最新美国发明专利第2016-02-09期 - 专利汇|PatentHub专利检索|专利查询网|发明专利查询分析

Document	Document Title
US09257872B2	Linear motor A linear motor is provided. The linear motor includes a first member including a plurality of armature modules each comprising a magnetic core, a plurality of salient poles, and coils, where the coils are wound around a portion or all of the salient poles or the magnetic core between the salient poles; and a second member including one or more permanent magnet modules each including a plurality of permanent magnets each projected toward the magnetic core to be arranged between two salient poles of the armature module, where poles of the permanent magnets are alternated in a moving direction of the linear motor. Power is supplied to the coil of each armature module such that a thrust according to a traveling magnet fie is generated by using as one unit an S number of armature modules and a P number of permanent magnets arranged in the moving direction.
US09257869B2	Method and device for charging a battery A method for charging a battery, in particular a lithium ion battery, be performing the following: charging the battery using a constant charging current in a first phase, charging the battery using a constant charging voltage in a subsequent second phase, ending the charging as a function of a specifiable boundary value of the charging current in the second phase. In this context, the following operations are provided: comparing a guide voltage specified for setting the constant voltage to at least one stored switch-off value determined as a function of the boundary value, and ending the charging when the guide voltage reaches the switch-off value. Also described is a device for charging the battery.
US09257868B2	Integrated power system control method and related apparatus with energy storage element Systems and methods for controlling a hybrid power architecture to provide fuel or energy savings. Recharge time of an energy storage device (ESD) is reduced through the application of a controlled potential and ESD recharge time management over the life of the hybrid system through manipulation of the ESD charge state window of operation. Fuel or energy savings is achieved by controlling the partial-state-of-charge (PSOC) window of the ESD based on a recharge resistance profile of the ESD and by controlling a charging potential applied to the ESD based on a recharge current and/or the estimated recharge resistance profile of the ESD.
US09257859B2	Dynamic battery control based on demand A system is provided that includes a plurality of power units each configured to supply power. Additionally, the system includes a plurality of contacts each configured to toggle an electrical connection of each of the plurality of power units as a network. Moreover, the network is configured to supply power to a load. Furthermore, the system includes a controller configured to control when each of the plurality of contacts toggle according to a power state, and the power state includes information regarding a charge of each power unit, a load demand, and a supplied power being supplied by the plurality of power units.
US09257857B2	Cable positioning device and charger using same A cable positioning device and a charger using the cable positioning device is disclosed to include a cable positioning device mounted in a mounting structure inside the charger to secure a cable. The cable positioning device includes a polygonal column that can be forced by an external pressure to deform non-elastically and to further tightly fit the cable, having at least one surface thereof abutted against an inner wall of the mounting structure in the axial direction of the cable to prevent displacement of the cable positioning device and the internal electric wires of the cable due to accidental twisting of the external part of the cable, improving the cable installation efficiency.
US09257844B2	Arrangement and method for reactive power compensation An arrangement and a method for reactive power compensation in connection with a power transmission line. The arrangement includes at least one transformer and at least one reactive power compensator connected to the low-voltage side of the transformer and at least one adapter reactor, the adapter reactor being connected in series with the transformer so that the reactive power compensator is connected to the power transmission line via the transformer and the adapter reactor.
US09257841B2	USB connector, PCB connected thereto, and USB device A USB connector, a PCB connected to the USB connector, and a USB device are provided. The USB connector includes a metal surface, and on the metal surface, a solid metal part is set at a location corresponding to a spring of a socket, so that the spring contacts the solid metal part after the USB connector is inserted into the socket to reduce electromagnetic interference. The USB connector may include an in-line weld leg; a metal enclosure located at the same side as the in-line weld leg fully contacts a PCB when the USB connector is connected to the PCB; and contact surfaces on the USB connector that contact the PCB are metal surfaces. The PCB includes a suppression circuit configured to suppress harmonic waves in USB data transmission.
US09257834B1	Single-laminate galvanic isolator assemblies An isolator assembly is disclosed. The assembly comprises a laminate consisting essentially of a block of homogenous material and a set of electrical contacts. A first die is coupled to a surface of the laminate. An isolation barrier is located entirely above the surface of the laminate. A second die is coupled to the laminate. The second die is galvanically isolated from the first die by the isolation barrier. The second die is in operative communication with the first die via the isolation barrier and a conductive trace on the laminate. The first die, the second die, the laminate, and the isolation barrier are all contained within an assembly package.
US09257830B2	Semiconductor device In a semiconductor device, a surge voltage is lowered on turning OFF of a switching element, and output current is reduced on turning ON of the switching element in a non-saturated condition to achieve a reduced amount of self-heating. The semiconductor device can comprise a semiconductor switching element, an overvoltage protection circuit, and a resistance circuit to transmit a control signal for turning the switching element ON and OFF to a control terminal of the switching element. The semiconductor device can further comprise a voltage detecting switch that receives a signal corresponding to a voltage appearing at the output terminal of the switching element on turning OFF of the switching element, and a gate resistor change-over switch that operates according to a voltage of a timing capacitor connected to the output side of the voltage detecting switch to increase a resistance value of the resistance circuit.
US09257829B2	Grounding apparatus A grounding apparatus includes a current detector configured to detect a current flowing in the ground line, a fuse inserted in series in a part of the around line and configured to melt when the current flowing in the ground line exceeds the first protection setting value, not destroying the current detector, and then exceeds the first protection setting value, causing a complete grounding fault, and a determination device configured to give an open command to the circuit breaker when the current detected by the current detector exceeds the first protection setting value of the circuit breaker.
US09257825B2	Power electronics interconnection for electric motor drives The bus bar includes a first bus bar layer formed of a first generally uniform thickness of a first bus bar conductor; a first dielectric layer overlying a top surface of the first bus bar layer; and a second bus bar layer formed of a second generally uniform thickness of a second bus bar conductor overlying a top surface of the first dielectric layer and the top surface of the first bus bar layer wherein: the first bus bar layer includes a first via for receipt of a first electrical lead of an electrical component and a second via for receipt of a second electrical lead of the electrical component and wherein: the first dielectric layer and the second bus bar layer each include a via aligned with the first via wherein the first electrical lead is extendable from beneath the first bus bar layer through the first dielectric layer and through the second bus bar layer.
US09257821B2	Cable stripper A cable stripper having a stripper body having at least one hole and opposite first and second ends, a cable stripper guide having a connection part and a guiding part, the connection part engaging the first end of the cable stripper body, at least one marble located within the at least one hole in the cable stripper body, and at least one spring having first and second ends and being located within the at least one hole in the cable stripper body and engaging the at least one marble.
US09257819B1	Electrical fishing system for a drop ceiling An electrical wire fishing system provides assistance in the pulling of cable through drop ceiling cavities. The system comprises a first component which is used at the entrance to the drop ceiling cavity and comprises a tube held in place by clamps. The first component utilizes a pair of spring-loaded cams which allow the cable to only travel in a single direction. Should the cable attempt to fall down, the cams will lock in place preventing such an action. A second component is used at the exit of the ceiling cavity and utilizes a pair of guideposts. These guideposts guide the cable out of the ceiling cavity and prevent it from becoming caught up on ceiling grid. With the system properly in place, cable can be pulled through a ceiling cavity by a single person.
US09257818B2	Enclosure power distribution architectures Computational enclosures may be designed to distribute power from power supplies to load units (e.g., processors, storage devices, or network routers). The architecture may affect the efficiency, cost, modularity, accessibility, and space utilization of the components within the enclosure. Presented herein are power distribution architectures involving a distribution board oriented along a first (e.g., vertical) axis within the enclosure, comprising a power interconnect configured to distribute power among a set of load boards oriented along a second (e.g., lateral) axis and respectively connecting with a set of load units oriented along a third (e.g., sagittal) axis, and a set of power supplies also oriented along the third axis. This orientation may compactly and proximately position the loads near the power supplies in the distribution system, and result in a comparatively low local current that enables the use of printed circuit boards for the distribution board and load boards.
US09257816B2	Vertical cavity surface emitting laser and atomic oscillator A vertical cavity surface emitting laser includes: a substrate; a first mirror layer; an active layer; a second mirror layer; a first electrode which is electrically connected to the first mirror layer; a second electrode which is electrically connected to the second mirror layer; and a pad which is electrically connected to the second electrode, in which the first mirror layer, the active layer, and the second mirror layer configure a laminated body, the laminated body includes a resonance portion, an insulation layer is provided on a side surface of the laminated body, in a plan view, the insulation layer has a shape line-symmetrical with respect to a virtual straight line passing through a center of the resonance portion, the pad is provided over the insulation layer, and in the plan view, the pad is only provided on one side of the virtual straight line.
US09257815B1	Optical semiconductor device An optical semiconductor device includes: a mesa stripe structure including an n-type cladding layer, an active layer, and a p-type cladding layer laid one on another; and a buried layer buried on opposite sides of the mesa stripe structure, wherein the active layer is a multiple quantum well structure having well layers and carbon-doped barrier layers, the buried layer includes a p-type semiconductor layer and an Fe-doped or Ru-doped high-resistance semiconductor layer laid one on another, side surfaces of the n-type cladding layer are covered with the p-type semiconductor layer and are not contiguous with the high-resistance semiconductor layer, and side surfaces of the active layer are not contiguous with the p-type semiconductor layer.
US09257813B2	Flip chip type laser diode A flip chip type laser diode includes a substrate, a first semiconductor layer, an emitting layer, a second semiconductor layer, at least one current conducting layer, a patterned insulating layer, at least one first electrode and a second electrode. The first semiconductor layer is disposed on the substrate. The emitting layer is disposed on a part of the first semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer is disposed on the emitting layer and forms a ridge mesa. The current conducting layer is disposed on a part of the first semiconductor layer. The patterned insulating layer covers the first semiconductor layer, the emitting layer, a part of the second semiconductor layer and a part of the current conducting layer. The first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on areas of the current conducting layer and the second semiconductor layer which are not covered by the patterned insulating layer.
US09257812B2	Laser module, light source device, and method for fabricating laser module Provided is a laser module wherein any defective laser device can be isolated by performing burn-in on laser devices mounted on a mounting substrate. The laser module includes laser devices that emit laser light, a driver IC for driving the laser devices, a mounting substrate on which the laser devices and the driver IC are mounted, a common electrode terminal to which a common electrode of the laser devices is connected, individual electrode terminals to which individual electrodes of the laser devices are respectively connected, driver terminals to which the driver IC is connected, and test terminals which are respectively connected to the common electrode terminal and the individual electrode terminals, and to which an external power supply is to be connected when performing burn-in of the laser devices, wherein the number of the laser devices and the number of the test terminals are each larger than the number of the driver terminals.
US09257811B2	Broad band continuous tunable laser The invention relates to a broad band continuous tunable laser. The laser includes a first laser cavity mirror, a laser gain medium, an intracavity collimating lens, an active optical phase modulator, a tunable acousto-optic filter, and the tunable laser further includes an intracavity reflection mirror to reflect the first order diffracted beam of the first diffraction back to the tunable acousto-optic filter to compensate the wavelength shift, a tunable Fabry-Perot filter arranged in the optical path of the second diffraction beam, a second laser cavity mirror and a laser drive and control circuit system. A stable laser output and the precision optical frequency tuning for less than 1 GHz frequency accuracy within a wide spectrum range can be realized. The invention is compact with stable performance, low cost for volume production and easy installation without moving parts.
US09257810B2	Optical device and fiber laser device An optical device includes a first medium which (i) has a refractive index lower than (a) a refractive index of an outermost shell part in a first outer shell removed area of a first optical fiber and (b) a refractive index of an outermost shell part in a second outer shell removed area of a second optical fiber and (ii) surrounds an entire side surface of the first outer shell removed area. Moreover, the optical device includes a second medium which (i) has a refractive index higher than a refractive index of an outermost shell part in the second outer shell removed area and (ii) surrounds at least a part of a side surface in the second outer shell removed area. The second outer shell removed area has a diameter larger than a diameter in the first outer shell removed area.
US09257808B1	Integrated wire harness batch production with double buffer assembly systems and methods Automated wire harness production systems and methods that rapidly present individual circuits to an assembler operating a wire harness layout board. Automatic wire indexing, sorting, and delivery systems transfer circuits into, and retrieve circuits from, a transportable programmable, automated, indexed storage system equipped with an array of individual circuit tubes, and a script-controlled assembly system sends visual, aural, and other cues to help an assembler populate and configure a wire harness layout board with connector blocks and turn posts, and guides the assembler in building, testing, reworking, and delivering the corresponding batch of wire harnesses.
US09257806B2	Pliers for crimping terminals on wires or conductors Pliers include a pair of handles, at least one arm member connected to one of the handles, a seat body secured in a receiving room of the arm member, a working jaw detachably engaged with the seat body, and a control assembly to control whether the working jaw is allowed to be released from the seat body. The working jaw defines in a side thereof an indentation to be communicated with a through hole of the seat body. The control assembly has a knob and a positioning pin. Rotation of the knob displaces the knob axially with respect to the seat body, causing the positioning pin to move between a locking position to stop the working jaw from departing from the seat body, and a releasing position where the working jaw is allowed to be removed from the seat body.
US09257805B2	Rotatable frame, connector, and connector support system A rotatable frame is provided for accommodating a connector. The rotatable frame can be used with a plate and includes a frame body, two positioning portions, and two pivots. The frame body has a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a top plate, and a bottom plate, wherein the first sidewall, the second sidewall, the top plate, and the bottom plate are connected to enclose an accommodation space for accommodating the connector and to form a connector inserting opening. The two positioning portions are respectively formed on the top plate and the bottom plate at one side that is near the connector inserting port. The two positioning portions respectively have a blocking surface, wherein the blocking surface obliquely extends away from the connector inserting opening. The two pivots respectively protrude from the outer side of the first sidewall and the outer side of the second sidewall coaxially.
US09257803B2	Power strip holder A combination storage receptacle and power strip/surge protector holder includes an enclosure perimeter defining an aperture for receiving objects, and a power strip mounted to the enclosure perimeter for reducing the clutter of wiring of power strips.
US09257802B2	Slidable low profile electrical connector An electrical connector includes a base with a number of contacts, a cover pivotally mounted to the base, a pair of supporting components for mating with the cover and a pair of rail brackets for mating with the base. Each supporting component is pivotal between an opening status and a closed status relative to the base. The base is slidable relative to the rail brackets along a front-to-back direction. The cover and the pair of supporting components are mateable with each other in condition that one of the cover and the pair of supporting components pivots clockwise while a remaining one of the cover and the pair of supporting components pivots anticlockwise.
US09257801B2	Electrical connector with shielding plate An electrical connector has a conductive shell, a terminal module and a shielding plate. The conductive shell has a mating portion and an accommodate room. The mating portion has a first mating face. The terminal module is secured in the accommodate room and has a first insulator and a plurality of first terminals. The first insulator has a first face and a second face. Each of the first terminals has a first contacting portion protruding out of the first face of the first insulator. The shielding plate is disposed in the accommodate room and contacts with the conductive shell. The shielding plate presses on the second face of the first insulator so as to make first contacting portions be exposed to the first mating face. The disposition of the shielding plate has the function of pressing on the terminal module and preventing the interference of signal transmission between the terminals.
US09257799B2	Vehicle electronic connector hub A console assembly includes a console housing with a storage compartment having a member in a wall that is rotatable between a plurality of positions. The member includes an electronic port for connecting an electronic device that is accessible from within the compartment when the member is rotated to a first position and accessible from outside the compartment when the member is rotated to a second position. A second port may be added to the member such that the member can rotate to an intermediate position where one port is accessible from within the compartment while the second port on the member is simultaneously accessible from the outside of the compartment.
US09257798B2	Socket having overheating destructive limiting element A socket having an overheating destructive limiting element includes a housing, a live wire conductive plate, a neutral wire conductive plate, at least one live wire terminal, at least one neutral wire terminal, and at least one limiting element. The live wire terminal includes a live wire contact portion in contact with the live wire conductive plate. The neutral wire terminal includes a neutral wire contact portion in contact with the neutral wire conductive plate. The limiting element is an insulating body, and is placed at contact parts of the live wire conductive plate and the live wire contact portion, and/or at contact parts of the neutral wire conductive plate and the neutral wire contact portion. When an operating temperature becomes excessively high, the limiting element becomes deformed and destructed to form a turn-off position.
US09257797B2	Cable assembly having an improved circuit board A cable assembly (100) includes a cover (8) defining an outer cavity (822), a shielding cage (7) defining an inner cavity (712) and being mounted into the outer cavity, an inner board (20) assembled in said inner cavity, and a cable (5) assembled onto the inner board. The inner board includes a top surface (38), a bottom surface (37) and two side surfaces (31). The side surface has a first ground pad (310) adapted to connect with the shielding cage, the bottom surface has a second ground pad (33) adapted to connect with the cable, and the top surface has a third ground pad (343) adapted to connect with the cable.
US09257796B1	Electrical connector for high-speed transmission using twisted-pair cable An electrical connector for a shielded, twisted-pair cable comprises a conductive isolator body, multiple conductive contacts, inner and outer insulators, and inner and outer ferrules. The isolator provides electrical shielding and isolation for the contacts and untwisted portions of the wires connected to the contacts. The inner and outer insulators prevent contact between the contacts and between the contacts and the isolator, an outer shell, or a connector insert. The inner ferrule maintains electrical contact between the isolator and the shielding sheath of the cable. The outer ferrule retains the inner ferrule in place and can establish continuity between the isolator and the outer shell or connector insert.
US09257795B2	Push-on type grounding bushing A push-type grounding bushing has an electrically conductive body having a first end, a second end, a bore formed therethrough, and an intermediate shoulder stop to contact an end of a conduit. The bushing has with a locking device gripping tabs forming a helix so that the conduit can be pushed and held in the locking device and removed by rotating the conduit relative to the body. A throat insulator is placed into the second end of the body and has a flange to cover the second end. An electrically conducting lug is secured to the body and has a recess or bore for receipt of at least one electrical conductor to ground the bushing while a fastener mechanically and electrically secures the conductor to the lug.
US09257792B2	Connectors and systems having improved crosstalk performance Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to the field of electronic communication, and more particularly, to techniques used to compensate for/reduce/or otherwise manipulate crosstalk in communication connectors, and apparatuses and methods which employ such techniques. In an embodiment, the present invention is a communication connector that includes a plurality of signal pairs including at least a first pair and a second pair, a first compensation stage between the first pair and the second pair, and an orthogonal compensation network between the first pair and the second pair. The orthogonal compensation network can be time delayed from the first compensation stage.
US09257791B2	Multistage capacitive crosstalk compensation arrangement Methods and systems for providing crosstalk compensation in a jack are disclosed. According to one method, the crosstalk compensation is adapted to compensate for undesired crosstalk generated at a capacitive coupling located at a plug inserted within the jack. The method includes positioning a first capacitive coupling a first time delay away from the capacitive coupling of the plug, the first capacitive coupling having a greater magnitude and an opposite polarity as compared to the capacitive coupling of the plug. The method also includes positioning a second capacitive coupling at a second time delay from the first capacitive coupling, the second time delay corresponding to an average time delay that optimizes near end crosstalk. The second capacitive coupling has generally the same overall magnitude but an opposite polarity as compared to the first capacitive coupling, and includes two capacitive elements spaced at different time delays from the first capacitive coupling.
US09257790B2	Electrical connector having improved shielding means An electrical connector includes a housing unit and a contact unit received therein. The housing unit includes a shielding member and an insulating member retained on the shielding member. The shielding member defines opposite upper end and lower end while the insulating member includes a first portion and a second portion seated on the upper and lower ends respectively and defines a cavity therebetween. The contact unit includes a plurality of contacts, a metal plate defining a plurality of through holes and an insulating body retaining the contacts and the metal plate. The metal plate divides the cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, the contact runs through the through hole of the metal plate and comprises a first arm above the metal plate received in the first cavity and a second arm under the metal plate received in the second cavity.
US09257788B1	Connector retention and alignment assembly for use in computer and data storage mounting racks A cable connector assembly useful for properly aligning/positioning and retaining (during connecting and disconnecting) a number of connectors for computing devices. The assembly uses left and right side walls with flexible and resilient connector engagement members that provide at least some amount of outward “give” or movement to facilitate assembly but are designed to spring back into place after insertion of the connectors. The engagement members of the left and right side walls may each take the form of a leaf spring that can be flexed a distance outward but then spring back to or towards a non-deformed state to mate with and apply an inward retention force against the adjacent connector. The assembly includes removable and rotatable middle walls or dividers that are placed on posts extending upward from the inner surface of the assembly's base and allowed to rotate about the posts during the assembly process.
US09257778B2	High speed electrical connector Electrical connector assemblies are provided that include electrical connectors having electrical contacts that have receptacle mating ends are provided. The connector housings of the provided electrical connectors include alignment members that are capable of performing staged alignment of components of the electrical connector assemblies. The provided electrical connector assemblies and the electrical connectors provided therein are capable of operating at a data transfer rate of forty gigabits per second with worst case multi-active cross talk that does not exceed a range of about two percent to about four percent.
US09257777B2	Flash drive A flash drive including a storage module and a rotating member is provided. The storage module has a carrier, a first connecting interface, and a second connecting interface. The carrier has a groove. The first and the second connecting interfaces are assembled to the carrier and disposed backward from each other at opposite sides of the carrier along a first axis. The rotating member has a driving portion connected to the groove. The rotating member is rotated on a rotation axis, such that the driving portion is slid in the groove, and the carrier is moved along the first axis. A traveling path of the first connecting interface along the first axis is different from a traveling path of the second connecting interface along the first axis.
US09257773B2	Connector A female connector (F) includes a retainer (30) to be housed into a mounting hole (14) and selectively mounted, in a housing (10), at a partial locking position for allowing insertion of terminal fittings (50) and a full locking position for locking already inserted terminal fittings (50). A base (33) is at a rear end of the retainer (30) in a mounting direction into the housing (10) and is located outside a mounting hole (14) when the retainer (30) is at the partial locking position. Backlash eliminating portions (21, 22, 41, 42) are formed on the base (33) and in the housing (10) and are configured to restrict a relative displacement of the retainer (30) with respect to the housing (10) when the retainer (30) is at the partial locking position.
US09257769B2	Contact element and connector A contact element capable of arranging beam portions at a narrower pitch and also facilitating insertion of a mating contact, and a connector have second and fourth contact portions which are displaced from each other in an orthogonal direction DR which is orthogonal to an arranging direction DP of first and second beam portions and a thickness direction DB of a linking portion. When a metal plate is blanked, the first and fourth contact portions are displaced from each other in a longitudinal direction L of the first and second beam portions, and the second and third contact portions are displaced from each other in the longitudinal direction L of the first and second beam portions.
US09257760B2	Stranded composite core compression connector assembly A coupling member for receiving wire strands of a stranded composite core conductor includes a substantially cylindrical body having first and second ends. A first through hole extends from a first opening at the first end to a second opening at the second end of the body for receiving a wire strand of the stranded conductor. A first protrusion extends axially outwardly from the first end of the body. A first recess in the second end of the body is adapted to receive a protrusion of an adjacent coupling member.
US09257755B2	Apparatus for controlling electric field distribution by utilizing short trace structures An apparatus for controlling electric field distribution is provided, where the apparatus includes at least one portion of a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device includes a plurality of wireless communication functions respectively corresponding to different communication standards, and the plurality of wireless communication functions includes a mobile phone function and at least one other wireless communication function. The apparatus includes: a main antenna, connected to a first side of a PCB of the portable electronic device, for performing the mobile phone function; and a plurality of short trace structures, positioned at the first side of the PCB and connected to the PCB, wherein at least one of the plurality of short trace structures is selectively utilized as at least one short trace or utilized as at least one secondary antenna corresponding to the at least one other wireless communication function.
US09257753B2	Array antenna An array antenna includes radiating antenna elements arranged to form an antenna aperture, the radiating antenna elements including a first group and a second group of radiating antenna elements; a corporate feed network configured to feed the radiating antenna elements, wherein the corporate feed network includes a 4-port device including a sum port, a difference port, a first signal port and a second signal port, with the first signal port coupled via the corporate feed network to the first group of radiating elements and the second signal port coupled via the corporate feed network to the second group; a first phase shift element proximal to the antenna aperture to introduce a first predetermined phase shift to the first group of radiating antenna elements; and a second phase shift element proximal to the second signal port to introduce a second predetermined phase shift to the second group of radiating antenna elements.
US09257748B1	Broadband, low-profile antenna structure The invention is directed to a broadband, low-profile antenna structure that in one embodiment includes a compound radiator and a ground plane. The compound radiator is comprised of a dipole radiator portion and a Vivaldi radiator portion that is electrically connected to the dipole radiator portion. In operation, the dipole radiator portion operates in the lower end of the bandwidth and the Vivaldi radiator portion operates in the upper end of the bandwidth.
US09257747B2	Vivaldi-monopole antenna A Vivaldi-Monopole antenna is a small form ultra-wideband antenna configured for low frequency operation in modern wireless devices. The Vivaldi-Monopole antenna comprises a tapered-slot element and a monopole element, wherein current modes of each element are combined to yield a functional and small form ultra-wideband antenna configured for low frequency resonances.
US09257737B2	Antenna switching circuit and electronic device and antenna switching method thereof An antenna switching circuit and an electronic device and an antenna switching method thereof are provided. The antenna switching circuit is disposed in the electronic device including an internal antenna and a RF module, and includes an external antenna connector and a controller. The external antenna connector has an independent ground terminal for receiving an independent ground signal, and the external antenna connector is electrically connected to an external antenna. The controller has a first RF terminal, a second RF terminal and a control terminal, the first RF terminal is electrically connected to the RF module, the second RF terminal is electrically connected to the internal antenna, and the control terminal detects the independent ground signal. When the controller detects no change in the independent ground signal, the controller electrically connects the RF module to the internal antenna; otherwise, the controller electrically connects the RF module to the external antenna.
US09257734B2	Compact amplitude and phase trimmer In some examples, a device includes a waveguide transition section comprising a first mode suppressor, an attenuation section coupled to the first waveguide transition section via a first adjustable rotation joint, wherein the attenuation section is operable to attenuate the electromagnetic signal, and a first quarter-wave plate section coupled to the attenuation section, wherein the first quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a first differential phase shift between a first mode of the electromagnetic signal and a second mode of the electromagnetic signal. The device also includes a second quarter-wave plate section coupled to the first quarter-wave plate section via a second adjustable rotation joint, wherein the second quarter-wave plate section is operable to introduce a second differential phase shift between the second mode of the electromagnetic signal and the first mode of the electromagnetic signal.
US09257728B2	Battery pack A battery pack has battery cells and bus bars. Each of the battery cells is covered with an exterior case. All the battery cells are electrically connected in series through the bus bars. The battery cells are divided into a first stacked group and a second stacked group arranged adjacent to each other in a lateral direction of the battery pack. The battery cells in each stacked group are stacked in a thickness direction of the battery pack. The stacked groups have a different number of the battery cells in order to make a stair structure. An electrode terminal of one end terminal of the battery cells connected in series is arranged adjacent to the stair structure. A control board is arranged on a lower step part of the stair structure. Devices formed on the control board detect a state of each battery cell.
US09257723B2	Aryl diazonium salt and use in an electrolytic solution of an electrochemical generator The invention relates to a diazonium aryl salt devoid of hydroxyl functions of the following general formula (1): X−+N≡N-A-R1—(OR2)n—O—R4-A′-N≡N+X− (1) in which: n is in a range of from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 4, X− represents a counter-ion of the diazonium cation selected from the group consisting of halogenides, BF4—, NO3—, HSO4—, PF6—, CH3COO—, N(SO2CF3)2—, CF3SO3—, CH3SO3—, CF3COO—, (CH3O)(H)PO2—, and N(CN)2—; R1, R2 and R4 are identical or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of —CH2—, a cyclic alkyl group, an acyclic alkyl group, a linear alkyl group, and a branched alkyl group; and A and A′ are identical or different and independently represent a mono or polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbonated group chosen from the group formed by phenyl, aryl groups, condensed polyaromatic groups, which may be substituted.
US09257721B2	Method for manufacturing all solid-state lithium-ion rechargeable battery, and method for testing all solid-state lithium-ion rechargeable battery A method for manufacturing an all solid-state lithium-ion rechargeable battery includes forming a first active material layer on a base, forming a solid electrolyte layer connected to the first active material layer, forming a second active material layer connected to the solid electrolyte layer, and repairing a short-circuit defect produced between the first active material layer and the second active material layer by supplying a repair current between the first active material layer and the second active material layer.
US09257720B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte solution and nonaqueous electrolyte battery using same The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolytic solution including a methylenebissulfonate derivative and improving initial irreversible capacity and other characteristics of a battery such as a cycle characteristics, electric capacity, and storage characteristics; a method for producing thereof; and a battery using the electrolytic solution. The non-aqueous electrolytic solution includes: (1) a non-aqueous solvent comprising at least one selected from a cyclic carbonate ester, a straight chained carbonate ester and/or a cyclic carboxylic acid ester, (2) a lithium salt which may be dissolved in the non-aqueous solvent, as an electrolyte salt, and (3) a methylenebissulfonate derivative of formula [1]: The method includes steps of dissolving a lithium salt in a non-aqueous solvent, and then dissolving the methylenebissulfonate derivative. The non-aqueous electrolytic solution battery includes (i) the non-aqueous electrolytic solution, (ii) a negative electrode, (iii) a positive electrode, and (iv) a separator.
US09257717B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery In a wound electrode group, a positive electrode includes positive electrode active material layers formed on both surfaces of a band-like positive electrode current collector, and a negative electrode includes negative electrode active material layers on both surfaces of a band-like negative electrode current collector. Charge capacity of the negative electrode falls within a range of 83-99% of theoretical capacity of the negative electrode in a full charge state of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. An active material mass M1 per unit area of a negative electrode active material layer formed on an outer circumference of the negative electrode current collector, and an active material mass M2 per unit area of a negative electrode active material layer formed on an inner circumference satisfy a relational expression of M1/M2<(R1+t/2)/(R1−t/2), where the electrode group has an innermost diameter of R1, and the negative electrode has a thickness of t.
US09257716B2	Battery A battery includes a roll-up unit provided by winding a sheet unit around an axis, the sheet unit including an electrode sheet having an active material and a separator, the roll-up unit having an exposed portion on which the active material is not placed at an end of the electrode sheet in a direction of the axis; an outer case housing the roll-up unit and having an electrode terminal; an intermediate terminal inside the roll-up unit and having a pair of arm portions resistance-welded to the exposed portion, a first connecting portion connecting the arm portions, and a hole portion formed in the first connecting portion and located between welding points formed in the arm portions; and a collector terminal outside the roll-up unit and resistance-welded to a position opposite to the arm portion in the exposed portion to provide electrical continuity between the roll-up unit and the electrode terminal.
US09257715B2	Cylindrical secondary battery The present invention provides a cylindrical secondary electrode including a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate, a separator interposed between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, and a case having a space for receiving the electrode assembly, wherein the cylindrical secondary electrode may include a core element having a space at the center thereof and having a tubular shape with a circular cross section, which is inserted into a space at the center of an electrode assembly and has at least one slit including a bent portion.
US09257713B2	Solid oxide fuel cell system equipped with carbon monoxide generator using ultraclean coal or graphite A solid oxide fuel cell system has a carbon monoxide generator using ash-free coal or graphite, which includes a carbon supply unit, a carbon dioxide supply unit, a carbon monoxide generating unit, and a fuel cell unit. The carbon monoxide generating unit supplies CO to the anode of the fuel cell unit, and CO2 discharged from the fuel cell unit is recycled to the carbon dioxide supply unit. Because ash-free coal or graphite is used, a separate reformer does not need to be used, and thus energy can be produced with high efficiency even at low costs. Because CO2 discharged from the solid oxide fuel cell, which uses carbon monoxide as a fuel, after a fuel cell reaction, is reused as reactant gas, carbon dioxide is not emitted into the atmosphere. Gasification can be smoothly achieved by the carbon monoxide generating unit including heating powder or a heating reaction chamber.
US09257710B2	Flow battery start-up and recovery management A start-up plating process for a flow cell battery is disclosed. Upon start-up of the flow-cell stack, catalysts may have deplated from the electrodes. The catalyst is replated to the electrode by application of currents to the stack prior to circulating electrolyte fluids.
US09257708B2	Fuel cartridge with connecting valve A shut-off valve or connecting valve capable of connecting a fuel supply to a fuel cell is disclosed. The valve comprises a first valve component and a second valve component. Each valve component has an outer housing and a biased slidable member disposed inside the housing forming an internal seal. During the connection process, the two valve components establish an inter-component seal. Afterward, in one suitable embodiment the slidable member moves inward and opens the internal seal in the valve component to establish a flow path. In another embodiment, the slidable member moves inward and exposes a first filler and the first filler abuts a second filler in the other valve component to establish a flow path. In other embodiments, at least one valve component is sized and dimensioned to limit access to the internal seal.
US09257703B2	Electrode binder composition for nonaqueous electrolyte battery, electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte battery, and nonaqueous electrolyte battery Provided is a binder composition for electrodes that has high stability in the form of a liquid composition dissolved or dispersed in a solvent and can improve cycle property of a non-aqueous electrolyte battery. The binder composition used is a binder composition including a polymer A containing 80% by weight or more and 99.9% by weight or less of a repeating unit derived from a monomer including a nitrile group and 0.1% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less of a repeating unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated compound, wherein a weight-average molecular weight of the polymer A is 500,000 to 2,000,000, and a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of the polymer A is 13 or smaller.
US09257702B2	Plate-like particle of cathode active material for lithium secondary battery, cathode of the lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery To provide a lithium secondary battery which has high capacity while maintaining excellent charge-discharge characteristic, and to provide a cathode of the lithium secondary battery and a plate-like particle for cathode active material to be contained in the cathode. The plate-like particle of cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery of the present invention has a layered rock salt structure, a thickness of 5 μm or more and less than 30 μm, 2 or less of [003]/[104] which is a ratio of intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (003) plane to intensity of X-ray diffraction by the (104) plane, a voidage of 3% or more and less than 30%, and an open pore ratio of 70% or higher.
US09257700B2	Electrode, nonaqueous electrolyte battery and battery pack According to one embodiment, an electrode includes a current collector and an active material-including layer. The active material-including layer includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer is provided on a surface of the current collector and includes lithium titanium oxide having a spinel structure. The second layer is provided on the first layer and includes a monoclinic β-type titanium composite oxide.
US09257697B2	Positive electrode material, manufacturing method thereof, positive electrode for non-aqueous rechargeable battery, and non-aqueous rechargeable battery A positive electrode material that can form a positive electrode mixture containing composition with reduced changes over time and high productivity, a manufacturing method thereof, a non-aqueous rechargeable battery less likely to swell and having a high storage characteristic during storage at high temperatures, and a positive electrode that can form the battery are provided. The object is solved by providing a positive electrode material having a coating layer of an organic silane compound on a surface of a positive electrode active material made of a lithium nickel composite oxide represented by the general compositional formula (1): Li1+xMO2 where −0.5≦x≦0.5, M represents a group of at least two elements including at least one of Mn and Co and Ni, and 20≦a<100 and 50≦a+b+c≦100 when the ratios (mol %) of Ni, Mn, and Co in the elements forming M are a, b, and c, respectively.
US09257693B2	Nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery and battery module A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, having an internal resistance of 10 mΩ or less as an alternating-current impedance value of 1 kHz, comprises a metal outer container, a nonaqueous electrolyte contained in the container, a positive electrode contained in the container, a negative electrode contained in the container, a separator interposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, a negative electrode lead having one end connected to the negative electrode, and a negative electrode terminal attached to the outer container so as to be connected electrically to the other end of the negative electrode lead, at least the surface of the negative electrode terminal which is connected to the negative electrode lead being formed of aluminum alloy with an aluminum purity of less than 99 wt. % containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cr, Mn, Cu, Si, Fe and Ni.
US09257691B2	Battery pack A battery pack includes a plurality of battery units that are side by side along a first direction, a connection member that connects the battery units in series, in parallel, or in series and parallel, the connection member being adjacent to one surface of each battery unit of the plurality of battery units, an upper cap on and accommodating the connection member, upper portions of all of the battery units being inserted into the upper cap, a lower cap that is spaced apart from the upper cap by a predetermined gap, lower portions of all of the battery units being inserted into the lower cap, and a label that at least partially surrounds the battery units exposed between the upper cap and the lower cap. The upper cap and the lower cap fix an arrangement of the battery units.
US09257690B2	Energy vehicle and battery locking device thereof A battery locking device for a new energy vehicle including: a battery compartment fit for a battery, the battery compartment being provided with a battery inlet; and a battery clamping device provided on the battery compartment and controlled by a linkage mechanism. Since the battery clamping device is controlled by the linkage mechanism, during the mounting or removing of the battery, the battery can be integrally clamped or released by merely operating an operating end of the linkage mechanism. Compared with the prior art in which the battery is fixed through bolts, the battery can be integrally clamped or released by the battery locking device through a single operation, which greatly simplifies the disassembling or assembling process of the battery and reduces the time required for replacing the battery. A new energy vehicle provided with the above battery locking device has the same advantages.
US09257683B2	Power battery A power battery, the power battery includes an inner case (4), an outer case (1), a battery body (2) and electrodes (3), the battery body (2) includes electrode plates, the external surface of the outer case is provided with an external heat abstractor and the internal surface of the inner case is provided with an internal heat abstractor, a cylindrical holding cavity (5) with an annular cross section is formed between the outer case (1) and the inner case (4) and the electrode plates are rolled in the holding cavity (5), the electrodes (3) are arranged in an inner cavity of the inner case (4) and the inner case also has at least an airway going through the inner cavity.
US09257676B2	Light-emitting device A first electrode having light transmissivity is formed on a first surface of a first light transmissive substrate and. An organic functional layer includes a light-emitting layer and is located on an opposite side to the first light transmissive substrate with the first electrode interposed therebetween. A second electrode is located on an opposite side to the first electrode with the organic functional layer interposed therebetween. A second surface which is a surface of the first light transmissive substrate on an opposite side to the above-mentioned first surface is fixed to the second light transmissive substrate, which has a bending rigidity higher than that of the first light transmissive substrate. First irregularities are formed in the second surface of the first light transmissive substrate, and second irregularities are formed in a surface of the second light transmissive substrate which faces the first light transmissive substrate.
US09257675B2	Substrate for an organic electronic device and an organic electronic device comprising the same A substrate including a base substrate; a scattering layer which is formed on the base substrate, includes a binder and scattering particles for scattering light, and has an uneven structure formed on a surface thereof opposite the base substrate; and a planarizing layer which is formed on the scattering layer and has a flat surface formed thereon, is provided. Here, the refractive index Na of the scattering particles and the refractive index Nb of the planarizing layer satisfy the expression \|Na−Nb\|≧0.3, an organic electronic device including the substrate, and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. Light-extraction efficiency can be improved and the manufacturing process can be simplified without degrading device performance.
US09257673B2	Organic light emitting diode display Disclosed is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display comprising a substrate; an organic light emitting element disposed on the substrate; an encapsulation substrate disposed on the organic light emitting element; and an adhesive layer formed on the substrate, covering the organic light emitting element, and bonding the substrate on which the organic light emitting element is formed with the encapsulation substrate.
US09257671B2	Resin composition for sealing organic electroluminescent device; method of producing the same; and adhesive film, gas-barrier film, organic electroluminescent device and organic electroluminescent panel using the resin composition A resin composition for sealing an organic electroluminescent device, containing: a drying agent, and a curable component, wherein a surface roughness Ra of the shear failure surface after curing the resin composition is 0.5 μm or more; a production method thereof; an adhesive film and a gas-barrier formed of the resin composition; an organic electroluminescent device and an organic electroluminescent panel using the same.
US09257668B2	Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display and method for manufacturing the same An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display is disclosed. In one aspect, the OLED display includes a first substrate including a display area and a second substrate facing the first substrate. The OLED display also includes a sealing member surrounding the display area and attaching the first and second substrates to each other and a gold layer formed on the sealing member.
US09257662B2	Quantum dot light-emitting device There is provided a quantum dot light-emitting device including: a light-emitting layer containing a quantum dot luminescent material; and a metal-based particle assembly layer being a layer consisting of a particle assembly including 30 or more metal-based particles separated from each other and disposed in two-dimensions, said metal-based particles having an average particle diameter in a range of 200 to 1600 nm, an average height in a range of 55 to 500 nm, and an aspect ratio, as defined by a ratio of said average particle diameter to said average height, in a range of 1 to 8, wherein said metal-based particles that compose said metal-based particle assembly layer are disposed such that an average distance between adjacent metal-based particles may be in a range of 1 to 150 nm. The quantum dot light-emitting device provides enhanced emission via the metal-based particle assembly layer and thus presents high luminous efficiency.
US09257657B2	Light emitting device and electronic appliance using the same The light emitting element includes a first electrode and a second electrode, between which a light emitting layer, a hole transporting layer provide in contact with the light emitting layer, an electron transporting layer provided in contact with the light emitting layer, and a mixed layer provided between the electron transporting layer and the second electrode. The mixed layer includes an electron transporting substance and a substance showing an electron donating property with respect to the electron transporting substance. The light emitting layer includes an organometallic complex represented in General Formula (1) and a host. R1 and R2 each represent an electron-withdrawing substituent group. R3 and R4 each represent any of hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. L represents any of a monoanionic ligand having a beta-diketone structure, a monoanionic bidentate chelating ligand having a carboxyl group, or a monoanionic bidentate chelating ligand having a phenolic hydroxyl group.
US09257648B2	Memory cells, methods of forming memory cells, and methods of programming memory cells Some embodiments include methods in which a memory cell is formed to have programmable material between first and second access lines, with the programmable material having two compositionally different regions. A concentration of ions and/or ion-vacancies may be altered in at least one of the regions to change a memory state of the memory cell and to simultaneously form a pn diode. Some embodiments include memory cells having programmable material with two compositionally different regions, and having ions and/or ion-vacancies diffusible into at least one of the regions. The memory cell has a memory state in which the first and second regions are of opposite conductivity type relative to one another.
US09257643B2	Phase change memory cell with improved phase change material A phase change memory cell. The phase change memory cell includes a substrate and a phase change material. The phase change material is deposited on the substrate for performing a phase change function in the phase change memory cell. The phase change material is an alloy having a mass density change of less than three percent during a transition between an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase.
US09257636B2	Perpendicular magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) formation by direct self-assembly method Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method that achieves a substantially uniform pattern of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells with a minimum dimension below the lower resolution limit of some optical lithography techniques. A copolymer solution comprising first and second polymer species is spin-coated over a heterostructure which resides over a surface of a substrate. The heterostructure comprises first and second ferromagnetic layers which are separated by an insulating layer. The copolymer solution is subjected to self-assembly into a phase-separated material comprising a pattern of micro-domains of the second polymer species within a polymer matrix comprising the first polymer species. The first polymer species is then removed, leaving a pattern of micro-domains of the second polymer species. A pattern of magnetic memory cells within the heterostructure is formed by etching through the heterostructure while utilizing the pattern of micro-domains as a hardmask.
US09257631B2	Piezoelectric vibration element, piezoelectric vibration device, and portable terminal A piezoelectric vibration element capable of reducing occurrence of unnecessary vibration, and a piezoelectric vibration device and a portable terminal using the same are disclosed. The piezoelectric vibration element includes a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of piezoelectric layers being stacked along a first direction, the piezoelectric vibration element having two surfaces that face each other to be at intervals in the first direction, and vibrating in bending mode in the first direction with an amplitude varying along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction according to input of an electric signal, one of the two surfaces having such a shape that a central portion thereof in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction protrudes as compared with opposite end portions thereof in the third direction.
US09257630B2	Multilayer piezoelectric device with polycrystalline and single crystal members and intermediate member provided between the polycrystalline member and the single crystal member The present invention relates to a piezoelectric device. A piezoelectric device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a piezoelectric member and a connection member which are coupled to each other, wherein the piezoelectric member includes a polycrystalline member made of a polycrystalline piezoelectric material, a single crystal member made of a single crystal piezoelectric material and coupled to the connection member, and a textured member provided between the polycrystalline member and the single crystal member and having intermediate properties of the polycrystalline piezoelectric material and the single crystal piezoelectric material.
US09257629B2	Ultrasonic array transducer, associated circuit and methods of making the same In some embodiments, circuits for ultrasonic transducer element arrays are provided. In some embodiments, a circuit described herein comprises a first layer for receiving a transducer element array, a ground layer comprising at least one ground disposed over the first layer and a plurality of first vias corresponding to transducer elements of the array, the first vias extending through the first layer to the at least one ground and comprising first ends for receiving ground electrodes of the transducer elements and second ends electrically connected to the ground.
US09257628B2	Process for producing nanoparticles and their use in the production of high-temperature superconductors Known processes for the production of nanoparticles of compounds of the transition metals Zr, Ti, Ta, rare earths (RE), Mn, and Fe via microemulsions lead to products that contain impurities from the reactants, particularly water, which make the further use of said nanoparticles difficult, for instance in high-temperature super conductors (HTSC). It is proposed that the nanoparticles be produced via anhydrous microemulsions having an outer phase composed of a nonpolar solvent and inner phase composed of a polar anhydrous solvent. The nanoparticles thus obtained exhibit good monodispersity and can be used in the production of REBa2Cu3O7 super conductors by incorporation into the precursor coating solution.
US09257627B2	Method and structure for thermoelectric unicouple assembly Method for assembling thermoelectric unicouples is provided and applied with silicon-based nanostructure thermoelectric legs. The method includes preparing and disposing both n-type and p-type thermoelectric material blocks in alternative columns on a first shunt material. The method includes a sequence of cutting processes to resize the thermoelectric material blocks to form multiple singulated unicouples each having an n-type thermoelectric leg and a p-type thermoelectric leg bonded to a section of the first shunt material. Additionally, the method includes re-disposing these singulated unicouples in a serial daisy chain configuration with a predetermined pitch distance and bonding a second shunt material on top. The method further includes performing additional cutting processes to form one or more daisy chains of thermoelectric unicouples. The first shunt material is coupled to a cold-side heat sink and the second shunt material is coupled to a hot-side heat sink.
US09257614B2	Warm white LED with stacked wafers and fabrication method thereof A warm-white-light LED structure combines a red light wafer and a blue light wafer via a bonding layer. A reflecting layer is arranged over upper and lower surfaces of the bonding layer respectively; the lower surface of the red light wafer takes up one-third or less of the upper surface of the blue light wafer, which effectively reduces packaging structure volume and time of bondings so as to optimize process flow and save fabrication cost.
US09257608B2	Nitride semiconductor light emitting device A light emitting device includes a first layer of a first conductivity type, a second layer of a second conductivity type, a light emitting layer between the first and second layers, a first electrode disposed on a surface of the first layer, and a second electrode disposed on a surface of the second layer and electrically insulated from the first layer. The first layer has first and second regions, each of which contacts the first electrode. A dopant concentration in the first region is less than a dopant concentration in the second region.
US09257606B2	Direct bandgap substrates and methods of making and using An indirect bandgap thin film semiconductor circuit can be combined with a compound semiconductor LED such as to provide an active matrix LED array that can have high luminous capabilities such as for a light projector application. In another example, a highly efficient optical detector is achievable through the combination of indirect and direct bandgap semiconductors. Applications can include display technologies, light detection, MEMS, chemical sensors, or piezoelectric systems. An LED array can provide structured illumination, such as for a light and pattern source for projection displays, such as without requiring spatial light modulation (SLM). An example can combine light from separate monolithic light projector chips, such as providing different component colors. An example can provide full color from a single monolithic light projector chip, such as including selectively deposited phosphors, such as to contribute individual component colors to an overall color of a pixel.
US09257600B2	White light quantum dot complex particle and process for preparing same A white light quantum dot complex particle, comprising a seed particle (1) in the core, and a first shell layer (2), a second shell layer (3) and a third shell layer (4) wrapped around the seed particle (1) in order; in the first shell layer (2), the second shell layer (3) and the third shell layer (4) are one of a red light quantum dot layer, a green light quantum dot layer and a blue light quantum dot layer respectively, and are different from one another. Also disclosed is the process for preparing the white light quantum dot complex particle.
US09257596B2	Light-emitting diode chip A light-emitting diode chip comprising:—a semiconductor body (1) having a plurality of active regions (2), wherein—at least one of the active regions (2) has at least two subregions (21 . . . 28),—the active region (2) has at least one barrier region (3) arranged between two adjacent subregions (21 . . . 28) of said at least two subregions (21 . . . 28),—the at least two subregions (21 . . . 28) emit light of mutually different colour during operation of the light-emitting diode chip,—in at least one of the subregions (21 . . . 28) the emission of light is generated electrically, and—the barrier region (3) is configured to hinder a thermally activated redistribution of charge carriers between the two adjacent subregions (21 . . . 28), is specified.
US09257593B2	Method for producing photoelectric conversion element There is provided a method of producing a photovoltaic element comprising: a first step in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer (16) and an n-type amorphous silicon layer (14) are formed over a light-receiving surface of an n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate (18); a second step in which an i-type amorphous silicon layer (22a) and an n-type amorphous silicon layer (23a) are formed over a back surface of the n-type monocrystalline silicon substrate (18); and a third step in which, after the first step and the second step are completed, protection layers are formed over the n-type amorphous silicon layer (14) and the n-type amorphous silicon layer (23a).
US09257592B2	Translucent solar cell and manufacturing method thereof The present invention provides a translucent solar cell and a manufacturing method thereof. The translucent solar cell comprises, in stacking order, a substrate, a first electrode layer, a photoconductive layer and a second electrode layer. The translucent solar cell is characterized in that there are formed a plurality of first light-transmissive apertures on the second electrode layer and the plurality of first light-transmissive apertures are further extended in a depth direction to the photoconductive layer to form a plurality of second light-transmissive apertures corresponding to the first light-transmissive apertures. A projected area of each of the second light-transmissive apertures is equal to or smaller than that of a corresponding first light-transmissive aperture.
US09257590B2	Photoelectric element, display unit and method for fabricating the same A photoelectric element including a transparent bottom electrode, a photosensitive layer, a first electrode, a second electrode and a transparent top electrode is provided. The photosensitive layer is located above the transparent bottom electrode. The first electrode and the second electrode are disposed on the photosensitive layer. The transparent top electrode is located above the photosensitive layer.
US09257586B2	Monolithic multiple solar cells A monolithic multiple solar cell includes at least three partial cells, with a semiconductor mirror placed between two partial cells. The aim of the invention is to improve the radiation stability of said solar cell. For this purpose, the semiconductor mirror has a high degree of reflection in at least one part of a spectral absorption area of the partial cell which is arranged above the semiconductor mirror and a high degree of transmission within the spectral absorption range of the partial cell arranged below the semiconductor mirror.
US09257580B2	Textured transparent plate and method of manufacturing such a plate A monolithic transparent plate including, on at least one of its faces, at least one region textured by a plurality of geometric features in relief relative to a general plane of the face, each feature having a cross section, parallel to the general plane, which diminishes with distance from the face, from a base to a peak of the feature. The area of the zones of the textured region for which the inclination angle relative to the general plane is less than 30° C. represents less than 35% of the total area of the textured region.
US09257579B2	Electronic devices and method of fabricating the same Provided is a method of fabricating an electronic device. The method according to the present inventive concept may include forming a lower electrode having a flat portion and protrusions on a substrate, forming an intermediate layer on the lower electrode, and forming an upper electrode on the intermediate layer. The forming of the lower electrode may include forming a conductive film by depositing a first metal on the substrate, and depositing a second metal on the conductive film to prepare an alloy of the first metal and the second metal.
US09257574B2	Diode and method of manufacturing diode A diode includes a first semiconductor layer configured by a compound semiconductor containing impurities of a first conductivity type; a high dislocation density region; a second semiconductor layer which is laminated on the first semiconductor layer, which is lower in a concentration of impurities in a region of a side of an interface with the first semiconductor layer than that of the first semiconductor layer, and which has an opening in which a portion which corresponds to the high dislocation density region is removed; an insulating film pattern which is provided to cover an inner wall of the opening; an electrode which is provided so as to cover the insulating film pattern and to contact the second semiconductor layer; and an opposing electrode which is provided to interpose the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer and the insulating film pattern between the electrode and the opposing electrode.
US09257573B2	Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor includes a plurality of interlayer insulating layers and a plurality of gate electrodes alternately stacked in a first direction on a substrate. The plurality of interlayer insulating layers and the plurality of gate electrodes constitute a side surface extended in the first direction. A gate dielectric layer is disposed on the side surface. A channel pattern is disposed on the gate dielectric layer. The gate dielectric layer includes a protective pattern, a charge trap layer, and a tunneling layer. The protective pattern includes a portion disposed on a corresponding gate electrode of the plurality of gate electrodes. The charge trap layer is disposed on the protective pattern. The tunneling layer is disposed between the charge trap layer and the channel pattern. The protective pattern is denser than the charge trap layer.
US09257565B2	Display panel and manufacturing method thereof A display panel manufacturing method includes forming a gate electrode on a substrate and a gate insulator, a semiconductor layer, and an etch stop layer covering the gate electrode. A photoresist layer covering on the etch stop layer is pattern from two opposite side of the substrate by two photolithography processes to form a photoresist pattern. The etch stop layer is dry etched to form an etch stop pattern via the photoresist pattern. The photoresist pattern is formed again by two photolithography processes. The semiconductor layer is wet etched to form a semiconductor pattern via the photoresist pattern. A source electrode and a drain electrode is formed corresponding to two opposite sides of the gate electrode to orderly cover the etch pattern, the semiconductor pattern, and the gate insulator.
US09257564B2	Thin film transistor and method of fabricating same A thin film transistor (TFT) includes a gate, a drain, a source, an insulating layer, a metal oxide layer, and an etch stopper layer. The metal oxide layer includes a source area, a drain area, and a channel area. The source is electrically coupled to the source area and the drain is electrically coupled to the drain area. Oxygen ions are implanted into the channel area via a surface treatment process to make an oxygen concentration of the channel area be greater than an oxygen concentration of each of the source area and the drain area.
US09257562B2	Semiconductor device It is an object to provide a method of manufacturing a crystalline silicon device and a semiconductor device in which formation of cracks in a substrate, a base protective film, and a crystalline silicon film can be suppressed. First, a layer including a semiconductor film is formed over a substrate, and is heated. A thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is 6×10−7/° C. to 38×10−7/° C., preferably 6×10−7/° C. to 31.8×10−7/° C. Next, the layer including the semiconductor film is irradiated with a laser beam to crystallize the semiconductor film so as to form a crystalline semiconductor film. Total stress of the layer including the semiconductor film is −500 N/m to +50 N/m, preferably −150 N/m to 0 N/m after the heating step.
US09257559B2	Semiconductor device and formation thereof A semiconductor device and method of formation are provided herein. A semiconductor device includes a fin having a first wall extending along a first plane, the fin including a doped region defining a first furrow on a first side of the first plane. A dielectric is disposed within the first furrow, such that the dielectric is in contact with the first furrow between a first end of the dielectric and a second end of the dielectric. The first end is separated a first distance from the first plane. The dielectric disposed within the furrow increases the isolation of a channel portion of adjacent fins, and thus decreases current leakage of a FinFet, as compared to a FinFet including fins that do not include a dielectric disposed within a furrow.
US09257558B2	FinFET device with gate oxide layer The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. In accordance with some embodiments, the semiconductor structure includes a substrate, one or more fins each including a first semiconductor layer formed over the substrate, an oxide layer formed wrapping over an upper portion of each of the one or more fins, and a gate stack including a high-K (HK) dielectric layer and a metal gate (MG) electrode formed wrapping over the oxide layer. The first semiconductor layer may include silicon germanium (SiGex), and the oxide layer may include silicon germanium oxide (SiGexOy).
US09257557B2	Semiconductor structure with self-aligned wells and multiple channel materials Embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor structure having a strain relaxed buffer, and method of fabrication. A strain relaxed buffer is disposed on a semiconductor substrate. A silicon region and silicon germanium region are disposed adjacent to each other on the strain relaxed buffer. An additional region of silicon or silicon germanium provides quantum well isolation.
US09257555B1	Semiconductor structure A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a doped substrate, a gate structure, a source, a drain and a field doped region. The source and the drain are in the doped substrate on opposing sides of the gate structure respectively. The field doped region has a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of the source and the drain. The field doped region is extended from the source to be beyond a first gate sidewall of the gate structure but not reach a second gate sidewall of the gate structure opposing to the first gate sidewall.
US09257554B2	Split gate embedded memory technology and method of manufacturing thereof Semiconductor devices and methods for forming a semiconductor device are disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate prepared with a memory cell region. A first gate structure is formed on the memory cell region. An isolation layer is formed on the substrate and over the first gate structure. A second gate structure is formed adjacent to and separated from the first gate structure by the isolation layer. The first and second gate structures are processed to form at least one split gate structure with first and second adjacent gates. Asymmetrical source and drain regions are provided adjacent to first and second sides of the split gate structure.
US09257552B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing same In one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming, on a semiconductor substrate, a sacrificial semiconductor pillar having a pillar-like shape extending in a first direction perpendicular to a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, and being formed of a first semiconductor material. The method further includes forming, around the sacrificial semiconductor pillar, a channel semiconductor layer having a tube-like shape extending in the first direction, and being formed of a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material. The method further includes removing the sacrificial semiconductor pillar after the channel semiconductor layer is formed. The channel semiconductor layer is formed on electrode layers via an insulator, the electrode layers being formed on the semiconductor substrate.
US09257548B2	Nitride semiconductor element and nitride semiconductor package A nitride semiconductor element includes a Si substrate; a buffer layer including (a) an AlN layer formed on a primary surface of the Si substrate; and (b) an AlGaN deposit layer formed by laminating multiple AlGaN layers on the AlN layer and having a total thickness ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm; a GaN electron transfer layer formed on the AlGaN deposit layer and having a thickness ranging from 500 nm to 2000 nm provided that the GaN electron transfer layer is thicker than the AlGaN deposit layer; and an AlGaN electron supply layer formed on the GaN electron transfer layer, wherein the AlGaN deposit layer includes an AlGaN layer that is provided closer to the AlN layer and has an Al component that ranges from about 40% to about 60%, and a reference AlGaN layer that has an Al component (%) that is lower than that of the AlGaN layer.
US09257545B2	Stacked nanowire device with variable number of nanowire channels A method of forming a semiconductor structure including forming a stack of layers on a top surface of a substrate, the stack of layers including alternating layers of a semiconductor material and a sacrificial material, where a bottommost layer of the stack of layers is a top semiconductor layer of the substrate, patterning a plurality of material stacks from the stack of layers, each material stack including an alternating stack of a plurality of nanowire channels and a plurality of sacrificial spacers, the plurality of nanowire channels including the semiconductor material, and the plurality of sacrificial spacers including the sacrificial material, and removing at least one of the plurality of nanowire channels from at least one of the plurality of material stacks without removing one or more of the plurality of nanowire channels from an adjacent material stack.
US09257541B2	High-breakdown-voltage power semiconductor device having a diode A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having one main surface in which an anode of a diode is formed. At a distance from the outer periphery of the anode, a guard ring is formed to surround the anode. The anode includes a p+-type diffusion region, a p−-type region, and an anode electrode. The p−-type region is formed as a region of relatively high electrical resistance sandwiched between the p+-type diffusion regions.
US09257535B2	Gate-all-around metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors with gate oxides A method and structure for a semiconductor transistor, including various embodiments. In embodiments, a transistor channel can be formed between a semiconductor source and a semiconductor drain, wherein a transistor gate oxide completely surrounds the transistor channel and a transistor gate metal that completely surrounds the transistor gate oxide. Related fabrication processes are presented for similar device embodiments based on a Group III-V semiconductor material and silicon-on-insulator materials.
US09257531B2	Self-aligned contact structure for replacement metal gate A metallic top surface of a replacement gate structure is oxidized to convert a top portion of the replacement gate structure into a dielectric oxide. After removal of a planarization dielectric layer, selective epitaxy is performed to form a raised source region and a raised drain region that extends higher than the topmost surface of the replacement gate structure. A gate level dielectric layer including a first dielectric material is deposited and subsequently planarized employing the raised source and drain regions as stopping structures. A contact level dielectric layer including a second dielectric material is formed over the gate level dielectric layer, and contact via holes are formed employing an etch chemistry that etches the second dielectric material selective to the first dielectric material. Raised source and drain regions are recessed. Self-aligned contact structures can be formed by filling the contact via holes with a conductive material.
US09257527B2	Nanowire transistor structures with merged source/drain regions using auxiliary pillars A nanowire transistor structure is fabricated by using auxiliary epitaxial nucleation source/drain fin structures. The fin structures include semiconductor layers integral with nanowires that extend between the fin structures. Gate structures are formed between the fin structures such that the nanowires extend through the gate conductors. Following spacer formation and nanowire chop, source/drain regions are grown epitaxially between the gate structures.
US09257525B2	Systems and methods for forming isolated devices in a handle wafer A method for through active-silicon via integration is provided. The method comprises forming an electrical device in a handle wafer. The method also comprises forming an isolation layer over the handle wafer and the electrical device and joining an active layer to the isolation layer. Further, the method comprises forming at least one trench through the active layer and the isolation layer to expose a portion of the handle wafer and depositing an electrically conductive material in the at least one trench, the electrically conductive material providing an electrical connection to the electrical device through the active layer.
US09257524B2	Layered film including heteroepitaxial PN junction oxide thin film Semiconductors of different types are formed by a crystal growth technique and joined at the interface at which rapid atomic-layer-level compositional changes occur while maintaining high crystallinity of the semiconductor layers so as to form a heterogeneous PN junction. A layered film that includes a PN junction oxide thin film is formed on a single crystal substrate. The PN junction oxide thin film is constituted by an N-type semiconductor oxide thin film and a P-type semiconductor oxide thin film that are epitaxially grown to have c-axis orientation represented by (00k).
US09257523B2	Avalanche diode having an enhanced defect concentration level and method of making the same The invention relates to an avalanche diode that can be employed as an ESD protection device. An avalanche ignition region is formed at the p-n junction of the diode and includes an enhanced defect concentration level to provide rapid onset of avalanche current. The avalanche ignition region is preferably formed wider than the diode depletion zone, and is preferably created by placement, preferably by ion implantation, of an atomic specie different from that of the principal device structure. The doping concentration of the placed atomic specie should be sufficiently high to ensure substantially immediate onset of avalanche current when the diode breakdown voltage is exceeded. The new atomic specie preferably comprises argon or nitrogen, but other atomic species can be employed. However, other means of increasing a defect concentration level in the diode depletion zone, such as an altered annealing program, are also contemplated.
US09257507B2	Semiconductor device This device includes a first base layer of a first conduction type. A second base-layer of a second conduction type is provided above the first base-layer. A first semiconductor layer of the first conduction type is above an opposite side of the second base-layer to the first base-layer. A second semiconductor layer of the second conduction type is above an opposite side of the first base-layer to the second base-layer. A plurality of first electrodes are provided at the first semiconductor layer and the second base-layer via first insulating films. A second electrode is provided between adjacent ones of the first electrodes and provided at the first semiconductor layer and the second base-layer via a second insulating film. A resistance of the first base-layer above a side of the second electrode is lower than a resistance of the first base-layer above a side of the first electrodes.
US09257506B2	CMOS devices having dual high-mobility channels A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a semiconductor substrate including a first region and a second region; and forming a first and a second metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device. The step of forming the first MOS device includes forming a first silicon germanium layer over the first region of the semiconductor substrate; forming a silicon layer over the first silicon germanium layer; forming a first gate dielectric layer over the silicon layer; and patterning the first gate dielectric layer to form a first gate dielectric. The step of forming the second MOS device includes forming a second silicon germanium layer over the second region of the semiconductor substrate; forming a second gate dielectric layer over the second silicon germanium layer with no substantially pure silicon layer therebetween; and patterning the second gate dielectric layer to form a second gate dielectric.
US09257504B2	Isolation structures for semiconductor devices Isolation structures for isolating semiconductor devices from a substrate include floor isolation regions buried within the substrate and one or more trenches extending from a surface of the substrate to the buried floor isolation region.
US09257499B2	Connection structure for an integrated circuit with capacitive function An embodiment, in a single structure, combines a pad including a connection terminal suitable for coupling the circuit elements integrated in a chip to circuits outside of the chip itself and at least one capacitor. By combining a connection pad and a capacitor in a single structure, it may be possible to reduce the overall area of the chip that otherwise in common integrated circuits would be greater due to the presence of the capacitor itself. In this way, the costs and size of the chip can be reduced.
US09257498B1	Process to improve performance for metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors Some embodiments relate to a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, which includes a capacitor a capacitor bottom metal (CBM) electrode, a high k dielectric layer arranged over the CBM electrode, and a capacitor top metal (CTM) electrode arranged over the high k dielectric layer. In some embodiments, the MIM capacitor comprises CTM protective sidewall regions, which extend along vertical sidewall surfaces of the CTM electrode, and protect the CTM electrode from leakage, premature voltage breakdown, or burn out, due to metallic residue or etch damage formed on the sidewalls during one or more etch process(es) used to form the CTM electrode. In some embodiments, the MIM capacitor comprises CBM protective sidewall regions, which extend along vertical sidewall surfaces of the CBM electrode. In some embodiments, the MIM capacitor comprises both CBM and CTM protective sidewall regions.
US09257494B2	Organic light-emitting display apparatus An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a thin film transistor including an active layer, gate, source and drain electrodes, a first insulating layer disposed between the active layer and the gate electrode, and a second insulating layer disposed between the gate electrode and the source and drain electrodes; a pad electrode including a first pad layer disposed on the same layer as the source and drain electrodes and a second pad layer disposed on the first pad layer; a third insulating layer covering the source electrode and the drain electrode and an end portion of the pad electrode; a pixel electrode including a semi-transmissive metal layer and disposed in an opening formed in the third insulating layer; and a fourth insulating layer having an opening formed in a location corresponding to an opening formed in the third insulating layer and covering the end portion of the pixel electrode.
US09257491B2	Electroluminescence display device There is provided an EL display device of a color filter system which obtains sufficient brightness and contrast while making it difficult to generate a color mixture even if pixels become fine. An EL display device 100 according to the present invention includes a first substrate 1, a circuit layer 2 formed on the first substrate 1, a color selection reflection layer 11 formed in an upper layer of the circuit layer 2, lower electrodes 5 formed in an upper layer of the color selection reflection layer 11, a white light emission EL layer 7 formed in an upper layer of the lower electrodes 5, an upper electrode 8 formed in an upper layer of the EL layer 7, and a sealing layer 9 formed in an upper layer of the upper electrode 8.
US09257490B2	Full-color active matrix organic light emitting display with hybrid A full-color AM OLED includes a transparent substrate, a color filter positioned on an upper surface of the substrate, and a metal oxide thin film transistor backpanel positioned in overlying relationship on the color filter and defining an array of pixels. An array of OLEDs is formed on the backpanel and positioned to emit light downwardly through the backpanel, the color filter, and the substrate in a full-color display. Light emitted by each OLED includes a first emission band with wavelengths extending across the range of two of the primary colors and a second emission band with wavelengths extending across the range of the remaining primary color. The color filter includes for each pixel, two zones separating the first emission band into two separate primary colors and a third zone passing the second emission band.
US09257487B2	Three dimensional semiconductor integrated circuit having gate pick-up line and method of manufacturing the same A 3D semiconductor integrated circuit having a gate pick-up line and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit includes a plurality of active pillars formed in a gate pick-up region, buffer layers formed on the respective active pillars in the gate pick-up region, gates each surrounding an outer circumference of the corresponding active pillar and the corresponding buffer layer, and a gate pick-up line electrically coupled to the gates.
US09257483B2	Magnetic memory, method of manufacturing the same, and method of driving the same There is provided a magnetic memory with using a magnetoresistive effect element of a spin-injection magnetization reversal type, in which a multi-value operation is possible and whose manufacturing and operation are simple. A preferred aim of this is solved by providing two or more magnetoresistive effect elements which are electrically connected in series to each other and by selecting one of the series-connected elements depending on a direction of a current carried in the series-connected elements, a magnitude thereof, and an order of the current thereof for performing the writing operation. For example, it is solved by differentiating plane area sizes of the respective magnetoresistive effect elements which have the same film structure from each other so as to differentiate resistance change amounts caused by respective magnetization reversal and threshold current values required for respective magnetization reversal from each other.
US09257482B2	Display device using semiconductor light emitting device Discussed is a display device using a semiconductor light emitting device. In a display device including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, each of the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices includes a first conductive semiconductor layer, a second conductive semiconductor layer overlapped with the first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer disposed between the first conductive semiconductor layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer, a first electrode deposited on the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second electrode deposited on the second conductive semiconductor layer, wherein the first electrode is extended toward an adjoining semiconductor light emitting device to be electrically connected to the adjoining semiconductor light emitting device.
US09257480B2	Method of manufacturing photodiode detectors A radiation detector assembly including an organic photodetector that generate charge in response to an incident radiation, a thin film transistor array including a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels may produce electric signals corresponding to the charge generated by the organic photodetector. The radiation detector assembly also includes a spacer disposed on the thin film transistor array. The spacer surrounds one or more pixels and may confine the organic photodetector within the surrounded one or more pixels such that the surrounded one or more pixels are electrically isolated from a neighboring pixel.
US09257477B2	Solid-state imaging device and camera module A solid-state imaging device is provided. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of arrayed pixels, an optical inner filter layer, and a light-blocking side wall. The plurality of arrayed pixels each includes a photoelectric conversion portion and a pixel transistor. The optical inner filter layer is provided for blocking infrared light and formed facing toward a light-receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion portion of a desired pixel among the arrayed pixels. The light-blocking side wall is formed on a lateral wall of the optical inner filter layer.
US09257476B2	Grids in backside illumination image sensor chips and methods for forming the same A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a backside, a photo-sensitive device disposed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, and a first and a second grid line parallel to each other. The first and the second grid lines are on the backside of, and overlying, the semiconductor substrate. The device further includes an adhesion layer, a metal oxide layer over the adhesion layer, and a high-refractive index layer over the metal layer. The adhesion layer, the metal oxide layer, and the high-refractive index layer are substantially conformal, and extend on top surfaces and sidewalls of the first and the second grid lines.
US09257473B2	Solid-state imaging device According to one embodiment, a solid-state imaging device is provided which comprises a floating diffusion, a transfer gate, and a photoelectric conversion element. The floating diffusion is provided in a surface of a semiconductor layer. The transfer gate extends inward from the surface of the semiconductor layer and bends in the semiconductor layer toward the floating diffusion side. The photoelectric conversion element is provided in part of the semiconductor layer on the opposite side of the transfer gate from the floating diffusion and stretches from the side-surface side of the transfer gate to a position under the bottom thereof.
US09257469B2	Color imaging device An imaging apparatus 10 according to one implementation of the present invention includes: a plurality of photodetectors 5a and 5b; a transparent layer 2 provided at the side of a light-receiving surface 15a, 15b of the photodetectors 5a and 5b; a plurality of spectroscopic portions 3 provided between a light-entering surface 2a of the transparent layer 2 and the photodetectors 5a and 5b; and a plurality of high refractive index transparent members 6 provided closer to the photodetectors 5a and 5b than are the spectroscopic portions 3. The high refractive index transparent members 6 have a higher refractive index than does the transparent layer 2.
US09257459B2	Image pickup apparatus with pixels that include an amplifier and method for driving the same An image pickup apparatus of the present invention includes a clipping circuit that clips the voltage of an input node of an amplifying unit in a pixel. The clipping circuit can operate at least in a time period in which a charge is transferred from a photoelectric conversion unit to the input node of the amplifying unit, and can switch among multiple clipping voltages.
US09257451B2	Display device and semiconductor device An object is to provide a display device with a high aperture ratio or a semiconductor device in which the area of an element is large. A channel formation region of a TFT with a multi-gate structure is provided under a wiring that is provided between adjacent pixel electrodes (or electrodes of an element). In addition, a channel width direction of each of a plurality of channel formation regions is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the pixel electrode. In addition, when a channel width is longer than a channel length, the area of the channel formation region can be increased.
US09257449B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof An object is to provide a semiconductor device with a novel structure. A semiconductor device includes a first transistor including a silicon region, a first gate insulating layer, a first gate electrode, and a first source electrode and a first drain electrode, a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer, a third insulating layer, and a second transistor, which includes an oxide semiconductor layer over the third insulating layer, a second source electrode and a second drain electrode, a second gate insulating layer, and a second gate electrode, and a fourth insulating layer and a fifth insulating layer. A first electrode passes through the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer to be electrically connected to the silicon region, and a second electrode passes through the third insulating layer, the fourth insulating layer and the fifth insulating layer to be electrically connected to the first electrode.
US09257446B2	Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing same To provide a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory improved in characteristics. In the semiconductor device, a nonvolatile memory has a high-k insulating film (high dielectric constant film) between a control gate electrode portion and a memory gate electrode portion and a transistor of a peripheral circuit region has a high-k/metal configuration. The high-k insulating film arranged between the control gate electrode portion and the memory gate electrode portion relaxes an electric field intensity at the end portion (corner portion) of the memory gate electrode portion on the side of the control gate electrode portion. This results in reduction in uneven distribution of charges in a charge accumulation portion (silicon nitride film) and improvement in erase accuracy.
US09257440B2	Non-volatile anti-fuse with consistent rupture In an embodiment of the invention, a non-volatile anti-fuse memory cell is disclosed. The memory cell consists of a programmable n-channel diode-connectable transistor. The poly-silicon gate of the transistor has two portions. One portion is doped more highly than a second portion. The transistor also has a source with two portions where one portion of the source is doped more highly than a second portion. The portion of the gate that is physically closer to the source is more lightly doped than the other portion of the poly-silicon gate. The portion of the source that is physically closer to the lightly doped portion of the poly-silicone gate is lightly doped with respect to the other portion of the source. When the transistor is programmed, a rupture in the insulator will most likely occur in the portion of the poly-silicone gate that is heavily doped.
US09257439B2	Structure and method for FinFET SRAM Provided is an embedded FinFET SRAM structure and methods of making the same. The embedded FinFET SRAM structure includes an array of SRAM cells. The SRAM cells have a first pitch in a first direction and a second pitch in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second pitches are configured so as to align fin active lines and gate features of the SRAM cells with those of peripheral logic circuits. A layout of the SRAM structure includes three layers, wherein a first layer defines mandrel patterns for forming fins, a second layer defines a first cut pattern for removing dummy fins, and a third layer defines a second cut pattern for shortening fin ends. The three layers collectively define fin active lines of the SRAM structure.
US09257435B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method therefor A semiconductor device includes: a multilayer wiring layer located over a substrate and in which multiple wiring layers configured by a wiring and an insulating layer are stacked; a memory circuit which is formed in a memory circuit region in the substrate and has a capacitance element embedded in a concave part located in the multilayer wiring layer; a logic circuit which is formed in a logic circuit region in the substrate; an upper part coupling wiring which is stacked over the capacitance element configured by a lower part electrode, a capacitor insulating film and an upper part electrode; and a cap layer which is formed on the upper surface of the wiring configuring the logic circuit. The upper surface of the upper part coupling wiring and the upper surface of the cap film are provided on the same plane.
US09257432B2	Semiconductor memory device and method of manufacturing semiconductor memory device A highly integrated gain cell-type semiconductor memory is provided. A first insulator, a read bit line, a second insulator, a third insulator, a first semiconductor film, first conductive layers, and the like are formed. A projecting insulator is formed thereover. Then, second semiconductor films and a second gate insulating film are formed to cover the projecting insulator. After that, a conductive film is formed and subjected to anisotropic etching, so that write word lines are formed on side surfaces of the projecting insulator. A third contact plug for connection to a write bit line is formed over a top of the projecting insulator. With such a structure, the area of the memory cell can be 4F2 at a minimum.
US09257430B2	Semiconductor construction forming methods Memory device constructions include a first column line extending parallel to a second column line, the first column line being above the second column line; a row line above the second column line and extending perpendicular to the first column line and the second column line; memory material disposed to be selectively and reversibly configured in one of two or more different resistive states; a first diode configured to conduct a first current between the first column line and the row line via the memory material; and a second diode configured to conduct a second current between the second column line and the row line via the memory material. In some embodiments, the first diode is a Schottky diode having a semiconductor anode and a metal cathode and the second diode is a Schottky diode having a metal anode and a semiconductor cathode.
US09257425B2	Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof A first well in a first conductivity type which is formed at a first region and is electrically connected to a first power supply line, a second well in a second conductivity type being an opposite conductivity type of the first conductivity type which is formed at a second region and is electrically connected to a second power supply line, a third well in the second conductivity type which is integrally formed with the second well at a third region adjacent to the second region, a fourth well in the first conductivity type integrally formed with the first well at a fourth region adjacent to the first region, a fifth well in the first conductivity type which is formed at the third region to be shallower than the third well, and a sixth well in the second conductivity type which is formed at the fourth region to be shallower than the fourth well, are included.
US09257417B2	Light emitting device package, light emitting device using that package, and illumination device using the light emitting devices The light emitting device package of the present invention has a longitudinal direction (as viewed from above) and a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and is provided with a first and second lead-frame lined-up in the longitudinal direction and molded resin holds the first and second lead-frames integrally. The package is characterized in that the first lead-frame has a main body and an extension that extends from the main body with a narrowed width towards the second lead-frame. Further, a recess is established in the bottom surface of the first lead-frame, and at least part of the exposed region of the bottom surface of the extension is separated from the exposed region of the bottom surface of the main body by the molded resin that fills the recess.
US09257413B2	Stack packages including diffusion barriers over sidewalls of through via electrodes and methods of manufacturing the same Embodiments of a stack package may include an upper chip on a lower chip, a backside passivation layer covering the backside surface of the lower chip and having a thickness which is substantially equal to a height of the protrusion portion of a lower through via electrode, a backside bump substantially contacting the protrusion portion, and a front side bump electrically connected to a chip contact portion of the upper chip and physically and electrically connected to the backside bump. The backside passivation layer may include a first insulation layer provided over a sidewall of the protrusion portion and the backside surface of the lower chip. Embodiments of fabrication methods are also disclosed.
US09257411B2	Semiconductor device and method of embedding bumps formed on semiconductor die into penetrable adhesive layer to reduce die shifting during encapsulation A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die with a plurality of bumps formed over a surface of the first semiconductor die. A penetrable adhesive layer is formed over a temporary carrier. The adhesive layer can include a plurality of slots. The semiconductor die is mounted to the carrier by embedding the bumps into the penetrable adhesive layer. The semiconductor die and interconnect structure can be separated by a gap. An encapsulant is deposited over the first semiconductor die. The bumps embedded into the penetrable adhesive layer reduce shifting of the first semiconductor die while depositing the encapsulant. The carrier is removed. An interconnect structure is formed over the semiconductor die. The interconnect structure is electrically connected to the bumps. A thermally conductive bump is formed over the semiconductor die, and a heat sink is mounted to the interconnect structure and thermally connected to the thermally conductive bump.
US09257410B2	Package assembly including a semiconductor substrate in which a first portion of a surface of the semiconductor substrate is recessed relative to a second portion of the surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a recessed region in the semiconductor substrate Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus comprising a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a second surface that is disposed opposite to the first surface, wherein at least a portion of the first surface is recessed to form a recessed region of the semiconductor substrate, and one or more vias formed in the recessed region of the semiconductor substrate to provide an electrical or thermal pathway between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a die coupled to the semiconductor substrate, the die being electrically coupled to the one or more vias formed in the recessed region of the semiconductor substrate. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09257405B2	Multi-solder techniques and configurations for integrated circuit package assembly Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards multi-solder techniques and configurations for integrated circuit (IC) package assembly. In one embodiment, a method includes depositing a plurality of solder balls on a plurality of pads of a package substrate, the plurality of solder balls corresponding with the plurality of pads and performing a solder reflow process to form a solder joint between the plurality of solder balls and the plurality of pads. Individual solder balls of the plurality of solder balls include a first solder material and a second solder material, the first solder material having a liquidus temperature that is greater than a peak temperature of the solder reflow process and the second solder material having a liquidus temperature that is less than the peak temperature of the solder reflow process. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09257403B2	Copper ball bond interface structure and formation An integrated circuit copper wire bond connection is provided having a copper ball (32) bonded directly to an aluminum bond pad (31) formed on a low-k dielectric layer (30) to form a bond interface structure for the copper ball characterized by a first plurality of geometric features to provide thermal cycling reliability, including an aluminum minima feature (Z1, Z2) located at an outer peripheral location (42) under the copper ball to prevent formation and/or propagation of cracks in the aluminum bond pad.
US09257398B2	Semiconductor device and method for forming the same A semiconductor device includes a first pad region including a plurality of first storage nodes, a second pad region neighboring the first pad region and including a plurality of second storage nodes, a coupling portion disposed between the first pad region and the second pad region, and a plate electrode disposed over the plurality of first storage nodes of the first pad region and the plurality of second storage nodes of the second pad region, and disposed in the coupling portion to interconnect the first pad region and the second pad region.
US09257395B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes a base substrate on which a substrate electrode is arranged, and a semiconductor element which includes a chip electrode electrically connected via solder to the substrate electrode and in which a light absorbing layer is formed on a lower surface side.
US09257391B2	Hybrid graphene-metal interconnect structures Hybrid metal-graphene interconnect structures and methods of forming the same. The structure may include a first end metal, a second end metal, a conductive line including one or more graphene portions extending from the first end metal to the second end metal, and one or more line barrier layers partially surrounding each of the one or more graphene portions. The conductive line may further include one or more intermediate metals separating each of the one or more graphene portions. Methods of forming said interconnect structures may include forming a plurality of metals including a first end metal and a second end metal in a dielectric layer, forming one or more line trenches between each of the plurality of metals, forming a line barrier layer in each of the one or more line trenches, and filling the one or more line trenches with graphene.
US09257389B2	Semiconductor device having metal interconnections A method of forming a metal interconnection of semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a low-k dielectric layer including an opening; forming a barrier metal pattern conformally covering a bottom surface and an inner sidewall of the opening; forming a metal pattern exposing a part of the inner sidewall of the barrier metal pattern in the opening; forming a metal capping layer on the top surfaces of the metal pattern and the low-k dielectric layer using a selective chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the thickness of the metal capping layer on the metal pattern is greater than the thickness of the metal capping layer on the low-k dielectric layer; and forming a metal capping pattern covering the top surface of the metal pattern by planarizing the metal capping layer down to the top surface of the low-k dielectric layer.
US09257382B2	Semiconductor device and method of forming guard ring around conductive TSV through semiconductor wafer A semiconductor device has a plurality of conductive vias formed into a semiconductor wafer. An insulating lining is formed around the conductive vias and a conductive layer is formed over the insulating lining. A portion of the semiconductor wafer is removed so the conductive vias extend above a surface of the semiconductor wafer. A first insulating layer is formed over the surface of the semiconductor wafer and conductive vias. A first portion of the first insulating layer is removed and a second portion of the first insulating layer remains as guard rings around the conductive vias. A conductive layer is formed over the conductive vias. A second insulating layer is formed over the surface of the semiconductor wafer, guard rings, and conductive vias. A portion of the second insulating layer is removed to expose the conductive vias and a portion of the guard rings.
US09257381B2	Semiconductor package, and interposer structure of the semiconductor package A method of fabricating a semiconductor package is provided, including: cutting a substrate into a plurality of interposers; disposing the interposers in a plurality of openings of a carrier, wherein the openings are spaced from one another by a distance; forming a first encapsulant to encapsulate the interposers; removing the carrier; and disposing at least a semiconductor element on each of the interposers. By cutting the substrate first, good interposers can be selected and rearranged such that finished packages can be prevented from being wasted due to inferior interposers.
US09257377B2	Semiconductor device and measurement device having an oscillator A semiconductor device includes: an oscillator including external terminals disposed on a first face with a specific distance along a first direction; an integrated circuit including a first region formed with first electrode pads along one side, and a second region formed with second electrode pads on two opposing sides of the first region; a lead frame that includes terminals at a peripheral portion, and on which the oscillator and the integrated circuit are mounted such that the external terminals, the first and second electrode pads face in a substantially same direction and such that one side of the integrated circuit is substantially parallel to the first direction; a first bonding wire that connects one external terminal to one first electrode pad; a second bonding wire that connects one terminal of one lead frame to one second electrode pad; and a sealing member that seals all of the components.
US09257376B2	Semiconductor package and method of manufacturing the same There are provided a semiconductor package and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor package according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a substrate having a first device mounted thereon; a first lead frame formed on the substrate; a second lead frame formed to be spaced apart from the substrate; a post formed on the substrate and formed between the first lead frame and the second lead frame; and a molding part formed to surround the substrate and formed to protrude portions of the first and second lead frames, wherein the post includes a body part bonded to the substrate and a protruding part protruded to an exterior of the molding part.
US09257374B1	Thin shrink outline package (TSOP) Consistent with an example embodiment, a thin outline shrink package (TSOP) provides for a significant reduction in lead pitch along with a reduced package profile for a semiconductor device die packaged, therein.
US09257373B2	Electronic component device A wiring board includes a wiring forming region in which a plurality of wiring layers are stacked while sandwiching insulating layers, an outer periphery region which is arranged around the wiring forming region and in which a reinforcing pattern is formed in the same layer as each of the wiring layers. An area ratio of the reinforcing pattern to the outer periphery region and an area ratio of the wiring layer to the wiring forming region are substantially the same in each of the layers, and the reinforcing patterns exist without a gap in the outer periphery region when the wiring board is viewed in planar perspective.
US09257367B2	Integrated circuit device, method for producing mask layout, and program for producing mask layout According to one embodiment, a method for producing a mask layout of an exposure mask for forming wiring of an integrated circuit device, includes estimating shape of the wiring formed based on an edge of a pattern included in an initial layout of the exposure mask. The method includes modifying shape of the edge if the estimated shape of the wiring does not satisfy a requirement.
US09257365B2	Cooling assemblies and power electronics modules having multiple-porosity structures Cooling assemblies and power electronics modules having multiple-level porosity structures with both a micro- and macro-level porosity are disclosed. In one embodiment, a cooling assembly includes a jet impingement assembly including a fluid inlet channel fluidly coupled an array of orifices provided in a jet plate, and a heat transfer substrate having a surface. The heat transfer substrate is spaced apart from the jet plate. A first array of metal fibers is bonded to the surface of the heat transfer substrate in a first direction, and a second array of metal fibers is bonded to the first array of metal fibers in a second direction. Each metal fiber of the first array of metal fibers and the second array of metal fibers includes a plurality of metal particles defining a micro-porosity. The first array of metal fibers and the second array of metal fibers define a macro-porosity.
US09257362B2	Heat dissipation module with heat pipe A heat dissipation module configured on a substrate having a heat producing element thereon includes a holder configured on the substrate and a heat sink having a base opposite to the heat producing element and pivotally connected to the holder and capable of joining to the substrate with the heat producing element covered by the base.
US09257361B2	In-situ thermoelectric cooling Methods and structures for thermoelectric cooling of 3D semiconductor structures are disclosed. Thermoelectric vias (TEVs) to form a thermoelectric cooling structure. The TEVs are formed with an etch process similar to that used in forming electrically active through-silicon vias (TSVs). However, the etched cavities are filled with materials that exhibit the thermoelectric effect, instead of a conductive metal as with a traditional electrically active TSV. The thermoelectric materials are arranged such that when a voltage is applied to them, the thermoelectric cooling structure carries heat away from the interior of the structure from the junction where the thermoelectric materials are electrically connected.
US09257360B2	Backplane for display device, and display device including the same A backplane for a display device and the display device are disclosed. In one aspect, the backplane includes a substrate, an active layer formed over the substrate including a channel region, a source region contacting a first side of the channel region, and a drain region contacting a second side of the channel region. The backplane further includes a gate electrode formed adjacent to the channel region, a source electrode electrically connected to the source region, and a drain electrode electrically connected to the drain region. The active layer includes a plurality of heat radiation pins that extend in a direction of the thickness of the active layer.
US09257356B2	Semiconductor device and method of forming an IPD beneath a semiconductor die with direct connection to external devices A semiconductor device has a conductive layer formed on a substrate. The conductive layer has a first portion constituting contact pads and a second portion constituting an integrated passive device such as an inductor. A spacer is formed on the substrate around the second portion of the conductive layer. The spacer can be insulating material or conductive material for shielding. A semiconductor die is mounted to the spacer. An electrical connection is formed between contact pads on the semiconductor die and the contact pads on the substrate. An encapsulant is formed around the semiconductor die, electrical connections, spacer, and conductive layer. The substrate is removed to expose the conductive layer. An interconnect structure is formed on the backside of the substrate. The interconnect structure is electrically connected to the conductive layer. The semiconductor device can be integrated into a package.
US09257351B2	Metrology marks for bidirectional 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 a template mask that extends across and perpendicular to such spacer gratings. Cut spacer gratings are etched into a second layer using the template mask to superimpose at least a portion of the spacer gratings of the first layer into the second layer.
US09257346B2	Apparatus and methods for forming a modulation doped non-planar transistor Embodiments of an apparatus and methods for providing three-dimensional complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices comprising modulation doped transistors are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09257345B2	Anti-fuse array of semiconductor device and method for forming the same An anti-fuse array of a semiconductor device and a method for forming the same are disclosed. The anti-fuse array for a semiconductor device includes a first-type semiconductor substrate formed to define an active region by a device isolation region, a second-type impurity implantation region formed in the active region, a first-type channel region isolated from the semiconductor substrate by the second-type impurity implantation region, a gate electrode formed over the channel region, and a first metal contact formed over the second-type impurity implantation region.
US09257343B2	Method for fabricating fin field effect transistors A method of fabricating a Fin field effect transistor (FinFET) includes providing a substrate having a first fin and a second fin extending above a substrate top surface, wherein the first fin has a top surface and sidewalls and the second fin has a top surface and sidewalls. The method includes forming an insulation layer between the first and second fins. The method includes forming a first gate dielectric having a first thickness covering the top surface and sidewalls of the first fin using a plasma doping process. The method includes forming a second gate dielectric covering the top surface and sidewalls of the second fin having a second thickness less than the first thickness. The method includes forming a conductive gate strip traversing over both the first gate dielectric and the second gate dielectric.
US09257336B2	Bottom-up plating of through-substrate vias According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of plating a TSV hole in a substrate is provided. The TSV hole may include an open end terminating at a conductive pad, a stack of wiring levels, and a plurality of chip interconnects. The method of plating a TSV may include attaching a handler to the plurality of chip interconnects, the handler having a conductive layer in electrical contact with the plurality of chip interconnects; exposing a closed end of the TSV hole, including the conductive pad, to an electrolyte solution; and applying an electrical potential along an electrical path from the conductive layer to the conductive pad causing conductive material from the electrolyte solution to deposit on the conductive pad and within the TSV hole, the electrical path including the conductive layer, the plurality of chip interconnects, the stack of wiring levels and the conductive pad.
US09257335B2	Electronic devices utilizing contact pads with protrusions and methods for fabrication An electronic device includes a substrate including a front side, a back side, a thickness between the front side and back side, one or more front-side vias extending from the front side into a part of the thickness, and an interconnect via extending from the back side toward the front side; a contact pad on the front side and including one or more protrusions extending through corresponding front-side vias and into the interconnect via; and an interconnect extending through the interconnect via and into contact with the protrusion(s).
US09257331B2	Method of making interconnect structure A method of making a semiconductor device including forming a first adhesion layer over a substrate. The method further includes forming a second adhesion layer over the first adhesion layer, where the second adhesion layer is formed using an inert gas with a first flow rate under a first RF power. Additionally, the method includes forming a low-k dielectric layer over the second adhesion layer, where the low-k dielectric layer is formed using the inert gas with a second flow rate under a second RF power under at least one of the following two conditions: 1) the second flow rate is different from the first flow rate; or 2) the second RF power is different from the first RF power. Furthermore, the method includes forming an opening in the dielectric layer, the second adhesion layer, and the first adhesion layer. Additionally, the method includes forming a conductor in the opening.
US09257329B2	Methods for fabricating integrated circuits including densifying interlevel dielectric layers Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes densifying an upper-surface portion of an ILD layer of dielectric material that overlies a metallization layer above a semiconductor substrate to form a densified surface layer of dielectric material. The densified surface layer and the ILD layer are etched through to expose a metal line of the metallization layer.
US09257327B2	Methods of forming a Field Effect Transistor, including forming a region providing enhanced oxidation Methods of forming a Field Effect Transistor (FET) are provided. The methods may include forming a region that provides enhanced oxidation under a fin-shaped FET (FinFET) body.
US09257326B2	Method of making backside illuminated image sensors A method of making a backside illuminated image sensor includes forming a first isolation structure in a pixel region of a substrate, where a bottom of the first isolation structure is exposed at a back surface of the substrate. The method further includes forming a second isolation structure in a peripheral region of the substrate, where the second isolation structure has a depth less than a depth of the first isolation structure. Additionally, the method includes forming an implant region adjacent to at least a portion of sidewalls of the first isolation structure, where the portion of the sidewalls is located closer to the back surface than a front surface of the substrate, and where the second isolation structure is free of the implant region.
US09257325B2	Semiconductor structures and methods for forming isolation between Fin structures of FinFET devices Semiconductor structures and methods for forming isolation between fin structures formed from a bulk silicon wafer are provided. A bulk silicon wafer is provided having one or more fin structures formed therefrom. Forming of the fin structures defines isolation trenches between the one or more fin structures. Each of the fin structures has vertical sidewalls. An oxide layer is deposited in the isolation trenches and on the vertical sidewalls using HDPCVD in about a 4:1 ratio or greater. The oxide layer is isotropically etched to remove the oxide layer from the vertical sidewalls and a portion of the oxide layer from the bottom of the isolation trenches. A substantially uniformly thick isolating oxide layer is formed on the bottom of the isolation trench to isolate the one or more fin structures and substantially reduce fin height variability.
US09257321B2	Singulation apparatus and method A singulation apparatus includes a carrier having a plurality of singulation sites and a scribe line between each of the plurality of singulation sites and an adjacent singulation site. The carrier has a top surface configured to receive a semiconductor substrate thereon. Each of the plurality of singulation sites includes a deformable portion and at least one vacuum hole. The at least one vacuum hole and the deformable portion is configured to form a seal around the at least one vacuum holes when a force is applied. The present disclosure further includes a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, especially for a singulation process.
US09257320B2	Wafer carrier purge apparatuses, automated mechanical handling systems including the same, and methods of handling a wafer carrier during integrated circuit fabrication A wafer carrier purge apparatus, an automated mechanical handling system, and a method of handling a wafer carrier during integrated circuit fabrication are provided. The wafer carrier purge apparatus includes a purge plate adapted for insertion into a carrier storage position. The purge plate includes a gas port and a gas nozzle in fluid communication with the gas port. The gas port receives a gas flow. The gas nozzle is adapted to contact an inlet port of a wafer carrier. The purge plate further includes a vacuum port and a vacuum nozzle in fluid communication with the vacuum port, spaced from the gas nozzle. The vacuum nozzle is adapted to capture gas that escapes from the wafer carrier through an outlet port of the wafer carrier. The purge plate is separate and removable from the carrier storage position.
US09257314B1	Methods and apparatuses for deuterium recovery Novel methods, systems, and apparatuses for reclaiming annealing gases from a high pressure annealing processing system are disclosed. According to an embodiment, the exhaust gasses from the high pressure annealing processing system are directed into a gas reclaiming system only when a precious gas, e.g., deuterium is used. The annealing gas is the separated from other gasses used in the high pressure annealing processing system and is then pressurized, filtered, and purified prior to transferring the gas to a bulk storage distribution unit. In one embodiment, the reclaimed gas is then again provided to the high pressure annealing processing system to anneal the wafers.
US09257306B2	Lead frame, method for manufacturing lead frame, semiconductor device, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device A lead frame includes a die pad and a plurality of lead portions each including an internal terminal and an external terminal. The external terminals of the plurality of lead portions are arranged in an alternately staggered form such that the respective external terminals of a pair of lead portions adjacent to each other are alternatively located on an inside or an outside. A lead portion has an inside region located on the inside of a first external terminal, an outside region located on the outside of the first external terminal, and an external terminal region having the first external terminal. The inside region and the outside region are each formed thin by means of half etching. A maximum thickness of the outside region is larger than a maximum thickness of the inside region.
US09257304B2	Method of manufacturing non-volatile memory device A method for manufacturing a non-volatile memory includes depositing a first conductive film and a protective film on a substrate including a logic area and a cell area, patterning the protective film, depositing a hard mask layer on the first conductive film and the patterned protective film to pattern the hard mask layer, using the patterned hard mask layer to form a logic gate on the logic area, exposing a surface of the first conductive film in the cell area and forming a control gate on the cell area.
US09257302B1	CVD flowable gap fill Provided are methods of filling gaps on a substrate by creating flowable silicon oxide-containing films. The methods involve introducing vapor-phase silicon-containing precursor and oxidant reactants into a reaction chamber containing the substrate under conditions such that a condensed flowable film is formed on the substrate. The flowable film at least partially fills gaps on the substrate. In certain embodiments, the methods involve using a catalyst in the formation of the film. The catalyst may be incorporated into one of the reactants and/or introduced as a separate reactant.
US09257296B2	Etch process with pre-etch transient conditioning A method for etching features with different aspect ratios in an etch layer is provided. A plurality of cycles is provided wherein each cycle comprises a pre-etch transient conditioning of the etch layer, which provides a transient condition of the etch layer, wherein the transient condition has a duration and etching the etch layer for a duration, wherein the duration of the etching with respect to the duration of the transient condition is controlled to control etch aspect ratio dependence.
US09257294B2	Methods and apparatuses for energetic neutral flux generation for processing a substrate Apparatuses and methods for processing substrates are disclosed. A processing apparatus includes a chamber for generating a plasma therein, an electrode associated with the chamber, and a signal generator coupled to the electrode. The signal generator applies a DC pulse to the electrode with sufficient amplitude and sufficient duty cycle of an on-time and an off-time to cause events within the chamber. A plasma is generated from a gas in the chamber responsive to the amplitude of the DC pulse. Energetic ions are generated by accelerating ions of the plasma toward a substrate in the chamber in response to the amplitude of the DC pulse during the on-time. Some of the energetic ions are neutralized to energetic neutrals in response to the DC pulse during the off-time. Some of the energetic neutrals impact the substrate with sufficient energy to cause a chemical reaction on the substrate.
US09257289B2	Lowering parasitic capacitance of replacement metal gate processes The present disclosure provides a method of forming a gate structure of a semiconductor device with reduced gate-contact parasitic capacitance. In a replacement gate scheme, a high-k gate dielectric layer is deposited on a bottom surface and sidewalls of a gate cavity. A metal cap layer and a sacrificial cap layer are deposited sequentially over the high-k gate dielectric layer to form a material stack. After ion implantation in vertical portions of the sacrificial cap layer, at least part of the vertical portions of the material stack is removed. The subsequent removal of a remaining portion of the sacrificial cap layer provides a gate component structure. The vertical portions of the gate component structure do not extend to a top of the gate cavity, thereby significantly reducing gate-contact parasitic capacitance.
US09257287B2	Laser annealing device and method A laser annealing device for compensating wafer heat maps and its method are disclosed. A laser annealing device comprises a pump laser source array including of a plurality of pump laser sources for irradiating a tunable mask, each pump laser source emitting pump laser, an annealing laser source for emitting annealing laser and irradiating the tunable mask, and a tunable mask for transmitting at least part of the annealing laser after being irradiated by the pump laser.
US09257286B2	Supply source and method for enriched selenium ion implantation A novel method for ion implanting isotopically enriched selenium containing source material is provided. The source material is selected and enriched in a specific mass isotope of selenium, whereby the enrichment is above natural abundance levels. The inventive method allows reduced gas consumption and reduced waste. The source material is preferably stored and delivered from a sub-atmospheric storage and delivery device to enhance safety and reliability during the selenium ion implantation process.
US09257284B2	Silicon heterojunction solar cells Methods are described for fabricating HIT solar cells, including double heterojunction and hybrid heterojunction-homojunction solar cells, with very thin single crystal silicon wafers, where the silicon wafer may be less than 80 microns thick, and even less than 50 microns thick. The methods overcome potential issues with handling these very thin wafers by using a process including epitaxial silicon deposition on a growth substrate, partial cell fabrication, attachment to a support substrate and then separation from the growth substrate. Some embodiments of the present invention may include a solar cell device architecture comprising the combination of a heterostructure on the front side of the device with a homojunction at the rear of the device. Furthermore, device performance may be enhanced by including a dielectric stack on the backside of the device for reflecting long wavelength infrared radiation.
US09257282B2	Method of semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. A dielectric layer is formed over a substrate. An interlayer is formed over the dielectric layer. A first photoresist layer with a first opening is formed over the interlayer and a second photoresist layer having a second opening is formed over the first photoresist layer. Spacers are formed along sidewalls of the first opening and the second opening. A first trench is formed in the interlayer by using the spacer along the first opening as an etch mask. A second trench is formed in the interlayer by using the spacer along the second opening as an etch mask. The first trench and the second trench are extended down into the dielectric layer as a lower portion and an upper portion, respectively, of a dielectric trench.
US09257281B2	Methods of fabricating a pattern using the block co-polymer materials A method of fabricating a pattern comprising sequentially forming a pattern formation layer and a neutral layer on over a substrate having in a first regions and a second regions, forming guide patterns on first portions of over the neutral layer in the second regions, forming a first block copolymer layers on over second portions of the neutral layer in the first regions, phase-separating the tint block copolymer layers such that each of the first block copolymer layers includes to form first polymer blocks having a first phase and first polymer blocks having a second phase, removing the guide patterns to form openings that expose the first portions of the neutral layer in the second region, forming a second block copolymer layer on over the phase-separated first block copolymer layers and in the openings, phase-separating the second block copolymer layer into to form second polymer blocks having the first phase and second polymer blocks having the second phase removing the second polymer blocks having the second phase and the first polymer blocks having the second phase, and etching the neutral layer and the pattern formation layer using the first polymer blocks having the first phase and the second polymer blocks having the first phase as an etch masks.
US09257278B2	Method for forming TiN and storage medium When forming a TiN film to be formed as a metallic hard mask for etching a film formed on a substrate to be processed, a first step and a second step are repeated a plurality of times to form a TiN film having reduced film stress. In the first step (step 1), the substrate to be processed is conveyed into a processing chamber, TiCl4 gas and a nitriding gas are fed into the processing chamber, the interior of which being kept in a depressurized state during this time, and a plasma from the gases is generated to form a TiN unit film. In the second step (step 2), a nitriding gas is fed into the processing container, a plasma of the gas is generated, and the TiN unit film is subjected to plasma nitriding.
US09257275B2	Method of manufacturing semiconductor device, substrate processing apparatus, and recording medium A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a thin film containing a predetermined element, boron, carbon, and nitrogen on a substrate by performing a cycle a predetermined number of times. The cycle includes forming a first layer containing boron and a halogen group by supplying a first precursor gas containing boron and the halogen group to the substrate; and forming a second layer containing the predetermined element, boron, carbon, and nitrogen by supplying a second precursor gas containing the predetermined element and an amino group to the substrate and modifying the first layer.
US09257264B2	Harmonic cold plasma devices and associated methods A gas cartridge is described that is configured to provide sufficient gas to support cold plasma generation for a specific medical process. The gas cartridge has a seal that is pierced upon connection of the gas cartridge to the cold plasma delivery system. Different embodiments are described that use different connection locations between the gas cartridge and the cold plasma delivery system. A shroud is also described that shields the user if the cold plasma delivery system is dropped and the gas cartridge ruptures. Use of an ID system assists in ensuring that the correct gas mixture, correct gas cartridge and correct power supply settings are used for the particular medical treatment process.
US09257260B2	Method and system for adaptively scanning a sample during electron beam inspection A system for adaptive electron beam scanning may include an inspection sub-system configured to scan an electron beam across the surface of a sample. The inspection sub-system may include an electron beam source, a sample stage, a set of electron-optic elements, a detector assembly and a controller communicatively coupled to one or more portions of the inspection sub-system. The controller may assess one or more characteristics of one or more portions of an area of the sample for inspection and, responsive to the assessed one or more characteristics, adjust one or more scan parameters of the inspection sub-system.
US09257259B2	Electron beam irradiation method and scanning electronic microscope Provided is an electron beam scanning method for forming an electric field for appropriately guiding electrons emitted from a pattern to the outside of the pattern, and also provided is a scanning electron microscope. When an electron beam for forming charge is irradiated to a sample, a first electron beam is irradiated to a first position (1) and a second position (2) having the center (104) of a pattern formed on the sample as a symmetrical point, and is then additionally irradiated to two central positions (3, 4) between the first and second irradiation position, the two central positions (3, 4) being on the same radius centered on the symmetrical point as are the first and second positions. Further, after that, the irradiation of the first electron beam to the central positions between existing scanning positions on the radius is repeated.
US09257255B2	Single-pole x-ray emitter A single-pole x-ray emitter includes an emitter housing, in which an x-ray tube with a vacuum housing and a drive motor are arranged. A cathode that generates an electron beam, and a rotating anode that is struck by the electron beam along a focal path are arranged in the vacuum housing. The vacuum housing includes a drive-side housing wall and an anode-side housing wall, and the rotating anode is held in a torsionally rigid manner on an anode tube that is rotatably mounted on a stationary part of a rotor shaft that is coupled to the drive motor. The stationary part of the rotor shaft is joined to the anode-side housing wall of the vacuum housing via a ring-shaped fixing. The anode tube incorporates a temperature compensation element. The focal path is arranged on a side of the rotating anode that faces away from the anode-side housing wall.
US09257254B2	Transmissive target, X-ray generating tube including transmissive target, X-ray generating apparatus, and radiography system A transmissive target includes a target layer configured to include target metal and generate X-ray when receiving electrons and a substrate configured to support the target layer and include carbon as a main component. A carbide region including carbide of the target metal and a non-carbide region including the target metal are disposed in a mixed manner on a boundary surface between the substrate and the target layer on a target layer side.
US09257248B2	Semiconductor switch and power conversion apparatus According to one embodiment, a switch includes a first element with a first withstand voltage, a second element whose withstand voltage is lower than the first withstand voltage, a diode which is connected between a positive electrode of the first element and a positive electrode of the second element in such a manner that a direction from the positive electrode of the second element toward the positive electrode of the first element is a forward direction and whose withstand voltage is equal to the first withstand voltage, a negative electrode of the first element and a negative electrode of the second element being connected, and a circuit configured to apply a positive voltage to the positive terminal output a pulse lower than the first withstand voltage when the first element goes off.
US09257244B2	Electronic device with power switch A power switch includes an operating button, an elastic member, a printed circuit board, a support member, and a fixing module. The operating button includes a connecting portion. The elastic member includes a fixing portion and an elastic portion. The printed circuit board includes a main body and a contacting element. The support member includes a base portion and a receiving portion perpendicularly extending from the base portion, and the base portion defines a hole communicating with the receiving portion. The fixing module includes a cover and a contacting member formed on the cover. The connecting portion of the operating button is fixed to the main body and is received in the hole of the support member and the receiving portion. The fixing portion of the elastic member is sandwiched between the connecting portion of the operating button and the main body.
US09257243B2	Operating device, in particular for a vehicle component The operating device (10), in particular for a vehicle component or generally for a human/machine interface, is provided with at least one pushbutton (28), which has a depressible pushbutton element (26). In addition, the operating device (10) has a guide element (18), which defines an accommodating area (24) in which the pushbutton element (26) is at least partially accommodated and in which the pushbutton element (26) is guided, and a capacitive proximity sensor (36) with an electrode (34) for detecting an object approaching the pushbutton element (26), in particular a hand or a finger of a hand. The electrode (34) is arranged outside the accommodating area (24) of the guide element (18).
US09257239B2	Binder composition for electrode An object of the invention is to provide an electrode material slurry for preparation of lithium-ion secondary batteries favorable in properties and superior in storage stability and an aqueous binder composition for lithium-ion secondary batteries that can be used for production of lithium-ion secondary batteries superior in discharge rate characteristics and cycle characteristics.Provided is a binder composition for lithium-ion secondary battery electrode, comprising polymer particles containing (a) an ethylenic unsaturated carboxylic ester compound and (b) an ethylenic unsaturated sulfonic acid compound at a (a)/(b) mass ratio of (98 to 91)/(2 to 9) in a total (a) and (b) amount of 70 mass % or more, based on the monomeric raw materials.
US09257236B2	Organic dye for a dye-sensitized solar cell Organic dye for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) comprising at least one electron-acceptor unit and at least one π-conjugated unit. Said organic dye is particularly useful in a dye-sensitized photoelectric transformation element which, in its turn, can be used in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC).
US09257235B2	Electrochemical capacitor An electrochemical capacitor includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode disposed proximally to the positive electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the positive electrode and the negative electrode are immersed in the non-aqueous electrolyte, and a case is presented in the energy storage system to accommodate the non-aqueous electrolyte, the positive electrode, and the negative electrode. The positive electrode has a porous matrix having a plurality of micrometer sized pores and nanostructured metal oxides, wherein the porous matrix is a 3-dimensional (3D) mesoporous metal or a 3D open-structured carbonaceous material, and the nanostructured metal oxides are coated inside the plurality of pores of the porous matrix. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes organic compounds having at least one acylamino group and lithium salts characterized as LiX, wherein Li is lithium and X comprises SCN−; the organic compounds are cyclic compounds; and the cyclic compounds comprise 2-oxazolidinone, ethyleneurea, or the combination thereof.
US09257233B2	Method for manufacturing laminated ceramic capacitor A method of manufacturing a laminated ceramic capacitor having a dielectric ceramic which contains, as its main constituent, a perovskite-type compound containing Ca and Zr and optionally containing Sr, Ba, and Ti, and further contains Si, Mn, and Al, and when the total content of Zr and Ti is regarded as 100 parts by mol, the total content (100×m) of Ca, Sr, and Ba meets 1.002≦m≦1.100 in terms of parts by mol, the Si content n meets 0.5≦n≦10 in terms of parts by mol, the Mn content u meets 0.5≦u≦10 in terms of parts by mol, and the Al content w meets 0.02≦w≦4 in terms of parts by mol, m and n satisfying −0.4≦100(m−1)−n≦3.9.
US09257232B2	Multilayer electronic components with an inhibitor-influencing layer and method for manufacturing the same A multilayer electronic component is provided having a structure in which a dielectric layer and an internal electrode layer are alternately laminated. The internal electrode layer includes metal powder and an inhibitor. The inhibitor includes 0.5 to 20 mol % of a Ca component based on 100 mol % of a barium titanate (BT) base material. A method for manufacturing the same is also provided.
US09257231B2	High energy capacitors The following invention relates to high energy capacitors with increased thermal resilience over conventional bulk ceramic capacitors, particularly capacitors that may be formed into a three dimensional shape to fit inside an existing device. The capacitor is provided with first and second electrodes which have a plurality of interlocating protrusions, which increase the relative surface area of the electrodes. The first and second electrodes and interlocating protrusions are provided with through holes. The devices are filled with a flowable dielectric material.
US09257230B2	Multilayer ceramic capacitor and board having the same mounted thereon A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body including a plurality of dielectric layers and having first and second main surfaces, first and second side surfaces, and first and second end surfaces; a capacitor part formed in the ceramic body and including first and second internal electrodes, the first internal electrode having a first lead exposed to the second main surface and the second internal electrode having a second lead exposed to the first main surface; resistor parts including first and second internal connection conductors formed on the same dielectric layers among the plurality of dielectric layers in the ceramic body; and first to fourth external electrodes, first and third connection terminals, and second and fourth connection terminals. The capacitor part and the resistor parts may be connected in series to one another.
US09257227B2	Method for manufacturing rare-earth magnet Provided is a manufacturing method of a rare-earth magnet with high coercive force, including a first step of pressing-forming powder as a rare-earth magnet material to form a compact S, the powder including a RE-Fe—B main phase MP (RE: at least one type of Nd and Pr) and a RE-X alloy (X: metal element) grain boundary phase surrounding the main phase; and second step of bringing a modifier alloy M into contact with the compact S or a rare-earth magnet precursor C obtained by hot deformation processing of the compact S, followed by heat treatment to penetrant diffuse melt of the modifier alloy M into the compact S or the rare-earth magnet precursor C to manufacture the rare-earth magnet RM, the modifier alloy including a RE-Y (Y: metal element and not including a heavy rare-earth element) alloy having a eutectic or a RE-rich hyper-eutectic composition.
US09257225B2	Methods and configurations of LC combined transformers and effective utilizations of cores therein The LC combined transformer is a combination of capacitors, inductors and an electrically-isolated mutual inductor, i.e. conventional transformer; which in principle is a unity-coupled mutual capacitor or a cascade connection of an ideal transformer and unity-coupled mutual capacitor(s). To improve the imperfections of widely-used transformers, by employing the simplest passive-circuit design to attain a perfectly-functional match between mutual capacitors and the mutual inductor, this invention achieves optimal features of current or/and voltage transformation, and introduces a new function of waveform conversion from square to quasi-sine. The ideal current transformer herein is suitable for sinusoidal current measurements, the ideal voltage transformer herein suitable for sinusoidal voltage measurements, and they also could be upgraded to ideal transformers for both current and voltage transformations. This transformer can be designed as power transferable as well as waveform convertible, applicable in power systems or power electronics. Herein also states the design approach of integrated inductor and mutual inductor, and the use of push-pull inductor, materials being fully utilized and sizes decreased.
US09257223B2	Inductor An inductor includes soft magnetic alloy powder-containing resin that contains amorphous soft magnetic alloy powder, which resin is used as a sealing material that seals a coil wound around a winding core of the core. This soft magnetic alloy powder-containing resin contains two groups of large and small particles having a first peak and second peak in their particle size distribution, where the particle size corresponding to the second peak is equal to or smaller than one-half the particle size corresponding to the first peak, and the magnitude ratio (abundance ratio) of the second peak and first peak is 0.2 or more but 0.6 or less. The inductor demonstrates improved DC superimposition characteristics and does not cause sealing irregularities.
US09257217B2	Inductor element, method for manufacturing inductor element, and wiring board An inductor element has a support layer, a first conductive layer formed on the support layer and having a first inductor pattern and a first pad at one end of the first inductor pattern, a first insulation layer formed on the support layer and first conductive layer and including a magnetic material layer and a resin layer, a second conductive layer formed on the first insulation layer and having a second inductor pattern and a second pad at one end of the second inductor pattern, and a via conductor formed through the first insulation layer and connecting the first and second conductive layers. The magnetic material layer is covering at least part of the first inductor pattern, the resin layer is covering the first pad and has opening exposing at least part of the first pad, and the via conductor is formed in the opening of the first insulation layer.
US09257214B1	Bus bar extender An apparatus for extending a bus bar is disclosed. The apparatus may include a first extension piece and a second extension piece. The first extension piece may have multiple surfaces. A first surface may have a first group of receiving portions, a second may have a second group of receiving portions, and a third surface may have a curvature that offsets the third surface from the second surface. The second extension piece may also have multiple surfaces. The second extension piece may have a first surface that includes a first group of receiving portions, a second surface that includes a second group of receiving portions, and a third surface that is substantially parallel to the second surface and includes a third group of receiving portions. When connected to a bus bar, the first extension piece and the second extension piece may be substantially adjacent to one another.
US09257212B2	Dielectric material with low dielectric loss The invention provides a dielectric material with low dielectric loss. The dielectric material comprises (i) 40˜80 parts by weight of polyphenylene ether resin having a Mw of 1000˜7000, a Mn of 1000˜4000 and Mw/Mn=1.0˜1.8; (ii) 5˜30 parts by weight of bismaleimide resins; and (iii) 5˜30 parts by weight of polymer additives, wherein the dielectric material has Dk of 3.75˜4.0 and Df of 0.0025˜0.0045. The dielectric material is suitably used in prepregs and insulation layers of a circuit board, because it has high Tg, low thermal expansion coefficient, low moisture absorption and excellent dielectric properties such as Dk and Df.
US09257199B2	Canary circuit with passgate transistor variation A canary circuit with passgate transistor variation is described herein. The canary circuit includes a memory canary circuit that has a plurality of bitcells. Each bitcell has at least a passgate transistor that is driven by a wordline voltage. The canary circuit further includes a regulator circuit that outputs a wordline voltage that accounts for a predetermined offset of a threshold voltage of the passgate transistor. In an embodiment, the regulator circuit is a subtractor circuit that generates the wordline voltage from a reference voltage based in part on the threshold voltage variation of the passgate transistor.
US09257185B2	Nonvolatile memory device, nonvolatile memory system, program method thereof, and operation method of controller controlling the same According to example embodiments, a nonvolatile memory device includes a first memory cell configured to store a first data pattern, a second memory cell configured to be programmed using a program voltage, and a coupling program control unit. The coupling program control unit may be configured to perform a verification operation for verifying whether the first memory cell is programmed with the first data pattern. The verification operation may provide to the first memory cell a verification voltage corresponding to the first data pattern. The coupling program control unit may be configured to end programming the second memory cell when the verification operation on the first memory cell indicates a pass.
US09257183B2	Semiconductor storage device having nand-type flash memory A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cell transistors that are connected to each other in series, a plurality of word lines that are connected to the plurality of memory cell transistors, and a control circuit. The control circuit applies a first potential to a selected one of the plurality of word lines. The control circuit applies a second potential that is higher than the first potential to the word lines that are not selected at different timings before the first potential is applied to the selected word line.
US09257182B2	Memory devices and their operation having trim registers associated with access operation commands Methods, and apparatus configured to perform methods, including loading trim settings into a trim register of a memory device associated with a command for an access operation, receiving the command for the access operation at the memory device, setting trims for the access operation in response to the trim settings of the trim register associated with the command for the access operation, and performing the access operation using the trims for the access operation; and including performing an access operation on a memory device using trims corresponding to trim settings, receiving a command to suspend the access operation, loading updated trim settings into a particular trim register of the memory device, setting updated trims for the access operation in response to the updated trim settings of the particular trim register, and resuming the access operation using the updated trims.
US09257180B2	Random telegraph signal noise reduction scheme for semiconductor memories Embodiments are provided that include a method including providing a first pulsed gate signal to a selected memory cell, wherein the pulsed gate signal alternates between a first voltage level and a second voltage level during a time period and sensing a data line response to determine data stored on the selected memory of cells. Further embodiments provide a system including a memory device, having a regulator circuit coupled to a plurality of access lines of a NAND memory cell, and a switching circuit configured to sequentially bias at least one of the plurality of the access lines between a first voltage level and a second voltage level based on an input signal.
US09257178B1	Devices and methods for writing to a memory cell of a memory A method for writing to a memory cell of a memory is disclosed. The method includes generating a write voltage, generating a write current that flows from one of a bit line and a source line of the memory, generating a mirror current that mirrors the write current, generating a compliance current, generating a write detect voltage based on the mirror current and the compliance current, detecting the write detect voltage, when it is detected that the write detect voltage is less or greater than a threshold value, permitting application of the write voltage to the memory cell of the memory, and when it is detected that the write detect voltage increases or decreases to the threshold value, inhibiting the application of the write voltage to the memory cell of the memory. A device that performs the method is also disclosed.
US09257174B2	Tracking bit cell and method A method includes generating a first edge of a first tracking signal for a tracking cell, generating a first edge of a second tracking signal for the tracking cell based on the first edge of the first tracking signal, generating a first edge of a cell signal for a memory cell, generating a second edge of the first tracking signal based on the first edge of the second tracking signal, and generating a second edge of the cell signal based on the second edge of the first tracking signal. A transistor in the tracking cell operates at a tracking voltage value and a transistor in the memory cell operates at a memory voltage value different from the tracking voltage value.
US09257165B2	Assisted local source line In some examples, a memory device has a memory array configured to include sets of bit cells grouped based in part on an arrangement of local source lines. Each of the groups of cells may include an assist bit having a lower impedance than the other bit cells of the group to cause current distributed by the local source lines to be largely provided to the assist bit. In some examples, the assist bit include a shorted tunnel junction and in other examples, multiple assist bits may be connected by one or more bridge assisted bit lines.
US09257164B2	Circuits and methods for DQS autogating In one aspect, a method includes receiving a differential strobe signal including first and second components; buffering, by a first buffer, both the first and second components; and buffering, by a second buffer, the first component. The method includes receiving, by a control logic block, the output of the second buffer. The method includes, after a period when the values of both the first and second components are at a first logic state, but before receiving a burst of clock edges in the differential strobe signal, detecting a transition in the first component from the first logic state to a second logic state, and in response to the detected transition, asserting an enable signal. The method further includes receiving, by a gating logic block, the enable signal and the output of the first buffer, and, when the enable signal is asserted, un-gating the output of the first buffer.
US09257161B2	Mechanism for enabling full data bus utilization without increasing data granularity A memory is disclosed comprising a first memory portion, a second memory portion, and an interface, wherein the memory portions are electrically isolated from each other and the interface is capable of receiving a row command and a column command in the time it takes to cycle the memory once. By interleaving access requests (comprising row commands and column commands) to the different portions of the memory, and by properly timing these access requests, it is possible to achieve full data bus utilization in the memory without increasing data granularity.
US09257160B2	Precharge circuit and semiconductor memory apparatus using the same A precharge circuit may include a precharge control unit, a first precharge unit, and a second precharge unit. The precharge control unit may generate a read precharge signal and a write precharge signal in response to a read signal, a write signal, and a precharge signal. The first precharge unit may precharge a data input/output line to a first voltage level in response to the read precharge signal. The second precharge unit may precharge the data input/output line to either a second voltage level or a third voltage level in response to the write precharge signal.
US09257158B2	Semiconductor device A semiconductor device includes: a plurality of repair fuse circuits configured to each program a repair target address; and an enable signal generation circuit configured to generate at least one enable signal in response to a source signal and provide the enable signal to each of the repair fuse circuits in common. Since the semiconductor device may iteratively generate a rupture enable signal through a feedback scheme, the area occupied by a circuit, such as a shift register or a D flip-flop may be saved.
US09257157B2	Memory storage device, memory controller, and temperature management method A temperature management method suitable for a memory storage device having a rewritable non-volatile memory module and a memory controller used for controlling the rewritable non-volatile memory module are provided. The temperature management method includes detecting and determining whether the hot-spot temperature of the memory storage device is higher than a predetermined temperature; and when affirmative, making the memory controller execute a cooling process, so as to reduce the hot-spot temperature of the memory storage device. Accordingly, the problem of heat buildup of the (rewritable non-volatile) memory storage device can be mitigated, as well as the problems of data loss and device aging of the (rewritable non-volatile) memory storage device.
US09257155B2	Integrated circuit having voltage generation circuitry for memory cell array, and method of operating and/or controlling same A method of generating a voltage as well as an integrated circuit device (e.g., a logic device or a memory device) having a memory cell array which includes (i) a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell array including (i) a plurality of memory cells, arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and (ii) a plurality of bit lines, wherein each bit line includes a plurality of memory cells. The integrated circuit further includes voltage generation circuitry, coupled to a plurality of the bit lines, to (i) apply a first voltage to a first group of associated bit lines, and (ii) apply a second voltage to a second group of associated bit lines, and (iii) generate a third voltage by connecting the first group of associated bit lines and the second group of associated bit lines, and (iv) output the third voltage.
US09257152B2	Memory architectures having wiring structures that enable different access patterns in multiple dimensions Multi-dimensional memory architectures are provided having access wiring structures that enable different access patterns in multiple dimensions. Furthermore, three-dimensional multiprocessor systems are provided having multi-dimensional cache memory architectures with access wiring structures that enable different access patterns in multiple dimensions.
US09257149B2	Broadcast pause and resume for enhanced television Embodiments of the present invention provide for broadcast pause and resume for enhanced television. In some embodiments, software key frames identifying a state of a browser at a plurality of points in time may be used for synchronizing a series of graphics to a video stream. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09257146B1	Data storage device comprising sequence detector compensating for inter-track interference A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks. A first data track is read to generate a first read signal, the first read signal is sampled to generate first read signal samples, a first data sequence is detected based on the first read signal samples, and the first data sequence is converted into corresponding first expected samples. A second data track adjacent the first data track is read to generate a second read signal, the second read signal is sampled to generate second read signal samples, and a second data sequence is detected based on the second read signal samples and the first expected samples.
US09257141B2	Polarization conversion element A polarization conversion element includes a phase reversal element and a polarization plane rotation element including a liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal layer has a plurality of regions disposed along circumferential direction with the intersection point of the polarization plane rotation element and the optical axis as the center with alignment directions different from each other. When electric voltage in accordance with the wavelength of linear polarization incident on the polarization plane rotation element is applied, each region rotates the polarization plane of the polarization component transmitted by each region, and thereby converts linear polarization to radial polarization. The phase reversal element reverses, among the first and the second annular portions alternately disposed along the radial direction with the optical axis as the center, the phase of light incident on the first annular portion relative to the phase of light incident on the second annular portion.
US09257140B2	Systems and methods for determining a position error of a read/write head A system for tracking a position error of a read/write head. The read/write head is configured to read data recorded to a data layer of a recording medium and read servo information recorded to a dedicated servo layer of the recording medium. To read the servo information, the read/write head is configured to read, from a first track, a first servo signal including first servo bursts of a predetermined frequency, and read, from a second track adjacent to the first track, a second servo signal including second servo bursts of the predetermined frequency. The first servo bursts are orthogonal to the second servo bursts. A position error signal determination circuit is configured to determine the position error using at least one of the first servo signal and the second servo signal.
US09257138B1	Slider assembly and method of manufacturing same A substrate assembly includes a chip coupled with a carrier, a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and a support structure mounted to the second surface of the substrate and in contact with the carrier. A method of bonding a chip and carrier assembly to a substrate includes contacting the chip and carrier assembly with the bond material and applying heat and force on the chip and carrier assembly until the support structure is mounted on the second surface of the substrate and in contact with the carrier. A substrate assembly includes a chip coupled with a carrier, a substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and one of the carrier or the substrate comprising a trench having a periphery, wherein the second surface of the substrate supports the carrier along the periphery of the trench.
US09257137B2	Magnetic writer having multiple gaps with more uniform magnetic fields across the gaps A magnetic device according to one embodiment includes a source of flux; a magnetic pole having two or more gaps; and a low reluctance path positioned towards at least one of the gaps and riot positioned towards at least one other of the gaps for affecting a magnetic field formed at the at least one of the gaps when the source of flux is generating flux. Other disclosed embodiments include devices having coil turns with a non-uniform placement in the magnetic yoke for altering a magnetic field formed at the at least one of the gaps during writing. In further embodiments, a geometry of the magnetic pole near or at one of the gaps is different than a geometry of the magnetic pole near or at another of the gaps to help equalize fields formed at the gaps when the source of flux is generating flux.
US09257135B2	Systems and methods for reading data from a storage medium A system for reading data from a storage medium. The system includes a reader and a data determination circuit. The reader is configured to receive a first signal from a first position relative to the storage medium and read a second signal from a second position relative to the storage medium. Each of the first signal and the second signal includes a combination of first data stored in a first track and second data stored in a second track. The data determination circuit is configured to determine third data stored at a predetermined position using the combination of the first data stored in the first track and the second data stored in the second track as received in the first signal and the combination of the first data stored in the first track and the second data stored in the second track as received in the second signal.
US09257133B1	Secure input to a computing device A computing device senses speech or other user input. One or more physical variable pertaining to a user of the computing device are also sensed, and respective signals are analyzed or compared to the user input. The analysis determines if the user input is likely that of an authorized user, and assigns a confidence metric to that determination. The computing device may then perform actions corresponding to the speech or user input content in accordance with the determination.
US09257130B2	Audio encoding/decoding with syntax portions using forward aliasing cancellation A codec supporting switching between time-domain aliasing cancellation transform coding mode and time-domain coding mode is made less liable to frame loss by adding a further syntax portion to the frames, depending on which the parser of the decoder may select between a first action of expecting the current frame to have, and thus reading forward aliasing cancellation data from the current frame and a second action of not-expecting the current frame to have, and thus not reading forward aliasing cancellation data from the current frame. In other words, while a bit of coding efficiency is lost due to the provision of the new syntax portion, it is merely the new syntax portion which provides for the ability to use the codec in case of a communication channel with frame loss. Without the new syntax portion, the decoder would not be capable of decoding any data stream portion after a loss and will crash in trying to resume parsing. Thus, in an error prone environment, the coding efficiency is prevented from vanishing by the introduction of the new syntax portion.
US09257128B2	Apparatus and method for coding and decoding multi object audio signal with multi channel Provided are an apparatus and method for coding and decoding a multi object audio signal with multi channel. The apparatus includes: a multi channel encoding means for down-mixing an audio signal including a plurality of channels, generating a spatial cue for the audio signal including the plurality of channels, and generating first rendering information including the generated spatial cue; and a multi object encoding unit for down-mixing an audio signal including a plurality of objects, which includes the down-mixed signal from the multi channel encoding unit, generating a spatial cue for the audio signal including the plurality of objects, and generating second rendering information including the generated spatial cue, wherein the multichannel encoding unit generates a spatial cue for the audio signal including the plurality of objects regardless of a Coder-DECoder (CODEC) scheme the limits the multi channel encoding unit.
US09257127B2	Apparatus and method for coding and decoding multi-object audio signal with various channel including information bitstream conversion Provided is an apparatus and method for coding and decoding multi-object audio signals with various channels and providing backward compatibility with a conventional spatial audio coding (SAC) bitstream. The apparatus includes: an audio object coding unit for coding audio-object signals inputted to the coding apparatus based on a spatial cue and creating rendering information for the coded audio-object signals, where the rendering information provides a coding apparatus including spatial cue information for audio-object signals; channel information of the audio-object signals; and identification information of the audio-object signals, and used in coding and decoding of the audio signals.
US09257125B2	Audio frame timing correction method and wireless device An audio frame timing correction method and a wireless device are provided. A controller generates a reference clock for audio coding/decoding such that the reference clock runs fast and moved forward within an audio data sampling interval with the remaining time becoming a margin of the interval. An audio codec decodes demodulated data based on the reference clock, and codes an audio signal based on the reference clock. A demodulator detects wireless frame deviation and determines an adjustment timing whereat the wireless frame symbol timing and the audio frame timing are corrected based on the deviation and the margin. Upon the adjustment timing, the controller synchronizes audio sampling timing with the wireless frame symbol timing.
US09257123B2	Vocoder processing method, semiconductor device, and electronic device In a semiconductor device, a vocoder processing unit requests, after executing a first vocoder process being one of an encoding process and a decoding process and before executing a following second vocoder process being other one of the encoding process and the decoding process, a cache memory to prefetch first program data to be used for the second vocoder process from an external memory.
US09257122B1	Automatic prediction and notification of audience-perceived speaking behavior Systems and methods are provided for indicating an audience member's perception of a speaker's speech by receiving a speech sample associated with a speaker and then by analyzing the speech to predict whether an audience would perceive the speech as exemplary of good or poor behavior. This can be also used to notify people when they exhibit good or poor behaviors. For example, good or poor behaviors could include: condescending, whining, nagging, weak, strong, refined, kind, dull, energetic, interesting, boring, engaging, manipulative, likeable, not likeable, sincere, artificial, soothing, abrasive, pleasing, aggravating, inspiring, unexciting, opaque, clear, etc. This invention has applicability to areas such as consumer self-improvement, corporate training, presentation skills training, counseling, and novelty.
US09257120B1	Speaker verification using co-location information Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying a user in a multi-user environment. One of the methods includes receiving, by a first user device, an audio signal encoding an utterance, obtaining, by the first user device, a first speaker model for a first user of the first user device, obtaining, by the first user device for a second user of a second user device that is co-located with the first user device, a second speaker model for the second user or a second score that indicates a respective likelihood that the utterance was spoken by the second user, and determining, by the first user device, that the utterance was spoken by the first user using (i) the first speaker model and the second speaker model or (ii) the first speaker model and the second score.
US09257117B2	Speech analytics with adaptive filtering Contact center agents often work in close proximity to other agents. As a primary agent is engaged in a call, a neighboring agent speech may be picked up by the primary agent's microphone. Contact centers using automated speech recognition systems may monitor the agent's speech for key terms and, if detected, respond accordingly. Determining a primary agent spoke a key term, when the true speaker of the key term is a neighboring agent, may cause errors or other problems. Characterizing at least the primary agent's voice and then, once a key term is detected, determining if it was the primary agent that spoke the key term, may help to reduce the errors. Additionally, computational requirements may be reduced as non-key terms may be quickly discarded and optionally, key terms determined to not have been spoke by the primary agent, may also be discarded without further processing.
US09257104B1	Layered wood and silk guitar picks A composite plectrum with a strum direction is disclosed. The plectrum is generally triangular in shape and includes a first layer of wood having a first grain direction, a layer of silk fabric with silk threads that are woven at angles to one another, and a second layer of wood with a grain in a second grain direction. The second layer of wood being adhered to the layer of silk while at 90 degrees to the first layer of wood, so that the layer of silk extends between the two layers of wood and is adhered to both layers of wood.
US09257102B2	Fully-adjustable capo for stringed musical instruments A tuning apparatus for a musical instrument is provided. The apparatus includes a clamp, a plurality of string-contacting members, and a string-contacting member spacing adjustment mechanism. The clamp removably attaches to a desired longitudinal position on the instrument's neck. Each member is rotatably supported by the clamp and rotates thereon independently of the other members. Each member also adjustably impinges upon and urges a given string or course thereof on the instrument toward a user-selectable one of three different longitudinal positions on the neck's front surface, these positions including a home position, a home−1 position, and a home+1 position. The mechanism allows a user to adjust the location of the members as a group on the clamp so as to substantially center the plane of rotation of each member over a different string or course thereof, and to maintain substantially equal spacing between each different adjacent pair of members.
US09257101B2	Method for reducing graphics rendering failures A method and electronic device employing the method of processing a frame of graphics for display is provided that includes developing a frame in a first software frame processing stage following a first vertical blanking (VBL) heartbeat, issuing a command indicating the first stage is complete, and performing a final software frame processing stage without waiting for a subsequent VBL heartbeat. The method may alternatively include performing the final software frame processing stage regardless as to whether a target framebuffer is available, performing all but final hardware frame processing stages regardless as to whether the target framebuffer is in use, and performing the final hardware processing stage if the target framebuffer is not in use.
US09257100B2	Display device and driving method thereof A display device includes: a display panel displaying a still image and a motion picture; a display panel which displays a still image and a motion picture; a signal controller which controls signals to drive the display panel; and a graphics processing unit which transmits input image data to the signal controller, where the signal controller includes a frame memory which stores compressed image data generated by compressing the input image data, and a mixer which mixes compression recovered image data generated by recovering the compressed image data and the input image data to generate mixed image data.
US09257097B2	Remote rendering for efficient use of wireless bandwidth for wireless docking Methods, systems, and devices are described for remote display of content in a wireless network. A source device capable of displaying content may identify one or more rendering instructions for content to be displayed remotely on a sink device. The source device may transmit the one or more rendering instructions to the sink device via a wireless peer-to-peer connection. The sink device may receive the one or more rendering instructions and may execute the one or more rendering instructions to render a display of at least part of the content. Further, the source device may receive data from the sink device via the wireless peer-to-peer connection. The identifying of the one or more rendering instructions by the source device may thus include identifying at least one rendering instruction based at least in part on the received data.
US09257095B2	Display device with a backlight A display includes a backlight portion having at least one broad spectrum emitter (such as white) and at least one narrow spectrum emitter (such as red, green, and blue), a liquid crystal panel for displaying an image by spatial light modulation, and control electronics configured to receive input image data and output control signals to both the backlight portion and liquid crystal panel. The control electronics is configured to use color rendering capabilities of the liquid crystal panel under illumination from each of the emitter types individually to calculate a minimum power combination of emission from each emitter type required to display the input image data. The control electronics is further configured to modify the input image data according to the calculated minimum power combination of emitter powers so a resulting display of colors in the image data remains despite changing illumination conditions.
US09257092B2	Method and system for enhancing user experience for remoting technologies The disclosure herein describes a client-side system that enhances user experience on a remoting client without consuming additional network bandwidth. During operation, the system receives a sequence of frame updates for a display screen, and determines a sequence of frames corresponding to the frame updates. The system further adaptively applies one or more image enhancing techniques to the sequence of frames based on available network bandwidth, frame refresh rate, or image quality. The image enhancement techniques include predicting a frame based on previously received frames, interpolating a frame based on at least two buffered frames, and reducing appearance of artifacts in a received frame, thereby reducing visual artifacts.
US09257088B2	Display panel and method of driving the same A display panel includes: a first pixel including: a first high pixel configured to represent a first high gray level; and a first low pixel configured to represent a first low gray level; and a second pixel adjacent the first pixel in a first direction, the second pixel including: a second high pixel configured to represent a second high gray level based on a second data voltage and the common voltage in response to the first gate signal; and a second low pixel configured to represent a second low gray level based on the second data voltage, the common voltage, and a second divided voltage different from the first divided voltage in response to the first gate signal.
US09257085B2	Electronic circuit, display device, electronic device, and method for driving electronic circuit To control the state of an input signal and output signal of a sequential circuit in order to prevent a malfunction of an electronic circuit. An electronic circuit includes a sequential circuit and a control circuit. A first signal, a second signal, and a third signal are input to the sequential circuit as a start signal, a clock signal, and a reset signal, respectively. The sequential circuit outputs, as an output signal, a fourth signal whose state is set in accordance with the state of the inputted first signal, second signal, and third signal. The control circuit controls the state of the third signal input to the sequential circuit.
US09257077B2	Liquid crystal display apparatus and driving method thereof An LCD apparatus has a first scan line transmitting a first scan signal, a second scan line transmitting a second scan signal, a data line intersecting the first and second scan lines, a switch element electrically coupled to the first scan line and the data line, a pixel electrode electrically coupled to the switch element, a coupling capacitance electrically coupled to the pixel electrode and the second scan line. The second scan line has three different voltage levels. When the first scan line enables the switch element, the pixel electrode receives a data signal through the data line. When the second scan signal switches to the third voltage level from the second voltage level, the pixel electrode is negative polarity, and when the second scan signal switches to the second voltage level from the third voltage level, the pixel electrode is positive polarity.
US09257073B2	Display panel driving method, display apparatus, display panel driving apparatus and electronic apparatus A display panel driving method for controlling the total light emitting period length within a one-field period includes placing a first light emission period, a second light emission period, and a third light emission period within the one-field period, and adjusting, in a state in which a period length from a starting timing of the first light emission period to an ending timing of the third light emission period is at least 25% and at most 75% of a one-field period length, a first no-light emission period between the first light emission period and the second light emission period and a second no-light emission period between the second light emission period and the third light emission period.
US09257071B2	Semiconductor device and method for driving semiconductor device One electrode of SW1 is connected to a first wiring, and the other electrode of the SW1 is connected to one electrode of SW2, one electrode of second capacitor, and a gate electrode of a transistor. The other electrode of the SW2 is electrically connected to one electrode of SW3 and one electrode of first capacitor. The other electrode of the SW3 is connected to the other electrode of the second capacitor and one electrode of SW4. The other electrode of the SW4 is connected to a source electrode of the transistor and one electrode of SW5. The other electrode of the SW5 is connected to the other electrode of the first capacitor, an anode electrode of a load, and one electrode of SW6. The other electrode of the SW6 is connected to a fourth wiring. A drain electrode of the transistor is connected to a second wiring.
US09257067B2	Light source driving circuit of light emitting semiconductor and backlight module A light source driving circuit of light emitting semiconductor and a backlight module are provided. The light source driving circuit of light emitting semiconductor includes a driving control circuit and a constant current driving circuit coupled to the driving control circuit for controlling a current flowing through the light emitting semiconductor. When the driving control circuit receives a display-mode-switch signal which has an indication for switching from a present display mode to a new display mode, the driving control circuit controls the constant current driving circuit such that in the process of switching from the present display mode to the new display mode, the current flowing through the light emitting semiconductor changes gradually.
US09257064B2	Stereoscopic image display A stereoscopic image display includes a liquid crystal display panel including a plurality of pixels, each of which is divided into a main pixel unit and an switchable black stripe, a data driving circuit, a gate driving circuit, and a 3D control voltage generation circuit, which supplies AC voltages, of which phases are sequentially shifted, to a plurality of 3D control lines in a 3D mode.
US09257062B2	Transportable sign A transportable sign (1) is provided which comprises a base portion (3), a support portion (5), and a display portion (7), In the sign, the display portion comprises a carrier (9) configured to carry a display medium (11) to display an image (13), e.g. a board, a cloth or a sail etc. The base portion is configured to position the sign supporting the support portion and the display portion, and the support portion is configured to support the display portion, when mounted to or on the base portion. In the sign, the display portion is mounted or mountable to the support portion to form a transformable assembly such that, when mounted to the base portion, the display portion is positionable in and movable between at least a first, relatively high, position and a second, relatively low, position with respect to the base portion.
US09257060B2	Fixed window badge A badge for displaying indicia. The badge includes a base plate that defines a landing area that has a recessed portion. The badge also includes a top panel coupled to the base plate. The top panel defines an at least partially transparent portion. A strip is removably disposed between the base plate and the top panel and at least partially disposed underneath the at least partially transparent portion such that a portion of the strip is viewable through the at least partially transparent portion.
US09257052B2	Evaluating candidate answers to questions in a target knowledge domain Evaluating candidate answers to questions in a target knowledge domain, including: identifying, by a question answering module, a plurality of evidence items in the target knowledge domain; identifying, by the question answering module, a plurality of answers to questions in the target knowledge domain; determining, by the question answering module, associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers; receiving, by the question answering module, a question; receiving, by the question answering module, values for the one or more evidence items; and providing, by the question answering module, an answer to the question in dependence upon the associations between each evidence item and one or more of the answers and the values for the one or more evidence items.
US09257051B2	Aircraft avoidance method and drone provided with a system for implementing said method A method enabling an aerial drone not having a TCAS system to avoid an intruder aircraft, the method including the steps of acquiring the position of the intruder aircraft in order to determine the distance between the aerial drone and the intruder aircraft, measuring the angular speed of the intruder aircraft in a horizontal plane, and determining whether the intruder aircraft is fitted with a TCAS system, and, if so, receiving a resolution advisory transmitted by the TCAS of the intruder aircraft and following a previously-determined avoidance path. The invention also provides a drone fitted with a system implementing the method.
US09257050B2	Airplane position assurance monitor An onboard monitor that ensures the accuracy of data representing the calculated position of an airplane during final approach to a runway. This airplane position assurance monitor is a software function that uses dissimilar sources of airplane position and runway data to ensure the accuracy of the respective data from those dissimilar sources. ILS data and GPS or GPS/Baro data are the dissimilar sources of airplane position data used by this function. This function will calculate the airplane's angular deviations from the runway centerline and from the glide slope with onboard equipment and then compare those angular deviations to the ILS angular deviation information.
US09257048B1	Aircraft emergency landing route system A method and apparatus for managing a landing site for an aircraft is presented. The landing site is selected from a group of landing sites. A description is communicated to a platform about a state of the aircraft along a route of the aircraft over time to the landing site. The aircraft is flown to the landing site using the description of the state of the aircraft along the route of the aircraft over time.
US09257043B2	Lane correction system, lane correction apparatus and method of correcting lane The embodiment provides a method of correcting a lane. The method includes receiving first lane information detected by a lane departure warning system; comparing the received first lane information with previously stored second lane information to identify a degree of variation of a lane as a function for time; sensing whether a fault detection of the received first lane information exists according to the identified degree of variation of the lane; correcting the received first lane information when the fault detection of the first lane information is sensed; and transmitting the corrected lane information to the lane departure warning system.
US09257040B2	Method and device for learning and playing back electromagnetic signals Methods and device for learning electromagnetic signals, saving the signals, and pairing the signals with commands interpreted by a processor. The methods comprise the steps of detecting an electromagnetic signal transmitted from an external device; converting the detected electromagnetic signal into a numerical representation; placing the numerical representation into an array; associating the array with a reference or transforming the array with an algorithm and adding the reference or transformation into a memory table; and associating the reference or transformation with a computer command or combination of computer commands and adding the associated computer command or combination of commands into the memory table.
US09257037B2	System and method for automatically setting up a universal remote control A system and method for configuring a remote control to command the operation of appliances, to capture demographic data, and to provide services, such as automated warranty registration, instructions, viewing guides, etc., relevant to the appliances is provided. The system includes a database and associated server that are located remotely from the remote control and accessible via a network connection. Command codes, graphical user interface elements, and services are accessed and downloaded to the remote control, as appropriate, using data supplied to the server that identifies the appliances and/or functional capabilities of the appliances. This data can be supplied by the appliances directly or can be obtained from other sources such as barcode labels, network devices, etc.
US09257034B2	Systems, methods and apparatus for providing an audio indicator via a remote control Apparatus, systems and methods are described for outputting audible or visual indicators via a remote control for a controlled device. A remote control queries an associated controlled device for information. The controlled device generates a request for the remote control to activate an audio or visual indicator. The request is integrated with a response to the query that is transmitted to the remote control. The remote control outputs an audio or visual indicator responsive to the request.
US09257032B2	System and method for emergency communication in a TCP/IP based redundant fire panel network A system and method for providing emergency alarm communications in an fire panel network having a ring topology. The fire panels of the network each include an emergency interface between a panel processor and a panel transceiver. The emergency interface includes a communication link that is different from a normal TCP/IP communication link of the associated panel. The emergency interface comprises a separate communication path from the normal communication link. When normal TCP/IP communications are interrupted, the emergency interface is operable to transmit alarm signals to an adjacent panel in the network. The alarm signals may then be transmitted between subsequently connected panels and a workstation or central monitoring station via the normal TCP/IP mode. The workstation and/or central monitoring station can recognize the alarm signals as being generated by the originating panel. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09257031B2	Method and device for detecting crack formation in a hoisting member The invention relates to a method for detecting crack formation in a hoisting member, comprising the steps of measuring a stress under load at two points of the hoisting member, comparing the measured stresses and generating a warning signal when the measured stresses differ too much from each other.The invention also relates to a device for detecting crack formation in a hoisting member, comprising means arranged at two points of the hoisting member for measuring a stress under load, means connected to the measuring means for comparing the measured stresses, and means connected to the comparing means for generating a warning signal when the measured stresses differ too much from each other.Finally, the invention relates to a hoisting frame, comprising a number of hoisting members which are mounted thereon close to its corners, and crack detection devices connected thereto.
US09257028B2	Dual-network locator and communication system for emergency services personnel A communications system is provided for emergency services personnel that includes a plurality of portable devices and a base station. The portable devices are configured to be carried by emergency services personnel while at an emergency site. The portable devices each have a first transceiver configured to communicate over a first network and a second transceiver configured to communicate over a second network, where the first and second networks operate independent of one another. For example, they may have at least one of different first and second carrier frequencies, protocol, channels and the like. The base station has at least one transceiver for communicating with the portable devices over at least one of the first and second networks. Optionally, the first and second networks may have different transmission characteristics, such as different transmit ranges, power levels and the like.
US09257027B2	Duct detector There is described a duct detector and components for duct detectors. In one form the duct detector includes: a port unit and detector unit. The port unit is mountable to a duct in use so as to position one or more ports in the duct. The detector unit includes a detection region. The port unit and detector unit are reconfigurable between a close coupled configuration and a separated configuration in which the units are mountable with a variable separation between them and coupled by one or more elongate conduits to provide fluid communication between the units.
US09257023B2	Media device and control method thereof A media device connected to an external device and a control method thereof are provided. The media device includes a display unit configured to output a plan view denoting a structure of a building, a signal input/output unit configured to, when emergency occurs, receive information regarding a location in which emergency has occurred from a management center, and a controller configured to classify a plurality of emergency exits disposed in the building into available emergency exits and unavailable emergency exits by using the location information, map a fire escape route leading to an emergency exit closest to the location in which the media device is installed, among the available emergency exits.
US09257018B2	Point-of-sale system A point-of-sale system includes a stand that supports a tablet computer. The tablet computer can run a merchant application to provide the typical functionality for a point-of-sale system. The stand can be rotatable to face either the merchant or the customer. The stand can incorporate a card reader. The tablet computer can be connected through a hub to other peripheral components, such as a controllable cash drawer, a printer and/or a bar code reader. The cash drawer can include a slidable drawer having sliding rails that are hidden from a top view of the drawer.
US09257011B2	Gaming machine capable of realistically informing of a payout rate The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of realizing an attractive payout rate for a player. The gaming machine is adapted to suggest that a state advantageous to a player be established, by shielding a symbol that is scrolled and then displaying a shade of a specific character. In this manner, the player can play a game with a sense of expectation. After the shading has been released, a specific symbol is displayed, thereby establishing the state advantageous to the player. Therefore, the player can realize that the routine migrates to the state advantageous to the player.
US09257002B2	Gaming machine with common game featuring 3D effects A plurality of gaming terminals 10, a terminal image display panel 16 and an upper display 700 which display effect images in accordance with the gaming state of a game on the gaming terminals 10 and display at least one of the effect images in three dimensions, a terminal controller 630, which switches at least one of the effect images on the terminal image display panel 16 and the upper display 700 from two dimensional display to three dimensional display when the gaming state satisfies a predetermined condition, and a center controller 200.
US09257001B2	Integrated gaming and services system and method An integrated gaming and services system is disclosed. The system includes a gaming terminal and a server system. The gaming terminal may include a reader system connected to the gaming terminal, the reader system configured to read identification information of a player. The gaming terminal may further include an input/output system including one or more input components that permit a player to input at least voice commands to the gaming terminal, and one or more output components that output gaming and services information to the player in response to the voice commands. The gaming terminal may additionally include a communication interface connecting the gaming terminal to a communication network. The server system communicates with the gaming terminal via the communication interface, and provides enhanced services to the player based at least on the identification information of the player.
US09256998B2	Banknote handling machine A banknote handling machine according to the present invention efficiently utilizes stacking units so as to efficiently process banknotes by returning odd banknotes of a first predetermined type in every transaction whereas keeping odd banknotes of a second predetermined type in a stacking unit, and performing subsequent transaction when banknote processing including depositing, taking-in, recognizing, sorting/stacking, and bundling of banknotes and confirming the deposit amount for one transaction is sequentially performed for a plurality of transactions.
US09256993B2	Electronic control apparatus An electronic control apparatus includes a vehicle state storing processing part, which stores a vehicle state data when a predetermined trigger is generated, and a trigger setting processing part, which sets the trigger in correspondence to a designation from an external side. The electronic control apparatus further includes a data type setting part for setting, based on the designation from the external side, a stored vehicle state data type. The vehicle data storing part stores the vehicle state data in different addresses. The trigger setting part sets the trigger based on the address designated from the external side and a data length of the vehicle state data stored in the address. The data type setting part sets the stored vehicle state data type based on the address designated from the external side and the data length of the vehicle state data stored in the address.
US09256987B2	Tracking head movement when wearing mobile device Methods for tracking the head position of an end user of a head-mounted display device (HMD) relative to the HMD are described. In some embodiments, the HMD may determine an initial head tracking vector associated with an initial head position of the end user relative to the HMD, determine one or more head tracking vectors corresponding with one or more subsequent head positions of the end user relative to the HMD, track head movements of the end user over time based on the initial head tracking vector and the one or more head tracking vectors, and adjust positions of virtual objects displayed to the end user based on the head movements. In some embodiments, the resolution and/or number of virtual objects generated and displayed to the end user may be modified based on a degree of head movement of the end user relative to the HMD.
US09256986B2	Automated guidance when taking a photograph, using virtual objects overlaid on an image There is provided an image processing device including a data acquisition unit configured to acquire a recommended angle-of-view parameter that represents a recommended angle of view for a subject in an environment that appears in an image, and a display control unit configured to overlay on the image a virtual object that guides a user so that an angle of view for capturing an image of the subject becomes closer to the recommended angle of view, using the recommended angle-of-view parameter. The recommended angle-of-view parameter is a parameter that represents a three-dimensional position and attitude of a device that captures an image of the subject at the recommended angle of view.
US09256983B2	On demand image overlay In one embodiment, a building model is presented to a user. The building model may be a three-dimensional rendering of a geographic region. A user selects a point on the three-dimensional rendering of a geographic region. Based on the selected point one or more image bubbles are chosen. The image bubbles are photographs or similar image data. The image bubbles and the three-dimensional rendering are associated with the same geographical space. The one or more image bubbles are incorporated with the building model such that at least a portion of one of the image bubbles is displayed in a window with the building model.
US09256980B2	Interpolating oriented disks in 3D space for constructing high fidelity geometric proxies from point clouds An “Oriented Disk Interpolator” provides various techniques for interpolating between points in a point cloud using RGB images (or images in other color spaces) to produce a smooth implicit surface representation that can then be digitally sampled for ray-tracing or meshing to create a high fidelity geometric proxy from the point cloud. More specifically, the Oriented Disk Interpolator uses image color-based consistency to build an implicit surface from oriented points and images of the scene by interpolating disks in 3D space relative to a point cloud of a scene or objects within the scene. The resulting implicit surface is then available for a number of uses, including, but not limited to, constructing a high fidelity geometric proxy.
US09256972B2	Fast high-fidelity flood-filling on vector artwork Techniques are disclosed for performing flood-fill operations on vector artwork. In one embodiment, a region under a point of interest (POI) of vector artwork is rasterized and flood-filled, and an initial bounding shape around that area is used as a first guess as to the area to be filled. In other cases, the initial bounding shape is created around some initial area that includes the POI (no rasterization). In any such case, vector objects having bounding shapes that intersect the initial bounding shape are identified and fed into a planar map. After map planarization, a new bounding shape is created around a new area resulting from the planarizing and that includes the POI. In response to that bounding shape not extending beyond the initial bounding shape, a vector-based flood-fill operation can be performed on that new area. Process repeats if new bounding shape extends beyond previous bounding shape.
US09256967B2	Systems and methods for partial volume correction in PET penalized-likelihood image reconstruction A computer-implemented method for partial volume correction in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) image reconstruction includes receiving emission data related to an activity distribution, reconstructing the activity distribution from the emission data by maximizing a penalized-likelihood objective function to produce a reconstructed PET image, quantifying an activity concentration in a region of interest of the reconstructed PET image to produce an uncorrected quantitation, and correcting the uncorrected quantitation based on a pre-calculated contrast recovery coefficient value to account for a partial volume error in the uncorrected quantitation.
US09256961B2	Alternate viewpoint image enhancement In one embodiment, panoramic images, images bubbles, or any two-dimensional views of three-dimensional subject matter are enhanced with one or more alternate viewpoints. A controller receives data indicative of a point on the two-dimensional perspective and accesses a three-dimensional location based on the point. The controller selects an image bubble based on the three-dimensional location. The three-dimensional location may be determined according to a depth map corresponding to the point. A portion of the image bubble is extracted and incorporated into the two-dimensional perspective. The resulting image may be a seamless enhanced resolution image or include a picture-in-picture enhanced resolution window including subject matter surrounding the selected point.
US09256960B2	Image coding method and image decoding method An image decoding method includes: arithmetic decoding steps for performing arithmetic decoding processes on decoding target signals according to contexts determined based on the types of the decoding target signals and the symbol occurrence probabilities determined based on the contexts; and a context update step for executing a group of context update processes on the decoding target signals in each of processing units each obtained as a segment having a certain size, according to the decoded signals resulting from the arithmetic decoding processes.
US09256956B2	Dataset creation for tracking targets with dynamically changing portions A mobile platform visually detects and/or tracks a target that includes a dynamically changing portion, or otherwise undesirable portion, using a feature dataset for the target that excludes the undesirable portion. The feature dataset is created by providing an image of the target and identifying the undesirable portion of the target. The identification of the undesirable portion may be automatic or by user selection. An image mask is generated for the undesirable portion. The image mask is used to exclude the undesirable portion in the creation of the feature dataset for the target. For example, the image mask may be overlaid on the image and features are extracted only from unmasked areas of the image of the target. Alternatively, features may be extracted from all areas of the image and the image mask used to remove features extracted from the undesirable portion.
US09256952B2	Vehicle speed calculator, and vehicle including same A vehicle speed calculator includes a vehicle speed calculation unit for calculating a vehicle speed from a traveled distance per unit time of a feature point in a captured image shot by a camera for capturing a road surface, a reference distance mark irradiation unit and an image reference distance detection unit. The reference distance mark irradiation unit irradiates a reference distance mark to the road surface in parallel with an optical axis of the camera. The reference distance mark is formed in such a manner as to have a reference distance in a longitudinal direction of a motorcycle. The image reference distance detection unit detects an image reference distance, the longitudinal length of the reference distance mark in the shot image. The vehicle speed calculation unit calculates the vehicle speed from the traveled distance using the image reference distance and the reference distance.
US09256950B1	Detecting and modifying facial features of persons in images Implementations relate to detecting and modifying facial features of persons in images. In some implementations, a method includes receiving one or more general color models of color distribution for a facial feature of persons depicted in training images. The method obtains an input image, and determines a feature mask associated with the facial feature for one or more faces in the input image. Determining the mask includes estimating one or more local color models for each of the faces in the input image based on the general color models, and iteratively refining the estimated local color models based on the general color models. The refined local color models are used in the determination of the feature mask. The method applies a modification to the facial feature of faces in the input image using the feature mask.
US09256947B2	Automatic positioning of imaging plane in ultrasonic imaging The invention is directed to a method for ultrasonic imaging, in which two-dimensional images (10, 11) are acquired, one of which is aligned with a longitudinal direction of an interventional object (e.g. a needle) (13) to be moved towards a target area (7) within a subject of examination and the other one is intersecting the longitudinal direction of the interventional object (13) and automatically positioned dependent on the automatically determined position and orientation of the interventional object (13). Further, the invention is directed to an ultrasonic imaging device (1) adapted to conduct such a method.
US09256946B2	Accuracy compensation method, system, and device A method for applying accuracy compensation to a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine can compensate control program that controls the CNC machine. The method recognizes an actual outline of the product using an image of product produced by the CNC machine controlled by the control program, and further obtains an ideal outline of the product. The method obtains compensation values by computing coordinate differences between points of the actual outline and points on the ideal outline, and compensates the control program using the compensation values.
US09256945B2	System for tracking a moving object, and a method and a non-transitory computer readable medium thereof According to one embodiment, a plurality of moving objects is detected from a plurality of frames acquired in time series. Each of the moving objects is corresponded among the frames. A tracklet of each moving object corresponded is extracted and stored. A frame to calculate a position of a moving object is set to a notice frame. The frames are grouped into a first block including at least the notice frame, a second block positioned before the first block in time series, and a third block positioned after the first block in time series. A secondary tracklet included in the second block is acquired from the stored tracklets. The secondary tracklet is corresponded with tracklets included in the first block and the third block, based on a similarity between the secondary tracklet and each of the tracklets. The secondary tracklet is associated with the corresponded tracklets, as a tertiary tracklet.
US09256943B2	Projector-camera misalignment correction for structured light systems A method of misalignment correction in a structured light device is provided that includes extracting features from a first captured image of a scene, wherein the first captured image is captured by an imaging sensor component of the structured light device, and wherein the first captured image includes a pattern projected into the scene by a projector component of the structured light device, matching the features of the first captured image to predetermined features of a pattern image corresponding to the projected pattern to generate a dataset of matching features, determining values of alignment correction parameters of an image alignment transformation model using the dataset of matching features, and applying the image alignment transformation model to a second captured image using the determined alignment correction parameter values.
US09256938B2	Characteristic X-ray escape correction in photon-counting detectors A method and an apparatus for determining primary and secondary escape probabilities for a large photon-counting detector without pile-up. A model for the detector with no pile-up is formulated and used for spectrum correction in a computed tomography scanner. The method includes computing primary K-escape and secondary K-escape probabilities occurring at a certain depth within the photon-counting detector. Further, a no pile-up model for the photon-counting detector is formulated by determining a response function, based on the computed primary and secondary K-escape probabilities and geometry of the photon-counting detector. The method includes obtaining a measured CT scan of an object and further performs spectrum correction by determining the incident input spectrum based on the response function and the measured spectrum of the large photon-counting detector.
US09256934B2	Enhanced image reconstruction in photoacoustic tomography Various embodiments of methods and systems are provided for image reconstruction in photoacoustic tomography. In one embodiment, among others, a method includes obtaining photoacoustic time-domain data; reconstructing an image from the photoacoustic time-domain data using total-variation minimization based photoacoustic tomography reconstruction; and providing the reconstructed image for rendering on a display device. In another embodiment, a system includes a computing device and an image reconstruction program executable in the computing device. The image reconstruction program includes logic that obtains photoacoustic time-domain data; logic that reconstructs an image from the photoacoustic time-domain data using total-variation minimization based photoacoustic tomography reconstruction; and logic that provides the reconstructed image for rendering on a display device.
US09256931B2	Method for inspecting at least one copy of a printed product A method is used for inspecting at least one copy of a printed product. At least one element, which is spatially constant with respect to a fixed reference point and at least one element which is spatially variant with respect to the same fixed reference point are reliably inspected by reference image data being used for a desired-actual value comparison of the at least one spatially variant element. The reference image data takes account of the variable position of the at least one element; i.e. the spatial variance thereof.
US09256930B2	X-ray inspection method and device A first X-ray image is obtained by imaging a target in a first direction and at a first elevation angle, and a second X-ray image is obtained by imaging the target in a second direction and at a second elevation angle. Based on these two X-ray images, cross-section data of the target is obtained. The first and second X-ray images are converted into first and second thickness data, and first cross-section data based on a first surface side of the target and second cross-section data based on a second surface side of the target are obtained based on the first thickness data. Similar third cross-section data and four cross-section data are obtained based on the second thickness data. The cross-section data of the target is obtained by partially extracting and synthesizing cross-section data of a highly reliable region from these pieces of cross-section data.
US09256926B2	Use of inpainting techniques for image correction A method of processing an image signal comprising image and depth information is provided. The method is configured to perform segmentation on an image based on depth/disparity information present in the image signal comprising said image, and subsequently inpaint background for correction of the errors in the image around the foreground objects into a region that extends beyond the segment boundary of the foreground object and/or inpaint foreground for correction of errors in the image into a region that extends inside the segment boundary of the foreground object. In this way compression and other artifacts may be reduced.
US09256923B2	Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program An image processing apparatus includes: a representative value calculation unit that selects a designation area from a first image, and that calculates a representative value of each of the color components in the designation area, a class classification unit that performs class classification on the designation area, a coefficient reading unit that reads a coefficient that is stored in advance, a color component conversion unit that sets the pixel value relating to a predetermined pixel within the designation area to be a prediction tap, sets the pixel value of one color component, to be a reference, and converts the pixel value of each color component into a conversion value, and a product and sum calculation unit that sets the conversion value to be a variable and calculates each of the pixel values of a second image, by performing product and sum calculation which uses the coefficient which is read.
US09256922B2	Applying super resolution for quality improvement of OCR processing Systems and methods for improving the quality of recognition of the object based on a series of frame images of objects are described herein. A plurality of images depicting the same object are received. A first image is selected from the plurality of images. The first image may be an image with the highest quality from plurality of images. For each image in the plurality of images, motion estimation of elements of an image in the plurality of images and the first image is performed. Based on the results of motion estimation, motion compensation and signal accumulation of the object in the images in the plurality of images using the first image are performed. A high resolution image of the object obtained based on the motion compensation and signal accumulation is generated. Character recognition on the resulting high resolution image is performed.
US09256919B2	Systems and methods for image processing using a resizing template Disclosed are various embodiments for systems and methods for image processing. A resizing template may be generated having one or more image sizes of an original image based at least in part on resize settings. A preview may then be generated of preview images of the original image based at least in part on the resizing template and the resize settings. The resize settings may be further adjusted via the preview. Upon approval of the preview and the adjusted resize settings, the original image is processed to generate final resized images according to the template and the modified resize settings.
US09256916B2	Image processing method and apparatus and program An image processing method for registering first and second images including the same subject is provided. The method includes the repeating the following steps multiple times: a first step including determining feature vectors related to gradients of pixels values at coordinates on the first and second images for each of the coordinates, a second step including calculating for all mutually corresponding coordinates on the first and second images, correlation values each equivalent to a value obtained by an N-th (where N is a natural number) power of an absolute value of an inner product of the feature vectors at the coordinates and determining an evaluation value including an integrated value of the correlation values calculated for each of the coordinates, and a third step including changing the second image in such that the evaluation value becomes larger.
US09256910B2	Medical monitoring/consumables tracking device The present invention generally provides medical monitoring devices, and corresponding systems, that includes at least one sensor for detecting usage of at least one consumable, an electronic controller electrically connected to the sensor to receive a signal therefrom produced when consumable usage is detected, and an electronic memory electrically connected to the controller for storing consumable usage data thereon. The medical monitoring device may further include at least one sensor for determining one or more physiological parameter of a subject and a display device for displaying the physiological parameter. The medical monitoring device may also include a communications unit for communicating stored data, such as usage and physiological parameter data, over a communication network to a remote computer.
US09256898B2	Managing shared inventory in a virtual universe Generally speaking, systems, methods and media for managing shared inventory in a virtual universe are disclosed. Embodiments of the method may include receiving notification of a user session being established between a user and a virtual universe simulator. The method may also include accessing a list of shared inventory items for the user where the list of shared inventory items includes one or more shared inventory items each having an inventory source associated with it. Embodiments may also include retrieving at least one shared inventory item from its associated inventory source and passing the retrieved shared inventory item to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include retrieving an updated listing for the shared inventory items from their associated inventory sources and passing the updated shared inventory item list to the virtual universe simulator. Further embodiments may include passing metadata for shared inventory items to the virtual universe simulator.
US09256892B2	Content selection using performance metrics Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer program product, for selecting advertisements. In one aspect, a method includes receiving publisher selections of advertisements; associating the selected advertisements with an advertisement environment in a document; generating an advertisement request code for inclusion in the document; evaluating performance metrics for the selected advertisements; and in response to determining that the selected advertisements do not meet the performance threshold, optimizing the selection of selected advertisements based on the performance metrics; substituting a selected advertisement with a candidate advertisement and causing a client device to render the candidate advertisement in the advertisement environment in the document.
US09256884B2	System and method to increase efficiency and speed of analytics report generation in audience measurement systems A method of generating television Audience Measurement System (AMS) reports and a system executing the method are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a plurality of encoded report payloads from a plurality of client devices, storing the encoded report payloads in a database, transferring at least one encoded report payload from the database into randomly addressable memory (RAM), decoding the at least one encoded report payload in RAM, parsing the decoded data in RAM with at least one matching algorithm to determine the occurrence of events, compiling a database of parsed data, and generating an AMS report from the database of parsed data.
US09256882B2	Methods, communications devices, and computer program products for selecting an advertisement to initiate device-to-device communications Methods, communications devices, and computer program products for selecting an advertisement to initiate communications between communication devices using an Internet protocol enabled television infrastructure are provided. Input of a call back number is received. Advertisement data of an enterprise is accessed via an Internet protocol enabled device. A selection is received to initiate a communication to the enterprise. A selection of the call back number is received. The call back number is contacted, in response to an indication that the enterprise has been contacted for initiation of the communication.
US09256876B2	Real-time spend management with savings goals A computer-implemented method, including receiving, by one or more computer systems, a withdrawal request for withdrawal of funds from one or more financial accounts; determining, by the one or more computer systems, whether a discretionary balance of the one or more financial accounts is greater than or equal to an amount of the withdrawal request, with the discretionary balance being based on an amount of funds that are available in the one or more financial accounts and a portion of the available funds allocated to a savings goal; causing an approval of the withdrawal request when the discretionary balance is greater than or equal to the amount of the withdrawal request; and sending a real time notification to a client device of a user associated with the one or more financial accounts when the discretionary balance is less than the amount of the withdrawal request with a real time opportunity for the user to reduce funds allocated to savings goals if required and thereby increasing the discretionary balance to facilitate the approval of withdrawal request.
US09256874B2	Method and system for enabling merchants to share tokens One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a system and associated processes for sharing cardholder data (CHD) between a merchant that utilizes tokenization and a second merchant that may or may not utilize tokenization. In one embodiment, the merchant, or an employee of the merchant, can use the system and associated processes to reacquire CHD from a tokenization provider system. In one embodiment, the merchant identifies to the tokenization provider system a desire to share CHD, which is associated with a token, with a second merchant. The merchant and/or the tokenization provider system can then invite the second merchant to register with the tokenization provider system. Once registered with the tokenization provider system, the second merchant can access any CHD that the merchant associated with the second merchant.
US09256873B2	Method and device for retrofitting an offline-payment operated machine to accept electronic payments A payment module includes: one or more processors, memory, a first interface module configured to couple the payment module with a control unit of an offline-payment operated machine, and a short-range communication capability for communicating with one or more mobile devices each including a complimentary short-range communication capability and a long-range communication capability. The payment module receives a transaction request via the short-range communication capability from a mobile device to perform a transaction with the offline-payment operated machine. The payment module validates the transaction request to verify that the mobile device is authorized to initiate payment for the transaction by a remote server via the long-range communication capability. In accordance with a determination that the transaction request is valid, the payment module causes the offline-payment operated machine to perform the requested transaction by issuing a signal, via the first interface module, to the control unit to perform the transaction.
US09256869B2	Authentication and verification services for third party vendors using mobile devices A method to provide authentication services to third party vendors by a service provider hosting an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server or a similar device that can authenticate users for some other service. This method enables easy and substantially error-free end-user authentication, which forms the basis for enabling electronic transactions (e.g., web-based) that are less vulnerable to fraud.
US09256866B2	Drivers license look-up A method for enabling a driver's license to be used as a credit account, including: accessing data from a scanned bar code of a driver's license; comparing the accessed data from the scanned bar code to a store of information comprising a stored set of profile information; based on the comparing, determining if a match between the accessed data and a stored set of profile information exists, and identifying a matched stored set of profile information; identifying a customer credit account, of the customer credit account information, linked to the matched stored set of profile information; generating an credit verification for the customer, such that, as to the customer, a particular transactional activity is allowed to be processed using the identified customer credit account.
US09256860B2	Tracking participation in a shared media session A method for tracking user participation in a shared media session. A shared media session is connected to, where the shared media session includes a plurality of participants. A first identity is determined for a first participant with a first confidence level. The first participant is identified as the first identity if the first confidence level is above a first threshold. An amount of participation is tracked for the first identity. The amount of participation by the first identity is displayed on an electronic calendar for the shared media session to the plurality of participants.
US09256859B2	Systems and methods for fragmenting newsfeed objects A technique allows a newsfeed item shown in a newsfeed of a social network to be easily promoted to another newsfeed in the social network. In a specific embodiment, the system receives a first user's promotion selection of an item displayed in a newsfeed of the first user. The item includes content provided by a second user. The first user is prompted to select a destination newsfeed. A selection of the destination newsfeed is received and the item is published on the destination newsfeed for a third user.
US09256855B2	System and method for providing a referral network in a social networking environment A user-content generated network is provided for presenting business listings, as well as commentary and reviews of businesses, by participants of the network. In an embodiment, businesses can participate in the network and receive referrals from members of the network. The network can track and monitor referrals that individual businesses receive as a mechanism for promoting the business to other users in the network's user base.
US09256852B1	Autonomous delivery platform Package delivery platform. An autonomous road vehicle is operative to receive destination information, and to drive to a destination based on the destination information. A package securing subsystem is attached to the autonomous road vehicle and comprises at least one securable compartment. Each securable compartment is operative to secure at least one package therein. Each securable compartment is associated with compartment access information. An access subsystem comprising at least one access information interface. The access subsystem is operative, upon receipt through the access information interface of compartment access information, to permit access to the compartment associated with the received compartment access information.
US09256849B2	Apparatus and methods for evaluating a quality of a locate operation for underground utility Methods and apparatus to evaluate a quality of a locate operation performed at a work site of proposed excavation following issuance of the instruction to a field-service technician. An input/output (I/O) interface receives an electronic manifest of the locate operation. The electronic manifest includes geographic information indicating a first location at which the electronic manifest was created. A distance is determined between the first location and a second location at which the locate operation was requested to be performed. One or more indications of a quality assessment of the locate operation are generated based on whether the distance is within or equal to a predefined range.
US09256848B2	Systems and methods for identifying and delivering tailored content based upon a service dialog The present disclosure identifies and/or delivers tailored content based upon a service dialog. For example, the systems may receive a request for tailored content, facilitate a service dialog to obtain information related to the request, and communicate a plurality of tailored content based upon the information related to the request. Further, the systems may identify tailored content based upon a consumer profile, communicate the tailored content to a web client, and/or receive a selection of the tailored content. Further still, the systems may modify a magazine (e.g., content that is presented electronically) based upon tailored content.
US09256845B2	Icafépre-ordering Technology for pre-ordering (e.g., pre-fetching content) at a shared computing premise is described. The technology can enable a user to locate and reserve an available seat at a shared computing premise (e.g., an iCafé). A service can transmit to the user a list of nearby iCafés or available seats that is ranked or ordered based on various criteria. The selected iCafé may pre-fetch content. The iCafé may also provide the pre-fetched content on removable media so that the user does not need to view all the pre-fetched content only at the iCafé. The iCafé may provide a search and/or document notification service and perform searches, download documents, and check for changes to specified documents even when the user is not logged on or using a computer at the iCafé. After the documents are retrieved and stored, the iCafé may send a notification to the user.
US09256843B1	System for situational awareness and method implementing the same A system for implementing a situational awareness includes a plurality of data gathering devices for observing the physical environment and transforming observations of physical phenomena into digital information; a plurality of field monitoring units with each of the plurality of units communicating with a corresponding plurality of data gathering devices to obtain data therefrom; and an aggregate monitoring unit communicating with each of the plurality of field monitoring units to monitor and control each of the plurality of field monitoring units and collect and store data from the plurality of data gathering devices.
US09256836B2	Reconfigurable model for auto-classification system and method A reconfigurable automatic document-classification system and method provides classification metrics to a user and enables the user to reconfigure the classification model. The user can refine the classification model by adding or removing exemplars, creating, editing or deleting rules, or performing other such adjustments to the classification model. This technology enhances the overall transparency and defensibility of the auto-classification process.
US09256834B2	Quantum computers having partial interferometric quantum gates A quantum computer may include topologically protected quantum gates and non-protected quantum gates, which may be applied to topological qubits. The non-protected quantum gates may be implemented with a partial interferometric device. The partial interferometric device may include a Fabry-Pérot double point contact interferometer configured to apply “partial” interferometry to a topological qubit.
US09256832B2	Inference pipeline system and method A system to infer place data is disclosed that receives location data collected on a user's mobile electronic device, recognizes when, where and for how long the user makes stops, generates possible places visited, and predicts the likelihood of a user to visit those places.
US09256827B2	Portable data management using rule definitions Embodiments for methods, systems, and computer program products for creating and managing a portable data rule using an electronic computing device are presented including: causing the electronic computing device to create a rule definition including, defining an expression by a user, where the expression defines a logic of a rule, causing the electronic computing device to parse the expression into a logical variable associated with the expression, causing the electronic computing device to identify the logical variable, and causing the electronic computing device to store the rule definition, where the rule definition includes the expression and the logical variable. In some embodiments, the causing the electronic computing device to identify the logical variable includes: causing the electronic computing device to return a name of the logical variable; and causing the electronic computing device to return an expected type of the logical variable.
US09256825B2	Emotion script generating, experiencing, and emotion interaction An emotion script generating method includes receiving a user's emotion data, and generating emotion script using the emotion data based on a predefined template.
US09256820B2	Data transfer system and associated management method A method for managing a data transfer system includes recovering energy at peripheral devices, and wireless transfer recovered energy to a base by synchronizing RF signals transmitted by double-loop antennas. Synchronizing includes implementing a listening phase to detect a radio-frequency signal transmitted by said central base, and either sending an RF signal that is synchronous with the detected signal or transmitting a signal at a predetermined frequency depending on whether an RF signal is detected at the base. The method includes, in response to receiving a signal from the peripheral device at that frequency, causing the base to recover the received signal and to re-transmit at the predetermined frequency to the peripheral devices. This signal synchronization enables simultaneous energy transfer from peripheral devices to the central base while avoiding mutually destructive effects between said signals.
US09256809B2	Enabling an authentication device with temporary target A method of enabling an authentication device includes providing a first enabling target. One or more attributes of the first enabling target is measured with the authentication device at a first time and compared to a first predetermined expected value. When the at least one measured attribute of the first enabling target matches the first predetermined expected value, the authentication device is enabled for only a first predetermined enablement time.
US09256808B2	Classifying and annotating images based on user context Annotating and classifying an image based on a user context includes determining a location data of an object captured in an image, determining an attribute data of the object, obtaining sensor data from sensors that are associated with the location data based on the attribute data, determining a recommended user context from one or more predefined user contexts based on a comparison of the location data, the attribute data, and the sensor data with location data, attribute data, and sensor data of one or more images associated with the one or more predefined user contexts, determining a recommended class of the captured image based on the recommended user context, selecting one or more annotation data from the location data, the attribute data, and the sensor data based on the recommended class or the recommended user context, and annotating the image with the one or more annotation data.
US09256806B2	Methods and systems for determining image processing operations relevant to particular imagery Image data, such as from a mobile phone camera, is analyzed to determine a colorfulness metric (e.g., saturation) or a contrast metric (e.g., Weber contrast). This metric is then used in deciding which of, or in which order, plural different image recognition processes should be invoked in order to present responsive information to a user. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09256805B2	Method and system of identifying an entity from a digital image of a physical text A method of identifying an entity from text in a digital image includes the step of obtaining a digital image. The digital image includes a digital photograph of a physical text. At least a portion of the physical text is related to a pre-defined topic. The digital photograph of the physical text is converted to a text in a computer-readable format. A word dictionary is provided. The word dictionary includes a set of words related to the pre-defined topic. A set of words of matching the text to similar words in the set of words in the word dictionary. A word cluster in the text is identified. Each word in the word cluster is associated with a category of a single entity. The single entity is a member of a class of entities demarcated by the pre-defined topic. A database including a list of members of the class of entities demarcated by the pre-defined topic is search for one or more entities matching one or more of word-category associations of the word cluster.
US09256804B2	Light source comparator and calibration apparatus An apparatus for identifying differences in the visual and recorded appearance of colors and gray tones illuminated by light sources having different spectral distribution and having: a first image with illumination, with separate and different color elements and with gray scale elements, apertures in the first image adjacent to the elements, a second image with illumination having a plurality of separate elements of color and gray scale, corresponding to the elements of the first image so that the elements on the second image are viewable through the apertures in the first image, with corresponding color and gray scale elements adjacent to one another in the first and second images, and a method of comparing light quality using such apparatus.
US09256803B2	Automatic detection of persistent changes in naturally varying scenes A method for detecting a persistent change in a dynamically varying scene includes: obtaining a set of reference images of the scene; transforming the reference images into an abstract feature space; classifying pixels of the reference images in the abstract feature space; generating a stable reduced-reference image based on the classifications of corresponding pixels; obtaining a set of test images of the scene; transforming the test images into the abstract feature space; classifying pixels of the test images in the abstract feature space; generating a stable test image based on the classifications of corresponding pixels; and comparing the stable reduced-reference and test images to one another to detect a difference therein, the difference corresponding to a persistent change in the dynamically varying scene occurring between when the reference images and the test images were obtained.
US09256802B2	Object or shape information representation method An information representation method for representing an object or a shape includes: dividing a contour shape of an entirety or a part of the object or the shape into one or a plurality of curves; and representing the contour shape of the object or the shape by parameters including a degree of curvature and a positional relationship of each curve obtained by the dividing. Therefore, there is provided an information representation method for an object or a shape, which is capable of robust object recognition against a change in image by geometric transformations and occlusions.
US09256801B2	Method and system for classifying image elements A method, system, and machine-readable medium for classifying an image element as one of a plurality of categories, including assigning the image element based on a ratio between an unoccluded perimeter of the image element and an occluded perimeter of the image element and coding the image element according to a coding scheme associated with the category to which the image element is classified. Exemplary applications include image compression, where categories include image foreground and background layers.
US09256797B2	Storage medium having image recognition program stored therein, image recognition apparatus, image recognition system, and image recognition method A game apparatus obtains a captured image captured by a camera. First, the game apparatus detects an object area of the captured image that includes a predetermined image object based on pixel values obtained at a first pitch across the captured image. Then, the game apparatus detects a predetermined image object from an image of the object area based on pixel values obtained at a second pitch smaller than the first pitch across the object area of the captured image.
US09256794B2	Systems and methods for face authentication or recognition using spectrally and/or temporally filtered flash illumination A face authentication or recognition system embodiment includes a processing unit; a flash illumination drive circuit; a flash illumination unit having a flashlamp configured to generate a set of flash illumination pulses; a set of spectral filters configured to pass a set of spectrally filtered flash illumination pulses; a lens; an image sensor configured to receive a set of filtered flash illumination pulses reflected from a subject's face and generate a corresponding facial image dataset; and a memory or data storage device configured to store facial image datasets, enrollment datasets, and query datasets, and which includes a face authentication or recognition module. Spectrally filtered flash illumination pulses have an intensity at least approximately equal to the intensity of ambient sunlight, essentially regardless of an outdoor environment under consideration upon or proximate to the surface of the earth. Spectrally filtered flash illumination reflected from the subject's face can be readily distinguished from ambient light, regardless of the environment in which the subject's facial image was captured, providing surprisingly robust facial authentication and/or recognition performance essentially regardless of ambient lighting conditions.
US09256793B2	Apparatus and method for extracting object image An apparatus for extracting image data of an object in an input image data. The apparatus includes a display device having a display screen for displaying a plurality of predetermined images; a display controller for controlling the display device to display one of the predetermined images; an imaging device for taking an image of an object placed before the display screen in order to generate an input image data; a controller for controlling the imaging device to take an image of the object and the display screen when the display device displays one of the predetermined images in cooperation with the display controller; and an extractor for extracting image data of the object by comparing the input image data generated by imaging device with data of the one of the plurality of the predetermined images.
US09256788B2	Method for initializing and solving the local geometry or surface normals of surfels using images in a parallelizable architecture A system and method is described herein for solving for surface normals of objects in the scene observed in a video stream. The system and method may include sampling the video stream to generate a set of keyframes; generating hypothesis surface normals for a set of mappoints in each of the keyframes; warping patches of corresponding mappoints in a first keyframe to the viewpoint of a second keyframe with a warping matrix computed from each of the hypothesis surface normals; scoring warping errors between each hypothesis surface normal in the two keyframes; and discarding hypothesis surface normals with high warping errors between the first and second keyframes.
US09256785B2	Identifying user activities using eye tracking data, mouse events, and keystrokes A computing device classifies user activities for a person interacting with a computer user interface using one or more user interface devices. The computing device receives eye tracking data for the person, which includes a sequence of fixations ordered temporally. Each fixation corresponds to a plurality of consecutive measured gaze points. Each fixation has a duration and location based on the corresponding gaze points. For each fixation, the computing device determines a plurality of features for the fixation, including characteristics of the fixation, context features based on preceding or subsequent fixations, and user interaction features based on information from the user interface devices during the fixation. The computing device assigns a user activity label to the fixation according to the features. The label is selected from a predefined set. The computing device then analyzes the fixations and their assigned user activity labels to make recommendations.
US09256783B2	Systems and methods for tax data capture and use A computer-implemented method of acquiring tax data for use in tax preparation application includes acquiring an image of at least one document containing tax data therein with an imaging device. A computer extracts one or more features from the acquired image of the at least one document and compares the extracted one or more features to a database containing a plurality of different tax forms. The database may include a textual database and/or geometric database. The computer identifies a tax form corresponding to the at least one document from the plurality of different tax forms based at least in part on a confidence level associated with the comparison of the extracted one or more features to the database. At least a portion of the tax data from the acquired image is transferred into corresponding fields of the tax preparation application.
US09256778B2	Scale independent tracking pattern In one aspect, a computer implemented method of motion capture, the method includes tracking the motion of a dynamic object bearing a pattern configured such that a first portion of the patterns is tracked at a first resolution and a second portion of the pattern is tracked at a second resolution. The method further includes causing data representing the motion to be stored to a computer readable medium.
US09256775B1	Image recognition apparatus and commodity information processing apparatus According to one embodiment, an image recognition apparatus includes an acquisition unit, an operation unit and a controller. The controller specifies a pattern area including the pattern from the image acquired by the acquisition unit, sets a pattern candidate area based on a position of a pattern area which failed to be specified, the position being accepted by the operation unit, re-sets a photography parameter for photographing the set pattern candidate area, acquires, through the acquisition unit, an image including the pattern candidate area photographed in accordance with the re-set photography parameter, specifies a pattern area from the acquired image including the pattern candidate area, and recognizes a pattern which the specified pattern area includes.
US09256772B2	Data collection system having reconfigurable data collection terminal There is provided in one embodiment a data collection system including a data collection terminal having an encoded information reader device and a computer spaced apart from the data collection terminal. The data collection terminal in one embodiment can be configured to be responsive to configuration data expressed in an extensible markup language.
US09256769B1	Mobile reader device The subject technology relates to methods and systems for processing a payment using a mobile card reader. Implementations of the subject technology provide a method for receiving payment information, wherein the payment information specifies a payment amount, generating an authorization request to process the payment information, encrypting the authorization request using an encryption engine to generate a secure authorization request and transmitting the secure authorization request using the radio transceiver to a payment processor via a messaging service, wherein the messaging service comprises one or more of a SMS, a MMS or an email service. In certain aspects, methods of the subject technology can further include steps for receiving an authorization response from the payment processor via the messaging service. Systems and methods for mobile card reader activation are also provided.
US09256767B2	Tracking system An exemplary tracking device or system includes: a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit disposed on a substrate; an encapsulation cap encapsulating the RFID circuit and substrate; and, an information bearing indicia (IBI) disposed on the encapsulation cap, the RFID circuit and IBI providing at least some similar information when read with a respective reading device.
US09256758B2	Mode sensitive encryption Mechanisms are provided to implement framework level mode specific file access operations. In a mode such as a work or enterprise mode, read and write accesses are directed to one or more secured locations. File data and metadata may be secured with encryption and/or authentication mechanisms. Conventional mobile solutions provide only for mode encryption distinctions at the application level, e.g. one work application may prevent access to certain data, but a different application may want to allow access to that same data. Various embodiments provide framework level mode sensitive encryption that does not require different, mutually exclusive, or possibly conflicting applications or platforms. A device and associated applications may have access to different data based on a current mode.
US09256757B2	Prefetch of attributes in evaluating access control requests In an embodiment, a method is provided for prefetching attributes used in access control evaluation. In this method, an access control policy that comprises rules is retrieved. These rules further comprise parameters. At least one of the rules is categorized into a class from multiple classes based on at least one of the parameters. Here, the class is a grouping based on at least one of these parameters. An attribute associated with the at least one of these parameters is identified and this attribute is mapped to the class.
US09256754B2	Data protection method and electronic device capable of creating a private folder having a same name as a public folder to hide private data A data protection method for an electronic device is disclosed. The data protection method includes setting a log-in password for a private file stored in a public folder, creating a private folder having a same folder name as the public folder to store the private file in the private folder, and comparing an input password with the log-in password for the private folder to determine to display the private folder or the public folder.
US09256752B2	Product authorization with cross-region access A method and system for authorizing access to a product to limit suspected cross-region access is provided. The system receives from a customer device a product key that identifies a product and a product region. The system identifies a customer region indicating where the customer device is located. The system authorizes the customer's access to the product unless the product region does not match the customer region and the blocking of access is confirmed by applying a blocking rule so that access to the product is authorized even though a cross-region access is suspected.
US09256747B2	Terminal and method for hiding and restoring message A terminal to hide a message includes an input unit to receive a signal to hide a message and a signal to restore a hidden message; a display unit to display the message and the hidden message; and a control unit to control display of the message. The terminal hides messages or applications on a separate screen. The separate screen may be a virtual screen or a different display screen. A hidden message may be displayed on the separate screen according to a conversation partner. A hidden message may be restored to a location in which the message would have originally been displayed. A portion of the stored message may be extracted and provided to an application of the terminal.
US09256742B2	Remote trust attestation and geo-location of servers and clients in cloud computing environments Methods and systems may provide for selecting a hypervisor protocol from a plurality of hypervisor protocols based on a communication associated with a remote agent. The selected hypervisor protocol may be used to conduct a trust analysis of one or more digitally signed values in the communication, wherein a cloud attestation request may be processed based on the trust analysis. Processing the cloud attestation request may involve generating a trustworthiness verification output, a geo-location verification output, etc., for a cloud computing node corresponding to the remote agent.
US09256740B2	Method and system for analysis of security events in a managed computer network An event retrieval and analysis system compares counts of event data for a device to stored profile counts to determine if alerts should be triggered. Event data can be retrieved by a sensor. Rules for analyzing the event data can be retrieved based on the device. The event data is analyzed based on the rules to determine recordable events. Recordable events are organized into categories representing a type or severity of attack. Current event counts are calculated by summing the recordable events for each category. A normal profile is retrieved for the device and compared to the current event count. A percentage change trigger can be retrieved from a threshold matrix based on the current event count. The percentage increase of the current event count over the normal profile is calculated and compared to the percentage change trigger to determine if an alert is triggered by the analysis system.
US09256736B2	Method and system for monitoring webpage malicious attributes A method for monitoring a malicious attribute of a webpage is disclosed. The method includes the following steps: acquiring webpage query requests submitted by a plurality of clients; crawling a webpage based on the webpage query requests and acquiring crawled webpage contents; counting up a referenced value of a URL based on the webpage contents; calling a predetermined detection program to detect a malicious attribute of the URL based on the a referenced value of the URL. The accuracy of detection can be improved by using the method for monitoring a malicious attribute of a webpage provided in the present disclosure. Furthermore, a system for monitoring a malicious attribute of a webpage is further disclosed.
US09256728B2	Method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing software versions An apparatus for managing software versions may include a processor. The processor may be configured to determine whether a security identifier of a first security certificate matches a trusted security identifier. In this regard, the first security certificate may include software version criteria. The processor may also be configured to determine whether a software version of a software application satisfies software version criteria of the first security certificate. The processor may be configured to make this determination in response to determining that the security identifier of the first certificate matches the trusted security identifier. Further, the processor may also be configured to permit execution of the software application, in response to determining that the software version satisfies the software version criteria. Associated methods and computer program products may also be provided.
US09256726B2	Call center customer service kiosk A customer uses an in store kiosk to establish a communication session, such as a video communication session between the kiosk and an agent in a contact center. The customer can transfer the communication session to the customer's personal mobile communication device by selecting to transfer the communication session at the kiosk. A presence of the customer's personal mobile communication device is detected. The presence of the customer's personal mobile communication device can be detected by the use of various technologies, such as Near Field Communications or scanning a code on the kiosk from the mobile communication device. In response to detecting the presence of the mobile communication device the communication session is transferred from the kiosk to the mobile communication device using a communication application in the mobile communication device.
US09256724B2	Method and system for authorizing an action at a site A method for authorizing a single action by a plurality of users at a site may include registering each of the users and at least one mobile communication device associated with that user with an authorization module, identifying the mobile communication device by a unique hardware identification number. The method may also include associating each of the users and the mobile communication device associated with that user with the site by the authorization module. The method may further include requesting each of the users to confirm the action by sending a confirmation request from the site to the mobile communication device associated with that user by the authorization module. The method may also include authorizing the action upon receiving confirmation from the mobile communication devices of all users that are required to authorize that action.
US09256722B2	Systems and methods of using a temporary private key between two devices A method executes at a personal user device associated with a user. The method receives a request from a shared user device, the request seeking access to personal information associated with the user. The personal information is stored at a resource server. The method receives access authentication information from the user. The method then sends the access authentication information to an authentication server, and receives an access token. The access token grants access privileges to the personal information. The method sends the access token to the shared user device, thereby permitting an application executing on the shared user device to use the access token for retrieving at least a portion of the personal information. The method detects a physical movement of the personal user device, then sends a message to the authentication server to revoke access privileges associated with the access token.
US09256712B2	Medical monitoring method and device integrating central monitoring function A method for realizing a central monitoring server by using an individual patient monitor device is provided, and the patient monitor device (301) can monitor the patient's physiological parameter and simultaneously can collect and process the data from the other monitor devices through wired or wireless LAN (Local area network). The running state and the patient's information of the other monitors can be looked over on this monitor (301). The monitor (301) can display this monitoring measurement information and simultaneously display all the patients' information of the other monitors which are networked with it, and the other networked monitors can also be controlled by this monitor (301). The monitor (301) can use a single-screen or multi-screen display, and the displaying content can be the same or not.
US09256711B2	Systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for providing health information to employees via augmented reality display Provided are embodiments of systems, computer medium and computer-implemented methods for providing feedback of health information to an employee when the employee is engaged in their work duties. The method including receiving health data output by a set of health sensors provided on or near the employee when the employee is engaged in work duties. The health sensors comprising at least one of biometric and biomechanic sensors. The health data corresponding to biometric and/or biomechanic characteristics sensed by the set of health sensors. The method including processing the health data to identify health status information for the employee, and providing for display via an augmented reality display, augmented reality content including the health status information. The augmented reality display providing the employee with an augmented reality view including a real world view of a surrounding environment having the health status information for the employee overlaid thereon.
US09256710B2	Digital dental modeling Embodiments are provided for digital dental modeling. One method embodiment includes receiving a three-dimensional data set including a first jaw and a second jaw of a three-dimensional digital dental model and receiving a two-dimensional data set corresponding to at least a portion of the first jaw and the second jaw. The method includes mapping two-dimensional data of the two-dimensional data set to the three-dimensional digital dental model by transforming a coordinate system of the two-dimensional data to a coordinate system of the three-dimensional data set. The method includes positioning the first jaw with respect to the second jaw based on the two-dimensional data mapped to the three-dimensional data set. The method includes using at least a portion of the two-dimensional data mapped to the three-dimensional data set as a target of movement of the first jaw with respect to the second jaw in the three-dimensional digital dental model.
US09256709B2	Method for integrated circuit mask patterning Provided is a method of transforming an integrated circuit (IC) pattern into one or more patterns suitable for subsequent processing, such as mask fabrication. The method includes receiving an IC pattern that has an arbitrary shape, and using a computer, deriving an approximation IC pattern, wherein the approximation IC pattern is in a shape that is a user-defined fabrication-friendly shape, such as a rectangle or an ellipse. The method further includes calculating a pattern approximation error between the IC pattern and the approximation IC pattern. The method further includes checking whether the pattern approximation error is less than a user-defined threshold. If it is, the method further includes outputting the approximation IC pattern for subsequent fabrication. Otherwise, the method further includes splitting the IC pattern into a plurality of subparts, and recursively transforming each of the plurality of subparts.
US09256706B2	Knowledge-based analog layout generator A computer-implemented method for generating a layout of a design includes invoking the computer to receive a schematic representation of the design, generating a connection graph associated with the design, comparing the connection graph with a plurality of connection graphs stored in a database and selecting a layout associated with the matching connection graph in generating the layout of the design.
US09256703B1	Method of detecting a scattering bar by simulation A method of testing a scattering bar by simulation includes preparing an OPC mask model including a main pattern and a scattering bar pattern, forming a scattering bar OPC model by adjusting an image plane of the OPC mask model located at a middle portion of a photoresist layer to a top portion of the photoresist layer, simulating an exposure of the scattering bar OPC model, simulating a profile of the exposed scattering bar OPC model, and testing the simulated profile.
US09256701B2	Modeling wellbore fluids Techniques for modeling a wellbore fluid that includes a base fluid and one or more fluid additives includes identifying a target viscosity profile of the wellbore fluid; determining an initial set of values of the fluid additives that are based at least in part on the target viscosity profile; determining, with one or more non-linear predictive models, a computed viscosity profile of the wellbore fluid and a computed set of values of the fluid additives based, at least in part, on the initial set of values of the fluid additives; comparing the computed viscosity profile and at least one of the computed set of values with a specified criteria of the wellbore fluid; and preparing, based on the comparison, an output including the computed viscosity profile and at least one of the computed set of values of a resultant wellbore fluid.
US09256700B1	Public service for emulation of application load based on synthetic data generation derived from preexisting models An improved technique involves providing application workload simulation capability via a centrally located synthetic data generation service to an external party. Along these lines, a client inputs a description of an application scenario into a web form which sends a request to a central server to generate a synthetic data simulation program. The central server extracts parameters values from the request corresponding to the application scenario and finds a model in a model database based on the parameter values. From the model, the central server derives a Java program that generates synthetic data for simulating the operation load of the application scenario described by the client, and sends the Java program to the client. The client is then able to generate synthetic data using the Java program on various configurations to determine which will successfully handle the synthetic data load continuously over a given period of time.
US09256692B2	Clickstreams and website classification One embodiment is a method that receives a seed Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that represents a category for website classification. Clickstream data generated from the seed URL and additional URLs are analyzed to determine whether the additional URLs belong to the category. The method selects one or more of the additional URLs to represent the category.
US09256690B2	Method and system for browser-based control of a remote computer A method and system for remote control of a presenter's computer screen using only web browsers is described. Viewers are able to view representation of a presenter's screen on a screen of the viewer's device and remotely control the presenter's screen directly from a web browser, without any downloads, plugins, or dialog boxes. Viewer control events are captured by the browser, sent to a server, and transmitted to the presenter's computer. A program running on the presenter's computer executes the control events, updates the presenter's screen, and transmits images of the updated screen back to the viewers.
US09256689B2	Mining trajectory for spatial temporal analytics A method is provided to generate a heat map to show traffic congestion based on transit points. The method includes generating, by a processing device, a trajectory database from time-stamped global positioning system (GPS) sample points, and computing transit points for each trajectory in the trajectory database. The method further includes constructing a temporal transit graph. The transit graph captures the shortest paths among the transit points. The method further includes indexing and storing the transit graph in a spatial-temporal database for online analytic processing.
US09256687B2	Augmenting search results with interactive search matrix A computer performs a search. The computer receives a search request including a search term, and determines a plurality of association rules that are each a logical implication that the appearance of the search term follows from the appearance, in a corpus of data, of at least one keyword. The computer generates a search matrix having a plurality of cells, and having axes labeled with a plurality of keywords, wherein at least one cell of the search matrix is associated with an association rule of the plurality of association rules. Based on a cell selection of the search matrix, the computer generates an augmented search string including the search term and at least one keyword of the plurality of association rules. The computer performs a search using the augmented search string.
US09256684B2	Systems and methods for graphical search interface Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a graphical user interface as a means of inputting search parameters to database search engines. In some embodiments, two or three dimensional projections spatially represent relationships between search parameters, located along the periphery of the projections and search hits whose significance are represented by position relative to the center of the projection and comparative distance from each of the search parameters. As the user manipulates the overall shape of the search projection, the weighting of search parameters adjusts, reconfiguring the search. The present disclosure also provides, in some embodiments, an intuitive means of assimilating search parameter weightings based on peer or social network preferences with global search results.
US09256682B1	Providing search results based on sorted properties An entity may be related to multiple related entities by one or more properties, and the entity may also be associated with one or more entity types. A system for providing sorted results may include identifying the entity, related entities, and types. The system may also determine related entity scores for each respective related entity, relative to the entity. For each property, the related entity scores of the related entities related to the entity by that property are combined to generate a property score. The properties are then sorted based on their property scores. The sorting may occur for properties associated with an entity type, and sorted search results may be provided as output for one or more entity types of interest.
US09256681B2	Method and system for identifying clusters within a collection of data entities Embodiments of a method and system for identifying clusters in collections of data entities are generally described herein. In some embodiments, the method includes defining a metric space over the data entities. A distance function of the metric space may satisfy the triangle inequality. The method may include determining, based on the distance function of the metric space, a value for a number of clusters that minimizes a number of data bits used to define a model of the collection of the data entities. The model may thereby describe the collection of data entities using a minimum description length (MDL). The method may include assigning data entities of the collection of data entities to the clusters. The number of clusters to which the data entities are assigned may correspond to the determined value.
US09256679B2	Information search method and system, information provision method and system based on user's intention Methods for searching for information based on user's intention and for providing information include an editor meeting searcher's intention detected using analysis results for keywords and searches contents having metadata associated with metadata input through the editor. As a result, a search may be formed by detecting searcher's intention from information input by a searcher, inducing a detailed metadata input based on the detected intention, and using the input metadata.
US09256678B1	Method and system of signal analysis by using metadata A system for analyzing data, such as data representing samples of a received wireless signal, includes a memory controller for storing the data in one or more memory devices, a metadata extractor for extracting metadata in real-time from the data as it is being processed for storage, and one or more processors for analyzing the metadata to identify portions of the stored data having a characteristic of interest, and for processing the identified portions of the stored data.
US09256676B2	Presenting search result information A method of presenting computer-generated search result information can include receiving a search request from a client computer; identifying a plurality of search results responsive to the search request; ranking the plurality of search results using content in one or more web notebooks; and providing the ranked plurality of search results for presentation in the client computer. Using the content can include determining whether at least one of a title, a heading, clipped content, metadata or a user-annotation in at least one web notebook relates to the search request and, if so, increasing a ranking of at least one search result referenced by the at least one web notebook.
US09256675B1	Electronic processing and presentation of search results Multimedia stream search results may be made perceivable to a user. A multimedia search query may be received from a user. The multimedia search query may be compared with information related to known multimedia streams and multimedia search results may be determined based on the comparison. A popularity of the multimedia streams corresponding to the multimedia stream search results may be determined based on a number of canonical URLs associated with the multimedia stream. A presentation of the multimedia stream search results to the user may be configured based on the popularity of the corresponding multimedia streams.
US09256674B2	Action clustering for news feeds One embodiment selects from a plurality of actions performed by one or more users of a social networking system a first action and one or more second actions, wherein each action has one or more attributes; computes a score for each second action by comparing the one or more attributes of each second action with the one or more attributes of the first action; ranks the one or more second actions according to the score computed for each second action; and selects from the one or more second actions one or more highest-ranking second actions as being related to the first action.
US09256672B2	Relevance content searching for knowledge bases Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel and non-obvious method, server and computer program product for finding relevant content in a knowledge base. A method for finding items that are related to a user selected item in a knowledge base is provided. The method can include generating a first list of knowledge base items with a defined relationship to the user selected item and generating a second list of knowledge base items that belong to the same category as a category of the user selected item. The method can further include generating a third list of knowledge base items having one or more tags identical to one or more tags of the user selected item and selecting a first set of knowledge base items that are present in the first, second or third lists. The method can further include displaying the first set of knowledge base items as most relevant.
US09256670B2	Visualizing conflicts in online messages Visualizing social media conflict is provided. Textual messages by a set of human users connected via a network regarding a particular topic are collected. Active users in the set of human users authoring a number of textual messages regarding the particular topic more than a threshold number of textual messages are selected. Keywords are selected that occur more than a threshold number of times within the textual messages regarding the particular topic. A sentiment score is computed for each of the keywords occurring more than the threshold number of times within the textual messages using a keyword co-occurrence graph. A sentiment of each of the active users is determined based on the computed sentiment score of each of the selected keywords that are authored by a particular active user.
US09256667B2	Method and system for information discovery and text analysis A method for searching text sources including temporally-ordered data objects, such as a blog, is provided including the steps of: (i) providing access to text sources, each text source including temporally-ordered data objects; (ii) obtaining or generating a search query based on terms and time intervals; (iii) obtaining or generating time data associated with the data objects; (iv) identifying data objects based on the search query; and (v) generating popularity curves based on the frequency of data objects corresponding to one or more of the search terms in the one or more time intervals. A system and computer program for text source searching is also provided.
US09256666B2	Linking of a plurality of items of a user interface to display new information inferred from the plurality of items that are linked A first item and a second item that are displayed in a user interface are selected via a computational device. A determination is made as to whether a linkage between the first item and the second item is a valid linkage, wherein the valid linkage indicates that inferences that relate the first item to the second item may be drawn by interpreting properties of the first item and properties of the second item. In response to determining that the linkage between the first item and the second item is a valid linkage, the properties of the first item and the properties of the second item are interpreted to infer new properties that relate the properties of the first item to the properties of the second item.
US09256662B2	Techniques for publishing viewers of content According to various embodiments, a viewing event may be detected, the viewing event corresponding to a user viewing a content item. A view reason associated with the viewing event may be determined, the view reason indicating how the user was notified of the content item or how the user accessed the content item. A privacy value associated with the viewing event may be determined, the privacy value indicating an inferred sensitivity of the user to publication of the viewing event. Further, metadata describing the viewing event may be generated. Moreover, the metadata may be associated with the content item.
US09256661B2	Indicating level of confidence in digital content Rating content of a digital file includes analyzing, by a computer, data associated with content of the digital file based on predetermined criteria defining a confidence level in the content of the digital file. Each predetermined criterion includes a range of values and at least one threshold delineating a lower confidence level and a higher confidence level. Different confidence ratings are assigned to different segments of the content based on determining that the different segments correspond to different thresholds of the predetermined criteria. The computer associates the different confidence ratings to the different segments.
US09256660B2	Reconciliation protocol after ICR switchover during bulk sync According to one embodiment, a method for performing reconciliation sync includes a first network device configured as an active inter-chassis redundancy (ICR) device in response to detecting a switchover request while performing a bulk sync transitioning to serving as the standby ICR device and performing a reconciliation sync while serving as the standby ICR device, the reconciliation sync comprises starting a transmission of session records that failed to be transmitted during the bulk sync to the second network device.According to one embodiment, a method for performing reconciliation sync includes a first network device configured as a standby ICR device receiving a plurality of session records from a second network device of the ICR system. The method further includes updating a global version number based on record version numbers of the received plurality of session records, and maintaining local session records based on the received plurality of session records.
US09256654B2	Dynamic schema content server A method to develop a game using a networked content server includes an efficient method to add or modify a new object into the game environment. The method includes the generation of an XML input file describing the new object. The XML new object definition file is uploaded from a game developer client device to a content server. The content server automatically examines the XML input file and converts the definition file to an object type graph and then into a set of SQL instructions as well as a set of web methods. The content server automatically executes the SQL instructions to enter the new object into a database. Web methods corresponding to the new object and are provided to the client device for access to the new object. The game developer thus has nearly immediate access to the new object.
US09256646B2	Configurable data windows for archived relations Techniques for managing configurable data windows for streams and/or archived relations are provided. In some examples, a query that identifies at least a data stream or an archived relation may be identified. Additionally, a configurable window size may be identified. In some instances, the query may be initialized with at least a portion of the historical data based at least in part on the window size. Further, the query may be evaluated based at least in part on the data stream and the portion of the historical data.
US09256645B2	Patient-to-patient communities A computer-implemented method includes receiving a request to search for other users who are associated with at least a threshold level of similarity to the requesting user; accessing information indicative of a patient profile of the requesting user; determining one or more attributes of the requesting user; searching a data repository for information indicative of a user associated with one or more attributes corresponding to at least one of the one or more attributes of the requesting user; identifying, based on searching, a user associated with one or more attributes corresponding to at least one of the one or more attributes of the requesting user; determining that the one or more corresponding attributes of the identified user satisfy the threshold level of similarity; and transmitting information indicative of the identified user, with the transmitted information specifying the identified user as being a peer of the requesting user.
US09256644B1	System for identifying and investigating shared and derived content A computer readable storage medium with computer readable program code. The computer readable program code may be configured to index a plurality of documents into a document library stored in a database. The computer readable program code may be configured to receive a query document and to compare the query document with each indexed document to generate a score for each indexed document. The score represents a measure of similarity between the query document and each indexed document. The computer readable program code may be configured to display a query result based on the score for each indexed document.
US09256639B2	Query optimization for SPARQL The present invention relates to computer implemented methods and system for creating and executing an query plan for SPARQL Protocol And Query Language (SPARQL) queries. The methods and systems are designed to accept as input a query in SPARQL syntax, convert this query to semQA2 and generate a parse tree, perform filter pushdown, generate an efficient query plan potentially using a cost function, and execute this query plan against data sources complying to or modeled as Resource Description Framework (RDF). The result of these methods and of the systems implementing these methods is a set of triples contained in the data sources that comprise a solution of the SPARQL query provided.
US09256629B1	File system snapshots over thinly provisioned volume file in mapped mode A data storage system includes storage devices and a processing subsystem executing software forming a lower-deck file system and an upper-deck file system. The lower-deck file system presents a volume file from which storage is provided to the upper-deck file system, and units of storage of the storage devices are allocable to the upper-deck file system but not reserved to it. The volume file is thinly provisioned, and additional units of storage are added dynamically to increase its allocated size in response to demand from the upper-deck file system. The lower-deck file system operates in a mapped mode in which a block address in the lower-deck file system is obtained by a generally arbitrary mapping (e.g., an Inode/IB tree) of a block address in the volume file.
US09256628B2	Efficient logging of processing peaks in control systems A method for efficient logging in a control system is provided. A temporary history record corresponding to a message transaction placed onto a message queue data structure is generated. A total processing time for the received message transaction is determined. The total processing time is compared with a previously determined peak processing time value. In response to determining that the total processing time exceeds the previously determined peak processing time value, the temporary history record corresponding to the received message transaction is stored in an event log.
US09256623B2	System, method, and computer program product for scheduling tasks associated with continuation thread blocks A system, method, and computer program product for scheduling tasks associated with continuation thread blocks. The method includes the steps of generating a first task metadata data structure in a memory, generating a second task metadata data structure in the memory, executing a first task corresponding to the first task metadata data structure in a processor, generating state information representing a continuation task related to the first task and storing the state information in the second task metadata data structure, executing the continuation task in the processor after the one or more child tasks have finished execution, and indicating that the first task has logically finished execution once the continuation task has finished execution. The second task metadata data structure is related to the first task metadata data structure, and at least one instruction in the first task causes one or more child tasks to be executed by the processor.
US09256618B2	Identifying prohibited information within and item image Techniques for identifying prohibited information within an image are described. For example, a machine accesses an image that depicts an item. The image may include prohibited information that is disallowed in accordance with a policy. The machine identifies the prohibited information within the image based on an analysis of the image. The machine initiates a response to the prohibited information based on the identifying of the prohibited information within the image.
US09256615B2	Personalized navigation information based on user behavior A user device may be configured to receive information regarding a set of points of interest that have been determined based on behavior information associated with a user of the user device. The information regarding the set of points of interest may indicate geographical locations associated with one or more of the points of interest, of the set of points of interest. The user device may determine a present geographical location associated with the user device; compare the geographical locations associated with the one or more points of interest to the present geographical location associated with the user device; identify, based on the comparing, a particular point of interest, of the set of points of interest, that is within a particular distance of the present geographical location of the user device; and output, via a display device, information regarding the identified particular point of interest.
US09256614B1	File system snapshots over fully provisioned volume file in direct mode A data storage system employs a multi-level stack including a lower-deck file system and an upper-deck file system providing a file system interface to a file system consumer. The lower-deck file system presents a volume file to provide storage to the upper-deck file system. Storage is reserved to the upper-deck file system, and the volume file is fully provisioned so an out-of-space condition is not presented to the upper-deck file system. In an initial direct operating mode a block address in the lower-deck file system is obtained by a calculation from a corresponding block address in the volume file. Snapshots of a primary volume file are created and stored in respective snapshot volume files. The lower-deck file system transitions into a mapped mode using generally arbitrary mappings of block addresses of the primary volume file and snapshot volume files to obtain corresponding block addresses in the lower-deck file system.
US09256610B2	File deduplication in a file system Each file is assigned in advance with a WWUID, newly assigned to a file upon the creation or update of the file and inherited from a file to a copied file when it is copied. In a backup apparatus, a file name reception unit receives the file name of a backup target file. A WWUID reception unit receives a WWUID corresponding to the file name. A WWUID search unit searches for the same WWUID in backup management information of a previous day stored in a backup destination. Only if the search is failed, a file operation instruction unit instructs the storing of the backup target file into the backup destination. Then, an Rcnt update instruction unit instructs the updating of the number of references made to the WWUID within the backup destination. A second management information update instruction unit then instructs updating of backup management information of the current day.
US09256607B2	Efficient file access in a large repository using a two-level cache A two-level cache to facilitate resolving resource path expressions for a hierarchy of resources is described, which includes a system-wide shared cache and a session-level cache. The shared cache is organized as a hierarchy of hash tables that mirrors the structure of a repository hierarchy. A particular hash table in a shared cache includes information for the child resources of a particular resource. A database management system that manages a shared cache may control the amount of memory used by the cache by implementing a replacement policy for the cache based on one or more characteristics of the resources in the repository. The session-level cache is a single level cache in which information for target resources of resolved path expressions may be tracked. In the session-level cache, the resource information is associated with the entire path expression of the associated resource.
US09256606B2	Systems and methods of data storage management, such as dynamic data stream allocation A system and method for choosing a stream to transfer data is described. In some cases, the system reviews running data storage operations and chooses a data stream based on the review. Additionally, the system pre-allocates disk space for data to be transferred.
US09256601B2	Media fingerprinting for social networking Audio fingerprinting and other media matching technologies can be used to identify media, such as movies, television shows, and radio broadcasts. A user device can record image, audio, and/or video information and upload information to a matching service that is able to use matching technology to identify the media and provide supplemental content or information to the user. The user then can share this information with other users, such as by uploading to a social networking site or passing the information to peers on a peer network as part of a container. Users can have the ability to add tagged content, provide comments and ratings, and otherwise interact based at least in part upon the tagged media content.
US09256600B2	Method and system for electronic content locking A method for electronic content locking including: accessing electronic content and determining if the electronic content is currently locked for a first user. The method further determines meta-data relating to the electronic content and allows a second user to override the lock such that the electronic content is unlocked if the meta-data meet predetermined criteria. A system for electronic content locking having: an electronic content repository; and a locking controller adapted to change the status of electronic content in the electronic content repository between locked and unlocked. The system further includes a data collection module designed to retrieve meta-data relating to electronic content; and an override controller designed to override the locking controller and change the status of the locked electronic content from a first user to a second user.
US09256598B1	Systems, methods, and computer readable media for copy-on-demand optimization for large writes Methods, systems, and computer readable media for copy-on-demand optimization for large writes are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for copy on demand optimization for large writes includes, in a system having a source data storage entity and a destination data storage entity, receiving a write request to write data to a target portion of the source data storage entity, the target portion of the source data storage entity comprising at least one data storage block. The method includes determining whether the source data storage entity and the destination data storage entity are engaged in a backup operation in which data sufficient to synchronize the source data storage entity to the destination data storage entity is copied from the destination data storage entity to the source data storage entity, and if so, determining whether the target portion of the source data storage entity is not yet synchronized to the destination data storage entity. If the target portion of the source data storage entity is not yet synchronized to the destination data storage entity, a copy-on-demand operation is performed to synchronize the target portion of the source data storage entity to the destination data storage entity, where each data storage block within the target portion of the source data storage entity that will be completely overwritten as a result of the write request is not synchronized to the destination data storage entity. The write request to write data to the target portion of the source data storage entity is then processed.
US09256596B2	Language model adaptation for specific texts A computerized method for adapting a baseline language model, comprising obtaining a textual corpus of documents that comprise textual expressions, incorporating in the baseline language model textual expressions from documents which are determined as relevant to a provided target text based on a plurality of different relevancy determinations between the documents and the provided target text, thereby adapting the baseline language model to form an adapted language model for recognizing terms of a context of the provided target text, wherein the method is automatically performed on an at least one computerized apparatus configured to perform the method.
US09256592B1	System for detecting and correcting broken words The positioning of elements of a broken word can be corrected by receiving an optical character recognition (OCR) conversion of a printed publication and identifying multiple parts of the broken word from the OCR conversion to place in a graphical user interface (GUI). The multiple parts can be placed in the GUI using original positioning data for the printed publication. A user can make a selection in the GUI indicating that multiple parts from the OCR conversion are of the broken word and can automatically adjust bounds of the multiple parts to form a corrected word.
US09256588B1	Transferring content to a substantially similar location in a virtual notebook using a stylus enabled device A device comprising a magnetic stylus, touch sensor, and reflective display provides new opportunities for content presentation and interaction. A user interface is configured to use input from the touch sensor, the stylus, and one or more magnetometers to modify content presented on the reflective display. This modification may include generating a virtual notebook comprising clippings of content.
US09256587B2	Editor for website and website menu Methods, systems, and devices for editing websites are disclosed herein. A website editor for editing a website includes an editor display component, a website modification component, and a website display component. The editor display component is configured to display an editor interface for receiving user input for editing a website. The editor interface is displayed within a browser substantially simultaneously with the website. The website modification component is configured to update website data corresponding to the website based on the user input received through the editor interface. The website display component is configured to automatically update display of the website based on the updated website data. The display of the website is updated in real-time in response to receiving the user input.
US09256582B2	Conversion of a presentation to Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) One embodiment of the present invention discloses a method, computer program product, and system for converting a Microsoft® PowerPoint® file to Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA). A document converter receiving a command from a client device to convert one or more PowerPoint slides to DITA, wherein the PowerPoint has been formatted for conversion to DITA. Starting with the first PowerPoint slide, metadata tags, PowerPoint slide and notes text, and file names of grouped images are compiled into a string parsed with DITA markup. If the next slide does not begin a new topic, then that slide's metadata tags, PowerPoint slide and notes text, and grouped image file names are compiled into a string parsed with DITA markup and appended to the previous slides string. If the next slide begins a new topic, then the string is exported to a DITA topic. This process is repeated throughout the PowerPoint presentation.
US09256580B2	System and method for improving text input in a shorthand-on-keyboard interface A word pattern recognition system improves text input entered via a shorthand-on-keyboard interface. A core lexicon comprises commonly used words in a language; an extended lexicon comprises words not included in the core lexicon. The system only directly outputs words from the core lexicon. Candidate words from the extended lexicon can be outputted and simultaneously admitted to the core lexicon upon user selection. A concatenation module enables a user to input parts of a long word separately. A compound word module combines two common shorter words whose concatenation forms a long word.
US09256578B2	Method and apparatus for measuring and recovering sparse signals The invention provides two kinds of new compressive sensing technologies. In the first technical solution, there is proposed a permutation-based multi-dimensional sensing matrix and an iterative recovery algorithm with maximum likelihood (ML) local detection, which can fully exploit the digital nature of sparse signals. In the second technical solution, there is proposed a sparse measurement matrix which contains a permutation-based multi-dimensional measurement matrix, and an iterative recovery algorithm which fully utilizes the features of measurement symbols to design simple local recovery in each iteration. The second technical solution can achieve the linear decoding complexity and lower bound of sketch length empirically at the same time.
US09256576B2	Assisted direct start and active suspension integration control A system for controlling an internal combustion engine. The system includes engine shutdown/restart means and energy storage means configured for supplying power to an associated active vehicle suspension system when the engine is shut down. A controller is configured for controlling the shutdown/restart means responsive to an energy state of the energy storage means.
US09256573B2	Dynamic thread status retrieval using inter-thread communication A circuit arrangement, method, and program product for dynamically providing a status of a hardware thread/hardware resource independent of the operation of the hardware thread/hardware resource using an inter-thread communication protocol. A master hardware thread may be configured to communicate status requests to associated slave hardware threads and/or hardware resources. Each slave hardware thread/hardware resource may be configured with hardware logic configured to automatically determine status information for the slave hardware thread/hardware resource and communicate a status response to the master hardware thread independent of the operation of the slave hardware thread/hardware resource.
US09256571B2	Write operation dispersed storage network frame A method begins by generating a set of write request frames regarding a write request operation for a set of encoded data. Each of the write request frames includes a payload section and a protocol header. The payload section includes a transaction number field and a data payload section, which includes a name field, a revision number field, a length field, and a payload field. The protocol header includes a payload length field and an operation code field to indicate the write request operation. The method continues by outputting the set of write request frames to storage units of a dispersed storage network.
US09256569B2	Monitoring and managing storage drives and performing backplane controller firmware using a USB interface Certain aspects relate to monitoring and managing storage drives installed on a backplane and performing backplane controller firmware update through a universal serial bus (USB) interface. When the backplane controller is connected to a host computer via the USB interface, the backplane controller sends USB descriptors to the host computer through the USB interface such that the host computer recognizes the backplane controller as a specific human interface device (HID) device based on the USB descriptors. Thus, the backplane controller and the host computer may transmit backplane drive management messages, such as the result to monitor and manage the storage drives, or the control commands and control data to monitor and manage the storage drives and to update the firmware of the backplane controller, as USB HID reports in a predefined format based on the USB descriptors.
US09256566B1	Managed reliability of data storage Systems and methods are provided herein that can facilitate the managed reliability of data storage, including management of device remanufacturing and masking from an operating system a failure or predicted failure of a device running on a computer or a networked cluster of computers having access to the device. The systems and methods may facilitate removal of a device by coordinating among computers or controllers in a network cluster the logical removal of a device. At a later time, a coordinated logical re-introduction of the device to the systems or computers from which the device was logically removed can be performed. This can be accomplished via a virtualization system that may include a device function driver (DFD), a device virtualization bus driver (DVBD), and a device management service (DMS).
US09256559B2	Function transfer using virtualized mapping The present disclosure includes a method for migration of a first virtual function of a first device located on a PCI bus and accessible by a device driver using a virtual address. A second virtual function is created on a second device. A base address is determined for the second virtual function as a function of a logical location of the second device within the PCI structure. An offset is determined for the second virtual function as a function of the base address and the virtual address. The device driver is notified that the first virtual function is on hold. The offset is stored in a translation table. The device driver is notified that the hold has been lifted. Accesses to the virtual address and by the device driver to memory of the second virtual function are routed based upon the offset in the translation table.
US09256558B2	Direct memory access descriptor-based synchronization A method includes processing descriptors to control a direct memory access (DMA) channel. The method includes synchronizing at least part of the processing, which includes processing a first descriptor of the descriptors to cause the execution to selectively pause based on a trigger value.
US09256557B2	Memory controller for selective rank or subrank access A memory module having reduced access granularity. The memory module includes a substrate having signal lines thereon that form a control path and first and second data paths, and further includes first and second memory devices coupled in common to the control path and coupled respectively to the first and second data paths. The first and second memory devices include control circuitry to receive respective first and second memory access commands via the control path and to effect concurrent data transfer on the first and second data paths in response to the first and second memory access commands.
US09256556B2	RAM memory device capable of simultaneously accepting multiple accesses A RAM memory device includes a selection unit that supplies the access reaching one of two interfaces to a RAM in one cycle of a clock signal in response to a control signal. The RAM memory device also includes a storage unit that stores another access that has reached the other of the two interfaces at least till the next cycle following the above-mentioned one cycle in response to the control signal. The selection unit supplies the above-mentioned another access from the storage unit to the RAM in or after the above-mentioned next cycle.
US09256545B2	Shared memory access using independent memory maps A method includes defining a first mapping, which translates between logical addresses and physical storage locations in a memory with a first mapping unit size, for accessing the memory by a first processing unit. A second mapping is defined, which translates between the logical addresses and the physical storage locations with a second mapping unit size that is different from the first mapping unit size, for accessing the memory by a second processing unit. Data is exchanged between the first and second processing units via the memory, while accessing the memory by the first processing unit using the first mapping and by the second processing unit using the second mapping.
US09256544B2	Way preparation for accessing a cache For a memory access at a processor, only a subset (less than all) of the ways of a cache associated with a memory address is prepared for access. The subset of ways is selected based on stored information indicating, for each memory access, which corresponding way of the cache was accessed. The subset of ways is selected and preparation of the subset of ways is initiated prior to the final determination as to which individual cache way in the subset is to be accessed.
US09256542B1	Adaptive intelligent storage controller and associated methods A storage controller includes data transfer logic defined to enable block level data transfer between the storage controller and multiple types of storage media within a storage volume. The storage controller also includes adaptive logic defined to determine in real-time which of the multiple types of storage media in the storage volume is to be used to store a given data block received by the storage controller. The received data block is stored on a determined storage medium in the storage volume. The data transfer logic and the adaptive logic are defined to maintain a normal interface between the storage controller and an operating system in communication with the storage controller, such that the multiple types of storage media in the storage volume is not apparent to the operating system.
US09256541B2	Dynamically adjusting the hardware stream prefetcher prefetch ahead distance An apparatus for prefetching data for a processor is presented. The apparatus may include a memory, a first counter, a second counter, and a control circuit. The memory may include a table with at least one entry in which the at least one entry may include an expected address of a next memory access and a next address from which to fetch data, wherein the next address is an offset value different from the expected address. The at least one entry may also include a maximum limit for the offset value. The first counter may increment responsive to an address of a memory access matching the expected address. The second counter may increment responsive to the address of the memory access resulting in a cache miss. The control circuitry may be configured to increment the maximum value of the offset value dependent upon a value of the second counter.
US09256540B2	Techniques for cache injection in a processor system using a cache injection instruction A technique for performing cache injection includes monitoring addresses on a bus in response to a cache injection instruction. Ownership of input/output data on the bus is acquired by a cache when an address on the bus (that is associated with the input/output data) corresponds to an address of a data block associated with the cache injection instruction.
US09256539B2	Sharing cache in a computing system Sharing cache in a computing system that includes a plurality of enclosure attached servers, including: identifying, by an enclosure, a first enclosure attached server that is not meeting a first predetermined performance threshold; identifying, by the enclosure, a second enclosure attached server that is meeting a second predetermined performance threshold; blocking, by the enclosure, access to a predetermined amount of cache on the second enclosure attached server by the second enclosure attached server; determining, by the enclosure, whether the second enclosure attached server is meeting the second predetermined performance threshold; responsive to determining that the second enclosure attached server is meeting the second predetermined performance threshold, lending, by the enclosure, the predetermined amount of cache on the second enclosure attached server to the first enclosure attached server.
US09256538B2	Acquiring remote shared variable directory information in a parallel computer Methods, parallel computers, and computer program products for acquiring remote shared variable directory (SVD) information in a parallel computer are provided. Embodiments include a runtime optimizer determining that a first thread of a first task requires shared resource data stored in a memory partition corresponding to a second thread of a second task. Embodiments also include the runtime optimizer requesting from the second thread, in response to determining that the first thread of the first task requires the shared resource data, SVD information associated with the shared resource data. Embodiments also include the runtime optimizer receiving from the second thread, the SVD information associated with the shared resource data.
US09256534B2	Data shuffling in a non-uniform memory access device Embodiments relate to the orchestration of data shuffling among memory devices of a non-uniform memory access device. An aspect includes a method of orchestrated shuffling of data in a non-uniform memory access device includes running an application on a plurality of threads executing on a plurality of processing nodes and identifying data to be shuffled among the plurality of processing nodes. The method includes registering the data to be shuffled and generating a plan for orchestrating the shuffling of the data. The method further includes disabling cache coherency of cache memory associated with the processing nodes and shuffling the data among all of the memory devices upon disabling the cache coherency, the shuffling performed based on the plan for orchestrating the shuffling. The method further includes restoring the cache coherency of the cache memory based on completing the shuffling of the data among all of the memory devices.
US09256533B2	Adjustment of destage rate based on read and write response time requirements A storage controller that includes a cache receives a command from a host, wherein a set of criteria corresponding to read and write response times for executing the command have to be satisfied. The storage controller determines ranks of a first type and ranks of a second type corresponding to a plurality of volumes coupled to the storage controller, wherein the command is to be executed with respect to the ranks of the first type. Destage rate corresponding to the ranks of the first type are adjusted to be less than a default destage rate corresponding to the ranks of the second type, wherein the set of criteria corresponding to the read and write response times for executing the command are satisfied.
US09256530B2	Nonvolatile memory device and sub-block managing method thereof A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory block, a row decoder, a voltage generator and control logic. The memory block includes memory cells stacked in a direction intersecting a substrate, the memory block being divided into sub-blocks configured to be erased independently. The row decoder is configured to select the memory block by a sub-block unit. The voltage generator is configured to generate an erase word line voltage to be provided to a first word line of a selected sub-block of the sub-blocks and a cut-off voltage, higher than the erase word line voltage, to be provided to a second word line of the selected sub-block during an erase operation. The control logic is configured to control the row decoder and the voltage generator to perform an erase operation on the selected sub-block.
US09256529B2	Flash memory controller A flash memory controller for controlling a flash memory module includes a communication interface for receiving a first data and a second data; and a processing circuit for dynamically controlling a data writing mode of the flash memory module according to an amount of stored data in the flash memory module. If the amount of stored data in the flash memory module is less than a first threshold when the communication interface receives the first data, the processing circuit controls the flash memory module so that the first data is written into the first data block under an one-bit-per-cell mode. If the amount of stored data in the flash memory module is greater than the first threshold when the communication interface receives the second data, the processing circuit controls the flash memory module so that the second data is written into the second data block under a two-bit-per-cell mode.
US09256528B2	Method for operating a memory controller and a system having the memory controller A method for operating a memory controller includes determining a number of free blocks to be created during an idle time by using a block consumption history, and controlling a non-volatile memory device to perform a garbage collection operation during the idle time to create the determined number of free blocks.
US09256526B2	Flash memory storage system and access method The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to a data writing method in a storage system. The method comprises receiving data by the storage media controller, reading a non-volatile memory operation mode in the memory unit by a central control unit, in which the mode corresponds to a data reliability lower than the data reliability requirement of the storage system, reading a data reliability reduction condition in the memory unit by the central control unit, determining whether a system information related to the data meets the condition by the central control unit, and controlling the media control unit to write the data into the non-volatile memory according to the mode by the central control unit when the system information meets the condition.
US09256516B2	Business process execution language program simulation A BPEL program simulator can include a document object modeler configured to arrange activities defined by a BPEL document into a document object model (DOM) tree. The DOM tree can include activity nodes and links between the activity nodes. The BPEL program simulator further can include simulation logic configured to process the activity nodes to emulate at least one BPEL activity selected from the group consisting of Sequence, Flow, While, Pick and OnMessage, Switch and Case, Invoke, Script, Receive, Reply, Empty, Staff, and Assign.
US09256510B2	Automatic rules based capturing of graphical objects for specified applications Graphical objects presented by a computer system are captured by monitoring execution of an application on the computer system, and capturing one or more graphical objects of a graphical user image presented by the computer system and associated with the application. The one or more graphical objects are captured automatically in accordance with a pre-defined set of rules for the application.
US09256509B1	Computing environment analyzer A method, system and computer-readable media for analyzing application environments is provided. Embodiments of the invention includes generating a first representation of a first environment for an application and a second representation of a second environment for the application. Determining differences between the first representation and the second representation and determining relevance to the application of each of the differences as to a likelihood of failure of operation of the application in the second environment where at least one method operation is executed through a processor.
US09256508B2	Method and apparatus for controlling power in low-power multi-core system A method and apparatus for controlling power in a low-power multi-core system, including receiving task information from an Operation System (OS) kernel upon start and end of a task, estimating a future CPU usage using a current CPU usage in the task information, monitoring memory-related information in the task information, comparing a change in the current CPU usage with the monitored memory-related information, establishing a policy for power control based on the estimated CPU usage and the monitored memory-related information, and controlling on/off of multiple cores according to the established policy. By doing so, it is possible to solve the problems caused by performing DPM using only the CPU usage.
US09256502B2	Method and system for inter-processor communication A system including a DCU with a DMS located on the first node, where the DMS is associated with an interrupt receive register. The system further includes a second DCU located on second node that includes a GMS located on the second node, where the GMS is associated with an interrupt dispatch register. The GMS is configured to identify the DMS, determine a payload to transmit to DMS, issue cross-calls using the interrupt dispatch register, where a cross-call is issued for each non-zero bit in the payload, and issue a cross-call including a completion vector. The DCU is configured to receive the cross-calls from the GMS, in response to each of the cross-calls, set a corresponding bit-location in the second interrupt receive register to one, and after receiving the completion vector, use a current state of the interrupt receive register to determine a physical address.
US09256501B1	High availability scheduler for scheduling map-reduce searches A high availability scheduler of tasks in a cluster of server devices is provided. A server device of the cluster of server devices enters a leader state based upon the results of a consensus election process in which the server device participates with others of the cluster of server devices. Upon entering the leader state, the server device schedules one or more tasks by assigning each of the one or more tasks to a device, wherein the one or more tasks involve initiating a late-binding schema.
US09256500B2	Physical domain error isolation and recovery in a multi-domain system The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for performing physical domain error isolation and recovery in a multi-domain system, where the multi-domain system includes two or more processor chips and one or more switch chips that provide connectivity and cache-coherency support for the processor chips, and the processor chips are divided into two or more distinct domains. During operation, one of the switch chips determines a fault in the multi-domain system. The switch chip determines an originating domain that is associated with the fault, and then signals the fault and an identifier for the originating domain to its internal units, some of which perform clearing operations that clear out all traffic for the originating domain without affecting the other domains of the multi-domain system.
US09256499B2	Method and apparatus of securely processing data for file backup, de-duplication, and restoration Disclosed are an apparatus and method of restoring at least one data file. The method may include retrieving the at least one data file to be restored from a data storage location, determining that the at least one data file is a link file, and regenerating a previously exchanged shared secret. The method may also include decrypting a key from the link file using the shared secret, and retrieving data from a data repository location to be restored.
US09256489B2	Synchronized debug information generation In an approach for determining a location of failure between interconnects/controller, a computer collects debug information simultaneously at a plurality of nodes coupled to an interconnect. Subsequent to collecting debug information, the computer analyzes the debug information collected simultaneously thereby determining which end of the interconnect caused the failure.
US09256486B2	Information processing apparatus detecting sign of abnormality, fault tolerant information processing system, method for detecting sign of abnormality in information processing apparatus and recording medium A synchronization controller has a synchronization determiner for determining a synchronization deviation in a CPU, an abnormality sign related information obtainer for obtaining abnormality sign related information on the basis of transaction monitoring information, and an abnormality determiner, when there is a synchronization deviation, for determining the presence/absence of a sign of abnormality in the CPU on the basis of the abnormality sign related information.
US09256483B2	Multi-input control method and system, and electronic device supporting the same A multi-input control method and system, and an electronic device supporting the same are provided. The multi-input control method includes receiving an activation request for multiple applications (apps), identifying one or more input units to operate the multiple apps, and assigning the input units to the multiple apps according to occurrence of an event or preset information so that the input units are operable to operate the apps in an independent manner.
US09256477B2	Lockless waterfall thread communication Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating state information of a session between a plurality of processing threads in a hierarchy. The session is passed down through the hierarchy, with one or more threads processing the session at each level of the hierarchy. An example method includes reading a first pointer of a first processing thread and comparing the first pointer to a second pointer of a second processing thread. The second processing thread is dependent on the first processing thread. The method also includes in response to determining that the first pointer does not match the second pointer, processing a set of configuration items in a session. The method further includes after processing the set of configuration items in the session, updating the second pointer of the second processing thread to match the first pointer of the first processing thread.
US09256470B1	Job assignment in a multi-core processor Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to assign a job to be executed in a multi-core processor that includes a first set of cores with a first size and a second set of cores with a second size different from the first size. The multi-core processor may receive the job at an arrival time and may determine a job arrival rate based on the arrival time. The job arrival rate may indicate a frequency that the multi-core processor receives a plurality of jobs. The multi-core processor may select the first set of cores and may select a degree of parallelism based on the job arrival rate and based on a performance metric relating to execution of the job on the first set of cores. In response to the selection, the multi-core processor may assign the job to be executed on the first set of cores.
US09256469B2	System and method for improving memory usage in virtual machines A method (and system) for managing memory among virtual machines in a system having a plurality of virtual machines, includes providing at least one memory optimization mechanism which can reduce memory usage of a virtual machine at a cost of increasing CPU usage. Information on memory usage and CPU usage of each virtual machine is periodically collected. In response to detecting that a first virtual machine exhibits a high level of memory use, at least one second virtual machine with extra CPU capacity is identified. The at least one memory optimization mechanism is applied to the at least one second virtual machine, to reduce memory used by the at least one second virtual machine, thereby providing a portion of freed memory. The portion of freed memory is then allocated to the first virtual machine.
US09256467B1	System for managing and scheduling containers A system and method for a container service that obtains a software image of a software container that has been configured to be executed within a computer system instance registered to a cluster by one or more processors. The container service is configured to receive a request to launch the software image in accordance with a task definition, wherein the task definition specifies an allocation of resources for the software container. The container service may then determine, according to a placement scheme, a subset of a set of container instances registered to the cluster in which to launch the software image in accordance with the task definition. Upon determining the subset of the set of container instances, the container service may launch the software image as one or more running software containers in the set of container instances in accordance with the task definition.
US09256460B2	Selective checkpointing of links in a data flow based on a set of predefined criteria Techniques are disclosed for qualified checkpointing of a data flow model having data flow operators and links connecting the data flow operators. A link of the data flow model is selected based on a set of checkpoint criteria. A checkpoint is generated for the selected link. The checkpoint is selected from different checkpoint types. The generated checkpoint is assigned to the selected link. The data flow model, having at least one link with no assigned checkpoint, is executed.
US09256459B2	Information processing apparatus, workflow generating system, and workflow generating method An information processing apparatus for generating a workflow including one or more steps each indicating a process to be executed, includes a workflow display unit configured to display, on a display, one or more graphical representations corresponding to one or more steps of the workflow; a step management unit configured to obtain attribute data associated with a step to be added in response to an instruction for adding the step to the workflow; and an auxiliary indication control unit configured to cause the display to display a graphical representation corresponding to the step to be added and a graphical representation that reflects the attribute data.
US09256449B2	Menu screen for information processing apparatus and computer-readable storage medium recording information processing program An information processing apparatus capable of being opened and closed includes storage means, display means, and taken image display control means. The storage means stores a taken image therein. The display means has a display screen provided in a surface which is located inside when the information processing apparatus is closed and which is located outside when the information processing apparatus is opened. The taken image display control means displays a taken image on the display screen, and changes a taken image to be displayed between before and after closing and opening the information processing apparatus when the information processing apparatus is closed and opened again.
US09256448B2	Process grouping for improved cache and memory affinity Embodiments include determining a set of two or more processes that share at least one of a plurality of resources in a multi-node system in which the processes are running, wherein each of the set of two or more processes is running one different nodes of the multi-node system. For each combination of the set of processes and the resources, a value is calculated based, at least in part, on a weight of the resource and frequency of access of the resource by each process of the set of processes. The pair of processes having a greatest sum of calculated values by resource is determined. A first process of the pair of processes is allocated from a first node in the multi-node system to a second node in the multi-node system that hoses a second process of the pair of processes.
US09256446B2	Method and apparatus for component display processing Embodiments of the present invention provide a component display processing method and apparatus. The method includes: receiving indication information indicating that a component is in a waiting-to-be-processed state; and according to the indication information, reducing a displayed region of a container that is displayed on a display screen, so that t a hidden region of the container is displayed on the display screen.
US09256444B2	Application level integration in support of a distributed network management and service provisioning solution An integrated data network management and data service provisioning environment is provided. The integrated environment includes legacy software application code and current software application code each augmented with code portions enabling exchange of information therebetween via an interworking layer. A facility for participation in and interacting with the integrated environment is also provided. A man-machine interface is integrated across different applications which themselves may be executed on different computers to provide a seamless exchange of information. The advantages are derived from enhanced usage efficiencies in providing data network management and service provisioning solutions. The interworking layer also provides for security enforcement across applications participating in the integrated environment.
US09256432B2	Method of compressing and decompressing an executable or interpretable program The method of compressing and decompressing an executable program, can be executed by a microprocessor or interpreted by an interpreter of an integrated circuit device: instructions are reformatted into the format of an initial set of instructions of said program for obtaining instructions in the format of an intermediate set of instructions; repetition templates in the program are determined and, for each repetition template, a pair is defined, formed of said repetition template and of an instruction in the format of a set of instructions; intermediate instructions are replaced by compressed instructions and the links of the compressed program are modified; the compressed program is stored in a memory of the device; and the compressed program is decompressed and the initial instructions are executed by said microprocessor or interpreted by said interpreter. The invention applies, in particular, to the integrated circuits of embedded devices.
US09256431B2	Synthetic processing diversity within a homogeneous processing environment A method of increasing processing diversity on a computer system includes: loading a plurality of instruction streams, each of the plurality of instruction streams being equivalent; executing, in a context, a first stream of the plurality of instruction streams; stopping execution of the first stream at a first location of the first stream; and executing, in the context, a second stream of the plurality of instruction streams at a second location of the second stream, the second location corresponding to the first location of the first stream.
US09256428B2	Load latency speculation in an out-of-order computer processor Load latency speculation in an out-of-order computer processor, including: issuing a load instruction for execution, wherein the load instruction has a predetermined expected execution latency; issuing a dependent instruction wakeup signal on an instruction wakeup bus, wherein the dependent instruction wakeup signal indicates that the load instruction will be completed upon the expiration of the expected execution latency; determining, upon the expiration of the expected execution latency, whether the load instruction has completed; and responsive to determining that the load instruction has not completed upon the expiration of the expected execution latency, issuing a negative dependent instruction wakeup signal on the instruction wakeup bus, wherein the negative dependent instruction wakeup signal indicates that the load instruction has not completed upon the expiration of the expected execution latency.
US09256427B2	Tracking multiple conditions in a general purpose register and instruction therefor An operate-and-insert instruction of a program, when executed performs an operation based on one or more operands, results of an instruction specified test of the operation performed are stored in an instruction specified location of an instruction specified general register. The instruction specified general register is therefore able to hold results of many operate-and-insert instructions. The program can then use non-branch type instructions to evaluate conditions saved in the register, thus avoiding the performance penalty of branch instructions.
US09256425B2	Versioning and refactoring of business mashups in on-demand environments Techniques are provided for versioning and refactoring of mashups. During the design phase of a mashup that is operable to access multiple external services, design information that defines or modifies a plurality of design elements included in the mashup is received from a user. Without receiving from the user any input that causes the plurality of design elements to be versioned, current versions of the plurality of design elements are automatically stored in a repository when the plurality of design elements are saved during development of the mashup. The mashup is deployed to one or more servers. Without receiving any input from the user that causes the mashup to be versioned, deploying the mashup comprises automatically storing in the repository a current version of the mashup and versioning information that associates the current version of the mashup with the current versions of the plurality of design elements.
US09256424B1	Managing software configurations across different target software deployments Techniques are described for recommending levels of configuration for a set of targets. According to one embodiment, an image advisor generates a set of software configuration classifications based on a set of attributes associated with a plurality of targets. The image advisor associates each respective software configuration classification in the set of software configuration classifications with one or more targets of the plurality of targets. Based on the set of software configuration classifications, the image advisor generates and provides a recommendation that identifies a recommended set of source components for one or more groups of targets in the plurality of targets. In another embodiment, the image advisor may provide a set of recommended software configuration levels that include a fewer number of software configuration levels than a set of current software configuration levels.
US09256422B2	Systems and methods for finding project-related information by clustering applications into related concept categories A system, method, and computer-readable medium, is described that finds similarities among programming applications based on semantic anchors found within the source code of such applications. The semantic anchors may be API calls, such as Java's package and class calls of the JDK. Latent Semantic Indexing may be used to process the application and semantic anchor data and automatically develop a similarity matrix that contains numbers representing the similarity of one program to another.
US09256420B2	System and method for automatically updating the software of a networked personal audiovisual device A method for automatically updating software executed by an electronic device is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving, at the electronic device, an update indication from a server that updated software is available for the electronic device. The method further includes modifying, in response to the update indication, a boot state of the electronic device and initiating operation of the electronic device in an update mode. The updated software is received, at the electronic device, during operation in the update mode. The method further includes initiating, upon determining the updated software has been correctly received, operation of the electronic device in a normal mode.
US09256417B2	Automatic quality assurance for software installers An approach for assuring quality of a software installer is presented. A change between first and second views of an operating system is determined. The second view is recorded after executing an installer to create installed software application components. The installation is determined to be successful. A location for an installed shortcut for the software application is determined. Executable and command line information inside the shortcut is extracted using the location. Based on the extracted executable and command line information, the application is executed to perform a test of the application. While the application is executing, a close signal is sent to a window of the application. An exit code from the application is read. If the exit code matches a standard exit code, the test is documented as being successful. If the exit code does not match the standard exit code, the test is documented as being unsuccessful.
US09256413B2	Automatic identification of services In one aspect, a metadata of an application is received. The metadata describes a number of artifacts of the computer application. Based on a reference in the application metadata, at least one service that the application is configured to access is determined. In another aspect, additional metadata describing artifacts associated with the at least one service are identified. The artifacts associated with the at least one service and the artifacts of the computer application are selected for installation of the computer application.
US09256409B2	Building reusable function summaries for frequently visited methods to optimize data-flow analysis A method includes inspecting function summaries generated during a static analysis of a program and identifying a set of function summaries for a same method that have structural similarities. The method includes replacing the set of structurally similar summaries with a coarse summary. The method further includes using the coarse summary in subsequent static analysis operations. Apparatus and program products are also disclosed.
US09256408B2	Optimizing texture commands for graphics processing unit Aspects of this disclosure relate to a method of compiling high-level software instructions to generate low-level software instructions. In an example, the method includes identifying, with a computing device, a set of high-level (HL) control flow (CF) instructions having one or more associated texture load instructions, wherein the set of HL CF instructions comprises one or more branches. The method also includes converting, with the computing device, the identified set of HL CF instructions to low-level (LL) instructions having a predicate structure. The method also includes outputting the converted (LL) instructions having the predicate structure.
US09256406B1	Graphically scoped C-functions inside stateflow A device may select a program code function associated with a graphical model. The program code function may include a set of identifiers. The device may select an identifier from the set of identifiers. The device may determine a particular set of entities that are referenceable at a program code location of the identifier. The particular set of entities may include a first set of entities of the program code function for which the identifier is within a lexical scope of the first set of entities and a second set of entities of the graphical model for which the program code function is within the graphical scope of the second set of entities. The device may determine whether the identifier corresponds to a particular entity of the particular set of entities. The device may provide information associated with determining whether the identifier corresponds to the particular entity.
US09256404B2	Extensible context based user interface simplification Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to modeling tools and provide a method, system and computer program product for extensible context based user interface simplification of modeling components for a modeling tool. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for extensible context based user interface simplification can be provided for a model driven development tool. The method can include detecting a context change to a new context in a model driven development tool, locating tool items mapped to the new context, and displaying the located tool items in the model driven development tool.
US09256403B2	Unified flow designer An interface enables a user to select a graphical object to include in a flow. The graphical object is associated with code, and this code may relate to presenting digital content. The interface further allows a user to define a graphical relationship in the flow, such as a connection between the graphical object and another element of the flow. The interface may present the flow in a first area of a display and the digital content in a second area of the display. The code may be executed based on the graphical relationship. For example, the graphical relationship may indicate an order for executing code sections associated with the flow and data exchanged within the code sections.
US09256402B2	End user programming for a mobile device A tool for creating and editing applications on a mobile device. The tool searches the mobile device for a plurality of currently installed applications on the mobile device. The tool exposes a workspace using a graphical programming language on the mobile device. The tool receives a plurality of selections in the workspace. The tool receives a configuration of the plurality of received selections in the workspace. The tool determines, based on the configuration of the received selections in the workspace, the application is complete. The tool prompts to save the completed application.
US09256401B2	Editor visualization of symbolic relationships Enhancing dynamic code. A method includes obtaining one or more first data structures defining constructs in a body of dynamic language source code. From the one or more first data structures, identifier information is extracted for one or more of the defined constructs. Knowledge about the constructs is augmented. Using the identifier information and augmented knowledge, metadata about the body of the dynamic language source code is generated. The generated metadata is represented as a symbol table. The body of dynamic language source code is visually enhanced based on the symbol table structure.
US09256400B2	Decision service manager The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for modeling and deploying decision services. One computer-implemented method includes creating a connection between a decision service manager and a managed system, establishing a signature of a decision service, developing, using at least one computer, the decision service based upon the established signature of the decision service, performing a deployment readiness check, transferring generated code implementing the decision service to the managed system upon a determination that the deployment readiness check was successful, inserting the generated code into the managed system, and retrieving a deployment status from the managed system.
US09256395B1	Previewing audio data associated with an item Systems and methods are provided for previewing audio data associated with an audio book or other item. In some embodiments, following capture by a mobile computing device of an image of a graphical code included on packaging associated with an audio book, a request may be received from the mobile computing device for audio data and/or other data associated with the audio book. The request may include a uniform resource identifier generated using the graphical code from the image captured by the mobile computing device. In response to receiving the request, audio data associated with the audio book may be retrieved from a data store. The retrieved audio data may then be sent to the mobile computing device for playback by the mobile computing device.
US09256390B2	Gallery video player supports HDMI out Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface in a dual screen device. More particularly, the method includes providing a gallery for the dual screen device. The gallery can present one or more images in a user interface. The gallery user interface can adapt to changes in the device configuration. Further, the gallery can display images or videos in the various configurations.
US09256387B2	Printing system, print server, information processing device, and image forming device A print server includes: a storing part for storing a printing rule defining an output condition for printing; a notifying part for notifying an information processing device of the printing rule and a setting change process which can be changed by a user through user operation to select corresponding to the printing rule; and a job converting part for changing a print setting of the print job based on the setting change process selected by the user thereby converting the print job to the print job matching the printing rule. The information processing device includes: an acquiring part for acquiring the printing rule and information relating to the setting change process; and a setting changing part for changing the setting change process performed by the job converting part to a different process within a range matching the printing rule.
US09256381B1	Managing degraded storage elements in data storage systems A method is used for managing degraded storage elements in data storage systems. A storage element experiencing degradation is identified where the storage element is a member of a first RAID group of storage elements. A first slice of data associated with the storage element is identified. The first slice of data is copied to a second RAID group of storage elements.
US09256378B2	Deduplicating data blocks in a storage system A method for sharing data blocks in a hierarchical file system in a storage server includes allocating a plurality of data blocks in the file system, and sharing data blocks in the file system, without using a persistent point-in-time image, to avoid duplication of data blocks. A method for identifying data blocks that can be shared includes computing a fingerprint for each of multiple data blocks to be written to a storage facility and storing the fingerprint with information identifying the data block in an entry in a set of metadata. The set of metadata is used to identify data blocks which are duplicates.
US09256377B2	Consistent distributed storage communication protocol semantics in a clustered storage system Consistent distributed storage communication protocol semantics, such as SCSI target semantics, in a clustered storage system are disclosed. The system includes a mechanism for presenting a single distributed logical unit, comprising one or more logical sub-units, as a single logical unit of storage to a host system by associating each of the logical sub-units that make up the single distributed logical unit with a single host visible identifier that corresponds to the single distributed logical unit. The system further includes a mechanism to maintain consistent context information for each of the logical sub-units such that the logical sub-units are not visible to a host system as separate entities from the single distributed logical unit.
US09256369B2	Programmable memory controller One embodiment includes a programmable memory controller. The programmable memory controller includes a request processor that comprises a first domain-specific instruction set architecture (ISA) for accelerating common requests. A transaction processor comprises a second domain-specific ISA for accelerating transaction processing tasks. A dedicated command logic module inspects each memory command to a memory device and stalls particular commands for meeting timing constraints for application specific control of the memory device.
US09256364B2	Touch control apparatus which is helpful for double click determining, and computer readable recording media for performing corresponding touch control method A computer readable recording media comprising at least one program code recorded thereon, a touch control method is performed when the program code is read and executed. The touch control method comprises the following steps: (a) detecting location data for an object relative to a detecting surface to generate at least one displacement data; (b) storing the displacement data to a storage apparatus and outputting the stored displacement data to a target apparatus from the storage apparatus after storing the displacement data for a predetermined time period, when the object touches the detecting surface; and (c) cleaning the stored displacement data when the object leaves the detecting surface.
US09256363B2	Information processing device and character input method According to an aspect, an information processing device includes: a touch panel for detecting a contact; and a controller configured to display a virtual keyboard including a plurality of buttons on the touch panel, and receive, when the touch panel detects a contact started at a first position on the surface of the touch panel and terminated at a second position on the surface of the touch panel, a character string including characters corresponding to the buttons displayed on a trajectory obtained by connecting each position at which the contact is detected from when the contact is started at the first position to when the contact is terminated at the second position as input.
US09256362B2	Network system, communication method and communication terminal Provided is a network system including at least first and second communication terminals capable of communicating with each other via a network. The first communication terminal causes handwritten data input in response to an instruction for a point on an image to be displayed in a certain position on the image corresponding to this point, associates the point information about the point with the handwritten data and transmits the point information and the handwritten data to the second communication terminal. Based on the point information and the handwritten data from the first communication terminal, the second communication terminal causes at least a part of the image to be displayed on a second display and also causes the handwritten data to be displayed in a location in accordance with the point information.
US09256354B2	List display apparatus Provided is a list display apparatus configured to: arrange, from a list including a plurality of item images arranged in order, item images included in a partial range of the list in a predetermined scroll direction, and display the item images in the partial range on a screen; and move the item images in the scroll direction at a speed corresponding to a user's scroll instruction, and move item images that have not been displayed on the screen in the scroll direction from outside of the screen into the screen so as to newly display the item images on the screen. When the item image that is newly displayed is moved in the scroll direction into the screen, at least a part of the item image is moved in a cross direction crossing the scroll direction from the outside of the screen into the screen at a predetermined speed.
US09256353B2	Providing application and device management using entitlements An Application Workspace System (AWS) enables users to access remote server-based applications (e.g., thin client applications, terminal server applications, applications on hosted operating systems, etc.) using the same interface that they use to access local applications, without needing to know where the application is being accessed. The AWS automatically determines which applications the user is entitled to use, and then figures out automatically, based upon a variety of parameters, which applications are to be made available to the user (resolved to version, particular package etc.), and whether they are to be installed locally, or accessed remotely. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09256352B2	Touch screen terminal and method for locating electronic document thereof The disclosure relates to a touch screen terminal and a method for locating an electronic document thereof. The touch screen terminal comprises a setting module, a directory listing module, a detection module, a mode switching module, a real-time directory module, a preview module and a chapter/section switching module. The method comprises: generating a directory listing for an electronic document and storing it; detecting a screen aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa in a reading mode of current chapter/section of the electronic document; when it is detected that a user enables a chapter/section switching function, enabling a chapter/section switching mode to wait for the user to input a number of the chapter/section to switch to; when it is detected that the user inputs the number of the chapter/section to switch to, matching a directory entry in real time from the stored directory listing and displaying it; generating a preview for a corresponding chapter/section according to the number of the chapter/section to switch to input by the user and displaying it to the user; and when a confirmation of the switching operation is detected, switching to the previewed chapter/section. The disclosure is simple to operate and easy to implement, and improves the reading experience.
US09256349B2	User-resizable icons Systems, methods, and computer media for resizing icons displayed in a user interface are provided. Icons in a display can be resized by a user interacting with the icon itself. A user interaction with an icon can cause an icon resizing mode to be entered. Additional user interaction with the icon can then cause the icon to be resized. The display in which an icon is located can be rearranged as a result of the icon being resized.
US09256343B1	Dynamically modifying an electronic article based on commentary In one general aspect, a computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store instructions that when executed cause at least one processor of a computer system to perform a process. The process can include receiving from a user account an indicator of a request for an electronic article hosted at an article host, and receiving an indicator of a location within the electronic article targeted for placement of at least a portion of a comment within the electronic article. The process can also include processing, in response to the indicator of the request, a plurality of comments associated with the electronic article and posted via a plurality of user accounts, and placing, based on the processing and before the electronic article is served, at least a portion of a comment from the plurality of comments at the location to customize the electronic article for the user account.
US09256339B2	Tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing area The present invention relates to a tablet having a flexible and transparent sensing area, comprising: an insulating transparent base material having a first loop antenna and a plurality of comb-shaped first line antennas; and a control substrate having, mounted thereon, a first multiplexer (MUX) for selecting one of the ends of the plurality of first line antennas, an amplifier for outputting a potential difference between an output of the first multiplexer and the first loop antenna, and an MCU (micro controller unit) for generating a first selection signal and, on the basis of the potential difference from the amplifier, sensing the position of an electronic pen from one line antenna. The first loop antenna formed on the transparent base material is combined with a first conductive pattern formed on the control substrate, thereby forming a closed loop. Each of the plurality of first line antennas is connected to each of a plurality of first extending patterns insulatively crossing the first conductive pattern on the control substrate. The plurality of first extending patterns are connected to an input of the first multiplexer.
US09256336B2	Capacitive touch sensor structure and applications thereof A capacitive touch sensor structure comprises a substrate, a first transmissive electrode, a first wire, a first receiving electrode and a second wire. The first transmissive electrode is disposed on the substrate and has at least one first electrode. The first wire is disposed on the substrate and connects to the first electrode of the first transmissive electrode. The first receiving electrode is disposed on the substrate and has at least one second electrode. The second wire is disposed on the substrate and extends along a first direction to connect to the first receiving electrode. The first electrode has a plurality of first slits and the second electrode has a plurality of second slits.
US09256335B2	Integrated receiver and ADC for capacitive touch sensing apparatus and methods An integrated analog data receiver for a capacitive touch screen. An analog data receiver circuit for a touch screen device is provided including a sigma delta analog to digital converter configured for direct connection to an analog output of a touch screen device, and further including an integrator circuit having an input coupled for receiving the analog output signal and outputting an integrated output voltage; a comparator coupled to the integrated output voltage and a first bias voltage and outputting a comparison voltage; a clocked sampling latch coupled to the comparison voltage and to a clock signal and outputting quantized data bits corresponding to samples of the comparison voltage; and a digital filter and decimator coupled to the clocked sampling latch and outputting serial data bits which form a digital representation corresponding to the output of the touch screen device. Additional circuits and systems are disclosed.
US09256332B2	Concurrent driving capacitive touch sensing device capable of resending drive signals There is provided a concurrent driving capacitive touch sensing device including a drive end, a capacitive sensing matrix and a detection end. The capacitive sensing matrix includes a plurality of drive electrodes and sense electrodes crossing to each other. The drive end is configured to concurrently input cycle data of encoded and modulated drive signals into the drive electrodes. The detection end is coupled to one of the sense electrodes and configured to acquire a predetermined number of sampled values corresponding to the cycle data associated with the coupled sense electrode and generate a response signal to the drive end according to the sampled values, wherein the drive end resends the cycle data according to the response signal.
US09256330B2	Capacitive touch panel configured to sense both active and passive input with a single sensor A capacitive touch panel includes sense electrodes arranged next to one another and drive electrodes arranged next to one another across the sense electrodes. The drive electrodes and the sense electrodes define a coordinate system where each coordinate location comprises a capacitor formed at a junction between one of the drive electrodes and one of the sense electrodes via mutual capacitance between the electrodes. The drive electrodes are configured to receive a first signal from a driver coupled with the drive electrodes for powering the drive electrodes to sense passive input to the capacitive touch panel at each coordinate location. Passive input can also be sensed via self-capacitance of the capacitive touch panel sensors. The drive electrodes and the sense electrodes are configured to receive a second signal from an active stylus to sense active input to the capacitive touch panel at each coordinate location.
US09256322B2	Multi-touch input discrimination Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described.
US09256320B2	Display device, method of driving display device, and electronic apparatus According to an aspect, a display device includes: a display region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix; a plurality of signal lines that extend in a second direction in the display region; a vertical drive circuit that is coupled to first ends of the scanning lines and applies a vertical scanning pulse to the first ends to select each row of the pixels in the display region; a horizontal drive circuit that performs a display operation of supplying an image signal to each of the pixels in the row selected by the vertical drive circuit through the signal lines; and a plurality of switches that are coupled to second ends of the scanning lines respectively. Each of the switches supplies the same potential as that supplied to the first ends by the vertical drive circuit to the second end corresponding thereto in an idle period.
US09256319B2	Input device Provided is an input device including a coordinate input unit having plural capacitance detection units, a capacitance measurement unit that measures capacitance for each of the plural capacitance detection units, and performs an AD conversion on the measured capacitance to output the converted capacitance as a measurement signal, and a control unit that controls the capacitance measurement unit, calculates a data signal by arithmetically operating the measurement signal, stores the data signal in association with coordinate information of the capacitance detection unit, and outputs a control signal. The control unit calculates a difference value between a predetermined reference value and the data signal at a constant time interval, performs a weighted average process on the data signal and the predetermined reference value to update and store a value on which the process is performed as a new reference value, and changes a weight given to the weighted average process.
US09256317B2	Hybrid sensing touchscreen apparatus capable of light touch sensing and physical touch sensing and method of driving the same A touchscreen apparatus includes pixel rows including pixels configured to display an image, a touch-sensing unit configured to sense a physical touch, light-sensing unit configured to sense incident light, a first sensor gate line configured to provide a first gate signal for activating the light-sensing unit and resetting the touch-sensing unit, a second sensor gate line configured to provide a second gate signal for activating the touch-sensing unit and resetting the light-sensing unit, and a reset circuit configured to provide a common voltage to the pixels based on the operation of at least one of the light-sensing unit and the touch-sensing unit.
US09256315B2	Method of identifying palm area for touch panel and method for updating the identified palm area A method of identifying a palm area for a touch panel has steps of: receiving sensing frame information having multiple touching sensing points from the touch panel; selecting one of the touching sensing points; outwardly extending a distance from an outline of the selected touching sensing point to define a searching range; checking whether other touching sensing points are within the searching range; marking the touching sensing points in the searching range and expanding the searching range based on the currently marked touching sensing points; sequentially selecting and checking each touching sensing point if it is within the present searching range; and finally merging all the outlines of the marked touching sensing points to form a final outline as a palm area. Other unmarked touching sensing points are defined as touching reference points.
US09256312B2	Communication device and communication system A communication device (1) includes a communication unit (60) that communicates with another communication device, a display unit (30) that displays an object corresponding to an object displayed on a display unit of the other communication device, and a control unit (10) that controls the communication unit (60) to transmit threshold information associated with the object displayed on the display unit (30) to the other communication device.
US09256311B2	Flexible touch sensor In one embodiment, an apparatus include a substantially flexible substrate and a touch sensor disposed on the substantially flexible substrate. The touch sensor comprising drive or sense electrodes made of flexible conductive material configured to bend with the substantially flexible substrate.
US09256310B2	Touch sensor integrated type display device A touch sensor integrated type display device includes gate lines and data lines; a plurality of pixel electrodes respectively formed in pixel areas defined by crossings of the gate and data lines; a first electrode formed between first pixel electrodes and in parallel with a first gate line of the gate lines, the first pixel electrodes being adjacent to each other with the first gate line interposed therebetween; second electrodes formed between second pixel electrodes and arranged in a line in parallel with a second gate line adjacent to the first gate line, the second pixel electrodes being adjacent to each other with the second gate line interposed therebetween; and third electrodes, each of which is formed in parallel with the data lines and contacts the second electrodes, at least a portion of each of the third electrodes overlapping the first and second pixel electrodes.
US09256307B2	Touch panel Disclosed herein is a touch panel, including: a transparent substrate; an electrode formed in a mesh pattern on the transparent substrate; and a wiring formed in a wavy pattern on the transparent substrate and connected to the electrode, the wiring having curve shape of first peaks and second peaks alternately continuing along a longitudinal direction.
US09256306B2	Sensing apparatus and driving method thereof A sensing apparatus including a first scan line, a second scan line, a readout line, a first sensing device and a second sensing device is provided. The first sensing device is coupled to the first scan line and the readout line, and senses a first energy, and outputs a first readout signal corresponding to the first energy to the readout line in response to a first scan signal on the first scan line. The first sensing device is reset in response to the first scan signal and a reference signal on the readout line. The first sensing device includes a first reset unit configured for resetting the first sensing device, where a first terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the first scan line, and a control terminal of the first reset unit is coupled to the readout line. A driving method thereof is also provided.
US09256304B2	Systems and methods for automatic disable of input devices Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer program products configured to provide intelligent filtering techniques to reduce errant device inputs are described. For example, filtering out the data input from a touch pad while typing on the keyboard or operating with a pointing stick, even if the touch pad is sensing contact, is augmented by continuing to filter data from the touch pad until the contact on the touch pad ends.
US09256303B2	Touch display device and control method thereof A touch display device includes a touch screen, a plurality of physical keys surrounding the touch screen, a touch sensor, and a touch control system. The touch screen senses a touch operation and displays a graphical user interface (GUI). The physical keys are arranged on each side of the touch screen, and the touch keys on one side can be enabled while the physical keys on all other sides are disabled. The touch sensor includes a plurality of touch sensing units which outputs a touch signal when one side is touched. The touch control system rotates the GUI through predetermined numbers of degrees to maintain uprightness for the user, enables the touch keys on the touched side, and disables the touch keys on all the other sides according to the touch signal.
US09256298B2	Display panel and operation control method thereof, and display device A display panel, an operation control method thereof and a display device for improving users' experience of display products. Wherein the display panel comprises a flexible substrate (1) and a sensor control circuit (3) and a sensitive element (4) provided on the flexible substrate (1), the sensor control circuit (3) is connected to the sensitive element (4), and a sensitive parameter of the sensitive element (4) varies with the bending degree of the flexible substrate (1) so that a detected signal passing through the sensitive element (4) varies with the bending degree of the flexible substrate (1); the sensor control circuit (3) includes a signal generating circuit for inputting the detected signal into the sensitive element (4), and a feedback circuit for converting the detected signal passing through the sensitive element (4) into a feedback signal indicating the bending degree of the flexible substrate (1) and for sending it to a control system connected to the display panel, so that the control system performs corresponding control operations in accordance with the feedback signal.
US09256296B2	Integrated, one-handed, mouse and keyboard An integrated mouse and keyboard intended to be used to type with only one hand. The mouse is contoured so that the wrist is in a neutral position during typing. The characters associated with any individual key can be changed through the use of one of two joysticks. The user may define the relationship between the joysticks, keyboard keys, and character sets.
US09256291B2	Mobile device and method for displaying information A mobile device control method for displaying information on a touch screen of a mobile device is provided. The method includes determining a type of a cover for the mobile device, the cover having a screen projection portion, detecting a gesture or a trigger, and displaying a screen corresponding to a current state of the mobile device on the touch screen depending on the type of the cover, in response to the detection of the gesture or the trigger.
US09256290B2	Gesture detection using ambient light sensors A device and method to detect a gesture made by an object in touch-less communication with the device are described. The device includes a collection engine to collect light intensity measurements of light intensity at two or more measurement cycles from two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device. The device also includes a processor to identify the gesture based on the light intensity measurements at each of the two or more ambient light sensors at two or more of the two or more measurement cycles, and a memory device to store a gesture library that associates the gesture with an output signal.
US09256289B2	Method and apparatus for displaying a polyhedral user interface Provided is a method and apparatus for providing a three-dimensional (3D) polyhedral user interface. A first polyhedron may be formed of a plurality of blocks which are mapped with a plurality of pieces of information. A user may manipulate rotation of some of the blocks to generate a second polyhedron.

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