| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09414533B2 |
Wire branch structure
A wire branch structure (1) includes a plurality of wires (3) and a shield member (5) which covers the circumference of the wires (3). One end side of each of the wires (3) is inserted in a main line side shell (7). The other end side of each of the wires (3) is branched from the main line side shell (7) and is inserted into branch line side shells (9, 11) respectively. An isolation part (15) is provided in the shield member (5), which isolates the wires (3) adjacent to a branch part (13) in which the other end side of each of the wires (3) is inserted in the branch line side shells (9, 11) respectively and branched. |
| US09414532B2 |
Electronic power module arrangement
The invention provides an electrical power module, including power transistors, and control components for controlling said power transistors, said module being cooled, in particular, by heat conduction. The module of the invention further includes a main substrate of the AMB/Si3N4 type carrying the power transistors, this main substrate itself constituting a heat-dissipating baseplate for dissipating the heat generated by the power transistors by being arranged in the module to be directly in contact with the carrier structure that provides cooling by conduction when said module is in place, and a ceramic substrate carrying the control components, this ceramic substrate itself being carried by the main substrate. |
| US09414531B1 |
Modular data center without active cooling
A modular computing system for a data center includes one or more data center modules including rack computer systems. An electrical module is coupled to the data center modules and provides electrical power to computer systems in the data center modules. The data center modules do not include any internal active cooling systems and cannot be coupled with any external active cooling systems. A data center module directs ambient air to flow into intake air plenums extending along intake sides of the rows of racks, through the rows of racks into exhaust plenums extending along exhaust sides of the rows of racks, and out into the ambient environment to cool computer systems in the racks. Directed airflow can be lateral, vertical, at least partially driven by air buoyancy gradients, at least partially induced by air moving devices internal to computer systems in the rows of racks, thereof, etc. |
| US09414528B2 |
Thermal spreading for an externally pluggable electronic module
A cooling apparatus for dissipating heat from an electronic module is disclosed. The cooling apparatus may include a thermally conductive shell having a surface in contact with, and configured to conduct heat away from, the module. The apparatus may also include an electrically insulative layer positioned between, and configured to conduct heat from, the module to the shell. The apparatus may also include an electrical cord, attached to the module that contains a thermally conductive layer in thermally conductive contact with the shell that is configured to conduct heat away from the shell. The apparatus may also include an electrically insulative layer between the thermally conductive layer and an electrical conductor within the electrical cord. The apparatus may also include an electrically insulative layer, positioned between the thermally conductive layer and an electrical cord outer surface, configured to convectively dissipate heat from the thermally conductive layer. |
| US09414520B2 |
Immersion cooled motor controller
An immersion cooled motor controller assembly is disclosed that includes a sealed housing, a fluorocarbon cooling liquid contained in the sealed housing, and an AC/AC motor controller disposed in the sealed housing and submerged in the fluorocarbon cooling liquid, wherein the AC/AC motor controller includes a power board module adapted and configured to operate at power levels greater than 30 kW. |
| US09414516B2 |
Digital sign and method of driving the same
A digital sign and a method of driving a digital sign are provided. The digital sign may include a case, a display panel provided in the case, and a circuit unit to drive the display panel. An inner space of the case may include a first space and a second space, with a first end of the first space connected to a first end of the second space. A suction port may be formed in the case to guide external air into the inner space, and a discharge port may be formed in the case to discharge the air from the case. A circulation fan may be provided in the inner space to induce flow of air in the inner space, and a circulation damper may be disposed between second ends of the first space and the second space to open and close the second ends thereof. The air introduced through the suction port passes through the inner space of the case and is discharged through the discharge port when the circulation damper is closed, and the air circulates in the first space and the second space when the circulation damper is opened. |
| US09414515B2 |
Electrical device
An electrical device, which is assembled from modules or includes assembled modules, the modules each including an electronic circuit mounted on a respective heat sink, the modules being configured as nodes of a system bus that also leads to an electronic circuit designed as a node of the system bus, the electronic circuit being configured in a lower part that is configured in a recess of the housing of the electrical device; an upper part being detachably connectable to the lower part; a memory element being configured in the upper part; and data lines for reading out the memory element via the electronic circuit being routed via a plug connection to the electronic circuit. |
| US09414512B2 |
Substrate for power module, substrate with heat sink for power module, power module, method for producing substrate for power module, and method for producing substrate with heat sink for power module
Provided is a power module substrate including a ceramic substrate, and a metal plate which contains aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and which is stacked and bonded on a surface of the ceramic substrate, wherein one or more additional elements selected from Ag, Zn, Ge, Mg, Ca, Ga, and Li are solid-solubilized in the metal plate, and the Ag concentration in the metal plate in the vicinity of the interface with the ceramic substrate is greater than or equal to 0.05% by mass and less than or equal to 10% by mass, or the total concentration of Zn, Ge, Mg, Ca, Ga, and Li in the metal plate in the vicinity of the interface with the ceramic substrate is greater than or equal to 0.01% by mass and less than or equal to 5% by mass. |
| US09414508B2 |
Electronic device, mounting member, and mounting method
According to one embodiment, device includes first wall, first base, mount, module, and first and second combining portions. First base protrudes from first wall in thickness direction. First base includes first opening. Mount includes second base and second wall. Second base includes second opening toward first wall. Second wall extends from one side of second base located farther from first wall in the direction to one side of first base located farther from first wall in the direction. Second wall includes third opening which overlaps first opening. Module includes third wall and body. Third wall is located at another side of second base. Third wall includes fourth opening which overlaps second opening. Body is apart from second base. First combining portion penetrates through fourth opening and is inserted into second opening. Second combining portion penetrates through third opening and is inserted into first opening. |
| US09414501B2 |
Method for connecting inter-layer conductors and components in 3D structures
The present invention provides systems and methods for creating interlayer mechanical or electrical attachments or connections using filaments within a three-dimensional structure, structural component, or structural electronic, electromagnetic or electromechanical component/device. |
| US09414498B2 |
Via-hole drilling in a printed circuit board using a carbon monoxide laser
Apparatus for drilling a via-hole in a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a carbon monoxide laser deliver laser radiation pulses. The pulses have a relatively broad wavelength-range, and slow rising and falling edges. The rising and falling edges of the pulses are clipped using and acousto-optic modulator. A dispersion-compensator compensates for dispersion in the clipped pulses introduced by the AOM. Achromatic focusing optics focus the dispersion-compensated, clipped pulses on the PCB for the via-hole drilling. |
| US09414495B2 |
Surface mount actuator
A silicon MEMS device can have at least one solder contact formed thereupon. The silicon MEMS device can be configured to be mounted to a circuit board via the solder contact(s). The silicon MEMS device can be configured to be electrically connected to the circuit board via the solder contact(s). |
| US09414486B2 |
Wiring board, wiring board with lead, and electronic device
A wiring board includes an insulating substrate composed of a ceramic sintered compact; and a connection pad disposed on a surface part of the insulating substrate. The connection pad includes a first portion disposed on the surface part of the insulating substrate and a second portion disposed on the first portion and an outer periphery of the second portion being located on an inner side of an outer periphery of the first portion. The second portion of the connection pad is composed of platinum, and at least an exposed surface part of the first portion of the connection pad is composed of platinum containing a ceramic component. |
| US09414483B2 |
Method of manufacturing an electronic high-current circuit by means of gas injection technology and sealing with an insulating polymer
An electric circuit, for conducting high current and a process for manufacturing same. The circuit has a carrier body, which has a carrier surface, an insulation layer covering the carrier surface, a strip conductor for conducting current arranged on the insulation layer, and an outer insulation layer. The protective layer has at least one recess to provide an electric contact area to the strip conductor. |
| US09414481B1 |
Heat sink fastener
A heat sink fastener includes a heat sink assembly, a first stand, a second stand, a fastening plate, a fastening member, and a movable bar. The first stand includes a fastening portion. The second stand includes a restriction portion. The fastening plate is connected to the heat sink assembly. The fastening plate includes a hook portion, an extension portion, and a through hole. The hook portion is engaged with the fastening portion. The extension portion contacts with the restriction portion. The fastening member is inserted through the through hole and secured the second stand. The fastening member includes a bolt and a screw nail. The screw nail is provided with a pushing portion. The movable bar is connected to the second stand. The movable bar includes a pivot shaft, a restriction end restricting the pushing portion from movement, and a release end releasing the pushing portion to move. |
| US09414470B2 |
Hand held skin treatment device
A hand held, home use, device for treatment of skin, comprising: a housing exhibiting an opening therein and forming an air cavity when the opening is placed in contact with the skin; an incandescent type bulb secured within the housing and arranged to irradiate the skin with infra-red radiation and heat air within the formed air cavity, the incandescent type bulb exhibiting a filament; and a control and driving circuitry in electrical communication with the incandescent type bulb and operative to output a train of pulses exhibiting an on time when current is driven through the filament and an off time when current is not driven through the filament, the off time greater than or equal to the on time, the off time being of a duration such that the infra-red radiation irradiating the skin falls, during the off time, to no less than 25% of its maximum value. |
| US09414467B2 |
Method for addressing light fixtures, light fixture for lighting and system for lighting a room
A method for addressing light fixtures, in a system for lighting, and a plurality of light fixtures arranged within a region for lighting. The area around every light fixture is detected by a camera which is associated with the corresponding light fixture. The position of every light fixture within the region is determined with the aid of the data acquired by the cameras. |
| US09414465B2 |
Modular constant current regulator
Constant current regulator (10) for supplying electrical power corresponding to a predetermined output power, comprising a plurality of modules (13) electrically connectable for simultaneous operation to jointly provide the output power, the modules are configured for providing a module output power contributing to the output power of the regulator. Each module comprises a transformer (135) for providing galvanic insulation as required by local standards, and a microcontroller (231) for controlling operation of the module. The constant current regulator comprises a data communication network (17) configured to be connected to the microcontrollers (231) of the modules (13), wherein the microcontrollers (231) are operable to exchange data over the data communication network (17) so as to make the constant current regulator (10) modular, meaning that one or more of such modules (13) can be added to or removed from the constant current regulator. |
| US09414464B2 |
Lighting system
The lighting system in accordance with the present invention includes a lighting fixture including a first controller configured to control a light source; and a sensing device. The sensing device includes: an image sensor configured to take an image of a predetermined area; and a second controller having a function of adjusting sensitivity of the image sensor and a function of setting a dimming rate for the light source. The first controller is configured to light the light source at a dimming level according to the dimming rate set by the second controller. The second controller is configured to, when concluding that a condition where no person is present in the predetermined area continues for a predetermined time period, perform an operation of decreasing the dimming rate by a preset value and increasing the sensitivity of the image sensor for a preset time period. |
| US09414460B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling LEDs
The present invention relates to an electronic device, the electronic device comprising at least one LED, a driving unit for applying a driving algorithm for driving the LED during normal operation, and a measurement unit for determining a forward voltage of the LED by imposing a test current to the LED, the measurement unit being programmed for determining test current characteristics taking into account said driving algorithm. |
| US09414451B2 |
Lighting device and luminaire
A lighting device includes a constant-current circuit, a smoothing capacitor, a bypass circuit, a detection unit, and a bypass control unit. The constant-current circuit supplies a constant current to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series. The smoothing capacitor is connected between output terminals of the constant-current circuit. The bypass circuit is connected in parallel to one or more of the plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements. The detection unit detects whether the one or more solid-state light-emitting elements are open-circuited. When the detection unit detects that at least one of the one or more solid-state light-emitting elements is open-circuited, the bypass control unit discharges the smoothing capacitor during a discharge period to then bypass the one or more solid-state light-emitting elements through the bypass circuit. |
| US09414449B2 |
High efficiency power controller for luminaire
Systems, methods and articles for providing lighting or illumination systems having drive circuits that employ a magnetic amplifier (“mag-amp”) and one or more feedback circuits to form a power converter that powers solid-state light sources (e.g., LEDs). The magnetic amplifier includes one or more magnetic cores which provides a controllable reluctance for magnetic flux. The magnetic amplifier includes one or more power windings which receive energy from an alternating current (AC) supply (e.g., AC mains) and delivers rectified AC current as direct current (DC) to one or more solid-state light sources. The magnetic amplifier includes one or more control windings coupled to a DC control source. The drive circuit may have two or more rectifiers (e.g., solid-state rectifiers) to provide a direct current to drive the solid-state light sources and also to isolate the one or more control windings from interference from the magnetic flux of the one or more power windings. |
| US09414448B2 |
Stability of an optical source in an optical network test instrument
A self-contained calibration method for improving stability of an optical source in an optical network test instrument includes performing a temperature sweep test of the optical source. Optical output power of the optical source is periodically measured. A temperature correcting value is generated based on the measured optical output power. The optical output power of the optical source is adjusted by applying the temperature correcting value to obtain a substantially constant optical output power of the optical source. |
| US09414446B2 |
Electronics case with electroluminescent panel
An electronics case for a portable electronic device with an electroluminescent panel (“ELP”) for displaying light patterns in response to sound, vibration or other input signals. The case includes an integrated control circuit for receiving input signals from an input device and, in response, generating a set of ELP pattern signals that are transmitted to the ELP. The integrated control circuit also includes a power supply connected to the controller for supplying power to the integrated control circuit and the ELP. The ELP comprises a plurality of segments and it is affixed to the exterior surface of the case to attract attention to the light patterns as they are being displayed on the ELP. |
| US09414445B2 |
Method and apparatus for microwave treatment of dielectric films
A method for processing a dielectric film on a substrate comprises: depositing a porous dielectric film on a substrate; removing the porogen; stuffing the film with a protective polymeric material; performing at least one intermediate processing step on the stuffed dielectric film; placing the film in a microwave applicator cavity and heating to a first temperature to partially burn out the polymeric material; introducing a controlled amount of a polar solvent into the porosity created by the partial burn out; applying microwave energy to heat the film to a second selected temperature below the boiling point of the solvent to clean away remaining polymeric material; and applying microwave energy to heat the film to a third temperature above the boiling point of the solvent to completely burnout the residues of polymeric material. The interaction of the polar solvent with the microwaves enhances the efficiency of the cleaning process. |
| US09414444B2 |
Interface for controlling energy application apparatus
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for processing objects with RF energy. The apparatus may include a display for displaying to a user an image of an object to be processed, the image including at least a first portion and a second portion of the object. The apparatus may also include an input unit and at least one processor configured to: receive information based on input provided to the input unit; and generate, based on the received information, processing information for use in processing the object to achieve a first processing result in the first portion of the object and a second processing result in the second portion of the object. |
| US09414443B2 |
Induction heating device
An induction heating device includes a top plate (2) on which a cooking container is placed, an infrared ray sensor (3) configured to detect an infrared ray radiated from the cooking container through the top plate, a heating coil (4) to which a high-frequency electric current is supplied to generate an induction magnetic field for heating the cooking container, a mounting plate (6) on which a member for supporting the heating coil is mounted, and a heating control unit (8) configured to control an electric power for heating the cooking container by controlling the high-frequency electric current supplied to the heating coil based on an amount of an energy of the infrared ray received by the infrared ray sensor. The infrared ray sensor is thermally connected to the mounting plate. |
| US09414442B2 |
System, apparatus, and method for cooking using RF oven
Systems, Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for cooking a food item using RF oven. The food item may include a tag containing information regarding food items associated with the food item. The RF oven may include an interface to receive the information. The RF oven may also include a processor to determine an amount of energy to be delivered to the food item based on the information. The processor may be configured to cause a RF power source to supply RF energy to cook the food item based on the determined amount of energy. |
| US09414441B2 |
Shaft-equipped heater unit and method for manufacturing shaft-equipped heater unit
A shaft-equipped heater unit includes a heater plate that heats an object to be heated placed thereon, and a shaft part that supports the heater plate, wherein the shaft part is formed by spraying material powder which constitutes the shaft part on the heater plate at a temperature lower than a melting point of the material powder by heated compressed gas. |
| US09414437B2 |
Radio device and method for manufacturing the radio device
The present invention relates to a radio device including a first mother unit for providing fundamental functions for the radio device, a first receiving unit for receiving signals and a first transmitting unit for transmitting signals. Each of the first mother unit, the first receiving unit and the first transmitting unit is a modularly designed unit such that it can be replaced with a corresponding second mother unit, second receiving unit or second transmitting unit. The radio device according to the present invention has the beneficial effect of facilitating scalability and being capable of reducing the maintenance costs. |
| US09414428B2 |
Methods in a device-to-device, D2D, enabled user equipment, a D2D enabled user equipment, methods in a base station, a base station, computer programs and computer program products
The invention relates to a method (20) in a device-to-device, D2D, enabled user equipment (12) of a communication system (10). The D2D enabled user equipment (12) supports D2D-communication with another D2D-enabled user equipment (15). The communication system (10) comprises a base station (15) serving one or more cellular user equipment (14) unable to support D2D communication. The D2D enabled user equipment (2, 15) and the cellular user equipment (14) share the same communication resources. The method (20) comprises: receiving (21), from the base station (13), configuration parameters comprising information on a reference signal pattern for use by the D2D enabled user equipment (12), and transmitting (22), based on the configuration parameters, cellular reference signals, enabling the cellular user equipment (14) to measure and report, to the base station (13), channel information on a channel from the D2D enabled user equipment (12) to the cellular user equipment (14). The invention also relates to D2D user equipment, methods in a base station, base station, computer programs and computer program products. |
| US09414426B2 |
Method and apparatus for reconnection in short-range wireless communication
A method of reconnecting communication with a second device by a first device in short-range wireless communication is provided. The method includes, when it is determined that a link loss is generated at a link with the second device, adjusting a scanning period of advertisement data broadcasted by the second device and a size of a scan window in which the scanning is performed, according to a time during which the link loss continues; and scanning the advertisement data at each of the adjusted scanning periods in the scan window corresponding to the adjusted size. |
| US09414424B2 |
Method and arrangement for adjusting signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio in a device-to-device communication
A method in a first wireless device for adjusting Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio, SINR, target and a transmit rate is provided. The first wireless device is configured to transmit data to a second wireless device over a Device-to-Device, D2D, link. The first wireless device receives a report on a control channel from the second wireless device. The report comprises a measurement of SINR on said control channel and/or a data channel transmitted by the first device. The first wireless device adjusts a transmit power for the control channel and/or the data channel based on the reported measurement of the SINR on said control channel and/or data channel transmitted by the first device. The first wireless device then adjusts a SINR target and a transmit rate based on the adjusted transmit power. The SINR target and transmit rate are to be used when transmitting on the data channel over the D2D link to the second wireless device. |
| US09414423B2 |
Scrambling sequence generation method and apparatus for use in device-to-device communication
A scrambling sequence generation method and apparatus of a device supporting Device-to-Device communication are provided. The method includes acquiring at least one of an identifier of the device, an identifier of a counterpart device and a preconfigured value; determining an initial value of the scrambling sequence for the Device-to-Device communication based on the at least one of the identifier of the device, the identifier of the counterpart device, and the preconfigured value; and generating the scrambling sequence using the initial value. |
| US09414419B2 |
Wireless device
This wireless device has: a variable directivity antenna having variable directivity characteristics; a generating unit, which generates control information to be used in connection setting processing from radio waves transmitted from other wireless device before completion of the connection setting processing, and received by the variable directivity antenna, and which generates data for data processing from the radio waves transmitted from other wireless device after the completion of the connection setting processing and received by the variable directivity antenna; a connection setting unit, which performs the connection setting processing with respect to other wireless device identified by means of the control information; and an antenna control unit, which controls the directivity direction of the variable directivity antenna to a predetermined direction during a period from a time when the connection setting unit started the connection setting processing to a time when the connection setting unit completes the connection setting processing. |
| US09414418B1 |
Wireless communications using an omnibus access point
There is disclosed a wireless communications system, a method for wireless communication, and an omnibus access point. The omnibus access point may receive, from a user device, a request to join an identified service set. The omnibus access point may attempt to identify an access point associated with the identified service set. When the omnibus access point identifies the access point associated with the identified service set, the omnibus access point may establish a communications path between the omnibus access point and the identified access point to allow communications between the user device and the identified service set. |
| US09414417B2 |
Propagating communication awareness over a cellular network
Techniques for propagating communication awareness over a cellular network are described. According to various implementations, communication awareness of a communication session is propagated to an infrastructure component of a cellular network, such as a base station controller. Communication awareness of a communication session, for instance, can be employed to control various operational parameters of a cellular device that participates in a communication session. |
| US09414416B2 |
Location aware captive guest portal
Techniques for providing a location-aware captive guest portal are described. Embodiments include receiving, from a client device, a request to access a wireless network for a physical environment, the network comprising a plurality of wireless access points configured to provide a common network. A physical location of the client device is then determined within the physical environment. Embodiments also determine a location profile corresponding to the physical location of the client device. The request to access the wireless network is then processed using a captive guest portal selected based on the determined location profile. |
| US09414413B2 |
Method and device for transmitting a frame using a multiple physical layer in a wireless LAN system
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting a frame, which is performed by a transmission station in a wireless LAN system that supports frame transmission and reception on the basis of a first physical layer and a second physical layer. The method comprises the steps of: transmitting a request-to-send (RTS) to a reception station through the first physical layer of the transmission station; receiving, by the reception station, a first clear-to-send (CTS) frame transmitted through the first physical layer of the reception station in response to the RTS frame; and transmitting a second CTS frame through the second physical layer of the transmission station, then transmitting a data frame through the first physical layer of the transmission station. |
| US09414411B2 |
Method and apparatus for managing a wireless connection
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus, comprising at least one processing core configured to receive a first message, the at least one processing core further configured to render the apparatus operable to monitor for at least one of a timing drift and a potential cause of a timing drift; and the at least one processing core further configured to, responsive to determining at least one of a timing drift and a potential cause of a timing drift, cause the apparatus to become operable to cause a transmitter comprised in the apparatus to transmit a second message. |
| US09414405B2 |
Method for a terminal to receive a downlink signal in a cooperative base station wireless communication system and device for same
A method of receiving a downlink signal from a plurality of cells at a user equipment in a cell cooperative wireless communication system is described. Downlink control information including downlink scheduling information for a serving cell and one or more coordinating cells at the user equipment from the serving cell is received. Whether the downlink control information includes one resource assignment field or at least two assignment fields is monitored. Depending upon monitoring, a downlink data signal from the serving cell and the one or more coordinating cells using the downlink scheduling information is received. The downlink control information for the downlink data signal is received through one Physical Downlink Control Channel. The downlink data signal received from each of the serving cell and the one or more coordinating cells is either received on an identical frequency band or a partially overlapped frequency band. |
| US09414401B2 |
Opportunistic service management for elastic applications
Methods and systems for facilitating management of elastic applications in a wireless environment are provided. The methods and systems include determining a degree of elasticity for wireless applications having varying degrees of elasticity. Traffic entities generated by wireless application are then scheduled for transmission to an end user device as a function of the particular degree of elasticity corresponding to the wireless application. |
| US09414399B2 |
Radio access networks
Among other things, a communication system comprising remote units and a controller is described. Each of the remote units comprises one or more radio frequency (RF) units to exchange RF signals with mobile devices. At least some of the RF signals comprise information destined for, or originating from, a mobile device. The controller comprises one or more modems and is connected to an external network. At least one of the modems is a baseband modem and is configured to pass first data corresponding to the information. The at least one of the modems is configured to perform real-time scheduling of the first data corresponding to the information. The controller is separated from the remote units by an intermediate network. The intermediate network comprises a switched Ethernet network over which second data corresponding to the information is carried in frames between the controller and the remote units. |
| US09414398B2 |
Data sending method and user equipment
The present invention discloses a data sending method and a user equipment, and relates to the field of mobile communications. The method includes: receiving at least two uplink grants allocated by a base station; grouping uplink grants received at different moments in the at least two uplink grants to obtain multiplexing resources; and multiplexing data to be sent onto transport blocks corresponding to the multiplexing resources and sending the transport blocks. The user equipment includes a receiving module, a processing module and a sending module. In embodiments of the present invention, uplink grants are grouped according to sending moments of transport blocks corresponding to the uplink grants so as to determine multiplexing resources, and data is multiplexed onto transport blocks corresponding to the grouped uplink grants and the transport blocks are sent. |
| US09414396B2 |
Apparatus, base station transceiver, method, and computer program for assigning a radio resource
Embodiments relate to an apparatus, a base station transceiver, a method, and a computer program for assigning a radio resource. An apparatus 10 for a mobile communication system is operable to assign a radio resource from a plurality of radio resources to enable communication of information between a mobile transceiver 200 and a base station transceiver 100. The apparatus 10 comprises a scheduler 12 for determining the radio resource based on information on a transmission condition between the mobile transceiver 200 and the base station transceiver 100, and based on a first allocation rule of a first operator and based on a second allocation rule of a second operator. |
| US09414394B2 |
Avoiding suspended transmission during network listen for small cell base stations
Techniques for compensating for self-induced interference in a small cell base station are provided. The techniques include detecting control signals from a neighboring base station associated with a wireless communication network, the control signals being transmitted by the neighboring base station at predetermined intervals, and compensating for self-induced interference caused by a transmitter of the small cell base station transmitting during the predetermined intervals in which control signals are received from the neighboring base station and the transmitter of the small cell base station is transmitting data. |
| US09414392B2 |
Apparatus, system and method of user-equipment (UE) centric access network selection
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems of User Equipment (UE) centric access network selection. For example, a cellular node may include a transmitter to transmit to a User Equipment (UE) a cellular communication message over a cellular communication medium, the message including a value of a predefined parameter, which is based on a cellular network load of a cellular network controlled by the cellular node. |
| US09414388B2 |
Method and apparatus for setting a happy bit on an E-DCH dedicated physical control channel
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) determines (1) whether the WTRU is transmitting as much scheduled data as allowed by a current Serving_Grant, (2) whether the WTRU has enough power to transmit at higher data rate, and (3) based on a same power offset as a currently selected E-DCH transport format combination (E-TFC), whether total E-DCH buffer status (TEBS) would require more than predetermined period to be transmitted with the current Serving_Grant.times.a ratio of active processes to a total number of processes. If criteria (1)-(3) are met, the WTRU sets the happy bit to “unhappy.” If MAC-i/is is configured, the WTRU evaluates criteria (2) by identifying an E-TFC that has a transport block size at least x bits larger than a transport block size of the currently selected E-TFC, and determining whether the identified E-TFC is supported based on a same power offset as the currently selected E-TFC. |
| US09414387B2 |
Component carrier activation and deactivation using resource assignments
This invention relates to a proposal of an uplink resource assignment format and a downlink resource assignment format. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of the new uplink/downlink resource assignments in methods for (de)activation of downlink component carrier(s) configured for a mobile terminal, a base station and a mobile terminal. To enable efficient and robust (de)activation of component carriers, while minimizing the signaling overhead, the invention proposes a new uplink/downlink resource assignment format that allow the activation/deactivation of individual downlink component carriers configured for a mobile. The new uplink or downlink resource assignment comprises an indication of the activation state of the configured downlink component carriers, i.e., indicate which downlink component carrier(s) is/are to be activated or deactivated. This indication is for example implemented by means of a bit-mask that indicates which of the configured uplink component carriers are to be activated respectively deactivated. |
| US09414383B2 |
Mobile communication system and method for providing common channel coverage using beamforming antennas
A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes circuitry configured to receive information from a base station indicating an assignment of periodic time slots to transmit sounding signals and circuitry configured to transmit sounding signals to the base station in the assigned periodic time slots in response to the received information, wherein a timing of transmission of the sounding signals in response to the received information differs between a time division duplex mode and a frequency division duplex mode, and wherein the transmitted sounding signals are distinguishable from sounding signals from other WTRUs. |
| US09414382B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating channels related to uplink bundling
A new PHICH channel and a new PDCCH channel are allocated when the location of a subframe to be used in transmission changes by the change in the configuration of the subframe caused by a dynamic uplink/downlink configuration in a subframe bundling transmission mode. In the event that a subframe is successfully transmitted in a subframe bundling mode, the location of the subframe that has been successfully transmitted is determined as a reference in determining the point of time of the response to the bundling transmission. In addition, the bundling transmission following the subframe that has been successfully transmitted can be omitted. |
| US09414375B2 |
Base station and method for transmitting control information to a user equipment (UE)
A method for transmitting to a UE control information comprising: channelization-code-set information (xccs,1, xccs,2, . . . , xccs,7); modulation-scheme and number of transport blocks information (xms,1, xms,2, xms,3, xms,4, xms,5); and precoding weight information (xpwipb,1, xpwipb,2, xpwipb,3, xpwipb,4). The method includes: multiplexing the channelization-code-set information, the modulation-scheme and number of transport blocks information and the precoding weight information to give a sequence of sixteen bits x1,1, x1,2, . . . , x1,16, where x1,i=xccs,i for i=1, 2, . . . , 7; x1,i=xms,i-7 for i=8, 9, 10, 11, 12; and x1,i=xpwipb,i-12 for i=13, 14, 15, 16; applying rate ½ convolutional coding to the sequence of bits x1,1, x1,2, . . . , x1,16 to obtain bit sequence z1,1, z1,2, . . . , z1,48; and puncturing the bits z1,1, z1,2, z1,4, z1,8, z1,42, z1,45, z1,47, z1,48 from sequence z1,1, z1,2, . . . , z1,48 to obtain an output sequence r1,1, r1,2 . . . r1,40. |
| US09414373B2 |
Method of transmitting/receiving downlink control information and user equipment therefor in wireless access system
A method of receiving downlink control information and a corresponding apparatus in a wireless access system supporting an enhanced physical downlink control channel. The method includes receiving, from an eNB, DCI transmission channel information that indicates which one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and the e-PDCCH is used to transmit the DCI, checking the starting symbol of the e-PDCCH when the DCI transmission channel information indicates that the e-PDCCH is used to transmit the DCI, and receiving the DCI by performing blind decoding on the e-PDCCH from the starting symbol of the e-PDCCH. |
| US09414369B2 |
Method and apparatus for relaying data in wireless communication system based on TDD
A method and a wireless station are described for receiving signals. The wireless station receives from a base station configured to use at least one of a plurality of time division duplex (TDD) uplink-downlink (UL-DL) subframe configurations, each of which indicates locations of at least one DL subframe and at least one UL subframe in a radio frame, a signal including information indicating that at least one uplink subframe indicated by the at least one of the plurality of TDD UL-DL subframe configurations is reconfigured as a DL subframe. The wireless station receives, from the base station, DL data on the UL subframe according to the signal. |
| US09414366B2 |
Timeslot allocation in uplink CDMA
The invention relates to an apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: allocate at least one specific uplink resource for uplink shared channel data to at least one device operable at decreased transmission power and/or bit rate, wherein the at least one specific uplink resource is at least one frequency resource and/or at least one time resource, and wherein the at least one specific uplink resource includes a plurality of reference symbols, and if a plurality of devices are allocated, separate the devices on the at least one specific uplink resource by multiplexing, wherein the multiplexing includes code division multiplexing. |
| US09414360B2 |
Multi-mode device (MMD) middleware for cloud spectrum services spectrum allocation
A platform to facilitate transferring spectrum rights is provided that includes a database to ascertain information regarding available spectrum for use in wireless communications. The invention provides a middleware component usable in a mobile terminal device such as a multi-mode device, where the middleware component mediates between an application program and network interfaces and/or hardware to manage the interaction between the device and a cloud spectrum service. The middleware component coordinates scanning for available broadcast, multicast, and/or conditional access platforms, networks, and/or services, as well as maintaining connection with CSS network elements to enable flexible and optimal use of the spectrum and manages the resources among multiple radios and applications on the platform. |
| US09414359B2 |
Apparatus and method for receiving multiple frequency allocations (FAS) in a mobile communication system
An apparatus and a method for receiving a multiple frequency band are provided. In the method for receiving a multiple frequency band of a terminal is a mobile communication system, respective received signal strengths or respective gains are measured with respect to a signal received via at least one Radio Frequency (RF) chain. Whether multiple frequency band reception that uses a single RF chain is possible is determined using the respective received signal strengths or the respective gains. When the multiple frequency band reception that uses the single RF chain is possible, the multiple frequency band is received using the single RF chain. |
| US09414358B2 |
Communication units and methods for control change notification in broadcast communication
A method for supporting cross carrier indication of a control channel change notification for at least one wireless communication unit that is operating on a first serving communication cell and has been configured with access to at least one second serving communication cell in a wireless broadcast communication system. The method includes, at the base station: generating a message including a broadcast service identifier, wherein the broadcast service identifier identifies a control channel change of the at least one second serving cell accessible by the at least one wireless communication unit; and transmitting the message to the at least one wireless communication unit. |
| US09414357B2 |
Methods and devices for obtaining a single frequency network in a network multi-input multi-output communications system
A method for a communications network includes receiving, by a network controller, broadcast content from at least one content source. The method includes synchronizing, by the network controller, with at least a first and second base station. The at least first and second base stations are associated with the network controller. The method includes transmitting, by the network controller, the broadcast content to the at least first and second base stations based on the synchronization such that the broadcast content is transmitted from the at least first and second base stations at desired times. |
| US09414356B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving paging information in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving paging information in a wireless communication system having a system bandwidth being an integer multiple of a minimum reception bandwidth of a User Equipment (UE), in which a system band is divided into frequency bands having a bandwidth equal to the minimum reception bandwidth of the UE, a Paging Indicator (PI) of the paging information is transmitted in each of the frequency bands, the PI including a group identifier (ID) of a group to which the UE belongs, and a paging message of the paging information is transmitted in one of the frequency bands, the paging message including an ID of the UE. |
| US09414355B1 |
Methods and systems for paging based on communication type
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for paging a wireless communication device in a radio access network based on a communication type. An example method may include a radio access network receiving a request to initiate a communication with a wireless communication device. The example method may also include the radio access network determining a type of the requested communication. The example method may additionally include the radio access network determining a maximum number of page attempts for a paging process of the wireless communication device based on at least the determined type. The example method may further include the radio access network initiating the paging process of the wireless communication. |
| US09414354B2 |
System and method for location reporting in an untrusted network environment
An example method is provided and may include retrieving by a user equipment (UE) an access point (AP) Media Access Control (MAC) address for an AP to which the UE is connected; reporting location information for the UE to an evolved Packet Data Gateway over an SWu interface using Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol, wherein the location information includes, at least in part, a UE location in GPS coordinates, a service set identifier, the retrieved AP MAC address and cell identity information for the UE; and populating a location database with the location information. The method can include embedding the location information in an identity initiator (Idi) of an IKE Authentication Request (IKE_AUTH_REQ) message using a Network Access Identifier (NAI) and communicating the location information from the ePDG to a PGW over an S2b interface using a private extension information element of GPRS Tunneling Protocol version 2 (GTPv2). |
| US09414352B2 |
Method and apparatus for correcting location information of mobile communication terminal
A method and apparatus for correcting location information of mobile communication terminals is disclosed. The apparatus for correcting location information of mobile communication terminals, includes: a handler to collect location measurement information of the mobile communication terminals, and environment information containing locations of base stations and arrangements of roads or buildings from a network; a database to store the location measurement information and the environment information; an analysis unit to analyze the location measurement information and the environment information to generate correction maps; a correction map database to store the correction maps; and a service unit to refer to the correction maps and to provide a corrected location estimate service, a corrected location measurement service, or a correction-value broadcast service to mobile communication terminals which request location services. |
| US09414348B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining dynamic access tokens for location-based services
An approach is provided for a mechanism to determine dynamic information for generating dynamic access tokens to a location-based service. The approach includes a method for determining one or more dynamic information items associated with at least one location in which at least one service is available. The approach also includes a method for determining at least one procedure for generating one or more access tokens associated with the at least one service. The approach further includes a method for processing and/or facilitating a processing of the one or more dynamic information items using, at least in part, the at least one procedure to cause, at least in part, a generation of the one or more access tokens. |
| US09414343B2 |
Method and apparatus for synchronization for device-to-device communication in unlicensed frequency bands
A method and an apparatus for synchronization for Device-to-Device (D2D) communication in unlicensed frequency bands are provided. The method includes determining whether a signal is detected during a preset time period within a synchronization period, after transmitting a synchronization signal during the synchronization period for the D2D communication, when it is determined that the D2D communication is to be performed, and starting the time period for the D2D communication and performing the D2D communication during the time period for the D2D communication, when it is determined that the signal is not detected. |
| US09414337B2 |
Method for transmitting and receiving synchronization signals in wireless access system and apparatus therefor
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting and receiving synchronization signals in a wireless access system for supporting carrier aggregation/multiple cells (CA) and an apparatus therefor. Specifically, the present invention includes the steps of transmitting a first synchronization signal through an extension carrier which is not operated as a single carrier but is operated as a part of the CA, wherein a transmission area of the first synchronization signal differs from a transmission area of a second synchronization signal which is transmitted through a legacy carrier capable of being operated as the single carrier. |
| US09414332B2 |
Signal power management in a multicarrier wireless device
A first signal is transmitted starting in a first subframe of a cell of a first cell group. A second signal is configured for transmission in a second subframe of a second cell group. Transmission of the second signal is dropped if a power value is more than an allowable transmission power. A calculation of the power value considers transmission power of the first signal and the second signal if the first subframe and the second subframe overlap in time with more than a first duration. |
| US09414323B2 |
Uplink transmission power control in multi-carrier communication systems
Disclosed are a method and apparatus for wireless communication by and in a base station (BS) and a user equipment (UE). The method by the UE includes determining a first power for transmitting first control information on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), determining a second power for transmitting both first data and second control information on a first physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), determining a third power for transmitting second data on a second PUSCH, reducing the third power if a sum of the first power, the second power and the third power exceeds a predetermined value, and transmitting at least one of the first control information on the PUCCH using the first power, the first data and the second control information on the first PUSCH using the second power, and the second data on the second PUSCH using the reduced third power. |
| US09414322B2 |
Method and apparatus for controlling transmit power in wireless communication system
A method is described for transmitting a control signal in a wireless communication system. A wireless communication system supporting multiple antennas, transmits, by a user equipment (UE), a control signal on an uplink control channel at a subframe i. Furthermore, an uplink transmit power PPUCCH(i) for the uplink control channel at the subframe i is determined based on a mathematical equation. Additionally, the mathematical equation includes a min function and uses parameters including PCMAX(i), P0_PUCCH, ΔF_PUCCH(F), g(i), PL, Δ(M) and PL where PCMAX(i) is a configured UE transmit power in subframe i, P0_PUCCH is a parameter composed based on provisions by a higher layer, ΔF_PUCCH(F) is a parameter provided by the higher layer, PL is a downlink pathloss estimate calculated in the UE, and g(i) is a value relating to a UE specific value. |
| US09414321B2 |
Uplink power control for MU-MIMO
A method of power control for multi-user multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO) transmissions between a pair of mobile terminals and a radio base station. The method comprises determining signal-to-interference-noise ratios (SINRs) for the radio channels between the mobile terminals and the radio base station, determining a channel orthogonality between the radio channels, and jointly determining, based on the SINRs and the channel orthogonality, power adjustment values for the mobile terminals. The present invention makes use of an understanding that the system gain resulting from MU-MIMO transmissions may be improved by optimizing the transmission power of the co-scheduled mobile terminals. For instance, the power adjustment values may be determined so as to attain certain SINR targets. Alternatively, the power adjustment values may be determined so as to maximize the throughput while maintaining a power budget constraint. Further, a radio base station for MU-MIMO transmissions is provided. |
| US09414314B2 |
Reliability detection of channel quality indicator (CQI) and application to outer loop power control
A method for performing outer loop power control in wireless communications includes initializing a time interval clock to count down a predetermined time interval; receiving and decoding a channel quality indicator (CQI) message; computing a decision metric value for each symbol in the decoded CQI message; determining whether the CQI message is erroneous; counting a number of erroneous CQI messages; and signaling a wireless/transmit receive unit to adjust an uplink transmission power on a condition that the time interval clock has expired and the number of erroneous CQI messages exceeds a threshold. |
| US09414313B2 |
Discontinuous reception (DRX) for diverse traffic
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for discontinuous reception (DRX) are provided. One method may include configuring a user equipment with a first inactivity timer and a second inactivity timer. The user equipment may be further configured, after decoding a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) indicating a new data transmission, to start the first inactivity timer for a first N times of active time, and to start the second inactivity timer for times subsequent to the first N times. If a short DRX cycle is configured, expiry of the first inactivity timer does not start a short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, while expiry of the second inactivity timer starts the short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle. |
| US09414312B2 |
Communication device and method for packet communications in a contention-free period
A communication device includes a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to transmit a first packet including a first information within a contention-free period assigned to the communication device, the first packet storing last data to be transmitted in the contention-free period, the first information indicating presence of remaining data to be transmitted in the contention-free period, and, after transmit the first packet, to transmit a second packet including a second information within the contention-free period, the second information indicating absence of remaining data to be transmitted in the contention-free period. |
| US09414307B2 |
Rule-driven policy creation by an ANDSF server
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method, network node, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including one or more of the following: identifying a location associated with a user equipment device (UE) in communication with an ANDSF server via an S14 session established over a first access network; retrieving a policy rule that includes a first portion and a second portion; determining, based on evaluating the first portion using the location associated with the UE, that the policy rule is applicable to the S14 session; generating, in response to determining that the policy rule is applicable to the S14 session, a policy based on the second portion, wherein the policy includes an identification of an access point for use by the UE to access a second access network; and transmitting the policy including the identification of the access point to the UE via the S14 session over the first access network. |
| US09414305B2 |
Intelligent network selection system
A roaming partner selection system associated with a mobile device includes a preferred roaming list providing a plurality roaming partner networks that may provide a network connection to the mobile device when a home network may not be selected. At least one rule set controls the selection of one of a roaming partner network from the preferred provider list or a home network for establishing a connection with mobile device. Control logic controls a selection of at least one of the roaming partner network from the home network responsive to the at least one rule set and at least one predetermined input parameter. The at least one rule set establishes which of the at least one of the plurality of roaming partner networks or the home network should be selected by the control logic responsive to the at least one predetermined parameter. |
| US09414304B2 |
Method and related mobile device for cell searching with low memory requirement
The present solution relates to a method for searching for a cell in a cellular mobile communication system having low memory requirement. The method comprises: receiving in a receiver a signal carrying a reference signal having a first data rate, decimating the signal to generate a down-sampled signal having a second data rate, phase-compensating a phase distortion introduced by the decimating, and correlating the down-sampled signal against a phase-compensated local reference signal or a phase-compensated down-sampled signal against a local reference signal. When buffering the down-sampled signal prior or subsequent to phase-compensating, the buffer size is minimized as 1× oversampling is employed compared to 2× oversampling of current solutions. |
| US09414299B2 |
Communication control method, mobility management device, home base station, and base station
A communication control method applied to a mobile communication system, the mobile communication system including a home base station that forms a specific cell and a mobility management device that performs verification of a user terminal for access permission to the specific cell in a handover procedure of the user terminal to the specific cell, comprises a step A of transmitting, by the mobility management device, verification failure information indicating failure of the verification to the home base station when the verification is failed after the user terminal establishes a connection to the specific cell in the handover procedure and a step B of starting, by the home base station, a re-handover procedure of the user terminal to another cell from the specific cell while maintaining the connection in response to reception of the verification failure information from the mobility management device. |
| US09414298B1 |
Dynamic aggression management of cellular connectivity
This disclosure relates to techniques for dynamic selection of connection attempt throttling algorithms based on user context. According to some embodiments, a wireless device may monitor certain current conditions of the UE, such as battery level, user activity level, motion level, and/or other conditions. Depending at least in part on the current conditions of the UE, cellular connection attempt parameters may be selected. In some conditions the cellular connection attempt parameters may be selected such as to allow more aggressive pursuit of cellular connectivity, while in other conditions the cellular connection attempt parameters may be selected such as to allow less aggressive pursuit of cellular connectivity. |
| US09414296B2 |
Discovery of a set of nodes in a network
Methods and systems for discovery of a set of nodes (20, 30) in a network (165). The method comprises selecting (S11) a node (20) amongst nodes in a group of nodes to be processed; and instructing (S12) to implement a discovery procedure for the selected node. The procedure comprises broadcasting (S22) a neighbor discovery request from a node (20) currently selected on a shared transmission medium (1) of the network; and receiving (S23) at the node (20) currently selected replies sent (S34) by neighbor nodes on the shared transmission medium and adding (S13) the neighbor nodes to the group of nodes to be processed; and repeating (S14) the steps of selecting and instructing for other nodes (30) in the group of nodes to be processed, until all nodes of the set are discovered. |
| US09414294B2 |
Method for decoupling caller routing services and off-net data acquisition
Call routing system and method for routing calls based upon a calling party's location. The call routing system includes a communication interface structured and arranged to receive an incoming call, a routing network interface structured and arranged to route the incoming call to a termination point based upon a current location of the calling party, a location based service interface through which a query is transmitted to a location based service to request location data associated with the current location and through which a response including the location data is received from the location based service, and a processor structured and arranged to execute instructions to route the incoming call to a closest termination point to the current location based on the location data. The calling party's call does not originate over a land line device. |
| US09414293B2 |
System and method for managing a list of entries containing routing information
A system and method adds and manages entries on a list of entries of routing information to allow the top entry to be used for routing to a destination corresponding to the list. Costs of a wireless link may be a function of the success rate experienced on that wireless link. |
| US09414292B1 |
Controlling detection of an access node for wireless device communication
In operation, it is determined that a wireless device is in communication with a first access node using a first frequency band, and that a first coverage area of the first access node includes at least a portion of a second coverage area of a second access node. A coverage proportion of the first coverage area which includes the portion of the second coverage area of the second access node is calculated, and based on the coverage proportion a scan interval is determined. In addition, based on the determined scan interval and an application requirement of an application running on the wireless device, a signal level criteria is determined. When a signal level of the first frequency band meets the signal level criteria the wireless device is instructed to scan for a second frequency band of the second access node using the scan interval. |
| US09414291B2 |
Dynamic tag control and fingerprinting event localization
In a method for clustering position determination for providing position determination assisting data in a cellular communications network, detecting S1 an event, such as the occurrence of an emergency call or sudden drop in radio quality, providing a tag S2 for the detected event comprising event specific information. Subsequently, providing S3 high precision position measurements the said tagged detected event, and repeating S4 said detecting and providing steps a plurality of times. Finally, obtaining local clusters S5 of high-precision position measurements based on the event specific tag. |
| US09414290B2 |
Mobility control method and device in mobile communication network
A mobility control method and device that can suppress an increase of location registration signaling are provided. In a mobile communication network including cells (21a, 21b) of multiple types differing in cell size, mobility determination times (T_reselection) are determined for individual neighbor cells (22a-29d) or individual neighbor cell types (Operation 303), and mobility control is performed by determining whether or not a predetermined mobility criterion remains satisfied during the mobility determination time set for a neighbor cell (Operations 304-306). |
| US09414289B2 |
Predictive client VLAN extension
Methods, systems and computer readable media for predictive client VLAN extension are described. In some implementations, the method can include determining client movement within a wireless network domain. The method can also include predicting one or more next hop access points for the client. The method can further include extending a client network to the one or more next hop access points prior to the client roaming to the one or more next hop access points. |
| US09414285B2 |
Handover with integrated antenna beam training in wireless networks
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for sustaining a link with a wireless network are provided. The apparatus communicates data with the wireless network via a first link with a first base station, acquires a resource to perform a beam training sequence with a second base station, wherein the acquired resource allows the beam training sequence with the second base station to be performed while the data is communicated via the first link, performs the beam training sequence and exchanging signaling information with the second base station using the resource to establish a second link to the second base station, evaluates a link strength of the second link based on the beam training sequence, and determines whether to switch the data communication from the first link to the second link based on the evaluation. |
| US09414284B2 |
Methods and an apparatus for applying radio-access network-selection and traffic-routing policies in a communication device
The present disclosure describes methods for applying policies that govern selection and use of radio-access networks by a wireless device. A device receives a first set of parameters for evaluating networks from a first network element and receives a policy from a second network element. The policy includes a second set of parameters and a preference indicator to indicate whether the first set or the second set is a preferred source of parameters to be used when evaluating networks. The device determines, based on the indicator, whether a corresponding parameter in the first set should be used in place of a parameter in the second set when applying the policy. If it is determined that a corresponding parameter in the first set should be used, the device uses the corresponding parameter in the first set when applying the policy to evaluate the networks. |
| US09414282B2 |
Link management in a wireless network environment
A mobile computer device establishes a wireless communication link between the mobile computer device and a first access point of multiple access points in a network environment. While wirelessly connected to the first access point, the mobile computer device monitors communications from a set of neighboring access points including at least a second access point of the multiple access points. The mobile computer device transmits performance information derived from the monitored communications to a controller resource. To alleviate a current load on the first access point, the controller resource generates control information to terminate the wireless communication link between the mobile computer device and the first access point and establish a replacement wireless communication link between the mobile computer device and a second access point. |
| US09414272B2 |
UE measurements for hot spot detection
The present invention relates to a method for acquiring radio measurements in a mobile communication system. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the steps of. —within a serving cell (A) operated by a radio access node (eNBA) and serving a particular user equipment (UEX), sending measurement control information (meas_ctrl_info) from the radio access node to the particular user equipment whereby the particular user equipment is configured to perform radio measurements, —within a further serving cell (B) operated by a further radio access node (eNBB) and subsequently serving the particular user equipment, sending a measurement report (meas_report) from the particular user equipment to the further radio access node comprising measurement data (meas_data) as configured by the serving cell and a cell identifier (PCIA) of the serving cell, —transferring the measurement data from the further radio access node back to the radio access node. The present invention also relates to a user equipment and to a radio access node operable to form part of a mobile communication system. |
| US09414271B2 |
Message handling method and device
In the field of communications technologies, a method and a device for handling messages are provided. The method includes: a notification indicating whether an X2 interface to a neighbor node is available is received; using an S1 interface to send information when the X2 interface is unavailable; and receiving a notification indicating whether an S1 interface to a neighbor node is available, and using an X2 interface to send information when the S1 interface is unavailable. The solutions can ensure normal communication, and reduce possibility of communication failure. |
| US09414270B2 |
Message handling method and device
In the field of communications technologies, a message handling method and a message handling device are provided. The method includes: a notification indicating whether an X2 interface to a neighbor node is available is received; using an S1 interface to send information when the X2 interface is unavailable; and/or receiving a notification indicating whether an S1 interface to a neighbor node is available, and using an X2 interface to send information when the S1 interface is unavailable. The technical solutions can ensure normal communication, and reduce possibility of communication failure. |
| US09414257B2 |
Radio communication device and file transfer method
A radio communication device includes: a controller, provided in a cell belonging to a first base station at a position, configured to obtain a start time of transfer of a file from a file server based on a first delay time that is based on a physical cell identity of the cell and a second delay time that is based on reception power measured at the position in the cell. |
| US09414253B2 |
Apparatus and method of discarding logged measurement in wireless communication system
A method of discarding logged measurements in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode receives a Minimization of Drive Tests (MDT) configuration from a base station and starts a validity timer upon receiving the MDT configuration. The user equipment in an RRC idle mode logs measurements based on the MDT configuration to collect logged measurements while the validity timer is running. When the validity timer is expired, the user equipment discards the MDT configuration and starts a conservation timer. When the conservation timer is expired, the logged measurements are discarded. |
| US09414252B2 |
Traffic indication map information element indicator for TIM segmentation
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for generating traffic indication map (TIM) information elements (IE) for stations that support and stations that do not support TIM segmentation (page slicing). A method generally includes generating an IE, and providing an indication of whether or not the IE is for devices that support segmentation. |
| US09414245B2 |
Method and apparatus for detection of intermodulation products
Interference comprising an intermodulation product of at least a first signal and a second signal is detected in a wireless network, by generating, on the basis of at least the first signal and the second signal, at least one interference signal comprising a simulated intermodulation product and correlating the at least one interference signal with a waveform received in the wireless system to produce data representing a correlation. The presence of an intermodulation product of at least the first signal and the second signal is detected in the interference in dependence on the data representative of the correlation. |
| US09414244B2 |
Apparatus and method for determining context-aware and adaptive thresholds in a communications system
A system is configured to generate an alarm when an anomaly occurs at a network infrastructure element. The system includes a transceiver configured to receive data associated with a performance indicator on a predefined basis. The system also includes a processor configured to use the received data to determine a normalized trend for the performance indicator for at least one of a given network infrastructure element and a given time period. The processor is further configured to apply a degree of deviation to the determined normalized trend for at least one of the given network infrastructure element and the given time period to generate an adaptive threshold for the performance indicator. An alarm generator generates an alarm to indicate an anomaly at the given network infrastructure element when newly received data associated with the performance indicator is beyond the adaptive threshold associated with the performance indicator. |
| US09414239B2 |
Space time calibration for networks using state model of node clock parameters
A space time calibration method determines location and timing for nodes in a network using a model of the state of clocks in the network nodes and observations of clock count stamps over an observation interval. At least one of the nodes in the network is moving, and the nodes have free running clocks, with corresponding clock error parameters. The method obtains observations of clock stamps for transmissions between nodes occurring over a time interval. It applies the observations to a model of network state, and generates from the model an update of network state. This update is a function of the observations and an estimate of the network state. The network state provides estimates of location parameters and clock parameters of the nodes in the network. |
| US09414235B2 |
Method and apparatus for spectrum allocation in wireless networks
The invention includes a method and apparatus for dynamically allocating spectrum available within a region including a plurality of base stations. The method includes obtaining a plurality of spectrum demands associated with at least a portion of the base stations, each spectrum demand requesting a portion of the available spectrum, and determining a plurality of spectrum allocations satisfying at least a portion of the spectrum demands. The spectrum allocations are determined by processing the spectrum demands using network information such as base station information associated with the base stations and region information such as terrain information associated with the region. The region information may include signal propagation information. |
| US09414229B2 |
Cell selection and reselection in deployments with home nodeBs
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate cell search, selection, and reselection within a wireless communication network that includes a home node base station (home nodeB). A user equipment (UE) can detect a home nodeB and communicate such identification to a macro network that includes at least one node base station (nodeB). The detected home nodeB and nodeB can be hierarchically structured in order to prioritize connectivity with the home nodeB over the nodeB. Such prioritization can be implemented by broadcasting home nodeB parameters and macro nodeB parameters having identification information therewith. |
| US09414223B2 |
Security solution for integrating a WiFi radio interface in LTE access network
A method for security for inter-RAT carrier aggregation is disclosed. The method includes encrypting a message using an encryption technique for a first RAT. The method also includes sending, to a UE, at least a portion of the encrypted message using a different, second RAT. Sending using the second RAT does not further encrypt the at least a portion of the encrypted message. The method further includes receiving the at least a portion of the message encrypted using the first RAT protocol. Receiving uses the second, different RAT. The method also includes decrypting the at least a portion of the message using the first RAT protocol. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described. |
| US09414220B2 |
Method for managing multiple profiles in an embedded UICC, and embedded UICC and terminal therefor
The present invention relates to a technology for managing profiles in an eUICC embedded in a terminal, and more particularly, to a method for efficiently managing profiles in an eUICC in consideration of a case in which multiple profiles are able to be stored in the eUICC, as well as to an embedded eUICC and terminal therefor. |
| US09414219B2 |
Detecting carriers for mobile devices
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a content object from a mobile-client system of a user, accessing SIM-card information associated with the mobile-client system the user, determining a carrier based at least on the SIM-card information, and sending the webpage to the mobile-client system in response to the request, where the content object has been customized based on the determined carrier of the mobile-client system. |
| US09414216B1 |
Method and system for multiple carrier resource allocation in LTE-advanced networks
A process for selecting an optimal individual user solution including an optimal rate allocation and associated price for a predetermined bandwidth of cellular network resources includes application of an iterative process and selection from multiple proposed user solutions. The inputs to the iterative process include at least an initial user bid, an initial network rate allocation, a generated user utility function and the cost data. The user utility function includes multiple application user functions. Optimal solution selection includes comparing each multiple proposed user rate allocation with the initial network rate allocation for the user and selecting the closest multiple proposed user rate allocation to the initial network rate allocation. The process may be applied to aggregated cellular carrier scenarios. |
| US09414214B2 |
Emergency radio communications system incorporating integral public safety radio bridging capability
A communication system and method is provided for handling emergency situations wherein complex public safety radio systems can be used to directly communicate with normally incompatible radio systems used by organizations such as schools, hospital, and other facilities. The system includes a radio communication bridge that is selectively activated by emergency personnel to contact selected organizations. The bridge is activated via a TCP/IP command sent from an organization having activation privileges to the selected communication endpoints. Computer software or firmware installed at various communication endpoints, emergency responder locations, and at an emergency call center is used to facilitate functionality of the system to include emergency notifications, dissemination of information associated with a particular emergency, and the status of the system to include activation and deactivation of the radio bridge. |
| US09414213B2 |
Communications via a media content device
Various aspects are described that may provide various communications services. These services may provide for the ability of a user to initiate or request a communication with a third party, such as an emergency service party or a vendor, using a network-coupled device that may be pre-associated with a physical address. |
| US09414212B2 |
Community emergency request communication system
A community emergency request communication system (CERCS) that provides a person in crisis with ability to send an emergency alert. A primary responder(s) and/or secondary responder(s) receive the alert and can provide aid to the person in crisis. The alerts are sent from a communication device such as a smart phone or cell phone through a server. The responder(s) receive the alert on a communication device and replies through the server. Additionally, personal contacts of the person in crisis can also be notified of the emergency. The system collects and stores relevant event feedback, performance and skill ratings of the responders and the persons in crisis in the system, as well as incident information. The system provides an individual and a community with an additional and/or alternative emergency response capability, which may provide faster or more reliable emergency response than other conventional emergency response methods under some circumstances. |
| US09414211B2 |
Performance center mobile supervisor application
Methods and systems for supporting the remote monitoring and control of automatic call distribution systems are provided. In particular, an application for execution on a mobile device is provided. The application presents ACD system status information to a supervisor of the ACD system. The application additionally accepts control input from the supervisor, and can pass that control input to the ACD system server for action. |
| US09414210B2 |
System and method for incorporating short message service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service (MMS) contacts into an instant messaging interface
A system and method are provided wherein SMS-only contacts are integrated into an IM environment. An IM contact list interface distinguishes between SMS and IM chats (and contacts), such that limitations and potential differential costs associated with the respective mediums can be identified. The system is also configured to route SMS messages into the IM contact list interface for later filtering and/or selection by the user. By providing SMS-specific categories with the IM contact list interface SMS integration operations such as routing of SMS messages can be controlled to avoid degrading the user's experience. |
| US09414206B2 |
Mobile terminal using contact information from a social network service and method thereof
There is disclosed a mobile terminal for providing a convenient and effective contact management function by providing differentiated services for two or more connected contacts, respectively. To this end, there is provided an operation control method of a mobile terminal, and the method may include displaying a contact list containing a plurality of contacts; designating a first contact in the contact list as a first recipient according to a user's input; designating at least one second contact as a second recipient when there exists the at least one second contact connected to the first contact; and performing a first operation for the first recipient, and performing a second operation subordinate to the first operation for the second recipient. |
| US09414205B2 |
System for preemptive and proximate association in industrial networks
A temporary work group system may include one or more network devices and one or more working devices. The network device can allocate an access point in a network to provide network access to a temporary work group. Working devices may be selectively identified by the network device as being available for inclusion in the temporary work group based on a first predetermined criteria that includes proximity to the access point and authentication of each of the working devices. Selectively identified working devices can be associated with the temporary work group based on a second predetermined criteria that includes a respective relative location of the working devices and respective functionality of the working devices. The system may preempt working devices from association with the work group session until such devices meet both the first predetermined criteria and the second predetermined criteria. |
| US09414204B2 |
Fleet communication network
A communication network for a fleet of vehicles is disclosed. The communication network has a first group of the fleet of vehicles having a first level of priority on the network and a second group of the fleet of vehicles having a second level of priority on the network. A first vehicle in the first group is assigned as a supervisor of a second vehicle in the second group. |
| US09414201B2 |
Information providing apparatus and method thereof
Provided are an information providing apparatus and a method thereof capable of easily and effectively using information stored in each of a plurality of terminals. The information providing apparatus includes a communication unit configured to establish a communication network with a mobile terminal within a vehicle, a display unit configured to display a vehicle image, and a control unit configured to receive identification information of the mobile terminal and position information of the mobile terminal through the communication unit, and to control the display unit to display the received position information of the mobile terminal in the vehicle image and display a mobile terminal image corresponding to the identification information in the displayed position information of the mobile terminal. |
| US09414200B2 |
Optimization of a backhaul connection in a mobile communications network
A system, a method, a device, and a computer program product for transmission of data between a user device and a server. A first data received from the user device and a second data received from the server are processed. A determination is made whether to store at least a portion of the second data in at least one memory. The stored portion of the second data is provided to the user device in response to receiving the first data. |
| US09414198B2 |
Location-aware mobile device
One or more location-based clients can be activated on a mobile device for providing location-based services. The location-based clients can be provided with information (e.g., presets, defaults) related to the current location and/or mode of the mobile device. The information can be obtained from one or more network resources. In some implementations, a number of location-based clients can run concurrently on the mobile device and share information. |
| US09414195B2 |
Observation platform for using structured communications
Systems and methods for observing and recording users of communication devices are disclosed. A first user associated with a first communication device and a second user associated with a second communication device are recognized at a central computer system. Geographic locations of the first communication device and the second communication device are tracked at the central computer system. A communication between the first communication device and the second communication device are tracked and recorded at the central computer system, wherein at least a portion of the communication is an audible communication. Features of the communication are identified at the central computer system and made available. |
| US09414193B2 |
Communicating RF fingerprint-based geofences
Systems, apparatus and methods for communicating and using a geofence while maintaining privacy are presented. A geofence is based on at least one RF fingerprint. The RF fingerprints include absolute information that is transformed into a one-way matrix (A) by application of a one-way function. The absolute information may identify a transmitter (e.g., by location, address or the like). An equation 0=Ax (where 0 is a zero vector, A is the one-way matrix and x is a signature vector) is solved to reveal one possible solution for the signature vector (x). This signature vector (x) is communicated rather than the RF fingerprints themselves, thus obscuring the absolute information and maintaining privacy. |
| US09414188B2 |
Location assistance information determination
Methods and apparatus are described for providing location assistance information to a mobile device. An example of a method for providing location assistance information to the mobile device by a femto base station includes receiving a macro base station signal during a monitoring time period during which the femto base station is substantially stationary, obtaining location assistance information, the location assistance information being based, at least in part, on the received macro base station signal, and transmitting the location assistance information to the mobile device. |
| US09414185B2 |
Information-processing apparatus, control method of information-processing apparatus, program, recording medium, portable terminal, and information-processing system
An MFP specifies an MFP application to be started in a portable terminal and another application to be started after start of the MFP application. An NFC tag records information that allows the specified MFP application and the specified another application to be identified in the portable terminal. The portable terminal acquires the application information recorded in the NFC tag by the proximity wireless communication. The portable terminal controls a communication-connection changeover according to an application to be started based on the acquired information. At this moment, if a type of communication to be used by the MFP application and a type of communication to be used by the another application are different, the portable terminal starts the another application after making a changeover to communication connection corresponding to this another application. |
| US09414183B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing group context sensing and inference
An approach is provided for providing group context sensing and inference. The group context platform determines at least one group of one or more devices that have one or more group contexts that are at least substantially similar, at least substantially correlated, or a combination thereof. Next, the group context platform causes, at least in part, a distribution of one or more context sensing tasks among the one or more devices of the at least one group. Then, the group context platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more results of the one or more context sensing tasks to (a) modify the one or more group contexts; (b) enhance the one or more group contexts; (c) determine one or more other group contexts; or (d) a combination thereof. |
| US09414178B2 |
Inter-carrier differentiation using allocation and retention priority in a wireless communication system
A method and system for allocating services to a first subscriber of a first home service provider when the first subscriber is visiting a network associated with a visited service provider. A node of the visited network receives a request from the visiting first subscriber to receive a first service from the visited network. In response to the request, the visited network determines whether there are sufficient available resources of a first set of resources to provide the requested first service. When the available resources are insufficient to provide the requested service, then at least one pre-existing service supported by the first set of resources is preempted so that sufficient resources from the first set of resources are made available to provide the requested service, and the requested service is provided to the visiting first subscriber. |
| US09414177B2 |
Audio signal processing method and audio signal processing device
An audio signal processing method includes: obtaining an L signal including a sound localized closer to the left as a major component and an R signal including a sound localized closer to the right as a major component; extracting a first signal which is a component of a sound included in the L signal and localized closer to the right and a second signal which is a component of a sound included in the R signal and localized closer to the left; generating a first output signal by subtracting the first signal from the L signal and adding the second signal to the L signal and a second output signal by subtracting the second signal from the R signal and adding the first signal to the R signal; and outputting the first output signal and the second output signal. |
| US09414173B1 |
Fitting verification with in situ hearing test
A method for fitting verification of a hearing device has been disclosed. The current invention can be used to evaluate and verify a fitting for a hearing device on individual ears. It uses the hearing device itself as testing apparatus. No additional equipment is required other than the fitting computer and interface which are already required and exist for the device fitting. The method for fitting verification with in situ hearing test consists of at least two steps. One is to obtain patient's unaided hearing thresholds, which can be either in situ hearing thresholds or conventional audiogram. The second step is to measure patient's aided in situ hearing thresholds. An in situ functional gain is then calculated based on the unaided and aided in situ thresholds. The in situ functional gain can be used to evaluate or verify if intended target gains have been achieved with the device. |
| US09414171B2 |
Binaural hearing assistance system comprising a database of head related transfer functions
The application relates to a binaural hearing assistance system comprising left and right hearing assistance devices adapted for being located at or in a left and right ear, respectively, of a user, each of the left and right hearing assistance devices comprising a) an input unit for providing one or more electric input signals based on one or more input sounds of a sound field surrounding the binaural hearing assistance system; b) a source separation unit for separating and localizing one or more sound sources Ss in said sound field relative to the input transducer unit based on said one or more electric input signals, and providing respective separated sound source signals Xs, and localization parameters LPs of said one or more sound sources (s=1, 2, . . . , Ns); c) an antenna and transceiver unit adapted for allowing an exchange of said electric input signals, and/or said separated sound source signals Xs and/or said localization parameters LPs of said one or more sound sources between said left and right hearing assistance devices. The application further relates to a method of operating a binaural hearing assistance system. The object of the present application is to provide an improved binaural hearing assistance system. The problem is solved in that the system further comprises d) a comparison and calculation unit for comparing said electric input signals, and/or said separated sound source signals Xsl, Xsr and/or said localization parameters LPsl, LPsr of said left and right hearing assistance devices, respectively, to estimate a head related transfer function HRTF value for one or more of said sound sources S with said localization parameters LPs at a given point in time; and e) a memory unit for storing and updating a database of said HRTF values and optionally said localization parameters LPs over time. This has the advantage of providing a flexible binaural hearing assistance system that is capable of learning the relevant HRTFs of its user, optionally without being initialized. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids, headsets, ear phones, active ear protection systems and combinations thereof. |
| US09414169B2 |
Device and method for detecting change in characteristics of hearing aid
The present invention relates to a device and a method for detecting a change in characteristics of a hearing aid and informing a user of the change. In one embodiment, a first input audio signal and an second amplified audio signal transmitted from the a hearing aid are received via a communication unit. Simulation is conducted of amplifying of the first input audio signal according to pre-stored auditory information stored in advance, and the processed simulated amplified first input audio signal is compared with the amplified audio signal. An alarm signal is output when a difference between the processed simulated amplified first input audio signal and the second amplified audio signal is greater than a predetermined threshold. |
| US09414165B2 |
Acoustic sensor resonant peak reduction
A MEMS acoustic sensor includes a transducer with a frequency response with a gain peak, and a peak reduction circuit with a frequency response and coupled to the transducer. The frequency response of the peak reduction circuit causes attenuation of the gain peak. |
| US09414164B2 |
Audio signal correction and calibration for a room environment
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of processing an audio signal to optimize audio for a room environment. One example method of operation may include recording the audio signal generated within a particular room environment and processing the audio signal to create an original frequency response based on the audio signal. The method may also include identifying a target sub-region of the frequency response which has a predetermined area percentage of a total area under a curve generated by the frequency response, determining whether the target sub-region is a narrow energy region, creating a filter to adjust the frequency response, and applying the filter to the audio signal. |
| US09414163B2 |
Amplifier capable of controlling cut-off frequency in real time and amplification method for controlling cut-off frequency in real time
An amplifier and an amplification method are provided. In accordance with the present invention, a cut-off frequency of variable high-pass filter is dynamically adjusted in real time according to a low frequency level of an input audio signal to prevent a distortion of the audio signal and damage of loudspeaker. |
| US09414162B2 |
Systems and methods for echo reduction
Systems and methods are provided for echo reduction. For example, first audio data associated with a current time unit is obtained, the first audio data being generated by an audio-acquisition device of a receiver based on at least information associated with a first audio signal acquired by the audio-acquisition device and a second audio signal output from an audio-playback device of the receiver, the second audio signal being output from the audio-playback device of the receiver based on at least information associated with second audio data transmitted previously by a sender before the current time unit; third audio data transmitted by the sender during a second time unit preceding the current time unit is obtained; and fourth audio data is obtained by performing echo reduction on the first audio data based on at least information associated with the third audio data. |
| US09414157B2 |
Method and device for reducing voice reverberation based on double microphones
The invention discloses a method and a device for reducing voice reverberation based on double microphones. The method comprises the steps of calculating a transfer function h(t) from a secondary microphone to a primary microphone according to an input signal x2(t) of the primary microphone and an input signal x1(t) of the secondary microphone; judging the strength of reverberation according to h(t) and calculating a regulatory factor β of a gain function by taking a tail section hr(t) of the h(t); obtaining a late reverberation estimation signal {circumflex over (r)}(t) of x2(t) with the convolution of x1(t) and hr(t); calculating the gain function according to the frequency spectrum of x2(t), β and frequency spectrum of {circumflex over (r)}(t); obtaining the reverberation removed frequency spectrum of x2(t) by multiplying the frequency spectrum of x2(t) by the gain function; and obtaining a late reverberation removed time-domain signal of x2(t) by frequency-time conversion. Thus, the late reverberation can be removed from the input signal of the primary microphone, early reverberation can be preserved, processed voice is not caused to be thin, and the voice quality is improved. Meanwhile, spectral subtraction intensity is adjusted according to the strength of the reverberation so as to ensure that the voice is not damaged on the condition that the reverberation is weak and the voice intelligibility is originally high. Accurate estimation of DOA of direct sound is not needed, and therefore the microphones are not required to have high consistency. |
| US09414145B2 |
Customizable headphone audio driver assembly, headphone including such an audio driver assembly, and related methods
Headphones include removable audio drivers electrically coupled with electrical conductors using solderless and detachable interconnections. Driver assemblies for headphones include an audio driver and a driver unit housing. An acoustical cavity is defined between the driver unit housing and the audio driver, and a port extends through the driver unit housing between the acoustical cavity and the exterior of the driver assembly. The driver unit housing is configured to be secured within an outer ear-cup housing of a headphone such that the port is open to the exterior of the headphone without communicating acoustically with a volume outside the driver unit housing and within the outer ear-cup housing. Headphones include such driver assemblies. Methods are used to form such headphones and driver assemblies. |
| US09414141B2 |
Mesh structure providing enhanced acoustic coupling
A portable electronic device that provides compact configurations for audio elements are disclosed. The audio elements can be drivers (e.g., speakers) or receivers (e.g., microphones). According to one aspect, mesh structures, such as mesh barriers, are formed to facilitate improved acoustic sealing in a space efficient manner. In one embodiment, a mesh barrier for an audio port can be reliably acoustically sealed (or coupled) with an audio chamber and/or outer device housing in a space efficient manner. A mesh barrier can serve to block undesired foreign substances from entry or further entry into an audio port and/or serve as a cosmetic barrier which obscures vision into an audio port. In one embodiment, a portion of a mesh structure can be provided with a substantially planar surface that facilitates improved acoustic sealing. |
| US09414129B2 |
Using client tuner devices to provide content fingerprinting in a networked system
A tuner device, such as a television set, set top box, game console, personal computer with a dongle or device, creates digital fingerprints indicative of information received over a channel. The digital fingerprints are uploaded to a server along with metadata indicative of the specific tuner device that obtain them. The server maintains a tuner database based on that information, and can automatically request new fingerprints. |
| US09414122B2 |
Managing media content for a personal television channel
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor having a controller to categorize media content of a subscriber according to one or more image features, and present at least a portion of the categorized media content in a personal television channel procured by the subscriber from a service provider of a media communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09414120B2 |
Systems and methods for displaying media content and media guidance information
A system comprises television equipment and a number of portable electronic devices. The television equipment includes a large display and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives media content and media guidance data for display on the display. The control circuitry also includes communication components for communicating with the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices are operable for displaying video and communicating with the television equipment. A method comprises the steps of receiving media guidance information with a first portable electronic device; transmitting at least some of the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device to the control circuitry of the television equipment; and displaying the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device on the display of the television equipment while simultaneously displaying media content or media guidance information received from a source other than the first portable electronic device. |
| US09414119B2 |
Television schedule system with access control
The present invention is directed to a television schedule system with a user interface which allows a user to control access to television programs by time, rating, content, and/or channel. Furthermore, the user may set a limit on pay-per-view (PPV) spending to limit the purchase of PPV programs. |
| US09414117B2 |
Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program
An information processing apparatus includes an acquiring unit adapted to acquire preference information representing a user's preference based on an operation given by the user regarding content; a selecting unit adapted to select content and to designate the selected content as an object for copying; and a copying unit adapted to copy the selected content to another information processing apparatus. Further, if the object for copying is copied by the copying unit, the acquiring unit updates the preference information associated with the content of the copied object for copying. |
| US09414114B2 |
Selective interactivity
A system may selectively deliver interactive portions of a piece of content, based for example on a recipient user's historical tendency to use interactive portions of prior content. Multiple levels of interactivity may be defined for a given piece of content, such as an advertisement, and different users may receive different levels of interactivity based on how much they use interactive features. Some users may receive no interactive features at all, while others may receive the interactive features, and despite the fact that all of the users' devices may be perfectly capable of processing the interactive features for the user. The omission from transmission may conserve bandwidth and transmission resources. |
| US09414109B2 |
Multimedia program recording schedule manager
A multimedia program recording schedule manager for DVR systems is described. In a first embodiment, for example, a method implemented by one or more server computing devices, the method comprising: receiving input selecting a particular DVR system; receiving input selecting a particular multimedia program for the particular DVR system to record on a repeat basis; adding the particular multimedia program to a server-side instance of a repeat recording schedule for the particular DVR system; and synchronizing the server-side instance of the repeat recording schedule with another instance of a repeat recording schedule for the particular DVR system resulting in the addition of the particular multimedia program to the other instance of the repeat recording schedule. In one embodiment, the other instance of the repeat recording schedule for the particular DVR system is a data component of the particular DVR system. |
| US09414101B1 |
System for providing multimedia content via a cable television distribution network in response to input from a personal communication device
A system for providing multimedia content via a cable television distribution network in response to input received from a personal communication device. The system interacts with personal communication devices configured with downloaded system application computer software to receive and present information associated with multimedia content from the infrastructure via a data communication network. The system also interacts with the personal communication devices to receive data from the personal communication devices via a data communication network where the data comprises, but is not limited to, data representative of selections of multimedia content, data representative of instructions controlling the delivery and/or presentation of the multimedia content, and data identifying end user cable television network interface devices to receive the multimedia content. Additionally, the system delivers data and/or signals corresponding to the selected multimedia content to identified end user cable television network interface devices connected to the cable television distribution network. |
| US09414095B1 |
Linear video distribution methods, systems, and devices
The invention notably relates to the linear distribution of video programs, or segment(s) thereof, to end user devices. Video programs, or segment(s) thereof, received from one or more content source, are encoded and encapsulated into IP video streams. The streams are transmitted to a satellite operator network operation center (NOC), which encrypts the streams. The encrypted streams are transmitted, as multicast video streams, through a satellite, to one or more cable television headend, and then, over an IP-based network, to cable modems located within subscriber premises. An IP-enabled end user device transmits, to a gateway associated with one of the cable modems, a command requesting that the IP-enabled end user device obtain a requested video stream as a unicast stream. Upon receiving the command, the gateway triggers the conversion, at the gateway, of the requested video stream from multicast to unicast for transmission over a home network provided within the subscriber premises. The requested video stream is then transmitted, over the home network, to said end user device, which decrypts and decodes the requested video stream into the original video program, or segment(s) thereof, so that it can be displayed to the end user. |
| US09414093B2 |
System and method for broadcasting video programs and responding to a subscriber restart command
A system is disclosed for providing broadcast programming to subscriber locations including an intermediate video supplier, subscriber location equipment and one or more video sources. The intermediate video supplier includes a video buffer and a video server that processes received subscriber requests and retrieves, according to the subscriber requests, either of currently broadcast programming or broadcast programming previously buffered in the video buffer by the video server. The subscriber location equipment includes a remote control and a local control unit that transmits the subscriber requests to the video server via one or more data links and receives, from the video server, the broadcast programming for display on a local video display via the data link. A subscriber may initiate a restart command with a single action via the remote control to restart a currently viewed program from the beginning even if the currently viewed program was joined in progress. |
| US09414089B2 |
Image processing apparatus and image processing method
An image processing apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive image data of program content and genre information relating to the program content, a selection unit configured to select a size selection parameter for causing the genre information received by the receiving unit to be reflected in a block size, a determination unit configured to determine a block size in accordance with the size selection parameter selected by the selection unit, the block size being used for orthogonal transformation, and an orthogonal transformation unit configured to perform orthogonal transformation on the image data received by the receiving unit at the block size determined by the determination unit. |
| US09414087B2 |
Compression of light field images
RAW images and/or light field images may be compressed through the use of specialized techniques. The color depth of a light field image may be reduced through the use of a bit reduction algorithm such as a K-means algorithm. The image may then be retiled to group pixels of similar intensities and/or colors. The retiled image may be padded with extra pixel rows and/or pixel columns as needed, and compressed through the use of an image compression algorithm. The compressed image may be assembled with metadata pertinent to the manner in which compression was done to form a compressed image file. The compressed image file may be decompressed by following the compression method in reverse. |
| US09414086B2 |
Partial frame utilization in video codecs
Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for efficiently coding/decoding video data during circumstances where a decoder only requires or utilizes a portion of coded frames. A coder may exchange signaling with a decoder to identify unused areas of frames and prediction modes for the unused areas. An input frame may be parsed into a used area and an unused area based on the exchanged signaling. If motion vectors of the input frame are not limited to the used areas of the reference frames, the unused area of the input frame may be coded using low complexity. If the motion vectors of the input frame are limited to the used areas of the reference frames, the pixel blocks in the unused area of the input frame may not be coded, or the unused area of the input frame may be filled with gray, white, or black pixel blocks. |
| US09414085B2 |
Sub-bitstream extraction
A sub-bitstream extraction process is applicable to a bitstream of multiple access units comprising a respective encoded picture of a video sequence. An access unit among the bitstream is identified and discarded. In addition, all access units in the bitstream that can depend on this access unit are discarded to form a sub-bitstream. The sub-bitstream will not have any access unit that can depend on the identified access units and will be a specification-conforming bitstream. |
| US09414078B2 |
Method for rate control for constant-bit-rate-finite-buffer-size video encoder
A method and apparatus for rate control for a constant-bit-rate finite-buffer-size video encoder is described. Rate control is provided by adjusting the size of non-intra frames based on the size of intra frames. A sliding window approach is implemented to avoid excessive adjustment of non-intra frames located near the end of a group of pictures. A measurement of “power” based on a sum of absolute values of pixel values is used. The “power” measurement is used to adjust a global complexity value, which is used to adjust the sizes of frames. The global complexity value responds to scene changes. An embodiment of the invention calculates and uses L1 distances and pixel block complexities to provide rate control. An embodiment of the invention implements a number of bit predictor block. Predictions may be performed at a group-of-pictures level, at a picture level, and at a pixel block level. An embodiment of the invention resets a global complexity parameter when a scene change occurs. |
| US09414075B2 |
Image coding and decoding method and apparatus considering human visual characteristics
An image coding method and apparatus considering human visual characteristics are provided. The image coding method comprises (a) modeling image quality distribution of an input image in units of scenes such that the quality of an image input in units of scenes is gradually lowered from a region of interest to a background region, (b) determining a quantization parameter of each region constituting one scene according to the result of modeling of image quality distribution, (c) quantizing image data in accordance with the quantization parameter, and (d) coding entropy of the quantized image data. |
| US09414074B2 |
Video encoding method with bit depth adjustment for fixed-point conversion and apparatus therefor, and video decoding method and apparatus therefor
Provided are a video encoding method of adjusting a range of encoded output data to adjust a bit depth during restoring of encoded samples, and a video decoding method of substantially preventing overflow from occurring in output data in operations of a decoding process. The video decoding method includes parsing and restoring quantized transformation coefficients in units of blocks of an image from a received bitstream, restoring transformation coefficients by performing inverse quantization on the quantized transformation coefficients, and restoring samples by performing one-dimensional (1D) inverse transformation and inverse scaling on the quantized transformation coefficients. At least one from among the transformation coefficients and the samples has a predetermined bit depth or less. |
| US09414073B2 |
Image encoding device, image decoding device, image encoding method, and image decoding method for generating a prediction image
When carrying out an average prediction, an intra predictor carries out a filtering process on target pixels of the intra prediction located at an upper end and a left end of the block, the filtering process using an intermediate prediction value, which is an average value of adjacent pixels of the block, and at least one adjacent pixel of the target pixel. The intra predictor also sets a filter coefficient to ¾, associated with the intermediate prediction value for a target pixel at the left end of the block other than the target pixel at an upper left corner of the block, and sets a filter coefficient to ¼, associated with the adjacent pixel adjacent to the left side of the target pixel at the left end of the block. As a result, prediction errors locally occurring can be reduced, and the image quality can be improved. |
| US09414072B1 |
Performance of the JPEG estimated spectrum adaptive postfilter (JPEG-ESAP) for low bit rates
Frequency-based, pixel-adaptive filtering using the JPEG-ESAP algorithm for low bit rate JPEG formatted color images may allow for more compressed images while maintaining equivalent quality at a smaller file size or bitrate. For RGB, an image is decomposed into three color bands—red, green, and blue. The JPEG-ESAP algorithm is then applied to each band (e.g., once for red, once for green, and once for blue) and the output of each application of the algorithm is rebuilt as a single color image. The ESAP algorithm may be repeatedly applied to MPEG-2 video frames to reduce their bit rate by a factor of 2 or 3, while maintaining equivalent video quality, both perceptually, and objectively, as recorded in the computed PSNR values. |
| US09414071B2 |
Area-based encoding/decoding device and method
Region-based encoding apparatus and decoding apparatus. The encoding apparatus selects an optimum region division mode from region division modes with respect to regions divided from an image frame, and transmits, to the decoding apparatus, an optimum image filtering method and an optimum filter coefficient of regions divided, according to the optimum region division mode. |
| US09414070B2 |
Bridge routing module
A bridge routing module can be incorporated into a closed network fabric, such as a vehicular network. The bridge routing module includes an interface circuit to be coupled to other elements of the closed network fabric, for example other bridge routing modules or switch modules. The bridge routing module includes memory to store information associating packet content types with packet routing parameters, among other things. A processing module included in the bridge routing module analyzes packets to identify the type of content carried by the packets, and determines packet routing parameters based on the packet's content type. Ingress and egress of the packet are controlled in accordance with the packet routing parameters determined by the processing module. |
| US09414067B2 |
Methods and systems for detection of block based video dropouts
Methods and systems for detecting block based video dropouts in one or more fields associated with various video frames is provided. A current field is divided into a plurality of blocks. A set of activity blocks is identified from the plurality of blocks. The activity blocks are then processed to identify horizontal and vertical lines which are then further processed to form one or more candidate error blocks. The candidate error blocks are validated for start and end to determine a count of video dropout errors associated with the current field. |
| US09414061B2 |
Method of performing motion vector prediction, and apparatus thereof
A method of performing motion vector prediction for a current block in a picture is provided which includes: deriving a candidate for a motion vector predictor to code a current motion vector of the current block, from a first motion vector of a first block that is spatially adjacent or temporally adjacent to the current block; adding the derived candidate to a list of candidates; and deriving at least one motion vector predictor based on a selected candidate from the list of candidates, wherein the deriving of the candidate includes determining whether to derive the candidate from the first motion vector, based on a type of a current reference picture and a type of a first reference picture, the current reference picture being referred to from the current block using the current motion vector, the first reference picture being referred to from the first block using the first motion vector. |
| US09414059B2 |
Image processing device, image coding method, and image processing method
Provided is an image processing device which performs plural processes efficiently, by pipelining, on a coded stream obtained by coding an image based on various coding unit blocks. The image processing device which performs plural first processes, by pipelining, on a coded stream obtained by dividing an image into plural coding unit blocks having at least two sizes, and coding the image on a coding unit block-by-block basis includes: plural first process units which perform, by the pipelining, the plural first processes on the coded stream by each executing one of the plural first processes; and a control unit which divides the coded stream into plural first processing unit blocks each having a first size, and control the plural first process units to cause the plural first processes to be executed for each of the first processing unit blocks. |
| US09414056B2 |
Video-encoding method and apparatus for same and video-decoding method and apparatus for same using a selective scan mode
Provided are encoding and decoding methods and apparatuses for a video by selectively determining and using a scan mode. The video encoding method includes: generating transformation coefficients by performing transformation based on a transformation unit to encode an image; determining a scan mode, from among a plurality of scan modes, indicating a scanning direction of the generated transformation coefficients, based on characteristics of the transformation coefficients; and determining and outputting an encoding order of the generated transformation coefficients based on the scanning direction of the determined scan mode. |
| US09414054B2 |
Control and use of chroma quantization parameter values
Innovations in control and use of chroma quantization parameter (“QP”) values that depend on luma QP values. More generally, the innovations relate to control and use of QP values for a secondary color component that depend on QP values for a primary color component. For example, during encoding, an encoder determines a QP index from a primary component QP and secondary component QP offset. The encoder maps the QP index to a secondary component QP, which has an extended range. The encoder outputs at least part of a bitstream including the encoded content. A corresponding decoder receives at least part of a bitstream including encoded content. During decoding, the decoder determines a QP index from a primary component QP and secondary component QP offset, then maps the QP index to a secondary component QP, which has an extended range. |
| US09414049B2 |
Method and display for showing a stereoscopic image
A method of generating stereoscopic images and an autostereoscopic system are introduced. Stereoscopic images are obtained by generating, on a screen, a first image having a pattern comprising alternating columns of N left-image pixels or sub-pixels and of N right-image pixels or sub-pixels and a second image having a reversed pattern from the pattern of the first image. A parallel-strip barrier has alternating strips for blocking alternating columns of the first and second images. A tracking system provides position information related to a viewer of the stereoscopic image. A controller shifts to the left or to the right, in relation to the strips of the barrier, the image columns by a number of image pixels or sub-pixels as a function of the position of the viewer. |
| US09414045B2 |
Stereo camera
A stereo camera for measuring distance to an object using two images of the object having parallax includes an optical multiplexer to set a length of light path of each of the two images having different spectrum properties and parallax to the same length and to superimpose each of the light paths to one light path; an image capturing element to detect luminance of at least two images having different spectrum properties; an optical device to focus a superimposed image on the image capturing element; and a distance computing unit to compute distance to the object using parallax between the two images. |
| US09414044B2 |
Method and device for processing image data of two sensors of a stereo sensor system suitable for capturing images
A method for processing image data of two sensors of a stereo sensor system that are suitable for recording images, each of the sensors being configured to record the image data section by section in sensor sections of the sensor that are situated at different positions. The method includes providing information on a geometrical offset between the positions of two sensor sections of the first sensor and the second sensor which have corresponding image data, and reading out image information of the first sensor and image information of the second sensor, the reading out taking place with reference to the positions of the sensor sections, from which the image data are read out, using the offset. |
| US09414042B2 |
Program guide graphics and video in window for 3DTV
Video data is received in 2D or 3D format from different channels as a user scrolls through an electronic guide. The video data may be displayed in a portion of the on: screen display along with graphic and text associated with the EPG data. The received video data may be converted to a suitable format to be displayed with the Electronic Program Guide (EPG). The video data may be converted from 3D to 2D format to be displayed with the EPG data. The video data may be converted from 2D format to 3D format, while the EPG data displays in 2D format. The video data may be converted from one 3D format to another 3D format for display with the EPG data. Selection of converting the received video data can be based on a display format of a previously viewed channel prior to requesting the EPG to be displayed. |
| US09414041B2 |
Method for changing play mode, method for changing display mode, and display apparatus and 3D image providing system using the same
A play mode changing method, a display mode changing method, and a display apparatus and a three-dimensional (3D) image providing system using the same are provided. The method for changing a play mode includes: receiving state information regarding shutter glasses from the shutter glasses; and based on the received state information, performing one of changing the play mode and displaying a message for changing the play mode. |
| US09414037B1 |
Low light image registration
Various embodiments provide a method of enhancing images in low lighting conditions wherein a color image is captured with a color camera, a first monochromatic image is captured with a first monochromatic camera, and a second monochromatic image is captured with a second monochromatic camera. Image registration is performed to align the first and second monochromatic images and the luminance information from the registered monochromatic images is fused with chrominance information from the color image. |
| US09414032B2 |
Video projection apparatus capable of operating at optimum resonant frequency and its controlling method
A video projection apparatus includes: a light source; an optical deflector having a mirror for reflecting light to project a view field, an actuator for rocking the mirror with an axis of the mirror and a sensor provided in the vicinity of the actuator; and a control unit. The control unit generates a sine-wave voltage applied to the actuator and a cosine-wave voltage; calculates a first convolution between the sine-wave voltage and a sense voltage from the sensor; calculates a second convolution between the cosine-wave voltage and the sense voltage; converts an orthogonal coordinate formed by the first convolution and the second convolution into a polar coordinate formed by a radius component and an angle component; and sweeps the frequency of the first and second voltages so that the frequency is defined as a resonant frequency when the radius component is maximum. |
| US09414030B2 |
Communication and monitoring system
An audio-video communication system comprises a wireless exterior module located proximate an entrance, a computerized controller running a software application, and a remote peripheral device. The wireless exterior module includes a proximity sensor for detecting a person at the entrance, a video camera for recording an image of the person at the entrance, a microphone for recording the person at the entrance, a speaker for playing audio to the person at the entrance, a transmitter for communicating sounds and images of the person at the entrance, and a receiver for receiving communications at the wireless exterior module. The computerized controller is disposed in wireless electronic communication with the wireless exterior module via the transmitter and the receiver of the wireless exterior module. The remote peripheral device is configured to electronically communicate with the computerized controller for viewing an image from the video camera communicated from the wireless exterior module. |
| US09414025B2 |
Method for intelligently displaying sports game video for multimedia mobile terminal
Disclosed is a method for intelligently displaying a sports game video for a multimedia mobile terminal, the method including the steps of: determining if a camera shot existing in the sports game video is a long-shot; when the camera shot is determined as a long-shot, determining a ROI within an image frame of the sports game video; and when the camera shot is determined as a non-long-shot, displaying the image frame on the mobile terminal, and, when the camera shot is determined as a long-shot, enlarging and displaying the ROI on the mobile terminal. |
| US09414023B2 |
Method and system for interfacing content between devices
A communication interface device and method for operating the same includes a communication module receiving a request for a content list from a first user device and a list module generating a content list. The communication module communicates the content list device to the first user device and receives a content selection from the user device. A control module initiates a transfer of content corresponding to the content selection from a content storage device. The communication module receives the content at the communication interface device from the content storage device and communicates the content to the first user device. |
| US09414019B2 |
Television channel display device and method thereof
An Internet Protocol television system includes a set-top box that receives requests to display video streams being transmitted to a household. In response to the request, the set-top box provides a list of the video streams to a display device. The list includes options to terminate transmission of one or more of the streams. This allows a user to determine which video streams should be transmitted when bandwidth limitations are reached. |
| US09414018B2 |
Multimedia conference broadcast system
A multimedia conference broadcast system may include one or more processors and a memory. The one or more processors may receive video streams and audio streams from participant devices. The one or more processors may transmit, to each of the participant devices, the video streams and the audio streams corresponding to the other devices. The one or more processors may receive a request to broadcast the video streams and the audio streams from one of the participant devices. The one or more processors may generate a composite multimedia stream based on the video streams and the audio streams received from the participant devices. The one or more processors may broadcast the composite multimedia stream to viewer devices that are separate from the participant devices. |
| US09414013B2 |
Displaying participant information in a videoconference
A method for displaying information in a videoconference is disclosed. Video information from a first endpoint of the videoconference may be received. The video information may include an image of a participant at the first endpoint. Participant information for the participant (e.g., name, phone number, job title, etc.) may also be received. The video information and the participant information for the participant may be displayed together on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference. |
| US09414009B2 |
System, method and computer program product for updating advertising data for recorded video data
A method is disclosed including but not limited to reading at a multimedia processor end user device, a playback advertising identifier in an advertising video data associated with a trigger detected from a replacement advertising video data, the advertising identifier indicating particular advertising data; logging the advertising identifier with the trigger detected and time of day in an As Run Log at the end user device; and sending the As Run Log to a data distribution system server. |
| US09414004B2 |
Method for combining voice signals to form a continuous conversation in performing a voice search
A system and method for operating the same includes a conversation manager that receives a receiving a first search request and, after receiving the first search request, receives a second search request. The system also includes a classifier module within the conversation manager classifying the first search request relative to the second search request as related or not related. A context merger module within the classifier module combines the first search request and the second search request to form a merged search request. A search module performs a second search based on the merged search request. |
| US09414003B2 |
Method for transmitting image and electronic device thereof
A method for transmitting an image and an electronic device thereof are provided. An image transmission method of an electronic device includes displaying a message transmission/reception history with at least one other electronic device, sensing a selection of a camera execution menu, displaying a preview screen of a camera within a screen in which the message transmission/reception history is displayed, detecting a touch on the displayed preview screen, if the displayed preview screen is touched, capturing an image of a subject, detecting a gesture for the captured image, and, if the gesture for the captured image is detected, transmitting the captured image to the at least one other electronic device according to the detected gesture. |
| US09414000B2 |
Image pickup apparatus
An image pickup apparatus for photographing an image, includes: a photoelectric converter to convert incident light an electric charge and accumulate the electric charge, a transfer element to transfer the electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converter, a converter to convert the electric charge in the photoelectric converter transferred via the transfer element into a voltage, a reset element to reset potentials of the converter, and an amplifier to amplify a voltage converted by the converter to generate a pixel signal and output the pixel signal to a read signal line for reading the pixel signal. A plurality of the photoelectric converter and the transfer element are disposed at least in a horizontal direction share the amplifier and the read signal line. |
| US09413997B2 |
Method and device for processing captured-image signals
A device for processing captured-image signals, the device includes a pixel array having a plurality of lines, each having first pixels and second pixels including pixels interposed between the first pixels, a scanner configured to alternately perform, in one frame, first scanning for reading, from the pixel array, captured-image signals of the first pixels along each line in one of a direction from a first one of the lines to a last one thereof and a direction from the last line to the first line and second scanning for reading, from the pixel array, captured-image signals of the second pixels along each line in the other direction, and a processor coupled to a memory and configured to combine the read captured-image signals of the first pixels and the read captured-image signals of the second pixels. |
| US09413995B2 |
Radiographic apparatus and method for controlling radiographic apparatus
Upon detecting irradiation of X-rays, an X-ray imaging apparatus stops driving scanning lines and makes a transition into an electric charge accumulating state. The X-ray imaging apparatus transmits, to an image processing apparatus, a digital value of a current that flows through a bias line at a timing at which the electric charge accumulating state starts and a scanning line number for identifying a scanning line on which the scan has stopped as defect correction information. |
| US09413994B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus
A solid-state imaging device according to the present disclosure includes: a pixel unit in which unit pixels are arranged two-dimensionally, each of the unit pixels including: a photodiode which stores signal charges; a transfer transistor for transferring the signal charges stored in the photodiode; a charge detection unit which temporarily stores the transferred signal charges; and a reset transistor for resetting the signal charges stored in the charge detection unit; and a vertical scanning unit which drives the pixel unit, the vertical scanning unit including: a row selection unit; a level shift circuit for converting a level of an externally inputted power supply voltage; and a buffer circuit for buffering a voltage whose level has been converted by the level shift circuit, the level shift circuit including: a step-down level shift circuit; and a step-up level shift circuit isolated from the step-down level shift circuit by a well. |
| US09413990B2 |
Imaging method
The invention relates to an imaging method, including reconstructing a final image (IF) from intensity values inputted by a limited selection of photodetectors (2). One out of every two photodetectors is selected along columns (CDET) and rows (LDET). The final image has a resolution that is double that of a picture within the plane of the photodetectors. With identical resolution, the modulation transfer function is improved relative to an image that would be inputted while using all the photodetectors. Additionally, an image-sensing optical system that is used for an imaging method according to the invention can be of reduced size and weight, having constant resolution and constant modulation transfer functions. |
| US09413989B2 |
Dual band imager
A dual band imager includes a lens to receive short wavelength and medium or long wavelength radiation from a scene to be imaged, a beam splitter positioned to receive the radiation from the lens, a medium or long wavelength to short wavelength image converter positioned to receive long wavelength radiation reflected via the beam splitter and to transmit the image information via short wavelength radiation, and a detector to receive the short wavelength radiation containing the image information through the beam splitter or from the scene and from the image converter. |
| US09413982B2 |
System and method for video frame sequence control
A video sequence control system that includes an input video frame buffer and an output video frame selection component is described. The input video frame buffer receives input video frames from a video source. The output video frame selection component determines the video frame to be output according to a scheduler that provides timing information and modulation information. The timing information includes information regarding when a video frame will be output. The modulation information varies dependent upon the frame types available to be output, wherein the available frame types include at least image frames from the input video frame buffer and functional frames, wherein the at least image frames and functional frames are output according to a pattern defined by the scheduler. In addition based on the timing information, a synchronization output signal is output corresponding to the output of the functional frame. |
| US09413980B1 |
Methods for generating HDR (high dynamic range) images and apparatuses using the same
A method for generating HDR (High Dynamic Range) images, performed by a processing unit, the method at least containing: acquiring a frame 0; obtaining frame statistics information at least includes a first pixel count for a dark area and a second pixel count for a saturate area; calculating the ratio according to the first pixel count and the second pixel count; calculating a first expansion factor and a second expansion factor according to the ratio and the exposure setting of the frame 0; expanding the frame 0 to HDR space using the first expansion factor; expanding a frame 1 to the HDR space using the second expansion factor; and fusing the expanded frame 0 with the expanded frame 1. |
| US09413978B2 |
Image capture using display device as light source
A digital image capture system and method uses a display device to illuminate a target with light for improved image capture under poor lighting conditions. Various characteristics of the flash (e.g., brightness, color, duration, etc.) can be adjusted to improve image capture. Users are provided with feedback (e.g., live video feed, audio and/or visual countdowns, etc.) to assist them in preparing for image capture. The captured images are seamlessly integrated with existing applications (e.g., video conferencing, instant text messaging, etc.). |
| US09413977B1 |
Methods and systems for user guided video exposure control
In accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention, methods and systems for user guided automatic exposure control. Multiple sequential user settings for ordered choices of image capture settings and associated limit values are used to determine values of image capture settings including aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, such that a proper exposure is obtained within the guides set by a user. |
| US09413975B2 |
Image capturing apparatus and control method
If an exposure control value set according to a user's instruction is out of an exposure control value control range set according to a user's instruction, the exposure control value control range is changed to a range including the exposure control value set according to the user's instruction. |
| US09413969B2 |
Automatic image processing method and electronic device thereof
A method and an electronic device for processing an image in an electronic device are provided. The method includes determining whether the electronic device is mounted in a cradle comprising at least one guide region, scanning an image in the guide region using a camera, and outputting the scanned image or image information based on the scanned image. The method can easily process the image and provide the user with the output information. Therefore, the output information is favorable to the blind people or the illiterate, and the usability and the reliability of the electronic device can be enhanced. |
| US09413968B2 |
Camera apparatus and wireless communication terminal including the same
A camera apparatus and a wireless communication terminal including the camera apparatus are described. The camera apparatus includes: a camera main body; and a viewfinder unit including an elastic member. The elastic member is retracted when the viewfinder unit is retracted into the camera main body and is extended when the viewfinder unit is extended outward in an extending direction from the camera main body. The viewfinder unit includes: an object lens; an ocular movable in a direction different from the extending direction of the viewfinder unit; and a mirror that reflects a first optical signal that passes through the object lens toward the ocular. |
| US09413960B2 |
Method and apparatus for capturing video images including a start frame
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided so as to capture video images such that an image of a moment of significance is captured within the video. In the context of a method, an indication is received that a video capture user input will be subsequently provided directing that video images be captured. The method then determines whether a pre-roll is to be captured in advance of the video capture user input. The method causes the video images to be captured in response to the video capture user input. The video images include a start frame captured temporarily proximate receipt of the video capture user input. The method receives a video capture completion user input indicating that the capturing of the video images should be ceased. In response to receipt of the video capture completion user input, the method causes a post-roll to be captured. |
| US09413959B2 |
Camera
A contact terminal is provided with a charging port to which a charging voltage is applied and a CON.DET port which detects a voltage change. In a case where a plug of a charging cable is connected to the contact terminal, the charging port and the CON.DET port are electrically connected to each other via the charging cable so that a signal level in the CON.DET port reaches an “H” level. In a case where the plug of the charging cable is removed from the contact terminal, the charging voltage is not applied to the CON.DET port so that a signal level in the CON.DET port changes from an “H” level to an “L” level, and thus recording of image information output from an imaging unit of the camera is started. |
| US09413952B2 |
Image processing apparatus, distance measuring apparatus, imaging apparatus, and image processing method
An image processing apparatus comprises a corresponding point determining unit configured to, for a plurality of points contained in a first image, search a second image for corresponding points; a transformation coefficient calculating unit configured to divide the plurality of corresponding points into groups, based on amounts of misalignment between the images at the corresponding points, and configured to calculates a coordinate transformation coefficient for each of the groups; and an image synthesizing unit configured to generate a synthesis image, using a plurality of the coordinate transformation coefficients and the second image. |
| US09413942B2 |
Method of setting camera profile and apparatus of obtaining image
An apparatus for receiving an image is provided. The apparatus includes: a camera searcher configured to search for a camera connected to a network; a camera register configured to register information about the camera which is identified as a result of the searching by the camera searcher; a profile setter configured to set a profile of the camera by referring to the information obtained from the camera; and an image receiver configured to receive an image from the camera according to the profile. |
| US09413937B2 |
Imaging lens assembly and mobile device
An imaging lens assembly includes a barrel and a lens assembly, wherein the lens assembly is disposed in the barrel. The barrel has an incident light surface and a barrel cylindrical axis, wherein the incident light surface includes a specular region including at least one specular protrusion region disposed thereon. An angle between a shortest line from an innermost edge to an outermost edge of the specular protrusion region and a normal line to the barrel cylindrical axis is θ. |
| US09413934B2 |
Optical imaging lens and electronic device comprising the same
An optical imaging lens includes: a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens element, the first lens element has negative refractive power, the second lens element has negative refractive power, the third lens element has refractive power, the fourth lens element having an image-side surface with a convex portion in a vicinity of the optical axis, the fifth lens element having an image-side surface with a convex portion in a vicinity of the optical axis, and the sixth lens element having an image-side surface with a concave portion in a vicinity of its periphery, wherein the optical imaging lens set does not include any lens element with refractive power other than said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens elements. |
| US09413931B2 |
Information processing apparatus and computer-readable storage medium
An information processing apparatus having first and second cases (13a, 13b) that are openably/closably connected, and includes an imaging section (6) provided in the second case and opposed to the first case where a read target medium is placed, a detection section (1) which detects that the first and second cases have been closed into a predetermined state by plural types of methods, an acquisition section (1) which acquires a photographed image from the imaging section when the detection section detects that the first and second cases have been closed into the predetermined state by the plural types of methods, a correction section (1) which performs distortion correction processing on the photographed image acquired by the acquisition section, based on a closing state between the first and second cases detected by the detection section, and a storing section (3) which stores the photographed image corrected by the correction section. |
| US09413928B2 |
Dust removal apparatus and image pickup apparatus
A dust removal apparatus includes a vibrating plate, a piezoelectric element, a power supply that applies the piezoelectric element with an alternating voltage; and a control circuit that changes a frequency of the alternating voltage, in which the piezoelectric element includes first and second electrodes and a piezoelectric material, a phase transition temperature T from a first crystal phase to a second crystal phase of the piezoelectric material is −40° C.≦T≦85° C., the change of the frequency is for repeating a frequency sweep operation from a first frequency to a second frequency, and when a frequency at which an audible vibration is generated during the sweep operation is set as fns, a frequency at which the audible vibration is ended is set as fne, and a changing time from fns to fne during the sweep operation is set as Δtn, Δtn≦10 ms is satisfied. |
| US09413925B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus comprises a detection unit configured to detect a person region included in an image, a first calculation unit configured to calculate first tone characteristics based on information concerning the person region detected by the detection unit, a second calculation unit configured to calculate second tone characteristics based on predetermined tone characteristics and the first tone characteristics calculated by the first calculation unit, and an image processing unit configured to perform tone correction processing by using the second tone characteristics calculated by the second calculation unit. |
| US09413923B2 |
Imaging apparatus
An imaging apparatus includes a display unit, an imaging unit adapted to successively capture an image of a subject and successively generate image data, and a controller adapted to control a display of a display object displayed on the display unit to change the display object in a specific direction at a predetermined timing in a predetermined recording mode. |
| US09413922B2 |
Photographing apparatus and method for synthesizing images
A photographing apparatus for synthesizing a plurality of continuously captured images is provided. The photographing apparatus includes a photographing unit that captures a plurality of images by continuously photographing an object; an input unit that receives a selection of a reference image from the plurality of captured images and a modification section in the reference image; a display unit that displays the reference image; a controller that, when the modification section is selected in the reference image and an image for replacing the modification section is determined, generates a mask image based on the modification section and generates a final image by synthesizing the reference image and the image for replacing the modification section using the mask image; and a storage unit that stores a data file including information of the mask image, the plurality of captured images, and the final image. |
| US09413921B2 |
Imaging apparatus and control method thereof
During capturing, image data obtained by applying a simplified development process to RAW image data is recorded together with a RAW image. Afterward, image data obtained by applying a high quality development process to the RAW image data is generated, and this image data replaces the image data obtained by the simplified development. During capturing, a plurality of pieces of image data are generated by using a plurality of different development parameters for RAW image data, and recorded in association with the RAW image data. The development parameter corresponding to image data selected by the user is decided as a development parameter used for the subsequent high quality development process for the RAW image data, thereby facilitating the setting of the development parameters of the RAW image. |
| US09413914B2 |
Image reading control apparatus, image reading apparatus, and image reading control method
In an image reading apparatus which allows a user to specify an original size and orientation and reads the specified area, the orientation of a placed original and the specified original orientation are often different. If a wrong original orientation is specified, the original is cut halfway, and a scanning result intended by the user cannot be obtained. In an embodiment of this invention, therefore, the user is allowed to specify only an original size, and an area necessary for orientation determination is read from the specified original size. After that, the original orientation is detected from the area, and the image is cut out and output. |
| US09413906B2 |
Method for making relevant content proposals based on information gleaned from an image-based project created in an electronic interface
A system for creating image and or text-based projects includes a server, the server having access to a processor, a data repository, and a non-transitory physical medium. Software running from the non-transitory physical medium provides a first function for establishing a server connection between the server and a computing appliance, a second function for initiating and maintaining a data session with a user, a third function for gathering information in a project, a fourth function for analyzing the information gathered and developing a list of keywords, a fifth function for searching one or more data sources for images and other assets using one or more of the primary keywords developed by the fourth function, and a sixth function for dynamically presenting one or more digital assets found in the search to the one or more users working on the project. |
| US09413903B2 |
Image forming apparatus having an automatic document feeder with a switchback mechanism suitable for reading of front and back of a single-sided document
Provided is an image forming apparatus that eliminates the necessity for resetting a single-sided document even if a set error of the single-sided document is occurred. The automatic document feeder includes a switchback mechanism that inverts the front and back of the single-sided document to switch a surface of the single-sided document. The automatic document feeder control circuit controls to activate the switchback mechanism. When a blank paper is detected from the image data before inversion, the automatic document feeder control circuit controls to continue the activation of the switchback mechanism for a second document and succeeding documents of the single-sided document. Otherwise, when a blank paper is not detected from the image data before inversion, the automatic document feeder control circuit controls to stop the activation of the switchback mechanism for the second document and the succeeding documents of the single-sided document. |
| US09413902B2 |
Method and device for supplying power to access device
Provided are a method and device for supplying power to an access device. The method includes: detecting one or more user terminals connected with the access device; and determining one or more user terminals for supplying power to the access device according to a current service state of each of the one or more user terminals connected with the access device. By adopting the technical solution according to the embodiments of the disclosure, the problem in the related art, that as it is impossible to supply power to an access device according to the current service state of each of a plurality of user terminals connected with the access device, the equality of the user terminals in power supply is influenced, is solved, thus guaranteeing the equality of each user terminal connected with the access device in supplying power to the access device. |
| US09413892B2 |
Distributed hardware/software system for managing agent status in a communication center
An agent presence application for monitoring target agent resources and rendering agent states to subscribing applications is provided. The presence application has at least one first portion for collecting data regarding states of activity of the target agent resources, and at least one second portion for integrating the data and rendering the agent states to the subscribing applications. |
| US09413889B2 |
House number normalization for master street address guide (MSAG) address matching
A technique and apparatus to allow a determination of an MSAG-valid address by use of normalized house numbers included in address entries in an MSAG Address data store, to facilitate the simple match of an input civic/postal address against entries in a MSAG data store based on the use of a normalization of the house numbers. The house number normalization allows for an easy lexicographical determination as to whether or not the input civic/postal house number falls with the range of house numbers in the MSAG data store. The inventive process and apparatus pre-stores normalized house number fields in an MSAG address data store, and then normalizes house numbers in a civic/postal address associated with an emergency call. The normalized numbers in the input civic/postal address associated with the emergency call are then lexicographically matched with normalized entries in an MSAG address data store. |
| US09413886B2 |
Method of providing user-detectable feedback indicating channel conditions
The present invention provides a method for implementation in a first mobile unit that supports an air interface with a network element. The method includes determining, while the first mobile unit is participating in a call, that at least one channel associated with the air interface is unable to support voice transmission. The method also includes rendering a first user-detectable signal in response to determining that said at least one channel is unable to support voice transmission. |
| US09413885B1 |
Methods and systems for blocking unwanted communications
Methods and systems are described for processing call blocking instructions and for managing mobile messaging. A method of processing call blocking instructions is described. A call processing system receives a call from a caller intended for a first user. A notification regarding the call is transmitted to a mobile device associated with the first user. A message from the user is received via the mobile device, wherein the message is a text or multimedia type message. At least partly in response to the message, the caller is placed on a blacklist indicating that future calls from the caller to the user are to be blocked. |
| US09413884B2 |
System, method, and computer-readable medium for schedule-based telecommunication policies
A system, method and computer-readable medium for enforcing user telecommunication privileges on a per-schedule basis are provided. Enterprise members may have a schedule associated therewith that defines scheduled locations of the users. Telecommunication service privileges may be coordinated with the users' schedules such that communication services are disabled at particular times based on the users' schedules. In other implementations, particular users may have telecommunication services disabled by an administrator in the event of a catastrophe or emergency. By this mechanism, users that are not proximate to a particular catastrophe or emergency area according to the users' schedule may have services disabled while other users that are located more proximate to the emergency may have their telecommunication services enabled. In this manner, the demand on a cellular network may be alleviated thereby increasing the likelihood that users directly impacted by the emergency may receive and place calls or access data services. |
| US09413881B1 |
Identifying recorded call data segments of interest
A method and apparatus of processing a voice call are disclosed. One example method of operation may include recording at least a portion of a conference call and storing the portion of the conference call in memory. The method may also include processing the portion of the conference call to identify at least one segment of interest and adding the at least one segment of interest to an existing work order associated with a third party application. The method may further provide forwarding the at least one segment of interest to a third party computing device. |
| US09413879B2 |
System and method of communication in an IP multimedia subsystem network
A system and method of communication in an IMS network is disclosed. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a call processing server having a controller element that receives from a terminal device a calling ID for establishing communications with a called party, submits to a telephone number mapping (ENUM) server a query corresponding to the calling ID, receives from the ENUM server a plurality of communication identifiers retrieved from a Naming Authority Pointer record according to a grade of service (GoS) of the called party, and selects according to the GoS of the called party a communication identifier from the plurality of communication identifiers to establish communications with the called party. Additional embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09413874B2 |
Electronic device, control method, and control program
According to one of some aspects, an electronic device includes: a display configured to display an icon corresponding to an application that performs communication with external; and a controller configured to change a display mode of the icon corresponding to the application based on a condition of the communication with the external. |
| US09413870B2 |
Terminal capable of controlling attribute of application based on motion and method thereof
A terminal controls an application attribute based on a motion. The terminal includes a motion measurement unit, an attribute mapping unit, an attribute control unit, and a controller. The motion measurement unit measures a motion of the terminal. The attribute mapping unit classifies motion directions of the terminal, classifies a motion degree, and maps an attribute type and a control strength of an application installed in the terminal in response to each motion direction and each motion degree. The attribute control unit activates an attribute control of the application based on a motion of the terminal. When the attribute control of the application is activated by the attribute control unit and the motion of the terminal is measured by the motion measurement unit, the controller controls an attribute of the application based on the attribute type and the control strength mapped by the attribute mapping unit. |
| US09413866B2 |
Intelligent phone book
A method including detecting a time and day that communications are made to a contact, recording the time and day communications are made for a respective communication type and presenting the contact information to a user depending on the use pattern of the contact information and the time and day communications are placed for the respective communication type. |
| US09413863B1 |
Video phone with viewing stand
A video phone with a viewing stand includes a main portion and a base to be secured to the main portion. Each side of the main portion defines a sliding groove and includes a limiting column. Each end of the base is equipped with a positioning column and a block. The positioning column is configured to be inserted into the sliding groove and to slide in the sliding groove to drive the main portion from a horizontal position to a vertical position or vice versa. The block is configured to slide into a first position to allow the main portion to be in the horizontal position, or in a second position to resist against the limiting column to allow the main portion to be in the vertical position. |
| US09413860B2 |
System and method for transporting digital radio signal streams in a small cell network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment that includes receiving a radio signal stream, segmenting the radio signal stream based on a control word in the radio signal stream, mapping the segmented radio signal stream to a service class, transporting the segmented radio signal stream in packets through channels over a backhaul link, and maintaining the order of the radio signal stream over the backhaul link. In more particular embodiments, the backhaul link may use a DOCSIS link, the radio signal stream can be received using a Common Public Radio Interface, and the radio signal stream may include sub-streams transported through segmented channels over the backhaul link. |
| US09413859B2 |
Systems and methods for processing packets
A network switch apparatus, includes: a network port configured to receive a packet; instrument ports configured to communicate with respective network monitoring instruments; a packet duplication module configured to copy the packet to provide multiple packets that are identical to each other; a tagging module configured to tag the multiple packets with different respective identifiers to obtain tagged packets; and a processing unit coupled to the instrument ports; wherein the processing unit is configured to determine whether a first one of the tagged packets satisfies a first criterion, whether a second one of the tagged packets satisfies a second criterion, process the first one of the tagged packets in a first manner if the first one of the tagged packets satisfies the first criterion, and process the second one of the tagged packets in a second manner if the second one of the tagged packets satisfies the second criterion. |
| US09413858B2 |
Real-time compressive data collection for cloud monitoring
Technologies are presented for implementing a compressive-sensing-based data collection system in a cloud environment. In some examples, high-dimensional sensor data may be compressed using sparsity transforms and compressive sampling. The resulting low-dimensional data messages may be steered through a switch network to a cloud service manager, which then reconstructs the compressed messages for subsequent analysis, reporting, and/or comparable actions. |
| US09413853B1 |
Detection and prevention of a transaction loop in a cache server
A device receives requests for content, determines requests for a same identifier from the requests for the content, and stores information associated with the determined requests in an object. The object includes a number of the determined requests, and a current time and a start time associated with the determined requests. The device also determines whether the number of the determined requests satisfies a first threshold, and determines whether a difference between the current time and the start time satisfies a second threshold. The device identifies a loop associated with another device when the number of the determined requests satisfies the first threshold and the difference satisfies the second threshold, and provides information associated with the identified loop. |
| US09413850B2 |
Dynamic definition for concurrent computing environments
Exemplary embodiments allow a user to create configurations for use in distributed computing environments. Configurations can be arranged in hierarchies in which elements of the hierarchy can inherit characteristics from elements in other layers of the hierarchy. Embodiments also allow a user to flatten a hierarchical configuration to remove hierarchical dependencies and/or inheriting capabilities of elements in the hierarchy. Exemplary embodiments further allow users to deploy a distributed computing configuration on their desktop to evaluate performance of the configuration and then deploy the configuration in a distributed computing environment without having to change programming code run on the desktop/distributed computing environment. |
| US09413849B2 |
Distributing an executable job load file to compute nodes in a parallel computer
Distributing an executable job load file to compute nodes in a parallel computer, the parallel computer comprising a plurality of compute nodes, including: determining, by a compute node in the parallel computer, whether the compute node is participating in a job; determining, by the compute node in the parallel computer, whether a descendant compute node is participating in the job; responsive to determining that the compute node is participating in the job or that the descendant compute node is participating in the job, communicating, by the compute node to a parent compute node, an identification of a data communications link over which the compute node receives data from the parent compute node; constructing a class route for the job, wherein the class route identifies all compute nodes participating in the job; and broadcasting the executable load file for the job along the class route for the job. |
| US09413846B2 |
Content-acquisition source selection and management
A plurality of sources storing portions of a digital content item that includes a plurality of pieces is identified. The plurality of sources includes one or more local storage machines of a computer and one or more peer computers of a peer-to-peer network. For each piece of the plurality of pieces of the digital content item, that piece is downloaded from a source. The source is selected from the plurality of sources according to one or more download metrics. The plurality of pieces is organized for installation on the computer as the digital content item. |
| US09413845B2 |
System and method for providing calendar and speed dating features for matching users in a network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request at a communication broker for a communication session to involve a first endpoint and a second endpoint, where the communication broker includes a processor and a memory element. The method may also include evaluating first calendar information for a first end user associated with the first endpoint and second calendar information for a second end user associated with the second endpoint. The method may also include reconciling the first calendar information with the second calendar information to provide a time slot for the communication session. Additionally, the method may include mapping first end user data to a first identity associated with the first end user, where the second endpoint is shown the first identity, and where the first end user data associated with the first endpoint is hidden from being shown to the second endpoint. |
| US09413844B2 |
System for providing information to users sharing a nomadic experience
The present invention relates to a system for providing information to one or more users sharing a nomadic experience. The system comprises client terminals (1071-1075) and a server platform (101). The server platform (101) consists of one or more first servers (103) for maintaining groups of users and one or more second servers (102) for interactively sharing information within a group of users. The system further comprises communication channels providing connectivity between client terminals (1071-1075) and the server platform (101). |
| US09413842B2 |
Instantaneous non-blocking content purging in a distributed platform
Some embodiments provide instantaneous and non-blocking content purging across storage servers of a distributed platform. When a server receives a purge operation, it extracts an identifier from the purge operation. The server then generates a content purge pattern from the identifier and injects the pattern to its configuration. Instantaneous purging is then realized as the server averts access to any cached content identified by the pattern. The purging also occurs in a non-blocking fashion as the physical purge of the content occurs in-line with the server's cache miss operation. The content purge pattern causes the server to respond to a subsequently received content request with a cache miss, whereby the server retrieves the requested content from an origin source, serves the retrieved content to the requesting user, and replaces a previously cached copy of the content that is to be purged with the newly retrieved copy. |
| US09413841B2 |
Image processing system, image processing method, and medium
There is provided an image processing system for performing image processing on input image. The image processing system includes an input data determination unit configured to determine a device that has input image data that is input, an image processing unit configured to selectively perform image processing on the input image data based on the determination result by the input data determination unit, an image classification unit configured to classify input image data, and a redirect URL determination unit configured to determine a URL at the time of the next access by a user in accordance with the result of classification by the image classification unit. The image data on which the selective image processing is performed is subjected to processing in accordance with instructions from a display screen of the URL destination and the result of the processing is saved. |
| US09413840B2 |
Architecture for sharing browsing session histories
Features are disclosed for enabling users to efficiently store and share browsing sessions or portions thereof with other users or the general public. Browsing session requests and other activities may be sent to an intermediary system, which can retrieve requested content and store a representation of the requested content or data regarding the requested content. The stored data may be organized as a saved browsing session such that users may access the shared browsing session at a subsequent time and view the browsing session substantially in its entirety. Users may search for shared browsing sessions and access data regarding the requests made during a browsing session. In addition, data regarding client devices used during shared browsing sessions may be tracked and associated with the shared browsing sessions such that subsequent users can search for shared browsing sessions based partly on such device characteristics. |
| US09413833B2 |
Identity management in a networked computing environment
An approach for user identity management in a virtualized/networked (e.g., cloud) computing environment is provided. In a typical embodiment, historical command usage within a server environment is analyzed to determine the characteristics of the commands being run against a cloud resource to determine with a confidence rating the likelihood the commands are being executed by a certain user. Such an approach allows for more efficient user identity management in order to optimize cloud security and system administration. |
| US09413832B2 |
Method and apparatus for location-based, just in time social networking
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a method and apparatus for location-based, just in time social networking. In one embodiment, a method for providing a social network includes receiving a request from a first user of the social network to provide information from a location of interest specified by the first user, and locating a group comprising at least one other user of the social network, where each of the at least one other user is currently at the location of interest and has volunteered to provide information from the location of interest, wherein the group is selected from a larger group of other users who are at a plurality of locations of interest. |
| US09413829B2 |
Method for efficient initialization of a telecommunications network and telecommunications network
A method for efficient initialization of a telecommunications network includes: establishing a physical communication channel between an access node of the telecommunications network and a configuration device; providing, by the telecommunications network, via an Internet Protocol Edge node, a public or private Internet Protocol address to the configuration device for use by the configuration device to communicate with the Internet Protocol Edge node of the telecommunications network; and assigning, by the telecommunications network, a configuration and installation functionality level to the public or private Internet Protocol address. |
| US09413828B2 |
Virtualizing a video controller
One embodiment is a remote system management controller that virtualizes a video controller for a server that is managed by a remote computer. |
| US09413827B2 |
Context aware actions among heterogeneous internet of things (IOT) devices
An aspect enables context aware actions among heterogeneous Internet of Things (IoT) devices. An IoT device receives data representing a context of each of a first set of IoT devices, receives data representing a current state of each of a second set of IoT devices, and determines an action to perform at a target IoT based on the received data. An aspect verifies an implied relationship between a first user and a second user by detecting an interaction between a first user device belonging to the first user and a second user device belonging to the second user, storing information related to the interaction in a first interaction table associated with the first user device, assigning a relationship identifier to the second user based, at least in part, on the information related to the interaction, and determining whether or not the assigned relationship identifier is correct. |
| US09413825B2 |
Managing file objects in a data storage system
Managing file objects in a data storage system includes providing a plurality of metadata servers, each metadata server having information for only a subset of file objects in the storage system, each subset for each of the metadata servers being less than a total number of file objects for the system and includes providing at least one metadata location server, where an entity accessing a specific file object of the system determines which of the metadata servers contains data for the specific file object by first accessing the at least one metadata location server. Information for the subset of file objects may include a table having file identifiers and metadata location information. The metadata location information may point to data storage for a metadata object for a file. |
| US09413818B2 |
Deploying applications in a networked computing environment
An approach for deploying and managing applications in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment). A user uploads an application for deployment in the networked computing environment. Metadata of the application is analyzed and compared to metadata of previously deployed applications. Using the comparison, a set of architectures used in conjunction with previously deployed application(s) with similar platform and middleware requirements are presented to a user. The user can select an architecture for deploying the application. The application is continuously monitored after deployment, and alternative architectures to improve the application can be presented to the user, if desired. |
| US09413817B2 |
Executing dynamically assigned functions while providing services
Methods, systems, and computer program products for applying actions during server system processing. Functional processing blocks where actions may be applied to a service request are identified. actions are dynamically associated with functional processing blocks. During execution of a functional processing block, a check is performed to determine whether an action is associated with the functional processing block. If an action is associated with a functional processing block, the action is applied during the functional processing block's execution. An evaluation may be performed to determine if an action should be applied before or after the functional processing block. The server system may comprise an XML data repository, providing access to XML data, based on identity information which is received with a client system request. A portion of the server system may be described in accordance with an XML schema. |
| US09413815B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for imparting functionality to a mobile computing device
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a client application (“shell”) that is installed on the mobile device. The shell is developed in such a way as to allow it to read certain configuration files (“configuration files”). As discussed in greater detail below, the configuration files contain all information necessary for the shell to create, present, or display a mobile application “on-the-fly” simply by reading the configuration file. Advantageously, this method allows applications to quickly be updated or reconfigured without recompiling and updating native code. In addition, such applications can easily be shared and interact with other applications developed on this platform. This sharing of configuration files with a shell also allows repurposing of applications and a new delivery mechanism for advertising and promotional content. |
| US09413809B1 |
Delaying publicizing, at a second source, upload of a content item to a first source until confirmation of availability of the content item at the first source
Systems and methods are provided for delaying publicizing, at a second source, upload of a content item to a first source, until confirmation of availability of the content item at the first source. In one or more aspects, a system includes an upload component configured to upload content to a content server, a share component configured to receive selection of a sharing source to post a notification that informs users regarding availability of the content at the content server, a confirmation component configured to receive confirmation from the content server in response to the content becoming available at the content server following the upload of the content, and a notification component configured to post the notification at the sharing source in response to receipt of the confirmation. |
| US09413806B2 |
Adaptive bit rate proxy
A device and method for providing an adaptive bit rate (ABR) proxy is disclosed. An ABR proxy determines an optimal data format to receive content segments for an audio/video (AV) content item from a source ABR server, and generates, based on that format and/or current network conditions, one or more local AV representations for providing content segments for the AV content item to locally connected devices. A local client device selects a local AV representation, and the ABR proxy provides the content segments for the AV content item to the local device in accordance with the selected local AV representation. |
| US09413805B2 |
Geolocation engine
Embodiments of the present invention for determining a geo-location for a device in communication with a network service provider begin with installing a mechanism for collecting geolocation data at a client device. The mechanism may be implemented as a mobile app, client application, browser plug-in, or other mechanism. The mechanism may collect geolocation data from multiple sources, including the device itself and other devices within the vicinity. The mechanism may also collect data regarding selected programs that may be installed on the client device. The geolocation data and program data may be transmitted back to a server for processing. The server may determine whether a geolocation is acceptable by determining a geolocation from the geolocation data, a likelihood of accuracy and/or trust score, as well as determining if any undesirable programs are stored on the client device. A determination regarding the geolocation of the client device if made, a white list of devices may be updated, and the geolocation results are provided the network service provider, either directly by the server or through the mechanism on the client device. |
| US09413804B2 |
Bonding of multiple concurrent data streams among multiple devices
Examples are disclosed for hosting a communication session between a computer device and a destination communication device in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network. The computer device is communicable with a communications server and a communication device, wherein the communications server situated in an Internet Protocol (IP) based packet data network. The computer device creates an IP packet data stream and establishes a first communication link with the communications server. The computer device also establishes a second communication link with the communication device. The computer device then sends the IP packet data stream to the communications server over the first communication link and sends the IP packet data stream to the communication device over the second communication link. The communication device then relays the IP packet data stream to the communications server over one or more additional communication links between the communication device and the communications server. |
| US09413803B2 |
User input back channel for wireless displays
As part of a communication session, a wireless source device can transmit audio and video data to a wireless sink device, and the wireless sink device can transmit user input data received at the wireless sink device back to the wireless source device. In this manner, a user of the wireless sink device can control the wireless source device and control the content that is being transmitted from the wireless source device to the wireless sink device. |
| US09413802B2 |
Adaptive multicasting
Methods and apparatuses for adaptively multicasting information from a server to a multicast group are provided. A multicast transmission along one or more paths of the transmission is changed as network conditions warrant. |
| US09413799B2 |
Broadcasting media from a stationary source to multiple mobile devices over wi-fi
A system for synchronized media playback to multiple mobile receiver devices, comprising a network-connected media source device that prepares media content for viewing by separating it into a plurality of media streams, a plurality of network-connected media receiver devices that each receive a plurality of media streams and synchronize their playback relative to one another, and a method for providing synchronized media playback to multiple receiver devices. |
| US09413787B2 |
Real-time delivery of location/orientation data
A method is provided providing position information. The method comprises sending, by a first device to a second device, via a real-time transmission protocol, a message specifying at least one position-related parameter associated with the second device. The method further comprises receiving, by the first device from the second device, via the real-time transmission protocol, the at least one position-related parameter. |
| US09413785B2 |
System and method for interlocking a host and a gateway
A method is described in example embodiments below that include receiving a content tag associated with transferring a file over a network connection. A session descriptor may also be received. The session descriptor and the content tag may be correlated with a network policy, which may be applied to the network connection. In some embodiments, the content tag may be received with the session descriptor. The file may be tainted by another file in some embodiments, and the content tag may be associated with other file. |
| US09413773B2 |
Method and apparatus for classifying and combining computer attack information
A method and apparatus for classifying and combining computer attack information identifying as malicious events, events in a network that cause organizationally or functionally distant entities to become closer to each other, the method comprising identifying as malicious events, events in a network that cause organizationally or functionally distant entities to become closer to each other. |
| US09413772B2 |
Managing rogue devices through a network backhaul
Managing rogue devices in a network through a network backhaul. A rogue device is detected in a network and a rogue device message that includes the rogue device is sent to a plurality of switches in a backhaul of the network. The rogue device is added into a rogue monitor table. Whether the rogue device is In-Net or Out-Of-Net is determined using forwarding tables of the plurality of switches in the backhaul of the network and the rogue monitor table. Mitigation is performed using a nearest switch to the rogue device of the plurality of switches in the backhaul of the network if it is determined that the rogue device is In-Net. |
| US09413770B2 |
Cloud based application account management
An aspect provides a method, including: receiving at a remote device a client log in to a cloud based account issued from a client device; determining the client device is not associated with the client log in; issuing an instruction to unbind at least one client device application log in credential and bind a cloud client log in credential to the at least one client device application; and providing an instruction to unbind the cloud client log in credential from the at least one client device application in response to at least one predetermined criteria being satisfied. Other aspects are described and claimed. |
| US09413766B2 |
Method for establishing connection between devices
A device and method for establishing a connection between devices is disclosed. A first device receives a request to connect to a second network device and, based on the request, a determination is made as to whether the first device is set to a first communication mode or a second communication mode. If the first device is set to the first communication mode then a first name associated with the second device is sent to a first name service, the first name service supporting establishing an encrypted connection to the second device, a resource for the encrypted connection to the second device is received at the first device, and communication with the second device is established over the network via the encrypted connection using the received resource. If the first device is set to the second communication mode then communication with the second device is established via a second connection. |
| US09413761B2 |
System and method for visual content sharing in an online environment
There is provided herein a system and method for content sharing over the Internet, wherein the user creates visual representations of specific content share sections and, by graphically accessing and interacting with these visual representations, the user is able to quickly, efficiently and easily create multi-user content sharing environments, thereby still retaining full control over all specific shares. With this graphical approach the accessibility and understanding of the user regarding content sharing over the Internet is enhanced, therewith allowing even the casual user of computers to initiate content sharing. |
| US09413757B1 |
Secure identity authentication in an electronic transaction
An approach is provided for securely authenticating an identity of a user participating in an electronic transaction. A request is received from a mobile device to initiate the electronic transaction. Attributes of the user and request are received. A request is selected for a biometric identifier or a security question to authenticate the identity of the user. The request for the biometric identifier or security question is converted to a complete Quick Response (QR) code. Based on the user and request attributes, the complete QR code is disassembled into first and second portions by employing a disassembly algorithm. The first portion, but not the second portion, is sent to the mobile device, which prevents an entity other than the user and the enterprise from obtaining the request for the biometric identifier or security question by capturing network traffic that includes the electronic transaction. |
| US09413756B1 |
Systems and methods using short-lived proxy token values obfuscating a stable long-lived token value
Systems and methods in which an intermediary server provides a proxy token value in lieu of a stable token value to a third-party. The intermediary server identifies a stable token value associated with a first-party and accesses a knowledge base to determine a length of time since a third-party used a first proxy token value in a prior action, where the first proxy token value had previously been presented to the third-party in lieu of the stable token value. The intermediary server determines that the length of time since the third-party used the proxy token value in the prior action exceeds a maximum reliability time threshold and, responsive to the determination, generates a second proxy token value. The intermediary server then provides, to the third-party, an invitation to use the second proxy token value in an action, the invitation omitting the stable token value and the first proxy token value. |
| US09413754B2 |
Authenticator device facilitating file security
Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating the encryption of files as well as facilitating requiring a user to employ an authenticator device in order to access a file that is encrypted or otherwise secured. The authenticator device can provide an authenticator code in which a security key used to access a secured file can be embedded. An additional layer of encryption can also be applied in the authenticator code. |
| US09413747B2 |
Shutting down access to all user accounts
Disclosed is a system and associated method or restricting access to a user's account via one or more account access channels. The system typically includes a processor, a memory, and an access restriction module stored in the memory. The module is typically configured for: integrating one or more account access channels associated with the user's account with an access restriction procedure; receiving a request from the user to implement the access restriction procedure; based on receiving the request from the user to implement the access restriction procedure, implementing the access restriction procedure, wherein implementing the access restriction procedure comprises restricting access to the user's account via the account access channel(s). |
| US09413745B1 |
System and method for accessing a membership-based service
System and methods for a membership-based service or network to enable access to membership-related services are provided. A portal application for members, which is accessible via a mobile device of a member, transforms the mobile device of the member into a membership card, an instrument to provide information employable to access membership services, and an apparatus to access the membership-related services. A membership management server supports the portal application and facilitates provision of services to members by a membership provider. |
| US09413742B2 |
Systems, methods and apparatus to apply permissions to applications
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to apply permissions to applications. A disclosed example apparatus includes an address trust manager to obtain a first network address having a request for address authentication from a first entity, the first network address having a second network address associated with a second entity to execute the application, an address associator to compare the first network address to a trusted address database to determine whether the first network address is trusted, and a shadow environment communicator to generate a signed message based on the comparison of the trusted address database, the address trust manager to transmit the signed message to the second entity with an indication of authorization via the first network address in response to a match in the trusted address database, and transmit the signed message to the second entity with an indication of non-authorization via the first network address in response to a lack of a match in the trusted address database. |
| US09413740B2 |
Establishing secure computing devices for virtualization and administration
Embodiments are directed to establishing a secure connection between computing systems and to providing computer system virtualization on a secure computing device. In one scenario, a computer system receives a request that at least one specified function be initiated. The request includes user credentials and a device claim that identifies the computing device. The computer system authenticates the user using the received user credentials and determines, based on the device claim, that the computing device is an approved computing device that has been approved to initiate performance of the specified function. Then, upon determining that the user has been authenticated and that the computing device is approved to initiate performance the specified function, the computer system initiates performance of the specified function. |
| US09413736B2 |
Providing an enterprise application store
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing an application store are presented. In some embodiments, a request for a software application may be received at an application store. Subsequently, the software application may be configured, at the application store, based on a single sign-on credential. The configured software application then may be provided, by the application store, to at least one recipient device associated with the single sign-on credential. |
| US09413734B1 |
Methods and apparatus for sharing encrypted data
The present invention is directed to methods and systems in which data are stored as encrypted records on a computer usable medium, and search requests are processed based on user identities to retrieve the data without decrypting all the stored records. Individual decryption keys are associated with identities of respective owners, without being revealed to the owners and are kept internal inside a computer. Finally, all keys are overwritten from the computer usable medium upon completion of each search request to take access away from a superuser or any unauthorized access to the system. |
| US09413733B2 |
Concurrent device control
Methods, systems, and devices for controlling a plurality of electronic devices are disclosed. An accessory device may monitor one or more frequency bands to capture data transmitted between two devices during a pairing process. The accessory device may utilize data to capture subsequent RF signals transmitted from one of the devices. The accessory device may then intercept commands and data from multiple devices, establish pairing relationships with computing devices, and operatively control computing devices in accordance with the intercepted commands. |
| US09413732B2 |
Vehicle network system
In a vehicle network system, a plurality of ECUs are network-connected. The plurality of ECUs include a first ECU that has set therein a secret key from among the secret key and a public key that form a pair and are set on the basis of initialization processing performed when the vehicle network system is created, and a second ECU that has set therein the public key. The second ECU adds, to a transmission signal, an authentication keyword created from the public key and information capable of specifying the second ECU and transmits the transmission signal with the authentication keyword added thereto to the network. The first ECU acquires the authentication keyword and estimates the reliability of the communication signal on the basis of the acquired authentication keyword and the secret key. |
| US09413729B2 |
Symmetric encryption apparatus and storage medium, and symmetric decryption apparatus and storage medium
In a symmetric encryption apparatus according to an embodiment, a storage unit stores a symmetric key formed from a plurality of elements of a first polynomial ring. A plaintext acceptance unit accepts input of plaintext information. A plaintext polynomial generation unit generates a plaintext polynomial by embedding the plaintext information whose input has been accepted in at least one of terms of a polynomial in a subspace of the first polynomial ring. A mask polynomial generation unit generates a mask polynomial having the symmetric key as a solution based on a second commutative ring defined over the first polynomial ring. An encryption unit generates a ciphertext using the plaintext polynomial and the mask polynomial. |
| US09413724B2 |
Cloud-based security policy configuration
Systems and methods for configuring security policies based on security parameters stored in a public or private cloud infrastructure are provided. According to one embodiment, a first network appliance logs into a cloud account. One or more security parameters of the first network appliance are synchronized, by the first network appliance, with corresponding security parameters shared by a second network appliance to the cloud account. A security policy that controls a connection between the first network appliance and the second network appliance is automatically created, by the first network appliance, based at least in part on the one or more security parameters. |
| US09413723B2 |
Configuring and managing remote security devices
Techniques for configuring and managing remote security devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, configuring and managing remote security devices includes receiving a registration request for a remote security device at a device for configuring and managing a plurality of remote security devices; verifying the registration request to determine that the remote security device is an authorized remote security device for an external network; and sending a response identifying one or more security gateways to the remote security device, in which the remote security device is automatically configured to connect to each of the one or more security gateways using a distinct Layer 3 protocol tunnel (e.g., a virtual private network (VPN)). |
| US09413718B1 |
Load balancing among a cluster of firewall security devices
A method for balancing load among firewall security devices in a network is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a switch causes firewall security devices (FSDs) of a cluster to enter into a load balancing mode. Responsive to receiving a heartbeat signal from an FSD, information regarding the FSD and the port on which the heartbeat signal was received are added to a table maintained by the switch that maps outputs of a load balancing function to ports of the switch. A received packet is forwarded to an FSD of the cluster by: (i) extracting a configurable number of bit values from a configurable set of bit positions within the packet; (ii) determining the output of the load balancing function; (iii) identifying the port to which the FSD is coupled based on the output and the table; and (iv) transmitting the packet to the FSD via the identified port. |
| US09413717B2 |
Apparatus and method for connecting computer networks
Apparatus (104) for connecting two or more computer networks having two or more network interface machines (201, 202, 203) each arranged to be connected to a respective computer network with a bidirectional communications link (105, 106, 107) enabling the network interface machine to receive data from and transmit data to the computer network. The network interface machines are connected together with at least one content checker (210, 211) to enable data to be transmitted from one network interface machine to another, and arranged such that data transmitted from one network interface machine to another network interface machine must pass via a content checker. Each network interface machine is arranged to transmit flow control data. The network interface machines are connected to the content checkers only by unidirectional communications links. This provides an interconnection between networks with different security classifications with the advantages of bidirectional communication links but avoiding the risks of such links. |
| US09413707B2 |
Automated user task management
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving tracked locations from a plurality of the client devices and monitoring the tracked locations over time in order to determine a respective task progress for each of a plurality of first users based on monitoring. |
| US09413706B2 |
Pinning users to user groups
A score is generated for each of a plurality of potential user groups in which to add the first user, each potential user group containing a plurality of users, the score based on a location of the first user. The first user is added to a first user group based on the score generated for the first user group. A pinning action by the first user pinning the first user to the first user group is then received. A change in location of the first mobile device is detected, and the score of each of the potential user groups is regenerated based on the changed location, causing a determination that the first user should be removed from the first user group. The first user is maintained as a member of the first user group despite the determination that the first user should be removed based on the pinning. |
| US09413702B2 |
Method and apparatus for distributing published messages
A method for delivering published messages to subscribers comprises: —storing a set of subscriptions (F1_top1, F2_top3, F3_top4) in a routing table (RTO) of a first broker (BRO), —sending a set of messages (e1, e2, e3) from the first broker (BRO) to a second broker (BR1) according to at least one subscription (F1_top1) stored in the routing table (RTO)1 —receiving a subsequent message (ek), —determining a search term (topi) based on a data element of the subsequent message (ek), —comparing the search term (topi) with a set of data elements stored in a relation repository (CRR), and —controlling sending of the subsequent message (ek) to the second broker (BR1) according to a result of said comparison, wherein the set of data elements stored in the relation repository (CRR) comprises data elements of the messages (e1, e2, e3) previously sent to the second broker (BR1), and wherein said set of subscriptions (F1_top1, F2_top3, F3_top4) contains at least one subscription (F3_top4), which specifies a topic (top4), which is not contained in the set of data elements stored in the relation repository (CRR). |
| US09413701B2 |
System and method for providing a messaging interface
Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing a simplified messaging interface are provided for allowing users to initiate and engage in messaging conversations. In some embodiments, the systems and methods reduce the overhead involved in initiating and/or engaging in messaging conversations. In addition, the messaging interface may allow users to initiate and/or engage in conversations without having to open a separate standard messaging window for every conversation. Further, the simplified messaging interface may be used in conjunction with a standard messaging interface. |
| US09413691B2 |
MAC address synchronization in a fabric switch
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for facilitating synchronization of MAC addresses in a fabric switch. During operation, the system divides a number of media access control (MAC) addresses associated with devices coupled to an interface of the switch. The system then computes a checksum for a respective chunk of MAC addresses. In addition, the system broadcasts MAC address information of the chunk to facilitate MAC address synchronization in a fabric switch of which the switch is a member, and to manage the chunks and their corresponding checksum, thereby correcting an unsynchronized or race condition in the fabric switch. |
| US09413690B2 |
Switch device
A switch device for use in telecommunications apparatus, the switch device comprising: a substantially planar substrate having first substantially planar face and an opposing second substantially planar face; a first plurality of ports mounted on the first face of the substrate, and having a first arrangement of locating pins which extend into the substrate from the first face towards the second face thereof; and a second plurality of ports mounted on the second face of the substrate, and having a second arrangement of locating pins which extend into the substrate from the second face towards the first face thereof, wherein the first arrangement of locating pins is offset with respect to the second arrangement of locating pins. |
| US09413689B1 |
Mobile intelligent tracking and communication hub
A mobile intelligent tracking and communication hub (MITCH) includes a communication module, a sensor module, and a processor. The processor is communicatively coupled to the communication module and to the sensor module. The processor is typically configured for (i) receiving a data packet in the first protocol from a first device, (ii) manipulating the data packet in response to situational status information received by the sensor module, (iii) translating the data packet from the first protocol to the second protocol, and (iv) transmitting the data packet with the communication module to a second device, the second device being configured to receive data in the second protocol. |
| US09413687B2 |
Automatic workload transfer to an on-demand center
Disclosed is an on-demand computing environment. The method embodiment relates to a method of managing resources between a local compute environment and an on-demand environment. The method includes detecting an event in a local compute environment and based on the detected event, automatically establishing communication with an on-demand compute environment, provisioning resources within the on-demand compute environment and transferring workload from the local compute environment transparently to the on-demand compute environment. |
| US09413682B2 |
Provisioning legacy systems network architecture resource communications through a group of servers in a data center
Managing communications between client computers and distributed resources is provided. Distributed resources are identified that each of a set of client computers is configured to communicate with, based on configuration information stored on each of the set of client computers. A group of servers are configured to host communications between each of the set of client computers and the distributed resources, based on server capabilities of each server in the group of servers and a policy for load balancing communications through the group of servers. Then the configuration information stored on each of the set of client computers is modified to use the group of servers for communicating with the distributed resources. |
| US09413676B2 |
System and method for reducing the data packet loss employing adaptive transmit queue length
The present invention provides a system and method for reduction of data packet loss for the multiple network interfaces. Particularly, the invention provides a cross layer system for reduction of data packet loss based on dynamic analysis of network conditions. Further, the invention provides a system and method of estimation of network condition and adapting the transmit queue of the multiple interfaces according to channel condition/available bandwidth of the associated network. |
| US09413674B1 |
Avoidance of unnecessary traffic in wireless communications networks
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for avoiding unnecessary traffic in wireless communications networks. An Internet gateway maintains an unnecessary traffic avoidance table and to determine whether a mobile device is disconnected from the network. The Internet gateway discards requested data packets requested by the mobile devices if the mobile device is not currently connected to the network, thereby avoiding unnecessary traffic in the network. |
| US09413668B2 |
Systems and methods for load-balancing in a data center
Methods of load-balancing in a network are provided herein. One such method includes steps of receiving network traffic at a network device, the network traffic having a destination address and of performing a look-up in a multipath group table using the destination address. The multipath group table includes entries for recursive next-hops, each recursive next hop being associated with a connected next hop in the multipath group table. The method also include a step of hashing the network traffic according to a number of recursive next-hops associated with the destination address in the multipath group table. Additional methods and information handling system are also provided. |
| US09413667B2 |
Methods and network nodes for traffic steering based on per-flow policies
A method for redirecting a traffic flow in a communication network, in which a first or default service path has been configured for the traffic flow to go through is disclosed. The method comprises: receiving a notification message from a network node, the notification message including a traffic characteristic information of a packet of the traffic flow; creating a set of rules based on the received traffic characteristic information; and sending the set of rules to a plurality of switches in the communication network, the set of rules configuring a second or alternative service path to be used by subsequent packets of this traffic flow. Also, a network node for carrying out this method is provided. |
| US09413666B2 |
Reporting radio access network congestion information in a network sharing environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes detecting user plane congestion at an eNodeB in connection with subscribers of a first one of a plurality of public land management networks (“PLMNs”) sharing a radio access network (“RAN”), identifying one or more of the PLMNs to be notified of the detected congestion in accordance with an agreement between the PLMNs, and reporting RAN congestion information (“RCI”) regarding the detected congestion to only the identified one or more of the PLMNs. The detecting may comprise determining whether detected user plane congestion exceeds a first congestion threshold indicated for the first one of the PLMNs. The method may further comprise terminating the RCI reporting when the detected congestion falls below a second congestion threshold specified for the first one of the PLMNs. The first and second thresholds may be indicated in a table associated with the eNodeB. |
| US09413665B2 |
CPP bus transaction value having a PAM/LAM selection code field
Within a networking device, packet portions from multiple PDRSDs (Packet Data Receiving and Splitting Devices) are loaded into a single memory, so that the packet portions can later be processed by a processing device. Rather than the PDRSDs managing and handling the storing of packet portions into the memory, a packet engine is provided. A device interacting with the packet engine can use a PPI (Packet Portion Identifier) Addressing Mode (PAM) in communicating with the packet engine and in instructing the packet engine to store packet portions. Alternatively, the device can use a Linear Addressing Mode (LAM) to communicate with the packet engine. A PAM/LAM selection code field in a bus transaction value sent to the packet engine indicates whether PAM or LAM will be used. |
| US09413662B1 |
Intra-term logical or operation in a network filter
A network filter is implemented so that filter terms that include intra-term OR conditions and converted to sub-terms that include only logical AND conditions. In one implementation, a device may include logic to receive a filter definition including one or more terms, at least some of the terms including logical OR conditions, that define how network traffic through the device is to be filtered, the logic expanding the one or more terms in the filter such that terms that contain logical OR conditions are expanded into a plurality of sub-terms that each contains only logical AND conditions. The device may further include a ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) programmed to include a separate entry corresponding to each of the sub-terms. |
| US09413661B2 |
Network relay device
A network relay device capable of easily recognizing a state of hash value collision is provided. Each of a plurality of entries contained in an address table includes: a first area in which first information is registered, the first information indicating a relation between a plurality of ports and MAC addresses existing beyond the plurality of ports; and a second area in which second information is registered. In learning a transmission-source MAC address of a frame received at a port, a frame processing unit calculates a hash value by using the transmission-source MAC address first. Next, if a MAC address different from the transmission-source MAC address has been registered in the first area of an entry corresponding to the hash value, the frame processing unit registers the second information in the second area. |
| US09413660B1 |
Methods and apparatus to implement except condition during data packet classification
In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a value associated with a data packet and identifying a data set based on the value. The data set is associated with a range of values and represents routing actions. The data set is a first data set from a plurality of data sets if the value is included in the range of values associated with the first data set. The data set is a default data set if the value is not included in a range of values associated with a data set from the plurality of data sets. The method includes combining the first data set with the default data set if the first data set is identified. The method includes combining the default data set with an except data set if the default data set is identified. |
| US09413658B2 |
System for conversational link aggregation resolution in a network switch
Some implementations provide a method that includes: (i) receiving a list of logic link aggregations (LAGs) within a computer network, the list identifying a single physical egress port associated with each LAG; (ii) receiving a data unit; (iii) identifying that the data unit is addressed to a remote LAG included in the list of logic link aggregations; (iv) establishing a connection with the remote LAG; (v) downloading a detailed data describing the remote LAG from a control plane, the detailed data including a list of multiple available physical egress ports associated with the remote LAG, and; (vi) upon downloading the detailed data, incorporating the detailed data into the list of LAGs in association with an entry identifying the remote LAG. |
| US09413657B2 |
Communication device having VPN accommodation function
Fully meshed virtual paths obtained with smaller number of settings, thus facilitating expansion of VPN service. A communication device in a virtual private network (VPN) having a VPN accommodation function for connecting an intra-organization network or inter-organization network through the Internet includes; a first means for generating a VPN address, a format of which includes both a VPN number for uniquely identifying a VPN in a certain scope and a closed address used in an organization or among organizations, either converting a packet header into a header having the above-mentioned VPN address or adding the above-mentioned VPN address to a packet header for transmission; and a second means for on receiving the packet having a header of the VPN address format, either converting the received packet into a packet format equivalent to an original packet format or removing a header having VPN address format. |
| US09413653B2 |
Communication system and server
In a communication system, using source address, source port number, destination address and destination port number, terminals A and B located behind NAT routers A and B, respectively, communicate with each other through the NAT routers A and B. A server SV which is not located behind any NAT routers identifies the NAT router A as a NAT router of a certain type which translates the source port number into a different source port number if the destination port number is changed. The server SV then guesses a port number obtained by adding (or subtracting) a value to (or from) the source port number used for transmission of data from the terminal A through the NAT router A as a port number of the terminal A in a case where the NAT router has been identified as the certain type, and informs the terminal B of the guessed port number. |
| US09413651B2 |
Selective deep packet inspection
Methods, systems, and computer program products for packet inspection are provided herein. The method includes the steps of receiving a first packet of a stream of packets and processing the first packet using a slow processing path. The method also includes the steps of examining a network layer or transport layer of the first packet to determine whether a protocol used by the stream of packets is relevant, and transferring subsequent packets in the stream to a fast processing path if the protocol used is not relevant. The method further includes the steps of examining an application layer of a pre-determined number of packets subsequent to the first packet to determine whether a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) field of each of the pre-determined number of packets is relevant, and transferring packets subsequent to the pre-determined number of packets to a fast processing path if the URLs are not relevant. |
| US09413648B2 |
Pure control-plane approach for on-path connection admission control operations in multiprotocol label switching virtual private networks
The embodiments described herein present methods and apparatuses for on-path CAC operations in a MPLS-VPN environment. In an example embodiment, an ingress PE device receives a quality of service (QoS) resource reservation request; constructs an outgoing message that includes information allowing an egress PE device to identify the virtual private network routing and forwarding table (VRF) associated with a resource reservation resulting from the QoS resource reservation request; and transmits the outgoing message to the egress PE device, where the information allowing VRF identification is echoed back by the egress PE device and used by the ingress PE device to identify the VRF associated with the resource reservation resulting from the QoS resource reservation request. Other embodiments are described. |
| US09413643B2 |
Seamless multipath retransmission using source-routed tunnels
In one embodiment, a device receives a destination unreachable message originated by a particular node along a first source route, the message carrying an encapsulated packet as received by the particular node. In response, the device may determine a failed link along the first source route based on a tunnel header and the particular node. Once determining an alternate source route without the failed link, the device may re-encapsulate and re-transmit the original packet on an alternate source route with a new tunnel header indicating the alternate source route (e.g., and a new hop limit count for the tunnel header and an adjusted hop limit count in the original packet). |
| US09413642B2 |
Failover procedure for networks
In an example embodiment, there is disclosed an apparatus comprising a plurality of ports and routing logic coupled with the plurality of ports. The routing logic obtains data representative of a first port configuration for the plurality of ports, the first port configuration comprises data representative of a status for individual ports selected from the plurality of ports, the status indicating whether an individual port selected from the plurality of ports is an open port, an alternate port, or a failed port. The routing logic forwards data in accordance with the first port configuration. The routing logic also obtains data representative of an alternate port configuration for the plurality of ports, the alternate port configuration is to be employed upon determining a predefined link has failed. The alternate configuration comprising a new status for individual ports selected from the plurality of ports. |
| US09413641B2 |
Apparatus and methods for accessing a data network
A packet data network gateway, P-GW, is located in a second network for supporting control plane data in a wireless communications system that additionally comprises a first network having a first packet data network gateway, P-GW, operably couplable to the P-GW and a serving gateway, S-GW. The P-GW comprises a processor arranged to determine an operational status of at least one of: a backhaul link, first P-GW. In response to the processor determining that both of the backhaul link and the first P-GW are available, the processor is arranged to perform at least one of: trigger deferred signalling between the first network and at least one of a mobility management entity, MME, the S-GW; trigger user plane handling, monitor and build terminal device context information for a plurality of terminal devices being served with user plane data by the backhaul link of the second network. |
| US09413638B2 |
Generating a loop-free routing topology based on merging buttressing arcs into routing arcs
In one embodiment, a method comprises creating, in a computing network, a loop-free routing topology comprising a plurality of routing arcs for reaching a destination device, each routing arc routing any network traffic along the routing arc toward the destination device via any one of first or second ends of the corresponding routing arc, the creating including forming a buttressing arc having an originating end joined to a first of the routing arcs and a terminating end joined to a second of the routing arcs, the buttressing arc inheriting from the first routing arc a first height to the destination device, the first height of the first routing arc higher than a corresponding second height of the second routing arc; and causing the network traffic to be forwarded, to the destination device, via the buttressing arc and at least one of the first routing arc or the second routing arc. |
| US09413637B2 |
Architecture for virtualization and distribution of routing information used in a transport network
A method, apparatus and computer program product for distribution of routing information used in a transport network is presented. In a transport network having a plurality of edge devices and core devices, a main instance of a protocol is used for shortest path and tree computation. A multicast tree is defined per Virtual Services Network (VSN) to distribute Link State Data Base (LSDB) updates that only apply to members of said VSN. Multicast trees are built using a secondary instance of the control protocol LSDB and wherein each VSN multicast tree represents a separate instance of the secondary instance of the control protocol LSD. LSDB updates are distributed that only apply to members of the VSN using the multicast tree for the VSN. |
| US09413636B2 |
Network topologies for energy efficient networks
One embodiment identifies all one-hop neighbor nodes and two-hop neighbor nodes of a node; determines an active set of one-hop neighbor nodes for the node, comprising: includes in the active set each one-hop neighbor node that is either an edge node or connected with at least one two-hop neighbor node with which no other one-hop neighbor nodes are connected; and if the active set is not yet complete, then: determine all combinations of one-hop neighbor nodes that are not already in the active set; and tests each combination in order of each combination's total-energy value to determine whether a specific combination is able to complete the active set; if no combination is able to complete the active set, then including all one-hop neighbor nodes in the active set; and communicates a message to each one-hop neighbor node in the active set indicating that it is in the active set. |
| US09413635B2 |
Method for controlling generation of routing information, method for generating routing information and apparatuses thereof
The present invention provides a method for controlling generation of routing information, a method for generating routing information, and apparatuses thereof. When it is detected that a virtual machine is migrated out of or migrated into a data center, a subnet to which the virtual machine belongs is determined, a route control identifier for adjusting routing information of a virtual machine that belongs to the subnet and is in the data center is determined, and the route control identifier is sent to the data center, so that the data center adjusts, according to the route control identifier, routing information of the virtual machine that belongs to the subnet and is in the data center. In this way, generation of many host routes in data centers when a virtual machine is migrated across the data centers is prevented. |
| US09413628B2 |
Network relay node device, network relay method, and recording medium
A network relay node device for relaying communication between a first network and a second network having a protocol different from a protocol of the first network through a switch, the network relay node device includes an identical segment information generation control unit that generates identical segment information for identification of another relay node device belonging to a same segment as a local device in the second network and a loop suppression control unit that suppresses a loop of a communication including the switch by broadcasting a received broadcast frame only to a connection port of the first network if the identical segment information is detected in identification source node information acquired from a header of the broadcast frame when the broadcast frame is received from a connection port of the first network. |
| US09413626B2 |
Automatic management of resource sizing
A system for providing automatic resource resizing is provided. The system may be configured to maintain a plurality of virtual machine instances. The system may be further configured to receive a request to execute a program code and allocate computing resources for executing the program code on one of the virtual machine instances. The amount of resources allocated for executing the program code may be specified by the request and adjusted as needed. |
| US09413624B2 |
Method and device for providing system status information
The present disclosure provides a method and device for providing system status information. The method comprises: receiving, from an input mechanism associated with a communication device, a request to share system status information; and in response to receiving the request to share the system status information: (i) obtaining system status information associated with the communication device; and (ii) automatically populating one or more portions of an electronic message based on the system status information. The system status information comprises processor usage information. |
| US09413622B2 |
System and method to publish information from servers to remote monitor devices
To assist in monitoring the intelligent messaging network, a system and method for publishing logging and status information from the servers is provided. A list of available servers accessible for monitoring by persons, devices, and applications via a remote monitor device can be provided. The remote monitor device may forward selected servers from the list of available servers in which they are interested. Also, particular information about the selected servers can be requested. Access to certain servers and information may be restricted to those with authorization. Authorization can be verified by the use of digital certificates. The requested information can then be gathered and provided to authorized persons or devices. Typically, the information includes logging and status information from the servers. The information can be provided as an XML page and viewed using, for example, a standard web browser. Further, if the information is provided to the remote monitor device as an XML page, a standard XML parser may be used to extract particular information from the XML page. |
| US09413621B2 |
Peer-to-peer ad hoc network system for monitoring a presence of members of a group
Embodiments include peer-to-peer ad hoc network having a group having a plurality of members, each of the plurality of members comprising a locating device, wherein the plurality of members are configured to detect an absence of one of the plurality of members from the group. The system also includes a location server configured to communicate with the locating device of at least one of the plurality of members and a supervisor device configured to receive an alert from the location server, wherein the alert is generated by the location server in response to a detection of the absence of one of the plurality of members from the group. |
| US09413619B2 |
Prediction-based provisioning planning for cloud environments
Various embodiments predict performance of a system including a plurality of server tiers. In one embodiment, a first set of performance information is collected for a base allocation of computing resources across multiple server tiers in the plurality of sever tiers for a set of workloads. A set of experimental allocations of the computing resources is generated on a tier-by-tier basis. Each of the set of experimental allocations varies the computing resources allocated by the base allocation for a single server tier of the multiple server tiers. A second set of performance information associated with the single server tier for each of the set of experimental allocations is collected for a plurality of workloads. At least one performance characteristic of at least one candidate allocation of computing resources across the multiple server tiers is predicted for a given workload based on the first and second sets of performance information. |
| US09413618B2 |
Method, system and devices for managing user provisioning of a service in an IMS network
Present invention refers to a method, system and devices for managing user provisioning of a service in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. The proposed solution optimizes the dimensioning of Home subscriber server (HSS) according to active users. |
| US09413617B2 |
Method and system for remote control between mobile devices
A remote control method between mobile devices and a system thereof are provided. The system includes a server including a control command list for controlling a help-requesting device. The server authenticates a remote control authorization of a control device and relays a data packet communication between the help-requesting device and the control device. The help-requesting device transmits a help request message to the control device through the server. The control device acquires the authorization to remotely control the help-requesting device from the server and then transmits a control command for controlling the help-requesting device to the help-requesting device through the server. The help-requesting device executes the received control command and then transmits execution result data to the control device through the server. The control device outputs the execution result data received from the help-requesting device. |
| US09413612B2 |
Automatic resolution of virtual network instance to VLAN mapping conflicts in dual-homed deployments in a dynamic fabric automation network architecture
In accordance with one example embodiment, there is provided a system configured for virtual local area network (VLAN) blocking on a virtual port channel (vPC) member link to handle discrepant virtual network instance (VNI) to VLAN mappings. In other embodiments, the system can be configured for providing Virtual Switch Interface Discovery Protocol (VDP) and virtual switch enhancements to accommodate discrepant VNI to VLAN mappings. In another example embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, where the apparatus is configured such that if a server is connected through a virtual port channel, a VDP is used to notify the server of different VNI to VLAN mappings. In another embodiment, the apparatus can extend a VDP Filter Info Field to carry a set of VLANs mapped to a VNI, keyed by leaf MAC addresses that serve as bridge identifiers. |
| US09413611B2 |
Generating and enforcing a holistic quality of service policy in a network
A method may include receiving a request to establish a quality of service (QoS) policy that identifies a desired QoS associated with traffic being transported by a network; generating a QoS model based on the identified desired QoS, where the QoS model includes a class of service (CoS) and corresponding forwarding priorities associated with the traffic; retrieving a service level agreement (SLA), associated with a client device that is interconnected to a network node associated with the network, where the SLA includes a particular CoS and corresponding other forwarding priorities for packets associated with the client device; creating a QoS provisioning policy based on the QoS model and the SLA, where the creating includes mapping the CoS to the particular CoS or mapping the forwarding priorities to the other forwarding priorities; and transmitting, to the network node, the QoS provisioning policy that permits the network node to process the packets in a manner that complies with the QoS model or the SLA. |
| US09413603B2 |
Method for implementing virtual network, and network management system
Disclosed are a method for implementing a virtual network and a network management system. With the method, a virtual network is created; multiple super ports each unique in the virtual network are created; a connection of a super port with a network element is configured; and when a service to pass through the virtual network or a nonterminal service interconnected to the virtual network is created, the super ports are used as routing resources of the service. With the disclosure, by using a virtual network as well as super ports and a connected group provided by the virtual network, an end-to-end service transparently passing through a third-party network can be created, such that unified transparent end-to-end service management may be provided at a customer side, greatly facilitating network management in this scenario, reducing a risk in network management and improving network reliability. |
| US09413602B2 |
System, method, and apparatus for network fabric configuration in data communication networks
An auto fabric configuration (AFC) mode is provided to enable network elements, when added to a data communication network, to discover each other, using TLVs added to standard protocols. The AFC mode further allows for automatic configuration of the network fabric. For example, core features, such as link aggregation, Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) adjacencies, can be automatically configured. |
| US09413601B2 |
Channel reuse among communication networks sharing a communication channel
A first network device determines whether a first reference code included in at least a first transmission on a communication channel is associated with a code configured in the first network device. The communication channel is shared among a plurality of communication networks and the first reference code is associated with a first communication network of the plurality of communication networks. The first network device joins the first communication network associated with the first reference code in response to determining the first reference code is associated with the code configured in the first network device. The first network device communicates with a second network device in the first communication network using the code configured in the first network device. |
| US09413598B2 |
Graph structures for event matching
A system for matching a system event to a rule is disclosed. The system includes a computer-readable data structure comprising a plurality of system event rules organizable as a partially ordered set. The system also includes a processor configured to analyze the computer-readable data structure to determine whether an event matches a description set of at least one rule from the plurality of system event rules. Methods and machine-readable mediums are also disclosed. |
| US09413591B2 |
Network Management
A computer program product comprises computer-readable instructions that cause a network management device (selected from one or more devices including one or more configured devices to which usage parameters necessary for using functions available via a network have already been set) to execute a process for managing the usage parameters comprising: a parameter acquisition step of acquiring one or more usage parameters already set to one of the configured devices from the configured device; and a candidate reporting step of reporting the usage parameters acquired in the parameter acquisition step as candidates for one or more usage parameters to be set to a setting target device which is connected to the network management device to be capable of data communication via a network and needing the setting of the usage parameters. |
| US09413589B2 |
Method for discovering a dynamic address of a communication device
A method for discovering a communication device is disclosed. The method includes: receiving in the communication device a communication including a request for an address and an identification of an application, in response to receiving the communication, associating a dynamic address of the communication device with the identified application, and sending a second communication directly or indirectly to a client device, the second communication including the dynamic address. The communication device may further obtain a dynamic address in response to receiving the communication. The dynamic address may be used for a dedicated purpose, such as for receiving a file for subsequent use by the application. |
| US09413588B2 |
Resource tracking
Clients may subscribe to resources for the purpose of receiving notifications of changes in the resource (e.g., a file is added to a shared folder). Storing subscriptions within persistent storage provides data security in the event of a service failure, at the cost of high latency in accessing subscription data. An efficient method for tracking a resource is provided herein. A subscription service creates subscriptions and monitors resources for a client. Upon a subscribed resource change, a notification service stores a notification of the change into a queue associated with the client. Efficient resource tracking is achieved because notification and subscription data is stored in low latency soft memory. The notification service is configured to detect a failure in the notification service and/or subscription service. In the event a service fails, the client provides a recovery mechanism by resubscribing to resources with which the client has an interest. |
| US09413580B2 |
Symbol time offset correction via intercarrier interference detection in OFDM receiver
Receiver (RCV) adapted for compensating for Symbol Timing Offset when receiving OFDM symbols, over a communication channel (TC), comprising: means (REG, DFT, CMP) for detecting a first phase with no Inter-Symbol Interference, means (REG, DFT, CMP) for detecting a second phase with presence of Inter-Symbol Interference, means (REG, DFT, CMP) for compensating for said Symbol Timing Offset by estimating starting points of said received OFDM symbols as being one sample before the start of said second phase. The timing synchronization is achieved in frequency domain by monitoring amplitude variation of the demodulated subcarriers symbols, said variation being due to the presence of Inter Symbol Interference when the FFT window overlaps with the subsequent OFDM symbol. |
| US09413571B2 |
System and method for time reversal data communications on pipes using guided elastic waves
Embedded piezoelectric sensors in large civil structures for structural health monitoring applications require data communication capabilities to effectively transmit information regarding the structure's integrity between sensor nodes and to the central processing unit. Conventional communication modalities include electromagnetic waves or acoustical waves. While guided elastic waves can propagate over long distances on solid structures, their multi-modal and dispersive characteristics make it difficult to interpret the channel responses and to transfer useful information along pipes. Time reversal is an adaptive transmission method that can improve the spatiotemporal wave focusing. The present disclosure presents the basic principles of a time reversal based pulse position modulation (TR-PPM) method and demonstrates TR-PPM data communication by simulation. The present disclosure also experimentally demonstrates data communication with TR-PPM on pipes. Simulated and experimental results demonstrate that TR-PPM for data communications can be achieved successfully using guided elastic waves. |
| US09413569B2 |
Adaptive detector threshold compensation in binary frame based communication systems
Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of producing adaptive thresholds in a binary frame based communication system, including: collecting Kst samples of a received signal corresponding to a start bit; computing an estimate of as received signal parameter Pst in the start bit; adjusting an start threshold based upon Pst; collecting Ksp samples of the received signal corresponding to a stop bit; computing an estimate of a received signal parameter Psp in the stop bit; and adjusting an stop threshold based upon Psp. |
| US09413568B2 |
Method and apparatus for calibrating an input interface
According to at least one example embodiment a two phase calibration approach is employed for calibrating an input/output interface having multiple single-ended receivers. During a first phase, amplifier offset calibration is applied to each of the multiple single-ended receivers. During a second phase, reference voltage calibration is applied to a single-ended receiver of the multiple single-ended receivers to determine a calibration reference voltage value. The calibration reference voltage value is then employed in each of the multiple single-ended receivers during an active phase of the input/output interface. |
| US09413567B1 |
Systems and methods for finite impulse response adaptation for gain and phase control
System and methods are provided for signal processing. For example, an input signal is received at a finite impulse response filter circuit including a plurality of stages, where each stage of the plurality of stages is associated with a sample value of the input signal and a stage weight. An output signal is generated using the finite impulse response filter circuit, the output signal being equal to a weighted sum of the sample values of the input signal. An error signal is generated to indicate a difference between the output signal and a target. A constraint is applied to one or more of the stage weights. The stage weights are changed within the constraint to reduce a magnitude of the error signal. |
| US09413554B2 |
Virtual network overlays
Systems and methods are provided for overlaying a virtual network on a physical network in a data center environment. An overlay system is arranged in an overlay virtual network to include an overlay agent and an overlay helper. The overlay agent is implemented in an access switch. The overlay helper is implemented in an end station that is in communication with the access switch. Overlay parameters in compliance with an in-band protocol are transmitted between the overlay agent and the overlay helper. |
| US09413549B2 |
Method for activating a network component of a motor vehicle network system
A method and system for activating at least one temporarily inactive network component of a network system for a vehicle central network device of the network system is connected via signals to the network component by a path inside the network system extending at least partially across a network segment of the network system. The network segment connecting, via signals, the network component and a first activation device associated therewith to a switch device arranged in the path and to a second activation device associated therewith in an unbranched manner. The central network device responds to the first activation device by the switch device by sending a network function control signal. |
| US09413548B2 |
EtherCAT-based network system and operation method thereof
An EtherCAT-based network system configured to change a PDO list set, and an operation method thereof are provided, the system including at least one or more slave devices, a master device configured to connect and operate the slave device in response to an operating transmission PDO list or an operating reception PDO list provided from outside, and a host computer configured to extract the operating transmission PDO list or the operating reception PDO list from information file of the slave device and provide to the master device, wherein the information file includes at least one of identity information of the slave device, PDO list item changeable information, at least one or more transmission PDO list, and at least one or more reception PDO list. |
| US09413540B2 |
Combining P2P and server-based conferencing
A system and a method for teleconferencing including a plurality of terminals, a plurality of peer servers and at least one conferencing servers, where the terminals measure their channel quality, create at least one group of terminals according to their channel quality measurements, and using a coding scheme adaptive to the channel quality measurements. The terminals communicate conferencing content via peer-to-peer communication, directly between terminals who are members of the group of terminals, and using the selected coding scheme, and communicate the same conferencing content with other terminals participating in the conferencing call via at least one network device such as a conferencing-server and a peer-server. Where the conferencing-server and/or the peer-server provide conversion for the conferencing content, adaptive to the other terminals. |
| US09413538B2 |
Cryptographic certification of secure hosted execution environments
Implementations for providing a secure execution environment with a hosted computer are described. A security-enabled processor establishes a hardware-protected memory area with an activation state that executes only software identified by a client system. The hardware-protected memory area is inaccessible by code that executes outside the hardware-protected memory area. A certification is transmitted to the client system to indicate that the secure execution environment is established, in its activation state, with only the software identified by the request. |
| US09413532B2 |
Information recording device
A controller is provided with a controller key and a first controller identification information unique to the controller. The controller generates a controller unique key unique to a respective controller based on the controller key and the first controller identification information, and a second controller identification information based on the first controller identification information. A decryptor decrypts the encrypted medium device key using the controller unique key to obtain a medium device key. An authentication/key exchange process unit performs authentication/key exchange process with the host device through an interface unit using the medium device key and the medium device key certificate to establish the secure channel. |
| US09413528B2 |
Method for attribute based broadcast encryption with permanent revocation
The invention is a method for broadcast encryption that allows a broadcaster to send encrypted data to a set of users such that only a subset of authorized users can decrypt said data. The method comprises modifications to the four stages of the basic Cipher-text Policy Attribute-Based Encryption techniques. The method can be adapted to transform any Attribute-Based Encryption scheme that supports only temporary revocation into a scheme that supports the permanent revocation of users. |
| US09413527B2 |
Optimizing signature computation and sampling for fast adaptive similarity detection based on algorithm-specific performance
A set of similarity detection algorithms and techniques for determining which signature calculation, sampling, and generation algorithms may be most beneficially applied to application related data are described herein. These algorithms work well with SSD caching software to product high speed, high accuracy, and low false-positive detections. Because the different algorithms may show different performance depending on data sets and different applications, to achieve optimal performance, a calibration process may be applied to each application and associated data set to select the best combination of signature computation and sampling technique. The new algorithms are also very fast with execution times an order of magnitude smaller than existing techniques. While some of the algorithms are presented using examples for the purpose of easy readability, these algorithms are very general and can be easily applied to broad range of cases. |
| US09413522B2 |
Optical receiver and signal processing method for optical receiver
An optical transceiver converts a received optical signal to an electric signal and converts the electric signal to a digital signal, and has an adaptive equalizer to adaptively equalize the digital signal, a synchronization part to synchronize a first polarized wave and a second polarized wave contained in the adaptively equalized digital signal and having polarization axes perpendicular to each other, and a symbol offset determination part to determine an amount of symbol offset between the first polarized wave and the second polarized wave based upon symbol synchronization information of the first polarized wave and the second polarized wave supplied from the synchronization part, the symbol offset determination part being configured to repeat determination of the amount of symbol offset and restart the adaptive equalizer until the symbol offset is minimized. |
| US09413518B2 |
Clock data recovery circuit
Systems and methods for stabilizing clock data recovery (CDR) by filtering the abrupt phase shift associated with data pattern transition in the input signal. The CDR circuit includes a data pattern detector coupled to a data pattern filter. The data pattern detector is capable of detecting the data patterns of the input signal. Accordingly, the data pattern filter can selectively generate a filter indication indicating to freeze or suppress the CDR phase caused by data pattern transition. The filter indication can be incorporated to a phase error signal, a gain function, and/or the control voltage driving the VCO. |
| US09413515B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for selecting network
A method for selecting a network, including: selecting, from a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) list of a mobile terminal, a PLMN and a corresponding Radio Access Technology (RAT) type, and performing network selection, wherein the PLMN list contains a PLMN number and a RAT type corresponding to the PLMN. The network selection may include: searching in a comparison table if the selected RAT type corresponding to the PLMN is supported by the mobile terminal, wherein the comparison table contains a PLMN number, a RAT type corresponding to the PLMN, and a duplex mode corresponding to the PLMN and the RAT type; and selecting a network according to a duplex mode which corresponds to the selected PLMN and the selected RAT type, if the selected PLMN and the selected RAT type are contained in the comparison table. The speed of network selection is increased greatly, and power consumption is lowered. |
| US09413514B2 |
Operating method in multiple cells, and wireless device using same
Provided is an operating method in multiple cells, and a wireless device using same. The wireless device monitors a control channel in each subframe of a normal cell. The wireless device receives information regarding the transmission power of a physical signal of an expanded cell having an unmonitored control channel, and receives the physical signal in the expanded cell. |
| US09413512B2 |
Method for configuring a backhaul link subframe in a wireless communication system to which a carrier aggregation scheme is applied and an apparatus for the same
A method for configuring a backhaul link subframe in a wireless communication system to which a carrier aggregation scheme is applied and an apparatus for the same are disclosed. The method comprises determining one of a plurality of subframe configurations as a first subframe configuration for a primary component carrier allocated to the relay node; configuring subframe configuration candidates for one or more secondary component carriers allocated to the relay node on the basis of the determined first subframe configuration; determining a second subframe configuration for each of the one or more secondary component carriers by using the configured subframe configuration candidates; and transmitting and receiving a signal to and from the relay node in accordance with the first subframe configuration and the second subframe configuration. |
| US09413508B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmission and reception of data streams in digital video broadcasting systems
A method for mapping of one or more logical channels onto a radio frequency channel in a communication system is provided. The method includes determining a logical channel type from a plurality of logical channel types, and mapping at least one logical frame of the determined logical channel type to at least one physical frame on at least one Radio Frequency (RF) channel based on the determined logical channel type. |
| US09413506B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating resources in wireless communication system
A multiple distributed system is disclosed. An uplink control resource allocation method for a user equipment to transmit an Acknowledgement/Negative ACK (ACK/NACK) signal includes receiving one or more Enhanced-Physical Downlink Control Channels (E-PDCCHs), receiving one or more Physical Downlink Shared Channels (PDSCHs) corresponding to the one or more E-PDCCHs, and transmitting ACK/NACK signals for reception of the one or more PDSCHs through a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), wherein Control Channel Element (CCE) indexes of the PUCCH transmitting the ACK/NACK signals are determined in consideration of first CCE indexes of the one or more E-PDCCHs and the number of CCEs of a PUCCH determined by a higher layer. |
| US09413505B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting SRS in LTE TDD system
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The method includes receiving a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration index; identifying an SRS periodicity and at least one offset based on the SRS configuration index; transmitting SRSs four times within a radio frame based on the at least one offset, if the SRS periodicity is 2 ms and an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) subframe configuration 0, 1, 2, or 6 is applied; and transmitting the SRSs twice within the radio frame based on the at least one offset, if the SRS periodicity is 2 ms and to the UL-DL subframe configuration 3, 4, or 5 is applied. |
| US09413504B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting SRS in LTE TDD system
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The method includes receiving a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration index; identifying an SRS periodicity and at least one offset based on the SRS configuration index; determining a number of SRS transmissions in a radio frame based on an uplink-downlink (UL-DL) subframe configuration, if the SRS periodicity is 2 ms; and transmitting SRSs based on the determined number and the at least one offset. |
| US09413502B2 |
Backhaul assisted by user equipment
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for to assisting backhaul by user equipment are provided. One system includes a base station (BS) and a plurality of backhaul user equipment (bUE) devices. Each of the plurality of bUE devices are operable to communicate with the BS through a first communication technology, and the plurality of bUE devices are each operable to communicate with a data network through a second communication technology. The BS is operative to communicate with user equipment (UE) devices, and network connect the UE devices to the data network through the bUE devices, select bUE devices for backhaul (BH) traffic, aid in selecting a transmission power level of the bUE devices, or the one or more UE devices, and transmit resource block (RB) scheduling information for the BH traffic of the bUE devices and the access traffic of the one or more UE devices. |
| US09413501B2 |
Method and apparatus for allocating resources for communication between base stations
A method and an apparatus for allocating resources for communication between BSs are provided. The method includes when a new BS is added to a network, determining neighboring BSs of the new BS based on position information of the new BS and position information of existing BSs in the network, determining whether to use a second resource allocation scheme based on a first resource allocation scheme currently applied to the existing BSs in the network and a number of resource configurations used by the neighboring BSs, when it is determined to use the second resource allocation scheme, determining resource allocations for communication between the new BS and the neighboring BSs by using the second resource allocation scheme, and when it is determined to not use the second resource allocation scheme, determining resource allocations for communication between the new BS and the neighboring BSs by using the first resource allocation scheme. |
| US09413499B2 |
Code multiplexing transmission method, transmission apparatus and reception apparatus
To obtain a high frequency diversity effect while suppressing inter-code interference in code multiplexing transmission in an OFDM-based radio access scheme, a transmission apparatus is provided with an orthogonal spreading code generating section (10) that generates different spreading codes based on orthogonal code sequences, a phase rotation giving section (11) and spreading modulation section (12) which provide the information symbols or spreading codes with different phase rotation for each symbol sequence and then, spreads the information symbols with the spreading codes for each symbol sequence, and a multiplexing section (13) that multiplexes spread symbols of different symbol sequences, where the information symbols or the spreading codes are rotated by a phase rotation amount such that overlaps in a signal constellation in polar coordinates of spread symbols for transmitting different information symbols are controlled to within a required range. |
| US09413497B2 |
Bit error pattern analyzer and method
The invention relates to a method and device for testing a data link. A single-lane or multi-lane bit error tester that transmits one or more PRBS signals through the data link is augmented with a raw bit error buffer for storing bit error information for each detected error event and an error pattern analyzer. Most frequently occurring intra-lane bit error patterns, inter-lane word error patterns, and bit slip patterns are identified and their characteristics are analyzed so as to provide information indicative of root causes of the detected bit errors and bit slips. |
| US09413494B2 |
FEC-based reliable transport control protocols for multipath streaming
A client device includes one or more processors configured to receive, from a server device, forward-error corrected data via a plurality of parallel network paths, determine losses of the data over each of the network paths, and send data representing the losses of the data over each of the network paths to the server device. Additionally or alternatively, a client device includes one or more processors configured to receive a first set of encoding units for a first block, wherein the first set of encoding units includes fewer than a minimum number of encoding units needed to recover the first block, after receiving the first set of encoding units, receive a second set of encoding units for a second block, and after receiving the second set of encoding units, receive a third set of encoding units including one or more encoding units for the first block. |
| US09413493B2 |
Apparatus and method for communicating data over a communication channel
For some applications such as high-speed communication over short-reach links, the complexity and associated high latency provided by existing modulators may be unsuitable. According to an aspect, the present disclosure provides a modulator that can reduce latency for applications such as 40G/100G communication over copper cables or SMF. The modulator has a symbol mapper for mapping a bit stream into symbols, and a multi-level encoder including an inner encoder and an outer encoder for encoding only a portion of the bit stream. In some implementations, the multi-level encoder is configured such that an information block size of the inner encoder is small and matches a field size of the outer encoder. Therefore, components that would be used to accommodate larger block sizes can be omitted. The effect is that complexity and latency can be reduced. According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides a demodulator that is complementary to the modulator. |
| US09413490B2 |
Set-partitioned coded modulation with multiple encodings
An outer encoder encodes input data signal to generate a first encoded signal. An inner encoder encodes a subset of the input data to generate a second encoded signal, wherein the inner encoder has a different forward error correction (FEC) than the outer encoder. A symbol mapper processes the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal to generate a sequence of discrete-valued modulation symbols. |
| US09413487B2 |
System and method for providing packetized video over an optical network
System and method for distributing IP video are described. One embodiment is a method for distributing IP video comprising transmitting an optical data stream in a designated optical band to an optical network terminal (“ONT”), wherein the optical data stream comprises a broadcast IP video signal provided as a packetized video overlay; converting the optical data stream to an electrical data stream at the ONT; and transmitting the electrical data stream to a subscriber. |
| US09413486B2 |
Method for complementing dynamic resource-level path computation
A method for complementing dynamic resource-level path computation with a resource grouping constraint in a network comprising the steps of deriving a resource group function, RGF, from relationships amongst network resources within at least one network element forming at least one network resource group, NRG, and performing the resource-level path computation accounting for the derived resource group function, RGF. |
| US09413482B2 |
Method for transmitting and method for receiving a binary data stream, transmitter and receiver for carrying out the method
A transmitter of a binary data stream comprises: a serial/parallel converter to split the binary data stream into m different parallel bit streams, each bit stream having a rate D/m which is m times lower than the initial rate D; m first encoding modules to error-correcting encode each bit stream individually; a time-interleaver to intermix the information bits originating from different encoded bit streams; an encoder to error-correcting encode the m interleaved bit streams into p bit streams; p electro-optical modulators to modulate each of the p bit streams delivered by the interleaver by means of p optical carriers of different wavelengths; and a wavelength-division multiplexer to combine the less p optical carriers into a single optical signal. |
| US09413481B2 |
CDMA wireless communication systems
In a communication system wherein a CDMA segment at each access point consists of multiple sub-segments a three frame transmission time interval (TTI) with eight retransmissions is utilized for data transmission. The access point not only specifies the interlaces to be utilized for data transmission it also assigns packet start interlaces for particular access terminals. An auxiliary pilot channel R-AuxPICH is transmitted by an access terminal along with CDMA data on reverse link. The ratio of R-AuxPICH to R-PICH is varied based on ACK/NACK feedback. A reverse link activity bit (RAB) which can be used as an emergency load-control mechanism for non-QoS flows is also disclosed. |
| US09413477B2 |
Screen detector
Technology described herein provides techniques for screen detection. This could be a dynamic screen, such as a display screen of an electronic device, or a static screen such as a street sign. In one aspect, a screen is detected in frames of image data. An active image and/or an average color image may be formed based on frames of image data. A set of lines that are candidate for boundaries of a screen are identified in the frames. The active image and/or an average color is integrated on both sides of each line in the set of lines to form integration results. A set of screen candidates are formed based on the integration results. Screens in the screen candidates are scored according to a criterion. One or top few of the screens in the set of screen candidates is selected based on the scoring. |
| US09413476B2 |
Satellite signal frequency translation and stacking
An outdoor satellite receiving unit (ODU) receives several independent satellite signals, selects two signals with a switch matrix, downconverts the two signals to a bandstacked signal with a high and a low band signal, and outputs the bandstacked signal on the same cable to receiver units. Several satellite signals can be selected in groups of two or more and output to independent receiver units. Signal selecting is performed at the received radio frequency (RF) and bandstacking is performed with a single downconversion step to an intermediate frequency (IF). Channel stacking on the same cable of more than two channels from several satellites can be achieved by using frequency agile downconverters and bandpass filters prior to combining at the IF output. A slow transitioning switch minimizes signal disturbances when switching and maintains input impedance at a constant value. |
| US09413475B2 |
Method of performing cell measurement and method of providing information for cell measurement
A method and base station for transmitting information for cell measurements, and a method and user equipment for performing cell measurements are discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes transmitting, by the base station, signals according to an almost blank subframe pattern; and transmitting, by the base station, information indicating a first time domain measurement resource restriction pattern and a second time domain measurement resource restriction pattern. The almost blank subframe pattern indicates which subframes the base station is configuring. The first time domain measurement resource restriction pattern indicates which subframe is one or more first subframes configured for reference signal received power (RSRP) or reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, and the second time domain measurement resource restriction pattern indicates which subframe is one or more second subframes configured for RSRP or RSRQ measurements. |
| US09413473B2 |
System, method and computer storage medium for calibrating RF transceiver
Disclosed is a system, method and computer storage medium for calibrating a Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver, and the system includes a compensator for a transmission path, a compensator for a reception path, an estimator, a memory and a translational mixer. |
| US09413467B2 |
Optical transmitter, optical transmission/reception system, and drive circuit
An optical modulator includes optical waveguides on which phase modulation regions are formed. A drive circuit includes a lower-bit drive unit, an upper-bit drive unit, and a bit splitting unit. The bit splitting unit splits an input digital signal into upper bits and lower bits. The lower-bit drive unit outputs a value obtained by performing D/A conversion on the lower bits to phase modulation regions. The upper-bit drive unit outputs, to phase modulation regions, a value greater than a maximum value of values output from the lower-bit drive unit, or a minimum value of the values output from the lower-bit drive unit, according to a value of the upper bits. |
| US09413461B2 |
High bandwidth optical links for micro-satellite support
A method, systems, apparatus and device enable high bandwidth satellite communications. An onboard tracking detector, installed in a low-earth orbit satellite, detects a position of an incoming optical beam received/transmitted from a first ground station of one or more ground stations. Tracker electronics determine orientation information of the incoming optical beam based on the position. Control electronics receive the orientation information from the tracker electronics, and control a waveguide drive electronics. The waveguide drive electronics control a voltage that is provided to an electro-optic waveguide beam steering device. The electro-optic waveguide beam steering device steers an outgoing optical beam to one of the one or more ground stations based on the voltage. |
| US09413460B2 |
Communication method
A communication method used in a terminal is provided that includes a front camera and a back camera. The communication method includes switching between the front camera and the back camera according to an orientation of the terminal, and performing visible light communication by using the front camera or the back camera, which is selected in the switching. The performing of visible light communication includes capturing a first subject that is changing in luminance by using the front camera and obtaining a first image when the front camera is used, capturing a second subject by using the back camera and obtaining a second image when the back camera is used, and obtaining specified information that is related to the first subject or the second subject. |
| US09413458B2 |
Illumination light communication apparatus and illumination light communication system using the same
An illumination light communication apparatus includes: a light source; a power supply circuit; a switching element which modulates an output current supplied from the power supply circuit to the light source; a visible light communication signal circuit which controls ON and OFF of the switching element to output a modulating signal for superimposing a visible light beacon signal including a unique ID onto the illumination light emitted from the light source; a control power supply circuit which supplies power to the visible light communication signal circuit; a wireless module which transmits a radio wave beacon signal including a unique ID; and a radio wave beacon controlling and transmitting circuit which controls the radio wave beacon signal transmitted from the wireless module, wherein the radio wave beacon controlling and transmitting circuit is supplied with power from the control power supply circuit. |
| US09413450B2 |
Signal transmission method using MBSFN subframe in radio communication system
A signal transmission method using a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe in a radio communication system is provided. The method includes: selecting a plurality of relay stations for transmitting a plurality of backhaul signals, and transmitting the plurality of backhaul signals to the selected respective relay stations by using different radio resources, wherein each of the selected relay stations configures a subframe for receiving each of the plurality of backhaul signals as the MBSFN subframe. Accordingly, the backhaul signal can be transmitted between the base station and the plurality of relay stations by effectively using the radio resources. |
| US09413445B2 |
Scheduling method and apparatus for beamforming in mobile communication system
A scheduling method for beamforming in a mobile communication system is provided. The scheduling method includes determining whether to transmit an aperiodic second training signal, using first feedback information for a first training signal that is periodically transmitted, the first feedback information being received from at least one Mobile Station (MS), and upon determining to transmit the second training signal, transmitting the second training signal to MSs selected using the first feedback information, and performing scheduling on DownLink (DL) data based on second feedback information for the received second training signal. |
| US09413444B2 |
Radio-frequency processing circuit and related wireless communication device
A radio frequency (RF) processing circuit used in a wireless communication device for processing a plurality of wireless signals is disclosed. The RF processing circuit comprises an RF front-end circuit and a control unit. The RF front-end circuit is coupled to a plurality of antennas and a plurality of communication modules and is used for switching connections between the plurality of antennas and the plurality of communication modules according to a control signal. The control unit is coupled to the RF front-end circuit and is used for generating the control signal according to a frequency band and operation conditions of each communication module. The RF front-end circuit further comprises a switch module and a frequency multiplexing module. |
| US09413438B2 |
Wireless communication device and wireless communication method
Provided is a wireless communication device and a wireless communication method which can maintain compatibility with a plurality of communication schemes and send a response signal back within the allowed time specified by each communication scheme. The wireless communication device includes a radio receiving unit (120) that receives a packet having a format conforming to a first communication scheme and including a second format portion conforming to a second communication scheme using a higher frequency band than the first communication scheme and a first format portion excluding the second format portion, and a processing unit (160) that, outputs a response signal at completion of demodulation and decoding of the first format portion, regardless of whether demodulation and decoding of the second format portion are completed or not. |
| US09413437B2 |
Efficient and flexible transmit beamforming sector sweep in a multi-antenna communication device
A method implemented in a communication device includes receiving a first beamforming training transmission corrupted by a collision, determining a first station to which the first beamforming training transmission corresponds based on the first beamforming training transmission corrupted by the collision, and in response to determining the first station, transmitting a signal to the first station to prompt the first station to transmit a second beamforming training transmission. |
| US09413435B1 |
Uplink CoMP mode selection based on processing load of neighbor
Embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented by a first access node in an access network, such as by an eNodeB in an LTE network, in order to determine an uplink coordinated multipoint (CoMP) mode for one or more other access nodes with which the given access node is coordinating. An example method involves: (a) determining, by a first access node, a central processing unit (CPU) load of a second access node, (b) based at least in part on the CPU load of the second access node, the first access node selecting a coordinated multipoint (CoMP) mode from a plurality of CoMP modes, and (c) sending a CoMP-mode message from the first access node, wherein the CoMP-mode message instructs the second access node to use the selected CoMP mode. |
| US09413427B2 |
Emulation of multiple devices in an NFC device
A method in a signal generating unit, SGU, generates a signal to be used in a Near-Field Communication, NFC, reader. The SGU is configured to communicate with an NFC controller unit, NFC-CU, and with an NFC-Wired Interface unit, NFC-WIU. The NFC-CU and the SGU are included in an NFC device, and the NFC-WIU is connected to the NFC device. The SGU receives a first signal that includes data encoding information indicating a first unique identifier supported by the NFC-CU, from the NFC-CU, and a second signal that includes data encoding information indicating a second unique identifier supported by the NFC-WIU, from the NFC-WIU. The SGU generates a third signal to be used in the NFC reader to generate a collision sequence, based on the first signal and the second signal. An SGU configured to perform the method, and a NFC device that includes the SGU are also provided. |
| US09413426B2 |
Mobile terminal, display device and method for controlling the mobile terminal
There is disclosed a mobile terminal includes a display, a plurality of NFC antennas arranged in a circumferential portion of the display to transmit and receive NFC (Near Field Communication signals, and a controller configured to receive a position of the mobile terminal on an external display device from the mobile terminal via the NFC antennas or to calculate a position of the mobile terminal on an external display device. |
| US09413425B2 |
Highly integrated very small aperture terminal (VSAT) apparatus and method
A method, and a VSAT capable of being configured for such a method, of configuring a VSAT, the steps of which are setting, while an outdoor unit of the VSAT is at a configuration location, a maximum value of the adjustable gain of the up-converting device and transmitting, from an operating location that is separate from the configuration location, transmission signals to the satellite at the transmission frequency and with a gain value of at most the maximum value of the adjustable gain set at the configuration location. |
| US09413424B2 |
Method and apparatus for sensing noise signals in a wireline communications environment
The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for sensing noise sources in a wireline communications environment such as a customer premises environment in a DSL system. In embodiments, the invention includes an additional sensor that is connected to power mains in a DSL customer premises environment either to characterize, at their source, noises coupling into the DSL lines, and/or to mitigate their impact into the DSL lines. One objective is associated with diagnostics that help to better characterize the noise signals themselves and derive correlation of signals sensed from the power mains and their possible projection onto the DSL line. Another objective makes use of these power line sensor signals to mitigate or to eliminate power line noises that make their way onto the DSL line. Example embodiments further include and exploit signals from additional secondary sensors such as secondary common mode, differential mode and phantom mode sensors. |
| US09413423B1 |
SNR calculation in impulsive noise and erasure channels
A device coupled to a noisy channel having periodic impulse noise in a network may estimate an effective signal to noise ratio (SNR) by receiving a packet of symbols. The device may determined a number of bad symbols N(bad) ratio in the packet due to interference and a remaining plurality of good symbols in the packet. An SNR value may be computed based on only the plurality of good symbols in the packet of symbols to form an SNR(good) value. An SNR correction value (SNR(offset)) may be determined as a function of the N(bad) ratio and the SNR(good) value. An effective SNR value may then be calculated by adjusting the SNR(good) value according to SNR(offset). |
| US09413420B1 |
Adaptive interference removal for compressive signal detection and reconstruction in real time
An adaptive scheme for interference removal in compressive signal detection and reconstruction in real time. When an input signal is composed of a mixture of multiple signals, the signals are detected sequentially according to the signal strength in an iterative way. After one signal is detected, a set of resources is allocated to isolate and process that signal. The isolated signal is removed from the input as interference. The detector proceeds to process the cleaner input and detect another signal, which is also removed. The process continues until all signals are removed. The individual signals which are removed may be subjected to signal processing for analysis purposes. |
| US09413419B2 |
Phase-optimized constant envelope transmission (POCET) method, apparatus and system
An apparatus and method for generating a composite signal includes electronics configured to modulate a carrier utilizing a finite set of composite signal phases to generate a composite signal, the finite set of composite signal phases being determined through an optimization process that minimizes a constant envelope for the phase modulated carrier, subject to constraints on desired signal power levels of the signals to be combined and either zero or one or more relative phase relationships between the signals. The apparatus and method can be extended to generating an optimized composite signal of different frequencies. |
| US09413418B2 |
Synchronization of a real-time UWB locating system
In a UWB real time locating system, UWB readers (12) are synchronized by adjusting a clock of a UWB slave reader (12) until the UWB reader (12) receives each UWB pulse (34) of a sequence of UWB pulses (34) having a predetermined pulse period (Tp) and encoding a master UWB reader unique identifier at an expected time slot (35) within each predetermined pulse period (Tp), the expected time slot (35) being related to the distance between the UWB tag reader (12) and a master UWB reader (12). |
| US09413416B2 |
Transmit and receive RF multiplexer
A transmit and receive RF multiplexer, which includes a first hybrid RF transmit coupler, a first hybrid RF receive coupler, a hybrid RF antenna coupler, and RF bandpass filter and inversion circuitry, is disclosed. The first hybrid RF transmit coupler has a first main transmit port and a pair of transmit ports having a first in-phase transmit port and a first quadrature-phase transmit port. The first hybrid RF receive coupler has a first main receive port and a pair of receive ports having a first in-phase receive port and a first quadrature-phase receive port. The hybrid RF antenna coupler has a main coupler port and a pair of coupler ports having an in-phase coupler port and a quadrature-phase coupler port, such that the main coupler port is coupled to a primary RF antenna. |
| US09413402B1 |
Dynamic low IF injection side selection
A low IF receiver for operation at an intermediate frequency (IF), comprises an antenna port configured to receive a receive signal comprising a wanted RF signal at an RF frequency and a blocker RF signal at a mirror image frequency of the wanted RF signal with respect to a frequency of an local oscillator (LO) signal, from an antenna. Further, the low IF receiver comprises a first mixer component configured to down convert the wanted RF signal and the blocker RF signal to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal, based on the frequency of the LO signal, wherein the IF signal comprises a wanted IF signal at a first intermediate frequency and a blocker IF signal at a second intermediate frequency and a second mixer component configured to receive the IF signal, separate the IF signal into the wanted IF signal and the blocker IF signal, and provide the wanted IF signal at a first output thereof and the blocker IF signal at a second output thereof, based on a tuning signal. In addition, the low IF receiver comprises a power estimation component configured to receive the blocker IF signal, measure a power of the blocker IF signal and select the frequency of the LO signal to be applied to the first mixer component from a plurality of LO frequencies, based on the measured power of the blocker IF signal. |
| US09413399B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device providing enhanced interference mitigation from wireline transmitter and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a housing, a wireless receiver carried by the housing and configured to receive communication signals over a wireless frequency range, a wireline transmitter carried by the housing and configured to transmit communication signals at a frequency overlapping the wireless frequency range, and a controller carried by the housing and coupled with the wireless receiver and the wireline transmitter. The controller may be configured to determine when the wireless receiver is to begin receiving and, based thereon, switch the wireline transmitter to a suspended communication mode during which transmission is disabled. The controller may also be configured to determine when the wireless receiver has completed receiving and, based thereon, switch the wireline transmitter to a normal communication mode in which transmission is enabled. |
| US09413398B2 |
Circuits and methods related to power detectors for radio-frequency applications
Circuits and methods related to power detectors for radio-frequency (RF) applications. In some embodiments, a power amplifier (PA) system can include a PA circuit having a driver stage and an output stage. The PA system can further include a detector configured to receive a portion of an RF signal from a path between the driver stage and the output stage. The detector can be further configured to generate an output signal representative of power associated with the RF signal and compensated for variation in at least one operating condition associated with the PA circuit. |
| US09413393B2 |
Encoding multi-media content for a centralized digital video storage system
A method begins with a processing module of a centralized digital video storage (DVS) system regarding recording of multi-media content that is to be broadcast at a particular broadcast time, determining a number of subscriber devices that have selected to record the multi-media content. At the particular broadcast time, the method continues with the processing module receiving the multi-media content as it is being broadcast. When the number of subscriber devices is less than a first value, the method continues with the processing module encoding the multi-media content using first level encoding parameters to produce sets of first level encoded data slices for storage. When the number of subscriber devices is equal to or greater than the first value, the method continues with the processing module encoding the multi-media content using second level encoding parameters to produce sets of second level encoded data slices for storage. |
| US09413382B2 |
Method for calibrating a pipelined continuous-time sigma delta modulator
Traditionally, pipelined continuous-time (CT) sigma-delta modulators (SDM) have been difficult to build due at least in part to the difficulties in calibrating the pipeline. Here, however, a pipelined CT SDM is provided that has an architecture that is conducing to being calibrated. Namely, the system includes a digital filter and other features that can be adjusted to account for input imbalance errors and well as quantization leakage noise. |
| US09413380B2 |
High performance digital to analog converter
A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) may include a conversion block providing a first analog value. The DAC may also include an amplification block for receiving the first analog value and providing a second analog value amplified by an amplification factor. The amplification block may include a first input terminal for receiving the first analog value, a second input terminal, and an output terminal for providing the second analog value. The amplification block may also include a first capacitive element and a second capacitive element. The first and second capacitive elements may determine the amplification factor. The amplification block may further include a control unit for recovering a charge at a first terminal of the second capacitive element, and based thereon, the second analog value. |
| US09413378B2 |
Method and system for asynchronous successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCS)
Methods and systems are provided for asynchronous successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that utilize preemptive bit setting decisions. In particular, such SAR ADC may be operable to, when a failure to determine a valid output decision for each comparison step occurs, set one or more remaining bits, up to but not including one or more overlapping redundant bits in a code word corresponding to the comparison step, to a particular value. The value may be derived from a value of a bit determined in an immediately preceding decision. The failure may be determined based on dynamic and/or adaptive criteria. The criteria may be set, e.g., so as to guarantee that a magnitude of a difference between an analog input voltage to the SAR ADC and analog output voltage of a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) used therein is within overlapping ranges of voltages corresponding to the overlapping redundant bits. |
| US09413375B2 |
Analog and audio mixed-signal front end for 4G/LTE cellular system-on-chip
A CMOS analog and audio front-end circuit includes an enhanced analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that achieves a desired signal-to-noise-and-distortion (SNDR) and an analog-front-end transmit (TX) digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The enhanced ADC includes an improved single Op-Amp resonator coupled to a feed-forward loop and can substantially reduce signal transfer function (STF) peaking of the enhanced ADC. The CMOS analog and audio front-end circuit is integrated with a baseband processor. |
| US09413371B1 |
ADC and analog-to-digital converting method
An analog-to-digital converter includes a successive approximation converter, a voltage comparator, and a controller. The successive approximation converter receives an analog input voltage and a first reference voltage, determines the level of a voltage of a first node as a negative level of the analog input voltage, and using a successive approximation method determines an output logic value corresponding to one bit of the N-bit output digital code at every one successive approximation cycle while adjusting the level of the voltage of the first node based on a level of the first reference voltage. The voltage comparator compares the level of the voltage of the first node with a level of a second reference voltage to generate a comparison logic value. When the output logic value or the comparison logic value satisfies a condition, the controller terminates conversion and determines the N-bit output digital code. |
| US09413370B2 |
Anti process variation self-adjustable on-chip oscillator
An anti process variation self-adjustable on-chip oscillator has been disclosed according to the present invention. The on-chip oscillator includes the following components integrated on a same chip: a reference oscillation unit for producing reference pulse; an oscillation unit to be adjusted for producing output pulse; and a self-adjustable logic control unit for receiving the reference pulse and output pulse, and for transmitting a corresponding adjustment signal to the oscillation unit to be adjusted based on the received reference pulse and output pulse to control the oscillation unit to be adjusted to perform the frequency adjustment to the output pulse. The reference pulse required for adjusting the frequency can be generated by the reference oscillation unit integrated on-chip, so that self-adjustment can be achieved on-chip, decrease the cost of the chip compared with off-chip adjustment. |
| US09413365B2 |
Oscillator with controllable frequency
Apparatuses are disclosed which comprise a coarse tuning circuitry, a fine tuning circuitry and at least one switchable capacitance. |
| US09413363B2 |
Charge pump with matched currents
A charge pump provides matched charging and discharging currents. One transistor is connected to an input of a charge pump core while two transistors are connected to the other input of the charge pump core, with each of the transistors mirroring a reference transistor through different mirroring pathways so that current through the transistor of the first input is equal to the sum of currents through the two transistors of the second input. |
| US09413362B2 |
Differential charge pump
A DC-to-DC voltage converter comprising a differential charge pump that utilizes a differential clocking scheme to reduce output electrical noise by partial cancellation of charge pump glitches (voltage transients), and a corresponding method of operating a differential charge pump. The differential charge pump can be characterized as having at least two charge pump sections that initiate charge pumping in opposite phases of a clock signal to transfer (pump) charge to storage capacitors. The differential charge pump is particularly well suited for implementation in integrated circuit chips requiring negative and/or positive voltages, and multiples of such voltages, based on a single input voltage. |
| US09413360B2 |
Oscillation module and signals calibrating method of the same
An oscillation module includes a frequency generator, a signal calibrator, a multiplexer, and a controller. The oscillation module is calibrated by using calibration parameters and a control instruction of which the frequency and phase are the same as the oscillation frequency signal generated by the frequency generator. As a consequence, an electronic pin used for processing asynchronous signals can be saved so as to reduce the chip area of the oscillation module. |
| US09413356B1 |
Chip or SoC including fusible logic array and functions to protect logic against reverse engineering
A security chip including a fusible logic array. An input is configured to receive, from a verification module external to the security chip, a seed value corresponding to one of a predetermined value and a generated value. The fusible logic array is configured to generate a logic result using the received seed value. The fusible logic array includes a logic gate configured to operate, based on a state of a fusible link within the logic gate, as both a first type of logic gate configured to perform a first logic operation and a second type of logic gate configured to perform a second logic operation different from the first logic operation. The fusible logic array is configured to generate the logic result based on the state of the fusible link. An output is configured to provide a key value, representative of the logic result, to the verification module. |
| US09413354B2 |
Method for communication across voltage domains
A system may include a plurality of units, wherein each unit has a respective common mode voltage terminal, communication up terminal, and communication down terminal. A first unit of the plurality of units may be configured to generate a first plurality of currents on its communication up terminal, wherein the first plurality of currents corresponds to a first plurality of bits. A second unit of the plurality of units may be configured to receive the first plurality of currents on its respective communication down terminal, and maintain a voltage level at its respective communication down terminal during reception of the first plurality of currents. The voltage level may be equal to a common mode voltage of the respective common mode voltage terminal of the second unit. |
| US09413353B2 |
Thermal voltage margin recovery
A method and apparatus for thermal voltage margin recovery is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes first and second temperature sensors at first and second locations of the IC, respectively. The IC further includes a power management circuit coupled to receive temperature readings from the first and second temperature sensors. Based on received temperature readings, the power management circuit may determine a voltage offset value. The power management circuit may then reduce the operating voltage of the IC by the voltage offset value. |
| US09413341B1 |
Electro-mechanical voltage-controlled oscillator and a method for generating tunable balanced oscillations
A cross-coupled complementary balanced voltage-controlled oscillator and a method for operating same. The oscillator comprises an electro-mechanical resonator, and an oscillator core. The oscillator core comprises capacitively cross-coupled complementary inverters and a resistor network. The oscillator may comprise a frequency tuning network having inductors for increasing the tuning range. The capacitance inhibit the inverters from latching to a static direct current state. The resistor network forms a high pass filter with the capacitance to inhibit relaxation oscillations. The method comprises enabling the resistor network to form a high pass filter and starting balanced oscillations in the oscillator, the capacitance of the high pass filter for inhibiting latching, and the high pass filter for inhibiting relaxation oscillations. The method may comprise tuning the frequency by varying the capacitance of the oscillator. |
| US09413339B2 |
Apparatus and method for offset cancellation in duty cycle corrections
An electronic device includes a clock configured to transmit a first clock signal and a second clock signal for operation of the electronic device; a duty cycle corrector coupled to the clock to correct a duty cycle of the first and second clock signals, the duty cycle corrector being configured to: assign and store a first duty cycle correction code in response to the first clock signal; assign and store a second duty cycle correction code in response to the second clock signal; calculate an offset code based on the first and second duty cycle correction codes; and negate the offset code from results of duty cycle correction operations. |
| US09413335B2 |
High-frequency module
A high-frequency module includes a multilayer substrate, a filter substrate, a cover layer, a connection electrode, and inductors. The filter substrate includes a first principal surface on which an IDT electrode included in a filter unit is disposed, and the first principal surface faces a mounting surface of the multilayer substrate. The cover layer is spaced apart from and opposite to the first principal surface of the filter substrate. The connection electrode connects the multilayer substrate and the filter substrate. One of the inductors is connected between the filter unit and a first external connection terminal. Another one of the inductors is connected between the filter unit and the ground. The inductors are disposed inside the multilayer substrate. The inductors are inductively coupled to each other. |
| US09413332B2 |
Resonator element, resonator, oscillator, electronic device, and moving object
In a resonator element, when a width of each of arm portions of vibrating arms along an X-axis direction is set to W1, a width of each of two portions with a groove interposed therebetween, along the X-axis direction, in a principal surface of the vibrating arm is set to W3, and 2×W3/W1 is set to η, the relation of 14.2%<η<100% is satisfied. |
| US09413331B2 |
Piezoelectric bulk-wave resonator
A piezoelectric bulk-wave resonator has a single-crystal LiNbO3 substrate whose Euler Angles are in the ranges of about (78° to 106°, 78° to 104°, 18° to 53°), a first driver electrode on a first main surface of the single-crystal LiNbO3 substrate, and a second driver electrode on a second main surface. The first driver electrode and the second driver electrode overlap with the single-crystal LiNbO3 substrate therebetween. The piezoelectric bulk-wave resonator uses the thickness-shear mode. |
| US09413329B2 |
Flip chip type saw band reject filter design
A method and system for providing a surface acoustic wave band reject filter are disclosed. According to one aspect, a surface acoustic wave band reject filter includes a substrate having electrode bars and bonding pads formed on the substrate. The filter further includes at least one die having a side facing the substrate. A plurality of surface acoustic wave resonators are formed on the at least one die formed on the substrate. Solder balls formed on a side of the at least one die facing the substrate are positioned to engage bonding pads on the substrate. The plurality of surface acoustic wave resonators collectively exhibit a band reject filter response. |
| US09413328B2 |
Diplexer including two bandpass filters
A diplexer includes a first bandpass filter provided between an input terminal and a first output terminal and selectively passing a signal in a first frequency band, and a second bandpass filter provided between the input terminal and a second output terminal and selectively passing a signal in a second frequency band. The first bandpass filter includes a plurality of first resonators. The second bandpass filter includes a second resonator and a series resonant circuit. The series resonant circuit is composed of a capacitor provided between the input terminal and the second resonator, and an inductance component of a line that connects the input terminal and the second resonator via the capacitor. |
| US09413322B2 |
Audio loudness control system
An audio loudness control system includes a loudness adjuster module configured to adjust a level of an audio signal based on parameters associated with the audio signal. The parameters may include identification of a source of the audio signal. The parameters associated with the audio signal may be provided to the loudness adjuster in a message associated with the audio signal. The audio loudness control system may also include a database in communication with the loudness adjuster module. The loudness adjuster module may be configured to extract loudness related settings or parameters from the database that are associated with a source of the audio signal. |
| US09413318B2 |
Audio-playing system and method for protecting storage medium of electrical device
The present invention discloses an audio playing system for protecting a storage medium of an electrical device. The audio playing system includes a detecting unit, a processing unit, an adjusting module and a playing module. The detecting unit detects vibration of the electrical device to generate a detection signal corresponding to the vibration. The processing unit compares the detection signal with the tolerable vibration value of the storage medium to generate a comparison result, and generates an adjustment signal according to the comparison result. The adjusting module adjusts an audio file according to the adjustment signal to generate an adjusted audio file. The playing module plays the adjusted audio file. The present invention also discloses an audio playing method for protecting a storage medium of an electrical device. |
| US09413315B2 |
Low noise amplifier with embedded filter and related wireless communication unit
In one embodiment, a WCDMA FDD system includes an embedded filter that provides a complex load to transistors in a low noise amplifier. The complex load can be constructed using passive and/or active devices and creates an arbitrary transfer function that supports selective Q-enhancement of poles or zeros. One particular implementation of the embedded filter is in the form of an LC tank circuit. The LC tank circuit is operably coupled to the output of the low noise amplifier and creates a transfer function whose poles and zeros can be selected to reject transmitter leakage in the WCDMA system, while maintain a desirable gain at the frequency of operation. |
| US09413312B2 |
Real-time short-circuit detection
Presented are circuits and methods for providing real-time short-circuit detection, capable of detecting a short-circuit prior to occurrence of an over-limit current event. Such a circuit can be used to provide real-time short-circuit detection for a switched-mode system for a switched-mode system having a pre-driver and a power stage, and includes a reference block for generating a reference voltage according to drive signals provided by the pre-driver, and a comparator, which may be a synchronized comparator. The comparator is configured to compare the reference voltage to a switching node voltage generated in a power stage of the switched-mode system, and to produce an output enabling detection of the short-circuit in the switched-mode system. |
| US09413311B2 |
Radio-frequency power amplifier
A device for radio-frequency power amplification having a switching arrangement is provided. The switching arrangement is configured to amplify, during operation, a radio-frequency input signal that is present at a signal input and has a low input power, and to provide, during continuous wave (CW) operation, a continuous output signal at an output. The switching arrangement includes at least two amplifier devices. A respective output of the at least two amplifier devices is connected to the output of the switching arrangement. Each of the amplifier devices includes at least one switching transistor. The switching transistors are not operable during CW operation without being destroyed. The at least two amplifier devices are drivable as pulse amplifiers with a temporal offset by a control device such that the pulses generated in temporal succession at the outputs of the at least two amplifier devices produce a CW signal at the output. |
| US09413309B1 |
Apparatus and methods for a cascode amplifier topology for millimeter-wave power application
Provided herein are apparatus and methods for a cascode amplifier topology for millimeter-wave power application. The cascode amplifier can use a neutralized common source stage cascoded with a bootstrapped common gate stage to provide an amplifier topology having enhanced performance, gain, stability and reliability. Additionally, a bootstrap capacitor of the common gate stage can be patterned between the source fingers and the drain fingers of a cascode transistor so as to improve device performance. Operating as an RF power amplifier, a single-stage cascode amplifier using the neutralized common source stage with the bootstrapped common gate stage can provide greater than 15 dB of power gain to signals of the E band. |
| US09413308B2 |
RF power device
In RF power transistors, the current distribution along edges of the transistor die may be uneven leading to a loss in efficiency and in the output power obtained, resulting in degradation in performance. When multiple parallel dies are placed in a package, distribution effects along the vertical dimension of the dies are more pronounced. A RF power device (600) for amplifying RF signals is disclosed which modifies the impedance of a portion of the respective one of the input lead and the output lead and redistributes the current flow at an edge of the transistor die. |
| US09413307B2 |
Electronic device for a radiofrequency signal reception chain, comprising a low-noise transimpedance amplifier stage
An electronic device includes a transimpedance amplifier stage having an amplifier end stage of the class AB type and a preamplifier stage coupled between an output of a frequency transposition stage and an input of the amplifier end stage. A self-biased common-mode control stage is configured to bias the preamplifier stage. The preamplifier stage is formed by a differential amplifier with an active load that is biased in response to the self-biased common-mode control stage. |
| US09413305B2 |
Feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier with programmable input impedance
In at least some examples, a communication device includes a photo-diode to convert an optical signal into an electrical current and a feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier to amplify the electrical current. The communication device also includes a transmission line between the photo-diode and the feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier. The feedback-based trans-impedance amplifier includes a programmable input impedance that has been matched to an impedance of the transmission line. |
| US09413301B2 |
Noise canceling low-noise amplifier
A noise-canceling LNA circuit for amplifying signals at an operating frequency f in a receiver circuit is disclosed. The LNA circuit comprises a first and a second amplifier branch, each having an input terminal connected to an input terminal of the LNA circuit. The first amplifier branch comprises an output terminal for supplying an output current of the first amplifier branch and a common source or common emitter main amplifier. The main amplifier has an input transistor having a first terminal, which is a gate or base terminal, operatively connected to the input terminal of the first amplifier branch, a shunt-feedback capacitor operatively connected between the first terminal of the input transistor and a second terminal, which is a drain or collector terminal, of the input transistor, and an output capacitor operatively connected between the second terminal of the input transistor and the output terminal of the first amplifier branch. The second amplifier branch comprises an output terminal for supplying an output current of the second amplifier branch. The LNA circuit comprises circuitry for combining the output current of the first amplifier branch and the output current of the second amplifier branch, thereby generating a total output current of the LNA circuit. |
| US09413300B2 |
Front-end matching amplifier
A front-end receiver includes an amplifier that has a steady gain over a wide frequency range. The disclosed amplifier adopts an architecture in which a common-source (CS) circuit stacks against a common-gate (CG) circuit. The CG circuit provides the input impedance matching while the CS circuit boosts the amplification gain. As a result, the disclosed amplifier allows the front-end receiver to break free from a tradeoff between input impedance matching and gain boosting. Moreover, the disclosed amplifier achieves power saving and noise reduction by having the CS circuit to share the same bias current with the CG circuit. |
| US09413294B2 |
Apparatus and method for correcting IQ imbalance
The subject matter discloses an apparatus residing within an RF chip, comprising: a detection unit for detecting IQ mismatch in an IQ signal; an analog calibration module comprising a first analog calibration mechanism for calibrating IQ mismatch in the phase component and a second analog calibration mechanism for calibrating IQ mismatch in the amplitude component; and a control unit for determining a calibration sequence of the IQ signal. |
| US09413292B2 |
Efficiency of clipped pulse generation
The disclosed embodiments provide a resonant oscillator circuit. The resonant oscillator circuit includes a clipping mechanism configured to clip an output voltage of a signal pulse generated by the resonant oscillator circuit to a predefined constant level. The resonant oscillator circuit also includes a feedback path configured to return energy from the clipping mechanism to an input of the resonant oscillator circuit. |
| US09413291B2 |
System and method for frequency drift compensation for a dielectric resonator oscillator
Systems and methods for frequency drift compensation for a dielectric resonator oscillator and systems and methods to reduce temperature drift in a dielectric resonator oscillator are provided. Some systems can include an oscillator circuit and a dielectric resonator electrically coupled to the oscillator circuit. The oscillator circuit can have a first temperature coefficient, and the dielectric resonator can have a second temperature coefficient to compensate for frequency drift caused by the first temperature coefficient of the oscillator circuit. |
| US09413289B2 |
Photoelectric conversion device
A photoelectric conversion device includes at least two photoelectric conversion elements which have voltage-current characteristics different from each other. Further, one of the photoelectric conversion elements has photoelectric conversion efficiency higher than that of the other photoelectric conversion element under the environment in which room light can be obtained. Furthermore, the other photoelectric conversion element has photoelectric conversion efficiency higher than the one of the photoelectric conversion elements under the environment in which sunlight can be obtained. Moreover, each of the voltage of electric power generated in the at least two photoelectric conversion elements is adjusted by one of at least two DC-DC converters corresponding the photoelectric conversion element. In addition, part of the electric power generated in the one of the photoelectric conversion elements is used as drive electric power of the at least two DC-DC converter. |
| US09413274B2 |
Wind energy installation
A method for directly converting wind energy into electrical energy is provided. An air stream is ionized and then routed through the electrical field of a collection electrode providing an opposing field for the air ions. The ions are collected on a collection electrode. The electrical potential of the collection electrode is higher than the ionizer, and discharged. A counter-electrode in front of the collection electrode has an electrical potential higher than the collection electrode. Ionized air molecules overcome the electrical field emanating from the counter-electrode via wind power. An apparatus for carrying out the method is provided. An optional retaining electrode, located in front of the ionizer electrode, drives ionized air in the counter-electrode and collection electrode direction. The apparatus is expediently located in a flow channel, with inlet and outlet electrodes at respective ends. A plurality of flow channels combine to form a flow generation module. |
| US09413272B2 |
Power generation device having a dielectric body and an electret
Provided is a power generation device having a dielectric body and an electret, where power is generated by varying the distance between the dielectric body and the electret. A first electrode is connected to the electret on a side not facing the dielectric body. The first electrode is connected to a grounding terminal via a load. A second electrode may be connected to the dielectric body on a side not facing the electret. The second electrode may be directly connected to the grounding terminal. |
| US09413266B2 |
Power supply with DC breaker switch and reduced regulated DC link voltage
Generally, this disclosure provides circuits and methods to reduce and regulate DC link voltage in a power supply through the use of a DC breaker circuit. The breaker circuit may include a breaker switch configured to couple an input stage circuit of a power supply to an output stage circuit of the power supply and to provide a regulated DC link voltage to the output stage circuit, the level of the DC link voltage based on switching states of the breaker switch. The breaker circuit may further include a control circuit configured to generate a gate control signal to control the switching states of the breaker switch, the gate control signal based on a comparison of the DC link voltage to a high voltage threshold and a low voltage threshold, such that the magnitude of the DC link voltage is regulated to a set point and a peak-to-peak ripple. |
| US09413262B2 |
Smart power adaptor and method for controlling power supplay thereof
A smart power adaptor and a method of controlling power supply thereof are provided. The smart power adaptor includes a power conversion circuit and a control unit. The power conversion circuit is configured to convert an alternating current (AC) power into a direct current (DC) power for providing to a load device. The control unit is coupled to the power conversion circuit. The control unit is configured to apply a corresponding power-supply control mean according to a power state through communication of a charging communication protocol of a battery module of the load device to control an operation of the power conversion circuit, so that the power conversion circuit uses different power conversion behaviors to generate the DC power in response to changing of the power status. |
| US09413255B2 |
Switching power supply device
A drive control circuit for a switching power supply device. The drive control circuit includes an output control circuit configured to generate an output control signal with a pulse width corresponding to an output voltage of the switching power supply device, a threshold setting circuit configured to determine a winding threshold voltage according to a direct current input voltage applied to the series resonant circuit formed of the leakage inductance of an isolation transformer and a capacitor of the switching power supply device, a winding detection circuit configured to compare a voltage generated in a tertiary winding of the isolation transformer with the winding threshold voltage and to accordingly output a winding detection signal, and a drive circuit configured to receive the winding detection signal and the output control signal, and to generate a pulse-width controlled drive signal for driving a first switching element of the switching power supply device. |
| US09413252B2 |
Transmission voltage loss compensation circuit, compensation method, controlling chip and switching power supply
In one embodiment, a method of compensating for transmission voltage loss from a switching power supply, can include: (i) receiving a sampling signal that represents an output current of the switching power supply; (ii) delaying the sampling signal to generate a delayed sampling signal; (iii) converting the delayed sampling signal to generate a compensation signal; and (iv) regulating an output voltage of the switching power supply based on the compensation signal to compensate for the transmission voltage loss from the output voltage transmission to a load such that a voltage at the load is maintained as substantially consistent with an expected voltage at the load. |
| US09413249B2 |
Secondary-side dynamic load detection and communication device
A switching power converter provides regulated voltage to a load. The switching power converter comprises a transformer including a primary winding coupled to an input voltage and a secondary winding coupled to an output of the switching power converter. The switching power converter further comprises a power switch coupled to the primary winding and a rectifier coupled to the secondary winding. Current is generated in the primary winding responsive to the power switch being turned on and not generated responsive to the power switch being turned off. A detection circuit measures a voltage across the rectifier. If the detection circuit detects a decrease in the voltage across the rectifier outside of a blanking period, the detection circuit generates a current pulse in the secondary winding of the transformer. A fast power-on-reset device generates a startup signal to activate the detection circuit at an end of the blanking period. |
| US09413248B2 |
Control method and AC-DC power converter
In one embodiment, a method of controlling an AC-DC power converter, can include: (i) receiving, by a filter capacitor, a first branch current from an input current of the AC-DC power converter; (ii) receiving, by a power converting circuit, a second branch current from the input current; (iii) receiving, by the power converting circuit, a feedback signal that represents an output signal of the power converting circuit, and a triangular wave signal that is determined by the first branch current; (iv) generating a first conduction time based on the feedback signal such that the power converting circuit produces a first converting current; and (v) generating a second conduction time based on the triangular wave signal such that the power converting circuit produces a second converting current having a same absolute value as the first branch current. |
| US09413246B2 |
Systems and methods for regulating power conversion systems with output detection and synchronized rectifying mechanisms
System and method for regulating a power conversion system. An example system controller includes: a first controller terminal and a second controller terminal. The system controller is configured to: receive an input signal at the first controller terminal and generate a first drive signal at the second controller terminal based on at least information associated with the input signal to turn on or off a transistor to affect a current associated with a secondary winding of the power conversion system. The system controller is further configured to: in response to the input signal changing from a first value larger than a first threshold to a second value smaller than the first threshold, change the first drive signal from a first logic level to a second logic level to turn on the transistor. |
| US09413245B2 |
Power converter with low ripple output
A power supply includes two or more input waveforms being shaped or selected so that after being separately level-shifted and rectified, their additive combination results in a DC output waveform with substantially no ripple. The power supply may comprise a waveform generator, a level conversion stage for step up or down conversion, a rectification stage, and a combiner. The waveform generator may generate complementary waveforms, preferably identical but phase offset from each other, such that after the complementary waveforms are level-converted, rectified and additively combined their sum will be constant, thus requiring no or minimal smoothing for generation of a DC output waveform. The level conversion may be carried out using transformers or switched capacitor circuits. Feedback from the DC output waveform may be used to adjust the characteristics of the input waveforms. |
| US09413242B2 |
DC/DC converter having a step-up converter supplying a step-down converter
A DC-DC converter has a Step-Up stage connected to a Step-Down stage. A common Step-Down controller is designed and configured such that a single reference voltage is compared to the output voltage of the Step-Down stage by a single comparator, producing a single error signal. The error signal is then compared to two different saw signals to generate first and second pulse-width modulated signals respectively. The first and second pulse-width modulated signals are inputted to a control unit that generates a first pair of control signals and a second pair of control signals, which control switching of the Step-Up stage and of the Step-Down stage. |
| US09413238B2 |
Feed control apparatus for inductive load with reduced power loss
In a feed control apparatus that controls a feed state for an inductive load by controlling the opening and closing of a load opening and closing element connected in series to the inductive load, a free-wheeling circuit element employing a field effect transistor is connected in parallel to the inductive load so that a capacitor is charged by opening the free-wheeling circuit element when the load opening and closing element is closed and the free-wheeling circuit element is closed by charges charged to the capacitor when the load opening and closing element is opened. A connection is made in polarity in which a closed-circuit conduction direction in the free-wheeling circuit element is the same as a conduction direction in an internal parasitic diode of the free-wheeling circuit element, and the free-wheeling circuit element conducts backward by a small-capacity capacitor. Consequently, a voltage drop and a temperature rise are reduced. |
| US09413237B2 |
Driver method
The invention provides advances in the arts with useful and novel driver methods. The invention provides circuit driver and control methods for relatively high-current drivers, usable with relatively low-voltage battery power sources. Preferred embodiments include one or more high series resistance capacitors electrically connected with a power source. A low resistance driver circuit regulates power supplied from the capacitors to the load. |
| US09413233B2 |
Switching power supply with dynamically programmed threshold voltage
A power supply is disclosed herein. For example, a method for controlling the power supply can include dynamically programming a threshold voltage. The method can also include down-converting an input voltage to generate a down converted voltage at an output voltage node. Further, the method can include passing the input voltage to the output voltage node when a supply voltage exceeds the threshold voltage. |
| US09413232B2 |
Droop reduction circuit for charge pump buck converter
A Charge Pump Buck Converter (CPBC) includes a BC including an inductor and a CP coupled in parallel. Control logic is coupled to a switch driver coupled to a power switch(es). Control circuitry includes a voltage sensor sensing Vout and a voltage level generator for generating a first voltage level coupled to the CP stage and a second voltage level coupled to a duty cycle/rate generator block providing an input to an under voltage (UV) monitor coupled between OUT and the control logic. The control circuitry disables the CP when Vout>a first Vout level and controls the BC to regulate to a second Vout level>the first Vout level. During handoff between CP and BC during power up if Vout drops below a UV threshold, the UV monitor block modifies an input applied to the control logic for increasing charging supplied to the inductor. |
| US09413230B2 |
Power converter
In a power converter, at least two main current paths each including an inductor and a transistor are connected between input terminals, and at least two storage circuits each including capacitors are correspondingly connected to branch nodes of the main current paths. Diodes are connected between the storage circuits. The transistors of the main current paths are interleaved. When one of the transistors is turned off, a current flowing in the corresponding inductor flows into the corresponding storage circuit to turn on the diodes and to charge the capacitors of the corresponding storage circuit. When another one of the transistors is turned off, a current flowing in the corresponding inductor flows into the corresponding storage circuit to turn on the diodes and charge the capacitors of the corresponding storage circuit. |
| US09413229B2 |
Low power conversion and management of energy harvesting applications
A method and apparatus for low voltage conversion and energy storage uses a charge pump array including a first set of capacitors in parallel with a second set of capacitors and switches for selectively coupling the first and second set of capacitors to a variable input DC voltage. A data processor programmably controls one or more of the switches to couple the first and second set of capacitors to the variable input DC voltage for a variable first time period during which the input DC voltage charges the first and second set of capacitors to a DC voltage level. An energy storage device is switchably coupled to an output of the charge pump array. The data processor programmably controls one or more of the switches to couple the charge pump array output to the energy storage device for a variable second time period during which a voltage stored across each of the capacitors during the first time period is combined to produce a higher voltage significantly higher than the input DC voltage, the higher voltage being provided to the energy storage device. |
| US09413226B1 |
Power factor correction system
A power factor correction system is comprised of a inductor and a forward transformer. The inductor is connected to the first winding of the forward transformer. In series. The inductor is used to boost the input voltage to the design level and correct input current waveform. The forward transformer is used to prevent the large reversed current through rectifier diode and the switch. The second winding of the forward transformer is used to receive the energy through the first winding of the forward transformer to correct input current waveformer and the third winding is used to reduce the switch voltage stress. |
| US09413224B2 |
DC to AC power conversion device using switching elements
A power conversion device includes a main circuit unit, a first current detector, a second current detector, a voltage detector, and a controller. The main circuit unit is connected to a DC voltage source and an AC power system. The main circuit unit includes an inverter including a plurality of switching elements. The main circuit unit converts a DC power to an AC power. The controller decides that whether the output current of the inverter falls within a range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value, stop an operation of the switching elements when the output current of the inverter falls beyond the range, and resume the operation of the switching elements when the output current of the inverter returns into the range. |
| US09413220B2 |
Power supply systems and methods
One aspect includes power supply systems. The system includes an error amplifier system configured to generate an error voltage based on a feedback voltage of the power supply system relative to a reference voltage. The system also includes a PWM generator comprising a comparator configured to generate a PWM signal based on the error voltage and a ramp signal. The system further includes a power stage configured to generate the output voltage based on the PWM signal, the power stage comprising a transconductance amplifier configured to generate a temperature-compensated sense current associated with a magnitude of an output current associated with power stage. The ramp signal being generated based on the temperature-compensated sense current. |
| US09413217B2 |
Electromagnetic braking systems and methods
An electromagnetic braking system of a power generation system includes an electrically conductive disc coupled to a rotatable shaft operatively coupled between a prime mover and a generator; a controller for receiving a status signal from the power generation system and for generating a control signal based on the status signal; and an inducting unit for applying an electromagnetic braking force on the electrically conductive disc when commanded by the control signal to regulate a rotational speed of the rotatable shaft. |
| US09413215B2 |
Transmission assembly with integrated motor position sensor
A transmission-mounted electric machine includes an integrated rotational position sensor. The rotational position sensor includes a rotor element and a stator element. The stator element is attached to a stator element of the transmission at a plurality of mounting points and includes an alignment adjustment mechanism. The rotor element of the sensor is slip-fit against a shoulder of a rotor hub and held in place using a wave spring. |
| US09413212B2 |
Molding apparatus for fixing permanent magnets of rotor
A molding apparatus and method for fixing permanent magnets in a rotor core during production of drive motors for environmental vehicles, in which the permanent magnets, which are inserted into magnet insertion apertures of the rotor core, are aligned at identical positions with respect to the axial direction of the rotor core, thus contributing to an improvement in the performance of the drive motors. |
| US09413210B2 |
Brushless motor
A rotor type brushless motor comprises a drive magnet having an indexing pole part that extends on one axial side thereof. This indexing pole part is formed at least in the range from the circumferential center of one north pole to the circumferential center of one adjacent south pole, and over no greater than the range from one circumferential end of the one north pole to the other circumferential end of the one south pole. A magnetic flux detector is arranged at a position axially facing the indexing pole part. |
| US09413206B2 |
Cogeneration apparatus
In a cogeneration apparatus having a power generation unit equipped with a power generator, an internal combustion engine, and a hot water tank connected to the engine through a heat exchanger, there are provided a first pump provided at a flow channel connecting the engine to the heat exchanger and a second pump provided at a second flow channel connecting the heat exchanger to the hot water tank. A temperature of the engine cooling water heated by the engine and a temperature difference between the temperature and a temperature of the engine cooling water cooled by the heat exchanger is determined and based on the determined values, flow rates of the first and second pumps are controlled. |
| US09413205B2 |
Drive arrangement for a wind turbine
A drive arrangement (12) for a wind turbine (10) is disclosed, having a rotor shaft (20) and a gearbox assembly (22) for transferring torque to an electrical power generator (18). The gearbox assembly comprises an input shaft (40), an output shaft (42), a primary gear stage (44) and a secondary gear stage (46). The drive arrangement also comprises a drive transfer mechanism (24) for transferring torque from the rotor shaft into the gearbox assembly via the input shaft, and a primary load carrying member (56) for releasably mounting the gearbox assembly to a housing (34) of the turbine. The rotor shaft is at least partly hollow, having an internal cavity (28) in which at least parts of the gearbox assembly and drive transfer mechanism are located. The gearbox assembly is mountable within the rotor shaft as a single unit by the primary load carrying member. |
| US09413203B2 |
Fan motor
A fan motor that including: a rotor coupled with a shaft to rotate together; a stator installed at a position facing the rotor; a first bracket on a central upper portion of which a first bearing insertion space into which a first bearing coupled to an upper portion of the shaft is inserted is formed; a second bracket which is hermetically coupled to the first bracket and on a central lower portion of which a second bearing insertion space into which a second bearing coupled to a lower portion of the shaft is inserted is formed; a first bearing cover that covers the first bearing insertion space; and a second bearing cover that covers the second bearing insertion space and has an accommodation space formed to extend to the central lower portion. |
| US09413201B2 |
Rotating electrical machine and vehicle equipped with rotating electrical machine
A rotating electrical machine includes: a stator core; a stator winding; and a rotor. Cross conductors connect slot conductors to run astride slots with the slot pitch N+1 at coil ends on one side and run astride slots with the slot pitch N−1 at coil ends on another side, with N representing a number of slots per pole; the stator winding includes slot conductor groups each having a plurality of slot conductors; the plurality of slot conductors in each slot conductor group are inserted at a predetermined number Ns of successive slots so that the slot conductors in the slot conductor group take successive slot positions and successive layer positions; and the number Ns is set so that Ns=NSPP+NL when NSPP represents a number of slots per phase per pole and a number of layers is expressed as 2×NL. |
| US09413200B2 |
Stator and electric motor using same
A stator according to the present invention includes: a cylindrical stator core; a plurality of tooth portions provided along a circumferential direction of the stator core; and windings disposed in a plurality of slots provided between the tooth portions and wound around the tooth portions. The windings are configured by materials having different electrical resistivities. A ratio of a sectional area of a material having a high electrical resistivity to a sectional area of a material having a low electrical resistivity in the slot is equal to or larger than 1 and equal to or smaller than a ratio of the electrical resistivity of the material having the high electrical resistivity to the electrical resistivity of the material having the low electrical resistivity. |
| US09413199B2 |
Rotor of electric motor with magnet holding structure and electric motor including the rotor
A rotor of an electric motor includes a plurality of magnets arranged in a circumferential direction. The rotor includes a holding member mounted concentrically with the rotor and on a radially outside of the magnets so as to hold the magnets. The holding member includes a plurality of tubular members having different diameters and being arranged concentrically with one another. The respective tubular members have expanded diameters, and therefore, compressive holding force acts on the magnets from the holding member, as a result of elastic restorative force. The tubular members include tubular members having different mechanical properties. |
| US09413197B2 |
Inductive power supply system and intruding metal detection method thereof
The inductive power supply system comprises an input power module for receiving a stable voltage source, a storage module for storing a predetermined information, a processing module for generating a control signal according to the predetermined information and a feedback signal, a driving module for transforming the stable voltage source into a driving voltage according to the control signal, an inductive coil for electrically transmitting the driving voltage to process an inductive power transmission operation, and a feedback module for generating the feedback signal according to the driving voltage received by the inductive coil, where the predetermined information represents an initial state of the inductive power supply system comprising a sinusoidal amplitude corresponding to the driving voltage, and an intruding metal can affect another sinusoidal amplitude of the feedback signal to make the processing module correspondingly generate the control signal during the inductive power transmission operation. |
| US09413194B2 |
Emergency lighting system
An emergency lighting system initiated by the wireless or wired alarm signal of a smoke detector or other alarm device. Once the alarm signal has been received the emergency lighting system will cause any light connected to the system to either be turned on providing light for any persons present, or alternatively, the emergency lighting system will pulse the light as a visual warning indicator to those present. The lighting system causes connected light(s) to pulse during a daytime light condition or when there is sufficient ambient light in the room. At night, or when the room is dark, the lighting system will turn on the light(s) to provide light for any persons present; lighting the area for a safer egress out of the building. The emergency lighting system is a device that can be installed in a light bulb socket or built in to a wall plate light switch. Also, the emergency lighting system could be built in to lighting fixtures by a manufacturer. |
| US09413193B2 |
Control system of energy storage cluster and method for distributing energy using the same
Provided a cluster control system which controls energy storage systems (ESSs) within the cluster and a method for distributing energy among the ESSs in the cluster. The control system includes: ESSs which are provided in a consumption facility or a building and which supply power to respective loads in the facility or building; and a cluster control server distributing energy between the ESSs in the cluster based on an energy level with respect to stored energy amounts of the ESSs. Energy in a cluster in which a plurality of distributed ESSs are grouped is efficiently distributed to a predetermined zone partitioned by the cluster such that the cluster may mange the energy independent of supply of the energy from an external power system. |
| US09413189B2 |
Method and system for rapid charging of rechargeable cells
A method (300) and system (600) of adjusting a charging current to one or more cells (601) is provided. The method includes obtaining (301) a plurality of charging time periods, where each charging time period defined as a time period required to charge the one or more cells with a predefined current at one of a plurality of different temperatures. A temperature of the one or more cells is determined (302). A predetermined current is scaled (306) by a quotient of a first charging time period defined by a first one of the plurality of different temperatures divided by a second charging time period defined by a second one of the plurality of different temperatures to obtain a magnitude of the charging current. The cells are charged (307) with the charging current at the magnitude to more rapidly charge the one or more cells at temperatures above room temperature. |
| US09413187B2 |
Power supply system providing power and analog data signal for use by portable electronic device to control battery charging
A power supply system includes data circuitry as well as power circuitry to generate DC power for use by a portable electronic device having a rechargeable battery. The DC power, ground and two signaling lines are provided in a power supply connector which detachably mates with an electronic device power input port. In response to a first signal from the electronic device transmitted over one of the signaling lines, the data circuitry provides an analog signal to the electronic device over the other signaling line. The electronic device determines a parameter level, such as a current level, of the analog signal, and based on the determined parameter level controls charging of its battery. |
| US09413185B2 |
Energy storage device and method for controlling the same
An energy storage device and methods for controlling the same are disclosed. The energy storage device can include a connector to or from which at least one battery pack is attached or detached, a power converter that converts external input power into DC power in a charge mode, and a switching unit that performs a switching operation such that the DC power converted by the power converter is charged in a first battery pack attached to the connector in the charge mode. Energy storage device can also include a controller that controls the switching unit to turn off electrical connections between the energy storage device and the first battery pack and a second battery pack for a predetermined off period when the first and second battery packs are attached to the connector. Accordingly, when a battery pack is attached or detached, a surge of inrush current may be reduced. |
| US09413183B2 |
Quick charging system, control device, method of controlling amount of the stored electrical power, and program
A control device (200) calculates, on the basis of the transition of the expected amount of power generation of a power generation unit (160), the transition of the expected amount of power supply of a power supply unit (110), and the current amount of stored electrical power of a storage battery (120), a transition of the expected amount of the stored electrical power of the storage battery (120) in a case where electrical power continues to be supplied from a power distribution network (300) to the storage battery (120). In addition, the control device (200) sets a power reduction time zone, which is a time zone in which no electrical power is supplied from the power distribution network (300) to the storage battery (120), when the presence of a first time, which is a time when the expected amount of the stored electrical power starts to exceed the first reference capacity, is shown in the transition of the expected amount of the stored electrical power of the storage battery (120), and sets the end time of the power reduction time zone as the first time. |
| US09413181B2 |
Wearable power supply comprising a master cell and a slave cell
There is disclosed a universal power pack, power supply and battery harvesting device. Generally, each comprises a receptacle for receiving at least one battery or battery pack having a different shape and/or nominal output voltage. A controller circuit is provided for regulating the output voltages and/or currents of the battery or batteries with the regulated voltage and current available at an output. The devices allow other devices to be powered or recharged, or batteries to be recharged. In a particular embodiment, a master cell and slave cell are provided wherein the slave cell continues to power attached devices when connection with the master cell is not available. |
| US09413180B2 |
Electronic cigarette charger
An electronic cigarette charger is provided, which comprises a charge body that is configured to electrically connect an electronic cigarette, and a charge plug that is electrically connected to a source; the charge plug is mounted on the charge body in a rotatable way. The following beneficial effects will be achieved when implementing the application. In the electronic cigarette charger, the charge plug is mounted on the charge body in a rotatable way, so that the contour of the electronic cigarette charger can be changed through bending the charge plug with respect to the charge body. Therefore, the electronic cigarette charger can charge the electronic cigarette in narrow space, which may bring much convenience to the user. |
| US09413179B2 |
Detachably integrated battery charger for mobile cell phones and like devices
A cell phone charger comprises a main body having embedded therein a charging circuit configured to receive line AC voltage and to convert it to a DC voltage suitable for charging the mobile device. AC prongs fold into the body in a stowed position and a connection structure formed integrally with the main body grasps onto and holds the charger secured to the cell phone device. In a preferred embodiment, the AC prongs pivot independently and lie flat against an outside surface of the main body. In a further embodiment, the AC prongs are concealed by a cover plate in their stowed position. |
| US09413174B2 |
I-V measurement system for photovoltaic modules
An apparatus for measuring electrical characteristics of solar panels (photovoltaic modules) wherein the apparatus measures current versus voltage (“I-V”) relationships for both illuminated (“light I-V”) and/or non-illuminated (“dark I-V”) conditions; optionally provides single, dual, or four-quadrant source/sink capability; and measures one or more devices under test (DUTs). The apparatus comprises one or more source measurement units (SMUs), wherein each SMU is connected to one DUT, and optionally includes a positive high-voltage programmable power supply and/or a negative high-voltage programmable power supply. Additionally, the apparatus includes a controller which controls the functions of the SMUs, the high-voltage supplies, and other components of the apparatus, wherein the controller communicates with the SMUs over a signal bus. Finally, the apparatus may include a computer to provide a user interface, communicate with the controller to initiate measurements and record results, analyze resulting data to determine measured parameters, and/or store the measured data. |
| US09413169B2 |
Electrostatic discharge protection circuit with a fail-safe mechanism
Circuits and methods for providing electrostatic discharge protection. The protection circuit may include a power clamp device, a timing circuit including a resistor and a capacitor that is coupled with the resistor at a node, a transmission gate configured to selectively connect the node of the timing circuit with the power clamp device, and a control circuit coupled with the node. The control circuit is configured to control the transmission gate based upon whether or not the capacitor is defective. The timing circuit may be deactivated if the capacitor in the timing circuit is defective and the associated chip is powered. Alternatively, the timing circuit may be activated if the capacitor in the timing circuit is not defective. |
| US09413163B2 |
Motor fault detector
A motor control circuit includes a processor configured to calculate a plurality of motor impedances from measurements of an excitation voltage on a power bus to a motor and measurements of a plurality of currents through the motor resulting from the excitation voltage, and the processor configured to calculate individual winding inductances in the motor, based on the measured motor impedances, and configured to determine whether there is an inter-turn winding fault based on the calculated individual winding inductances. |
| US09413152B2 |
Fault-proof feed-through device
A feed-through is provided that includes a flange and a first functional component. The flange has a through-opening in which the first functional component is arranged and is connected to the flange such that the through-opening is sealed. The first functional component has at least one deformation region, in which a recess is provided such that the mechanical stability of the first functional component is reduced in the deformation region. In this manner, the first functional element can be deformed in the deformation area when mechanical load is applied. |
| US09413150B2 |
Locking mechanism for control box
A control box cover assembly is provided that includes a plurality of side panels, a front panel selectively coupled to the plurality of side panels, and a latch coupled to a side panel and extending outwards therefrom, with the latch having an opening formed therein having a first direction longer than a second direction. The control box cover assembly also includes a fastener positioned within the opening, with the fastener further including a shaft having a first end and a second end, a head coupled to the first end, and a protrusion extending radially outwards from the shaft proximal the second end. The protrusion is configured to hold the fastener within the opening when the protrusion is aligned with the second direction and release the fastener from the opening when the protrusion is aligned with the first direction. |
| US09413149B1 |
Electrical box voltage divider
An electrical box that allows for separate wire connection areas for low voltage and line voltage wiring within a single box. The electrical box includes a voltage divider positioned within the box that divides the box into two portions, providing a low voltage wiring connection area that is separate from the line voltage wiring connection area. The electrical box also includes multiple knockouts, each covering an opening that provides a passageway from the interior of the box to the exterior of the box. At least one knockout and associated opening are positioned to provide access to the low voltage wiring connection area and another knockout and associate opening is positioned along to the box to provide access to the line voltage wiring connection area. The box provides an electrical junction for a luminaire, such as a downlight, or other electrical device. |
| US09413147B2 |
Power line grid
The present invention is directed to a power line system having a number of controlled release mechanisms. A number of utility poles with cross bars each have a controlled release mechanism attached. A number of sensors are attached to the cross bars. A communication system is electrically connected to the sensors. A sector switch is electrically connected to the communication system. When the controlled release mechanism senses too much force on one of the utility poles it lowers the cross bar in a controlled manner to the ground. A sensor detects this and the communication system sends a message to the sector switch to open. When the storm or other threat is over, the cross bars can be raised by turning the winch in the controlled release mechanism. |
| US09413146B2 |
Wiring support structure
Configured is a wiring support structure provided with a column portion fixed to or provided integrally with an installation object in which wiring is installed, and provided so as to project from the installation object, a wiring support portion having a wiring arrangement portion that is arrangeable so as to extend along the installation object and in which the wiring is arranged in an extending direction of the wiring arrangement portion, the wiring support portion being supported by the column portion in a state where the wiring support portion is separate from the installation object, and an attachment portion for attaching the wiring to the wiring arrangement portion. |
| US09413145B2 |
Method for producing a low-induction busbar
A method for producing a low-induction busbar including providing a tray with a base and a border which projects peripherally from the base so as to form a frame and which is composed of an electrically insulating material, producing a busbar element by arranging a first busbar strips, applying a film with openings which provide access to the first busbar strips, arranging the second busbar strips, on the film, bending regions of the busbar strips forming connections making electrical contact with the capacitors through the openings, inserting the busbar element into the tray and pouring an encapsulation compound into the tray so as to surround the base of the capacitors, while leaving free the connections. |
| US09413139B2 |
Hybrid waveguide lasers and methods for fabricating hybrid waveguide lasers
The present disclosure relates to a method for integrating a sub-micron III-V waveguide laser on a semiconductor photonics platform as well as to a corresponding device/system. The method comprises providing on a semiconductor substrate an electrically insulating layer, etching a trench having a width in the range between 50 nm and 800 nm through the electrically insulating layer, thereby locally exposing the silicon substrate, providing a III-V layer stack in the trench by local epitaxial growth to form a channel waveguide, and providing a light confinement element for confining radiation in the local-epitaxial-grown channel waveguide. |
| US09413131B1 |
Laser transmitter
A laser transmitter includes a heat sink, a laser disposed on the heat sink, and a connection apparatus. The connection apparatus includes: a lower substrate and an upper substrate disposed on the lower substrate. An upper surface of the lower substrate is disposed with a first conductor, and a lower surface thereof is disposed with a second conductor. The upper substrate has an upper surface disposed with a third conductor, where the third conductor is connected to the second conductor. The heat sink is disposed on a side of the lower substrate that is close to an end of the first conductor. The laser is connected to an end of the first conductor that is close to the heat sink. |
| US09413130B2 |
Optical systems
Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical system that includes a base unit and one or more cartridges that are removably attachable to the base unit. The one or more cartridges can include optical components configured to output a beam of light (e.g., a laser). The base unit can be configured to combine multiple beams of light (e.g., emitted by multiple cartridges) and output a combined beam of light. The cartridges can be interchanged to modify the light output by the optical system. The optical system can include thermally one or more stable enclosures and/or a temperature controller. The optical system can include one or more alignment adjustment optical components configured to adjust the alignment of one or more light beams. |
| US09413129B2 |
Locator and wire stop device, hand operated crimping tool, and system
A locator and wire stop device mounted on a hand operated crimping tool for locating and retaining at least one crimpable connector part between two crimping dies of the hand operated crimping tool. The locator and wire stop device includes a positioning mechanism for cooperation with a connector comprising the crimpable connector part, an axially protruding connection part, and an intermediate connector body comprising a transversal protrusion. The positioning mechanism comprises a pivotable connector and wire stop element, a first resilient locator element and a second locator element. The first resilient locator element retains the connection part of the connector. During a crimping operation, the first resilient locator element abuts against an axial end of the transversal protrusion and the pivotable connector and wire stop element axially blocks the other axial end of the transversal protrusion, thereby positioning and retaining the connector in the crimping tool. |
| US09413128B2 |
Connector module having a rotating element disposed within and rotatable relative to a case
A connector module comprises a casing, a rotating element, a fixing element and a connector. The rotating element is rotatably disposed within the casing. The fixing element is fixedly disposed within the casing. During the fixing element being fixed to the rotating element, the fixing element and the rotating element usually and electrically contact. The connector is disposed on the rotating element and electrically connects with the fixing element through the rotating element. |
| US09413126B2 |
Combination USB connector and microSD flash card connector
A combination female USB connector and female MicroSD flash card connector include walls defining a housing in which a female USB connector and a female MicroSD flash card connector are disposed. Contact pins extend from contacts of the female USB connector and contacts of the female MicroSD flash card connector through at least one wall of the housing for connection to a printed circuit board. The walls include electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. |
| US09413123B2 |
Electrical plug connector
An electrical plug connector includes a metal shell, an insulation housing, upper-row elastic terminals, and lower-row elastic terminals. The metal shell defines a receiving cavity to receive the insulation housing. The insulation housing includes an upper member, a lower member, and a mating room between the upper member and the lower member. The upper-row elastic terminals are held on a lower surface of the upper member and include upper-row elastic contact segments extending toward the mating room for transmitting first signals. The lower-row elastic terminals are held on an upper surface of the lower member and include lower-row elastic contact segments extending toward the mating room for transmitting second signals. |
| US09413115B1 |
EMI gasket for electrical connector assembly
An EMI gasket for a cage member of an electrical connector assembly includes a base having a metal body section configured to extend along a wall of the cage member. The EMI gasket includes external spring beams extending from the base. The external spring beams are configured to be received in an opening of a bezel mounted to a front end of the cage member and configured to engage the bezel to electrically connect the EMI gasket to the bezel. The external spring beams extend from base ends at the base to distal ends opposite the base ends. The EMI gasket includes a tie bar at the distal ends connecting the distal ends of the external spring beams together. The tie bar has a flange extending outward therefrom. The flange is configured to stop loading of the bezel onto the front end of the cage member. |
| US09413110B1 |
Embedded short leaf-spring-equipped crystal head and extractor thereof
An embedded short leaf-spring-equipped crystal head includes a crystal head body insertable into a base slot of a base and a leaf spring disposed above the crystal head body to fasten the crystal head body to the base, characterized in that a length of the leaf spring is less than or equal to a length of the base slot. The length of the leaf spring is less than or equal to the length of the base slot. After the crystal head body has been inserted into the base slot, the leaf spring is disposed inside the base and thus is not exposed. Hence, space utilization rate of the crystal head body increases, and the positioning of the crystal head body is not compromised as a result of damage otherwise caused to the leaf spring, thereby preventing unauthorized persons from taking out the crystal head body and enhancing data security. |
| US09413105B2 |
Carrier for flexible printed circuit
A carrier for a flexible printed circuit (FPC) includes a number of latching members. The latching members secure the carrier to a printed circuit board (PCB). |
| US09413104B2 |
Magnetic light source adaptor and light source therefor
A magnetic light source adaptor includes a main body, a control module and a magnetic unit. The main body has a male portion and a female portion. A first conducting set is disposed within the female portion, whereas a second conducting set is arranged on the male portion. The control module is arranged on the main body and electrically connecting the first and second conducting sets. The magnetic unit attaches to the main body to facilitate positioning of the magnetic light source adaptor. The magnetic light source adaptor and a light source are detachably assembled for easier access under maintenance and replacement. |
| US09413102B1 |
Electrical connector assembly for data traces on a structural surface
An electrical connector assembly may include a connector body and a resilient spring contact configured to electrically contact a data trace formed on a structural surface. The resilient spring contact being enclosed within the connector body when the connector body is attached to the structural surface. The electrical connector assembly may also include a connector arrangement configured to electrically couple the resilient spring contact to a system. |
| US09413098B2 |
Waterproof electronic receptacle connector
A waterproof electronic receptacle connector includes a plastic-core housing, an insulation housing, terminals, a waterproof ring gasket and a sealing material. The plastic-core housing includes a through hole. The insulation housing is configured in the through hole and includes a base and a tongue plate. The base includes an inner side plane facing toward the through hole and an outer side plane facing toward an outside of the through hole. The tongue plate is extended from the inner side plane. The terminals are passing through the base. Each terminal includes a contacting end extended from the tongue plate and a welding end connected to the contacting end and extruded from the outer side plane. The waterproof ring gasket is abutted between the base and an inner wall of the through hole. The sealing material is formed on the outer side plane to fill gaps between the terminal and the base. |
| US09413095B2 |
Connector
A connector (20) to be connected to a device-side connector (10A) has terminals (21) to be connected to end parts of wires W, and terminal accommodating members (22A to 22D) accommodate the terminals (21). A holding member (41) includes two pair of side walls (42, 43) facing each other and two coupling walls (47, 47) connecting ends of the side walls (42, 43) in an extending direction and are configured to hold the terminal accommodating members (22A to 22D) side by side in a direction along the extending direction of the side walls (42, 43) between the side walls (42, 43). Each terminal accommodating member (22A to 22D) includes two supports (38, 38) projecting toward the respective side walls (42, 43) and supported on the respective side walls (42, 43). |
| US09413091B2 |
Electrical connector assembly with improved contact arrangement
An electrical connector assembly includes an insulative housing and a set of contacts retained in the insulative housing, the contacts including a power contact, a negative contact, a positive contact, a first grounding contact, a power provided by device (DPWR) contact, and a second grounding contact, a contacting portion of each of the set of second contacts being spaced a respective contacting distance from a front end surface of the insulative housing. A contacting distance management makes the mating connector sequentially connect with the power contact and the grounding contact, the negative contact and the positive contact, all the first contacts, the DPWR contact, the grounding contacts. Such contact arrangement is to prevent a false recognition of the two power contacts by power system circuits. |
| US09413089B2 |
Connector, and header and socket included in the same
A connector including a substantially rectangular housing made of an insulating material, a plurality of terminals which are provided for the housing and are attached to a circuit board to be electrically connected to the circuit board, and a holding bracket which is provided for the housing and is fixed on the circuit board. The holding bracket includes a first fixed terminal a fixed on the circuit board, and a second fixed terminal which is formed separately from the first fixed terminal a and is fixed on the circuit board. |
| US09413070B2 |
Slot-type augmented antenna
The present invention relates to an augmented antenna capable of operating in a wider frequency band, and receiving and reradiating radio signals. The augmented antenna includes radiation patterns formed using a plurality of radiation slots having multiple coupling regions. The radiation patterns are symmetrically connected and impedance-matched to transmit and receive radio signals, thereby improving a radio wave propagation environment. |
| US09413068B2 |
Small digital tunable antenna systems for wireless applications
The instant disclosure provides an antenna system with a generically small ground plane and a generic antenna radiating module, wherein the system further includes a matching circuit and a tunable capacitor each bring integrated with the ground plane and antenna in a novel configuration which provides improved antenna performance across multiple antenna resonances. |
| US09413067B2 |
Simple 2D phase-mode enabled beam-steering means
System and apparatus embodiments are provided for beam-steering. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first hybrid splitter/combiner connected to a 0-th phase-mode feed of an array of antenna elements, a second hybrid splitter/combiner, a first pair of variable phase shifters connecting the first hybrid splitter/combiner to the second hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the first pair of variable phase shifters control a steering direction of a main output beam radial with respect to an array axis by adjustments of respective phases of the variable phase shifters, and wherein the array axis is perpendicular to a plane of the array, and a third variable phase shifter connecting a 1-st phase-mode feed of an array of elements to an input of the first hybrid splitter/combiner, wherein the third variable phase shifter is configured to independently control a direction of the main output beam in a direction circumferential with respect to the array axis. |
| US09413059B2 |
Adaptive antenna feeding and method for optimizing the design thereof
Disclosed is an antenna feeding system and method to optimize the design of the feeding system to feed an antenna made of a resistive sheet. The system and method are operative to design a topology of the antenna feeding system to adapt to a topology of the resistive sheet antenna to mitigate the adverse effects caused by the inherent losses of resistive sheets while operating as antennas. The system is designed to reduce a convergence of radiofrequency currents that may create a localized high density current concentration, such as “hot spots” and “pinch points,” on the resistive sheet, by a sufficient extent so as to prevent power losses that substantially decrease the radiation efficiency of the antenna as compared with feeding systems designed using traditional design techniques. |
| US09413057B2 |
Mobile wireless communications device with an integrated battery/antenna and related methods
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a cellular transceiver carried by the portable housing, and a battery carried by the portable housing and comprising a pair of electrodes and an electrolyte therebetween. The mobile wireless communications device may further include a wireless communications circuit carried by the portable housing and configured to wirelessly communicate via at least one of the electrodes. |
| US09413054B2 |
Miniature wideband quadrature hybrid
Directional coupler includes a first, second and third transmission lines. Each of the first and second transmission line elements is disposed on a dielectric substrate, and has a first end and a second end. At least a portion of the first and second transmission line elements are adjacent along a path. A third transmission line element is disposed along the path between the first and the second transmission line elements and separated therefrom by a portion of the dielectric substrate. The third transmission line element is electrically connected to a ground plane disposed on a surface of the dielectric substrate opposed from the first and second transmission line elements. |
| US09413052B2 |
Three-dimensional microstructures
An apparatus comprising a first power combiner/divider network and a second power combiner/divider network. The first power combiner/divider network splits a first electromagnetic signal into split signals that are connectable to signal processor(s). The second power combiner/divider network combines processed signals into a second electromagnetic signal. The apparatus includes a three-dimensional coaxial microstructure. |
| US09413051B2 |
Radio frequency device with feed structure
A radio frequency (RF) device includes an RF transmission line structure having opposing boundary walls with a non-rectilinear form factor, and a feed structure configured to introduce RF energy into an area between the opposing boundary walls to illuminate the RF transmission line structure with the RF energy across the non-rectilinear form factor. The feed structure includes a plurality of traveling-waveguide-fed leaky line-segment structures, each configured to launch the RF energy into the area with a propagation direction having an oblique angle relative to an axis of the line-segment structure. |
| US09413041B2 |
Method for adjusting nickel-metal hydride storage battery
In a method for adjusting a nickel-metal hydride storage battery, based on a correlation between a charge amount after valve opening and an increased amount of a discharge reserve capacity which are previously ascertained, the charge amount after valve opening corresponding to a target value of the set increased amount of the discharge reserve capacity is calculated and this calculated value is set as a target charge amount after valve opening. In a discharge reserve adjusting step, when a charge amount of the battery from the time when a safety valve device is opened after start of overcharge of the battery reaches the set target charge amount after valve opening, overcharge of the battery is terminated. |
| US09413034B2 |
Method for manufacturing solid battery
Provided is a method for manufacturing a solid battery by which a high-power solid battery can be manufactured. The present invention is a method for manufacturing a solid battery having a pair of electrode layers, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the pair of electrode layers, the method including a preparing step to prepare a foil-electrolyte laminated body having a foil and a solid electrolyte layer which contains a binder and is disposed on at least one face of the foil, an electrode layer forming step to form an electrode layer by laminating an electrode material on a surface of the solid electrolyte layer of the foil-electrolyte laminated body prepared by the preparing step and pressing them, and a foil removing step to remove the foil after the electrode layer forming step. |
| US09413033B2 |
All-solid lithium ion secondary battery
To provide an all-solid lithium ion secondary battery having a high voltage, a small internal resistance, and a discharge capacity close to a theoretical capacity and being able to be produced at low cost, and therefore, even in the case of collective sintering, generation of an inactive material due to interface reaction at the interface between an electrode active material and a solid electrolyte is reduced. An all-solid lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode layer, a negative electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer, wherein an electrode active material included in the positive electrode layer is a phosphate having an olivine structure; and a solid electrolyte crystal included in the solid electrolyte layer includes polyphosphoric acid and the content of Li2O is 16 mol % to 25 mol % in terms of mol % on an oxide basis. |
| US09413028B2 |
Fuel cell stack
A fuel cell stack is provided that comprises a laminate obtained from unit cells of rectangular plates, end plates disposed at both end surfaces of the laminate, and a pair of reinforcing plates disposed on a first and third outer peripheral surfaces, wherein the respective end plates and reinforcing plates are connected. Each reinforcing plate has a base plate covering that covers the first or third outer peripheral surface of the laminate, and a pair of holding portions that cover the second and fourth outer peripheral surfaces of the laminate partly. Each holding portion supports the laminate as a spring element, and the spring elements are attached in the direction of displacement of the laminate. As a result, the resonant frequency of the laminate is increased and vibration resistance is improved without increasing the parts count. |
| US09413026B2 |
Electricity generation unit and fuel cell stack
An electricity generator includes a membrane electrode assembly; a separator coupled to the membrane electrode assembly and including a first region and a second region; and a thermal conductor on one of the first region and the second region. |
| US09413024B2 |
Phase stable doped zirconia electrolyte compositions with low degradation
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode. The electrolyte and/or electrode composition includes zirconia stabilized with (i) scandia, (ii) ceria, and (iii) at least one of yttria and ytterbia. The composition does not experience a degradation of ionic conductivity of greater than 15% after 4000 hrs at a temperature of 850° C. |
| US09413020B2 |
Method of shut-down and starting of a fuel cell
A method of operating a PEM fuel cell including an anode feed circuit and a cathode feed circuit for feeding of an anode side with a reactant gas and for feeding a cathode side with a cathode gas. A shut-down mode for shutting down an electricity generating operation of the fuel system includes decreasing the supply of reactant gas and cathode gas in response of a shut-down signal, monitoring an output voltage of at least one cell of a fuel cell stack, monitoring the reactant gas pressure and the cathode gas pressure, electrically shunting of the at least one fuel cell in response of the output voltage reaching a predefined voltage level, at least reducing the pressure of the anode side to a predefined pressure level by means of at least one pump, and filling and/or flushing of at least the anode side with an inert gas. |
| US09413013B2 |
Non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and method for producing the same
Disclosed is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode including a lithium-containing transition metal composite oxide as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material, a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode contains lithium carbonate and lithium hydrogencarbonate in a total amount of 500 ppm or more and 3000 ppm or less, and exhibits a weight loss by temperature increase from 25° C. to 300° C. at 5° C./min of 70% or less of the total amount and of 1500 ppm or less. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes a non-aqueous solvent and a lithium salt. The non-aqueous solvent may contain a cyclic carbonate and a chain carbonate. |
| US09413012B2 |
Binder for rechargeable lithium battery, electrode for rechargeable lithium battery, method of preparing electrode for rechargeable lithium battery and rechargeable lithium battery including electrode
A binder for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of about 10,000 to about 500,000 and including a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula X and a repeating unit represented by Chemical Formula Y-1: The binder may be used in preparing an electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the electrode exhibits improved stability, rate capability, and cycle-life. |
| US09413011B2 |
Binder for secondary battery exhibiting excellent adhesion force
Provided is a binder for secondary battery electrodes comprising a polymer obtained by polymerizing three or more kinds of monomers with a reactive emulsifying agent. The binder reduces moisture impregnation, improves dispersibility and enhances adhesive force, thus providing a secondary battery with superior safety and cycle characteristics. |
| US09413008B2 |
Electrode, nonaqueous electrolyte battery, and battery pack
According to one embodiment, there is provided an electrode. The electrode includes a current collector and an active material layer provided on the current collector. The active material layer contains an active material and an acrylic based polymer. |
| US09413006B2 |
Lithium manganese phosphate/carbon nanocomposites as cathode active materials for secondary lithium batteries
The invention relates to a lithium manganese phosphate/carbon nanocomposite as cathode material for rechargeable electrochemical cells with the general formula LixMnyM1-y(PO4)z/C where M is at least one other metal such as Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, V, Mg, Ca, Al, B, Zn, Cu, Nb, Ti, Zr, La, Ce, Y, x=0.8-1.1, y=0.5-1.0, 0.9 |
| US09413005B2 |
Positive electrode active material, method for producing the same, and electrochemical device
The invention provides a high-capacity positive electrode active material capable of sufficiently exploiting the excellent characteristics of magnesium metal or the like as a negative electrode active material, such as high energy capacity; a method for producing the same; and an electrochemical device using the positive electrode active material. A positive electrode 11 includes a positive electrode can 1, a positive pole pellet 2 having a positive electrode active material and the like, and a metal mesh support 3. A negative electrode 12 includes a negative electrode cap 4 and a negative electrode active material 5 such as magnesium metal. The positive electrode pellet 2 and the negative electrode active material 5 are disposed so as to sandwich a separator 6, and an electrolyte 7 is injected into the separator 6. The positive electrode active material, which provides the feature of the invention, is synthesized by a step of reacting a permanganate, such as potassium permanganate, with hydrochloric acid preferably having a concentration of 3 to 4 mol/l to produce a precipitate, and a step of filtering the precipitate, thoroughly washing the filtered precipitate with water, and then subjecting the washed precipitate to heat treatment preferably at a temperature of 300 to 400° C. for not less than 2 hours, thereby giving a manganese oxide. |
| US09412996B2 |
Material for lithium secondary battery of high performance
Provided is a lithium mixed transition metal oxide having a composition represented by Formula I of LixMyO2 (M, x and y are as defined in the specification) having mixed transition metal oxide layers (“MO layers”) comprising Ni ions and lithium ions, wherein lithium ions intercalate into and deintercalate from the MO layers and a portion of MO layer-derived Ni ions are inserted into intercalation/deintercalation layers of lithium ions (“reversible lithium layers”) thereby resulting in the interconnection between the MO layers. The lithium mixed transition metal oxide of the present invention has a stable layered structure and therefore exhibits improved stability of the crystal structure upon charge/discharge. In addition, a battery comprising such a cathode active material can exhibit a high capacity and a high cycle stability. Further, such a lithium mixed transition metal oxide is substantially free of water-soluble bases, and thereby can provide excellent storage stability, decreased gas evolution and consequently superior high-temperature stability with the feasibility of low-cost mass production. |
| US09412995B2 |
Electrode and electrochemical device
An electrode is provided as one capable of achieving further improvement in safety of an electrochemical device when exposed to a high-temperature environment, and an electrochemical device is provided as one using the electrode. The electrode has a current collector, an endothermic material layer provided on the current collector, and an active material layer provided on the endothermic material layer. The endothermic material layer contains an endothermic material absorbing heat at 80° C. or higher in a differential scanning calorimetry curve thereof. |
| US09412994B2 |
Lithium starter battery and solid state switch therefor
Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a starter battery for a starter motor of an internal combustion engine in a battery pack arrangement with one or more lithium based cells. The invention includes a solid state switching configuration for high powered battery systems for protecting against over-charging, over-discharging and short circuiting of batteries, especially starter batteries for internal combustion engines. |
| US09412992B2 |
Rechargeable battery
A rechargeable battery includes a case, a cap plate coupled with the case, a terminal passing though a terminal hole in the cap plate, the terminal hole, and a sealing member in the terminal hole partially enclosing the terminal. The terminal includes an upper connecting part extending outside the case from a middle connecting part, and a current collector connecting part extending inside the case from the middle connecting part. The sealing member includes an upper sealing part seated on the cap plate and a lower sealing part disposed in and affixed to the terminal hole in a sealing relationship with respect thereto, the upper sealing part being between the cap plate and the upper connecting part to support the upper connecting part in a spaced apart relationship with the cap plate, the lower sealing part being between the current collector connecting part and an entirety of the terminal hole. |
| US09412990B2 |
Battery system and method of producing an electrically conductive connection between a cell connector and an electronic unit of a battery system
A battery system and a method for producing an electrically conductive connection in a battery system. The battery system includes a plurality of cells arranged in at least one stack, a cell connector to connect a pole of a first cell in an electrically conductive manner to a pole of a second cell, an electronic unit to detect the voltage of the cells, a first pin arranged on the cell connector, at least one second pin arranged on the electronic unit; and a conductor to connect the first pin in an electrically conductive manner to the second pin, the conductor having at least one flexible section, a first contact element connected in an electrically conductive manner to a first end of the flexible section and also to the first pin, and a second contact element connected in an electrically conductive manner to a second end of the flexible section and also to the second pin. |
| US09412987B2 |
Separator for electric device and electric device using the same
A separator for an electric device includes a porous substrate layer and first and second ceramic layers formed on the respective surfaces of the porous substrate layer and each containing ceramic particles and a binder. A specific surface area of the first ceramic layer is smaller than a specific surface area of the second ceramic layer, and the first ceramic layer is located towards a negative electrode of an electric device. |
| US09412986B2 |
Porous composite structures for lithium-ion battery separators
Micro-fibrillated cellulose nanofibers (or other suitable fibrillated organic polymer nanofibers) are dispersed with ceramic particles (such as alumina or silica powder) in water suspension and formed into a suitable porous mat shape by wet-laying the suspension on a suitable mesh structure. After removal of the mat from the mesh and drying, the suitably proportioned cellulose nanofibers/ceramic powder composite may be coated with a thin porous polymer layer to further fix the particles between the fibers and strengthen the resulting composite membrane for use as a separator layer between the electrode layers of an electrochemical cell. The strength and temperature resistance of the composite separator layer make it particularly useful in lithium-ion batteries for vehicle traction motors. |
| US09412985B2 |
Safety device for a lithium electrochemical generator battery
A safety device (1) for a lithium electrochemical generator battery, including a box (100), configured to house a plurality of lithium electrochemical generators; a cover (200) arranged gas-tightly on the opening (130) of the box; an opening (120) forming a vent situated in one of the walls of the box (100) or situated in the cover (200); a conduit (300) having two openings (311, 312) where one of the openings (311) is gas-tightly connected to the opening (120) forming a vent of the box; a covering part (400) positioned gas-tightly at an opening of a wall of the compartment and the second opening (312) of the conduit, and where said covering part comprises a portion (410) adapted to tear at a threshold pressure Ps; where the walls of the box, the cover, the conduit and the covering part are secured to each other so as to ensure sealing against the gases up to a pressure above the threshold pressure Ps. |