| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09947840B2 |
Light emitting device and light source
A light emitting device includes at least one light emitting element to emit a first light having a first peak emission wavelength in a range of 420 nm to 480 nm and at least one fluorescent material to convert the first light to a second light having a second fluorescent peak wavelength in a range of 610 nm to 750 nm. The second light has chromaticity existing in an enclosed area in a CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram in which chromaticity is defined by x and y coordinates. The enclosed area is enclosed with a first straight line, a second straight line, a third straight line, and a curved line. |
| US09947839B2 |
LED assembly
This disclosure discloses an LED assembly. The LED assembly includes a transparent mount with a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to the top surface, an LED chip arranged on the top surface, an electrode plate, a first phosphor layer having a first phosphor, and a second phosphor layer having a second phosphor, wherein the transparent mount and the electrode plate substantially have a same width. The electrode plate is arranged on an edge of the top surface and electrically connected to the LED chip. |
| US09947836B2 |
Electronic device mounting substrate and electronic apparatus
An electronic device mounting substrate includes: a first wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame, an interior of the rectangular frame constituting a first through hole; a second wiring substrate shaped in a rectangular frame or plate, the second wiring substrate being disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the first wiring substrate and be electrically connected to the first wiring substrate; a metallic plate disposed so as to overlie a lower surface of the second wiring substrate so that the second wiring substrate is sandwiched between the metallic plate and the first wiring substrate; and a lens holder secured to an outer periphery of the metallic plate. A frame interior of the first wiring substrate, or a frame interior of each of the first wiring substrate and the second wiring substrate, constitutes an electronic device mounting space. |
| US09947832B2 |
Light-emitting device
A light-emitting device includes a semiconductor layered structure; an upper electrode disposed on a portion of an upper surface of the semiconductor layered structure; a lower electrode disposed on a lower surface of the semiconductor layered structure in a region spaced from a region directly under the upper electrode, the lower electrode being reflective; and a protective film disposed continuously on a surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the semiconductor layered structure. A thickness of a first portion of the protective film, which is disposed at least in a region directly above the lower electrode, is smaller than a thickness of a second portion of the protective film, which is disposed continuously on the surface of the upper electrode and the upper surface of the semiconductor layered structure adjacent to the portion on which the upper electrode is disposed. |
| US09947828B2 |
Quantum dot light-emitting device
A quantum dot light-emitting device includes: a first electrode; a second electrode opposite to the first electrode; an emission layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, the emission layer including quantum dots; and an inorganic layer between the emission layer and the second electrode, the inorganic layer including a metal halide. |
| US09947826B2 |
ZnO-containing semiconductor structure and manufacturing thereof
A method of manufacturing ZnO-containing semiconductor structure includes steps of: (a) forming a subsidiary lamination, including alternately laminating at least two periods of active oxygen layers and ZnO-containing semiconductor layers doped with at least one species of group 3B element; (b) alternately laminating said subsidiary lamination and AgO layer, sandwiching an active oxygen layer, to form lamination structure; and (c) carrying out annealing in atmosphere in which active oxygen exists and pressure is below 10−2 Pa, intermittently irradiating oxygen radical beam on a surface of said lamination structure, forming a p-type ZnO-containing semiconductor structure co-doped with said group 3B element and Ag. |
| US09947820B2 |
Shingled solar cell panel employing hidden taps
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency. Each super cell comprises a plurality of rectangular or substantially rectangular silicon solar cells arranged in line with long sides of adjacent silicon solar cells overlapping and conductively bonded directly to each other to electrically connect the silicon solar cells in series. A super cell may comprise a hidden tap contact pad located on a back surface of a solar cell located at an intermediate position along the super cell. In some variations the overlapping sides of adjacent silicon soar cells in a super cell are flexibly bonded to each other, and a flexible electrical interconnect is rigidly bonded to one of the solar cells. |
| US09947819B2 |
Solar cell module and method of fabricating the same
Disclosed are a solar cell module and a method of fabricating the same. The solar cell module includes a support substrate including a lateral side, at which a 1st bending portion is formed, and a rear side at which a 2nd bending portion is formed, a solar cell on the support substrate, and a protective layer on the support substrate and the solar cell. |
| US09947816B2 |
Semiconductor structures for fuel generation
This disclosure relates to photovoltaic and photoelectrosynthetic cells, devices, methods of making and using the same. |
| US09947814B2 |
Semiconductor optical sensor
A semiconductor optical sensor includes a plurality of sensing units and to senses an incident optical signal to generate an electrical signal. One of the sensing units includes a substrate, an optical sensing element, a lens and an optical shielding element. The optical sensing element, whose material is different from that of the substrate, converts the incident optical signal into the electrical signal. The lens, whose material includes the same as that of the substrate, guides the incident optical signal to the optical sensing element by changing the propagation path of the incident optical signal. The optical shielding element, which surrounds the optical sensing element, alters the propagation path or propagation distance of the incident optical signal after the incident optical signal passes through the lens such that the incident optical signal will not reach an optical sensing element of an adjacent sensing unit. |
| US09947813B2 |
System and method for illuminating a sample and collecting light reflected from the sample
A scanning system can include an illuminator, configured to produce an illuminating beam, and a fixation unit, configured to mechanically support a sample to be measured within the illuminating beam. The illuminating beam can reflect off the sample to produce reflected light. The system can further include a sensor, positioned angularly away from the illuminator, configured to receive the reflected light. The illuminating beam can include a wavelength spectrum having a FWHM less than 100 nm. In some examples, the fixation unit can be positioned based, in part, on a position of the illuminator and the sensor. In some examples, the sensor can include at least one imaging element that produces an image of the sample. In some examples, the illuminating beam can include a calibration pattern. In some examples, the illuminating beam and the reflected light can be angularly separated between ten degrees and fifteen degrees. |
| US09947812B2 |
Metallization of solar cells
Approaches for the metallization of solar cells and the resulting solar cells are described. In an example, a method of fabricating a solar cell involves forming a plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions in or above a substrate. The method also involves forming a metal seed layer on the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type regions. The method also involves patterning at least a portion of the metal seed layer at regions in alignment with locations between the alternating N-type and P-type regions. The method also involves, subsequent to the patterning, etching to form trenches at the locations between the alternating N-type and P-type regions, isolating the alternating N-type and P-type regions from one another. |
| US09947811B2 |
Solar cell and method for manufacturing the same, and solar cell module
A solar cell module includes a plurality of solar cells comprising a first solar cell and a second solar cell adjacent to each other; a conductive ribbon, wherein each of the plurality of solar cells comprises: a substrate; an emitter layer of positioned on the substrate; a plurality of finger electrodes formed in a first direction, each finger electrode being electrically connected to the emitter layer; and at least one first collector formed in a second direction crossing the first direction, the at least one first collector being electrically connected to the plurality of finger electrodes, wherein the conductive ribbon is attached to the at least one first collector in the second direction by a conductive adhesive, and wherein the conductive ribbon is attached on a collector region where the at least one first collector is formed and a deletion where the at least one first collector is not formed. |
| US09947810B2 |
Solar cell and solar cell panel including the same
Disclosed is a solar cell including a semiconductor substrate, a first conductive area formed on one surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second conductive area formed on a remaining surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first electrode connected to the first conductive area, and a second electrode connected to the second conductive area. The second electrode includes a pad portion and an electrode portion that include different conductive materials as main components. The pad portion includes at least one pad extending in a given direction, the wire being attached to the pad. The electrode portion and the pad are spaced apart from each other in the given direction so as to form a spacer therebetween. |
| US09947806B2 |
Semiconductor device
A Schottky barrier diode (semiconductor device) includes at least: a semiconductor substrate of an N type (first conductivity type); a semiconductor portion (first portion) of a P type (second conductivity type) opposite to the N type, the semiconductor portion being formed on a part of a one main surface side of the semiconductor substrate; a metal portion (second portion) with conductivity formed on the one main surface of the semiconductor substrate so as to be electrically connected to a part of the P type semiconductor portion; and a high resistance portion (third portion) formed so as to be electrically connected to a part of the P type semiconductor portion and to be in contact with a side surface and a bottom surface connected thereto of the P type semiconductor portion. |
| US09947804B1 |
Methods of forming nanosheet transistor with dielectric isolation of source-drain regions and related structure
An IC structure according to the disclosure includes: a substrate; a pair of transistor sites positioned on the substrate, wherein an upper surface of the substrate laterally between the pair of transistor sites defines a separation region; a pair of nanosheet stacks, each positioned on one of the pair of transistor sites; an insulative liner conformally positioned on the upper surface of the substrate within the separation region, and a sidewall surface of each of the pair of transistor sites; a semiconductor mandrel positioned on the insulative liner and over the separation region; a pair of insulator regions each positioned laterally between the semiconductor mandrel and the insulative liner on the sidewall surfaces of each of the pair of transistor sites; and a source/drain epitaxial region positioned over the pair of insulator regions and the semiconductor mandrel, wherein the source/drain epitaxial region laterally abuts the pair of nanosheet stacks. |
| US09947800B2 |
Transistor, method for manufacturing transistor, semiconductor device, and electronic device
A transistor with favorable electrical characteristics, a transistor with stable electrical characteristics, or a highly integrated semiconductor device is provided. In a top-gate transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used for a semiconductor layer where a channel is formed, elements are introduced to the semiconductor layer in a self-aligned manner after a gate electrode is formed. After that, a side surface of the gate electrode is covered with a structure body. The structure body preferably contains silicon oxide. A first insulating layer is formed to cover the semiconductor layer, the gate electrode, and the structure body. A second insulating layer is formed by a sputtering method over the first insulating layer. Oxygen is introduced to the first insulating layer when the second insulating layer is formed. |
| US09947798B2 |
Display device
According to one embodiment, a display device includes thin-film transistor. The thin-film transistor includes a first semiconductor layer, a first insulating film, a gate electrode, a second insulating film, a second semiconductor layer, a first electrode and a second electrode. The gap between the bottom surface of the gate electrode and the upper surface of the first channel region of the first semiconductor layer is larger than the gap between the upper surface of the gate electrode and the bottom surface of the second channel region of the second semiconductor layer. |
| US09947796B2 |
Oxide thin film transistor and manufacturing method thereof, array substrate and display device
The present invention provides an oxide thin film transistor and a manufacturing method thereof, an array substrate and a display device. The oxide thin film transistor of the present invention comprises a substrate, and a gate, a gate insulation layer, an oxide semiconductor active layer, a source and a drain, which are sequentially formed on the substrate, wherein, the oxide thin film transistor further comprises a transition layer formed between the oxide semiconductor active layer and the source and between the oxide semiconductor active layer and the drain, the transition layer comprises a metal layer and a protective layer, and the protective layer is in contact with the oxide semiconductor active layer, the metal layer is arranged on the protective layer and in contact with the source and the drain, and the protective layer is made of a metal oxide. |
| US09947789B1 |
Vertical transistors stressed from various directions
A vertical transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, and fin(s) over the semiconductor substrate (n-type fin(s) and/or p-type fin(s)), the fin(s) acting as vertical transistor channels for vertical transistors. Each of the fin(s) is lattice mismatched at one or more interface(s), being stressed from below, from above, from fin sidewalls or combination(s) thereof. The vertical transistors can be realized by providing a semiconductor substrate, forming stressed fin(s) of vertical transistor(s) acting as vertical transistor channels, the stressed fin(s) being lattice mismatched at one or more interfaces and being stressed from below, above, sidewalls or combination(s) thereof. |
| US09947787B2 |
Devices and methods for a power transistor having a schottky or schottky-like contact
Devices, structures, and methods thereof for providing a Schottky or Schottky-like contact as a source region and/or a drain region of a power transistor are disclosed. A power transistor structure comprises a substrate of a first dopant polarity, a drift region formed on or within the substrate, a body region formed on or within the drift region, a gate structure formed on or within the substrate, a source region adjacent to the gate structure, a drain region formed adjacent to the gate structure. At least one of the source region and the drain region is formed from a Schottky or Schottky-like contact substantially near a surface of the substrate, comprising a silicide layer and an interfacial dopant segregation layer. The Schottky or Schottky-like contact is formed by low-temperature annealing a dopant segregation implant in the source and/or drain region. |
| US09947782B2 |
Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor layer and a substrate. The semiconductor layer constitutes at least a part of a current path, and is made of silicon carbide. The substrate has a first surface supporting the semiconductor layer, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. Further, the substrate is made of silicon carbide having a 4H type single-crystal structure. Further, the substrate has a physical property in which a ratio of a peak strength in a wavelength of around 500 nm to a peak strength in a wavelength of around 390 nm is 0.1 or smaller in photoluminescence measurement. In this way, the semiconductor device is obtained to have a low on-resistance. |
| US09947780B2 |
High electron mobility transistor (HEMT) and method of fabrication
Transistors for high voltage and high frequency operation. A non-planar, polar crystalline semiconductor body having a top surface disposed between first and second opposite sidewalls includes a channel region with a first crystalline semiconductor layer disposed over the first and second sidewalls. The first crystalline semiconductor layer is to provide a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) within the channel region. A gate structure is disposed over the first crystalline semiconductor layer along at least the second sidewall to modulate the 2DEG. First and second sidewalls of the non-planar polar crystalline semiconductor body may have differing polarity, with the channel proximate to a first of the sidewalls. The gate structure may be along a second of the sidewalls to gate a back barrier. The polar crystalline semiconductor body may be a group III-nitride formed on a silicon substrate with the (1010) plane on a (110) plane of the silicon. |
| US09947779B2 |
Power MOSFET having lateral channel, vertical current path, and P-region under gate for increasing breakdown voltage
In one embodiment, a power MOSFET cell includes an N+ silicon substrate having a drain electrode. An N-type drift layer is grown over the substrate. An N-type layer, having a higher dopant concentration than the drift region, is then formed along with a trench having sidewalls. A P-well is formed in the N-type layer, and an N+ source region is formed in the P-well. A gate is formed over the P-well's lateral channel and has a vertical extension into the trench. A positive gate voltage inverts the lateral channel and increases the vertical conduction along the sidewalls to reduce on-resistance. A vertical shield field plate is also located next to the sidewalls and may be connected to the gate. The field plate laterally depletes the N-type layer when the device is off to increase the breakdown voltage. A buried layer and sinker enable the use of a topside drain electrode. |
| US09947775B2 |
Replacement III-V or germanium nanowires by unilateral confined epitaxial growth
A lateral epitaxial growth process is employed to facilitate the fabrication of a semiconductor structure including a stack of suspended III-V or germanium semiconductor nanowires that are substantially defect free. The lateral epitaxial growth process is unidirectional due to the use of masks to prevent epitaxial growth in both directions, which would create defects when the growth fronts merge. Stacked sacrificial material nanowires are first formed, then after masking and etching process to reveal a semiconductor seed layer, the sacrificial material nanowires are removed, and III-V compound semiconductor or germanium epitaxy is performed to fill the void previously occupied by the sacrificial material nanowires. |
| US09947769B1 |
Multiple-layer spacers for field-effect transistors
Structures for spacers in a device structure for a field-effect transistor and methods for forming spacers in a device structure for a field-effect transistor. A first spacer is located adjacent to a vertical sidewall of a gate electrode, a second spacer is located between the first spacer and the vertical sidewall of the gate electrode, and a third spacer is located between the second spacer and the vertical sidewall of the gate electrode. The first spacer has a higher dielectric constant than the second spacer. The first spacer has a higher dielectric constant than the third spacer. The third spacer has a lower dielectric constant than the second spacer. |
| US09947768B2 |
Method for forming spacers for a transistor gate
A method for forming spacers of a gate of a field-effect transistor is provided, the gate being located above a layer of a semiconductor material, the method including forming a dielectric layer covering the gate of the transistor; modifying the dielectric layer by putting the dielectric layer into presence with a plasma formed from a gas formed from at least one first non-carbonated gaseous component of which dissociation generates light ions and a second gaseous component comprising at least one species favoring dissociation of the first component in order to form the light ions, wherein a gas ratio between the first component and the second component is between 1:19 and 19:1. |
| US09947765B2 |
Dummy gate placement methodology to enhance integrated circuit performance
A method for increasing the performance of an integrated circuit by reducing the number of dummy gate geometries next to transistors in the speed path of an integrated circuit. |
| US09947763B2 |
FinFET with reduced capacitance
A method including depositing a gap fill material on top of a conformal dummy gate oxide above and in between a plurality of fins, forming one or more openings between the plurality of fins and the gap fill material by selectively removing a portion of the conformal dummy gate oxide, and forming a gate within the one or more openings, and above the plurality of fins and the gap fill material. |
| US09947762B2 |
MOS devices with mask layers and methods for forming the same
A device includes a substrate, a gate dielectric over the substrate, and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric. A drain region and a source region are disposed on opposite sides of the gate electrode. Insulation regions are disposed in the substrate, wherein edges of the insulation regions are in contact with edges of the drain region and the source region. A dielectric mask includes a portion overlapping a first interface between the drain region and an adjoining portion of the insulation regions. A drain silicide region is disposed over the drain region, wherein an edge of the silicide region is substantially aligned to an edge of the first portion of the dielectric mask. |
| US09947761B2 |
Production method for semiconductor device
A method for producing a semiconductor device includes an implantation step of performing proton implantation from a rear surface of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a formation step of performing an annealing process for the semiconductor substrate in an annealing furnace to form a first semiconductor region of the first conductivity type which has a higher impurity concentration than the semiconductor substrate after the implantation step. In the formation step, the furnace is in a hydrogen atmosphere and the volume concentration of hydrogen is in the range of 6% to 30%. Therefore, it is possible to reduce crystal defects in the generation of donors by proton implantation. In addition, it is possible to improve the rate of change into a donor. |
| US09947747B2 |
Fully depleted silicon-on-insulator device formation
A p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (pMOS) planar fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) device and a method of fabricating the pMOS FDSOI are described. The method includes processing a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer disposed on an insulator layer to form gaps on a surface opposite a surface that is disposed on the insulator layer, each of the gaps extending into the SiGe layer to a depth less than or equal to a thickness of the SiGe layer, and forming a gate conductor over a region of the SiGe layer corresponding to a channel region of the pMOS. The method also includes performing an epitaxial process on the SiGe layer at locations corresponding to source and drain regions of the pMOS planar FDSOI device. |
| US09947745B2 |
Substrate structure with embedded layer for post-processing silicon handle elimination
The present disclosure relates to a substrate structure with a buried dielectric layer for post-processing silicon handle elimination. The substrate structure includes a silicon handle layer, a first silicon oxide layer over the silicon handle layer, a buried dielectric layer over the first silicon oxide layer, where the buried dielectric layer is not formed from silicon oxide, a second silicon oxide layer over the buried dielectric layer, and a silicon epitaxy layer over the second silicon oxide layer. The buried dielectric layer provides extremely selective etch stop characteristics with respect to etching chemistries for silicon and silicon oxide. |
| US09947737B2 |
Pixel structure having high aperture ratio and circuit
A pixel circuit and a pixel structure having high aperture ratio are provided. A first gate electrode, a layer including a first source electrode and a first drain electrode, and an etching stopper layer, a first semiconductor layer, and a gate isolation layer sandwiched between the first gate electrode and the layer of the first source electrode and the first drain electrode construct a first thin film transistor. A second gate electrode, a layer including a second source electrode and a second drain electrode, and an etching stopper layer, a second semiconductor layer, and the gate isolation layer sandwiched between the second gate electrode and the layer of the second source electrode and the second drain electrode construct a second thin film transistor. An isolation layer with a flat top surface is sandwiched between a transparent electrode and a pixel electrode to form a transparent capacitor. |
| US09947736B2 |
Manufacture method of AMOLED back plate and structure thereof
An AMOLED back plate includes a substrate on which a buffer layer and a poly-silicon section are sequentially formed. A source and a drain are respectively formed of P-type heavy doped micro silicon on the poly-silicon section that have edges facing and spaced from each other to define a channel therebetween. A gate isolation layer is formed on the buffer layer, the source, the drain and the channel. A gate is formed on the gate isolation layer and has opposite edges that face in directions toward the edges of the source and the drain. The opposite edges of the gate are spaced from the edges of the source and the drain by predetermined spacing distance in horizontal directions so as to prevent the gate from overlapping the source and the drain. |
| US09947735B2 |
Display device and method of manufacturing the same
A display device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the display device includes a display area configured to display an image and a bending area adjacent to the display area. The display device is bendable along the bending area; a flexible base substrate. A thin film transistor is disposed over the base substrate, and an insulation layer is disposed over the base substrate and covering the thin film transistor. The bending area includes a stress distribution region having opposing end portions and a central portion. Each of the opposing end portions has a width larger than the width of the central portion, and the width of each opposing end increases as a function of distance from the central portion. |
| US09947729B2 |
Organic electroluminescent element, lighting device, and lighting system
According to one embodiment, an organic electroluminescent element includes a substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, an organic layer and a first conductive unit. The substrate is light-transmissive. The second electrode is provided between the substrate and the first electrode. The second electrode is light-transmissive. The second electrode includes a first region and a second region. A direction connecting the first region and the second region intersects a first direction connecting the substrate and the first electrode. The organic layer is provided between the second electrode and the first electrode. The first conductive unit is provided between the first region and a portion of the substrate. The first conductive unit is electrically connected with the second electrode. The first conductive unit includes a third region and a fourth region. A portion of the fourth region is disposed between the substrate and at least a portion of the third region. |
| US09947723B2 |
Multiple conductive layer TFT
A multiple layer pixel architecture for an active matrix display is provided having a common bus line on a metal level separate from that on which the gate electrodes of the thin-film transistors (TFTs) are formed. A multilayer electronic structure includes a TFT for driving a pixel of an active matrix optoelectronic device and a capacitor for storing charge to maintain an electrical state of said active matrix pixel, wherein the structure includes a substrate bearing at least four conducting layers separated by at least three dielectric layers, first and second ones of said conducting layers defining drain/source electrodes and a gate electrode of said transistor respectively, and third and fourth ones of said conducting layers defining respective first and second plates of said capacitor, wherein said capacitor and said transistor are laterally positioned such that they overlap in a vertical direction. |
| US09947722B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device according to the embodiment includes a first wiring, a second wiring, a resistance change film, a metal film, and a first film. The first wiring is provided between a first interlayer insulating film and a second interlayer insulating film. The second wiring is provided intersecting with the first wiring and extends in a first direction. The resistance change film is provided between the first wiring and the second wiring. The metal film is provided between the second wiring and the resistance change film. The first film is provided between the first wirings and includes chalcogen. |
| US09947719B2 |
Memory including a selector switch on a variable resistance memory cell
Embodiments include but are not limited to apparatuses and systems including memory having a memory cell including a variable resistance memory layer, and a selector switch in direct contact with the memory cell, and configured to facilitate access to the memory cell. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. |
| US09947718B2 |
Athletic activity monitoring device with energy capture
Aspects relate to an energy harvesting device adapted for use by an athlete while exercising. The device may utilize a mass of phase-change material to store heat energy, the stored heat energy subsequently converted into electrical energy by one or more thermoelectric generator modules. The energy harvesting device may be integrated into an item of clothing, and such that the mass of phase change material may store heat energy as the item of clothing is laundered. |
| US09947714B2 |
Methods of manufacturing image sensors
In a method of manufacturing an image sensor, photodiodes may be formed on a semiconductor layer in an active pixel region and a peripheral region. A structure including insulating interlayers and wiring structures may be formed on a first surface of the semiconductor layer in the active pixel region, the peripheral region and an input/output (I/O) region. The semiconductor layer and a first insulating interlayer of the insulating interlayers on the I/O region may be partially etched to form a via hole exposing a first wiring structure of the wiring structures. A first metal layer and a second metal layer may be formed on a second surface of the semiconductor layer and the via hole. The second metal layer may be patterned to form a second pad pattern on the semiconductor layer in the I/O region. An anti-reflective layer may be formed on the first metal layer and the second pad pattern. The anti-reflective layer and the first metal layer may be patterned to form a light blocking structure including the first metal layer and the anti-reflective layer in the peripheral region, and a pad structure including a via contact, a first pad pattern, the second pad pattern and an anti-reflective pattern in the I/O region. An image failure due to the reflected light may be minimized. |
| US09947705B1 |
Image sensors with infrared-blocking layers
An image sensor may include an infrared radiation-blocking layer. The infrared radiation-blocking layer may block infrared radiation from reflecting off of metal layers formed beneath pixel structures in the image sensor so that the reflected light does not reach the photodiodes. The infrared radiation-blocking layer may be formed between a backside redistribution layer and an epitaxial silicon layer in which pixel structures such as photodiodes and transistors are formed. The infrared radiation-blocking layer may be formed from a pre-existing metal layer between the backside redistribution layer and the epitaxial silicon layer. The infrared radiation-blocking layer may prevent the image sensor from generating inadvertent photocurrents in response to reflected infrared light. |
| US09947697B2 |
Low temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT array substrate and method of producing the same, display apparatus
The present disclosure provides a low temperature polycrystalline silicon field effect TFT array substrate and a method for producing the same and a display apparatus. The method: using a stepped photo resist process to form a polycrystalline silicon active layer and a lower polar plate of a polycrystalline silicon storage capacitor simultaneously on a substrate in one lithographic process; forming a gate insulation layer on the polycrystalline silicon active layer and the lower polar plate of the polycrystalline silicon storage capacitor; forming a metal layer on the gate insulation layer and etching the metal layer to form a gate electrode and gate lines connected with the gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and data lines connected with the source electrode and the drain electrode; forming a passivation layer, a photo resist layer and a pixel electrode layer in sequence and patterning the passivation layer, the photo resist layer and the pixel electrode layer to form patterns of an interlayer insulation layer via hole and a pixel electrode in one lithographic process; forming a pixel definition layer on the pixel electrode. The present disclosure may reduce times of lithographic processes for the low temperature polycrystalline silicon field effect TFT array substrate, improve the yield and reduce the costs. |
| US09947695B2 |
Driver circuit comprising semiconductor device
Exemplary semiconductor devices include eight transistors and two capacitors interconnected in specific configurations. A display device may include a driver circuit having such a semiconductor device. An electronic device may also include such a semiconductor device and an input unit, LED lamp or speaker. |
| US09947694B2 |
Structure of signal lines in the fan-out region of an array substrate
An array substrate includes a plurality of signal lines disposed in a display area; a plurality of signal pads disposed in a non-display area; and a fan-out portion disposed in the non-display. The fan-out portion includes a plurality of fan-out lines connecting the plurality of signal lines to the plurality of signal pads. Each of the plurality of fan-out lines includes a pattern electrically connected to a corresponding signal pad of the plurality of signal pads, and a straight portion electrically connected to a corresponding signal line of the plurality of signal lines. The pattern includes a first conductive layer. The straight portion includes the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer disposed on the first conductive layer. |
| US09947692B2 |
Display device
Disclosed is a display device including: a substrate including a display area for displaying an image and a peripheral area neighboring the display area; a plurality of signal lines formed in the display area; a pad formed in the peripheral area; and a plurality of connection wires for connecting the signal lines and the pad, wherein a first connection wire and a second connection wire neighboring the first connection wire from among the plurality of connection wires are disposed on different layers, and the first connection wire and the second connection wire, which are formed to extend from the pad and are bent at least twice to have at least one being bent toward backward direction, are disposed in the peripheral area. |
| US09947687B2 |
Memory cells comprising a programmable field effect transistor having a reversibly programmable gate insulator
A memory cell comprises an elevationally extending programmable field effect transistor comprising a gate insulator that is reversibly programmable into two programmable states characterized by two different Vt's of the programmable transistor. The programmable transistor comprises a top source/drain region and a bottom source/drain region. A bottom select device is electrically coupled in series with and elevationally inward of the bottom source/drain region of the programmable transistor. A top select device is electrically coupled in series with and is elevationally outward of the top source/drain region of the programmable transistor. A bottom select line is electrically coupled in series with and is elevationally inward of the bottom select device. A top select line is electrically coupled in series with and is elevationally outward of the top select device. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09947680B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
A semiconductor memory device includes first wires extending in a first direction; second wires provided in a first interconnect layer including the first wires, the second wires extending in the first direction along extension lines of the first wires respectively; third wires provided in a second interconnect layer different from the first interconnect layer; and transistors on/off controlling electrical connections between the first wires and the second wires through the third wires. The first and second wires are arranged respectively in a second direction crossing the first direction. The transistors are disposed in M stages (M is integer not less than 2) in the first direction, the M stages each including a transistor array aligned in the second direction. The first second wires are periodically arranged with the minimum period including M times N first wires (N is integer not less than 2) and M times N second wires. |
| US09947679B2 |
Method of manufacturing semiconductor device with separately formed insulating films in main circuit and memory regions
An improvement is achieved in the performance of a semiconductor device. Over a first insulating film formed over a main surface of a semiconductor substrate located in a memory formation region and having an internal charge storage portion and over a second insulating film formed over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate located in a main circuit formation region, a conductive film is formed. Then, in the memory formation region, the conductive film and the first insulating film are patterned to form a first gate electrode and a first gate insulating film while, in the main circuit formation region, the conductive film and the second insulating film are left. Then, in the main circuit formation region, the conductive film and the second insulating film are patterned to form a second gate electrode and a second gate insulating film. |
| US09947675B1 |
Mask-programmable ROM using a vertical FET integration process
A mask programmable read-only memory (PROM) cell is provided utilizing a vertical transistor processing flow. PROM programming is performed during the processing flow itself. Notably, “0” or “1” state can be programmed by tuning the threshold voltage of the vertical transistor by controlling the doping concentration of the epitaxially grown semiconductor channel material. |
| US09947672B2 |
Semiconductor devices including a dummy gate structure on a fin
Semiconductor devices including a dummy gate structure on a fin are provided. A semiconductor device includes a fin protruding from a substrate. The semiconductor device includes a source/drain region in the fin, and a recess region of the fin that is between first and second portions of the source/drain region. Moreover, the semiconductor device includes a dummy gate structure overlapping the recess region, and a spacer that is on the fin and adjacent a sidewall of the dummy gate structure. |
| US09947671B2 |
Semiconductor device including transistors having different threshold voltages
A semiconductor device includes first through fourth areas, first through fourth gate stacks, the first gate stack includes a first high-dielectric layer, a first TiN layer to contact the first high-dielectric layer, and a first gate metal on the first TiN layer, the second gate stack includes a second high-dielectric layer, a second TiN layer to contact the second high-dielectric layer, and a second gate metal on the second TiN layer, the third gate stack includes a third high-dielectric layer, a third TiN layer to contact the third high-dielectric layer, and a third gate metal on the third TiN layer, and the fourth gate stack includes a fourth high-dielectric layer, a fourth TiN layer to contact the fourth high-dielectric layer, and a fourth gate metal on the fourth TiN layer, the first through fourth thicknesses of the TiN layers being different. |
| US09947669B1 |
Dynamic random access memory and method of manufacturing the same
A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) includes a substrate, a plurality of isolation structures, a plurality of conductive structure sets, a plurality of bit-line structures, and a plurality of spacers. The substrate has a plurality of active areas. The isolation structures are located in the substrate and extending along a first direction. Each of the isolation structures is disposed between two adjacent active areas. The conductive structure sets are disposed in parallel along the first direction and on the substrate. The bit-line structures are disposed in parallel along a second direction and on the substrate. The bit-line structures penetrate through the conductive structure sets. The spacers are disposed in parallel along the second direction and on sidewalls of the bit-line structures, so as to electrically isolate the bit-line structures from the conductive structure sets. |
| US09947664B1 |
Semiconductor device and method of forming the semiconductor device
A semiconductor device includes a first vertical field effect transistor (VFET) formed on a substrate, and including a first fin and a first gate formed on the first fin, a second VFET formed on the substrate and connected in parallel with the first VFET, and including a second fin and a second gate formed on the second fin, a third VFET formed on the substrate and including a third fin, the first and second gates being formed on the third fin, and a fourth VFET formed on the substrate and connected in series with the third VFET, and including a fourth fin, the first and second gates being formed on the fourth fin. |
| US09947662B2 |
CMOS circuits suitable for low noise RF applications
A CMOS circuit comprises CMOS MOSFETs having n-type and p-type gates on the same substrate, wherein the substrate is divided into regions of n-type and p-type diffusions, and those diffusions are contained within a deeper n-type diffusion, used to junction isolate components within the deeper n-type diffusion from components outside of the deeper n-type diffusion. |
| US09947660B1 |
Two dimension material fin sidewall
A semiconductor structure, such as a microchip that includes a finFET, includes fins that have a 2D material, such as Graphene, upon at least the fin sidewalls. The thickness of the 2D material sidewall may be tuned to achieve desired finFET band gap control. Neighboring fins of the semiconductor structure form fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a fin cap upon each fin and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls of the fin and the bottom surface of the fin wells. The semiconductor structure may include a well-plug at the bottom of the fin wells and the 2D material is formed upon the sidewalls and upper surface of the fins. The semiconductor structure may include both fin caps and well-plugs such that the 2D material is formed only upon the sidewalls of the fins. |
| US09947659B2 |
Fin field-effect transistor gated diode
The invention provides a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a fin field effect transistor (finFET) array including finFET units. Each of the finFET units includes a substrate having a fin along a first direction. A first metal strip pattern and a second metal strip pattern are formed on the fin, extending along a second direction that is different from the first direction. The first and second metal strip patterns are conformally formed on opposite sidewalls and a top surface of the fin, respectively. A first contact and a second contact are formed on the fin. The first and second metal strip patterns are disposed between the first and second contacts. A first dummy contact is formed on the fin, sandwiched between the first and second metal strip patterns. |
| US09947658B2 |
Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a doped layer doped with a first dopant is formed in a substrate. A semiconductor layer is formed on the doped layer. A fin structure is formed by patterning at least the semiconductor layer and the doped layer such that the fin structure comprises a channel region including the semiconductor layer, and a well region including the doped layer. An isolation insulating layer is formed such that the channel region of the fin structure protrudes from the isolation insulating layer and the well region of the fin structure is embedded in the isolation insulating layer. A gate structure is formed over a part of the fin structure and the isolation insulating layer. The semiconductor layer is at least one of a doped silicon layer or a non-doped silicon layer. |
| US09947656B2 |
Integrated circuit devices including fin active areas with different shapes
An integrated circuit device can include a substrate having a first area and a second area and a pair of first fin-shaped active areas each having a first shape protruding from the first area in a first direction, adjacent to each other, and extending in a straight line. A fin separation insulating film can be between the pair of first fin-shaped active areas in the first area and a second fin-shaped active area can protrude from the second area in the first direction and have a second shape that is different from the first shape, wherein respective widths of each of the pair of first fin-shaped active areas are less than a corresponding width of the second fin-shaped active area. |
| US09947654B2 |
Electronic device including a transistor and a field electrode
In an aspect, a cascode circuit can include a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor. The source of the high-side transistor can be coupled to the drain of the low-side transistor; and the gate of the high-side transistor can be coupled to each of the source and the gate of the low-side transistor. In another aspect, an electronic device can include a high-side transistor, a low-side transistor, and a field electrode. The low-side transistor can include a drain region coupled to the source electrode of the high-side transistor. The field electrode can overlie and be capacitively coupled to a channel layer of the high-side transistor, wherein the field electrode is configured to be at a voltage between the voltages of the high-side and low-side power supply terminals. |
| US09947653B2 |
High-voltage semiconductor devices
A high-voltage semiconductor device includes a MOS device and a resistor device. The MOS device has a source, a drain, a drain insulation region adjacent to the drain, and a gate adjacent to the source. The resistor device is formed on the drain insulation region and is electrically connected to the drain. The resistor device has a plurality of resistor sections connected in series, and each of the plurality of resistor sections has a curved shape. |
| US09947651B2 |
Semiconductor integrated circuit device having an NMOS with a high resistance drain terminal
A semiconductor integrated circuit device with a “PAD on I/O cell” structure in which a pad lead part is disposed almost in the center of an I/O part so as to reduce the chip layout area. In the I/O part, a transistor lies nearest to the periphery of the semiconductor chip. When seen in a plan view of the I/O part, a resistance lies above the transistor and a first and a second diode lie above the resistance; a second transistor lies above the diodes; and a logic block lies above the second transistor with a pad lead part, for example, formed in a metal wiring layer, therebetween. This permits the pad through the second transistor to be on the same node and therefore the pad lead part can be disposed almost in the center of the I/O part. |
| US09947650B1 |
Device for protection against electrostatic discharges with a distributed trigger circuit
An ESD protection device includes a MOS transistor connected between a first terminal and a second terminal and having a gate region, source/drain region and a well region electrically coupled by a resistive-capacitive circuit configured to control turn on of the MOS transistor in response to an ESD event. The resistive-capacitive circuit has a common part with at least one of the source, gate or drain regions of the MOS transistor and includes a capacitive element and a resistive element. A first electrode of the capacitive element is formed by the resistive element and a second electrode of the capacitive element is formed by at least a portion of a semiconductor film within which the source/drain region is formed. |
| US09947649B1 |
Large area electrostatic dischage for vertical transistor structures
A semiconductor structure including an electrostatic discharge (ESD) diode with an increased junction area and a vertical field effect transistor (FET) formed on a same substrate is provided. The ESD diode is formed by forming a first doped semiconductor segment merging bottom portions of a pair of semiconductor fins and then forming a second doped semiconductor segment having a conductivity type opposite to that of each of the first doped semiconductor segment and the pair of semiconductor fins. A U-shaped p-n junction is present between the second doped semiconductor segment and the first doped semiconductor segment and the second doped semiconductor segment and the pair of semiconductor fins. |
| US09947643B2 |
Inverted optical device
Inverted optical device. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of piggyback substrates are attached to a carrier wafer. The plurality of piggyback substrates are dissimilar in composition to the carrier wafer. The plurality of piggyback substrates are processed, while attached to the carrier wafer, to produce a plurality of integrated circuit devices. A flip wafer is attached to the plurality of light emitting diodes, away from the carrier wafer and the carrier wafer is removed. The plurality of light emitting diodes may be singulated to form individual light emitting diode devices. |
| US09947635B1 |
Semiconductor package, interposer and semiconductor process for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device includes a first main body, at least one first columnar portion and at least one first conductive layer. The first columnar portion protrudes from a bottom surface of the first main body. The first conductive layer is disposed on a side surface of the first columnar portion. The second semiconductor device includes a second main body, at least one second columnar portion and at least one second conductive layer. The second columnar portion protrudes from a top surface of the second main body. The second conductive layer is disposed on a side surface of the second columnar portion. The first conductive layer is electrically coupled to the second conductive layer. |
| US09947633B2 |
Deformable conductive contacts
Deformable conductive contacts are provided. A plurality of deformable contacts on a first substrate may be joined to a plurality of conductive pads on a second substrate during die level or wafer level assembly of microelectronics. Each deformable contact complies to a degree that is related to the amount of joining pressure between the first substrate and the second substrate. Since an individual contact can make the conductive coupling within a range of distances from a target pad, an array of the deformable contacts provides tolerance and compliance when there is some variation in height of the conductive elements on either side of the join. A flowable underfill may be provided to press the deformable contacts against opposing pads and to permanently join the surfaces at a fixed distance. The deformable contacts may include a wiping feature to clear their target pads for establishing improved metal-to-metal contact or a thermocompression bond. |
| US09947626B2 |
Eliminate sawing-induced peeling through forming trenches
A package includes a device die, a molding material encircling the device die, wherein a top surface of the molding material is substantially level with a top surface of the device die, and a bottom dielectric layer over the device die and the molding material. A plurality of redistribution lines (RDLs) extends into the bottom dielectric layer and electrically coupling to the device die. A top polymer layer is over the bottom dielectric layer, with a trench ring penetrating through the top polymer layer. The trench ring is adjacent to edges of the package. The package further includes Under-Bump Metallurgies (UBMs) extending into the top polymer layer. |
| US09947623B1 |
Semiconductor device comprising a conductive pad on a protruding-through electrode
A semiconductor device. For example and without limitation, various aspects of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor device that comprises a semiconductor die comprising an inactive die side and an active die side opposite the inactive die side, a through hole in the semiconductor die that extends between the inactive die side and the active die side where the through hole comprises an inner wall, an insulating layer coupled to the inner wall of the through hole, a through electrode inside of the insulating layer, a dielectric layer coupled to the inactive die side, and a conductive pad coupled to the through electrode. |
| US09947620B2 |
Semiconductor memory device
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a wiring layer, an insulating layer, a contact plug, a pillar and a pad. The wiring layer is electrically connected to a memory cell. The insulating layer is provided on the wiring layer. The contact plug is provided in the insulating layer and is electrically connected to an end of the wiring layer. The pillar is provided through the wiring layer and the insulating layer which are located between the memory cell and the contact plug. The pad is electrically connected to one end of the pillar. |
| US09947617B2 |
Series MIM structures
The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit configured to mitigate damage to MIM decoupling capacitors. In some embodiments, the integrated chip has a lower metal interconnect layer arranged over a substrate. A plurality of MIM (metal-insulator-metal) structures are arranged over the lower metal interconnect layer, and a plurality of memory cells are arranged over the lower metal interconnect layer at a location laterally offset from the plurality of MIM structures. An upper metal interconnect layer is arranged over the plurality of MIM structures and the plurality of memory cells. One or both of the lower metal interconnect layer and the upper metal interconnect layer are comprised within a conductive path that electrically couples the plurality of MIM structures in a series connection. The plurality of MIM structures and the plurality of memory cells comprise multi-layer structures having a substantially same shape. |
| US09947613B2 |
Power semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same
A power semiconductor device includes a power semiconductor element, a controlling element, a first lead frame and a second lead frame, respectively, a first metal wire electrically connecting the power semiconductor element and the first lead frame, and a sealing body covering these components. The first lead frame includes a first inner lead having a connecting surface to which one end of the first metal wire is connected. Among surfaces of the sealing body, in a side surface, a resin inlet mark is formed in a side surface portion from which the first lead frame and the second lead frame do not project, the resin inlet mark being greater in surface roughness than another area. The resin inlet mark is formed opposite to a side where the first metal wire is positioned on the connecting surface when seen in the direction along the mounting surface. |
| US09947612B2 |
Semiconductor device with frame having arms and related methods
A semiconductor device may include a circuit board having an opening, and a frame. The frame may have an IC die pad in the opening, and arms extending outwardly from the IC die pad and coupled to the circuit board. The semiconductor device may include an IC mounted on the IC die pad, bond wires coupling the circuit board with the IC, and encapsulation material surrounding the IC, the bond wires, and the arms. |
| US09947610B2 |
Semiconductor structure and method for manufacturing the same
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer, a buffer layer, at least one recess, and at least one conductor. The dielectric layer is present on the semiconductor substrate. The buffer layer is present between the semiconductor substrate and the dielectric layer. The recess extends into the semiconductor substrate through the dielectric layer and the buffer layer, in which the buffer layer has a removing rate with respect to an etching process for forming the recess. The removing rate of the buffer layer is between those of the semiconductor substrate and the dielectric layer. The conductor is present in the recess. |
| US09947607B2 |
Inverter
An inverter includes: an inverter circuit including: a power semiconductor module; and an inverter circuit module including a passive component; a cooler including a cooler surface to which the power semiconductor module is joined; an inverter case sealing the inverter circuit with the cooler surface of the cooler; and a sealed heat insulating layer being formed on the cooler surface of the cooler and having a thickness that is equal to or less than a maximum convection suppressing distance. |
| US09947606B2 |
Semiconductor device including electromagnetic absorption and shielding
A semiconductor device is disclosed including material for absorbing EMI and/or RFI. The device includes a substrate, one or more semiconductor die, and molding compound around the one or more semiconductor die. The material for absorbing EMI and/or RFI may be provided within or on a solder mask layer on the substrate, or within a dielectric core of the substrate. The device may further include EMI/RFI-absorbing material around the molding compound and in contact with the EMI/RFI-absorbing material on the substrate to completely enclose the one or more semiconductor die in EMI/RFI-absorbing material. |
| US09947604B2 |
Epoxy resin composition, semiconductor sealing agent, and semiconductor device
An epoxy resin composition includes: (A) epoxy resin; (B) a curing agent; (C) 0.1 to 10 mass % of silica filler with an average particle size of 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less; and (D) 40 to 75 mass % of silica filler with an average particle size of 0.3 μm or more and 5 μm or less. The component (C) and the component (D) are contained by 40.1 to 77 mass % in total. |
| US09947603B2 |
Lid attach optimization to limit electronic package warpage
An electronic package includes a carrier and a semiconductor chip. In a first aspect a lid is attached to the chip and subsequently the gap between the lid and the carrier is filled by a seal band that includes seal band material and a plurality of shim members. In another aspect, an interleaved seal band includes a pattern of a first type of seal band material and a second type of seal band material. In another aspect, the lid includes a plurality of surfaces at different topographies to reduce the thickness of the seal band between the topographic lid and the carrier. In yet another aspect the electronic package further includes a frame concentric with the chip. The lid is attached to the frame with a solder, epoxy or elastomer and placed on the chip with a thermal interface material. The seal band material is dispensed on the chip carrier and the frame is then moved towards the chip carrier allowing a minimum seal band thickness. |
| US09947602B2 |
IC structure integrity sensor having interdigitated conductive elements
A sensor for an integrated circuit (IC) structure is disclosed. The sensor includes a sensor layer in a layer of the IC structure, the sensor layer including: a first conductive structure disposed proximate a perimeter of the IC structure; and a second conductive structure disposed parallel to the first conductive structure and proximate the perimeter of the IC structure. The sensor also includes a set of interdigitating conductive elements including a first plurality of conductive elements electrically coupled to the first conductive structure interdigitating with a second plurality of conductive elements electrically coupled to the second conductive structure. |
| US09947597B2 |
Defectivity metrology during DSA patterning
The described embodiments include performing a curing process for selective treatment, or hardening, of PS regions in PS-b-PMMA block copolymer DSA films prior to dry etch development of PMMA regions. In various embodiments, the curing chemistry can be Ar/H2, HBr, N2/H2, etc., which has the capability of generating Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV) photon flux for polymer curing. The curing effect may enhance the etch resistance of PS regions, thereby freezing the bulk defects during plasma PMMA removal. The defects can then be measured by commonly used metrology techniques like CDSEM and quantized. |
| US09947581B2 |
Method of forming a copper based interconnect structure
Low capacitance and high reliability interconnect structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a copper based interconnect structure in an opening of a dielectric material. The method further includes forming a capping layer on the copper based interconnect structure. The method further includes oxidizing the capping layer and any residual material formed on a surface of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a barrier layer on the capping layer by outdiffusing a material from the copper based interconnect structure to a surface of the capping layer. The method further includes removing the residual material, while the barrier layer on the surface of the capping layer protects the capping layer. |
| US09947576B2 |
UV-assisted material injection into porous films
Methods are described for reducing shrinkage experienced by porous films on a patterned substrate. The film may be a silicon-and-hydrogen-containing layer which further contains one or two of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Shortly after deposition, the silicon-and-hydrogen-containing layer is treated by concurrent exposure to a relatively small molecule precursor (e.g. NH3 or C2H2) and a source of UV light. The treatment may reduce subsequent shrinkage experienced by the porous film even at the bottom of the film due to the significant penetration prior to reaction. The treatment may reduce shrinkage at the bottom of a trench filled with the porous film. |
| US09947575B2 |
Semiconductor device and semiconductor device fabrication method
A multilayer wiring in a semiconductor device includes a first lower wiring formed in a first insulating layer, a via which is formed in a second insulating layer over the first insulating layer and which is connected to the first lower wiring, and an upper wiring connected to the via. The upper wiring has an outer edge at which a nick portion is formed beside a portion of the upper wiring to which the via is connected. The formation of the nick portion at the outer edge of the upper wiring prevents the via from enlarging. |
| US09947574B2 |
Semiconductor device
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a semiconductor layer, a first insulating film provided on the semiconductor layer, a first conductive layer provided on the first insulating film, a second insulating film provided on the semiconductor layer and the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer provided on the second insulating film, a first contact portion connecting the semiconductor layer and the second conductive layer, and a second contact portion connecting the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. A distance between the semiconductor layer and an upper portion of the second insulating film adjacent to the second contact portion is greater than a distance between the semiconductor layer and an upper portion of the second insulating film adjacent to the first contact portion. The second contact portion has a larger width than the first contact portion. |
| US09947569B2 |
Carrier tape and pack
A carrier tape is provided from which LEDs can be easily picked up. A carrier tape for accommodating an LED includes a sheet defining recessed embossed portions that can accommodate the LED. The embossed portion is formed to accommodate the LED which includes a light emitting portion having light-transmissive resin and arranged on its lateral surface as viewed in plan view. The embossed portion includes a protruding part that is arranged on one of the interior surfaces of the recessed embossed portion and can face the light emitting portion of the LED. Depressed parts are provided on the both sides of the protruding part so that the depressed surfaces can be spaced away from the LED when the LED is accommodated in the embossed portion. The width of the protruding part is smaller than the width of the light emitting portion of the LED as viewed in plan view. |
| US09947566B2 |
Substrate angle alignment device, substrate angle alignment method, and substrate transfer method
A substrate angle alignment device includes a plurality of holding sections which hold a plurality of substrates, respectively in such a manner that the plurality of substrates are placed to be oriented horizontally and arranged vertically, a first up-down unit including a plurality of first support sections, and a second up-down unit including a plurality of second support sections. The device repeats a series of angle alignment operations in which the plurality of holding sections are rotated together to perform angle alignment of selected one of the plurality of substrates, and the first support section corresponding to the aligned substrate is moved up to lift up the substrate with the first support section. The device moves the plurality of second support sections up together to lift up the plurality of aligned substrates supported on the plurality of first support sections, with the plurality of second support sections, respectively. |
| US09947565B2 |
Workpiece stocker with circular configuration
An improved stocker configuration for storing workpieces in a fabrication facility is disclosed, employing workpiece compartments arranged stationarily around a robot handling assembly. The robot handler can be designed with three degrees of freedom, to improve speed, throughput and minimum particle generation. In addition, the stocker storage area is stationary with the movable components are the robot assembly, thus further contributing to the cleanliness of the storage stocker. The stocker configuration can be open storage area for fast access, space saving and ease of clean air purging. The stocker configuration can provide highly dense workpiece storage, utilizing a circumferential edge gripper robot handling assembly. |
| US09947562B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing semiconductor work pieces
A processing apparatus for semiconductor work pieces and related methodology is disclosed and which includes a processing chamber having an internal cavity, and which has a plurality of rotatable processing stations positioned therein and wherein the rotatable processing stations each process a semiconductor work piece. |
| US09947559B2 |
Thermal management of edge ring in semiconductor processing
Apparatus for processing semiconductors are provided herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus for processing a substrate may include: a first ring disposed concentrically about a substrate support, the first ring configured to position a substrate atop the substrate support during processing; and a second ring disposed between the substrate support and the first ring, the second ring configured to provide a heat transfer path from the first ring to the substrate support. |
| US09947552B2 |
Structure and formation method of chip package with fan-out structure
Structures and formation methods of a chip package are provided. The method includes forming multiple conductive structures over a carrier substrate and disposing a semiconductor die over the carrier substrate. The method also includes disposing a mold over the carrier substrate. The method further includes forming a protection layer between the mold and the carrier substrate to surround the semiconductor die and the conductive structures. In addition, the method includes removing the mold. |
| US09947543B2 |
Semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method thereof
The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor memory, device and a method of forming a semiconductor memory device. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device, includes forming a tunnel insulation layer and a floating gate on a semiconductor substrate of an active region, forming a trench in the semiconductor substrate of an isolation region, forming, in the trench, a sacrificial layer having an upper surface positioned higher than a surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming a capping layer over the sacrificial layer, and forming an air gap by removing the sacrificial layer without removing the capping layer. |
| US09947541B2 |
Method of forming spacers for a gate of a transistor
A method for forming spacers of a gate of a field effect transistor is provided, the gate including sides and a top and being located above a layer of a semiconductor material, the method including a step of forming a dielectric layer that covers the gate; after the step of forming the dielectric layer, at least one step of modifying the dielectric layer by ion implantation while retaining non-modified portions of the dielectric layer covering sides of the gate and being at least non-modified over their entire thickness; the ions having a hydrogen base and/or a helium base; at least one step of removing the modified dielectric layer using a selective etching of the dielectric layer, wherein the removing includes a wet etching with a base of a solution including hydrofluoric acid diluted to x % by weight, with x≤0.2, and having a pH less than or equal to 1.5. |
| US09947537B2 |
Method of forming a P-type ohmic contact in group-III nitride semiconductors
There is a problem that even if impurities are made to thermally diffuse in a temperature range of 700° C.-1150° C., a good ohmic contact cannot be formed in a p-type group-III nitride semiconductor layer.Provided is a semiconductor device manufacturing method having a group-III nitride semiconductor substrate and a p-type group-III nitride semiconductor layer on the group-III nitride semiconductor substrate, including forming a magnesium containing layer on and in direct contact with the p-type group-III nitride semiconductor layer; and annealing the p-type group-III nitride semiconductor layer at a temperature more than or equal to 1300° C. to form a p+-type region which contains magnesium as an impurity in the p-type group-III nitride semiconductor layer located immediately below the magnesium containing layer. |
| US09947535B2 |
Trench formation using horn shaped spacer
A method includes forming a mandrel layer over a target layer, and etching the mandrel layer to form mandrels. The mandrels have top widths greater than respective bottom widths, and the mandrels define a first opening in the mandrel layer. The first opening has an I-shape and includes two parallel portions and a connecting portion interconnecting the two parallel portions. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the first opening. The spacers fill the connecting portion, wherein a center portion of each of the two parallel portions is unfilled by the spacers. Portions of the first opening that are unfilled by the spacers are extended into the target layer. |
| US09947531B2 |
High rate sputter deposition of alkali metal-containing precursor films useful to fabricate chalcogenide semiconductors
The present invention provides methods to sputter deposit films comprising alkali metal compounds. At least one target comprising one or more alkali metal compounds and at least one metallic component is sputtered to form one or more corresponding sputtered films. The at least one target has an atomic ratio of the alkali metal compound to the at least one metallic component in the range from 15:85 to 85:15. The sputtered film(s) incorporating such alkali metal compounds are incorporated into a precursor structure also comprising one or more chalcogenide precursor films. The precursor structure is heated in the presence of at least one chalcogen to form a chalcogenide semiconductor. The resultant chalcogenide semiconductor comprises up to 2 atomic percent of alkali metal content, wherein at least a major portion of the alkali metal content of the resultant chalcogenide semiconductor is derived from the sputtered film(s) incorporating the alkali metal compound(s). The chalcogenide semiconductors are useful in microelectronic devices, including solar cells. |
| US09947528B2 |
Structure and method for nFET with high k metal gate
The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate; a n-type filed effect transistor (nFET) formed on the semiconductor substrate and having a first gate stack including a high k dielectric layer, a capping layer on the high k dielectric layer, a p work function metal on the capping layer, and a polysilicon layer on the p work function metal; and a p-type filed effect transistor (pFET) formed on the semiconductor substrate and having a second gate stack including the high k dielectric layer, the p work function metal on the high k dielectric layer, and a metal material on the p work function metal. |
| US09947526B2 |
Gas discharge device and flat light source using the same, and driving method therefor
A gas discharge device includes a thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas; a pair of first and second long electrodes extending toward either side along a longitudinal direction with a discharge gap interposed therebetween are provided outside of a back side flat surface of a thin glass tube; and a ultraviolet phosphor layer formed on an inner surface at the back side flat surface, the thin glass tube filled with a discharge gas having a front side flat surface and the back side flat surface facing each other on a transverse section, wherein, starting with trigger discharge that is initially generated in the discharge gap as a result of a voltage increase when a voltage with a sine waveform or an inclined waveform is applied between both electrodes, the discharge gradually extends so as to move in the longitudinal direction of the electrodes. Ultraviolet light having high luminous efficiency and emission intensity is obtained from a front side surface of the thin glass tube by driving the device with a sine-wave AC voltage. |
| US09947525B2 |
Time interval measurement
A technique for time interval measurement is provided. First and second signal components are received, sampled and digitized. The first signal component is derived from a trigger signal that causes or indicates generation 5 of the second signal component. A time interval between the first and second signal components is determined based on a reference time defined by the sampled and digitized first signal component and based on a reference time defined by the sampled and digitized second signal component. |
| US09947522B2 |
Probe adaptor assembly
An apparatus for connecting an ionisation probe assembly to a mass and/or ion mobility spectrometer is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: an attachment member for releasably attaching a probe assembly to the apparatus; a cap for enclosing the attachment member; wherein the apparatus is operable to deliver a voltage to a probe assembly only when the cap is arranged to enclose the attachment member; and wherein the cap is configurable to enclose the attachment member when a probe assembly is attached to the apparatus. |
| US09947521B2 |
Auxiliary gas inlet
There is provided a method of introducing ions into a mass spectrometer, comprising ionising a sample using a Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation (“MALDI”) ion source to form a plurality of ions, transporting said plurality of ions in a first, primary gas through a passageway and into an inlet of a mass spectrometer, introducing a second, auxiliary gas into said inlet, and controlling a flow rate of said second gas into said inlet so as to control a flow rate of said first gas through said passageway. |
| US09947512B2 |
Window and mounting arrangement for twist-and-lock gas injector assembly of inductively coupled plasma chamber
An improved gas injection assembly for mounting in a central bore of a dielectric window of an inductively coupled plasma chamber includes a window having a central bore and cylindrical recess configured to receive an annular insert having a bayonet opening. The gas injector assembly includes a gas injector, an RF shield surrounding the gas injector, and a faceplate surrounding the RF shield, the faceplate including projections at the bottom thereof for engaging the bayonet opening in the annular insert. The window and gas injection assembly are designed to avoid chipping of the window which is typically made of quartz and in prior mounting arrangements the window has a bayonet opening machined therein. Due to the brittle nature of the quartz material, the machined bayonet opening was subject to chipping when the gas injector assembly was inserted into the bayonet opening. |
| US09947509B2 |
Multiple charged particle beam lithography apparatus and multiple charged particle beam lithography method
According to one aspect of the present invention, a multiple charged particle beam lithography apparatus includes a circuitry configured to divide a lithography region of a target object into a plurality of pixel regions having a mesh shape and being irradiated with multiple charged particle beams; a circuitry configured to group the plurality of pixel regions into a plurality of pixel blocks configured with at least one pixel region; a circuitry configured to correct position deviation in unit of a pixel block for each pixel block of the plurality of pixel blocks; a dose calculating processing circuitry configured to calculate a dose being irradiated on the pixel concerned for each pixel where the position deviation is corrected; and a mechanism configured to write a pattern on the target object by using the multiple charged particle beams so that each pixel is illuminated with the calculated dose. |
| US09947508B2 |
Lithography apparatus, and method of manufacturing an article
The present invention provides a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate, the apparatus comprising a base, a stage configured to hold the substrate and be movable above the base with the stage supported by the base, a patterning device configured to perform patterning on the substrate held by the stage, a chamber housing the base and the stage, and supporting the patterning device, a detector configured to obtain information of relative positions between the patterning device and the base, a driving device configured to move the base, and a controller configured to control the driving device based on the information obtained by the detector such that the relative positions satisfy a predetermined condition. |
| US09947506B2 |
Sample holder and focused ion beam apparatus
Shaft members which respectively protrude toward at least one beam member and the other beam member in a z-axis direction are formed in a mesh support member. A through hole for penetrating a space between a shaft end surface and an opening portion in the z-axis direction and introducing a focused ion beam toward a fine sample piece is formed in at least one shaft member. |
| US09947504B2 |
Particle beam apparatus and method for operating a particle beam apparatus
The system described herein relates to a particle beam apparatus for analyzing and/or for processing an object and to a method for operating a particle beam apparatus. The particle beam apparatus is designed for example as an electron beam apparatus and/or an ion beam apparatus. The particle beam apparatus comprises a beam deflection device, for example an objective lens, which is provided with a first coil and a second coil. The first coil is operated with a first coil current. The second coil is operated with a second coil current. The first coil current and/or the second coil current may always be controlled in such a way that the sum of the first coil current and the second coil current (the summation current) or the difference between the first coil current and the second coil current (the difference current) is controlled to a setpoint value. |
| US09947501B2 |
X-ray source, high-voltage generator, electron beam gun, rotary target assembly, rotary target, and rotary vacuum seal
Disclosed herein are a high-voltage generator for an x-ray source, an x-ray gun, an electron beam apparatus, a rotary vacuum seal, a target assembly for an x-ray source, a rotary x-ray emission target, and an x-ray source. These various aspects may separately and/or together enable the construction of an x-ray source which can operate at energies of up to 500 kV and beyond, which is suitable for use in commercial and research x-ray applications such as computerised tomography. In particular, the high-voltage generator includes a shield electrode electrically connected intermediate of a first voltage multiplier and a second voltage multiplier. The electron beam apparatus includes control photodetectors and photo emitters having a transparent conductive shield arranged therebetween. The rotary vacuum seal includes a pumpable chamber at a position intermediate between high-pressure and low-pressure ends of a bore for a rotating shaft. The rotary target assembly is configured such that when a torque between a bearing housing and a vacuum housing exceeds a predetermined torque, the bearing housing rotates relative to the vacuum housing. The rotary x-ray emission target has a plurality of target plates supported on a hub, the plates being arranged on the hub to provide an annular target region about an axis rotation of the hub. The x-ray gun is provided with a shield electrode maintained at a potential difference relative to the x-ray target different to the electron beam emission cathode. |
| US09947500B2 |
Ground fault circuit interrupter
A ground fault circuit interrupter includes a reset key, a reset mechanism, a conductive assembly configured to connect a power supply input side to a load side, a leakage signal detection circuit, and an electromagnetic tripping mechanism. The reset mechanism comprises a reset support and a support return mechanism. The reset support comprises a reset bracket and a support reset spring. The support return mechanism comprises a reset pole, a reset key spring, a compression spring, a reset block, a compression spring container, a reset slider, and a contact conductive part. The contact conductive part is disposed at a lower end of the reset slider and is configured to align with a position of a switch contact on a first PCB board. A state of contact or separation between the contact conductive part and the switch contact is configured to control an on-off state of the conductive assembly. |
| US09947499B2 |
Ultra low profile rocker design
A rocker switch having a housing and a rocker extending from the housing. The rocker has a first side with a first end and a second end, a second side adjacent to the first side, and a channel. The channel is disposed on the second side of the rocker and has a first end and a second end. A pivot point is disposed on a crank. A pin, disposed on the crank, is located in a first side of the channel. The depression of the first end of the rocker causes a rotational movement of the channel in a curvilinear path around the pivot point, causing a rotational movement of the crank, moving the pin from the first end of the channel toward the second end of the channel. |
| US09947492B2 |
Electrical pushbutton switch
A switch includes a pushbutton comprising an actuating portion, a first fixed contact element and a first movable contact element facing the first fixed contact element for establishing a first switching way. The first movable contact element may include a movable portion of a first elastically deformable conductive blade. The actuating portion may include a first cam which cooperates with a cam follower portion of the first blade to deform or relax the first blade for longitudinally moving the first movable contact element to come into contact, or out of contact, with the portion of the first fixed contact element, depending on the vertical position of the actuation member. A second fixed contact element and second movable contact may be similarly constructed to provide a second switching way. |
| US09947487B2 |
Switch
Provided is a switch that can be downsized. A switch is provided with a plunger, and an upper torsion spring configured to bias the plunger in a returning direction. The torsion spring has a first arm that extends to the plunger and abuts against the plunger. The plunger has a hole at a position into which the first arm is inserted. The hole is a through hole extending in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the plunger moves, and is the same as a direction in which the first arm extends when viewed in the direction in which the plunger moves. |
| US09947485B2 |
Three dimensional energy storage device, method of manufacturing same, and mobile electronic device containing same
An energy storage device includes an electrode made from an active material in which a plurality of channels have been etched. The channels are coated with an electrically functional substance selected from a conductor and an electrolyte. |
| US09947483B2 |
Dye-sensitized solar cell element
A dye-sensitized solar cell element has at least one dye-sensitized solar cell, the dye-sensitized solar cell is equipped with a conductive substrate having a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive layer provided on one surface of the transparent substrate, a counter substrate facing the conductive substrate, an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the conductive substrate or the counter substrate, and an annular sealing portion bonding the conductive substrate and the counter substrate. The transparent conductive layer has a main body portion disposed on an inner side of the sealing portion, a groove is formed in the transparent conductive layer, and at least a part of the groove has a first groove formed along an external shape of the sealing portion, and an insulating material also continuously covers an edge portion of the main body portion as well as enters into at least a part of the first groove. |
| US09947480B2 |
Electrolyte material formulation, electrolyte material composition formed therefrom and use thereof
The present invention provides an electrolyte material formulation including: (a) a monomer of formula (I) (b) a monomer of formula (II) and (c) a polymerizable compound, wherein A, X, B1, B2, R1 to R3, q and w are defined as those recited in the specification, and the monomer (b) is in an amount of about 1 part by weight to about 800 parts by weight and the polymerizable compound (c) is in an amount of about 1 part by weight to about 10000 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the monomer (a). The present invention further provides an electrolytic material composition obtained by the polymerization of the aforementioned electrolytic material formulation. The electrolytic material composition can be applied to a solid electrolyte capacitor. |
| US09947479B2 |
Volumetric efficiency wet electrolyte capacitor having a fill port and terminations for surface mounting
A wet electrolytic surface mount capacitor has a body defining an interior area and having a fill port formed through a wall of the body. A capacitive element is positioned in an interior of the body and is isolated from the body. A surface mount anode termination is in electrical communication with the capacitive element and isolated from the body. A surface mount cathode termination is in electrical communication with the body. An electrolyte is contained in the interior area of the body, and is introduced into the interior area of the body through the fill port. A fill port plug is positioned adjacent the fill port. A fill port cover compresses the fill port plug against the fill port to seal the fill port, and may be welded in place. A method of forming the capacitor is also provided. |
| US09947471B2 |
Multilayer capacitor and method for producing the same
A multilayer capacitor includes a multilayer body with sides each about 0.3 mm or smaller when viewed from a stacking direction of the multilayer body, and first and second outer electrodes disposed on a surface of the multilayer body. An outermost one of the conductive layers is bent to be convex in the stacking direction and includes penetrating portions extending in the stacking direction. In a cross section perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a lengthwise direction of the multilayer body, assuming the bent conductive layer is equally divided into four regions named region A, region B, region C, and region D arranged in the order named in a widthwise direction of the multilayer body, a sum of minimum diameters of the penetrating portions is larger in the region A than in the region B and larger in the region D than in the region C. |
| US09947468B2 |
Multilayer ceramic electronic component and manufacturing method thereof
A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a capacitor body including a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of internal electrodes; with external electrodes disposed on the capacitor body and electrically connected to the internal electrodes, wherein the capacitor body includes an active region in which internal electrodes having different polarities from each other overlap each other to form capacitance, and a margin part defined as region except for the active region. A concentration of an additive element in the margin part is higher than the concentration of the additive element in the active region, and the margin part has a concentration gradient of the additive element from a surface of the capacitor body toward the active region. |
| US09947466B2 |
Electronic component
An electronic component includes an electronic element including outer electrodes on a surface, a substrate terminal on which the electronic element is mounted, and a conductor that covers at least a portion of the substrate terminal. The substrate terminal includes a first main surface, a second main surface at a side opposite to the first main surface, and a side surface connecting the first main surface and the second main surface. The substrate terminal includes a mounting electrode that is provided on the first main surface and is electrically connected to the outer electrodes of the electronic element. The mounting electrode includes adjacent portions that are located to be adjacent to the side surface of the substrate terminal. The conductor covers at least a portion of the adjacent portion. |
| US09947465B2 |
Magnetic assembly packaging process
A magnetic assembly packaging process is described. The magnetic assembly packaging process comprises the steps of setting a first substrate and a second substrate in a jig; performing electrical connection of the magnetic component to the first substrate and the second substrate; overlaying the enclosure over the first substrate and the second substrate; overturning the preformed magnetic assembly; and injecting an insulation paste layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. Accordingly, the magnetic assembly packaging process can effectively minimize the manufacturing cost and the volume of the magnetic element through reducing the overall volume of the substrate. |
| US09947464B2 |
Method of manufacturing laminated core
In a method of manufacturing a laminated core, a laminated core body 14 including magnet insertion holes 12 and 13 with magnet pieces 15 inserted therein is placed between a molding (upper) die 10 and a retaining (lower) die 11, and a molding resin 19 is filled from resin reservoir portions (pots) 16 to fix the pieces 15 in the holes 12 and 13. Between the die 10 and the body 14, a guide member 18 is placed, which includes resin passages 31 provided from the portions 16 to the holes 12 and 13 and gates 30 connecting to the holes 12 and 13 on downstream sides of the passages 31. The method can reduce lead time of a production line without replacing the molding dies for different laminated rotor cores and thus without preparing different types of molding dies. |
| US09947463B2 |
Ignition coil for internal combustion engine
An ignition coil for internal combustion engines is provided which includes magnetically coupled primary and secondary coils, a case, a high-voltage tower, a resistor, and resin packed in the case. The case has the primary coil and the secondary coil disposed therein. The high-voltage tower is attached to a tower mount formed on a front end of the case. The resistor is embedded in the high-voltage tower with a front and a base end surfaces thereof exposed from the high-voltage tower. The resin is packed in the case to seal the primary coil and the secondary coil. This structure enhances the productivity of an assembly of the high-voltage tower and the resistor. |
| US09947462B2 |
Wireless power transmission system, power transmitting device, and power receiving device
This wireless power transmission system includes: a power transmitting antenna and a power receiving antenna arranged to face each other and not to be in contact with each other; and an electromagnetic shield structure that includes a first shield and a second shield to house, in its inner space, the power transmitting and power receiving antennas facing each other. The first and second shields are configured to make first and second spaces to house the power transmitting and power receiving antennas, respectively. At least one of the first and second shields includes a protruding portion that is parallel to at least one of the power transmitting and power receiving antennas and that protrudes out of the shield sidewalls. Power is transmitted by a non-contact method through a radio frequency magnetic field from the power transmitting antenna to the power receiving antenna. |
| US09947457B2 |
Pre space transformer, space transformer manufactured using the pre space transformer, and semiconductor device inspecting apparatus including the space transformer
Disclosed herein is a pre space transformer including: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, which is an opposite surface to the first surface; individual electrodes disposed on the first surface; and common electrodes disposed in the substrate, wherein the individual electrodes are repeatedly disposed while configuring a unit pattern. |
| US09947455B2 |
Multilayer coil component
A coil includes a plurality of internal conductors that are electrically connected to each other and are disposed in an element body having magnetism. The plurality of internal conductors includes conductor portions that are separated from each other in a first direction and overlap each other when viewed from the first direction. At least one low-permeability layer is disposed along the conductor portions between the internal conductors adjacent to each other in the first direction. Permeability of the low-permeability layer is lower than permeability of the element body. The low-permeability layer includes a first portion contacting the internal conductors and at least one second portion separated from the internal conductors in the first direction, between the internal conductors adjacent to each other. The element body includes first element body regions that are interposed between the second portion and the internal conductors. |
| US09947454B2 |
Modular insulation fluid handling system
A modular insulation fluid handling system for protecting insulation fluid of an inductive power device having an expansion vessel and for handling volume variations of the insulation fluid, the modular insulation fluid handling system includes a first protective housing including a resilient reservoir filled with an inert gas, a connector, and an adapter sealably connected to the inside of the resilient reservoir, an interface including a ventilation duct terminal and a reservoir terminal being sealably connected to the adapter, the connector is arranged between the adapter and the interface and configured to be connected to a connector of a second protective housing, and a vessel ventilation duct configured to be sealably connected to the expansion vessel and the ventilation duct terminal. The inside of the resilient reservoir is configured to be in hermetically sealed fluid communication with the expansion vessel via the adapter, the interface and the vessel ventilation duct. |
| US09947449B2 |
Electromagnetic actuator, valve, and injection pump
An electromagnetic actuator includes an electromagnet having a coil, which coil surrounds a pole core, and a magnet armature, which can be moved toward the pole core by the electromagnet, wherein the magnet armature has a bearing surface facing the pole core and the pole core has a correspondingly opposite counter surface. The bearing surface and/or the counter bearing surface has a layer that prevents direct contact of the bearing surface with the counter bearing surface and that causes damping of the approaching movement. |
| US09947447B2 |
Neodymium iron boron magnet and preparation method thereof
The present invention, on the one hand, provides a neodymium iron boron magnet, comprising neodymium iron boron magnet blank and the RTMH alloy layer compounded on the surface; the R is one or more selected from rare earth elements; the T is Fe and/or Co; the M is one or more selected from the group consisting of Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, Pb and Bi; the H is hydrogen element. By the present invention, the coercive force of magnets is significantly enhanced, and at the same time, the original magnetic remanence and maximum magnetic energy product of the magnets are not significantly reduced. |
| US09947445B2 |
R-T-B based permanent magnet
A R-T-B based permanent magnet which has equivalent magnetic properties as the existing Nd—Fe—B based permanent magnet and light mass but also can be suitably used as a magnet for field system of a permanent magnet synchronous rotating machine. The magnet can be obtained in a case where the composition of the compound for forming the main phase is (R1−x(Y1−zCez)x)2T14B (R is rare earth element(s) consisting of one or more elements selected from La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, Y is yttrium, Ce is cerium, T is one or more transition metal elements with Fe or Fe and Co as essential element(s), B is boron, 0.0 |
| US09947441B2 |
Integrated superconductor device and method of fabrication
An integrated superconductor device may include a substrate base and an intermediate layer disposed on the substrate base and comprising a preferred crystallographic orientation. The integrated superconductor device may further include an oriented superconductor layer disposed on the intermediate layer and a conductive strip disposed on a portion of the oriented superconductor layer, The conductive strip may define a superconductor region of the oriented superconductor layer thereunder, and an exposed region of the oriented superconductor layer adjacent the superconductor region. |
| US09947439B2 |
Dark exterior wire harness with heat-reflection and identification portion
A wire harness includes at least one conductive path, and an exterior member that accommodates and protects the conductive path. The exterior member is a molded resin component made of a resin material which has a black color or a dark color close to the black color. |
| US09947436B2 |
Insulated electric wire and method for manufacturing same
An insulated electric wire and a method of producing the electric wire are provided. The insulated electric wire includes: a copper wire; and an insulating coating formed on a surface of the copper wire by an electrodeposition method. A cross section shape of the insulated electric wire including the insulating coating is in a hexagonal shape, a chamfered part that suppresses swelling of the insulating coating is formed on each corner part of a hexagonal cross section of the copper wire, a length of the chamfered part is ⅓ to 1/20 of a length of a flat part of the hexagonal cross section, and a void ratio in a wound state is 5% or less. |
| US09947433B2 |
Thermoplastic resin composition and molded product using the same
A thermoplastic resin composition includes 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of a carbon black relative to 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, wherein the carbon black is dispersed in the thermoplastic resin composition to have a maximum particle diameter of not greater than 50 μm. |
| US09947425B2 |
Method for reducing the radioactive contamination of the surface of a component used in a nuclear reactor
The invention relates to a method for reducing the radioactive contamination of the surface of a component used in a nuclear reactor, which component is in contact with radioactively contaminated water, in which method a hydrophobic film is produced on the surface of a component by virtue of the surface being wetted with an aqueous solution which contains a film-forming amphiphilic substance. |
| US09947419B1 |
Apparatus and method for implementing design for testability (DFT) for bitline drivers of memory circuits
A first bitline driver includes a multiplexer for outputting data and write mask signals in functional mode, and test vector signal in test mode; a latch to latch the data signal in functional mode and the test vector signal in test mode; a latch to latch the write mask signal in functional mode and the test vector signal in test mode; a latch to latch the test vector signal and provide it to a scan output; and a write circuit for writing data to a memory cell based on the data signal. A second bitline driver includes a latch to latch a data signal in functional mode if a write mask signal is deasserted and to latch a test vector signal in test mode; a latch to latch the test vector signal and provide it to a scan output; and a write circuit for writing data to a memory cell. |
| US09947411B2 |
Memory system including a memory chip configured to receive an erase suspend command and a program suspend command from a controller chip
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit. A control circuit performs an erase operation providing a memory cell with a first threshold voltage level for erasing data of a memory cell, and then perform a plurality of first write operations providing a memory cell with a second threshold voltage level, the second threshold voltage level being higher than the first threshold voltage level and being positive level. When the control circuit receives a first execution instruction from outside during the first write operations, the first execution instruction being for performing first function operation except for the erase operation and the first write operations, the circuit performs the first function operation during the first write operations. |
| US09947404B1 |
Resistive memory apparatus, selective write circuit therefor, and operation method thereof
A resistive memory apparatus may include a memory cell array and a selective write circuit. The memory cell array may include a plurality of resistive memory cells coupled between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines. The selective write circuit may determine whether or not to perform a pre-read/comparison operation for a memory cell on which a next write operation is scheduled to be performed, based on a logic level of input data provided for a write operation. The selective write circuit may control the write operation for the memory cell array according to a determination result of the pre-read/comparison operation. |
| US09947403B1 |
Method for operating non-volatile memory device and applications thereof
A method for operating a resistance switching memory device is provided, wherein the method includes a first program process, and the first program process includes steps as follows: A programming pulse having a first polarity is firstly applied to at least one resistance switching memory cell of the NVM device. A first verifying pulse with a verifying voltage is then applied to the resistance switching memory cell. A first settling pulse is applied to the resistance switching memory cell prior to or after the verifying pulse is applied, wherein the first settling pulse includes a settling voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity and an absolute value substantially less than that of the verifying voltage. |
| US09947402B1 |
Method, system and device for non-volatile memory device operation
Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for operation of non-volatile memory devices. In one aspect, a correlated electron switch (CES) device may be placed in any one of multiple memory states in a write operation. Limiting current between terminals of the non-volatile memory device during read operations may enable use of higher voltages for higher realized gain. Additionally, bipolar write operations for set and reset may enable an increased write window and enhanced durability for a CES device. |
| US09947399B2 |
Updating resistive memory
Data is initially programmed in a portion of ReRAM in parallel. Subsequently, one or more ReRAM cells in the portion are determined to contain first data that is to be modified while remaining ReRAM cells in the portion contain second data that is not to be modified. First conditions are applied to the one or more ReRAM cells thereby modifying the first data, while second conditions are applied to the remaining ReRAM cells, the second conditions maintaining the second data in the remaining ReRAM cells without significant change. |
| US09947394B2 |
Nonvolatile memory device including page buffer and method for reading data without a dumping process for backing up data
A nonvolatile memory device including a page buffer and a method of operating the nonvolatile memory device, the method including performing a first sensing operation using a first sensing voltage; precharging some bit lines from among a plurality of bit lines, according to first data stored in a first latch unit of a page buffer due to the first sensing operation; resetting the first latch unit; and performing a second sensing operation using a second sensing voltage. |
| US09947392B1 |
Memory device sensing circuit
A memory device includes a first memory array comprising a first bit cell configured to store a first logical state; and a reference signal provision (RSP) unit, coupled to the first memory array, and configured to provide a first reference signal that represents an average of a discharging rate and a leakage rate of a second memory array. In an embodiment, the first logical state stored by the first bit cell is read out using the first reference signal. |
| US09947385B1 |
Data sense amplification circuit and semiconductor memory device including the same
A semiconductor memory device includes: a first memory cell coupled to a first bit line; a second memory cell coupled to a second bit line; and a sense amplification circuit for sensing and amplifying a voltage difference between the first and second bit lines, wherein the sense amplification circuit includes: a first sense amplifier including a cross-coupled pair of first and second transistors coupled to the first bit line and the second bit line, respectively; a second sense amplifier including a cross-coupled pair of third and fourth transistors coupled to the first and second bit lines, respectively; and an offset supplier for controlling a timing for supplying a voltage of the first bit line to the first transistor and a timing for supplying a voltage of the second bit line to the second transistor according to a selected memory from the first and second memory cells. |
| US09947384B1 |
Semiconductor device relating to generate target address to execute a refresh operation
A semiconductor device may be provided. The semiconductor device may include a target address storage circuit and a first row address generation circuit. The target address storage circuit may be configured to count the number of times that blocks are selected by a plurality of logic level combinations of an address based on an active pulse. The target address storage circuit may be configured to store and output the address of a target block, which is selected at least a predetermined number of times, among the blocks as a target address. The first row address generation circuit may be configured to generate a first row address, which is counted, from the target address based on a first internal command. |
| US09947381B2 |
Self-referenced multibit MRAM cell having a synthetic antiferromagnetic storage layer
A multibit MRAM cell including a magnetic tunnel junction including a sense layer having a freely orientable sense magnetization; a tunnel barrier layer; and a synthetic antiferromagnet storage layer having a first and second storage layer. The sense magnetization induces a dipolar field having a magnitude above a spin-flop field of the storage layer. The MRAM cell also includes aligning means for aligning the sense magnetization in a plurality of distinct orientations such as to encode a plurality of distinct logic states in the MRAM cell. The present disclosure also concerns a method for operating the multibit MRAM cell. |
| US09947375B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for providing a program voltage responsive to a voltage determination
Apparatuses and methods for providing a program voltage responsive to a voltage determination are described. An example apparatus includes a memory array comprising a plurality of access lines. The example apparatus further includes a memory access circuit coupled to the memory array. The memory access circuit is configured to, during a memory program operation, provide an inhibit voltage to the plurality of access lines. The memory access circuit is further configured to, during the memory program operation, provide a program voltage to a target access line of the plurality of access lines responsive to a determination that an access line of the plurality of access lines has a voltage equal to or greater than a threshold voltage. The threshold voltage is less than the inhibit voltage. |
| US09947369B2 |
Network storage device
A network storage device is provided, where the network storage device includes a cabinet, a network switch, and a hard disk area, where the network switch and the hard disk area are installed inside the cabinet, the hard disk area includes at least one hard disk, each hard disk is fastened to the cabinet using a mounting bracket, each hard disk in the hard disk area and the network switch have a same type of interface, and the hard disk and the network switch are connected using a cable or a printed circuit board (PCB). Using the network storage device, a problem that storage density is limited is resolved, and expansion flexibility is high. |
| US09947367B2 |
Assignment of a local physical user interface control function to a remote physical user interface control for local control in a media production system
A state of an application program can be stored and transferred to a remote system. The remote system attempts to recreate the original state of the application program. If the remote system is unable to do so, an image of the state of the application program is obtained, instead. Assignment of control to various functions of an application program is achieved by associating a function (i.e., modifying a parameter) with a user control at a remote location. |
| US09947366B2 |
Group portraits composed using video chat systems
Systems and methods for generating group portraits using video chat systems are provided. A communications system can generate a group portrait that includes an image of two or more users. For example, a communications system can generate a group portrait that includes an image of each user participating in a video conference, and the group portrait may serve as a memento from the video conference. |
| US09947363B2 |
Method for voice recording and electronic device thereof
A method for voice recording and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method includes determining a voice recording mode from among a plurality of voice recording modes, determining a voice beamforming direction according to the determined voice recording mode, and recording voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction. |
| US09947361B2 |
Active vibration control device and design method therefor
Provided is a vibration control device mounted on a structure body of a target where vibration should be damped, including: a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of a portion of the target; a vibration generation unit that generates strain in a portion of the target; and a control unit that generates a control signal to determine drive force of the vibration generation unit based on a signal from the vibration detection unit. In the vibration control device, strain energy distribution of the target is measured or calculated, and setting positions of the vibration detection unit and the vibration generation unit are determined based on an optimization method within a range in which strain energy changes rapidly. |
| US09947360B2 |
Optical information storage medium
An optical information storage medium includes a multilayer film that includes a plurality of extruded alternating active data storage layers and buffer layers, which separate the active data storage layers. The active data storage layers and buffer layers have thicknesses that allow the active data storage layers to be writable by non-linear or threshold writing processes to define data voxels within the active data storage layers that are readable by an optical reading device. |
| US09947359B2 |
Holographic characterization and playback apparatus
A holographic characterization and playback apparatus is provided, which includes a light source, an optical path-forming optical system for separating the light emitted from the light source into a probe light and a reference light of different polarizations, and combining optical paths of the probe light and the reference light. |
| US09947347B1 |
Magnetic sensor using inverse spin hall effect
A magnetic sensor that generates a signal based on inverse spin Hall effect. The sensor includes a magnetic free layer and a non-magnetic, electrically conductive spin Hall layer located adjacent to the magnetic free layer. Circuitry is configured to supply an electrical current that travels through the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane of the layers or perpendicular to a plane defined by an interface between the magnetic free layer and the spin Hall layer. The inverse spin Hall effect causes an electrical voltage in the spin Hall layer as a result of the current, and the voltage changes relative to the orientation of magnetization of the magnetic free layer. Circuitry is provided for measuring the voltage in the spin Hall layer in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the direction of the electrical current. |
| US09947346B2 |
Using window underlayer structures to protect near field transducers on heat assisted magnetic recording heads
A system, according to one embodiment, includes: a near field transducer, a return pole, a main pole, a waveguide adjacent the near field transducer, wherein the waveguide extends away from the near field transducer along a direction perpendicular to a media facing surface, at least one cladding layer adjacent to the waveguide, an underlayer positioned behind the near field transducer with respect to the media facing surface, the underlayer extending away from the near field transducer along the direction perpendicular to the media facing surface, and a fill material at least partially surrounding the underlayer, the waveguide and the at least one cladding layer. The underlayer has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the fill material. Other systems, and methods are described in additional embodiments. |
| US09947341B1 |
Real-time voice masking in a computer network
A voice signal may be adjusted to mask traits such as the gender of a speaker by separating source and filter components of a voice signal using cepstral analysis, adjusting the components based on pitch and formant parameters, and synthesizing a modified signal. Features are disclosed to support real-time voice masking in a computer network by limiting computational complexity and reducing delays in processing and transmission while maintaining signal quality. |
| US09947340B2 |
Regeneration of wideband speech
A method of regenerating wideband speech from narrowband speech, the method comprising: receiving samples of a narrowband speech signal in a first range of frequencies; modulating received samples of the narrowband speech signal with a modulation signal having a modulating frequency adapted to upshift each frequency in the first range of frequencies by an amount determined by the modulating frequency wherein the modulating frequency is selected to translate into a target band a selected frequency band within the first range of signals; filtering the modulated samples using a target band filter to form a regenerated speech signal in the target band; and combining the narrow band speech signal with the regenerated speech signal in the target band to regenerate a wideband speech signal, the method comprising the step of controlling the modulated samples to lie in a second range of frequencies identified by determining a signal characteristic of frequencies in the first range of frequencies. |
| US09947338B1 |
Echo latency estimation
A device that determines an echo latency estimate by combining reference signals. The device may determine the echo latency corresponding to an amount of time between reference signals being sent to transmitters and input data corresponding to the reference signals being received. The device may generate a combined reference signal by adding (or filtering) each of the reference signals. The device may then compare the combined reference signal to input audio data received from a microphone or receiving device. The device may detect a highest peak, determine if there are any earlier significant peaks and estimate the echo latency based on the earliest significant peak. This technique is not limited to audio data and may be used for signal matching using any system that includes multiple transmitters and receivers (e.g., Radar, Sonar, etc.). |
| US09947335B2 |
Companding apparatus and method to reduce quantization noise using advanced spectral extension
Embodiments are directed to a companding method and system for reducing coding noise in an audio codec. A compression process reduces an original dynamic range of an initial audio signal through a compression process that divides the initial audio signal into a plurality of segments using a defined window shape, calculates a wideband gain in the frequency domain using a non-energy based average of frequency domain samples of the initial audio signal, and applies individual gain values to amplify segments of relatively low intensity and attenuate segments of relatively high intensity. The compressed audio signal is then expanded back to substantially the original dynamic range that applies inverse gain values to amplify segments of relatively high intensity and attenuating segments of relatively low intensity. A QMF filterbank is used to analyze the initial audio signal to obtain a frequency domain representation. |
| US09947331B2 |
Encoding method, decoding method, encoder, decoder, program and recording medium
A frequency-domain sample interval corresponding to a time-domain pitch period L corresponding to a time-domain pitch period code of an audio signal in a given time period is obtained as a converted interval T1, a frequency-domain pitch period T is chosen from among candidates including the converted interval T1 and integer multiples U×T1 of the converted interval T1, and a frequency-domain pitch period code indicating how many times the frequency-domain pitch period T is greater than the converted interval T1 is obtained. The frequency-domain pitch period code is output so that a decoding side can identify the frequency-domain pitch period T. |
| US09947328B2 |
Methods, apparatus and systems for determining reconstructed audio signal
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for reconstructing an audio signal having a baseband portion and a highband portion is disclosed. The method includes obtaining a decoded baseband audio signal by decoding an encoded audio signal and obtaining a plurality of subband signals by filtering the decoded baseband audio signal. The method further includes generating a high-frequency reconstructed signal by copying a number of consecutive subband signals of the plurality of subband signals and obtaining an envelope adjusted high-frequency signal. The method further includes generating a noise component based on a noise parameter. Finally, the method includes adjusting a phase of the high-frequency reconstructed signal and obtaining a time-domain reconstructed audio signal by combining the decoded baseband audio signal and the combined high-frequency signal to obtain a time-domain reconstructed audio signal. |
| US09947327B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing variable block length watermarking of media
Methods and apparatus for performing variable block length watermarking of media are disclosed. An example method to encode auxiliary data in audio data comprises selecting a frequency based on a code, selecting a block size based on the code, a combination of the block size and the frequency to represent of the code, encoding the code in an audio stream according to the block size and the frequency, and transmitting the audio stream including the encoded code. |
| US09947326B2 |
Method for decoding and encoding a downmix matrix, method for presenting audio content, encoder and decoder for a downmix matrix, audio encoder and audio decoder
A method is described which decodes a downmix matrix for mapping a plurality of input channels of audio content to a plurality of output channels, the input and output channels being associated with respective speakers at predetermined positions relative to a listener position, wherein the downmix matrix is encoded by exploiting the symmetry of speaker pairs of the plurality of input channels and the symmetry of speaker pairs of the plurality of output channels. Encoded information representing the encoded downmix matrix is received and decoded for obtaining the decoded downmix matrix. |
| US09947319B1 |
Forming chatbot output based on user state
Techniques are described herein for chatbots to achieve greater social grace by tracking users' states and providing corresponding dialog. In various implementations, input may be received from a user at a client device operating a chatbot, e.g., during a first session between the user and the chatbot. The input may be semantically processed to determine a state expressed by the user to the chatbot. An indication of the state expressed by the user may be stored in memory for future use by the chatbot. It may then be determined, e.g., by the chatbot based on various signals, that a second session between the user and the chatbot is underway. In various implementations, as part of the second session, the chatbot may output a statement formed from a plurality of candidate words, phrases, and/or statements based on the stored indication of the state expressed by the user. |
| US09947316B2 |
Voice control of a media playback system
A voice input comprising a command word, one or more media variable instances, and one or more zone variable instances is received. A media playback system command which corresponds to the command word is determined. Media content which corresponds to the one or more media variable instances is identified. The media playback system is caused to execute the media playback system command on the media content based on the one or more zone variable instances. |
| US09947315B2 |
Method and system for using combined voice and customized instructions to trigger vehicle reports
A method and system for an onboard reporting system capable of detecting keywords in voice data and considering the keywords in combination with respective predefined instructions is provided. The provided system uses, for each keyword, predefined instructions to validate the keyword prior to sending a report. |
| US09947314B2 |
Semi-supervised learning of word embeddings
Software that trains an artificial neural network for generating vector representations for natural language text, by performing the following steps: (i) receiving, by one or more processors, a set of natural language text; (ii) generating, by one or more processors, a set of first metadata for the set of natural language text, where the first metadata is generated using supervised learning method(s); (iii) generating, by one or more processors, a set of second metadata for the set of natural language text, where the second metadata is generated using unsupervised learning method(s); and (iv) training, by one or more processors, an artificial neural network adapted to generate vector representations for natural language text, where the training is based, at least in part, on the received natural language text, the generated set of first metadata, and the generated set of second metadata. |
| US09947313B2 |
Method for substantial ongoing cumulative voice recognition error reduction
In an embodiment, speech is recorded and converted to digital text based on a shared vocabulary dictionary. During the session, voice recognition errors, that is, speech that could not be automatically identified (if any exists), are identified by the system and associated with digital text. When text for the voice recognition error is identified (e.g., by an editor), the shared vocabulary dictionary is updated (so that that particular voice recognition error will not occur again), thereby improving the performance of the system for all users that use the shared vocabulary dictionary. The identification of voice recognitions errors and the updated of the vocabulary dictionary are performed on an ongoing basis, so that the performance of the system for all users continually improves. |
| US09947311B2 |
Systems and methods for automatic phonetization of domain names
A method can include receiving, from a user, a string of characters. The method can also include determining components of the string of characters. The components of the string of characters may include one or more graphemes that are related in the string of characters. The method can include determining universal phonetic representations for the components of the string of characters. The method can also include determining pronunciations for the universal phonetic representations. Additionally, the method can include constructing a pronunciation of the string of characters based at least partially on the pronunciations of the universal phonetic representations. Further, the method can include sending, to the user, a sound file representing the pronunciation of the string of characters. |
| US09947307B2 |
Electronic percussion instrument
Provided is an electronic percussion instrument that is capable of simulating a playing technique for an acoustic percussion instrument. A tubular body part is opened on an axial end surface, and a head is attached to the axial end surface to be struck on the front surface. A capacitance sensor includes an electrode that generates a capacitance with respect to a detected conductor, such as a human body, positioned on the front surface side of the head. Because the capacitance sensor detects a change of a capacitance corresponding to a distance between the electrode and the detected conductor, whether the detected conductor approaches (contacts) the head or presses the head can be determined. As a result, the playing technique for the acoustic percussion instrument is simulated. |
| US09947306B2 |
Electric acoustic apparatus
An electric acoustic apparatus includes a supply unit that supplies sound-generation information including timing information representing a start of a sound-generation, a storage storing sound control pattern data representing a pattern of over-time change of a parameter defining a behavior of a sound, a reproducer that reproduces the sound control pattern data, and a sound signal generator that generates a sound signal representing a sound according to the sound-generation information and changes the behavior of the sound based on the reproduced sound control pattern data. The reproducer controls a reproduction behavior of the sound control pattern data according to the sound-generation information. |
| US09947300B2 |
Ergonomic musical instrument plectrum
A musical instrument plectrum having at least two string-engaging regions (17, 18), an incurvate contact surface (13) on a first side of the plectrum, and an obverse contact surface (35) on a second side of the plectrum. The incurvate contact surface (13) is arranged so that two of the at least two string-engaging regions (17, 18) are noncontiguous with each other. |
| US09947298B2 |
Variable compression management of memory for storing display data
A method, at a host device (10), of managing memory (28) of a display control device (16), the memory (28) being used for storing display data sent from the host device (10) to the display control device (16) for display. The method involves maintaining a map (18) at the host device (10) corresponding to the memory (28) at the display control device, the map (18) indicating locations corresponding to addresses of the memory (28) at which data is stored or not. The map (18) is used to determine a size of a portion of the display data, and a location on the map (18) where the portion of display data would fit into the memory. An address in the memory (28) corresponding to the determined location on the map (18), together with the portion of display data, is then sent to the display control device (16), and the location on the map (18) corresponding to the address in the memory (28) is updated to indicate that the address has data stored in it. The data may be compressed using compression parameters, which can be selected so that the compressed portion of display data will fit into a free space in the memory (28) of the display control device (16). |
| US09947296B2 |
Display device, display method, program
A display device according to the present invention includes an input unit that receives an operation instruction, a display unit that displays a screen, a changer that changes a displayed direction of the screen displayed by the display unit, and a stopper that stops the displayed direction of the screen from being changed by the changer if the input unit has received an operation instruction about information on the screen displayed by the display unit. |
| US09947290B2 |
Multi embedded timing controller, display panel, and computer system having the same
A timing controller, a multi embedded timing controller (TED), and a display panel including a multi TED are provided. The timing controller includes: a first interface configured to receive data from a host device; and a second interface configured to communicate with another timing controller for driving the display panel, wherein the second interface is configured to communicate full link training information with the other timing controller. |
| US09947288B2 |
Display device, display driving method and display system
The present disclosure provides a display device, a display driving method and a display system, wherein the display device includes a display panel and a polarizer disposed on the light outgoing side of the display panel. The polarizer comprises a first polarizing region and a second polarizing region having different polarizing directions from each other. The display device further includes an image processor configured to cause only a region of the display panel corresponding to the first polarizing region to display an image to be displayed if a first anti-peep mode is selected by a user; and to cause only a region of the display panel corresponding to the second polarizing region to display the image to be displayed if a second anti-peep mode is selected by a user. The display device according to the present disclosure has a significantly improved applicability. |
| US09947284B2 |
Display apparatus selecting and applying external voltage and method of driving the same
A display apparatus includes a display panel including a first data line, a timing controller which generates an external voltage selection signal, a channel control signal and a data signal, an external voltage generator which selects one of first voltage levels based on the external voltage selection signal to generate a first external voltage, and a data driver including a channel voltage generator which generates a first channel voltage, a first channel line connected to the first data line, a first switch connected between a first node receiving the first channel voltage and a second node connected to the first channel line, and a second switch connected between a third node receiving the first external voltage and a fourth node connected to the first channel line, where the data driver controls operations of the first and second switches based on the channel control signal. |
| US09947282B2 |
Gate driver, display driver circuit, and display device including same
A display driver circuit including a gate driver driving gate lines of a display panel according to a driving order. The gate lines are disposed in an ordered arrangement within the display panel. A source driver converts image data corresponding to a selected gate line into an image signal and outputs the image signal to a source line of the display panel. A timing controller calculates comparison values by comparing a first image data portion corresponding to a first gate line with image data portions respectively corresponding to gate lines of the plurality of gate lines. The timing controller sets the driving order for the gate lines in response to the comparison values. |
| US09947272B2 |
Organic light-emitting diode display device
An OLED display device includes an array of pixel units. Each pixel unit includes a pixel driving circuit and an OLED. The pixel units in each column is connected to a data line. The pixel units in each row is connected to a first scan line for selecting and activating pixel units to receive a data voltage provided by the data line. The pixel units in each row is connected to a second scan line for selecting and resetting pixel units. An emission control line connected to the pixel units in each odd-numbered row is connected to a first clock signal end. An emission control line connected to the pixel units in each even-numbered row is connected to a second clock signal end. Two emission control signals outputted by the first and second clock signal ends have the same period and have a stable phase difference between 90° and 180°. |
| US09947269B2 |
Organic light emitting display and circuit thereof
An organic light emitting display comprises a display panel having a plurality of pixels, a gate drive circuit that drives scan lines and emission lines on the display panel, and a data drive circuit that drives data lines on the display panel. Each of the pixels is arranged in an nth row. A single frame for the organic light emitting display comprises an initial period in which the gate voltage of a driving transistor is initialized, a sampling period for compensating the threshold voltage of the driving transistor, and a light emission period in which an organic light emitting diode emits light. A value corresponding to an image signal to be displayed by the organic light emitting diode is applied to a data line during the sampling period, and an initial voltage is applied to one electrode of a capacitor during the initial period. |
| US09947267B2 |
Light emitting diode pixel unit circuit and display panel for light emitting diode display
A LED pixel unit circuit and a display panel. The LED pixel unit circuit comprises a driving module (31), the driving module (31) includes a driving TFT (DTFT), a first-switching element (T1), a first capacitor (C1), a second capacitor (C2) and a driving control unit (311), wherein the driving control unit (311) comprises a matching TFT (T3) whose threshold voltage (Vth3) is matched with the threshold voltage (Vth) of the driving TFT (DTFT), is located between the positive voltage (VDD) output terminal of the power source and the first node (P1), and is configured to control charging and discharging of the second capacitor (C2) so as to hold the threshold voltage (Vth3) of the matching TFT (T3) and thereby compensate for the threshold voltage (Vth) of the driving TFT (DTFT). The LED pixel unit circuit can solve the problem of brightness non-uniformity of the display panel due to different threshold voltages of the TFTs, and also integrate a touch screen circuit (32) into the pixel unit circuit to realize a touch function of the display panel. |
| US09947263B2 |
Display apparatus and control method for the same
A display apparatus capable of controlling a curvature of a viewing area in which a broadcast image is displayed and a curvature of an area except the viewing area to be different from each other, and a control method of the same. A display apparatus includes a display; and a driving device configured to change a curvature of the display, wherein the driving device may control a curvature of a viewing area and a curvature of a background area to be different from each other. |
| US09947251B2 |
Active device array substrate
An active device array substrate includes a substrate, an inspection circuit, pixel structures, a passivation layer, and conductive pads. The substrate has a display area and a peripheral area outside the display area. The inspection circuit is located on the substrate and includes inspection switches, inspection control lines, and inspection traces. Each of the inspection switches is located in the peripheral area and controlled by one of the inspection control lines. Each of the inspection traces is connected to one of the inspection switches and includes a first conductive wire segment and a second conductive wire segment. The second conductive wire segment is connected between the first conductive wire segment and one corresponding inspection switch. An electric conductivity of the second conductive wire segment is lower than an electric conductivity of the first conductive wire segment. |
| US09947241B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus comprising a plurality of planar elements which interconnect to form a display board is described herein. The display apparatus includes a box configured to support the display board in a substantially vertical position. The box is also configured to enable the plurality of planar elements to be packed away inside the box for storage. A method of assembling the display apparatus is also disclosed. |
| US09947240B2 |
Method and apparatus for position and motion instruction
World data is established, including real-world position and/or real-world motion of an entity. Target data is established, including planned or ideal position and/or motion for the entity. Guide data is established, including information for guiding a person or other subject in bringing world data into match with target data. The guide data is outputted to the subject as virtual and/or augmented reality data. Evaluation data may be established, including a comparison of world data with target data. World data, target data, guide data, and/or evaluation data may be dynamically updated. Subjects may be instructed in positions and motions by using guide data to bring world data into match with target data, and by receiving evaluation data. Instruction includes physical therapy, sports, recreation, medical treatment, fabrication, diagnostics, repair of mechanical systems, etc. |
| US09947238B2 |
Music notation system
The invention disclosed herein comprises a method for visually representing music to be played on a musical instrument by providing a tablature staff which is divided into individual measures by segmenting the tablature staff with measure lines. Each measure is then further divided into proportional time subdivisions using subdivision lines. Alphanumeric notes are then printed between these subdivision lines on the tablature staff, wherein each alphanumeric note represents a tone to be played on a musical instrument and wherein the duration of each alphanumeric note is indicated by the number of time subdivisions within a measure and its corresponding font size. |
| US09947236B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method for a virtual instruction cloud
A system, method, and apparatus for providing educational content via a cloud, include creating a plurality of available educational sessions, the educational sessions comprising a virtual network and being savable by a user for later completion. Saving a session includes saving a state of the virtual network; selecting a subset of the educational sessions, the subset being vetted by an academic instructor, the sessions satisfying requirements for an academic curriculum; recording progress of a student performing the subset of educational sessions; and indicating completion of the academic curriculum in response to the student successfully performing the subset of educational sessions. |
| US09947232B2 |
Methods and apparatus for identifying terrain suitable for aircraft landing
A method for providing landing assistance for an aircraft is provided. The method analyzes terrain data; identifies one or more landing zones, based on analyzing the terrain data, each of the one or more landing zones comprising a flat area lacking obstacles to aircraft landing; and presents the one or more landing zones via a display element onboard the aircraft. |
| US09947231B2 |
Methods and systems for controlling the flight of aircraft
Methods and systems for controlling the flight of aircraft are disclosed. An example method includes in response to a first time of arrival at a first waypoint, determining first cruise speeds and corresponding first descent speeds for the first waypoint at the first time of arrival; in response to a second time of arrival at a second waypoint, determining second cruise speeds and corresponding second descent speeds for the second waypoint at the second time of arrival, at least one of the first waypoint or the second waypoint being in a descent phase of a flight; identifying a third cruise speed and a third descent speed based on the first cruise and descent speeds and the second cruise and descent speeds, the first cruise and descent speeds including the third cruise speed and the third descent speed, the second cruise and descent speeds including the third cruise speed and the third descent speed; and identifying a trajectory of an aircraft that satisfies the third cruise speed and the third descent speed. |
| US09947227B1 |
Method of warning a driver of blind angles and a device for implementing the method
A method and a device are disclosed for warning a driver of a first vehicle when the first vehicle is located in a blind spot of a second vehicle. The method includes recording the surrounding area in front of and alongside the first vehicle using a sensor, classifying objects in the recorded surrounding area, determining a relative position of an object classified as a second vehicle in relation to the first vehicle using the sensor, calculating the area of a blind angle on the basis of the determined relative position of the object in relation to the first vehicle, checking whether the first vehicle is located in the calculated area of the blind angle, and generating a warning signal for the driver of the first vehicle when the first vehicle is located in the calculated area of the blind angle. |
| US09947223B2 |
Valet parking method and system
A valet parking system for automatically bringing a vehicle to a parking space within a predefined parking area. The valet parking system includes a central control unit and a parking-space monitoring system having a stationary parking-space sensor. The parking-space monitoring system is designed to detect the current state of occupancy of the parking spaces of the parking area and to transmit that to the central control unit. The parking-space monitoring system may localize all autonomously moving or waiting vehicles that are currently in transit autonomously within the parking area either to be brought to their assigned parking space or received by their driver at a predefined pick-up location, and to transmit information about the present position of all these vehicles to the central control unit. A free parking space is assigned to the vehicle by the central control unit as a function of the geometrical dimensions of the vehicle. |
| US09947222B2 |
Road traffic optimization system
To optimize road traffic within an application server (SA) providing itineraries recommended to users connected to said application server from communication terminals (TC), each recommended itinerary being provided to a user based on a profile of the user containing the departure date or arrival date, the departure location and the arrival location, the application server compares the itineraries recommended to users whose indicated departure date belongs to a given interval time, produces a set of users whose corresponding recommended itineraries have at least one itinerary segment of given length in common, and modifies an itinerary recommended to at least one user who belongs to said set of users. |
| US09947220B2 |
Portable traffic control signage apparatus and methods
Traffic signs that facilitate portability are disclosed. In certain embodiments, they are designed to be lighter and have fewer steps involved in their set up, preferably involving only one person. The design of certain embodiments also allows multiple signs to be transported together, and facilitates air flow through the signs. |
| US09947219B2 |
Monitoring of a traffic system
A traffic control system can includes a plurality of traffic lights. A monitoring system can include an inbound interface component, an analytics component, and an outbound status provisioning component. The inbound interface component can be configured to receive a stream of sensor data from visual sensor(s). Each visual sensor can be configured to capture light signals of traffic lights. Each traffic light can be sensed by the visual sensor(s). The received stream of sensor data can represent a current signal status of each traffic light. The analytics component can be configured to predict at least one future signal status for each of the traffic lights based on the use of a machine learning algorithm. The outbound status provisioning component can be configured to send a message(s) to a vehicle. The sent message can influence the operation of the vehicle. |
| US09947218B2 |
Traffic-light cycle length estimation device
For each of the traveling directions (traveling direction 1 to traveling direction 4) at an intersection, a traffic-light cycle length estimation device acquires a time at which a vehicle in the stopped state starts moving, calculates the time difference between neighboring start times, which have been acquired, as a start interval, and generates a histogram based on the number of samplings of start intervals. The device combines the generated histograms into a histogram for all direction to generate one histogram that represents the relation between the start intervals and the number of samplings and, based on this histogram, estimates the cycle length of the traffic light. If a particular value, one of the start intervals, corresponds to the maximum number of samplings, that particular value is estimated as the cycle length. |
| US09947217B1 |
Driving event data analysis
A driving analysis server may be configured to receive vehicle operation data from vehicle sensors, and may use the data to identify a potentially high-risk or unsafe driving event by the vehicle. The driving analysis server also may receive corresponding image data, video, or object proximity data from the vehicle or one or more other data sources, and may use the image, video, or proximity data to analyze the potentially high-risk or unsafe driving event. A driver score for the vehicle or driver may be calculated or adjusted based on the analysis of the data and the determination of one or more causes of the driving event. |
| US09947215B2 |
Pedestrian information system
A pedestrian information system that can provide alerts to a distracted pedestrian related to hazards in the pedestrian's path. The system can detect objects, and determine if the objects are hazardous and if the pedestrian is likely to collide with the objects. The system can then determine from the pedestrian's activity whether the pedestrian is aware of identified hazards. If the system determines that the pedestrian is not aware of the identified hazards, then the system can output audio, visual, and/or haptic alerts to the pedestrian. |
| US09947213B2 |
On-vehicle emergency notification device and communication system
An emergency notification device performs emergency notification to send an emergency notification to a notification center when an urgent event is generated on a vehicle, and test notification to diagnose whether the emergency notification can be performed, through a notification button that is a part of one user interface. This device has a normal mode in which emergency notification can be performed, and a test mode in which test notification can be performed, through an operation of the notification button, as well as a transit mode in which transition from the normal mode to the test mode can be performed with a predetermined vehicle operation in the normal mode as a trigger. The emergency notification device performs informing processing, which differs from mode to mode, through indicators and that are another part of the one user interface. |
| US09947210B2 |
User intervention opt-in in a tracking device environment
A tracking system can provide intervention notifications to a user to notify the user that a tracking device is potentially lost or is in a predicted state. The tracking system may notify the user that a tracking device is potentially lost or in a predicted state based on a number of factors, including: a proximity of a tracking device to other tracking devices or a user's mobile device, a movement of a tracking device to more than a threshold distance away from a mobile device or other tracking devices, a location of a tracking device relative to a geographic location or to geographic boundaries, a usage or movement behavior of the tracking device, a usage or movement behavior of a user or owner of a tracking device, information received from an external source, or information received from sensors within the tracking device or a user's mobile. |
| US09947208B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring maintenance intervals
A system for monitoring maintenance for manufacturing apparatuses in a facility is provided. The system includes at least one manufacturing apparatus, the manufacturing apparatus including an RF identification tag and a module, and a control system. The control system is configured to receive, from the module, operational status information that indicates time periods during which the manufacturing apparatus is in operation, determine a cumulative time duration of operation for the manufacturing apparatus, retrieve a predetermined maintenance interval for the manufacturing apparatus, determine whether the cumulative time duration of operation exceeds the predetermined maintenance interval, and in response to a determination that the cumulative time duration of operation exceeds the predetermined maintenance interval, i) output a signal that causes the manufacturing apparatus to discontinue operation, and ii) cause instructions for completing a required maintenance procedure to be displayed on a display device in communication with the control system. |
| US09947205B2 |
Somatosensory type notification alerts
A computing device is described that can receive contextual information related to a user associated with the computing device. The contextual information may relate to at least one of a physiological condition of the user at a current time or a type of activity associated with the user at the current time. The computing device can select, based at least in part on the contextual information, a type of alert to output as an indication of notification data. The type of alert may include at least one of an electric stimulus type alert, a shape-memory alloy type alert, and a vibration type alert. Responsive to selecting the type of alert, the computing device can output an alert based on the notification data, the alert being of the selected type of alert. |
| US09947203B2 |
Gas-monitoring apparatus for detecting bowel movements and method of use
A room monitoring device designed and intended to detect a bowel movement (BM) of a person occupying the room, such as a baby or infant or an adult with special needs or in a care facility. The device tests the air for particular substances such as, but not limited to, methane and hydrogen sulfide. The test is performed multiple times per minute to reduce the chances of a false-positive detection. Once the device detects a positive BM, it alerts a user via Wi-Fi message, SMS text message, visual alerts (e.g., flashing lights), and/or audio alerts. This device may be paired with existing monitoring devices, such as a baby monitor with a remote camera. |
| US09947201B2 |
Assistance with setting clinical alarm limits
A medical monitoring system includes one or more processors (23) configured to receive (84) monitored physiological measures (16) and corresponding one or more alarm occurrences for a patient (10) and an adjustable alarm setting (56). The one or more processors are further configured to configure (86) a display (28) of at least one monitored physiological measure (76) and a retrospective graphical illustration of the physiological measure (30) including illustrations of the one or more occurrences of alarms (32) corresponding to the adjustable alarm setting (56). |
| US09947199B2 |
Collaborative threat assessment
One or more processors determine whether a hazard that is detected by a first mobile device exists based on data received from at least one second mobile device. The second mobile device is within a proximity to the first mobile device, which is determined based on a type of the hazard. One or more processors respond to a determination that the hazard does exist by determining a course of action. The course of action is configured for a user based on at least one attribute of the user. One or more processors send the course of action to the first mobile device. |
| US09947197B2 |
Alerting system and method for portable electronic device
An alerting method for portable electronic devices, the alerting method being performed by at least one of first and second portable devices. The method includes first and second electronic devices communicating with one another through two different wireless channels, the first channel providing longer range communications than the second channel. The second electronic device may enter an alarm mode of operation if communications through a channel fails. The second electronic device may exit the alarm mode of operation if communications through the other channel are restored. |
| US09947188B2 |
Systems and methods for generating haptic effects associated with audio signals
Systems and methods for generating haptic effects associated with audio signals are disclosed. One disclosed system for outputting haptic effects includes a processor configured to: receive an audio signal; determine a haptic effect based in part on the audio signal by: identifying one or more components in the audio signal; and determining a haptic effect associated with the one or more components; and output a haptic signal associated with the haptic effect. |
| US09947185B2 |
Wearable device that warms and/or cools to notify a user
A wearable device that warms or cools to notify a user wearing the device is provided. The wearable device includes: a plurality of individual heating and/or cooling spots, a plurality of dots pulsating in heating/cooling sections, and/or a plurality of dots moving around in heating/cooling sections. A system is also provided comprising a wearable device, a scheduling device, and a communication between the wearable device and the scheduling device. |
| US09947181B2 |
System and method for generating set of lotto numbers by using hash codes
The present disclosure provides a system and method for generating a set of lotto numbers using hash codes. The method includes receiving multimedia information containing a desired content from a user, converting the received multimedia information to hash codes, and generating a set of lotto numbers based on the converted hash codes. |
| US09947180B2 |
Pari-mutuel interleaved wagering system
A pari-mutuel interleaved wagering system including an interactive controller constructed to communicate with an application controller and receive a thematic graphical display from the application controller, display the thematic graphical display to a user, receive a placement of a wager from the user, and communicate the placement of the wager to the application controller. The system further includes a wager controller that includes an abstraction module constructed to receive pari-mutuel wagering parameters for a wager from a pari-mutuel server, determine a wager outcome from the pari-mutuel gambling outcome, and communicate the wager outcome to the application controller. The application controller operatively connects the interactive controller and the wager controller, and generates the thematic graphical display using the pari-mutuel wagering parameters. |
| US09947177B2 |
Conducting a side bet in a game
Systems and methods for conducting a side bet in a game include receiving side bet parameters that control how the side bet is conducted. The side bet parameters may include a specified in-game event. Gameplay of the game by participants of the side bet may be monitored to determine whether the in-game event has occurred for one of the participants. If so, funds associated with the side bet may be apportioned to the winning participant. |
| US09947176B2 |
Interactive gaming among a plurality of players systems and methods
A system for interactive gaming among a plurality of players includes a host computer system and a plurality of player terminals communicably coupled to the host computer system or gaming platform via a network. The plurality of player terminals may be located at a plurality of licensed gaming locations. The plurality of player terminals may be configured to engage the plurality of players in a common interactive game operated by the host computer system. The plurality of player terminals can include means for dispensing player winnings from the player terminal. |
| US09947175B2 |
Generating a score related to play on gaming devices
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to generating and displaying a score related to the results of wagering by a player on an electronic gaming machine. In one embodiment, a method for generating a score related to play on at least one electronic gaming device includes tracking the amount wagered on the gaming device, tracking the amount awarded by the gaming device, and generating a score related to the tracked amounts. |
| US09947173B2 |
Providing performance video content in an online casino
A system and method for providing performance video content in an online casino are disclosed. Players of the online casino may be facilitated to access (e.g., viewing, browsing and/or any other types of access) the performance video content and simultaneously play casino-style games provided in the online through casino interfaces. For incentivizing the players to engage the online casino, access to the performance video content may be differentiated based on progress by the players in the online casino. The access to the performance video content may be differentiated with respect to streaming quality, video resolution, types of content available, periods of access, means to access past video on demand, and/or any other aspects of accessing the performance video content within the online casino. |
| US09947170B2 |
Time synchronization of gaming machines
Banked EGM light and sound shows which reduce the probability of appearing unsynchronized are described herein. A modified client time protocol on each EGM stores an offset from a time reference source. The time offset is used to schedule banked light and sound shows so that the performance of each EGM is synchronized, without requiring the actual clocks of the EGMs to be synchronized. |
| US09947167B2 |
Treatment system and method for ingestible product dispensing system and method
A computationally implemented system and method that is designed to, but is not limited to: electronically directing at least one second automated treatment occurrence of the at least one automated device to treat at least a portion of the automated ingestible product dispensing equipment other than removing material from the automated ingestible product preparation equipment including other than removing the at least one first substance, other than removing the first ingestible product, and other than removing other materials associated with preparation of the at least one first ingestible product prior to at least one second operation occurrence of the automated ingestible product dispensing equipment, the at least one second operation occurrence electronically initiated via electronically receiving first input associated with a particular individual living being. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure. |
| US09947166B2 |
Coin and bill dispensing safe
A readily reconfigureable cash dispensing system for providing change, such as coins of different values and bills or currency of different denominations needed by a retail store, grocery store, busy convenience store, or the like. A tray or trays for storing and delivering multiple rolls of coins or bills of a first value, as well as, a tray or trays for storing and delivering stacks of bills are described herein. A bill acceptor may be employed to accept bills used to purchase rolls of coins and stacks of bills, and a system controller can sense restocking and dispensing events to maintain an accurate inventory of cash in the bill acceptor, as well as, the total cash stored in the form of coin rolls or rolls bills, as well as, bill stacks. |
| US09947165B2 |
Linkage device
A linkage device is provided, which includes: a banknote stacking plate, a cover plate, a transmission mechanism, and a driving mechanism. The first transmission component is mounted on the banknote stacking plate, and configured to drive the banknote stacking plate to rotate. The second transmission component and a spring are mounted on the cover plate, and the second transmission component is configured to drive the cover plate to rotate. The torque limiter is mounted on the first transmission component. The one-way bearing is mounted on the second transmission component. The linkage device may prevent a customer from placing banknotes into a fault position when depositing the banknotes, and may also avoid problems of the internal structures such as the banknote separating mechanism, the impeller wheel type banknote stacking mechanism exposed being blocked by foreign matters disposed, or being damaged for other reasons. |
| US09947164B2 |
Automatic fault diagnosis method and device for sorting machine
A method and a device for automatically diagnosing a sorter fault are provided. The method includes: obtaining a banknote image of a banknote by scanning; performing data processing on the banknote image based on a preset detection algorithm, to obtain a processing result; and sending a feedback information if the processing result satisfies a preset condition. |
| US09947163B2 |
Authentication of security documents and mobile device to carry out the authentication
A method of authenticating security documents and a mobile device, especially a smartphone, programmed to carry out the method, based on an analysis of features which are produced by intaglio printing, which analysis involves a decomposition of sample images of a candidate document to be authenticated based on Wavelets, each sample image being digitally processed by performing a Wavelet transform of the sample image in order to derive a set of classification features. The method is based on an adaptive approach, which includes the following steps: —prior to carrying out the Wavelet transform, defining a categorization map containing local information about different intaglio line structures that are found on the security documents; —carrying out a Wavelet selection amongst a pool of Wavelet types based on the categorization map; and —performing the Wavelet transform of the sample image on the basis of the selected Wavelet. |
| US09947157B1 |
Appliance override key
A method of operating an appliance includes enabling an operation restriction. The operation restriction limits activation of the appliance and requires an authorization prior to activating the appliance. The method also includes receiving a request to activate the appliance. The method further includes receiving an override key via a user interface physically connected to the appliance. The method further includes disabling the operation restriction after the override key is received, and activating the appliance after the override key is received. |
| US09947156B2 |
Granting control of a shared system
Method and apparatus for granting control of a shared-access system. The method comprises: obtaining (305) an identity of a user; obtaining (310, 315) a priority rating associated with the user, wherein the priority rating is updated in response to one or more observed activities of the user, the one or more observed activities being linked to the shared-access system (100); comparing the priority rating with a threshold; and granting (320) control of at least a part of the shared-access system (100) to the user if the priority rating is above the threshold. For example, each user may have a respective ‘strength of association’ with the shared-access system or part thereof; the shared-access system may comprise one or more lighting units arranged to illuminate an environment, and a user who is present most often in the environment may be deemed to have the ‘strongest association’ with the shared-access system. |
| US09947155B2 |
Frictionless access system for public access point
An access control system and method for monitoring a public access point are disclosed. The system includes a positioning unit that tracks locations of users carrying user devices relative to the public access point, where the user devices transmit user information identifying the users via wireless signals. The system determines whether the users are authorized to pass through the access point based on the wireless signals from the user devices. Public access points include security checkpoints at government buildings, airports, amusement parks, and universities, in examples. In embodiments, biometric identifiers are obtained from the users when the users are preferably located within a threshold area of the public access points, and the system confirms the identity of the authorized users via the biometric identifiers to enable the users to pass through the public access points. Additionally, the system can assist in evacuation of users based on their tracked locations. |
| US09947154B2 |
Retrofitted keypad and method
Methods, devices, and systems are provided for retrofitting an existing access control system with one or more supplemental access devices that add access control capabilities to the existing system. A supplemental access device can be configured as a retrofit keypad. The retrofit keypad adds the ability for a user to provide additional credential and/or security information to an access control system via one or more interface keys on the retrofit keypad. The retrofit keypad may be a portable device such as an RFID device, wireless communication device, near field communication (NFC) device, etc., and/or combinations thereof. |
| US09947153B2 |
Secure smartphone based access and start authorization system for vehicles
A Bluetooth enabled Smartphone may be used for both access control and start authorization in a secure and safe way, and embodiments are backward-compatible with conventional vehicle access and start systems. A smart phone acts as an intermediary authorization device to a code generator which effectively resembles a car key that is installed in a vehicle. A Bluetooth transceiver and the code generator—and, optionally, for the retrofit solution, an RF/LF transceiver—are added to the vehicle. The Bluetooth transceiver communicates with the smart phone. The code generator communicates with electronic control units in the vehicle that control access, immobilization, and engine start. The communication may happen via a wired connection or, in the case of the retrofit solution, via an RF/LF transceiver that mimics an additional car key programmed to the vehicle. |
| US09947151B2 |
Wheel hub safety devices, systems and methods
A wheel hub safety device is for a vehicle having a hub and a wheel. The hub having a plurality of opposing equiradially disposed wheel bolts. The wheel having a plurality of opposing equiradially disposed holes spaced for mating engagement with the wheel bolts on the hub. The wheel is configured for attachment to the hub through use of a plurality of lug nuts. The wheel hub safety device has a housing and a plurality of lug nut rotation detectors. The housing is for housing the plurality of lug nut rotation detectors, at least one sensor and a transmitter. |
| US09947150B2 |
Maintenance monitor device, and program and recording medium for the same
An object is to provide a maintenance monitor device which can display numerical data related to three or more display items on a graph simultaneously, with high visibility and operability. A maintenance monitor device (1) is capable of displaying a graph of numerical data of three or more of a plurality of display items related to an apparatus (14) subject to maintenance on a monitor screen (10), and includes: a list display unit (2) capable of displaying a list of the display items (22) on the monitor screen; a numerical data display unit (3) capable of displaying a graph of numerical data related to the three or more display items on the monitor screen in accordance with graph axes including a first axis which includes a time axis; a position information calculation unit (7) capable of calculating position information of a cursor (28) displayed on the monitor screen; a display item recognition unit (6) capable of recognizing the display items indicated by the cursor on the basis of the position information of the cursor calculated by the position information calculation unit; and a second axis display unit (5) configured to be capable of displaying only one scale (33) corresponding to the display item recognized by the display item recognition unit on a second axis included in the graph axes. |
| US09947147B1 |
Vehicle electronic logging authorization and handover system
A novel vehicle electronic logging authorization and handover system is configured to provide commercial vehicle driver log handover requests and authorizations to improve and preserve robustness and non-overlapping uniqueness of electronically-generated commercial vehicle driver log data among a plurality of drivers who time-share a vehicle. In one embodiment, the novel vehicle electronic logging authorization and handover system includes a vehicle OBD device, a vehicle ELD, a remote ELD log handover authorization application executed on a first driver's portable electronic device, a remote ELD log handover request application executed on a second driver's portable electronic device, and a commercial fleet operation vehicle electronic logging database and management system. The drivers are able to remotely request or authorize ELD log handovers to other drivers, even if they are not inside or near the time-shared vehicle at the time of ELD log handover request or authorization. |
| US09947146B2 |
Information processing system for electric two-wheeled vehicle, electric two-wheeled vehicle, electric equipment unit, and key for electric two-wheeled vehicle
The present disclosure makes it possible to perform a failure diagnosis of an electric two-wheeled vehicle easily, conveniently, and immediately. The electric two-wheeled vehicle includes an electric equipment unit having an IC tag and a host unit. The host unit is capable of communicating with the IC tag, and obtains failure information of the electric equipment unit while electric power is supplied from the battery to the electric equipment unit. The information communication terminal obtains the failure information by communicating with the electric two-wheeled vehicle in a non-contact manner, and transmits the failure information to the server via the network. The server performs a failure diagnosis on the electric two-wheeled vehicle based on the failure information. |
| US09947143B2 |
Ticket dispensing module
A ticket dispensing module includes an elongate ticket dispensing aperture provided within a face of the ticket dispensing module, and a housing body with opposed first and second faces provided with first and second complementary slideable engagement elements and latching elements. The first slideable engagement element of a first housing body is engageable with the second slideable engagement element of a corresponding, second housing body, by relative displacement of the first and second housing bodies. The first and second slideable engagement elements of the housing bodies are configured to prevent separation of the housing bodies transverse to the direction of relative displacement when they are engaged. The housing body has opposed third and fourth faces each connecting between the first and second faces, provided with complementary slideable engagement elements and latching elements. |
| US09947138B2 |
System and method for augmented reality display of dynamic environment information
A method for providing environment information to a mobile device user is presented. The method comprises receiving a request for target environment information from a mobile device, determining the pose of the mobile interface device relative to the target environment, and obtaining target environment data for one or more measurable environment parameters (e.g., radiation level). The target environment data is used to assemble augmented reality information configured for viewing in conjunction with a real-time view of the target environment captured by the mobile interface device. The target augmented reality information is then transmitted to the mobile device for display to the user. |
| US09947132B2 |
Material representation data structure and method of representing a material for digital image synthesis
A material representation data structure and a method of representing a material for digital image synthesis. The data structure may be embodied in a graphics processing subsystem, including: (1) a memory configured to store a material representation data structure according to which a material is declaratively represented by a property indicative of an interaction between the material and light, and (2) a processor operable to gain access to the memory and employ the property in a rendering procedure defined independent of the material representation data structure and designed to effect the interaction. |
| US09947129B2 |
Method for enhanced display of image slices from 3-D volume image
A method for rendering volume radiographic image content of a subject forms a volume image. The method extracts a first image slice from the volume image, then modifies the extracted first image slice by defining two or more spatial frequency bands from the image slice data and applying one or more viewer adjustments to the image slice data, wherein the one or more viewer adjustments condition the image data to enhance image content in at least one of the defined spatial frequency bands. A set of display rendering parameters is generated according to the two or more frequency bands and according to viewer adjustments made for the first image slice. A second image slice is extracted from the volume image. The generated set of display rendering parameters is applied to the second image slice to render an adjusted image slice and the adjusted image slice is displayed. |
| US09947127B2 |
Efficient image transmission
A mobile telephone receives, constructs and displays an image from a server over a mobile telephone network. The server determines the parameters for data transfer from the server to the mobile telephone, the capabilities of the mobile telephone, transfer task requirements, and apportions the processing between the server and the mobile telephone for each of a plurality of elements in each image, thereby to meet the task requirement, which can include being within a predetermined time for task completion, or being the fastest means for task completion. Parameters for data transfer from server to telephone include server transmission bandwidth, phone reception bandwidth, data channel bandwidth, transmission protocol, and channel accessibility. Phone capabilities include the data processing speed, the available memory, display size, and the data processing software available; Task requirements include the maximum transmission time and the minimum display resolution of the image. |
| US09947126B2 |
Storing and comparing three-dimensional objects in three-dimensional storage
A computer-implemented method includes receiving first data representing a first physical object that has three dimensions. The first data may be stored, by a computer processor, as a first digital object representing the first physical object. Storing the first data may include storing a representation of the first data in a first plurality of layers. Each layer of the first plurality of layers may include a first plurality of cells. Each cell of the first plurality of cells may have one of: a first value indicating that the first physical object exists in a physical space corresponding to a position of the cell, and a second value indicating that the first physical object does not exist in the physical space corresponding to the position of the cell. |
| US09947117B2 |
Reconstruction of a resultant image taking account of contour significance data
A method is disclosed for the reconstruction of resultant image data of an examination object from scan data acquired during a relative rotation movement between a radiation source of an X-ray image recording system and the examination object. An embodiment of the method includes reconstruction of initial image data from the scan data; derivation of contour data from the initial image data; calculation of contour significance data from the scan data and/or the initial image data; and calculation of the resultant image data using the contour data and the contour significance data. A corresponding computer program, a corresponding data carrier, a corresponding control and computation unit and a corresponding X-ray image recording system are also disclosed. |
| US09947116B2 |
Methods and systems for detector gap corrections
Methods and systems are provided for correcting positional errors in an image arising from gaps in a detector assembly. In one embodiment, a method comprises generating a sinogram based on a plurality of photon coincidence events, selectively inserting one or more pseudo-slices into the sinogram, and generating an image based on the sinogram including the one or more pseudo-slices. In this way, positional errors may be reduced without modifying an image reconstruction algorithm to include a full detector geometry or modifying the detector geometry itself. |
| US09947112B2 |
Scanning device and method for positioning a scanning device
The present invention relates to a scanning device (10, 10′) for scanning an object (12), wherein the scanning device (10) comprises a projection unit (16) for projecting an alignment image (28) onto the object (12), said alignment image (28) comprising a main pattern (26), an image capturing unit (18) for capturing a live camera image (30) of the object (12), said live camera image (30) comprising a derivative pattern (32) of the main pattern (26), the derivative pattern (32) representing said projected alignment image (28) as seen from the image capturing unit viewpoint, and an alignment unit (22, 22′) for providing an indication of a correct position and/or orientation of the scanning device (10) with respect to the scanned object (12) on the basis of the captured live camera image (30). |
| US09947109B2 |
Method and apparatus for direct detection, location, analysis, identification, and reporting of vegetation clearance violations
A method and system for processing digital image data taken from a three-dimensional topographic area including terrain and a right of way including a first and a second object to establish a clearance surface to define clearance violations within a boundary area. Waypoints are located to define a centerline and the boundary area to be analyzed. Vegetation coordinate points in the scene are determined from the digital image data. Ground coordinate points are determined from the digital image data. A clearance surface segment is constructed within the boundary area between the first and second object. The clearance surface is determined from the location of the first and second object and clearance criteria. The clearance surface is used to define a violation region. |
| US09947105B2 |
Information processing apparatus, recording medium, and information processing method
An information processing apparatus includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and an associating unit. The first acquisition unit acquires first identification information stored on an object carried by a person. The second acquisition unit acquires second identification information identifying the person. When the same combination as a combination of the first identification information acquired on first date and time, and the second identification information acquired on second date and time corresponding to the first date and time is acquired on third date and time different from the first date and time, the associating unit associates the first identification information with the second identification information in the combination. |
| US09947098B2 |
Augmenting a depth map representation with a reflectivity map representation
A solution for generating a 3D representation of an object in a scene is provided. A depth map representation of the object is combined with a reflectivity map representation of the object to generate the 3D representation of the object. The 3D representation of the object provides more complete and accurate information of the object. An image of the object is illuminated by structured light and is captured. Pattern features rendered in the captured image of the object are analyzed to derive a depth map representation and a reflectivity map representation of the illuminated object. The depth map representation provides depth information while the reflectivity map representation provides surface information (e.g., reflectivity) of the illuminated object. The 3D representation of the object can be enhanced with additional illumination projected onto the object and additional images of the object. |
| US09947097B2 |
Method and system for enhanced fetal visualization by detecting and displaying a fetal head position with cross-plane ultrasound images
A processor identifies a first set of characteristic models of a structure in cross-plane images acquired at a first acquisition period. The processor identifies a second set of characteristic models of the structure in cross-plane images acquired at a second subsequent acquisition period. The processor determines an amount of rotation of the structure based at least in part on a difference in shape of the first set of characteristic models and the second set of characteristic models. The system and method may include determining a labor progress based at least in part on the determined amount of rotation of the structure. The structure may be a fetal head. The cross-plane images acquired at the first acquisition period may be acquired simultaneously by a single ultrasound device. The cross-plane images acquired at the second subsequent acquisition period may be acquired simultaneously by a single ultrasound device. |
| US09947096B2 |
Hybrid recursive analysis of spatio-temporal objects
A method for generating 3D-information from multiple images showing a 3D scene from multiple perspectives has: providing at least two hypotheses for the 3D-information; performing a multi-hypotheses test by matching the at least two hypotheses to the multiple images and determining a test-result hypothesis that fulfills a particular matching criterion; updating the test-result hypothesis by varying a parameter set of the test-result hypothesis to further improve the matching criterion or another criterion; and determining the 3D-information on the basis of the parameter set of a resulting hypothesis provided by the action of updating the test-result hypothesis. A corresponding computer readable digital storage medium and a 3D-information generator are also described. Further embodiments perform a correspondence analysis between projections of spatio-temporal objects (STO) in multiple images to select a particular spatio-temporal object on the basis of said correspondence analysis. |
| US09947094B2 |
Medical image processing device, operation method therefor, and medical image processing program
There are provided a feature point extraction unit that extracts an anatomical feature point included in a medical image based on the medical image and a standardization conditions acquisition unit that acquires standardization conditions of pixel values of the medical image based on some pixel values around the anatomical feature point among the pixel values of the medical image. |
| US09947093B2 |
Dynamic analysis apparatus and dynamic analysis system
A dynamic analysis apparatus may include a setting section which sets a target region in a lung region of a chest dynamic image; a conversion section which calculates a representative value of a pixel signal value in the target region, and converts the pixel signal value; an extraction section which extracts a pulmonary blood flow signal from the image; and a calculation section which calculates a change in the pulmonary blood flow signal, and calculates a feature amount regarding pulmonary blood flow. The setting section may determine a size of the target region based on a size of a body part other than a lung blood vessel, a movement amount of a body part other than the lung blood vessel or subject information of the chest dynamic image, the subject information regarding a subject of the radiation imaging, and the setting section may set the target region. |
| US09947091B2 |
Locally applied transparency for a CT image
A method, including, receiving three-dimensional tomographic data with respect to a body of a living subject, and using the data to generate a representation of an external surface of the body and displaying the representation on a screen. The method further includes inserting an invasive instrument into a region of the body and identifying a position of the instrument in the body. The method also includes rendering an area of the external surface surrounding the identified position of the instrument locally transparent in the displayed representation, so as to make visible on the screen an internal structure of the body in a vicinity of the identified position. |
| US09947090B2 |
Medical image dectection system and method
The present invention involves a foreign object detection system and method which involves combining several algorithms specifically enhanced for foreign object detection to provide an improved detection system. |
| US09947088B2 |
Evaluation condition setting method of semiconductor device, and evaluation condition setting apparatus
An object of the present invention is to provide an evaluation condition setting method and an evaluation condition setting apparatus of a semiconductor device which can select an appropriate evaluation pattern for exposure condition management with high accuracy. In order to solve the object, the present invention proposes an evaluation condition setting method or an evaluation condition setting apparatus which excludes a pattern corresponding to a process window chart defining a process window range smaller than a predetermined process window range from a measurement target, in a plurality of the process window charts which are obtained based on scanning of a charged particle beam with respect to another pattern formed on a sample. |
| US09947085B2 |
System and method for improving an image characteristic of image frames in a video stream
According to various implementations of the invention, a changed region between a later-in-time image frame and an earlier-in-time image frame and an unchanged region between such two image frames are determined. A new improvement to the video characteristic is determined and applied to the changed region of the later-in-time image frame. A prior improvement to the video characteristic that was determined for the earlier-in-time image frame is applied to the unchanged region of the later-in-time image frame. |
| US09947083B2 |
Image processing method, image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, image processing program and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
The image processing method includes acquiring an input image produced by image capturing using an optical system, acquiring a first noise amount contained in the input image, performing a resolution enhancement process on the input image, performing frequency decomposition of the input image into multiple decomposed images that are mutually different frequency band components, and calculating, on a basis of the first noise amount and a frequency characteristic of the resolution enhancement process, a second noise amount contained in each of areas of each of the multiple decomposed images. The method further includes performing a noise reduction process on each area of each decomposed image on a basis of the second noise amount calculated for that area, and combining the multiple decomposed images each subjected to the noise reduction process together. |
| US09947080B2 |
Display of a visual event notification
A method comprising entering a passive viewing state of an apparatus, determining occurrence of a software event, generating a visual event notification that is indicative of the software event based, at least in part, on the passive viewing state, causing display, on a display, of the visual event notification in conformance with an impaired-viewing display mode based, at least in part, on passive viewing state, receiving environmental sensor information, determining that the environmental sensor information indicates that the apparatus is actively viewed by a user, entering an active viewing state of the apparatus based, at least in part, on the determination that the environmental sensor information indicates that the apparatus is actively viewed by the user, and causing display, on the display, of different visual information in conformance with an unimpaired-viewing display mode based, at least in part, on the active viewing state is disclosed. |
| US09947079B1 |
Systems and methods for dewarping images
A computer-implemented method comprises: extracting a setting from a description file of a virtual pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera used to capture an original image through a wide-angle lens; determining a first set of coordinates of a pixel of the original image for each cell of a sparse conversion map represented as a first look-up table, wherein the sparse conversion map corresponds to a sparse grid of pixels of an output image; determining, via interpolating the first set of coordinates, a second set of coordinates of a pixel of the original image for each cell of a full conversion map, wherein the second set of coordinates is represented as a second look-up table, wherein the full conversion map corresponds to a full grid of pixels of the output image; instructing a display to present the output image, wherein the original image is less rectilinear than the output image. |
| US09947078B2 |
Image resampling with geometric transformation
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer storage media directed at image resampling with geometric transformation. In embodiments the method may begin by determining a two-dimensional filter for application to an original image to produce a resampled image. This determining may be based on a specified geometric transformation. The method can proceed by computing identifiers for pixel locations in the resampled image that indicate a position of the two-dimensional filter with respect to the original image. Additionally, the method can include applying the two-dimensional filter to the original image in accordance with the computed identifiers to produce the resampled image. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09947076B2 |
Product modeling system and method
A product modeling system and method are provided. On one embodiment, the product modeling system is used to model a piece of apparel, such as a shirt, with a design wherein the model with the design is used to display the piece of apparel with the design to a consumer. |
| US09947075B2 |
Image processing apparatus
A data input circuit stores decoded image data into the line buffer. A transmission circuit transmits image data of a rear end part in the primary scanning direction of each line in the line buffer to a boundary buffer. In the secondary scanning direction, a second block is adjacent to a first block, and a fourth block is adjacent to a third block. The third block is adjacent to the first block in the primary scanning direction. The filter execution circuit continuously performs filter execution of: (a) the rear end part in the primary scanning direction of (a1) the rear end part in the secondary scanning direction of the first block and (a2) the second block, and (b) the rear end part in the secondary scanning direction of the third block and (c) the fourth block, using the image data stored in the boundary buffer and the line buffer. |
| US09947070B2 |
GPU that passes PCIe via displayport for routing to a USB type-C connector
A GPU can be configured to selectively function as a PCIe switch so that a PCIe link can be formed between the GPU and a remote GPU. The GPU can include a DisplayPort interface that is coupled via a multiplexer to a USB type-C port. When it is desired to implement remote graphics, the GPU can cause the DisplayPort interface to instead function as a PCIe interface between the GPU and the multiplexer. With this PCIe connection, the GPU can forward its PCIe interface with the CPU to the remote GPU via the USB type-C port. In this way, remote graphics can be implemented without using Thunderbolt to tunnel the PCIe interface to the remote GPU. |
| US09947069B2 |
Providing variants of digital assets based on device-specific capabilities
Described is a system for providing variants of a digital asset based on specific device capabilities of target devices. A developer may compress a digital asset that is part of a universal application to be installed on a set of target devices by selecting from a set of intent-based compression options. The compression options may include hardware-accelerated compression formats that utilize a graphics processing unit (GPU) during rendering. Despite the compression option selected, the application package includes a variant of the digital asset renderable on each type of target device including devices without a GPU. This allows a developer to freely choose any option without the concern of whether the option is compatible or supported by each type of device. A distribution server may then map attributes of a specific target to particular feature classes, and accordingly, distribute an appropriate variant of the digital asset to the target device. |
| US09947065B2 |
Zero-watermarking registration and detection method for HEVC video streaming against requantization transcoding
A zero-watermarking registration and detection method for HEVC video streaming against requantization transcoding is provided. To increase an attack-resistance of a registration watermarking, the registration method firstly processes depth values corresponding to respective brightness blocks in a target video streaming with a depth binarization during constructing registration watermarking information through depth features, because the depth binarization well reflects a robustness of the registration watermarking. A first watermarking information matrix including a part of the depth values after the depth binarization is encrypted with a random matrix, so as to increase a safety of the registration watermarking. The registration method directly generates zero-watermarking through the depth features of the video streaming without modifying original carrier information and affecting a watermarking transparency. Meanwhile, the registration method has a strong robustness against attacks, such as the requantization transcoding of quantization parameters within a certain range of variation and common signal processing. |
| US09947056B2 |
Annotation-based voting for E-readers and social networking enabled browsers
Techniques for annotation-based voting for online content are provided. In one aspect, a method for voting for online content is provided which includes associating content selected by a voter from a first content set with a user profile of the voter; identifying the selected content in a second content set upon the second content set being accessed by one or more users socially connected to the voter; and visually accenting the selected content in the second content set. The method may include retrieving profile information for the voter; and associating the profile information for the voter with the selected content in the second content set. The method may further include displaying the profile information for the voter along with the selected content in the second content set. |
| US09947053B2 |
System and method for conditional group membership fees
A system and method for facilitating fee-based group membership is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving, from at least one designated organizer for at least one group of a plurality of groups, data representing a monetary value of a membership fee; receiving, from a first plurality of user terminals associated with a first plurality of users, a first plurality of requests to join the at least one group; registering the first plurality of users with the at least one group; receiving, from a second plurality of user terminals associated with a second plurality of users, a second plurality of requests to join the at least one group; transmitting, to the second plurality of user terminals, data configured to display payment options; and registering at least a portion of the second plurality of users with the at least one group upon payment of the fee. |
| US09947052B1 |
Controlling autonomous vehicles to optimize traffic characteristics
Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling autonomous vehicles to optimize traffic characteristics. A computing platform may receive vehicle guidance data from autonomous vehicle control systems of vehicles. Subsequently, the computing platform may identify a number of the vehicles currently operating in an autonomous mode based on the vehicle guidance data. Thereafter, the computing platform may identify a target number of the vehicles to be operated in an autonomous mode in order to optimize traffic characteristics. Then, the computing platform may generate messages directing selected vehicles to switch into autonomous mode in order to achieve the target number. Subsequently, the computing platform may send the messages directing the selected vehicles to switch into autonomous mode in order to receive incentives. Thereafter, the computing platform may award the incentives to the selected vehicles that switch into the autonomous mode as directed by the messages. |
| US09947048B2 |
Apparatus and methods for implementing changed monitoring conditions and/or requirements using dynamically-modifiable control logic
The technology performs obligations fulfillment monitoring. An input data stream of data messages is received including transaction data and reference data, obligation control logic, and a set of obligation parameters associated with the obligation control logic. An event data processor processes the input data stream using a current version of the obligation control logic and the set of obligation parameters. Subsequently, the event processor receives information to implement and execute obligation control logic that is dynamically-modified and different from the current version of the obligation control logic. The event processor generates and outputs an obligation fulfillment message based on the dynamically-modified obligation logic and transmits to an interested entity. |
| US09947047B2 |
System and method for event driven virtual workspace
A system and method for an event driven virtual workspace are described. According to one example method, a trader can define a plurality of windows to be associated with a virtual workspace. Also, the trader could define one or more triggering events, the combination of which may be used to activate the virtual workspace. In such an embodiment, when the system detects the one or more triggers, the system can attempt to activate the virtual workspace. According to the example method, the trader may place a number of limiting conditions before any states of the currently displayed windows are modified such that the triggered virtual workspace could be displayed. If no limiting conditions are detected, the system can display the triggered virtual workspace. |
| US09947044B2 |
Improper financial activity detection tool
An illustrative method for identifying information associated with a ring of individuals performing improper financial activities may include combining a list of user identifiers with one or more attributes tables corresponding to the financial transactions. A computer device may analyze a first list of identifiers in relation to an attribute table, where the identifiers may be associated with one or more suspected improper financial activities and the attribute table may include attributes of one or more financial transactions performed over a specified duration. The computer device may then link the first list of identifiers with one or more attributes included in the attribute table to determine a second list of identifiers and the process may be repeated until a stopping condition has been reached. After the stopping condition has been met, the computer device may communicate a report to a user. |
| US09947043B2 |
Smart form
Some embodiments of a system and a method to dynamically create a smart form have been presented. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) module, running on a server, creates a GUI to present a questionnaire having at least one question to an end-user. A rule engine, running on the server, receives an answer to the at least one question via the GUI from the end-user. Using truth maintenance, the rule engine may determine what follow-up questions to ask the end-user based on the answer received. The GUI module may dynamically modify the GUI to present the follow-up questions to the end-user. |
| US09947042B2 |
Method for providing on-demand digital representations to mobile devices and other computers in other geographic locations by auction and/or sale
Methods and systems are disclosed for obtaining various digital representations and then providing and auction and/or sale of the digital representations. |
| US09947039B2 |
Order item recognition system
A system is provided that that recognizes an order item. The system defines an order item specification including a recognition property and a dynamic parameter property. The system further receives an order item of an order, the order item including a key that uniquely identifies a conceptual model entity and arbitrary parameters, each arbitrary parameter comprising a parameter name and a parameter value. The system further extracts the key from the order item. The system further stores the key within the recognition property. The system further identifies the conceptual model entity based on the recognition property. The system further dynamically binds parameter values from the arbitrary parameters to the dynamic parameter property based on the identified conceptual model entity. |
| US09947038B2 |
Dynamically customizing user quotas
An online content management system determines a new account configuration to offer to a user, including the price and/or size of a user's quota of storage space in an account on the online content management system, based on usage characteristics of the account. An account management module tracks account usage. The account management module analyzes the account usage and applies a model to predict the willingness of the user to pay for a new account configuration. Responsive to the results of the prediction, the new account configuration is offered to the user. The user's feedback on the offered new account configuration is tracked. If the user accepts the offer, the user's account details are updated accordingly. If the user rejects the offer, this feedback may be added as input into future predictions of that user's willingness to pay for a new account configuration. |
| US09947035B2 |
System and method for segmenting items in a shopping cart by carbon footprint
A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to provide a shopping cart for a shopper, and segment items in the shopping cart based on the carbon footprint associated with each item. Additionally, the method may include displaying substitute or complementary items in the shopping cart for selection by the user to reduce total carbon values, and awarding carbon certificates. |
| US09947026B2 |
Combining content with a search result
Methods, systems, and apparatus include computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, including a method for providing content. A search query is received. Search results responsive to the query are identified, including identifying a first search result in a top set of search results that is associated with a brand. Based at least in part on the query, one or more eligible content items are identified for delivery along with the search results responsive to the query. A determination is made as to when at least one of the eligible content items is associated with a same brand as the brand associated with the first search result. The first search result and one of the determined at least one eligible content items are combined into a combined content item and providing the combined content item as a search result responsive to the request. |
| US09947022B1 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program product for forecasting demand
Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for forecasting demand. An example method comprises generating a virtual offer for one or more combinations of a category or sub-category, location, and price range, accessing consumer data comprising one or more users and user data related to each of the one or more users, calculating a probability that a particular user would buy a particular offer in a particular time frame for at least a portion of the plurality of users and for each of the virtual offers, and determining an estimated number of units of to be sold for at least a portion of the one or more virtual offers as a function of at least the probability associated with each of the one or more virtual offers. |
| US09947021B1 |
Method, apparatus, and computer product for identifying a service need via a promotional system
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for identifying a service need via a promotional system, and offering the service need to a third party. Promotions may be offered via a promotional system for a consumer to purchase in exchange for a discounted product or service from a provider. Demand information, which may be collected based on promotions and/or other sources. A residual demand may be calculated based on the demand information and available inventory. The residual demand may be utilized to identify a service need. The service need may be identified in a geographic area having a similar demographic to a geographic area having an associated successful promotion. A service need may be provided to a third party or provider, and may indicate the need for a new business or expansion of a current business. |
| US09947013B2 |
Techniques for secure mobile payment
Techniques for secure mobile payment are provided. A credit or gift card is registered for additional security, such that a secure identifier or personal identification number (PIN) is required for use of the credit or gift card. Registration is not required or even known by the third-party payment service associated with the card. Subsequently, when a consumer attempts to use the card and before payment instructions are sent to the corresponding third-party payment service, the secure identifier or PIN is requested and verified. If properly verified, the payment instructions are forwarded for processing by the third-party payment service. |
| US09947012B2 |
Secure transactions using a personal device
Various systems and methods for secure transactions using a personal device are described herein. A system to secure transactions using a personal device, the system comprises a randomization module to randomize an initial keypad representation to produce a randomized keypad representation; a communication module to: receive from the personal device, an indication to begin a secure transaction to access a resource with an access code; and transmit the randomized keypad representation to the personal device for presentation by the personal device to a user of the personal device; a keypad to receive a series of key presses from the user, the key presses corresponding to the access code based on the randomized keypad representation; and a security module to verify that the series of key presses correspond to the access code. |
| US09947011B2 |
Environment and methods for enabling electronic transactions
A method includes receiving a request for registered payment options associated with a user computing device, where the request includes an identifier uniquely identifying one of the user computing device and the user. The method includes identifying one or more payment options associated with the device identifier, where each of the one or more payment options is associated with respective payment instrument information. The method includes providing one or more codes, where each code of the one or more codes identifies a respective payment option of the one or more payment options. The method includes receiving a first code of the one or more codes and transaction information. The method includes accessing, based upon the first code, payment instrument information associated with the payment option identified by the first code, and causing the processing of the payment instrument information in relation to a transaction identified by the transaction data. |
| US09947004B2 |
Wireless client transaction systems and related methods
Computer implemented systems and methods, including methods of transacting with wireless clients. Embodiments include, in various combinations, a client ID module, a scanning module configured to scan, or an act of scanning, a wireless channel set at a business locale for wireless signals of a registered customer set, or a combination thereof. Some embodiments identify out of the wireless signals certain wireless packets of a client of the registered customer set, calculate a first client signal strength of the first wireless packets, or both. In certain embodiments, a localization module calculates or is configured to calculate whether the first client is at a transaction area of the business locale, for example, based on the first client signal strength, for instance, without reliance on near field communication technology. Some embodiments include a training module or act, a point of service module or act, or both. |
| US09947001B2 |
System and method for using multiple payment accounts using a single payment device
A method and system for transmitting multiple payment accounts for use by a payment device. The method includes allocating a cryptographic personal account number (CPAN) and producing at least one cryptographic master key set relating to this CPAN and transmitting, by a transmitting device, at least one produced cryptographic master key set for storage in a payment device. Further, the method includes receiving, by a receiving device, at least one device personal account number (DPAN), wherein each of the at least one DPAN is associated with a payment account associated with a consumer; generating, by a processing device, a repersonalization script for each of the at least one DPAN, wherein the repersonalization script includes a set of data associated with the corresponding DPAN; and transmitting, by the transmitting device, at least one repersonalization script to the payment device. The payment device is configured to use the CPAN for selected cryptographic calculations, and use the DPAN and the associated set of data for other aspects of a financial transaction. |
| US09946999B2 |
Customer interaction manager on a point of sale computer
An approach is provided for indirectly connecting a customer's mobile smart device to a point of sale computer located at a business when the customer is making a purchase at the business. The customer's mobile smart device and the POS computer communicate over the Internet with a customer interaction manager executing on an Internet server. This provides an easy to use interface for the customer and allows the customer to receive information and send requests to the business without having to wait for personnel working at the business to be available. |
| US09946987B2 |
System and method for multi-layered monitoring and control for dynamic situation handling for production support
A system and method for selecting an optimal policy to be implemented in production support engagement. The system configures a knowledge base including plurality of policies, reference events, and reference scenarios. The plurality of policies is mapped with the plurality of reference scenarios and the plurality of reference events. The plurality of policies is defined in a plurality of layers in a manner that each policy corresponds to a particular layer of the plurality of layers. Relevant policies, out of the plurality of policies, may be selected based on an event received. Simulation may be performed on the relevant policies for identifying first candidate policy. The optimization may be performed on the relevant policies for identifying second candidate policy. The first and second candidate policy indicate the optimal policy to be implemented in the production support engagement. |
| US09946986B1 |
Petroleum reservoir operation using geotechnical analysis
A method of improving operation of a petroleum reservoir using geotechnical analysis includes classifying a petroleum reservoir using a Reservoir Ranking Analysis (RRA) and then making one or modifications to the operation of the reservoir. RRA classification includes establishing reservoir classification metrics for at least resource size and recovery potential, and optionally profitability. The reservoir can be classified based on at least one metric in the profitability classification category, and also based on at least one metric in one or more of the resource size classification category or the recovery potential classification category. Classification of reservoirs can aid in reservoir management, planning, and development. |
| US09946981B2 |
Computing device service life management
A method and information handling system for obtaining information handling system wear parameter values representative of wear of the information handling system, the information handling system wear parameter sensors comprising a motherboard event wear parameter sensor for obtaining motherboard event wear parameter values, a component event wear parameter sensor for obtaining component event wear parameter values, and a usage wear parameter sensor for obtaining usage wear parameter values, for calculating client information handling system wear based on the information handling system wear parameter values and the statistical model of wear estimation, and for providing a service life indication for the client information handling system, the service life indication indicative of a disposition suitability. |
| US09946976B2 |
System for enabling channel designation differentiation for hierarchically organizing and accessing address registers with address signifiers and elements
A system of multiple computer systems operating over a network that creates addresses using elements received by users or determined by administrators or supplied by the system based on computer system data, content data, and user data, distinguishes the addresses using address signifiers, organizes the addresses hierarchically, provides access to users by enabling entries that manipulate element inclusion and signifier inclusion, amends entries by adjusting signifier type, and approximates entires with element matching. |
| US09946968B2 |
Question-answering system
A computer program product and method provides a question and answer service that accepts an initial first question from a user and analyzes the question by a first generation subsystem to generate a first answer. A second generation subsystem of the question and answer service is configured to generate a second question based at least in-part on keywords from the first question and the first answer. |
| US09946967B2 |
Temporary carrier of a removable memory card
A temporary carrier of a removable memory card (2) is in the shape of a flat card (1), where the removable memory card (2) forms an element to be released from the flat card body (1). The removable memory card (2) has at least five additional contacts (4) for temporary usage before the removable memory card is removed from the flat card (1) body. The additional contacts (4) take up a smaller surface as a contact field (5) of a standardized flat card (1). The removable memory card (2) is located within the flat card (1) in such a way that the position of additional contacts (4) corresponds to the position of a standardized flat card (1) contact field (5). The suitable sixth additional switch contact (8) can be used to switch secure elements. The temporary carrier is inserted into a standard burning device, which operates with it in the same way as it would with a common card with a contact field (5). |
| US09946965B2 |
Encoding method and decoding method for two-dimensional barcode and electronic device
Disclosed are encoding and decoding methods for 2D barcodes, and an electronic device. During the encoding, the electronic device obtains a 1D barcode, captures a horizontal image of the 1D barcode, and encodes the horizontal image, with/without a literal data, a numerical data or a combination thereof into a 2D barcode. During the decoding, the electronic device obtains the 2D barcode, and decodes the 2D barcode into a 1D barcode with/without a literal data, a numerical data or a combination thereof. Thus, more data can be written in the 2D barcode but an image data of the 2D barcode will not be too large. The electronic device can quickly transmit the 2D barcode to another electronic device without any optical device to capture the 2D barcode for decoding it into a 1D barcode with/without a literal data, a numerical data or a combination thereof. |
| US09946963B2 |
Barcode visualization in augmented reality
Disclosed herein is an improved method for providing content associated with barcodes in augmented reality in addition or in combination with providing content associated with target objects in augmented reality. The improved method advantageously provides a augmented reality client that a user may use to view the respective content associated with barcodes and target objects while in camera view to improve usability. Advantageously, the user is not unexpectedly taken out of camera view to view the content associated with the barcode and the user experience provided is consistent between barcodes and target objects. Furthermore, the improved method integrates barcodes and a visualization of the barcode within augmented reality, without disrupting the real-time augmented reality experience. |
| US09946960B1 |
Method for acquiring bounding box corresponding to an object in an image by using convolutional neural network including tracking network and computing device using the same
A method for acquiring a bounding box corresponding to an object is provided. The method includes steps of: (a) acquiring proposal boxes; (b) selecting specific proposal box among the proposal boxes by referring to (i) a result of comparing distance between a reference bounding box and the proposal boxes and/or (ii) a result of comparing score which indicates whether the proposal boxes includes the object, and then setting the specific proposal box as a starting area of a tracking box; (c) determining a specific area of the current frame as a target area of the tracking box by using the mean shift tracking algorithm; and (d) allowing a pooling layer to generate a pooled feature map by applying pooling operation to an area corresponding to the specific area and then allowing a FC layer to acquire a bounding box by applying regression operation to the pooled feature map. |
| US09946958B1 |
Image processing system and method
An image processing system involves a camera, at least one processor associated with the camera, non-transitory storage, a lexical database of terms and image classification software. The image processing system uses the image classification software to assign hyponyms and associated probabilities to an image and then builds a subset hierarchical tree of hypernyms from the lexical database of terms. The processor then scores the hypernyms and identifies at least one hypernym for the image that has a score that is calculated to have a value that is greater than one of: a pre-specified threshold score, or all other calculated level scores within the subset hierarchical tree. The associated methods are also disclosed. |
| US09946957B2 |
Method, apparatus, computer program and system for image analysis
Examples of the present disclosure relate to a method, apparatus, computer program and system for image analysis. According to certain examples, there is provided method comprising causing, at least in part, actions that result in: receiving orientation information of an image capturing device; receiving one or more features detected from an image captured by the image capturing device; and selecting a clustering model for clustering the features, wherein the clustering model is selected, at least in part, in dependence upon the orientation information. |
| US09946953B2 |
Apparatus and method for processing images of tissue samples
A computer implemented image processing method is provided for identifying a tissue boundary of a tumor region of a tissue sample, the tissue sample containing non-tumor regions and at least one tumor region. The method includes obtaining an image of a tissue section of the tissue sample, identifying at least one image property of the image, and comparing the image property with classification data. The method further includes, based on the comparison, classifying a region of the image as a tumor region representing a tumor region in the tissue sample or a non-tumor region representing a non-tumor region in the tissue sample. If the region of the image is classified as a tumor region, the method includes identifying a boundary of the region of the image, and using the boundary to identify a tissue boundary of the tumor region of the tissue sample represented by the region of the image. |
| US09946952B2 |
Multi-source, multi-scale counting in dense crowd images
A method for counting individuals in an image containing a dense, uniform or non-uniform crowd. The current invention leverages multiple sources of information to compute an estimate of the number of individuals present in a dense crowd visible in a single image. This approach relies on multiple sources, such as low confidence head detections, repetition of texture elements (using SIFT), and frequency-domain analysis to estimate counts, along with confidence associated with observing individuals in an image region. Additionally, a global consistency constraint can be employed on counts using Markov Random Field. This caters for disparity in counts in local neighborhoods and across scales. The methodology was tested on a new dataset of fifty (50) crowd images containing over 64,000 annotated humans, with the head counts ranging from 94 to 4,543. Efficient and accurate results were attained. |
| US09946951B2 |
Self-optimized object detection using online detector selection
Embodiments are directed to an object detection system having at least one processor circuit configured to receive a series of image regions and apply to each image region in the series a detector, which is configured to determine a presence of a predetermined object in the image region. The object detection system performs a method of selecting and applying the detector from among a plurality of foreground detectors and a plurality of background detectors in a repeated pattern that includes sequentially selecting a selected one of the plurality of foreground detectors; sequentially applying the selected one of the plurality of foreground detectors to one of the series of image regions until all of the plurality of foreground detectors have been applied; selecting a selected one of the plurality of background detectors; and applying the selected one of the plurality of background detectors to one of the series of image regions. |
| US09946944B2 |
Image recording device, image defect detection device, and image defect detection method
An image defect detection device that divides an original print image and a print image printed on the basis of the original print image into corresponding regions, acquires an image feature amount of each divided region, extracts a strength of a difference of each divided region between the original print image and the print image, calculates an image defect detection time indicating a time required to detect a defect of each divided region of the print image from the image feature amount and the strength of the difference of each divided region, calculates an expected image defect value indicating a possibility of presence of a defect in each divided region of the print image from the image feature amount and the strength of the difference of each divided region, determines an order of detection of the image defect of the divided region of the print image. |
| US09946940B2 |
Vehicle vision system with adaptive lane marker detection
A vision system of a vehicle includes a camera configured to be disposed at a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. The image processor is operable to determine lane markers on a road on which the vehicle is traveling. The image processor processes intensity gradient information of captured image data to determine lane markers, and, responsive to processing of captured image data, the image processor is operable to detect straight or curved lane markers. The image processor is operable to adapt the processing of lane marker image data in subsequent frames of captured image data responsive to image processing of lane marker image data in previous frames of captured image data. |
| US09946937B2 |
Method and control unit for recognizing a weather condition in the surroundings of a vehicle
A method for recognizing a weather condition in the surroundings of a vehicle. The method includes a step of ascertaining at least one imaging feature in image information. The image information represents a depiction of at least a portion of the surroundings, and the imaging feature represents a light effect on a reflective or luminescent object in the portion of the surroundings. In addition, the method includes a step of determining weather information for characterizing the weather condition based on a comparison between the imaging feature and at least one expected value. |
| US09946936B2 |
Automated video based ingress/egress sensor reset for truck stop occupancy detection
A method and system for parking occupancy detection comprises collecting video of the parking facility with a video capturing device, counting an occupancy of a parking facility using at least one sensor to establish a sensor occupancy count, classifying each of a plurality of parking spots as occupied or vacant with a classifier according to the classification threshold in order to establish a video occupancy count, determining a difference between the sensor occupancy count and the video occupancy count, and setting the sensor occupancy count to equal the video occupancy count if the difference between the sensor occupancy count and the video occupancy count exceeds a difference threshold. |
| US09946931B2 |
Change detection and change monitoring of natural and man-made features in multispectral and hyperspectral satellite imagery
An approach for land cover classification, seasonal and yearly change detection and monitoring, and identification of changes in man-made features may use a clustering of sparse approximations (CoSA) on sparse representations in learned dictionaries. A Hebbian learning rule may be used to build multispectral or hyperspectral, multiresolution dictionaries that are adapted to regional satellite image data. Sparse image representations of pixel patches over the learned dictionaries may be used to perform unsupervised k-means clustering into land cover categories. The clustering process behaves as a classifier in detecting real variability. This approach may combine spectral and spatial textural characteristics to detect geologic, vegetative, hydrologic, and man-made features, as well as changes in these features over time. |
| US09946928B2 |
System and method for iris data acquisition for biometric identification
A system and related method for acquiring high quality images of the iris of an unconstrained subject comprising a camera; a controllable focusing component; a focus controller component that controls the lens to focus at successively different points within a focus range, such focus control performed without any input from measurement of whether the image is in focus or out of focus, be it based from measurements of the image or other distance metrics to the subject; and a sharpness detection component that rejects the most out-of-focus images based on measurement of focus on the image is disclosed. |
| US09946924B2 |
System and method for automating information abstraction process for documents
A computer-implemented method, a processing pipeline and a system create a hierarchical semantic map of a document and extracted information. The method includes apportioning the document into major sections by accessing the document, recognizing a hierarchical structure of the document, and dividing the document into the major sections by using a data profiler and a machine learning module, classifying the major sections, and mapping the major sections to key elements in one of the multiple levels, searching one major section, and identifying sub-sections from the one major section to achieve a maximum confidence score indicates that the sub-sections associate with the key element, extracting the information from the identified sub-sections by using sequence modelers and linguistic characteristics provided by the data profiler, generating the hierarchical semantic map of the document by using the extracted information, and displaying in a user interface drop down selections of the key elements. |
| US09946923B1 |
Systems and methods of check detection
A digital image of a check may be divided into segments. The segments may be processed to determine the edges between the background data and the check data in the segments of the digital image. A histogram of each segment may be determined and used to determine the edges of the check image portions in the segments and thus the edges of the check. The data outside the edges of the check image portions in the segments may be considered to be background data and may be identified and/or removed. The segments, with the background data removed, may be recombined into an image of the check and provided into a digital image file that may be transmitted to an institution system for deposit of the check in an account. |
| US09946922B2 |
Photonic fence
A system for tracking airborne organisms includes an imager, a backlight source (such as a retroreflective surface) in view of the imager, and a processor configured to analyze one or more images captured by the processor to identify a biological property of an organism. |
| US09946919B2 |
Device, system, and method for forensic analysis
A portable, handheld device for forensic analysis includes an input unit configured to receive a forensic input at a scene of forensic analysis, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to generate a first image of the forensic input, scale the first image to a predetermined format suitable for forensic analysis, generate a second image of the forensic input in which the first image is scaled to the predetermined format, compare the second image with forensic records, which each respectively include previously collected forensic data associated with one or more individuals or specimens, determine whether the second image matches at least a portion of one of the forensic records, upon determining that the second image matches at least a portion of one of the forensic records, generate a matching notification identifying the record which the second image is determined to match, and output the generated matching notification. |
| US09946918B2 |
Symbol detection for desired image reconstruction
In some implementations, a computer-implemented method includes: obtaining a captured image including, (i) a latent fingerprint to be captured, and (ii) a template, surrounding the latent fingerprint, that contains plurality of symbols; extracting, using an image processing technique, one or more characteristics for each of the plurality of symbols; calculating a resolution for the captured image based at least on the extracted one or more characteristics for each of the plurality of symbols; generating a reconstructed desired image, based at least on (i) the calculated resolution of the captured image, and (ii) the one or more extracted characteristics for each of the plurality of symbols; and providing the reconstructed desired image to a fingerprint identification system to perform a particular fingerprint operation. |
| US09946915B1 |
Fingerprint sensors with ESD protection
A fingerprint sensing device includes a substrate; a plurality of pixels arranged in a grid of rows and columns, each pixel having an active thermal sensing element therein; a first metal layer forming first addressing lines for addressing the active thermal sensing elements; a second metal layer above the first metal layer and forming second addressing lines for addressing the active thermal sensing elements; an electrically conductive ESD protection layer; and an insulating layer disposed between the ESD protection layer and the active thermal sensing elements. The ESD protection layer is electrically connected to a bias potential. The ESD protection layer is disposed in a pattern such that it partially overlaps each pixel, the ESD protection layer at least partially overlapping the active thermal sensing element of each pixel. |
| US09946914B1 |
Liveness detection via ultrasonic ridge-valley tomography
An apparatus may include an ultrasonic sensor system and a control system. The control system may be configured for controlling the ultrasonic sensor system to obtain first ultrasonic data from at least a part of a target object proximate a surface of the apparatus. The control system may be configured for receiving the first ultrasonic data from the ultrasonic sensor system and for identifying one or more fingerprint ridge features and one or more fingerprint valley features corresponding to the first ultrasonic data. The control system may be configured for determining, based on the first ultrasonic data, one or more fingerprint valley time intervals corresponding to a depth of one or more fingerprint valley features and for performing a spoof detection process based, at least in part, on the one or more fingerprint valley time intervals. |
| US09946910B2 |
Optical information reading device
Provided is an optical information reading device that can reduce an installation load on a user, and can accurately read a code provided to each of various workpieces. A polarized illumination light source includes light emitters that irradiate the workpiece with illumination light through a polarization filter. A non-polarized illumination light source includes light emitters that irradiate the workpiece with illumination light without through a polarization filter. An imaging element is provided with a polarization filter having a polarization direction different from a polarization direction of the polarization filter of the light emitters. Either of the polarized illumination light source and the non-polarized illumination light source is used in accordance with the workpiece. |
| US09946907B2 |
Compact imaging module and imaging reader for, and method of, detecting objects associated with targets to be read by image capture
Objects associated with targets to be read by image capture are detected without any additional hardware in an imaging module. Return light is captured over a field of view of the module. Images are processed, during an object detection mode, to determine their image brightness from the captured return light. Illumination is emitted from an illumination light assembly at a first power level to determine a first image brightness from a first processed image, and at a different, reduced, second power level to determine a second image brightness from a second processed image. An object is determined to be in the field of view when a difference between the first image brightness and the second image brightness equals or exceeds a detection threshold value. |
| US09946905B2 |
Adaptive processing of radio frequency identification
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to adaptive RFID communication. A tag device includes a storage configured to store content that is executable by a proxy device associated with a reader device. The tag device includes a communication component configured to transmit the content to the reader device, the content, when executed by the proxy device, causing an action associated with the tag device to be performed. |
| US09946901B2 |
Comprehensive RFID and radio communication test system
An improved radio RFID tag and reader system comprising a reduced scale and scalable vehicle fitted with one or more electronic toll collection RFID tags and a track on which the vehicle may operate at a high rate of speed for long periods of time with minimal friction and without derailing or fatigue to the structure of either vehicle or track. The inventive testing system further utilizes a novel vehicle propulsion system comprising counter-rotating wheels adapted to maintain a variable and accurate speed of the vehicle upon each pass by the reader. The propulsion mechanism propels the vehicle down the track past the reader and returns it to a starting point to provide repeated interaction between RFID tag and reader. |
| US09946900B2 |
Dividing tagged items into subsets
A method and system for dividing tagged items into subsets. A region is split into subregions. For each subregion, a central tagged item having more adjacent tagged items in each subregion than any other tagged item in each subregion is determined, utilizing information that includes, for each tagged item in the region, a spatial location of each tagged item and a list of all other tagged items which are adjacent to each tagged item by being within a specified constant distance (Rlimit) from each tagged item. A virtual boundary is outlined around the central tagged item to enclose the central tagged item and a portion of the tagged items in each subregion which are adjacent to the central tagged item. The portion of the tagged items in each subregion consists of all, or less than all, tagged items which are adjacent to the central tagged item in each subregion. |
| US09946897B2 |
Data privacy management system and method
Aspects of the technology described herein can provide data privacy management. An exemplary computing device may have a tracker to track various user data of a user distributed among different service providers based on metadata associated with the user data. When a transaction manager of the exemplary computing device receives a request for a first service provider to access the user data of the user, the transaction manager may request a second service provider having the user data to provide the user data to the first service provider if the user approves the first service provider to access the user data. |
| US09946889B2 |
Systems and methods for multi-tenant data protection application
A system for providing a multi-tenant data protection application includes a server shared by all tenants for access to the provided multi-tenant data protection application. The system further includes business logic for managing tenants of the multi-tenant data protection application, tenant resource allocation and isolation of tenant operating environments. The system additionally includes a database server for creating, managing and maintaining databases, including a master database used to store configuration and monitoring data which is used for tenant management and monitoring, and a plurality of private tenant databases, each used to store tenant-specific configuration, tenant-specific data and associated tenant resources. The system includes one or more data protection engines configured to store a copy of protected data at tenant redundant data stores. |
| US09946888B2 |
System for managing multiple subscriptions in a UICC
The invention relates to a system for managing multiple subscriptions in a UICC, this system comprising a central server able to manage subscriptions stored on a UICC comprised in a mobile terminal in the field, at the request of a subscriber of one of these subscriptions. |
| US09946886B2 |
System and method for authentication with a computer stylus
A method for securing operation of a computing device operated with a stylus includes recognizing a pre-defined gesture performed by a stylus on a touch screen, the pre-defined gesture defined as a user command to lock an item displayed on the touch screen, determining a location of the gesture, determining identity of the stylus, locking an item displayed at the location determined, and recording identity of the stylus. A method for operating a computing device with a stylus includes receiving a command with a stylus to add restricted annotations to a document, receiving identity of the stylus, linking an annotation to the identity, restricting display of the annotation on the document to a computing device receiving input from the stylus; and displaying the document absent the at least one annotation on a computing device on which input from the stylus is not received. |
| US09946885B2 |
Process-oriented modeling and flow to restrict access to objects
In one embodiment, a method replicates data from a first database system to a second database system and determines a modeling of a first access context for a table in the replicated data. An ACL rule based on the first access context is generated to restrict access to the replicated data in the second database system to users associated with the first access context. The method receives a request to access the replicated data from a user and determines a second access context for the user. The first access context for the ACL rule and the second access context for the user are compared to determine whether the user is allowed to access the replicated data. Access to the replicated data is allowed when the second access context and the first access context indicate the user is allowed to access the replicated data. |
| US09946883B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for protecting positioning related information
Various methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture are provided which may be implemented to authenticate the provider of a positioning engine provisioned within a mobile station to enable the positioning engine to obtain and use protected positioning assistance data. In certain examples, a relationship between the provider of a location server and the provider of a positioning engine provisioned within a mobile station may be authenticated, and protected positioning data may be obtained from said positioning engine by said location server. |
| US09946882B2 |
Method and devices to secure the entry of an alphanumerical code, corresponding computer program product and storage means
A method and device are provided for securing entry of an alphanumerical code by a user. The method includes: obtaining, through a first device, information for converting at least one portion of the alphanumerical code into at least one portion of converted code, the information for converting being one-time converting means; a piece of information identifying the information for converting; entering, into a second device distinct from the first device, at least the portion of converted code, converted using the information for converting; and transmitting at least the portion of converted code and the piece of information identifying the information for converting towards a secured server. |
| US09946881B2 |
Global platform health management
The use of one or more device health values to indicate the health status of a computing device may enable operating system developers to directly manage the security configuration of the computing device. For instance, a device health value is generated based on a state of the hardware component and/or a state of a software stack that includes the operating system at boot up. The device health value may be compared to a reference health value to determine whether the computing device is in a secured state. Based on the device health value not matching the reference health value, it is determined that the computing device is operating in an unexpected state. Also, a recovery environment may be implemented on the computing device in order to fix any errors with the computing device. |
| US09946878B2 |
Multiple system images for over-the-air updates
In one embodiment, a computing device may execute software from a first portion of memory of the computing device. The computing device may download from a server a new version of the software. The client computing device may receive instructions from the server to request an over-the-air (OTA) download of the new version of the software. The instructions may be an out-of-band message. The new version of the software may be installed into a second portion of memory of the computing device, and the new version of the software is executed from the second portion of memory. The download of the new version of software may be pursuant to a manifest for the download to determine whether the computing device may download the new version of software. |
| US09946868B2 |
Device functionality control
A system and associated method for controlling access to features of a device are provided. The system includes a feature access component that maintains an access control register configured to store an access control parameter indicating whether a user has access to a feature of the device. Responsive to receiving a request to modify the access control register to enable or disable access to the feature, an access authentication parameter is set to an authentication key of the request and an access parameter is set to a value of the request (e.g., 1 “Enable”). The access authentication parameter and access parameter are evaluated utilizing an authentication algorithm. Responsive to successfully authenticating the request, the access control register is modified based upon the value of the access parameter, such as to indicate that the user is now authorized to read and/or modify a parameter and/or invoke a service to execute. |
| US09946866B2 |
Unattended secure device authorization
Unattended secure device authorization techniques are provided. An operating system (OS) module, which is responsible for device validation when that device is interfaced to a host device, is enhanced. The enhanced OS module silently checks the peripheral device's identifier against a white list and if a match occurs, the enhanced OS module grants permission to the host device applications; if no match occurs, the enhanced OS module silently rejects application access to the device. In an embodiment, the enhanced OS module interacts with the device to determine whether the device is to be authorized or rejected. |
| US09946863B1 |
Strong authentication using authentication objects
Representations of authentication objects are provided for selection via an interface. An authentication object may be generated to include information proving possession of a user of an item, such as a one-time password token or a physical trait. A selected authentication object may contain information sufficient for authentication with a corresponding system. The interface may provide multiple representations of authentication objects that are usable with different service providers. |
| US09946862B2 |
Electronic device generating notification based on context data in response to speech phrase from user
A method for generating a notification by an electronic device to alert a user of the electronic device is disclosed. In this method, a speech phrase may be received. Then, the received speech phrase may be recognized, by a processor, as a command to generate the notification. In addition, one or more context data of the electronic device may be detected by at least one sensor. It may be determined whether the notification is to be generated at least based on the context data. The notification may be generated, by the processor, based on the context data and the command to generate the notification. |
| US09946861B2 |
Method for processing fingerprint and electronic device thereof
A method of operating an electronic device and the electronic device is provided. The method includes setting a fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to a display; identifying a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determining whether to perform the function with fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area. The electronic device includes a display configured to display at least one content; a memory configured to store at least one fingerprint information acquired in a fingerprint detecting area; the fingerprint detecting area functionally connected to the display; and at least one processor configured to set the fingerprint detecting area, identify a function corresponding to a gesture of an input means input to the display, and determine whether to perform the function with the at least one fingerprint information acquired in the fingerprint detecting area. |
| US09946856B1 |
On-demand application permissions
On-demand application permissions is described, including obtaining one or more consents associated with one or more functions of an application, where the application does not allow using the functions without associated consents; receiving, from a user, a consent associated with a function; activating to allow that function to be executed; when a request from the user to use another function is received, determining that the another function requires an associated consent to activate; determining that there is no consent from the user associated with the another function; prompting for a consent associated with the another function; receiving the consent associated with another function; and activating to allow the another function to be executed. |
| US09946852B1 |
Commodity hardware based parental control device
A portable hardware device such as a USB memory stick is used to provide parental locking functionality to a computer. When the device is coupled to the computer, the computer is unlocked and allowed to operate normally. When the device is not coupled to the computer, the computer is locked, and some or all of the computing functionality is blocked. This enables parents to lock and unlock a child's computer with a “key.” A detecting module detects the coupling and uncoupling of devices to the computer. When a device is coupled to the computer, an identifying module identifies the device by reading its unique identifier, and determining whether the coupled device is the one being used as the key. If so, the computer is unlocked, and allowed to operate. If not, a blocking module blocks at least some capabilities of the computer. |
| US09946851B2 |
Systems and methods for managing and protecting electronic content and applications
Systems and methods are disclosed for managing and protecting electronic content and applications. Applications, content, and/or users can be given credentials by one or more credentialing authorities upon satisfaction of a set of requirements. Rights management software/hardware is used to attach and detect these credentials, and to enforce rules that indicate how content and applications may be used if certain credentials are present or absent. In one embodiment an application may condition access to a piece of electronic content upon the content's possession of a credential from a first entity, while the content may condition access upon the application's possession of a credential from a second entity and/or the user's possession of a credential from a third entity. Use of credentials in this manner enables a wide variety of relatively complex and flexible control arrangements to be put in place and enforced with relatively simple rights management technology. |
| US09946847B2 |
Libraries of compounds having desired properties and methods for making and using them
In alternative embodiments the invention provides libraries of compounds, or drugs or drug candidates, manufactured and selected for having a desired property such as a biological or a chemical activity, and methods for making and using them. In one embodiment, the invention provides methods for identifying desirable compounds from very large compound sets using a compound fragment as the query. In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods of making compounds, and libraries of compounds, using a “feasible reaction” growth scheme. |
| US09946844B2 |
Systems and methods for monitoring patient medication adherence
Invention for determining a patient's adherence to various prescribed medications. Here a variety of different types of patient pulse wave measurements (blood pressure, pulse oximeter, ECG) and other physiological measurements are obtained. This actual data is compared to calculated measurements that would be expected based on the various patient baseline measurements in the absence of medication, schedule of medications, and impact of medications the various patient baseline measurements. If the actual data meets expectations, then the patient is likely adhering to the regime. Depending on which types of data do not meet expectations, non-adherence to various previously described medications may be reported. Other types of patient physiological readings, such as temperature, motion, lung function, brain wave function (EEG) and the like may also be obtained, and these additional types of readings can be used to extend the range of different types of drugs/medications that the invention can successfully monitor. |
| US09946843B2 |
Clinical decision support system based triage decision making
A method includes obtaining an electrical signal that includes a set of at least two sensed physiologic measurements of a patient, comparing the at least two physiologic measurements with a predetermined physiologic measurement range, identifying data required to determine a probability and a severity of a condition of interest of the patient, in response to determining the at least two physiologic measurements do not satisfy the physiologic measurement range, receiving the identified data in electronic format, determining a first probability and a first severity of the condition of interest based on the received identified data, determining a recommended course of action for the patient based on the first probability and the first severity, resources of a healthcare facility, and an event guideline; and causing a display to visually present the first probability and first severity and the recommended course of action. |
| US09946841B2 |
Medical image display apparatus and method of providing user interface
A medical image display apparatus including a touch screen configured to display a medical image and receive input from a user; and a controller configured to acquire first information about a first region of the touch screen, the first region corresponding to a touch range of a finger of the user, to select, based on the first information, a first user interface from among a plurality of user interfaces related to the medical image, the first user interface corresponding to a size of the first region, and to control the touch screen to display the selected first user interface. |
| US09946840B1 |
Systems and methods for assessing staffing levels and predicting patient outcomes
Certain embodiments described herein are directed to methods and systems configured to score patient indicators and determine suitable staffing levels based on the scored patient indicators. In some configurations, the system determines scoring levels by comparing the patient indicators to empirical patient data or information. |
| US09946839B1 |
Search engine systems for matching medical providers and patients
In one embodiment, a matching-engine system receives from a user a search query with a location of the user and a user-specified symptom or treatment. The matching-engine system determines a base-concept of a medical diagnosis or medical procedure based on the search query. The matching-engine system may identify a set of physicians to be recommended to the user based on factors relevant to the base-concept such as readmission rate, infection rate, average length-of-stay, relative invasiveness, and healthcare facility ratings. The matching-engine system may send a search-results page to the user listing the recommended physicians. |
| US09946837B2 |
Automatic association of medical elements
A system and method of associating a plurality of objects is disclosed. A physical space may be defined and a real-time locating system (RTLS) may be used to determine objects that are within the physical space. The objects may be determined by the RTLS to be within the physical space are associated. The objects may include at least one of a caregiver, a patient, a medical device, a medication, and a medical substance. |
| US09946836B2 |
Biomarker monitoring device and method
A biomarker monitoring method and system in one embodiment includes a communications network, a portable wellness device configured to form a communication link with the communications network, the portable wellness device including a detector configured to detect at least one biomarker in a biologic sample, a first memory, a plurality of program instructions stored in the first memory, and a processing circuit operably connected to the first memory and configured to execute the program instructions to generate wellness data based upon detection of the at least one biomarker in the biologic sample, and a remote user interface operably connected to the communications network and configured to render the wellness data. |
| US09946832B2 |
Optimized placement design of network and infrastructure components
Approaches presented herein enable optimization of a network and component configuration in a dense server environment. Specifically, an approach includes: constructing a plurality of populated racks, each selected so as to contain an optimized size and configuration of components constrained according to a set of user-selected requirements that specify a type, a quantity, and one or more characteristics of at least one of the set of components; optimizing a configuration of the populated racks to minimize a cable length between populated racks, the configuration adhering to, e.g., power requirements, cooling requirements, and weight requirements for the populated racks; and optimizing a position of a set of cable trays and corresponding junctions by reducing a number of cable tray channels associated with the cable length between populated racks. Taken together, these elements provide a repeatable approach for optimizing the number of cables, quantity of multiplexed connections, cable lengths, and switch/component placement. |
| US09946831B1 |
Method for closed loop testing of ASICs with image sensors in emulation
A system, method, and computer program product for dynamic closed loop testing of an emulated ASIC interfaced to a sensor device. An adapter adjusts non-pre-recorded active sensor device data to be readable by an emulated ASIC design by adjusting data rates and performing formatting per a selected compatible interface. The adapter also adjusts control commands generated by the emulated ASIC design, including those generated in response to received and evaluated sensor device data, to be readable by the sensor device. The control commands dynamically cause changes in the data the sensor device subsequently outputs. Exemplary sensor devices include cameras that generate multimedia data in consumer electronics devices. |
| US09946827B2 |
Method and structure for mandrel and spacer patterning
A method includes receiving an integrated circuit design layout that includes first and second layout blocks separated by a first space. The first and second layout blocks include, respectively, first and second line patterns oriented lengthwise in a first direction. The method further includes adding a dummy pattern to the first space, which connects the first and second line patterns. The method further includes outputting a mandrel pattern layout and a cut pattern layout in a computer-readable format. The mandrel pattern layout includes the first and second line patterns and the dummy pattern. The cut pattern layout includes a pattern corresponding to the first space. In embodiments, the method further includes manufacturing a first mask with the mandrel pattern layout and manufacturing a second mask with the cut pattern layout. In embodiments, the method further includes patterning a substrate with the first mask and the second mask. |
| US09946824B2 |
Efficient Ceff model for gate output slew computation in early synthesis
A slew-based effective capacitance (Ceff) is used to compute gate output slew during early synthesis of an integrated circuit design. A π model is constructed for the gate and reduced to two parameters which are used to compute a slew value for the model, given a slew definition. A capacitance coefficient is then calculated as a function of this slew value. The effective capacitance is the product of the coefficient and the total capacitance of the π model. The output slew of the gate may in turn be computed using the slew-based Ceff. The coefficient may be computed by iteratively solving an equation representing output voltage over time dependent on the first and second parameters, by directly solving a closed-form equation which is a function of the first and second parameters, or by looking up the capacitance coefficient in a table indexed by the first and second parameters. |
| US09946815B1 |
Computer and data center load determination
A method for use in deploying computers into a data center includes calculating in a computer an expected peak power draw for a plurality of computers. The expected peak power draw for the plurality of computers is less than a sum of individual expected peak power draws for each computer from the plurality of computers. |
| US09946812B2 |
Pattern matching based character string retrieval
Embodiments relate to generating a retrieval condition for retrieving a target character string from texts by pattern matching. An aspect includes dividing a first text into words. Another aspect includes generating a converted character string by performing at least one of appending at least one character in at least either one of previous and subsequent positions of the target character string. Another aspect includes replacing at least one character of the target character string. Another aspect includes generating the retrieval condition for retrieval candidates in the words of the first text, the retrieval condition comprising determining that a retrieval candidate matches the target character string and does not match the converted character string based on a ratio of a part of the retrieval candidate which matches the converted character string and corresponds to the target character string is less than or equal to a reference frequency. |
| US09946806B2 |
Exporting responsive designs from a graphical design tool
Embodiments of the present invention provide tools and methods for the development and specification of a responsive graphical design. A graphical design environment allows a user to specify a design. The graphical design environment has a window for displaying a rendering of the design. A dimension specification interface allows the user to specify a dimension specification. A widget interface allows a user to add a widget to the design and specify a first state and a second state for the widget. An export interface allows a user to export the design from the tool to produce an exported design. The exported design utilizes an object model event to adjust a state of the widget from a first state to a second state. |
| US09946804B2 |
Displaying historical data associated with data values within business intelligence reports
The current subject matter describes displaying historical data associated with one or more data values within a business intelligence report. A graphical user interface executed by a computing device can receive, from a user, a request for display of historical data associated with a specified/selected data value in a business intelligence report. Subsequently, a representational state transfer engine (RESTful engine), which can be connected to a server system connected to the computing device, can execute a representational state transfer service (RESTful service) to fetch historical data from current and past instances associated with the data value. Then, the RESTful engine can write the fetched historical data to a file. The RESTful engine can generate or determine a uniform resource locator (URL) to the file, and can send the URL to the computing device. When the URL is selected by the user, the computing device can display the file. |
| US09946803B2 |
Three-dimensional interface for content location
Instances of content, such as search results or browse items, can be displayed using a plurality of three-dimensional elements, with selected pieces of information for each instance placed upon faces, sides, or other portions of those elements. A user can view similar information for each of the instances of content by rotating the elements, such as by interacting with an input element or rotating a portable computing device rendering the elements. The user can apply various filtering criteria or value ranges, whereby the relative position of the elements in three-dimensional space can be adjusted based at least in part upon the applied values. By rotating the elements, applying criteria, and changing the camera view of the elements, a user can quickly compare a large number of instances of context according to a number of different criteria, and can quickly locate items of interest from a large selection of items. |
| US09946800B2 |
Ranking related objects using blink model based relation strength determinations
Mechanisms are provided for performing a cognitive operation. An input graph is received having a plurality of first nodes, where subsets of first nodes are coupled to one another via first edges and each first edge has an associated weight. A blinking graph model is generated based on the graph, where blink rates are associated with second edges and are calculated based on weights of corresponding first edges in the input graph. The blink rate specifies a fraction of time a corresponding second edge is determined to be present in the blinking graph model. A relatedness metric is calculated for a target node relative to a node of interest based on the blink rates of the second edges. The relatedness metric indicates a degree of relatedness of the target node to the node of interest. A cognitive operation is then performed based on the relatedness metric. |
| US09946797B2 |
Personalized aggregator for organizing and publishing public and private content
A system, method and computer program product for allowing users to organize and selectively publish content of interest, with freedom to rearrange and curate information in a desired presentation format. The content may be generated by the user or other sources, allowing the user to moderate and organize the content that the user aggregates. The content (e.g. social network posts, online news, SMS messages) may be publicly available for other users to contribute with new information, or used as source for their own content of interest; it can also be shared only with select users or communities (registered or not), or be kept private. Publishing channels might comprise, for instance, web portals or public displays. Filters may be applied to automatically select and aggregate content from several sources. Methods are implemented to organize content by creating, discarding, replicating and reformatting information via a display interface. |
| US09946796B2 |
Phenotypic integrated social search database and method
The present invention provides methods, databases and devices for establishing the first integration of social behavior with biological phenotypic measurements. In one embodiment, a method for correlating data from a sample database and a survey database is provided. The method comprises obtaining a sample comprising biological molecules from an individual, simultaneously obtaining survey data from the individual, storing the survey data in the survey database, analyzing the sample of biological molecules to determine the composition of biological molecules, storing the data from the composition in the sample database, and correlating the data from the sample database to the data from the survey database. |
| US09946795B2 |
User modeling with salience
A method of using a user model with salience includes providing content to a user through a user interface. The method also includes receiving physiological data corresponding to a physiological response of the user as the user interacts with the content. The method may also include determining a salience score for the content based at least in part on the physiological response of the user, and updating a user model with the salience score. |
| US09946793B2 |
Method for providing electronic book and cloud server
A method for providing an electronic book and a cloud server are provided. The method comprises S1: receiving a query; S2: performing a search according to the query; and S3: generating the electronic book according to a search result responsive to the search. |
| US09946792B2 |
Access to network content
A method and system for improving access to search results are provided in the disclosure herein. Aspects of this disclosure minimize the delay in accessing network content by priming certain regularly viewed content (e.g., a web search home page or a search results page) in an invisible browser instance. As the user accesses the content prerendered in the invisible browser instance, a new instance of the prerendered content is created to facilitate future accesses to the network content (e.g., future search queries). |
| US09946791B1 |
Making modified content available
A method for making modified content available includes storing an item comprising contents. A modification procedure to be performed on the item to modify the contents is identified. The method includes generating a file identifier to represent the item such that, upon a request to access the item being received, the modification procedure is performed on the item using the file identifier and the modified contents are provided in response to the request. A method for making modified content available includes receiving a request to access a file identifier that represents an item comprising contents. After receiving the request, a modification procedure to modify the contents is performed. The modification procedure is identified using the file identifier. The modified contents are provided in response to the request. A system includes an application program, a repository and a redirector. |
| US09946789B1 |
Classifying electronic messages using individualized artificial intelligence techniques
An example method includes: identifying message labels for electronic messages; identifying, based on a classification model specific to a first user, a first and a second message labels for a first and a second electronic messages; detecting a user action by the first user on the second electronic message to indicate the first message label is descriptive of the second electronic message; responsive to the user action, re-training the classification model based on tokens produced from the second electronic message to produce an updated classification model specific to the first user; after re-training is completed, detecting an incoming electronic message having a timestamp later in time than timestamps for the first and the second electronic messages; determining that the incoming electronic message shares a predefined number of tokens with the second electronic message; and assigning, based on the updated classification model, the first message label to the incoming electronic message. |
| US09946788B2 |
System and method for automated mapping of keywords and key phrases to documents
A method for automated mapping of key terms to documents. Preferably a feature vector is generated for the key terms. Preferably such feature vectors are automatically generated by analyzing a corpus, but may optionally be generated manually, or using a combination of automated and manual processes. Next, preferably such feature vectors are weighted. Such weighting may optionally be performed manually, but more preferably is performed automatically. Next, a feature vector is optionally and preferably generated for the document, which preferably includes words and phrases that were extracted from the document but may optionally include words and phrases that do not appear in the document, such as synonyms and related. Each element in the document feature vector is preferably weighted. The feature vectors of the key terms and the feature vectors of the documents are compared, in order to produce relevancy scores, which are used to produce mapping between documents and key terms. This mapping may optionally be used for a wide variety of applications, such as for targeted advertising for example. |
| US09946786B2 |
Searching code based on learned programming construct patterns and NLP similarity
An approach is provided to ingest software source code files into a question/answering (QA) system. During ingestion, source code blocks are classified to identify one or more constructs in the blocks as being domain-specific. Relationships between the blocks are then mapped. Software compliance regulations are ingested into the QA system. Using the QA system, a source code file is analyzed for compliance to the software compliance regulations. The analysis identifies code sections within the source code file as being domain-specific and subject to the ingested set of software compliance regulations. |
| US09946780B2 |
Interpreting relational database statements using a virtual multidimensional data model
The present disclosure provides improved systems, methods, and computer program products suited to address the issues with legacy approaches. Specifically, the present disclosure provides a detailed description of techniques used in systems, methods, and in computer program products for interpreting relational database statements using a virtual multidimensional data model. Certain embodiments are directed to technological solutions for receiving a relational database statement comprising relational metadata mapped to a virtual multidimensional representation of a subject database, and generating a subject database statement based at least in part on the relational database statement and the virtual multidimensional representation, and configurable to operate on the subject database to produce a visualization result set, which embodiments advance the technical fields for addressing the problem of projecting a multidimensional data view of a subject database on to a relational data analysis environment to enable real time data analyses, as well as advancing peripheral technical fields. |
| US09946778B2 |
System and method for copying data
The present invention relates to a system and method for copying data between environments in an information management system such as the copying of business data between production and test environments in a database system. The system has a relations database with a set of relations created outside the runtime environment which are derived from a first database and which provide a link between database tables in the first database. The system also has a service generator which extracts and copies database tables at runtime to form a predetermined service or product. When the service generator receives a request to copy a product or service, this is done only if the data in the database tables comprising the product or service is the subject of one or more relation in the relations database. |
| US09946774B2 |
Method and system for limiting share of voice of individual users
In various example embodiments, a system and method for limiting shares of voice of individual users in a result set are provided. In example embodiments, for each publication of a plurality of publications in a set, an entity associated with the publication is identified. Using a sorting criteria, a sorted set is generated by sorting the plurality of publications in accordance with the sorting criteria by shifting a particular publication from the same entity one or more positions in order to satisfy the sorting criteria. The sorted set is provided to a searching user. |
| US09946769B2 |
Displaying information related to spoken dialogue in content playing on a device
A method at a server includes identifying a media content item currently being presented in proximity to a first user; identifying, in an entities repository, one or more first quotations associated with the media content item, where the first quotations are determined to be popular in accordance with one or more popularity criteria; sending, to a client device associated with the first user, the first quotations and one or more affordances associated with the first quotations; receiving selection of a first affordance of the affordances, the first affordance associated with a respective quotation of the first quotations; and in accordance with the selection of the first affordance, performing an operation associated with the respective quotation. |
| US09946768B2 |
Data rendering optimization
Optimizing data rendering includes, in one embodiment, using templates to express a data request as a set of queries where each query in the set is prioritized based on, among other things, context factors such as capabilities of the requesting device, network factors, and user context. After generating the set of queries, each query in the set of queries is then executed to progressively populate the template with the requested data. As the queries are executing, the templates are progressively rendered. |
| US09946765B2 |
Building a domain knowledge and term identity using crowd sourcing
An approach is provided in which a QA system ingests traditional sources, which includes traditional terms, into a domain dictionary. Next, the QA system ingests crowd-based sources that include crowd-based terms and corresponding crowd-based metadata. In turn, the QA system calculates weightings pertaining to the traditional terms based upon the crowd-based metadata. When the QA system receives a question from a requestor that includes question terms, the QA system identifies an answer to the question based on the calculated weightings pertaining to the traditional terms that are relevant to the question terms. |
| US09946758B2 |
Method and apparatus for quality ranking of media
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a processor configured to monitor a user's quality parameter preference to determine a quality parameter for a reference media, update the quality parameter of the reference media, and adapt the quality parameter of the reference media. |
| US09946757B2 |
Method and system for capturing and exploiting user intent in a conversational interaction based information retrieval system
Systems and methods are disclosed for processing a search request received from a user. A method includes providing access to content items associated with metadata. The method includes providing information about at least one search previously performed for a user, and providing access to information describing relationships between at least one of the content items and the metadata. The method includes receiving a present input from the user intended to identify a desired content item. Upon determining that results from the previous search did not satisfy the search request from the user, the method includes determining an intent shared by the previous search and the present input based on comparing (i) the relationship information, (ii) the previous search, and (iii) the present input. The method also includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the shared intent and the metadata. |
| US09946756B2 |
Mechanism to chain continuous queries
Techniques for implementing mechanisms for chaining continuous queries are provided. In some examples, results of a first continuous query may be stored in a data object. For example, the first continuous query may be configured to process business event data and store the results in the data object. Additionally, a second continuous query may then be processed based at least in part on the results stored in the data object. |
| US09946751B2 |
Methods and systems for joining indexes for query optimization in a multi-tenant database
Methods and systems for query optimization for a multi-tenant database system are provided. Some embodiments comprise receiving at a network interface of a server in a multi-tenant database system an original query transmitted to the multi-tenant database system by a user associated with a tenant, wherein the original query is associated with data accessible by the tenant, and wherein the multi-tenant database system includes at least a first index and a second index. Metadata associated with the data is retrieved, wherein at least a portion of the data is stored in a common table within the multi-tenant database system. A tenant-selective query syntax is determined by analyzing at least one of metadata generated from information about the tenant or metadata generated from the data accessible by the tenant. An improved query is then generated using the query syntax, wherein the improved query is based at least in part upon the original query and a result of a join between a first number of rows associated with the first index and a second number of rows associated with the second index. |
| US09946747B2 |
Answer category data classifying using dynamic thresholds
Managing confidence data in a question-answering environment is disclosed. Managing confidence data can include sorting, based on a set of answer categories for a subject matter, a first set of a plurality of answers into a first answer category. The first set can correspond to at least one of a third set of a plurality of confidence scores and the second set can correspond to at least one of a fourth set of the plurality of confidence scores. Managing confidence data can include classifying confidence scores of the third set into one of a plurality of confidence buckets using a first threshold and determining a fifth set of a plurality of thresholds using the plurality of confidence scores. Managing confidence data can include classifying unclassified confidence scores of the third set into one of the plurality of confidence buckets using the fifth set of the plurality of thresholds. |
| US09946745B2 |
Lock-free transactional support for large-scale storage systems
Described is a reliable and efficient design for a transactional status oracle (“ReTSO”), which supports large-scale storage systems. ReTSO uses a centralized scheme and implements snapshot isolation, a property that guarantees that read operations read a consistent snapshot of the data store. The centralized scheme of ReTSO enables a lock-free commit algorithm that prevents unreleased locks of a failed transaction from blocking other transactions. Each transaction submits the identifiers of modified rows to the ReTSO, the transaction is committed only if none of the modified rows is committed by a concurrent transaction, and a log of the committed transaction is cached. To recover from failures, before a client is notified of a change, the change cached is first persisted into a write-ahead log, such that the memory state can be fully reconstructed by reading from the write-ahead log. Furthermore, ReTSO implements a lazy, auto-garbage collector hash map that reduces the number of memory accesses per request. |
| US09946744B2 |
Customer vehicle data security method
A database system and method for managing and storing sensitive and non-sensitive vehicle data. Received vehicle data messages are processed to separate out sensitive and non-sensitive data. The data is stored in a database having: an encrypted table, a plain-text table, and an identification mapping table. The encrypted table contains the sensitive data entries in an encrypted format. The plain-text table contains the non-sensitive data entries in a plaintext form. The identification mapping table contains a plurality of mapping data entries, wherein each mapping data entry associates a unique identifier to an affiliated identifier that is used to recall data from the encrypted table and the plain-text table. |
| US09946743B2 |
Order encoded manifests in a content centric network
One embodiment provides a system that facilitates direct seeking of the ordered content of a manifest based on external metadata. During operation, the system determines, by a content producing device, a root manifest, wherein a manifest indicates a set of content objects and their corresponding digests, wherein a respective content object is a data object or another manifest, and is associated with a name that is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The system generates an index associated with the root manifest, wherein the index allows the set of content objects indicated in the root manifest to be searched and accessed directly, thereby facilitating a content consumer to seek to a desired location in the content represented by the root manifest. |
| US09946741B2 |
Optimizing tables with too many columns in a database
Methods and systems for database optimization include detecting a plurality of columns in an unoptimized database that co-appear in queries to the database. The plurality of columns are compacted into a single hyper-column to form an optimized database. Each entry in the hyper-column includes data from a corresponding entry in each of the plurality of columns. An interface is generated for the optimized database that accepts queries according to a schema for the unoptimized database and translates the queries into queries according to a schema for the optimized database. |
| US09946740B2 |
Handling server and client operations uninterruptedly during pack and audit processes
A solution for maintaining the operation of a server and allowing the transfer of data from client devices to a database without locking the database during an audit and pack process is realized that reduces the amount of time lost due to backup file storage transfer. When a file is backed up to a first storage trail through the audit process, the trail may eventually become filled to capacity. Upon the first storage trail filling to capacity, a pack process is initiated, and a backup storage trail is created to store the data during this process. Upon completion of the pack process, the data from the backup storage trail is transferred to another active storage trail. |
| US09946738B2 |
Universal data pipeline
A history preserving data pipeline computer system and method. In one aspect, the history preserving data pipeline system provides immutable and versioned datasets. Because datasets are immutable and versioned, the system makes it possible to determine the data in a dataset at a point in time in the past, even if that data is no longer in the current version of the dataset. |
| US09946736B2 |
Constructing a database of verified individuals
A method including entering individual-associated data bits (IDBs) into a computerized system, the set of data of each of the IDBs including at least one personal identifier of an individual and relationship data including data on one or more related individuals and the nature of the relationship, processing the entered IDBs on a processor, generating an individual-identifier data set (IDS) for each identified individual or one of the related individuals having data in the processed IDBs, and storing IDSs of identified individuals in a database. |
| US09946735B2 |
Index structure navigation using page versions for read-only nodes
Read-only nodes of a distributed database system may implement index structure navigation using page versions. A read request may be received at a read only node of a distributed database for select data. Data pages linked together to form an index structure for data stored for the distributed database may be navigated according to versions maintained for the data pages in order to identify one or more locations to access for the select data. One or more prior versions of data pages may be selected as part navigating the index structure according to a consistent view of the distributed database associated with the read request. Change notifications may also be received at the read-only node modifying the data pages of the index structure. The index structure modifications may be applied without blocking the index structure navigation for servicing the read request. |
| US09946734B2 |
Portable vehicle monitoring system
The invention is related to a portable vehicle monitoring system that is to be mounted on mobile objects such as police cars for security purposes and ambulances which have right of way; characterized in that it comprises a camera placed on the front right and front left and both sides of the system which enables the system to capture images and recognize faces, LED lighting located around the cameras which are directed towards visual direction and which enable capturing of legible images even at night time police lights placed at the front and rear faces of the base which can flash on and off when necessary, an alarm control device, Ethernet connection forming the network, a cooling device which eliminates the heat formed inside the apparatus, a control card which operates the police lights, modem which continuously provide wireless communication and a top cover which encloses the entire system. |
| US09946729B1 |
Sparse recall and writes for archived and transformed data objects
This invention is a system and a method for operating a storage server in a data network using a new architecture. The system of operating a storage server includes a secondary storage that archives or stores a data object in transformed form such that the clients of the storage server can no longer access the data directly. The method of accessing the data object that is archived or transformed in a different form to the secondary storage includes recalling only those data blocks that are required for read or write operation. |
| US09946728B2 |
Cloud service system and method thereof
A cloud service system and a cloud service method thereof are disclosed herein. The cloud service method includes the following steps. A target file is downloaded to a private cloud system. A resource allocation setting corresponding to the target file is obtained. A resource establishment is automatically deployed according to the resource allocation setting, and the target file is installed on the resource allocation setting. A data structure and a default data corresponding to the target file are configured automatically. |
| US09946727B2 |
Synchronizing user states across multiple clients of a NAS system
Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include detecting, by a file-level storage system such as a network attached storage system, a user operating a first computer in communication with the file level storage system via a network, and maintaining, while the user is operating the first computer, multiple states for the user. In some embodiments, the user may operate the first computer by logging on to the first computer, and executing one or more applications and data files. Upon detecting the user operating a second computer in communication with the file level storage system via the network, the file-level storage system can synchronize applications and data files on the second computer to the multiple states. In embodiments of the present invention, the user operates the second computer by logging on to the second computer while still logged on to the first computer. |
| US09946723B2 |
Data embedding in run length encoded streams
One or more system, apparatus, method, and computer readable media for embedding supplemental data into a compressed data stream to form a supplemented compressed data stream. In embodiments, supplemental data is embedded at a run-length encoded (RLE) compression stage. In embodiments, supplemental data is extracted from a supplemented RLE stream to recover supplemental data and/or reconstruct the compressed data stream from which the supplemental data is extracted. |
| US09946721B1 |
Systems and methods for managing a network by generating files in a virtual file system
Systems and methods for generating files in a virtual file system in the memory of a network system are discussed. The network system receives a filename including at least one file metadata. The file metadata includes a file size of the file, a random seed for generating content of the file, and modification information of the file. File content for the file may be generated based on the filename. The file content may then be provided to the network system. |
| US09946718B2 |
Distributed data set encryption and decryption
An apparatus may include a processor component caused to: generate map entries in map data descriptive of encrypted data blocks within a data file; use first map block encryption data to encrypt a first map extension of the map data; transmit the encrypted first map extension for storage within the data file; store the first map block encryption data within the second map extension; use second map block encryption data to encrypt a second map extension of the map data after storage of the first map block encryption data therein; transmit encrypted second map extension for storage within the data file; store the second map block encryption data within the map base; use third map block encryption data to encrypt a map base of the map data after storage of the second map block encryption data therein; and transmit the encrypted map base for storage within the data file. |
| US09946716B2 |
Distributed file system snapshot
Technology is disclosed for managing data in a distributed file system (“the technology”). The technology can gather metadata information associated with the data stored within the distributed file system, create a secondary namespace within a local file system of a local host using the gathered metadata information and store the gathered metadata information as files within the secondary namespace. Further, when a request to create a PPI of the distributed file system is received, the technology can create a PPI of the secondary namespace using a PPI creation feature of the local file system. |
| US09946714B2 |
Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium for associating multiple targets
An information processing apparatus includes: a reception section that receives a deletion operation on a first target; and an associating section that associates a second target with a third target when the second target visually overlaps the third target as a result of the first target being deleted. |
| US09946711B2 |
Text generation from correlated alerts
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are described herein that are configured to generate an operator text in response to an alarm that is either received from an alarm or alert system or that is self-generated based on an analysis of one or more data feeds. The method of an example embodiment may include determining whether an operator text is to be generated in response to a received alert condition by performing data analysis operations comprising: analyzing, using a processor, a primary data feed and at least one confirmatory data feed to identify one or more features; and determining based on the detection of a feature in the primary data feed or the at least one confirmatory data feed satisfies at least one predetermined constraint. The method may further include generating an output text that is displayable in a user interface that describes at least a diagnosis for the feature that satisfied that at least one predetermined constraint. |
| US09946710B2 |
Language conversion apparatus, language conversion method, and language conversion program
Business rule statements written in a natural language are automatically converted into DRL language sentences. A language conversion apparatus 10 includes: a storage device 16 that stores syntax definition information 30 for defining syntaxes to convert a business rule statement written in a natural language into a DRL language sentence on a syntax basis, and conversion information 40 for converting element variables of the business rule statement into element variables of the DRL language sentence; and a CPU 11 that analyzes a syntax of the business rule statement by comparing the business rule statement with the syntax definition information 30 and converts the business rule statement into the DRL language sentence by referring to the conversion information 40. |
| US09946709B2 |
Identifying word-senses based on linguistic variations
One or more words are received. A set of frequency of occurrence values of the received word(s) within a set of domain tables is determined. A domain table in the set of domain tables is associated to the received word(s), based on the set of frequency of occurrence values meeting a threshold value. A word-sense of the received word(s) is determined based on a corresponding word-sense in the associated domain table and/or corresponding domain dictionary. |
| US09946702B2 |
Digital processing system for transferring data for remote access across a multicomputer data network and method thereof
Disclosed herein is a digital processing system for transferring data for remote access across a multicomputer data network. In one embodiment, the digital processing system is configured to receive user input, analyze the data input, assign a reference tag to the data input based on contextual information associated with the data input, and store the reference tag within a memory device that may be accessed by one or more users of the multicomputer data network. |
| US09946701B2 |
Selectively pinning sections of displayed content
A method, system, and/or computer program product pins an area on a user interface. One or more processors receive a pinning signal from a user. The pinning signal defines a pinned area on a user interface. The pinned area is an unrestricted freeform area that is defined by the user. One or more processors then receive a scrolling input, which causes an unpinned area on the user interface to move on the user interface, while the pinned area is displayed z-indexed above the unpinned area that has moved, and while the pinned area remains in a fixed position on the user interface. |
| US09946696B2 |
Aligning content in an electronic document
Aligning the contents of document objects on an electronic document page. Organizing a page of document objects so textual content is aligned to natural eye scanning patterns promotes readership and usability. When a user creates a new island of text, the new text can be snapped into alignment with an existing island of text. Invisible guidelines that emanate from textual features in a document object can page. In response to placing a content insertion point (“IP”) on an electronic page with an existing document object, the IP can be automatically aligned to the content of the existing document object. A page with several arbitrarily positioned document objects can be automatically rearranged so that the contents of the document objects are each aligned to one another. |
| US09946695B2 |
Systems and methods for automatically generating content layout based on selected highest scored image and selected text snippet
A computerized method for automatically generating display content includes receiving a uniform resource locator, wherein the uniform resource locator specifies a landing resource and extracting visual information from the landing resource, wherein the visual information defines one or more images, texts, and colors displayed on the landing resource. The method further includes selecting one or more images, one or more text snippets, and one or more colors based on the visual information extracted from the landing resource, generating a layout for a content item based on one or more of the selected images or selected text snippets, and assembling the content item by applying the selected images, the selected text snippets, and the selected colors to the generated layout. |
| US09946694B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatuses for scalable electronic data interchange communications with smart web forms
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for a computer-implemented method for facilitating electronic data interchange (“EDI”) communication. An EDI document from a first trading partner is in a first format, with data in a plurality of fields. The fields are mapped to fields of an EDI standard. The data in the mapped fields are translated to an intermediate format to create an intermediate format file. Rules, which may be customized, may be applied to the intermediate format file. The rules may include business rules customized for the first trading partner, math rules and/or logic rules. The intermediate format file may be verified to determine whether it complies with the EDI standard and/or the business rules of the first trading partner. The data from the intermediate format to a second format compatible with a computer system of a second trading partner, to create a second format file. |
| US09946688B2 |
Efficient interpolation
Interpolation logic described herein provides a good approximation to a bicubic interpolation, which is generally smoother than bilinear interpolation, without performing all the calculations normally needed for a bicubic interpolation. This allows an approximation of smooth bicubic interpolation to be performed on devices (e.g. mobile devices) which have limited processing resources. At each of a set of predetermined interpolation positions within an array of data points, a set of predetermined weights represent a bicubic interpolation which can be applied to the data points. For a plurality of the predetermined interpolation positions which surround the sampling position, the corresponding sets of predetermined weights and the data points are used to determine a plurality of surrounding interpolated values which represent results of performing the bicubic interpolation at the surrounding predetermined interpolation positions. A linear interpolation is then performed on the surrounding interpolated values to determine an interpolated value at the sampling position. |
| US09946687B2 |
Fixed-point high dynamic range fast fourier transforms
A method for generating a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is disclosed. The method includes providing an input signal to two or more fixed-point FFT algorithms that apply different scaling to reduce growth of their output, resulting in each of the FFT algorithms yielding an array of FFT output values characterized by a different gain. The method further includes determining, on a per-FFT output value basis, whether an output value of an FFT algorithm with a relatively high gain was clipped due to saturation. If not, then the output value of that FFT algorithm is included in the final FFT. Otherwise, an output value of an FFT algorithm with a lower gain is included in the final FFT. Reconstructing the final FFT by such combination of values from different FFTs allows benefiting from the advantages of both higher- and lower-gain FFTs while avoiding or minimizing their disadvantages. |
| US09946685B1 |
Active element manager
Described are techniques for performing data storage system management of a data storage system. Using an active element manager component, a data storage system management operation in connection with a data storage device of the data storage system is performed, and context information is collected and provided to a target location in an external environment having connectivity to the data storage. The active element manager component provides for automatically connecting a current session associated with the data storage system management operation to the target location and receives one or more communications from the external environment. |
| US09946681B1 |
Host configured multi serial interface device
A dynamically configurable device including a connector configured to detect a first status of an interface selection mechanism, and a first Serializer De-serializer (SerDes) configured to drive a first selected interface from among a plurality of interfaces based on the first status. In response to the first status having a first state, the first selected interface is a first interface that causes the dynamically configurable device to present as a first type of device, and in response to the first status having a second state, the first selected interface is a second interface that causes the dynamically configurable device to present as a second type of device. |
| US09946676B2 |
Multichip package link
A system-on-a-chip, such as a logical PHY, may be divided into hard IP blocks with fixed routing, and soft IP blocks with flexible routing. Each hard IP block may provide a fixed number of lanes. Using p hard IP blocks, where each block provides n data lanes, h=n*p total hard IP data lanes are provided. Where the system design calls for k total data lanes, it is possible that k≠h, so that ┌k/n┐ hard IP blocks provide h=n*p available hard IP data lanes. In that case, h−k lanes may be disabled. In cases where lane reversals occur, such as between hard IP and soft IP, bowtie routing may be avoided by the use of a multiplexer-like programmable switch within the soft IP. |
| US09946675B2 |
Fault-tolerant loop for a communication bus
A communication bus system is provided. The communication bus system includes a communication bus having a plurality of isolatable segments and a bus master coupled to a first end of the communication bus. The bus master is configured to couple to a second end of the communication bus and to decouple from the second end of the communication bus based on a selection signal. A method for operating a communication bus is also disclosed. |
| US09946674B2 |
Scalable multi-core system-on-chip architecture on multiple dice for high end microcontroller
A system for a multiple chip architecture that enables different system on-chip (SoC) systems with varying compatibilities to interact as one SoC via a transparent interface. The system address maps of the single SoCs are configured so that each provide a system address map of the two SoCs without overlap or address re-mapping when connected to one another via the transparent interface. The transparent interface enables components related to safety/security and interrupt communication of a first and second SoC within the multiple chip system to transparently communicate and interact. The transparent interface can enable sources of both SoCs to be flexibly mapped to interrupt services providers on the first/second SoC within the multiple chip system. |
| US09946670B2 |
Determining when to throttle interrupts to limit interrupt processing to an interrupt processing time period
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining when to throttle interrupts to limit interrupt processing to an interrupt processing time. Upon receiving interrupts from the hardware device, a determination is made as to whether a number of received interrupts exceeds an interrupt threshold during a interrupt tracking time period. If so, an interrupt throttling state is set to a first value indicating to only process interrupts during an interrupt processing time period. Interrupts from the hardware device are processed during the interrupt time period when the interrupt throttling state is set to the first value. Interrupts received from the hardware are masked during a processing of a scan loop of operations while the interrupt throttling has the first value and the interrupt processing time period has expired, wherein the masked interrupts are not processed while processing the scan loop of operations. |
| US09946669B2 |
Method of and circuitry for controlling access by a master to a peripheral, a method of configuring such circuitry, and associated computer program products
A method of controlling access by a master to a peripheral includes receiving an interrupt priority level from an interrupt controller associated with the peripheral, comparing the interrupt priority level with respective a pre-established interrupt access level to obtain an interrupt level comparison result, establishing whether an access condition is satisfied in dependence on the interrupt level comparison result, and if the access condition is satisfied, granting access. If the access condition is not satisfied, access is denied. Further, a circuitry is described including a master, a peripheral, and an access control circuitry including an interrupt controller associated with the peripheral. The access control circuitry is arranged to perform a method of controlling access by the master to the peripheral. |
| US09946661B2 |
Command executing method, memory controller and memory storage apparatus
A command executing method for a memory storage apparatus is provided. The method includes grouping logical addresses into logical address groups and assigning a key for each of the logical address groups independently. The method also includes receiving a write command and write data corresponding to the write command and temporarily storing the write data into a buffer memory. The method further includes executing the write command, enabling a direct memory access once to transfer the write data from the buffer memory to a writable non-volatile memory module of the memory apparatus and encrypting each sector data of the write data with keys corresponding to the logical address groups that the logical address storing the sector data belong to. |
| US09946660B2 |
Memory space management
Examples include a device for memory space management. Some examples include receiving, from a host, a space management request that identifies a virtual page address. The virtual page address may be associated with a compressed page that includes a compression metadata having a reference count that indicates a number of virtual pages of data in the compressed page. The virtual page table entry associated with the virtual page address in a virtual page table may be looked up. The virtual page table entry may identify the compressed page. In such examples, the virtual page table entry may be marked as invalid without updating the reference count in the compressed page. A determination may be made as to whether each virtual page table entry that identifies the compressed page is marked invalid. Based on the determination that each virtual page table entry that identifies the compressed page is invalid, a free space bitmap entry for the compressed page may be updated to indicate that the compressed page is free. |
| US09946657B1 |
Spilling small cache entries to a solid state device
Systems for managing a multi-level cache in high-performance computing. A method is practiced over a multi-tier caching subsystem that comprises a first cache tier of random access memory, and a second cache tier that comprises a block-oriented device. The solid-state drive device is a block-oriented device comprising a plurality of blocks having a minimum block size. Cache entries are initially stored in the first cache, including cache entries that are smaller than the minimum block size of the block-oriented device. During cache operations such as first tier eviction, a plurality smaller entries are packed into blocks of the minimum block size before being spilled into the second tier. If an entry in the packed block is accessed again, the entire packed block is brought into the first tier. A key structure is maintained to track individual invalidated entries in a packed block without invalidating other entries in the packed block. |
| US09946656B2 |
Completion packet return based on eviction or flush
A completion packet may be returned before a data packet is written to a memory, if a field of the data packet indicates the data packet was sent due to a cache capacity eviction. The completion packet is returned after the data packet is written to the memory, if the field indicates the data packet was sent due to a flush operation. |
| US09946652B2 |
Pre-fetch in a multi-stage memory management system
A memory management system for managing a memory and includes a multi-stage memory management unit including control circuitry and cache memory. The cache memory may have a respective translation look-aside buffer for each stage of the multi-stage memory management unit. The control circuitry may be configured to generate a blank data request including a virtual address and information that specifies that data is not to be read from the memory, perform address translations based on the generated blank data request in multiple stages until a physical address is obtained, and discard the blank data request. |
| US09946651B2 |
Pattern detector for detecting hangs
A microprocessor comprises a cache including a tag array; a tag pipeline that arbitrates access to the tag array; and a pattern detector. The pattern detector comprises a register; a decoder that decodes transaction type identifiers of tagpipe arbs advancing through the tag pipeline; and an accumulator that accumulates into the register the transaction type identifiers of a plurality of tagpipe arbs that advance through the tag pipeline. |
| US09946643B2 |
Memory system and method for controlling nonvolatile memory
According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a nonvolatile memory including a plurality of blocks and a controller. The controller manages a garbage collection count for each of blocks containing data written by a host, the garbage collection count indicating the number of times the data in said each of the blocks has been copied by a garbage collection operation of the nonvolatile memory. The controller selects, as garbage collection target blocks, first blocks associated with a same garbage collection count. The controller copies valid data in the first blocks to a copy destination free block. The controller sets, as a garbage collection count of the copy destination free block, a value obtained by adding one to a garbage collection count of the first blocks. |
| US09946642B2 |
Distributed multimode storage management
In one embodiment, a distributed storage system comprises: a plurality of appliances, a distributed multimode storage management coordinator, and a communication mechanism for communicating distributed multimode storage management messages. A first one of the plurality of appliances can include: a plurality of storage devices that have a first storage partition including a first type of interface and a first information storage region and a second storage partition including a selective underlying exposure (SUE) interface and a second information storage region that stores a second type of information, wherein the SUE interface exposes an aspect of the second information storage region. The distributed multimode storage management coordinator can include a plurality of multimode storage management systems that direct conveyance of information to the plurality of storage devices, wherein the coordinator includes a multiple mode SUE management system that directs file activities of the second partitions via the SUE interface. |
| US09946640B2 |
Method and apparatus for securing sufficient memory in a device
A method of managing a memory of a device is provided. The method includes acquiring amount of memory use information of the device, estimating a memory use pattern, based on the amount of memory use information of the device, and acquiring an amount of memory of the device, based on the estimated memory use pattern. |
| US09946638B1 |
System and method for end to end performance response time measurement based on graphic recognition
Software testing techniques based on image recognition are disclosed. In various embodiments, a programmatically implemented image classifier is trained to recognize a screen shot image as being associated with a transaction end condition of a transaction. A test script configured to initiate an iteration of the transaction is run. A start time of the iteration of the transaction is recorded. Screen shot images are generated during performance of the iteration of the transaction to capture a series of screen shot images of at least a portion of a user interface display associated with the iteration of the transaction. The image classifier is used to find an earliest-captured image that matches the transaction end condition. A time associated with the matched image is used as a transaction end time to compute an end-to-end time to perform the iteration of the transaction. |
| US09946637B2 |
Automatic updating of graphical user interface element locators based on dimension comparison
An automated testing system is described for efficient testing of software applications. Locators are used by the test to find user interface elements in an application's graphical user interface during testing. If during a test a user interface element is not found, which may be due to a changed locator during code refactoring, the system finds the user interface element based on the element's type and on previously stored information about the element. Such information can be a snapshot image of the element, the coordinates of the element's location, dimensions of the element, or other information. Once the missing element is found, a new locator for the element is read and the test is performed using the new locator. |
| US09946636B2 |
Companion testing for body-aware devices
One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving movement data describing physical movement of a person performing a predetermined action; generating, using a processor, classification of the movement data using a test application that predicts output of a wearable device, wherein the test application has been formed using previously collected data that describe the movement of a person performing the predetermined action; determining, using the processor, whether the movement data match the predetermined action in view of the classification; receiving output of a body-aware application that detects and responds to human movement; comparing, using the processor, the output of the body-aware application with the classification; and providing, using the processor, an indication of the comparing of the output of the body-aware application and the classification. |
| US09946634B2 |
System and method for determining test coverage
A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and system is provided for determining test coverage. In an implementation, a method may include identifying at least one change in source code. The method may also include instrumenting object code of at least one class file associated with a source file of the source code associated with the identified at least one change. The method may further include testing the instrumented object code with at least one test case. The method may further include generating a coverage report associated with the instrumented object code, wherein the coverage report includes a proportion of the at least one change in the source code covered by the at least one test case. |
| US09946629B2 |
System, method and apparatus for deriving root cause for software test failure
For a program of interest represented as a sequence of states comprising variables and flags wherein controls transition the program from state to state, and wherein the program includes tests at prescribed locations in the program that are applied upon specific states and generate observables, a method includes inserting at different points in the program hooks that capture program runtime behaviors constituting classification features. The method further includes flattening the program states, commands and tests along a program run-time timeline, and identifying a root cause of a program failure by backtrack analyzing a stream of input states and commands and output consequent states, commands and test results to detect causal correlations between variables, states and commands. The step of backtrack analyzing includes determining joint conditional probabilities and identifying candidate failure root causes that maximize conditional probabilities. |
| US09946628B2 |
Embedding and executing trace functions in code to gather trace data
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for embedding and executing trace functions in code to gather trace data. A plurality of trace functions are embedded in the code. For each embedded trace function, a trace level is included indicating code to which the trace applies. The trace level comprises one of a plurality of levels. During the execution of the code, the embedded trace functions having one of the levels associated with a specified at least one level specified are executed. The embedded trace functions associated with at least one level not comprising one of the at least one specified level are not invoked. |
| US09946626B2 |
Method and system for measuring a runtime by means of watchpoints
A runtime of a computer program may be measured by providing the compiled computer program with at least a first watchpoint and a second watchpoint at respective first and second code locations, running the compiled computer program on a computing device, measuring a first time parameter at the first watchpoint and a second time parameter at the second watchpoint, and determining the runtime of at least part of the compiled computer program in terms of the second time parameter and the first time parameter. |
| US09946625B2 |
Diagnostic tool and method for efficient software development
Disclosed is a computer-implemented software development diagnostic tool for improving the efficiency of software development. The computer-implemented software development diagnostic tool implements a state machine including learning, troubleshooting, and reworking states, records time elapsed in each state, and produces annotated timeline data. Also disclosed is a method of collecting software development diagnostic data, in which a computer-implemented software development diagnostic tool is used to select and track time spent in learning, troubleshooting, and reworking states of software development activity. Also disclosed is a method of detecting inefficiencies in software development, comprising producing diagnostic data using a computer-implemented software development diagnostic tool, displaying the diagnostic data, and detecting in the diagnostic data a problem pattern of developer activity. |
| US09946623B2 |
Benchmark updating method and system for touch detection terminal capable of eliminating large-area interference
The present invention is applicable to the technical field of touch control, and provides a benchmark updating method for a touch detection terminal under large-area interference. The present invention can reduce the phenomenon of misdetection by performing consistency analysis on an original sampled value. |
| US09946622B2 |
Mobile device application monitoring software
A software application for monitoring the performance of other software applications on mobile devices using efficient crowd sourced data and recommending third party software apps based on a user's demographics and mobile device data. |
| US09946620B2 |
Memory built-in self test system
A memory built-in self test (“BIST”) system comprises: a controller; a single port memory engine coupled to one or more single port memories; and a non-single port memory engine coupled to one or more non-single port memories. The controller receives operation codes (“op-codes”) for testing a plurality of memory types. An output of the controller is coupled to inputs of the single port memory engine and the non-single port memory engine. The controller generates test instructions based on the received op-codes. The single port memory engine and the non-single port memory engine interpret the test instructions to test the one or more single port memories and the one or more non-single port memories. |
| US09946618B2 |
Determining an availability score based on available resources of different resource types in a cloud computing environment of storage servers providing cloud services to customers in the cloud computing environment to determine whether to perform a failure operation for one of the storage servers
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for a computer program product, system, and method for determining an availability score based on available resources of different resource types in a distributed computing environment of storage servers to determine whether to perform a failure operation for one of the storage servers. A health status monitor program deployed in the storage servers performs: maintaining information indicating availability of a plurality of storage server resources for a plurality of resource types; calculating an availability score as a function of a number of available resources of the resource types; and transmitting information on the availability score to a management program. The management program uses the transmitted information to determine whether to migrate services from the storage server from which the availability score is received to at least one of the other storage servers in the distributed computing environment. |
| US09946615B2 |
Management apparatus and information processing system
A management apparatus includes a processor to collect resource usage quantities of one or more first site processes executed on an information processing apparatus of a first site, and the resource usage quantities of one or more second site processes executed on an information processing apparatus of a second site to which the processes of the first site are migrated, and to define, as resource control information, at least one of stopping any one or more of the second site processes and reducing resources allocated to any one or more of the second site processes corresponding to variations of the resource usage quantities of the first site processes and the second site processes, the resource usage quantities being collected by the processor. |
| US09946613B2 |
Instrumentation system and method for maintaining the same
An instrumentation system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of field devices, in which each of the field devices is configured to perform at least one of measuring and operation of a target, a connection device including a plurality of slots, in which I/O modules are respectively attachable to the slots and the field devices are connectable to the I/O module, and a host control device configured to individually set the I/O modules attached to the slots to have a redundant configuration or a non-redundant configuration and to operate a first I/O module having the non-redundant configuration, among the I/O modules attached to the slots, in a pseudo redundant configuration. |
| US09946611B2 |
Method, apparatus and system for matching devices
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining device-related information corresponding to a plurality of devices from the device manager, selecting, for each first device, a second device matching each first device from among the at least one second device based on device-related information of the each device; determining corresponding device matching information based on the second devices matching the each first device, and sending the device matching information to the at least one second controller; wherein the device matching information includes one or more pairs of matching first device and second device. |
| US09946607B2 |
Systems and methods for storage error management
A storage layer stores integrity data corresponding to data groups being written to a storage array. The storage layer validates stored data groups by use of the integrity data, independent of recovery information managed by the storage array. The storage layer preempts crash recovery operations of the storage array by validating a subset of the data groups. The storage layer identifies data groups to validate based on a location of a log append point within a storage address space of the storage array. The storage layer may be further configured to mitigate write hole conditions by, inter alia, reconstructing invalid data of a data group and/or retaining valid portions of the data group. |
| US09946606B1 |
Stream architecture for data representation
A stream architecture for data representation is disclosed. A stream is retained with respect to write transactions to a given volume. The stream includes the write transactions and provides a sequence of the write transactions according to the order in which the write transactions were received for the given volume. By way of example, a stream image can be associated to the stream. The stream image provides a representation of the data in the given volume for a point in time by referencing a non-contiguous subset of the sequence of write transactions in the stream. |
| US09946604B1 |
Optimized remote cloning
Optimized remoting cloning is disclosed, including: receiving data from a source storage system associated with an ongoing replication process of a snapshot; and prior to the completion of the replication process of the snapshot, generating a set of metadata associated with a clone of the snapshot, wherein at least a portion of data comprising the snapshot that has been received at the destination storage system can be read using the clone while the replication process of the snapshot is ongoing. |
| US09946602B2 |
Reliability enhancement in a distributed storage system
Machines, systems and methods for enhancing data recovery in a data storage system, the method comprising determining whether one or more data storage mediums in a data storage system are unavailable; determining data that are at a risk of loss, due to said one or more data storage mediums being unavailable; from among the data that is determined to be at the risk of loss, identifying data that is highly vulnerable to loss; and creating one or more temporary replicas of the data that is highly vulnerable to loss. |
| US09946599B1 |
Systems and methods for enhanced data access to a hard disk drive with caching
Systems and methods described herein provide a method for enhanced data access to a hard disk drive with caching. The method includes obtaining data for storage from a data source. The method further includes applying at least one of a track error-correcting code scheme, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) encoder, streaming inter-track interference cancellation and a lower power read-data channel to the obtained data. The method further includes configuring a caching system to store a frequently accessed portion of the encoded data, and receiving, from a host computer, a data access request. The method further includes retrieving a data file from the caching system to the host computer in response to the data access request. |
| US09946598B1 |
Handling open circuits while writing data by moving them to the least vulnerable location in an error correction code codeword
Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for recording, if a non-volatile memory (NVM) location satisfies an open circuit condition, open circuit location information associated with the NVM location. Additionally, a shift of one or more bits may be conducting during a write of a codeword to the NVM location to avoid open circuit in the NVM location. Moreover, an end of a parity portion of the codeword may be punctured by an amount of the shift. In one example, the end of the parity portion includes a last circulant of the codeword. |
| US09946595B2 |
Reducing uncorrectable errors based on a history of correctable errors
In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method includes maintaining two or more error indicators for correctable errors occurring at two or more memory components. Each of the error indicators may be associated with a corresponding memory component. A correctable error may be detected as occurring during a first memory fetch operation at a first memory component. A first error indicator corresponding to the first memory component may be set, responsive to the correctable error at the first memory component. An uncorrectable error may be detected during a second memory fetch operation. It may be detected that the first error indicator is set. The first memory component may be marked, responsive to the uncorrectable error and to detecting that the first error indicator is set. The two or more error indicators for correctable errors may thus determine which memory component to mark due to the uncorrectable error. |
| US09946594B2 |
Validation bits and offsets to represent logical pages split between data containers
A flash memory codeword architecture is provided. A non-integer count of logical pages is packed into a codeword payload data container. A codeword payload header is generated. The codeword payload header includes an offset to a first logical page that is packed, at least in part, into the codeword payload data container. The codeword payload data container and the codeword payload header are concatenated to generate a codeword payload. Error-correcting code data is generated based, at least in part, on the codeword payload using a systematic error-correcting code. The codeword payload and error-correcting code data is concatenated to generate a codeword. A physical page is programmed with the codeword. |
| US09946587B2 |
Intelligent rolling upgrade for data storage systems
Various method, system, and computer program product embodiments for facilitating upgrades in a computing storage environment are provided. In one such embodiment, one of an available plurality of rolling upgrade policies is defined by specifying the at least one selectable upgrade parameter, including specifying one of a commencement time and duration of an upgrade procedure. A node down tolerance factor is set for at least one node in the computing storage environment. A determination of whether a number of at least one of a plurality of nodes in the computing storage environment currently down, including a target node to be upgraded, does not exceed the node down tolerance factor, and if the node down tolerance factor is not exceeded, a cluster health is checked. |
| US09946586B2 |
Memory system and operating method thereof
A memory system includes: a nonvolatile memory device; and a controller operatively coupled to the nonvolatile memory device and to a host, the controller including first and second interfaces suitable for inputting and/or outputting data from or to the host, wherein the controller is suitable for selecting any one of the first and second interfaces depending on a result of a durability check of the nonvolatile memory device. |
| US09946583B2 |
Media player framework
Systems and methods for managing media playback are described. In one embodiment, a third party media request is received from a third party application. A native media request is sent to a native media player in response to the third party media request. The native media request causes the native media player to access content or metadata. Metadata is returned to the third party application if the third party media request requested data. The native media player performs a content operation on the content if the third party media request requested a content operation. |
| US09946578B2 |
Managing the persistent data of a pre-installed application in an elastic virtual machine instance
A method and apparatus for managing the persistent data of a pre-installed application in an elastic virtual machine instance is disclosed, the method comprising: in response to installing an application into a master virtual machine image, obtaining a persistent data point of a function component of the application, the persistent data point comprising a file directory for storing the persistent data of the function component; in response to launching an elastic virtual machine instance from the master virtual machine, creating a storage volume, attaching the storage volume to the elastic virtual machine instance, and mounting the storage volume to the file directory based on the persistent data point. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application. |
| US09946569B1 |
Virtual machine bring-up with on-demand processing of storage requests
A method commences upon receiving a request to migrate a subject virtual machine from a first computing machine to a second computing machine. An agent determines which storage assets are used by the subject virtual machine. The agent collects volume metadata pertaining to the storage assets and clones volume metadata from the first computing machine to the second computing machine. The data blocks comprising the volumes are not moved to the second computing machine until after migrating the subject virtual machine from the first computing machine to the second computing machine. After starting the migrated instance of the subject virtual machine, the migrated instance mounts volumes using the cloned metadata. The first computing machine and the second computing machine cooperate by processing storage asset block requests issued by the migrated virtual machine. Data blocks comprising the volume are moved on demand. The migrated virtual machine can be migrated yet again. |
| US09946568B1 |
Micro-virtualization architecture for threat-aware module deployment in a node of a network environment
A micro-virtualization architecture deploys a threat-aware microvisor as a module of a virtualization system configured to facilitate real-time security analysis, including exploit detection and threat intelligence, of operating system processes executing in a memory of a node in a network environment. The micro-virtualization architecture organizes the memory as a user space and kernel space, wherein the microvisor executes in the kernel space of the architecture, while the operating system processes, an operating system kernel, a virtual machine monitor (VMM) and its spawned virtual machines (VMs) execute in the user space. Notably, the microvisor executes at the highest privilege level of a central processing unit of the node to virtualize access to kernel resources. The operating system kernel executes under control of the microvisor at a privilege level lower than a highest privilege level of the microvisor. The VMM and its spawned VMs execute at the highest privilege level of the microvisor. |
| US09946565B2 |
Management of cloud-computing facility through a virtual infrastructure management server
The current document is directed to methods for aggregating host computers into distributed computing systems and to distributed computing systems created by the methods. In a described implementation, host computers are aggregated into two or more clusters, at a first distributed-computing-system level, each managed by a second-level management server. The two or more clusters are then, in turn, aggregated into a hierarchical distributed computing system managed by a top-level management server. The top-level management server is interconnected to, and accesses, the second-level management servers through a host-gateway appliance that includes host-gateway control logic implemented within a server computer. In order to achieve scalability and efficiency, the top-level management server provides a subset of the native management commands to system administrators and other users who access a management interface provided by the top-level management server. |
| US09946559B1 |
Techniques for managing virtual machine backups
Techniques for managing virtual machine backups are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for managing virtual machine backups comprising opening a file containing a virtual disk of a virtual machine, parsing the file to identify one or more partitions of the virtual disk, determining file system type for each of one or more partitions, identifying a boot partition in the file, parsing, using at least one computer processor, file system information of the boot partition to identify volume information; and generating volume composition information using the identified volume information. |
| US09946551B2 |
System and method that generate reconfiguration information
A netlist converter, which generates configuration information for reconfiguring a reconfigurable logic operation unit, includes: a mapping unit that enumerates k-feasible cuts where the number of nodes after cutting is an integer k or fewer, out of all cuts for each node included in a netlist generated based on a specification to be processed in the logic operation unit; and a generating unit that generates configuration information including element reconfiguration information that reconfigures elements by selecting cuts assigned to the elements out of the enumerated k-feasible cuts and channel reconfiguration information for reconfiguring the data transfer channels to realize the netlist by connecting the reconfigured elements. |
| US09946550B2 |
Techniques for predicated execution in an out-of-order processor
A technique for handling predicated code in an out-of-order processor includes detecting a predicate defining instruction associated with a predicated code region. Renaming of predicated instructions, within the predicated code region, is then stalled until a predicate of the predicate defining instruction is resolved. |
| US09946548B2 |
Age-based management of instruction blocks in a processor instruction window
A processor core in an instruction block-based microarchitecture includes a control unit that explicitly tracks instruction block state including age or priority for current blocks that have been fetched from an instruction cache. Tracked instruction blocks are maintained in an age-ordered or priority-ordered list. When an instruction block is identified by the control unit for commitment, the list is checked for a match and a matching instruction block can be refreshed without re-fetching from the instruction cache. If a match is not found, an instruction block can be committed and replaced based on either age or priority. Such instruction state tracking typically consumes little overhead and enables instruction blocks to be reused and mispredicted instructions to be skipped to increase processor core efficiency. |
| US09946547B2 |
Load/store unit for a processor, and applications thereof
A load/store unit for a processor, and applications thereof. In an embodiment, the load/store unit includes a load/store queue configured to store information and data associated with a particular class of instructions. Data stored in the load/store queue can be bypassed to dependent instructions. When an instruction belonging to the particular class of instructions graduates and the instruction is associated with a cache miss, control logic causes a pointer to be stored in a load/store graduation buffer that points to an entry in the load/store queue associated with the instruction. The load/store graduation buffer ensures that graduated instructions access a shared resource of the load/store unit in program order. |
| US09946543B2 |
Processor efficiency by combining working and architectural register files
A processor includes an execution pipeline configured to execute instructions for threads, wherein the architectural state of a thread includes a set of register windows for the thread. The processor also includes a physical register file (PRF) containing both speculative and architectural versions of registers for each thread. When an instruction that writes to a destination register enters a rename stage, the rename stage allocates an entry for the destination register in the PRF. When an instruction that has written to a speculative version of a destination register enters a commit stage, the commit stage converts the speculative version into an architectural version. It also deallocates an entry for a previous version of the destination register from the PRF. When a register-window-restore instruction that deallocates a register window enters the commit stage, the commit stage deallocates local and output registers for the deallocated register window from the PRF. |
| US09946538B2 |
Method and apparatus for providing hardware support for self-modifying code
A method and apparatus for providing support for self modifying guest code. The apparatus includes a memory, a hardware buffer, and a processor. The processor is configured to convert guest code to native code and store converted native code equivalent of the guest code into a code cache portion of the processor. The processor is further configured to maintain the hardware buffer configured for tracking respective locations of converted code in a code cache. The hardware buffer is updated based a respective access to a respective location in the memory associated with a respective location of converted code in the code cache. The processor is further configured to perform a request to modify a memory location after accessing the hardware buffer. |
| US09946537B2 |
Integrated development environment-based repository searching in a networked computing environment
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for integrated development environment (IDE)-based repository searching (e.g., for library elements such as classes and/or functions) in a networked computing environment. In a typical embodiment, a first program code file is received from a first integrated development environment (IDE). The first program file may be associated with a set of attributes as stored in an annotation, header, or the like. Regardless, the first program file may be parsed and indexed into a repository based on the set of attributes. A search request may then be received from a second IDE. Based on the search request and the set of attributes, a matching program code file may then be identified as stored in the repository. Once identified, the matching program code file may be transmitted/communicated to the second IDE to fulfill the search request. |
| US09946536B2 |
Automatic refactoring of javascript code for multi-thread execution
Computer implemented method of refactoring JavaScript code for multi-threading concurrent execution, comprising: 1) Designating a source code which includes background code entries indicated by a user as executed in background. 2) Analyzing the source code entries to create a dependency record. 3) Creating a background process comprising the background code entries and removing code entries which read or write from DOM(s). 4) Creating a handler code comprising the write code entries. 5) Creating main code which includes: (a) Remaining code entries not included in the background process and the handler code. (b) Process initiation code initiating the background process. The process initiation code is placed at a process initiation point identified based on the dependency record which follows the read code entries in the source code execution path and precedes the write code entries. 6) Outputting refactored code file(s) which include the background process, handler code and main code. |
| US09946533B2 |
Software updating
A novel software updating method is provided. A target file is divided into segments, where some segments are updated by patching, while other segments are updated by archiving. The segmentation of the update allows very large files such as DYLD shared caches to be patched in-place, i.e., by using free space available within the file to perform patching rather than requiring enough free space on disk to store both the new version and the old version of the file. The segmentation of the update also allows each segment to be updated individually by the most optimal update method (copy, patch, or archive) so that the size of the update file can be minimized. |
| US09946531B1 |
Autonomous vehicle software version assessment
Methods and systems for monitoring use, determining risk, and pricing insurance policies for a vehicle having autonomous or semi-autonomous operation features are provided. In certain aspects, with the customer's permission, a computer-implemented method for updating an autonomous operation feature may be provided. An indication of a software update associated with the autonomous operation feature may be received, and several autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles having the feature may be identified. The update may be installed within the several vehicles, such as via wireless communication. Also, a change in a risk level associated with the update to the autonomous operation feature may be determined, and an insurance discount may be determined or adjusted. As a result, an insurance discount may be provided to risk averse customers that affirmatively share their vehicle data with an insurance provider, and promptly and remotely receive new versions of software that operate autonomous vehicle safety features. |
| US09946526B2 |
Development and hosting for platform independent applications
Method, system, and programs for providing development, deployment, and hosting of applications that are interoperable across different device platforms. An application capable of being executed in a plurality of different device formats is generated. The application is deployed to a client device for execution at the client device. Execution of the same application is initiated at a server. |
| US09946525B2 |
Extracting source code
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for extracting source code. One of the methods includes receiving, by a newly created process, a request to execute code of an executable file in the newly created process, wherein the request specifies a parameter. The newly created process loads a process interception library. Library initialization code of the process interception library determines whether the parameter should be intercepted. In response to determining that the parameter should be intercepted, the parameter is provided to another process. |
| US09946520B1 |
Conversion of interpretive language functions into web applications or services
A method (and concomitant apparatus and non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine readable code) for automatically deploying World Wide Web services from any function written in an interpretive computer language, comprising creating a new cloud workspace for a function written in an interpretive computer language, receiving the function and storing it in the cloud workspace, establishing an interpreter for the interpretive computer language, and allowing for execution of the function by the interpreter via the internet or an intranet. |
| US09946518B2 |
System and method for extending a visualization platform
Systems and methods for extending a visualization platform are disclosed. A user may create a visualization project created. One or more properties for a non-native widget established by a developer of the non-native widget may be received from the project. Such properties may designate a name or a type of data that the non-native widget is capable of processing. Responsive to an instruction received from the user of the visualization authoring environment, a source of data to be processed by the non-native widget or a destination of data produced by the non-native widget to be processed by other widgets may be established. The appearance or behavior of the non-native widget may be rendered based at least in part on a value available from the source of the data or the appearance or behavior of one or more other widgets may be rendered based at least in part on data produced by the non-native widget. |
| US09946513B2 |
Semiconductor device and information processing system
A spin unit provided with a memory cell that stores a value of one spin of an Ising model, a memory cell that stores an interaction coefficient from an adjacent spin which interacts with the corresponding spin, a memory cell that stores an external magnetic field coefficient of the one spin and circuits that determine the next state of the one spin on the basis of a product of a value of each adjacent spin and the corresponding interaction coefficient and the external magnetic field coefficient is configured, the semiconductor device is provided with a spin array where the plural spin units are arranged and connected on a two-dimensional plane on a semiconductor substrate, a random number generator and a bit regulator, the bit regulator operates output of the random number generator and supplies a random bit to all spin units in the spin array via one wire. |
| US09946511B2 |
Method for user training of information dialogue system
Provided is a method for user training of an information dialog system. The method may include activating a user input subsystem, receiving a training request entered by the user, converting the training request into text by the user input subsystem, sending the text of the training request obtained as a result of the conversion to a dialog module, processing the text of the training request by the dialog module, forming a response to the training request by the dialog module, and sending the response to the training request to the user. The response to the training request may be formed in a form of one or more of the following: a voice cue, a text, and an action performed by the information dialog system. |
| US09946508B1 |
Smart music services preferences
In an example implementation, a method may involve detecting a trigger that suspends playback preference tracking of a media playback system, sending, to one or more media services registered with the media playback system, one or more requests to suspend playback preference tracking from when the trigger that suspends playback preference tracking was detected, detecting a particular trigger that resumes playback preference tracking of the media playback system, and based on detecting the particular trigger, sending, to at least one of the one or more media services registered to the media playback system, one or more requests to resume playback preference tracking of the media playback system. |
| US09946506B2 |
Dual screen point-of-sale system
A dual screen point-of-sale system includes a point-of-sale device and a tablet computer. The point-of-sale device includes a first display screen and a first connection part. A first picture of the point-of-sale device is shown on the first display screen in response to a first device signal. The first connection part receives the first device signal. The tablet computer includes a second connection part and a second display screen. When the first connection part and the first connection part are in communication with each other, the first device signal is transmitted from the point-of-sale device to the tablet computer. Consequently, a picture corresponding to the first device signal is shown on the second display screen. When the first connection part and the first connection part are not in communication with each other, a second picture is shown on the second display screen. |
| US09946504B2 |
Head-mounted display apparatus worn on user's head
A head-mounted display apparatus worn on the head of a user and a method for controlling the head-mounted display apparatus are disclosed. The head-mounted display apparatus includes an attitude detector that detects the attitude of the head-mounted display apparatus, a manipulation detector that detects a predetermined manipulation performed on the head-mounted display apparatus, a display, and a processor. The head-mounted display apparatus switches a display of first display information to second display information according to a change in the attitude detected by the attitude detector. However, if the manipulation detector detects the predetermined manipulation, the head-mounted display apparatus maintains the display of the first display information without switching to the second display information even if there is a change in the attitude detected by the attitude sensor. |
| US09946497B2 |
Document administration system and document administration method
A document administration system includes an administration unit, a discrimination information image discriminating unit, and an image forming apparatus which, forms an image on a recording medium in case that the discrimination information image discriminating unit discriminates that the recording medium has the discrimination information image before the image is formed on the recording medium, and forms the image and the discrimination information image based on the discrimination information connected to the image on the recording medium in case that the discrimination information image discriminating unit discriminates that the recording medium does not have the discrimination information image before the image is formed on the recording medium. |
| US09946496B2 |
SSD with non-blocking flush command
A computing system includes a storage device and a host. The storage device includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and is configured to receive data for storage in the non-volatile memory, to buffer at least some of the received data temporarily in the volatile memory, and to guarantee that any data, which is not part of a predefined amount of data that was most recently received, has been committed to the non-volatile memory. The host is configured to send the data for storage in the storage device, and, in response to a need to commit given data to the non-volatile memory, to send the given data to the storage device followed by at least the predefined amount of additional data. |
| US09946495B2 |
Dirty data management for hybrid drives
A hybrid drive includes multiple parts: a performance part (e.g., a flash memory device) and a base part (e.g., a hard disk drive). A drive access system, which is typically part of an operating system of a computing device, issues input/output (I/O) commands to the hybrid drive to store data to and retrieve data from the hybrid drive. Some data can be stored in one part but not the other, and this data can be synchronized with (e.g., copied to) the other part at various times. The drive access system provides indications to the hybrid drive of when to synchronize data in one part with the other part. These indications are made so that potential interference with use of the device by the user and/or power saving modes of the device due to the synchronization is reduced. |
| US09946494B2 |
Hardware transaction transient conflict resolution
In an approach for resolving terminated transactions in a transactional memory environment, a processor initiates a hardware transaction in a computing environment, wherein the hardware transaction accesses a memory location, and wherein the hardware transaction includes a transaction begin indicator and a transaction end indicator. A processor detects a conflicting access of the memory location while executing the hardware transaction. A processor aborts the hardware transaction based on the conflicting access of the memory location. Hardware determines that the conflicting access of the memory location is a transient condition. A processor reinitiates the hardware transaction. |
| US09946488B2 |
Automated migration of file recalled by specific application
In a hierarchical storage memory (HSM), a file recalled by a specific application is migrated as soon as possible after completion of the application process. Specifically, the effective UID of a specific process is preregistered on an HSM client. After a recall operation is performed on a certain file from the user ID, when there is no access from the UID to the file for a given length of time, the file is migrated. This prevents files premigrated by access from any application other than the specific one from being handled in the same way, resolving a disadvantageous problem caused when these (premigrated) files are not desired to be migrated preferentially. |
| US09946486B1 |
Duplication between disparate deduplication systems
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and processes to improve the duplication of data between disparate deduplication systems. Source fingerprints are generated for data blocks using a source fingerprint algorithm at a source deduplication system. The source fingerprints and previously-generated source fingerprints are used to determine whether the data blocks are new or modified. If the data blocks are new or modified, target fingerprints are generated for the data blocks using a target fingerprint algorithm associated with a target deduplication system. The target fingerprints are sent to the target deduplication system. |
| US09946483B2 |
Efficiently managing unmapped blocks to extend life of solid state drive with low over-provisioning
Systems and methods disclosed herein allow for efficiently managing unmapped blocks to extend life of solid-state drives. In one aspect, a method includes: measuring a level of over-provisioning (“OP”) in a storage device and operating it in a first mode of operation while the OP satisfies a first threshold. The method also includes: changing to a second mode of operation if the OP does not satisfy the first threshold. While operating in the second mode of operation, the method includes: (i) determining an unmapped portion of a declared storage capacity of the storage device; and (ii) determining whether processing a write command would reduce the unmapped portion to less than a second threshold. If processing the write command wouldn't reduce the unmapped portion to less than the second threshold, the method includes: accepting and processing the write command. Else, the method includes: forgoing acceptance and processing of the write command. |
| US09946482B2 |
Method for enlarging data memory in an existing microprocessor architecture with limited memory addressing
A method for expanding a data memory for a microprocessor architecture which uses a bank select accessing scheme for accessing data memory which is divided into a plurality of memory banks. A bank select register is configured to select a memory bank and the microprocessor architecture has an instruction set with a dedicated instruction for selecting a memory bank. An opcode of the dedicated bank select instruction provides for a maximum of n bits payload thereby providing for an address value which is configured to select a maximum of 2n memory banks. The method has the steps of: using an opcode of a test instruction that provides for m bits of payload for a new bank select instruction, wherein m>n; and using an opcode of the dedicated bank select instruction for a new test instruction. |
| US09946481B2 |
Dynamic power throttling in solid state drives
An apparatus, system, and method is provided to dynamically throttle a solid state drive based on measured local temperature and power measurements. The solid state drive includes a monitoring system to monitor temperature and power. A controller in the solid state drive determines a throttle setting. The controller may be implemented as proportional integral differential (PID) control loop. The throttling may include adjusting the rate of concurrent non-volatile memory operations between a minimum value and a maximum value. |
| US09946480B2 |
Disk image deletion with failure resistant data erasure
Systems and methods for disk image deletion with failure resistant data erasure. An example method may comprise: receiving a request to delete a first disk image associated with a data storage portion; associating the data storage portion with a second disk image responsive to receiving the request to delete the first disk image; deleting the first disk image; and initiating a data erasure procedure on the data storage portion. |
| US09946479B2 |
Direct hinting for a memory device
A data storage area of a data storage device can be used to communicate information between the data storage device and an external device or software. In some examples, configuration data stored within the data storage area can be used to determine a subset of data to copy or move from a first data storage medium to a second data storage medium. The data storage area can be a unique partition and the data storage device can locate partition information to determine a location of the partition. The data storage device can then use the partition to store data for two-way communication between the data storage device and an external system, device, or software. |
| US09946478B2 |
Memory managing method, memory control circuit unit and memory storage apparatus
A memory managing method, a memory control circuit unit and a memory storage apparatus are provided. The method includes: setting a read-disturb threshold for each of a plurality of physical erasing units; adjusting the read-disturb threshold of a first physical erasing unit according to state information of a rewritable non-volatile memory module; and performing a read-disturb prevention operation according to the read-disturb threshold of the first physical erasing unit. |
| US09946473B2 |
Efficiently managing unmapped blocks to extend life of solid state drive
Systems and methods disclosed herein allow for efficiently managing unmapped blocks to extend life of solid-state drives. In one aspect, a method includes: determining a quantity of unmapped storage units in the storage device and operating the storage device in a first mode of operation while the quantity satisfies a first threshold. The method also includes: changing to a second mode of operation if the quantity of unmapped storage units doesn't satisfy the first threshold. While operating in the second mode of operation, the method includes: determining whether processing a write command would reduce the quantity of unmapped storage units to a quantity less than a second threshold. If processing the write command wouldn't reduce the quantity of unmapped storage units to a quantity less than the second threshold, the method includes: accepting and processing the write command. Else, the method includes: forgoing acceptance and processing of the write command. |
| US09946472B2 |
Semiconductor storage device having nonvolatile semiconductor memory
A semiconductor storage device has a nonvolatile semiconductor memory comprised from multiple storage areas, and a controller, which is coupled to the nonvolatile semiconductor memory. The controller (A) identifies a storage area state, which is the state of a storage area, (B) decides, based on the storage area state identified in the (A), a read parameter, which is a parameter for use when reading data from a storage area with respect to a storage area of this storage area state, and (C) uses the read parameter decided in the (B) with respect to a read-target storage area and reads data from this read-target storage area. |
| US09946471B1 |
RAID groups based on endurance sets
The wear of storage devices in a storage array or storage server cluster is unleveled via modal Read/Write to create a plurality of endurance sets, each endurance set having devices with statistically similar amount of wear in a given period of time, and different endurance sets are subjected to different amounts of wear over a given period of time. The storage devices are organized into RAID groups such that multiple devices associated with the same RAID group are not members of the same endurance set. The number of devices in each endurance set may be selected to match the number of spare failover storage devices. |
| US09946469B2 |
Solid state storage system with latency management mechanism and method of operation thereof
A solid state storage system, and method of operation thereof, including: a system interface configured to receive host commands; a controller, coupled to the system interface, configured to identify frequently read data blocks from the host commands; a non-volatile memory, coupled to the controller, configured for access of the frequently read data blocks; an error correction code unit, coupled to the controller, configured to provide health monitor parameters for the frequently read data blocks verified by the controller; and a redundant frequently read data (RFRD) area, coupled to the error correction code unit, configured to transfer a recovered data from the frequently read data blocks. |
| US09946467B2 |
Data storage method and electronic device
A data storage method and an electronic device are described where the method includes acquiring a running status parameter of an electronic device; determining, on the basis of the running status parameter, a data storage policy corresponding to the running status parameter; acquiring, on the basis of the data storage policy, target data corresponding to the data storage policy; and writing, on the basis of a data category of the target data, the target data into a flash or a cache of a solid state memory of the electronic device. The method is for solving the technical problem that the system's data writing manner is fixed. |
| US09946465B1 |
Adaptive learning techniques for determining expected service levels
Described are techniques user to determine expected service levels. A first set of one or more data portions are selected from one or more devices forming a first device set. The first set of data portions are stored on physical storage of a physical device set of one or more physical devices having an unknown service level expectation. I/O operations directed to the first set of data portions are received and serviced for a time period. First information is collected that characterizes performance of the physical device set during the time period. In accordance with the first information and using an adaptive learning technique, a first service level expectation for servicing I/Os directed to the physical device set is determined. |
| US09946464B2 |
Systems and methods for predicting compressibility of data
Systems and methods for predicting the compressibility of data in a flash storage device are provided. One such method involves extracting byte intervals from the block of data, each of the byte intervals consisting of a preselected number of bytes, performing a hash function to map the byte intervals into a plurality of bins, the plurality of bins comprising one bin for each possible value of the byte intervals, incrementing a hit count each time more than one of the byte intervals is mapped into a single bin of the plurality of bins, and determining whether to compress the block of data based on a comparison of a ratio of the hit count to a total number of the byte intervals and a preselected threshold. This method may be implemented in hardware to ensure fast and efficient execution. |
| US09946450B2 |
Scrolling display control interface apparatuses, methods and computer-readable storage mediums
A method for controlling a terminal screen includes: first displaying, on a screen of a terminal, a first function input unit and at least a portion of a page of content on a screen, the first function input unit being associated with at least a first function for the terminal; recognizing a scroll operation on the screen; and second displaying, in response to the recognizing the scroll operation on the screen, a second function input unit instead of at least a portion of the first function input unit, the second function input unit being associated with a second function for the terminal. |
| US09946448B2 |
Coloring kit for capturing and animating two-dimensional colored creation
A digital template animation kit is provided for generating a three-dimensional animation corresponding to a captured two-dimensional template. In embodiments, a template animation kit includes a template portfolio having template designs for coloring in by a user. A computing device executing a template animation kit application, such as a digital fashion portfolio kit application, may then capture an image of the user-completed drawings on each template design. In some embodiments, capturing an image of a template design includes identifying a coloring figure identifier, an upper page guide identifier, and a lower page guide identifier. In further embodiments, the captured images of two-dimensional template designs are applied to three dimensional digital templates for animation within a digital template animation environment. |
| US09946446B2 |
Mobile terminal
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to provide wireless communication; a touch screen; and a controller configured to receive a touch input on a peripheral region of the touch screen, display at least one display item from among a plurality of display items on the touch screen in response to the received touch input, in which the at least one display item identifies a foreground panel among a plurality of available foreground panels, receive a dragging touch input in which the touch input is dragged and dropped at the at least one display item, and display a foreground panel corresponding to the at least one item by overlapping the foreground panel on at least part of the touch screen. |
| US09946442B2 |
Method, apparatus, and computer program for providing sub-content while providing online content
Disclosed herein is a method, apparatus, and computer program for providing sub-content while providing online content. The method, apparatus, and computer program for providing sub-content while providing online content provides predetermined sub-content before providing online main content to a user, displays a predetermined user interface after a certain period of time, and continuously provides the sub-content only when the user selects the user interface. |
| US09946441B2 |
Computerized system and method for creative facilitation and organization
A computerized system and method for facilitating and organizing the creative process of planning events either along one line, or multiple in parallel, with a designated order but not at specific points in time. |
| US09946438B2 |
Maximum value displayed content feature
Techniques for enhancing a user's viewing experience include providing new opportunities for viewing information or manipulating data during the viewing experience. The user may take an action that has an intended purpose of changing a mode of play of content displayed at the client device. An event prompted by the user action, such as a pause or rewind of the displayed content, may be an event that triggers at least one extended option associated with the displayed content. |
| US09946436B2 |
Interactive dynamic push notifications
An example method includes receiving, at a mobile device, one or more user selections by a user of the mobile device, where each user selection indicates a respective type of data item to be presented on the mobile device. The method also includes receiving, at the mobile device, one or more data items. The method also includes identifying data items that are associated with the types of data items to be presented on the mobile device, and responsive to identifying data items that are associated with the types of data items to be presented on the mobile device, presenting, on the mobile device, a dynamic icon to present the identified data items. |
| US09946433B2 |
User interface designing
A method for designing a user interface (UI) for an application includes receiving, from a user, a first response comprising user selected first answers and a second response comprising user selected second answers, to pre-defined questions. The method includes assigning significance to interface (STI) weightage to each user selected first answer with respect to pre-defined user experience parameters and assigning a significance to business (STB) weightage to each user selected second answer. Also, the method includes computing total actual effective weightage for each pre-defined user experience parameter based on STI weightages of user selected first answers and STB weightages of user selected second answers. The method further includes calculating total maximum effective weightage for each pre-defined user experience parameter based on maximum STI weightage and maximum STB weightage for each pre-defined question. Furthermore, the method includes determining applicability index for each pre-defined user experience parameter for designing the UI. |
| US09946432B2 |
Customizable bladed applications
Customizable bladed applications are described herein. A device platform is configured to provide a simultask mode that enables combined user access to multiple applications of the platform via respective chrome portions. When simultask mode is active, arrangement of chrome elements within a user interface is controlled to generate a bladed view that provides a compact representation for one application in conjunction with an expanded view that provides principal chrome for a different application. The platform makes the bladed view available for any displayable application of the platform. The bladed view may also include application-specific elements that are populated using customizations designated via metadata of the application, or using default information for applications in the absence of designated customizations. Further, the platform may implement a notification system that operates on behalf of applications to obtain and apply updates for dynamically updatable content incorporated into bladed views. |
| US09946431B2 |
Resizable and lockable user interfaces
Resizable and lockable user interfaces (UI) are provided. Systems and methods described herein allow a user to resize and/or lock a section of the user interface. Interference and distraction caused by secondary content when primary content is traversed may be minimized. In addition, UI controls are provided to allow traversing primary content and secondary content separately. |
| US09946430B2 |
Displaying social networking system user information via a timeline interface
The invention provides a display interface in a social networking system that enables the presentation of information related to a user in a timeline or map view. The system accesses information about a user of a social networking system, including both data about the user and social network activities related to the user. The system then selects one or more of these pieces of data and/or activities from a certain time period and gathers them into timeline units based on their relatedness and their relevance to users. These timeline units are ranked by relevance to the user, and are used to generate a timeline or map view for the user containing visual representations of the timeline units organized by location or time. The timeline or map view is then provided to other users of the social networking system that wish to view information about the user. |
| US09946424B2 |
Force-sensing capacitor elements, deformable membranes and electronic devices fabricated therefrom
The present disclosure relates to deformable membranes and force-sensing capacitor elements useful, for example, in electronic devices that include, for example touch screen displays or other touch sensors. The deformable membranes, generally, include a first, second and third layers, with a first arrangement of a plurality of first structures interposed between the first and third layers and a second arrangement of a plurality of second structures interposed between the second and third layers. At least a portion, but not all, of the plurality of first structures have first and/or second surfaces that each overlap through the thickness of the deformable membrane with one or more of the first surfaces or with one or more of the second surfaces of the plurality of second structures. Electrodes or one or more electrode pairs are incorporated into the deformable membrane layer(s) to form force-sensing capacitors. The present disclosure also relates to methods of making deformable membranes and force-sensing capacitor elements, and electronic devices, e.g. touch screen displays that include the deformable membranes and force-sensing capacitor elements. |
| US09946423B2 |
Capacitive sensing during non-display update times
Embodiments of the invention generally provide an input device with display screens that periodically update (refresh) the screen by selectively driving common electrodes corresponding to pixels in a display line. In general, the input devices drive each electrode until each display line (and each pixel) of a display frame is updated. In addition to updating the display, the input device may perform capacitive sensing using the display screen as a proximity sensing area. To do this, the input device may interleave periods of capacitive sensing between periods of updating the display based on a display frame. For example, the input device may update the first half of display lines of the display screen, pause display updating, perform capacitive sensing, and finish updating the rest of the display lines. Further still, the input device may use common electrodes for both updating the display and performing capacitive sensing. |
| US09946422B2 |
In-cell Touch Panel
An in-cell touch panel including pixels is disclosed. A laminated structure of each pixel includes a substrate, a TFT layer, a color filter layer, at least one protrusion, a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The TFT layer is disposed on the substrate. The color filter layer is disposed above the TFT layer. The at least one protrusion is disposed under the color filter layer opposite to the TFT layer. The first conductive layer is disposed above the TFT layer opposite to the color filter layer. The second conductive layer is disposed on the at least one protrusion. The first conductive layer and a part of second conductive layer are electrically connected, so that the first conductive layer which is disposed near the TFT layer and not electrically connected originally can be electrically connected through the second conductive layer disposed near the color filter layer. |
| US09946419B2 |
Display device substrate and display device
A display device substrate including a transparent substrate having a display portion formed in an overall rectangular shape in a planar view, an electrode disposed in the display portion and having pixel openings, the electrode including partial patterns which are electrically isolated from one another and formed in parallel to a first direction along the transparent substrate, a first transparent resin layer formed on the electrode, a transparent electrode formed on the first transparent resin layer, and including partial patterns which are formed along the transparent substrate and in parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second transparent resin layer formed on the partial patterns of the transparent electrode. |
| US09946418B2 |
System and method for sensing touches in capacitive panels
A multi-touch sensing system and a method for estimating a location of at least one touch point are provided. The multi-touch sensing system includes a panel, a grid of conductor disposed on the panel, a driver array connected to the grid, a receiver array connected to the grid, a signal processing system, and a controller. The method involves transmitting drive signals to the grid, receiving signals from the grid, estimating a capacitance, and transforming the capacitance into touch coordinates. |
| US09946416B2 |
Touch sensor device and display device including the same
Disclosed is a touch sensor device, including: a plurality of first sensing electrodes which includes a plurality of first linear electrodes extending in a first direction and a first connection electrode connecting the plurality of first linear electrodes to each other; and a plurality of second sensing electrodes which includes a plurality of second linear electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a second connection electrode connecting the plurality of second linear electrodes to each other, in which a disposition density of the plurality of first linear electrodes included in one first sensing electrode is gradually decreased from a center of the first sensing electrode to an outer side of the first sensing electrode. |
| US09946413B2 |
Touch module and manufacturing method thereof
A touch module and a manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. The touch module includes a substrate, at least two first touch electrodes, at least two second touch electrodes, at least one electrode channel, and at least one bridge. All of the first touch electrodes, the second touch electrodes, and the electrode channel are embedded in the substrate. The electrode channel is configured to connect the second touch electrodes to each other. The bridge crosses over the electrode channel, is configured to electrically connect the first touch electrodes to each other. The first touch electrodes and the second touch electrodes are insulated from each other. |
| US09946412B2 |
Touch sensing device and display device including the same
A touch sensing device and a display device for improving hovering performance including: a touch sensing display panel including sense electrodes arranged in a matrix; and a sensing signal controller connected to the touch sensing display panel. The sense electrode includes a metal mesh electrode and a conductive layer contacting the metal mesh electrode. |
| US09946407B2 |
Frequency multiplexed optical touchscreen
An apparatus, methods, systems, and computer program products are provided that can detect touch events on touch panels in a more effective and less costly manner. According to an embodiment, a touch system includes a touch panel and a plurality of radiation sources located at a first edge of the touch panel. The intensity of light emitted from each of the plurality of radiation sources is modulated with a respective modulation frequency. The touch system further includes an optical receiver that is located at a second edge of the touch panel and is configured to receive the light emitted from each of the plurality of radiation sources. |
| US09946406B2 |
Optical film with touch function
An optical film with touch function includes a substrate, a material layer, a plurality of columnar structures, and a filter electrode layer. The substrate has a carrying surface. The material layer is disposed on the carrying surface of the substrate. Each of the columnar structures is extended from a side of the material layer adjacent to the carrying surface to a side of the material layer away from the carrying surface. A side of each of the columnar structures adjacent to the substrate has a first end surface. The filter electrode layer is disposed between the substrate and the material layer. The filter electrode layer includes a plurality of sensing electrode regions electrically insulated from each other. The filter electrode layer has a plurality of openings, and the openings respectively expose the first end surfaces. |
| US09946404B1 |
LED screen noise sensing for discreet capacitive sensors
Embodiments herein provide input devices that include an LED display panel on which a discreet capacitive sensor is disposed to form a capacitive sensing region. The capacitive sensor includes a plurality of sensor electrodes that are used to generate capacitive sensing signals indicating user interaction with the input device. In one embodiment, the sensor electrodes are disposed on a cathode layer in the LED display panel such that the sensor electrodes are capacitively coupled to the LED display panel. Currents in the cathode layer can cause interference or noise when performing capacitive sensing. The input devices include an analog front end channel for measuring interference resulting from the cathode layer at the same time receivers measure capacitive sensing signals using the sensor electrodes. The input device may process the capacitive sensing signals differently depending on the measured interference. |
| US09946394B2 |
Gate drivers and the touch panels having the gate drivers
A gate driver includes a plurality of gate driver units. Each of the gate driver units includes a GOA driving circuit and at least one buffer GOA driving circuits at multiple levels. The GOA driving circuit outputs output signals during a display stage, wherein the output signals are transmitted to gate lines and the buffer GOA driving circuits at multiple levels. The output signals are transmitted between the levels when the buffer GOA driving circuits at the multiple levels are during a touch stage, and the output signals are transmitted to the GOA driving circuit of the driving unit at the next level. In addition, a touch panel includes the above gate driver. |
| US09946382B2 |
Touch sensor integrated type display device
A display device including a panel comprising a plurality of pixels, and a drive circuit configured to apply data voltage to the plurality of pixels through data lines is disclosed. In one embodiment, the drive circuit includes a first circuit block having a first recovery time from a power off state to an operational state of the first circuit block, a second circuit block having a second recovery time from a power off state to an operational state of the second circuit block, the second recovery time shorter than the first recovery time, and a control circuit configured to (i) enable the first circuit block and the second circuit block during a first time period, and to (ii) enable the first circuit block and disable the second circuit block during a second time period. |
| US09946381B2 |
Driving method for liquid crystal panel
A driving method for a liquid crystal panel is disclosed. Wherein, the driving method includes: (A) at a moment of switching from a normal display time stage to a touch scanning time stage in a current frame, applying a first over driving voltage to a common electrode of each pixel of a liquid crystal panel; and (B) at a moment of switching from the touch scanning time stage in the current frame to a normal display time stage of a next frame, applying a second over driving voltage to the common electrode of each pixel. According to the method described above a time that the common electrode reaches a present level voltage is shorten in order to effectively improve the poor display and touch problem caused by signal abnormality at moments of switching between a normal display and a touch scanning in an in-cell touch panel. |