; and recreating a pose of the body of the user, a pose of the body of the other, or an alignment of the object in the virtual space using the translated plurality of positions/alignments.
US11145096B2

A method, an electronic device, and computer readable medium is provided. The method includes identifying a plurality of virtual objects for output to a display of the electronic device, including a priority level for each of the plurality of virtual objects. The method also includes comparing the priority level of an object of the plurality of virtual objects to the priority level associated with another object of the plurality of virtual objects to determine whether to modify an appearance of either object. In response to determining to modify the appearance of either object, the method further includes modifying the appearance of either. The method additionally includes rendering the plurality of virtual objects on the display of the electronic device.
US11145094B2

The present invention provides an image reconstruction apparatus and an image reconstruction method, both of which achieve reduction in a granular noise and a streak-like artifact both contained in a reconstruction image, and a clear structure boundary as well. The image reconstruction apparatus configured to generate a reconstruction image includes a noise reduction section that generates a streak reduction image as an image obtained by reducing a streak-like artifact in the reconstruction image, a noise reduction ratio acquisition section that acquires a first noise reduction ratio as a noise reduction ratio to be used for reducing a granular noise while retaining a structure boundary in the reconstruction image, and a second noise reduction ratio as a noise reduction ratio to be used for generating the streak reduction image, and an image addition section that adds an addition image to be generated based on the first noise reduction ratio and the second noise reduction ratio to the streak reduction image.
US11145085B2

A system and method for automating installation of prefabricated parts at a construction site includes retrieving an installation plan for a room in which a plurality of parts are installed. The method also includes determining an orientation of the room based on one or more images captured for the room and scanning a first visual indicator on a first part from the plurality of parts, the visual indicator indicating a first order position in the installation order. The method includes determining a first installation location in the room based on the first order position and the installation plan. The method also includes displaying an installation graphic at the first installation location in the room, the installation graphic illustrating a spatial position and an alignment for the first part.
US11145082B2

A method for measuring an antenna downtilt angle based on a deep instance segmentation network is disclosed, including: shooting an omni-directional antenna video using a drone; and transmitting the antenna video to a server in real time, and the server measuring an antenna downtilt angle in real time using a deep learning algorithm, the deep learning algorithm includes: a feature extraction network module for acquiring an antenna feature image; an instance segmentation module for binary segmentation of an antenna image and the background to distinguish antenna image pixels from background pixels; an antenna candidate box module for identifying and detecting the antenna image, acquiring an antenna candidate box and determining an antenna calibration box therefrom; and an antenna downtilt angle measuring module for measuring an antenna downtilt angle.
US11145078B2

A depth information determining method for dual cameras is provided. A tth left eye matching similarity from a left eye image captured by a first camera of the dual cameras to a right eye image captured by a second camera of the dual cameras is obtained. A tth right eye matching similarity from the right eye image to the left eye image is obtained. The tth left eye matching similarity and a (t−1)th left eye attention map are processed with a neural network model, to obtain a tth left eye disparity map. The tth right eye matching similarity and a (t−1)th right eye attention map are processed with the neural network model, to obtain a tth right eye disparity map. First depth information is determined according to the tth left eye disparity map. Second depth information is determined according to the tth right eye disparity map.
US11145069B2

Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus for target tracking including processing circuitry that obtains a plurality of target instances according to a target detection on image data. Each of the plurality of target instances corresponds to one of a plurality of tracked targets. The processing circuitry determines a plurality of trajectory segments, each of which indicates a trajectory of a subset of the target instances corresponding to a same tracked target. The processing circuitry determines feature information of the plurality of trajectory segments. The processing circuitry performs clustering on specified trajectory segments of the plurality of trajectory segments according to the feature information of the specified trajectory segments, to obtain a type distribution of the specified trajectory segments. The processing circuitry determines, according to the type distribution of the specified trajectory segments, a target tracking result including a same type of the specified trajectory segments.
US11145062B2

An estimation method implemented by a computer, the estimation method includes: executing learning processing by training an autoencoder with a data group corresponding to a specific task; calculating a degree of compression of each part regarding data included in the data group by using the trained autoencoder; and estimating a common part with another piece of data included in the data group regarding the data corresponding to the specific task based on the calculated degree of compression of each part.
US11145055B2

Systems, apparatus, methods, and computer-readable storage media to estimate scatter in an image are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a network generator to generate and train an inception neural network using first and second input to deploy an inception neural network model to process image data when first and second outputs of the inception neural network converge, the first input based on a raw sinogram of a first image and the second input based on an attenuation-corrected sinogram of the first image, the inception neural network including a first filter of a first size and a second filter of a second size in a layer to process the first input and/or the second input to generate an estimate of scatter in the first image. The example apparatus also includes an image processor to apply the estimate of scatter to a second image to generate a processed image.
US11145054B2

Methods and systems for imaging a lumen, wherein imaging is manipulated to provide centered magnified version of the image, yielding precise and centered images for better efficacy in real-time treatment by practitioners and experts.
US11145047B2

An apparatus and method for synthesizing an image and an electronic apparatus using the method are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a memory that stores pictures, a transceiver that communicates with an external server, a display that detects a user interaction, and a processor that reads pictures from the memory. The processor first selects pictures based on a weighted value, determines first attribute information and second attribute information from the first selected pictures, stores the first attribute information and the second attribute information in a database form, second selects at least one picture from among the first selected pictures based on the first attribute information, the second attribute information and user context information, controls the transceiver to receive a product image corresponding to the second selected picture from the external server, and creates a composite image by synthesizing the second selected picture and the product image.
US11145040B2

In an example, method of dynamically suppressing background clutter in a stream of images is described. The method includes receiving a stream of images, wherein the stream of images comprises background objects and foreground objects, separating the stream of images into a first image set and a second image set, applying a grid to each image in the second image set, wherein the grid contains a plurality of grid cells, determining a movement of pixel content within each of the plurality of grid cells for each image of the second image set, extrapolating the movement of pixel content to a time of the first image set to obtain a time-adjusted second image set, and subtracting the time-adjusted second image set from the first image set to obtain a clutter-suppressed image set.
US11145034B2

A method of deblurring an observed image acquired by an image sensor in order to determine an observable image corresponding to the deblurred observed image. The observable image and the observed image each are formed by a set of pixels defined by at least one numerical value. The method involves expressing the observable image as a solution minimizing a Tikhonov functional defined by the observed image, applying a spreading function at the point of the image sensor and applying a wavelet transform operator. The Tikhonov functional is expressed as a sum of at least two terms. The method further involves determining the observable image by implementing an iterative projection algorithm released on a closed convex, at each iteration of which, the successive application of a projection operator associated with each of the terms of the Tikhonov functional.
US11145027B2

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided for an apparatus comprising a User Interface, UI, the method comprising generating or receiving particles, wherein each particle has a first position associated with a first shape, and storing the first positions as current positions, determining a second shape, wherein the second shape forms a first target shape for a first transition from the first shape, and a first target time for the first transition, generating and storing first target positions of the particles associated with the second shape, comparing the first target time to a current time, responsive to the first target time being larger than the current time, determining intermediate positions of the particles, based on the current positions and the first target positions of the particles, wherein the intermediate positions are closer to the target positions than the current positions and updating the user interface by using the intermediate positions of the particles to provide a graphical output on a display, storing the intermediate positions as the current positions.
US11145026B2

A plurality of computing devices are communicatively coupled to each other via a network, and each of the plurality of computing devices is operably coupled to one or more of a plurality of storage devices. A plurality of failure resilient stripes is distributed across the plurality of storage devices such that each of the plurality of failure resilient stripes spans a plurality of the storage devices. A graphics processing unit is operable to access data files from the failure resilient stripes, while bypassing a kernel page cache. Furthermore, these data files may be accessed in parallel by the graphics processing unit.
US11145020B1

Systems and methods for predicting commodity classifications for a shipment that increase the efficiency of clearing the shipment through a customs authority. Such systems and methods may utilize machine learning techniques to improve the accuracy of the predicted classifications.
US11145019B2

A method includes identifying an error in computer readable code and identifying a user profile associated with a development environment used to generate the computer readable code. The method also includes searching a database for user profile information indicative of a training sequence performed by a user associated with the user profile. The method further includes identifying a type of the error identified in the computer readable code and comparing the type of the error with one or more properties associated with the training sequence. The method additionally includes calculating a severity of the error based on the comparison with the one or more properties associated with the training sequence, and assigning a competence level to the user associated with the user profile based on the calculated severity. The method further includes generating a remediation suggestion to correct the error in the computer readable code based on the competence level.
US11145017B1

A method for listing document transformation and recordation is provided. Listing documents are selected from a library for a property listing. Data values are received via at least one of the listing documents. Relevant data fields within at least one listing document is updated with the received data values. Disclosure information regarding the property is received and further listing documents are added to the listing documents based on the disclosure information to form an active document set. Listing compliance rules are applied to the set of active documents to determine compliance. The active documents are recorded as a data block and provided to a tier of supernodes. The data block is added to a ledger of transactions via one of the supernodes. A copy of the data block is stored on each supernode. An immutable record of the data block is committed to a further tier of nodes.
US11145015B2

An overhead storage bin that includes a housing that defines a bin interior, a bucket or a door that is movable with respect to the housing between an open and a closed position, a projector positioned in or on the housing, and a display member positioned on the housing, wherein the projector is configured to project information onto the display member.
US11145014B2

The present invention relates to computer-based methods for preparing multi-destination travel itineraries. The invention includes the use of a graphical interface which permits a consumer to readily make changes to an itinerary.
US11145013B2

Network traffic, including a device identifier, is received from an unrecognized guest device on a computer network of a hospitality establishment. A user profile server is queried to determine a user identifier that is associated with the device identifier of the guest device. A properly management system is queried to determine whether the user identifier is associated with a current guest of the hospitality establishment, and, when yes, to determine a guest area registered to the current guest. A login database is queried to find an unexpired login record of an authorized guest device associated with the guest area, the unexpired login record granting the authorized guest device access to the network service for an allowed access duration. The unrecognized guest device is automatically granted access to the network service for a remaining portion of the allowed access duration of the unexpired login record.
US11145009B2

A method for supporting a user in an agricultural activity with a control arrangement that has a mobile device and a server application which communicates with the mobile device. The control arrangement executes an augmented reality routine in which a real-world image generated by a camera and at least one item of added information are displayed in a visually superimposed manner on the mobile device. The server application has a plurality of application modules with which a predefined agricultural scenario is associated, and an amount of added information is stored in the database for each agricultural scenario. The control arrangement automatically determines in which of the predefined agricultural scenarios the mobile device is situated, and a partial amount of the amount of added information stored in the database for the determined agricultural scenario is shown on the display depending on at least one object depicted in the real-world image.
US11145008B2

A device includes an image data receiving component, a vegetation index generation component, a crop data receiving component, a masking component and a multivariate regression component. The image data receiving component receives image data of a geographic region. The vegetation index generation component generates an array of vegetation indices based on the received image data, and includes a plurality of vegetation index generating components, each operable to generate a respective individual vegetation index based on the received image data. The crop data receiving component receives crop data associated with the geographic region. The masking component generates a masked vegetation index based on the array of vegetation indices and the received crop data. The multivariate regression component generates a crop parameter based on the masked vegetation index.
US11144998B2

The disclosed exemplary embodiments include computer-implemented systems, apparatuses, devices, and processes that, among other things, dynamically provision exchanges of data based on detected relationships within processed image data. For example, a network-connected apparatus may receive, from a device, image data that identifies a plurality of individuals associated with an exchange of data. Based on an analysis of the image data, the apparatus may determine a value of a first characteristic associated with each of the individuals and generate relationship data characterizing a relationship between the individuals. The apparatus may also determine candidate values of parameters that characterize the data exchange based on portions of the first characteristic values and the relationship data, transmit the candidate parameter values to the device. An application program executed by the device may cause the device to present at least a portion of the candidate parameter values within a digital interface.
US11144983B2

The disclosed embodiments relate to a computer implemented recommender system/method which enables the computer to provide more “emotionally” relevant/connected, and therefore more likely to be successful, recommendations while minimizing dependency on historical data as well susceptibility to bias, e.g. monetary and/or sponsor based. The disclosed embodiments segment a target set of known users into groups based on similar characteristics and then associate each group with one or more unique sets of affinities derived from the social media interactions of a general population having similar affinities. Similarly, a unique set of affinity characteristics is derived, and stored in a data structure, for each of a set of recommendations. The unique sets of affinities associated with the groups are compared with the set of affinity characteristics associated with each recommendations to derive a subset thereof relevant to the users of the particular group.
US11144982B1

A system for recommending a meal kit may include a user device and a meal kit recommendation server. The meal kit recommendation server may be configured to store use-by dates for respective food items and generate a recommended meal kit based upon the use-by dates. The meal kit recommendation server may also be configured to generate a digital promotion for the recommended meal kit and communicate the recommended meal kit and the digital promotion to the user device.
US11144980B2

Various embodiments relate generally to data science and data analysis, computer software and systems, and control systems to provide a platform to facilitate implementation of an interface, and, more specifically, to a computing and data storage platform that implements specialized logic to facilitate predictive consumption of a sample of an item in accordance with an automatically adaptive schedule, for example, via an interface. In some examples, a method may include identifying data representing a replica of an item for transmission to a location associated with an electronic account, identifying a characteristic associated with a user or an item, predicting a date of consumption of the replica, and generating a subset of data included in an electronic message to initiate executable instructions to generate feedback regarding the replica relative to the date of consumption, among other things.
US11144977B2

Disclosed are methods and systems for generating digital fantasy sports memorabilia including: providing a digital fantasy sports memorabilia signor with a digital fantasy sports photograph, a digital fantasy sports jersey, or a combination thereof; receiving at least one of an electronic signature or an electronic written message from the fantasy sports digital memorabilia signor to be embedded in the digital fantasy sports photograph, the digital fantasy sports jersey, or the combination thereof; embedding the at least one of an electronic signature or an electronic written message from the digital fantasy sports memorabilia signor into the digital fantasy sports photograph, the digital fantasy sports jersey, or a combination thereof to form the generated digital fantasy sports memorabilia; sending the generated digital fantasy sports memorabilia including the electronic signature and the electronic written message to a verification service to verify authenticity of the electronic signature and electronic written message in the generated digital fantasy sports memorabilia; and delivering the generated fantasy sports memorabilia to a digital fantasy sports receiver.
US11144971B2

A real-time customer survey system can be implemented by monitoring real-time and previous location data associated with a customer. The system can analyze the location data in accordance with customer preferences, customer social media profiles, and/or information that has been inferred by the system. The location data can be obtained in multiple forms including video, audio, wireless device communications, etc. The location data, in conjunction with customer preference data can be presented to the customer in the form of an avatar, an audio output, a video output, and/or haptic feedback.
US11144965B2

A system, method and computer program product for providing targeted messages to a person using telephony services by generating user profile information from telephony data and using the user profile information to retrieve targeted messages.
US11144960B2

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for dynamic context-based electronic offer communication. In one aspect, a computer server is disclosed, comprising: a hardware processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to: receive location data from a mobile device; determine a context of the mobile device based on the location data; generate a database query using the determined context; send the generated query to an events database; receive a conditional electronic offer from the events database; determine user data requirements based on the conditional electronic offer; send a request based on the user data requirements to a secure server; receive user data from the secure server; generate an electronic offer communication based on the conditional electronic offer when the user data received from the secure server meets the user data requirements; and send the electronic offer communication to the mobile device.
US11144955B2

The present disclosure describes a communication system that includes communication circuitry and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to collect a piece of user information of a user via the communication circuitry, analyze the collected piece of user information to obtain a user preference of the user, and identify a piece of advertisement as targeting the user according to the user preference. The processing circuitry is further configured to generate a guidance message based on reason of promotion information stored in association with the piece of advertisement, transmit the guidance message to a client terminal of the user, and transmit the piece of advertisement to the client terminal. The guidance message and the piece of advertisement are to be output as vocalized speeches of a voice agent of the client terminal.
US11144947B2

A method for managing loyalty groups at point-of-sale (POS) accesses is discussed. The method includes determining that a user account is a member of a loyalty group, responsive to determining that a user device of the user account is used at merchant's POS. The method includes determining a loyalty membership type for the user account that indicates whether user details of the user account are accessible by the merchant. The method includes determining another user account from the loyalty group, the loyalty membership type further indicating whether the user details are accessible by the another user account. The method includes determining whether the loyalty membership type for the user account can be upgraded, and if so, providing communication to the user device to cause a user interface of the user device to display a prompt for providing access to additional user details to upgrade the loyalty membership type.
US11144944B1

A system may include a remote device and a server. The server may be configured to store a grocery items purchase history for a given user, and determine a medication to be dispensed to the given user. The server may also be configured to compare the medication to the grocery items purchase history and determine a grocery item having an interaction with the medication, and determine a substitute grocery item for the grocery item having the interaction with the medication. The server may generate a digital promotion for the substitute grocery item, and communicate the digital promotion to the remote device.
US11144932B2

An account ribbon of a website has a plurality of message fields each having a link activatable to cause a display of a type of user related information. Continued access to the user related is provided by causing the account ribbon to be persisted across plural webpages of the website.
US11144929B1

Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for monitoring customer service channels and directing a customer's interaction with the customer service channels based on previous interaction information. A database may be operable to receive and analyze information from a plurality of customer service channels. The database may be operable to receive, store, analyze, categorize, search, and report the information received from the customer service channels, wherein a customer service system may utilize the information in the database to direct customer interactions.
US11144919B2

Provided are computer-implemented methods for guaranteeing a payment authorization response. Computer-implemented methods may include determining that a payment authorization response message for a payment transaction was not received from a transaction service provider system within a predetermined period of time after a payment authorization request message for the payment transaction was transmitted to the transaction service provider system; generating a supplemental payment authorization request message for the payment transaction based on the payment authorization request message; determining that the payment transaction is authorized based on a quantitative risk score associated with the supplemental payment authorization request message and an insurer rate associated with the supplemental payment authorization request message; and transmitting a supplemental payment authorization response message to a merchant system based on determining that the payment transaction is authorized. Systems and computer program products are also provided.
US11144916B2

A customer uses a mobile device to acquire a mobile app thereon. The mobile device is configured by a cloud-based service to escrow one or more card numbers mapped by a financial facility to the customer's primary account's number. Further security limitations can be configured into the mobile app by the cloud-based service. Subsequently, the customers uses the mobile app at a point-of-sale location to access one or more of the escrowed card numbers to make purchases; these purchases can be made while the mobile device lacks any connectivity to a network.
US11144906B2

Symbols are used to represent payment accounts. The symbols may be programmed to represent accounts and the data for the accounts may be entered into appropriate fields when the symbol is selected. Once selected, account data is retrieved and is communicated to the proper field in the data entry screen. The account data is then used to complete the transaction.
US11144905B1

Systems and methods are described for incorporating electronic benefit transfer (EBT) systems into a secure, mobile, and electronic payment processing system. Existing EBT systems capture data regarding a purchase. This record keeping functionality can be harnessed to provide retailers and marketers with data regarding marketing efforts, coupon use, and more. A mobile device can be used to interact with a presence detection system. Coupons or payment information can be received at a mobile device, and payments can be carried out between a mobile device and a points of sale (POS).
US11144899B2

Cameras capture time-stamped images of customers, carts, and items possessed by the customers. Customer queues at checkout stations/transaction terminals are monitored for queue lengths, opened terminals, closed terminals, and a total number of items possessed by each customer within each queue. Queue wait times are calculated for each queue and the queue wait times are displayed on monitors adjacent to the queues. Customers approaching the checkout stations are directed to specific queues based on the queue wait times. Closed terminals are opened in advance of a time when a shortest expected wait time for the queues is expected to exceed a threshold wait time. In an embodiment, each queue length is managed based on staff performance metrics associated with staff operating the terminals.
US11144898B2

An event monitoring processor includes a processor and at least one memory. The memory stores a database of cohort definitions. Each cohort definition defines a respective cohort. The processor is configured to receive particulars of a member event initiated by a member of one of the cohorts, generate an additional cohort definition from the particulars of the member event, and save the additional cohort definition in the cohort definitions database. The processor is also configured to receive member data associated with the cohort member, select one of the cohorts in the cohort definitions database from a correlation between the member data and the cohort definitions, and save in a cohort member database a member record that identifies a correlation between the member event and an event defined in the selected one cohort.
US11144897B2

Methods and systems to detect items left in merchandise carriers are disclosed. A disclosed example system includes: an input device configured to receive an indication that a merchandise carrier is to be empty from at least one of a user or a device communicatively coupled to the input device; an overhead imaging device configured to capture an image of the merchandise carrier at a checkout station in response to the indication; an image processor configured to detect based on the image an obscuration of a portion of the merchandise carrier by the presence of an item in the merchandise carrier, and generate an alert signal when the portion of the merchandise carrier is obscured; and an output device configured to receive the alert signal and provide a notification of the presence of the item in the merchandise carrier.
US11144895B2

Provided herein are methods and systems for a bill payment platform that enables consumers to make bill payments using simplified methods of communication, such as by using text messages or short messaging service (SMS) messages and the like, through message interfaces provided by the bill payment platform, which may include components for context-based notification, intelligent message interpretation, and regulatory compliance.
US11144894B2

Multi-level network-based access is coordinated. Multiple downloadable first software applications configured to provide a first class of service are distributed over a communications network. Multiple downloadable second software applications configured to provide a second class of service are distributed over the communications network. A centralized computer system coordinates access between the first software applications and the second software applications, such that access between any of the first software applications and the second software applications is controlled by and through confirmation of the centralized computer system. Services on behalf of the first software applications are provided by the centralized computer system to the second software applications once access between a first software application and a second software application is confirmed.
US11144893B2

A method for securing smart contracts in a blockchain includes receiving in the blockchain a contract creation transaction having a control flow graph (CFG) and contract code for a smart contract to be created. The contract creation transaction is verified by checking a signature of a creator of the smart contract and determining that the CFG is correct based on the contract code. The verified contract creation transaction is included as a block in a distributed ledger of the blockchain.
US11144888B2

A method and system for generating and outputting a real-fix tip (RFT) augmented with a pointer to additional content. The additional content may be relevant to any of a complaint, vehicle, cause of complaint, how the cause for complaint was discovered, and service-operation performed on the vehicle to resolve the complaint. The RFT may include a complaint, cause, and correction, and may be stored within a database containing repair orders that include complaints, causes, and corrections regarding various vehicles. A processor may generate the RFT after determining a threshold number of RO with a common complaint, vehicle, cause, and correction. A processor may search the database for the RFT based on a complaint and vehicle, display a list of RFT located during the search, display an RFT selected from the list, obtain additional content pointed to by a pointer in the RFT, and output the additional content to a display.
US11144883B2

Embodiments for intelligent scheduling of events by a processor. One or more events may be cognitively scheduled and/or assigned to one or more members from a plurality of group members according to learned relationships and responsibilities associated with the one or more events and the plurality of group members.
US11144881B2

Examples of techniques for computer-generated team based metrics for candidate onboarding and retention are described herein. An aspect includes determining metrics of a candidate that is interviewing for a position in a team of an organization. Another aspect includes determine metrics of each individual member of the team. Another aspect includes calculating a first score for the team based on the metrics of each individual member of the team. Another aspect includes recalculating a second score for the team based on the metrics of each individual member of the team and the metrics of the candidate. Another aspect includes determining a variance between the first score and the second score.
US11144877B2

A quantity sensing storage device enables automatic ordering of a product using an ordering engine that monitors quantity signals generated by a quantity sensor that is configured to provide the quantity signals based on a quantity of a first set of a product stored at the quantity sensing storage device. Base on the quantity of the first set, the ordering engine determines whether an order threshold has been satisfied. The quantity sensing storage device automatically provides instructions to a service provider device via a wireless communication subsystem to order a second set of the product in response to determining that the order threshold has been satisfied. The ordering engine continuously updates the order threshold such that when the second set of the product is received by a user of the quantity sensing storage device, an optimal portion of the first set of the product remains stored in the storage enclosure.
US11144872B2

Generally, embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods that can facilitate delivery and access to an unattended home. A location of the unattended home for a drop off of the item is determined based on information received from a user or information associated with a user profile, the information including permission to enter the unattended home. Location data for a carrier device is determined based on receiving satellite positioning data from the carrier device, the location data of the carrier device indicating that the carrier device corresponds to the location of the unattended home. Information associated with an identifier affixed to the item is also determined. Access to the unattended home is granted based on transmitting a signal to at least one of a home monitoring system and a networked home device at the unattended home when the information corresponds to the location data from the carrier device.
US11144870B2

An unallocated item/product inventory is maintained in each of a plurality of delivery vehicles traversing service routes within a delivery service area. Upon receipt of an order for delivery of an item/product that may be selected from the item/product inventory maintained within a delivery vehicle and that is to be delivered to a destination location within the delivery service area, a delivery vehicle driver is instructed to deliver an item/product selected from the item/product inventory located on the delivery vehicle during the corresponding service route on the same day that the order was placed. A delivery label for the item/product is printed, and the delivery vehicle driver secures the printed delivery label to an item/product selected from the unallocated item/product inventory, and delivers the item/product to the destination location on the same day the order was placed.
US11144868B1

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would determine exemplary projected routes, delivery dates, times and rates for multiple carriers and multiple delivery services/methods. Exemplary embodiments would generate and provide an exemplary interactive graphic comparison mapping of the exemplary projected carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific routes, and associated projected delivery dates, times and rates. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would generate and provide an exemplary interactive graphic mapping of a projected carrier-specific, delivery-service-specific route, and associated projected delivery date, time and rate for a user-selected carrier and delivery service/method. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention would then track shipping/mailing progress and delivery status of the item according to carrier-provided shipping/mailing progress and delivery status “events,” such as, for example, carrier-provided item scanning events.
US11144864B2

The present disclosure refers to a method and a system for tracking cable drums and length of cable on the drum. A method includes attaching a tracker device with a tracker identifier to a cable drum with a drum identifier, said drum identifier being associated in a database with drum dimensions and with cable dimensions of a cable stored on the drum. The method includes associating in the database the drum identifier also with the tracker identifier. The method includes when an event comprising at least a shock and/or a number of rotations of the cable drum around a longitudinal axis occurs, activating a first electronic circuit of the tracker device including a sensing device that detects at least the event, storing the detected event in a local memory of the tracker device and switching the first electronic circuit to standby mode after the detected event is stored.
US11144861B1

The present invention relates to a system and method suitable for objectively evaluating individuals within an organization. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for objectively and consistently evaluating individuals for knowledge, training, and compensation within an organization, and across industries. Further the system and method provides models that enable individuals to identify skill that can be altered in a manner that dictates a desired career path and compensation range for the individual.
US11144859B1

A computer-implemented method for scheduling an appointment between a user and a resource of a financial institution that includes receiving, at a first computing system associated with the financial institution, a plurality of user preferences regarding the appointment from a user. The user preferences may be received while the user is using a second computing system to conduct a network-based session with the first computing system. The method includes, identifying, by a rules engine, at least one representative of the financial institution based on the user preferences received from the user and scheduling the appointment between the user and the representative based on the identification of the representative.
US11144839B2

A device may receive issue resolution information, associated with a cognitive model, including an item of issue resolution information that describes an issue and a resolution to the issue. The device may assign the item of issue resolution information to a domain hierarchy, where the assigning is associated with a first user. The device may generate a question and an answer corresponding to the item of issue resolution information, where the generating of the question and the answer is associated with a second user. The device may approve the question and the answer, where the approving is associated with a third user. The device may generate a question/answer (QA) pair for the question and the answer. The device may create a data corpus including the QA pair, and provide the data corpus to cause the cognitive model to be trained based on the data corpus.
US11144819B2

A method of configuring a hardware implementation of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), the method comprising: determining, for each of a plurality of layers of the CNN, a first number format for representing weight values in the layer based upon a distribution of weight values for the layer, the first number format comprising a first integer of a first predetermined bit-length and a first exponent value that is fixed for the layer; determining, for each of a plurality of layers of the CNN, a second number format for representing data values in the layer based upon a distribution of expected data values for the layer, the second number format comprising a second integer of a second predetermined bit-length and a second exponent value that is fixed for the layer; and storing the determined number formats for use in configuring the hardware implementation of a CNN.
US11144816B2

The wastewater treatment process by using activated sludge process often appear the sludge bulking fault phenomenon. Due to production conditions of wastewater treatment process, the correlation and restriction between variables, the characteristics of nonlinear and time-varying, which lead to hard identification of sludge bulking; Sludge bulking is not easy to detect and the reasons resulting in the sludge bulking are difficult to identify, are current RBF neural network is designed for detecting and identifying the causes of sludge volume index (SVI) in this patent. The method builds soft-computing model of SVI based on recurrent RBF neural network, it has been completed to the real-time prediction of SVI concentration and better accuracy were obtained. Once the fault of sludge bulking is detected, the identifying cause variables (CVI) algorithm can find the cause variables of sludge bulking. The method can effectively identify the fault of sludge bulking and ensure the safety operation of the wastewater treatment process.
US11144807B2

In some embodiments, a product includes a card having a front face, a back face and a payment-enabling mechanism, where the front face is opposite to the back face. Account information is disposed on the front face, the back face, or both, in a tactile writing system, as well as one or more card identification texture strips. The one or more card identification texture strips each comprise at least one region having a texture pattern different from a base texture of the card, where the texture pattern comprises a roughness texture pattern, and where the texture pattern is unique to an issuer of the card.
US11144805B2

A spherical identifier may, in an example, include a sphere including a plurality of shells forming the sphere, a radially-defined code being discernable using the arrangement of the plurality of shells. A three-dimensional object identifier may, in an example, include a number of spheres manufactured into the body of the three-dimensional object wherein each of the spheres comprise a plurality of shells; the shells constituting a radially definable code.
US11144802B1

Provided is an image processing apparatus that utilizes the storage capacity of a ring buffer. A ring buffer is set in the storage unit. A page area setting unit allocates a maximum size page area in page units of the job in the ring buffer set in the storage unit. A band storing unit stores band data while compressing the band data in the page area allocated by the page area setting unit. An image processing unit performs image processing of the band data stored by the band storing unit. Then, the page area setting unit determines whether or not the page has high possibility to be reused, and when the page has high possibility to be reused, the page area setting unit allocates the page area at the head of the ring buffer.
US11144798B2

A method of analysing an image the image transmitted from a local image acquisition device to a local image processor; the local image processor processing the image locally in order to define at least one context descriptor relevant to a scene contained in the image.
US11144792B2

Disclosed are a water purifier and a control method thereof for controlling a main body by executing an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm or a machine learning algorithm in a 5G environment established for the Internet of things. The control method of the water purifier according to the present disclosure includes a photographing step, a scanning step, a recognizing step, a calculating step, a determining step, and a water discharging step. When the water discharging step is initiated, the distance sensor generates real-time height information on the water surface, and may stop discharging water before a real-time height exceeds the highest point height.
US11144781B2

An image processing apparatus includes first and second acquisition units, a determination unit, and an estimation unit. The first acquisition unit is configured to acquire shape information of an object. The second acquisition unit is configured to acquire a plurality of pieces of image data. The determination unit is configured to determine a pixel position corresponding to a position at which an orientation of a surface is the same as or similar to an orientation of a surface at a position of interest on the object, as a pixel position for estimating a reflection characteristic of the object at the position of interest. The estimation unit is configured to estimate the reflection characteristic of the object at the position of interest by using a pixel value at the pixel position determined by the determination unit.
US11144779B2

A first image may be received by a processor. The processor may identify an image quality measure of which to evaluate the first image. The processor may compare the first image to one or more images. The processor may generate a first image quality score for the first image based on the comparing. The processor may convert the first image quality score into a first micro air-quality index. The processor may transmit the first micro air-quality index to a recording device. Additionally, a recording device may capture a first image. The recording device may send the first image to a database that may include a model associated with an image quality measure. The recording device may receive a first micro air-quality index associated with the image quality measure. The recording device may rearrange a display of the first image to display the first micro air-quality index.
US11144775B2

In one aspect, a system for illuminating a field of view of a vision-based sensor mounted on an agricultural machine may include an agricultural machine having a vision-based sensor. The system may also include a light source configured to emit supplemental light to illuminate at least a portion of the field of view of the vision-based sensor. Furthermore, the system may include a controller communicatively the light source. The controller may configured to control an operation of the light source based on an input indicative of ambient light present within the field of view of the vision-based sensor.
US11144770B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for positioning a vehicle, a device, and a computer readable storage medium. The method includes: determining first edge information of a vehicle from an image related to the vehicle and acquired by a sensing device; determining a contour model corresponding to the vehicle; determining second edge information that matches the first edge information from an edge information set associated with the contour model, in which each edge information in the edge information set corresponds to a position of the contour model relative to the sensing device; and determining a position of the vehicle relative to the sensing device based on a position corresponding to the second edge information.
US11144768B2

An image processing device is configured to record a captured image acquired from an imaging device, to detect a monitor request made by a user with respect to a monitored object reflected in the captured image, to specify the monitored object in the captured image according to the monitor request, and to generate an output image including the monitored object such that the user can monitor the monitored object in the output image. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the user with the output image including an enlarged image of the monitored object, and it is possible to record captured images each normally covering a prescribed wide imaging range on storage media.
US11144765B2

A method for scene frame matching for automatic content recognition. The method includes receiving fingerprints indicative of frames of a media stream. The method also includes obtaining scene centroids of corresponding scenes of the media stream. Each scene includes fingerprints ranging from an initial frame having a corresponding initial fingerprint and a last frame having a corresponding last fingerprint. Each scene centroid represents a mean of fingerprints corresponding to a respective scene. The mean of fingerprints is determined by an average of pixel values corresponding to the fingerprints of the respective scene. For each scene centroid, the method includes determining a distance between the respective scene centroid and a target fingerprint of a corresponding target frame of the media stream and determining a target scene of the target frame as being the respective scene of the scene centroid having a shortest distance to the target fingerprint of the target frame.
US11144761B2

A system for applying video data to a neural network (NN) for online multi-class multi-object tracking includes a computer programed to perform an image classification method including the operations of receiving a video sequence; detecting candidate objects in each of a previous and a current video frame; transforming the previous and current video frames into a temporal difference input image; applying the temporal difference input image to a pre-trained neural network (NN) (or deep convolutional network) comprising an ordered sequence of layers; and based on a classification value received by the neural network, associating a pair of detected candidate objects in the previous and current frames as belonging to one of matching objects and different objects.
US11144740B2

A reader for medical implants includes an antenna and a transceiver chip connected with the antenna. The transceiver chip includes a power amplifier and a resistor. The power amplifier is connected with a reference voltage through the resistor and configured to produce a first communication signal with high frequency and transmit the first communication signal to the medical implants through the antenna. The medical implant receives the first communication signal and produces a second communication signal according to variation of parameters of the medical implant. The antenna is configured to receive the second communication signal. The power amplifier is further configured to vary a DC current which flows through the resistor according to the second communication signal and read signals of the medical implant according to variation of the DC current. The power amplifier is further configured to modulate the second communication signal into a low frequency signal.
US11144737B2

An RF module includes a base with a probe, a reader unit, a communications unit, and a control unit that establish an EM field into a container having electrically-conductive walls. RFID tags attached to medical articles located within the container are activated and produce identification signals. The probe and base receive the identification signals and provide identification data related to medical articles located within the container. The RF module is self-contained in that it needs only power and a data connection with which to operate. Where an Ethernet is used, power is obtained by PoE. The RF module is used to retrofit existing medication containers or may be used during the construction of a new medication container.
US11144731B2

A platform provides for developers of applications, such as devices, with natural language interfaces to configure the availability of vertical domain modules in applications. Modules can include grammars for parsing natural language expressions and interfaces to data sources. Third party developers can create modules with pricing models for their usage or access to their data. Device developers can browse or search available modules and test their performance for specific queries. The platform provides for devices users to access the chosen modules as configured by device developers and for charging and payment between users, application developers, and module developers.
US11144709B2

Methods, apparatus and computer program products for interactive reports are disclosed herein. In some examples, a method for generating an output report that is an interactive report may include identifying one or more messages to be hyperlinked in an output report, wherein the one or more messages are data structures that are configured to linguistically describe at least a portion of raw input data; determining one or more interactive responses based on the one or more messages to be hyperlinked; determining one or more words in a phrase specification that are related to the one or more messages to be hyperlinked; and generating the output report, wherein the one or more words are hyperlinked in the output report such that when selected at least one of the one or more interactive responses is performed.
US11144708B1

Provided is a method of dynamically providing a layout during a runtime of an application programming interface (API)-based application, including: transmitting, from a user device to a service server, user authentication-related information and an access request; requesting, by the service server, an API server to generate a token; transmitting the token generated by the API server to the user device via the service server; transmitting, by the user device, the token to the API server; and providing, by the API server, layout information to the user device.
US11144706B1

The document in the first layout at a user interface is displayed. The first layout displays the document in a continuous view. The first layout the document is scrollable to display different regions of the document at a user device. A first user request to convert the display of the document from the first layout to the second layout is received. Responsive to the first user request, a suggested boundary within the first layout of the document is determined by identifying an end of first content of a first content type and a beginning of second content of a second content type in the document. The first content type and the second content type are different content types.
US11144693B1

A method includes generating on a host machine a validated verification test scenario comprising a graph defining a scheduled performance order of a plurality of actions to be performed on a DUT and a corresponding verification environment; obtaining a subset of one or more actions to be added to the validated scenario while maintaining the plurality of actions of the validated scenario and the scheduled performance order, forming an amended verification test scenario; and applying a runtime solver in a target language of the DUT and the corresponding verification environment on the amended verification test scenario to generate a test in a target code and to apply the test on the DUT and the corresponding verification environment wherein inclusion of any of said one or more actions or an order of performance of said one or more actions of the subset in the test is determined at runtime.
US11144691B2

Disclosed herein are example embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for transactors configured for use in a hardware emulation environment and designed to adapt to speed changes dynamically at runtime in addition to providing dynamic port mapping. Among the embodiments disclosed herein is an emulation system comprising one or more configurable hardware components (e.g., configurable logic blocks) configured to implement a mutable port group transactor in communication with a design under test being emulated by the emulation system. The emulation system can further comprise a host computer in communication with the emulator and configured to provide configuration commands to the emulator that alter the mutable port group transactor from a first configuration to a second configuration.
US11144690B2

Techniques and systems for implementing a general extensible layer mapping approach that maps between integrated circuit (IC) design database layers and process layers are described. A first IC design layout having in-design layers can be converted into a second IC design layout having derived layers, wherein said converting comprises mapping the in-design layers to the derived layers by applying a set of layer derivation rules to shapes in the IC design layout, and wherein the set of layer derivation rules implements a one-to-many mapping between the in-design layers and the derived layers. Next, a one-to-one mapping between the derived layers and process layers used in a parasitic extraction tool can be generated. Parasitic extraction on the IC design layout then be performed by providing the second IC design layout and the one-to-one mapping to the parasitic extraction tool.
US11144688B1

A computer/software tool for electronic design automation (EDA) uses parasitic elements from a post-layout netlist (PLN) file for a given IC design to assess routing-imposed RC-based signal degeneration. The computer/software tool facilitates selection of, and insertion location for, one or more “virtual repeaters,” based on modification to the PLN file. The tool generates a visual display based on the calculated design characteristics, facilitating adjustment and optimization of repeater cell and location by the designer. The repeater insertion is “virtual,” because modeling and adjustment can be based on abstractions (e.g., load capacitance presented by a repeater) and the already-extracted netlist file, and because an actual circuit design need not be created until after a designer has fine-tuned repeater insertion parameters.
US11144685B2

A simulation method executed by a computer includes: dividing an analysis domain into divided domains; generating a calculation data model on the divided domains that includes the volume of each divided domain and a characteristic of the domain with respect to each adjacent domain as the quantities not requiring the vertices and connectivity; generating a requested number of aggregated domains by aggregating the divided domains; generating a calculation data model on the aggregated domains that includes the volume of each aggregated domain and a characteristic quantity of the domain with respect to each adjacent domain as the quantities not requiring the vertices and connectivity; and calculating with respect to the physical quantity, based on a physical property in the analysis domain and the calculation data model on the aggregated domains, conductance representing transfer characteristic between the aggregated domains, and capacitance representing accumulation characteristic for each aggregated domain.
US11144678B2

An integrated circuit includes one or more intellectual property (IP) cores, one or more general purposes input/output (GPIO) interfaces, each GPIO interface having one or more ports, and one or more security circuits, each security circuit being coupled between an IP core and a GPIO interface. A security circuit, in operation, selectively enables communications between the IP core and the GPIO interface coupled to the security circuit based on an indication of the security status of the IP core, an indication of the security status of the GPIO interface or both the indication of the security status of the IP core and the indication of the security status of the GPIO interface.
US11144677B2

A fully digital integrated circuit apparatus (200) and method (300) are provided for generating a test mode enable signal with a digital non-resettable state retention storage circuit (210) connected to store an authentication control pattern for authorizing test mode access to a secure circuit, a digital safety interlock gate circuit (220) connected to store a safety interlock gate setting that may be accessed independently from a test mode enable signal, and combinatorial logic circuitry (205) for generating the test mode enable signal only when the interlock safety gate setting is set to a first value and the digital non-resettable state retention storage circuit stores the authentication control code.
US11144669B1

Methods, systems and computer-program products are directed to a Privacy Engine for evaluating initial electronic documents to identify document content categories for portions of content within the electronic documents, with respect to extracted document structures and document positions, that may include privacy information for possible redaction via visual modification. The Privacy Engine builds a content profile based on detecting information at respective portions of electronic document content that indicate one or more pre-defined categories and/or sub-categories. For each respective portion of electronic document content, the Privacy Engine applies a machine learning model that corresponds with the indicated category (or categories and sub-categories) to determine a probability value of whether the respective portion of content includes data considered likely to be privacy information. The Privacy Engine recreates the one or more initial electronic documents according to one or more privacy information redactions at respective locations of the portions of content.
US11144668B2

A method for automatically detecting and concealing content associated with an incoming notification in response to receiving and presenting the incoming notification on a computing device is provided. The method may include receiving the incoming notification on a computing device. The method may further include extracting and categorizing different parts of the incoming notification, and identifying features associated with each of the different parts. The method may further include classifying different parts of the content within the incoming notification based on a class coding system and identifying instructions associated with each classification. The method may further include detecting user behavior with respect to similar notifications. The method may also include automatically determining whether to conceal, partially conceal, or display on the computing device the content within the notification. The method may further include presenting the incoming notification on the computing device according to the automatic determination.
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