| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09072484B2 |
Radiation image capturing system
A radiation image capturing system including a CR cassette and a FPD cassette, and when the radiation image capturing is started without either of the cassettes being loaded, the radiation generating apparatus is set for the CR cassette and when the icon of the FPD cassette is selected, the radiation generating apparatus is set for the FPD cassette. |
| US09072483B2 |
Touch screen medical diagnostic device and methods
A capacitive touch screen device forms a capacitance between a body part of a user and a sensor layer. The sensor layer of the device includes capacitive sensors that allow a current to flow to the body part from the device when contact is made. The body part contacts the device through a bodily fluid. The current drawn is measured and a value for the bodily fluid is determined. This value is compared against known values to diagnose a possible medical condition or to infer characteristics of the bodily fluid. |
| US09072482B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic seizure monitoring
Method, apparatus and computer program product for monitoring seizure activity in brain are disclosed. At least one parameter set sequence is derived from brain wave signal data obtained from a subject, wherein each parameter set sequence comprises sequential parameter sets and each parameter set comprises values for at least two signal parameters, the values being derived from the brain wave signal data. A path formed by each of the at least one parameter set sequence in a parameter space is determined, thereby to obtain at least one path. The parameter space is defined by the at least two signal parameters. At least one evolution indicator is calculated, each evolution indicator quantifying the evolution occurred in respective path formed in a given time period in the parameter space. The at least one evolution indicator is then employed to produce an indication of seizure activity in the brain wave signal data. |
| US09072479B2 |
Variable control for handheld device
A handheld device includes a capacitance sensing variable control that detects the presence of and movement of a user's finger on an external surface of the device. The handheld device also includes a variable output power supply and an electronic device that is powered by the variable output power supply. Upon detection of the movement on the external surface of the device, the output of the variable output power supply is adjusted. The adjusted output changes the operation of the electronic device. |
| US09072474B2 |
Pulse oximeter access apparatus and method
Access is provided to certain pulse oximetry systems utilizing a keyed sensor and a corresponding locked sensor port of a restricted access monitor. In such systems, the keyed sensor has a key comprising a memory element, and the monitor has a memory reader associated with the sensor port. The monitor is configured to function only when the key is in communications with the locked sensor port, and the memory reader is able to retrieve predetermined data from the memory element. The monitor is accessed by providing the key separate from the keyed sensor, integrating the key into an adapter cable, and connecting the adapter cable between the sensor port and an unkeyed sensor so that the monitor functions with the unkeyed sensor. |
| US09072469B2 |
Endoscopic device insertable into a body cavity and movable in a predetermined direction, and method of moving the endoscopic device in the body cavity
In an endoscopic device insertable into a body cavity attachable elements are moved over one another to move forwardly of each other and to leave each other behind, and to move along different paths so as not to be attached to the same areas of a wall of the body cavity. |
| US09072464B2 |
Thermal flow sensor integrated circuit with low response time and high sensitivity
A thermal flow sensor integrated circuit for sensing flow in a channel based on temperature measurements, the integrated circuit having a temperature sensing element (30) on a front side of the integrated circuit arranged to face the channel, and a bond pad (60, 200) coupled electrically to the temperature sensing element, for making electrical contact off the integrated circuit, the bond pad being arranged to face away from the channel. By having the bond pad facing away from the channel, the space needed for the bond pad and any connections to it need not extend beyond the temperature sensing element and get in the way of the channel. Hence the temperature sensing element can be located closer to the channel or in the channel to enable measurements with better response time and sensitivity. |
| US09072459B2 |
Fundus photographing apparatus
A fundus photographing apparatus is provided with: a detector that detects an interference state between light reflected from the fundus and reference light; an optical scanner that scans the fundus of an examinee's eye with the measurement light; a focus detection unit that detects a focus position with respect to the fundus of the examinee's eye based on an output signal from a light receiving element that receives the light reflected from the fundus; a focus adjustment unit that corrects the diopter scale with respect to the examinee fundus by moving a first optical member to the focus position; a second optical member disposed in the optical path of the measurement light or the reference light; and an optical path length adjustment unit that adjusts an optical path length difference between the measurement light and the reference light. |
| US09072456B2 |
Modular headrest and multi-light apparatus
A multi-light apparatus (10) for primary use in dental or medicinal operatory workspaces and for interconnection with a modular operating chair (12), so as to form the headrest thereof, preferably includes first and second radiation sources (36,72) and a selection mechanism (70) for selecting a desired radiation source, a rigidly flexible light pipe (16) that may be alternatively coupled to each light source (36,72) and is configured to transmit selected radiation to a patient (14), a reflective surface (78) configured to direct the selected radiation to the pipe (16), a power supply (50), a cooling fan (56), and at least one potentiometer (66,68) for varying the voltage delivered to the sources (36,72) and fan (56). |
| US09072455B2 |
Optical waveguide sheath
The illumination system is a cannula comprising a transparent or semi-transparent material capable of carrying light from the proximal end of the cannula to the distal end of the cannula, thereby illuminating a surgical field. The surgical field is thus illuminated through components that do not occupy space that may otherwise be used for optics and or surgical tools. The illumination source may be optically coupled with the cannula at any appropriate location. The cannula comprises a sterilizable polymer which functions as a waveguide. A waveguide is a material medium that confines and guides light. When in use, the light source connected to the hub provides light which may be guided to the distal end of the cannula or any other suitable location. Thus, the sheath provides structure-guided illumination resulting in the illumination of the surgical site. |
| US09072451B2 |
Compact, hybrid and integrated GAMMA/RF system used to form simultaneous PET or SPECT and MR images
The GAMMA/RF compact, hybrid and integrated system for PET-SPECT/MR simultaneous imaging of the invention comprises a GAMMA/RF device that integrates an RF coil, of the type used in conventional MR systems, with GAMMA radiation detector modules of the type used in PET or SPECT systems, so that combined PET or SPECT and MR images are obtained. |
| US09072446B2 |
Laryngoscope and method of use
A laryngoscope device for use in the performance of direct laryngoscopy, the device including a laryngoscope blade portion connectable to a laryngoscope handle through a connector, the laryngoscope blade comprising an ultraviolet light, a white light and an imaging or viewing device at the same distance relative to the distal end of the laryngoscope blade. |
| US09072443B2 |
Endoscope hood and endoscope with the same mounted thereon
An endoscope hood (1) has a cylindrical shape with both ends opened and is mounted on a tip end portion (3) in a longitudinal axis direction of an endoscope (2) provided with an optical system at least including an observation system (5) and a treatment system to be used. The endoscope hood (1) is provided with an endoscope mounting unit (18) having a base end side opening (21) configured to be mounted on the tip end portion (3) of the endoscope (2) and a hood main body (17) having a tip end side opening (10) of which outer diameter perpendicular to the longitudinal axis direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the base end side opening (21), wherein, in a state in which the base end side opening (21) is mounted on the tip end portion (3) and the tip end portion (3) is seen in the longitudinal axis direction, the optical system and the treatment system are located on the inside of the tip end side opening (10). |
| US09072442B2 |
System and method for displaying an image stream
A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The spatial position of the images displayed substantially simultaneously in each time slot may be variably adjusted based on a predetermined criterion. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract. |
| US09072441B2 |
Method and apparatus for imaging using multiple imaging detectors
An imaging system comprises a plurality of imaging detectors for acquiring imaging data. The plurality of imaging detectors is configurable to be arranged proximate to an anatomy of interest within a patient. Each of the plurality of imaging detectors has a field of view (FOV) and at least a portion of the plurality of imaging detectors image the anatomy of interest within the respective FOV. A processor receives the imaging data and processes the imaging data to form a multi-dimensional dataset having at least three dimensions. |
| US09072438B2 |
Method and apparatus for identifying cardiac risk
A cardiac-based metric is computed based upon characteristics of a subject's cardiac function. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the end of a mechanical systole is identified for each of a plurality of cardiac cycles of a subject, based upon an acoustical vibration associated with closure of an aortic valve during the cardiac cycle. The end of an electrical systole of an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal for each cardiac cycle is also identified. A cardiac-based metric is computed, based upon a time difference between the end of the electrical systole and the end of the mechanical systole, for the respective cardiac cycles. |
| US09072434B2 |
Methods, systems and apparatuses for night and day corrective ophthalmic prescription
One exemplary embodiment is a method for determining an ophthalmic prescription. An examination room is lighted to simulate daytime viewing and a conventional eye chart is used as a visual stimulus. A first corrective spherical lens power is determined by varying spherical lens power and identifying when perceived vision is best. The examination room is kept dark to simulate nighttime viewing conditions. The visual stimulus utilized is a white point source on a dark background, or a self illuminated symbol on a dark background. A second corrective spherical lens powered is determined by varying spherical lens power and identifying when perceived vision is best. An ophthalmic prescription such as one or more lenses, one or more surgical corrections or a combinations thereof is provided including a first corrective component including the first preferred spherical lens power, and a second corrective component including the second preferred spherical lens power. |
| US09072433B2 |
Method and apparatus for noninvasive blood pressure measurement using pulse oximetry
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system and method for determining a physiologic parameter of a patient. Specifically, embodiments provided herein include blood pressure cuffs that are adapted to be used in conjunction with a photoplethysmography sensor. The cuff as provided may be configured to be placed over the sensor and/or aligned in a specific manner relative to the sensor. Alternatively, the cuffs may include integral optical components. |
| US09072432B2 |
Bronchoscopic manifold
A multi-port manifold includes an instrument port, bronchoscope inlet, entrance for air and common exit. It is proposed to position the instrument port in line with the exit. The bronchoscope inlet is positioned at a very small angle with respect to the instrument port, while the air entrance extends at right angles to the plane defined by the axes of the port and the inlet. |
| US09072420B2 |
Cleaning tool
A cleaning tool that includes a cleaning element. The cleaning element includes two insert holes which receive two holding elements and extend in a first direction, a first sheet and a second sheet which are formed of nonwoven fabric, a first inner bonding part and a first outer bonding part by which the first and second sheets overlaid one on the other are bonded together and which define the first insert hole, a second inner bonding part and a second outer bonding part by which the first and second sheets overlaid one on the other are bonded together and which define the second insert hole, an intermediate region which is formed between the first inner bonding part and the second inner bonding part, and a fiber element formed by a plurality of fibers which extend in a second direction transverse to the first direction and are bonded to the first sheet in the intermediate region. When the two holding elements are inserted into the associated insert holes, the two insert holes are moved toward each other, so that the fiber element in the intermediate region is pushed out in a direction in which the fiber element is located with respect to the two insert holes. |
| US09072418B2 |
Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner includes a dust separation device provided in a body; a dust collection device connected with the dust separation device; a dust compression part movably provided in the dust collection device, to compress dust by applying a pressure to dust collected in the dust collection device selectively; a liquid accommodation part provided in the dust collection device or the body, to accommodate a predetermined liquid; and a liquid exhaustion part connected with the liquid accommodation part, to exhaust the liquid toward the dust in the dust compression performed by the dust compression part, wherein the liquid exhaustion part comprises an opening/closing member provided therein to control flow of the liquid, and the opening/closing member is transformed by an external force to guide the liquid to be exhausted outside the liquid exhaustion part. |
| US09072417B2 |
Vacuum cleaner with hair collection element
A vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned, and a hair collection assembly carried by the cleaning head and having a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned as the cleaning head moves along the surface to be cleaned. |
| US09072413B2 |
Storage container for bathroom cleaning utensils
A storage container that contains bathroom cleaning utensils such as a plunger and toilet brush. The storage container may include an internal compartment, with a notch on the bottom surface of the bottom end. The notch may be shaped to fit around the edge of a toilet bowl. A channel may lead into the internal compartment. Therefore, a user may secure the storage container to the edge of the toilet bowl and either plunge or clean the toilet. Then the user may place the plunger or toilet brush into the compartment over the channel. Therefore, any dripping water may be caught by the channel. |
| US09072411B2 |
Air-vented liquid dispensers and refill units therefor
Air-vented liquid dispensers are disclosed herein, including refill units for use in connection with such dispensers. A rigid container holds a liquid and has a neck portion. A manifold is secured to the neck portion underneath the container, and includes an air passage for air to enter into the container and a liquid passage for air to exit the container. A gasket member is located between the container neck and the manifold, and has a flexible and resilient flap portion which acts as a check valve for the air passage. An air tube carries the air up into the rigid container. |
| US09072407B2 |
Machine for preparing beverages, in particular coffee, with limescale-prevention systems and relative method
A machine for preparing beverages with a hydraulic circuit includes a tank for the water: a boiler to heat the water; a pump to feed the water; a brewing unit that receives water from the boiler and into which a product for preparing the coffee or other food is inserted. The machine also has a magnetic field generator for treatment of the water to reduce the formation of calcareous deposits in said hydraulic circuit. |
| US09072405B2 |
Fully automatic electric coffee maker
In order to create a fully automatic electric coffee maker, at least comprising a housing (1) having a water tank (12), a water pump, a brewing unit (2), controls, an electrical controller (3), and a collecting container (4) for coffee remains (5) or used coffee grounds, possibly having a bean container (6) and a grinding assembly (7), wherein the formation of mildew is substantially or completely prevented, the fully automatic electric coffee maker being cheap and easy to produce and having a long operating life, at least one UV light source (8, 11, 13, 14, 15) is arranged on the housing (1) or inside the housing (1) in such a way that the parts of the fully automatic coffee machine in contact with used coffee grounds or coffee remains (5) and/or the coffee remains (5) or the used coffee grounds and/or the bean container (6) and/or the grinding assembly (7) and/or the water tank (12) and/or a connecting line between the water tank (12) and the water pump or the brewing unit (2) is or can be irradiated with ultraviolet light beams. |
| US09072404B2 |
Method for enabling complex order specifications to a hot beverage brewing system
In described embodiments, a hot liquid extraction system includes a brew chamber having a brew chamber upper end and a brew chamber lower end. A steam chamber is disposed below the brew chamber. The steam chamber has a steam chamber upper end, a steam chamber lower end in fluid communication with the brew chamber, and a fluid inlet. A filtering base is removably inserted into the brew chamber. A boiler has a first steam outlet in fluid communication with the fluid inlet and a second outlet in fluid communication with the fluid inlet. A fresh water supply conduit is in fluid communication with boiler and with the fluid inlet. A method of brewing a beverage is also included. |
| US09072393B2 |
Portable beach chair cover
A beach chair cover has a slip-over pouch which slides over the upper portion of a beach or lounge chair, with a lower portion that affixes to a beach chair. The cover has pockets hanging off of its sides, to hold various objects. The pockets can be open, or closable via a fastening device, with fold over flap. Underneath the cover's lower portion is a hidden pouch, securable via a small lock, or otherwise. The pouch, invisible to passers-by, can hold wallets, cash, or other items. The cover can have a series of sewn-in loops, e.g., on its sides, which can hold a wire for earphones or a small speaker. The beach chair cover can be folded up into a slip-over pouch, and carried by means of an integrated handle. |
| US09072391B1 |
Portable maternity mat
A portable maternity mat is provided. The portable maternity mat includes at least a first pad and a second pad. Each of the pads has an upper surface and a lower surface. Further, each pad includes a compressible material, such as mattress material. The first pad and the second pad are connected together by a hinged connector. The first pad, the second pad, or a combination of the pads may include a cutout portion through the upper surface. Therefore, a pregnant woman may use the portable maternity mat to lay on their stomach, and may fold the portable maternity mat to move and store the portable maternity mat. |
| US09072387B2 |
Suspension device for a bed base with adjustable stiffness
A suspension device (510′) for a bed base or a seat, comprising an upper section fitted with a top plate capable of supporting a mattress, a lower section (520′) adapted to be attached to a bed base, said lower section being connected to the upper section by a suspension means, a mobile element (540′), which is movable relative to the suspension device so that said mobile element can be shifted at least between a first position and a second position for modifying a stiffness of the suspension device.The mobile element (540′) is fitted with at least one first elastic body which is configured to deform elastically when the mobile element is brought from one position to the other. |
| US09072385B2 |
Portable packable reusable storage device
A portable packable reusable storage device for attachment to a support structure comprising: an article holding portion; a suspension portion connected with the article holding portion for removably attaching the storage device to the support structure; wherein the device is configured to include a deployed state that includes a deployed state volume for containing articles and the device collapses and packs into a packed state and includes a packed state volume that is about 50 percent or less (e.g. about 40 percent or less, about 30 percent or less, preferably about 20 percent or less, or more preferably about 10 percent or less) of the deployed state volume (e.g., volume as discussed herein is the amount of a fluid that the container can hold rather than the amount of space the container itself displaces); and wherein the suspension portion includes ends that form connection so that the storage device attaches to the support structure. |
| US09072381B2 |
Wall mounted assembly
A wall assembly includes at least one horizontally extending rail having a rear surface adapted to engage the wall. A plurality of horizontally spaced and vertically extending stiles are coupled to the rail, with the stiles disposed forwardly of the rear surface of the rail. A plurality of interface components are coupled to the plurality of stiles. In various embodiments, the stiles may be interconnected to draw together adjacent interface components. The interface components also may include overlapping upper and lower edges. The stiles may be vertically and/or horizontally (laterally and longitudinally) adjustable relative to the rail. A lock member may be provided to secure at least one of the stiles to the rail. Various systems and methods of assembly and use are also provided. |
| US09072379B2 |
Television monitor combination stand and wall mount
A combination television monitor stand and wall mount is presented. The combination stand and mount has an assembly of parts that can be assembled into two different configurations. The parts assembly includes a base plate, brackets, screws, and a stand cover. In a stand configuration, the described apparatus functions as a table stand for a television or computer monitor. In a wall mount configuration, the described apparatus allows a monitor to be mounted to a wall. A second embodiment provides a stand configuration having a neck pivotably attached to a base plate by a hinge, and a locking lever arm supporting the neck when the neck is in an upright position. |
| US09072376B2 |
Teaching station with an adjustable lectern section
This disclosure relates to a teaching station that includes a lectern section and a desktop. A method for adjusting a lectern portion of a teacher's station is provided. The method may include releasing a lock wherein the lock, when engaged, fixes the position of the lectern portion with respect to the teacher's station. In response to releasing the lock, the method may further include adjusting a height of the lectern portion relative to a desktop portion of the teacher's station, while maintaining an angle of the of a table-top of the lectern portion in a fixed orientation with respect to the desktop. The method may further include applying the lock to fix the height of the portion of the table-top. |
| US09072375B1 |
Corded wall assembly adapted for installation at an article storage space
A corded wall assembly is adapted for installation at an article storage space defined by at least two opposing spaced-apart structural elements. The corded wall assembly includes first and second elongated rigid frame members, and a plurality of elastic cords attached at respective opposite ends to the frame members. Mounting elements attach the first and second frame members to respective spaced-apart structural elements of the article storage space. |
| US09072370B2 |
User health profiles derived from oral care implements
A computer-implemented method includes a step of presenting an indication of a health profile of a person based on information obtained from an oral care implement. Also, a method includes displaying an indication of a history of the health profile of a a person based on second information previously received from the oral care implement. |
| US09072369B1 |
Oral care implement
The present invention relates to an oral care implement comprising a head and a handle, the head having a first surface and a second surface; the head having a plurality of cleaning members coupled to the first surface; the head having a plurality of openings defined therein, wherein each opening of the plurality of openings passing through the first surface and second surface provide for the drainage of the fluids and the air ventilation; and wherein the plurality of cleaning members arranged adjacent to the plurality of openings without blocking the openings thereby forming a plurality of ventilation channels among the plurality of cleaning members. |
| US09072367B2 |
Fully enclosed four season camp hammock
A camp hammock in which the fabric of the hammock bed is cut in such a way that once the hammock is suspended between to points it allows areas of the diagonal axis of the hammock, where the occupants head and lower legs will be positioned, to hang lower than the opposing diagonal axis which crosses under the occupants lower torso. Once the fabric gives under the torso, the legs are now inline. This hammock can also be enclosed with a top enclosure to trap body heat and a bed liner that will hold an insulating pad with side pockets to hold clothing that will act to retain heat while camping in cold temperatures. This hammock may also have a gear loft attached to the ridgeline seam for storing gear. A rain fly with an adjustable peak and end walls with rain sleeves protects the hammock in wet weather. |
| US09072360B2 |
Multi-layered compacts with rotating tiers
Cosmetic and/or personal care compacts having a multi-tiered design. The tiers are able to rotate relative to each other between defined configurations of the compact. When in any one of its defined configurations, the compact has the same overall shape, for example, a prism. The rotation feature also allows the visual impact of the compact to be varied while maintaining the overall shape of the compact, and is a novelty for a user. |
| US09072359B2 |
Wig drying apparatus and method
A wig drying apparatus and method are provided, the apparatus being adapted to support a wig and which may be used to direct air currents upward such that a wig may be dried quickly and easily without damaging the wig or unduly altering the wig's outer appearance, comprises, a stand adapted to hold a wig, the stand comprising a main body member comprising a base and a neck member, and upper members comprising a central member and side members. The neck member comprises a base tube comprising a base opening. The base opening is adapted to accept a hose/outlet portion of a dryer. In the preferred embodiment, the device's shape is generally that of a human head and neck. In one embodiment, the central member and base tube are removable and may be used to dry a wig not supported by the remaining portions of the stand. |
| US09072358B2 |
Rotating air directing apparatus for a hair dryer
A rotating air directing apparatus for a barrel of a hair dryer is provided. The apparatus includes a tubular adapter member having an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The inlet opening is adapted to be removably coupled to the barrel of the hair dryer. The apparatus also includes a propeller member rotatably coupled to the tubular adapter member. The propeller member includes a plurality of curved vanes extending from a central cylinder. The apparatus further includes a nozzle member disposed adjacent to the outlet opening of the tubular adapter member and adapted to rotate with the propeller member. The nozzle member includes an angled tubular member having a nozzle opening disposed at an acute angle relative to the outlet opening of the tubular adapter member. |
| US09072356B2 |
Hair clip
A hair clip for styling hair comprising a pair of clipping elements with two to three clipping fingers having toothed ridges and/or an overlay of rubbery material, with or without holes in the center of the clipping fingers, to facilitate gripping and holding hair strands and segments of hair on the head while blow drying wet or semi-wet hair to create volume and height to the resulting hair style without the use of mousse or gels. The hair clip is configured with an elastic connecting arrangement comprised of the thumb and forefinger grips of the clipping elements held together by a torsion spring or other compatible spring at the base of the hair clip. |
| US09072350B2 |
Hair accessory organizer and storage device
A device is presented for storing and organizing flexible objects including hair accessories. The device includes a first body having a surface that defines an internal cavity. The device includes a strand or tube attached to and extending from the first body. A flexible object is disposed over the strand or tube and is retained by the strand or tube and the first body. In one embodiment, the device further includes a container having a cylindrical shape defining a chamber. The container has an opened and a closed end to define an internal volume. The internal volume is suitable for storing flexible items. In another embodiment, the device further includes a foldable carrying container having an external surface and an internal surface. The foldable container is selectively configurable in an open and a closed position. One or more straps coupled to the internal surface to retain the flexible items. |
| US09072348B2 |
Video adaptable jewelry
A jewelry piece in which the precious stone is replaced with an apparatus comprising a screen, wherein the apparatus is capable of receiving from a smart phone and displaying on the screen an image a user selects from a plurality of choices, in order to make the jewelry piece appear as having a particular precious stone. |
| US09072347B2 |
Slide fastener and slider for slide fastener
A slider for a slide fastener includes a stopper mechanism formed for “forward use,” in which the surface where coiled fastener elements are attached on a fastener tape is the front surface, can be used for “reverse use,” in which the surface where the coiled fastener elements are attached on the fastener tape is the back surface. The inner surface of the lower blade of the slider body of a slider has a protrusion that extends in the forward-reverse direction from a guiding bar towards a posterior opening. The protrusion has a first horizontal upper surface on the guide bar end of the protrusion that is highest and a second upper surface on the posterior opening end that is lower than the first upper surface. |
| US09072343B1 |
Multigrip touch closure fasteners
Specialized tape and tape-built articles help reduce problems such as load slippage, odd or varying load sizes, or the inconvenience of knots. A touch closure fastening means allows users to releasably fasten together different portions of the article. Example touch closure fastening means include hooks, mushroom heads, loops, a mat, or nanofibers. Some articles include a tape which is laned, striped, staggered, mottled, spiraled around a core, and/or braided; some include multiple tapes braided with one another. Some articles include suture material, polypropylene, nylon, or a para-aramid synthetic fiber in a tape substrate. Some articles include a grip strip to facilitate multigripping—not only does the article releasably fasten to itself, it also restricts movement of a load or other work piece. A grip strip and a tape can be spiraled or braided together. The grip strip has a mechanical indentation grip, or an adhesion grip, for example. |
| US09072337B2 |
Article of footwear incorporating an impact absorber and having an upper decoupled from its sole in a midfoot region
An article of footwear includes an upper, a sole attached to the upper, and an impact absorber attached to the upper at least along a midfoot region of the upper and capable of absorbing a portion of a lateral impact when the impact absorber is moved into contact with a top surface of the sole. The impact absorber is be integrally formed with the sole and has a width that varies along a length of the impact absorber. The width of the impact absorber decreases in a forefoot region and a heel region. The upper rolls to contact the top surface of the sole upon lateral impact. The sole and the upper may be attached asymmetrically. |
| US09072332B2 |
Sport helmets
A helmet grille for a sport helmet having a shell and an inner shock absorbing arrangement, the helmet grille including at least one elongate grille member extending from a rear helmet portion forwardly operatively along a first side of a wearer's face, across a front of the wearer's face, and rearwardly towards the rear helmet portion, substantially to extend at least partially around a wearer's head, and at least one attachment formation attached to at least one end of the at least one elongate grille member and attachable to any one of the shell and the inner shock absorbing arrangement. |
| US09072328B2 |
Hinged attachment of headgear to a helmet
A hinge mechanism for attaching ear accessories to a helmet allows an accessory to be attached at a point outside the helmet shell utilizing, for example, a slidable mounting rail, and to reach under the edge of the helmet shell so that the accessory is supported in contact with the wearer's head. The hinge mechanism is well suited for use in connection with military helmets that have a “bulge” or protrusion over the ear. |
| US09072325B2 |
Glove finger attachment system
A glove apparatus is disclosed comprising a substantially glove-shaped first layer, a substantially glove-shaped second layer, and an attachment tab comprising a lower portion, an upper portion, and an extension portion. The attachment tab is attached to a finger portion of the second layer along the lower portion and along the upper portion. The extension portion extends from the attachment tab at a location distal from a fingertip of the second layer and overlies the upper portion to an attachment region on the first layer proximate a fingertip of the first layer, the fingertips of the first layer and of the second layer thereby lying substantially near or in contact with one another. |
| US09072323B2 |
Anti-riding underpants
An anti-riding undergarment having a waistband; at least one fabric portion, having a top portion attached to the waistband and a bottom portion divided into two leg portions; a seam extending vertically along a rear seat portion of the undergarment from a point on the fabric portion positioned between the two leg portions to the waistband; and one or more bands spanning the seam. |
| US09072321B2 |
Electronic smoke
An electronic smoke comprising an inhale detector and a smoke effect generating circuitry. The inhale detector comprises an air-flow sensor which is arranged to detect direction and rate of air flow through the smoke apparatus, and the smoke effect generating circuitry is arranged to operate the smoke effect generating circuitry to generate smoking effect when the air flow direction corresponds to inhaling through the apparatus and the air flow rate reaches at predetermined threshold. Such an electronic smoke alleviates the problem of inadvertent triggering due to environmental vibration or noise or children playing by blowing into the device. |
| US09072314B2 |
Carotenoid-containing compositions and methods
The present invention is directed to carotenoid compositions and methods for inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria or for preventing or treating bacterial infections in subjects by administration of an effective amount of astaxanthin and beta-carotene. |
| US09072301B2 |
Fungicidal pyrimidine compounds
The present invention relates to fungicidal pyrimidine compounds I, to their use and to methods for combating phytopathogenic fungi. The present invention also relates to seeds treated with at least one such compound. Furthermore the invention relates to processes for preparing compounds of formula I. |
| US09072290B1 |
Portable hunting blind
A portable hunting blind including a chair and a canopy frame draped with a cover. A spring interconnects the chair and the canopy frame for rotating the canopy frame backwardly so that the cover is no longer above the seat of the chair. A quick spring release triggered by a user with his elbow or arm is provided on an arm rest of the chair. In the moment that the canopy frame is rotated, the user may take a shot from a seated or standing position in the blind. |
| US09072286B1 |
Fishing lure with tail wing
A fishing lure consists of a body member and a flexible tail member. The tail member has a leading edge and a trailing edge, both extending from the body member and terminating at a common bend apex of the tail member. A wing feature is located adjacent to the common bend apex and is positioned between the leading edge and trailing edge. The wing feature is generally oriented such that the leading face of the wing feature is angled forward, or into the direction of oncoming water flow around the moving lure. The predetermined relative geometry of the tail member and wing feature enables a significant oscillating motion of the tail member while simultaneously and uniquely providing a means for the lure to swim either generally deeper or shallower, depending on an angler-chosen mounting orientation of the lure onto a pre-existing weighted hook. |
| US09072283B2 |
Rotatable fish hook
A rotatable fish hook is configured for attachment to a legacy fishing lure. The rotatable fish hook may comprise: a barb; an attachment piece for connecting the hook to a fishing lure; and a rotation mechanism, configured to rotationally isolate the barb from the connecting piece. The barb is free to rotate while the attachment piece remains stationary. The rotatable fish hook may comprise: a shank and a bend connected to the shank at a first end and the shank connected to the barb at a second end. The rotation mechanism is configured to rotationally isolate the shank, the bend and the barb from the attachment piece. The shank, the bend and the barb are free to rotate while the attachment piece remains stationary. |
| US09072281B2 |
Method and device for destroying parasites on fish
Device for destroying parasites on fish, such as salmon lice on salmon in fish farms, comprising a camera (4) communicating with a controlling unit (51) which in turn communicates with a light source (5) adapted to fire pulses of point shaped light which is harmful for the parasite in question. The controlling unit (51) controls a system for optical recognition within a defined coordinate system and is arranged to detect points and to update in real time coordinates that exhibits contrast differences typical for parasites on a fish surface and to trigger a light pulse from the light source (5) when the coordinates for at detected point coincides with the coordinates for the aiming point of the light source. |
| US09072280B1 |
Pet fecal matter collection device
A pet fecal matter collection device facilitates collection of fecal matter as a pet defecates so that a person does not have to bend down and does not come into contact with the fecal matter. The device includes an elongated shaft and a pair of pivotable bars coupled to and extending from a lower end of the shaft. A bag is provided having an open top. Each of a pair of sleeves is coupled to the bag extending along opposite sides of the open top of the bag. Each of the sleeves receives a respective one of the bars wherein pivoting of the bars opens and closes the open top of the bag. A trigger is positioned proximate an upper end of the shaft. Manipulation of the trigger pivots the bars into an open position. |
| US09072279B2 |
Safety collar with clamping closure mechanism
A collar useful in animal care, which includes a closure connector and a flexible belt having a free end and distal therefrom a thickened knob. Anchored within the connector's frame, the knob is disposed contiguous with a narrow slot formed therein through which all of the belt, except the knob, is initially threaded. Once looped back around the connector's frame, the free end is pushed through the frame until it re-emerges therefrom. With the collar adjusted to provide a snug fit, one can then activate a closure mechanism, in which the foot of an arm pivotally connected to the frame clamps a short portion of the belt, across its entire transverse width, against the frame. When the belt is so clamped, pulling on it increases forces pressing the foot against the belt. Cast from a silicon rubber/phosphorescent additive mixture, the belt exhibits luminescent properties, making it visible in the dark. |
| US09072276B2 |
Modified animal litter
A chemically modified animal litter that is comprised of at least one acid-activated liquid absorbing material and at least one peroxide, wherein the litter provides a surprisingly steady and consistent malodor inhibition. |
| US09072274B2 |
Devices and methods for preparing animals for milking
Systems for cleaning, sanitizing and stimulating the udder or teats of milk-producing animals include a hand-held washer. The hand-held washer has an ergonomical handle and a trigger that engages a valve and releases sanitizing wash and compressed air when actuated. An airmotor within the washer engages spindles and powers conveyance of teat belts mounted on the spindles. Teat belts with flaps clean and stimulate the teat present in the top opening of the washer. Air is also injected for drying. The teat belts are effective in removing sand from the animal when animals are raised in a sandy bedding environment and are advantageously durable. Methods of using the washer for preparing the animals are also disclosed. |
| US09072273B2 |
Automatic dairy animal milker unit backflusher and teat dip applicator system and method
A system for cleaning a dairy animal milker unit and applying dip to a dairy animal, the system includes a main control, an air supply, a water supply, a backflush fluid supply, a dip supply, a stall control for receiving the air, water, backflush fluid and dip supplies, and a safety valve that is adjacent to a downstream portion of the milker unit to control backflush and dip fluids being fed to the milker unit. |
| US09072269B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH382242
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH382242. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH382242, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH382242 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH382242. |
| US09072262B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH356809
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH356809. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH356809, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH356809 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH356809. |
| US09072258B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH486558
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH486558. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH486558, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH486558 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH486558. |
| US09072253B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH636476
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH636476. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH636476, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH636476 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH636476. |
| US09072250B2 |
Soybean cultivar S120101
A soybean cultivar designated S120101 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S120101, to the plants of soybean cultivar S120101, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S120101, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S120101. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S120101. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S120101, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S120101 with another soybean cultivar. |
| US09072245B2 |
Plants and seeds of canola variety SCV822805
In an embodiment, the invention relates to the seeds, plants, and plant parts of canola variety SCV822805 and to methods for producing a canola plant produced by crossing canola variety SCV822805 with itself or with another canola variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a canola plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic canola plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to canola varieties or breeding lines and plant parts derived from canola variety SCV822805, to methods for producing other canola varieties, lines or plant parts derived from canola variety SCV822805 and to the canola plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid canola seeds, plants and plant parts produced by crossing the variety SCV822805 with another canola variety. |
| US09072233B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH296980
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH296980. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH296980, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH296980 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH296980. |
| US09072232B2 |
Plants and seeds of corn variety CV150221
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV150221. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV150221, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV150221 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV150221 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV150221. |
| US09072226B2 |
Baler attachment for optionally changing the orientation of bales being released from a baler
A bale turning apparatus for attachment to a baler to generally align the cylindrical of the bales in each row as the bales are released from the baler. Using the disclosed invention, the bales are essentially turned ninety degrees from the orientation of bales from the position that they are typically released from a round baler. By accomplishing this general alignment of the cylindrical axis of each bale in each row, when baling corn stover or other row crops, the bale loading operation can later be done more efficiently by driving down the rows in the same direction as the combine and baler have traveled. |
| US09072223B2 |
Agricultural working machine forward travel regulator
A self-propelled working machine has working units having adjustable parameters and traveling at a ground speed, and a device for regulating the ground speed according to at least two travel strategies. |
| US09072219B2 |
Robotic mower navigation system
A robotic mower navigation system includes a plurality of sensors on a robotic mower that detect strength and polarity of a magnetic field from an electric current through a boundary wire. An electronic control unit receives data concerning the magnetic field from the plurality of sensors as the robotic mower follows the boundary wire, tracks the data provided by the sensors, compares the data with a reference pattern that defines at least one specified feature of the boundary wire, and provides commands to the robotic mower based on the comparison. The electronic control unit may command the robotic mower to follow a second boundary wire to a remotely located charging station instead of the first boundary wire based on detected features of the boundary wire such as sharp corners or crossings. |
| US09072218B2 |
Boundary sensor assembly for a robotic lawn mower, robotic lawn mower and robotic lawn mower system
A robotic mower sensor assembly for detecting a boundary wire signal. The sensor assembly includes a plurality of analog inductive sensors with a first inductive sensor oriented along a first axis and a second inductive sensor oriented along a second, different axis. Each inductive sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of the distance of the robotic mower from the boundary wire. A control unit communicating with the sensor assembly is configured to operate the robotic mower in response to the signals from the sensor assembly which are indicative of the distance of the robotic mower from the boundary wire. |
| US09072217B2 |
Vacuum planter exhaust filtration system
A vacuum planter exhaust filtration system for preventing seed treatment particles used in seed planting from entering the atmosphere. The vacuum planter exhaust filtration system generally includes an air filter fluidly positioned between the fan and the planting units of the vacuum planter. The air filter removes the particulate material prior to being exhausted into the surrounding environment by the fan. The air filter utilizes cyclonic separation to separate the particulate material from the contaminated air from the planting units. A particle container collects the removed particulate material and allows for environmentally friendly disposal of the particulate material. |
| US09078386B2 |
Method for manufacturing display device with panel positioning structure
A method for manufacturing a panel display is provided. The panel display includes a frame, an elastic pad, and a display panel. The frame has a supporting tray and a side wall which perpendicularly extends from the end of the supporting tray. A groove is formed on the supporting tray adjacent to the foot of the side wall. One end of the elastic pad is located within the groove while the other end leans on the side wall before the display panel is configured with the frame. When entering the display panel into the frame, the edge of the display panel compels the elastic pad to bend and form a bottom portion and a side portion. The bottom portion is accommodated in the groove while the side portion is compressed by the edge of the display panel and lies on the side wall. |
| US09078382B2 |
Method of producing circuit board
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described situation, and provides a method of producing a circuit board that can bond a component to be mounted without slanting the component, and simplify the steps. The method of producing a circuit board includes forming a first adhesive layer by applying a first adhesiveness-imparting compound on the surface of terminal portions of a circuit board; attaching a core body on the first adhesive layer of the terminal portions; forming a second adhesive layer by applying a second adhesiveness-imparting compound on the surface of the core body; attaching first solder particles on the second adhesive layer of the surface of the core body; and forming a solder layer on the surface of the core body by melting the first solder particles. |
| US09078380B2 |
MOSFET stack package
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and configuration for packaging multiple semiconductor ships in a semiconductor package. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit system includes a printed circuit board, a first MOSFET device disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, and a second MOSFET device disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the first MOSFET device overlaps an edge of the second MOSFET device in a direction extending through the printed circuit board. |
| US09078377B2 |
Air volume control device and air volume control method
An air volume control device determines whether or not a cooling capacity of an electronic device fulfills a predetermined cooling capacity. Then, if it is determined that the cooling capacity of the electronic device is failing to fulfill the predetermined cooling capacity, the air volume control device decreases the number of revolutions of a fan for cooling the electronic device. For example, the air volume control device compares a temperature of a heating element provided in the electronic device before a change in the number of revolutions of the fan with that after the change in the number of revolutions of the fan. If the temperature of the heating element is increased when the number of revolutions of the fan is increased, the air volume control device determines that the cooling capacity of the electronic device is failing to fulfill the predetermined cooling capacity. |
| US09078376B2 |
Power conversion device
A power conversion device includes: a cooling base 5 in which a flow passage 51 through which a cooling medium flows is formed and an opening portion 50 which is communicated with the flow passage 51 is formed; a power module 1; and a flow passage control portion 16b. The power module 1 has a bottomed cylindrical portion 13a in which a power semiconductor element is housed and which is inserted into the flow passage 51 through the opening portion 50, a flange portion 13b which is formed on an opening of the cylindrical portion 13a and is fixed to the cooling base 5 so as to close the opening portion 50, and a group of radiator fins 144 which are mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 13a with a gap of a predetermined distance formed between the flange portion 13b and the group of radiator fins 144. The flow passage control portion 16b is arranged in a gap formed between the flange portion 13b and the group of radiator fins 144, and introduces the cooling medium into the group of radiator fins 144 while preventing the cooling medium from flowing into gaps 51c. |
| US09078373B1 |
Integrated circuit structures having off-axis in-hole capacitor and methods of forming
Various embodiments include integrated circuit structures having an off-axis in-hole capacitor. In some embodiments, an integrated circuit (IC) structure includes: a substrate layer having an upper surface; an IC chip at least partially contained within the substrate layer and aligned with a minor axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate layer; an aperture in the substrate layer, the aperture physically separated from the IC chip; and a capacitor in the aperture and at least partially contained within the substrate layer, the capacitor being physically isolated from the IC chip, wherein the capacitor is aligned with an axis perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate layer and offset from the minor axis of the IC chip. |
| US09078372B2 |
Power system and power converting device thereof
A power converting device includes a first substrate, a driving module, and a converting module. The first substrate is inserted into a main plate. The first substrate has a first axial direction and a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction, the second axial direction is perpendicular to the main plate. The driving module is located at one side of the first substrate and electrically connected to the first substrate. The converting module is located at the other side of the first substrate and electrically connected to the driving module. A length of the converting module is substantially equal to a length of the first substrate in the first axial direction, and a width of the converting module is smaller than the length of the first substrate in the first axial direction. |
| US09078368B2 |
Cross-jump supporting I/O module and electrical contact element
Implementations herein relate to an input/output (I/O) module which can be grouped to form several modules next to each other on a mounting rail, and which can be electrically connected to each other by means of blade/fork contacts. The blade contact element and the fork contact element of the blade/fork contact are designed in such a manner that it is not necessary to group the modules before the assembly on the mounting rail. Instead, subsequent I/O modules can be added to the top or the side of the existing group. Similarly, it is possible to take out or replace individual modules subsequently. Further implementations relate to electrical contact elements for achieving cross jumping between I/O modules. Here, for example, such electrical contact element may be designed as a combined blade-fork contact element. |
| US09078365B2 |
Resin composition, prepreg, laminate, and wiring board
Disclosed is a resin composition which is advantageous not only in that the resin composition can be produced at low cost, but also in that it is unlikely to thermally expand, and a prepreg, a laminate, and a wiring board formed using the resin composition. The resin composition comprises an insulating resin having an aromatic ring, wherein the insulating resin having an aromatic ring has a molecular weight between crosslinking sites of 300 to 1,000 on the stage after the production of the laminate, as determined from an elastic shear modulus of the insulating resin measured at a temperature of Tg or higher. |
| US09078360B2 |
Imprinted multi-layer micro-structure
An imprinted micro-structure includes a substrate having a first layer in relation thereto. First, second, and third micro-channels are imprinted in the first layer and have first, second, and third micro-wires respectively located therein. A second layer is adjacent to and in contact with the first layer. Imprinted first and second connecting micro-channels including first and second connecting micro-wires are in contact with the first and second micro-wires respectively and are isolated from the third micro-wire. A third layer is adjacent to and in contact with the second layer and has an imprinted bridge micro-channel with a bridge micro-wire contacting the first and second connecting micro-wires and separate from the third micro-wire so that the first and second micro-wires are electrically connected and electrically isolated from the third micro-wire. |
| US09078354B2 |
Techniques for attenuating resonance induced impedance in integrated circuits
Provided is an integrated circuit system and method for biasing the same that features bifurcating a power distribution network to provide a bias voltage to the integrated circuit system. One of the branches of the power distribution network attenuates an impedance in the power distribution network that supplies transient currents and the remaining branch supplies a substantially steady-state currents. |
| US09078353B2 |
Copper foil structure having blackened ultra-thin foil and manufacturing method thereof
A copper foil structure having blackened ultra-thin copper foil of the instant disclosure includes a carrier foil, a blackened layer, a release layer, and an ultra-thin copper foil. The carrier foil includes a matte surface and a shiny surface wherein the blackened layer is disposed thereon. The release layer is disposed on the blackened layer formed with one selected from the group: copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese while the release layer is formed with one selected from the group: molybdenum, nickel, chromium, and potassium. Successively, the ultra-thin copper foil is disposed on the release layer. Laser drilling can apply to the blackened ultra-thin copper foil on the inner layers of a high density multi-layer printed wiring board, thus eliminating the traditional blackening or browning chemical process. The blackened ultra-thin copper foil in combination with a polyimide thin (PI) or other substrate materials displays desirable appearance. |
| US09078352B2 |
Low inductance flex bond with low thermal resistance
A electronic circuit with low inductance connections is disclosed. The electronic circuit includes a ground plane and a flex circuit. The flex circuit having a first surface generally facing the ground plane and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The flex circuit also having a flexible bridge defined thereof. The electronic circuit further includes a first electronic device communicatively coupled to the second surface of the flex circuit, a second electronic device communicatively coupled to the second surface of the flex circuit, and at least one conductive trace defined on the second surface of the flex circuit and extending along the flexible bridge. One end of the at least one conductive trace is configured for receiving an outbound current from the first electronic device and another end of the at least one conductive trace is communicatively coupled to the second electronic device through a vertical interconnect access. |
| US09078351B2 |
Grounding gasket and electronic apparatus
According to one embodiment, a grounding gasket includes a main body and a projecting part. The main body is configured to be interposed between a ground part and a substrate and contact the ground part and the substrate. The projecting part projects from the main body. The projecting part is configured to extend through a through-hole which is opened in the substrate, project to a side opposite to a side on which the ground part is located, and contact a conductive component mounted on the substrate. |
| US09078342B2 |
External control stand for a construction machine
An external control stand for controlling at least one working component of an self-propelled construction machine comprises at least one display panel and a plurality of input elements, the external control stand comprising at least one mounting section to mount it to the construction machine. The external control stand is characterized in that it comprises a lower shell, an upper shell, and an impact protection, the impact protection being configured to be in contact with the lower shell and the upper shell. |
| US09078341B2 |
Display device
An upper frame covers a periphery of a liquid crystal display panel, and a cover plate is bonded onto the upper frame and an upper polarizing plate of the liquid crystal display panel. A step is formed on the cover plate in a portion where the upper frame is bonded to the cover plate. This can reduce a thickness of resin between the upper polarizing plate and the cover plate, thereby reducing an extrusion of the resin in between the cover plate and the upper frame. Thus, a chamfer on a lower side of the cover plate can be reduced in size, and stray light from the lower side of the cover plate can be prevented. This can prevent a white line around a screen. |
| US09078337B2 |
Plasma-generating device
A plasma-generating device includes an anode plate and a cathode plate spaced apart from the anode plate. The cathode plate includes a substrate and a hybrid diamond layer formed on the substrate. The hybrid diamond layer includes ultra-nanocrystalline diamond grains, an amorphous carbon disposed among and bonded to the ultra-nanocrystalline diamond grains, micro-crystalline diamond grains disposed among the ultra-nanocrystalline diamond grains, and a graphite phase disposed among the ultra-nanocrystalline diamond grains. Each of the micro-crystalline diamond grains is surrounded by the graphite phase. |
| US09078330B2 |
Highly branched dendrimers
A dendrimer of formula (I): [DENDRON1]x-CORE-[B-[X]b]a (I) wherein: CORE is a metal ion or a group containing a metal ion, or is a non-polymeric organic group; B is a phenyl ring; a is an integer of from 1 to 8; b is an integer of from 3 to 5; x is zero or an integer of from 1 to 7; each X is an aryl or heteroaryl ring, or is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure; each DENDRON1 is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure; and wherein the dendrimer further comprises one or more surface groups; with the proviso that where CORE is a non-metallic core, then X is an at least partially conjugated dendritic molecular structure comprising at least one linking group. |
| US09078328B2 |
Vehicle lighting outage detection circuit
A vehicle lighting outage detection circuit is disclosed having a plurality of parallel branches connected at a common positive reference node. Each parallel branch comprises a branch resistor and a current controlled branch switching device connected in series. A constant current source is connected to the positive reference node and configured to deliver a substantially constant current to the positive reference node. The cathode of a zener diode is connected to the positive reference node. When current to a predetermined number of the branch resistors is interrupted due to the failure one or more LEDs connected to the control inputs of the branch switching devices, the voltage at the positive reference node increases beyond the breakdown voltage of the zener diode. In such a condition, excess current flow to the anode of the zener diode to supply an outage detection signal. |
| US09078327B2 |
Apparatus and method for dimming signal generation for a distributed solid state lighting system
Exemplary systems, methods and apparatuses for providing dimming in a distributed solid-state lighting system are disclosed. An exemplary dimming signal generator is coupleable to a controller or a current generator for a plurality of LEDs, and includes a first resistive voltage divider to sense an input DC voltage; a current sensor to sense a current level of the plurality of LEDs; a first operational amplifier to compare the sensed input DC voltage to a reference voltage level and to provide a comparator output signal; and a current path to combine the comparator output signal with the sensed LED current level to provide a combined signal for current level feedback for control of the LED current level. The dimming signal generator may optionally include other components to generate a PWM signal and also to provide a resistive network to divert LED current in response to the comparator output signal. |
| US09078325B2 |
Method and apparatus to control light intensity as voltage fluctuates
A method and apparatus for generating a pulse width modulated voltage that has a duty cycle that is inversely proportional to a sensed battery voltage and using the generated pulse width modulated voltage to control a light emitting diode to maintain the intensity of light emitted as the battery voltage fluctuates. |
| US09078320B2 |
Voltage supply arrangement and method for supplying voltage to an electrical load with transistor saturation control
A voltage supply arrangement for driving an electrical load, particularly a light-emitting diode, comprises a driver circuit (11). The driver circuit (11) features a driver output (12) for making available a driver signal (SB) for controlling a load path (34) that comprises a means (36) for connecting the electrical load (37). The driver circuit (11) furthermore comprises a device (13) for determining an AC signal component of the driver signal (SB), the input side of which is coupled to the driver output (12) and at the output side of which can be tapped a measurement signal (SI) that is dependent on the AC signal component of the driver signal (SB) and according to which a supply voltage (VOUT) of the load path (34) can be adjusted. |
| US09078319B2 |
Conversion control circuit and converter thereof
A conversion control circuit for controlling the operation of a power transistor is disclosed. The conversion control circuit includes a voltage-regulating switch and a control unit. One end of the voltage-regulating switch connects to an external voltage input terminal while another end connects to a voltage-regulating capacitor. The conversion control circuit converts an input voltage inputted from the external voltage input terminal into a power voltage. The power voltage is for supplying operating power to the conversion control circuit. The control unit receives a feedback voltage signal to generate a voltage-regulating pulse signal and a turn-on pulse signal, which are used for controlling the operations of the voltage-regulating switch and the power transistor, respectively and for defining a charging period for charging the voltage-regulating capacitor. A converter including the described conversion control circuit is also disclosed. |
| US09078318B2 |
Switched mode power converter and method of operating the same
A switched mode power converter is disclosed, together with a method for operating the same. The power converter is adapted to be operable in the boundary conduction mode, and operation is interruptible in the absence of any load requirement. |
| US09078311B2 |
Lighting module and a corresponding lighting system
Various embodiments relate to a lighting module. The lighting module includes at least one light source, regulating means for regulating the brightness of the light emitted by the at least one light source, and a control unit configured for receiving a brightness control signal, and driving the regulation means as a function of the brightness control signal, wherein the control unit is configured for: verifying whether the brightness control signal contains a digital communication signal, and if the brightness control signal includes a digital communication signal, detecting the data transmitted via the digital communication signal and driving the regulating means as a function of the transmitted data, or if the brightness control signal does not includes a digital communication signal, driving the regulating means as a function of the brightness control signal. |
| US09078309B2 |
LED fluorescent lamp
A light-emitting diode (LED) fluorescent lamp which can replace a typical fluorescent lamp is provided. The LED fluorescent lamp includes an LED array including a plurality of LEDs connected in series; first through fourth connection pins; first through fourth capacitors connected to the first through fourth connection pins, respectively; a first diode having an commonly connected to second ends of the first and third capacitors and a cathode connected to a first end of the LED array; a second diode having an anode connected to a second end of the LED array and a cathode commonly connected to second ends of the second and fourth capacitors. The LED fluorescent lamp can replace a typical fluorescent lamp without a requirement of the installation of additional equipment or the change of wiring. |
| US09078305B2 |
Distributed lighting control that includes satellite control units
Systems, methods and apparatuses of lighting control are disclosed. At least one lighting control system includes a central controller, a plurality of M satellite control units, a plurality of N light fixtures, and a central controller. Each satellite control unit includes an AC to DC converter and a power meter. The plurality of N light fixtures are connected to a one of the plurality of M satellite control units through N power control devices. Further, the central controller is operative to communicate with one or more of the plurality M satellite control units and one or more of the plurality of N light fixtures. |
| US09078304B2 |
Lighting system
The lighting system includes a plurality of lighting apparatuses and a controller configured to control the lighting apparatuses. Upon receiving a random number generation instruction from the controller, the lighting apparatus generates a first random number and a second random number by using a random number generation unit, and counts synchronization signals sent from the controller. When acknowledging that the counted number of the synchronization signals is equal to the first random number, the lighting apparatus sends the second random number to the controller. The controller identifies the lighting apparatuses based on the second random numbers respectively received from the lighting apparatuses, and uniquely allocates mutually different addresses to the respective identified lighting apparatuses. |
| US09078303B2 |
Light emitting diode driving circuit and driving method thereof
A LED string driving circuit includes a plurality of LED strings; a power supply unit configured to receive an input voltage and accordingly output a driving voltage to the LED strings; a comparison unit configured to receive the input voltage and output a first control signal according to a relationship between the input voltage and a predetermined voltage; a control unit configured to receive the first control signal and generate a second control signal according to a potential level of the first control signal; and a switch unit including a plurality of switch elements, and each are controlled by the second control signal and thereby forming various electrical loops and thereby configuring the LED strings corporately to form either a parallel loop or a series loop via the switch unit with respective electrical loops. A LED string driving method is also provided. |
| US09078302B2 |
Apparatus for controlling an illumination device and method for controlling an illumination device
An apparatus and method for controlling an illumination device in an aircraft is provided. The apparatus has a light source suitable for emitting light with a wavelength in the visible range. The apparatus also has a pulse-width modulator for delivering at least one output signal that is connected to the light source and suitable for effecting brightness control of the light source. The output signal is composed from a first number of first subsignals each having a first pulse width and a second number of second subsignals each having a second pulse width shorter than the first pulse width. The brightness of the light source is adjustable by varying the first number and the second number for a brightness change and the output signal is repeated after delivery of the first number and second number of subsignals. |
| US09078291B2 |
Device for heating a vehicle seat
A vehicle seat having a first temperature control unit and a second temperature control unit. Each control unit has power-input terminals for receiving power from a vehicle electrical power system and power-output terminals. The first control unit has a logic part for comparing received temperature selection and temperature measurement values along with a first pulse generator connected to a first output terminal of the logic part and a second pulse generator connected to a second output terminal of the logic part as well as a first switch unit coupled to the first pulse generator. The second temperature control unit includes a second switch unit coupled to the second pulse generator. First and second heating elements are coupled to the temperate control units. An occupant switch is coupled to the first temperate control unit. A first temperature sensor monitors the thermal output of the first heating element. |
| US09078288B2 |
Independent information network
A localized collaboration of wireless communication enabled devices can be provided for sharing of information that is independent of external communications. A local hub can communicate with a remote hub and end users using one or more wireless communication points, and provide for uploading and downloading of collaborative information from the local hub by an end user device. The local hub wirelessly broadcasts a message that has contact information that allows a remote hub to wirelessly retrieve collaborative information from the local hub. The local hub can synchronize collaborative information with a remote hub, if present, by retrieving a remote version of collaborative information using the remote hub's broadcast contact information; comparing the remote version with a locally stored version, if present; updating the local version with differences between the remote version if the remote version is a desired; and creating a local version if one is not present. |
| US09078287B2 |
Fiber to the antenna
A cell site includes a tower, a multi-service terminal mounted to the tower and a base transceiver station in communication with the multi-service terminal. The multi-service terminal includes a housing and a plurality of adapters mounted to the housing. Each of the adapters includes an outer port accessible from outside the housing and an inner port accessible from inside the housing. |
| US09078286B1 |
Mesh base transceiver station network optimized for backhaul access
A mesh base transceiver station capable of being configured to provide an optimized backhaul network for a mesh data network deployment. For each mesh base transceiver station in the network, a primary backhaul data path is configured with a wired base transceiver station associated with the network, wherein the primary backhaul data path is a single-hop data path. Upon configuration, the mesh base transceiver station is communicatively coupled with the wired base transceiver station via the primary backhaul data path. |
| US09078283B2 |
Mobile convergence terminal
A mobile convergence terminal is disclosed. In one aspect, the terminal includes a subscriber line interface configured to communicate with a plain old telephone service (POTS) phone and generate a first POTS call based on an input to the POTS phone. The terminal also includes a processor configured to selectively initiate a first type of wireless call or a second type of wireless call based at least in part on the input to the POTS phone and the first POTS call, wherein the first and second types of wireless call are different from each other. |
| US09078282B2 |
Method and apparatus for implementing network device function of wireless communication terminal
The disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for implementing a network device function of a wireless communication terminal, belonging to the field of communications. The method for implementing a network device function of a wireless communication terminal includes: the apparatus for implementing the network device function of the wireless communication terminal receives a control instruction and determines a sender of the control instruction; when the sender of the control instruction is a host, the apparatus for implementing the network device function of the wireless communication terminal forwards the received control instruction to the wireless communication terminal; and, when the sender of the control instruction is the wireless communication terminal, the apparatus for implementing the network device function of the wireless communication terminal forwards the received control instruction to the host. The technical solution can implement a network data exchange with the wireless communication terminal on a non-windows platform. |
| US09078280B2 |
Wireless communication system, base station, and wireless communication system control method
A first communication station connects to a higher-order station or a lower-order station in a communication path of multi-hop wireless communication, and performs wireless communication with a mobile terminal in an access area in predetermined wireless resources that differs from a relay area used for wireless communication with the higher-order station or the lower-order station in the wireless resources. A second communication station that constitutes a communication path different from the foregoing communication path of multi-hop wireless communication and that can use wireless resources to perform wireless communication with a mobile terminal acquires information indicating the relay area in the wireless resources. |
| US09078278B2 |
Method and apparatus for soft buffer management for carrier aggregation
An apparatus and a method therein include selecting a size of a soft buffer memory partition per component carrier in a Carrier Aggregation scenario. The method supports multiple carriers to select a size of a soft buffer memory partition, the partition associated with receiving data on at least one component carrier, the multi-carrier system comprising at least two component carriers, each component carrier is associated with a configured bandwidth, the apparatus comprising the processor configured to select a size of a soft buffer memory partition for the first component carrier based at least in part on a first total number of soft channel bits, a first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes, and the configured bandwidth of the first component carrier. |
| US09078276B2 |
Scheduling and rate control coordination accounting for interference cancellation at a mobile terminal
Devices and methods for scheduling and interference cancellation that consider the interference cancellation capability of user equipment (UEs) are disclosed. Using reduced-rate sub-frame (or resource block) strategies, the transmission data rate to a scheduled user in a given cell may be reduced to ensure effective interference cancellation performance at the receiver of a co-scheduled user in another cell. By taking advantage of interference mitigation at one or more terminals, a scheduler may improve network spectral efficiency compared to existing inter-cell interference cancellation schemes, including almost blank sub-frame (ABS), further enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (FeICIC), and other resource partitioning schemes, such as reduced power sub-frames or frequency domain resource partitioning. |
| US09078273B2 |
Base station, communication terminal, usable radio resource setting method, and base station control program
Provided is a setting method for the usable resource for a communication terminal which, while suppressing an inter-adjacent-cell interference, improves a selection flexibility for a band for the communication terminal subjected to a strong influence of the adjacent-cell interference. A base station, which performs radio communications with a communication terminal within a main communication area, includes: a priority band setting unit that sets a main priority radio resource that can be used for the main communication area on a higher priority basis than for a communication area adjacent to the main communication area, and acquires a particular priority radio resource that can be used for at least one particular communication area adjacent to the main communication area on a higher priority basis than for a communication area adjacent to the at least one particular communication area; and a usable band setting unit that acquires a communication quality difference regarding the communication terminal between communication quality related to the main communication area and communication quality related to the at least one particular communication area, and sets the main priority radio resource to which at least one particular priority radio resource is added, as usable radio resources for the communication terminal when at least one condition that the communication quality difference is larger than a threshold value is fulfilled. |
| US09078269B2 |
Interference management utilizing HARQ interlaces
Interference that occurs during wireless communication may be managed through the use of fractional reuse and other techniques. In some aspects fractional reuse may relate to HARQ interlaces, portions of a timeslot, frequency spectrum, and spreading codes. Interference may be managed through the use of a transmit power profile and/or an attenuation profile. Interference also may be managed through the use of power management-related techniques. |
| US09078268B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving signal in communication system
A method of transmitting/receiving signals at a terminal in a communication system is provided. The method includes determining at least one first reception path with a lowest path loss from among first reception paths that receive a first reference signal from a base station, receiving a second reference signal through second paths set up based on the at least one first reception path, and transmitting an uplink access signal with a second uplink transmitting beam that corresponds to a second downlink receiving beam corresponding to a second path having a lowest path loss. |
| US09078258B2 |
Controller, communication terminal, and wireless communication system
A control point device that reduces delay in a power-saving wireless network includes a normal data generating unit that generates 1st-type data, a preferential data generating unit that generates 2nd-type data different from the 1st-type data, a determining unit that determines an active period length, a beacon generating unit that generates a broadcasting signal including information corresponding to the determined length of the active period, and a transmitting unit that transmits the broadcasting signal to the terminal on a frame basis. The determining unit shortens the length of the active period when the preferential data generating unit generates the 2nd-type data, and a preferential data period is set in an ex-active period obtained by the shortening of the active period, the preferential data period being a period during which the 2nd-type data is transmitted. The transmitting unit transmits the 2nd-type data to the terminal during the preferential data period. |
| US09078250B2 |
Method and apparatus implementing channel quality control
Methods for devices, devices and computer program products for devices relate to a communication module, arranged for packet based communication, and including a receiving module. The receiving module is arranged to receive a control message, wherein the control message includes a plurality of acknowledgement information items, wherein each of the plurality of acknowledgement information items are located in a preset portion of the control message, respectively. The device further includes a determination module, arranged to determine whether the received control message is intended for the device, a selection module, arranged to select, responsive to an affirmative determination result, at least one of the plurality of acknowledgement information items based on the preset portions, and an obtaining module, arranged to obtain control data contained in the selected at least one of the plurality of acknowledgement information items. |
| US09078248B2 |
Method and apparatus providing coordinated radio frequency channel allocation, using authorized channel assignments and controlled user access
An apparatus and method are provided for intermittent communication over at least one of a plurality of channels. The method includes receiving by the apparatus a reservation request from a user, detecting an available channel, generating a reservation signal on the available channel, receiving an activation request, and handing said available channel over to the user. |
| US09078245B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting control information in wireless local area network using multi-channel
A method of transmitting control information in a WLAN system using a multi-channel obtained by aggregating a first sub-channel and a second sub-channel is provided. The method includes transmitting, by a transmitting station, a first physical (PHY) preamble over the first sub-channel, transmitting, by the transmitting station, a second PHY preamble over the second sub-channel, and transmitting, by the transmitting station, data symbols using N spatial streams transmitted over the first sub-channel and M spatial streams transmitted over the second sub-channel, wherein the first PHY preamble comprises control information necessary to demodulate and decode the data symbols transmitted over the N spatial streams, and the second PHY preamble comprises control information necessary to demodulate and decode the data symbols transmitted over the M spatial streams, and the first PHY preamble and the second PHY preamble are simultaneously transmitted, and the N and the M are different natural numbers. |
| US09078242B2 |
Method of performing power save multi-poll (PSMP) procedure wireless local access network system and station supporting the procedure
A method of performing a power save multi-poll (PSMP) procedure of a very high throughput (VHT) wireless local access network (WLAN) system using a bonding channel consisting of a plurality of subchannels is provided. Wherein the PSMP procedure comprises a PSMP frame transmission phase, a downlink phase, and an uplink phase, and wherein the PSMP frame comprises transmission time information indicating a time allocated to each station (STA) in each of the downlink phase and the uplink phase and transmission channel information corresponding to the transmission time information. |
| US09078238B1 |
Method and apparatus for application data transport handling
A system includes a processor configured to receive communication requests from a plurality of applications executing on a remote device, requesting communication with a vehicle computing system (VCS). The processor is also configured to save an identifier for each requesting application. The processor is further configured to establish a single communication channel to handle the communication requests. Also, the processor is configured to order the communication requests for delivery and relay data requests from the applications to the VCS over the identified transport format. |
| US09078236B2 |
Random access scheme for preventing unnecessary retransmission and user equipment for the same
A random access scheme for preventing unnecessary retransmission and a user equipment for the same are disclosed. If a Contention Resolution (CR) timer expires in contention resolution during a random access procedure or if a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) signal or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) signal associated with the PDCCH signal does not match an identifier of a terminal, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) buffer for storing a Medium Access Control Packet Data Unit (MAC PDU) transmitted in the random access procedure is flushed such that unnecessary data retransmission can be prevented. |
| US09078235B2 |
Methods for efficient configuration of control channel transmission in wireless systems
An apparatus and method for configuring Enhanced Multicast and Broadcast Service (E-MBS) Scheduling Intervals (MSIs) in a communication system are provided. The method includes selecting a number N of MSIs, and selecting a periodicity of each of the N MSIs. By selecting a number N of MSIs and a periodicity of each of the N MSIs, a communication system is able to more efficiently decode E-MBS data. |
| US09078232B2 |
Methods and apparatuses for characterizing and affecting mobile device location accuracy and/or uncertainty
Techniques are provided, which may be implemented via various methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture. For example, an electronic device may obtain an estimated location of a mobile device, determine a quality of a geometric distribution of transmitting devices capable of transmitting wireless signals to the mobile device at the estimated location, and assign an uncertainty to the estimated location. In certain implementations, an electronic device may further determine an adapted transmission setting for a transmitting device and transmit a corresponding message to the transmitting device. In certain implementations, an electronic device may identify adapted assistance data for the mobile device and transmit a corresponding message to one or more other electronic devices. |
| US09078228B2 |
Mobile geolocation
Estimating a location of a first mobile communication unit (220) in a cellular wireless communications system (200) comprises comparing a first signature from the first mobile communication unit with known signatures. The first signature may comprise control information, a set of observable cells and received power level information for the first mobile communication unit (220). A location estimate is provided from the known location of a known signature in a database (410), if that known signature matches the first signature. The comparison may be a correlation to determine the degree of matching. Context information may link two or more known signatures in the database (410), the known signatures having been obtained in temporal succession from one mobile device (258) in use in the system. The context information may be used in the comparison. |
| US09078225B2 |
Dynamic mobile power headroom threshold for determining rate increases in the reverse traffic channel of a CDMA network
Closed loop and open loop control mechanisms are disclosed for adjusting the power headroom in a mobile station. The closed loop control comprises receiving a load indication from a base station indicative of the reverse link load, and adjusting the power headroom of the mobile station based on the load indication. The open loop control mechanism comprises counting the number of times that the mobile station is power limited, and adjusting the power headroom threshold based on the count. |
| US09078220B2 |
Method and apparatus for UE power class adaption for coverage extension in LTE
A method and apparatus for User Equipment (UE) power class adaptation for coverage extension in Long Term Evolution (LTE) includes setting a maximum transmit power to a predefined level that is below a maximum capability of a high power UE (HPUE); responsive to determining, based on detected operating conditions local to the HPUE, that an increase in transmit range is required, raising the maximum transmit power towards or to the maximum capability of the HPUE; and subsequently transmitting at an operating transmit power at or below the maximum transmit power as a function of the detected operating conditions local to the HPUE. The method and apparatus allow the HPUE to infer how to configure its maximum power to mitigate interference to the same class of cells, without assistance from an Evolved Node B (eNB) and within the existing 3GPP LTE framework. |
| US09078213B2 |
Mobile communication terminal apparatus, method of controlling power consumption of mobile communication terminal apparatus, and recording medium
A first position information generation unit (130) generates, based on a first radio signal received by a first wireless communication unit (110), first position information representing a position where the first radio signal is received. A second position information generation unit (140) generates, using the first position information, second position information representing a position where a second wireless communication unit (120) can receive a second radio signal. A wireless communication operation determination unit (150) determines, based on the generated first and second position information, whether the operation by the second wireless communication unit is possible. A power supply control unit (160) executes power supply control of the second wireless communication unit in accordance with a determination result. This allows to uniquely determine the position information of a mobile communication terminal apparatus by simple signal processing at a low cost and implement power supply control of wireless communication functions based on the position information. |
| US09078195B2 |
Media independent multi-rat function in a converged device
A communication device facilitates a multiple radio access technology (multi-RAT) mesh network and includes a processor that executes a media independent mesh function (MIMF), the MIMF configured to exchange media independent mesh information between peer mesh entities. At least two physical network links of the communication device support different radio access technologies (RATs). The MIMF is further configured to determine a RAT-agnostic link quality estimate for a signal routing, to selectively activate or deactivate each RAT-based physical network link to conserve power and control bandwidth; and to determine a multi-RAT mesh capability of a peer device. |
| US09078193B2 |
Apparatus for determining route, method for determining route, non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored therein management program, and management device
An apparatus for determining a route including: a collector that collects a current amount of link traffic and current link power consumption of each link; a virtual link setter that sets virtual links for each link; a link cost calculator that calculates a link cost of each virtual link based on the estimated increase in the link power consumption; a constraint condition setter that creates a constraint condition satisfying a requirement of end-to-end quality of a request flow based on change in quality of each virtual link and satisfying a requirement of end-to-end quality of an existing flow based on the change in quality of the existing flow on the virtual link; a route determinator that determines a route having a smallest sum of the link costs including a plurality of the virtual links satisfying the created constraint condition. |
| US09078189B2 |
Method for performing inter-mobile station (MS) handover in radio access system and MS therefor
A method of performing inter-mobile station (MS) handover in a radio access system and an MS therefor are disclosed. The method includes a first MS receiving an inter-MS handover indication message from a base station (BS) while performing inter-MS communication with a second MS, and the first MS performing inter-MS handover from the second MS to another MS according to the inter-MS handover indication message. The inter-MS handover is decided according to channel quality between the first MS and the second MS or channel quality between the second MS and the BS. |
| US09078185B2 |
Mobile communication system, network apparatus, and mobile communication method
A mobile communication system 100 includes a selection unit 25 configured to select a transition target frequency from the plurality of frequencies when a condition under which a mobile communication terminal not utilize a transition source frequency being any of the plurality of frequencies is fulfilled, and an instruction unit 22 configured to instruct the mobile communication terminal to perform a transition to the transition target frequency selected by the selection unit. The selection unit 25 excludes the transition source frequency from a frequency candidate to be utilized by the mobile communication terminal until an elapsed time after the instruction of the transition to the transition target frequency exceeds a predetermined time. |
| US09078183B2 |
Data forwarding method and system for vertical handover
A data forwarding method and system is provided for avoiding data loss during a vertical handover by forwarding data through an IP tunnel established between a newly introduced network entity called a Data Forwarding Function of the serving network and a Forward Attachment Function of a target network. A data forwarding method of a data forwarding unit located in a serving network for a vertical handover according to the present invention includes receiving an address of a forwarding attachment unit located in a target network and a data forwarding preparation request that are transmitted by a user equipment; establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) tunnel to the forwarding attachment unit according to the data forwarding preparation request; and forwarding, when a vertical handover is initiated, handover packets to the forwarding attachment unit through the IP tunnel. |
| US09078179B2 |
IRAT measurement reporting method in TD-SCDMA
A user equipment (UE) considers both the signal strength in time slot zero and the signal quality of the downlink traffic time slots when determining whether to send an IRAT measurement report to trigger IRAT handover to GSM. |
| US09078177B2 |
Electronic device and operating method thereof
The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device. There are provided an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device that may more effectively resolve handover request collisions by using a specific field value included in a handover request message. |
| US09078174B2 |
Call transfer for an integrated wireline and wireless service
Calls are established with a single mobile terminal through either a wireless network or via a terminal adaptor over the PSTN or a packet network. The terminal adaptor and mobile terminal communicate via a local wireless interface. The mobile terminal may facilitate cellular calls via the wireless network as well as PSTN or packet-based calls via the terminal adaptor. The mobile terminal may initiate a handoff when it is involved in a call through the wireless network and within a communication zone of the terminal adaptor. The handoff will establish a connection between the wireless switch, which is currently supporting the call, and the mobile terminal through the terminal adaptor. Once the connection with the mobile terminal through the terminal adaptor is established, the call is transitioned to the new connection and the mobile terminal will transfer to the local wireless interface to support the call. |
| US09078169B2 |
Signal field design for WLAN
A method of generating packets for transmission in a wireless communication system, wherein each packet includes a SIG field that includes a first SIG subfield, includes generating a data packet and a null data packet. Generating the data packet includes generating information bits of the first SIG subfield of the data packet and generating the data portion of the data packet. The information bits of the first SIG subfield of the data packet indicate, to a receiving device, a length corresponding to a data portion of the data packet. Generating the null data packet includes generating information bits of the first SIG subfield of the null data packet. The information bits of the first SIG subfield of the null data packet indicate, to a receiving device, a first physical layer (PHY) parameter value associated with the null data packet. The first PHY parameter value is not a length value. |
| US09078167B2 |
System and method for local flow control in a communications device
This specification is directed to systems and methods including a communications device for relaying data packets to at least one receiving node, having a host processor for receiving data packets and a target interface for transmitting the packets over a communications medium, wherein the target interface is configured to extract address and traffic class information from a packet and return the packet to the host processor when it is determined a node is unavailable and wherein the host processor is configured buffer the packet in a queue corresponding to the address information and the traffic class information. |
| US09078164B2 |
Method and apparatus for conducting measurements when multiple carriers are supported
Measurements are conducted on one or more carriers in a case where an access terminal supports reception on multiple carriers. Upon determining that an access terminal is capable of concurrently receiving on a given set of carriers, a measurement is conducted on one or more carriers of the set while receiving on or more other carriers of the set. Conversely, upon determining that an access terminal is not capable of concurrently receiving on a given set of carriers, a measurement is conducted on one or more carriers of the set while not receiving on or more other carriers of the set. In addition, data transfers to or from an access terminal on a carrier may be restricted (e.g., data transfers not scheduled or only low priority data transfers scheduled) during one or more subframes before or after the access terminal conducts a measurement on another carrier. |
| US09078162B2 |
Systems, methods, and devices for electronic spectrum management
Systems, methods, and devices enable spectrum management by identifying, classifying, and cataloging signals of interest based on radio frequency measurements. In an embodiment, signals and the parameters of the signals may be identified and indications of available frequencies may be presented to a user. In another embodiment, the protocols of signals may also be identified. In a further embodiment, the modulation of signals, data types carried by the signals, and estimated signal origins may be identified. |
| US09078158B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating radio link control protocol data units
A method and apparatus are used to generate radio link control (RLC) protocol data units (PDUs). A data request for a logical channel is received as part of an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transport format combination (E-TFC) selection procedure in a medium access control (MAC). Upon determining the data field size, an RLC PDU is generated such that it matches the requested data from the E-TFC selection. The size of the RLC PDU generated can be greater than or equal to the minimum configured RLC PDU size (if data is available) and less than or equal to the maximum RLC PDU size. The data is then transmitted in the RLC PDU in a current transmission time interval (TTI). |
| US09078155B2 |
Communication control device, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method for control of changing transmission rate of packet to mobile station
A wireless communication system includes an RNC and a BTS which communicates with the RNC. A congestion-notification transmitting unit of the BTS notifies the RNC of occurrence of congestion in a sector in which a mobile station is located. The RNC includes a congestion-notification receiving unit, a retransmission-ratio monitoring unit, and a transmission-rate control unit. The congestion-notification receiving unit detects the congestion occurrence by the notification from the BTS. The retransmission-ratio monitoring unit monitors a ratio of retransmission of a packet to the mobile station. The transmission-rate control unit performs control of changing a transmission rate of a packet to the mobile station according to the retransmission ratio when the congestion occurrence has been detected by the congestion-notification receiving unit. |
| US09078152B2 |
Programmable communicator
A programmable cellular telephone device includes a programmable interface for establishing a wireless communications link with at least one monitored technical device, and a processing module for authenticating wireless transmissions sent from a programming transmitter by determining if at least one transmission contains a coded number. The device is configured to use memory to store a telephone number or IP address included within the transmission(s) if the processing module authenticates the transmission(s) by determining that the transmission includes the coded number. The stored telephone numbers/IP addresses are numbers to which the device is configured to and permitted to send outgoing wireless transmissions. The device also communicates with a remote data monitoring device and/or sends data to/receives data from an Internet web page. The device processes data received from a monitored technical device, displays the processed data, and/or to transmits the data to an Internet web page. |
| US09078149B2 |
Method and apparatus for improving call quality for user
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for improving call quality for a user, which relate to the field of communication technologies and are invented for improving call quality for a user while improving frequency spectrum utilization. The method for improving call quality for a user includes: obtaining an interference suppression parameter and frequency band interference information of a target carrier; determining an interference suppression coefficient according to the interference suppression parameter and the frequency band interference information; and suppressing interference on the target carrier by using an interference suppression apparatus having the interference suppression coefficient. |
| US09078148B2 |
Operation with various timers in a wireless communication system
Operation of a user equipment (UE) with various timers is disclosed. According to this scheme, when the UE receives values for each of timers related with a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation from a network, the UE monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) from subframe n+1 to subframe n+X based on a first timer among the above mentioned timers, when a first event for starting the first timer occurs at the subframe n, and monitors the PDCCH from subframe n to subframe n+X−1 based on a second timer among said timers, when a second event for starting the second timer occurs at the subframe n. |
| US09078144B2 |
Signature enabler for multi-vendor SON coordination
A method is disclosed that includes communicating an indication of a signature via one or more links in a wireless network, wherein the signature has been computed by a base station of the wireless network over a plurality of configuration parameters of the base station and identifies at least a portion of a current configuration state of the base station. Another method is disclosed that includes assigning, at a base station in a wireless network, a signature using a context of the base station, wherein the assigning is performed so that the signature identifies at least a portion of a current configuration state of the base station. The method includes sending an indication of the signature to one or more entities in the wireless network. Apparatus and computer program products are also disclosed. |
| US09078136B2 |
Wireless device for group access and management
A system and method for establishing a group of wireless devices having shared media stored thereupon associates each group member device of the group of wireless devices, communicates with at least some of the group member devices of the group of wireless devices to identify shared media and upon receiving a request transmitted by a group member device of the group of wireless devices, supports access to shared media. The shared media may be stored on a different group member device, upon a managing server computer, or a media server. Upon a successful validation, the group member device that made the request is notified to facilitate the access to the shared media. The notification includes access information. |
| US09078134B2 |
Security recommendations for providing information in a communication system
A method of and system for receiving a communication is disclosed. A receiving device receives the communication. The method and system classify user information into a set of security levels. A caller from a source of potential callers is associated with a security rating within the set of security levels. Using at least one caller-identification resource, the communication can be identified as being related to the caller with the security rating. The method and system determine a recommendation for providing user information. The recommendation may be based on the security rating within the set of security levels. The determined recommendation for providing user information in response to the communication is issued. |
| US09078133B2 |
Method, system and mobile terminal for configuring and applying locking strategy of mobile terminal
The disclosure provides a method for configuring a locking strategy of a mobile terminal, comprising: setting, at a locking strategy setting terminal, relevant information of a locking strategy which needs to be executed by a mobile terminal and transmitting the relevant information to the mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal determines that the mobile terminal is currently unlocked, storing the relevant information of the locking strategy which needs to be executed by the mobile terminal; or, inputting, at the mobile terminal, relevant information of a locking strategy which needs to be executed, and storing the inputted relevant information of the locking strategy which needs to be executed. The disclosure further provides a method for applying a locking strategy of a mobile terminal as well as a system and a terminal mobile for configuring a locking strategy of a mobile terminal. According to the technical solutions of the disclosure, the locking strategy of the mobile terminal can be conveniently and flexibly configured. |
| US09078131B2 |
Apparatus, system and method of communicating location-enabling information for location estimation
Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of communicating location-enabling information for location estimation. For example, an apparatus may include a location-enabling information (LEI) processor to process a location-enabling message, which is transmitted between first and second location-enabling sources and receivable by a mobile device, the location-enabling message including encrypted LEI configured for enabling estimation of a location of the mobile device at a predefined accuracy based on a cryptographic key corresponding to the first location-enabling source. |
| US09078129B1 |
Knowledge-based authentication for restricting access to mobile devices
An improved technique involves authenticating a user requesting access to a particular mobile device using knowledge-based authentication (KBA) questions generated from data taken from a group of mobile devices to which the particular mobile device belongs. Along these lines, consider a corporation that has a group of mobile devices distributed to its employees. The mobile devices provide data to an enterprise KBA (eKBA) server regarding events on each of the mobile devices. Because an owner of a mobile device belongs to a group of employees, the owner is able to answer questions regarding fellow employees. On the other hand, a malicious user that illegitimately gains access to the owner's mobile device will not be able to answer such questions, even if the malicious user knows details about the owner. |
| US09078124B2 |
Communication network devices, base station and wireless communication device
According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication network device is provided comprising a first determiner configured to determine a plurality of wireless communication devices requiring a communication connection to a base station; a second determiner configured to determine, for each wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices, a time to establish the communication connection requested by each wireless communication device and a transmitter configured to transmit, to each wireless communication device of the plurality of wireless communication devices, an indication of the time to establish the communication connection requested by each wireless communication device. |
| US09078122B2 |
Method and apparatus of providing messaging service and callback feature to mobile stations
Disclosed are an apparatus and method of performing automated administrative operations on a mobile device. One example method may include determining via a hosted server that an action needs to be performed by a mobile device under management. The method may further include generating a message via the hosted server, the message includes the action, and transmitting the message to the mobile device under management, and receiving a result message from the mobile device under management responsive to the transmitted message, the result message indicating that the action has been satisfied. |
| US09078121B2 |
Automatic ad-hoc network of mobile devices
A process for the automatic creation of ad-hoc networks between mobile devices in emergency and evacuation events. During an emergency or an evacuation event a command centre (20) issues a special emergency warning to mobile network operators, in response to which the operators broadcast over the mobile network (10) a trigger message to the mobile devices (11-14) that they service. Receipt of the trigger message causes the mobile devices (11-14) in a given geographical area to search for their neighbours and to form groups each having a leader, subsequent communication between the group and the mobile network (10) being conducted via the leader, communications within the group being conducted for example by using Bluetooth or WiFi. In this way, both resources in the mobile network and battery power of the mobile devices are conserved. |
| US09078120B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining mobility parameters based on neighboring access points
Methods and apparatus are provided for configuring mobility or paging parameters of a femto node. A method includes determining capabilities of one or more neighboring access points based in part on signals received from the one or more neighboring access points. The method includes comparing the capabilities to one or more capabilities of the femto node to determine a mobility or paging parameter adjustment. The method includes adjusting one or more mobility or paging parameters based on the mobility or paging parameter adjustment. |
| US09078117B2 |
Wireless communication method and apparatus for performing home Node-B identification and access restriction
A method and a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), including a universal subscriber identity module (USIM), for identifying a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell are disclosed. The WTRU receives a broadcast from a cell including a cell identifier (ID). If the cell ID is associated with a CSG cell, the WTRU determines whether the CSG ID is programmed in the USIM. The cell broadcast may include a single bit information element (IE) indicating that the cell is a CSG cell. If the cell ID is a CSG ID, the cell ID may further include a plurality of fields which indicate at least one of a country, a region, an operator, and a home evolved Node-B (HeNB) number. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating whether the CSG cell is public or private. The cell broadcast may further include a bit indicating that emergency calls are allowed from all users. |
| US09078115B2 |
Dock station for mobile devices
Systems, methods and computer program products for processing a call as between a mobile device and a linked base telephone system are described. A phone docking station allows the mobile device to be linked to the base telephone system. Features of either the mobile device or the base telephone system may be used to support a call. For example, through the phone docking station, one or more features and functions of the mobile device may be enabled on or supported by the base telephone system. |
| US09078112B2 |
Callback for multi subscription
A communication device and method for facilitating call back from a communication device with multiple subscriber identities comprising at least a first subscriber identity and a second subscriber identity. The method comprises receiving a telephone call on a first subscription associated with the first subscriber identity from another communication device. The method also comprises determining an order of prioritization among the subscriber identities according to at least one parameter for establishing the telephone call with the other communication device on the subscription associated with the respective subscriber identities. In further addition, the method comprises facilitating call back to the other communication device using the second subscriber identity when it is determined that the second subscriber identity is more prioritized than the first subscriber identity. |
| US09078109B2 |
Frame structure design for new carrier type (NCT)
A system and method utilizes a selected PRB configuration for a new carrier type for a 3GPP-type wireless network. A downlink signal is received that comprises a demodulation reference signal pattern in at least one predetermined subframe of the downlink signal. The subframe comprises a first predetermined number of the plurality of orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols comprising synchronization signals for a legacy version of the downlink signal and the demodulation reference signal pattern comprising a second predetermined number of OFDM symbols that are different from the first predetermined number of the plurality of OFDM symbols. After receiving the downlink signal, the demodulation reference signal pattern in the downlink signal is demodulated. |
| US09078108B1 |
Method and apparatus for off-channel invitation
A wireless medium often supports communications of multiple devices on different respective channels of the wireless medium. In some aspects described herein, a first frame is transmitted on a first channel of a wireless medium effective to prevent a member device of a peer-to-peer group from attempting to access the wireless medium, a second frame inviting a wireless device to join the peer-to-peer group is transmitted on a second channel of the wireless medium, and the first channel of the wireless medium is returned to thereby enabling a next attempt of the member device to access the wireless medium. |
| US09078105B1 |
Event logging and replay system and process for mobile communication platform
A system includes a mobile communication platform (MCP) with logic to record network performance data along a first route taken by the MCP. The system includes logic to track one or more of MCP location, heading, or speed as MCP circumstances, and to apply the network performance data to predict application usage by passengers aboard the MCP along a second route taken by the MCP. The MCP circumstances may include a time of day, day of the week, calendar date, or weather conditions. The system may adjust a course, speed, or location of the MCP based on the predicted application usage. |
| US09078101B2 |
Geographically constrained network services
A method and system are disclosed for determining the geographic location of a user communicating on a communications network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a provider of a product or service: (a) receives the user's phone number (or other identification for contacting the user's station), and (b) supplies the user's station with a distinctive identifier. The provider then supplies a location determining service with the user's phone number (or other identification). A phone call is made to the phone number by the location determining service for retrieving the distinctive identifier from the network station having the phone number. If the distinctive identifier is retrieved and the location determining service determines that the user's station is within an appropriate geographical area (or not within an inappropriate area), then the provider can provide the requested product or service to the user. |
| US09078098B1 |
Geo-fencing based functions
Systems and methods are provided for geo-fencing using a mobile device. In certain instances, the geo-function setting sets boundaries relating to when alerts may be presented to a user of the electronic device, or when an alert may be transmitted to another electronic device. A geo-function setting may relate a perimeter around a location, or may relate to a perimeter bracketing a pre-defined route traversed by a person carrying the electronic device. When the electronic device crosses a perimeter, an alert may be presented or transmitted according to the operating system setting. In other instances, a geo-function may be initiated though a user interface of the electronic device, and may relate to the learning of a route traversed by a person carrying the electronic device. |
| US09078097B2 |
Mobile router with valet mode
A mobile router comprises: a valet mode program to provide valet mode functionality in a vehicle in which the mobile router is disposed; a processor operable to execute the valet mode program; a predetermined distance limit; and a predetermined speed limit. The mobile router responds to externally generated commands from a predetermined source to activate or deactivate the valet mode. The processor is operable to determine if the predetermined distance limit is exceeded from the location of the vehicle when the valet mode is activated; and the processor is operable to determine if the vehicle exceeds the predetermined speed limit when the valet mode is activated. |
| US09078095B2 |
System and method for location based inventory management
Provided is a distributed system and method for enabling new and useful location dependent features and functionality to mobile data processing systems. Mobile data processing Systems (MSs) interact with each other as peers in communications and interoperability. Data is shared between mobile data processing systems to carry out novel Location Based eXchanges (LBX) of data for new mobile applications. Information transmitted inbound to, transmitted outbound from, is in process at, or is application modified at a mobile data processing system triggers processing of actions in accordance with user configured permissions, charters, and other configurations. In a preferred embodiment, a user configurable platform is provided for quickly building well behaving LBX applications at MSs and across a plurality of interoperating MSs. Tools, triggered interfaces and integrated applications are disclosed for a breadth of MS LBX configurations and functionality. |
| US09078094B2 |
Third party location query for wireless networks
A computer-implemented method provides, to a first user, location-based information concerning a second user, and a system and computer-readable storage medium include computer-readable instructions for performing the same. The method includes determining that the second user is within a certain geographic area and communicating to the first user, by way of a wireless communication device of the first user, an identity of the second user. |
| US09078091B2 |
Method and apparatus for generating media based on media elements from multiple locations
An approach is provided for generating and sharing compositions based on media elements acquired from different locations. A media generation platform determines an association of one or more media elements with one or more locations. The media generation platform next determines one or more interactions with at least one connecting user interface element to associate the one or more media composition elements with one or more media composition applications. The media generation platform then causes a generation of at least one media composition that includes, at least in part, the one or more media composition elements based, at least in part, on the one or more interactions. |
| US09078085B2 |
System and method for local operations in a communications system
A system and method for local operations in a communications system are provided. A method for device operations includes identifying, at a communications controller of a communications system, identification information in a packet received from a machine-to-machine device, and determining if the packet is to be processed locally according to the identification information. The method further includes routing the packet to a local destination if the packet is to be processed locally, and routing the packet to a remote destination if the packet is not to be processed locally. |
| US09078081B2 |
Mobile terminal and method for service processing thereof
A mobile terminal and a method for service processing thereof are provided in the present invention. The mobile terminal includes a determining module for determining whether the first service needs to be opened and obtaining a determining result; a register information collecting module for collecting the first register information used for opening the first service when said determining result indicates that the first service needs to be opened; a first transmission module for transmitting a first register request comprising first register information to the first server by using a communication module to request for opening the first service; a first receiving module for receiving the service setting information by using the communication module; and a setting module for setting the first service module according to the service setting information. |
| US09078080B1 |
Methods for user-interface over SMS messages based on a rolling sequence model
Configurations providing a rolling sequence model for a user interface over SMS for an interactive system are described. An SMS server can implement the rolling sequence model in which a number from a sequence of numbers (e.g., a block of numbers) is assigned to a user session. A subsequent number from the sequence of numbers is assigned for each session turn-around. Upon receipt of an SMS message from a user to initiate a session, the SMS server assigns a first number from the sequence of numbers to a user session. The SMS server then assigns the next phone number to the user session after receiving a subsequent SMS message from the user. In the event that the last number from the sequence of numbers is assigned, the SMS can cycle through the sequence of numbers by assigning the first number to the user session. |
| US09078079B2 |
Multi-network access method and communication device thereof
In a multiple network access method in a communication device including at least one protocol stack having a physical layer and a medium access control (MAC) layer, and at least one application unit for performing communication through the protocol stack, the method includes applying a first parameter to the protocol stack and a first attribute to the application unit, accessing a first network for a first attribute to the applications, switching the first parameter into a second parameter and the fist attribute into a second attribute, and accessing a second network for a second hour after the switching. |
| US09078072B2 |
Audio distribution
A method and device for distributing audio data to a number of audio playback devices that are connected to a network. One or more network-related performance criteria of a plurality of the audio playback devices are compared. Based on the comparison, at least one of the audio playback devices is designated as a master device and at least one other of the audio playback devices is designated as a slave device. The master device then controls the distribution of audio data to one or more of the slave devices. |
| US09078071B2 |
Mobile electronic device and control method
According to an aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a sound emitting unit, an input unit, and a processing unit. The sound emitting unit emits a sound based on a sound signal. The input unit receives a response with respect to the sound emitted by the sound emitting unit. The processing unit determines a compensation parameter for compensating the sound to be emitted by the sound emitting unit based on correctness of the response. |
| US09078067B2 |
Sounder assembly for explosive environment
An insulated sounder assembly may include: a) a sounder cup having a bottom and a sidewall; b) a piezoelectric element positioned in the bottom of the cup; c) a potting layer within the sounder cup and spaced apart from the piezoelectric element so that the potting layer contacts the cup sidewall for a distance of at least 3 mm around the entire circumference of the cup, and so that a gap exists between the piezoelectric element and the potting layer, with the gap being sufficient to allow vibration of the piezoelectric element in the sounder cup without restriction by the potting layer; and d) an electrical contact wire attached to the piezoelectric element to provide a voltage to the piezoelectric element, wherein the electrical contact wire passes through the potting layer so that at least 3 mm of bare wire is completely embedded in said potting layer. |
| US09078065B2 |
System and method for displaying sound as vibrations
There is provided a method and a system for presenting audio signals as vibrotactile stimuli to the body in accordance with a Model Human Cochlea (MHC). Audio signals are obtained for presentation. The audio signals are separated into multiple bands of discrete frequency ranges that encompass the complete audio signal. Those signals are output to multiple vibrotactile devices. The vibrotactile devices may be positioned in a respective housing to intensify and constrain a vibrational energy from the vibrotactile devices. Output of the vibrotactile devices stimulate the cutaneous receptors of the skin at the locations where the vibrotactile devices are placed. In one embodiment, a system implements this method using audio voice coils that are embedded in a chair, which make contact with the human body while seated. |
| US09078060B2 |
Sealed speaker enclosure
A speaker enclosure includes a seal and a speaker grille with a tuned port. Mounting tabs are molded in the grille. The seal is engaged by a series of ribs which surround the grille mounting tabs and by a rib which surrounds the tuned port tube of the grille. The tabs have shoulders or stops which locate the grille relative to a front plate of the sound box. The sealing ribs around each tab have a height which provides the correct compression of the rubber foam seal material. As the speaker grille is installed using spring clips, the seal is compressed by the ribs to provide the seal required so that the space behind the speaker only vents through the tuned port. |
| US09078056B2 |
Audio resonance device
The audio resonance device contains a base member having a box shape with an open top side, a resonance element inside the base member having stacked ceramic layers, and at least two contact pieces on a top side, a cover member sealing the open top of the base member, and a number of elastic elements, each contacting a contact piece of the resonance element, and having an end extending through the cover member and contacting a portable appliance for picking up audio vibration from the portable appliance and delivering the audio vibration to the resonance element. The resonance element resonates with the audio vibration, and the base member provides a resonant chamber so that the audio quality from the portable appliance is enhanced. The portable appliance is not required of any modification such as opening holes. |
| US09078048B1 |
Finding and populating spatial ad surfaces in video
A video hosting web site receives uploaded video content and processes the video to determine ad surfaces. The ad surfaces comprise spatio-temporal regions of the video suitable for placement of advertisement such as background surfaces or other regions of low interest. The uploaded video and ad surfaces are stored to a video database that is accessible to viewers visiting the video hosting web site. When a shared video is requested, the video hosting site provides the requested video content together with the ad surfaces and advertisements. The advertisements are blended with the ad surfaces in the video at playtime so that the advertisements appear as part of the video scene. This allows the video hosting web site to present advertisements to the viewer without significantly distracting the viewer from the requested content. |
| US09078044B2 |
System and method for bypassing an emergency alert break-in for a television program
Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a system and a method for bypassing an emergency alert break-in for a recorded event. For example, in one embodiment, a set top box is disclosed that includes a memory component for storing computer executable instructions; a communication interface for receiving media content data from a cable service provider; a decoder module for decoding the received media content data; an emergency alert break-in monitoring module for identifying an emergency alert break-in from the received data; a digital video recorder controller module for determining whether the identified emergency alert break-in affects a recording of a program on a recorded channel; and an emergency alert break-in bypass module for bypassing the identified emergency alert break-in for enabling the digital video recorder controller module to record the program without the identified emergency alert break-in. |
| US09078043B2 |
Media source monitoring and parental awards
A content processing device selectively queries at least one remote device in response to a message received from a user device. The message includes an instruction to modify information in at least one user data set stored on a remote device. Modifying information includes providing an award to one or more users associated with the one or more data sets. |
| US09078037B2 |
Electronic apparatus with a safe conditional access system (CAS) and control method thereof
An electronic apparatus is provided, which includes a central processing unit (CPU), a first memory unit which performs communication with the CPU, and a second memory unit which stores therein conditional access system (CAS) software and platform software. According to the method of controlling the apparatus, upon booting, the CPU copies the CAS software to an internal memory area which may be within the CPU, copies the platform software to the first memory unit and executes the CAS and platform software, and executes CAS operations through communication between the CAS software and the platform software. |
| US09078034B2 |
Apparatus and method for communicating burst mode activity
Information is transmitted indicating when a burst mode will take place which intervenes during a regular transmission mode. The information transmitted can also include information indicating how long such a burst mode will be and the contents of the burst mode where such contents can be identified as video, audio, system information, advertisements, or interactive content. |
| US09078031B2 |
Reception apparatus, reception method, and program
Disclosed herein is a reception apparatus including: a reception block configured to receive broadcast content broadcast via a broadcasting network; an acquisition block configured to acquire inserted content that is inserted in the broadcast content during the reception thereof; an output block configured to output at least one of the broadcast content and the inserted content; a switch block configured to switch between the broadcast content and the inserted content outputted from the output block; and a buffer configured to sequentially store data of the received broadcast content when the broadcast content is switched to the inserted content; wherein, if the inserted content is switched to the broadcast content, the output block outputs the broadcast content from the buffer while the inserted content is outputted. |
| US09078029B2 |
Image projection kit and method and system of distributing image content for use with the same
An image projection kit and an imagery content distribution system and method. In one aspect, the invention can be a system for mapping and/or projecting imagery onto non-coplanar surfaces of a three-dimensional architecture comprising: a projection device configured to be secured in a fixed orientation at a location from which a line of sight exists to one or more desired surfaces of the architecture; a computer device having a display module and a video compositing application, the computer device operably coupled to the projector; the video compositing application comprising a composition window; the computer device configured to transmit content of the composition window to the projector device for display on the architecture; and the video compositing application configured to facilitate: (1) insertion of a matte into the composition window; and (2) adjustment of the size, shape, position, orientation, or any combination thereof of the matte within the composition window so that edges of a projected image of the matte are aligned with at least one of the desired surfaces of the architecture. |
| US09078028B2 |
Method and device for creating and maintaining synchronization between video signals
A method and device for providing synchronized data output is provided. The method includes generating two data streams sending data to be presented in synchronization. Both streams are generated by the same processor-based device. The first data stream follows a first protocol and the second data stream follows a second (different) protocol. The processor of the processor-based device adjusts a data rate of the second data stream to cause a reduction in any timing offset between the streams. |
| US09078024B2 |
Video processing system with user customized graphics for use with layered video coding and methods for use therewith
A video processing device includes a user interface module that receives at least one user preference. A decoder module produces a decoded video signal from a basic video layer stream and at least one graphics layer streams based on the at least one user preference. |
| US09078023B2 |
Method and apparatus for storing user selected video content
A method and apparatus for enabling registered users to select and purchase video sessions from a network to be viewed from any video display devices connected to the network are disclosed. Specifically, these purchased video sessions can be stored within the network and accessed from any viewable display device connected to any video endpoint device at any time upon the users' request. In one embodiment, the stored video sessions can be downloaded and recorded onto a recording medium for future use. |
| US09078022B2 |
Usage based billing for video programs
A method includes identifying a current time that at least one video program is viewed by at least one device associated with at least one user account. An initial billing time that the at least one video program is to be billed associated with the at least one user account may be identified. The method may include determining whether the current time is equal to the initial billing time. At least one coefficient associated with the at least one video program at the current time may be identified in response to a determination that the current time is equal to the initial billing time. The method may include determining a usage based billing for the at least one user account based on the current time that the at least one video program is viewed and the at least one coefficient associated with the at least one video program. |
| US09078018B2 |
Audio/video and data signal redistribution system
A system and method for routing an output signal comprising at least one channel carrying a selected program to the user selecting the selected program. Based on information relating to the user, a server inserts or substitutes, or both, remotely from the user's premises, programming other than the selected program into the channel carrying the selected program. The system transmits the other programming to the user, in addition to or in place of the selected program, for the duration of the other programming. |
| US09078014B2 |
Method and apparatus for targeting of interactive virtual objects
A method and an apparatus are used to target interactive virtual objects to subscribers in a television delivery system. Programs are selected and virtual object locations are defined in the selected programs. The virtual objects available for targeting are categorized and the categories are correlated to subscriber information to determine the optimum targeting of the virtual objects. Upstream data reception hardware, databases and processing hardware and software, and corresponding features in a user's terminal are used to accomplish these functions. |
| US09078012B2 |
Viewing angle switching for live broadcasts and on demand video playback
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for viewing angle switching for live broadcasts and on demand video playback. A method includes, in a media server residing in a network of interconnect computers, the media server including a processor and a memory, receiving a plurality of real-time video input streams and an associated session entity from a client device in the network, enabling a producer to select streams from the received plurality of real-time video input stream and assigned angles, recording the selected streams and angles in a media mix container, transcoding the selected streams and angles, and publishing the transcoded selected streams and angles to a content delivery network. |
| US09078005B2 |
Image information decoding apparatus and image information decoding method for motion prediction and/or compensation of images
The present invention is directed to an image information encoding apparatus, used in receiving compressed image information through network media when processing of such compressed image information is performed on storage media. A picture sorting buffer delivers information of picture type of frame Picture_type to a picture type discrimination unit. The picture type discrimination unit transmits command to a motion prediction/compensation unit on the basis of that information. The motion prediction/compensation unit generates predictive picture by using filter coefficients having the number of taps lesser than that of P picture with respect to B picture for which operation quantity and the number of memory accesses are required to more degree as compared to P picture on the basis of that command. |
| US09078001B2 |
Efficient bit-plane decoding algorithm
A bitplane decoding system where the bitplane operations are broken up into an optimized plurality of sub-tasks. A pipeline structure is established for the execution of said sub-tasks on a plurality of processors or dedicated hardware logic blocks in a manner that allows efficient execution of the sub-tasks in parallel across two processors, resulting in a significant increase in performance. |
| US09077998B2 |
Padding of segments in coded slice NAL units
A video encoder divides a picture into a plurality of picture partitions, such as tiles or wavefront parallel processing (WPP) waves. The picture partitions are associated with non-overlapping subsets of the treeblocks of the picture. The video encoder generates a coded slice network abstraction layer (NAL) unit that includes encoded representations of the treeblocks associated with a slice of the picture. The coded treeblocks are grouped within the coded slice NAL unit into segments associated with different ones of the picture partitions. The video encoder pads one or more of the segments such that each of the segments begins on a byte boundary. |
| US09077994B2 |
Device and method of improving the perceptual luminance nonlinearity-based image data exchange across different display capabilities
A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values. |
| US09077992B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing video frame by using difference between pixel values
A method and apparatus for processing a video frame is provided. The method includes dividing the video frame into pixel blocks each including a reference pixel; calculating difference values between the reference pixel and pixels neighboring the reference pixel; converting the calculated difference values into values that belong to a bit depth range; and performing entropy coding by using the converted difference values as symbols. |
| US09077990B2 |
Block noise detection in digital video
Systems and methods are provided for determining characteristics of video data. A frame of video data is obtained, where the frame is represented by pixel data. A value is assigned to an element of a detection array based on pixel data in a portion of the video frame corresponding to the element. A frequency transform of values of the detection array is determined, and a characteristic of the video data is extracted based on the output of the frequency transform. |
| US09077985B2 |
Video display device and system
In a video display device and system, a timing control section performs timing control for right- and left-eye video signals and to each have a blanking period whose length (Duty) is longer than that of a first-time blanking period Tb1 at least once in second-time and later blanking periods, e.g., performs timing control for a second-time blanking period Tb2 to be longer in Duty than the first-time blanking period Tb1. With such timing control, for stereoscopic display video viewing using open-state shutter glasses in the second-time blanking period Tb2 with a sequential write mode, there are advantages that the shutter glasses can remain longer in the open state while the response characteristics of the liquid crystal material being enhanced. As such, with the resulting video display device and system, the occurrence of crosstalk can be favorably prevented at the same time as reducing any reduction in display brightness. |
| US09077984B2 |
Control system, control device, image system, eyeglasses, and image display device
Technology for controlling image display according to the state of a viewer wearing eyeglasses to view 3D images is provided. When an inclined angle of eyeglasses is in a predetermined range, an image display device alternately displays a left-eye image and a right-eye image. When the inclined angle of the eyeglasses exceeds the predetermined range, the image display device does not switch the left-eye image with the right-eye image. For example, the image display device displays 2D images. Optical shutters of the eyeglasses are synchronized with the left-eye image and the right-eye image. When the image display device does not switch the left-eye image with the right-eye image, the optical shutters are both open. |
| US09077982B2 |
Device and method for displaying 3D image and device and method for receiving 3D image by using light of different wavelengths
A device and method for displaying a 3D image includes a multi-image generation unit generating a multi-image by combining left-eye and right-eye images for each content of a plurality of different content; a display panel displaying the multi-image; and a backlight providing light having different wavelengths for the corresponding different content included in the multi-image to the display panel when the multi-image is displayed. |
| US09077980B2 |
Compound eye imaging apparatus and method with left image and right image processor to calculate correction value for lens position
A correction value calculation apparatus that includes circuitry configured to: acquire a relative position of a feature point to a reference point in a left/right image formed by a left/right lens as a left/right pixel position in the case where the left/right lens is moved in a coordinate system constructed with a pitch axis and a yaw axis; detect a relative position of the left/right lens to a reference position as a left/right lens detection position; generate a characteristic representing a relationship between the left/right pixel position and the left/right lens detection position; set each of the left/right lens detection position as a correction object position and determine an adjustment position which is a position on a straight line connecting the left and right pixel positions; and calculate correction values which are differences between the left and right lens detection positions. |
| US09077973B2 |
Wide field-of-view stereo vision platform with dynamic control of immersive or heads-up display operation
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to 3D stereo vision goggles or other platforms that could be used for enhanced vision systems for surgical applications, for patients with macular degeneration, or for entertainment or business applications. The invention takes images received from a video input source, and segments and projects those images off a mirror defined by a portion of an ellipsoid and directly onto the retina of the eye of a user. The invention allows users to enjoy 3D stereoscopic vision with an increased field of view, increased image quality, increased comfort, reduced cost, and other benefits. |
| US09077972B2 |
Method and apparatus for assessing the quality of a video signal during encoding or compressing of the video signal
A method for assessing the quality of a video signal during encoding or compressing of the video signal includes: estimating the quality (Qcod) of the video signal using one or more parameters; and using at least one additional parameter to adjust the estimated video signal quality, wherein the at least one additional parameter includes the key-frame rate (kfr) of the video signal as a Group of Pictures (GOP)-length-related parameter. Adjustment of the estimated video signal quality is in accordance with the following equation: Qcod=(a1*kfr+a2)*exp(b*br)+c; where a1, a2, b, and c are coefficients and br is the bit-rate of the video signal. |
| US09077970B2 |
Independent layered content for hardware-accelerated media playback
Presentation of cross-platform multimedia content may be controlled by a media player. Cross-platform content may include a two-dimensional (2D) graphics component, a three-dimensional (3D) graphics component, and a video component. Each component may be rendered as a separate layer, and each component may be rendered independently from one another. The multimedia player may synchronize the separate renderings for presentation. In one embodiment, the rendering of at least one of the separate layers may be performed by a hardware resource separate from the hardware resource executing the multimedia player. Each separate layer may be composited for display. In one embodiment, the compositing may be performed by a hardware resource separate from the hardware resource executing the multimedia player. |
| US09077969B2 |
Method and apparatus for determining motion between video images
Systems and methods of determining motion vectors, such as for video encoding, are disclosed. In one example, motion vectors are determined for a current frame, using sampled pixel information from a reference frame. Sampled pixel information is obtained using a sampling pattern. The sampling pattern, in one example, includes subsampling pixels at different rates for horizontal and vertical directions. The subsampling rate can differ, based on an amount of motion represented by a matching block (e.g., the farther a match is found away from an origin of the block, the more subsampling can be done). In another example, a full pixel resolution is maintained proximal an original location of the block; as distance increases in one or more directions, subsampling can begin and/or increase. Sampled pixels can be stored. Interpolation of the sampled pixels can be performed and the sampled and resulting interpolated pixels can be used for comparison. |
| US09077968B2 |
Image processing apparatus and method, and program
An image processing apparatus, a method, and a program that enable an amount of code to be suppressed below a desired value with more reliability. An emergency mode determining section determines that the amount of code of a next picture is likely to exceed an upper limit if a target bit calculated by a rate controlling section exceeds a predetermined upper limit. If it is determined that the amount of code of the next picture is likely to exceed the upper limit, the code amount controlling section controls an orthogonal transducing section to replace a transform coefficient of a predetermined frequency component with zero, controls an intra predicting section to restrict intra prediction modes to be applied, and controls a mode determining section to restrict inter prediction modes to be applied. The prevent invention can be applied to an encoding apparatus. |
| US09077967B2 |
Image reproduction apparatus and control method therefor
An image reproduction apparatus includes: a reproduction unit that reproduces a stereo image; a mode setting unit that sets one mode from a plurality of modes which include a first mode and a second mode; an adjustment unit that adjusts a maximum value of a disparity between an image for left eye and an image for right eye of the stereo image according to the mode that has been set by the mode setting unit; and a generation unit that generates a stereo image from the image for left eye and the image for right eye for which the disparity has been adjusted by the adjustment unit and outputs the generated stereo image, wherein the adjustment unit makes a maximum value of the disparity in the second mode less than a maximum value of the disparity in the first mode. |
| US09077965B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing lossy image compression through source quantization and lossless compression kernel, and related method and apparatus for image decompression
An image compression method has at least the following steps: receiving source pixel data of a plurality of blocks of a frame; when a lossless compression mode is enabled for the frame, bypassing a source quantization operation and applying a lossless compression kernel to source pixel data of each of the blocks; and when a lossy compression mode is enabled for the frame, applying the source quantization operation to the source pixel data of each of the blocks to generate input pixel data of each of the blocks, and applying the lossless compression kernel to the input pixel data of each of the blocks. For example, the source quantization operation employs an adaptive quantization parameter for each of the blocks such that a size of compressed data of the frame generated under the lossy compression mode does not exceed a bit budget. |
| US09077963B2 |
Systems and methods for generating a depth map and converting two-dimensional data to stereoscopic data
Systems and methods for performing multimedia conversion are disclosed. In a multimedia conversion system for converting two-dimensional (2D) multimedia data to stereoscopic multimedia data, an absolute difference between pixel pairs is determined for each scan line in a frame of the 2D multimedia data. The absolute difference values are accumulated, and a depth map is derived based on the accumulated difference values. The depth map is applied to the frame in the 2D multimedia data. |
| US09077962B2 |
Method for calibrating vehicular vision system
A method for calibrating a vehicular vision system includes providing a camera at a vehicle, with the camera having a field of view. Images are captured with the camera and a set of resultant images are acquired for a classification. Information is extracted related to image features in the set of resultant images, and an appropriate subset of coefficients is determined. For each classification, a classification vector of at least one appropriate weight is stored that corresponds to the determined subset of coefficients. |
| US09077959B1 |
Signal adaptive filtering method, signal adaptive filter and computer readable medium for storing program therefor
A signal adaptive filtering method for reducing blocking effect and ringing noise, a signal adaptive filter, and a computer readable medium. The signal adaptive filtering method capable of reducing blocking effect and ringing noise of image data when a frame is composed of blocks of a predetermined size includes the steps of: (a) generating blocking information for reducing the blocking effect and ringing information for reducing the ringing noise, from coefficients of predetermined pixels of the upper and left boundary regions of the data block when a frame obtained by deconstructing a bitstream image data for inverse quantization is an intraframe; and (b) adaptively filtering the image data passed through inverse quantization and inverse discrete cosine transform according to the generated blocking information and ringing information. Therefore, the blocking effect and ringing noise can be eliminated from the image restored from the block-based image, thereby enhancing the image restored from compression. |
| US09077957B2 |
Video reproducing apparatus, display control method therefor, and storage medium storing display control program therefor
A video reproducing apparatus that allows a user to visually identify a video component taken at a frame rate that is different from the normal frame rate on a time sequence bar. A reproduction unit reproduces a video image in which video components taken at different frame rates are mixed and to display the video image on a display unit. A display control unit displays a sequence bar on the display unit. The display control unit controls so that a ratio of the length of a section indicating a second video component to its taking time is larger than a ratio of the length of a section indicating a first video component to its taking time, when the video image includes the first and second video components taken at first and second (higher) frame rates, respectively, and when the sections are indicated on the sequence bar. |
| US09077952B2 |
Transport controls for a media device
A method of scanning content comprises receiving an input signal indicating that content being displayed is to be scanned, sensing a duration of the received input signal, and scanning the content at a rate based at least in part on the sensed duration of the received input. |
| US09077951B2 |
Television program selection system, recommendation method and recording method
The present invention relates to a television program selection system, a recommendation method for recommending a selected television program and a recording method for recording a selected television program. Therefore, in a storage face data of one or more users and preference data associated to the face data are stored, wherein said preference data indicating preferences of the user. A camera captures an image of a user. A recommendation device then searches the attribute data of television programs currently available and selects in case that the captured image corresponds to one of the stored face data at least one television program having attribute data matching the associated stored preference data for display, recommendation, recording or other processes. |
| US09077949B2 |
Content search device and program that computes correlations among different features
A content search device includes a feature quantity computing unit that computes a feature quantity of at least any one of an image feature, an acoustic feature and a semantic feature included in each piece of content data, and that stores feature quantity data. The device also includes an unknown feature quantity computing unit that computes an unknown feature quantity of each feature type not associated with a content identifier in the feature quantity data by use of the feature quantity of the feature type associated with the content identifier, and that stores the unknown feature quantity as a feature estimated value in the feature quantity data. The device further includes a distance computing unit that computes a distance indicating a similarity between each two pieces of content data based on the feature quantities and the feature estimated values stored in the feature quantity data. The device still further includes a display unit that determines a display position of a thumbnail corresponding to each piece of content data based on the distances computed by the distance computing unit, and that displays the thumbnail on a display device. |
| US09077948B2 |
Apparatus and methods for resolving recording conflicts of a digital video recorder
Apparatus and methods are provided which facilitate the resolution of recording conflicts of a digital video recorder (DVR). A DVR identifies a recording conflict between a first recording timer associated with a first television program and a second recording timer associated with a second television program. A communication is initiated to a communication device associated with a user of the digital video recorder to inform the user of the recording conflict. Responsive to the communication, the user provides information to the DVR via the communication device requesting to resolve the recording conflict. The DVR utilizes the provided information to modify one or more of the conflicted recording timers to resolve the conflict. |
| US09077945B2 |
Image processing device, image processing method, and program which correctly and easily extracts a color region of a specific color
An image processing device includes a color temperature estimating unit configured to estimate a color temperature of a light source in imaging, a white balance adjusting unit configured to perform first white balance adjustment in which white balance of an image signal is adjusted on the basis of the estimated color temperature when the estimated color temperature is within a predetermined color temperature range, and perform second white balance adjustment in which the white balance of the image signal is adjusted on the basis of the estimated color temperature even when the estimated color temperature is not within the predetermined color temperature range, and a color region extracting unit configured to extract a color region of a specific color by using the image signal to which the second white balance adjustment is applied. |
| US09077941B2 |
Image processing method and image processing device
A bad pixel correction method for an image is provided. The bad pixel correction method includes the steps of determining whether each of pixels of a predetermined block in the image is a bad pixel sequentially; when a current pixel of the block is determined to be bad and a temperature value is higher than a threshold, re-determining that at least one previously determined pixel in the predetermined block to be bad; and correcting the current pixel and the previously determined pixel, wherein the previously determined pixel is adjacent to the current pixel. |
| US09077940B2 |
Display apparatus
A display apparatus includes: a display unit which includes a display connector and displays an image; and a main body which includes a power supply unit for supplying power to the display unit, an image processing unit for outputting image signals, and a main body connector which is directly or indirectly connected to the display connector in order to supply the power and the image signals output from the power supply unit and the image processing unit, respectively, to the display unit. |
| US09077934B2 |
Systems and methods for detecting inconsistent user actions and providing feedback
Systems and methods are provided for detecting inconsistent user actions and providing feedback about assets. A user may perform a first action restricting access to a first asset. The system may detect whether a second action performed relative to a second asset that has a similar attribute as the first asset is inconsistent with the first asset. The inconsistency may be detected when the second action removes or is an inaction that does not place access restrictions on the second asset. The system may alert the user about the inconsistency and the user may act on the alert by providing feedback about the inconsistency and/or the first/second asset, ignoring the inconsistency and/or placing an access restriction or other action consistent with the first action relative to the second asset. The user may also provide detailed feedback about an inconsistency or asset through a website accessed on another device. |
| US09077933B2 |
Methods and apparatus to generate relevance rankings for use by a program selector of a media presentation system
Example methods and apparatus to generate relevance rankings for use by a program selector of a media presentation system are disclosed. An example method comprises tabulating a plurality of occurrence counts for respective ones of a plurality of terms of a program guide, each of the occurrence counts indicating a corresponding number of times each of the terms appears in the program guide, computing a plurality of relevance ranking scores for respective ones of a plurality of programs listed in the program guide based on the plurality of occurrence counts, selecting a list of programs from the program guide based on the relevance ranking scores, and outputting the list of programs. |
| US09077930B2 |
Method and system for reproducing contents, and computer-readable recording medium thereof
A content reproducing method and system for performing seamless playback of contents between devices is provided. The contents reproducing system includes a portable device which, when a short distance communication with a remote control which is configured to control an electronic device occurs during reproducing of contents, generates data required by the electronic device for reproducing the contents that are being reproduced, and which transmits the generated data to the remote control; the remote control which receives the data from the portable device and which transmits the received data to the electronic device, in conjunction with the occurrence of the short distance communication with the portable device; and the electronic device for receiving the contents from a contents provider and reproducing the contents. |
| US09077926B2 |
Image processing method and image processing apparatus
An image processing method includes estimating corners of a contour of an object area in an obtained image, searching for contour lines of the object area between every two points which are offset from the estimated corners within a predetermined degree or distance along a direction away from the object area respectively, and determining intersection points of the contour lines as final corners of the contour of the object area, and determining contour lines between the final corners as a final contour of the object area. |
| US09077921B2 |
Image pickup apparatus, image pickup system, driving method for image pickup apparatus, and driving method for image pickup system using two analog-to-digital conversions
An image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of comparators. At least two analog signal outputs from a pixel are input to the plurality of comparators, and the plurality of comparators perform comparison operations in an overlapped period. |
| US09077920B2 |
Solid-state image pickup device, method for driving solid-state image pickup device, and image pickup apparatus
A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel array section including an effective pixel region, an optical black pixel region, and a pixel region between the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region; a vertical drive section which performs driving so that signals of pixels of the pixel region disposed at a side of the effective pixel region in a vertical direction are skipped and signals of pixels of the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region are read; and a horizontal drive section which performs driving so that, from among the pixels selected by the vertical drive section, the signals of the pixels of the pixel region disposed at a side of the effective pixel region in a horizontal direction are skipped and the signals of the pixels of the effective pixel region and the optical black pixel region are read. |
| US09077918B2 |
Photoelectric conversion apparatus with first and second conductors that respectively supply corresponding voltages to digital circuits of a vertical scanning circuit and signal processing unit
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes, on one substrate, a pixel driving unit and a signal processing unit that includes a digital circuit configured to execute signal processing. A first voltage and a second voltage different in value from the first voltage are supplied to the digital circuit of the pixel driving unit. A third voltage and a fourth voltage different in value from the third voltage are supplied to the digital circuit of the signal processing unit. A main portion of a first conductor that supplies the first voltage to the digital circuit of the pixel driving unit and a main portion of a second conductor that supplies the third voltage to the digital circuit of the signal processing unit are isolated from each other. |
| US09077917B2 |
Image sensor having HDR capture capability
A system and method of generating a high dynamic range image. A single reset of an image sensor may be executed followed by two or more reads of the sensor to retrieve data. These reads of the image sensor may be done prior to a subsequent reset of the sensor. These reads may also be accomplished at predetermined times relative to one another. Data read out during these scans may be deinterleaved by an image signal processor and combined into a high dynamic range image. |
| US09077913B2 |
Simulating high dynamic range imaging with virtual long-exposure images
A total exposure time (TET) may be selected. A plurality of images of a scene may be captured using respective TETs that are based on the selected TET. At least two of the images in the plurality of images may be combined to form a merged short-exposure image. A digital gain may be applied to the merged short-exposure image to form a virtual long-exposure image. The merged short-exposure image and the virtual long-exposure image may be combined to form an output image. More of the output image may be properly-exposed than either of the merged short-exposure image or the virtual long-exposure image. |
| US09077912B2 |
Motion initiated time synchronization
Systems and methods of synchronizing devices may include detecting a movement of a first mobile device and conducting a time synchronization procedure with respect to a second mobile device in response to the movement of the two mobile devices. The time synchronization can be conducted without network infrastructure support at the mobile devices. |
| US09077911B2 |
Multi-exposure video
Certain cameras and systems described herein produce enhanced dynamic range still or video images. The images can also have controlled or reduced motion artifacts. Moreover, the cameras and systems in some cases allow the dynamic range and/or motion artifacts to be tuned to achieve a desired cinematic effect. |
| US09077906B1 |
Video contrast adjusting method
A method for adjusting a contrast value of a video capturing end to a optimum contrast value is provided. Firstly, a first video image and a first contrast value of the first video image are gathered by a software part. A reference image is generated according to the first video image. The first video image is compared with the reference image to generate a first image evaluation value and an operation is performed to determine whether the first image evaluation value is greater than a first threshold. When the first image evaluation value is smaller than the first threshold, a second contrast value is generated according to the first contrast value and a dynamical contrast adjusting value. The second contrast value is sent to a firmware part by the software part to adjust a contrast value of the video capturing end according to the second contrast value. |
| US09077901B2 |
Light field image capture device having 2D image capture mode
A dual-mode light field camera or plenoptic camera is enabled to perform both 3D light field imaging and conventional high-resolution 2D imaging, depending on the selected mode. In particular, an active system is provided that enables the microlenses to be optically or effectively turned on or turned off, allowing the camera to selectively operate as a 2D imaging camera or a 3D light field camera. |
| US09077889B2 |
Network management apparatus and method of controlling the same, and communication apparatus and method of controlling the same
This invention provides a network management apparatus for appropriately managing a photographing network. A plurality of apparatuses including a master apparatus that issues a control command to control a photographic operation and a slave apparatus that executes the control command belong to the photographing network. The network management apparatus preferentially determines, out of the plurality of apparatuses belonging to the photographing network, a master apparatus as a candidate apparatus that becomes a new network management apparatus in a case that the network management apparatus is disconnected from the photographing network managed by the network management apparatus itself. |
| US09077887B2 |
Camera having reconfigurable logic blocks in integrated circuit embedded thereon and system having the camera
A camera having a reconfigurable logic block and a method for reconfiguring the logic block are provided. The camera includes: an integrated circuit (IC) such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) including at least one logic block; and a processor configured to receive information about the logic block of the IC, and transmit the information about the logic block to the IC to update at least one existing signal processing (ISP) function recorded in the IC or change the existing ISP function to another at least one ISP function for a different use according to the information about the logic block, wherein each of the existing ISP function and the other ISP function is used to process an image signal obtained by the camera. |
| US09077882B2 |
Relevant image detection in a camera, recorder, or video streaming device
The filtering tasks that are conventionally applied in a video monitoring application, to distinguish images that may be relevant to the application, are distributed to the image source, or near-source devices. Source devices, such as cameras and playback devices, and near-source devices, such as video concentrators and streaming devices, are configured to include video processing tools that can be used to pre-filter the image data to identify frames or segments of frames that include image information that is likely to be relevant to the receiving video monitoring application. In this manner, the receiving processor need not spend time and resources processing images that are pre-determined to be irrelevant to the receiving application. |
| US09077881B2 |
Camera module
Disclosed herein is a camera module herein. The camera module includes a case; a bracket that is installed in the case, wherein an elastic element is interposed between the bracket and the case, and the bracket is elastically supported in the case by the elastic element; a substrate coupled to a lower portion of the bracket; an image sensor installed on the printed circuit board, wherein an upper portion of the image sensor is inserted into the bracket; and a focusing and tilt adjuster that is coupled through a bottom surface of the case, wherein a front end portion of the focusing and tilt adjuster contacts the substrate. |
| US09077880B2 |
Image capturing module and image sensing unit thereof
An image capturing module includes an image sensing unit and an optical auxiliary unit. The image sensing unit includes a carrier substrate, an image sensing chip disposed on the carrier substrate and electrically connected to the carrier substrate, a microlens array substrate disposed on the image sensing chip, and a nonconductive photosensitive film layer disposed on the microlens array substrate for increasing the light absorption capability. The optical auxiliary unit includes a housing frame and a movable lens assembly. The housing frame is disposed on the carrier substrate to cover the image sensing chip, the microlens array substrate and the nonconductive photosensitive film layer, and the movable lens assembly is movably disposed in the housing frame. |
| US09077878B2 |
Alternative lens insertion methods and associated features for camera modules
A camera module has an image sensor and a lens assembly that includes a lens barrel having a first cylindrical portion that includes an externally threaded portion and a second cylindrical portion that has a larger diameter than the externally threaded portion. A lens moving mechanism includes a movable sleeve having internal threads that receive the externally threaded portion of the lens assembly. The lens moving mechanism is coupled to the image sensor such that the second cylindrical portion of the lens assembly is closest to the image sensor. The camera module is assembled by inserting the lens assembly into the lens moving mechanism from the side closest to the image sensor. An installation tool engages the second cylindrical portion to rotate the lens assembly and engage the externally threaded portion of the lens assembly with an internally threaded portion of a movable sleeve in the lens moving mechanism. |
| US09077877B2 |
Active headwear for detachably mounting an imaging device
Disclosed is a mounting system and method for securing an imaging device to active headgear. In one embodiment, the mounting system includes a headwear frame to which can be attached a head strap to form a diving mask. A digital camera or a video recorder can be secured to an attachment base in the mounting system to allow use thereof in a hands-free operating mode. |
| US09077876B2 |
Optical imaging lens set and electronic device comprising the same
An optical imaging lens set from an object side toward an image side along an optical axis in order includes: a first lens element with positive refractive power, a second lens element with negative refractive power, a third lens element having an image-side surface with a convex portion in a vicinity of the optical axis, a fourth lens element having an object-side surface with a concave portion in a vicinity of the optical axis, and a fifth lens element having an object-side surface with a convex portion in a vicinity of its circular periphery. |
| US09077874B2 |
Memory card and method for initiation of storage and wireless transceiving of data
Disclosed is a memory card having a central processor, a wireless transceiver module operatively connected to the central processor, a storage module operatively connected to the central processor, and a movement sensor operatively connected to the central processor. The movement sensor is configured to provide operational signals to the central processor as a result of a detection of movement of defined characteristics. |
| US09077872B2 |
Document management apparatus and document management method
A document management apparatus includes a holding unit, a searching unit, and a deletion unit. The holding unit holds print data that includes an image of a printed document and attribute information on the printed document. In a case where an image of a document to be registered and attribute information on the document to be registered are registered in the holding unit, the holding unit holds deletion information and the attribute information on the document to be registered in association with each other. In a case where the document to be registered is registered in the holding unit, the searching unit searches the print data held in the holding unit for print data having the deletion information associated with the attribute information on the registered document. The deletion unit deletes at least an image of a document included in the print data found as a result of the search. |
| US09077866B2 |
Video system and methods for operating a video system
A multiple camera video system and methods for operating such a system. The system may include a plurality of cameras located around a stadium, athletic playing field or other location. The cameras are remotely controlled in a master-slave configuration. A camera operator at a master pan head selects one of the plurality of cameras as the current master camera and utilizes the master pan head to adjust the telemetry and zoom of the master camera to follow the target object. The telemetry and zoom parameters of the master camera are then used to calculate corresponding telemetry, zoom and/or other parameters for each of the plurality of slave cameras. Video captured by each of the cameras is stored for the production of replay video feeds or for archiving. The replays may be capable of “spinning” through the video feeds of adjacent cameras in order for the viewer to get the sensation of revolving around the target object. The multiple camera video system also includes methods for calibrating the system. |
| US09077865B1 |
Virtual reality system for providing individuals with customized live experiences
An interactive system and method of the present invention provides a customized experience to individual spectators of a live performance. At least one virtual reality device is associated with a spectator of the live performance, and each virtual reality device is coupled to a processor to independently receive real time virtual reality sensory effects projected from the processor in response to parameters selected by the associated spectator. The virtual reality device may be for example eyewear which projects the real time virtual reality sensory effects as substituting in effect for visual effects associated with the actual live performance. Selectable parameters may include one or more of a visual perspective for the spectator, costumes associated with performers, and background scenery elements. |
| US09077862B2 |
TDI sensor modules with localized driving and signal processing circuitry for high speed inspection
An inspection system for inspecting a surface of a wafer/mask/reticle can include a modular array. The modular array can include a plurality of time delay integration (TDI) sensor modules, each TDI sensor module having a TDI sensor and a plurality of localized circuits for driving and processing the TDI sensor. At least one of the localized circuits can control a clock associated with the TDI sensor. At least one light pipe can be used to distribute a source illumination to the plurality of TDI sensor modules. The plurality of TDI sensor modules can be positioned capture a same inspection region or different inspection regions. The plurality of TDI sensor modules can be identical or provide for different integration stages. Spacing of the modules can be arranged to provide 100% coverage of the inspection region in one pass or for fractional coverage requiring two or more passes for complete coverage. |
| US09077861B2 |
Image processing apparatus, electronic apparatus, and image processing method
A technology for displaying images on a displaying apparatus mounted on a vehicle is provided. In response to a predetermined instruction signal, synthetic images viewed from a virtual viewpoint around and above the periphery of the vehicle are generated based on a plurality of images acquired from a plurality of cameras for capturing the periphery of the vehicle. The plurality of synthetic images, in which a position of a viewpoint moves sequentially varies such that the synthetic images move in a circle around the vehicle, are sequentially output to the displaying apparatus. Accordingly, the user monitors the entire circumference of the vehicle from the viewpoint where the user sees the vehicle in front of user's eyes, so that the user can intuitively recognize the positional relation between the vehicle and an obstacle from one screen. |
| US09077851B2 |
Transmission terminal, transmission system, display control method, and recording medium storing display control program
A transmission terminal receives image data from one or more counterpart transmission terminals via a relay device, and displays one or more images based on the received image data on a display. When the transmission terminal receives message data from a management system in alternative to image data to be transmitted from one of the one or more counterpart transmission terminals, the transmission terminal displays a message on the display based on the received message data. |
| US09077845B2 |
Video processing
Video processing comprises storing data relating to images of a video signal captured over at least a reference period relative to a current image of the video signal; comparing the current image with a reference image of the video signal captured within the reference period, so as to detect image features in the current image representing changes with respect to a corresponding position in the reference image; detecting whether a detected image feature in the current image has remained at substantially the same image position over a group of images preceding the current image; and displaying the current image with an indication of any such image features and an indication of the duration of the presence of the image feature at that image position. |
| US09077840B2 |
Image processing device, image formation system and image processing method
An image processing device includes an image acquisition part acquiring first image data, a character detector detecting, based on the first image data, data of a character area in the first image data, a marking detector detecting, based on the first image data, data of a marking area in the first image data, an image adjustment area determination part determining, based on a detection result of the character detector and a detection result of the marking detector, data of an image adjustment area in the first image data, and an image processing part subjecting the data of the image adjustment area in the first image data to image processing to output second image data. |
| US09077839B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium for suppressing a decrease in performance due to an increase in memory temperature when using a wide IO memory
An information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a wide IO memory device stacked on an SoC die that includes a CPU, acquires temperature information of multiple memories in the wide IO memory device, loads applications for executing separate functions to multiple memories, excluding the memory positioned above the circuit on the SoC die related to the function to be executed by the application, and, when the execution of the loaded application is instructed, executes the application loaded to the memory having a lower temperature that was acquired. |
| US09077836B1 |
Image reading apparatus
An image reading apparatus includes: a command unit which generates a command signal periodically; a reading unit which reads an original in accordance with the command signal every time the command signal is generated; a conveying unit which conveys at least one of the reading unit and the original so as to change a relative position between the reading unit and the original; a signal output unit which outputs a displacement signal every time the relative position is changed by a predetermined amount corresponding to a reading interval; and a control unit which controls a generation timing of the command signal by the command unit. A generation period of the command signal is less than an output time interval of the displacement signal. |
| US09077829B2 |
Management system of information processing apparatus, information processing apparatus, method for controlling communication of information processing apparatus, and storage medium
There is provided an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus, and executing a predetermined function based on a setting value managed by the external apparatus. |
| US09077827B2 |
Page-turning reader device and feeder device
In order to provide a page-turning reader device and a feeder device capable of continuously acquiring image data of each page of a plurality of booklets, the page-turning reader device (1) includes a feeder unit (102) that feeds a plurality of stacked booklets (10) one by one from a lower side; a holder (203) that grips and fixes a binding edge of the booklet (10) fed from the feeder unit (102); an air suction pad (206), an air blow nozzle (207), and a first page-turning bar (204) configured to turn the pages of the booklet (10) one by one while the booklet (10) is fixed by the holder (203); and an image data acquiring means (11) that acquires image data of each page of the booklet (10) using an image pickup camera (106) in synchronization with a turning operation. |
| US09077826B2 |
Data printing system, portable terminal device and computer-readable medium
The present invention allows desired printing to be easily achieved not with complex operation but with intuitive operation. In the present invention, short-range communications can be made between a portable terminal device and a copy machine. When the portable terminal device is placed on a placement table of the copy machine, the copy machine detects the placement state of the portable terminal device (for example, landscape orientation or portrait orientation), determines a print format (for example, printing in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction as a printing direction) according to this placement state, and performs printing of print data received from the portable terminal device according to the print format. |
| US09077823B1 |
Systems and methods for automatically generating a photo-based project having a flush photo montage on the front cover
A photo-based project and associated printed photobook having a flush photo collage, or montage, on the front cover are disclosed. In one embodiment, a photobook is made by receiving a plurality of images corresponding to a photo-project; storing said plurality of images in a data repository; receiving a print order for a printed photobook corresponding to the photo-project; in response to the print order, printing a photo-strip having one or more of the images; producing a front cover by compressing a compressible cover material to form a channel in the compressible cover material, wherein the channel is of a size and a shape matching the photo-strip; wrapping the compressible cover material with the channel around a cover board to make the front cover; and setting the photo-strip permanently into the channel and flush with the front cover to create the photobook. |
| US09077815B1 |
Customized hardware selection for a mobile phone
A computerized method of customizing hardware for a mobile phone is provided. The method includes receiving shell selection information from a user input device, identifying a set of hardware components, the set of hardware components generated based on a compatibility between the hardware components and the shell selection information, and outputting the identified set of compatible hardware components. |
| US09077812B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving user experience
A data processing system includes components for providing a pleasant user experience. Those components may include a family interaction engine that provides a family channel. The family interaction engine may provide for creation of a user group. The family channel may present content of interest to multiple users in the user group. When a user is detected near the data processing system, the family interaction engine may automatically present content of interest to that user. When used for presenting media content, the data processing system may also cause supplemental data to automatically be presented, wherein the supplemental data is relevant to the media content and to a predetermined interest of the user. The data processing system may also provide a ranked list of applications for potential activation by the user. The applications may be ordered based on the current context. Other embodiments are described and claimed. |
| US09077808B2 |
System and method for implementing do-not-disturb during playback of media content
The disclosed embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product for implementing do-not-disturb feature during media content. For example, in one embodiment, the do-not-disturb feature is implemented on an electronic device during the playback of the media content based on user preferences, where the user preferences specify the media content that triggers the do-not-disturb feature on the electronic device. In response to the do-not-disturb feature being implemented, notification of an incoming communication is suspended during playback of the media content. |
| US09077805B2 |
System for communication routing
A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code is provided wherein an electronic communication is received. A communication routing matrix is accessed, from a relational database platform, to select a service representative for the received communication. It may then be arranged for the received communication to be routed in accordance with the selected service representative. |
| US09077803B2 |
System for facilitating loosely configured service worker groups in a dynamic call center environment
A system for soliciting and activating one or more groups of workers to service contact center business includes an interface accessible to the one or more groups for accepting group registration data, publishing contact center business and for enabling the groups to subscribe to receive business; a data repository for storing the registration data for subscribing groups; and a routing server for specifying routing strategies for event routing to the groups. The system is characterized in that the one or more groups of workers may be activated during contact center business activity to perform services based on need. |
| US09077796B2 |
System containing a mobile communication device and associated docking station
A communication system is described that includes a mobile communication device and a docking station with which the mobile communication device can be selectively engaged and disengaged. The mobile communication device includes telephony logic that enables a user to conduct a voice call using a first speaker/microphone and/or a first network interface provided by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device is disengaged from the docking station and that enables the user to conduct a voice call using a second speaker/microphone and/or a second network interface provided by the docking station when the mobile communication device is engaged with the docking station. The telephony logic is also capable of dynamically switching between the use of the first and second speakers/microphones and/or the first and second network interfaces in response to detecting engagement or disengagement of the docking station during a voice call. |
| US09077791B2 |
Display module and mobile terminal having the same
Display module and mobile terminal having the same are provided. The display module includes a liquid crystal display panel configured to output a color per pixel, a backlight unit configured to uniformly project light to a rear side of liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit having a light guide plate and a light source, a mold located at a perimeter of the liquid crystal display panel and a perimeter of the backlight unit, and a light cutoff part configured to cut off path of light incident on a front of the liquid crystal display panel from a side of the liquid crystal display panel. Accordingly, light leakage caused by light incident on lateral side of liquid crystal display panel by being reflected by mold or light reflected by lateral side of liquid crystal display panel is minimized to output more clear and vivid images. |
| US09077789B2 |
Sleeve with electronic extensions for a cell phone
A passively re-radiating cell phone sleeve assembly capable of receiving a nested cell phone provides signal boosting capabilities and provides a radar enablement. Signal boosting is enabled by use of an additional antenna, a pass-through repeater, dual antenna isolation capability and other features. |
| US09077788B2 |
Electronic apparatus
An electronic apparatus includes a frame, at least one first blocking part, at least one second blocking part, a display module, a first wedging structure and a second wedging structure. The frame includes a first frame stick, a second frame stick and a third frame stick connecting the first frame stick and the second frame stick. The first blocking part is disposed on the first frame stick. The second blocking part is disposed on the second frame stick. The display module includes a first edge, a second edge and at least one third edge. The third edge is pivotally connected to the third frame stick. The first and second wedging structures are respectively disposed on the first and second edges for wedging the first blocking part or the second blocking part. The first wedging structure and the second wedging structure are misaligned. |
| US09077784B2 |
Media file synchronization
The description generally relates to a system designed to synchronize the rendering of a media file between a master device and a sister device. The system is designed so that a media file is simultaneously rendered on a master device and a sister device beginning from identical temporal starting points. |
| US09077775B2 |
Identifying social profiles in a social network having relevance to a first file
Methods and systems for providing related social profiles in a social network are disclosed. One method identifying a plurality of social profiles within the social network, wherein the plurality of social profiles each have a relationship with the first file, wherein the social network allows uploading and sharing of social profiles of users, and wherein each social profile includes a representation of a user. The method further includes generating, by a system server, a list of inquiries based on the plurality of social profiles, providing, by the system server, the list of inquiries to at least one author of the first file, receiving from the at least one author at least one response to the list of inquiries, selecting a subset of the plurality of social profiles based on the at least one response, and storing information related to the selected subset of the plurality of social profiles for access if the first file is selected. |
| US09077771B2 |
Enabling location-based applications to work with imaginary locations
Technologies for game providers to place their game worlds into existing map databases and communicate the relevant locations to location-based applications are generally described. In some examples, this may be achieved by generating maps that use non-physical locations that are still within standard location data formats at a game service provider and providing the maps and/or map data to map server providers showing game worlds mapped to those coordinates. Alternatively, the game service provider may provide the map data to the map service provider and the map may be generated at the map service provider. The imaginary location maps may be identified by extreme or non-physical altitudes, for example. Game clients may be enabled to publish the location of their game persona on an imaginary map and/or their real persona on a real map and receive location-based services for either or both personas. |
| US09077767B2 |
Inception of live events
Common interests of at least two different groups of users are captured and analyzed to create a proposal for an event that would satisfy the interests of each group of users. One group of users may be consumers of content, another group of users may be providers of content and a further group of users may, for example, be venue providers. Once an event is proposed, ownership of the event may be prompted for. |
| US09077766B2 |
System and method for combining memory resources for use on a personal network
A personal network may be established by interconnecting a plurality of satellites as part of the personal network. Each satellite may be configured to communicate with one or more other satellites. On any given one of the plurality of satellites, data indicating a connectivity status for the one or more other satellites is automatically received, and information indicating a capability of the one or more other satellites is automatically received. The given satellite may be configured to enable at least one other corresponding satellite in the plurality of satellites to be made available for use, so that a capability of the at least one other corresponding satellite is made available for the given satellite. |
| US09077765B2 |
Content management and delivery
Systems and methods for delivering digital content are provided. In one example, a method may include registering a plurality of content source servers and a plurality of content delivery servers with a content management server. The method may include providing a respective inbound content adapter for each of the content source servers, the inbound adapter configured to generate canonical source data. The method may further include providing a respective outbound content adapter for each of the content delivery servers, the outbound adapter configured to process the canonical source data according to a data contract for the respective content delivery server and generate deliverable content data appropriate for the associated content delivery server. |
| US09077760B2 |
Broadband communications
Disclosed is a provisioning tool and a method for implementing an operating a communications network, particularly a broadband communications network which is arranged to provision a service for a user based on information available via another user connection; this facilitates provision. In a preferred embodiment, a user device address is obtained from a user IP address. Provisioning and other network tools with additional or alternative advantageous features are disclosed and the provisioning tools disclosed may communicate with a variety of other tools including planning and inventory applications and agents associated with equipment, all of which are also independently provided, enabling provision of a variety of novel services and features dealing with a spectrum of problems arising in a communications environment, particularly a broadband environment. |
| US09077759B2 |
Conflict resolution for keychain syncing
Some embodiments provide a program that synchronizes a keychain stored on a device with a set of other devices. The keychain includes a set of keychain items. The program receives (1) a list of keychain items for updating the keychain stored on the device and (2) data representing the keychain items specified in the list of keychain items. For each keychain item in the list of keychain items, the program updates the keychain stored on the device with the data that represents the keychain item. |
| US09077757B2 |
Dynamic bandwidth allocation for addressable content
Systems and methods for push-based dynamic bandwidth allocation deliver addressable, advertising content in a digital network. Bandwidth is allocated on a push basis in response to receiving a trigger from a content distribution stream. The trigger contains data indicating an addressable break. A portion of bandwidth is then allocated to an addressable content stream based on the data of the trigger. The addressable content stream is then streamed to a receiver during the addressable break and the receiver is tuned from the broadcast stream to the addressable content stream for the duration of the addressable break. The additional bandwidth is de-allocated at the end of the addressable break. |
| US09077753B2 |
Method for securing name registries, network access and data communication in ID/locator split-base networks
The invention provides a new system for internet security. The internet network system comprises a first Edge Network 11 that comprises a Source Host (SH) 12, a first gateway (GW) 13 and a Local Name Server (LNS) 14, a Logical Control network 21 which comprises a Domain Name Registry (DNR) 22 and a Host Name Registry (HNR) 23, a Target Host (TH) 31 in the first Edge Network 11 or in a second Edge Network 32 and a Global Transit Network 41 which includes Routers 42 to connect the first Edge Network 11, the Logical Control network 21; and the second Edge Network 32. |
| US09077752B2 |
Systems, apparatus, and methods for identifying stored data that may be accessed by a host entity and providing data management services
A first device in a network, having a first port, receives an identifier of a second port of a second device in the network, the network comprising a host entity, a switch, and a storage system. The first port of the first device spoofs the second port of the second device, during a communication with the switch. The first device receives information identifying a third port of a third device in the network that is zoned to the second port of the second device. The device identifies data stored in the storage system that may be accessed by the host entity, based at least on the information. |
| US09077748B1 |
Embedded object binding and validation
Unauthorized uses of embedded objects in websites are detected, in order to protect users from phishing sites using cloned copies of such objects. Authorized parties register objects for use at legitimate locations (e.g., specific IP address ranges or domains). When a client computing device accesses a website, the objects in the website are checked against the registered objects, to determine whether the objects are registered for use by the site being accessed. Depending upon trust status information concerning the objects, the access of the website can be permitted or blocked, or the user can be warned about questionable or un-trusted embedded objects. Additionally, the party that registered an object can be notified, in the case of an indication of unauthorized use of the object by a website. |
| US09077739B2 |
Messaging security device
In one embodiment, a system can comprise an interface that receives data related to a communication session and a messaging security device component that evaluates the data and enables a security measure for preventative monitoring of a threat based on the evaluation, the security measure can be universally applied to two or more messaging formats. |
| US09077738B1 |
Systems and methods for setting up a collaborative communication system
A collaborative communication system comprises a highly flexible architecture that facilitates connecting communication devices and networks to establish multimedia collaboration sessions in a manner that allows distribution of various services and features throughout the collaborative communication system to provide scalability and selectable combination of cost, resource usage, and performance. |
| US09077736B2 |
Systems and methods for providing a client agent for delivery of remote services
The solution of the present application provides many types and forms of resources, such as products or services, to an environment of heterogeneous devices. An agent and centralized service may communicate to deliver an optimum package of resources to a device. Each device may include an agent that collects information important to determining the appropriate resources for the device and understanding the environment the devices are contributing to. The information may be stored and analyzed in a cross device knowledge base, and the knowledge base may be consulted to determine resources appropriate for devices. The agent and centralized service may engage in pro-active alerting and provisioning of services, based on any collected information, to minimize the burden of resource procurement on the customer. After delivery of resources, the agent and centralized service may also perform updating, repairing, and healing functions for the resources. Resources may be aggregated into a cohesive platform to be combined and delivered in an optimum manner, and resources may also be maintained and monitored to ensure their quality via escalation or remedial action. Devices may be connected to the resources through intelligent routing. |
| US09077733B2 |
Roaming application settings across multiple computing devices
Application settings are roamed across multiple computing devices. Provider modules on the computing devices are run to retrieve application settings to be roamed and to roam those application settings across the multiple computing devices. Application setting changes initiated on a particular computing device are added to a history of application setting changes on the particular computing device, and also added to synchronization communication module for communication to one or more additional computing devices of the multiple computing devices. Application setting changes initiated by one of the one or more additional computing devices are received by the particular computing device and added to a history of application setting changes on the particular computing device, and are also incorporated into the application settings on the particular computing device. |
| US09077732B2 |
System and method for selective distribution of information
A system and method for selectively updating remote devices is described herein. A method incorporating at least some of the present teachings may include, for example, receiving a communication from a client application executing on a remote device. The communication may indicate a condition of a game character being played in a massively multi-party online game. The method may also include developing a filtered manifest that includes a list of files needed by the client application and associated with the condition. A portion of the collection may be identified for communication to the client application, and communication of the portion may be initiated. |
| US09077731B2 |
Extended graphics context with common compositing
Cross-environment rendering and user interaction support provide a seamless computing experience in a multi-operating system computing environment. The multi-operating system computing environment may include a mobile operating system and a desktop operating system running concurrently and independently on a mobile computing device. The mobile operating system may be associated with a first user environment and the desktop operating system may be associated with a second user environment. Real-time display of applications running in the mobile operating system within the second user environment is provided by rendering the application through an extended graphics context of the mobile operating system. Application graphics for multiple applications are rendered into portions of a single graphics frame. The mobile computing device may be a smartphone running the Android mobile operating system and a full desktop Linux distribution on a modified Android kernel. |
| US09077730B2 |
Restricting network access while connected to an untrusted network
In an example embodiment, disclosed herein is an apparatus comprising an interface configured to communicate with at least one external device, and processing logic coupled with the interface. The processing logic determines whether the interface is connected directly to a predefined network. The processing logic restricts access to the interface responsive to determining the interface is connected to a network other than the predefined network. The processing logic does not restrict access to the interface while the interface is directly connected with the predefined network. |
| US09077728B1 |
Systems and methods for managing access-control groups
A computer-implemented method for managing access-control groups. The method may include (1) tracking users' access patterns to one or more shared resources, (2) analyzing the users' access patterns to identify a cluster of users who exhibit similar access patterns to the one or more shared resources, (3) identifying a preexisting access-control group to which one or more of the users is assigned, (4) comparing the preexisting access-control group to the cluster of users, and (5) organizing, based on the comparison, one or more of the users into one or more access-control groups. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US09077727B2 |
Method and system for data management in peer-to-peer network
A method for managing storage of data objects in a peer-to-peer system including a plurality of peer entities is provided. For each data object to be stored into the peer-to-peer system, the method including establishing a group of peer entities so that the group meets a stability requirement according to predetermined stability rules, storing the data object into each peer entity of the group, and each peer entity of the group generating and maintaining a group list associated with the data object, which includes the peer entities of the group. |
| US09077719B2 |
Method and system for automatic distribution and installation of a client certificate in a secure manner
Methods and Systems for distributing and installing a digital certificate are provided. In this method, an object stored in a secure local network is associated with a proxy server. The object is presented by the proxy server to a remote server through a controlled access point in the secure local network to request a new digital certificate. The object includes the request for the new digital certificate, validity scope information; and an address associated with the controlled access point. |
| US09077716B2 |
Wireless device enabled locking system
An encrypted security system and associated methods for controlling physical access. The system includes a security server configured to receive a request for authentication from a mobile device, the request comprising information identifying the mobile device and a physical access control device. The security server forwards an encryption message comprising a plurality of unique identifiers to the physical access control device via the mobile device. The physical access control device is configured to authenticate the plurality of unique identifiers in the encryption message and operate an access control mechanism. |
| US09077714B2 |
Secure authentication in a multi-party system
A user device transmits a login request. A provider server, receives a random number from and transmits other information to an authentication server. The provider server transmits the random number to the device. The random number is transferred to a second user device, which transmits it to the authentication server. The authentication server transmits provider authentication policy requirements and further transmits the other information to the second device. The second device transmits user validation information to the authentication server. The authentication server determines that the transmitted validation information corresponds to the service provider authentication policy requirements, compares the validation information with stored validation information for the user to authenticate the user. The second device transmits a message, including the random number and the other information, signed with a user credential to the authentication server. The authentication server transmits notice of authentication and the signed message to the provider server. |
| US09077713B1 |
Typeless secure login to web-based services
A system provides a remote electronic device with secure access to a web service. The system generates an alphanumeric character set, encodes the character set in a barcode, and outputs the barcode on a login page. When the system receives an access request from a remote electronic device, it will determine whether the request or a following communication includes the character set and a unique identifier for an authentication application that is installed on the remote electronic device. If so, then the system will use the unique identifier to identify a user account for a user who is using the remote device, generate a home page that includes one or more functions for which the user account is authorized, and output the home page. The system will output the home page in a manner that permits the remote electronic device to securely access and display the home page. |
| US09077707B2 |
System and method for accessing private digital content
Method for providing access to private digital content owned by an owner and installed on a content server, wherein a content manager server has a number of clients potentially interested in the private content, the method comprising the following steps performed at a content management server being informed that the owner has installed private content on a content server; obtaining a delegate token from the content server; receiving a query for the private digital content from a client of the number of clients of the content management server; providing said client with a token using the delegate token enabling the client to access the private content. |
| US09077700B2 |
Authentication server, authentication method and computer program
There is provided an authentication server including: a network access authenticating unit and an address notifying unit wherein the network access authenticating unit receives, from an authentication relay connected to a network, a first authentication message for a communication device existing under the authentication relay, and execute network access authentication process with the communication device, and the address notifying unit notifies the communication device of the server's address information in accordance with a result of the network access authentication process. |
| US09077697B2 |
Method and system for managing the transfer of files among multiple computer systems
A system and method is disclosed for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer. The system and method comprises reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions. One or more transfer files stored on the source computer are identified based on at least one of the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. The identified transfer files are transferred from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. |
| US09077695B2 |
System and method for establishing an encrypted communication link based on IP address lookup requests
A network device stores an application program for a secure communications service and has processor configured to execute the application program. The execution causes the processor to send a request to look up an internet protocol (IP) address of a second network device based on an identifier associated with the second network device, to receive, following a determination by a name service that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, the determination by the name service being based on the identifier in the request: (1) an indication that the second network device is available for the secure communications service, (2) the requested IP address of the second network device, and (3) provisioning information for an encrypted communication link. The execution further enables the processor to connect to the second network device and to communicate data with the second network via the encrypted communication link. The network device is a device at which a user uses the secure communications service to access the encrypted communication link. |
| US09077687B2 |
System and method for secure machine-to-machine communications
Embodiments of the present invention include a method for providing a secure domain name system (DNS) for machine to machine communications. In one embodiment, the method includes storing policy information for machine to machine communications in a global DNS registry database server. The method further includes communicating the policy information for machine to machine communications from the global DNS registry database server to a machine DNS registry server located in an Internet service provider (ISP) network, wherein a control signaling gateway located in the ISP network is configured to utilize the policy information for machine to machine communications to allow only registered controllers associated with a machine to communicate with the machine. |
| US09077684B1 |
System, method, and computer program product for determining whether an electronic mail message is compliant with an etiquette policy
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining whether an electronic mail message is compliant with an etiquette policy. In use, a predetermined event associated with an electronic mail message is identified. Additionally, it is determined whether the electronic mail message is compliant with an etiquette policy, in response to the predetermined event. Furthermore, a reaction is performed, based on the determination. |
| US09077679B2 |
Mobile status update display
A method for using a wireless receiver may include receiving subscribed messages for a user identified with a user account of a hub, being messages posted by other uses of the hub to which the user has subscribed. The method may include automatically processing the messages to determine content for display on a display device, and displaying the content on the display device. The display device may be configured as two separate screens mounted at separate locations on the user's body. The messages may include user status messages, which are messages posted to the hub by the user, and the user status messages and subscription messages may be displayed on separate ones of the two screens. An apparatus for performing the method may include a processor coupled to a memory holding encoded instructions for performing operations of the method. |
| US09077676B2 |
Intelligent messaging
A method includes sending notification messages to a plurality of subscribers of a notification platform via a plurality of communications devices of the subscribers over a plurality of communications channels, each communications device associated with at least one of the plurality of communications channels, including sending notification messages to devices over first channels associated with the communications devices. The method also includes monitoring a status of the first channels and a status of the notification messages sent over the first channels; and adapting the sending of the notification messages according to the monitored statuses, including sending at least some of the notification messages over second channels associated with the communications devices. |
| US09077673B2 |
Content-based notification and user-transparent pull operation for simulated push transmission of wireless email
Exemplary system, method, software and apparatus embodiments provide for creating a content-based notification for a mobile device, as a simulated push operation, for devices which do not have push capability. The system comprises a database, a server, and may also include a second web server for user account configuration. The database is adapted to store user account configuration and preference information. The server is adapted to receive a first message having a first protocol, such as SMTP, and to determine whether the content-based notification for the first message should be provided. When the content-based notification is to be provided, the server is adapted to extract a subset of information from the first message, and using the subset of information, to create a second message having a second, different protocol, such as SMS. The second message is transferred to a wireless network for transmission to the mobile device, with the second message providing the content-based notification of the first message. The information extracted from the first message enables a user to determine whether they want to download the complete message, as a user-transparent pull operation, and typically includes the from, to, size, date, subject fields, and a portion of the body of the first message, up to the remaining capacity of the second message. |
| US09077670B2 |
Deadline-aware network protocol
A deadline-aware network protocol is described. In an example, data transfer at a transport layer entity of a packet-based communication network is controlled by receiving a request for network resources for a data flow from a network element and allocating network resources to the data flow. The data flow comprises a number of data packets associated with an application, and the request comprises a factor relating to a time deadline associated with the application. The network resources allocated depend on the factor relating to the time deadline. In examples, the network resource can be a bandwidth or data rate allocated to the data flow, and the factor can be a data rate sufficient to complete the data flow within the time deadline. In examples, the network resources are allocated greedily, such that requests are fully satisfied whenever possible, and the network resources are fully utilized. |
| US09077669B2 |
Efficient lookup methods for ternary content addressable memory and associated devices and systems
Lookup techniques are described, which can achieve improvements in energy efficiency, speed, and cost, of IP address lookup, for example, in devices and systems employing ternary content addressable memory (TCAM). The disclosed subject matter describes dividing a route table into several sub-tries with disjoint range boundaries. In addition, the disclosed subject matter describes storing sub-tries of a route table between a TCAM and a faster and less costly memory. The disclosed details enable various refinements and modifications according to system design and tradeoff considerations. |
| US09077662B2 |
Service linkage control system and method
A service linkage control system and method are disclosed for implementing service linkage identification and control for separated control channel and data channel in the communication system. The method includes that: a linkage strategy management module (102) sends a first service template of the service needing linkage identification to a Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) identification module (101) to identify the service needing linkage identification, and sends after classification a service identification result and linkage related information to a linkage strategy management module (102) via a DPI identification device information collection database (104) and a linkage information control center (105); the linkage strategy management module (102) generates a service control strategy according to the received service identification result and a predetermined control rule, and issues the control strategy to a DPI control module (103); and the DPI control module (103) receives and implements the control strategy. |
| US09077661B2 |
System and method for policy selection and switching function in a network environment
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service for a subscriber at an access gateway; receiving a default subscriber policy and a default service policy at the access gateway; receiving a subscriber policy and a service policy for the service being requested at the access gateway; receiving the service being requested at the access gateway; and communicating the service being requested from the access gateway to the subscriber in response to the request. |
| US09077657B1 |
Intelligent cellular communications gateway device, system, and method
A device, system, and method include receiving via a first network, by a remote computer server, a customized application from a user. The customized application is transmitted, by the remote computer server, to one or more intelligent cellular communications gateway devices. The customized application can be automatically installed and configured. Each intelligent cellular communications gateway device can receive local information from a device. The local information is analyzed and the local device can be controlled by the intelligent cellular communications gateway device based on the analyzed local information. In addition, the intelligent cellular communications gateway device can filter and/or compress the local information, and transmit via a cellular network, the filtered and compressed information, to the remote computer server. The filtered and compressed information includes a portion of the local information that is less than a total amount of the local information received, thereby conserving bandwidth of the cellular network. |
| US09077652B2 |
Methods for limiting number of routers in a mesh network
In some cases, it may be desirable to limit the number of routers in a mesh network. Various techniques to limit the number of routers, without affecting connectivity, are disclosed. In some embodiments, a node enables its router capability if there are less than a predetermined number of routers already in the network. In other embodiments, a node enables its routing capability only is it is necessary to resolve a connectivity issue or a biconnectivity issue. In some cases, a node, which previously enabled its router capability, may no longer be required to be a router. In some embodiments, this node, upon making this determination, disables its routing capability. |
| US09077650B2 |
Multi-homing in an extended bridge
Disclosed are various embodiments for multi-homing in an extended bridge, including both multi-homing of port extenders and multi-homing of end stations. In various embodiments, a controlling bridge device receives a packet via an ingress virtual port and determines a destination virtual port link aggregation group based at least in part on a destination media access control (MAC) address of an end station in the packet. The controlling bridge device selects one of multiple egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The end station of the extended bridge is reachable through any of the egress virtual ports of the destination virtual port link aggregation group. The controlling bridge device forwards the packet through the selected egress virtual port, and the forwarded packet includes an identifier of a destination virtual port to which the end station is connected. |
| US09077644B2 |
Methods and apparatus for communicating with groups of devices sharing an attribute
Methods and apparatus for IPv6 based multicast are disclosed. An example method includes broadcasting a multicast group address advertisement instructing a recipient device to join an Internet Protocol multicast group, the Internet Protocol multicast group being associated with a physical attribute of the recipient device; and broadcasting a multicast message to the multicast address instructing the members of the multicast group to perform an action. |
| US09077642B2 |
Application level interface to network analysis tools
A user interface to a network simulator facilitates the use of application layer parameters and application layer logic. The user interface is configured to allow the user to define the input in a graphic form, or a text/programming form, or a combination of both. The user interface provides common graphic forms for both inputting the data to the simulator as well as for displaying the resultant data from the simulator. In response, the simulator and user interface may provide updated information to reflect the impact of changes made to application layer parameters and logic. |
| US09077641B2 |
Static ring network for vehicle communications
A method for operating a ring network includes the steps of configuring the ring network with static configuration information and then deterministically exchanging operational data between a plurality of nodes on the ring network, while operating the ring network in accordance with the static configuration information. This system facilitates communications that meet the high reliability and performance requirements of vehicle communications, in particular in aircraft data networks (ADNs), while reducing the cost, weight, and complexity of conventional implementations. |
| US09077636B2 |
Flexible and scalable data link layer flow control for network fabrics
A network fabric may divide a physical connection into a plurality of VLANs as defined by IEEE 802.1Q. Moreover, many network fabrics use Priority Flow Control to identify and segregate network traffic based on different traffic classes or priorities. Current routing protocols define only eight traffic classes. In contrast, a network fabric may contain thousands of unique VLANs. When network congestion occurs, network devices (e.g., switches, bridges, routers, servers, etc.) can negotiate to pause the network traffic associated with one of the different traffic classes. Pausing the data packets associated with a single traffic class may also stop the data packets associated with thousands of VLANs. The embodiments disclosed herein permit a network fabric to individually pause VLANs rather than entire traffic classes. |
| US09077635B2 |
Method and apparatus for network subnet discovery
A method and non-transitory computer readable medium for discovering network subnets are disclosed. For example, the method sets a host portion of a network address to a fixed value for a particular network, sends a discovery message to a subnet of a plurality of subnets having the fixed value of the host portion for the particular network, discovers the subnet if a response to the discovery message is received from a device and repeats the sending and the discovering until all of the plurality of subnets are checked, where the sending and the discovering are applied only to the fixed value of the host portion for each of the plurality of subnets. |
| US09077633B2 |
Method and an apparatus for evaluating network performance
The present invention relates to methods and node entities for enabling active measurement for evaluating network performance in a network comprising a logical tree structure 10 representing at least one service. Said service is provided through a set of links from an initial node in an upper level of the tree structure to a node in a lower level of said tree structure. Each node of the tree structure is configured to perform active measurement of link characteristics. One object of the present invention is to provide a method for minimizing the data overhead introduced in a data network during measuring of estimates of the data network performance. By aggregating measurement results of estimated and measured link characteristics in the nodes of said tree structure and propagating the aggregated results and store the aggregated results in the nodes. |
| US09077628B2 |
Network device having a normal operational configuration and fail-safe configuration and method of operating the same
A network device includes multiple ports for accepting network connections, at least one memory for storing a fail-safe device configuration, a normal operational device configuration and one or more triggering events, and one or more processors connected to the memory for controlling the operation of the network device. The processor causes the network device to operate according to the fail-safe configuration in response to the occurrence of a triggering event. |
| US09077627B2 |
Reducing impact of resource downtime
Systems and methods of reducing impact of resource downtime. In an example, a method includes monitoring user access to the resource. The method also includes identifying baseline patterns in the monitored user access to the resource. The method also includes defining downtime for the resource based on the baseline patterns and expected time for taking the resource down. |
| US09077625B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling a transmission interval of maintenance packets in a communication network
An apparatus controls a transmission interval of maintenance packets in a communication network. The apparatus calculates, within a first bandwidth available for the transmission and reception of packets, a second bandwidth that is free in the apparatus and usable for transmitting and receiving the maintenance packets for maintenance of the communication network. The apparatus determines a transmission interval of maintenance packets in accordance with the calculated second bandwidth and transmits the maintenance packets to another apparatus in the communication network at the determined transmission interval. |
| US09077622B2 |
Method and apparatus for automatic VPN login on interface selection
A method and device for automatic login of a virtual private network on an interface change, the method: associating a virtual private network profile with a plurality of connection interfaces, each connection interface within the plurality of connection interfaces having a priority; monitoring the plurality of connection interfaces for availability; if a connection interface with a higher priority than the connection interface currently used by the virtual private network becomes available, utilizing the higher priority connection interface for the virtual private network; and if the connection interface currently used by the virtual private network becomes unavailable, transferring the virtual private network to a highest priority available connection interface within the plurality of connection interfaces. |
| US09077621B2 |
Apparatus, system, and method of log management, and recording medium storing log management program
An apparatus to manage transmission of log data generated by a transmission terminal from the transmission terminal to a log management device obtains detection result data indicating whether a predetermined event is detected at the log management device, determines whether the log data is to be transmitted from the transmission terminal to the log management device based on the detection result data to generate a determination result, and transmits the transmission approval data having the determination result to the transmission terminal to cause the transmission terminal to process the log data according to the determination result of the transmission approval data. |
| US09077620B2 |
Method for monitoring a process automation technology network
In a method for monitoring a network of process automation technology, wherein the network includes a number of field devices, which are connected via a fieldbus with a superordinated unit, there is created for a network application, which analyzes the network, a network description, which corresponds to a device description for field devices. Therewith, the network application can be integrated in a simple manner into a plant monitoring application and status information of the network can be output via the plant monitoring application. |
| US09077614B2 |
Prioritizing network faults
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method and system for prioritizing network failures. The method includes assigning a category to a network fault. The method also includes determining an incident score for the network fault within the category. The method also includes generating a normalized score by normalizing the incident score with a plurality of other incident scores in the category. The method further includes using the normalized score to rank the network fault among a plurality of other network faults of other different categories. |
| US09077612B2 |
Method for managing configuration information of an outsourced part, and method and system for managing an alarm of an outsourced part
A method and system for managing an alarm of an outsourced part and a method for managing configuration information of an outsourced part are provided, so as to solve the problem in the prior art that the maintenance operation in a Business Operation Support System (BOSS) for the alarm function of the outsourced part is complex. The method for managing configuration information of an outsourced part is applied to a system for managing an alarm of an outsourced part, and the system comprises a client side and a server side. The method comprises: the client side receives a request of a user for operating configuration information of the outsourced part; the client side performs a corresponding operation on the configuration information of the outsourced part that the client side stores according to the request for the operation, and sends an operation result to the server side according to the type of the operation; and the server side performs an update processing on the configuration information of the outsourced part that the server side stores according to the operation result. With the technical is solution of the present invention, the maintenance operation of the BOSS on the alarm function of the outsourced part could be simplified. |
| US09077610B2 |
Performing call stack sampling
The present technology may determine an anomaly in a portion of a distributed business application. Data can automatically be captured and analyzed for the portion of the application associated with the anomaly. By automatically capturing data for just the portion associated with the anomaly, the present technology reduces the resource and time requirements associated with other code-based solutions for monitoring transactions. A method for sampling an application thread to monitor a request may begin with detecting a diagnostic event with respect to the processing of a request. A thread call stack associated with the request may be sampled in response to detecting the diagnostic event. A state of the call stack may be stored with timing information based on the sampling. The call stack state and timing information may be transmitted to a remote server. |
| US09077608B2 |
Route calculation method and master node device in virtual network element
The present invention provides a route calculation method and a master node device in a virtual network element. The method includes: receiving and storing, by the master node, topology information; performing, according to a topology type of the VNE, topology verification for all topology information locally stored on the master node; and calculating, after the topology verification is passed, internal paths in the VNE and weights of the internal paths, generating and storing an internal routing entry, and sending the internal routing entry to nodes except the master node in the VNE. Therefore, in various topology structures, such as a dual-homing tree, a ring, and a half ring, calculation of the internal routes in the VNE and load balancing within the VNE can be implemented. |
| US09077607B2 |
Border gateway protocol inbound policy optimization
A BGP capable packet network device is located at the boundary of an autonomous network and in communication with a peer BGP capable packet network device in a neighboring autonomous network. The BGP capable packet network device is comprised of one or more line cards for receiving and, processing and sending packets of information, and for receiving and forwarding routing update information to a route processor comprising the packet network device. The route processor runs a border gateway protocol which is configured with one or more policies that operate to filter the routing update information received from the line card. The routing update information filter is comprised of at least one variable length path attribute and the filter operates such that it only applies the variable length path attribute one time to the routing update information. |
| US09077602B2 |
Systems and methods for fast and precise frequency estimation
Systems and methods are provided for fast and precise estimation of frequency with relatively minimal sampling and relatively high tolerance to noise. |
| US09077598B2 |
Digital signal transmission and reception
A digital signal transmitter in which multiple data streams are each transmitted by modulation of a respective frequency band within one of a group of frequency channels, the frequency bands each occupying no more than a predetermined maximum bandwidth less than or equal to the channel width; comprises means for transmitting at respective frequency positions within each frequency channel, one or more instances of band information defining the frequency bands corresponding to all of the data streams carried within that frequency channel, the one or more instances being arranged so that any portion of the frequency channel equal in extent to the predetermined maximum bandwidth includes at least one instance of the band information. |
| US09077597B2 |
Data communication method and apparatus
A data transmission apparatus and a method of modifying a symbol constellation for use in the data transmission apparatus, wherein a processor receives a starting symbol constellation suitable for use in a frequency domain parallel modulation system and defined in a complex space. The starting symbol constellation does not necessarily comprise a symbol at a zero point in the complex space. The processor is configured to locate or move one of the symbols of the starting symbol constellation at the zero point of the complex space. The newly created symbol constellation may be stored in a storage medium, such as volatile or non-volatile storage, or immediately used for data transmission by mapping bits of data to the symbol constellation and by transmitting the mapped data to a receiver of a frequency domain parallel modulation system. |
| US09077593B2 |
Receiver circuit and method for controlling receiver circuit
A receiver circuit includes: a data interpolation switched capacitor circuit which samples a data signal and outputs a voltage value interpolated from a sampled voltage value in correspondence with an interpolation code indicating an interpolation ratio; a comparator which performs comparison between the voltage value outputted from the data interpolation switched capacitor circuit and a threshold value; a phase detection circuit which detects a boundary based on an output of the comparator and decides whether to advance or delay a phase; and an interpolation code generation circuit which generates an interpolation code corresponding to an output of the phase detection circuit, wherein a phase offset related to sampling is imparted and an offset corresponding to an amount of the phase offset is imparted to the threshold value of the comparator. |
| US09077586B2 |
Unified vehicle network frame protocol
A vehicle control module includes a vehicle device and a vehicle network interface. The vehicle device is operable to perform a vehicle function. The vehicle network interface facilitates communication regarding the vehicle function between the vehicle device and a vehicle network fabric in accordance with a global vehicle network communication protocol. |
| US09077585B2 |
Fully integrated DC offset compensation servo feedback loop
The fully integrated DC offset compensation servo feedback loop is an integrator that measures the output signal DC component, and then feeds back and subtracts the measured DC component from the input signal. A larger integrator time constant lowers the high pass corner frequency, which must be very small in order to minimize the loss of the low frequency component of the desired signals. The large time constant is achieved on an integrated circuit by the use of a class-AB fully differential opamp in conjunction with an R-2R ladder as a circuit element to accomplish an integrated large time constant integrator. The R-2R ladder is configured as a digitally programmable resistor. |
| US09077584B2 |
System and method for managing user preference profile
Disclosed is a system and method for managing a user preference profile, and the system includes a plurality of application clients, a plurality of application servers corresponding to the plurality of application clients, and a shared server for storing and managing user preference profiles for respective applications. The application clients selectively activate the user preference profiles stored in the shared server and provide the selectively activated user preference profiles to the application servers. By storing user preference profiles for respective applications in one location in this way, the user preferences can be efficiently managed. |
| US09077583B2 |
System for provisioning, allocating, and managing virtual and physical desktop computers in a network computing environment
A system for provisioning, allocating, and managing virtual and physical desktop computers in an enterprise network computing environment allows for these physical and desktop computers to be grouped logically based on personnel, organizational, or networking efficiencies without regard to the hardware or server that will ultimately run the virtual machine terminal once it is accessed. A connection broker connects incoming connections to one desktop in a desktop group, based on information relating to that incoming connection. |
| US09077580B1 |
Selecting preferred nodes for specific functional roles in a cluster
A preferred node is selected for a specific functional role in a cluster. Dynamic and static parameters concerning the nodes are measured, including connectivity to shared storage. A user preference value is gleaned for each node, quantifying the user's preference of each corresponding node for the functional role. A preference rating is calculated for each node, based on the measured parameters and the gleaned user preference value. The preference rating indicates the node's suitability for the specific functional role, relative to the other nodes. Connectivity to shared storage in the cluster can be weighted more heavily than other parameters. Examples of specific functional roles in the cluster include becoming the master node, becoming a failover target for a specific application, or remaining in operation with access to shared cluster storage, in response to an occurrence of split brain. |
| US09077573B2 |
Very compact/linear software defined transmitter with digital modulator
A transmitter includes: a digital modulator configured to modulate a base-band signal in a digital domain into a modulated signal; a synchronization module configured to synchronize the modulated signal with a clock signal; and an analog output stage configured to convert the modulated signal into an analog signal for transmission. |
| US09077570B2 |
Compact dual all-outdoor point-to-point microwave radio architecture
An outdoor radio communication system housed in a single enclosure comprises a first transceiver, a second transceiver, a communication interface unit, an RF in-phase transmit combiner, an antenna coupling unit and a receive filter. The first transceiver includes a first receiver and a first transmitter. The second transceiver includes a second receiver and a second transmitter. The two transceivers are communicatively coupled with the communication interface unit. The RF in-phase transmit combiner, communicatively coupled to the first transmitter and the second transmitter, receives a phase-aligned RF signal from each transmitter, to create a third RF signal with enhanced signal gain. The two phase-aligned RF signals originate from the same source in the communication interface unit. The antenna coupling unit is communicatively coupled to the RF in-phase transmit combiner and the first receiver, and the receive filter is communicatively coupled to the second receiver. |
| US09077567B2 |
Cooperative spectrum sensing apparatus and cooperative spectrum sensing method
Disclosed is a cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) method. The CSS method includes receiving, by a detector of secondary users, observation vectors which are use state information of a spectrum band allocated to a PU in a cognitive radio (CR) network, generating, by the detector, an analysis result value with respect to each of the observation vectors using GLRT with respect to order statistics of reception samples taking non-Gaussian noise into consideration, transmitting, by the detector, the analysis result value to a fusion center unit; and fusing, by the fusion center unit, the analysis result value to determine whether the spectrum band is used. |
| US09077566B2 |
Caller ID callback authenticationi for voice over internet protocol (“VoIP”) deployments
Systems and methods are disclosed for authenticating caller identification in VoIP communication. A VoIP device receives an incoming call from an originating calling device; wherein the incoming call includes (1) a caller identification and (2) a unique identifier associated with the originating calling device. The VoIP device verifies that the caller identification in the received incoming call matches an entry in a trusted directory, wherein the trusted directory includes one or more entries of previously verified caller identifications. Upon verifying that the caller identification in the received incoming call matches a caller identification entry in the trusted directory, the VoIP device sends an inquiry to a unique locator associated with the matching caller identification in the trusted directory. |
| US09077564B2 |
System and method for dynamic formation of a communication network using wireless communication devices
A short-range wireless communication network may be established by direct communication between two or more wireless communication devices. A conventional cellular telephone includes an integrated short-range transceiver. The short-range transceivers of multiple wireless communication devices can be coupled together to form a short-range communication network without utilizing any wireless communication network supported by wireless service providers. The short-range communication network may be extended as additional devices come within range or consolidated as wireless communication devices leave the communication range. The short-range communication network is built upon the proximity of wireless communication devices with each other. Data is disseminated between the wireless communication devices using a data message synchronization process. Messages may also be carried from one wireless network to another as the communication devices are carried by individuals. |
| US09077561B2 |
OAM label switched path for fast reroute of protected label switched paths
In response to receiving a reply message for reserving bandwidth along a primary path for a first label switched path (LSP) for carrying data traffic from an ingress network device to an egress network device, a point of local repair (PLR) network device establishes a second LSP from the PLR to a merge point (MP) network device along a subset of the primary path. The second LSP is dedicated to carrying operations, administration and management (OAM) messages to verify connectivity of the subset of the primary path, and is not used for sending data traffic. The PLR sends an OAM message to verify connectivity of at least one protected resource along the subset of the primary path to a next hop along the second LSP, wherein the OAM message is encapsulated by a second label associated with the second LSP. |
| US09077560B2 |
Adaptation scheme for communications traffic
A method of generating a generic framing procedure hierarchy comprising processing a first generic framing procedure frame to determine the overall length of the generic framing procedure frame, mapping the frame into the generic framing procedure payload area of a second generic framing procedure frame at the next level of the generic framing procedure hierarchy, whereby information enabling the size of the generic framing procedure payload remaining after that frame has been extracted is captured in the header fields of the generic framing procedure frame into which the first frame is encapsulated, and wherein the generic framing procedure header indicates whether there are more frames left in the mapping hierarchy when de-encapsulating (i.e., running down) the generic framing procedure frame stack by providing an indicator at level N of the hierarchy that at the level N−1 there is a generic framing procedure frame to extract. |
| US09077558B2 |
Client/bridge failure recovery method and system
The transmission of data is accomplished across a network having wireless and wired interfaces. Data is transferred through a wireless interface from an Access Point to a Client/Bridge and then to one of a Intelligent Electrical Device (IED) connected to the Client/Bridge through a wired connection. Data is transferred from the Access Point to the Client/Bridge through a 4 address mode wireless interface having originator, transmitter, receiver and destination address fields. The Client/Bridge determines context cache information representing the media access control numbers of each of the IEDs connected to the Client/Bridge through the wired interface and transfers this context cache information to the AP. In the event of a failure of the Client/Bridge, the context cache information stored at the AP can be transferred to the Client/Bridge using the wireless interface to facilitate recovery of the Client/Bridge. |
| US09077550B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing multicast backbone media access channel (BMAC) header transformations
A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing multicast Backbone Media Access Channel (BMAC) header transformations is presented. A packet having a header is received at a network node. The header is modified to produce a packet having a modified header by replacing an original value inside the header with a less granular value. The packet having a modified header is forwarded into a transport network. |
| US09077547B2 |
System and method for securely transmitting data via an electronic marketplace
The present system and method comprises an improved marketplace for providing and consuming services. Using the present system, generally via one or more APIs, comprises a method for integrating value added services within a network of participants, for instance, a payment network. The network can use service switching capabilities to route service calls to and from the service consumers and providers using routing elements defined in a message specification. Network participants can be both consumers and providers of services. The network can route service messages to the appropriate provider depending on details in the message. |
| US09077538B1 |
Systems and methods for verifying user identities
A computer-implemented method for verifying user identities may include (1) identifying a request to ascertain whether a user account corresponds to a physical person, and, in response to the request, (2) identifying a password vault configured to store login information for at least one third-party Internet site for the user account, the third-party Internet site requiring a physical validation factor to log in to the third-party Internet site, (3) determining, based at least in part on the login information for the third-party Internet site, that the user account corresponds to the physical person, and (4) responding to the request with an indicator that the user account corresponds to the physical person. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed. |
| US09077534B2 |
Communications circuit including a linear quadratic estimator
A circuit includes a linear quadratic estimator (LQE) configured to receive a plurality of measurements a signal. The LQE is configured to weight the measurements based on their respective uncertainties to produce weighted averages. The circuit further includes a controller coupled to the LQE and configured to selectively adjust at least one data link parameter associated with a communication channel in response to receiving the weighted averages. |
| US09077533B2 |
Terminal device, base station device, transmitting method and receiving method
The present invention pertains to a terminal device, which, when ARQ is used for communication that uses an uplink unit band and a plurality of downlink unit bands associated with the uplink unit band, and when a transmission mode that supports up to 2 TB in a PCell is set in the terminal, is capable of reducing the amount of signaling from a base station while eliminating a lack of PUCCH resources when semi-permanent scheduling (SPS) is used in the PCell. A control unit in this device selects one value among values obtained by adding 1 to four PUCCH resource indexes, which have been preset for PUCCH resource 1 by the base station, on the basis of values for transmission power control information (TPC command for PUCCH) in a PDCCH, for which notification has been received at the start of SPS. |
| US09077532B2 |
User terminal and base station apparatus
To maintain communications of uplink ACK/NACK signals even for a transition period during which the number of aggregated component carriers is added/removed by higher layer signaling, it is a feature providing a reception section that receives the PDSCH for each of CCs that constitute the system band, a demodulation section (406) that demodulates the received PDSCH of each of CCs, an ACK/NACK signal generating section (418) that generates an uplink ACK/NACK signal in response to a demodulation result of the PDSCH in the demodulation section (406), and a mapping section (415) that allocates radio resources to an uplink ACK/NACK signal of the anchor block using LTE, while allocating user-specific radio resources to uplink ACK/NACK signals of the other CCs. |
| US09077529B1 |
Method and apparatus for reducing nonlinear echo distortion in a communication device
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with echo cancellation are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes generating, in a communication device, an address to a look-up table by using a first signal and a second signal. The look-up table is a two-dimensional look-up table configured to store a plurality of cancellation values arranged in a two-dimensional grid. The method also includes producing, in the communication device, a cancellation signal according to a cancellation value in the look-up table that corresponds to the address. |
| US09077526B2 |
Method and system for ensuring sequential playback of digital media
Techniques for ensuring that media playback proceeds sequentially through media content of a digital media asset are disclosed. In one embodiment, distinct portions (e.g., segments) of a digital media asset can be separately encrypted such that on playback decoded data being output from at least one prior portion can be used to derive a cryptographic key that is used in decrypting a subsequent portion of the digital media asset. |
| US09077521B2 |
Method and system for secure communication
A system and method for secure communication is provided. Outgoing messages to another computing device are encrypted using a first shared key shared with said other computing device, and a first counter, said first shared key and said first counter being stored in storage of a computing device. Incoming messages from said other computing device are decrypted using said first shared key and a second counter stored in said storage of said computing device. |
| US09077519B2 |
Method for processing CSI-RS in wireless communication system
A method for transmitting a Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system, the method comprising of determining a CSI-RS pattern type based on a Physical Resource Block (PRB) index of a subframe, assigning, when the subframe is supposed to carry the CSI-RS, CSI-RSs of first to Nth antenna ports to first to Nth Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a PRB based on the CSI-RS pattern type, and transmitting the subframe including the PRB in which CSI-RSs of the first to Nth antennas a mapped, wherein the first to Nth CSI-RS pattern types map CSI-RSs of the first to Nth antenna ports to the first to Nth OFDM symbols of the PRB in an alternate manner. |
| US09077516B2 |
Reduced complexity frequency domain equalization of multiple input multiple output channels
A method for equalizing a frequency-selective transmission channel (103) with N inputs and MR outputs is shown, the transmission channel representable in a transformation domain based on N orthogonal sub-carriers, and wherein the transmission characteristics from the MT inputs to the MR outputs for each of the N respective orthogonal sub-carriers are represented by N respective sub-carrier channels (201), the method using (904) equalization filters (301, 302) for at least two of the N sub-carrier channels, wherein at least one set (501) of sub-carrier channels comprising at least two of the N sub-carrier channels is formed (901), wherein for at least one sub-carrier channel, a first-type equalization filter is used that is determined (902) based on a representation of at least one sub-carrier channel, and wherein for at least one sub-carrier channel, a second-type equalization filter is used that is derived (903) at least partially from the first-type equalization filter. |
| US09077508B2 |
Adaptively coding and modulating signals transmitted via nonlinear channels
An adaptive coding scheme for nonlinear channels improves reliability and an efficiency in digital communication networks. The method monitors channel statistics to analyze an extrinsic information transfer chart of the channels. The channel statistics are fed back to the transmitter to adapt forward error correction coding. A parametric analysis method uses a Gaussian mixture model. The statistical information feedback can adapt an ARQ sheme by adding a weighted received signal to the original coded signals to reduce nonlinear distortion. Trellis shaping can make the transmitting signal preferable for nonlinear channels. |
| US09077507B2 |
Controlling interference in femto cell deployments
A method and system provide a plurality of femto cells that are deployed within a macro cell of cellular network. The femto cells improve cellular service inside structures, such as residential and commercial structures. Femto base stations convert signals between an airlink-interface and core network to enable data communication between the mobile terminal and an access network to occur through the Internet and a public switched telephone network. The femto base stations are independent of each other and the macro cell. The method and system provide the femto base stations with interference awareness and mitigation techniques to minimize interference with the cellular network. |
| US09077506B2 |
Radio communication device and response signal spreading method
A radio communication device capable of randomizing both inter-cell interference and intra-cell interference. In this device, a spreading section (214) primarily spreads a response signal in a ZAC sequence set by a control unit (209). A spreading section (217) secondarily spreads the primarily spread response signal in a block-wise spreading code sequence set by the control unit (209). The control unit (209) controls the cyclic shift amount of the ZAC sequence used for the primary spreading in the spreading section (214) and the block-wise spreading code sequence used for the secondary spreading in the spreading section (217) according to a set hopping pattern. The hopping pattern set by the control unit (209) is made up of two hierarchies. An LB-based hopping pattern different for each cell is defined in the first hierarchy in order to randomize the inter-cell interference. A hopping pattern different for each mobile station is defined in the second hierarchy in order to randomize the intra-cell interference. |
| US09077504B2 |
Channel quality indication report with granularity dependent of the number of best component carriers
According to several embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus (e.g., a UE) monitors a set of component carriers by referring to sub-bands having a sub-band size. The channel quality of the component carriers is detected, best component carriers are identified based on the channel quality, the number of the best component carriers is identified, and the subband size is varied based the identified number of the best component carriers. Identification information and channel quality information on the best component carriers may then be provided, for example to a network control element such as an eNode-B. |
| US09077503B2 |
Channel quality indicator method
The disclosed a method will work with future versions of LTE-A, be backwards compatible, and alleviate interference to signals for basic system operation. The method includes generating one or more Reference Signals associated with the one or more Channel Quality Indicators, and includes mapping the one or more Channel Quality Indicator-Reference Signals to the last symbol of the second slot of the one or more subframes. |
| US09077502B2 |
Method of transmitting and receiving acknowledgment signal in a wireless communication system
A method of receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) signal from at least one access terminal (AT) in a wireless communication system is disclosed. More specifically, the method includes transmitting at least one packet via a packet data channel from an access network (AN), receiving at least one ACK signal from the at least one AT using same channelization resources, wherein each AT is assigned a code specific to each AT, and identifying the ACK signal corresponding to the transmitted packet from the received at least one ACK signal. |
| US09077501B1 |
Systems and methods for detecting cycle slip and/or framing error
Systems and methods for detecting cycle slip are provided. In some embodiments, a waveform that represents data samples is received. The waveform may include a predetermined preamble and a predetermined postamble. A first value representing a phase of the predetermined preamble of the waveform may be computed. A second value representing a phase of the predetermined postamble of the waveform may be computed. A detection is made as to whether cycle slip occurred during sampling the received waveform based on a comparison of the first value with the second value. |
| US09077500B2 |
Controlling allocation of a portion of a shared channel to use for control information
To control allocation of a portion of a shared channel to use for control information, a base station determines an amount of resource elements of the shared channel to use for the control information in place of traffic data. The base station sends, to a mobile station, an indication relating to an offset parameter, where the indication is provided to allow the mobile station to compute a value for the offset parameter such that the mobile station can determine the amount of the resource elements of the shared channel to allocate for the control information. |
| US09077494B2 |
Signal processor, receiver and signal processing method
A processor (110) is disclosed for processing a plurality of Fourier-transformed instances of a symbol, each instance being comprised in one of a plurality of frequency-divided multiplexed subcarriers, said processor being arranged to estimate, for each instance, the channel gain and the inter-carrier interference contribution to said symbol from neighboring subcarriers due to a time-varying channel response of the received signal, and combine the instances into a single representation of said symbol based on the estimated channel gain and the inter-carrier interference contributions. A receiver comprising such a processor and a method for processing such signals are also disclosed. |
| US09077489B2 |
Adjusting multi-carrier modulation and transmission power properties
A tone map includes physical layer transmission properties for a multi-carrier communications channel. The physical layer transmission properties indicate modulation mode and transmission power to be used on one or more frequencies (i.e. “tones”). The transmission power may be reduced on a first frequency having a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) so that performance will improve for a second frequency having a lower SNR. Transmission power may be reduced on a first frequency having an unusably low SNR so that performance will improve on a second frequency. A tone map message is used to efficiently communicate modulation and transmission power adjustments on a per-carrier basis. |
| US09077488B2 |
Hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiple access WTRU and method
A hybrid orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and method are disclosed. A WTRU includes a transmitter and a receiver. The receiver processes received data to recover data mapped to the subcarriers using OFDMA. The receiver recovers first input data by separating user data from multi-user spread data and recovers second input data from non-spread data. |
| US09077484B2 |
Generation of polarization-alternated QPSK format
Methods, structures and systems for generating different polarization multiplexed signals wherein the drivers of the modulators are generic while a software-controlled manager allows the carrying of any standard 10 G/40 G/100 G data while—at the same time—being adaptively adjustable according to specific link requirements and users' requests in both dispersion-managed and uncompensated links. |
| US09077483B2 |
Optical transmission with polarization division multiplexing
A optical transmitter and method for transmitting digital data on an optical channel, performing the steps of generating first and second baseband digital signals, modulating a first polarized optical carrier wave component in accordance with the first baseband digital signal, modulating a second polarized optical carrier wave component in accordance with the second baseband digital signal, wherein the second polarized optical carrier wave component has an orthogonal polarization to the first polarized optical carrier wave component and combining the first and second modulated optical carrier wave components into a propagation medium. The first and second baseband digital signals are generated in a correlated manner so that the modulated optical carrier wave components are combined as a modulated single-polarization optical carrier wave. |
| US09077482B2 |
High-throughput routing in an optical network having a mesh topology
An optical routing scheme in which an optical network having a mesh topology is configured to route optical packets through an optical routing layout superimposable with the mesh topology, but having a star-like topology. Using this routing layout, the optical network can be configured to transport optical packets from respective ingress nodes, through the hub node located at the star center, to respective egress nodes in a manner that enables a data throughput that approaches the theoretical capacity. No special hardware is required for implementing the hub functionality, and any node of the optical network can be configured to serve as the hub node. The latter feature enables relatively straightforward optimization of the optical routing layout and transmission schedule, e.g., by changing the identity of the hub node and adjusting the transmission schedule at the ingress nodes to synchronize packet arrivals to the hub node. |
| US09077479B2 |
Method and system for adjusting network interface metrics
An approach is provided for adjusting network interface metrics to optimize transmissions across a network. A measurement of performance of a network interface is made, wherein the network interface is configured to provide traffic across an optical network. A determination is made regarding whether the measured performance satisfies a predetermined threshold. A network metric value of the network interface is adjusted if the measured performance of the network interface satisfies the predetermined threshold. |
| US09077476B2 |
Self-characterization tunable optical receiver
A self-characterization optical receiver comprising a tunable filter comprising a first transmission peak and configured to receive an optical signal comprising a plurality of channels at different wavelengths and output one channel at a wavelength corresponding to the first transmission peak, an optical-to-electrical (OE) converter configured to convert the one channel optical signal into an electrical signal, a monitor unit configured to adjust at least one control parameter based upon a power level of the electrical signal, and a control unit configured to adjust a heater bias current based upon control parameters received from the monitor unit, and wherein adjusting the heater bias current shifts the wavelength corresponding to the first transmission peak. |
| US09077473B2 |
Optical network apparatus for self-seeded communications
Optical network apparatus comprises an optical add drop multiplexer (10) comprising an optical signal input (11) and an optical signal output (12). An add input path (15) is connected to the optical signal output (12) for receiving a wavelength channel to be added. A drop output path (16) is connected to the optical signal input (11) for outputting a wavelength channel to be dropped. A through signal path (18) is connected between the optical signal input (11) and the optical signal output (12). An optical filter (20) is positioned in the add input path (15) for filtering an optical signal received on the add input path (15) from an optical terminal (40). A reflective device (30) in the add input path (15) is arranged to form an optical seed signal by returning at least a portion of the filtered optical signal. The optical seed signal is for use in seeding an optical transmitter at the optical terminal (40). The reflective device (30) is positioned between the optical filter (20) and the optical signal output (12). The drop output path (16) and the through signal path (18) bypass the reflective device (30). |
| US09077467B2 |
Method and device for selecting user terminal so as to enhance reciprocity error calibration between uplink and downlink
The present invention provides a method and a device for selecting user terminal so as to enhance calibration for reciprocity error between uplink and downlink, in the purpose of enhancing the accuracy of calibration for reciprocity error between uplink and downlink in TDD system. Wherein, the method comprises the following steps: obtaining channel quality related information between a plurality of first user terminals and a first base station, wherein said channel quality related information is used for indicating channel qualities between said plurality of first user terminals and said first base station; selecting, at least one first user terminal as a calibration user terminal for calibrating said reciprocity error between uplink and downlink, according to said channel quality related information. |
| US09077465B2 |
Portable fitness monitoring methods
Portable fitness monitoring methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, a portable fitness monitoring method includes a method for providing audible output to a user during an athletic activity using a portable fitness monitoring device. The method includes the steps of receiving an audio feedback file package that includes a first audio feedback file, updating the audio feedback file package, and processing the updated audio feedback file package to provide audible output to the user through an audio output device during the athletic activity. |
| US09077462B2 |
Systems and methods for measuring audience participation over a distribution network
Embodiments of the invention include systems and methods for measuring audience participation over a distribution network. An example method may include delivering media content to a viewer's CPE over a distribution network and delivering an audience measurement application associated with the media content over the distribution network. The audience measurement application can be configured for execution by the viewer's CPE, and can be programmed to generate at least one inquiry for display to the viewer in association with viewing the media content and to request at least one response by the viewer to be entered via the viewer's CPE. The method may further include receiving response information associated with the response to the inquiry from the viewer's CPE over the distribution network, and determining the viewer's participation level associated with the media content based at least in part on the response information received from the viewer's CPE. |
| US09077461B2 |
Streaming of digital data to a portable device
The present invention achieves wireless delivery of media streams to portable devices for providing media information related to a show or attraction for the purposes of captioning, language translation, and assistive listening. As a person moves about a venue, the device receives infrared or radio signals from transmitters at venue locations. The device decodes each signal as venue location, event time, or device trigger for presentation on the device. The device memory contains audio, text, graphics and device playback may contain one or many of these stored contents. The stored content is synchronized with the user's location, time of travel, time of day, time of a show, or an event in a show and may be in one or many languages. Presentation of stored content on the device may also be altered by user preference, stored logic constraints, automatic learning of user behavior, or user interaction with other devices. |
| US09077460B2 |
Systems and methods for measuring interest levels of audience in broadcast program and providing information based on the interest levels
A system measures interest levels of audience in a broadcast program and provides extra information based on the interest level. The system receives an AV signal of a broadcast program and supplementary content which contains broadcast program related information and a tag identifying the broadcast program. The supplementary content is combined with the AV signal to form a data-augmented signal which is subsequently modulated with a carrier signal to form a transmit signal for broadcasting to receivers. Each receiver extracts the supplementary content, computes interest levels and provides extra information based on the interest levels. |
| US09077457B1 |
Two dimensional photonic cluster state generator from sequential photons with variable delay loopback
An integrated waveguide device that creates entanglement between a sequence of periodically spaced (in time) photons in a single input and output mode. The device consists of a polarization maintaining integrated waveguide chip containing a number of delay lines, integrated multimode interferometers with the potential for rapid switching, a polarization controller, an entangling gate, and off chip computer logic and timing. The device is capable of creating a diverse array of outputs such as linear cluster states and ring cluster states in a single output mode. |
| US09077443B2 |
Method and apparatus for signal interference processing
A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device comprising a memory to store instructions and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations. The operations comprise receiving signals over a spectrum of frequencies, providing location data of the device to a base station, receiving a request from a base station to perform a spectral analysis of the signals, detecting an interference among the signals, and providing, in response to the request, data to the base station regarding a source of the interference, wherein the data comprises a location of the source relative to the device, spectral data for identifying the source, and a time a frequency of occurrence of the interference. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09077440B2 |
Digital suppression of transmitter intermodulation in receiver
Systems and methods for suppressing transmitter noise in a receive band of a co-located receiver that are suitable for wideband applications are disclosed. In one embodiment, a transmitter is configured to upconvert and amplify a digital transmit signal to provide an analog radio frequency transmit signal at an output of the transmitter that includes a desired signal in a transmit band of the transmitter and transmitter noise in a receive band of a main receiver. The main receiver is configured to amplify, downconvert, and digitize an analog radio frequency receive signal to provide a digital receive signal. The digital feedforward transmit noise cancellation subsystem is configured to process the digital transmit signal to generate a digital transmitter noise cancellation signal that is representative of the transmitter noise in the receive band and is subtracted from the digital receive signal to thereby provide a compensated digital receive signal. |
| US09077436B1 |
Protective case for a mobile device
A protective case includes a main body and a frame unit. The main body defines a receiving space and is formed with a lateral opening through which a mobile device is inserted into and received in the receiving space. The frame unit includes an U-shaped frame body having opposite end portions adjacent respectively to top and bottom sides of the main body, and two pivot members, each pivotally interconnecting an end portion of the frame body and a respective top and bottom side of the main body, such that the frame body is pivotable about the main body between a default state, where the frame body covers the lateral opening, and a pivoted state, where the frame body is positioned at an angle relative to the main body. |
| US09077421B1 |
Systems and methods for hybrid self-interference cancellation
A system for hybrid self-interference cancellation includes a transmit coupler that samples an RF transmit signal, a RF self-interference canceller that transforms the sampled RF transmit signal to an RF self-interference cancellation signal, an IF self-interference canceller that transforms a downconverted version of the RF transmit signal to an ISRF self-interference cancellation signal, and a receive coupler that combines the RF and ISRF self-interference cancellation signals with an RF receive signal. |
| US09077419B2 |
Devices, methods, and systems for initial signal acquisition
Methods and apparatus for selecting one or more suitable antennas for use during power-up/initial acquisition and out of service modes are disclosed. In some examples, initial system acquisition may be performed for a particular receive circuit utilizing a selected one of a first antenna or a second antenna, based on a channel characteristic, such as an automatic gain control (AGC) value corresponding to a received signal energy utilizing either of the antennas. In another example, initial system acquisition utilizing either a receive diversity determination algorithm or an antenna switching determination algorithm may be performed based on a channel characteristic, such as an AGC value corresponding to a received signal energy utilizing one of the antennas coupled to one of the receive circuits. |
| US09077416B2 |
Method and apparatus for demodulating downlink channel in communication system and baseband chip
The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for demodulating a downlink channel in a communication system, and a baseband chip. The demodulation method may include: obtaining RE data corresponding to the downlink channel successively from an OFDM symbol; demodulating the RE data to obtain demodulated data; filling the demodulated data to a corresponding position in a downlink channel buffer; and proceeding to obtain RE data corresponding to the downlink channel successively from a next OFDM symbol if a sequence number of the OFDM symbol does not reach a predetermined number. The present disclosure saves buffer space of the baseband chip in a UE. |
| US09077415B2 |
Apparatus and method for reference symbol transmission in an OFDM system
A base station is capable of communicating with a plurality of subscriber stations using a beamforming scheme that varies beams over different time instances. The base station includes a plurality of antenna arrays configured to transmit N spatial beams and carry a reference symbols corresponding to specific spatial beams. The base station also includes NRF number of radio frequency (RF) processing chains coupled to respective ones of the plurality of antenna arrays, wherein N>>NRF. The subscriber station includes MRF processing receive paths configured to receive M number of beams from the base station. |
| US09077414B2 |
Method, apparatuses and computer program products for transmission diversity
The invention is related to an apparatus comprising: a grouper configured to group antennas into antenna groups, if more antennas suitable for transmission are provided than pilot resources per a time slot; a rotator configured to rotate selected symbols with antenna-specific or antenna group-specific, and/or data symbol-specific phases; a transmitter configured to transmit symbols using a first antenna or antenna group of a user device and the rotated symbols using at least one second antenna or antenna group of the user device. |
| US09077413B2 |
System and method for transparent coordinated beam-forming
A method for reducing interference at a first user equipment (UE) includes receiving, by a second communications controller, a request to reduce interference at the first UE, the first UE being served by a first communications controller. The method also includes determining, by the second communications controller, a beam adjustment in accordance with uplink transmission measurements of the first UE and a second UE, the beam adjustment to aim a transmission to the second UE away from the second UE and towards an angle orthogonal to a first direction of the first UE relative to the second communications controller, the second UE being served by the second communications controller. The method further includes pre-adjusting, by the second communications controller, the transmission with the beam adjustment, and transmitting, by the second communications controller, the pre-adjusted transmission to the second UE. |
| US09077412B2 |
Regenerative receiver architectures for millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave imaging and communication
A millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength receiver imaging apparatus and method which directly generates a time encoded digital signal for an imaging pixel in response to interoperation of a digital quench circuit, an envelope detector, and a regenerative oscillator coupled to an antenna. The device utilizes the fact that oscillator startup time in a regenerative oscillator is inversely proportional to injected pixel image power. A digital quench circuit, such as a latch, is coupled for activating and deactivating the regenerative oscillator in response to receiving an output from an envelope threshold circuit, and for generating a time encoded digital signal in response to pixel amplitude during millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength imaging. Receiver embodiments are described for both fundamental frequency operation (DRR) and for multi-frequency imaging (IRR). |
| US09077411B2 |
Feedback scheduling to reduce feedback rates in MIMO systems
In a closed-loop wireless communication system, a codebook-based feedback control mechanism is provided where feedback from each of a plurality of receivers is scheduled to control the feedback so that the receiving devices do not needlessly feed back precoding information to the transmitting device. The feedback may be controlled by establishing and distributing a schedule to control when each receiver feeds back precoding information, or by establishing and distributing a metric-based feedback threshold that must be satisfied before feedback is permitted. |
| US09077410B2 |
Apparatus and method of transmitting data in multi-carrier system
An apparatus of transmitting data in a multi-carrier system includes: a plurality of pulse-shaping filters for performing pulse shaping of incoming data symbols during a set pulse-shaping period; and a plurality of frequency converters convert signals that are pulse-shaped by the plurality of pulse-shaping filters into signals with frequency bands for a plurality of subcarriers. |
| US09077401B2 |
Method and arrangement for adapting a multi-antenna transmission
A method in a first node for adapting a multi-antenna transmission to a second node over a wireless channel is provided. The wireless channel has at least three inputs and at least one output. The first node and the second node are comprised in a wireless communication system. The method includes obtaining at least one symbol stream, determining a precoding matrix having a product structure created by a block diagonal matrix being multiplied from the left with a block diagonalizing unitary matrix, precoding the at least one symbol stream with the determined preceding matrix, and transmitting the precoded at least one symbol stream over a wireless channel to the second node. |
| US09077395B2 |
Base station, communication system and communication method
Provided is a base station including a plurality of branches that perform CoMP transmission with another base station, a multiplying unit that multiplies a transmission signal from each of the plurality of branches by a calibration coefficient of each of the plurality of branches, wherein the calibration coefficient is a coefficient obtained by adjusting an individual calibration coefficient acquired by branch calibration between the plurality of branches in the base station based on a branch calibration result between a branch of the base station and a branch of the other base station. |
| US09077388B2 |
System for near field communication (NFC) and frequency modulation (FM) communication and portable electronic device using the same
A system for near field communication (NFC) and frequency modulation (FM) communication includes a NFC microchip, a FM microchip, a control microchip, a switch module. The switch module switches between the NFC matching module and the FM matching module under control of the control microchip. A NFC matching module electronically connected to the antenna modulates working frequency of the NFC microchip to match with an antenna. A FM matching module electronically connected to the antenna modulates working frequency of the FM microchip to match with the antenna. |
| US09077387B2 |
Operation mode switching module and associated method
An operation mode switching module for a switching a near-field communication device between a sleep mode and a communication mode is provided. The operation mode switching module includes a driver, a detector, and a state machine. The driver drives a resonant circuit to generate an oscillation signal. The detector detects a level of effect of the environment upon the oscillation signal. The state machine determines whether to switch the near-field communication device from the sleep mode to the communication mode according to the level of effect of the environment upon the oscillation signal. |
| US09077386B1 |
Methods and systems for selection of unions of vector signaling codes for power and pin efficient chip-to-chip communication
Methods and systems are described for communication of data over a communications bus at high speed and high pin efficiency, with good resilience to common mode and other noise. Pin efficiencies of 100% may be achieved even for bus widths of four or fewer wires. Information to be transmitted is encoded as words of a vector signaling code, each word comprising multiple values transmitted as a group over the communications bus. Subsets of the vector signaling code have distinct group characteristics, which are discernable on transmission and are used to facilitate decoding on reception. |
| US09077381B2 |
Memory controller, storage device and memory control method
According to one embodiment, a memory controller includes an encoding unit that executes an error correction coding process on input-data and generates a code word, a calculation control unit that controls whether to execute a multiplication calculation of a multiplication circuit, and a memory interface unit that controls writing of the code word to the memory and reading of the code word from the memory, and the encoding unit includes a remainder circuit that performs a remainder calculation on the input-data using a first generator polynomial and generates a first code word having a first error correction capability and a first multiplication circuit that performs a multiplication calculation on the first code word using a second generator polynomial and performs a multiplication calculation of generating a second code word having a second error correction capability. |
| US09077376B2 |
Multiple string digital to analog converter comprising a control circuit
A multi-string DAC is described and comprises at least two DAC stages. Each DAC stage comprises a string of impedance elements and a switching network. A control loop is provided to control the Ron of the switching network and provide code dependent control of switches in a DAC switching network. |
| US09077374B2 |
Resolution-boosted sigma delta analog-to-digital converter
A method and an ADC circuit use multiple SD modulations on an analog value and apply digital post-processing of the pulse density modulation (PDM) streams from the SD modulations obtaining a higher resolution in the digital output value for a given oversampling ratio. SD ADC does not face the constraint of conversion time doubling for each additional bit of resolution. In one implementation, an SD ADC includes conversions in SD phase and resolution-boosting phase. During SD phase, MSBs of the digital output value are generated from the sampled analog value using a first SD conversion. At the end of SD phase, the sampled analog value is reduced to “residual quantization error,” which remains in a capacitor of an integrator of SD ADC. In resolution-boosting phase, the LSBs of the digital output value are generated from residual quantization error using a second SD conversion that provides at least the LSBs. |
| US09077373B1 |
Analog-to-digital conversion apparatus
An A/D conversion apparatus includes a signal processor, a quantizer, and a controller. The signal processor has circuit blocks connected in a loop to process an analog input signal. The quantizer generates a quantization value by quantizing an output of at least one of the circuit blocks including a final-stage circuit block. In each circuit block, one end of a first capacitor is connected through a switch to an input terminal of an operational amplifier, and one end of each of second and third capacitors is connected directly to the operational amplifier. The controller generates an A/D conversion result of the analog input signal according to the quantization value and changes connection conditions of the capacitors so that the signal processor and the quantizer function as a delta-sigma modulator or a cyclic A/D converter. |
| US09077372B1 |
Variable length phase factor quantizer
Optimized fully parallel mapped FFT structures where the bit-length of each phase factor used by the FFT is adjusted to meet a quality criteria of phase angle accuracy in terms of error percentage relative to π/4. Two quantization methods of round-to-zero and round-to-nearest are described. |
| US09077369B1 |
Delta-sigma modulator having multiple dynamic element matching shufflers
A data converter is disclosed. The data converter includes a loop-filter, a quantizer, an analog dynamic element matching (DEM) shuffler, a digital DEM shuffler and a feedback digital-to-analog converter. The loop-filter receives analog signals from an analog input. The quantizer then converts the filtered analog signals from the loop-filter to digital signals at a digital output. The analog DEM shuffler shuffles a set of analog threshold levels of the quantizer to yield a set of partially shuffled digital data at an output of the quantizer. The digital DEM shuffler shuffles the set of partially shuffled digital data from the output of the quantizer to yield a set of shuffled digital data. The feedback digital-to-analog converter converts the set of shuffled digital data to a set of analog data to be fed back to the loop-filter. |
| US09077367B2 |
Bit length converting circuit for floating-point numbers, and vibration correction control circuit using the bit length converting circuit
The bit length reducing unit reduces the bit length of an operand expressed by a floating-point number and outputs the operand to a computing unit. The bit length increasing unit increases the bit length of the result value of operation represented by the floating-point number inputted from the computing unit and restores the original bit length. The bit length reducing unit discards a preset number of higher-order bits of the exponent part of the floating-point number and at the same time adds a positive or negative offset value to the exponent part with the higher-order bits discarded, according to an application to be executed by the computing unit. The bit length increasing unit restores the bits discarded by the bit length reducing unit 11 from the exponent part of the floating-point number and at the same time subtracts an offset value from the exponent part. |
| US09077366B2 |
Multi-mode analog-to-digital converter
Techniques and devices provide analog-to-digital conversion at two or more signal frequencies or frequency hands and can be used to construct multi-mode analog-to-digital converters in various circuits, including receivers and transceivers for wireless communications and radio broadcast environments. Adjustable analog-to-digital converters based on the described techniques can be configured to adjust circuit parameters to adapt the technical specifications of different input signals at different signal frequencies or frequency bands, such as FM, HD-radio, and DAB radio signals in radio receiver applications. |
| US09077362B2 |
Memoryless sliding window histogram based BIST
A chip with a built-in self-test (BIST) component capable of testing the linearity of an ADC is described herein. The BIST component uses hardware registers to facilitate a sliding histogram technique to save space on the chip. A subset of detected digital codes are analyzed, and DNL and INL calculations are performed by a controller to determine whether any of the digital codes in the subset exceed maximum or minimum DNL and INL thresholds. New digital codes being detected by the ADC are added to the subset as lower-value digital codes are pushed out of the subset, maintaining the same number of digital codes being analyzed as the subset moves from lower codes detected during lower voltages to higher codes detected at higher voltages. A synchronizer and pointer ensure that the subset moves through the digital codes at the same rate as the analog input ramp source. |
| US09077356B2 |
MDAC with differential current cancellation
Various embodiments of the invention provide for cancellation of a residue amplifier output charging current at the reference voltage source of the reference buffer thereby preventing the charging current from altering the effective reference voltage of a reference buffer. In certain embodiments, current cancellation is accomplished by subtracting a current of the same magnitude. |
| US09077353B2 |
Integrated circuit frequency generator
An integrated circuit frequency generator is disclosed. In some embodiments, the frequency generator comprises an electronic oscillator configured to generate an oscillator frequency and calibration circuitry configured to periodically calibrate the electronic oscillator with respect to a reference frequency source. When a primary power source is unavailable, an output frequency is generated from the oscillator frequency, and the reference frequency source is powered-on only during calibration cycles. |
| US09077351B2 |
All-digital phase-locked loop for adaptively controlling closed-loop bandwidth, method of operating the same, and devices including the same
A method of operating an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) includes detecting a phase change in a feedback signal of the ADPLL using a search window and controlling a closed-loop bandwidth of the ADPLL based on a detection result. The closed-loop bandwidth when the phase change is detected outside the search window is greater than the closed-loop bandwidth when the phase change is detected within the search window. |
| US09077347B2 |
Oven controlled crystal oscillator
An oven controlled crystal oscillator includes a crystal unit, a temperature control circuit, and a circuit board. The temperature control circuit is configured to control a temperature of the crystal unit. The crystal unit includes a flange that projects outward to an entire outer periphery in one end. The circuit board includes a depressed portion in which the flange is partially inserted. The temperature control circuit includes a power transistor, a thermistor as a temperature sensor, and a metal pattern. The power transistor becomes a heat source. The metal pattern commonly connects a ground terminal of the crystal unit, a collector of the power transistor, and a ground terminal of the thermistor. The crystal unit is positioned in a state where the flange is partially inserted in the depressed portion. The crystal unit is connected to the metal pattern. |
| US09077346B2 |
Oscillator
An oscillator according to the disclosure includes a crystal unit, an IC chip, an adhesive agent flow prevention film, and a lead frame. The lead frame is disposed in a peripheral area of the pair of crystal terminals and the IC chip in an approximately same surface as the one surface of the flat container of the crystal unit. The lead frame includes a wiring part that is connected to an IC terminal of the IC chip by a bonding wire and is buried in the resin mold, and a mounting terminal forming portion that extends from the wiring part and is folded along an outside of the resin mold in a back surface that is another surface side opposite to the one surface of the crystal unit so as to form a mounting terminal. |
| US09077344B2 |
Substrate for electrical component and method
Insulating substrates may be selectively removed to form electrical connections between conductive patterns on different faces of the insulating substrate or between conductive patterns on the insulating substrate and external circuits. |
| US09077340B2 |
Super CMOS devices on a microelectronics system
A low cost IC solution is disclosed in accordance with an embodiment to provide Super CMOS microelectronics macros. Hereinafter, the Super CMOS or Schottky CMOS all refer to SCMOS. The SCMOS device solutions with a niche circuit element, the complementary low threshold Schottky barrier diode pairs (SBD) made by selected metal barrier contacts (Co/Ti) to P— and N—Si beds of the CMOS transistors. A DTL like new circuit topology and designed wide contents of broad product libraries, which used the integrated SBD and transistors (BJT, CMOS, and Flash versions) as basic components. The macros are composed of diodes that are selectively attached to the diffusion bed of the transistors, configuring them to form generic logic gates, memory cores, and analog functional blocks from simple to the complicated, from discrete components to all grades of VLSI chips. Solar photon voltaic electricity conversion and bio-lab-on-a-chip are two newly extended fields of the SCMOS IC applications. |
| US09077336B2 |
Transistor control circuit and power supply device
A transistor control circuit includes: an electrode control circuit configured to apply a positive potential to a control electrode in a transistor that includes the control electrode between a gate and a drain. |
| US09077334B2 |
Countermeasure method and device for protecting data circulating in an electronic component
A countermeasure in a logic circuit having a logic gate supplying a binary output signal, the method including supplying binary data having random values to inputs of logic circuit during a precharge phase; supplying data to process to inputs of the logic circuit during a data processing phase; supplying on input of the logic circuit a precharge command signal launching a precharge phase; and under the effect of the precharge command signal, adapting the functioning of a logic gate of the logic circuit, statistically unbalanced, so that the output signal of the logic gate is in a binary state with a same probability as the random binary data supplied on input of the logic circuit during the precharge phase. |
| US09077333B2 |
Semiconductor device
A programmable analog device and an analog device that can retain data even when supply of a power supply potential is interrupted and consumes less power. In a semiconductor device, first to fourth transistors are used as switches in a unit cell including an analog element, and the output of the unit cell switches between a conducting state, a non-conducting state, and a conducting state through the analog element by controlling the potential of a first node where the first transistor and the second transistor are connected and the potential of a second node where the third transistor and the fourth transistor are connected. |
| US09077329B2 |
Latch circuit with a bridging device
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for capturing and holding a level of an input signal using a latch circuit that presents a low number of loads to the clock signal. The clock is only coupled to a bridging transistor and a pair of clock-activated pull-down or pull-up transistors. The level of the input signal is propagated to the output signal when the storage sub-circuit is not enabled. The storage sub-circuit is enabled by the bridging transistor and a propagation sub-circuit is activated and deactivated by the pair of clock-activated transistors. |
| US09077327B2 |
Optimized peak detector for the AGC loop in a digital radio receiver
A method of peak detection applicable to complex in-phase and quadrature phase signals in a digital radio receiver where the incoming signal is divided into a plurality of frames. Each frame is then further divided into a plurality of smaller blocks, and the signal peak is determined in each block individually followed by selecting the peak signal value from the said blocks. |
| US09077322B2 |
Ring oscillator timer circuit
A ring oscillator timer circuit can include a plurality of electrical components arranged in a cascaded combination of delay stages connected in a closed loop chain. The timer circuit can begin oscillation a programmable number of gate delays after receiving a start signal. In some examples, the number of gate delays can be programmed to fractional values. In further examples, the ring oscillator timer circuit can include a counter having an input electrically coupled to an output of a reset component. |
| US09077318B2 |
Locking device for adjusting element
The invention relates to a device for locking an adjusting means (5), in particular an electrical addressing device, mounted on a printed circuit board (1) which extends in an x and/or y direction. The device includes an essentially flat base plate (2) having a length (L), a width (B), and a thickness (D), to which a first detent spring (4) is attached for locking engagement with marking means (23, 23′) of the adjusting means (5). The first detent spring preferably has an oblong spring leg (7), wherein in the installed state the base plate (2) is mounted on the printed circuit board (1). |
| US09077316B2 |
Transmitter finite impulse response characterization
A finite impulse response (FIR) extractor includes at least one controller. The controller injects specified FIR tap values into a first captured waveform that results from transmitting a raw waveform through a transmitter circuit including a FIR filter having pre and post cursor tap values set to zero to create an expected waveform, and injects the specified FIR tap values into the raw waveform to create an ideal waveform. The controller further projects the expected and ideal waveforms onto a second captured waveform that results from transmitting the ideal waveform through the transmitter circuit with the pre and post cursor tap values set to the specified FIR tap values to create a compensated waveform, and extracts FIR tap values from the compensated waveform. |
| US09077314B2 |
Feedback-based particle filtering
Methods for estimating a conditional probability distribution for signal states of a non-linear random dynamic process. The filter is based on multiple particles, each defined by a state space model similar to the dynamic process. Each particle is updated on the basis of a control input derived by proportional gain feedback on an innovation process. The innovation process is the difference between an increment in an observed quantity measured by one or more sensors and an average of a function of the particles. The particle filter of the invention may also be applied to filtering problems with data association uncertainty where multiple measurements are obtained, of which at most one originates from a specified target. |
| US09077311B2 |
Acoustic filter and method of acoustic filter manufacture
An acoustic filter and method of acoustic filter manufacture provides a plurality of series acoustic resonators coupled in series on a first resonator substrate, a plurality of shunt resonators on a second resonator substrate, and a support substrate. The first and second resonator substrates are mounted on the support substrate. The filter further provides a plurality of electrical connections, wherein each respective electrical connection electrically couples a respective one of the plurality of shunt resonators to a respective one of the plurality of series acoustic resonators. |
| US09077300B1 |
Predistortion circuit with concave characteristic
The predistortion circuit with concave characteristic is developed from a novel functional model for class-AB solid-state bipolar amplifiers. The model, based on a Fourier sine-series is simple and can provide closed-form expressions for the intermodulation products resulting from exciting the power amplifier by a multi-sinusoidal signal. The special case of a two-tone equal-amplitude signal is considered in detail. The present model can be used to build a database for the intermodulation performance of the class-AB bipolar SSPAs excited by a multi-sinusoidal signal. Using this database, the diode-based predistortion circuit with concave characteristic for linearizing the class-AB solid-state power amplifier is designed. |
| US09077299B2 |
Pre-distortion for fast power transient waveforms
An apparatus and a method select and use parameter values for an RF power amplifier linearizer to pre-distort the input signals of a power amplifier, so as to achieve a linear output response in the power amplifier. The apparatus and the method select from a number of sets of parameter values, each set of parameter values corresponding to a different output power range of the power amplifier. The set of parameters include a coefficient vector tailored for the particular output power range for that set. The power amplifier input power is repeatedly measured and filtered at various time intervals. The input power measurements may be filtered by a fast attack/slow decay filter, which follows the peaks of the measurements under operation of the fast attack portion of the filter and provides a low variance during operation of the slow decay portion of the filter. |
| US09077294B2 |
Measurement of the output current of an amplifier circuit
An amplifier circuit includes a first and a second switching element connected in series between a first and a second voltage potential and are actuated in the amplifier mode in a clocked manner. A capacitive element is connected in parallel to at least one of the two switching elements, a measuring circuit for measuring the switching edges occurring during switching of the switching elements, and a current-determining circuit for determining the output current by means of the measured switching edges. |
| US09077293B2 |
Envelope tracking system for MIMO
There is disclosed an amplifier arrangement comprising a plurality of amplifiers each arranged to amplify one of a plurality of different input signals, the arrangement comprising an envelope tracking modulator for generating a common power supply voltage for the power amplifiers, and further comprising an envelope selector adapted to receive a plurality of signals representing the envelopes of the plurality of input signals, and adapted to generate an output envelope signal representing the one of the plurality of envelopes having the highest level at a particular time instant as the input signal for the envelope tracking modulator. |
| US09077292B2 |
Power amplifier
A first amplifier is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal. A first junction point is located between the input terminal and an input of the first amplifier. A second junction point is located between the output terminal and an output of the first amplifier. A second amplifier is connected in parallel with the first amplifier, between the first junction point and the second junction point. A third junction point is located between an output of the second amplifier and the second junction point. A first capacitor and a switch are connected in series between the third junction point and ground. The second junction point is the lowest impedance point along a power amplification path that includes the input terminal, the first amplifier, and the output terminal. The switch is turned off/on when the second/first amplifier is turned on. |
| US09077285B2 |
Electronic devices with multiple amplifier stages and methods of their manufacture
An embodiment of an electrical device includes a device package and a plurality of amplifier paths physically contained by the device package. Each amplifier path includes an amplifier stage electrically coupled between an input and an output to the amplifier stage, and the amplifier stages of the plurality of amplifier paths are symmetrical. In a further embodiment, the amplifier paths have translational symmetry within the device package. In another further embodiment, transistors comprising the amplifier stages of the plurality of amplifier paths are substantially identical in size. The electrical device may be incorporated into an amplifier system that further includes an external input network and an external output network. For example, the amplifier system may be configured in a Doherty amplifier topology. |
| US09077284B2 |
Absorptive RF rectifier circuit
A radio frequency rectifier circuit may include a resistive termination to circuit ground, a plurality of inductors, and at least a first pair of rectifier components. The plurality of inductors may be connected electrically in series between an input node for receiving an input RF signal and the resistive termination. Each pair of electrically adjacent inductors of the plurality of inductors may be connected together at a respective in-line node. The first pair of rectifier components may electrically couple a first one of the in-line nodes to a respective direct current output node. Each rectifier component may have a cathode and an anode. A first rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components may have the cathode electrically connected to the first in-line node and a second rectifier component of the first pair of rectifier components may have the anode electrically connected to the first in-line node. |
| US09077277B2 |
Controlling an electrical consumer of an aircraft
An electrical consumer of an aircraft comprises an electric motor and an inverter for producing an alternating voltage for the electric motor. A method for controlling the electrical consumer comprises determining a rotational frequency for the electric motor. The method also includes establishing whether the rotational frequency leads to oscillations in the input current of the inverter which are below a predefined threshold, the oscillations being produced by the inverter when producing a supply voltage for the electric motor, and changing the rotational frequency if it has been established that the rotational frequency leads to oscillations below the predefined threshold. |
| US09077271B2 |
Starter circuit for a motor vehicle comprising a device for stepping-up the battery voltage, and starter equipped with the circuit
The starter motor circuit (1) comprises a combination (10) of a starter motor and of a device (LPF) for stepping up the battery voltage. The device for stepping up the battery voltage is intended to prevent a drop in battery voltage caused by a current spike that appears in a power circuit of the starter motor when power is applied thereto. The starter motor in the conventional way comprises an electric motor (DCM) and an electromagnetic contactor (EC). The device for stepping up the battery voltage is a filtering device of the inductive type which is mounted in series with the electric motor in the power circuit and comprises a casing made of magnetic material, a primary winding circuit intended to be inserted in series in the power circuit, and a secondary winding circuit mounted as a short circuit. |
| US09077270B2 |
Motor position and velocity detecting system
Disclosed herein is a motor position and velocity detecting system capable of accurately detecting a position and a velocity of a motor without adding a hall sensor or the number of poles of the motor. The motor position and velocity detecting system includes: a hall sensor outputting hall signals from rotation of a motor; an edge detector detecting edge signals for the hall signals to output edge pulse signals; a peak detector detecting peak signals for the hall signals to output peak pulse signals; a position outputter connected to the edge detector and the peak detector and outputting a position of the motor; and a velocity outputter connected to the edge detector and the peak detector and outputting a velocity of the motor. |
| US09077266B2 |
Apparatus of controlling vehicle provided with motor and control method thereof
An apparatus for controlling a vehicle provided with a motor includes a current command generator that determines first and second axes currents according to driving conditions, and a current controller that generates first and second axes voltages by using the first and second axes currents and feedback currents. An axis converter converts the first and second axes voltages into 3-phase voltages, 3-phase feedback currents into first and second axes feedback currents, and transmits the same to the current controller. A pulse width modulation (PWM) generator receives the 3-phase voltages and generates corresponding 3-phase signals, and a PWM inverter generates 3-phase currents and transmits the same to the axis converter. A motor is driven by the 3-phase currents. A resolver detects a phase of the motor and transmits the same to the current command generator and the axis converter. A resolver offset determining unit calculates a resolver offset value. |
| US09077264B2 |
Charged particle beam apparatus and electrostatic chuck apparatus
To improve an apparatus reliability by applying a voltage suitable to a situation, a charged-particle-beam apparatus 1 of the present invention includes: a sample stage 25; an electrostatic chuck 30; and an electrostatic-chuck controlling unit 13, and generates an image of a sample 24 by irradiating the sample 24 held on the sample stage 25 by the electrostatic chuck 30 with an electron beam 16. The electrostatic-chuck controlling unit 13, when the electrostatic chuck 30 holds the sample 24, applies a preset initial voltage to a chuck electrode of the electrostatic chuck 30; determines whether or not the sample 24 is normally clamped to the electrostatic chuck 30; and increases the voltage applied to the chuck electrode until determining that the sample 24 is clamped normally to the electrostatic chuck 30 if determining that the sample 24 is not clamped normally to the electrostatic chuck 30. |
| US09077258B2 |
Regulation circuit associated with synchronous rectifier providing cable compensation for the power converter and method thereof
A regulation circuit of a power converter for cable compensation according to the present invention comprises a signal generator generating a compensation signal in accordance with a synchronous rectifying signal. An error amplifier has a reference signal for generating a feedback signal in accordance with an output voltage of the power converter. The compensation signal is coupled to program the reference signal. The feedback signal is coupled to generate a switching signal for regulating an output of the power converter. The regulation circuit of the present invention compensates the output voltage without a shunt resistor to sense the output current of the power converter for reducing power loss. |
| US09077256B2 |
Method of forming a low power dissipation regulator and structure therefor
In one embodiment, a method of forming a conditioning circuit includes configuring an output biasing network to provide a biasing voltage to an MOS transistor to enable the MOS transistor to operate in a saturated operating mode for input voltages that are less than a threshold voltage. |
| US09077255B2 |
Resonant converters and methods
A multilevel LLC resonant converter comprises a resonant tank connected in series with a primary side of a transformer, a first switch and a second switch connected in series, wherein a common node of the first switch and the second switch is coupled to a mid-voltage point through a first isolation switch and the resonant bank and a third switch and a fourth switch connected in series, wherein a common node of the third switch and the fourth switch is coupled to the resonant tank. |
| US09077254B2 |
Switching mode power supply using pulse mode active clamping
An active clamp circuit includes a clamp capacitance and a clamp switch coupled in a circuit path, and a diode coupled across the clamp switch. |
| US09077251B2 |
Control circuit of a quasi-resonance switching power supply
Aspects of the provide a control circuit of a quasi-resonant switching power supply in which the switching frequency can be adequately reduced under a light load condition. Some aspects include a control circuit of a quasi-resonant switching power supply that performs switching operation of a switching element based on a bottom detection signal. The control circuit of the switching power supply can include a dummy signal generating circuit that generates a dummy signal for replacing the bottom detection signal when the bottom detection becomes unable due to damping of a resonant waveform with decrease of switching frequency, or when the number of bottoms in the resonant waveform exceeds a predetermined times. The use of the dummy signal can increase the number of skips and thus, reduces the switching frequency. |
| US09077244B2 |
Expanding DC/DC converter into multiphase DC/DC converter
A DC/DC converter configurable for operating as a multiphase DC/DC. A controller produces a master drive signal for controlling a primary power switch to produce the output DC signal at a desired level. Multiple secondary power stages are coupled between the input and the output nodes for producing an output DC signal. Each of the multiple secondary power stages has at least one secondary power switch responsive to the input DC signal for producing the output DC signal. An expander system configures the DC/DC converter for operation in a multiphase DC/DC conversion mode. The expander system is responsive to the master drive signal for producing multiple slave drive signals respectively supplied to the multiple secondary power stages for controlling secondary power switches. The slave drive signals have phases shifted with respect to the master drive signal and with respect to each other. |
| US09077239B2 |
Voltage adaptor for AC-DC power supply modules
A circuit for connecting lower AC voltage-rated AC-DC power supplies with higher voltage power sources. A power line matching transformer connecting the source to the power supplies needs only to support the self-dissipation and output current mismatch between supplies. The circuit can also protect the line matching transformer from overheating in various fault scenarios. |
| US09077237B2 |
Composite AC-to-DC power converter with boosting capabilities
A nearly 2 to 1 boosting mufti-phase AC-to-DC converter may include a main rectifier, an auxiliary rectifier; and an autotransformer connected to the main rectifier and the auxiliary rectifier. The autotransformer may include a plurality of interconnected windings arranged in a plurality of legs, with one of the legs for each phase and with each leg including a plurality of windings, wherein all but one of the windings of each leg have equal turns ratios and one of the windings of each leg has a turns ratio that is less than the turns ratio of all of the other windings of the respective leg. |
| US09077236B2 |
Permanent magnet rotor for a rotary electric machine
A permanent magnet rotor (3) for a rotary electric machine (1) comprises a rotor body (10) having a rotation axis (A) and a plurality of radial magnets (4), wherein the magnets (4) exhibit a head portion (5) located in proximity to an external surface (30) of the rotor body (10) and a base portion (6) facing towards the rotation axis (A). The base portion (6) of each magnet (4) has a width smaller than a width of the head portion (5). |
| US09077235B2 |
Brush motor
A brush motor includes a commutator fixed to a shaft, a pair of brushes in a sliding contact with a circumferential surface of the commutator, a first and a second torsion springs respectively pushing and pressing the pair of the brushes to sides of the commutator, a supporting plate attached with the springs, and a screw supporting the supporting plate. The supporting plate 10 is configured to be rotatable about the screw as a center or a supporting position by the screw is capable to be changed, in such a way that the pushing pressures by the springs to the pair of the brushes become to be equalized. Thus, insulation between the brushes can be secured while noise reduction and durability are improved. |
| US09077234B2 |
Vehicle AC generator
A vehicle AC generator includes a stator having stator windings; front frame and rear frame, each rotatably supporting a rotor; a cooling fan fitted to the rotor; first polarity arm and second polarity arm configured to rectify currents of one polarity and another polarity, respectively; a rectifier device configured to rectify an alternating current generated in the stator windings; and a protective cover covering the rectifier device. The rectifier device includes a first heat dissipating plate having rectifier elements forming the first polarity arm, a second heat dissipating plate rectifier elements forming the second polarity arm, and a connection plate formed in waveform-like shape and disposed between the first and second heat dissipating plates, and a passage of a cooling air blown by the cooling fan formed between the first and second heat dissipating plates and between the second heat dissipating plate and the connection plate. |
| US09077233B2 |
Insertion system for electrical conductor
An insertion system for electrical conductors is provided that can widen the gap between insulating paper. An insertion system (1) includes: a first moving part (4) that causes a leg of the coil element (10) to move in an insertion direction of a slot (16); a guide part (3) that guides the leg into the slot (16); and a pair of first spreader plates (7A) and a pair of second spreader plates (7B) that can spread at a leading end side thereof, in which these pairs of spreader plates are formed so as to extend inclined relative to the insertion direction so as to approach each other towards a leading end side, and a gap therebetween is narrower than a width of insulating paper (17) at the leading end side, and is wider than a width of the leg of the coil element (10) at a base end side. |
| US09077232B2 |
Actuator having a brushed DC electric motor and an EMI reduction circuit
An actuator is shown and described. The actuator includes a brushed DC motor and a circuit board. The circuit board for the brushed DC motor includes an EMI reduction circuit and a mounting location for the brushed DC motor. The mounting location includes a resilient conductive member that is surface mounted on the circuit board at the mounting location. When the motor is mounted to the circuit board at the mounting location, the motor case contacts and at least slightly compresses the resilient conductive member, conductively connecting the motor case to the EMI reduction circuit. |
| US09077229B2 |
Installation of a resolver in a rotating electrical machine
A rotating electrical machine includes a rotation shaft rotatably installed in a bearing that includes a portion secured onto the shaft and a portion removably attached to a supporting surface connected to a casing. The supporting surface includes an axial abutment for the bearing and a passageway traversed by the shaft. A resolver of the machine includes a resolver stator connected to the casing, and a resolver rotor having a diameter less than that of the passageway. The resolver rotor is attached to the shaft on an opposite side of a drive rotor relative to the bearing. A longitudinal position of parts installed on the shaft is determined such that, during installation, a transverse face of the bearing reaches an entrance of a cavity of the resolver stator before a transverse end of an external radial wall of the resolver rotor of the resolver reaches the entrance of the cavity. |
| US09077228B2 |
Rotary actuator equipped with sensing mechanism, and joint unit
A rotary actuator equipped with a sensing mechanism includes a motor and a reducer concentrically disposed inside a cylindrical housing; a scale for detecting the rotational position of a rotary arm, the scale being disposed on the circular outer face of the cylindrical housing; and a position sensor mounted in the facing section of the rotary arm that rotates along the circular outer face, the facing section being in a facing arrangement with the circular outer face. A detection mechanism includes the scale and the position sensor detects the rotational position of the rotary arm capable of rotating within a finite angular range along the circular outer face of the cylindrical housing. The components are concentrically disposed. The actuator is suitable for use as a digital joint unit. |
| US09077227B2 |
Electric motor assembly with electric phasing of rotor segments to reduce back electromotive force
An electric motor assembly includes a stator having a first set of electrical windings. The motor assembly includes a rotor assembly rotatable about an axis of rotation and that has a rotor with first and second rotor segments. Each of the rotor segments has a respective set of magnets spaced therearound. The motor assembly has a phaser that includes a phaser actuator and a phaser gear mechanism. The phaser gear mechanism has a plurality of members. The phaser actuator and the first and second rotor segments are each operatively connected to a different respective one of the members. The phaser actuator is activatable to change an angular position of the member to which the phaser actuator is operatively connected, moving one of the rotor segments about the axis of rotation relative to the other of the rotor segments to reduce back electromotive force in the first set of stator windings. |
| US09077225B2 |
Armature of electric motor and method for manufacturing armature of electric motor
A stator is provided with a core and a winding. The core includes a plurality of slots and a plurality of teeth formed between the slots. The winding is composed of a plurality of wires W bundled in an irregular arrangement. The winding includes a plurality of coil portions wound on each of the teeth, and a connecting portion connecting the coil portions together. The winding has a twisted shape in the connecting portion. |
| US09077223B2 |
Electrical rotating machine
An electrical rotating machine is provided with a salient-pole rotor, which is composed of magnetic field pole bodies integrally formed with a shaft and pole shoes constituting magnetic field pole heads. Each pole shoe is fixedly joined on the corresponding one of the magnetic field pole bodies with a plurality of bolts. Each pole shoe or its corresponding magnetic field pole body is provided with at least one protrusion or recess for restricting a conically-shaped compression domain in a compression domain that occurs in the pole shoe when the pole shoe is joined on the corresponding magnetic field pole body with the bolts. |
| US09077221B2 |
Gas turbine engine
One embodiment of the present is may include a gas turbine engine having an electrical machine for generating electrical power. Other embodiments may include other gas turbine engines having electrical machines for generating electrical power. Still other embodiments may include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for gas turbine engines having electrical machines for generating electrical power. |
| US09077217B2 |
Motor with a sealing sleeve
A motor comprising a motor housing, a stator located within the motor housing, a rotor supported for rotation within the motor housing upon a rotor shaft, the rotor shaft being supported for rotation by bearings, and a sealing sleeve, wherein the sealing sleeve is of closed ended form and encircles the rotor, the sealing sleeve being sealed adjacent its open end to the motor housing. |
| US09077216B2 |
Stator for rotating electrical machine
A stator for a rotating electrical machine includes a stator core with a plurality of slots; and coils attached to the stator core. The coils are each structured by winding a covered conductor wire bundle around the stator core. The covered conductor wire bundle is structured by covering an outer circumference of a conductor wire bundle with a flexible insulating cover, the conductor wire bundle consisting of an assembly of a plurality of conductor wires. A plurality of the covered conductor wire bundles is disposed in each slot such that adjacent pairs of the covered conductor wire bundles are in contact with each other. |
| US09077214B2 |
Magnetic bearing control device and exhaust pump having magnetic bearing control device
To provide a magnetic bearing control device that identifies a movable range of an eddy current gap sensor configuring a magnetic bearing and a center of the movable range and easily controls a rotor shaft and other controlled shafts, which are lifted by the magnetic bearing, in a central position of a protective bearing. The magnetic bearing control device has a first function for detecting an X-axis direction movable limit position of the rotor shaft; a second function for identifying a center of an X-axis movable range of an X-axis eddy current gap sensor (−X sensor, +X sensor) based on the X-axis direction movable limit position detected by the first function; a third function for detecting a Y-axis direction movable limit position of the rotor shaft; a fourth function for identifying a center of a Y-axis movable range of a Y-axis eddy current gap sensor (+Y sensor, −Y sensor) based on the Y-axis direction movable limit position detected by the third function; and a fifth function for turning an excitation current of a Y-axis electromagnet (+Y electromagnet, −Y electromagnet) OFF when the first function detects the X-axis direction movable limit position and the second function identifies the center of the X-axis movable range, and turning an excitation current of an X-axis electromagnet (+X electromagnet, −X electromagnet) OFF when the third function detects the Y-axis direction movable limit position and the fourth function identifies the center of the Y-axis movable rage. |
| US09077212B2 |
Method and apparatus for rotor cooling in an electromechanical machine
An apparatus and method for cooling the rotor in an electromechanical machine such as a wind turbine generator is disclosed. Fluid cooling passages may be formed in the rotor, defined at least in part by a support member for magnets mounted on the rotor. Cooling fluid intake may be through the stator surrounding the rotor. |
| US09077211B2 |
Electromechanical flywheel with evacuation system
An electromechanical flywheel machine includes a flywheel mass enclosed in an evacuable housing and an e×ternal gas removal train. |
| US09077210B2 |
Stator for an electric machine having end windings pressed into a housing
A stator (1) and a method for manufacturing such a stator for an electric machine. Windings of the stator (1) protrude in the longitudinal direction beyond a cylindrical stator body (3) in the form of end windings (17, 19) on end faces (13, 15) of the stator body (3). In this case, a complementarily designed accommodating region (31) is provided on a housing (21), with the result that, when the housing (21) is assembled with the stator body (3), the windings of the end winding (17) can be pressed. As a result, good thermal contact can be effected between the end winding (17) and the housing (21), which is cooled via a cooling apparatus (25), for example. |
| US09077202B1 |
Power converter with series energy storage
A power conversion system may include a first power converter to transfer power from a power source to a load, an energy storage element coupled in series between the first power converter and the load, and a second power converter to transfer energy between the energy storage element and the load. The system may be configured to provide a sinusoidal output suitable for grid-tie applications while maintaining constant input power. |
| US09077200B2 |
Enhancing wide area control reliability of a power transmission system
A method, arrangement and computer program product for enhancing the reliability of wide area control in a power transmission system where the wide area control is performed in the power transmission system based on measurements of system data. The arrangement includes an estimating unit configured to generate estimated measurement values based on at least one control signal being sent into the system and a model of the system, where the estimated measurement values correspond to a set of actual measurement values that are provided by a number of measurement providing devices in the system. The arrangement also includes a control unit configured to replace, if one or more deviation condition associated with at least one actual measurement value is fulfilled, at least the actual measurement values of the set being associated with the one or more deviation condition with corresponding estimated measurement values. |
| US09077199B2 |
Electronic device with connection interface supporting signal communication and charging operation
An electronic device is provided. When the electronic device is at a power exhaustion state and a first external device with a charging function is coupled to a connection interface to provide a first supply voltage to a power pin of the connection interface, a voltage regulation unit transforms the first supply voltage to a first operation voltage, and a storage unit powered by the first operation voltage outputs device information of the electronic device to the first external device through a signal transmitting/receiving pin set of the connection interface. When the first external device provides a second supply voltage to the power pin in response to the device information, the electronic device enters a charging mode. In the charging mode, the charging unit provides a charging voltage according to the second supply voltage to charge the battery unit and provides a second operation voltage to a processing unit. |
| US09077197B2 |
Battery residual amount measurement system, computer-readable medium storing battery residual amount measurement program, and battery residual amount measurement method
A battery residual amount measurement system including includes a current detection section that detects a current value of current discharged from a battery that is an object of measurement; a first storage section that stores reference undischargeable amounts that are determined in advance in accordance with ambient temperatures of the battery and current values of current discharged from the battery; and a calculating section that, when a discharging operation is carried out at the battery, acquires, from the first storage section, the reference undischargeable amount that corresponds to an ambient temperature of the battery and the current value detected by the current detection section, and calculates a battery residual amount on the basis of a undischargeable amount that is calculated and computed on the basis of the acquired reference undischargeable amount and a nominal battery capacity of the battery. |
| US09077193B2 |
Power relaying apparatus, power transmission system and method for manufacturing power relaying apparatus
Disclosed herein is a power relaying apparatus provided between: a power supplying apparatus including a power supplying resonance device and a power supplying power supply section for supplying an AC current to the power supplying resonance device; and a power receiving apparatus having a power receiving resonance device for receiving a power from the power supplying apparatus by adoption of a resonance method, the power relaying apparatus including a power relaying resonance device resonating between the power supplying resonance device and the power receiving resonance device, wherein the power relaying resonance device is fixed at a predetermined position by making use of an insulation member. |
| US09077191B2 |
Charging arrangement for a vehicle
The present invention relates to a charging arrangement for a vehicle comprising an inductively chargeable mobile electronic appliance consisting of a multiplicity of different, inductively chargeable, mobile electronic appliances, having a secondary coil, charging electronics and a rechargeable battery and a charging device having a primary coil and a charging surface which is associated with the primary coil and above which the mobile electronic appliance can be placed down for charging. In this case, the primary coil can be fixed in a first primary position and in at least one second primary position on a primary plane relative to the charging surface, with the primary coil being fixed in the chosen primary position independent of shaking, vibrations or centrifugal forces acting on the charging arrangement, and independent of the presence of the mobile electronic appliance. |
| US09077189B2 |
Battery protection circuit module device
Disclosed herein is a battery protection circuit module device. The battery protection circuit module device includes a charging unit, a battery protection circuit module, and a system. The charging unit includes first and second MOSFET switches, and supplies externally input power to a battery or a system. The battery protection circuit module includes the battery, third and fourth MOSFET switches configured to be selectively turned on and off, a resistor and a capacitor configured to supply the voltage of the battery to the PCM controller as driving power, and the PCM controller configured to control the third and fourth MOSFET switches. The system is operated using the voltage of the battery or externally input voltage. The third and fourth MOSFET switches of the battery protection circuit module are connected via a common drain structure and a common drain terminal is connected to an internal ground. |
| US09077187B2 |
Apparatus and method for controlling charging and discharging of batteries
An apparatus is electrically connected to a battery unit consisting of multiple batteries, an energy conversion system, and power-driven equipment. The apparatus sets number requirements of batteries to be connected to a discharge unit and a charge unit of the battery unit. When the power-driven equipment is started, the apparatus receives an open-circuit voltage of each battery detected by a sensor connected to the battery, and establishes connections of the batteries with the discharge unit or the charge unit according to the open-circuit voltages of the batteries and the number requirements. During the discharge unit supplying power to the power-driven equipment and the energy conversion system charging the charge unit, the apparatus monitors variations of the open-circuit voltages of the batteries, and switches the connections of batteries with the discharge unit or the charge unit according to associations between open-circuit voltages, cut-off discharge voltages, and nominal voltages of the batteries. |
| US09077185B2 |
Systems and methods for uninterruptible power supplies with bidirectional power converters
Electrical power systems and methods using bidirectional power converters to provide, among other functions, uninterruptible power supplies for loads such as cell towers. The power-packet-switching power converter can be connected, for example, to a photovoltaic array, batteries, and a critical load such as a cell tower. An AC generator can also be connected in order to power the cell tower and/or to charge the batteries as needed. Green energy utilization is maximized, power conversion efficiency is increased, and system costs are decreased, by having only a single power conversion stage for all conversions. |
| US09077184B2 |
Control device to control deterioration of batteries in a battery stack
Provided is a storage battery system comprising a plurality of storage batteries connected in parallel, characterized by detecting the temperature and energy amount of each battery connected in parallel, calculating the deterioration rate of each battery based on the detected temperature and energy-amount, and controlling the power amount to be inputted to and output from each battery so that the deterioration rate of each storage battery will come closer to each other. |
| US09077169B2 |
Connection structure for shield wire
In a connection structure for a shield wire, a shield conductor of the shield wire is fastened tightly by a shield fastening portion for a connection thereto. The shield fastening portion is provided with a plurality of holes. A wire contact surface of the shield fastening portion has: at least an area around each of the holes and on the lower side of a wire pulling direction, as a non-knurled surface which is not knurled; and other area as a knurled surface which is knurled. |
| US09077167B2 |
Aircraft raceway mounting and clamping apparatus
An aircraft raceway mounting apparatus comprising an attachment formation for attachment of the apparatus to an aircraft structure, a raceway receiving formation for receiving a raceway, the raceway receiving formation comprising a snap fit formation for retention of a raceway. An aircraft raceway clamping apparatus comprising a concave raceway receiving formation having a raceway support region and a mouth, a bridge member configured to at least partially span the mouth, a clamping member movably mounted to the bridge member to advance into the mouth. |
| US09077163B2 |
Cable trailer
The present invention is directed to cable trailer that can carry a cable drum having a weight up to 10 ton. The cable trailer is designed to carry and unwind cable from the cable drum and direct and lay the cable in or along a trench. The cable trailer has a trailer chassis with an internal aperture enclosed by a tail gate. The tail gate can open or be removed to provide access to the space of the internal aperture for the cable drum. The cable trailer has two mounting arms to mount the cable drum. The cable trailer has a bridge with a cable director to facilitate removing cable from the cable drum and at least one cable support arm extendable from a side of the chassis for directing and laying of the cable. |
| US09077157B2 |
Ignition plug having a rear trunk portion that provides sufficient strength
An ignition plug includes a ceramic insulator having an axial bore, a metallic shell, and a terminal electrode. The terminal electrode has a leg portion inserted into a rear side of the axial bore, and a head portion formed on a rear side of the leg portion and having an outside diameter greater than that of the leg portion. The insulator includes a rear trunk portion exposed from the rear end of the metallic shell, which has a maximum outside diameter of 9.5 mm or less. The insulator has an end-surface seat portion located forward of its rear end and being in contact with the forward end surface of the head portion, and an outer circumferential portion into which at least a forward end portion of the head portion is inserted and which is located externally of the outer circumference of the head portion. |
| US09077151B2 |
Semi-polar III-nitride optoelectronic devices on M-plane substrates with miscuts less than +/-15 degrees in the C-direction
An optoelectronic device grown on a miscut of GaN, wherein the miscut comprises a semi-polar GaN crystal plane (of the GaN) miscut x degrees from an m-plane of the GaN and in a c-direction of the GaN, where −15 |
| US09077150B2 |
High power ultra-compact, lightweight multi-kilowatt fiber laser system based on coherent and spectral beam combining
A high power fiber laser system consisting of multiple fiber amplifier or laser systems amplifying the input signal in parallel is configured with a high power splitter such as to share some of the gain stages. The high power splitting component consists of high power fiber couplers and splitter(s). The splitter is a holographic optical element, a dielectric coated plate, a diffraction grating, or a volume Bragg grating. The resultant fiber laser configuration reduces the total number of amplifying stages including optical isolators and active fiber assemblies for the system and thus reduces the total volume and weight. |
| US09077147B2 |
Burst oscillation method in laser system and apparatus for same
Disclosed is a burst mode oscillation method for burst mode oscillation by controlling the peak output of light pulses in a laser system. The burst mode oscillation apparatus includes a seed beam generator which receives electrical input signals having different pulse widths, modulates pulse widths and amplitudes of outputs in output light according to the received electrical input signals, and outputs the modulated pulse light, an amplifier which amplifies the modulated pulse light and outputs amplified pulse light, and a non-linear wavelength converter which can control wavelength-converted output light according to the amplitudes of the peak output changed through the pulse widths of the amplified pulse light. |
| US09077137B2 |
Laser assembly with package beam pointing registration
A laser assembly (12) for providing an output beam (18) includes a gain medium (16) and a laser housing (20) that retains the gain medium (16). The gain medium (16) generates the output beam (18) when electrical power is directed to the gain medium (16). The laser housing (20) includes a reference redirector (20A) that is used to a reference datum to check the alignment of the output beam (18) relative to the laser housing (20). The reference redirector (20A) can be a mirror that is integrated into the laser housing. |
| US09077133B2 |
Multi-position duckhead adapter plugs and associated moveable plug assemblies
Multi-position duckhead adapter plugs and associated moveable plug assemblies are disclosed that may be provided, for example, to couple an electrically powered device such as an information handling system to an AC mains power receptacle. A multi-position duckhead adapter plug may utilize electrically-conductive prongs configured and dimensioned for insertion into corresponding electrically-conducive sockets of a plug receptacle. The electrically-conductive prongs of an adapter plug may be mounted in a moveable plug assembly that is at least partially spherical and that is rotatably received in a stationary adapter housing. The moveable plug assembly may include one or more electrical contact detents and/or locking detents for effecting electrical interconnection and/or adjustable locking positioning within the stationary adapter housing. |
| US09077132B2 |
Male connector and a method of producing the male connector
The present invention relates to an elongated male connector (1), for a medical device, and a method of producing the male connector (1). The male connector (1) has a longitudinal axis (2) and comprises a plurality of conductive members (3), each having an outer contact surface (4) and being separated from each other by insulating members (5). The conductive and insulating members (3, 5) are disposed along the male connector (1), such that the outer contact surfaces (4) are arranged essentially at the same surface level, and that each of the conductive members (3) has an elongated extension along the longitudinal axis (2) of the male connector (1). Each conductive member (3) is provided with an insulated microrod (6) extending at least partially along the length of the male connector (1), and the conductive members (3) are hollow and have an essentially cylindrical cross-section and form, together with the insulating members (5), a self-supporting male connector (1) having no core wire. |
| US09077129B1 |
Power supply strip with repositionable outlets
The power supply strip with repositionable outlets includes an elongated housing defining the strip. The housing has a front face defining an elongated rectangular slot. An elongated power bus bar, an elongated neutral bus bar, and an elongated ground bus bar extend the length of the housing in compartments above, below, and in rear of the slot, respectively. The strip is used with adapter plugs having an L-shaped power prong, an L-shaped neutral prong stepped back from the power prong, and a cylindrical ground prong. The prongs are inserted through the slot, the adapter plug is rotated 90° to align the prongs with the bus bars, and the adapter plug is drawn forward to engage the prongs with the bus bars. The adapter plug may be attached directly to an appliance cord, or the adapter plug may have a three-prong receptacle opposite the prongs. |
| US09077122B2 |
Structure having circuit boards connected therein and method for connecting circuit boards
An anisotropic conductive member is connected to a rigid circuit board having a first electrode and a flexible circuit board having a second electrode as a land. A plurality of conductive paths penetrate an insulating base material of the anisotropic conductive member. Each conductive path has a first protrusion and a second protrusion on respective first and second surfaces of the insulating base. The height of the second protrusion is equal to or less than double the thickness of the land. The first protrusion contacts a part of the first electrode. The second protrusion contacts part of the land. The base of the anisotropic conductive member is pressed such that the insulating material is not in direct contact with the flexible circuit board. When attaching the boards, a pressure of 300 MPa to 1,000 MPa is applied to the surfaces of the lands to reduce circuit board breakage. |
| US09077121B2 |
Pins for connector alignment
Connector receptacles that may help maintain registration or alignment between a printed circuit board, a connector receptacle, and an opening in a device enclosure. One example may provide a connector receptacle having a housing including a passage. A pin may be placed in the passage such that a first portion extends away from a front of the housing and a rear portion extends away from a rear of the housing. The front portion may be arranged to fit in a cavity or opening in an inside surface of a device enclosure, while the rear portion may be arranged to fit in a cavity or opening in a top surface of a printed circuit board. |
| US09077120B2 |
Electrical connector
An electrical connector (10) includes plural pairs of mating terminals (24), plural pairs of foot terminals (26), and a number of circuit board component units. The circuit board component unit includes an upper inner circuit board (141), a lower inner circuit board (142), and a number of electronic components mounted onto the upper and lower inner circuit board (141,142). The electronic components include a number of transformers (15), each transformer (15) including a drum type core (161), a primary winding wire (171), and a secondary winding wire (172) wound around the drum type core (161). The primary winding wire (171) of one transformer (15) and the primary winding wire (171) of an adjacent transformer (15) or the secondary winding wire (172) of the one transformer (15) and the secondary winding wire (172) of the adjacent transformer (15) are disposed adjacent to each other to prevent electric discharge. |
| US09077116B2 |
Electrical connector for a safety restraint system having a ground contact
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a plug-in connection, comprising a connector housing having a mating part defining a receiving section adapted for receiving a mating section of a counter-connector, at least two contact elements that are placed in the receiving section, and a ground contact assembly comprising a ground contact having a contacting portion adapted for being electrically connected with a grounding element of a retainer. For providing an electrical connector, which can be coupled with standard counter-connectors, the ground contact assembly of the electrical connector according to the present invention is arranged outside the receiving section with the contacting portion extending at least section-wise into the receiving section. |
| US09077115B2 |
Terminal set of electrical connector
A terminal set of an electrical connector includes signal terminal duos and ground terminal duos. The signal terminal duos have two signal terminals. The signal terminals are spaced apart by a first distance and each have a first recess. The direction of the depth of the first recess equals the longitudinal direction of the signal terminals. The ground terminal duos have two ground terminals. The signal terminal duos are disposed between the ground terminals. The ground terminals each have a second recess. The direction of the depth of the second recess equals the longitudinal direction of the ground terminals. The ground terminal and the adjacent signal terminal are spaced apart by a second distance. The first distance is shorter than the second distance. The ground terminals each partially bulges out transversely to form at least a bulging portion. The terminal set features terminal electrical impedance and alleviated inter-terminal resonance. |
| US09077114B2 |
Quick connect power connector
An electrical connector for connecting to a terminal post. The electrical connector includes a housing body, a contact and a locking release member. The housing body includes a post receiving passage for receiving the terminal post therein. The contact is provided in the post receiving passage and is positioned about the circumference of the post receiving passage. The contact will make an electrical engagement with a terminal post inserted into the post receiving passage regardless of the orientation of the terminal post with respect to the contact. The locking release member is moveably mounted to the housing body and is moveable between a first position and a second position. The locking release member cooperates with a locking spring member. The locking spring member has a locking section which cooperates with a recess of the terminal post when the locking release member is in the first position. |
| US09077108B2 |
Input/output module bus contact system and method
Present embodiments include an automation control system that includes an input/output device module with a device bus therein. The input/output module also includes a first bus contact on a first side of the input/output device module and communicatively coupled with a first end of the device bus, and a second bus contact on a second side of the input/output device module and communicatively coupled with a second end of the device bus. The second side generally faces an opposite direction from the first side and the input/output device module is configured to be coupled with additional input/output device modules positioned on the first and second sides of the input/output device module via the first and second bus contacts. Further, the first and second bus contacts are positioned on non-lateral surfaces of the input/output device module, the first and second contacts include spring-loaded connectors, the first and second contacts include two-prong or three-prong forks, or the input/output device module is a terminal block. |
| US09077107B2 |
Connector latch actuator with improved torsional resistance
A cable connector assembly is disclosed for use in connecting electronic devices together. The connector has a housing and a mating blade in the form of a paddle card to which wires of a cable are terminated. The connector housing supports a latching mechanism with an actuator that when selectively pulled delatches the latching mechanism from its engagement with the housing of an electronic device. The actuator has an elongated pull tab portion that has a rounded edge for at least three of its four sides. This rounded edge eliminates the sharp corners associated with rectangular or square cross sections of conventional pull tabs, thereby removing stress riser points and giving the pull tab greater resistance against tearing when subjected to torsional loading. |
| US09077103B2 |
Electrical card connector with locking portion
An electrical card (100) connector includes an insulative housing (1), a set of contacts (2) received in the housing and a locking portion (17) retained in the housing (1). The housing (1) defines a receiving cavity (10) for receiving an electrical card. The locking portion (17) has an elastic arm (171) connected with the housing (1) and a latching portion (172) extending forwardly from the elastic arm (171) and extending into the receiving cavity (10) to retain the electrical card. The locking portion (17) can deflect along a left to right direction under stress, so the insertion and extraction force of the electrical card insert in and eject out of the receiving cavity (10) moderately, it can not only ensure the electrical card connector (100) lock the electrical card firmly but also ensure the electrical card not be damaged easily. |
| US09077099B1 |
Harsh environment connector with rotating end seal assembly
A harsh environment connector has first and second connector units which each have at least one contact chamber in which at least one contact is located. Seal assemblies at the front ends of the respective contact chambers include seal members which rotate about the longitudinal axis of the connector as the units are mated to allow contacts of one connector unit to pass through aligned seal openings and into engagement with contacts in the other connector unit. Each seal assembly has a seal clamp member and the seal and seal clamp members are relatively rotatable during mating and de-mating between a first position when the units are unmated in which the seal openings are clamped shut by the seal clamp member and a second position when the units are mated in which clamp portions of the seal clamp member are offset from the seal openings. |
| US09077097B2 |
Module connector for uninterrupted communication
A module connector (102) for uninterrupted communication is described. The module connector (102) comprises a slot (602) for receiving connector pins (702) of an I/O module 500. The slot (602) has at least one pair of mating pins (606) to connect with the connector pins (702) of the I/O module (500). The at least one pair of mating pins (606) is normally closed in absence of the connector pins (702) in the slot (602). Further, the at least one pair of mating pins (606) in a normally closed state moves to an open state upon receiving the connector pins (702) of the I/O module (500) in the slot (602). |
| US09077088B2 |
Connecting structure and connecting method of fiber conductor wire
A fiber conductor wire structure includes a fiber conductor and a terminal. The fiber conductor has a first portion with an outer insulating resin and a second portion with an outer conductive metal. The second portion defines a knot. The terminal has a hole for inserting the fiber conductor. The hole has a receiving portion configured to receive the knot in locked engagement and electrical connection with the terminal. A connecting method for the fiber conductor wire includes forming a knot with a portion of a fiber conductor having an outer conductive metal, inserting the fiber conductor into a hole of a terminal, and pulling the fiber conductor through the hole to engage the knot with a receiving portion of the terminal to place the knot in locked engagement and electrical connection with the terminal. |
| US09077085B2 |
Communication device and antenna system with high isolation
A communication device including a ground element and an antenna system is provided. The antenna system is adjacent to the ground element. The antenna system includes at least a first antenna, a second antenna, a connection element, and a resistive element. The second antenna is adjacent to the first antenna. The connection element includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is coupled to the first antenna, and the second portion is coupled to the second antenna. The resistive element is coupled between the first portion and the second portion of the connection element. The connection element and the resistive element increase the isolation between the first antenna and the second antenna. |
| US09077079B2 |
Electronic device
An electronic device including a shell, an antenna unit, an insulating layer and an isolating conductor is provided. The material of the shell includes conductive material. The antenna unit is disposed on the shell and includes a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna and the second antenna are grounded to the shell. The insulating layer is disposed on the shell and located between a ground plane of the first antenna and a ground plane of the second antenna. The isolating conductor is disposed on the insulating layer and has a slot. |
| US09077072B2 |
Antenna system and filter
Antenna systems and antenna filters are provided, for example for use in a windshield or on a roof of a vehicle. An antenna system comprises a first antenna, a second antenna, and a filter. The first antenna is configured to operate at a first frequency. The second antenna is configured to operate at a second frequency. The filter is coupled to the first antenna. The filter is configured to create an open circuit condition at the second frequency and reduce secondary radiation between the first and second antennas. |
| US09077056B2 |
Device for housing electrochemical cells
Disclosed herein is a device for housing a plurality of electrochemical cells, wherein the housing provides stability, temperature control and maximum packing density. The battery module housing comprises a first semi-enclosure and a second semi-enclosure, wherein the first and second semi-enclosure are aligned to form compartments there between. Each compartment is designed to accommodate at least one electrochemical cell, such as a cylindrical battery or a prismatic battery. Each semi-enclosure comprises an interior wall and an exterior wall. The interior and exterior wall align together to form a flow path between the walls through which coolant or any other thermal management medium may flow. The coolant enters the semi-enclosure through a coolant inlet, flows between the interior and exterior walls; then flows out of the semi-enclosure through a coolant outlet. |
| US09077054B2 |
Battery pack for electric power tool with reduced difference in voltages of multiple cells constituting battery
A battery pack for an electric power tool includes a control device that determines the necessity of a balancing control to reduce difference in voltages of cells of a battery based upon voltages of the respective cells measured by a voltage measuring device. The control device controls a subject cell, which is subject to the balancing control to discharge via the discharging device when the balancing control is determined to be necessary. A voltage measuring device measures the voltages of the respective cells when a battery charger detecting device detects the connection of the battery charger in a state where the battery has not been connected to the battery charger for a predetermined specified period of time or more and power feeding to the electric power tool has not been performed for the specified period of time or more. |
| US09077051B2 |
System for preventing deterioration of storage capacity of lead acid battery and reusing lead acid battery by electrical treatment
A system for removing a layer of lead sulfate insulation crystals in which lead sulfate is selectively subjected to heating by dielectric relaxation loss at a peak frequency of lead sulfate dielectric relaxation loss of 10 MHz, thereby finely decomposing the crystals which have turned into poor conductors to oxidize positive electrodes of lead oxide and reduce negative electrodes of elemental lead by charging current. |
| US09077046B2 |
Electrolytes including fluorinated solvents for use in electrochemical cells
Provided are electrochemical cells and electrolytes used to build such cells. The electrolytes include ion-supplying salts and fluorinated solvents capable of maintaining single phase solutions with the salts at between about −30° C. to about 80° C. The fluorinated solvents, such as fluorinated carbonates, fluorinated esters, and fluorinated esters, are less flammable than their non-fluorinated counterparts and increase safety characteristics of cells containing these solvents. The amount of fluorinated solvents in electrolytes may be between about 30% and 80% by weight not accounting weight of the salts. Fluorinated salts, such as fluoroalkyl-substituted LiPF6, fluoroalkyl-substituted LiBF4 salts, linear and cyclic imide salts as well as methide salts including fluorinated alkyl groups, may be used due to their solubility in the fluorinated solvents. In some embodiments, the electrolyte may also include a flame retardant, such as a phosphazene or, more specifically, a cyclic phosphazene and/or one or more ionic liquids. |
| US09077039B2 |
Electronically conductive polymer binder for lithium-ion battery electrode
A family of carboxylic acid groups containing fluorene/fluorenon copolymers is disclosed as binders of silicon particles in the fabrication of negative electrodes for use with lithium ion batteries. Triethyleneoxide side chains provide improved adhesion to materials such as, graphite, silicon, silicon alloy, tin, tin alloy. These binders enable the use of silicon as an electrode material as they significantly improve the cycle-ability of silicon by preventing electrode degradation over time. In particular, these polymers, which become conductive on first charge, bind to the silicon particles of the electrode, are flexible so as to better accommodate the expansion and contraction of the electrode during charge/discharge, and being conductive promote the flow battery current. |
| US09077038B2 |
Lithium ion batteries
A lithium ion battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a microporous polymer separator soaked in an electrolyte solution. The microporous polymer separator is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. An ion exchange polymer material is any of i) incorporated as a binder in any of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, ii) deposited onto a surface of any of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, iii) incorporated into the microporous polymer separator, or iv) deposited onto a surface of the microporous polymer separator. Examples of methods for making the ion exchange polymer material for use in the lithium ion batteries are also disclosed herein. |
| US09077036B2 |
Lithium ion secondary battery, positive electrode active material, positive electrode, electric tool, electric vehicle, and power storage system
A lithium ion secondary battery including a positive electrode; a negative electrode; and an electrolytic solution, wherein the positive electrode includes a first lithium composite oxide and a second lithium composite oxide expressed by following formula (1) as a positive electrode active material, and wherein the second lithium composite oxide has a charge capacity greater than the first lithium composite oxide Li1+a(NibM1cM21−b−c)1.5−0.5aO2 (1) wherein, M1 represents at least one selected from among elements of group 13 to group 15 in an extended periodic table of elements excluding boron B, or carbon C, or nitrogen N, M2 represents at least one selected from among elements of group 3 to group 12, and a, b, and c satisfy relationships of 0.95≦a≦1.05, 0 |
| US09077035B2 |
Nonaqueous secondary battery and method of using the same
A nonaqueous secondary battery containing a positive electrode having a positive electrode mixture layer, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the positive electrode comprises, as active materials, two or more lithium-containing transition metal oxides having different average particle sizes, and the lithium-containing transition metal oxide having the smallest average particle size contains one or more of Mg, Ti, Zr, Ge, Nb, Al and Sn. |