US09393341B2
A stiffening layer for facilitating application of a plastic film to skin, the plastic film being a component in a wound dressing or other medical device and having the stiffening layer removably attached to one side thereof, at least a part of the other side of the film being provided with a layer of self-adhering adhesive. The stiffening layer is made of a stretchable material having a thickness of between 0.5-10 mm. The stiffening layer covers the whole area of the film and is divided into two or more portions by cutting line or lines.
US09393331B2
A blow molding machine for producing plastic bottles, particularly PET bottles, including a plurality of blow molding stations, which have assigned thereto valve blocks with control valves and blowing nozzles for introducing or discharging blowing air; and a cleaning-in-place (CIP) system for cleaning the blow molding machine. Since the valve blocks are configured such that they can be included in the CIP process, the system components, such as the blowing nozzle, which are particularly important for the production of PET bottles in terms of hygiene, can be cleaned and sterilized without disassembly.
US09393319B2
The present invention is directed toward the delivery of a toxic protein to pathogenic cells, particularly cancer cells. In preferred embodiments, the toxic protein is a ribonuclease that has been modified to make it toxic to target cells and that can be conjugated to a target cell-specific delivery vector, such as an antibody, for delivery to pathogenic cells.
US09393307B2
The present invention relates to a composition comprising caspofungin or a pharmaceutical acceptable salt thereof and succinate or lactate as a buffering agent.
US09393306B2
Activatable compositions that include at least one functional moiety and at least one cleavable linker directly or indirectly linked to the at least one functional moiety are disclosed. The at least one functional moiety is inactive when linked to the linker and activated upon cleavage of the linker. Methods of production and use of the activatable composition are also disclosed.
US09393292B2
Provided herein are methods for cell therapy by modifying transfused cells to express an inducible caspase 9 protein, so that the cells may be selectively killed if the patient experiences dangerous side effects. Provided also within relates in part to methods for preventing or treating Graft versus Host Disease by modifying T cells before administration to a patient, so that they may be selectively killed if GvHD develops in the patient.
US09393278B2
A herbal composition for wound healing is disclosed. The herbal composition comprises an extract of honeysuckle and an extract of mint in a weight ration of 1:2 to 2:1. The herbal composition further comprises a medical acceptable excipient.
US09393273B2
A method of treating ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in a subject in need thereof is disclosed. The method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of adherent cells from a placenta or adipose tissue, thereby treating the ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
US09393266B2
Bags and/or dark circles around the eyes of individuals afflicted therewith are reduced by administering to such individuals thus effective amounts of at least one extract of a non-photosynthetic and non-fruiting filamentous bacterium cultured in a medium which includes at least one non-sulfurous mineral and/or thermal water, e.g., an extract derived from the bacterium Vitreoscilla filiformis, in particular the strain ATCC 15551, cultured in a medium enriched with water from La Roche Posay.
US09393261B2
Described herewithin is a composition comprising an anti-chafing balm with C18-36 acid triglycerides, capric/carprylic triglycerides, and tribehinin together with a chelated silver oxide complex comprising a barrier film when applied to the skin. The film is a dual purpose antibacterial and anti-chafing barrier topically applied to human skin, providing a layer of chelated silver oxide complex further comprised of a dermatologically acceptable carrier, with friction (chafe) reducing properties, selected from the group consisting of organic solutions, gels, liquids, balms, aerosols, emulsifiers, lotions, water-in-oil emulsions, oil-in-water emulsions, surfactants, aloe barbedensis leaf juice and tocopherol acetate.
US09393259B2
The present invention includes a composition and method of treatment having arabinogalactan and polyphenols from larch trees for the use in prophylactic treatment of upper respiratory tract infections. The invention also includes treatment using such composition.
US09393251B2
Compositions and methods of treating severe thrombocytopenia and related disease are provided.
US09393250B2
Compounds having the general structural formula (I) wherein X can be any element or compound that can form a coordination complex with phthalocyanine and wherein R1; R2, R3 and R4 are independently anionic moieties, or (II) wherein R1; R2, R3 and R4 are independently anionic moieties, are useful in the potentiation of antibiotic activity, and/or in inhibiting or delaying the development of resistance to antibiotics. R1; R2, R3 and R4 may be —S03-. The compounds may be administered to a subject in conjunction with an antibiotic. The antibiotic may be an activator of the SOS response, and may be a DNA gyrase inhibitor or a topoisomerase inhibitor. Compositions and dosage forms comprising the compounds are provided.
US09393246B2
The present invention provides 4,6-disubstituted pyrimidine compounds useful as kinase inhibitors, pharmaceutically acceptable compositions thereof, and methods of using the same.
US09393237B2
The present invention relates to a method for treating a patient suffering from a thermoregulatory dysfunction, especially hot flashes and flushes associated with hormonal changes due to naturally occurring menopause (whether male or female) or due to chemically or surgically induced menopause. The method is also applicable to treating the hot flashes, hot flushes, or night sweats associated with disease states that disrupt normal hormonal regulation of body temperature.
US09393236B2
The invention relates to the use of 4-cyclopropylmethoxy-N-(3,5-dichloro-1-oxidopyridin-4-yl)-5-(methoxy)pyridine-2-carboxamide for the preparation of a medicament for use in the treatment of cerebral traumas.
US09393233B2
A new class of anti-microbial agents and methods for preventing or reducing the risk of sexually transmitted infections and/or diseases is provided. Preferably, these anti-microbial agents are also contraceptive and, thus, also prevent or reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancies. The anti-microbial agents comprise a delivery vector having anti-microbial activity (and preferably contraceptive activity) coupled with a nitric oxide donor moiety.
US09393228B2
The present invention relates to the combination of a selective late sodium current blocker and a selective, specific sinus If current inhibitor, and to the pharmaceutical compositions containing said combination.
US09393223B2
Biocompatible intraocular implants include a prostamide component and a biodegradable polymer that is effective in facilitating release of the prostamide component into an eye for an extended period of time. The prostamide component may be associated with a biodegradable polymer matrix, such as a matrix of a two biodegradable polymers. The implants may be placed in an eye to treat or reduce a at least one symptom of an ocular condition, such as glaucoma.
US09393218B2
The subject of this application is the use of film-forming polyurethanes that are used in hair care agents or mixtures of these polyurethanes with other polymers in pharmaceutical preparations for dermal or transdermal administration of active ingredients, as well as patches and pharmaceutical preparations that contain these hair care polyurethanes.
US09393215B2
Disclosed herein are sterile-filtered lyophilized nanoparticle compositions which contain at least one biodegradable polymer, at least one surfactant, at least one cryoprotective agent and at least one antigen. Also disclosed are methods of making and using such compositions and kits supplying such compositions.
US09393209B1
The present invention relates to a malleable, palatable pill enveloping material that becomes slippery when in contact with water or saliva making the wrapped pill easier to swallow. The enveloping material is made of a mixture of glycerin, xanthan gum, and agar which is cut into an appropriate shape for wrapping a pill.
US09393199B2
The invention provides compositions and methods for delivering agents to localized regions, tissues, or organs in vivo by conjugating agent-loaded nanoparticles to cells having homing capability. The agents may be therapeutic or diagnostic agents such as cancer chemotherapeutic agents and imaging agents respectively.
US09393198B2
Liposomal formulations and polymer conjugates of curcumin, curcumin analogs and derivatives thereof for parenteral administration are disclosed herein. The formulations are effective in the treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Tauopathies or stress disorders including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Curcumin crosses the blood brain barrier, localizes in the hippocampus and striata, prevents stress-induced neuronal cell damage, and stimulates neurogenesis and remediation of damaged neural circuits.
US09393189B2
The subject of the present invention is a process of preparing a crosslinked gel of at least one polysaccharide or one of its salts, including at least the steps consisting in: a) providing, at a temperature below 35° C., an aqueous gel including at least one polysaccharide in an uncrosslinked form together with at least one difunctional or multifunctional epoxy crosslinking agent; b) maintaining the mixture of step a) at a temperature below 35° C. for at least one hour; c) stimulating the crosslinking reaction of the mixture obtained after step b), and if need be; d) recovering said crosslinked gel formed.
US09393188B2
The present invention is directed to an oral composition containing a gel network phase comprising: (i) one or more fatty amphiphiles, (ii) one or more surfactants, and (iii) one or more solvents; and an oral carrier phase. In certain embodiments, the gel network is used to structure the oral composition. The present invention is also directed to a method of forming an oral composition containing a gel network.
US09393184B2
An antimicrobial oxychlorine oral rinse composition for preventing and treating oral malodor and diseases, tooth decay with improved palatability and tissue compatibility, includes an aqueous chlorine dioxide and chlorite ion solution with the chlorite ion predominating in the multiple oxychlorine rinse composition. A method for preparing such antimicrobial oxychlorine oral rinse composition comprising 3 ppm to about 200 ppm of chlorine dioxide, by first preparing an aqueous solution with about 7 to 400 ppm of chlorite ion; then an aqueous acidifying agent concentrate which, upon introduction to the chlorite solution, reduces its pH to about 4.5 to 6.0; then a second aqueous buffer-producing oxidant combination concentrate. The first acidifying agent concentrate is added to the chlorite ion solution and the second aqueous buffer-producing oxidant combination concentrate is added to the acidified chlorite ion solution, producing an antimicrobial oxychlorine oral rinse composition at about 5.0 to 6.8 pH.
US09393180B2
A medication alarm, dispenser and records archive system and apparatus for providing interactive alert and informational functions in conjunction with a partitioned medication receptacle. Such an interactive medication receptacle system comprises an interactive electronic section slidably disposed on a pill storage section. The storage section includes a plurality of discrete compartments, each labeled with a day of the week. The electronic section includes an electronic touch screen with its front surface, a USB receptacle on its top side, and a processing housing that extends internally across the entire width of the top of electronic section and includes the primary operative computer components of the interactive medication receptacle system. The entire internal area of the electronic section below the processing housing is substantially hollow, thereby enabling it to slide over and encase the storage section.
US09393169B1
A patient transfer package for laterally transferring a supine patient between adjoining horizontal surfaces includes: (a) a first nonwoven sheet having a top and a bottom surface for which the coefficient of friction of the top surface is less than 50% of the coefficient of friction of the bottom surface, (b) a second nonwoven sheet that is similarly constructed as the first sheet but which is not as wide, (c) assembling these sheets into a package with the second sheet turned upside down and laid on top of the first sheet whose top surface is facing upward, (d) a specified percentage of the first sheet's side portions extends beyond the edges of the second sheet and turn upwards and over upon the bottom surface of the second sheet, and (f) a means for temporarily and releaseably attaching the first sheet's edges to the bottom surface of the second sheet.
US09393162B2
Absorbent articles that include elastics in multiple layers are disclosed herein.
US09393155B2
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method are provided for controlling postoperative shrinkage of the capsular bag, after the lens has been removed from the capsular bag. The purpose is to establish a proper optical alignment for a prosthetic Intraocular Lens (IOL). Included in the system are a laser unit for generating a laser beam, a detector for creating an image of the prosthetic IOL in the capsular bag, and a computer for evaluating the image to determine an alignment difference between the IOL axis and a defined axis of the eye. The computer is also used for guiding the laser beam to alter selected tissue in the eye, to thereby influence postoperative shrinkage of the capsular bag and minimize any potential alignment difference between the IOL axis and the defined axis of the eye during capsular bag shrinkage.
US09393143B1
An implantable endoscopic apparatus for apposition to a wall of a stomach has an elongated endoscopic tube, a vacuum pump connected to the tube, a body releasably affixed to the distal end of the tube, and an actuator cooperative with the body so as to open and close the body. The body has suction nozzles formed on a wall of the body and has grabbing teeth formed along edge of the body. The halves of the body can open so as to expose the suction nozzles to the stomach wall. The halves of the body can close such that the grabbing teeth grasp the stomach wall so as to reduce stomach volume.
US09393142B2
A device (10) for stretching the foreskin of a subject is disclosed. The device has a body (10) having a passage (14) that extends through the body (10) to a distal end (18). The distal end (18) is adapted to receive a balloon (B). Fluid may be introduced through the passage (14) to cause the balloon (B) to expand. A flow regulating member (20) is positioned across the passage (14) to selectively close the passage (14) to fluid flow.
US09393132B2
Foot prosthesis, comprising an upper part, and a lower part that is placed on the ground when walking, which parts extend one above the other and at a distance from each other, are connected to each other at the forefoot and the heel and, forming a spring, move relative to each other during walking, wherein the upper part (3) and the lower part (4) are formed by means of a one-piece, closed component (2) made from a carbon fiber composite.
US09393131B2
A prosthetic arm apparatus including a plurality of segments that provide a user of the prosthetic arm apparatus with substantially the same movement capability and function as a human arm. The segments are connectable to one another and connectable to a prosthetic support apparatus that may be adorned by the user. Each segment of the plurality of segments provides a portion of the movement capability, enabling the plurality of connected segments connected to the harness mount to provide substantially the same movement capability as that lacking in the user.
US09393130B2
An adjustable spinal implant includes a lower body, an upper body, a locking pawl, and a locking key. The upper body and the lower body are pivotable relative to one another between a collapsed position and an expanded position. The upper body includes a locking flange that extends towards the lower body. The locking pawl is coupled to the lower body and is moveable between a locked position such that the upper and lower bodies are fixed relative to the one another and an unlocked position such that the upper and lower bodies are moveable relative to one another. The locking key is moveable between a locked state such that the locking pawl is fixed in the locked position and an unlocked state wherein the locking pawl is moveable between the locked position and the unlocked position.
US09393124B2
A system includes a patella trial comprising a baseplate and an articular surface member configured to move along at least one of a medial-lateral axis or a superior-inferior axis of the baseplate; and an implant comprising a posterior articular surface and an anterior surface, wherein the anterior surface has a medial/lateral width with a midpoint, wherein the posterior articular surface has a posterior-most point, wherein an imaginary line extending through the posterior-most point is parallel to an imaginary line extending through the midpoint, and wherein a distance (I) is defined by measuring a length between the imaginary line extending through the posterior-most point and the imaginary line extending through the midpoint; wherein the implant is selected from a set of implants each having a different I, and wherein the chosen implant is selected based on an offset of the articular surface member relative to the baseplate on the patella trial.
US09393122B2
An acetabular hip implant includes an acetabular shell component, a first insert secured to the acetabular shell component, a second insert secured to the first insert, and a femoral head configured to be secured to the second insert. The first insert is permitted to rotate relative to the acetabular shell about a first axis, the second insert is permitted to rotate relative to the first insert about a second axis, and the femoral head is permitted to rotate relative to the second insert about a third axis. A method for performing an orthopedic surgical procedure on an acetabulum of a patient is also disclosed.
US09393120B2
A surgical implant device capable of conforming to a variety of surface topographies facilitates the growth and regeneration of site to which the device is applied. The device employs a plurality of elongate members supporting a column of discrete, rotatable elements in contact with each adjacent element. Anchor plates secure the respective ends of the elongate members, such anchor plates attachable to bone. The implant device provides and ordered array of individually rotatable elements to form a surface that permits bodily fluids to pass therethough.
US09393119B2
A method for treating a complex fracture with a variable length nail is provided. The nail is configured for at least 5 mm of axial length change in each direction. The method involves making a first hole or incision in the skin of the patient in proximity to a fractured long bone and at least partially clearing a canal through the center of the long bone. The variable length nail is inserted into the canal and securing a distraction shaft and a housing of the nail to separate portions of the fractured long bone. The hole or incision is allowed or caused to close. An external adjustment device comprising at least one rotatable magnet is placed in proximity to the patient's skin. The external adjustment device is operated so that a magnetic field of the at least one rotatable magnet of the external adjustment device causes the rotatable permanent magnet of the variable length nail to rotate, causing either extension or retraction of the distraction shaft relative to the housing.
US09393107B2
A mammary prosthesis built from a sack of elastic material or biocompatible material having a sealed interior cavity with the sack having an anterior surface forming a dome and a posterior surface forming a base, with a sealed and seamless interior cavity filled with microspheres of foamed or expanded polymers or a combination of both. The sack may also be permeable to establish equilibrium between body fluids and interstitial volume of the microspheres.
US09393097B2
The present invention relates to a layered fibrous construct for use as a scaffold for repairing or replacing cartilage or cartilage-like tissue, and a process for the production thereof.
US09393087B2
Systems for generating in-focus color images are provided. Related methods and devices are also provided.
US09393086B2
A dental-implant system having a first implant part provided for being inserted into a jawbone and having a second implant part associated therewith, provided for fixing a dental prosthetic piece, the implant parts being mechanically connectable to each other via a connection pin which is formed onto one of the implant parts and which can be pushed into a receiving channel provided in the other implant part, and the cross-section of the connection pin and the cross-section of the receiving channel associated therewith each presenting in an indexing area a number of main directions in which the radius takes in each case a relative maximum value, shall offer an even increased mechanic load-carrying ability and thus a particularly long service life when used in the patient's mouth. For this purpose, according to the invention, the outer cross-section of the implant part including the receiving channel is configured such that its radius also takes a relative maximum value within a tolerance range of each of the main directions.
US09393084B2
A self-ligating attachment intended to form part of an orthodontic appliance, the external surface of said attachment being provided with a groove for receiving an orthodontic arch. A elastic clip that can be reversibly moved between an open position forming an open passage allowing the insertion of the arch into the groove and a closed position sealing the groove. A base including an external surface that supports the attachment and an occlusal surface which is intended to rest on one of the patient's teeth, so as to hug the surface of the tooth. In addition, the base comprises a support for the attachment and said base assists in the guiding of the clip, cooperating with the attachment, as the clip moves between the open and closed positions.
US09393078B2
A medical-use light-source apparatus includes a light source lamp, a connector to which a body cavity endoscope and an ophthalmic observation apparatus can be selectively connected, a determiner which determines whether the body cavity endoscope or the ophthalmic observation apparatus is currently connected to the connector, and a lamp controller which sets a value of a maximum light amount of the illumination light to a first threshold value when the determiner determines that the body cavity endoscope is currently connected to the connector, and sets a value of a maximum light amount of the illumination light to a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value when the determiner determines that the ophthalmic observation apparatus is currently connected to the connector.
US09393076B2
The present invention provides a system and single or multi-functional element device that can be inserted and temporarily placed or implanted into a structure having a lumen or hollow space, such as a subject's abdominal cavity to provide therewith access to the site of interest in connection with minimally invasive surgical procedures. The insertable device may be configured such that the functional elements have various degrees of freedom of movement with respect to orienting the functional elements or elements to provide access to the site from multiple and different orientations/perspectives as the procedure dictates, e.g., to provide multiple selectable views of the site, and may provide a stereoscopic view of the site of interest.
US09393052B2
The invention discloses methods, devices, systems and kits for repairing, replacing and/or augmenting natural facet joint surfaces and/or facet capsules. An implantable facet joint device of one embodiment comprises a cephalad facet joint element and a caudal facet joint element. The cephalad facet joint element includes a member adapted to engage a first vertebra, and an artificial cephalad bearing member. The caudal facet joint element includes a connector adapted for fixation to a second vertebra at a fixation point and an artificial caudal bearing member adapted to engage the cephalad bearing member. The artificial caudal bearing member is adapted for a location lateral to the fixation point. In another embodiment, an implantable facet joint device comprises a cephalad crossbar adapted to extend mediolaterally relative to a spine of a patient, the crossbar having opposite first and second ends, a connector element adapted to connect the crossbar to a first vertebra, a first artificial cephalad bearing member adapted for connection to the first end of the crossbar and adapted to engage a first caudal facet joint element connected to a second vertebra, and a second artificial cephalad bearing member adapted for connection to the second end of the crossbar and adapted to engage a second caudal facet joint element connected to the second vertebra.
US09393048B2
A bone screw assembly includes a screw, an outer housing, and an inner housing. The screw includes a shank and a head. The outer housing has a proximal end, a distal end, and a passageway extending longitudinally therethrough. The outer housing defines a saddle at the proximal end thereof for receiving at least a portion of a rod therein. The inner housing is positionable within the passageway of the outer housing. The inner housing has a recessed distal portion for receiving the head of the screw therein. The inner housing also includes a proximal surface defining a substantially V-shaped configuration for receiving rods of different diameters therein.
US09393043B2
A sensor inserting device includes a device main body and a push handle for moving a detector of a sensor and an insertion needle, with the sensor held coupled to the insertion needle, into the body of a patient. A transmitter, for processing a signal from the sensor, is set in the device main body. A cable, allowing transmission of a signal between the sensor and the transmitter, is connected to the sensor (12) and the transmitter.
US09393037B2
Various embodiments described herein are directed to ultrasonic blades. For example, an ultrasonic blade may comprise a proximally positioned straight section extending along a longitudinal axis and a distally positioned curved section coupled to the straight section and curved away from the longitudinal axis. The curved section may define a radius of curvature and subtend a first angle. A point of tangency between the curved section and the straight section may be positioned at either a node of the ultrasonic blade or an anti-node of the ultrasonic blade.
US09393031B2
An apparatus and method for penetrating the bone marrow is provided. The apparatus includes a housing, a penetrator assembly, operable to penetrate the bone marrow, a connector operable to releasably attach the penetrator assembly to a drill shaft, the drill shaft operable to connect the penetrator assembly to a gear assembly, a gear assembly operable to engage and rotate the drill shaft, a motor operable to engage the reduction gear assembly and drive the penetrator into the bone marrow by rotation of the drill shaft, and a power supply and associated circuitry operable to power the motor. The apparatus and method may be adapted to insert a probe through the skull and into the brain.
US09393025B2
The invention provides methods for reducing traumatic injury through the use of ischemic conditioning.
US09393018B2
A surgical instrument includes a handle portion, a shaft housing a firing bar, an end effector comprising an anvil, a lower jaw, and a stapling and severing assembly responsive to a longitudinal closing motion produced by the handle portion and the shaft. The lower jaw is configured to receive a removable cartridge. The cartridge includes a housing, a plurality of staples disposed in the housing, a deck disposed over the plurality of staples, and a fastener insert tip including a plurality of hooks. The deck defines apertures, with each aperture being substantially disposed over each staple. The instrument includes a fastener insert including hooks, and the fastener insert is removably received in the anvil. A buttress is attached to one or both of the anvil and the cartridge via the hooks.
US09393016B2
A surgical device is disclosed which includes a handle assembly, an elongated member and a disposable loading unit. The handle assembly includes a mode selection mechanism configured to alternate the surgical device between a first grasping mode of operation and a second clamping mode of operation. The handle assembly includes a rotation control member and an articulation lever. The rotation control member is configured to facilitate rotation of the elongated member with respect to the handle assembly. The articulation lever is configured to facilitate articulation of the tool assembly about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of elongated member. In one embodiment, the tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly having a plurality of staples and an anvil assembly configured to clamp and staple tissue in the second clamping mode of operation of the device.
US09393013B2
Disclosed therein are instruments necessary for a surgical operation performed to keep a length of lengthened tissues, for instance, a raised nose on the face, using an improved thread embedded in a living body. More particularly, the present invention provides instruments for a fiber reinforced anti-compressive adherent suture method used to lengthen or separate soft tissues in the living body, which includes a tissue-implantable thread inserted into the living body by an injector needle and having wedge-shaped protrusions of different directionalities formed in two sections thereof, an injector for inserting the injector needle into the living body and moving it forwardly and backwardly, an instrument for inserting the tissue-implantable thread into the injector, and an instrument for vertically splitting an end of the thread to make the thread act in the living body.
US09393010B2
An instrument for passing sutures in tissue repair and/or other mini-open procedures. The instrument includes a pair of jaws mounted on a distal end of a shaft, a hand assembly mounted on a proximal end of the shaft, and a needle mounted on the hand assembly and through a cannulation of the shaft. The pair of jaws includes a lower jaw and an upper jaw, the lower jaw being provided with a slot configured to engage a plurality of sutures. The hand assembly has a finger lever with a ratchet and a releaser with a hook, the hand assembly being designed to move the needle from a first position to a second position, and to sequentially engage the needle with each of the plurality of sutures.
US09393006B2
The present disclosure relates to a suture anchor. The suture anchor includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end, the body including threads along at least a partial length of the body and at least one through hole, the threads including a profile such that the threads located near the distal end of the body include a first shape and the threads located near the proximal end of the body include a second shape different from the first shape. Delivery devices and anchor dilators are also disclosed.
US09393005B2
A surgical access system facilitates access to a surgical site within a patient's body through an incision in the body. Surgical access systems can have at least one retention member and a fluid transportation member configured to deliver fluid to a surgical site or to remove fluid from a surgical site. In some embodiments, a surgical access device irrigates a surgical site to reduce surgical site infections and removes fluid from the surgical site to increase a physician's visibility into the surgical site.
US09393002B2
A surgical device for deploying a surgical implant includes a proximal portion and a distal portion. The distal portion includes a frame arm. A spring clip system is coupled to the frame arm and includes a pair of clips and a spring member. The spring member is connected to each of the clips and biases the clips towards a closed position. In the closed position, the clips are configured to retain the implant in contact with the frame arm.
US09392999B2
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible core biopsy system uses a biopsy device having intuitive graphical displays and a detachable remote keypad that advantageously allows convenient control even within the close confines afforded by a localization fixture installed within a breast coil that localizes a patient's breast and guides a probe of the biopsy device relative to the localized breast. A control module for interactive control and power generation are remotely positioned and communicate and transmit rotational mechanical energy via sheathed cable.
US09392990B2
An apparatus and method for estimating object information is provided. The object information estimating apparatus includes a database which stores phantom information obtained by projecting a first energy X-ray on a phantom, an input unit which receives first object information obtained by projecting the first energy X-ray on an analysis object, and which receives information on a thickness of the analysis object, and an estimating unit which estimates second object information based on the phantom information, the first object information, and the information on the thickness.
US09392985B2
A direct-conversion x-ray detector or x-ray detector module includes: a direct converter; at least one collimator; and at least one radiation source. The at least one collimator is arranged in a direction of radiation of the x-ray radiation in front of the direct converter, and to restrict direct irradiation of the direct converter by the x-ray radiation. The at least one radiation source is at a side of the direct converter, and configured to irradiate the direct converter with additional radiation. The at least one collimator includes: at least one reflection layer on a side facing the direct converter, and configured to reflect the additional radiation onto the direct converter; and a cooling facility configured to cool the at least one radiation source.
US09392984B2
A CT apparatus for scanning an object is provided. An x-ray source is provided, wherein the x-ray source provides a collimated x-ray beam with a cross-section with a length and thickness. A plurality of wedges is provided between the source and object. An actuator is connected to the wedges for moving the wedges substantially perpendicular to the length of the cross-section of the collimated x-ray beam. An x-ray detector is located on an opposite side of the object from the x-ray source and is for detecting x-rays that pass through the object and the plurality of wedges. A gantry rotates the x-ray source, the plurality of wedges, and the x-ray detector around an axis of rotation.
US09392983B2
An X-ray examination station includes a first source of X-ray radiation for whole body scanning of a human body using a first fan beam of X-ray radiation; a first vertical linear radiation detector configured to detect the first fan beam; a second source of X-ray radiation installed at mid-height of a person being examined, for scanning a central portion of the human body using a second fan beam of X-ray radiation; a second vertical detector of X-ray radiation configured to detect the second fan beam; and a control unit configured to turn on each of the X-ray radiation sources. The first and the second radiation fan beams are emitted in parallel planes. The first X-ray radiation source is turned on for the whole body scanning. The second X-ray radiation source is turned on for scanning the central portion of the body.
US09392976B2
A physiological monitoring system may process a physiological signal such a photoplethysmograph signal from a subject. The system may determine physiological information, such as a physiological rate, from the physiological signal. The system may use search techniques and qualification techniques to determine one or more initialization parameters. The initialization parameters may be used to calculate and qualify a physiological rate. The system may use signal conditioning to reduce noise in the physiological signal and to improve the determination of physiological information. The system may use qualification techniques to confirm determined physiological parameters. The system may also use autocorrelation techniques, cross-correlation techniques, fast start techniques, and/or reference waveforms when processing the physiological signal.
US09392970B2
The invention provides a biotelemetry system for disposition on the wrist. The device of the invention may be portable, untethered and in some instances, disposable. The features of the wrist biotelemetry system make it effective in stable, chronic or emergency medical settings.
US09392965B2
A method of detecting a change in tension of a body surface during a medical procedure is provided. In some embodiments the method may be carried out without additional invasive devices or procedures being required. In one example the methodology is applied when using any type of body surface tensioning device. The tensioning device comprises fiducials that are visible to an image acquisition device. In another example of an embodiment of the current application, the methodology may be applied by attaching fiducials directly to the body surface. The relative motion of the fiducials relative to one another may be utilized to determine a change in body surface tension.
US09392962B2
A method of processing breathing signals of a subject includes obtaining breathing signals of a subject, obtaining a signal-phase histogram using the breathing signals, wherein the signal-phase histogram comprises a plurality of data points, each of the data points having at least a phase value and a signal value, determining a reference value using at least some of the plurality of data points from the signal-phase histogram, determining whether a difference between the reference value and a signal value that is associated with a current respiratory cycle exceeds a threshold, and generating an output when the difference exceeds the threshold. A method of predicting breathing signal is also provided.
US09392960B2
Systems and methods for locating lesions in a prostate or other organ during a first intervention session, and for using that lesion location information during a second intervention session are presented. A module for detecting and reporting the position of a prostate in real time is disclosed. The module comprises a sensor which detects and electronic signal. An image registration system for mapping first-session 3D model information to a second-session 3D model is also presented, as is a prostate modeling facilitation tool which comprises a set of predefined 3D models of the prostate.
US09392959B2
An MR Spectroscopy (MRS) system and approach is provided for diagnosing painful and non-painful discs in chronic, severe low back pain patients (DDD-MRS). A DDD-MRS pulse sequence generates and acquires DDD-MRS spectra within intervertebral disc nuclei for later signal processing & diagnostic analysis. An interfacing DDD-MRS signal processor receives output signals of the DDD-MRS spectra acquired and is configured to optimize signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by an automated system that selectively conducts optimal channel selection, phase and frequency correction, and frame editing as appropriate for a given acquisition series. A diagnostic processor calculates a diagnostic value for the disc based upon a weighted factor set of criteria that uses MRS data extracted from the acquired and processed MRS spectra along regions associated with multiple chemicals that have been correlated to painful vs. non-painful discs. A diagnostic display provides a scaled, color coded legend and indication of results for each disc analyzed as an overlay onto a mid-sagittal T2-weighted MRI image of the lumbar spine for the patient being diagnosed. Clinical application of the embodiments provides a non-invasive, objective, pain-free, reliable approach for diagnosing painful vs. non-painful discs by simply extending and enhancing the utility of otherwise standard MRI exams of the lumbar spine.
US09392937B2
An ophthalmic examination suite includes an instrument delivery stand, a base coupled with the instrument delivery stand and including a base plate, a carriage moveable on the base plate, and a chair supported by the carriage and configured to receive a seated patient thereon. The chair is laterally moveable with the carriage between an examination position and a stowed position. A space is created next to the chair when the chair is in the stowed position, and the space is configured to receive a wheelchair during an eye examination.
US09392932B2
An endoscope includes an insertion section including first and second bending portions, a first bending drive mechanism to bend the first portion in the upward direction, first and second distal side-traction members passing inside the insertion section and a proximal side-traction member. The first portion can bend in the upward direction. The second portion is on a proximal side of the first portion and can bend in the upward direction and in right and left directions along a circumferential direction of the upward direction. The first distal side-traction member is fixed to a position of the second portion, separated from the upward direction toward the right. The second distal side-traction member is fixed to a position of the second portion, separated from the upward direction toward the left direction. The proximal side-traction member pulls the first and second distal side-traction members in conjunction with the first bending drive mechanism.
US09392927B2
A table top washing machine comprises a tub (14) for accommodating articles to be cleaned, means for circulating water within the tub, and a waste water drain (51) comprising a drain port (52) for draining water from the tub and a fitting (54) for connecting a waste line (26) to said drain port. In accordance with the present invention the waste water drain comprises an angled connector (56) having a first leg (58) for connection to the drain port (52) and a second leg (60) comprising the fitting (54), wherein said first leg is adapted for rotatable connection to the drain port, and wherein said waste water drain further comprises means (69, 70, 72, 74, 76) for limiting rotation of the first leg such that orienting the second leg to point in an upward direction is prevented.
US09392919B2
A vacuum cleaner comprises an improved dirt separator and collection module, which includes an exhaust grill comprising a plurality of vanes defining inlet passages for guiding working air through the module. At least one of the vanes can define an air exhaust conduit for exhausting working air from the module through the exhaust grill.
US09392911B2
An apparatus and method for dispensing liquid from one container into another container is disclosed. The apparatus is placed over a fuel tank and receives an inverted, portable fuel container to allow fuel to be transferred from the portable fuel container into the fuel tank in a hands-free manner. The apparatus includes a body, tube, base, and supporting members.
US09392907B2
A portable cooking oil distribution device for filling remote fryers with fresh cooking oil. In other embodiments the device can also collect used cooking oil from the fryer. In one embodiment, a portable device includes a fresh oil tank, a three-way valve connected by piping to the fresh oil tank, a pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and a nozzle connected by piping to the pump, the nozzle having an outlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle. The device may also include a used oil tank, a second three-way valve connected by piping to the used oil tank, a second pump connected by piping to the three-way valve, and piping connecting the second pump to the nozzle, where the nozzle includes a inlet tube connected to the piping between the pump and the nozzle.
US09392893B2
A closure may provide controlled access to at least one opening in a lid. The closure may include an activator coupled to the lid, a cover coupled to the lid, and a connecting member coupled to the activator and the cover. The activator, cover and connecting member may form an over center latching mechanism. In addition, the activator may be connected to the lid about a first axis of rotation, the cover may be connected to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the connecting member may connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation, and the connecting member may be connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation. The distance between the first and second axes of rotation may be constant, and the distance between the third and fourth axes of rotation may change as the cover is moved.
US09392892B2
The present invention relates to a lid assembly for a drinking container, the lid assembly comprising a drinking orifice, a gas vent, and a mechanism to ensure that the drinking orifice can be opened only after the gas vent is opened. Furthermore, the present invention provides a lid assembly for a drinking container, which lid assembly allows for easy disassembling for purposes such as cleaning the inside of the lid assembly.
US09392882B2
A merchandising system for a displaying a plurality of products is disclosed. The system comprises a base and a pusher member. The base includes a product-supporting surface and a track disposed beneath the product-supporting surface. The base defines a longitudinal axis. The pusher member is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the base and is configured to slide longitudinally with respect to the base. The pusher member includes a base-contacting surface and a plurality of legs downwardly depending from the base-contacting surface. Each of the plurality of legs is configured to mechanically engage the track. The track includes a discontinuity to enable the legs of the pusher member to selectively mechanically engage the track.
US09392876B2
Encased coil units with advance conforming properties have various interconnections and structures between individually encased or wrapped coils. In the various embodiments, encasement structures between coils such as closure or attachment of sheet material or fabric, which encase the coils, are configured to allow and enhance independent movement of coils with respect to adjacent coils and remote coils of the unit. Modifications in the sheet material or fabric which encases the coils include variations in the points of connection or disconnection between adjacent coils, such as slits in the material proximate to top ends of the coils in a continuous string, or the absence of welds or glue points between adjacent encasements or strings of encasements, proximate to top ends of the coils to allow more freedom of movement of the top or upper ends of the coils and with respect to adjacent coils, and to reduce load transfer or cratering of the coil springs about the locus of the force vector.
US09392871B2
A lift-off door for an equipment enclosure is provided which comprises tabs on the bottom end of the door that align with slots at the bottom edge of an access window in an equipment housing frame. The tabs extend from a vertical panel on the door through two acute bend angles which are opposite in direction.
US09392868B2
A portable folding outdoor table includes a foldable table top including a flat top and includes foldable portions joined together at joint(s) that extend through the table top and bottom, cup holders extending through the table top, a beach umbrella shaft substantially positioned in the center, extending through the table top and sized to accept a shaft of a beach umbrella, holes defined by the table top, where the holes are smaller in diameter than the cup holders and permit wind to blow through the table top, and foldable legs attached to the table top bottom, where the foldable legs are designed to position the table top at a height in the range of 10″ to 20″ above a ground surface on which the portable outdoor table sits.
US09392858B2
The present invention provides a cosmetic material applying container that provides comfortable use feeling and facilitates drawing a narrow line. A cosmetic material applying container includes a leading end portion which discharges a cosmetic material and is formed of a soft material. The leading end portion has a flat shape and an edge shape. A top end surface of the leading end portion constitutes an applying surface, and the leading end portion has a tapered shape. The distal end side of the leading end portion is formed in a sharp shape. The applying surface includes a distal end where a vertex position constitutes a sharp portion. The applying surface includes a concave part depressed toward a base end side in a side view at the distal end side.
US09392845B2
An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure has a plurality of support elements, and each of the support elements include a shell and a core. The shell defines an interior void and is formed from a polymer material that extends around substantially all of the void. The core has a shape of the void and is located within the void, with at least a portion of the core being a polymer foam material. The polymer foam material of at least two of the support elements may have different densities.
US09392841B2
The disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof, including outsoles, which can be used in conditions normally conducive to the accumulation of soil on the outsoles. In particular, the disclosure relates to articles of footwear and components thereof including an outsole with an external thermoplastic hydrogel film that compositionally includes polyamide block copolymer chains. The outsoles can prevent or reduce the accumulation of soil on the footwear during wear on unpaved surfaces such as sporting fields. When the outsoles are wetted with water, the outsoles can become more compliant and/or can rapidly uptake and/or expel water, which can prevent soil from adhering to the outsole and/or can assist in shedding soil present on the outsole.
US09392837B1
A shoe system incorporates an open toe design having a receptacle in a heel that receives various heel designs and a toe spring for attaching various toes to give the shoe different appearances. The attachable toe configures the shoe to a closed-toe style.
US09392829B2
A device for magnetic clasping for a clothing accessory includes at least one permanently magnetized assembly arranged at one end of one surface of the accessory, while a plurality of ferromagnetic elements and/or permanently magnetized assemblies are arranged longitudinally on the other surface at the opposite end thereof. The magnetized assemblies of one surface are suitable for attracting a magnetized assembly of the other surface. The magnetized assemblies and/or ferromagnetic elements of each surface are arranged such that, by placing the ends of the surfaces vertically adjacent to one another, a plurality of adjustment positions of the surfaces are obtained relative to the position of the magnetized assemblies and ferromagnetic elements, representing a plurality of possible tightness levels. Each magnetized assembly of one surface engages with a magnetized assembly or a ferromagnetic element of the other surface in each one of the adjustment positions to close any magnetic field.
US09392828B2
Provided is a wearable pocket that can be inside clothing through a magnetic connection with a button on outside of the clothing.
US09392825B2
The present invention relates to breathable, vented, and insulating cold weather garments. More particularly, the present invention relates to garments with chambers to retain an insulating fill material. Perforations along the seams between the insulating chambers may achieve optimal evaporative moisture transfer from the inside (proximal to the body of a wearer) of the garment to the outside environment.
US09392821B1
A multi-layer costume bib including a bib body with a pocket for catching crumbs, a detachable retention strap for a youth or an adult wearer who lacks sufficient mobility to don the bib otherwise, and a waterproof medial layer disposed between an external layer and an internal layer in each of the bib body and the pocket, as well as an interfacing between the medial layer and the external layer of the pocket. The present costume bib also provides first and second members that are costume elements to encourage a youth or an adult to wear the bib and to encourage the wearer to participate in entertainment activities.
US09392814B2
A water soluble shell or binder is used to encapsulate nutrients, flavoring, other food grade ingredients or combinations thereof together as a single serving or unit. The unit or single serving may be distributed to people to provide nutrition to people in mass casualty situations. In this manner, more nutrients may be delivered since water which has a significant amount of weight and volume need not be transported to the people. Moreover, in normal situations, the water soluble shell or binder dissolves sufficiently quick so that the user can quickly consume nutrients.
US09392811B2
A white whole grain wheat flour is milled from whole grain wheat kernels of white wheat. The white whole grain wheat flour has the appearance, texture, and consistency of refined wheat flour and the nutritional value of whole wheat flour. The white whole grain wheat flour can have a particle size distribution such that about 2% or more of the white whole grain wheat flour is larger than about 212 μm.
US09392801B2
The invention describes a process to produce a casing with marks and a meat product with marks. Said process starts from a casing by way of pleated tubular wrapping, where a coloring composition is impregnated on at least one sector of its surface to produce a casing with marks, which is optionally transferred to the stuffed meat product in said casing.
US09392789B2
The application describes synergistic microbicidal compositions comprising: 2,2-dibromomalonamide and an oxidizing biocide selected from the group consisting of: monochloramine, bromochlorodimethylhydantoin, hypobromite ion or hypobromous acid, hydrogen peroxide, dichloroisocyanurate, trichloroisocyanurate and chlorine dioxide and a method for controlling microorganism growth in an aqueous or water-containing system.
US09392783B1
A fish alert device for a fishing rod provides a means to alert a fisherman of a fish on the line. The device includes an alert bell and a housing which is adaptable to an existing fishing rod that provides an alarm sound upon catching a fish. The device allows a user to cast and re-cast without needing to remove the device.
US09392782B2
The present invention relates to a soft and durable carrying case for transporting one or more fishing rods (typically a 2 piece rod) and reels that affords protection as well as buoyancy if dropped in the water. The inner foam material is specially made, placed and secured into the nylon shell to aid in buoyancy and protecting the rods and reels from damage. The carrying case can also be used to transport other types if equipment that are a maximum of 43 inches in length. The present invention can be reconfigured into a seat cushion after taking out the rods and reels. Said seat cushion is designed in such a manner as to prevent pain to the tailbone. The dual usage capability of the present invention allows for the consumer to alleviate 2 problems (carrying a fishing rod and reel easily) and preventing pain to the tailbone when sitting down while fishing. Another feature of the present invention is a 3rd or 4th use whereby, the carrying case can be further reconfigured as a blanket or poncho. The case is made of nylon, polyester and foam construction or other suitable materials for cushioning and warming effect.
US09392781B2
An apparatus with a submersed unit, an air pump, a switching-mode power supply, a power transmission cable, a multi-position selector switch, and an air hose is used to aerate and also heat a quantity of water that holds live bait used for fishing. The switching-mode power supply and the air pump are enclosed within a head unit housing which is plugged into a power source. The water containing the live bait is aerated through an aeration stone connected to the air pump through the air hose. When the water needs to be heated a temperature sensitive heating element heats the water. The supplied conditions are controlled by the multi-position selector switch. The temperature sensitive heating element is powered through the power transmission cable and contains a thermistor and a resistive wire. More specifically, when the thermistor detects a drop in temperature, the resistive wire converts electricity into heat.
US09392775B2
The fish culturing system includes a culture tank for raising fish, a multi-stage filter system to clean the water in the culture tank, and an air manifold supplying air to the whole system. A water return manifold substantially surrounds the upper portion of the culture tank and a waste output manifold substantially surrounds the lower portion of the culture tank. Water flowing through the water return manifold exits through a plurality of openings into the culture tank and an air diffuser assembly aerates and induces opposing flows in the water in the culture tank. Waste material in the culture tank is drawn through the waste output manifold and directed through the multi-stage filter system to remove solid waste and reduce toxic levels of ammonia. At least one clean-out port communicates with the water return manifold and the waste output manifold for respective cleaning. An adjustable overflow pipe regulates water levels.
US09392772B2
A poultry feed system is provided having a plurality of feeders that may be fully charged with feed while located on the floor of the feed house, but are capable of being stored near to their location when feeding has ceased.
US09392768B1
A throw and fetch system includes a universal handle, at least two projectiles, and at least two interchangeable projectile holder elements. A first projectile has a first size and/or shape, and a second projectile has a second size and/or shape. A first interchangeable projectile holder element has an interior that is sized and shaped to correspond to the size and shape of the first projectile, and a second interchangeable projectile holder element has an interior that is sized and shaped to correspond to the size and shape of the second projectile. In a first state the first projectile holder element is attached to a distal end of the universal handle such that the first projectile may be held then thrown therefrom by a user, and in a second state the second projectile holder element is attached such that the second projectile may be held then thrown therefrom by the user.
US09392761B2
The invention provides seed and plants of the bean line designated SV1098GV. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of bean line SV1098GV, and to methods for producing a bean plant produced by crossing a plant of bean line SV1098GV with itself or with another bean plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of bean line SV1098GV, including the pods and gametes of such plants.
US09392756B1
A self-contained, low-maintenance planter assembly used indoors or outdoors to provide prolonged self-watering of plants in a tray preferably supported by an easily height-adjustable frame insert positioned within the lower reservoir portion of a fluid-containing planter housing. Interior tray-lifting members are located adjacent to the tray's top edge, and the tray's bottom surface has perforations. Plant roots may be in growth/support medium distributed directly into the tray, or in drainable pots. Fluid-permeable material under the growth/support medium allows surplus rainwater to refill the planter housing via the tray's perforations in outdoor applications, while an overfill prevention hole in the planter housing prevents nutrient/liquid therein from entering the tray, with wicking member or members instead distributing nutrient/liquid upwardly to tray-supported plant roots. No tools or power/water connections are needed for assembly function. Applications include, but are not limited to, residential and commercial use, including hotels, convention centers, malls, and schools.
US09392747B2
A crop feeding roller for a header includes a plurality of finger units within the roller each having a pair of fingers projecting outwardly for engaging crop outside the peripheral wall of the roller. The peripheral wall has opposed finger guide holes associated with the pair of fingers. Each finger unit including an inner member carrying the fingers and containing an elongate guide slot transverse to the axis of the roller and a stationary guide member within the guide slot at a position within the roller arranged to cause the inner member with the fingers of each of the finger units to reciprocate during the rotation of the roller. The guide slot is shaped with at least one curved lobe to one side of a transverse center section so that the slot can be S-shaped or C-shaped to improve the dwell time and swept area obtained by the finger movement.
US09398712B2
The present invention is premised upon a connector and electronic circuit assembly (130) at least partially encased in a polymeric frame (200). The assembly including at least: a connector housing (230); at least one electrical connector (330); at least one electronic circuit component (430); and at least one barrier element (530).
US09398699B2
A microelectronic device mounting substrate includes a bond pad with a side wall and an upper surface. A dielectric first layer is disposed on the mounting substrate and a solder mask second layer is disposed on the dielectric first layer. A uniform recess is disposed through the solder mask second layer and the dielectric first layer that exposes the portion of the bond pad upper surface.
US09398697B2
In a method for jetting droplets of viscous medium on a workpiece, a jetting machine iteratively jets the droplets of viscous medium from a jetting nozzle onto a first surface of the workpiece to form a single continuous mass of material at an edge of the first surface of the workpiece. At least a portion of the single continuous mass of material extends past the edge of the first surface and adheres to a second surface of the workpiece.
US09398678B2
The invention relates to a method and device for forming a plasma beam. According to the invention: the quality of the electroneutrality of the plasma beam (PB) is detected (in 12 and/or 13); and the alternating polarization potentials of the extraction and acceleration grid (4) are adjusted such that the plasma beam (PB) is at least approximately electrically neutral.
US09398642B2
A heater assembly including a foil heater having at least one slot. The heater assembly includes an insulating plate configured to electrically and thermally insulate the foil heater, the insulating plate having a central opening, at least one first mounting hole and at least one first fastening hole. The heater assembly includes a heat dissipation element configured to conduct heat from the foil heater to an exterior of the heater assembly, the heat dissipation element having at least one second mounting hole and at least one second fastening hole. The foil heater is between the insulating plate and the heat dissipation element. The at least one first mounting hole, the at least one slot and the at least one second mounting hole are aligned. The at least one first fastening hole, the at least one slot and the at least one second fastening hole are aligned.
US09398641B2
An electrical heating device for a motor vehicle includes a frame that has openings formed on oppositely situated sides for the passage of a medium to be heated, a layer structure, arranged in the frame, and a connecting housing. The layer structure comprises layers of corrugated-rib elements and heat generating elements, and each heat generating element has at least one PTC element arranged between parallel contact plates. At least one power dissipation generating power switch is provided in the connecting housing. A heat sink lies exposed on the outside of the connecting housing. Improved and adequate cooling of the electrical heating device having the power switch is created as a result of the insertion of the heat sink into the connecting housing in a sealing manner.
US09398634B2
A mobile station, a core network node, a base station subsystem, and various methods are described herein for implementing longer paging cycles (longer Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode) in a cellular network which has a benefit of reducing the energy consumption of the mobile station's battery.
US09398633B2
Methods and apparatus for of tracking network system timing are provided. In one aspect, a method of tracking network system timing comprises determining a periodicity of a plurality of windows for monitoring mobile messages. The method further includes performing a time tracking adjustment between the windows. The method further includes monitoring for mobile messages exclusively within each of the windows.
US09398632B2
A random access procedure control method and apparatus is provided for controlling a random access procedure efficiently in a mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation. The method for controlling random access procedure of a terminal in a wireless communication system having a primary cell and at least one secondary cell includes initiating a random access procedure in the primary cell and the at least one secondary cells, detecting a random access failure of a terminal performing the random access procedure, determining whether the random access failure is detected in the primary cell or the at least one secondary cell, and determining whether to continue the random access procedure according to a result of the determining of whether the random access failure is detected.
US09398631B2
A method for establishing a communication between a first peer device and a second peer device is provided. The method includes detecting the second peer device by the first peer device. The method also includes checking, by the first peer device, whether there is a deposited second address of the second peer device in an address database of the first peer device. The method further includes setting a role for the first peer device by the first peer device according to a first address and a second address when there is the deposited second address of the second peer device in the address database of the first peer device. The method further includes establishing a connection between the first peer device and the second peer device based on the role set for the first peer device.
US09398629B2
WLAN controllers in a same mobility domain are able to dynamically discover other WLAN controllers in the same mobility domain across one or more layer 2 or layer 3 network boundaries. A WLAN controller in the mobility domain determines an address of at least one seed WLAN controller in the mobility domain from a configuration server. The WLAN controller registers with the at least one seed WLAN controller in the mobility domain and receives information for other WLAN controllers in the mobility domain from the at least one seed WLAN controller. The WLAN controller also receives synchronized wireless device information that allows a wireless device to roam from one AP adopted by the WLAN controller in a first access network to another AP adopted by another WLAN controller in a second different access network in the same mobility domain.
US09398628B2
In one example embodiment, a method for selecting a physical layer identifier for use in a basestation is disclosed. The basestation may be comprised within a mobile communications network, which may also comprise a plurality of other basestations. The method comprises receiving a pool of identifiers available for use by basestations within the network and assigning a temporary identifier for the basestation. The method further comprises receiving from connected UEs reports of identifiers from among the received pool that are in use by basestations detected by the connected UEs and assigning a final identifier selected from the received pool of identifiers, the final identifier being different from the temporary identifier.
US09398619B1
A device configured to determine whether it is outside a designated emergency alert area based on the number and/or frequency of received emergency alert system (EAS) signals. A communications network configured to map a location of the device with respect to the designated alert area and verify that the EAS alert signals were properly broadcast. The network may also be configured to transmit a signal to a second device indicating whether the device is outside the designated alert area. The network may further be configured to cause the EAS alert signals to be broadcast via a first transceiver serving at least a portion of the designated alert area and to cause non-emergency signals to be broadcast by a second transceiver serving at least a portion of an area outside of the designated alert area.
US09398617B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and an apparatus for processing random access in a wireless communication network, and a processing method of a user equipment and an apparatus. The method for processing random access in the communication network includes: the base station receives a first Zadoff-Chu sequence and a second Zadoff-Chu sequence that are sent by a user equipment, a du of the first Zadoff-Chu sequence is smaller than a du of the second Zadoff-Chu sequence; the base station estimates an error range for a round trip delay RTD of the user equipment according to the first Zadoff-Chu sequence, estimates, according to the second Zadoff-Chu sequence, the RTD within the error range for the RTD or a frequency offset of an uplink signal of the user equipment. The problem that the user equipment with a frequency offset accesses a network is solved.
US09398615B1
A method for processing a preamble of a data unit received via a communication channel, wherein the preamble includes a first preamble field having a plurality of repetitions of a sequence, includes generating a cross-correlation output signal at least in part by correlating (i) a signal corresponding to the first preamble field of a received data unit with (ii) one or more repetitions of the sequence. The method also includes generating a correlation output signal at least in part by performing a correlation operation on the cross-correlation output signal, and, based at least in part on the correlation output signal, detecting the received data unit and/or determining timing associated with the received data unit.
US09398608B2
A transmitter device is capable of preventing error detection of a data resource area as a result of a detection mistake of a control signal. In the device, a control unit sets, as data resource areas, only PRBs that have been imparted with numbers greater than a number that has been imparted to a PRB for which has been set a control resource area for which a downlink assignment control signal (that is, a DL grant) has been mapped. In this manner, at a terminal, if the PRB for which a downlink assignment control signal has been detected can be identified, the data resource area can be identified directly, and therefore, it is possible to prevent error detection for the data resource area as a result of a detection mistake of an uplink assignment control signal.
US09398602B2
A method of wireless communication includes adjusting a channel quality indicator (CQI) to compensate for coexistence interference experienced between communication resources (such as an LTE radio and a Bluetooth radio). The CQI may be set to zero, falsely indicating to a serving enhanced NodeB that a UE is out of range, thereby creating a gap in LTE operation that may be used by an alternate radio access technology. To compensate for fluctuating interference, the CQI may be adjusted to incorporate average coexistence interference over a period of time. Alternatively, the CQI at a time may incorporate coexistence interference regardless of whether interference is experienced at that specific time. A CQI value may also be boosted to compensate for a CQI backoff. CQI may be adjusted to avoid a spiral of death effect.
US09398601B2
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for scheduling in a cellular-based device-to-device (D2D) communication. The method of scheduling a cellular resource used in a base station for a D2D communication between terminals may include grouping, by a proximity coordinator, a cellular resource of an adjacent base station based on cell information of a base station, managing a resource to be allocated to the terminal and a resource allocated previously to the terminal based on the grouped resource, and allocating the grouped resource to the terminal based on information associated with the resource to be allocated and the previously allocated resource when a request for D2D communication between terminals located in different cells is received.
US09398600B2
A calculation unit computes, based on subsequent information that is added to data transmitted from a terminal device and indicates the presence or absence of untransmitted data reserved in the terminal device when transmitting the data, the number of data in which untransmitted data exists among the certain number of data previously transmitted from the terminal device. A time slot assignment control unit controls the assigned size of a time slot to the terminal device based on the number of the data, in which untransmitted data exists, computed by the calculation unit. A data processing unit notifies the terminal device of the assigned size of the time slot determined by the time slot assignment control unit.
US09398593B2
A radio base station that can communicate with a management device for controlling a mobile terminal and that accommodates the mobile terminal, includes: reception means for receiving an adjustment value in conformity with the amount of data which the mobile terminal has transmitted/received within a predetermined period, form the management device; and allocation means for controlling radio resources to be allocated to the mobile terminal, based on the adjustment value received by the reception means when the predetermined operational conditions are satisfied.
US09398592B2
The present invention relates to a scheduling apparatus (100) and a method for a cellular Time-Division Duplex (TDD) radio communication system (180). The apparatus comprises a storage unit configured for holding a database comprising topographical information concerning a geographical area covered by the communication system. The apparatus also comprises a position unit configured for obtaining information concerning a geographical position held by at least one of a first and a second radio communication device (120;160) of the communication system within said area. The apparatus further comprises a scheduling unit configured for allocating a communication time slot as an uplink time slot or a downlink time slot for radio communication between a first base station (110) and said first device (120) of the communication system. Whether the time slot is allocated as an uplink time slot or a downlink time slot is dependent on said position information and on said topographical information.
US09398583B2
Method for efficiently performing initial access in a multi-carrier broadband wireless access system
A method for efficiently performing an initial access in an MS in a multi-carrier broadband wireless access system is disclosed. The method includes scanning a plurality of carriers supported by a BS, and selecting one of the scanned carriers as a first carrier and receiving an SFH of the first carrier. The SFH of the first carrier includes at least one of a field indicating load status of the first carrier and recommended network entry carrier information including information about a second carrier in good load status.
US09398578B2
The present invention provides a method and a device for transmitting/receiving a control channel in a downlink subframe, which divides into a control area and a data area. The present invention enables the downlink control channel transmitted from the data area of a specific carrier wave to be configured to carry scheduling information on another carrier wave.
US09398576B2
A method for operating an access point includes identifying one or more stations to receive a transmission from the access point, and generating a traffic indicator map (TIM) for the one or more stations identified, the TIM in accordance with a TIM generating rule, the TIM identifying at least an offset length and a number of entries. The method further includes broadcasting a beacon carrying the TIM to the one or more stations identified, the one or more stations configured to decode the beacon according to the TIM generating rule.
US09398574B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose an information transmission method and equipment based on CoMP transmission. In the method, a user equipment determines a main transmission point. The user equipment determines RANK information of the main transmission point as well as channel state information corresponding to the RANK information. The user equipment sends the RANK information of the main transmission point and the channel state information to a network side equipment. In the embodiments of the present invention, the UE reports channel state information of limited RANK of every transmission point, channel state information of unlimited RANK of the main transmission point, and relative phase information between the transmission points, etc., to the network side equipment, thereby helping the network side to better implement flexible selection and dynamic switchover of transmission schemes. Moreover, it does not notably increase feedback expenses for the UE.
US09398561B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to operation of a device supporting multiple SIMs. A method may include detecting a paging collision scenario between a first subscription and at least a second subscription. The method may further include modifying a page reading operation of at least one of the first subscription and the at least a second subscription to avoid a paging collision between the first subscription and the at least a second subscription. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described in the application.
US09398558B2
Methods and systems of continuously optimizing data in WiFi positioning systems. A location-based services system uses WiFi-enabled devices to monitor WiFi access points in a target area to indicate whether a WiFi access point has moved relative to its previously recorded location. A WiFi-enabled device communicates with WiFi access points within range of the WiFi-enabled device so that observed WiFi access points identify themselves; A reference database is accessed to obtain information specifying a recorded location for each observed WiFi access point in the target area. The recorded location information is used for each of the observed WiFi access points in conjunction with predefined rules to infer whether an observed WiFi access point has moved relative to its recorded location. The reference database is informed of the identity of any observed WiFi access point that is inferred to have moved.
US09398551B2
Technology for performing multiple timing advances in a carrier aggregation communication system is disclosed. A method comprises communicating a random access preamble from a UE to an eNodeB via a PCell associated with a selected component carrier of the carrier aggregation. A Random Access Response (RAR) is received at the UE from the eNodeB for the PCell. The RAR contains a timing advance adjustment instructing the UE to adjust a timing of a PCell wireless communication. A request is received at the UE to adjust a timing of an SCell communication. A random access preamble is communicated to the UE via the SCell. An RAR is received at the UE from the eNodeB for the SCell to adjust a timing advance of the SCell wireless communication.
US09398545B2
A method, station and computer readable storage medium used for setting a power level of the station. The station implements a first processing layer that is a radio link control layer and a second processing layer that is a physical layer. The method includes receiving data units of a voice application, the data units being in a sequence, determining whether the first processing layer of the station detects a gap in the sequence of received data units, communicating an indication from the first processing layer to the second processing layer, the indication indicating at least one identity of corresponding missing data units in the gap relative to the first processing layer and increasing the current power level when the at least one identity of the corresponding missing data units relative to the first processing layer is also determined to be a missing data unit relative to the second processing layer.
US09398543B2
A radio network controller, RNC, 614, and a method therein, for enhancing reception quality of transmissions on an uplink control channel from a user equipment, UE, 613 to a serving base station, BS, 610. The RNC, the UE and the serving BS are comprised in a communication system 600. The method comprises, when conditions for boosting the uplink control channel are fulfilled, determining a boosting factor based on a ratio of path gains of a channel from the UE to the serving BS and of a channel from the UE to a non-serving BS 611, respectively, which non-serving BS is comprised in the communications system. The method further comprises transmitting the determined boosting factor to the UE, whereby the reception quality of transmission on the uplink control channel from the UE to the serving BS is enhanced by the UE boosting the control channel by means of the boosting factor.
US09398542B2
Apparatus and methods for wireless communication transmission power control are provided. Determination of gain factors and adjustments for physical channel reconfiguration in the context of transmission power control are addressed. Preferably, implementation is in conjunction with communication systems in which wireless communications are conducted between wireless transmit receive units (WTRUs) using multiple channels that are concurrently transmitted.
US09398536B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for detecting a movement pattern of a mobile device based at least in part on one or more signals representative of one or more sensor measurements, and for determining whether the movement pattern corresponds to a predefined level of movement of the mobile device.
US09398504B2
A mobile communication system (9) of the invention is provided with a first wireless base station (91) managing a macro cell, a second wireless base station (92) managing a small cell included in the macro cell, and a service establishment control unit (93) executing a service establishment control of establishing a service between a mobile terminal and the first wireless base station (91) in the macro cell in response to a request of establishing a service from the mobile terminal. When the service whose establishment is requested from the mobile terminal is a specific service, the service establishment control unit (93) executes a handover control of the mobile terminal from the first wireless base station (91) to the second wireless base station (92), and then, executes a service establishment control of establishing a service between the mobile terminal and the second wireless base station (92) in the small cell.
US09398499B2
A method includes determining whether a packet switched (PS) signaling connection is released, the PS signaling connection being associated with a first network corresponding to a first radio access technology (RAT), controlling a switching timing to a second network corresponding to a second RAT according to a type of the PS signaling connection, and transmitting a request for switching to the second network. A terminal includes a controller to determine whether a packet switched (PS) signaling connection is released, the PS signaling connection being associated with a first network corresponding to a first radio access technology (RAT), and to control a switching timing to a second network corresponding to a second RAT according to a type of the PS signaling connection, and a transmitter to transmit a request for switching to the second network.
US09398488B2
A system for a mobile wireless device to receive and display a video stream while preventing overflow or starvation of a receive buffer of the mobile wireless device by requesting changes to video streaming or encoding rates of a video streaming device and by controlling a video playback frame rate is provided. A current receive buffer level of the mobile wireless device is used to make comparisons with several thresholds, the results of which are used to trigger actions.
US09398476B2
A method for monitoring software application performance and one or more device states affecting a software application on a periodic basis on a mobile device. The method includes one or more computer processors identifying a software application on a mobile device. The method further includes the one or more computer processors identifying a plurality of sampling plans and one or more respective triggers within the plurality of sampling plans that are respectively associated with the software application and are stored on the mobile device. The method further includes the one or more computer processors determining a first value associated with the one or more respective triggers. The method further includes the one or more computer processors selecting a first sampling plan from the plurality of sampling plans for the software application based, at least in part, on the value associated with the one or more respective triggers.
US09398463B2
A mobile phone (10) includes a touch panel (38) and a touch control circuit (36) detecting a touch operation, and can set a lock state that a telephone function or the like is restricted. If the lock state is set and a key operation is performed, a message urging to long-depress a touch is displayed on a display (30), and when the touch is detected, a changing object representing an elapse of time is displayed on the display (30). If five (5) seconds elapse in a touched state, a completion image is displayed on the display (30). Then, if a finger is released from the touch panel (38) within three (3) seconds after the completion image is displayed, the lock state is canceled.
US09398460B1
A mobile phone-based system for providing on-demand security to a requester primarily via non-voice communication, the system comprising a database having requester, security escort, engagement, and review data, and request factors; a requester phone having one non-voice and voice communication channel and an interface facilitating engagements; a screening facility qualifying security escorts, requesters, and reviewing one screened person's qualifications; a security escort phone having one non-voice and voice communication channel, an interface facilitating engagements; an engagement engine having a query generator facilitating requests and generating an appropriate queries and a response generator receiving the queries and generating factor-based responses; and a meeting engine facilitating all phases of the engagement, whereby the security escorts required for a particular engagement are determined based on requester-provided data as a function of a requester requirements, security escort provider abilities, and application of request factors.
US09398448B2
Systems, methods, and devices are directed to an electronic device that includes a first wireless communication module configured to facilitate transmission and reception of data via a wireless communication link and a first secure element while a wireless communication device includes a processor, an operating system executed by the processor, a second wireless communication module configured to facilitate transmission and reception of data via the wireless communication link, and a second secure element. The second secure element exchanges information with the first secure element via the wireless communication link to establish a secure channel within the wireless communication link, and the wireless communication device employs logic configured to route the data to the second secure element for processing prior to forwarding the data to the operating system, upon establishing the secure channel.
US09398440B2
A smart card for use with a mobile communication device adapted to communicate over a cell-phone network, the smart card comprising: at least one communication port for communicating with a transceiver via a communication channel that is not a cell-phone channel; and a processor configured to receive from the transceiver an IMSI from a SIM having an authentication key, and an authentication response generated by the SIM responsive to the SIM's authentication key and a challenge by a cell-phone network, and to transmit the received IMSI and authentication response to the mobile communication device for transmission to the cell-phone network via a cell-phone communication channel provided by the cell-phone network.
US09398438B2
Embodiments are provided to support device-to-device (D2D) communications in a time-division duplexing (TDD) communications system, and ensure that D2D discovery signals are transmitted by user devices on an uplink subframe when there is a TDD frame configuration change. In an embodiment, a user device receives form the network a TDD frame configuration selected from a set of available TDD frame configurations according to the TDD configuration. The device further receives a D2D discovery configuration for a discovery time interval. The user device then allocates a transmission resource a D2D discovery signal within the discovery time interval according to the D2D discovery configuration. The user device is also configured to receive from another device a second D2D discovery signal during the discovery time interval in accordance with the TDD configuration and the D2D discovery configuration.
US09398436B2
A cloud service for making social connections includes a remote computer storing user accounts, each account including user information and an anonymous ID bound to the user information. A first mobile device transmits an anonymous ID using a limited range wireless signal module and a second mobile device receives the anonymous ID using a limited range wireless signal module of the second mobile device. The second mobile device transmits the received anonymous ID to a remote computer using an Internet connection module and receives the user information bound to the anonymous ID from the remote computer.
US09398434B2
The present disclosure described a method, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and computer system that implement zone analysis in a charging system. Accordingly, the method, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and computer system provide for receiving a service usage request, where the service usage request represents, at least in part, a request for service usage received from a subscriber and comprises a value pair, which, in turn, comprises a first value and a second value; identifying a zone item by traversing a configurable zone model tree, where the traversing is performed using the first value and the second value; and returning a zone name of the zone, where the zone item comprises the zone name, and the zone name identifies a charging structure to be used in satisfying the service usage request.
US09398423B2
A method of determining vehicle entry information for a user includes obtaining a yaw measurement using a mobile device, determining, using a processor, a first time span associated with a user entering a vehicle, and determining, using the processor, a second time span associated with a user exiting the vehicle. The method also includes determining that a change in magnitude over a portion of the yaw measurement is greater than a predetermined threshold over at least one of the first time span or the second time span and determining an angular change of the yaw measurement over the predetermined threshold. The method further includes associating right hand entry with the vehicle entry information if the angular orientation of the yaw measurement is clockwise and associating left hand entry with the vehicle entry information if the angular orientation of the yaw measurement is counter-clockwise.
US09398413B1
A computing device is used to acquire data and information regarding various electronic devices within a home, commercial space, or another area of interest. Locations for the electronic devices may also be determined by way of a location resource of the computing device, by user input, or through another suitable technique. Various maps may be generated that include graphical representations of the electronic devices, as well as walls, doorways, furniture, or other features within the area or space of interest. A user may amend or add various details within such a map by way of respective user interfaces presented by the computing device. The respective functions and cooperative operations of the electronic devices may be visualized and improved through such mapping.
US09398410B2
A first user at a location creates content (e.g., a text, voice message, photograph, image, video, or other content) associated with the location and sends the content to a service provider server using a first user device. The service provider server stores the content for future visitors of the location to access. When a second user with a second user device is subsequently at or close to the location associated with the content, the service provider server provides access to the content based on a location of the second user device and one or more criteria, such as a search area criterion, time interval criterion, access area criterion, and/or user interest criterion. The second user may then view the content on the second user device.
US09398403B2
Providing mobile device location as a proxy location for an access point in response to mobile device association with the access point, and related methods, devices, and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile device receives signals from a transmitter(s). Based on the received signals, the mobile device determines its current location. The mobile device also establishes an association with an access point device. In response to the association, the mobile device transmits to a location server an identification of the access point device and the current location of the mobile device as a proxy location for the access point device. In this manner, the location server may determine a location of the access point device while maintaining the privacy of user(s) of the mobile device(s). The location server may provide the access point device location to user device(s) to allow the user device(s) to determine its location.
US09398399B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of Bluetooth communication. For example, a Bluetooth communication unit may be capable of detecting a Bluetooth signal via a first antenna, and, upon detecting the Bluetooth signal, to switch to a second antenna, which is shared between the Bluetooth communication unit and an other, different, wireless communication unit, for establishing a Bluetooth communication link.
US09398396B2
Information about a context of a mobile device is inferred using measurements from light detectors of the mobile device. The light detectors may be located on multiple different sides of the mobile device. In some embodiments, measurements from one or more cameras may be used to infer context.
US09398395B2
The disclosure is related to grouping and displaying messages exchanging between a sender and a plurality of recipients. A first message including a first tag may be sent to a plurality of recipient terminals. A second message may be received from at least one of the recipient terminals. The received second message may be grouped into a related message group based on the first tag and a second tag. The second tag may be included in the second message. The received second messages may be displayed within the related message group.
US09398393B2
The subject matter described herein includes a method for simulating directional sound reverberation. The method includes performing ray tracing from a listener position in a scene to surface as visible from a listener position. The method further includes determining a directional local visibility representing a distance from a listener position to nearer surface in the scene alone each ray. The method further includes determining directional reverberation at the listener position based on the directional local visibility. The method further includes rendering a simulated sound indicative of the directional reverberation at the listener position.
US09398385B2
The method for adjusting a hearing system to individual hearing needs and preferences of a specific hearing system user by means of a fitting system comprising a visual display comprises: a) presenting on the visual display a visualization (33) simultaneously visualizing for each of a group of data sets: whether or not the respective data set is accessible to a user of said fitting system; and for each device selected in said fitting system to be part of said hearing system: whether or not the respective device is accessible to a user of said fitting system; by b1) displaying on the visual display a graphics object (33a, 33b, . . . ) representing the respective data set or device, in case the respective data set and the respective device, respectively, is accessible to a user of said fitting system; and b2) not displaying on said visual display a graphics object (33a, 33b, . . . ) representing the respective data set or device, in case the respective data set and the respective device, respectively, is not accessible to a user of said fitting system.
US09398382B2
A method is described for generating electrical stimulation signals for stimulation contacts in an auditory implant system. Characteristic feature periods are determined for frequency components in an input audio signal. For selected feature periods that meet a period selection criteria, adjusted feature periods are determined that correspond to a nearest integer multiple of a language-specific fundamental period. A corresponding stimulation rate frequency is determined for each adjusted feature period, and each stimulation rate frequency is assigned to one or more stimulation contacts. The stimulation signals are then generated for the stimulation contacts at their respective stimulation rate frequencies.
US09398377B2
A piezoelectric sound generating element capable of providing flatter and less fluctuated sound pressure frequency characteristics includes a diaphragm that is formed in a circular plate shape with a circular profile. A piezoelectric element is affixed to the side of a bottom wall portion of the diaphragm. The piezoelectric element has an asymmetric octagonal profile including a pair of long side portions opposing each other, a pair of short side portions opposing each other, and four connecting side portions.
US09398376B2
An electroacoustic transducer includes a diaphragm including a pair of convex surfaces respectively including convex surfaces of a pair of longitudinal split tubular members. A valley is formed between one side portions of the pair of longitudinal split tubular members. The electroacoustic transducer further includes: a converter configured to convert between a vibration of the diaphragm in a depth direction of the valley and an electric signal corresponding to the vibration; and a supporter supporting other side portions of the pair of longitudinal split tubular members of the diaphragm so as to allow the other side portions to vibrate in a vibration direction of the vibration.
US09398371B2
An analog signal transfer system includes a transmission apparatus including a variable compressor that variably compresses input signals exponentially according to the amplitudes of the input signals; and a reception apparatus including a variable expander that variably expands the compressed signals exponentially according to the amplitudes of the compressed signals.
US09398370B2
An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.
US09398366B2
Thus there is provided an earphone or headset comprising a housing, an internal microphone, an external microphone and a signal processing unit. The signal processing unit is connected to the internal microphone and the external microphone. The signal processing unit serves for signal processing of an audio signal of the external microphone and for adding the signal-processed audio signal to an audio signal from the internal microphone. The signal processing unit is adapted to perform band pass limitation of the audio signal of the external microphone and to output the added signal as an output signal.
US09398365B2
This disclosure relates generally to waterproof electronic assemblies, such as earphones, earphone electronic controls, and waterproof connectors, as well as an apparatus for retaining an earpiece in the ear during physical movement and exercise. In various instances, the apparatus may include a thinned region a posterior arch and ribs to allow deformation of the earmold and facilitate securing of the earmold in the concha bowl of the ear. Electronic component assemblies described include electronic components, a cable, and a housing configured to house the electronic components. The housing also includes a cable aperture through which the cable extends, and a compression backstop extending into the interior of the housing. The electronic assembly may also include a gasket holder. The assembly also includes a gasket surrounding the cable, a compression wedge at least partially surrounding the circumference of the cable, and a crimp bead positioned proximate the compression backstop.
US09398357B2
An audio equipped fan is disclosed as having a housing, and a grille connected to the housing, and defining first openings through which air may flow while the fan is rotated, and second openings through which sound may travel. The fan also has an annular lighting array configured to selectively provide lighting in a high power or a low power configuration, and speakers connected to the grille and aligned on the interior side of the grille with the second openings of the grille so that sound may travel through the grille. Related methods are also disclosed.
US09398352B2
A sensing platform for monitoring a transmission system, and method therefor, may include a sensor that senses one or more conditions relating to a condition of the transmission system and/or the condition of an environment around the transmission system. A control system operatively associated with the sensor produces output data based on an output signal produced by the sensor. A transmitter operatively associated with the control system transmits the output data from the control system.
US09398343B2
Methods and systems are described herein for providing objects describing media content. For example, in response to detecting that a particular media listing is not associated with an graphic and/or text content (e.g., box art) describing the particular media listing, a media guidance application may generate a custom graphic and/or text content (e.g., custom box art) for the media listing based on graphic and/or text content of a media listing for a media asset associated with the particular media asset.
US09398341B2
A method of processing an interactive service and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes receiving uncompressed audio content or uncompressed video content from an external decoding unit, extracting identifiers of frames from the received content periodically, submitting requests containing the identifiers and receiving a trigger for the content when a new segment is detected or when an event activation needs to be communicated to the receiver, wherein the trigger indicates the current time of the contents and references a particular interactive event in an application parameter table or signals that the event is to be executed now or at a specified future time, wherein the application parameter table includes information about at least one of applications.
US09398338B2
A system (10), a method and a utilization of a remote control adapted to display media content from the World Wide Web (12). This is accomplished by utilizing a smart-phone (18) as a remote control by an application program, and transmitting the media content through a backend system (110) utilizing WI-FI adapters to (20) transmit streaming media to for instance a HDMI TV (16).
US09398334B1
Systems, methods, and media for controlling a presentation of media content are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, methods for controlling a presentation of media content, the methods comprising: causing the presentation of the media content to begin; measuring an elapsed time of the presentation of the media content; determining a first threshold based on at least one of: a characteristic of a person; a characteristic of a current point in time; and a characteristic of the media content; determining if the elapsed time of the presentation has met the first threshold; and ending the presentation in response to determining that the elapsed time of the presentation has met the first threshold.
US09398333B2
A device may be configured to receive a request to record content. The device may receive copy control information associated with the content that indicates a first quantity of copies of the content that the device is permitted to make available for check out from each recording of the content. The device may determine to record the multiple times based on the first quantity of copies failing to satisfy a particular value. The device may record the content multiple times using multiple tuners based on the request. The device may make a second quantity of copies of the content available for check out to at least one client device based on recording the content the plurality of times. The second quantity of copies may be greater than the first quantity of copies.
US09398325B2
A multimedia device processes a remote control signal that includes a unique identifier. A profile associated with the identifier is provided to the remote control over a bi-directional link that includes a cellular connection between the remote control and a cellular base station. A display mode instruction from the remote control may control a display mode determining whether content is sent only to a remote control display, only to a television display, or to both. A content mode instruction may determine whether all content is displayed or commercial-free content only is displayed. An interactive display may be provided in accordance with the display mode instruction and the content mode instruction. The multimedia device may provide a notification message indicating a change in content status of a multimedia program to the remote control.
US09398322B2
Digital video data and digital multiple-audio data are extracted from a source, using a hardware processor in a content source device within a premises. The extracted digital video data is processed for display on a main display device in the premises; and the extracted digital multiple-audio data is processed into a primary soundtrack in a primary language, to be listened to within the premises in synchronization with the displayed extracted digital video data. The primary soundtrack corresponds to the displayed extracted digital video data, in the primary language. The extracted digital multiple-audio data is processed into at least one secondary audio asset, different than the primary soundtrack; and the at least one secondary audio asset is transmitted to a personal media device within the premises, for apprehension by a user of the personal media device in synchronization with the displayed extracted digital video data.
US09398317B2
A method, computer readable medium and an apparatus for providing supplemental information related to a character featured on a broadcast television program, wherein the supplemental information is not broadcast along with the broadcast television program. A viewer can request specific supplemental information associated with the broadcast television program through a telephone or electronic network interface. In some embodiments, a service controller transmits the requested supplemental information such that an audio component of the supplemental information does not conflict with the audio component of the broadcast television program.
US09398316B2
A server device may receive, from a user device, a request to store a unique copy of particular content, associated with a particular user; store, in a storage device associated with the server device, the unique copy of the particular content; determine a set of attributes of the particular content; determine a set of criteria based on which the unique copy of the particular content should be provided to the user device, the determining being based on one or more attributes, of the set of attributes of the particular content; determine that the set of criteria have been met; output, based on determining that the set of criteria have been met, the unique copy of the particular content to the user device; and delete the unique copy of the particular content from the storage device after outputting the particular content to the user device.
US09398308B2
This disclosure relates to techniques for reducing a cost of coding prediction information in video coding. Video blocks in a generalized P/B (GPB) frame are encoded using up to two motion vectors calculated from reference pictures in two separate reference picture lists that are identical. When one of the reference picture lists is preferred over the other reference picture list, the preferred reference picture list may be used for unidirectional prediction, by default. When a GPB frame is enabled such that the first and second reference picture lists are identical, either of the first and second reference picture lists may be used for unidirectional prediction. The techniques include coding one or more syntax elements indicating that a video block is coded using one of the unidirectional prediction mode with respect to a reference picture in a reference picture list and the bidirectional prediction mode using less than two bits.
US09398306B2
An entropy encoding method and apparatus implementing the same, the method including: generating bitstreams of data groups by performing entropy encoding on a plurality of symbols of the data groups and storing the bitstreams in a storage unit by allocating a plurality of divided segments of the storage unit according to properties of the bitstreams.
US09398304B2
An image coding method includes: generating a predicted block; calculating a residual block; calculating quantized coefficients by performing transform and quantization on the residual block; calculating a coded residual block by performing inverse quantization and inverse transform on the quantized coefficients; generating a temporary coded block; determining whether or not an offset process is required, to generate first flag information indicating a result of the determination; executing the offset process on the temporary coded block when it is determined that the offset process is required; and performing variable-length coding on the quantized coefficients and the first flag information.
US09398281B2
An image pickup apparatus includes: a dimming device configured to adjust light quantity of incident image pickup light; an image pickup device configured to obtain an image pickup signal based on image pickup light emitted from the dimming device; and a color correction processing section configured to perform color correction on the image pickup signal that is obtained by the image pickup device, based on information relating to light quantity of the image pickup light emitted from the dimming device. The color correction processing section performs the color correction to allow a color balance value of the image pickup signal to be substantially constant independent of the light quantity of the image pickup light emitted from the dimming device.
US09398280B2
A method, system, and article provide automatic white balancing with skin tone correction for image processing.
US09398279B2
An apparatus including: a plurality of photodetectors for converting the light to which they are exposed to into signals for image generation, wherein the photodetectors use locally optimized saturation signal. The apparatus is, for example, an image sensor or an electronic communication device.
US09398273B2
An imaging system includes an encoding apparatus that performs a multiple sampling process on charge signals in a plurality of wavelength bands and encodes image information and a decoding apparatus that decodes the image information. In the multiple sampling process, the charge signals of pixels in a pixel group having a predetermined arrangement pattern are analog-summed and the sum is converted into a new digital signal. The encoding apparatus performs the multiple sampling process on charge signals in at least two of the wavelength bands and outputs a digital image signal in each of the wavelength band. The at least two pixel groups have different arrangement patterns, and combinations of the arrangement patterns for all the wavelength bands differ from one another. The decoding apparatus generates a reconstructed image from the digital image signals in the wavelength bands using multiple sampling information and outputs the image.
US09398266B2
A surveillance system for monitoring a selected object that comprises a multiplicity of video cameras, a software application and at least one computerized medium. The computerized medium enables operating the application and the application is operatively associated with the cameras, which are installed in different locations in a surveillance area. The system allows a user to select at least one object such as an image or an area that is filmed by at least one of said cameras and monitor said object by automatically operating cameras that are associated with the object's coordinates' location, where the associated camera enables filming the selected object.
US09398260B2
A program for teleconference includes a first storing instruction of storing conference information, terminal information, and process information in association with each other, an audio acquiring instruction of acquiring audio data transmitted from a first terminal apparatus through a session established with a first conference process executed by the first terminal apparatus in response to a connection request, and an audio transmission controlling instruction of transmitting the audio data through a session established with a second conference process executed by a second terminal apparatus identified by second terminal information without transmitting the audio data through a session established with a third conference process executed by the first terminal apparatus. The second conference process is identified by second process information associated with the second terminal information in the storage area. The third conference process is identified by third process information associated with the first terminal information in the storage area.
US09398247B2
An information processing apparatus includes a processor that receives captured image data and captured sound data corresponding to an environment in which content is reproduced and detects a user based on the captured image data and analyzes a situation of the environment based on a result of the detection and the captured sound data and controls an audio volume corresponding to reproduced content based on a result of the analyzing.
US09398246B2
Provided is a display device including a panel (158) in which a plurality of pixels that emit light in response to a video signal are arranged, a light emission amount calculation unit (164) that acquires a light emission amount on a plurality of positions of the panel (158) based on a video signal supplied to the panel (158), a storage unit (150) that accumulates data related to the light emission amount accumulated based on a video signal of a plurality of frames, a high-brightness gamma adjustment block (172b) that reduces brightness of a high brightness side of the video signal supplied to the panel (158) based on the data related to the light emission amount accumulated in storage unit (150), and a low-gradation gamma adjustment block (172c) that reduces brightness of a low brightness side of the video signal in conjunction with a reduction in brightness of the high brightness side.
US09398242B2
A universal controlling device is provided with one or more buttons which, when activated in a set up mode, serves to initiate a rapid configuration of the controlling device to utilize one of a group of pre-selected command data sets.
US09398241B2
In an electronic device which is capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information which may be obtained by an imaging operation, and in a first display format, a system controller makes a generating unit which generates code information generate a single piece of code information including a plurality of pieces of information and makes a rear-side display unit display a picture of the generated code information. In a second display format, the generating unit which generates code information is made to generate a plurality of pieces of code information which individually include a plurality of pieces of information and the rear-side display unit is made to display pictures of the generated code information sequentially one by one.
US09398233B2
An information processing apparatus, an information processing system, and a method of processing information are provided. In one embodiment, the information processing apparatus includes a processor, and a memory device storing instructions. When executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to receive, from a first information processing apparatus, area specifying information and location information, the area specifying information specifying a display area in an image, the display area including a plurality of partial images, the location information indicating at least one location of the plurality of partial images. The instructions further cause the processor to transmit, to a second information processing apparatus, the area specifying information and the location information.
US09398228B2
An image pickup apparatus on which an interchangeable lens is removably mounted, includes an image pickup element configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of an optical image formed via the interchangeable lens, and a controller configured to control a power supply to the interchangeable lens mounted on the image pickup apparatus. When the mounted interchangeable lens is a first type interchangeable lens and a power is turned off, the controller performs an aperture control so as to change a first aperture state set in the interchangeable lens to a second aperture state and then stops the power supply to the interchangeable lens. When the mounted interchangeable lens is a second type interchangeable lens and the power is turned off, the controller maintains the power supply differently from a case where the mounted interchangeable lens is the first type interchangeable lens.
US09398227B2
A system for estimating daytime visibility conditions includes a camera configured to capture a video sequence over a period time, an odometry sensor configured to monitor motion of the camera, and a video processing unit in communication with the camera and with the odometry sensor. The video processing unit is configured to receive the video sequence from the camera, detect an object within the video sequence, estimate a distance between the camera and the object for each frame of the video sequence, determine a mean perceived brightness of the object for each image frame, and estimate an ambient visibility using the estimated distance and mean perceived brightness of the object.
US09398222B2
An image display device capable of providing satisfactory user's visibility of an image including object images when the image and display bodies specifying particular regions of the object images are screen displayed. In a case where a horizontal direction distance between face detection frames for object images adjacent on a screen is equal to or less than a first threshold value and a vertical direction distance between face detection frames exceeds a second threshold value, a system controller of the image display device determines which one of the face detection frames is located on an upper side of the screen. A human body detection frame for the object image corresponding to the face detection frame determined as being located on an upper side on the screen is made non-display.
US09398221B2
A system and method to control a camera application executed on a device are described. The system includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors measuring light intensity at the respective surface location. The system also includes a processor to determine an adjustment to the camera application based on information resulting from the light intensity measured at each of the respective surface locations.
US09398213B1
Systems for detecting a successful field goal are described herein. More specifically, the systems are directed at automated detection for a field goal attempt. The systems evaluate whether the football was kicked within the designated area (e.g., above the cross bar and between the two upright poles). The detection is performed through the use of cameras, lasers and detectors associated with the field goal post. In this way, the systems assist referees in determining the success of the field goal attempt.
US09398207B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image-capturing element, an optical axis position estimation processor, and a pixel correction unit. The optical axis position estimation processor includes a relationship calculator and an optical axis position calculator. The relationship calculator calculates a relationship between a pixel output of a phase difference detection pixel and an image height. The optical axis position calculator calculates an optical axis position of an optical system. The pixel correction unit corrects pixel outputs of the respective phase difference detection pixels in accordance with the relationship.
US09398205B2
Techniques are provided for determining an optimal focal position using auto-focus statistics. In one embodiment, such techniques may include generating coarse and fine auto-focus scores for determining an optimal focal length at which to position a lens associated with the image sensor. For instance, the statistics logic may determine a coarse position that indicates an optimal focus area which, in one embodiment, may be determined by searching for the first coarse position in which a coarse auto-focus score decreases with respect to a coarse auto-focus score at a previous position. Using this position as a starting point for fine score searching, the optimal focal position may be determined by searching for a peak in fine auto-focus scores. In another embodiment, auto-focus statistics may also be determined based on each color of the Bayer RGB, such that, even in the presence of chromatic aberrations, relative auto-focus scores for each color may be used to determine the direction of focus.
US09398203B2
An apparatus, system, and method to reduce PTZ latency are provided. The system can include an input port and a motor driver unit, and the input port can receive a PTZ request. The input port can transmit the PTZ request to the motor driver unit, and the motor driver unit can extract a PTZ command from the PTZ request. In some embodiments, the PTZ request can obviate transmission through a parser and a processor.
US09398185B2
An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.
US09398182B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus that can improve operability for reading a reading target including a plurality of objects. In the information processing apparatus, when the reading target placed on a reading plate on which a plurality of objects can be placed is read, a completion level of the reading target including one or more objects placed on the reading plate is determined based on an image obtained by an imaging unit that captures an image of the reading plate from above. A timing of executing the reading of the reading target is controlled based on the completion level of the reading target determined by a determination unit.
US09398179B2
When displaying a N-up image view in which a plurality of thumbnail images displayed in given windows are grouped and displayed in a single window by using a detecting section for detecting a contact position on a display screen of a display section, position specifications for the N-up image view of thumbnail images in the windows are received based on a contact position in the window in selecting thumbnail images to be displayed in the N-up image view by making contact with the thumbnail images, and the thumbnails images are displayed in the N-up image view based on the received position specifications.
US09398176B2
A storage medium storing an image processing program executed by a computer of an information processing device, wherein the program permits the computer to function as: a read-data receiving section to receive read data formed by a reading device on the basis of a reading condition; a read-data storage control section to store the received read data in a storage section; a change-command sending section to send, to the reading device, a change command of the reading condition on the basis of a change direction where the change direction is received after the reading has started; and a converting section to convert, on the basis of the reading condition corresponding to the change command, read data stored after reading has started, wherein the receiving section receives read data formed on the basis of the reading condition after the change command has been sent, where the change command is sent.
US09398174B2
A network connecting section is configured to operate by using operational power and connected to the telephone network to perform transmission and reception of signals with the telephone network. A main power supply is configured to supply a supply target including the network connecting section with the operational power. A network-event detector is configured to detect an electrical change in the telephone network as a network event. A normal-mode setter is configured to set an operational mode to a normal mode when the network-event detector detects the network event in a state where the operational mode is in a stopped mode. The normal mode is the operational mode in which the operational power is supplied from the main power supply to the network connecting section. The stopped mode is the operational mode in which supply of the operational power to the network connecting section is stopped.
US09398171B1
A system may receive from a mobile device, a uniform resource identifier (URI) for accessing secure content associated with a toll-free data campaign for secure content (“campaign”) from a content provider device. The system may identify traffic information included in the URI. The system may compare the traffic information with stored traffic information associated with the campaign and may determine that the traffic information is associated with the campaign if the traffic information matches the stored traffic information. The system may determine that an analysis of a transport layer socket (TLS) handshake, performed between the mobile device and the content provider device, was successful for the campaign. The system may provide information to cause data charges, for a traffic flow, to be charged to a content provider based on determining that the traffic information is associated with the campaign and that the TLS handshake analysis was successful.
US09398170B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus and a system for processing charging information, wherein the method includes: a mobility management device acquires a PLMN identifier corresponding to a network name displayed by a user equipment; transmits the PLMN identifier corresponding to the network name displayed by the user equipment to a call detail record information generating device, so that user call detail record information generated by the call detail record information generating device includes the PLMN identifier corresponding to the network name displayed by the user equipment; therefore, a charging device can charge the user according to the network name displayed by the UE included in the user call detail record information generated by the call detail record information generating device, thereby ensuring accuracy of the charging the user, and enhancing user experience.
US09398164B2
The disclosure relates to a first near-end terminal, the first near-end terminal being a mobile user terminal operable to establish voice or video calls with one or more far-end user terminals over a network. A detection module detects when the first near-end terminal is within a relative proximity of a second near-end terminal available to provide a call-related service in relation to one or more of the voice or video calls. A notification module outputs a notification to a user of the first near-end terminal based on said detection, notifying the user of the call-related service. In response to said detection, a configuration module is operable to store a configuration configuring the first near-end terminal as having the second near-end terminal identified for later provision of the call-related service.
US09398151B2
A system for handling incoming special number calls conveyed via a telecommunication system to a predetermined destination includes: (a) a data store for storing information regarding a plurality of pre-identified special number call originating devices; (b) a detecting unit coupled with the data store and with the telecommunication system; the detecting unit detecting a received communication incoming to the predetermined destination from one pre-identified special number call originating device of the plurality of pre-identified special number call originating devices; and (c) a treating unit coupled with the detecting unit and with the telecommunication system; the treating unit effecting a predetermined treatment of the received communication.
US09398147B2
Systems and methods are described herein for selectively displaying mobile caller identification (MCID) information for an incoming mobile telephone call on one or more display devices based on a location of the destination mobile device. A location of the destination mobile device can be compared to a display condition for one or more display devices. If the display condition is met for the given device, MCID information for the incoming call is provided to and displayed on the display device. The display condition can be based on the proximity of the mobile destination device and the display device.
US09398143B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for generating a baseline use profile that indicates typical patterns of use of a device over time, transitioning the device to a challenge mode when sensor data indicates a deviation from the baseline use profile by more than a permissible tolerance, presenting challenges to the user while in the challenge mode, and determining whether to restrict or allow access to device functionality based on user responses to the challenges.
US09398137B2
The present invention generally discloses methods, devices and systems for controlling application launching by means of a dedicated application launching table. According to a first aspect of the present invention a method for controlling launching of an application in a first mobile terminal device is provided. Said first mobile device comprises a first near field communication (NFC) module. The method according to the present invention comprises the steps of maintaining a dedicated application launching table, detecting the presence of a second device adapted to communicate with said first terminal device, determining identification parameters relating to said second device, and launching at least one predetermined application in said first device, wherein said application is selected to be launched based on entries in said dedicated application launching table and on said determined identification parameters.
US09398131B2
Methods and apparatuses for mobile device data transfer are disclosed. In one example, data is received associated with mobile device usage. An action is performed at a computing device responsive to the data.
US09398128B2
Arrangements described herein include identifying a voice communication session established between a first communication device and a second communication device and, based on the voice communication session established between the first communication device and the second communication device, identifying a plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user. A list including at least a name of each of the plurality of contacts who potentially may be the second user is presented to a first user using the first communication device.
US09398120B2
A method and apparatus are used to support the transmission of data to a user over multiple allocated data channels. Data packets are transmitted in timeslots of the allocated data channels to corresponding target receivers without the need for explicitly assigning particular time-slots to a target user well in advance of transmitting any data packets in the time-slots. Instead, each data packet transmitted in a time-slot includes a header label or preamble indicating to which of multiple possible receivers a data packet is directed. The preamble also preferably includes decoding information indicating how a corresponding data payload of the data packet is to be processed for recapturing transmitted raw data.
US09398117B2
An interface can be designed that efficiently constructs descriptors for streams of protocol data units (PDUs) and provides coherent views of the PDUs and the PDU stream for a requesting application regardless of location within a buffer pool for PDUs. The interface creates a descriptor for each PDU written into the buffer pool and links the descriptors in accordance with the appropriate order of the corresponding PDUs. The interface can create PDU descriptors hierarchically. For instance, a PDU descriptor for a PDU of a layer N protocol can refer to one or more PDU descriptors of a layer N−1 protocol.
US09398111B1
Systems and methods for file caching are provided. A remote session is established with a host device via a communication network that allows a client device to access resources hosted on the host device. Such resources may include a file hosted on the host device, though the file opened using an application at the client device. A connection between the host device and the client device may be detected as interrupted, thereby terminating the remote session. Information regarding the file may be cached in memory of the client device upon detecting that the connection has been interrupted. Upon reconnection or start of a new connection, the cached information may be used to update the file at the host device. In some embodiments, the cached file may be accessible to the client device while off-line.
US09398106B2
The present invention comprises a novel method and apparatus for displaying and managing relationships between data elements of a database, including, without limitation, relationships between data elements representing or associated with members of a social network in a social network database. In one or more embodiments, attributes or values of data elements of a database are interpreted as unique locations in a multidimensional environment. Data elements are graphically displayed from the perspective of a point within the multidimensional environment. Attributes and relationships between data elements are displayed by visual characteristics of the displayed data elements (e.g. location, color, shape, animation) and by graphical elements connecting related displayed elements (e.g. similar colors, shapes, or connecting lines or areas).
US09398100B2
Approaches are provided for managing scope of and access to network services. In one approach, a source device and a target device are each provisioned with a service connector that is configured to communicate with a service manager that executes on a device that is different than the source and target devices. Using its service connector, the source device is able to discover a network service hosted by the target device even though the source device and target device are in different subnets or networks. In another approach, a service manager limits which network services are visible to a source device even though the network services are hosted on target devices that are on the same subnet as the source device. In this approach, the source device uses a service connector to discover the service manager and receive a list of registered services hosted on one or more target devices.
US09398095B2
A method in a system for sending a picture from an electronic mobile device to an electronic device is provided. The picture is to be sent over a wireless communications network. The system comprises the electronic mobile device, the wireless communications network, and the electronic device, and the electronic mobile device comprises a camera unit. The camera unit captures a high resolution picture. The electronic mobile device creates a low resolution picture based on the high resolution picture. The electronic mobile device sends the low resolution picture to the electronic device, and, when a quality of resources in the wireless communications network is above a threshold, sends the high resolution picture to at least one database for storage. Further, such a system is provided.
US09398087B1
Methods and systems are provided for secure deployment of an application across deployment locations. Aspects include providing an application for analysis wherein the application is capable of being divided into processing nodes which can be deployed in different locations. The application processes messages based on message models having annotations defining constraints on the deployment of data in given data aspects. The data aspects include the entire message or data fields, data elements or data structures of the message. Aspects also includes analyzing the application to identify processing nodes that reference the given data aspects having deployment constraints and determining a restriction for a processing node based on the deployment constraints of the referenced data aspects. Aspects further include deploying each processing node of the application according to the determined restriction.
US09398086B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting a content data set to a computing device for displaying digital content to an author user, the author user having authored the digital content, receiving user input from the author user, the user input corresponding to the digital content, and, in response to receiving the user input, transmitting first data and second data to the computing device for display to the author user, the first data comprising a number of contacts that are able to access the digital content and the second data indicating one or more relationships between the author user and the contacts.
US09398082B2
Broadcasts identifying executed execution states and configurations of a plurality of virtual machines may be received. Each of the broadcasts may be received from a client system of a plurality of client systems. At least two of the virtual machines may be installed on each of the plurality of client systems. A determination may be made as to whether a first virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machines that is installed on a first client system of the plurality of client systems is unauthorized in view of an execution state of the first virtual machine and a configuration of a second virtual machine of the plurality of virtual machine. A control action for the first client system may be generated when the first virtual machine is determined to be unauthorized.
US09398078B1
A computer-implemented method of enabling participation by a first client and a second client in a communication session in a multi-dimensional virtual environment, the multi-dimensional virtual environment having first and second avatars respectively associated with the first and second clients and a plurality of objects distinct from the avatars. The method includes receiving from the first client a first annotation associated with a first object of the plurality of objects, transmitting the first annotation to the second client for display at the second client in association with the first object, receiving from the second client a second annotation associated with a second object of the plurality of objects, and transmitting the second annotation to the first client for display at the first client in association with the second object.
US09398075B2
The data server stores, data and user identification information, and transmits to the analysis server the data and first identification information associated with the user identification information. The analysis server analyzes the data and stores an analysis result in association with the first identification information. When the communication apparatus transmits the analysis-result obtainment request to the analysis server, the analysis server transmits, to the communication apparatus, second identification information associated with the analysis-result obtainment request. The communication apparatus transmits the second identification information and the user identification information to the data server. The data server transmits the second identification information and the first identification information associated with the user identification information to the analysis server. The analysis server transmits the analysis result and the second identification information to the communication apparatus. The communication apparatus transmits the analysis result to a requestor that has made the analysis-result obtainment request.
US09398073B1
One embodiment of the invention relates to the transfer of content between a host computer that issues OAS access requests and a block I/O storage system. Specifically, a host computer may issue an access request for a content unit that identifies the content unit is an object identifier. The request may be received by a second server, which may determine the block address(es) on the block I/O storage system at which the content unit is stored. A request may then be sent to the block I/O storage system to retrieve the content stored at the requested block address(es) and the block I/O storage system may return the content.
US09398071B1
Systems and methods are disclosed which facilitate management and monitoring of page-level usage data. Specifically, a client computing device may retrieve content from a remote system for local display. A local interaction monitoring component may monitor local interaction with the content, and transmit local interaction information to the remote system. In one embodiment, interaction may be monitored with regard to predefined portions of the content. In another embodiment, interaction may be transmitted to the remote server for processing, in order to generate page-level usage data. In still more embodiments, page level-usage data may be processed or formatted in order to facilitate ease of retrieval and display. In yet more embodiments, the remote system may enable clients, such as administrators, to view aggregate page-level usage data why viewing a corresponding content.
US09398070B2
Each information processor executes a mission which allows participation of users of a plurality of information processors using wireless communication. While the mission is being executed, a mission beacon including personal score information is repeatedly transmitted to an unspecified apparatus from each of the information processors. Each information processor calculates a total score based on the personal score information included in the mission beacon of each of other information processors and determines whether the mission has been successful or not based on the total score.
US09398065B2
A method and system may include a source station to provide wireless multicast transmission to a plurality of destination stations according to a protocol adaptation layer multicast management protocol. The topology includes audio/video sources and sinks and intervening branch devices. Messages between sources and sink devices may be used for resource management such as device discovery and certification. If certification is shown, the disclosed transmission performs AV streaming directly to the least one sink device without the need for a displayport (DP) interface or a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) or additional bridge devices/dongles that convert WiGig to some other interface supported by the monitor.
US09398037B1
Analyzing routing information to identify and intercept unauthorized, unwanted, and/or otherwise malicious communications is disclosed. In some embodiments, routing information associated with a message currently being processed is checked against corresponding information associated with a message from the same source that was processed previously. In some embodiments, a message processing system that handled and/or otherwise has access to routing information for both messages performs the check, such as a network messaging and/or access service provider with which the sender is associated, performs the check. If the routing information for the current message does not match the corresponding information observed in the previous message, responsive action is taken. Using routing information to determine whether a source of an infected message should be notified is disclosed. In some embodiments, if routing information for a prior message from the source of an infected message is similar to corresponding information for the infected message, the source is notified.
US09398033B2
A method and corresponding apparatus are provided implementing a stage one of run time processing using Deterministic Finite Automata (DFA) and implementing a stage two of run time processing using Non-Deterministic Finite Automata (NFA) to find the existence of a pattern in a payload, such as the payload portion of an Internet Protocol (IP) datagram, or an input stream.
US09398031B1
Detecting a malicious advertisement is disclosed. An advertisement is analyzed. A determination that the advertisement is associated with malicious activity is made. An indication that the advertisement is malicious is provided as output. The indication can be provided as a report, such as to a publisher and can also be provided using an API, such as to the entity responsible for serving the advertisement.
US09398026B1
Method for managing appliance authentication. In one embodiment, the method comprises generating, by a server, a first secret and a second secret from a certificate; transmitting from the server to a client computer, via a first channel secured and trusted based on a trusted computer, the first secret and the second secret; presenting the certificate to an appliance in response to a secure channel request from the appliance, wherein the appliance is holding the first secret; receiving, from the appliance, a description of a second channel, via the appliance, between the client computer and the server; establishing a trust in the second channel based on the description; and transmitting, in response to the trust in the second channel, via the second channel, channel information that comprises a portion of the description signed by the second secret.
US09398011B2
User authentication techniques based on geographical locations associated with a client device is provided. A network connection can be established between two or more host machines and a client device. Upon a request received from the client device by one of these host machines, round trip times of test messages may be measured between the client device and each of the host machines. The round trip times can be utilized to determine the current geographical location of the client device. If the location is within a tolerance geographical area, the client device may be authenticated. Otherwise, the authentication may fail or additional security procedures may be implemented. In some examples, a travel time from a historical geographical location to current geographical location can be determined. This data may be also utilized in the user authentication process.
US09398004B2
The invention relates to a method for reading at least one attribute stored in an ID token, wherein the ID token is assigned to a user, comprising the following steps: authenticating the user with respect to the ID token, authenticating a first computer system with respect to the ID token, after successful authentication of the user and the first computer system with respect to the ID token, read-access by the first computer system to the at least one attribute stored in the ID token for transfer of the at least one attribute to a second computer system.
US09398002B2
A device may be configured to communicate with a mobile device using a short range communication protocol. The device may open a port based on communicating with the mobile device using the short range communication protocol. The device may receive a request from the mobile device via the port. The request may request security information for setting up a secure connection. The device may provide the security information to the mobile device. The device may establish a secure connection with the mobile device based on the security information. The device may provision the mobile device to receive media content from the device based on the secure connection. The device may provide the media content to the mobile device based on provisioning the mobile device.
US09397999B2
Sensitive content is securely shared. A request is received from a first communication device to share sensitive content. The first communication device is associated with an account for a communication service provided by a network provider. A message including a link to the sensitive content is sent to a second communication device associated with a phone number. That message is addressed to the second communication device. An authentication message is received, indicating that the second communication device is associated with the phone number. Responsive to receipt of the authentication message, the sensitive content is made accessible via the second communication device without requiring that the second communication device be associated with an account for the communication service provided by the network provider.
US09397990B1
A method of controlling the sharing of data between entities that are in electronic communication with each other may include generating an authentication credential comprising an identifier for the target service and a unique signature, attenuating the authentication credential, and determining whether a client device is authorized to access the target service, and, only if so, providing the authentication credential to the client device. In an embodiment, the method may include receiving an access request from the client device, identifying that the authentication credential includes the unique signature and a third party caveat that is associated with a third party authentication service, in response to the identifying, determining whether the request also comprises a discharge credential for the third party caveat, and if the request includes the discharge credential, providing the client device with the requested service, otherwise denying the request.
US09397973B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, are described for providing messages to client devices. In certain examples, a stream of messages is provided to a messaging application on a client device at a desired message feed rate. A message download rate of the stream of messages by the messaging application is monitored. A determination is made that the message download rate is less than the desired message feed rate. In response, the stream of messages is provided to a buffer on the client device at the desired message feed rate, and the stream of messages is sent from the buffer to the messaging application at the message download rate. A determination is made that the message download rate is greater than the desired message feed rate and, in response, a stored quantity of messages on the buffer is allowed to decrease. A determination is made that the stored quantity of messages on the buffer is zero and, in response, the stream of messages is provided to the messaging application at the desired message feed rate.
US09397971B2
The present invention includes computerized method and apparatus for user interactivity with a network application executing on a server. The method and apparatus includes receiving, via a wireless network, an event message from a mobile device, the event message representing an input from a user interface on the mobile device where the user interface is executing based on a mobile application. The method and apparatus further includes generating data values based on the input in the event message and information relating to the mobile device. Moreover, the method and apparatus includes sending an update message to the mobile device based on the data values for updating a display of the mobile device.
US09397965B2
A method of operating a conversational messaging service may include assigning an identification number to messages transmitted by users participating in a group chat, sequentially, selecting an identification number of any one of messages associated with each of the users as a watermark of each of the users, and determining a number of users failing to read each of the each of the messages, based on the watermark of each of the users.
US09397960B2
A method for steering packets, including receiving a packet and determining parameters to be used in steering the packet to a specific destination, in one or more initial steering stages, based on one or more packet specific attributes. The method further includes determining an identity of the specific destination of the packet in one or more subsequent steering stages, governed by the parameters determined in the one or more initial stages and one or more packet specific attributes, and forwarding the packet to the determined specific destination.
US09397953B2
In one embodiment according to the present invention, a virtual server collects the configuration information of a physical server being executed with granularity corresponding to the degree of operation verification defined in a business operation system including as a component the virtual server and stores it as checked and passed environmental information of the virtual server. When a new virtual server is allocated to the business operation system, a physical server group to which the virtual server is allocated is determined on the basis of the checked and passed environmental information of the virtual server. Hereby, a method of allocating resources enabling both the reliability guarantee of the business operation system and the cost reduction associated with operation check is realized.
US09397952B2
A segment based switching architecture with hybrid control providing flow control in software defined networking (SDN). An SDN controller controls top tier macro-flows and virtual segment backbone connections in a network, and an SDN network edge device controls and manages micro-flows that are attached to the SDN network edge device. The SDN network edge device controls and manages the micro-flows locally without using a southbound API. The SDN network edge device learns flow information such as source information and incoming port information for all unknown micro-flows belonging to defined segments, and builds a virtual segment topology database for each segment. The SDN network edge device employs flow computation algorithms and micro-flow management in a distributed fashion. The virtual segment backbone connections are naturally exposed to the SDN controller through provisioning.
US09397950B2
A method performed in a network element of a provider edge network to determine a downlink service path for a downlink packet. The method includes preserving an indication of the downlink service path while processing an uplink packet that has been transmitted from a subscriber end station toward a provider end station. The method also includes receiving the downlink packet at a line card of the network element. The downlink packet has been transmitted from the provider end station toward the subscriber end station. The method further includes determining, at the line card, the downlink service path for the downlink packet by using the indication of the downlink service path that was preserved while processing the uplink packet. The downlink service path is operable to identify a plurality of services and an order in which the plurality of services are to be performed on the downlink packet.
US09397948B2
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system is provided for managing quality of experience for communication sessions. In an implementation, a method may include analyzing network conditions relative to a plurality of codecs and a plurality of network paths. The method may also include determining a quality of experience associated with each of the plurality of codecs across each of the plurality of network paths. The method may further include transacting communication traffic using a codec-network path combination having a quality of experience above a predetermined threshold.
US09397945B2
Technology to provide conditional physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource allocation in time division duplex (TDD) for a hybrid automatic retransmission request-acknowledge (HARQ-ACK) transmission in a subframe n is disclosed. In an example, a user equipment (UE) can include computer circuitry configured to: Receive a downlink control channel within a prior specified subframe, wherein the prior specified subframe occurs in time before the subframe n; recognize a downlink control channel type received within the prior specified subframe is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH); determine a PUCCH resource for the HARQ-ACK transmission using a lowest control channel element (CCE) index of the PDCCH when the received downlink control channel type is the PDCCH; and determine the PUCCH resource for the HARQ-ACK transmission using a lowest enhanced CCE (ECCE) index of the EPDCCH when the received downlink control channel type is the EPDCCH.
US09397944B1
In one embodiment a method for communicating data comprises receiving, by a traffic manager between a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) and a network interface, (a) first data from a first VM in the plurality of VMs and en route via a first client computer to a first device, and (b) second data from a second VM in the plurality of VMs and en route via a second client computer to a second device; determining first attributes of the first data that provide a first communication requirement; determining second attributes of the second data that provide a second communication requirement; determining, based on available bandwidth of the network interface, a communications schedule associated with cumulative bandwidth of the first and second communication requirements; and transmitting, according to the communications schedule, the first data to the first client computer and the second data to the second client computer.
US09397943B2
A network management apparatus according to an example may configure virtual Media Access Control (MAC) addresses for virtual machines (VMs). A virtual MAC addresses may include a Uniqueness identifier (ID), a DC ID, a Device ID and a Host ID. A number of bytes of the virtual MAC address may be equal to a number of bytes of an actual MAC address of the VM. VMs accessing the same access layer device in the same data center may have the same Uniqueness ID, DC ID, and Device ID and have different Host IDs. VMs accessing different access layer devices and in the same data center may have the same Uniqueness ID and DC ID and have different Device IDs.
US09397942B2
According to an example, to forward a packet, an access layer device searches a Layer 2 forwarding table according to a source Media Access Control (MAC) address of the packet, and replaces the source MAC address with a mapped virtual MAC address in a matching Layer 2 forwarding entry. The Layer 2 forwarding table is searched according to a destination MAC address of the Ethernet packet. In response to determining that a Layer 2 forwarding entry matching the destination MAC address of the Ethernet packet does not include a MAC address mapped to the destination MAC address, Very Large Layer 2 (VLL2) network protocol encapsulation is performed on the Ethernet packet of which the source MAC address is replaced according to an egress port in the Layer 2 forwarding entry matching the destination MAC address; and the Ethernet packet encapsulated with a VLL2 network protocol header is sent via the egress port.
US09397937B2
In a computer system according to the present invention, a host sends a packet in which protocol information above a TCP layer and within a transport layer is included in an option area of a TCP header. An open flow controller set a flow entry wick defines a forwarding destination corresponding to the protocol information, in a switch. An open flow switch forwards the received packet toward a forwarding destination which corresponds to the protocol information included in the TCP header of the received packed. As a result, an adaptation of the computer system is increased.
US09397935B1
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for modifying signals are provided. Embodiments include staged low noise amplifiers (LNA's) in order to customize signal modification. Signals may be modified at various fixed gains by different LNA's within a device. Additionally, signals may be attenuated or receive no modification at all in order to ensure signals are within a preferred signal range.
US09397931B1
In general, techniques are described for performing a mass withdrawal of media access control (MAC) addresses using a reduced number of route withdrawal messages within a singly-homed segment of an Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN). The techniques may include determining a segment identifier of the segment and sending a route advertisement to advertise a route for the segment identifier to a provider edge network device. The techniques may include sending a route advertisement to advertise one or more media access control (MAC) routes for the layer two segment. The techniques may also include, responsive to determining a link failure between a first provider edge network device and a customer edge network device, sending a withdrawal message to the second provider edge network device for the route associated with the segment identifier to withdraw all of the plurality of MAC routes at the second provider edge network device.
US09397917B2
An embodiment method of network zoning for a software defined network (SDN) includes determining a number, K, of zones according to at least one zone quantity parameter. Given K, a plurality of network nodes of the SDN are partitioned into K zones. The K zones are respectively assigned K SDN controllers. The K SDN controllers are configured to make traffic engineering decisions and carry out distributed network optimization for respective assigned network nodes among the plurality of network nodes.
US09397916B2
According to one embodiment, a communication device includes a clock to measure time, communication circuitry and processing circuitry. The communication circuitry transmits a request signal to the other communication device in a certain cycle, and receives a response signal transmitted in response to the request signal, from the other communication device. The processing circuitry changes a transmission timing of the request signal; compares first round-trip delay time with second round-trip delay time; and if a result of comparison shows that the second round-trip delay time is shorter than the first round-trip delay time, adjusts the time measured by the clock using a transmission time point of the second request signal and the reception time point of the second request signal in the other communication device, and the transmission time point of the second response signal from the other communication device and a reception time point of the second response signal.
US09397909B2
Methods and apparatus for providing scalable private services in service provider networking environments. A service provider that provides a large, public, multi-tenant implementation of a web service to multiple customers via a public API endpoint may allow a customer to request the establishment of a private implementation of the service. In response, a service private instance may be automatically and/or manually established for the customer that provides a private API endpoint to the service and that is at least in part implemented on single-tenant hardware that is not shared with other customers. The service private instance may initially be implemented as a relatively small scale and possibly limited implementation of the service when compared to the service public instance. As the needs of the customer grow, the service private instance may be automatically and/or manually scaled up from the initial implementation.
US09397907B1
Systems, methods, and media that provide backup protection statuses for computing devices are provided herein. Some methods may include determining a backup status for a first computing device, assigning a protection status for the first computing device based upon a comparison of the backup status and a compliance schema for the first computing device, and transmitting the protection status to a monitoring device utilized by an end user.
US09397904B2
A system and method for detecting, monitoring and ranking incidents from social media streams comprises detecting incidents from social media streams and continuously monitoring the incidents, calculating a current-score for each of the incidents, determining a projected-score indicating an expected evolution for each of the incidents, ranking the incidents based on the current-scores of the incidents, predicting ranking of the incidents based on the projected-score of the incidents, and updating the predicted ranking responsive to new input detected about the incidents from the social media streams. In one aspect, the current-score is computed in accordance with characteristics of the incident comprising one or more of social impact assessment, dynamic location of users, human perception, and social network features. In one aspect, the current-score is calculated using one or more diffusion models based on one of a type of the incident, and similar incidents for which their evolution is known.
US09397902B2
This disclosure has reference to verifying records of system change events in a distributed network system providing cloud services. In one embodiment, the methods and systems observe system update messages sent and received among components of the distributed network system, generate a record of the state of the object in response to the update messages, and compare the record of the state of the object with information from a periodic system status message to verify the accuracy of the periodic system status message. Advantageously, the present embodiments provide increased reliability for system status tracking, resource management, and billing for consumption of resources in distributed network systems. Additional benefits and advantages of the present embodiments will become evident in the following description.
US09397899B2
Examples are disclosed for fractional wireless broadband usage. In some examples, a portal managed by a usage manager may be accessed to enable a user of a wireless device to establish an agreement with the usage manager for the use of an application via a wireless wide area network (WWAN). The agreement may include policies associated with limits to data bandwidth utilized while the application is used via the WWAN. For these examples, access may be obtained to the WWAN through an operator of the WWAN. The access may be obtained via presentation of credentials to authenticate the wireless device to the operator of the WWAN. Also, other credentials may be presented to authenticate the wireless device or a user of the wireless device for use the application via the WWAN. The application may then be executed at the wireless device according to the agreement. Also, for these examples, the application may be provided by an application service provider having a service level agreement with the usage manager and/or the operator of the WWAN for providing the application for use via the WWAN. Other examples are described and claimed.
US09397897B2
Provided is a design assistance system that enables a user having no expert knowledge to easily design a network system, taking into consideration the order in which slave devices are connected and the connection-destination ports. The design assistance system has a storage section that stores slave information data in which unique information of the slave device is described; an acquisition section that acquires information of a port of the slave device from the slave information data; and a generation section that generates a port component serving as a GUI component representing the port of the slave device based on the information of the port, generate a device component serving as a GUI component representing the slave device based on the slave information data, and generate a design assisting GUI containing a topology display screen that displays the topology of the network system which includes the device component and port component.
US09397887B2
A system and method for implementing distributed virtual-resource-based (cloud-based) session border gateway (SBG) functions are presented. Because no dedicated physical resources need to be committed for implementation of the SBG features and functions, as in traditional border gateway functions implementations, the invention has significant cost, resource allocation, integration, and operational advantages over traditional methods. In addition, new features and functions can be easily developed and integrated with the Cloud-Based SBG (CB-SBG) implementations very cost-effectively.
US09397884B2
Provisioning, managing and tracking of services provided by a cloud infrastructure system are described. A subscription order request from a customer for services provided by the cloud infrastructure system is received. A workflow is defined that includes steps to process the subscription order. The workflow enables a customer to gain access to services requested in a subscription order upon placing the subscription order without the customer having to wait until all the steps involved in processing the subscription order are complete.
US09397877B2
Content filtering of data containers of multiple content types is performed using multiple filtering modules operating concurrently. An apparatus for content filtering has a set of content-specific filtering modules and a network interface for parsing a received data container into components and directing each component to a respective filtering module. A filtering module edits a component of a specific content type according to respective rules. A multiplexer combines edited components produced by the set of filtering modules to form an edited data container. A root module applies a set of basic rules to a data container and any attachments. In an alternative configuration, the apparatus employs multiple filtering modules each applying rules for all content types. Received data containers are distributed among the filtering modules and an output module arranges edited data containers of a data stream in proper sequential order.
US09397867B1
Systems and methods of mitigating precursor ISIs for communication channels having time-variant precursor channel responses using digital circuit designs. A phase adaptation circuit is utilized in a receiver and configured to generate a phase control signal responsive to an input signal and based on the current precursor channel response. The phase control signal controls the phase shift of a recovered clock to a position where the precursor ISI at h(−1) is minimized. The phase control signal corresponds to a “feed-forward equalization (FFE) first tap weight” obtained via a digital least-mean-square (LMS) process.
US09397861B1
A system for unified communication, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a CAS communicatively coupled to a client. The CAS comprises a server communicatively coupled to a CAS application and a number of service providers. The server receives from the client a CAS message encoded in a CAS format and including a request for a unified communication service. The server communicates with the CAS application to determine a service type for the request. The server sends the request to one of the number of service providers. The server sends a reply message to the client.
US09397860B2
A method for providing mobile messages includes generating a message based on received content. A first functional bind to an aggregator is identified. A second functional bind to the aggregator is also identified. The first functional bind and the second functional bind are distinct communication connections to the aggregator. First message recipients are associated with the first functional bind, and second message recipients are associated with the second functional bind. The message is provided in parallel to the aggregator for the first message recipients through the first functional bind and for the second message recipients through the second functional bind.
US09397857B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method of tunneling a data packet by encapsulating the data packet with a protocol header and specifying information in the fields of the header in a manner that a network switch can offload processing tasks to its network interface controller. The switch on a transmit side sends the processed data packet through the tunnel to another switch on a receive side. The two sides represent the two ends of the tunnel established between the two switches. Each of the transmit and received side switches is controlled by a switch controller, which in some embodiments is implemented as software. The switch controllers and network interface controllers together process the data packet which is being transferred through the tunnel between the switches.
US09397846B2
Methods and apparatus for assigning physical channels in a content-based network. In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network having a plurality of cable modems, and the physical channels are assigned to the cable modems based at least in part on any multicast transmissions that may exist on the system. When two cable modems are receiving the same multicast transmission, the invention causes tuning of one or more of the cable modems to the same physical channel in order to limit the total number multicast transmissions on the network. Multicast transmissions typically comprise video or audio information, but other types of information may also be multicast according to the invention. In another embodiment, a multicast transmission list (containing a list of multicast transmissions and the corresponding physical channels) is sent to the set of cable modems. This list is used by the modems (or associated CPE) to manage channel allocation and tuning.
US09397842B2
Systems and methods for powering and controlling an electrically actuated device, such as a door lock, via a structured cable, such as an Ethernet cable, are disclosed. The system may include a receiver which transmits Internet Protocol (IP) control signals and non-IP alarm trigger signals over a structured cable to a transceiver. Both types of signals may be transmitted over the structured cable without interruption, and used to control a device. The IP and non-IP signals may be transmitted over the same structured cable to provide device control for non-alarm and alarm condition device actuation, respectively.
US09397841B2
Disclosed herein is a human verification system, method and architecture, which make use of sensing components built into a user's computing device, or otherwise coupled to the user's device, to receive a response to a challenge-response verification test, which may comprise a pattern-based and/or an image-based challenge-response.
US09397837B2
Privacy of information is protected by a method of securing access to information associated with a value item, the method including comparing a security signature and a stored profile, and permitting access to the information associated with the value item if the security signature matches the stored profile. The value item may be a machine readable document or other item of high value. The associated information may be stored in an electronic storage medium attached to the value item, or may be stored in an external database, or both. Permitting access to the associated information may include generating an access code unique to the associated information and to the value item.
US09397835B1
A web of trust is used to validate states of a distributed system. The distributed system operates based at least in part on a domain trust. A root of trust issues the domain trust issues a domain trust. Domain trusts are updatable in accordance with rules of previous domain trusts so that a version of a domain trust is verifiable by verifying a chain of previous domain trust versions.
US09397834B2
An address to access a location in a storage device (106, 204) is received, and the address is scrambled. Write data is encrypted using an encryption key. The encrypted write data is stored in the storage device at a location of the storage device specified by the scrambled address.
US09397832B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to processing streams of encrypted data received from multiple users. As the streams are processed, smaller partitions in the form of data chunks are created and subject to individual decryption. The data chunks are placed into sub-stream based on a master key associated with its owning entity. Prior to processing, the data chunks in each stream are decrypted, and advanced functions, including but not limited to de-duplication and compression, are individually applied to the data chunks, followed by aggregation of processed data chunks into data units and encryption of the individual data units including use of a master key from the data's owning entity. Individual encryption units are created by encrypting the data unit(s) with an encryption key, thereby limiting access to the data unit. Confidentiality of data is maintained, and the ability of storage systems to perform data reduction functions is supported.
US09397831B2
An encrypted communication device includes: a pattern generation unit configured to judge whether or not a security association including as matching data a data portion whose data pattern matches between data in a packet targeted for processing and data in a sample packet is to be generated; a key information exchange unit configured to transmit to an opposite device a key information exchange packet including the matching data and key data when the pattern generation unit judges that the security association is to be generated, and receives from the opposite device a key information exchange packet including a security association identifier of the security association, thereby establishing the security association with the opposite device; and a key information unit configured to store the matching data, the key data, and the security association identifier of the security association established by the key information exchange unit.
US09397823B2
A communication system includes a continuous-time linear equalizer in the clock forward path. The equalizer may be adjusted to minimize clock jitter, including jitter associated with the first few clock edges after the clock signal is enabled. Reducing early-edge jitter reduces the power and circuit complexity otherwise needed to turn the system on quickly.
US09397814B2
Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) for carrier aggregation, that involves setting a first cell having a first time division duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second cell having a second TDD UL-DL configuration; receiving data through a DL subframe of the first cell; and saving at least a portion of the data to a HARQ soft buffer when decoding is unsuccessful. The size of the HARQ soft buffer is determined based on the number of HARQ processes of the first cell, which, in turn, is determined based on the number of subframes of which the first cell is the DL within a specific HARQ round trip time, wherein at least one subframe of which the first cell is the DL and the second cell is the UL is excluded when determining the number of the HARQ processes.
US09397808B2
A technique for encoding digital communication signals. Data symbols are augmented in pilot symbols inserted at predetermined positions. The pilot augmented sequence is then fed to a deterministic error correction block encoder, such as a turbo product coder, to output a coded sequence. The symbols in the error correction encoded sequence are then rearranged to ensure that the output symbols derived from input pilot symbols are located at regular, predetermined positions. As a result, channel encoding schemes can more easily be used which benefits from power of two length block sizes.
US09397807B2
A method in a UE for adapting a radio procedure is provided. The UE obtains information about signal configurations indicating: whether or not a DL RS, transmitted in cells on a first carrier frequency of a first carrier use the same one of a first and a second signal configuration, or whether or not the DL RS transmitted in the cells on the first carrier frequency use the same one of the first and the second signal configuration as that used for DL RS transmitted in a serving cell of the UE on the first carrier frequency. The first signal configuration includes the DL RS not being transmitted in every subframe. The second signal configuration includes the DL RS being transmitted in every subframe and also in every resource block over an entire channel bandwidth of a neighbor cell. The UE adapts a radio procedure based on the information.
US09397800B2
A duplexing method is provided that combines aspects of Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) methods in a network, such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. The duplexing method may be implemented on an existing FDD network by replacing the FDD uplink (UL)-only radio frame with a full TDD radio frame having dynamically allocable UL and downlink (DL) sub-frames. Alternatively, the duplexing method may be implemented on an existing TDD network by adding a second frequency to pair with an existing frequency over which a FDD DL-only radio frame can be run.
US09397794B2
Automatic retransmission in communications systems. An embodiment includes retransmitting data. A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is executed on a portion of data received as part of a data stream at a receiver antenna. Feedback information of acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgement (NACK) for the portion of data is determined based on a result of the CRC. It is identified that the portion of data is to be retransmitted based on the feedback information indicating a NACK with respect to the portion of data. A retransmission mode is selected for the portion of data based on desired characteristics of the data stream, including a first mode that retransmits the portion of data on at least a first transmitter antenna while transmitting new data on at least a second transmitter antenna; and a second mode that retransmits the portion of data simultaneously on at least the first and second transmitter antennas.
US09397789B2
A radio access network comprises a serving radio network controller (S-RNC). The S-RNC receives successfully received medium access control (MAC) packet data units (PDUs), discards duplicates of MAC PDUs, reorders the non-discarded MAC PDUs based on serial numbers of the MAC PDUs and delivers the MAC PDUs to a radio link control protocol layer. A controlling radio network controller (C-RNC) provides information to Node-Bs under its control for use in scheduling uplink transmissions. A plurality of Node-Bs schedule uplink transmissions in response to the information provided by its C-RNC, transmit scheduling information to user equipments of its cells, receive MAC PDUs from user equipments of its cells using hybrid automatic repeat request and forward the successfully received MAC PDUs to an associated S-RNC.
US09397786B2
A system and method with a modified bit-interleaved coded modulation with iterative decoding (BICM-ID). Coded and interleaved bits are combined and coded with a second FEC code that is then mapped to a modulation format. The second FEC code may be a single parity check (SPC) and the scheme may be referred to as a SPC-BICM-ID scheme.
US09397774B2
For re-timing sampled data, input data samples at an input data rate are stored in a FIFO buffer and output at an output data rate according to an output clock that is locked to the input data rate in dependence on a loop-filtered measure of the fill level of the said buffer. The frequency of the output clock is additionally controlled by an estimate of the input data rate.
US09397769B2
Techniques are provided, which may be used for determining a position of a user equipment (mobile device). In certain example implementations, tones in positioning signals from one or more sources that may interfere with certain positioning signals be estimated and some form of interference mitigation may be applied, which may better enable the user equipment to acquire certain other positioning signals that may be useful in determining a position of the user equipment.
US09397761B2
Apparatus for generating an RF signal for use in RF signal detection is described. The apparatus comprises at least one processor configured to generate a set of IQ data based on at least one set of weighted IQ data, each set of weighted IQ data having a respective weight and a circuit configured to generate an RF signal using the set of IQ data.
US09397755B2
An exemplary method and apparatus are provided for high efficiency wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical communication systems. An optical transmitter adapted to transmit an optical signal on an optical WDM transmission channel to a corresponding optical receiver is described. The optical transmitter comprises a symbol generation unit adapted to convert input data into a sequence of data symbols at a symbol rate B; with B being a real number greater zero; an amplitude modulation unit adapted to modulate an amplitude of every Nth data symbol in a sequence derived from the sequence of data symbols, thereby creating a modulated sequence of data symbols; wherein N is an integer; wherein N>2; and a digital-to-optical converter adapted to convert a sequence derived from the modulated sequence of data symbols into an optical signal to be transmitted to the optical receiver.
US09397747B2
A data center network that employs an optical network having optical nodes arranged in a ring topology uses a method of topography discovery and maintenance so that connectivity can be maintained and node failures, link failures, end stations being discovered on the network, etc., can be handled without impacting network performance.
US09397746B1
A technique relates to a self-calibration routine for a laser with respect to a multiplexer. Electrical power is stepped up to a filter within the laser while monitoring transmission through multiplexer to store a current and maximum recorded transmission through multiplexer until minimum operating power is reached. If the current transmission through multiplexer at minimum operating power has fallen by more than predefined amount relative to maximum recorded transmission, the electrical power is stepped up to filter until the current transmission is restored to the predefined amount of the maximum recorded transmission, determining self-calibration for a blue edge of the multiplexer pass band. If current transmission through multiplexer at minimum operating power has not fallen by more than predefined amount relative to the maximum recorded transmission, electrical power is stepped up to filter until the current transmission falls to predefined amount of maximum recorded transmission, determining self-calibration for red edge.
US09397744B2
A data transmission method of a source node in a cooperative communication system includes: performing a beamforming to a relay node; transmitting data to the relay node; performing a beamforming to a destination node; and transmitting data to the destination node.
US09397735B2
A method of operating a node of a radio access network may include transmitting first and second data blocks from the radio access network over respective first and second MIMO layers of a MIMO wireless channel to a wireless terminal during a first TTI. Responsive to receiving a NACK message for the second data block, downlink signaling for a second TTI may be transmitted from the radio access network to the wireless terminal with the downlink signaling including a DTX indicator for the first MIMO layer and a retransmission data indicator for the second MIMO layer. Responsive to receiving the NACK message for the second data block, the second data block may be retransmitted from the radio access network over the second MIMO layer to the wireless terminal during a second TTI.
US09397733B2
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for determining an EIRP constraint for a data stream based on the direction that a beam carrying the data stream is to be radiated by an array of antennas rather than using a fixed EIRP constraint for all such beams. The system and method can use the direction the beam is to be radiated to determine a distance between the array of antennas and the closest point (or location) in which a human being can potentially be impacted by the radiated beam. For larger distances, the EIRP constraint can be adjusted upward, allowing for higher transmit power levels. Conversely, for comparatively smaller distances, the EIRP constraint can be adjusted downward, allowing for lower transmit power levels.
US09397732B2
Some embodiments provide a first mote and a system of motes for detecting a spatially configuration without the need for an external reference. A first mote is configured for wirelessly receiving a plurality of signal pulses transmitted by a plurality of second motes, each second mote transmitting the signal pulse at one particular modulation frequency from a plurality of frequencies of a frequency band. The first mote includes a receiver for determining from a received signal at least one of the plurality of signal pulses and for identifying the particular modulation frequency of the at least one signal pulse. The first mote further includes a clock for generating a time-stamp at which the signal pulse is received and a storage unit for storing the time-stamp and the corresponding identified particular modulation frequency. The system includes a plurality of first motes and second motes.
US09397729B2
Through-chip coupling is utilized for signal transport, where an interface is formed between a first coil on a first integrated circuit (IC) chip and a second coil on a second IC chip. The first coil is coupled to an antenna. The second coil is coupled to an amplifier circuit. The second coil is not in direct contact with the first coil. The first coil and the second coil communicatively transmit signals between the antenna and the first amplifier circuit.
US09397725B2
According to an embodiment, a reception circuit receives a reception signal according to a signal transmitted from a transmission electrode through a reception electrode capacitively coupled to the transmission electrode. The reception circuit includes an adder, a hysteresis circuit, a shift register and a feedback signal generator. The adder is configured to add one or more feedback signals to the reception signal. The hysteresis circuit has hysteresis in input and output characteristics, and is configured to output output data according to an output signal of the adder. The shift register is configured to sequentially shift the output data of the hysteresis circuit. The feedback signal generator is configured to generate the feedback signal according to each output data of the shift register.
US09397719B1
A two-piece mobile device holder having a case assembly and a mounting assembly is disclosed. The case assembly is configured to receive and secure a mobile device such as a smart phone. The mounting assembly is configured to be detachably coupled to other objects. Sets of permanent magnets are arranged in a circular pattern in the case assembly and the mounting assembly. The magnets in both the first and second set of magnets are arranged with alternating magnetic polarity. As the case assembly is placed on top of the mounting assembly, the magnets in the mounting assembly will attract magnets with opposite polarities in the case assembly. A user may detach the case assembly from the mounting assembly by rotating the case assembly such that the magnets in the case assembly are now adjacent to magnets in the mounting assembly of the same polarity.
US09397691B2
A continuous-time delta-sigma modulator for analog-to-digital conversion includes a pair of pseudo-differential signal paths including a pair of pseudo-differential signal paths including current-controlled ring oscillators as the load of open-loop common-source amplifiers that are driven by an analog input signal. The signal path produces digital values by sampling the open-loop current-controlled ring oscillators. A calibration circuit measures nonlinear distortion coefficients in a replica of the signal path. A nonlinearity corrector corrects digital values based upon the nonlinear distortion coefficients.
US09397683B2
Reduced digital audio sampling rates are described in a digital audio processing chain. In one embodiment, an audio signal is received. A convolution operation is performed on the received audio signal. The convoluted audio signal is sampled. An interrupt is received to process the audio sample, and the sample is processed in response to the interrupt. The processed samples are collected to form a frame and the frame is transmitted to a remote device.
US09397680B2
A receiver having an analog to digital converter with adjustable reference voltages that are calibrated to account for process variations. The receiver comprises an analog to digital converter. The analog to digital converter includes a reference generator to generate a set of N reference voltages. The reference generator adjusts voltage levels of the set of N reference voltages based on one or more control signals. A plurality of comparators compare an input signal to the set of N reference voltages. A calibration circuit generates the one or more control signals for adjusting the voltage levels of the N reference voltages based on outputs of the comparators.
US09397679B1
A method comprises sampling an input voltage signal, comparing the sampled input voltage signal with an output signal of a feedback DAC, and determining an (N+1) bit code representation for a comparison result, the (N+1) bit code yielding the N bit output signal. On detection of the (N+1) bit code being equal to a predefined calibration trigger code, performing a calibration for a most significant bit of the (N+1) bit code by replacing the (N+1) bit code by an alternative (N+1) bit code that yields the same N bit output signal, performing an additional comparison cycle using the alternative (N+1) bit code, determining, using comparison results of the additional comparison cycle and the preceding (N+1)th cycle, a sign of a DAC capacitor mismatch error, and tuning programmable binary scaled calibration capacitors in parallel to a capacitor corresponding to the one of the most significant bits of the (N+1) bit code.
US09397668B2
A clock frequency division circuit receives delay value, synchronization signal, and external clock signal of a given frequency. The clock division circuit includes (a) a decode circuit receiving delay value and providing set of initial count values; (b) one or more counters each receiving input clock signal derived from the external clock signal and providing frequency divided output signal having a frequency a fraction of the given frequency, and each receiving a corresponding one of the initial count values, and wherein, subsequent to detecting a transition in the synchronization signal, each counter provides transition in the frequency divided output signal after a time period represented by corresponding initial count value; and (c) synchronization circuit that is reset by the synchronization signal, the synchronization circuit providing a gating signal enabling output of the frequency divided output signal after expiration of initial count value. The one or more counters may be cascaded.
US09397666B2
An Integrated Circuit (IC) includes clock-tree circuitry and protection circuitry. The clock-tree circuitry is configured to distribute a clock signal across the IC. The protection circuitry is clocked by multiple instances of the clock signal that are sampled at multiple sampling points in the clock-tree circuitry, and is configured to detect a fault in the clock-tree circuitry in response to an abnormality in one or more of the instances of the clock signal.
US09397664B2
A logic circuit is provided which can hold a switching state of the logic circuit even when a power supply potential is not supplied, has short start-up time of a logic block after the power is supplied, can operate with low power consumption, and can easily switch between a NAND circuit and a NOR circuit. Switching between a NAND circuit and a NOR circuit is achieved by switching a charge holding state at a node through a transistor including an oxide semiconductor. With the use of an oxide semiconductor material which is a wide bandgap semiconductor for the transistor, the off-state current of the transistor can be sufficiently reduced; thus, the state of charge held at the node can be non-volatile.
US09397662B2
A sequential circuit with transition error detector including a sequential element with an input that is asserted to the output during the second clock phase of a two phase clock signal, a transition error detector coupled to the sequential element input to assert an error signal if a transition occurs at the sequential element input during the second clock phase but not to assert during the first clock phase, wherein a transition error detection circuit comprises a current mode circuit as a detection circuit for transition timing error detection from signals derived from the sequential element clock signal and input signals.
US09397657B1
An integrated circuit includes a hybrid switch having first and second switching devices of different type therein. A control circuit is provided, which is configured to drive the first and second devices with respective first and second control signals having first and second unequal duty cycles, respectively, when the first and second devices are supporting a forward current in a first current range. The control circuit is further configured to drive the first and second devices with respective third and fourth control signals having third and fourth unequal duty cycles, respectively, when the first and second devices are supporting a forward current in a second current range outside the first current range. The first duty cycle may be greater than the second duty cycle and the third duty cycle may be less than the fourth duty cycle.
US09397649B2
A semiconductor device is provided with an oxide semiconductor thin-film transistor (TFT); a calibration electrode that is positioned so as to face an oxide semiconductor layer with an insulating layer therebetween, and, when viewed from the direction of the substrate normal line, overlaps at least part of a gate electrode with the oxide semiconductor layer interposed therebetween; and a calibration voltage setting circuit that determines the voltage to be applied to the calibration electrode. The calibration voltage setting circuit is provided with: a monitor TFT that is configured using a second oxide semiconductor layer, which is substantially the same as the oxide semiconductor layer of the oxide semiconductor TFT; a detection circuit that is configured so as to be able to measure the device characteristics of the monitor TFT; and a voltage determination circuit that determines the voltage to be applied to the calibration electrode on the basis of the measured device characteristics.
US09397646B2
Systems and methods for delay control are described herein. In one embodiment, a delay circuit comprises a first delay path and a second delay path. The delay circuit also comprises a plurality of switches, wherein each switch is coupled between different points on the first and second delay paths, and each switch is configured to turn on or off in response to a respective one of a plurality of select signals. The delay circuit further comprises a multiplexer having a first input coupled to an output of the first delay path, a second input coupled to an output of the second delay path, and an output coupled to an output of the delay circuit, wherein the multiplexer is configured to selectively couple one of the outputs of the first and second delay paths to the output of the delay circuit in response to a second select signal.
US09397639B2
Timer circuitry completely formable in an integrated circuit (IC) for generating a clock signal in an implantable medical device is disclosed. The timer circuitry can be formed on the same Application Specific Integrated Circuit typically used in the implant, and requires no external components. The timer circuitry comprises modification to a traditional astable timer circuit. A resistance in the disclosed timer circuit can be trimmed to adjust the frequency of the clock signal produced, thus allowing that frequency to be set to a precise value during manufacturing. Precision components are not needed in the RC circuit, which instead are used to set the rough value of the frequency of the clock signal. A regulator produces a power supply for the timer circuitry from a main power supply (Vcc), producing a clock signal with a frequency that is generally independent of temperature and Vcc fluctuations.
US09397638B2
A method and circuit are provided for implementing adaptive control for optimization of pulsed resonant drivers, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides. Peak detectors are used to detect a positive or up level reached by a resonant clock and negative or down level reached by the resonant clock. Each detected levels is compared to a reference level to determine when to vary the turn off timing of a clock driver pull-up device and/or a clock driver pull-down device. A positive peak detector controls the turn off time of the pull-up device and a negative peak detector controls a turn off time of the pull-down device in the pulsed resonant driver.
US09397635B2
A method and circuit for significantly reducing the switching transients of a digital step attenuator (DSA) by employing a segmented architecture that combines thermometer and binary coded stages. This approach reduces the number of attenuator stages switching at the same time and thus minimizes any glitch amplitude. Embodiments of a segmented DSA may be realized with “pi” and “bridged-T” attenuators, as well as with simple tuned L-pad attenuators combined in a resistor ladder network.
US09397631B2
Disclosed herein is a filter chip element including a ferrite substrate, internal coil patterns formed on the ferrite substrate; and a ferrite composite layer filled between the internal coil patterns formed on the ferrite substrate, wherein the ferrite composite layer includes foaming resin, thereby increasing magnetic permeability and a Q value which are important characteristics of a filter chip element for noise prevention among electromagnetic shielding components.
US09397630B2
An audio signal attenuation system and method for detecting an audio emergency warning signal (or alarm) in a vehicle in which an audio signal is being played. Embodiments of the system and method make it easier for a police, fire, or other emergency alarm or siren to be heard in a loud or noisy listening environment when audio signal is being reproduced. This is achieved using selective frequency attenuation, which identifies a frequency of the alarm and then selectively attenuates the alarm frequency in the audio signal. Moreover, direction data that includes information about from which direction the alarm is coming can be used to selectively attenuate the alarm frequency in certain channels (or speakers) of the audio signal. In some embodiments, audio cues are used to alert the listener to the alarm signal and are adjusted based on alarm distance from the vehicle, speed, and the type of alarm.
US09397626B2
A charge-sensitive amplifier is disclosed for use in amplifying signals from a particle detector. This includes a field effect transistor having a gate, source and drain, the gate being connectable, using a gate pad, to the particle detector, for the receipt of said signals. Also included is an amplifier having an input connected to the drain or source of the field effect transistor and an output connected through a feedback capacitor to the gate of the field effect transistor. The gate pad of the field effect transistor is made to be integral with the feedback capacitor so as to reduce the capacitance of the device.
US09397623B1
A transadmittance amplifier stage is coupled to a transimpedance amplifier stage to form a continuous time linear equalizer. The transadmittance amplifier stage has first and second gain paths and is configured to input a first signal and output a second signal. The first gain path is configured to provide a DC gain recovery and a first high frequency gain to the first signal. The second gain path is configured to provide a second high frequency gain to the first signal. The second signal is generated by the transadmittance amplifier stage based on the gain recovery of the first signal and the high frequency gains of the first signal. The transimpedance amplifier stage is configured to input the second signal from the transadmittance amplifier stage and convert the second signal to an output voltage signal.
US09397611B2
A photovoltaic system includes solar cells and an inverter configured to convert direct current generated by the solar cells to alternating current. The photovoltaic system includes a maximum power point (MPP) tracking module configured to perform MPP tracking for the photovoltaic system. The MPP tracking module is configured to detect shading of the solar cells and to modify its MPP tracking to prevent tracking of local MPPs. The MPP tracking module may be incorporated in the inverter.
US09397607B2
A photovoltaic module mounting assembly including a photovoltaic module lever lock and base portion for attaching photovoltaic modules to a roof surface. The base portion includes one or more parallel channels that provide access to one or more corresponding recesses formed in a top surface of the base portion. The lever lock includes a lobe at one end, a torque lever at the other and supports a photovoltaic module connector. The lobe is dimensioned to fit into the channel at a first orientation, and upon rotation of approximately 90 degrees, to fit into the recess at a second orientation. The module connector may support two or more photovoltaic modules.
US09397597B2
Stepper motor winding current regulation methods and apparatus adapt a maximum blanking period to generate an adapted blanking period that is proportional to a currently-selected current regulation set-point. Sensed winding current feedback is ignored at a current regulation controller during the adapted blanking period or during a minimum blanking period, whichever longer, to avoid attempting to track noise imposed upon a sensed winding current feedback signal at an initiation of rapid current changes di/dt. Doing so may decrease ripple in the motor winding current waveform and reduce zero-crossing distortion by decreasing overshoot of the current regulation set-point by the sensed winding current.
US09397594B2
A back electromotive force (BEMF) zero cross may be detected in a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor that is controlled by pulse width modulation (PWM). A phase input of the BLDC motor is tri-stated during PWM periods in which the phase input conducts motor drive current, and the tri-stating of the phase input is used to determine whether a BEMF zero cross has occurred in the BLDC motor.
US09397591B2
A rotating electromechanical machine has a rotor having at least one current-carrying winding and at least one rotor-mounted sensor configured to sense a machine property or parameter during machine operation. Rotor-mounted circuitry dynamically modifies at least one property of the current-carrying winding during machine operation in response to the sensed machine property or parameter.
US09397590B2
A double wound rotor type motor with a constant alternating current or direct current power supply input and a control method thereof is disclosed. The wound rotor type motor includes: a stator in which a coil directly connected to a single phase grid power supply or a direct current power supply is wound; a rotor that is rotatably supported in the stator; a power conversion device that is attached to the rotor and controls a rotor current without connection of a separate external power supply; and a control circuit that is connected to the power conversion device and controls the power conversion device.
US09397582B2
In a power converter, in a period in which the polarities of output voltage and output current of a power converter differ, a pulse train voltage corresponding to a PWM signal is output by a first switching element and a second switching element being turned off, one element of a first switch element and a second switch element being turned on, and the other element being turned on and off based on an inverted signal of a PWM signal pulse width modulated in accordance with an output voltage command.
US09397577B2
A switching mode power supply (SMPS) includes a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding for providing an output voltage and an auxiliary winding, a primary switch coupled to the primary winding, a secondary rectifying diode coupled to the secondary winding and a secondary switch connected in parallel with the secondary rectifying diode. A control method used in the SMPS includes: comparing a voltage across the secondary switch with a first secondary threshold and a second secondary threshold and generating a hysteresis comparison signal; timing based on the hysteresis comparison signal; comparing the voltage across the secondary switch with a third secondary threshold when the timing period reaches a first predetermined time; turning ON the secondary switch when the voltage across the secondary switch is less than a third secondary threshold; and turning on the primary switch when the conduction of the secondary switch is detected.
US09397576B2
A control circuit is adapted for controlling a converter. The converter includes a transformer and a power switch. The control circuit includes a current sensing unit, a current emulating unit, and a control unit. The current sensing unit senses a current flowing through the power switch coupled to a primary winding of the transformer. The current emulating unit determines a propagation delay period according to a voltage transient time of an auxiliary winding of the transformer and a turn-off time of the power switch, and retrieves several sampling times in a conduction period of the power switch according to the propagation delay period. The current emulating unit obtains a peak current and a valley current according to the sampling voltages corresponding to the sampling times. The control unit generates a control signal configured to control the power switch according to the peak current and the valley current.
US09397574B2
A control device controls a switching circuit of a DC-DC converter. The switching circuit includes a half-bridge with at least first and second switches connected between an input voltage and a reference voltage. The converter comprises a transformer with a primary coupled with the center point of the half-bridge and a secondary coupled with a load. The control device comprises an error detector configured to determine an error signal representing a difference between a first signal representative of the voltage across the load and a first reference signal and a frequency controller configured to increase the switching frequency of the half-bridge when the error signal is kept below a second signal.
US09397552B2
A system including a converter and a snubber circuit. The converter converts an alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage and outputs the direct current voltage across an inductance and a switch connected in series. The inductance has a center tap connected to a node, which is connected to a load. In response to the switch being turned on, a first current flows through the inductance and the switch. In response to the switch being turned off, a second current flows from the node to the load. The snubber circuit is connected across the node and a junction of the inductance and the switch. In response to the switch being turned off, the snubber circuit receives a third current from the junction, and supplies a first portion of the third current to the node. The second current and the first portion of the third current flow through the load.
US09397551B2
This device protects at least one electronic switching branch of an electrical conversion system against an overcurrent, each branch comprising two switching half-branches serially connected at an intermediate terminal, at least one half-branch including a switching member, each switching member comprising a first controllable switch and a diode connected in antiparallel to the first switch. The protection device includes, for each switching branch, at least one second controllable switch, each second switch being connected to the intermediate terminal or to an electrode of said diode in antiparallel to the first switch, each second switch being able to switch, under action of a controller, from an on state to an off state to protect said diode from the overcurrent, means for measuring a magnitude relative to a current able to circulate in each diode, and means for controlling each second switch, based on the measured magnitude.
US09397547B2
A submersible well pump motor has features to prevent the carrier bearing from sliding axially along the stator due to thermal growth of the rotor. The rotor has a shaft and rotor sections spaced apart from each other. Carrier bearings are located between the rotor sections, each having an anti-rotation member that frictionally engages the inner diameter of the stator to prevent spinning of the carrier bearing. A deflectable thrust washer may be located between ends of the carrier bearing and the rotor sections. The thrust washer reduces in thickness in response to an axial thermal growth force due to axial thermal growth movement of the rotor sections and shaft. The thermal growth force is less than an amount of dislodging force required to cause the anti-rotation member to axially move relative to the stator. Rather than deflectable thrust washers, sacrificial thrust washers that dissolve prior to normal operation may be used.
US09397536B2
An embodiment of a rotating electrical machine has: a shaft rotatably mounted to rotate around a central rotation axis; a rotor carried by the shaft; a stator which supports stator windings and is arranged around the rotor to enclose the rotor therein; a cylindrical casing which encloses the stator therein; and a cooling circuit which is intended for the circulation of a cooling fluid, is obtained at the casing, has a single common inlet opening for the cooling fluid axially arranged in the centre of a lateral wall of the casing, and two helicoidal paths, each of which is a mirror-image twin of the other one, centrally originates from the common inlet opening and extends from the centre of the casing towards a corresponding end of the casing.
US09397535B2
In a brushless motor, a rotor core is fixed to a shaft. Through holes are formed in the rotor core, and permanent magnets are inserted to be fixed in place in the through holes. A stator core is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the rotor core such that the stator core faces the outer circumferential surface of the rotor core. Stator coils are provided on the stator core via insulators so as to configure magnetic flux generating portions. A cooling fan is provided in front of a stator which is configured by the stator core and the stator coils. Axial position of blades of the fan and axial positions of the rotor core and the permanent magnets partially overlap each other in their positions.
US09397509B2
A battery system having at least one battery string of more than two batteries connected in series, a charge equalization circuit, a relay matrix, and a balance controller. The charge equalization circuit is capable of equalizing the charge on any pair of series connected batteries in the at least one battery string. The relay matrix is operatively connected between the charge equalization circuit and the at least one battery string. The balance controller controls the relay matrix such that at least one to battery characteristic of at least one battery is sensed. Based on at least one sensed battery characteristic, the balance controller controls the relay matrix such that the charge equalization circuit is connected across at least one pair of series connected batteries in the at least one battery string.
US09397508B2
An apparatus for charging a plurality of series connected battery cells, includes a first and second input terminals for providing a charging voltage to the plurality of series connected battery cell. A transformer includes a primary side associated with the charging voltage and a secondary side includes a plurality of portions. Each of the plurality of portions is connected across at least one of the plurality of series connected battery cell. A switch in series between each of the plurality of portions of the secondary side and the at least one of the plurality of series connected battery cells increases an impedance between the portion of the secondary side and the associated one of the plurality of series connected battery cells in a first state and decreases the impedance between the portion of the secondary side and the associated one of the plurality of series connected battery cells in a second state.
US09397505B2
The present disclosure relates to a wireless power transfer method, a wireless power transmitter and a wireless charging system in a wireless power transfer field. That is, a wireless power transmitter configured to transfer power to a wireless power receiver in a wireless manner includes a power transfer unit configured to transmit power to the wireless power receiver in the wireless manner, a circuit unit having a plurality of capacitors electrically connected to the power transfer unit, and configured to support each of a plurality of frequencies by changing the electric connection of the capacitors, and a controller configured to detect a communication standard that the wireless power receiver supports, and control the electric connection of the capacitors such that the circuit unit operates at a frequency corresponding to the detected communication standard.
US09397504B1
A string inverter for use with a photovoltaic array includes a string-level DC input channel for receiving DC power from a photovoltaic array. The input channel performs channel-level maximum power point tracking. An input-output channel connects the string inverter to a battery pack. A DC to DC buck-boost circuit between the at least one DC input channel and the at least one input-output channel prevents more than a predetermined amount of DC voltage from reaching the battery pack. A DC to AC inverter circuit having an AC output serving as an output of the string inverter. A revenue grade power meter is configured to measure the AC output of the string inverter.
US09397503B2
To provide power to an electronic device, converter circuits include a first converter circuit having an input connected to a first power source, and a second converter circuit having an input connected to a second, different power source. A controller determines whether an overload condition of the first power source exists. In response to determining that the overload condition exists, the first and second converter circuits are activated.
US09397497B2
A high efficiency solar power system combining photovoltaic sources of power (1) can be converted by a base phase DC-DC photovoltaic converter (6) and an altered phase DC-DC photovoltaic converter (8) that have outputs combined through low energy storage combiner circuitry (9). The converters can be synchronously controlled through a synchronous phase control (11) that synchronously operates switches to provide a conversion combined photovoltaic DC output (10). Converters can be provided for individual source conversion or phased operational modes, the latter presenting a combined low photovoltaic energy storage DC-DC photovoltaic converter (15) at string or individual panel levels.
US09397495B2
A circuit arrangement for protecting against electrostatic discharges comprises a diverter (ECL) that is suitable for diverting an electrostatic discharge between a first terminal (IO) and a second terminal (VDD, VSS), as well as a compensation device (1). The compensation device (1) features a series circuit of a first resistor (RS) and a field effect transistor (T1) that is connected between the first terminal (IO) and the second terminal (VDD, VSS). A junction (K1) between the first resistor (RS) and the field effect transistor (T1) is connected to the gate terminal (G1) of the field effect transistor (T1) via an RC series circuit that acts as a low-pass filter.
US09397490B1
A wall plate including a plate having a front surface and a rear surface, rear walls extending from and away from the rear surface to form a cavity, and a gasket positioned wholly within the cavity. The gasket may be positioned adjacent the rear walls or adjacent at least one aperture within the plate.
US09397487B2
A restraint assembly is for a switchgear system. The switchgear system includes an enclosure having a number of compartments and a number of electrical apparatus, such as for example, circuit breakers, movable into and out of the compartments. The restraint assembly includes at least one latch assembly comprising a mounting member, a latch pivotably coupled to the mounting member, and a number of biasing elements biasing the latch. The latch moves between a latched position corresponding to the latch locking an electrical apparatus within a corresponding compartment, and an unlatched position corresponding to the electrical apparatus being movable with respect to the compartment. The biasing elements bias the latch toward the latched position.
US09397483B2
In an ignition device, at a timing of a control signal provided by a control device to control an ignition coil device or at a timing prior to the control signal in order that a high voltage is applied to an ignition plug to initiate a spark discharge, a control circuit of an AC power source unit in response to the control signal controls switching elements composing a bridge circuit in the AC power source unit for a DC-AC inversion to thereby short-circuit a winding of a transformer device on the side of the AC power source unit, connected between a boosting device including a capacitor device and the bridge circuit for the circulation of a capacitance discharging current from the boosting device to the transformer device.
US09397481B2
Spark plug for an internal combustion engine, having a center electrode and a ground electrode. A spark gap is formed between the center electrode and ground electrode for igniting a fuel mixture by an electric ignition spark developing between the center electrode and the ground electrode. The center electrode and the ground electrode are contoured such that a ratio of a surface of the center electrode and the ground electrode, which is available for development of the ignition spark to a wear volume when an ignition spark is generated, is increased in such a way that an enlargement of the spark gap occurring as a result of wear when an ignition spark is generated is minimized.
US09397474B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a lower light confinement layer on a substrate, a light absorption layer on the lower light confinement layer, and an upper light confinement layer on the light absorption layer; and removing parts of these layers to form an optical modulator, forming a laser section having a diffraction grating in a portion of the substrate where the optical modulator is not present, forming a diffusion constraining layer, which constrains diffusion of a dopant, on the upper light confinement layer, and forming a contact layer on the laser section and the diffusion constraining layer. The same dopant is present in the contact layer and the upper light confinement layer.
US09397473B2
A transmitter module that includes a laser diode (LD) and a driver, each mounted on a sub-mount, is disclosed. The driver directly drives the LD by supplying a modulation signal, a bias signal, and a reference. Two signals are provided to a first pad of the LD, while, the reference is provided to the second pad of the LD. The second pad in the center thereof is formed relatively closer to the second facet of the LD opposite to the first facet through which the laser light is emitted.
US09397470B2
An array of laser diode emitters is used as an illumination source for a range imaging system. The laser diode emitters are disposed on a common substrate. When one of the emitters fails, the remaining emitters emit enough light to meet the output optical power specification. The emitters can be disposed with a tight spacing. The tight spacing facilitates packaging of the entire array into a compact single package on a common heat sink.
US09397467B2
The invention relates to an optical pumping device comprising: a fibre light source emitting controlled radiation having a very high transverse modal quality, with a wavelength shorter than 1000 nm; at least one element consisting of an amplifying material doped with a rare earth dopant; means for introducing a pumping light into said doped amplifying material element; and means for cooling said amplifying material. Said optical pumping device is characterised in that the pumping light is emitted by the fibre light source with an average power of higher than 2W and a modal quality characterised by an M2<5 factor.
US09397465B2
In a case where the period from the input of the output suspension instruction to the next output instruction is shorter than the fixed period of time, the seed laser light source and the pumping light source are in a pre-pumped state during the period from the end of the output state to the start of the next output state. In a case where the period from the input of the output suspension instruction to the next output instruction is longer than the fixed period of time, the seed laser light source and the pumping light source are in the pre-pumped state only for the fixed period of time from the input of the output instruction.
US09397463B2
The present invention relates to a method and a device for the simultaneous compression and characterization of ultrashort laser pulses. An embodiment of the method comprises applying predetermined spectral phases to the pulse to be characterized so as to perform a dispersion scan; applying a nonlinear process to the pulse to be characterized; measuring the resulting signal from the application of the predetermined spectral phases and nonlinear process; applying a numerical iterative algorithm to the measured signal to retrieve the spectral phase of the pulse to be characterized. A few cycle laser pulse may be negatively chirped with a pair of DCM, the controllable amount of positive dispersion may be provided by a pair of glass wedges, one of them being translated for dispersion or phase control, and the frequency spectrum may be measured as well as also frequency resolved the dispersion dependent second-harmonic of the signal being phase modulated.
US09397451B2
A first connector housing (4) includes a rotation prevention lock arm (200) configured to flexurally-deform into a state allowing to temporary lock the rotation prevention lock arm (200) to a peripheral edge (7b) of a mounting hole (7) and to locate a temporary locking position to a position allowing to prevent rotation around the temporary locking position of a lock arm (9) as a supporting point (P1, 7a), and a second connector housing (3) includes a rotation prevention pressing portion (250) configured to flexurally-deform the rotation prevention lock arm (200), and the rotation prevention pressing portion (250) temporarily locks the rotation prevention lock arm (200) to the peripheral edge (7b) of the mounting hole (7) in timing when a lock arm locking portion (8) temporarily locks the lock arm (9) to the peripheral edge (7a) of the mounting hole (7).
US09397449B2
A receptacle connector (100) includes an insluative housing (1), a number of contacts (2) retained in the insulative housing; a metal shield (4) covering the insulative housing for defining a space for receiving a plug connector along an insertion direction, and a cable (3) having a first end soldered to a mother board of an electronic appliance and a second end directly soldered with the soldering portions of the contacts in a first embodiment and indirectly connected with the contacts via a printed circuit board in a second embodiment.
US09397446B2
Provided is a terminal locking structure for an electrical connector excellent in assembly even when the locking position of a lance of a terminal is restricted, wherein, in the terminal locking structure that locks a terminal into a housing of the electrical connector with a lance, the terminal includes the lance and a stabilizer on an outer circumference of a cylindrical part thereof, the housing includes: an insertion part into which the terminal is inserted; a lance locking part provided only at a predetermined position along an inner circumference of the insertion part; and a guide part for the stabilizer, the guide part being inserted along the insertion part.
US09397442B2
A cable connector is provided having an insulative housing, a conductive shield and a pair of latching members. Each latching member has free ends with engagement teeth formed thereon which are separated by an intervening engagement notch. The sidewalls of the engagement notch are flat and define hard stop surfaces in opposing directions for engagement by each latching member with an opposing board connector. The free ends further include ramped surfaces leading to the engagement notch to form cam surfaces that depress each latching member when the cable connector is mated to a board connector. Each latching members may also include locating tabs captured in vertical movement by the cable connector body.
US09397439B2
The number of components can be reduced and the fittability can be improved so that reduction in the cost can be realized. A power feed connector for feeding power to a motor provided in an actuator includes: two motor current application terminals for applying a current to the motor; two capacitor contact portions; a capacitor for applying a current to the capacitor contact portions respectively; and a housing to which the two motor current application terminals, the two capacitor contact portions, and the capacitor are fitted, wherein each of the motor current application terminals includes an extension portion and a connection portion for applying a current to the motor, and wherein each of the capacitor contact portions protrudes from the extension portion.
US09397438B2
An electrical connector includes a terminal module, a first sealing member embodied in a rear portion of the terminal module and a metallic shell shielding around the terminal module and the first sealing member. The terminal module has an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive terminals received in the housing. Each of the conductive terminals has a connecting section extending outwardly from a rear end of the housing. The first sealing member is insert molded on the housing of the terminal module, and the connecting sections of the conductive terminals rearwards run through the first sealing member.
US09397437B2
A connection terminal includes a terminal connection portion to be connected with a mating terminal is connected, a wire connection portion connected to the terminal connection portion and a wire, an anticorrosion material provided to cover an area in the wire connection portion where water may be poured to the wire, and an anticorrosion material holding portion provided in the wire connection portion towards the terminal connection portion.
US09397431B2
A liquid adhesive sealant for bonding a connector case and a terminal holder is filled in a sealant filled chamber formed in a space surrounded by a first fitting peripheral wall and a bottom surface of a first groove of the connector case made of a primary molding resin, and a second fitting peripheral wall and a bottom surface of a second groove of the terminal holder made of the primary molding resin in an electrical connector.
US09397430B2
An isolated electrical connection assembly having first and second conductive terminals of different conductive materials with a non-metallic, annular spacer sandwiched between opposing inner end faces of the terminals. The first terminal having a bore extending inwards from its inner end face, and a pin projects from the opposing inner end face of the second terminal, through a central opening in the spacer, and into the bore. The pin is releasably secured in the bore to provide electrical connection between the terminals. The interfaces between the inner end faces of the terminals and opposing faces of the spacer are sealed to isolate the connection between the second terminal pin and the first terminal bore.
US09397417B2
A wiring module that includes a connecting member for connecting adjacent electrode terminals of a plurality of electricity storage elements that have a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal; an insulating protector that has a partition wall surrounding the connecting member and that accommodates the connecting member; and a detection terminal that is connected to an end portion of an electric wire and that is laid over the connecting member.
US09397416B2
An electrical connector includes a housing and electrical contacts held by the housing. The electrical contacts include contact beams having wire interfaces configured to engage in physical contact with corresponding electrical wires. The contact beams are movable between closed positions and open positions. The wire interface of each contact beam is configured to engage in physical contact with the corresponding electrical wire when the contact beam is in the closed position. The wire interface of each contact beam is configured to be disengaged from physical contact with the corresponding electrical wire when the contact beam is in the open position. A release member is movably held by the housing such that movement of the release member is configured to move a plurality of the contact beams from the closed positions to the open positions thereof and thereby release a plurality of the electrical wires from the corresponding electrical contacts.
US09397402B2
In one embodiment, an antenna includes a dielectric material and a planar conducting element. The dielectric material has a first side opposite a second side, with the planar conducting element residing on the first side. The planar conducting element defines a conductive path between first and second end portions of the planar conducting element, which end portions are separated by a non-conductive gap. In another embodiment, an antenna has a planar conducting element defining a conductive path between first and second end portions of the planar conducting element. The planar conducting element has at least two different widths transverse to the conductive path. The first and second end portions of the planar conducting element are separated by a non-conductive gap.
US09397394B2
Techniques of designing an antenna array with antenna units controlled electronically are described. Each of the antenna units includes a reflector, a driven element and one or more directors. A substrate with conductive material on its surface provided to support the antenna array is designed to be the reflector. The driven element is separated into two halves with each on one side of a non-metal substrate vertically bonded to the conductive substrate. Two driving lines provided to drive the two halves of the driven element are disposed on both sides of the non-metal substrate to minimize possible interactions with other elements of the antenna unit or the antenna array.
US09397386B2
A near field communication module applied to an electronic device is provided. The near field communication module includes a flexible circuit board, a first sensing antenna and a second sensing antenna. The flexible circuit board includes a first part and a second part connected with each other. The first sensing antenna is disposed at the first part. The second sensing antenna is disposed at the second part. The first sensing antenna is connected to the second sensing antenna. After the flexible circuit board is bended, it is disposed at a side of the electronic device.
US09397385B2
The present application relates to a near field communications (NFC) reader having a power amplifier which has an output that connects to an input terminal of an antenna by means of an antenna filter made up of one or more series resistors and one or more series capacitors. The NFC reader includes means for adjusting the Q factor of the antenna so as to increase the available transmit bandwidth and/or improve the efficiency of the reader. The means for adjusting the Q factor of the antenna may be, for example, a variable resistive component or one or more switches.
US09397383B2
The present invention relates to a system for mast vibration compensation implemented in a communication system including a first node and a second node. The first node comprises a first adaptive antenna mounted in a mast; a receiver connected to said antenna; and a spatial and temporary processing system. The first adaptive antenna is controlled by a first correction signal generated in the spatial and temporary processing system. The correction signal is based on a parameter that indicates that a radio link alignment with a second node is degrading due to mechanical vibrations in the mast. The invention also relates to a method for mast vibration compensation.
US09397376B2
A battery assembly is provided that utilizes electrically isolated heat sinks to enhance battery pack thermal management and safety. The battery assembly is divided into groups of batteries, where the batteries within each group are of the same voltage, and where each battery group is serially coupled to the other battery groups. The heat sink is segmented, where each heat sink segment is thermally coupled to the batteries within a single battery group, and where each heat sink segment is electrically isolated from the adjacent heat sink segments. The heat sink segments are thermally coupled to, and electrically isolated from, at least one coolant conduit which, in turn, is coupled to a thermal management system.
US09397375B2
A battery assembly is provided that utilizes electrically isolated heat sinks to enhance battery pack thermal management and safety. The battery assembly is divided into groups of batteries, where the batteries within each group are of the same voltage, and where each battery group is serially coupled to the other battery groups. The heat sink is segmented, where each heat sink segment is thermally coupled to the batteries within a single battery group, and where each heat sink segment is electrically isolated from the adjacent heat sink segments. The heat sink segments are thermally coupled to a cold plate, and electrically isolated from the cold plate by a layer of a thermal interface material.
US09397370B2
Single and multiple cell batteries are provided with built-in controllers that monitor the cell or cells and provide a safety disconnect when certain monitored conditions are detected by the controller. Preferred single and multiple cell batteries have their cell or cells within a container having a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The built-in controller monitors the cell or cells for each of the following conditions: over temperature, short-circuit, overcharge, and over-discharge and the controller provides a safety disconnect when one of the monitored conditions exist. A multiple cell battery includes a built-in controller that monitors the temperature of the cells and provides a safety disconnect that electronically disconnects all of the cells when at least one of the cells exceeds a predetermined temperature, or a controller that monitors the state of charge of each of the cells and individually controls the charge cycle of each of the cells, or a controller that monitors the temperature of the cells and to provides a safety disconnect when at least one of the cells exceeds a predetermined temperature.
US09397362B2
A modular fuel cell power system includes a coolant source, a reactant source and a plurality of fuel cell modules. Each of the fuel cell modules includes a fuel cell stack and a fluid distribution plant in fluid communication with the reactant source, coolant source and fuel cell stack. The fluid distribution plant controls the flow of reactant between the reactant source and fuel cell stack. The fuel cell stacks are configured to be selectively electrically connected.
US09397358B2
Disclosed herein are a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for fuel cells, wherein the membrane electrode assembly has a porous membrane (a catalyst trapping layer) disposed at the opposite surface of a catalyst layer facing a polymer electrolyte membrane for preventing the loss of a catalyst, and a fuel cell including the same. The membrane electrode assembly has the effect of restraining the loss of the catalyst due to a liquid component, such as methanol, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the fuel cell. Especially, the membrane electrode assembly has the effect of minimizing the reduction in performance of the fuel cell due to the loss of the catalyst during the long-term operation.
US09397357B2
A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell is disclosed, which comprises at least one porous ionomer containing layer disposed at the interface between the cathode electrocatalyst material and the ion exchange membrane of the fuel cell. The porous ionomer containing layer comprises a catalyst migration impeding compound. The membrane electrode assembly exhibits improved stability against Pt dissolution and Pt-band formation within the ion exchange membrane, hence having improved durability and lifetime performance.
US09397346B2
A fuel cell device having an exterior surface defining an interior ceramic support structure. An active zone is along a first portion of the length for undergoing a fuel cell reaction, and at least one non-active end region is along an end portion extending away from the active zone without being heated. Fuel and oxidizer passages extend within the interior support structure from respective first and second inlets in the non-active end region to the active zone. The active zone has an anode associated with each of the fuel passages and a cathode associated with each of the oxidizer passages in opposing relation to a respective one of the anodes with an electrolyte therebetween. A plurality of ceramic support members in spaced-apart positions are provided throughout each one of the plurality of fuel and oxidizer passages that physically holds open the passages to prevent collapse.
US09397345B2
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a layered metal-air cathode for a metal-air battery. Generally, the layered metal-air cathode comprises an active catalyst layer, a transition layer bonded to the active catalyst layer, and a backing layer bonded to the transition layer such that the transition layer is disposed between the active catalyst layer and the backing layer.
US09397342B2
Provided is an anode for use in electrochemical cells, wherein the anode active layer has a first layer comprising lithium metal and a multi-layer structure comprising single ion conducting layers and polymer layers in contact with the first layer comprising lithium metal or in contact with an intermediate protective layer, such as a temporary protective metal layer, on the surface of the lithium-containing first layer. Another aspect of the invention provides an anode active layer formed by the in-situ deposition of lithium vapor and a reactive gas. The anodes of the current invention are particularly useful in electrochemical cells comprising sulfur-containing cathode active materials, such as elemental sulfur.
US09397338B2
Electrodes and methods of forming electrodes are described herein. The electrode can be an electrode of an electrochemical cell or battery. The electrode includes a current collector and a film in electrical communication with the current collector. The film may include a carbon phase that holds the film together. The electrode further includes an electrode attachment substance that adheres the film to the current collector.
US09397330B2
Electrode, lithium battery, method of manufacturing electrode, and composition for coating electrode
An electrode including a current collector, and an active material layer disposed on the current collector. The active material layer includes a structural network and an active material composition. The structural network includes a network of carbon nanotubes and a binder. The active material composition includes an active material and a polar medium.
US09397327B2
A battery connecting assembly 20 includes a first coupling unit 21 having a plurality of individual units 20A each accommodating a connecting member 13, and configured by coupling the individual units 20A adjacent to each other; a second coupling unit 22 having a plurality of individual units 20A each accommodating a connecting member 13, and configured by coupling the individual units 20A adjacent to each other, and arranged side by side with the first coupling unit 21; and a positioning member 40 connected to the first coupling unit 21 and the second coupling unit 22 to position the first coupling unit 21 and the second coupling unit 22 relatively.
US09397300B2
Provided is an organic light-emitting diode including a compound of Formula 1 below: A detailed description of a substituent in Formula 1 above is defined as described in the detailed description.
US09397289B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is provided with a magnetoresistive effect element formed on a substrate, and an insulating film formed above the substrate to cover the magnetoresistive effect element. The insulating film is formed of a silicon nitride, and has a portion of a higher nitrogen concentration than a surface portion thereof.
US09397285B2
A junctionless Nano-Electro-Mechanical (NEM) resonator, comprising a highly doped conductive channel connecting a drain region and a source region; the conduction channel region is movable and the overall structure is fixed at least at these two ends placed on acting the source and drain regions, respectively; at least one fixed gate electrode arranged to control a depletion charge in the highly doped conductive channel thereby modulating dimensions of a cross-section of the highly doped conductive channel. A dimension of the cross-section in the direction of an electrical field that is oriented from the fixed gate electrode to the highly doped conductive channel, is designed in such a way that it can be reduced under the effect of the depletion charge such that a full depletion in the highly doped conductive channel is achievable with the control of the fixed gate electrode.
US09397280B2
A method of producing an optoelectronic semiconductor chip includes growing an optoelectronic semiconductor layer sequence on a growth substrate, forming an electrically insulating layer on a side of the optoelectronic semiconductor layer sequence facing away from the growth substrate by depositing particles of an electrically insulating material by an aerosol deposition method, and at least partly removing the growth substrate after forming the electrically insulating layer.
US09397276B2
Provided a light emitting device comprising: a package; a light emitting element disposed in the package; an encapsulation member that covers the light emitting element, the encapsulation member being formed from a resin composition that contains a fluorescent material, a resin, and nanoparticles selected from at least one of the group consisting of aluminum oxide nanoparticles, titanium oxide nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles, zirconium oxide nanoparticles, and silicon oxide nanoparticles, wherein when the resin composition includes silicon oxide nanoparticles, the content of the silicon oxide nanoparticles is 0.02 to 5 mass parts relative to 100 mass parts of the resin; and wherein the fluorescent material includes a Mn4+ activated red-light emitting fluorescent material having a chemical composition represented by the formula (I): A2[M1−xMn4+xF6] (I) wherein A is at least one cation selected from the group consisting of K+, Li+, Na+, Rb+, Cs+, and NH4+; M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of elements from Group 4 of the periodic table and elements from Group 14 of the periodic table, and x satisfies 0
US09397268B2
A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic semiconductor component and an optoelectronic semiconductor component are disclosed. In an embodiment the component comprises a semiconductor body having a main surface and a mirror region adjoining the main surface of the semiconductor body at least regionally, wherein the minor region has a plurality of domains of a first material composition, the domains being spaced apart from one another and adjoining the main surface, wherein the mirror region comprises a continuous mirror layer of a second material composition, and wherein the mirror layer adjoins the main surface at least regionally between the domains.
US09397250B2
According to one embodiment, a releasing apparatus for separating a semiconductor substrate from a semiconductor template, the releasing apparatus having an enclosed pressure chamber having at least one gas inlet and at least one gas outlet. A top vacuum chuck for securing a released semiconductor substrate or semiconductor template in the enclosed pressure chamber. A bottom vacuum chuck for securing an attached semiconductor substrate and semiconductor template in the enclosed pressure chamber. A gap between the attached semiconductor substrate and semiconductor template and the top vacuum chuck allowing gas flowing through the gap to generate lifting forces on the attached semiconductor substrate and semiconductor template.
US09397241B2
Apparatus and techniques are presented such as can be used for electro-optic modulation and detection or other applications. For example, an optical metal grating is disposed on a thin metal film to couple light from broadside to the metal film as surface plasmon-polariton waves; below the metal film is located a thin insulating layer and a doped semiconductor region forming a metal-insulator-semiconductor structure. The device can be configured to operate as a reflection or transmission modulator, or as a photodetector, for example. Modulating the voltage applied to the metal-insulator-semiconductor structure modulates the carrier concentration in the semiconductor near the insulating layer, which modulates the refractive index of the semiconductor in this region, thus modulating the coupling efficiency to the surface plasmon-polaritons, thus modulating the reflectance and transmittance of the device. Modulated incident light produces a modulated photocurrent under bias which may be detected using electronics.
US09397239B2
Fabrication of a single crystal silicon solar cell with an insitu epitaxially deposited very highly doped p-type silicon back surface field obviates the need for the conventional aluminum screen printing step, thus enabling a thinner silicon solar cell because of no aluminum induced bow in the cell. Furthermore, fabrication of a single crystal silicon solar cell with insitu epitaxial p-n junction formation and very highly doped n-type silicon front surface field completely avoids the conventional dopant diffusion step and one screen printing step, thus enabling a cheaper manufacturing process.
US09397238B2
A method and apparatus provide for a roughened back surface of a semiconductor absorber layer of a photovoltaic device to improve adhesion. The roughened back surface may be achieved through an etching process.
US09397230B2
Zener diode structures and related fabrication methods and semiconductor devices are provided. An exemplary semiconductor device includes first and second Zener diode structures. The first Zener diode structure includes a first region, a second region that is adjacent to the first region, and a third region adjacent to the first region and the second region to provide a junction that is configured to influence a first reverse breakdown voltage of a junction between the first region and the second region. The second Zener diode structure includes a fourth region, a fifth region that is adjacent to the fourth region, and a sixth region adjacent to the fourth region and the fifth region to provide a junction configured to influence a second reverse breakdown voltage of a junction between the fourth region and the fifth region, wherein the second reverse breakdown voltage and the first reverse breakdown voltage are different.
US09397221B2
The present invention discloses a thin film transistor, comprising an active layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode formed on a substrate. The active layer is above the substrate. The gate insulating layer, the source electrode, and the drain electrode are above the active layer. The gate electrode is above the gate insulating layer. Wherein, the thin film transistor further comprises a shielding layer between the substrate and the active layer, the shielding layer is used to absorb external light. The thin film transistor according to the present invention not only has strong stability, but also has high output efficiency. Moreover, the thin film transistor can follow the existing process, which facilitates mass production. The present invention further discloses a manufacturing method of the thin film transistor and a thin film transistor array substrate using the thin film transistor.
US09397219B2
Semiconductor devices include a strain-inducing layer capable of applying a strain to a channel region of a transistor included in the device, and a method of manufacturing the device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having a channel region; a pair of source/drain regions provided on the substrate and arranged on both sides of the channel region in a first direction; and a gate structure provided on the channel region. The gate structure includes a gate electrode pattern extending in a second direction that is different from the first direction, a gate dielectric layer between the channel region and the gate electrode pattern, and a gate spacer covering respective lateral surfaces of the gate electrode pattern and the gate dielectric layer. At least one of the source/drain regions includes a first strain-inducing layer and a second strain-inducing layer. The first strain-inducing layer is disposed between a lateral surface of the channel region and the second strain-inducing layer and contacts at least a portion of the gate dielectric layer.
US09397215B1
A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises patterning and etching a fin in a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate stack over the fin, epitaxially growing a first semiconductor material on exposed portions of the fin, epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material on exposed portions of the first semiconductor material, and performing an etching process that removes exposed portions of the first semiconductor material and exposed portions of the second semiconductor material, the etching process is operative to remove portions of the first semiconductor material at a faster rate than the second semiconductor material such that a first cavity is formed adjacent to the fin.
US09397211B2
An integrated circuit containing an extended drain MOS transistor which has a drift layer, an upper RESURF layer over and contacting an upper surface of the drift layer, and a buried drain extension below the drift layer which is electrically connected to the drift layer at the drain end and separated from the drift layer at the channel end. A lower RESURF layer may be formed between the drift layer and the buried drain extension at the channel end. Any of the upper RESURF layer, the drift layer, the lower RESURF layer and the buried drain extension may have a graded doping density from the drain end to the channel end. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing an extended drain MOS transistor which has the drift layer, the upper RESURF layer, and the buried drain extension.
US09397210B2
A memory array has first and second memory cells over a semiconductor and an isolation region extending into the semiconductor. The isolation region includes an air gap between charge-storage structures of the first and second memory cells and a thickness of dielectric over the air gap and contained between the first and second memory cells.
US09397200B2
One illustrative method involves forming a FinFET device or a nanowire device by forming a sacrificial gate structure above a substantially vertically oriented structure comprised of first and second semiconductor materials, forming epi semiconductor material in the source/drain regions, removing the sacrificial gate structure so as to define a replacement gate cavity and to expose the first and second semiconductor materials within the gate cavity, performing an etching process through the replacement gate cavity to selectively remove the exposed first sacrificial semiconductor material relative to the exposed second semiconductor material so as to define a gap under the second semiconductor material within the gate cavity, filling the gap with an insulating material, and forming a replacement gate structure in the gate cavity.
US09397198B2
A semiconductor device having a fin gate that improves an operation current, and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device includes an active pillar formed on a semiconductor substrate, the active pillar including an inner region and an outer region surrounding the inner region, and a fin gate overlapping an upper surface and a lateral surface of the active pillar. The inner portion of the active pillar includes a first semiconductor layer having a first lattice constant, and the outer region of the active pillar includes a second semiconductor layer having a second lattice constant smaller than the first lattice constant.
US09397189B2
A method of forming a semiconductor structure having a metal gate. Firstly, a semiconductor substrate is provided. Subsequently, at least a gate structure is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Afterwards, a spacer structure is formed to surround the gate structure. Then, an interlayer dielectric is formed. Afterwards, a planarization process is performed for the interlayer dielectric. Then, a portion of the sacrificial layer is removed to form an initial etching depth, such that an opening is formed to expose a portion of the spacer structure. The portion of the spacer structure exposed to the opening is removed so as to broaden the opening. Afterwards, remove the sacrificial layer completely via the opening. Finally, a gate conductive layer is formed to fill the opening.
US09397180B1
An semiconductor device with a low resistance sinker contact wherein the low resistance sinker contact is etched through a first doped layer and is etched into a second doped layer and wherein the first doped layer overlies the second doped layer and wherein the second doped layer is more heavily doped that the first doped layer and wherein the low resistance sinker contact is filled with a metallic material. A method for forming a semiconductor device with a low resistance sinker contact wherein the low resistance sinker contact is etched through a first doped layer and is etched into a second doped layer and wherein the first doped layer overlies the second doped layer and wherein the second doped layer is more heavily doped that the first doped layer and wherein the low resistance sinker contact is filled with a metallic material.
US09397169B2
An embodiment is a method. A first III-V compound semiconductor is epitaxially grown in a trench on a substrate, and the epitaxial growth is performed in a chamber. The first III-V compound semiconductor has a first surface comprising a facet. After the epitaxial growth, the first surface of the first III-V compound semiconductor is etched to form an altered surface of the first III-V compound semiconductor. Etching the first surface is performed in the chamber in situ. A second III-V compound semiconductor is epitaxially grown on the altered surface of the first III-V compound semiconductor. The epitaxial growth of the first III-V compound semiconductor may be performed in a MOCVD chamber, and the etch may use an HCl gas. Structures resulting from methods are also disclosed.
US09397168B2
A group III-V transistor device employing a novel layout for isolating and/or defining the active region is provided. A group III-V heterojunction is arranged over or within a substrate, and an inner drain electrode is arranged over the group III-V heterojunction. A gate has a ring shape and is arranged over the group III-V heterojunction around the inner drain electrode. An outer source electrode has a ring-shaped region arranged over the group III-V heterojunction around the gate. A method for manufacturing the group III-V transistor device is also provided.
US09397166B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide transistor structures having strained channel regions. Strain is created through lattice mismatches in the source and drain regions relative to the channel region of the transistor. In embodiments of the invention, the transistor channel regions are comprised of germanium, silicon, a combination of germanium and silicon, or a combination of germanium, silicon, and tin and the source and drain regions are comprised of a doped III-V compound semiconductor material. Embodiments of the invention are useful in a variety of transistor structures, such as, for example, trigate, bigate, and single gate transistors and transistors having a channel region comprised of nanowires or nanoribbons.
US09397164B2
An integrated circuit and method having a deep collector vertical bipolar transistor with a first base tuning diffusion. A MOS transistor has a second base tuning diffusion. The first base tuning diffusion and the second base tuning diffusion are formed using the same implant.
US09397162B1
A method of forming a source/drain region with abrupt vertical and conformal junction and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming a first mask over a fin of a first polarity FET and source/drain regions of the first polarity FET; forming spacers on opposite sides of a fin of a second polarity FET, the second polarity being opposite the first polarity, on each side of a gate electrode; implanting a first dopant into the fin of the second polarity FET; etching a cavity in the fin of the second polarity FET on each side of the gate electrode; removing the first mask; performing rapid thermal anneal (RTA); epitaxially growing a source/drain region of the second polarity FET in each cavity; forming a second mask over the fin of the first polarity FET and source/drain regions of the first polarity FET; and implanting a second dopant in the source/drain regions of the second polarity FET.
US09397158B2
A method is disclosed for forming a semiconductor device. A first opening is formed for an STI on a semiconductor substrate and a first process is performed to deposit first oxide into the first opening. A second opening is formed to remove a portion of the first oxide from the first opening and second process(es) is/are performed to deposit second oxide into the second opening and over a remaining portion of the first oxide. A portion of the semiconductor device is formed over a portion of a surface of the second oxide. A semiconductor device includes an STI including a first oxide formed in a lower portion of a trench of the STI and a second oxide formed in an upper portion of the trench and above the first oxide. The semiconductor device includes a portion of the semiconductor device formed over a portion of the second oxide.
US09397156B2
To realize a semiconductor device having a power MOSFET satisfying both a low conduction resistance and a high junction breakdown voltage by a simple and easy manufacturing method. Over an n-type substrate, a p-type epitaxial layer of a low concentration is formed, and, in an active part, a plurality of active regions is defined by a plurality of trenches that is formed in the epitaxial layer and extends in a first direction with first intervals in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. In the epitaxial layer between the adjacent trenches, an n-type diffusion region that functions as a drain offset layer is formed, and, in the epitaxial layer between a side wall of the trench and the n-type diffusion region, a p-type diffusion region connected with a channel region (the p-type diffusion region) is formed, to constitute a super junction structure. Further, by forming an n-type diffusion region in the epitaxial layer, having a prescribed width from a side wall of a trench lying in the end part of the active part toward an outer periphery part, to achieve the improvement of a drain breakdown voltage.
US09397154B2
This invention discloses a semiconductor power device formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type comprises an active cell area and a termination area surrounding the active cell area and disposed near edges of the semiconductor substrate. The termination area includes a plurality of trenches filled with a conductivity material forming a shield electrode and insulated by a dielectric layer along trench sidewalls and trench bottom surface wherein the trenches extending vertically through a body region of a second conductivity type near a top surface of the semiconductor substrate and further extending through a surface shield region of the first conductivity type. A dopant region of the second conductivity type disposed below the surface shield region extending across and surrounding a trench bottom portion of the trenches. At least a metal connector disposed above the top surface of the semiconductor substrates electrically connecting to the shield electrode of at least two trenches and shorted to the body region.
US09397149B2
A display device that includes a first flexible substrate, a first bonding layer over the first flexible substrate, a first insulating film over the first bonding layer, a first element layer over the first insulating film, a second element layer over the first element layer, a second insulating film over the second element layer, a second bonding layer over the second insulating film, and a second flexible substrate over the second bonding layer is provided. The first element layer includes a pixel portion and a circuit portion. The pixel portion includes a display element and a first transistor, and the circuit portion includes a second transistor. The second element layer includes a coloring layer and a light-blocking layer.
US09397141B2
Selector devices that can be suitable for memory device applications can have low leakage currents at low voltages to reduce sneak current paths for non selected devices, and high leakage currents at high voltages to minimize voltage drops during device switching. In some embodiments, the selector device can include a first electrode, a tri-layer dielectric layer, and a second electrode. The tri-layer dielectric layer can include a high leakage dielectric layer sandwiched between two lower leakage dielectric layers. The low leakage layers can function to restrict the current flow across the selector device at low voltages. The high leakage dielectric layer can function to enhance the current flow across the selector device at high voltages.
US09397123B1
An array substrate is disclosed. The Array substrate includes gate and data lines, where the gate lines and the data lines cross each other. The pixel units include pixel electrodes and common electrodes, and the common electrode comprises a first slot extending in a direction of the data lines. The first slot at least partially overlaps at least one of the pixel electrodes. In addition, the gate lines each include an aperture region, where the aperture region of each gate line at least partially overlaps at least one of the first slots. Furthermore, shielding electrodes and shielding branch electrodes are provided in the direction of the data lines, where the shielding electrodes at least partially overlap the data lines, and where the shielding branch electrodes are provided in the aperture region, and the shielding branch electrodes at least partially overlap the gate lines.
US09397112B1
The present disclosure relates to a non-planar FEOL (front-end-of-the-line) capacitor comprising a charge trapping dielectric layer disposed between electrodes, and an associated method of fabrication. In some embodiments, the non-planar FEOL capacitor has a first electrode disposed over a substrate. A charge trapping dielectric layer is disposed onto the substrate at a position adjacent to the first electrode. The charge trapping dielectric layer has an “L” shape, with a lateral component extending in a first direction and a vertical component extending in a second direction. A second electrode is arranged onto the lateral component and is separated from the first electrode by the first component.
US09397107B2
A method of making a three dimensional NAND string includes providing a stack of alternating first material layers and second material layers over a substrate. The method further includes forming a front side opening in the stack, forming a tunnel dielectric in the front side opening, forming a semiconductor channel in the front side opening over the tunnel dielectric and forming a back side opening in the stack. The method also includes selectively removing the second material layers through the back side opening to form back side recesses between adjacent first material layers, forming a metal charge storage layer in the back side opening and in the back side recesses and forming discrete charge storage regions in the back side recesses by removing the metal charge storage layer from the back side opening and selectively recessing the metal charge storage layer in the back side recesses.
US09397091B2
A semiconductor component arrangement method includes producing a trench transistor structure including at least one trench disposed in the semiconductor body and at least one gate electrode disposed in the at least one trench. The method also includes producing a capacitor structure comprising an electrode structure disposed in at least one further trench, the electrode structure comprising at least one electrode. The gate electrode and the at least one electrode of the electrode structure are produced by common process steps.
US09397083B2
There is provided a technique capable of reducing a layout area of a standard cell configuring a digital circuit even under a circumstance that a new layout rule introduced in accordance with microfabrication of a MISFET is provided. For example, a protruding wiring PL1A protrudes from a power supply wiring L1A at each corner of both ends of a standard cell CL toward an inside of the standard cell CL (in a Y direction), and a bent portion BD1A which is bent from the protruding wiring PL1A in an X direction is formed. And, this bent portion BD1A and a p-type semiconductor region PDR are connected to each other via a plug PLG.
US09397067B2
A bonding device includes a first feeding mechanism, a second feeding mechanism, a glue spraying mechanism positioned between the first feeding mechanism and the second feeding mechanism, and a bonding mechanism. The first feeding mechanism comprises a mounting frame and a transmission belt mounted on the mounting frame. The second feeding mechanism includes a support frame, a feeding member positioned on the support frame, a positioning plate mounted on the support frame and located below the feeding member, and a first driver connected to the positioning plate. The feeding member vertically defines at least one feeding groove. The positioning plate defines a matching groove matching with the first workpiece The bonding mechanism includes a second driver and a suction member connected to the second driver.
US09397064B2
The invention is related to a bonding wire containing a core having a surface. The core contains aluminum as a main component and scandium in an amount between 0.05% and 1.0%.
US09397052B2
A semiconductor package includes a package substrate, a first semiconductor chip mounted on the package substrate, a second semiconductor chip mounted on the first semiconductor chip to expose at least a portion of the first semiconductor chip, and a stress-relieving structure provided at an edge of the first semiconductor chip and configured to relieve stress applied between the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip.
US09397047B2
A structure includes a first metal line and a second metal line disposed on a first side of a substrate, and a dielectric structure separating the first metal line and the second metal line. The dielectric structure includes a first dielectric layer over the first side of the substrate, a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer and extending from the first metal line to the second metal line. The first dielectric layer has a first dielectric constant larger than or substantially equal to a second dielectric constant of the second dielectric layer. The dielectric structure further includes a third dielectric layer between the first dielectric layer and the first metal line, the third dielectric layer having a third dielectric constant larger than the first dielectric constant.
US09397046B1
Fluorine-induced formation of voids and electrical shorts can be avoided by forming fluorine-free metal lines. Specifically, control gate electrodes of a three-dimensional memory device can be formed employing fluorine-free deposition processes. Fluorine-free tungsten nitride can be deposited as a metallic barrier liner employing atomic layer deposition. Fluorine-free tungsten nucleation layer can be subsequently deposited. Fluorine-free tungsten fill process can be employed to form the control gate electrodes. The fluorine-free control gate electrodes do not include fluorine therein, and thus, circumvents yield and reliability issues associated with residual fluorine that are present in fluorine-containing metal lines.
US09397036B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus comprising a substrate having (i) a first side configured to receive a semiconductor die and (ii) a second side disposed opposite to the first side. The substrate comprises a printed circuit board material. The apparatus further comprises an interposer that is (i) disposed in the substrate and (ii) configured to electrically couple the first side of the substrate and the second side of the substrate. The interposer comprises a semiconductor material.
US09397031B2
Method of and devices for protecting semiconductor packages are provided. The methods and devices comprise loading a leadframe containing multiple semiconductor packages into a molding device, adding a molding material on a surface of the leadframe, molding the molding material, such that the molding material covers the entire surface of the semiconductor packages except conducting terminals, and singulating the semiconductor packages from the leadframe after molding the molding material.
US09397030B2
A semiconductor module is provided for shortening a manufacturing tact time, reducing manufacturing costs and for ensuring reliability of a bonding portion. The semiconductor module includes a substrate formed of a metal, an insulating layer formed on the substrate, a plurality of wiring patterns formed on the insulating layer, a bare-chip transistor mounted on one wiring pattern via a solder, and copper connectors that connect electrodes formed on the bear-chip transistor and other wiring patterns via a solder. The copper connectors have a bridge shape, have a width-reduced portion formed in the vicinity of the bonding face to the electrodes, and have a stress-reducing portion formed on the bonding face bonded to the electrode.
US09397026B2
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor chip mounted on an island, and a plurality of leads spaced form the island and connected by wires to the semiconductor chip. An insulating film encapsulates the island, the semiconductor chip, the wires and the leads, and the insulating resin has a concave portion that is in contact with the leads. Each lead has a bottom surface exposed from the insulating resin, and the concave portion of the insulating resin exposes side surfaces which surround the bottom surface of each of the leads located under a bottom surface of the insulating resin. When the semiconductor device is soldered to a circuit board, the concave portion prevents contact between the solder and the insulating resin and improves self-alignment of the semiconductor device on the circuit board.
US09397025B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor device including: a semiconductor chip; a lead frame provided with a recessed portion on at least one of an upper surface or a lower surface thereof, and electrically coupled to the semiconductor chip; and a resin section that molds the semiconductor chip and the lead frame, and is provided with an opening above the recessed portion. By inserting a conductive pin (not shown) into the recessed portion through the opening, a plurality of semiconductor devices can be mechanically and electrically coupled to each other.
US09397024B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a substrate and a through via structure penetrating the substrate. The through via structure may provide a dual path that may include an electrical path and an optical path. Related electronic systems and memory cards are also provided.
US09397018B2
A chip arrangement is provided, the chip arrangement, including a carrier; at least one chip electrically connected to a carrier top side; an encapsulation material at least partially surrounding the at least one chip and the carrier top side, wherein the encapsulation material is formed on one or more lateral sides of the carrier; and a ceramic material disposed on a carrier bottom side, and on at least one side of the encapsulation material.
US09397014B2
An electrode includes an extending portion extending such that both ends thereof get into a first recessed portion and a second recessed portion provided in a first inner wall and a second inner wall, respectively, facing each other in a lateral direction of a case. The extent to which both the ends of the extending portion get into is set such that positions of both the ends thereof in a case where both the ends are narrowed toward a midpoint therebetween to reduce a length of the extending portion to 70% of the length of the extending portion exist between positions of the first and second inner walls in a case where the first and second inner walls are each narrowed toward a midpoint therebetween by 10% of the distance between the first and second inner walls.
US09397013B2
A method of controlling an etching process for forming fine patterns of a semiconductor device includes forming a lower pattern having a plurality of openings on a substrate, obtaining a width value of the lower pattern, and controlling a process recipe of an etching process for forming the lower pattern by using the width value.
US09397012B2
A method includes forming a first plurality of instances of a first pattern on a substrate. The first pattern includes a plurality of features defining a first spacing between features in a first direction. The instances in the first plurality are offset from one another at least in a second direction other than the first direction. The substrate is cleaved along a cleavage line. At least a first critical dimension of a feature in the first plurality of instances intersected by the cleavage line is measured.
US09397004B2
A method for fabricating a finFET integrated circuit includes providing a finFET integrated circuit structure including a fin structure, a replacement metal gate structure having a silicon nitride cap disposed over and in contact with the fin structure, a contact structure including a tungsten material also disposed over and in contact with the fin structure, and an insulating layer disposed over the replacement metal gate structure and the contact structure. The method further includes forming a first opening in the insulating layer over the replacement gate structure and a second opening in the insulating layer over the contact structure. Forming the first and second openings includes exposing the FinFET integrated circuit structure to a single extreme ultraviolet lithography patterning. Still further, the method includes removing a portion of the silicon nitride material of the replacement metal gate structure and forming a metal fill material in the first and second openings.
US09397003B1
A method includes forming a first confined raised source/drain region between an adjacent pair of first dummy gate structures and a second confined raised source/drain region between an adjacent pair of second dummy gate structures during a same first epitaxial growth process, the first and second confined raised source/drain regions including a first semiconductor material. Thereafter, a replacement metal gate process is performed to replace the pairs of first and second dummy gate structures with respective pairs of first and second replacement gate structures. After the replacement metal gate process is performed, a first contact element is formed to the first confined raised source/drain region, a second epitaxial growth process is performed to form a layer of a second semiconductor material above the second confined raised source/drain region, and a second contact element is formed to the layer of second semiconductor material layer.
US09396985B2
Disclosed are an element isolation structure of a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same, the method including preparing a semiconductor substrate having an inactive region and an active region defined thereon, forming a first hard mask on the semiconductor substrate, exposing the inactive region of the semiconductor substrate by patterning the first hard mask, forming a second hard mask on the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the first hard mask, forming a deep trench in the semiconductor substrate by patterning the second hard mask and the semiconductor substrate, removing the patterned second hard mask, forming a shallow trench overlapped with the deep trench by patterning the semiconductor substrate using the first hard mask as a mask, forming an insulation film on the entire surface of the substrate including the shallow trench and the deep trench, filling the shallow trench and the deep trench by forming an element isolation film on the insulation film, and forming an element isolation film pattern in the deep trench and the shallow trench by selectively removing the element isolation film.
US09396984B2
A method of producing a microelectronic device in a substrate including a first semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer and a second monocrystalline semiconductor layer, the method including: etching a trench through the first semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer, and such that the trench delimits one active region of the microelectronic device; chemical vapor etching the second semiconductor layer, at a level of a bottom wall of the trench, according to at least two crystalline planes of the second semiconductor layer such that an etched part of the second semiconductor layer extends under a part of the active region; filling the trench and the etched part of the second semiconductor layer with a dielectric material.
US09396975B2
A liquid treatment apparatus includes a substrate retaining unit, a rotational driving unit configured to rotate the substrate retaining unit; and a nozzle disposed below a lower surface of the substrate, the nozzle having first ejection ports provided to eject a chemical liquid and second ejection ports provided to eject a rinsing fluid towards the lower surface of the substrate. The nozzle comprises a first portion and a second portion each extending from a position opposing to a peripheral portion of the substrate towards a position opposing to a central portion of the substrate. At least part of the first ejection ports are arranged in the first portion. At least part of the second ejection ports are arranged in the second portion. The first portion and the second portion are arranged to form a V-shaped figure.
US09396967B2
Provided is an epitaxial silicon wafer free of epitaxial defects caused by dislocation clusters and COPs with reduced metal contamination achieved by higher gettering capability and a method of producing the epitaxial wafer.A method of producing an epitaxial silicon wafer includes a first step of irradiating a silicon wafer free of dislocation clusters and COPs with cluster ions to form a modifying layer formed from a constituent element of the cluster ions in a surface portion of the silicon wafer; and a second step of forming an epitaxial layer on the modifying layer of the silicon wafer.
US09396966B1
A patterning method and a patterned material layer are provided. After providing a substrate including a material layer, a hard mask layer including trenches extending in a first direction is formed over the material layer. A filling material layer is formed on the hard mask layer to cover the hard mask layer and fills in the trenches. A mask layer in a grid pattern is formed on the filling material layer. The mask layer includes first grid lines extending in the first direction and second grid lines extending in a second direction, and each of the underlying trench is located between two most adjacent first grid lines. The material layer is etched with the mask layer as an etching mask to form a patterned material layer including a plurality of first holes and a plurality of second holes.
US09396963B2
A method for removing a doped amorphous carbon mask from a semiconductor substrate is disclosed. The method comprises generating a plasma to be used in treating the substrate, wherein the plasma comprises an oxygen containing gas, a halogen containing gas, and a hydrogen containing gas; and treating the substrate by exposing the substrate to the plasma. The doped amorphous carbon mask can be a boron doped amorphous carbon mask or a nitrogen doped amorphous carbon mask. The method can result in a mask removal rate ranging from about 1,000 Ångströms/minute to about 12,000 Ångströms/minute. Further, gases can be applied to the substrate before plasma treatment, after plasma treatment, or both to reduce the amount of defects or pinholes found in the substrate film.
US09396939B2
An insulating layer containing a silicon peroxide radical is used as an insulating layer in contact with an oxide semiconductor layer for forming a channel. Oxygen is released from the insulating layer, whereby oxygen deficiency in the oxide semiconductor layer and an interface state between the insulating layer and the oxide semiconductor layer can be reduced. Accordingly, a semiconductor device where reliability is high and variation in electric characteristics is small can be manufactured.
US09396937B2
To provide an oxide composition, represented by: ZnO1−xSx+α (0
US09396931B2
A method of forming fins of different materials includes providing a substrate with a layer of a first material having a top surface, masking a first portion of the substrate leaving a second portion of the substrate exposed, etching a first opening at the second portion, forming a body of a second material in the opening to a level of the top surface of the layer of the first material, removing the mask, and forming fins of the first material at the first portion and forming fins of the second material at the second portion. A finFET device having fins formed of at least two different materials is also disclosed.
US09396928B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a first film on a nitride semiconductor layer so as to contact the nitride semiconductor layer and have a thickness equal to or larger than 1 nm and equal to or smaller than 5 nm, the first film being made of silicon nitride having a composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen larger than 0.75, silicon oxide having a composition ratio of silicon to oxygen larger than 0.5, or aluminum; and forming a source electrode, a gate electrode and a drain electrode on the nitride semiconductor layer.
US09396923B2
Provided is an ion selection method capable of isolating and leaving a target ion in an ion trap within a short period of time and with high separating power. In a digital ion trap, after ions over a wide range of m/z near a target ion are selectively retained by rough isolation using an FNF signal or the like (S11), unnecessary ions on a low-mass side are removed with high separating power by changing the duty ratio of a rectangular voltage (S12). Furthermore, unnecessary ions on a high-mass side are removed with high separating power by resonant excitation discharge (S13).
US09396916B2
An electrokinetic pump can be used to deliver calibrant (“lock mass”) ions to a mass spectrometer for calibration of a mass spectrometry system. Electrokinetically controlled calibrant delivery can help to eliminate the need for the more cumbersome mechanisms that are often used for ion delivery. In addition, electrokinetically controlled calibrant delivery can provide for a more user-friendly system in which a calibrant solution can be packaged into a disposable cartridge. Furthermore, when implemented in a microfluidic format, electrokinetically controlled calibrant delivery can be coupled with an electrokinetically controlled separation system, such as capillary electrophoresis (CE), to allow efficient solid-state switching between analytical and calibrant sprays.
US09396907B2
A method of calibrating a Scanning Transmission Charged-Particle Microscope, operable in a non-scanning mode, whereby said beam is relatively broad, and a scanning mode, whereby said beam is relatively narrow and an image is formed as a function of scan position of said beam, the method comprising: providing a calibration specimen on said specimen holder; in non-scanning mode, using said detector to form a calibration image of the calibration specimen, using a given configuration of said imaging system; utilizing a known dimension of said calibration specimen and comparing it to a corresponding dimension in said calibration image to calibrate a characteristic dimension of a field of view of said detector; and, in scanning mode, recording a beam pattern of said beam in the calibrated field of view of said detector, and examining the recorded beam pattern to derive a geometric aspect thereof.
US09396904B2
There is disclosed a method of fabricating a smaller-sized multipole lens having polar elements that can be formed with high accuracy. The method starts with forming a first member (10) having a first yoke (14) formed integrally with first polar elements (12). A second member (20) having a second yoke (24) formed integrally with second polar elements (22) is formed. The first yoke (14) is made to overlap with the second yoke (24). The first member (10) and the second member (20) are held.
US09396894B2
An improved electrical switch that provides for manual connection and disconnect of power by hand by utilizing a compressible stack of elements to load force over a radial distance as rotated by a user of the switch to establish a high force, low resistance connection.
US09396893B2
A magnetic keyswitch includes a base, a keycap, a curved supporter, a bracket and a second magnetic portion. The keycap moves relative to the base upwardly and downwardly. The curved supporter is disposed between the keycap and the base and has a first end and a second end. A first magnetic portion is disposed on the first end. The bracket slides relative to the base and is switched between a first position and a second position. The second magnetic portion is disposed on the bracket. An attractive force is generated between the second magnetic portion and the first end when the bracket is located at the first position, so that the second end supports the keycap at a first height. The attractive force is removed when the bracket moves to the second position, and the keycap is descended to a second height by an external force.
US09396887B2
A solderless motion switch uses an electrically conductive spring having two outer sections (with a greater diameter than an intermediate section) which rest on a surface having electrical connectors (such as a circuit board) in a rest mode. In the rest mode the intermediate section is suspended over an electrical connector in a motion mode, the intermediate section moves into contact with the electrical connector to close an electric circuit with an electrical connection between one of the outer sections and another electrical connecter. The spring is placed into contact with the surface without use of solder or mounting and is held positioned in place, during both the rest and motion modes, by a barrier, the assembly of which can be completed after the spring is positioned on the surface.
US09396886B2
An actuating device is proposed for an electric/electronic device within an in particular flame-proof housing. The electrical/electronic device includes an essentially linearly movable on/off lever. In order to provide such an actuating device being accessible on the exterior of the respective flameproof housing and allowing mechanical actuation of the respective on/off lever without adversely affecting the flameproof housing, the actuating device includes at least a rotatably mounted handle disposed on the outside of the housing and a shaft connected with it in a rotatably fixed manner, the shaft being guided into the housing interior and there being connected movably to the on/off lever by a transformation gear for transforming rotational motion into linear motion.
US09396879B2
There are provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor and a board having the same. The multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: three external electrodes disposed on a mounting surface of a ceramic body to be spaced apart from each other and connected to lead portions of internal electrodes, wherein an interval between adjacent lead portions is 500.7 μm or less, widths of one-side margin portions of the external electrodes in a length direction of the ceramic body that are not in contact with the corresponding lead portions are 20.2 μm or more.
US09396873B2
Provided is a dust core and a method for manufacturing a thereof, having an effect that the soft magnetic powder is prevented from sintering and bonding together upon heating, the hysteresis loss can be effectively reduced, and the DC B-H characteristics is excellent. In a first mixing process, a soft magnetic powder composed mainly of iron and an inorganic insulating powder of 0.4 wt %-1.5 wt % are mixed by a mixer. A mixture obtained in the first mixing process is heated in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1000° C. or more and below a sintering temperature of the soft magnetic powder. In a binder addition process, a silane coupling agent of 0.1-0.5 wt % is added. A binder, e.g. a silicone resin of 0.5-2.0 wt % is added to the soft magnetic alloy powder to which the inorganic insulating powder is attached by the silane coupling agent, and the soft magnetic alloy powders are bonded to each other so as to be granulated. Then, the mixture is added with a lubricant resin and compression-molded so as to form a green compact. In an annealing process, the mold is annealed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.
US09396871B2
A transmitter circuit feeds to a transmitter coil, every time transmission data changes in logical value, a current signal in pulse form having a positive or negative polarity that is alternately inverted in response to each change in logical value; and a receiver circuit inputs induction voltage signals each being double pulses having both positive and negative polarities, which have been induced in a receiver coil by the current signal fed to the transmitter coil, to demodulate the transmission data. The receiver circuit includes: an amplifier that amplifies the induction voltage signals of double pulses induced in the receiver coil; and a signal generating unit that, when detecting first single pulses in the induction voltage signals of double pulses amplified by the amplifier, sets up an insensitive period for second single pulses therein, to generate an output signal corresponding to the transmission data, based solely on the first single pulses.
US09396870B2
A wireless power transmission device may comprise a source coil; and/or a resonance coil inductively coupled to the source coil. The source coil may transmit power outside of the wireless power transmission device in an electromagnetic induction type during a first interval. The source coil may transmit the power to the resonance coil in the electromagnetic induction type and the resonance coil may transmit the power received from the source coil to the outside of the wireless power transmission device in a magnetic resonance type during a second interval that is different from the first interval.
US09396869B2
An inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) system includes a primary winding for generating an electromagnetic field (EMF), and an ICPT device. The ICPT device includes a phase detecting winding which generates a detecting voltage according to the EMF, a resonant circuit which has an adjustable reactance and which generates an AC voltage according to the EMF and the adjustable reactance, and a control circuit which compares a phase of the AC voltage with a phase of the detecting voltage so as to determine whether said resonant circuit operates in an under-tuned or an over-tuned interval, and which varies the adjustable reactance according to the output voltage and one of the under-tuned and over-tuned intervals.
US09396866B2
A device for mitigation Geomagnetic Induce Currents in the power distribution network is described. It may be connected to the neutral of a star-connected three-phase transformer of the power distribution system to ground without compromising its basic insulation, operation or integrity of the system. It requires a circuit having a surge arrester resistor having an adaptive nonlinear negative volt-ampere which is inserted from the transformer neutral to ground and a ground switch connected to the ground and also connected to the surge arrester.The device has two different current paths: whenever there is no GIC the switch remains closed and current flows from the transformer to the ground via the ground switch. Under Geomagnetic Induce Currents, the ground switch opens, allowing the induced current to flow from the transformer to the ground via the surge arrester. The device is formulated and designed according to IEEE/ANSI/NEMA recommended insulation coordination guidelines in order to sustain proper protective margins to the equipment neutral basic insulation levels (BIL, BSL).
US09396859B2
A magnetic ring fixed removably onto a pencil/eraser, with a smaller internal diameter being between 1.5 mm and 3 cm. There is a cylindrical inner face centered on a longitudinal axis and an outer face opposite the inner face. There is a magnetic material distributed in a magnetic layer around the longitudinal axis with the direction of the overall magnetic moment of the magnetic ring parallel to the longitudinal axis. There is an elastic material, distinct from the magnetic material, that is elastically deformable between a rest position corresponding to a first value of the internal diameter of the ring, and a deformed position corresponding to a second value of the internal diameter of the ring. The difference between the first and second values being greater than or equal to 1 mm and the elastic material exhibiting a Young's modulus at 25° C. less than or equal to 1 GPa.
US09396853B2
The present invention is a nanoparticle mixture or suspension or nanofluid comprising nonmagnetically sensitive nanoparticles, magnetically sensitive nanoparticles, and surfactant(s). The present invention also relates to methods of preparing and using the same.
US09396852B2
The present invention provides such a permanent magnet that its magnetic properties will not significantly decrease and it can be prepared at a lower temperature, compared to conventional R-T-B based permanent magnets. In the R-T-B based structure, a stacked structure of R1-T-B based crystal layer and Ce-T-B based crystal layer can be formed by alternatively stacking the R1-T-B based crystal layer and the Ce-T-B based crystal layer. In this way, a high magnetic anisotropy field of the R1-T-B based crystal layer can be maintained while the crystallization temperature can be lowered by the Ce-T-B based crystal layer.
US09396851B2
A NdFeB system sintered magnet according to the present invention is a NdFeB system sintered magnet having a base material produced by orienting powder of a NdFeB system alloy and sintering the powder, with Dy and/or Tb (the “Dy and/or Tb” is hereinafter called RH) attached to and diffused from a surface of the base material through the grain boundary inside the base material by a grain boundary diffusion treatment, wherein the number of grain-boundary triple points at which the difference Ct−Cw between the RH content Ct (wt %) at the grain-boundary triple point and the RH content Cw (wt %) at a two-grain boundary portion leading to that grain-boundary triple point is equal to or smaller than 4 wt % is equal to or larger than 60% of the total number of grain-boundary triple points.
US09396846B2
The present invention relates to a method for making wire insulation that comprises the steps of providing a solid insulative material; adding a chemical foaming agent to at least one section of the solid insulative material; extruding the solid insulative material over at least one wire to create an insulated wire; and heating the insulated wire after extruding the solid insulative material and activating the chemical foaming agent in the at least one section of the solid insulative material to create at least one foamed section in the solid insulative material.
US09396843B2
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a transparent conductive layer and a transparent conductive layer manufactured by the method. The method of manufacturing the transparent conductive layer includes: a) a step of forming a conductive nanowire layer on a base material; b) a step of thermally treating the conductive nanowire layer; c) a step of applying a conductive metal ink on the conductive nanowire layer; and d) a step of thermally treating the base material coated with the conductive metal ink to electrically bridge the conductive nanowires with each other by conductive metal particles of the conductive metal ink.
US09396828B2
A coated structure is provided that has a highly concentrated coating of carbon nanotubes so as to provide integrated thermal emissivity, atomic oxygen (AO) shielding and tailorable conductivity to the underlying surface, such as the surface of an aerospace vehicle, a solar array, an aeronautical vehicle or the like. A method of fabricating a coated structure is also provided in which a surface is coated with a coating having a relative high concentration of carbon nanotubes that is configured to provide integrated thermal emissivity, AO shielding and tailorable conductivity to the surface.
US09396817B2
A self-repair unit includes a self-repair address comparator configured to receive address information from a control logic circuit, and to compare the received address with a faulty address in a memory array. The self-repair unit further includes a redundant engine configured to re-direct access to a redundancy address in a redundant memory if the received address matches the faulty address, wherein the redundancy address corresponds to the faulty address in the memory array. The self-repair unit further includes a cache stack counter configured to determine a number of pending repairs in a corrected data cache connected to the memory array and to the redundant memory.
US09396815B2
A memory structure includes a memory row of a memory array, a plurality of first bits, a first redundancy row, and a plurality of second bits. The memory row includes a plurality of memory words. The plurality of first bits is configured to indicate whether an individual memory word of the plurality of memory words of the memory row has an error. The first redundancy row includes a plurality of first redundancy words. The plurality of second bits is configured to indicate whether an individual first redundancy word of the plurality of first redundancy words of the first redundancy row has an error.
US09396812B2
An object is to provide a pulse signal output circuit capable of operating stably and a shift register including the pulse signal output circuit. A pulse signal output circuit according to one embodiment of the disclosed invention includes first to tenth transistors. The ratio W/L of the channel width W to the channel length L of the first transistor and W/L of the third transistor are each larger than W/L of the sixth transistor. W/L of the fifth transistor is larger than W/L of the sixth transistor. W/L of the fifth transistor is equal to W/L of the seventh transistor. W/L of the third transistor is larger than W/L of the fourth transistor. With such a structure, a pulse signal output circuit capable of operating stably and a shift register including the pulse signal output circuit can be provided.
US09396811B2
A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: a plurality of groups of magnetic nanowires extending in a direction, each group of magnetic nanowires including at least one magnetic nanowire, each magnetic nanowire having a first terminal and a second terminal; a plurality of recording and reproducing elements corresponding to the groups of magnetic nanowires, each recording and reproducing element writing data to and reading data from magnetic nanowires of a corresponding group of magnetic nanowires, and connecting to the first terminals of the magnetic nanowires of the corresponding group of magnetic nanowires; and an electrode to which the second terminals of the magnetic nanowires of the groups of magnetic nanowires are connected.
US09396806B2
A method, an electronic device and a controller for recovering an array of memory cells are provided. The method comprises the following steps. Whether a recovery control signal is received or not is determined. A retention checking procedure is executed for identifying whether a threshold voltage distribution of at least one bit of the memory cells in high threshold state is shifted or not, if the recovery control signal is received. A retention writing procedure is executed on the memory cells, if the memory cells in high threshold state do not pass the retention checking procedure.
US09396789B2
A memory control device includes a plurality of delay circuits to set a delay value for each terminal of a memory, each of the plurality of delay circuits being connected to a terminal of the memory. Further, the memory control device includes a first register to store a first DLL value output by a delay locked loop circuit, a plurality of second registers to store a first setting value to set the delay value for the each terminal of the memory, each of the plurality of second registers being connected to a delay circuit of the plurality of delay circuits, and a delay controller to calculate a second setting value based on the first DLL value, a second DLL value output by the delay locked loop circuit after the first DLL value, and the first setting value, and to update the first setting value to the second setting value.
US09396786B2
A memory includes a plurality of word lines each coupled to one or more memory cells, an address storage unit suitable for storing an address of a word line selected for access by a control unit among the plurality of word lines at a first time point; and the control unit suitable for sequentially refreshing the plurality of word lines in response to application of a refresh command, refreshing one or more adjacent word lines adjacent to a word line corresponding to the address stored in the address storage unit in response to every Nth application of the refresh command where N is a natural number and selecting one or more of the plurality of word lines for access, wherein the first time point is included in time section other than a refresh section in which the control unit refreshes one or more word lines in response to application of the refresh command.
US09396784B2
Devices, systems, and methods include an active mode to accommodate read/write operations of a memory device and a self-refresh mode to accommodate recharging of voltage levels representing stored data when read/write operations are idle. At least one register source provides a first voltage level and a second voltage level that is less than the first voltage level. With such a configuration, during the active mode, the memory device operates at the first voltage level as provided by the at least one register source, and during the self-refresh mode, the memory device operates at the second voltage level as provided by the at least one register source.
US09396782B2
Method for writing to a MRAM cell including a magnetic tunnel junction including a first and second ferromagnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier layer; and a bipolar transistor in electrical connection with one end of the magnetic tunnel junction, the bipolar transistor being arranged for controlling the passing and polarity of a heating current in the magnetic tunnel junction. The method includes a sequence of writing steps, each writing step including passing the heating current in the magnetic tunnel junction such as to heat it to a high temperature threshold; and once the magnetic tunnel junction has reached the high temperature threshold, adjusting a second magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer for writing a write data; wherein during one of the writing steps, the polarity of the heating current is reversed from one during the subsequent writing step. The method allows for an increased lifespan of the MRAM cell.
US09396776B2
A semiconductor device may include a mat array. and a plurality of memory cell mats each including bit lines. The memory cell mats may be included in the mat array. The semiconductor device may include edge sense amplifier blocks comprising edge sense amplifiers coupled to half of the bit lines of the outermost memory cell mats among the memory cell mats. The half of the bit lines of the outermost memory cell mats may be coupled to the edge sense amplifiers, respectively, and may be configured for a first input. The semiconductor device may include half dummy mats each having an area corresponding to half of the area of a memory cell mat of the plurality of memory cell mats and configured to provide reference bit lines for a second input to the edge sense amplifiers, respectively.
US09396765B2
A stacked semiconductor package includes a package substrate, an interposer mounted on the package substrate, a plurality of semiconductor chips stacked on the interposer, and a control unit provided in the interposer, that stores in advance data to be written in the plurality of semiconductor chips, and that outputs the data stored in advance according a test mode signal.
US09396764B2
The present invention discloses a discrete three-dimensional memory (3D-M). It comprises at least a 3D-array die and at least a peripheral-circuit die. At least an off-die peripheral-circuit component of the 3D-M arrays is located on the peripheral-circuit die instead of the 3D-array die. The 3D-array die and the peripheral-circuit die have substantially different back-end-of-line (BEOL) structures.
US09396761B2
Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application that can automatically generate replays of particular segments of a media asset. For example, the media guidance application may determine that a segment viewed by a user is of particular interest to the user based on a comparison with a user criterion. Accordingly, upon detecting the end of the segment, the media guidance application may automatically return to the beginning of the segment, allowing the user to view the segment again.
US09396736B2
In one embodiment, an audio decoder for decoding an audio bitstream is disclosed. The decoder includes a first decoding module adapted to operate in a first coding mode and a second decoding module adapted to operate in a second coding mode, the second coding mode being different from the first coding mode. The decoder further includes a pitch filter in either the first coding mode or the second coding mode, the pitch filter adapted to filter a preliminary audio signal generated by the first decoding module or the second decoding module to obtain a filtered signal. The pitch filter is selectively enabled or disabled based on a value of a first parameter encoded in the audio bitstream, the first parameter being distinct from a second parameter encoded in the audio bitstream, the second parameter specifying a current coding mode of the audio decoder.
US09396733B2
The present invention provides a method of reversible audio data hiding. The method of data hiding and restoring comprises the steps of: protecting audio by embedding information into the audio according to variance calculation associated to the audio, wherein the quality of the protected audio is degraded after embedding the information into the audio; publishing the protected audio widely as a trial for listen version; and decoding the protected audio for a user who purchased the copyright of the audio by extracting the original audio from the protected audio.
US09396723B2
A method and a device for training an acoustic language model, include: conducting word segmentation for training samples in a training corpus using an initial language model containing no word class labels, to obtain initial word segmentation data containing no word class labels; performing word class replacement for the initial word segmentation data containing no word class labels, to obtain first word segmentation data containing word class labels; using the first word segmentation data containing word class labels to train a first language model containing word class labels; using the first language model containing word class labels to conduct word segmentation for the training samples in the training corpus, to obtain second word segmentation data containing word class labels; and in accordance with the second word segmentation data meeting one or more predetermined criteria, using the second word segmentation data containing word class labels to train the acoustic language model.
US09396714B1
There is provided a swell or expression pedal for controlling swell shades of a pipe organ swell box or pipe chamber, audio level of a virtual pipe organ, or musical instrument expression, responsive to pedal angle relative to the force of the earth's gravity, responsive to pedal depression by a musician's foot. The musician depresses the pedal when additional sound is desired, or to engage different ranks of pipe sounds. As the pedal rotates through an angle, a gravimeter responds to the angular change of the force of gravity relative to it to produce an electrical signal, analog or digital, responsive to the angle of the pedal. This electrical signal may be used to actuate a swell shade motor, controlling sound emanation from a swell box or pipe chamber, to control the functions of a virtual pipe organ, or to control the expression of other musical instruments.
US09396711B2
A musical instrument valve system is provided. The system includes a valve case having a main body, a top member and a bottom member. The main body includes at least one chamber. The top member includes at least one chamber corresponding to the inner chamber of the main body, the top member removably coupled to a top side of the main body. The bottom member includes a chamber corresponding to the chamber of the main body, the bottom member removably coupled to a bottom side of the main body. The system includes more than one valve operatively coupled to the top member and corresponding to the more than one chambers of the main body. The more than one valve is removed from the main body when removing the top member. The system also includes a quick release valve cap coupled to an existing valve casing of the musical instrument.
US09396702B2
A method is provided, comprising: sensing color intensity values of light emitted from a portion of a display screen for a predefined period of time, the display screen being configured to display a video stream that defines the light emitted from the portion of the display screen, the video stream being generated by an executing video game; during the period of time, triggering a controller device to communicate an input event to the video game, the video game being configured to process the input event and responsively update the video stream to change a color of the light, from a first color to a second color; analyzing the sensed color intensity values to identify a latency amount that is defined by a duration of time extending from the triggering of the controller device to the change in the color of the light emitted from the portion of the display screen.
US09396691B2
A method for compensating resistance of signal lines of gate driving circuits and the liquid crystal panel applying the method are provided. The method includes: (1) providing a TFT substrate having a GOA area arranged thereon, the GOA area comprises a plurality of GOA units, each of the GOA units comprises a plurality of GOA modules electrically connects to one pull-line; (2) providing a control system board electrically connecting to the GOA modules via the pull-lines; and (3) adjusting the resistance between the control system board and the GOA modules such that the clock signals provided from the control system board to the GOA modules within the same GOA unit is the same. As such, the delays of the gate driving signals are the same, and the charging rate of the two adjacent pixel rows are the same. In this way, the gray scales of the two adjacent pixel rows are the same, not only the stripes are avoided but also the display performance is enhanced.
US09396685B2
A method for driving an organic light emitting display device that is able to minimize power consumption while in a standby mode. In order to decrease power consumption during standby mode, only a portion of the display corresponding to the standby mode display area displays an image while in standby mode, and a remainder of the image producing display displays black. The method includes sequentially supplying a scanning signal to the standby mode display region and the standby mode non-display region, supplying a data signal in response to the image in a data driver when supplying the scanning signal to the standby mode display region and supplying the data signal in response to a black image from an inspecting unit while supplying the scanning signal to the standby mode non-display region.
US09396675B2
A method for sensing degradation of an organic light emitting display includes an initialization step for applying a sensing data voltage to a gate node of a driving TFT and applying an initialization voltage to a source node of the driving TFT, a boosting step for floating the gate node and the source node of the driving TFT and applying a drain-to-source current of the driving TFT to an organic element, a sensing step for again applying the initialization voltage to the source node of the driving TFT, setting a gate-to-source voltage of the driving TFT depending on a degradation degree of the organic element, and storing the drain-to-source current of the driving TFT determined by the set gate-to-source voltage in a line capacitor, and a sampling step for outputting a voltage stored in the line capacitor as a sensing voltage.
US09396660B2
Driving behavior may be analyzed based on other vehicles in proximity to a tracked or monitored vehicle. GPS data is collected from the monitored vehicle and other vehicles in physical or geographic proximity thereto. A determination is made as to whether the vehicle in the physical or geographical area is exhibiting aberrant behavior. The aberrant behavior may be determined in view of other vehicles in the geographical area. If aberrant behavior is detected, an alert may be generated and transmitted to an administrator.
US09396659B2
Collision avoidance among vehicles that each include a management module coupled to other management modules and a central database manager, includes: establishing, by management modules of a set of traveling vehicles having a location within a predefined area, a collision zone including a network of the management modules of the traveling vehicles; and sharing, within the collision zone, dynamic information describing the traveling vehicles; retrieving, from the central database manager, static information describing the traveling vehicles; detecting, by a management module of a first vehicle in the collision zone, a potential collision with a second vehicle in the collision zone in dependence upon the dynamic and static information; and controlling, by the management module of the first traveling vehicle, the first traveling vehicle to take evasive action in dependence upon the dynamic and static information describing the first and second traveling vehicle.
US09396648B2
An appliance wirelessly receives any of a plurality of different signals that comprise control instructions from a transmitter for a second appliance other than the appliance and of a different class of appliance. The appliance then provides, in the absence of learning, any of a plurality of different control instructions to be used by the appliance as a function of that received signal. By one approach those wirelessly-received control instructions relate to controllable functions for the second appliance. Pursuant to these teachings, the receiving appliance effectively converts a received control instruction that relates to one kind of functionality for a given kind of appliance into a control instruction that relates to a different kind of functionality and that is usable by a different kind of appliance.
US09396647B2
Generally, disclosed is an automatic messaging system for providing a text or other message to a third party that notifies said party when a person has been arrested and is being held in police custody. Also disclosed may be a system employing software that will alert a family member whenever a loved one has been incarcerated. In one embodiment, a user can sign up for a service so that the user's name and information will be entered into an information database and used to monitor hundreds of public police arrest records from various localities wherein, if the user is arrested and incarcerated, then the service will automatically send a notification to a designated contact, such as the user's attorney, family member, or friend.
US09396638B2
A system and method is provided for monitoring hygiene compliance.
US09396635B2
A weldable hybrid composite panel suitable for forming a container includes a four sided composite panel element wherein each side defines a side edge. The composite panel element is formed of fibrous reinforcement layers encased in a resin matrix. Weldable metallic elongated edge elements extend along and are either fixed to the side edges of an outside surface of the panel element or extend from a periphery of the panel element. Each of the weldable elongated edge elements has a profile that is the same as a profile of its respective side edge and is structured to enable the composite panel to be welded at its peripheral edges. The panel element also includes a sensor system embedded therein.
US09396633B1
A camera assembly includes an enclosed housing having a rear surface, a front surface, and a periphery. The camera assembly also includes a lens module located within the housing and configured to receive light via the front surface, and communication circuitry located within the housing and configured to wireless communicate over a plurality of different communication protocols. The camera assembly further includes a first antenna arranged at a first location on an inner surface of the periphery, the first antenna configured for communication over a first one of the communication protocols, and a second antenna arranged at a second location on the inner surface of the periphery, the second location being different than the first location, the second antenna configured for communication over a second one of the communication protocols.
US09396628B1
An improved all electronic sensor to detect when a whistle emits an audio signal. The electronic sensor activates an additional function such as a light, or signaling device to activate remote functions, such as submerged speakers, or time keeping apparatus.
US09396622B2
A method and system for activating an EAS element deactivator is provided. At a computer, item data including a physical attribute of an item is received. A determination is made as to whether the item data corresponds to a purchased item in a purchase receipt. When it is determined that the item data corresponds to the purchased item, EAS element deactivator is activated for use.
US09396618B2
An entertainment venue, amusement attraction, or interactive play center configured to provide a variety of activities for users. The attraction may include blaster cannons, sorting stations, fountain components, registration stations, video monitors, targets, and other interactive elements. Several of these components may receive and/or propel elements (such as foam balls, water, light or lasers, etc.) and accumulate points for users based upon this activity. A registration and tracking system can keep track of specific users and their activities for the purpose of generating or compiling statistics or generating a score for the users. A mobile application associated with the interactive play center may be used during play to indicate additional information or features about the amusement attraction or to allow for continued entertainment by users even after they have left the entertainment venue or interactive play center. This may be conveyed via augmented reality or other visual/audible notification.
US09396607B2
Methods of playing games and gaming systems and devices useful for playing games. Gaming devices include a first gaming unit for randomly selecting and displaying indicia associated with play of a primary game and for generating a signal relating to play on the first gaming unit. The gaming device also includes a second gaming unit connected to the first gaming unit for conducting an ongoing bonus game and enabling participation by a player in the ongoing bonus game in response to a signal generated by the first gaming unit. The ongoing bonus game may be administered by and communicated from a second gaming unit in the form of a host server to a number of networked gaming devices. Players may enter and exit play of the ongoing bonus game while it is still in progress, participating only in a segment thereof.
US09396603B2
An approach is provided for managing one or more services corresponding to a reusable prepaid bearer tag (e.g., near field communication (NFC) tag, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, contactless card, or barcode). A request to manage a service is initiated by reading service information from a reusable prepaid bearer tag corresponding to the one or more services.
US09396598B2
Application software for a mobile utilizes a functionality of the mobile device to determine a location and determine whether the location is within a predetermined area surrounding an access control device that controls access to the secured premises. In response to determining that the mobile device is located within the predetermined area, the application software can display identification information for owners or tenants of the secured premises. Upon receipt of a selection received from a user input of the mobile device, the mobile device can communicate with a device of the owner over any suitable communication network in order to be granted access to the secured premises by operation of the access control device.
US09396596B2
Provided are a smartkey system and an operating method thereof. The smartkey system reflects an intensity of RF noise, which is detected in a zone having strong RF noise, in a fob indoor/outdoor position determination reference, and thus can prevent a determination error in which the presence of a fob is determined despite there being no fob registered in a vehicle, and prevent an operational reaction to a user's request from becoming slow.
US09396591B2
Disclosed is a remote monitoring terminal device for a mobile work vehicle or vessel, capable of informing the user of maximum, minimum, and average values for each sensor and a turn-on count of a switch. The remote monitoring terminal device includes: connection terminals; a data abridging control section for computing minimum, maximum, and average values of data collected over a period from a startup to the latest data acquisition and of actual operation data on actual operation and an occurrence count and durations of a predetermined event, on the basis of operation-state data acquired via the connection terminals and stored in a data storage section; and a communications section. In response to a manual turn-off of a startup switch of the mobile work vehicle or vessel, the data abridging control section transmits data stored in the data storage section, to the remote monitoring device via the communications section.
US09396586B2
Systems and techniques for processing and/or transmitting three-dimensional (3D) data are presented. A partitioning component receives captured 3D data associated with a 3D model of an interior environment and partitions the captured 3D data into at least one data chunk associated with at least a first level of detail and a second level of detail. A data component stores 3D data including at least the first level of detail and the second level of detail for the at least one data chunk. An output component transmits a portion of data from the at least one data chunk that is associated with the first level of detail or the second level of detail to a remote client device based on information associated with the first level of detail and the second level of detail.
US09396584B2
A system and method is provided for determining whether images of a geographic location identify features with characteristics consistent with shadows cast by people, and using such determination to annotate map information. If such features are identified at the location, the map may be annotated to indicate that the location is frequented by pedestrians.
US09396579B2
A method for visualizing three-dimensional images on a 3D display device, wherein an image to be visualized is supplied as an input image, is characterized in that at least one feature matrix is determined using the input image, the feature matrices defining light/dark information, and in that a display image for reproduction on the 3D display device is produced from the input image using said light/dark information. The invention further relates to a corresponding 3D display device.
US09396571B2
A method and system for processing light sources found in images. A base photographic image of a scene is combined with N additional photographic images of the scene to form a composite image including M discrete light sources (N≧2; M≧N). The scene in the base image is exposed to ambient light. The scene of the base image is exposed, in each of the N additional images, to the ambient light and to at least one discrete light source to which the base image is not exposed. The M discrete light sources in the composite image include the discrete light sources to which the scene is exposed in the N additional images. The composite image is displayed on a display device, depicting a region surrounding each discrete light source and having an area that correlates with an intensity of light from the discrete light source surrounded by the region.
US09396564B2
Technologies may be provided related to customization and delivery of atlases matched to hardware of a client device in real-time. In some examples, a system according to embodiments may perform an assessment of the target hardware, generate atlases matched to the target hardware, and modify application code to reference graphic assets in their new locations in the modified atlases. An increase in speed of application loading, an increase in speed of resource delivery, a reduction of memory consumption on the client device, and/or an increase in the client device frame rate may be achieved by matching the atlases to attributes of the video hardware.
US09396562B2
A method of image reconstruction for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having a plurality of coils includes obtaining k-space scan data captured by the MRI system, the k-space scan data being representative of an undersampled region over time, determining a respective coil sensitivity profile for the region for each coil of the plurality of coils, and iteratively reconstructing dynamic images for the region from the k-space scan data via an optimization of a minimization problem. The minimization problem is based on the determined coil sensitivity profiles and redundant Haar wavelet transforms of the dynamic images.
US09396558B2
An image processing apparatus includes a modification processing unit configured to modify an input image by distributing a value of each of pixels in the input image over a two-dimensional distribution area having a randomly different size and direction in accordance with modification characteristic information for distributing each pixel over the distribution area. The modification characteristic information is information for modifying the input image using a modification characteristic which is randomly different for each pixel position.
US09396555B2
Techniques for determining the dimensions of an object. The user of a smartphone snaps a digital photograph which includes both a reference item and the object. A processor then determines the object dimensions by analyzing the digital photo to determine the boundaries of the object and the reference item. From this boundary information, the dimensions of the object can be estimated without further interaction from the user. In optional aspects, the object boundaries can be used to identify the type of object against a database of objects. The object type may be taken into account when presenting the measured dimensions. For example, in a case where the object is recognized as being a pair of women's slacks, the resulting dimensions may be presented as a list of typical dimensions for such a garment including waist, hips, front rise, inseam, leg opening, etc.
