US09706069B2

Provided is an electronic device wherein a clocking part measures an adjusting operation time on an initial adjustment screen, a screen display item determination part makes a comparison between a first target value and a measuring result of the clocking part to determine a displaying number of adjusting items, and by doing so, a system control part will cause a panel part as a display part to display screens (detailed adjustment screens) of different displaying numbers of the adjusting items based on the screen display data corresponding to the displaying number of the adjusting items that has been determined by the screen display item determination part.
US09706065B2

A communication system includes a portable terminal, an image processing apparatus, and a server. The image processing apparatus transmits service request information to the server, and receives acquisition instruction information from the server. The service request information includes request for a service that a service providing apparatus is configured to provide. The acquisition instruction information includes an instruction to acquire identification information via wireless near field communication. The identification information is used to receive a service that a service providing apparatus provides. The image processing apparatus receives the identification information from the portable terminal via the first near field communication interface and transmits the identification information to the server via the first communication interface.
US09706064B2

A user interface receives instructions to retrieve a remote electronic document maintained within a print queue of an external server. A pause-and-reset print menu option is displayed on the user interface. Based on the user interface receiving selection of the pause-and-reset print menu option, printing the remote electronic document is begun and paused, to print a partially printed document. An inquiry regarding whether the partially printed document is acceptable is displayed on the user interface. Based on the user interface receiving input that the partially printed document is acceptable, the remainder of the remote electronic document is printed. Based on the user interface receiving input that the partially printed document is unacceptable, printing the remainder of the remote electronic document is canceled, and the print queue of the external server is reset to indicate that the remote electronic document has not been printed.
US09706042B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for indicating time zone changes. In one aspect of the present invention, a method for indicating a time zone change is performed by a user equipment (UE) and comprises steps of: receiving, from a first eNode-B (eNB) a first Mobility Management (MM) information message including first time zone information; storing the first time zone information and displaying a first time on a screen based on the first time zone information; moving from an area of the first eNB to an area of a second eNB; receiving, from the second eNB a second MM information message including second time zone information; checking a time zone is changed or not by comparing the first time zone information with the second time zone information; and displaying a second time according to the second time zone information on the screen when the time zone is changed.
US09706038B1

An embodiment of a method of selecting a radio broadcast includes detecting a radio broadcast and retrieving user preference data, the user preference data specifying one or more preferred radio stations and/or one or more preferred categories of radio broadcast. The method also includes communicating via a local communication device with at least one additional processing device, wherein communicating includes retrieving radio station category information specifying at least one radio station and a category of the at least one radio station. The method further includes correlating the radio station category information with the detected radio broadcast to identify a radio station that originated the radio broadcast and one or more categories associated with the radio station and/or the radio broadcast, and based on determining that the detected radio broadcast corresponds to the user preference data, displaying information describing the detected radio broadcast and/or controlling the radio receiver.
US09706037B2

A wearable device comprising: a band unit; and a vibration generating unit coupled to the band unit. The band unit comprises a communication unit receiving a first signal by a predetermined communication method and a control unit determining an amplification extent of the first signal received from the communication unit and generating a second signal based on the determined amplification extent, and the vibration generating unit receives the second signal from the control unit and generates a vibration corresponding to the second signal.
US09706026B2

A protective arrangement for an electronic device includes a flexible cover having a panel and a skirt that form an interior cavity to receive an electronic device; and an adapter fixedly positioned in the flexible cover and having a male plug with connectors extending into the interior cavity of the flexible cover for mating with a female socket of the device and a contactor with contacts adjacent outwardly from the flexible cover and electrically coupled to one or more of the connectors of the plug. A docking cradle or external adapter can receive the electronic device and cover. A docking cradle may have a movable arm.
US09706023B2

A method of controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes displaying at least one portion of a plurality of display items on a touchscreen of the mobile terminal; selecting at least one filtering condition; determining, via a controller of the mobile terminal, whether each of a plurality of the display items matches the selected filtering condition; discriminately displaying at least one first display item matching the selected filtering condition from at least one second display item not matching the selected filtering condition among the plurality of the display items as a result of the determining step; and in response to a touch scroll command, scrolling the at least one first display item at a first speed and scrolling the at least one second display item only displayed on the touchscreen at a second speed lower than the first speed.
US09706017B2

A method for classification includes storing in a TCAM classification rules comprising respective tags, each including an update bit. Data items are classified by extracting a respective key from each data item, appending an update-select bit to construct an extended key, and matching the extended key to one of the tags in the TCAM. In response to an instruction to atomically replace a group of existing rules in the TCAM with new rules, the update bit is unmasked and set to the first bit value in the group of the existing rules. The new rules are stored in the TCAM, with their update bit set to a second bit value. After storing the new rules in the TCAM, the update-select bit in the extended key of the received data items is set to the second bit value.
US09706016B2

In one example embodiment, a time unconstrained fabric switch software upgrade function is described for an in-switch-software-upgrade/downgrade (ISSU) in a network switch. Prior to an ISSU, Hello protocol data unit (PDU) information is stored for relevant control protocols of associated interfaces of the switch. The Hello PDU information comprises information on messages and data exchanged by the control protocols that may be used to maintain communications links of the switch. During the configuring of the ISSU, and while the control plane of the switch is, at least partially, dysfunctional, Hello PDUs are sent on the interfaces according to the stored PDU information in order to maintain the communication links. The Hello PDU information may include a time interval value for each relevant protocol that determines when Hello PDUs are sent.
US09706013B2

Embodiments of the invention provide for dynamically generating an interface including conditional content based on runtime variables related to the device on which the content will be presented. Embodiments provide for creating and using runtime variables for showing or hiding data, depending on the type of device that the interface is accessed from. In other words, embodiments allow a designer of the interface to define conditional sections within the interface and the conditions, i.e., values of the runtime variables, upon which those section should be included or excluded from the interface. Based on the definition of these sections and the runtime values of variables associated with those sections, e.g., variables representing a device type, application type, mode, etc. of a client device on which the content will be presented, embodiments can provide an interface tailored to be presented on that type of device.
US09706010B2

Implementations of the disclosure describe systems and methods for triggering user notifications of media content items. It is determined that a plurality of media content items has a value of an interest metric exceeding a defined threshold value. The plurality of media content items are represented by a list of media content items compiled based on a pre-defined criterion. The interest metric reflects interest of a user to the plurality of media content items. The plurality of media content items is provided by a content channel that has not been subscribed to by the user. Among the plurality of media content items, a media content item that has not been consumed by the user is selected. A notification is provided to a device employed by the user to notify the user of the media content item.
US09706006B2

The invention relates to a system and method of context aware adaption of content for a mobile device. This involves identifying context parameters and associated values, selection of content layout based on context parameters. Content layout is selected from pre-configured content layouts based on context parameters. The content is retrieved from a content store. Content style is selected from pre-configured content styles based on context parameters. Rendering content on the device display based on the selected content layout, content style and at least one context parameter.
US09706004B2

The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for application performance measurement. A device may receive a first document for transmission to a client, comprising instructions for the client to transmit a request for an embedded object. A flow monitor executed the device may generate a unique identification associated with the first document, the unique identification identifying a first access of the first document, and transmit the first document and unique identification to the client. The device may receive, from the client, a request for the embedded object comprising the unique identification, and transmit, to a server, the request for the embedded object at a transmit time. The device may receive, from the server, the embedded object at a receipt time, and may transmit a performance record comprising an identification of the object, the server, the transmit time, the receipt time, and the unique identification to a data collector.
US09705993B1

A directory assistance (DA) application server to facilitate directory assistance lookup requests involving a web real-time communication (WebRTC) engine comprises a communication transceiver and a processing system. The communication transceiver is configured to receive a first session initiation protocol (SIP) information message comprising a request for directory assistance data, wherein the request is expressed in an extensible markup language (XML) format. The processing system is configured to query a directory assistance database to retrieve the directory assistance data and process the directory assistance data to generate a second SIP information message comprising the directory assistance data expressed in the XML format. The communication transceiver is further configured to transfer the second SIP information message for delivery to the WebRTC engine.
US09705981B2

Disclosed are a sensing network system, and nodes and a data processing method thereof. The sensing network system comprises a plurality of nodes that are connected with each other. Each node has a sensing device and a storage device. The storage device of each node is divided into a first storage area and a second storage area. The first storage area stores data sensed by the sensing device of the node. The second storage area stores at least a part of the data sensed by the sensing device of at least one of other nodes. The node transmits at least a part of the data sensed by its sensing device to at least one of other nodes, in order to store at least a part of the data sensed by its sensing device in the second storage area in the storage device of at least one of other nodes.
US09705973B2

A solution descriptor comprises a set of component workload units, a workload unit describing a deployable application component with application binary, configuration parameters and dependency declarations. An environment descriptor specifies a set of target platforms and plugins in an execution environment. A deployer interprets the solution descriptor and the environment descriptor, and generates a list of tuples comprising compatible workload-plugin-platform combinations. The deployer determines an execution order for the list of tuples, and invokes the plugins in the list of tuples in the execution order, wherein each of the plugins executes a corresponding compatible workload on a corresponding compatible target platform specified in the list of tuples.
US09705972B2

Aspects of the disclosure include managing a set of data associated with a corpus. By analyzing the corpus, a domain is established to characterize the subject matter of the set of data. A user identifier is generated for a portion of the set of data. Based upon a credibility computation, a quality factor for a portion of the set of data is determined. The credibility computation includes using both the domain and the user identifier to determine the quality factor for the portion of the set of data. The quality factor for the portion of the set of data is compared with a threshold. In response to a quality factor for a portion of the set of data exceeding the threshold, the portion of the set of data is selected.
US09705966B1

A community of authors, readers and contributors interact with each other through a communication framework. The authors share creative works, such as fictional stories, for consumption by the readers and for commenting by the contributors. The readers may see successive drafts of the work as an author completes and revises the work. The contributors may provide comments or other contributions to assist the author. For example, the contributors may make suggestions about how to change the work or provide supplemental content, such as cover artwork, to the author. The author may recognize publicly contributors who provide helpful comments. The likelihood of an author completing a final draft of a work may be determined based on the author's activities regarding the work. The likelihood of a completed work being popular with readers may also be determined based on user interaction with a draft of the work.
US09705965B2

Systems and methods described herein presents a PaaS level application or app motion system that manages and moves applications between multiple PaaS instances in a hybrid cloud that includes both private and public cloud instances. Specifically, the system performs an app motion operation on an application by cloning, moving, and/or scaling up the application from one PaaS instance to one or more other PaaS instances in the hybrid cloud. Since the system achieves application mobility and scalability at the PaaS level by only moving the application and its associated data between the PaaS instances without moving the virtual machines (VMs), it could greatly reduce the amount of data transmitted during the process and save both time and network resources. It also enables enterprises to extend their applications from a private cloud to a public cloud and uniformly manage the applications cross the boundaries of the clouds.
US09705962B2

An asynchronous reporting mechanism for a remote device in a heating, ventilation and air conditioning environment. Using gateway information, such as a device address, report information may be sent to the user account, or using another approach, the information may be sent directly to the user. An asynchronous message may be sent without user intervention or request.
US09705951B2

Method and systems for classifying and segmenting a file or a collection of media data are disclosed. According one aspect, each title in a library of titles are divided into a header and a plurality of segments. Furthermore, a library of titles is categorized into a first band and a second band, based on popularity. Titles in the first band are more popular and segments of the titles are distributed to all subscriber units. Titles in the second band are less popular and only a percentage of the segments of titles in the second band are distributed to each subscriber unit. In some embodiments, each subscriber unit has segments of approximately five percent of titles in the second band. The header of each title is distributed to each subscriber unit. When a subscriber unit requests a title, an instruction is made to a set of subscriber units that have segments of the title to distribute the segments to the requesting subscriber unit. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09705948B2

Systems and methods for transmitting content using segment-based and non-segment-based streams are provided. In some aspects, a method includes identifying at least one segment-based stream of content. Each segment-based stream is associated with a respective first bit rate and includes one or more segments of the content. The method also includes identifying at least one non-segment-based stream of the content. Each non-segment-based stream is associated with a second bit rate and includes a continuous stream of the content. The method also includes enabling switching between use of i) the at least one segment-based stream and ii) the at least one non-segment-based stream to continuously transmit the content to one or more client devices.
US09705943B1

In one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a data server, a VoIP server, and a processing circuit. The VoIP server routes VoIP calls to and from a plurality of telecommunication devices associated with respective user accounts. The VoIP server stores data generated by the plurality of telecommunication devices on the data server. The user accounts each have a settings file associated with the user account. In response to a set of criteria indicated in the settings file of one of the user accounts being satisfied, the processing circuit logs into a data server remote to the VoIP server using login credentials included in the settings file. In further response to the set of criteria being satisfied, the processing circuit copies one or more data files associated with the user account from the data server to the remote data server.
US09705939B2

A vendor evaluator system enables real-time or near real-time efficiencies of an inter-carrier switch. At a nominal periodic rate (e.g., every fifteen minutes or less), the vendor evaluator system updates a performance map of vendor exchanges to which calls may be routed from the switch. Specifically, in real-time or in near real-time, an updated performance score is generated for each vendor exchange and/or for each NPA-NXX code that is connected to the switch based on a weighted average of post dial delay, average call hold time, and attempt-seizure ratio. The score is compared against performance thresholds to determine whether or not the respective exchange and/or code should be included in a pool of acceptably-performing, candidate vendor exchanges from which a particular exchange is selected to service a call. Such techniques prevent poorly performing vendors from servicing calls routed by the inter-carrier network switch in real time or near real-time.
US09705928B2

A core network access packet data node and a core network access edge node are described herein. The core network access packet data node and/or the core network access edge node is/are adapted to hold or receive access priority related information comprising a subscriber related access allocation priority parameter relating to a subscriber requesting a network resource. Further, the core network access packet data node and/or the core network access edge node is/are adapted to have a preliminary access decision unit being provided for deciding if a network resource request is to be handled. Moreover, the core network access packet data node and/or the core network access edge node is/are adapted to have a final decision unit being provided for making a final decision relating to grant/rejection of a request to be handled, i.e. given preliminary access.
US09705924B2

Controlling access to categorized messages includes categorizing a message into a number of categories according to a message objective. The message objective informing user association, message association, and message access rules for each of the number of categories. Controlling access to categorized messages includes determining, based on the message objective, a number of users allowed access to the message. Controlling access to categorized messages includes allowing the number of users to access the message according to the message objective.
US09705923B2

A method of automating security provisioning is provided. The method includes receiving a request to start a virtual application and determining an owner of the virtual application. The method includes determining a workload based on the virtual application, the workload including an application and a virtual machine and assigning the workload to a security container or sub-container, among a plurality of security containers, based on the owner of the virtual application.
US09705918B2

A network security policy may be implemented at network switches as a set of active packet disposition directives. In a dynamically programmable network, the network switches can be dynamically reprogrammed with new packet disposition directives. A security mediation service permits such dynamic reprogramming as long as the new directives are consistent with the then-current network security policy. The security mediation service evaluates candidate packet disposition directives for conflicts with the currently active security policy, before instantiating the candidate packet disposition directives at the network switches.
US09705917B2

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for document authentication. An electronic document is presented to a user. The electronic document has data representing a signed state and a current state. A disallowed difference between the signed state and the current state is detected, based on one or more rules that are associated with the electronic document. A digital signature associated with the electronic document is invalidated in response to the detecting.
US09705908B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating term frequencies of known terms based on crowdsourced differentially private sketches of the known terms. An asset catalog can be updated with new frequency counts for known terms based on the crowdsourced differentially private sketches. Known terms can have a classification. A client device can maintain a privacy budget for each classification of known terms. Classifications can include emojis, deep links, locations, finance terms, and health terms, etc. A privacy budget ensures that a client does not transmit too much information to a term frequency server, thereby compromising the privacy of the client device.
US09705906B2

Physical Layer and Data-Link Layer data are connected with Networking through Application Layer data/information to enable searching, sorting, and identification of novel relationships between signal sources and their contents. Metadata can be used at the Physical Layer in an optical fiber network, connecting with metadata generated at the Data Link Layer, connected to metadata generated at the Network to Application Layer. The Physical Layer metadata is obtained from configuration and provisioning data within an Intelligent Optical System. The Data-Link Layer metadata is obtained from a signal processing device. The Network through Application Metadata is obtained from a packet capture or flow capture probe. The metadata from all layers are linked in a data store such that the network traffic, passing through stream(s) in optical fiber(s) layer data are combined. The effect of that combination enables security, intelligence, surveillance, or network analysts to separate application and network information by original source.
US09705900B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and devices for mitigating the impact from Internet attacks in a Radio Access Network, RAN, using Internet transport. This object is obtained by a method performed in network node in a RAN, using Internet transport. The method comprises obtaining intrusion detection information informing the network node that the RAN is under attack. The method further comprises selecting, based on the intrusion detection information, a mitigation action, the mitigation action mitigating the impact of the attack on the RAN service. Further the method comprises performing the selected mitigation action to mitigate the impact on the RAN service level.
US09705895B1

Systems and methods for classification of internet devices for classifying devices on the Internet as either hostile or benign. Hostile devices are those that are or will be engaging in denial of service attacks. The systems and methods for classification of internet devices as hostile or benign generally include 1) a proof-of-work protocol, 2) a method for adjusting a device's ‘attacker score’ based on its protocol behavior, 3) a method for detecting tampering of puzzle parameters, 4) a method for limiting request rates of both benign and hostile devices, 5) a method for collecting device fingerprints and their associated status from a high-speed memory cache and persisting them to a database, 6) a web services deployment model to provide device classification services to third parties, and 7) a method for dissemination of device blacklists and whitelists to all subscribers of the web service 8) a deployment model of the attacker identification system as a request filter at the front-end of a distributed web services system, and 9) a management server for control of the system parameters to enable various modes of classification and device request rate limiting.
US09705894B2

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method for network validation of information, a system for network validation of information, and a computer program product for network validation of information. A method for network validation of information is provided. The method includes receiving verification information from a user, the verification information including a plurality of verification fields, determining a verification sequence of the plurality of verification fields based on a verification rule configuration and a verification scoring table, verifying a current verification field according to the verification sequence, verifying a next verification field in the event that the verification of the current verification field succeeds, and terminating verification in the event that the verification of the current verification field fails.
US09705890B2

A media processing device, such as a set top box, having a plurality of selectable hardware and software components for supporting multiple media pathways providing differing levels of security. In general, each security level corresponds to a particular certification service boundary definition(s) or key/authentication and security management scheme for managing resources such as hardware acceleration blocks and software interfaces. Different sets of components may be adaptively employed to ensure composited compliance with one or more security constraints and to address component unavailability. Security constraints may be applied, for example, on a source or media specific basis, and different versions of a media item may be provided over multiple pathways providing corresponding levels of security. In one embodiment, a service operator or content provider may provide requisite certification or security requirements, or otherwise assist in selection of pathway components.
US09705889B2

A method for applying policies to an email message includes receiving, by an inbound policy module in a protected network, message metadata of an email message. The method also includes determining, based on the message metadata, whether receiving the email message in the protected network is prohibited by at least one metadata policy. The method further includes blocking the email message from being forwarded to the protected network if receiving the email message in the protected network is prohibited by the metadata policy. In specific embodiments, the method includes requesting scan results data for the email message if receiving the email message in the protected network is not prohibited by one or more metadata policies. In further embodiments, the method includes receiving the scan results data and requesting the email message if receiving the email message in the protected network is not prohibited by one or more scan policies.
US09705865B2

A system for secure information storage and delivery includes a vault repository that includes a secure vault associated with a user, wherein the secure vault is associated with a service level including at least one of a data type or a data size limit associated with the secure vault, the secure vault being adapted to receive and at least one data entry and securely store the at least one data entry if the at least one of a size or a type of the at least one data entry is consistent with the service level. A mobile vault server coupled to the vault repository creates a mobile vault on a mobile device based on the secure vault and is capable of authenticating the mobile device based on user authentication information. The mobile vault server includes a mobile device handler that communicates with the mobile device. A synchronization utility determines whether the at least one data entry on the secure vault is transferable to or storable on the mobile vault based on at least one of the size or the type of the at least one data entry and transfers the at least one data entry from the secure vault to a corresponding data entry on the mobile vault if the at least one data entry on the secure vault is determined to be transferable to or storable on the mobile vault.
US09705863B2

A method comprising receiving by a screening service, an applicant profile that identifies an applicant and an authorization to provide access to screening results generated by the screening service based on the applicant profile to a screener, associating, using a computer, an identifier with the screening results, and communicating the identifier to the screener.
US09705858B2

There is provided an information processing device including an information storage unit configured to store information about a state in which a first secret key used during authentication is held in devices, and information about connection between the devices, and a communication unit configured to send the first secret key so that the first secret key is delivered to the devices based on the information stored in the information storage unit.
US09705853B2

A method is to detect a message compatible with the OTA (Over The Air) standard and affected by a wrong ciphering. The method may include receiving the ciphered OTA message; deciphering the OTA message; and reading a counter field of padding bytes in the deciphered OTA message and reading corresponding padding bytes in the OTA message deciphered. The method may also include detecting at least one bit in at least one of the padding bytes of the OTA message deciphered, with the at least one bit being indicative of the wrong ciphering.
US09705846B2

One or more processors are configured to associate a first local IP address with a computer while the computer is connected to a first network access node thereby providing the computer with access to a network. The first local IP address is one of a plurality of local IP addresses used on the network. The one or more processors monitor transmissions received from the first network access node to determine when the computer requests an Internet transaction. When the computer requests an Internet transaction, a first one of the globally unique IP addresses is associated with the first local IP address thereby allowing the computer to conduct the Internet transaction. The first globally unique IP address is disassociated from the first local IP address after termination of the Internet transaction and is then available for association with any of the local IP addresses used on the network.
US09705841B2

A private mobile data communications apparatus and methods of managing organizational data flow and coordinate a secure messaging infrastructure allow organizations to communicate with and monitor one or more mobile users each having at least one mobile device with which they communicate. The apparatus includes a server component, system client, a mobile client, and multiple application programming interface modules configured to manage information flow and correspond with external systems as needed.
US09705839B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to response subscriptions and provide a method, system and computer program product for response tracking across social networks. In one embodiment of the invention, a social networking response tracking method can be provided. The method can be performed by client-side logic and can include associating subscribers with a user or a group of users based upon a posting by the user or a user in the group of users within a client computing device for the user, aggregating different postings from the user to correspondingly different forums disposed about a global computer communications network, and, notifying the subscribers of the aggregated postings.
US09705837B2

The present invention provides a method for selecting an identified message group from among the plurality of messages sent by a plurality of users of social media. For the messages sent by users other than the original user that quote the message sent by the original message user, the method provides: performing a primary evaluation of the potential for being further resent; identifying a single user who has sent a message for which the primary evaluation result was higher than a predetermined first threshold; identifying a message group similar to a resent messages group, based on a resent messages group that quotes the message send by the single user; performing a secondary evaluation for the potential that the similar message group will be further resent; and selecting a message group for which the secondary evaluation result was higher than a predetermined second threshold.
US09705836B2

A method for message interaction includes: receiving, at a server, a first multi-media message recorded and published by a first terminal when the server detects that the first terminal in a social network service (SNS) system carries out a message publishing operation; performing, at the server, a transcoding process on the first multi-media message to generate at least one second multi-media message, and storing the first multi-media message and the at least one second multi-media messages; and allocating, at the server, a publishing identifier and sending the publishing identifier to the first terminal to inform the first terminal that the message publishing operation is successful. Further, a server and a SNS system are also described. In the present disclosure, message interaction can be performed based on multi-media messages in the SNS system, thereby enriching variety of message contents, improving efficiency of message interaction, and enhancing convenience of social activities.
US09705834B2

The invention provides a system and method for analyzing a collection of communication messages. The communication messages may be any one of a collection of electronic mail messages, voicemail messages, instant messaging dialogues and other forms of communications. The collections of communications, such as electronic mail messages, may be selected by a user and then subsequently processed to determine the identity of any of the user's contacts within the communications. The contacts may then be arranged in a relative priority arrangement whereby contacts which have been identified as engaging in prior reciprocal communications with the user are given higher priority. Higher priority may also be given to contacts which engage in more recent communications with the user. Specific contact relationships may be inferred from the communications depending on whether specific contacts are repeatedly mentioned within the communication messages.
US09705831B2

A server includes a message thread module with instructions executed by a processor to maintain a message thread between a first user and a second user. Each entry of the message thread is deleted after a display period unless an indication regarding the entry is received during the display period.
US09705829B2

Example communication systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a method receives a message from a message server. The method identifies constituent data contained in the message and accesses supplemental information associated with the message based on the constituent data. The message is modified to include at least one of a portion of the supplemental information and a reference to the supplemental information. The modified message is then communicated to a client device.
US09705827B2

A system includes a module associated with a first stage of a switch fabric directly coupled to a module associated with a second stage of the switch fabric via a single physical hop having multiple virtual channels. The module associated with the first stage is configured to assign a virtual channel identifier associated with a virtual channel with a data packet using a hash function and to send the data packet through the virtual channel based on the virtual channel identifier. The module associated with the second stage is configured to send a flow control signal to the module associated with the first stage when an available capacity of a queue is less than a predetermined threshold. The module associated with the first stage is configured to suspend sending data packets via the virtual channel in response to the flow control signal.
US09705825B1

Disclosed is a system and method for transmitting a packet stream to a device. An example method involves: a first device recording a packet stream transmitted from a second device to a third device; identifying a first packet having a final portion of a first data block, wherein a second packet is next after the first packet; determining a time period between transmission of the first and second packets; using the recorded packet stream to generate another packet stream; identifying a third packet that includes a final portion of a second data block corresponding to the first data block, wherein a fourth packet is next after the third packet; and transmitting the generated packet stream to the third device, wherein transmitting the generated packet stream to the third device involves: transmitting the third packet and following at least the determined time period after transmitting the third packet, transmitting the fourth packet.
US09705824B2

A modular system uses point-to-point communication between field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) on a control module and each port module, respectively, to manage basic module functions, such as power, environmental monitoring, and health checks on the modules and their components. This allows a chassis to be managed without fully powering each card first, frees processors on the modules from having to perform health checks, allows dedicated resources to rapidly monitor the health of each card, and prevents one bad card from disabling management of all cards.
US09705820B2

In general, the embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for rebalancing/reallocating cloud resource capacities between resource pools that provide variable customer assurances and delivery penalties when assurances are not met. The variables that are considered hereunder include, overall ‘reservations’, total current capacity, remaining capacity against unused reservations and penalties that apply for failing to satisfy ‘reservation’ commitments. The approach uses a rate of capacity consumption to calculate the risk of consuming the available capacity in each resource pool (e.g., resource pools allocated to satisfy different levels of service with different SLA failure penalties). Based on the relative available capacity in each pool (as determined by the pool rate of consumption), resources are reallocated to maximize revenue (e.g., reduce financial penalty) across a resource pool set.
US09705806B2

Systems and methods are disclosed to communicate data between wireless access point with one or more low priority queues; one or more high priority queues; a quality of service (QoS) queue coupled to the low and high priority queues; a fairness counter; and a buffer coupled to the fairness counter and the QoS queue to map buffer mapping to the QoS queue when the fairness counter expires, the method including performing an association request for fairness scheduling; and injecting a low priority packet in a transmit opportunity of the high priority queue.
US09705802B2

A terminal device includes: a signal generator to generate a traffic request signal; a policy manager to transmit a policy request signal to a policy provider, and to receive a policy answer signal corresponding to the policy request signal; a traffic transceiver to perform a download of a traffic answer signal corresponding to the traffic request signal from a content provider via a path network; a terminal network detector to detect a network status of the path network based on the policy answer signal; and a traffic control processor, at a time of the download, to determine a traffic control status based on the network status, and control the download based on the traffic control status.
US09705801B2

Unique identifiers (IDs) associated with a plurality of nodes may be provided. Nodes clustered within a community may be assigned numerically proximate unique IDs. A number of partitions associated with a plurality of machines may be determined. The unique IDs may be segmented into divisions based on the number of partitions. The unique IDs may be mapped to the plurality of machines based on the divisions.
US09705799B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method and related network node including one or more of the following: receiving, at the network node, a packet including a destination address of the packet; resolving the destination address of the packet to a first address of a first receiving node; identifying a second address of a second receiving node as being associated with the first address; and transmitting the packet to both the first address and the second address.
US09705796B2

A system that includes multiple hosts, each running a plurality of virtual machines. The system may be, for example, a cloud computing environment in which there are services and a service coordination system that communicates with the hosts and with the services. The services include a middleware management service that is configured to maintain per-tenant middleware policy for each of multiple tenants. The middleware management service causes the middleware policy to be applied to network traffic by directing network traffic to a middleware enforcement mechanism. This middleware policy is per-tenant in that it depends on an identity of a tenant.
US09705790B2

An information processing apparatus is connected to and communicates with a terminal connected to a first communication network and a second communication network based on a predetermined communication protocol. The first and the second communication network are operable using the predetermined communication protocol. The second communication network is a closed communication network. The information processing apparatus includes first and second communication units. The first communication unit communicates with the terminal via the first communication network based on the predetermined communication protocol. The second communication unit communicates with the terminal based on the predetermined communication protocol via a relay unit arranged in a communication line between the second communication network and the information processing apparatus. The first and the second communication units have the same IP address having an anycast relation as an IP address of the predetermined communication protocol.
US09705783B2

Techniques for end-to-end network bandwidth optimization using software defined networking are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can receive information regarding a flow to be admitted to a network, where the flow is associated with a source and a destination. The computer system can further calculate, for each path in a plurality of paths between the source and the destination, a projected utilization of the path in view of the flow. If the projected utilization of the shortest path in the plurality of paths is less than or equal to a target utilization threshold, the computer system can assign the flow to the shortest path. Otherwise, the computer system can select a path in the plurality of paths that comes closest to the target utilization threshold without exceeding the threshold and can assign the flow to that selected path.
US09705781B1

In general, techniques are described for dynamically scheduling and establishing paths in a multi-layer, multi-topology network to provide dynamic network resource allocation and support packet flow steering along paths prescribed at any layer or combination of layers of the network. In one example, a multi-topology path computation element (PCE) accepts requests from client applications for dedicated paths. The PCE receives topology information from network devices and attempts to identify paths through a layer or combination of layers of the network that can be established at the requested time in view of the specifications requested for the dedicated paths and the anticipated bandwidth/capacity available in the network. The PCE schedules the identified paths through the one or more layers of the network to carry traffic for the requested paths. At the scheduled times, the PCE programs path forwarding information into network nodes to establish the scheduled paths.
US09705772B2

It is provided an identification apparatus is configured to: obtain, from a first request group, same-type requests which are of the same type as an investigation subject request in a first request group; obtain, other-type requests that have been transmitted from a first apparatus to a second apparatus and a response to which has been transmitted from the second apparatus to the first apparatus, during a processing period; generate, for the investigation subject request and each of the same-type requests; search the generated sets for sets that have the matching other-type requests, and remove one of the found sets; obtain second requests that have been processed by the second apparatus during the processing period from the second request group; calculate, for the investigation subject request and each of the same-type requests after the removal, values of correlation with the obtained second requests.
US09705771B2

A method performed by a network system communicatively coupled to a device over a wireless access network, the method comprising transmitting a traffic flow to, or receiving the traffic flow from, a software application on the device, the traffic flow comprising one or more related data transfers over the wireless access network, the traffic flow being routed between the software application and the network system through an assisting element comprising a control application or a proxy agent on the device, wherein the traffic flow has a characteristic associating the traffic flow with the first software application, the characteristic preserving the association between the traffic flow and the software application when the traffic flow is routed by the one or more assisting elements; identifying the characteristic; and implementing at least a portion of a control, accounting, or notification service policy based on the identified characteristic.
US09705770B2

A method for measuring asymmetry in propagation delay of first and second links which connect a first node to a second node of a communication network. The method comprises measuring (101) a round trip delay of the first link. The round trip delay can be measured by transmitting (102) a test signal from the first node to the second node over the first link and receiving a reply to the test signal from the second node over the first link. The method further comprises measuring (105) a round trip delay of the second link. The round trip delay can be measured by transmitting (106) a test signal to the second node over the second link and receiving a reply to the test signal from the second node over the second link. A difference in the propagation delay of the first link with respect to the second link is determined (109) using the measured round trip delays of the first link and the second link.
US09705769B1

A device may establish a communication session, with a client device, for monitoring a latency of a service. The device may receive, from the client device, a request for a monitored service list. The monitored service list may identify one or more services for which service latency monitoring is supported. The device may provide, to the client device, the monitored service list. The device may receive, from the client device, a service latency monitoring session request that may identify the service to be monitored. The device may establish, with the client device, the service latency monitoring session based on the service latency monitoring session request. The device may cause the service to be performed. The device may generate information for determining the latency of the service. The device may transmit, to the client device and via the service latency monitoring session, the information for determining the latency of the service.
US09705759B2

A computer-implemented method for data leakage protection is disclosed. A monitoring template corresponding to the cloud application is selected based upon communication between a user and a cloud application and from a plurality of monitoring templates. A monitor is generated using the selected monitoring template. Identifying information of content shared between the user and the cloud application is obtained using the generated monitor. Data about the shared content for security analysis is obtained according to the identifying information of the shared content.
US09705757B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and terminal, an input method and device, a cloud service card, and a system for acquiring a service and relate to the field of cloud computing technologies. A method for acquiring cloud service content according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: acquiring, by a cloud terminal, an identifier of a service card; acquiring, by the cloud terminal, a cloud service instruction set corresponding to the identifier of the cloud service card from a cloud instruction set server according to the identifier of the cloud service card; and acquiring, by the cloud terminal, cloud service content from a cloud service server according to a cloud service instruction in the cloud service instruction set. The present invention is applicable to quick acquisition of a latest cloud service provided by an operator.
US09705753B2

A method and system for using plug-in analysis modules to analyze network traffic data is disclosed. The network has computing devices coupled to a network traffic appliance that routes data to and from the computing devices. A plug-in network analysis module is installed on a network traffic recommendation engine. The network analysis module is run to obtain selected network traffic data on the network. The selected network traffic data is analyzed via the network analysis module. A recommendation is output based on the selected network traffic data. A policy is adjusted based on the recommendation to improve the efficiency of the network traffic to the computing devices.
US09705751B1

A computing device quantifies an expected benefit from a calibrated coefficient of variation (CV) and/or a calibrated service level (SL). The target optimization model determines a number and a time a new requisition is placed for an item at each node of the plurality of nodes. A validation time value is updated using an incremental time value and the process is repeated until the validation time value is greater than or equal to a stop time.
US09705750B2

In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a network graph describing a network having two or more nodes. An application graph is received describing a data stream application. The application graph includes one or more vertices, each corresponding to an operator of the application and associated with a list of nodes. A first vertex of the application graph corresponds to a first operator and is associated with two or more nodes. The application graph is augmented, which includes replicating the first operator such that the augmented graph includes a copy of the first operator at each of the nodes associated with the first vertex. The application is deployed over the network based on the augmented graph, such that a copy of the first operator is deployed at each of the nodes associated with the first vertex. A route through the augmented graph is selected for a data stream.
US09705744B2

A method, system and computer program product for updating hardware and software components of a cloud computing environment. An administrative server monitors the usage statistics (e.g., compute utilization) of the hardware and software components of the cloud computing environment. Upon receiving user-selected thresholds for the usage statistics, which may be stored in a profile, the administrative server applies a user-provided patch to the hardware or software component whose threshold criteria has been met. Alternatively, the administrative server may automatically update the hardware and software components based on determined minimum usage points (i.e., minimum levels of usage activity) using the monitored usage statistics of the hardware and software components. In this manner, updates to the hardware and software components of the cloud computing environment can occur at optimal times, where the usage activity is low, thereby lessening the negative impact on servicing the user's computing requirements from the update.
US09705739B1

Systems and methods are described for configuring a unique access node identifier. A preliminary identifier may be assigned to a first access node. A request for information to establish a communication link between the first access node and a second access node may be received such that the request includes the preliminary access node identifier. The first access node may be instructed to discover a number of a plurality of neighbor access nodes proximate to the first access node based on the received request. Identifiers for the discovered neighbor access nodes may be determined. A second access node identifier may be assigned to the first access node that is different from the first access node identifier and the identifiers for the discovered neighbor access nodes, wherein the second access node identifier may be assigned when the number of discovered neighbor access nodes meets a criteria.
US09705732B2

A method for operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes identifying time information of at least one counterpart electronic device, displaying the time information of the counterpart electronic device when an application program for displaying time information is executed, when time change information of the counterpart electronic device is received, changing the time information of the counterpart electronic device according to the time change information, and displaying changed time information of the counterpart electronic device when the application program for displaying time information is executed.
US09705720B2

A method and apparatus for improving channel estimation within an OFDM communication system. Channel estimation in OFDM is usually performed with the aid of pilot symbols. The pilot symbols are typically spaced in time and frequency. The set of frequencies and times at which pilot symbols are inserted is referred to as a pilot pattern. In some cases, the pilot pattern is a diagonal-shaped lattice, either regular or irregular. The method first interpolates in the direction of larger coherence (time or frequency). Using these measurements, the density of pilot symbols in the direction of faster change will be increased thereby improving channel estimation without increasing overhead. As such, the results of the first interpolating step can then be used to assist the interpolation in the dimension of smaller coherence (time or frequency).
US09705719B2

Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a positioning reference signal (PRS) in a wireless communication system. A terminal obtains positioning subframe configuration information to determine at least one positioning subframe among a plurality of downlink subframes in a wireless frame, obtains downlink subframe configuration information to determine the type of each downlink subframe in the wireless frame, receives PRSs in at least one positioning subframe from a plurality of cells, and reports measured time differences between the PRSs received from the plurality of the cells. The type of each downlink subframe of the wireless frame is classified into a 1st type subframe and a 2nd type subframe, and the type of at least one positioning subframe is either the 1st type subframe or the 2nd type subframe. In addition, the PRSs are mapped into at least one positioning subframe on the basis of a single PRS pattern.
US09705712B2

A variable frequency oscillator includes an inductance unit having a first inductance, a first variable capacitor coupled across the inductance unit, and a second variable capacitor coupled across a part of the inductance unit. The inductance of the part of the inductance unit coupled by the second variable capacitor is a proportion of the first inductance.
US09705711B2

A mixer includes a weighting module configured to receive an input signal and to weight the input signal with a set of weighting factors, in order to generate a set of weighted signals; and a switching module configured to receive the set of weighted signals and at least a portion of 2N periodic control signals, wherein each of the periodic control signals has a period of 2N*Tvco which contains a pulse with a pulse width not greater than Tvco; wherein the pulses of the 2N periodic control signals do not overlap with each other; and whereby the switching module outputs the set of weighted signals cyclically, under the control of the received periodic control signals, to generate an output signal with a frequency shift of m/(2N*Tvco), where Tvco denotes a period of a VCO signal, N and m are integers, 0
US09705709B2

A data stream optimization system is configured to optimize the transfer of data using a plurality of relay nodes acting as the network overlay between a plurality of sources and a plurality of data requesting entities. As each data stream sent from a source to the data requesting entity passes through an relay node, the relay node optimizes network conditions and constraints based upon an identifying “signature” and priority conveyed by the requestor. The system is capable of reprioritizing, rerouting, and modifying the transmission of data streams for the purpose of transfer optimization based upon dynamically changing requestor interest and priority over time.
US09705708B1

An integrated circuit for supporting a high-speed communications link is provided. The integrated circuit may include equalization circuitry having a continuous time linear equalizer (CTLE) circuit, a decision feedback equalizer (DFE) circuit, and associated adaptation logic for controlling the CTLE circuit and the DFE circuit. The adaptation logic may include an error minimization adaptation circuit operable to generate at least a first post-cursor value, a signal amplitude detection circuit operable to generate a main cursor value, and a CTLE adaptation circuit configured to compute a ratio between the first post-cursor value and the main cursor value. The CTLE adaptation circuit may compare the computed ratio to predetermined values to determine whether or not to adjust the peaking gain of the CTLE circuit to help minimize inter-symbol interference for signals traveling through the high-speed communications link.
US09705706B2

A method implemented in an access node (AN) including receiving a packet for a service on a connection between a subscriber and a service provider or service provider network (SP), replacing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tag for the subscriber in the packet with a Q-in-Q label that matches a Media Access Control (MAC) address for a residential gateway (RG) in the packet when the packet is received from the RG, wherein the Q-in-Q label comprises a Customer VLAN (C-VLAN) tag that identifies the subscriber and a Service-VLAN (S-VLAN) tag that identifies the SP, and replacing the Q-in-Q label in the packet with a VLAN tag for the subscriber that matches the MAC address for the RG in the packet when the packet is received from the SP.
US09705703B2

A system and method is provided for simultaneous communications on Modbus and DNP 3.0 over Ethernet for an electronic power meter. The system incorporates one or more protocol wrappers to provide compatibility with both Modbus and DNP based applications. The system removes the appropriate wrappers and routes the incoming data packet to its destination. Additionally, the system also wraps outgoing response packets with the appropriate protocol wrapper based on the related data packet wrappers.
US09705688B2

A method and a system for sharing location information and a recording medium using the same are provided. The present method obtains graphic location information by a first display software, and insert the document to a document corresponding to a second display software. The document is then transmitted to a remote device. Accordingly, through reading the document, the remote device can directly activate the applicable display software to display the graphic location information originally shared by the user of the mobile device.
US09705686B2

Implementations for measuring resource consumption in a multi-tenant Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) system are disclosed. A method of the disclosure includes determining, by a processing device, that a resource of an application of a multi-tenant Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) system is initializing, the resource marked for usage tracking, accessing a list of initialization operations used in the initialization of the resource, determining that each of the initialization operations prior to a create usage record operation in the mapping are performed successfully, and creating a usage record for the resource using the create usage record operation.
US09705684B2

A cell site includes a tower and a power over Ethernet system to power devices on the tower. The power over Ethernet system includes a power over Ethernet switch and a multiplexing box. Ethernet cables connect output ports of the power over Ethernet switch to input ports of the multiplexing box. A power plant is connected to the input of the power over Ethernet switch. Devices are connected to the output ports of the multiplexing box. The power over Ethernet system also includes a power management control.
US09705682B2

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for extending a chain of trust beyond the DNS. Some embodiments provide a verifier with the ability to validate a chain of trust starting with the trust anchor at the DNS root all the way to a service or object of interest outside the DNS.
US09705678B1

A method for authenticating messages is provided. The method includes calculating a hash value based on a key and a message count value and receiving a data message associated with the message count value. The method includes receiving an authentication message that includes the message count value and a message authentication code derived from the data message, the message count value and the key. The method includes applying portions of the data message to look up portions of the hash value and combining the portions of the hash value to form a verification version of the message authentication code. The method includes determining whether the message authentication code matches the verification version of the message authentication code.
US09705677B2

Embodiments of systems and methods which provide highly specific control over the execution of general-purpose code block are disclosed. These embodiments may allow the exact circumstances under which a given code block is allowed to execute to be determined with specificity. Such a control mechanism may be coupled with embodiments of a data hiding system and method, based for example, on an ordered execution of a set of code segments implemented via recursive execution. When embodiments of these systems and methods are utilized together an unencumbered generality as well as a level of protection against attack that surpasses many other security systems may be obtained.
US09705675B2

A method and system for testing the cryptographic integrity of data m comprises at least the following elements: a module transmitting a message M, said module comprising a memory for storing the parameters used to execute the steps of the method, such as the key, the public data, a transmission medium, a receiver module also comprising storage means for storing at least the same parameters as in transmission. The system may comprise storage means for storing confidential data such as the secret keys, a processor suitable for executing the steps.
US09705674B2

A system uses information submitted in connection with a request to determine if and how to process the request. The information may be electronically signed by a requestor using a key such that the system processing the request can verify that the requestor has the key and that the information is authentic. The information may include information that identifies a holder of a key needed for processing the request, where the holder of the key can be the system or another, possibly third party, system. Requests to decrypt data may be processed to ensure that a certain amount of time passes before access to the decrypted data is provided, thereby providing an opportunity to cancel such requests and/or otherwise mitigate potential security breaches.
US09705673B2

System, device, and method of provisioning cryptographic assets to electronic devices. A delegation message is generated at a first provisioning server. The delegation message indicates provisioning rights that are delegated by the first provisioning server to a second provisioning server with regard to subsequent provisioning of cryptographic assets to an electronic device. The delegation message includes an association key unknown to the first provisioning server, encrypted using a public key of the electronic device. The delegation message further includes a public key of the second provisioning server. The electronic device locally generates the association key, which is unknown to the first provisioning server. The delegation message is delivered to the electronic device. Based on the delegation message, cryptographic assets are provisioned by the second provisioning server to the electronic device, using the association key.
US09705668B2

A gap detector detects when a phase difference between a feedback signal and a clock signal is larger than a gap threshold. If the phase difference is larger than the gap threshold, then the phase difference is modified by subtracting a gap value from the phase difference. If the phase difference is less than the threshold, the phase difference is not modified. A loop filter receives and filters the modified or unmodified phase difference and controls an oscillator. An accumulator circuit accumulates the modified phase difference and supplies a phase adjust signal. A low pass filter receives the phase adjust signal and supplies a filtered phase adjust signal that is used to slowly adjust the output of the oscillator.
US09705664B2

A synthesizer module arranged to generate a timing signal. The synthesizer module comprises an odd-numbered frequency divider circuit arranged to receive a reference timing signal and to output at least one frequency-divided signal having a frequency equal to 1/M times the frequency of the reference timing signal, where M is an odd-numbered integer. A 90° phase-shift component is arranged to receive the reference timing signal and to output a 90° phase-shifted form of the reference timing signal. A re-timing circuit is arranged to re-time a set of transitions of the frequency-divided signal to be temporally aligned to transitions of the 90° phase-shifted form of the reference timing signal to generate the timing signal comprising the re-timed transitions of the frequency-divided signal.
US09705662B2

In one embodiment, a method for calibrating a full-duplex radio system includes transmitting, by a first radio transmitter, a first signal and receiving, by a first radio receiver, a first version of the first signal. The method also includes receiving, by a second radio receiver, a second version of the first signal and transmitting, by a second radio transmitter, a second signal. Additionally, the method includes receiving, by the first radio receiver, a received version of the second signal and determining a response from the second radio transmitter to the first radio receiver in accordance with the first version of the first signal, the second version of the first signal, and the received version of the second signal.
US09705659B2

A method for providing uplink feedback optimization may include determining a set of candidate uplink subframes and corresponding component carriers to transmit uplink feedback, and determining a selected uplink subframe and corresponding component carrier from among the set of candidate uplink subframes based on a feedback delay associated with the set of candidate uplink subframes. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
US09705655B2

A method and device for determining an ACK/NACK feedback bit number, used when carriers having different time division duplex (TDD) uplink/downlink configurations are aggregated for a user equipment or the aggregated carriers includes at least one FDD carrier and at least one TDD carrier, and when the user equipment conducts ACK/NACK feedback on a physical uplink sharing channel (PUSCH) having a corresponding physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), the PDCCH containing a downlink assignment index (DAI) domain. The method comprises: determining whether the carriers grouped by the user equipment contain a first type carrier; if yes, then determining (I) of each carrier c according to a parameter indicating the number of ACK/NACK feedback subframes; if no, then acquiring (II) and the Mc of each carrier c, and selecting the minimum value from (II) and the Mc as the (I) of each carrier c; according to the number of the downlink subframes in each carrier c in need of conducting ACK/NACK feedback on the current uplink subframe, determining the ACK/NACK feedback bit number that the current uplink subframe needs to feed back. The present invention ensures normal operation of a system based on the application scenario.
US09705654B2

Methods and apparatus to enable an extensible and scalable control channel for wireless networks. In one embodiment, an Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH) is disclosed that is implemented with a flexible number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs). Advantages of the ePDCCH include, for example: more efficient spectral utilization, better frequency management across multiple serving entities (e.g., base stations and remote radio heads), and extensible payload capabilities that can scale to accommodate higher or lower control information payloads, as compared to prior art PDCCH solutions.
US09705652B2

The invention relates to a method for determining the transmission of a sounding reference signal (SRS) by a terminal in a wireless communication system, which can include a step of determining whether a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) in a first timing advance (TA) group, or an SRS in a second TA group in the same subframe, is to be transmitted when the transmission timing of the PUCCH or the PUSCH in a cell of the first TA group and the transmission timing of the SRS in a cell of the second TA group overlap each other in the same subframe.
US09705639B2

The present invention provides a method of transmitting broadcast signals. The method includes, encoding, by an encoder, data in plural PLPs (Physical Layer Pipes); processing, by a framing and interleaving block, the encoded data in the plural PLPs, wherein the processing the encoded data further includes: time interleaving, by a time interleaver, the encoded data in the plural PLPs, frame mapping, by a framer, the time interleaved data onto at least one signal frame, and frequency interleaving, by a frequency interleaver, data in the at least one signal frame; and waveform modulating, by a waveform generation block, the frequency interleaved data in the at least one signal frame and transmitting, by the waveform generation block, broadcast signals having the waveform modulated data.
US09705635B2

Methods, computer-readable media and apparatuses to identify UE performance and to optimize network performance are disclosed. A processor receives a reported channel quality indicator value from a user equipment, wherein the reported channel quality indicator value is used for setting an initial modulation and an initial coding rate, determines a calibrated channel quality indicator value based on historical data for the user equipment and applies the calibrated channel quality indicator value that determines a calibrated modulation and a calibrated coding rate instead of the initial modulation and the initial coding rate based on the channel quality indicator value received from the user equipment, wherein the receiving, the determining and the applying are continuously performed while the user equipment is in a radio resource control connected mode.
US09705631B2

In a digital coherent communication scheme utilizing polarization-multiplexed optical signals, it may be impossible to separate transmission light and reception light from each other with high precision for transmission/reception an optical signal. An optical space transmission system according to the present invention is provided with a first transmission/reception device which radiates first reception light and second reception light whose polarization states are orthogonal to each other, and a second transmission/reception device which radiates third reception light alternately including a first reception light component whose polarization state is the same as the first reception light and a second reception light component whose polarization state is the same as the second reception light in a time-wise manner.
US09705630B2

Optical solutions to address and overcome the issues of superseding/replacing electrical interconnection networks have generally exploited some form of optical space switching. Such optical space switching architectures required multiple switching elements, leading to increased power consumption and footprint issues. Accordingly, it would be beneficial for new optical, e.g. fiber optic or integrated optical, interconnection architectures to address the traditional hierarchal time-division multiplexed (TDM) space based routing and interconnection to provide reduced latency, increased flexibility, lower cost, and lower power consumption. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to exploit networks operating in multiple domains by overlaying mode division multiplexing to provide increased throughput in bus, point-to-point networks, and multi-cast networks, for example, discretely or in combination with wavelength division multiplexing.
US09705625B2

An ONT and a method therein for maintenance and administration of the ONT are provided. The ONT is comprised in an Optical Distribution Network, ODN. The method comprises connecting 210 an OLT in the ODN to a maintenance unit comprised in the ONT when a first signal is received from the OLT instructing the ONT to enter a maintenance mode. The method comprises updating 220 existing maintenance and administration information in the maintenance unit, the maintenance and administration information relating to the operation of the ONT when receiving new maintenance and administration information from the OLT. The method comprises connecting 230 the OLT to a host which host is connected to the ONT when receiving, from the OLT, a second signal instructing the ONT to enter an operation mode, or after a predetermined period of time; and operating 240 the ONT in accordance with the updated maintenance and administration information in the maintenance unit.
US09705621B2

An apparatus or method for transmitting data blocks on a communications channel having a radio link between two stations including a user equipment comprises receiving first data blocks from the user equipment, and transmitting second data blocks to the user equipment. A polling interval is dynamically set for the transmission of polling messages to the user equipment after transmission of the second data blocks, the polling interval being set in accordance with at least one of: a size of one or more data blocks received by the apparatus from the user equipment, a size of one or more blocks transmitted from the apparatus to the user equipment, and a service to which the user equipment is subscribed. The apparatus may be used as a PCU in a cellular mobile telephone system.
US09705618B1

A public addressing system can identify user preferences including language, volume, and method of delivery to provide improved content in a given geographical area using perceptual computing techniques. The system can also support the use of personal devices including wearables in order to deliver private personalized messages discreetly. For example, one embodiment of a public announcement system gathers and aggregates demographic data of a population in a public place. The public announcement system creates inferences from this data to predict content delivery preferences, such as a sequence of languages or delivery characteristics (e.g., speech rate, content and volume). The delivery preferences can be ranked and then a recommendation for a public announcement provided.
US09705617B2

A system for wirelessly transmitting and receiving customized data broadcasts comprising at least one computer apparatus running an application for customized data broadcasts. The computer apparatus uses the application to transmit and/or receive at least one broadcast. The system is further comprised of a server network infrastructure with: the application, at least one application server, at least one web server; and at least one database/information server.The infrastructure, servers, and application comprise a distributed computing environment in a secure server network model wherein the environment utilizes the application as a secure communicator of the broadcasts, thereby enabling secure communication of the broadcasts between any computer apparatus running the application. The application strengthens standard broadcast security by communicating the broadcast via the distributed computing environment in a secure server network model comprised of proprietary software, a proprietary number of loops per broadcast transmission, and proprietary encoding and decoding protocols.
US09705616B2

The invention relates to a method for acoustically emitting audio broadcasting signals in a vehicle, wherein audio broadcasting signals can be transmitted into the vehicle and received there over a first and at least a second reception path, wherein the first reception path is evaluated by means of at least one criterion parameter on the basis of an audio broadcasting signal that can be received over the first reception path, and the second reception path is likewise evaluated by means of a criterion parameter on the basis of the audio broadcasting signal that can be received over the second reception path. During an emission of the audio broadcasting signal over one of the reception paths, a preparation phase for preparing a switchover from the current reception path to the other reception path is started on the basis of a comparison of the criterion parameter of the current reception path to a first threshold value (S1). In the preparation phase, the criterion parameter of the current reception path is compared to a second threshold value (S2) that is lower than the first threshold value (S1), and an examination of the switchover to the other reception path is performed if the criterion parameter of the current reception value is below the second threshold value (S2).
US09705599B2

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus for improving spectral efficiency of a communication system. The communication system can include a transmitter, a receiver and a communication link for communicating data between the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter can employ a multi-carrier technique to transmit data to the receiver. The transmitter can generate a plurality of carrier signals using a receiver-side comb generator, one of which is sent to the transmitter as a pilot carrier signal combined with modulated carrier signals over an optical link. At the receiver the receiver-side comb generator uses the pilot carrier signal to generate a plurality of receiver-side carrier signals, which are used for detecting the modulated carrier signals. As the phase noise in the modulated carrier signals and the phase noise in the receiver-side carrier signals have the same characteristics, the phase noise is cancelled at the receiver, resulting in improved detection.
US09705597B2

Techniques for communicating lighting commands through a controller area network (CAN) bus of a light bar system include generating a light code message. The light code message has a metadata portion and a value portion. The metadata portion defines a purpose of value portion. The value portion controls a state of a lighting device (e.g., a keypad's LED brightness or activation of a directional light module) in the light bar system. A data field is generated by encapsulating the light code message with an ISO-TP single frame header and a message subtype. A CAN controller generates a CAN message having an extended frame format and the data field. The CAN message is then transmitted through the CAN bus.
US09705587B2

A solar powered satellite system is provided. A power control system, for example, of the solar powered satellite system may include, but is not limited to, a first interface configured to receive a power signal from the satellite receiver, a voltage converter electrically coupled to the first interface, the voltage converter configured to reduce a voltage of the power signal received from the satellite receiver to a predetermined voltage, a second interface configured to receive a power signal from the solar panel assembly, a third interface configured to be coupled to at least one power consumer of a satellite antenna system, and a source selection circuit electrically coupled to the voltage converter, the solar panel assembly and the third interface, the source selection circuit configured to output a selected power signal based upon a comparison between the predetermined voltage and a voltage of the power signal from the solar panel assembly.
US09705586B2

A satellite comprises an antenna system configured to provide a plurality of spot beams including one or more small spot beams illuminating a first region of a coverage area, one or more large spot beams illuminating a second region of the coverage area separate from the first region and one or more intermediate sized spot beams illuminating a transition region of the coverage area that is located between the first region and the second region so that the one or more small spot beams are separated from the one or more large spot beams by the one or more intermediate sized spot beams. The one or more intermediate sized spot beams serve to mitigate C/I for the one or more spot beams.
US09705583B2

A communication device and a method of controlling the same. The communication device includes at least one receiver configured to connect to a first antenna for receiving a first signal and a second antenna for receiving a second signal; and a processor electrically coupled to the at least one receiver, wherein the processor is configured to measure received signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal based on calibration operation for the first antenna and the second antenna, select one of the first antenna and the second antenna based on the measured received signal strengths, and control the at least one receiver to receive a signal through the selected one of the first antenna and the second antenna.
US09705569B2

A method of controlling a wireless power transmitter includes actuating the wireless power transmitter to transmit a beacon signal, determining approach of an external object according to a detected change in the beacon signal, and transmitting ping signals having different frequencies responsive to the determined approach of the external object.
US09705564B2

Spatially Enabled Communication technologies are disclosed. A proximity boundary can be defined by a communication range of one or more SRC devices configured to communicate using near field magnetic induction (NFMI) using at least two antennas to provide magnetic induction diversity. A data block can be securely communicated by interspersing the data between an short range communication (SRC) device for near field magnetic induction (NFMI) communication within the proximity boundary and a radio frequency (RF) radio for RF communication. Data received on the SRC device and the RF radio can be reassembled to form the data block.
US09705561B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a coupling device including a first antenna that radiates a first RF signal conveying first data; and a second antenna that radiates a second RF signal conveying the first data from the at least one transmitting device. The first RF signal and second RF signal form a combined RF signal that is bound by an outer surface of a transmission medium to propagate as a guided electromagnetic wave substantially in a single longitudinal direction along the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09705559B2

A method of monitoring a process of powering a portable device through a cable connected between a power supply and a portable device is presented. The method includes applying a time-dependent current variation to one end of the cable in accordance with a spreading sequence, detecting a time-dependent voltage variation at the one end of the cable, the time dependent voltage variation resulting from the applying of the time-dependent current variation, and determining a quantity indicative of an impedance of the cable assembly based on the time-dependent voltage variation and the spreading sequence. Further, an apparatus for monitoring a process of powering a portable device through a cable connected between a power supply and a portable device is presented.
US09705525B1

A sensor that can provide multiple resolutions, based on the output of the same analog-to-digital converter is disclosed. Some applications require a fast measurement of a physical parameter (e.g., temperature, voltage, pressure), but can tolerate a lower resolution measurement. Other applications require a higher resolution measurement, but can tolerate a slower measurement. The sensor may comprise a sigma delta modulator (SDM) ADC that outputs a digital reading. The output may comprise a bus having a width that is equal to the desired highest resolution of the digital code for the physical parameter. The sensor may further comprise a storage unit for each desired level of resolution. The sensor may further comprise logic that causes the storage units to sample the output bus after a certain number of clock cycles in order to store a digital code having a number of bits equal to the resolution.
US09705521B1

A noise-shaping signed digital-to-analog converter is described. A method includes selectively enabling a first sequence of unit elements of a plurality of unit elements of a digital-to-analog converter to convert a signed digital code to a plurality of analog signals in response to a plurality of control signals. Individual control signals of the plurality of control signals and individual analog signals of the plurality of analog signals correspond to respective unit elements of the plurality of unit elements. The method includes generating the plurality of control signals based on a pointer, a magnitude of the signed digital code, and a sign of the signed digital code. The method may include combining the plurality of analog signals with an output of a phase/frequency detector and charge pump in a phase-locked loop. The signed digital code may be an error signal based on a predetermined divide ratio of the phase-locked loop.
US09705514B2

A hybrid analog/digital control approach for a digitally controlled oscillator augments a digital control path with an analog control path that acts to center the digital control path control signal within its range. The digital control path controls a first group of varactors within an oscillator tank circuit using a digital filter and a delta sigma modulator, which generates a dithered control signal for at least one of the first group of varactors. The analog control path controls a second group of varactors in the tank circuit but actively tunes only one varactor at a time. The analog control path performs relatively low bandwidth centering of the digital control signal resulting in negligible impact on PLL bandwidth, stability, and noise performance. Instead, the digital control path dominates in setting the PLL dynamic and noise behavior, and has reduced range requirements due to the centering action.
US09705501B2

Presented are systems and methods that allow hardware designers to protect valuable IP and information in the hardware domain in order to increase overall system security. In various embodiments of the invention this is accomplished by configuring logic gates of existing logic circuitry based on a key input. In certain embodiments, a logic function provides results that are dependent not only on input values but also on an encrypted logic key that determines connections for a given logic building block, such that the functionality of the logic function cannot be determined by reverse engineering. In some embodiments, the logic key is created by decrypting a piece of data using a secret decryption key. Advantages of automatic encryption include that existing circuitry need not be re-implemented or re-built, and that the systems and methods presented are backward compatible with standard manufacturing tools.
US09705493B2

The present invention discloses a protection apparatus for an IT network having a first and a second live line, having a signal generator which is designed to feed a first signal to the first and/or to the second live line, having a detection device which is designed to detect the profile of the fed first signal in at least one live line, and having a control device which is designed to analyze the detected profile and to output a disconnection signal when the analysis of the detected profile indicates that a living organism is in contact with the first live line and the second live line. The present invention also discloses a method and a power supply system.
US09705492B2

The present invention relates to a switch circuit and a single pole double throw (SPDT) circuit. The switch circuit includes: a MOS transistor transferring or blocking a signal according to a turn on/off operation thereof; a gate resistor connected to a gate of the MOS transistor; and a variable gate resistor circuit increasing a resistance value of the gate resistor when the MOS transistor is changed from a turn-off state to a turn-on state.
US09705490B2

There is described a driver circuit for a single wire protocol slave unit, the driver circuit comprising (a) at least one current mirror comprising a first transistor (MP1, MN3) and a second transistor (MP2, MN4), wherein the gate of both transistors is connected to a bias node (PBIAS, S2BIAS), and wherein the second transistor is adapted to conduct a mirror current (I2, IOUT) equal to a current (I1, I2) conducted by the first transistor multiplied by a predetermined factor, (b) a bias transistor (MP3, MN5) for selectively connecting and disconnecting the bias node to and from a predetermined potential (VDD, GND) in response to a control signal (ABUF, AN), and (c) a current boosting element for providing a boost current (I1P, I2P) to the bias node for a predetermined period of time when the control signal causes the bias transistor to disconnect the bias node from the predetermined potential. There is also described a universal integrated circuit card device comprising a driver circuit.
US09705482B1

A high voltage input buffer having a first transistor having a first drain, a first source and a first gate configured to receive an input signal and a second transistor having a second drain, a second source and a second gate, wherein the second source is coupled to the first source to form an output, the second gate is coupled to the first drain and the second drain is coupled to the first gate and wherein when the input signal is less than a high voltage power on the first drain an output signal at the output follows the input signal and when the input signal is greater than the high voltage power on the first drain the output follows the high voltage power and a hysteretic circuit adapted to receive the output signal.
US09705477B2

The present invention is a computationally-efficient compensator for removing nonlinear distortion. The compensator operates in a digital post-compensation configuration for linearization of devices or systems such as analog-to-digital converters and RF receiver electronics. The compensator also operates in a digital pre-compensation configuration for linearization of devices or systems such as digital-to-analog converters, RF power amplifiers, and RF transmitter electronics. The compensator effectively removes nonlinear distortion in these systems in a computationally efficient hardware or software implementation by using one or more factored multi-rate Volterra filters. Volterra filters are efficiently factored into parallel FIR filters and only the filters with energy above a prescribed threshold are actually implemented, which significantly reduces the complexity while still providing accurate results. For extremely wideband applications, the multi-rate Volterra filters are implemented in a demultiplexed polyphase configuration which performs the filtering in parallel at a significantly reduced data rate. The compensator is calibrated with an algorithm that iteratively subtracts an error signal to converge to an effective compensation signal. The algorithm is repeated for a multiplicity of calibration signals, and the results are used with harmonic probing to accurately estimate the Volterra filter kernels. The compensator improves linearization processing performance while significantly reducing the computational complexity compared to a traditional nonlinear compensator.
US09705476B2

A method and system for the design and implementation of an optimally factored filter is presented. Pairs of angle values are organized in pairing candidates and a threshold is defined to indicate an upper bound on the number of pairing candidates. A first pairing candidate is exchanged above the threshold with a second pairing candidate below the threshold and a matrix is generated based on the pairing candidates below the threshold. A lowest predicted total quantization cost between all pairing candidates represented within the matrix is determined and the pairing candidates that result in the lowest predicted total quantization cost are used to determine the coefficients of the filter.
US09705472B2

A resonator element includes: a base portion including a first end surface that faces a first direction and a second end surface that faces a direction opposite to the first direction, a first vibrating arm that is provided integrally with the base portion and is connected to the first end surface; and a second vibrating arm that is provided integrally with the base portion along the first vibrating arm and is connected to the first end surface. When the shortest distance between the first end surface and the second end surface is Wb and an effective width between the shortest distance Wb and the base portion is We, 0.81≦Wb/We≦1.70 is satisfied.
US09705466B2

A semiconductor device comprises a guarded circuit. The semiconductor device also comprises a guard ring surrounding the guarded circuit. The semiconductor device further comprises a resonant circuit coupled with the guard ring. The resonant circuit comprises an input node coupled with the guard ring. The resonant circuit also comprises an inductor. The resonant circuit further comprises a capacitor coupled with the inductor. The resonant circuit additionally comprises a ground node configured to carry a ground voltage. The inductor and the capacitor are coupled between the input node and the ground node.
US09705458B1

An energy-efficient consumer device audio power output stage with gain control provides improved battery life and reduced power dissipation without clipping the audio output signal. A control circuit controls a power supply that supplies the power supply rails to the power amplified output stage. The voltage of the power supply rails is controlled in conformity with an input audio signal level, which may be determined from a volume control setting of the device and/or from a signal level detector that determines the amplitude of the signal being amplified. The gain applied to the audio input signal is reduced for a predetermined time period when a higher output voltage of the power supply is selected, to avoid clipping the audio output signal.
US09705433B2

A control system for a motor in a refrigeration system includes an angle determination module configured to generate an output rotor angle indicative of a desired angle of a rotor of the motor. The control system controls current supplied to the motor based on the output rotor angle. The control system determines an estimated rotor angle of the motor. The angle determination module, upon startup of the motor, generates the output rotor angle based on a first rotor angle. Upon generation of a transition signal, the angle determination module generates the output rotor angle based on both the first rotor angle and the estimated rotor angle. Subsequent to generation of the transition signal, the angle determination module reduces a contribution of the first rotor angle to the output rotor angle over time until the output rotor angle is based on the estimated rotor angle independent of the first rotor angle.
US09705430B2

A method of forming an energy harvesting device comprises supporting an outer peripheral edge of a disc spring using a support element that allows oscillations of the disc spring. A first preload force is applied to the disc spring and directed along its axial center. During application of the first preload force, a piezoelectric material is fixedly secured with a surface of the disc spring. A second preload force is applied to the disc spring to thereby provide a predetermined reduction of a stiffness of the disc spring. The reduction of the stiffness corresponds to an increased sensitivity to low-frequency components of vibrational energy received by the energy harvesting device.
US09705426B2

An ultrasonic motor includes a vibrator including a contact surface that is brought into contact with a member to be driven, and a piezoelectric element fixed thereto, the vibrator configured to drive the member to be driven by an ultrasonic vibration excited by the piezoelectric element; a fixing unit; and a pressing member supported by a restraining part of the fixing unit so as not to move in a direction parallel to the contact surface, the pressing member configured to apply a bias force to the vibrator so as to press the contact surface against the member to be driven.
US09705422B2

A power inversion system includes an input and output coupleable to a DC power and an AC load, respectively, and a power inverter including a plurality of phase legs each having two bridge legs coupled in parallel with at least two switch and antiparallel diode pairs coupled in series. The system also includes a plurality of inductors, with at least one inductor coupled between a midpoint of each bridge leg and an LCL filter, the inductors in each phase leg being magnetically coupled. The system further includes a control system to drive the power inverter in a soft switching configuration, the control system programmed to output a switching signal to the power inverter according to a duty cycle and a phase shift angle, determine a value of the duty cycle, and optimize the phase shift angle of the power inverter based on the value of the duty cycle.
US09705421B2

A self-excited push-pull converter, where between the bases of the push-pull converter's transistors (TR1, TR2) and the effective power suppler there is provided a constant current source (II), which provides a constant current to the bases of the transistors. With the working voltage increases, the circuit enters into an operating mode not based on the core-saturation working mode, because the transistors' base current is limited by the constant current source and consequently the transistors' collector current cannot increase.
US09705419B2

Inverter control device is provided. First correcting-signal providing unit of the inverter control device provides a signal reflecting an active power correcting signal. Active power control unit of the inverter control device generates an angle control signal reflecting an output voltage phase of an inverter. Second correcting-signal providing unit of the inverter control device provides a signal reflecting a reactive power correcting signal. Reactive power control unit of the inverter control device generates a control signal reflecting an output voltage amplitude of the inverter. Processing unit of the inverter control device receives a feedback signal reflecting an output current of the inverter, a feedback signal reflecting an output voltage of the inverter, the angle control signal, and the control signal, and outputs a signal reflecting the active power of the inverter, a signal reflecting the reactive power of the inverter, and a voltage command signal.
US09705412B2

The present disclosure is directed to a switching power converter having a regulated output voltage or output current. The power converter uses a control unit having a signal conditioning circuit to produce a control voltage signal, which is used to drive a power stage of the converter. The signal conditioning circuit includes a comparator that compares a measured electrical quantity to a reference value representative of a desired regulated output quantity, and produces a digital detection signal based on the comparison. A control actuator uses the digital detection signal to produce a correction signal, which is received by an averaging circuit. The averaging circuit then produces the control voltage signal based on an average of the correction signal.
US09705410B2

Phase differences between primary-side series-connected first and second arms and secondary-side series-connected fifth and sixth arms and between primary-side series-connected third and fourth arms and secondary-side series-connected seventh and eighth arms are controlled for power being transmitted from the secondary side to the primary side. Turn-off of the fifth arm is corrected to cause an integrating result of a secondary coil current for an interval delayed by a current sensor response delay from an interval between turn-off of the first arm and turn-on of the seventh arm to approach zero, or turn-off of the seventh arm is corrected to cause an integrating result of the secondary coil current for an interval delayed by the response delay from an interval between turn-off of the third arm and turn-on of the fifth arm to approach zero.
US09705409B2

A power converter includes a transformer including a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding, a bridge circuit including a switching element, and an inductor. A direct current voltage is converted into an alternating current voltage by turning on and off the switching element in the bridge circuit. An output voltage in the secondary winding is induced by supplying the alternating current voltage to the primary winding. The inductor is disposed on a path connecting the switching element and the primary winding. A resonance inductance value Lr including a leakage inductance value of the transformer and an inductance value of the inductor satisfies Formula 1.
US09705390B2

To provide a novel oscillating type actuator capable of securing a stoppage and holding when not energized, and producing a stable, responsive and highly durable oscillating arm even using a non-rare each magnet. The actuator is constituted by a housing; a shaft supported in the housing to be axially rotatable and has an output part to produce an output; a plate-shape oscillating arm that is fixedly supported to a shaft and has a swing surface perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, the oscillating arm performing a swing in a predetermine rotation angle range; two permanent magnets arranged along a swing direction of the oscillating arm and have pole faces different from each other on the swing surface; two magnet coils opposingly arranged to respectively face the permanent magnets; and a pair of interpoles arranged around a periphery of each of the magnet coils to opposingly sandwich one of the permanent magnets arranged side by side.
US09705388B2

A rotor comprises laminations with a plurality of rotor bar slots with an asymmetric arrangement about the rotor. The laminations also have magnet slots equiangularly spaced about the rotor. The magnet slots extend near to the rotor outer diameter and have permanent magnets disposed in the magnet slots creating magnetic poles. The magnet slots may be formed longer than the permanent magnets disposed in the magnets slots and define one or more magnet slot apertures. The permanent magnets define a number of poles and a pole pitch. The rotor bar slots are spaced from adjacent magnet slots by a distance that is at least 4% of the pole pitch. Conductive material is disposed in the rotor bar slots, and in some embodiments, may be disposed in the magnet slot apertures.
US09705383B1

Provided is a light activated generator comprising typically a plurality of vanes affixed to a hub rotatable around the longitudinal axis of an axle. Each vane comprises a conductor and comprises a planar surface oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle with each vane separated into a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are generally co-planer and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the axle. Additionally, the first and second surfaces have differing emissivities. When the light activated generator is illuminated with a radiant flux, the differing emissivities of the first and second surfaces produce a temperature gradient across the vane, and a thermal creep force across the planar surface generates a revolution of the vane around the longitudinal axis of the axle to motivate the conductor through a magnetic field, generating a voltage across the conductor.
US09705381B2

Provided is an electric generator which is capable of being used indoors. The electric generator employs the use of a cooling system which injects water directly into the engine through a domestic water pipe. The cooling system does not require the use of a water pump, radiator, cooling fans, alternator or any associated belts. The electric generator also employs the use of an exhaust system which allows for the passage of cooled exhaust gases and water from the engine in a safe manner without having exhaust fumes enter the home and without posing a fire hazard to the home or building structure. Further advantages of the indoor electric generator are discussed herein.
US09705379B2

A driving device is provided with a gear unit and axial gap motors. The gear unit is provided with an input shaft and a driven member. The input shaft is supported by a supporting member. The input shaft is engaged with the driven member. Two axial gap motors are respectively attached to the input shaft so as to face each other.
US09705374B2

A radially outer insulating paper includes: an annular radially outer insulating paper base portion that is disposed on a radially inner side of a row of first coil terminals; and radially outer insulating paper protruding portions that each protrude radially outward from an axially outer end portion of the radially outer insulating paper base portion, and that are inserted between adjacent first coil terminals axially further outward than second bent portions; and a radially inner insulating paper includes: an annular radially inner insulating paper base portion that is disposed on a radially outer side of a row of second coil terminals; and radially inner insulating paper protruding portions that each protrude radially inward from an axially outer end portion of the radially inner insulating paper base portion, and that are inserted between adjacent second coil terminals axially further outward than fourth bent portions.
US09705368B2

An electrical machine, in particular an electric motor, including a rotor, which has a laminated core made up of stacked laminating sheets having at least two tangentially extending holes, in each of which at least one permanent magnet is at least largely accommodated, at least one laminating sheet having at least one elastic arm, which is arranged between the at least two permanent magnets and lies against a permanent magnet and resiliently acts on said permanent magnet substantially in a tangential direction.
US09705367B2

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a electric generator which has a simple structure while sufficiently suppressing cogging torque. A electric generator is constituted by a rotor section comprising a plurality of protrusions which is arranged linearly with constant pitch at mutually separated positions sandwiching permanent magnets, and a stator section which has a stator member comprising stator yokes, permanent magnets facing the permanent magnets, and protrusions which protrude closer to the rotor section than the permanent magnets and are arranged linearly with constant pitch at mutually separated positions sandwiching the permanent magnets, the stator member being configured such that the protrusions and the protrusions are shifted from each other by a half pitch between adjoining stator members. Further, the rotor section-side protrusions may be shifted by a half pitch instead of the stator section-side protrusions.
US09705363B2

In a communication control device in which an antenna electrode having an antenna connected thereto, a power supply circuit, and a communication circuit are mounted on a mounting board, the antenna electrode is disposed at one corner portion on a principal surface of the mounting board, the communication circuit is disposed on a side of a first side of the principal surface that shares the corner portion, and the power supply circuit is disposed on a side of a second side facing the first side. Further, a first signal path connecting the antenna electrode and the communication circuit extends along the first side, and a second signal path connecting the antenna electrode and the power supply circuit extends along a third side that shares the corner portion and is perpendicular to the first side.
US09705355B2

Provided are improvements for systems and methods of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) power regulation. The system improvements include a regulation circuit that controls a silicon controlled rectifier circuit. Method improvements include one or more of SCR load sharing, adaptive voltage droop compensation, and/or voltage rebound compensation.
US09705354B2

Provided are improvements for systems and methods of alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) power regulation. The system improvements include a regulation circuit having a microprocessor that controls a silicon controlled rectifier circuit. Method improvements include one or more of SCR load sharing, adaptive voltage droop compensation, and/or voltage rebound compensation.
US09705352B2

A wireless charging method includes determining whether at least one wireless charging device is in a wireless charging area. When it is determined that there is one wireless charging device in the wireless charging area, the wireless charging device is charged. When it is determined that at least two wireless charging devices are in the wireless charging area, the priority of wireless charging among the at least two wireless charging devices is determined, and the wireless charging device having higher priority is wirelessly charged.
US09705348B2

The present invention relates to methods, tools and systems for manufacturing a durable and portable power-conditioned personal solar system charging apparatus. Various voltage and amperage matching algorithms are manipulated to particularize the personal solar system to power and/or charge an intended portable device or a set of intended portable devices having direct current (DC) load requirements. The optimized personal solar system that is matched to an intended device allows direct coupling to the intended device without the use of an internal battery or ancillary electronic circuit boards to distract the personal solar system output, and facilitates “fast” charging modes.
US09705322B2

A DC power supply control system includes a voltage conversion module configured to couple to a DC power supply and convert a DC voltage to a power voltage; a power port coupled to the voltage conversion module and configured to be coupled to a peripheral load; a switch module coupled to the voltage conversion module and configured to switch on/off the voltage conversion module; and a detection module coupled to the power port and configured to detect the peripheral load. When the detection module detects the peripheral load, the switch module switches on the voltage conversion module, allowing the DC voltage to be converted to the power voltage. Without a peripheral load being detected by the detection module, the switch module switches off the voltage conversion module. A DC power supply control circuit is further disclosed.
US09705307B2

A reverse current protection (RCP) circuit is provided that includes an RCP switch coupled between a power supply rail and a buffer power supply node. A control circuit powered by a buffer supply voltage on the buffer power supply node controls the RCP switch to open in response to a discharge of a power supply voltage carried on the power supply rail.
US09705306B2

A non-isolated power supply is configured to receive an input voltage and supply an output voltage, and includes a supply line, a return line, a first semiconductor switch coupled in series in the supply line, and a second semiconductor switch coupled in series in the return line. The first and second semiconductor switches are each configured to operate in an ON state and an OFF state. The differential current sensor is configured to sense differential current between the supply line and the return line. The fault detection logic is coupled to the differential current sensor, the first semiconductor switch, and the second semiconductor switch, and is configured to detect when the differential current exceeds a predetermined current magnitude, and command the first and second semiconductor switches to operate in the OFF state upon detecting that the differential current exceeds the predetermined current magnitude.
US09705290B2

An electrically conductive cover which in assembly is received over at least part of a spark plug boot and at least part of a nut portion of a metal body of a spark plug received in the boot. The cover may have an opening through which an arm portion of the boot extends which arm portion receives an electric wire for supplying a current at a high potential voltage to the spark plug.
US09705287B2

A method of stably manufacturing a p type nitride semiconductor layer using a carbon dopant is provided. A crystal plane substrate is prepared having a main surface which has an offset angle in a range of +/−0.1% with respect to a C-plane or a crystal plane equivalent to the C-plane; and during a time period in which a III-source gas and a V-source gas are supplied to grow a III-V group nitride semiconductor layer, carbon tetrabromide (CBr4), which is a carbon source gas, is supplied so as to introduce carbon into a V-group atom layer.
US09705280B2

A system, method, and device for efficiently maintaining a stable operational temperature for precise operation of a laser. The system can include an ambient temperature sensor, a cooler controller adapted to control a cooler having an adjustable setpoint, a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory can store software instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations that can include receiving data from the sensor and determining the ambient temperature based on the received data. The determined ambient temperature can be compared to a current setpoint. When the delta exceeds a predetermined threshold, the setpoint can be adjusted to enable the operating environment of the laser to reach a control temperature closer to ambient conditions (and within a predetermined operating temperature range of the laser). Adjusted setpoint data can be transmitted to the cooler controller to adjust the setpoint of the cooler.
US09705268B1

The present invention is to provide a connector having a configuration pin, configured to connect with a USB Type-C transmission port and including at least a ground terminal, at least a power terminal, at least a configuration channel and two signal transmission terminals, wherein each of the terminals and channels extends through an insulating base and has an inserting portion at the front end of the insulating base and a connecting portion at the rear end of the insulating base, and the connecting portion of the configuration channel lies between the connecting portion of the power terminal and the connecting portion of the ground terminal, thereby forming the configuration pin between a ground pin and a power pin of the connector. Thus, a resistor can be easily connected between the configuration pin and the ground pin or the power pin according to practical needs, without the risk of short-circuiting.
US09705265B2

A configurable electrical connector key for connecting an electronic door lock to an external unit, such as a lock monitoring or control system, includes a connector key housing shaped to engage the electronic door lock and a configurable circuit mounted within the connector key housing that makes a configured interconnection between selected components within the door lock and the external unit. The combination of an electrical connector key and an electronic door lock and a system and method including multiple differently configured electrical connector keys and one or more standardized electronic door locks allow selected sensors and functions of the door lock to be enabled by selecting an appropriately configured electrical connector key.
US09705257B2

A plug connector for protecting an electrical system, in particular an electronic device, a semiconductor component or cable harness, against overvoltage discharge, includes contact pins embedded in a plastic body, wherein the plastic has an area between the contact pins that exhibits an electrical resistance with an essentially electrically insulating property within an operating range up to a limiting voltage, and further exhibits a diminished electrical resistance above the limiting voltage, allowing a discharge of the overvoltages between the contact pins. A method of manufacturing the plug connector and its use are also disclosed.
US09705251B2

A female connector housing (8) is provided with a lever accommodating portion (8B), and a lever (6) is rotatably mounted on an outer surface (18) of a main body portion (8A) inside. The lever (6) is provided with a lock arm (24). An operating portion (24B) is provided on a tip part of the lock arm (24) and covered by a protecting portion (28). In the case of separating male and female connectors (M, F), the locking of a lock protrusion (25) and a locking projecting edge (26) is released by pinching a first pinching surface (27) formed on the operating portion (24B) of the lock arm (24) and a second pinching surface (29) of the protecting portion (28). Since the first pinching surface (27) and the second pinching surface (29) are arranged along a deflecting direction of the lock arm (24), a pinching operation is facilitated.
US09705244B1

The electric connector includes an outer shell, at least one terminal, at least one floating resilient part, at least one screw and a panel. The outer shell includes at least one terminal groove and at least two fastening grooves. The floating resilient part includes at least one inner resilient tab and at least one outer resilient tab. The terminal groove is provided at the middle portion of the outer shell and has an end opening provided at the center of the panel. The fastening grooves are respectively provided at two sides of the outer shell and have end openings provided at two sides of the panel. The terminal is pluggable into the terminal groove, and a head of the terminal passing through the ending opening of the terminal groove is connected with a terminal of a mating connector.
US09705230B2

A plug cover removal and storage device includes a body. The body includes a first end portion and a second end portion. At least one of the first or second end portions comprise a curvilinear edge. One of first and second side portions is concave relative to a longitudinal axis of the body. The other of the first and second side portions is convex relative to the longitudinal axis. The body further includes a bottom surface extending between the first and second end portions and the first and second side portions and opposing a top surface. The body further includes a tapered portion extending between the curvilinear edge and at least one of the top and bottom surfaces. The body further includes at least one aperture in the body, wherein the at least one aperture is sized and configured to receive a prong of a plug cover.
US09705229B2

A plug contact includes a plate-shaped contact portion. The plate-shaped contact portion includes an upper contact surface where a receptacle contact is contactable. A plug housing includes: a base; a pair of side end cover portions that projects in a mating direction from the base and covers both side ends of the plate-shaped contact portion; a leading end cover portion which couples leading ends of the pair of side end cover portions in the mating direction and covers a leading end of the plate-shaped contact portion; a pair of beams that couples the base with a middle portion of the leading end cover portion in a longitudinal direction; and an outside cover. The receptacle contact includes a pair of upper elastic spring pieces disposed so as to sandwich one of the beams. The receptacle contact is formed by bending a single metallic plate.
US09705226B1

An electrical connector includes a housing having a plurality of terminal towers with terminal channels therein. The terminal towers surround a central cavity. A TPA device is front loaded into the central cavity through a mating end in a loading direction. The TPA device includes a locking device having locking tabs. The locking device is loaded into the central cavity in the loading direction to a loaded position and moved in a locking direction generally perpendicular to the loading direction to a locked position. The locking tabs are at least partially received in the terminal channels in corresponding terminal towers in blocking positions for blocking removal of the terminals from the terminal channels when in the locked position.
US09705221B2

An electronic component includes at least a contact member having, on a surface of a contact portion adapted to come into contact with another contact member, at least an undercoat plating layer and a main plating layer formed on the undercoat plating layer. A coating containing a fluorine-based oil is provided on the main plating layer, and the coating has a dry coating weight per unit area on the main plating layer of greater than or equal to 0.011 mg/cm2.
US09705214B2

The electrical contact (200) comprises a contact part (212) exhibiting a surface (228, 230) intended to be in contact with the surface of a support, and a clip (202) intended to receive a pin of an electrical component, so that the pin received lies along a main axis parallel to an up/down direction. The clip (202) comprises at least two jaws (204, 206, 208, 210) around the axis A, which are intended to grip the pin laterally, each jaw (204, 206, 208, 210) exhibiting a fixed end and a free end, and the contact surface is formed by at least one flange (228, 230) intended to come to bear on said surface of the support.
US09705206B2

A square bracket-shaped radiation element is in a non-ground region of a board. A first reactance element that equivalently enters a short-circuited state in a second frequency band is connected between a second end of the radiation element and a ground conductor. A second reactance element that equivalently enters a short-circuited state in a first frequency band s connected between a first end of the radiation element and the ground conductor. In the UHF band, the radiation element and the ground conductor function as an inverted F antenna that contributes to field emission. In the HF band, a loop including the radiation element and the ground conductor functions as a loop antenna that contributes to magnetic field emission.
US09705199B2

A dielectric travelling wave antenna (DTWA) using a TEM mode transmission line and variable dielectric substrate.
US09705192B2

An antenna device includes an antenna coil including a first conductive pattern disposed on a first major surface of a magnetic sheet, a second conductive pattern disposed on a first major surface of a non-magnetic sheet, and an interlayer conductor connecting the first conductive pattern and second conductive pattern. The antenna coil including the first conductive pattern and second conductive pattern defines a spiral or substantially spiral pattern. The antenna device is a resin multilayer structure in which its base body is a laminate of the magnetic layer and non-magnetic layer and the predetermined patterns are disposed inside and outside the laminate.
US09705189B2

A radar sensor device for motor vehicles, having a sensor housing, which includes a radome; a fastening section having an engagement contour for a fastening element which is in engagement with the engagement contour and carries a mirror-reflective region; and further fastening sections having engagement contours that are suitable for the engagement of such a fastening element, to fasten the radar sensor device in the installation location in the motor vehicle; and a method for fastening a mirror to a radar sensor device for motor vehicles. Fastening elements of a similar type, which are suitable for the engagement with engagement contours of fastening sections of the radar sensor device, are provided, and at least one of the fastening elements is provided with a mirror-reflective region, so that a mirror is formed; and the fastening elements are fastened to the fastening sections.
US09705164B2

The present invention has been achieved to provide a metal-air battery that allows removal of a metallic compound without suspending power supply. The metal-air battery of the present invention includes: first and second electrolytic tanks for storing an electrolytic solution; a metallic electrode to serve as an anode provided in the first electrolytic tank; and an air electrode to serve as a cathode, wherein the metallic electrode is formed of a metal which becomes a metallic ion or composes a metallic compound in the electrolytic solution with progress of a battery reaction, the first and second electrolytic tanks are communicated with each other for allowing the electrolytic solution in the first electrolytic tank to move into the second electrolytic tank, and the metallic ion or the metallic compound in the electrolytic solution is precipitated as a metallic compound precipitate in the second electrolytic tank.
US09705159B2

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a positive electrode 4 including a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material and a binder, the positive electrode mixture layer being provided on the positive electrode current collector; a negative electrode 5; a porous insulating layer 6 interposed between the positive electrode 4 and the negative electrode 5; and a nonaqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode 4 has a tensile extension percentage of equal to or higher than 3.0%. The positive electrode current collector is made of aluminum containing iron. In this manner, the tensile extension percentage of the positive electrode is increased without a decrease in capacity of the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. Accordingly, even when the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery is destroyed by crush, occurrence of short-circuit in the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery can be suppressed.
US09705158B2

The present invention relates to a rechargeable battery comprising a non-aqueous electrolytic solution using an alkyl methanesulfonate as a solvent for dissolving the electrolytic salt, and can improve the life characteristics of the battery at high temperature and the high-temperature performance.
US09705142B2

A fuel cell system capable of adjusting the amount of humidification of reaction gas includes a fuel cell stack in which fuel cells are stacked, an air supplier supplying air to the fuel cell stack, a humidifier humidifying air supplied through the air supplier with air discharged from the fuel cell stack, and a hydrogen supplier supplying hydrogen to the fuel cell stack. A condensate water processor is configured to store and discharge condensate water discharged from the fuel cell stack through a hydrogen exhaust line. A drain line connects an air exhaust line and the hydrogen exhaust line of the fuel cell stack. A water trap is installed in the drain line and stores the condensate water. A water reservoir is installed at a connection point connecting the drain line and the air exhaust line and stores condensate water discharged from the water trap.
US09705139B2

A method for forming seals in a fuel cell stack includes a step of screen printing a first sealing layer on a first flow field plate. The first sealing layer defines a first pattern and has a first predetermined sealing layer thickness. A multilayer seal is formed by screen printing a second sealing layer over the first sealing layer. The second sealing layer defines a second pattern and has a second predetermined sealing layer thickness. A third sealing layer is screen printed over a first side of a second flow field plate and has a third predetermined sealing layer thickness. A fourth sealing layer is screen printed over a second side of the second flow field plate having a fourth predetermined sealing layer thickness. The first flow field plate and the second flow field plate are combined to form flow channels for guiding reactants a fuel cell catalyst layers.
US09705116B2

A battery pack may include a battery cell, a cradle, a board and a housing. The cradle may be coupled with the battery cell and may include one or more guide members extending from and integrally formed with a surface of the cradle. The board may be mounted to the cradle and may include a plurality of terminal contacts electrically connected with the battery cell. The one or more guide members may be adapted to guide a device into engagement with the terminal contacts. The housing may at least partially enclose the cradle and the battery cell and may include one or more guide apertures and a plurality of terminal apertures. The one or more guide members may protrude through the one or more guide apertures. Each of the terminal apertures may be aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of contacts.
US09705115B2

A portable electronic device is described. This portable electronic device includes an external housing with a cavity defined by an edge. A keyboard, having a front surface and a back surface, is disposed in the cavity with the front surface facing the external housing. Moreover, a tray is disposed over the back surface of the keyboard, and is mechanically coupled to the external housing adjacent to the edge. Furthermore, battery cells are mechanically coupled to an opposite side of the tray from the back surface of the keyboard. The tray may allow the battery cells to be removed from the portable electronic device without damaging the keyboard. In addition, the tray may increase the compression strength and/or the bending strength of the portable electronic device.
US09705099B2

An improved OLED includes an emissive layer disposed between a cathode and an anode where the emissive layer includes a multi-component host material and a phosphorescent emitter material. The host material includes at least a first host compound and a second host compound, where the first host compound is hole-transporting host compound having the general formula wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 may be the same or different fluorine atom, chlorine atom, a deuterium atom, a cyano group, a trifluoromethyl group, a nitro group, linear or branched alkyl group (C1-C6), cyclo-alkyl group (C5-C10), linear or branched alkoxy group (C1-C6), cyclo-alkoxy group (C5˜C10), substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted condensed polycyclic aromatic group, r1, r4, r5=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 r2, r3 r6; =0, 1, 2 or 3 n=0 or 1, and Ar1, Ar2, and Ar3 may be the same or different, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, substituted or unsubstituted aromatic heterocyclic group, substituted or unsubstituted condensed polycyclic aromatic group, deuterium substituted aromatic hydrocarbon group, deuterium substituted aromatic heterocyclic group, or deuterium substituted condensed polycyclic aromatic group.
US09705093B2

A heterocyclic compound represented by Formula 1 below and an organic light-emitting device including the heterocyclic compound are provided:
US09705092B2

An improved OLED includes an emitter layer disposed between a cathode and an anode where the emitter layer includes a host material and a phosphorescent emitter material. A first hole transport layer is disposed between the emitter layer and the anode and a second hole transport layer is disposed between the first hole transport layer and the anode. The first hole transport layer includes a first hole transport material that is a carbazole type compound and the second hole transport layer includes a second hole transport material that is different from the first hole transport material. The phosphorescent emitter material includes a phosphorescent organometallic compound that is a heteroleptic compound represented by the formula L2MX, LL′MX, LL′L″M, or LMXX′, wherein L, L′, L″, X, and X′ are inequivalent, bidentate ligands and M is a metal that forms octahedral complexes, wherein L, L′, and L″ are monoanionic inequivalent bidentate ligands coordinated to M through an sp2 hybridized carbon and a heteroatom.
US09705077B2

A method for forming a memory device includes masking a photoresist material using a reticle and a developer having a polarity opposite that of the photoresist to provide an island of photoresist material. A planarizing layer is etched to establish a pillar of planarizing material defined by the island of photoresist material. A metal layer is etched to form a metal pillar having a diameter about the same as the pillar of planarizing material. A memory stack is etched to form a memory stack pillar having a diameter about the same as the metal pillar. A magnetoresistive memory cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction pillar having a circular cross section. The pillar has a pinned magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. A first conductive contact is disposed above the magnetic tunnel junction pillar. A second conductive contact is disposed below the magnetic tunnel junction pillar.
US09705070B2

In order to obtain a ferroelectric thin film that is formed to have a predetermined thickness on a substrate, that have satisfactory crystallization and that achieves a high piezoelectric property, a method of manufacturing such a ferroelectric thin film and a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric element having such a ferroelectric thin film, when a dielectric material of a perovskite structure is formed into a film on the substrate, a predetermined amount of additive is mixed with PZT, and the concentration of the additive mixed is varied in the thickness direction of the thin film.
US09705069B2

A sensor device includes a charge output element including a plurality of piezoelectric bodies and an internal electrode formed between the piezoelectric bodies, a package that houses the charge output element, first conductive paste electrically connected to a plurality of the internal electrodes, and second conductive paste that electrically connects the first conductive paste and an output terminal and has a modulus of elasticity lower than a modulus of elasticity of the first conductive paste. A Young's modulus of the first conductive paste is equal to or higher than 3.4 GPa and equal to or lower than 5.0 GPa and a Young's modulus of the second conductive paste is equal to or higher than 0.1 GPa and equal to or lower than 0.2 GPa.
US09705066B2

A head includes a channel formation substrate having two piezoelectric actuator rows formed thereon, a driving circuit, and a driving circuit board which is provided with a first bump and a second bump, in which the first bump is provided on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator row, an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the first bump and the second bump, a first through hole and a second through hole are provided on the driving circuit board, a first connection wiring and a second connection wiring are provided in the first through hole and the second through hole, and a first electrode of the piezoelectric actuator is electrically connected to a first connection wiring via the first bump and a second electrode is electrically connected to a second connection wiring via the second bump.
US09705060B2

Disclosed is a thermoelectric conversion material having excellent performance. The thermoelectric material according to the present disclosure includes Cu and Se, and has a plurality of different crystal structures together, in which Cu atoms and Se atoms are arranged in the crystal, at a predetermined temperature.
US09705055B2

An LED comprises a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, a second semiconductor layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The first semiconductor layer, the active layer, and the second semiconductor layer are stacked in that order and located on a surface of the first electrode. The second electrode is electrically connected with the second semiconductor layer. A number of first three-dimensional nano-structures are located on a surface of the second semiconductor layer away from the active layer. The first three-dimensional nano-structures are linear protruding structures, a cross-section of each linear protruding structure is an arc.
US09705049B2

A phosphor is provided which is represented by the general formula MxCeySi6-zBzN8+w. M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Y, Tb and Lu. And w, x, y, and z satisfy 2.0
US09705047B2

A method according to embodiments of the invention includes providing a wafer of semiconductor light emitting devices, each semiconductor light emitting device including a light emitting layer sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region. A wafer of support substrates is provided, each support substrate including a body. The wafer of semiconductor light emitting devices is bonded to the wafer of support substrates. Vias are formed extending through the entire thickness of the body of each support substrate.
US09705042B2

The disclosed technology provides micro-assembled micro-LED displays and lighting elements using arrays of micro-LEDs that are too small (e.g., micro-LEDs with a width or diameter of 10 μm to 50 μm), numerous, or fragile to assemble by conventional means. The disclosed technology provides for micro-LED displays and lighting elements assembled using micro-transfer printing technology. The micro-LEDs can be prepared on a native substrate and printed to a display substrate (e.g., plastic, metal, glass, or other materials), thereby obviating the manufacture of the micro-LEDs on the display substrate. In certain embodiments, the display substrate is transparent and/or flexible.
US09705031B2

A semiconductor wafer comprising a substrate; a first AlGaN layer on the substrate; a second AlGaN layer on the first AlGaN layer; a GaN layer on the second AlGaN layer; and a plurality of crystalline GaN islands between the first and second AlGaN layers.
US09705030B2

An ultraviolet (UV) light emitting structure, a UV light emitting device, and a method of making a UV light emitting structure or device, wherein the UV light emitting structure or device has an AlN or AlGaN injection layer with high aluminum content between the light emitting active region and the p-doped layers and wherein the injection layer has a thickness such that holes can tunnel from the p-side of the semiconductor-based ultraviolet light emitting diode structure through the injection layer in the active zone and also reducing leakage electrons out of the active zone.
US09705021B2

A solar pod system, comprising of an oval transparent enclosure. The oval transparent enclosure encapsulates a circular paraboloidal reflector mounted on solar cell. The solar cell extends over the circular parabolic reflector to place the focus of the paraboloidal reflector on the solar cell, whereby the solar cell receives light reflected by the circular parabolic reflector.
US09705019B2

Disclosed are a solar cell module and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell module includes a back electrode layer disposed on a support substrate and having a first separation pattern, a light absorbing layer disposed on the back electrode layer and having a second separation pattern, and a plurality of solar cells disposed on the light absorbing layer and formed with a front electrode layer including an insulator.
US09705007B2

A thin film transistor and a fabrication method thereof, and a display device are provided. The thin film transistor comprises an active layer, wherein, a target oxide is formed at a portion of the active layer where an oxygen content is higher than oxygen contents of other portions of the active layer, and a carrier mobility of the target oxide is greater than that of other portions of the active layer.
US09705006B2

A semiconductor device with high aperture ratio is provided. The semiconductor device includes a nitride insulating film, a transistor over the nitride insulating film, and a capacitor including a pair of electrodes over the nitride insulating film. An oxide semiconductor layer is used for a channel formation region of the transistor and one of the electrodes of the capacitor. A transparent conductive film is used for the other electrode of the capacitor. One electrode of the capacitor is in contact with the nitride insulating film, and the other electrode of the capacitor is electrically connected to one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the transistor.
US09705003B2

The threshold voltage is shifted in a negative or positive direction in some cases by an unspecified factor in a manufacturing process of the thin film transistor. If the amount of shift from 0 V is large, driving voltage is increased, which results in an increase in power consumption of a semiconductor device. Thus, a resin layer having good flatness is formed as a first protective insulating film covering the oxide semiconductor layer, and then a second protective insulating film is formed by a sputtering method or a plasma CVD method under a low power condition over the resin layer. Further, in order to adjust the threshold voltage to a desired value, gate electrodes are provided over and below an oxide semiconductor layer.
US09705001B2

The semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor layer including a plurality of channel formation regions arranged in the channel width direction and parallel to each other and a gate electrode layer covering a side surface and a top surface of each channel formation region with a gate insulating layer placed between the gate electrode layer and the channel formation regions. With this structure, an electric field is applied to each channel formation region from the side surface direction and the top surface direction. This makes it possible to favorably control the threshold voltage of the transistor and improve the S value thereof. Moreover, with the plurality of channel formation regions, the transistor can have increased effective channel width; thus, a decrease in on-state current can be prevented.
US09704991B1

Embodiments are directed to a method of forming a semiconductor device and resulting structures having self-aligned spacer protection layers. The method includes forming a first sacrificial gate adjacent to a second sacrificial gate on a substrate. A dielectric layer is formed on the substrate and above top surfaces of the first and second sacrificial gates. A self-aligned protection region is formed to cover a first portion of the dielectric layer and a second uncovered portion of the dielectric layer is removed. The first portion of the dielectric layer defines a spacer after the second portion of the dielectric layer is removed.
US09704990B1

A transistor in an integrated circuit device is formed using fabrication processes that include techniques to create a strain in the channel material, thereby improving the performance of the transistor. In one or more embodiments, an initial transistor structure is formed including a substrate, a dummy fin, and a hard mask. The dummy fin structure is narrowed. A channel is epitaxially grown on the dummy fin structure to create a strain on the channel. A first gate stack is formed over the channel. The hard mask and dummy fin are removed. A second gate stack is formed over the channel. Excess material is removed from the second gate stack. The formation of the transistor is finalized using a variety of techniques.
US09704988B2

A transistor may include a source region and a drain region separately formed in a substrate, a trench defined in the substrate between the source region and the drain region, and a buried gate electrode formed. The buried gate electrode includes a high work function liner layer having a bottom portion which is positioned over a bottom of the trench and sidewall portions which are positioned on lower sidewalls of the trench; a low work function liner layer positioned on upper sidewalls of the trench, and overlapping with the source region and the drain region; and a low resistance layer contacting the high work function liner layer and the low work function liner layer, and partially filling the trench.
US09704983B2

A lateral trench MOSFET comprises an insulating layer buried in a substrate, a body region in the substrate, an isolation region in the substrate, a first drain/source region over the body region, a second drain/source region in the substrate, wherein the first drain/source region and the second drain/source region are on opposing sides of the isolation region, a drift region comprising a first drift region of a first doping density formed between the second drain/source region and the insulating layer, wherein the first drift region comprises an upper portion surrounded by isolation regions and a lower portion and a second drift region of a second doping density formed between the isolation region and the insulating layer, wherein a height of the second drift region is equal to a height of the lower portion of the first drift region.
US09704980B2

An insulated gate bipolar transistor includes: a drift layer having a semiconductor substrate with N-type conductivity; a collector layer having P-type conductivity at a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate at a back surface side; and a field stop layer between the drift layer and the collector layer that has a higher impurity concentration than the drift layer. In a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate, a lifetime control layer is arranged with a predetermined half value width by helium ion implantation; and the field stop layer is arranged with a predetermined half value width by hydrogen ion implantation. Further, a half value width region of the lifetime control layer and a half value width region of the field stop layer overlap each other.
US09704979B2

A semiconductor device and an electronic device are improved in performances by supporting a large current. An emitter terminal protrudes from a first side of a sealing body, and signal terminals protrude from a second sides of the sealing body. Namely, the side of the sealing body from which the emitter terminal protrudes and the side of the sealing body from which the signal terminals protrude are different. More particularly, the signal terminals protrude from the side of the sealing body opposite the side thereof from which the emitter terminal protrudes. Further, a second semiconductor chip including a diode formed therein is mounted over a first surface of a chip mounting portion in such a manner as to be situated between the emitter terminal and the a first semiconductor chip including an IGBT formed therein in plan view.
US09704971B2

A method of controlling the facet height of raised source/drain epi structures using multiple spacers, and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include providing a gate structure on a SOI layer; forming a first pair of spacers on the SOI layer adjacent to and on opposite sides of the gate structure; forming a second pair of spacers on an upper surface of the first pair of spacers adjacent to and on the opposite sides of the gate structure; and forming a pair of faceted raised source/drain structures on the SOI, each of the faceted source/drain structures faceted at the upper surface of the first pair of spacers, wherein the second pair of spacers is more selective to epitaxial growth than the first pair of spacers.
US09704962B1

A method of forming a GAA MOSFET includes providing a substrate having source, drain and channel regions, the substrate doped with one of a p-type and an n-type dopant. Disposing an etch stop-electric well (ESEW) layer over the substrate, the ESEW layer doped with the other of the p-type and the n-type dopant. Disposing a sacrificial layer over the ESEW layer, the sacrificial layer doped with the same type dopant as the substrate. Disposing a channel layer over the sacrificial layer. Patterning a fin out of the ESEW layer, sacrificial layer and channel layer in the channel region. Selectively etching away only the sacrificial layer of the fin to form a nanowire from the channel layer of the fin while the ESEW layer of the fin functions as an etch stop barrier to prevent etching of trenches in the substrate.
US09704960B2

A structure with which the zero current of a field effect transistor using a conductor-semiconductor junction can be reduced is provided. A floating electrode (102) including a conductor or a semiconductor and being enclosed by an insulator (104) is formed between a semiconductor layer (101) and a gate (105) so as to cross the semiconductor layer (101) and the floating electrode (102) is charged, whereby carriers are prevented from flowing from a source electrode (103a) or a drain electrode (103b). Accordingly, a sufficiently low carrier concentration can be kept in the semiconductor layer (101) and thus the zero current can be reduced.
US09704959B2

A field effect transistor that has a source, a drain, a gate, a semiconductor region, and a dielectric region. The dielectric region is located between the semiconductor region and the gate. Negatively charged ions are located within the dielectric layer underneath the gate.
US09704950B2

A method of fabricating non-tilted, electrically isolated fins from a bulk substrate is provided. A plurality of semiconductor fins is formed extending upwards from a remaining portion of a bulk semiconductor substrate. Each semiconductor fin includes a hard mask cap. A sacrificial dielectric material portion is formed between each semiconductor fin, wherein each sacrificial dielectric material portion has a topmost surface that is vertically offset and located below a topmost surface of each hard mask cap. An anchoring structure having an opening is then formed atop each sacrificial dielectric material portion and each hard mask cap. Next, an entirety of each sacrificial dielectric material portion is removed by etching through the opening. An oxide layer is then formed within an upper portion of the remaining portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate, wherein a portion of the oxide layer extends beneath each semiconductor fin. Next, the anchoring structure is removed.
US09704949B1

A charge-balanced (CB) diode may include one or more CB layers. Each CB layer may include an epitaxial layer having a first conductivity type and a plurality of buried regions having a second conductivity type. Additionally, the CB diode may include an upper epitaxial layer having the first conductivity type that is disposed adjacent to an uppermost CB layer of the one or more CB layers. The upper epitaxial layer may also include a plurality of junction barrier (JBS) implanted regions having the second conductivity type. Further, the CB diode may include a Schottky contact disposed adjacent to the upper epitaxial layer and the plurality of JBS implanted regions.
US09704926B2

An organic light-emitting display apparatus is provided. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a display substrate including a non-pixel area and a plurality of pixel areas including a first pixel and a second pixel having a shortest distance from the first pixel among pixels of the plurality of pixel areas; an encapsulation substrate facing the display substrate; and a spacer in the non-pixel area of the display substrate to maintain a space between the display substrate and the encapsulation substrate, wherein the spacer is between the first pixel and the second pixel.
US09704917B2

A display panel including: a cathode electrode formed in a cathode region of the display panel, the cathode electrode entirely covering an active region of the display panel a plurality of pixel units in columns and rows in the active region of the display panel; a ring-shaped edge negative voltage line formed in a ring-shaped edge portion of the cathode electrode configured to supply a negative power supply voltage to the cathode electrode; and a plurality of compensation negative voltage lines connected to the ring-shaped edge negative voltage line, the compensation negative voltage lines extending along a column direction of the display panel and arranged along a row direction of the display panel.
US09704913B2

Embodiments related to the manufacturing of an imager device and an imager device are disclosed. Embodiments associated with methods of an imager device are also disclosed.
US09704910B2

A device including a gate structure formed over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure having extensions, a device isolation structure formed into the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate structure, wherein the extensions are over a portion of the device isolation structure, and source/drain regions on both sides of the gate structure, the source/drain regions being formed in a gap in the device isolation structure and being partially enclosed by the extensions of the gate structure.
US09704900B1

A MCP photodetector assembly includes an anode plate including a plurality of electrical traces positioned thereon, a plurality of MCPs and a plurality of grid spacers. The MCPs are positioned between the grid spacers. The grid spacers have a grid spacer shape defining at least one aperture. A plurality of shims are positioned between the grid spacers and the MCPs so as to form a stack positioned on the anode plate. Each of the plurality of shims have a shim shape which is the same as the grid spacer shape such that each of the plurality of shims and each of the plurality of grid spacers overlap so as to define at least one MCP aperture. At least a portion of the plurality of MCPs are positioned within the MCP aperture. The shims are structured to electrically couple the MCPs to the anode plate.
US09704890B2

A display substrate including a lower common electrode disposed on a substrate, an insulating layer disposed on the lower common electrode, a gate pattern including a gate electrode disposed on the insulating layer and a common electrode contact part and a direct contact part spaced apart from the gate electrode, a gate insulating layer disposed on the gate pattern, a semiconductor layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, an etch stopping layer disposed on the gate insulating layer, source and drain electrodes disposed on the etch stopping layer, pixel part extending from the source and drain electrodes, a first conductive layer connected to the common electrode contact part, a second conductive layer connected to the direct contact part, and a passivation layer disposed on the source and drain electrodes, the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer.
US09704886B2

A plurality of writing transistors are connected in series, and a gate of a pass transistor, an input terminal of an inverter, or the like is directly or indirectly connected to each connection portion of the writing transistors. For example, a signal processing device includes first to third pass transistors, one semiconductor layer, and first to third wirings that overlap with the semiconductor layer and do not overlap with each other. Potentials of the first to third wirings can each change conductivities of at least portions of the semiconductor layer that overlap with the respective wirings. Gates of the first to third pass transistors are electrically connected to the semiconductor layer and are brought into a floating state depending on the conductivities of the portions of the semiconductor layer. Conduction between sources and drains of the pass transistors is controlled by potentials of the gates in the floating state.
US09704884B2

An array substrate comprises a substrate, a common electrode formed on the substrate, a light shielding layer disposed on the common electrode, an insulating layer disposed on the light shielding layer and the common electrode, a poly-silicon layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate connected with the common electrode by a hole, a medium layer and a source drain. A method for manufacturing the array substrate comprises forming a transparent conductive layer and a first metallic layer on the substrate, forming patterned common electrode and light shielding layer by multiple steps of etching so that a process of photomask can be saved, and forming holes connecting with the common electrode and the gate by a photomask etching process, then manufacturing a medium layer and a source drain. The method adopts seven processes of photomask so that the process is simplified, and the cost is lowered.
US09704883B2

A fin structure on a substrate can have a lower portion formed from the substrate, a middle portion, and an upper portion. The middle portion can include a dielectric region having a dielectric composition and a concentrated region of a first material. The first material can be an element of the dielectric composition. The concentrated region can be located at an interface of the middle portion and lower portion. The structure can also include isolation regions in the substrate on opposing sides of the fin. The structure can also include a gate structure over the upper portion of the fin that are exposed from the isolation regions. The gate structure can include a gate dielectric and gate material over the gate dielectric. The structure can also include source/drain regions extending laterally from the upper portion and the middle portion of the fin.
US09704881B2

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided including providing a semiconductor substrate with a semiconductor layer, forming a first gate electrode over the semiconductor layer, forming a second gate electrode over the semiconductor layer, forming a mask layer between the first and second gate electrodes, etching a cavity into the semiconductor layer between the first and second gate electrodes using the mask layer as an etching mask, and forming a semiconductor material in the etched cavities.
US09704867B2

A technique for forming a semiconductor device is provided. Sacrificial mandrels are formed over a hardmask layer on a semiconductor layer. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the sacrificial mandrels. The sacrificial mandrels are removed to leave the spacers. A masking process leaves exposed a first set of spacers with a second set protected. In response to the masking process, a first fin etch process forms a first set of fins in the semiconductor layer via first set of spacers. The first set of fins has a vertical sidewall profile. Another masking process leaves exposed the second set of spacers with the first set of spacers and the first set of fins protected. In response to the other masking process, a second fin etch process forms a second set of fins in semiconductor layer using the second set of spacers. The second set of fins has a trapezoidal sidewall profile.
US09704864B2

Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a fin protruding from a substrate. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes first and second gate structures on the fin, and an isolation region between the first and second gate structures. The isolation region includes first and second portions having different respective widths. Related methods of forming semiconductor devices are also provided.
US09704862B2

According to example embodiments, a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, the semiconductor device includes a substrate including a PMOSFET region and an NMOSFET region, a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode on the PMOSFET region, a third gate electrode and a fourth gate electrode on the NMOSFET region, and a first contact and a second contact connected to the first gate electrode and the fourth gate electrode, respectively. The first to fourth gate cut electrodes define a gate cut region that passes between the first and third gate electrodes and between the second and fourth gate electrodes. A portion of each of the first and second contacts overlaps with the gate cut region when viewed from a plan view.
US09704861B2

An integrated circuit (IC) device comprises a substrate having a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) region; a gate region disposed over the substrate and in the MOS region; and source/drain features in the MOS region and separated by the gate region. The gate region includes a fin structure and a nanowire over the fin structure. The nanowire extends from the source feature to the drain feature.
US09704850B2

An electrostatic discharge protection device including a silicon controlled rectifier. In one example, the silicon controlled rectifier includes a first n-type region located in a semiconductor substrate. The silicon controlled rectifier also includes a first p-type region located adjacent the first n-type region in the semiconductor substrate. The silicon controlled rectifier further includes an n-type contact region and a p-type contact region located in the first n-type region. The silicon controlled rectifier also includes an n-type contact region and a p-type contact region located in the first p-type region. The silicon controlled rectifier further includes a blocking region having a higher resistivity than the first p-type region. The blocking region is located between the n-type contact region and the p-type contact region in the first p-type region for reducing a trigger voltage of the silicon controlled rectifier.
US09704849B2

An ESD protection device comprising an SCR-type circuit including a PNP transistor and NPN transistor incorporates a Zener diode which permits the circuit to operate at comparatively low trigger voltage thresholds. Zener diode breakdown voltage is controlled by doping levels in a doped area of an N-type well. One or more diodes connected in series between the SCR circuit and the input/output terminal of the device advantageously raises the snapback voltage of the SCR circuit. The use of nitride spacers between doped regions instead of gate oxide technology significantly reduces unwanted leakage currents.
US09704848B2

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices and methods of manufacture are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of fin structures and a mesa structure from semiconductor material. The method further includes forming an epitaxial material with doped regions on the mesa structure and forming gate material over at least the plurality of fin structures. The method further includes planarizing at least the gate material such that the gate material and the epitaxial material are of a same height. The method further includes forming contacts in electrical connection with respective ones of the doped regions of the epitaxial material.
US09704846B1

The present invention relates to IC chips containing a mixture of standard cells obtained from an original set of design rules and enhanced standard cells that are a variant of the original set of design rules and methods for making the same.
US09704840B2

The present invention provides an optical semiconductor device for improving minimization and increase of detection precision. An optical semiconductor device A1 of the present invention includes: a substrate 1, including a semiconductor material, and including a main surface 111 and a back surface 112; a semiconductor light-emitting element 7A at the substrate; a semiconductor light-receiving element 7B at the substrate; a conductive layer 3, conducting the semiconductor light-emitting element 7A and the semiconductor light-receiving element 7B; and an insulating layer 2 between at least a portion of the conductive layer 3 and the substrate; wherein the substrate 1 includes a recess 14 recessed from the main surface 111 and including a bottom surface 142A of a light-emitting side recess where the semiconductor light-emitting element 7A is disposed, and a bottom surface 142B of a light-receiving side recess where the semiconductor light-receiving element 7B is disposed; a light-emitting side transparent portion 18A for light from the semiconductor light-emitting element 7A to pass through the bottom surface 142A of the light-emitting side recess to the back surface 112; and a light-receiving side transparent portion 18B for light from the back surface 112 to pass through the bottom surface 142B of the light-receiving side recess to the semiconductor light-receiving element 7B.
US09704830B1

A semiconductor structure in the form of a die comprises a silicon-containing core having a first surface, an opposite second surface and a peripheral edge surface. A circuit structure on the first surface is circumscribed by a peripheral crackstop structure which stops short of the second surface, thereby leaving an accessible portion of the peripheral edge surface free of the crackstop structure. One or more angular or orthogonal edge connector through-silicon conductive vias (“edge connector TSVs”) connect the circuit structure to the accessible portion of the peripheral edge surface without penetrating the crackstop structure. A method of making the structure includes forming the edge connector TSVs in the silicon wafer from which the semiconductor structures, i.e., dies, are cut.
US09704825B2

Chip packages and method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a chip package may include: a redistribution layer (RDL); a first chip including a plurality of first contact pads, the plurality of first contact pads facing the RDL; a second chip disposed between the first chip and the redistribution layer (RDL) wherein a portion of the first chip is disposed outside a lateral extent of the second chip; and a conductive via laterally separated from the second chip, the conductive via extending between the RDL and a first contact pad of the plurality of first contact pads, the first contact pad located in the portion of the first chip disposed outside the lateral extent of the second chip.
US09704823B2

Consistent with example embodiments, a wafer substrate undergoes processing in which a resilient material is applied to the front-side and back-side surfaces of the wafer substrate. By defining trenches in saw lanes between active device die, additional resilient material may be placed therein. In an example embodiment, after the active device die are separated into individual product devices, the resulting product device has coverage on the front-side surface, back-side surface, and the four vertical faces of the encapsulated active device die. The front-side surface has exposed contact areas so that the product device may be attached to an end user's system circuit board. Further, the resilient coating protects the encapsulated active device die from damage during assembly.
US09704821B2

A stamp for micro-transfer printing includes a body and one or more posts extending from the body. At least one of the posts has a non-planar surface contour on the distal end of the post having a size, shape, or size and shape that accommodates a non-planar contact surface of a micro-transfer printable device.
US09704816B1

An active region structure includes a device region, an active layer and a shallow trench isolation (STI) layer. The device region is defined on a substrate. The active layer is formed by a top portion of the substrate and has a plurality of device cells within the device region and a border structure surrounding the device region. The border structure has at least one branch extending into the device region and is between a portion of the device cells. The STI layer has a first part formed within the border structure to insulate the device cells from one another and a second part surrounding an outer periphery of the border structure. The second part of the STI layer isolates the device cells from a peripheral active region.
US09704803B2

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the semiconductor structure are provided. In various embodiments, the method for forming a semiconductor structure includes following steps. A structure on a semiconductor substrate is received, which the structure includes at least two conductive lines and a shorting bridge, and the conductive lines electrically connected to each other through the shorting bridge. The shorting bridge is insulated to make the conductive lines electrically isolated to each other.
US09704787B2

Disclosed is a power semiconductor package including a power transistor having a first power electrode and a gate electrode on its top surface and a second power electrode on its bottom surface. The second power electrode is configured for attachment to a partially etched leadframe segment, where the partially etched leadframe segment is attached to a substrate. A conductive clip is situated over the first power electrode and extends to the substrate in order to couple the first power electrode to the substrate without using a leadframe.
US09704779B2

A semiconductor module cooler for reducing a pressure loss of a coolant includes a first plate mounted with a first semiconductor module; a jacket disposed under the first plate and having a distribution portion, and first and second through-holes separated from each other to be disposed at end portions of the depression respectively; an inlet-side header disposed to cover the first through-hole from under the jacket; an outlet-side header disposed to cover the second through-hole from under the jacket and extending in parallel to the inlet-side header; and a plurality of cooling fins disposed in the depression and extending from above a distribution portion of the inlet-side header to above a water collection portion of the outlet-side header.
US09704773B2

A method and system for selectively dissipating thermal energy are provided. The system includes a heat-generating structure, a first heat sink, a second heat sink, and a heat transfer element. The heat-generating structure generates thermal energy. The first heat sink is in thermal communication with the heat-generating structure. The heat transfer element is configured to be selectively positioned between the first heat sink and the second heat sink to establish a path for the transfer of thermal energy between the first heat sink and the second heat sink. Upon positioning the heat transfer element between the first heat sink and the second heat sink, at least a portion of the thermal energy from the heat-generating structure is allowed to travel through the first heat sink and through the heat transfer element to the second heat sink.
US09704770B2

An electronic component module includes a substrate, an electronic component mounted on the substrate, and a resin sealing portion that seals the electronic component and covers a principal surface of the substrate. The resin sealing portion includes a film-shaped resin layer that covers upper and side surfaces of the electronic component and the principal surface of the substrate, and an embedding resin layer that covers the film-shaped resin layer. The embedding resin layer has a smaller coefficient of linear expansion than that of the film-shaped resin layer. A portion of the film-shaped resin layer covering the side surfaces has a smaller thickness than either of a thickness of a portion of the film-shaped resin layer covering the upper surface and a thickness of a portion of the film-shaped resin layer covering the principal surface.
US09704769B2

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die and an encapsulant around the semiconductor die. A fan-in interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die while leaving the encapsulant devoid of the interconnect structure. The fan-in interconnect structure includes an insulating layer and a conductive layer formed over the semiconductor die. The conductive layer remains within a footprint of the semiconductor die. A portion of encapsulant is removed from over the semiconductor die. A backside protection layer is formed over a non-active surface of the semiconductor die after depositing the encapsulant. The backside protection layer is formed by screen printing or lamination. The backside protection layer includes an opaque, transparent, or translucent material. The backside protection layer is marked for alignment using a laser. A reconstituted panel including the semiconductor die is singulated through the encapsulant to leave encapsulant disposed over a sidewall of the semiconductor die.
US09704764B2

A method comprising forming on a common support (6) one or more series of multi-layer electronic devices (covering the areas 2a, 2b respectively), and then separating the electronic devices; wherein the devices comprise one or more organic layers (9), and the method comprises depositing one or more of the organic layers (9) as a respective continuous layer extending at least from one end of the one or more series of devices to an opposite end of the one or more series of devices.
US09704756B2

Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an array having at least one first region and at least one second region. The at least one first region includes at least one first device oriented in a first direction. The at least one second region includes at least one second device oriented in a second direction. The second direction is different than the first direction.
US09704750B2

A method of forming a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device are provided. The method includes providing a wafer stack including a carrier wafer comprising graphite and a device wafer comprising a wide band-gap semiconductor material and having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the second side being attached to the carrier wafer, defining device regions of the wafer stack, partly removing the carrier wafer so that openings are formed in the carrier wafer arranged within respective device regions and that the device wafer is supported by a residual of the carrier wafer; and further processing the device wafer while the device wafer remains supported by the residual of the carrier wafer.
US09704745B2

A sacrificial layer is formed to cover the gate structures. The sacrificial layer is patterned to form a first opening in the sacrificial layer. A preliminary contact is formed in the first opening and the sacrificial layer is selectively removed. An insulating layer is formed to cover the gate structures and to expose the preliminary contact. The preliminary contact is removed to form a second opening in the insulating layer, and then a contact is formed in the second opening.
US09704742B2

An Al wiring film having a tapered shape is obtained easily and in a stable manner. An Al wiring film has a double-layer structure including a first Al alloy layer made of Al or an Al alloy, and a second Al alloy layer laid on the first Al alloy layer and having a composition different from a composition of the first Al alloy layer by containing at least one element of Ni, Pd, and Pt. The second Al alloy layer is etched by an alkaline chemical solution used in a developing process of a photoresist, and an end portion of the second Al alloy layer recedes from an end portion of the photoresist. Thereafter, by performing wet etching using the photoresist as a mask, a cross section of the Al wiring film becomes a tapered shape.
US09704736B2

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprises providing a preformed spalled structure comprising a stressor layer stack on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming an interfacial release layer on an exposed second surface of the semiconductor substrate; adhesively bonding the interfacial release layer to a rigid handle substrate using an epoxy; removing at least a portion of the stressor layer stack from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; processing the semiconductor substrate; and removing the semiconductor substrate from the interfacial release layer to impart flexibility to the semiconductor substrate.
US09704733B2

The present invention is to provide a storing container wherein Si does not drop onto a single crystal SiC substrate, and Si pressure distribution in an internal space can be made uniform. This storing container stores therein a single crystal SiC substrate to be etched by means of a heat treatment under Si vapor pressure. The storing container is formed of a tantalum metal, and has a tantalum carbide layer provided on an internal space side, and a tantalum silicide layer provided on the side further toward the internal space side than the tantalum carbide layer. The tantalum silicide layer supplies Si to the internal space. Furthermore, the tantalum silicide layer is different from adhered Si, and does not melt and drop.
US09704732B2

An apparatus for bonding semiconductor chips may comprise transfer rails configured to transfer substrates, loading members configured to load the substrates onto the transfer rails, unloading members configured to unload the substrates from the transfer rails, a first wafer supply unit configured to supply a first wafer including semiconductor chips, and/or a bonding unit configured to bond the semiconductor chips to the substrates. An apparatus for bonding semiconductor chips may comprise a transfer rail configured to transfer substrates, loading members configured to load the substrates onto the transfer rail, unloading members configured to unload the substrates from the transfer rail, a buffer member at a side of the transfer rail configured to temporarily receive the substrates loaded by the loading members, a first wafer supply unit configured to supply a first wafer including semiconductor chips, and/or a bonding unit configured to bond the semiconductor chips to the substrates.
US09704730B2

A cleaning liquid and a gas are discharged in sequence to a central portion of a substrate while the substrate is being rotated, and after nozzles that discharge them are moved to a peripheral edge side of the substrate, discharge of the cleaning liquid is switched to a second cleaning liquid nozzle set at a position deviated from a movement locus of the first cleaning liquid nozzle. Both of the nozzles are moved toward the peripheral edge side of the substrate while discharging the cleaning liquid and discharging the gas so that a difference between a distance from the discharge position of the second cleaning liquid nozzle to the central portion of the substrate and a distance from the discharge position of the gas nozzle to the central portion of the substrate gradually decreases.
US09704727B2

An EFEM includes a housing 3 that constitutes a wafer transport chamber 9 that is substantially closed by connecting load ports 4 to an opening 31a provided on a wall 31, and connecting a processing apparatus 6; a wafer transport apparatus 2, and transports a wafer between the processing apparatus 6 and the FOUPs 7 mounted on the load ports 4; a gas delivery port 11; a gas suction port 12; a gas feedback path 10; and a FFU 13 that includes a filter 13b that is provided in the gas delivery port 11, and eliminates particles contained in the delivered gas, wherein the gas in the wafer transport chamber 9 is circulated by generating a downward gasflow in the wafer transport chamber 9 and feeding back the gas through the gas feedback path 10.
US09704723B2

Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling process defects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provide configurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuum or controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations to provide additional processing capabilities in combination chamber designs. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, and correction of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etching processes performed by system tools.
US09704713B1

In one aspect, the present invention provides undoped and doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes that are substantially free from carbon and other undesired contaminants. In a second aspect, the present invention provides methods for making such undoped and doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes. In still another aspect, the present invention provides compositions comprising undoped and/or doped siloxanes, germoxanes, and silagermoxanes and a solvent, and methods for forming undoped and doped dielectric films from such compositions. Undoped and/or doped siloxane compositions as described advantageously provide undoped and/or doped dielectric precursor inks that may be employed in forming substantially carbon-free undoped and/or doped dielectric films.
US09704707B2

Provided is an oxide with a novel crystal structure, an oxide with high crystallinity, or an oxide with low impurity concentration. An oxide has a hexagonal atomic arrangement in the case of a single crystal. The oxide has a homologous structure of indium, an element M (aluminum, gallium, yttrium, or tin), and zinc. The oxide has a lattice point group observed through an analysis of a first region in a transmission electron microscopy image of a top surface of the oxide. In a Voronoi diagram having a plurality of Voronoi regions obtained through a Voronoi analysis of the lattice point group, a proportion of hexagonal Voronoi regions is higher than or equal to 78% and lower than or equal to 100%.
US09704697B2

Mass spectrometry cells include one or more interleaved magnetostatic and electrostatic lenses. In some examples, the electrostatic lenses are based on electrical potentials applied to magnetostatic lens pole pieces. In other alternatives, the electrostatic lenses can include conductive apertures. Applied voltages can be selected to trap or transport charged particles, and photon sources, gas sources, ion sources, and electron sources can be provided for various dissociation processes.
US09704695B2

A backing plate integrated sputtering target includes a flange part having a Vicker's hardness (Hv) of 90 or more and a 0.2% yield stress of 6.98×107 N/m2 or more. Enhancing the mechanical strength of only the flange part of the target inhibits the target from being deformed during sputtering, and further, does not vary the original sputtering characteristics. Consequently, the target can form a thin film having excellent uniformity. This can improve the yield and the reliability of semiconductor products, which have been progressing in miniaturization and integration.
US09704691B2

The invention relates to devices intended for treatment of materials in gas discharge plasma of low temperature, namely the induction plasma generator, placed inside the process volume (working chamber). The technical problem to be solved by the proposed invention is to increase the efficiency of the device; to improve the reliability of the device, increase purity of plasma environment and increase density of plasma generated; increase the life of device; reduce the level of noise; reduce the size of the device.
US09704690B2

A plasma apparatus includes a chuck disposed in a process chamber, a gas supply unit supplying a process gas into the process chamber, a plasma generating unit configured to generate plasma over the chuck, a direct current (DC) power generator applying a DC pulse signal to the chuck, and a sensor monitoring a state of the plasma and providing a sensing signal to the DC power generator. Each period of the DC pulse signal includes a negative pulse duration, a positive pulse duration, and a pulse-off duration. If a signal disturbance of the sensing signal occurs in an nth period of the DC pulse signal, the DC power generator changes a magnitude of a positive pulse and/or a length of the positive pulse duration of an n+1th period of the DC pulse signal, where “n” denotes a natural number.
US09704686B2

An electric alignment device and an alignment method for a birefringence grating are disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention. The electric alignment device comprises: an alignment platform provided with at least two stripe electrodes, the at least two stripe electrodes are parallel to each other so as to generate an electric field for aligning liquid crystal polymer in the birefringence grating.
US09704684B2

A circuit breaker crossbar assembly includes an elongate crossbar having a longitudinal axis, a first end and a second end, and having at least one support portion disposed therebetween. The crossbar is rotatable with respect to the longitudinal axis between a first rotational position and a second rotational position. The crossbar is coupleable to a plurality of moveable contacts of the circuit breaker. The support portion includes a first stop wall and a second stop wall defining a recess therebetween. A support structure is disposed in the recess, and comprises a support end pivotally coupled to the crossbar. The support structure has a first wall arranged to engage the first stop wall upon rotation of the crossbar toward the first rotational position, and a second wall arranged to engage the second stop wall upon rotation of the crossbar toward the second rotational position.
US09704681B2

The conduction breaking device includes a conductive body, a fixed blade, an arc-extinguishing chamber, a gas generator, a cutting member, and a cutting delaying portion. The fixed blade and the arc-extinguishing chamber are located on one side of the cuttable portion with respect to a thickness direction of the cuttable portion in the conductive body. The gas generator is located on the opposite side of the cuttable portion with respect to the thickness direction. The cutting member is arranged between the cuttable portion and the gas generator and includes a movable blade. The cutting delaying portion is provided at the movable blade and configured to allow a part of an area of the cuttable portion that is, in the width direction, closer to the center than the edges are to the center to be cut after the other parts are cut.
US09704679B2

A gas circuit breaker including a pair of main contacts is openable inside an insulating tank. A pair of arc contacts is arranged on the inner side of the main contacts, and a puffer cylinder has the main contacts and the arc contacts at an end. A puffer chamber is formed inside the puffer cylinder, and a puffer piston is provided on the inner periphery of the puffer cylinder. An insulating nozzle part is mounted on an end of the puffer cylinder to surround the arc contact. The insulating nozzle part includes a split nozzle base part and a split nozzle end part, and the split nozzle base part has a throat part.
US09704672B1

A backlit keyboard includes light guide plates; an opaque support plate including spaces each with the light guide plate disposed therein; a plurality of light emitting elements disposed on the concavity and embedded within the light guide plate; a circuit board secured onto the support plate to cover the light guide plates; keycaps above the circuit board and each including two limit members at two sides respectively; and a housing frame including openings each with the keycap slidably disposed thereon, and spacers each formed at either side of the opening of the housing frame. The spacer is fitting between two adjacent limit members that belong to each adjacent keycap and urges against the circuit board.
US09704663B2

An accessory may be provided with a button controller having a microphone and switches. Plastic structures for the accessory may be formed by injection molding. Plastic structures may be molded around a printed circuit and wiring. The wiring may have a plastic jacket. The molded plastic structures may bond with the plastic jacket to retain the wiring. The molded plastic structures may be molded directly to the printed circuit board. Protrusions on the molded plastic structures may mate with openings in a metal clip. Housing structures may be mounted to the metal clip. The metal clip may be provided with a spring to short the metal clip to a trace on the printed circuit. The metal clip may also have a portion that receives electrostatic charge during electrostatic discharge events and that discharges the charge through the spring to the trace on the printed circuit.
US09704662B2

A switch system includes a snap action switch, an operating plunger, and an actuator. The snap action switch is configured to move, with snap-action, from a first switch position to a second switch position. The operating plunger is disposed adjacent to the snap action switch and is coupled to selectively receive an actuating force. The operating plunger is configured, upon receipt of the actuating force, to retain the snap action switch in the first switch position. The operating plunger is further configured, upon removal of the actuating force, to allow the switch to move from the first switch position to the second switch position. The actuator contacts the operating plunger and is configured to selectively supply the actuating force to, and remove the actuating force from, the operating plunger. The operating plunger comprises a dielectric material having low thermal conductivity.
US09704660B2

The disclosure relates to an electrical switching device, which switches stroke-dependently, with extended switching hysteresis, including a switching element with a contact lever, the switching element cooperating with an actuating element movably guided in a holding device. The actuating element has a step-shaped portion for actuating the contact lever of the switching element and the actuating element has an opening in which an engagement element designed as a bolt or a pin engages when a switching action is initiated. The opening provided in the actuating element is formed as an elongated hole, in which the engagement element engages in order to achieve a switching stroke and a defined hysteresis is thus set depending on the design of the elongated hole.
US09704646B2

Apparatus, system and methods for transferring of a ferromagnetic metal ribbon from a roll mounted on a mandrel to another mandrel, including a mandrel located around electrical coils of a transformer. The system includes an apparatus for securing a free end of a ribbon roll including a reel onto which the ribbon roll is mounted and a ribbon retention mechanism having retaining elements movable between a retaining position in which the free end of the ribbon roll is secured on the reel and a releasing position in which the free end of the ribbon roll is free from the reel. An apparatus and method for rolling up a cuttable ferromagnetic ribbon on a mandrel are also disclosed. An apparatus and method for rolling up a cuttable ferromagnetic ribbon on a mandrel are also disclosed. An apparatus and method for manipulating and displacing ferromagnetic material along a path are also disclosed.
US09704644B2

An embedded device 105 is assembled within a flexible circuit assembly 30 with the embedded device mid-plane intentionally located in proximity to the flexible circuit assembly central plane 115 to minimize stress effects on the embedded device. The opening 18, for the embedded device, is enlarged in an intermediate layer 10 to enhance flexibility of the flexible circuit assembly.
US09704638B2

One end of a bus bar for leading an output voltage output from a switching power supply to the outside is a connection terminal connected to an output end associated with the switching power supply, while the other end is an output terminal VO. A ferrite core has a through-hole through which the bus bar is disposed. Electromagnetic coupling from the switching power supply is suppressed between the output terminal VO of the bus bar and at least a part of the ferrite core on the output terminal VO side along the bus bar. In this way, electromagnetic coupling of a part of a choke coil including the ferrite core with the bus bar penetrating therethrough on the output terminal VO side and the switching power supply is suppressed, whereby propagation of noise to the output terminal VO is suppressed.
US09704634B2

A linear actuator (20, 20′, 20″) comprises a plunger receptacle (22); a coil (24); a magnetic plunger (26); a magnetic base (28); a return spring (30); and a lock spring (32, 32′). The coil (24) is wound about at least a portion of an exterior surface of the plunger receptacle (22). The magnetic plunger (26) is at least partially disposed within a cavity at least partially formed by an interior surface of the plunger receptacle (22) for linear motion along a plunger axis (34). The magnetic base (28) is radially disposed relative to the plunger (26). The return spring (30) is disposed to bias the plunger (26) to a plunger extended position. The lock spring (32, 32′) is configured and oriented to lock the plunger (26) in the plunger extended position when power is not applied to the coil (24) but to be attracted to the magnetic base (28) and thereby permit movement of the plunger (26) to a plunger retracted position when the power is applied to the coil (24).
US09704628B2

A water based double surfacted ferrofluid having magnetite nanoparticles (2-18 nm) coated with primary and secondary surfactants is synthesized. On the other hand, an aqueous dispersion of functionalized MWCNT (diameter=14-18 μm, length=1.6-2.5 μm) is prepared by acid treatment. A hybrid solutions in different v/v ratios yielded stable dispersions having both nanoparticles and nanotubes in itself behave as one system. The synthesized hybrid fluid show magnetic response and self-sustained homogeneity of in presence of magnetic field. In addition, the hybrid fluids exhibits a long term sedimentation and magnetic stability which enables one to use them for various applications like MRI, EMI shielding, energy conversion etc.
US09704621B2

A chip resistor includes a base member, a resistive element formed on the base member, a first inner electrode held in contact with a first end portion or the resistive element, a second inner electrode held in contact with a second end portion of the resistive element, a first reverse surface electrode reaching a first end portion of the base member, and a second reverse surface electrode reaching a second end portion of the base member. The length of the first and the second reverse surface electrodes is in a range of 2/10 to 3/10 of the length of the base member. Also, the length of the first and the second reverse surface electrodes is greater than the length of the first and the second inner electrodes.
US09704620B2

The cable gland with pressure indicator of the present invention comprehends a scale (12) disposed on the sleeve (5) that fits in a body (4), the referred body (4) comprising an optical element box (14) with an optical element (13) inserted in section of its outer surface (16), the positioning of the referred section being determined in a way that the optical element box (14) is positioned above the scale (12) disposed on the sleeve (5), the outer body surface section (4) comprising a reference ring (16).
US09704616B2

To provide a fluorinated elastomer composition which is excellent in flexibility and oil resistance to lubricant oil such as automatic transmission oil, is less susceptible to heat discoloration and is excellent also in moldability, and a molded product, cross-linked product and covered electric wire, using such a fluorinated elastomer composition. A fluorinated elastomer composition comprising a tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymer (a), an ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) and an ethylene copolymer (c) containing epoxy groups, wherein the mass ratio [(a)/(b)] of the tetrafluoroethylene/propylene copolymer (a) to the ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) is from 70/30 to 40/60, and the mass ratio [(b)/(c)] of the ethylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer (b) to the ethylene copolymer (c) containing epoxy groups is from 100/0.1 to 100/10.
US09704612B2

A composition of a silver-conjugated compound composite containing (1) a silver-conjugated compound composite containing a silver particle with a Feret diameter of 1,000 nm or less and a conjugated compound having a weight average molecular weight of 3.0×102 or more being adsorbed to the silver particles and (2) an ionic compound. The ionic compound may be a compound having a structure represented by the following Formula (hh-1): [Chem. 1] Mm′+aX′n′−b  (hh-1) wherein Mm′+ represents a metal cation, X′n′− represents an anion, a and b each independently represent an integer of 1 or more, and when Mm′+ and X′n′− are each plurally present, they may be the same as or different from each other.
US09704605B2

An integrated storage, transportation and disposal system for used fuel assemblies is provided. The system includes a plurality of sealed canisters and a cask sized to receive the sealed canisters in side by side relationship. The plurality of sealed canisters include an internal basket structure to receive a plurality of used fuel assemblies. The internal basket structure includes a plurality of radiation-absorbing panels and a plurality of hemispherical ribs generally perpendicular to the canister sidewall. The sealed canisters are received within the cask for storage and transportation and are removed from the cask for disposal at a designated repository. The system of the present invention allows the handling of sealed canisters separately or collectively, while allowing storage and transportation of high burnup fuel and damaged fuel to the designated repository.
US09704596B1

A method for operating a non-volatile memory device initially includes supplying an erase voltage to the memory cells. The memory cells are in cell strings in a three-dimensional structure. The method further includes performing a first read operation of the memory cells, performing a second read operation of the memory cells, and then performing a first erase verify operation based on results of the first and second read operations. The first erase verify operation may include performing a first exclusive-or (XOR) operation on the first and second read operation results.
US09704595B1

Techniques are provided for non-volatile storage self-detecting that a heating event has occurred to the non-volatile storage. One example of the heating event is an Infrared (IR) reflow process. In one aspect, a block of memory cells in a memory device are put through a number of program/erase cycles. A group of the memory cells in the cycled block are programmed to a reference threshold voltage distribution. Some time may pass after programming the cycled block. The memory device self-detects that there has been a heating event in response to a shift in the reference VT distribution being more than an allowed amount. The memory device may switch from a first programming mode to a second programming mode in response to detecting that the heating event has occurred.
US09704594B1

The present disclosure relates to apparatus, systems, and methods that address the migration of least significant in memory cells due to inter-cell interference (ICI). The disclosed embodiments include a control unit that is configured to characterize the vulnerability of memory cells to ICI, and appropriately encode data stored in the vulnerable memory cells to address ICI. This encoding scheme, referred to as “stuck-at” encoding scheme, can be separate from the generic error correcting code encoding. The stuck-at encoding scheme can decrease the bit error rate of flash memory devices.
US09704591B2

Disclosed herein are techniques for generating a temperature independent reference current, which may be used during calibration. The temperature independent reference current may be generated based on a current through an on-chip calibration resistor. This alleviates the need for an off chip calibration resistor, which can be costly and cause slow calibration. A voltage at one terminal of the on chip calibration resistor may be modulated to substantially cancel a temperature coefficient of the on chip calibration resistor. This may result in the current passing through the on chip calibration resistor being temperature independent. The temperature independent reference current may be based on a reference voltage and a target calibration resistance.
US09704588B1

Reduced errors when sensing non-volatile memory are provided by applying a current spike or preconditioning current for a group of memory cells included a selected cell. During a sense operation, a preconditioning current can be passed through a group of non-volatile memory cells. The preconditioning current is provided prior to applying at least one reference voltage to a selected word line. The preconditioning current may simulate a cell current passing through the channel during a verification phase of programming. The preconditioning current can modify a channel resistance to approximate a state during verification to provide a more stable threshold voltage for the memory cells. Preconditioning currents may be applied selectively for select reference levels, select pages, and/or select operations. Selective application of preconditioning currents based on temperature is also provided.
US09704584B2

A semiconductor memory device includes a first block including a first memory string that includes a first memory cell and a first select transistor, a second block including a second memory string that includes a second memory cell and a second select transistor, a source line that is connected to the first memory string and the second memory string, and a controller that applies a source line voltage to the source line and a first voltage to a gate of the second select transistor during a program operation in which data is written to the first memory cell, the first voltage being greater than ground voltage and less than or equal to the source line voltage.
US09704572B2

A non-volatile memory is described that includes a sense amplifier that maintains a bit line voltage and output of the sense amplifier at a substantially constant voltage during read operations. During a preset phase, an output of the sense amplifier that is coupled to a selected bit line is grounded. At least one capacitor is precharged during the preset phase. During a sense phase, the sense amplifier output is disconnected from ground while the memory array is biased for reading a selected memory cell. A resulting cell current is integrated by the at least one capacitor. The integrated cell current discharges a sense node from the precharge level to an accurate voltage level based on the resulting cell current.
US09704571B2

A method of operating a memory device includes writing cell data having one of at least three states to a memory cell; amplifying a voltage level of a bit line connected to the memory cell; determining that the cell data is in a first state when the voltage level of the bit line sensed at a sensing point is equal to or greater than a first reference voltage; determining that the cell data is in a second state when the voltage level of the bit line sensed at the sensing point is equal to or less than a second reference voltage which has a lower voltage level than the first reference voltage; and determining that the cell data is in a third state when the cell data is not in the first or second states.
US09704570B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes first and second memory cells, a word line, and first and second bit lines. The first and second bit lines are electrically connected to one ends of the first and second memory cells, respectively. In retry reading, a voltage applied to the first bit line is different from a voltage applied to the second bit line.
US09704568B1

Embodiments herein describe a SRAM that selectively flips received chunks of data from a high power state to a low power state before storing the chunks of data. The SRAM generates a flip bit for each of the data chunks stored in memory. The state of the flip bit varies depending on whether the corresponding data chunk was flipped before being stored in the SRAM. In one embodiment, the SRAM flips the bits in a data chunk before storing the bits only if all the bits are in the high power state. If so, the SRAM sets the flip bit for the data chunk to a first state and changes all the bits to the low power state before storing the data chunk. If not, the SRAM sets the flip bit to a second state and stores the data chunk without changing the states of the bits.
US09704564B2

A structure includes an SRAM cell includes a first and a second pull-up MOS device, and a first and a second pull-down MOS device forming cross-latched inverters with the first pull-up MOS device and the second pull-up MOS device. A first metal layer is over the gate electrodes of the MOS devices in the SRAM cell. The structure further includes a first metal layer, and a CVss landing pad, wherein the CVss landing pad has a portion in the SRAM cell. The CVss landing pas is in a second metal layer over the first metal layer. A word-line is in the second metal layer. A CVss line is in a third metal layer over the second metal layer. The CVss line is electrically coupled to the CVss landing pad.
US09704560B2

An integrated circuit includes a physical layer interface having a control timing domain and a data timing domain, and circuits that enable the control timing domain during a change in power conservation mode in response to a first event, and that enable the data timing domain in response to a second event. The control timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a command and address path, and the data timing domain can include interface circuits coupled to a data path.
US09704558B2

Provided is a method of refreshing a memory device by controlling a self-refresh cycle according to temperature. In the method, first self-refresh and second self-refresh are performed according to inner temperature of the memory device and a self-refresh cycle is controlled such that an all-bank-refresh (ABR) operation is not performed simultaneously with the start of the second self-refresh. The ABR operation is performed at the start of third self-refresh when the sum of a section of the first self-refresh in which the ABR operation is not performed and a section of the second self-refresh in which the ABR operation is not performed corresponds to a self-refresh cycle.
US09704555B2

A two transistor ternary random access memory (TTTRAM) circuit includes an voltage/current input, an input/output switch, a first transistor, a first pull up resistor, a second transistor, and a second pull up resistor. The first transistor has a first emitter, a first collector connected to the input/output switch, and a first base. The first pull up resistor is connected to the first emitter and the voltage/current input. The second transistor has a second emitter connected to ground, a second collector, and a second base connected to the input/output switch. The second pull up resistor is connected to the first base, the second collector, and the voltage/current input.
US09704554B2

An amplifier circuit is disclosed having an amplifier with first and second input terminals coupled to receive an input signal. A first compensation circuit is coupled to the first input terminal, and a second compensation circuit is coupled to the second input terminal. A programmable latch circuit is arranged to select one of the first and second compensation circuits.
US09704551B2

Thermal-spin-torque (TST) in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is demonstrated by generating large temperature gradients across ultrathin MgO tunnel barriers, with this TST being significant enough to considerably affect the magnitude of the switching field of the MTJ. The origin of the TST is attributed to an asymmetry of the tunneling conductance across the zero-bias voltage of the MTJ. Through magneto-Seebeck voltage measurements, it is estimated that the charge-current that would be generated due to the temperature gradient would give rise to spin-transfer-torque (STT) that is a thousand times too small to account for the observed changes in switching fields, indicating the presence of large TST.
US09704550B2

To provide a magnetic element that controls generation and annihilation of a skyrmion. A magnetic element is provided, and the magnetic element comprises: a magnetic body that has a spiral magnetic structure in a stable state; a skyrmion control unit that generates skyrmion in the magnetic body by supplying energy to the magnetic body that has the spiral magnetic structure. Also, the magnetic element in which the skyrmion control unit brings the magnetic body into an unstable state by supplying thermal energy pulses to the magnetic body is provided. Furthermore, a skyrmion memory comprising the magnetic element is provided.
US09704548B1

A semiconductor memory apparatus includes a first mat, a second mat, a column driver, and a connection circuit. The first mat may include a first mat column line. The second mat may include a second mat column line. The column driver may drive the first mat column line in response to a mat selection signal and a column decoding signal. The connection circuit may electrically couple or separate the second mat column line to or from the first mat column line in response to the mat select signal.
US09704536B2

According to one embodiment, a video display device configured to play contents including audio includes: a controller configured to receive a request for a condensed version of the contents and to search the contents based on audio characteristics information corresponding to a condensing criterion in order to output the condensed version; and a display configured to display the contents. The condensing criterion includes at least a specific word, a name of a main character, an original sound track, a sound effect or a voice print of an actor.
US09704535B2

Described herein are systems and methods for enabling interaction with multi-channel media files. For example, embodiments include computer implemented methodologies that are implemented in the context of media editing software (for example a video editing suite). In some cases the methodologies are performed by way of a plug-in, which modifies the operation of pre-existing media editing software. In other cases the methodologies are integrated into media editing software. Alternate implementation approaches may also be used thereby to achieve corresponding functionalities.
US09704528B2

In one embodiment, a system for treating a magnetic layer includes an ion source to generate an ion beam containing ions of a desired species. The system may also include a magnetic alignment apparatus downstream of the ion source and proximate to the substrate, wherein the magnetic alignment apparatus is operable to apply a magnetic field to the magnetic layer in the substrate along a direction out of plane relative to the magnetic layer.
US09704525B2

The magnetic tape includes a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder, abrasive, and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder exhibits an activation volume of less than or equal to 1,800 nm3, and inclination, cos θ, of the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder relative to a surface of the magnetic layer as determined by sectional observation by a scanning electron transmission microscope is greater than or equal to 0.85 but less than or equal to 1.00.
US09704512B2

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic data storage device comprising a data storage medium including a magnetic material, and a write head including an electromagnetic element operable to generate a magnetic field that impinges on a selected portion of the magnetic material of the data storage medium adjacent the write head, so as to affect the magnetization direction of the selected portion of magnetic material. The electromagnetic element includes a magnetic structure including a matrix material, and a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles held in the matrix material.
US09704503B2

A command handling method, apparatus, and system. The method includes receiving multiple voice instructions sent by a voice parsing server, where the multiple voice instructions are generated after the voice parsing server parses source voice commands that are from different voice control devices; separately determining whether any two voice instructions in the multiple voice instructions are similar instructions, where the similar instructions are voice instructions corresponding to source voice commands that are obtained by the different voice control devices by collecting same voice information; and when two voice instructions that are similar instructions exist in the multiple voice instructions, discarding one voice instruction in the two similar voice instructions. The embodiments of the present invention further provide a command handling apparatus and system. The embodiments eliminate a control error caused by repeated execution of a command.
US09704484B2

Provided is a speech recognition device that executes a speech recognition method capable of improving speech recognition accuracy. The speech recognition device includes a trigger generation unit for generating a trigger signal on the basis of at least mouth movement and a speech recognition unit which extracts a sound signal on the basis of the trigger signal and starts speech recognition for speech in the extracted sound signal. When the trigger generation unit is generating a trigger signal solely on the basis of opening of the mouth, the trigger generation unit generates the trigger signal so as to precede the opening of the mouth by a predetermined period. Alternatively, when the trigger generation unit is generating a trigger signal on the basis of opening of the mouth and changes in eye orientation, the trigger generation unit generates the trigger signal from the moment any of the above occurs.
US09704478B1

Features are disclosed for filtering portions of an output audio signal in order to improve automatic speech recognition on an input signal which may include a representation of the output signal. A signal that includes audio content can be received, and a frequency or band of frequencies can be selected to be filtered from the signal. The frequency band may correspond to a desired frequency band for speech recognition. An input signal can be obtained comprising audio data corresponding to a user utterance and presentation of the output signal. Automatic speech recognition can be performed on the input signal. In some cases, an acoustic model trained for use with such frequency band filtering may be used to perform speech recognition.
US09704477B2

A method is disclosed that provides text-to-speech (TTS) functionality to a telematics unit of a telematics-equipped vehicle. The method includes: receiving text content to be played back by an audio system of the telematics-equipped vehicle; determining, by a processor, a TTS rendering process to be used for the text content from a plurality of TTS rendering processes, wherein the plurality of TTS rendering processes include local TTS rendering using a local TTS engine at the telematics-equipped vehicle and remote TTS rendering using a remote TTS engine at a communications center; and causing, by the processor, the text content to be rendered as an audio signal for playback by the telematics-equipped vehicle using the determined TTS rendering process.
US09704476B1

In a distributed text-to-speech (TTS) system, a remote TTS device, such as a TTS server, may experience increased loads of TTS requests, which may result in delayed processing of TTS requests. To avoid such delays, upon indication or prediction of an increased load, a TTS server may adjust unit selection TTS processing by altering unit selection techniques to speed processing, at the expense of potential result quality. Such techniques may include use of a reduced size unit database, a narrow Viterbi beam search, and/or a reduced size candidate unit graph.
US09704472B2

Systems and methods of the present disclosure include analyzing and comparing transfer functions associated with a plurality of electro-acoustic paths for transducers of a personal audio device to determine proximity of the transducers to respective ears of a listener of the personal audio device, quality of acoustic seals associated with the transducers, and for one or more other purposes.
US09704471B1

The technology described herein can be embodied in a computer implemented method that includes detecting, by one or more processing devices, onset of an unstable condition in an active noise control system. The method also includes obtaining, responsive to detecting the onset of the unstable condition, updated filter coefficients for a system-identification filter configured to represent a transfer function of a secondary path of the active noise control system. The updated filter coefficients are generated using a set of multiple subband adaptive filters, wherein filter coefficients of each subband adaptive filter in the set are configured to adapt to changes in a corresponding portion of a frequency range associated with potential unstable conditions in the active noise control system. The method also includes programming the system identification filter with the updated coefficients to affect operation of the active noise control system.
US09704468B2

The embodiments herein provide an apparatus and method for cancelling signal noise. According to one embodiment, an apparatus for cancelling signal noise has a sensor or receiver to capture the undesirable signals. A transducer converts the energy of the captured signals and modulates the captured undesirable signals. A signal inverting circuit is connected to the transducer to generate the inverse of the captured undesirable signals by inverting the amplitude of the undesirable signal while maintain the frequency at the same level. The generated inverse of the undesirable signal transmitted by a transmitter is received by a receiver and output through a speaker so that the output inverse of the undesirable signal is combined with the undesirable signal to produce a desired signal environment.
US09704467B1

A panel for attenuating noise includes a core, which forms a plurality of cavities vertically between a perforated first skin and a second skin. The core includes an array of corrugations that include a first baffle, a second baffle and a first septum. The cavities include a first cavity that is formed longitudinally between the first baffle and the second baffle and is fluidly coupled with perforations in the first skin. The first septum extends from the first skin and the first baffle to the second skin and the second baffle, and divides the first cavity into fluidly coupled sub-cavities. The first baffle includes a lateral array of baffle ribs. The first septum includes a lateral array of septum ribs that are laterally offset from the baffle ribs.
US09704466B2

A sound control apparatus capable of improving the quality of the reproduction sound output from an electronic apparatus includes a sound control mat, and a support unit for supporting an electronic device having a speaker on the sound control mat. The sound control mat has a sound controlling structure configured to control the resonance of sound output from the speaker of the electronic apparatus when it is supported by the sound control mat. With this sound control apparatus, it is possible to enjoy a good tone directly output from a television, a stereo system or any other device having a small speaker without needing a special devising.
US09704461B2

A stand for a stringed instrument includes a base, a post, a lower support, and an upper support. The post extends between a lower end portion and an upper end portion, the lower end portion is proximally located relative to the base, and the upper end portion is distally located relative to the base. The lower support is disposed relative to the lower end portion of the post. The upper support is disposed relative to the upper end portion of the post. The lower support is selectively moveable relative to the upper support, between a receiving position and a locking position. The lower support is biased toward the locking position.
US09704455B2

An information display apparatus includes an image pick-up unit configured to picking up an image, a display unit configured to display the image picked up by the image pick-up unit, a first correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a first image, a second correcting unit configured to correct the image picked up by the image pick-up unit to generate a second image, a recognizing unit configured to recognize the second image generated by the second correcting unit, and a display control unit configured to display an additional information according to a result of the recognition performed by the recognizing unit with superimposing the additional information on the first image generated by the first correcting unit on the display unit.
US09704454B2

A display control device including: an input control unit which receives a scrolling start indication and a scrolling stop indication from a user; a scrolling control unit which, if the scrolling stop indication is received, decelerates a scroll rate by a predetermined function and pre-calculates a location of a displayed area when the scrolling of the displayed area stops; and a focus control unit which superimposes a focus on an object closest to a predetermined position within the displayed area at any time from when the location of the displayed area when the scrolling stops is determined to when the scrolling stops, the focus representing that the object is being selected.
US09704449B2

The gate driving circuit includes an (m−1)-th stage externally receiving a first dummy signal for a first time period to control a turn-off, an m-th stage externally receiving a second dummy signal for the first time period to control the turn-off, an (m−2)-th stage receiving an m-th carry signal for a second time period from the m-th stage and externally receiving the second dummy signal for the second time period to control the turn-off, and an (m−3)-th stage receiving an (m−1)-th carry signal for the second time period from the (m−1)-th stage and externally receiving the first dummy signal for the first time period to control the turn-off, wherein the first time period is longer than the second time period.
US09704441B2

Systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for displaying images with consistent color performance on display devices including display elements that have multiple primary colors under different illumination conditions are described. The systems, methods and apparatus described herein can be configured to select between different sets of primary colors for different illumination conditions.
US09704440B2

The present invention provides a field sequential color LCD, which includes a LCD panel and a backlight module. The LCD panel includes a color filter of a first color subpixel and a color filter of a second color subpixel, a field sequential cycle of the LCD panel includes a first sub-frame period and a second sub-frame period. The backlight module provides backlight, including red, cyan, blue and green backlights, to the LCD panel. The backlight module provides two of the four backlights in the first sub-fame period, and provides another two of the four backlights in the second sub-frame period. The above LCD can cover the pointer's gamut entirely in the natural world, only color filters of subpixels of two colors are required to achieve tetra-color (RGBC) display, no additional subpixel is required, the manufacturing process of color filter of LCD panel is simplified, and the cost is reduced.
US09704437B2

A gate driving circuit, an array substrate, and a display device are disclosed. The present disclosure relates to the technical field of display, and the technical problem of poor quality of the waveform of the gate driving signal that is output by the traditional circuit manufactured through GOA technology can be solved. The gate driving circuit is used for outputting the gate driving signal to Gn and comprises a pull-up circuit, a download transistor, and a pull-down circuit. The pull-up circuit is used for outputting a high-level signal to a reference point of said gate driving circuit, a first input end of said pull-up circuit is connected with Gn−1, a second input end thereof is connected with Gn−2, and an output end thereof is connected with said reference point.
US09704435B2

An Organic Light Emitting Diode pixel compensation circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes first through fifth transistors, and a storage capacitor. The first transistor is coupled to a first scan signal, a power supply voltage, and a first electrode of the storage capacitor. In addition, the second transistor is coupled to the first scan signal, a data signal, and the third transistor. The third transistor is coupled to the power supply voltage, and the fifth transistor. Furthermore, the fourth transistor is coupled to a second scan signal, the third transistor, and the storage capacitor, and fifth transistor is coupled to a light emitting signal, and the OLED. In addition, the storage capacitor is coupled to the fifth transistor, and a low-level signal and emits light based on a drive current generated by the third transistor.
US09704432B2

A luminance compensation method and a luminance compensation device of a display device, and the display device are provided. The luminance compensation method of the display device, includes: obtaining an input grayscale value of one of a plurality of sub-pixels corresponding to the display device of an input image, and obtaining a functional relationship between a compensated grayscale value and the input grayscale value corresponding to the sub-pixel; obtaining the compensated grayscale value corresponding to the sub-pixel by using the functional relationship, and performing luminance compensation on the sub-pixel according to the compensated grayscale value; and executing the above operations repeatedly for each of the plurality of sub-pixels of the input image.
US09704431B2

Disclosed is a display device and a method of driving the display device. The display device includes a display panel, a scan driving unit, and a timing control unit. The display panel displays an image. The scan driving unit supplies a scan signal to the display panel. The timing control unit controls the scan driving unit. The scan driving unit includes a correction circuit unit that detects whether a clock signal output by the timing control unit is normal or abnormal, and corrects the detected abnormality.
US09704429B2

A display device includes: a display panel having a display area and a non-display area; a plurality of pixels on the display area to emit light, wherein pixels arranged along a first direction are defined as first pixel groups and pixels arranged along a second direction are defined as second pixel groups; gate driving units on the display area to generate gate signals, wherein the gate driving units include first and second gate driving units corresponding one-to-one with each other; a data driver on the non-display area to generate data signals; a plurality of first lines to transmit the data signals to the plurality of pixels; and a plurality of second lines to transmit driving start signals from the first gate driving units to the second gate driving units respectively corresponding to the first gate driving units, wherein the first or second lines are between the first groups.
US09704427B2

The disclosure discloses a method and device for adjusting grayscale brightness and a 3D display device. In the present disclosure, an initial gray level and a target gray level are determined, and it is determined whether the target gray level is too low or too high, so that it is determined whether over-voltage driving can be applicable, and in the case that it is not appropriate to adjust grayscale brightness through over-voltage driving, a backlight brightness adjustment table is searched, and backlight brightness is adjusted up or down using a found adjustment parameter to thereby adjust the grayscale brightness so as to reduce crosstalk in liquid crystal display.
US09704424B2

The disclosure relates to a field of display technology and discloses an array substrate and a display device, which improves quality of a displaying picture of a display device. The array substrate includes a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array, sub-pixels of each pixel unit are arranged in an ACBC-type array or a Delta-type array. The array substrate further includes a set of data lines configured to output data signals to the sub-pixels of the plurality of pixel units, the set of data lines each drives the sub-pixels of the same color. Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of the present disclosure avoids displaying errors caused by different corresponding relationship curves between the data output signals and the pixel grey levels for different colors, thereby improving quality of a displaying picture of a display device including the array substrate.
US09704421B2

A display device in which pixels constituted by light emitting elements arranged on a substrate are arranged in a matrix, the substrate comprises: a canopy disposed at the upper or lower end of the pixels; and at least two kinds of anti-reflective components that are formed at a peripheral edge of the light emitting element and with different reflection angles with respect to incident light.
US09704417B2

A breadboard includes a panel having a top side and a bottom side, a first and second plurality of spaced component receiving openings extend through the top side surface and communicate with a larger first and second terminal receiving open surfaces extending from the bottom side surface which are configured to receive a first and second conductive terminals, respectively, and on a side of at least one of the first and second plurality of spaced openings in the top side surface is formed a raised surface and spanning a length approximate the larger terminal receiving open surfaces and parallel thereto and which forms part of the top side surface thereby defining a row of said plurality of spaced component receiving openings in which the conductive terminals lie.
US09704407B2

An aircraft system includes a processing unit configured to receive navigation data and notice to airmen (NOTAM) information and to generate display signals based on the navigation data and the NOTAM information. The system further includes a display device coupled to the processing unit and configured to render an image according to the display signals with a first area depicting a navigation display based on the navigation data and a second area depicting a list of NOTAM text messages.
US09704406B1

A flight management system device and method. The method includes determining a ground track for a flight leg based on a spherical earth model. The flight leg includes two waypoints that are specified with an ellipsoidal earth model. The method includes determining that a parameter associated with the ground track exceeds a threshold. The method includes inserting an anchor point between the two waypoints on a geodesic to effect a course change to the ground track between the two waypoints such that an intended flight path is within specified thresholds. The geodesic is associated with the ellipsoidal earth model. The method includes modifying the ground track to include two spherical earth model path segments spanning from the first waypoint through the anchor point to the second waypoint. The two spherical earth model path segments are computed based on the spherical earth model. The method includes storing modified ground track data.
US09704402B2

A vehicle indicator system includes a sensor provided on a base vehicle to measure a distance of an adjacent vehicle from the base vehicle, and an indicator provided on the base vehicle at a position to emit an indicator signal displayed towards the adjacent vehicle, which indicator signal can be ascertained by an operator of the adjacent vehicle. An intensity of the indicator signal is inversely proportional to a distance of the adjacent vehicle from the base vehicle. The vehicle indicator system also includes circuitry provided at the base vehicle and configured to receive an input signal from the sensor and to provide an output signal to the indicator for generating the indicator signal.
US09704400B1

A vehicle presence detection system for effectively detecting the presence of a vehicle in a location based upon a measured radio wave signal strength by a receiver. The vehicle presence detection system generally includes a main receiver adapted for receiving a radio wave signal from a transmitter and a control unit in communication with the main receiver that determines a signal strength of the radio wave signal received by the main receiver. The control unit determines that a vehicle is near the transmitter or the main receiver when the signal strength of the radio wave signal is reduced by a threshold loss.
US09704398B2

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, determining, by a system comprising a processor, a driver profile according to a driver identity for a driver of a vehicle, selecting a driver-specific enforcement scenario for the vehicle according to the driver profile and traffic enforcement information that is associated with a vehicle location, and presenting an in-vehicle alert to convey the driver-specific enforcement scenario to the driver. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09704393B2

Integrated intelligent system adapted for any operating system and/or multi-OS computing environment seamlessly having sensory input/data acquisition cum recording server group and/or analytics server group enabling fail-safe integration and/or optimized utilization of various sensory inputs for various utility applications. Also disclosed as added advancements include intelligent method/system for cost-effective and efficient band adaptive transferring/recording sensory data from single or multiple data sources to network accessible storage devices, fail safe and self sufficient server group based method for sensory input recording and live streaming in a multi-server environment, intelligent and unified method of color coherent object analysis, face detection in video images and the like, resource allocation for analytical processing involving multi channel environment, multi channel join-split mechanism adapted for low and/or variable bandwidth network link, enhanced multi-color and/or mono-color object tracking and also an intelligent automated traffic enforcement system.
US09704390B2

There is provided a remote control system including a controlled device and a remote device. The controlled device has a light source and moves according to a control signal from the remote device. The remote device is adapted to be operated by a user and includes an image sensor. The remote device determines a moving direction of the controlled device according to an imaging position of the light source in the image captured by the image sensor and a pointing position of the user, and outputs the control signal.
US09704384B2

A thermal management system is integral to a battery pack and/or individual cells. It relies on passive liquid-vapor phase change heat removal to provide enhanced thermal protection via rapid expulsion of inert high pressure refrigerant during abnormal abuse events and can be integrated with a cooling system that operates during normal operation. When a thermal runaway event occurs and sensed by either active or passive sensors, the high pressure refrigerant is preferentially ejected through strategically placed passages within the pack to rapidly quench the battery.
US09704382B2

Disclosed is a method for calculating an error rate of alarm that reports a failure of facility, calculating a true probability and a false probability of alarms generated for each time zone by a past failure record data and calculating the error rate of the alarm at a rate of the false probability to the true probability of the alarms generated for each time zone.
US09704381B2

Methods for creating high quality alarms raise EMS operator awareness to abnormal conditions in monitored assets across multiple sites in a single EMS software platform. An embodiment includes steps for accessing an alarm designer software tool that contains a library of alarm definitions and the ability to create new alarm definitions, clone and edit existing alarm definitions, lock alarm definitions and delete alarm definitions. Applicable data is defined using channel attributes identifying which channel or channels associated with the multiple monitored sites are to be evaluated for alarming conditions. The alarm frequency, trigger conditions, pending open duration, close conditions, and pending close duration are also defined. Alarms can trigger upon one or more channels' behavior over periods of time and conditional relationships between multiple channels. Close conditions for an alarm can be, but are not required to be, the resolution of the trigger conditions.
US09704369B2

A system, a method and an apparatus for autonomous monitoring, detecting and tracking of at least one of movement and orientation of a body or portion of a body. The apparatus comprises a device configured to monitor the translational movement and/or rotational movement of the body; and an altimeter including at least one pair of opposed high sensitivity sensors configured to measure changes in height of the body. An alert condition is determined based on the translational and/or rotational movement of the body and changes in height of the body or portion of the body. The alert condition may comprise a hard fall event, a soft fall event, a susceptibility to a fall, or a near fall event.
US09704360B2

Integrating a direct current (DC) voltage motion sensing alarm with an alternating current (AC) voltage light source is presented herein. An apparatus can include a voltage conversion component that generates, within a wall switch box, a DC voltage from an AC voltage that is higher in magnitude than the DC voltage, and a motion sensing component that detects, from the wall switch box using the DC voltage, a motion of an object. The motion sensing component can detect the motion using an infrared and/or ultrasonic based DC sensor. The apparatus can further include a security component that generates, from the wall switch box using the DC voltage, an alarm signal and/or wireless alarm signal based on the motion, and a power component that switches, from the wall switch box using the DC voltage based on the motion, the AC voltage from a first contact to a second contact.
US09704359B2

Lighting control for location finding is disclosed. According to embodiments, lighting control can include determining, using a group of location detectors, a first location of a computing device of a user, and obtaining, from the computing device, a target location for the user. Lighting control can include determining a path from the first location to the target location, the path determined at least based on a lighting system including a group of light emitting diode (LED) arrays, and indicating, using a first LED array of the group of LED arrays, a first portion of the path to the target location. The first portion of the path can be indicated by determining, for the plurality of LEDs of the first LED array, at least one LED that is visible at the first location, and outputting light from the at least one LED that is visible at the first location.
US09704351B2

A gaming system comprises a display, a symbol determiner for determining, for each of a plurality of game instances corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of display areas on a display, a set of symbols for display at a plurality of display positions arranged in an array in the respective display area, wherein determining the set of symbols comprises a symbol selector selecting one or more of the symbols and wherein selecting one or more of the symbols by the symbol selector can result in the selection of a replicating symbol, a symbol replicator for, upon a replicating symbol being selected at a display position of at least one game instance that satisfies one or more adjacency criteria with respect to a corresponding display position of another game instance, replicating the replicating symbol at the corresponding display position of the other game instance, and a symbol evaluator for evaluating symbols, including the replicated replicating symbol, displayed at the display positions of the other game instance to determine whether to make an award.
US09704347B2

A method of providing a keno game for plays with duplicate draws is provided. A keno game including a keno game board having a first predetermined number of keno board spots is displayed. A player selection of a second predetermined number of keno board spots is received. Drawn balls for a plurality of ball sets are determined. The determined drawn balls are displayed with one or more paylines overlaying at least some of the drawn balls in the plurality of ball sets. A player award based at least in part on evaluation of each payline is calculated.
US09704346B2

There is described herein an online video game having a news network module for generating news feeds for broadcasting inside and outside of the video game. The news feeds may comprise virtual world news and/or real world news and may be customized as per individual player settings or operator settings.
US09704344B2

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for limiting transfer of virtual currency in an online game. One method includes an operation for receiving, at a server, a purchase order for virtual currency from a first player. The purchase order is made with legal currency, and the virtual currency is usable within a computer-implemented gambling game. Further, the method includes operations for crediting an account of the first player with virtual currency, and for enabling the first player to make transfers of the virtual currency to other players. The transfers of virtual currency from the first player to other players are then limited, such as by limiting the amount, the frequency, or the recipients of the transfers.
US09704340B2

The disclosed embodiment relates to methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for enabling real-time competition. An exemplary computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for enabling real-time competition between users according to the disclosed embodiment includes, for example, receiving information from a first user computing device associated with a first user corresponding to the first user's competitive position regarding a real-time event, transmitting information to a second user computing device associated with a second user identifying the real-time event, receiving information from the second user computing device corresponding to the second user's competitive position regarding the real-time event, and transmitting information to the first user computing device and the second user computing device regarding an outcome of the real-time event relative to the first user's competitive position and the second user's competitive position.
US09704331B2

Embodiments of the present concept provide means to control the payback percentage of games being played on gaming devices. In one example, a gaming device includes a processor configured to initiate a payback-controlling event and determine a game outcome to display on the game display in response to a gaming event being initiated. Here, the determined game outcome is a payback-controlling outcome when the payback-controlling event satisfies the payback-controlling criterion, and the determined game outcome is a game outcome determined from the base-game paytable when the payback-controlling event does not satisfy the payback-controlling criterion.
US09704324B2

A money handling device for accepting, storing and dispensing valuable documents in exchange for goods or services includes a validation module (100), a recycler module (200) and a note storage module (300). The validation module determines acceptable and non-acceptable valuable documents, and the storage module stores acceptable valuable documents. The recycler is arranged to dispense a temporarily stored valuable document to the validation module for dispensing as change or to dispense a temporarily stored valuable document to the note storage module.
US09704323B2

A coin discrimination apparatus capable of discriminating the denomination and authenticity of coins including bimetallic coins. A first coin detection sensor, located near a guide, obtains a physical characteristic of a peripheral part of a coin moved on a carrying path. A second coin detection sensor, located apart from the guide, obtains a physical characteristic about a central part of the coin. A third coin detection sensor, located on a downstream side of respect to the first sensor, obtains a physical characteristic about the peripheral part of a coin. A fourth coin detection sensor, located downstream of the second sensor and apart from the guide, obtains a physical characteristic about a central part of the coin. An additional physical characteristic about the peripheral part of the coin is obtained by cooperation of the second and third sensors when the coin reaches the third sensor.
US09704322B2

The present disclosure relates to a money handling apparatus including: a money storage unit configured to store money; a locking unit configured to limit access to the money storage unit; and a control unit configured to give unlock permission to unlock the locking unit to at least one of a plurality of qualified persons who are qualified to unlock the locking unit, and to perform a process involving change of the qualified person.
US09704318B2

A system and method are described for implementing a wireless IoT lock. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an IoT lock configured to unlock a door in response to a wireless signal; a system calibration module to collect signal strength data indicating signal strength between a wireless device and the IoT lock and signal strength between the wireless device and one or more Internet of Things (IoT) devices and/or IoT hubs when the user is known to be outside of the door, the system calibration module to associate the signal strength data with the user location outside of the door in a location database; and a signal strength analysis module to determine whether the user is outside of the door by comparing the signal strength data in the location database with current signal strength data indicating signal strength between the wireless device and the IoT lock and the one or more of the plurality of IoT devices and/or IoT hubs; wherein the IoT lock is to be unlocked responsive to determining that the user is located outside of the door.
US09704317B2

An access control system having one or more system antennas that are configured to emit a first signal having a first frequency that is detected by the credential device. The credential device is configured to harvest electrical power from at least a portion of the detected first signal. At least a portion of the harvested electrical power may be used by the credential device to transmit a second signal to a reader device, the second signal containing information indicative of a credential stored on the credential device. Further, the second signal has a second frequency that is different than the first frequency of the first signal. The reader device and/or a server may evaluate the transmitted credential to determine whether the credential is associated with an authority to operate the reader device, such as, for example, an authority to unlock a lock mechanism of the reader device.
US09704316B2

An embodiment of an electronic access control system includes an electronic access apparatus, an electronic lock, and an access control administration program. The electronic access apparatus provides a wireless power signal and a wireless digital data signal to the electronic lock. The wireless power signal can be the only source of power used by the electronic lock to actuate an electronic lock mechanism. In some embodiments, the lock mechanism includes a piezoelectric latch.
US09704314B2

A Bluetooth/WiFi bridge system has one or more bridges in a dwelling. Each bridge includes a computing device in an interior of a dwelling with an internet-facing radio, and a second radio communicating with one or more Bluetooth LE devices. One or more Bluetooth devices or Bluetooth peripheral devices, collectively, Bluetooth devices, are in communication with the bridge. An intelligent door lock system is in communication with the bridge and the one or more Bluetooth devices. The bridge uses detection of a Bluetooth device that is associated with a person to track signal strength between the bridge and the Bluetooth device to determine where the person is at the exterior of the dwelling.
US09704302B2

Operation of self-propelled mining equipment in the field can be accurately recognized at a remote position of the equipment. A management center for controlling a dump truck receives signal from sensors in order to show detection data for the working status of the operation instruments and warning indication data based upon the detection data. The warning indication data and the detection data for the working status of the operation instruments are displayed on the same display. Alternatively, in place of the detection data for working status of the operation instruments, related information from a data base concerning the record of maintenance previously conducted may be displayed, or a graph of the detection data for the working status of an operation instrument of another dump truck which is operating in the same working field may be displayed.
US09704299B2

Techniques are disclosed for rendering an anamorphic projection of 3D scene geometry on a handled device using a correct asymmetric perspective geometry projection. Once pose of the handheld device is determined, a relative eye position may be inferred when the device is tilted away from an initial or default pose, based on data supplied by accelerometers. Thus, embodiments of the invention result in a holographic style display without the need for glasses or external sensing attachments.
US09704298B2

Systems and methods for generating a 360 degree mixed virtual reality environment that provides a 360 degree view of an environment in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described. In a number of embodiments, the 360 degree mixed virtual reality environment is obtained by (1) combining one or more real world videos that capture images of an environment with (2) a virtual world environment that includes various synthetic objects that may be placed within the real world clips. Furthermore, the virtual objects embedded within the 360 degree mixed reality environment interact with the real world objects depicted in the real world environment to provide a realistic mixed reality experience.
US09704292B2

A virtual site survey method at a cell site utilizing three-dimensional (3D) models for remote performance includes obtaining a plurality of photographs of a cell site comprising one or more of a cell tower and one or more buildings and interiors thereof; subsequent to the obtaining, processing the plurality of photographs to define a three dimensional (3D) model of the cell site based on one or more objects of interest in the plurality of photographs; and remotely performing a site survey of the cell site utilizing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the 3D model to collect and obtain information about the cell site, the cell tower, the one or more buildings, and the interiors thereof.
US09704290B2

A method may include receiving a plurality of objects from a 3-D virtual scene. The plurality of objects may be arranged in a hierarchy. The method may also include generating a plurality of identifiers for the plurality of objects. The plurality of identifiers may include a first identifier for a first object in the plurality of objects, and the identifier may be generated based on a position of the first object in the hierarchy. The method may additionally include performing a rendering operation on the plurality of objects to generate a deep image. The deep image may include a plurality of samples that correspond to the first object. The method may further include propagating the plurality of identifiers through the rendering operation such that each of the plurality of samples in the deep image that correspond to the first object are associated with the identifier.
US09704284B2

A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes a setting unit, a rendering unit, and a display controller. The setting unit sets a viewpoint position and a calculation terminal position different from the viewpoint position on an image of a subject. The rendering unit performs rendering processing on, as a target, a range ahead of the calculation terminal position in a direction toward the calculation terminal position from the viewpoint position based on volume data of the subject so as to generate a rendering image. The display controller causes the rendering image to be displayed on a display unit.
US09704282B1

Systems and methods for rendering a view-dependent texture in conjunction with a three-dimensional model of a geographic area are provided. A view-dependent texture can be rendered in conjunction with at least portions of the three-dimensional model. A base texture can be rendered for portions of the three-dimensional model in the same field of view that are viewed from a slightly different perspective than a reference direction associated with the view-dependent texture. For instance, a stretching factor can be determined for each portion of the three-dimensional model based on the reference direction and a viewpoint direction associated with the portion of the three-dimensional model. A base texture, a view-dependent texture, or a blended texture can be selected for rendering at the portion of the three-dimensional model based on the stretching factor.
US09704277B2

An input graph is decomposed into a graph topology component and a graph properties component. A matrix representation is generated for each of the graph topology component and the graph properties component. Each of the graph topology matrix representation and graph properties matrix representation are partitioned into one or more sub-matrices. A forward pass comprising one or more vectorized operations is performed over the one or more sub-matrices. An output matrix is generated in response to the performing step.
US09704275B2

Microwave imaging apparatus and method for completely imaging the human body (or portions thereof) in sufficient detail to render a timely and accurate medical diagnosis by trained medical professionals. The data conversion processes presented will not require physicians and radiologists to learn to use image data in a format they are not familiar with. Hounsfield encoded and/or MRI intensity encoded medical images in the DICOM format are provided from reconstructed dielectric images obtained from raw scattering data. This allows for the exchange of information created from microwave imaging techniques to be implemented with existing diagnostic tools and analysis techniques. Furthermore, methods are presented for converting image data with Hounsfield encoded units to an image with dielectric encoded units.
US09704260B2

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed herein. An example method to improve object detection and false alarm rate over image segmentation includes overlaying a first object of a first image onto a second image. A first score based on a first chamfer distance between first edges of the first object and second edges in the second image is determined. A second score corresponding to a second chamfer distance between the second edges and a mathematical representation of a plurality of shapes is determined, the second score representing a similarity between the second edges and the plurality of shapes observed simultaneously. A normalized score is determined by normalizing the first score based on the second score. A presence of the second object in the second image matching the first object is detected based on whether the normalized score satisfies a threshold score.
US09704259B2

A people counting device includes an edge extracting unit configured to extract an edge from a planar image of a target area, and a circle candidate detecting unit configured to detect a circle candidate included in the planar image based on the edge extracted by the edge extracting unit. The people counting device further includes a person determining unit configured to calculate a brightness gradient for each edge pixel constituting an edge of each circle candidate detected by the circle candidate detecting unit and determine that a circle candidate whose uniformity of brightness gradients for the edge pixels of the circle candidate is higher than a reference is a person's head portion, and a people counting unit configured to count the number of circle candidates determined to be a person's head portion by the person determining unit.
US09704258B2

An image segmentation method includes displaying, through a display component, an image; receiving, through a user input component, a user command relative to an original designation region of the image; shrinking the original designation region according to first depth information corresponding to the image to generate a shrunk designation region of the image; generating a plurality of seeds according to the shrunk designation region and the user command; and segmenting the image according to the seeds to obtain at least one segmented region.
US09704250B1

A plurality of depth planes corresponding to a scene within a field of view of a camera of a computing device can be computed based on stereographic techniques, infrared transceivers, ultrasonic transceivers, among other approaches. The depth planes can be utilized to independently meter subject matter of interest (e.g., person, object, region, etc.) corresponding to each depth plane to obtain image statistics for each depth plane. The image statistics can be analyzed to determine optimal settings (e.g., focus, exposure, white balance, etc.) for each depth plane, and a camera can be configured to acquire image data according to the optimal settings for one or more of the depth planes. Further, the image statistics can be leveraged for processing portions of the image data that are not optimized during capture. Thus, a final image can reflect optimizations for multiple subject matter of interest located at various distances from a computing device.
US09704245B2

A method and system for determining a user's location in a pre-mapped environment from one or more images of the user's vicinity is provided. The method includes providing a probabilistic data structure derived from a second data structure, querying the second data structure for corresponding feature characteristics stored in the second data structure that respectively correspond to each feature characteristic from a plurality of feature characteristics, which may be a subset of an initial plurality of feature characteristics extracted from the one or more images from the user's vicinity, and identifying the user's location from the corresponding feature characteristics. The plurality of feature characteristics is determined by querying the probabilistic data structure.
US09704244B2

A method generates a three-dimensional map of a region from successive images captured from different camera poses. The method includes a camera capturing images of the region; designating a subset of captured images as a set of keyframes each having respective sets of image position data representing image positions of landmark points detected as feature points in that image; for a newly captured image, generating a camera pose prediction; selecting an ordering of the landmark points; detecting whether an image region of the new image approximately matches an expected image position of a landmark point based on the predicted camera pose by detecting whether the image region is substantially identical to the image information associated with that landmark point; and refining the pose prediction from the detecting step. The selecting includes performing a statistical test on the landmark points and selecting the ordering according to the statistical test results.
US09704240B2

An intravascular imaging system includes a transducer capable of generating raw data representative of the structure of a patient's vasculature. The system includes an imaging engine for receiving the raw data and generating enhanced data for presentation to a user. The imaging engine includes a coherence filter, an envelope detection module having one or more envelope detectors, and a spatial filter for processing data in various stages. Such stages of processing in the imaging engine act to reduce high frequency noise, generate low frequency data, reduce low frequency noise, and display low frequency data with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. The system can include an image generator for generating an image based on enhanced data and a display for displaying the generated image.
US09704236B2

A method for detecting printing defects includes, with a physical computing system, creating a matched reference image from a digital image, colors of said matched reference image being closer matched to a scanned image of said digital image. The method further includes, with said physical computing system, determining a color difference between corresponding points on said matched reference image and said scanned image; and with said physical computing system, identifying points that have said color distance greater than a predefined threshold as potential defects.
US09704234B2

Methods and systems for detecting defects on a wafer using adaptive local thresholding and color filtering are provided. One method includes determining local statistics of pixels in output for a wafer generated using an inspection system, determining which of the pixels are outliers based on the local statistics, and comparing the outliers to the pixels surrounding the outliers to identify the outliers that do not belong to a cluster of outliers as defect candidates. The method also includes determining a value for a difference in color between the pixels of the defect candidates and the pixels surrounding the defect candidates. The method further includes identifying the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color greater than or equal to a predetermined value as nuisance defects and the defect candidates that have a value for the difference in color less than the predetermined value as real defects.
US09704232B2

A method for automatic, stereo vision based, in-line solder ball height and substrate coplanarity inspection includes providing an imaging setup together with an imaging processor for reliable, in-line solder ball height measurement. The imaging set up includes a pair of cameras mounted at two opposing angles with ring lighting around each camera lens, which allows the capture of two images of an electronics package in parallel. The lighting generates features on solder balls located on a substrate of the electronics package, which are then used to determine height. Specifically, points with the same intensity on each solder ball surface are grouped, which allows for the formation of curves, also known as iso-contours, which are then matched between the two views. An optimized triangulation is then performed to determine the height of each one of the solder balls.
US09704231B1

Implementations relate to visualizing and measuring impact of image modifications. In some implementations, a method to measure and indicate impact of image modification includes applying an edit operation to a first image, including modifying one or more pixels of the first image to provide a modified image. The method determines an impact score associated with the edit operation and indicative of a degree of visual impact of the edit operation to the first image. The method provides, based on the impact score, the modified image in a visualization of image modification for the first image, and provides the visualization for display by a display device.
US09704227B2

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method and apparatus for image enhancement. In particular, there is provided a method for image enhancement, the method comprising: estimating unsharpness of the image (S201-S204); determining a protection level of at least one pixel in the image based on the unsharpness (S205); and modifying a value of the at least one pixel to enhance the image, an amount of the modifying being determined at least in part based on the protection level (S206-S210). A corresponding apparatus and user device are disclosed. The invention may be applied to fog or haze removal from images or video without producing over-removal artifacts. In some embodiments, the invention may also be used to remove noise from low-light images.
US09704223B2

Cone beam artifacts arise in circular CT reconstruction. The cone beam artifacts are substantially removed by reconstructing a reference image from measured data at circular source trajectory, generating synthetic data by forward projection of the reference image along a pre-determined source trajectory, which supplements the circular source trajectory to a theoretically complete trajectory, reconstructing a correction image from the synthetic data and applying a scaling factor whose value is adaptively determined and optimized based upon the minimization of a predetermined cone beam artifact metric. Ultimately, the cone beam artifact is substantially reduced by generating a corrected image using the reference image and the correction image that has been optimally scaled based upon the adaptively determined scaling factor value.
US09704221B2

An image processing apparatus includes an input unit to input image data. A first correction unit performs a first type of correction for the input image data, based on a result of analysis of the image data. A storage unit stores the corrected image data. A second correction unit performs a first type of manual correction for the stored image data using a correction parameter in accordance with a user instruction. A third correction unit performs a second type of correction for the input image data, based on a result of analysis of the image data in a case when a second type of correction instruction based on an image analysis is input, after the first type of manual correction is performed by the second correction unit. The second type of correction is different from the first type of correction.
US09704218B2

The present technique relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program for obtaining a high-quality panoramic image when a 360-degree panoramic image is generated.A projected image generation unit generates projected images by mapping, on a cylindrical surface, captured images taken by a camera being rotated 360 degrees. A cumulative difference value calculation unit calculates a cumulative difference value in each position between the adjacent projected images. Based on the projected images and the cumulative difference values, a diagraph generation unit generates a diagraph reflecting the cumulative difference values in the energies of edges. Based on the diagraph, the path search unit searches for such projected image joining positions as to minimize defects when a panoramic image is generated by joining the respective projected images. A panoramic image generation unit joins the projected images based on a result of the search, and generates a panoramic image. The present technique can be applied to image processing devices.
US09704214B2

A method, video processing system, and information handling system (IHS) provides rendering of video data. The method includes triggering a management controller to generate a virtual monitor that is accessible by a host. The method further includes, in response to the processor writing video data to the video driver, the video data is converted to bulk video data. The bulk video data is transmitted to the management controller, and the management controller causes a virtual monitor driver corresponding to the virtual monitor to convert the bulk video data to a re-converted video data.
US09704208B2

Healthcare appointment information system and method enabling a patient to manage multiple accounts with third party sources through a single account. A user account is created for storing individual user healthcare data such as user preferences (e.g., Monday morning appointments or willingness to be placed on waiting lists), user names and passwords (for accessing third-party sources), contact information (phone, email, text), insurance plans, gender, age, medications, existing appointments and other healthcare information enabling the system to book an appointment on behalf of the patient on one or more availability sources. In addition to booking on the patient's behalf, the account information also enables patient communications with the various sources to be conducted through the system. For example, notifications from other availability sources can be transmitted through the system, which may reformat the message and communicate the reformatted message to the patient. The patient response may then be transmitted via the system to the source. These communications or their content may also be used to update the user account information.
US09704207B2

Administering medical digital images including receiving a request for an image processing transaction to process the medical digital image; storing the medical image in one or more medical image caches; creating a medical image business object representing the business transaction; storing the medical image business object in the medical image metadata database; selecting, in dependence upon workflow selection rules and the attributes of the medical image business object, one or more clinical workflows to process the medical image; processing the medical image of the request with the clinical workflows, thereby creating a resultant business object and resultant medical image; routing the resultant medical image to a destination.
US09704206B2

Systems, methods, and apparatus embodiments for electric power grid and network registration and management of physical and financial settlement for participation of active grid elements in supply and/or curtailment of power, wherein Internet Protocol (IP)-based messages including IP packets are generated by transforming raw data content into settlement grade content. Settlement is provided for grid elements that participate in the electric power grid following initial registration of each grid element with the system, preferably through network-based communication between the grid elements and a coordinator, either in coordination with or outside of an IP-based communications network router. Messaging related to settlement is managed through a network by a Coordinator using IP messaging for communication with the grid elements, with the energy management system (EMS), and with the utilities, market participants, and/or grid operators.
US09704205B2

Event planning using social networking enables an efficient implementation of planning an event, as well as minimizing network traffic and optimizing other technological aspects of life. Additional information acquired by sensors and other technology is able to improve the quality of the event planning. Social network information as well as the additional information is able to be used to select aspects of the event such as time, location, and/or many other aspects of the event.
US09704202B1

A method is provided for blending device-based recommendations. A request is received from a device to recommend a group activity for a plurality of individuals. A plurality of device user profiles is accessed, each device user profile associated with one of the individuals. At least one group activity is recommended based on applying a plurality of rules to the device user profiles. The at least one recommended group activity is output to the device.
US09704188B1

A method and apparatus are disclosed that create an electronic form based on table data provided by Internet searching operations. One example may include determining at least one search term, querying, via a server, information provided by at least one network based on the search term, and copying at least one data table resulting from the information discovered during the querying operation. Additional operations may include parsing the at least one data table and storing the information in the server, displaying the data table to an end user so that the end user may select whether the data table should be included in the electronic form, and providing the user with the option to select and edit the contents of the data table. Upon the user's approval the data table may be copied into the electronic form.
US09704185B2

In an approach to determine a product rating a computer receives a user request for a product rating. The computer retrieves from on-line sources, product information on the product and analyzes the product information to determine a first product rating. The analysis includes at least a sentiment, and a trend of the sentiment. The approach includes a computer identifying products similar to the product and retrieving from on-line sources product information on similar products. A computer extracts comments on the product from the similar product information and determines an adjustment to the first product rating based on an analysis of the comments and references to the product in the similar product information. The adjustment to the first product rating includes using a sentiment, a trend of the sentiment over time, and a frequency of comments and references to the product over time in the retrieved plurality of similar product information.
US09704182B2

Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.
US09704176B2

Methods and apparatus to determine efficiencies of media delivery across platforms are disclosed. An example method includes measuring, with a sensor, first neuro-response data from a person when exposed to media output via a first media delivery platform type. Measuring second neuro-response data from the person when exposed to media output via a second media delivery platform type, different than the first media delivery platform type. Accessing a first and second performance metric for the respective media delivery platform type, the performance metrics based on a first and second reach of the respective media delivery platform types with respect to a target group of audience members. Accessing a first and second effectiveness metric for the respective media delivery platform types, the effectiveness metric based on the respective neuro-response data. Rating at least one of the first or second media delivery platform types based on the first and the second platform metrics.
US09704175B2

Systems and method for conversation management and opinion tracking systems, whereby a conversation management engine can generate on-line conversations based on rules sets such that the generated conversation and the content submitted by participants conforms to a conversation or debate style. The conversation management engine can further implement curation policies that can curate content presented to a conversation such that the presented conversation fits curation rules of the policies. An opinion tracking engine can identify opinions regarding conversation topics based on the submitted contents and detect differences or changes in opinion.
US09704174B1

A computer converts a first quantity of loyalty program points of a loyalty program possessed by a member held in a first account to a second quantity of different loyalty program points possessed by the member held in a second account in accordance with a fixed ratio. The loyalty program points and the different loyalty program points are non-fungible, non-negotiable units of exchange. A mutual agreement exists between program operators to permit the conversion. Responsive to the converting: the first quantity of loyalty program points is subtracted from the first account; the second quantity of different loyalty program points is added to the second account; and the entity compensates the commerce partner in accordance with mutual agreement. A transformation results in the different loyalty program points that are subject to terms, conditions, or restrictions of the different loyalty program and not of the loyalty program.
US09704170B2

Tools for forecasting financial instrument transfers are provided. The tools may include a funds processing system. The funds processing system may be established at a client location. The funds processing system may receive a plurality of items. The items may include one or more financial instruments. The items may include one or more attachments. The items may be processed using the funds processing system. Data corresponding to the items may be transmitted to a financial institution. The data may be used to compute a forecast. The forecast may be based at least on part on data received via the funds processing system. Data analytical models may forecast future requirements. The requirements may be pickup requirements. The pickup requirements may be financial instrument pickup requirements. The forecast may be a time forecast. The time may be an estimated arrival time. The estimated arrival time may be at the financial institution.
US09704169B2

A digital publication monitoring by geo-location is disclosed. A server system obtains publication information from one or more server devices of one or more publication data providers, for example, via respective APIs of the publication data providers. The publication information includes geo-location data. The server system stores the publication information in a database in association with the geo-location data. The server system authenticates a client and receives a query initiated by the client. The query indicates a geo-location or a geo-region of interest. The server system references the database to retrieve applicable publication information based on and responsive to the query for the geo-location or geo-region of interest. The server system responds to the query by initiating a response to the client containing response information that includes or is based on the retrieved publications for the geo-location or geo-region of interest.
US09704167B2

Service management methods for use in an electronic device are provided, including the steps of: providing a record including at least one first event and possible probability parameters corresponding thereto, each having a weight; collecting device status information regarding information of current status of the electronic device, user operation behavior information and event triggering information using a data collector; evaluating a first evaluation value according to the device status information regarding information of current status of the electronic device, user operation behavior information and event triggering information, the possible probability parameters and respective weights of the record; and inferring that the first event reoccurs and performing a service corresponding to the first event when the first evaluation value has exceeded a threshold value.
US09704138B2

Calendar overlay features are provided. A first calendar that includes a schedule for occurrence of a first event is provided, and second calendar that includes a schedule for occurrence of a second event is provided. A unified calendar interface presents for display the scheduled first event and scheduled the second event. The unified calendar interface is configured as an overlay with the first calendar and the second calendar.
US09704134B2

In one embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method of reducing a quantity of business application programming interface (BAPI) calls in a hardware client-server environment. The method includes configuring a centralized provisioning system on a hardware server with access definitions for systems. The method further includes receiving, by the centralized provisioning system, a provisioning request for a user of a client to access the systems. The method further includes determining a collected BAPI call according to the access definitions. The method further includes providing access to the user according to the collected BAPI call.
US09704128B2

A method and apparatus for iterative computer-mediated collaborative synthesis and analysis synthesizes a first focus topic in accordance with ideas collected from a plurality of cooperating users. The first focus topic triggers an analysis of that focus topic. The conclusions of this analysis indicate shortcomings in the first focus topic and trigger a further synthesis of the first focus topic. The further synthesis results trigger further analysis, and so on, on an iterative basis. The cooperating users follow a process template comprises of a scripted series of synthesis and analysis activities. Facilitation support is provided to the cooperating users to assist the cooperating users in accomplishing each activity in sequence. In further embodiments, a second focus topic is synthesized in response to the conclusion implied by the analysis of the first focus topic, and an analysis of the second focus topic is triggered.
US09704122B2

A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically receiving monitoring information related to one or more farming related production factors involved with farming related production of one or more ingestible materials; and electronically associating at least a portion of said monitoring information one or more farming related production factors involved with farming related production of one or more ingestible materials with one or more identifiers accessible through one or more tracers, said one or more tracers logged as being at least momentarily in physical proximity with said one or more ingestible materials. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US09704120B2

Stored inventory balance information in a first format for use by a first computerized system is transformed to readily make the stored inventory balance information available for use in a second computerized system that utilizes a second format in a cost-efficient and time-efficient manner.
US09704112B2

A system and method may provide standardized application programming interfaces that enable global entity-to-entity communications, such as to enable a process associated with one entity to access multiple systems at another entity. Some benefits of a global, standardized API-based entity-to-entity data exchange and integration platform include reduced cycle times by accelerating service delivery through automated and streamed data collection processes and an improved overall interface experience by embedding data collection processes into existing tools and improving accuracy by reducing manual data entry errors. For example, the standardized APIs may be used to generate a service request sent from a first service provider to a second service provider to ask the second service provider to provision a service to a customer of the first service provider.
US09704105B2

Various embodiments select features from a feature space. In one embodiment, a set of training samples and a set of test samples are received. A first centered Gram matrix of a given dimension is determined for each of a set of feature vectors that include at least one of the set of training samples and at least one of the set of test samples. A second centered Gram matrix of the given dimension is determined for a target value vector that includes target values from the set of training samples. A set of columns and rows associated with the at least one of the test samples in the second centered Gram matrix is set to 0. A subset of features is selected from a set of features based on the first and second centered Gram matrices.
US09704100B2

An information conversion method includes: first moving positions of a plurality of particles on a unit sphere according to a value of a probability density function, defining a positional vector of a particle on the unit sphere in a multidimensional space, as a normal vector of a hyperplane configured to divide a feature vector space, defining a predetermined evaluation function configured to evaluate the hyperplane, as the probability density function configured to indicate a probability of existence of a particle on the unit sphere, by a processor; and converting the feature vector to a binary string, considering a positional vector of the moved particle as a normal vector of the hyperplane, by the processor.
US09704098B2

A computer device for generating a classifier for performing a query to a given knowledge base is provided. The given knowledge base includes predicates, subjects and objects related to each other. The computer device includes a selection entity for selecting one of the predicates, and a triple generation entity for generating, based on the given knowledge base, triples. Each of the triples includes the one selected predicate, and a subject and an object related to the one selected predicate. The computer device also includes a candidate generation entity for generating a list of properties. Each property of the list of properties is correlated to the subject and the object of one of the triples by performing a context-based query within the given knowledge base. The computer device includes a classifier generation entity for generating a classifier having the list of properties related to the selected predicate.
US09704095B2

A method for transcribing an odor or an aroma into a colorimetric description comprises: physico-chemical analysis of said odor or of said aroma in order to associate with it a physico-chemical description comprising a physico-chemical vector, comprising proportions associated with a predetermined set of respective volatile molecules; physico-chemical analysis of a set of so-called test odors and/or aromas in order to assign to each test odor or aroma of said set a so-called test physico-chemical description comprising a so-called test physico-chemical vector comprising test proportions associated with said predetermined set of respective volatile molecules; assigning to the test odors and/or aromas respective test colorimetric descriptions comprising so-called test proportions associated with a set of respective colors; assigning to the odor or to the aroma a colorimetric description comprising proportions associated with said respective colors.
US09704094B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a method comprising defining a brainlet representing a platform-agnostic network of neurons, synapses, and axons. The method further comprises compiling the brainlet into a corelet for mapping onto neurosynaptic substrate, and mapping the corelet onto the neurosynaptic substrate. The corelet is compatible with one or more conditions related to the neurosynaptic substrate.
US09704089B2

A payment card (e.g., credit and/or debit card) or other device (e.g., mobile telephone) is provided with a magnetic emulator operable to communicate data to a magnetic stripe read-head. Data may include the type of reward that a user would like to earn as a result of making a purchase or the type of reward that a user would like to utilize to at least partially pay for a purchase.
US09704087B2

An apparatus and method is provided to shield contactless portable electronic consumer devices such as radio frequency identification devices (RFID), tokens, mini-cards, key fobs, cellular phones, smartcards, etc. from wireless interrogation. In one embodiment, a contactless portable consumer device which includes a first antenna is shielded from unauthorized wireless interrogation with a radio frequency (RF) shield. The RF shield includes electrically conductive, non-ferromagnetic material and is configured to prevent unauthorized data transfer between a second antenna external to the portable consumer device and the first antenna.
US09704083B2

Techniques related to optical communication including techniques for communicating barcodes using differential images.
US09704069B2

The present invention discloses an image processing evaluating apparatus and image processing method. The processing apparatus comprising: a confidence generation means for generating a classification confidence for each region in the image, the classification confidence represents the probability of an region belonging to a predefined class; and a classification means for classifying the regions in the image, which are obvious to be classified by their classification confidences, to respective classes based on the calculated confidences. The image processing apparatus further comprising: a fuzzy region extraction means for extracting one or more regions, which are not obvious to be classified by their classification confidences, as fuzzy regions; and a confidence update means for updating the classification confidence for each fuzzy region based on the classification confidences of adjacent regions thereof, wherein the classification means further classifies the fuzzy regions to respective classes based on the updated classification confidences.
US09704066B2

Techniques are described for performing multi-stage image classification. For example, multi-stage image classification can comprise a first classification stage and a second classification stage. The first classification stage can determine an overall classification for an input image (e.g., based on a relative entropy result calculated for the input image). The second classification stage can be performed by dividing the image into a plurality of blocks and classifying individual blocks, or groups of blocks, based on a classification model that is specific to the overall classification of the image determined in the first classification stage.
US09704062B2

An apparatus for warning an obstacle of a vehicle includes an image obtaining device configured to take an image around the vehicle through image sensors. An image segmentation device is configured to segment a current reference image obtained in blocks of an object. A motion estimator is configured to estimate two dimensional motion information of the object. A variation estimator is configured to estimate distance information between the object and the vehicle. A relative motion estimator is configured to estimate three dimensional relative motion information of the object by combining the two dimensional motion information and the distance information. A collision time estimator is configured to estimate a collision time between the object and the vehicle by using the three dimensional relative motion information. An image processor is configured to adjust a brightness of a corresponding segmented block. A display is configured to display the image.
US09704060B2

The present invention relates to a technical field of traffic monitoring, and more particularly to a method for detecting traffic violation. The present invention includes firstly localizing vehicle salient parts through salient features including vehicle license numbers and vehicle rear lights, and representing a vehicle with the vehicle salient parts, then tracking the vehicle with a Kalman filter based on the vehicle salient parts, and finally detecting vehicle violation through moving trajectory analysis and setting violating detecting areas. The present invention solves vehicle violation detection problems in complex engineering application conditions such as illumination change and detection noise, and is suitable for city traffic management under complex conditions.
US09704056B2

Methods, systems, computer-readable storage media, and apparatuses for efficiently computing a computer vision operation are presented. In certain aspects, techniques are disclosed for receiving values from one or more pixels from a pixel array and representing those values for facilitating computer vision operations, such as Haar-like feature computations. In one implementation, the pixel values are represented as a hierarchy of computations; each level above the lower level of the hierarchy of computations comprises one or more values representing a computation of the values from a lower level of the hierarchy. The computation can include a simple sum of the values for the lower level of the hierarchy, a weighted sum of the values for the lower level of the hierarchy, an average of the values for the lower level of the hierarchy, a local binary pattern based on the values for the lower level of the hierarchy, a histogram of oriented gradients based on the values for the lower level of the hierarchy, or other computer vision feature computation based on the values for the lower level of the hierarchy. In such an implementation, the computer vision operations, such as Haar-like feature computations, may be performed using the hierarchy of averages.
US09704050B2

Provided are a speckle-based authentication apparatus, an authentication system that includes the speckle-based authentication apparatus, and an authentication method using the speckle-based authentication apparatus. The speckle-based authentication apparatus includes an optical source configured to radiate light onto an object that is placed apart from the optical source; and a detector configured to detect a speckle pattern generated from the object in response to the light being radiated onto the object and detect location information of the object. Thus, the object is authenticated by comparing the speckle pattern detected by the detector with a speckle pattern stored in advance.
US09704049B2

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus configured to adjust a processing function for image data for a vehicle control system. The apparatus comprises an image sensor configured to capture the image data corresponding to a field of view. The image sensor is in communication with a controller which is further in communication with an accelerometer. The controller is operable to receive the image data from the image sensor and receive an acceleration signal from the accelerometer. The accelerometer signal may be utilized to identify a direction of gravity relative to the image sensor.
US09704047B2

To provide a moving object recognition apparatus that earlier detects a moving object crossing a road, the moving object recognition apparatus includes a left imaging unit 101, a right imaging unit 102, a moving object detection unit that detects a moving object based on images imaged by the left imaging unit and the right imaging unit, wherein, suppose that non-overlap regions in which an imaging region of the left imaging unit 101 and an imaging region of the right imaging unit 102 do not overlap are first regions 203, 204 and an overlap region in which the imaging region of the left imaging unit and the imaging region of the right imaging unit overlap is a second region 205, the moving object detection unit uses different methods of detecting the moving object between the first regions and the second region.
US09704032B2

Embodiments include systems and methods of detecting a blocked aperture in an image device. In certain embodiments, the system and method is used in mail processing of letters and flats. In certain embodiments, the image sensor captures an image of the front of an item. If the aperture of the image sensor is obstructed, a void will appear on the image of the item. The system can detect the void and increment an alarm count until a pre-defined threshold is reached wherein the system signals an alarm so that the blockage can be removed and the affected items can be re-introduced for correct processing. In another embodiment, images obtained when the aperture is expected to be clear of any items.
US09704026B1

Computer-implemented systems and methods for identifying an object in an image are provided. In one example, the method includes identifying a first object related to an electronic image. The image includes at least a second object. Based at least in part on the identity of the first object, social networking information related to the first object is used to programmatically identify the second object. The first object and/or the second object may be a person. In some embodiments, metadata associated with the image may be used to identify the second object. Based at least in part on the identifications, social networking information may be associated between the first object and the second object.
US09704008B2

A computer includes an application that expects to receive data via a unidirectional communication interface. The computer also includes a background service having a first thread and a second thread. The computer additionally includes device management client software. A barcode reader scans one or more barcodes to generate scanned data. The scanned data is sent to the computer via the unidirectional interface. The first thread of the background service reads the scanned data from the unidirectional interface and sends the scanned data to the application. The second thread of the background service enables the device management client software to perform management operations on the barcode reader via a bidirectional communication interface.
US09704007B2

A machine-readable symbol reader can include a housing, a window, an illumination source, a wedge-shaped optical element, and a sensor array. Illumination can be coupled into the optical element through a base surface of the optical element and out of the optical element through a leg surface of the optical element. Illumination beams coupled out of the optical element through the leg surface can be parallel or substantially parallel to one another, and can exit the machine-readable symbol reader at a grazing angle to illuminate a machine-readable symbol at a grazing angle.
US09704003B1

Control of an apparatus is provided according to determination of positioning of information pieces with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more pieces, wherein each piece may be positionable in one or more piece positions of a region and may include a passive RFID tag that stores information relating to a characteristic of the piece. An arrangement of RFID antennas may be positioned proximal to the region, and a RFID reader may provide reads of the pieces near the RFID antennas. One or more processors may determine the piece positions of the one or more pieces from the reads and may provide control of the apparatus according to the one or more pieces and their piece positions.
US09703995B2

A portable terminal having a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication module configured to perform wireless communication in a WLAN and a near field communication (NFC) module configured to read written data written to an integrated circuit (IC) tag includes: a memory configured to record format identification data for identifying a data format of the written data; and a control unit configured to detect whether the written data read using the NFC module has a predetermined format based on the format identification data, detect whether the written data is WLAN setup data for use in an imaging-apparatus-side WLAN module, and write command data for instructing to activate an access point (AP) function of the imaging-apparatus-side WLAN module to the IC tag using the NFC module when it is detected that the written data detected as having the predetermined format is the WLAN setup data.
US09703991B2

There is provided a programmable multiplier circuit for multiplying an input voltage signal by a binary coefficient, the multiplier circuit including a transconductor including a first amplifying transistor configured to convert the input voltage signal to a current signal, the first amplifying transistor having a gate configured to receive the input voltage signal, and a coefficient multiplier coupled to the transconductor and configured to multiply the current signal by the binary coefficient to generate an amplified current signal.
US09703981B1

Mobile device data encryption is disclosed. A file is divided into a plurality of data blocks. The data blocks are encrypted. An authentication value is generated for each encrypted data block. The encrypted data blocks are stored in a tree data structure including the encrypted data blocks and a header block. The header block includes a set of authentication values and an aggregate authentication value. Each authentication value in the set of authentication values is derived from one or more of the encrypted data blocks. The aggregate authentication value is generated based at least in part on the set of authentication values. In various embodiments, the tree data structure may include one or more levels of internal nodes including authentication blocks.
US09703979B1

The described embodiments relate to encryption methods and computer program products. An encryption application is used to determine a keystore seed with a seed bit set having seed bits in an ordered sequence. A plurality of key derivation sets are determined and a selected key derivation set is selected randomly. A key bit sequence is generated from the seed bit set using the selected key derivation set. An encryption key is generated using the key bit sequence, and corresponding keying information is determined from the selected key derivation set such that the latter is also derivable from the former. The keying information discloses zero information about the encryption key absent knowledge of the keystore seed. Plaintext data is encrypted using the encryption key to generate ciphertext data, and the keying information is stored with the ciphertext data. The encryption key may then be deleted.
US09703977B2

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for managing applications in non-cooperative environments. Embodiments of the invention provide the ability to manage non-cooperative applications and operating systems. For example, applications and operating systems at a user's (e.g., an information worker's) personal device (e.g., smartphone) can be appropriately managed to provide more secure access to a corporate IT infrastructure. An IT worker can programmatically repackage an application, deploy it to a user's personal device, and manage the user's ability to use the application through policy.
US09703975B2

An individual area controller of an industrial equipment management system controls access to an individual area which is a storage area that is associated with an individual ID on a server, based on the individual ID. A group area controller controls access to a group area which is a storage area that is associated with a group ID on a server, based on the individual ID that belongs to the group ID. A copy restrictor restricts copying of equipment information about an industrial equipment that is stored in the group area to the individual area.
US09703965B1

Techniques are provided for protecting encryption key(s) and other protected material on devices, such as mobile devices. A device stores an encrypted container received from an online authentication service, wherein the encrypted container is encrypted using a first key stored by the online authentication service, wherein the encrypted container comprises a data item stored on the device. The device transmits the encrypted container using an online connection to the online authentication service to decrypt the encrypted container using the first key, wherein the encrypted container is decrypted by the online authentication service to provide a decrypted container only if the online connection satisfies one or more predefined online connection criteria. The device then receives the decrypted container from the online authentication service and obtains the data item from the decrypted container. Online secure containers are also disclosed that are optionally protected using a multi-layer encryption scheme.
US09703964B2

A communication channel between a first processor of a receiver and a second processor of a battery assembly is provided. The battery assembly requests a public key from the receiver. The receiver combines the public key with a private key stored in memory to form a first combined public key, applies a first hash function to the first combined public key, stores the resulting first hash value in memory and transmits the public key to the battery assembly. The battery assembly combines the public key with a corresponding private key to form a second combined public key, applies a corresponding hash function to the second combined public key and transmits the resulting second hash value to the receiver. The receiver compares the first hash value to the second hash value and enables operations of the receiver when the first hash value equals the second hash value.
US09703960B2

Provided are an electronic system, an integrity verification device, and a method of performing an integrity verification operation. The electronic system includes: a memory device; a processor configured to provide a plurality of configuration records corresponding to a plurality of verification data stored in the memory device, each of the configuration records including a start address, a data length, and a reference hash value for a corresponding verification data; and an integrity verification device configured to: store the configuration records, select a configuration record, directly access the memory device to read verification data, corresponding to the selected configuration record, based on the start address and the data length included in the selected configuration record, perform a hash operation on the verification data to obtain a verification hash value, and output an interrupt signal based on the verification hash value and the reference hash value comprised in the selected configuration record.
US09703956B1

The disclosed computer-implemented method for categorizing virtual-machine-aware applications for further analysis may include (1) identifying a plurality of virtual-machine-aware applications, where each of the plurality of virtual-machine-aware applications exhibits different behavior when the virtual-machine-aware application detects that the virtual-machine-aware application is executing in a physical computing environment rather than in a virtual computing environment, (2) identifying a plurality of non-virtual-machine-aware applications that do not exhibit different behavior when executed in the physical computing environment rather than in the virtual computing environment, (3) determining at least one characteristic that differentiates the virtual-machine-aware applications from the non-virtual-machine-aware applications, (4) analyzing an uncategorized application to determine whether the uncategorized application includes the characteristic, and (5) preventing the uncategorized application from evading complete analysis by sending the uncategorized application to the physical computing environment for further analysis. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09703955B2

The present application discloses method and system for detecting potential security attacks against a vehicle networking through an OBD-II port. The system establishes an inbound OBD-II CAN message whitelist and an outbound OBD-II CAN message blacklist, respectively. Upon receipt of a CAN message command, the system updates statistics for the command and determines whether the command is inbound or outbound. In response to an inbound command from a device external to the vehicle, the system compares the inbound command with the whitelist and forwards the inbound CAN message command to the vehicle via the vehicle's OBD-II port when inbound command appears in the whitelist. In response to an outbound CAN message command from the vehicle, the system compares the outbound command with the blacklist and prevents the outbound command from being sent to an external vehicle via the vehicle's OBD-II port when the outbound command appears in the blacklist.
US09703946B2

A method of pairing an intelligent input device with an electronic device includes transmitting a start pairing identifier and receiving a unique identifier that identifies the intelligent input device. The method further includes authenticating the unique identifier using authentication information stored in the electronic device and transmitting a pairing successful identifier responsive to the unique identifier being authenticated to thereby pair the intelligent input device and the electronic device.
US09703940B2

A computing system such as a game console maintains and updates a biometric profile of a user. In one aspect, biometric data of the user is continuously obtained from a sensor such as an infrared and visible light camera, and used to update the biometric profile using a machine learning process. In another aspect, a user is prompted to confirm his or her identify when multiple users are detected at the same time and/or when the user is detected with a confidence level which is below a threshold. A real-time image of the user being identified can be displayed on a user interface with user images associated with one or more accounts. In another aspect, the biometric profile is managed by a shell on the computing system, where the shell makes the biometric profile available to any of a number of applications on the computing system.
US09703934B1

A system is configured to receive a task. The task is received over a first network, includes authentication credentials, and is processed using an application. The system is further configured to send the authentication credentials to a licensing server. The authentication credentials are sent over a second network, and are sent prior to processing the task using the application. The system is also configured to receive an authorization. The authorization is received over the second network, and authorizes the application to process the task.
US09703929B2

A method for diagnosing and treating an immune microbial dysfunction in a subject, the method comprising: receiving an aggregate set of biological samples from a population of subjects; generating at least one of a microbiome composition dataset and a microbiome functional diversity dataset for the population of subjects; generating a characterization of the immune microbial dysfunction based upon features extracted from at least one of the microbiome composition dataset and the microbiome functional diversity dataset, wherein the characterization is diagnostic of at least one of Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, and celiac disease; based upon the characterization, generating a therapy model configured to correct the immune microbial dysfunction; and at an output device associated with the subject, promoting a therapy to the subject based upon the characterization and the therapy model.
US09703923B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient systems and methods for creating an optimal set of partitions across replica blocks using two checkpoints during the design process. The two checkpoints group a set of macros according to a timing constraint and a location proximity to the other macros. Clustering of the macros is iteratively performed until a distance parameter exceeds a pre-defined threshold.
US09703914B2

A method, executed by one or more processors, for optimizing placement of a logic network, includes partitioning a logic network into a set of logic partitions, launching a set of placement optimization threads that correspond to the logic partitions, and allocating memory that is accessible to the placement optimization threads to provide a globally accessible placement memory for reserving placement locations on the integrated circuit. Each placement optimization thread may be configured to conduct the operations of determining a desired location for a logic element, reserving a set of potential locations for the logic element, determining a best location from the set of potential locations, and placing the logic element to the best location. Each placement optimization thread may also be configured to release each of the potential locations that are not the best location. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed herein.
US09703913B2

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining a layout of a racetrack that forms part of an RF isolation structure of a packaged module and the resulting RF isolation structures. The racetrack layout can be determined based on identifying low radiating areas of a module and/or areas of a module that are less sensitive to external radiation. The racetrack can be disposed below a surface of a module on which a radio frequency component is disposed. The racetrack and a conductive layer over the radio frequency component can form part of a radio frequency isolation structure around the RF component.
US09703910B2

Embodiments relate to power down processing including control path power adjustment. An aspect includes receiving, by a power down engine, chip layout data corresponding to a chip design. Another aspect includes determining a confluence point of a data path and a control path in the chip layout data. Another aspect includes determining the presence of a positive slack window in the control path of the confluence point. Yet another aspect includes powering up the control path to reduce the positive slack window.
US09703908B2

A method to generate a reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model is provided. The method may include measuring near-end S-parameter components and far-end S-parameter components of a twinaxial cable, reducing an original time delay of the far-end S-parameter components by multiplying each of the far-end S-parameter components by a complex exponential based on an equivalent delay length, a signal frequency, and an effective dielectric constant, simulating a signal transmitted across a twinaxial cable by running a 4-port SPICE model using the near-end S-parameter components and the multiplied far-end S-parameter components, and recording a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted signal with respect to frequency as outputs of the reduced delay twinaxial SPICE model.
US09703905B2

The present invention provides a method and a system for simulating multiple processors in parallel, and a scheduler. In this embodiment, the scheduler maps debug interface information of a to-be-simulated processor requiring debugging onto the scheduler during parallel simulation of multiple processors, so that the scheduler is capable of debugging, by using a master thread, the to-be-simulated processor requiring debugging via a debug interface of the to-be-simulated processor requiring debugging pointed by the debug interface information, thereby implementing debugging during parallel simulation of multiple processors.
US09703904B2

Systems include a well having a production casing and a production tubing positioned therein, forming an annulus there between. A packer is positioned in the annulus at a position sufficient to separate the annulus into a first portion and a second portion. The well further includes a tie-back conduit positioned in the first portion of the annulus and configured to allow heat transfer between a working fluid flowing through the first portion of the annulus and a production fluid flowing through the production tubing, thus separating the circulating working fluid from fluids in the second portion of the annulus. A working fluid loop is fluidly connected to the first portion of the annulus. Co-production methods, methods of modeling, and computer-readable media including the methods of modeling are disclosed.
US09703898B2

A three-dimensional object (1) made by way of a stereolithography process, includes a plurality of supports (3) that are connected to the body (2) of the object through joining elements (4) in each one of which it is possible to identify a shaped area (5), recessed with respect to the external surface of the joining element (4) and having the bottom corner (6) that delimits a pre-established fracture area (7) for the detachment of the support (3). Each one of the joining elements (4) includes a first body (8) projecting from the external surface that delimits the body (2) of the object and a second body (9) projecting from the support (3), the bodies (8) and (9) being connected to each other so as to define the shaped area (5) whose bottom corner (6) delimits the pre-established fracture area (7). Each one of the bodies (8, 9) has its convex curved external surface that constitutes part of the external surface of a sphere or an ellipsoid.
US09703896B2

A system for generating custom modular objects is described. The custom modules form part of a modular construction set from which an object can be created by a user. The object acts as a user input device for an interactive software experience. To generate a custom (i.e. non-standard) module, a virtual 3D shape is received by a module generation service. The service converts this shape into a derived 3D shape for the module, for example, ensuring that the module is shaped such that it is compatible with other modules from the modular construction set to which it will be connected for form an object and/or by adding an aperture for receiving a connector and/or electronics core. Once generated, the derived 3D shape is sent to the user in physical form or virtual form and a virtual representation of the module is provided to the interactive software experience.
US09703890B2

The current document is directed to methods and systems that determine whether or not two graph-like representations of two physically or temporally distinct computer systems or computer-system configurations are equivalent. The currently described methods and systems extract a first and second ordered set of subgraphs from each of a first and second graph-like representation of a first and a second computer system. The ordered sets of subgraphs are logically aligned, forming a set of subgraph pairs. The currently described methods and systems transform the first and second subgraph of each subgraph pair into a corresponding first and second set of trees, label the trees, and then compare labels at each level of the trees to determine whether or not an isomorphic tree can be found in the second set of trees for each tree in the first set of trees.
US09703888B2

An electronic obsolescence registry holds network user-searchable obsolescence information. End users and component manufacturers can post obsolescence information using hashtags to it. The registry has different entries for different pieces of component obsolescence information. Each entry employs a respective component specific hashtag. End-users search the registry for component obsolescence information relating to a certain component by using one or more hashtags associated with the certain component.
US09703886B2

A system and method for formatting an electronic document. Format preference information related to the format of a user network site associated with a user is received. Document format criteria based on the format preference information and format performance information is automatically determined. An electronic document associated with the user network site is output according to the document format criteria.
US09703878B2

A first user computing device is identified as being collocated with a second user computing device and an invitation is sent over a wireless communication channel for delivery to the first user computing device. The invitation invites the first user computing device to join a collaborative search session with the second user computing device. A first one of a plurality of search contexts is selected for use by the second user computing device within the collaborative search session. The first user computing device uses a second, different one of the plurality of search contexts during the collaborative search session, and presentations of search results within the collaborative search session are organized according to the first search context on the second user computing device and organized according to the second search context on the first user computing device.
US09703870B2

In one embodiment, a method includes a search engine of an online social network crawling a first webpage of a first web domain, where the first webpage includes links to one or more second webpages, each of which may be within a second web domain, accessing a domain ranking for each second web domain, where for each second web domain the domain ranking may be based on one or more domain-quality signals associated with the second web domain, where the domain-quality signals may include a measure of activations of social plug-ins of the online social network associated with webpages of the second web domain, selecting one or more of the second webpages to crawl based at least in part on the domain ranking of the second web domain associated with the second webpage, and the search engine of the online social network crawling each selected second webpage.
US09703866B2

A management software process establishes management sessions with DAW processes and controllers on a network. Further, control sessions are established between the DAW processes and controllers, respectively. Thus, the control sessions between DAW processes and controllers included in one music system can be managed together by the management software process via a dedicated management session.
US09703863B2

Data is received that characterizes each of a plurality of documents within a document set. Based on this data, the plurality of documents are grouped into a plurality of stacks using one or more grouping algorithms. A prime document is identified for each stack that includes attributes representative of the entire stack. Subsequently, provision of data is provided that characterizes documents for each stack including at least the identified prime document to at least one human reviewer. User-generated input from the human reviewer is later received that categorized each provided document and data characterizing the user-generated input can then be provided. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09703858B2

According to an aspect, storing and querying conceptual indices (CIs) includes creating a conceptual inverted index (CII) from the CIs. The CII includes CII entries, each of which corresponds to a concept in a concept graph. Creating the CII includes populating each entry with pointers to documents selected from the CIs having likelihoods of being related to the concept that are greater than a threshold value, and the corresponding likelihoods. An aspect also includes receiving a query that includes a concept in the concept graph, and generating query results from a search that include at least a subset of the pointers to documents. Each of the CIs is associated with a corresponding document and includes a CI entry for each concept in the concept graph, and each of the CI entries specifies a value indicating a likelihood that the document is related to the concept in the concept graph.
US09703857B2

A content management system for creating a digital catalog raisonné includes at least one computer, a public user interface, a private catalog raisonné manager, and a private user interface. The private catalog raisonné manager is configured to instruct at least one object-oriented database to store first digital data for at least one artist, the first digital data including at least one of an image of an artwork of the at least one artist and a description of the artwork. The private user interface is configured to receive the first digital data, transmit information permitting a user to provide a command to the content management system to make available, at the public user interface, a public catalog raisonné including the first digital data, and receive the command to make available the public catalog raisonné.
US09703851B2

A system and method for optimizing the computation of metrics facilitating monitoring of service level agreements (SLA) in an IT-enabled framework to reduce computational overhead. A receiving module receives data associated with activities performed by one or more service providers. A transforming module transforms the data into a user-defined data structure using a transforming technique. A selecting module selects an attribute and parameters associated with a key performance indicator (KPI) of the one or more service providers. A view creating module creates a materialized view of the user-defined data structure based on the selected attribute. A query generating module m generates a query to be executed on the materialized view. A metric executing module executes the query on the materialized view in order to compute the metric.
US09703848B2

A method and associated systems for caching linked queries for optimized compliance management. A user requests that a local application perform an operation upon a local dataset. The processor, in response, determines that the operation requires access to remote auxiliary data that is managed by a remote application. The processor reads from a local cache a set of provisional links that identify past sources of the auxiliary information, and displays information associated with those links to the user, clearly identifying the links and associated information as being provisional. If the user requires direct access to the auxiliary information, the system obtains from the remote application updated, verified versions of the links, replaces the provisional links in the cache with the verified links, and displays to the user the verified links and updated versions of the associated information, clearly identifying the links and information as being verified.
US09703846B1

Methods, systems, and media for presenting content based on a generic rating are provided. In some implementations, the method comprises: receiving search results; determining country-specific content ratings associated with the search results; converting the country-specific content ratings to generic content ratings associated with the search results; determining that at least one search result is to be blocked based on the generic content ratings and a user-selected generic content rating restriction; in response to determining that a search result is to be blocked, removing the search result from the search results to create modified search results; causing the modified search results to be presented; receiving a selection of content from the presented search results; determining a country-specific content rating associated with the selected content; converting the country-specific content rating to a generic content rating; determining that the selected content is not to be blocked based on the generic content rating and the user-selected generic content rating restriction; and causing the selected content to be presented.
US09703845B2

Identity data collected from network flows is managed and graphed according to a hierarchical schema that reduces data storage requirements and enhance database querying efficiencies. Preferably, the schema comprises a set of objects, such as a “source” object, a “time” object, and an “identity” object. A source object represents a source of an identity, namely, where an identity comes from. A time object represents a time bucket along a particular time frame corresponding to when an identity appears on the network. An identity object represents the actual identity itself. As each distinctive identity data is detected, it is added to the graph, preferably just once, and relationships between particular pairs of identities are identified. The resulting graph has significantly-reduced storage requirements, and it facilitates the discovery of linked identities much more efficiently, even when the identities are not directly connected.
US09703844B2

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving a structured query that includes references to selected nodes and edges, and generating search results corresponding to the structured query, where the search results include at least one snippet that includes references to the selected nodes and edges of the structured query.
US09703841B1

A computer-implemented method to coordinate output of an application over a single computing device, according to one embodiment, includes receiving a feed of importance scores for each of the plurality of applications, and normalizing the importance scores of each feed for each of the plurality of applications. At least some applications with feeds of importance scores are selected. A prioritization score is assigned to the selected applications based on a function of the normalized importance scores of the selected applications. The normalized importance scores of the selected applications are combined into a single feed, and the single feed of normalized importance scores of selected applications is provided in order of priority to a subscribing application. An output of the subscribing application is coordinated based on the normalized importance scores of selected applications with a high priority in the single feed.
US09703840B2

A question-answering (QA) system first receives input questions. Each question is then assigned to a first question category of a plurality of question categories. The QA system then identifies a set of candidate answers to each question using a core information source. A set of confidence scores, including a confidence score for each candidate answer, is then calculated. The QA system then determines that the first set of confidence scores fails to satisfy confidence criteria. In response to this determination, an updated information source is ingested.
US09703828B2

The present invention is a system that performs a real time on-demand searching for items such as goods or services with specific search criteria, and returns a set of search results that are deduped and can be updated when modifications to the search results occur. The functionality is provided by a idempotence search system having a user agent that asynchronously receives search results from user's remote computing devices, a set of fetchers for retrieving search results from associated external site and organizing the results in a results queue, a plurality of parser operating in parallel, a broadcaster wherein the user agent includes retrieving the difference from the delta queue, retrieving the results associated with the difference and displaying the results for the user.
US09703821B2

A method facilitates auditing of database transactions by maintaining logical consistency between a source database table and a shadow database table. A bulk command is received that specifies edits to a plurality of rows in the source database table. The bulk command is executed on the source database table. The shadow database table is queried to obtain an indication of the plurality of rows edited by the bulk command. The indication is stored as part of an audit trail for the source database table.
US09703810B2

In managing a relational database, a relational manager sets a foreign key lookup value to an unavailable state in a source table row containing each of a foreign key value and the foreign key lookup value in a source table in a relational database, wherein the foreign key value references a primary key value in a referenced row in a separate destination table in the relational database. The relational manager, responsive to looking up, for the foreign key value, in a data structure separate from the source table, a location of the referenced row in the relational database, when the foreign key lookup value is set to the unavailable state, updating the foreign key lookup value with the location, wherein the foreign key lookup value in the source table is looked up for identifying the location of the referenced row for subsequent retrievals of the referenced row for the foreign key value.
US09703809B2

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that assist in correlating subsequent geophysical surveys. In some embodiments, geophysical data may be generated including a first set of data from a monitor survey that is matched with a second set of data from a baseline survey. An attribute value may be generated for each datum in the first set of data, and the generated attribute value may be associated with the datum from the first set of data and at least one of a plurality of bins. In some embodiments, the attribute values may be based upon the geometric closeness of sources and receivers in the baseline and monitor surveys.
US09703806B2

Architecture for centralized photo storage for user profiles with consent and cardkey system integration. A picture picker can connect to a cardkey/security badge photo system to allow users to choose from badge photos. Consent is also captured by the picker to allow user photos to be used in other applications. Other applications can interact with the photo storage using standard web services and APIs for the user profile and user profile change log services. Centralized storage and insured accessibility enable applications to consume from the photo storage. The photo storage can also function as a virtual directory with distributed storage as utilized for geographical deployments. Extensions of the photo storage can include an add-in for a personal information manager application and a management agent for web-based collaboration and document management to copy photos from/to other directory structures.
US09703795B2

While discharging a data chunk the chunk is compressed into a storage block. If the chunk is found to be too large to be able to be completely compressed into the storage block certain characteristics of the data chunk are examined to determine whether or not the data chunk should be split. If the data chunk should be split, a remaining portion of the data chunk is compressed to a storage block that is next in chronological order to the original storage block. If the data chunk should not be split, all of the data chunk is moved to the next chronological storage block while leaving any remaining space in the storage block as unused.
US09703792B2

Technology is disclosed for organizing, managing and sharing data files as pages of an online binder (“the technology”). In various embodiments, the technology stores multiple data files received in multiple formats from multiple sources as pages of the online binder. The pages of the online binder are of a common format. The common format allows the pages, that is, the data files corresponding to the pages, to be accessed using a variety of devices regardless of a platform of the devices. The online binder is platform agnostic. The technology provides tools to create notes for the pages of the online binder. The notes can include text annotations, drawings, or audio visual annotations, including a recording of the user actions as presented on the device of the user. The technology provides a collaboration service for sharing the online binder with multiple users asynchronously or in real-time.
US09703789B2

An apparatus comprising a processor component to: receive metadata of data organization within a data set; receive indications of which node devices will be storing the data set as multiple data blocks within a data file; and receive, from each node device, a pointer request to a location within the data file for storing a data set portion as a data block. In response to the data set including partitioned data, for each request for a pointer: determine the location within the data file; generate a map data map entry for the data block; generate therein a sub-block count of data sub-blocks within the data block; generate therein a sub-entry for each data sub-block including size and a hashed identifier derived from a partition label; and provide a pointer to the node device. In response to successful storage of all data blocks, store the map data in the data file.
US09703787B2

A data storage management apparatus in an industrial plant is configured to communicate with a first data storage location which is configured to be a primary data storage location. The apparatus is further configured to communicate with a storage parameter configuration database, and a storage data configuration database. The apparatus is configured to determine if a utilization parameter in the primary data storage location is the same as or greater than a utilization limit. When the utilization parameter is determined to be the same as or greater than the utilization limit, the apparatus is configured to identify from the primary data storage location stored data having a storage duration which is the same as or greater than a retrieved data retention policy. The identified stored data is deleted.
US09703786B2

Systems and methods for reclaiming storage space are described, including detecting a user input indicating removing a corresponding copy of each media file of a group of one or more media files; selecting the group of one or more media files; identifying the corresponding copy of each media file of the group of one or more media files; and removing from storage space the corresponding copy of each media file of the group of one or more media files.
US09703785B2

A method for dynamically updating content in a live presentation. The method includes a computer processor determining a first content of a live presentation. The computer processor monitors a plurality of data sources and determines at least one of the plurality of data sources includes the first content and a second content. The computer processor retrieves information related to the second content. The computer processor then updates the live presentation with the information related to the second content.
US09703780B2

Disclosed are a system and a method for implementing an XDM forward function described in [XDM2_RD] and [XDM2 AD]. The method includes the steps of: transmitting, by the XDM forward requesting user a forward request message for forwarding a desired XML document to the XDMS; receiving, by the XDMS the forward request message, determining if the XDM forward requesting user has been granted a forward authority for a forward-requested target XML document forwarding the requested XML document to the XDM forward receiving user when the XDM forward requesting user has been granted an authority to forward the target XML document, performing receiver authorization for determining if an XDM forward receiving user can accept the forwarded XML document, and confirming that the XDM forward receiving user owns the forwarded XML document and storing the possessed XML document in a user directory when the receiver authorization has been successfully performed.
US09703776B2

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer-readable mediums for automatic training of a syntactic and semantic parser using a genetic algorithm. An initial population is created, where the initial population comprises a vector of parameters for elements of syntactic and semantic descriptions of a source sentence. A natural language compiler (NLC) system is used to translate the sentence from the source language into a target language based on the syntactic and semantic descriptions of the source sentence. A vector of quality ratings is generated where each quality rating in the vector of quality ratings is of a corresponding parameter in the vector of parameters. Quality ratings are evaluated according to specific criterion, which comprise parameters such as a BLEU score and a number of emergency sentences. A number of parameters in the vector of parameters are replaced with adjusted parameters.
US09703772B2

A method for providing a sensitive text alert includes monitoring a key selected on a keyboard of a computer system. The key selected is reported to a key-logger application executing on the computer system. The reported key selected is appended to a string file. At least one portion of the string file is compared to a database of sensitive words/phrases. An alert is generated when it is determined that the compared at least one portion of the string file matches an entry in the database of sensitive words/phrases. The generated alert is superimposed on a display device of the computer system.
US09703766B1

Systems and methods are provided for generating tables from print-ready digital source documents. A document is received and one or more text fragments are identified on a rendered page of the document. A wrapping region collection is generated, comprising one or more wrapping regions. A tabular, narrative and label score is generated for each wrapping region. A block type is assigned to each wrapping region based on the scores. A wrapping region group and a block set are generated. One or more tables are generated based on text fragments corresponding to one of the one or more blocks. The text fragments are organized into corresponding fields of the one or more tables.
US09703760B2

Systems and methods for rendering an annotation graphic user interface (GUI) that encompasses external information related to a book term in a structured frame. An ebook includes pre-selected terms embedded with hyperlinks directing to an article contained by an external information source. Upon a user interaction with such a pre-selected term, raw information from the one or more articles is accessed and fed to a wireframe. The raw information is mapped to respective sections of the wireframe based on the field identifications attached to different segments of the raw information. As a result, an annotation GUI including the external information can be displayed in a consistent and orderly format.
US09703752B2

There is described a method for optimizing the distribution of data objects between caches in a cache domain of a resource limited network. User requests for data objects are received at caches in the cache domain. A notification is sent from each cache at which a request is received to a cache manager. The notification reports the user request and identifies the requested data object. At the cache manager, object information including the request frequency of each requested data object and the locations of the caches at which the requests were received is collated and stored. At the cache manager, objects for distribution within the cache domain are identified on the basis of the object information. Instructions are sent from the cache manager to the caches to distribute data objects stored in those caches between themselves. The objects are classified into classes according to popularity, the classes including a high popularity class comprising objects which should be distributed to all caches in the cache domain, a medium popularity class comprising objects which should be distributed to a subset of the caches in the cache domain, and a low popularity class comprising objects which should not be distributed.
US09703751B2

An apparatus and plurality of sensors where the apparatus includes a plurality of coupling elements; a plurality of attachment portions configured to enable a plurality of sensors to be removably attached to the apparatus; at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program instructions; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to individually address each of the plurality of coupling elements to obtain a reading from each of the plurality of sensors attached to the apparatus.
US09703744B2

In a storage subsystem adopting HDD and PCIe-SSD as storage media, as a method for preventing the complication of having to select a removal method while considering the drive type inserted to the drive slot since the method for removing the HDD differs from the method for removing the PCIe-SSD according to the prior art, the present invention provides an LED for displaying whether it is possible to remove the HDD or the PCIe-SSD inserted to the slot of a drive enclosure, wherein when an HDD is inserted in the drive slot, the LED displays that removal of the HDD is enabled when power supply to the HDD is stopped, and when PCIe-SSD is inserted to the drive slot, the LED displays that removal of the SSD is enabled when Downstream Port Containment (DPC) is triggered in the downstream port of the PCIe switch to which the SSD is connected.
US09703743B2

A high-performance, scalable and drop-free data center switch fabric and infrastructure is described. The data center switch fabric may leverage low cost, off-the-shelf packet-based switching components (e.g., IP over Ethernet (IPoE)) and overlay forwarding technologies rather than proprietary switch fabric. In one example, host network accelerators (HNAs) are positioned between servers (e.g., virtual machines or dedicated servers) of the data center and an IPoE core network that provides point-to-point connectivity between the servers. The HNAs are hardware devices that embed virtual routers on one or more integrated circuits, where the virtual router are configured to extend the one or more virtual networks to the virtual machines and to seamlessly transport packets over the switch fabric using an overlay network. In other words, the HNAs provide hardware-based, seamless access interfaces to overlay technologies used for communicating packet flows through the core switching network of the data center.
US09703740B2

A host system may couple to a PCIe subsystem. During setup of the PCIe subsystem, the BIOS in the host system may first be informed that the devices to be coupled are not PCIe devices, and certain amount of memory is required for these devices. The BIOS may therefore not attempt to configure the devices, and may instead allocate the required memory space. When the operating system boots up, it may not attempt to configure the devices, loading a custom driver instead of an existing PCI driver to configure the bus. Once loaded, the custom driver may configure the devices, then inform the OS that there are PCIe devices in the system at the specified addresses, which may cause the OS to load and execute existing PCIe device drivers to operate/use the devices. The proprietary driver may also be used to handle traffic between the PCIe drivers and the OS.
US09703735B2

A data communication system includes a master and a slave. The master transmits a first subject signal including a first subject data to the slave via a transmission line. The slave extracts a clock signal from the first subject signal by performing a clock data recovery process and determines the first subject data based on the first subject signal. The slave transmits a second subject signal including a second subject data to the master during an existing period of the first subject signal without interfering an extracting of the clock signal and a determination of the first subject data. The master receives the second subject signal and cancels a waveform component of the first subject signal from a waveform of the second subject signal, and then determines the second subject data based on the second subject signal.
US09703733B2

Instructions and logic interrupt and resume paging in secure enclaves. Embodiments include instructions, specify page addresses allocated to a secure enclave, the instructions are decoded for execution by a processor. The processor includes an enclave page cache to store secure data in a first cache line and in a last cache line for a page corresponding to the page address. A page state is read from the first or last cache line for the page when an entry in an enclave page cache mapping for the page indicates only a partial page is stored in the enclave page cache. The entry for a partial page may be set, and a new page state may be recorded in the first cache line when writing-back, or in the last cache line when loading the page when the instruction's execution is being interrupted. Thus the writing-back, or loading can be resumed.
US09703729B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to identifying the orientation of a multimedia link connected between a source device and a sink device. A sink device includes a plurality of pins that are configured to interface with a plurality of pins of the multimedia link. The sink device identifies based on the values of one or more pins of the plurality of pins of the sink device whether the multimedia link is connected to the sink device. Further, the sink device determines an orientation of the multimedia link connected to the sink device. The multimedia link can be in one of two orientations, straight or flipped. The sink device may communicate the orientation of the multimedia link to the source device. The source device may perform lane mapping based on whether the multimedia link is in the straight or flipped orientation.
US09703720B2

An apparatus and method for efficient guest EPT manipulation. For example, one embodiment of a apparatus comprises: a hypervisor to create extended page table (EPT) mappings between a guest physical address (GPA) space and a host physical address (HPA) space; the hypervisor to create an EPT edit table and populate the EPT edit table with information related to permitted mappings between the GPA space and HPA space; a guest to read the EPT edit table to determine information related to the permitted mappings between the GPA space and HPA space, the guest to use the information to map one or more pages in the GPA space to one or more pages in the HPA space.
US09703718B2

Managing cache evictions during transactional execution of a process. Based on initiating transactional execution of a memory data accessing instruction, memory data is fetched from a memory location, the memory data to be loaded as a new line into a cache entry of the cache. Based on determining that a threshold number of cache entries have been marked as read-set cache lines, determining whether a cache entry that is a read-set cache line can be replaced by identifying a cache entry that is a read-set cache line for the transaction that contains memory data from a memory address within a predetermined non-conflict address range. Then invalidating the identified cache entry of the transaction. Then loading the fetched memory data into the identified cache entry, and then marking the identified cache entry as a read-set cache line of the transaction.
US09703714B2

Systems and methods for managing cache configurations are disclosed. In accordance with a method, a system management control module may receive access rights of a host to a logical storage unit and may also receive a desired caching policy for caching data associated with the logical storage unit and the host. The system management control module may determine an allowable caching policy indicator for the logical storage unit. The allowable caching policy indicator may indicate whether caching is permitted for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit. The system management control module may further set a caching policy for data associated with input/output operations between the host and the logical storage unit, based on at least one of the desired caching policy and the allowable caching policy indicator. The system management control module may also communicate the caching policy to the host.
US09703712B2

A method and apparatus for preserving memory ordering in a cache coherent link based interconnect in light of partial and non-coherent memory accesses is herein described. In one embodiment, partial memory accesses, such as a partial read, is implemented utilizing a Read Invalidate and/or Snoop Invalidate message. When a peer node receives a Snoop Invalidate message referencing data from a requesting node, the peer node is to invalidate a cache line associated with the data and is not to directly forward the data to the requesting node. In one embodiment, when the peer node holds the referenced cache line in a Modified coherency state, in response to receiving the Snoop Invalidate message, the peer node is to writeback the data to a home node associated with the data.
US09703711B2

A computer system has a plurality of processors with non-blocking memory caches. A controller sets an upper limit of allowed snoop commands for the computer system. The controller adjusts, using real-time bandwidth data of the computing system, the limit of snoop commands to a new numerical value. The controller detects that the snoop limit is being adjusted between snoop rates more than a threshold number of times. The controller designates an overriding limit of snoop commands in response to detecting the snoop limit being adjusted more than the threshold number of times. The overriding limit of snoop commands is fixed for a period of time. The controller delays snoop commands which exceed the overriding limit of snoop commands during the period of time.
US09703701B2

A group address range is mapped to a memory address range of a nonvolatile memory. A first memory address of the memory address range is to be copied to a volatile memory if the first memory address is mapped to the group address range and a write access is requested for the first memory address. The group address range is transferred from a first node to a second node in response to a synch command. The copied address is to be written the NVM after the group address range is transferred.
US09703699B2

In a cache policy for a hybrid drive having a magnetic storage device and a non-volatile solid-state device, the hybrid drive is configured to write the most recent version of data associated with a logical block address to the non-volatile solid-state device when the logical block address is associated with previously written data and is overlapped by a subsequent disk write operation. Advantageously, the most recent version of data associated with the overlapped logical block address is stored in cache in the non-volatile solid-state device, even when the subsequent disk write operation results in the overlapped logical block address being trimmed from cache or otherwise invalidated. Consequently, data associated with the overlapped logical block address can be accessed more quickly than data written to the magnetic storage device.
US09703696B1

Systems and methods for explicit organization of memory allocation on an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. In particular, a programmable logic designer may incorporate specific mapping requests into programmable logic designs. The mapping requests may specify particular mappings between one or more data blocks (e.g., memory buffers) of a host program to one or more physical memory banks.
US09703693B1

Methods and apparatuses are described for testing a modified version of a software application. A recorder module stores production incoming messages received by the software application and associated timing data; production outgoing messages sent by the software application and associated timing data; a sequence of random number values and associated timing data; and a plurality of production event registrations by the software application and associated dispatch timing data based on an actual dispatch time associated with the production event registration. A playback module sends production incoming messages to the modified software application; receives and validates test outgoing messages from the modified software application; sends the sequence of random number values to the modified software application; receives and validates test event registrations from the modified software application; and sends to the modified software application a dispatch message to dispatch an event associated with a test event registration.
US09703692B2

Provided is a development supporting system that extracts important test cases in accordance with development statuses of a program, test statuses, etc. The development supporting system according to a representative embodiment includes a configuration managing unit that retains and manages the program and each of the test cases in a repository, and a test executing unit that executes the test case and stores a test result in the repository. The test case is managed in the repository in association with information of a type thereof, the configuration managing unit judges a development status of the program and sets a priority for each of the test cases based on the development status, and the test executing unit extracts the test case to be executed based on the priority.
US09703687B2

A monitor that monitors an application is provided herein. The monitor provides a monitor function that monitors an application. The monitor embeds the monitor function in meta data of a code base of the application. The monitor function embedded in the code base is activated. The monitor function is used to monitor data associated therewith during deployment of the application.
US09703682B2

Replicating on a test server a production load of a production server. The production load can be created on the production server by processing client requests received from clients. While the client requests are processed, in real time, the production load can be replicated to generate a replicated production load that represents the client requests and defines state information representing unique states formed between the production server and the respective clients. In real time, the replicated production load can be communicated in order to replicate the production load on the test server.
US09703681B2

Assistance is given to aid in optimizing a program's performance during initial development while the program's features are still being implemented and/or debugged, without interfering with that development, by providing easy-to-ignore yet accurate tips about a program's performance inside a debugger. Raw performance information for a software program which is being debugged in a debugger is adjusted by removing from it a measured debug overhead or other diagnostic overhead. Some factors considered when measuring overhead include pauses, context switches, debug versus release build presence, bounds checking, funceval, and call stack analyses. The debugger is enhanced to display the adjusted program performance measure in a graphical user interface, next to the corresponding source code. The enhanced debugger updates the adjusted program performance measure value and keeps its screen location current as the developer moves through the source code, providing more detailed performance information upon request.
US09703680B1

A developer analytic module executing on an integrated development environment provides location tracing of a software development toolkit and automatic updates of the SDK. The developer analytic module further provides a user interface that enables a developer to select one or more functional modules to be included in a SDK to be installed at the developer's IDE.
US09703679B2

A method, computer program product, and system is described. A continuous integration environment is identified. A first software test associated with the continuous integration environment is identified. A probationary status for the first software test is determined, the probationary status indicating, at least in part, a potential lack of reliability for the first software test.
US09703669B2

One disclosed embodiment provides an integrated circuit that has a plurality of processors and a plurality of processor trace collection logic units. Each processor trace collection logic unit corresponds with, and is operatively coupled to, one of the processors. A separate filtering logic unit is operatively coupled to the plurality of processor trace collection logic units. In some embodiments of the integrated circuit, each processor trace collection logic unit is operative to continuously collect processor trace information from a corresponding operatively coupled processor. Each filtering logic unit is operative to monitor the continuous processor trace information for occurrence of a predetermined condition, and to store some of the processor trace information to memory in response to occurrence of that condition.
US09703664B1

Techniques are described data storage optimization that determine predicted values for I/O statistics using an ARIMA (auto-regressive integrated moving average) model. The ARIMA model may be used to capture periodic patterns and trends of workload I/O access to predict the future load demand. A current set of I/O statistics is collected for a current time period T. Using the current set and one or more ARIMA models, a predicted set of I/O statistics is determined for a next time period T+1. Each of the ARIMA models is characterized by model parameters including P denoting a number of auto-regressive terms, D denoting a number of nonseasonal difference needed for stationarity, and Q denoting a number of lagged forecast errors of prediction. A data storage optimizer may determine one or more data portions for movement from a current storage tier to a target storage tier using the predicted set of I/O statistics.
US09703658B2

Systems and techniques for identifying failure mechanisms based on a population of scan diagnostic reports is described. Given a population of scan diagnostic reports, a mixed membership model can be used for computing a topic distribution for each portion of each scan diagnostic report and a feature distribution for each topic. The failure mechanisms can be identified based on the topic distributions for the portions of the scan diagnostic reports and the feature distributions for the topics.
US09703649B2

A method for managing a secondary storage system, the method may include performing a failover update, by the secondary storage system, of a status of at least one secondary path that couples a host computer to the secondary storage system thereby causing the host computer to prioritize sending IO requests to the secondary storage system over sending the IO requests to a primary storage system; wherein the failover update is triggered by a determination made by the secondary storage system that (a) the secondary storage system is, when making the determination, at an acceptable synchronization level with the primary storage system, and (b) the primary storage system is disconnected from the host computer; receiving, from the host computer, IO requests; and responding, by the secondary storage system, to the IO requests.
US09703639B1

Journaling technology, in which a tool, that is separate from a journaling process executed by a server system, causes display of an interface that enables user selection of information derivable from journaling data collected by the journaling process. The tool receives, through the displayed interface, user input selecting desired information derivable from the journaling data collected by the journaling process. Based on the user input, the tool determines one or more commands that are understood by the journaling process and that control the journaling process to retrieve journaling data needed to derive the desired information. The tool controls the journaling process to execute the one or more commands, accesses journaling data retrieved through execution of the one or more commands, and reformats the accessed journaling data into a presentable format of the desired information.
US09703636B2

The various embodiments described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable firmware reversion triggering and control in a storage device. In one aspect, the method includes: (1) detecting a reversion trigger, the reversion trigger identifying a set of one or more controllers of a plurality of controllers on the storage device, and (2) in response to the reversion trigger, initiating recovery actions for each controller in the set of one or more controllers, including: for each controller in the set of one or more controllers: (a) asserting a revert signal to the controller to execute a firmware reversion for the controller, and (b) resetting the controller subsequent to asserting the revert signal to the controller.
US09703628B2

Disclosed is a memory device including: a plurality of memory blocks suitable for storing data; peripheral circuits suitable for temporarily storing data read from a selected memory block, performing a randomization operation to the read data, and performing an ECC decoding operation to the randomized data; and a control logic suitable for controlling the peripheral circuits to repeat the randomization operation and the ECC decoding operation until the ECC decoding operation is successful, and a system including the same.
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