US09246578B2
A method for allocating CDMA channels applicable to a mobile communication system that performs communication by using two or more CDMA channels, the method comprising: for each active sector corresponding to a particular mobile station, independently allocating CDMA channels (i.e., frequency assignments) such that each active sector is allocated at least one CDMA channel; and transmitting packet data by using the allocated CDMA channel.
US09246577B2
A vehicular communication apparatus includes a communication device and an adjuster. The communication device exchanges a signal with an external communication device that is disposed external to the vehicle. The adjuster adjusts a transmission output of the communication device based on at least one of an operation mode of a vehicular device, which influences the communication device by generating a noise, or a classification of a signal exchanged between the communication device and the external communication device. The vehicular communication apparatus either prevents a deteriorated operation quality of the vehicular device or prevents a deteriorated communication quality of the communication device.
US09246576B2
A communication system including Satellite Communication apparatus providing communication services to at least a first set of communicants, the first set of communicants including a first plurality of communicants, wherein the communication services are provided to each of the communicants in accordance with a spectrum allocation corresponding thereto, thereby to define a first plurality of spectrum allocations apportioning a first predefined spectrum portion among the first set of communicants; and Dynamic Spectrum Allocations apparatus operative to dynamically modify at least one spectrum allocation corresponding to at least one of the first plurality of communicants without exceeding the spectrum portion.
US09246569B2
A transmission method and corresponding mobile communication system are described. A mobile terminal transmits information via an access channel to a base station that quantizes the received symbols and forwards these via a forward path to a central baseband unit. In the central baseband unit soft information relating to the transmitted information is determined based on received forwarded symbols, a quantizer codebook and the deployed mapping of the mobile terminal. Said soft information may serve as a basis for decoding the information.
US09246565B2
The present invention relates to a User Equipment (UE), a base station and a method for selecting a Remote Radio Head (RRH). A UE, including: a storage unit configured to store a code book including a plurality of precoding matrixes which contain a precoding matrix having an element zero corresponding to an antenna; a precoding matrix selection unit configured to select the precoding matrix to be used according to the code book stored in the storage unit; and a report unit configured to report an index of the precoding matrix selected by the precoding matrix selection unit. In the preferred embodiments, elements of a same precoding matrix for antennas of same RRH are all zero or non-zero.
US09246562B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for transmitting/receiving data while providing power saving efficiency of a terminal, for example, a station (hereinafter, referred to as ‘STAS) in a communication system providing services to multi users in a multi-input multi-output (hereinafter, referred to as ‘MIMO’) scheme. The apparatus for transmitting data includes: a receiving unit configured to receive an uplink frame from a plurality of terminals by a multi user-multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme; a generating unit configured to generate a packet including support information on a multi user-power saving scheme with the terminals; a buffering unit configured to buffer data corresponding to the terminals; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit a downlink frame including the generated packet and the buffered data to the terminals by the multi user-MIMO scheme.
US09246558B2
According to one embodiment, a subscriber station configured to communicate with one or more base stations in a wireless communication network. The subscriber station is configured to receive, from the network, information associated with one or more of the TPs that are candidates for coordinated multipoint (CoMP) transmission with the subscriber station, measure a plurality of channel quality values for each of the one or more TPs, and report to the network, the measured channel quality values.
US09246548B2
An electromagnetic coupler comprising: a transmitter configured to operate at a first central frequency, a first termination configured to connect to the transmitter and having a second resonant frequency, a receiver configured to operate at the first frequency, a second termination configured to connect to the receiver and having a third resonant frequency, wherein when the first and second terminations are bought into close proximity when engaged, the equivalent resonant frequency is substantially the first frequency, and wherein the second and/or third frequencies being substantially spectrally spaced from the first frequency.
US09246547B2
A method transmits data via an electric conductor of a current network. At least one first node and at least one second node are coupled to the electric conductor by a respective impedance-transparent coupling device. The method involves transmitting a carrier signal by the first node via the electric conductor, rectifying the transmitted carrier signal at the second node in order to supply energy to the second node, and modulating the transmitted carrier signal by the second node using a load modulation in order to transmit response data to the first node. The method is suitable in particular for low-maintenance and inexpensive sensor applications in current networks. An arrangement is used to transmit data via the electric conductor of a current network.
US09246545B1
Features are disclosed for adaptively estimating propagation delay in an audio system. A first device in communication with a speaker may be configured produce sound based on an audio playback signal. A second device in communication with one or more microphones may be configured to detect sound as a microphone signal. The second device may perform acoustic echo cancellation using a first propagation delay parameter and determine a first echo return loss enhancement. The second device may perform acoustic echo cancellation using a second propagation delay parameter and determine a second echo return loss enhancement. A propagation delay between the audio playback signal and the microphone signal may be adaptively estimated based on a comparison of the first and second echo return loss enhancements.
US09246543B2
A computation system comprising an orientation detection device configured to detect position information comprising a position and an orientation of the computation system, a multi-sensor system coupled to the orientation detection device, wherein the multi-sensor system is configured to capture environmental input data, wherein the multi-sensor system comprises at least one of an audio capturing system and a three-dimensional (3D) image capturing system, and wherein the environmental input data comprises at least one of audio and an image, and at least one signal processing component coupled to the orientation detection device and to the multi-sensor system, wherein the processor is configured to modify the captured environmental input data based on the position information.
US09246542B1
In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for identifying data that is designated for wireless transmission to a remote computing device. A digital signal that encodes the data for transmission across a band of radio frequency channels is generated. Multiple radio frequency channels in the band that are available are determined. The digital signal is filtered to substantially reduce a power level of the digital signal at frequencies that correspond to channels in the band that have not been determined to be available. The filtered digital signal is converted to an analog signal. The analog signal is provided to an analog transmitter that isolates the band of channels to generate an isolated analog signal and that wirelessly transmits the isolated analog signal over the multiple available channels using one or more antennas.
US09246535B2
The present invention discloses a transmit-receive (TR) front end. The TR front end comprises a low-noise amplifier (LNA); a power amplifier (PA); a transformer, coupled to the PA, for increasing a voltage swing and a power transmission of the PA; and a TR switch, coupled to the transformer at a first end and coupled to the LNA at a second end, wherein the second end is capable of being coupled to an antenna; wherein the LNA is single ended and there is no transformer between the LNA and the TR switch.
US09246530B1
A communication device includes a DC input component, a transmitting component an envelope detecting component, a receiving component, a storage component and a comparator. The DC input component generates a first direct current signal and a second direct current signal. The transmitting component generates a first transmitted signal based on the first direct current signal and a second transmitted signal based on the second direct current signal. The envelope detecting component generates a first envelope signal based on the first transmitted signal and generates a second envelope signal based on the second transmitted signal. The receiving component generates a first received signal based on the first envelope signal and a second received signal based on the second envelope signal. The storage component has a priori information stored therein. The comparator outputs a correlation signal based on the first received signal, the second received signal and the a priori information.
US09246529B2
An all optical radio frequency converter. The invention relates to a microtoroid optomechanical oscillator that can provide a local oscillation frequency and a mixing functionality. The microtoroid optomechanical oscillator can be fabricated from a silica-on-silicon wafer. When an input optical signal having an optical carrier frequency carrying a modulated RF signal representing information is applied to the microtoroid optomechanical oscillator, a signal including the baseband information modulated on the optical carrier is provided as output. The output signal can be detected with a photodetector. Information carried by the optical signal can be recorded and/or displayed to a user. Injection locking of the microtoroid optomechanical oscillator can be accomplished by providing a signal of suitable frequency. The frequency and the phase of operation of the microtoroid optomechanical oscillator can be locked to the respective frequency and phase of the injected locking signal.
US09246523B1
A transmitter comprises at least one nonlinear circuit, and a power spectral density (PSD) shaping circuit. The PSD shaping circuit is operable to receive a symbol of a modulated signal, wherein the symbol corresponds to a first one or more frequency bins. The PSD shaping circuit is operable to perform iterative processing of the symbol, wherein each iteration of the processing comprises: generation of a pre-distortion signal based on a model of the at least one nonlinear circuit, wherein the nonlinearly distorted signal corresponds to a second one or more frequency bins; and combination of the symbol, or a pre-distorted version of the symbol, with the nonlinearly-distorted signal. The generation of the pre-distorted signal may comprise generation of a nonlinearly-distorted signal, and adjustment of one or more components of the nonlinearly-distorted signal.
US09246517B2
Methods for digital signal processing and transmission/reception systems utilizing the methods based on the use of LDPC codes, for example the LDPC code with a 3/5 code rate, in combination with a QAM modulation, for example the 16 QAM or 64 QAM or 256 QAM modulation. In transmission, a bit permutation (Demux) is carried out prior to the QAM constellation mapping function, and in reception, the bit permutation is carried out after the QAM constellation demapping function.
US09246513B2
A method of channel coding for transmitting data in a wireless access system includes: calculating a number C of code blocks by an equation of C=┌B/(Z−L)┐, wherein B denotes a size of an input bit sequence, wherein Z denotes a maximum size of the code blocks, and wherein L denotes a size of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) which is to be attached to each of the code blocks; calculating a size B′ of a modified input bit sequence by an equation of B′=B+C*L; generating the code blocks based on the number C of the code blocks and the size B′ of the modified input bit sequence; and channel-coding the code blocks.
US09246511B2
A method includes, in a data storage device, determining an estimated compression ratio. The estimated compression ratio is based on hash values of a subset of a data set. The method includes selectively processing the data set based on the estimated compression ratio prior to storage of data associated with the data set in a memory of the data storage device.
US09246507B2
An A/D conversion device has an A/D conversion section including A/D conversion units. Each A/D conversion unit has a pulse delay circuit including delay units connected in daisy chain to form a ring delay line. Each delay unit delays a pulse signal by a delay time corresponding to an input voltage. The A/D conversion section counts the number of pulse signals that passed through the delay units during a period counted from a timing when a start signal is switched to an activation level from a non-activation level at a timing when a sampling signal is received. When each two successive timing signals CKi (i=1, 2, . . . and m) have a same specific period. The each two successive timing signals have a different phase shifted by 1/m of the specific period. Each A/D conversion unit receives the timing signal CK1 as the start signal, and the timing signal CKi+1 (CKm+1=CK1) as the sampling signal.
US09246500B2
Quantization noise in a fractional-N phase-locked loop (PLL) is canceled using a capacitor-based digital to analog converter (DAC). A phase error is detected between a reference signal and a feedback signal in the PLL. A charge pump circuit charges a first capacitor circuit based on the phase error to generate a phase error voltage corresponding to the phase error. The capacitor based DAC generates a quantization error correction voltage based on a digital value corresponding to the quantization error, which is then combined with the phase error voltage to cancel the quantization error.
US09246492B1
In one example, a programmable integrated circuit (IC) includes a first logic tile in a first power domain having a first local voltage. The first logic tile includes a driver operable to use the first local voltage to output a signal having a logic-level referenced to the first local voltage. The first logic tile further includes a level-shifter coupled to receive the signal from the driver and operable to output a level-shifted signal having a logic-level referenced to a global handshaking voltage. The programmable IC further includes a second logic tile in a second power domain having a second local voltage, the second logic tile including a receiver operable to use the second local voltage to receive the level-shifted signal. The global handshaking voltage is at least as high as the first local voltage and at least as high as the second local voltage.
US09246491B2
Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a method and apparatus for performing pipelined operations on input data with feedback. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a first logic circuit for determining a value of a first function based on input data for a first clock cycle. The first logic circuit includes pipeline stages that perform subsets of calculations of the value of the first function in one clock cycle. The apparatus also includes a second logic circuit for determining a value of a second function for the first clock cycle based on a value of a third function for a second clock cycle prior to the first clock cycle. The apparatus further includes a third logic circuit for determining a value of the third function for the first clock cycle by combining the values of the first and second functions for the first clock cycle.
US09246488B2
A boundary scan circuit containing a freeze circuit and a transparency circuit that provides a capability to selectively place portions of a system logic in a sleep mode and thereby conserving power. There are two transparency circuit configurations, one that connects to an input pad cell and one that connects to an output pad cell. The circuitry in the transparency circuit is controlled in such a manner as to establish at the output of transparency circuit a known logic state to control leakage current resulting from the circuitry of the various pad cell configurations, which further conserves power during sleep mode.
US09246484B2
Apparatus and methods for reducing input bias current of electronic circuits are provided herein. In certain implementations, an electronic circuit includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, an input circuit, and a plurality of input switches including at least a first input switch and a second input switch. The first input switch is electrically connected between the first input terminal and a first input of the input circuit, the second input switch is electrically connected between the second input terminal and a second input of the input circuit, and the first and second input switches can be opened and closed using a clock signal. The electronic circuit further includes a charge compensation circuit for compensating for charge injection through the first and second input switches during transitions of the clock signal.
US09246483B2
A high-frequency switching circuit includes a high-frequency switching transistor, wherein a high-frequency signal-path extends via a channel-path of the high-frequency switching transistor. The high-frequency switching circuit includes a control circuit and the control circuit is configured to apply at least two different bias potentials to a substrate of the high-frequency switching transistor, depending on a control signal received by the control circuit.
US09246480B2
A method for performing phase shift control in an electronic device and an associated apparatus are provided, where the method includes: obtaining a set of clock signals corresponding to a set of phases, wherein any two phases of the set of phases are different from each other; and controlling a phase shift of an output signal of an oscillator by selectively mixing the set of clock signals into the oscillator according to a set of digital weighting control signals, wherein the phase shift corresponds to the set of digital weighting control signals, and the set of digital weighting control signals carries a set of digital weightings for selectively mixing the set of clock signals. More particularly, the method may include: selectively mixing the set of clock signals into a specific stage of a plurality of stages of the oscillator according to the set of digital weighting control signals.
US09246479B2
A low-offset bandgap circuit including a core bandgap circuit and an offset-cancelling circuit is provided. The low-offset bandgap circuit provides a reference voltage at an output node. The core bandgap circuit includes a core operational amplifier to generate a core current. The offset-cancelling circuit is coupled to two input terminals of the core operational amplifier. The offset-cancelling circuit is configured to generate a compensation current according to the voltages at the two input terminals of the core operational amplifier so as to compensate for an offset voltage of the core operational amplifier. The reference voltage is generated according to the core current and the compensation current.
US09246477B2
A common mode voltage level shifting circuit including: input nodes configured to receive a differential signal with a first common mode voltage, a pair of shunt capacitors coupled between the input nodes and a corresponding pair of output nodes, a threshold voltage circuit, including the output nodes, coupled to the differential signal though the shunt capacitors, the threshold voltage circuit configured to provide a second common mode voltage for the differential signal at the output nodes, and current sources that are controlled according to a level of the first common mode voltage, the current sources coupled to the output nodes to effect the second common mode voltage.
US09246475B2
A method for correcting the duty cycle of a clock signal uses two-dual-slope integrators with two comparators; each comparator is connected to both integrators and configured to include a “dead band” when the input pulse duty cycle is at or near 50%. One comparator detects when duty cycle is high and the other comparator detects when the duty cycle is low. When the duty cycle is within the “dead band” range, neither comparator goes valid. This provides an analog filter where the output comparators will not instantaneously switch between opposite duty cycle correction states. When the duty cycle is greater or less than 50%, the integrated voltages on the two integrators move in opposite directions producing twice the signal magnitude on differential inputs of the comparators, as compared with using a single integrator architecture.
US09246469B2
A manufacturing method of an oscillator is a manufacturing method of an oscillator which includes a vibrator and a semiconductor circuit device including an oscillation part connected to the vibrator and a control part to switch an operation mode between a normal mode in which the oscillation part performs an oscillation operation and an inspection mode in which characteristics of the vibrator are inspected, and the manufacturing method includes preparing the semiconductor circuit device in which the operation mode is set to the inspection mode, connecting the semiconductor circuit device and the vibrator electrically, and inspecting the characteristics of the vibrator which is in a state electrically connected to the semiconductor circuit device.
US09246457B2
An amplifying device is provided that reduces power consumption and quickly starts amplification of an audio signal of a channel to be used. A control section 17 inputs a control signal for instructing operation or standby into post-amplifying sections 11b and 12b, and inputs a control signal for instructing standby to post-amplifying sections 13b and 14b. In the post-amplifying section 11b, when the control signal for instructing standby or operation is input from the control section 17, a modulation circuit 52 modulates the analog audio signal into a switching signal. An output stage circuit 54 amplifies the output signal. When the control signal for instructing the operation is input from the control section 17, a driving circuit 53 drives the output stage circuit 54 in response to the switching signal, and stops the driving of the output stage circuit 54 when the control signal for instructing standby is input.
US09246455B2
A cascaded amplifier including a pre-amplifier stage having a pair of first transistors, each of the first transistors having a first gate terminal coupled to a first input voltage, a trans-conductive (gm) amplifier stage having a pair of second transistors, each of the second transistors having a second gate terminal coupled to a drain terminal of one of the first transistors, and an integrator amplifier stage having a pair of third transistors, each of the third transistors having a third gate terminal coupled to a drain node of one of the second transistors, each of the third transistors having their drain terminals coupled to an output voltage.
US09246445B2
An apparatus comprises a first audio amplifier circuit configured to provide an analog audio signal and an analog switch circuit including a first input configured to receive the analog audio signal, a second input configured to receive a first digital data signal, and a first output configured to provide one of the digital data signal or the analog audio signal. The apparatus also includes a first feedback circuit coupled to the first audio amplifier circuit and the analog switch circuit output, the feedback circuit configured to bias the first audio amplifier circuit.
US09246436B2
A method and device for receiving a wireless signal is provided. The device includes a passive mixer having a first input node, a second input node, and at least one output node. An oscillator is coupled to the first input node of the mixer. The output of a buffer is coupled to the second input node of the mixer. An antenna is operatively coupled to the input node of the buffer. The buffer is configured to provide isolation from the mixer.
US09246422B2
A motor control device includes an energization pattern output portion and an inverter circuit. The energization pattern output portion cyclically outputs a plurality of energization patterns. The inverter circuit selectively connects respective coils provided in a motor to a rectifier circuit according to the output energization pattern. The energization pattern output portion delays the output timing of the energization pattern according to a rotation speed of the motor.
US09246419B2
A method for controlling a motor to enable drive assist of an engine with a high torque in a low rotation speed range as well as synchronized driving in a high rotation speed range. The method includes controlling a motor connected to a low voltage battery. The motor has a reluctance torque higher than a magnetic torque at a time of a highest torque generation. The motor includes a rotor connected to an output shaft of an engine.
US09246418B2
In an EC motor, comprising a motor electronics, a signal input or a signal output, and an optocoupler for the galvanically isolated transmission of a useful signal between the motor control unit and the signal input or the signal output, the intention is to reliably determine the degradation of the optocoupler and to improve the service life of the EC motor. This is achieved in that an evaluation unit regularly evaluates a saturation voltage of the optocoupler at the output of the optocoupler in relation to a reference threshold when the optocoupler is wired and generates a warning signal when the saturation voltage exceeds the reference threshold.
US09246415B2
An electrostatic carrier tray is an apparatus that is used to temporarily grasp and to transport semiconductive coupons/wafers. The apparatus mainly includes a primary substrate, a plurality of electrostatics field generating circuits, a conformal coating, a structural backing, and a power-delivery and control system. The electrostatics field generating circuits are positioned on one side of the primary substrate, and the power delivery and control system is positioned on the other side of the primary substrate. The electrostatics field generating circuits are used to bond the semiconductive coupons/wafers to the apparatus. The structural backing is used to handle the apparatus while transporting the semiconductive coupons/wafers and is also used to protect the power-delivery and control system from physical damage. The conformal coating is superimposed onto the electrostatics field generating circuits and the primary substrate as a means of protection.
US09246413B2
An ultrasonic motor (10) includes a vibrator (50) and an application means (oscillation circuit 80). A first vibrator area (51) and a second vibrator area (52), which form a vibrator (50), include piezoelectric elements polarized in the thickness direction, and fixed portions (30a, 30b) respectively. The oscillation circuit 80 applies an AC voltage to the piezoelectric elements respectively and makes the first vibrator area (51) and the second vibrator area (52) resonate individually in the surface-spreading directions. The ultrasonic motor (10) includes a coupling portion (55) for coupling vibration end portions (23a, 23b) each other and a contact element (60) which is provided on this coupling portion (55). The vibration end portions (23a, 23b) are positions which vibrate respectively in the approaching and separating directions by the resonances of the first vibrator area (51) and the second vibrator area (52) in the surface-spreading directions with respect to the fixed portions (30a, 30b).
US09246407B2
A method of operating a flying capacitor multilevel converter having a direct current link and a plurality of phase legs each having a plurality of flying capacitors includes employing redundant states to balance flying capacitor voltages by charging or discharging flying capacitors. The redundant states are employed by obtaining a load current of the flying capacitor multilevel converter. If a load current value is lower than a threshold value then a capacitor current of a phase terminal capacitor is utilized to determine redundant states else a load current direction is utilized to determine the redundant states.
US09246400B2
Disclosed is a wireless power receiver to transfer power wirelessly received from a wireless power transmitter to a load. The wireless power receiver includes a first reception induction coil coupled with a reception resonant coil to receive AC power; a first rectifying diode to rectify the AC power received through the first reception induction coil; a second reception induction coil connected to the first reception induction coil and coupled with the reception resonant coil to receive the AC power; and a second rectifying diode to rectify the AC power received through the second reception induction coil, wherein the wireless power receiver changes a transferring path of the power provided to the load according to a polarity variation of the AC power received through the first and second reception induction coils.
US09246387B2
An output voltage controller includes a first controller which controls current supply to a inductor based on an output voltage, and a second controller which controls current supply to the inductor by controlling a period when an input end to which an input voltage is inputted, the inductor, and an output end from which the output voltage is outputted are coupled based on the input voltage.
US09246383B2
Switching regulator methods and systems are provided for supplying output current at a regulated voltage level to a load. Upon determining that the output current is not below a predetermined current threshold, the regulator is operated in a continuous mode. The input voltage is monitored. If the input voltage is not below a first input threshold level, the system remains in continuous mode. Otherwise, the system enters a burst mode in which the switch mode power supply is turned OFF, thereby reducing transistor gate charge losses.
US09246368B2
A claw pole type motor is provided and includes: a rotor which includes a magnet and a rotation shaft around which the magnet is attached; and a stator which includes a bobbin, a winding wound around the bobbin, and a yoke which includes a plurality of pole teeth disposed to oppose the magnet and which is located outside the winding, wherein a vibration suppressing means is provided which makes contact with a distal end portion of the pole tooth and by which the pole tooth is pressure-supported on an inner circumferential surface of the bobbin, whereby the pole tooth is suppressed from vibrating.
US09246362B2
A stator is formed from two stacks of laminations have different outer perimeters to enable electrical motors with different output ratings to be built with a same hub-to-hub distance. The stator includes a first plurality of laminations having a first outer perimeter with at least two flanges with mounting holes, and a second plurality of laminations having a second outer perimeter that is different than the first outer perimeter. The second outer perimeter of the laminations in the second plurality of laminations are configured to enable a portion of an endplate to pass the second plurality of laminations and contact a face of the first plurality of laminations.
US09246353B2
A multi-display device can interface with two or more different types of docking stations. The device can determine the type of dock and change the pin outs for a connector to interface with that dock. Once docked, the device can determine a charge status for the device and the dock to present the status to the user. Further, the dock can enter one of several modes, including a call receipt mode and an entertainment mode. The modes allow for expanded functionality for the device while docked. Two particular docks, the laptop dock and the smart dock, provide special functionality with the device.
US09246348B2
A system and method for controlling a converter of a power stage receiving an adapter current for providing current to a load. The converter is operative in a buck mode for charging a battery and in a boost mode for discharging the battery to the load to supplement adapter current. The adapter current is compared with a predetermined level to develop a control signal, and at least one pulse control signal is developed based on the control signal and used to control the modulator. The modulator operates the converter in the buck mode when the adapter current up to the predetermined level, and operates the converter in the boost mode when the adapter current exceeds the predetermined level. The battery current may also be monitored to adjust the control signal to limit battery charge or discharge current in both modes.
US09246342B2
In a charging system for portable electronic equipment, providing the charging current is automatically restarted even in the case where an amount of charging current taken into the portable electronic equipment exceeds charging current providing capacity of a USB battery charger and the USB battery charger stops providing the charging current. When a voltage at a VBUS terminal is lower than a first predetermined voltage, a CPU assumes that the USB battery charger has stopped providing the charging current and turns off a first switching device. And the CPU turns on a second switching device for a predetermined period of time. As a result, the voltage at the VBUS terminal falls to 0.7V or below during the predetermined period of time. In response to the change in the voltage at the VBUS terminal, the USB battery charger restarts providing the charging current to the VBUS terminal.
US09246341B2
Provided herein are devices, methods and other means, including those related to printers, as well as computer readable media for storing code to execute instructions for a device, and other systems for providing and supporting mobile printing and other types of devices. The printer, for example, can be coupled with one or more docks and/or other accessory devices, examples of which are also discussed herein.
US09246331B2
A power supply control system and a semiconductor integrated circuit that may prevent reverse current flow from a solar battery to a primary battery includes first and second switching circuits. In the first switching circuit, a first voltage that is the primary battery output voltage dropped by a first voltage level and a second voltage that is the load side voltage dropped by a second voltage level are compared by a comparator. Electrical connection between the primary battery and the load is disconnected when the second voltage is equal to or greater than the first voltage. In the second switching circuit for a solar battery and the load, the switching circuit is similarly switched OFF before the load side voltage exceeds the output voltage of the primary battery or the solar battery, preventing damage to the battery due to reverse flow of current.
US09246328B2
An integrated electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter circuit with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection and incorporating capacitors is provided. At least one passive element, i.e. resistor or inductor is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal. A first capacitor is connected between ground and the input terminal, and a second capacitor is connected between ground and the output terminal. A first diode and a second diode are connected in parallel to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. One or multiple parallel capacitors are connected in parallel to the passive element and between the input terminal and the output terminal for frequency compensation by employing the novel EMI LPF circuit, it is extraordinarily advantageous of enhancing its rejection band attenuation and meanwhile maintaining high cut-off frequency while implementation.
US09246321B2
Electrical wiring apparatus having a base with an outer opening. The base has cable entries at opposite ends thereof that have the stripped wire ends of cables mounted therein. A mounting post extends outwardly from the base which has spaced recesses therein adjacent to the mounting post. Links are slidably mounted on the mounting post in offset relation in the spaced recesses to engage and connect the wire ends of the cables at opposite ends of the base. A cover plate and/or associated electrical device can be removably mounted on the base over the outer opening thereof to engage the links and maintain them in engagement with the wire ends. The electrical device may have terminals engaging the links.
US09246318B2
An adjustable wireway assembly for use in an electrical enclosure includes a panel structured to form a portion of the electrical enclosure, the panel having a first aperture defined therein. The assembly further includes a plate member selectively coupled to the panel about a portion of the first aperture in at least one of a first position and a second position in a manner that blocks at least a portion of the first aperture and thereby defines a second aperture formed from a portion of the first aperture. When coupled in the first position, the second aperture is of a first area and when coupled in the second position, the second aperture is of a second area different than the first area.
US09246314B2
Described embodiments include a system and an apparatus. A described mobile robotic device includes a mobile chassis configured to travel on a transmission line of a power transmission system. The mobile robotic device includes an inspection module physically associated with the mobile chassis and configured to automatically inspect a structure associated with the power transmission system. The mobile robotic device includes a risk-assessment module physically associated with the mobile chassis and configured to assess a potential risk to the power transmission system in response to inspection data provided by the inspection module. The mobile robotic device includes a communication module physically associated with the mobile chassis and configured to output data indicative of the assessed potential risk.
US09246311B1
A method for fabricating a laser diode device includes providing a gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member comprising a surface region, a release material overlying the surface region, an n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; an active region overlying the n-type gallium and nitrogen containing material, a p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material; and a first transparent conductive oxide material overlying the p-type gallium and nitrogen containing material, and an interface region overlying the first transparent conductive oxide material. The method includes bonding the interface region to a handle substrate and subjecting the release material to an energy source to initiate release of the gallium and nitrogen containing substrate member.
US09246309B2
A quantum cascade laser includes a semiconductor substrate, and an active layer that is provided on the substrate, and has a cascade structure in which emission layers and injection layers are alternately laminated by multistage-laminating unit laminate structures each consisting of the quantum well emission layer and the injection layer, the active layer generates light by intersubband transition in a quantum well structure. Further, in a laser cavity structure for light with a predetermined wavelength to be generated in the active layer, reflection control films including at least one layer of CeO2 film are formed on a first end face and a second end face facing each other. Thereby, it is possible to realize a quantum cascade laser capable of preferably realizing reflectance control for light within a mid-infrared wavelength region on the laser device end face.
US09246307B1
An apparatus comprising a burst-mode laser comprising an active layer and configured to emit an optical signal during a burst period, wherein a temperature change of the burst-mode laser causes the optical signal to shift in wavelength, and a heater thermally coupled to the active layer and configured to reduce a wavelength shift of the optical signal during the burst period by applying heat to the active layer based on timing of the burst period.
US09246288B2
The present invention is directed to an extension connector. The extension connector may include a first connector communicatively coupled to an in-vehicle connector associated with an automobile. The extension connector may further include a second connector that may be communicatively coupled to the first connector. The extension connector may further include a third connector that may be communicatively coupled to the first connector and the second connector.
US09246281B1
An authorized electrical plug has a plug surface with first and second plug edges and left and right side plug edges. The plug surface has left and right prongs projecting outwardly from the plug surface. A recess has a depth formed in the plug surface. An authorized electrical receptacle has a receptacle surface with first and second receptacle edges, left and right side receptacle edges, and left and right slots extending inwardly. A projection has a height formed in the receptacle surface. Left and right slots receive the left and right prongs respectively with the recess receiving the projection when an authorized electrical receptacle receives an authorized electrical plug.
US09246269B2
The invention is directed towards a connector with a guiding portion having a housing, a connecting interface having a plurality of conductive terminals, and a first guiding post disposed along the housing, whereby the first guiding post has a sloping guiding portion.
US09246267B2
A connector is mateable with a mating connector including a mating shell. The connector includes a maintaining member. The maintaining member has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first arm and a first maintaining portion supported by the first arm. The second portion has a second arm and a second maintaining portion supported by the second arm. When the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, a side portion of the mating shell is inserted between a front end of the first portion and a front end of the second portion. When the connector is in a mated state where the connector is mated with the mating connector, the maintaining member holds the side portion of the mating shell by the first maintaining portion and the second maintaining portion to maintain the mated state.
US09246263B2
A clamp for securing a power plug in a socket including a pair of identical clamping plates separate from each other that are drawn together to capture the socket therebetween and secure the power plug engaged in the socket, each of the clamping plates including a plate having spaced posts and a plug retaining member extending therefrom, the plug retaining member defining an arcuate portion arranged such that the arcuate portions of the plug retaining members oppose one another in use to radially compress the power plug therebetween.
US09246259B2
A joint connector includes a housing that includes terminal chambers. At least two neighboring joint terminals are housed in terminal chambers neighboring among the terminal chambers, respectively. Each of the neighboring joint terminals includes a wire-crimping portion, a terminal body housed in a terminal chamber among the plurality of terminal chambers, and a pair of first and second contact portions, respectively. The first contact portion of one of the neighboring joint terminals is electrically contacted with the second contact portion of another of the neighboring joint terminals. The connector housing is provided with pairs of elastically deformable tabs, each of the pairs including two opposed deformable tabs and provided in each of the plurality of the terminal chambers. The opposed deformable tabs contact with sidewalls of the terminal body of the each of the neighboring joint terminals, respectively, by an elastic restoration behavior of the opposed deformable tabs.
US09246256B2
A terminal cover is capable of improving the workability. The terminal device includes a first cover portion to be positioned above the first screw terminals, wherein the first cover portion including the first operation openings which respectively expose screws of the first screw terminals, a second cover portion to be positioned above the second screw terminals, the second cover portion including the second operation openings which respectively expose screws of the second screw terminals. And the terminal device further includes a connecting portion connecting the first cover portion with the second cover portion and including wire insertion holes through which electric wires connected to the first screw terminals respectively pass and wire insertion paths which communicate with the wire insertion holes and through which the electric wires respectively pass, each insertion path being provided on an upper surface of the second cover portion between two adjacent second operation openings.
US09246254B2
A jack assembly includes a top face and a bottom face defining a cavity there between for receiving a plug. The jack assembly includes a printed circuit board extending between the top and bottom faces of the jack assembly. At least one spring contact is connected to the printed circuit board and extends into the cavity. The spring contact defines a flexible curvature along a length of the spring contact, and the printed circuit board connects to the jack assembly at a pivot point allowing for angular rotation of the printed circuit board within the cavity. The angular rotation allows the jack assembly to absorb stress forces on the spring contacts. Secondary springs may be included in the jack assembly to further absorb spring contact stress forces.
US09246244B2
A radio frequency (RF) connector on a circuit board is provided. The RF connector includes a socket member, which includes a conductive sleeve comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, a plurality of springs connecting the top portion to the bottom portion. The RF connector also includes a base inside the conductive sleeve comprising a matching hole configured to match to a conductive pin of a plug member. The RF connector further includes an end portion electrically coupled to the circuit board. The end portion is mounted on the circuit board. The RF connector also includes a middle portion connected between the socket member and the end portion.
US09246237B2
An antenna system includes a low-band antenna configured for low-band frequencies and a high-band antenna configured for high-band frequencies. The low-band antenna is configured so that high-band frequencies have a high impedance while the high-band antenna is configured so that low-band frequencies have a high impedance. A transmission line can be used to couple both antennas together and the transmission line can be used to add phase delay to the impedance of the low-band and high-band antennas so that the corresponding frequencies that the antennas are not configured for are shifted toward an infinite impedance point on a Smith chart.
US09246232B2
A multilayer antenna is provided, which includes a power supply portion generating a wave, a radiating portion, and a guide portion that makes it possible to guide the wave from the power supply portion to the radiating portion. The guide portion includes: at least two stacked guide layers having parallel planes and, for each pair of adjacent layers, a transition between the adjacent layers, including a reflector engaging with a slot-coupling. For at least one pair of adjacent layers, for which the guide portion includes a non-planar reflector, the slot-coupling includes a plurality of slots. Each slot includes a main body that is elongate along at least one axis. The slots are placed on at least one row and together form a pattern that extends along the reflector and has a shape that is dependent on the shape of the reflector.
US09246231B2
Disclosed is a high-gain wideband antenna apparatus. The high-gain wideband antenna apparatus, includes: a feeding antenna configured to radiate a signal; a cover configured to be disposed on a front surface of the feeding antenna based on a radiation direction of the signal and including a conductor pattern formed in a specific shape; and a ground surface configured to be disposed on the feeding antenna based on the radiation direction of the signal. By this configuration, the conductor patterns are approximately configured on both surfaces of a dielectric material to control a phase of a reflection coefficient in a specific frequency band, thereby increasing a gain and a bandwidth of an antenna and metal surfaces are additionally mounted on sides of a feeding antenna, thereby improving a front back ratio of the antenna.
US09246225B2
Embodiments of the present invention concerns an aperture antenna that comprises: a receiving element, which includes an aperture and is configured to receive, through the aperture, radio signals having frequencies within a given band of radio frequencies; a waveguide configured to receive radio signals from the receiving element; and a frequency selective structure, which is arranged between the receiving element and the waveguide, and comprises metamaterial structures that extend partially inside the receiving element and/or partially inside the waveguide and that are configured to cause the propagation, from the receiving element to the waveguide, of only the received radio signals that have frequencies comprised within a predetermined sub-band of the given band of radio frequencies. Furthermore, the frequency selective structure is configured to reflect back into the receiving element the received radio signals that have frequencies not comprised in the predetermined sub-band.
US09246218B2
A method and apparatus for processing a terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam are disclosed. For example, the method receives the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam via a metamaterial having a plurality of addressable magnetic elements, where a resonant frequency of each of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements is capable of being programmably changed via an adjustment, and activates selectively a subset of the plurality of addressable magnetic elements to manipulate the terahertz frequency electromagnetic beam.
US09246211B2
A portable electronic device and method for tuning an antenna is provided. The portable electronic device includes an antenna, a tunable element, a first input unit, at least one additional input unit, and a processor. The method involves receiving a first set of data, determining a plurality of possible physical states, activating a second input unit, receiving a second set of data from the second input unit, selecting a physical state of the portable electronic device from the plurality of possible physical states, and tuning the antenna based on the physical state of the portable electronic device.
US09246209B2
There are provided an antenna and a front end module having an air cavity formed therein and shortening a connection distance with a signal processing module to improve radiation characteristics and facilitate a manufacturing process thereof, the antenna including a substrate having a preset mounting surface, an antenna pattern part formed on the mounting surface of the substrate and transmitting and receiving a signal within a preset frequency band, and a solder ball group having a plurality of solder balls formed on the mounting surface of the substrate to fix the substrate to an external circuit board and disposed at preset intervals around the antenna pattern part to form an air cavity.
US09246203B2
A communication sheet (100) according to the present invention that transmits an electromagnetic wave for communication, includes a dielectric layer (120) including a dielectric substrate, a first conductor layer (110) including a mesh sheet-like mesh conductor disposed on one surface of the dielectric substrate; and a second conductor layer (130) including a sheet-like conductor disposed on another surface of the dielectric substrate opposite to the first conductor layer (110). The communication sheet (100) is provided which includes an opening whose width in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the electromagnetic wave for communication traveling through the dielectric layer (120) is not less than 1/20 and not greater than ⅗ of a width in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the dielectric substrate, the opening penetrating from the first conductor layer (110) to the second conductor layer.
US09246201B2
Even when temperature sensors (12, 13) used in a device for warming a battery (1) being not in use by using a battery-driven heater (2) have failed, the battery (1) is prevented from freezing. Based on a battery temperature (Tb) and an outside air temperature (Ta), times (Δt1 to Δt8) during which Tb will decrease down to a warming start temperature (Tb_start) are each set to the next controller startup time (Δt). A controller (9) is started up every Δt, at t2, t3, and t4, and checks whether Tb
US09246190B2
A battery and a battery pack that includes the battery are provided. The battery includes a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material and a first current collector; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material and a second current collector; a separator; a fluidic electrolyte; and a polymer layer including a polymeric material; wherein at least a portion of the polymer layer is provided between the separator and at least one of the positive electrode active material and the negative electrode active material; and wherein the fluidic electrolyte is provided in at least a void portion adjacent to at least one of the first current collector and the second current collector.
US09246184B1
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid oxide electrolyte having a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening. The electrolyte is located between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. The SOFC also includes a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte. The ceramic support is layer located around the at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings. The ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and alpha alumina.
US09246179B2
A fuel cell system and a method of operating the same. The fuel cell system in particular includes an air discharge part provided on the anode of a fuel cell, and a controller that is configured to measure a purging period of recirculated hydrogen and an operating temperature of the fuel cell, and operate the air discharge part based on the measured values to prevent the anode from becoming poisoned due to the emission of CO gases.
US09246176B2
A method for forming catalytic nanoparticles includes forming core-shell catalytic nanoparticles and processing the core-shell catalytic nanoparticles. The core-shell catalytic nanoparticles have a palladium core enclosed by a platinum shell. The core-shell catalytic nanoparticles are processed to increase the percentage of the surface area of the core-shell catalytic nanoparticles covered by the platinum shell.
US09246175B2
A composite support including: an ordered mesoporous carbon including mesopores having an average diameter of about 2 nanometers to about 8 nanometers; and silicon carbide dispersed in the ordered mesoporous carbon.
US09246171B2
A cathode active material including a lithium metal oxide represented by Formula 1: Li[LixMeyM′z]O(2+d) Formula 1 wherein x+y+z=1, 0
US09246164B2
A protected transition metal hexacyanoferrate (TMHCF) battery cathode is presented, made from AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O particles, where the A cations are either alkali or alkaline-earth cations, and M is a transition metal. In one aspect the cathode passivation layer may be materials such as oxides, simple salts, carbonaceous materials, or polymers that form a film overlying the AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O particles. In another aspect, the cathode passivation layer is a material such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, fluorine, chlorine, or iodine that interacts with the AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O particles, to cure defects in the AxMyFez(CN)n.mH2O crystal lattice structure. Also presented are TMHCF battery synthesis methods.
US09246161B2
An all-solid battery is formed so that an electrode active material layer of at least one of positive and negative electrodes has a composition distribution such that a local volume ratio, expressed by a ratio of a volume of an electrode active material contained in a part of the electrode active material layer with respect to a volume of a solid electrolyte material contained in the part of the electrode active material layer, increases as the part of the electrode active material layer approaches from an interface of the solid electrolyte layer toward an interface of a current collector in a thickness direction of the electrode active material layer, and a voidage of the electrode active material layer increases as the part of the electrode active material layer approaches from the interface of the solid electrolyte layer toward the interface of the current collector in the thickness direction.
US09246147B2
A battery retainment block includes a plurality of block pieces each having a battery storage unit for retaining a battery. The plurality of block pieces are aligned and, among the plurality of block pieces, two block pieces that are adjacent to each other are coupled together. A gap is provided between the two block pieces that are adjacent to each other to serve as a circulation space for circulating a medium.
US09246142B2
A secondary battery is capable of fastening a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab to each other without performing welding. The secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab coupled to the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, respectively, a housing accommodating the electrode assembly and having one side open, a plate sealing up the open part of the housing, a fastening unit formed so as to protrude from the plate in a non-penetrating structure, and a first tab terminal inserted into the fastening unit via the positive electrode tab so as to electrically couple the positive electrode tab and the plate to each other.
US09246139B2
A pouch case for a secondary battery in which the width of a metal layer in a plurality of layers to constitute the pouch case is formed narrower than those of other layers so that the metal layer is not exposed to an outer surface of the pouch case. A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly provided with one or more electrode tabs. A pouch case has the electrode assembly accommodated therein, and is formed of a plurality of layers. In the secondary battery, any one of the plurality of layers to constitute the pouch case is formed as a metal layer of which width is narrower than those of the other layers.
US09246137B2
A method of fabricating a light extraction substrate for an OLE) by which the flatness of the light extraction substrate for an OLED can be increased. Particles of a first metal oxide and a sol of a second metal oxide are inputted and mixed into an organic solvent. A base substrate is coated with a mixture of the first and second metal oxides and the organic solvent. A resultant coating film on the base substrate is heat-treated. The coating film is coated with the second metal oxide to form a metal oxide thin film on the base substrate. In the metal oxide thin film, the particles of the first metal oxide are impregnated in a matrix of the second metal oxide.
US09246133B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a light-emitting device comprising an insulating surface; a lower electrode over the insulating surface; a protrusion over the insulating surface having a sidewall sloping toward the lower electrode; a light-transmitting partition overlapping with an end portion of the lower electrode and the sidewall of the protrusion; and a light-emitting element including the lower electrode, an upper electrode overlapping with the lower electrode, and a layer containing a light-emitting organic compound between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. In the light-emitting device, the sidewall of the protrusion can reflect light emitted from the light-emitting element. As a result, the light-emitting device that has reduced power consumption is provided.
US09246132B2
A flexible organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a flexible substrate, a barrier layer on the flexible substrate, a display portion on the barrier layer, an encapsulation layer covering the display portion, and a moisture absorption layer between the flexible substrate and the display portion.
US09246131B2
This layered element (11) for encapsulating an element (12) that is sensitive to air and/or moisture, especially an element that collects or emits radiation such as a photovoltaic cell or an organic light-emitting diode, comprises a polymer layer (1) and a barrier layer (2) against at least one face (1A) of the polymer layer. The barrier layer (2) has a moisture vapor transfer rate of less than 10−2 g/m2 per day and consists of a multilayer of at least two thin hydrogenated silicon nitride layers (21, 22, 23, 24) having alternately lower and higher densities.
US09246125B2
An organic light-emitting diode display including: a display panel; a bezel on which the display panel is mounted; and a buffer disposed between a lower surface of the display panel and the bezel. The buffer includes a peripheral buffer and a central buffer that has a step-shaped structure. The peripheral buffer is disposed at first and second sides of the central buffer.
US09246123B2
Provided is an organic light-emitting display device comprising a substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the substrate, a first electrode disposed on the insulating layer, an organic layer disposed on the first electrode, a second electrode disposed on the organic layer, an auxiliary electrode disposed on the insulating layer and a metal layer disposed adjacent to the auxiliary electrode and connected to the auxiliary electrode and the second electrode.
US09246121B2
In at least one embodiment, the organic light-emitting diode (10) comprises a carrier substrate (1) and a first electrode (21). Furthermore, the organic light-emitting diode (10) comprises an organic layer sequence (3) having at least one active layer (30) for generating an electromagnetic radiation. The organic layer sequence (3) is situated at a side of the first electrode (21) which faces away from the carrier substrate (1). Moreover, the organic light-emitting diode (10) comprises a second electrode (22), which is mounted at a side of the organic layer sequence (2) which faces away from the carrier substrate (1). Furthermore, the organic light-emitting diode (10) comprises a protective diode (4) designed for protection against damage from electrostatic discharges. The protective diode (4) is mounted on the carrier substrate (1) and is situated at the same main side (11) of the carrier substrate (1) as the organic layer sequence (3).
US09246120B2
An organic light-emitting diode includes a first electrode, an intermediate layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes an emission layer including an organic material, and a functional layer between the second electrode and the emission layer and including at least one of a metal compound and a semiconductor compound including at least one of an oxygen atom and a sulfur atom. An oxygen concentration in the functional layer increases toward the second electrode, and a sulfur concentration in the functional layer increases toward the emission layer.
US09246119B2
An organic electroluminescent device includes a plurality of main pixels. Each of the main pixels includes red, green, and blue sub-pixels. Each of the sub-pixels includes a first electrode, a second electrode opposite to the first electrode, and an organic light emitting layer between the first and second electrode. The organic light emitting layer of each of the sub-pixels includes a blue light emitting layer and a green light emitting layer. Optical microresonator distances of the red, green, and blue sub-pixels are different from each other.
US09246118B2
The present invention relates to organic electroluminescent devices which, in addition to the emitting layer, have a further layer which comprises the same materials as the emitting layer.
US09246116B2
An exemplary method of manufacturing a light-absorbing layer and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including the same light-absorbing layer are provided. The exemplary method includes: forming a nanoparticles film by applying a semiconductor nanoparticles solution on a substrate; thermally treating the nanoparticles film at least one time to cause adhesion among the nanoparticles; and forming a light-absorbing layer by applying a light-absorbing solution on the nanoparticles film.
US09246112B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method of fabrication and a semiconductor structure. The method of fabrication includes depositing a first dielectric material on a substrate, and forming a bottom gate including filling a first opening in the first dielectric layer with a first conductive material. Next, depositing a second dielectric material, and forming a trench in the second dielectric material down to the first conductive material. Next, depositing a second conductive material on the sidewall of the trench forming an electrical connection between the first conductive material and the second conductive material, depositing a third dielectric material in the trench, and removing excess material not in the trench. Next, depositing a gate dielectric layer, and forming a channel layer of carbon nanotubes on the gate dielectric layer. Lastly, depositing a third conductive material on the channel layer forming source and drain terminals.
US09246111B1
An organic light-emitting device including a first electrode; a second electrode; and an organic layer, the organic layer including an emission layer, a hole transport region including a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, or a buffer layer, and an electron transport region including a hole blocking layer, an electron transport layer, or an electron injection layer, wherein a triplet energy of a hole transport material of the hole transport layer is from about 2.4 to about 3.2 eV, an electron affinity of the hole transport material is from about 2.2 to about 2.6 eV; the triplet energy of the hole transport material is greater than a triplet energy of a dopant of the emission layer and a triplet energy of a host material of the emission layer, the host material of the emission layer includes the compound represented by Formula 1.
US09246106B2
Improved electron acceptor materials for organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells are provided. More specifically, electron acceptor materials for OPVs can include vinylimide, vinylthioimide, alkynylimide and/or alkynylthioimide moieties. Experimental work with members of this class of material has demonstrated record solar cell power conversion efficiency (3.36%) for non-fullerene acceptors.
US09246099B1
Compound layers, such as metal silicon nitrides, are formed by ALD or CVD from precursors with incompatible reaction temperature ranges. The substrate is held at a temperature within the lower reaction temperature range (e.g., that of a metal precursor). The low-temperature precursor and its reactant react to form an ALD monolayer or thin CVD layer. The high-temperature precursor and its reactant are pulsed in the chamber, and the substrate is irradiated with ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light adds energy to the system to overcome the reaction barrier despite the substrate temperature being below the minimum reaction temperature of the high-temperature precursor.
US09246092B1
Selector elements that can be suitable for nonvolatile memory device applications are disclosed. The selector element can have low leakage currents at low voltages to reduce sneak current paths for non-selected devices, and higher leakage currents at higher voltages to minimize voltage drops during device switching. The selector element can include insulator layers between the semiconductor layer and the metal layers to lower the leakage current of the device. The metal layers of the selector element can include conductive materials such as tungsten, titanium nitride, or combinations thereof.
US09246090B2
A storage device includes: a first electrode; a storage layer including an ion source layer; and a second electrode. The first electrode, the storage layer, and the second electrode are provided in this order. The ion source layer contains a movable element, and has a volume resistivity of about 150 mΩ·cm to about 12000 mΩ·cm both inclusive.
US09246083B2
Memory devices and methods of fabricating the same include a substrate including a cell region and a peripheral circuit region, data storages on the cell region, first bit lines on and coupled to the data storages, first contacts coupled to peripheral transistors on the peripheral circuit region, and second bit lines on and coupled to the first contacts. The second bit lines may each have a lowermost surface lower than a lowermost surface of the data storages.
US09246082B2
Provided is a method of forming a magnetic memory device. A first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier, and a second magnetic layer are deposited on a substrate. The second magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier, and the first magnetic layer are etched to form magnetic tunnel junction structures. An ion beam etching process is performed using an oxygen-containing source gas to remove etching by-products on sidewalls of the magnetic tunnel junction structure and to oxidize the sidewalls of the magnetic tunnel junction structures.
US09246079B2
A piezoelectric thin-film resonator includes a piezoelectric thin film which includes aluminum nitride containing Sc and which has a concentration distribution such that the concentration of Sc is non-uniform in a thickness direction of the piezoelectric thin film; a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode across the piezoelectric thin film; and a substrate supporting a piezoelectric vibrating section defined by the piezoelectric thin film and the first and second electrodes.
US09246068B2
The present disclosure involves a method. The method includes providing a substrate having a layer disposed thereon. A plurality of light-emitting devices is attached to the layer. A gel is applied over the substrate. The gel covers the plurality of light-emitting devices. The gel is shaped into a plurality of lenses. The lenses each cover a respective one of the light-emitting devices. The light-emitting devices are separated from one another. The substrate and the layer are removed.
US09246060B2
Light emitting devices, packages and related methods are disclosed with electrical leads with one or more indicators. A package can include a leadframe that can include at least a first lead and a second lead. The first lead can include a first end for electrical connection to at least one light emitting device and a second end extending toward a first side of the package. The second lead can include a first end for electrical connection to at least one light emitting device and a second end extending toward a second side of the package. One or both of the second end of the first lead or the second end of the second lead can comprise an indicator serving as an identifier.
US09246059B2
Provided is an LED element which achieves high light extraction efficiency even at low operating voltages and which can be produced using a simple process. The LED element has a first semiconductor layer made of a p-type nitride semiconductor, a light-emitting layer made of a nitride semiconductor formed on the upper layer of the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer made of an n-type nitride semiconductor formed on the upper layer of the light-emitting layer, and a transparent electrode formed on the whole surface of the second semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer in at least a region that is in contact with the transparent electrode is made of AlnGa1-nN (0
US09246049B2
A nitride-based semiconductor substrate has a diameter of 25 mm or more, a thickness of 250 micrometers or more, a n-type carrier concentration of 1.2×1018 cm−3 or more and 3×1019 cm−3 or less, and a thermal conductivity of 1.2 W/cmK or more and 3.5 W/cmK or less. Alternatively, the substrate has an electron mobility μ [cm2/Vs] of more than a value represented by logeμ=17.7−0.288 logen and less than a value represented by logeμ=18.5−0.288 logen, where the substrate has a n-type carrier concentration n [cm−3] that is 1.2×1018 cm−3 or more and 3×1019 cm−3 or less.
US09246047B2
A semiconductor device in which charge capacity of a capacitor is increased without a reduction in aperture ratio is provided. In a transistor including a light-transmitting semiconductor film and a capacitor in which a dielectric film is provided between a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes and the dielectric film are formed using a light-transmitting material. A semiconductor film which is formed on the same surface as the semiconductor film of the transistor is used as one of the pair of electrodes. The dielectric film included in the capacitor is formed using a gate insulating film. The other of the pair of electrodes is formed using a light-transmitting semiconductor film or a light-transmitting conductive film.
US09246045B2
Fabrication of a photodetector is performed on a substrate comprising a first portion successively provided with a first semiconductor film, an electrically insulating layer, a second semiconductor film, and a protection layer. The substrate also comprises a second portion not comprising the second semiconductor film. It further comprises a third portion not comprising the second semiconductor film and the protection layer. The second semiconductor film is etched in the first portion to form a cavity. A PIN/NIP diode is formed in the third portion at least by means of deposition of a third semiconductor material which also comes and fills the cavity. A conversion layer is deposited to absorb a light signal originating from the second semiconductor film and to convert the light signal into an electric signal, the conversion layer electrically connecting the PIN/NIP diode.
US09246042B2
A method for contacting and connecting solar cells, according to which at least one electrode is formed by at least one wire conductor, and including the following steps: positioning a continuous wire conductor so that the continuous wire conductor extends across a plurality of solar cells, interrupting the electrodes at the positions required for the connection, and contacting the solar cells and electrodes.
US09246039B2
Manufacture for an improved stacked-layered thin film solar cell. Solar cell has reduced absorber thickness and an improved back contact for Copper Indium Gallium Selenide solar cells. The back contact provides improved reflectance particularly for infrared wavelengths while still maintaining ohmic contact to the semiconductor absorber. This reflectance is achieved by producing a back contact having a highly reflecting metal separated from an absorbing layer with a dielectric layer.
US09246037B2
A heat sink can include a folded fin with a base portion, an offset portion extending away from the base portion, the offset portion having a width, a narrowing tapering portion having a maximum width equal to the width of the offset portion, and an extension portion extending away from the narrowing tapering portion, the extension portion having a width smaller than the width of the offset portion.
US09246033B2
A photovoltaic device and method include a substrate coupled to an emitter side structure on a first side of the substrate and a back side structure on a side opposite the first side of the substrate. The emitter side structure or the back side structure include layers alternating between wide band gap layers and narrow band gap layers to provide a multilayer contact with an effectively increased band offset with the substrate and/or an effectively higher doping level over a single material contact. An emitter contact is coupled to the emitter side structure on a light collecting end portion of the device. A back contact is coupled to the back side structure opposite the light collecting end portion.
US09246032B2
Solar cell structures that have improved carrier collection efficiencies at a heterointerface are provided by low temperature epitaxial growth of silicon on a III-V base. Additionally, a solar cell structure having improved open circuit voltage includes a shallow junction III-V emitter formed by epitaxy or diffusion followed by the epitaxy of SixGe1−x passivated by amorphous SiyGe1−y:H.
US09246022B2
In an embodiment of the present invention is provided a varactor comprising a substrate, a plurality of bottom electrodes positioned on a surface of the substrate separated to form a gap therein, a tunable dielectric material positioned on the surface of the substrate and within the gap, the tunable dielectric at least partially overlaying the plurality of electrodes, and a top electrode in contact with the tunable dielectric.
US09246013B2
Embodiments described herein provide indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) devices, such as IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs), and methods for forming such devices. A substrate is provided. A gate electrode is formed above the substrate. An IGZO channel layer is formed above the gate electrode. The IGZO channel layer has a first sub-layer including c-IGZO and a second sub-layer including a-IGZO. A source electrode and a drain electrode are formed above the IGZO channel layer.
US09246011B2
A semiconductor device including a transistor having a reduced number of oxygen vacancies in a channel formation region of an oxide semiconductor with stable electrical characteristics or high reliability is provided. A gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the gate insulating film; an oxide layer is formed over the oxide semiconductor layer by a sputtering method to form an stacked-layer oxide film including the oxide semiconductor layer and the oxide layer; the stacked-layer oxide film is processed into a predetermined shape; a conductive film containing Ti as a main component is formed over the stacked-layer oxide film; the conductive film is etched to form source and drain electrodes and a depression portion on a back channel side; and portions of the stacked-layer oxide film in contact with the source and drain electrodes are changed to an n-type by heat treatment.
US09246009B2
An object is to improve water resistance and reliability of a semiconductor device by reducing the degree of peeling of a film. In a semiconductor device, a first inorganic insulating layer, a semiconductor element layer, a second inorganic insulating layer, an organic insulating layer, and a third inorganic insulating layer are sequentially stacked over a substrate. The second inorganic insulating layer is in contact with the first inorganic insulating layer in an opening portion provided in the semiconductor element layer. The third inorganic insulating layer is in contact with the second inorganic insulating layer in an opening portion provided in the organic insulating layer. In a region where the second inorganic insulating layer and the third inorganic insulating layer are in contact with each other, the second inorganic insulating layer has a plurality of irregularities or openings.
US09245994B2
A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) in and on a semiconductor surface provides a drift region of a first conductivity type. A plurality of active area trenches in the drift region, and first and second termination trenches are each parallel to and together sandwiching the active area trenches. The active area trenches and termination trenches include a trench dielectric liner and electrically conductive filler material filled field plates. A gate is over the drain drift region between active area trenches. A body region of a second conductivity abuts the active region trenches. A source of the first conductivity type is in the body region on opposing sides of the gate. A vertical drain drift region uses the drift region below the body region. A first and second curved trench feature couples the field plate of the first and second termination trench to field plates of active area trenches.
US09245979B2
FinFET semiconductor devices with local isolation features and methods for fabricating such devices are provided. In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a plurality of fin structures formed thereon, wherein each of the plurality of fin structures has sidewalls, forming spacers about the sidewalls of the plurality of fin structures, and forming a silicon-containing layer over the semiconductor substrate and in between the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes removing at least a first portion of the silicon-containing layer to form a plurality of void regions while leaving at least a second portion thereof in place and depositing an isolation material in the plurality of void regions.
US09245972B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. A substrate having a first gate and a second gate respectively formed in a first region and a second region is provided. An underlayer is formed on the substrate to cover the first gate in the first region and the second gate in the second region. A patterned mask with a predetermined thickness is formed on the underlayer in the first region. The underlayer corresponding to the second gate in the second region is removed by the patterned mask to expose the second gate, wherein the underlayer corresponding to the first gate in the first region is partially consumed to expose part of the first gate.
US09245971B2
In a particular embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a high mobility channel between a source region and a drain region. The high mobility channel extends substantially a length of a gate. The semiconductor device also includes a doped region extending from the source region or the drain region toward the high mobility channel. A portion of a substrate is positioned between the doped region and the high mobility channel.
US09245966B2
A thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer on the gate electrode, a semiconductor on the gate insulating layer, and a drain electrode and a source electrode on the semiconductor and spaced apart from each other. Each of the drain electrode and the source electrode includes a first metal diffusion preventing layer which prevents diffusion of metal atoms, and a second metal diffusion preventing layer on the first metal diffusion preventing layer. At least one of the first and second metal diffusion preventing layers includes grains in a columnar structure, which are in a direction substantially perpendicular to a lower layer. First grain boundaries of the first metal diffusion preventing layer and second grain boundaries of the second metal diffusion preventing layer are substantially discontinuous in a direction perpendicular to the semiconductor.
US09245957B2
According to example embodiments, a semiconductor material may include zinc, nitrogen, and fluorine. The semiconductor material may further include oxygen. The semiconductor material may include a compound. For example, the semiconductor material may include zinc fluorooxynitride. The semiconductor material may include zinc oxynitride containing fluorine. The semiconductor material may include zinc fluoronitride. The semiconductor material may be applied as a channel material of a thin film transistor (TFT).
US09245952B2
In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device may include forming a buried region within a semiconductor region, including forming an opening in the buried region. The method may also include forming a drift region of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor region with at least a portion of the drift region overlying a first portion of the buried region. Another portion of the method may include forming a first drain region of the second conductivity type in the drift region wherein the first drain region does not overlie the buried region.
US09245948B2
Optoelectric device with semiconductor microwires or nanowires and method for manufacturing the same
An optoelectric device including microwires or nanowires on a support, each microwire or nanowire including at least one portion mainly containing a III-V compound in contact with the support, wherein the III-V compound is based on a first group-V element and on a second group-III element, wherein a surface of the support includes first areas of a first material promoting the growth of the III-V compound according to the polarity of the first element distributed in a second area of a second material promoting the growth of the compound according to the polarity of the second element, the microwires or nanowires being located on the first areas.
US09245945B1
The invention provides a semiconductor device having a weak current channel. The semiconductor device includes a gate, a source and a drain. There are a plurality of insulation layers and a plurality of first conductive type lightly doped regions alternatingly arranged between the gate and the drain; each of the first conductive type lightly doped regions providing a weak current channel between the source and the drain. When the gate is in a relatively low voltage range, the weak current channel is conducted; when the gate is in a relatively high voltage range, the weak current channel is not conducted.
US09245939B2
An organic electroluminescence (EL) display panel includes a cathode electrode formed above a bank and formed opposite to a plurality of anode electrodes, and a charge functional layer commonly formed for each of the organic light-emitting layers across a plurality of aperture areas formed in the bank. A distance from the center of the display region to the end of the cathode electrode is shorter than a distance from the center of the display region to the end of the charge functional layer.
US09245935B2
A light-emitting device in which electrical characteristics of a transistor in a pixel can be monitored without degrading display quality is provided. The light-emitting device includes a plurality of pixels each comprising a pixel circuit. A pixel circuit included in a first pixel is electrically connected to a light-emitting element included in a second pixel through a first switch. A pixel circuit included in the second pixel is electrically connected to the light-emitting element included in the second pixel through a second switch and to a light-emitting element included in a third pixel through a third switch. The pixel circuits are connected to a correction circuit through switches.
US09245925B1
Metal oxide based memory devices and methods for manufacturing are described herein. A method for manufacturing a memory cell includes forming an insulation layer on an access device followed by forming vias through the insulation layer to expose the first and second access device terminals. First and second interlayer conductors extending through the vias are formed next. Top surfaces of the interlayer conductors are oxidized to form oxide layers. The oxide layer on the first interlayer conductor forms a memory layer. On top of the insulation layer a layer of protection metal is formed covering the oxide layers. The layer of protection metal is patterned and etched to form a top electrode layer covering the memory layer. The oxide layer on the second interlayer conductor is removed. Parallel first and second access lines are then formed on the top electrode layer and the second interlayer conductor, respectively.
US09245918B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the pixel unit includes first pixel groups having two or more pixels and second pixel groups being different from the first pixel groups, wherein a portion of the pixels in the first pixel groups and a portion of the pixels in the second pixel groups share a floating diffusion element.
US09245908B2
A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes forming an active layer on a substrate, forming a first insulating layer on the substrate to cover the active layer, and forming a first gate electrode on the first insulating layer in an area corresponding to the active layer, doping the active layer with ion impurities, forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer to cover the first gate electrode, performing an annealing process on the active layer, forming a lower electrode of a capacitor on the second insulating layer, forming a third insulating layer on the second insulating layer to cover the lower electrode, wherein the third insulating layer has a dielectric constant that is greater than those of the first and second insulating layers, and forming an upper electrode of the capacitor on the third insulating layer.
US09245901B1
A memory device is provided, which includes a plurality of gate pillar structures and a plurality of dielectric pillars extending alternately arranged along a same direction and embedding in a stack layer so that the stack layer divided into a plurality of stack structures.
US09245899B2
A semiconductor device includes a lower insulating pattern on a semiconductor substrate, a lower gate pattern on the lower insulating pattern and formed of a doped polysilicon layer, a residual insulating pattern with an opening exposing a portion of a top surface of the lower gate pattern, an upper gate pattern on the residual insulating pattern, the upper gate pattern filling the opening, and a diffusion barrier pattern in contact with the portion of the top surface of the lower gate pattern and extending between the residual insulating pattern and the upper gate pattern.
US09245896B2
A dense binary memory switch device combines the function of a pass transistor and a memory cell and has low programming and operation voltages. The device includes a charge storage region coupled to a gate electrode through a gate dielectric layer and to a channel region through another dielectric layer. The charge storage region is charged by carriers injected from injection regions that are in direct contact with the charge storage region. Fabrication of the device at low temperatures compatible with back-end-of-line processing is further disclosed.
US09245891B2
By applying an AC pulse to a gate of a transistor which easily deteriorates, a shift in threshold voltage of the transistor is suppressed. However, in a case where amorphous silicon is used for a semiconductor layer of a transistor, the occurrence of a shift in threshold voltage naturally becomes a problem for a transistor which constitutes a part of circuit that generates an AC pulse. A shift in threshold voltage of a transistor which easily deteriorates and a shift in threshold voltage of a turned-on transistor are suppressed by signal input to a gate electrode of the transistor which easily deteriorates through the turned-on transistor. In other words, a structure for applying an AC pulse to a gate electrode of a transistor which easily deteriorates through a transistor to a gate electrode of which a high potential (VDD) is applied, is included.
US09245890B2
A first dielectric layer including a first opening is provided on a first surface of a semiconductor layer. A second dielectric layer is provided on top of the first dielectric layer in the first opening. A first portion of the second dielectric layer is then removed, such that a second portion of the second dielectric layer remains in the first opening. The first dielectric layer is then removed, leaving only the second portion of the second dielectric layer on the surface of the semiconductor layer. An epitaxial layer or a base dielectric layer is grown on the exposed portions of the first surface of the semiconductor layer not covered by the second portion of the second dielectric layer. The second portion of the second dielectric layer is then removed to define one or more contact windows, and a contact metal is deposited in the one or more contact windows.
US09245889B2
A semiconductor device includes a first and second fin-shaped semiconductor layers on a substrate, which correspond to the dimensions of a sidewall pattern around a dummy pattern. A first insulating film is around the first and second fin-shaped layers. A first and second pillar-shaped semiconductor layers reside on the first and second fin-shaped layers, respectively. N-type and P-type diffusion layers are in upper portions of the first and second fin-shaped layers, respectively, and in upper and lower portions of the first and second pillar-shaped layers, respectively. First and second gate insulating films and first and second metal gate electrodes reside around the first and second pillar-shaped layers, respectively. A metal gate line is connected to the first and second metal gate electrodes and extends in a direction perpendicular to the first and second fin-shaped layers.
US09245888B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention the device includes a semiconductor chip having a substrate, a first supply terminal electrically coupled to the substrate to provide a first supply potential (VS) and a load current to the substrate, and a second supply terminal operably provided with a second supply potential. A first vertical transistor is integrated in the semiconductor chip and electrically coupled between the supply terminal and an output terminal. The first vertical transistor is configured to provide a current path for the load current to the output terminal in accordance with a control signal, which is provided to a gate electrode of the first vertical transistor.
US09245887B2
An integrated circuit layout includes a first active region, a second active region, a first PODE (poly on OD edge), a second PODE, a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor, on the first active region, includes a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region. The second transistor, on the second active region, includes a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region. The first active region and the second active region are adjacent and electrically disconnected with each other. The first PODE and the second PODE are on respective adjacent edges of the first active region and the second active region. The source regions of the first and second transistor are adjacent with the first PODE and the second PODE respectively. The first PODE and the second PODE are sandwiched between source regions of the first transistor and the second transistor.
US09245886B2
Devices for isolating an input from an output are disclosed. For example, a device includes a first p-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor and a first circuit. A source of the first p-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor is connected to an input of the device. The first circuit is for delivering a signal on the input of the device to a gate of the first p-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor when an enable signal is deactivated and for delivering a ground voltage to the gate of the first p-type metal oxide semiconductor transistor when the enable signal is activated.
US09245885B1
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming first and second recessed gate structures, recessing the second recessed gate structure so as to define a further recessed second gate structure that exposes a channel structure within a gate cavity, forming first and second gate cap layers in first and second replacement gate cavities, respectively, forming a recess in the second gate cap layer that exposes the channel structure, forming a semiconductor material on the exposed portion of the channel structure within the recess in the second gate cap layer so as to define a first source/drain region for the vertical FinFET device, and forming various contact structures to the gates of the devices and the first source/drain region.
US09245884B1
A design structure for a semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure can include a substrate, a set of semiconductor fins positioned on the substrate and positioned approximately parallel lengthwise to one another, a first gate layer and a second gate layer deposited on the substrate and on the set of semiconductor fins approximately perpendicular lengthwise to the set of semiconductor fins. The semiconductor structure can include an interconnect layer deposited on the substrate and on the set of semiconductor fins approximately perpendicular lengthwise to the set of semiconductor fins. The interconnect layer can be positioned between the first gate layer and the second gate layer at a first interconnect distance from the first gate layer and a second interconnect distance from the second gate layer.
US09245880B2
A three terminal high voltage Darlington bipolar transistor power switching device includes two high voltage bipolar transistors, with collectors connected together serving as the collector terminal. The base of the first high voltage bipolar transistor serves as the base terminal. The emitter of the first high voltage bipolar transistor connects to the base of the second high voltage bipolar transistor (inner base), and the emitter of the second high voltage bipolar transistor serves as the emitter terminal. A diode has its anode connected to the inner base (emitter of the first high voltage bipolar transistor, or base of the second high voltage bipolar transistor), and its cathode connected to the base terminal. Similarly, a three terminal hybrid MOSFET/bipolar high voltage switching device can be formed by replacing the first high voltage bipolar transistor of the previous switching device by a high voltage MOSFET.
US09245876B2
The present disclosure relates to the technical field of light emission of an LED and discloses a light emitting diode assembly, a backlight module, a liquid crystal display and an illumination device. The LED assembly comprises a lamp base and at least one pair of LED dies. The lamp base has a mounting groove. A pair of the LED dies are mounted at a bottom surface of the mounting groove, and two LED dies in the pair of LED dies are disposed symmetrically about an axis of the mounting groove. Among angles formed by intersection of planes where light exit surfaces of the two LED dies lie, an angle facing the bottom surface of the mounting groove is greater than 0 degree and less than 180 degrees. The light emitting diode assembly has a larger light exit angle and exhibits a simple structure.
US09245858B2
A semiconductor device package is provided with integrated antenna for wireless applications. The semiconductor device package comprises a substrate including a semiconductor chip mounted thereon; a protective layer covering the semiconductor chip; a metal pattern mounted on the protective layer; and a first connective member connecting the semiconductor chip and the metal pattern. According to this configuration, the semiconductor device package is capable of being easily manufactured while minimizing the electrical distance between the metal pattern for use as an antenna and the semiconductor chip.
US09245857B2
A chip package structure includes a package body. The package body includes a core circuit and an electrostatic discharge protection circuit. A first connection terminal electrically is connected to the core circuit. A second connection terminal electrically is connected to the electrostatic discharge protection circuit. A first interconnection structure electrically connected to the electrostatic discharge protection circuit, the second connection terminal and a third connection terminal. A first lead electrically connects the second connection terminal and an external circuit. A second lead electrically connects the first connection terminal and the third connection terminal. The second lead and the first lead are substantially separate.
US09245851B2
A semiconductor device has a plurality of first opening portions formed in an interlayer insulating film. The surface is covered with a metal film with a surface having concavities and convexities which scatter reflected light. Size of the first opening portion is of the same level as a contact hole of a component and cannot be recognized by an image recognition apparatus. The metal film can be recognized by the image recognition apparatus. By forming a TiN film serving as a reflection prevention film on an end of the metal film, portions that can easily scatter light and a portion that cannot easily reflect light are adjacent in an alignment marker. A passivation film is formed on the interlayer insulating film and the TiN film. Recessed portions disposed in the metal film are exposed to a second opening portion formed in the passivation film and the TiN film.
US09245850B2
Disclosed herein are through silicon vias (TSVs) and contacts formed on a semiconductor material, methods of manufacturing, and design structures. The method includes forming a contact hole in a dielectric material formed on a substrate. The method further includes forming a via in the substrate and through the dielectric material. The method further includes lining the contact hole and the dielectric material with a metal liner using a deposition technique that will avoid formation of the liner in the viaformed in the substrate. The method further includes filling the contact hole and the via with a metal such that the metal is formed on the liner in the contact hole and directly on the substrate in the via.
US09245848B2
Methods of modifying a patterned semiconductor substrate are presented including: providing a patterned semiconductor substrate surface including a dielectric region and a conductive region; and applying an amphiphilic surface modifier to the dielectric region to modify the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the dielectric region includes modifying a wetting angle of the dielectric region. In some embodiments, modifying the wetting angle includes making a surface of the dielectric region hydrophilic. In some embodiments, methods further include applying an aqueous solution to the patterned semiconductor substrate surface. In some embodiments, the conductive region is selectively enhanced by the aqueous solution. In some embodiments, methods further include providing the dielectric region formed of a low-k dielectric material. In some embodiments, applying the amphiphilic surface modifier modifies an interaction of the low-k dielectric region with a subsequent process.
US09245843B2
The semiconductor device comprises a substrate (1) of semiconductor material, a contact hole (2) reaching from a surface (10) into the substrate, and a contact metallization (12) arranged in the contact hole, so that the contact metallization forms an internal substrate contact (4) on the semiconductor material at least in a bottom area (40) of the contact hole.
US09245829B2
This invention provides a substrate structure that can effectively prevent scattering of solder balls which are produced due to explosion attributable to evaporation of flux during reflow soldering, and spreading of molten solder to the surroundings. On a substrate, a semiconductor chip is mounted via solder paste. The substrate is provided with a groove portion which continuously or discontinuously surrounds the solder paste.
US09245820B2
A liquid cooling device comprises a heat spreader disposed along a plurality of memory modules on a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a cold rail block extending along the heat spreader and a compressible thermal adapter interleaved between the cold rail block and the memory modules. The thermal adapter is compressible in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the DIMM board, thus allowing the components of the cooling device to be moved and adjusted relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the DIMM. In a preferred embodiment, matching smooth surfaces of adjacent components within the cooling device are collated with a lubricant, thus permitting a low-friction gliding of these components relative to each other and allowing the DIMM to be easily removed from the cooling device and to be replaced without effort and without tooling.
US09245817B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of clock drivers, wherein the plurality of clock drivers comprises substantially all clock drivers of the semiconductor device, and an interconnect region over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the interconnect region comprises a plurality of heat spreaders, wherein at least 25% of the plurality of clock drivers have a corresponding heat spreader of the plurality of heat spreaders. Each corresponding heat spreader of the plurality of heat spreaders covers at least 50% of a transistor within a corresponding clock driver of the plurality of clock drivers and extends across at least 70% of a perimeter of the transistor within the corresponding clock driver.
US09245816B2
Embodiments of the inventive concept include a semiconductor package having a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips. A multi-layered substrate includes a central insulation layer, an upper wiring layer disposed on an upper surface of the central insulation layer, and a first lower wiring layer disposed on a lower surface of the central insulation layer. The stacked semiconductor chips are connected to the multi-layered substrate and/or each other using various means. The semiconductor package is capable of high performance operation, like a semiconductor package based on flip-ship bonding, and also meets the need for large capacity by overcoming a limitation caused by a single semiconductor chip. Embodiments of the inventive concept also include methods of manufacturing the semiconductor package.
US09245806B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device that includes forming a gate stack layer including a metal-containing layer on a semiconductor substrate having an NMOS region and a PMOS region, introducing arsenic to the gate stack layer in the NMOS region, introducing aluminum to the gate stack layer in the PMOS region, and etching the gate stack layers, where the arsenic and the aluminum are introduced, to form a first gate structure and a second gate structure in the NMOS region and the PMOS region, respectively.
US09245799B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate having a top surface. A semiconductor circuit defines a circuit area on the top surface of the substrate. An interconnect is spaced apart from the circuit area and extends from the top surface into the substrate. The interconnect includes a sidewall formed of an electrically insulating material. An opening is provided in the sidewall.
US09245797B2
Methods of forming conductive structures and the conductive structures are disclosed. A method includes forming an opening in a dielectric layer over a substrate, performing a cleaning process on the dielectric layer with the opening, forming a nucleation layer in the opening, etching the nucleation layer in the opening, and forming a conductive material in the opening and on the nucleation layer after the etching. An upper portion of the opening is distal from the substrate, and a lower portion of the opening is proximate the substrate. After the etching, a thickness of an upper portion of the nucleation layer in the upper portion of the opening is less than a thickness of a lower portion of the nucleation layer in the lower portion of the opening.
US09245795B2
Methods of forming anchor structures in package substrate microvias are described. Those methods and structures may include forming a titanium layer in an opening of a package substrate using a first deposition process, wherein the opening comprises an undercut region, and wherein the first conductive layer does not substantially form in an anchor region of the undercut region. The titanium layer may then be re-sputtered using a second deposition process, wherein the titanium layer is formed in the anchor region.
US09245792B2
Methods of fabricating interconnect structures in a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) are presented. A preferred embodiment comprises forming interconnect lines and vias through a dual-damascenes process. It includes forming a via dielectric layer, an etch stop layer directly over the via dielectric layer, and a trench dielectric layer over the etch stop layer. The etch stop layer is patterned through a first photolithography and etch process to form openings in the etch stop layer, prior to the formation of the trench dielectric layer. A second photolithography and etch process is performed after formation of the trench dielectric layer to create trench openings in the trench dielectric layer and via openings in the via dielectric layer, where the patterned etch stop layer acts as a hard-mask in forming vias in the via dielectric layer.
US09245785B2
The present invention provides an in-line type multi-chamber substrate processing apparatus which, with a simple configuration, can decrease influence of particles due to film peeling and enables installation of a number of processing chambers. In one embodiment of the present invention, a jointless arm of a transfer robot that has a substrate holding part 4a and performs rotational movement while maintaining a predetermined length of the arm is disposed inside a first process chamber capable of being evacuated. The first process chamber is configured to be able to transfer substrates from an adjacent second process chamber through an opening by the arm of the transfer robot. A holder as an arm retreating position and a substrate mounting position is positioned so as to overlap with a trajectory of the substrate holding part when the arm of the transfer robot rotates about a rotation axis.
US09245778B2
A die bonding apparatus includes a work supply/transfer portion for transferring a substrate; a bonding portion for conducting bonding of a die on the substrate; a wafer supply portion for supplying a wafer having the die thereon; and a controller portion for controlling equipment, wherein the wafer supply portion has a push-up unit for pushing up a dicing tape from a lower part, for separating the die from the dicing tape, and the push-up unit has a suction opening portion, which is configured to suck the dicing tape with vacuum, a push-up portion, which is made of an elastic body, sealing a fluid or a power therein, and is configured to push up the dicing tape, a cylinder, which is configured to apply pressure to the push-up portion, and an air supply means for supplying an air for changing the pressure within the cylinder through control of the controller portion.
US09245775B2
A heating apparatus 11A includes a susceptor having a heating face 12a of heating a semiconductor. The susceptor includes a plate shaped main body 13 and a surface corrosion resistant layer 14 including the heating face. The surface corrosion resistant layer 14 is made of a ceramic material comprising magnesium, aluminum, oxygen and nitrogen as main components. The ceramic material comprises a main phase comprising magnesium-aluminum oxynitride phase exhibiting an XRD peak at least in 2θ=47 to 50° by CuKα X-ray.
US09245762B2
Methods of conditioning interior processing chamber walls of an etch chamber are described. A fluorine-containing precursor may be remotely or locally excited in a plasma to treat the interior chamber walls periodically on a preventative maintenance schedule. The treated walls promote an even etch rate when used to perform gas-phase etching of silicon regions following conditioning. Alternatively, a hydrogen-containing precursor may be remotely or locally excited in a plasma to treat the interior chamber walls in embodiments. Regions of exposed silicon may then be etched with more reproducible etch rates from wafer-to-wafer. The silicon etch may be performed using plasma effluents formed from a remotely excited fluorine-containing precursor.
US09245760B2
In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first porous semiconductor layer over a top surface of a substrate. A first epitaxial layer is formed over the first porous semiconductor layer. A circuitry is formed within and over the first epitaxial layer. The circuitry is formed without completely oxidizing the first epitaxial layer.
US09245756B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: implanting a first species into a substrate at a cold temperature to form a first region; and implanting a second species into the substrate at a hot temperature to form a second region that is adjacent to the first region.
US09245752B2
This present disclosure relates to an atomic layer etching method for graphene, including adsorbing reactive radicals onto a surface of the graphene and irradiating an energy source to the graphene on which the reactive radicals are adsorbed.
US09245743B2
Embodiments provided herein describe high-k dielectric layers and methods for forming high-k dielectric layers. A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a semiconductor material. The substrate is exposed to a hafnium precursor. The substrate is exposed to a zirconium precursor. The substrate is exposed to an oxidant only after the exposing of the substrate to the hafnium precursor and the exposing of the substrate to the zirconium precursor. The exposing of the substrate to the hafnium precursor, the exposing of the substrate to the zirconium precursor, and the exposing of the substrate to the oxidant causes a layer to be formed over the substrate. The layer includes hafnium, zirconium, and oxygen.
US09245742B2
In some aspects, methods of forming a metal sulfide thin film are provided. According to some methods, a metal sulfide thin film is deposited on a substrate in a reaction space in a cyclical process where at least one cycle includes alternately and sequentially contacting the substrate with a first vapor-phase metal reactant and a second vapor-phase sulfur reactant. In some aspects, methods of forming a three-dimensional architecture on a substrate surface are provided. In some embodiments, the method includes forming a metal sulfide thin film on the substrate surface and forming a capping layer over the metal sulfide thin film. The substrate surface may comprise a high-mobility channel.
US09245741B2
Disclosed is a method of forming a nitride film on an object to be processed (“processed object”). The method includes a step (step (a)) of exposing the processed object to dichlorosilane which is a precursor gas and a step (step (b)) of exposing the processed object to plasma of a processing gas which includes an ammonia gas and a hydrogen gas after step (a). Alternatively, step (a) and step (b) may be alternately repeated and a step of removing dichlorosilane (step (c)) may be further provided between step (a) and step (b).
US09245738B2
According to example embodiments, a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) includes a channel layer; a channel supply layer on the channel layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode spaced apart from each other on one of the channel layer and the channel supply layer; a gate electrode on a part of the channel supply layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a first depletion-forming layer between the gate electrode and the channel supply layer; and a at least one second depletion-forming layer on the channel supply layer between the gate electrode and the drain electrode. The at least one second depletion-forming layer is electrically connected to the source electrode.
US09245734B2
A fast starting induction RF fluorescent lamp capable of changing illumination level through a burst-mode dimming facility, comprising a dimming facility enabling the induction RF fluorescent lamp to dim in response to a control signal, and with structures within the bulb envelope that facilitate rapid luminous development during a turn-on phase.
US09245729B2
According to one embodiment, a discharge lamp includes a light-emitting part including a discharge space therein in which a metal halide and a gas are sealed, and a pair of electrodes which protrude toward an inside of the discharge space and are arranged to face each other while separated by a specified distance. Power consumption at a time of stable lighting is 20 W or more and 30 W or less. When a pressure of the gas sealed in the discharge space is X (atm), and a distance between a center axis of the electrodes and a surface of the metal halide is m (mm), a following expression is satisfied: 0.085≦m/X≦0.12.
US09245726B1
An energy analyzer for a charged-particle spectrometer may include a top deflection plate and a bottom deflection plate. The top and bottom deflection plates may be non-symmetric and configured to generate an inhomogeneous electrostatic field when a voltage is applied to one of the top or bottom deflection plates. In some instances, the top and bottom deflection plates may be L-shaped deflection plates.
US09245719B2
In one embodiment, a dual phase cleaning chamber may include a turbulent mixing chamber, a fluid diffuser, an isostatic pressure chamber and a rupture mitigating nozzle. The turbulent mixing chamber may be in fluid communication with a first fluid inlet and a second fluid inlet. The fluid diffuser may be in fluid communication with the turbulent mixing chamber. The rupture mitigating nozzle may include a first fluid collecting offset, a second fluid collecting offset, and a displacement damping projection. The displacement damping projection may be disposed between the first and second fluid collecting offset and may be offset away from each of the first fluid collecting offset and the second fluid collecting offset, and towards the fluid diffuser. A pressurized cleaning fluid introduced from the first fluid inlet, the second fluid inlet, or both flows through the outlet passage of the first and second fluid collecting offset.
US09245718B2
A showerhead electrode assembly for use in a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus comprising a heat transfer plate. The heat transfer plate having independently controllable gas volumes which may be pressurized to locally control thermal conductance between a heater member and a cooling member such that uniform temperatures may be established on a plasma exposed surface of the showerhead electrode assembly.
US09245705B1
The fuse bypass jumper of the present invention bridges the upper and lower fuse terminals of a high-voltage transmission line cut-out box so as to bypass the fuse element. The jumper comprises lateral upper and lower arms connected by a longitudinal jumper bar. The jumper arms and bar are made of a heavy gauge conductor rated for at least 100 Amps. With the jumper in place, the fuse element can be opened, removed and/or replaced without interrupting the transmission line circuit through the cut-off box, since the jumper now provides a bypass around the fuse. Since the bypass conductive path constitutes a heavy gauge, high-amperage bar conductor, this jumper can carry a much larger current load than flexible wire-based jumpers.
US09245703B2
A method for using a portable terminal includes activating a timer function with respect to a certain button if a touch on the button is detected for at least a predetermined time, measuring a touch hold time with respect to the button from a time point at which the touch is input when the timer function is activated, setting a countdown time corresponding to the touch hold time with respect to the button, performing a countdown for the set countdown time when the touch on the button ends, and performing a function corresponding to the button when the countdown is completed.
US09245702B1
A tamper resistant keypad includes one or more key assemblies having a resilient key member and a contact. The resilient key member is configured to flex when the key assembly is depressed to allow the contact to close a key press detection circuit on a circuit board to register a key press. A tamper detection switch assembly at least partially surrounds the resilient key member. The tamper detection switch assembly is configured to detect attempts to access the key assembly.
US09245698B2
A multi direction switch (100) includes a first cover (2), a second cover (3), a printed circuit board (PCB) (4) positioned between the first cover and the second cover, a pair of stacked, orthogonal electrode plates (5) positioned between the second cover and the PCB, a spring member (7) positioned between the first cover and the PCB, and a button (6) for actuating the electrode plates to move on the PCB. The second cover forms a protrusion (21), the button has a radial portion (611) and a wall portion (612) extending downwardly from the radial portion, and the spring member is positioned between the protrusion and the wall portion.
US09245696B2
A touch panel includes a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a plurality of wirings. Each of the plurality of first electrodes has a first portion formed on a layer different from that on which the second electrodes are formed and intersecting the second electrodes, and a second portion formed on the same layer as that on which the second electrodes are formed, but separated from the second electrode. The second electrode and the second portion of the first electrode are formed on a layer different than the layer where the wiring is formed. The first portion of the first electrode is connected to the second portion through a contact portion formed in an insulating film made of a negative resist between the first portion and the second electrode.
US09245691B1
Electrochemical capacitors and methods for producing such electrochemical capacitors. The electrochemical capacitor can have an initial charged state and a cycled charged state and can include an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The anode can include a first mixture having a first plurality of electrically conductive carbon-comprising particles having a first average porosity. The cathode can include a second mixture having a second plurality of electrically conductive carbon-comprising particles having a second average porosity greater than said first average porosity. The electrolyte can be physically and electrically contacting said anode and said cathode, and the first mixture in the cycled charged state can be substantially free of lithium metal particles and can further include a plurality of lithium ions intercalating the first plurality of carbon comprising particles. The mass ratio of the cathode and the electrolyte can be less than 1.
US09245684B2
A method for manufacturing a transformer device includes providing a glass substrate having a first side and a second side arranged opposite the first side, forming a first recess in the glass substrate at the first side of the glass substrate, forming a second recess in the glass substrate at the second side of the glass substrate opposite to the first recess, forming a first coil in the first recess, and forming a second coil in the second recess.
US09245671B2
A method of making a wire array includes the step of providing a tube of a sealing material and having an interior surface, and positioning a wire in the tube, the wire having an exterior surface. The tube is heated to soften the tube, and the softened tube is drawn and collapsed by a mild vacuum to bring the interior surface of the tube into contact with the wire to create a coated wire. The coated wires are bundled. The bundled coated wires are heated under vacuum to fuse the tube material coating the wires and create a fused rod with a wire array embedded therein. The fused rod is cut to form a wire array. A wire array is also disclosed.
US09245662B2
An electroconductive particle having a core particle and a tin oxide-containing coating layer on the core particle. The tin oxide of the coating layer has a crystallite size of 70 to 200 Å. The electroconductive particle preferably has a ratio of R3 to R1 of 1 to 250, wherein R1 and R3 are respective surface resistivities of electroconductive films formed of a coating composition containing the electroconductive particle and prepared by 1-hour dispersing and 3-hour dispersing, respectively. The coating layer preferably comprises dopant element-free, electroconductive tin oxide.
US09245660B2
The present invention is an electroconductive particle for forming an electrode including a precious metal particle including Pt or a Pt alloy and having an average particle diameter of 50 to 150 nm, a first ceramic particle including Al2O3 or ZrO2 dispersed in the precious metal particle and having an average particle diameter of 5 to 50 nm, and a second ceramic particle including Al2O3 or ZrO2 bonded to an outer periphery of the precious metal particle and having an average particle diameter of 5 to 50 nm. The sum of the volume of the first ceramic particle and the volume of the second ceramic particle is preferably 2 to 40 vol % based on the whole electroconductive particle. A metal paste containing the electroconductive particle according to the invention is one from which an electrode film of low resistance and excellent durability can be manufactured and further excellent in adherence and conformability to a substrate.
US09245659B2
An X-ray imaging apparatus is provided with a multi X-ray source and a collimator in which a plurality of slits for X-rays to pass through are two-dimensionally formed, the size and position of the slits being adjustable. A control unit, as a first control mode, controls the size and position of the slits to move an examination region in parallel, when an X-ray source is changed to a different X-ray source, such that the examination directions are parallel before and after the change. Also, the control unit, as a second control mode, controls the size and position of the slits to rotate the examination direction, when an X-ray source is changed to a different X-ray source, such that the center of the examination regions is the same before and after the change.
US09245657B2
The present disclosure relates to a particle energy modulating device for variably changing the energy of the particles of a particle beam. The particle energy modulating device has a variable energy varying device with a control value correcting device for correcting a supplied control value. The control value correcting device corrects the supplied control values through the use of previously determined calibration data.
US09245650B2
A sample-and-hold circuit including a transistor and a capacitor is connected to the differential circuit. The sample-and-hold circuit acquires voltage for correcting the offset voltage of the differential circuit by charging or discharging the capacitor through sampling operation. Then, it holds the potential of the capacitor through holding operation. In normal operation of the differential circuit, the output potential of the differential circuit is corrected by the potential held by the capacitor. The transistor in the sample-and-hold circuit is preferably a transistor whose channel is formed using an oxide semiconductor. An oxide semiconductor transistor has extremely low leakage current; thus, a change in the potential held in the capacitor of the sample-and-hold circuit can be minimized.
US09245638B2
A method of operating a memory cell that comprises first and second regions spaced apart in a substrate with a channel region therebetween, a floating gate disposed over the channel region and the fir region, a control gate disposed over the channel region and laterally adjacent to the floating gate with a portion disposed over the floating gate, and a coupling gate disposed over the first region and laterally adjacent to the floating gate. A method of erasing the memory cell includes applying a positive voltage to the control gate and a negative voltage to the coupling gate. A method of reading the memory cell includes applying positive voltages to the control gate, to the coupling gate, and to one of the first and second regions.
US09245637B2
Non-volatile memory and methods of reading non-volatile memory are provided for managing and reducing read related disturb. Techniques are introduced to reduce read disturb using state-dependent read pass voltages for particular word lines during a read operation. Because of their proximity to a selected word line, adjacent word lines can be biased using state-dependent pass voltages while other unselected word lines are biased using a standard or second set of pass voltages. Generally, each state-dependent pass voltage applied to a word line adjacent to the selected word line is larger than the second set of pass voltages applied to other unselected word lines, although this is not required. Other word lines, may also be biased using state-dependent pass voltages. System-level techniques are provided with or independently of state-dependent pass voltages to further reduce and manage read disturb. Techniques may account for data validity and memory write and erase cycles.
US09245619B2
Devices and methods for accurate reading of data in memory technology prone to drifting memory characteristics. An example device includes a memory array for storing data, and a memory buffer for storing a subset of the data in the memory array. A memory controller is configured to read data from the memory buffer if the data was written to the memory array before a predetermined duration of time, and to read the data from the memory array if the data is at least one of not valid or not available at the memory buffer.
US09245611B2
A method includes sampling magnetic bits, applying a write current pulse to the magnetic bits to set them to a first logic state, resampling the magnetic bits, and comparing the results of sampling and resampling to determine the bit state for each magnetic bit. A read or write operation may be received after initiation of writing back magnetic bits having the second state, where the write-back can be aborted for a portion of the bits in the case of a write operation. The write-back may be performed such that different portions of the magnetic bits are written back at different times, thereby staggering the write-back current pulses in time. An offset current may also be used during resampling.
US09245606B2
A static random access memory (SRAM) device includes a memory array of a plurality of memory cells, a controller that receives an external clock signal formed by a succession of external pulses and generates an internal clock signal formed by a succession of internal pulses, and a driving circuit that receives the internal clock signal. The controller is operable in a first mode, wherein the controller generates, for each external pulse, a corresponding internal pulse and the controller controls the driving circuit so that the driving circuitry carries out one access to the memory array for each internal pulse. The controller is further operable in a second mode, wherein the controller generates, for each external pulse, a pair of internal pulses, and the controller controls the driving circuitry so that, for each pair of internal pulses, the driving circuitry writes a first data item in a set of memory cells, and then reads the set of memory cells, so as to acquire a second data item.
US09245601B2
A system and device are provided for implementing memory arrays using high-density latch cells. The device includes an array of cells arranged into columns and rows. Each cell comprises a latch cell that includes a transmission gate, a pair of inverters, and an output buffer. Each row of latch cells is connected to at least one common node for addressing the row of latch cells, and each column of latch cells is connected to a particular bit of an input signal and a particular bit of an output signal. A register file may be implemented using one or more arrays of the high-density latch cells to replace any or all of the banks of SRAM cells typically used to implement the register file.
US09245595B2
A method and a system are provided for performing memory access assist using voltage boost. A memory access request is received at a storage cell array that comprises two or more subarrays, each subarray including at least one row of storage cells. The voltage boost is applied, during the memory access, to a first negative supply voltage of a first storage cell subarray of the two or more storage cell subarrays. The first negative supply voltage of the first storage cell subarray is lower than a second negative supply voltage of a second storage cell subarray of the two or more storage cell subarrays.
US09245593B2
In a memory cell including an inverter, a capacitor is provided. When the memory cell is not accessed, data stored in the memory cell is copied to the capacitor and then power supply to the inverter is stopped. When the memory cell needs to be accessed, the data is returned from the capacitor to the inverter. In this manner, power consumption when the memory cell is not accessed is reduced. Furthermore, in a memory device including a plurality of such memory cells, backup of the first memory cell and backup of the second memory cell are performed at different timings. Recovery of the first memory cell and recovery of the second memory cell are also performed at different timings. Consequently, power required for backup or recovery can be distributed. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09245590B2
Any number of Serial Peripheral Interface (“SPI”) flash memory die may be stacked and packaged using any desired multi-chip packaging technique to realize any one or combination of various capabilities such as low per-bit cost, high density storage, code shadowing to RAM, and fast random access for “execute in place” applications, while preserving the advantages of the SPI interface. During device manufacture, each of the stacked die is assigned a unique identifier or “Die ID” relative to the other stacked die in the package. During normal operations, the unique Die IDs are used by a Die Select instruction to enable one of the stacked die to respond to subsequent instructions on the SPI interface, while disabling the other stacked die in the package from responding to subsequent instructions but for certain “Universal” instructions which include the Die Select instruction. Concurrent operations by the stacked die are supported.
US09245581B2
A system includes a magnetic head, a magnetic medium, a drive mechanism for passing the magnetic medium over the magnetic head, and a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head for controlling operation of the magnetic head, wherein the magnetic head has a write element, a read element, a substrate that is an alloy material having greater than about 50 at. % TiC, and a heater element positioned between the read element and the write element, the write element being positioned nearer to the substrate than the read element such that heat generated by the write element during write operations is dissipated by the substrate, and the heater element being adapted for inducing protrusion of portions of an air bearing surface (ABS) of the magnetic head to adjust a clearance between the portions of the ABS and the magnetic medium.
US09245580B1
Systems and method relating generally to data processing, and more particularly to systems and methods for utilizing multiple data streams for data recovery from a storage device.
US09245576B2
The invention relates to a method for determining whether a same disc is loaded in an optical drive. The method comprises the steps of measuring a time interval between a disc insertion event resulting from a disc insertion command and a disc ejection event resulting from a disc ejection command, comparing the time interval with a predefined value, and indicating that the same disc is loaded in the optical disc if the time interval is smaller than the predefined value.
US09245575B2
It is required that setting information and mechanical correction information of a preceding device can be automatically carried over only by replacing a unit, to implement reduction in the maintenance cost and prevention of human operational mistakes. Library device control firmware 11 updates, if drive identification information kept in a library control unit 10 differs from drive identification information kept in two other units on the basis of logic of decision by majority, a drive serial number 4A and device setting information 2A kept in the library control unit 10 based on a drive serial number 4B and device setting information 2B kept in an accessor control unit 20.
US09245566B2
A perpendicular magnetic media includes a substrate, a patterned template, a seed layer and a magnetic layer. The patterned template is formed on the substrate and includes a plurality of growth sites that are evenly spaced apart from each other. The seed layer is formed over the patterned template and the exposed areas of the substrate. Magnetic material is sputter deposited onto the seed layer with one grain of the magnetic material nucleated over each of the growth sites. The grain size distribution of the magnetic material is reduced by controlling the locations of the growth sites which optimizes the performance of the perpendicular magnetic media.
US09245558B1
An apparatus includes: a media; a head over the media; a head actuation motor coupled to the head; control circuitry, coupled to the head actuation motor, configured to position the head; and an environmental sensor, coupled to the control circuitry, configured to measure an environmental condition; wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: perform a background task; and adjust a frequency of the background task based on the magnitude of the environmental condition.
US09245554B2
A TAMR (Thermal Assisted Magnetic Recording) write head uses the energy of optical-laser excited surface plasmons in a plasmon generator to locally heat a magnetic recording medium and reduce its coercivity and magnetic anisotropy. The optical radiation is transmitted to the plasmon generator by means of a waveguide, whose optical axis (centerline) is tilted relative to either or both the backside surface normal and ABS surface normal in order to eliminate back reflections of the optical radiation that can adversely affect the properties and performance of the laser. Variations of the disclosure include tilting the plasmon generator, the waveguide and the laser diode.
US09245551B2
A sensor may be configured with a nanocrystal that has a nitrogen-vacancy. The nanocrystal can be positioned proximal a magnetic source, mount, and articulable stage. Various embodiments configure the articulable stage configured to align the nanocrystal and the magnetic source along a common axis to sense magnetic fields about the magnetic source with a sub-nanometer resolution.
US09245550B2
A write head is tested by measuring the effect that magnetic fields have on the inductance of the write head. For example, a perpendicular write head may be placed in a magnetic field with a first angle, e.g., non-parallel and non-perpendicular, to the air bearing surface and the inductance is measured. After altering the angle of the magnetic field the inductance is again tested. In another embodiment, the angles may be parallel and perpendicular to the air bearing surface. The difference in the inductance value can be used to determine a characteristic of the write head, such as the presence of a recording pole. In some embodiments, the inductance may be measured while applying a bias current to the write head while the write head is in an external magnetic field.
US09245549B2
In one embodiment, magnetic read head includes a seed layer including an amorphous alloy film and Ru film positioned thereon, and an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer positioned above the seed layer, the AFM layer including an alloy of MnIr having an L12 ordered phase, the amorphous alloy including a Co—X alloy having more Co than any other element, with X including at least one of: Zr, Nb, Ta, Hf, W, Si, and Al. In another embodiment, a method for forming a magnetic read head includes forming a seed layer above a substrate, heating at least the substrate to a first temperature in a range from about 150° C. to about 300° C., cooling at least the substrate to a second temperature of less than about 100° C., and forming an AFM layer above the seed layer between the heating and the cooling, the AFM layer comprising a MnIr alloy.
US09245534B2
The present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for improvement of High Frequency Reconstruction (HFR) techniques using frequency translation or folding or a combination thereof. The proposed invention is applicable to audio source coding systems, and offers significantly reduced computational complexity. This is accomplished by means of frequency translation or folding in the subband domain, preferably integrated with spectral envelope adjustment in the same domain. The concept of dissonance guard-band filtering is further presented. The proposed invention offers a low-complexity, intermediate quality HFR method useful in speech and natural audio coding applications.
US09245531B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are provided for performing joint source channel decoding in a manner that exploits parameter domain correlation. Redundancy in speech coding and packet field parameters is exploited to generate conditional probabilities that a decoder utilizes to perform joint source channel decoding. The conditional probabilities are based upon correlations of parameters of a current frame with parameters of the same or other frames or historical parameter data. Parameter domain correlation provides significant channel decoding improvement over prior bit domain solutions. Also provided are methods, systems, and apparatuses for utilizing received statistics of monitored data bits from which conditional probabilities are generated to perform channel decoding. The techniques described may be implemented at the decoder side and thus do not interfere with transmission standards.
US09245528B2
A server apparatus acquires content based on instruction information; decodes image data of the acquired content compression encodes captured image data using a predetermined encoding scheme; decodes an audio signal and compression encodes the decoded audio signal using the predetermined encoding scheme, stores the image and the audio signal and sends the packet to a packet forwarding apparatus. A mobile terminal receives the packet, decodes and displays the compression encoded image data stored in the packet; and decodes and reproduces the compression encoded audio signal.
US09245525B2
An interactive response system mixes HSR subsystems with ASR subsystems to facilitate overall capability of voice user interfaces. The system permits imperfect ASR subsystems to nonetheless relieve burden on HSR subsystems. An ASR proxy is used to implement an IVR system, and the proxy dynamically determines how many ASR and HSR subsystems are to perform recognition for any particular utterance, based on factors such as confidence thresholds of the ASRs and availability of human resources for HSRs.
US09245521B2
A method for correcting a voice recognition error and a broadcast receiving apparatus applying the same are provided. The method for correcting the voice recognition error includes, receiving a user's spoken command, recognizing the user's spoken command and determining text corresponding to the user's spoken command, if a user command to correct the determined text is input, displaying a text correction user interface in which a morpheme of the determined text and an indicator are associated with each other, and correcting the morpheme of the determined text by selecting the associated indicator of the text correction UI. Accordingly, the broadcast receiving apparatus exactly corrects the misrecognized word with a word desired by the user.
US09245517B2
A noise reduction audio reproducing method includes the steps of: generating, from an audio signal of collected and obtained noise, an audio signal for noise cancellation to cancel the noise by synthesizing the audio signal for noise cancellation and the noise in an acoustic manner, reproducing the audio signal for noise cancellation acoustically to synthesize this with the noise in an acoustic manner; emphasizing an audio component to be listened to, of collected audio; synthesizing an audio signal with the audio component to be listened to being emphasized, and the audio signal for noise cancellation to supply the synthesized signal thereof to an electro-acoustic converting unit; and controlling so as to supply an audio signal, with the audio component to be listened to having been emphasized, to a synthesizing unit, regarding only a section based on a control signal.
US09245504B1
An instructional drum practice pad overlays a larger polygon base containing preferably twelve typical rudiments used in teaching musical drum playing to students. Preferably the polygonal base is a twelve sided polygon, known as a dodecagon. The lightweight durable base has a diameter of preferably about 13 inches and a height of about ½ inch, with the upper pad having a diameter of about 10 inches and being preferably a ⅜ inches thickness pad of 40 durometer gum rubber. There is a bottom base of neoprene that is about 3/16 inch thick. Rudiments, or symbolic music note symbols to teach the proper drum music beats, are provided in a peripheral array around the base frame, while leaving the striking pad free of any visual distractions. Optionally, multiple rudiment bearing rings can be stacked over the upper drum practice pad.
US09245497B2
Systems and methods dynamically configure a display of an electronic device to a desired display resolution and/or a magnification factor without noticeable impact on the user viewing experience. According to certain aspects, the distance between a user and the display is measured, and the desired display resolution is determined based on the distance. If a user is exhibiting symptoms of presbyopia, a magnification factor may be determined. A request indicating the desired display resolution and/or magnification factor is transmitted to a server that supplies images, such as pictures or videos. The image is received from the server and displayed on the display. A focus area distance and/or a pupil orientation of the user may also influence the desired display resolution.
US09245492B2
A mobile computing device is disclosed for displaying backlight and diffuse reflecting information. The mobile computing device is configured to include a processor, a first LCD display unit connected to the processor, and a second diffuse reflecting display unit connected to the processor. The mobile computing device is further provided with a display panel interface, such as a mouse or a gravity detecting device like an accelerometer, configured to detect a property for activating a display type. The processor is configured to send information to be displayed to the first display unit or the second display unit or both depending on the display type property detected.
US09245488B2
A thin film transistor array panel, according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes a first data line, a second data line neighboring the first data line, a transistor disposed in a region between the first data line and the second data line, and a pixel electrode disposed close to the second data line among the first and second data lines. An extension of the pixel electrode may cross the second data line, thereby being connected to the transistor. Accordingly, it may not be necessary to use an additional connecting member between the pixel electrode and the data line such that the process may be shortened and the structure of the wiring may be simplified. Also, the spatial utility may be increased to improve the degree of integration.
US09245483B2
A backlight module including a light guide plate, light source sets, and controlling circuits is provided. The light guide plate has a plurality of regions, and each region of the light guide plate has a light incident surface correspondingly. Each light source set is disposed at the light incident surface of one of the regions of the light guide plate, and each light source set has at least one middle light source and at least one edge light source. The middle light source is disposed in a middle region of the light source set and the edge light source is disposed at an edge of the light source set. Each controlling circuit is electrically connected to the middle light source of one of the light source sets, and the edge light source of each light source set is electrically connected to the controlling circuit of the adjacent light source set.
US09245482B2
The white balance for a high brightness region and a low brightness region is improved in an image display device using MEMS and a laser light source. An image processing unit of the device superposes a signal based on a first measured value of a light quantity at a first temperature on a picture signal, during its blanking period, which is supplied to the laser light source, and superposes a high frequency signal on the picture signal during its effective scanning period. An amplification factor of the light source drive unit is changed so that a second measured value at a second temperature comes close to the first measured value at the first temperature as a target value based on the second measured value at which the light quantity of light generated at the laser light source is measured at the second temperature different from the first temperature on the signal based on the first measured value. By superposition of the high frequency signal, white balance control in a low brightness region for which control is especially difficult is performed with adequate accuracy.
US09245480B2
An organic light emitting diode display including a substrate, a scan line transferring a scan signal, a compensation control line transferring a compensation control signal, an operation control line applying an operation control signal, a data line and a driving voltage line transferring a data signal and a driving voltage, respectively, a switching thin film transistor (TFT) connected to the scan line and the data line, a compensation TFT and an initialization TFT connected to the compensation control line, an operation control TFT connected to the operation control line and the switching TFT, a driving TFT connected to the driving voltage line, an organic light emitting diode connected to a drain electrode of the driving TFT, and a hold capacitor connected between a source electrode of the operation control TFT and a gate electrode of the initialization TFT.
US09245466B2
A safety sign system comprises one or more traffic or informational signs, an expandable pole, a detachable umbrella canopy assembly, and a safety finial assembly. The signs are removably attached to a sleeve that surrounds a portion of a pole and rests upon a sign support. The sleeve with the signs attached swivels about the pole. The umbrella canopy assembly is attached to an upper end of the pole and may include additional features including reflective tape, vents, drop-down flaps, reflective coating, and lights. The safety finial assembly is removably attached to the top of the umbrella canopy assembly and may include flag supports, removable flags, and a safety light assembly. The safety sign system optionally further comprises a collapsible seat, a beverage holder, a satellite tracking device, a communication device, a base, and a control panel for operating the safety light and other features.
US09245460B2
Disclosed herein is a multipurpose rotation structure which is installed indoors or outdoors to be utilized for multiple purposes such as experience teaching tools by using repelling force between magnets disposed in an outer ring frame having the shape of a ring and in a weight body rotating in an inner space of the outer ring frame, by particularly using repelling force between magnets disposed in a weight body and a second weight body placed on the same guide ring, or by using repelling force between magnets disposed in an outer ring frame and an inner ring frame that are opposite to each other with respect to a weight body, or by using attractive force and repulsive force between magnets while sequentially changing the polarity of electromagnets disposed in an outer ring frame and an inner ring frame.
US09245455B2
System showing the finger positions on multiple different musical instruments for all the chords in all the keys of the Major Scale, color coordinated to western music's twelve point chromatic scale, showing key signature, character, chromatic scale degree and other relevant musical information.
US09245453B1
A flight simulator yoke is provided having a single handle having a handgrip and yoke shaft operable from a left side of a user, wherein a neutral position for the handle is at a 45 degree angle. The yoke may further include two trim axes parallel to each other; and two moveable spring devices. The spring devices are operatively coupled to the trim axes, each spring device having a positive center detent, wherein the positive center detent requires a predetermined amount of force in order to move the yoke along each trim axis. The flight simulator yoke may simulate a yoke of a Cirrus aircraft.
US09245450B1
A present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for generating runway visual aids on an aircraft display unit. Visual aids could comprise of runway indicators corresponding to minimum and maximum rollout and touchdown points, each of which may be determined in real-time by applying input factors to one or more configurable landing profiles. Data representative of visual aids may be provided by one or more sources including runway data sources and real-time input factors. An image generating processor generates an image data set representative of a three-dimensional perspective view of a scene outside the aircraft, wherein the image data set is determined as a function of terrain data, runway data, and visual aid data. The image data set may be provided to a Head-Down Display unit, a Head-Up Display unit, or both, whereby an image contains a runway depicted with at least one visual aid.
US09245448B2
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes a forward facing and a control having an image processor that processes image data captured by the camera. At least in part responsive to processing by the image processor, an alert to a driver of the equipped vehicle is generated based upon at least one of (i) detection of an inappropriate lane change maneuver of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a detection of a potential impact with another vehicle. The image processor processes image data captured by the forward facing camera to detect a traffic control device present within the field of view of the forward facing camera, and the system may generate an alert to the driver when it is determined that the vehicle is not appropriately responding to the detected traffic control device.
US09245446B2
A multiple hop communications method among a plurality of moving vehicles. Each moving vehicles has a plurality of unidirectional radio. The method comprises receiving an incoming packet at one of the plurality of unidirectional radios, determining if there is an active link between each of the plurality of unidirectional radios and an unidirectional radio of a neighbor vehicle, relaying the incoming packet to the plurality of unidirectional radios having an active link and transmitting the incoming packet as an outgoing packet from at least one of the plurality of unidirectional radios. If more than one packet is received, the packets can be encoded using group coding before send the packets out as an outgoing packet.
US09245444B2
Devices and methods for detecting traffic objects. Radiated energy is captured at a detection device, wherein the radiated energy is radiated from traffic objects. Data associated with the radiated energy is generated. The data associated with the radiated energy is transmitted using a communication device.
US09245437B2
The present invention relates to a system for monitoring contact or close proximity between one or more sources of contact within an environment and to one or more devices suitable for implementing such a system. Each source of contact is provided with a monitoring device. Each monitoring device comprises an indicator unit and a detecting unit. The indicator unit is operable to emit a signal and the detecting unit is operable to detect and identify signals of the type emitted by the indicator unit of another monitoring device and output an information signal indicative thereof.
US09245435B2
A gas detector management system includes a plurality of docking stations distributed in a region being monitored. One or more gas detectors in the region, which have been exposed to various gas concentrations, and which include respective stored maximum concentrations can be coupled to respective docking stations. Information including the maximum stored concentrations can be downloaded to the stations. Alert messages can be automatically generated and transmitted to displaced safety officer for follow-up.
US09245426B2
A network of active sensors in a control system is considered. The active sensors, which may be fixed-infrastructure sensors, provide presence detection information to a distributed lighting system. The active sensors communicate by transmitting probe signals. The communication of probe signals may result in cross-interference which may vary in time. Cross-interference is detected, and can later be avoided, by determining a difference between signals received in a first part of a timeslot and signals received in a second part of the timeslot. In order to do so probe signals comprising two non-zero pulses are transmitted in respective parts of the timeslot. Applications are, for example, active presence sensors in lighting control applications in indoor as well as outdoor environments.
US09245419B2
Method and apparatus are described which are used to provide enhanced functionality on gaming devices associated with the play of wager-based games. A secondary processor, separate from a game controller on the gaming device, can be used to provide the enhanced functionality. In one embodiment, the secondary processor can be used to control a display interface on a video display, such as a video display used to play a wager-based game on the gaming device. The display interface can be used to purchase items, such as a lottery ticket, under control of the secondary processor. After purchase, the lottery ticket can be dispensed from the gaming device using a printer. After the lottery ticket is dispensed, it can be reinserted into the gaming device and validated. If any winnings are associated with the lottery ticket, it can be credited to the electronic gaming machine.
US09245410B2
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include transmitting an offer of a reward to deposit funds into a wagering game player account prior to initiating a wagering game session within a gaming venue, such as a physical gamine venue (e.g., a casino). In one example, the offer is transmitted to a computing device accessible outside the gaming venue. The operations can further include detecting player input associated with the offer, where the player input authorizes a transfer of the funds from a financial account for deposit into the wagering game player account. The operations can further include transferring of the funds specified via the player input from the financial account to the wagering game player account. The operations can further include assigning the reward to the wagering game player account in response to the transferring of the funds.
US09245404B1
Vending machines and dispensers, devices, apparatus, systems, and methods of providing and using a vending machine that dispenses goods in recyclable and reusable packaging having automated deposits and returns for the packaging. Customers purchase products such as firewood in recyclable containers having electronic tags from automated vending machines. Customers pay for the product at time of purchase along with an extra money deposit fee for using the recyclable container. Electronic activator tags fixably attached recyclable containers are detected when the containers are returned which triggers a sensor allowing for the deposits to be returned to the customer.
US09245402B2
Embodiments of the invention can include systems and methods for providing a combined product for dispensing from a product dispenser. In one embodiment, a system can provide a combined product for dispensing from a product dispenser. The system can include a code generation module operable to receive data associated with a plurality of product recipes; and generate a machine readable item with a combined recipe including the plurality of product recipes, wherein the machine readable item configures a product dispenser to dispense the combined recipe.
US09245401B2
Provided is a technique for improving banknote manageability in a banknote handling device. This banknote handling device is provided with multiple banknote storage compartments where banknotes are stored, and a banknote loading compartment where banknotes are stored that are to be loaded in each of the banknote storage compartments. This banknote handling device is provided with a banknote determination unit which obtains the serial numbers of banknotes in conveyance between the banknote storage compartments and the banknote loading compartment, and a conveyance path which conveys banknotes from the banknote loading compartment to the banknote storage compartments via the banknote determination unit. A main control unit of the banknote handling device controls the conveyance path, and, while loading the banknotes from the banknote loading compartment into each of the banknote storage compartments, performs banknote loading processing in which the serial numbers of the banknotes are obtained from the banknote determination unit.
US09245399B2
A method of authenticating a media item is described. The method comprises: measuring a magnetic signal along the media item, converting the measured signal to a calibrated length signal, aligning the calibrated length signal with a reference signal, extracting features from the aligned signal, and classifying the media item based on the extracted features.
US09245392B2
An inspection system for a vehicle and a method thereof to inspect whether various electronic components mounted inside a completed vehicle may be normally operated, may include a wireless on-board diagnostics device (OBD) which may be mounted in the vehicle entering an inspection process, a plurality of inspection computers, which wirelessly communicates with the wireless OBD, and may be provided for each corresponding inspection step, and a barcode reader which may be provided in the inspection computers, recognizes a barcode of the vehicle, transmits a vehicle information about the vehicle, on which the inspection may be performed, to the inspection computers.
US09245389B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus including a display control unit configured to include a first display control mode in which control is performed in a manner that a first image from a user viewpoint, which is captured by a first imaging unit, is displayed on a display unit or control is performed in a manner that the display unit is transmissive, and a second display control mode in which control is performed in a manner that a second image captured by a second imaging unit including a user within an angle of view is displayed on the display unit, and a switching control unit configured to perform control in response to an instruction from the user in a manner that a display control mode of the display control unit is switched from the first display control mode to the second display control mode.
US09245379B2
A technique for position based dynamics constrains deformation of triangles within a simulation mesh configured to model a cloth object. The constraints comprise at least a weft, warp, and shear constraint per triangle within the simulation mesh. A non-rigid shear constraint yields realistic cloth dynamics while avoiding locking within the simulation mesh. The technique may be implemented in real-time or batch simulation environments.
US09245371B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for storing processed data within buffer objects stored in buffer object memory from within shader engines executing on a GPU. The method comprises the steps of receiving a stream of one or more shading program commands via a graphics driver, executing, within a shader engine, at least one of the one or more shading program commands to generate processed data, determining from the stream of one or more shading program commands an address associated with a first data object stored within the buffer memory, and storing, from within the shader engine, the processed data in the first data object stored within the buffer memory.
US09245369B2
Disclosed herein are a method and an apparatus for creating an avatar. The method for creating an avatar according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes receiving information on an appearance of an object to be created into an avatar; generating avatar appearance type metadata using the information on the appearance; creating the avatar using the avatar appearance type metadata, wherein the avatar appearance type metadata include at least one of skin information, hair information, nails information, and teeth information. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention can create the avatar capable of facilitating the differentiation with another avatar while more approximating the reality, by adding more detailed data in addition to the data for the existing appearance so as to generate the avatar.
US09245367B2
A computer-implemented system and method for building spine groups is provided. Cluster spines, each having two or more clusters, are displayed. One or more candidate anchor clusters are identified for each of the cluster spines. Additional cluster spines are placed into the display by selecting one of the additional cluster spines and identifying one of the displayed cluster spines that is most similar to the selected additional cluster spine. A spine group is formed by grafting one of the clusters on the additional cluster spine to one of the candidate anchor clusters of the most similar cluster spine. An angle of the selected additional cluster spine is changed when the most similar cluster spine and the selected additional cluster spine exceed a maximum line segment.
US09245366B1
Embodiments of the subject technology provide for determining a set of points that form a perimeter of a polygon included in an interactive geographic map. The determined set of points of the perimeter of the polygon is reduced based on a line simplification algorithm. An area, based on the reduced set of points, of the polygon is then reduced by performing a buffering operation on the area that creates an inner buffer zone for the polygon. The subject technology determines whether an area of the inner buffer zone satisfies a predetermined threshold area. Responsive to determining that the predetermined threshold area is satisfied, a centroid of the inner buffer zone may be determined. The subject technology provides, for display to a user, a label at a coordinate position corresponding to the centroid of the inner buffer zone on the interactive geographic map.
US09245365B2
Techniques are disclosed for dynamic digital image compositing using a digital image template. A request is received to generate a composite digital image at a user-specified resolution based on a master digital image. Each of a plurality of digital image templates includes image data representing a different, particular resolution of the master digital image. The digital image templates can be stored in a common file with the master digital image. One of the digital image templates associated with a resolution that is at least as high as and closest to the user-specified resolution is selected for compositing. Composite image data is then generated based on the selected digital image template. Next, the composite image is rendered based on the composite image data and scaled to the user-specified resolution.
US09245364B2
The present invention discloses a portable device and the display processing method thereof. The portable device comprises a first long side in the first dimension, a second short side in the second dimension, and a third side in the third dimension in the space, and the portable device comprises a first display unit in the plane formed by the first long side and the second short side. A first image is displayed on the first display unit. The display processing method comprises detecting the gesture operation of at least one side of the first long side, the second short side and the third side; generating an adjustment command according to the gesture operation; and adjusting the display effect of the first image according to the adjustment command.
US09245363B2
A system, method, and computer program product for implementing an algorithm for performing thin voxelization is disclosed. The thin voxelization algorithm receives a surface, maps the surface onto a plurality of volumetric picture elements (voxels), and generates a value for each voxel in the plurality of voxels that intersects with the surface. A voxel intersects with the surface when the surface intersects a crosshair shape associated with the voxel.
US09245361B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for consolidating one or more glyphs of a font. A common contour, comprising a glyph contour that occurs more than once in one or more glyphs of the font, can be identified. A common simple glyph can be created for the identified common contour. A reference to the common simple glyph can replace one or more occurrences of the common contour in the one or more glyphs of the font. Given that the common simple glyph is generally smaller than the common contour, an amount of font related data for the font can be reduced, thus reducing overhead associated with storing and/or presenting the font.
US09245357B2
An image processing apparatus includes a character recognition unit configured to perform character recognition of a character region where characters exist in an image to generate character code, a detection unit configured to detect a region of the image where a feature change in the image is small, and a placement unit configured to place data obtained from the character code in the detected region.
US09245356B2
An image decoding method includes: obtaining setting information for setting a first quantization matrix; and inverse-quantizing coefficients of the image, using the first quantization matrix set according to the setting information. In the inverse-quantizing: when the setting information includes specifying information for specifying a second quantization matrix and the second quantization matrix specified by the specifying information is referable, the second quantization matrix is set as the first quantization matrix; and when the setting information includes the specifying information and the second quantization matrix specified by the specifying information is not referable, a third quantization matrix which is referable may be set as the first quantization matrix.
US09245340B2
The invention proposes a method for determining a number (13) of transfer objects which are moving from a first subregion (8) of an observed region (5) into a second subregion (9) of the observed region (5), wherein a succession of images of the observed region (5) is recorded which identify objects (1; 2; 3; 4) and determine positions (1b, 1c; 2a, 2b, 2c; 3a, 3b, 3c; 4a, 4b) for the objects (1; 2; 3; 4), respectively, the objects (1; 2; 3; 4) are each associated either with the first subregion (8) or with the second subregion (9) on the basis of the positions (1b, 1c; 2a, 2b, 2c; 3a, 3b, 3c; 4a, 4b) of said objects, and multiple transfers of the same object between the first subregion (8) and the second subregion (9) are taken into account when determining the number (13) of transfer objects. The invention likewise proposes an appropriate system which can be used to carry out the method, said system comprising a sensor arrangement and a computation unit connected to the sensor arrangement.
US09245329B1
A circuit renders computer graphics for an electronic display. The circuit includes a frame buffer to store a primitive for each pixel of the display, the primitive for each pixel being output to the display. The circuit includes a processor for storing the primitives in the frame buffer based on input primitives. The processor receives an input primitive in the same group as a corresponding stored primitive, determines whether the input primitive is within a threshold distance from the stored primitive, determines which of the input primitive and stored primitive is closer in depth to an observer of the display when the input primitive and the stored primitive are not within the threshold distance, and outputs the closer primitive to the frame buffer. The processor determines whether the input primitive and stored primitive has a higher priority when within the threshold distance and outputs the primitive with the higher priority.
US09245326B2
Method and device for generating a super-resolution version of a low resolution input data structure
The invention relates to the improvement of the resolution of regularly sampled multi-dimensional signals, where a single low-resolution signal is available. These methods are generically referred to as example-based super-resolution or single-image super-resolution. The method for super-resolving a single image comprises three stages. First, an interpolation-based up-scaling of the input image is performed, followed by an equivalent low-pass filtering operation on the low-resolution image. The second stage comprises a search for low-frequency matches between an inspected patch in the high-resolution image and patches in a local neighborhood in the low-resolution low-frequency image, including partly overlapping patches, and accumulating the high-frequency contribution obtained from the low-resolution image. The third stage comprises adding the contributions of the low-frequency band of the high-resolution image and the extrapolated high-frequency band.
US09245320B2
Methods and systems are provided for correcting artifacts in iterative reconstruction processes. In certain embodiments, weighting schemes may be applied such that less than all of the available scan or projection data is utilized in the iterative reconstruction. In this manner, inconsistencies in the data undergoing reconstruction may be reduced.
US09245319B2
An image processing device, method, computer readable storage medium, and image forming device that calculate spatial frequency of input image data and determine a frequency component in which a distribution amount of the spatial frequency maximizes, and perform an enhancement process by applying, to the input image data, an enhancement amount that varies according to the distribution amount of the spatial frequency, based on the determined frequency component.
US09245317B2
Improved methods and systems for imaging are provided. Specifically, systems and methods for extending the range of a digital zoom are provided in which an imaging system provides continuous magnification over a plurality of interleaved optical pathways and digital zooming imagers. Systems and methods of centering an image as the field of view changes, and for masking out undesirable obstacles from a magnified image are also provided.
US09245310B2
In an embodiment, a method of watermarking a video includes generating three or more pilot signals. The method also includes generating a watermark. The method also includes embedding the three or more of the pilot signals in first frames of the video. The method also includes embedding the watermark in second frames of the video according to a watermarking just-noticeable-difference (JND) model. The second frames may be non-overlapping with the first frames.
US09245308B2
The present disclosure relates generally to advanced digital signal processing including digital watermarking. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: memory for storing a color video signal or color image signal comprising first data representing a first chrominance direction and second data representing a second chrominance direction; and a processor programmed for: transforming the first data representing the first chrominance direction by encoding a first digital watermark component in the first data, the encoding a first digital watermark component in the first data utilizing a first encoding gain, and transforming the second data representing the second chrominance direction by encoding a second digital watermark component in the second data, the encoding a digital watermark signal in the second data utilizing a second encoding gain, wherein the second digital watermark component comprises an inverted signal relative to the first digital watermark component. Of course, other claims and combinations are disclosed.
US09245303B2
An improved user experience is provided for passengers on a vessel such as an airplane, train or ship. Passengers can customize their travel experience ahead of time by accessing a web-based server system to indicate preferences with respect to a number of in-flight entertainment options. The passenger's experience is also enhanced by allowing passengers to share preferences such as media playlists with others. Meals can be ordered on-demand once on board, and seat-to-seat chat as well as group chatting is also made available through an in-seat or other proximate entertainment device.
US09245297B2
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for distributing a resource (such as electricity) using a resource allocation system. One of the disclosed embodiments is a method for generating a bid value for purchasing electricity in a market-based resource allocation system. In this embodiment, a desired performance value indicative of a user's desired performance level for an electrical device is received. Price information from an electricity futures market is received. A bid value for purchasing electricity from a local resource allocation market sufficient to operate the electrical device at the desired performance level is computed. In this embodiment, the computing is performed based at least in part on the desired performance value and based at least in part on the price information from the electricity futures market.
US09245293B2
The goods and services purchase supporting apparatus includes an identification information acquiring unit (30) to acquire an image of a medium on which a marker indicative of identification information of goods or services is presented, the medium being presented to a customer in association with the goods or the services, and acquire the identification information from the marker represented on the acquired image of the medium, a discount information acquiring unit (34) to acquire, from a storing unit (32) to store discount information applicable to the goods or the services in association with the identification information of the goods or the services, the discount information that is associated with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring unit, and an arranging unit (36) to arrange display information, which is based on the discount information acquired by the discount information acquiring unit, with the image of the medium.
US09245290B2
This invention provides novel caspase inhibitors useful for prophylaxis or treatment of a number of pathologies, including, for example, Huntington's disease. In certain embodiments the inhibitors include inhibitors of casepase-3 and/or casepase-6.
US09245287B2
According to one embodiment, a self-service system is to provide self-support knowledgebase (KB) information to allow users to navigate the self-support KB. A monitor is to track user interaction with the self-support KB while a user navigates through the self-support KB. A support service system is to receive a request from the first mobile device of the first user to request a live support service and in response to the request, the support service system is to identify a set of skills required to handle the first product currently navigated by the user. An agent manager to select a support agent having a skill set satisfying the identified skill set. A communications and routing system coupled to the support service system to establish session video chat communications session between the mobile devices of the user and the selected agent.
US09245285B2
A content provider provides a content provider and service identification to a collection controller. The collection controller retrieves content provider and service specific service provision characteristics from a user subscription database and sets these service provision characteristics as a filter in a service provision control device to be used in the provision of a service from the content provider to the user equipment. Thus, the content provider, through the retrieved content server & service related characteristics from the user subscriber database, can influence the charging and transmission policies used by service provision control device for providing the service.
US09245284B2
A method assigns token requirements to service subscriptions in a service platform, such as a service platform containing entities or a database containing a plurality of said entities. The operator of the service platform establishes customization factors and maintains records reserving data services associated with token requirements for delivery to entities. In addition, customization factors are determined from values representing information associated with objects in a database. Token requirements associated with data services are calculated from one or more formulas utilizing customization factors. Sponsorships associated with the entities can be accepted by the service platform. The service platform can apply credit toward the fulfillment of token requirements. An entity can be provided a data service based on a relationship with a sponsorship such that an entity assigned a subscription having a token requirement fulfilled as a result of applying credit from a sponsorship will receive services related to the subscription.
US09245276B2
A method of monitoring the amount of time spent in a specified area by an individual comprises employing a first camera to automatically create one or more entrance images, each entrance image containing a face of an entering individual that passes a first location, and storing each entrance image in a database along with a corresponding entrance time that the entering individual passed the entrance location. A second camera is also employed to automatically create an exit image of a face of an exiting individual that passes a second location, and the exit image is recorded along with the corresponding exit time that the exiting individual passed the exit location. The exit image is then compared to the entrance images in the database to identify a matching entrance image containing the same face as the exit image. A stay time is then determined for the exiting individual by determining the difference between the entrance time corresponding to the matching entrance image and the exit time.
US09245275B2
Relevance analysis devices, methods, and programs analyze a mutual relevance between a plurality of users utilizing a server that allows users to view information provided by target viewed users. The devices, methods, and programs specify an analysis reference user and an analysis target user. The devices, methods, and programs specify a route that spans between the analysis reference user and the target viewed user, and specify a mutual relevance between the analysis reference user and the analysis target user based on a number of component routes that make up the specified route and based on a number of the component routes in which an origin-side user is registered as a target viewed user by an end-side user.
US09245269B2
Methods for generating a consumer profile. The method may include receiving a purchase authorization request including a card number from a consumer, generating, with a key module, a hash value of the card number and generating, at the server, a card identifier. The method may also include associating the generated card identifier with the generated hash value, storing, at a server database, the associated card identifier, and associating, with a processor, the card identifier with the consumer profile.
US09245264B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a reading apparatus, arranged at a position between an operator and a customer who stand in a face to face manner, comprises a main body having an opening on a surface thereof facing the operator, an image capturing section for operator, housed in the main body, configured to photograph a commodity through the opening of the main body to capture an image of the commodity, and a reading section for customer, arranged on the main body, configured to communicate with an object, which is held by the customer and is capable of realizing near field communication, to read specified additional information stored in the object.
US09245259B2
Messages are presented so as to make effective use of the display area to convey information to the user. For example, message content of primary interest to the user (e.g., new content) can be distinguished from secondary content (e.g., content quoted from a previous message), and the message can be initially displayed with the secondary content hidden using an expandable visual indicator that the user can expand to reveal the secondary content. Different elements within a message, such as textual content and graphical content elements, can be scaled independently using magnification factors optimized for each element.
US09245253B2
Techniques are disclosed for supplying users in an online environment with a safe and effective chat facility. The chat facility is “safe” in the sense that the ability of users to compose inappropriate messages is greatly restricted, while “effective” in the sense that users are still allowed a broad range of expressivity in composing and exchanging chat messages.
US09245252B2
A method and system for determining on-line influence in social media is disclosed. A recursive site influence modeling module computes a site influence from aggregated viral properties of content hosted by the site and further integrates, in the formulation of the site influence model, the influence of commentors, commenting on the hosted content, and the influence of individuals cited in the content. The influence of the commentors and individuals is calculated by aggregating viral properties of related content and as well by taking into account the influence of outlets owned by the commentors and the individuals.
US09245251B2
System, method and program for managing electronic sticky notes. At a first workstation, a user defines content of an electronic sticky and specifies one or more workstations to receive and display the electronic sticky note. The first workstation sends to a server, via one or more networks, a definition of the electronic sticky note and the specification of the one or more workstations to receive and display the electronic sticky note. The server sends a request, via one or more networks, to the one or more workstations to display the electronic sticky note. The request includes a definition of the electronic sticky note. The server can verify that the one or more workstations are currently on line and/or verify that the user is authorized to send the electronic sticky note to the one or more workstations.
US09245238B2
A method, system, and computer usable program product for dynamic grouping of email recipients are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A first recipient and a second recipient of a first email are identified and an association is formed between them. A selection of the first recipient is detected in a second email. Using the association, the second recipient is suggested as a recipient of the second email. The first email may be a previously sent email, and the second email may be an email being composed. A characteristic of the first email is identified and the characteristic may be used as a basis for the association in forming the association. The characteristic may be a phrase in, a type of content in, an attachment in, or a periodicity of the first email. Strength of the association may be modified based on the third email.
US09245237B2
Described herein are processes and devices that create and manage documents in a virtual universe. One of the devices described is a virtual document converter. The virtual document converter analyzes a set of one or more graphical objects of a virtual document in a virtual universe. The virtual document presents document content. The virtual document converter determines format information for generating a document file. The virtual document converter parses the document content of the virtual document. The virtual document converter generates the document file with the parsed document content and the determined format information.
US09245231B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, helps determine an unknown user's preferences through the use of internet based social interactive graphical representations on a computer facility by performing the steps of (1) ascertaining preferences of a plurality of users who are part of an inter-net based social interactive construct, wherein the plurality of users become a plurality of known users; (2) determining the internet based social interactive graphical representation for the plurality of known users; and (3) inferring the preferences of an unknown user present in the interact based social interactive graphical representation of the plurality of known users based on the interrelationships between the unknown user and the plurality of known users within the graphical representation.
US09245224B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a system optimizes an information processing environment, and comprises at least one processor. The system collects information pertaining to operational behavior of the information processing environment and including a plurality of parameters. A neural network structure is established to associate the parameters to a desired operational performance characteristic for the information processing environment. The neural network structure is trained with the collected information from the information processing environment to produce a model for the information processing environment. The model is optimized to determine values for the parameters and the information processing environment is adjusted based on the determined parameter values to attain the desired operational performance of the information processing environment. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for optimizing an information processing environment in substantially the same manner described above.
US09245220B2
One variation of a payment card includes: a sheet comprising first and second icons; a transducer configured to output a voltage in response to an impulse on the sheet; a wireless communication module; a first input region adjacent the first icon; a second input region adjacent the second icon; a magnetic stripe emulator; and a processor configured to transition from a passive state to an active state in response a voltage output from the transducer, to receive a first magnetic sequence command associated with a first payment method and a second magnetic sequence command associated with a second payment method, to assign the first payment method to the first input region and the second payment method to the second input region, to receive a selection for the second payment method from the second input region, and to control the magnetic stripe emulator according to the second magnetic sequence command.
US09245217B2
An optical writing device forms an electrostatic latent image and includes a pixel-information acquiring unit that acquires pixel information and stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line; a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information to be input to a light source is read out from the storage medium in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image; a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image; and a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal.
US09245210B2
An ink jet head includes an actuator configured to cause ejection of ink, and a driver. The driver is configured to receive serial data including a first command, a second command subsequent thereto, and print data for printing or setting data for setting of the ink jet head that is subsequent to the second command, detect the first command in the serial data, decode the second command, and control the actuator based on the decoded second command.
US09245204B2
A method comparing first and second images, including: identifying and matching first and second keypoints in the first and second images; arranging a distribution of values of a calculated plurality of first distance ratios in a histogram; determining a number of correct keypoint matches, including: determining a matrix, each matrix element corresponding to a respective pair of keypoint matches with a value corresponding to a difference between a value of the histogram including a distance ratio of the respective pair of keypoint matches and an outlier probability density value weighted by a parameter; determining the parameter value such that the matrix dominant eigenvector is equal to a vector with a first value if the pair of keypoint match is correct and a second value if the pair of keypoint match is incorrect; determining the number of correct keypoint matches based on the dominant eigenvalue associated to the dominant eigenvector.
US09245203B2
The present invention discloses methods and systems for collecting information relating to identity parameters of a vehicle. According to the invention an image of the vehicle is obtained. A sub-image within the image is identified, interest points within the sub-image are detected and the sub-image is processed so as to obtain descriptors representing the interest points. The descriptors are matched to predetermined descriptors representing interest points in previously obtained images respective of known identity parameters and the information is stored in a record representing an identity of the vehicle.
US09245196B2
A method and system tracks objects in an environment by acquiring a first sequence of images of the environment with a visible-light camera having a first frame rate and a second sequence of images with a thermal infrared sensor having a second frame rate. The second frame rate is substantially lower than the first frame rate. The objects are tracked in the first sequence of images to obtain tracks. Warm regions in the second sequence of images are detected to obtain detections. The tracks and the detections are aligned spatially and temporally, and verified to determine whether the tracks and detections coincide after the aligning.
US09245195B2
One or more representative images extracted from an image group comprising a plurality of images is/are displayed. A part or all of the representative image or images, such as a main subject region or a background region including a search target, is/are selected from the representative image or images, and used for setting search conditions. The image group is searched for an image or images agreeing with the search conditions having been set.
US09245194B2
An efficient line detection technique pre-processes an image to remove edge pixels that are not on straight lines, before performing line detection. By removing edge pixels not on straight lines, the complexity of the task of line detection can be significantly reduced, while increasing the accuracy. Various embodiments preprocess the edge maps of an image by anisotropic line filtering, kernel density estimation-based edge pruning, and connected component analysis. The resulting pruned edge map may then be processed using a Hough transform to detect straight lines in the image, having removed much of the noise in the edge map.
US09245193B2
One or more devices capture a scene of real world, and process one or more image(s) which include distances to points on surfaces in the real world. The distances are used to automatically identify a set of surfaces in the real world. Then, the one or more devices check whether a surface in the set is suitable for display of an element of information to be projected into the scene. On finding that a surface is suitable, a transform function is automatically identified, followed by automatic application of the transform function to the element of the information. A transformed element, which results from automatically applying the transform function, is stored in a frame buffer coupled to a projector, at a specific position in the frame buffer identified during the check for suitability. When no surface is suitable, user input is obtained, followed by projection of information as per user input.
US09245191B2
Apparatus and method for performing accurate text recognition of non-simplistic images (e.g., images with clutter backgrounds, lighting variations, font variations, non-standard perspectives, and the like) may employ a machine-learning approach to identify a discriminative feature set selected from among features computed for a plurality of irregularly positioned, sized, and/or shaped (e.g., randomly selected) image sub-regions.
US09245189B2
An estimation apparatus of an object appearance frequency is provided. The apparatus estimates an appearance frequency of objects, such as pedestrians, in a predetermined estimation area. The apparatus calculates a matrix FPFP by searching an appearance frequency data in the past. In detail, an estimated result that is an output of an estimating module is expressed as a vector. Objects to be estimated are classified into a total of 12 kinds, such as a “man, woman, child, bike, unknown, dog” and a “right, left”. Feature vector of appearance frequency of pedestrians, i.e., objective variables of estimation, is expressed by 12th dimension vector space. Moreover, status information is used as explaining variables, which explain the feature vectors when a feature vector occurs. The regression relationship of the feature vector with respect to the status information vector expressed in 28th dimension is solved by the linear least squares method.
US09245187B1
Method and system for detecting objects of interest in a camera monitored area are disclosed. Statistical analysis of block feature data, particularly Sobel edge and spatial high frequency responses is used to model the background of the scene and to segregate foreground objects from the background. This technique provides a robust motion detection scheme prone to catching genuine motions and immune against false alarms.
US09245180B1
Methods and systems for generating a size measurement of a body part of person for fitting a garment include providing photographic data that includes images of the body part and using feature extraction techniques to create a computer model of the body part.
US09245176B2
Techniques are disclosed for retargeting facial expressions. Input is received that represents a facial expression of a first character. Facial layers are generated based on the received input. The facial layers include one or more parameters extracted from the received input. A facial expression for a second character and corresponding to the facial expression of the first character is generated, based on the facial layers and without defining any spatial correspondence between the first character and the second character.
US09245174B2
A human facial identification method and system are disclosed, which belong to the mode identification technical field and intend to improve veracity of human facial identification implemented in outdoor environment. The human facial identification method includes: driving a group of infrared lamps by a high frequency pulse signal to generate infrared backlight, collecting identified human facial features in irradiation of the infrared backlight, comparing the collected identified human facial features with a human facial template to complete the human facial identification. A human facial compensation method and system are also disclosed, which are intend to improve luminance of infrared backlight. The technical solutions are mostly applied to the human image identification field.
US09245173B2
An apparatus for identifying a fake face is provided. A first eye image acquirer acquires a first eye image by taking a picture of a subject while radiating a first ray having a first wavelength. A second eye image acquirer acquires a second eye image by taking a picture of the subject while radiating a second ray having a second wavelength that is shorter than the first wavelength. A controller extracts a first area and a second area having brighter lightness than the first area from each of the first and second eye images, calculates a lightness of the first area and a lightness of the second area in the first eye image, and a lightness of the first area and a lightness of the second area in the second eye image, and determines whether the subject uses a fake face based on the calculated lightness.
US09245172B2
An authentication apparatus includes a feature acquiring unit that acquires a feature of an authentication target; an extracting unit that extracts one or more registered persons having features similar to the acquired feature; a determining unit that determines whether any registered person having a feature similar to the feature of at least one extracted registered person exits in the registered persons; a first identifying unit that, if the determination is negative, identifies the registered person having the feature having a highest degree of similarity with the acquired feature as the authentication target; a specific information accepting unit that accepts information specific to the authentication target; and a second identifying unit that, if the determination is affirmative and the accepted specific information coincides with the information specific to any extracted registered person, identifies the registered person having the coinciding specific information as the authentication target.
US09245166B2
An operating method of an electronic device having a fingerprint sensor unit is provided. In the operating method, a touch action of an input device is sensed and a touch signal is generated by the fingerprint sensor unit. A fingerprint analysis and an action analysis are performed according to the touch signal to determine a finger category of the input device and an action information of the touch action. An operation corresponding to the finger category and the action information is executed.
US09245165B2
A sensor structure (110) for a device includes both a fingerprint sensor (112) and one or more touch sensors (114). As a user input of the user moving his or her finger across the sensor structure is received, an appropriate auxiliary functionality operation as indicated by the pattern of movement is identified and performed. Additionally, during the same user input the fingerprint sensor senses fingerprint data identifying a fingerprint on the user's finger, and an attempt is made to authenticate the user's fingerprint. Thus, as the user provides a user input by moving his or her finger across the sensor structure, both an attempt is made to authenticate the user's fingerprint based on fingerprint data sensed during the user input and the operation requested by the user input is performed.
US09245161B2
A method for obtaining an X-ray image of a subject on a flexible information carrier plate for computed radiography. A memory is affixed to a surface of the plate, wherein the affixed memory stores information about the plate and is in wireless communication with a computer. A first scan date is stored in the affixed memory. Obtaining the X-ray image uses steps of storing at least a job identifier and a scan status for the plate in the affixed memory; acquiring image data from a scan of the plate following exposure to X-rays, acquiring at least the job identifier from the affixed memory, and associating the acquired image data with the acquired job identifier; incrementing a scan count value and updating the scan status in the affixed memory; erasing image content from the plate; and storing the acquired image data in a second, computer-accessible memory according to the acquired job identifier.
US09245157B1
A method and apparatus is provided for verifying the validity of ID cards. A card reading device reads an ID card and transmits a request to a database server. A database is queried and a reply is sent back to the card reading device indicating whether the ID is valid. If desired, the reply can include additional information, such as a description of the ID holder. The ID verification system can be used to help verify whether an ID belongs to the ID holder. The system can also log and timestamp events for future access.
US09245153B2
A semiconductor device in related art has a problem that security on confidential information stored is insufficient. A semiconductor device of the present invention has a unique code which is unique to a device and generates unique code corresponding information from the unique code. The semiconductor device has a memory region in which specific information obtained by encrypting confidential information is stored in a region associated with the unique code corresponding information. The specific information read from the memory region is encrypted with the unique code corresponding information to generate the confidential information.
US09245149B1
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for controlling privileges of consumers of personal data. An example method includes: formulating user requirements to personal data control quality; determining weighting factors for corresponding functions of application programming interfaces (APIs) for personal data control of a centralized personal data control system based on the formulated user requirements to personal data control quality; determining correspondence between the functions of APIs for personal data control of the centralized personal data control system and functions of APIs for personal data control of the consumer of personal data; calculating a personal data control rating of the consumer of personal data based on the determined correspondence and the determined weighting factors; and determining the privileges of the consumer of personal data based on the personal data control rating of the consumer of personal data.
US09245146B2
The present invention provides an information processing device which can detect illegal authorization setting efficiently in a short period of time. The information processing device includes a database which stores electronic documents, a means for storing rank values of users of the database, a means for storing the authorization degree of an electronic document or an electronic document group and authorization degrees of respective document classes of the database, a means for analyzing the electronic documents and combining together documents having mutual similarity in a degree equal to or higher than a certain level into a similar document group, and a means for analyzing authorization degrees of respective document classes in the database with reference to the rank values of the users, and thus detecting an electronic document or an electronic document group whose authorization setting is improper.
US09245139B2
A system and method for non-retained electronic messaging is described. In one embodiment, the system includes a message receiver module, a message storing and identifier generation module, a message retrieval module and an expunging module. The message receiver module receives a message. The message storing and identifier generation module stores the message in a non-transitory, non-persistent memory of one or more computing devices, generates a message identifier and sends the message identifier to a recipient device. The message retrieval module receives a selection of the message identifier from the recipient device, retrieves the message from the non-transitory, non-persistent memory, and sends the message to the recipient device for presentation. The expunging module expunges the message from the one or more devices responsive to sending the message to the recipient device for presentation.
US09245128B2
Installing apps and setting configuration on a device. A method includes receiving user input. The user input indicates a level of control that a user is willing to give an enterprise over the device. The method further includes determining, based on the level of control indicated by the user input, a set of apps allowed to install on the device. The set of apps allowed to install on the device is limited by the level of control indicated by the user. The method further includes authorizing installation of the set of apps on the device while restricting installation of other apps that would be authorized had the user selected a different level of control that the user is willing to give the enterprise over the device.
US09245121B1
A method for detecting a malicious node in a network. The method includes obtaining a plurality of failed domain name service (DNS) queries from the network, wherein each of the plurality of failed DNS queries is initiated from a client node of the network and comprises an effective second-level domain (eSLD) name, generating, by a computer processor and using a pre-determined clustering algorithm, a cluster from a plurality of eSLD names comprising the eSLD name of each of the plurality of failed DNS queries, wherein the cluster comprises a portion of the plurality of eSLD names that is selected based on the pre-determined clustering algorithm, determining, by the computer processor and using a pre-determined formula, a score representing statistical characteristics of the cluster, and assigning, in response to the score meeting a pre-determined criterion, a malicious status to the client node.
US09245119B2
Systems and methods disclosed herein provide a security component on a server that may be in communication with a database containing mobile device security information. The server security component may receive event information regarding a mobile device from a local security component on the mobile device. The event information may be processed by the server to assess the security state of the mobile device by comparing the event information to the mobile device security information. Based on the processing, an assessment of the security state of the mobile device may be output by the server for display.
US09245118B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus that establishes a connection with a host computing device. One or more processes running on the host computing device are identified. One or more hooking operations performed in the one or more identified processes are identified. One or more suspected key logging actions are identified from the one or more identified hooking operations based on one or more of a first set of rules and output.
US09245116B2
A system includes a physical analysis module, a cyber analysis module, and a determination module. The physical analysis module is configured to obtain physical diagnostic information, and to determine physical analysis information using the physical diagnostic information. The cyber analysis module is configured to obtain cyber security data of the functional system, and to determine cyber analysis information using the cyber security data. The determination module is configured to obtain the physical analysis information and the cyber analysis information, and to determine a state of the functional system using the physical analysis information and the cyber analysis information. The state determined corresponds to at least one of physical condition or cyber security threat. The determination module is also configured to identify if the state corresponds to one or more of a non-malicious condition or a malicious condition.
US09245113B2
A vital product data (VPD) system is connected to a network, allowing the VPD system to be accessed for inquiries about VPD. The VPD system includes a baseboard management controller (BMC), a VPD cache, a platform initialization system and a tamper detection switch. The BMC communicates with the tamper detection switch and sets a VPD flag to false when tampering is detected. Queries to the BMC through the network for VPD are then held pending and the VPD cache refreshed with a no-boot power on, using the platform initialization system to collect the new VPD capturing the nature of any modifications after tampering.
US09245106B2
In one embodiment, a processor can enforce a blacklist and validate, according to a multi-phase lockstep integrity protocol, a device coupled to the processor. Such enforcement may prevent the device from accessing one or more resources of a system prior to the validation. The blacklist may include a list of devices that have not been validated according to the multi-phase lockstep integrity protocol. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09245093B2
An automatic pill dispensing system and apparatus are disclosed that include a plurality of pill storage cartridges, a control system configured to dispense pills at predetermined times and intervals. The dispensed medications, dosage times, patient compliance information, other prescription information are programmed or available to a caregiver, physician, other medical personnel or pharmacist either directly or remotely by a caregiver through an interface that is not accessible to the patient. The apparatus signals the patient at appropriate times and pills are dispensed when the patient depresses a single dispense button to discharge the prescribed medications into a tray.
US09245090B2
A method for determining a replication timing footprint comprises the following steps: (a) selecting a set of chosen regions of the replication timing profile of a chromosome of an individual, (b) choosing a set of selected regions from the set of chosen regions to form a set of selected regions and a set of unused regions, (c) conducting a iterative algorithm on the set of selected regions until a domain number for the set of selected regions has decreased to a predetermined minimum, (d) determining a replication timing footprint based the set of selected regions after step (c) has been conducted, and (e) displaying the replication timing footprint to a user.
US09245088B1
A system and method for managing SOA assertion violations and related simulator output. Embodiments transform simulator output into descriptive data regarding SOA violations for relational database storage and processing. The database executes queries on the descriptive data according to user input specifying particular descriptive data and SOA assertion violations of interest, and outputs query results for further user action. Individual and accumulative SOA violations are more easily explored by users, through a search language that facilitates selection rule specification via pre-existing or user-defined filters. Filters may inherit rules and combine them with logical and comparative operators, enabling easy construction of complex selection expressions to provide more intuitive design guidance.
US09245084B2
A method and system to route connections of sub-networks in a design of an integrated circuit and a computer program product are described. The method includes determining a baseline route for each of the connections of each of the sub-networks, identifying noise critical sub-networks in the design of the integrated circuit based on congestion, and setting a mean threshold length (MTL), the MTL indicating a maximum length of each segment of each connection. Each segment includes a wirecode which is different from a wirecode of an adjacent segment, each wirecode defining a width, a metal layer, and a spacing for each segment. The method also includes segmenting the connections of the noise critical sub-networks based on the MTL, and re-routing the baseline route based on the segmenting.
US09245078B2
A design system for designing an integrated circuit, and the design system includes a processor and a computer readable medium embodying computer program code. The computer program code includes instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to: modify a circuit design of the integrated circuit to compensate for an impact of layout parameters of the circuit design; generate at least one recommended layout parameter of an integrated circuit device within the integrated circuit; calculate a circuit performance parameter of the integrated circuit using the at least one recommended layout parameter; and generate a layout design of the modified circuit design of the integrated circuit according to the at least one recommended layout parameter.
US09245072B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided to select coefficients for modeling a system. Data collected from the system is used to generate a data matrix. An upper triangular matrix can be generated in accordance with the data matrix, and the upper triangular matrix can be pruned to remove selected rows and columns from the upper triangular matrix, thereby generating a pruned data matrix. A coefficient vector can be generated in accordance with the pruned data matrix. Various alternative methods of selecting coefficients for modeling the system, as well as apparatus, devices, and systems for performing said methods, are also provided.
US09245067B2
A method implemented using a processor based device for simulation based testing of materials, includes selecting a first set of points from a data generated from a design space and generating a stochastic metamodel based on the first set of points. The method also includes determining an uncertainty value based on the stochastic metamodel. The method also includes identifying a second set of points different from the first set of points, from the data generated from the design space, based on the uncertainty value. The method further includes combining the second set of points with the first set of points to generate a third set of points, assigning the third set of points to the first set of points. The method also includes iteratively generating, determining, identifying, combining, and assigning steps till the uncertainty value is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value.
US09245065B2
Structural representation and facilitation of manipulation thereof via implicit vertex relationships
The disclosed embodiments relate to a representation of a structure/space as a collection of interrelated partitions whereby manipulation of the partitions causes an automated propagation of the manipulation through the other interrelated partitions as a function of the relationships therebetween. Each partition is defined by one or more vertices, the location(s) of which is/are specified either relative to an origin or relative to, i.e. as a function of, or dependent upon, the location of another vertex within the partition (intra-partition) or within another partition (inter-partition). Where the location of a vertex is moved, the change is propagated implicitly to all other vertices whose location is related, i.e. specified as a function of the modified vertex.
US09245050B2
Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and/or systems for manipulating hierarchical sets of data are disclosed. In particular, methods, apparatus devices and or/or systems for analyzing hierarchical data are disclosed.
US09245048B1
Improved sorting techniques are provided that perform a parallel sort using a ranged, partitioned key-value store in a high performance computing (HPC) environment. A plurality of input data files comprising unsorted key-value data in a partitioned key-value store are sorted. The partitioned key-value store comprises a range server for each of a plurality of ranges. Each input data file has an associated reader thread. Each reader thread reads the unsorted key-value data in the corresponding input data file and performs a local sort of the unsorted key-value data to generate sorted key-value data. A plurality of sorted, ranged subsets of each of the sorted key-value data are generated based on the plurality of ranges. Each sorted, ranged subset corresponds to a given one of the ranges and is provided to one of the range servers corresponding to the range of the sorted, ranged subset. Each range server sorts the received sorted, ranged subsets and provides a sorted range. A plurality of the sorted ranges are concatenated to obtain a globally sorted result.
US09245047B2
Examples of methods, systems, apparatus, and machine-readable storage media are provided to facilitate access and control of a remote desktop of a remote machine by a web browser at a client device through a transcoding server without installing proprietary plug-ins or protocols on the client device. A transcoding server may translate user input requests from a web browser into input calls compatible with a remote desktop display protocol. The transcoding server may receive remote desktop drawing commands from the remote machine and translate the remote desktop drawing commands into web browser drawing updates compatible with the web browser. A transcoding server may communicate with a web browser via HTTP and communicate with a remote machine via a remote desktop display protocol. A web browser may be an HTML5 browser. A transcoding server may send drawing coordinates to the web browser via an HTTP header and may use long polling.
US09245046B2
Map tile data for displaying graphic elements of a web-based mapping system in a mobile computing device may be pre-fetched to the device based on an analysis of the historical uses of a mapping module at that device. A user mapping activity module executing on the mobile device may retrieve user mapping activity data. The module may then extract geographic location data from the user mapping activity data and send the extracted data to a mapping system via a network connection. The mapping system may then match map tile data to the geographic location data extracted from the user mapping activity data and send the matched data to the mobile computing device for cache storage at the mobile computing device. The user mapping activity module may also analyze the user mapping activity data to determine whether the extracted geographic location data is relevant enough to warrant pre-fetching the tile data.
US09245045B2
Techniques are provided which aggregate user selected content using a browser extension. A user may select content displayed in a web browser. The selected content may be captured, and the corresponding bibliographic information may be extracted by the browser extension. The user may input notes relating to the selected content. The selected content, bibliographic information and notes may be transmitted by the browser extension to one or more servers for storage, and may be associated with a user project entry. A subset of the bibliographic information may be presented to the user in accordance with a user selected bibliographic format.
US09245041B2
Techniques described herein allow a user to automatically associate an object with a location of the user and/or the object. This object and associated location may then be transferred to an entity for publishing the object and location on a map. For example, a user may capture a digital picture or video on a device and, in response, may automatically transmit the picture or video and corresponding location data for publishing to a map that is associated with the user. The described techniques also allow a user to create a journal that is associated with an annotated map. For instance, the user may create a journal having one or more portions that are associated with one or more portions of an annotated map. As a user consumes (e.g., reads, views, listens, etc.) the created journal, the view of the map or the displayed annotations may correspondingly change. Finally, the described techniques allow for creation of multiple overlays on a digital map. That is, these tools may allow each of multiple users to create an overlay, comprising one or more annotations, onto a digital map. These tools may then allow consuming users to choose whether to view all, some, or none of these user-created overlays.
US09245033B2
A data processing system used for delivering profile data structures that contain interest nodes or channels. The interest nodes include sets of targets and qualifiers that comprise attributes used in filtering information files for delivery. Targets and qualifiers are applied to the attributes and available information files to produce the filtered set. Web pages showing results include tools to assist the user in creation and editing of the information. The user may share interest nodes with other users, and other users may be granted editing capability of the interest nodes. The other users may modify the interest nodes for their own personal use. Even if modified the user may continue to receive new content or information from the original user in accordance with the unmodified interest nodes or channels.
US09245028B2
A method and a system to identify machine-readable codes using a web crawler are provided. Machine-readable codes include, but are not limited to, Universal Product Codes (UPC), quick response (QR) codes, stock-keeping units (SKUs) and international standard book number (ISBN) codes. A web crawler downloads pages from the World Wide Web. A determination module accesses the downloaded pages and identifies a machine-readable code corresponding to a product description included in the downloaded pages. The machine-readable code is included in a downloaded page of the downloaded pages. The determination module further extracts the product description from the downloaded page. A code database stores a record of the machine-readable code and the product description.
US09245027B2
A query may be answered when a compound result URL including a target page identifier and the query is received at a target computer system. The target page identifier may be used to identify a target page on the target computer system. A call script may then be automatically executed and cause receipt of a plurality of suggestions based on the query by the target computer system. The suggestions may include a text of the suggestion and a suggestion URL. A placement script may then be automatically executed that, for example, places the text of each suggestion on the target page. The text of each suggestion may have an associated suggestion URL. Selection of the text of the suggestion may cause redirection of the user computer based on the suggestion URL.
US09245020B2
A media party network service manages a set of media parties and a set of users of the media party service. Managing the media parties can involve instantiating new media parties according to input from the users, allowing the users to join the media parties, and tracking which users are participating in which media parties. Managing a given one of the media parties may include maintaining a queue of media items, allowing users in the media party to provide input to add media items to the queue and to provide input to skip media items in the queue. The media party service streams the given one of the media parties to client devices of the users currently in the given media party such that all of the client devices are currently displaying substantially a same part of a media item in the corresponding queue.
US09245015B2
A device analyzes first text to identify a pair of terms, within the first text, that are alias terms. The device analyzes the first text by performing two or more of: a latent semantic analysis of the pair of terms, based on the pair of terms being associated with a particular tag; a tag-based analysis that determines that the pair of terms are associated with compatible tags; a transitive analysis that determines that a pair of neighbor terms, associated with the pair of terms, are associated with compatible tags; or a co-location analysis based on a distance between the pair of terms in the first text. The device generates, based on analyzing the first text, a glossary that includes the pair of terms identified as alias terms. The device replaces terms within the first text or a second text that is different from the first text, using the glossary.
US09245008B2
In some NLP systems, queries are compared to different data sources stored in a corpus to provide an answer to the query. However, the best data sources for answering the query may not currently be contained within the corpus or the data sources in the corpus may contain stale data that provides an inaccurate answer. When receiving a query, the NLP system may evaluate the query to identify a data source that is likely to contain an answer to the query. If the data source is not currently contained within the corpus, the NLP system may ingest the data source. If the data source is already within the corpus, however, the NLP may determine a time-sensitivity value associated with at least some portion of the query. This value may then be used to determine whether the data source should be re-ingested—e.g., the information contained in the corpus is stale.
US09245005B2
An extraction program causes a computer to execute a process. The process includes adding an event to a first pattern including the events according to the sequential order, thus generating a second pattern in such a manner that the second pattern is generated by adding the event when a first value is less than a predetermined threshold; when the event is added, adding a predetermined value to the first value, and adding the predetermined value to a second value in a column corresponding to an end of the added event among second values corresponding to respective columns of a table; extracting the second pattern that satisfies a predetermined condition; and when an event in a second or subsequent column in the table is added.
US09244991B2
A method and system for interfacing with an end user to search, navigate, and combine large numbers of heterogeneous data sources with varying data characteristics. End user entered search terms are received and the end user is then presented a guided exploration including search results and search result details. The end user is also presented with a guided combination including search result combination options and combination details. Both the guided exploration and guided combination render all data from the heterogeneous data sources in a uniform data format and both can culminate in saving selected results.
US09244990B2
Various arrangements for creating a pivot table are presented. A set of stored records may be accessed. A plurality of stored records from the set of stored records may be selected to be represented in a plurality of cells of the pivot table. A graphical representation may be generated for display for each stored record of the plurality of stored records. Each graphical representation may be generated for display within a cell of the plurality of cells of the pivot table. Each graphical representation of the pivot table is actively linked with the corresponding stored record.
US09244986B2
In one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining a data set from a data source. The data set is prepared for an analysis operation according to a problem type. A result is generated from an interactive geometric node based a geometric property of the data set. A specified condition is determined with the result from the interactive geometric node based on a query to the interactive geometric node. A system's geometric configuration is determined. A geometric control criterion is determined.
US09244982B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for performing static analysis of query expressions embedded in programming language source code. According to one embodiment, performing static analysis of one or more query expressions embedded in programming language source code can comprise extracting the one or more query expressions from the programming language source code, performing the static analysis on the extracted one or more query expressions, and reporting results of performing the static analysis on the one or more query expressions, wherein the results relate errors and warning generated by performing the static analysis to the source code from which the one or more query expressions are extracted.
US09244979B2
Techniques for estimating a cost of executing a query are provided. A query includes multiple predicates, each of which is associated with a selectivity value that indicates a percentage of input that satisfies the condition of the corresponding predicate. The selectivity values are used to determine an estimated cost of executing the query. In one technique, a group of multiple predicates of a query are treated as a single predicate. Thus, a single selectivity value, rather than multiple selectivity values, is determined for that group. In a related technique, instead of determining a selectivity value of a predicate in isolation with respect to other predicates of a query, the selectivity value of a set of one or more predicates in a query is generated based on other predicates in the query.
US09244966B2
Limiting the number of concurrent requests in a database system. Arranging requests to be handled by the database system in at least one queue. Defining a maximum value (SS) of concurrent requests corresponding to the at least one queue. Monitoring at least one queue utilization parameter corresponding to the at least one queue and calculating a performance value based on the at least one queue utilization parameter. Adapting the maximum value (SS) of concurrent requests of the at least one queue dynamically based on the performance value (PF) in order to improve system performance. Limiting the number of concurrent requests of the at least one queue dynamically based on the dynamically adapted maximum value (SS).
US09244960B2
Metadata driven version management service determines one or more version operations to perform based on the properties of a device, computing environment and metadata associated with a file being versioned. The version management service allows different devices to perform different version operations based on different device properties.
US09244952B2
Disclosed are a method, a device and/or a system of editable and searchable markup pages automatically populated through query monitoring of users of a database. In one aspect, a method includes automatically generating an editable markup page and/or a page name based on an initial query of a database using a processor and a memory, associating the generated markup page with a user of the database, and appending information to the editable markup page based on a similar query of the database by another user. The method may include permitting other users of the database to access, modify, append, and/or delete entries from the editable mark-up page.
US09244951B2
A method, computer program product and system for managing tenant-specific data sets in a multi-tenant system, by receiving a request to convert a data set in a physical data store from a first type of multi-tenant deployment to a second type of multi-tenant deployment, retrieving tenant identification metadata identifying a tenant making the request, modifying the data set in the physical data store based on the second type of multi-tenant deployment, and modifying metadata associated with an abstraction layer to allow the modified data set to be accessed.
US09244946B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a method for data mining shape based data, the method includes receiving shape data for each of a plurality of data entries and creating a first abstract from the shape data for each of the plurality of data entries. The method also includes organizing the first abstracts into a plurality of groups based on a criterion and creating a second abstract for each data entry in the plurality of groups based on the criterion and information derived from the first abstract.
US09244945B2
An Internet infrastructure supports searching of images by correlating a category selection with that of plurality of images hosted in Internet based servers in selected categories. An image search server supports delivery of search result pages to a client device based upon a search image or category selection, and contains images from a plurality of Internet based web hosting servers. The image search server delivers characteristic analysis of an image to the client device upon request. The selection of images is based upon: (i) word match, that is, by selecting images, titles of which correspond to the search image; and (ii) image correlation, that is, by selecting images, image characteristics of which correlates to that of category selection. The selection of images in the search result page also occurs on the basis of popularity. The category selection server also selects category based upon user's choice.
US09244941B2
A method for proactively creating an image product includes storing a library of specification terms for image products by a computer system, receiving a command from a user, tokenizing the command into a plurality of tokens by the computer system, matching one or more of the tokens to the specification terms in the library to determine specification parameters for an image product by the computer system, automatically identifying images based on the specification parameters by the computer system, and automatically creating a design for the image product that incorporates at least some of the images identified based on the specification parameters.
US09244939B2
A method for managing I/O operations in a shared file system environment. The method includes receiving for each of a plurality of compute nodes, information associated with I/O accesses to a shared file system, and applications for executing the I/O accesses. The method includes creating application profiles, based, at least in part, on the received information. The method then includes determining execution priorities for the application, based, at least in part, on the created application profiles.
US09244936B1
A computer-implemented method for enabling deduplication of attachment files within a database is described. A database file comprising data blocks of an attachment file positioned intermittently among data blocks of the database file is inspected. A first map may be generated from the inspection of the database file and the attachment file. The data blocks of the database file and the data blocks of the attachment file are identified according to the first map. The data blocks of the database file are written to a database data file. The data blocks of the attachment file are written to an attachment data file. The attachment data file is deduplicated with at least one other data file.
US09244935B2
Aspects of the invention are provided for accessing a plurality of data elements. A page of column data is stored in a format that includes compressed and/or non-compressed elements, with the format including a plurality of arrays and a vector. Each of the arrays stores elements with common characteristics, with the vector functioning as a mapping to the stored data elements. The vector is leveraged to identify an array and determine an offset to support access to one or more of the data elements.
US09244931B2
Techniques provide time-aware ranking, such as ranking of information, files or URL (uniform resource locator) links. For example, time-aware modeling assists in determining user intent of a query to a search engine. In response to the query, results are ranked in a time-aware manner to better match the user intent. The ranking may model query, URL and query-URL pair behavior over time to create time-aware query, URL and query-URL pair models, respectively. Such models may predict behavior of a query-URL pair, such as frequency and timing of clicks to the URL of the pair when the query of the pair is posed to the search engine. Results of a query may be ranked by predicted query-URL behavior. Once ranked, the results may be sent to the user in response to the query.
US09244922B2
In a general aspect, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, via an input interface of a notification platform, updated subscriber data; comparing, using a comparison module of the notification platform, the updated subscriber data with existing subscriber data stored in a subscriber database; and, based on the results of the comparing, modifying, using a modification module of the notification platform, the existing subscriber data stored in the subscriber database.
US09244919B2
Book information describing a plurality of books is analyzed to identify the plurality of books described in the book information and create book records for the respective ones of identified books. A given book record contains fields describing attributes of a respective one of the plurality of books derived from the book information. The book records are clustered into a plurality of clusters based on the values of the fields of the book records. One or more clusters are analyzed to identify a name of a book series based on the book records therein. The book records in a cluster may further be placed in buckets representing individual books in the series and, in turn, the buckets are described based on the book information therein and organized based their description. The identified series name, bucket descriptions and organization thereof may be stored in a repository and presented to users.
US09244917B1
Techniques for generating layout may include: receiving data corresponding to images modules; determining that a set of the image modules will fit a layout; assigning image modules from the set to the layout; determining a number of possible permutations of the image modules given one or more constraints associated with images in the set of image modules; selecting a number of candidate templates to accommodate the layout, where the number of candidate templates is based on the number of permutations; filling candidate templates with image modules from the set; receiving an input selecting one of the candidate templates containing image modules from the set; and outputting data for the selected candidate template, the data for generating a display of the selected candidate template.
US09244910B2
An information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit, a determining unit, a first assigning unit, an extracting unit, a second assigning unit, a modeling unit, and an output unit. The receiving unit receives a target character string. The determining unit determines whether a sentiment character string is included in the received character string. A first assigning unit assigns a label corresponding to a sentiment character string to the character string when the sentiment character string is included, and assigns plural labels to the character string when no sentiment character string is included. The extracting unit extracts a word from the character string. The second assigning unit assigns to the extracted word a label which has been assigned to the character string that includes the word. The modeling unit performs supervised topic modeling for the character string. The output unit outputs a result of a process by the modeling unit.
US09244903B2
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems for parsing unstructured data with a plurality of pattern matching rules are disclosed. An optimized pattern matching rule for one or more respective pattern matching rules is derived from an original pattern matching rule. The optimized pattern matching rule includes an extracted text string from the respective pattern matching rule or a less complex pattern match than the respective pattern matching rule. If the extracted text string or pattern is determined to match any of the data to be parsed, application of the original pattern matching rule is bypassed. The original pattern matching rule is applied when the one or more optimized pattern matching rules match the data.
US09244901B1
A method, a computer readable medium, and a system for tagging Natural language application. In the method, utterances are analyzed using one or more rules, and a tag is assigned to the analyzed utterances based on the one or more rules. The analysis of the utterances may include determining a frequency of the utterances, and grouping the utterances by their determined frequency and their assigned tag. The frequency may represent a number of occurrences in natural language where the utterances share semantic meanings, for example. Further, the one or more rules may be prioritized, and each of the utterances may be analyzed using the prioritized rules. In this manner, meaning may be assigned to utterances such that groups of utterances may be tagged simultaneously.
US09244895B2
In particular embodiments, a method for editing a web page includes identifying a plurality of components that collectively form a programmatic representation of a first web page. At least one of the components has content that dynamically changes in response to data retrieved externally from the content. A second web page is generated. The second web page includes a plurality of parameters. Each parameter of the second web page corresponds to a respective one of the identified plurality of components. One or more modifications made to the plurality of parameters are interpreted. A programmatic representation of a third web page is generated, the generation based at least in part on the interpretation.
US09244884B2
The present invention relates to controlling an optical output device for displaying a vehicle surround view containing a vehicle model, the method comprising determining display control information for at least one vehicle component, and controlling the optical output device to display the vehicle surround view such that the vehicle model is adapted to depict the at least one vehicle component according to the display control information.
US09244880B2
Systems and methods for automatically building a deadlock free inter-communication network in a multi-core system are described. The example embodiments described herein involve deadlock detection during the mapping of user specified communication pattern amongst blocks of the system. Detected deadlocks are then avoided by re-allocation of channel resources. An example embodiment of the deadlock avoidance scheme is presented on Network-on-chip interconnects for large scale multi-core system-on-chips.
US09244879B2
A method begins by generating write requests, wherein a write request includes a payload and a protocol header. The payload includes one or more slice payload sections and a transaction number field. The protocol header includes an operation code field that indicates a write operation. The method continues, when responses to the write requests are favorable, by generating write commit requests, wherein a write commit request includes a commit payload and a commit protocol header. The commit payload includes the transaction number and the commit protocol header includes the operation code field that indicates write commit operation. The method continues, when responses to the write requests are unfavorable, by generating write rollback requests, wherein a rollback request includes a rollback payload and a rollback protocol header. The rollback payload includes the transaction number and the rollback protocol header includes the operation code field that indicates write rollback operation.
US09244870B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory system includes semiconductor memories, and a memory controller configured to control the semiconductor memories. Each of the semiconductor memories is configured to execute an internal sequence including operations and have a wait period after an end of each of the operations, to notify, during the wait period, a status signal, which notifies in advance a start of a next operation, to the memory controller, and to start the next operation upon receiving a restart instruction of the internal sequence from the memory controller.
US09244866B2
A computing device includes a hardware network component, a hardware serial component, device drivers, a network driver, and a serial driver. The hardware network component connects the computing device to other computing devices. The hardware serial component connects the computing device to peripheral devices over a serial bus. Each device driver is for one of these peripheral devices or for a peripheral device connected to a serial bus of one of the other computing devices. The network driver is for the hardware network component, and the serial driver is for the hardware serial component. The serial, network, and device drivers interact to permit the computing device to communicate with the peripheral devices of the other computing devices over a network. The device drivers for the peripheral devices of the other computing devices are unaware that these peripheral devices are not connected to the serial bus of the computing device.
US09244859B2
A bus system that has at least two lines. A bus subscriber has at least one connection element that has at least two contacts that can each be connected to one of the lines. An address allocation device can be used to ascertain an address for the bus subscriber in the bus system on the basis of a respective connection state of the contacts with respect to the lines. Also, a method allocates addresses in the bus system.
US09244856B2
An enhanced dynamic address translation facility is provided. In one embodiment, a virtual address to be translated and an initial origin address of a translation table of the hierarchy of translation tables are obtained. An index portion of the virtual address is used to reference an entry in the translation table. If a format control field contained in the translation table entry is enabled, the table entry contains a frame address of a large block of data of at least 1M byte in size. The frame address is then combined with an offset portion of the virtual address to form the translated address of a small 4K byte block of data in main storage or memory.
US09244845B2
The present disclosure is directed to hardware hash tables, and more specifically, to generation of a cache coherent system such as in a Network on Chip (NoC). The present disclosure is further directed to a directory structure that includes a new field, referred to, for instance as, encoded value, which indicates the original owner of a dirty line. As an original holder may have held or modified the original line, by tracking the original holder, example implementations can track the agents that are potentially dirty, as the encoded value can indicate the agent with the most recently unique line, which can then be shared with the other agents.
US09244840B2
A method and circuit arrangement selectively swizzle data in one or more levels of cache memory coupled to a processing unit based upon one or more swizzle-related page attributes stored in a memory address translation data structure such as an Effective To Real Translation (ERAT) or Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB). A memory address translation data structure may be accessed, for example, in connection with a memory access request for data in a memory page, such that attributes associated with the memory page in the data structure may be used to control whether data is swizzled, and if so, how the data is to be formatted in association with handling the memory access request.
US09244833B2
FLASH memory is allocated to provide a data-storage device and management tables. The management tables may record logical-to-physical address mapping information in a hierarchical structure consisting of at least two levels. Further, in addition to the logical-to-physical address mapping information, the management tables may further provide a valid page count table and an invalid block record. The logical-to-physical address mapping information is updated after an update of the valid page count table is completed. The invalid block record is maintained based on the valid page count table.
US09244816B2
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: determining, by the session establishment node, that a session should be established for the developer; transmitting, to a sandbox server, an instruction to establish a sandbox for the session; transmitting to the sandbox server, an identification of an emulator associated with the session; and notifying the developer when the sandbox is available for use. Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, by the sandbox server, an instruction to establish a sandbox; establishing the sandbox on the sandbox server; and instantiating a device emulator on the sandbox.
US09244808B2
A process for determining a problematic condition while running software includes: loading a first pattern data set having a symptom code module, a problematic condition determination module, and a set of responsive action module(s), generating a runtime symptom code in response to a first problematic condition being caused by the running of the software on the computer, determining that the runtime symptom code matches a symptom code corresponding to the first pattern data set, determining that the first problematic condition caused the generation of the runtime symptom code, and taking a responsive action from a set of responsive action(s) that corresponds to the first problematic condition.
US09244807B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to diagnostic evaluation of hardware components of a computer machine. A conventional storage device is replaced with a modified storage device. Read and write operations are received by the modified storage device. Issuance of a response to the read and write operations is limited to an acknowledgement receipt, which is employed to evaluate performance and/or bandwidth of the machines with respect to hardware for data storage.
US09244802B2
This document describes techniques for presenting a resource user interface. These techniques present, in a summary section of a user interface, multiple selectable resource tiles that each include real-time and/or static information corresponding to one of multiple resources of a computing device. Each of the multiple selectable resource tiles are presented simultaneously, which enables a user to compare live, real-time resource usage for different resources of the computing device. Further, these techniques present, in a detailed view section of the user interface, additional real-time resource information and/or a real-time resource graph corresponding to a selected one of the multiple resources.
US09244796B2
A method, system, and computer program product for a diagnostic heartbeat throttling are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A component, executing using a processor and a memory in a data processing system, sends diagnostic heartbeat packets over a communication link at a first rate, wherein a diagnostic heartbeat packet is a packet comprises a header, a set of heartbeat parameters, and a set of diagnostic attributes. The component detects a change in data traffic over the communication link. The component changes a rate of sending diagnostic heartbeat packets from the first rate to a second rate responsive to the change in the data traffic over the communication link.
US09244794B2
A device and method for providing computer operation diagnostics. The method includes coupling a mobile device (such as a mobile smartphone) to the computer via a diagnostic port. The smartphone has a diagnostic program (application) thereon that is initiated so as to be able to communicate with a diagnostic module within the computer to request and receive information from the computer.
US09244790B1
According to one embodiment, a diagnostic parameter of a target storage disk of a storage system is received. A first weight factor is determined from a first quantile distribution representation based on a value of the diagnostic parameter, where the first quantile distribution representation represents a quantile distribution of values of the diagnostic parameter of a set of known failed disks. A second weight factor is determined from a second quantile distribution representation based on the value of the diagnostic parameter, where the second quantile distribution representation represents a quantile distribution of values of the diagnostic parameter of a set of known working disks. A third weight factor is determined for the diagnostic parameter for the target storage disk based on the first weight factor and the second weight factor and a probability of potential disk failure of the target storage disk is determined based on the third weight factor.
US09244789B2
A monitoring device specifies a failure part in a first device group including a plurality of information processing devices and a relay device relaying access of the plurality of information processing devices. The monitoring device includes a determination unit and a test controller. The determination unit determines whether one or more destination addresses of information transmitted from the relay device to outside of the first device group, include an address of a storage device included in a second device group connected to the first device group through the relay device, where the storage device is a destination of access of at least one of the plurality of information processing devices. The test controller causes one of the plurality of information processing devices to execute a communication test with respect to the address of the storage device.
US09244785B2
The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable power sequencing and data hardening in a storage device. In one aspect, a method includes, in response to a first signal received by the storage device, performing a soft power fail operation on a first section of the storage device. The soft power fail operation including: (1) signaling a power fail condition to a first plurality of controllers on the storage device, where the first plurality of controllers correspond to the first section of the storage device, (2) transferring data held in volatile memory of the storage device to non-volatile memory of the storage device, and (3) removing power from the first plurality of controllers.
US09244771B2
Fault tolerant operation is disclosed for a primary instance, such as a process, thread, application, processor, etc., using an active copy-cat instance, a.k.a. backup instance, that mirrors operations in the primary instance, but only after those operations have successfully completed in the primary instance. Fault tolerant logic monitors inputs and outputs of the primary instance and gates those inputs to the backup instance once a given input has been processed. The outputs of the backup instance are then compared with the outputs of the primary instance to ensure correct operation. The disclosed embodiments further relate to fault tolerant failover mechanism allowing the backup instance to take over for the primary instance in a fault situation wherein the primary and backup instances are loosely coupled, i.e. they need not be aware that they are operating in a fault tolerant environment.
US09244769B2
A system and method for offset protection data in a RAID array. A computer system comprises client computers and data storage arrays coupled to one another via a network. A data storage array utilizes solid-state drives and Flash memory cells for data storage. A storage controller within a data storage array is configured to store user data in a first page of a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices; generate intra-device protection data corresponding to the user data, and store the intra-device protection data at a first offset within the first page. The controller is further configured to generate inter-device protection data corresponding to the first page, and store the inter-device protection data at a second offset within a second page in a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the first offset is different from the second offset.
US09244768B2
A dispersed storage device manages a file system directory of a dispersed storage network by receiving a data object to be stored and a user file name of the data object, calculating a data compression function of the data object, creating a file identifier based on a result of the data compression function, creating a source name for the data object using the file identifier and linking the user file name to the source name in the file system directory.
US09244754B2
Disclosed are an error code conversion method and system, a Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) server and a mobile terminal, and the method includes: a PPPoE server parses a PPPoE error code generated during a dialup process, converts the PPPoE error code to an extended error code according to a PPPoE error code conversion rule table preconfigured on the PPPoE server and transmits the extended error code to a mobile terminal; the mobile terminal receives the extended error code, interprets the extended error code into a plain text according to a PPPoE error code conversion rule table configured on the mobile terminal in advance and displays the plain text to a user. The present disclosure improves capability of a PPPoE server and a terminal for processing errors, thus making it convenient for the mobile terminal and an operator to control a PPPoE dialup process and for a user to surf the Internet through WiFi by rapidly using PPPoE dialup functionality.
US09244752B2
An apparatus for detecting media flaws includes a branch metric selection circuit operable to select a first branch metric and a second branch metric, a subtraction circuit operable to subtract the second branch metric from the first branch metric to yield a difference, and a comparator operable to compare the difference with a threshold value and to indicate a presence of a potential flaw in a storage medium when the difference is less than the threshold value.
US09244747B2
Systems and methods that allow for Dynamic Clock and Voltage Scaling (DCVS) aware interprocessor communications among processors such as those used in or with a portable computing device (“PCD”) are presented. During operation of the PCD at least one data packet is received at a first processing component. Additionally, the first processing component also receives workload information about a second processing component operating under dynamic clock and voltage scaling (DCVS). A determination is made, based at least in part on the received workload information, whether to send the at least one data packet from the first processing component to the second processing component or to a buffer, providing a cost effective ability to reduce power consumption and improved battery life in PCDs with multi-cores or multi-CPUs implementing DCVS algorithms or logic.
US09244746B2
A processing device comprises an instruction execution unit and track and combing logic to combine a plurality of transactions into a single combined transaction. The track and combine logic comprises a transaction monitoring module to monitor an execution of a plurality of transactions by the instruction execution unit, each of the plurality of transactions comprising a transaction begin instruction, at least one operation instruction and a transaction end instruction. The track and combine logic further comprises a transaction combination module to identify, in view of the monitoring, a subset of the plurality of transactions to combine into a single combined transaction for execution on the processing device and to combine the identified subset of the plurality of transactions into the single combined transaction, the single combined transaction comprising a single transaction begin instruction, a plurality of operation instructions corresponding to the subset of the plurality of transactions and a single transaction end instruction.
US09244741B2
When service requirements require moving of services registered with an object request broker (ORB) at a source server, continuity of service to service requests from clients may be provided by queuing the service requests at the source server. A server context with the same GUID as a source server context may be established at a destination server. URLs for the moved services may be registered with a destination ORB which may then begin receiving service requests. The source server may then respond to the queued service requests with respective URLs for the services registered at the destination ORB. Endpoints at the clients may be updated with the new URLs prior to resending the service requests. The movement of the ORB to the destination server may thus be transparent to the client application.
US09244736B2
Thinning operating systems can include monitoring a number of functionalities of an operating system, the number of functionalities of the operating system being provided by a number of computing components loaded thereon. Thinning operating systems can include automatically identifying an undesired functionality of the number of functionalities during runtime and removing from the operating system at least one of the number of computing components providing the undesired functionality as a result of the automatic identification to thin the OS.
US09244735B2
Data analysis applications include model building components and stream processing components. To increase utility of the data analysis application, in one embodiment, the model building component of the data analysis application is managed. Management includes resource allocation and/or configuration adaptation of the model building component, as examples.
US09244732B2
A thread (or other resource consumer) is compensated for contention for system resources in a computer system having at least one processor core, a last level cache (LLC), and a main memory. In one embodiment, at each descheduling event of the thread following an execution interval, an effective CPU time is determined. The execution interval is a period of time during which the thread is being executed on the central processing unit (CPU) between scheduling events. The effective CPU time is a portion of the execution interval that excludes delays caused by contention for microarchitectural resources, such as time spent repopulating lines from the LLC that were evicted by other threads. The thread may be compensated for microarchitectural contention by increasing its scheduling priority based on the effective CPU time.
US09244731B2
A migration management apparatus includes a first decision unit, a second decision unit, and a migration processing unit. The first decision unit simulates the migration of each virtual machine being a migration target to decide a migration destination. The second decision unit decides a migration mode of the virtual machine whose migration destination has been decided by the first decision unit based on the power status of the virtual machine. The migration processing unit, upon the migration destinations and migration modes of the virtual machines being the migration targets having been decided, migrates the virtual machines to the respective migration destinations decided by the first decision unit in the respective migration modes decided by the second decision unit.
US09244725B2
In a data processing system having a processor core and a shared memory system including a cache memory that supports the processor core, a transactional memory access request is issued by the processor core in response to execution of a memory access instruction in a memory transaction undergoing execution by the processor core. In response to receiving the transactional memory access request, dispatch logic of the cache memory evaluates the transactional memory access request for dispatch, where the evaluation includes determining whether the memory transaction has a failing transaction state. In response to determining the memory transaction has a failing transaction state, the dispatch logic refrains from dispatching the memory access request for service by the cache memory and refrains from updating at least replacement order information of the cache memory in response to the transactional memory access request.
US09244721B2
Each execution computer measures a load on each execution computer, generates a job request including information about the number of executable divided jobs based on the measured load, and sends the generated job request to a management computer which manages each execution computer. The management computer receives the job request and assigns as many divided jobs as the number of divided jobs designated by the job request to each execution computer.
US09244720B2
A technique to provision a converted infrastructure (CI) includes generating task definitions to configure respective ones of compute, storage, and network components of a converged infrastructure (CI) when invoked. Each task definition includes a task identifier (ID), one or more component configuration commands, and one or more task arguments through which one or more corresponding component configuration parameters are passed to corresponding ones of the one or more component commands. The technique further includes automatically invoking each of the task definitions by task ID according to an ordered sequence in order to configure the CI. The automatically invoking includes providing the one or more component configuration commands and the corresponding one or more passed configuration parameters of each invoked task definition to the respective ones of the CI components.
US09244707B2
Embodiments are directed to dynamically transforming user interface actions into executable script commands and to storing groups of executable script commands related to specific tasks. In an embodiment, a computer system tracks user interface actions at a software program user interface. The computer system transforms the user interface actions into an executable script command. The script command is configured to perform the tracked user interface action when executed. The computer system also dynamically displays the resulting executable script commands in a script command window as the user interface actions are entered by the computer user. The computer system may further determine that multiple user interface actions correspond to a specified task and store the resulting executable script commands related to the specified task as a combined group of executable script commands.
US09244703B2
A server system for providing a plurality of virtual machines constructed on a physical machine with a physical resource is provided. Each virtual machines includes an OS recognizing the physical resource allocated to the virtual machine as a resource in the virtual machine and a software management unit for securing the resource recognized by the OS and allocating the resource to a plurality of pieces of business application software registered in the virtual machine. The software management unit identifies the plurality of pieces of business application software and allocates the resource to the same plurality of pieces of business application software according to a preset policy to allocate the resource. When the software management unit detects an increase or decrease of the resource allocated to the virtual machine, it changes allocation of the resource to the plurality of pieces of business application software according to the change in resources.
US09244701B2
Methods are disclosed for system scenario-based design for an embedded platform whereon a dynamic application is implemented. The application meets at least one guaranteed constraint. Temporal correlations are assumed in the behavior of internal data variables used in the application, with the internal data variables representing parameters used for executing a portion of the application. An example method includes determining a distribution over time of an N-dimensional cost function, with N an integer number N≧1, corresponding to the implementation on the platform for a set of combinations of the internal data variables. The method also includes partitioning an N-dimensional cost space in at least two bounded regions, each bounded region containing cost combinations corresponding to combinations of values of the internal data variables of the set that have similar cost and frequency of occurrence, whereby one bounded region is provided for rarely occurring cost combinations.
US09244680B2
A method for examining document of a software product against a list of strings files of an interface of the software product to detect whether the document includes list of strings of the interface is provided. The method includes determination of source files of the document. The method further includes a search for string files of the interface that are present in the document. The method further includes comparison of the string files against the source files. Responsive to the comparison, if no match of the source files and the string files is found, an invalid status of the document is found, and wherein if a match is found, the document is flagged with a valid status.
US09244669B2
Disclosed examples to configure an application for deployment across a plurality of deployment environments involve displaying a user-selectable control in a user interface. The user-selectable control is to specify whether the application is to be deployed across the plurality of deployment environments. Based on selection of the user-selectable control, a blueprint of the application stores an indication of whether the application is to be deployed across the plurality of deployment environments. Based on the indication in the blueprint, an application deployment profile is generated to specify the plurality of deployment environments across which to deploy the application.
US09244665B1
In one aspect, a method for optimizing execution of dynamic language code is provided, the method includes identifying a first dynamic language function call during runtime, the function call including argument values for one or more arguments of the function, calculating a type signature for the one or more argument values of the function, determining if a function associated with the type signature is stored in a cache, looking up the function in the cache when the function associated with the type signature is stored in the cache and dynamically calling the function associated with the type signature when the specialized function for the type signature is not stored in the cache.
US09244659B2
A method for capturing patterns and associated points of variability includes providing an XML schema defining elements representing different point of variability (POV) types for a pattern. The elements belong to an XML schema “substitution group” to enable the POV types to be substituted for one another. In selected embodiments, the method enables a pattern author to add new or custom POV types to the “substitution group,” thereby allowing the pattern author to extend the pattern meta model to include new POV types. Once the desired POV types are defined, the method enables the pattern author to generate an instance of the XML schema, defining the points of variability for a specific pattern, using the elements defined in the XML schema “substitution group.” A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed and claimed herein.
US09244651B2
A method for managing document revisions. The method includes receiving a request to access a parent file stored on a server, where the parent file is associated with one or more child files; determining whether a first option is enabled that is associated with selecting a latest version or revision of a child file, where a revision includes one or more versions; determining whether a second option is enabled, where the second option is associated with selecting a released version or revision of a child file; and, for each child file, providing access to a version or revision of the child file based on whether the first option is enabled and whether the second option is enabled.
US09244648B2
The present invention relates to the field of video processing. Disclosed are a multi-processor video processing system and video image synchronous transmission and display method therein. Via PCIE bus technology, synchronous transmission and tiled display of video image in the multi-CPU system is implemented. In the present invention, the multi-processor system includes multiple processors that are connected via a PCIE bus and each comprises a display unit and a decoding unit; a memory area of the display unit comprises two buffers, a read information packet containing a read flag, and a write information packet containing a write flag. The method includes the following steps: a decoding unit generating a frame of uncompressed image, performing the following steps on each corresponding display unit: if the read and write flags corresponding to the display unit are equal, sending, by calling the PCIE bus or using local transmission, the image to an idle buffer indicated by the write flag, and negating the write flag; each display unit querying for corresponding read and write flags according to a display refresh frequency; if the read and write flags are not equal, using the buffer indicated by the read flag as a storage area for data to be displayed next time, and setting the read flag to a write flag value.
US09244644B2
A method for operating a circuit board, where: the circuit board is mounted within a printer; a first system on a first chip and a second system on a second chip are mounted on the circuit board; the first system on the first chip comprises a receiver and a transmitter; and the second system on the second chip comprises a first processing module and a second processing module. The method includes wirelessly receiving a first radio frequency signal at the receiver. A second radio frequency signal is generated based on the first radio frequency signal. The second radio frequency signal is wirelessly transmitted from the transmitter. The transmitter is implemented in the first system on the first chip. A data signal is generated based on the first radio frequency signal via the first processing module. A printing process is implemented based on the data signal via the second processing module.
US09244631B2
In a Multi Level Cell (MLC) memory array, a burst of data from a host may be written in only lower pages of a block in a rapid manner. Other data from a host may be written in lower and upper pages so that data is more efficiently arranged for long term storage.
US09244630B2
Embodiments relate to providing normalization techniques for reference data in an in-memory data grid. An aspect includes monitoring object creation and access in an in-memory data grid and identifying reference data in an object field of a plurality of object instances. A reference map for the object field is created and the reference map is replicated across all partitions of the in-memory data grid. The reference data of an embodiment is stored in the reference map and the object field is updated to identify the reference map. Accordingly, the reference data may be accessed using the created reference map.
US09244627B2
An erasure system and method for sorting, tracking, and erasing a plurality of data storage devices using enterprise hardware and software designed for data storage. The erasure system may include a server, drive arrays having receptacles for communicably coupling with the data storage devices, and a drive array controller configured for communicably coupling the server with the drive arrays. The server may receive specification information regarding each of the drive arrays and each of the data storage devices in the receptacles of the drive arrays for erasure and logging purposes. Then the server may overwrite each of the data storage devices according to the DoD 5220.22-M standard, thereby erasing the data storage devices. The server may also create log files corresponding to each of the data storage devices, including information like time, date, and if the erasure of the data storage device is complete or has failed.
US09244622B2
A storage system 100, which has a plurality of flash packages 230, has a function for minimizing the imbalance of the number of deletions of each block inside the flash package 230 and a block-unit capacity virtualization function, and efficiently manifests lessening of the imbalance of the number of deletions and reduction in the data storage capacity for the entire storage system 100 by having functions for calculating the number of deletions and the data occupancy of each flash package 230, and for transferring data between the flash packages 230 on the basis of the values of these number of deletions and data occupancy.
US09244611B2
A system and method for performing actions via a keyboard application of a computing device is described. In some examples, a contextual keyboard facilitates the entry of text and the performance of actions across applications supported by a device. For example, the contextual keyboard may receive a word macro and/or a gesture, and determine that the received word macro and/or gesture is a command to perform one or more actions. Example actions to be performed include searching for information, storing information, posting information, sending information, enhancing information, and so on.
US09244598B1
An interactive centerpiece system includes a plurality of tablet computers with interactive display devices for displaying slideshows of photograph image data. A substantially flat base with opposing upper and lower surfaces is also provided. The base is formed to lay flat on a table in a table position whereat a base central axis that is perpendicular to both the upper and lower surfaces substantially aligns with a geometric center of the table, to surround a surface area defined by an outer perimeter, about which the plurality of docking stations, into which one of the tablet computers is fixed, are arranged at substantially equal distances from each other. The docking stations are configured to face the interactive display devices outward and define a usable area between the docking stations and the base central axis for uses including receiving traditional event centerpieces.
US09244595B2
Techniques for sorting and filtering a list in a space-constrained viewing area are described. A filter widget and a list of items are displayed in a view of an electronic display screen. In response to user input selecting the filter widget, and without changing to a different view, a filter category overlay is displayed in the view to provide various selectable filter categories. In response to selection of a filter category, a visual depiction of the selected filter category is displayed in the view. The list of items is filtered according to the selected filter category and displayed in the view without changing to any other view. Subsequently added visual depictions are linearly stacked in the view. Further, a filter modification overlay, which provides selectable filtering attributes, is displayed upon selection of a visual depiction.
US09244589B2
Processes and systems are disclosed for determining attributes of a roof structure of real-world three-dimensional building(s), including providing computer input field(s) for a user to input location data generally corresponding to the location of the building, providing visual access to a nadir image of a region including the roof structure of the building; on the nadir image of the region, providing a visual marker that is moveable on the computer monitor around the region, the visual marker initially corresponding to the location data but which may be moved to a final location, having location coordinates, on top of the building to more precisely identify the location of the building roof structure; providing a computer input capable of signaling user-acceptance of the final location of the marker; and, providing visual access to one or more oblique images of an aerial imagery database corresponding to location coordinates of the final location.
US09244588B2
Techniques are disclosed to facilitate group activities in a virtual environment. An indication is conveyed of a region surrounding a first avatar as being a group activity region, upon detecting that the first avatar is leading a first group activity in the virtual environment. The region is defined by proximity to the first avatar. A second avatar is allowed to participate in the first group activity with the first avatar in the region, only when the second avatar is within the region surrounding the first avatar in the virtual environment.
US09244582B2
A touch panel may include a substrate; a printing part formed on a bezel area of the substrate; and a plurality of electrodes provided on the substrate and the printing part and including conductive wires configuring a plurality of unit cells having a mesh shape. Portions of wires configuring each of the plurality of unit cells overlapped with a boundary line between the substrate and the printing part among the plurality of unit cells are disconnected.
US09244575B2
A touch screen includes a base substrate, a bundle of rectangular wirings in a column direction including a plurality of detection column wirings that are electrically connected in common, and a bundle of rectangular wirings in a row direction including a plurality of detection row wirings that are electrically connected in common, the bundle of wirings being formed on the base substrate. Also, a plurality of block areas obtained by dividing an intersection area in which the bundle of wirings in the column direction and the bundle of wirings in the row direction intersect in a plan view are defined, and only the detection column wiring or only the detection row wiring is provided in each of the block areas.
US09244574B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a processing system for an input device including a sensor module having sensor circuitry. The sensor module may be coupled to transmitter electrodes, receiver electrodes, and a shield electrode. The sensor module may be configured for transmitting transmitter signals with the transmitter electrodes, receiving resulting signals with the receiver electrodes, and transitioning the shield electrode from a first voltage to a second voltage during a non-sensing time period. The resulting signals may include effects which correspond to the transmitter signals. The input device may further include a determination module configured for determining positional information for an input object based at least in part on the resulting signals.
US09244573B2
The present invention relates to a capacitive touch panel and a method for manufacturing the same, in which the material having lower resistance than that of ITO is filled in the intaglio formed on the resin layer, which is patterned to form the embedded sensing electrode and the sensing electrodes and the wiring electrodes are formed at the same time by using the same resistance material; in which the capacitive touch panel includes a first sensing layer formed with a plurality of first direction sensing electrodes, which are patterned and a plurality of first wiring electrodes; and a second sensing layer formed with a plurality of second direction sensing electrodes, which are patterned and a plurality of second wiring electrodes; in which the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer are bonded in the mutual vertical direction.
US09244557B2
An input device includes a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface located opposite to the first main surface; a protective member having an opposed surface opposite to the first main surface; a bonding member configured to bond the first main surface and the opposed surface to each other; a first coloring member disposed between the first main surface and the opposed surface, the first coloring member being in contact with the bonding member; and a second coloring member disposed on the second main surface and having a color different from a color of the first coloring member.
US09244554B2
A touch sensing film structure including a touch-sensitive device layer, a water/oxygen barrier layer and a flexible substrate is provided. The touch-sensitive device layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The water/oxygen barrier layer is formed on the first surface or the second surface or integrated with the touch-sensitive device layer to form a multi-function layer. The flexible substrate can stack with the water/oxygen barrier layer and the touch-sensitive device layer, or stack with the multi-function layer.
US09244549B2
A user input apparatus and method may measure, using a first sensor, surface input information that is applied to a surface of a user input apparatus, may measure, using a second sensor, orientation information that is input based on a physical quantity associated with a pose or a rotary motion of the user input apparatus, and may generate a content control signal by combining the surface input information and the orientation information.
US09244546B2
Provided is a display device having a viewing angle changing function, which is capable of preventing leakage of information displayed on a display screen even when there is a fault generated in changing the viewing angle. The image display device including a viewing angle changing element capable of changing a wide vision display and a narrow vision display and including a display element is provided with a detection element which detects a fault generated in the viewing angle changing element and a module for changing to a narrow vision display when there is a fault based on a detection value of the detection element. For example, when there is a fault, a transparent heater is operated to heat a liquid crystal layer to set a transparent-scattering changing element to a transparent state and forcibly set the display device to a narrow vision display.
US09244543B1
Systems, methods, and devices for monitoring use of a tip of a stylus, determining an amount of wear of or life remaining in the tip, and notifying a user when to replace the tip are disclosed. The tip should be replaced to avoid an abrasive material of the tip from being exposed and contacting a touch screen or other surface of a computing device to avoid scratching or otherwise damaging the touch screen or other surface of the computing device. The computing device or the stylus device may perform one or more of the monitoring, determining, or prompting steps.
US09244542B2
A stylus device for use with a display of a computing device, the stylus device including: a compressible member with a first end of the compressible member being for mounting to a central stem of the stylus device; and a guide structure configured to be mounted to a body of the stylus device, the guide structure having an engaging portion configured to frictionally engage the compressible member as a second end of the compressible member protrudes from the guide structure.
US09244534B2
A mobile terminal includes a transparent keypad having a plurality of key regions, a first transparent sheet having first conductive patterns to detect touch inputs on respective ones of the key regions, a plurality of luminous elements aligned with the key regions, and a second transparent sheet having second conductive patterns coupled to respective ones of the luminous elements. The first and second conductive patterns are transparent and the second conductive patterns deliver signals to the luminous elements to light the key regions. The keypad may be mounted on a slider for sliding into and out of a main body of the terminal.
US09244533B2
Techniques for managing a presentation of information in a gesture-based system, where gestures are derived from a user's body position or motion in the physical space, may enable a user to use gestures to control the manner in which the information is presented or to otherwise interact with the gesture-based system. A user may present information to an audience to an audience using gestures that control aspects of the system, or multiple users may work together using gestures to control aspects of the system. Thus, in an example embodiment, a single user can control the presentation of information to the audience via gestures. In another example embodiment, multiple participants can share control of the presentation via gestures captured by a capture device or otherwise interact with the system to control aspects of the presentation.
US09244532B2
A method includes displaying information via a first display, displaying information via a second display, controlling the information displayed via the first display and the second display with a controller, and receiving a first input from a user through a user interface. The first input includes a command to change a setting of the first display or the second display and/or the information being displayed via the first display or the second display. The method also includes generating a first haptic effect to confirm receipt of the first input.
US09244530B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for providing virtual artifacts using mobile devices. In one aspect, methods include receiving a signal indicating user input to a touchscreen display of a mobile computing device, detecting motion of the mobile computing device, the motion mimicking motion associated with a physical artifact, identifying a function based on the user input and the motion, the function corresponding to a function that can be physically performed using the physical artifact, executing the function on the mobile device, and generating feedback to a user of the mobile device, the feedback indicating execution of the function.
US09244521B2
Particular embodiments described herein provide for an apparatus that includes a means for determining a power state for a device connected to a system, a means for determining that the device should change power states, and means for sending a signal to the device to put the device in a D3-cold state while the system is a GO/SO state. In an embodiment, the device is a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) device. Also, the particular example implementation can include means for sending a WAKE# signal from a controller to the device to cause the device to exit the D3-cold state, wherein the WAKE# signal was sent from a designated WAKE# signal pin on the controller. In some embodiments, the WAKE# signal is not sent to other devices in the system.
US09244515B2
A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of circuit parts; a global power source; a plurality of power source supply circuits; and a plurality of local power source control circuits provided in correspondence to the plurality of circuit parts, wherein each of the plurality of power source supply circuits includes a plurality of discrete supply switches, each of the plurality of local power source control circuits includes: a delay monitor circuit having a delay path whose amount of delay changes in accordance with a change in the voltage value of the local power source, and whose output logical value changes in accordance with the amount of delay of the delay path; and a switch control circuit configured to control the number of the plurality of discrete supply switches based on the output logical value of the delay monitor circuit.
US09244510B1
A method may include storing bug reports in a memory, where a particular one of the bug reports describes a software bug and includes information about a modeling application. The method may further include receiving, from another computer device, a request for bug reports relevant to a model generated using the modeling application, where the request includes information about the model; identifying one or more relevant bug reports, in the stored bug reports, by comparing the information about the modeling application, included in the stored bug reports, with the information about the model, included in the received request; and providing information about the one or more relevant bug reports to the other computer device.
US09244509B2
An uninterruptible power system and a power control system thereof are disclosed. The power control system includes the uninterruptible power system and a computer system. The uninterruptible power system supplies power to the computer system and includes an external power adaptor, a battery module, a first switch module, a second switch module, and a switching control module. When external power is input, the external power is transmitted to the computer system via the external power adaptor. When the external power is not input, the first switch module switches automatically to supply a backup power signal from the battery module to the computer system. When the external power is not input and a control signal is not received from the computer system, the switching control module controls the second switch module to electrically disconnect a connection between the computer system and the battery module.
US09244503B2
A storage device includes a connector with first to ninth pins, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) control chip, a universal serial bus (USB) control chip, and a storage chip. Voltage terminals of the SATA control chip, the USB control chip, and the storage chip are connected to the first pin of the connector. Second, third, fifth, and sixth signal terminals of the SATA control chip are connected to the fifth pin, the sixth pins, the eighth pin, and the ninth pin of the connector, respectively. Output terminals of the SATA control chip and the USB control chip are connected to a signal terminal of the storage chip. Second, third, fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth signal terminals of the USB control chip are connected to the second pin, the third pin, the fifth pin, the sixth pin, the eighth pin, and the ninth pin of the connector, respectively.
US09244502B2
An information handling system (IHS) comprising a chassis, a motherboard disposed within the chassis, a management controller (MC) coupled to the motherboard and a network attached storage (NAS) coupled to the MC wherein the MC provides access to the NAS. An IHS may further include and input/output (I/O) module (IOM) disposed within the chassis, at least one blade and a keyboard video mouse (KVM) module, wherein the NAS is directly accessible to the IOM, blade(s) and KVM module.
US09244493B2
A charger includes a main body and a keyboard module received in the main body. The main body includes a case, a printed circuit board and a fastening member received in the housing. The fastening member includes two fastening frames formed on two opposite sides of the housing. The keyboard module includes a supporting member, a keyboard assembly, and a flexible circuit board electrically connected with the printed circuit board. The keyboard assembly is disposed on the supporting member. Two opposite sides of one of the two fastening frames and the supporting member respectively define a guiding slot, and two opposite sides of another one of the two fastening frames and the supporting member respectively form a track. The two tracks are separately received in the corresponding guiding slots. The supporting member and the keyboard assembly can slide out from the housing along the tracks.
US09244489B2
A display device includes a chassis and a cable. The chassis includes two first sidewalls and two second sidewalls. A receiving hole is defined in the chassis and includes two first receiving portions and two second receiving portions. Each first receiving portion is defined in each first sidewall, and each second receiving portion is defined in each second sidewall. The cable is received in the receiving hole.
US09244485B1
Devices, systems, and methods for spread spectrum clock generation are disclosed. The devices, systems, and methods generate a clock signal at a frequency and generate a voltage output based on the frequency of the clock signal, wherein the generated voltage output is indicative of the frequency of the generated clock signal. The devices, systems, and methods also compare the frequency of the clock signal generated to a desired frequency output by comparing the generated voltage output to a voltage reference and adjust the frequency of the clock signal generated based on the results of the comparison.
US09244484B2
Embodiments of the present invention may be realized in a fractional-N spread spectrum clock (SSC) generator utilizing an SSC state machine generating a single clock gating signal to drive a fractional-N phase locked loop (PLL) frequency multiplier to generate an SSC output clock. The SSC generator leverages upon the development of the digital PLL to implement the SSC generator within the final core PLL. The SSC generator only requires a relatively low base frequency reference clock and digital programming including an SSC rate and a modulation definition signal to produce the fractional-N spread spectrum output clock. The SSC generator results in cost savings through a high frequency SSC output clock generator that utilizes a relatively slow reference clock without the need for multiple high frequency clocks or multiple feedback clocks to drive the PLL.
US09244481B2
A vehicle pedal assembly with a rotatable pedal. A hysteresis assembly includes a friction device and plunger, and first and second springs that are all separate and decoupled from each other and the pedal. The first spring exerts a force against the friction plunger that forces the friction device into frictional contact with the housing to generate and transfer a resistance force to the pedal. The first spring also exerts a force against the pedal when a foot force is removed from the pedal to return the pedal to idle with and without the movement of the friction device and without the force of the second spring. The second spring exerts a force against the friction device when the foot force is removed to return the pedal to idle without the force of the first spring. Barriers block the entry of debris into the housing.
US09244480B2
A control device includes at least one push-button (3) slideably mounted in a shell (1) in a push-button direction (P) substantially perpendicular to the shell (1), and elastic elements (50) that tend to cause the button (3) to emerge from the shell (1) and retaining elements (4, 30) that limit the travel of the button (3) against the action of the elastic elements (50). The retaining elements include at least one hook (30) of the button (3) of which a nose (300) projects perpendicularly to the push-button direction (P), and a rod (4) running parallel to the shell (1) to form an end stop for the button (3) in collaboration with the nose (300) of the hook (30), the rod (4) being mounted removably in the shell (1).
US09244478B2
Self-biasing transistor switching circuitry includes a main transistor, a biasing transistor, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor. The body of the main transistor is isolated from the gate, the drain, and the source of the main transistor by an insulating layer. The first capacitor is coupled between the source and the gate of the main transistor. The second capacitor is coupled between the source and the body of the main transistor. The body and the drain of the main transistor are coupled together. The gate and the drain of the biasing transistor are coupled to the gate of the main transistor. The drain of the biasing transistor is coupled to the drain of the main transistor. The self-biasing transistor switching circuitry is adapted to receive an oscillating signal at the drain of the main transistor, and use the oscillating signal to appropriately bias the main transistor.
US09244477B2
An improved reference voltage (Vref) generator useable, for example, in sensing data on single-ended channels is disclosed. The Vref generator can be placed on the integrated circuit containing the receivers, or may be placed off chip. In one embodiment, the Vref generator comprises an adjustable-resistance voltage divider in combination with a current source. The voltage divider is referenced to I/O power supplies Vddq and Vssq, with Vref being generated at a node intervening between the adjustable resistances of the voltage divider. The current source injects a current into the Vref node and into a non-varying Thevenin equivalent resistance formed of the same resistors used in the voltage divider. So constructed, the voltage generated equals the sum of two terms: a first term comprising the slope between Vref and Vddq, and a second term comprising a Vref offset. Each of these terms can be independently adjusted in first and second modes: the slope term via the voltage divider, and the offset term by the magnitude of the injected current. Use of the disclosed Vref generator in one useful implementation allows Vref to be optimized at two different values for Vddq.
US09244476B2
According to an exemplary implementation, an electronic ballast includes an input filter coupled to a resonant tank. The resonant tank is configured to generate a resonant current. The input filter is configured to receive an AC input voltage and to generate an AC input current from the resonant current by smoothing the resonant current. The electronic ballast also includes a half-bridge configured to feed the resonant tank so as to generate the resonant current and to receive a supply voltage that is in phase with the AC input voltage. The electronic ballast can also include a controller configured to control a power factor of the electronic ballast by switching the half-bridge. The controller can be configured to adjust a shape of the AC input current by adjusting switching of the half-bridge to thereby adjust a power factor of the electronic ballast.
US09244474B2
Hazard detection systems according to embodiments described herein are operative to provide failsafe safety detection features and user interface features using circuit topology and power budgeting methods that minimize power consumption. The safety detection features can monitor environmental conditions (e.g., smoke, heat, humidity, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radon, and other noxious gasses) in the vicinity of the hazard detection system associated and alarm occupants when an environmental condition exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US09244470B2
The invention comprises systems and methods for detecting the use of networked consumer electronics devices as indications of occupancy of a structure for purposes of automatically adjusting the temperature setpoint on a thermostatic HVAC control. At least one thermostat is located inside a structure and is used to control an HVAC system in the structure. At least one networked electronic device is used to indicate the state of occupancy of the structure. The state of occupancy is used to alter the setpoint on the thermostatic HVAC control to reduce unneeded conditioning of unoccupied spaces.
US09244464B2
A control system is disclosed for use with a machine at a worksite. The control system may have an offboard controller. The offboard controller may be configured to receive information regarding a berm at the worksite, determine starting and ending points spaced apart along an edge of the berm based on the information, and determine a maximum orthogonal distance from a virtual line extending between the starting and ending points to the edge of the berm. The offboard controller may be further configured to selectively validate the starting and ending points based on the maximum orthogonal distance, and to designate a center of the virtual line between validated starting and ending points as a dump target.
US09244460B2
The present disclosure relates to an automated system for use in connection with longitudinal deceleration, longitudinal acceleration, and lateral acceleration functions. The system includes an interface receiving signals from and transmitting signals to a controller. The system also includes a safety kernel system comprising safety kernel software and a set of safety rules. Also disclosed are methods for use in a motion control system in connection with vehicle deceleration, acceleration, and lateral acceleration. The methods in some cases include receiving an initial request into a safety kernel software and determining whether the safety kernel software has received an override. The methods can also include detecting a violation of any primary safeguards defined by the safety kernel software, detecting a violation within a set of secondary safeguards defined by the safety kernel software, and adjusting the initial request to a modified level; and transmitting the modified level to an actuator.
US09244456B2
A method including a bend angle calculation step of calculating a bend angle θ at each connecting point of a broken line which is obtained by successively connecting a predetermined plurality of machining points P1 to P3 by line segments, an approximation curve derivation step of deriving an approximation curve L5 closer to the connecting point the larger the bend angle θ calculated by the bend angle calculation step, and a tool path generation step of generating a tool path PA7 along the approximation curve L5 derived by the approximation curve derivation step.
US09244453B2
Systems and methods are provided for a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions is configured to provide a configuration wizard. The configuration wizard is configured to display, via a single screen, a first input-receiving control configured to receive a user input and a second input-receiving control configured to receive the user input. The configuration wizard is also configured to display a display area configured to display a first parameter value associated with a device. The first input-receiving control is displayed as active and the second input-receiving control is displayed as inactive. The second input-receiving control is displayed as active based on a first dependency.
US09244447B2
To provide a substrate processing apparatus, including a control unit that performs control to transfer a prescribed substrate into each chamber, wherein when error is detected during transfer of the substrate, the control unit performs control to: specify a place where the error is generated; select a fallback operation table according to a processing status of the substrate, which is the table defining a processing content for each part of the substrate processing apparatus including the place where the error is generated; and transfer the substrate based on the selected fallback operation table.
US09244444B2
The method, according to one embodiment of the present invention, receives a plurality of input values associated with a building or plurality of buildings. The method then constructs a thermal and an electrical load model based on the inputs and constructs an overall energy model, the overall energy model being based on the thermal and electrical load models. The method next generates a plurality of demand models and optimizes the demand models using complex multivariate optimization techniques, wherein optimizing is based on usage data and energy rules. Finally, the method displays recommendations based on the optimized model or generating real-time, complementary control instructions based on the optimized model, the determination based on client preferences.
US09244440B2
The present disclosure relates generally to a temperature dependent device. Embodiments of the invention provide information regarding the useful life of perishable goods.
US09244436B2
A timepiece includes a representation of a non-rectilinear object, the representation particularly including a movable element kinematically connected to a drive mechanism. The representation also includes at least one second movable element, the drive mechanism being arranged such that the movable elements each move, simultaneously and in synchronization, between a first and a second end position, and vice versa, the movable elements forming the representation at a first size and at a second size greater than the first, respectively, when the movable elements are in the first and second end positions thereof.
US09244434B2
An inseparable single-piece timepiece component includes a position adjustable mechanism including a rigid structure carrying, with at least one resilient strip, a position adjustable component including a tooth arranged to cooperate with a toothed comb included in an adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism is incorporated in this inseparable single-piece component.
US09244427B2
An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge-supporting body, a belt, a belt cleaning unit, a waste toner cartridge, and a collective conveying unit. The cartridge-supporting unit supports a plurality of process cartridges. Each process cartridge includes a photosensitive drum and a drum-cleaning unit for collecting waste toner on the photosensitive drum. The belt confronts the plurality of process cartridges when the cartridge-supporting body is in an internal position. The belt cleaning unit collects waste toner on the belt. The waste toner cartridge accommodates both waste toner collected from the plurality of photosensitive drums by the plurality of drum-cleaning units and waste toner collected from the belt by the belt cleaning unit. The collective conveying unit aggregates waste toner collected from the plurality of photosensitive drums by the plurality of drum-cleaning units and conveys collectively the aggregated waste toner to the waste toner cartridge.
US09244419B2
A sheet compression apparatus includes a pair of nipping members configured to be movable so as to contact and separate from each other and to compress a sheet while the sheet is nipped, and a contact/separation mechanism configured to perform a contact/separation operation of the pair of nipping members, and the contact/separation mechanism separates the nipping members from each other until a leading edge of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding unit passes between the nipping members, and then relatively moves the pair of nipping members closer to each other to start the nipping of the sheet so the sheet is compressed.
US09244412B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image forming section that includes a fixing device, a power supply controller that controls the fixing device to a power supply state in which power is supplied or a power shut-off state, a switching section that switches a fixing mode to one of a first mode that focuses on temperature, and a second mode that focuses on productivity, and a processing controller that controls an image forming process, by selecting the first mode as initial processing when the fixing device recovers from the power shut-off state to the power supply state upon an instruction to execute a job, and selecting, as continued processing after the initial processing, the first mode or the second mode on a basis of a total processing volume of the job acquired after the instruction to execute the job is made.
US09244410B1
The present teachings provide a fuser member. The fuser member includes a substrate layer. The substrate layer substrate layer includes a paraformaldehyde modified polyimide. An intermediate layer is disposed on the substrate layer. A release layer is disposed on the intermediate layer. A method of manufacturing the paraformaldehyde modified polyimide is disclosed.
US09244406B2
Exemplary embodiments provide coating compositions having pseudo-fluorine surface and methods for processing and using the coating compositions. The coating composition can include, for example, a plurality of fluorine-containing resin fillers and a plurality of nanotubes (e.g., carbon nanotubes (CNTs)) dispersed in a polymer matrix that contains, e.g., one or more cross-linked polymers. The fluorine-containing resin fillers can provide a pseudo-fluorine surface for a low surface energy of the coating composition. The nanotubes can be dispersed in the polymer matrix to provide an improved mechanical robustness of the coating composition. The coating composition can be coated on a member surface, wherein the coated member can be, for example, a fuser member, a fixing member, a pressure roller, or a release agent donor member, used in an electrostatographic printing device or process.
US09244403B2
A fixing device includes a heating member heating a recording medium to fix a developer image thereto; an endless heating belt rotatably wrapped around the heating member and heating the medium; a rotating member around which the belt is wrapped and having a fixed first axial end; a position detecting unit detecting a position of the belt when moved in first and second opposite directions parallel to an axial direction of the rotating member; and a controller controlling a rotational movement angle by which a second axial end of the rotating member is rotationally moved about the first end in an axis-intersecting direction based on information from the position detecting unit when the belt is moved in the first and second directions so that first and second speeds for respectively moving the belt in the first and second directions are made equal to or close to each other.
US09244400B2
An image heating apparatus includes: first and second rotatable members configured to heat an image on a sheet at a nip; a roughening member configured to perform roughening of a surface of the first rotatable member when at least the first rotatable member of the first and second rotatable members rotates; a moving mechanism configured to move the roughening member relative to the first rotatable member so that the roughening member is movable between a contact position where the roughening member is contacted to the first rotatable member and a spaced position where the roughening member is spaced from the first rotatable member; an obtaining portion configured to obtain information indicating that the first rotatable member is new; and a controller configured to control the moving mechanism to perform the roughening upon obtaining of the information by the obtaining portion.
US09244392B2
An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming unit that forms a latent image on a photoreceptor, a developing unit that accommodates a developer containing flake shape toner particles and develops the latent image using the developer to form a toner image on a surface of the photoreceptor, a transfer unit, a bias applying unit, and a fixing unit, wherein the flake shape toner particles have an average major axis length of from 7 μm to 20 μm and an average thickness of from 1 μm to 3 μm and contain a flake shape metallic pigment.
US09244391B2
First to N-th image forming units are sequentially arranged from the upstream to the downstream along the movement direction of an intermediate transfer belt. When L is defined as a distance between contact points of every two adjacent ones of the first to N-th image bearing members with the intermediate transfer member, when V is defined as a moving speed of the intermediate transfer belt and, when a timing at which transfer bias applying unit for the n-th image forming unit is turned off using a timing at which the transfer bias applying unit for the first image forming unit is turned off as reference is defined as (L/V)×(n−1)+αn, αn for every integer n between 2 and N is set so that an absolute value of αn is less than L/V and at least one pair of αn among the plurality of αn has different values.
US09244390B2
Techniques to determine concentration parameters of conductive liquid electrophoretic (LEP) inks are illustrated herein. In an example, a layer of conductive LEP ink is formed on a developer roller using electrostatic forces acting on the conductive LEP ink. A current is generated in response to a voltage between a measurement electrode and a developer roller. The current flows through the conductive LEP ink layer.
US09244384B2
A developer container includes a container body, a lid, a developer discharge port, a shaft, and a movable wall. The container body includes an inner surface defining a cylindrical internal space and a wall disposed at one end of the container body. The container body is formed with the developer discharge port. The lid is attached to the other end of the container body. The shaft includes a first engaging portion. The movable wall includes a conveying surface and a carrier bearing. The conveying surface defines a storage space configured to contain the developer. The carrier bearing includes a second engaging portion. The movable wall is movable along the shaft in the first direction while conveying the developer by engagement of the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion. The first engaging portion includes a small pitch part having a relatively small thread pitch.
US09244380B2
An image forming apparatus is capable of executing, in non-image formation, for example, in a sheet-to-sheet interval, a developer bearing member stop mode in which the developer conveyance by a development sleeve is stopped. For example, the apparatus turns off primary transfer bias in the sheet-to-sheet interval. Even if fogging toner is no longer supplied after the development sleeve drive is stopped, the apparatus can reduce frictional force variation between the photosensitive drum and the intermediate transfer belt to prevent speed variation of the photosensitive drum or the intermediate transfer belt, thus reducing the possibility of image unevenness and out of color registration.
US09244379B2
A powder container includes a container body to accommodate powder for image forming therein, the container body including an outlet at a bottom thereof through which the powder is supplied to a powder supply device and being detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus, a rotary member, an agitator supported by the rotary member, and a powder receiver to guide a transport tube transporting the powder in the container body into the container body. The powder receiver includes a nozzle receiver opening, an opening-closing member to open and close the nozzle receiver, a container-side biasing member to bias the opening-closing member to close, a container opening-closing member supporter, a step and an end portion to contact first and second contact surfaces of the powder container receiver due to a restorative force of the container-side biasing member upon attachment of the powder container to the powder supply device.
US09244372B2
An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes a binder resin, toner particles containing an acylglycerol, and an external additive, wherein at least one of hydroxyl groups in the acylglycerol is esterified with an alkyl monocarboxylic acid that contains a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and a content of a portion esterified with the alkyl monocarboxylic acid that contains the alkyl group having the same carbon number is 95 % by weight or greater with respect to the total weight of the acylglycerol.
US09244359B2
An illumination optical apparatus and projection exposure apparatus capable of reducing a light quantity loss when a mask is illuminated with a polarized illumination light. An illumination optical system for illuminating a reticle with an illumination light and a projection optical system for projecting the pattern image of the reticle onto a wafer are provided. An illumination light emitted from an exposure light source in a linearly polarized state in the illumination optical system passes through first and second birefringent members having different fast axis directions and is converted into a polarized state that is substantially linearly polarized in a circumferential direction with the optical axis as the center in an almost specific annular area, and them illuminates the reticle under an annular illuminating condition after passing through a fly-eye lens.
US09244358B2
Disclosed is a surface treatment liquid which enables simple and efficient hydrophobilization of a substrate and prevention of collapse of a resin pattern or etched pattern. Also disclosed are a surface treatment method using the surface treatment liquid, a hydrophobilization method using the surface treatment liquid, and a hydrophobilized substrate. When a substrate is hydrophobilized, the substrate is coated with a surface treatment liquid containing a silylating agent and a hydrocarbon non-polar solvent. When a pattern is prevented from collapse, the surface of a resin pattern formed on a substrate or etched pattern formed on a substrate by etching is treated using a surface treatment liquid containing a silylating agent and a solvent.
US09244356B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a metal mesh structure and a method of fabrication thereof. The metal mesh structure includes a metal mesh formed on a substrate. The metal mesh is a 2D or 3D pattern of lines. The lines in the first and second set are characterized by a linewidth that is less than 2 microns. Such metal mesh structures are fabricated through rolling mask lithography. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09244343B2
According to one embodiment, a pattern forming method includes: forming a guide layer, including a base layer and a neutralization film with a plurality of parallel line sections, on a processing target film, forming a polymer material containing first polymer segments and second polymer segments, on the guide layer, forming a self-assembly pattern having a plurality of first polymer portions containing the first polymer segment and extending in a direction of the line sections, and a plurality of second polymer portions containing the second polymer segment alternating with the first polymer portions and extending along the direction of the line sections, and selectively removing the second polymer portions. The widths of line sections of both ends of the plurality of line sections of the neutralization film are about two times the width of each first polymer portion or each second polymer portion.
US09244333B1
An optically bistable element is described. The optically bistable element has an arrangement of nano-particles configured to propagate localized plasmon-polaritons (LLPs). The optically bistable element may act as switch. A computing structure is also described, where the computing structure comprises one or more of the optically bistable elements acting as switches.
US09244332B1
A pulse light source device for creating fs output pulses, includes a driver source device including a ps laser pulse source for creating a ps laser pulse output, a first beam splitting device for splitting the ps laser pulse output to first and second ps driver pulses, a first spectral broadening device for creating first fs driver pulses by spectrally broadening the first ps driver pulses, an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) device for creating CEP stabilized second fs driver pulses, and for seeding on the basis of the first fs driver pulses and pumping with the second ps driver pulses, wherein the second fs driver pulses include idler pulses of the OPA device, and a second spectral broadening device for creating the fs output pulses, and arranged to be driven on the basis of the second fs driver pulses. Furthermore, a method of creating fs output pulses is described.
US09244328B2
An optical modulator includes: a modulator including an optical waveguide provided in a semiconductor substrate having an electro-optical effect and an electrode to apply an electric field depending on a bias voltage and a modulation signal to the optical waveguide; a driver circuit to generate a modulation signal in accordance with an input signal; a superimposer to superimpose a reference signal on the bias voltage, the reference signal having lower frequency than the modulation signal; and a controller to control a bias voltage in a direction orthogonal to a modulation direction of the modulator based on the frequency component of the reference signal extracted from a modulated optical signal generated by the modulator.
US09244316B2
An illuminating device includes: a light source; a light guide plate which converts light emitted from the light source into a surface light ray and emits the surface light ray through a front surface of the light guide plate; and an optical sheet which changes a propagation direction of the surface light ray emitted from the light guide plate. The light source is arranged in opposition to one end surface of the light guide plate. A polarization state converting structure to convert a polarization state of the light propagating through the light guide plate is provided in a rear surface of the light guide plate. The polarization state converting structure contains an inclination plane having a ridge line extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the one end surface.
US09244312B2
A liquid crystal display device has a TFT substrate, a color filter (CF) substrate, a liquid crystal layer, wall structures formed on the TFT substrate, pixel electrodes provided on at least the sides of the wall structures, and common electrodes and counter electrodes formed on the TFT substrate and on the CF substrate to face each other, and a number of pixels are provided to include the TFT substrate, the CF substrate and the liquid crystal layer, wherein a light blocking region is provided around each of the number of pixels, each wall structure is arranged in the light blocking region, a support formed of a transparent and elastic material is arranged on an upper surface of each wall structure, the CF substrate is supported by the supports, and the liquid crystal layer is driven by electrical fields generated by the pixel electrodes, the common electrodes and the counter electrodes.
US09244309B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other; a pair of field generating electrodes disposed on the first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and including liquid crystal molecules having positive dielectric anisotropy; and at least one alignment layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the alignment layer includes a main chain and at least one side chain connected to the main chain, and the side chain includes a vertical functional group or a polar group.
US09244303B2
A wide-viewing-angle liquid crystal display panel, a color film base plate (20) and a manufacturing method thereof as well as a display device. The wide-viewing-angle liquid crystal display panel comprises an array base plate (10) and a color film base plate (20). The array base plate (10) comprises a planar electrode (11) and a slit-shaped electrode (12), which are mutually superposed and insulated, and the color film base plate (20) comprises: a transparent base plate (21) oppositely arranged on one side, of the array base plate (10), provided with the planar electrode (11) and the slit-shaped electrode (12); and a color resistor (22) arranged on the transparent base plate (21) and corresponding to the slit-shaped electrode (12). The ratio of the light transmission rate T1 of anyone part of the color resistor (22) to the light transmission rate T2 of the other anyone part is equal to the ratio of the liquid crystal efficiency X2 of the slit-shaped electrode (12) corresponding to the other anyone part to the liquid crystal efficiency X1 corresponding to the anyone part. The light transmission rate of anyone position of the wide-viewing-angle liquid crystal display panel is high and uniform, bright and dark stripes are not generated, and the display effect is improved.
US09244290B2
An optical system having coherence reduction capabilities includes a light source for generating a first light pulse; an asymmetrical pulse stretcher arranged to receive the first light pulse and to generate multiple light pulses, during a pulse sequence generation period, wherein the asymmetrical pulse stretcher includes multiple optical components which define a loop and a condenser lens is located between the asymmetrical pulse stretcher and an object, for directing the multiple pulses toward an area on the object At least two optical components of the multiple optical components are positioned in an almost symmetrical manner in relation to each other and introduce a coherence-related difference between at least two pulses of the multiple pulses. The pulse sequence generation period does not exceed a response period of a detector.
US09244285B2
Methods of eye gaze tracking are provided using magnetized contact lenses tracked by magnetic sensors and/or reflecting contact lenses tracked by video-based sensors. Tracking information of contact lenses from magnetic sensors and video-based sensors may be used to improve eye tracking and/or combined with other sensor data to improve accuracy. Furthermore, reflective contact lenses improve blink detection while eye gaze tracking is otherwise unimpeded by magnetized contact lenses. Additionally, contact lenses may be adapted for viewing 3D information.
US09244281B1
An apparatus provides a virtual display in an environment for various applications including avionic, naval, military, remote control, medical and other applications. The apparatus can be a head up display (HUD) or head worn display (e.g., helmet mounted display (HMD) and can include image sources disposed at a respective image source position, and a combiner detached from the image sources. The combiner is movable to a respective combiner position for receiving light from a respective image source of the image sources. The combiner provides an image from the respective image source to a user.
US09244277B2
A tiled head-mounted display device comprises an optical component including a plurality of prisms with free-form surfaces, and a display component including a plurality of micro-displays (6), wherein the number of the micro-displays (6) and the number of the prisms with free-form surfaces is identical, and each prism with free-form surfaces and the corresponding micro-display (6) constitute a display channel. Each prism is a wedge prism including a first surface (2), a second surface (3) and a third surface (4). The exit pupil planes of each display channel are coincident, thus avoiding pupil aberration and keeping exit pupil diameter and eye clearance same as a single ocular. There is no resolution variance throughout the entire field of view, thus preventing extra trapezoid distortion. The tiled head-mounted display device is compact and lightweight, and provides wide field of view and high resolution. The tiled head-mounted display device can be readily applicable to augmented environments applications by simply adding an auxiliary free-form lens behind the prism with free-form surfaces.
US09244272B2
A LiDAR system and method are disclosed, comprising a housing, a light source, a receiver, and a light deflection system comprising a light deflection element, rotatable and balanced about an axis, the element having at least three sides, at least two of the three sides having reflective surfaces, wherein at least a first side of the three sides is at a first angle in relation to the axis, and at least a second side of the three sides is at a second angle in relation to the axis, with the first angle being different from the second angle, such that light is deflectable from the reflective surface of the first and second sides out of the housing, whereby upon actuation of the light source and rotation of the light deflection element, the LiDAR system forms at least a first scan path and a second scan path.
US09244271B2
A miniature projection device includes a rotatable bracket assembly, a rotating plate, a driving device, and a light source unit. The rotating plate is rotatably mounted to the rotatable bracket assembly. The driving device is configured to drive the rotatable bracket assembly to rotate in a first direction, and to drive the rotatable plate to rotate in a second direction. The first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction. The light source unit is mounted on the rotatable plate and is capable of rotating together with the rotating plate. The light source unit is configured to emit laser beams and to project the laser beams onto a screen.
US09244269B2
A micro movable device includes: a micro movable substrate in which a micro movable unit is formed, the micro movable unit including a frame, a movable part, and a coupling part for coupling the frame and the movable part to define an axial center of rotation of the movable part; a supporting substrate; and a reinforced fixed part provided between the frame and the supporting substrate, and including a first spacer that joins the frame to the supporting substrate and an adhesive part that covers the first spacer and joins the frame to the supporting substrate, wherein the frame includes a first area facing the movable part in a direction of extent of the axial center, and a second area different from the first area, and the reinforced fixed part is bonded to the second area of the frame.
US09244268B2
Optical devices that include one or more structures fabricated from polar-dielectric materials that exhibit surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs), where the SPhPs alter the optical properties of the structure. The optical properties lent to these structures by the SPhPs are altered by introducing charge carriers directly into the structures. The carriers can be introduced into these structures, and the carrier concentration thereby controlled, through optical pumping or the application of an appropriate electrical bias.
US09244260B2
An arrangement utilizes diffractive, reflective and/or refractive optical elements combined to intensify and homogenize electromagnetic energy, such as natural sunlight in the terrestrial environment, for purposes such as irradiating a target area with concentrated homogenized energy. A heat activated safety mechanism is also described.
US09244258B2
To enable an image with no blind spot area to be obtained while ensuring a wide field of view, an omnidirectional imaging system includes: a primary mirror (101) including a hyperbolic mirror; a plurality of secondary mirrors (102) arranged around the primary mirror and each including a hyperbolic mirror; and a camera (104) that captures an image reflected by the primary mirror and images reflected by the plurality of secondary mirrors. A hyperboloid of the primary mirror and hyperboloids of the plurality of secondary mirrors have a substantially coincident outer focal point, and the camera (104) is placed so that a viewpoint of the camera substantially coincides with the outer focal point of the hyperboloid of the primary mirror (101) and the hyperboloids of the plurality of secondary mirrors (102), the viewpoint of the camera being an entrance pupil position of a lens attached to the camera (104).
US09244256B2
An optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The fourth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof, and the image-side surface thereof has at least one convex shape in an off-axial region thereof.
US09244252B1
An optical lens assembly includes a first lens element having a planar object-side surface and a first fitting structure disposed on a peripheral portion of an image-side surface. A second lens element has a second fitting structure disposed on a peripheral portion of an object-side surface. The first and second lens elements are engaged with each other using the first and second fitting structures. The first lens element is made of a sapphire glass or other material having a refractive index greater than 1.6.
US09244243B2
The present disclosure relates to an optical fiber fan-out device having a furcation tube assembly. The furcation tube assembly includes a furcation tube mounting insert and an array of furcation tubes. The first end of the furcation tube mounting insert has a first end surface being a slant configuration at an oblique angle relative to the furcation tube axes. The slanted edge helps to insert optical fibers into the furcation tubes. The supported portions of the furcation tubes have fiber insertion ends that terminate at the first end surface. The furcation tubes also including free portions that extend from the second end of the furcation tube mounting insert.
US09244237B2
An optical fiber with a resilient jacket is disclosed. The optical fiber includes a cushion layer overlying the optical fiber in which the cushion layer is formed from a plurality of cushion members. The cushion members can be tubes that are hollow or that are partially or completely filled with a soft thermoplastic material. A polymeric sleeve overlies the cushion layer.
US09244225B1
Methods for the fabrication of orientation-patterned semiconductor structures are provided. The structures are light-waveguiding structures for nonlinear frequency conversion. The structures are periodically poled semiconductor heterostructures comprising a series of material domains disposed in a periodically alternating arrangement along the optical propagation axis of the waveguide. The methods of fabricating the orientation-patterned structures utilize a series of surface planarization steps at intermediate stages of the heterostucture growth process to provide interlayer interfaces having extremely low roughnesses.
US09244224B2
An optical waveguide device includes a wiring substrate including an insulating layer and a wiring layer formed on the insulating layer, an optical waveguide formed on the insulating layer and the wiring layer, a groove portion formed on an edge side of the optical waveguide, the groove portion including an inclined face, a light path conversion mirror formed on the inclined face, and an opening portion formed in the wiring layer under the optical waveguide, wherein the wiring layer is not formed under the groove portion.
US09244211B2
An example system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a lighting unit assembly having a light source, a transfer packet assembly to package the light source in a transfer packet, and a product assembly to fuse the light source into the headwear.
US09244201B2
A transparent multi-layer optical construction that reflects light in a diffuse manner and transmits light in an undistorted manner. The optical construction can be made as a sunglass lens or as a thin film to be used as window film. The multi-layer optical construction is, in part, a combination of surface form and surface texture combined with a reflective medium and a scratch resistant hard coating.
US09244189B2
A steering tool is movable by a drill string to form an underground bore along an intended path. A sensing arrangement of the steering tool detects its pitch and yaw orientations at a series of spaced apart positions along the bore, each position is characterized by a measured extension of the drill string. The steering tool further includes a receiver. At least one marker is positioned proximate to the intended path, for transmitting a rotating dipole field to expose a portion of the intended path to the field for reception by the receiver. The detected pitch orientation, the detected yaw orientation and the measured extension of the drill string are used in conjunction with magnetic information from the receiver to locate the steering tool. The steering tool may automatically use the magnetic information when it is available. A customized overall position determination accuracy can be provided along the intended path.
US09244188B2
A nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation time cutoff between results for a bound-water index of rock and a free-fluid index of the rock is determined. The determination is made based on measured and predicted values for permeability and/or wettability over a set of core plugs. The determination does not require a nuclear magnetic resonance operation performed on the core plugs under irreducible water saturation.
US09244187B2
A towable and steerable elongated float for a marine seismic source arrangement for use in making a seismic survey at sea, having first attachment means at a lower or bottom part of a float body for allowing at least one seismic source to be suspended from the float, and second attachment means on a fore part of the float body for attachment of a strength taking source towing line or umbilical. The float body comprises first and second elongated steering foils being attached to and spaced from respective port and starboard sides of the fore part of said float body by respective support arrangement. The steering foils have respective longitudinal steering foil axes being oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the float body and so as to be substantially perpendicular to a sea surface when in use, the elongated steering foils having respective first and second chord axes. Controlling means control an angle of at least one of the first and second chord axis with respect to the float body longitudinal axis.
US09244185B2
A system comprises towed marine geophysical equipment, adapted for towing through a body of water; and a surface covering, comprising a textural attribute of shark skin, attached to the marine geophysical equipment. A method comprises towing marine geophysical equipment having a surface covering, comprising a textural attribute of shark skin, attached thereto.
US09244177B2
Position calculating methods and devices are described. Satellite information may be calculated, which includes satellite position, satellite movement speed, and satellite movement direction of a positioning satellite. A pseudo distance between the positioning satellite and a user may be calculated based on a satellite signal received from the positioning satellite. The position of the user may be calculated using the satellite information and the pseudo distance in executing a convergence calculation with positioning information for a reference satellite, thereby eliminating a time error term from unknown quantities.
US09244171B2
A TOF camera for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit that irradiates light to an object, a light receiving unit that detects a distance to the object based on light reflected and returned from the object and generates a modulation signal for frequency modulation of the light, and a control unit that controls driving of the light emitting unit according to the modulation signal of the light receiving unit. The light emitting unit includes a plurality of laser diodes. The control unit decides a driving order of the laser diodes according to the modulation signal of the light receiving unit so as to control driving of the laser diodes, and decides current values of the laser diodes according to the modulation signal of the light receiving unit so as to control current amounts of laser diodes to be driven.
