| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09368651B2 |
Buss bar strip
A buss bar strip for mounting to a solar panel to electrically connect to a series of electrical lines extending from solar cells. The buss bar strip can include a thin elongate flat flexible strip of insulative material having a longitudinal length. A predetermined pattern of elongate conductors can be longitudinally disposed on the insulative strip in at least two rows along the longitudinal length and electrically isolated from each other. Each conductor can have a predetermined position, length, and spacing from each other on the insulative strip for laterally electrically connecting to selected electrical lines from the solar cells at lateral electrical connection points located along the length of the conductor on exposed surfaces on the conductor. |
| US09368650B1 |
SiC junction barrier controlled schottky rectifier
A SiC junction barrier controlled Schottky rectifier includes a SiC substrate, a n-type drift layer, a p-type doping region, a plurality of junction field-effect regions, a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The drift layer is disposed on the SiC substrate. The junction field-effect regions are disposed in the drift layer and are surrounded by the p-type doping region. The first metal layer is disposed on the drift layer. The second metal layer is disposed at one side of the SiC substrate away from the drift layer. Through N circular regions and (N−1) inter-circle regions each connecting two of the circular regions, as well as geometric characteristics of the circular regions and the inter-circle regions, a leakage current of devices is effectively reduced and ruggedness is increased to improve an issue of a large leakage current of a conventional Schottky barrier diode. |
| US09368649B2 |
Schottky barrier diode and method of manufacturing the same
A schottky barrier diode includes an n− type epitaxial layer disposed at a first surface of an n+ type silicon carbide substrate, a plurality of n type pillar areas disposed in the n− type epitaxial layer at a first portion of a first surface of the n+ type silicon carbide substrate, a plurality of p+ areas disposed at a surface of the n− type epitaxial layer and separated from the n type pillar area, a schottky electrode disposed on the n− type epitaxial layer and the p+ area, and an ohmic electrode disposed at a second surface of the n+ type silicon carbide substrate. A doping density of the n type pillar area is larger than a doping density of the n− type epitaxial layer. |
| US09368638B2 |
Semiconductor device
An object is to provide a highly reliable transistor and a semiconductor device including the transistor. A semiconductor device including a gate electrode; a gate insulating film over the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor film over the gate insulating film; and a source electrode and a drain electrode over the oxide semiconductor film, in which activation energy of the oxide semiconductor film obtained from temperature dependence of a current (on-state current) flowing between the source electrode and the drain electrode when a voltage greater than or equal to a threshold voltage is applied to the gate electrode is greater than or equal to 0 meV and less than or equal to 25 meV, is provided. |
| US09368636B2 |
Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of oxide semiconductor layers
A substrate having an insulating surface is prepared; a stacked film including a first oxide semiconductor layer and a second oxide semiconductor layer is formed over the substrate; a mask layer is formed over part of the stacked film and then dry etching treatment is performed, so that the stacked film is removed, with a region provided with the mask layer remaining, and a reaction product is formed on a side surface of the remaining stacked film; the reaction product is removed by wet etching treatment after removal of the mask layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed over the stacked film; and a third oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode are stacked and formed in this order over the stacked film, and the source electrode and the drain electrode. |
| US09368635B2 |
Array substrate, method for manufacturing the same and display device
A manufacturing method of an array substrate, comprising the following steps: S1: forming a pattern comprising a semiconductor layer (2), a gate insulating layer (4), a gate electrode (5) and a gate line on a substrate (1); S2: on the substrate (1) subjected to the step S1, forming a metal diffusion layer (3) on the pattern of the semiconductor layer (2) which is not covered by the gate insulating layer (4) and forming a barrier layer (6) in other regions; S3: forming a passivation layer (7) on the substrate (1) subjected to the step S2; and S4: forming a pattern of via holes (11), source and drain electrodes (81, 82), a data line and a pixel electrode (9) on the passivation layer (7), the source and drain electrodes (81, 82) being which being connected to the metal diffusion layer (3) through the via holes (11) respectively. With this method, the process flow is simplified, and the process costs are reduced. |
| US09368634B2 |
Display panel, thin film transistor and method of fabricating the same
A thin film transistor (TFT) including a gate, a dielectric layer, a metal-oxide semiconductor channel, a source, and a drain is provided. The gate and the metal-oxide semiconductor channel are overlapped. The gate, the source, and the drain are separated by the dielectric layer. Besides, the source and the drain are respectively located on two opposite sides of the metal-oxide semiconductor channel. The metal-oxide semiconductor channel includes a metal-oxide semiconductor layer and a plurality of nano micro structures disposed in the metal-oxide semiconductor layer and separated from one another. In another aspect, a display panel including the TFT and a method of fabricating the TFT are also provided. |
| US09368631B2 |
Thin film transistor and display panel including the same
Disclosed is a thin film transistor including a gate electrode on a substrate. A gate dielectric layer is disposed on the gate electrode and the substrate, and source/drain electrodes are disposed on the gate dielectric layer overlying two edge parts of the gate electrode. A channel layer is disposed on the gate dielectric layer overlying a center part of the gate electrode, and the channel region contacts the source/drain electrodes. An insulating capping layer overlies the channel layer, wherein the channel layer includes an oxide semiconductor. |
| US09368629B2 |
Diode structure compatible with FinFET process
An embodiment integrated circuit (e.g., diode) and method of making the same. The embodiment integrated circuit includes a well having a first doping type formed over a substrate having the first doping type, the well including a fin, a source formed over the well on a first side of the fin, the source having a second doping type, a drain formed over the well on a second side of the fin, the drain having the first doping type, and a gate oxide formed over the fin, the gate oxide laterally spaced apart from the source by a back off region of the fin. The integrated circuit is compatible with a FinFET fabrication process. |
| US09368627B2 |
Semiconductor structure and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a gate stack on the semiconductor substrate; and a stress memorization technology (SMT) sidewall spacer over a sidewall of the gate stack. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer. The SMT sidewall spacer provides a stress for a channel region beneath the gate stack. |
| US09368624B2 |
Method for fabricating a transistor with reduced junction leakage current
A transistor and method of fabrication thereof includes a screening layer formed at least in part in the semiconductor substrate beneath a channel layer and a gate stack, the gate stack including spacer structures on either side of the gate stack. The transistor includes a shallow lightly doped drain region in the channel layer and a deeply lightly doped drain region at the depth relative to the bottom of the screening layer for reducing junction leakage current. A compensation layer may also be included to prevent loss of back gate control. |
| US09368623B2 |
High voltage device fabricated using low-voltage processes
A high-voltage transistor includes an active region including a diffused region of a first conductivity type defined by inner edges of a border of shallow trench isolation. A gate having side edges and end edges is disposed over the active region. Spaced apart source and drain regions of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type are disposed in the active region outwardly with respect to the side edges of the gate. Lightly-doped regions of the second conductivity type more lightly-doped than the source and drain regions surround the source and drain regions and extend inwardly between the source and drain regions towards the gate to define a channel, and outwardly towards all of the inner edges of the shallow trench isolation. Outer edges of the lightly-doped region from at least the drain region are spaced apart from the inner edges of the shallow trench isolation. |
| US09368621B1 |
Power semiconductor device having low on-state resistance
A power semiconductor device having low on-state resistance includes a substrate having an epitaxial layer formed thereon, a gate structure, a termination structure, and a patterned conductive layer. The epitaxial layer has at least a first trench and a second trench. The gate structure is embedded in the first trench, including a gate electrode and a shielding electrode disposed under the gate electrode. The termination structure is embedded in the second trench, including a termination electrode. The patterned conductive layer is disposed above the epitaxial layer. Specially, the shield electrode of the gate structure and the termination electrode of the termination structure are configured to receive the gate voltage. The patterned conductive layer is configured to electrically contact said gate electrode and termination electrodes by a first contact plug and a second contact plug respectively. |
| US09368620B2 |
Trench gate FET with self-aligned source contact
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type. The semiconductor device further includes first and second trenches extending into the semiconductor layer from a surface of the semiconductor layer, each of the first and second trenches including a corresponding gate electrode. The semiconductor device further includes a body region having a second conductivity type different than the first conductivity type and a source contact region having the first conductivity type. The body region is disposed in the semiconductor layer below the surface of the semiconductor layer and between a sidewall of the first trench and an adjacent sidewall of a second trench. The source contact region is disposed in the semiconductor layer between the body region and the surface of the semiconductor layer and extending between the sidewall of the first trench and the corresponding sidewall of the second trench. |
| US09368618B2 |
Semiconductor structure
A semiconductor structure comprising an improved ESD protection device is provided. The semiconductor structure comprises a substrate, a well formed in the substrate, a first heavily doped region formed in the well, a second heavily doped region formed in the well and separated apart from the first heavily doped region, a gate structure formed on the substrate between the first heavily doped region and the second heavily doped region, a field region formed in the well under the first heavily doped region and the gate structure, and a field oxide/shallow trench isolation structure formed adjacent to the first heavily doped region. The field region is not formed under the second heavily doped region. The well and the field region have a first type of doping. The first heavily doped region and the second heavily doped region have a second type of doping. |
| US09368610B2 |
High electron mobility transistor with indium nitride layer
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first layer over the substrate, a second layer over the first layer, and a third layer over the second layer. The third layer has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the third layer is separated from the second portion of the third layer. The semiconductor device also includes a first blended region beneath the first portion of the third layer. The first blended region includes aluminum atoms drawn from the first layer into at least the second layer. The semiconductor device further includes a second blended region beneath the second portion of the third layer. The second blended region includes aluminum atoms drawn from the first layer into at least the second layer. The semiconductor device also includes a source contact and a drain contact. |
| US09368606B2 |
Memory first process flow and device
Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing such devices are described herein. According to embodiments, a semiconductor device includes a memory gate disposed in a first region of the semiconductor device. The memory gate may include a first gate conductor layer disposed over a charge trapping dielectric. A select gate may be disposed in the first region of the semiconductor device adjacent to a sidewall of the memory gate. A sidewall dielectric may be disposed between the sidewall of the memory gate and the select gate. Additionally, the device may include a logic gate disposed in a second region of the semiconductor device that comprises the first gate conductor layer. |
| US09368602B2 |
Method for fabricating IGZO layer and TFT
Methods for fabricating an IGZO layer and fabricating TFT are provided in the present invention. The method for fabricating TFT includes the following steps: (1) depositing an IGZO layer and forming a surface oxidizing gas protective layer on the IGZO layer; (2) coating the IGZO layer with a photoresist, and then subjecting the photoresist to an exposing and developing process to form a photoresist pattern; and (3) subjecting the IGZO layer to an etching process, and then removing the photoresist. By forming an oxidizing gas protective layer, the present methods for fabricating an IGZO layer and fabricating TFT can effectively reduce the effect of hydrogen atom on IGZO layer and avoid the change of IGZO layer from semiconductor to conductor, thereby improving the stability of the IGZO layer and thus the TFT, and reducing the negative bias of threshold voltage generated by the long-term continuous use of the device. |
| US09368601B2 |
Method for forming oxide below control gate in vertical channel thin film transistor
A fabrication process for a vertical channel transistor provides a desired control gate-to-drain overlap and sufficient isolation between the control gate and an underlying metal line. A body of the transistor is formed on a metal line, such as in a pillar shape. The metal line is oxidized to form metal oxide regions having an expanded volume. A gate insulator material and a control gate material are then deposited. The resulting structure is etched to form separate control gates for each transistor, and to expose the metal oxide. A further etch is performed to remove the metal oxide, forming voids under and around the control gates. An insulation fills the voids. An example implementation is a vertical bit line memory device in which the transistors connect a vertical bit line to a horizontal bit line. |
| US09368598B2 |
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes a MISFET
An insulating film and another insulating film are formed over a semiconductor substrate in that order to cover first, second, and third gate electrodes. The another insulating film is etched back to form sidewall spacers over side surfaces of the insulating film. Then, the sidewall spacers over the side surfaces of the insulating films corresponding to the sidewalls of the first and second gate electrodes are removed to leave the sidewall spacers over the side surfaces of the insulating film corresponding to the sidewalls of the third gate electrode. Then, the sidewall spacers and the insulating films are etched back, so that the sidewall spacers are formed of the insulating film over the sidewalls of the first, second, and third gate electrodes. |
| US09368595B2 |
Semiconductor device provided with an IE type trench IGBT
A switching loss is prevented from being deteriorated by suppressing increase in a gate capacitance due to a cell shrink of an IE type trench gate IGBT. A cell formation region is configured of a linear active cell region, a linear hole collector cell region, and a linear inactive cell region between them. Then, upper surfaces of the third and fourth linear trench gate electrodes which are formed so as to sandwich both sides of the linear hole collector cell region and electrically connected to an emitter electrode are positioned to be lower than upper surfaces of the first and second linear trench gate electrodes which are formed so as to sandwich both sides of the linear active cell region and electrically connected to a gate electrode. |
| US09368590B2 |
Silicon-on-insulator transistor with self-aligned borderless source/drain contacts
A method is provided for fabricating an integrated circuit that includes multiple transistors. A replacement gate stack is formed on a semiconductor layer, a gate spacer is formed, and a dielectric layer is formed. The dummy gate stack is removed to form a cavity. A gate dielectric and a work function metal layer are formed in the cavity. The cavity is filled with a gate conductor. One and only one of the gate conductor and the work function metal layer are selectively recessed. An oxide film is formed in the recess such that its upper surface is co-planar with the upper surface of the dielectric layer. The oxide film is used to selectively grow an oxide cap. An interlayer dielectric is formed and etched to form a cavity for a source/drain contact. A source/drain contact is formed in the contact cavity, with a portion of the source/drain contact being located directly on the oxide cap. |
| US09368585B2 |
Arrangement and method for manufacturing a crystal from a melt of a raw material and single crystal
An arrangement for manufacturing a crystal of the melt of a raw material comprises: a furnace having a heating device with one or more heating elements, which are configured to generate a gradient temperature field directed along a first direction, a plurality of crucibles for receiving the melt, which are arranged within the gradient temperature field side by side, and a device for homogenizing the temperature field within a plane perpendicular to the first direction in the at least two crucibles. The arrangement further has a filling material inserted within a space between the crucibles wherein the filling shows an anisotropic heat conductivity. Additionally or alternatively, the arrangement may comprise a device for generating magnetic migration fields, both the filling material having the anisotropic heat conductivity and the device for generating magnetic migration fields being suited to compensate or prevent the formation of asymmetric phase interfaces upon freezing of the raw melt. |
| US09368581B2 |
Integrated circuitry components, switches, and memory cells
A switch includes a graphene structure extending longitudinally between a pair of electrodes and being conductively connected to both electrodes of said pair. First and second electrically conductive structures are laterally outward of the graphene structure and on opposing sides of the graphene structure from one another. Ferroelectric material is laterally between the graphene structure and at least one of the first and second electrically conductive structures. The first and second electrically conductive structures are configured to provide the switch into “on” and “off” states by application of an electric field across the graphene structure and the ferroelectric material. Other embodiments are disclosed, including components of integrated circuitry which may not be switches. |
| US09368580B2 |
Semiconductor material doping
A solution for designing and/or fabricating a structure including a quantum well and an adjacent barrier is provided. A target band discontinuity between the quantum well and the adjacent barrier is selected to coincide with an activation energy of a dopant for the quantum well and/or barrier. For example, a target valence band discontinuity can be selected such that a dopant energy level of a dopant in the adjacent barrier coincides with a valence energy band edge for the quantum well and/or a ground state energy for free carriers in a valence energy band for the quantum well. Additionally, a target doping level for the quantum well and/or adjacent barrier can be selected to facilitate a real space transfer of holes across the barrier. The quantum well and the adjacent barrier can be formed such that the actual band discontinuity and/or actual doping level(s) correspond to the relevant target(s). |
| US09368577B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for producing semiconductor device
Proton irradiation is performed a plurality of times from rear surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate, which is an n− drift layer, forming an n-type FS layer having lower resistance than the n-type semiconductor substrate in the rear surface of the n− drift layer. When the proton irradiation is performed a plurality of times, the next proton irradiation is performed to as to compensate for a reduction in mobility due to disorder which remains after the previous proton irradiation. In this case, the second or subsequent proton irradiation is performed at the position of the disorder which is formed by the previous proton irradiation. In this way, even after proton irradiation and a heat treatment, the disorder is reduced and it is possible to prevent deterioration of characteristics, such as increase in leakage current. It is possible to form an n-type FS layer including a high-concentration hydrogen-related donor layer. |
| US09368575B2 |
Semiconductor device having super junction structure and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device having a super junction structure includes: multiple first columns extending in a current flowing direction; and multiple second columns extending in the current flowing direction. The first and second columns are alternately arranged in an alternating direction. Each first column provides a drift layer. The first and second columns have a boundary therebetween, from which a depletion layer expands in case of an off-state. At least one of the first columns and the second columns have an impurity dose, which is inhomogeneous by location with respect to the alternating direction. |
| US09368573B2 |
Methods for manufacturing a semiconductor device
In various embodiments, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device may include forming a first source/drain region, forming a second source/drain region, forming an active region electrically coupled between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, forming a trench disposed between the second source/drain region and at least a portion of the active region, forming a first isolation layer disposed over the bottom and the sidewalls of the trench, forming electrically conductive material disposed over the isolation layer in the trench, forming a second isolation layer disposed over the active region, and forming a gate region disposed over the second isolation layer. The electrically conductive material may be coupled to an electrical contact. |
| US09368572B1 |
Vertical transistor with air-gap spacer
A vertical transistor has a first air-gap spacer between the gate and the bottom source/drain, and a second air-gap spacer between the gate and the contact to the bottom source/drain. A dielectric layer disposed between the gate and the contact to the top source/drain decreases parasitic capacitance and inhibits electrical shorting. |
| US09368570B2 |
Integrated circuit of driving device with different operating voltages
An integrated circuit for a driving device is disclosed. The integrate circuit includes a substrate comprising a high-voltage area and a low-voltage area; a plurality of first trenches, formed in the high-voltage area; a plurality of first isolations, formed in the plurality of first trenches of the high-voltage area; a plurality of second trenches, formed in the low-voltage area; and a plurality of second isolations, formed in the plurality of second trenches of the low-voltage area; wherein a depth difference exists between each of the plurality of first trenches and each of the plurality of second trenches. |
| US09368566B2 |
Package on package (PoP) integrated device comprising a capacitor in a substrate
Some features pertain to an integrated device (e.g., package-on-package (PoP) device) that includes a substrate, a first die, a first encapsulation layer, a first redistribution portion, a second die, a second encapsulation layer, and a second redistribution portion. The substrate includes a first surface and a second surface. The substrate includes a capacitor. The first die is coupled to the first surface of the substrate. The first encapsulation layer encapsulates the first die. The first redistribution portion is coupled to the first encapsulation. The second die is coupled to the second surface of the substrate. The second encapsulation layer encapsulates the second die. The second redistribution portion is coupled to the second encapsulation layer. |
| US09368563B2 |
Semiconductor device including integrated passive device formed over semiconductor die with conductive bridge and fan-out redistribution layer
A semiconductor device has a first semiconductor die. A first inductor is formed over the first semiconductor die. A second inductor is formed over the first inductor and aligned with the first inductor. An insulating layer is formed over the first semiconductor die and the first and second inductors. A conductive bridge is formed over the insulating layer and electrically connected between the second inductor and the first semiconductor die. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device has a second semiconductor die and a conductive layer is formed between the first and second semiconductor die. In another embodiment, a capacitor is formed over the first semiconductor die. In another embodiment, the insulating layer has a first thickness over a footprint of the first semiconductor die and a second thickness less than the first thickness outside the footprint of the first semiconductor die. |
| US09368562B2 |
Array substrate and a display panel having the same
An array substrate and a display panel are disclosed. The array substrate comprises a plurality of first pixel units and a plurality of second pixel units. The first pixel units and the second pixel units are disposed interlaced. A first input terminal of a driving circuit of a sub-pixel unit of each of the first pixel unit receives a first pulse signal, and a second input terminal of the driving circuit of the sub-pixel unit of each of the first pixel unit receives a second pulse signal. The phases of first pulse signal and the second pulse signal are reversed, making the first pixel units and the second pixel units to be driven alternatingly. Power efficiency is increased and the life of a pixel unit is prolonged. |
| US09368556B2 |
Organic light emitting display device
An organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels defined on a substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of sub-pixels, and each of the plurality of sub-pixels has a light emitting area and a driving area. Widths in a first direction of the driving areas of the plurality of sub-pixels are identical to each other. A size of a light emitting area of a first sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels is greater than a size of a light emitting area of a second sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels. |
| US09368555B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
This semiconductor memory device comprises a memory cell array that includes: a plurality of first lines; a plurality of second lines intersecting the plurality of first lines; a plurality of memory cells each disposed at an intersection of the plurality of first lines and the plurality of second lines and including a variable resistance element; and a select transistor respectively connected to an end of the plurality of first lines. The select transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and a conductive layer. Moreover, one end of that conductive layer is connected to the end of the first line, and a non-linear resistance layer configured from a non-linear material is connected between the first line and the conductive layer. |
| US09368554B2 |
Apparatuses and methods including memory access in cross point memory
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having a memory cell, first and second conductive lines configured to access the memory cell, and a switch configured to apply a signal to one of the first and second conductive lines. In at least one of such embodiments, the switch can include a phase change material. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described. |
| US09368552B2 |
Resistive memory array and fabricating method thereof
A method of fabricating a resistive memory array includes forming a plurality of insulators and a conductive structure on a first substrate, performing a resistor-forming process to transform the insulators into a plurality of resistors, polishing the conductive structure to expose a plurality of contact points respectively electrically connected to the resistors, providing a second substrate having a plurality of transistors and a plurality of interconnect pads, bonding respectively the interconnect pads and the contact points, and removing the first substrate from the resistors and the conductive structure. |
| US09368549B1 |
Printed mesh defining pixel areas for printed inorganic LED dies
Over a flexible substrate are formed column lines for a display. Over the substrate and column lines are formed a reflective hydrophobic mesh defining pixels. Over the mesh and column lines is printed an LED ink containing microscopic LED dies. The LED ink de-wets from the mesh. The ink is then cured to electrically connect the bottom electrodes of the LEDs to the column lines within the openings (cells) of the mesh. A dielectric then encapsulates the LEDs while exposing the top electrodes of the LEDs. Transparent row lines are then formed along the rows of the mesh to electrically contact the top electrodes in each row. The LEDs within any cell can be turned on by address in a pair of row and column lines. Phosphor dots may be printed to over blue-emitting LEDs to create red, green, and blue sub-pixels for a full color display. |
| US09368544B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device, image pickup system and method of manufacturing photoelectric conversion device
A photoelectric conversion device includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal charge in accordance with an incident light, and a second semiconductor substrate including a signal processing unit for processing an electrical signal on the basis of the signal charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is situated in an orthogonal projection area from the photoelectric conversion unit to the second semiconductor substrate. A multilayer film including a plurality of insulator layers is provided between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is smaller than 500 micrometers. The thickness of the second semiconductor substrate is greater than the distance from the second semiconductor substrate and a light-receiving surface of the first semiconductor substrate. |
| US09368538B2 |
Image sensor device and method of manufacturing the same
An image sensor device includes a top substrate and a subassembly. The top substrate includes a plurality of connection pillars, and the subassembly includes a plurality of connection pads. The connection pillars on the top substrate are bonded to the connection pads in the subassembly. The connection pillars are formed of a first metal and the connection pads are formed of a second metal. |
| US09368536B2 |
Solid state imaging device for reducing dark current, method of manufacturing the same, and imaging apparatus
A solid state imaging device having a light sensing section that performs photoelectric conversion of incident light includes: an insulating layer formed on a light receiving surface of the light sensing section; a layer having negative electric charges formed on the insulating layer; and a hole accumulation layer formed on the light receiving surface of the light sensing section. |
| US09368535B2 |
Imaging systems with flip chip ball grid arrays
An imaging system may include an integrated circuit package that includes an image sensor die mounted in a flip chip configuration to a package substrate. The image sensor die may be a backside illumination sensor die. The image sensor die may include an imaging device structure formed over a carrier layer. Through-silicon vias formed in the carrier layer may couple imaging device circuitry in the imaging device structure to conductive bumps on the carrier layer that are coupled to metal interconnects. A ball grid array may be formed on a surface of the package substrate that may be coupled to the conductive bumps. A glass lid may be attached to the image sensor die using attachment structures such that an air gap is formed between the glass lid and the image sensor die. Package sealing material may be deposited between the image sensor die and the package substrate. |
| US09368532B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and manufacturing method of the same, and electronic apparatus
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and a manufacturing method of the same, and an electronic apparatus, capable of more reliably suppressing occurrence of color mixing. A trench is formed between PDs so as to be opened to a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of the PDs, each of which receives light to generate charges, are formed, an insulating film is embedded in the trench and the insulating film is laminated on a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate. Then, a light shielding portion is formed so as to be laminated on the insulating film and to have a convex shape protruding to the semiconductor substrate at a location corresponding to the trench. The present technology can be applied to a back surface irradiation type CMOS solid-state imaging device. |
| US09368530B2 |
Image sensor and color filter array including multiple selectable meshed filter sets
An apparatus including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels and a filter array positioned over the pixel array, the color filter array comprising a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit including a plurality of enmeshed filter sets, each filter set including a different set of colors than any other filter set in the filter array. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed. |
| US09368525B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
A display device includes a substrate, a display element, a transistor as a drive element of the display element, and a holding capacitance element holding electric charge corresponding to a video signal. The display element, the transistor, and the holding capacitance element are provided on the substrate. The holding capacitance element includes a first semiconductor layer including an oxide semiconductor, a first conductive film provided on the first semiconductor layer, a first insulating film provided between the first semiconductor layer and the first conductive film, and a recess formed by removing part or all in thickness of the first conductive film and the first insulating film in a selective region on the first semiconductor layer. |
| US09368520B2 |
Array substrate, manufacturing method thereof and display device
The present invention provides array substrate, manufacturing method thereof, and display device, relating to manufacturing technology field of liquid crystal display. The array substrate of the present invention includes: a base substrate, on which a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines are provided; shielding electrodes, which are provided above and electrically insulated from the data lines, and the shielding electrodes at least partially cover the data lines; first electrodes, which are provided in the same layer as the shielding electrodes and are electrically insulated from the shielding electrodes; second electrodes, which are provided above and electrically insulated from the first electrodes, wherein, the shielding electrodes are applied with a shielding voltage signal, the second electrodes are applied with a stable voltage signal, and no electric field or weak electric filed is formed between the shielding electrodes and the second electrodes. |
| US09368518B2 |
Thin film transistor array panel and method for manufacturing the same
A thin film transistor array panel includes: a gate conductor disposed on a substrate and including a gate line and a gate electrode, a semiconductor layer overlapping the gate electrode and including an oxide semiconductor, a data conductor including a data line intersecting the gate line, a source electrode connected to the data line, and a drain electrode facing the source electrode, a sidewall covering side surface parts of the drain electrode and the source electrode adjacent to a channel region of the semiconductor layer, and a passivation layer covering the source electrode, the drain electrode, and the sidewall. |
| US09368517B2 |
Semiconductor device including bonding portion with first and second sealing materials
A light-emitting device having the quality of an image high in homogeneity is provided. A printed wiring board (second substrate) (107) is provided facing a substrate (first substrate) (101) that has a luminous element (102) formed thereon. A PWB side wiring (second group of wirings) (110) on the printed wiring board (107) is electrically connected to element side wirings (first group of wirings) (103, 104) by anisotropic conductive films (105a, 105b). At this point, because a low resistant copper foil is used to form the PWB side wiring (110), a voltage drop of the element side wirings (103, 104) and a delay of a signal can be reduced. Accordingly, the homogeneity of the quality of an image is improved, and the operating speed of a driver circuit portion is enhanced. |
| US09368507B2 |
Semiconductor structure
A semiconductor device comprises a plurality of stacking blocks and a plurality of conductive lines. Each stacking blocks comprises two opposite finger VG structures. Each finger VG structure includes a staircase structure and a plurality of bit line stacks. The staircase structure is perpendicular to the bit line stacks, and the bit line stacks of the two opposite finger VG structures are arranged alternately. The conductive lines is disposed over the stacking blocks at interval. The direction of the conductive lines is parallel to a direction of the bit line stacks. The conductive lines include a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of ground lines, and each stacking block includes at least one ground line. |
| US09368506B2 |
Integrated circuits and methods for operating integrated circuits with non-volatile memory
Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate doped with a first conductivity-determining impurity. The semiconductor substrate has formed therein a first well doped with a second conductivity-determining impurity that is different from the first conductivity-determining impurity, a second well, formed within the first well, and doped with the first conductivity-determining impurity, and a third well spaced apart from the first and second wells and doped with the first conductivity-determining impurity. The integrated circuit further includes a floating gate structure formed over the semiconductor substrate. The floating gate structure includes a first gate element disposed over the second well and being separated from the second well with a dielectric layer, a second gate element disposed over the third well and being separated from the third well with the dielectric layer, and a conductive connector. |
| US09368500B2 |
Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device
A CMOS device includes a substrate, a pMOS transistor and an nMOS transistor formed on the substrate, and a gated diode. The gated diode includes a floating gate formed on the substrate in between the pMOS transistor and the nMOS transistor and a pair of a p-doped region and an n-doped region formed in the substrate and between the pMOS transistor and the nMOS transistor. The n-doped region is formed between the floating gate and the nMOS transistor, and the p-doped region is formed between the floating gate and the pMOS transistor. |
| US09368498B2 |
FinFET device with dual-strained channels and method for manufacturing thereof
A FinFET device and a method for manufacturing a FinFET device is provided. An example device may comprise a substrate including at least two fin structures. Each of the at least two fin structures may be in contact with a source and drain region and each of the at least two fin structures may include a strain relaxed buffer (SRB) overlying and in contact with the substrate and an upper layer overlying and in contact with the SRB. The composition of the upper layer and the SRB may be selected such that the upper layer of a first fin structure is subjected to a first mobility enhancing strain in the as-grown state, the first mobility enhancing strain being applied in a longitudinal direction from the source region to the drain region and where at least an upper part of the upper layer of a second fin structure is strain-relaxed. |
| US09368495B2 |
Semiconductor devices having bridge layer and methods of manufacturing the same
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first active fin and a second active fin on the substrate, respectively, a plurality of first epitaxial layers on the first active fin and on the second active fin, respectively, a plurality of second epitaxial layers on the plurality of first epitaxial layers, a bridge layer connecting the plurality of second epitaxial layers to each other, and a third epitaxial layer on the bridge layer. |
| US09368489B1 |
Interconnect circuits at three-dimensional (3-D) bonding interfaces of a processor array
Embodiments of the invention relate to processor arrays, and in particular, a processor array with interconnect circuits for bonding semiconductor dies. One embodiment comprises multiple semiconductor dies and at least one interconnect circuit for exchanging signals between the dies. Each die comprises at least one processor core circuit. Each interconnect circuit corresponds to a die of the processor array. Each interconnect circuit comprises one or more attachment pads for interconnecting a corresponding die with another die, and at least one multiplexor structure configured for exchanging bus signals in a reversed order. |
| US09368486B2 |
Direct connected silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) having internal trigger
In one aspect, a direct connected silicon control rectifier (DCSCR) includes a substrate having a semiconductor surface, a parasitic PNP bipolar transistor and a parasitic NPN bipolar transistor formed in the semiconductor surface. The parasitic PNP bipolar transistor includes a p+ emitter, an nbase and a pcollector and the parasitic NPN bipolar includes an n+ emitter, a pbase and an ncollector. The DCSCR also includes an electrically conductive line connecting an n+ contact to the nbase to a p+ contact to the pbase so that the nbase and the pbase are shorted. |
| US09368485B1 |
Electrostatic discharge circuitry with separate power rails
In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes an input-output circuit, first and second electrostatic discharge diode circuits, first and second power clamp circuits and first, second and third voltage rails. The input-output circuit includes an input node that is coupled to an input-output pad. The first electrostatic discharge diode circuit may be coupled between the first and third voltage rails whereas the second electrostatic discharge diode circuit may be coupled between the second and third voltage rails. In addition to that, the first voltage rail may also be coupled to the first power clamp circuit and the second voltage rail may also be coupled to the second power clamp circuit. |
| US09368482B2 |
Stack packages and methods of fabricating the same
Stack packages are provided. The stack package includes a first chip configured to include a first chip body having a top surface and a bottom surface, first through electrodes penetrating the first chip body, and an insulation layer disposed on the bottom surface of the first chip body, and first bumps disposed on the top surface of the first chip body, and a second chip configured to include a second chip body having a top surface and a bottom surface, and second bumps disposed on the top surface of the second chip body. The first and second chips are vertically stacked such that the top surface of the second chip body is directly attached to the first insulation layer and the second bumps of the second chip penetrate the first insulation layer of the first chip to pierce the first through electrodes of the first chip. |
| US09368477B2 |
Co-support circuit panel and microelectronic packages
A circuit panel can include contacts exposed at a connection site of a major surface thereof and configured to be coupled to terminals of a microelectronic package. The connection site can define a peripheral boundary on the major surface surrounding a group of the contacts that is configured to be coupled to a single microelectronic package. The group of contacts can include first, second, third, and fourth sets of first contacts. Signal assignments of the first and third sets of first contacts can be symmetric about a theoretical plane normal to the major surface with signal assignments of the respective second and fourth sets of first contacts. Each of the sets of first contacts can be configured to carry identical signals. Each of the sets of first contacts can be configured to carry address information sufficient to specify a location within a memory storage array of the microelectronic package. |
| US09368476B2 |
Stacked microelectronic assembly with TSVs formed in stages with plural active chips
A microelectronic assembly is provided in which first and second electrically conductive pads exposed at front surfaces of first and second microelectronic elements, respectively, are juxtaposed, each of the microelectronic elements embodying active semiconductor devices. An electrically conductive element may extend within a first opening extending from a rear surface of the first microelectronic element towards the front surface thereof, within a second opening extending from the first opening towards the front surface of the first microelectronic element, and within a third opening extending through at least one of the first and second pads to contact the first and second pads. Interior surfaces of the first and second openings may extend in first and second directions relative to the front surface of the first microelectronic element, respectively, to define a substantial angle. |
| US09368475B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device is provided. First, a mould is provided. The mould has a chamber, patterns in the chamber, and protrusions in the chamber. A carrier substrate having at least one die located thereon is disposed in the chamber, and the protrusions surround the die. A thermosetting material is injected into the chamber and is cured. The cured thermosetting material is separated from the mould, so as to form an interposer substrate. A plurality of through holes corresponding to the protrusions and a plurality of grooves corresponding to the patterns are formed on the interposer substrate. A conductive material is filled into the through holes and the grooves to form a plurality of conductive pillars and a first conductive pattern layer on a first surface of the interposer substrate. The first conductive pattern layer is electrically connected with the conductive pillars. |
| US09368474B2 |
Manufacturing method for semiconductor device
A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device of the present invention includes: preparing a semiconductor wafer including an electrode formed therein; electrically connecting a first semiconductor element formed in a semiconductor chip and the electrode formed in the semiconductor wafer; filling a gap between the semiconductor wafer and the semiconductor chip with a first insulating resin layer; forming a second insulating resin layer on the semiconductor wafer; grinding the second insulating resin layer and the semiconductor chip until a thickness of the semiconductor chip reaches a predetermined thickness; forming a first insulating layer on the second insulating resin layer and the semiconductor chip; forming a line on the first insulating layer connected with a conductive material filled an opening in the first insulating layer and the second insulating resin layer to expose the electrode; and grinding the semiconductor wafer until a thickness of the semiconductor wafer reaches a predetermined thickness. |
| US09368473B2 |
Assembly method, of the flip-chip type, for connecting two electronic components, assembly obtained by the method
The invention relates to an assembly method for connecting two electronic components together, said components each having an assembly face, wherein the two assembly faces are moved together in what is known as an assembly direction X, and a given force F is applied to one and/or the other of the components, one and/or the other assembly face(s) having: —connection inserts made of rigid material having an elongate longitudinal shape in the assembly direction X; —connection tracks made of material having a hardness less than that of the inserts and having an elongate longitudinal shape transversely to the assembly direction X, wherein, in said method: —the inserts are aligned opposite corresponding tracks such that the inserts and the tracks form in pairs, after assembly, at least one approximately transverse intersection, —the force F is applied so as make the inserts penetrate into the tracks until the assembly is produced. |
| US09368471B2 |
Wire-bonding apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device
Provided is a wire-bonding apparatus (10) including: a capillary (28) through which a wire (30) is inserted; a nonsticking determination circuit (36) configured to apply a predetermined electrical signal between a bonding target and the wire (30) in a clamped state and to determine whether or not the wire (30) and the bonding target is sticking as well as whether or not the wire (30) is disconnected based on a response of the application of the predetermined electrical signal; an annular projecting length detection ring (40) disposed coaxially with the capillary (28); and a projecting length determination circuit (38) configured to determine whether or not a projecting length of a wire tail projecting from the tip of the capillary (28) is appropriate based on detection on whether or not power is conductive when a predetermined inspection voltage is applied between the wire (30) and the projecting length detection ring (40) as well as a presence of a discharge spark when a predetermined inspection high voltage is applied between the wire (30) and the projecting length detection ring (40). |
| US09368467B2 |
Substrate structure and semiconductor package using the same
A substrate structure is provided, including a substrate body and a plurality of circuits formed on the substrate body. At least one of the circuits has an electrical contact for connecting to an external element and the electrical contact is narrower in width than the circuit, thereby meeting the requirements of fine line/fine pitch and miniaturization, improving the product yield and reducing the fabrication cost. |
| US09368466B2 |
Bump I/O contact for semiconductor device
A bump contact electrically connects a conductor on a substrate and a contact pad on a semiconductor device mounted to the substrate. The first end of an electrically conductive pillar effects electrical contact and mechanical attachment of the pillar to the contact pad with the pillar projecting outwardly from the semiconductor device. A solder crown reflowable at a predetermined temperature into effecting electrical contact and mechanical attachment with the conductor is positioned in axial alignment with the second end of the pillar. A diffusion barrier electrically and mechanically joins the solder bump to the second end of the pillar and resists electro-migration into the first end of the solder crown of copper from the pillar. One diffusion barrier takes the form of a 2-20 micron thick control layer of nickel, palladium, titanium-tungsten, nickel-vanadium, or tantalum nitride positioned between the pillar and the solder crown. |
| US09368460B2 |
Fan-out interconnect structure and method for forming same
A method embodiment includes forming a sacrificial film layer over a top surface of a die, the die having a contact pad at the top surface. The die is attached to a carrier, and a molding compound is formed over the die and the sacrificial film layer. The molding compound extends along sidewalls of the die. The sacrificial film layer is exposed. The contact pad is exposed by removing at least a portion of the sacrificial film layer. A first polymer layer is formed over the die, and a redistribution layer (RDL) is formed over the die and electrically connects to the contact pad. |
| US09368453B2 |
Overlay mark dependent dummy fill to mitigate gate height variation
A method of forming dummy structures and an overlay mark protection zone over an active layer zone based on the shape of an overlay mark and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include determining a size and a shape of an overlay mark; determining a size and a shape of an overlay mark protection zone based on the shape of the overlay mark; determining a shape of a plurality of dummy structures based on the shape of the overlay mark; determining a size and a shape of an active layer zone based on the size and the shape of the overlay mark and the plurality of dummy structures; forming the active layer zone in an active layer of a semiconductor substrate; forming the overlay mark and the plurality of dummy structures over the active layer zone in a poly layer of the semiconductor substrate; and planarizing the poly layer. |
| US09368451B1 |
Multichip module with reroutable inter-die communication
A multichip module (MCM) has redundant I/O connections between its dice. That is, the number of inter-die I/O connections used is larger than the number of connections ordinarily used to provide connectivity between the dice. Defective connections are discovered through testing after MCM assembly and avoided, with signals being rerouted through good (e.g., not defective) redundant connections. The testing can be done at assembly time and the results stored in nonvolatile memory. Alternatively, the MCM can perform the testing itself dynamically, e.g., at power up, and use the test results to configure the inter-die I/O connections. |
| US09368448B2 |
Metal-containing films as dielectric capping barrier for advanced interconnects
A method is provided for forming an interconnect structure for use in semiconductor devices. The method starts with forming a low-k bulk dielectric layer on a substrate and then forming a trench in the low-k bulk dielectric layer. A liner layer is formed on the low-k bulk dielectric layer being deposited conformally to the trench. A copper layer is formed on the liner layer filling the trench. Portions of the copper layer and liner layer are removed to form an upper surface of the low-k bulk dielectric layer, the liner layer, and the copper layer. A metal containing dielectric layer is formed on the upper surface of the low-k bulk dielectric layer, the liner layer, and the copper layer. |
| US09368444B2 |
Self-aligned nano-structures
A method for creating structures in a semiconductor assembly is provided. The method includes etching apertures into a dielectric layer and applying a polymer layer over the dielectric layer. The polymer layer is applied uniformly and fills the apertures at different rates depending on the geometry of the apertures, or on the presence or absence of growth accelerating material. The polymer creates spacers for the etching of additional structure in between the spacers. The method is capable of achieving structures smaller than current lithography techniques. |
| US09368443B1 |
Memory metal scheme
A memory includes a plurality of memory cells. A first line is over the plurality of memory cells. The first line in a first layout section includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The second metal layer is over the first metal layer. A second line is over the plurality of memory cells. The second line in the first layout section includes the first metal layer and a third metal layer. The third metal layer is over the second metal layer The first line is electrically isolated from the second line. The first line and the second line extend in a same direction. |
| US09368442B1 |
Method for manufacturing an interposer, interposer and chip package structure
A method for manufacturing an interposer includes the following steps. Conductive beads is filled in a blind via of a substrate and a solder layer of each conductive bead is melted so as to form a solder post in the blind via. A metal ball of each conductive bead is inlaid in the corresponding solder post such that the solder post and the metal balls inlaid therein construct a conductive though via. Two surfaces of the substrate are planarized such that two ends of the conductive through via are exposed to the two surfaces of the substrate respectively and are flush with the two surfaces of the substrate respectively. A redistribution layer is manufactured at each surface of the substrate such that the two ends of each conductive through via connect the redistribution layers respectively. Besides, an interposer and a chip package structure applied the interposer are also provided. |
| US09368441B2 |
Electronic component and method for fabricating the same
An electronic component and a method for fabricating the electronic component are provided. The electronic component includes a carrier, a first metal layer, a dielectric layer, a semiconductor layer, a flexible layer, at least one first opening, and at least one second metal layer. The first metal layer is disposed on the carrier. The dielectric layer is disposed on the first metal layer, and has a pattern consistent with a pattern of the dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer is disposed on the dielectric layer. The flexible layer is disposed on the carrier and encapsulates the first metal layer, the dielectric layer and the semiconductor layer. The flexible layer has a Young's modulus less than 40 GPa. The first opening penetrates the flexible layer. The second metal layer is disposed on the flexible layer and in the first opening and is electrically connected with the semiconductor layer. |
| US09368437B2 |
High density package interconnects
Electronic assemblies and methods including the formation of interconnect structures are described. In one embodiment an apparatus includes semiconductor die and a first metal bump on the die, the first metal bump including a surface having a first part and a second part. The apparatus also includes a solder resistant coating covering the first part of the surface and leaving the second part of the surface uncovered. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09368435B2 |
Electronic component
In an embodiment, an electronic component includes a dielectric layer, a semiconductor device embedded in the dielectric layer, an electrically conductive substrate, a redistribution layer having a first surface and a second surface providing at least one outer contact, and a first electrically conductive member. The semiconductor device has a first surface including at least one first contact pad and a second surface including at least one second contact pad. The second contact pad is mounted on the electrically conductive substrate. The first electrically conductive member includes at least one stud bump and extends between the electrically conductive substrate and the first surface of the redistribution layer. |
| US09368434B2 |
Electronic component
In an embodiment, an electronic component includes a housing, a die pad having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, a first high voltage semiconductor device arranged on the first surface of the die pad, a further semiconductor device arranged on the second surface of the die pad and a conductive connection between the first high voltage semiconductor device and the further semiconductor device. The conductive connection is surrounded by the housing and includes a portion arranged adjacent the die pad. |
| US09368431B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
A semiconductor apparatus has a configuration in which multiple copper wiring layers and multiple insulating layers are alternately layered. A low-impedance wiring is formed occupying a predetermined region. A first wiring pattern includes multiple copper wiring members arranged in parallel with predetermined intervals in a first copper wiring layer, each of which has a rectangular shape extending in a first direction. A second wiring pattern includes multiple copper wiring members arranged in parallel with predetermined intervals in a second copper wiring layer adjacent to the first copper wiring layer, each of which has a rectangular shape extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The region occupied by the first wiring pattern and that occupied by the second wiring pattern are arranged such that they at least overlap. The first wiring pattern and the second wiring pattern are electrically connected so as to have the same electric potential. |
| US09368429B2 |
Interposer for hermetic sealing of sensor chips and for their integration with integrated circuit chips
Integration of sensor chips with integrated circuit (IC) chips. At least a first sensor chip including a first sensor is affixed to a first side of an interposer to hermitically seal the first sensor within a first cavity. An IC chip is affixed to a second side of the interposer opposite the first sensor, the IC chip is electrically coupled to the first sensor by a through via in the interposer. In embodiments, the first sensor includes a MEMS device and the IC chip comprises a circuit to amplify a signal from the MEMS device. The interposer may be made of glass, with the first sensor chip and the IC chip flip-chip bonded to the interposer by compression or solder. Lateral interconnect traces provide I/O between the devices on the interposer and/or a PCB upon which the interpose is affixed. |
| US09368427B2 |
Integrated circuit film and method of manufacturing the same
An integrated circuit film and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The integrated circuit film includes a circuit board containing a circuit route; a first set of pads located on a first surface of the circuit board and configured to be applicable to ISO 7816 standard; and a semiconductor device mounted on the circuit board for communicating with at least one of the first set of pads. The first set of pads are arranged in two rows and the semiconductor device is mounted on the circuit board in a space between the two rows of pads. |
| US09368426B2 |
Piezoelectric fan and air cooling apparatus using the piezoelectric fan
A piezoelectric fan includes a vibration plate one end of which in a length direction is supported in a fixed manner and the other end of which in the length direction is a free end; and piezoelectric elements, attached on at least one of front and back surfaces of the vibration plate. In an intermediate portion of the vibration plate in the length direction, a right-angle bent portion is provided, and a plurality of divided blades are defined by slits in an area of the vibration plate extending from the free end to a position located a predetermined distance from the bent portion toward the free end. The piezoelectric element is attached on the portion of the vibration plate between the fixed end and the bent portion. Hence, variations in resonant frequency among the blades are reduced and the blades are efficiently excited using a common piezoelectric element. |
| US09368425B2 |
Embedded heat spreader with electrical properties
Embodiments of the invention relate to incorporating one or more antennas or inductor coils into a semi-conductor package. A heat spreader or metal sheet is embedded in the package and stamped or otherwise patterned into a spiral or serpentine form. The pattern enables the spreader to function as an inductor or antenna when connected to a semiconductor chip in communication with a printed circuit board. |
| US09368420B2 |
Flexible, stretchable electronic devices
Fabrication methods are disclosed that facilitate the production of electronic structures that are both flexible and stretchable to conform to non-planar (e.g. curved) surfaces without suffering functional damage due to excessive strain. Electronic structures including CMOS devices are provided that can be stretched or squeezed within acceptable limits without failing or breaking. The methods disclosed herein further facilitate the production of flexible, stretchable electronic structures having multiple levels of intra-chip connectors. Such connectors are formed through deposition and photolithographic patterning (back end of the line processing) and can be released following transfer of the electronic structures to flexible substrates. |
| US09368417B2 |
Contact test structure and method
A system and method for testing electrical connections is provided. In an embodiment one or more floating pads may be manufactured in electrical connection with an underbump metallization structure. A test may then be performed to measure the electrical characteristics of the underbump metallization structure through the floating pad in order to test for defects. Alternatively, a conductive connection may be formed on the underbump metallization and the test may be performed on the conductive connection and the underbump metallization together. |
| US09368415B1 |
Non-destructive, wafer scale method to evaluate defect density in heterogeneous epitaxial layers
A semiconductor material stack of, from bottom to top, a first semiconductor material having a first lattice constant and a second semiconductor material having a second lattice constant that may or may not differ from the first lattice constant and is selected from an III-V compound semiconductor and germanium is provided. The second semiconductor material of the semiconductor material stack is then scanned using an atomic force microscope (AFM) operating in a tapping mode to provide an AFM image of the second semiconductor material of the semiconductor material stack. The resultant AFM image is then analyzed and crystal defects at a topmost surface of the second semiconductor material of the semiconductor material stack can be measured. |
| US09368414B2 |
Semiconductor inspecting apparatus and method of inspecting and manufacturing semiconductor device using the same
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: preparing a semiconductor device comprising a first substrate, a second substrate disposed on the first substrate, inner terminals disposed between the first and second substrates, and a filling material disposed between the first and second substrates and between the inner terminals; loading the semiconductor device on a stage; irradiating an electromagnetic wave to the filling material in a direction parallel to a top surface of the first substrate by an electromagnetic wave generating unit; and scanning the filling material as the electromagnetic wave generating unit is moved in relation to the stage in a direction along a first side of the semiconductor device while maintaining the irradiating direction of the electromagnetic wave. |
| US09368413B2 |
Light exposure condition analysis method, nontransitory computer readable medium storing a light exposure condition analysis program, and manufacturing method for a semiconductor device
According to one embodiment, a pattern formed through light exposure is observed under two or more different optical conditions, and a focus shift and exposure amount in the light exposure are estimated based on a brightness value of the pattern under each of the optical conditions. |
| US09368412B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor device
A method for manufacturing one or more semiconductor devices may include the following steps: providing a dielectric layer on a substrate structure that includes a first electrode and a second electrode; providing a first mask on the dielectric layer; providing a second mask, which overlaps the first mask and has a designated structure, wherein a portion of the first mask is positioned between a first portion and a second portion of the designated structure in a layout view of a process structure that includes the first mask and the second mask; and performing a removal process through the first portion of the designated structure and through the second portion of the designated structure to form a first contact hole and a second contact hole in a remaining portion of the dielectric layer, wherein the two contact holes expose the two electrodes, respectively. |
| US09368411B2 |
Method for the formation of fin structures for FinFET devices
A SOI substrate layer formed of a silicon semiconductor material includes adjacent first and second regions. A portion of the silicon substrate layer in the second region is removed such that the second region retains a bottom portion made of the silicon semiconductor material. An epitaxial growth of a silicon-germanium semiconductor material is made on the bottom portion to produce a silicon-germanium region. The silicon region is patterned to define a first fin structure of a FinFET of a first (for example, n-channel) conductivity type. The silicon-germanium region is also patterned to define a second fin structure of a FinFET of a second (for example, p-channel) conductivity type. |
| US09368410B2 |
Semiconductor devices having tensile and/or compressive stress and methods of manufacturing
A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing is disclosed which has a tensile and/or compressive strain applied thereto. The method includes forming at least one trench in a material; and filling the at least one trench by an oxidation process thereby forming a strain concentration in a channel of a device. The structure includes a gate structure having a channel and a first oxidized trench on a first of the channel, respectively. The first oxidized trench creates a strain component in the channel to increase device performance. |
| US09368406B2 |
Method for manufacturing semiconductor chip
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor chip includes forming a front-side groove in a front surface of a substrate; forming a back-side groove wider than the front-side groove by a rotating cutting member from the back surface of the substrate toward the front-side groove; attaching a holding member having an adhesive layer to the back surface of the substrate after forming the back-side groove; dry-washing the back surface before attaching the holding member to the back surface; extending the distance between adjacent semiconductor chips by expanding the holding member attached to the back surface; and separating the semiconductor chips at the extended distance therebetween from the holding member. |
| US09368404B2 |
Method for dicing a substrate with back metal
The present invention provides a method for dicing a substrate with back metal, the method comprising the following steps. The substrate is provided with a first surface and a second surface wherein the second surface is opposed to the first surface. A mask layer is provided on the first surface of the substrate and a thin film layer is provided on the second surface of the substrate. The first surface of the substrate is diced through the mask layer to expose the thin film layer on the second surface of the substrate. A fluid from a fluid jet is applied to the thin film layer on the second surface of the substrate after the thin film layer has been exposed by the dicing step. |
| US09368401B2 |
Embedded structures for package-on-package architecture
Electronic assemblies including substrates and their manufacture are described. One assembly includes a die embedded in a dielectric layer in a multilayer substrate, and a dielectric region embedded in the dielectric layer in the multilayer substrate. The multilayer substrate includes a die side and a land side, with the first dielectric region and the dielectric layer extending to the die side. A plurality of vias are positioned within the first dielectric region, the vias extending to pads on the die side. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09368399B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for forming the same
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined by a device isolation film; a gate electrode filled in the active region; a bit line contact structure coupled to an active region between the gate electrodes; and a line-type bit line electrode formed over the bitline contact structure. The bit line contact structure includes a bit line contact formed over the active region; and an ohmic contact layer formed over the bit line contact. |
| US09368398B2 |
Interconnect structure and method of fabricating same
An interconnect structure and a method of fabrication of the same are introduced. In an embodiment, a post passivation interconnect (PPI) structure is formed over a passivation layer of a substrate. A bump is formed over the PPI structure. A molding layer is formed over the PPI structure. A film is applied over the molding layer and the bump using a roller. The film is removed from over the molding layer and the bump, and the remaining material of the film on the molding layer forms the protective layer. A plasma cleaning is preformed to remove the remaining material of the film on the bump. |
| US09368397B2 |
Method for forming a vertical electrical connection in a layered semiconductor structure
The invention proposes a method for forming a vertical electrical connection (50) in a layered semiconductor structure (1), comprising the following steps: —providing (100) a layered semiconductor structure (1), said layered semiconductor structure (1) comprising: —a support substrate (20) including an first surface (22) and a second surface (24), —an insulating layer (30) overlying the first surface (22) of the support substrate (20), and —at least one device structure (40) formed in the insulating layer (30); and —drilling (300) a via (50) from the second surface of the support substrate (20) up to the device structure (40), in order to expose the device structure (40); characterized in that drilling (300) of the insulating layer is at least performed by wet etching (320). |
| US09368390B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus
A method for fabricating a semiconductor apparatus including providing a first silicon substrate having a first contact, wherein providing the first silicon substrate comprises forming a silicide layer between the first silicon substrate and a first metal layer. The method further includes providing a second silicon substrate having a second contact comprising a second metal layer and placing the first contact in contact with the second contact. The method further includes heating the first and second metal layers to form a metallic alloy, whereby the metallic alloy bonds the first contact to the second contact. |
| US09368386B2 |
Corner transistor suppression
The threshold voltage of parasitic transistors formed at corners of shallow trench isolation regions is increased and mobility decreased by employing a high-K dielectric material. Embodiments include STI regions comprising a liner of a high-K dielectric material extending proximate trench corners. Embodiments also include STI regions having a recess formed in the trench, wherein the recess contains a high-K dielectric material, in the form of a layer or spacer, extending proximate trench corners. |
| US09368382B2 |
Elevator-based tool loading and buffering system
A substrate processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a casing, a low port interface and a carrier holding station. The casing has processing devices within for processing substrates. The load port interface is connected to the casing for loading substrates into the processing device. The carrier holding station is connected to the casing. The carrier holding station is adapted for holding at least one substrate transport carrier so the at least one substrate transport carrier is capable of being coupled to the load port interface without lifting the at least one substrate transport carrier off the carrier holding station. The carrier holding station is arranged to provide a substantially simultaneous swap section for substantially simultaneous replacement of the substrate transport carrier from the carrier holding station. |
| US09368373B2 |
Method of joining semiconductor substrate
A method of joining semiconductor substrates includes: forming an alignment key on a first semiconductor substrate; forming a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and an alignment recess positioned between the first protrusion and the second protrusion on a second semiconductor substrate; forming a first metal layer and a second metal layer on the first protrusion and the second protrusion, respectively; and joining the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, in which the alignment key is positioned at the alignment recess when the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate are joined. |
| US09368371B2 |
Retaining ring having inner surfaces with facets
A retaining ring comprises a generally annular body. The body comprises a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer surface connected to the top surface at an outer top perimeter and the bottom surface at an outer bottom perimeter, and an inner surface connected to the top surface at an inner top perimeter and the bottom surface at an inner bottom perimeter. The inner surface comprises seven or more planar facets. Adjacent planar facets are connected at corners. The inner bottom perimeter comprises straight edges of the planar facets connected at the corners. |
| US09368370B2 |
Temperature ramping using gas distribution plate heat
A method for etching a dielectric layer disposed on a substrate is provided. The method includes de-chucking the substrate from an electrostatic chuck in an etching processing chamber, and cyclically etching the dielectric layer while the substrate is de-chucked from the electrostatic chuck. The cyclical etching includes remotely generating a plasma in an etching gas mixture supplied into the etching processing chamber to etch the dielectric layer disposed on the substrate at a first temperature. Etching the dielectric layer generates etch byproducts. The cyclical etching also includes vertically moving the substrate towards a gas distribution plate in the etching processing chamber, and flowing a sublimation gas from the gas distribution plate towards the substrate to sublimate the etch byproducts. The sublimation is performed at a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature. |
| US09368369B2 |
Methods for forming a self-aligned contact via selective lateral etch
In some embodiments methods of processing a substrate include: providing a substrate having a contact structure formed on the substrate, wherein the contact structure comprises a feature defined by gate structures, a silicon nitride layer disposed on a upper surface of the gate structures and on sidewalls and a bottom of the feature, and an oxide layer disposed over the silicon nitride layer and filling the feature; etching an opening through the oxide layer to the silicon nitride layer disposed on the bottom of the opening, wherein a width of the opening is less than a width of the feature; expanding the opening in the oxide layer to form a tapered profile; exposing the substrate to ammonia and nitrogen trifluoride to form an ammonium fluoride gas that forms an ammonium hexafluorosilicate film on the oxide layer; and heating the substrate to a second temperature to sublimate the ammonium hexafluorosilicate film. |
| US09368367B2 |
Chemical mechanical polishing of silicon carbide comprising surfaces
Slurry compositions and chemically activated CMP methods for polishing a substrate having a silicon carbide surface using such slurries. In such methods, the silicon carbide surface is contacted with a CMP slurry composition that comprises i) a liquid carrier and ii) a plurality of particles having at least a soft surface portion, wherein the soft surface portion includes a transition metal compound that provides a Mohs hardness <6, and optionally iii) an oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent can include a transition metal. The slurry is moved relative to the silicon carbide comprising surface, wherein at least a portion of the silicon carbide surface is removed. |
| US09368360B2 |
Anti-diffusion layer, preparation method thereof, thin-film transistor (TFT), array substrate, display device
An anti-diffusion layer, a preparation method thereof, a thin-film transistor (TFT), an array substrate and a display device are provided, involve the display device manufacturing field and can resolve problem that a high atmosphere temperature is need in process of preparing a tantalum dioxide anti-diffusion layer by PVD or CVD, which causes the gate electrode to volatilize and affect the performance of a display device. The method for preparing the anti-diffusion layer comprises: placing a conductive base (1) and a cathode (4) in a electrolytic solution (3), taking the conductive base (1) as an anode, and forming a tantalum dioxide anti-diffusion layer on the conductive base (1) after energizing. |
| US09368358B2 |
Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: (a) supplying a halogen-based source gas containing a first element to a substrate; (b) supplying a reaction gas containing a second element to react with the first element to the substrate; (c) forming a first layer containing the first element and the second element by time-dividing and performing (a) and (b) a predetermined number of times; (d) supplying an organic source gas containing the first element to the substrate; (e) supplying the reaction gas to the substrate; (f) forming a second layer containing the first element and the second element by time-dividing and performing (d) and (e) a predetermined number of times; and (g) forming a thin film containing the first element and the second element on the substrate by time-dividing and performing (c) and (f) a predetermined number of times. |
| US09368351B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
[Problem] To provide an SiC semiconductor device, with which stabilization of high-temperature operation can be achieved by decreasing mobile ions in a gate insulating film, and a method for manufacturing the SiC semiconductor device.[Solution Means] A semiconductor device 1 has an MIS structure including an SiC epitaxial layer 3, a gate insulating film 9 and a gate electrode 10 formed on the gate insulating film 9. A gate insulating film 9 includes a silicon oxide film in contact with the SiC epitaxial layer 3. In the MIS structure, an area density QM of positive mobile ions in the gate insulating film 9 is made no more than 1×1012 cm−2. |
| US09368350B1 |
Tone inverted directed self-assembly (DSA) fin patterning
A method for DSA fin patterning includes forming a BCP layer over a lithographic stack, the BCP layer having first and second blocks, the lithographic stack disposed over a hard mask and substrate, and the hard mask including first and second dielectric layers; removing the first block to define a fin pattern in the BCP layer with the second block; etching the fin pattern into the first dielectric layer; filling the fin pattern with a tone inversion material; etching back the tone inversion material that overfills the fin pattern; removing the first dielectric layer selectively to define an inverted fin pattern from the tone inversion material; etching the inverted fin pattern into the second dielectric layer of the hard mask; removing the tone inversion material; and transferring the inverted fin pattern of the second dielectric layer into the substrate to define fins. |
| US09368348B2 |
Self-aligned patterning process
Embodiments of the present disclosure are a method of forming a semiconductor device and methods of patterning a semiconductor device. An embodiment is a method of forming a semiconductor device, the method including forming a plurality of spacers over a first hard mask layer to form a first mask pattern, and forming a first photoresist over the plurality of spacers. The method further includes patterning the first photoresist to form a second mask pattern, and patterning the first hard mask layer using the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern in a same patterning step. |
| US09368339B2 |
Discharge lamp with high color temperature
A discharge lamp comprises a discharge vessel 20 defining a sealed inner discharge space 22 with two electrodes 24. A filling consists of a rare gas and a metal halide composition and is free of mercury. The discharge vessel 20 comprises outer grooves 36 where the electrodes 24 are embedded, arranged at a groove distance Ra between them. The discharge vessel 20 further comprises an inner diameter ID. In operation of the lamp, an arc discharge is formed between the electrodes and the metal halide composition is partly evaporated. After operation of the lamp, the metal halide composition forms a film on the inner wall of the discharge vessel 20. This film has a surface area AS measured in mm2. The metal halide composition is provided in such an amount within the discharge space 22, that a matching quotient Q, calculated as Q=Ra×ID/AS has a value of 2 or more, such that a high color temperature is achieved. |
| US09368337B2 |
Light source with laser pumping and method for generating radiation
The invention relates to light sources with laser pumping and to methods for generating radiation with a high luminance in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectral ranges. The technical result of the invention includes extending the functional possibilities of a light source with laser pumping by virtue of increasing the luminance, increasing the coefficient of absorption of the laser radiation by a plasma, and significantly reducing the numerical aperture of a divergent laser beam which is to be occluded and which is passing through the plasma. The device comprises a chamber containing a gas, a laser producing a laser beam, an optical element, a region of radiating plasma produced in the chamber by the focused laser beam, an occluder, which is mounted on the axis of the divergent laser beam on the second side of the chamber, and an optical system for collecting plasma radiation. |
| US09368336B2 |
Ion trap-based apparatus and method for analyzing and detecting bipolar ions
An ion trap-based device and method for analyzing and detecting bipolar ions is provided. The device includes multiple electrodes of an ion trap; a radio frequency voltage source configured to form a radio frequency electric field; a direct current voltage source configured to form a bias electric field, positive and negative ions in the ion trap being separated by the bias electric field; a first and second detectors, configured to detect the positive and negative ions, respectively. A bipole and quadrupole field direct current voltage detection modes may be employed. A single positive ion or negative ion operation mode in a conventional biological mass spectrometry method is improved, so that the positive and negative ion modes are performed simultaneously; without any resolution loss, the analysis speed is increased, the sample consumption is reduced, and the accuracy of quantitative analysis of the samples is improved. |
| US09368331B2 |
Sputtering apparatus
The present invention provides a highly efficient magnetron sputtering apparatus in which a ground shield made of a magnetic material is disposed on the outer circumference of a target, the sputtering apparatus being capable of reducing unintended discharge between a cathode and the ground shield. The sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a backing plate connected to a power supply and having a target mounting surface; a magnet disposed on the back surface of the backing plate; a grounded shield containing a magnetic material and surrounding the target mounting surface; and a fixation part located between the shield and the backing plate at an outer circumference of the target mounting surface and serving as a magnetic member. This structure reduces magnetic field lines which pass through a space between the shield and the fixation part. |
| US09368330B2 |
Sputtering targets and methods
Multi-component sputtering target structures suitable for deposition of metallic alloy films are provided. The multi-component target may be formed by winding wires of different materials around a target support structure to form a dense winding. The sputtering target structures and methods of the invention can be used to produce a variety of refractory metal alloy films. |
| US09368326B2 |
Scan head and scan arm using the same
A scan head assembled to a scan arm for an ion implanter and a scan arm using the same are provided, wherein the scan head comprises a case, a shaft assembly, an ESC, a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The case has a normal center line. The shaft assembly passes through a first side of the case and has a twist axis, a first pivot point fixed relative to the case and a first end located outside the case. The ESC is fastened on the first end and capable of holding a work piece. The first driving mechanism is capable of driving the shaft assembly, the ESC and the work piece to tilt relative to the normal center line. The second driving mechanism is capable of driving the shaft assembly, the ESC and the work piece to rotate about the twist axis. |
| US09368325B2 |
TEM sample preparation
A method and apparatus for altering the orientation of a charged particle beam sample is presented. Embodiments of the method includes providing a first work piece on a sample stage having a sample stage plane, the first work piece including a lamella plane in a first orientation. A sample is milled from the first work piece using an ion beam so that the sample is substantially free from the first work piece. A probe is attached to the sample, the probe including a shaft having a shaft axis, the shaft axis oriented at a shaft angle in relation to the sample stage plane, the shaft angle being non-normal to the sample stage plane. The probe is rotated about the shaft axis through a rotational angle so that the lamella plane is in a second orientation. The sample is attached to or placed on the sample on either the first work piece, the first work piece being the work piece from which the sample was milled, or on a second work piece, the second work piece being a work piece from which the sample was not milled. The sample is thinned using the ion beam to form a lamella, the lamella being oriented in the lamella plane. |
| US09368323B2 |
Charged particle beam device, control method for charged particle beam device, and cross-section processing observation apparatus
A cross-section processing observation apparatus includes an ion beam control unit which controls a charged particle beam generation-focusing portion and a deflector, and a DAC which converts an input digital signal into an analog signal which is to be input to the deflector. A field-of-view setting portion sets a value of a field of view of a charged particle beam where the scanning performed by the deflector is performed on the basis of a set value of a slice amount, and the field-of-view setting portion is configured to set a value of one-nth of the slice amount, where n is a first natural number, as an input digital value “1” of the digital/analog converter and to set a value obtained by multiplying said value set as the input digital value “1” by a second natural number as a value of the field of view. |
| US09368321B1 |
Fiducial-based correlative microscopy
A method is provided for preparing a sample for correlative optical and electron imaging and correcting aberrations in the imaging process due to sample deformation. Dye-coated fiducial markers are distributed throughout the sample volume. The fiducial markers are preferably in the form of polystyrene nanospheres that are functionalized on their surface and subsequently treated with a fluorescent dye. The dye does not penetrate the sphere but only binds to the surface. By limiting the dye to the surface of the nanospheres, the shape of the spheres can be determined in iPALM and in charged particle images aiding in tracking of physical changes that may occur to the sample volume. |
| US09368316B2 |
X-ray tube having anode electrode
Provided is an X-ray tube. The X-ray tube includes an electrode on which an electron beam impacts to generate an X-ray, and a window on which the electrode is disposed and through which the X-ray generated from the electrode is transmitted. The electrode includes a channel passing through the electrode, and the electron beam is provided into the channel to generate the X-ray. |
| US09368315B2 |
Streak tube with connection lead to reduce voltage propagation differences
A steak tube has a container with an entrance plate and an output plate, a photocathode disposed in the container and configured to emit electrons according to light to be measured, the light having been incident through the entrance plate, and a sweep electrode disposed in the container, having a pair of deflection plates for generating an electric field and a connection lead connected to each deflection plate, and configured to sweep the electrons in a sweep direction along the output plate. An opposing of edges of the deflection plate in a direction of the output plate are formed so as to extend in a direction from the entrance plate to the output plate, the connection lead has a first connection portion electrically connected to the deflection plate, and the first connection portion is connected to the opposing of edges. |
| US09368310B2 |
Disconnector for electric power equipment filled with dielectric liquid
A disconnector for electric power equipment filled with dielectric liquid, especially transformers, applicable in protecting the operation of electric power equipment. The disconnector contains at least two cylindrical current-limiting fuses situated inside a tank, and each fuse is electrically connected with external phase power supply and through fixed contacts and moving contacts of the disconnector with the active part of the piece of electric power equipment. The disconnector is characterized in that the current-limiting fuses are placed in a common housing, in which a slide with a pilot is situated, and to the slide there are inseparably fixed moving contacts, which move together with the slide when the slide makes a to-and-fro motion. The to-and-fro motion takes place as a result of the operation of a tripping device situated in the current-limiting fuses and of the compression or stretching of springs fixed to the pilot and to a fixing disk. |
| US09368309B2 |
Electronic part and electronic control unit
A main body of an electronic part has multiple electrodes, to which multiple terminals are connected. The terminals include a normal terminal and a fuse terminal, each of which extends from lands formed in a printed board so as to hold the main body at a position above and separated from a board surface of the printed board. The fuse terminal has a cut-off portion having a smaller width than other portions of the fuse terminal, so that the cut-off portion is melted down when excess current flows in the fuse terminal. The normal terminal holds the main body at the position above and separated from the board surface even in a case of melt-down of the cut-off portion. |
| US09368298B2 |
Switch and manufacturing method of switch
A switch includes a case, fixed electrodes, a movable electrode and a pressing member. The fixed electrodes and the movable electrode are arranged inside the recess. The pressing member is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the recess, and displaces the movable electrode from the second position to the first position by a pressing force from the outside. The pressing member includes a first bent part and a second bent part, and a deforming part disposed therebetween. The deforming part is opposed to the movable electrode with a gap in a state where the movable electrode is in the second position. The deforming part is configured to be flexibly deformed toward the outside of the case in a state where the movable electrode is in the first position in which the fixed electrodes are in a conductive state. |
| US09368296B2 |
Fusible switch assemblies, and load base assemblies, line base assemblies, line bus connector assemblies, fuse clip assemblies, fuse clip and lug assemblies, and operational methods thereof
A fusible switch assembly including a line base assembly and load base assembly is disclosed. Line base assembly includes a low-profile fuse clip assembly and line bus connector assembly with single-piece connector body and sliding nuts. Load base assembly includes a fuse clip and lug assembly having a lug body including a multiple lugs and a fuse clip at least partially formed by the lug body. Line base assemblies, load base assemblies, fuse clip assemblies, line bus connector assemblies, fuse clip and lug assemblies, and methods of operating line base assemblies are provided, as are other aspects. |
| US09368295B2 |
Electrical transfer switch system
A system including an automatic transfer switch configured to selectively route power from a first power source or a second power source to a load, comprising a switch configured to be moved between a first position and a second position, a first set of electrical contacts configured to route the power from the first power source when the switch is in the first position, a second set of electrical contacts configured to route the power from the second power source when the switch is in the second position, and a first arc chute housing configured to substantially enclose the first set of electrical contacts when the switch is in the first position. |
| US09368292B2 |
Carbon material for polarizable electrodes and method for producing same
There is provided a carbon material for polarizable electrodes in which a heterocyclic aromatic compound is adsorbed on an activated carbon, wherein the heterocyclic aromatic compound comprises a five- or six-membered ring having two or more nitrogen atoms as ring-forming atoms; a ratio (N/C) of nitrogen atoms to carbon atoms in the heterocyclic aromatic compound is 0.4 or more; 1 to 35 parts by mass of the heterocyclic aromatic compound is adsorbed based on 100 parts by mass of the activated carbon; and the carbon material for polarizable electrodes has a benzene adsorption capacity of 25 to 75% by mass. |
| US09368291B2 |
Highly accessible, nanotube electrodes for large surface area contact applications
An highly porous electrically conducting film that includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes, nanowires or a combination of both. The highly porous electrically conducting film exhibits an electrical resistivity of less than 0.1 Ω·cm at 25 C and a density of between 0.05 and 0.70 g/cm3. The film can exhibit a density between 0.50 and 0.85 g/cm3 and an electrical resistivity of less than 6×10−3 Ω·cm at 25 C. Also included is a method of forming these highly porous electrically conducting films by forming a composite film using carbon nanotubes or nanowires and sacrificial nanoparticles or microparticles. At least a portion of the nanoparticles or microparticles are then removed from the composite film to form the highly porous electrically conducting film. |
| US09368286B2 |
Dye-sensitized solar cell, dye-sensitized solar cell module, and coating liquid for forming electrolyte layer
An object of the present invention is to provide a dye-sensitized solar cell having a solid electrolyte layer and improved durability or photoelectric conversion efficiency. A dye-sensitized solar cell 1, which comprises: a conductive base material 10; a porous semiconductor layer 20 formed on the conductive base material 10 having a porous surface carrying a sensitized dye; a counter electrode 40, which is disposed so as to face the porous semiconductor layer 20; and an electrolyte layer 30 comprising potassium iodide and a thermoplastic cellulose resin, which is formed between the conductive base material 10 and the counter electrode 40. |
| US09368284B2 |
Anode electrode for aluminum electrolytic capacitor and respective production method
An aluminum electrolytic capacitor including an anode electrode, and a method for producing the anode electrode. The method includes providing an aluminum electrolyte including an ionic liquid and an aluminum salt, galvanically deposing an aluminum on an aluminum foil formed from the aluminum electrolyte, and anodically oxidizing a surface of the aluminum foil. The ionic liquid includes a pyrrolidinium cation and a halogenide. The aluminum electrolyte includes 50-70 mol. % of the aluminum salt based on a total substance amount of the ionic liquid and the aluminum salt. The galvanic deposition includes and is based on a deposition temperature ranging from 20° C. to 100° C., a current density ranging from 1 to 100 mA/cm2, an applied potential ranging from −0.1 V to −1.0 V based on a potential of an aluminum reference electrode, and a deposition rate ranging from 1 to 50 μm/h. |
| US09368283B2 |
Ionic gel electrolyte, energy storage devices, and methods of manufacture thereof
An electrochemical cell includes solid-state, printable anode layer, cathode layer and non-aqueous gel electrolyte layer coupled to the anode layer and cathode layer. The electrolyte layer provides physical separation between the anode layer and the cathode layer, and comprises a composition configured to provide ionic communication between the anode layer and cathode layer by facilitating transmission of multivalent ions between the anode layer and the cathode layer. |
| US09368278B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor, manufacturing method thereof, and board having the same mounted thereon
There is provided a multilayer ceramic capacitor including: a ceramic body having a plurality of dielectric layers and having first and second end surfaces opposing each other; a first internal electrode formed on each of the dielectric layers, including a first insulating part exposed to the second end surface, and exposed to the first end surface; a second internal electrode disposed to face the first internal electrode, having the dielectric layer interposed therebetween, and exposed to the first and second end surfaces; and a second insulating part formed on an edge of the second internal electrode exposed to the first end surface. |
| US09368272B2 |
Shielded power coupling device
One or more techniques and/or systems described herein provide a shielded power coupling device, such as may be used to transfer electric power from a stator portion of a computed tomography (CT) apparatus to a rotor portion. The shielded power coupling device comprises a rotor portion and a stator portion, separated by an airgap, respectively comprising one or more windings and a core. The shielded power coupling device further comprises a fringe field mitigation element(s) (e.g., an electrically conductive wire) that is configured to carry an induced current that creates a magnetic field that mitigates, or substantially cancels, magnetic flux generated by current in the windings that escapes from the core near the core airgap. |
| US09368261B2 |
Transparent conductive electrodes comprising surface functionalized metal nanowires, their structure design, and method of making such structures
Discloses herein is a method to make a transparent conductive electrode. The methods comprises providing a substrate, forming a film comprising a first region having a plurality of metal nanowires, wherein at least some of metal nanowires are surface functionalized and inert to oxidation or acid reactions; evaporating away the solvent in the metal nanowire film; exposing the nanowire film to a chemical reagent; forming a second region comprising nanowires, and annealing the film having the first and second region, wherein the resistivity difference between the first and second region is more than 1000. |
| US09368257B2 |
Internal cooling of power cables and power umbilicals
A power cable (30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530) includes an outer sheath (32), at least one conductor element (20, 22, 24, 220, 320, 420, 520) arranged within the outer sheath and one or more filler elements (10, 210, 310,410, 510) arranged within the outer sheath. At least one of the filler elements is hollow such that a cooling fluid can be passed through the filler element. |
| US09368255B2 |
Conductive particle and display device including the same
A conductive particle comprising a polyhedral shape in which two neighboring sides among a plurality of sides form an intersection line, and two sides meeting on the intersection line form an angle. |
| US09368254B2 |
Adhesive resin composition, adhesive film using the same and flat cable
An adhesive resin composition includes 60 to 95 parts by mass of amorphous thermoplastic polyester-based resin (A), 5 to 40 parts by mass of polyphenylene ether-based polymer (B) including a hydroxyl group and a repeating unit of 2,6-dimethylphenylene ether in a molecule thereof, and 60 to 200 parts by mass of a flame retardant per total 100 parts by mass of the amorphous thermoplastic polyester based resin (A) and the polyphenylene ether-based polymer (B). |
| US09368251B2 |
Multilayer ceramic capacitor with conductive fullerene-filling resin layer, method for same, and mounting board with same
A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes a ceramic body including dielectric layers and internal electrodes, electrode layers connected to the internal electrodes, and a conductive resin layer formed on the electrode layer and containing conductive particles, fullerenes, and a base resin. |
| US09368245B2 |
Remote marking
Remote marker systems are disclosed for marking a target using optical markers. Such systems may allow a target to be marked using a remote optical marking device. Also disclosed are photochromic solutions and methods of their preparation. |
| US09368241B2 |
System and method for processing and storing post-accident coolant
A method for processing a coolant includes filtering a coolant using a first filtration system to generate a first filtered material, and filtering the filtered coolant using a second filtration system to generate a second filtered material. The second filtration system is different from the first filtration system. The first filtered material is transferred to a first waste treatment container and converted to a first waste product for permanent disposal, and the second waste product is transferred to a second waste treatment container and converted to a second waste product for permanent disposal. |
| US09368239B2 |
Ex-core nuclear instrumentation system
The ex-core nuclear instrumentation system includes a key hole, and it is configured such that in the state where a key lock switch is inserted into the key hole, writing to a electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory is made valid by a general-purpose logic, and when writing to a electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory is in valid and the operation panel and the FPGA perform a serial communication and in a case where the data order of the serial communication is the predetermined data order, the CPU controls the electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory, and rewriting data, which is outputted from the operation panel, to the electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory is transmitted from the FPGA to the electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory so as to rewrite the data in the electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory. |
| US09368237B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit capable of controlling test modes without stopping test
A semiconductor integrated circuit capable of controlling test modes without stopping testing of the semiconductor integrated circuit is presented. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes a test mode control unit configured to produce, in response to address decoding signals, a plurality of test mode signals of a first group and a plurality of test mode signals of a second group. The test mode control unit selectively inactivates the test mode signals of the first group by providing a reset signal using the test mode signals of the second group. Therefore, the testing time of the semiconductor integrated circuit can be reduced by inactivating the previous test mode using the reset signal and by executing a new test mode without disconnecting the test mode state. |
| US09368224B2 |
Self-adjusting regulation current for memory array source line
To maintain stability of memory array operations, a supplemental current can supply a common source line of a memory array so that the combined current from the memory array and supplemental current is at least a minimum regulation current level. When enabled for sensing operations, a driver circuit maintains the common source line's voltage level. A current subtractor circuit determines the difference between a reference current and a current proportional to the current flowing from the array, where the reference current is proportional to the minimum regulation current. The difference current is then mirrored by a self-adjusting current loop and supplied to the common source line to maintain its current level. |
| US09368222B2 |
Bit line pre-charge with current reduction
Disclosed herein are techniques for pre-charging channels when programming memory cells. A pre-charge voltage is applied to both selected bit lines and inhibited bit lines during a channel pre-charge phase. The pre-charge voltage is passed to the channels of NAND strings. The voltage on the inhibited bit lines is then reduced to a program inhibit voltage. Also, the voltage on the selected bit lines is reduced to a program enable voltage. Further, the pre-charge voltage from the channels of the selected NAND strings is discharged while maintaining the pre-charge voltage in the channels of the inhibited NAND strings. The potential in the channels of the inhibited NAND strings may then be boosted and a programming voltage may be applied to a selected word line. |
| US09368220B2 |
Non-volatile memory device and method for shortened erase operation during testing
A nonvolatile memory array has a multiple erase procedures of different durations. A block of memory cells of the array can be erased by one of the different erase procedures. |
| US09368218B2 |
Fast secure erase in a flash system
A flash memory controller is configured to provide a first erase mode for erasing one or more groups of flash memory cells in a flash memory device using a plurality of erase pulses and a second erase mode for erasing the one or more groups of flash memory cells using a single erase pulse. The controller may receive a fast erase signal to erase the one or more groups of flash memory cells and, in response to the signal, switch operating parameters of the flash memory device from first parameters corresponding to the first erase mode to second parameters corresponding to the second erase mode, and instruct the flash memory device to perform an erase operation on the one or more groups of flash memory cells according to the second parameters. The controller may then verify that the erase operation was completed using the single erase pulse. |
| US09368217B2 |
Voltage generator, integrated circuit, and voltage generating method
A voltage generator includes: a first pump configured to generate and output a first voltage to a first node in response to a first clock signal; a second pump configured to generate and output a second voltage to a second node in response to the first clock signal; a third pump configured to generate and output a third voltage to the first and second nodes in response to the first clock signal; a first switch configured to deliver the third voltage to the first node in response to a first control signal; and a second switch configured to deliver the third voltage to the second node in response to a second control signal, in which the first pump has a first drivability, the second pump has a second drivability, and the third pump has a third drivability greater than the first and second drivabilities. |
| US09368214B2 |
Programmable peak-current control in non-volatile memory devices
A method includes, in a memory device, receiving a command that specifies a peak power consumption that is not to be exceeded by the memory device. A memory of the memory device is configured in accordance with the peak power consumption specified in the command. A data storage operation in the configured memory is performed, while complying with the specified peak power consumption. |
| US09368213B2 |
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device with block decoder
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having multiple blocks each with a plurality of memory strings. Each memory string has multiple memory cells connected in series between first and second selection transistors. The device further includes a row decoder, a block decoder, first and second signal line groups, and a switch circuit. The row decoder has transfer transistors through which voltages are supplied to the selection transistors. The block decoder supplies a selection signal that indicates whether the first group or the second group has been selected. The first and second signal line groups are connected to the selection transistors of the memory strings that are in the respective first and second memory blocks of the first and second groups. The switch circuit connects the first and second signal line groups to the respective first and second memory blocks of the selected group. |
| US09368207B2 |
Method of operating FET low current 3D re-ram
Operating ReRAM memory is disclosed herein. The memory cells may be trained prior to initially programming them. The training may help to establish a percolation path. In some aspects, a transistor limits current of the memory cell when training and programming. A higher current limit is used during training, which conditions the memory cell for better programming. The non-memory may be operated in unipolar mode. The memory cells can store multiple bits per memory cell. A memory cell can be SET directly from its present state to one at least two data states away. A memory cell can be RESET directly to the state having the next highest resistance. Program conditions, such as pulse width and/or magnitude, may depend on the state to which the memory cell is being SET. A higher energy can be used for programming higher current states. |
| US09368204B2 |
Volatile/non-volatile memory cell
The invention concerns a memory device comprising at least one memory cell comprising: a first transistor (102) coupled between a first storage node (106) and a first resistance switching element (202) programmed to have a first resistance; and a second transistor (104) coupled between a second storage node (108) and a second resistance switching element (204) programmed to have a second resistance, a control terminal of said first transistor being coupled to said second storage node, and a control terminal of said second transistor being coupled to said first storage node; and control circuitry (602) adapted to store a data value (DNV) at said first and second storage nodes by coupling said first and second storage nodes to a first supply voltage (VDD, GND), the data value being determined by the relative resistances of the first and second resistance switching elements. |
| US09368191B2 |
Time division multiplexing sense amplifier
A circuit comprises a plurality of memory cells, a word line, a plurality of pairs of bit lines, a pre-charge and equalization device, a column select device, and a sense amplifier. The word line is configured to control the plurality of memory cells. Each pair of bit lines of the plurality of pairs of bit lines corresponds to a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells and is coupled to a pair of switches. The sense amplifier is coupled to the plurality of pairs of bit lines, the pre-charge and equalization device, and the column select device. |
| US09368188B2 |
Semiconductor device performing refresh operation
Disclosed herein is a device that includes a first semiconductor chip. The first semiconductor chip includes a first data storage area storing data, a first refresh circuit repeating a first refresh operation on the first data storage area to make the first data storage area retain the data, a first terminal supplied with a first control signal from outside of the first semiconductor chip, and a first control circuit coupled between the first terminal and the first refresh circuit to control a repetition cycle of the first refresh operation in response to the first control signal. |
| US09368183B2 |
Method for forming an integrated circuit package
An integrated circuit package includes a packaging substrate with an electrical connection pad formed thereon and an integrated circuit die coupled to the electrical connection pad. The electrical connection pad includes an electroplated surface finish layer, but does not include an electrical trace configured as a plating tail. Because the electrical connection pad is free of a plating tail, signal degradation caused by the presence of plating tails in the integrated circuit package is avoided. |
| US09368182B2 |
Memory cell
Nonvolatile storage with long memory endurance having the advantages of easy manufacturability is obtained by using a memory cell having an information storage element including a ferroelectric material, and operating the memory cell in a volatile operating mode and a nonvolatile operating mode. The option of operating the memory cell in the volatile operating mode enables the associated advantages of high memory speed at long endurance, wherein, however, the option of operating the memory cell in the nonvolatile operating mode can bridge gaps in the power supply. |
| US09368179B2 |
Magnetic field sensing using magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cells
A magnetic field sensing system includes one or more magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cells, and may be configured to determine one or more of a presence, a magnitude, and a polarity of an external magnetic field incident upon an MRAM cell. In some examples, a control module of the system controls a write current source, or another device, to provide a write current through a write line associated with the MRAM cell to induce a magnetic field proximate to the MRAM cell. The magnetic field may be less than a magnetic switching threshold of the MRAM cell. After initiating the provision of the write current through the write line, the control module may determine a magnetic state of the MRAM cell, and determine a presence of an external magnetic field incident upon the MRAM cell based at least in part on the magnetic state of the MRAM cell. |
| US09368177B2 |
Magnetic resistance structure, method of manufacturing the magnetic resistance structure, and electronic device including the magnetic resistance structure
Provided are a magnetic resistance structure, a method of manufacturing the magnetic resistance structure, and an electronic device including the magnetic resistance structure. The method of manufacturing the magnetic resistance structure includes forming a hexagonal boron nitride layer, forming a graphene layer on the boron nitride layer, forming a first magnetic material layer between the boron nitride layer and the graphene layer according to an intercalation process; and forming a second magnetic material layer on the graphene layer. |
| US09368175B2 |
Semiconductor memory device receiving multiple commands simultaneously and memory system including the same
A semiconductor memory device may include: a memory cell array; a first address controller configured to receive a first command and a first address and generate a first control signal in response to the first command; and a second address controller configured to receive a second address and a second command inputted at the same time as the first command, and generate a second control signal in response to the second command. |
| US09368173B1 |
Semiconductor memory device
A circuit of a semiconductor memory device may include a delay unit suitable for delaying a column pulse signal, and sequentially generating a first strobe source signal, a column source signal, and a second strobe source signal at a predetermined time interval, and an input/output strobe signal generation unit suitable for generating an input/output strobe signal which is activated during a period in which both of the first and second strobe source signals are activated. |
| US09368169B2 |
Hardware chip select training for memory using write leveling mechanism
A method of training chip select for a memory module. The method includes programming a memory controller into a mode wherein a command signal is active for a programmable time period. The method then programs a programmable delay line of the chip select with a delay value and performs initialization of the memory module. The memory module is then placed in a write leveling mode wherein placing the memory module in the write leveling mode toggles a state of the chip select. A write leveling procedure is then performed and a response thereto is determined from the memory module. A determination is made whether the memory module is in a pass state or an error state based on the response. |
| US09368167B2 |
Semiconductor apparatus and testing method thereof
A semiconductor apparatus having a through via to be electrically coupled with a chip includes a latch memory cell configured to be electrically coupled with the through via and receive a signal transmitted through the through via, and output a stored signal to the through via. |
| US09368166B2 |
Nonvolatile memory devices, memory systems, and control methods using simultaneous recovery and output operations
A nonvolatile memory device includes a cell array including a plurality of cell strings extending on a substrate in a vertical direction, a page buffer connected to a plurality of bit lines and configured to store sensing data of the cell array in a sensing operation, a voltage generator configured to provide voltages to a plurality of word lines and the plurality of bit lines, and an input/output buffer configured to temporarily store the sensing data received in a data dump from the page buffer and to output the temporarily stored data to an external device. The nonvolatile memory device further includes control logic configured to set a status of the nonvolatile memory device to a ready state after the sensing data is dumped to the input/output buffer and before recovery of the cell array from a bias voltage of the sensing operation is complete. |
| US09368165B2 |
Current generation circuit and semiconductor device having the same
A current generation circuit includes a mirroring circuit suitable for being charged by using a bias voltage, wherein a voltage level of the charged voltage varies corresponding to changes in a voltage level of a power voltage, a comparison circuit suitable for comparing the charged voltage with a feedback voltage, and a current driving circuit suitable for generating a current based on a voltage output from the comparison circuit. |
| US09368163B2 |
Power consumption control
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for power consumption control. A number of embodiments include determining power consumption information for each phase in a combination of phases of a command, and authorizing execution of at least one of the phases in the combination based, at least partially, on the power consumption information determined for the at least one of the phases. |
| US09368161B2 |
Nonvolatile memory cell structure with assistant gate
A nonvolatile memory (NVM) cell includes a semiconductor substrate having therein an N well and a P well; a first oxide define (OD) region and a second oxide define (OD) region disposed within the N well; a PMOS select transistor disposed on the first OD region; a PMOS floating gate transistor serially connected to the select transistor and being disposed on the on the first OD region, wherein the PMOS floating gate transistor comprises a floating gate overlying the first OD region; and an assistant gate protruding from one distal end of the floating gate to one edge of the second OD region such that the assistant gate is capacitively coupled to the second OD region and the N well. The select transistor, the floating gate transistor and the assistant gate disposed on the same N well. |
| US09368159B2 |
Recording medium, reproducing apparatus, and reproducing method
In a recording medium on which is recorded a multiplexed stream including a plurality of first packets (V_main) constituting a first I-picture in a first video stream and a plurality of second packets (V_sub) constituting a second I-picture in a second video stream, information for identifying the first I-picture and information for identifying the second I-picture are recorded on the medium. A recording medium can thereby be obtained that enables the rapid detection, from a small amount of information, of a particular picture included in a stream such as a TS in which multiple content streams are multiplexed. |
| US09368158B2 |
Method and apparatus for re-inserting a commercial during playback of a recorded program
A method of playing back, by an electronic device, a recorded program without a first commercial, the recorded program recorded from a first program having the first commercial inserted therein is disclosed. The method comprises steps of obtaining location information of the first commercial in the first program responsive to a command to play back the recorded program; inserting a second commercial at a first location according to the location information of the first commercial; and playing back the recorded program with the inserted second commercial. |
| US09368155B2 |
Determining updates for a video tutorial
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for updating a video tutorial. In accordance with an embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining a number of users of a video tutorial that have performed a set of actions that are different than a set of actions displayed in the video tutorial, determining that the number of users of the video tutorial that have performed the set of actions that are different meets a threshold condition, and identifying a segment of the video tutorial to remove, wherein the identified segment includes the set of actions displayed in the video tutorial that are different. The method may further include creating an updated video tutorial by replacing the identified segment of the video tutorial with a video of the set of actions that are different than the set of displayed actions. |
| US09368154B2 |
Library device, control method therefor, and library control device
A library device includes: a recording medium storage unit that stores at least a first recording medium, and a second recording medium that is a take-out request target; an accessor that takes out the second recording medium from the recording medium storage unit after taking out the first recording medium from the recording medium storage unit; an evacuation destination drive device that receives the first recording medium taken out by the accessor; a take-out destination drive device that draws in the second recording medium taken out by the accessor; and an operation interruption control unit that performs a control that interrupts an operation of the evacuation destination drive drawing in the second recording medium taken in the evacuation destination drive device. |
| US09368153B2 |
Disc cartridge and disc device
A disc device records or reproduces information in or from a disc stored in a disc cartridge. The disc cartridge includes a casing having a front face with an opening for receiving the disc; and a cover closing the opening of the casing. The cover includes a slider moving along a side face of the casing, a shutter closing the opening; and a hinge part rotatably coupling the shutter to the slider. The disc device includes a stopper contacting the slider when the disc cartridge is inserted into the disc device to restrict movement of the slider in an insertion direction, and a cam part separating the hinge part from a contact region between the shutter and the casing when or before the casing further moves with the stopper restricting movement of the slider and the shutter is pressed by the casing to rotate about the hinge part. |
| US09368151B2 |
Systems and methods for chronologically ordering digital media and approximating a timeline of an event
Systems and methods synchronize digital audio and/or video tracks recorded at a same event. The systems and methods access input digital audio tracks that are storable in a database, wherein the input digital audio tracks comprise a list of original recorded digital audio tracks from original recorded digital videos that were recorded from multiple digital sources at the same event. The systems and methods extract at least one feature from each digital audio track of the input digital audio tracks, and construct, based on the at least one feature, a peak map for each digital audio track of the input digital audio tracks. The systems and methods detect a match between at least two digital audio tracks by performing a cross-correlation of the peak maps of the digital audio tracks of the input digital audio tracks and/or estimate a delay between at least one pair of digital audio tracks of the input digital audio tracks, wherein the delay comprises a time difference between the at least one pair of digital audio tracks that received a maximum value in the cross-correlation of the peak maps. The systems and method create an output group comprising the at least two digital audio tracks and/or the at least one pair of digital audio tracks. |
| US09368150B2 |
Charge control agent for fluid dynamic bearing motor lubricant
Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to magnetic recording systems having a spindle motor and, more particularly, to an optimized lubricant for bearings within the spindle motor. A lubricant used in a fluid dynamic bearing motor has an antioxidant additive and a charge control agent dissolved in a diester base oil. The charge control agent is chemically attached to the same diacid reactant used in the diester lubricant base oil, and is prepared through an esterification reaction. The charge control agent is then dissolved in the lubricant base oil. The charge control agent is soluble in the lubricant, and is resistant to free radical oxidation. The charge control agent effectively controls the charge of the lubricant by creating electron donor/acceptor sites in the lubricant, facilitating an independent electronic pathway through the lubricant. |
| US09368149B2 |
Disk drive spindle motor with adhesive connection between shaft flange and bearing cup
In a motor, a lower thrust portion is defined by a flange portion extending radially outward from an outer circumferential surface of a shaft portion of a shaft and a plate portion extending radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of a cylindrical wall of a bearing cup portion which axially overlap with each other. The flange portion and the plate portion include a first adhesive portion radially opposed thereto and a second adhesive portion axially opposed thereto. An adhesive is located in each of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion such that the shaft and the bearing cup portion have excellent bonding strength to withstand an axial load. |
| US09368146B2 |
Near-field transducer with multiple heat sinks
An apparatus comprises a writer, a near-field transducer (NFT), a channel waveguide proximate the NFT, a dielectric layer between the NFT and waveguide, and a plurality of heat sinks. A first heat sink comprises a gap and contacts the NFT and the writer. A second heat sink extends across the gap of the first heat sink and between the NFT and a heat reservoir component, such as a return pole of the writer. The channel waveguide may contact the second heat sink, such as by encompassing a peripheral portion of the second heat sink. The second heat sink may have at least an outer surface comprising a plasmonic material, and may be configured to enhance plasmonic excitation of the NFT. |
| US09368140B2 |
Actuator assembly and rotating disk storage device with efficient voice coil shape
Embodiments of the invention provide an actuator head suspension assembly having an efficient voice coil. In one embodiment, a voice coil is formed in a circular or any other shape than the conventional sectorial shape to increase the efficiency of the voice coil and diminish oscillation and noise of an actuator head suspension assembly. The voice coil shape is selected such that the proportion of an out-of-plane force becomes smaller than that in the conventional sectorial voice coil and the proportion contributing as weight to the oscillation energy also becomes smaller. |
| US09368139B1 |
Slider back side etching to increase shear strength between suspension and slider
The present disclosure generally relates to a slider having a textured bonding surface. The slider may be used in a hard disk drive (HDD). The textured bonding surface permits the slider to be effectively bonded to a suspension and prevent the slider from debonding from the suspension due to shear forces that may occur during HDD operation. |
| US09368135B2 |
Data storage device with phase lock spin-torque oscillation stabilization
A data storage device can be configured at least with a first spin-torque oscillator disposed between and contacting a write pole and a shield on an air bearing surface. A second spin-torque oscillator can be disposed between and contact the write pole and shield with the second spin-torque oscillator separated from the air bearing surface by a first stabilization distance and from the first spin-torque oscillator by a second stabilization distance. The first and second spin-torque oscillators can be configured to magnetostatically couple and phase lock to produce a single microwave frequency in response to a bias field. |
| US09368134B1 |
Method and system for providing an antiferromagnetically coupled writer
A method and system for fabricating a magnetic transducer are described. The magnetic transducer includes a pole and a nonmagnetic intermediate layer adjacent to the pole. The pole has a paddle and a pole tip including a plurality of sidewalls. The pole includes a first magnetic pole layer, at least one antiferromagnetic coupling (AFC) structure on the first magnetic pole layer, and a second magnetic pole layer on the AFC structure(s). At least a portion of the first magnetic pole layer resides on the sidewalls of the pole tip. The paddle has a paddle width in a track width direction. The pole tip has a pole tip width in a track width direction that is less than the paddle width. |
| US09368131B1 |
Data storage device employing mirrored cross-track profiles for top and bottom disk surfaces
A data storage device is disclosed wherein when a first head is over a top disk surface, a first undershoot of a first cross-track profile is closer to an inner diameter of a disk and a second undershoot of the first cross-track profile is closer to an outer diameter of the disk. When a second head is over a bottom disk surface, a second undershoot of a second cross-track profile is closer to the inner diameter of the disk and a first undershoot of the second cross-track profile is closer to the outer diameter of the disk. |
| US09368127B2 |
Method and device for providing distributed telepresence service
There is provided a method of determining a main speaker that is performed by a first terminal participating in a distributed telepresence service. The method of determining a main speaker according to an embodiment of the invention includes obtaining first feature information for determining a main speaker from an audio input signal, obtaining second feature information for determining a main speaker of a second terminal from the second terminal participating in the distributed telepresence service, and determining a main speaker terminal for providing a video and an audio of a main speaker who is participating in a telepresence and is speaking based on the first feature information for determining a main speaker and the second feature information for determining a main speaker. |
| US09368126B2 |
Assessing speech prosody
A method, system and computer readable storage medium for assessing speech prosody. The method includes the steps of: receiving input speech data; acquiring a prosody constraint; assessing prosody of the input speech data according to the prosody constraint; and providing assessment result where at least of the steps is carried out using a computer device. |
| US09368124B2 |
Computer implemented system for audio watermarking
A computer implemented system for audio watermarking for providing robust and blind audio watermarking. The system comprises a watermark embedding system wherein an audio signal is divided into audio frames, multi-level District Wavelet Transform (DWT) is applied on each frame, followed by Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and embedding the watermark, further followed by inverse SVD and inverse DWT to get watermarked audio frames which are combined to generate a watermarked audio signal. The system further comprises watermark extracting detection system wherein the watermarked audio signal which may be attacked and/or modified is divided into watermarked audio frames, multilevel DWT is applied on each watermarked audio frame, followed by SVD, extracting the embedded watermarked, correlating the extracted watermark with pre-stored watermarks, calculating Peak to Sidelobe ratio (PSR) from the correlation coefficient arrays and finally comparing each PSR with a threshold to authenticate the embedded watermark. |
| US09368123B2 |
Methods and apparatus to perform audio watermark detection and extraction
Methods and apparatus to perform audio watermark detection and extraction are disclosed. An example method includes sampling a media signal to generate samples, wherein the media signal includes an embedded message, determining a first symbol value for a first block of the samples, determining a second symbol value for a second block of the samples, and determining, using a processor, a resulting symbol value, representative of a part of the embedded message, based on the first symbol value and the second symbol value for the first block of samples and the second block of samples, wherein the first block and the second block partially overlap. |
| US09368122B2 |
Apparatus for generating a decorrelated signal using transmitted phase information
An apparatus for generating a decorrelated signal having a receiving unit for receiving phase information, a transient separator, a transient decorrelator, a second decorrelator and a combining unit, wherein the transient separator is adapted to separate an input signal into a first signal component and into a second signal component such that the first signal component has transient signal portions of the input signal and such that the second signal component has non-transient signal portions of the input signal. The transient decorrelator is adapted to apply the phase information received by the receiving unit to a transient signal component. |
| US09368118B2 |
Voice analyzer, voice analysis system, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program
A voice analyzer includes a voice information acquiring unit that acquires information about voices acquired by a first voice acquiring unit which acquires the voice and is worn by a first wearer and a second voice acquiring unit which acquires the voice and is worn by a second wearer from each of the wearers, and a distance calculation unit that calculates a distance between the first wearer and the second wearer on the basis of (a) speaker identification information, which is information for determining whether the voice acquired by the first voice acquiring unit and the voice which is the same as that acquired by the first voice acquiring unit and is acquired by the second voice acquiring unit are spoken by the wearers or other persons, and (b) a phase difference between sound waves with plural frequencies included in the voices. |
| US09368109B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic speaker-based speech clustering
Reliable speaker-based clustering of speech utterances allows improved speaker recognition and speaker-based speech segmentation. According to at least one example embodiment, an iterative bottom-up speaker-based clustering approach employs voiceprints of speech utterances, such as i-vectors. At each iteration, a clustering confidence score in terms of Silhouette Width Criterion (SWC) values is evaluated, and a pair of nearest clusters is merged into a single cluster. The pair of nearest clusters merged is determined based on a similarity score indicative of similarity between voiceprints associated with different clusters. A final clustering pattern is then determined as a set of clusters associated with an iteration corresponding to the highest clustering confidence score evaluated. The SWC used may further be a modified SWC enabling detection of an early stop of the iterative approach. |
| US09368108B2 |
Speech recognition method and device
A speech recognition method and device are disclosed. The method includes: acquiring a text file specified by a user, and extracting a command word from the text file, to obtain a command word list; comparing the command word list with a command word library, to confirm whether the command word list includes a new command word; if the command word list includes the new command word, generating a corresponding new pronunciation dictionary; merging the new language model into a language model library; and receiving speech, and performing speech recognition on the speech according to an acoustic model, a phonation dictionary, and the language model library. Command words acquired online are closely related to online content; therefore, the number of the command words is limited and far less than the number of frequently used words. |
| US09368106B2 |
System and method of automated evaluation of transcription quality
Systems and methods automatedly evaluate a transcription quality. Audio data is obtained. The audio data is segmented into a plurality of utterances with a voice activity detector operating on a computer processor. The plurality of utterances are transcribed into at least one word lattice with a large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system operating on the processor. A minimum Bayes risk decoder is applied to the at least one word lattice to create at least one confusion network. At least conformity ratio is calculated from the at least one confusion network. |
| US09368104B2 |
System and method for synthesizing human speech using multiple speakers and context
A system and method for realistic speech synthesis which converts text into synthetic human speech with qualities appropriate to the context such as the language and dialect of the speaker, as well as expanding a speaker's phonetic inventory to produce more natural sounding speech. |
| US09368103B2 |
Estimation system of spectral envelopes and group delays for sound analysis and synthesis, and audio signal synthesis system
For high-accuracy analysis and high-quality synthesis of voice sound (singing and speech), provided herein are a system and a method for estimating from an audio signal spectral envelopes and group delays for sound analysis and synthesis with high accuracy and high temporal resolution. An estimation system of spectral envelopes and group delays includes a fundamental frequency estimation section, an amplitude spectrum acquisition section, a group delay extraction section, a spectral envelope integration section, and a group delay integration section. The spectral envelope integration section sequentially obtains a spectral envelope for sound synthesis by averaging overlapped spectra. The group delay integration section selects from a plurality of group delays a group delay corresponding to the maximum envelope of each frequency component of the spectral envelope and integrates groups delays thus selected to sequentially obtain a group delay for sound synthesis. |
| US09368101B1 |
Dynamic acoustic control system and method for hospitality spaces
An acoustic control system for hospitality spaces includes a passive component (17) for producing a baseline reverberation time (RT) value within the space, and an active component (LN, MN, 15) for picking up sounds in the space (11) and reintroducing the sounds into the space such that the reintroduced sounds have an RT value and sound level capable of being adjusted and such that the resulting RT value can be adjusted to a relatively large value as compared to said baseline RT value. |
| US09368093B2 |
Recordings resulting from methods for transcoding music notation
Recorded media is produced by a method for transcoding music, according to various aspects of the present invention, includes in any practical order: (a) reading indicia of a plurality of notes, each note having pitch and duration; (b) selecting a reference pitch; (c) determining indicia of tone from the reference pitch and the pitch of each note; and (d) outputting for use by an engraving engine, indicia of an apposite staff and indicia of tones and durations corresponding to the plurality of notes. |
| US09368089B2 |
Display system and electrical appliance
A display system in which the luminance of light-emitting elements in a light-emitting device is adjusted based on information on an environment. A sensor obtains information on an environment as an electrical signal. A CPU converts, based on comparison data set in advance, the information signal into a correction signal for correcting the luminance of EL elements. Upon receiving this correction signal, a voltage changer applies a predetermined corrected potential to the EL elements. Thus, this display system enables control of the luminance of the EL elements. |
| US09368088B2 |
Display, image processing unit, image processing method, and electronic apparatus
An image processing method includes: obtaining, based on a plurality of pieces of first luminance information that correspond to fourth sub-pixels contained in a pixel region to which a focused pixel belongs and based on a relative positional relationship between a first sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel in a display pixel, second luminance information that corresponds to the fourth sub-pixel of the focused pixel, in which the focused pixel is a display pixel in a display section that includes a plurality of display pixels each having the first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel that are configured to emit light of basic colors, and the fourth sub-pixel that is configured to emit light of a color other than the basic colors; and replacing the first luminance information that corresponds to the fourth sub-pixel of the focused pixel with the second luminance information. |
| US09368087B2 |
Display backlight normalization
Techniques for displaying images of different dynamic ranges in a display system are provided. In some embodiments, images that have a number of dynamic ranges may be normalized to a configured dynamic range that corresponds to the full intensity reproduction capability of the device. The configured dynamic range may be wider, greater, or deeper than the relatively limited dynamic range. |
| US09368084B2 |
Display apparatus and method thereof
In the display apparatus, a gate driver receives at least one clock to sequentially provide gate lines in a display panel with a gate signal in a high state corresponding to a high interval of the clock. The gate driver includes a plurality of amorphous silicon transistors and is formed in the display panel through a thin film process. The clock has a delay time of about 2.0 μs or less. If the delay time of the clock is reduced less than about 2.0 μs, a threshold voltage margin of the transistors increases, so that the gate driver may not malfunction in a high temperature aging process. As a result, the gate driver may be prevented from malfunctioning in the high temperature aging process. |
| US09368080B2 |
Three-dimensional display and driving method thereof
A three-dimensional (3D) display is disclosed. One aspect includes: a display unit including a plurality of pixels and a slit barrier selectively shielding light irradiated from the display unit. The display unit additionally includes a controller controlling the turn-on and turn-off of the slit barrier and generating a first back light compensation signal compensating the reduction of the luminance of the display unit when the slit barrier is turned off and a second back light compensation signal compensating the reduction of the luminance of the display when the slit barrier is turned on to compensate the luminance reduction by the slit barrier. According to at least one aspect of the 3D display using a slit barrier scheme, it is possible to minimize the deterioration of luminance by a slit barrier. |
| US09368078B2 |
Display device and electronic apparatus
According to an aspect, a display device includes: a plurality of pixels aligned in row and column directions, each of the pixels including a drive element; a plurality of scan lines each coupled with the drive elements included in the pixels aligned in the row direction to transmit thereto a scan signal for selecting the pixels row by row; a plurality of signal lines each coupled with the drive elements included in the pixels aligned in the column direction to write display data; and a display control unit. The display control unit alternately repeats a display period and a stop period. In a latter term of the stop period, display control unit provides the display data written in the respective pixels in a row that has been selected during the display period immediately before the stop period, to the signal lines corresponding to the respective pixels. |
| US09368075B2 |
Method of driving dual mode liquid crystal display device
A method of driving a dual mode liquid crystal display device includes: applying a first horizontal electric field to the liquid crystal layer for a first duration time during a reset period of a memory mode, the first duration time longer than a frame; eliminating the first horizontal electric field and keeping the liquid crystal layer without the first horizontal electric field for a second duration time during the reset period of the memory mode; applying a first vertical electric field corresponding to a static image for a third duration time during a writing period of the memory mode, the third duration time longer than the frame; and eliminating the first vertical electric field and keeping the liquid crystal layer without the first vertical electric field for a fourth duration time during the writing period of the memory mode. |
| US09368071B2 |
Method and apparatus for driving light emitting elements for projection of images
A light source sequentially emits lights generated by at least three light emitting elements each emitting a different primary color to generate an image. Each light emitting element has a duty cycle in a lighting period, which may be an image frame period. A sequence scheme is provided for alternatingly driving different ones of the light emitting elements. The light emitting elements are driven in accordance with the sequence scheme at least two times in the lighting period, while maintaining the duty cycle for each light emitting element. In the sequence scheme, at least one light emitting element having the highest temperature sensitivity of all light emitting elements is driven more times than another one. |
| US09368070B2 |
Variable resolution seamless tileable display
A tileable display panel includes an illumination layer, a display layer, and a screen layer. The display layer is disposed between the screen layer and the lamp layer and includes pixelets separated from each other by spacing regions. Each of the pixelets is positioned to be illuminated by lamp light from the illumination layer and to project a magnified image sub-portion onto the backside of the screen layer such that the magnified image sub-portions collectively blend together to form a unified image on the screen layer which covers the spacing regions on the display layer. Each of the pixelets includes core pixels having a common size and a first separation pitch and peripheral pixels surrounding the core pixels on two or more sides which provide a higher image resolution in overlap regions on the screen layer when the magnified image sub-portions overlap on the screen layer. |
| US09368069B2 |
Stage circuit and organic light emitting display device using the same
A driver includes a first circuit to output a scan signal and a second circuit to output an emission control signal. The first circuit outputs the scan signal based on a first set of clock signals, and the second circuit outputs the emission control signal based on a second set of clock signals. The first set of clock signals and the second set of clock signals have at least one same clock signal and at least one different clock signal. The second circuit receives the scan signal and outputs the emission control signal based on the scan signal. The first circuit may be a scan driver and the second circuit may be an emission control driver of a display device. |
| US09368067B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode display with dynamic power supply control
A display may receive image data to be displayed for a user of an electronic device. Display driver circuitry in the display may include a timing controller that receives the image data. The timing controller can analyze frames of the image data to determine average luminance values for the frames. The display may include an array of organic light-emitting diode display pixels. Each display pixel may include a light-emitting diode. A transistor in each display pixel may be coupled in series with the light-emitting diode between positive and ground power supply terminals. The timing controller can limit peak luminance in the image data that is displayed on the array of display pixels as a function of average luminance. The timing controller can also direct power regulator circuitry to adjust a power supply voltage applied to the positive power supply terminal based on the average luminance. |
| US09368062B2 |
Display panel display device including the display panel and method for driving the display panel
The embodiment of the present invention discloses a display panel, a method for driving the display panel and a display device provided with the display panel, which belong to the field of display technology and solve the technical problems that the existing AMOLED has relatively high power consumption and thus has difficulty in meeting current energy-saving requirements on the display panel. The display panel includes a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array and each pixel unit includes at least one OLED sub-pixel and at least one EPD sub-pixel. The present invention can be applied in scenes such as a transparent window and a refrigerator door. |
| US09368061B2 |
Organic light emitting diode display device and method of driving the same
Artifacts in a specific pattern due to a time difference in a VTDC driving scheme may be prevented. A display device includes: a display including a first pixel circuit, a second pixel circuit, and a pixel group having a first light emitting element, a second light emitting element, a third light emitting element and a fourth light emitting element arranged in a first direction; and a light emission driver generating a first sub-light-emission control signal for controlling emission of the first light emitting element and a second sub-light-emission control signal for controlling emission of the second light emitting element in a first subframe, and generating a third sub-light-emission control signal for controlling emission of the third light emitting element and a fourth sub-light-emission control signal for controlling emission of the fourth light emitting element in a second subframe. |
| US09368059B2 |
Semiconductor device and driving method thereof
A semiconductor device having a novel data input and output panel with high definition is provided. A method for driving the semiconductor device having the novel data input and output panel with high definition is provided. The data input and output panel includes, over a substrate, proximity sensors, signal lines electrically connected to the proximity sensors, and pixels electrically connected to the signal lines. The signal lines can supply image signals to the pixels, can supply control signals to the proximity sensors, and can be supplied with sensing signals from the proximity sensors. |
| US09368058B2 |
Display apparatus
According to one embodiment, a display apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor layers, a first insulation film, a first conductive layer, a second insulation film and a display element includes a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are opposed to each other to form a capacitance unit. |
| US09368057B2 |
Method and device for improved display standard conformance
The invention provides a new method to calibrate a display system such that the display system is conforming to an enforced standard for a wider range of parameters, e.g. viewing angles, than compared to traditional calibration methods. This is obtained by calculating an optimised set of calibration parameters for the display to be conform to the enforced standard for the selected range of parameters. |
| US09368050B2 |
Detachable vehicle-mounted banner assembly having improved display and mounting features
A detachable vehicle-mounted banner assembly is provided, comprising a banner panel defining two opposing and at least semi-rigid surfaces, the surfaces comprising at least a leading edge; a banner mast comprising a base portion and a flanged portion, the flanged portion comprising an angled leading edge and a trailing slot, the trailing slot being configured to selectively engage at least the leading edge; and a base assembly having a first portion configured for attachment to a vehicle and a second portion configured to attachment relative to the base portion. The base portion is elongate and has a base longitudinal axis about which the banner mast and the banner panel pivot; and the flanged portion of the banner mast extends away from the base portion and has a flange longitudinal axis oriented at an acute angle relative to the base longitudinal axis. A method of mounting the assembly is also provided. |
| US09368047B2 |
Simulation add-on device to allow anterior-posterior and/or anterior-lateral defibrillation
The present invention takes the form of a device for training a user in defibrillation technique. The device includes a non-conductive belt that encircles a chest of a typical training simulator. The device includes conductive studs disposed in the AP or AL position, and therefore allows for training of the AP or AL defibrillation technique, respectively. The device can be used in conjunction with a high-technology simulator. In such a case the conductive studs redirect simulated cardiac rhythm signals and defibrillator electricity, allowing for the simulation of defibrillation in the AP position. The device can also be used in conjunction with a low-technology simulator or a pillow to provide AP and/or AL defibrillation functionality. In such a case, a rhythm simulator is used to simulate heart rhythm and dissipate defibrillation energy. |
| US09368043B1 |
Training target tagging system and related method
A system and related method is disclosed for applying a training tag to an entity within a training scenario and presenting the entity based on the applied tag. The method receives sensor data from of a plurality of onboard sensors, truth data and state data via a training and tactical network, and simulation data representative of Live, Virtual and Constructive training entities. The method applies Multi Sensor Integration techniques to the received data to display a single presentation where appropriate within the scenario. Based on a defined set of attributes, the method attaches a training specific tag to each integrated representative data set and applies a rules set to determine whether and how to present each received and tagged training entity to a trainee. |
| US09368038B2 |
Computing device providing electronic book data with configurable problems and changeable seed values and related methods
A computer system may include a plurality of computing devices each including a display, a memory to store electronic book data comprising at least one configurable problem to be solved, and a processor coupled to the display and the memory. The processor may display the electronic book data with the at least one configurable problem on the display, and apply a changeable seed value to the at least one configurable problem to change an answer associated with the at least one configurable problem. |
| US09368037B1 |
System and method of stateful application programming interface (API) training
A stateful application programming interface training system. The system comprises an interface configured for use in a customer facing production environment, wherein an instance of the interface is launched for each student using the training system; and a training application, wherein the application is configured to receive messages from the instances of the user interface, wherein each message invokes one of a plurality of different application programming interface methods, associate each message to one of a plurality of students, maintain a state of a plurality of training scenarios, a separate state of a training scenario for each of the plurality of students based on an identity of the student, determine when a state of a training scenario completes a checkpoint, and in response to a completed checkpoint, return particularized updated information to the instance of the interface associated with the completed checkpoint. |
| US09368035B2 |
Method and device for automatically monitoring a flight path of an aircraft during an operation with required navigation performance
A monitoring device including a memory containing a reference path, the memory being separate from a flight management system. The reference path corresponding to a path that is defined during a navigation data validation on ground for the flight management system. A monitoring unit is configured to monitor a current flight path that is determined by the flight management system, by monitoring if this current flight path is in conformity with the reference flight path that is recorded in the memory. |
| US09368034B2 |
Rear warning control method and system for vehicle
A rear warning system for a vehicle that detects information regarding an area behind a vehicle and is operated based on the detected information. The system includes sensors configured to detect the information regarding the area behind the vehicle and a guiding device operated by a controller to provide a notification of the information regarding the area behind the vehicle received from the sensors. The sensors include an ultrasonic wave sensor configured to detect a target object spaced farther from the rear of the vehicle than a predetermined distance and a capacitance sensor configured to detect the target object closer than or equal to the predetermined distance. |
| US09368023B2 |
Notification of security alerts
Remote notifications are provided by a security system. When the security system detects a visitor, a first notification is sent to an authorized user. The first notification may include an image or video, thus allowing the user to recognize the visitor. If the user approves the visitor, the security system deactivates for a period of time. The visitor may thus enter a home or business for some purpose. However, if the visitor lingers beyond the period of time, the security system reactivates and sends a second notification. |
| US09368022B2 |
First responder wireless emergency alerting with automatic callback and location triggering
Using wireless features, a public service agency is enabled to provide alert information to first responders. An automatic call back from the first responder triggers a voice call launching a location fix on the current location of the first responder. Preferably delivery confirmation that the responder has received the message is received. Once the location fix has been completed, then driving directions with map images are sent to the first responder based on their current location and desired destination for response. |
| US09368020B1 |
Off-premises alert system and method for wireless power receivers in a wireless power network
Embodiments in the present disclosure may be directed to an off-premises alert system and method for one or more wireless power receivers in a wireless power network. The system and method may include automated software embedded on a wireless power receiver that may be triggered every time a wireless power receiver is turned on. The system and method may be employed in stores where customers may use wireless power receivers to charge their mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and the like, while being inside the store. The method may prevent customers from not returning the wireless power receiver by producing an audible alert in the power receiver. If customer fails to return wireless power receiver, the method may then automatically report details regarding the lost wireless power receiver to an appropriate authority through automatic communication connection through any intervening network cloud-based media. |
| US09368018B2 |
Controlling a user alert based on detection of bio-signals and a determination whether the bio-signals pass a significance test
A method, apparatus and computer program are provided. The method comprises: performing a first detection of at least one bio-signal from at least one user; controlling a user output device to initiate a user alert, after performing the first detection of the at least one bio-signal; performing a second detection of the at least one bio-signal from the at least one user, after initiating the user alert; and processing the first detection of the at least one bio-signal and the second detection of the at least one bio-signal to determine whether one or more changes in the at least one bio-signal pass a significance test. |
| US09368013B2 |
Method and system for remotely monitoring a user
A system and corresponding method of operation for monitoring indicators of a user's physical characteristics is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving a first indicator, which corresponds to a physical characteristic of the user as monitored by the user monitor device; identifying a threshold value for the first indicator; comparing the first indication and the first threshold; generating a second indication when the comparison indicates that the first indication equals or exceeds the first threshold; and displaying or transmitting the second indication. |
| US09368011B2 |
Electronic article surveillance
The present invention discloses a point of sale (POS) structure that is includes an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system. |
| US09368010B2 |
Security printing paper based on chipless radio frequency tag and method of manufacturing the same
Security printing paper based on a chipless radio frequency (RF) tag and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The security printing paper based on a chipless RF tag includes first base paper, second base paper, and one or more chipless RF tags. The chipless RF tags are disposed between the first base paper and the second base paper. At least one layer configured to prevent the locations of the chipless RF tags from being exposed to the outside and to enable the security printing paper to be detected is formed on one or more of the first base paper and the second base paper. |
| US09368008B2 |
Electric vehicle supply equipment cable detection
Systems, methods, devices, and computer-readable media detect a status of a cable 204, and in particular, a cable of electric supply equipment. An example of electric supply equipment is electric vehicle supply equipment 200, which may be used for charging an electric vehicle 201. The electric vehicle supply equipment 200 may include a cable 204 for delivering electric power from a power source to the electric vehicle 201. Further, the electric vehicle supply equipment 200 may include a cable detection subcircuit 225 for detecting a status of its cable 204. Specifically, the cable detection subcircuit 225 may detect whether the cable 204 has been removed. Further, the electric vehicle supply equipment 200 may take various actions based on results provided by the cable detection subcircuit 225. |
| US09368006B1 |
Wearable bracelet with bidirectional network connectivity and touch feedback
A wearable electronic device includes a wristband; a detachable electronic module adapted to fit into the wristband, the module including a controller, a control button, a tactile sensor, a wireless interface adapter, and a tactile event reproduction element, all connected to the controller. The module is configured to transmit a touch or a tap on the tactile to a second wearable device through the wireless interface adapter, and to receive a notification of a tactile event on the second wearable device through the wireless interface adapter and to reproduce the tactile event using the reproduction element. The tactile sensor can be an accelerometer, a MEMS, a gyroscope, a capacitive sensor or a resistive sensor. The network adapter can be a Bluetooth adapter or ANT+ standard-enabled, and connects to a smartphone or a tablet. The network adapter connects to the second device over the Internet via a server. |
| US09368005B2 |
Sound to haptic effect conversion system using mapping
A haptic conversion system is provided that intercepts audio data, such as a digital audio signal, analyzes the audio data in frequency, and divides the analyzed audio data into one or more audio frequency regions, where each audio frequency region includes one or more audio sub-signals. The haptic conversion system further maps the one or more audio frequency regions to one or more haptic frequency regions, where each haptic frequency region includes one or more haptic signals. The haptic conversion system further maps the one or more haptic effects to one or more actuators. The haptic conversion system further sends the one or more haptic signals to one or more actuators, in order to generate one or more haptic effects. |
| US09368002B2 |
Sensor system for detection of a partial retrieval of dispensed currency at an automated teller machine
Apparatus and methods for a sensor system are provided. The system may be configured to detect a dispensing of cash from an automated teller machine (“ATM”). The system may be configured to orient one or more sensors to capture a first information stream that includes the dispensing of cash. The system may be configured to detect a retraction of cash by the ATM. The system may orient one or more sensors to capture a second information stream that includes the retraction. The system may be configured to determine an estimate of cash collected by an ATM customer. The estimate may be based on a comparison of the first information stream and the second information stream. |
| US09367996B2 |
Systems and methods for all in betting on fantasy sports
Various embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for betting contests relating to sports matches and, in particular, relating to fantasy sports associated with sports matches. For some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein establish and conduct one or more betting contests based on the performance of individual real-world sports players. Additionally, for some embodiments, the performance of an individual real-world sports player is determined using fantasy sports points (hereafter, fantasy points) attributed to the individual real-life sports player by one or more fantasy sports systems. |
| US09367990B2 |
User-initiated location determination for a location-based gaming system
A system for providing access to casino gaming and sports booking is provided which permits a gambler to place wagers using a location based mobile gaming unit. The gambler may access the system through a wireless network. Further, the gambler may be positioned anywhere there is an established local gaming server. A gambler profile may be provided wireless access to the local server along with the games available in the local server jurisdiction based on a global positioning of the mobile gaming unit. |
| US09367987B1 |
Selecting color in wagering game systems
This document describes techniques for selecting lighting colors in wagering game systems. In some embodiments, a wagering game machine comprising a game controller configured to determine a result for a wagering game, and control presentation of video content indicating the results for the wagering game. The game controller can also select, in response to the result, lighting content and one or more color pallets, wherein the lighting content defines choreographed lighting effects, and wherein the one or more color pallets define coloring for the lighting effects. The wagering game machine can also include a lighting engine configured to randomly select colors from the one or more color pallets, and control presentation of the lighting effects based on the lighting content and the randomly selected colors. |
| US09367986B2 |
Gaming machine feature
A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display (14). The game controller is arranged to play a game wherein one or more random events arc caused to be displayed on the display (14) and, if a predefined winning event results, the machine (10) awards a prize which is credited to a credit meter of the machine (10). The credit meter includes two meter displays, a first meter display (42.1) indicating credit which is available for expenditure in the machine (10) to play at least one game and a second meter display (42.2) indicating credit set aside by at least one of a player and the game controller and which credit is unavailable to the player for wagering on a game but which is only available by termination of a playing session. |
| US09367980B2 |
Banking system controlled responsive to data read from data bearing records
A deposit management system is operable responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system is associated with financial funds depositories. Each depository can accept items, such as deposit bags. Each depository includes a bar code reader that can read data from a bar code label that is located on a deposit bag. The system allows merchants to preregister a deposit before performing the deposit. A preregistered deposit is linked with a deposit identifier in a data store. The deposit identifier can be represented in a bar code. If the system determines that a depository read a bar code having a deposit identifier that corresponds in the data store to a preregistered deposit, then that depository is operated to automatically unlock its deposit entry door to permit the deposit. The system also allows merchants to review their deposit history. |
| US09367979B2 |
Media count replenishment management
A method of managing media counts at a media terminal is described. The method comprises: receiving an expected media count from a remote management application; detecting a media replenisher at the media terminal; providing the expected media count to the media replenisher; and receiving confirmation from the media replenisher that the expected media count corresponds to the actual media present. |
| US09367978B2 |
Control device access method and apparatus
Application software for a mobile device can provide an owner or operator of a premises with the ability to remotely grant a guest authorization to access an access control device on or in the premises. The access control device can control the operation of the one or more secondary devices, so that with the owner authorization, the guest can access the access control device to cause an action at the premises with the secondary device. The application software can further provide the owner/operator the ability to restrict the third party access, such as temporally or spatially. |
| US09367975B2 |
System for permitting secure access to a restricted area
A wireless device access system employs short-range wireless communication to require the proximity of a user device to a restricted area prior to communicating an unlock request. The access system authenticates the unlock request and the proximity of the user to the restricted area prior to transmitting an unlock command to an access governor. Additionally, the wireless device may require the proximity of a user token prior to operation and/or the access system may include an override within the restricted area blocking any unlock command. |
| US09367973B2 |
Systems and methods of creating and delivering item of manufacture specific information to remote devices
An asset authoring and delivery system generates a number of authored assets. Each of the authored assets includes a number of asset content objects that are logically associated with one or more components included in the item of manufacture. The authored assets generated by the asset authoring and delivery system are formatted and communicated to one or more remote devices logically associated with the item of manufacture. Authored assets may be provided responsive to one or more sensed characteristics, for instance vehicle operational parameters, vehicle operation and/or driver behavior, and may be customized to a make and/or model of vehicle. |
| US09367972B2 |
Method to adjust fuel economy readings for stored energy
Methods and systems are provided for compensating an instantaneous fuel economy reading for stored energy. One method comprises, when a vehicle undergoes a sufficient change in one or more of square of vehicle speed and vehicle altitude, estimating a conversion factor for fuel due to stored vehicle energy and adjusting the instantaneous fuel economy reading by the estimated conversion factor. The adjusted instantaneous fuel economy reading may be displayed to an operator of the vehicle. |
| US09367969B2 |
System and method of interlocking vehicle terminal with portable terminal
A system for interlocking a vehicle terminal with a portable terminal includes the vehicle terminal configured to correct vehicle data including mileage, self-diagnosis information, and driving information according to an operation. The portable terminal is physically connected with the vehicle terminal and connected with a service server of a control center through wireless communication. The portable terminal is configured to transmit the vehicle data provided from the vehicle terminal to the service server and receive information and a management service provided from the service server. The portable terminal is provided the information and the management service to the vehicle terminal. |
| US09367968B2 |
System and methods for mobile applications using vehicle telematics data
Operating state information is received at an on-board telematics control unit (TCU) from an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system of a vehicle. The TCU transmits an indication of vehicle state over at least a wireless data link component of a communications network for delivery to a mobile computing device. The mobile computing device receives the indication of vehicle state and utilizes the indication of vehicle state at a mobile application program. In one example, the mobile application program presents vehicle state information via a graphical display of the mobile computing device. In another example, the mobile application program augments a functionality of the mobile computing device responsive to the indication of vehicle state. |
| US09367965B2 |
Systems and methods for generating images of tissue
The invention relates to systems and methods for three dimensional imaging of tissue. The invention provides systems and methods to provide a representation of tissue from three-dimensional data in the form of a montage of images having an indication of a spatial registration among the images. |
| US09367964B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and program for display of a menu on a ground surface for selection with a user's foot
There is provided an image processing device including a superimposition display position determining unit which determines a position of an object having a predetermined flat surface or curved surface out of an object imaged in an input image based on an environment map, a superimposition display image generating unit which generates a superimposition display image by setting superimposition display data at the position of the object determined by the superimposition display position determining unit, an image superimposing unit which superimposes the superimposition display image on a visual field of a user, an operating object recognizing unit which recognizes an operating object imaged in the input image, and a process executing unit which executes a process corresponding to an item selected based on a position of the operating object recognized by the operating object recognizing unit. |
| US09367962B2 |
Augmented image display using a camera and a position and orientation sensor
An augmented image is generated by capturing a visual image of a site with a digital camera, generating a virtual image or associated information from a digital model of the site, and superimposing the virtual image or associated information on the visual image. To register the digital model with the visual image, a sensor pole is introduced into the field of view, and a combined visual image of the site and an optical target on the sensor pole is captured. The position and orientation of the sensor pole with respect to the site reference frame are measured by sensors mounted on the sensor pole; the position and orientation of the digital camera with respect to the sensor pole are calculated from image analysis of the optical target on the sensor pole; and the position and orientation of the digital camera with respect to the site reference frame are calculated. |
| US09367961B2 |
Method, device and storage medium for implementing augmented reality
The present disclosure relates to a method, a device and a storage medium for implementing augmented reality. The method includes: obtaining a real scene, and according to shooting position and shooting direction of the real scene, obtaining POIs within a preset area and POI information corresponding to the POIs, the POI information comprising position information of the corresponding POI; creating a virtual plane, and mapping position relationship between the POIs on the virtual plane, and inserting tags of POI information to the location of the corresponding POI on the virtual plane; superimposing the virtual plane having the tags of POI information onto the real scene to form an augmented reality view; and displaying the augmented reality view, and adjusting the virtual plane according to real-time information of the real scene, to make the virtual plane be visually parallel to the horizontal plane of the real scene. |
| US09367960B2 |
Body-locked placement of augmented reality objects
Embodiments are disclosed that relate to placing virtual objects in an augmented reality environment. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method comprising receiving sensor data comprising one or more of motion data, location data, and orientation data from one or more sensors located on a head-mounted display device, and based upon the motion data, determining a body-locking direction vector that is based upon an estimated direction in which a body of a user is facing. The method further comprises positioning a displayed virtual object based on the body-locking direction vector. |
| US09367957B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating 3D object
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for generating a 3D object. The apparatus includes a 3D object generation unit for generating a 3D object by latticizing and dividing the structural element of a 2D web page into a plurality of polygons and a 3D object manipulation processing unit for, when an object manipulation signal is inputted in the generated 3D object, generating 3D transform matrices by changing vertex coordinate values of respective lattice elements in response to the object manipulation signal and generating a transformed 3D object by applying the generated 3D transform matrices to predefined CSS transform. |
| US09367956B2 |
Windowed simulation in fluid flows
A simulation application simulates a fluid flow. The simulation application divides a fluid into coarse volumetric elements (voxels) at a first resolution, and simulates the fluid flow at the first resolution. The simulation application defines a three-dimensional window that includes a portion of the coarse voxels. The simulation application divides each coarse voxel in the portion of the coarse voxels that lie within the three-dimensional window into a plurality of fine voxels at a second resolution. The simulation application simulates the fluid flow associated with each fine voxel in the plurality of fine voxels at the second resolution based at least in part on the simulation at the coarse resolution. |
| US09367955B2 |
System, method, and computer program product for tiled screen space sample scrambling for parallel deterministic consistent light transport simulation
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for computing values for pixels in an image plane. In use, a low discrepancy sequence associated with an image plane is identified. Additionally, a function with the set of pixels of the image plane as a domain is determined. Further, a value is computed for each pixel in the image plane, utilizing the low discrepancy sequence and the function with the set of pixels of the image plane as a domain. |
| US09367954B2 |
Illumination information icon for enriching navigable panoramic street view maps
Location-mapped environments that provide panoramic and immersive views of street scenes are augmented with modern data visualization displays, to communicate additional information of interest. Specifically, illumination statistics information is mapped onto building facades in the location-mapped environments. The illumination statistics information can include variations of illumination as a function of time of a day and as a function of the season. The illumination statistics information can also include direct illumination statistics information and indirect illumination statistics information. Further, the illumination statistics can be calculated for any window on a building façade to determine natural lighting through that window. The illumination statistics can be employed, for example, to aid users in selection of real estate properties for rental or purchase. |
| US09367950B1 |
Providing virtual reality experiences based on three-dimensional designs produced using three-dimensional design software
A system and method for providing a user virtual reality experience to visualize a three-dimensional design produced using three-dimensional design software are disclosed. The user may be enabled to visualize the three-dimensional design through a virtual reality application while the design is in progress. Changes to the three-dimensional design may be obtained dynamically and virtual reality information may be determined based on the dynamically obtained changes. The determined virtual reality information may be provided to the user for implementation of a virtual reality visualizing the three-dimensional design on a client device associated with the user. |
| US09367949B2 |
Apparatus and method for scheduling of ray tracing
A graphic processing apparatus and method for processing ray tracing may include a plurality of traversal units to process traversal of a ray. A management unit of the graphics processing apparatus may distribute data of the ray processed by the graphics processing apparatus to the plurality of traversal units. Each of the plurality of traversal units may process ray traversal with respect to a subdivision of the entire space. |
| US09367947B2 |
Remote rendering of three-dimensional images using virtual machines
Remote rendering of three-dimensional images using virtual machines includes using a hypervisor executing on a physical computer to allocate exclusive and direct access to a graphics processing unit in the physical computer, to a first virtual machine. An agent executing on a second virtual machine intercepts three-dimensional draw commands generated by a three-dimensional application and forwards the intercepted draw commands to a rendering agent executing on the first virtual machine. The rendering agent then transmits the intercepted draw commands to the graphics processing unit for rendering upon which the graphics processing unit renders a three-dimensional image from the draw commands. The rendering agent obtains the rendered image from the graphics processing unit and forwards the image to the second virtual machine. Upon receiving the rendered image, the second virtual machine transmits the rendered image to another remote, physical computer where the rendered image is displayed to a user. |
| US09367946B2 |
Computing system and method for representing volumetric data for a scene
A computing system and method for representing volumetric data for a scene. One embodiment of the computing system includes: (1) a memory configured to store a three-dimensional (3D) clipmap data structure having at least one clip level and at least one mip level, and (2) a processor configured to generate voxelized data for a scene and cause the voxelized data to be stored in the 3D clipmap data structure. |
| US09367936B2 |
Methods for assessing reliability of a utility company's power system
Methods are provided for assessing reliability of a power system of a utility company. At least one main overview display is obtained. Violation markers are displayed on the one main overview display. A monitored elements tab is updated with a list of monitored elements. |
| US09367935B2 |
Energy management system that provides a real time assessment of a potentially compromising situation that can affect a utility company
An energy management system has a control center at a utility company and logic resources that provide a real time assessment of a potentially compromising situation that can effect the utility company. At least one situational dashboard panel is provided. The logic resources enable users to dynamically create their own dashboards from large overviews, regional schematic displays and station one-line displays that assist in assessing the potentially compromising situation of the utility company. |
| US09367931B1 |
Motion vectors for cross-platform display
Data including information regarding a display of the host device may be received. A display of a client device may correspond to the display of the host device. Information regarding the display of the host device may be monitored for changes. When a change is detected, a movement of an image may be identified. Instructions may be generated regarding the changes to the display. A client device may process such instructions to incorporate the detected change while maintaining a remaining portion of the display. The instructions may include a motion vector command for the image movement and a command to fill in space vacated by the moving image. As such, the client device is not required to re-process and re-render an entire display where a change pertains to only a portion thereof. |
| US09367928B2 |
Method for aligning and tracking point regions in images with radial distortion that outputs motion model parameters, distortion calibration, and variation in zoom
The present invention relates to a method for matching point regions in images with radial distortion that, given two frames acquired by a camera with radial distortion, estimates the global image distortion and the local transformations undergone by the image regions between frames, with the objective of accurately tracking an aligning these image regions in a sequence of frames, calibrating the radial distortion using only moving image points, or estimating the relative change in focal length in cameras with radial distortion and variable zoom using only moving image points, and that comprises the following steps: extracting local image features; tracking local features; and determining the radial distortion calibration based on a computational efficient procedure that uses the information for all local features being tracked. |
| US09367922B2 |
High accuracy monocular moving object localization
Methods and systems for moving object localization include estimating a ground plane in a video frame based on a detected object within the video frame and monocular structure-from-motion (SFM) information; computing object pose for objects in the frame based on the SFM information using dense feature tracking; and determining a three-dimensional location for the detected object based on the estimated ground plane and the computed object pose. |
| US09367920B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing images
Provided is an image processing method including: receiving a depth map and a color image with respect to a predetermined scene; projecting a plurality of points included in the depth map, onto the color image; segmenting the color image, onto which the depth map is projected, by using at least two image segmentation methods to generate respective segmentation results, and classifying the plurality of points included in the color image into at least one set according to the respective segmentation results; assigning a depth value to each of the plurality of points of the color image included in the set; and outputting the color image, to which the depth values are assigned. |
| US09367918B2 |
Multi-view stereo systems and methods for tube inventory in healthcare diagnostics
A multi-view stereo approach generates an inventory of objects located on an object holder. An object may be a sample tube and an object holder may be a tube rack as used in lab automation for healthcare diagnostics. A processor performs 3D tracking of the object holder and the geometric analysis of multiple images generated by a calibrated camera. A homography mapping between images is utilized to warp a second image to a viewpoint of a first image. Plane induced parallax causes a normalized cross-correlation score between the first image and the warped second image of a location on the holder that has an object that is significantly different from a normalized cross-correlation score of a location that has not an object and enables the processor to infer tube inventory and absence or presence of a tube at a location in a rack. |
| US09367912B2 |
Coin grading system and method
A method for identifying counterfeit coins, comprising receiving surface image data and edge image data of the coin at a processor. Identifying a plurality of defects using the processor. Comparing each of the plurality of defects to a database of known authentic coin image data defects to determine whether the coin is authentic. |
| US09367907B2 |
Flicker reducing device, imaging device, and flicker reducing method
This flicker reducing apparatus (200) includes: a line integral value getting section (210) which gets, based on values of pixels included in ones selected from a plurality of horizontal lines that form an image, line integral values of the selected horizontal lines with respect to each image; a discrete Fourier transform section (230) which performs, between the newest image and a number of other images gotten earlier than the newest one, a discrete Fourier transform on a sequence of the line integral values of the respective images; a linear approximation section (250) which obtains an approximation line based on phase information that has been collected as a result of the discrete Fourier transform and which extracts information about the flicker from the approximation line; a flicker coefficient calculating section (260) which calculates a flicker coefficient by reference to the flicker information; and a correction arithmetic section (270) which performs flicker reduction processing on the image signal using the flicker coefficient. |
| US09367906B2 |
System and method for compositing various images using clustering technique
Disclosed are a system and a method for compositing various images that minimize a brightness difference in connection areas of various images by using a clustering technique at the time of compositing various images. The method for compositing various images may include receiving two or more input images; compositing the two or more input images into one composite image; calculating a brightness distribution degree; calculating representative brightness values; determining clustering; calculating a correction target value; and calculating a correction value of an increase/decrease curve. |
| US09367905B2 |
Method and system of enhancing a backlight-scaled image
A method and system of enhancing a backlight-scaled image include a minimum perceptible luminance threshold of cone response with dim backlight being determined, and a luminance layer associated with an image being extracted. The luminance layer is decomposed into an HVS response layer and a background luminance layer for each pixel of the luminance layer. Luminance of dark pixels of the background luminance layer is boosted and compressed to a perceptible range above the minimum perceptible luminance threshold, thereby resulting in an enhanced background luminance layer. An enhanced luminance layer is generated through composition using the HVS response layer and the enhanced background luminance layer as inputs. |
| US09367904B2 |
Spatial-temporal warping of different pre-captured medical images
It is described a method for medical image comparison purposes, comprising the step of generating a first global image or mask with increased similarity to a second global image, wherein the first global image comprises at least partially a composition of different pre-captured images of a patient; wherein the pre-captured images are captured at different times. |
| US09367893B2 |
Diagnosis assistance apparatus, method and program
A first-image and a second-image representing the same organ of the same subject imaged at the same time are obtained, and an organ-region is extracted from the first-image. The extracted organ-region is displayed on a display screen. An input of an air-region included in the first-image and an input of exceeding or lacking portion information representing that the air-region is a lacking portion or an exceeding portion of the organ are received, and the received air-region and the received exceeding or lacking portion information corresponding to the air-region are obtained, as correction information. Corresponding positions are matched with other between the first-image and the second-image. The organ-region extracted from the first-image is corrected based on the correction information. At least an air-region in the second-image located at a position corresponding to the air-region corresponding to the correction information is extracted, as a part of the organ-region in the second-image. |
| US09367892B2 |
Processing method and apparatus for single-channel convolution layer, and processing method and apparatus for multi-channel convolution layer
A processing method and a processing apparatus for a single-channel convolution layer, and a processing method and apparatus for a multi-channel convolution layer are provided. The processing method for a single-channel convolution layer includes following steps. Data to be processed is divided into a plurality of data blocks, the plurality of data blocks are read by a plurality of graphic processor thread groups into local memories of the plurality of graphic processor thread groups, a plurality of filters are read by the plurality of graphic processor thread groups into the local memories of the plurality of graphic processor thread groups and convolutions of corresponding data points in the plurality of data blocks and the plurality of filters simultaneously are calculated by a plurality of threads in the plurality of graphic processor thread groups. |
| US09367891B2 |
Redundancy method and apparatus for shader column repair
Methods, systems and non-transitory computer readable media are described. A system includes a shader pipe array, a redundant shader pipe array, a sequencer and a redundant shader switch. The shader pipe array includes multiple shader pipes, each of which perform rendering calculations on data provided thereto. The redundant shader pipe array also performs rendering calculations on data provided thereto. The sequencer identifies at least one defective shader pipe in the shader pipe array, and, in response, generates a signal. The redundant shader switch receives the generated signal, and, in response, transfers the data destined for each shader pipe identified as being defective independently to the redundant shader pipe array. |
| US09367889B2 |
System and method for propagating scene information to renderers in a multi-user, multi-scene environment
A system and method for propagating scene information to a renderer. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) an update request receiver operable to receive an update request from the renderer and determine a point from which the renderer is to be updated and (2) an update propagator associated with the update request receiver and operable to employ a graph containing scene information to construct a change list corresponding to the update request and transmit the change list toward the renderer. |
| US09367886B2 |
Smartphone arrangements responsive to musical artists and other content proprietors
Methods and arrangements involving portable devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, are disclosed. One particular arrangement concerns a software program that is launched following detection of audio content performed by a first musical artist. A phone can be provided with plural such software programs, tailored to respond to different types of detected content. Another aspect of the disclosed technology enables a creator of content to select software with which that creator's content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed. |
| US09367883B2 |
Shared playlist synchronization
Various embodiments relating to synchronizing changes to a shared list of items between different devices are provided. In one embodiment, a first set of change operations for a first version of a shared list may be received from a first device. The first set of change operations may be performed on the first version of the shared list to produce a second version of the shared list. A second set of change operations for the first version of the shared list may be received from a second device. The second set of change operations may be performed on the second version of the shared list to produce a third version of the shared list that maintains changes that are made by the first set of change operations but that are not made by the second set of change operations. |
| US09367882B2 |
Waferstart processes and systems for integrated circuit fabrication
A waferstart process for integrated circuit fabrication includes entering order information from requested wafers into a computer through a data input interface of the computer. A container is provided including supplied wafers and having a machine-readable medium associated therewith. The machine-readable medium is encoded with wafer data pertaining to the supplied wafers. The wafer data is entered from the machine-readable medium associated with the container into the computer. The order information and the wafer data are compared within the computer to create a verified data set in the computer upon the computer determining that the supplied wafers in the container correspond to the requested wafers in the order information. The verified data set is stored in a storage medium within the computer. The supplied wafers are transferred from the container to a front opening unified pod after creating the verified data set. |
| US09367875B2 |
Mobile kiosk for enhanced financial product offerings
A mobile kiosk includes a vehicle and a kiosk portion coupled to the vehicle. The mobile kiosk receives information for a first configuration of financial products, the first configuration determined according to a first vendor. It applies the first configuration to the mobile kiosk and provisions a first set of the financial products while the mobile kiosk is configured according to the first configuration. The mobile kiosk receives information for a second configuration of the financial products, the second configuration determined according to a second vendor, wherein the second configuration differs from the first configuration and the second vendor differs from the first vendor. It applies the second configuration to the mobile kiosk, and provisions a second set of the financial products while the mobile kiosk is configured according to the second configuration. |
| US09367872B1 |
Systems and user interfaces for dynamic and interactive investigation of bad actor behavior based on automatic clustering of related data in various data structures
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a data analysis system that may automatically generate memory-efficient clustered data structures, automatically analyze those clustered data structures, automatically tag and group those clustered data structures, and provide results of the automated analysis and grouping in an optimized way to an analyst. The automated analysis of the clustered data structures (also referred to herein as data clusters) may include an automated application of various criteria or rules so as to generate a tiled display of the groups of related data clusters such that the analyst may quickly and efficiently evaluate the groups of data clusters. In particular, the groups of data clusters may be dynamically re-grouped and/or filtered in an interactive user interface so as to enable an analyst to quickly navigate among information associated with various groups of data clusters and efficiently evaluate those data clusters in the context of, for example, a fraud investigation. |
| US09367871B2 |
Predicting account holder travel without transaction data
A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium configured to anticipate travel by payment account holders without using payment transaction data. |
| US09367870B2 |
Determining networked mobile device position and orientation for augmented-reality window shopping
A consumer user can perform a number of augmented reality shopping operations using a local client shopping application executable on a mobile device. Features related to implementations of the current subject matter can include, but are not limited to, the ability to view an augmented reality depiction of a shopping display using the mobile device and to execute various “e-commerce” functions accessible via the augmented reality depiction. Visual image processing based on one or more inputs from sensors on the mobile device can be used to compute and efficiently provide the two dimensional projection of the three dimensional model to be presented on the screen of the mobile device. Related methods, systems, articles of manufacture, and the like are described. |
| US09367869B2 |
System and method for virtual display
A system, computer-readable product, and method for a display device are provided. An intelligent personal assistant is displayed to provide information to a user, for example, in a public space. Movement of the image shown as the intelligent personal assistant may be suppressed or restricted at various parts of the person's body, such as below a chin or above the eyebrow. In addition, the database may be provided that stores queries and replies to the queries so as to respond to the user's questions. The system could also notify personnel or staff if additional assistance is required. |
| US09367868B2 |
Electronic quotes and proposals including item feedback
A system includes a proposal engine configured to present quotes and/or proposals including a plurality of selections to customers at a network site. |
| US09367864B2 |
Experience sharing with commenting
Exemplary embodiments involve real-time commenting in experience-sharing sessions. An exemplary method involves: (a) a server system facilitating an experience sharing session between a sharing device and one or more viewing devices, wherein the server system receives media in real-time from the sharing device and transmits the media to the one or more viewing devices in real-time, wherein the media comprises video; (b) during the experience sharing session, the server system receiving one or more comments from one or more of the viewing devices; (d) the server system filtering the received comments in real-time based on filter criteria; and (e) the server system initiating real-time delivery, to the sharing device, of one or more of the received comments that satisfy the filter criteria. |
| US09367860B2 |
Barcode generation and implementation method and system for processing information
A system and method for generating and implementing a barcode is provided, wherein the system includes a data generation device configured to receive data and generate barcode data response to the received data, a barcode generation device, configured to receive the barcode data and generate a barcode responsive to the received barcode data, a display device, configured to display the barcode and a barcode receiving device, configured to receive the barcode and operate in response to the barcode. |
| US09367859B2 |
Systems and methods for near field communication enabled shopping cart corrals
Certain embodiments disclose a corral and enclosure defined by three members having an opening configured to hold one or more shopping carts and display one or more advertisements, with two substantially parallel walls of equal or different lengths and advertisement panels affixed on the walls, such that they can be staggered. The staggered arrangement of the at least two panels facilitates better visibility and allows the simultaneous viewing of at least two panels. The panel(s) may also include a near field communication component that is configured to execute a promotional function associated with an advertisement that is displayed by the corral. The promotional function may cause promotional content to be transferred to the mobile device. |
| US09367858B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing a purchase history
A method and apparatus for providing a purchase history of a first user to a second (differing) user is provided herein. During operation a server is provided with an image and determines an identification of a first person within the image. Items that exist within the image, and that were purchased by the first person are also determined by the server. The server then provides information on the items purchased to a second user. |
| US09367852B2 |
Managing experience state to personalize destination visits
A method for managing distribution of entitlements, such as personalized or enhanced experiences at a destination such a theme park. The method includes receiving a request for experience state management from an experience system that defines an experience provided by the experience system and identifies a single or multiple visitors. The method includes accessing an experience state associated with the identified visitors. The experience state defines experiences the visitor is entitled to receive and a ranked or prioritized listing of these experiences. The method includes responding to the experience system indicating whether the visitor is eligible to receive the defined experience based on their experience state and, when there are two or more eligible visitors, arbitrating amount the members of this eligible group. A feedback loop causes the experience states to be updated to modify the prioritized listings and to update an experience history for use in later arbitrations. |
| US09367851B2 |
System and method for managing compliance with retail display regulations across a plurality of jurisdictions
Compliance with retail display regulations that retailers are subject to within a plurality of jurisdictions is managed. Retail display regulations may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. To facilitate compliance, retail display regulations for a plurality of jurisdictions are centrally maintained. The regulations may then be used to dynamically generate retail display materials for locations across a plurality of jurisdictions with different regulatory schemes. The central storage and/or maintenance of the retail display regulations may facilitate compliance with disparate regulatory schemes that retailers are subject to based in part of retail location. Central storage of the retail display regulations may facilitate certification of compliance by regulating entities associated with the jurisdictions. |
| US09367849B1 |
Packaging authentication
An authentication system including a package that includes a container and a closure, an ultraviolet (UV) protector carried by the container, and a UV light responder carried by the container so that at least a portion thereof is protected by the protector from premature exposure to UV light. After removal of the UV light protector, the UV light responder is responsive to a predetermined schedule of UV light exposure so as to change in visual appearance within a predetermined time. The predetermined schedule may include a predetermined wavelength of UV light applied in a predetermined amount and over a predetermined application time. A related apparatus and authentication method are also disclosed. |
| US09367843B2 |
Transaction alerting in a multi-network environment
Techniques are provided for generating a transaction alert for a transaction whether the transaction was processed by a first payment processing network associated with an alerting platform or the transaction was processed by a second payment processing network not associated with an alert platform. An authorization request message associated with a transaction is received by a transaction processing server configured to receive authorization request messages from a first payment network and a second payment network. If the authorization request message was routed through the second payment network, alert initiation data is transmitted to an alert platform associated with the first payment network. The alert platform is configured to apply at least one alert criterion to the alert initiation data to determine if an alert is to be generated, generate the alert, and transmit the alert to a mobile application. |
| US09367841B2 |
Facilitating mobile device payments using product code scanning
Provided are computer implemented methods and systems for facilitating mobile device payments using barcodes displayed on mobile devices and scanned by merchants at checkout counters. When a customer is ready to tender a payment to a merchant, instead of using a credit card, cash, or check, the customer activates an application on his mobile device. The mobile device includes or obtains information about the payment system of this merchant. Furthermore, the mobile device includes or obtains information about the customer/mobile device user and then uses these two pieces of information to generate and display a barcode that encodes customer payment information specific to this merchant. The barcode is scanned at the checkout counter and processed to retrieve customer records from a database of the payment processing system. These records are then used to transfer funds between the merchant and customer, obtain discounts, and/or perform other retail transactions. |
| US09367839B2 |
Disparate network systems and methods
Electronic transaction data and/or electronic payment data therefor is routed to disparate payment networks for a multitude of transactions. A software-programmed computer type circuit receives and processes point-of-sale transaction data to select two disparate payment networks for processing electronic payment for the transaction data. Transaction and/or payment data is routed to each of the disparate payment networks, to respectively debit and credit payment accounts, to provide payment to a seller on behalf of a buyer involved in the transaction. |
| US09367838B2 |
Method and apparatus for money transfer
A staged bill payment transaction method comprises receiving transaction information, building a staging record at a data center, and providing a retrieval key or code. The staging record comprises the transaction information and the retrieval key or code identifies the staging record for finalizing the transaction. |
| US09367836B2 |
System for processing and tracking merchant deposits
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and computer program products for processing and tracking merchant deposits. An exemplary apparatus is configured to receive a deposit package that contains one or more deposit items which have been placed in the deposit package by a merchant. The deposit package may also contain and/or be coupled with visual indicia that has been created by the merchant. The visual indicia may specify information about the one or more deposit items placed in the deposit package. The apparatus may be further configured to read the visual indicia upon receiving the deposit package and track the deposit package based at least partially on the visual indicia. |
| US09367835B2 |
Retrofit devices for providing virtual ticket-in and ticket-out on a gaming machine
A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system can include electronic gaming machines that are compatible to receive both virtual ticket vouchers and printed ticket vouchers that are redeemable for credits on the electronic gaming machines. Information associated with a virtual ticket voucher can be stored on a patron-controlled portable electronic device and then can be wireless transmitted to the electronic gaming machines. The electronic gaming machines can be configured to issue virtual ticket vouchers and printed ticket vouchers that can be redeemed for cash or additional game play on another electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, the electronic gaming machine can be configured to issue a virtual ticket voucher to a patron-controlled portable electronic device. |
| US09367834B2 |
Systems, methods, and computer products for processing payments using a proxy card
Systems, methods and computer program products for processing payments for a proxy card are provided. Embodiments of the system include a processor, and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory may be configured to store processing instructions for directing the processor to receive a request for authorization of a payment. In various embodiments, the request is triggered at a merchant server, by the use of a proxy card of the customer. The processor attempts to identify at least one desired payment mode for making the payment, from among payment mode(s) associated with the proxy card. The processor first selects the payment modes based at least in part on one or more selection criteria, such as predefined customer goals, and then the processor performs an authorization check to identify the desired payment modes. Subsequently, the processor authorizes the payment if at least one desired payment mode is identified. |
| US09367832B2 |
Synchronizing image data among applications and devices
For providing synchronization of image data among diverse devices and applications, exemplary systems include a direct client application providing a user interface operable to allow a user to organize image data according to albums, and to select one or more albums for synchronization with one or more server interfaces that provide various image data manipulation, sharing, and features related thereto. Systems also include an intermediary system to assist in synchronization of select albums with handheld devices, and a notification server to provide scalable notifications of album updates made at server interfaces by users. Exemplary methods include steps providing for selection, from direct client applications, of albums to synchronize with devices, including handheld devices, and various steps of providing updates and notifications among appropriate system components. |
| US09367829B2 |
File storage device
A file storage device stores files with radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached. The file storage device includes a plurality of antennas and a circuit board. A plurality of interval boards are mounted in series, file-holding slots are therefore created between the interval boards. The antennas, connected to the circuit board, are mounted to the interval boards, each antenna corresponding to one slot. Each antenna can establish a wireless communication with the RFID tag of a file, each RFID tag feeding information as to itself to the corresponding antenna. The circuit board communicates wirelessly with an external terminal device for file location and searching purposes. |
| US09367825B2 |
Facilitating revenue generation from wholesale electricity markets based on a self-tuning energy asset model
The apparatus, systems and methods herein facilitate generation of energy-related revenue for an energy customer of an electricity supplier. The apparatuses and methods herein can be used to generate suggested operating schedules for the energy assets that including a controllable energy asset, using an objective function. The objective function is determined based on a dynamic simulation model of the energy profile of the energy assets. The dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the energy assets based on a parametric estimation using at least one model parameter. The model parameter is at least one of an operation characteristic of the controllable energy asset, a thermodynamic property of the energy assets, and a projected environmental condition. Energy-related revenue available to the energy customer is based at least in part on a wholesale electricity market or on a regulation market. |
| US09367824B2 |
Provisioning and performing action items
An action item specifying one or more tasks is instantiated. Thereafter, data characterizing the action item is associated with at least one tool to perform at least one task. Each tool comprises at least one service, application or procedure to facilitate or perform the at least one task. Subsequently, the at least one tool is initiated. User-generated input and/or other data is received from the at least one tool. Performance of one or more of the tasks specified by the action item is then finalized using the at least one tool and the user-generated input and/or other data. In some variations, the action item can be provisioned with at least one contextual resource to facilitate performance of at least one task. The at least one contextual resource can be associated with the action item and/or at least one user associated with the action item. |
| US09367823B1 |
Computer method and system for ranking users in a network community of users
A computer method and system for ranking computer network portal users is provided. The system and method comprise a ranking module which determines rank of an individual in a community of global computer network users. The ranking module determines rank of an individual as a function of user demand. The function of user demand includes any one or combination of number of requests to be connected to the individual user, readership following of the individual user and keywords common between profiles or authored works by the individual user and those of other users. An output member is coupled to receive the determined rank from the ranking module and generates an ordered list of user names ordered by determined rank of individuals. The rank of individuals may be provided to external entities such as fraud detection systems or advertising targeting engines. |
| US09367821B2 |
System and method for profiling requests in service systems
A system and method for profiling a request in a service system with kernel events including a pre-processing module configured to obtain kernel event traces from the service system and determine starting and ending communication pairs of a request path for a request. A learning module is configured to learn pairwise relationships between the starting and ending communication pairs of training traces of sequential requests. A generation module is configured to generate communication paths for the request path from the starting and ending communication pairs of testing traces of concurrent requests using a heuristic procedure that is guided by the learned pairwise relationships and generate the request path for the request from the communication paths. The system and method precisely determine request paths for applications in a distributed system from kernel event traces even when there are numerous concurrent requests. |
| US09367820B2 |
Online temporal difference learning from incomplete customer interaction histories
In one embodiment, an indication that a decision has been requested, selected, or applied with respect to one or more users may be obtained. After the indication that a decision that has been requested, selected, or applied is obtained, a value function may be updated, where the value function approximates an expected reward associated with the one or more users over time since the decision has been requested, selected, or applied with respect to the one or more users. The value function may be updated by performing or providing one or more updates to the value function, where a time at which each of the one or more updates is performed or provided is independent of activity of the one or more users. |
| US09367816B1 |
Data mining technique with induced environmental alteration
Roughly described, a data mining system for use in evolving individuals based on data samples in a training database. The individuals have a plurality of conditions and, for each of a plurality of the data items in a sample, output an action which depends upon application of the individual's conditions to the data item. The conditions include a state of the individual, and the actions include at least one which affects the state of the individual if asserted. Each candidate individual further has a fitness estimate which the system updates in dependence upon the testing results. Testing involves applying the conditions of the individual to data items of the samples to assert actions, and for a subset of at least one but less than all of the data items to which the conditions are applied, modifying the asserted action for the data items in the subset. |
| US09367814B1 |
Methods and systems for classifying data using a hierarchical taxonomy
A method and system for classifying documents is provided. A set of document classifiers is generated by applying a classification algorithm to a trusted corpus that includes a set of training documents representing a taxonomy. One or more of the generated document classifiers are executed against a plurality of input documents to create a plurality of classified documents. Each classified document is associated with a classification within the taxonomy and a classification confidence level. One or more classified documents that are associated with a classification confidence level below a predetermined threshold value are selected to create a set of low-confidence documents. The low-confidence documents are disassociated from each of the associated classifications. A user is prompted to enter a classification within the taxonomy for at least one low-confidence document. The low-confidence document is associated with the entered classification and with a predetermined confidence level to create a newly classified document. |
| US09367811B2 |
Context aware localization, mapping, and tracking
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems infer a context of a user or device. A computer vision parameter is configured according to the inferred context. Performing a computer vision task, in accordance with the configured computer vision parameter. The computer vision task may by at least one of: a visual mapping of an environment of the device, a visual localization of the device or an object within the environment of the device, or a visual tracking of the device within the environment of the device. |
| US09367804B1 |
System for instability detection and structure estimation of complex network dynamics
Described is a system for predicting system instability. The system can measure the degree of the network's instability due to critical transitions using the leading eigenvalue of the covariance matrix, where the instability measure is invariant to (1) the changes in network structure in terms of addition/removal of nodes and links, and (2) the feedback of the global system stability to the changes in stability. Based on that, the system is operable for providing an estimation of the network's changing connectivity when the network is near critical transitions. |
| US09367803B2 |
Predictive analytics for information technology systems
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for organizing, correlating IT management data in batch mode as well as real time and doing predictive analytics to indicate possible threshold breaches, possible failures and usage bottlenecks in the systems in an information technology (IT) environment. The system and method further predicts the state of the information technology (IT) system components systematically based on current and past system states and system component states, overall systemic behavior, known system behavioral rules and load conditions/usage characteristics. |
| US09367793B2 |
Wearable device with magnets distanced from exterior surfaces of the wearable device
A wearable device is provided with a wearable device structure. The wearable device has a first end and a second end. A plurality of magnets is positioned at the first and second ends that provide for coupling of the first end to the second end of the wearable device. At least a portion of the magnets are distanced from a first or second exterior surface of the wearable device structure in a range of 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. ID circuitry is provided at a surface or an interior of the wearable device. |
| US09367792B2 |
Secured document including a radiofrequency identification device
This invention relates to a secure document (1) comprising a substrate (7) integrating a radiofrequency identification device (11;13), the said substrate (7) comprising at least one slot (15). |
| US09367790B2 |
Payment card, related reading device and bracelet comprising the payment card
A payment card comprises a supporting body with a controller provided with an inner memory in which identification data of a user and the issuing institution are stored. In addition the card provides a connection interface combined with the controller for the connection with an outside device. The connection interface is a connection port incorporating a male portion and a female portion arranged, one with respect to the other, according to a specific layout rendering such a port a “hermaphrodite” port, that is able to couple with a port having an identical geometry. The connection port further comprises a plurality of electric contact elements combined with the male portion and/or the female portion. A method referring to virtual transfer of money between two payment cards is further described. |
| US09367784B2 |
Power management in an electromagnetic transponder
An electromagnetic transponder includes an oscillatory circuit, a battery and a first rectifier bridge. Alternating current input terminals of the rectifier bridge are connected to the terminals of the oscillatory circuit, and at least two rectifier elements of the rectifier bridge are controllable on the basis of the voltage supplied by the battery. |
| US09367782B2 |
High capacity 2D color barcode and method for decoding the same
A 2D color barcode layout is disclosed. The barcode includes a 2D array of data cells, four corner locators, and border reference cells forming four borders between the corner locators that substantially surround the array of data cells. Each data cell and border reference cell has one of four primary colors (e.g. CMYK). Most border reference cells have the same size as the data cells, except for yellow ones which are longer. The border reference cells form a repeating color sequence along the borders, and are used during decoding to calculate (1) the channel offset (a spatial offset) of each primary color at different locations along the borders and (2) the reference (average) color values of each primary color. During decoding, the color values of each data cell is measured while taking into account channel offset which is calculated by interpolating the channel offset of the border reference cells. |
| US09367779B2 |
Encryption processing device, encryption processing system and control method for encryption processing device
A processing device is provided. A first storage unit stores a correspondence table which is indicative of a correspondence relationship between attributes of data and encryption levels for encrypting data. An obtaining unit obtains data. A first determination unit determines an encryption level according to an attribute of the data obtained by the obtaining unit, using the correspondence table stored in the first storage unit. An encryption unit encrypts the data obtained by the obtaining unit in the encryption level determined by the first determination unit. A second storage unit stores the data encrypted by the encryption unit. |
| US09367777B2 |
Communication system, terminal device, and peripheral device for setting a value of the peripheral device from the terminal device
A peripheral device configured to be connected to a terminal device, may have a processor, and a memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the peripheral device to configured to provide sections. The sections may include a first supply section configured for supplying setting screen data that includes a first set value field and a first cancel button configured for returning a second value in the first set value field to the first value, and a second supply section configured for supplying error screen data that includes a second set value field and a second cancel button configured to cause the setting screen to be displayed on the terminal device in which the first value is displayed in the first set value field instead of the second value. |
| US09367776B2 |
Systems and methods for tracing the source of printed pages
Methods and systems are provided for tracing the source of a printed document. A method may include receiving a print job for printing a page having page content, generating a log of the print job, encoding the log using a mule image to produce a data-bearing halftone image, merging the data-bearing halftone image with the page content, and printing the merged data-bearing halftone image and page content to produce a printed document. |
| US09367772B2 |
Controlling method for color calibration target to be used during digital printing process involves processing measurement of colored zones for obtaining describer of calibration target if no print anomalies are present
A calibration target is printed by means of a printing device comprising a plurality of groups of printheads. The printheads of each group are fed with ink of the same color. The calibration target includes a plurality of colored zones that are intended to be subsequently processed. The printheads of each group further generate a series of control zones with the same nominal quantity of the corresponding ink. The control zones are free of overlapping between inks applied by different printheads. A parameter of each control zone is measured and the measured values of this parameter are compared to each other in order to assess whether the control zones exhibit print anomalies. |
| US09367771B2 |
Apparatus handling codes, method for controlling the same, and program
An apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of pieces of information from a medium, a deletion unit configured to delete a second oldest piece of information, which is next to an oldest piece of information, from the plurality of pieces of information acquired by the acquisition unit, an addition unit configured to add new information to the plurality of pieces of information from which the second oldest piece of information has been deleted by the deletion unit, and a printing unit configured to print on a new medium the plurality of pieces of information resulting from the addition by the addition unit. |
| US09367766B2 |
Text line detection in images
Techniques for detecting and recognizing text may be provided. For example, an image may be analyzed to detect and recognize text therein. The analysis may involve detecting text components in the image. For example, multiple color spaces and multiple-stage filtering may be applied to detect the text components. Further, the analysis may involve extracting text lines based on the text components. For example, global information about the text components can be analyzed to generate best-fitting text lines. The analysis may also involve pruning and splitting the text lines to generate bounding boxes around groups of text components. Text recognition may be applied to the bounding boxes to recognize text therein. |
| US09367765B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic detection of features in an image and method for training the apparatus
In one or more embodiments described herein, there is provided a method of training an apparatus. The method trains the apparatus to automatically detect features of interest in an image. An image is received, the image being of at least one object for inspection, each image comprising a plurality of pixels. The image is segmented into a plurality of superpixels, each superpixel comprising a plurality of pixels which each have similar image data attributes to one another. The superpixels are classified into at least two classes in response to user input identifying at least one feature of interest in one or more of the super-pixels. From a library of image data attributes, a subset of image data attributes is determined that provides preferential discrimination between the at least two classes. The apparatus is then trained using said determined subset of image data attributes to thereby enable the apparatus to classify super-pixels of an image into the at least two classes. |
| US09367758B2 |
Feature extraction device, feature extraction method, and feature extraction program
Device (10) comprises: a comparison object pixel acquisition unit (433) which acquires pixel values of a plurality of comparison object pixels which, when each pixel of an image is designated as a pixel of interest, and a ring-shaped region with the pixel of interest being designated as the center thereof being designated a vicinity region, said comparison object pixels are included in the vicinity region; a pixel difference calculation unit (434) which calculates the difference between the pixel value of the pixel of interest and the pixel values of each comparison object pixel; and a local binary pattern generation unit (435) which generates a local binary pattern for each pixel. A plurality of vicinity regions are present for each pixel of interest, and the distance of the vicinity regions are established on the basis of the spatial frequency characteristics of a lens with which the image is photographed. |
| US09367756B2 |
Selection of representative images
Methods and systems for selecting a representative image of an entity are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for selecting a representative image of an entity is disclosed. The method includes: accessing a collection of images of the entity; clustering, based on similarity of one or more similarity features, images from the collection to form a plurality of similarity clusters; and selecting the representative image from one of said similarity clusters. Further, based on cluster size of said similarity clusters popular clusters can be determined, and the selection of the representative image can be from the popular clusters. In addition, the method can further include assigning a headshot score based upon a portion of the respective image covered by the entity to respective images in said popular clusters, and further selecting the representative image based upon the headshot score. |
| US09367753B2 |
Method and system for recognizing information on a card
Embodiments of the present application relate to a method for recognizing information, a system for recognizing information, and a computer program product for recognizing information. A method for recognizing information is provided. The method includes locating a card zone for each frame within a card image frame sequence comprising a plurality of frames, locating an information zone within each card zone, dividing each information zone into at least one character zone, de-blurring a character zone corresponding to a same region across all the frames in the card image frame sequence, and recognizing character string information based on the de-blurred character zone. |
| US09367751B2 |
Object detection device for area around vehicle
This object detection device for the area around a vehicle is provided with an imaging device and an image processing device. The image processing device is configured from a detection area setting unit, three area processing units, and an integration processing unit. The detection area setting unit sets a trio of small, medium, and large detection areas within a one-frame image captured by the imaging device. Detection processing for the presence of objects within the trio of small, medium, and large detection areas is carried out for each detection area simultaneously and in parallel by the three area processing units using pattern matching. The integration processing unit integrates the plurality of detection results resulting from detection processing by the plurality of area processing units and outputs the result. As a result, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the amount of time required for detection processing. |
| US09367749B2 |
Object detection apparatus
An object detection apparatus mounted in a vehicle for detecting a target object in various changing environmental conditions. In the apparatus, a storage prestores plural image recognition dictionaries each describing reference data for the target object, and plural image recognition techniques each used to detect the target object from an input image with use of one of the plural image recognition dictionaries. A first acquirer acquires an operating state of a lighting device of the vehicle. A selector selects, according to the acquired operating state of the lighting device, one of the plural of image recognition dictionaries and one of the plural of image recognition techniques. A detector detects the target object in the input image by applying image recognition processing thereto with use of the selected image recognition dictionary and technique. |
| US09367746B2 |
Image processing apparatus for specifying an image relating to a predetermined moment from among a plurality of images
An image capture apparatus includes an image acquisition unit 5a, an area setting unit 5b, and an image specifying unit 5c. The image acquisition unit 5a acquires a first image group including plural images, the plural images obtained by sequentially photographing motion of an object. The area setting unit 5b sets plural areas at plural positions on each of the images of the first image group acquired by the image acquisition unit 5a. The image specifying unit 5c acquires pixel values of the plural areas set on each of the images by the area setting unit, and specifies a second image group including plural images relating to prescribed moments of motion of the object from among the first image group including plural images, based on change in the acquired pixel values of the plural areas. |
| US09367745B2 |
System for annotating media content for automatic content understanding
A method to correct for temporal variability in incoming streams of media and data to optimize the performance of a pattern recognition system includes the steps of receiving from one of the incoming streams a point in time when an event is announced, applying a probability distribution about the point in time, shifting a point of highest probability of the probability distribution back in time by an amount effective to accommodate for a delay between the event and the announcement, comparing a detected pattern of the event to a stored pattern of similar events and applying a confidence value to the comparison, and confirming to the pattern recognition system that the event occurred at the point of highest probability when the confidence score exceeds a predefined threshold. The method is useful to determine the time at which a particular play occurs during a sporting event, such as the time of a shot-on-goal in a soccer match. |
| US09367742B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring object from captured image
An object monitoring apparatus includes: an image receiver to receive at least one frame of captured images; an edge image generator to generate an edge image by detecting edges of objects appearing in the frame; a reference image generator to generate a reference image by detecting a part corresponding to a background in the frame to thereby define the detected part as a background edge; a candidate object extractor to extract one or more candidate object pixels by comparing the edge image with the reference image, and to extract a candidate object by grouping the extracted candidate object pixels into the candidate object; and an object-of-interest determiner to determine whether the candidate object is an object-of-interest based on a size of the candidate object and a duration time of detection of the candidate object. |
| US09367737B2 |
Floor plan space detection
Methods, machine-readable media, and devices for floor plan space detection are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include receiving an image of a floor plan, enhancing the image of the floor plan through processing, detecting a location of a door associated with a space in the image of the floor plan through a histogram of gradient of pattern feature, setting a seed in the space based on the location of the door associated with the space, spreading the seed in the space until the seed reaches a boundary of the space, and associating the seed that has been spread with the space. |
| US09367735B2 |
Object identification device
In an object identification device, each score calculator extracts a feature quantity from the image, and calculates a score using the extracted feature quantity and a model of the specified object. The score represents a reliability that the specified object is displayed in the image. A score-vector generator generates a score vector having the scores as elements thereof. A cluster determiner determines, based on previously determined clusters in which the score vector is classifiable, one of the clusters to which the score vector belongs as a target cluster. An object identifier identifies whether the specified object is displayed in the image based on one of the identification conditions. The one of the identification conditions is previously determined for the target cluster determined by the cluster determiner. |
| US09367734B2 |
Apparatus, control method, and storage medium for setting object detection region in an image
A setting apparatus for setting a detection processing region to detect a specific object from an image, the setting apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire an input concerning the detection processing region from a user interface; and a setting unit configured to set the detection processing region to detect the specific object in accordance with evaluation information for the input concerning the detection processing region acquired from the user interface. |
| US09367732B2 |
Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium
An image inputter inputs image data in which a user has been captured. An extractor extracts a region corresponding to a hand of the user included in the image data input by the image inputter. A determinator determines whether or not the region corresponding to the hand of the user extracted by the extractor is in a stationary state. If it is determined by the determinator that the region corresponding to the hand of the user is in a stationary state, a recognizer recognizes the shape of the region corresponding to the hand of the user extracted by the extractor. Otherwise, if it is determined by the determinator that the region corresponding to the hand of the user is not in a stationary state, the recognizer recognizes the movement of the region corresponding to the hand of the user extracted by the extractor. An inputter inputs data associated with the shape or the movement recognized by the recognizer. |
| US09367731B2 |
Depth gradient based tracking
Systems and methods may provide for determining depth gradient information based on a depth map of a scene, and determining a threshold parameter. Additionally, a hand may be identified in the scene based on the depth gradient information and the threshold parameter. Moreover, motion information such as time-based, color-based and/or frame-based information can be used to track hand gestures in the scene. |
| US09367730B2 |
Method and system for automated face detection and recognition
The present invention relates to a figure recognition system and method for automatic detection, tracking and recognition of a human face image. 2D image data in the surveillance zone are remotely collected by using an optical sensor, the faces of all persons in the surveillance zone are detected, and corresponding positions are determined. The face is detected, the detected face's feature coordinate is estimated, and the detected face and the feature are tracked in the next frame while processing the video sequence. Image quality of each detected face is determined according to parameters of focus, brightness, contrast, and the presence of glasses. Recognition methods stored in the repository for each detected face are adjusted by considering the face image quality computation value, and a biometric feature set is generated by using the recognition method selected for each detected face. The figure is recognized according to the watch list by using the biometric feature generated by comparing each detected face and a template set stored in the database. A new user registration process is performed and the recognition method is adapted automatically by considering the watch list. |
| US09367728B2 |
Fingerprint recognition method and device thereof
A fingerprint recognition method includes the following steps: obtaining a to-be-recognized fingerprint image of a to-be-recognized finger; extracting to-be-recognized data of the to-be-recognized fingerprint image, the to-be-recognized data including a to-be-recognized minutiae data set and a to-be-recognized skeleton; loading a minutiae-skeleton array of a registered finger, the minutiae-skeleton array including a plurality of elements, each of the plurality of elements including a registered minutiae data set and a registered skeleton; performing minutiae-skeleton verification on the to-be-recognized data and the minutiae-skeleton array to generate a verification result. |
| US09367727B2 |
Information processing apparatus and information processing method
There is provided an information processing apparatus including an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a dish image obtained by shooting a single or multiple dishes, and a first dish recognition unit configured to recognize the single or multiple dishes included in the dish image with reference to dish data selected, from dish data registered in advance, based on a condition regarding at least one of a person relating to the dish image, a shooting environment of the dish image, a shooting place of the dish image, and a shooting time of the dish image. |
| US09367726B1 |
Barcode reader
A barcode reader may perform image processing functions to generate distinct image data records from the frame of image data of a barcode, select an image data record from the distinct image data records and decode the selected image data record. Each image data record may be generated by applying a distinct image processing function to the frame of image data. The barcode reader may capture multiple frames of image data in sequence based on image capture parameters. At least one of the multiple frames of image data may be captured with a distinct parameter value. The image capture parameters may include an exposure setting, a gain setting, a resolution setting, and/or an illumination setting. |
| US09367722B2 |
Indicia reading system employing digital gain control
A scanning code symbol reading system includes an analog scan data signal processor for producing digitized data signals, wherein during each laser beam scanning cycle, a light collection and photo-detection module generates an analog scan data signal corresponding to a laser scanned code symbol, an analog scan data signal processor/digitizer processes the analog scan data signal to generate digital data signals corresponding thereto, and a synchronized digital gain control module automatically processes the digitized data signals in response to start of scan (SOS) signals generated by a SOS detector. The synchronized digital gain control module generates digital control data which is transmitted to the analog scan data signal processor for use in controlling the gain of a signal processing stage in the light collection and photo-detection module and/or analog scan data signal processor, during the corresponding laser beam scanning cycle. |
| US09367721B2 |
Imaging optical code scanner with camera regions
An imaging optical code scanner is presented that includes improved vertical optics for capturing images of items being presented for scanning. The improvements include multiple image capture devices, multiple illumination modules and viewing of items being scanning from four different directions. This allows for high pass-by scanning of items. |
| US09367716B2 |
Information reproduction device and information reproduction method
An information reproduction device for use with a magnetic recording medium storing information may include an analog/digital (AD) converter structured to convert an analog signal, which is reproduced from the information recorded in the magnetic recording medium, into a digital signal; a peak detecting unit structured to detect a peak point of the reproduced signal, from the digital signal, according to a threshold as a judgment level in accordance with an output of the AD converter; and an information generating unit for generating structured to generate a rectangular waveform signal of the reproduced signal, waveform-shaped according to interval information of peak points detected by the peak detecting unit. |
| US09367711B1 |
Battery assisted RFID tag with square-law receiver and optional part time active behavior
Embodiments of the present invention provide RFID systems having battery-assisted, Semi-Passive RFID tags that operate with sensitive transistor based square law tag receivers utilizing a plurality of tag receiver dynamic range states. Embodiments of the present invention are also enhanced with receiver training and synchronizing methods suited to the high tag sensitivity and need for dynamic range state switching. These enhancements may employ pseudo-random sequence based receiver training, activation signaling, and frame synchronizing. Further enhancement is achieved via design of system command sets and tag state machine behavior that control system interference and allow maximum usage of high sensitivity. Command set design also allows for convenient expansion to active transmitters and receivers in tags operating within the same system. Additional enhancement attained via power leveling methods that optimize the amount of transmitted power and interference from a reader in relation to the sensitivity of the RFID tags, their ranges from the reader, and the unique physics of the backscatter RFID radio link. |
| US09367708B2 |
Method for producing a hardware device and hardware device
A method for producing a hardware device, in particular a trusted platform module for the execution of at least one cryptographic algorithm, the hardware device corresponding to a real-time class, i.e., it fulfils specifiable run-time requirements for real-time applications, wherein the method comprises preparing at least one cryptographic algorithm in the manner of a program code; determining a maximum/longest execution time (WCET) for the algorithm, producing a tamper-proof hardware module, which is configured to execute the algorithm, and assigning the hardware module to a real-time class depending on the maximum/longest execution time (WCET). |
| US09367705B2 |
Methods and systems for implementing security policies on a mobile device
Methods and devices for implementing security policies on a wireless device. The wireless device may include a non-volatile memory comprising a security type hard-coded in the non-volatile memory. Based on the security type, it may be determined whether a received security policy governing behavior of one or more resources designated as personal is applicable to the one or more resources designated as personal. If the security type is determined to indicate that the received security policy is not applicable to the one or more resources designated as personal, the security policy may not be applied to the one or more resources designated as personal. |
| US09367702B2 |
Automatic file encryption
A method for automatically encrypting files is disclosed. In some cases, the method may be performed by computer hardware comprising one or more processors. The method can include detecting access to a first file, which may be stored in a primary storage system. Further, the method can include determining whether the access comprises a write access. In response to determining that the access comprises a write access, the method can include accessing file metadata associated with the first file and accessing a set of encryption rules. In addition, the method can include determining whether the file metadata satisfies the set of encryption rules. In response to determining that the file metadata satisfies the set of encryption rules, the method can include encrypting the first file to obtain a first encrypted file and modifying an extension of the first encrypted file to include an encryption extension. |
| US09367700B2 |
System and method for establishing a shared secret for communication between different security domains
Embodiments may include generating an initial verifier for a first process, the initial verifier generated based on a trusted image of the first process. Embodiments may include, subsequent to generating an untransformed secret associated with the first process, using a reversible transform to transform the untransformed secret with the initial verifier to generate a transformed secret associated with the first process. Embodiments may also include, subsequent to the first process being launched outside of a secure domain, and dependent upon a second verifier generated from a current state of the first process being the same as the initial verifier: using the reversible transform to reverse transform the transformed secret with the second verifier to generate a de-transformed secret equal to the untransformed secret. Embodiments may include performing a secure communication protected with a cryptographic key generated based on the de-transformed secret. The communication may be performed across different security domains. |
| US09367696B2 |
Interoperability between a plurality of data protection systems
A system is disclosed for providing interoperability between a plurality of data protection systems. The system includes an ontology (3) configured to store definitions (12) of concepts (4) relating to interface elements of at least two different data protection systems including a first data protection system (1) and a second data protection system (2); and a mapping generator (5) configured to generate a mapping between at least one interface element of the first data protection system (1) and at least one interface element of the second data protection system (2), based on the ontology (3). The system comprises a message converter (16) configured to receive a message generated by the first data protection system (1), convert the message based on the mapping to obtain a converted message, and transmit the converted message to the second data protection system (2). |
| US09367690B2 |
Encryption and decryption methods applied on operating system
An encryption and decryption methods applied on an operating system kernel are disclosed, where a hash result is obtained from a computation between a booting program and the operating system kernel by using a definition table, the computation result is combined with the operating system kernel for encryption of the operating system kernel, and the operating system kernel may not be decrypted and thus booted whenever the booting program, the operating system kernel or the two combined are falsified or replaced, whereby the technical efficacy which the booting program and the operating system kernel are authenticated bilaterally for safety booting may be achieved. |
| US09367680B2 |
System and method for mobile communication device application advisement
This disclosure is directed to a system and method for providing advisement about applications on mobile communication devices such as smartphones, netbooks, and tablets. A server gathers data about mobile applications, analyzes the applications, and produces an assessment that may advise users on a variety of factors, including security, privacy, battery impact, performance impact, and network usage. The disclosure helps users understand the impact of applications to improve the experience in using their mobile device. The disclosure also enables a server to feed information about applications to other protection systems such as application policy systems and network infrastructure. The disclosure also enables advisement about applications to be presented in a variety of forms, such as through a mobile application, as part of a web application, or integrated into other services via an API. |
| US09367677B1 |
Systems and methods for user authentication using eye movement and pupil size change matching
A system for eye movement and pupil size change matching for user authentication includes an ocular sensor that is configured to sense eyes of a user and collect data indicative of the user's eye movement and pupil size changes. When a user's eyes are detected, the logic analyzes data collected by the ocular sensor in order to determine whether the sensed data match data extracted from a template defined by the eye movement and pupil size changes of an authorized user. If so, the user is authenticated and is permitted to access at least one restricted resource. As an example, the user may be permitted to access an application or sensitive data stored on a computer system or to access a restricted area, such as a room of a building. |
| US09367676B2 |
System and method for confirming location using supplemental sensor and/or location data
A system, apparatus, method, and machine readable medium are described for performing authentication using environmental data. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: collecting environmental sensor data from one or more sensors of a client device; using a geographical location reported by the device to collect supplemental data for the location; comparing the environmental sensor data with the supplemental data to arrive at a correlation score; and responsively selecting one or more authentication techniques for authenticating a user of the client device based on the correlation score. |
| US09367672B2 |
Method of locking an application on a computing device
A computer-implemented method entails steps of receiving user input signifying that an application on a computing device is to be locked and, in response to the user input, locking a user within the application to thereby permit the user to utilize functionalities of the application without exiting from the application or switching to another application on the computing device. |
| US09367667B2 |
Method and system for advanced aneurysm analysis
An automated method for aneurysm analysis including: extracting shape descriptors from test vessel data; generating an aneurysm probability map for the test vessel data using the shape descriptors; detecting the presence of the aneurysm on the test vessel data; localizing the aneurysm in the probability map; and separating the aneurysm from the probability map. |
| US09367666B2 |
Mapping cognitive to functional ability
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for mapping cognitive to functional ability include receiving data regarding assessments of a cognitive ability and assessments of a functional ability; processing the received data to generate a map of one or more cognitive processes underlying the cognitive ability to a continuous-valued measure of the functional ability; and storing the generated map on a computer-storage medium to be used by a computer device in continuous-valued assessments of the functional ability. |
| US09367663B2 |
Methods and processes for non-invasive assessment of genetic variations
Provided herein are methods, processes and apparatuses for non-invasive assessment of genetic variations. |
| US09367657B2 |
System and method for universal control of electronic devices
A system and method for providing an integrated circuit that integrates with and controls a device wherein the integrated circuit design is developed based on a selection of characteristics of the device. The system and method also provide software for establishing interoperability between the integrated circuit and a controller. |
| US09367656B1 |
Method and apparatus for synchronizing circuits in an emulation system utilizing its serial interconnect network
Clock distribution schemes in emulation systems are typically complex and use significant resources. The present disclosure is generally directed to clock distribution to emulation chips using a serial interconnect mesh. A clock distribution tree is overlayed on the emulation chips allocated to a user's circuit design, the tree branching from a root emulation chip using selected serial interconnections and covering each allocated emulation chip. The emulation chips can recover a clock from received serial signals. The delay associated with each interconnection is determined and used by configuration software when creating the distribution tree. To start emulation stepping synchronously, each emulation chip is configured to know its delay from the root emulation chip. A message is sent from the root emulation chip to each branch emulation chip triggering a timer to countdown a time until emulation is to begin, allowing the emulation chips to start stepping in lockstep. |
| US09367654B2 |
Variation modeling
A method for back-end-of-line variation modeling is provided. A bounding box is defined within a design layout. A back-end-of-line variation parameter is determined for the bounding box. The back-end-of-line variation parameter is applied as a constraint for simulation of the design layout. |
| US09367652B2 |
Cross-domain data artifacts consolidation in model context
A computerized method to provide an enriched unified model data index by generating a unified model data index by indexing shared syntax elements of data artifacts that describe engineering and non-engineering domains, creating instances of an engineering reference model describing model properties that define blocks and relationships between each of the data artifacts for each of the engineering and non-engineering domains, and enriching the unified model data index by adding the relationships having shared syntax elements of at least one instance of the engineering reference model to the shared syntax elements of the unified model data index. |
| US09367646B2 |
Document and user metadata storage
Techniques are disclosed for providing services to a client device via a shared cloud service. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes storing information on a first device relating to a subject, saving the stored information in a serialized format data file to the shared cloud service, the data file having a filename generated as a function of the subject, providing authenticated access to the data file for a second device via the shared cloud service, synchronizing a copy of the data file via the shared cloud service to the second device, the copied data file reflecting a single up-to-date state of the data file in the shared cloud service, and de-serializing the serialized format data file at the second device. |
| US09367644B2 |
Object tree walking
Information is processed by receiving from a requesting node a request to access a content management related service. The content management related service is performed at a second node in the opposite direction as the requesting node; the request is associated with an object tree. The object tree is walked to obtain information associated with the object tree. A set of one or more service context rules associated with the content management related service is determined. The object tree is processed using the set of service context rules and the results of the processed object tree are made available to the content management related service so that the content management related service is able to properly operate at the second node. |
| US09367635B2 |
Contact center co-browsing for a mobile device
Methods and systems of co-browsing may provide for determining a custom set of display parameters for a co-browsing session based on a first set of display parameters corresponding to a first type of browser and a second set of display parameters corresponding to a second type of browser. One or more web applications can be notified of the custom set of display parameters, wherein the web applications may override responses to web requests during the co-browsing session based on the custom set of display parameteters. |
| US09367629B2 |
Grouping recommended search queries on online social networks
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a number of nodes and edges connecting the nodes. Each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them. The nodes include a first node corresponding to a first user associated with an online social network and a plurality of second nodes that each correspond to a concept or a second user associated with the online social network. The method also includes generating a number of cards. Each card includes a suggested query referencing a query-domain associated with the online social network and zero or more query-filters for the query-domain. Each query-filter references one or more nodes of the plurality of nodes or one or more edges of the plurality of edges. |
| US09367621B2 |
Automatic update of searches
A method and system for automatically updating searches are described. In one embodiment, a first search result may be compared with a second search result to automatically identify at least one data item within the first search result that is changed relative to the second search result. The at least one data item may comprise a transaction term. A notification of the at least one data item may be transmitted to a user device. |
| US09367617B2 |
Surveillance system with direct database server storage
A video surveillance system includes at least one of a camera or a streamer. A data base server is coupled to the camera and can store metadata for a video clip from the camera or streamer. A media storage server is coupled to both the camera or, the streamer, and to the data base server to store the clip in the absence of any network video recorders. |
| US09367616B2 |
Video descriptor generation device
The video descriptor generation device includes a first extraction unit, a second extraction unit, and a feature combining unit. The first extraction unit extracts a first feature for each picture which is a frame or a field of a video. The second extraction unit extracts a second feature from a region defined by an edge of an image included in the video. The feature combining unit combines the first feature and the second feature to generate a video descriptor. |
| US09367615B2 |
Systems and methods for organizing and displaying electronic media content
Systems and methods are disclosed for displaying available or recommended electronic multimedia content to a user, including electronic media content on the Internet. According to one implementation, a method is provided that includes receiving a request from a user, the request specifying electronic media content desired by the user; analyzing an indexed web history of a plurality of other users, based on the request for desired content; and selecting and sorting a subset of available content groups, based on the request for desired content and the indexed web history. The method also includes selecting and sorting, for each selected and sorted content group, a subset of available content; providing instructions to display, to a user, the selected and sorted content groups along a first axis of a two-dimensional grid; and further providing instructions to display, to the user, the selected available content for each content group along a second axis of the two-dimensional grid. |
| US09367613B1 |
Song identification trigger
The present disclosure provides a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device may include a control system configured to perform functions. The functions may include receiving sensor data from one or more sensors of the wearable computing device. The functions may also include determining whether the sensor data is indicative of humming, singing, or whistling by a wearer. The functions may also include causing the wearable computing device to perform a content recognition of audio content in an ambient environment of the wearable computing device in response to the sensor data being indicative of humming, singing, or whistling by the wearer. |
| US09367610B2 |
Knowledge registry systems and methods
Systems and methods are disclosed that provide high-level, ontology-based analysis of low-level data stored within an unstructured key/value store. The systems and methods allow an analyst to make sense of massive amounts of data from diverse sources without having any knowledge of the underlying physical data storage. Additional features include feasibility queries to determine if requested data exists in the key/value store before performing an expensive query; automatic query optimization using secondary indexes; and a usage history service to identify performance bottlenecks and fine tune the storage schema. |
| US09367601B2 |
Cost-based optimization of configuration parameters and cluster sizing for hadoop
Cost-based optimization of configuration parameters and cluster sizing for distributed data processing systems are disclosed. According to an aspect, a method includes receiving at least one job profile of a MapReduce job. The method also includes using the at least one job profile to predict execution of the MapReduce job within a plurality of different predetermined settings of a distributed data processing system. Further, the method includes determining one of the predetermined settings that optimizes performance of the MapReduce job. The method may also include automatically adjusting the distributed data processing system to the determined predetermined setting. |
| US09367594B2 |
Determining statistics for cost-based optimization of a workflow
Techniques, systems, and articles of manufacture for determining statistics for cost-based optimization of a workflow. A method includes generating individual sets of statistics for each intermediate relation of a workflow, wherein said intermediate relations comprise results of stages of any plan of the workflow, and wherein each individual set of statistics computes cardinality of the corresponding intermediate relation; determining a global set of statistics for the workflow, wherein said global set of statistics comprises at least one of the individual sets of statistics for each of the intermediate relations; instrumenting a given plan of the workflow to collect the global set of statistics during execution; executing the given plan to collect the global set of statistics; and determining a plan of the workflow with the lowest cost by comparing the cost of multiple plans, wherein the cost of each plan is derived from the global set of statistics. |
| US09367592B2 |
Using metaphors to present concepts across different intellectual domains
A method, system, and computer program product for generating content of a topic for an intended audience are described. Topic information regarding a topic to be presented to an intended audience is obtained, as well as knowledge information regarding the intended audience. One or more metaphors relating to the topic and understood by the intended audience can be determined based at least in part on the topic information and the knowledge information. Content can be generated for the topic information based on a comparative analysis of the topic information to at least one of the one or more metaphors. |
| US09367588B2 |
Method and system for assessing relevant properties of work contexts for use by information services
An information retrieval system for automatically retrieving information related to the context of an active task being manipulated by a user. The system observes the operation of the active task and user interactions, and utilizes predetermined criteria to generate context representation of the active task that are relevant to the context of the active task. The information retrieval system then processes the context representation to generate queries or search terms for conducting an information search. The information retrieval system determines the relevance of a word to the context by utilizing an adaptive weighting system. The information retrieval system assigns varying weights to different attributes of a word and calculates an accumulated weight of the word by accumulating all weights assigned to the word. The attributes may include word size, style, location of the word, etc. The system then ranks the importance of words based on their respective accumulated weight, and chooses words that rank within a predetermined number from the top to form search terms to conduct an information search using various data sources. |
| US09367587B2 |
System and method for combining inputs to generate and modify playlists
Systems, methods, and computer readable storage mediums are provided for selecting a media content object for a user using a combination of inputs. A media input seed associated with a user is obtained. A plurality of channels of media content objects is obtained. At least one of the plurality of channels is associated with the media input seed. Also, in some embodiments, each media content object of each of those channels has a score specific to that channel. A combination score for a respective media content object is calculated based at least in part on that respective media content object's channel specific score for each of at least two of the plurality of channels. Then at least some of the media content objects are ranked based at least in part on their respective combination scores. Finally, at least one ranked media content object is then selected for transmission. |
| US09367583B1 |
Systems and methods of generating content performance metrics
Systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed generally to evaluating performance of a content group of a content provider. In some implementations, a system receives a request to display a performance score and accesses a data structure storing keywords, a quality metric for each keyword, and an impression count for each keyword. The quality metric can include a quality score or a first page bid of a keyword. The system can identify keywords of the data structure corresponding to the content group of the content provider. The system can obtain the quality metric and the number of impressions via the data structure for each keyword. The system can determine, for the content group, a performance score using an impression-based weighted average of the quality metric and impression count of each of the keywords. |
| US09367582B2 |
Systems and methods involving information objects
A method includes receiving a request from a source service, determining whether the target service associated with the request supports a by-reference evaluation strategy, determining whether an information object associated with the request is a data reference, retrieving data associated with the reference from a database, adding the data to the information object, and invoking the target service and passing the information object to the target service responsive to determining that the target service does not support the by-reference strategy and the information object is a data reference. |
| US09367581B2 |
System and method of quality assessment of a search index
Systems, methods, and computer program products for enabling assessment of the quality of a search index. In one embodiment, objects are processed to produce corresponding text that is stored and indexed. The objects are also processed to identify and store corresponding metadata values for indexing. Error conditions that are detected during the processing of objects to generate corresponding text are tracked and compared to determine the most severe of the error conditions. An indication of the most severe error condition is stored in a first consolidated error field. Errors that are encountered in the identification and storage of metadata values are counted and this count is stored in a second consolidated error field. Both of the consolidated error fields are indexed in the same manner as the text and metadata for the objects, so that the stored error information can be used in queries of the search index. |
| US09367578B2 |
Method and system for message tracking and checking
An invalidation tracker system for tracking messages in a caching architecture of a pricing and shopping platform. The caching architecture includes multiple levels each comprising one or more servers. Invalidation messages are communicated from one level to another to send invalidation messages to all servers in the caching architecture. The system receives data from provider databases to be communicated to the servers in the caching architecture. The system includes a recording module for recording all invalidation messages communicated to the servers in the caching architecture to form a set of sent invalidation messages, an analyzing module for determining the invalidation messages received at each server in the caching architecture and comparing this with the set of sent invalidation messages to identify one or more undelivered invalidation messages, and a reply module for resending the one or more identified undelivered invalidation messages to an appropriate server in the caching architecture. |
| US09367576B2 |
Indexing of significant media granulars
Identifying significant media granulars may comprise partitioning a media document into one or more media granulars. A score may be assigned to each of the one or more media granulars. The one or more media granulars may be monitored to detect one or more user actions on the one or more media granular. The score associated with a respective one of the media granulars may be updated based on a number of user actions detected on the respective one of the media granulars. A media granular may be identified as being significant based on the score meeting a threshold. |
| US09367575B1 |
System and method for managing deduplication between applications using dissimilar fingerprint types
The present disclosure provides for a fingerprint service that maintains a fingerprint index configured to support a number of dissimilar fingerprint types. In one embodiment, the fingerprint service receives a lookup request, where the lookup request comprises one or more fingerprint descriptors, and each of the one or more fingerprint descriptors comprises a fingerprint value and a corresponding fingerprint type. A first fingerprint descriptor of the one or more fingerprint descriptors is identified. A first sub-index of a fingerprint index is selected, where the first sub-index is associated with a first fingerprint type of the first fingerprint descriptor. A lookup operation for a first fingerprint value of the first fingerprint descriptor is performed in the first sub-index. In response to the first fingerprint value being present in the first sub-index, information associated with the first fingerprint value is returned. |
| US09367572B2 |
Metadata-based file-identification systems and methods
In a system comprising media files resident on various devices, devices equipped with media servers can deliver files to devices with media clients for purposes of playback (rendering) and/or storage. Some media servers may be capable of delivering files in various formats and may offer clients delivery format options. Media clients are aware of preferential list of formats that can be supported on a device and can choose from delivery options provided by media servers. Media files are introduced on the devices either via means external to this system or by leveraging system's media servers and media clients to transfer content between devices. When media files are introduced on the devices by means external to this system, media scanners detect such media files and make it available to media servers and thus to the rest of the system. |
| US09367564B2 |
Dynamic grouping of domain objects via smart groups
A method of organizing a first group of domain objects relating to hydrocarbon management is disclosed. User-defined logic conditions are established. A plurality of the domain objects in the first group of domain objects are selected. It is determined whether any of the selected plurality of domain objects satisfies the logic conditions. A second group of domain objects is created that includes the logic conditions and a list of the domain objects satisfying the logic conditions. An operation command is performed on the second group of domain objects such that the operation command is performed on all domain objects listed in the second group of domain objects. |
| US09367563B2 |
Managing records in a travel management system
Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for managing an extended record data structure in a content management system. A plurality of records are stored in an extended record data structure that include first data containers containing standard data elements and second data containers containing non-standard data elements. A record identifier is assigned to each record in the extended data structure for which one or more of the standard data elements and one or more of the non-standard data elements are related. For each record, an entry is created in an auxiliary data structure. The entry shares the record identifier of the record and comprises an auxiliary data container. The auxiliary data container includes a set of attributes related to the first and second data containers sharing the same record identifier in the record data structure. The extended record data structure is managed based on the auxiliary data structures. |
| US09367559B1 |
Data locality control for deduplication
A method for data locality control in a deduplication system is provided. The method includes forming a fingerprint cache from a backup image corresponding to a first backup operation. The method includes removing one or more fingerprints from inclusion in the fingerprint cache, in response to the one or more fingerprints having a data segment locality, in a container, less than a threshold of data segment locality. The container has one or more data segments corresponding to the one or more fingerprints. The method includes applying the fingerprint cache, with the one or more fingerprints removed from inclusion therein, to a second backup operation, wherein at least one method operation is executed through a processor. |
| US09367556B2 |
Hashing scheme using compact array tables
Embodiments include a method, system, and computer program product for creating an array table. In one embodiment the method includes identifying keys associated with values in a database and identifying bits common between the plurality of keys using logical functions and removing the common bits to form condensed keys. The method also includes modulating the condensed keys using identified common bits to create transformed keys and populating the plurality of array tables using the transformed keys and associated values. |
| US09367552B1 |
System and method for event registration
A self-contained multi-station registration system for registering users at a point of registration is disclosed. The registration system provides a registration web page to registration stations at the point of registration. The registration system further receives registration information from the registration stations, wherein the registration information is associated with the users. The registration system then prints the registration information at the point of registration and saves the registration information for later use. Also, the registration system requires no access to public or corporate networks. |
| US09367548B2 |
Search filtered file system using secondary storage, including multi-dimensional indexing and searching of archived files
Techniques for enabling user search of content stored in a file archive include providing a search interface comprising a search rules portion and an action rules portion, receiving a file archive search criterion comprising at least one search rule, and searching the file archive using the search criterion. The techniques also include generating a set of files filtered using the search criterion and performing an action specified in the action rules portion on a file included in the set of files. |
| US09367545B2 |
Apparatus for providing digital content and method thereof
An apparatus for providing content operable in association with an input apparatus, and a method thereof are provided. According to the apparatus and method, a control signal corresponding to an action of a user is received from an input apparatus associated with the content, a content associated with the input apparatus based on the received control signal is searched, and the searched content is provided. |
| US09367532B2 |
Cross document communication
Techniques for allowing cross-document communication are provided. In one approach, a child document of a parent document communicates with another child document of the parent document. A child document may correspond to a frame element within the parent document. The communication may occur directly or indirectly through the parent document. In another approach, an ancestor document communicates with a descendant document that is two or more degrees of separation away from the ancestor document. The communication may occur directly or indirectly through one or more intermediate documents. In both approaches, one document may send out one or more discovery messages that request identities of sibling documents, descendant documents, or ancestor documents. |
| US09367531B2 |
Application isolation system
A facility for managing a document conversion environment is described. In various embodiments, the facility includes a native application associated with a native document type and an isolation service. The isolation service determines whether a native application associated with the native document type has started and when it has not started, starts the native application and causes the started native application to load and convert a native document to a common document format, wherein the isolation service starts a single instance of the native application and monitors the single instance of the native application so that it complies with specified a parameter, condition, or setting of operation. |
| US09367529B1 |
Selecting content based on entities
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium for providing content to a user. A method includes: identifying a first resource, the first resource including one or more links to second, other resources and at least one slot for filling with third party content, wherein first selection criteria are associated with a first slot of the at least one slots; determining for at least one of the second other resources entities associated therewith, including evaluating a page associated with the second other resource to identify entities that are associated with content presented on the page; using the determined entities to either augment or filter the first selection criteria producing enhanced selection criteria; and determining one or more content items for presentation to a user in the first slot, wherein determining includes using the enhanced selection criteria to identify the one or more content items. |
| US09367527B2 |
Centralized lost and found system
In one embodiment, a system and method for reporting lost items includes presenting a lost item reporting link associated with an entity having a plurality of different physical establishment locations; receiving a user selection of the lost item reporting link; presenting at a website, in response to the user selection of the lost item reporting link, a graphical user interface configured to solicit lost item recovery information, the website being associated with the entity having the plurality of different physical establishments; receiving the lost item recovery information via the graphical user interface; and transmitting the lost item recovery information to a third party online lost and found system. |
| US09367521B2 |
Content and context based handling of instant messages
Instant message systems are enhanced by establishing at least one handling rule that is evaluated in an instant messaging environment, each established handling rule defining a condition based upon at least one of identified content or identified context, and a corresponding event handling action to be performed within the instant message environment. Upon identifying an instant message conversation within the instant message environment between a user and a correspondent, each handling rule is evaluated and the event handling action of an associated handling rule is performed if it is determined that the condition of handling rule is satisfied. Further, an indication that the corresponding event action was performed is conveyed to a corresponding user. |
| US09367518B2 |
Method and system for efficient full resolution correlation
Aspects of a method and system for efficient full resolution correlation may include correlating a first signal with a second signal at a rate corresponding to a first discrete signal, wherein each sample of the first signal may be generated by summing a plurality of consecutive samples from the first discrete signal, and the second signal may be generated by summing the plurality of consecutive samples from a second discrete signal. The correlating may be performed by a matched filter and/or a correlator. The first signal comprising N samples may be generated by summing L consecutive samples for each of the N samples from the first discrete signal comprising N*L samples. The second signal comprising N samples may be generated by summing L consecutive samples for each of the N samples from the second discrete signal comprising N*L samples. The first signal and the second signal may be correlated by multiplying the N samples of the first signal with the N samples of the second signal in N multipliers and summing a plurality of outputs of the multipliers. A maximum of the correlating may be determined to achieve synchronization between the first discrete signal and the second discrete signal. |
| US09367516B2 |
Circuit arrangement for a data processing system and method for data processing
A circuit arrangement for a data processing system is configured to process data in multiple modules. The circuit arrangement is configured to provide a clock as well as a time base and/or a base of at least one further physical quantity for each of the multiple modules. The circuit arrangement also comprises a central routing unit, which is connected to several of the multiple modules. Via the central routing unit, the modules can periodically exchange data based on the time base and/or on the base of the at least one further physical quantity. The several modules are configured to process data independently of and in parallel to other modules of the several modules. |
| US09367513B2 |
Image display device
To provide an image display device to simplify software for rewriting data, and shorten rewrite time, a vehicle meter 1 includes the image display device including: a display device 10 displaying the image data; a main microprocessor 30 including Flash-ROMa 31 and I/F 32 communicating with external; and GDC microprocessor 40 including Flash-ROMb 41 the image data is stored, controlled by the main microprocessor 30, and controlling the display device 10, whereby the GDC microprocessor 40 includes an I/F 42 for directly rewriting the image data from external. |
| US09367506B2 |
Executive device and control method and electronic system thereof
A stack method for executive devices includes the following steps: a present master-slave setting is detected of each execution device, such that the execution device is respectively set as a master device and a slave device. The master device generates coding information. It is detected if another execution device is connected successively to the current execution device, so as to process the coding information. If there is another execution device connected successively to the current execution device, the current execution device generates following coding information according to its coding information and writes the following coding information to the successive execution device as its coding information. If there is no execution device connected successively, the current execution device replies its coding information to the master device as end coding information. |
| US09367504B2 |
Coherency overcommit
One or more systems, devices, methods, and/or processes described can receive, via an interconnect, messages from processing nodes and a first portion of the messages can displace a second portion of the messages based on priorities of the first portion of messages or based on expirations times of the second portion of messages. In one example, the second portion of messages can be stored via a buffer of a fabric controller (FBC) of the interconnect, and the first portion of messages, associated with higher priorities than the second portion of messages, can displace the second portion of messages in the buffer. For instance, the second portion of messages can include speculative commands. In another example, the second portion of messages can be stored via the buffer, and the second portion of messages, associated with expiration times, can displace the second portion of messages based on the expiration times. |
| US09367501B2 |
Dynamic streaming data dispatcher
A method includes receiving, by a computing device, a plurality of data streams from plurality of sources, distributing the data streams to a plurality of sinks on multiple hosts, receiving load information indicating a load on at least one of the plurality of sinks and adjusting the distribution of the data stream accordingly and instructing the plurality of sinks to write the data streams to a distributed data store. |
| US09367499B2 |
System on chip for enhancing quality of service and method of controlling the same
A system on chip (SOC) include at least one slave device, a plurality of master devices, a plurality of service controllers and an interconnect device. The master devices generate requests to demand services from the slave device, respectively. The service controllers generate urgent information signals and priority information signals for each of the master devices. The interconnect device is coupled to the slave device and the master devices through respective channels. The interconnect device performs an arbitrating operation on the requests based on the priority information signals and controls request flows between the slave device and the master devices based on the urgent information signals. |
| US09367496B2 |
DMA transfer device and method
To provide a DMA transfer apparatus and a DMA transfer method capable of reducing traffic on a bus between an external shared memory and DMA controller with less additional hardware to effectively use a memory.A pattern generation section 11 is provided in a DMA controller 17 and generates data of a predetermined pattern, such as a zero matrix or unit matrix, in the DMA controller when data is transferred from an external shared memory 14 to an internal memory 15. Further, transfer data read out from the external shared memory is temporarily held in a queuing section 13 for queuing. At this time, switching between the transfer data from the queuing section and predetermined pattern data is made based on the number of the transfer data. |
| US09367490B2 |
Reversible connector for accessory devices
Reversible connectors for accessory devices are described. In one or more implementations, a connector cable for an accessory of a host computing device is configured such that a head of the connector cable may be plugged into a corresponding port of the host in either orientation (straight or reverse). The host computing device is configured to sample signals associated with allocated pins of the connector to detect connection of the connector to an accessory port and to ascertain an orientation of the connector. A combination of high and low values of signals conveyed via these allocated pins upon insertion of the connector may be used by a controller of the host to distinguish between different types of devices and to resolve the orientation of the connector cable. A switching mechanism of the host computing device may then be configured to automatically route signals accordingly. |
| US09367488B1 |
System on a chip (SoC) RHBD structured ASIC
This invention relates to both a method and device for booting up a device and online scrubbing utilizing a system on chip appliqué sensor interface module in a Space Plug-and-Play Avionics environment that incorporates Radiation Hardened by Design components. |
| US09367484B2 |
System and apparatus for controlling use of mass storage devices
Disclosed is a software program, USB monitoring software agent. USB monitoring software agent is a software program that monitors all USB ports of a computer and provides real-time detection of all USB devices connected to a USB port. As a USB device is detected, the device is identified, categorized, cataloged and logged in a secure persistent store, prompted for a challenge policy of use if so configured, prevent the USB device from being used if so configured, transmit information about the detected USB device to a local or remote repository by a selected industry standard telecommunication method. A method of creating a digital photograph and/or a video recording to record and identify a user of the computer contemporaneous with the insertion/removal/ejection of a USB device into or out of the computer is disclosed also. |
| US09367476B2 |
Memory management apparatus, method, and system
The present invention discloses a memory management apparatus, method, and system. An OS-based memory management apparatus associated with main memory includes a memory allocation controller configured to control a first memory region within the main memory such that the first memory region is used as a buffer cache depending on whether an input/output device is active or not in order to use the first memory region, allowing memory reservation for the input/output device, in the OS. The memory allocation controller controls the first memory region such that the first memory region is used as an eviction-based cache. |
| US09367474B2 |
Translating cache hints
Systems and methods for translating cache hints between different protocols within a SoC. A requesting agent within the SoC generates a first cache hint for a transaction, and the first cache hint is compliant with a first protocol. The first cache hint can be set to a reserved encoding value as defined by the first protocol. Prior to the transaction being sent to the memory subsystem, the first cache hint is translated into a second cache hint. The memory subsystem recognizes cache hints which are compliant with a second protocol, and the second cache hint is compliant with the second protocol. |
| US09367472B2 |
Observation of data in persistent memory
Systems and methods for reliably using data storage media. Multiple processors are configured to access a persistent memory. For a given data block corresponding to a write access request from a first processor to the persistent memory, a cache controller prevents any read access of a copy of the given data block in an associated cache. The cache controller prevents any read access while detecting an acknowledgment that the given data block is stored in the persistent memory is not yet received. Until the acknowledgment is received, the cache controller allows write access of the copy of the given data block in the associated cache only for a thread in the first processor that originally sent the write access request. The cache controller invalidates any copy of the given data block in any cache levels below the associated cache. |
| US09367468B2 |
Data cache way prediction
In a particular embodiment, a method includes identifying one or more way prediction characteristics of an instruction. The method also includes selectively reading, based on identification of the one or more way prediction characteristics, a table to identify an entry of the table associated with the instruction that identifies a way of a data cache. The method further includes making a prediction whether a next access of the data cache based on the instruction will access the way. |
| US09367467B2 |
System and method for managing cache replacements
A system and method for managing cache replacements and a memory subsystem incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a cache controller operable to control a cache and, in order: (1a) issue a pre-fetch command when the cache has a cache miss, (1b) perform at least one housekeeping task to ensure that the cache can store a replacement line and (1c) issue a fetch command and (2) a memory controller associated with a memory of a lower level than the cache and operable to respond to the pre-fetch command by performing at least one housekeeping task to ensure that the memory can provide the replacement line and respond to the fetch command by providing the replacement line. |
| US09367466B2 |
Conditional prefetching
A type of conditional probability fetcher prefetches data, such as for a cache, from another memory by maintaining information relating to memory elements in a group of memory elements fetched from the second memory. The information may be an aggregate number of memory elements that have been fetched for different memory segments in the group. The information is maintained responsive to fetching one or more memory elements from a segment of memory elements in the group of memory elements. Prefetching one or more remaining memory elements in a particular segment of memory elements from the second memory into the first memory occurs when the information relating to the memory elements in the group of memory elements indicates that a prefetching condition has been satisfied. |
| US09367465B2 |
Method and system for improving memory access performance
The present invention relates to a computing system which includes a processor and a memory. It also includes a memory access optimizer which is arranged to affect memory access of a program during runtime execution of the software. The program includes a plurality of application elements, each comprising a text field containing a text section, and a memory access field. The memory access optimizer is arranged to implement memory access data in the memory access field in order to affect memory access of the application element. The text section is unchanged by the memory access data implementation. |
| US09367462B2 |
Shared memories for energy efficient multi-core processors
Technologies are described herein related to multi-core processors that are adapted to share processor resources. An example multi-core processor can include a plurality of processor cores. The multi-core processor further can include a shared register file selectively coupled to two or more of the plurality of processor cores, where the shared register file is adapted to serve as a shared resource among the selected processor cores. |
| US09367460B2 |
Implicit I/O send on cache operations
A computer system for implicit input-output send on cache operations of a central processing unit is provided. The computer system comprises an aggregation queue of a central processing unit, storing input-output data of the central processing unit, wherein the aggregation queue transmits the input-output data to an input-output adaptor, and wherein the input-output data is transmitted in parallel with operations of the central processing unit. The computer system further comprises, a memory management unit of the central processing unit, interpreting address space descriptors for implicit input-output transmittal of the input-output data of the aggregation queue. The computer system further comprises, a cache traffic monitor of the central processing unit, transmitting the input-output data in an implicit input-output transmittal range between the cache traffic monitor and the aggregation queue, wherein the cache traffic monitor transmits cache protocol of the central processing unit to the memory management unit. |
| US09367459B2 |
Scheduling method and multi-core processor system
A scheduling method of a scheduler that manages threads is executed by a computer. The scheduling method includes selecting a CPU of relatively less load, when a second thread is generated from a first thread to be processed; determining whether the second thread operates exclusively from the first thread; copying a first storage area assessed by the first thread onto a second storage area managed by the CPU, when the second thread operates exclusively; calculating based on an address of the second storage area and a predetermined value, an offset for a second address for the second thread to access the first storage area; and notifying the CPU of the offset for the second address to convert a first address to a third address for accessing the second storage area. |
| US09367456B1 |
Integrated circuit and method for accessing segments of a cache line in arrays of storage elements of a folded cache
An integrated circuit including a cache and first and second modules. The cache is folded a predetermined number of times. The cache includes arrays and storage elements. Each of the arrays includes respective ones of the storage elements. The arrays store a cache line. The cache line includes segments of data. The segments of data are stored in two or more of the arrays. Each of the segments of data is stored in a corresponding one of the storage elements. The first module receives a first identifier of one of the segments of data and a second identifier of a set of the storage elements. The first module determines an index based on the first and second identifiers. The second module, based on the index, accesses one of the segments of data from the two or more of the arrays and outputs the one of the segments of data. |
| US09367453B1 |
System and method for migrating cache data
A computer-implemented method, computer program product and computing system for moving at least a portion of cache data from a first cache storage device coupled to a first computing device included within a first virtual machine to a shared storage device. The at least a portion of cache data is moved from the shared storage device to a second cache storage device coupled to a second computing device included within a second virtual machine. |
| US09367443B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing system, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing information processing program
An information processing apparatus includes a detecting unit that detects a capacity of a free space of a non-volatile storage device in an apparatus including the non-volatile storage device and a volatile storage device, a determining unit that determines whether the setting of notification destination information to the non-volatile storage device is available on the basis of the detected capacity, an information setting unit that sets the notification destination information to the volatile storage device when the determining unit determines that the setting of the notification destination information to the non-volatile storage device is not available, and an interval setting unit that sets an interval of communication for management with the apparatus to be shorter than that set when it is determined that the setting of the notification destination information is available, if the determining unit determines that the setting of the notification destination information is not available. |
| US09367441B2 |
Method for managing physical memory of a data storage and data storage management system
A method is provided managing physical memory of a data storage, for example, a heap. The method includes requesting a memory portion having a memory portion size and identifying a pool. The pool is provided for storing at least one access information indicative of an address of a memory block of the data storage. The memory block has a memory block size equal to or larger than the memory portion size. The method further includes determining whether the access information is stored in the pool. If the access information is stored in the pool, address data of the memory block is returned, wherein the address data are based on the access information, and access information is removed from the pool. If the access information is not stored in the pool, the access information is created, and address data of the memory block is returned. |
| US09367439B2 |
Physical memory usage prediction
In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a system that includes memory and a prediction subsystem. The memory includes a first memgroup and a second memgroup, wherein the first memgroup comprises a first physical page and a second physical page, wherein the first physical page is a first subtype, and wherein the second physical page is a second subtype. The prediction subsystem is configured to obtain a status value indicating an amount of freed physical pages on the memory, store the status value in a sample buffer comprising a plurality of previous status values, determine, using the status value and the plurality of previous status values, a deficiency subtype state for the first subtype based on an anticipated need for the first subtype on the memory, and instruct, based on the determination, an allocation subsystem to coalesce the second physical page to the first subtype. |
| US09367437B2 |
Method and apparatus for reducing the number of speculative accesses to a memory array
A method includes: receiving a first plurality of consecutive bits from a base operand, wherein a MSB of the first plurality of consecutive bits from the base operand is a LSB of a second plurality of consecutive bits from the base operand; and receiving a first plurality of consecutive bits from an offset operand, wherein a MSB of the first plurality of consecutive bits from the offset operand is a LSB of a second plurality of consecutive bits from the offset operand. The method includes summing the first plurality of consecutive bits from the base operand with the first plurality of consecutive bits from the offset operand to generate a sum value; and allowing access to one of a plurality of memory arrays and disabling access to the remainder of the plurality of memory arrays when a lesser significant bit to a MSB of the sum value equals zero. |
| US09367430B1 |
Decomposing application topology data into transaction tracking data
In an approach for generating transaction tracking data that is used to simulate a customer environment or test case scenario, a processor receives user input data, wherein the user input data includes, at least, an application topology constructed using a graphical user interface. A processor validates the user input data for, at least, supported environments of components of the application topology. A processor generates transaction tracking data based on, at least, the user input data. |
| US09367429B2 |
Diagnostics of declarative source elements
A method for diagnosing declarative source elements in an application, such as in debugging markup source elements or visual elements in an application, is disclosed. Diagnosis information is associated with an object source of a visual element. The diagnosis information is provided for the visual element during the runtime of the application. |
| US09367427B2 |
Embedding and executing trace functions in code to gather trace data
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for embedding and executing trace functions in code to gather trace data. A plurality of trace functions are embedded in the code. For each embedded trace function, a trace level is included indicating code to which the trace applies. The trace level comprises one of a plurality of levels. During the execution of the code, the embedded trace functions having one of the levels associated with a specified at least one level specified are executed. The embedded trace functions associated with at least one level not comprising one of the at least one specified level are not invoked. |
| US09367423B1 |
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for using multiple modes during execution of a program
Disclosed are various embodiments relating to methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for using multiple modes during execution of a program. Various embodiments enable a use to switch among multiple modes of execution of a program during an execution of the program without recompiling a higher level code of the program or without restarting the execution of the program from the beginning. Some embodiments enable the user to switch among different modes regardless of whether or not the preparation for the execution of the program in modes other than the first mode is available. Some embodiments enable the user to switch among different modes of execution of a program while sharing the same environment or context of the execution of the program among these different modes of execution. |
| US09367420B2 |
Method and arrangement for monitoring at least one battery, battery having such an arrangement, and motor vehicle having a corresponding battery
The present disclosure relates to a method and an arrangement for monitoring at least one battery, to a battery having such an arrangement, and to a motor vehicle having a corresponding battery that is used for safely monitoring the battery condition with a reduced amount of hardware. The at least one battery is monitored by analyzing measured variables of the at least one battery using at least one data processing device. The signals exchanged between the at least one battery and the at least one data processing device via a communication connection are monitored at least once. |
| US09367418B2 |
Application monitoring
Methods and systems for monitoring of software applications are described herein. In one implementation, monitoring data corresponding to at least one component of the application is obtained based on user preferences. The monitoring data comprises data pertaining to the software application at least one of an application level and a database level. The monitoring data is transferred to a monitoring buffer after the completion of first predetermined time interval. The monitoring data is further transferred from the monitoring buffer to a database after a second predetermined time interval. The transfer process is asynchronous of the application execution process. |
| US09367408B2 |
Optimizing placement plans for host failure in cloud computing environments
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for optimizing a placement plan. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed in which a request for registration with an external advisor is received. A time to live is received from each external advisor and used to determine an overall timeout period value for a placement engine. After receiving a predictive failure alert, internal and external advisors are ranked according to criteria and advice is received from the qualified advisors. A placement plan is generated based on the advice received from the advisors. |
| US09367407B2 |
Optimizing placement plans for host failure in cloud computing environments
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer program products for optimizing a placement plan. In one embodiment, a method is disclosed in which a request for registration with an external advisor is received. A time to live is received from each external advisor and used to determine an overall timeout period value for a placement engine. After receiving a predictive failure alert, internal and external advisors are ranked according to criteria and advice is received from the qualified advisors. A placement plan is generated based on the advice received from the advisors. |
| US09367402B1 |
Coexistence of block based backup (BBB) products
A method and system for write tracking for block based backup that supports multiple block based backup applications. The method includes creating a first bitmap for a first block based backup application by the block based backup engine, creating a second bitmap for a second block based backup application by the block based backup engine. In response to receiving a request from a block based backup application to start a backup a check is made whether the request indicates a full backup or incremental backup for the first block based backup application. A merging of the bitmaps for block based backup applications is performed such that the performance of the requested backup is taken into account for the first backup application without adversely affecting the tracking of the block based backup of other backup applications. |
| US09367400B2 |
System reset
Some embodiments of the invention provide techniques whereby a user may perform a system reset (e.g., to address system performance and/or reliability degradation, such as which may be caused by unused applications that unnecessarily consume system resources, an attempted un-install of an application that left remnants of the application behind, and/or other causes). In some embodiments, performing a system reset replaces a first instance of an operating system on the system with a new instance of the operating system, and removes any applications installed on the system, without disturbing the user's data. |
| US09367399B2 |
Graphics processing subsystem and method for recovering a video basic input/output system
A graphics processing subsystem and a method for recovering a video basic input/output system (VBIOS). One embodiment of the graphics processing subsystem includes: (1) a memory configured to store a VBIOS, and (2) a processor coupled to the memory and configured to employ a bridge to gain access to the VBIOS and cause the VBIOS to be written to the memory. |
| US09367395B1 |
Managing data inconsistencies in storage systems
A method is used in managing data inconsistencies in storage systems. A data inconsistency is detected in a portion of a file system. The portion of the file system includes a set of file system data blocks. The portion of the file system is recovered. The portion of the file system is validated by using information stored in a set of mapping pointers associated with the set of file system data blocks. |
| US09367392B2 |
NAND flash memory having internal ECC processing and method of operation thereof
A continuous read operation may be achieved by using a data buffer having a partitioned data register and a partitioned cache register, user configurable internal ECC associated with the cache register, and fast bad block management. During a data read operation, the ECC status may be indicated by ECC status bits. The status (1:1), for example, may indicate for the Continuous Read Mode that the entire data output contains more than 4 bits errors/page in multiple pages. However, one may wish to know the ECC status of each page or of each page partition. For the former, the ECC status for the entire page may be determined and made in the status register at the end of the output of the page. For the latter, the ECC status of each page partition may be determined and output before output of the corresponding page partition. |
| US09367388B2 |
Memory system including randomizer and derandomizer
Provided is a memory system including a semiconductor memory device including a buffer memory block suitable for storing page data, and including a main memory block, and a controller suitable for generating a combination seed by performing a logical operation on a randomizing seed, a derandomizing seed, and error information, and for providing the generated combination seed to the semiconductor memory device. |
| US09367383B2 |
Tracing and discovering the origins and genealogy of install errors
The disclosure generally describes computer-implemented methods, software, and systems for presenting error information. An indication is received of a selected error for a product installation. Installations are identified having a matching stream, build number and error. Other builds in a same stream having the same error are identified. Information is provided for displaying a graph having a horizontal line graph including first nodes representing builds in the same stream having the same error. Other occurrences of the error in builds of other streams are identified. Information for updating the graph is provided with parallel lines for each of the other streams, each parallel line including second nodes representing builds. An oldest one of the first nodes and second nodes is identified. Information is provided for presenting a list of potential changes occurring before the date associated with the oldest node and that are candidates for causing the error. |
| US09367379B1 |
Automated self-healing computer system
A server. The server comprises a processor, a memory, and an application that receives an alert message corresponding to an error and a performance metric value in a messaging server, wherein the messaging server is one of a plurality of servers in a rotation that supports a front-end application in a system, identifies a course of action for repair, determines that the number of active servers in the rotation is above a predefined threshold number of active servers, removes the messaging server from the rotation, notifies a system administrator of the removal, the identified error, and the performance metric value, repairs the messaging server by implementing the identified course of action, validates the messaging server by running application programming interface (API) calls, places the repaired messaging server in the rotation, and notifies the system administrator of repair details and API call results. |
| US09367378B2 |
Facilitating transaction completion subsequent to repeated aborts of the transaction
Processing of transactions within a computing environment is facilitated by taking actions to increase the chances of successfully executing a transaction. A counter is maintained that provides a count of how often a transaction has aborted. The counter increments the count each time the transaction is aborted, and it is reset to zero upon successful completion of the transaction or an interruption leading to no more re-executions of the transaction. If the count reaches a threshold value, then an interrupt is presented and transaction execution is unsuccessful. However, before the count reaches the threshold, a number of actions may be taken to increase the chances of successfully executing the transaction. These actions include actions to be performed within the processor executing the transaction, and/or actions to be performed against conflicting processors. |
| US09367377B2 |
Apparatus and method for monitoring multiple micro-cores
An apparatus and method for monitoring multiple micro-cores enable one watchdog to monitor a plurality of micro-cores. The multiple micro-core monitoring apparatus includes: a plurality of micro-cores that periodically output clear signals having different pulse waves; and a watchdog that respectively receives the clear signals having different pulse waves so as to determine presence or absence of an error in the micro-cores, and reset an erroneous micro-core. |
| US09367374B2 |
Handling system interrupts with long running recovery actions
A method, processor, and computer system for handling interrupts within a hierarchical register structure. The method includes receiving at a root-level register an indication of an interrupt occurring at a lower level register in the register structure, using a system interrupt handler to invoke an error handler assigned to a set of registers of the structure that includes the lower level register, and using the invoked error handler to handle the interrupt and return to the system interrupt handler. |
| US09367370B2 |
NOC loopback routing tables to reduce I/O loading and off-chip delays
Technologies are generally described to implement loopback simulation of inter-core messages in multicore processors. In some examples, a multicore processor may execute one or more processes, where each process communicates with other processes on or off the processor. Messages originating from processes on the multicore processor and destined for other processes on the multicore processor may be intercepted by a loopback simulator executing on the multicore processor. The loopback simulator may then redirect the intercepted messages to the destination processes on the multicore processor without the messages leaving the multicore processor. |
| US09367368B2 |
Event processing control device, node device, event processing system, and event processing control method
In an event processing system, a service level required for event processing is satisfied. A node information acquisition unit 110 acquires node information which includes information related to a connection destination node and performance information, from each of a plurality of nodes. Each of the plurality of nodes transfers an event or an event processing result to another connected node according to a transfer path. A node and path determination unit 120 determines a combination of an event processing node which is a node to perform the event processing and the transfer path from a source node from which an event is transmitted to a destination node to which an event processing result is transmitted, through one or more nodes including the event processing node, in such a way to satisfy a specified service level, on the basis of the node information. |
| US09367366B2 |
System and methods for collaborative query processing for large scale data processing with software defined networking
A system includes a task scheduler that works collaboratively with a flow scheduler; a network-aware task scheduler based on software-defined network, the task scheduler scheduling tasks according to available network bandwidth. |
| US09367365B2 |
Method and system for providing remote access to a state of an application program
A method and system for providing remote access to a state of an application executing on a remote server. A client computer includes a client remote access program that is used to connect to a server remote access program. At the client computer, a client difference program having encoded data indicative of a change of a state of the application last received from the server computer is generated and transmitted to the server remote access program. At the server computer, the client difference program is executed to update the state of the application and a server difference program is generated having encoded a difference between the updated state of the application and the state of the application last sent to the client computer. The server difference program is transmitted to the client computer to update the state of the application since it was last received from the server computer. |
| US09367361B2 |
Information processing device, method for processing information, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein information processing program
There is provided an information processing device includes a task executor and a controller. The task executor executes one or more second tasks that are generated by execution of a first task. The controller that controls the task executor such that the number of tasks to be executed in parallel is adjusted on the basis of a usage degree representing a degree of usage of resource in the information processing device. |
| US09367358B2 |
Virtualizing a set of managers to form a composite manager in an autonomic system
A composite manager may include a set of managers virtualized as a single entity. The composite manager may also include at least one of a module to provide a single manager interface for the set of managers to manage at least one entity, and a module to provide a single manageability interface for the set of managers relative to any managing entity of the composite manager. |
| US09367357B2 |
Simultaneous scheduling of processes and offloading computation on many-core coprocessors
Methods and systems for scheduling jobs to manycore nodes in a cluster include selecting a job to run according to the job's wait time and the job's expected execution time; sending job requirements to all nodes in a cluster, where each node includes a manycore processor; determining at each node whether said node has sufficient resources to ever satisfy the job requirements and, if no node has sufficient resources, deleting the job; creating a list of nodes that have sufficient free resources at a present time to satisfy the job requirements; and assigning the job to a node, based on a difference between an expected execution time and associated confidence value for each node and a hypothetical fastest execution time and associated hypothetical maximum confidence value. |
| US09367355B1 |
Resource utilization by one or more tasks
Complex devices, software systems, and/or networks may comprise one or more subsystems that perform periodic tasks. A first task may be assigned a first execution frequency and a second task may be assigned a second execution frequency that is not an alias of the first execution frequency (e.g., assignment of execution intervals that are non-overlapping harmonics of each other, such as non-repeating frequencies). A first resource utilization by the first task may be distinguished from a second resource utilization of the second task based upon the first resource utilization corresponding to resource utilization (e.g., network usage, processor usage, power consumption, user access, etc.) associated with the first execution frequency and the second resource utilization corresponding to resource utilization associated with the second execution frequency. Thus, resource utilization of individual tasks of various subsystems and/or networks may be determined. |
| US09367352B2 |
System and method for intelligent timer services
A method is provided for efficiently scheduling timer events within an operating system by allocating a plurality of timers, each of which has an expiry time, to a set of available timer slots. The method defines a timer spread value that denotes the allowed variance of the expiry times of each of the timers, calculates a set of available timer slots for each of the timers based on the timer spread value, and adjusts the expiry times of the timers so as to insert and evenly spread the timers across the set of available timer slots. In one implementation, the set of available timer slots is located in a timer wheel existing within the operating system, and the timer wheel uses a plurality of timer vectors arranged into successively increasing levels, beginning with level zero. |
| US09367349B2 |
Multi-core system and scheduling method
A multi-core system includes multiple processor cores; a bus connected to the processor cores; multiple peripheral devices accessed by the processor cores via the bus; profile information including information concerning access of the peripheral devices by each task assigned to the processor cores; a monitor that based on the profile information, monitors access requests to the peripheral devices from tasks under execution at the processor cores and prohibits an access request that causes contention at the bus; and a scheduler that when the monitor prohibits an access request that causes contention at the bus, switches to a different task. |
| US09367348B2 |
Protecting the footprint of memory transactions from victimization
A processing unit includes a processor core and a cache memory. Entries in the cache memory are grouped in multiple congruence classes. The cache memory includes tracking logic that tracks a transaction footprint including cache line(s) accessed by transactional memory access request(s) of a memory transaction. The cache memory, responsive to receiving a memory access request that specifies a target cache line having a target address that maps to a congruence class, forms a working set of ways in the congruence class containing cache line(s) within the transaction footprint and updates a replacement order of the cache lines in the congruence class. Based on membership of the at least one cache line in the working set, the update promotes at least one cache line that is not the target cache line to a replacement order position in which the at least one cache line is less likely to be replaced. |
| US09367347B1 |
Systems and methods for command execution order control in electronic systems
Systems and methods are provided for command execution. A stream-array data structure including a plurality of stream entries is received. One or more head pointers of one or more command chains are obtained from the stream entries. One or more source commands corresponding to the one or more head pointers are obtained in the command chains. A target command is selected from the one or more source commands based at least in part on a priority of the target command. The target command is executed, and removed from the command chains. The stream-array data structure is updated. |
| US09367346B2 |
Accelerating distributed transactions on key-value stores through dynamic lock localization
Systems and methods for accelerating distributed transactions on key-value stores includes applying one or more policies of dynamic lock-localization, the policies including a lock migration stage that decreases nodes on which locks are present so that a transaction needs fewer number of network round trips to acquire locks, the policies including a lock ordering stage for pipelining during lock acquisition and wherein the order on locks to avoid deadlock is controlled by average contentions for the locks rather than static lexicographical ordering; and dynamically migrating and placing locks for distributed objects in distinct entity-groups in a datastore through the policies of dynamic lock-localization. |
| US09367345B1 |
Power efficient cross-VCPU notification by VM function
A hypervisor configures a VM function component for execution on behalf of a guest operating system of a virtual machine, the VM function component to send a request to a virtual processor. The hypervisor receives a notification from the source virtual machine to execute the VM function component to send the request to the virtual processor. The VM function component identifies a physical processor associated with the virtual processor, and adds the request to a memory space associated with the physical processor. |
| US09367344B2 |
Optimized assignments and/or generation virtual machine for reducer tasks
The present disclosure relates to assignment or generation of reducer virtual machines after the “map” phase is substantially complete in MapReduce. Instead of a priori placement, distribution of keys after the “map” phase over the mapper virtual machines can be used to efficiently reducer tasks in virtualized cloud infrastructure like OpenStack. By solving a constraint optimization problem, reducer VMs can be optimally assigned to process keys subject to certain constraints. In particular, the present disclosure describes a special variable matrix. Furthermore, the present disclosure describes several possible cost matrices for representing the costs determined based on the key distribution over the mapper VMs (and other suitable factors). |
| US09367340B2 |
Resource management method and apparatus for virtual machine system, and virtual machine system
An embodiment of the present invention provides a resource management method for a virtual machine system, where the method includes: obtaining, by a virtual resource management platform, a QoS constraint parameter of a virtual machine cluster and a current operating status statistical indicator of the virtual machine cluster, and according to the QoS constraint parameter of the virtual machine cluster and the current operating status statistical indicator of the virtual machine cluster, adjusting physical resources scheduling policy of a physical device platform or performing physical resource scheduling on the physical device platform. The method may ensure QoS of a cloud application. |
| US09367338B2 |
Dynamically binding data in an application
A computer-usable storage medium that when executed cause a computer system to perform a method for binding data in an application. An expression is created via a framework based on input from a developer. The expression is received at an expression engine wherein the expression describes a relation between a first property of a first data of the application to a first property of a second data of the application. A binding is created between the first data and the second data based on the relation via the expression engine. The first property of the second data is changed based on a change to the first property of the first data wherein the changing occurs because of the binding. The receiving the expression, the creating the binding, and the changing the first property are orchestrated via the framework to manage when the expression is executed in the application. |
| US09367336B1 |
Personalization of shared resources
Methods and systems for personalization in a shared environment are provided. Information is stored in memory regarding the shared environment to which a plurality of users are provided with access. A plurality of files are also stored in memory. Each file is specific to one of the users and may be updated to include information regarding changes to a resource as made in a session associated with the user. Subsequent access by the user to the resource may be based at least in part on the updated file. For example, in some embodiments, a request may be received over a communication network; the request may concern a rollback for an identified user. A session associated with the identified user may then be restored based on a file associated with the identified user and including information regarding changes to the session associated with the identified user. |
| US09367335B2 |
State dependent optimization for sequential booting of heterogeneous systems
A method and computer program product for implementing the method, where the method comprises obtaining boot dependencies among a plurality of systems, wherein a boot dependency identifies a dependent system, a service system that provides a service to the dependent system, a provide state of the service system, and a need state of the dependent system that requires the service system to have reached the provide state. The method further comprises obtaining historical measurements of the time periods between states for each of the systems. Then, during a process of booting the plurality of systems, the method initiates boot of each dependent system at a time that is determined, based on the historical measurements, to allow the dependent system to reach the need state no earlier than the time at which the service system is determined, based on the historical measurements, to reach the provide state. |
| US09367332B2 |
Sensing data reading device and method
A sensing data reading device and method applied to an electronic device are provided. The sensing data reading device supports a first operating system and a second operating system. The sensing data reading device includes: a sensing module for generating at least a sensing data; a hub coupled to the sensing module and adapted to read at least a sensing data; and a control circuit coupled to the sensing module and the hub to read at least a sensing data directly as soon as the electronic device switches to the first operating system and send a control signal to the hub as soon as the electronic device switches to the second operating system such that the hub reads the at least a sensing data. The sensing data reading device and method dispense with a switch circuit, thereby saving circuit area and cutting costs. |
| US09367331B2 |
Multi-environment operating system
A device with multiple, co-existing, and independent environments interacting with a common kernel, and related methods of operation, are disclosed herein. Operation is altered or dependent on the device being or entering a docked mode. |
| US09367328B2 |
Out-of-band host OS boot sequence verification
Embodiments of techniques and systems for out-of-band verification of host OS components are described. In embodiments, a out-of-band host OS boot sequence verification system (“BSVS”) may access system memory without detection by a host OS process, or “out of band.” The BSVS may access host OS components in the system memory and may generate signatures from memory footprints of the host OS components. These signatures may then be compared to trusted signatures to verify integrity of the host OS components. In embodiments, this verification may be performed during a boot of a host OS or on demand. In embodiments, the trusted signatures may be pre-stored by the BSVS before a boot; in some embodiments, the trusted signatures may be previously-computed and then stored by the BSVS. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09367322B1 |
Age based fast instruction issue
In an approach for selecting and issuing an oldest ready instruction in an issue queue, one or more processors receive one or more instructions in an issue queue. Ready to execute instructions are identified. An age of the instructions are represented in a first age array. One or more subsets of the instructions are generated for subset age arrays that each hold an age of the instructions in a subset. A major signal is generated that identifies an oldest ready instruction in the first age array and a subset signal is simultaneously generated that identifies an oldest ready instruction in each subset age array. A candidate instruction is selected with each subset signal that is represented in the subset age array of the subset signal, wherein a candidate instruction is an oldest ready instruction in the subset age array. A candidate instruction is selected with the major signal and issued. |
| US09367320B2 |
Techniques for hybrid computer thread creation and management
A technique for operating a computer system to support an application, a first application server environment, and a second application server environment includes intercepting a work request relating to the application issued to the first application server environment prior to execution of the work request. A thread adapted for execution in the first application server environment is created. A context is attached to the thread that non-disruptively modifies the thread into a hybrid thread that is additionally suitable for execution in the second application server environment. The hybrid thread is returned to the first application server environment. |
| US09367316B2 |
Run-time instrumentation indirect sampling by instruction operation code
Embodiments of the invention relate to implementing run-time instrumentation indirect sampling by instruction operation code. An aspect of the invention includes reading sample-point instruction operation codes from a sample-point instruction array, and comparing, by a processor, the sample-point instruction operation codes to an operation code of an instruction from an instruction stream executing on the processor. A sample point is recognized upon execution of the instruction with the operation code matching one of the sample-point instruction operation codes. The run-time instrumentation information is obtained from the sample point. The run-time instrumentation information is stored in a run-time instrumentation program buffer as a reporting group. |
| US09367314B2 |
Converting conditional short forward branches to computationally equivalent predicated instructions
A processor is operable to process conditional branches. The processor includes instruction fetch logic to fetch a conditional short forward branch. The conditional short forward branch is to include a conditional branch instruction and a set of one or more instructions that are to sequentially follow the conditional branch instruction in program order. The set of the one or more instructions are between the conditional branch instruction and a forward branch target instruction that is to be indicated by the conditional branch instruction. The processor also includes instruction conversion logic coupled with the instruction fetch logic. The instruction conversion logic is to convert the conditional short forward branch to a computationally equivalent set of one or more predicated instructions. Other processors are also disclosed, as are various methods and systems. |
| US09367305B1 |
Automatic container definition
A container configuration system is provided. The container configuration system includes at least one processor and a memory. The at least one processor is configured to receive a source application, the source application including a source element, determine a dependency component from the source element, generate a container configuration including at least the dependency component, and provide the container configuration for execution in an execution environment enabled to execute containers. |
| US09367301B1 |
Dynamic update of a distributed message processing system
A distributed system with multiple nodes, each of which processes input data streams according to a set of independent, asynchronous processing components connected in a manner represented by a directed graph, is dynamically updated. Such a dynamic update occurs while the system is processing input data by pausing the input data stream, making changes to the system configuration, and then restarting the input data stream. If the update fails for any reason, the system configuration is rolled back to its prior state. |
| US09367299B2 |
Preventing application downgrade in an application store
An application and system are provided that prevent an application repository from accepting a new installation package if the new application installation package would not be successfully installed on devices to which it is directed. The version number and constraints provided with the new application installation package may be compared to that of installation packages already existing or published within the repository to determine whether or not the new installation package will be unreachable by a device group to which it is directed. An indication may be provided if that new installation package is unreachable by at least one device group to which it is directed. |
| US09367296B2 |
Method and system for synchronizing application programs across devices
The present disclosure discloses a method for synchronizing application programs across devices. The method comprises the following steps: collecting and sending information of application programs installed in a first device to a server by a first client end; collecting and sending device information of a second device to the server by a second client end; sending download addresses of the application programs compatible with the second device to the second client end according to the device information received from the second client end and the information of the application programs received from the first client end by the server; downloading and installing the application programs in the second device according to the download addresses by the second client end. The present disclosure also provides a system for synchronizing the application programs across the devices. |
| US09367292B2 |
Modulating dynamic optimizations of a computer program
Systems and methods for modulating dynamic optimizations of a computer program are disclosed. One method includes receiving an intermediate representation (IR) of machine executable instructions, optimizing the received IR to generate a first optimized IR prior to the machine executable instructions being generated by a runtime compiler, optimizing the received IR to generate two or more alternative optimizations for the IR, wherein the two or more alternative optimizations generating two or more optimized IRs are optimized at different optimization points based at least in part on information generated during execution of the first optimized IR in a runtime environment different optimization strategies, and modulating between the two or more alternative optimizations for the IR to use different ones of the alternative optimizations during execution of the machine executable instructions at a frequency based at least in part on a degree of difference between the two or more optimized IRs. |
| US09367291B2 |
Apparatus and method for generating vector code
An apparatus and method for generating vector code are provided. The apparatus and method generate vector code using scalar-type kernel code, without user's changing a code type or modifying data layout, thereby enhancing user's convenience of use and retaining the portability of OpenCL. |
| US09367290B2 |
Contraction aware parsing system for domain-specific languages
Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for parsing a domain-specific language (DSL) statement. The method includes one or more processors accessing a DSL statement that includes contracted phrases. The method further includes one or more processors identifying one or more contracted phrases in the DSL statement utilizing an annotated domain vocabulary for a DSL associated with the DSL statement and grammar rules for the DSL. The method further includes one or more processors determining expanded phrases corresponding to the identified one or more contracted phrases based on the annotated domain vocabulary and the grammar rules. The method further includes one or more processors creating an expanded abstract syntax tree (AST) that is representative of the DSL statement with the determined expanded phrases replacing the identified one or more contracted phrases. |
| US09367289B2 |
Method and apparatus for enabling agile development of services in cloud computing and traditional environments
Prepending a name object or setting a type of a software object to a name and prepending a value object to the software object provides inheritance of a name value pattern by the software object to establish particular types or classes of attributes of the software object without modification of the software object itself that is thus strongly typed and accessible by type. |
| US09367287B2 |
Mixed precision fused multiply-add operator
A circuit for calculating the fused sum of an addend and product of two multiplication operands, the addend and multiplication operands being binary floating-point numbers represented in a standardized format as a mantissa and an exponent is provided. The multiplication operands are in a lower precision format than the addend, with q>2p, where p and q are the mantissa size of the multiplication operand and addend precision formats. The circuit includes a p-bit multiplier receiving the mantissas of the multiplication operands; a shift circuit aligning the mantissa of the addend with the product output by the multiplier based on the exponent values of the addend and multiplication operands; and an adder processing q-bit mantissas, receiving the aligned mantissa of the addend and the product, the input lines of the adder corresponding to the product being completed to the right by lines at 0 to form a q-bit mantissa. |
| US09367286B2 |
Crossing pipelined data between circuitry in different clock domains
An integrated circuit implements a multistage processing pipeline, where control is passed in the pipeline with data to be processed according to the control. At least some of the different pipeline stages can be implemented by different circuits, being clocked at different frequencies. These frequencies may change dynamically during operation of the integrated circuit. Control and data to be processed according to such control can be offset from each other in the pipeline; e.g., control can precede data by a pre-set number of clock events. To cross a clock domain, control and data can be temporarily stored in respective FIFOs. Reading of control by the destination domain is delayed by a delay amount determined so that reading of control and data can be offset from each other by a minimum number of clock events of the destination domain clock, and control is read before data is available for reading. |
| US09367284B2 |
Recording device, recording method, and recording medium
A recording device includes recording unit configured to perform recording; and stop control unit configured to stop the recording in accordance with a recording stop instruction and restarting the recording in accordance with a recording restart instruction. The stop control unit restarts the recording after reproducing a trailing part of a recorded content that is recorded before the stop. |
| US09367279B2 |
Display device and method of controlling therefor
A display device and a method of controlling therefor are disclosed. The display device includes a display configured to include a first touch display area which is arranged to display content toward a first direction and a second touch display area which is arranged to display content toward a second direction corresponding to an opposite direction of the first direction, a sensor unit configured to detect a gripped state of the user and a rotating state of the display device and when it is determined that the second touch display area is facing the first direction at which the user is positioned based on the gripped state and the rotating state, a controller configured to change a display mode within an identical content which is outputted in the second touch display area. |
| US09367276B2 |
Resolution of conflicts between print jobs and printers in a print shop environment
Systems and methods for identifying conflicts between the requirements of an incoming print job and the configuration of a printer that has been requested to print the job. The system receives a request to move a print job to a queue for a printer and identifies a requirement of the print job. The system analyzes a current and a scheduled configuration of the printer to determine whether the current configuration or the scheduled configuration of the printer can handle the print setting. Responsive to determining that the current and scheduled configuration of the printer cannot handle the print setting, the system analyzes configurations of at least one other printer to identify another printer having a current configuration or a scheduled configuration that can handle the print setting. Further, the system provides information identifying the other printer. |
| US09367275B2 |
Retrieving data from a posting server for printing
A printing control server includes an administration section, an acquisition section, and a printing control section. The administration section is configured to associate a printing device with a user of the printing device and administer the printing device as being associated with the user. The acquisition section is configured to acquire posting data from a service offering server that provides a posting service. The printing control section is configured to control the printing device associated with the user of the acquired posting data to perform printing based on the posting data. |
| US09367272B2 |
Image processing apparatus, and method for controlling image processing apparatus
An image processing apparatus that generates image data from a print job and inputs the image data to an image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives information indicating that the image forming apparatus interrupts printing based on the image data and a control unit that shifts a power state of the image processing apparatus from a first power state to a second power state, in which consumed power is less than that in the first power state, based on the received information. |
| US09367267B2 |
Relaying device, image processing device, and system comprising image processing device and relaying device and image data conversion process
A relaying device may be configured to communicate with an image processing device and a server device via a network. The server device may store first type data which cannot be interpreted by the image processing device and second type data which can be interpreted by the image processing device. The relaying device may receive, from the image processing device, data selection instruction information identifying selection data. The relaying device may receive, from the server device, the selection data identified by the received data selection instruction information. The relaying device may execute conversion processing in a case that the received selection data is the first type data. The conversion processing may convert the selection data into converted data which can be interpreted by the image processing device. The relaying device may receive converted data reception information for causing the image processing device to receive the converted data. |
| US09367260B1 |
Dynamic replication system
In one aspect, a method includes replicating a first volume in a data protection system by sending data from the first volume to a replica site, determining whether the replica site should transition from a journal mode to a non-journal mode or transition from the non-journal to the journal mode based on the performance of the data protection system, transitioning the replica site from the journal mode to the non-journal mode if the performance of the data protection system degrades based on a first performance threshold and transitioning the replica site from the non-journal mode to the journal mode if the performance of the data protection system improves based on a second performance threshold. |
| US09367259B2 |
Electronic device mirroring device setting
An electronic device includes a target selection unit, a priority determination unit, and a mirroring execution unit. The target selection unit is configured to select, as a mirroring target, a setting value of each of items of the electronic device if the setting value is different from an initial value. The priority determination unit is configured to determine a priority of mirroring, designated for a setting value serving as the mirroring target. The mirroring execution unit is configured to perform the mirroring so as to cause a setting value, whose determined priority is relatively high, to remain on a priority basis. |
| US09367257B2 |
Techniques for resource location and migration across data centers
An exemplary system includes a front-end component to receive requests for resources in a data center and configured to associate each request with identifying information, to locate one or more resources for each request and to store, in a log file, the identifying information and information about the location of the one or more resources; one or more distributed computation and storage components to acquire log file information and configured to analyze log information to decide if one or more resources associated with one or more requests should be migrated to a data center in a different geographical location; and a location service component to receive decisions made by the one or more distributed computation and storage components and configured to inform the front-end component when a decision causes one or more resources to be migrated to a data center in a different geographical location to thereby allow the front-end component to re-direct future requests for the one or more migrated resources to the data center in the different geographical location. Various other devices, systems and methods are also described. |
| US09367253B2 |
Catastrophic data loss avoidance
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems divide data into a plurality of portions such that the data is recoverable using a subset of the plurality of portions. For each portion of the data, a storage device different than storage devices storing all other portions of the data is selected. The selecting of storage devices includes distributing the portions of data based upon diversity of geographic locations of storage devices and diversity of storage device characteristics. The storage device characteristics include at least one of hardware characteristics, software characteristics, and operating history characteristics. Each portion of the data is stored on a corresponding selected storage device. |
| US09367249B2 |
Determining weight values for storage devices in a storage tier to use to select one of the storage devices to use as a target storage to which data from a source storage is migrated
The present invention relates to a method, system, and computer program product for determining storage device weight values to use to select one of the storage devices to use as a target storage to which data from a source storage is migrated. A determination is made, for each of the storage devices, of static parameter values for static parameters comprising attributes of the storage device and dynamic parameter values for dynamic parameters providing device health information determined by accessing the storage device to determine operational conditions at the storage device. Storage device weight values are determined as a function of the static parameter values and the dynamic parameter values of the device. The determined storage device weight values are used to select one of the storage devices as the target storage to which data from the source storage is migrated. |
| US09367248B2 |
Memory component with pattern register circuitry to provide data patterns for calibration
A memory component includes a memory core comprising dynamic random access memory (DRAM) storage cells and a first circuit to receive external commands. The external commands include a read command that specifies transmitting data accessed from the memory core. The memory component also includes a second circuit to transmit data onto an external bus in response to a read command and pattern register circuitry operable during calibration to provide at least a first data pattern and a second data pattern. During the calibration, a selected one of the first data pattern and the second data pattern is transmitted by the second circuit onto the external bus in response to a read command received during the calibration. Further, at least one of the first and second data patterns is written to the pattern register circuitry in response to a write command received during the calibration. |
| US09367245B2 |
Data access request monitoring to reduce system resource use for background operations
An I/O processing stack includes a proxy that can provide processing services for access requests to initialized and uninitialized storage regions. For a write request, the proxy stores write information in a write metadata repository. If the write is requested for an address in an initialized storage region of the storage system, the proxy performs a write to the initialized region based on region information in the write I/O access request. If the write is requested for an address in an uninitialized storage region of the storage system, the proxy performs an on-demand initialization of the storage region and then performs a write to the storage region based on region information provided by the proxy. |
| US09367244B2 |
Composing a virtual disk using application delta disk images
According to a system and method for composing a virtual disk for a virtual desktop, the virtual desktop is booted from a virtual disk comprised of a base disk image and a user delta disk image that receives all disk writes to the virtual disk. Disk space is allocated on the virtual disk for a file associated with a selected application to be provided to a user of the virtual desktop. Then the virtual desktop is recomposed offline by linking the base disk image, an application delta disk image including the file associated with the selected application, and the user delta disk image. The recomposing includes modifying meta data of the application delta disk and the user delta disk so that the file associated with the selected application is mapped to the disk space previously allocated. |
| US09367243B1 |
Scalable non-uniform storage sizes
A plurality of storage nodes in a single chassis is provided. Each of the plurality of storage nodes has a storage capacity with nonvolatile solid-state memory for user data storage. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to support uniform storage capacities and non-uniform storage capacities among the plurality of storage nodes, as a storage cluster. The plurality of storage nodes is configured to distribute the user data and metadata throughout the plurality of storage nodes such that the plurality of storage nodes can read the user data, using erasure coding, despite loss of two of the plurality of storage nodes. |
| US09367242B2 |
Systems and methods for managing information objects in dynamic data storage based upon relevance of the information objects
According to one aspect, a system for managing information objects in dynamic data storage devices including a first data storage device having a plurality of information objects, a second data storage device operatively connectable to an output device for providing at least some of the information objects to at least one user, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the first data storage device and the second data storage device. The at least one processor is configured to automatically divide the plurality of information objects in the first data storage device to form at least one data subdivision based on division criteria, and repeatedly, in response to a dynamic operating condition determine a relevance value of at least one of the data subdivisions in the first data storage device and the second data storage device indicative of the relevance of those data subdivision to the user, and based on the relevance value, perform at least one of loading those data subdivision to the second data storage, or unloading those data subdivision from the second data storage. |
| US09367240B2 |
Graphical user interface for improved text character entry
A graphical user interface for improved text character entry is disclosed. In some embodiments, the graphical user interface may be displayed on a mobile communications device. The graphical user interface may display a message field, a soft keyboard, and at least one visual foveal echo field. The message field may display text characters of a message being authored by a user interacting with the soft keyboard. The visual foveal echo field may be placed adjacent to a soft keyboard row and contain a portion of the message being authored by the user. |
| US09367238B2 |
Terminal apparatus and input correction method
A terminal apparatus includes a touch panel, a controller to detect a contact position of a first contact on the touch panel, a pressure applied by the first contact, a contact position of a second contact on the touch panel and a pressure applied by the second contact, and a processor executing a process that causes the terminal apparatus to determine whether or not the contact position of the first contact meets a predetermined condition, determine a magnitude relationship between the pressure applied by the first contact and the pressure applied by the second contact, and invalidate the contact position of the first contact when the contact position of the first contact meets the predetermined condition and it is determined that the pressure applied by the first contact is equal to or higher than the pressure applied by the second contact. |
| US09367237B2 |
Shaping device
According to an embodiment, a shaping device includes a setting unit, a shaping unit, and a display control unit. The setting unit is configured to set, when the stroke group constitutes a figure of a first category, a first region in which no stroke is expected to exist and a second region in which a stroke is expected to exist in a circumscribing rectangle circumscribing the stroke group. The shaping unit is configured to shape the stroke group into the figure of the first category when a first feature value and a second feature value satisfy a first condition. The first feature value represents an occupancy condition of the stroke group in the first region. The second feature value represents an occupancy condition of the stroke group in the second region. The display control unit is configured to display a shaping result on a display unit. |
| US09367232B2 |
Portable multifunction device, method, and graphical user interface supporting user navigations of graphical objects on a touch screen display
A portable multifunction device displays a first user interface object and a second user interface object on a touch screen display. Upon detecting a finger-down event at the first user interface object and one or more finger-dragging events on the touch screen display, the device moves the first user interface object on the touch screen display along a path determined by the finger-dragging events until the first user interface object at least in part overlaps the second user interface object. Upon detecting a finger-up event at the second user interface object, the device visually replaces the second user interface object with the first user interface object. |
| US09367231B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one other terminal; a touch screen display configured to display contents; and a controller configured to receive a touch and drag action across the touch screen display, display a moveable partitioning graphic at a position corresponding to the touch and drag action and partition the displayed contents into first and second display regions, and independently control a function of the contents in the first display region and independently control a function of the contents in the second display region. |
| US09367229B2 |
Touch-enabled device navigation system
A touch-enabled device establishes a two-way connection with a computing device through a network. The computing device has a content authoring program stored therein. Further, the touch-enabled device displays a navigation menu. In addition, the touch-enabled device receives an input indicating a selected item from the navigation menu. The touch-enabled device sends the selected item to the computing device such that the computing device utilizes the selected item in the content authoring program. Further, the touch-enabled device receives, from the computing device, an indication that the computing device is utilizing the selected item in the content authoring program. |
| US09367227B1 |
Chapter navigation user interface
A user interface for a touch-screen display of an electronic book reader device is described. The user interface facilitates chapter navigation among the various chapters in digital content items, such as electronic books, in response to use input via the touch-screen display. Multiple techniques for navigating chapters include actuating a chapter navigation control, selecting a portion of a progress indicator depicted on the touch-screen display, and detecting patterns of multi-directional strokes made on the touch-screen display. |
| US09367223B2 |
Using a scroll bar in a multiple panel user interface
A method for using a scroll bar in a multiple panel user interface. The method includes determining that two or more panels are displayed on a user interface, the two or more panels operated by a same scroll bar. The method includes detecting a cursor movement over the same scroll bar and responsive to the cursor movement over the scroll bar, displaying an icon. The method includes receiving an active panel selection via the icon and indicating the selected panel is active. The method further includes detecting movement of the same scroll bar on the selected panel and scrolling a displayed content of the selected panel corresponding to the movement of the same scroll bar. |
| US09367219B2 |
Processing an infrared (IR) image based on swipe gestures
A method and a system for displaying an infrared (IR) image and/or a related image on a touch screen are provided. For example, a method may include: displaying, on a touch screen, an image of a scene; partitioning the image into a first part and a second part in response to a user indication made on the touch screen; displaying the first part of the image in an IR image mode using an IR image of the scene capture by an IR imaging sensor; and displaying the second part of the image in a non-IR image mode. The non-IR image mode may include a visible light (VL) image mode for displaying a VL image of the scene, or a fusion image mode for displaying a combination of the IR image and the VL image. The partitioning may be adjusted in response to a swipe gesture made on the touch screen. |
| US09367212B2 |
User interface for navigating paginated digital content
Techniques are disclosed for navigating pages of paginated digital content (e.g., an eBook), referred to herein as a go-to mode. The go-to mode may include a page number input field and a keypad. The keypad, which may be presented in response to a reveal command (e.g., tapping on the input field), can be used to provide numerical input to the input field and allow a user to navigate to the input page number. The go-to mode may be configured to disable keys on the keypad when selection of one of the keys would result in an invalid input in the input field. The go-to mode may also be configured to update which keys are disabled and/or enabled when a cursor position in the input field is changed, contents in the input field are selected, or a number is input into or deleted from the input field. |
| US09367210B2 |
Method for representing animated menu buttons
Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc. |
| US09367208B2 |
Move icon to reveal textual information
Techniques are disclosed for providing a content information viewing mode in electronic devices. In an embodiment, in response to a gesture performed on an electronic touch sensitive device, a content icon may be moved from its original location and information about that item of digital content may be displayed to the user. The information may be displayed on the portion of the screen previously occupied by the content icon. Releasing contact with the touch screen allows the icon to return to its original location. Moving the content icon past a certain point, may allow the user to edit the newly displayed content information. An audio and/or visual indicator may be output by the electronic device alerting the user that the newly visible information may now be edited. Movement that extends further may indicate that icon movement is desired, not the information viewing/editing mode. |
| US09367200B2 |
Information processing device, method for controlling information processing device, program and information recording medium
A focus part of an object is displayed in an actual display area, which is a part of a display target area set within a window that is visible on a screen, without changing the size of the focus part and the layout of the display object. A control unit sets a reference point P based on the positions of a display element and the actual display area in a drawing target area (22), in which a Web page is drawn, so that the display element is displayed in the actual display area, which is an area not covered with another window (16a) within a Web page display target area (20). For example, the control unit (a) displays the display element without changing the size and (b) minimizes a blank area that is created when the reference point P is moved, or (c) preferentially displays, from among a plurality of display elements, display elements that are relatively high in priority order in the actual display area. |
| US09367190B2 |
Touch recognition method and system for a capacitive touch apparatus
The present invention discloses a method and system for touch signal recognition adapted to be used in a capacitive touch panel or apparatus. In order to achieve an objection of enhancement of a touch signal for recognition and getting rid of noise impact simultaneously, the present invention discloses a touch recognition method that actually includes two different measurement cycles to acquire two different sample voltage values. Consequently, noise impact can be removed by calculation of a sample voltage value difference between two different sample voltage values, at the same time, and the sample voltage value difference can provide a double magnitude as disclosed in the prior art to enhance accuracy for recognizing a user touch input while preventing from influence of noise. |
| US09367183B2 |
Dual-mode touch device
A touch device is provided. The touch device has a touch mode and a common-electrode mode. The touch device comprises a touch-sensing module, a common-electrode layer, second touch units, second wires, a common-potential circuit and switches. The common-electrode layer comprises first touch units and first wires for connecting first touch units and the touch-sensing module. The first and the second touch units are arranged in an interlace manner. The second wires connect the second touch units and the touch-sensing module. The switch is open during the touch mode such that the first and the second touch units detect, induct and transmit a touch signal to the touch-sensing module to determine a coordinate, strength and variation of a touch. The switch is close during the common-electrode mode such that the first touch units are connected to the common-potential circuit to be further connected to a common voltage. |
| US09367181B2 |
System and method for determining user input and interference on an input device
The embodiments described herein provide devices and methods that facilitate improved performance. In one embodiment, an input device comprises a processing system, a transmitter sensor electrode, and a receiver sensor electrode, where the transmitter sensor electrode and the receiver sensor electrode are capacitively coupled. The processing system is configured to receive a resulting signal from the receiver sensor electrode, where the resulting signal includes responses that correspond to the transmitter signal. The processing system is further configured to separately accumulate, for each cycle of the transmitter waveform, a first portion and a second portion of the resulting signal to respectively produce a first accumulation and a second accumulation, wherein the first accumulation is used for determining user input to the input device and the second accumulation is used for determining interference, and wherein the first portion and the second portion are non-coterminous. |
| US09367180B2 |
Projected capacitive touch panel
A projected capacitive touch panel has a substrate, an X-axis electrode layer formed on a top of the substrate and a Y-axis electrode layer formed on a bottom of the substrate. The X-axis and the Y-axis electrode layers respectively have a plurality of X-axis electrodes and Y-axis electrodes arranged in a matrix form and respectively connected with a plurality of X-axis and Y-axis signal transmission lines. Each of the X-axis signal transmission lines and the Y-axis signal transmission lines is connected with a conversion module. The conversion modules is mounted to be adjacent to the X-axis and Y-axis signal transmission lines, converts analog signals into relatively stable digital signals, and transmits the digital signals to an external controller to determine coordinates being touch. Accordingly, lengths of the X-axis and Y-axis signal transmission lines can be shortened and the size of a control area of the touch panel can be enlarged. |
| US09367176B2 |
Operation detection device, operation detection method and projector
An operation detection device includes: first and second illuminations that irradiate illumination light from different positions onto an operation surface on which a user performs an operation; a camera that captures the operation surface together with an operation part (finger) of the user; a shadow region extraction unit that extracts first and second shadows of the operation part of the user from a captured image obtained by the camera; a contour detection unit that detects contours of each of the first and second shadows extracted; and a touch point detection unit that detects a touch point of the operation part of the user on the operation surface from the distance between the contours. |