Document Document Title
US09060461B2 Laminated ceramic electronic component, manufacturing method therefor, serial taping electronic component, manufacturing method therefor, and direction identification method for laminated ceramic electronic component
In a laminated ceramic electronic component, a side surface outer electrode circles around a ceramic element body, a first electrode portion includes a first side surface electrode portion on first and second side surfaces of the ceramic element body and a first wrap-around electrode portion extending from the first side surface electrode portion and wraps around portions of third and fourth side surfaces, and a second electrode portion includes a second side surface electrode portion on the third and fourth side surfaces and a second wrap-around electrode portion extending from the second side surface electrode portion and wrap around portions of the first and second side surfaces. External appearance configurations in which the first and second wrap-around electrode portions are recognizable from outside are provided to the first and second wrap-around electrode portions.
US09060458B2 Method for manufacturing multi-layer printed circuit board
A method for manufacturing a multi-layer printed circuit board includes: forming first bumps on one surface of a first copper layer at a predetermined interval; providing, on the first copper layer, an insulating layer through which the first bumps are penetrating; stacking a second copper layer on a top of the insulating layer; forming circuits by patterning the first copper layer and the second copper layer; laminating insulating films on top and bottom surfaces of the insulating layer on which the circuits have been formed; forming second bumps on one surface of a third copper layer and of a fourth copper layer at a predetermined interval; and stacking the third copper layer and fourth copper layer, provided with the second bumps, on the top and bottom surfaces of the insulating films.
US09060445B2 Electronic apparatus having a display panel
An electronic apparatus includes a body and a display panel installed at a front side of the body to display an image. The body includes a first member to form a portion of the body and allowing the display panel to be installed thereon, and a second member to form a remaining portion of the body and rotatably installed at the first member. As the second member serves as a support, the electronic apparatus may be disposed in a second mode for a user to conveniently use the electronic apparatus.
US09060444B2 Server and fixing assembly thereof
A server includes a storage module, a processing module, a motherboard and a fixing assembly. The fixing assembly includes a carrier, a stopper, a tray, a first locking part and a second locking part. The stopper is securely located on the carrier. The storage module is securely located on the tray. A bottom wall of the tray has a fixing hole. The stopper engages with the tray through the fixing hole to make the tray securely attached to the carrier when the tray is located at the second position. The stopper is removed from the tray when the tray is located at the first position. The tray moves between the first position and the second position when the first locking part is located at the first state. The first locking part cooperates with the second locking part to lock the tray at the second position.
US09060440B2 Electronic control apparatus
A supporting structure comprises a base member to support a printed circuit board, a holder standing upright from the base member and supporting the printed circuit board; and a support standing upright from the base member and supporting the printed circuit board sidewise. The support includes a column standing upright from the base member, and having a modulus of elasticity greater than that of the holder, and an abutment portion to abut on a side surface of the printed circuit board.
US09060439B2 Locking system for modules within a housing and a method for fitting
A locking system for fitting and securing modules in a housing includes at least one module, which is surrounded by a chassis and provides a plug connection at a rear side. The front side of the module disposed opposite to the rear side provides a chassis front-plate connected to the chassis. Each module can be locked by a snap-in locking device in a housing, into which the module is pushed. In order to release the snap-in locking device, an opening tool engages in the chassis front-plate. A pulling stress can be exerted on the chassis front-plate by the opening tool, and the module can be withdrawn from the housing.
US09060437B2 System and method for operating a stencil printer
A material applicator includes a printing device configured to deposit viscous material upon a circuit board, and a controller operatively coupled to the printing device. The controller is configured to control a plurality of system components, including an operating system component configured to operate the printing device, and a remote interface component configured to exchange printer operation data between the operating system component and at least one plug-in application. The plug-in application is configured to extend capabilities of the operating system component.
US09060436B2 Land grid array socket assembly
A land grid array socket assembly comprises a plurality of cells, with each cell comprising an insulative body having a top surface, and contact conductor that has a first portion that extends from a board contact point up to and beyond the top surface to a contact bend, and a second portion that extends from the contact bend to terminate below the top surface and within the insulative body.
US09060435B2 Glass plate for display device, plate glass for display device and production process thereof
A process for producing a plate glass for a display device having a thickness of at most 1.5 mm by a float process, wherein the plate glass comprises, as represented by mole percentage based on the following oxides, from 67 to 75% of SiO2, from 0 to 4% of Al2O3, from 7 to 15% of Na2O, from 1 to 9% of K2O, from 6 to 14% of MgO and from 0 to 1.5% of ZrO2, has a total content of SiO2 and Al2O3 of from 71 to 75%, has a total content Na2O+K2O of Na2O and K2O of from 12 to 20%, and has a content of CaO of less than 1% if contained.
US09060433B2 Thermal dissipative retractable flex assembly
Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus comprising a flexible circuit having a proximal end, a distal end, and a plurality of longitudinal conductors. Further, the apparatus includes a substantially cylindrical retractor capable of retracting the flexible circuit around an exterior surface. Further still, the apparatus includes a plurality of thermal energy transfer turrets attached to the flexible circuit near the plurality of longitudinal conductors.
US09060430B1 Shielded trace structure and fabrication method
A method includes forming a patterned sacrificial layer on a first carrier and a patterned trace layer on the patterned sacrificial layer. The patterned sacrificial layer and the patterned trace layer are laminated to a dielectric material. The first carrier and the patterned sacrificial layer are removed creating sacrificial layer gaps above the patterned trace layer. The sacrificial layer gaps are filled with a trace layer isolation dielectric material. Shield trenches are laser-ablated within the dielectric material and on opposite sides of a signal trace of the patterned trace layer. The shield trenches are filled with an electrically conductive material to form shield walls. The electrically conductive material is patterned to form a shield top. The shield top, the shield walls, and a second carrier form a bias shield around the signal trace.
US09060429B2 Circuit board, substrate module, and display device
Provided is a circuit board in which visibility of an alignment mark is improved.In a case of manufacturing a substrate module in which a touch panel (20) and an FPC (50) are electrically connected, an alignment mark in the FPC (50) is formed by an opaque metal film, so that visibility is high. Consequently, when an alignment mark (25) in the touch panel (20) is also formed by an opaque metal film, the visibility of the alignment mark (25) also becomes high. By performing alignment using the alignment marks having high visibility, alignment between the touch panel (20) and the FPC (50) can be performed easily with high precision. As a result, the yield of the substrate module increases and modification of an alignment apparatus used for alignment becomes unnecessary, so that the manufacturing cost of the substrate module can be decreased.
US09060427B2 Electronic device housing
An electronic device housing having a plug contact unit with contacts for making electrical contact with a connector which can be plug-mounted onto an associated plug contact unit is described. The plug contact unit has an ejector unit mounted to pivot about an axis and which has at least one ejector arm positionable in an intermediate space, which is provided in the plugged state of a plug connector on a plug contact unit, between the connector and the plug contact unit. The ejector unit has a strip extending along the axis and has a protruding cross section. The electronic device housing has a latching groove for pivotably mounting in each case one associated ejector unit, wherein the latching groove surrounds and pivotably mounts the associated strip over a circumference of more than 180°, the latching groove and the strip extending along the width of the ejector unit.
US09060426B2 Securing mechanism
A securing mechanism includes a rail unit and a locking unit. The rail unit has a first rail structure, a guiding surface that is formed with a pin extension slot, and a first engaging structure. The locking unit has a fixing pin protruding into the pin extension slot, a second rail structure cooperating with the first rail structure to move the locking unit between an unlocked position, where the fixing pin is away from a fixing hole of the electronic device and where the first engaging structure is separated from the second engaging structure, and a locked position, where the fixing pin engages the fixing hole of the electronic device and where the second engaging structure engages the first engaging structure for fixing the electronic device to a mounting frame.
US09060420B2 Method of manufacturing a double sided flex circuit for a disk drive wherein a first side lead provides an etching mask for a second side lead
A method of manufacturing a flex circuit is disclosed for a disk drive comprising a disk, a head actuated radially over the disk, and control circuitry. The flex circuit is for electrically coupling the head to the control circuitry and comprises a substrate. An electrical coating applied to a first side of the substrate is etched to form a first electrical lead. The first side of the substrate is irradiated with radiation such that the first electrical lead masks the radiation from passing through the substrate to prevent curing of a photoresist applied to the second side of the substrate to form an uncured photoresist and a cured photoresist on the second side of the substrate. The uncured photoresist is removed from the second side of the substrate to form a groove, and the groove is filled with electrically conductive material to form the second electrical lead.
US09060416B2 Charging docking system
Systems and methods provide power to a device via a dock. A mounting base may include a mounting component, including a receiving area configured to removably receive a mating device at a plurality of orientations within a plane, wherein the mounting component comprises one or more indexing members and the mating device comprises one or more indexing elements, or the mating device comprises one or more indexing members and the mounting component comprises one or more indexing elements, the indexing members and elements configured to engage each other to align the mating device with the mounting component in one or more rotational orientations on said plane. A detector, configured to detect the presence of the mating device, and a driver circuit may be included. A device may be configured to control power sourced to the mating device by the driver circuit after the detector detects the mating device.
US09060411B2 Hardware plasma interlock system
A hardware interlock system for monitoring operation of RF plasma sources. The hardware interlock system includes an RF generator operative to transmit a forward RF power used to generate plasma in a plasma chamber. A derivative based hardware interlock circuit is coupled in series with the RF generator. The derivative based hardware interlock circuit determines a reflected RF power derivative value indicative of the speed of change in reflected RF power values in the RF plasma ion source. An analog/digital (A/D) logic circuit is coupled with the derivative based hardware interlock circuit. The A/D logic circuit can shut down the RF generator output when the reflected RF power derivative value exceeds a threshold.
US09060406B2 Power regulation of LED by means of an average value of the LED current and bidirectional counter
A circuit for the power regulation of an LED comprises a converter having a switch. The LED is interconnected in an output circuit, wherein a control unit controls the magnetization of an inductor, in that it actively clocks the switch. A measured actual value representative of the average value of the LED current is returned to the control unit and compared to a reference value.
US09060403B2 Light emitting diode driving apparatus and light emitting diode backlight system using the same
A light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus and an LED backlight system using the same are provided. The backlight control circuit suitable for driving an LED string includes a complex function pin, a driving circuit and a backlight control circuit. The backlight control circuit includes a control current generating unit, a first current comparing unit and a second current comparing unit. The control current generating unit receives a dimming control signal and an enable control signal from the complex function pin to generate a control current accordingly. The first and the second current comparing units are respectively configured to compare the control current with first and second predetermined currents to respectively generate a first and a second control signals. The driving circuit determines to be turned on or off according to the second control signal, and further adjusts a luminance of the LED string according to the first control signal.
US09060396B2 Mechanisms for anti-flickering
A circuit comprises a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch. Each has a first end and a second end. The circuit also comprises a capacitive device having a first capacitive end and a second capacitive end, and a voltage source. A first node having a first voltage is coupled to the first fourth-switch end, to the first second-switch end, and to the first capacitive end. A second node having a second voltage is coupled to the voltage source, to the second fourth-switch end, and to the second third-switch end. A third node is coupled to the second second-switch end, and to the first first-switch end. The first switch and the second switch are controlled such that the first node and the voltage source selectively provide the second voltage.
US09060395B1 Light emitting diode driving system
A rectifier rectifies an alternating current power to obtain a direct current power. The rectifier sends the direct current power to a driving power and synchronous signal generation apparatus. The driving power and synchronous signal generation apparatus generates a driving power. The driving power and synchronous signal generation apparatus sends the driving power through a transmission line to a plurality of light emitting diode driving apparatuses to drive a plurality of light emitting diodes. The driving power and synchronous signal generation apparatus generates a synchronous signal regularly according to the direct current power. The driving power and synchronous signal generation apparatus sends the synchronous signal through the transmission line to the light emitting diode driving apparatuses. The light emitting diode driving apparatuses drive the light emitting diodes synchronously according to the synchronous signals.
US09060391B2 Lighting system
A lighting system has lighting apparatuses and a controller for the lighting apparatuses. The controller includes a display unit and a storage unit that stores attribute information. The storage unit stores, as attribute information, area information including a target area where the lighting apparatuses are installed, identification information of the lighting apparatuses in the target area, and lighting information on lighting conditions of the lighting apparatuses. The display unit displays a first operation screen that includes a first graphic generated from the area information and the identification information, and a second operation screen that includes a second graphic generated from the lighting information. The second operation screen is displayed as a dialog, so as to be superposed on the first operation screen, and the first graphic indicating the selected lighting apparatus and the peripheral area thereof is highlighted on the first operation screen.
US09060389B2 Induction heating cooker
An induction heating cooker includes a plurality of heating coils to heat a container, an inverter having a plurality of switching elements to be operated such that a high-frequency voltage is selectively supplied to the plurality of heating coils, and a control unit to control the operations of the plurality of switching elements such that the high-frequency voltage is time-divisionally supplied to a heating coil, on which the container is positioned, among the plurality of heating coils. By this configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of inverters and manufacturing costs. In addition, since the thickness of the cooker is reduced, it is possible to reduce the overall size of the cooker.
US09060386B2 Method of selecting relay mode in mobile ad-hoc network
Disclosed herein is a method of selecting a relay node in a mobile ad-hoc network. The relay node selection method includes updating a neighbor node list based on messages received from one or more other nodes, and selecting a 1-hop neighbor node having a highest Multi-Point Relay (MPR) selector counter (MSC) value, from among one or more 1-hop neighbor nodes included in the updated neighbor node list, as an MPR node. Therefore, the present invention can prevent unnecessary channel competition and conflicts between nodes and improve network performance.
US09060384B2 Wireless communication network between participants of an assimilation step
A method of building a wireless communication network between a plurality of pre-defined devices which include spatially distributed inverters for feeding electric energy into an AC power grid and which each have a spatially limited range in wireless communication is provided. The method includes the steps of assimilating the pre-defined devices for a limited period of time, and in the step of assimilating, generating at least one network ID and persistently storing the at least one network ID in each pre-defined device participating in the step of assimilating. The method further includes, after the step of assimilating, connecting each pre-defined device exclusively to such other pre-defined devices in which network IDs originating from the same step of assimilating are stored.
US09060382B2 Split architecture remote radio
A wireless communication system, which includes at least one base station module configured to implement a media access controller and a physical layer, and includes at least one remote radio head module configured to prepare an analog signal or a digital data signal for transmission and receipt over a link in accordance with dedicated interface specifications, and also includes at least one outdoor signal conversion module configured to perform a high rate digital-to-analog conversion and a high rate analog-to-digital conversion in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications, and further includes at least two millimeter wave antenna assemblies, where each antenna assembly is configured to transmit and receive the analog signal over a wireless link in accordance with the dedicated interface specifications.
US09060380B2 Method and apparatus for locating a wireless local area network in a wide area network
The disclosure is directed to a mobile communication device that measures characteristics or attributes of a first communications network that vary according to physical location within that first communications network to create a fingerprint, or signature, of a location within the first communications network. When the fingerprint of the current location of the mobile device is created it can be compared to a known fingerprint associated with a second communication network to determine the mobile device's proximity to the second communications network. For example, the first communications network may be a CDMA wide area wireless communication network and the second communications network may be a 802.11 wireless LAN.
US09060372B2 Method and apparatus for use in a communications network
A method is provided for use in a communications network in which a plurality of accesses are available to a user entity for accessing a network resource, comprising: determining a set of active rules, each rule specifying respective preferences, at least relatively, for at least some of the plurality of accesses, with potential for conflict between the rules of the set concerning which access is most preferred; deriving from the set of active rules a new rule specifying respective preferences, at least relatively, for at least some of the plurality of accesses; and selecting an access for use by the user entity based on the new rule.
US09060368B2 Article of simultaneously communicating with a group of wireless communication units
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of simultaneously communicating with a group of wireless communication devices. For example, a wireless communication unit may assign a plurality of wireless communication devices to at least one Space-Division Multiple Access (SDMA) group based on traffic-specification (TSPEC) information corresponding to the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein the wireless communication unit is to simultaneously transmit a plurality of different wireless communication transmissions to the plurality of wireless communication devices of the group, respectively. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09060360B2 Method and device for transmitting control information
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and device for transmitting uplink control information when a plurality of cells are configured in a wireless communication system, the method comprising the steps of: generating a UCI; and determining a PUCCH resource for transmitting the UCI. If the reception response information and channel state information are triggered in the same subframe, only a first UCI generated from the reception response information is transmitted through a first PUCCH. If the reception response information and scheduling request information are triggered in the same subframe, a second UCI generated by jointly coding the reception response information and the scheduling request information is transmitted through a second PUCCH. The resource used for a reference signal for demodulating the first or second PUCCH is allocated in consideration of the UCI transmitted on PUCCH.
US09060358B2 Method for data communication, system for communication and related devices
A data communication method, a communication system, and related devices are configured to establish a transaction identifier (TI) in a user equipment (UE). The data communication method includes the following steps. A mobility management entity (MME) receives a request message and obtains ability information of the UE. If the UE has an ability to access a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network/GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network (UTRAN/GERAN), the MME generates the TI. A communication system and related devices are also provided. Thus, the TI is effectively established in the UE, so as to ensure normal processing of the UE.
US09060356B2 Random access method, radio communication terminal device, receiving method, and base station apparatus
Random access technology is provided for establishing an individual channel between a radio communication terminal device and a base station device in a short time and a radio communication terminal device executing the random access method. A RACH sub-channel allocation unit allocates a transmission packet input from a replication unit to an arbitrary sub-carrier at the RACH arbitrary time slot at random. An allocation unit judges whether an overlap is generated in the allocation result obtained by the RACH sub-channel allocation unit.
US09060355B2 Message handling
A method of handling messages at a user equipment received from a communications network during a procedure, the method implemented at the user equipment comprising: receiving a first message from the network while the user equipment is in a first operating state; processing the first message and entering a second operating state in response to receiving the first message; receiving a second message from the network while the user equipment is in the second operating state; detecting that the second message is a duplicate of the first message; and checking for an indication that the second message is a potential duplicate of the first message. If the indication is not present, the method further comprises transmitting a failure notification to the network. If the indication is present, the method further comprises discarding the second message and not transmitting a failure notification to the network to prevent failure of the procedure.
US09060352B2 Dynamic channel assignment for WLAN deployments with IEEE 802.11ac access points
Techniques are provided for selecting channels for use by access points operating in a wireless local area network. Metrics are computed for at least one set of radio frequency (RF) channels, wherein the set of RF channels comprises at least two RF channels in a frequency band that are available for use by a wireless network for a wider bandwidth mode that combines bandwidth of two or more RF channels. Alignment of individual primary and secondary RF channels is determined in the set of RF channels for operation of at least first and second wireless networks. A bias is applied to the metrics for each RF channel that is a member of the set of RF channels for the primary channel depending on alignment of the primary and secondary channels of the respective first and second wireless networks to produce adjusted metrics, based on which RF channels are assigned.
US09060351B2 Decoupled downlink and uplink
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for decoupling downlinks and uplinks between user equipment (UE) and base stations. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system comprises UE (e.g., cellular telephones, mobile devices, etc.) for independently establishing an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL). One embodiment of the method comprises the steps of establishing a DL to an optimal DL base station (BS), and establishing an UL to an optimal UL BS.
US09060347B2 Subscriber-aware paging
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for paging devices in a communication network. A network device providing mobility management through control messaging can be assigned a number of cell sites in multiple tracking areas. The network device such as a mobility management entity (MME) can use a subscriber-aware implementation to provide a hierarchy for contacting a mobile device with a page. The subscriber-aware implementation can be tailored to analyze subscriber activity such as frequency and timing, to page a subset of the total number of cell sites in multiple tracking areas based on the subscriber activity, and to expand the subset after unsuccessful attempts to page the mobile device.
US09060344B2 Systems, apparatus, and methods for association in multi-hop networks
Systems, methods, and devices for communicating data in a wireless communications network are described herein. One innovative aspect of the present disclosure includes a method of communicating in a wireless network. The wireless network includes an access point and a relay. The method includes receiving, at the access point, an association request from a client. The association request is forwarded by a relay. The method further includes determining a success or failure of association. The method further includes transmitting to the relay, when association fails, an indication that one or more subsequent messages from the client should be filtered.
US09060343B2 Support of network based positioning by sounding reference signal
A method of network-based positioning using sounding reference signal (SRS) is proposed. An eNodeB configures a number of parameters of a periodic SRS transmission for a user equipment (UE). The eNodeB then transmits SRS configuration data for SRS measurements performed by a location measurement unit (LMU). The SRS configuration data includes cell-specific SRS bandwidth configuration and UE-specific SRS bandwidth configuration. The SRS configuration data may further include a number of antenna ports for SRS transmission, SRS frequency hopping bandwidth configuration, information on whether SRS sequence-group hopping is enabled, and ΔSS when SRS sequence hopping is enabled. Upon receiving the SRS configuration data, the LMU is able to perform timing measurements over the received SRS signals from the UE. In one embodiment, the LMU detects SRS dropping to avoid performance degradation of the network-based positioning.
US09060342B2 System and method for passively determining own position listening to wireless time synchronization communications
The system and method of the present invention provides a mobile node (e.g., target), such as an aircraft, vehicle or mobile piece of equipment, the ability to determine its own position by passively listening to wireless time synchronization communications, such as IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) messages, exchanged between nodes over a wireless network.
US09060338B2 Method and apparatus for switching between low-power, single-chain listen and multiple-chain demodulation
A single receive chain of a MIMO receiver is activated during a low power listen mode. Upon detecting a legacy short training field (L-STF) in a received packet, the single receive chain performs a first frequency estimation, and activates one or more additional receive chains of the MIMO receiver. The MIMO receiver uses maximal ratio combining (MRC) to receive the signal using the first receive chain and the one or more additional activated receive chains, wherein the MRC is based, at least in part, on the first frequency estimation. The MIMO receiver may determine whether the received packet is a high throughput/very high throughput (HT/VHT) packet, and if not, deactivate the one or more additional receive chains. In one alternative, the additional receive chains are not activated until determining that a HT/VHT packet has been received.
US09060334B2 Wireless communication device and power saving method thereof
A wireless communication device is a mobile station of a wireless communication network system. In an idle mode, when the wireless communication device enters a startup state from a sleep state to prepare for receiving a paging message, base station (BS) measurement is performed at least once before the paging message is received.
US09060333B2 Wireless communication system and time synchronization method thereof
A method for acquiring and maintaining Global Positioning System (GPS) synchronization is provided for use in the wireless communication system. The method includes receiving, by at least one Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, GPS absolute time information and GPS information from at least one GPS satellite; transmitting, from the at least one GPS receiver, to a base station, reference time information generated based on the GPS absolute time information; and generating, by the base station, base station absolute time information based on the reference time information.
US09060332B2 Method and device for selecting the resource processing manner
The present invention provides a method and device for selecting a resource processing manner, wherein the method is applied to a communication system including a user terminal, a relay station and a base station, and comprises the following operations: a configuring step of configuring a dedicated pilot, wherein the dedicated pilot is configured to measure parameters of a link from the relay station to the user terminal; an acquiring step of acquiring a first parameter value of a common pilot and a second parameter value of the dedicated pilot; a comparing step of comparing the first parameter value with the second parameter value; and a selecting step of selecting a resource processing manner according to the comparison result, wherein the resource processing manner comprises: a cooperation manner and/or a non-cooperation manner.
US09060329B2 Methods and apparatus for use in facilitating communication for different types of wireless networks
Techniques in a wireless device for facilitating communication for different types of wireless networks are described. The device displays a list of identifiers of wireless networks, and receives an input request for selecting one of the wireless networks for communication. When the selected wireless network is of a first type, the device attempts to establish a connection with the selected wireless network. When the selected wireless network is of a second type, the device launches or displays an input prompt to launch an application having a stored association with a device type of the selected wireless network.
US09060328B2 Method and apparatus for small cell discovery in heterogeneous networks
A method for acquiring and applying offload area information for offloading a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to a small cell in a different frequency layer is disclosed. The WTRU may enter a region or a macro cell and receive offload area information of the region in which a small cell in the vicinity of the macro cell is located. The offload information may be received in a system information block (SIB), dedicated signaling, or any other radio signal. The WTRU may perform measurements to determine the location of the WTRU and to determine whether it has entered any offload areas. Upon a determination that the offload area information is no longer valid, the WTRU may delete the offload area information.
US09060323B2 Aggregating multiple wireless channels
Extending wired networks by aggregating multiple wireless links. Multiple wireless links are used to bridge wired networks, such as wired Ethernet networks. Each wireless link applies a hash function to the destination MAC address of presented traffic and uses the result of the hash function to determine if the traffic is passed by that wireless link or is dropped. For broadcast and multicast frames, the hash function is calculated on the source MAC address. Dynamic source MAC rewriting may be performed to prevent port flapping or out-of-order arrival of frames. Establishing one link as a master and communicating among links allows for load balancing and link failure detection.
US09060319B2 Virtual neighbor objects for managing idle mode mobility in a wireless network
Idle mode reselection is presented herein. A virtual neighbor component can create at least one virtual neighbor object and associate the at least one virtual neighbor object with wireless access points. Further, a reselection component can facilitate idle mode reselection between a base station and a wireless access point of the wireless access points based on the at least one virtual neighbor object.
US09060310B2 Method for QoS delivery in contention-based multi hop network
An arrangement and a method that, for a given pair of nodes that wish to intercommunicate with a high QoS measure, converts a portion of the contention-based network into a contention-less subnetwork by sending a reservation message and a confirmation message between the given pair of nodes. All nodes that are on the paths used for communicating between the pair of nodes are protected from interference by causing all nodes that potentially can interfere to enter a non-transmitting state.
US09060309B2 Radio resource division for compensating ratio changes of other clusters
The present invention relates to a method in which a management station divides radio resources for base stations which belong to a plurality of groups in a wireless communication system, and comprises the steps of: receiving a first message requesting an increase in resource allocation from at least one base station which belongs to a first group within a first cluster; receiving a second message requesting an increase in resource allocation from at least one base station which belongs to a second group within a second cluster; and changing each of the resource division ratios of the first group and the second group within the first cluster and the second cluster, wherein the resource division ratios of the first group and the second group are changed based on necessary resource information within the first message and the second message.
US09060308B2 Avoiding network address translation in a mobile data network
A flow setup table in a basestation breakout component allows for servicing non-cacheable IP data flows at the breakout component without the need for network address translation. For each broken out IP flow at the breakout component, the flow setup table holds a mapping between tunnel IDs and the IP related information. The flow setup table data is sent to the breakout component at the gateway. The gateway breakout component uses the flow setup table to forward non-cacheable data requests to the internet and return data received from the internet back to the basestation breakout component. The basestation component then sends the non-cacheable data in the correct tunnel to the user equipment requesting the data.
US09060307B2 Prioritizing multiple channel state information (CSI) reporting with carrier aggregation
A method for reporting uplink control information (UCI) on a user equipment (UE) is described. Multiple channel state information (CSI) reports are generated for multiple component carriers (CCs) that are scheduled to be transmitted in a subframe. A method of prioritization for the CSI reports is selected. A highest priority CSI report of the multiple CSI reports is determined using the selected method of prioritization. The highest priority CSI report is transmitted.
US09060306B2 Estimation of channel quality indicator using additional reference signals
Methods, a user equipment and a radio network node relating to estimation of a channel quality indicator, CQI, are provided. A first reference signal is carried by a downlink channel of a radio communication system. The user equipment receives from the radio network node information about scheduling of a downlink transmission to the user equipment and information about a second reference signal being different from the first reference signal. Furthermore, the user equipment receives from the radio network node the downlink transmission. The downlink transmission comprises the first reference signal and the second reference signal. Next, the user equipment estimates the CQI based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal.
US09060305B2 Method and apparatus for reporting radio bearer loss information
A method for reporting radio bearer loss information is provided in an embodiment of this invention. The method comprises: receiving a User Equipment UE Context Release Request message or a Release Access Bearer Request message or an Iu interface release request message all carrying a release cause value; and if the release cause value indicates an abnormal release, reporting radio bearer loss information to a gateway while preserving non-GBR bearers. With the method and apparatus of embodiments of this invention, not only bearer reporting can be realized, but also problems caused by the release of Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth non-GBR bearers can be prevented.
US09060302B2 Data sending method, apparatus, and system
A data sending method and apparatus are provided. In an embodiment, the method includes: detecting whether a wireless terminal has data to be sent to a wireless network side, where the data to be sent includes signaling data or user data; when a result of detecting whether the wireless terminal has data to be sent to the wireless network side is that the wireless terminal has no data to be sent, confirming that a power amplifier of the wireless terminal is in a non-working state; and when the result of detecting whether the wireless terminal has data to be sent to the wireless network side is that the wireless terminal has data to be sent, confirming that the power amplifier of the wireless terminal is in a working state.
US09060301B2 Parser to dynamically generate preferred multi-mode system selection entries
Disclosed is a method of dynamically parsing MLPL, MSPL, HPLMN, EHPLMN, PLMN, ePRL and the like lists. Each of the parsed entries is used to create simulated network conditions (for example, MCC/MNC for 3GPP network, SID/Sector ID for 3GPP2 networks) for verifying the device behavior through automation.
US09060300B2 Method and apparatus for efficiently receiving broadcast control message using MAC PDU header in wireless access system
Disclosed is a method of driving a terminal for receiving a broadcast control message formed of a MAC PDU from a wireless access system. The method includes receiving at least one broadcast control message from a base station in a resource region where a broadcast control message is transmitted, extracting broadcast control message type information that represents the kind of a broadcast control message included in the header of the received broadcast control message, and checking the extracted broadcast control message type information and determining whether payload of the received broadcast message is decoded.
US09060296B1 System and method for mapping network congestion in real-time
An IP endpoint comprising a processor; a memory; and an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor receives from a mobile communications device a mobile device report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the mobile communications device during an interval, receives from a network element an element report indicating congestion experienced by data transmitted by the network element during another interval, and generates a congestion model based on the mobile device report and the element report.
US09060295B2 Prioritizing application data for transmission in a wireless user device
Methods and systems for prioritizing application data in a wireless user device are disclosed. A user device receives, at an application transport bearer (ATB) entity of a protocol layer of a network interface of a user device, at least a portion of a data packet originating from an application identified for prioritized data transfer on the user device. Then, the ATB entity of the user device schedules the data packet ahead of any data packets processed at any network-established data radio bearer (DRB) entities on the same protocol layer as the ATB entity. The ATB entity of the user device is also configured to operate on a protocol layer of a subset of protocol layers on the user device and is configured by the user device with a higher priority parameter than any of the network-established DRB entities on the same protocol layer as the ATB entity.
US09060294B2 System and method for throttling downlink data notifications in a network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes creating an initial sample set comprising a plurality of notification messages, where each of the notification messages is associated with one of a plurality of bearers each of which has a first parameter associated therewith. The method further comprises prioritizing the notification messages of the initial sample set according to a value of the first parameter of the associated bearer to create a prioritized sample set and optimizing the prioritized sample set to create an optimized sample set. The method further comprises applying a throttle factor to the optimized sample to remove a number of low priority notification messages from the prioritized sample set to create a final set of notification messages to be transmitted to a network element.
US09060293B1 Reducing wireless communication signaling overhead
In systems and methods of reducing wireless communication signaling overhead, it is determined that communication resource request traffic from a plurality of wireless devices in communication with an access node to communicate with a communication network meets a first threshold. One of the plurality of wireless devices is selected to operate as a router wireless device based on a power storage level and an assigned modulation and coding scheme of each of the plurality of wireless devices. At least one of the unselected wireless devices is instructed to communicate with the communication network via the selected router wireless device.
US09060292B2 Systems and methods for predictive downloading in congested networks
An embodiment user equipment has a list of predictive data that a user may request, and programming to receive prefetched data based on the list of predictive data at a reduced cost, wherein the reduced cost is lower than a network cost of downloading the data, and to store the prefetched data within the UE for future consumption. An embodiment base station has a list of predictive data a UE may request, a high priority queue for data requested by the UE, and a low priority queue with predictive data corresponding to the list of predictive data. The base station further includes programing to send the requested data and to send the predictive data.
US09060290B2 Mobile network, corresponding access node, processing unit and method for operating the mobile network
The present invention relates to a system comprising a processing unit, a plurality of access nodes adapted to communicate with a plurality of mobile terminals and wireless backhaul links adapted to connect said access nodes and a wireless backhaul termination interfacing with a core network, According to the present invention:—said processing unit determining dynamically out of said plurality of access nodes, access nodes to remain unused and, access nodes to be used for supporting communication of said mobile terminals, said determination taking into account at least one optimisation criterion consisting in reducing the interference between active access nodes and mobile terminals; said processing unit determining a mapping between said mobile terminals and said active access nodes,—said wireless backhaul links consisting in point-to-multipoint connections between said wireless backhaul termination and said access nodes.
US09060289B2 Interference management and network performance optimization in small cells
A method of configuring small cell base stations in a cellular network is disclosed. A constraint on a performance-related metric associated with at least a portion of the cellular network is received. In some embodiments, the constraint on the performance-related metric comprises a constraint on a performance-related metric associated with one or more macrocells. Measurement data from one or more small cell base stations is received via a control interface. One or more optimized values of one or more parameters associated with one or more small cell base stations are searched. The searching is based at least in part on the received measurement data and subject to the constraint on the performance-related metric associated with the at least a portion of the cellular network. The one or more optimized values of the one or more parameters to the associated small cell base stations are transmitted.
US09060288B2 Configuring wireless devices for a wireless infrastructure network
Systems and methods that permit a wireless device to received data wirelessly via an infrastructure wireless network, without physically connecting the wireless device to a computer in order to configure it, and without having a have an existing infrastructure wireless network for the wireless device to connect to. A remote server hosts a website that permits a user of the wireless device to input via a computer credential data for at least one infrastructure wireless network. The content access point transmits the credential data for the at least one infrastructure wireless network to the wireless device via the ad hoc wireless network, such that, upon receipt of the credential data for the at least one infrastructure wireless network, the wireless device is configured to connect to the at least one infrastructure wireless network.
US09060284B2 Method and device for estimating AP position using a map of a wireless LAN radio environment
The present disclosure concerns a method and apparatus for estimating AP position using WLAN radiowave environment map. An embodiment includes filter for generating filtering radiowave map with data selected exclusively for having common MAC address from collected WLAN radiowave environment maps; grid-cell divisor for generating grid radiowave map with arbitrary grid cells from dividing the filtering radiowave map; representative-coordinate mapper for calculating centroid of each of grid cells constituting grid radiowave map and mapping each centroid as representative coordinate to each grid cell; representative-signal-strength mapper for calculating representative signal strengths based on data in grid cell and mapping each representative signal strength to grid cell; weight-value sorter for sorting out weight value corresponding to a range covering representative signal strength as received; and position estimator for estimating positional information of APs having common MAC address based on one or more of representative coordinate, representative signal strength, and weight value.
US09060280B2 Enhanced in-device coexistence interference avoidance using predetermined downlink channel
A method, system and device are provided for avoiding in-device coexistence interference between different radio technologies deployed in adjacent bands on the same device by allocating a non-interfering downlink signaling channel for downlink reception of interference avoidance instructions at the UE device. In operation, a user equipment device detects IDC interference and sends an IDC indication message to the radio network to get an appropriate solution, but instead of waiting at the current frequency to receive the IDC response from the radio network, the user equipment device moves to a non-interfering downlink signaling channel for downlink reception of interference avoidance instructions.
US09060277B2 Mobile communication devices, wireless access points, and wireless local area network (WLAN) authentication methods thereof
A Wireless Access Point (WAP) including a Local Area Network (LAN) interface and a first wireless module is provided. The LAN interface is configured to provide access to the Internet. The first wireless module is configured to generate a plurality of security parameters associated with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology, use the WLAN technology to perform an authentication procedure with a mobile communication device according to the security parameters, and after completing the authentication procedure, provide a Hotspot service of the WLAN technology to the mobile communication device via the LAN interface, wherein the security parameters are transmitted, prior to the authentication procedure, to the mobile communication device via an encrypted connection which is established using a cellular network technology.
US09060271B2 Secure short message service (SMS) communications
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for secure Short Message Service (SMS) communications. According to an embodiment, a method of providing secure Short Message Service (SMS) communications comprises requesting that SMS data to be sent from a client device to a remote location be encrypted. The method also comprises encrypting the SMS data by processing the SMS data with a Message Authentication Code (MAC) and a timestamp and/or counter along with second factor authentication information. The method further comprises sending the encrypted SMS data to the remote location by a secure SMS application via a regular SMS channel of the client device.
US09060264B2 Secure communication method and system in network environment which includes transmitter, receiver, and wiretapper
Disclosed are a secure communication method and system. In a wireless communication environment in which there is a wiretapper wiretapping a signal transmitted by a first transmitter to a first receiver, the secure communication method calculates a beamforming vector including first and second beamforming vectors based on channel information between the second transmitter and the first receiver and channel information between the second transmitter and a second receiver, and performs beamforming on the first and second receivers with the calculated beamforming vector. Accordingly, even when it is unable to know channel information of a wiretapper, the secure communication method can satisfy the minimum service-quality requirements of a secondary user and maximize a primary user's secure ability.
US09060263B1 Inbound LTE roaming footprint control
A method and article for authenticating a mobile station subscribed to a home network, in a visited network, includes the steps of receiving, at a visited proxy controlled by the visited network, a request to authenticate the mobile station on the visited network. Then, authorizing the mobile station on the visited network based on a parameter in the request and a policy stored on the visited proxy. The proxy communicates a denial of authorization to the visited network when the policy identifies a denial of service and the proxy communicates with the home network the request to authenticate the mobile station on the visited network, when the policy identifies an acceptance of service.
US09060261B2 Communication apparatus, communication method, and program
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus that is capable of performing a setting process to share a communication parameter with a communication partner apparatus in multiple setting modes and that is capable of automatically determining the setting mode in which the setting process is performed. The communication apparatus confirms the type of a user interface of the communication partner apparatus and determines the setting mode of the setting process to share the communication parameter with the communication partner apparatus on the basis of the confirmed type of the user interface of the communication partner apparatus and the type of a user interface of the communication apparatus to share the communication parameter with the communication partner apparatus.
US09060260B2 Method and apparatus for tailoring electronic content retrieval according to wireless communication device capabilities
A wireless communication device, such as a cellular handset, is configured to tailor its retrieval of electronic content, such as through a web feed, according to one or more capability parameters of the device. In one embodiment, a wireless communication device is configured, such as by including appropriate computer program instructions, to tailor its retrieval of electronic content based on maintaining device capability information in the wireless communication device, and filtering one or more electronic feeds received by the wireless communication device to identify electronic content having content characteristics commensurate with the device capability information.
US09060256B2 Generic USSD centre for network applications and services
The invention relates to a digital telecommunication system for the access, navigation, and use of digital applications and services, referred to as a USSD CENTRE (14), that comprises at least one server for applications and services module (16), at least one access gateway module (17), at least one network gateway module (18), at least one integration gateway module (15) and at least one database and profiling module (19). The server for applications and services module (16), referred to as a Browser (16), is based on at least one USSD telecommunication protocol and on at least one VXML language interpreter (21). The USSD CENTER (14) further includes charging, billing, proxy, routing, observation, ranking, and self-learning modules that execute the respective operations in real-time or offline. The USSD CENTER (14) further includes a WEB-type environment module for creating multilingual services, for test and for development of services and for managing the versions of the said services either locally or remotely. A method is implemented using the system (14), thus enabling a user to access USSD services via existing or new non-USSD services and enabling a user to access existing or new non-USSD services via USSD services.
US09060251B2 Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a frame including control information in a broadcasting system
Apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving a frame including control information in a broadcasting system. A frame for a broadcast service is generated using an in-band signaling scheme, and includes location information of control information in a next frame and indication information indicating a change/no-change in the control information in the next frame. The new frame structure minimizes power consumption of a receiver supporting the broadcast service.
US09060248B1 Dynamic placing and updating of a geofence for a mobile business
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that dynamically updates a geofence of a mobile business. During operation, the system establishes a first location and a first geofence for the mobile business. Next, the system receives a second location of the mobile business different than the first location of the mobile business. The system then generates an updated geofence for the mobile business based on the second location of the mobile business. The system subsequently broadcasts the second location of the mobile business to a set of mobile clients monitoring the mobile business.
US09060246B1 Communication device
The communication device comprising a voice communication implementer, a first software program implementer, a second software program implementer, an area dependent shortcut icon modification implementer, and a weather dependent shortcut icon modification implementer.
US09060243B2 Method and apparatus for extending coverage in a wireless communication system
A first radio receives, via a land mobile radio (LMR) radio frequency transceiver, a first transmission of an LMR call from a source transmitting radio transmitted on a first LMR frequency for re-transmission to one or more destination radios. The first radio measures a first measured signal level of the first transmission and receives, via a first short-range RF transceiver from a second radio, a second measured signal level of the first transmission as measured by the second radio. The first radio compares the first measured signal level and the second measured signal level and determines, based on the comparing, how the LMR call should be routed from the source transmitting radio to the one or more destination radios via the first and second radios. The first radio then transmits, via the first short-range RF transceiver, a corresponding instruction indicating a result of the determining to the second radio.
US09060238B2 Method for QoS guarantees in a multilayer structure
A method in which a user equipment processes data in a wireless mobile communication system is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a first data block from an upper layer, transferring a second data block including the first data block to a lower layer at a particular protocol layer, discarding the first and second data blocks present in the particular protocol layer if a certain period of time has passed, and transferring information associated with the discard of the second data block to the lower layer.
US09060237B2 Musical measurement stimuli
Systems and method for performing adaptive audio signal processing using music as a measurement stimulus signal. A musical stimuli generator may be used to generate musical stimulus signals composed to provide a stimulus with a spectrum that is substantially dense, and ideally white or pink, over a selected frequency range, so that all frequencies of interest are stimulated. The musical stimuli generator may generate melodically pleasing musical stimulus signals using music clips that include any of: a chromatic sequence, a chromatic sequence including chromatic tones over a plurality of octaves, a chromatic sequence including chromatic tones over a selected plurality of octaves, or an algorithmically composed chromatic sequence, to cover a selected frequency range. The musical stimulus signal may be generated as sound into the environment of use. An audio input picks up the sound from the environment, and a sound processor uses the received musical stimulus signal to determine a transfer function.
US09060235B2 Programmable interface for fitting hearing devices
A graphical interface is provided to select parameters for fitting a hearing device. The graphical interface provides a mechanism to visually represent and control values of these parameters.
US09060225B2 Wireless earphone
A wireless earphone comprises a fixing module including a lower cover and a fixing element disposed at the center thereof; a rotating case having a rotating base and an upper cover fixed to the rotating base, the rotating base includes a cup portion and an annular plate extending therefrom, the fixing element passes through the cup portion, and the rotating case rotates about the fixing element; an electronic module disposed between the upper cover and the rotating base; a tape spring having one end attached to the cup portion and the other end to the fixing element; at least one earphone cable wound around the cup portion having one end connected to the circuit board and the other end passing through the lower cover; and a fastening module disposed between the rotating base and the lower cover, for retaining the relative position there-between.
US09060218B2 Failure detection device for vehicle speaker
A failure detection device for a vehicle speaker includes a signal generator, an amplifier, a coupling capacitor, a detection circuit, and a determination section. The signal generator generates a sound signal corresponding to a sound outputted from the speaker. The amplifier amplifies the sound signal generated by the signal generator. The coupling capacitor supplies the sound signal amplified by the amplifier to the speaker. The detection circuit directly or indirectly detects a terminal voltage on a terminal of the speaker. The determination section determines whether an open-circuit occurs in the speaker based on a phase difference between a phase of the sound signal and a phase of the terminal voltage. The terminal of the speaker is coupled to the coupling capacitor.
US09060208B2 Methods and apparatus for predictive delivery of content over a network
Methods and apparatus for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a cable network. In one embodiment, the method comprises predicting which content will be requested by a set of users based upon the exhibited viewing habits of those users (and/or others). A server process gathers viewership data comprising a listing of programs requested by users at various times of the day. The server process aggregates the viewership data, identifies patterns within the aggregated data, and extrapolates a schedule of programs likely to be requested. In certain embodiments, the server process additionally gathers the capabilities of each cable device in an associated subnetwork. Based upon these capabilities, and based upon the total bandwidth predicted to remain available in the network over a target broadcast period, the server process may also select an optimal compression scheme and video quality level before broadcasting a certain program.
US09060207B2 Adaptive video streaming over a content delivery network
A system and method provides adaptively streaming a video over a content delivery network. A client sends a streaming request for a first portion of the video to a computer server, where the video has multiple video chunks, and each video chunk has one or more streaming parameters (e.g., priority and bitrate). The computer server retrieves the requested portion of the video and streams the first portion of the video over a content delivery network. The client monitors the video chunks received from the computer server and determines the video quality of the next portion of the video based on the monitoring. Responsive to the condition of the content delivery network being able to support streaming the next portion of the video with higher quality, the client updates the default video quality and requests the next portion of the video with the updated default video quality.
US09060206B2 Sampled digital content based syncronization of supplementary digital content
Supplementary digital content is provided to be played with primary digital content on a media device, such as a television, handheld device, smart phone, computer, and so forth. The primary digital content is sampled, and the time of the sample is noted. The primary digital content is identified, and the supplementary digital content is selected and transmitted, with an indication of timing for play of the supplementary digital content based upon the sample time. Synchronization of the primary and supplementary digital content playback is based upon reference to the sample time.
US09060202B2 Controlling display of content on networked passenger controllers and video display units
A controller is disclosed that controls an entertainment system which includes a video display unit that is separate from the controller. The controller includes a network interface, a display device, and a processing device. The network interface communicates with the video display unit via at least one data network. The processing device communicates a first command over the at least one data network to control a display of first content on the video display unit, and controls a display of second content on the display device of the controller. The second content is displayed concurrently with the first content. Related entertainment systems are disclosed.
US09060201B2 Stream synchronization for live video encoding
Methods of encoding a live video signal in a video encoding system including a plurality of video capture and encoding subsystems include providing the live video signal and an associated time code signal to the plurality of video capture and encoding subsystems, starting video capture and encoding in a first one of the subsystems at a first frame of the live video signal, starting video capture and encoding in a second one of the subsystems at a second frame of the live video signal that is later than the first frame, generating encode frame timestamps for the second frame in both the first and second video capture and encoding subsystems that are synchronized across the first and second subsystems, and associating the encode frame timestamp with the second frame in both the first and second subsystems. Related systems are also disclosed.
US09060200B1 System and method for digital program insertion in cable systems
Alternative approaches to the insertion of local commercials and messages into networks feeds are provided. Embodiments include digital commercial insertion for cable operators and others that not only offer more flexibility and features, but may also be significantly cheaper to implement. The actual “insert” of the local commercial or message into the digital program is performed by a standard set top box, with several methods of providing the local commercial to the set top box at the proper insertion time. Another embodiment allows a cable operator to significantly save on equipment in the form of splicers and ad inserters, by allowing easy and dynamic mapping of local commercials to insertion zones.
US09060198B2 Home network component controlling data and function of another home network component
Aggregated service and feature sharing is provided in a home network, in which users can freely enjoy not only the shared content, but also the unique features provided by each device anywhere in the network. The service sharing feature allows one device to control and use shared hardware or software functionalities provided by other devices in the network.
US09060197B2 Hospitality media system operated by mobile device
A hospitality media system includes a media system controller and a plurality of controllable devices operable by the media system controller, each of a plurality of rooms having one or more in-room controllable devices. A communication module performs data communications with a mobile device. An authentication module receives identification information from the mobile device, determines a registered room currently associated with the identification information, and includes in an authorized subset of the controllable devices for which the mobile device is authorized to operate at least the in-room controllable devices of the registered room. The media system controller operates the authorized subset of the controllable devices in dependence upon commands received from the mobile device.
US09060196B2 Constrained execution of background application code on mobile devices
The subject disclosure is directed towards a technology by which background application code (e.g., provided by third-party developers) runs on a mobile device in a way that is constrained with respect to resource usage. A resource manager processes a resource reservation request for background code, to determine whether the requested resources meet constraint criteria for that type of background code. If the criteria are met and the resources are available, the resources are reserved, whereby the background code is ensured priority access to its reserved resources. As a result, a properly coded background application that executes within its constraints will not experience glitches or other problems (e.g., unexpected termination) and thereby provide a good user experience.
US09060195B2 Television advertising message targeting according to subscriber purchasing behavior
A targeted television advertising system includes a modeling processor and an identification processor. The modeling processor is configured to model purchasing behavior of a selected television service subscriber using a payment card transaction database. The identification processor is configured to identify television advertising messages that may appeal to the selected television service subscriber based upon the modeled purchasing behavior.
US09060194B2 Video reproduction apparatus, control method thereof, and computer-readable storage medium storing program
The present invention is directed to a technique capable of preventing resources from being wastefully used due to continuous reproduction of video data which cannot be viewed by a user as the video data does not exist in a display range of a window or preventing the user from missing the video data. A CPU of a video transmission apparatus determines whether a reproduction frame of video data during reproduction is within a display range of a window. As a result of the determination, if the reproduction frame is not within the display range, the reproduction of the video data is stopped and a reproduction position is stored.
US09060189B2 Multiplexed video streaming
A plurality of video streams is transmitted over a transmission link. At intervals, one determines for each video stream at each of a plurality of encoder settings, having regard to the amount of data buffered at a receiver for that stream, a bit rate sufficient to transmit the remainder of that stream at that encoder setting such as to avoid buffer underflow at the receiver. One determines also a critical point equal to the earliest time at which that bit rate can be reduced while still avoiding buffer underflow at the receiver. An encoder setting is chosen for each video stream such that the sum of said bit rates required for transmission of the streams does not exceed the capacity of the transmission link. Any surplus capacity of the transmission link is allocated to the stream that has the earliest critical point.
US09060188B2 Methods and systems for logging information
Methods and systems for providing data such as content are disclosed. A method can comprise selecting a closed caption buffer and storing a service trace in the selected closed caption buffer. The closed caption buffer comprising the stored service trace can then be activated to provide service information.
US09060182B2 Method and apparatus for reducing and restoring the effectiveness of a commercial skip system
A method and apparatus is disclosed which reduces or removes the effectiveness of commercial skip systems such as presently found in VCRs, PVRs, etc. which are designed to delete commercials from signal material upon playback of a previously recorded version of the signal material. In an embodiment, the effectiveness of the commercial skip system is reduced or removed by adding a flat field of selected signal level to active line portions of video lines of the signal material. Other embodiments modify the normal fade to black signal indicative of a commercial to provide a fade to non-black signal. In further embodiments, a fade to non-black signal is inserted in an overscan area of the signal picture. Still further embodiments modify audio signals or selected signals in the horizontal blanking interval which may be used in commercial skip systems to detect the presence of commercials.
US09060180B2 Drift-free, backwards compatible, layered VDR coding
A visual dynamic range (VDR) signal and a standard dynamic range (SDR) signal are received. A first (e.g., MPEG-2) encoder encodes a base layer (BL) signal. A second encoder encodes an enhancement layer (EL). The EL signal represents information with which the VDR signal may be reconstructed, e.g., using the BL and the EL signals. The first encoder encodes the SDR signal with inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT) coefficients that have a fixed precision, e.g., which represent fixed-point approximations of transform coefficients that may have arbitrary precisions. The BL signal is encoded in a stream that conforms with an Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) standard. The EL is encoded in a stream that conforms with an ATSC enhanced vestigial sideband (E-VSB) standard. The BL and EL signals are combined; e.g., multiplexed, and transmitted together.
US09060177B2 System and method to process motion vectors of video data
Systems and methods to process motion vectors of video data are disclosed. According to an embodiment, an intra-block in a video frame of the video data is identified. At least a first set and a second set of inter-blocks that neighbor the identified intra-block are identified, where each inter-block in a set of inter-blocks has a motion vector associated therewith. Data of the first and second set of inter-blocks is evaluated to determine an error associated with each of the first and second sets. A motion vector associated with motion vectors of the inter-blocks of the set with the least error is determined. The determined motion vector may be associated with the identified intra-block.
US09060172B2 Methods and systems for mixed spatial resolution video compression
A method for encoding a frame of visual data which includes the steps of encoding an original full resolution frame, storing coded data for the encoded full resolution frame, reconstructing and storing encoded full resolution frame, downsampling the original full resolution frame to render it a reduced spatial resolution frame, encoding the reduced spatial resolution frame, storing coded data for the reduced spatial resolution frame, reconstructing and storing the reduced spatial resolution frame, upsampling and storing the reconstructed reduced spatial resolution frame, comparing a characteristic in the reconstructed full resolution frame with said characteristic in the original full resolution frame to determine the deviation of the reconstructed full resolution frame from the original full resolution frame with respect to said characteristic, comparing said characteristic in the upsampled reconstructed spatial reduced resolution frame with said characteristic in the original full resolution frame to determine the deviation of the upsampled reconstructed spatial reduced resolution frame from the original full resolution frame with respect to said characteristic, selecting the frame with the lesser deviation from the original full resolution frame with respect to said characteristic, and outputting the coded data corresponding to the frame with the lesser deviation from the original full resolution frame with respect to said characteristic to the bitstream.
US09060169B2 Methods and apparatus for providing a scalable deblocking filtering assist function within an array processor
Apparatus and methods for scalable block pixel filtering are described. A block filtering instruction is issued to a processing element (PE) to initiate block pixel filtering hardware by causing at least one command and at least one parameter be sent to a command and control function associated with the PE. A block of pixels is fetched from a PE local memory to be stored in a register file of a hardware assist module. A sub-block of pixels is processed to generate sub-block parameters and the block of pixels is filtered in a horizontal/vertical edge filtering computation pipeline using the sub-block parameters.
US09060168B2 Overlapped block disparity estimation and compensation architecture
Overlapped block disparity estimation and compensation is described. Compensating for images with overlapped block disparity compensation (OBDC) involves determining if OBDC is enabled in a video bit stream, and determining if OBDC is enabled for one or more macroblocks that neighbor a first macroblock within the video bit stream. The neighboring macroblocks may be transform coded. If OBDC is enabled in the video bit stream and for the one or more neighboring macroblocks, predictions may be made for a region of the first macroblock that has an edge adjacent with the neighboring macroblocks. OBDC can be causally applied. Disparity compensation parameters or modes may be shared amongst views or layers. A variety of predictions may be used with causally-applied OBDC.
US09060166B2 Preventing interference between primary and secondary content in a stereoscopic display
A method of positioning primary and secondary images on a stereoscopic display device involves ascertaining a perceived depth of the primary image and the secondary image; transforming the perceived depth of at least one of the primary and secondary image data by compressing the perceived depth of the at least one of the primary and secondary image data; and transforming at least one of the primary and secondary image data so as to position the perceived secondary image at a position that will be perceived by a viewer to be situated at a depth when viewed on the stereoscopic display such that the secondary image appears to be situated fully between the primary image and the viewer when viewed stereoscopically. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US09060165B2 3D video communication method, sending device and system, image reconstruction method and system
The disclosure includes a 3-dimensional (3D) video communication method, a 3D video sending device, a 3D video communication system, an image reconstruction method, and an image reconstruction system. The method includes: obtaining timestamped video image data of a scene collected by image collecting apparatuses, where the video image data includes at least one depth image and at least two color images; and encoding the video image data and sending the encoded video image data. The system includes a sending device and a receiving device. The sending device obtains at least one depth image and at least two color images of the scene through the image collecting apparatuses, the obtained depth images are accurate and reliable, and the collection of the video images is highly real-time. When reconstructing the images at the viewpoints, the receiving device can repair the reconstructed images by using the obtained color images.
US09060163B1 Signal adaptive filtering method, signal adaptive filter and computer readable medium for storing program therefor
A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression.
US09060162B2 Providing multiple viewer preferences on a display device
A system and method for providing viewer preferences on a display device are presented. An embodiment includes a storage medium for storing preset viewer preferences, each preference being categorized based on one of a plurality of viewers, a processor that accesses the storage medium and acquires the stored preset viewer preference for a given one of the plurality of viewers, and a display device that provides content to the viewer in accordance with the viewer's preferences using at least one optical element.
US09060160B2 Image generation device, imaging device, image reproduction device, and image reproduction program
An image generation device includes a video image generation means for generating a video image of a target photographic subject within a photographic subject on the basis of a plurality of captured images that are acquired by capturing images of the photographic subject in time series, and a background image generation means for generating a background image of the target photographic subject on the basis of the captured images.
US09060156B2 System and method for providing network access to individually recorded content
A method and system for capturing, storing, and streaming over the air broadcasts based on user requests and at their command is disclosed. The system and method utilize subarrays of antenna elements for receiving over the air broadcasts. Processing pipelines are used to demodulate, transcode and index the content transmissions to produce content data that are streamed to users. In this way, the feeds from antennas can be accessed by users over a network connection.
US09060151B2 Method for transmitting a broadcast service, method for receiving a broadcast service, and apparatus for receiving a broadcast service
A broadcast service receiving method of a broadcast receiving device is provided. The method includes: receiving a trigger; receiving a triggered object; when a target of the received trigger is the triggered object, performing a trigger action on the triggered object at a trigger time; receiving real-time data available for the triggered object by an operation of the triggered object according to the performing of the triggered action; and providing a service by using the real-time data.
US09060150B2 Image reading apparatus and sheet processing apparatus
According to one embodiment, an image reading apparatus that reads an image of a sheet conveyed by a conveyance unit includes a first illumination unit to irradiate the sheet with visible light, a second illumination unit to irradiate the sheet with visible light and infrared light from an angle different from that of the first illumination unit, and an imaging unit to receive visible light and infrared light reflected from the sheet and to capture a visible image and an infrared image.
US09060148B2 Image reading device, image forming apparatus, and image reading method
An image forming apparatus includes low and high resolution imaging portions, a data generating portion, first and second reading portions, and a reading control portion. The first reading portion acquires, from the high resolution imaging portion, as output data for one pixel, data acquired by n-number of light receiving elements adjacent to each other in a main scanning direction in the high resolution imaging portion. The second reading portion acquires output data from light receiving elements arranged in the main scanning direction from a start position displaced by a distance corresponding to m times a second pitch in the main scanning direction from a first reference position in the high resolution imaging portion, where m is an integer. The reading control portion executes a reading operation for a document by the low and high resolution imaging portions, selecting the first reading portion or selecting both of the reading portions.
US09060147B2 Image reading device capable of executing blank elimination processing and frame erasure processing and an image forming apparatus including the same
An image reading device includes a blank elimination processing portion that performs blank elimination processing for eliminating image data of an original document if a preset blank detection area in the original document is blank and a frame erasure processing portion that performs frame erasure processing for correcting image data of an original document so that any image in an area other than a preset effective image area in the original document does not appear. The blank elimination processing portion performs resetting in which a superimposition area where the preset blank detection area and the preset effective image area are superimposed on each other is set as a new blank detection area.
US09060144B2 Image sensor and manufacturing method thereof
An image sensor comprises an image sensing substrate that in turns includes an image sensing device, a first sensor pixel, a second sensor pixel, and a divider. The divider is between the first sensor pixel and the second sensor pixel.
US09060141B2 IR detector system and method
A system and method of reducing undesirable image artifacts such as image tear and image smearing are described. The system can include a series of pixels and enhanced sensitivity circuits. The circuit can be configured so as to operate in an enhanced sensitivity mode having a combination of sample and hold circuits and binning functions, the combination acting so as to reduce the undesirable imaging artifacts.
US09060135B2 Control of exposure of camera
A device for controlling exposure of a camera is provided. An image of an area ahead of a vehicle is acquired by a camera provided in the vehicle. A traveling speed of the vehicle is acquired. An exposure area in the acquired image is set by a setting section, in which the exposure area is used for exposure control of the camera. By a calculating section, a control value for performing the exposure control is calculated based on pixel values of pixels included in the exposure area. The setting section changes a size of the exposure area based on the traveling speed, such that, when the traveling speed is a first speed, the size of the exposure area in the acquired image is smaller compared to that when the traveling speed is a second speed that is lower than the first speed.
US09060133B2 Apparatus and method for supporting zoom microphone functional in mobile terminal
A method and apparatus support a zoom microphone function in a mobile terminal. The apparatus includes a plurality of microphones, a camera, and a controller. Each of the plurality of microphones has a different directional characteristic. The camera captures an image. And the controller determines a zoom level of the camera, and adjusts gains of the plurality of microphones based on a zoom range to which the zoom level belongs.
US09060130B2 Display control apparatus and display control method, using a fan to cool an inside of the apparatus
A display control apparatus comprises an internal temperature measurement unit, a fan, a fan controller which controls to rotate the fan when the internal temperature becomes not lower than a start threshold, and to stop the fan when the internal temperature becomes lower than a stop threshold, and a display controller which controls to display first information when the internal temperature becomes not lower than a first threshold, and to display second information in place of the first information when the internal temperature becomes higher than the first threshold and not lower than a second threshold higher than the stop threshold, and control to continue display of the second information even when the internal temperature becomes lower than the second threshold, and to set the second information in a non-display state when the fan is stopped.
US09060129B2 Imaging device, control method of imaging device, and computer program
There is provided an imaging device including a control unit that performs subject recognition. The control unit recognizes a first subject, decides a first subject recommendation position for the first subject in a screen from among a plurality of subject recommendation positions, displays a first specific display object at the decided first subject recommendation position, determines whether a distance between a position of the first subject and the first subject recommendation position is within a predetermined value, and decides a second subject recommendation position for a second subject in the screen from among the plurality of subject recommendation positions and displays a second specific display object at the second subject recommendation position when the distance is within the predetermined value.
US09060126B2 Solid-state image sensing apparatus
In a solid-state image sensing apparatus of an addressing method, a clock-conversion part generates a high-speed clock signal having a frequency two times or more the frequency of a low-speed clock signal. A signal processing part receives 10-bit pixel data through a horizontal signal line, performs predetermined signal processing, and passes parallel-format data to a switching part. The switching part selects each one bit of the parallel-format 10-bit data in a predetermined sequence to output from an output terminal using the high-speed clock signal from the clock-conversion part as a switching command, thus converts the parallel-format data into serial-format data, and passes it to an output buffer. The output buffer externally outputs differential output of normal video data and inverted video data individually from output terminals. Accordingly, the problems in power consumption, noises, and unnecessary radiation are solved, and higher-speed output is achieved.
US09060124B2 Capturing and processing of images using non-monolithic camera arrays
A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.
US09060123B1 System and method for using Wi-Fi inside a moving vehicle
The present invention is directed to various systems, methods, and embodiments resulting from the realization that the number of persons who are using a Wi-Fi computer network in a closed environment, e.g. a moving vehicle, can be verified to confirm that it coincides with the number of persons allowed pursuant to a license, by providing a system and method for determining the number of persons accessing a computer network in a closed environment, e.g. a moving vehicle and controlling the access based on that determination.
US09060120B2 Systems and methods for generating depth maps using images captured by camera arrays
A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.
US09060119B2 Image capturing apparatus and control method for image capturing apparatus
An image capturing apparatus includes: an imaging element including a first photoelectric conversion cell that outputs a first signal for phase difference detection obtained by detecting a plurality of light fluxes transmitted through different exit pupils of a photographing optical system using a plurality of focus detection pixels and a second photoelectric conversion cell that outputs a second signal for image generation obtained by detecting an object image transmitted through the photographing optical system using an imaging pixel. A contrast calculating unit calculates contrast information on the object image based on at least one of the first signal and the second signal; a focus detecting unit performs focus detection using a phase difference method on the basis of the first signal, and outputs an estimate for focus adjustment; a reliability estimating unit estimates reliability of a result obtained by the focus detecting unit.
US09060115B2 Image capturing system and method of generating image data
An image capturing system includes an image capturing unit configured to photograph the medium on a medium installation face, a lighting configured to irradiate the medium installation face, a lighting control unit configured to control the lighting, and a non-readable area determining unit configured to determine whether there is a non-readable area from which the image capturing unit is unable to read information of the medium due to reflected light of the lighting. The non-readable area is determined based on an image acquired by photographing the medium in a turned-on state of the lighting. When the non-readable area determining unit determines that there is the non-readable area, the medium is photographed in different lighting states set by the lighting control unit, and among the image data generated in photographing process, image data corresponding to the medium is generated by synthesizing areas except an area corresponding to the non-readable area.
US09060113B2 Sensor-synchronized spectrally-structured-light imaging
A smartphone is adapted for use as an imaging spectrometer, by synchronized pulsing of different LED light sources as different image frames are captured by the phone's CMOS image sensor. A particular implementation employs the CIE color matching functions, and/or their orthogonally transformed functions, to enable direct chromaticity capture. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09060112B2 Imaging apparatus, light emitting apparatus, and camera system
An imaging apparatus, which can communicate with a light emitting apparatus via a radio wave communication unit using radio waves, is configured to control timing at which the imaging apparatus starts an operation corresponding to a light emission performed according to a light emission start instruction based on a first light emission delay time that the light emitting apparatus requires for the processing from completion of reception of data indicating the light emission start instruction issued from the radio wave communication unit to a start of the light emission, and a second light emission delay time required for the processing from an output of the light emission start instruction issued from a light emission start instruction unit to completion of transmission of the data indicating the light emission start instruction issued from the radio wave communication unit.
US09060111B2 Electronic device with compact camera module
A compact electronic device may include a camera module having an image sensor. The image sensor may be controlled by storage and processing circuitry to capture image data from received light. The camera module may include a substrate having front and rear surfaces. The image sensor may be mounted to the rear surface of the substrate. The substrate may include optical focusing structures on the front surface of the substrate that focus light through an opening in the substrate to the image sensor. A flex circuit may be used to convey signals between the camera module and other electronic device components. The flex circuit may be mounted to the front surface of the camera module substrate to help reduce total height of the camera module. The flex circuit may be mounted to an extended portion of the substrate or may be mounted to surround the periphery of the image sensor.
US09060110B2 Image capture with tunable polarization and tunable spectral sensitivity
Image capture using an image capture device that includes an imaging assembly having a spectral sensitivity tunable in accordance with a spectral capture mask, and imaging optics having a polarization filter tunable in accordance with a polarization control mask for projecting an image of a scene onto the imaging assembly. A default polarization control mask is applied to the imaging optics, and a default spectral capture mask is applied to the imaging assembly. An image of the scene is captured using the imaging assembly.
US09060099B2 Distributed, interactive television program guide; system and method
In an interactive network-based personal video recording system, a user interface is provided that allows viewers to search a database of program guide information according to program title, indexed program attributes such as actor and director, and key word. Viewer interaction is by way of a remote control unit.
US09060096B2 Method and system for forming a content stream with conditional access information and a content file
A communication system includes a content repository 274 storing a content file and a video transport processing system 273 in communication with the content repository 274. The video transport processing system 273 receives a plurality of conditional access information, stores a relative time of arrival of each of the plurality of conditional access information and encrypts the content file using the plurality of conditional access information and the relative time of arrival to form an encrypted content file.
US09060092B2 Image sensor module
An image sensor module includes a light source unit that emits a linear light beam elongate in a primary scanning direction to an object to be read, and a lens unit including an incidence surface and an output surface oriented opposite to each other. The lens unit is configured to receive light from the object through the incidence surface and output the light through the output surface. The module also includes a sensor IC that receives the light outputted from the output surface, a housing that holds the light source unit and the lens unit, and a support member that supports the lens unit such that the incidence surface is located more distant from the sensor IC than the output surface in a secondary scanning direction. The support member includes a reflection surface that reflects the light from the object toward the incidence surface.
US09060087B2 Apparatus and method for determining a storage location based on the amount of electricity stored in a secondary battery of an image processing apparatus
In a method of controlling an image processing apparatus having a rechargeable secondary battery, in response to reception of a job, an amount of electricity stored in the secondary battery is detected and, whether the detected amount of electricity exceeds a specified value is determined. If it is determined that the stored electricity amount exceeds the specified value, a volatile memory is selected as a storage destination of information to be stored when the job is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the stored electricity amount does not exceed the specified value, a nonvolatile memory is selected as the storage destination of the information to be stored when the job is executed.
US09060078B2 Printer consistency measurement, evaluation and correction
Systems, apparatus and methods are provided for objective, quantitative assessment of printer image quality. Quantitative scores are determined for objective analysis and evaluation of the age quality produced by the target printer and determining corrective actions to be performed on the printer.
US09060074B2 Method and system for communication
A method and system for establishing a communication session between a plurality of communication terminals in an intercom system is disclosed. One of the communication terminals is associated with a room, dwelling, residence, or building structure and is configured to generate a request for establishing a communication session with one or more other mobile communication terminals associated with the room, dwelling, residence, or building structure. The communication session includes one or more of transmission and reception of one or more of an audio, a video, a multimedia, an image, a text and any other form of data that may be transmitted and received by the plurality of communication terminals. The communication session may include transmission and reception of one or more signals such as, but not limited to, an audio, a video, a multimedia, an image, a text and any other form of data by the plurality of communication terminals.
US09060072B2 Method for limiting the use of a mobile communications device
A method for limiting the use of a mobile communications device is disclosed. The mobile communications device includes a user interface. The method includes determining the physical speed at which the mobile communications device is travelling. The method includes comparing the physical speed to a preset threshold speed. The method includes limiting the functionality of the mobile communications device if the physical speed thereof is above preset threshold speed.
US09060067B2 Method, system and apparatus for providing calling name identification
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method, system and apparatus for providing customized calling identification. A method for providing customized calling identification comprises receiving a request for initiating an outgoing call from a communication client, the communication client being registered in association with a network address and being associated with a communication client identifier. The method further comprises, based on the communication client identifier, determining an auxiliary identifier associated with the communication client. The method further comprises augmenting the request for initiating an outgoing call with the auxiliary identifier to generate an augmented request.
US09060065B2 Speech to message processing
Voice message processors are configured to produce text representations of voice messages. The text representations can be compacted based on one or more abbreviation libraries or rule libraries. Abbreviation processing can be applied to produce a compact text representation based on display properties of a destination device or to enhance user perception. Text representation length can be reduced based on abbreviations in a standard abbreviation list, a user specific abbreviation list, or a combination of standard and custom lists. In some examples, text length is shortened based on stored rules.
US09060062B1 Clustering and classification of recent customer support inquiries
A system and machine-implemented method relating to enhanced customer service via processing a first communication from a customer via a first communication service, automatically obtaining a first classification, included in a plurality of predefined classifications for customer support issues, associated with the first communication, establishing a second communication between the customer and a customer service representative, and displaying to the customer service representative information about the first communication with an indication that the first classification is associated with the first communication.
US09060061B2 System and method for prompt modification based on caller hang ups in IVRs
In a method for use in Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, an IVR is configured such that voice prompts provided to a caller vary systematically and caller hang-up activity is attributed to the particular version of a prompt played to the caller. Voice prompt modifications are chosen based on how long the caller willingly listens to the voice prompt. A relatively short time listening to a prompt before hang-up, indicates dissatisfaction with that prompt. The system compares caller hang-up rates for each of the phrases in a prompt and chooses the optimum solution, which is the variant of the prompt with the longest caller listening time. Optionally, the system compares hang up rates to a threshold and contingent on that comparison chooses an alternative version of the prompt.
US09060059B2 Call status sharing
In general, techniques are described for sharing information about a client device phone call to enhance other services. In one example, a method includes receiving, at a server device, voice call parameters that describe at least one characteristic of a voice call in which a user of a first device is participating wherein the first device is physically separate from the server device, and responsive to receiving the voice call parameters, determining, by the server device, a status of the user based on the received voice call parameters. The method further includes storing an account for the user on the server device, wherein the account includes a user profile for the user and identifies contacts of the user, and modifying, by the server device, the user profile to reflect the status of the user, and sending the modified user profile to a device associated with a contact of the user.
US09060058B2 History management apparatus, history management method and history management program
A history management apparatus that includes: a history storage part that stores a historical data set indicating a history of response states including transfer among a plurality of agents to one call; an image generation part that generates data of a display image that integrates the history of response states of the plurality of agents to the one call, based on the historical data set; and a display control part that causes the display image to be displayed on a display unit.
US09060057B1 Systems and methods for caller ID authentication, spoof detection and list based call handling
Systems and methods for caller id authentication, spoof detection and list based call handling are disclosed. The caller ID authentication is performed by an authentication device connected to the calling party telephone transmitting the source and destination telephone numbers of the call to an authentication server. The called party authentication device extracts the caller ID of the incoming call and transmits the caller ID of the caller and the telephone number of the called party to the authentication server. The authentication server analyzes the transmitted information from both devices and replies with the authentication status of the caller ID to the called party authentication device. Other embodiments are disclosed where the authentication server is not available and caller ID authentication is performed in a peer-to-peer manner. In another embodiment, the concepts of active and passive certification passwords are used to maintain the integrity of the system. Other embodiments allow for authenticating blocked caller ID's, reveling blocked caller ID's, VoIP implementations, legitimate caller ID spoofing, and placing a blocked caller ID on private white or black lists. Another embodiment combines the described caller ID authentication system within a call handling system utilizing internal, global and private white and black lists. Applications of caller ID authentication methodology to other forms of communication source address authentication, such as email, SMS, and postal mail are envisioned.
US09060054B2 System for diagnosing and optimizing vectored DSL lines
In accordance with embodiments disclosed herein, there are provided methods, systems, mechanisms, techniques, and apparatuses for diagnosing and optimizing vectored DSL lines. For example, in one embodiment, such a system includes an interface to a first subset of a plurality of digital communication lines allocated to a vectored group and to a second subset of the plurality of digital communication lines which operate external to the vectored group; a Dynamic Spectral Management server (DSM server) to analyze the vectored group by performing the following operations for each of the plurality of digital communication lines in the vectored group: measuring a mitigated noise level for the digital communication line with crosstalk cancellation active, measuring a non-mitigated noise level for the digital communication line with crosstalk cancellation inactive, and comparing the mitigated noise level measured on the digital communication line with the non-mitigated noise level measured on the digital communication line. In such an embodiment, the DSM server of the system further issues optimization instructions based on the analysis. For example, by issuing optimization instructions for the vectored group, for lines external to the vectored group, or for both.
US09060052B2 Single channel, binaural and multi-channel dereverberation
A method is presented for estimating and suppressing reverberation from a digital reverberant signal. A method for changing a first reverberation estimation according to another reverberation estimation is further provided. A method for controlling the reverberation suppression rate is also presented.
US09060044B2 System and method to actively transfer video content across device during video playback (active playback)
An active play system and method are provided that allow a piece of content to be transferred between multiple content devices associated with the user.
US09060040B2 Themed ornament with streaming video display
An apparatus for playing signals received from the Internet or other information highway on one or more speakers and video displays has a receiver for receiving information from a preselected address; a processor for interpreting the signals; a user interface for choosing between a connection to a personal computer and the preselected address; and at least one sound emitting device and a display for playing the processed signal. The apparatus has an ornamental design on the outside which is related to the topic of the signals received from the address.
US09060039B2 Dynamic stunt cards using user device displays
A server device may receive one or more event instruction schedules. Each of the one or more event instruction schedules may identify one or more events and corresponding instructions. The server may receive location information identifying a location of a user device; identify a particular schedule of the one or more event instruction schedules based on the location; identify an occurrence of an event of the one or more events identified by the particular schedule; identify a particular corresponding instruction for the event; and direct the user device to execute the corresponding instruction based on the occurrence of the of the one or more events. The server device may cause the user device to execute the corresponding instruction to function as a component in a combined display or in a combined sound outputting system having multiple user devices in addition to the user device.
US09060038B2 Dynamic domain name server console for disaster recovery server management
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for updating a domain name server are provided. A console may receive a first request to access the console. The console may verify first permission to access the console. The console may receive a second request to access the domain name server. The console may verify second permission to access the domain name server. The console may receive an instruction to modify an entry in the domain name server. The instruction may specify that a previous Internet Protocol address in the entry is replaced with a new Internet Protocol address. The console may transmit the instruction from the console to the domain name server. The domain name server may be configured to replace the previous Internet Protocol address with a new Internet Protocol address in the entry in response to the instruction.
US09060037B2 Method and apparatus for prioritizing voice over internet protocol signaling messages
A method and apparatus for enabling prioritization of signaling messages in a communication network are disclosed. For example, the method receives at least one signaling message, and classifies each of the at least one signaling message. The method schedules each of the at least one signaling message for processing, and discards selectively one or more signaling messages that have been scheduled under an overload condition.
US09060035B2 Method and apparatus for identifying a subscriber home domain in a communication network
A method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for identifying a subscriber home domain in a communication network are described. A national subscriber profile is partitioned into regions and a NAPTR resource record is modified to identify in which region a particular subscriber is located. In response to a calling party requesting that a connection to a called party be established, a database is queried to provide a modified NAPTR record which identifies the region in which the called party is located. A connection can then be established without polling each region.
US09060031B1 Anonymized personalization of network content
Features are disclosed for modifying identifying data including, but not limited to, demographic information, user identifiers, and device identifiers, according to user-definable preferences prior to transmitting content requests to content servers. The information may be modified to protect a user's privacy. In addition, the modified information may allow the content provider to serve a customized or targeted version of content that is more relevant to the user than a version that may otherwise be generated without the aid of identifying data. Users may elect to share some, all, or none of their identifying data with content providers, or users may elect to generalize their specific identifying data. Additional features include providing generalized or customized identifying data to cooperating content providers. Custom headers and other data fields may be provided to content providers, and content providers may choose to use information in the custom data fields or ignore it.
US09060029B2 System and method for target profiling using social network analysis
A profile or dossier of a user is constructed based partly on data culled from a data network that reveals indirect, network-mediated relationships with other individuals and groups. The profile is assembled from information, such as properties of a target individual to build an initial social circle of the target individual. References to the target individual can be derived from the direct and indirect associations in order to compile a dossier on the target individual from the references to the target individual. The initial social circle may be expanded by building respective new social circles having new associations by crawling a plurality of web sites, and deriving additional references to the target individual from the new associations in the new social circles. According to a further aspect of the method, compiling a dossier includes extracting metadata from the references.
US09060028B1 Method and apparatus for rejecting untrusted network
A method of accessing a communication system and a communication device for performing the same are disclosed. The method includes transmitting, by the communication device to a node of the communication system through a communication link between the communication device and the node, a registration request to register with the communication system, transmitting, by the communication device to the node, a request to disconnect the communication link, when receiving from the communication system a registration response in response to the registration request before receiving an authentication request from the communication system.
US09060025B2 Cloud-based security policy configuration
Systems and methods for configuring security policies based on cloud are provided. According to one embodiment, security parameters are shared on cloud by security devices. A first network appliance may fetch one or more security parameters shared by a second network appliance from a cloud account. Then the first network appliance automatically creates a security policy that controlling a connection between the first network appliance and the second network appliance based at least in part on the one or more security parameters.
US09060023B2 Network watermark
A network communications method utilizing a network watermark for providing security in the communications includes creating a verifiable network communications path of nodes through a network for the transfer of information from a first end node to a second end node; verifying the network communications path of nodes, by the first end node, before communicating by the first end node information intended for receipt by the second end node; and once the network communications path of nodes is verified by the first end node, communicating by the first end node, via the verified communications path of nodes, the information intended for receipt by the second end node; wherein the network watermark represents the verifiable network communications path of nodes.
US09060017B2 System for detecting, analyzing, and controlling infiltration of computer and network systems
A method for detecting and manipulating a malicious actor/communication on a computer network or system. The method includes the steps of incorporating one or more synthetic vulnerabilities into the computer system at distinct locations, where each synthetic vulnerability presents an opportunity for exploitation by a malicious actor/communication, detecting an exploitation of one of the vulnerabilities by an actor, analyzing the actor to determine if the actor is a malicious actor/communication; and manipulating the malicious actor/communication. A computer program on a storage medium is also disclosed.
US09060012B2 Methods and apparatus for detecting fraud with time based computer tags
Systems and methods for creating and analyzing computer tag information for the prevention or detection of potential fraud. Computers and other devices accessing the Web carry device tags with date and time information describing when they were issued by a security tag server. A server time stamp may be inserted into time based computer tags such as a cookies indicating when they were created. Such time stamp information can be encrypted and analyzed during future attempts to access a secure network such as a customer attempting to log into an online banking account. When the time stamp information from the tag is compared to other selected information about the user, device and/or account, including but not limited to last account log-in date/time or account creation date, the invention may be used to detect suspicious activity.
US09060010B1 Incorporating virtual network computing into a cockpit display system for controlling a non-aircraft system
Systems and methods for incorporating virtual network computing (“VNC”) into a cockpit display system (“CDS”) and controlling an aircraft system and a remote system simultaneously with a VNC-incorporated CDS are disclosed. A system for incorporating VNC into the CDS is comprised of a VNC server of a remote system, at least one first user application (“UA”), a second UA, a pilot input device, and a CDS comprised of, in part, a processing module (“PM”) configured with a method employing an aviation-industry standard protocol (e.g., ARINC 661) and a VNC protocol. A system for controlling the remote system aircraft system with a VNC-incorporated CDS is comprised with a VNC server of the aircraft system and/or the non-aircraft system, a UA, a pilot input device, a display surface format, and a CDS comprised of, in part, a PM configured with a method employing an aviation-industry standard protocol and a VNC protocol.
US09060008B2 Mapping of logical volumes to host clusters
A method for data storage includes defining a host cluster within a group of host computers, which access a storage system that includes multiple logical volumes. The host cluster includes two or more of the host computers. A single mapping instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a set of one or more of the logical volumes, is accepted. Responsively to the single mapping instruction, each of the host computers in the host cluster is mapped to access the logical volumes in the set. In another disclosed method, a single control instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a configuration operation to be applied to the host computers in the host cluster, is accepted. Responsively to the single control instruction, the configuration operation is applied to each of the host computers in the host cluster.
US09060002B2 Caller-ID for redirected calls from SIP-PBX
Facilitating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone calls where at least a portion of the phone call relies upon signaling exchanged as part of a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) session conducted through a SIP Private Branch Exchange (SIP-PBX) is contemplated. Caller-ID and/or security measures may be implemented when to enable caller-ID when the SIP-PBX is untrusted.
US09060001B2 Prefix and predictive search in a distributed hash table
In one embodiment, a method comprises identifying prefix groups for searchable character symbols, each prefix group having a corresponding searchable character symbol comprising at least one searchable character; assigning at least one prefix group to each of a plurality of distributed hash table nodes in a network, each distributed hash table node containing at least one of the prefix groups, each distributed hash table node assigned a corresponding prescribed keyspace range of a prescribed keyspace, each distributed hash table node configured for storing data records having respective primary data record keys within the corresponding prescribed keyspace range; and assigning secondary indexes that start with one of the searchable character symbols to the corresponding prefix group in the associated distributed hash table node, enabling any prefix search starting with the one searchable character symbol to be directed to the corresponding prefix group in the associated distributed hash table node.
US09059998B2 Media plane optimization for voice over LTE
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for defining an optimized media path. In one exemplary method, a proxy session controller registers, for a plurality of realms, a plurality of Border Gateway Functions (BGFs) residing on a plurality of network nodes, with the registration including registering a preferred BGF colocated with a data network gateway on a single network node for a selected set of the realms. A request message is received from a user terminal, and if a realm associated with the request message is included in the selected set of realms, the controller assigns the preferred BGF to the user terminal to provide an optimized media path that includes the user terminal, the preferred BGF, and the data network gateway.
US09059997B2 Client device, server apparatus, content obtainment method, and integrated circuit
A client device manages one type of content list for a plurality of content obtainment servers, and updates information included in the content list based on information received from each content obtainment server. Thus, the client device can provide the content list with less unnecessary information to each home server with a lighter processing load, so that the time for the home server to obtain contents from the client device can be reduced.
US09059995B2 Delegating or transferring of access to resources between multiple devices
A gatekeeper device delegates an ability to access a resource to an access device by transmitting metadata, which includes access information for accessing the resource. The access device uses the metadata to retrieve the associated resource from a resource server. By transmitting the metadata in lieu of the resource, flexible use of the resources is implemented while enabling compliance with various restriction schemes. The system may condition the delegation or transfer of resource access on one or more factors, such as proximity between the gatekeeper device and the access devices. Using information about an access device, the resource server may optimize the resources for the receiving access device.
US09059991B2 System and method for unlocking a device
A system for unlocking a mobile device including: an input module configured to receive voice information; an output module configured to output an unlock signal; a processor connected to the input module and output module and configured to: receive the voice information from the input module; analyze the voice information; determine if the analyzed voice information matches with a predetermined voice profile; and if there is a match, send an unlock signal to the mobile device via an output module. A method for unlocking a mobile device including: receiving voice information from the mobile device; analyzing the voice information; determining if the analyzed voice information matches with a predetermined voice profile; and if there is a match, sending an unlock signal to the mobile device.
US09059990B2 System and methods for ensuring confidentiality of information used during authentication and authorization operations
Disclosed are systems and methods for ensuring confidentiality of information of a user of a service. One example method includes receiving a request to carry out an operation control procedure for the service; identifying the user of the service; selecting a trusted device associated with the identified user of the service; sending, to the selected trusted device, a request for confidential information of the user, wherein the confidential information is used to carry out the operation control procedure; receiving the confidential information from the selected trusted device; and carrying out the operation control procedure using the received confidential information.
US09059989B2 Hash synchronization for preventing unauthorized server access using stolen passwords
Techniques for preventing unauthorized access to a server system using stolen passwords are provided. In one embodiment, the server system can store an ordered set of hash values for a user, where each hash value in the ordered set of hash values is generated by applying a hash function in an ordered set of hash functions to the user's password. The server system can further receive, from a client device, a login request for the user that includes a hashed version of the password, and can select a hash value in the ordered set of hash values using a server-side index that is synchronized with a client-side index on the client device. The server system can then grant the login request if the selected hash value matches the hashed version of the password.
US09059988B2 Printing device capable of authorizing printing limitedly according to user level, printing system using the same and printing method thereof
A printing device which authorizes a printing limitedly according to a user level, a printing system using the same and a printing method thereof. The printing device includes an interface part receiving a printing data requested by a user and a security level of the requested printing data; an authentication part determining whether to print the requested printing data based on the security level and a pre-stored user level of the user; a printing part printing the requested printing data; and a controller transmitting the requested printing data received through the interface part to the printing part if the authentication part permits the printing. Accordingly, even if a user obtains an access to the system, because the user has a limitation in using and printing the data depending on his/her position or job, the security of the data can be more effectively guaranteed.
US09059987B1 Methods and systems of using single sign-on for identification for a web server not integrated with an enterprise network
A method for accessing, using an authentication system, an application server within an enterprise network is disclosed. The method comprises retrieving an authentication message comprising a user name, wherein the authentication system is associated with the application server. The method comprises determining that a login account is not stored in a data store of the authentication system, wherein the login account is associated with a user identification and comprises a user name that matches the user name of the authentication message. The method comprises retrieving a login account from a user data store to generate a login account in the data store associated with the authentication system, wherein the login account is associated with the user name. The method comprises authenticating the user name with the login account. The method comprises providing to a user associated with the user name, access based on the authentication to the project server.
US09059981B2 System, method, and computer program product for security verification of communications to tenants of an on-demand database service
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for security verification of communications to tenants of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for security verification of communications to tenants of an on-demand database service can enable embodiments to allow tenants to selectively implement security measures with respect to inbound communications, etc. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature may allow tenants to efficiently and effectively implement security measures for in-bound emails.
US09059980B2 Systems and methods for authenticating mobile devices
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for authenticating mobile devices. Device identifying information may be received for a mobile device. A base level key may also be communicated to the mobile device. The base level key may be utilized by the mobile device to derive unique transaction specific keys to encrypt subsequent communications output by the mobile device. A communication encrypted with a unique transaction specific key may be received from the mobile device. Based at least in part upon the device identifying information and the base level key, a derived key may be generated, and the derived key may be utilized to decrypt the received communication and authenticate the mobile device. In certain embodiments, the above operations may be performed by one or more computers associated with a service provider.
US09059979B2 Cookie verification methods and apparatus for use in providing application services to communication devices
In one illustrative example, a method in a communication device adapted for communications using Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) involves setting, at the communication device, an HTTP cookie which includes a user identification of a user of the communication device and a message portion which is signed with a digital signature of the user. The communication device sends, to an application server site via the communication network, a request message which includes the HTTP cookie. If verification of the digital signature at the application server site is successful, the communication device will receive access to an application service of the application server site. In one variation, the HTTP cookie is alternatively set with a group identification of a group with which the user is associated, and the message portion is signed with a digital signature of the group. The group may be a plurality of users associated with a service provider which provides the communication device access to a communication service in the communication network. In this case, the HTTP cookie may be set with a token retrieved from the service provider, where the token includes the digital signature of the service provider.
US09059977B2 Distribution of secure or cryptographic material
A user having remote device wants to access an application that requires that the user possess a user application cryptographic credential. If the application needs to verify the identity of the user, the user's remote device performs a cryptographic operation using the user application cryptographic credentials, and sends the result to the application. A configuration for securely distributing the user application cryptographic credentials includes at least one gateway located at an enterprise that is under the control of an enterprise administrator, and a controller that is not located at the enterprise but can be configured by the enterprise administrator to cooperate with the at least one gateway.
US09059975B2 Providing network communications using virtualization based on protocol information in packet
A method of providing network communications includes receiving, at a second device via a virtual network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the second device, a packet transmitted by a first device, the packet including protocol information; determining a third device to which to transmit the packet, said determination being informed by the protocol information; and transmitting the packet to the third device using a virtual network connection, which virtualizes network capabilities of the second device, in accordance with the protocol information.
US09059974B2 Secure mobile app connection bus
A secure mobile application connection bus is disclosed. First encryption information and an identifier associated with a data storage location on a mobile device are provided from a first application to a second application. Second encryption information associated with the second mobile application is retrieved from the data storage location. The second mobile application is configured to provide data to the data storage location. Data is transferred securely between the first mobile application and the second mobile application via the data storage location.
US09059973B2 Securing sensitive information in a network cloud
Implementation of a secure network may be provided by analyzing packet traffic for sensitive information. Network processing elements found to be processing sensitive information may be classified as needing higher security. The classified network processing elements may be moved into a group of secure network processing elements.
US09059968B2 Stateless transmission control protocol rendezvous solution for border gateway function
A method and apparatus for brokering a transmission control protocol (TCP) session between two clients that are each situated behind a firewall that blocks incoming TCP session requests is described. Each of the two clients transmits a TCP session request to the other client in order to establish a TCP session between these clients. This brokering allows the two clients to establish the TCP session between the two clients.
US09059960B2 Automatically recommending firewall rules during enterprise information technology transformation
Techniques for automatically generating one or more rules during IT transformation for configuring one or more firewall interfaces in a post-transformation target environment. A method includes obtaining at least one communication pattern occurring in a pre-transformation source environment, and automatically generating one or more vendor-neutral rules for one or more intended firewall interfaces in a post-transformation target environment based on the at least one communication pattern occurring in the source environment and based on information derived from the target environment.
US09059959B2 Client side management of HTTP sessions
A method is provided for client side management of a client-server HTTP session comprising: sending by a client browser to a server an initial HTTP request; receiving by the browser from the server an initial HTTP response that includes a markup language document, a session identifier and a termination address; creating an iframe within the received initial document; targeting one or more hyperlink objects within the received initial document to the iframe; monitoring for an occurrence of closing the browser or changing an location to which the browser is addressed; and in response to an occurrence of one of the actions, sending by the browser an HTTP request that includes the session identifier to the termination address.
US09059956B2 Asynchronous real-time retrieval of data
A data retrieval system includes a gateway server and an access client. The gateway server is communicatively connected to the access client through a network. The gateway server provides a presentation service (PS) and a real-time service (RTS), which cooperate with the access client to retrieve data from a data store and then provide the retrieved data to a user's remote communication device. More particularly, when a user wishes to retrieve data from the data store or to send data to the data store, the user establishes a communication connection between his or her remote communication device and the gateway server, and then requests the desired data from the gateway server. In response, the gateway server sends a command to the access client, instructing it to retrieve the requested data. The access client retrieves the requested data from the data store, and returns the retrieved data to the gateway server. The gateway server then relays the requested information back to the user's remote communication device.
US09059952B2 System and method for distributing and optimizing quality and quantity of social media posts
Approaches for distributing and optimizing quality and quantity of social media posts or other posts are disclosed. In certain implementations, a post may be received from a user for submission to a channel directed to a topic. A stream flow value may be determined for the channel. The stream flow value may be based on a volume of posts associated with the channel. A rating value associated with the user submitting the post may be determined. A scope of distribution of the post to one or more users accessing the channel may be determined based on the stream flow value and the rating value. In some implementations, channel instances corresponding to the channel may be provided on different device components. At least one channel instance of the channel instances on which to make the post available may be determined based on the stream flow value and the rating value.
US09059944B2 Method and arrangement for enabling service delivery in a telecommunications network
A method and arrangement for enabling delivery of an IT-service to a client, wherein execution of the IT-service requires resources in a cloud architecture. First, a plurality of predefined cloud computing services and respective requirements for resources, are registered. Then, service subscriptions and associated subscription identities, valid in a telecommunications network, are provisioned for the predefined cloud computing services. One of the service subscriptions and associated subscription identity is assigned to an identity module, for enabling delivery of the IT-service to the client by providing an associated predefined cloud computing service when the client uses the identity module. Then, activity of the assigned service subscription is monitored in the network based on the associated subscription identity, and resources are allocated in the cloud architecture according to the assigned service subscription, when it is detected that the assigned service subscription is activated or has been activated.
US09059943B2 Method of routing multicast traffic
A method of routing multicast traffic in a computer network is disclosed. The method comprises associating a plurality of multicast group addresses on a network device with respective multicast routing topologies. A network device and a network are also disclosed.
US09059941B1 Providing router information according to a programmatic interface
A provider network may implement providing router information according to a programmatic interface. A plurality of routers may be implemented as part of provider network. Clients that utilize these routers may wish to obtain information specific to one or more routers in order to configure communications utilizing the particular router. A request may be received for the information from the client that is formatted according to the programmatic interface that is platform-independent. The requests may be maintained along with other received requests until selected for servicing according to a priority scheme. The request may be translated into one or more versions of the request that are formatted according to a interfaces specific to the one or more routers. The translated one or more versions of the request may be sent to the one or more routers to obtain the information from the one or more routers. The information may then be provided to the client.
US09059937B2 Multi-role distributed line card
A switch includes network ports and a network processor with a fabric interface that provides SerDes (Serializer/Deserializer) channels. The network processor divides each packet received over the network ports into cells and distributes the cells across the SerDes channels. Fabric ports of the switch communicate with the fabric interface to transmit cells to and receive cells from the fabric interface. The switch is selectively configurable as a standalone switch by connecting each fabric port of the switch to another of the fabric ports of the switch, as a member of a switch stack by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different other switch through one fabric port of that other switch, or as a member of a distributed fabric system by connecting each fabric port of the switch to a different scaled-out fabric coupler (SFC) chassis by an SFC fabric port of that SFC chassis.
US09059936B2 Method and apparatus for controlling stream to receive data in parallel
Provided are a method and an apparatus for controlling streams to receive data in parallel. The method includes receiving data in parallel using a plurality of connected streams, calculating a network congestion rate using a change in a transmission speed of data received through each of the plurality of streams, adjusting a number of connections of the plurality of streams based on the calculated network congestion rate, and receiving the data in parallel using the adjusted number of streams.
US09059934B2 Window regulator for improved performance in a communications network
A window regulator for improving the performance of communications networks is described. In a communications network, data is sent downstream from a sender to a receiver, and acknowledgements are sent back upstream. When data is received at the receiver, the data is placed in a buffer and an acknowledgement of receipt may be sent. If no acknowledgement is received by a sender after a certain period of time, the sender retransmits the data. The receiver communicates how much data the receiver is willing to receive at any given time by sending an advertised window to the sender. The window regulator sets the size of the advertised window based on measurements of capacity in the network to improve the amount and rate of data sent downstream while avoiding loss of data and subsequent retransmissions.
US09059928B2 Controller placement for fast failover in the split architecture
A method implemented by a network topology design system, the network topology design system including a processing device. The method to determine placement of a controller within a network with a split architecture where control plane components of the split architecture network are executed by a controller and the control plane components are separate from data plane components of the split architecture network. The placement of the controller is selected to minimize disruption of the split architecture network caused by a link failure, a switch failure or a connectivity loss between the controller and the data plane components.
US09059926B2 Performance analysis of virtual private network segment on a per flow basis
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating at a first network device Virtual Private Network (“VPN”) encapsulated packets with anonymized headers; maintaining a table mapping the anonymized headers to original headers of the VPN encapsulated packets; receiving a trace request from an initiator; generating from the received trace request an out-of-tunnel trace request toward a second network device via at least one intermediate network device using the anonymized headers; and forwarding the received trace request as an in-tunnel trace request through a VPN tunnel.
US09059925B2 Method for multicast load balancing in wireless LANs
A method for multicast load balancing in a wireless network having a plurality of access points. The method includes setting a maximum Internet protocol multicast bandwidth for the access points, receiving an admissions control request from a client at one of the access points, and determining whether the admissions control request from the client is for an admitted or unadmitted multicast stream at the access point. The access point is responsive to the admissions control request for the admitted multicast stream by servicing the admitted multicast stream and to the admissions control request for the unadmitted multicast stream by servicing the unadmitted multicast stream where the bandwidth required for the unadmitted multicast stream, plus that portion of the access point bandwidth currently used for all existing downlink multicast streams, does not exceed the maximum internet protocol multicast bandwidth for the access point.
US09059919B1 Systems and methods for preserving network settings for use in a pre-boot environment
A computer-implemented method to preserve network settings for a computing device in a pre-boot environment is described. Initiation of a shut down process for the computing device is detected. Network configuration information is identified. A timestamp to associate with the identified network configuration information is generated. The identified network configuration information and the associated timestamp are stored in a storage medium.
US09059918B2 Continuity check management in a link state controlled ethernet network
An OAM link trace message is sent from a source node to a target node in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network. The link trace message uses an 802.1ag format except, as a destination address, it uses either the unicast Ethernet MAC node ID of the target node or the multicast destination address of the service instance. Network topology verification in a link state protocol controlled Ethernet network checks the link state protocol database at a node to ascertain the control plane topology view of at least part of the network. One or more Ethernet OAM commands from the node are executed to ascertain the data plane topology view of the same part of the network. The control plane topology view of the network is compared to the data plane topology view of the network to see if they match. An error is flagged if they do not match.
US09059917B2 Technique for processing flows in a communications network
A method is provided for processing flows in a wireless communications network. Data packets belonging to different flows are received by a device of a communications network and stored in a queue to enable them to be sent by the device over a radio channel to at least one node. Access to the radio channel is time-shared between a plurality of nodes. The method includes: at least one step of determining a duration associated with a flow, the duration corresponding to a virtual duration needed for sending packets of said flow stored in the queue; and in order to send a data packet, a step of selecting one of the flows amongst a plurality of flows, in which step a flow is selected for which the associated duration is the smallest, and a step of sending a packet of the selected flow as extracted from the queue.
US09059913B2 Techniques for attribution of device data traffic to initiating end-user application
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.
US09059912B2 Traffic policing for MPLS-based network
A method, a device, and a storage medium provide for storing traffic policies pertaining to egress traffic to a network; receiving a traffic flow; computing a route for the traffic flow; identifying at least one of one or more labels associated with the traffic flow or a network address associated with a remote provider edge device associated with the traffic flow; selecting one or more traffic policies in response to at least one of an identification of the one or more labels or an identification of the network address; and transmitting along the route in the network according to the one or more traffic policies.
US09059910B1 Pre-configuration of a cloud-based computer
Various example embodiments are disclosed herein. According to an example embodiment, a method may include receiving by a second computer a customization application, the customization application including a control panel to establish user preferences for a user account of the cloud-based service and/or system settings for the first computer; receiving by the second computer an input to the customization application to establish one or more user preferences for the user account and/or one or more system settings for the first computer; and transmitting from the second computer to a server associated with the cloud-based service the one or more user preferences and a username for the user account and/or the system settings for the first computer.
US09059906B1 Data communication interface
Embodiments of the invention provide a data communication interface which includes a controller module, a switching module and a data port. The controller module is operable to monitor a status of a power line of the data port and, if the power line has a first status, to transmit a first communication mode instruction to the switching module. If the power line has a second status, the controller module is configured to transmit a second communication mode instruction to the switching module. The switching module is configured to receive a communication mode instruction from the controller module and, if the first communication mode instruction is received, to route data communication lines corresponding to a first communication protocol to the data port. If the second communication mode instruction is received, the switching module is configured to route data communication lines corresponding to a second communication protocol to the data port.
US09059905B2 Methods and arrangements in an MPLS-TP network
The present invention relates to methods and arrangements in an MPLS-TP network. comprising a plurality of interconnected routers configured for MPLS-TP, wherein at least a first router is defined as an originating Maintenance End Point, MEP, a second router is defined as a targeting MEP and the third router is defined as a Maintenance Intermediate Point, MIP. The basic idea of the present invention is to associate a table with each MIP and MEP, wherein the tables comprises information related to the MEPs of the MPLS-TP network and the information from the tables is inserted in the reply packets and forwarded packets. By using this information, the OAM packets can find the subsequent MIP or MEP and failure localization may be performed.
US09059898B2 System and method for tracking configuration changes in enterprise product
In one embodiment, an automatic, remote and centralized configuration management system for tracking configuration changes in an enterprise product is provided. The system comprises at least one subsystem forming a part of the enterprise product, an agent coupled to the subsystem, the agent configured for creating one or more configuration snapshots of the subsystem and a configuration manager operably coupled to the agent, the configuration manager configured to communicate with the agent to collect the one or more configuration snapshots so as to track the configuration changes in the enterprise product.
US09059894B2 Data exchange technology
A data exchange adaptor that synchronizes data between an enterprise system operated by a company and a cloud-based system operated by a third party other than the company. The data exchange adaptor enables exchange of data between the enterprise system and the cloud-based system and controls storage and retrieval of data at the enterprise system and the cloud-based system. The data exchange adaptor also performs transport level security for communications that exchange data between the enterprise system and the cloud-based system and access level security for data stored to the enterprise system and the cloud-based system. The data exchange adaptor further schedules synchronization of data between the enterprise system and the cloud-based system and allows the enterprise system to retain control over the synchronization of data between the enterprise system and the cloud-based system.
US09059892B2 Routing in a communications network using contextual information
A generic address resolution system facilitates communications among multiple network applications with heterogeneous addressing mechanisms, thereby allowing the network applications to interoperate with each other and/or with modules for providing enhanced functionalities. The address resolution system includes a resource mapping module that modularizes the components needed for address resolution and abstracts content from the underlying address types and content used by the network applications. The address resolution system includes a context engine that analyzes the addressing data to be resolved, selects one or more appropriate destination network applications based on contextual rules, and creates the application mapping template for the end-end routing of the communications among the network applications.
US09059890B2 Method of controlling relay communication
A method for reporting a channel status in a mobile communication system including a relay station (RS) is provided. When a mobile terminal in the coverage of a base station (BS) receives a service through an RS, the RS reports a channel status between the RS and the terminal to the BS to allow the BS to decide whether or not to communicate with the terminal through the RS. In the method, a first RS in communication with a BS and at least one terminal measures a channel quality with a first terminal, compares the measured channel quality with a threshold and transmits a report message to the BS according to the comparison. The report message requests the BS to measure channel quality of at least a second RS or the first terminal in communication with the BS.
US09059882B2 Information presentation control device and information presentation control method
An information presentation control device includes: an acquisition unit which acquires information items; an information total amount calculation unit which calculates a total amount of the information items; a sender importance level determining unit which determines sender importance levels each of which indicates how important a different one of senders is; an information total amount determining unit which determines whether or not the total amount of the information items is greater than a predetermined value; a filtering unit which performs, when it is determined that the total amount of the information items is greater than the predetermined value, at least one process on an information item having a lower sender importance level, among the information items, so that an amount of the information item is reduced more; and an output unit which outputs the information items after the filtering unit performs the process.
US09059880B2 Notification of communication events
A network element of a communication provider comprises transceiver apparatus arranged to receive a request message from an originating endpoint via a packet-based communication network; and processing apparatus configured to generate, in response to the request message from the originating endpoint, a push notification relating to a communication from the originating endpoint intended for a destination endpoint, the communication to be conducted over the packet-based network. The transceiver apparatus is arranged to send the push notification to the destination endpoint over the packet-based network. The processing apparatus is further configured to generate the push notification with a payload comprising an indication of an image representing an originating user, to be output by the destination endpoint in a user notification notifying a destination user regarding the communication. At least the indication of the image is determined and inserted into the payload of the push notification at the network element.
US09059878B2 Codebook feedback method for per-user elevation beamforming
A method of operating an array of antennas in a wireless communication system to provide user-specific azimuth and elevation beamforming is described. The method includes providing a product codebook structure consisting of both an azimuth and elevation portion. A receiver receives reference signals from a transmitter corresponding to both the azimuth and elevation portions of the array of antennas. The method also includes determining the index of the azimuth codebook portion of the product codebook from the azimuth portion of the received reference signals and determining the index of the elevation codebook portion of the product codebook from the elevation portion of the received reference signals. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US09059876B2 Communication system having cross polarization interference cancellation (XPIC)
An all outdoor unit communication system, for performing cross polarization interference cancellation, is provided. The system includes a first outdoor unit (ODU) configured to receive a horizontally polarized signal, a first RF module configured to convert the horizontally polarized signal into a first in-phase (I) component and a first quadrature (Q) component, and a first modem configured to up-convert the first I and Q components from baseband into a horizontally polarized intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The system also includes a second ODU configured to receive a vertically polarized signal, a second RF module configured to convert the vertically polarized signal into a second I component and a second Q component, and a second modem configured to up-convert the second I and Q components from baseband into a vertically polarized IF signal. The system is configured to share, via an interconnect, the polarized IF signals between the first and second ODUs.
US09059874B2 Switched continuous time linear equalizer with integrated sampler
An apparatus includes an input, an output, an equalizer configured to receive an input signal at the input and to output an output signal for the output, and a reset block coupled to the equalizer and the output. The reset block is configured to pull the output signal at the output toward a bias voltage level based on a reset signal.
US09059872B1 Efficient highly connected deployment units
Efficient and highly-scalable network solutions are provided that each utilize deployment units based on Clos networks, but in an environment such as a data center of Internet Protocol-based network. Each of the deployment units can include multiple stages of devices, where connections between devices are only made between stages and the deployment units are highly connected. In some embodiments, the level of connectivity between two stages can be reduced, providing available connections to add edge switches and additional host connections while keeping the same number of between-tier connections. In some embodiments, where deployment units (or other network groups) can be used at different levels to connect other deployment units, the edges of the deployment units can be fused to reduce the number of devices per host connection.
US09059870B1 Techniques for managing electronic message distribution
Techniques for managing electronic message distribution are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for managing electronic message distribution, the method includes analyzing an electronic message, determining whether the electronic message satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions, converting at least a portion of the electronic message from a first format to a second format based on the determination of whether the electronic message satisfies the one of the plurality of predetermined conditions, and transmitting the converted electronic message.
US09059868B2 System and method for associating VLANs with virtual switch ports
A network switch includes a virtual local area network module that determines that a device coupled to a first switch port includes a virtual network interface. The module further identifies a virtual switch port partitioned in the first switch port associated with the virtual network interface and determines that a virtual local area network is associated with the identified virtual switch port.
US09059867B2 Technique for selecting a path computation element based on response time delay
A technique efficiently selects a path computation element (PCE) to compute a path between nodes of a computer network. The PCE selection technique is illustratively based on dynamic advertisements of the PCE's available path computation resources, namely a predictive response time (PRT). To that end, the novel technique enables one or more PCEs to dynamically send (advertise) their available path computation resources to one or more path computation clients (PCCs). In addition, the technique enables the PCC to efficiently select a PCE (or set of PCEs) to service a path computation request based upon those available resources.
US09059866B2 Digital microwave radio system and method with encryption
A communications system are provided that provides integrated encryption capabilities. In particular, a digital microwave system, terminal and method are provided in which the encryption functions are integrated into the digital microwave terminals. The digital microwave system may also be implemented with external encryption units.
US09059865B2 USB host adaptor for initiating a USB connection over a non-USB network
Initiating, by USB host adaptors, USB connections over a non-USB network, including the steps of: Connecting non-collocated USB hosts with respective non-collocated USB host adaptors (USBHs), according to USB specification timings. Connecting non-collocated USB devices with respective non-collocated USB device adaptors (USBDs). Enabling the USBHs and the USBDs to communicate over the non-USB network that enables each USBD to discover the presence and capabilities of each USBH. Receiving, by the USBHs, information about the USB devices. And then initiating, by the USBHs, USB-over-network connections between the USB hosts and the USB devices.
US09059854B2 Protocol for authenticating functionality in a peripheral device
A protocol provides authentication of peripheral devices by a computing device to which the peripheral device connects. Computing devices include a verifier with a public key that authenticates multiple associated private keys. Private keys are embedded on peripheral devices. When the verifier is able to authenticate a connected peripheral, particular functionality is enabled that may not be enabled for peripherals that do not authenticate.
US09059852B2 Validating a user's identity utilizing information embedded in a image file
A mechanism is provided for validating an identity of a user. A signed electronic identification document is received from the user. A signature of the signed electronic identification document is compared utilizing a public key obtained from a certificate authority forming first information and a first image associated with the user. The first information and the first image associated with the user are presented via a user interface associated with a challenge terminal. Responsive to a positive indication that the first information and the first image are associated with the user and responsive to a request to perform additional validation of the user, a read of steganographic information embedded in the first image associated with the user is attempted. Responsive to reading the steganographic information embedded in the first image associated with the user, the identity of the user is validated.
US09059851B2 Method and computer program product for order preserving symbol based encryption
A method for generating an encryption dictionary, the method includes generating a random value for each plaintext symbol of multiple plaintext symbols; and calculating a random token for each plaintext symbol based on a random value of the plaintext symbol and on random values of other plaintext symbols that have a lower lexicographic value than the plaintext symbol; wherein the calculating comprises applying a monotonic function; wherein the encryption dictionary comprises a mapping between the multiple plaintext symbols and random token of the multiple plaintext symbols.
US09059849B2 Method, system and apparatus of multi-subframe scheduling
The present invention discloses a method, system and apparatus of multi-subframe scheduling. The method of multi-subframe scheduling comprises: sending a terminal a continuous scheduling indication, a first Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process number corresponding to a first scheduled subframe, and a scheduling configuration parameter of multi-subframe scheduling; acquiring a second HARQ process number corresponding to a currently-scheduling subframe according to the first HARQ process number corresponding to the first scheduled subframe and the continuous scheduling indication, and performing a data packet transmission of the corresponding second HARQ process number in the currently-scheduling subframe by using the scheduling configuration parameter, each scheduled subframe of the multi-subframe scheduling carrying one data packet, and each scheduled subframe of the multi-subframe scheduling using the scheduling configuration parameter. The embodiments of the present invention may save control signaling overhead of the system and improve spectrum efficiency of the system.
US09059844B2 Ethernet apparatus and method for selectively operating multiple lanes
A high-speed Ethernet apparatus having a multiple lane configuration and method for selectively operating the multiple lanes to allow lanes to participate or not in data transmission and reception. The Ethernet apparatus includes: a transfer rate control unit to set a state of each of multiple physical coding sub-layer (PCS) lanes inside to be the same as a state of corresponding each of multiple physical transmission lanes based on state change information that indicates whether the each physical transmission lane is activated or not, and to remove idle blocks from data blocks which are received at a transfer rate of a physical transmission lane in active state among the multiple physical transmission lanes; and a block allocating unit to allocate the data blocks from which the idle blocks have been removed through PCS lanes in active state that correspond to the physical transmission lanes in active state.
US09059842B2 System and method for grid based cyber security
A method and system for providing a secure communication network using an electrical distribution grid is disclosed. A device connected to the electrical distribution grid initiates a request for a secured key token by signaling an intelligent communicating device residing at or near an edge of the grid. The intelligent communicating device forwards the request to a receiver at a distribution substation on the electrical grid. This receiver enhances the properties of the request such that a grid location for the request can be inferred. The enhanced request is forwarded to a server at the distribution substation, which compares the request grid location to a Grid Map and Policies of known secure grid locations. Any inconsistencies between the grid location inferred from the enhanced request and the Grid Map and Policies locations are considered evidence of tampering, and the server rejects the request.
US09059841B2 Auto-discovery of a non-advertised public network address
Providing a network address is disclosed. A communication indicating that a first node desires to communicate via a packet data network with a second node configured to provide access to a private resource is received. A non-publicly advertised packet data network address usable to communicate with the second node via the packet data network is provided to the first node.
US09059837B1 Clock data recovery circuit and clock data recovery method
A clock data recovery circuit includes: a phase detector circuit configured to generate a phase detection signal indicating a first detection result between a phase of a reception data signal and a phase of a first clock signal; a clock signal generation circuit configured to generate the first clock signal and a second clock signal based on the phase detection signal, the second clock signal having a frequency substantially equal to a frequency of the first clock signal, a phase difference between the first clock signal and the second clock signal being less than 180°; a phase combining circuit configured to combine the first clock signal and the second clock signal in accordance with a phase relation and generate a recovered clock signal; and a recovered data generation circuit configured to sample the reception data signal and generate a recovered data signal based on the recovered clock signal.
US09059835B1 Method and apparatus for demodulating a wireless signal
A demodulator for a Bluetooth receiver includes an oversampling module configured to oversample input symbols a first plurality of times to generate a first plurality of oversampled input symbols. A correlating module is configured to correlate a second plurality of adjacent samples of the first plurality of oversampled input symbols with corresponding symbols in a predetermined enhanced data rate (EDR) sync word. Based on the correlation, the correlating module is configured to selectively generate a sync signal indicating that EDR sync has occurred. The second plurality of adjacent samples comprises more samples than one and less than all of the first plurality of oversampled input symbols.
US09059829B2 Receiver and received signal decoding method
In a receiver with a demodulator and a decoder performing iterative processing, a solution is provided for reducing the implementation cost of and improving the throughput of an interleaver and a deinterleaver. A receiver includes a symbol demapper outputting first extrinsic information by using one received symbol and a priori information, a check node decoder outputting second extrinsic information by using first extrinsic information and a priori information, a deinterleaver deinterleaving second extrinsic information, a variable node decoder outputting third extrinsic information by using deinterleaved second extrinsic information as a priori information, and an interleaver interleaving third extrinsic information output from the variable node decoder. The check node decoder outputs fourth extrinsic information by using interleaved third extrinsic information as a priori information and the fourth extrinsic information is used as a priori information by the symbol demapper. A plurality of deinterleave/interleaver modules are provided for parallel processing.
US09059825B2 Receiver, system including the same, and calibration method thereof
A receiver includes a fixed delay unit configured to delay a first clock signal received from a clock channel by a predetermined time and output a second clock signal; a first delay unit configured to delay the first clock signal in response to a first control signal; a first data sampler configured to sample a data signal received from a data channel in response to an output signal of the first delay unit and output a first data signal; a second delay unit configured to delay the first data signal in response to a second control signal and output a second data signal; a second data sampler configured to sample the second data signal in response to the second clock signal; and a delay controller configured to output the first control signal and the second control signal.
US09059824B2 Joint processing down link coordinated multi-point reference signal support
This invention concerns multiplexing in Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) wireless telephony. Joint processing down link coordinated multi-point reference signaling includes combining resource signal types at a user equipment, determining conflicts between resource signals of plural user equipment, puncturing resource signals of other cell upon determining conflicts between resource signals of plural user equipment and transmitting non-punctured combined resource signals from a user equipment.
US09059823B2 Apparatus and method for performing inter-cell interference coordination using limited channel state information in heterogeneous network
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method of performing inter-cell interference coordination in a heterogeneous network. The apparatus includes a reception unit, a determination unit, a generation unit, and a transmission unit. The reception unit receives a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level from a small cell base station in each frame. The determination unit determines a calculated MCS level based on the MCS level and an interfering signal estimated through probabilistic modeling. The generation unit generates a ratio of subframes, in which data will not be transmitted, to all subframes of a frame based on the MCS level and the calculated MCS level. The transmission unit transmits the ratio and the calculated MCS level to the small cell base station.
US09059815B2 Broadband optical communication network having optical channel protection apparatus
The present invention provides an improved optical communication network (300) that utilizes an apparatus of optical channel protection. The apparatus for optical channel protection of the present invention including a transmitting end network switch (200), a first and a second receiving end network switch (201, 202), a plurality of wavelength tuneable transmitting end transponders (400, 401 . . . 405), a plurality of wavelength tuneable receiving end transponders (400′, 401′ . . . 405′), a transmitting end controller (10a) connected to a network monitoring and control system (100a) and a receiving end controller (10b) connected to said network monitoring and control system (100a). The present invention utilizes a method of optical channel protection that can be broadly categorized under optical multiplex switching.
US09059806B2 Optical communication system, transmission apparatus and reception apparatus, and transmission method and reception method
An optical communication system, a transmission apparatus and a reception apparatus, and a transmission method and a reception method are provided. The transmission apparatus transmits an optical signal, and comprises: at least one encoder for encoding at least one data signal, respectively; at least one first modulator for performing first modulation on the at least one encoded data signal, respectively, and generating at least one first modulated signal; at least one second modulator for performing second modulation, which is DFT-spread-OFDM modulation, on the at least one first modulated signal, respectively, and generating at least one second modulated signal; and an up-converter for up-converting the at least one second modulated signal into the optical signal to be transmitted. Thus, a PAPR of the optical OFDM transmission signal is decreased, a signal distortion caused by non-linearity of optical devices is reduced, and a reception quality of the signal is improved.
US09059800B2 Optical communication apparatus, optical communication method, and optical communication system
Optical communication apparatuses capable of performing appropriate communication according to a distance to a receiving apparatus, optical communication methods, and an optical communication system are provided. A transmitting apparatus transmits an optical signal corresponding to data. The transmitting apparatus modulates intensity of the optical signal into intensity corresponding to a distance over which the data is to be delivered and outputs this intensity-modulated optical signal. This allows the transmitting apparatus to change the intensity of the optical signal corresponding to the data according to a distance to a receiving apparatus that receives the data, which thus allows the receiving apparatus to surely receive the data.
US09059795B2 Process and apparatus for reducing EMI in the RF subsystem of a wireless communication system
A method for dynamically clocking one component located into a Wireless telecommunication apparatus comprising a RF transceiver subject to desensizitation by said component EMI, characterized in that it involves the steps of performing an adaptive control on the clock rate of said component so as to locate a wideband noise PSD null just to the left or to the right, in the frequency domain, of the RF transceiver wanted carrier frequency (fw) Particularly, the control is performed by means of the control of programmable frequency dividers, and under the control of a general control unit (UCM) for the purpose of performing a contextual analysis of the current mode of operation of said wireless telecommunications and, in response to said contextual analysis, for determining the fine tuning of the clock rate to be applied to said component.
US09059793B2 Noise shaping for switching circuitry
Techniques for creating one or more notch frequencies in the power density spectrum of an output voltage generated by switching circuitry. In an aspect, high- and low-side switches are coupled to an output voltage via an inductor. The spectral power of the output voltage at one or more frequencies is estimated, and the estimated spectral power is provided to a switch controller controlling the switches. The switch controller may be configured to switch the switches only in response to detecting that the estimated spectral power at the notch frequency is at a minimum. In certain exemplary aspects, the techniques may be incorporated in an envelope-tracking system, wherein the switching circuitry forms part of a switched-mode power supply (SMPS) supplying low-frequency power to a power amplifier load.
US09059792B2 Noise removal method and system
A method and system for removing noise due to bias electric power (MIC_Bias) or Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) noise are provided. The system includes an interface with a microphone contact, for connecting to an accessory, an Analog-to-Digital (AD) converter for converting an analog voltage level, input via the microphone contact, into a digital voltage level, an audio processing unit for processing an audio signal input via the microphone contact, a switch for at least one of connecting and disconnecting the microphone contact and the AD converter, and a controller. The controller compares the digital voltage level with voltage levels stored in a look up table. The controller identifies a type of accessory connected to the interface. The controller also switches off the switch to prevent noise from being introduced into the audio signal via a wire connecting the microphone contact and the AD converter.
US09059791B2 Method and apparatus for protecting tunnel
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for protecting a tunnel, wherein the method comprises: setting a second protection group on two intermediate nodes of a first protection group; when a segment between the two intermediate nodes fails, adopting the second protection group to protect the tunnel. The present invention solves the problem in a relevant art that it is very difficult to configure multiple protection segments for one working segment and it might be limited by various conditions, such as network resources and the like; therefore, the utilization rate and the reliability of the network resources are improved.
US09059788B2 Method and device for determining paths in multipath search
For determining paths in the scope of a multipath search, a device for use in a wireless communications system performs: obtaining a delay profile of a code division multiple access transmission signal, the delay profile being in a form of complex symbols, each complex symbols resulting from a despreading of said received signal after being delayed by a distinct delay; comparing the real part of said complex symbols forming the delay profile with a first threshold, the first threshold being determined on the basis of a noise level determined by the imaginary part of said complex symbols forming the delay profile; and determining said paths on the basis of the comparing.
US09059785B2 Fast timing acquisition in cell search
Timing acquisition may be performed without typical correlation computations by determining a power of a received signal at certain points in time and using the determined power to identify gaps in the received signal. By determining gaps in the received signal, frame timing may be estimated, particularly in time-division networks where the location of guard periods within a frame is known. Gap detection may thus be used for timing acquisition.
US09059784B2 Space based authentication utilizing signals from low and medium earth orbit
A system and methods for location-based authentication using medium earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites are presented. Location of a client device is authenticated based on at least one client received MEO satellite signal received from at least one MEO satellite at the client device and at least one client received LEO satellite signal received from at least one LEO satellite at the client device.
US09059781B2 Radio communication device, transmission circuit and buffer circuit
According to one embodiment, a buffer circuit has a capacitor comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, an input signal being inputted to the first terminal, a first inverting amplifier circuit configured to invert and amplify a signal of the second terminal of the capacitor, a second inverting amplifier circuit configure to invert and amplify an output signal of the first inverting amplifier circuit, and a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor comprising a third terminal, a fourth terminal and a gate, the third terminal being connected to the second terminal of the capacitor, the fourth terminal being connected to a connection node of the first and the second inverting amplifier circuits, an inversion signal of the input signal being inputted to the gate.
US09059778B2 Frequency domain compression in a base transceiver system
A method and apparatus provide signal compression for transfer over serial data links in a base transceiver system (BTS) of a wireless communication network. For the uplink, an RF unit of the BTS applies frequency domain compression of baseband signal samples, resulting from analog to digital conversion of received analog signals followed by digital downconversion, forming compressed coefficients. After transfer over the serial data link, the baseband processor then applies frequency domain decompression to the compressed coefficients prior to normal signal processing. For the downlink, the baseband processor applies frequency domain compression of baseband signal samples and transfers the compressed coefficients to the RF unit. The RF unit applies frequency domain decompression to the compressed coefficients prior to digital upconversion and digital to analog conversion, generating the analog signal for transmission over the antenna. This abstract does not limit the scope of the invention as described in the claims.
US09059773B2 Radio frequency tuner
A RF tuner is described for handling RF signals in a broad frequency range and a broad power range while maintaining high linearity and tolerating high power blockers. A continuous feedback loop comprising a substantially linear LNA and a radio frequency RSSI can adjust the power of the RF signal on the RF side. On the IF side, a continuous feedback loop comprising a substantially linear, variable gain transconductor and a RSSI can adjust the power of the IF signal.
US09059771B2 Wireless relay device and wireless relay method
A wireless relay device relays data from a transmitting device to a receiving device by wireless communication. The wireless relay device includes a buffer and a buffer control unit. The buffer temporarily stores relay target data. The buffer control unit controls the buffer, based on comparison of priority of first data received from the transmitting device with priority of second data stored in the buffer, (i) to remove the second data from the buffer and to store the first data in the buffer or (ii) not to store the first data in the buffer.
US09059769B2 Equalization circuit and equalization system
An equalization circuit, includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, a first output terminal, a second output terminal, a first regulating circuit, a second regulating circuit, and a bias voltage generating circuit. The bias voltage generating circuit is connected with both the first regulating circuit and the second regulating circuit. The first regulating circuit includes a first field effect transistor (FET), a second FET, a third FET, a fourth FET, a first resistor connected with the first FET, a second resistor connected with the second FET, a third resistor connected with the third FET, a fourth resistor connected with the fourth FET, a fifth resistor connected with the third FET, a sixth resistor connected with the fourth FET, a first capacitor connected with the third FET, and a second capacitor connected with the fourth FET. An equalization system is further provided.
US09059765B2 Reception device and reception method
A reception device includes signal receiving units that generate received signals from signals obtained by receiving a transmitted signal at antennas, signal processing units that perform processes of generating received frequency domain signals by transforming the received signals to signals in the frequency domain, calculating channel impulse responses of the received signals, calculating estimated received signals from the channel impulse responses, and calculating residual error weights with values that decrease with increasing differences between the received signals and the estimated received signals, a combining ratio calculation unit that calculates combining ratios for the received frequency domain signals such that the ratios decrease as the residual error weights decrease, a diversity combining unit that combines the received frequency domain signals according to the combining ratios to generate a diversity combined signal, and an inverse Fourier transform unit that transforms the diversity combined signal to a time domain signal.
US09059755B2 Methods and apparatus using precoding matrices in a MIMO telecommunications system
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for transmitting and receiving over a MIMO radio link. In particular, a preceding matrix is applied to transmitted signals and constrained in such a way so as to limit the additional peak to average power ratio (PAPR) caused by applying the precoding matrix. For example, each row of the precoding matrix may have at least one zero element and one non-zero element, and each column may have at least one non-zero element.
US09059752B2 Multicellular cooperative communications in a decentralized network
In a multicellular cooperative radio communications method, the terminals estimate and communicate to all the access points of a cooperating cluster of access points information on the transmission channels between them and each access point of the cluster. The access points include homologous processor for scheduling the servicing of the terminals and operating in accordance with a particular criterion common to all the access points. Finally, the servicing of the terminals is effected jointly by said access points, in an order determined by the processor, using transmission parameters on the basis of the information on the transmission channels transmitted by the terminals.
US09059751B2 Systems and methods for multiplicative superposition for MIMO broadcast channels
A method for using superposition in transmission of signals. The method may include receiving, at a first user equipment (UE), a product signal from a transmitter, wherein the product signal comprises a product superposition of a first baseband signal with a first encoded message and a first pilot signal configured for receipt by the first UE and a second baseband signal with a second encoded message and a second pilot signal configured for receipt by a second UE. The method may include estimating, by the first UE using the product signal, a first combined product of the second baseband signal and a first channel coefficient matrix intended for the first UE, wherein estimating is based on the first pilot symbol. The method may include decoding, by the first UE using the first combined product, the first encoded message by removing the second baseband signal from the product signal.
US09059750B2 Full spatial dimension extraction for implicit beamforming
Techniques are provided to compute downlink beamforming weights for beamforming multiple spatial streams to a wireless device when that wireless device does not transmit with a maximum number of spatial streams, and thus when the full dimensional knowledge of the wireless channel to that wireless device needs to be implicitly derived. Uplink signals are received at a plurality of antennas of a first wireless device that are transmitted via a plurality of antennas of a second wireless device. The first wireless device derives values at a plurality of subcarriers of the received signals across the plurality of antennas of the first wireless device. Downlink beamforming weights are computed from values of consecutive subcarriers across the plurality of antennas of the first wireless device. The first wireless device applies the downlink beamforming weights at respective subcarriers to a number of spatial streams to be transmitted to the second wireless device.
US09059747B2 Method for rapid information synchronization using near field communication
A method for rapid synchronization of information between first and second terminals using NFC is provided. When authentication between the first and second terminals is successful, the second terminal compares a prior configuration document stored therein with an updated configuration document most recently recorded thereby to obtain a difference therebetween that serves as a difference configuration document. Then, the second terminal transmits the difference configuration document to the first terminal. The first terminal thus performs setting corresponding to the difference configuration document.
US09059746B2 Data sharing method, transmitter, receiver and data sharing system
According to one embodiment, a transmitter includes a signal dividing unit, a syndrome sending unit, a syndrome receiving unit and a decoding unit. The signal dividing unit divides an original signal into a first signal and a second signal based on a common dividing policy. The syndrome sending unit sends the first syndrome message calculated based on the first signal through a clear channel. The syndrome receiving unit receives a second syndrome message through the clear channel. The decoding unit decodes the second signal by using the second syndrome message to restore a fourth signal, the fourth signal being corresponding to the second signal received by a receiver through a noisy channel.
US09059745B2 Error checking and correction method applied in a multi-channel system and related circuit
An exemplary method of error checking and correction applied in a multi-channel system, includes: performing error checking and correction encoding upon a first data packet of a first channel and a second data packet of a second channel, and generating a first horizontal error correction code and a second horizontal error correction code; performing error checking and correction encoding upon a first mixed data packet and a second mixed data packet, and generating a first vertical error correction code and a second vertical error correction code; and combining the first data packet, the first horizontal error correction code and the first vertical error correction code into the first encoded data packet of the first channel, and combining the second data packet, the second horizontal error correction code and the second vertical error correction code into the second encoded data packet of the second channel.
US09059737B2 Disk drive with distributed codeword blocks
Disk drives are described in which blocks of data spanning multiple sectors are encoded into a plurality of codewords which are then divided into segments that are physically separated (distributed) on the disk surface over multiple sectors in a distributed codeword block so that the codewords have an improved worst case SNR in comparison to individual sectors. This results in more even SNR performance for each codeword, which improves the performance for portions of a track which have lower than the average SNR. Embodiments are described in which the distributed codeword blocks span across tracks.
US09059736B2 Methods, solid state drive controllers and data storage devices having a runtime variable raid protection scheme
A data storage device may comprise a flash controller and an array of flash memory devices coupled to the flash controller. The array may comprise a plurality of S-Pages that may each comprise a plurality of F-Pages. In turn, each of the plurality of F-Pages may be configured to store a variable amount of data and a variable amount of error correction code. The flash controller may be configured to generate an error correction code across each F-Page of an S-Page and to store the generated error correction code within one or more F-Pages having the largest amount of data.
US09059735B2 Decoding method and decoding device
Embodiments of the present invention provide a decoding method and a decoding device. The method includes: performing iterative decoding on a multidimensional code to obtain incorrigible code words; determining locations of error bits in the incorrigible code words that are obtained by performing the iterative decoding on the multidimensional code, where the locations of error bits in the incorrigible code words are multidimensional coordinate locations of the error bits in the multidimensional code; correcting error bits of a part of the incorrigible code words in the multidimensional code according to the determined locations of the error bits in the incorrigible code words; and after the error bits of a part of the incorrigible code words in the multidimensional code are corrected, performing iterative decoding on the multidimensional code The embodiments of the present invention are applicable to the field of decoding technologies.
US09059734B1 Systems and methods for capacitive digital to analog converters
A capacitive digital to analog converter (DAC) includes: a first capacitor including a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal connected to a common node; a first switching device: including a third terminal connected to the first terminal of the first capacitor; including fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh terminals that are connected to first, second, third, and fourth reference potentials, respectively; and selectively connecting the third terminal to the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh terminals; a second capacitor including an eighth terminal and a ninth terminal, the ninth terminal connected to the common node; and a second switching device: including a tenth terminal connected to the eighth terminal of the second capacitor; including eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth terminals that are connected to the first, second, third, and fourth reference potentials, respectively; and selectively connecting the tenth terminal to the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth terminals.
US09059730B2 Pipelined successive approximation analog-to-digital converter
A multistage analog-to-digital data conversion, including: a first stage unit configured to process an analog input signal into a first number of most significant bits using a first reference signal, and to output a first stage residue signal; a second stage unit configured to receive and process the first stage residue signal into a second number of remaining least significant bits using a second reference signal; a sampling unit configured to sample the first stage residue signal received from the first stage unit onto the second stage unit with a passive element; and an output unit configured to output a digital value that is a combination of the first number of most significant bits and the second number of remaining least significant bits.
US09059726B2 Apparatus and method for performing a convert-to-integer operation
A data processing apparatus includes processing circuitry for performing a convert-to-integer operation for converting a floating-point value to a rounded two's complement integer value. The convert-to-integer operation uses round-to-nearest, ties away from zero, rounding (RNA rounding). The operation is performed by generating an intermediate value based on the floating-point value, adding a rounding value to the intermediate value to generate a sum value, and outputting the integer-valued bits of the sum value as the rounded two's complement integer value. If the floating-point value is negative, then the intermediate value is generated by inverting the bits without adding a bit value of 1 to a least significant bit of the inverted value.
US09059721B2 Electronic device including voltage controlled oscillator pulling compensation circuit and related methods
An electronic device includes an input configured to receive at least one baseband input signal and at least one mixer downstream from the input. The electronic device also includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) including a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) and a phase detector coupled thereto, the VCO coupled to the at least one mixer. A power amplifier is downstream from the at least one mixer and generates at least one aggressing signal that would otherwise generate an output pull of the VCO. The electronic device also includes a VCO pulling compensation circuit coupled to the input and the VCO and configured to compensate the VCO for the output pull based upon the at least one baseband input signal and the at least one aggressing signal.
US09059720B1 Priority control phase shifts for clock signals
A circuit includes a sampler circuit, a filter circuit, a control circuit, and a phase shift circuit. The sampler circuit samples input data in response to a clock signal. The filter circuit is coupled to the sampler circuit. The control circuit is coupled to the filter circuit. The phase shift circuit provides the clock signal to the sampler circuit. The control circuit causes the phase shift circuit to shift a phase of the clock signal by a first phase shift, and by a second phase shift after the phase of the clock signal has shifted by the first phase shift, in response to the filter circuit indicating to shift the phase of the clock signal by more than a predefined phase shift.
US09059718B2 Semiconductor device
A method for synchronizing an output clock signal with an input clock signal in a delay locked loop. A first count values decreasing the number of bypassed elements in a differential delay line until an edge of the output clock signal is delayed relative to an edge of the input clock signal or the first count value reaches a first count final value if the first count value reaches the first count final value, a second count value is adjusting to decrease the number of bypassed elements in a single-ended delay line until the edge of the output clock signal is delayed relative to the edge of the input clock signal. A third count value is adjusted to decrease the delay of an interpolator until the edge of the output clock signal is no longer delayed with respect to the edge of the input clock signal.
US09059717B2 Apparatus for frequency compensation using two counters
A frequency compensation apparatus includes a first counter setting a reference period using a main clock, a second counter sensing a change in the frequency of a sub clock using the reference period, and a frequency compensator providing a compensated frequency using information on the changed frequency of the sub clock. Related methods are also described.
US09059716B1 Digital PVT compensation for delay chain
A circuit-includes a delay locked loop (DLL), a calibration circuit and an output delay chain controlled by the calibration circuit. The DLL comprises a plurality of series-coupled first delay elements, each of which has substantially the same first delay. The calibration circuit comprises a plurality of series-coupled second delay elements, each of which has substantially the same second delay that is less than the first delay, a first delay element, and a circuit for determining the minimum number of second delay elements that are needed to produce the first delay. The output delay chain comprises a plurality of series-coupled second delay elements, an input for receiving the input signal, and a circuit for selectively tapping the output delay chain at a plurality of taps in the output delay chain so as to produce in the input signal different delays of integral multiples of the second delay.
US09059714B2 Inductor-less 50% duty cycle wide-range divide-by-3 circuit
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus for producing an output signal having a duty cycle of 50% and a frequency that is one third that of an input signal. One example frequency dividing circuit for producing such an output signal generally includes first and second flip-flops; first, second, and third logic circuits, each configured to function equivalently to a logic OR gate; and an internal frequency dividing circuit configured to generate an output waveform having a frequency that is one half that of an input waveform.
US09059706B2 Drive circuit for switching element
A drive circuit is used for driving a switching element. The drive circuit includes a detection unit and an integrated circuit. The detection unit detects a state of a controlled switching element and outputs a voltage signal corresponding to a detection result of the state. The integrated circuit receives the voltage signal via an input terminal for the detection result and controls the switching element based on the received voltage signal. The input terminal includes at least two input terminals that are connected to each other so as to receive the same voltage signal from the detection unit.
US09059705B1 Resistive random accessed memory device for FPGA configuration
A non-volatile field programmable gate array includes a logic component, a transistor device comprising a gate structure, a first impurity region, and a second impurity region, the first impurity region coupled to the reconfigurable logic component, and a resistive switching device comprising a bottom electrode coupled to the first impurity region, a top electrode spatially extending in a first direction, and a resistive switching element coupled to the top electrode and to the bottom electrode at an intersecting region between the bottom electrode and the top electrode, wherein the resistive switching device stores a resistance state from a plurality of resistance states that indicates a configuration code for the reconfigurable logic component.
US09059704B2 Programmable logic device
An object is to provide a programmable logic device configured to keep a connection state of logic circuits even while power supply voltage is stopped. The programmable logic device includes arithmetic circuits each of whose logic state can be changed; a configuration changing circuit changing the logic states of the arithmetic circuits; a power supply control circuit controlling supply of power supply voltage to the arithmetic circuits; a state memory circuit storing data on the logic states and data on states of the power supply voltage of the arithmetic circuits; and an arithmetic state control circuit controlling the configuration changing circuit and the power supply control circuit in accordance with the data stored in the state memory circuit. A transistor in which a channel formation region is formed in an oxide semiconductor layer is provided between the configuration changing circuit and each of the arithmetic circuits.
US09059703B2 Switch circuit
A switching circuit includes a plurality of switching elements connected between an input node and an output node and each comprising a first and second electrode connected to the input node and output node, respectively. The switching elements include a control electrode for controlling electrical conductance between the first and second electrodes such the switching element can be switched between an ON conductance state and an OFF conductance state. A detection circuit in the switching circuit outputs a detection value corresponding to an output current at the output node. A control circuit changes the conductance state of at least one switching element such that the summed total of the parasitic capacitances of all switching elements in the ON state decreases as the output current decreases as indicated by the detection value.
US09059702B2 Switch linearization by non-linear compensation of a field-effect transistor
Radio-frequency (RF) switch circuits providing improved switching performance. An RF switch system includes at least one field-effect transistor (FET) disposed between a first node and a second node, each FET having a source, drain, gate, and body. A compensation circuit is connected to the respective source of the at least one FET. The compensation circuit may be configured to compensate a non-linearity effect generated by the at least one FET.
US09059701B2 Method for setting transistor operating point and circuit therefor, method for changing signal component value and active-matrix liquid crystal display device
A data signal voltage on a signal line 102 is held in a voltage holding capacitor 106 through an n-type MOS transistor 103 switched on by a gate scan voltage, and supplied to an analog amplifier circuit 104-1. The analog amplifier circuit 104-1 is formed of an MOS transistor having a double gate structure, and the operating point thereof is set at an operating range in which dependence of Ids on Vds is substantially nullified. Even when Vds is varied due to a response of liquid crystal 109, Ids is substantially fixed. Accordingly, the pixel voltage which is substantially proportional to the data signal voltage can be applied to the liquid crystal 109.
US09059696B1 Interposer with programmable power gating granularity
A multichip package that includes an interposer and integrated circuits mounted on the interposer is provided. The interposer may include interposer routing circuitry and programmable power gating circuitry. At least one of the on-interposer integrated circuits may include power gating control logic that controls the programmable power gating circuitry. Circuitry on the integrated circuit may receive power supply voltage signals from the programmable power gating circuitry via the interposer routing circuitry. The programmable power gating circuitry may be configured to support fine, intermediate, and/or coarse power gating granularities. The programmable power gating circuitry may be used to selectively power down certain portions of the integrated circuit and may be used to provide desired power supply voltage levels to different voltage islands on the integrated circuit.
US09059693B2 Clock gating circuit
Provided is a semiconductor circuit. The semiconductor circuit includes a pulse generator which is enabled by a rising edge of a clock signal and generates a read pulse which varies depending on a voltage of a feedback node; and a sense amplifier which generates a voltage of a dynamic node and the voltage of the feedback node in accordance with a data value of an input signal using the read pulse.
US09059685B2 Circuit and method for pulse width measurement
A circuit for pulse width measurement comprises a charging circuit, a comparator and a determining circuit. The charging circuit is configured to charge a capacitive device in response to a periodic signal. The comparator is configured to compare a voltage across the capacitor with a reference voltage level. The determining circuit is configured to determine the number of pulses of the periodic signal in response to a signal from the comparator indicating that the voltage across the capacitor reaches the reference voltage level.
US09059683B2 Electronic device with switched-capacitor tuning and related method
An electronic device includes an inductive element, and variable capacitors. Each variable capacitor includes: first and third capacitors, both having a first terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the inductive element; and second and fourth capacitors, both having a first terminal electrically connected to a second terminal of the inductive element. A first switch circuit electrically connects or isolates a second terminal of the first capacitor to/from a second terminal of the second capacitor. A second switch circuit electrically connects or isolates a second terminal of the third capacitor to/from a second terminal of the fourth capacitor. A third switch circuit electrically connects or isolates the second terminal of the first capacitor to/from the second terminal of the fourth capacitor. A fourth switch circuit electrically connects or isolates the second terminal of the third capacitor to/from the second terminal of the second capacitor.
US09059678B2 TCCT match circuit for plasma etch chambers
A match circuit includes the following: a power input circuit coupled to an RF source; an inner coil input circuit coupled between the power input circuit and an input terminal of an inner coil, the inner coil input circuit including an inductor and a capacitor coupled in series to the inductor, the inductor connecting to the power input circuit, and the capacitor connecting to the input terminal of the inner coil, a first node being defined between the power input circuit and the inner coil input circuit; an inner coil output circuit coupled between an output terminal of the inner coil and ground, the inner coil output circuit defining a direct pass-through connection to ground; an outer coil input circuit coupled between the first node and an input terminal of an outer coil; and an outer coil output circuit coupled between an output terminal of the outer coil and ground.
US09059675B1 Filter for attenuating undesired frequencies in a signal
In some implementations, a circuit includes an operational amplifier having a positive input, a negative input, and an output, the output being connected to the negative input; a first capacitor to receive the input signal; a second capacitor connected in series with the first capacitor, the second capacitor to provide a first signal to a positive input of the operational amplifier; a first resistor connected in series with the first capacitor, the first resistor to provide a second signal to the negative input of the operational amplifier; a second resistor to receive the input signal; a third resistor connected in series with the second resistor, the third resistor to provide a third signal to the positive input of the operational amplifier; and a third capacitor connected in series with the second resistor, the third capacitor to provide a fourth signal to the negative input of the operational amplifier.
US09059674B2 Multi-tunable superconducting circuits
A method of characterizing a tunable superconducting circuit, includes selecting an operating direct current (DC) flux for a first charge island from a plurality of coupled charge islands residing in the tunable superconducting circuit coupled to a first resonator and a second resonator, tuning operating DC flux values for at least two charge islands from the plurality of coupled charge islands, measuring coupling energies of the first resonator and the second resonator and measuring frequencies from each of the plurality of coupled charge islands.
US09059672B2 Gain partitioning in a receiver
An automatic gain control loop disposed in a receiver is adapted to compensate for varying levels of out of band interference sources by adaptively controlling the gain distribution throughout the receive signal path. One or more intermediate received signal strength indicator (RSSI) detectors are used to determine a corresponding intermediate signal level. The output of each RSSI detector is coupled to an associated comparator that compares the intermediate RSSI value against a corresponding threshold. The take over point (TOP) for gain stages is adjusted based in part on the comparator output values. The TOP for each of a plurality of gain stages may be adjusted in discrete steps or continuously.
US09059667B2 Class D audio amplifier with noise suppression and the method thereof
A class D audio amplifier having: an audio control circuit configured to provide a switching signal based on an input signal and a reference signal; an input capacitor coupled between the input signal and the first input terminal of the audio control circuit; an inductor having a first terminal coupled to the switching terminal of the audio control circuit, and a second terminal; an output capacitor having a first terminal coupled to second terminal of the inductor and a second terminal coupled to a load; and a noise suppression circuit having a first terminal coupled to the first input terminal of the audio control circuit, and a second terminal coupled to the switching terminal of the audio control circuit, wherein the noise suppression circuit charges the input capacitor and the output capacitor to reach a preset value.
US09059666B2 Systems and methods for biasing amplifiers during high-power operation with adaptive closed-loop control
Various embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for improved performance for power amplifiers, particularly GaN power amplifiers. According to some embodiments, a power amplifier (e.g., GaN power amplifier) utilizes an adaptive closed-loop control of the drain current of the power amplifier to achieve improved performance for the power amplifier. Additionally, for some embodiments, use of the adaptive closed-loop control of the drain current of the power amplifier depends on the power region in which the power amplifier is operating (e.g., depends on the radio frequency power region).
US09059665B2 Amplifiers with multiple outputs and configurable degeneration inductor
Multi-output amplifiers with configurable source degeneration inductance and having good performance are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device or an integrated circuit) includes a gain transistor and a configurable degeneration inductor for an amplifier. The gain transistor receives an input signal and provides an amplified signal. The amplifier provides a single output signal in a first operating mode or a plurality of output signals in a second operating mode. The configurable degeneration inductor is coupled to the gain transistor and provides a first source degeneration inductance in the first operating mode or a second source degeneration inductance in the second operating mode. The second source degeneration inductance is less than the first source degeneration inductance and may be dependent on the number of output signals generated in the second operating mode.
US09059657B2 Motor control device
A motor control device includes a PWM signal generation unit configured to increase/decrease duty in both leading and lagging directions regarding a phase in which the duty becomes maximum among three-phase PWM signals. The unit is also configured to increase/decrease the duty in one of leading and lagging directions regarding a phase in which the duty becomes minimum. Regarding a phase in which duty is intermediate between the phases, the unit is configured to increase/decrease duty in the other of the leading and lagging directions based on the phase, thereby generating a three-phase PWM signal pattern so that a current detection unit is capable of detecting two-phase currents at two time-points fixed within a carrier period of the PWM signal respectively. A duty compensation unit is configured to increase/decrease before and after changing an increasing/decreasing direction of three-phase duties, increasing/decreasing the duties to compensate for the duties.
US09059652B2 Motor drive system
A motor drive system includes a first interlock mechanism configured to be activated in response to transition to an operable state of an interruption device, to open an open/close device, a second interlock mechanism configured to be activated in response to transition to an openable state of a case containing a power control unit, to open the open/close device, and a control device. The control device is configured to perform, when the first interlock mechanism is activated, a first process of opening the open/close device after shutting down the power control unit, and to perform, when the second interlock mechanism is activated, a second process of opening the open/close device while driving the power control unit, instead of the first process, depending on a counter electromotive voltage generated by a motor.
US09059651B2 Determining rotor position in sensorless switched reluctance motors
A method for determining the position of a moving rotor in a switched reluctance motor includes the steps of applying a voltage to a phase winding of the reluctance motor, sampling a signal representative of the current magnitude in this phase winding, detecting a feature of the second temporal derivative of the signal, and determining the position of the moving rotor taking into account the occurrence of this feature. Apparatus for carrying out the method is described.
US09059649B1 Dynamic motor position determination
Methods and systems are provided for determining a position of a rotor in a motor at a particular time based on the non-uniform (imperfect) angular position of coils in the motor. In one example, a method may be implemented for light detection and ranging (LIDAR) applications. The method may involve rotating a rotor of a motor at a substantially constant angular velocity, receiving from Hall-effect sensors in the motor data representative of which coils in the plurality of coils are active during the substantially constant rotation of the rotor, correlating a reference angular position of the rotor, receiving subsequent data from the Hall-effect sensors indicating which coils are active at a particular time, correlating the particular time to a position of the rotor in the substantially constant rotation of the rotor, and determining an angular position of the rotor at the particular time.
US09059647B2 High voltage DC power generation
A DC power generating system includes a permanent magnet generator (PMG), an active rectifier in electrical communication with the PMG, and a controller in electrical communication with the active rectifier, wherein the controller is configured to regulate d-q components of a stator current of the PMG in a synchronous reference frame.
US09059641B2 Main supply zero crossing detection for PFC converter
A fault mode of a PWM module embedded in a microcontroller is used to detect main supply zero crossings for regulating output voltage of a PFC converter operating in BCM, without using an external detecting element or a comparator, ADC or other specialized component internal to the microcontroller. In some implementations, the end of decrease current flow in the energy storage inductor of the converter is used to reinitialize a PWM timer or counter (counting-up or counting-down timer). The current goes to zero for a time period when the main supply voltage goes to zero, resulting in the PWM timer or counter not being reinitialized prior to the end of the current PWM cycle. The failure to reinitialize the timer or counter can be used to generate a signal indicative of a zero voltage crossing of the main supply voltage.
US09059639B2 Control circuit for power converter and method thereof
A control circuit for a power converter includes a pulse width modulation signal generating circuit, a power estimation circuit, and a current limiting signal generating circuit. The pulse width modulation signal generating circuit generates pulse width modulation signals according to a current sense signal and a current limiting signal for configuring the conduction status of a switch circuit of the power converter. The power estimation circuit generates a power estimation signal for estimating the power which the power converter provides to a load. The current limiting signal generating circuit generates the current limiting signal according to the power estimation signal so that the power converter may provide suitable power to the load.
US09059637B2 System and method for calibrating a power supply
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of calibrating a power supply includes coupling a reference load to an output of the power supply, setting an output voltage of the power supply to a first output voltage, measuring a current delivered to the reference load, and determining a current metric based on the measuring. The output voltage of the power supply is increased until the determined current metric crosses a first threshold, which occurs when the output of the power supply is at a second output voltage, and the power supply it set to operate at the second output voltage.
US09059633B2 Energy harvest system and the method thereof
The present disclosure discloses an energy harvest system converting an AC source provided by an energy harvester to a desired voltage. The AC source is boosted to the desired voltage by a bi-directional booster converter comprising fourth controllable transistors configured in an H-bridge, and stored by a storage capacitor. The desired voltage is then used to power various loads.
US09059632B2 Controllers for DC to DC converters
A controller includes a ramp signal generator and control circuitry coupled to the ramp signal generator. The ramp signal generator provides a control current through a resistive component to control energy stored in a first energy storage component. The ramp signal generator further generates a ramp signal based on the energy stored in the first energy storage component. The control circuitry adjusts a voltage at one end of the resistive component thereby controlling the control current to indicate a voltage across a second energy storage component. The control circuitry further controls a current through the second energy storage component within a predetermined range based on the ramp signal.
US09059629B2 Power supply device system, switching power supply device, control parameter generation device, and program
A power supply device system including: a switching power supply device converting an alternating voltage to a predetermined direct current by means of a switching operation of a switching element, and supplying the direct current to a load; a control parameter generation device generating a control parameter corresponding to at least one of the alternating voltage and the direct current; and a signal transmission unit disposed between the switching power supply device and the control parameter generation device, transmitting the control parameter to the switching power supply device, wherein the switching power supply device has a control unit detecting the direct current, storing the control parameter, and generating a driving pulse for the switching element to perform the switching operation so that the direct current becomes substantially constant, based on the direct current detected and the control parameter stored.
US09059625B2 Linear vibration device having spring
A linear vibration device may comprise a stator assembly including a plate and a case, and a vibrator assembly including a yoke and a spring. The case of the stator assembly and the spring of the vibrator assembly may be coupled to each other. The case may be provided with a protrusion, the spring may be provided with a groove, and the protrusion and the groove may be coupled to each other.
US09059624B2 Active dynamic vibration absorber
An active dynamic vibration absorber includes: a coil part provided inside a housing and wound with a coil; a yoke part that moves with respect to the coil part when current flows in the coil part, and includes an upper yoke, a lower yoke, and a permanent magnet provided between the upper yoke and the lower yoke; springs mounted to the yoke part so as to switch a movement of the yoke part to a vibration; first and second slide protrusions electrically connected to both ends of the coil of the coil part, upper and lower contact protrusions formed in the yoke part to correspond to the first and second slide protrusions; and first and second drive devices that generate a relative movement between the coil part and the yoke part by selectively applying current to the upper and lower contact protrusions according to a control signal.
US09059621B2 Electric rotating machine
The present invention provides an electric rotating machine capable of providing a high quality and efficient machine operation with reduced oscillation and noise by lowering torque ripple. The electric rotating machine includes a stator having a plurality of teeth facing a rotor, and a plurality of slots providing spaces for winding coils around the teeth. The rotor has a pair of permanent magnets embedded therein and located in a “V” shape configuration so as to let magnetic force act on the teeth such that the rotor within said stator is driven to revolve by reluctance torque and magnet torque. An outer diameter ratio Δ of an outer diameter Dr of the rotor to an outer diameter Ds of the stator falls in a range from 0.61 to 0.645.
US09059620B2 Inverter and integrated-inverter electric compressor
In an inverter in which noise reducing coils and a smoothing capacitor are provided on a power line to an inverter module to achieve a no-busbar configuration, simplification of the manufacturing process, reduction of the influence on the size of the inverter, enhanced noise reducing function, reduction in cost and so on, the smoothing capacitor is electrically connected, on the inverter module, to the power line in parallel with a power system board, and the noise reducing coils are connected to the power line by directly connecting output lead wires thereof to P-N terminals of the inverter module.
US09059618B2 Method of producing rotating machine provided with sleeve molded of porous material
In a rotating machine, a base is configured such that a housing space is formed by joining a cover to the base and has a bearing hole communicating ambient air and the housing space. A sleeve is fitted into the bearing hole and formed with a porous material. The circumferential lower end portion of the sleeve is exposed to ambient air from the bearing hole. At least part of the pores on the surface of the circumferential lower end portion in contact with ambient air are filled in.
US09059615B2 Motor and electric apparatus equipped with same
A motor of the invention has a rotary body of a rotor, and the rotary body includes an outer core constituting an outer portion of the rotary body, an inner core constituting an inner portion connected to a shaft, and a dielectric layer disposed between the outer core and the inner core. The outer core has a protruding portion that protrudes inward from an inner surface thereof, and the inner core has a protruding portion that protrudes outward from an outer surface thereof, wherein the outer core and the inner core are so disposed that an end face of the protruding portion of the outer core and an end face of the protruding portion of the inner core confront partially with respect to each other.
US09059603B2 Solar powered electrical energy generating device
A system and method for charging batteries in a system wherein the output of the batteries is converted to alternating current utilizing inverters. The alternating current from the inverters is modified by transformers and variable speed drives to contain properties which enable the alternating current to be used in a power grid to operate conventional electrical appliances. At least two banks of batteries are employed in the system. A unique battery charging device is employed to maintain the two banks batteries in constant substantially full charge. The battery charging device switches between a charge mode for one bank of batteries and a rest mode for the other bank of batteries. The battery charging device constantly and rapidly switches the different banks of batteries between these two modes. A timer controls the amount of time that each mode is applied to each bank of batteries. A solar panel supplies electric power to the charging device to charge the batteries.
US09059598B2 Wireless charging method and apparatus
A wireless charging method includes synchronizing power phases of at least two charging power supply devices, and wirelessly charging a terminal using the at least two charging power supply devices.
US09059595B2 Charging control method for secondary battery and control device
The disclosed device for controlling charging of a secondary battery includes a step for calculating an amount of heat generated by a secondary battery on the basis of an inter-electrode-plate voltage, internal resistance, a current value, and charging efficiency; a step for calculating an amount of allowable generated heat of the secondary battery on the basis of a temperature of the secondary battery and the cooling ability of a cooling means that cools the secondary battery; and a step for limiting the charging power of the secondary battery when the aforementioned amount of heat generated is greater than the aforementioned amount of allowable heat generation.
US09059594B2 Battery switching charger and method for controlling battery switching charger
A battery switching charger includes a PWM signal generator, a switching circuit, an inductor, a resistor and an analog-to-digital converter. The PWM signal generator is utilized for generating a PWM signal. The switching circuit includes cascoded transistors controlled by the PWM signal for generating an output voltage. The inductor is utilized for receiving the output voltage. The resistor is coupled between the inductor and a charge terminal of the battery switching charger, where the charge terminal is connected to a battery when the battery is being charged by the battery switching charger. The analog-to-digital converter is coupled to the PWM signal generator and the resistor, and is utilized for receiving voltages of two terminals of the resistor to generate control data to the PWM signal generator. In addition, the PWM signal generator adjusts a duty cycle of the PWM signal according to the control data.
US09059593B2 Charge controlling system, charge controlling apparatus, charge controlling method and discharge controlling apparatus
Disclosed herein is a charge controlling system, including: a control apparatus; and a plurality of battery units connected to the control apparatus, wherein the control apparatus includes an acquisition section configured to acquire sensor information from at least one of the battery units, and a control section configured to set a magnitude of charge current for each of the battery units in response to the sensor information, and the battery units individually include a battery, a charge controlling section configured to charge the battery with the charge current of the magnitude set by the control section, and a sensor for acquiring the sensor information.
US09059588B2 Balance correcting apparatus, electricity storage system, and transportation device
A balance correcting circuit is prevented from moving charges from a low-voltage electricity storage cell to a high-voltage electricity storage cell in a electricity storage system. The balance correcting circuit includes an inductor, a first switching device, a second switching device, and a control signal generating unit that supplies a control signal to the first and second switching devices to turn on and off the first and second switching devices so that the first switching device and the second switching device are alternately turned on and off. The control signal generating unit stops generating the control signal when receiving a state transition signal indicating that the electricity storage system transitions to and temporarily stays in a charging state while the electricity storage system is operating.
US09059587B2 System and method of supplying power to loads of a drilling rig
A system for providing power to a load of a drilling rig has a natural gas engine/generator and an energy storage system. The load is switchably connected to one or both of the natural engine/generator and the energy storage system. The natural gas engine/generator and the energy storage system have a capacity suitable for supplying requisite power to the load. A rectifier is connected to an output line of the engine/generator so as to convert the AC power to DC power. This rectifier is a phase-controlled silicon-controlled rectifier so as to be responsive to a power requirement of the load. The energy storage system is a battery.
US09059583B2 ESD protection scheme for designs with positive, negative, and ground rails
Apparatuses and systems for dissipating ESD events are provided. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) device, includes a ground rail, a positive supply rail, a negative supply rail, a circuit block, a plurality of contact pads, the circuit block being configured to output an output voltage via a first contact pad of the plurality of contact pads and a range of the output voltage being is between a voltage of the positive supply rail and a voltage of the negative supply rail, and a coupling system that couples the first contact pad to a second contact pad of the plurality of contact pads so as to dissipate an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event between the first and second contact pads.
US09059580B2 Curing system for sealing an electrical fitting
A system for curing a sealing compound provided in an electrical fitting, includes a curing chamber for receiving at least a portion of the electrical fitting therein, wherein the electrical fitting received within the curing chamber comprises a body and a sealing sleeve configured to engage the forward end of the body during assembly of the fitting to receive the two or more conductors of an electrical cable passing through the body. The sealing sleeve is configured to receive an ultra-violet (UV)-curable sealing compound therein, such that the sealing compound flows between the two or more conductors during filling of the sealing sleeve. The system further includes a plurality of UV light sources configured to provide UV light into the curing chamber to cure the UV-curable sealing compound and to initiate curing of the UV-curable sealing compound in the sealing sleeve.
US09059577B2 Flush mount electrical plate and method for installing same
A mounting tray for a supporting and electrical component relative to an opening in a wall can include a rear wall that defines an opening. A sidewall can extend outwardly from the rear wall and collectively define a pocket with the rear wall. The sidewall can have an outer lip. An outer flange can extend around the sidewall at a position intermediate to the outer lip and the rear wall from a first location at the sidewall to a second location at an outer perimeter. The outer perimeter of the outer flange is offset inboard of the opening in the wall in an installed position.
US09059576B2 Cable consolidation boxes and systems
Implementations of the present invention include a cable consolidation box for providing secure access to networks with multiple security classifications. More specifically, the cable consolidation box can allow a network administrator to physically secure network cables originating from multiple networks having distinct security classifications. In one or more implementations, the cable consolidation box can have a plurality of entry points that are segregated from one another. Each of the plurality of entry points can be associated with a corresponding plurality of segregated connection chambers. The cable consolidation box can thus allow for various types of cables, with various levels of security classification, to be associated with a single cable consolidation box.
US09059574B2 Hand grip connector for cable protectors
A cable protector includes a base member, at least one channel, and at least one connector. The at least one channel extend between opposing first and second ends of the base member and is structured to house at least one cable. The at least one connector extends from a first end of the cable protector and includes a hand grip feature. The hand grip feature of the at least one connector may include a plurality of recesses or protrusions formed in a side surface of the at least one connector. The cable protector may also include at least one connector recess that includes a hand grip feature. The hand grip feature of the at least one connector recess may include a plurality of recesses or protrusions formed in a side surface of the at least one connector recess.
US09059569B2 Nitride semiconductor light-emitting system
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting system includes a nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, a base mount holding the nitride semiconductor light-emitting device, having an opening, and containing first metal as a main component, a cap adhered to the base mount, and a lead pin penetrating the opening. The lead pin is fixed to an inner wall of the opening with an insulating member and a buffer member interposed therebetween, the buffer member and the insulating member being stacked on the inner wall in this order. The insulating member contains silicon oxide as a component. The buffer member is made of second metal having a smaller standard oxidation-reduction potential than the first metal, or an alloy containing the second metal.
US09059563B2 Self-seeding fiber laser, method for driving self-seeding fiber laser, passive optical network system and device
This application provides a self-seeding fiber laser, including: an arrayed waveguide grating; a gain medium, coupled to one branch port of the arrayed waveguide grating; a Faraday rotator mirror, coupled to a common port of the arrayed waveguide grating, and configured to reflect a part of optical signals transmitted by the gain medium and form injection light returning to the gain medium; where the gain medium, the arrayed waveguide grating, and the Faraday rotator mirror form a laser resonator, and the arrayed waveguide grating is configured to perform wavelength selection in the laser resonator; and a compensation apparatus, coupled to the gain medium and configured to provide a compensation current for the gain medium selectively according to power of the injection light.
US09059560B2 Alleviation of laser-induced damage in optical materials by suppression of transient color centers formation and control of phonon population
Laser-induced damage in an optical material can be mitigated by creating conditions at which light absorption is minimized. Specifically, electrons populating defect energy levels of a band gap in an optical material can be promoted to the conduction band—a process commonly referred to as bleaching. Such bleaching can be accomplished using a predetermined wavelength that ensures minimum energy deposition into the material, ideally promoting electron to just inside the conduction band. In some cases phonon (i.e. thermal) excitation can also be used to achieve higher depopulation rates. In one embodiment, a bleaching light beam having a wavelength longer than that of the laser beam can be combined with the laser beam to depopulate the defect energy levels in the band gap. The bleaching light beam can be propagated in the same direction or intersect the laser beam.
US09059559B2 Sagnac loop mirror based laser cavity on silicon photonics platform
We have demonstrated a novel Sagnac loop and micro-ring based laser cavity which is simple and reliable, with accurately controlled reflectivity and negligible excess loss. The resonant wavelength of a 2 μm radius micro-ring is shown to be lithographically controlled to a standard deviation of 3.6 nm. Both C- and O-Band lasers based on Sagnac loop mirror and micro-ring cavity have been demonstrated. The lasers are shown to be able to be modulated at 40 Gb/s.
US09059557B2 Non-linear vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser equalization
Technologies are generally described for implementing non-linear VCSEL equalization. In some examples, a rising edge tap parameter, a falling edge tap parameter, an equalization delay and a bias current may be used to equalize a data signal to be output from a VCSEL. A VCSEL model may be used to derive a VCSEL response to one or more isolated data pulses. The derived response may then be used to determine the rising and falling edge tap parameters and an equalization delay, based on a bias current value for the VCSEL and a data rate associated with the data signal. The data signal may then be adjusted based on the equalization delay and the rising and falling edge tap parameter and sent to the VCSEL for output. At the same time, the VCSEL may be biased with a bias current having the bias current value.
US09059554B2 Discharge-pumped gas laser device
A discharge-pumped gas laser device may include a laser chamber, a pair of discharge electrodes provided in the laser chamber, a fan with a magnetic bearing being provided in the laser chamber and configured to be capable of circulating a gas in the laser chamber, a housing configured to contain the laser chamber, and a magnetic bearing controller connected to the magnetic bearing electrically, being capable of controlling the magnetic bearing, and provided in the housing separately from the laser chamber.
US09059550B2 Connector
A connector includes a movable contact part formed of an insulating material, an electrically conductive movable terminal part, and an electrically conductive fixed terminal part. The movable terminal part and the fixed terminal part are caused to come into contact by the movable terminal part being pressed via the movable contact part by an electrically conductive plug electrode terminal of another connector after the plug electrode terminal inserted into a jack terminal opening part of the connector comes into contact with the movable terminal part, so that the plug electrode terminal and the fixed terminal part are electrically connected via the movable terminal part.
US09059548B2 Adapter for mechanically and electrically connecting an implantable electrode to at least one test terminal contact
An adapter for mechanically/electrically connecting an implantable electrode, via the proximal connector thereof including at least one connecting contact for the electrode, to at least one test terminal contact of a measuring device, includes an electrically insulating adapter housing, a connector receiving element adapted to connector shape, and at least one contact element disposed in the adapter housing establishing contact between the at least one connecting contact of the connector and the at least one test terminal. A receiving tray, having the receiving element for the connector, is mounted on the adapter housing and variable between open and closed contact positions. In the open position, the connector is inserted in the receiving element in a defined position and removed therefrom. In the contact position, the at least one connecting contact of the connector is brought in contact with the contact element in the adapter housing in a defined manner.
US09059547B2 Lead system for electrical devices used in medical procedures
A lead system for electrical devices is disclosed that includes a first lead and a second lead, where the second lead may be in communication with a sliding member and a lead channel. The second lead translates laterally along the lead channel between a plurality of positions so as to vary the spacing between the first lead and the second lead.
US09059543B2 Cable connector assembly having a shell contacting a grounding pad of an internal printed circuit board
A cable connector assembly (100) comprises an insulative housing, a number of contacts (2) received in the insulative housing, a printed circuit board (3) electrically connected with the contacts, a metallic shell (4) enclosing the insulative housing, and a cable. The contacts have signal contacts and grounding contacts. The printed circuit board defines a number of first conductive pads soldering with the contacts and a number of second conductive pads. The cable is soldering with the second conductive pads of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board also has at least one third conductive pad (33) electrically connected with the grounding contact, and the metallic shell has at least one extension portion (423) connected with the third conductive pad. The extension portion is curved and extends into a U-shaped receiving portion (422) of the metallic shell.
US09059542B2 Quick connect power connector
An electrical connector for connecting to a terminal post. A contact is provided in electrical engagement with the terminal post regardless of the orientation of the contact with respect to the terminal post. A locking slide is moveably mounted to the housing body. A first reference member is provided on a first end of the body of the connector, the first reference member is provided proximate a first sidewall of the body of the connector. A second reference member is provided on the first end of the body of the connector, the second reference member is provided proximate a second sidewall of the body of the connector. When the locking slide is in the prelocked position, the first reference member is visible and when the locking slide is in the locked position, the second reference member is visible.
US09059539B2 Systems and methods for coupling input/output devices
An input/output (I/O) device for an automation control system includes a base portion configured to communicatively connect the I/O device with at least one other I/O device, an I/O module physically and communicatively connected to the base portion and comprising I/O communication circuitry, a terminal block physically and communicatively connected to the base portion, and an ejection device configured to eject the I/O module or the terminal block from the base portion by pushing the I/O module or the terminal block out of engagement with the base portion when activated.
US09059536B2 Door mechanism assembly
A door mechanism assembly includes a movable unit and a door unit. The movable unit is disposed in a housing of an electronic device and is for carrying an electronic connector corresponding to an opening on the housing. The door unit is disposed in the housing and can open or cover the opening. The movable unit includes a first magnetic member, and the door mechanism assembly includes a second magnetic member. The first and second magnetic members are repulsive with each other. The door unit normally covers the opening, so as to protect the electronic connector. When the movable unit moves near the door unit, the door unit will be pushed away from the opening by the repulsive magnetic force, such that the electrical connector will be exposed in the opening and that the electrical connector provides an electrical connection function.
US09059535B2 Easy-installation and maintenance waterproof socket and plug assembly
An easy-installation and maintenance waterproof socket and plug assembly comprising a socket (2) and a plug (1), wherein a recess is disposed in the socket (2) for containing the plug (1), a plurality of convex connection terminals (21, 22) are set on a bottom of the recess, the connection terminals (21, 22) are connected to an external control panel (200) through conductive sheets (201, 202) sleeved inside the connection terminals (21, 22), the plug (1) is provided with hole positions corresponding to the connection terminals of the socket, the hole positions are provided with metal connection spring sheets (11, 12).
US09059534B2 Shield connector
There is provided a shield connector that allows reliable prevention of a rubber plug from being detached from a housing. A shield connector has a terminal fitting connected to an end of an electrical wire, a housing accommodating the terminal fitting, a shield shell covering the housing, and a rubber plug attached to an outer circumference of the electrical wire for waterproofing of the inner space of the housing. The shield shell includes an electrical-wire insertion hole through which the electrical wire is passed. The rubber plug includes a packing and a resin member made in one piece with the packing. The resin member includes a cylindrical body and a flange portion protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body. An end of the cylindrical body is in the electrical-wire insertion hole, and the flange portion is sandwiched by the housing and the electrical-wire insertion hole.
US09059531B2 Connectors and methods for manufacturing connectors
Frames for plug connectors capable of being a reduced size may include features to support contacts, house circuitry for coupling with the contacts, facilitate the flow of molten material during the molding of the frame, and allow for ease of insertion and removal of the plug connector to and from a corresponding receptacle connector. For example, a frame may include ledges, interlocks, and rounded and tapered openings. Methods for manufacturing the frame are also provided.
US09059530B2 Access-restricted electrical receptacle
An access-restricted electrical receptacle is configured to permit proper access to energized electrical contacts within the receptacle by a corresponding and properly-aligned plug, and to substantially limit or prevent improper access by foreign objects. The receptacle includes a receptacle body that defines a shutter cavity and a ramped slide surface, a face portion coupled to the receptacle body and defining a plurality of outlet openings to the shutter cavity, and a shutter that is movable in the shutter cavity between an unblocking position and at least one blocking position. The face portion defines a ramped return surface spaced from the ramped slide surface, and the shutter includes contact surfaces that engage the slide surface and the return surface during operation. Optionally, the ramped surfaces may be formed in either or both of a side wall or a base wall of the receptacle body and the face portion.
US09059529B1 Power outlet with a support platform with inclined surfaces with through holes and a shutter with an incline with a hole
A power outlet having a base, a top cover, a safety shutter, and an elastic member is disclosed. The base may include a support platform having a first electrode and a second electrode. The top cover may include a first receptacle and a second receptacle and overlaying the base. When in a first position, the safety shutter may be placed at a fulcrum of the support platform with equilibrium and mask the first electrode and the second electrode. The safety shutter may include a first incline and a second incline. When a foreign object invades either the first receptacle or the second receptacle, the safety shutter may lose its equilibrium despite still masking the first electrode and the second electrode. Only after the corresponding plug pins have been inserted into the receptacles before the safety shutter may be pushed away from the first position.
US09059523B2 Contact apparatus
A contact apparatus includes a case; fixed terminals having the fixed contacts arranged within the case; a movable contact member having the movable contacts provided on one surface thereof so as to come into contact or out of contact with the fixed contacts; a first yoke arranged on said one surface of the movable contact member within the case, one surface of the first yoke facing an inner surface of the case and the other surface thereof facing said one surface of the movable contact member; and a second yoke arranged on the other surface of the movable contact member within the case, the second yoke having one surface facing the other surface of the first yoke through the movable contact member. The first yoke is larger in volume than the second yoke.
US09059517B2 Systems and methods for assembling conformal arrays
Systems and methods according to the present disclosure for assembling conformal arrays utilize an outer tool for insertion into an open cell of a conformal array, an inner tool for insertion into the outer tool, and an adhesive source for delivering adhesive to the edges of the open cell via the inner tool and the outer tool. An assembled conformal array includes adhesive extending along the edges of the open cell.
US09059512B2 Radio communication antenna and radio communication device
The present invention relates to a radio communication antenna and a radio communication device including the same. The radio communication antenna of the present invention includes first conductive wires extending in opposite directions with respect to a first direction on a substrate to form a dipole antenna, second conductive wires separated from the first conductive wires to be parallel with the first conductive wires, and stubs connected between the first conductive wires and the second conductive wires in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.
US09059510B2 Dielectric chip antennas
There is disclosed an antenna arrangement having a parasitic conductive loop (1) and at least one active radiating element (9). The conductive loop (1) comprises first and second electrically conductive passive radiating elements (2, 3) each with first and second ends. The first ends of the passive radiating elements are each connected to ground, and the second ends of the radiating elements are each connected respectively to mutually discrete metalized surface regions (8) of a dielectric block (7). The at least one active radiating element (9) is not conductively connected to the passive radiating elements (2, 3). The passive radiating elements (2, 3) are configured to be fed parasitically by the at least one active radiating element (9). The antenna arrangement has excellent resistance to detuning and can be located in different regions of a PCB substrate without significantly affecting performance. Further, the antenna is small in size and may be arranged for dual band operation.
US09059509B2 Decoupling circuit and antenna device
A decoupling circuit for enhancing isolation of two monopole antennas is disclosed. The two monopole antennas substantially symmetrically stand on a bottom, and a gap is formed between the two monopole antennas. The decoupling circuit includes a grounding element located on the bottom and electrically connected to a ground, a connection bar substantially perpendicular to the bottom, including a first terminal electrically connected to the grounding element, a second terminal extending to the gap, a first branch extending from the second terminal of the connection bar to a first monopole antenna of the two monopole antennas, and a second branch extending from the second terminal of the connection bar to a second monopole antenna of the two monopole antennas.
US09059503B2 Antenna arrangement for transmitting signals
An antenna arrangement for transmitting signals has improved directional characteristics and a higher antenna gain, is simple to produce, and is robust and cost-effective. The antenna arrangement has a plurality of planes, and a plurality of individual antennas are arranged in each plane.
US09059499B2 Antenna apparatus and electronic device including antenna apparatus
According to one embodiment, an antenna apparatus includes a first antenna element, a second antenna element, and a third antenna element. The first antenna element has one end connected to a feed terminal, and other end open. The second antenna element has one end connected to a first position set on an element of the first antenna element, and other end open, with a portion between one end and the other end being disposed parallel to the first antenna element. The third antenna element has one end connected to a second position set between the other end and the first position on the element of the first antenna element, and other end open, with at least part of a portion between one end and the other end being disposed near the second antenna element.
US09059498B2 Laminated waveguide diplexer
A laminated waveguide diplexer includes a first laminated waveguide, a second laminated waveguide, and a coupling metal connecting the first and second laminated waveguides. The first laminated waveguide has a first upper conductor with a first slot, and the second laminated waveguide has a second upper conductor with a second slot. The coupling metal includes a first line crossing over the first slot and a second line crossing over the second slot. In addition, the laminated waveguide diplexer further includes a first via connecting the first upper conductor and the first line, and a second via connecting the second upper conductor and the second line. The first and second vias are adjacent to the first and second slots, respectively, such that the first and second lines are short stubs for respective radio frequency signals propagating thereon.
US09059496B2 Nanoparticle-enhanced liquid crystal radio frequency phase shifter
A nanoparticle-enhanced liquid crystal phase shifter is provided including a first substrate layer, a plurality of electrodes attached to the substrate layer, a ground plane layer attached to a second substrate layer, and a liquid crystal layer between the ground plane layer and the first substrate layer, including a suspension of a liquid crystal material and highly polarizable nanoparticles having specific shape and size characteristics.
US09059495B2 Compact multiport waveguide switches
A waveguide switch based on alternating short and open loads in a waveguide path. In one embodiment, the switch being made up of four waveguides connected by sections of ridge waveguides where simple short-circuit loads can be activated to control the signal paths. The switch being adapted for the C-, R- and T-type switches. Another embodiment of the same device being adapted for SPT type switched.
US09059494B2 Marchand balun structure and design method
Aspects of the invention provide for a Marchand balun structure and a related design method. In one embodiment, a marchand balun structure includes: a first trace for an unbalanced port on a first metal layer, the first trace comprising: an unbalanced line including a first width for a first half and a second width for a second half, wherein the second width can be different from the first width; a pair of traces for balanced ports on a second metal layer, the pair of traces comprising: a pair of balanced lines; and a ground plane on a third metal layer, the ground plane comprising: a pair of openings directly under the pair of traces for balanced ports, wherein a center of the unbalanced line of the first trace is offset from a center of the pair of balanced lines of the pair of traces.
US09059491B2 Double microstrip transmission line having common defected ground structure and wireless circuit apparatus using the same
Disclosed are a microstrip transmission line having a common defected ground structure (DGS) and a wireless circuit apparatus having the same. The microstrip transmission line realizes a common defected ground structure (DGS) and a double microstrip structure, and includes: a first dielectric layer; a first signal line pattern formed on a first surface of the first dielectric layer; a common ground conductive layer formed on a second surface of the first dielectric layer and having a defected ground structure, the first surface facing the second surface; a second dielectric layer having a first surface brought into contact with the common ground conductive layer, and facing the first dielectric layer while interposing the common ground conductive layer between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer; and a second signal line pattern formed on a second surface of the second dielectric layer, the first surface facing the second surface.
US09059490B2 60 GHz integrated circuit to printed circuit board transitions
Embodiments are directed to a transition structure for interfacing an integrated circuit chip and a substrate, comprising: a co-planar waveguide (CPW) structure formed based on ground-signal-ground (GSG) pads on the integrated circuit chip, a grounded co-planar waveguide (CPWG) structure coupled to the GSG pads, and a microstrip coupled to the CPWG structure.
US09059487B2 Battery with soaking plate for thermally and electrically conductive channel
A battery with a soaking plate for a thermally and electrically conductive channel includes a plurality of battery rolls and two cap assemblies. Each of the battery rolls includes a central member and at least one electrode piece. Each of two ends of the central member has a bending portion. The electrode piece at least includes a positive electrode layer and a negative electrode layer. The electrode piece is winding around the central member. The battery rolls are disposed in parallel, and the bending portions at the two ends are formed as terminal disposed portions. The two cap assemblies are disposed at the terminal disposed portions.
US09059486B2 Automatic crash battery discharge method
A system and method for discharging a vehicle battery following a vehicle damaging event. The method includes determining that the vehicle has been involved in the vehicle damaging event and then discharging cells in the battery to a predetermined cell voltage based on the severity of the vehicle damaging event. The battery cells can be discharged by resistors that are already existing in the vehicle battery for cell balancing purposes, or by resistors that have been added for the cell discharge purposes. The voltage of the cells are monitored when they are being dissipated, and once the particular voltage of a cell has reached the desired voltage, then a switch is opened to disconnect the resistor from the cell.
US09059480B2 Process for production hexafluorophosphates
An object is to provide a method of manufacturing a hexafluorophosphate, that can simply and easily manufacture an inexpensive and high-quality hexafluorophosphate while suppressing the manufacturing cost, an electrolytic solution containing a hexafluorophosphate, and an electricity storage device including the electrolytic solution. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a hexafluorophosphate, which comprises reacting at least a phosphorus compound with a fluoride represented by MFs.r(HF) (wherein 0≦r≦6, 1≦s≦3, and M is at least one kind selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, NH4, Ag, Mg, Ca, Ba, Zn, Cu, Pb, Al and Fe) to produce a hexafluorophosphate represented by the chemical formula M(PF6)s.
US09059478B2 Lithium-ion secondary battery with graphene and composite oxide layered electrode
To provide a lithium-ion secondary battery having higher discharge capacity and higher energy density and a manufacturing method thereof. The lithium-ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer provided over the positive electrode current collector. In the positive electrode active material layer, graphenes and lithium-containing composite oxides are alternately provided. The lithium-containing composite oxide is a flat single crystal particle in which the length in the b-axis direction is shorter than each of the lengths in the a-axis direction and the c-axis direction. Further, the lithium-containing composite oxide is provided over the positive electrode current collector so that the b-axis of the single crystal particle intersects with a surface of the positive electrode current collector.
US09059476B2 Electrolyte for lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery including the same
An electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery, the electrolyte comprising: a lithium salt, a non-aqueous organic solvent, and an additive represented by Formula 1 below: wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are the same as defined in the detailed description.
US09059474B2 Cable-type secondary battery
Disclosed is a cable-type secondary battery comprising at least one inner electrode layer including an inner electrode active material formed on a surface of an inner current collector having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending in a lengthwise direction, a separation layer formed to surround the inner electrode layer, and an outer electrode layer formed to surround the separation layer and including an outer electrode active material formed on a surface of an outer current collector, and the cable-type secondary battery further comprises a first connection terminal that is electrically connected to the outer current collector and formed at one end of the cable-type secondary battery, and a second connection terminal that is electrically connected to the inner current collector and formed at the other end of the cable-type secondary battery.
US09059471B2 Carbon catalyst, method for manufacturing the carbon catalyst, and electrode and battery using the carbon catalyst
A method of manufacturing a carbon catalyst according to the present invention includes: a first step involving heating a raw material containing a resin and a metal to carbonize the resin so that a carbon catalyst is obtained; a second step involving subjecting the carbon catalyst to a treatment for removing the metal; and a third step involving subjecting the carbon catalyst that has been subjected to the treatment to a heat treatment to improve an activity of the carbon catalyst.
US09059470B2 Method of preparing cathode for fuel having two kinds of water-repellency
A cathode for a fuel cell includes a gas diffusion layer contacting with a separator having a channel and a catalyst layer interposed between the gas diffusion layer and an electrolyte membrane. The catalyst layer of the cathode has two portions with different water-repelling properties, and a portion of the catalyst layer that does not face a channel has a higher water-repelling property than a portion that faces a channel. This cathode controls a water-repelling property of the catalyst layer differently according to locations, so it is possible to keep an amount of moisture in an electrode in a suitable way and to restrain generation of flooding, thereby improving the performance of the cell.
US09059469B2 Electrode assembly having fiber-shaped structures, and battery including same
The present invention relates to an electrode assembly having fiber-shaped structures, and a battery including the same. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the electrode assembly comprises: a first electrode having one or two or more first fiber-shaped structures that have either a positive or negative pole; and a second electrode having one or two or more second fiber-shaped structures that have a different polarity from the structures and enclose said first structures in a spiral manner.
US09059466B2 Direct synthesis of lithium ion battery electrode materials using graphene treated raw materials as the reactant
In one embodiment, a composition for use in making active materials for a lithium ion battery, the composition comprising a processed, homogenous mix of graphene-treated reactant, conductive material, and a Li and phosphate-based salt, the composition comprising a surface area of less than approximately 10 m2/g.
US09059464B2 Ferrous phosphate powders, lithium iron phosphate powders for li-ion battery, and methods for manufacturing the same
Ferrous (II) phosphate (Fe3(PO4)2) powders, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) powders for a Li-ion battery and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The lithium iron phosphate powders are represented by the following formula (II): LiFe(1-a)MaPO4  (II) wherein, M, and a are defined in the specification, the lithium iron phosphate powders are composed of plural flake powders, the length of each of the flake powders is 0.1-10 μm, and a ratio of the length and the thickness of each of the flake powder is in a range from 11 to 400.
US09059462B2 Cathode and lithium battery using same
A cathode and a lithium battery including the cathode include a cathode active material that is obtained from a compound, Li2MoO3, in which molybdenum is doped or partially substituted with a heterogeneous element. The cathode active material includes a compound represented by LixMyMozO3, in which M is a dopant that decreases the mobility of the molybdenum upon charging and discharging of the battery. Accordingly, the cathode has improved electrical characteristics.
US09059461B2 Coated nickel hydroxide powder as cathode active material for alkaline secondary battery and method for producing same
A coated nickel hydroxide powder suitable as a cathode active material for alkaline secondary battery includes nickel hydroxide powder particles which have a coating layer thereon of preferably cobalt hydroxide or cobalt oxyhydroxide.
US09059460B2 Prismatic secondary battery
A prismatic secondary battery 10 includes a prismatic hollow outer body having a mouth and a bottom and storing an electrode assembly, a positive electrode collector, a negative electrode collector, and an electrolyte, a sealing plate 20 sealing up the mouth of the prismatic hollow outer body, and a positive electrode terminal 15 and a negative electrode terminal 17 attached to the sealing plate 20; the sealing plate 20 includes a gas release valve 25 at the center between the positive electrode terminal 15 and the negative electrode terminal 17 and includes an electrolyte pour hole 23 on one side of the gas release valve 25 and, on the other side on the front face, a concaved flat face with a height lower than that of the peripheral portion; and the concaved flat face is formed with an identification code 33.
US09059454B2 Lead tab assembly and battery module with the same
A battery module includes a plurality of rechargeable unit cells; and a lead tab assembly that electrically connects the unit cells together, wherein the lead tab assembly includes a first lead tab extending in a first direction and that is electrically connected to a first unit cell of the unit cells; a second lead tab that extends in the first direction and that is electrically connected to a second unit cell of the unit cells; a temperature-sensing element that is located between the first lead tab and the second lead tab and is electrically connected to the first lead tab and the second lead tab; and an insulating member that accommodates at least a portion of the first lead tab, the second lead tab, and the temperature-sensing element.
US09059453B2 Battery, battery separator and method for producing battery separator
A battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator interposed therebetween, and an electrolyte. The separator includes a plurality of nanofibers and has a form of a sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto. When the average maximum fiber diameter of the nanofibers in the plane direction of the separator is compared between in vicinities of the first and second surfaces and at a center portion in the thickness direction of the separator, average maximum fiber diameters Ds1 and Ds2 of the nanofibers in the vicinity of the first and second surfaces arc smaller than an average maximum fiber diameter Dc of the nanofibers at the center portion in the thickness direction of the separator.
US09059452B2 Anode for lithium ion secondary battery, lithium ion secondary battery, electric power tool, electrical vehicle, and electric power storage system
There is provided an anode for a lithium ion secondary battery capable of improving the cycle characteristics, a lithium ion secondary battery using the same, an electric power tool using the lithium ion secondary battery, an electrical vehicle using the lithium ion secondary battery, and an electric power storage system using the lithium ion secondary battery. The anode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes an anode active material layer in which a first layer and a second layer respectively containing silicon and a metal element as an anode active material are alternately layered on an anode current collector, and 1.02≦A/B≦50 is satisfied. A represents a silicon content ratio in the anode active material in the first layer, and B represents a silicon content ratio in the anode active material in the second layer.
US09059446B2 Battery module
A battery module includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries; a housing containing the rechargeable batteries; first heat dissipation ribs protruded from the housing and having a shape of a polygon or a closed curve; and second heat dissipation ribs protruded from the housing and linearly formed to couple the first heat dissipation ribs to each other.
US09059442B2 Fuel cell
A fuel cell is formed by sandwiching a membrane electrode assembly between a first separator and a second separator. An outlet connection channel connecting a fuel gas flow field with a fuel gas discharge passage is provided in the first separator. The outlet connection channel has a plurality of discharge holes extending through the first separator. The discharge holes are arranged in the direction of gravity. The discharge hole at the lowermost position has an opening elongated downward to have an opening area larger than opening areas of the other discharge holes above and adjacent to the discharge hole at the lowermost position.
US09059436B2 Method for producing lithium ion secondary battery with tap density and electrode density
A method for producing a lithium-ion secondary battery comprising positive and negative electrodes and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution is provided. The method comprises (A) with several different negative electrode active materials, determining density Xn (g/cm3) at several different number of taps applied, n, respectively; (B) determining density Y (g/cm3) of a negative electrode active material layer constituted with a mixture comprising each negative electrode active material; (C) based on a regression line, Y=aXn+b, determining the number of taps applied, n′, that gives a≦0.5 and a determination coefficient R2≧0.99; (D) based on a plot of Y=aXn′+b, determining a passing range of Xn′ where negative electrode active material layer density Y is in a prescribed range; (E) selecting a negative electrode active material having Xn′in the passing range, and fabricating a negative electrode with this material.
US09059435B2 Medical device battery enclosure
In one example, the disclosure is directed to a medical device comprising an outer housing and a battery within the outer housing, where the battery is configured to supply power to one or more electronic components of the medical device. The battery comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, an electrolyte, and a multilayer battery enclosure. The multilayer battery enclosure comprises a substantially cylindrical member including a continuous multilayer body defining a cavity between a first end and a second end, and wherein at least one of the first end and second end are sealed to enclose the first electrode, second electrode, and the electrolyte within the cavity of the multilayer battery enclosure.
US09059432B2 Organic light emitting display device and method for fabricating the same
An organic light emitting display device includes a light shield layer formed on a substrate and a buffer layer formed on an entire surface of the substrate, an oxide semiconductor layer and first electrode formed on the buffer layer, a gate insulation film and gate electrode formed on the oxide semiconductor layer while being deposited to expose both edges of the oxide semiconductor layer, an interlayer insulation film formed to expose both the exposed edges of the oxide semiconductor layer and the first electrode, source and drain electrodes connected with one edge and the other edge of the oxide semiconductor layer, respectively, and a protective film formed to cover the source and drain electrodes while exposing a region of the first electrode so as to define a luminescent region and a non-luminescent region.
US09059431B2 Organic light emitting display
An organic light emitting display includes first and second electrodes facing each other on a substrate, a red light emitting layer, a green light emitting layer and a blue light emitting layer formed between the first and second electrodes, a hole-transporting layer formed between the first electrode and each of the red light emitting layer, the green light emitting layer and the blue light emitting layer, and an electron-transporting layer formed between the second electrode and each of the red light emitting layer, the green light emitting layer and the blue light emitting layer, wherein a gap between a photo-luminescence (PL) peak maximum of the red host of the red light emitting layer and a photo-luminescence (PL) peak maximum of the electron-transporting layer contacting the red light emitting layer is within ±25 nm.
US09059430B2 Light-emitting element, light-emitting device, electronic device, and lighting device
A light-emitting element having high external quantum efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element having a long lifetime is provided. A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer between a pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer contains at least a phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound (host material) having an electron-transport property, and a second organic compound (assist material) having a hole-transport property. The light-emitting layer has a stacked-layer structure including a first light-emitting layer and a second light-emitting layer, and the first light-emitting layer contains a higher proportion of the second organic compound than the second light-emitting layer. In the light-emitting layer (the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer), a combination of the first organic compound and the second organic compound forms an exciplex.
US09059428B2 Organic light-emitting display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate. A pixel electrode is disposed on the substrate. A pixel defining layer covers an edge of the pixel electrode and exposes at least a first portion of the edge. A first intermediate layer is disposed on the pixel electrode and covers a central part and the first portion of the pixel electrode. An auxiliary insulating layer is disposed on the first intermediate layer and covers a portion of the first intermediate layer corresponding to the at least the first portion. An emission layer is disposed on the first intermediate layer corresponding to the central part of the pixel electrode. An opposite electrode faces the pixel electrode. The first intermediate layer is disposed between.
US09059427B2 Device and method for top emitting AMOLED
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and methods for reducing the resistance level of top electrodes in top emission AMOLED displays. By way of example, one embodiment includes disposing a metal frame between the top electrode and an insulating layer. The present disclosure also relates to methods for making such a display in reduced number of process steps, including certain techniques for combining certain steps into one process step.
US09059424B2 OLED display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the OLED display apparatus, the apparatus includes anode electrodes having different thicknesses for different types of sub-pixels.
US09059419B2 Organic EL element, organic EL panel having organic EL element, organic EL light-emitting apparatus, and organic EL display apparatus
An organic EL element comprises: an anode; a cathode; a buffer layer; and a hole injection layer between the anode and the buffer layer. The hole injection layer includes a nickel oxide that includes both nickel atoms with a valence of three and nickel atoms with a valence of two. At least part of the hole injection layer has a crystal structure AaNibOc that includes nickel, a metal element A, and oxygen, the nickel including nickel atoms with a valence of three, and the metal element A differing from nickel and including metal A atoms with a valence of three.
US09059418B2 Method for manufacturing a nanostructured inorganic/organic heterojunction solar cell
Provided is a method for manufacturing a significantly high efficient solar cell having a novel structure and superior stability, and which can be mass-produced from an inexpensive material from an inexpensive material for enabling the easy commercial availability thereof. More particularly, the method of the present invention comprises the following step: (a) depositing slurry containing metal oxide particles and heat-treating the slurry to form a porous electron transporting layer; (b) forming inorganic semiconductors on surfaces of the metal oxide particles for the porous electron-transporting layer; and (c) impregnating the porous electron-transporting layer having the inorganic semiconductor formed thereon with a solution containing an organic photovoltaic material so as to form a hole transporting layer.
US09059417B1 Photodetectors based on wurtzite MgZnO
A photodetector (PD) includes a substrate, and a ZnO nucleation layer on the substrate. A wurtzite MgxZn1-xO layer is on the ZnO nucleation layer, wherein x is a mole fraction between 0 and 0.62. A level of crystallinity of the wurtzite MgxZn1-xO layer characterized by x-ray diffraction with a deconvolution of a triple-crystal ω rocking curve of a ZnO (0002) peak has a narrow component with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) less than or equal to (≦) 20 arc/s. First and second spaced apart electrodes are on a surface of the wurtzite MgxZn1-xO layer. The mole fraction x can be between 0.20 and 0.46, including between 0.37 and 0.46, and provide a PD responsivity of at least 20 A/W at 5V in the solar blind region from 200 nm to 290 nm.
US09059416B2 Substrate, manufacturing method thereof, and organo-electroluminescent device using the same
A substrate, manufacturing method thereof, and an organic electroluminescent device using the same are provided, belonging to photoelectron field. The substrate includes a paper layer (102), a first protection layer (101) formed on the lower surface of the paper layer, and a second protection layer (103) formed on the upper surface and covering the same of the paper layer. The substrate, solves problems of paper which is easy to absorb humidity and has high permeability of oxygen by a protection processing that said paper is coated with the heat seal film of polyethylene terephthalate coated with Polyvinyl Dichloride. At the meantime, the substrate has the advantages of cheap material, extensive sources, simple manufacturing process, good flexibility of the substrate, and good capability of preventing the permeability of water as well.
US09059415B2 Use of gold complexes in optoelectronic devices
The invention relates to gold(I) complexes having a planar-trigonal coordination geometry and multivalent ligands for use in an optoelectronic device, in particular in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LEECs).
US09059414B2 Phosphorescent organometallic iridium complex, light-emitting element, light-emitting device, electronic device, and lighting device
As a novel substance having a novel skeleton, provided is a novel phosphorescent organometallic iridium complex that can emit phosphorescence in a blue green to red wavelength region and has high emission efficiency. The phosphorescent organometallic iridium complex has a ligand having a pyridyl pyrimidine skeleton, i.e., the phosphorescent organometallic iridium complex has a ligand having a structure represented by the following general formula (G0). Note that in the formula, R1 and R4 to R6 separately represent hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; and R2 and R3 separately represent any of hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group that may have a substituent, and a pyridyl group that may have a substituent.
US09059404B2 Resistive memory with a stabilizer
A resistive memory device and a method for fabricating the resistive memory device. The memory device includes a first electrode and a resistive memory element in electrical contact. The memory device also includes a non-programmable stabilizer element in electrical and thermal contact with the resistive memory element. The stabilizer element has at least one physical dimension based on a physical characteristic of the resistive memory element such that the maximum resistance of the stabilizer element is substantially less than the maximum resistance of the resistive memory element.
US09059403B2 Memory structures, memory arrays, methods of forming memory structures and methods of forming memory arrays
Some embodiments include methods of forming memory structures. An electrically insulative line is formed over a base. Electrode material is deposited over the line and patterned to form a pair of bottom electrodes along the sidewalls of the line. Programmable material is formed over the bottom electrodes, and a top electrode is formed over the programmable material. The bottom electrodes may each contain at least one segment which extends at angle of from greater than 0° to less than or equal to about 90° relative to a planar topography of the base. Some embodiments include memory structures having a bottom electrode extending upwardly from a conductive contact to a programmable material, with the bottom electrode having a thickness of less than or equal to about 10 nanometers. Some embodiments include memory arrays and methods of forming memory arrays.
US09059401B2 Three dimensional non-volatile storage with three device driver for row select
A three-dimensional array adapted for memory elements that reversibly change a level of electrical conductance in response to a voltage difference being applied across them. Memory elements are formed across a plurality of planes positioned different distances above a semiconductor substrate. Bit lines to which the memory elements of all planes are connected are oriented vertically from the substrate and through the plurality of planes.
US09059399B2 Magnetic materials with enhanced perpendicular anisotropy energy density for STT-RAM
A mechanism is provided for a spin torque transfer random access memory device. A reference layer is disposed on a seed layer. A tunnel barrier is disposed on the reference layer. A free layer is disposed on the tunnel barrier. A cap layer is disposed on the free layer. The free layer includes a magnetic layer and a metal oxide layer, in which the magnetic layer is disposed on the tunnel barrier and the metal oxide layer is disposed on the magnetic layer. A metal material used in the metal oxide layer includes at least one of Ti, Ta, Ru, Hf, Al, La, and any combination thereof.
US09059398B2 Methods for etching materials used in MRAM applications
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate in magnetoresistive random access memory applications. In one embodiment, a method of forming a MTJ structure on a substrate includes providing a substrate having a insulating tunneling layer disposed between a first and a second ferromagnetic layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer is disposed on the substrate followed by the insulating tunneling layer and the second ferromagnetic layer sequentially, supplying an ion implantation gas mixture to implant ions into the first ferromagnetic layer exposed by openings defined by the second ferromagnetic layer, and etching the implanted first ferromagnetic layer.
US09059397B2 Nano piezoelectric device having a nanowire and method of forming the same
Provided are a nano piezoelectric device and a method of forming the nano piezoelectric device. The nano piezoelectric device includes a lower electrode, a nanowire extending upward from the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the nanowire. The nanowire includes a conductive wire core and a wire shell surrounding the wire core and including a piezoelectric material.
US09059394B2 Self-aligned lower bottom electrode
A method of fabricating a lower bottom electrode for a memory element and a semiconductor structure having the same includes forming a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of conductive contacts formed therein to be connected to access circuitry, forming a dielectric cap layer over exposed portions of the dielectric layer and the conductive contacts, depositing a planarizing material over the dielectric cap layer, etching a via to an upper surface of each conductive contact, removing the planarizing material, depositing electrode material over the dielectric cap layer and within the vias, the electrode material contacting an upper surface of each conductive contact, and planarizing the electrode material to form a lower bottom electrode over each conductive contact.
US09059393B2 Vibrator element, vibrator, oscillator, and electronic device
A vibrator element includes: a base having a mounting surface; a vibrating arm which is extended from the base and has a first surface and a second surface that faces the first surface and is positioned on the mounting surface side, and which performs flexural vibration in a direction normal to the first and second surfaces; and a laminated structure which is provided on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the vibrating arm, and which includes at least a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, in which the vibrating arm is warped toward the mounting surface side.
US09059392B2 Piezoelectric actuator of a multilayer design and method for fastening an outer electrode in a piezoelectric actuator
A piezoelectric actuator of a multilayer design includes outer electrodes that are fastened by means of a bonding layer applied by thermal spraying. For example, the outer electrodes are formed as a woven wire fabric. Furthermore, a method for fastening an outer electrode in a piezoelectric actuator is specified.
US09059389B2 Free layers with iron interfacial layer and oxide cap for high perpendicular anisotropy energy density
A mechanism is provided for a spin torque transfer random access memory device. A tunnel barrier is disposed on a reference layer, and a free layer is disposed on the tunnel barrier. The free layer includes an iron layer as a top part of the free layer. A metal oxide layer is disposed on the iron layer, and a cap layer is disposed on the metal oxide layer.
US09059388B2 Phoniton systems, devices, and methods
An artificial composite object combines a quantum of sound with a matter excitation. A phonon in a confinement structure containing the matter excites it from an initial state to an excited state corresponding to a frequency of the phonon. Relaxation of the matter back to the initial state emits a phonon of the same frequency into the confinement structure. The phonon confinement structure, for example, a cavity, traps the emitted phonon thereby allowing further excitation of the matter. The coupling between the phonon and the matter results in a quantum quasi-particle referred to as a phoniton. The phoniton can find application in a wide variety of quantum systems such as signal processing and communications devices, imaging and sensing, and information processing.
US09059383B2 Hand held breast pump
A hand held breast pump comprises a powered head (1), a body (7) including a diaphragm pump, a breast engaging portion (23) and a bottle coupling (24). The powered head (1) may be exchangeable for a manual head (4).
US09059382B2 Light source circuit unit, illuminator, and display
Provided are a light source circuit unit that improves light extraction efficiency, as well as an illuminator and a display that include such a light source circuit unit. The light source circuit unit includes: a circuit substrate having a wiring pattern on a surface thereof, the wiring pattern having light reflectivity, a circular pedestal provided on the circuit substrate, a water-repelling region provided at least from a peripheral edge portion of the pedestal to a part of a side face of the pedestal, and one or two or more light-emitting device chips mounted on the pedestal, and driven by a current that flows through the wiring pattern.
US09059373B2 Protecting a thermal sensitive component in a thermal process
Provided is a method for protecting a thermal sensitive component mounted on a board during a thermal process. The method includes: providing the board, providing a protection apparatus which is removable and made of a thermoelectric material to protect the thermal sensitive component during the thermal process, wherein the protection apparatus cools the thermal sensitive component during the thermal process in response to applying a voltage to the protection apparatus. Further provided is the protection apparatus for the thermal sensitive component mounted on the board during the thermal process.
US09059372B2 System for recycling energy
A system for generating electrical energy is disclosed. The system includes at least one device having a plurality of heat radiating components each having a cooling component. The system includes a converter system comprising a plurality of thermal electric generators contained in each of the at least one device, each of the plurality of thermal electric generators integrated between a respective one of the plurality of heat radiating components and its respective cooling component, the plurality of thermal electric generators electrically interconnected according to power requirements of the at least one device, and the plurality of thermal electric generators generating power used to power the at least one device.
US09059367B2 Image sensor unit, image reading apparatus, image forming apparatus, and manufacturing method
An image sensor unit includes: sensor substrates on which a plurality of sensor chips are mounted; a plurality of rod-lens arrays that focus light from an original on the sensor substrates; and a frame body that houses the plurality of sensor substrates and the plurality of rod-lens arrays. The frame body is divided into a first frame and a second frame. A side surface of the plurality of rod-lens arrays in a sub-scan direction is fixed only by the first frame, and the plurality of rod-lens arrays are arranged in the main-scan direction. The plurality of rod-lens arrays is fixed to the first frame by applying a first adhesive and a second adhesive, respectively, the viscosity of the first adhesive exceeds the viscosity of the second adhesive, and the adhesive range of the first adhesive is greater than the adhesive range of the second adhesive.
US09059361B1 Magnesium doping of boron nitride nanotubes
A method to fabricate boron nitride nanotubes incorporating magnesium diboride in their structure. In a first embodiment, magnesium wire is introduced into a reaction feed bundle during a BNNT fabrication process. In a second embodiment, magnesium in powder form is mixed into a nitrogen gas flow during the BNNT fabrication process. MgB2 yarn may be used for superconducting applications and, in that capacity, has considerably less susceptibility to stress and has considerably better thermal conductivity than these conventional materials when compared to both conventional low and high temperature superconducting materials.
US09059353B2 Optoelectronic component
An optoelectronic device having an active layer that includes a multiplicity of structural elements spaced apart from one another laterally, wherein the structural elements each have a quantum well structure including at least one barrier layer composed of Inx1Aly1Ga1-x1-y1N, wherein 0≦x1≦1, 0≦y1≦1 and x1+y1≦1, and at least one quantum well layer composed of Inx2Aly2Ga1-x2-y2N, wherein 0≦x2≦1, 0≦y2≦1 and x2+y2≦1.
US09059342B2 Solar cell element and method for manufacturing same
A solar cell element having a transparent substrate body, a NaxAg1-x, layer, a ZnO layer, a transparent conductive layer, and a photoelectric conversion layer including an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer. The transparent substrate body, the NaxAg1-x layer, the ZnO layer, the transparent conductive layer, and the photoelectric conversion layer are stacked in this order, x represents a value of not less than 0.001 and not more than 0.02, the NaxAg1-x layer has a thickness of 2-15.2 nanometers, and the ZnO layer has an arithmetical mean roughness of not less than 20-750 nanometers. The ZnO layer is composed of a plurality of ZnO columnar crystal grain, each ZnO columnar crystal grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line direction of the transparent substrate body, and each ZnO columnar crystal grain has a R2/R1 ratio of 1.1-1.6.
US09059337B1 Method, system and apparatus for dynamically monitoring and calibrating display tiles
A method, system and apparatus for dynamically monitoring and calibrating display tiles are provided. The apparatus comprises: an array of light emitting devices; one or more light emitting devices paired with light emitting devices of the array; one or more sensors configured to detect an optical characteristic and/or an electrical characteristic of the one or more paired light emitting devices; and, circuitry configured to: drive the array; drive each of the one or more further light emitting devices under same conditions as light emitting devices of the array; temporarily drive each of the one or more paired light emitting devices under different conditions from the array; and, adjust driving of the array based on the optical characteristic and/or electrical characteristic of the one or more paired light emitting devices detected at sensor(s) when the one or more paired light emitting devices are driven under the different conditions.
US09059332B2 Continuous tunable LC resonator using a FET as a varactor
A varactor includes a field effect transistor (FET) integrated with at least a portion of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), in which a back gate of the FET shares an electrical connection with a base of the BJT, and in which a reverse voltage applied to the back gate of the FET creates a continuously variable capacitance in a channel of the FET.
US09059331B2 Semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same
Provided are semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same. The methods may include forming a molding layer on a semiconductor substrate. A storage electrode passing through the molding layer is formed. A part of the storage electrode is exposed by partially etching the molding layer. A sacrificial oxide layer is formed by oxidizing the exposed part of the storage electrode. The partially-etched molding layer and the sacrificial oxide layer are removed. A capacitor dielectric layer is formed on the substrate of which the molding layer and the sacrificial oxide layer are removed. A plate electrode is formed on the capacitor dielectric layers.
US09059329B2 Power device with integrated Schottky diode and method for making the same
The present invention discloses a power device with integrated power transistor and Schottky diode and a method for making the same. The power device comprises a power transistor having a drain region, a Schottky diode in the drain region of the power transistor, and a trench-barrier near the Schottky diode. The trench-barrier is provided to reduce a reverse leakage current of the Schottky diode and minimizes the possibility of introducing undesired parasitic bipolar junction transistor in the power device.
US09059328B2 Nitride semiconductor element and method of manufacturing the same
A nitride semiconductor element having a high reverse breakdown voltage and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A diode (a vertical-type SBD) has an n−-type nitride semiconductor layer (a drift region) formed on an n-type nitride semiconductor substrate, a p-type nitride semiconductor layer formed on the n−-type nitride semiconductor layer, and besides, an anode electrode formed on the p-type nitride semiconductor layer. The p-type nitride semiconductor layer has a relatively-thin first portion and a relatively-thick second portion provided so as to surround the first portion as being in contact with an outer circumference of the first portion. Also, the relatively-thin first portion of the p-type nitride semiconductor layer is formed thinner than the second portion so as to be depleted. The relatively-thick second portion of the p-type nitride semiconductor layer forms a guard ring part.
US09059325B2 Semiconductor device and semiconductor device manufacturing method
In aspects of the invention, an n-type epitaxial layer that forms an n− type drift layer is formed on the upper surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate formed by being doped with a high concentration of antimony. A p-type anode layer is formed on a surface of the n− type drift layer. An n-type contact layer is formed with an impurity concentration in the same region as the impurity concentration of the n-type cathode layer, or higher than the impurity concentration of the n-type cathode layer, on the lower surface of the n-type cathode layer. A cathode electrode is formed so as to be in contact with the n-type contact layer. The n-type contact layer is doped with phosphorus and, without allowing complete recrystallization using a low temperature heat treatment of 500° C. or less, lattice defects are allowed to remain.
US09059315B2 Concurrently forming nFET and pFET gate dielectric layers
Embodiments include methods of forming an nFET-tuned gate dielectric and a pFET-tuned gate dielectric. Methods may include forming a high-k layer above a substrate having a pFET region and an nFET region, forming a first sacrificial layer, a pFET work-function metal layer, and a second sacrificial layer above the first high-k layer in the pFET region, and an nFET work-function metal layer above the first high-k layer in the nFET region and above the second sacrificial layer in the pFET region. The first high-k layer then may be annealed to form an nFET gate dielectric layer in the nFET region and a pFET gate dielectric layer in the pFET region. The first high-k layer may be annealed in the presence of a nitrogen source to cause atoms from the nitrogen source to diffuse into the first high-k layer in the nFET region.
US09059309B2 Semiconductor device and production method
The object to provide a semiconductor device comprising a highly-integrated SGT-based CMOS inverter circuit is achieved by forming an inverter which comprises: a first transistor including; an first island-shaped semiconductor layer; a first gate insulating film; a gate electrode; a first first-conductive-type high-concentration semiconductor layer arranged above the first island-shaped semiconductor layer; and a second first-conductive-type high-concentration semiconductor layer arranged below the first island-shaped semiconductor layer, and a second transistor including; a second gate insulating film surrounding a part of the periphery of the gate electrode; a second semiconductor layer in contact with a part of the periphery of the second gate insulating film; a first second-conductive-type high-concentration semiconductor layer arranged above the second semiconductor layer; and a second second-conductive-type high-concentration semiconductor layer arranged below the second semiconductor layer.
US09059307B1 Method of implementing buried FET below and beside FinFET on bulk substrate
A method and circuit for implementing an enhanced transistor topology enabling enhanced current capability with added device drive strength with buried field effect transistors (FETs) below and beside a traditional FinFET on a bulk substrate, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. Buried field effect transistors (FETs) are formed on either side and under the traditional FinFET. The gate of the FinFET becomes the gate of the parallel buried (FETs) and allows self alignment to the underlying sources and drains of the buried FET devices in the bulk semiconductor.
US09059298B2 Oxide semiconductor device
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having a structure with which parasitic capacitance between wirings can be sufficiently reduced. An oxide insulating layer serving as a channel protective layer is formed over part of an oxide semiconductor layer overlapping with a gate electrode layer. In the same step as formation of the oxide insulating layer, an oxide insulating layer covering a peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is formed. The oxide insulating layer which covers the peripheral portion of the oxide semiconductor layer is provided to increase the distance between the gate electrode layer and a wiring layer formed above or in the periphery of the gate electrode layer, whereby parasitic capacitance is reduced.
US09059297B2 Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A highly reliable semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device are provided. In a semiconductor device including a bottom-gate transistor in which an insulating layer functioning as a channel protective film is provided over an oxide semiconductor film, elements contained in an etching gas can be prevented from remaining as impurities on a surface of the oxide semiconductor film by performing impurity-removing process after formation of an insulating layer provided over and in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and/or formation of source and drain electrode layers. The impurity concentration in the surface of the oxide semiconductor film is lower than or equal to 5×1018 atoms/cm3, preferably lower than or equal to 1×1018 atoms/cm3.
US09059295B2 Thin film transistor having an oxide semiconductor and metal oxide films
The oxide semiconductor film has the top and bottom surface portions each provided with a metal oxide film containing a constituent similar to that of the oxide semiconductor film. An insulating film containing a different constituent from the metal oxide film and the oxide semiconductor film is further formed in contact with a surface of the metal oxide film, which is opposite to the surface in contact with the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film used for the active layer of the transistor is an oxide semiconductor film highly purified to be electrically i-type (intrinsic) by removing impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, a hydroxyl group, and hydride from the oxide semiconductor and supplying oxygen which is a major constituent of the oxide semiconductor and is simultaneously reduced in a step of removing impurities.
US09059292B2 Source and drain doping profile control employing carbon-doped semiconductor material
Carbon-doped semiconductor material portions are formed on a subset of surfaces of underlying semiconductor surfaces contiguously connected to a channel of a field effect transistor. Carbon-doped semiconductor material portions can be formed by selective epitaxy of a carbon-containing semiconductor material layer or by shallow implantation of carbon atoms into surface portions of the underlying semiconductor surfaces. The carbon-doped semiconductor material portions can be deposited as layers and subsequently patterned by etching, or can be formed after formation of disposable masking spacers. Raised source and drain regions are formed on the carbon-doped semiconductor material portions and on physically exposed surfaces of the underlying semiconductor surfaces. The carbon-doped semiconductor material portions locally retard dopant diffusion from the raised source and drain regions into the underlying semiconductor material regions, thereby enabling local tailoring of the dopant profile, and alteration of device parameters for the field effect transistor.
US09059291B2 Semiconductor-on-insulator device including stand-alone well implant to provide junction butting
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a bulk substrate layer, an active semiconductor layer, and a buried insulator layer interposed between the bulk substrate layer and the active semiconductor layer. A first source/drain (S/D) region includes a first stand-alone butting implant having a first butting width. A second S/D region includes a second stand-alone butting implant having a second butting width. A gate well-region is interposed between the first and second S/D regions. The gate well-region has a gate width that is greater than the first and second butting widths.
US09059290B2 FinFET device formation
A method includes patterning a fin on a semiconductor substrate, depositing a local trench isolation (LTI) layer on the semiconductor substrate, patterning a gate stack over a channel region of the fin and over a portion of the LTI layer, depositing a first capping layer over exposed portions of the LTI layer, performing an etching process to remove oxide material from exposed portions of the fin, and epitaxially growing a semiconductor material from exposed portions of the fin to define active regions.
US09059287B2 Semiconductor device including finfet and diode having reduced defects in depletion region
A semiconductor device comprises a first substrate portion and a second substrate portion disposed a distance away from the first substrate portion. The first substrate portion includes a first active semiconductor layer defining at least one semiconductor fin and a first polycrystalline layer formed directly on the fin. The first polycrystalline layer is patterned to define at least one semiconductor gate. The second substrate portion includes a doped region interposed between a second active semiconductor region and an oxide layer. The oxide layer protects the second active semiconductor region and the doped region. The doped region includes a first doped area and a second doped area separated by the first doped region to define a depletion region.
US09059283B1 Semiconductor structure
A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a first doped region, a second doped region, a field oxide layer, a gate structure, and a metal layer. The first doped region has a first type conductivity. The second doped region is formed in the first doped region and has a second type conductivity opposite to the first type conductivity. The field oxide layer is located on the first doped region. The gate structure includes a first gate portion and a second gate portion which are separated from each other, wherein the second gate portion is located on the field oxide layer and electrically connected to a source end. The metal layer is located on the gate structure and includes a first metal portion and a second metal portion which are separated from each other.
US09059281B2 Dual L-shaped drift regions in an LDMOS device and method of making the same
A semiconductor device comprising dual L-shaped drift regions in a lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) and a method of making the same. The LDMOS in the semiconductor device comprises a trench isolation region or a deep trench encapsulated by a liner, a first L-shaped drift region, and a second L-shaped drift region. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions is integrated with silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions furnishes a much higher voltage drop in a lateral direction within a much shorter distance from a drain region than the traditional LDMOS does.
US09059278B2 High voltage lateral double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOSFET) having a deep fully depleted drain drift region
Disclosed are semiconductor structures. Each semiconductor structure can comprise a substrate and at least one laterally double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOSFET) on the substrate. Each LDMOSFET can have a fully-depleted deep drain drift region (i.e., a fully depleted deep ballast resistor region) for providing a relatively high blocking voltage. Different configurations for the drain drift regions are disclosed and these different configurations can also vary as a function of the conductivity type of the LDMOSFET. Additionally, each semiconductor structure can comprise an isolation band positioned below the LDMOSFET and an isolation well positioned laterally around the LDMOSFET and extending vertically to the isolation band such that the LDMOSFET is electrically isolated from both a lower portion of the substrate and any adjacent devices on the substrate.
US09059275B2 Semiconductor device
The present invention provides a semiconductor device that ensures both the breakdown voltage characteristic and specific on-resistance characteristic required for a high-voltage semiconductor device and that includes a gate over a substrate, a source region formed at one side of the gate, a drain region formed at the other side of the gate, and a plurality of device isolation films formed between the source region and the drain region, below the gate.
US09059274B2 Replacement gate self-aligned carbon nanostructure transistor
A self-aligned carbon nanostructure transistor is formed by a method that includes providing a material stack including a gate dielectric material having a dielectric constant of greater than silicon oxide and a sacrificial gate material. Next, a carbon nanostructure is formed on an exposed surface of the gate dielectric material. After forming the carbon nanostructure, metal semiconductor alloy portions are formed self-aligned to the material stack. The sacrificial gate material is then replaced with a conductive metal.
US09059271B2 Self-aligned III-V MOSFET fabrication with in-situ III-V epitaxy and in-situ metal epitaxy and contact formation
A method for forming a transistor includes providing a patterned gate stack disposed on a III-V substrate and having sidewall spacers formed on sides of the patterned gate stack, the III-V substrate including source/drain regions adjacent to the sidewall spacers and field oxide regions formed adjacent to the source/drain regions. The method includes growing raised source/drain regions on the source/drain regions, the grown raised source/drain regions including III-V semiconductor material, and growing metal contacts on the grown raised source/drain regions. Another method for forming a transistor includes providing a patterned gate stack disposed on a III-V substrate and having sidewall spacers formed on sides of the patterned gate stack, the III-V substrate including source/drain regions adjacent to the sidewall spacers and field oxide regions formed adjacent to the source/drain regions. The method includes growing metal contacts on the source/drain regions. Transistors and computer program products are also disclosed.
US09059270B2 Replacement gate MOSFET with raised source and drain
A disposable dielectric spacer is formed on sidewalls of a disposable material stack. Raised source/drain regions are formed on planar source/drain regions by selective epitaxy. The disposable dielectric spacer is removed to expose portions of a semiconductor layer between the disposable material stack and the source/drain regions including the raised source/drain regions. Dopant ions are implanted to form source/drain extension regions in the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer. A gate-level dielectric layer is deposited and planarized. The disposable material stack is removed and a gate stack including a gate dielectric and a gate electrode fill a cavity formed by removal of the disposable material stack. Optionally, an inner dielectric spacer may be formed on sidewalls of the gate-level dielectric layer within the cavity prior to formation of the gate stack to tailor a gate length of a field effect transistor.
US09059269B2 Silicon-on-insulator heat sink
An approach for sinking heat from a transistor is provided. A method includes forming a substrate contact extending from a first portion of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) island to a substrate. The method also includes forming a transistor in a second portion of the SOI island. The method further includes electrically isolating the substrate contact from the transistor by doping the first portion of the SOI island.
US09059266B2 Semiconductor device and manufacturing method of the same
A semiconductor device includes a buffer layer formed with a semiconductor adapted to produce piezoelectric polarization, and a channel layer stacked on the buffer layer, wherein a two-dimensional hole gas, generated in the channel layer by piezoelectric polarization of the buffer layer, is used as a carrier of the channel layer. On a complementary semiconductor device, the semiconductor device described above and an n-type field effect transistor are formed on the same compound semiconductor substrate. Also, a level shift circuit is manufactured by using the semiconductor device. Further, a semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a compound semiconductor base portion, forming a buffer layer on the base portion, forming a channel layer on the buffer layer, forming a gate on the channel layer, and forming a drain and source with the gate therebetween on the channel layer.
US09059264B2 Tunable hot-electron transfer within a nanostructure
Provided are multimaterial devices, such as coaxial nanowires, that effect hot photoexcited electron transfer across the interface of the materials. Modulation of the transfer rates, manifested as a large tunability of the voltage onset of negative differential resistance and of voltage-current phase, may be effected by modulating electrostatic gating, incident photon energy, and the incident photon intensity. Dynamic manipulation of this transfer rate permits the introduction and control of an adjustable phase delay within a device element.
US09059261B2 Forming array contacts in semiconductor memories
Array contacts for semiconductor memories may be formed using a first set of parallel stripe masks and subsequently a second set of parallel stripe masks transverse to the first set. For example, one set of masks may be utilized to etch a dielectric layer, to form parallel spaced trenches. Then the trenches may be filled with a sacrificial material. That sacrificial material may then be masked transversely to its length and etched, for example. The resulting openings may be filled with a metal to form array contacts.
US09059260B2 Semiconductor manufacturing method and semiconductor structure thereof
A semiconductor manufacturing method includes providing a carrier; forming a first photoresist layer; forming plural core portions; removing the first photoresist layer; forming a second photoresist layer; forming a plurality of connection portions, each of the plurality of connection portions includes a first connection layer and a second connection layer and connects to each of the core portions to form a hybrid bump, wherein each of the first connection layers comprises a base portion, a projecting portion and an accommodating space, each base portion comprises an upper surface, each projecting portion is protruded to the upper surface and located on top of each core portion, each accommodating space is located outside each projecting portion, the second connection layers cover the projecting portions and the upper surfaces, and the accommodating spaces are filled by the second connection layers; removing the second photoresist layer to reveal the hybrid bumps.
US09059255B2 Methods of forming non-continuous conductive layers for conductive structures on an integrated circuit product
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a trench/via in a layer of insulating material, forming a non-continuous layer comprised of a plurality of spaced-apart conductive structures on the layer of insulating material in the trench/via, wherein portions of the layer of insulating material not covered by the plurality of spaced-apart conductive structures remain exposed, forming at least one barrier layer on the non-continuous layer, wherein the barrier layer contacts the spaced-apart conductive structures and the exposed portions of the layer of insulating material, forming at least one liner layer above the barrier layer, and forming a conductive structure in the trench/via above the liner layer.
US09059254B2 Overlay-tolerant via mask and reactive ion etch (RIE) technique
A method is provided that includes first etching a substrate according to a first mask. The first etching forms a first etch feature in the substrate to a first depth. The first etching also forms a sliver opening in the substrate. The sliver opening may then be filled with a fill material. A second mask may be formed by removing a portion of the first mask. The substrate exposed by the second mask may be etched with a second etch, in which the second etching is selective to the fill material. The second etching extends the first etch feature to a second depth that is greater than the first depth, and the second etch forms a second etch feature. The first etch feature and the second etch feature may then be filled with a conductive metal.
US09059253B2 Self-aligned contacts for replacement metal gate transistors
Embodiments of the invention include methods of forming gate caps. Embodiments may include providing a semiconductor device including a gate on a semiconductor substrate and a source/drain region on the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the gate, forming a blocking region, a top surface of which extends above a top surface of the gate, depositing an insulating layer above the semiconductor device, and planarizing the insulating layer using the blocking region as a planarization stop. Embodiments further include semiconductor devices having a semiconductor substrate, a gate above the semiconductor substrate, a source/drain region adjacent to the gate, a gate cap above the gate that cover the full width of the gate, and a contact adjacent to the source/drain region having a portion of its sidewall defined by the gate cap.
US09059251B2 Microelectronic structure including air gap
A microelectronic structure and a method for fabricating the microelectronic structure provide a plurality of voids interposed between a plurality of conductor layers. The plurality of voids is also located between a liner layer and an inter-level dielectric layer. The voids provide for enhanced electrical performance of the microelectronic structure.
US09059248B2 Junction butting on SOI by raised epitaxial structure and method
A method of forming a semiconductor device including forming well trenches on opposing sides of a gate structure by removing portions of a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) layer of an semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate, wherein the base of the well trenches is provided by a surface of a buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate and sidewalls of the well trenches are provided by a remaining portion of the SOI layer. Forming a dielectric fill material at the base of the well trenches, wherein the dielectric fill material is in contact with the sidewalls of the well trenches and at least a portion of the surface of the buried dielectric layer that provides the base of the well trenches. Forming a source region and a drain region in the well trenches with an in-situ doped epitaxial semiconductor material.
US09059247B2 Method for manufacturing SOI substrate and method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A method for manufacturing an SOI substrate with favorable adherence without high-temperature heat treatment being performed in bonding, and a semiconductor device using the SOI substrate and a manufacturing method thereof are proposed. An SOI substrate and a semiconductor device can be manufactured by forming a single-crystalline silicon substrate with a thickness of 50 μm or less in which a brittle layer is formed; forming a supporting substrate having an insulating layer over a surface; activating at least one of the surfaces of the single-crystalline silicon substrate and the insulating layer by exposure to a plasma atmosphere or an ion atmosphere; and bonding the single-crystalline silicon substrate and the supporting substrate with the insulating layer interposed therebetween.
US09059245B2 Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrates with ultra-thin SOI layers and buried oxides
Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrates including a buried oxide (BOX) layer having a thickness of less than 300 Å are provided. The (SOI) substrates having the thin BOX layer are provided using a method including a step in which oxygen ions are implanted at high substrate temperatures (greater than 600° C.), and at a low implant energy (less than 40 keV). An anneal step in an oxidizing atmosphere follows the implant step and is performed at a temperature less than 1250° C. The anneal step in oxygen containing atmosphere converts the region containing implanted oxygen atoms formed by the implant step into a BOX having a thickness of less than 300 Å. In some instances, the top semiconductor layer of the SOI substrate has a thickness of less than 300 Å.
US09059243B2 Shallow trench isolation structures
Shallow trench isolation structures are provided for use with UTBB (ultra-thin body and buried oxide) semiconductor substrates, which prevent defect mechanisms from occurring, such as the formation of electrical shorts between exposed portions of silicon layers on the sidewalls of shallow trench of a UTBB substrate, in instances when trench fill material of the shallow trench is subsequently etched away and recessed below an upper surface of the UTBB substrate.
US09059241B2 3D assembly for interposer bow
A method for packaging a semiconductor device includes attaching a first array of solder material to a first surface of an interposer; bringing the first array of solder material into physical contact with a laminate; and initially bonding the interposer to the laminate by applying a first temperature and pressure gradient to the first array of solder material such that a melting temperature of the first array of solder material is not exceeded.
US09059239B2 Bidirectional transistor with optimized high electron mobility current
An apparatus includes a bidirectional hetero junction field-effect power transistor having a gate between conduction electrodes, semiconductor layers, one formed on the other, and the two meeting at an electron gas layer interface, and a reference electrode embedded in one layer. The reference electrode connects to a potential of a zone of the gas layer that is plumb with the reference electrode, A distance between the reference electrode and one conduction electrode and between the gate and that conduction electrode is between 45 and 55% of a distance between the conduction electrodes. A control circuit connected to the reference electrode generates a switching voltage for switching the transistor from a reference electrode voltage, and to apply a control voltage to the gate.
US09059236B2 Semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes: a first electrode; a second electrode; a first semiconductor layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; a second semiconductor layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second electrode, and the second semiconductor layer having a lower impurity concentration than the first semiconductor layer; a first semiconductor region provided between part of the second semiconductor layer and the second electrode; a second semiconductor region provided between a portion different from the part of the second semiconductor layer and the second electrode, and the second semiconductor region being in contact with the first semiconductor region; and a third semiconductor region provided between at least part of the first semiconductor region and the second electrode.
US09059226B2 Substrate treatment apparatus
The substrate treatment apparatus includes a first substrate transport robot having a hand which holds a substrate, a second substrate transport robot having a hand which holds the substrate, and a hand cleaning unit which cleans the hand of the first substrate transport robot and the hand of the second substrate transport robot. The hand cleaning unit is configured to be accessible by the hand of the first substrate transport robot and the hand of the second substrate transport robot, and is disposed above or below a substrate transfer place at which the substrate is transferred between the first and second substrate transport robots.
US09059224B2 System and method for treating substrate
A method and system for treating a substrate are provided. The system includes a coating unit, a pre/post-exposure treatment unit, and a developing unit. Each of the units includes a load port and an index module. The pre/post-exposure treatment unit includes first and second modules that are arranged in different layers. The first module performs a process for coating a protective layer on the wafer before an exposure process. The second module performs a process for cleaning the wafer and a post-exposure bake process after the exposure process.
US09059220B2 Polysilicon manufacturing device
The present disclosure in an exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus for manufacturing polysilicon. The apparatus for manufacturing polysilicon comprises a base plate; a container body coupled to the base plate; at least one rod; a reaction gas source and a power supply. The at least one rod is configured to have legs respectively connected with three electrodes installed on the base plate and to be disposed in the container body. The reaction gas source is configured to communicate with the container body for supplying a reaction gas into the container body. The power supply is configured to connect with the electrodes for supplying an electric current to energize the rod to generate heat.
US09059218B2 Reducing gate expansion after source and drain implant in gate last process
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, an active region and a dummy gate structure disposed over the active region. A sacrificial conformal layer, including a bottom oxide layer and a top nitride layer are provided over the dummy gate structure and active region to protect the dummy gate during source and drain implantation. The active region is implanted using dopants such as, a n-type dopant or a p-type dopant to create a source region and a drain region in the active region, after which the sacrificial conformal layer is removed.
US09059216B2 Semiconductor device, and manufacturing method thereof
In a display device such as a liquid crystal display device, a large-sized display screen is realized under low power consumption. A surface of a source wiring line of a pixel portion employed in an active matrix type liquid crystal display device is processed by way of a plating process operation so as to lower a resistance value of this source wiring line. The source wiring line of the pixel portion is manufactured at a step different from a step for manufacturing a source wiring line of a drive circuit portion. Further, electrodes of a terminal portion are processed by a plating process operation so as to reduce a resistance value thereof.
US09059213B2 Embedded DRAM for extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator
A node dielectric and a conductive trench fill region filling a deep trench are recessed to a depth that is substantially coplanar with a top surface of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer. A shallow trench isolation portion is formed on one side of an upper portion of the deep trench, while the other side of the upper portion of the deep trench provides an exposed surface of a semiconductor material of the conductive fill region. A selective epitaxy process is performed to deposit a raised source region and a raised strap region. The raised source region is formed directly on a planar source region within the SOI layer, and the raised strap region is formed directly on the conductive fill region. The raised strap region contacts the raised source region to provide an electrically conductive path between the planar source region and the conductive fill region.
US09059210B2 Enhanced stress memorization technique for metal gate transistors
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a dummy gate structure on a semiconductor substrate, forming sidewall spacers, and forming heavily doped source/drain regions. After removing the spacers, a stress material layer is formed over the dummy gate structure. An annealing process is performed to transfer the stress to the device channel region. After the annealing process, the stress material layer is removed. The dummy gate structure is replaced by a high-k dielectric layer and a metal gate structure. Subsequently, contact holes are formed to expose at least part of the heavily doped source/drain regions, and self-aligned silicide is formed over exposed portions of the heavily doped source/drain regions.
US09059207B2 Strained channel for depleted channel semiconductor devices
A planar semiconductor device including a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate with source and drain portions having a thickness of less than 10 nm that are separated by a multi-layered strained channel. The multi-layer strained channel of the SOI layer includes a first layer with a first lattice dimension that is present on the buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate, and a second layer of a second lattice dimension that is in direct contact with the first layer of the multi-layer strained channel portion. A functional gate structure is present on the multi-layer strained channel portion of the SOI substrate. The semiconductor device having the multi-layered channel may also be a finFET semiconductor device.
US09059203B2 Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure with selectivity placed sub-insulator layer void(s) and method of forming the SOI structure
Disclosed is a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure (e.g., an SOI field effect transistor (FET)) and method of forming the SOI structure so as to have sub-insulator layer void(s) selectively placed so that capacitance coupling between a first section of a semiconductor layer and the substrate will be less than capacitance coupling between a second section of the semiconductor layer and the substrate. The first section may contain a first device and the second section may contain a second device. Alternatively, the first and second sections may comprise different regions of the same device. For example, in an SOI FET, sub-insulator layer voids can be selectively placed in the substrate below the source, drain and/or body contact diffusion regions, but not below the channel region so that capacitance coupling between the these various diffusion regions and the substrate will be less than capacitance coupling between the channel region and the substrate.
US09059200B1 III-Nitride metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistor
A field effect transistor (FET) includes a III-Nitride channel layer, a III-Nitride barrier layer on the channel layer, wherein the barrier layer has an energy bandgap greater than the channel layer, a source electrode electrically coupled to one of the III-Nitride layers, a drain electrode electrically coupled to one of the III-Nitride layers, a gate insulator layer stack for electrically insulating a gate electrode from the barrier layer and the channel layer, the gate insulator layer stack including an insulator layer, such as SiN, and an AlN layer, the gate electrode in a region between the source electrode and the drain electrode and in contact with the insulator layer, and wherein the AlN layer is in contact with one of the III-Nitride layers.
US09059196B2 Bipolar junction transistors with self-aligned terminals
Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for a bipolar junction transistor. A first layer comprised of a first semiconductor material and a second layer comprised of a second semiconductor material are disposed on a substrate containing a first terminal of the bipolar junction transistor. The second layer is disposed on the first layer and a patterned etch mask is formed on the second layer. A trench extends through the pattern hardmask layer, the first layer, and the second layer and into the substrate. The trench defines a section of the first layer stacked with a section of the second layer. A selective etching process is used to narrow the section of the second layer relative to the section of the first layer to define a second terminal and to widen a portion of the trench in the substrate to undercut the section of the first layer.
US09059195B2 Lateral bipolar transistors having partially-depleted intrinsic base
A bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and method for fabricating such. The transistor includes an emitter region, a collector region, and an intrinsic-base region. The intrinsic-base region is positioned between the emitter region and the collector region. Furthermore, the physical separation between the emitter region and the collector region is less than the sum of a base-emitter space-charge region width and a base-collector space-charge region width at the transistor's standby mode.
US09059194B2 High-K and metal filled trench-type EDRAM capacitor with electrode depth and dimension control
Partial removal of organic planarizing layer (OPL) material forms a plug of OPL material within an aperture that protects underlying material or electronic device such as a deep trench capacitor during other manufacturing processes. The OPL plug thus can absorb any differences or non-uniformity in, for example, etch rates across the chip or wafer and preserve recess dimensions previously formed. Control of a lateral component of later removal of the OPL plug by etching also can increase tolerance of overlay error in forming connections and thus avoid loss in manufacturing yield.
US09059189B2 Integrated circuit with electromagnetic energy anomaly detection and processing
An integrated circuit includes an antenna, a die manufactured from a semiconducting material, an RF energy collection and processing device disposed on or within the die and including at least a receiver and a processing device, an input configured to supply power to said RF energy collection and processing device and an output for operative communication by said RF energy collection and processing device. The integrated circuit is configurable and operable to provide at least one of electromagnetic emission anomaly detection, tamper detection, anti-tamper monitoring, degradation monitoring, health monitoring, counterfeit detection, software changes monitoring, firmware changes monitoring and monitoring of other RF energy anomalies.
US09059188B1 Graphene resistor based tamper resistant identifier with contactless reading
According to an aspect of the present principles, there is provided a method and an authentication apparatus. The method includes arranging a plurality of graphene resistors in parallel or series. The method further includes forming a unique identification code based on respective temperatures emanating from or respective voltages output from the plurality of graphene resistors when the plurality of graphene resistors are in a powered state.
US09059184B2 Apparatus and method for decapsulating packaged integrated circuits
A method and system for decapsulating a portion of an encapsulated integrated circuit delivers etchant mixture in variable but precise, high-velocity micro-metered pulses to a single outlet port of a pump from any one of or a combination of separate inlet ports connected to separate etchant source containers holding specific etchant solutions, controls temperature of the etchant mixture by passing the etchant mixture from the outlet port through a serpentine passage in a temperature-controlled metal block, and delivers the etchant mixture from the serpentine passage of the temperature-controlled block via a delivery conduit to an encapsulation surface of the encapsulated integrated circuit.
US09059183B2 Structure of very high insertion loss of the substrate noise decoupling
A structure includes a substrate comprising a region having a circuit or device which is sensitive to electrical noise. Additionally, the structure includes a first isolation structure extending through an entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region and a second isolation structure extending through the entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region.
US09059176B2 Copper interconnect with CVD liner and metallic cap
A structure having a diffusion barrier positioned adjacent to a sidewall and a bottom of an opening being etched in a layer of dielectric material. The structure also having a metal liner positioned directly on top of the diffusion barrier, a seed layer positioned directly on top of the metal liner, wherein the seed layer is made from a material comprising copper, a copper material positioned directly on top of the seed layer, a metallic cap positioned directly on top of and selective to the copper material, and a capping layer positioned directly on top of and adjacent to the metallic cap.
US09059175B2 Forming BEOL line fuse structure
In one embodiment, the invention provides a back-end-of-line (BEOL) line fuse structure. The BEOL line fuse structure includes: a line including a plurality of grains of conductive crystalline material; wherein the plurality of grains in a region between the first end and a second end include an average grain size that is smaller than a nominal grain size of the plurality of grains in a remaining portion of the line.
US09059171B2 Electrical fuse and method of making
A semiconductor fuse and methods of making the same. The fuse includes a fuse element and a compressive stress liner that reduces the electro-migration resistance of the fuse element. The method includes forming a substrate, forming a trench feature in the substrate, depositing fuse material in the trench feature, depositing compressive stress liner material over the fuse material, and patterning the compressive stress liner material.
US09059166B2 Interconnect with hybrid metallization
An electronic interconnect structure having a hybridized metal structure near regions of high operating temperature on an integrated circuit, and methods of making the same. The hybridized metal structure features at least two different metals in a single metallization level. The first metal is in a region of high operating temperature and the second region is in a region of normal operating temperatures. In a preferred embodiment the first metal includes aluminum and is in a first level metallization over an active area of the device while the second metal includes copper. In some embodiments, the first and second metals are not in direct physical contact. In other embodiments the first and second metals physically contact each other. In a preferred embodiment, a top surface of the first metal is not co-planar with a top surface of the second metal, despite being in the same metallization level.
US09059161B2 Composite wiring board with electrical through connections
A composite wiring circuit with electrical through connections and method of manufacturing the same. The composite wiring circuit includes a glass with first electrically-conducting through vias. The first electrically-conducting through vias pass from a top surface of the glass layer to a bottom surface of the glass layer. The composite wiring circuit further includes an interposer layer with second electrically-conducting through vias. The second electrically-conducting through vias pass from a top surface of the interposer layer to a bottom surface of the interposer layer. The second electrically-conducting through vias are electrically coupled to the first electrically-conducting through vias.
US09059160B1 Semiconductor package assembly
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus comprising a substrate having (i) a first side configured to receive a semiconductor die and (ii) a second side disposed opposite to the first side. The substrate comprises a printed circuit board material. The apparatus further comprises an interposer that is (i) disposed in the substrate and (ii) configured to electrically couple the first side of the substrate and the second side of the substrate. The interposer comprises a semiconductor material.
US09059159B2 Routing layer for mitigating stress in a semiconductor die
A routing layer for a semiconductor die is disclosed. The routing layer includes pads for attaching solder bumps; bond-pads bonded to bump-pads of a die having an integrated circuit, and traces interconnecting bond-pads to pads. The routing layer is formed on a layer of dielectric material. The routing layer includes conductive traces at least partially surrounding some pads so as to absorb stress from solder bumps attached to the pads. Parts of the traces that surround pads protect parts of the underlying dielectric material proximate the solder bumps, from the stress.
US09059158B2 Semiconductor device having under-bump metallization (UBM) structure and method of forming the same
A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, an under-bump metallization (UBM) structure overlying the semiconductor substrate, and a solder bump overlying and electrically connected to the UBM structure. The UBM structure comprises a first metallization layer comprising a first metal, a second metallization layer comprising a second metal different from the first metal, and a first intermetallic compound (IMC) layer between the first metallization layer and the second metallization layer, the first IMC layer comprising the first metal and the second metal.
US09059154B2 Leadframe pocket
A package structure and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The package structure corresponds, in one example, to a transceiver module having a substrate with a pocket formed therein. The pocket is configured to receive one or multiple parts of a leadframe and helps reduce the amount of wire bonding required to connect the leadframe or components mounted thereon to traces on the substrate.
US09059150B2 Conductive bump, semiconductor chip and stacked semiconductor package using the same
A conductive bump includes a step member formed to form a step on a portion of a connection pad; and a conductive member formed on the connection pad and the step member and having an inclined surface which is inclined with respect to the connection pad.
US09059145B2 Power module, method for manufacturing power module, and molding die
A power module is disclosed that includes a semiconductor element, a first cooling member and a second cooling member configured to sandwich the semiconductor element therebetween, a frame member configured to support the semiconductor element between the first cooling member and the second cooling member and molded resin disposed between the first cooling member and the second cooling member, wherein the frame member includes an adjusting member which adjusts a distance between the first cooling member and the second cooling member.
US09059141B2 Buried gate transistor
An embodiment of the invention provides a semiconductor fabrication method. The method comprises forming an isolation region between a first and a second region in a substrate, forming a recess in the substrate surface, and lining the recess with a uniform oxide. Embodiments further include doping a channel region under the bottom recess surface in the first and second regions and depositing a gate electrode material in the recess. Preferred embodiments include forming source/drain regions adjacent the channel region in the first and second regions, preferably after the step of depositing the gate electrode material. Another embodiment of the invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a recess in a surface of the first and second active regions and in the isolation region, and a dielectric layer having a uniform thickness lining the recess.
US09059139B2 Raised source/drain and gate portion with dielectric spacer or air gap spacer
A semiconductor structure and method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes epitaxial raised source/drain (RSD) regions formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate through selective epitaxial growth. In one embodiment, the faceted side portions of the RSD regions are utilized to form cavity regions which may be filled with a dielectric material to form dielectric spacer regions. Spacers may be formed over the dielectric spacer regions. In another embodiment, the faceted side portions may be selectively grown to form air gap spacer regions in the cavity regions. A conformal spacer layer with interior and exterior surfaces may be formed in the cavity region, creating an air gap spacer defined by the interior surfaces of the conformal spacer layer.
US09059132B2 Self aligned capacitor fabrication
A capacitor and method for fabricating the same. In one configuration, the capacitor has a silicon substrate, a first and a second silicon dioxide layer over the silicon substrate, and silicon nitride fins between the silicon dioxide layers. The capacitor further includes a dielectric layer over the silicon nitride fins and metal vias in the dielectric layer.
US09059128B2 Semiconductor device having improved thermal properties
A semiconductor device includes: a first heat spreader; a second heat spreader separated from the first heat spreader; a first semiconductor element on the first heat spreader and having a back face jointed to the first heat spreader; a second semiconductor element on the second heat spreader and having a back face jointed to the second heat spreader; a resin coating the first and second heat spreaders and the first and second semiconductor elements; and a reinforcing member provided across a region between the first and second heat spreaders in the resin, and having rigidity higher than rigidity of the resin.
US09059126B1 Semiconductor device structure and method of manufacturing the same
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a first device region and a second device region. The semiconductor device structure further includes first devices in the first device region and second devices in the second device region. The semiconductor device structure also includes a first annular structure continuously surrounding the first device region and a second annular structure continuously surrounding the second device region. The first annular structure has a first thermal diffusion coefficient less than a second thermal diffusion coefficient of the second annular structure.
US09059125B2 Battery heating circuits and methods with resonance components in series using voltage inversion
Circuit and method for heating a battery. The circuit includes the battery including a first damping component and a first current storage component, a switch unit, a switching control component, a first charge storage component, and an energy superposition unit. The switching control component is configured to turn on the switch unit so as to allow a current to flow between the battery and the first charge storage component and to turn off the switch unit so as to stop the current. The energy superposition unit is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, adjust a storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that a positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a negative voltage terminal of the battery.
US09059123B2 Active matrix using hybrid integrated circuit and bipolar transistor
A hybrid integrated circuit device includes a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate having a base substrate, a semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer disposed therebetween, the base substrate being reduced in thickness. First devices are formed in the semiconductor layer, the first devices being connected to first metallizations on a first side of the dielectric layer. Second devices are formed in the base substrate, the second devices being connected to second metallizations formed on a second side of the dielectric layer opposite the first side. A through via connection is configured to connect the first metallizations to the second metallizations through the dielectric layer. Pixel circuits and methods are also disclosed.
US09059121B2 Organic light emitting display and method for manufacturing the same
An organic light emitting display includes a substrate, a metal pattern on the substrate, the metal pattern directly contacting the substrate, and a thin film transistor including an active layer spaced apart from the metal pattern on the substrate, a gate electrode on the active layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the gate electrode.
US09059118B2 Method for producing semi-insulating resistivity in high purity silicon carbide crystals
A method is disclosed for producing high quality semi-insulating silicon carbide crystals in the absence of relevant amounts of deep level trapping elements. The invention includes the steps of heating a silicon carbide crystal having a first concentration of point defects to a temperature that thermodynamically increases the number of point defects and resulting states in the crystal, and then cooling the heated crystal at a sufficiently rapid rate to maintain an increased concentration of point defects in the cooled crystal.
US09059117B2 High resolution pixel architecture
A pixel structure comprises a substantially transparent substrate, a drive transistor formed on the substrate, an organic light emitting device formed on the opposite side of the drive transistor from the substrate, a reflective layer disposed between the light emitting device and the drive transistor and having a reflective surface facing the light emitting device. The reflective layer forms an opening offset from the drive transistor for passing light emitted by the light emitting device to the substrate. At least a portion of the reflective layer is preferably concave in shape to direct reflected light from the light emitting device back onto the light-emitting device.
US09059114B2 Full-color LED display device and manufacturing method thereof
Disclosed is a full-color LED display device and a manufacturing method thereof. The full-color LED display device includes 1) a plurality of first electrodes formed on a substrate, 2) at least five subminiature blue LED elements attached to each unit pixel site formed on the first electrode, 3) an insulation layer formed on the substrate and the blue LED element, 4) a plurality of second electrodes formed on the insulation layer, and 5) a green color conversion layer and a red color conversion layer formed on the second electrode corresponding to partial unit pixel sites selected from the unit pixel sites. The manufacturing method of a full-color LED display device includes 1) forming a plurality of first electrodes on a substrate, 2) attaching at least five subminiature blue LED elements to each unit pixel site formed on the first electrode, 3) forming an insulation layer on the substrate, 4) forming a plurality of second electrodes on the insulation layer, and 5) successively patterning a green color conversion layer and a red color conversion layer on the second electrode corresponding to partial unit pixel sites selected from the unit pixel sites.
US09059109B2 Package assembly and method of forming the same
A package assembly including a semiconductor die electrically coupled to a substrate by an interconnected joint structure. The semiconductor die includes a bump overlying a semiconductor substrate, and a molding compound layer overlying the semiconductor substrate and being in physical contact with a first portion of the bump. The substrate includes a no-flow underfill layer on a conductive region. A second portion of the bump is in physical contact with the no-flow underfill layer to form the interconnected joint structure.
US09059108B2 Integrated circuit packaging system with interconnects
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a base substrate; mounting a base integrated circuit over the base substrate; attaching a lead to the base integrated circuit and the base substrate, the lead having a lead attachment portion over the base integrated circuit; and forming a base encapsulation over the lead, the base encapsulation having a cavity exposing the lead attachment portion.
US09059102B2 Metrology marks for unidirectional grating superposition patterning processes
Cut spacer reference marks, targets having such cut spacer reference marks, and methods of making the same by forming spacer gratings around grating lines on a first layer, and fabricating an angled template mask that extends across and resides at an angle with respect to such spacer gratings. Angled, cut spacer gratings are etched into a second layer using the angled template mask to superimpose at least a portion of the spacer gratings of the first layer into the second layer.
US09059100B2 Semiconductor integrated circuit device and process for manufacturing the same
A method of forming a semiconductor IC includes forming grooves in a substrate to define a first dummy region and second dummy regions formed at a scribing area, and third dummy regions and a fourth dummy region formed at a product area. A width of the first dummy region is greater than widths of each of the second and third dummy regions and a width of the fourth dummy region is greater than widths of each of the third dummy regions. A conductor pattern is formed over the first dummy region for optical pattern recognition. The first dummy region is formed under the conductor pattern so the grooves are not formed under the conductor pattern. The second dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the scribing area, and the third dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the product area.
US09059096B2 Method to form silicide contact in trenches
A method for forming silicide contacts includes forming a dielectric layer on a gate spacer, a gate stack, and a first semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer comprises source/drain regions. Contact trenches are formed in the dielectric layer so as to expose at least a portion of the source/drain regions. A second semiconductor layer is formed within the contact trenches. A metallic layer is formed on the second semiconductor layer. An anneal is performed to form a silicide region between the second semiconductor layer and the metallic layer. A conductive contact layer is formed on the metallic layer or the silicide region.
US09059092B2 Chemical dielectric formation for semiconductor device fabrication
Systems and methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor devices. For example, a substrate is provided. A polymer layer is formed on the substrate. An oxygen-based plasma is applied to remove the polymer layer. An oxidizing solution is applied to generate a dielectric layer. A conductive layer is formed on the dielectric layer for fabricating semiconductor devices.
US09059081B2 Selectively doped semi-conductors and methods of making the same
The present invention is generally directed to methods of selectively doping a substrate and the resulting selectively doped substrates. The methods include doping an epilayer of a substrate with the selected doping material to adjust the conductivity of either the epilayers grown over a substrate or the substrate itself. The methods utilize lithography to control the location of the doped regions on the substrate. The process steps can be repeated to form a cyclic method of selectively doping different areas of the substrate with the same or different doping materials to further adjust the properties of the resulting substrate.
US09059079B1 Processing of insulators and semiconductors
A method is disclosed for processing an insulator material or a semiconductor material. The method includes pulsing a plasma lamp onto the material to diffuse a doping substance into the material, to activate the doping substance in the material or to metallize a large area region of the material. The method may further include pulsing a laser onto a selected region of the material to diffuse a doping substance into the material, to activate the doping substance in the material or to metallize a selected region of the material.
US09059078B2 Covered void within a semiconductor substrate and method of forming a covered void within a semiconductor substrate
Some embodiments include methods of forming voids within semiconductor constructions. In some embodiments the voids may be utilized as microstructures for distributing coolant, for guiding electromagnetic radiation, or for separation and/or characterization of materials. Some embodiments include constructions having micro-structures therein which correspond to voids, conduits, insulative structures, semiconductor structures or conductive structures.
US09059076B2 Gate drivers for circuits based on semiconductor devices
An electronic component includes a switching device comprising a source, a gate, and a drain, the switching device having a predetermined device switching rate. The electronic component further includes a gate driver electrically connected to the gate and coupled between the source and the gate of the switching device, the gate driver configured to switch a gate voltage of the switching device at a gate driver switching rate. The gate driver is configured such that in operation, an output current of the gate driver cannot exceed a first current level, wherein the first current level is sufficiently small to provide a switching rate of the switching device in operation to be less than the predetermined device switching rate.
US09059075B2 Selective gallium nitride regrowth on (100) silicon
A method for selective formation of a gallium nitride material on a (100) silicon substrate. The method includes forming a blanket layer of dielectric material on a surface of a (100) silicon substrate. The blanket layer of dielectric material is then patterned forming a plurality of patterned dielectric material structures on silicon substrate. An etch is employed that selectively removes exposed portions of the silicon substrate. The etch forms openings within the silicon substrate that expose a surface of the silicon substrate having a (111) crystal plane. A contiguous AlN buffer layer is then formed on exposed surfaces of each patterned dielectric material structure and on exposed surfaces of the silicon substrate. A gallium nitride material is then formed on a portion of the contiguous AlN buffer layer and surrounding each sidewall of each patterned dielectric material structure.
US09059063B2 CMOS sensor with low partition noise and low disturbance between adjacent row control signals in a pixel array
A CMOS image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels with individual rows of unit pixels being coupled to respective row control signal lines, and a buffer including plural row control signal drivers. Each driver is coupled to a respective one of the row control signal lines and is configured to provide a row control signal pulse to a respective row control signal line in response to an input pulse when the row control signal line is in an active state and to bias the row control signal line at a ground voltage when the respective row control signal line is in an inactive state. Each driver has a first drive capability when the row control signal line is in the active state and a second drive capability greater than the first drive capability when the row control signal line is in an inactive state.
US09059062B2 Solid-state imaging device, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic apparatus
A solid state imaging device including a semiconductor layer, an insulating material in an opening penetrating a surface of the semiconductor layer, and a protective film that is resistant to etching covering one end of the insulating material on an interior side of the semiconductor layer.
US09059061B2 Structure and method for 3D image sensor
The present disclosure provides an embodiment of an image sensor structure that includes a first semiconductor substrate having a plurality of imaging sensors; a first interconnect structure formed on the first semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor substrate having a logic circuit; a second interconnect structure formed on the second semiconductor substrate, wherein the first and the second semiconductor substrates are bonded together in a configuration that the first and second interconnect structures are sandwiched between the first and second semiconductor substrates; and a backside deep contact (BDCT) feature extended from the first interconnect structure to the second interconnect structure, thereby electrically coupling the logic circuit to the image sensors.
US09059060B2 Image sensor including an image-sensing element region and logic circuit region and manufacturing method thereof
According to one embodiment, an image sensor includes an image-sensing element region formed by arranging a plurality of image-sensing elements on a semiconductor substrate, and a logic circuit region formed in a region different from the image-sensing element region on the substrate and including a plurality of gate patterns. Further, dummy gate patterns are formed with a constant pitch on the image-sensing element region.
US09059058B2 Image sensor device with IR filter and related methods
An image sensor device may include a bottom interconnect layer, an image sensing IC above the bottom interconnect layer and coupled thereto, and an adhesive material on the image sensing IC. The image sensor device may include an IR filter layer above the lens layer, and an encapsulation material on the bottom interconnect layer and surrounding the image sensing IC, the lens layer, and the IR filter layer. The image sensor device may include a top contact layer above the encapsulation material and including a dielectric layer, and a contact thereon, the dielectric layer being flush with adjacent portions of the IR filter layer.
US09059056B2 Solid-state imaging device and imaging device
A solid-state imaging device and an imaging device are capable of transferring a control signal to pixels formed in each chip of the solid-state imaging device, in which the plurality of chips are connected to each other, without an increase in a circuit size of the solid-state imaging device or an increase in the number of connectors between the chips. The solid-state imaging device, in which first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via the connectors, includes a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element disposed in the first substrate and a reading circuit disposed in the second substrate are arrayed two-dimensionally, and a read control circuit that controls reading of a signal from the pixels. The read control circuit includes a pulse generation unit and a logical unit.
US09059052B2 Alternating open-ended via chains for testing via formation and dielectric integrity
Kerf areas are located between the integrated circuit chips on a wafer. Via chain test structures are located in the kerf areas or test chips. The via chain test structures comprise a first conductor in a first area of the wafer. First via chains are connected at individual points to the first conductor. Each of the first via chains comprises an open-ended electrical circuit beginning at the first conductor and ending in an insulated region of a second area of the wafer. The via chain test structures comprise a second conductor in the second area. Second via chains are connected at individual points to the second conductor. Each of the second via chains comprises an open-ended electrical circuit beginning at the second conductor and ending in an insulated region of the first area.
US09059051B2 Inline measurement of through-silicon via depth
A through-silicon via (TSV) capacitive test structure and method of determining TSV depth based on capacitance is disclosed. The TSV capacitive test structure is formed from a plurality of TSV bars that are evenly spaced. A first group of bars are electrically connected to form a first capacitor node, and a second group of bars is electrically connected to form a second capacitor node. The capacitance is measured, and a TSV depth is computed, prior to backside thinning. The computed TSV depth may then be fed to downstream grinding and/or polishing tools to control the backside thinning process such that the semiconductor wafer is thinned such that the backside is flush with the TSV.
US09059049B2 EL display device
A plurality of pixels are arranged on the substrate. Each of the pixels is provided with an EL element which utilizes as a cathode a pixel electrode connected to a current control TFT. On a counter substrate, a light shielding film, a first color filter having a first color and a second color filter having a second color are provided. The second color is different from the first color.
US09059048B2 Array substrate with ESD assembly and short-circuit ring
A display apparatus, an array substrate, and a method for producing the array substrate are provides to so as to effectively reduce a horizontal distance occupied by the ESD assembly at each side of the display region of the substrate and achieve a good performance of the narrow edge frame of the TFT-LCD. The array substrate comprises a pixel region and a periphery wiring region, wherein an Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) assembly and a short-circuit ring are disposed in the periphery wiring region, and wherein the ESD assembly comprises a plurality of Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) each having a source electrode and a drain electrode that are disposed within the short-circuit ring.
US09059040B2 Structure and method for reducing floating body effect of SOI MOSFETS
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor structure and method, and more specifically, to a structure and method for reducing floating body effect of silicon on insulator (SOI) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). An integrated circuit (IC) structure includes an SOI substrate and at least one MOSFET formed on the SOI substrate. Additionally, the IC structure includes an asymmetrical source-drain junction in the at least one MOSFET by damaging a pn junction to reduce floating body effects of the at least one MOSFET.
US09059034B2 EEPROM
An EEPROM includes: a semiconductor layer of a first conductive type; and a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor layer. First through fifth impurity regions are formed in top layer portions of the semiconductor layer. On the first insulating film, a select gate, and first and second floating gates are respectively disposed opposite a region between the first impurity region and the second impurity region, a region between the second impurity region and the third impurity region, and a region between the third impurity region and the fourth impurity region. In the first insulating film, first and second tunnel windows are respectively formed at portions in contact with the first and second floating gates. A sixth impurity region of the second conductive type, which is connected to the second impurity region, is formed in the top layer portion of the semiconductor layer that opposes the second tunnel window.
US09059030B2 Memory cells having capacitor dielectric directly against a transistor source/drain region
A memory cell includes a transistor device comprising a pair of source/drains, a body comprising a channel, and a gate construction operatively proximate the channel. The memory cell includes a capacitor comprising a pair of capacitor electrodes having a capacitor dielectric there-between. One of the capacitor electrodes is the channel or is electrically coupled to the channel. The other of the capacitor electrodes includes a portion of the body other than the channel. Methods are also disclosed.
US09059029B2 Semiconductor memory device
To provide a highly integrated semiconductor memory device. To provide a semiconductor memory device which can hold stored data even when power is not supplied. To provide a semiconductor memory device which has a large number of write cycles. The degree of integration of a memory cell array is increased by forming a memory cell including two transistors and one capacitor which are arranged three-dimensionally. The electric charge accumulated in the capacitor is prevented from being leaking by forming a transistor for controlling the amount of electric charge of the capacitor in the memory cell using a wide-gap semiconductor having a wider band gap than silicon. Accordingly, a semiconductor memory device which can hold stored data even when power is not supplied can be provided.
US09059027B2 Semiconductor device
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first and second semiconductor layers of a first conductivity type above a substrate via a first film, a first electrode above the second semiconductor layer, and a second electrode disposed on a side of the first electrode or an opposite side of the first electrode with respect to the second semiconductor layer. The device further includes a first pad layer connected to the first electrode, a second pad layer connected to the second electrode and including a first upper portion contacting the second electrode, a second upper portion disposed at a level between upper and lower portions of the substrate, and a third upper portion opposed to the lower portion of the substrate, and a third semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type between the second upper portion of the second pad layer and a lower portion of the first film.
US09059019B2 Semiconductor device including source/drain formed on bulk and gate channel formed on oxide layer
A semiconductor device having a doped well area includes a doped substrate layer formed on a substrate portion of the semiconductor device. The doped substrate layer extends along a first direction to define a length and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to define a width. A plurality of fins is formed on the doped substrate layer and an oxide substrate layer is formed between each fin. At least one gate is formed on the oxide substrate layer and extends across at least one fin among the plurality of fins.
US09059018B2 Semiconductor device layout reducing imbalance in characteristics of paired transistors
In a semiconductor device having paired transistors, an imbalance in characteristics of the paired transistors is reduced or prevented while an increase in circuit area is reduced or prevented. First and second transistors have first and second regions having the same active region pattern, and third and fourth transistors have third and fourth regions having the same active region pattern. The active regions of the third and fourth transistors have a longer length in the channel length direction than that of the active regions of the first and second transistors. The third and fourth regions have a narrower width in the channel length direction than that of the first and second regions.
US09059016B1 Lateral heterojunction bipolar transistors
A lateral heterojunction bipolar transistor is formed on a substrate including a top semiconductor layer of a first semiconductor material having a first band gap and of a first conductivity type. A stack of an extrinsic base and a base cap is formed over the top semiconductor layer. A dielectric spacer is formed around the stack. Ion implantation of dopants of a second conductivity type is performed to dope regions of the top semiconductor layer that are not masked by the stack and the dielectric spacer, thereby forming an emitter region and a collector region. A second semiconductor material having a second band gap greater than the first band gap, having a doping of the second conductivity type and being lattice matched to the first semiconductor material is selectively deposited to form an emitter contact region and a collector contact region, respectively.
US09059015B2 Light emitting device and method of fabricating the same
Disclosed are a light emitting device and a method of fabricating the same. The light emitting device comprises a substrate. A plurality of light emitting cells are disposed on top of the substrate to be spaced apart from one another. Each of the light emitting cells comprises a first upper semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second lower semiconductor layer. Reflective metal layers are positioned between the substrate and the light emitting cells. The reflective metal layers are prevented from being exposed to the outside.
US09059004B2 Method for chip scale package and package structure thereof
This invention provides a method for chip scale package and a chip scale package structure. The chip scale package structure includes: a semiconductor substrate, on which sets a plurality of contact bonding pads being connected with semiconductor devices; and a plurality of bumps respectively attached to all of the contact bonding pads. The semiconductor substrate is divided into several regions according to different distances from a central point. The contact bonding pads and the bumps in the region which is closest to the central point are the smallest, while the contact bonding pads and the bumps in the region which is farthest to the central point are the largest. The invention effectively improves the situation that the bumps at the edge tend to flake off easily; in addition, it avoids short-circuit caused by bridging between the bumps.
US09059002B2 Non-merged epitaxially grown MOSFET devices
Semiconductor devices having non-merged fin extensions and methods for forming the same. Methods for forming semiconductor devices include forming fins on a substrate; forming a dummy gate over the fins, leaving a source and drain region exposed; etching the fins below a surface level of a surrounding insulator layer; and epitaxially growing fin extensions from the etched fins.
US09058994B2 Laser annealing method and device
A laser annealing method for executing laser annealing by irradiating a semiconductor film formed on a surface of a substrate with a laser beam, the method including the steps of, generating a linearly polarized rectangular laser beam whose cross section perpendicular to an advancing direction is a rectangle with an electric field directed toward a long-side direction of the rectangle or an elliptically polarized rectangular laser beam having a major axis directed toward a long-side direction, causing the rectangular laser beam to be introduced to the surface of the substrate, and setting a wavelength of the rectangular laser beam to a length which is about a desired size of a crystal grain in a standing wave direction.